My Little Dynasty: Kung Fu is Magic

by Goombasa

Chapter 3: Rainbows in the Dark

My Little Dynasty: Kung-Fu is Magic
By Goombasa

Chapter 3: Rainbows in the Dark

“Come one and come all!” a small orange filly announced, shouting at the top of her cracking voice. “See the greatest acrobat this side of Equestria, the one and only Rainbow Dash!”

The rainbow-maned mare grinned to herself as she heard Scootaloo down below her singing her praises. Even with the wind roaring in her ears, she could always hear when someone was saying something that would boost her ego, which, in her mind, translated to boosting her skills. She twirled herself into a corkscrew, rocketing through a huge cloud in her way. It dissipated into vapor as she tossed herself through it, curling her body into a small ball and then launching herself straight down her wings folded. Down below, she could see a crowd of wide-eyed onlookers beginning to gasp and point as she hurtled towards the earth. She felt tears stinging her eyes as the air whipped past her, blurring her vision. But she wasn't worried. In her mind, she counted down the seconds until impact.

Five seconds...

Three...

One...

Her wings snapped open and she pulled up, just before she got intimately acquainted with the pavement. A cloud of dust kicked up around her and as her head turned towards the sky, she could see the backdraft knocking a few unfortunate ponies down to their rumps. She would have laughed if her breath hadn't been caught in her throat. She shook a bit of the exhaustion from her brow and gave one final twirl before ending her routine with a perfect, one foot landing atop a nearby building. Scootaloo ended her cries of adoration with a all for applause, which the audience was only too happy to offer. Rainbow gave a modest bow, though a very large grin rested on her face. She flipped her multi-colored mane back and waved to her adoring fans. “Thank you, thank you, you're too kind!” she called. She hopped down from the roof, hovering down onto the ground next to Scootaloo, who was holding up a small pouch up. It jangled with a few meager proceeds they had already managed to gather earlier in the day.

“If you enjoyed the might Rainbow “Danger” Dash's exploits, then please donate a few coins so that we may continue her exciting shows!” She held the bag open and smiled wide at the crowd. Rainbow chuckled and held out her own hands to a few passing stallions. The crowd was already beginning to thin, but a few generous ponies tossed some coins their way. They gathered them up hurriedly and dropped them into Scootaloo's sack. When the last audience member had filtered back into the streets, merging with the rest of the crowd, Rainbow leaned against the wall and sighed, letting herself slide down to the ground.

Scootaloo joined her, and the older mare gave a smile as she caught her breath. “So, how'd I do, squirt?”

Scootaloo smiled, her eyes wide with admiration. “Your best performance yet, Rainbow Dash!” she said, her tiny wings flittering on her back. “It was so cool the way you dashed across the sky, all looking and whizzing by like that! And then that last dive that you did, I seriously didn't think you were gonna pull up in time! But you did, and it was so AWESOME!”

Rainbow smiled, a blush rising on her face at the praise and her ego swelling as her biggest fan poured it on, thick and sweet, like syrup on pancakes.

Mmm, that reminded her... she was starving!”

“How'd we do,” she asked, leaning forward, her eyes traveling to the bag of coins clenched tightly in the filly's fist.

Blinking, Scootalook to a moment adjust her messy mane before she looked down into the sack, pouring its contents into her lap. “Um, let's see here...” her tiny fingers worked quick to pick through and count up what they had been given, tossing the junk aside. Every once in a while, some smart aleck thought it was okay to toss in a bolt, or maybe a slightly rounded stone, perhaps as a joke. Neither of them found it particularly funny. The child's face fell a little as she finished counting up the coins. “Well, we did better than yesterday,” she told her. “But it still looks like it'll be just cabbage soup again.”

Rainbow's fur bristled a tad and she crossed her arms. “What? Are you sure?” she asked, waving her hand over the coin pile. “I mean, look how many coins we have!”

“Yeah, there are a lot of coins,” Scootaloo agreed. “But they're all the smallest denomination.” She held one of them up. “Look. It's copper. Common.” She sighed. “They're all copper. With what we have here, we'll be able to either keep ourselves for a week on cabbage stew, or we could splurge and eat a really good meal of bread, cheese, and apples, but only for tonight.”

Rainbow groaned. She was so tired of eating cabbage stew! Ugh, it was utterly bland, flavorless, and it wasn't exactly filling. She supposed it was at least keeping her alive and flying, but still, she craved something more. Something with flavor, something that wouldn't leave her wanting after it was gone. Would it be too much to ask for a slice of salted meat? Perhaps a little bit of cheese? Even a few chunks of ginger candy?

Ah, ginger candies. The thought of those succulent treats brought back wonderful, amazing thoughts of days long past, back when her mother had been around. The sweets made her think of her mother, and her mother made her think of the Wonderbolts. Firefly had been her name, and she had been a chief general when Rainbow had been a filly. Rainbow hadn't known her father, though Firefly would often tell her that her mane was something he had passed to her. Despite him never being around, her mother did speak well of him, saying that he was quite an explorer, always out wandering the world. But every time she had spoken of him, there was an underlying sadness. While she'd questioned her mother as to WHY he never came back, she'd received no answer. Just as small smile and a shake of the head.

That wasn't to say that Firefly was always available either. As commander in chief of the princess' most elite soldiers, her time at home was sporadic at best, and Rainbow would often fend for herself, living with a few family friends until her return. And every time she returned, Rainbow had been greeted with a great big hug, a huge kiss, and a giant sack overflowing with ginger candy.

Except for the time when she hadn't come home...

Rainbow shook her head to banish the train of thought. There were more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. For example: having to choose between a feast for a night, or a steady stream of bland sustenance for a week. Neither choice was very appealing to her, especially when it was never a guarantee that they would even make enough for a single meal from day to day. “Urgh,” she finally said with a sigh. “Damn it, I can't think on an empty stomach.” She pat her growling tummy. “Come on, you, let's go. Cabbage stew or not, we're gonna get something in our gullets right now.”

Scootaloo smiled, pouring the coins back into the bag and standing up, tossing her tail to the side. “Yes ma'am!” she said, snapping a smart salute.

Rainbow smirked. Her mother had taught her that salute when she was just a filly, and it made her happy to see Scootaloo doing the same that she had done in her youth. She snapped back with a similar salute and hopped up onto her feet. “Come on.” She grinned. “Maybe there'll actually be something besides a cabbage in the stew today.”

The two of them took comfort in the thought, though it probably would be for naught. The small little soup carts that they got most of their meals from were not exactly made to be gourmet establishments. Heck, it was a stroke of luck if they even had a little bit of salt to go into the soup. And when there was salt, the cooks would often overcompensate and make them too salty.

Canterlot had many different bazaar streets scattered throughout it's huge circumference. The closer to the center, the larger and more extravagant they got. Rainbow and Scootaloo lived near the center, for a few reasons. The first was the risk-reward mentality that Rainbow Dash had learned quick enough when she started doing stunt acrobatics to pay for her meals. Everything was more expensive on this particular street. Everything. However, it also meant that only those that could afford to toss their money away would live here. Thus, so long as she performed well enough to loosen their tight fists, she and her little friend were always guaranteed to eat at least something.

Most of the time.

Sometimes, there was just no loosening tight pockets. And sometimes, that meant no meals for the two of them.

The other big reason was far more personal for Rainbow, and a perfect summation of it could be seen floating up above the bazaar at this very moment. Three spear wielding pegasi flapped their way over them, settling down behind the walls of a large barracks. Yes, the Wonderbolts made their main base of operations away from the palace, as the Empress had insisted they be placed where they could respond quickest to the people who needed it the most, where basic patrols were not enough. They were also close enough that patrols were stationed at the palace and moved regularly from the barracks to the empress' side.

Rainbow had always wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps, but fate had done all it could to keep her from her goal. She'd been turned away, due to her inexperience (that reason still puzzled her; how was she supposed to get experience if she couldn't get in?) and her lack of respect of authority. Neither seemed like a big deal to her, and she had reapplied several times, only to be turned away for various similar reasons. Commander Spitfire herself had even once offered her a compliment on her natural talent, but had told her that the Wonderbolts weren't a place for performers, but for fighters.

It wasn't like she hadn't been in a few scraps in her time. She could kick the flank of anyone who got in her way. In fact, she'd kicked a LOT of flank after she'd lost her home. That hadn't been pretty. She was lucky that they hadn't tossed her in a dungeon for assaulting all those tax collectors who, truth be told, were really only doing their jobs. She hadn't paid taxes, or really any bills since her mother left. She'd always just assumed she'd go straight into the Wonderbolts and everything would be just fine.

Only it hadn't been. So here she was, homeless, with nothing but an orphaned, flightless filly for a companion, performing her amazing feats for pocket change, which would then be spent on the most meager of meals.

She forced those thoughts away again, rubbing her face. Boy, she was very melancholy today. She stopped and sniffed the air, letting out a longing sigh. Scents all intermingled with one another and her mouth watered. Breads, sweets, meats, everything made her stomach rumble louder. But she forced herself to walk past it. They couldn't afford any of it anyway, and she'd decided that it was better to have a guaranteed meal every day this week, no matter how bland it would be.

She looked down at her companion, who was making no effort to hide the longing in her own expression. Every time they walked by a steaming cart, the seller touting their wares. Fruits were sliced, meat was steamed, and merchants shouted over each other like children trying to convince their friends that they were so much cooler than their peers. She was practically drooling and her eyes slid from one cart to another as her wings buzzed in excitement. She was probably hoping that Rainbow was going to splurge what they'd made on something more grandiose than the usual stew.

Her face fell quite far when they stopped in front of old Green Leaf's cabbage stand. He elder earth pony was spooning thick, goopy ladel-fulls of his trademark cabbage stew into small, wooden bowls, to be served out to the hungry crowds. Green Leaf was a simple, friendly old timer. He'd been shilling his wares on this street since before Rainbow had been born. It certainly wasn't gourmet. It wasn't seasoned, and was about as bare a meal as one could hope for. Even as far as cabbage stew was concerned, this was decidedly average. However, there was one thing he had over almost every other street vender at this bazaar.

He was cheap.

His smile grew wider as he saw Rainbow Dash approaching. “Rainbow! Scootaloo!” he greeted loudly. “How're my two best customers feeling?”

Rainbow smirked. “So we're back to being your best customers again? Must be a really slow day.”

He chuckled gently. “Now now, you should watch your tone, my dear. I could always refuse your patronage.”

“But you won't. Because you love money.” She smiled and pointed to the sack. “So, serve up two of your finest bowls of stew.”

“Of course, of course.” He gave her a mock bow. “Anything for the wonderful Rainbow Dash.” He chuckled and took two already filled bowls, both still steaming, the stew bubbling a little, and handed them to Rainbow. “Enjoy.”

“I always do,” she lied, with a false smile to accompany it.

Scootaloo counted out a small handful of coins and offered them to the elder pony, who took them with a gentle nod. “Thank you both. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.” He chuckled and pocketed the coins.

The two of them nodded and walked off with their meager meal. They sat down at a street corner, just outside of the bazaar. Rainbow blew on both the bowls before handing one to her little friend. “Here. Try not to burn yourself this time, huh?” She smirked. “We can't afford a healer.”

Scootaloo pouted and gave a small sip of the thick soup. She gave a light wince and leaned back. “Ugh.”

“I told you to let it cool first, squirt,” she said, taking a big gulp of her own, and immediately spat it back into the bowl. “Ugh! ACK!” She coughed, rubbing her hand over her tongue. “Bleh... rotten cabbage,” she grumbled. “That old swindler really needs to talk to his gardener.”

Scootaloo nodded. “But... we already paid for it, so... I guess we gotta eat it right?”

“Are you kidding?” she huffed, tossing the bowl to the side, not caring as its contents spilled out into the streets. “We eat this stuff, we'll be spewing it back up in no time!” She growled and huffed. “Probably most of the rest of his stuff is tainted too.”

“Well, maybe if we went to him and just told him what's wrong we could get a free bowl and chance it?”

Rainbow snorted. “He's a nice guy, but he's also a business pony. He won't just give out products for free, even if it were tainted.” She rested her chin in her hand, her ears twitching in irritation.”

“So then... we just wasted some of our money?”

Rainbow nodded. “Looks like it.”

The filly groaned. “We shoulda just splurged! Now I don't think we can even afford a decent loaf of bread.”

“I know scoots, but at least we'll still have enough left over to get something tomorrow morning.”

“What, another cabbage breakfast?”

“We'll see if we can spring for some milk or something,” she assured her.

“But... I'm really hungry now,” she mumbled.

The downcast look on her face made Rainbow cringe in guilt. She hated seeing the little filly in such low spirits, but what was she supposed to do about it? It wasn't like something to eat was just going to drop out of nowhere and answer their prayers, right?”

A large cart rumbled past, the driver straining to keep his compatriots under control. “Not so fast, you idiots, the cart is overloaded as it is!”

The stallion pulling the cart wiped his brow and glared back at the driver. “First you say we're not going fast enough, and now you say it's too fast. Honestly, it's like I'm in bed with you or something.”

“Shut up, now is not the time or the place to discuss that. Just pull the damn cart!”

The stallion gave another grunt and wrenched the cart forward, rather hard. Something fell down off the back, tumbling back. It was a huge, juicy, thick watermelon. Naturally, it shattered as it hit the cobblestone ground, but even split in twain, it looked just as delicious and yummy as before.

Both of them looked to one another, and then back at the fallen fruit. They just stared at it, and Rainbow vaguely wondered if this was some kind of cruel trick that the fates were playing on her. No one else seemed to have noticed the melon, all wrapped up in their own affairs. That was often the case with the people who lived in this area of the city. They had no time to waste, so they didn't. They just kept on the move, and often times if it wasn't right in front of their faces, they just ignored it or didn't notice it. After another second of admiring the melon, still glistening with a few drops of dew from the morning, Rainbow's stomach gave an assertive growl, practically commanding her to get up and go to it.

She obeyed, hopping up and dashing into the street, gathering up the two large segments of the melon before running back to Scootaloo, grinning. “Well, I suppose if you ask, you shall receive.” She smiled and offered it to the filly, two took it greedily.

“Is this really okay?” she asked, though she was already breaking off pieces of its thick shell to make it easier to gnaw at its delicious, red innards. “I mean, we didn't really pay for it.”

Rainbow took a huge bite from the middle of the melon, wiping the juices from her chin and spitting out the seeds at her side. “Hey, it fell off the back of the cart, right? Which means they must not have cared too much about their product if they were foalish enough to let it just slide out like that. I say first come, first serve.” She took another huge bite, groaning in delight at the sweet taste.

That answer seemed to satisfy her companion, he just shrugged and continued to gnaw at their price. The two of them ate quickly, and loudly, having not had such a luxury in such a long time. A few passer byes turned odd eyes on them, but quickly shuffled past them. Soon enough, Rainbow was staring down at the empty husk of melon skin left behind after all the deliciousness had been cleaned away. She glanced over at Scootaloo, who was doing much the same. “It was good, wasn't it?”

“Yeah.”

“Really good.”

“Yeah.”

“But you wanted more, right?”

“Yeah...”

“But we're not gonna get more...”

Scootaloo sighed. “Yeah.”

Rainbow shrugged. “Oh well. It was a nice treat, and we at least got something in our stomachs. Something awesome.” she smirked. “And I don't know about you, but I feel like doing an evening show tonight after this.”

Scootaloo raised a brow. “Really? You remember what happened last time you tried to perform in the evening.”

“Hey, it wasn't my fault that lady didn't have the good sense to put up some candles in her window! And I didn't cause that much property damage.”

“We're just lucky she bought your 'blind pegasus' routine, or we wouldn't be eating anything now.”

Rainbow chuckled. “I'll say. But I've got it figured out this time, and so long as I finish up the show before the sun finishes setting, I should be just fine.”

“Well, if you insist, but I can't keep spinning excuses for why you keep crashing. The audience is generally smart enough to know when you screw up.”

Rainbow pouted. “I don't screw up. I just take a risk and it doesn't pan out quite as well as I'd hoped.

“That's screwing up.”

“Oh shut up.” She huffed and began to pull herself up, when a guarded trotted over to her. He was dressed in street garb, the only indication that he was a guard being the blade at his side and the bright red silk sash that covered his chest. She frowned as he stopped in front of her, sizing her up as she drew herself to standing height. Scootaloo did the same, ducking behind her friend. “Can I help you?”

He nodded. “Yes. Care you tell me where you two got that watermelon?”

she frowned and looked down at the hollow shell in her hand. “Um it fell off the back of a cart,” she answered, attempting to push away the slight bout of nervousness churning in her stomach.

“Oh really?” he asked, brow raised. He had the look of someone who had heard that excuse several times already.

“What? It's the truth.” She huffed, shifting the shell from hand to hand. “What, you honestly have never heard of something just falling off of a cart before?”

He nodded. “Indeed, things like that do happen, but I don't think they happen quite as often as everyone wants me to believe.” He grunted. “I need you two to come with me, please,” he said, holding out his hand expectantly.

She looked at his hand, her mind quickly brimming over the possibilities. She could go with him, but she doubted that he, or anyone else she would be forced to talk to would believe her story, especially since there weren't any reliable witnesses around. If she and Scootaloo were charged with thievery, which they probably would to pin on the, Rainbow could lose her hand. Scootaloo would at least be let off with a minor beating, but neither sounded very nice. So, Rainbow decided to do the only logical thing she could think of.

She quickly reared back and slammed the shell of the melon over his head. “Run for it, scoots!” she said, turning tail and dashing off, grabbing the confused filly as she did so. She briefly thought about flying, but that would mean carrying Scootaloo, and while she wasn't a heavy pony, she'd still slow her down. Plus, if she took to the sky, she risked inviting bow fire. She had no doubt he would attempt something like that either, specially after the melon on the head. At least on the ground, she didn't have to worry about him firing into crowds or whatnot.

She could hear him shouting at her to stop as she dashed into the crowd, shoving people aside as she tried to hide herself inside the busy street. Did that ever work, she wondered. Did anyone actually stop when he shouted at them while they were actively running away? She doubted it. She chanced a glance back at him, and her eyes widened as she saw him running after her, hand on his hilt. A few other patrolmen, drawn by the shouts of their companion, joined in the chase. “Oh buck me,” she grumbled as she ran. “You okay, there Scoots?”

“Yeah, but I can't exactly keep up this pace forever!” the little pegasus shouted, pumping her tiny wings to try and keep pace with Rainbow.

Rainbow would be the first to admit she wasn't not an ultra-intelligent mare. She considered herself smart enough to know how to survive, and right now, her mind was pushing for the divide and conquer technique. “Scoots, at the upcoming split, head left, I'll head right.”

“What? But...”

“Listen, I'm faster than you and chances are good they'll go after me since I'm kinda the one who got them pissed in the first place. That and you can hide in the crowd a little easier. So you go left, stay low, and I'll draw them away! We'll meet up in the usual place, got it?”

The orange filly whimpered, but nodded after a moment. “Okay. Just be careful, Rainbow.”

“Don't worry, kid, I promise, I'll meet up with you eventually. But if anything, ANYTHING goes wrong, you lay low and save your coins, okay?”

“Okay...” she said hesitantly.

“Alright,” she peeked over the crowd as she dashed past them. “We're coming up on the split. When I tell you to, you run, got it?”

“Right.”

“Okay... NOW!” she shouted, letting go of her. She glanced behind herself briefly, just in time to see her friend stumble through the crowd. She smiled and dashed her own direction, chancing a glance. She couldn't see the soldiers anymore, but she could definitely hear them still in hot pursuit. She dashed as fast as she could, ducking and diving past everyone, a few curses thrown her way, but she ignored them. She didn't have time to get into a shouting match over proper street etiquette when her poor, beautiful hand was on the line. Possibly even more now that she was evading arrest.

Her heart was starting to pound again. Adrenaline was beginning to pump. If it weren't for the underlying current of fear she was feeling, she'd actually call this amazing, just like her stunt flying.

But right now, she needed to hide. She needed to get away. She was still too nervous to take to the skies, fearful of being pelted with arrows, especially now that there were more guards chasing her. She craned her head to the right and the left. Nothing stuck out to her. The only thing she could figure to do is to go over the wall. And that was what she did. Spreading her wings, she gave one great push, leaping into the air and hopping up onto the wall, before disappearing behind it. She gave a light sigh and dropped down, leaning against the wall. She was between the stone wall and some sort of shed. She pressed an ear to the stones and listened, carefully. The guards were shouting and howling as they ran by and she nodded, satisfied. “Hehe, no one can ever keep up with The Dash,” she said happily, raising her head up in an egotistical fashion.

She started to walk out from behind whatever shed she'd ended up behind, assuming that she had just ended up in someone's back yard, maybe a carpenter, or a stone cutter...

Or perhaps she had just ended up the back of the Wonderbolt barracks! She squeaked and shrank back as two leather armor-clad pegasi walked past her hiding place. 'Oh buck, oh buck, oh buck,' she thought to herself. If running from an ordinary guard for thievery was bad, sneaking into the Wonderbolt's barracks was going to cost her a whole lot more than just a hand. What's worse, if any of the recognized her as the one who kept getting rejected when she was younger, it was just going to get worse!

She chanced another peek out into the field. Drills were being run at the moment. She could see them running laps, doing pushups, and of course the instructors shouting insulting things to keep them motivated. None of them were looking in her direction, so she was pretty sure she hadn't been spotted. But that wouldn't last long. She obviously couldn't sneak out the front door, and if she went back over the wall, she risked being spotted as well. She was between a rock and a hard place. “Crap,” she grumbled. “What do I do, what do I do?”

She knocked against the edge of the shed she was hiding behind in frustration. There was a soft snap and she blinked. One of the boards was loose. Taking another peek back outside to make sure no one was coming her way, she grabbed onto the loose board, wiggling it. It gave a soft squeak and wiggled back and forth. Grunting, Rainbow applied a bit more force. It squeaked a little louder, and then when a small click and pop, the board came loose. She pulled it away and peeked inside. Maybe she could at least hide out in here until the coast was clear...

Or not. It was a storage shed, holding several spare suits of armor, and a few spears and such. There was no room for him to squeeze inside. However, another idea began to come to her mind. She smirked and tested the other boards. She found another that was loose and carefully worked it free as she had done with the first. That done, she leaned inside and began to tug a few of the spare armor pieces through. “Okay, let's see... mom showed me how to do this, I think.”

She began to assemble the armor on her body, piece by piece. She was actually really surprised by how much she remembered. “Let's see... pads before plate, helmet on last, leggings after chest, greaves after legs, gauntlets afterwards.” She took a deep breath as the weight of the armor began to ad up and she felt herself grow steadily heavier as the last piece of armor was put into place. She looked down at herself, smiling as she realized she was in official Wonderbolt armor and uniform. “Hehe, I wish you could see this mom. I probably look just as awesome as you did.” She grinned and reached back though, pulling out a spear to complete the ensemble. “Whoo,” she took a deep breath. “Alright, Rainbow, just try to look like you belong here, give a few salutes, stand up straight, and walk right through the front door. Ditch the armor afterwards, and go and find Scootaloo.” She took a deep breath and gripped the spear tight, looking back around the shed. The drills seemed to be breaking up for the moment. “Alright... here goes nothing...” She took one step forward and exhaled as she walked right into into plain sight.

The first few steps weren't that bad. No one seemed to pay her any mind, and she moved just as slowly and carefully as she could, trying her best to seem like she belonged there. So far, so good. Now, she just needed to find the exit and get out while the getting was good. A quick scan of the perimeter showed what looked to be the main exit just past the mess hall. Nodding towards it, and trying to carry herself like she had some sort of air of authority, the rainbow-maned pegasus started for her gateway to freedom.

She walked by a small group of recruits. They barely noticed her. “That's it...”

She almost bumped into another near the entrance of the mess hall. He swerved around her and continued on his way. “Just a little bit further...”

The guard shift appeared to be changing, as the two standing near the gate began to walk past her, giving her a casual wave as they did so. She nodded and offered a wave of her own, mimicking his movement. “I'm gonna make it!”

“You there!” a voice shouted from behind her.

Rainbow's entire body froze up and she stood tall and rigid for a second before forcing herself to turn around, though she adjusted the helmet she wore as she did so, so as to better conceal her eyes and mane. She loved this mane of hers, but it made blending in very difficult, being the only mare around with all the colors of the rainbow trailing down her back. She faced forward and came face to face with one mare she had particularly hoped to avoid here. Commander Spitfire. Remembering the protocol her mother had taught her, she was quick to snap a sharp salute and hold her spear tight at her side.

The golden-coated pegasus, her head bare of any helmet and her arms folded neatly behind her back, walked forward, inspecting Rainbow with a very critical eye. “Where do you think you were going, recruit?” she asked.

Rainbow thought quickly, but she remembered her training when dealing with anyone she didn't want to talk to for very long. Just keep the answers short and sweet, try to stick to brief 'yes' and 'no' answers, and never give away more than you can afford to. “On patrol, ma'am,” she answered, lowering her voice slightly in hopes that her distinct, gravelly tone wouldn't alert the commander that this particular pegasus happened to be one she'd rejected several times before.

Spitfire raised a brow, shaking her head. “Didn't you hear? All Wonderbolts are to remain within the compound until further notice. We have a very important visitor coming here before long, and all Wonderbolts of every rank are to be present for this occasion.” She crossed her arms.

'Oh horsefeathers,' she cursed to herself. “Erm, well you see, the thing is...”

The military mare leaned forward. “Are you arguing with me, filly?” she asked, putting a growl in her voice.

“Uh, no ma'am!” she said smartly, holding up her chin.

Spitfire's eyes narrowed for a moment. “Hmm...” she drew forward, walking around Rainbow, making the poor mare sweat a little bit. “Interesting tail color.”

Rainbow winced. 'Horseapples!' she hissed in her mind. She'd taken care to hide her mane, but she'd forgotten about her damn tail. But her mind kicked into overdrive and threw her a bone. “I dye it, ma'am,” she answered. “My ordinary mane is very plain and I prefer it to look a bit more unique.”

Spitfire raised a brow. “Oh?” she asked, nodding. “Hmmm, interesting practice for a Wonderbolt.” She placed a hand on her hip and walked back around to Rainbow's front. “I don't think I've seen you around here before. In fact, I don't recall admitting a mare of your mane and tail color any time recently. Tell me, how long have you been here?”

“Uh... I...”

A gong sounded all through the barracks and Spitfire looked up towards the top of the wall, near one of the lookouts. “It would see that our guest is arriving a tad early.” She looked at Rainbow. “Well, you'd best go and get in formation,” she stated. “We'll continue this discussion after I've greeted our guest.” She was still looking at her with that appraising eye. “In my office.”

Rainbow tried her best to keep her gulp inaudible. Spitfire turned away and Rainbow let out a deep sigh. “That was way too close. Saved by the gong, it seems.” She turned back, intent on walking back through the entrance before she could be be caught again... only to see that the door was being forced shut. She blanched. “Son of a bucking buffalo!” she practically snarled. “Now what?”

She looked back, seeing all the other members of the Wonderbolts lining up into formation. “Well, no choice now,” she mumbled, turning back and reluctantly tromping her way towards the rapidly growing group of armored bodies. “Just gotta hope I can get outta here before Spitfire gets another good look at me.” She reached back and toyed with her tail, glaring down at it as she walked. “I think I hate you,” she grumbled at it. The tail, being a tail, did not respond.

#

Twilight gave a slight sigh as Spike yawned from his perch on her back, clinging to her shoulders. “I told you that you really should stop sleeping in the middle of the day, Spike,” she stated. “You're just making yourself very sluggish.”

“I can't help it. I get tired all the time.”

“I've noticed.” She huffed. “Of course it would be my luck to get such a lazy familiar.”

“Hey, I'm plenty efficient.” He pouted.

“I know, I know.” She smiled and reached over her shoulder, patting his head. “but still, you are lazy.”

“And you are far too uptight,” he countered with a grin. “Why exactly do we even have to go and choose a Wonderbolt anyway? Why not just ask to have Commander Spitfire or Captain Fleetfoot or Soarin accompany us? Heck, we could even ask for Corporal Surprise. I bet she'd be a pretty good bodyguard.”

Twilight rolled her eyes a bit, still a little surprised that Spike was taking the whole 'gotta go and find magical warriors reincarnated from one thousand years ago so they can stop ancient demons' thing pretty well. In fact, he'd seemed quite eager to take this journey, moreso than she would have thought. The little dragon was usually looking for any excuse to drop his work and just curl up in bed with a nice meal. “We couldn't do that. I don't want to break the chain of command, Spike. And just because they're of a higher rank doesn't mean they'd necessarily be better bodyguards. You've seen some of the ordinary captains walking about the palace, haven't you? Some of them barely seem to know which end of the sword they're supposed to hold.” She sighed. “It makes me wonder how they even managed to secure their positions in the first place.”

“Nepotism?” Spike ventured.

Twilight raised her mouth with a grin. “And where did you learn such an impressive word?”

“Well, you keep bringing home books and constantly have your nose buried in them when you're not practicing or with the princess, so I have to do something besides eat and sleep. Most of them are pretty boring, but there are a few winners.”

“There is no such thing as a boring book,” she chided, looking round. They'd arrived at the barracks a few minutes ago, and been ushered through the back entrance that led straight into the commanding officer's office. Twilight had spoken, briefly, with Commander Spitfire in the past. She knew her as a tough but fair commander, quite a capable warrior and a cunning mind, even if she could be very rigid... and loud... at times.

“So, Spike ventured as they waited. “How exactly are you going to choose which one comes with us?”

She shrugged. “I'm not really sure. I guess I'll just have to hope that one of them speaks to me a little more than the others.”

“I'm pretty sure they're under orders not to speak unless being spoken to.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “That's not what I meant, and you know it.”

Their conversation ended as the door opened up. Commander Spitfire walked in, giving her a brief bow. “Twilight Sparkle,” she greeted softly. “You honor us with your presence.”

The unicorn coughed, waving her hand back and forth. “Please, Commander, there is no reason to stand on ceremony. I am here to begin a very important task for the Princess, and I don't wish for my station to complicate things. After I and my chosen bodyguard leave here, I want us to keep as low a profile as possible.”

“Of course,” she nodded. “I've rallied them all, and they are waiting for you right out here.” She motioned to the door, pushing them open. “Please, follow me.”

She nodded, walking after her, out into the field. Spitfire walked briskly, and Twilight needed to trot a bit to keep up with her. Ahead of her, she could see the two main captains, Soarin and Fleetfoot, examining the soldiers, correcting their forms, and shouting at them to present their arms. Twilight watched as the uniformed, armored Wonderbolts turned to face her, snapping a firm salute, all at once, in unison. It was as if they were all of one mind at this moment.

Except for one. A single pegasus, out near the edge of the group, seemed to be having trouble keeping up with the others. Her timing was a mere fraction of a second off compared to all the others, who moved as a perfect singularity. She ignored it, shrugging. There was always at least one.

Twilight moved with Spitfire, moving along the front line of the soldiers. “How many Wonderbolts are there currently on active duty?” she asked.

“One hundred strong, my lady,” he said with a nod.

“Impressive,” Twilight said. “I would have thought that there would be more though.”

“We are extremely selective on who may become a Wonderbolt, my lady.” She motioned to them. “None but the finest, the fastest, and the strongest of pegasi may have the honor of joining our ranks. We aren't considered the finest soldiers at the Empress' beck and call for nothing.”

“I'm well aware of your reputation,” she stated. “And I've seen many catalogued examples of your victories and exploits.” She began to look over her choices. All of them faced forward, eyes hard and unmoving, not a twitch in body or mind. Their stoicism unnerved Twilight a tad.

But there was one exception, yet again. She caught sight of a rainbow tail waving and lashing back and forth in an antsy manner. Ignoring the others in the front, she moved towards the mare at the side, her head tilting in curiosity as she neared her. “Hmmm,” she said.

Spitifire followed and Twilight stopped in front of the squirming, antsy mare, who straightened as she realized that she was faced with someone of importance. And also Spitfire. She almost opened her mouth to speak, but remembered that she was supposed to be a Wonderbolt right now, and Wonderbolts didn't speak to a superior unless they were prompted.

Twilight tapped her cheek. “You seem... different from the others,” she noted with a frown.

“Indeed she does, doesn't she?” Spitfire noted. “I've been wondering about you for a while, Soldier. I'm fairly certain I haven't seen you around before, and I get very familiar with new recruits that actually make it in.”

Rainbow tensed. This was it. She was going to die. She'd be exposed, and then thrown in prison. She'd never be a wonderbolt. Hay, she'd be lucky if she went on living after this.

Twilight shrugged a little. “Commander, I'm sure even you can't keep track of everyone. As you said, your forces are one-hundred strong, and I would have trouble keeping track of ten, much less one hundred.”

Spitfire gave a snort, but she accepted the words with a gracious attitude. “As you say... perhaps I am mistaken.”

Twilight shrugged and turned her attention back on the twitching mare, who seemed to be growing uncomfortable. “You seem... uncomfortable here. Tell me, what is your name?”

Rainbow coughed for a moment. “My name? It's uh...” she muttered out her name, unable to think of an alias off the top of her head.

“I'm sorry?” Twilight asked. “I don't think I caught that.”

She coughed out her name again.

Spitfire huffed loudly. “Speak up, soldier!” she ordered.

“Rainbow Dash!” she answered, automatically and loudly.

Twilight nodded. “That's certainly a fine name,” she said, looking towards her tail. “And quite fitting, I should say.”

“Yes... it certainly is.” Twilight turned to see Spitfire fix the soldier with a quite cold stare. “Though not fitting of a Wonderbolt.”

Twilight blinked. “Beg pardon?”

“Forgive me, Twilight, I'm not sure how this happened, but this mare here is NOT a Wonderbolt.” She walked forward. “Her mother certainly was, but I've rejected this one several times now. I have no idea what she's doing here, in full uniform.” She crossed her arms. “And I don't think I'll be seeing her again after this.”

Rainbow gulped as she stared into Spitfire's eyes. There wasn't any hatred or malice behind them. Instead, she got a distinct motherly feeling from them that made the poor pegasus squirm all the harder. It was the same sort of stare her own mother had given her during times of extreme disappointment, and there had been more than a few of those over her lifetime. That nervous feeling in her gullet only increased as she realized without looking that every pair of eyes in the yard was beginning to turn towards her, fixating on the rogue who had the audacity to sneak into the Wonderbolt barracks like this. “Ma'am, I can explain...” she squeaked quietly.

“There is nothing to explain,” Spitfire said, cutting her off. “Perhaps we should continue this discussion in the privacy of my office.”

“No need, Commander,” Twilight said with a small smile. “I think that I have an alternative punishment in mind for her.”

Spitfire and Rainbow looked towards her. “You do?” they asked in unison.

She nodded. “I would like her to be my bodyguard.”

“What?” Rainbow asked.

“What?” Spitfire echoed.

“What?” Spike added from her shoulder.

She shrugged. “Princess Celestia did say that I was to choose a Wonderbolt, and she is wearing the wonderbolt insignia.”

“But that doesn't make her a Wonderbolt, nor a qualified protector for you, Lady Sparkle.”

“Perhaps, but I do see potential in her,” Twilight explained. “I mean, she did manage to sneak in after all.” She smiled. “Honestly, the real reason that Twilight didn't want an actual bodyguard was pretty simple: She didn't want one. Standing here, in front of all these soldiers, it gave her quite a discomforting feeling. Surely they were powerful in their own right, quite capable fliers and fighters, but the longer she stayed under their gaze, the colder she felt. They were so strict, so regimented. She knew that guards could be stoic, but this... she'd rather not have anyone traveling with her if this was the kind of pony she would be having with her. “My decision is final. We'll consider her punishment taken care of so long as she accompanies me on my task.”

Spitfire frowned. “I see... and you would rather not take one of my soldiers? All of them are well trained and diligent, and would be far better a choice for a dangerous and lengthy trip.”

Twilight suspected that the real reason was she would rather not have to explain to the princess why Twilight had chosen a common pegasus mare compared to a regimented soldier. To be honest, Twilight wasn't sure she could answer that question either. The logical part of her brain was screaming at her, stating quite the obvious: that she was likely to die traveling with a stranger off the street rather than walking away with an actual Wonderbolt. Her odds of success were much longer if this were the case, but... there was just something about this mare. Something she couldn't shake. Just standing here, looking at her, it made her feel... safer. “Tell me,” she said, addressing the rainbow mare. “Rainbow Dash, was it? Have you had any experience fighting?”

“No ma'am,” she admitted, shaking her head. “But my mother was a Wonderbolt. I was taught and trained their basic katas, and I've been training my body in athletics and speed flying since I was a filly. I make my living as a street acrobat at present.”

“I see.”

Spike tugged at her head on top of her head. “Twilight, I really would feel a whole lot safer traveling with someone who could actually use a spear.”

Rainbow's eyes narrowed slightly. “What's that supposed to mean, Lizard boy?”

The dragon shot a glare right back. “Exactly what it sounds like, Prism brat!”

Twilight held up her hands for silence. “Enough. My decision is set. I'll be waiting at the palace gates. Spitfire, you will see her properly outfitted and escorted there, won't you?”

“Of course,” she said. “I'd also like a moment alone with her myself.”

“Very well. Then I will take my leave.” She nodded. “I thank you for your time, and I hope that my decision does not affect your conviction. I do not know how best to describe it. I merely feel that this is the right decision.”

“It is your decision,” Commander Spitfire observed. “As such, we will abide by it.” She looked at Rainbow with critical eyes. “Well, you heard it. If you would,” sh snapped her fingers and the two soldiers nearest Rainbow stepped behind her, holding their spears at the ready, “Please, accompany me back to my office.” She turned to Twilight. “Do you require an escort back to the palace?”

“No thank you, I think I can manage. Thank you.” She gave a light bow, which was returned by every soldier in the place. She turned and walked her way out, hearing the commander shout for all of them to return of their regular duties. The front gates were opened for her and she walked back out onto the streets, giving a slight shudder. “Well, that was uncomfortable.”

“I'll say,” Spike said with a roll of his eyes, clambering his way up so that he was sitting on her shoulder, making the young unicorn tense to avoid stumbling to the side. “Seriously, Twilight, what were you thinking?” he asked, crossing his arms. “You honestly think she's going to be anything but a nuisance?”

“No idea,” she said with a shrug, which almost sent the dragon tumbling off of her shoulder. “I just had a feeling.”

“A feeling?” he asked, raising a brow. “As your familiar, AKA, your better half,” he shot her a glare as she started giggling at this assertion, “I'll have you know that while following your instincts is a very good idea, here I can't help but think that you've made a very big mistake.”

“Maybe,” she said. “But with any luck, she'll just take off at the first opportunity.”

“Wait, you're actually hoping for that? Well what was all that 'feeling' stuff about anyway?”

“Like I said, it was just a feeling, and at this point, it stands to reason that a mare of her meager capabilities might just want to cut and run as soon as she's able. If that's the case, I say we don't stop her. At least she won't have to endure any sort of punishment for her mistake.”

“I'd say impersonating a soldier is a bit more than a mistake,” Spike observed.

“I'm sure she had her reasons. I'm not acting naïve, I saw the look in her eyes. She was nervous and scared, and she didn't have any malice in her face. I'm willing to bet that she's a good mare who was just in a bad situation. Princess Celestia always says that...”

“...kindness is akin to enlightenment,” Spike finished for her, with a very bored expression. “I'm pretty sure that she didn't mean to give that sort of kindness to total strangers.”

“Well, it's done now,” Twilight said. “And I only have minor regret for my decision.”

“Meh, that'll grow,” the dragon said, examining his claws.

Twilight huffed. “You're going to act like this during the whole trip, aren't you?”

“Yep.”

“Damn...”

#

Spitfire gave a frustrated sigh, pacing back and forth in front of her desk. Rainbow Dash sat in front of her, on her knees, stripped of the ill-gotten uniform she had been wearing. “Well?” she asked. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I... don't really have anything to say, ma'am. Not sure what you mean. I mean, I've already explained the situation to you...”

“Indeed you have,” she stated. “And I still can't believe that the daughter of Firefly would be such a moron.”

Rainbow winced at the words. Spitfire gave another sigh. “Attacking a street patrolman, resisting arrest, sneaking into a private military compound, stealing property, impersonating a soldier... I can certainly tell you that if it were not for Lady Sparkle, we'd be having this conversation down in the palace dungeons, or if you were REALLY unlucky, up on the hangman's stand.”

Rainbow began to toy with her tail again, twisting the top of it, twirling the colors together. “Heh, I guess I really am lucky then, right?”

“Incredibly lucky.” she stated, hands on her hips. She let out yet another heavy sigh. “Whatever am I gonna do with you, Dash?” she asked.

“Uh, let me go?” the mare suggested.

“That's not what I meant and you know it.” She rubbed her face in agitation. “I do like you, Dash. You're the daughter of one of my best friends and my former commanding officer. We were all sad when Firefly...” she paused and her own eyes traveled to the floor along with Rainbow's. “But my personal feelings aside, what you did was pretty bad. Again, if Twilight hadn't specifically asked for you, well...” she shrugged. “Even my word isn't above the law. But someone so close to the Empress, she has a lot more sway.”

Rainbow blinked. “Wait, what's her relation to the princess?” she asked, scratching her head.

Spitfire almost laughed. Almost. “Really? You haven't heard about her?”

“I don't keep up with current events,” she said. “I'm usually more concerned with just keeping myself fed.”

“I see.” She shrugged. “I suppose that makes sense. Well, allow me to lay it out for you. You were just chosen as a bodyguard and assistant to Twilight Sparkle, personal student of the Empress herself.”

Rainbow tensed. “She's... that close to Empress Celestia?”

“None sit closer to the Empress than her student.” Spitfire crossed her arms, leaning down on her desk. “And you have been allowed the dubious honor of accompanying her on what I understand will be a very long, potentially deadly romp all across the country search for... something.”

“Something?”

“The missive I was given did not go into any sort of detail about the task at hand. I can only surmise that it was on a purely need to know basis, and no one but she, and whoever is accompanying her, need to know.” A small smirk tugged at her features. “The question now is, what will you do?”

Rainbow frowned, tilting her head to the side in a quizzical manner. “What do you mean?”

“Well, obviously I can't hold you for your crimes if you are being taken on this journey with Twilight. But she is taking you as a friend and a companion, not as a prisoner, so I doubt she'll be keeping a close eye on you. What do you plan to do about that?”

Rainbow frowned. “What are you trying to imply?”

“Nothing at all,” Spitfire stated, though her tone suggested otherwise. “It's just, in the times that I've seen you, namely the... what was it... twenty six or so times you've applied to the Wonderbolts, you tend to leave things... wanting.”

“Wanting?” she frowned, looking insulted. “I always gave it my all when I applied! You even told me so after all my performances. You'd heap all that praise on me after I showed you what I could do in the sky and you always just brushed me off and away! It's like all that praise means nothing!”

She nodded. “It does mean something, but you're conveniently forgetting everything else.” She tapped her desk. “The written test, for example. Handwriting aside, and let's not beat around the clouds, yours is atrocious, you demonstrate a complete lack of interest in the answers you give. In the drill and teamwork exercises during tryouts, you are constantly showboating, attempting to make yourself stand out. You do that plenty in the individual segments of the tryouts, but your lack of skill in teamwork and your lack of respect for authority, namely mine and the other captains, shows that you are not ready to be a Wonderbolt, and your actions here have only further cemented this thought into my mind.” At Rainbow's crestfallen look, she raised a hand. “Make no mistake, you are talented... but raw talent is not enough. Anyway, let's not wander off topic. Do you plan on seeing this task through to the end?”

Rainbow raised her head, her crestfallen look replaced with one of determination and spirit. “Commander Spitfire,” she stated, standing up and clenching her fists. “I'm going to see that this task, whatever it is, gets done. I promise.”

Spitfire's smile became genuine. “Are you now?”

“Well, I do kind of owe her for, you know, saving my life and all, and I'm sure not going to just let her wander around without help.”

“She'd have the dragon with her.”

“Yeah, I'm sure that snarky little thing would be a lot of use if she ever got in a fight.” She pushed her fists together. “She wants a bodyguard, she's got one. I might not fully understand what's going on, but when someone helps me, I repay my debts.”

She nodded. “Loyal as your mother was.”

At the mention of Firefly, both mares became somber for a moment. Sptifire took a deep breath. “Lady Sparkle explained that supplies would be provided for you both before you left. I'll have a guard escort you to the palace, so we can avoid anymore unpleasant misunderstandings.”

She nodded, smiling a little brighter now. “Got it. But... ma'am...” she said, reluctant to continue.

“Speak,” Spitfire stated, in a commanding tone.

Rainbow nodded. “If I could, I would like to ask a personal favor.”

Spitfire's brow raised. “I can't let you into the Wonderbolts just for agreeing to this task,” she stated.

“No, it's not that,” she said, waving it away. “You're familiar with the old, run down pagoda just outside the Bazaar street near here, right?”

“I should hope so. The old thing's been standing since my grandfather was a foal.”

Rainbow nodded. “I've been living there,” she said. “With another. A little orange orphan filly named Scootaloo. Before I leave, I want to see that she knows I'm leaving. And...” her eyes took on a pleading look. “Perhaps if I could count on someone to look after her while I was away?”

Spitfire blinked. “You never seemed like the motherly type to me, Rainbow.”

The cyan mare gave a soft blush. “It's not like that. She was an orphan, she needed some help, and I wasn't just gonna let her starve. If anything, I guess you could call her like a big sister or something.”

The commander chuckled. “Very well. Captain Fleetfoot will take you by there before you go to the palace. She'll be brought back here and I'll have her placed in my care until such time as you return.” She refrained from using the word 'if' in that statement. No need to cast doubts in the mare's mind at this point. “Will that be acceptable.”

“Just so long as she's treated well.”

Spitfire looked a tad insulted. “I can assure you, she'll be just fine under my eye.” She stood herself straight and walked to the door, opening the door, whispering something to the guard at her door. He stepped in and nodded, motioning to Rainbow. “This guard will help you to the captain's quarters and deliver my orders to Fleetfoot. Be well, and the Empress bless you.” She snapped a salute, which was quickly returned by both other ponies in the room. “Now get on your way!” she ordered. “March!”

Both of them blinked and quickly dashed from the room, leaving the commander alone. She sighed and walked behind her desk, pulling one of the bottom drawers open, pulling its contents out. Needly folded and carefully wrapped in aging grey and brown ribbon was a series of parchment letters. Every single one of them was addressed to her, and sent by Firefly. Carefully undoing the knot that held them together, she fumbled through the old letters, to one from the middle of the stack, smiling a little bit as she pulled it free, her eyes passing over the first informal line. How like Firefly that was.

To my Favorite Recruit,

I hate sick-leave. I'm not even sick and yet I'm forced to refer to it like that. I just had a baby, it isn't like that time I got stabbed in the flank. Alright, that's a bad example. After all, that was a really embarrassing reason to be laid out for a week.

Anyway, I'm just sending this to let you know I'm fine. Things have been pretty boring around here since little Rainbow was born. Blitz is having a panic attack that he might be called away for an expedition any day now. I keep telling him he's a moron, but he won't calm his silly tail down. The whet nurses here won't even let me take a jog around the house! I just popped all the fat out of me and I'm only going to get it all back if they insist on me laying here like I'm made of glass. I guess taking down a griffon general while in free fall over a torrential river didn't prove I'm not that delicate, right? Take my advice, kid, if you want a foal of your own, don't announce it to everyone on the force. People tend to treat you different when they know you're expecting. Not like I sent any of the recruits out to get me those weird cravings I was having...

Okay, maybe once or twice, but someone kept eating all my thistles! So no jokes, recruit! Anyway, I should try to keep from rambling so much, but having no one to talk to but your husband and a newborn for the last week makes you a little stir-crazy. I love them both to death, but I just hate laying here. Let me know when you get this letter and tell me how the place is holding up without its number one Commander there. You better be behaving, or else! I should be returning some time within the next week, so long as Rainbow Dash doesn't give me too much trouble. I'm sure you've noticed the drool stains on the edges of the parchment by now. That's not me, I swear. That's my little bundle of joy.

That's about all I have to send right now. You keep your chin up and keep training. I'm looking forward to bossing you around again when I get back. You and everyone else. Talk to you soon, Spits. Fight the good fight, and Empress bless.

Your most epically awesome commander,

Firefly

The last few lines became hard to read as they were blurred behind a small wall of tears. She wiped them away furiously and carefully replaced the letter back in its stack, beginning to retie the stack. A knock at the door made her jolt and she quickly cleared her throat before attempting to speak. “Speak up!” she called.

“Your pardon, Commander,” Soarin's voice wafted through the door, “But the Empress has sent another missive. She wishes to meet with you and I about a private matter, tomorrow evening, if you are available.”

Spitfire almost snorted, but refrained from doing something so disrespectful. One did not simple say no to an invitation from the Empress. “You can tell her that we will be there,” she answered. “Thank you, Soarin.”

She waited until she was sure that he was on his way before she turned her attention back to the letters, retying the ribbons and replacing the stack back in the same drawer it had been drawn from. There they would remain until the commander was once again reminded of her dearest friend.

#

Scootaloo shifted uncomfortably on the tiny cot she had been sleeping on for the better part of a year. After she was sure she hadn't been followed, she had done just as she had been asked and returned right back to their hideaway, the second story of an old, abandoned pagoda that stood tall above all the other buildings around it, staring down at the world below, and across at the palace in the distance, and even more impressive, and far more lavash building.

She couldn't shake the worry she felt for her dear friend. Where was Rainbow? She'd been gone hours now. Had she been caught? No, she couldn't believe that. Rainbow was fast, super fast, even on her feet. There was no way a bunch of guards could catch up with her, even if she were being slowed down by a crowd and even if they did have better endurance than here. There was just no way that Scootaloo could comprehend someone that fast and that... that awesome being caught by a bunch of lame guards.

But she was taking too long. The filly began to pace, her little wings buzzing in agitation behind her back. She'd never taken this long to get back before. Never! Sure, they'd had a few run-ins with some local thugs are more than one or two occasions, and when they'd run, Scootaloo had always run with her, and had never split from her. Why had she made them split this time? Was she really that worried about getting caught? By guards of all ponies?

Her fears were aleviated when she heard the front door to the building being pushed open. It was a heavy thing, very tough to open by herself, and extremely loud from the inside, its echo resounding from top to bottom of the structure. “Scoots!” she heard a familiar voice shouting, “I'm back!”

Her wings began to flutter again, this time in elation and relief. It was Rainbow Dash! She was okay! Scootaloo hopped up and began to dash down the stairs. “Rainbow!” she shouted. “I was so worried about you! I thought you'd been caught, and when you weren't here when I got back and I didn't hear from you for like an hour, I was so scared that you'd gotten hurt or something! But I'm just so relieved that you're...”

Her frantic stream of words was interrupted when she got about halfway down the stairs of the first floor and realized that there was someone there with Rainbow. Someone who was in armor and uniform. Someone who was armed. She screeched to a halt, grabbing hold of the banister on the stairs to keep herself from tumbling the rest of the way to the floor, her eyes widening with fear. She flicked a concerned face from one mare to the other, letting out an audible gulp. But Rainbow's smile put her at ease immediately. Her big sister was okay, and apparently they weren't in trouble. “Hey squirt. Sorry to make you wait.”

Scootaloo resumed her happy dash, jumping into the rainbow-maned mare's waiting arms. They hugged for a moment, Rainbow rubbing her head. “Thank Celestia. I thought they'd actually caught you.”

“Heh, caught me? Please, they never even got close.”

“Yeah, instead you got a little to close to where you didn't belong,” came a chiding, but good natured voice to the side.

Scootaloo looked up from the embrace, frowning at the mare in Wonderbolt garb before her. “Who's she?” she asked.

Rainbow bit her lip. “Scoots, we gotta talk for a second.” She looked uncomfortable. “Er, this is Captain Fleetfoot, part of the Wonderbolts.”

The white-maned mare gave a soft nod and offered a warm smile. “A pleasure to meet you, Scootaloo. Rainbow had only good things to say about you.”

Rainbow gave a soft grunt. “Hey, ease off, I don't need her thinking I'm getting all mushy.” she sighed. “Listen, Scootaloo, I gotta go away for a while.”

“Wh-what? You... aren't in trouble, are you?”

She shook her head. “No, not at all,” she assured the filly. “But I... I gotta go. I need to help someone with something very important.”

Scootaloo frowned. “But... when you say leave, you mean...”

“It's gonna be a really long trip, Scoots. And I gotta leave Canterlot to take care of it. Not sure how long or how far I'm gonna end up going. Okineighwa, Kyoato, Tokhayo, we might be going either further than that.”

“Then I'm gonna go with you,” The filly said adamantly.

Rainbow shook her head. “No. I'm sorry. But I can't let you come. This is gonna be a really dangerous mission, and I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you.”

“But...”

“There's no room for arguments, Scoots. I'm sorry, but you can't come with me.” Her own face fell when she saw the disappointment in the filly's eyes. “I just... I needed to tell you, so you didn't worry. But listen, it's not like I'm abandoning you. I don't know how long it'll take, but I'm gonna come back, and when I do, I promise, everything'll go back to normal.” She pat her shoulders. “In the meantime, I had a talk with Commander Spitfire. You're gonna be staying with her for right now, okay? She's gonna take care of you while I'm off.”

“But Rainbow...”

Rainbow Dash held up a hand to her chin. “Listen, I don't wanna have to leave you behind, but I owe this person. She's basically the only reason I was able to come back in the first place. I gotta make good on this. But I promise, you'll be taken care of, and I'll be just fine. Heck, I might even find a way to write to you.”

“But you can't write... or read.”

Rainbow blushed. “I can so. My mom taught me. A little bit.” She coughed. “Point is, I'd know enough to at least keep in touch with you.”

“Are you sure I can't go with you?”

“I'm sorry. No.” She held her little friend in her arms, tightly. “Now, go and get packed, okay? You're gonna come with me and Fleetfoot. I'm gonna go and meet with the person I'll be traveling with, and then she's going to take you to the commander, okay?”

The filly still seemed less than convinced. But she nodded, slowly, ears laying back. “Okay,” she whispered, drawing closer to her big sister, sniffling slightly. She heard sniffles coming from Rainbow too.

“Now don't you start that,” Rainbow said. “You're gonna make me get all sappy.” She took a deep breath. “Now come on. Go and pack. We gotta get going.”

“Okay,” she whispered, reluctantly breaking the hug and moving towards the stairs, hopping up them, her usually boundless enthusiasm nowhere to be seen in her movements.

But as she started upstairs to gather up her meager posessions, she craned her ear back towards the bottom of the stairs, listening as she heard Captain Fleetfoot speaking to Rainbow. “She really is a good filly. You really just took her in?”

“More like we look out for each other. I couldn't just leave my little sister out in the cold, now could I?”

Fleetfoot chuckled. “A very good point, Rainbow Dash.”

End of Chapter 3

Comments

[VampDash]

EVERYPONY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTNING!!! HUA HA! THOSE MARES WERE FAST AS LIGHTNING!!!

[Aztetos]

HA! IN FACT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT FRIGHTNING!!! HUA HA! BUT THEY FOUGHT WITH EXPERT TIMING!!!

[Zanthos]

Yet again, I find myself distracted. Are these ponies, or humans? If they're ponies, they don't have hands, and definitely don't eat meat.

[ChangelingQueenDragonfly]

3488645 They're anthro. Mostly human, but with fur, ears, horns, wings, ect.