Visitors
Dear Rainbow Dash,
Look... I’m not good at this kind of sappy stuff, okay? I really want to see you again. I miss being friends, and I want things to go back to how they were in flight school. Well, except for those three lame-os bothering us.
I’ll do whatever. I’ll make friends with your friends if they’re willing, I’ll hang around Ponyville, whatever. Just... Can I have another chance? Please?
Rainbow Dash looked over the letter again. For once, she wasn’t flying, and was letting the Royal Chariot carry her home. She placed the letter back in her saddlebag and looked at the sky.
“You gonna give her that chance?” Applejack asked.
“I’m still thinking...” She started, but then she stopped. She gave a sigh. “Who am I kidding? Yeah, I am. We were good friends once, and... I really was hoping we could patch things up.”
“Well, she certainly didn’t leave a good impression on us,” Rarity said, “but if you’re willing to vouch for her, I suppose we can give her another chance.”
Fluttershy whimpered a little. "Gilda was always kind of, um, not nice,” Fluttershy said.
Rainbow Dash rubbed her head. “You know, I wish you had told me she was messing with you in flight school. I would have dealt with her.”
Fluttershy nodded. They had that talk after Gilda had left Ponyville. She hadn’t wanted to drive a wedge between the pair, but Rainbow Dash had shown she’d never be friends with a bully, even if they had shared a lot together.
Still, Fluttershy didn’t miss that was the first time in years Rainbow Dash had stayed with her overnight. It reminded her of the year they had been roommates and Dash had made excuses to sleep in her bed, sometimes making excuses but just as often admitting that Hoops had gotten to her that day.
“Are you willing to give her another chance?” Rainbow Dash asked. “You’re the one I’m really worried about.”
“Oh, well, Gilda did scare me, but if you all insist...”
“No, Fluttershy. I don’t want you agreeing to this just because it’s what we want. I want a real answer from you: are you willing to face Gilda?”
Fluttershy was silent for a moment. “Yes. I will.” Another pause. “Everypony deserves that second chance.”
Rainbow Dash smiled. “I’m going to write her back tomorrow. I’m telling her she’ll have to apologize to everypony, and pay for that apple Pinkie saw her take.”
Pinkie bounced in her seat. “Ooh! Ooh! Does this mean we can try throwing Gilda another party? I’m sure without the pranks she’ll like this one.”
She nodded. “I really wish Twilight were here. I need to figure out some kind of plan for her, and you know she’d be scheduling that out already.”
Applejack shrugged. “We’ll figure somethin’ out...”
“I’m wondering how she’ll react to Scootaloo... no telling her, I want to see the look on her face,” Rainbow Dash said quickly, a playful grin coming on her lips.
“So... when’re you gonna ask her to come?” Applejack said.
“I’m thinking right away.” That statement drew the attention of the others.
Rarity cleared her throat. “Darling... do you think that’s a good idea? With Trixie already running around...”
“That’s exactly why it’s a good idea,” Rainbow Dash said. “If we have them both together, we can get it over with quicker. Gilda will see where her bad behavior can get her, Trixie will see that she’s not alone in making stupid decisions, it will be good for both of them.”
Now everypony was really staring at her. Rarity placed a hoof on the Pegasus’s forehead.
“Hey, what th-”
“No fever,” she said, smiling at her own little joke.
“Oh, ha-ha,” Rainbow Dash said, batting her hoof away. “Seriously, is it that hard to believe I’ve matured some... don’t!”
Four mouths closed, and only Fluttershy was missing a grin.
“Seriously, though, all of you are different than before you met Twilight. I think if any of us deserves the slow-to-mature award, it’d be Applejack.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Ya think?”
At the cowpony’s question, Rainbow Dash just nodded. “You finally did what we’ve all been telling you for years. Me, Rarity, Twilight, and I’ll bet Fluttershy would have spoken up if she had been pressed hard enough. You took the longest to drop a bad habit.”
Applejack rolled her eyes, but didn’t respond, which anypony who knew her saw as an admittance.
“Oo! What was my bad habit?” Pinkie asked.
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, then stopped herself. Was this really a conversation to be having? Saying what she used to find annoying about her friends could lead to a lot of hurt feelings. Maybe she should just drop this...
“Thinkin’ ‘fore you speak? I think you really are sick.”
She glared at the grinning cowpony. “You know what, AJ? Luna’s not going to take that kind of attitude very well. I imagine your family reunions are going to get a lot livelier.”
That flustered Applejack, much to her friends’ amusement. Pinkie giggled, and Rarity just smiled. “Oh, a princess in the family! I’m so jealous!”
Applejack hid under her hat.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t help herself. “Rarity... was that teasing? We’re rubbing off on you!”
Now Rarity looked flustered. Pinkie giggled again. Fluttershy was tittering behind her hooves. Applejack was laughing. Rainbow Dash started laughing. Then, despite having been the subject of the joke, Rarity started laughing too.
And so, for a while, the five just laughed, their laughing causing them to laugh even harder. And as their chariot went through the air, two Royal Guards just couldn’t help but break their stoicism and smile at the antics of their passengers.
When the laughter died down, Pinkie spoke. “I’m glad we can still laugh.”
Everypony looked at her. “Whatever do you mean?” Rarity asked.
“We’ve all been through a lot. We’ve fought monsters, bad ponies, everything. But we’re still able to smile after everything.” She giggled again.
The group smiled. “I guess that’s why your Element is so important.” Fluttershy said.
Rainbow Dash looked out at the skyline. She thought of everything they had been through. Trouble with parents, terrible monsters, and their own failings. And yet after it all, life was good.
She smiled. She had to remember that for Gilda.
Rainbow Dash arrived home and was instantly greeted by an orange blur, which ran in at her at top speed. Still, used to this by now, Rainbow caught the blur in her forelegs, turned to allow for momentum, and squeezed the bundle tightly.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash.”
The older Pegasus flinched a small bit. Why was that hurting her? Scootaloo had always called her by name.
Because it’s not what you want, and now you’re aware of it, her mind told her.
“Hey squirt. I’m back, for a while even.”
“Really?” Scootaloo asked, her face lighting up.
“Yeah. In fact... you don’t have to work at Sweet Apple Acres anymore. Your punishment’s over.”
“Really?” The little filly was squealing in her grip.
“Yep. I think I might need your help with something pretty soon.”
Scootaloo released her foster parent and gave her a look. “With what?”
Rainbow Dash led her charge to the couch and they both sat down. Wrapping a wing around Scootaloo and pulling her in close, she spoke. “Did you hear about the time that Griffon came into town?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Everypony was talking about it. Nopony had seen one before except you. But I heard she was kind of a jerk.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “She was named Gilda, and I once considered her my best friend, other than Fluttershy. We had a lot of fun together, a lot like you do with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. She had visited town to see me, but I made her leave when I found out how she was acting.”
Scootaloo nodded. “Why are you telling me this now?”
“Well, she apparently had a run-in with Trixie.”
That caused the smaller Pegasus to perk up. “What happened? Did she help Trixie or anything?”
“No, no, just the opposite. She refused to help Trixie. She was called to Equestria to testify at her trial. While she was there... she wrote me a letter asking for a second chance. I’m going to be giving her one.”
Scootaloo just nodded. “Okay.”
“That means she might stay here for a little while. Would you be willing to give up your room and sleep with me a bit?”
“For a little while. But you said I could help you with this. How can I help?”
“I need you to do something simple. I just need you to try and welcome Gilda like I will. Part of the reason I broke it off with Gilda was because she couldn’t face that I had changed. I’ve changed even more since then, and I have you to thank for that.”
“Me?”
“Kid... having to take care of you has been a big responsibility, but it changed me for the better. I’m hoping maybe a little of that will rub off on Gilda.”
“Well, okay. If you think it’ll work... I’ll give it a shot.”
Rainbow Dash smiled and hugged her. “I’m glad you think so. Now, have you been practicing your flying? Let’s go outside and you can show me how far you’ve come.”
Rarity was pleased to see Sweetie had recovered nicely. That night, as she was tucking her into bed, the older Unicorn started speaking.
“I have something to tell you, Sweetie.”
“What’s up?”
Rarity actually winced as her little sister looked up at her with wide innocent eyes. Darn those eyes... she had to have them tonight, of all nights.
“Sweetie... Trixie is staying with Zecora at the moment.”
Sweetie’s face changed from curiosity to shock. Rarity held her breath, awaiting the loud screams and protests.
“Wh-why is she there?” Sweetie asked at last.
“Well... you see, since she turned herself in and was genuinely remorseful over what she had done, the Princess decided it would be in everypony’s best interest if she were to... be re-educated, as it were. So she’s staying with Zecora, learning magic, and she’s going to be in town, working off the damage she caused to Ponyville.”
Sweetie flinched a bit, and Rarity rushed with consolation. “She’ll be escorted at all times, and we’ll always be told ahead of time, so I can arrange things so that you’re nice and safe while she...”
“I want to see her.”
That had been the last thing Rarity had been expecting. She stared at her sister, too stunned to speak as her mind raced. Finally, though she dreaded the response, she still spoke, “You do?”
“I thought about what you said, and you’re right. I caused a lot of trouble messing around with magic I didn’t know anything about. Maybe Trixie was worse, but... I should give her another chance, if she means it.”
Rarity blinked. “Really?”
“I remember you telling those ponies to think about what Twilight would want. And I remember how Twilight acted after the wedding. And I heard what happened with Pinkie and her parents. That... I don’t think I ever really thought about how much it meant to the ponies that were being forgiven.”
Rarity smile, tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. She kissed her sister on the forehead. “I’m very proud of you, Sweetie. That’s a very adult decision to make, one that a lot of adults would have trouble making.”
“...I’m still scared.”
“And that’s perfectly okay. To be honest... I’m scared too. I’m worried Trixie will turn on us, even though I logically don’t think it will happen. It’s okay to be afraid, Sweetie, there’s no shame in it. Just don’t let that stop you from being a good pony.”
Sweetie smiled. “I won’t.”
The Unicorn held her sister close. She ended up holding her until she fell asleep.
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Not much I can say other than excellent job on the exchanges, emotional content, characterizations and future chapter set-up in all the right places. I'll definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
Wow.
I don't know how to handle all the characters acting so mature.
Where are you going to get plot for amusing hijinks now?
In all seriousness, this was a heartfelt and wonderful chapter, and I like seeing how they've all grown, and it's all well justified.
This is going well. On to the reformation arc then. I wonder how the rest of Ponyville will react to a former villain and a former jerk walking around town?
Mmmmmmm.... There was something about this chapter that didn't sit well with me, but I'm going to have to mull over it a bit to see if I can pin it down.
It's amazing how much the characters have grown and I think this chapter perfectly showed that. It was heartwarming to read.
Sweetie really is aptly named.
So, a breather arc coming up. Honestly, this story feels like it could have been released as multiple entries, considering how much the focus keeps changing.
needs beginning " marks.
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I thought this chapter was pretty deep.
Although how does Flutters know Gilda? Dashie met Flutters in Flight Camp, but knew Gilda in Junior Speedsters. Which Flutters was the exact opposite of a speedster, although Hoops and his gang were as obnoxious and retarded there as they were in Flight Camp.
Still good to see Sweets being mature about things, and forgiving. I wonder how that'll turn out.
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I want to know what it is when you know what it is.
6828412 Well, considering this Ponyville isn't the same Ponyville that doesn't seem to bat an eye at letting a reformed Discord do whatever he wants, I have no idea.
I felt like this was a bit repetitive.
Good chapter
I'm wondering if this is going to turn into a 'and the fillies will lead' scenario with Glida and Trixie.
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Thank you.
6828733
Junior Speedsters was a extracurricular in Flight School. Fluttershy and Gilda knew each other through a mutual friendship with RD.
6828452
The big connection is just how they do the things the Bearers usually do without Twi to keep them together. That includes investigations, adventures, and reformations.
6843929
Ah. I always thought of it as a summer school for those with exceptional flying speed / ability / potential. Still that's cool.
Alright, I'm all caught up. I don't usually comment anymore, only the stories I feel that deserve it and I think this story deserves it. I love how you have planned all this out, from the beginning to the current situation. The pacing is good, the characters are fleshed out and most stick to their tv counterparts, I like how you're trying to fit this as much into cannon as possible, which many stories just shy away from. The timings of the situation taking place is a bit confusing, but not bothersome. I commend you on this and you can consider me a fan
And I've finally reread all the stories and caught up. I really like what you're doing with this. Taking Twi out of the group is brilliant, anf I adore your characterization of Pinkie. Just adding in that line about having a hard time with the charriot ride made me happy.
Finally got caught up and I read another chapter that have won an amused smile from me. It was heartwarming with Scoots and especially with Sweetie. Hopefully, everything will turn out fine for both Dash and Sweetie...
Damn I'm caught up now... Well time to read the other one I missed!
This chapter continues to impress me.