Spitfire's Office, Wonderbolts Barracks:
Spitfire, Captain of the best stunt flying team in Equestria was currently well on her way to a headache. In front of her, a good selection of her best flyers had gathered in front of her desk each clamoring up a storm. Finally Spitfire had enough of it, and reached under her desk and pulled out her whistle she kept for very special occasions. She blew on it, hard and soon everypony fell silent.
"Now, all of you tell me what's the matter. But ONE at a time." Spitfire barked, in full drill sergeant mode.
"It's... It's that new recruit of ours, Rainbow Crash." Fleetfoot exclaimed. "She keeps on insulting us, and calling us bullies! Just yesterday, she called me a ego-filled hothead!"
"Well, to be fair you are one of those." Misty Fly deadpanned, and Fleetfloot glared at her.
"B-But the point still stands!" Fleetfoot sputtered. "Something's got to be done about it, and I for one say we kick her out of us if Rainbow keeps on going like this!"
Soaring however, being the nice guy that he was decided to play Tirek's Advocate.
"Y'know, maybe something's bothering her. Stress can make ponies do things they wouldn't do otherwise." The blue maned pegasi reasoned, and Spitfire had to agree with her second in command.
"Soaring's right, but considering Rainbow's current state I doubt she'll listen to any of us." Spitfire guessed and gained a few confused looks.
"Then who will she listen to? Princess Celestia?" Fleetfoot asked sarcastically. Spitfire smirked, the kind of smirk you gained when you were about to do something rather drastic.
"Not quite, but somepony very close...."
Princess of Friendship's Castle, Ponyville...
Spitfire made her way to the Castle of Friendship, all the way in Ponyville. Inside it's tall gleaming crystal spires lay whom exactly that Spitfire thought would be able to solve the problem faced by her. That whom was also known far and wide as the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash's marefriend as well.
"...So, you've heard my problem. Now will you help?" Spitfire asked, after she'd finished explaining her story to Twilight who was musing to herself. She too had noticed a change for the worse in Dash's behavior. The rainbow maned Wonderbolt had become more irritatable at the mere mention of her career and even cried at sometimes. Rainbow tried to hide her tears, but Twilight noticed when her marefriend thought she wasn't looking.
"Yeah, I'll help. Anything for my marefriend's boss." Twilight smiled sadly. "Time to get to work."
Rainbow's House, Cloudsdale
"Rainbow, it's me Twilight. Can I come in?" Twilight asked nervously. She'd soon made her way to Rainbow's house in under less then a hour.
"C-Come in." Rainbow's voice sniffed, and Twilight opened the door and the Princess of Friendship was in for a shock.
Twilight's eyes widened when she saw the state Rainbow was in, she was on her bed eyes red from crying and some Wonderbolts posters had been thrown into a trashcan.
"Rainbow, Spitfire sent me." Twilight said, and Rainbow growled at the name of the Captain of the Wonderbolts. "She's worried about you, and so am I. We promised each other we can tell each other anything, so tell me what's wrong." Twilight said kindly.
"I'll tell you what's wrong Twilight Sparkle!" Rainbow yelled, and Twilight winced at her full name being used. Rainbow almost never did that. "That fillyhood nickname of mine... Rainbow CRASH! It's hurt me beyond belief and now it's making me question everything I believe about my heroes!" Dash yelled, sounding if she was about to break down and cry.
"I... I completely understand how you feel Dashie..." Twilight reassured, thinking back to the Canterlot Wedding incident. It hurt greatly when her mentor and friends said those fateful words.
"...She's been completely stressed out because it's really important to her that our big day be perfect! Something that obviously wasn't important to you! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and comfort my bride. And you can forget about being my best mare. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't show up to the wedding at all." Shining snarled before he turned on his heels and left.
"C'mon, y'all. Let's go check on the princess." Applejack said and she and her friends followed after the soon to be crowned Prince.
"I was–" Twilight sputtered, but only received a harsh glare from Celestia.
"You have a lot to think about." The Solar Princess growled before she too left. After everypony had left, and the doors slammed shut Twilight sobbed quietly to herself thinking over her mistakes.
"Maybe I was being overprotective. I could've gained a sister. But instead... I just lost a brother." She whispered.
"...I could have gone about things a different way, probably have gone and gathered some actual proof but NO! I had to rush in and look what happened!" Twilight laughed bitterly. "So yes Dash, I do understand what it's like for ponies you look up to and admire to show themselves to be less then perfect."
"Y-You don't understand Twi! Nobody does, everytime I be with the Wonderbolts they show themselves to be complete and utter JERKS!" Rainbow broke down at last before Twilight pulled the sobbing mare into a hug.
"No, not in this case. That incident at Rainbow Falls, it was a one time thing and they've learned from it. You know that, right?" Twilight asked and Dash let out another small sob, but nodded.
"B-But what about when I got blamed for Spitfire's disappearance? It looked to everypony that I was the one who did that! Do you know how much it hurt, to have my heroes blame me for something I didn't do?" Rainbow sobbed.
"Rainbow, look at it logically. They had no other suspect, and you DID say you wanted to fly that that so who were they supposed to look at?" Twilight reasoned, and Rainbow nodded slightly as she wiped away her tears as she had to admit her marefriend had a point.
"The Wonderbolts may have made some mistakes here and there, but like everypony they are always learning. Just like you and I." Twilight said with a smile, and Rainbow returned it.
"I'm sorry if I seem like I'm whining, but having my heroes call me THAT name... It really hurt and sent me into some dark places." Dash said sadly before she continued with a "T-Thanks Twi." Rainbow sniffed, as she wiped away her tears and pulled Twilight into a hug for a brief moment before it was quickly released as Twilight gave her marefriend a hard look.
"But I will have to tell you this, you probably should, no you NEED to face Spitfire and tell her how you feel." Twilight said seriously in one of those tones that left no room for disagreement, and Rainbow knew she was right. Twilight always was.
Spitfire's Office
Later, Rainbow Dash went to find Spitfire in her office, where she found the Captain of the Wonderbolts going over various reports which were scattered across her desk in a rather haphazard way. Rainbow was rather reminded of Twilight's old library in some ways.
"You need something, Crash?" Spitfire asked. Rainbow winced at the nickname, but she went ahead and explained what had been going on with her. Once she was done, Rainbow took a very deep breath and sighed.
"Listen... I just want to apologize for my behavior throughout the past week, insulting you guys like I did. You have every right to kick me off the team." Rainbow said sadly, while hanging her head waiting for Spitfire's verdict. None came, and instead had a hoof laid on her shoulder.
"No, there's nothing to apologize for. We all have our anxieties and self doubts." Spitfire reassured. Dash sniffed before Spitfire continued.
"Let me tell you something. You know that nickname of mine I told you and you promised never to tell anypony else?" Spitfire asked, and Rainbow nodded.
"Well, let me tell you I HATED it for years. But eventually, I came to accept it with time. Heck, whenever I think about the incident that caused it I actually laugh about it as I brought it on myself with my own foolhardiness. Ask any other member of the team, they'll tell you the same." Spitfire smiled and Rainbow returned it.
"T-Thank you." She said.
"No problem, that's what a captain is here for, and a friend. We're here to give someone a kick up the flank and a hoof when it's needed." Spitfire told Dash, who chuckled until it became outright laughter. For the next few minutes, that's all that could be heard from behind the door that led into the office.
END