> Splinterbolts
>  by Brass Polish
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1 Nostalgia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Fluttershy watched as Rainbow Dash flew in circles around the top of her cottage. It was a familiar sight to her; it filled her with nostalgia. It had been a long time since she’d brought it up, and she couldn’t resist when Rainbow had finished.
“Wow, Rainbow. You didn’t spin out once,” she remarked. “I can remember when we were foals, and you flew around my dad’s garden shed, you’d always veer off and bump into something.”
Rainbow chuckled. “Remember that time I knocked over that jar with that Cumulus he collected, and it floated away and dissipated, and we had to rush off to find a new one to replace it before he found out?”
“Oh. Actually, I told him shortly after you left,” admitted Fluttershy.
“What?!”
“He didn’t get mad,” Fluttershy went on. “He was just glad we intended to replace it.”
“Huh. Well, did he say if he liked the one we found?” asked Rainbow.
Fluttershy grinned. “He said it was even better than the one he got from work… but I think he was just trying to cheer me up after our little fright.”
“Wow. I had no idea he knew that wasn’t the original Cumulus,” said Rainbow Dash. “I mean, he never tried to stop me from flying around his shed after that day. You’d think he wouldn’t want me anywhere near it.”
“Oh, he knew how much you loved training yourself,” said Fluttershy. “My mom said he once spent an hour watching you from the kitchen window.”

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat by the river bridge and continued to reminisce.
“I’d have thought somepony else in your family would spend hours watching me from a window,” said Rainbow, half joking, half groaning.
“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” grinned Fluttershy. “Zephyr Breeze did often say how much he appreciated you putting on a show for him.
Rainbow grunted. “I’ll never forget how hard he made me laugh when he offered to introduce me to the captain of the Wonderbolts if I agreed to go out with him. Ha! As if he knew Beeswax.”
“Oh. I didn’t even know who the Wonderbolts’ captain was when we were foals,” said Fluttershy.
“You didn’t think Spitfire joined when she was just a filly, did you?” chuckled Rainbow.
Fluttershy went a bit pink.
“Don’t ever tell him I said this,” Rainbow said sternly, “but I was tempted. I think I’d have had a heart attack if I’d met Captain Beeswax at that age. But like I said, there was no way in Tartarus Zeph knew him personally. I gave him a big fat NO, and I flew the heck away from him.”
“I saw that,” nodded Fluttershy. “That was the fastest I’d ever seen you fly back then.”
“No kidding,” said Rainbow Dash. “From then on, any time you told me he was coming while I was flying around your house, I was off like a…”
Rainbow Dash spotted the guilty look on Fluttershy’s face.
“He never was coming when you said he was, was he?”
“Well… not every time,” admitted Fluttershy.
“So most of those was you just trying to give me a boost?” asked Rainbow.
“Well it worked,” grinned Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash shrugged this off.
“It’s almost like how Vapour Trail secretly helped Sky Stinger when they were foals,” she said.
It took Fluttershy a second to remember what Rainbow and Twilight had told her about their mission at Wonderbolt Academy.
“Only I could keep myself in the air,” finished Rainbow. “Actually, it’s kinda like how Lightning Dust trained herself to pick up her pace too. She’d fly around the lake in Loch Azure trying to avoid any swells in case the monster everypony thought lived down there was coming up.”
“Sure,” said Fluttershy, “but it didn’t do her much good, did it?”
“Well, if by that you mean she lost her shot at becoming a Wonderbolt, then yeah,” said Rainbow. “But by now, I don’t think she’s too bugged about that.”
“Really? Rarity and Pinkie Pie told me she tried to break a bunch of records to get Spitfire to change her mind,” said Fluttershy. “And she was determined to win the Millennium Rally.”
“Yeah, but after she helped me and Scootaloo escape from the Frostaceans and I gave her her knighthood,” said Rainbow Dash, “I never heard her mention anything about the Wonderbolts again. And now that she found a way to get Amber Aldis off that glacier, I only ever hear her talk about how she’s always darting in and out of that backwards comic book she got from Spike.”
“It sounds like she’s found a way to get over her disappointment,” smiled Fluttershy. “I’m glad she was able to make good on her promise that day you knighted her and Spitfire. Um, how weird does it feel taking orders from one of your knights whenever you’re flying with the Wonderbolts?”
“Pretty weird,” said Rainbow Dash. “But I know she’s making good on her vow as well.”
“Oh, yes! How is Snowdrop?” asked Fluttershy.
“Spitfire says she’s still not ready for all the attention. You know how iconic she is. But I haven’t heard anything bad,” assured Rainbow. “I doubt it’ll be long before she gets comfortable in modern Equestria.”

“I think her story was more inspirational to me when I grew up than when I was young,” said Fluttershy. “I guess I was too young to understand what it all meant. I didn’t quite see how it could apply to me, because I was never blind. But as I got older, the more I realised that there was more to it than that.”
“I didn’t think I could learn anything from Snowdrop either when I was a filly,” said Rainbow Dash. “We really were dumb when we were foals, weren’t we?”
Fluttershy chuckled. She and Rainbow Dash went on reminiscing for so long, it took them several minutes to realise their cutie marks were glowing.
“Hey! I think we have a mission!” shouted Rainbow at last.
“Oh! But you’ve got to go to the compound soon,” replied Fluttershy.
Rainbow groaned. “I doubt the Map wants me there. Well, come on. Twilight’s probably waiting for us.”
Soon, they arrived at Twilight’s castle. Into the throne room they flew, and off came their cutie marks.
“Again?” remarked Fluttershy as hers and Rainbow’s cutie marks orbited above Las Pegasus.
“Well, it’s not the first time,” put in Twilight. “Rarity’s been called to Canterlot twice now.”
“Wait!” exclaimed Rainbow. “They’re moving!”
Sure enough, the cutie marks shifted over towards the Wonderbolts compound.
“Oh, no. It’s gonna be like the time it moved my cutie mark all over the place, isn’t it?” groaned Rainbow Dash.
But after a few minutes, it seemed the duo of cutie marks was only pinballing between Wonderbolt headquarters and Las Pegasus.
“Which place should we go first?” asked Fluttershy.
“Your marks went over Las Pegasus first,” said Twilight.
“But I want to let Spitfire know I can’t fly with them tomorrow,” said Rainbow Dash. “The sooner she can call a Reserve, the better.”
“We could each go to one place,” suggested Fluttershy. “You can go talk to Spitfire, and I’ll go see Flim and Flam.”
Rainbow Dash remembered what happened when she and Pinkie Pie split up in Griffonstone.
“Uh, I’d rather we stuck together as much as we can,” she said.

So Fluttershy agreed to join Rainbow Dash as she made her way to the Wonderbolts’ compound. Spitfire was waiting by the runway when they arrived.
“Ah! Crash. You’re a bit early,” she remarked. “We were expecting you until this afternoon.”
“Well, I hate to break it to ya,” Rainbow Grimaced, “but you’re gonna have to call a reserve. Me and Fluttershy here were called on a mission.”
Spitfire frowned. “That’s gonna be tough.”
“Why?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Because they all ran off to Las Pegasus,” grouched Spitfire.
“Las Pegasus?!” Fluttershy piped up. “That’s where the Map wants us. Well, one of the places.”
“Huh. Then I guess it’s up to you to stop Wind Rider in his tracks, Crash,” said Spitfire.
“Wind Rider?!” exclaimed Rainbow. “What’s he up to?”
“He’s started his own flight group,” growled Spitfire. “He and one of our reserves. You know Up N Up?”
“Yeah, of course I know her,” answered Rainbow Dash. “She’s been in the reserves longer than I have.”
“Uh, huh. And I think that might be part of the problem,” said Spitfire. “I’ll bet my jacket that she’s mad that you went from reserve to Wonderbolt while she spent years being an on-call flyer.”
“If she’s been in the reserves longer than Rainbow,” said Fluttershy, “why was she never made a Wonderbolt?”
“She’s got talent,” replied Spitfire, “but she cracks under pressure. Too many performances would overwhelm her. We all agreed she’s better off as a stand-in.”
“Well obviously she’s not satisfied,” grunted Rainbow Dash, “if she’s stooping to teaming up with that sneak Wind Rider.”
Spitfire sighed. “I’ll try sending out for a reserve to take your place. Hopefully not all of them are gonna defect.”

Las Pegasus was huge, noisy, and crowded. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy knew when they arrived that finding Wind Rider and Up N Up was going to be tricky. Spitfire had no information on where their headquarters was or what they were planning to name their little club… or if she did, she was in too much of a fury to mention it. Rainbow didn’t want to press the issue, but she also didn’t want to leave anything to chance on this mission in case her absence hindered the Wonderbolts’ performance tomorrow.
“There are adverts for stuff all over this city,” she said when they arrived. “There’ll be something to points us in the right direction somewhere.”
“I hope we don’t have to keep going from the compound to here and back like our cutie marks did,” panted Fluttershy.
“It’s a good thing we went to see Spitfire first,” sad Rainbow. “Now we know exactly what the problem is.”
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “We do?”
“Well, yeah. Wind Rider and Up N Up are trying to spite her and the rest of the Wonderbolts,” said Rainbow Dash. “Unless we pull the plug on this, there’ll be a huge rift between the Bolts and the reserves. And that’ll be the thin and of the wedge. If this new group gets popular and young aspiring flyers want to try out with them, the Bolts might lose out on a lot of talent.”

Even though Fluttershy had been there once before, Las Pegasus’ bright lights and excessive noises still irked her. She was glad to be with somepony who revelled in boisterous sights and sounds. Unfortunately, despite being perfectly comfortable in this giant funfair of a city, Rainbow Dash was far from happy.
“I should’ve known Up N Up wouldn’t take my promotion lying down,” she groaned. “I mean, I didn’t talk to her much, and only when we were both reserves, but I do remember hearing a rumour that she wanted to quit.”
“Do you think Spitfire will make her quit if she insists on forming this new group?” asked Fluttershy.
“No doubt about it,” replied Dash. “Especially if he’s joining forces with that snake Wind Rider.”
“Did you say Wind Rider?” came a familiar voice.
Rainbow Dash smiled when he saw Angel Wings flying towards them.
“Oh, hi,” she said. “Yeah. I’m looking for him and Up N Up.”
Angel Wings’ face lit up at the mention of Up N Up’s names.
“I was just showing them my cloud busting skills I learned at the academy,” she told Rainbow. “They said I was a natural.”
Rainbow remembered what Spitfire said when she was observing Angel Wings as she gave a cloud a pitiful nudge.
“I take it you got better since the last time I saw you?” she asked.
“Wind Rider and Up N Up sure think so,” smiled Angel. “They were so nice to me and everypony else who showed up. They’re my two new favourite ponies in all of Equestria.”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “You know Wind Rider tried to frame me for sabotaging Spitfire?”
Angel Wings blinked.
“That’s why he’s not a Wonderbolt anymore,” Rainbow went on.
Angel shuffled her hooves a little, and then took off as fast as she could down the lane.
> 2 Under The Pavilion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rainbow Dash was furious. “This is serious. Wind Rider’s sucking up to everypony who tries out for his group. I’m gonna go catch Angel Wings and ask her where they are.”
“Wait!” cried Fluttershy, catching Rainbow’s hooves before she could take off. “What if Angel Wings is just more fond of Wind Rider because Spitfire always shouted at her.”
“It’s Spitfire’s [i>job[/i> to shout at new cadets,” said Rainbow.
“I know. But you did tell me Wind Rider was always so laid back when he talked,” said Fluttershy. “Accept when Rarity caught him out.”
Rainbow Dash scratched her head. “You’ve given me an idea.”
“What is it?”
“I think Wind Rider’ll be [i>expecting[/i> me to come barging in to his little club,” said Rainbow. “He and Up N Up probably have a plan for if a Wonderbolt shows up to call them out. But they won’t see [i>you[/i> coming. They’ve never met you.”
Fluttershy gulped. “So you want me to go see them alone?”
“You could pretend to audition for them,” suggested Rainbow Dash.
“Oh, I don’t know,” faltered Fluttershy. “Even a [i>pretend[/i> audition sounds intimidating. But since we have a mission, I suppose I’ll have to try.”
“That’s the spirit, Fluttershy,” beamed Rainbow Dash. “Now let’s see… Angel Wings came from over there…”
She and Fluttershy looked towards a large park filled with trees and fields.
“So here’s the plan,” Rainbow continued. “I’ll follow you at a distance, and when you find them and give them an audition, you can fly away at the first sign of trouble. I’ll be able to back you up before they can catch you. And that’s a promise.”
“Okay, Rainbow,” nodded Fluttershy.

Several minutes later, Fluttershy felt totally lost. She was wandering around an unfamiliar park looking for ponies she didn’t even know, and was trying hard not to look back for a sight of Rainbow Dash. Even in the shelter of rows and rows of trees, the noise from the streets hadn’t died down. There were a number of pegasi flying about, but none of them looked like they were showing off their skills to any particular ponies. Most of them were just chasing tennis balls or circling around kites. What Fluttershy longed for now was the sight of an animal, but in a park up in the clouds, the only animals she was likely to see were birds, and it seemed the noise and activity in the park deterred any birds from hanging around. There weren’t even any seagulls stalking the picnickers for some food.
“Wait. What’s that?”
Fluttershy was amazed. She’d only ever seen a fish owl once, and she’d been a filly at the time. The fish owl she’d seen then could have lifted her off the ground and carried her away. The fish owl she was looking at now was even bigger; he could probably lift her off the ground and carry her away even though she was grown up now. She darted towards he, and as she was about to introduce herself to him, he hooted loudly. Fluttershy understood what he was calling.
“We’ve got another one!”
Fluttershy gulped. “Another [i>what[/i>?”
An unfamiliar pegasus galloped up to her.
“Hi. I’m Up N Up,” she said, grasping Fluttershy’s hoof and shaking it.
“Oh. Um, I’m Fluttershy.”
“Nice to meet you,” smiled Up N Up pleasantly.

Fluttershy remembered how taken she’d been when the residents of Starlight’s village had first introduced themselves, and was determined not to be too open with this seemingly friendly stranger.
“So,” said Up N Up, “what kind of flying tricks can you do?”
“Oh… well… I’m not… much of an athlete,” said Fluttershy. “I mean, I do like buckball. Uh, have you heard of buckball.”
Up N Up looked intrigued. “No. How does it work?”
“Well, there are two teams of three ponies. Each time has pegasus, a unicorn, and an earth pony,” explained Fluttershy. “The earth ponies are offense, and they meet in the middle for the buck-off. The pegasi are on defence, trying to block the ball from going into their basket, which is held up by the unicorns.”
“Uh, sorry. I’m lost,” said Up N Up, looking confused. “I am more of a show-don’t-tell pony. How about you come with me and we’ll get some more members, and you can demonstrate?”
“Oh. Well, okay,” grinned Fluttershy.

Up N Up took Fluttershy to a pavilion, where several pegasi were talking and flying around. An old stallion greeted them.
“Hey, Wind Rider,” said Up N Up. “Have you ever heard of buckball?”
“Hmm…” thought Wind Rider. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Fluttershy here was hoping to show us her skills,” said Up N Up. “Could you get three more ponies so she can show us how the game goes?”
“My pleasure,” said Wind Rider with a playful grin.
Before turning back towards the pavilion, he gave Fluttershy a kiss on the hoof.
“Welcome to the our headquarters, miss,” he said smoothly.
Fluttershy, blushing a bit, looked at the small pavilion. It looked quite modest. But then she remembered she mustn’t let her guard down. Up N Up led her to a box beside one of the posts, and from it, he pulled out some jump ropes.
“How about you get the buckball field marked out while we wait for Wind Rider?” he suggested.
Fluttershy did so in the patch of grass next to the pavilion. By the time she was done, Wind Rider had returned with three more pegasi. Fluttershy was interested to find that all three of these pegasi were different ages; one was about her age, one had to be older than Wind Rider, and one was a filly.
“Are you an athlete?” asked the filly.
“Um… no, but I am pretty good at this game,” replied Fluttershy, going pink again.
“No need to be bashful,” remarked the old stallion. “Hardly [i>anypony[/i> here’s anything resembling an athlete.”

Fluttershy didn’t realise how much time had gone by after she explained the rules of buckball and assigned each pony a role. Aside from no one there able to actually levitate the baskets, it might as well have been a legitimate game. And since only one member of each team is meant to be a pegasus, they alternated every few rounds. Soon, each participant was all in favour of branching out into a joint buckball team.
“I’d hate to play favourites,” said Wind Rider…
“But?” pressed Up N Up.
“All I can say is I’m glad Fluttershy came to audition,” Wind Rider finished.
“I’m glad I did, too,” smiled Fluttershy. “I thought you made a great defence, Mr Rider.”
“Why, thank you,” grinned Wind Rider. “But of course, I can’t hog that role all the time. You and me can alternate.”
“Back up there, Rider,” said Up N Up. “We haven’t explained how our on-call system goes.”
“On call?” asked Fluttershy.
“Yeah. You know our mascot over there?” Up N Up pointed to the cluster of trees they’d come from earlier that day.
“You mean that fish owl?”
“His name is Splinter,” said Up N Up. “He’ll be carrying our mail and delivering messages to members asking for their availability and letting them know about particular events that’re coming up.”
“That sounds fine to me,” nodded Fluttershy.
“Great,” smiled Up N Up. “We’ll make you and Wind Rider our top to ponies to call on when we eventually build a buckball team and need a defence.”

They heard a loud hooting.
“Another one? Oh, it’s a little late in the day now, isn’t it?” grunted Wind Rider. “And I was hoping to get a bit of a rest.”
Fluttershy seemed to be the only pony there who understood the meaning behind Splinter’s call. But before she could tell them what the owl actually said…
“Alright! What’s going on?!” demanded Rainbow Dash.
There was a mixed reaction under that pavilion. Some ponies were astonished to see Rainbow Dash arrive at their audition. Others found her sudden appearance weird, and her mere presence even weirder. Wind Rider was sneering.
“Now don’t tell me [i>you[/i> want to join us,” he grunted.
“Oh, no, no, no,” Rainbow shook her head. “I’m just here to shut you down. Royal duties.”
Now no one was happy that Rainbow was there, including Fluttershy.
“No, Rainbow! We don’t have to stop them,” she cut in. “They’re not trying to spite the Wonderbolts.”
“Fluttershy, I warned you about falling for a few good manners,” frowned Rainbow Dash. “And what kept you?”
“I was having too much fun,” answered Fluttershy.
Rainbow face-hooved.
“Rainbow, this isn’t like that time in Starlight’s village!” snapped Fluttershy. “Up N Up and Wind Rider aren’t trying to suck up to me. They’re just trying to start a club for pegasi who like outdoor activities.”

“Okay, I’ll bite,” said Rainbow Dash, still looking sceptical. “So what exactly is your group about?”
“Eh. Fluttershy pretty much summed it up,” said Up N Up.
“Were you planning to tell Spitfire about this?” asked Rainbow Dash, knowing the answer.
Up N Up scoffed. “We haven’t even spoken for months. I’ll bet my wings she’s forgotten I even exist.”
“She hasn’t. How do you think we found out what you’ve been up to?”
“Oh. Well, I guess I ought to have given her my notice.”
“Because you’re bitter,” accused Rainbow Dash.
“No, it’s because I’m bored!” spluttered Up N Up. “Even when I [i>did[/i> get called in to take over for a Wonderbolt, it was always the same stuff. Either a race or a show. I thought the Wonderbolts did [i>more[/i> than that. I felt like I was being limited. That’s why I wanted to get a group going that has a broader scope.”
“I’ll admit I’m bitter,” interjected Wind Rider. “And that’s why I’m here.”
Rainbow snorted.
“I figured I could get the threat of losing my record out of my head if I stuck my hoof in another pie,” Wind Rider went on. “Speaking of which, have you broken it yet?”
Rainbow Dash leapt at the opportunity to test her former idol.
“Yep.”
Wind Rider took a deep breath. “My Wonderbolt days are well and truly in the past. I’ll be living out the rest of my days dedicated to this new group.”
“And being a bad influence on young flyers,” sneered Rainbow. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten your last words to me, about having to play dirty to be the best.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t get the reaction from the group she thought she would.
“Yeah, yeah, we all know Wind Rider wanted to keep his record intact and tried to make you look like a saboteur and that’s why his Wonderbolt status was taken away,” Up N Up rolled his eyes. “Our founder let us know earlier today.”
“Founder?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Aren’t [i>you two[/i> the founders?”
“Well, the [i>three of us[/i> started this group, actually,” said Up N Up.
Fluttershy spoke up. “Is [i>he[/i> the third founder?”
She was pointing to one of the ponies who’d filled a spot in their buckball demonstration; the old stallion. When Rainbow Dash saw him, her eyes popped.
“C-c-c-c-captain Beeswax?!”
“Oh, I haven’t been a captain in decades,” sighed the old stallion. “And I never will be again. But I’ve still got plenty of life left in me.”
“So it was you who came up with the idea of a flying group separate from the Wonderbolts?” ventured Fluttershy.
Beeswax nodded. “I didn’t think they’d take it personally. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with more than one club doing the same thing.”
“Maybe Rainbow was right,” said Up N Up. “We probably should’ve let Spitfire know what we were doing.”
Wind Rider scowled. “I know what she’d do to me if I showed up at the compound. She got the nickname of hers for a [i>reason[/i>, you know.”
“I guess we could back you up,” suggested Rainbow Dash. “I doubt Spitfire will think you’re lying if me and Fluttershy vouch for you.”
“Couldn’t we just send Splinter with a letter?” groaned Wind Rider.
“Come on. Let’s be strong,” said Up N Up boldly. “Let’s let them know that we don’t necessarily have to be involved with their organisation just because we’re gifted pegasi.”

It was getting dark when the precession reached Wonderbolts headquarters. Fluttershy had led the way, Up N Up, Wind Rider, and Beeswax followed, and Rainbow brought up the rear.
“So what’s the game?” demanded Spitfire when she saw them arriving.
“Buckball,” replied Fluttershy.
Spitfire raised an eyebrow, and Fluttershy explained that the three former Wonderbolts and reserves weren’t forming their own group out of spite.
“They only want to form a club for pegasi that don’t quite measure up to the Wonderbolts standards, whether they’re too young, too old, or just aren’t very fast, and give them their shot in the spotlight.”
“Huh. And none of you three thought it would be a good idea to tell me yourselves?” Spitfire sniffed.
“Would you have believed it?” ventured Wind Rider.
Spitfire considered. “Probably not.”
“Sorry, Spitfire,” said Up N Up. “I guess we were all scared to tell you what we wanted to do. I mean, it does sound kinda pathetic, doesn’t it?”
“Mmm… nah,” shrugged Spitfire. “You’re club may not be as grand as the Wonderbolts, but then it’s not [i>trying[/i> to be as grand as the Wonderbolts. Just one thing, Up N Up. You’re not trying to get [i>all[/i> our reserves to join, are you?”
“I only mentioned our club to [i>one[/i>,” insisted Up N Up. “I thought Codsmouth would be interested since she doesn’t like waiting around for an excuse to perform either. She must’ve spread the word to the rest.”
“Until you’ve let them know the score,” said Beeswax, “we won’t officially sign any of your reserves up just yet.”
“Alright, great,” said Spitfire contently.
“Speaking of Wonderbolts reserves,” said Fluttershy, “did you find one to fill in for Rainbow Dash?”
“Yeah, there was one available,” said Spitfire. “But it looks like we won’t need her anymore, now that you and Crash are done with your mission.”
Fluttershy looked at her flank. She hadn’t felt her cutie mark buzz, and it didn’t seem to be lighting up.
“Where [i>is[/i> Crash, anyway?” asked Spitfire.
Fluttershy, Up N Up, Wind Rider, and Beeswax looked around. Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen.
“Did you see where she went?” Up N Up asked Spitfire.
“Went? I haven’t seen here since this morning.”
“She hasn’t been here this whole time?!” exclaimed Fluttershy. “Where’d she go?”

While the three founders of the splinter organization returned to their headquarters, Fluttershy looked around for Rainbow Dash. She eventually found her sitting on a cloud looking melancholy.
“Where were you, Rainbow?” she asked, parking herself on the cloud next to her.
“I was just wondering,” said Rainbow Dash, “if I’ve been holding myself back by trying to become a Wonderbolt all this time.”
“What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy.
“Well… like Up N Up said, maybe I don’t have to be a Wonderbolt just because I’m really fast and like racing,” said Rainbow Dash. “I know he wasn’t specifically talking about [i>me[/i>, but you know what I mean. Everypony who knows me knows how good I am at flying tricks and sports. I… I don’t [i>have[/i> to be a Wonderbolt to let ponies know that.”
“You’re not going to quit, are you?” asked Fluttershy.
“Um…”
“You’ve wanted to be a Wonderbolt ever since flight camp,” continued Fluttershy.
“But not every pony who went to flight camp wanted to join the Wonderbolts,” said Rainbow Dash. “I know that wasn’t the idea [i>Gilda[/i> had when she came.”
“Was it the idea [i>you[/i> had from the start?” asked Fluttershy.
“Hm… no, it wasn’t,” said Rainbow Dash, perking up.
“That’s right. You got the idea to train yourself to become Wonderbolt material ever since you got your cutie mark racing for my honour,” smiled Fluttershy. “It’d be insane to quit after all that work you’ve done since you were a filly.”
“You’re right, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow, standing up on the cloud. “I may not have to be a Wonderbolt to let everypony know how fast I am, but that doesn’t mean I’ve wasted all my time working to become one.”
At that moment, the darkness around them was illuminated by Rainbow’s and Fluttershy’s glowing cutie marks.
“Oh, by the way,” said Rainbow Dash. “Don’t tell your brother I met Captain Beeswax. I know he’ll try and insist [i>he[/i> made it happen and demand that we go out.”