Trust
“So, um, Rainbow,” Cloudchaser started, her hoof drawing small circles across the cloudstone floor.
“What’s up, Cloudchaser?”
Well, I was just wondering something, what with you and Spitfire being a thing." A flush of crimson blossomed across the mare’s cheeks. “Well...does it get awkward?”
Rainbow cast her friend a bemused frown. “You’re really gonna need to be a bit more specific on that, Cloudchaser.”
The silver-maned mare flitted her wings and bit her lip. A gentle flush of crimson blossomed across her cheeks as she spoke again. “I mean, she's in all those magazines and calendars and photoshoots..."
"And?"
"So...Doesn't it seem a bit...I don't know, weird? I mean you’ve got everypony in Equestria checking out your marefriend in tight uniforms and sexy poses.”
“Pfft!” Rainbow leaned back and waved her hoof dismissively. "Nah, I'm used to everypony in Equestria wishing they could be me already, besides,” Rainbow said, smiling and looking over to her marefriend. “I get to come home to the real thing."
“Woo!” Spitfire cheered from her spot at the table. “You tell it, girl!”
Rainbow flashed a grin back at Spitfire despite the flush of crimson in her cheeks.
“So,” Thunderlane started, his front hooves rubbing together slowly as he struggled to shift the conversation. “Have a good trip, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow looked at the stallion with a flat stare, her mouth pulled into a half-frown from the admittedly innocent question. She gave him a few moments to squirm before her attention drifted to Spitfire, who was engrossed in a conversation with Cloudchaser about heavy weather flying. A smile came to Rainbow's lips and she turned her attention back to Thunderlane. “I've had worse."
He chuckled quietly and nodded. "Sorry we busted in," Thunderlane said, his ears splaying out a little. "We um, we didn't think you'd have company."
“It’s fine, Thunderlane,” Rainbow said with a flippant wave of her hoof. She still felt her cheeks burning despite the assurance, though she refused to call attention to it. “I guess I should've expected that, honestly." Rainbow allowed herself a soft chuckle and shook her head. “I swear almost nopony in this town ever knocks.”
"Yeah..." Thunderlane drawled, his face twisting into a knowing grimace. "Yeah, that can get a little awkward."
Rainbow snickered, hiding her mouth behind a hoof. "Rumble walk in on you and your special somepony?" she teased, leaning over to gently prod his ribs with a hoof. "It was Blossomforth, wasn't it? C'moooon, be honest."
"Blossomforth is dating that unicorn, remember?" The gray stallion scowled, brushing her away with a half-hearted flap of his wing. "And I don't wanna talk about it!"
Rainbow barked out a loud laugh that quickly shifted to a grunt of pain. Clutching at her ribs, she sucked in a few breaths through gritted teeth. Thunderlane's ears folded back and he lifted his hooves up, hesitating before he reached out to Rainbow for fear of making things worse. He bit down on his lip and glanced over to Spitfire and Cloudchaser who rushed over at the sound.
"Dash, you okay?" Spitfire asked, her hooves carefully wrapping around the smaller mare's shoulders.
"Yup," Rainbow answered with a wheeze. She forced her eyes open and flashed a grin up to Spitfire. "Just a little turbulence. Nothin' I can't handle."
Thunderlane and Cloudchaser exchanged a wordless and worried glance.
After a moment, Rainbow managed to compose herself and look her friends in the eye again. She made a small laugh, quite mindful of her body's limitations. "Sorry guys, I guess I gotta let my body catch up a bit more."
"Oh sure, now she says that," Spitfire mumbled, earning a playful smack from Rainbow. The Wonderbolt snickered and stuck her tongue out at Rainbow while her hoof rubbed the mare's back.
"Anyway," Rainbow said, her hoof gingerly rubbing her aching ribs. "What brings you two by? I mean, it's great to see you and everything, but I'm not the manager anymore." Her ears folded back and her head sank from the statement.
Reaching into his satchel, Thunderlane produced a stack of envelopes thicker than a Daring Do novel. He placed the stack, held together with a violet ribbon, down on the coffee table before leaning back in his seat. “The whole team was shock...errr...stunned—OW!” He yelped as Cloudchaser’s hoof smacked the back of his head.
Cloudchaser rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Sorry, Rainbow Dash. What featherbrain there means to say is that we all really missed you while you were away, and the whole team was worried about you after the accident.” She smiled to Rainbow, but it was a tense, awkward smile that Cloudchaser used to balm a festering wound. “It’s not much, but...well, we just wanted you to know we’re here for you, whatever you need.”
“Thanks,” Rainbow said, her voice dropping to an uncharacteristically soft tone.
Thunderlane stepped forward, wings flitting at his sides and his eyes dropping to the floor for a moment before he dared to look Rainbow in the eye again. “We, um, we also needed some advice.”
Rainbow’s ears perked from the admission, and she looked to the stallion with a perplexed blink. “Advice?”
“Yeah,” Cloudchaser said as she stepped into the conversation. “The Weather Commission wants us to have a new permanent manager installed within the next month.” Her hoof kicked awkwardly at the floor and her eyes glanced away from Rainbow's. "We, um...well, if you could...you know..."
Shaking her head, Rainbow reached out and placed her hoof gently onto Cloudchaser's shoulder. "Cloudchaser, it's cool, really. Just say what you gotta say."
The periwinkle mare nodded and took a deep breath, which she exhaled slowly. "Well, Rainbow Dash, we were hoping—and if you don't want to it's totally understandable—but we were hoping you'd help us pick your re—I mean, the new manager."
Rainbow had known the simple words were inevitable. From the very moment she had received the letter in Manehattan she had known. Still, knowing had done little to lessen the cruel bite of it all. Her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips before she drew a shallow breath.
Cloudchaser wilted, her head sagging while her ears splayed out and her wings drooped. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. We—”
“Hey,” Rainbow said, her voice rough and quiet. Plastering the best smile she could onto her face, she turned her attention back to Cloudchaser. “It’s fine, I’m fine,” she said, giving her words a moment to sink in for Cloudchaser. “Let’s just get through this, rip off the bandaid, right?”
Cloudchaser nodded, but couldn’t bring herself to smile in return.
“My top picks,” Rainbow said, sitting back on her haunches and rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Either you or Thunderlane would be my first choice, actually.”
Thunderlane’s ears perked from the sound of his name, though he quickly felt a tinge of concern. “Wait, what?”
“You’ve been on the team longer than I have here,” Rainbow said in a frank manner, her eyes glancing over to the stallion. “You know the whole setup inside and out. On the other hoof, Cloudchaser is better at the whole management thing.“ Rainbow couldn’t help a sad laugh as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “You and me, Thunderlane, we like to be buddies first and bosses second.”
Thunderlane nodded his agreement while glancing away almost self-consciously.
"Cloudchaser," Rainbow turned to her friend and smiled. "I think you'd make an awesome manager here."
"Me?" the mare balked at the idea, her wings flaring out with surprise. "I don't know, Rainbow Dash, I'm not really manager material." She kicked at the floor with her hoof and lowered her head. "I don't want to be the pony in charge."
“Hey,” Rainbow put her hoof on Cloudchaser’s shoulder. “I know how it feels. I was in your horseshoes a few years ago when I took over the team.” Rainbow smiled to the mare and patted her back. “Besides, Thunderlane will be your fixer. He knows who to bug for what, and I’ll be around if you have any questions at all.”
Cloudchaser sighed, only looking up when Thunderlane put a wing over her back and offered a friendly smile.
“I got your back,” he promised.
“I…I’ll give it a try,” Cloudchaser relented, her wings flitting at her sides. “But if it doesn't—"
"It will," Rainbow said.
"But if it doesn't," Cloudchaser continued, refusing to allow her thought to be derailed. "I reserve the right to step aside and let Thunderlane or another pony take charge. Fair?"
Rainbow made a single nod. "Fair."
After a moment's pause, Cloudchaser moved forward and wrapped her hooves around Rainbow. The two hugged for a moment before pulling away and Cloudchaser smiled to her friend. "You two need a lift to the ground?”
"That'd be great," Rainbow said as she sat back. "We just gotta take care of a couple small things and we'll meet you outside in a minute, okay?"
"Are you gonna hop in the balloon, or just on our backs?" Thunderlane asked, his wings flitting at his sides. "I mean, it's totally cool either way."
Spitfire stepped forward and spoke first, her good wing draping across Rainbow's back. "I think the balloon, if that's alright," she said, glancing down at Rainbow and thinking for a moment. "That way if we remember to buy anything it's easy to get it back up without bugging anypony."
"Wouldn't bug me," Thunderlane said, turning to get a look at Cloudchaser. "You?"
"Hay no it wouldn't!" Cloudchaser said with a bright smile, her hoof lightly patting Rainbow on the back. She was careful and kept her touch light enough so as to not cause Rainbow any unnecessary pain. Rainbow caught Cloudchaser's eyes with her own, and offered the newly appointed weather manager a smile in return.
Rainbow's smile grew a little wider, though it was a hollow gesture. "Cool, we'll meet you outside in a minute, okay?"
"Sounds good," Cloudchaser said, her smile only growing wider. She looked to Thunderlane and motioned him outside with a simple gesture of her wing. He chuckled and nodded, saluting Rainbow and Spitfire with a hoof.
“Cloudchaser?” Rainbow added suddenly, her tone serious.
Peering back into the cloud mansion, Cloudchaser arched an eyebrow at Rainbow. “Yeah.”
“Nopony likes being told their picnic has to move or get delayed because the fields need rain,” Rainbow said keeping her gaze locked to Cloudchaser’s. “Don’t let it ruffle your feathers.”
Cloudchaser smiled to Rainbow. “I won’t.”
“You know what to do with the mail, right?”
A pause filled the air before Cloudchaser nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
Rainbow nodded to her and offered Cloudchaser a small smile. “You’re gonna do great.”
Cloudchaser nodded again and smiled. “Meet you outside?”
“Yeah.”
“No rush,” Cloudchaser said before disappearing out the door.
Quiet again settled over Rainbow and Spitfire in the opulent cloudhouse. A silent discomfort filled the air, though it was a different sort than any that either mare had experienced before. The seconds, heavy and cold, seemed to tick on interminably before Rainbow finally spoke with a brittle voice.
“Spitfire?” Rainbow said, her voice barely more than a whisper
The former Wonderbolt stepped closer, her brows knitted together in concern. “Yeah, Dash?”
A sniffle, so quiet that Spitfire almost didn't hear it escaped Rainbow
Spitfire didn’t bother with a response, instead tucking her nose down and wrapping her hooves around Rainbow's shoulders. Rainbow took a slow, deliberate breath through her lips and let it out with equal care. She fought the lump in her throat for as long as she could.
Tears, bitter and salty, drew burning lines down Rainbow’s cheeks.
"Okay, so Cutie Mark Crusaders: Construction Workers was maybe a bit of a bad plan," Sweetie Belle said, shaking her head and clucking her tongue.
Scootaloo fluttered her small wings, the orange filly nursing a sore spot on the back of her head. "At least Mr. Mortar only needed a couple stitches, right?”
Her friends groaned, too tired, too irritated, and (most importantly) too sore to dispute the point. All three were covered head to hoof in dirt and grime, with more than a few black and purple bruises to complement the mess. Applebloom in particular had a decent sized goose-egg on the back of her head. Not that she seemed to mind, though. One couldn't really see it under her red mane and oversized bow anyway. And the Apple family had thick heads.
At least Scootaloo hoped.
"Well, what're we gonna do now?" Applebloom asked, her thick drawl dragging out the last word into a borderline whine. She flicked her tail in aggravation and kicked at a stone in their path which skittered down the road and came to a stop just ahead of them. "I mean, we're not allowed in the hardware store anymore without a grown up."
"Maybe we can get our cutie marks in sneaking in?" Scootaloo asked reflexively. The unimpressed look both her friends shot her made the young pegasus rethink the idea. She groaned and flitted her wings quickly. “At this rate we’re gonna get our cutie marks in not getting cutie marks.”
“Is that even a thing?” Sweetie Belle asked after pausing mid step to consider it. “What would that even look like?”
Apple Bloom turned and looked at her pale flank for a moment. “I dunno, maybe we already got em?”
Silence enveloped the Crusaders while they pondered that possibility.
“No.” Scootaloo shook her head. “No way.”
“That would just stink!” Sweetie’s voice cracked as she shouted.
Scootaloo fluttered her wings again and shook her head. Like a stubborn pebble caught on the sole of her hoof, that thought would bother her all day now. She huffed and spat on the dusty path, comforted only by the fact she wouldn’t be alone in her paranoia.
Ahead at the crest of a small hill she observed Pinkie and Fluttershy walking. Well, Fluttershy walked. Pinkie simply hopped along as per her usual manner. Scootaloo smiled on the outside but inwardly groaned. They were nice ponies, but after another bit of failed crusading all she wanted to do was go back to the clubhouse and relax with her friends.
Pinkie bounced over to them, her ever present smile plastered on her lips. "Hiya girls! How you all doing today?"
"Oh my goodness, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, peering at the lump on Scootaloo's head. "You should really put some ice on that before it swells up worse."
"I'm fine, Fluttershy, really!" Scootaloo insisted, brushing off the concern with a wave of her hoof and a flutter of her tiny wings. "A knock like this would never keep Rainbow Dash down, and it sure as heck won't keep me down either!"
Pinkie seemed to tense for the briefest of moments before her gaze softened. Moving closer, she stepped up alongside the young filly and smiled once again. “Speaking of Rainbow Dash,” she said, her hoof wrapping around Scootaloo’s shoulders. “She’s finally back home.”
Instantly Scootaloo forgot about the pain in her head. She bounced in excitement and grinned from ear to ear at the very idea. “R-really? That’s so awesome! Come on you guys.” She turned to her friends with buzzing wings and flashed them that same bright grin. “We gotta go see—”
“Tiiimeout,” Pinkie said, squeezing the orange filly’s shoulders a bit tighter. “Dashie’s not feeling very well right now.”
Scootaloo’s ears folded back as her eyebrows pinched together and her posture sagged. “But, but I thought she was gonna come back when she was all better.”
Fluttershy stepped closer and lowered herself so she was eye to eye with Scootaloo. “Don’t you worry about Rainbow Dash. She’s gonna be right as rain before you know it.”
“But there’s some stuff she needs help with,” Pinkie continued, giving Scootaloo’s shoulders a gentle tug to usher her forward. “And this is where you three can help her out.”
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Long hiatus there dude. Nice to see this story back in action. I was missing seeing it. And it looks like the start of Pinkie's meddling in Dash's relationship begins.
No, Pinkie. Do not you dare. You hear me?
She's going to dare, isn't she?
(Poor Rainbow Dash)
5580872
Damn fine job of keeping Pinkie and Fluttershy as the antagonists. Most people would let bias say no, but they actually do work as a foil for same-sex relationships, what with Pinkie brought up Amish and Fluttershy generally being an unresisting sponge for whatever her parents believed.
That said I still wanna kick both of them in the chops.
Pinkie, I swear, I will send you to the Master.
Pinkie no, bad!
IT LIVES
Goddamnit, you two!
...Ohh, someone's fixin' for a smack across the face.
The author can wonder for a moment if that's him or Pinkie.
Oh dear....
Also...IT LIVES!!!!
Just saw this in the feature box and read the description when something caught my eye.
If Spitfire met Rainbow Dash in Manehattan rather then at the Young Flyers Competition, than shouldn't this story (as well as it's prequel) have an Alternate Universe tag?
5581156
Hold on, which Master are you talking about?
Nope nope nope NOPE NOPE NOPENOPENOPENOPE!!!!!
DONT SAY YES SCOOTALOO!!!
Wow, the pinkie problem keeps escalating doesn't it.
5581224 no because this is set after the best young flyer comp. and if you read the prologue, what you call the prequel, it says that Spitfire had to appear straight in front of the media because the sponsors for the 'bolts don't want an 'openly gay' athlete on the team.
5581487 I think you're missing the point. I don't care about the sexual preference of the Wonderbolts. Their fetish could be bookshelves with baby hands for all I care. What I'm saying is that the Wonderbolts, specifically Spitfire, already met Rainbow Dash in the episode Sonic Rainboom at the Young Flyers Competition. Therefore, the line in the story bio stating 'met Rainbow Dash', is incorrect and misleading. Saying that this is the first time Rainbow met Spitfire makes my mind immediately think things like, 'oh, so this is a universe in which Rainbow Dash didn't attend the Young Flyers Competition' or 'hey, maybe Rainbow Dash didn't win the Young Flyers Competition and therefore didn't meet the Wonderbolts, which as a whole largely impacted Dash's self esteem and' yadda yadda yadda, you get the gist.
5581608
What about the Mistress?
5581545 I'll hand you the point that it can be confusing but on the other hand can you say you really have met someone tell you see what they hide behind their "public face"?
5581713 I see what you're saying, yeah. Just thought I'd point this out though:
Excerpt from the transcript of Sonic Rainboom:
But yes, I see what you're saying, and that they didn't really 'meet', if you wanna be technical about it. Than again, the line in the bio is still misleading, at least to me.
5581749 yeah, we both have valid points *shrugs shoulders* nice talking to you, you have a nice 24 hours.
Pinkie... I'm curious as to what her physics-defying, 4th-wall-obliterating mind has cooked up. Most of the time, her ideas and plans are just so farfetched and incomprehensible that you can only stare slack-jawed, but every now and then, Pinkie has an idea that is not only focused on the situation at-hoof, but is somehow the perfect way to handle said situation.
I'm also a bit concerned as to how Scootaloo is gonna react to Rainbow's current condition. Even if Rainbow's able to wander around Ponyville, it's still very obvious to any onlooker that she's got a long way to go before being flight-ready again. Here's hoping it doesn't break our favorite winged Crusader's heart.
First Pinkie gets Fluttershy into it and now the Crusaders? Damn it pink horse, that's low.
It's been so long that I had honest to god forgotten about Pinkie and Flutters until I read the comments.
5582310 I always hated her anyways, she reminds me of my family: Crazy, homophobic and mentally retarded. Moving out was the best decision I ever did make.
Dun dun dun, Ruirik you're evil.
5582667
Morally
Flexible
5582675 You would prefer that wouldn't you?
5580900 Hasn't Pinkie, out of anypony, learn anything about the CMC?! Whenever they do something together, it all goes oh so wrooooong!
5582774 Given Pinkie thinks something is apparently wrong with Rainbow Dash, this might be the literal knock to the head she needs.
5582874
Oh crap. I completely forgot how Pinkie was in this story. Thank you for reminding me and I dread what is going to happen now with the CMC involved. D=
Fucking Pinkie...
Every time she pops up I have to ask myself whether I want to keep reading. She makes me that angry.
5588063
Dance my puppets, dance!I mean, uh,...*ahem* all will be resolved in due course. I do have a plan for this, I swear!
5588134
My patience may not last that long, but we'll see.
5581224
I actually think you're making the word "met" be too specific in meaning. Just because I met you once doesn't mean I can't meet you again at a later date. It's not like they were hanging out on a regular basis before Spitfire broke her wing so when they saw each other in Manehattan it was essentially a second meeting.
I will end you, you overzealous bright pink pony...........On another note nice to see you back old friend!!!
Oh good, the Crusaders are helping Pinkie. Crisis averted.
Damnit, Pinkie. Don't be trying to make them go against this ship too
Every time I see Fluttershy working with Pinkie in this story, I can't help but think she has an ulterior motive, unless she's just hilariously OOC. But you're not the type of author to pull that crap.
Either she's just rolling with Pinkie Pie because she is a doormat, or for some reason unrevealed. The fact that very little of her perspective has been shown feeds this hypothesis.
And welcome back, you glorious,
evilmorally flexible bastard.Cute cute! ^_^
Making headway in all the right directions thus far.
Although I am not really sure what the whole Pinkie/Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash not being "Well" thing is about exactly. 
I am sure I just need to re-read few chapters prior because I may have lost perspective from being inactive lately on the reading. We shall see.
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/413/624/8eb.jpg
Welcome back and great chapter
I really still don't like Pinkie as an antagonist but I can deal with it because the story you are telling is interesting 
I WANT MOAR SOON! 
If that is alright with you 
5582675
I think the term is "Chaotic Neutral".
Loving the story so far. Keep it up!
I pity people like pinkie. that genuinely think that something is wrong with ponies like Dash, and to them it's just a fact of life. has been for so long, that the idea of them being wrong is like saying gravity doesn't exist. they won't listen, and even take everything you say as more proof that they're right.
5917874 I agree, It kinda has to be changed although it would be quite hard to take that back, unless you make it look like she was just pranking with rainbow and that way it would fit her character much better.
Im loving it so far but pinkie is upsetting me lol
5917874 6005243
You are correct in that Pinkie Pie would never be that intentionally insensitive. However, there is plenty of evidence from Filli Vanilli that Pinkie Pie can certainly be unintentionally insensitive. Particularly when she sincerely believes she isn't being insensitive or unempathetic.
So, there you have our secondary conflict in the story: Trying to understand exactly why Pinkie believes what she does. Cuz honestly, none of us are buying the whole "came from Discord" thing, seeing as he was locked up in stone for a thousand-some years; that excuse is so flimsy you couldn't blow your nose with it. There has to be another reason. Some kind of personal hang-up.
6065426 I see what you're trying to say but we'll just have to see what happens later in the story.
I miss this story so much..... It helped me through a dark time when I first found it. Now dark times are again upon me and I miss it. This has to be one of the most emotionally compelling stories I've read.
6102275
Monday, roughly 10:00 am CST. I promise.
Apologies for the heavy delays. Between my on-again, off-again employment issues and some health problems (I'm currently recovering from surgery) there hasn't been much will in me to write.
6169653 I need it today man. Got a funeral for a friend's little brother. I feel ya on the surgery had my face cut open back in April. the scar is just now settling down. Keep up the work! Best of luck my friend.
5588063 you're not the only one, I want to beat the living shit out of her.