Failure
Failure
A sharp knocking rang through the Golden Oaks library. The sound echoed through the old wooden tree, the inhabitant of the library raising her head from the book in front of her. A knock during business hours meant one of two things; either it was one of her friends, or somepony new in town who really didn’t know what ‘public library’ meant.
For a moment she debated calling for Spike to answer the door, but knowing it was probably one of her friends roused her from the comfortable position at her reading desk. A few seconds later and she was at the door, enveloping it in a magical glow to open. When she did, she saw Rainbow Dash waiting on the other side.
When she saw Rainbow Dash, her jaw fell. The pegasus was, to put it kindly, an absolute mess. Her mane was disheveled – much more than usual – her wings were slack at her sides and her face was stained a blue much deeper than the rest of her coat. It took all of a second for Twilight to deduce what had happened; clutched in her mouth was a scroll, the Wonderbolt’s seal torn in two, signifying it had been opened.
Twilight felt a few tears well up in her eyes as she stood aside, silently inviting Rainbow into her home. Her friend did so without hesitance, eagerly getting out of the public’s judging eyes and into the private sanctuary of her marefriend’s home. As soon as the door was shut the pegasus was wrapped in a tight, bone-crushing hug. She did little but sling a limp foreleg around Twilight’s neck in response.
“I’m sorry,” Twilight whispered, holding the pegasus in her arms a little tighter. “I’m so sorry,”
Rainbow remained silent, basking in the loving embrace. For a split second, she forgot about everything. She forgot about what had been said in the letter, forgot about her problems; forgot about anything bad in her life. In that split second, nothing was real except the unicorn holding her. But reality came crashing back down on her with the force of a thousand boulders being piled on her back. The damn broke and she started sobbing into Twilight’s shoulder, the scroll falling from her mouth to the floor as her cries echoed through the library
Her hooves flew around Twilight’s neck, desperately clinging to anything they could as she cried. Twilight remained silent, doing what little she could to comfort the devastated pegasus. She new that nothing she could say would stop the onslaught of tears and wails, so she waited for them to stop themselves.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Spike slowly creeping his way down the stairwell. He gave the pair a confused look until he spotted the letter laying on the floor. He frowned in understanding, giving a nod to Twilight as he quickly and silently passed them, slipping out the door. For now, they needed their privacy. He’d be there for Rainbow when she wanted him to be. Right now, there was only one pony she wanted to see.
Slowly, the sobbing slowed, quieting to mere whimpers. “I’m a failure,” she muttered, more to herself than Twilight as she sniffled.
“You are not,” Twilight whispered back, quietly, but also firmly. Rainbow shook her head against her shoulder.
“I am; my only goal and I couldn’t achieve it. I am a failure.”
“You are NOT a failure,” Twilight repeated, louder this time as she pulled back to look directly into Rainbow’s eyes.
“Then tell me why I couldn’t make it in!” Rainbow demanded, raising her voice as the tears continued to stream down her face.
“I can’t tell you that, and you know that,” Twilight said sadly, shaking her head slowly.
“Really? Because I can tell you why I am,” she paused, reaching over and picking up the scroll. Unfurling it and holding it open.
“Dear Rainbow Dash, while your performance at the training academy was nothing short of spectacular, and you more than meet our physical standards, we cannot accept you into our ranks. Your ability to take orders from superiors is weak at best, and your constant boasting could potentially endanger one or more of your fellow performers. You have the qualities of an excellent leader, but a leader is not what we need. It is with this information in mind that we have made our decision, regretfully, to deny you entry to the Wonderbolts.
My sincerest apologies, Spitfire. If that’s not failing, then what is?”
“I…” Twilight stuttered, trying to find something, anything to say that would ease some of the pain her lover felt.
“Exactly. My Father was right; I’m nothing but a failure,” Rainbow spat dejectedly, letting the scroll fall back to the floor as she let her head hang, rainbow bangs covering her eyes as more tears slid down her cheeks. Twilight was about to wrap the pegasus in another hug when she realized what Rainbow has said.
“Wait, what do you mean your father was right?” She knew it was a stupid time to be asking such trivial questions, but for now it was the only thing she had to go off.
“He always told me I would never make it,” Rainbow started, sniffling loudly so she could speak clearly, “always told me I was just an ordinary pegasus. Guess he was right.” She laughed bitterly at the memory.
Twilight was stunned to silence. Her own father had said something like that to her?
“If there is one thing I know for sure, Rainbow Dash, it’s that you are anything but an ordinary pegasus,” Twilight reaffirmed, her strength feeding off her newfound anger towards Rainbow’s father. There were some things a parent should never say to their child. Essentially crushing their dreams crossed a line in Twilight’s mind.
“Then tell me why I failed!” Rainbow shouted through her tears, glaring angrily at the unicorn who refused to accept something so plainly obvious.
“Because they were wrong!” Twilight yelled finally, silencing Rainbow’s next argument. “They were wrong about you, and they were wrong to deny you entry. They were just plain wrong, just like your father. You are a great mare, a spectacular pegasus, and the one and only Rainbow Dash. They should have been honoured that you even applied to join them. It’s their loss own loss not letting you join.”
“But they are-”
“I don’t care who they are or who they think they are. You are Rainbow Dash. End of sentence. Best young flier, fastest pegasus alive, only pony outside of legend to do a sonic Rainboom, and element of loyalty. If they think they’re too good for you, then they’re just flat out wrong; it doesn’t get any better than you. And if they can’t see that, then you don’t need them. Every pony in town can see that you’re the best, anypony that’s ever met you knows you’re the best. Everypony that’s ever heard of you thinks you’re the best, and you are the best.”
Twilight’s tirade ended with a stomp of her hoof, giving an air of finality about her words. Rainbow sat in stunned silence, mouth agape as her mind churned over her words.
“But it was my dream, Twi. The finish line at the end of the race; my only true hope,” she protested weakly, bringing nothing but sheer determination to Twilight’s eyes.
“Then find a new goal. Because if they don’t want you, then they sure as hay don’t deserve you.”
“Aren’t you listening? They were my goal! My only goal! I can’t just pick a new one! They were it!” Tears were forgotten as she picked herself up off the floor, standing tall with her wings flared as she bared down on the small lavender unicorn. Twilight sighed dejectedly.
“Look Rainbow, I know it’s hard, but you really don’t have much of a choice here. Yes, you didn’t get into the Wonderbolts. And yes, they were your goal, but that doesn’t mean they have to be your only goal,” she reasoned, trying to keep calm as the pegasus kept up her tearful glare.
“Why? So I can fail at achieving that one too?”
Rainbow didn’t even know what hit her. In an instant Twilight’s hoof made contact with her cheek, snapping her head to the side and leaving a sharp sting in its wake. Twilight stood from the floor, her own tears streaming down her face as she dug her hooves into the ground.
“You are not a failure!” She shouted, practically shaking the library with the sheer volume of her voice, “I don’t care what the Wonderbolts say, what your Father said, or what you say. Rainbow Dash it not, not a failure. And so help me Celestia I will slap you till you wrap your head around that fact!”
For the second time, Rainbow was stunned into silence, her anger fading from her face. Twilight had hit her. Twilight, one of the gentlest mares she knew – beaten only by Fluttershy – had actually hit her. That fact alone was enough to jar her brain back into a somewhat logical state, allowing it to actually process what the unicorn had said.
“But… they said...” Rainbow trailed off, thinking back to what, exactly, the letter had said.
“No buts, that is an undeniable fact,” Twilight proclaimed, hoping that this would finally get through to the ever stubborn pegasus.
“They said that… I’d make a great leader…” Rainbow started putting two and two together. Reading the letter through her mind, this time getting past the rejection and actually focusing on what had been written.
“See? That’s not failing,” Twilight encouraged in a gentle tone, hoping to keep Rainbow’s train of thought on the right tracks.
“I…” she paused, unsure of what exactly she was trying to say. “I… didn’t fail?” She looked up to Twilight, hoping for some kind of confirmation. Twilight nodded eagerly, glad that she had finally gotten through.
“I… didn’t fail,” she repeated, more to herself for her own sake that to Twilight. She took her time, processing the new found information. She hadn’t really failed, she just wasn’t in the Wonderbolts. They even said that they regretted not being able to accept her. They wanted to accept her! They actually wanted her! But then, why couldn’t they? Sure, she could be boastful, even to the extreme sometimes, but ever since the Mare-Do-Well incident she had been doing a much better job at keeping it in check, and when it actually mattered she had no problem taking instruction from a superior.
“Uh, Rainbow,” Twilight called, glancing up from the letter that had been discarded on the floor.”
The pegasus mare ignored her as she continued to question their choice. She had been nothing short of amazing in the academy! Why couldn’t they see what she was capable of? Her sorrow rapidly changed to anger; who were they to tell her she wasn’t good enough?
“Rainbow, I really think you should read this,” Twilight tried again, tapping Rainbow lightly on the shoulder. The pegasus jumped at the sudden contact, too involved in her thoughts to notice anything else.
“Read what? I’ve already read it over a million time, Twi, I know that letter inside and out,” Rainbow waved her off, wanting to find the solution to her current question.
“Not all of it,” Twilight said, holding up the letter by the top edge. The letter unfolded at the bottom, a not hastily scrawled at the bottom of the page.
“P.S. Though you may not have made it into our group due to your personality, I personally feel you would make an amazing instructor at our academy. Come see me in my office between 6 and 8 PM on business days and we’ll talk about a possible teaching position – Soarin” Rainbow read aloud, her eyes bugging out as she got to the end.
“No way, Soarin thinks I’d make a good instructor? At the Wonderbolt Academy?” She gaped, disbelieving her own eyes. “That’s like, the best flight academy in the world, only the best of the best are allowed to go there, never mind teach there! Not even the Wonderbolts teach there except the main squad!”
“See Rainbow? This was all you. You have the skill to be a teacher at the academy where they train Wonderbolts. I think that’s a bit higher ranked than being one, don’t you?” Twilight asked, wincing as soon as she said it. That might have not been the best thing to say. Rainbow’s ears dropped a bit, but she didn’t start crying again, instead she just sighed.
“Yeah, it’s higher ranked, but I still won’t be a ‘Bolt, Twi,” she said sadly, shaking her head a moment later. “But it’s not failing.”
Rainbow leaned forward, wrapping Twilight in a tight embrace.
“Thanks Twi, I don’t think I’d make it through this without you. And I’m sorry fr yelling at you”
“You know I’ll always be there for you, Dashie. No matter what.”
-_-_-_-
Rainbow burst through the library door, a scroll held proudly in her mouth. She was clad in the traditional Wonderbolt Academy instructor’s uniform – very similar to that of the army, but with no armor.
“Twilight!” She shouted around the scroll, zipping through the library, quickly finding the unicorn where she always was; reading a book at her desk.
“What’s up?” She asked, raising her head from her book. When she saw how excited the pegasus was, she closed the book, giving the mare her full attention.
“Spitfire gave me this today,” she said, passing the scroll from her mouth to her hoof and holding it up, allowing gravity to unravel it.
Twilight squinted at it, it looked like a certificate of some kind, but the writing was too small for her to see from such a distance.
“And that is?”
“Twi, it’s a certificate saying I’m in the Wonderbolts. I’m an honorary ‘Bolt, Twi. I’m going in the flier’s hall of fame!” Rainbow squealed excitedly, earning a loving smile from Twilight.
“That’s great, Rainbow!”
“I know, and the first thing I’m gonna do is send my dad a framed copy,” she smirked, earning a chuckle from Twilight.
“But before that,” Rainbow paused, walking over to a table and setting the certificate down before going back over to Twilight. She took her cap off slowly, taking a small box from within.
“I need to ask if you’ll marry me.” With a flick of her hoof the box popped open, revealing an intricately carved golden ring with a small diamond in the center. Nothing flashy, but beautiful none-the-less.
Twilight gasped practically tackling Rainbow in a hug as she shouted, “yes!”
-_-_-_-
A pegasus stallion sat in his small apartment, a photo album in his hooves. He flipped through the pages slowly, coming to rest on the most recent pictures. On the left side was a large piece of paper, proudly proclaiming the fact that Rainbow Dash, his daughter, was a Wonderbolt. On the opposite page was a small, hoof-written letter. Short, sweet, and to the point.
It was not more than three sentences, but it had such a profound meaning to the old stallion. It was an invitation to his daughter’s wedding. He snapped the book closed, laying it on the coffee table as he stood.
“I knew you could do it, Rainbow,” he chuckled to himself as he trotted to his room. He had a bag to pack and a wedding to attend.
“I knew you weren’t a failure.”
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3255850
PM will probably work best, especially if you have specific details you want in. No promises on how soon I can get to it, but I'll do my best to get it done as soon as I can (with appropriate quality, of course)
I has an idea for a prompts if it's good. Rainbow thinks she saw Twilight cheating on her and Rainbow gets on Twilight about it and it was all just a big misunderstanding. If it's vague then I can fill in the blanks and it could be called 'Faith'. Just an idea though.
3279037
The best part is that I am currently taking a break from writing. What am I writing? Well, let's say it's really close to what you just recommended. Should be up in a few days.
3279055 My god. Gentlemen, prepare yourselves, an amazing fic is on the way.
I think, bolded one isn't needed
Lost "e"?
Gasped?
for
Honestly? Dont have any desire to read the last chapter, maybe will be back to it someday
Also - great bunch of one-and-not-one-shots, i've enjoyed the entire thing, especially chapters that contained the feels
Great fic thought, best of luck
Yeah, better not demonstrate too much leadership or the Blue Angels won’t let you in… Honestly, screw the Wonderbolts. I’d say this story did them dirty, but the whole series did too, so that’s no break from canon. Their motivations are petty and they make bad decisions. Spitfire in particular always has something to learn from Dash, to the point where she should really step the fuck down and let Rainbow lead the entire squad.
By the way, Newbie Dash doesn’t even exist in my head canon. What an abomination and missed opportunity that was. Unwatchable. From the moment we meet Rainbow, all we want is to see how she finally becomes a ‘Bolt herself. How could the writers do that?!!