Shadow of Loyalty

by Admiral Q Ponyform

The Reveal

Author's Note:

I just had to get this started after watching some reviews and reading some stories.

Shadow of Loyalty

By Admiral Q

Rainbow couldn't believe what she was seeing below her. Then again the last couple weeks have been odd. It started simple enough. She rescued a filly trapped in a well and got some praise for it. As she did other heroic feats the praise and adulation increased and she basked in it. This was a part of her dream. The reasons she wanted to be a Wonderbolt wasn't just to test her limits, but to be praised for it and inspire other ponies to push boundaries and succeed.

Then this MARE DO WELL appeared. While she did save ponies and good for her to do so, the town quickly forgot Rainbow's achievements. Cast aside like she did nothing. Even Scootaloo raised Mare Do Well above her. She decided to confront the masked hero and unmask her. Which lead to the sight below her. Pinkie Pie in the Mare Do Well outfit smiling sheepishly at her. How did that even make sense!? She saw Mare Do Well with a horn at the dam. A cough sounded and Rainbow looked up to see another Mare Do Well in front of her. The mare lifted the mask to reveal Twilight. That explains the horn. Eventually all her friends showed up, Applejack wearing the same Mare Do Well outfit. Each explained what role they did as Mare Do Well. Twilight obviously handled the dam, Applejack the runaway carriage, Pinkie the construction site, Fluttershy the fly by, and Rarity designed the costume. Rainbow Walked away from them.

“I don't understand. WHY!? Don't you want me to be a hero?” She asked facing them.

“Of course we want you to be a hero.” Twilight answered.

“But a real hero doesn't brag.” Applejack interjected and winked at her. Rainbow lost it with that.

“You hypocrites!” Rainbow replied to the surprise of the others. “You have all bragged about one thing or another since I've know you all. You get on my case for bragging? YOU JUST DID THAT IN SUGAR CUBE CORNER YESTERDAY! OR EVEN THIS PARADE! If you were truly humble then your Mare Do Well would not have shown up. But you did. If you had a problem with my bragging you could have talked to me. The view of my friends do matter to me. But instead of doing that you STAB ME IN THE BACK!” She raced over and grabbed Pinkie, or more precisely her costume. “We were all heroes for dealing with Nightmare Moon and Discord. We all became heroes for doing what was right and that's exactly what I did with those incidents these past few weeks. Yet what did you do? You created this.” Rainbow shakes the cloth in her grasp. “You created Mare Do Well with the sole purpose to destroy my reputation. Well congratulations, you've done it. No pony even remembers my deeds here. They all only know Mare Do Well now.” She shoved Pinkie away who was in nearly in tears. Rainbow then looked at Fluttershy who was openly crying. Rainbow couldn't hold in the pain she felt anymore and tears formed in her eyes. “Fluttershy, I defend you not for any fame or glory but because I thought it was the right thing to do. Perhaps that was a mistake and you weren't worth defending if this is how you treat me.” Fluttershy buried her head in her hooves.

“RAINBOW!” Twilight began only to be cut off my Rainbow.

“DON'T YOU 'RAINBOW' ME! I TRUSTED YOU! I TRUSTED ALL OF YOU AS I THOUGHT YOU TRUSTED ME! Well. Now I know were I stand with all of you. You are not my friends anymore.” Rainbow faced away from them. “Enjoy your new fame as Mare Do Well. You have certainly paid for it.” With that she spread her wings and flew away and quickly went rainboom speeds. As fast as she could go she couldn't run from the tears...or the betrayal.

Comments

[Philosophysics]

You made me cry from the feels. I hate/love you man.

[Brony Soprano]

This story could use some work on grammar, punctuation, spacing and so on, but it's a good idea. She did need to learn humility, but I have always had issue with the methods her friends chose.

[J-Russ]

5681194 You did see the part about it being unedited right?

[SparkyIceblaze]

This is exactly what I think should have happened in the episode. Awesome job im loving it so far.

[Scorch215]

This kinda sounds like the origins of a super villain.

[Emperor]

Oh, one of these stories. Rainbow's right to throw shade at her friends, but she ignores things like her showboating, taking her time to save ponies when time is in fact a crucial thing, and that she wouldn't have been able to save everypony at the construction site either, as well as that she simply wouldn't have listened to her friends if they had cornered her before.

Well, let's see how the rest of the story goes.

[Vigriff]

6862843
MLP: FiM in general is rife with Villain Origins: Spike's overall treatment, The Canterlot Wedding, Fame and Misfortune(god I can't believe I'm using this as an example), and Mare-Do-Well are just some that come to mind.

[Ace Pony Stories]

But the town organized the parade it would and likely invited Mare Do Well it be rude for her not to show up. Plus I think you’re missing a point here. If Rainbow Dash was being a hero for the right reason and not bragging about it. Mare Do Well wouldn’t have bothered her she’d be happy that ponies were being saved. But she was immediately bothered as soon as she appeared.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

9653976
But Mare Do Well is now just as guilty as Dash. They went there for the glory and praise. May have been rude not to go but would keep with what she was made for. Frankly the girls allowed their own arrogance in making them hypocrites.

[Yubella]

7715253
I can't tell how to judge that. You have some good points though. But I will still support Rainbow Dash in this one. I still consider her in the right here.

[Yubella]

5593907
.....

[Rainbow sparkle1]

Jeez, this is so an alternate ending to the episode where in there, she understands, but in this fic, she goes absolutely nuts!!!!!

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

10249715
no in this she acts like she should have. MDW was a dick move and should be last resort.

[Pete100]

I mean, rainbow isn’t wrong, but grabbing and shoving pinkie isn’t called for.