Parental Glideance: TLC Timeline

by AizakkuHorooee

Chapter VI

Once Bow, Windy and I are at the field on the cliff, I turn to them with curiosity.

“Windy, Bow, I could feel you were worried about something. I think I know what it was. Was it Rainbow Dash’s nickname?”

Bow is the first to answer.

“Yeah… we had some concerns about Spitfire. She was calling Rainbow Dash a truncated version of the same name those bullies at camp called her.”

“You mean Rainbow Crash?”

Windy nods. “We remember our Dashie wasn’t very fond of it. What’s changed now? She never batted an eye at Spitfire.”

“I don’t know. Maybe the name just loses its value after enough times,” I answer. “That’s what happened with Chrysalis prefacing my name with ‘young’.”

“Aita, buddy,” Bow starts. “affectionate nicknames are expected. Young Aita? Dashie? Affectionate. Rainbow Crash? Not so much.”

“That nickname… it was hazing… it was the same thing you experienced back at Canterlot High School.”

I think of human Twilight’s definition of that word: hazing. Yeah, it adds up. “Huh. Okay. I think I see a solution to this. Well, let’s start with something I think I can help you with… I noticed you guys are far more rational when it really counts, when your minds aren’t directly on Rainbow Dash. You’re her biggest fans; you’re supposed to be. It just gets in the way of your thinking is all. If Rainbow Dash is around you guys while talking to Spitfire, that Crash situation would be perfect to show just how big of fans you are, willing to defend her any way you can.”

Bow starts the think. “You think that’ll work? We are talking about the Wonderbolts after all.”

“But you’re Rainbow Dash’s parents. You have way more power for Rainbow Dash’s wellbeing than I do. I’d hate to go behind this Spitfire’s back, but I know what I’m talking about.”

“There was another Spitfire?” Windy asks.

Literally every time does that get me. “Uh yeah. Now, um, just to be entirely confident, what did I say you should do?”

“Make Rainbow Dash watch me and Windy call out Spitfire’s namecalling?”

“There you go! Now you’re getting it! I’ll be inside to spectate.”

---

Racing inside to the locker room, I pass by Rainbow Dash.

“Aita?”

I turn around and see her. “Oh! Rainbow Dash, I’ll need you in the locker room for a bit. I have something to show you; I just hope it’ll be okay with Spitfire.”

“What are you talking abo- WHOA!”

I take Rainbow Dash with my magic and rush to the locker room, where I set her down.

“What’s the big rush, Aita?” Spitfire asks.

“I just had a talk with Bow and Windy about their concerns, so I showed them a chance to properly use their powers as Rainbow Dash’s biggest fans. I just hope you’re okay with what they’re about to say.”

“Is this about what I think it is, Aita? You know just how embarrassing my parents can be. Besides, if it is about… that, that was over and done with after the Ponyville tour.”

“Well…” Spitfire chimes in. “Not everything about it.”

The locker room door across the room from me and Rainbow Dash opens up, revealing Bow and Windy.

“Ah, Bow Hothoof, Windy Whistles. Aita said you’d come. I heard you two were worried about Rainbow Dash.”

“Why yes,” Windy answers. “Here in the locker room, we heard you referring to our Dashie as Crash.”

“Do you have any idea the baggage that name has on her?”

Spitfire rubs her chin with her right wing. “Well, at least that explains the odd behavior during her first tour. She never approached me about it. But every single Wonderbolt has a nickname. Call it an epidemic if you want, but what everypony does here on their first day determines their nickname, and it sticks.”

“But why that specific nickname? Why Crash? That was the one used at the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp.”

“Um, Mom, Spitfire’s is way worse. I thank you and Dad for trying to address this, but Crash is not the end of the world.”

Bow and Windy are shocked at Rainbow Dash’s newfound flippancy toward her old nickname. It looks like this is not going anywhere, so I look in my saddlebag. As it turns out, I did bring my scrapbook with me like I said I would.

“Rainbow Dash, I know there are times you have to tune out stage temper, but an old nickname like that was something you should’ve brought up during the tour in Ponyville. I’m sure you’re aware of what happened to me when I visited CHS, right?” Rainbow Dash nods. “The former superintendent over there did pretty much the same thing to me, and look how that affected me. She left me devastated, and Princess Twilight and Queen Chrysalis can attest to that.”

“While I understand where you’re coming from, Aita,” Spitfire says. “you still got nearly a decade to grow past that. The Wonderbolts are trained to be resilient, and nicknames are just a part of that. What you experienced most likely went much farther than names.”

“But how do you think Rainbow Dash felt during the tour?” I ask. “As Windy said before, she wasn’t very fond of being called Rainbow Crash. Rainbow Dash wasn’t wrong about that; she darted into a trash can, yeah, but calling it out once would’ve been enough to get the message across. Using that name… is just wrong.”

During my speech, Rainbow Dash begins to look down on the floor, thinking to herself about what I’m saying. I think she’s getting it, judging from what I’m smelling.

Bow sees this, so he comes up to Rainbow Dash and wraps his wing around her back. “Dashie, why don’t we all go out and take a rest. Honey, Aita, you two should come along as well.”

So, Bow leads me and Rainbow Dash out of the locker room, Windy following when we pass her, and back out to the field.