The Winning Failure

by marley

Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Rainbow left Charm to her work and soon after was flying towards Ponyville. Though she had agreed to take it easy she found herself flying faster and faster. 'I can rest later,' she thought, 'I want to get home now!' An idea crossed her mind and she acted on it without a second thought. She accelerated to her highest speed and did a sonic rainboom. The ground raced by beneath her and she covered a lot of distance before she slowed down. Dash made it to Ponyville well before lunch and went to the Library.

Dash knocked on the library door and Spike soon answered. He greeted Rainbow Dash and invited her inside. Twilight was in the basement and, after giving Dash some mail that had arrived in her absence, went to get her.

None of this mail was fan mail, that was obvious. All were big thick envelopes and one was a package. Before she opened them Dash checked the return addresses. They were all replies from several companies that wanted her to endorse their products. She could barely contain herself as she tore open the first one. It was from a grooming products company and it offered her a thousand bits. The next was from a farm consortium who wanted her to promote a variety of foods; two thousand bits. She was on the third one when Twilight Sparkle entered the room.

“Hello, Rainbow,” she said, “you must have gotten an early start.”

“Not really,” replied Rainbow Dash, “I'll tell you about it later. Look at these offers! I'm on the third one and I'm up to... forty-five hundred bits!”

Twilight was stunned. “That's a lot of bits!” said Twilight. “What are you going to do with it all?”

“I'll be using most of it to pay for my house,” said Dash with a laugh. “After that, I don't know. Spitfire said I should save it for when I retire but that's a long way off, I hope.”

“I suppose that is a good idea,” said Twilight. “You should take care of your house first. There will be time to decide what to do when that is done. So, how was your weekend?”

“Absolutely awesome,” said Dash. “We all had a great time. I guess Fluttershy told you about some of it but she didn't see me yesterday. I spent all day practicing and Mr. Immelmane said he's really happy with my act. Princess Luna is going to love it.”

“That's great, Rainbow,” said Twilight, “I can hardly wait to see it myself. Fluttershy said you had a little trouble this weekend. Is everything alright now?”

“Yeah,” said Rainbow, “the press was more trouble than the guy who started the whole thing. They tried to make it out like we were the ones in the wrong. I think it's pretty well over now. I haven't read any of the papers but none of our leaders seemed too concerned about it.”

“That's good,” said Twilight, “I guess you're going to have to watch your behavior from now on.” She seemed pleased with this. Twilight had always felt that Dash was a little too out of control.

“Yeah,” said Dash, “but I think I'll still be able to have a good time. It's more about where I go to have it. The high class places aren't as likely to have the kind of ponies that cause trouble. Remember Twilight; Windy and the rest of us didn't start the fight.”

“That's true,” said Twilight, “so why did you go to the place you did?”

“It was a pretty nice club really,” said Dash. “Frost suggested it and we had a great time. The trouble started outside after we left. I think the guy just made a mistake by picking on Windyday. He probably didn't know who she was. He left Frost and I alone and didn't even bother Fluttershy. The next night we went to the sky dancing show and then to another club afterward. That club was a real high class place. I had a really good drink made with that Barleyfield stuff. It was delicious. I want to learn how to make it.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. She didn't think much of the volatile liquid. “You may want to look at that package then,” she said.

Dash went to the box and ripped it open. Well packed inside was another bottle of W.C. Barleyfield's. There was also a thick envelope that Rainbow Dash opened at once. It was a proposal promising between two and three thousand bits depending on the length of contract that Dash was willing to sign. They also informed Rainbow Dash that a representative would be in Ponyville Friday and if she wasn't there would meet her in Cloudsdale the following day. Dash lifted into the air and somersaulted onto Twilight's sofa.

“Alright!” cried Dash, “that's the biggest one yet. Let's see what the other ones have to say.”

Rainbow Dash went through the rest of the mail quickly, hardly glancing at the offer except for the amount of bits involved. It turned out that Dash had a better head for math than Twilight expected. She added the offers up as fast and as accurately as Twilight herself.

“This is great,” said Dash, “with what I got paid by the Wonderbolts and these offers I'll be able to pay for my house in cash. I don't need to get a loan!”

“That's great Rainbow,” said Twilight. “You really should get a lawyer to go over those contracts with you before you start counting your bits though. You wouldn't want to get hooked into something you don't want to do.”

“I've been thinking about that,” said Rainbow. “I know this pony that's just super smart and she'd go over these contracts with a fine toothed comb.”

“Really?” asked Twilight, “Anypony I know?”

“Yeah,” said Dash with a smile, “she's this unicorn that lives here in Ponyville. She's had the very best education and is great with detail.”

Twilight looked thoughtful. There weren't too many ponies in town that fit that description. She looked at Rainbow Dash and found the blue pegasus staring at her with a smile on her face. She realized who Rainbow Dash meant.

“Oh! No, Rainbow,” protested Twilight, “I'm not really qualified to do that sort of thing. I've never read a contract in my life. You need a professional.”

“Come on Twilight,” said Dash, “you're the only pony I know I can trust with something like this. I'll pay you. If any pony can figure out all this legal talk, it's you.”

Twilight was still reluctant but Rainbow Dash was persistent. It took her nearly twenty minutes to wear down the purple unicorn but at last Twilight agreed to try. She made it clear to Rainbow Dash that if she felt she was getting in over her head that the deal would be off. Dash agreed but was confident that Twilight wouldn't be able to resist trying to figure out every last word in the contracts. With that problem out of the way, Rainbow Dash shifted the conversation to the arrival of her friends.

“Frost will be flying in tonight,” said Dash, “and Windyday and Firewing should be here tomorrow. I'm not sure what time.”

“After hearing what Fluttershy had to say about Windyday and Frost, I'm a little nervous about meeting them,” said Twilight.

“Why?” asked Dash, “they're both cool. Windyday is a little different from other ponies but she's getting better. I'm kind of hoping that a few days here with us will help her. Frost is, well, Frost is kind of a tough character but if she trusts you, there's no better pony to have on your side. I don't advise getting her angry but she's calmed down some since she's gotten older.”

“Fluttershy seemed to like Windyday,” said Twilight. “I think she feels sorry for her but I don't understand exactly why.”

Rainbow Dash thought for a few seconds before she spoke. “I don't want you to take this the wrong way but she's sort of like you. You've changed since you've come here, right?”

“Yes,” said Twilight, “but I'm still me. I mean I still have a lot of the same likes and dislikes. I guess the biggest difference is that now I have you and the rest of my friends.”

“Right,” said Rainbow Dash, “and Windy is the same way but she still doesn't have friends the way you have. I guess she grew up a lot different from you too. I know I'd sure rather live with Celestia than Windy's parents. From what you've told us, Celestia was a mentor and teacher and almost like a second mother to you. Windy's parents just ran her life practically all the time. Sure, now she's free and has the Wonderbolts and some of us are pretty close to her but it isn't like you are with us. Sometimes she doesn't seem to know what to do with herself. She's real smart too, different from the way you're smart but brilliant.”

“Fluttershy said she was different too,” said Twilight, “but didn't seem to know what else to say about her. She did say she scared her when she confronted that guy that snapped her with his tail.”

“Yeah,” said Dash, “she can be a little scary when she wants to be. She just turns cold and looks at you with this weird look. Her voice changes and you just know she has you figured out. She used to be like that almost all the time. Since she changed, she's more emotional and has a hard time dealing with it at times. I told Fluttershy that she reminded me of Luna. If you see her trying to talk about what she regrets or if she hears a sad story, you'll know what I mean.”

“I'll try to be nice to her,” said Twilight. “She sounds like she's having a hard time fitting in. I'll be nice to Frost too, of course but I don't think she needs my help all that much.”

“Maybe,” said Dash, “don't be fooled by her though; Frost cares a lot more about other ponies than she lets on. Listen, I have to get going. I have to get my place straightened up a little and go get some groceries. Thanks again for looking over my contracts.”

“I said I'll try to look over your contracts,” said Twilight. “If I don't think I can do it, I'll see about finding you a lawyer. You're welcome anyway.”

Dash smiled. “I know you can do it. I could probably do it but I'd fall asleep. They look pretty boring.”

“They're just very precise,” said Twilight. “Everything legal has to be worded a certain way. It's kind of like a different language.”

“Yeah,” said Dash, “pass. I'll see you latter. If anything important comes up, I'll be at home soon.” She reached for the bottle of Barleyfields and put it in her pack. “I'll take this along now. I wouldn't want you to get lit up while you're reading my contracts.”

“Sure, Rainbow,” said Twilight, with a giggle, “I'll see you latter.”

Rainbow Dash left the library and headed to the market. She stocked up on fresh produce and then went to Sugar Cube Corner where she bought some baked goods. She was a little disappointed to find that Pinkie Pie was not there. Heavily laden, she went up to her cloud home and dropped off her supplies. She returned to the market to get some apples from Applejack.

“Hiya, AJ,” said Dash, as she neared the stall.

“Hi yourself, RD,” said Applejack, “have a good weekend?”

“It was great,” said Dash. “I'll tell you all about it latter, if Fluttershy hasn't already. I'm having guests this week so I need to get a big basket of apples for everypony.”

“I can help you out there,” said Applejack. “What will it be? I have some Red Delicious, Winesap, Golden Delicious, and Braeburn.”

Rainbow Dash puzzled over this for a while. She didn't really know what her friends preferred. Applejack noticed and made a suggestion.

“How about a peck of each?” said Applejack. “I'll still give you the bushel price.”

“Good idea,” said Dash, “that should be enough to last us the rest of the week. Load up the first two. I'll take them home and come right back for the rest. Here's the bits.”

Applejack watched as Rainbow Dash dug through her bag and pulled out a bag of bits. She noticed that her friends bag was still bulging.

“Dang, RD, what all do you have in there?” said Applejack.

“Huh? Oh, just bits,” said Dash. “Here you go.” She slid the payment across the counter.

“That whole satchel is full of bits?” asked Applejack in a hushed whisper. “Don't you think that you really ought to put them in the bank?”

“Yeah,” said Dash, “I guess I should. It's kind of a hassle carrying them all over the place.”

“Not to mention safer,” said Applejack. “Just how many bits are you toting around anyway?”

“I don't know,” admitted Dash, “about fourteen hundred, give or take.”

“You're walkin' around with fourteen hundred bits!” hissed Applejack. “Are you nuts? After you get your apples home, you go down to the bank and make a deposit. What if you dropped your bag or somepony decided to rob you? In fact go down there right now. I'll get your apples packed up for you.”

Dash wanted to argue but realized that Applejack was right. It was risky carrying that much money around. “Alright, alright,” said Dash, “I'll go make a deposit. At least my satchel will be lighter. I'll be right back.”

Dash cruised through town to the bank. She landed in front of the door and was about to enter when Filthy Rich came out of the bank. Dash frowned but greeted the stallion anyway.

“I was thinking of you just now,” said Filthy Rich. “I know you didn't approve of our original plan to harvest lumber but now that we're working on the Everfree Forest, perhaps you'd like to reconsider investing with us.”

Rainbow Dash thought it had been a good idea, as long as Whitetail Wood wasn't involved. “I'm listening,” she said.

“Well,” began Filthy, “the profits won't be as large as we anticipated but the plan is sound and any investor is sure to at least double their money and I'm hoping to make even more. After the harvesting is done and we start to sell off the land for farming we may triple our investment. I see you were going to the bank anyway. Why don't we go in and talk this over?”

Rainbow Dash agreed and followed Filthy inside. Dash was surprised to find that Filthy had a small office in the bank itself. Rainbow Dash seated herself as Filthy closed the door.

“Now then,” said Filthy, “let's get down to business. First of all, I've already decided to give you five shares just for your help the other day. Shares are going for ten bits a share. Are you familiar about how this all works?”

“Not really,” said Dash. “I never had enough money to invest in anything before.”

“I see,” said Filthy. “To put it in a nutshell, a share in a venture such as this is to raise the money we need to buy equipment, pay workers, put up buildings and that sort of thing. After the business is running and profits start coming in, holders of a share are paid dividends or the shares might be multiplied as a form of payment. Also, as a share holder you will have a vote as to how the company invests the money. The more money the company makes, the more you make and the shares increase in value. If the company loses money then you can lose money too as the value of your shares will drop. You can also sell the shares for whatever anypony is willing to pay or back to the company at market value.”

“That sounds fair,” said Dash. “How many shares are you selling?”

“One thousand shares,” replied Filthy. “That will give us ten thousand bits of operating capital. That should be enough to see us through the first year with some to spare. I'm investing in two hundred and fifty shares myself. There are a few interested parties here in Ponyville who are buying smaller amounts and I've heard some good responses from some ponies in Manehatten and Canterlot too. Now is really the time to invest before they come in and buy up what's left.”

“I wish I could invest a lot,” said Dash, “but I'm a little low on cash because I'm building my house and I'll need most of my money for that. I told the architect that I'd pay him a thousand this Friday. Let me see how much I have right now. I'll be right back.”

Rainbow Dash went to the teller and asked to see her account balance. As she waited, the President of the Bank, a Mr. Moneymaker, noticed her and hurried over. He practically fell over himself himself fawning over her and insisted on waiting on her personally. He knew well that Wonderbolts made quite a lot of bits and was afraid that Rainbow Dash might decide to transfer her funds to Cloudsdale. When they were through conducting business, Rainbow Dash had a safety deposit box, a cashiers check for Filthy Rich and a low interest credit line for ten thousand bits. She went back to Filthy's office and gathered up her bits. She now had enough to pay Cloud Shaper and match Filthy's investment for two hundred and fifty shares. The endorsements would be more than enough to take care of her investment and with her pay her home would be paid for in no time.

“I'm in,” said Dash. “I'll take a two-hundred and fifty shares.”

Filthy Rich was stunned. He had expected a modest investment of twenty or thirty shares not an investment that was the size of his own and a quarter the worth of the company. It was enough of an investment to give Rainbow Dash a seat on the board of directors.

“T...two-hundred and fifty shares,” repeated Filthy.

“Yeah,” said Dash, misinterpreting Filthy's reaction, “that's all I feel comfortable with right now. I might buy more in a few weeks after my endorsement deals start coming in.”

“I see,” said Filthy, as he composed himself, “You still need to get a few more bits to get that many shares, if you're sure about this.”

“Here's a check,” said Dash. “I'll just take my cash and deposit most of that.”

“I'll get your shares and draw up the paperwork,” said Filthy. “It won't take long.”

Rainbow Dash left to make her deposit. Filthy got the shares from the safe under his desk and wrote up a receipt and a letter of transfer. He then got out a copy of the company charter and a list of the rules and regulations. Without thinking he also got out the five shares he had been planning to give her.

Filthy was beginning to get worried. More than half the shares were already sold. Some important ponies were going to be very disappointed in not being able to invest in the company to the degree that they wished. Rainbow Dash was also something of a wild card. Having her on the board of directors wasn't something he had anticipated. On one hoof, she was ignorant about business practices and might be easy to manipulate but on the other she wouldn't knowingly do anything that she felt to be wrong. She was also close to Twilight Sparkle and the Princesses. Filthy got out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Dash soon returned and sat down opposite from Filthy. Filthy gave her the shares and explained to her that the amount of her investment gave her a certain amount of control over the company. Rainbow Dash was as shocked by this as Filthy had been about her large investment but she did her best imitation of Windyday and merely nodded.

Their business concluded, Rainbow left the bank humming the tune that she and Frost had sung at Stratos. Rainbow Dash returned to Applejack's stall in the market with a much lighter satchel. Dash was a little dazed by her sudden venture into the business world and immediately explained the situation to her friend.

Applejack shook her head. “Rainbow, I can't believe you got involved with Filthy Rich and spent that much money on pieces of paper.”

“Hey, your family is involved with Rich too,” said Dash. “You sell a lot of stuff through his store including your Zap Apple Jam. Anyway, he invested twenty-five hundred of his own money. I figure if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.”

“Well I sure do wish you luck,” said Applejack, unconvinced, “my family does business with him but I can't say I like him.”

“Same here,” said Dash, “but I think this plan will work. As long as the company doesn't go under, I can always sell my shares back.”

“I reckon that sounds pretty safe,” said Applejack. “So when are your friends gettin' here anyway?”

“Frost should be here this evening,” said Dash. “Windy and Firewing are coming in tomorrow. I'm not sure what time. I'm not even sure how Firewing is getting here. If she comes by train she could be here pretty early but if she goes to Cloudsdale first she'll probably fly out with Windy and get here in the afternoon or evening.”

“It sounds like it might cut down on your practice time,” said Applejack.

“That's okay,” said Dash, “Immelmane wants me to rest up for practice this weekend. I'm supposed to take it easy. No strenuous flying but there's plenty of other stuff to work on. I'd better go see Fluttershy and let her know what we're doing.”

“She's really helping you out, isn't she?” said Applejack. “I thought at first that you were just including her to be nice.”

“Maybe at first, a little bit,” said Dash, “but she's been a big help with the sky dancing part of things. You should have seen her in Cloudsdale. She danced with the bouncer at the club we went to and latter she sky danced with Soarin and one of the stallions from the ballet we went to. Hard to believe isn't it?”

Applejack laughed. “I'll say! Maybe that flight suit that Rarity made is magic.”

Dash laughed too but stopped short when a pony behind her interrupted.

“Excuse me,” said a mare, “I'd like to buy some apples.”

“Oops, sorry,” said Dash, “talk to you latter AJ. I'll let you get back to work now.”

Rainbow Dash took the first load of apples up to her home and returned for the rest. Applejack was busy so Rainbow just took them and flew back home again. It was at this point that she noticed some mail in her mailbox. She sighed and took it inside. Fortunately, it was all normal mail like she was used to seeing. Apparently all her fan mail was going to the Wonderbolts compound.

Rainbow Dash tried to straighten up her home a bit but it was difficult. She was half packed to leave and there were other boxes full of weather team stuff cluttering up the place. Eventually she simply packed everything into one corner of the living room and swept the floor. Dash bored a hole through the cloud floor and swept the dirt into it. She watched briefly as it floated down and repaired the damage. It would have to do.

Rainbow Dash had planned on visiting Fluttershy but decided that it could wait until later. She went to her room and curled up on her bed. She was asleep in a few minutes. She smiled at the last thought before sleep took her. 'Just following your orders Mr. Immelmane.'

Rainbow Dash awoke hungry after a short nap and lazed in her bed for a while before getting up and making herself presentable. Windyday's grooming trick for her tail worked well and she was pleased with the result.

Rainbow Dash decided to visit Rarity. While she was there mainly to discuss the calendar idea, Dash also decided to get another flight suit for occasions such as going to clubs and parties. She waited for Rarity to finish with a customer and browsed around the store.

“Welcome home, Rainbow,” said Rarity. “I hope you're here to tell me that your calendar plan has been approved.”

“Yes,” said Dash, “but it's going to be a little different than what we first talked about.” Dash then went into the details that Spitfire had given her. Rarity listened and the smile on her face grew.

“That sounds wonderful, Rainbow,” said the white unicorn. “I'd love to be a part of such a noble project. I have some news too. I may have found a photographer right here in Ponyville.”

“That's great,” said Dash. “We might want to take a few shots near Canterlot or Baltimare to get some different backgrounds too.”

“That's a splendid idea,” agreed Rarity. “I'm going to have to get Fluttershy started on some different cities so I can pick out new shops. Royal Airs is going to come by this week and Fluttershy said she had a place in Canterlot she uses. That would be a good start. After that I think Baltimare, Manehatten and Trottingham in that order. I'll have to get her out to Las Pegasus too. That should be a big account.”

“I might be able to help out there,” said Dash. “I'm getting the building materials for my house from Las Pegasus. Besides the salespony, I have a friend that works for the same company and works in Cloudsdale now. I'll bet that one of them would know about the better shops there.”

“Oh! That is an excellent idea,” said Rarity. “I think this is really going to work out. Your friend Spitfire really seems to know something about marketing.”

“Well, she's been at it for almost ten years,” said Dash. “There's something else I wanted to ask you. Do you think you could make me a flight suit for um, I don't know what to call it, something I could wear to the theater, ballet, high class places and stuff like that?”

“Certainly,” said Rarity, “but why not wear one of the new ones that you already have?”

“They're show suits,” said Dash, “and I could get away with wearing them to some things but they're almost too fancy for others.”

“I see,” said Rarity. She paused to think about the possibilities. “You need something that is more for a night on the town than a show. Something more practical that also looks good...hmm this will require some thought.”

“I wore the golden one to the sky dancing show on Saturday,” said Rainbow Dash. “It seemed to fit in pretty well with what the other ponies were wearing.”

“It looks like I'll be doing another new line,” said Rarity.

“Sorry,” began Rainbow Dash, “I don't want to put even more work on you.”

Rarity laughed. “Nonsense, dear, I want more business. I'll admit I didn't expect it to come so soon but I'm not displeased at all. I'm going to have to hire a seamstress or two to do some of the work. I'll be spending more time designing than sewing and I'm not sorry about that.”

“I guess that would be the more fun part,” said Dash. “I just hope that whoever you hire is as good as you.”

“Thank you, Rainbow,” said Rarity, “that's sweet of you to say so. I suppose I'll be starting on some things for your friends this week. When are they due to arrive?”

“Frost will be here tonight,” said Rainbow Dash. “Firewing will be here tomorrow, I think, I'm not sure about the time. Windyday should be here tomorrow night.”

“Can you bring Frost by tomorrow?” asked Rarity. “I can at least show her a few things and take her measurements.”

“Sure, I think she'll go for that,” said Dash. “She's looking to do some real flying this week though so it might be hard to keep her out of the air.” Dash laughed at the thought of Frost having to hold still for Rarity to do her work. She had had a similar problem when being fitted for her Wonderbolt outfit.

“So what are you doing for the rest of today?” asked Rarity. “We could get started on your new suit or work on the calendar for a bit. I'm free for the next couple of hours.”

“I need to get a little lunch,” said Rainbow, “and then I'm going out to Fluttershy's to let her know what we'll be doing the rest of the week. I guess she'll be hanging out with us for a while.”

“Mind if I join you for lunch?” asked Rarity. “I haven't had any yet myself.”

“Sure,” said Rainbow, “let's go down to the cafe.”

Rarity closed up her shop and together the pair walked through Ponyville to the cafe. They had barely sat down before Spike ran up. He was nearly out of breath.

When he recovered enough to speak, Spike explained his haste. “Rainbow,” he said , “Twilight sent me to find you. There's a pony by the name of Long Flight looking for you. He's at the library now.”

“Wow,” said Rainbow Dash, “he's quick. He's the guy from Las Pegasus Quality Clouds. They'll be building my house. I'd like to go see him, but I'm hungry. Spike, tell him that he can either come here for lunch or I'll meet him at the library after Rarity and I are done eating. Here's a couple of bits. You deserve something for running all over town.”

“Thanks, Rainbow,” said Spike, “but you don't have to do that. I'm happy to help.”

“I know that,” said Dash, “but you do a lot for all of us and don't seem to get much out of it. That's not fair. If you save up a few bits you can get some things for yourself instead of having to beg Twilight to get them for you.”

“Well, okay,” said Spike, “if you put it like that. Thanks!”

“That was nice of you, Rainbow,” said Rarity. “You're right too, Spike is old enough to start earning some bits for himself. It will be good for him.”

The waiter took their order and Rainbow Dash and Rarity talked casually about the calendar as they ate. Long Flight was apparently content to wait for Dash to finish her lunch. After lunch, Dash asked Rarity to come with her to the library but she refused. Rarity had a shop to run and she had work to do.

Dash entered the library to find Long Flight deep in a technical conversation with Twilight Sparkle. She found his description of the fireplace and the problems that had to be overcome completely fascinating. Long Flight was only too happy to discuss it with somepony that could understand what he was talking about.

Long Flight rose as he saw Rainbow Dash in the doorway. “Ah! Ms. Dash,” he said, “It's good to see you again. I have some news that I think you are going to like.”

“That's great,” replied Rainbow Dash, “I'd like to get started soon. So what can you tell me?”

“Well, I'll start with the bottom line and then tell you what we want in return,” said Long Flight. “We'll bring the components of your house to Ponyville and erect it, including the finishing, for eighty-five hundred bits. I think that you'll agree that is an excellent price.”

“It sure is,” said Dash, “that's cheaper than what the Cloudsdale factory was asking even after the discount. I guess you'll be wanting a lot in return.”

“More than what you initially put on the table,” admitted Long Flight. “We want you to do four ads a year for four years. We also want you to appear in a sales brochure each year for the same time period. You don't have to put up a sign on your land. We'll just display our brochures at the local real estate offices. How does that sound?”

“I like it,” said Dash, “but what sort of pictures are you wanting for your ads and stuff?”

“Just Rainbow Dash enjoying her new home sort of things,” said Long Flight. “Lounging by her fireplace, cooking, asleep in bed, watching a sunset and that kind of thing. I'd like to see what the land is like around your home site, if it's not too much trouble.”

“That sounds good,” said Rainbow, “and we can go out there right now if you want. Did you bring the contract with you?”

“No,” said Long Flight, “it's being sent to the office in Cloudsdale. Our lawyers are still working on it but it should be ready by the end of the week.”

“Okay,” said Dash, “come on. I'll show you where I'm building.”

They left Twilight and flew out to Whitetail Woods. The magical markers were still in place though they had faded slightly as Twilight had predicted. The Princesses had sent some ponies to erect permanent markers around both her land and their own. Long Flight flew around the perimeter and asked Rainbow Dash a few questions about how she wanted the house to face and where exactly it would sit in the sky. He made a few sketches and notes and admired the views. He also made a couple of suggestions and Rainbow Dash decided it was time for him to have a meeting with Charm and herself to finalize the deal and get her house built.

“I agree that it is time we three got together and hashed out the details of your house,” said Long Flight. “I understand that you want to get this done quickly too. Once we get your signature on the contract and a down payment, we'll start construction. I don't think it will take more than a couple of weeks to get it ready for you to move in. Of course there could be delays due to weather.”

“That should work out pretty well,” said Dash. “I have my present home this week and I'll be spending next week and the weekends in Cloudsdale. Then there's the party for Princess Luna in Canterlot so I won't be back here until after that. I shouldn't be completely homeless for more than a few days at most.”

“When would you like to set up a meeting?” asked Long Flight.

“That's a tough one,” said Dash. “I'm going to be pretty busy until after the party and then I have to come up with two routines in just a couple of weeks.” She thought for a few moments and flew in a circle as an earth pony might pace the floor. “Charm is going to be coming out here this week. Do you think you could meet up with her when you go back to Cloudsdale and then come with her when she flies out?”

“That sounds fine,” said Long Flight. “I'd better be going. I need to get back to the office but I'll stop by and see Charm first.”

“That would be great,” said Rainbow Dash. “Did Twilight mention that she is the pony looking over my contracts for me?”

“No, she didn't,” replied Long Flight.

“She's handling all my endorsement deals and stuff,” said Dash. “I'd like her to look things over before I sign anything.”

“Of course,” said Long Flight, “I'll bring it over as soon as it arrives. Is there anything else you'd like to know before I go?”

“Just one thing,” said Dash, “how much of a down payment will I need and how long do I have to pay off the house?”

“It depends on the exact figures,” said Long Flight, “but I'd say about two thousand unless there are a lot of changes. You'll have until your contract for endorsements runs out to pay off the rest... at no interest, I might add.”

“That will be fine,” said Dash. “I'll have it paid off long before then.”

“I'll be on my way then,” said Long Flight. “This is a lovely location and I can't wait to see what these ads will look like. Goodbye for now.”

Rainbow Dash said goodbye to Long Flight and returned to the library. She found Twilight deep in thought as she read through a endorsement contract. Reference books littered the floor and table. Rainbow watched her for a few moments before interrupting her.

“Found a problem?” asked Dash.

“What?” responded Twilight. “Oh, no. These contracts are actually very interesting. Everything is laid out in quite specific terms that cover every possibility in detail. This one is ready for you to sign as far as I'm concerned. They've given you everything you've asked for and I can't find anything that might be a problem. If they're all this easy, I can do this.”

“That's great!” exclaimed Dash. “How much is this one for?”

“Eighteen hundred,” replied Twilight, “why? Are you getting short on cash?”

“Not really,” said Dash. “I have a line of credit from the Ponyville Bank for ten thousand and I get paid again this week so I'll be alright. I have to pay a thousand to Charm this week and another two thousand to Las Pegasus before they start on the construction of my house. Things are a little tight but I'll be okay by the time the house is built. I might even have enough to pay it off completely.”

“How much did you invest with Filthy?” asked Twilight.

“I have two hundred and fifty shares out of a thousand total being sold,” said Dash. “He also gave me five shares.”

“That's more than a quarter of the company!” exclaimed Twilight. “Who else bought shares?”

“I don't know,” said Dash, “except for Filthy. He bought two hundred and fifty himself. Between the two of us that makes more than half the shares. Then there's some other ponies in Ponyville that bought smaller amounts. He said something about some investors from out of town wanting to invest too. That's why I bought so many shares. I figured it would be better to keep control here in Ponyville.”

“Yes, it would,” agreed Twilight, “but did you think about what you're going to do as far as running the company? That's part of your responsibility now.”

“Yeah,” said Dash, “and I'm not really sure what I'll do except keep an eye on things to make sure they play fair. If anything comes up that I don't like, I'll vote it down.”

“That's a good start,” said Twilight. “What kind of money do you expect to make off of this?”

“Filthy said I should at least double my bits, maybe even triple,” said Dash. “After a while we can sell off the cleared land for farms and make even more.”

“Rainbow Dash, you could become very rich by the time your career as an aerialist is over,” said Twilight. “I hope you do as well as you hope.”

“I'm just trying to be a little careful with my bits,” said Dash. “I'm not going to change how I live very much. I'll have enough for later even if all I do is put it in the bank. I'm trying not to think about what I'll do when I retire. I have thought about it and I don't like it.”

“Most ponies look forward to relaxing when their working days are over,” said Twilight. “Maybe you're just not ready yet.”

“Definitely not,” said Dash, “I want to do this forever. When I can't, well, I may as well give everything away and take the final dive.”

“I hope that doesn't mean what I think it does,” said Twilight. She looked at her friend with a worried look on her face.

“It does,” said Dash. “I guess it's a pegasi term. When a pegasus is losing his or her ability to fly, a few of us just take one final flight. They go up as high as they can, tuck in their wings and just drop. I'd like to do something special on the way down though, just to show everypony that I'm still awesome.” She smiled at Twilight.

Twilight shuddered. “Rainbow, that's awful. Don't you even think about doing something like that. There's so much more you can do besides flying. By the time you're old you'll have a lot of wisdom to pass on. You may become a coach or teacher like Mr. Immelmane.”

Rainbow Dash laughed. “Me? Wise?” she said. “I think you're reaching there Twilight. I might have a family by then. I'd like to be able to spend time with them and visit with old friends. It wouldn't be all bad. The final dive thing is more for when you're going to go soon anyway whether you want to or not. You don't understand what flight means to a pegasus, Twilight. How would you feel if your magic started to go away a little at a time until you couldn't even levitate a quill?”

“I get what you're saying,” said Twilight. “I don't like thinking about this either.”

“Eh, it happens to everypony,” said Dash. “For now I'm just going to do what I do best and make a lot of memories for a lot of ponies. No point in worrying about a time we might not even live to see. We all could have been killed a couple of times doing Celestia's dirty work. I'd just as soon not get called on again to save Equestria but if we have to do it then we have to do it.”

“You aren't resentful about that, are you?” asked Twilight.

“Are you kidding?” said Dash. “I'm one of only six ponies to be an Element of Harmony! The only previous bearers are now the rulers of Equestria. That's pretty special and as a bonus I have five great friends that are worth more to me than anything. I'd say that's worth a little danger.”

Twilight giggled. “Yeah, I guess it is. To change the subject to something happier, are you ready for your Wonderbolt friends?”

“Pretty much,” said Dash. “I want to go see Fluttershy yet and try to find that DJ pony. Pinkie Pie probably knows where to find her. My house is as good as it's going to get and I've bought some food. They're not coming all at once, which is good. I can get Frost to help me move a few more boxes of weather team stuff down to the office. That will give us a little more room. I'll get going but I'll check in latter and sign any contracts that you approve. The sooner I return them, the sooner I get my bits.”

Author's Note:

Rainbow's life grows even more hectic. She's spending the last few days in her old home. The deals are flowing in and Dash is taking full advantage of her new wealth. Filthy Rich is to good a character to leave alone. She is turning into the Michael Jordan of Equestria. Soon the Ponyville ponies will meet the other new Wonderbolts. Very soon.

Comments

[One Lucky Gamer]

I feel like all this money planning is set up for problems for the near future.

Anyway, keep up the good work. As I said last time, this doesn't get as much love as it should. How this isn't splatted all over Fimfiction i'll never know...

[marley]

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Thank you very much. RD is really blundering along isn't she? She does run into some trouble but I'm not going to touch on it too much as there are a few much more interesting things I want to do before wrapping this up. With Season Four over this story is quickly becoming dated and there are several more chapters to go.