The Simple Life Chapter 31

                “Well,” Soarin’ began to explain, the stallion shifting in his seat as he grew wary of his decision now that it came under Spitfire’s scrutiny. “I’m hoping that he’ll be able to motivate them and help elevate these two mares, and the way I see it, if he’s picking up the slack, like you say, he’ll have to work harder and I think we’ll see him up his own game.”

                “Perhaps,” Spitfire mused. “Okay, I can see your point of view. Fine, but if their work ethic starts rubbing off on him, I want you to swap him to another team. I can’t afford to have him get complacent in this training. And as for these two, if they don’t improve, then I’m sorry, but you’ll have to cut them. We can’t foster weakness, this isn’t the line of work that allows it. Understood?”

                “Yes Captain,” Soarin’ sighed. “Understood.”

                “Hey,” Spitfire interjected as she saw her Ace’s spirits dampen. “You’re doing a good job, not everypony’s cut out for this line of work. That’s not your fault. That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing. Removing the chaff from wheat.”

                “I guess, it’s just,” Soarin’ responded, “These are the last two that I chose. I was kinda hoping that at least one of them would make it.”

                “I know, but you can’t play favorites. Not with what we’re asking. Keeping around somepony who’s not suited to this job can cost lives. Theirs and others, you know this.”

                “Yeah,” Soarin’ admittedly sadly.

                “Do what you can, remember they just gotta maintain the minimum standard. That’s all they gotta do. If they can’t, then you know they don’t belong with us.”

                It was Monday. The two Wonderbolts had met at crack of dawn at the Academy and the Lieutenant and Captain were discussing the future of the Wonderbolts, which had become routine since Soarin’ took charge of the Bronco Initiative. The stallion had been briefing her for the past twenty minutes on what had taken place the previous week and was about to lay out his plans for this week’s training for Spitfire’s approval as well await any tweaks she would have to his regimen. This would normally happen without interruption as it was rare for anyone to approach Spitfire’s office at such an early hour.

                However that would not be the case today, as a quiet, almost timid knock came at the door.

                “Come in,” Spitfire replied as her ears perked up. She exchanged a questioning glance at her Lieutenant as she too wondered who else would be seeking an audience with her at this time. As the door opened slowly, both were caught by surprise at who was waiting on the other side.

                Rainbow Dash slowly made her way in, making sure to quietly shut the door behind her. Once closed, she gingerly set down an oversized military issued bag that she had been holding by the drawstrings in her mouth. Soarin’ felt his jaw slacken at witnessing the sight that he had seen time and time before, but never dreamed it would be carried out by this particular mare. Spitfire, on the other hoof, fought with all her might to hold back a wide smile.

                “Ensign Dash, what can I do for you?” the Captain said pleasantly.

                “Ma’am,” Rainbow Dash began, her voice meek and on the brink of cracking. “Respectfully, I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment.”

                “You may,” Spitfire answered, now unable to hide her smile. “Take a seat.”

                “Respectfully Ma’am,” Rainbow replied, “I would rather stand.” The cyan mare made her way to Spitfire’s desk, before slowly reaching a forehoof under her wing and retrieving a small golden object and placing it down softly. Soarin’ head spun in confusion as he saw her relinquish her Wonderbolt Warefare Device. “I don’t want to be a Wonderbolt Ma’am. I don’t want to be in the Navy. I would like to leave.”

                “Ensign Dash, you signed a contract, swore an oath, you do know there are serious reprocussions for abandoning your post right? Are you sure? I mean,” Spitfire accidently chuckled slightly, “Wasn’t this your dream?”

                “I DON’T CARE!” Rainbow shouted, she quickly swallowed hard and dropped the tone of her voice. “Respectfully ma’am, I accept the consequences for my actions. But I no longer wish to serve in her princess’s Navy.”

                “Well I’m sorry to hear that Ensign Dash. You know, as I was just telling the Lieutenant here, this life isn’t cut out for everypony. Tell you what I’ll do,” Spitfire said merrily as she quickly milled about her desk and fished out multiple documents and quickly began scribbling on them. “What was your friend’s name? Doofy Doo? Dippy Doo? Derpy Doo?”

                “Ditzy, Ma’am,” Dash answered, recalling her fellow air rescue pony.

                “Yes, Ditzy! Upon returning to Equestria, Ms. Doo seemed to have trouble sleeping, kept having nightmares about her time in the Wonderbolts. Poor thing couldn’t stand the killing, she didn’t have the teeth for it I guess. I actually processed her out myself. She was relived due to suffering from post-traumatic stress. What I can do for you, Ensign Dash, is grant you a breach of your military obligation under the same circumstances. You will be discharged under honorable conditions. This way you won’t have any troubles pursuing any future career choices. How does that sound? Good?”

                “Yes Ma’am,” Dash muttered, “Thank you, Ma’am.”

                “Alright then, I’ll get on it right away, it’ll take a little while for me to get this all filled out, so have a seat outside and I’ll be with you shortly.”

                “Yes Ma’am,” Dash responded and quietly turned, exiting the room and closing the door behind her softly.

                Soarin’ blinked.

                He looked over at Spitfire who had begun to hum pleasantly as she began to fill out Dash’s release papers and he suddenly felt like everything in the world was wrong. Like something terrible had happened and deep in the pit of his stomach, something told him it was Spitfire’s fault. However, he was so dumbfounded at what he just witnessed, all he could managed to do was stare with bewildered eyes.

                After a moment, Spitfire glanced up and noticed his countenance.

                “What?”

                “What did you do?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer she would give him.

                “Nothing.”

                Soarin’ quickly got up from his seat and made his way to the door and poked his headed outside. He saw Dash a sitting on bench outside Spitfire’s office, her head buried in her forehooves, crying softly.

                The pit in his stomach twisted angrily.

                Soarin’ wheeled around and made his way to Spitfire’s desk, placing both fore hooves on it as he leaned close to his Captain, and he asked her again. “What did you do!?”

                “I told you,” Spitfire replied nonchalantly. “Nothing.”

                “Don’t lie to me Spitfire! I thought you and I were closer than that! What did you do!?” he seethed through clenched teeth as his mind raced at the multitude of things Spitfire was capable of.

                “I took care of things!” Spitfire responded, growing irritated at his tone and his questioning of her. So much so that she too rose up to match her Lieutenant’s stature. “I told you I would! I said I got this and I did!”

                “You were supposed to keep her from hurting Sonic!”

                “And she won’t, well, not anymore anyway,” Spitfire answered.

                “She’s quitting the Wonderbolts!”

                “An added bonus!”

                “She is out there crying!”

                “Still? Good.”

                “What did you do?!” Soarin’ continued, growing beside himself as he couldn’t believe what was coming out of Spitfire’s mouth. “You know what? I don’t care. You went too far! Whatever you did, you went way too far! You need to fix this!”

                “Excuse me?!”

                “You heard me! This is wrong! You need to fix this! Whatever it is that you did, fix it!”

                “Why in Equestria would I do that?!”

                “Loyalty unwavering! Bravery before loyalty! Heroism greater still! Valor above all!” Soarin’ cried out the Wonderbolt credo. “Tell me Spitfire, where is the loyalty, bravery, and heroism in what you did?! Where’s the valor in crushing a girl’s dreams and making her cry!?”

                Spitfire’s mouth opened, but Soarin’ didn’t even allow her reply.

                “I don’t want to hear it! Fix it!”

                “Soarin’ sh-”

                “I don’t like her! You don’t like her! So what!? That’s not what this about! That girl out there is a Wonderbolt through and through, and you know it! She saved my life! And she saved yours! We fought together, she passed the academy, and you need to fix this!” Soarin’ swallowed hard and gathered his courage. “You will fix this!”

                “I’m sorry lieutenant,” Spitfire growled angrily, “But that sounded an awful lot like an order! Since when do Lieutenants order Captains around?!”

                “You’re not about to pull rank on me! Not on this! This has nothing to do with the military. This isn’t a Lieutenant talking to a Captain. This is about what right and what’s wrong! This is Soarin’, talking to his best friend. And Soarin’ is telling you, Spitfire, that whatever you did was wrong, and that you will fix this! Because I know this isn’t what the Wonderbolts are about! And if I’m wrong! If this is what they are about, or what you’re willing to turn them into…” Soarin’ gathered his courage once more and he looked his best friend in the world right in the eyes. “Then I want no part of them!”

                “You really think I believe that you’re capable of backing up that threat?! What are you gonna do Soarin’?! You gonna go back to Neighbraska?! Plow fields, pick corn and be a nopony!?” Spitfire shouted angrily. “Is that what you want? To go back to being a little farmcolt!?”

                Soarin’ looked at the floor. His stomach was doing belly flops as his heart pounded, but his mind was made and his resolve was iron.

                “If I have to Spitfire, because I can live with that. But let me ask you something. Can you? Can you live knowing that there’s gonna be one little farm colt, out in Neighbraska, plowing fields and picking corn, that had a best friend who did something so terrible that he couldn’t forgive her?”

                Spitfire’s eyes pierced Soarin’ like a knife through butter. She could see he was afraid, he practically oozed fear. It wasn’t often that he stood up to her, but when he did, he was always frightened and this was no different. It unnerved her. He wasn’t afraid of her, he was afraid of losing her. He was afraid that he would do exactly what he said he would.

                She slumped back into her chair, defeated and not willing to fight, and began to massage one of her temples with a forehoof.

                “No Soarin’,” Spitfire answered quietly, “I can’t.”

                “Then fix it,” Soarin’ replied. He smiled as he saw that he had gotten through to her and that she would do the right thing. “I know you can.”

                Spitfire smiled back at him, “You better get back to Ponyville before your recruits start wondering where you are. I’ll be down to assist later this week… I’ll bring the Twerp with me.”

                “Thanks Cap,” Soarin’ said as he turned to leave the office once more.

                “You know Lieutenant, you really need to stop threatening to leave, it’s getting old,” Spitfire chuckled.

                “Sure thing,” Soarin’ grinned, “Just as soon as you stop screwing everything up.”

                With that, Soarin’ took his leave and for moment, Spitfire sat alone in thoughts

                “The things you do for the ones you love,” she sighed before shouting towards her door. “Ensign Dash! Get in here!”

                The door opened and the cyan mare reappeared.

                “Take a seat.”

                “I would rath-”

                “I wasn’t asking,” Spitfire declared. “Sit. Down.”

<->

                “So, this Friday then?”

                “Train’s already booked.”

                “Are you ready?”

                “I have to be. Besides, it’s really not fair to him, this has been going on long enough and has to stop.”

                “I understand,” Luna replied. “But what I don’t understand is why Flash Sentry is still taking up residence on your davenport?”

                “Couch, Luna, just call it a couch,” Twilight sighed. It was early on Monday morning, but it was the first real chance Twilight had managed to pin Luna down and discuss with the Alicorn her upcoming report that she was preparing to deliver to Celestia to pave the way for telling her about Foxtrot’s. The wolf himself having left to train with the other recruits and Flash Sentry also out and about doing whatever it is Captain’s stuck in Ponyville for no plausible reason other than wooing a unicorn that showed absolutely no interest him do. Leaving Spike, Luna and herself in privacy, the former occupying himself with a comic book downstairs. “Once he heard that I was going to Canterlot, he insisted on accompanying me so I would have a royal escort and pushed back his own train ride. He’s chivalrous, I’ll give him that.”

                “Indeed, he often reminds Us of stallions of old, who held themselves to higher standards.” Luna commented. “However, We couldn’t be happier with the time tables thou hath set. We must speak with our sister at once regarding similar, however far different matters.”

                “How so?”

                “Similar, in that it regards Fenrir and quite possibly whatever information that you have procured. Different in that the weight it bears, is considerably more dire. We must broach our sister with topics concerning dragons, war, and tools of great devastation. Such that could change our world as we all know it.”

                “Great, more good news,” Twilight lamented sarcastically.

                “Good news indeed,” Luna sighed. “Tell us Sparkle, what hath thou learned?”

                “Glad you asked,” Twilight replied, lighting up at the idea of dumping the knowledge she learned. “So I asked myself, if I want the princess to like Foxtrot what do I need to do to convince her he’s a good guy? Sure I could rattle off all the things he’s done, but if she already has a predisposition to wolves because of Fenrir, than I figured, why not compare the two of them to show how different they are? So I started digging up everything could on him from the present on back.”

                “Did you find anything?”

                “Are you kidding me? This guy’ss the worst thing since the E-Pony virus!” Twilight exclaimed with a touch of disgust in her voice. “This is gonna be easier than pie showing that Foxtrot’s a million times better than this guy.”

                “But why?!” Luna asked unable to hide her shock. “The pup hath shared his distaste of him as well and I can’t begin to fathom the hatred you two direct towards him.”

                “Well start fathoming, because there’s tons,” Twilight answered. “Where do I start? Okay, let’s start with that fact that he’s practically a despot! At least of solid three fourths of canines are second class citizens, and that’s putting it lightly. He instituted a class based society  over eight hundred years ago which he claimed would bring order to his society, all it did was force every canine that wasn’t a wolf into either indentured servitude or serfdom. In that past several centuries there have been several rebellions, primarily from the coyotes, to try and bring an end to this, and Fenrir has seen them all swiftly and for lack of better words, brutally put down. Almost two hundred years ago, the fox population had seen a spike, and he ordered mass killings and burning down of their villages, just to make sure they wouldn’t try and rise up!”

                ‘HE WOULD NEVER!” Luna cried out in disbelief. “My sister and I had taught him better! He couldn’t be capable of such things!”

                “It’s all right here,” Twilight said sadly as she levitated multiple books, one in particular labeled ‘Coyote Uprisings’. “I’ve seen first hoof racial separation right here in Ponyville. The resentment towards unicorns after the ‘Slaughter at the Gates’ still lingers. This guy promotes and upholds it! And it’s not like the wolves really have it any better. From a young age they have a forced conscription, actually, as do all male canines. At the age of fifteen they’re forced into his army, and are basically sent to their deaths on dragon hunts. I get that he was charged with Graywing with helping thwart dragon attacks and try to keep their numbers down… but he doesn’t go after young, teen, or even adult dragons. He solely devotes his efforts to hunting ancient wyrms. These dragons are so powerful that it’s said they can level cities, and he basically marches his troops into their lairs. Check this out,” she continued as she moved another book labeled ‘The Draco-Canus War’. “He’ll launch an entire campaign against one of these dragons and easily loose ten to twenty thousand canines just to bring one of them down! It’s like he sends them to slaughter! Which makes no sense. There multiple records of him killing these Dragons by himself as well other terrifying monsters! The only reason I can think that he would send so many of these dogs to their death, is so he can kill another one at the same time!” 

                “Ancient Wyrms are terrifyingly powerful creatures, but they are wise and often do not concern themselves with our affairs as they look down on us as lesser creatures. They are remnants of an ancient time who stand watch for an ancient foe should he return. They would not attack us without reason! Why is it that Graywing would send him to hunt down these old wardens?”

                I don’t know… but between the dragon killing, population control, and in fighting, he’s practically decimating his own kind single handedly. According to census records, the canine population has for the most part been stagnant, with only slight booms after each dragon campaign… probably when the boys get back from war.” Twilight sighed as she set down a census journal down and looked up at Luna. “I gotta be honest, I have no idea what you see in this guy. He’s an asshole.”

                Luna for the most part, looked lost in her shock, as if the very world around her crumbed. “I can not believe this Twilight Sparkle. I can not! This is not the Fenrir I remember! Not the wolf I grew alongside and that my sister raised! He was to be the best of us! The incorruptible! That’s what our father called him. It was our father’s dream that he would take the throne and lead us all…”

                “You know,” Twilight said sadly as she flipped through yet another book and tossed it at Luna once she located what she had wanted to find. “I bet in that dream of his, Fenrir didn’t drive a spear through his heart.”

                Luna’s mouth fell open and tears began to form as she looked at the illustration on pages. Twilight had showed her and artistic rendition of just such a deed. The agony stricken form of a majestic and mythical dragon in its death throes. The source of its suffering was clear, the indisputable form of the Black Wolf of the North, fury in his form and malice in his eyes as he thrust a mighty spear into the breast of the great beast below him, spilling its life onto the ground in streams so great it pooled beneath the once mighty Dragon.

                “It was called the Night of Ruin, and it was to be the final battle between the Dragon King and Discord.” Twilight explained. Her tone low and with as much tact as she could muster as she knew that all the information she had to deliver was breaking Luna’s heart. However Twilight knew the Alicorn needed to hear the truth. “This book is the only direct account of the events, written by Graywing himself as he was the only one present when his betrayal took place. According to it, the Dragon King had led your sister, Graywing, Fenrir, and rest of his court to do battle with him and put an end to him once and for all. Discord brought with all sorts of atrocities as well as Grogar of the Goats who had been banished from the King’s court some years before for corrupting some unicorn prince, and Bahlok, the Changling Overmind whose insatiable hunger Discord promised to satisfy. During the battle, his court became separated. Graywing, Fenrir, and the Dragon King managed to corner Discord. It was then the Dragon King did battle with him, one on one. He beat the draconqeuss down, but before The King could strike the final blow and end his madness once and for all, Fenrir, attacked him with Gungnir, a mythical spear forged for Fenrir by the King so that he might one day fulfill the prophecy and skewer the winged beast. Instead, he used it to kill him.”

                Luna could not respond. She could only set the book aside and bury her head in a nearby pillow and began to weep.

                “Celestia knew how much you cared for him, she probably didn’t tell you, because she knew how much it would hurt you,” Twilight tried to console her. “Luna… I’m sorry.”

                “It cannot be true… It simply cannot!” the former princess blubbered.

                “It is,” Twilight confirmed.

                There was a silence between that seemed to last forever until at last Luna broke it.

                “This is my fault,” she whispered quietly. “If I had been there…Had I not fell to the Nightmare…”

                “Luna,” Twilight implored, “don’t do this to yourself.”

                “I have too, it’s the only reasonable explanation!” Luna cried out. “He loved me Twilight Sparkle, and when… when I… How badly I must have hurt him for him to-“

                “ENOUGH!” Twilight shouted back, “The Night of Ruin happened at least fifty years after your banishment. Don’t you think he would have acted a little sooner than that, if a broken heart was the cause of all this?!”

                “I can think of no other reason Twilight Sparkle!” Luna argued. “The Fenrir in these books is foreign to me and is nothing short of a monster! The wolf that knew and grew alongside since I was but a filly would never have done such things! Surely it was my succumbing to the dark natures of chaos and my banishment that drove him to this!”

                “That’s ridiculous!”

                “Is it? During that fifty years, what were his actions? Was not each act of each day after my banishment not worse than last leading up to this heinous deed?!”

                “Well,” Twilight fumbled, “actually, I don’t really know, I kinda stopped reading after I got to the Night of Ruin. Figured that would be just about enough to separate him from Foxtrot.”

                “Well I assure you, there is no need to search further, the cause of his actions sits before you!”

                “You know what! I’ve had just ab-” Twilight began but was interrupted by a sudden knocking at her front door.

                “I got it!” Spike’s voice shouted from downstairs followed by the sound of the Golden Oak library door opening.

                “Who is it Spike!” Twilight yelled down to him.

                “It’s Thunderlane,” her most faithful assistant yelled back. “He says he needs to talk to Luna!”

                “Oh dear,” Luna muttered, “I must look terrible.” She mumbled and quickly levitated a washcloth from Twilight’s bathroom to her face to quickly dry her eyes and sucked in several breaths before turning back to the purple unicorn. “How do I look?”

                “Fine,” Twilight muttered, “but just so you know, this isn’t over! I went over a thousand years of history to prove to Celestia that it’s not Foxtrot’s fault that Fenrir’s a giant butt. I have no problems running through another fifty more to show you that it isn’t yours either!”

                “Very well,” Luna sighed as she trotted to the door. She paused and let out a small chuckle. “You truly are a fine friend, Twilight Sparkle. Do as you wish. I will see what it is that young Thunderlane needs,” she spoke out as she began to head to the stairs.

                “I will, just don’t ruin Thunderlane’s life this time like you did last time while I do it!” Twilight called out after her.

                “I make no promises Twilight Sparkle,” Luna answered as she descended the stairwell.

                Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle as well before she quickly levitated another history book in front of her and began to read.

<->

                Dash twiddled her hooves as she sat.

                She had been in Spitfire’s office for the better part two hours doing absolutely nothing. The Captain had been sitting across from her behind her desk, her hind legs propped up as she leaned back resting her head on her forelegs as she stared at her ceiling, occasionally making slight ‘hmmm-ing’ noises. Dash, for the life of her, couldn’t fathom why Spitfire was sitting here stalling and not busy processing the necessary paperwork to remover her from the Equestrian Navy, but had no desire to ask either.

                “Did you go after him?”

                “What?” Dash asked, taken by surprise by the sudden question.

                “The Hero,” Spitfire reiterated, “Did you go after him?”

                “Sonic? What do you care?” Rainbow Dash mumbled.

                “Because I do.”

                “Well I don’t.”

                “Well if that’s the way you wanna play,” Spitfire sighed as she sat up properly, “let’s try this again. Ensign Dash, until I fill out these forms, you are still an officer of the Navy and will conduct yourself as such. Furthermore, as your Captain, and commanding officer, I am no longer asking, but ordering you to tell me, did you or did you not, go after the Hero last Friday after your graduation and commissioning?”

                Rainbow Dash’s eyes fell to the floor as she simply did not have the will nor the stomach to fight her.

                “No.”

                “Good,” Spitfire replied curtly, “Would’ve made things worse if you did. What did you do?”

                “I went home. I went home and stayed home all weekend.”

                “You didn’t do anything?”

                “No.”

                “So what’s your plan once you’re out of the Navy? What are you gonna do?”

                “I don’t know… I was thinking I’d move to Las pegasus… get a weather job.”

                “Push clouds?”

                “Yes Ma’am.”

                “Huh,” Spitfire replied flatly. “I got a better idea. How about you take today and tomorrow off. Go and see Twilight Sparkle and talk to her. You’re gonna ask her to forgive you. Tell her that I got under your skin, and you acted like a first class retard because of it and that you’re sorry.”

                “What?” Rainbow questioned, not all understanding what Spitfire was saying. “What about-”

                “Let’s hold off on this for a while,” Spitfire cut her off as she gestured to Rainbow Dash’s release papers. “You’re upset, you’re not thinking clearly, and you might be making a huge mistake. So I want you to go and talk to Twilight Sparkle. You see, recently Twilight managed to get herself into the quite the little kerfuffle regarding herself and Foxtrot, and since he means a great deal to me, I may have had to have a little,” Spitfire swirled a forehoof in the air as she tried to think of a word. “Heart to heart with her regarding the subject.”

                Dash’s eyes went wide in fear.

                “Don’t be dramatic,” Spitfire sighed as she waived her off, “it was nothing like our little discussion on Heart’s and Hooves Day. But never the less, I think you’ll find that she’ll hear you out. Once you do that, go to your other friends and tell them the same thing. They’re gonna be like… Why would you do that? How could you ever act like that? And ask a whole bunch of other dumb questions that don’t really matter and you’re gonna tell them the same thing over and over again. That you weren’t thinking. That I was putting you under a lot of stress at the Academy. That I was pissing you off so badly, that you wanted to do whatever you could to get back me and that you thought using the Hero was the best way to do it. You’re also gonna tell him that you know now how stupid you were. And then you’re gonna ask them to forgive you. And then they’re going to.”

                Rainbow blinked in her disbelief at what she was hearing. “I-I don’t und-”

                “Now your parents, that’ll be easy,” Spitfire continued, ignoring Dash’s stammering. “These are the only two ponies in the world legally obligated to love you know matter how bad you screw up. So you’re gonna go home, tell them you’re sorry, they’re gonna yell at you for like an hour or two, you start crying because the truth hurts, tell them you’re sorry again and if they can ever forgive you so that you can be their daughter again, they’ll promptly tell you, ‘You’re always gonna be our daughter, no matter what you do, that’ll never change’ or something sappy like that. Hugs all around and boom. Everything’s fixed, you’re back to work on Wednesday and I’m gonna assign you to helping train some new recruits. That way we’ll keep you on the top of your game and it’s a good thing to put on your evaluation when you’re up for Lieutenant Junior Grade. Oh, but whatever you do, stay away from Sonic! You’ll screw things up worse.  Savvy?”

                “W-what are you doing?” Rainbow questioned. “I thought you wanted this! For me to leave and never come back! You won okay! You beat me! I wanna leave! I don’t want to be a Wonderbolt!”

                “Is that so?” Spitfire replied with a raised eyebrow.

                “Yes! So just…” Rainbow stammered, suddenly feeling the urge to get as far away from Spitfire as possible. “J-just let me go!”

                “You had a bad day, I’ll be honest,” Spitfire replied. “You got knocked down in the dirt and it hurts, but you wanna know something?” Spitfire asked and then leaned over her desk to close the distance between herself and the cyan mare. “Everypony does. You can’t win them all Twerp, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is picking yourself up and fixing this mess you made.”

                “That I made?!” Dash retorted, anger finding its way to her voice. “That I made?! You mean that you made! Because of you, my parents hate me! They think I’m some two bit hussy that goes around breaking hearts for fun! Sonic hates me! He probably thinks I’m some cold hearted monster that wanted nothing more than to chew him up and spit him out! And the icing on the cake, ALL of my friends hate me! I’ll never be able to speak to them again! And it’s all because of you! You did this! You ruined my life! Are you happy?! You completely and utterly ruined my life! All because you’re jealous that Soarin’ sorta liked me a long time ago and again because you hated seeing me and Sonic together! And no matter how hard I tried, how hard I fought back you still managed to take everything important to me and burn it to the ground! Well I’m done! You win! I’m sick and tired of your bullshit! I can’t fight you! I don’t want to fight you! So let me go!” Dash yelled, her throat burning with anger and sadness. “Please,” she whispered… “I can’t do this anymore.”

                “You done?” Spitfire asked, annoyance rife in her tone. “Are you done? Because if you’re not, let me know so I can bring Pinkie Pie up here to help you out with this pity party you’re throwing. The way I see it, yeah you’re life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows right now, and you can do one of two things. You can run away and feel sorry for yourself for the rest of your life, or,” Spitfire lifted a forehoof and jabbed Rainbow hard in the chest. “You stop acting like a little bitch, grab a big ass straw, and suck that shit up! Try acting like a grown ass mare for once and fix this mess instead of running away from it! Because trust me, this isn’t the end of world. So you looked like jackass in front of a few of your friends, so what? Your parents think you’re jealous little tramp, big deal! You had a bad break up with your boyfriend, boo-fucking-hoo! Let me tell you something Twerp, you think running away will fix this!? Fuck no! And to top it all off, you’re too big of a coward accept that you brought this on yourself! You think I did this? Tell me, who flirted with Soarin’, MY best friend and boyfriend at the time right in front of me!? What did you expect me do? Laugh it off and keep trottin’? On what might have been the worst day of my life, as soon as my back was turned who threw herself at him on the Equus!? Who broke the Hero’s heart trying to steal Soarin’ from me… in the middle of a Heart’s and Hooves Day dance no less? And then tell me who it was who went outta their way just mock me to my face about not loving Sonic, knowing that he’s a good friend of mine? Oh and that icing on the cake you were talking about, who was it that shouted out how much she wanted to hurt Sonic in front of her friends and family? It was you, Twerp! You did this! You kept pushing, and fighting, and battling every step of the way this is what it got you! And you wanna know why? Because Rainbow Dash decided to sow the wind, so don’t you dare put this on me when you reap the whirlwind! And look at you, you haven’t changed! You say you’re done fighting me, but you’re not! Even now, I’m trying to tell you how to fix everything, and instead of thanking me from the bottom of your heart, you still wanna do things your way! Well guess what Twerp?! Your way doesn’t work! But either you’re too prideful or too stupid or both to see that! You’d rather run away from your friends, your family, and your dream and keep digging yourself into a deeper grave rather than listen to the one mare in the world who’s trying to throw you a shovel so you dig your dumbass out!”

                Rainbow sat in a stunned silence at these words, in that instant she felt like fool, because in that instant, she knew Spitfire was right.

                “Your friends will get over it and they’ll forgive you! It’s their job! To forgive you when you screw up! They’re your friends! If they’re not there to help you when you need them most, what good are they?!”

                “B-but what if they don’t?” Rainbow replied meekly.

                “Then they were never really you’re friends in the first place now were they?!” Spitfire shot back. “I know it’s gonna take time, and it won’t be easy to get their trust back, but it beats the hell out running away to Las Pegasus like a little coward and pushing clouds for the rest of your life.  Are you a coward?!”

                “W-what?!”

                “ARE YOU A COWARD!?”

                “N-no.”

                “DO YOU WANT TO RUN AWAY TO LAS PEGAUS LIKE A COWARD?!”

                “No!”

                “ARE YOU A COWARD WHO WANTS TO RUN AWAY FROM HER FRIENDS?!”

                “NO!!”

                “ARE YOU A COWARD WHOSE GONNA LET ONE BAD DAY GET THEM DOWN!?”

                “NOO!!!” Dash began to scream back, not sure were the confidence she was now finding was coming from.

                “DID YOU GO THROUGH THE TOUGHEST, MOST GRUELING, MOST DEMANDING TRAINING EQUESTRIA HAS TO OFFER TO BE A WEATHER MARE?!?!”

                “NOOO!!!”

                “DO YOU WANNA BE A WEATHER MARE OR A WONDERBOLT!?

                “A WONDERBOLT!!”

                “I DON’T BELIEVE YOU TWERP!?!? ARE YOU A WORTHLESS LITTLE CLOUD PUSHER OR A FIREBREATHING, TAKE-NO-SHIT-SEETHING, BREAKIN’ NECKS, CASHING CHECKS, MAKE THE MARES WET AND STALLIONS REGRET, PROFESSIONAL BADASS!?!?” Spitfire cried out, the captain now screaming at the top of her lungs.

                “I’M A PROFESSIONAL BADASS!!” Dash responded with conviction as she suddenly felt a fire in her breast as she too raised up and slammed on Spitfire’s desk so hard that one of the cabinet draws on it rolled open, her own eyes burning with determination.

                “YOU’RE GODDAMN RIGHT YOU ARE!!!” Spitfire roared back. Then she leaned close and screamed. “NOW ARE YOU GONNA RUN AWAY?! OR ARE YOU GONNA FIX THIS SHIT?!?”

                “I’M GONNA FIX THIS SHIT!!”

                “THEN GET THE FUCK OUTTA MY OFFICE AND FIX IT TWERP!!”

                Rainbow Dash nearly broke her neck spinning around to gallop through the door and begin the mission of repairing her life that Spitfire set her on, however just before her hoof reached the door knob, she halted.

                “Captain?” she asked, her voice once again normal.

                “Oh for the love a-” Spitfire began thowing her hooves up in frustration. “WHAT?!”

                “Why are you doing this? I thought me leaving would be everything you ever wanted?”

                “Are you really doing this right now?” Spitfire groaned as she buried her head in her hooves. “Ughh… Look, whether you like it or not, I’m your Captain. And whether I like it or not, you’re my Wonderbolt. No matter what we’ve been through, no matter how much we hate each other… you’re still my Wonderbolt and I’m still your Captain. Are you picking up what I’m putting down Twerp? How about you try things my way, follow me, stop fighting me…” Spitifre added, “I’ll finish this paperwork, and if on Wedensday morning you still want out, all you have to do is sign your name on the dotted line. I promise.”

                Rainbow turned Spitfire’s words over in her head for a moment, unsure if she could trust her.

                “I keep my promises Dash.”

                Dash nodded and exited the office.

                Once alone, Spitfire let out one last exasperated sigh.

                “Captain?” Dash asked once more as she quickly reopened the door and popped her head back in.

                “ByallthatisgoodandholyWHAAAAAT?!?!?!” Spitfire roared.

                “What about Sonic?”

                “The Hero?” Spitfire asked, her gaze dropped down to the open drawer on her desk that rolled involuntarily during their discussion. Her eyes danced the seven slightly glowing gemstones and caused her to smile. “You leave him to me.”