When Fears Are Shed

by GAPDashie

Moving Forward

"Ahem."

Fluttershy was hovering in midair, both physically and emotionally healed after her traumatic experience several weeks prior. Her bright turquoise eyes were scanning the sky above her expectantly, her wings just beginning to slow down from the flurry of dealing with the last airspace offender. She started slightly at the sharp cough, and glanced downward questioningly.

Rainbow Dash, who had finished her quadrant some time ago and was now reclining upon a soft tuft of grass, grinned and pointed with her hoof. Her intense magenta eyes held silent mirth as she spoke.

"You missed a spot."

Fluttershy followed Dash's pointing hoof to the far northeast corner of her quadrant, where several large fluffy clouds still gathered, threatening to cast a shadow over the perfect sunny afternoon. Her wings fluttered faster in readiness, and she shot Dash a quick salute. "I'm on it!" she replied in a remarkably confident, Dash-like tone, taking off to deal with the rogue agents.

Dash lay back, hooves behind her head, and relaxed in the warm sun. Should have brought my shades. She watched Fluttershy chasing the last few clouds back and forth, and reflected.

Rainbow had expected Fluttershy to be further emotionally scarred after the accident, and half expected her to give up flying altogether. She had been surprised. If anything, Fluttershy was driven further by her ordeal. As soon as she was sufficiently recovered, she had wasted no time in talking to Dash about resuming the lessons. Which was just fine by Rainbow. Celestia knows I can't back down from a challenge, either.

"Actually, Rainbow, I'm pretty sure just about everypony knows that."

Dash looked over her shoulder languidly and shot Twilight a welcoming grin. "Was that out loud?"

"Sort of."

Dash nodded. "Good. I was afraid you were pulling that telepathy thing again." She shuddered.

A teasing grin played around Twilight's mouth. "Trust me, Dash... your head is the last place I want to be."

Rainbow Dash snorted once and pretended to be hurt. Twilight turned her attention to the yellow blur overhead. "What's this about?"

The multihued pegasus looked up. "Helping me with weather patrol duty. She's still really eager to train, and I'm a few guys short this week, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone." She winced, glancing up anxiously to see if Fluttershy had heard the cliché; fortunately she was completely occupied with breaking up an immense cumulus. "To be honest, I don't think there's a whole lot more I can do for her."

Twilight nodded. "Glad to see she's fully recovered." She shot Dash a sideways look. "How about you?"

Rainbow kept her eyes on the yellow pegasus as she attempted to sidestep the question. "Just a twinge, that's about it. Should be back to a hundred percent in time to tryout for the Wonderbolts this summer."

Twi didn't bite. "You know what I mean. How are you handling... you know?"

Now Dash wished more than ever for her shades. She pretended to take in the skyscape, instead replaying the meeting with her parents in her mind.

********************

Dash was petrified, taking that first step into Sugarcube Corner with her friends, seeing them sitting together at the table. Their backs were to the entrance; they hadn't spotted Rainbow Dash yet. That would have been more than enough reason for her to cut and run, if it weren't for five pairs of hooves supporting her, encouraging her to move forward, assuring her that everything would be all right.

Dazedly, the bakery spinning around her, Dash stumbled up to the table as if in slow motion, only managing to give a croak of recognition. Her parents turned as one; they and Dash simply stared at each other for several seconds, as if merely the sight of each other could make up for lost time. Pale Feather finally made the first move, bolting up from her chair and enveloping her daughter in a crushing hug that seemed to last forever. Rainbow Dash held her mom close, if only to postpone the dreaded moment for just a few seconds longer.

Finally Pale's sobs quieted, and Dash knew she couldn't wait any longer. She released her mother with a slightly forced smile, as the voice in her chest began to scream. Damn it, Rainbow, are you CRAZY? That's your dad right there, get the buck out of here!

Empowered by the five friends standing loyally at her back, Dash grit her teeth and fought the traitorous voice down. Exerting all of her physical and mental strength, she woodenly turned to face her demon, her bane, her... father.

Rainbow extended a hoof, unable to keep a nervous tremor out of her voice. "Dad."

Lightning Storm merely stared at Dash's outstretched hoof for several seconds, his face betraying no hint of his thoughts. Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink, and she lowered her hoof and began to turn away.

Only to be seized roughly from the side and dragged back toward her father. Dash pushed through a wave of panic as she prepared to defend herself.

Wait... Dash opened her eyes. Lightning Storm was clutching his long-lost daughter close with both hooves and wings, tears pouring from his eyes as he freely wept in gratitude.

"Dashie... oh my little Dashie. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I've cried myself to sleep every night for the last two years, killing myself for what I did to you." He clasped his daughter's head to his chest. "I love you... so, so much."

They embraced for close to two minutes, until Lightning finally let his daughter go. Rainbow Dash immediately rose to her feet and looked her father in the eye, her voice gone deadly serious.

"So do you still think I'm a failure, or what?"

Lightning lowered his ears, staring at the floor as he took a step back. Twilight was struck by how exactly father and daughter mirrored each other's mannerisms. Lightning's voice cracked as he started to speak.

"Dashie. I made the biggest mistake of my life. Your friend Fluttershy was transported back to Cloudsdale briefly the week after... you left... and she came by and set me straight. She actually saw it happen. Rainbow, it's still absolutely unthinkable to me; I have no idea how you did it, but you did it. I was terribly wrong to doubt you so quickly, Dash. I'm so sorry."

Rainbow blinked. Lightning continued. "And the Young Flier's Competition? Your mother and I were there. I had decided to take her as a surprise, after she stopped... you know... hating my guts for what I'd done." The graying pegasus took a long breath, gritting his teeth. Again the uncanny resemblance struck Dash's friends. "We lived apart for a while, you know. I'm not sure if you knew that. It was almost a year, while your mother... decided if she would be able to forgive me." Lightning paused, until Dash nodded for him to proceed.

"Anyway, to see you almost all grown up, so brave, so committed to your friend..." The former Wonderbolt hung his head in shame. Rarity bit her lip. "I could never have done what you did, Rainbow. To give up my one chance at fame... I just don't know. I would have hesitated. And then to actually see a sonic rainboom on top of that..." Lightning's eyes filled with tears. "It reminded me of just how proud of you I was, Rainbow. And am." He coughed hoarsely.

"So no, my Dashie. You are anything but a failure. If anyone is to blame for that, it's me. Dash, I can't make you forgive me, I don't even see how you could. Regardless, I want you to know that I love you, and I am so very, very proud of you." Lightning Storm seemed to run out of words, and he collapsed back into his chair, supporting his head on one hoof.

Rainbow Dash's head swam. She stared at her father without really seeing him, every fiber of her being trembling with inner conflict.

"So... so that's it, then? You think you can just mosey on down to Ponyville after two years, after everything that's happened, give me a hug and an apology, and expect everything to be okay again?" Dash's eyes were darting violently about like those of a trapped animal seeking an avenue of escape.

Lightning's eyes watered once more. "Yeah."

Dash half turned, glancing everywhere for inspiration; at the various cakes, sweets, and confections stacked against the walls, at the cheerfully gaudy streamers that Pinkie Pie had insisted be draped from the ceiling, at the concerned faces of five ponies watching her from the middle of the room. Suddenly she found her gaze inexorably held by a polished wood display case, mounted high on the wall above the front door. A golden jeweled necklace was sparkling through its glass lid, a hoof-cut morganite balloon mounted flawlessly at its center.

Rainbow's eyes shifted from the Element to the five bearers still silently watching her, then down to herself. Dash pictured her own Element hanging from her neck, imagining the facets of its flawless ruby lightning bolt shooting darts of brilliant red light around the room. She let her vision fall upon a matching lightning bolt, shining on her father's right flank.

At what point did loyalty die?

Rainbow Dash blinked resolutely. She strode confidently up to Lightning Storm, who lifted his head to gaze hopefully at his daughter.

"That's great, Dad." Dash finally smiled. "Because you're right."

********************

"DASHIE! Anypony awake in there?"

Rainbow jumped. Twilight's face wore a mix of concern and amusement.

Dash smiled in honest joy, a single teardrop threatening to fall. "I'm doing great," she finally answered, meaning every word. She drank in the view above her contentedly, her falconlike vision locking on to a slight movement in the upper atmosphere.

Twilight smiled back in genuine relief. "That's wonderful to hear. I'm really excited for both of you."

"Yeah. Thanks, Twi." Dash was only half listening. Her eyes continued to track something invisible, and were starting to glow with a bit of a challenge. Twilight recognized the look well. "What..."

"Excuse me for a moment." Dash suddenly bolted upright and shot off towards the sky. Twilight just shook her head helplessly. She now saw what had attracted Rainbow's attention. A new cloud had entered Fluttershy's sector; it was tiny, no bigger than Rainbow herself, but floated very high, almost out of sight of even Twi's sharp eyes.

Fluttershy had finished despatching the renegade clouds in her immediate area. She looked down for Dash's approval, but saw her streaking upwards instead. Fluttershy followed her intended course with her eyes, and picked up Dash's fluffy target. She smiled, a bit roguishly, and moved to intercept.

Dash spotted the move and grinned. That's my girl. She redoubled her efforts, gaining on Fluttershy, but only slowly. Fluttershy had her eyes wide open, fixed on her target. With no mocking chants to disrupt her, she hurtled toward the goal as Dash slowly but surely closed the distance.

The two were only a few strokes away now, front hooves fully outstretched and neck and neck.

Without warning, the cloud burst into nothingness before their eyes.

The pair fluttered to a halt, and looked around, startled. Fluttershy pointed. A familiar gray, blond-maned pony was leaving the aftermath with an erratic, unelegant flight pattern they knew well. A saddlebag was secured to her flanks; Dash could see that it was stuffed full of Mrs. Cake's latest batch of fresh blueberry muffins. Derpy chomped into one as she flapped away, oblivious to the debacle she had caused in her wake.

Dash looked sidewise at Fluttershy. "Hungry?"

Fluttershy smiled quietly. "I guess I could eat."

Rainbow chuckled. "Round two?"

"Promise to share with everypony, no matter who wins?"

"You bet. On your mark, get set... go!"

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash tore away together in pursuit of the treat-laden pony. Derpy looked behind her at the two, side by side and growing closer. She giggled and shot off. She certainly wasn't going to make it too easy on them.

THE END

Comments

[Battoushy]

Loved it. A bit of tragedy and a happy ending.

[ArcaneTrex]

this was so happily good :D

[Mithrandir]

I almost liked the ending with Derpy more than the entire story, haha, it's fun imagining them doing that regularly.

[Turai]

This story was good before but these changes made it so much better.
I'm just a tad suprised that RD only met FS about two years earlier

Anyways, I hope more people read this story now becuse it really deserves more attention.

[musicluvr1974]

This thing is as good as "Faded Rainbow" by Trinary! Congratulations! It's going on my Favorites list immediately!

[GAPDashie]

2626906 Glad you enjoyed it! Plus, now you've given me a new story to read, so thanks for that.

[Seether00]

Rainbow and Flutters will never catch Derpy when muffins are on the line.

[DarkCrusader28]

Liquid pride has been shed, the talk between Twilight and Rainbow Dash was very well done, congratulations.

2665258

I think it was left vague on purpose, in any case, it was something big enough to start a fight between them.

[Hash1996]

Nice story, really nice ending, maybe you could've put a bit more detail into rainbow's fillyhood but other than that, it was great, you did great with sticking to rainbow's personality as well I've read too many fics depicting her as soft or completely broken

[Rainbow87dash]

It's the Muffin Fairy! quick grab all of her muffins! They'll grant you magical powers!