Rainbow Dash Around the World

by MagicS

Friends

Tyluck sighed as he sat in the mud, wishing he could do something right now but being forced to wait for someone else to come around and help him. There wasn’t even anything for them to do to pass the time. It was just three Trolls, bored, annoyed, and hoping that their new friend was okay. Tyluck certainly had a lot of negative thoughts mulling about in his mind, it would be disastrous if Berten somehow escaped from them again. And even worse if Rainbow Dash ended up wounded.

He wouldn’t be able to live with himself after such a colossal failure. He’d never be able to look the Trolls back in the kingdom or any other ponies in the eye again.

And all he could do about it was sigh and hope for the best.

They had heard some sounds for a brief time but now it was quiet up there aside from the occasional rumble of thunder and the sound of wind picking up. Thankfully it hadn’t started to rain on them but it looked like that might be approaching with every second. A miserable experience down in this muddy hole to match their moods if it actually started to pour before they were rescued.

Tyluck shook his head and leaned back against the wall of the hole to at least attempt to relax. He didn’t care about getting any dirtier.

“Hey down there! You guys need a hoof?”

Tyluck, Tyval, and Tornal looked up to see a smiling Fizzlepop Berrytwist surrounded by Storm Creatures looking down at them.

“Most definitely!” Tyluck shouted up. “You’re certainly a sight for sore eyes, Fizzlepop!”

“Just had a feeling something had happened… been looking around for a little while and we finally found you. I’ll have you out of there soon somehow,” Fizzlepop said, her eyes looked between the three of them and she frowned. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?”

Tyluck frowned as well. “Oh, I was hoping you had already found her too… she went off to chase down and fight Berten alone.”

Fizzlepop bit her lip. “I hope she’s okay...”

“Me too.”

---

Berten groaned and opened up his eyes, his entire body and most of all his head hurting quite a bit. There was a blurry and very colorful shape standing right over him and a few more blinks revealed it to be the pony he had been fighting. She was smiling. He could’ve sat up, or perhaps even tried to attack her, but instead he merely stared back at her.

“How are you feeling?”

“The physical pain is nothing compared to the knowledge that I lost.”

Rainbow Dash wryly grinned. “Kind of figured you’d say something like that.”

Berten sighed. “Doesn’t even matter… nothing matters anymore. You defeated me, and if even a single pony could do that it means everything was pointless and bound to fail anyways. And now I’ll simply be returned to the kingdom, in chains, and thrown into the dungeons once more. Fitting at least. I can’t say I don’t understand the irony of the situation and how the rest of my life will be spent.” He glanced into her eyes. “You understand as well don’t you, after learning about me, pony?”

“Yeah—you tracked down slaves and brought them back to the castle or whatever, right?” Rainbow Dash said. “And my name is Rainbow Dash, I’ve already told you that, you can use my name Berten.”

“Pony names are silly… and you don’t feel any hatred or disgust towards me for what I did? You aren’t laughing at how now I will be treated the same way—even worse maybe—than all those runaway slaves I caught?”

Rainbow Dash briefly looked up, thinking as deeply as she usually did. “You did some awful stuff. You worked for an awful kingdom. But no, I don’t hate you. The only way I would would be if you kept being that same Troll after day.”

Berten frowned. “What are you talking about you madpony?”

“Heh. Well you didn’t lose any of your edge after that headbutt, that’s for sure.” She smiled back at him. “How can I hate a guy who never knew what friendship is? Who never had anyone to help him out when he was at his worst? Who just wanted to feel like his life was worth something—but only had awful Trolls who could give him the acknowledgment and respect he craved. You’re smart enough to know what you did was bad, so I can’t say you’re blameless, but you didn’t have much a chance to begin with. I’m offering you that chance now. I’m telling you to be better, and I hope you’ll see that it’s a lot more enjoyable of a way to live. Just… don’t turn your back on it. Don’t do it when you’ve finally got someone here who wants to help you. Who wants to give you that friendship that you needed more than anything.”

“What’s so great about friendship?” Berten grumbled. “And what sort of silly life would I lead now, after giving up, losing everything...”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and plopped down right next to him, on her back, her eyes looking up at the sky. “You ever just lay back and look at the sky sometimes? Just let yourself have a lazy moment where you aren’t doing anything—even if you have something to do—and watch the clouds or check out the stars if it’s night?”

Berten breathed heavily a few more times but didn’t answer.

“It’s kind of a cruddy sight right now though… can barely see through the trees and it’s just a bunch of dark clouds. Dumb Stormlands...” Rainbow frowned.

“Back when I was younger,” Berten said, blinking at the sky. “Back when I was younger… in the wilderness… I had many quiet nights where all I did was stare at the sky. I don’t know why I did it.”

“You don’t need to know. Just like you don’t need to know everything about what’s coming next. Sometimes it’s fun to figure things out yourself, find something new and exciting that you never would’ve expected. Aren’t you a little curious about what the big, bad, Berten will do now that he doesn’t have to do such awful stuff anymore? Who knows, maybe you’ll find you really like painting, or basket-weaving considering how good you are with making those traps. It’s going to be your life, you’ll figure something out.”

Berten chuckled without humor. “So you say but in reality I’ll just be in a dungeon for the rest of it.”

“No you won’t be,” Rainbow Dash turned her head to look at him. “I promise. I’ll convince them to not throw away the key… it’s not… it’s not my kingdom or anything, and they’re probably going to want to imprison you for a while yeah, but it won’t be forever. I get the feeling they’ll be pretty willing to listen to me too.

“Such a strange pony you are… willing to do these sorts of things,” Berten shook his head.

“It’s called doing what’s right. I think you understand that, even if you probably feel a little spiteful to the idea. Besides, I know a certain school in Ponyville that’s a way more fitting place for you than any dungeon,” Rainbow Dash smiled.

“You wish for me to go to school? Now I’ve heard everything...”

“Don’t knock it until you try it, I’m serious. Besides it’ll be easier to find a new life for you in Equestria. I bet there are a ton of new things you’ll enjoy, and it’s the perfect place to make friends and have new experiences. And come on, help me out here a little, give me an idea. You have to have a hobby or some kind of food you like or something? You didn’t spend all your time working, did you? Tell me something and I’ll help you find it in Equestria.”

Berten blinked a few more times at the sky. Rainbow Dash for a moment thought he wasn’t going to respond.

“There was a beverage I enjoyed.”

Rainbow smiled. “Yeah? What was it?”

“Apple fire. A spicy apple-based beverage. I didn’t have it often, but it was quite tasty.”

Rainbow’s eyes shot open wide. “Wait, really? You’re serious right now?!”

Berten quizzically looked at her. “Of course I am.”

“Then that settles it. As soon as you come to Equestria, I’m taking you to Sweet Apple Acres and we’re having a mug of cider together. You’ll love it, I promise,” Rainbow grinned.

“How silly… it will still be a long time until then,” Berten said.

“Meh. I can wait. And I promise, I’ll be right there for you once you’re out. What are friends for?” Rainbow shrugged.

Berten just stared at her. That honest, smiling face. A pony who had beaten him completely in both body and spirit. A pony he had only recently just met, with no relation to him, who had put everything on the line and was earnestly trying to help him.

“What are friends for?” He said. “I wouldn’t know. But… having some friends… spending the day just watching the clouds go by… it doesn’t sound so bad.” A smile, not a smirk or sneer, but a true smile, spread across his face. “Hehehe… it doesn’t sound so bad at all.”

Comments

[RoboRed]

Looks like she got through to him in the end, after all.
Berten at the School of Friendship. Wouldn't that be a sight to see.

[redmar]

Rainbow managed to get him at last.