Xenophilia: Further tales.

by TheQuietMan

48: With smiles and clenching jaws – Part One.

WITH SMILES AND CLENCHING JAWS – PART ONE
Chapter published 6th Jan 2013
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April 1223AC

The Wonderbolts were lauded throughout Equestria, and probably far into the Griffin Kingdom and Changeling Territories as well, as the world’s greatest collection of stunt fliers and aerobatic daredevils. It was a reputation quite rightly deserved, as they had no equal, neither within Equestria nor without.

While most ponies assumed that the Wonderbolts would have their headquarters located somewhere airborne like Cloudsdale or near the Wonderbolt Academy, what most didn’t know was that the Wonderbolts HQ was actually housed in a rather non-descript three-floor building deep in the Clerical Quarter of Canterlot.

The reason for its rather low-key location was simple; the powers that be wanted them nearby and ever ready to respond to the call to action, whether it be to dazzle the crowds with feats of aerobatic finesse astonishing enough to make the very birds weep, or protect the population from disaster be it naturally caused or otherwise.

But there was also another reason why the Wonderbolts were so close to the nation’s seat of power, a reason known to only the tiniest percentage of the population at large. Those ‘in the know’ were well aware that there was more to the most public arm of the Royal Equestrian Air Force than met the eye.

Sandwiched between the barracks on the HQ’s ground floor and the prep area and briefing rooms on the top floor, the middle floor housed the support staff and their admin offices. Located at the rear of this floor was a long corridor, with five doors spaced evenly down one side, these being the offices of the Wonderbolt’s team captains.

The first door in the corridor belonged to Spitfire, the overall captain of the Wonderbolts; her name, position and the Wonderbolts logo proudly displayed on the large glass window in the top half of the door.

The second door belonged to Modesty Blaze, the oldest serving member of the Wonderbolts and long-time Captain of the Wonderbolts Academy. Like Spitfire, her name and position were proudly emblazoned across the door’s glass window but this time painted underneath was a large red hexagon with three pegasus in flight silhouetted across it in white.

Next up was the office of Soarin, Spitfire’s long-time second in command and Captain of Team Gold, or the ‘Fighting Falcons’ as they’d come to be known. Under his name and position was a stylised blue pegasus as if seen from above, a red circle with a large white star in the centre spread across its back.

The penultimate office belonged to Fleetfoot, Captain of Team Red. Under her name and position a large blue ring with a simplified version of Celestia’s crown sitting atop of it adorned her window, nine small red Pegasus painted flying in formation within the ring.

At the end of the corridor was a large framed image, barely a year old, mounted on the far wall and stretching almost from the ceiling to the floor where all who walked down the corridor would see it. It displayed a large image of four of the five current captains returning to Canterlot, flying towards the viewer in a ‘Vee’ formation with each of them leaving their own distinctive trail of colour behind them.

Any astute observer would notice almost instantly that a flyer was missing from the formation, an obvious gap left open between Spitfire at the front of the vee and Fleetfoot on her right, an opening where a fifth flyer would normally be positioned.

The same astute observer would also find their eye drawn upwards along a faint trail of prismatic colour and towards the top of the image where the fifth and newest captain could be seen, having peeled away from the formation and heading out at speed towards the stratosphere.

An understated and uncluttered plaque above the image held just two words and two dates. It simply said “For Rapidfire”; the two dates just twenty-seven years apart.

The owner of the final door would stop and look at the image every time she would reach the entrance to her own office. Often she would reach out and almost tenderly touch a fore-hoof against the glass, many a time muttering a quiet apology before letting herself in and gently closing the door behind her.

Today though would prove to be an exception to the previously established order of things. No, today the owner of this last office was storming down the corridor as if she was taking on the world itself. With the sheer amount of fury she was radiating it looked like she might well win.

Giving the image nary a glance she kicked her office door so hard with a front hoof that the lock gave way, sending splinters of wood ricocheting around the office beyond as she stormed over the threshold.

Once inside she gave the door a good hard buck, slamming it shut with so much force that it instantly created a crack running up from the bottom of the glass window. The crack carried on though the image of a blue and yellow shield with its white cloud and four blue flyers painted upon pane, continuing on up across the text that declared her as the Captain of Team Blue, making its way along her name and only finishing its run when it ran out of glass through which to travel.

The occupant of the office noticed none of this as she angrily kicked at her desk a few times before pulling off her sunglasses and throwing them across the room in a fit of temper. Two-hundred-bit aviators suddenly, and at speed, met the edge of a fifty-bit steel filing cabinet. Once again proving that a higher price doesn’t always equate to greater sturdiness they shattered into a dozen pieces that showered the room with small pieces of bent metal and mirrored glass.

As a small fragment of glass fell out of her mane, bouncing from her nose to the carpet below, the Captain was suddenly struck by the realisation that the rather expensive eyewear she had just destroyed had in fact been a present from her stallion, given to her years before for graduating from the Wonderbolts academy at the top of her class.

As conflicting emotions flared within her, suddenly she felt like everything that she’d been bottling up inside her recently, all the worries and doubts and fears that had been packed down so tightly, had finally reached boiling point deep inside her. With her knees threatening to give out beneath her she grabbed her desk chair and slumped down into it, letting her body fall forward until her face impacted the desktop with a quite audible ‘thump’.

For the first time in a very, very long time, Rainbow Dash began to cry.

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Rainbow quickly jerked her head up from where it had laid on her desk, a small trail of snot and tears and what was probably drool hung from her face as she looked around. Her eyes stang something awful and she wasn’t even going to start on what was going on with her tongue.

A gentle knocking came from the door, reminding her of what it was that had startled her out of her… What did Twilight call them? ‘Emotional moments’ was it? She had no idea how long she’d been facedown on the desk but she was willing to bet she looked like crap which sure as hay wasn’t the way for any decent captain to be seen.

“Go away.” She shouted at the door, praying that whoever it was out there was nopony who outranked her. “I’m off duty, come back tomorrow.”

“Really? Well that’s even better then.” A somewhat cultured voice drifted from the other side of the door. “That means I’ve got you all to myself.”

The door slowly swung open on it’s recently abused hinges to reveal a pony that Rainbow had never in a thousand years expected to see pitching up outside her office door; the pony in question being Twilight Sparkle’s mother, lecturer at the prestigious Canterlot University and eminent hippopologist, Professor Star Sparkle.

“Permission to come aboard?” Lifting her forehoof from where it was still held out in front of her after pushing the door open, the older mare lifted it to her head in a mock salute, her trademark haughty smirk (and this was a mare who never smiled when one could smirk) of equal parts mischief and condescension gracing her face.

“Uurgh.” Rainbow let her head fall back onto the desk. “That’s the Navy, we’re with the Air Force.” Looking up again she threw out what she hoped was still a semi-decent glare, though she doubted her face was currently in any state to properly pull one off “And we haven’t even had a navy for like, what, couple’a hundred years maybe? You of any pony should know that.“

“Indeed you are correct, my dear. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not polite to ask.” Star Sparkle motioned at the doorway. “So, might I come in?”

Rainbow closed her eyes and used the soft underside of her hoof to pinch at her brow as she’d seen Lero do when he was stressed. He said it helped but it must have been a human thing, as it was doing absolutely nothing for her.

There was a long list of ponies that she really could do without seeing right now and their “mother-in-law”, as her stallion had taken to referring to her as, was most definitely in the top ten. Sure, over the last few years she’d come to… love, or was it tolerate, the mare like a mother. But then, compared to how she felt about her real mother, that wasn’t really saying much and it certainly didn’t mean that the old coot couldn’t drive her totally crazy at times. Maybe she should just have security come up here and…

“Wait, how did you get in here?” Rainbow decided brow-pinching was useless, worse than useless even, so decided to back to glaring instead. “This is a restricted building. Even Twilight can’t get in without a pass.”

Star Sparkle reached into her elegantly tailored jacket with her magic and pulled out a visitor’s pass, the gold and black stripe along its top denoting that it had come direct from the office of the Princesses and therefore entitled her access to all areas.

“Shoot.” Rainbow muttered, Star had quickly been promoted into the top five on her list and now it looked like there was no easy way of getting rid of her either. Accepting the inevitable she gestured to the pair of seats on the far side of her desk. “Best come in and sit down then.”

Closing the door behind her as best she could, Star approached the closest chair and, after giving it a cursory brush over with her tail, lowered herself into it. Once settled she glanced around the office, taking in the pictures on the walls and the small number of mementos dotted about the room. “It’s a nice office.” she remarked, sounding like she didn’t mean it in the slightest. “Large windows, a decent amount of room, almost as big as my office even.” She looked Rainbow directly in the eye and gave that same grin-that-wasn’t that her daughter used when she was being snitty. “Almost”.

“Give me a minute.” Rainbow got up from her desk and trotted swiftly into the small washroom attached to her office. Star had just made it into the top three and this weary pegasus really needed to clean her face - or whatever - before she said something she’d probably regret.

“Of course, dear.” Star’s voice followed her through the door as she reached to undo the buttons of her service uniform. “But please don’t feel you have to change on my account. You know how much I love a mare in uniform.”

Shrugging out of her jacket Rainbow carefully placed it back on its hanger on the washroom wall, wishing for not the first time that a organisation made up purely of pegasi didn’t have a uniform jacket with so many fasteners that any non-unicorn found them a total nightmare to get on and off. “So what are you doing here?” she called back, struggling with her tie.

“Hmmm.” Came the annoyingly vague response as she finally got the damn thing off and hooked it over a second hanger.

“Here, what brings you here?” Wrestling her way out of her shirt she placed it with the tie on the hanger, lifting the whole thing up onto the wall where it hung next to her jacket. “The Uni’s right over on the other side of the city and Wonderbolt HQ is more than a little out of your way.”

“I’ve come to see what’s wrong, my dear.”

This gave Rainbow pause. She looked herself over in the small mirror above her sink. By Luna, she really did look like crap.

“There’s nothing wrong.” She called out. “Why would there be anything wrong?”

There was a momentary silence and Rainbow could hear the professor shifting about in her seat, probably trying to get comfortable. The bean-counters over in the accounts department weren’t known for splashing out on decent chairs when they could get at least two cheap and nasty ones for the same price.

Finally Star gave up with her seat. “Dear, I get a summons from the princess telling me that you need someone to talk to ASAP. I then have a VIP card shoved in my face and find myself escorted post-haste by two royal guards to an unmarked building in the dock end of Canterlot. Obviously somepony thinks something is wrong.”

Rainbow took a moment to run some water into her sink and after splashing it on her face wiped herself off with a handy towel. “No disrespect here, Star, but I don’t think this is something you can help me with.”

“Princess Celestia seems to think otherwise.” Came the somewhat distracted reply. “She said something about me being the ear you needed, even if I wasn’t the ear you wanted.”

Rainbow stared at herself in the mirror. At least now she was starting to look a little more like herself again. “Yeah, that sounds like the sort of vague wiff-waff she usually comes out with. So what else did the princess say?

“That you stormed out of a rather terse meeting with the captain of the Wonderbolts a few hours ago looking like you wanted to kill somepony.“

“Oh.”

“Oh indeed.”

Rainbow ran a hoof through the front of her mane to smooth it out before ruffling it up again into her trademark multi-coloured mess. Much better, now she was back in play.

Trotting out of the washroom and taking her seat behind her desk, she found Star idly gazing around her office.

“But before we get down to any of that there’s the most important question I need to ask.“ Star leant over the desk with what Rainbow had long ago learnt was her most conspiratorial smirk. ”What have you got to drink in this place? It looks like we’ve both had long and rather stressful days and if that doesn’t call for a drink then I don’t know what does.”

Rainbow opened her hooves wide to take in the office as a whole. “Wonderbolts HQ, no hooch allowed. Sorry.” She wasn’t sorry in the slightest and they both knew it.

“Which is exactly why you have some hidden, and don’t tell me you don’t.“ Star’s smirk just got a bit wider. Rainbow hated it when she did that. “What are you worried about, that I’m going to get you drunk and try and take advantage of your inner filly-fooler.”

Rainbow just glared at her across the desk.

“Very well, I promise to behave myself this time.” Star held up her right hoof while folding the left one across her heart ”No repeats of last year’s Hearts Warming Eve, I swear.”

The glare hadn’t lessened in the slightest.

“And no repeats of Nightmare Night from the year before last either.” Star stopped to think. “Or your friend’s wedding… Can’t for the life of me remember which one though.”

The glare subsided and the pegasus moved towards her filing cabinet.

“Oh come now, dear, the good stuff. Not the weak little decoy bottles you keep in the filing cabinet for when you get found out.” Star admonished. “I mean the decent stuff you have cunningly hidden somewhere else.”

Rainbow’s glare made a triumphant return. “What makes you think I have more?”

“Darling, you don’t have a office at Canterlot University for as long as I have without knowing all the tricks. Now come on, break out the good stuff, there’s a good girl.” She swiveled in her chair to indicate the entrance behind her. “I’d lock the door” she waved a hoof at the sorry looking door with its broken lock “But it looks like you’ve been burgled.” Looking back at Rainbow she gave an exasperated look that indicated she knew exactly what had happened to the door. After all, after herding with Lucent for forty years, this wasn't the first badly damaged door she'd ever seen. “The crime rate in this city’s just shocking these days.”

Levitating the second visitor’s chair from its place by the desk she jammed it under the door handle, wedging the door closed. “That’ll have to do.” She declared and turned back to Rainbow, making expectant ‘shooing’ motions with her forehooves.

Opening the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet, Rainbow took out two glasses each containing a few ice cubes in magical stasis fields and placed them on the desk. Then she lifted a replica Commander Hurricane helmet from off of its bust on top of the same cabinet and placed it on the floor. Lifting the bust down to the desk she carefully unscrewed the top of the fake pony’s head to reveal a hidden compartment within, containing two squat and somewhat sizable bottles.

“This…” She said as she passed over a clear unmarked glass bottle. “Is pure prize winning Appleloosian moonshine. Every shot’ll take the plaque off your teeth and at least three IQ points off of your brain. Rarer than alicorn feathers so just don’t ask where I got it. Don’t get it on the furniture either, it’ll take the varnish straight off.”

Star used her magic to roll the bottle in the air in front of her. While this would undoubtedly get her young friend to open up about what was troubling her, it didn’t sound like it’d make for a particularly lengthy conversation.

“And this” Rainbow pulled out the other glass bottle and passed it over. The dark blue bottle, also unmarked, joined its clear sister in Star’s magic field “This is literal moonshine. Distilled by the Princess of the Night herself. Even rarer than the other stuff and much more dangerous to the furniture.”

The princess had a quirky sense of humour it seemed. Traditionally a bottle of this shade of dark blue was meant to warn the user that the container held the most potent of poisons. Legend had it that Luna’s moonshine would loosen lips and lower inhibitions without unduly affecting mental capacity. Until one had consumed enough to kill a donkey that was, once that point was reached it got you as drunk as a skunk faster than anything the Appleloosians had ever managed to come up with. Hopefully these were facts of which Rainbow would not be aware and as long as they kept their imbibing slow and steady, Star decided, this should do the job nicely.

“Oh now you’re talking, my dear.” Star could almost feel herself starting to salivate. Lucent had returned home with a small bottle a few months ago and, after swearing both Star Sparkle and Twilight Velvet to secrecy, had introduced them both to what was quite literally the drink of the goddesses. She’d felt like they’d ascended together to the Elysian Fields that night, but then she’d also woken up alone and sporting a black eye, the creation of which she had no memory of, so on the whole it all seemed to even out in the end.

After placing the clear bottle back into its hidey hole, Rainbow carefully poured them each a generous measure of Luna’s moonshine, a small ‘pop’ being issued from each glass as the potent liquid disturbed the stasis fields around the ice cubes, leaving them free to float about as nature had intended.

Rainbow lifted her glass with her hooves and, though perfectly able to lift hers with magic, Star did the same with her own. After carefully clinking their glasses together in a silent toast Star held her glass under her nose for a moment, savouring the heavenly smell before the anticipation overcame her and she took her first sip.

It was hard to describe either the smell or the taste of pure moonshine, mortal words not being anywhere near grand enough to do it justice. Each pony would describe it differently but the smell always reminded Star of the final few moments before dawn on a chilly spring morning; the taste of a crisp winter’s evening where, with every drawn breath, the very taste of oncoming snow could be felt on the tongue.

For a blissful moment she was taken back to a memory from her youth; her first expedition to Zebrica, only the bravest and boldest rays of sunlight heralding the rapidly approaching dawn, teasing the distant horizon as she, much too excited for sleep, lay in the back of a ratty old cart as it carried its passengers to the last known location of the elusive Gwali tribe.

A sudden cough from across the desk told her that Rainbow had skipped the niceties and attempted to take her first shot too quickly. Distilled moonshine could be a harsh mistress for those who did not pay it the respect it so richly deserved, as her companion had just discovered.

Gingerly the pegasus took a second sip and Star was gladdened to see that, from the look of pleasure that momentarily spread across her face, she too had been transported back to a happier time.

Each mare sat in silence for a while, enjoying both the soothing elixir and the moment of peace and quiet in, what had been for both of them so far, a rather stressful day. Star took the chance to look around the office again, this time just taking in the sights rather than searching for anywhere Rainbow might have hidden her stash.

Behind her on the eastern wall was the door and a large pin-board covered with maps, weather charts and an untold number of mouth-scribbled diagrams of what were either the maneuvers for some breathtaking aerial displays or some kind of audacious hoofball strategy, or maybe both.

Opposite her, behind Rainbow’s desk were, the westerly facing windows. In the far distance one could just make out Unicorn Range and the beginnings of the Smokey Mountains far on the horizon.

On the south wall was the door to the private washroom as well as a number of pictures of life in the Wonderbolts while on the north wall were pictures of days spent with her herd and extended family. Rainbow dutifully kept the two parts of her life very separate; the width of the room making the distance between the two sets of images a testament to this fact. Dotted around the bottom of all four walls were random piles of reports, none lower than knee high. Rainbow wasn’t big on filing, or even paperwork in general.

Star stood up and, leaving her glass of ‘shine on the desk, ambled over towards the southern wall. Letting her gaze wander over the many images Star took in a number of individuals she recognised as well as a greater number that she didn’t. Amongst myriad pictures of parades and graduations was an image of newly promoted Captain Dash saluting Spitfire, both pegasus mares in pristine Wonderbolts flight suits.

Next to that picture was another of a very young, and obviously star-struck, Rainbow standing next to a… ‘mature’ would be the best way to describe her, butter yellow pegasus with a long dark pink mane wearing an outdated Wonderbolts dress uniform.

“Just look at you.” Star smirked over her shoulder at the now full-grown blue pegasus. “Weren’t you a cutie at that age. So who’s this fine mare beside you?”

Rainbow looked up from her glass. “That’s Blazing Glory, my friend Fluttershy’s grandmother.” She returned her attention back to her drink. “She was my hero when I was a kid… still is I guess, I wanted to be just like her. Long before I was born she was the first ever unsupported solo flyer to pull off the ‘Spinning Moon Dance’ manoeuvre.” After knocking back a sip of ‘shine she continued. “She was so awesome, still wowing the crowds even when I was old enough to go to the shows on my own. She taught me so much growing up. I created my Buccaneer Blaze for her. Wanted to make her proud of me, ya’know?”

“And this one?” Star motioned towards another image. This time showing Rainbow in a Wonderbolts cadet uniform standing next to flight suit bedecked white pegasus. The older mare sported a stunningly blue mane so dark it may as well have been jet black and stern look so severe it could probably wilt flowers from the other side of the room.

“That’s Modesty Blaze. Toughest flight instructor the Wonderbolts has ever seen. Can make a grown mare cry without even opening her mouth.” Rainbow laughed, took a sip of her moonshine. “Still scares the life out of Spitfire. Seems to have a bit of a thing for Soarin though. She’s totally cool once you get to know her, just don’t say anything about her age.” With that comment Rainbow used the frog of her hoof to rub her jawline as if struck by a phantom pain. “Seriously, not a word about the age thing.”

A single picture was conspicuously missing from the wall; an empty space and a lone nail advertising its absence. Looking around Star could see a picture frame resting face down on top of a pile of discarded reports. Turning it over she could see the image of a rather fine pegasus stallion in an extremely dirty flight suit standing on a runway while ruffling the mane of an equally dressed and dishevelled Rainbow Dash. Around both of their waists were rescue belts and on the floor at their hooves were large coils of rope.

From what could be seen exposed though the gaps in his flightsuit he had fur like yellow gold and a mane of fiery orange. The tightness of his suit did a wonderful job of accentuating the firmness of his muscular body and his wings, even covered in what looked like a layer of soot, were proud and majestic. The large grin on his face as he messed with his victim’s hair spoke of a pegasi that knew how to have fun. In short, he was exactly the type of stallion that could really blow Star Sparkle’s whistle.

“And who is this delightful hunk of manliness.” She held up the frame so Rainbow could see it. “He could rescue me any day of the week. An old flame maybe?”

Rainbow didn’t answer straight away. Instead she took a sip of her drink and leant back in her chair. It looked like she was considering whether to reply at all. She and her ‘wife’s’ mother had talked a lot over the years and they’d found that they had a surprising amount in common.

They’d made for a odd friendship over the last few years, the haughty and cantankerous unicorn and the brash and outgoing younger pegasus. But strangely they’d found that Rainbow had much more in common with Star than with her own mother, a fact that seemed to annoy the unicorn’s own daughter no end.

Even so, was this something she wanted to discuss? Should she just give a name and move on? Star had gone back to looking at the fine looking stallion in the picture. Rainbow had to admit he really had been one fine looking stallion who, outside of her mate, had probably been her closest ever male friend.

Rainbow’s brain was screaming at her to keep her mouth shut up and move on, but her heart was insistent that she needed to say something. He deserved more than to be just passed over as a footnote in history, a picture on a wall, a name on a plaque.

An internal battle raged within her until her heart decided to step up its game and pumped an extra large portion of the alcohol in her bloodstream straight up to her brain. With that her brain conceded the fight and let her heart lead the way.

“That’s Rapidfire, Spitfire’s brother. He was the captain of Team Blue before me. Still would be if I hadn’t totally screwed up.” Rainbow tipped her glass and knocked back the rest of the contents. Grabbing the dark blue bottle from her desk she poured herself another glassful. “Remember that mountain rescue gone bad last year?”

Star Sparkle just nodded. She wasn’t exactly known for being a mare of tact, but sometimes even she knew when it was best to keep quiet and let the conversation play out unimpeded.

Rainbow lifted her glass and rolled it between her hooves. “A rogue blizzard hit Dead Mare’s Peak, the local weather team couldn’t get it under control, damn fools just made it worse. We got word that some earth-pony family had gone weekend camping out there and nopony could reach them so most of Team Blue were scrambled. Rapid always was hot on search and rescue, ran us through every bit of training he could find, put us through drill after drill ‘til we collapsed. Then he’d just drag us in the next day and we’d do it all over again. That’s why they call Team Blue ‘The Angels’. If someone’s stuck out there, we’ll bring ‘em back.”

Rainbow said nothing for a moment, just continued to roll her glass between her hooves. Star kept quiet, this was obviously not her time to speak.

“We spilt so we could search in teams, Rapid, Thunderlane and I took the eastern peaks. Took us three hours but we found them, pair of herd-sisters and their three foals, all huddled together in one small tent. It was all they had left, their gear was long gone and the tent wasn’t going to last much longer.” Rainbow took a sip of her drink but in reality she didn’t seem to notice it was even there, her mind had taken her back to the night of the storm.

“One of the mares was injured real bad, she couldn’t move and we needed at least two pegasi to carry her back down. The three of us couldn’t take her, her sister and the children. We’d have to leave her behind and try and come back with more gear.” The pegasus went back to rolling her glass, tears were forming in her eyes and it was obvious that she was fighting them. She’d had quite enough of crying for one day.

“Thunderlane was sure he could carry all three kids himself and I volunteered to stay with the injured mare while Rapid took her sister. But he pulled rank, said he’d be the one to stay. I protested but he wasn’t taking neigh for answer. Always was stubborn as a mule that one.”

Rainbow stopped talking and went back to considering her glass, gently rocking the liquid from side to side, letting the ice-cubes clink against the sides. Both mares stayed silent and for a few minutes it looked like the conversation might be over. Suddenly she started speaking again.

“So we did what he said; took the mare and the kids back to the base of the mountain, met up with the rest of team and headed back with a stretcher and the med gear.” She took a small sip, again not seeming to notice what she was doing. “But the storm didn’t want to play our game. Dumbasses on the weather team had really screwed up and the blizzard was much worse by that point. Thunderlane and I were the only two strong enough to stay in the air but the cruddy visibility meant I could barely even see him. After an hour of trying to reach them we had to go back. Ice was forming over our wings and our goggles and we’d almost dropped out of the sky more times than I could count. Spent the next few hours trying to get the storm under control instead. Ended up having to pull in weather teams from two other regions to get a handle on it. I’ve never missed the girls from the Ponyville team as much as I did that night.”

She lifted the glass to her mouth but stopped as it reached her lips. Inspecting it as if she’d only just realised it was there she put it back on the desk, the liquid untouched.

“Wasn’t until dawn that we managed to get the rest of the team back to the campsite. Had to dig the damn tent out of the snow, stupid thing had collapsed in the storm. When we finally got inside we… we...”

Her voice hitched. She wasn’t going to cry, Rainbow Dash didn’t cry, she never cried, not anymore.

“He’d wrapped himself around her. Covered them both in all the blankets he could find, popped all his heat packs and wrapped himself around her like they were just settling down for a nap together, they looked so damn cosy. He’d kept her alive though the night using his own body heat…”

NO! She was not going to cry. Not today, not anymore.

“We tried everything we could. Healing Touch, the team medic, she tried everything in the book, tried a couple of things that weren’t as well.” Rainbow leant back and gave a short laugh. It wasn’t a happy sound. “Heck, I even suggested dragging over a lightning cloud and giving him a blast. Healing said it was too late though.”

Rainbow fell silent again. Her mind wasn’t in the office; instead she was in a place both long ago and far away.

“So while the rest of the team strapped the injured mare onto a back-board and flew her back to base camp, Thunderlane and I stayed with Rapid until the Royal Guard arrived with a doctor from the city to make it all official. Not sure why I stayed though, not like I’d done much for him the night before.”

At this Star locked eyes with the younger mare, holding sadness in her eyes but no pity. Rainbow didn’t need her pity and certainly wouldn’t want it. “My dear, it sounds like you did plenty. Twilight told me how bad the frost damage to your wings was, how it had you in hospital for days, and we both know how bad the cold has to be to affect a pegasus.”

“But I left him” Rainbow roared. She reared up on her back legs and lent over the desk towards Star Sparkle. ”He was my friend and I left him there to die. It should have been me. Now his mares are without their stallion because of ME.” She hammered her forehoof down on the desk to punctuate her point. ”His foals will grow up with no father because of ME.” A second stamp on the desktop, the rapidly weakening wood wouldn’t be able to take much more of this punishment.

“And then when we were coming back for him, I ran away!“ Another stamp, splinters flew from around Rainbow’s hoof and her glass fell to the floor. “I could have carried on, could have pushed myself further, but I put my tail between my legs and I. RAN. AWAY!” With a final assault on the desktop she slumped back into her chair, suddenly looking to Star like a small and broken mare. “A good stallion died because I ran away.” She repeated in a quiet voice. “It should have been me.”

Rainbow closed her eyes and slowly let herself fall face first onto the desktop for the second time that day. Slowly and quietly, Star made her way back to her chair. Laying the picture frame facedown on the corner of the desk she hesitantly rested a forehoof on the back of her young friend’s head as it lay nestled between her front hooves on the desktop. Rainbow may have been crying but she’d be damned if she was going to let anypony see it.

“Is that what he would have wanted? He sent you back while he stayed because he trusted you to do the right thing.” Star gently, if a little awkwardly stroked Rainbow’s mane. This kind of thing didn’t come naturally to her but she knew Rainbow needed the reassurance. A short sniffle came from underneath the colourful mess of hair on the desk in front of her. “And he was right, even if you don’t believe it right now you did do the right thing. If the storm was that bad then you had to turn back, if you’d carried on you and your colleague would most likely have been lost as well. Yes, one stallion was lost, but you know you couldn’t risk making it two.”

A muffled voice came from the desktop. “They called us heroes.” Another sniffle. “When I got out of the hospital they pinned medals on our chests and called us heroes. They made me a bucking captain, gave me his team, asked me to take his place in the Fallen Flyer Formation and then they stick that damn picture right outside my office.” More sniffles. “Everyone that walks in here sees a memorial to a great guy. But you know what I see?”

Rainbow looked up from the desk, looking the older mare straight in the eyes. Star could see the tears and mucus streaming down her nose and around her muzzle, the puffiness around her eyes, the bloodshot sclera. She shook her head slowly before the distraught pegasus continued.

“I stand out there and I look and all I see is a failure, a fraud, a coward.“ She spat each word with a level of bile and venom that Star had not seen from anypony in years. “They made me captain because they felt sorry for me and now they’re finally getting rid of me.”

“Getting rid of you?” Star pulled her hoof back. “Is this what the meeting with Miss Spitfire was about? Are they letting you go?”

Lifting her head from the desk Rainbow stood up. Her puffy eyes were quickly joined by a fierce scowl. It was a combination that really didn’t suit her face. “Worse, they’re transferring me to the academy, they’re pulling me off Team Blue and dumping me in with the bucking tutors.” She raged as she paced around the office. “The bucking academy... buck me, that’s were flyers go when their career is over and they just don’t know it yet.”

She kicked her desk again, knocking a small hole in the side. She didn’t care; it wouldn’t be her desk for much longer anyway. “Spitfire must really hate me to dump me out like this.”

Star quickly gave up turning in her chair to follow the agitated pegasus as she paced around the room, instead she returned to her drink, at least that was staying still. “Come now dear, does she really blame you, or is it more that you blame yourself.”

“I know she says she doesn’t blame me, but how can she not?” Pacing back and forth the troubled pegasus carried on talking, her words coming free faster and faster. “Her brother’s dead because of me.” Wings previously pressed up tightly against her ribs were now twitching and ruffling.

“They don’t want to just out and out boot me you see, not after all the medals an’ all. It’d cause too much of a stink, Element of Loyalty being kicked to the kerb. No, that wouldn’t do.” Wings flared out in anger before being stowed back against her sides. “So they’re getting me out of the way, putting me away where nopony will miss me ‘til it’s too late.”

Rainbow wasn’t talking to anyone but herself by this point, the words spilling from her mouth in a mad rush to be free from her head.

“They’re hoping if they hide me away from the action I’ll just up and quit, that way they don’t have to get their hooves dirty. Well maybe I will, It’s not like I don’t have options you know. I could tell Luna I’ve changed my mind about her Special Aero-tactical Squad offer and just get the buck out of here.”

Star let her pace, filing that little bit of information about the princess away for later. Taking another sip of her drink she set it down on the desk. She’d finally had enough of Rainbow’s rambling. Now it was time for some tough love and she was just the mare to dish it out.

The unicorn fixed the pegasus with a stern gaze and took a deep breath. “Lady Rainbow Miriam Dash.” She barked loudly, following it up with an even sterner gaze that declared to the world that its owner was not best pleased.

Startled out of her growing hysteria, Rainbow cringed at the use of her full name. If her middle name wasn’t bad enough, she especially hated the ceremonial title that had been bestowed upon all the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Coupled with the withering look she was receiving it made her feel quite small.

Once Star was assured that she had one hundred percent of the younger mare’s attention she continued.

“I can see now why the Princess sent me here and not one of your friends, or even your husband come to that. So listen careful to what I’m about to say, as it’s something you need to hear and I’m only going to say it once.”

Rainbow could feel herself rooted in place as Star’s glare only intensified.

“You, my child, are being a complete bucking idiot.”

If Rainbow’s jaw could have hit the floor it would have done. Star Sparkle may have been many things, but a casual user of foul language she was not.

The unicorn wasn’t finished yet. “So stop getting yourself all in a flap, sit down and shut the buck up for a minute while we talk about this like adults.”

Head bowed, Rainbow made her way back to her chair and gingerly sat down. Whether she’d like to admit it or not, being rebuked by an older female, especially one who held a somewhat motherly position in her subconscious, no matter how tenuous, had triggered an instinctual reaction deep within her that was making her react like a scolded foal.

Star leant forward over the desk, pushing her forehooves together, maintaining her glare the whole time as, using the years of experience gleaned from her University career, she dominated the room. So successful was she that Rainbow was suddenly overcome by the impression that her office, and everything within it, now belonged to the older mare and that she herself was just the visitor.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, very uncomfortable from Rainbow’s point of view, Star spoke, gently this time, like a parent to a recently chastised foal.

“Rainbow, believe me when I say you are not a failure, your superiors are not out to get you and you are not being sent to the academy as a punishment.” She paused to let her words sink in.

“Firstly, have you talked to anyone about what happened with your old captain? About how you feel about what happened?”

The pegaus just stared at the floor for a while; she may even have petulantly kicked a back hoof against the carpet. Star waited patiently until she spoke.

“I talked to Lero a bit. Maybe Twilight too.”

“Did you tell them about how you feel?” Star kept her voice gentle as she posed the question. Her usual haughtiness carefully tucked away. “About what you’ve told me today?”

“A little.” Rainbow looked up, catching Star’s eye for the first time since she’d sat down. “It’s hard to... I don’t want them to... well, ya’know.“

Star let it hang for a moment. “I know it can be hard to talk to those closest to us about some things. Especially if it’s about something that was particularly traumatic. Have you tried talking to somepony else about this? Someone professional maybe?”

Rainbow’s head shot up at the suggestion. “What? No, no. It’s not... No.” Her head sank back down again. The carpet under her desk was suddenly very interesting it would seem. “Spitfire suggested it a couple of times but no.”

Star let the silence hang again for a moment before she pressed on. “Look, Rainbow dear, losing this stallion has obviously hit you very hard if you’re still reacting like this a year later. We both know that you’re the type to bottle things up until you explode and talking to someone would help with that. There’s no shame in it you know, asking for a bit of help.”

She laid her forelegs out across the desktop, hooves towards the fellow mare opposite her.

“We also know that you’re one of the most loyal ponies out there, the Elements wouldn’t have picked you if you weren’t, but sometimes your loyalty to the stallions around you can be quite strong, stronger than you even can handle. You even show extraordinary loyalty to non-pony males like Spike and your husband, but sometimes this loyalty can be hard to bear, especially if you take it too far. I mean, look at what happened back when those silly mares started spreading lies about your husband’s friend, accusing him of herding with his own sisters.”

Rainbow reached up to rub her hoof over her eyes. “So you heard about that then?” She’d been living in hope that that sorry little incident hadn’t become public knowledge.

Star had to smile. “About you spending the night in the cells while Twilight rushed around pulling every string she could think of to get you released? Yes, that little tidbit has already done the rounds I’m afraid. Whom do you think one of those strings was anyway?”

Rainbow groaned. “Look, they had it coming, even if I didn’t mean it to go that far, If you’d just seen how distraught Big Mac was you’d have agreed with me. That kind of scandalous bull-crap could have ruined the Apple family.” She leant over and grabbed her glass from the carpet. Shaking it out she grabbed the bottle and poured herself another shot of ‘shine. Star floated her own glass over to be refilled.

“Well better me than AJ.” Rainbow jammed the cork back into the bottle once she’d filled the second glass. “If she’d found ‘em first then Twilight could have pulled every damn string on Lyra’s harp and still not gotten her out of jail after what she’d have done to them. Mare looked about ready to kill.”

“Indeed, but there were other ways to deal with the problem.” Star hovered her glass under her nose and enjoyed the gentle aroma for a moment. “I think we can agree you let your emotions get the better of you that night, yes?”

“Maybe.”

“Well that’s a start.“ Levitating over a scrap of paper and a quill from the other side of the room, Star wrote a short note and physically pushed it across the desk to where Rainbow could reach it. “This is the name and address of an old friend of mine, we both studied at Cavalbridge before we went our separate ways. Her name’s Soothing Words and she’s a very good listener.”

Rainbow leant forward and plucked the paper off of the desk. Star took this as a good sign.

“She mainly deals with herds with problems, but she also specialises in Royal Guards and the like, those who’ve seen the kind of things that the public should never have to bear witness to. I really can’t go into details but she’s seen a number of Wonderbolts as well in her time.”

The pegasus stared at the piece of paper for a long time before she carefully folded it in half and placed it in the top drawer of her desk. “I’ll think about it.” She said before picking up her glass again and taking a long sip.

Star just smiled at her, not a smirk this time but an actual smile. Rainbow was struck by how strange it looked on her face, though the look wasn’t unbecoming. Then the older mare softly uttered two words that the pegasus was sure she’d never heard issued from those lips before.

“Thank You.”

While Rainbow sat there stunned for a few moments, Star just took a sip of her drink before she spoke again.

“So, back to the transfer. If Miss Spitfire really were trying to have you removed, she would not have waited a full year to do it. Also, she would certainly have not approved you for the position of team captain in the first place.” She fixed Rainbow with a glare that clearly carried the message that she thought the pegasus very much had the wrong end of the stick on this matter.

“While I admit I do not know her as well as you, I have to say that from the few times we have met she has never come across as a mare who would use such underhoof methods to get her point across. I’d even go so far as to say that if she says she does not blame you for her brother’s death then that is the truth. The fact that she’s tried to get you to seek help over the matter speaks more of a concerned friend than an angry superior wouldn’t you say?”

Star spent a few moments alternating between sipping and pondering. Putting down her glass she spoke again. “Rainbow, how many years experience do flyers usually need before they move onto teaching at the academy?”

“At least a decade or so, some had much more. Blazing Glory was over forty before she wound up there and I’m still only thirty.”

“And how long since you joined the Wonderbolts?”

“I got in late so only six years, you know this, you were at my graduation. We all got completely wasted afterwards and you tried to make off with Misty Fly.”

“Ahem, indeed, yes. So how long as a team captain?”

“Just under a year.”

Star waved her glass in front of her as if she was about to prove a major point. “So after five years of hard flying and even harder training, plus another year as a team leader, the Wonderbolts feel that you’re ready to show the next generation of flyers how it’s done. That seems to me to show an awful amount of confidence in you, that they’re willing to let you mould the nation’s finest flyers in your own image. Are you trying to tell me that they’re wrong? Do you really believe that you’re not up to the challenge?”

Rainbow’s pride reached her mouth long before her brain could catch up. “Of course I can do it. It’s just…”

“Yes?” An amused arch of the eyebrow. Rainbow hated it when Star did that. Not as much as the professor’s students did though; they knew it meant she’d pulled something over on them and that they probably wouldn’t know what it was until it was too late.

The pegasus took a deep breath, held it and blew it out. “Do I look like a bucking teacher?”

“Do I?” Damn, it was that full blown smirk back again. “My dear, you seem to hold these academy tutors in some kind of disdain yet you have pictures of at least two of them up on your wall here.”

Rainbow said nothing but she did once again have the look about her of a young filly being told off as Star pressed on with her questioning.

“I trust you’re not one of these brainless ponies who ascribes to the silly notion of those that can, do…” She left the old adage unfinished.

“While those who can’t, teach.’” Rainbow finished. “No disrespect but I just don’t think I’m the teaching type. Besides, I’m not sure I’d know what to do.”

“Nonsense, darling, you’re surrounded by tutors everyday, I myself teach between expeditions, though I will admit the gap between trips has been getting ever longer as the years go by.“ A wistful look briefly passed over Star’s features but as quickly as it arrived it was gone again.

“My own dear Lucent often holds lectures, rather popular ones I must say though I personally have no idea what he’s blathering on about. My daughter has become one of Equestria’s eminent lecturers in the field of advanced thaumatology. I do believe her paper on high-level cross-discipline multicasting is now required reading in our schools of magical higher learning.” Star allowed her self a smug smile at that one.

“Has your own husband not spent much of his time in recent years schooling scholars and artists alike in the arts and skills he has brought with him from his homeland? Even your wife Loopy…”

“Lyra.” Rainbow quickly interjected. It still annoyed her immensely when anypony referred to either Lero or Lyra in a derogatory fashion.

“Yes, her...” Star grinned. Nopony was ever quite sure if she got these names wrong on purpose, which was the way she liked it. “She’s become quite the mentor to Twilight Velvet’s daughter. Guiding Light simply gushes about her teachings in the art of the Still Way. So you see, each of us teaches in our own way, we just needed to find our hooves, just as I’m sure you will too.”

“I guess I could go play ‘Drill Sergeant Nasty’ for a while.“ Rainbow had perked up a bit by this point. I could teach all those newbies some of my most awesome moves. Scoot’s got pretty much all of them down perfect so now I’ll get to show a whole new bunch of ponies how it’s done!”

“That’s the spirit, my girl.” Star was glad Rainbow finally seemed to be coming around to the idea, maybe if she intimated that it wasn’t permanent it’d go down even better. “I take it that the transfer’s not forever? Surely you could request a transfer back to your team after a year or so.”

“That’s true.” Rainbow’s gaze had moved back over to the pictures on the south wall, the images of Modesty Blaze and Blazing Glory in particular. “But if I’m going to do this I want to do it properly. Stay with at least one intake class from start to finish so that’s six months right there. Then there’s all the refresher courses to teach, disaster training for the nation’s weather teams, some of the border guard are back in for retraining soon too, that’d all take the rest of the year at least.”

“Ohmygosh.” “Rainbow’s ears suddenly perked right up. “The academy’s much closer to Ponyville than Canterlot. Think of all the extra time I can spend with the girls.” A smile spread over her face they she just couldn’t contain.

At the sight of her young friend actually looking happy for the first time since she’d arrived, Star just couldn’t help but let a little portion of ‘smug’ back into her smirk. “So, do you still think this temporary posting is some kind of punishment?”

“OK, maybe not.” Rainbow admitted.

“So, could it be possible that your colleagues are concerned about you and believe a bit of time away from the front lines might do you some good?”

“Could be.”

“And that maybe they think that when it comes to schooling these youngsters in the art of being…” Star looked like she was struggling for her next word.

“Awesome?” Rainbow supplied, her chest puffing out and wings ruffling proudly.

“Yes, ‘awesome’, thank you. Perhaps they think that if these youngsters need schooling in the art of being awesome, then you’re just the mare for the job?”

“Hell yeah.”

Rainbow’s newly positive attitude and improved outlook, combined with the effects of the ‘shine, were certainly infectious.

“Well there you go then.” Star held her glass out over the desk. “I for one think that deserves a toast.”

Rainbow also held out her glass. “To being awesome.“ She declared and clinked her glass against that of her friend’s, maybe a little harder than she’d planned but what the hay. With that they both knocked back what was left of the contents, letting the glorious elixir gently tickle it’s way down their throats, before settling back in their seats.

Turning towards the window they watched the slowly setting sun as, far behind them in Canterlot Castle, Princesses Celestia helped the mighty celestial body make its merry way towards the horizon. The close of the day was coming soon and hopefully it wouldn’t end as badly as both of them had feared.

Star used her magic to pull both the bottle and Rainbow’s empty glass across the desk. Pouring them both yet another generous measure of ‘shine she raised her glass, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face.

“Now that, my dear, is something I can drink to.”

WITH SMILES AND CLENCHING JAWS - END OF PART ONE

Comments

[TheQuietMan]

Arrrrgh… That’s it, I give up trying to make these chapters come out in any sensible order. I’ve been working on chapters 3 & 4 for weeks and this chapter - which was originally chapter 7, then 5, now 3 & 4 - just kept insisting that it just couldn’t wait and needed to come out next.

**Throws hands in the air** I’m just gunna let them do what they want from now on.

Part two should be out shortly.

[pahnazd]

Wonderful chapter, awesome how just having someone to talk to can dramatically change your outlook on things.

And yeah, you show that continuity what for! At least you can later organize the chapters how you want to

[djthomp]

“Six years, you know this, you were at my graduation. We all got completely wasted afterwards and you tried to make off with Misty Fly.”

Great chapter, and I love the development of Dash having made the Wonderbolts and been quite successful at it. It always boggles my mind when I see stories where she fails out somehow.

Star Sparkle is best mother in law pony.

[Sallythemanatee]

I like the continued world building in this and I think Star Sparkle is quickly becoming my favorite fan made character. Looking forward to part 2.

[Firesight]

Outstanding chapter. Made me tear up a couple times. Excellent work and instant favorite. One little thing: should be probably be 'underhoofed' instead of underhanded.

[TheQuietMan]

1914354
Doh! Good spot, thought I'd caught all of them, seems not.

[WorldWalker128]

Wow. A mini-masterpiece. Only thing that could make this any better would be if someone did a Graphic Novel of it.
Actually, now that i tihnk about it, there is a particularly talented person on DeviantArt that is doing a Graphic Novel version of 'The unexpected love life of Dusk Shine'. Maybe when that one's done with it you might ask him/her?

[Red Bomber]

Great, we're going to be jumping all over the place aren't we? Actually I thought this was going to happen in the first place, but it did seem like it was going in order and kind of funny or ironic that Rainbow is in the Wonderbolts now when the first story I think she was thinking about how she couldn't get in. Even though it was jarring to jump from an arc like that to another, I just hope we'll be able to see the true conclusion between Honeydew and Lero one day and after this dealing with whatever brought Lero to Equestria in the first place.

[Zaehlas]

Whoa. I love this. Great touches on the main story, with so much interesting information.

[Majk]

1914064
I really don't mind you posting chapters willy nilly if they are as self contained as this one. It was a really good read and i'm looking forward to more of that.
After everything is written down you can take care of putting them in proper order.

[Midnight Blues]

WTF is going I think I'm gonna stop now and come back when this makes sense...

[Ogrepony]

RD rages so hard... you'd think she played league of legends or something...

[Art Spark]

excellent story, fellow brony

[Reisentanith]

1919604 Let me help, This is a time skip to when RBD is in the Bolts.

[Super_Big_Mac]

1925348 Pfff naw, she's a hardcore mare. She plays Dark Souls.

[ShortAttentionSpan]

God damnit star sparkle, I want to hate you so bad but I just can't after this.