Chapter 5
“Awww, you stung my bumblebee!” Dinky announced as she moved her piece. “You win.”
Rainbow Dash reached over and patted her shoulder. “Don’t feel bad squirt, I always win Battle Clouds. Hay, I’m just glad to have the opportunity to play it. There aren’t that many ponies who like to play this in Canterlot.” Except for Queen Celestia, her conscience needled her before she could smack it down. Shaking her head, she tried to put it out of her mind. “Good game Dinks. Now what?”
The afternoon had gone by in a whirlwind. After snacking on muffins, Rainbow and Derpy Doo reminisced about Flight Camp and funny stories while Dinky drew pictures and proudly showed them off. Dinky showed Rainbow Dash her room and all her toys and stuffed animals.
Dash could almost feel her teeth rotting from the sweetness of it all. Then they settled down to playing board games and Rainbow and Derpy had even gone a few rounds of wing wrestling. Rainbow Dash had a better time with Derpy and her daughter than she ever did with the fancy snobs in Canterlot.
“Hmmm...” Dinky stroked her chin the way she’d seen grownups do. “How about if you and Mommy have a race?”
Dinky had said the million bit word. Rainbow Dash’s eyes came to life at the promise of competition. “Hey yeah, a race would be awesome! It’d be great to get in some real wing time before I go back to Applejack’s. That is, if you’re up to it, Derpy.”
Derpy smiled and put Dinky on her back. “Alright then. We’ll fly out of town, just past the edge of the forest. There’s something I wanted to show you anyway.”
Rainbow shrugged, flexing her wings. “Sure.”
“Great! Follow me if you can!” Derpy called as she flew out the front door, Dinky clinging tightly to her back.
“If I can?! Oh, you are asking for it!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she zoomed out after her. She caught up with Derpy Doo and Dinky without even trying, tossing them a loose salute that made them giggle.
“Faster, Mommy! Faster!” Dinky shouted. Derpy couldn’t well refuse.
“Muffins away!” she called as she flapped harder. Rainbow easily matched her pace. Below them Ponyville sped by, the houses growing further and further apart. Soon they were over a lonely winding dirt road that lay just outside a dark green forest. Curious, Rainbow allowed herself to drift over it.
When Derpy noticed this she flailed her forelegs wildly. “No! Not over there! Don’t go there!”
“What’s wrong? It’s just some woods!”
“No, that’s the Everfree Forest!” Derpy’s eyes rolled as she tried to watch the forest, Rainbow Dash, and Dinky at the same time. “It’s dangerous!”
So that was the Everfree. Rainbow remembered Celestia telling her about it and its reputation. “The Everfree Forest is full of many dangerous things,” she had said. “Wild creatures and weather, monsters and perhaps most dangerous of all … answers.”
Recalling that, there was only one reaction Rainbow could have. “Perfect.”
“Rainbow Dash…” Derpy gestured. “Let’s just go around. Come on, we’re almost there!” She sped off, leaving Rainbow to follow suit. Out away from Ponyville was a single small cottage, surrounded by flowers and bird houses. It looked like the picture of nice, quiet corner you’d see in the dictionary next to the word “cozy.”
Rainbow landed first to win the race. She looked around as she gently nudged one of flower-filled bushes with her hoof. “What is this place? Why did you bring me here?”
“Yoooou’ll see!” Derpy answered in a sing-song, grinning as she trotted to the house, Dinky laughing all the way. She knocked on the door and then stepped back. Rainbow settled down next to her and peered at the door as it swung open.
Slowly, a bright pink mane covering a cream yellow face hesitantly poked its way out.
“Hello?” a soft, shy voice called gently. “Is anypony there? If there isn’t, sorry for bothering you…”
At the sound of her voice, Rainbow Dash felt her jaw drop open. “No way!” She zoomed forward until she stood in the doorway to get a better look. “Fluttershy? Oh my gosh!” She hugged her tightly, pulling her outside. “So this is your place, huh? Nice. It’s definitely you.”
“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy squeaked as she felt the air forced out of her lungs. “What are you doing here?”
Another voice came from inside the house. “Fluttershy? Who is it? That sounded like—” a purple-gray pegasus with a yellow mane poked her head out, blinking as she spotted their company. “Rainbow?”
“Cloud Kicker?” Rainbow grinned as she lunged toward her. “Awesome!” She'd been the one out the old Flight Camp group who stuck around the longest, mostly because her family lived in Canterlot.
Cloud recovered quickly and embraced her old friend. “I should’ve seen that giant head of yours coming from a mile away! What brings you by? We were just having our weekly get together for tea and rabbit-abuse.” She ducked her head, narrowly avoiding a carrot tossed her way by the angriest looking rabbit Rainbow Dash had ever seen. “Ha! Too slow!”
“I figured you all might want to catch up.” Derpy smiled knowingly. “Rainbow is going to be in town for a few days.”
“Oh my goodness, that’s so wonderful!” Fluttershy smiled, then blushed. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to shout. I’m just so excited. I haven’t seen you in a while. I wrote you letters but you haven’t written back in such a long time. I mean, you didn’t have to if you didn’t want to, but—” Cloud Kicker chuckled and patted her on the back.
“Heh, it’s cool Flutters.” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “Sorry about that. Letter writing isn’t really my thing. But it’s really great to see you again.”
Fluttershy nodded. “What are you doing all the way from Canterlot? Is the Qu—hmph!” She suddenly found Rainbow Dash’s hoof had taken up residence in her mouth.
Rainbow leaned in. “Shh! Don’t talk about that stuff! I don’t want anypony to know about that, okay?” She looked around to make sure there wasn’t anypony else around to overhear them. After Fluttershy nodded her agreement, Rainbow pulled her hoof away. Cloud tilted her head in confusion but didn’t object. Derpy nodded, and then Dinky, with all the solemnity the little filly possessed.
“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy squeaked. “Um, would you all like to come in for tea?”
Dash wasn’t quite looking for even more low-intensity social activity. But she hadn’t seen Fluttershy in a long time ... “Okay, sure. You coming, Derpy?”
“I just wanted to be here to see the look on your faces,” Derpy Doo smirked. “I have to take this little muffin home first before I can settle in. It’s been a full day and she’s tired by now.”
“No, I’m not!” The little filly protested, poorly stifling a yawn.
Derpy nuzzled her. “You can see Rainbow tomorrow, muffin. But right now, how about we let them catch up for bit?”
“Okay.” Dinky snuggled up against her mother’s neck. “Bye Rainbow Dash! Bye Miss Fluttershy and Miss Cloud Kicker!” Dinky waved sleepily as Derpy flew away.
Fluttershy waved back. “Such nice ponies.” She smiled. “Ditzy Doo’s a wonderful mother.” Fluttershy was probably the only pony to call Derpy by her given name. “Do you want to come in now?”
“Sure, thanks.” Rainbow Dash looked around as she trotted in, walking gingerly to avoid stepping on the critters running around. “I’m guessing you run some sort of animal hotel?”
“Oh no, not really. I just take care of them.” Fluttershy closed the door. “It’s so nice to see you again. How have you been? If you don’t mind my asking that is.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I guess you haven’t changed much.”
“I-I wouldn’t say that...” Fluttershy murmured, actually sounding worried. Cloud Kicker shot Rainbow a warning look.
“Pff, nah. I’m just messing with you Flutters.” Dash got comfortable on her couch. “So. Ponyville, huh?”
Fluttershy nodded, her eyes lighting up a bit. “It’s a very nice place, and so many wonderful animals.” Her wings fluttered in delight.
Cloud Kicker nodded. “I really like it here too. I kinda miss the attractions of Canterlot, sometimes. Small town communities might be nice and tight-knit, but the local nightlife is kinda, well, small.”
“Would you like some tea?” Fluttershy offered.
Rainbow repressed a grimace. She hated tea. She wondered if even Celestia really liked the stuff. But she knew Fluttershy felt more at ease when she was doing stuff for other ponies like that, so she ended up nodding.
Once she was gone, she looked over to Cloud Kicker. “So, you seemed to have settled in nicely here.”
“It's a lot of work,” Cloud admitted. “The local weather crew is pretty good, though. Blossomforth's pretty neat, and Raindrops is fine as long as you don't get on her bad side. Then there's Derpy…”
“Sounds like a good crew. Glad you found work out here after you left Canterlot.” Rainbow hesitated. “It ... hasn't really been the same without you.”
Her friend sighed. “Yeah, I wasn't exactly planning on leaving on such short notice, but I … needed a little space.”
“Yeah, I can get that.” Rainbow shuffled her wings awkwardly. “Still, this place seems pretty cool. The ponies here are…” She struggled to find the right word.
“Unique?” Cloud offered.
Rainbow nodded. “Heh, that'll do. Better than the ponies left in Canterlot, that's for certain.” She paused for a moment, getting comfortable. “Missed having you around.”
“Aww.” Cloud Kicker smiled as she hugged her. “You always were a big softy on the inside.”
“Lies. Lies and slander,” Rainbow protested, but not doing anything to resist the hug.
Fluttershy returned with their tea a moment later. “But what are you doing here? I’m a little curious why you aren’t in Canterlot with the Queen, and why you didn’t want me saying anything about her.”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “I’m kinda taking a bit of time for myself.”
“I think it’s nice that Queen Celestia is giving you a vacation so you could visit,” Fluttershy commented, pouring them both a cup.
“Um...” Rainbow coughed. “Yeah, about that—the thing is, I didn’t exactly ask...”
Fluttershy covered her mouth for fear that she might scream. “Oh my goodness!” She breathed softly. “You left without her permission?”
Cloud draped a wing across Rainbow’s back. “What’s up?”
“I don’t need her permission for every little thing,” Dash snapped, “I’m not a foal you know. I’m just taking a mini-vacation. She probably doesn’t even notice that I’m gone.”
Fluttershy made her way over to the couch and sat next to Rainbow Dash. “Did you two have a fight?” Rainbow turned away, answering without saying a word. “I’m sorry. It must’ve been awful.”
“It’s fine,” Dash grumbled. “I mean, who cares if she drags me to meet a bunch of rich snobs who look down their nose at me instead of teaching me how to do the sonic rainboom? Or that instead of becoming a Wonderbolt, I get to read a bunch of boring books by boring old dead ponies who use words nopony ever uses?”
“I think Queen Celestia wants you to try different things,” Fluttershy piped up. “It shows that she really cares about you and wants you to be the best you could be.”
Cloud nodded. “It couldn’t hurt to expand your horizons.”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “She told me she’d help me become the greatest flyer in the world, but I haven’t even been able to do the sonic rainboom again. She told me that I’m going to save Equestria, but then she pushes me at galleries and fancy tea parties and operas. Now I don’t even know what it is Celestia really wants from me anymore.” Exhaustion tinged her voice as she rubbed her face. Cloud Kicker gently patted her back.
The next thing Rainbow noticed was the clip-clop of Fluttershy’s hooves as she walked upstairs only to come down a minute later. She felt more than heard Fluttershy sit back on the couch. “I think you should look at this.”
When Dash turned to face Fluttershy, she saw that she was holding out a book towards her. “What is it?”
“These are all the letters you sent me from Canterlot,” Fluttershy murmured softly. “I’m, um, just going to reheat my tea.”
“I’ll come and help you,” Cloud said as she hastily jumped up and followed her.
Rainbow watched them go without a word then looked back at Fluttershy’s book as if it might suddenly get up and bite her.
She turned away, but either out of boredom or curiosity, she soon found herself turning back and opening the book in her lap. Rainbow opened the embroidered cover, snorting a little at the quintessential Fluttershy touch, to find a crudely written letter staring up at her. It was dated right after the end of Summer Flight Camp, a few weeks after her sonic rainboom.
Hey Flutter-butters!
I’m writing from Canterlot, isn’t that so awesome? Flight Camp was cool but I’m not gonna miss sleeping in a cloud cabin with all those other fillies talking about colts and manes, or those even dumber colts. Ugh. You were the only one (besides Cloud Kicker and Derpy) who didn’t make me want to pull my feathers out. But now I have my own room and everything. Need to get rid of the bed though. It’s all frilly, plus it isn’t even made of clouds! Lame. But the Queen is really awesome. Turns out she likes pranks too! And she’s really fast even though she’s so big—don’t tell her I said that! I bet I’ll be Rainbooming by the end of the week!
Look to the skies for the newest and coolest future Wonderbolt,
Rainbow Dash
She smiled, flipping through the book, stopping on another letter from a few weeks later.
Today was so cool! Queen Celestia took me to see the Wonderbolts from her own box. You should’ve seen it! I swear Spitfire winked at us as she went past! Then we went to get a hayburger—I was so sick of the fancy castle food!!— and she stole my fries! She did! She totally did! Queen Celestia raided my hay fries! Turns out she isn’t some stuffy lady but a really cool pony. And she did buy another order of fries so it’s okay.
She found another from a couple of months later:
Hey Fluttershy. Sorry I haven’t written you in a bit. I’ve got some time now because I’m sorta laid up. I was out flying and might’ve overshot the turn a little bit. Dumb doctors insisted that I have to wear a cast over my wings and stuff. Urg. Soo booored! Then Queen Celestia flew in the window, really fast! I thought she’d be angry that I skipped lessons and tried to imit imia copy something I’d seen the Royal Guards do and I guess she was, a little, but mostly she just looked worried. She even climbed into my hospital bed to stay with me. It was cramped but it felt …nice. Tell anypony about this and I’ll totally kick your flank! Just kidding, but seriously, DON’T.
Memories began rushing back as Rainbow read those letters. Happy memories, less happy memories. Many of them she wrote to Fluttershy. Some she had not.
Another evening, watching the stars. Rather, Celestia was watching the moon and the stars while Rainbow Dash was watching the Wonderbolts do a fly by and commenting that she wanted to do wing-ups with the guards to help get her wings stronger. Queen Celestia just turned to her and softly said, “As high as your wings carry you, it is your heart that can truly help you soar.” Dash remembered asking Celestia what she meant only to have her smile and change the subject.
Then there was another one, from maybe a month after she arrived in Canterlot. She had one of her unavoidable encounters with the ground and ended up clutching her leg in pain. Faster than she had ever seen her move, Queen Celestia was there by her side.
“Are you okay?” She knelt down.
“Y-yeah.” Dash held her bruised leg with her hooves. “Just fine.”
“Then why are you crying?” Celestia asked gently.
“I-I’m not crying,” she sniffled, protesting. “Only little foals cry.”
Celestia smiled softly at Rainbow Dash’s bravado. “Can I tell you a secret?” After seeing Rainbow nod, she looked this way and that and lowered her voice. “I cry every night.”
Rainbow Dash was stunned. “You? But you’re the Queen! What do you have to cry about?”
Celestia reached out a wing and held the little filly close to her side. “I cry when my subjects are unhappy and I’m unable to help them. I cry when sad things happen. But mostly, I cry when I’m lonely. It’s very lonely being the Queen.”
Rainbow Dash reached out and hugged Celestia’s leg, cuddling up even closer as Celestia’s wing held her tight. “You don’t have to be lonely. You have me, don’t you?” She looked up with her rose-colored eyes big and pleading.
Celestia smiled, her eyes shimmering with barely unshed tears. “I’d like that.” She gently kissed Rainbow Dash’s bruised leg. “I’d like that a lot.” Rainbow Dash sniffled again and rubbed her eyes to clear them of moisture that had nothing to do with pain.
She had been on a pranking spree that had nailed just about every servitor, staff, and guard in the palace, not to mention the Queen! She was drawing up some more pranks when she heard a familiar regal voice from behind her.
“Rainbow Miriam Dash.” She jumped up, startled and spun around.
“Oh, heh, hiya Queen C!” She rubbed the back of her head. “What’s up?”
Celestia narrowed her eyes, but couldn’t hide the twinkle of mirth within them. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that whoopee cushion on my throne this morning, would you?”
“Who, me?” Rainbow Dash flashed her brightest, most innocent smile and utterly failed to convince anyway: she had about as much guile as a rampaging dragon. “Oh, look at that! I think dinner’s ready, I’ll just be going—”
“Not so fast!” Celestia’s horn shimmered, holding Rainbow Dash in place. She wrapped her with her forelegs and held the squirming cyan pony close as she started using her wings to tickle Dash’s belly.
“Ha, oh c’mon! Stop!” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings trying to get away. “Quit it!” Queen Celestia took a deep breath and blew a raspberry on Dash’s tummy, making her squeal with laughter. After a few moments, Celestia deigned to show mercy, leaving Dash panting as Celestia teleported them to her room. “So, hah … gonna get you back!” Rainbow giggled tiredly as she flopped down on her bed.
“I’m sure you will.” Celestia whispered as she drew the blinds closed with her magic. “Until tomorrow, then.”
Other memories floated through Rainbow’s mind: Celestia helping her drink a bowl of soup that time she got the feather flu, watching her with pride as she sounded out a particularly hard poem as a filly, getting up early to watch the sunrise with her and then spending the morning practicing, flying and racing across the sky…
Rainbow Dash sighed. Queen Celestia had always been there for her, but these last few months it felt like a wall had come up between them. Celestia was always busy, always distracted and whenever they had time together she seemed to want to focus on Dash’s studies instead of training; logic problems, ancient lore, problem solving or social skills with the brats of nobility.
Why had things gone so wrong?
Still, the reality was that she had run away. Rainbow Dash felt miserable. She promised herself that she’d go back to Celestia and apologize tomorrow, after she spent the night with Applejack. She still wanted to spend some time catching up with her friends, but it would be wrong to just leave Celestia hanging like that.
Somehow, just making the decision made Rainbow feel a whole lot better. She stretched and felt the butterflies in her stomach settle. Just in time too, as Fluttershy and Cloud returned with a teapot. “Um ready for your tea?” Fluttershy asked with a soft smile.
Seeing Fluttershy and Cloud and Derpy again helped Rainbow realize just what it was she’d been missing in Canterlot. Smiling, she accepted her cup with both hooves. “Yeah. C’mon Fluttershy, have a seat. Let’s talk.”
No matter how many times Rainbow tried tea, it never tasted like anything but hot leaf juice. Sitting down with Fluttershy and Cloud Kicker again somehow improved it, though. A little. The conversation was kept pretty light, with Cloud talking about the weather patrol and Fluttershy about her animal friends. Rainbow half-listened, keeping an eye on the door.
“...and then the fire-nado swept through Ponyville and killed everypony.” Cloud took another sip of her tea. “It was a little annoying finding a necromancer to bring us back to life, but you know how it goes. We got a good rate for a group discount, though.”
“Yeah, sounds good.” Rainbow blinked. “Wait, what?”
Cloud snorted. “About time you tuned back in. At this rate I thought I was going to have to bring in Fluttershy’s chiropractic bear.”
“He isn’t a chiropractor.” Fluttershy piped in. “The medical theory behind it is, um, questionable. That’s why he went into therapeutic massage instead.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I’m listening now, you don’t have to keep pulling my wing.”
“I wasn’t,” Fluttershy corrected gently. Whatever else she was about to say was interrupted by a familiar sounding thunk as something slammed into the door. “Oh, Ditzy’s back.” She walked over and opened the door for her.
Derpy rubbed her sore muzzle. “Thanks Fluttershy. Sorry about the door … again.” She closed it quickly to hide the Derpy-shaped impression she had left in it. “So, what were you all talking about?”
“Not a whole lot.” Cloud shrugged. “Just catching up with Rainbow. Who’s been acting a bit distracted.” She prodded her meaningfully.
Rainbow batted her hoof away. “I was just waiting for Derpy to come back. Now that you’re all here, I can get started.” She looked around the room, certain she had everypony’s attention. “You’re the only ponies outside of the Royal Guard who know what Queen Celestia told me: that Nightmare Moon is real and she’s returning to Equestria and I’m going to stop her.”
“You know, when I asked you what was new at the time, you might not have wanted to go with that as your answer,” Cloud chuckled feebly.
“It did make my birthday even more special,” Fluttershy offered.
Derpy sighed. “I almost choked on my muffins.”
“You did have four of them in your mouth,” Cloud pointed out. “Granted, that’s usually not an issue for you but…”
Rainbow sighed. “Okay, yeah, point taken.”
“How did you get her to tell you that anyway?” Cloud asked. “Shouldn’t issues of national security be a bit above your paygrade?”
Rainbow blinked at the expression before recalling that Cloud had quite a few guardponies in her family and had thought about joining herself. “Uh, I don’t get paid.”
“That just drives the point home even more.”
Rainbow shot Cloud a baleful, half-lidded stare that failed to make any impact on her old friend. “If you really want to know, about two years ago I was feeling pretty bummed out when my latest plan to recreate the sonic rainboom failed.”
“We told you a giant slingshot was a bad idea,” Derpy chimed in.
“But it was really impressive!” Fluttershy quickly added.
“Anyway,” Rainbow continued, annoyed at all the interruptions. “I talked with Celestia about it and asked how I could be her student when I couldn’t even do the thing that got her got her attention in the first place. After I was done she had this look on her face. I don’t know how to describe it, but she told me that I shouldn’t obsess over the rainboom since Nightmare Moon was coming back and that Celestia knew I’d be ‘the key’ to stop it—her exact words, by the way.”
Cloud Kicker frowned. “Just like that?”
“Well, at first I thought it was something she just had made up to make me feel better,” Rainbow admitted. “I was a bit down at the time and she’s pulled more than her fair share of pranks. The next day when she brought it up I told her it was a good one, but I wasn’t falling for it. But then she kept at it for a while and I got that she wasn’t kidding.”
Derpy patted her withers. “Do we want to know how long it took you to get the message?”
Rainbow continued her story, nimbly dodging the point like so much hail. “That was when she started letting me train with the Royal Guards. I even got to choose one of them to be my personal trainer.” She smiled, but it soon faded. “But for the last couple of months Celestia’s been acting kinda weird. I mean, weird for her and not just her normal brand of weird. Instead of trying to help me train more, she’s been trying to get me to train less; instead of working on new maneuvers or fighting styles, I should be reading Platrot or studying the history of ponykind—and she keeps pushing me to hang out with Canterlot ponies my own age, which pretty much just means upper-class unicorns who at best treat me like a curiosity. We literally have no common ground between us! But she says it’s important, because apparently great evil is going to be stopped by me going to fancy dinner parties.” She rolled her eyes.
“I’m sure she has a reason,” Fluttershy suggested. “I mean, she’s very wise.”
Cloud spoke before Rainbow could. “Yeah, but if you know some looming threat is coming, you have to prioritize dealing with that over other stuff. Or at least explain why these other things are important.”
Rainbow sighed in relief. “Finally, somepony else who gets it! You have no idea how tiring it is to hear ponies go on and on about how Celestia must know best about everything when even they have no idea what’s going on. I’ve trained with the guards for it, but I got to thinking...”
“Always a dangerous sign,” Cloud cut in.
Rainbow ignored her. “There are hundreds of guard ponies and they’re awesome, but if they were gonna be what saves the day, why need me?”
“To look more awesome?” Derpy offered dryly.
Rainbow snorted. “Thing is, I know you’re playing me, but … anyway, my point is: I don’t think guard training or even Wonderbolt training is gonna be enough to stop Nightmare Moon, so I need to go beyond that to be ready. But how you really train for fighting ancient evil?” She nodded to the window. “Since the Everfree Forest is right here…”
Cloud Kicker and Derpy looked at each other and sighed in unison. “Not in town for an day and she’s already proposing something risky and dangerous,” Derpy lamented.
“Just like old times, huh?” Cloud’s chuckle was a touch strained. Rainbow couldn’t imagine why.
“Exactly!” She pointed to the two of them. “Canterlot sucks without having ponies as awesome as you around: ponies who are up for fun, adventure, excitement! Remember that time we snuck out of flight camp and pranked that griffon camp? Or when we had a camp out on the ground because Fluttershy wanted to see more animals?”
Derpy nodded. “Yes, but … please tell me you aren’t equating a camp out with a journey into the Everfree Forest? Especially one where the express purpose is to beat up monsters?”
“Okay, maybe not exactly,” Rainbow allowed “but the principle’s the same.”
Cloud tilted her head. “No, it isn’t.”
“Not only are those not the same principle, they aren’t even the same … the same…” Derpy frowned. “The same thing in which two principles are a part of … it’s just not, okay?”
“Theorem. Principles in the same theorem.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “Did I really just say that? Gah!” She rubbed her forehead. “You see what I mean?! I know that bit of pointless horseapples but I still don't know how to stop Nightmare Moon!”
“Okay, Rainbow, okay, bring it down a notch.” Cloud Kicker walked over to pat her withers. “What is it you’re really looking to get from this little jaunt into the Everfree?”
Rainbow Dash took a breath and started again. “Like I said, whatever it is I’m supposed to stop is going to be big and powerful. I mean, it would have to be if it’s coming down to me to stop it instead of Queen Celestia or the guards, so the best practice for that would be to take on the manticores or chimeras and whatever else is in the Everfree Forest.” She looked at her friends. “And with you guys at my back, I know I can do it.” She paused briefly before going on in a tone she hoped didn’t sound needy. “You did promise me you’d be there with me every step of the way.”
“And we will,” Cloud stressed. “But we can’t just drop everything to run off into the Everfree to fight monsters. It’s…” She struggled for a moment for the right words, then decided to push ahead. “It’s not the same as when we were kids, okay? We have jobs and families and responsibilities.”
“Yeah, and this is my job,” Rainbow insisted. “You know, saving the world? I don’t think ancient evil is gonna give you two weeks’ notice to put in for vacation time.”
Derpy stepped in. “And we want to be there to help you Rainbow, we really do, but it isn’t just about us. What happens if I go with you into the Everfree Forest and something happens? Who’ll look after Dinky?”
Rainbow started at the reminder of her goddaughter. “I—”
“Cloud Kicker has a little sister to look out for too,” Derpy pressed. “You remember Alula? We’re not saying we can’t help, but we can’t drop everything at a moment’s notice.”
“And you don’t even really know the layout of the Everfree,” Cloud pointed out before Rainbow could muster a response. “You don’t know what you’ll run into out there. Maybe it’ll be a hydra, or a manticore, or a weird zebra hermit. You can’t go rushing in without a plan, right?” Cloud kept going even as Rainbow sighed unhappily. “Dash, none of us are saying we’re not going to be with you when it’s time for you to step up and punch evil in the face, but we can’t upend our entire lives just because you want to go on a jaunt into the Everfree. Especially since you don’t know if it’ll actually help.”
“Well, yeah, but…” Rainbow rubbed her neck.
“But what, Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked her friend. “You can tell us.”
She sank back into the sofa cushions. “I always thought—I mean, maybe this is my destiny, to save Equestria and stuff … but I always figured you guys would be there with me.”
“Aww, that’s sweet,” Fluttershy offered before stopping herself. “I mean, that sounds … awesome?”
Derpy chuckled. “Nice save.”
Fluttershy took another sip of her tea as she marshaled her thoughts. “I think Cloud and Ditzy have a point. They care a lot about you and don’t want you to get hurt, the same way they don’t want Alula or Dinky or their other family and friends to worry about them. But,” she added when she saw Rainbow droop down in her seat, “if going into the forest means so much to you ... well, maybe I could go with you.”
Everypony in the room gave a simultaneous jerk of surprise at the suggestion. “Fluttershy, you know she’s talking about beating up monsters, right?” Cloud reminded her. “Big, scary monsters? Like Angel, except super-sized?”
Derpy also looked confused. “I’m a bit surprised. I figured if anypony was going to have an issue with Rainbow Dash attacking creatures…”
Fluttershy shuffled her hooves, looking down briefly. “Well, um, it’s true that I don’t think attacking creatures that aren’t hurting anypony is a good idea, but maybe it would be alright if she checked and made sure none of them were misbehaving or bullying the other animals? They don’t have anypony to watch out for them, I mean … so maybe she and I could go?”
Rainbow blinked, surprised by her support. “That’s … huh. Thanks Fluttershy.”
Derpy and Cloud exchanged a look so brief Rainbow almost missed it. “That’s very nice of you Fluttershy, but maybe it would be best if Rainbow took a step back for a moment.” Derpy sat down next to her, putting her hoof over Rainbow’s. “You’ve been pushing yourself very hard for a long time. I don’t know what Queen Celestia has in mind for you, but do you really want to go through life so fast that you never get to slow down and enjoy the little things?” She offered a grin. “Like Dinky? I know she’s looking forward to getting to spend some time with her godmom. Maybe you could do that instead of punching monsters in the face and worrying her?”
“Oh that’s just fighting dirty!” Rainbow crossed her forelegs.
“Doesn’t mean it’s not true.” Cloud backed Derpy up. “Even the toughest training has mandated respits worked into them so ponies don’t wear themselves out. Just think of your time here as your break.”
Rainbow sighed in defeat. “Oh, all right. I guess a few days won't hurt.”
Derpy smiled. “Come on Rainbow, I promise we won’t let you get bored here in Ponyville, even if it means no monster hunting.”
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Night post! WOOO~!
Excellent job on this latest chapter. And I hope you and your family and friends have had Happy Holidays. :-D
Anyway, the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up are all well done in all the right places. I particularly liked the gentle teasing Rainbow got from those that knew her before, as well as the flashbacks.
I will most assuredly be looking forward to more of this.
And Happy New Year in advance.
I'm going to be starting this in a bit. I know that reading the original is not required, but would you say this replaces it completely and I shouldn't read it, or will you be doing things differently enough to matter?
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Hard to say. This is going to be the one that I base my forthcoming stories on, replacing the original; which is significantly different from this version. So it isn't necessary, but a lot of folks did like the original which is why I left it up. So take from that what you will.
Celestia probably wants Rainbow to be able to find friends to utilize the Elements, but she's not going to be able to do that with Canterlot nobility. Derpy, Fluttershy, and Cloud Kicker seem to be pretty good candidates for the Elements, if only because they're already good friends with Rainbow. Not sure which ones they'd get, though.
Actually, the cover art still has the standard cast so maybe not Derpy and CK. Would be interesting, though. Glad they were able to make Rainbow actually reflect a bit and talk.
That was just hilarious.
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All right. I'll kind of treat it as "spoilers" for this story. So if I feel like reading it again, I'll read the old one for fun.
Like when I was reading a good X-COM fic that made me want to get the game, I'm refraining from playing it until the story is done so I don't get spoiled. (I know that seems backwards, but I like the story better.)
...I would also like to use this opportunity to vent my frustration that Fimfiction's "feed" is so full of spam if you are members of any groups. So you can't just easily tell if your favorite authors release a new story. (I mean, there's a filter, but if there are always about 500 notifications there, you aren't exactly motivated to check that often.)
Hit the nail on the head there, Cloud.
She's right.
Another great chapter. Excellent look into Rainbow, and those letters and reminiscing were great.
When Rainbow and Celestia next meet, there will be feels. And hopefully some proper answers. In the meantime, I hope she enjoys catching up with old friends.
Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.
Gosh darn it, you've made Cloud Kicker all likeable somehow, and now I have to like her! Whatever will I have to be perpetually disgruntled about now
Oh well, I guess I could just lament the general state of school standards of grammar like some plebeian and maybe be productive in life...
But all kidding aside, I can appreciate what she's trying to do... but she's sort of blurring the lines a bit here Trinary. Its no wonder she's having problems
Ditzy?!, Don't you mean Derpy?(this is the remastered Version after all not the Old version)
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Ditzy is her actual name, but only Fluttershy calls her that. She doesn't think Derpy sounds nice.
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I took from it that there is more to read overall ^_^
This chapter is just perfect!!! Everything about this is just perfect!! Wow you blew my mind with how good this was!
Knowing Rainbow she would probably end up angering the ursas or the dragon if she went into the Everfree for training.
Cloud kicker is the best Background Pony. (You can't) Change my mind.
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Well, no. Being the boss kind of means that you DON'T have to explain yourself
That's why they're called "orders" & not "suggestions"
10169680 Yes, but even "orders" must make sense. When your underling knows that a massive threat is coming, you've told said underling that you are "training" them to fight that threat, and then you have that underling spend all their time on things that have nothing to do with training or preparing to fight said threat (no matter how much you squint), then in the U.S. military (and some others), that underling has a valid reason to be concerned about the lawfulness of those orders.
There is also the little fact that Rainbow is not part of the Equestrian military and under no obligation to obey Celestia beyond "citizen of the realm", which seems to follow the general rules used by the U.S., and therefore does included the right of the citizens to demand explanations from their leaders.
I’ve always loved this reference to Read it and Weep! I just happened to rewatch that episode the other day, so the “You stung my bumblebee” line is pretty fresh in my mind.
I dunno, growing up, I never thought too much about the strategies involved in winning Battleship. It always seemed like a pretty straightforward guessing game to me — but I guess I’m wrong, seeing how there are entirely probability models dedicated to the game. Maybe Rainbow Dash is more of a logical/mathematical thinker than she lets on?
Love this too. Guilt is a good emotion to see from Rainbow at this juncture. It makes her more sympathetic.
Also, this adds wonderful texture to Rainbow’s relationship with Celestia. I don’t recall the show ever elaborating too much on Twilight’s tutelage under the princess, how much time she spent in Celestia’s company, how by-the-numbers those engagements were, etc… Just about every writer takes the liberty to fill in these gaps.
I’ve always been fond of Celestia taking a more parental, motherly role in her student’s upbringing, and playing games together goes hand in hand with that. Although, this is another area where you have to wonder — would Twilight even be receptive to playing Battleship, or would she consider it a waste of time and a distraction from her studies? Playing games is much more in line with Rainbow’s competitive spirit than Twilight’s, so in addition to being a really nice insight into their relationship, it’s also spot-on believable and in-character.
Reminisced, not reminiscenced.
The first thing I’ve seen in this chapter of the rewrite that’s materially different than the old version. Nice bit of sage wisdom from Celestia here. At this point, I’m already wondering how much the rewrite is going to avail itself of the canon plot points revealed by the later seasons; specifically, the Tree of Harmony.
Rainbow’s reaction here is a bit more mature than in the original. Instead of snorting and rolling her eyes at the prospect of scary-looking trees, her declaration of “Perfect” tells me she views it as more of a challenge to conquer. (As an aside — what kind of lame pony would ever be afraid of scary-looking trees in the Everfree Forest, right…?)
I’m aware Cloud Kicker has an elevated place of importance in the fandom due to The Life and Times of a Winning Pony, but I’ve actually never read it. I'm curious to see what she amounts to here. So far, she's made a pretty good first impression.
Even as she tries to put Celestia out of her thoughts, her mind keeps wandering back.
Cute interaction here!
Wow! I had completely forgotten this part of the story with the letters. These are really touching. And also sad, in their own way: the way Rainbow’s drifted away from Fluttershy by this point; the way she’s drifted away from Celestia.
Ah! This is so good. I’ve made this comment on other fics before, but can I just take a moment and say how much I prefer Celestia, the weary monarch who carries the world and a mountain of guilt on her shoulders, as opposed to… whatever it is the writers turned Celestia into the later seasons of the show? Maybe it’s my overexposure to the fanon talking, but she became more and more unrecognizable to me as the show went on, acting bubbly and ridiculous at times, and always getting into pointless spats with Luna like she never cared enough to learn her lesson the first time around. “I cry every night” is the Celestia I love and want, and Rainbow Dash reaching out to her here is absolutely moving.
MIRIAM ALERT! MIRIAM HAS BEEN SIGHTED!
I was wondering if you’d keep it after I noticed it missing from the previous chapter. BobCat’s persistent little contribution to the fandom lives on…
Incidentally, I like the change in formatting here as compared to the original, marking the beginning and end of each flashback with a clear section break and dropping the italics. Makes it a lot easier to read.
This whole exchange gets a big LOL from me.
This chapter gets better and better!
Presumably, because Celestia knows Nightmare Moon will be undone by the Magic of Friendship, not by shadowboxing with the Royal Guard.
Another nod to how much of an egghead Rainbow really is in this ‘verse. I do enjoy how she shudders whenever her inner geek slips out.
The entire latter half of this chapter is 100% new and original, as far as I can tell. Overall, I think it works pretty darn well. The chemistry between Rainbow, Fluttershy, Cloud Kicker, and Derpy is fantastic. Rainbow is about as self-absorbed as you would expect her to be, and understandable in where she’s coming from; she wants to prepare for Nightmare Moon, and to her, preparation means honing her body and her fighting prowess. That’s all well in-character with Rainbow’s depiction in the show, where she has awesome dreams about fighting changeling hordes and such. Cloud Kicker and Derpy are well-reasoned in talking her out of it.
Of course, Rainbow Dash will end up going into the Everfree eventually. I have to wonder what kind of role Cloud Kicker and Derpy will play in the events that follow. I honestly don’t remember too much about their role in the original. Derpy was mostly a bystander, I think, and I don’t even remember if Cloud Kicker was a featured character at all. My curiosity is piqued.
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Thanks! So glad you enjoyed the changes! There'll be a reason coming to explain why Cloud Kicker got a mildly ascended role and is included with Derpy and Fluttershy as part of the old flight camp gang ... and why there needed to be three.
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BTW, did you see my earlier reply asking about your thoughts of Rarity knowing who Dash was?
That thousand-year prophecy is really a pain in Celestia’s freakishly long neck, isn’t it?
Maybe try adding milk?
B5 allusion, obviously, but now I also can’t get the idea of a wandering friendly Grogar the Necromancer out of my head.
Hey, don’t knock it. Knowing his way around a fancy dinner party has helped James Bond innumerable times.
You are now imagining Nightmare Moon as a Bond supervillain.
10482008
You caught the B5 reference, but not the Avatar:TLA one? XD
I can't overlook it anymore, it just keeps bugging me.
Why is she the Queen? What's wrong with being the Princess like normal? It's just so jarring for some reason.
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You don't read the comments much, do you?
Trinary already answered your question before you asked it.
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