//------------------------------//
// What Makes a Hero 
// Story: Self-Defeat 
// by HeartGramHorse 
//------------------------------//

	As Rainbow walked back into the hall and towards her locker, she turned around as trotting was heard coming from behind her. She turned to see Twilight, Soarin, and Spitfire.
"Rainbow, why did you leave?" Twilight asked seriously.
Rainbow just grimaced and looked down at the cloud floor in disappointment.
"You wouldn't understand. None of you would, not even you Spitfire." Rainbow stated to all three of them.
"What would we not understand Dash?" Spitfire inquired questioningly.
"Look, I go into war, after being a strong warrior and a flight member of one of the things I always dreamed of, my wing gets cut off, then my whole world comes crashing down at the tap of a hoof. I'm nothing without the Wonderbolts, I deserve to just be left alone for the rest of my life. I'm no hero, and I never will be." Dash began to cry as she looked from her friends, to the floor, then the Wonderbolts emblem on the walls.
"Rainbow." Soarin started to talk. Dash looked at him. "Believe me, what you have gone through is more than anypony could understand, ourselves included. You are a hero, and what makes a hero is exactly more than just serving in a war, getting a wound, or being even one of the elite like our wonderful captain is right here. You are fierce when it comes to being at the call of everypony that needs assistance, you are stronger than any warrior that has ever come out of training, a leader, and most of all your friendship to many means the most, and that is what makes you a hero."
"Dash, being out of the Wonderbolts for flying does not mean you are not still one of us." Spitfire added after Soarin had finished. "You got the Purple Wing medal because of your valiance in being a worthy pony as Soarin had said, not for a new fancy wing that has replaced your older one. Believe me you are not permanently out of the Wonderbolts, we hadn't even said the surprise that we have in store for you yet."
Dash looked up curiously, with a more relaxed expression after what both Wonderbolt leaders had said.
"Surprise?"
"Yes, but you have to come back out to the podium, we want everypony to hear it." Soarin said.
They all walked back out to the stage.

When they all re aligned at the podium, and Twilight took her respectful place on the Princess throne, the commemoration continued.
"Sorry about the delay, my friends. We do have one more thing to add for Dash here. Once a Wonderbolt, always a Wonderbolt. Therefore, Dash will now be the head captain of the young filly and colt training flight camp starting this Spring for all the new beginners in flight and to achieve their dreams of becoming one of us, or one of the best flyers of Equestria." Spitfire spoke through the microphone.
Cheers and chants of "Dash, Dash, Dash, Rainbow Dash!" Were heard all around the cloud stadium.
Rainbow felt a jolt of joy flip throughout her entire body. It wasn't the end after all. She still had her dream of flying, but most of all the importance of helping fillies and colts to learn to fly like her and become the best.
"And without further ado, Rainbow wants to make a speech." Soarin said.
At this point Rainbow, kind of looked at him with a slight scowl and smile. 
"Heh, not really accustomed to making speeches into a bunch of ponies. I am happy though, these last few weeks have been so hard and crushing for me. It hurt to lose such a value to not just my body, but also what felt like a dream fly right out the window of my home. I'm happy for the support of my five other friends who stayed there with me every trot of the way to this recovery, I'm thankful to still be apart of the Wonderbolts and to be able to teach your young ones and those aspired to be as awesome as I wanted to be, when I too was that age of youth. Thank you all for being here, it really means a lot to me." Dash finished, as the crowd began to yell out there joy.

That night a celebration was held for Rainbow, and of course the famed Cider from Applejack was there and Dash was hovering around the table grabbing a glass of what almost seemed like every five minutes. The celebration went on for hours before it started to disperse and ponies got tired and started to head home for the night. It was at that point a little young filly Pegasus walked up and tapped Rainbow on the shoulder, Dash looked and saw Scootaloo.
"What's up kiddo?" Rainbow asked surprised to see her there.
"I just wanted to say how awesome you are, I'm really proud to have you as an idol and a family like sister next to me everyday. I may never be able to fly, but you mean the world to me, and that will never change." Scootaloo hugged her.
Dash began to cry out of joy from her heart and hugged her back. "Look, Scoots, you will fly one day, it may not be with those wings, but with your heart and you will soar to wherever you want to with it and what you do in life."
Rainbow picked up Scootaloo and returned to her home for the rest of the night for some sleep.