Errant Finale

by Doug Graves

7 Loyalty

*

“Hey, Rainbow Dash! You coming?”

The fact that Spitfire is smiling at Rainbow Dash, and in such a way that Rainbow thinks that the orange maned pegasus is actually happy to see her, does more to buoy her spirits than any scrawled signature. Rainbow cheerfully waves at her dispersing herd, Doug leaving with Princess Luna, as she calmly makes her way to join the blue and yellow suited mare.

Okay, it isn’t so much a ‘walk’ as it is a brief burst of speed that instantly zips her next to her idol and Captain of the Wonderbolts, sending whooshes of air that flattens manes and blows one pony’s dress halfway up her barrel.

Spitfire’s sedate walk, along with the steady clop of her hooves against the red carpeted floor, might have infuriated Rainbow Dash at any other time. She’s going almost as slow as Fluttershy, for Celestia’s sake! And they aren’t flying! But this just means that the cerulean pegasus gets to spend even more time just chillaxing with quite possibly the awesomest Wonderbolt of the awesome Wonderbolts! She can’t even bring herself to ruin the moment with words as they come to the Wonderbolts VIP section!

The area is ringed by red ropes, two well dressed unicorns making sure the crowd of ponies outside each gets their turn and doesn’t mob the Wonderbolts sitting at magenta tables. There are various nobleponies Rainbow doesn’t recognize already in the area, engaging in one on one conversations with the performers, but they barely even parse as blips on her attention. She’s too focused on spotting every Wonderbolt at the event!

There’s Soarin, of course, bits of pie stuck to his muzzle that it looks like he forgot to clean off in the chaos beforehoof. The other Wonderbolts she had raced back at the Best Young Flyer competition: Silver Zoom, Fire Streak, Misty Fly, and Blaze. High Winds is there, and Surprise, and Lightning Streak. And then her eyes go wide as she spots the one pony she really wants to test herself against. Fleetfoot!

Much to Rainbow’s immense disappointment, Spitfire doesn’t lead her in a circuit around the hall to introduce what will certainly be the next Wonderbolt with everybolt at the event. Or even announce that she’s there! Instead, she just leads her to an empty table, off to the side. One of the well-dressed waiters comes by, removing the small Spitfire card, a slight tilt of his head inquiring to their desired beverage, if any.

Two hard ciders later and Spitfire is, well, reclining as much as one can recline while standing at a prestigious event. Way more relaxed than Rainbow, the cerulean pegasus barely keeping herself from pinging around each of the Wonderbolts in attendance. Maybe she could challenge Fleetfoot to a race! Not that she stands a chance against the best sprinter in the ‘Bolts, but just to see exactly what it’s like racing against the best of the best!

Spitfire clears her throat from outside of Rainbow’s field of vision, drawing the scattered pegasus’ gaze back to their table. Her raspy voice quietly praises, “So, Dash, that was pretty impressive of you, standing up to that Discord character. Must have taken a lot of nerve.”

“Oh, that?” Rainbow Dash nervously chuckles before she realizes exactly who she is talking to. She straightens up, sticking her chest and confidently smirking. “That was nothing! Barely even broke a sweat!”

“Really?” Spitfire nods once, impressed. “Most ponies would have crumpled in that kind of situation, or panicked. But you held your ground. Not many ponies have that kind of fortitude.”

Rainbow grins in return. “It was as intense as any Wonderbolts performance, and we came through with flying colors!” Rainbow stares off into the sky, already imagining herself in a Wonderbolts uniform and streaking through the sky, leaving a rainbow contrail behind her.

“Got that right.” Spitfire takes a sip of her cider. “That the second or third time you’ve saved all of Equestria?”

“Who, me?” Rainbow looks around confused. What’s Spitfire talking about? Oh, yeah! “Well, I don’t know about it just being me. After all, it took all of the Elements of Harmony to stop Nightmare Moon. And, I guess, the threat of them to stop Discord.” Rainbow takes a sip of her cider, swishing it around. She swallows, shrugging. “And I guess Princess Celestia sent the six of us to stop a dragon who she claimed was threatening all of Equestria.”

Spitfire opens her mouth, about to say something.

Rainbow cuts her off. “I helped stop Spike, sort of, though that was really more of a ‘Ponyville’s about to be destroyed’ thing. And then with the Ursa Minor. And the chaos creatures that attacked Ponyville, though that was really a group effort and Princess Celestia did the heavy lifting.” Rainbow shrugs again. “So, two and a half?”

“Wow, Dash, giving credit where credit’s due? I’m impressed.” Spitfire smirks at Rainbow’s cool indifference.

“Well, when you’re in a herd, you have to learn to work together. I wouldn’t be as far as I am without their help and support.” Rainbow perks up a little more. She solemnly states, even going so far to put a hoof to her chest, her eyes closing and muzzle curling to a confident smile, “I'm not looking for any special consideration for, you know, being the Element of Loyalty and all. But I think the teamwork I’ve learned working as a part of a herd and working as part of the Elements of Harmony makes me a perfect candidate for the Wonderbolts.”

“Oh, pony,” Spitfire swears, barely loud enough for Rainbow Dash to hear. She tries to cover by taking another drink, nearly emptying her glass. “Dash, that’s…” she trails off, looking around at the other Wonderbolts. “Don’t you want to meet some of the other Wonderbolts?”

Rainbow Dash’s grin fades. “Um, yeah.” She cocks her head to the side, trying to read the inscrutable expression on the yellow mare. She tries a smile again. “I was even hoping to perform for you guys! You know, get an early start on my application and acceptance. That way I can train with you even sooner!”

“That’s… good to hear,” Spitfire says guardedly, aware of how many of the other conversations in the room have quieted down. A good number of the other Wonderbolts are on ‘break’, standing with another ‘Bolt and covertly listening in on her and Rainbow. “You have a whole routine ready and everything, huh?”

“I sure do! You want to see it now?” Rainbow’s wings excitedly flutter, warming themselves up. She glances around at the other Wonderbolts, many of whom quickly glance away.

“Maybe it can wait until after our performance,” Spitfire says, though she inwardly curses her cowardice. Why is it so hard for her to just say? Is it because Rainbow is one of the most promising candidates they’ve ever had, and it feels unfair? Well, no feels about it. Entirely unfair to such a dedicated mare!

“Aww, that’s hours from now. At midnight. And I’ve, kinda, got a thing at midnight that I have to get back for.” Rainbow Dash sheepishly looks back at the main entrance area. “I don’t suppose we can shift things up? Do it before or after that?”

“Look, Dash,” Spitfire says, her voice getting quiet. “Maybe this is something we can talk about another time. I don’t want to ruin your night.”

Rainbow Dash scoffs. “Ruin my night? What could possibly ruin my night? I mean, even if Discord came back - and that’s totally not going to happen, not on my watch! - I’m hanging out with the Wonderbolts. It’s like a dream come true!”

Spitfire growls to herself. “That’s just it, Dash. Sometimes, we have to recognize that some of our dreams, well, they aren’t meant to be.”

Rainbow Dash blinks a few times in confusion. “W-what do you mean?”

Spitfire sighs heavily, dreading the coming conversation. “Rainbow Dash, you’re one of the best fliers we’ve ever had apply. It pained me to have to let you go the first time, even if it was the best decision for everypony. It hurt the second time, when you weren’t able to make it due to… well, let’s say circumstances outside of your control.”

Rainbow Dash hunches down, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

“And now, if you were to apply again and make it…” Spitfire trails off, matching Rainbow’s look towards the main entrance area. “I…” Spitfire takes a few breaths, trying again. “I…” She gulps, steeling herself for the inevitable maelstrom. “I don’t know if I could, in good conscience, allow you to join the Wonderbolts.”

“What are you saying?” whispers Rainbow Dash. Her chest heaves, trying to contain her sobbing. She won’t make a foal of herself, not here, not with all of the Wonderbolts watching. “Why?”

Spitfire takes a single deep breath. “Being a Wonderbolt requires dedication. Commitment. And, oftentimes, putting the team ahead of the individual. We practice just about every day, rain or shine. We push ourselves to our limits, and then past them.”

“I can do that…” Rainbow Dash says pitifully, trying to find her courage.

“I know, Dash.” Spitfire shudders as she recalls falling through the sky, diving after Rarity. “I’ve seen you break your limits, do things that I thought nopony was able to do. Nopony is doubting that. Nopony is questioning your Loyalty. Even discounting what happened at the Best Young Flyer competition as a fluke, and I’m not saying it was, you recovered further and faster than I thought any pony could. You nearly beat out some of our best sprinters, and you barely even exercise!” Spitfire waves a hoof at Rainbow’s imminent objection, “I mean, specifically training purely for sprinting, not the all-around exercises you do. Or the flying exercises that comes with being a top-tier weathermare.”

“I can do that!” Rainbow Dash exclaims, almost but not quite stamping a hoof onto the table.

“And nopony is saying that you can’t!” Spitfire growls again, mostly at herself, shaking her mane. “The problem isn’t that you can’t do it! The problem is that you have too many other things you need to do!”

“W-what?” Rainbow Dash says, taken aback. “Like what?”

“Let me put it like this.” Spitfire takes a deep breath, waving towards some of the younger fans outside. “How much time do you spend with Scootaloo? A hour a day? Two?”

“Two to three,” Rainbow Dash says quietly, a hint of anger on her face. “But that isn’t enough to interfere with me being a Wonderbolt! I can do both!”

“And it’s about an hour flight from the Academy to Ponyville. Would you do that flight every day? Every other day?” Spitfire makes tally lines in the table with her hoof, though she doesn’t leave a mark. “There’s a reason we discourage Wonderbolts from joining herds while they are members, much less starting out in one. Because this way, we know that our members are dedicated. You’re a dedicated mare, Rainbow Dash.” Spitfire’s breath comes out as a long sigh, almost disappointed. “Almost too dedicated.”

“What do you want from me?!” Rainbow Dash throws her hooves into the air as she hovers, practically shouting at the Wonderbolt’s Captain. “You want me to give up on my filly? Because that isn’t happening!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Spitfire barks out commandingly, forcefully pointing her hoof at the table. “Down! Now!” Her eyes narrow, unfazed by Rainbow’s outburst. “You're going to behave, or you’re going to do laps around the castle until your wings fall off! Do I make myself clear?!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Rainbow Dash spits out, hovering back down.

Spitfire nods at Rainbow’s compliance. “And we were willing to look past that; a test case, probationary, that kind of thing. Make sure that it works out, and everypony is happy, and getting the attention they need. It’d be the first, but when isn’t that the case with you?”

Rainbow smirks.

“But, like I said before, being a Wonderbolt requires dedication. Loyalty. And so, I have to ask you this, Rainbow Dash.” Spitfire leans forward, staring Rainbow in the eyes. “Are you committed to the Wonderbolts one hundred percent? And, if something comes where the Element of Loyalty is needed, would you drop whatever you are doing to deal with it?"

Rainbow Dash briefly looks away, a hoof coming to her chest and trying to contain her choked breath. Her hoof hits something metallic. Glancing down, she sees a red lightning bolt. The Element of Loyalty. Rainbow Dash stares at the ground, a mass of conflicting emotions coursing through her. She wants to snap out at the first question, that of course she would give one hundred percent, every day! But could she? Could she give the Wonderbolts everything she has? Well, when she is available, of course. But she has more responsibilities now than the filly that dreamed of soaring in the skies. Could she leave Doug for that long? Scootaloo? Her fellow Elements of Harmony and the rest of the herd? Her position as lead weathermare?

“I think we both know the answer to that question, Dash,” Spitfire says, laying a comforting hoof around the cerulean pegasus.

Rainbow Dash looks up, Element of Loyalty in hoof, opening her mouth to reply.

Comments

[badninja]

Poor Rainbow Dash. This is going to be so hard for her. Spitfire is definitely being cruel to be kind. Rainbow Dash has such divided loyalties and dreams it really hurts.

[AnormalUnicornPony]

Wow. Look I know you need to save the world every so often and take care of your kid but practice and air shows come first! Great manipulation by Discord.

[Silentwoodfire]

Dash isnt going to come out of this whole

[Jack-Pony]

10322785
Sometimes one must be broken down to be remade.

[f0st3r21]

Rainbow has definitely had a tough time in this series. I hope she gets through it.

[Doug Graves]

11348303
That's how you know she's my favorite, because I put her through the most.