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Chapter 5

It was already late when Lorio and Rito left the party as they headed back to their homes. The two friends lived really close to each other with only one house in between them. On their way to their places, the topic of conversation changed from Rainbow Dash and Mach, giving Lorio an emotional break for the night. The two walked side-by-side down the dimly lit streets of Ponyville rambling on about anything that happened to cross their minds.

"Yeah, Gusty didn't talk to us for a month after that!" Rito laughed a bit finishing one of many stories he and Lorio shared.

"It was worth it though!" Lorio laughed harder, wiping a tear from his eye. "Hey, whatever happened to Gusty though? I haven't seen him in a while even though he lives right between us." he rubbed his chin with his hoof questioningly.

"You don't remember? Gusty moved to Canterlot last week. He said something about being with his relatives."

"Oh, that's right!" he brought one of his hooves down on the other in realization.

"Yeah dude, someone's already moved into his place."

"Oh really? What's our new neighbor's name?"

"Ma-" Rito quickly shut his own mouth with his hoof before he went any further.

"What?" The brown pegasus asked suspiciously.

"Uh...nothing."

"Sure..." Lorio dismissed his friend's weird behavior.

Rito wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead in relief. "Look we're here!" he pointed ahead at his house. "Come on dude!" Rito dashed towards his house.

"Wait up!" Lorio began to run after him. He dashed after his friend and even overtook him laughing a bit. "I'll catch ya later man!" he yelled as he passed Rito's house, but just as he began to run past the house in between the two he smacked into a solid figure, knocking him on his back. "Oww..." he rubbed his head in pain searching for the figure he ran into. "Who put a wall he-" he stopped as he began to see a familiar stallion with a white coat and blue mane looking down at him.

"Are you ok?" the stallion asked reaching out a hoof.

Lorio could only manage to stare at him in disbelief before trying to confirm the suspicions he held in his head "Mach..?"

"Oh, you must've been at the party. Yeah I'm Mach Speed nice to meet you. You are?" he kept his hoof stretched out to him.

"L-Lorio" he stuttered before grabbing his hoof and being pulled forward with amazing force.

"Well, nice to meet you neighbor!" he gave the still shocked stallion a tight embrace.

"Hey, I'm Rito, your other neighbor." the caramel pegasus introduced himself having finally caught up to his friend.

"How's it going?" he asked before adding him to the embrace not giving him a chance to answer.

Having finally regained his senses and understanding of the situation, Lorio started to wiggle his way out of the well-built pegasus' grip.

"You guys should come in and play some games!" he suggested before releasing both of them, dropping them to the ground. "I think we could all use a little relaxing after what went down at that party right?"

"What are you talking about?" Lorio became a bit lost.

"You mean you didn't see what went down with me and Dash?"

Lorio shook his head. "No, we left."

"Well come in and I'll tell you all about it." he opened the door a bit.

The pegasus reluctantly entered into his rival's home, curious as to what happened between him and Rainbow. Rito eagerly followed behind him, his mind filled with thoughts of gaming. The inside was definitely that of someone who was just moving in. Taped boxes and random items decorated the floor. The only noticeable pieces of furniture was a table with a couch and chair around it.

Lorio and Rito sat in the unoccupied couch as Mach moved over to the chair.

"So, what happened?" Lorio got straight to the point.

"Don't want to waste any time huh?" Mach chuckled a bit. "Well it went like this..."

-------------Flashback-------------

"Yeah, but things aren't the same..." Mach spread both his wings fully, revealing one strong, pristine white wing on his left, and one torn wing missing a feather or two on his right. "...at least not for me."

"Wha...?" Rainbow's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. "H-how did this happen?"

"After I left Cloudsdale I couldn't stop thinking about our promise" he started. "I trained and trained everyday with dreams of flying with the Wonderbolts in my head. I trained my hardest until one day I was selected to try out for the Wonderbolts. You should've seen it Dash! I was in top form! Nopony could keep up with me!" he began to wave his hoof around in his excitement. "I made it down to the last test: An obstacle course race with the other two finalists. Everything was going great, I was clearing every obstacle easy! I was in the lead for most of the race, but then on the last lap I got comfortable and cocky. I didn't see anypony around me and the finish line was just in front of me so I lowered my guard for a bit. The pegasus in second dashed past me while I was caught off guard and it threw me off my course. I lost control and rammed into one of the obstacles. I woke up in the hospital with my wing like this and the doctor telling me there's a good chance I'll never fly again." he lowered his head to the ground.

"But that doesn't mean you can't try!" Rainbow shouted at him in her frustration bringing the music to a stop and everypony's attention to them. "The Mach I knew would never just give up like this!"

"Do you see my wing? It's not about me giving up! It's about being realistic, and realistically I'll never fly again!" he snapped back at her. "Forget my wing Dash, my dream is gone now but you still have a shot. I'll still be there, except instead of flying next to you I'll be cheering from the stands."

"But-" she was cut off before she could argue.

"I won't be flying again Dash, looks like you're the best now." he half-heartedly chuckled.

Rainbow lifted herself into the air, on the verge of tears. "Why did you have to come back?! I hate you! Just leave!" she sped out of the door in a flash leaving her familiar rainbow streaks behind her as she did so.

Mach stood there silently looking at the exit she took, surrounded by whispering ponies.

-------------End------------

"...and that's the story." Mach concluded.

"Oh man...I'm sorry." Lorio felt sympathy for the broken-winged pegasus.

"Nah don't worry about it, I've come to terms with it already. That's life right?"

"What about Rainbow? How is she doing?" he asked, obviously more concerned for her.

"Who knows? I've never seen Rainbow come that close to crying but I'm sure she'll get over it sooner or later. I mean, mares am I r-"

A hoof came down on the table with considerable force, the sound silencing Mach.

"What do you mean 'who knows?' You should! How dare you just turn away from her with her feeling like that?!"

Mach and Rito were stunned by the sudden outburst by the usually reserved Lorio.

Lorio made his way to the door, putting a hoof on it ready to open it before turning back to Mach. "You don't deserve her, and I won't let you have her, because..." the pony grit his teeth and gulped. "...because I love Rainbow Dash!" He pushed the door open as fast as he could, ready to make a run for his home only to be met with a wide-eyed Rainbow Dash with her hoof poised to knock.

"W-What?"

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