When Friends are Said and Dun

by xenos29

Chapter 26

"Alright, Rainbow, remember: high knees, high wings. Drive forward. Fast but relaxed."

It took Rainbow Dash more than a few seconds to catch her breath, not that he could blame her. The two pegasi had been up since sunrise, practicing sprints and takeoffs, and while Rainbow had been happy enough to fly, he could sense her growing impatience.

"Another one? Come on, Alpenglow. You said we’d get to the cool stuff today. This is way more than just a warm-up."

"This is important. Being able to explode from a standing posture to a sprint, knowing how to keep good form and technique when you’re exhausted, they're all valuable skills. Even for you."

"But everypony’s practicing with swords and armor and stuff now! How come you’ve got me here doing things I already know?"

"Because if I know Blight, then I'm sure he's figured you’ll put up the biggest fight out of everypony, so I want to make sure you know how to deal with that when he goes for you. Come on, one more time."

In another thirty seconds, they had sped through three hundred meters of rough sky, hoops, and other obstacles, finishing on a cloud left thoroughly misshapen by their previous landings. Past the bandstands, Alpenglow could see the plastic model of Canterlot wedged into the mountains, and further out, the bright speck of Ponyville. The sight proved a good distraction as he caught his breath, though Rainbow apparently did not agree; she was stooped over her knees, her panting muzzle almost touching the ground. He reached over and flicked her head upright.

"Don’t do that. When you’re tired, stand tall. Better for breathing. Posture and technique, Rainbow: it’s the difference between an excellent athlete and a phenomenal one."

She nodded, struggling to keep her head up. "But what about Blight?" she asked between gasps. "You said this is all so I’m ready when he goes for me. What about when we go for him? I gotta learn that too!"

"Yes, you do. But don't get so caught up with the idea that you forget why we're fighting him. We just need to buy enough time for you to use the elements. That's what matters."

The two of them passed the next few minutes stretching their sore and stiff limbs. As they finished, Rainbow stood up and grabbed a water bottle from her bag. "Hold on a sec, I thought stopping Blight was why we're going back."

"We'll fight him because we have to- to protect Equestria. So you can all go home."

"Are ya sure...?"

He gave a frustrated sigh. "What are you getting at, Rainbow?"

"I'm just sayin,' ever since we met you, you said it was always about stoppin' Blight."

"Not anymore." He thought for a moment, searching for the words to explain what had changed. Finally he said, "Before, I thought I could do it all again- stop for nothing and nopony to stop him- and have things turn out differently. Instead, I almost proved to all of you, and him, that the two of us really were the same. I would’ve destroyed Ponyville a hundred times if I thought it would stop him."

"What about now?" she asked anxiously.

He shook his head. "That's not who I am. Rainbow...what do you call a good guy who uses a bad guy's methods?"

Fast as always, she confidently answered. "Duh, a bad guy."

"An athlete and a scholar," he smiled.

Ponyville's head weather mare floated into the air, making a show of wiping her forehead. "Yeah, I am pretty awesome."

"That you are." As he packed up his things, he noticed her eyeing his scabbard. It hung carelessly from his saddlebag, empty.

"Sooo...when do we start the other training?" she asked, anticipation creeping back into her voice.

"I was thinking later in the afternoon, once it cools down."

"How about when I get to start carrying a sword like you?"

Alpenglow paused, considered Rainbow’s enthusiasm, and sighed. A long time ago, he had learned that being a knight spoke to a harsh truth: evil existed in the world, and while he was duty bound to do everything within his power to combat it, his role ensured he would never really play a part in making the world a better place. That was the princesses' job, and the realization once lead him to many moments of self-loathing and bitter frustration when he was younger. His friends and victories helped, no question, but to Princess Celestia, Luna, and years of experience and self-reflection, he chiefly owed his ability to contently say, "You know, there are better things out there than being an expert swordfighter or a crack-shot archer."

Rainbow stubbornly crossed her hooves. "Maybe, but those things get the job done."

In a single stride, Alpenglow was next to her, eyes alight.

"No, Rainbow. Those things allow other ponies to get their jobs done."

The two took off for Canterlot, the sun now well in the sky, and Alpenglow continued, "I’m the princesses’ protector and advisor, but they’re the ones Equestria depends on."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You should spend some time talking with them about what they do. They’re a pretty incredible group of ponies if you think about the pressure they're under every day. Who knows, maybe you’ll be doing a job like theirs someday, leader that you are."

Rainbow frowned as she tried to imagine it. "If you say so." She sighed, "But I get what you’re saying, I guess."

Alpenglow clenched his jaw and nodded. "I’m glad you do. You got it a lot faster than me, that's for sure."

"Eh, I'm not surprised," she teased, lightening the mood. She briefly barrel rolled to the side, then rejoined him. "Oh well, I guess this is good practice for the Equestria Games."

"No question. I know you’ll do great."

"Did you ever compete?"

"I mostly coached, but yeah, when I was younger. Once upon a time."

"What did you do?"

"Oh, I was a sprinter, like you."

A violet sheen appeared Rainbow’s eyes. With the sliest smirk he'd ever seen, she asked, "So…race to the study?"

He went to answer, and with mouth barely open, Rainbow vanished, as did every trace of her earlier 'fatigue.'

Hurting though he was, Alpenglow still felt himself smile, and with his wings shouting in protest, soared after her.