Chapter Thirteen: Falling Action

The faint scent of the fresh, trimmed grass still lingered in the air at the Manehattan Square Gardens, which was an odd name given that the open field was more of a rectangular oval than an actual square. Nevertheless, Spitfire felt invigorated as she took in the scent, though it was because it reminded her of the fragrance of Applejack’s orchards on a sunny afternoon. Even the trees transplanted onto the field, for the fliers that wished to incorporate chicane manoeuvres in their routine, reminded her of Sweet Apple Acres. The Wonderbolt Captain gazed out across the arena field with a growing sense of nostalgia and a longing sigh upon her lips.

Turning her gaze away from the field, Spitfire took a few moments to admire the sheer scope of the audience she would be performing in front of. The vast majority of the seats were empty but there were small clusters of eager fans who wanted to catch a glimpse of their favourite athletes during warm-ups. Spitfire was never daunted by crowd size; if anything she reveled in the cheering and the glory of the adoring crowd. Her eyes continued up the multiple tiers of the stadium until they focused on the VIP boxes near the top. Even from a distance, she recognized which box would be the one that Applejack would be sitting in - the one adorned in the Wonderbolt’s colours in section-C. She made a mental note to make her fly-bys extra close when she went by that particular section. Spitfire had seen all the things that made Applejack such a wonderful pony, it was time that she returned the favour.

But would she be able to? It felt like it had been ages since she had last set foot in an area. A part of her hoped she hadn’t lost her touch after missing so many practices. Spitfire wasn’t known as one of the best fliers in Equestria by skipping out on team meetings and practices. At the same time, it was hard for her to make time for a personal life when she was spending almost every waking moment training and studying techniques.

Those concerns of hers were short-lived, though, when she watched her teammates flying overhead. Spitfire kept reminding herself that the Wonderbolts didn’t need their captain watching over their every move, and she had faith that Soarin’ would be able to fill in for her when needed. Fleet Foot and High Wind were practicing their paired routine for tomorrow’s competitions. They made a good pair, Spitfire thought, even if Fleet Foot still had a tendency to go a bit faster than High Wind.

A streak of brown and gold out of the corner of her eye pulled Spitfire’s attention downrange of the arena. At the far end she could see a team of gryphons going over their own last-minute routine adjustments.

“Hm...looks like the Golden Hawks have really got their act together,” the Wonderbolt Captain mused with a wry grin. She relished the opportunity for decent competition. If anything, strong adversity only made victory taste sweeter. As she recalled from her studies of the Golden Hawks, they had great speed on their divines and strong discipline, but their manoeuvrability was lacking, and that was where she and her Wonderbolts were going to nail the gryphons to the scoreboard.

“I wonder what AJ is doing right now.” Her thoughts drifted back to the subject that had been plaguing her for the past several minutes. Even though Applejack gave her blessings, it didn’t help the pegasus shake the feeling that she had abandoned her girlfriend at a time of greatest need. Spitfire kept telling herself that she could make up for it later, but it felt like an excuse rather than justification. Why did Applejack have to be so concerned over Rainbow Dash’s absence? Why couldn’t she just be happy that they were spending time together as a couple?

“You haven’t listened to a word I said, have you?” Soarin’s words barked directly into her ear, which derailed her train of thought and left no survivors.

She recoiled for a moment, ears flattening against her head, before she realized that Soarin’ had been talking to her the entire time. And she hadn’t caught a word of it. Rather than be apologetic, though, she instead shot her friend a harsh glare for yelling into her ear.

“What? No, of course I was!” she insisted with all the persuasive power of a foal who had been caught napping in class. “Fleet Foot was very...um...good...doing her...things...” The unconvinced stare she got in return was enough to convince her to beat a hasty retreat. “Okay, okay! I was just...lost in thought.”

“Please tell me this isn’t about Applejack again,” Soarin’ groaned as he buried his face into his hoof.

“Hey! I’m allowed to be worried about my girlfriend,” Spitfire snapped back with her trademark temper.

However, as always her friend remained immune to the effects of her outbursts.

“I’m not saying that you can’t be,” Soarin’ argued. He found it strange that he was the one having to be the voice of reason given that it was often Spitfire’s job to keep wayward team members in line. However, as the second-in-command, it was part of his job to keep watch over the captain. Were he not such close friends with her, he would have been far more upfront about his concerns than he was right now. “It’s just that this isn’t the best time to be distracted by personal issues. We’ve got bigger things to worry about. The competition is pretty fierce this year so we need to be on top of our game if we’re going to win this.”

“Oh this is rich, I’m being lectured about distracting personal issues by you,” Spitfire replied with a tone double-battered and deep-fried in sarcasm. “Where was that mentality back when we were going out, Mr. ‘Let’s have a quickie in the locker room,’ eh?”

Now was not the time to be breaking out into an argument. This was exactly why he needed to be delicate addressing the issue but it seemed that even his attempt at civility was provoking his fellow Wonderbolt. He was only thankful that the rest of the team was up in the air and couldn’t overhear their argument...yet.

“First off, this isn’t about me or us or then,” Soarin’ said in a desperate attempt to keep things civil. “This is about what is important right now, which is the competition. It’s three days, Spitfire, your girlfriend will still be there when this is over.” Soarin’ knew he shouldn’t have said more but it was too hard to resist getting that last shot in. “And for your information, I’ve changed since then.”

The Wonderbolt Captain let out a disrespectful snort, which could have been considered a mild improvement. However, this meant that she had transitioned from ‘volatile firebrand’ to ‘quiet brooding’ and that could be equally problematic for him. He never recalled seeing Spitfire so worked up over one pony before. Where was this level of concern when they went out? When their work and personal life became too difficult to handle together, Spitfire just severed their relationship. It didn’t create an easy working environment for either of them but in the end, freeing Spitfire so she could focus on being captain was what made the Wonderbolts the champions they were today.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Soarin’ asked in a change of tactics.

“I thought bringing Applejack here would make for a really fun trip,” Spitfire began as she took Soarin’s offer and ran off with it. “But she’s been...quiet and distant almost the entire time because her friend couldn’t come too. And now she’s all worried about her friend, and going on about how something is troubling her friend and that she should be there for her friend.”

“You are aware of the irony of this situation?”

“Irony?”

“Oh, nevermind,” Soarin’ dismissed with a sigh. “Applejack’s allowed to have friends and be worried about them when they’re in distress. Friendships are important, after all, and you were the one who was complimenting her about her honesty and dependability.”

“I know! I know,” Spitfire snapped. Her anger was more focused at the topic rather than Soarin’ directly so the outburst failed to faze him. “It’s just...her friend is...well, you remember Rainbow Dash?”

Soarin’ responded with a blank stare.

“She saved your pie back at the last Grand Galloping Gala.”

“Oh, right! Her. I remember her,” Soarin’ said as the details flashed through his mind. “What about her?”

“Well, remember how I told you that Rainbow Dash set up this elaborate scheme to lure Applejack into a bachelor’s auction in order for me to ‘win’ a date with her?” The Wonderbolt Captain paused for a moment as she struggled to force the words out of her mouth. Shame was not something that she was familiar or comfortable with, least of all to the one pony she knew would always tease her about shameful acts. “That might not have been an accurate description of what happened.”

“Which parts?” Soarin’ asked with a hint of a surprise. His friend rarely needed to make up stories to make herself look good given all her credentials.

“Rainbow Dash did set up an elaborate scheme to lure Applejack to the auction block...but I was never a part of the plan, and I think Dash intended to win that date, not me.” The issue had nagged on her mind for a while and now that she had a willing ear to listen, the pegasus started babbling out the rest. “I mean, I didn’t go there intending to get between Dash and Applejack! I only figured it out by piecing things together over the next few days. By the time I realized what was going on, I didn’t want to break things off with Applejack, and she was already convinced this had been some grand scheme for her happiness.”

Soarin’ was beginning to regret this choice of tactics as now his Captain was even more distracted than before. Yet even as Spitfire began to pace across the field, he found himself unwilling to interrupt her. This sounded like she needed to get off her chest.

“So I can’t tell her truth, otherwise she might get mad at me for pretending this had been an elaborate plan, which is a lie of omission so I’m guilty of dishonesty. At the same time, I’ve seen the way Rainbow Dash and Applejack behave around each other...they’re really close friends, and if I hadn’t intruded when I did, I know for certain they would be together now.” Her confession was beginning to sound like paranoia but when Soarin’ tried to raise a hoof to interrupt, she continued on regardless with her pace quickening with each word. “Also, a bunch of weird things kept happening on our dates, which I think are a result of Dash trying to mess them up so they end prematurely. Applejack hasn’t said anything about it but I think she’s noticed them too. And now I’m worried that...what if Applejack is only going out with me because of how much Rainbow Dash and I are alike. What if I was just the next best thing? We’re both big-time dare-devil fliers and we’re both super athletic. But she has years of friendship going for her while I’m just the new filly that swooped in out of the blue. I can’t compete with that!”

“I...think you’re over-thinking things a bit,” Soarin’ finally managed to interject.

“Don’t you see?” Spitfire exclaimed as she grabbed her friend by the scruff of his flightsuit. “I think the only reason Applejack hasn’t left me is because for some crazy reason she hasn’t realized Dash’s affections for her! Oh, sweet golden feathers of my ancestors...what am I going to do when she finds out?”

That was the point where Soarin’ decided that he had indulged Spitfire long enough and that it was time to pull the brakes on the crazy train. While he would never advocate violence against mares, politeness had no effect on the rambling Wonderbolt so it took a firm smack across the face to bring Spitfire back to her senses.

“Snap out of it, Spitfire!” Soarin’ barked. “You’re talking crazy! Now pull your head out of your hindquarter and put it back in the game where it belongs!”

“I...I, uh...I’m sorry about that,” Spitfire murmured while her mind still reeled from the sudden shock. “I...I don’t know what came over me just now.”

“You were doing that thing where you analyze every little detail of something,” Soarin’ explained with a great sense of relief. The Captain of the Wonderbolts having a complete nervous breakdown right before a major competition would have made the team a laughing stock. “Now how about spending a little less time analyzing your relationship, and a bit more time analyzing your teammates?”

Like a pony thirsting for a drink, Spitfire leapt at the chance to get her mind onto something else. “Yes...yes, I think I will,” she murmured in a half-daze. As much as she hated to admit it, Soarin’ was right on all counts, even the hoof-smack. Spitfire didn’t become one of the best fliers by worrying over girlfriends, and she needed to keep her mind focused on the competition for the sake of her teammates. “Thanks, Soarin’, for knocking some sense into me.”

“Anytime.”

“However, if you tell anybody about this, I will strangle you in your sleep.”

“You’ve been threatening me with that for years,” Soarin’ said. The two Wonderbolts shared a quick chuckle. “Look on the bright side, once tonight’s competitions are over, you can take AJ out for a night on the town. Like you said, Rainbow Dash isn’t here...so you’ve got all the time in the world.”

*****************************

By the time that she arrived in Manehattan, Rainbow Dash was still cursing herself for having spent so much time with Rarity getting her ensemble in order. Speed was of the essence and still the fashion-obsessed unicorn insisted on a fresh, original outfit for Dash to wear. By the end of the fitting, Rarity was one step shy of bolting Dash to the ground just to keep the impatient pegasus still long enough to finish. The only thought that compelled the pegasus to stay when all other thoughts shouted ‘go!’ was her desire to look nice for Applejack. That, and Rainbow Dash wasn’t going to take the risk of flying all the way to Manehattan only to get turned away because the VIP section has a strictly-enforced dress code.

If she weren’t in such a hurry, Dash would have taken the time to admire the sight of Manehattan Square Gardens when she touched down. It’s towering walls of steel and glass glistened the Manehattan cityscape lights like an artificial night sky. It gave it the appearance of an almost sanctified aura like a temple devoted to athleticism and determination. Dash knew she would need some of that sense of determination if she were going to make it through the night.

Though a child of the sky, Rainbow Dash was glad to be on the ground as her dress had not be tailored with high-speed flight in mind. It didn’t ride as high on her flank like her gala dress did but the sectioned gown, patterned to look like flowing feathers, created a lot of drag during flight.

As she approached the nearest gate, the stationed security guard chimed in a monotonous voice, “Tickets please.”

“I...don’t suppose you know where I could find Spitfire of the Wonderbolts, do you?” Dash asked as she presented her ticket. It was a long-shot but the easiest way to find Applejack would be to find the celebrity mare that would likely be glued to her flank.

“Autograph sessions are held tomorrow,” the guard replied in a manner that made him sound like a pre-recorded message.

Dash realized that the guard had likely heard similar questions a thousand times already by adoring fans, which meant she was going to have to find Applejack the hard way. It was a task that was as difficult as it would sound - finding a pony in an arena packed to the gunnels was like trying to find a particular need in a pile of needles. It seemed almost hopeless at first.

“No! You can’t give up now!” she scolded herself. “You need to do this for her...you owe it to her.”

Rainbow Dash felt she owed her friend far more than she could ever give in just one night. Applejack had been nothing but a friend to, and she had scorned that friendship because she wanted something more. With a renewed sense of determination, Rainbow Dash began scanning the crowds as she flew overhead.

At random intervals, she’d dip into the crowd to stop a few random patrons. “Excuse me? Have you seen my friend? She’s orange...wears a Stetson...kinda smells like apples.” Every time, though, she left empty-hoofed and had to continue her search. On occasion, she would ask if they had seen Spitfire but that stopped when someone answered that the Wonderbolt was on the field doing warm-ups. If Spitfire was on the field with her team, then Applejack would be on her own somewhere in the arena.

Rainbow Dash was beginning to lose hope when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of orange and yellow, and brown leather. It took all her willpower not to just shout out her friend’s name while galloping through the crowds, instead opting to keep her composure. She was, after all, Rainbow Dash - the epitome of cool.

“Okay Dash, gotta play this cool.” She used the crowds to mask her approach until she was only a few feet behind her friend. The sight of Applejack in such a dejected state sent a pang of guilt through the pegasus. There was no denying that this was her fault, and it was her responsibility to right this injustice.

“Hey!” she called out. “Now what’s with that long face?”

This was the moment of truth. Would Rarity’s guarantee hold up? Would the magic of friendship hold up under the weight of Dash’s self-imposed guilt? It was a daunting challenge at first as she was under a heavy burden already. She held her breath as she watched Applejack’s ears perk at the familiar call; her pulse quickened as green eyes widened at her presence; her hooves began to tremble as their gazes met. However, the tightness in her chest began to loosen as her friend’s lips curled into a brilliant smile.

“Rainbow!” The excitement was so overwhelming that Applejack almost tackled her friend in her rush to greet her. Her hooves wrapped around the pegasus with an almost vice-like grip. “Can’t begin to tell ya how glad Ah am to see ya here.”

With those words Rainbow Dash felt the tension throughout her body evaporate. It was just as Rarity described. As her own hooves closed around her friend, she felt the burdens of her guilt slip from her shoulders as her heart and spirit soared. It was so simple that she almost felt stupid for not realizing it sooner: her friend was happy. And it was because of Dash; not Spitfire or Twilight or Princess Celestia or anybody else. This was her moment, their moment, and nothing was going to take that triumph away. How she wished she could hold onto this moment forever, but Rainbow Dash found solace in the knowledge that so long as she treasured her friendship, moments such as these would keep returning.

“Sorry I’m late,” Rainbow apologized as the two ponies withdrew from their platonic embrace. “Rarity had to...remind me of my priorities.”

“Ain’t no need for apologies, Dashie. You’re here and that’s all that matters.”

It was almost as if Applejack had wiped away all her past transgressions with just a few words. Thoughts of her past deeds lingered at the back of Rainbow Dash’s mind, but her friend’s words of reassurance gave her the strength to keep going.

“Hope you weren’t too heartbroken I wasn’t here.” Sliding into her more comfortable persona, Rainbow Dash blanketed her lingering worries with her usual air of self-absorption. “But now that I am, the fun can really start!”

“You said it!” Applejack cheered in agreement. “Way too stuffy up with all these uptown ponies. How’s about you and I slip outside and have some real fun?”

Rainbow’s words stumbled in her throat as she tried to find a proper response. Her rational mind knew that it was an innocent question, but that didn’t stop her mind from flashing mental images of a less-than-puritanical nature.

“Real...fun?” she managed to eek out.

Applejack flashed a wide, knowing grin to her friend as she led her by the hoof. “Yeah, they got all kinds of fair games set up outside. It’ll be a hoot!”

“Oh...fair games, of course.” Rainbow wanted to slap herself across the face for being so obtuse, but instead masked her awkward feelings with an equally-enthusiastic smirk. “Do I smell a little challenge coming up?”

“You bet yer feathers I’m challenging you!”

*****************************

Rich or poor, young or old, everypony enjoyed the fun and excitement of carnival games. A section of the arena’s outer grounds had been converted into a miniature amusement park for patrons to enjoy while they waited for the air show to begin. It was a very stark change in atmosphere compared to the inner halls of the arena, but both Applejack and Rainbow Dash felt more at ease being around ponies who considered themselves rich in friends rather than coins.

But while many of the colts and fillies were interested in the face-painting and the oversized mascots doling out balloons and photo opportunities, Applejack and Rainbow Dash set their eyes on games of skills. There was a plethora of options to choose from, but after sampling a few the pair eventually settled on a ring tossing game.

“So what’s with the fancy get-up?” Applejack quipped as the unicorn operating the ring-toss game gave the pair five hoops each. “Ah know this is a big party, but that’s a bit much don’tcha think?”

Rainbow couldn’t deny that she appeared to be a bit overdressed. Her friend was saving her dress for the final night as opposed to Dash, who lack such foresight to bring the necessary luggage.

The pegasus replied with a sheepish, “Rarity insisted on it.” The question, while innocent, was timed well enough to throw off Rainbow Dash’s focus, and caused her first toss to fall short of the milk bottle targets. “Well played, AJ...well played.” Well two could play at that game. Rainbow Dash waited in patient silence on the sidelines as her friend began lining up for her shot. Just as Applejack was about to throw, she popped her question, “So have you and Spitfire slept together yet?”

The question had the desired effect. Applejack almost jumped out of her skin from shock, which caused her throw to fly so far off course that she wound up hitting the booth operator in the face.

“N-now wait an apple-bucking minute,” Applejack stammered as she tried to fight down the crimson hue rushing to her cheeks. “Where in the hay did that come from? Haven’t you heard of a little something called ‘tact?’”

“Why would I need one of those?” Dash replied with a sly grin. She could tell she had succeeded in turning Applejack’s focus into a complete trainwreck. Perhaps it was a bit of an underhanded tactic, but competition always had a way of making Rainbow Dash forget such trivialities of etiquette. Her choice of tactic had a secondary boon as Applejack was far too preoccupied to play interference during her next turn.

“W-well, w-we’ve done...stuff together,” Applejack stammered. Dash hadn’t expected an actual answer, but it seemed that Applejack felt an honest answer was still the best. “Ah mean, we’ve gone to sleep and woken up together...b-but we haven’t done...um, that.”

“Really?” Rainbow said as she feigned confusion. Free from interference, Dash was able to land her next shot with ease. All those years of playing horseshoes was paying off. “If I were going out with Spitfire, I would totally try to...well, you know.”

“It ain’t like Ah’m being prudish,” Applejack explained. The conversation sat at the forefront of her mind, which made it impossible for her to focus on the ring tossing. Her next few shots all went wide or bounced across the milk bottle targets. After she botched the last of her throws, the farmer let out a quiet sigh. “Ah just...Ah dunno how to explain this. These past few days have given me a lot to think about...”

Applejack expressing doubt? Rainbow Dash figured hearing such words would have been reason to get excited, but instead she felt a rush of sympathy for her friend. The smile was gone from her freckled face, and it reminded Rainbow why she came to the airshow in the first place.

“Hey...hey, I didn’t mean anything by all that,” Rainbow interrupted. “I was just trying to mess with your game. It’s your relationship and you’re allowed to take things as slow as you want.”

The pegasus was able to breath a mental sigh of relief when she saw Applejack’s mood take an upswing. With that disaster averted, Rainbow focused on preparing her last ring toss. She eyed her targets carefully, her teeth playing with the plastic ring to position it just right for the throw. With a flick of her neck, the sent the ring flipping through the air. The timing of the tumble was flawless as the ring landed perfectly around the milk bottle’s neck, which was followed afterwards by a roaring applause from her one-pony audience.

“Guess Ah need to hit the pitch and get some more practice ‘fore Ah challenge you again,” Applejack congratulated.

Rainbow Dash didn’t just win their personal contest but also a prize from the game booth itself. Both ponies had forgotten about that part of the fair games so it came as a surprise when the game operator floated a prize over to the pegasus. Even more of a surprise was the prize itself - a stuffed toy of the Wonderbolt Captain herself.

“Here, you can have this,” Rainbow said as she gave the Spitfire plushie to her friend.

“Really?” Toy or not, it was a symbol of Dash’s victory and it seemed unusual for the pegasus to be so willing to part with it. “Ah don’t know what to say except...thank you so much.” She took the plush toy and settled it upon her back. “She can act as a stand-in until the real one comes back.”

Rainbow Dash felt a strange sense of ease with those words. Maybe she was finally coming to terms with Applejack’s relationship. She was about to suggest moving on to a new game booth when the nearby PA speaker crackled to life.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, tonight’s main event, the Solo Flight Performance, will be starting in ten minutes! Please proceed to your assigned seating.”

So much for a rematch. Rainbow figured it was probably for the best since she didn’t want to spend the entire evening beating Applejack. The ponies began to wrap up their games and activities in order to file back into the arena. Not wanting to deal with the huge lines, Rainbow Dash opted for the unofficial ‘pegasus-only’ entrance.

“Come on, I know a shortcut,” she announced. Rainbow didn’t even wait for an acknowledgement before she wrapped her hooves around Applejack’s midsection and hoisted her into the air. Given that this wasn’t the first time she had been given a lift from Rainbow, the farmer kept still and held onto her plush passenger.

*****************************

Rainbow Dash was aware ahead of time that her ticket, courtesy of Spitfire, would give her access to private box seats to enjoy the show, but what she hadn’t expected was that she and Applejack would have the booth all to themselves. The private was box offered them a fantastic view of the arena, and at the right height to enjoy the flight performances without having to crane their necks back for the entire time. With velvet cushion seating and a fully-stocked lounge bar, Rainbow Dash should have been bouncing off the walls in her excitement. Instead, however, she had to devote considerable willpower to keep her urges in check. This was the exact kind of scenario that had dreamt about - alone with Applejack at the tail-end of an evening together. As a creature of impulse, the temptations were gnawing at her mind.

To that end, she was infinitely grateful that the airshow gave her something to focus her thoughts on. Since Applejack had only a cursory understanding on the competitive side of the sport, there were plenty of things for the two to talk about. Every manoeuvre had its own history to it; every team had their own strengths and pitfalls. And Rainbow Dash, being the closest thing the farmer knew to an expert on the sport, was happy to go on in length about every trivial bit of information.

“And that’s why even though Fleet Foot is faster than Soarin’, she’ll never be able to outperform him in a solo routine.”

“Boy, Ah never realized this daredevil business could be so complicated,” Applejack commented. The aforementioned Fleet Foot was just wrapping up her performance to great applause from the adoring crowd. Sadly, while Fleet Foot was a champion on the racetrack, her scores in aerobatics were less than stellar. However, a weak score from one team member wasn’t cause for concern, as Rainbow explained, for the team’s scores were based on the four highest solo routines from each team. According to her, between Spitfire and Soarin’, it was hard for any other team to stand against the Wonderbolts.

“It’s...like bucking apples,” Dash said with the hopes that relating to a more familiar subject would help the farmer understand. “It’s all about form and technique, otherwise you just wind up hurting your hoof and getting no apples.”

“And here Ah thought you never paid attention to mah ‘apple lectures,’” the farmer joked followed by a quiet chuckle. “Ah guess it just looks complicated to us ground-pounders ‘cause we just ain’t used to the idea of flying.”

The earth pony had a point. Rainbow Dash, for the life of her, couldn’t understand how anypony could look at farming and go ‘I want to spend the rest of my life waking up at the crack of dawn, and work long hours moving heavy loads for meagre pay for the rest of my life.’ To each their own, she reminded herself.

“Up next is a pony who needs no introduction! Stomp your hooves in applause for the one, the only, Spitfire of the Wonderbolts!”

Both ponies shot to attention at the speaker’s announcement. Even in the shelter of the private booth, the roar of the crowd reverberated all the way up to them, spurring them to applaud as well.

“Woo! Go Spitfire!” Applejack cheered as the Wonderbolt Captain took to the sky. Even though Applejack had gone to airshows with Dash in the past and had seen the Wonderbolts perform before, this marked the first time that the farmer paid close attention. Before, Spitfire was just ‘the orange-maned one’ that was hard to discern from the other sky-blue blurs that soared overhead. Tonight, however, Applejack got her first taste of the grace and form of the pony she was going out with. She glanced over to her friend and was relieved to see that even Rainbow Dash was getting into the spirit of the games - that mixture of adoration, enthusiasm, and ambition that adorned the pegasus’ face had been sorely missed by the farmer. It was the look that she had whenever she saw the Wonderbolts perform, and it always warmed Applejack’s heart to see her friend so happy.

The last few days had been lacking in that expression, and it had been one of the things that had been worrying her.

“Tell me about Spitfire,” Applejack spoke up as she relaxed back into her seat.

“What do you mean? You’re the one that’s going out with her.”

“Ah mean tell me about her as a flier...like you did with all the others,” she explained.

There was no reason why Dash couldn’t. If anything, Spitfire was probably the one pegasus that she had studied more than any other.

“Spitfire has always been about technique and precision,” Rainbow began as the pair settled in to watch the performance. “Her signature move is the Rising Phoenix - she goes into a free-fall and then pulls up at the last second with a huge, flaming contrail that fans out like giant wings as she soars over the crowd. It’s always the last manoeuvre in her routines.”

Applejack imagined that such a stunt was a lot more impressive if you were in the crowd that she soared over rather than sitting all the way up in a private box. Still, Rainbow’s explanation had piqued the farmer’s interest. It probably wouldn’t beat a Sonic Rainboom, but it would be hard for anypony to dislodge her opinion that Rainbow Dash was the best flier in Equestria.

“When she first joined the Wonderbolts, she barely made the cut and some of the older members wanted her cut from the roster. She struggled at first, but the Captain at the time, and everypony else, saw that with each competition, Spitfire just got better and better. Even when the press was lampooning her, she never stopped training. They say she used to spend her off-hours in the archives watching all the old films of past tournaments.”

“That’s some real dedication on her part,” Applejack remarked. A sudden wave of fatigue washed over the farmer. Having been up and walking about since early morning, she was surprised that she had managed to last as long as she had. Thankfully she didn’t have to go anywhere any time soon so Applejack simply leaned over and rested her head upon Dash’s shoulder.

Rainbow froze like a filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. Why did she have to use adjacent seats? There were at least a half-dozen other cushions either of them could have taken. For a brief moment, Rainbow Dash contemplated feigning thirst so that she had an excuse to get up. But that meant missing a part of Spitfire’s routine, as well as depriving the small part of her that was enjoying the closeness and the way that Applejack’s mane brushed against her wings.

“Gah! Focus, Rainbow. Gotta keep it together.”

“It’s what she does...she puts her heart and soul into anything she goes after,” Rainbow continued in order to maintain her composure. She just had to focus on the airshow and their conversation. “There was a huge uproar in Cloudsdale when she was made team captain. Everypony said she was too young to take on the task, and a lot of talk about how she ‘stole’ the position from Soarin’.” As controversial as it was, however, it served as a major source of inspiration for Rainbow Dash to strive for her dream. The Wonderbolt Captain was the poster-pony for success through skill and determination.

“What do you mean stole?”

“Back then Soarin’ was the up-and-coming star for the Wonderbolts,” Rainbow explained as she recalled the numerous magazines and newspapers that featured the aforementioned stallion on their covers. He was photogenic and, more importantly, not coupled with a volatile temper that got Spitfire in trouble on many occasions. “They were going out at the time so there was some speculation that Soarin’ gave her position, which was then repaid by her breaking things off with him a few months later.”

“That’s not what really happened right?” Such actions did not sound like those belonging to the Spitfire that she knew, but at the same time she could understand what dedication could do to one’s personal life.

“Of course not,” Rainbow dismissed. “Soarin’ was one of Spitfire’s biggest supporters even after they broke up. It was all just rumours started up by jealous ponies.”

Applejack was relieved to hear that, even though she didn’t believe the alternatives for a moment.

“Oh! Is this it?” the weary farmer asked as she motioned her friend’s attention to the arena. Applejack had already been watching but what exactly was unclear until Dash’s affirmative nod. The Wonderbolt Captain was in a steep-angled climb towards the top of the arena, which meant she was setting up for her signature Rising Phoenix.

However, while Applejack’s eyes were fixated on the show, Rainbow’s gaze was focused on the pony beside her. Despite all her worries, Rainbow Dash had managed to make it through most of the evening without any heart-wrenching incidences. She had brought some happiness to her friend’s day, and that alone made the entire trip worthwhile. But there was still one thing nagging at the back of the pegasus’ mind, and that was the truth...or more accurately the absence thereof on her behalf. Applejack deserved the truth even if it did hurt their friendship in the end.

“There’s, um...something I should tell you AJ...”

“Hm? What is it?” Applejack’s curiosity was piqued. Given the timing, it would have to be something important to get Rainbow Dash to ignore watching a Wonderbolt performing.

“The thing is...um, well, what I want to say is that...” The more Dash wanted to force the words out, the more the words refused to dislodge from her throat. “I haven’t exactly been completely honest with you as of late...”

“There’s the understatement of the year,” Applejack said with a quiet chuckle.

The joke helped to calm Rainbow’s nerves. “I just want to say...um, the truth is...the truth is that I-”

Whatever words that Dash managed to say, whatever truth she managed to coax out, were drowned out by a sudden, deafening cry from the crowds. Yet they were not joyous cheers, but ones of shock and horror, as a giant plume of flame and smoke billowed into the air. As horror gripped at Applejack’s mind, she raced to the glass pane only to see her fears confirmed. A streak of flames stretched across the length of the field, engulfing everything in its path in a rampant inferno. The voice over the PA was echoing in the backdrop, but Applejack could only hear a few choice words that echoed in her mind...

“...a horrible crash...”

“Applejack!” Rainbow’s familiar call snapped the farmer back to her senses. She glanced over to Dash and saw that the pegasus was backing up from the window...but the look on her face was not one of a retreating pony. “Buck it!”

“It’s too dangerous Dash!” Applejack’s insistence fell upon deaf ears, however, as the pegasus began to gallop towards the glass. There was no stopping the pegasus, so Applejack’s alternative was to go along with this insanity. She struck the glass with all her force, obliterating the pane just moments before Rainbow Dash took to the air.

The pegasus circled above the scene of the accident to try and get a better view of what had happened. Judging by the extent of the flames and how it widened from one end to the other, Dash could only presume something awry during the Rising Phoenix. What exactly went wrong, however, was a question that could wait until afterwards. After using her wings to buffet some of the smoke away, Rainbow Dash spotted the blue flightsuit of a Wonderbolt amidst the charred field. With the flames slowly beginning to spread and emergency crews still rushing to the scene, she had only a small window of opportunity to work with.

A normal approach would roast Rainbow Dash in seconds, which meant a fast approach was in order. There was no time for thinking things over or second-guessing herself. Rainbow Dash climbed to the ceiling and fell into a nose-dive. She kept her speeds to subsonic levels as she approached the flames. The wave of compressed air just ahead of her acted as a buffer, blasting the flames aside as she made her approach. At the last second, she lowered her hooves and snatched the unconscious Spitfire. However, the sudden weight shift robbed her of precious speed, weakening the buffer and allowing the flames to creep in far closer than was comfortable for her.

Fortunately for Rainbow Dash, it took her less than a second to get clear of the flames and smoke. Though the smoke was burning her eyes and her lungs, she was able to fly the unconscious pegasus to safety and deposit her with awaiting paramedics. However, it was only when she set the Wonderbolt down that she noticed the pegasus’ light blue mane.

“Fleet Foot?” The Wonderbolt must have been observing from the ground when the crash occurred. But that meant Spitfire was still out there somewhere.

Refusing to give up, Rainbow Dash took to the air once more and began to circle closer to the flames. It was getting harder to keep the smoke away, which meant flapping her wings harder while continuing to choke on wisps of smoke. But her stubbornness paid off when she spotted the Wonderbolt Captain in the heart of the flames near the broken remains of a tree. She must have clipped it during the crash. But with the tree feeding the flames and presenting a growing danger, there was no time to make another long approach. Rainbow Dash could only think of one option - dive in and out as fast as she could manage. She didn’t even have time to think if she had enough space to get the necessary speed. But as Daring Do would say, ‘who dares, wins.’

“Here goes nothing,” Dash mentally braced before diving into the flames. The heat was unbearable; the smoke clawed at her throat. Every second that passed felt like an hour, but eventually both pegasus burst forth from the smoke. She had just enough strength to throw herself and Spitfire out of the fire’s reach, landing in a rolling heap among the untouched section of grass.

“Bwah! Fire! Fire!” Rainbow shrieked as she tore at her dress in a panic. The tail end of the dress had caught fire and was accelerating up the fabric. She managed to wriggle free of the garment and throw it aside just as the whole dress began to burn. Singed and fatigued, Rainbow Dash just collapsed to the ground. “Rarity...is so going to kill me...” she lamented before darkness overcame her.