Wingbury Academy

Chapters

Chapter 2: Wingball Tryouts
Chapter 3: Lost Bits
Chapter 4: Revelations
Chapter 5: Dealing With the Consequences
Chapter 6: The Letter
Chapter 7: Midnight
Chapter 7x: Correspondence
Chapter 8: Retaliation
Chapter 9: Truth and Lies
Chapter 10: Reversal
Chapter 12: Fight Fire With Fire!
Chapter 13: Reconciliation
Chapter 1: Getting to Class
Chapter 11: Unraveling the Past

Chapter 2: Wingball Tryouts

“. . . and thanks to his work, this number was established as the Nebulous constant. Ten years later . . .”

Halfway through your second class of your first day at Wingbury, you furiously scribble notes in an attempt to keep up with your professor. Despite being an overall good student, you were never taught the basics of Classical Aeronautics back in good old Manehattan High. Now that you're in a school full of pegasi, you find yourself somewhat outclassed as you try to follow along, pencil in teeth. Why did I sign up for the advanced course, anyway? What am I trying to prove? And why is no one else writing all this crap down?

A cursory glance of the classroom reveals a room of bored, listless ponies fighting sleep—or at least trying their best. Scanning each desk, you try to get a handle on your new classmates.

Wow, look at that pony's tail. Does he even own a brush?

Oh, she's not bad looking. Her pink mane is pretty.

Hmm, those two must be athletes.

Wow, I bet that one really likes apples.

. . . Did that pony just look at me for a second—hey!

A hoof from behind flicks the back of your head. You spin around in your chair and give the pony behind you a sharp stare. A rainbow-maned mare holds a hoof to her mouth, stifling laughter. Of course.

“Oops, sorry!” Rainbow Dash whispers. The two ponies next to her chuckle softly.

You turn back toward the front and try to get a hoofhold on the professor's lecture once more.

“. . . challenged the Nebulous constant, arguing that it was incompatible with the Mistwright ratio. At the same time . . .”

You hear a few more hushed giggles behind you. What's with that mare, anyway? What was her name again? Rainbow Clash? Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Brash? Actually, that sounds appropriate . . .

“. . . disproved Sir Mistwright's ratio? Oh, how about you?” The professor raises a foreleg, pointing at you. Uh oh.

Silence. You become acutely aware of every single bead of sweat on your forehead.

“Hey,” says a whisper from behind, “it's three point seven.”

Slowly dropping your pencil, you clear your throat. I've got nothing better to say . . . “Uh, three point . . . three point seven.”

The class erupts in laughter. Amid the sea of ridicule, it's Rainbow Dash's distinct chuckle that echoes loudest in your ears.

“A valiant effort, but I was hoping for a name.” Seemingly unfazed, the professor scans the room for another student as you sink deeper into your chair.

Rainbow Dash taps your shoulder. “Better luck next time, chief!”

Time for lunch at last!

With the academy bell's ring marking the end of Modern Literature, you eagerly strap on your saddlebags. Carrying the books given to you on your first day in each class, you make your way out of the building. At least rainbow-mane was good for something. Now I know where the cafeteria is.

As you float into the Wingbury cafeteria, you're momentarily stunned at the sight. The entire dining area is packed with ponies, some milling about with trays of food, others eating at tables.

You grab a tray of your own and browse around for something to eat. Fruit, no. Hay, no. Oh, perfect! Gingerly picking up a daffodil sandwich with your teeth, you gently place it on your tray. After making your purchase, you work your way to the dining area and search for an open seat.

Good, here's one. A purple mare waves her hoof in front of you. “Sorry, this seat's taken.”

All right, how about here? A navy blue mare shakes her head. “Taken!”

Well, okay. Oh, here we go. A huge, muscle-bound colt simply glares at you as you walk by. Nope, not this one either . . .

After traveling down to the end of the room, you spy one table in the corner, all chairs empty except one. You trot over and set your tray down. “Mind if I sit here?”

The slender, yellow mare already at the table winces as you approach, her flowing pink mane covering half of her face. “Um, no, go ahead. If, um, th-that's okay with you.”

“Uh, yes. Okay.” You crack a weak smile and sit down. Yikes, how many days at Wingbury does it take until I turn into her? “So, what's your name?”

“F-Fluttershy.” The cringing mare takes a small bite of her salad, alternating between awkward glances at you and her food.

You rub your neck with your foreleg. “That's a nice name, Fluttershy.” Perking up, you introduce yourself with a smile.

Upon hearing your name, she gasps. “Oh! Oh. You just transferred here, right?” Fluttershy cocks her head.

“Whoa, yeah! How did you know?”

“Everypony knows,” she says. “We never get transfers in the middle of the year like you.” She lowers her head to the table. “I don't think anypony is happy about that.”

“Why?”

Fluttershy shrugs. “Wingbury Academy is a very good school. Few ponies get accepted. Seeing someone transfer one month into classes . . . Maybe they're jealous?”

“Well, I see what you mean.” A short pause. “Um, does it bother you that I'm here?”

“No, no! I think it's nice. You must be really smart to get accepted even after admissions close.”

“Nah. I do all right, but I'm not that smart. I was noticed by one of the academy's wingball coaches a few weeks ago. When he saw me flying, he told the Wingbury recruiter about me, and, well, here I am.”

“Oh! You're just like Rainbow Dash.”

You give her a blank stare. “That bully? No way.”

Fluttershy shakes her head. “She's not a bad pony. Well, she used to be nice. I think she's a little confused.”

“Confused?” you say. “Well, she certainly is confusing, I'll give you that. She started out all friendly toward me, then turned into a different pony.”

Fluttershy seemingly deflates in her chair. “Rainbow Dash was my friend. She stood up for me when other ponies picked on me. After a while, they started picking on her too. But, one day, she started hanging out with those meanies. Now, they just pick on me and leave her alone, so that's, uh, nice.”

“Nice?” You slide your sandwich aside. “That's not nice, Fluttershy! Friends don't bail on you. Why would she do that?”

Tears form in Fluttershy's eyes. Unsure of what to say, you try to think of a way to cheer her up when a group of four ponies makes its way to your table. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash is bringing up the rear. At the head of the pack, Rosewing saunters up to Fluttershy. She puts a foreleg around her shoulders and gives her a rough squeeze. “Hey, look who it is! Good old Fluttershy!” The other ponies giggle.

You spy Rainbow Dash biting her lip. “Um, why don't we go get some practice out in the fields?” she says. “The wingball tryouts are this afternoon.”

Ignoring her suggestion, Rosewing rubs her hoof in Fluttershy's mane. “Hey, Rainbow Dash! Wasn't she your special somepony last year?”

All heads turn to the cyan pegasus.

“Ew, no way!”

Rosewing tosses her mane back. “Then, you won't mind if I get cozy with her, right? I mean, look, she bought me lunch! How sweet!” She leans down and takes a bite of her salad, then spits it out. “Yuck, what is this?”

Fluttershy trembles. “I-It's, uh, um . . .”

“It's gross!” Rosewing slaps her tray off the table, sending the salad tumbling to the floor.

“That's enough!” you yell, rising from your chair.

The nearby tables fall silent. Rosewing takes a few steps toward you. “Excuse me? You got a problem?”

“Yeah, I do have a problem. Leave her alone!”

Rosewing puts both front hooves on Fluttershy's shoulders, knocking her face into the table. “Or what? You gonna protect your little marefriend?” She mockingly bats her eyes at you. “Ooh, you're gonna make Rainbow Dash jealous!”

Rainbow Dash's jaw drops. “H-Hey, it's not like that—”

“Oh, really?” Rosewing lifts off of Fluttershy and looks straight at Rainbow Dash. “Why don't you rough her up a bit, then? Unless you're afraid of her blank flank coltfriend . . .”

With that, Rainbow Dash slowly marches up to Fluttershy. You immediately run over, placing yourself between the two mares. Shooting her a look of grim determination, you softly shake your head. Not gonna happen.

Undeterred, Rainbow Dash spreads a wicked grin as she moves right up to your face, eyes glaring. The other ponies look on with focused stares. You swallow hard but stand tall and still.

A few more seconds pass, after which Rainbow Dash gives off a rough snicker. “Flutterbitch isn't worth my time.” She gives your flank a quick tap with her foreleg. “Let's get outta here before my cutie mark disappears or something.”

Mirthful laughter follows as the group of ponies trot off, leaving you and Fluttershy alone. You turn to her, softly placing a hoof on her shoulder. “I'm sorry,” you whisper, but it does nothing to quell the tears now running down her face.

“. . . and for anyone interested in joining the academy's wingball team, Coach Cloudmane is holding tryouts this afternoon behind the gymnasium.” The reason I joined Wingbury Academy. “That's all. You are dismissed.”

With a wave of her hoof, the professor releases the last class of the day. As the halls fill with pegasi, you pay no heed, eagerly making your way outside. No wonder they were in such a hurry to get me enrolled. Tryouts are today. Well, time to show everyone what I've got.

Bursting out of the building, wings flared in excitement, you start to ask around for directions to the gymnasium. Unfortunately, everypony else is already in mid-flight, unwilling to stop and help. After a few minutes, you happen upon Fluttershy slowly walking along the clouds.

“Fluttershy!” you call out. “Why aren't you flying?”

Startled, Fluttershy takes a moment to respond. “I-I'm not much for flying. I, um, prefer walking.”

“Oh! Did you live under the clouds too when you were younger?”

“N-No, I never did.” Fluttershy looks downward, seemingly imagining the ground below the clouds. “I wish I did, though.”

“You're kidding! I'm thrilled to live in the clouds now. Why would you want to live down there?”

“Well,” she says softly, slowly patting the cloud underneath with a hoof, “I really like animals. We don't get to see much in the clouds, so I like to go to the academy greenhouse. It reminds me of nature.”

“You can just fly down to the forest below, can't you?”

Fluttershy cringes. “I r-really don't like to fly . . .”

“Well then,” you say, shooting up into the air, “I'll just have to do enough flying for the both of us! Why don't you come watch me at the wingball tryouts?”

“Oh, um, that sounds nice, but I don't know anything about wingball.”

“Then let me teach you—it's real easy! . . . Wait, you really do want to watch, though, right?”

Fluttershy nods. “Yes, I'd like to see you play! And I'd like to learn.”

“Perfect! Just, uh, lead me to the gym while I explain.”

As the two of you slowly glide your way to the gymnasium, you teach Fluttershy everything you know about the sport. “Well, it's real simple. You play in teams of three. A wingball match consists of four rounds. At the beginning of each round, one team is given the ball to start. The object of the game is to hold onto the ball for as long as possible without getting tagged by the enemy team—if you do, the round ends, and the other team starts with the ball next round. Whichever team held the ball for the longest across those four rounds wins the match.”

Fluttershy wrinkles her face. “So you just throw the ball back and forth to keep it away?”

“No, no. You can only pass the ball by handing it off, which is why wingball is all about wing power and teamwork! The faster and more coordinated you are, the better you can keep away, pass the ball, or tackle the other team!”

“That sounds vicious,” she says. “Can't you just fly far away, then?”

“Nope. The wingball field they use is about the size of the gymnasium, and crossing the cloud boundaries ends the round right away. You just have to be agile! And, uh, hardy, because there is an awful lot of tackling to keep the other team away from the ball.”

“And you've played this before?”

You give her a nervous chuckle. “Well, a few times. There weren't too many opportunities back in Manehattan for wingball.” Seeing Fluttershy's crestfallen face, you perk up. “But I'm a huge fan of the sport, and I'm definitely fast! You'll see!”

“Okay!” she says, smiling.

You both arrive at the wingball field. Fluttershy takes a seat at the cloud stands while you line up with the rest of the pegasi waiting for their coach. At the other end of the line, a cluster of ponies has gathered in loud conversation.

“No way! I've never seen a round last ten minutes!”

“You'd better believe it! They couldn't touch me the whole time! The other team just gave up!”

“Wow, no wonder your team won last year!”

“Hah, you bet! It sure is easy when you're the fastest young flier in Equestria!”

. . . Did I expect to hear anything else?

A loud whistle brings everypony in rigid, single-file formation. A tall, lanky stallion with a forest-green coat and a sky-blue mane addresses the crowd. “Students! Welcome to the wingball tryouts. I'm Coach Cloudmane. I've led Wingbury through four consecutive championships, and I'm going to make that five if it's the only thing I do this year.”

He begins to float up and down the line of students. “Some of you have played before. Some of you have won before.” He gives Rainbow Dash a direct look. “But today, all of you are going to try your hardest because I want three rock-solid teams this year. Wingbury's going to hit the championship with nine of the finest pegasi this side of Cloudsdale!”

Cheers and hollers fill the air, everypony in line now flapping their wings rapidly.

“My assistant coaches are going to go around and pair you up for one-on-one drills. I want to see you put everything you've got into it. Good luck!”

As Coach Cloudmane floats over to the stands, another stallion and mare, equipped with whistles of their own, fly over to the students and begin assigning partners. The mare looks down at a clipboard, then back up, scanning the line. She stops upon reaching you, then quickly zips over.

“You there!” she calls, “you're going to go up against . . . Rainbow Dash.” So even wingball is rigged these days, huh?

“Awww!” Rainbow Dash groans loudly. “Why don't you give me someone worth practicing with?”

“These are the assignments!” the mare snaps back. “Start your drill! Here's the ball.” She tosses the ball, a sky-blue sphere just big enough to snugly fit between your forelegs, right over to you. Rainbow Dash half-heartedly flies up to you, a plainly-visible scowl across her face.

“So,” you begin, “ready to go?”

“Whatever.” Her eyes refuse to meet yours. “Just get up in the air so I can tackle you already.”

You fly upwards, creating ample space between you and her. The assistant coach looks up at you, then blows her whistle. Without delay, Rainbow Dash streaks into the air, rocketing toward you with incredible speed. Mother of Celestia! You quickly dodge to your left as she whizzes right past you. You spin around to face her, but she has already turned around for another strike.

I can't stand still! I've gotta keep moving. You immediately launch upwards, trying to outfly the cyan pegasus, but she continues to close in on you. You can hardly afford to look down at her, but a spare glance reveals her only a few meters away. Just as she surges forward with another burst of speed, you break away from your path, jutting off at a hard angle back toward the stands.

With a guttural scream, Rainbow Dash stops in mid-air, orients herself toward you, then continues her chase. Okay, I admit it! She is way faster than me! . . . I'll just have to hold out for as long as I can with a little agility. Mentally preparing yourself, you enter flight once more, this time tracing a curved path through the air. Each time you sense her approach, you cut or loop away at the last moment.

As you weave throughout the field, you hear voices from below.

“—already two full minutes—”

“—how is he dodging her?—”

“—getting rocked by the transfer—”

You fly back down, towards the crowd. You spy Fluttershy, wide-eyed, following you through the air. You crack a smile—but a moment later, Rainbow Dash's light frame collides with yours. Her momentum sends you both downward, flying through a crack in the cloud field.

Still holding on to you, she drives you right into a low-hanging cloud far below the field. Pinned against it, you offer a weak smile as Rainbow Dash holds you down. “N-Nice tackle, rainbow-mane.”

No response. She brings her face right up to you, eyes sharpened.

“Really, that was awesome.”

No response. Her nostrils flare as she exhales sharply. Well, she's kinda cute when she's angry.

“Why can't we just be friends? I think you're really cool.”

Rainbow Dash's lips slowly part. “I . . .”

Suddenly, Rosewing, along with a few other ponies, float downward from the field and watch the scene. “Well, well. Will you look at that?” She flies up to Rainbow Dash. “Gonna bust him up, Dash?”

A colt from behind jeers. “You'd better! You got whipped by a blank flank!”

A mare follows. “Mess him up!”

Rosewing taps her on the back. “He really gave it to you, Dash. That was really lame. You just gonna hug him all day, or what?”

Rainbow Dash swallows hard. “Now,” she says, roughly placing a hoof on your chest, “what am I going to do with you?”

From behind, Rosewing casts a sly grin. The other ponies start egging Rainbow Dash on. Okay, this isn't cute anymore!

You can barely move after absorbing such a tackle, much less with her weight on you. “I never did anything to you,” you say firmly. “Get off!”

Rainbow Dash slowly lifts a hoof, positioning it right over your face. The other ponies are cheering much louder now. Expecting her to crush you, you instead see her tightly shut her eyes. “I don't want to do this,” she whispers to you, her watery eyes shaking.

“Then don't,” you whisper back. “Please!”

You look directly into her eyes, pleading silently with her. Behind her, you notice more ponies on their way—Coach Cloudmane descends from the field.

“Now you don't have to,” you whisper.

“Mighty fine performance, you two!” Cloudmane pats Rainbow Dash on the back as she lifts off of you. “What a tackle! And that dodging—whew! You two make me proud to coach wingball!”

As you struggle to get back on your wings, Rainbow Dash lends you a hoof, lifting you up. You whisper a quick “thanks” as Rosewing sneers in the background.

“Back to tryouts, students!”

Flaring her wings, Rainbow Dash gives you a soft look before flying back up to the field.

Chapter 3: Lost Bits

One Week Later

“D-Did you make the team?”

Fluttershy leans forward as you scan the list of student names on the wall.

“Yep! Team number one.” Three teams per school and three ponies per team. That leaves nine slots. And I'm on the top team!

You hear a soft “woo-hoo” from Fluttershy as you take another peek at the list. “Looks like practice starts this afternoon. And my teammates are Fairweather and . . .” You clear your throat, stepping back.

“You can't read it?”

“I don't want to read it.”

Fluttershy floats closer to the list and reads, “Rainbow Dash.” Well, it can't all be peaches and cream.

“It's all right,” you say. “She's a good flyer, at least. That's for sure.” Fluttershy nods.

The two of you slowly glide along the hallways of Thunderhead Labs on your way to your next class. As you travel, you notice her flight a bit more jittery than usual. “Something wrong?”

“Oh, n-no. Nothing.” Her mane covers her eyes.

“Sorry about missing lunch with you today. I needed a little extra help with Early Equestrian History, and one question after class turned into ten.”

Fluttershy's stomach growls.

You cock an eyebrow. “Uh, how was lunch, anyway?”

“I didn't eat. Um, I wasn't hungry.”

“Oh. What did you eat for breakfast?”

“N-Nothing. I wasn't hungry then either.” Her stomach gurgles once more.

You stop moving and put a foreleg out in front of Fluttershy. “Why didn't you eat anything today?”

She sinks down to the floor as her wings droop low. Looking down, she mumbles something you can't hear.

“What was that?” you say.

“I couldn't afford it.”

“Oh. Did you forget your bits in your room?”

“I . . . I lost them.” Fluttershy shivers for a moment, then begins crying. “No, I didn't l-lose them. They were s-stolen from me!”

“Fluttershy, this is serious! How were they stolen?”

“G-Gilda. She's a griffon. She backed me against the wall and f-forced me to give them to her. She said she w-wants even more from me. I don't know what . . .” The rest of her speech becomes unintelligible.

A large part of you wants to say that she needs to be assertive and strong, but you realize this isn't the time for lessons. “Look. You need to tell somepony at the academy about this.”

“No! I c-can't. The last time I tried to get help, she t-terrorized me for weeks. I just can't!”

All right, plan B. “Then we'll talk to her ourselves and get your bits back.”

“She's horrible and m-mean! We can't talk to her. She'll—”

“We can, and everything will be fine.” You rear your legs, fanning out your wings. “I don't care who it is. We'll confront her together and get your bits back!”

Fluttershy sniffles but doesn't say anything in response. You glance at the hallway clock. “Uh, after class, that is,” you say, rubbing your neck. “We'll meet at the greenhouse, okay?”

As you rise up into the air to fly off, Fluttershy looks up at you. “You're a r-really nice pony. You're not going to turn into Rainbow Dash, are you?”

That bully. No, that nightmare. She used to be her friend, then betrayed her. “Never, Fluttershy. I promise.”

With the last class of the day all wrapped up, you surge across campus toward the academy greenhouse. Although used to grow mostly Everfree plants for study and observation, it was usually empty—except for Fluttershy, who often spent her free time there. Makes sense, I guess. This place is at the far edge of campus, away from everything else.

Upon arrival, you enter quietly. The greenhouse seems to exude an aura of warmth and calm. You sniff the air; a fragrant aroma wafts throughout. “Hello? Fluttershy?” you call out.

You hear a soft melody being whistled. Walking deeper into the maze of green, you see Fluttershy's beaming face, smiling from corner to corner as she tenderly attends to a row of flowers. About her are several butterflies, flitting with the same grace as your yellow pegasus friend.

“This is amazing! Everything here is so serene,” you say, matching her smile.

“I'm glad you finally came to see it.” She floats toward you. “When I'm here, I don't have to worry about anything.” I'm glad Fluttershy can come here. I just wish she didn't need to have a sanctuary in the first place.

“We'll get you your bits, but first . . .” You produce a daisy sandwich from your saddlebags, hoofwrapped in plastic from this morning. Fluttershy's eyes widen. “I usually keep something extra with me just in case, and you really should eat. So, here.” You place the sandwich on a nearby table.

“Oh, I can't take that from you! You didn't eat lunch either.”

“You really have to,” you say, shaking your head. “I've had breakfast, at least. It's not healthy for you to go all day without eating.”

She gives you a soft nod, then looks behind her. With a flourish, she flutters into the air and vanishes deeper into the greenhouse. A moment later, she returns with a delicate, purple flower in her teeth. “Th-This is for you.”

Fluttershy gently floats closer, holding its stem out for you. Gently, you pluck it from her mouth. As your face brushes against hers, a rush of nervousness and excitement washes over you.

“This is, um, Heart's Desire. It's rare and takes a long time to grow. I planted it last year in this greenhouse, and it finally bloomed yesterday.”

“You're giving this . . .”

“Please take good care of it,” she whispers, blushing.

“I-I will!” You tuck it away in your saddlebags, using care to ensure it won't be crushed. Fluttershy slowly begins eating, already glowing with renewed vigor.

Between bites, she looks over at you. “Thank you for the sandwich. I hope you're not going to be hungry at wingball practice.”

“Don't worry about it! I'll be just . . .” Oh crap, practice! “Fluttershy! I'm going to be late for practice! I'm so sorry, I forgot!”

You unhinge your saddlebags, placing them inside a storage bin. “Uh, as soon as we're done, I'll come right back for you, okay? We'll take care of Gilda together.”

“Okay. I'll wait for you.”

You jolt into the air and out of the greenhouse.

“Figures that Fairweather would be feeling under the weather.” Rainbow Dash looks at you with half-lidded eyes. “I bet he isn't really sick.”

Having arrived at wingball practice just in time, you join up with your assigned team, only to find that your third team member is out with the featherflu. Leaving me stuck alone with everypony's favorite pegasus.

Rainbow Dash continues, “How are we supposed to practice strategy with only two ponies? The first match of the season is in two weeks! We have to plan formations. Hey, are you listening?” Well, at least she's talking to me again.

“Nothing we can do now,” you say. “Let's just practice tackles.”

Rainbow Dash groans loudly. “That's not going to get us anywhere! Besides, I've figured you out. You can't outfly me anymore.”

“Oh, yeah? Why don't you show me?” You fly high above the field. “Come and get—”

Before you can finish, Rainbow Dash rockets forth. She stops mere inches away from your face, then taps you on the head. “Consider yourself tackled.”

“Okay, point made, rainbow-mane. If formations are so important, why don't we practice a two-pony formation for now?”

“I guess that's all we can do. I'll ask one of the assistant coaches for a ball.” She streaks away in a spectrum of colors.

You look around the stands; there are a surprising number of students that have come to watch the academy's first wingball practice session. These ponies must take it pretty seriously. Scanning the stands, you spot something distinct, a figure that seems to stand out. A griffon—hey, that's Gilda! Perfect! I'll take care of this right here, right now. You cut across the field, heading straight for her. As you land, she flinches, taking a step back.

“Whoa!” Gilda yells, raising a claw in defense. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”

“Gilda,” you call out, raising a hoof toward her, “we need to talk. Return Fluttershy's bits.”

She scoffs and turns her head away. “You've gotta be kidding me!”

“This isn't a joke. Give them back!”

She gives you a cockeyed stare. “What's a namby-pamby pony like you going to do about it?”

You spread your wings wide and bare your teeth. What do you think?

Gilda slowly smiles. “Okay, okay! Fine. I'll give them back! Getting pestered by losers is not worth it,” she says, shrugging. “So, where is she?”

“The greenhouse.”

“Good. Then I'll go pay her back right now. Satisfied?” Not waiting for a response, she fans out her wings then streaks away in a powerful gust of wind. See? All it takes is a little assertiveness and initiative. I wish Fluttershy were here to see this. You dust off your hooves in victory when a voice catches you from behind.

“What're you doing here in the stands?”

You spin around. Rainbow-mane.

Rainbow Dash floats before you, wings flapping, forelegs crossed. “We're here to practice, not socialize.”

“Sorry, I was just—”

“You don't even care about wingball!” she says. “You don't take practice seriously, and I haven't seen you at the field all week. Why'd you even join the team? You're just going to bring us down.”

“And why do you care, rainbow-mane?”

“Because I hate losing.”

“I realized that last week, when I whipped your flank at tryouts.” Oops, couldn't resist!

Rainbow Dash snarls at you. “That's not even the point. You don't have any teamwork experience. You're not even that fast—you're just an egghead that joined the academy last minute!”

“An egghead? I wish. I almost blew up Highwind Hall during Chem because I couldn't figure my way around the lab equipment. I don't think I'm allowed to turn on the gas nozzles anymore.” I wish that was a joke.

She snorts in laughter. “You serious?”

“Yeah. I just get by in my studies.”

“Then how the hay did you get into Wingbury so late?”

You point toward the field. “Wingball. Coach saw me in Manehattan and worked me through admissions. I'm going for an athletic scholarship. That's why I won't bring the team down.”

“Figures.” She flips her mane. “Just don't get in my way. I need to win.”

I can't take any more of this stuck-up pony. “I don't get it. Why do you act the way you do?”

“Excuse me?” Rainbow Dash flies up to your face.

“It's like you don't give a flying feather about anypony.”

“It's either pick on others,” she says, raising a hoof toward you, “or get picked on yourself. That's how it is.”

“Then why were you so nice to me on my first day? Why would you help me in the first place?”

“I didn't know who you were. I didn't know you were the transfer.”

You throw your hooves in the air. “Why should that make a difference?!”

She turns around, facing the field. “I didn't want to be seen hanging out with some blank flank loser.”

That's it. “Oh, that makes sense. I'm just not cool enough for you or your cool friends. I feel a lot better now—thanks, rainbow-mane!”

“It's not like that!”

“No, it's exactly like that. But you know what? I don't care. I thought you were really nice, but all you care about is yourself.”

“Hey, I did you a favor! I could have beaten you up!”

“Oh, thank you so much for sparing me! I could really feel the love. What a hero you are!”

She leans back, mouth agape. As she floats in the air, stunned, several ponies from the stands take notice of your argument and fly over.

Rosewing emerges from the crowd, laughing. “What're you doing with this loser, Dash?”

Rainbow Dash looks at you with narrow eyes. “I'm gonna wipe the floor with his flank.”

Chapter 4: Revelations

“Fight! Fight!”

You are encircled by ponies at the wingball field, their chanting saturating the air. Standing mere hoofsteps away is Rainbow Dash. Scraping the cloud below her with a forehoof, she emits a low, steady growl.

You swallow hard. Coach Cloudmane is nowhere in sight. You scan the crowd for help—anything at all—but find no friendly faces. Even seeing Fluttershy here would be a relief. At least I wouldn't be alone.

Rainbow Dash steps closer and flares her wings. Her gaze doesn't quite meet your eyes; she stares right through you. As her chest rises and falls with each rapid breath, you realize you're in way over your head. I can't fight her, but if I run away, I'll never live it down for the rest of my days at the academy. If I thought things were tough now . . .

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” she says.

“Look, please, I don't want to fight,” you respond.

“Good. The easy way it is,” she says, grinning. She takes a swing at you with her foreleg as you step back. Her hoof narrowly misses, but her action feeds the crowd, amplifying their cheering.

“Yeah! Kick his flank, Rainbow Dash!”

“Come on, fight!”

“Buck his face in!”

Despite the crowd's jeers, Rainbow Dash doesn't follow up. She maintains a fighting stance, waiting for you to make the next move. Why doesn't she keep going? Maybe she's just putting on an act . . . That's it! I bet she doesn't want to fight at all.

“Stop!” you plead. “I'm sorry. Let's just talk about this.” You don't match her aggressive posture, but instead stand calmly before her. Absorbing your words, Rainbow Dash takes a half-step back, softening her stance.

Rosewing's voice calls out, “Don't be a wimp, Dash! Hit him!” Rainbow Dash looks back at her, at first frowning, but then returning to face you with a renewed snarl. She jets forward, swinging at you once more, this time striking a rough blow across your right eye.

The crowd erupts with noise, consumed by the sight. You stagger and raise a hoof to your injured right eye, peering at Rainbow Dash with your left. Instead of holding a smug look of victory, she hangs her mouth open, a look of horror plastered across her face.

You slowly draw your hoof back down to see it stained red. Suddenly, a sharp whistle is blown from the distance. Almost instantly, the crowd of ponies disperses, pegasi flying every which way, leaving you and a stunned Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, no. Why did I . . .” Her eyes become glossy. She looks at her hoof—the one that struck your eye—then kneels down with all four legs, shivering. “I'm going to . . . kicked . . . no, worse . . .” she mutters, her voice breaking up.

Coach Cloudmane rushes over, spitting the whistle out of his mouth. “What's going on here?” he asks. “By Celestia, you're bleeding!” Rainbow Dash gazes at you, her eyes tracing the wound above your eye. She whispers to herself inaudibly.

How am I supposed to handle this?

“It's, uh, it's all right, coach.” You offer a weak smile.

Crossing his forelegs, he nods toward you. “How the hay did this happen?”

Trembling, Rainbow Dash stays quiet, trading glances between you and Coach Cloudmane. Her wings are held half-open. As you meet her eyes for a split second, your throat tightens.

“Sorry, coach,” you shrug, trying to swallow the lump in your throat. “We were practicing a coordinated tackle and, uh, I wasn't paying close attention.” What am I saying?!

“I can't have my finest fliers falling to injuries, especially with the season so close. You two need to be more careful.”

“Sorry, coach.”

“Good,” Coach Cloudmane says, sighing. “Head up to the infirmary and get that cut patched up.” With that, he flies off toward the gymnasium.

Rainbow Dash takes a careful step toward you. “Why did you lie?”

“What?”

“I hit you. Why did you cover for me?”

Uh, why did I? “Don't sweat it, rainbow-mane.”

She gives you a gentle look, a hint of a smile creeping along her face. When her eyes wander to your cut, she grimaces. “I hurt you pretty badly. You should get that looked at—I'm no good with first aid.”

You chuckle, bringing a foreleg to your neck. “I don't really know where the infirmary is.”

She looks off into the distance, sighing softly. “All right. Stop number two on the Wingbury tour: the infirmary.”

You crack a smile for but a moment. “You're not going to ditch me again, are you?”

She turns to you with a weak frown. “No.” She lifts into the air and motions you to follow. For the first time, you see her fly at a slow, steady pace.

As you coast behind her, you keep to yourself, locked in rumination. Why did I save her? She didn't deserve it. She deserves even worse, considering everything she's done.

Okay, sure. If she got cut from the team for fighting, it'd be a lot harder for us at wingball. She is the fastest pony I know. So, yeah. Yeah, that's it. I saved her to secure my athletic future. I need a scholarship, after all. Celestia knows my grades won't do it. So, I saved her to win at wingball.

Well, no. That's a silly reason. Then why—

“Hello? We're here.” Rainbow Dash hovers before you, waving a hoof in front of your face.

“Oh, sorry. Thanks for bringing me here.

She looks away as she lands, pawing at the cloud underneath her.

“Well, see you,” you say.

“Hey.” Rainbow Dash walks closer to you, still looking elsewhere. “Thanks. For doing what you did.”

“No worries, rainbow-mane.”

“No, I mean it. You're really nice. I don't know why you did this for me, but I won't forget it. That makes two of us . . . if I believe you.

“You won't forget it? Even if we're around other ponies? Even if Rosewing tells you to cave my face in? What then?”

Rainbow Dash places a hoof on your shoulder. “I . . .” She does not smile, but she looks directly into your eyes. “Just, uh, stay away from her, okay? Then everything will be fine.”

“What? Why?”

“She's, like, the coolest pegasus at Wingbury. Everypony knows that. If you're not in with her, then she just makes your life hell. Trust me, I know. That's why I—”

You shrug her hoof off your shoulder. “You know what? I don't care if I'm in or not. You shouldn't either. I think she's the most uncool pegasus at Wingbury.”

Rainbow Dash, jaw open, says nothing.

“You know what else, rainbow-mane? I used to think you were the coolest around. You helped me on my first day. You even followed me to make sure I was okay. Even after everything you did, I thought you were a nice pony underneath it all. Maybe that's why I lied about this.” You point out your bleeding cut. “But now, after all that, if you still don't realize . . . I think you're even worse than Rosewing.”

You march into the infirmary without looking back.

“This might feel a little uncomfortable, hon. Just hold still for me, okay?”

The nurse runs a needle and thread through your wound, stitching it together.

“I don't know how you ponies play that wingball. All that tackling . . .” she trails off, tutting.

“If you play well, you don't get tackled.”

“That's what they all say, hon.”

After the procedure, you are asked to rest for a while. As you wait, another pegasus is brought to the examination bench next to you, but the curtain hides your view. The nurse trots over.

“Sweetheart, are you okay? We're going to get you help.”

You don't hear any response. The nurse flies over to the receptionist. Straining, you can just barely make her words out. “She needs to go to a proper hospital. Make the arrangements.”

Left alone for a moment, you try to make something out from the silhouette behind the curtain, but to no avail. “Hello?” you call out.

You can hear whimpering.

“Are . . . are you all right?”

Between choked sobs and sniffles, you hear the pegasus say your name. Fluttershy?!

You quickly draw the curtain back. Before you lies Fluttershy, cringing in pain, her wings discolored and twisted. Your mind becomes blank as an invisible weight crushes your chest.

With a matted mane and reddened eyes, she stares blankly ahead. “D-Did you help her f-find me?”

“What?”

“G-Gilda. She said you sent h-her over.”

“I-I didn't—”

“She said you f-felt so bad that I hated flying, that she'd take . . .” she chokes on her own words. “Sh-She'd take care of my wings, so I wouldn't have to worry about fl-flying at all.”

“No! I never—”

A loud commotion just outside breaks the moment as two uniformed ponies arrive with a stretcher. Tears run down her face as they secure her, face down. Just as she is carried away, Fluttershy turns to you one last time, peering at you from the corner of her eye. “How could you?” she cries.

This was all my fault.

Eyes shut tight, you fly blindly through the skies above the academy, soaring in circles. You beat your wings as quickly as possible to release every ounce of your energy while mired in thought.

This happened at the greenhouse. I let it happen. I should have followed Gilda. No, I shouldn't have said anything to her in the first place.

You look down. From your vantage point, the entirety of the academy is within view. Figuring you should take things one step at a time, you head for the greenhouse to retrieve your saddlebags. You descend sharply, landing before the greenhouse doors.

What happened here?!

As you enter, you are greeted with a horrifying sight: everything lies utterly destroyed. Snapped and broken plants are strewn about the ground. Pots and other containers are shattered. You step carefully as you survey the destruction.

“Hey, who's there?” an angered voice yells.

You freeze.

“Came back to finish the job, you monster? I swear I'll knock you off of Cloudsdale for what you did!” Well, that voice is familiar.

You cock your eyebrow. “Rainbow-mane, is that you?”

Rainbow Dash's figure appears from behind wrecked foliage. “Oh. Hi.” She floats toward you, a sorrowful frown across her face.

“What's going on here?”

She lands gently and walks toward you. “I thought about what you said. I guess I've been hurting a lot of ponies lately.”

You remain silent.

“You know, I wasn't very popular last year. I just kept to myself—I didn't really care about anypony, minding my own business. One day, I met this really nice pegasus. Her name was Fluttershy.”

Your muscles stiffen.

“We became fast friends. She was the sweetest pony I ever knew, but other ponies kept picking on her. Especially Rosewing . . . I hated Rosewing so much.” Rainbow Dash grits her teeth. “I started standing up for her, but they just picked on me too.”

I've heard this story before . . .

“Well, before the year ended, things got messed up. Rosewing started acting all nice to me, and I started hanging out with her. As long as we picked on other ponies, they left me alone. But, when we ran into Fluttershy . . .”

She hangs her head low.

“I-I tried to tell her to stay away from us. I mean, if we didn't see her, she wouldn't be a target, right?” A small tear forms below Rainbow Dash's eye. She gives out a long sigh. “I guess, in the end, I really just cared about myself. And when you told me all that stuff, well, you were right.”

Rainbow Dash kneels down on her haunches. You rest your foreleg on her shoulder. “It's all right,” you say softly.

“After you left, I knew I had to see Fluttershy and make things right. But when I got here, she was curled up in the corner . . . and Gilda was . . . but her w-wings . . .” Rainbow Dash chokes up.

“I know, I saw her at the infirmary.” I know everything that happened. “That's why I'm here. You brought her over, right?”

She nods softly.

“And Gilda?”

Rainbow Dash swallows hard. “She left right when she saw me. We need to tell somepony about this.”

“We will. Right now. Let's go.” You lift her up gently from the ground, and she pops into the air, giving you a watery-eyed smile.

You both walk toward the exit when you hear another voice echo throughout the greenhouse. “Look at that, it's the fillyfooler and the transfer. A two-for-one deal! This is gonna be easier than we thought.”

A pack of five griffons, led by Gilda, emerge from the greenhouse doors. Waving her claw in the air, Gilda shoots you a wicked grin. “I already made sure the cream-puff wouldn't say anything. Now I need to shut you two up.”

“Gilda!” Rainbow Dash hops into the air, her wings flapping rapidly. “You can't—”

“We're gonna mess you both up real good. Those ground ponies will never even know you used to be pegasi after we're through.”

Chapter 5: Dealing With the Consequences

With a gang of griffons closing in on you, eyeing their prey, you and Rainbow Dash slowly back away toward the other end of the greenhouse. One of the griffons chains the exit shut.

“So much for the doors,” you say, breathing quickly. “Any ideas?”

Rainbow Dash narrows her eyes and licks her lips. “I'll take the four on the right. You take the weird-looking one on the left.”

“Rainbow-mane! We're not gonna fight them!”

Gilda gives an overt cough. “We can hear you, dweebs. Now, which one of you wants to get clipped first?”

You whisper to Rainbow Dash, your flanks almost against the wall. “Look, you need to get outta here. I'll keep these clowns busy while you go get help.”

“No way! I'm not running,” she says, looking you square in the eye. “We're in this together.”

“Somepony needs to do it! And you're faster than I am. I'll distract them so you can sneak out of here.”

“And exactly how would I do that?” Rainbow Dash sharply taps your foreleg.

“Well . . . one of those ceiling windows must be unlocked.” You nod upwards but don't look.

“So what? You can't fight five griffons alone!”

You subtly shake your head. “I'm not going to fight. It'll be like, uh, five-on-one wingball. Hey, if I could dodge the fastest flier in Equestria for two minutes, I'm sure I can dance around a few slowpoke griffons.”

“They're not that—”

“Time's up, dudes,” says Gilda, launching herself to the head of the pack. “Guess we'll have to brutalize you both at the same time.”

You throw an intense stare at Rainbow Dash. She softly nods. All right. Here goes nothing.

“I don't understand,” you call out to the griffons. “What makes you think you can get away with all this?”

Gilda adopts a menacing smile.

Time to get their attention. You take a shaky step forward and raise your voice. “You bully other students. You beat them up. Why haven't you been expelled?” From the corner of your eye, you see Rainbow Dash slip into a shadowy corner.

“You ponies really are slow. I got expelled last year, dude—I'm not a student!”

“What?!”

“I roam around this dorky academy all I want. I do what I want. I take what I want. And I'm gonna show you what happens to losers that get in my way.” She pauses. “Wait, where's Dash?”

You spin around. “Rainbow-mane? Hey, come back! Don't leave me here with—”

Gilda bursts into raucous laughter, and the other four griffons follow suit. “I knew that shrimp was all bark and no bite.” She turns to the other griffons. “Probably hiding in one of these bushes like a scared little pony.”

Hook, line, and sinker. “I-I don't care! I'll take you all on by myself!”

“You heard him, boys. Tear him apart!”

Gilda stands back as her four griffon cronies take to the air and vault toward you. Okay, I was wrong about the slowpoke part! They charge in unison, forcing you to leap into the air and soar above them. Looking over, you see them roar as they turn around to lunge at you once more.

Come on, rainbow-mane, hurry up and get outta here! You chance a quick glance upwards and see Rainbow Dash quietly jiggling each ceiling window, trying to find one that's unhinged. I'll have to stay low to make sure they don't notice her.

You land once more and buck the air behind you in a taunt. “Looks like flight school was right. Griffons really are slow!”

Five shrieks pierce the air as each griffon speeds toward you. Gilda herself spearheads the pack, her talons outstretched. You leap to the side, using your wings to propel yourself around them. I bought you a little more time, rainbow-mane. Hurry up!

As the pack comes to an abrupt stop, Gilda barks orders. “Circle around him!”

Responding to her call, the griffons come at you separately. Each swipe of their talons meets a quick aerial dodge. With each sudden mid-air maneuver, your wings become more fatigued. After a minute of weaving about, you find yourself relying on your legs rather than your wings.

I think this is it. My wings are burning! I can't handle this much longer. You gallop around them, your lithe pegasus body still more nimble on the ground. Despite your best efforts, you find yourself cornered, five griffons now surrounding you.

“Just crush him!”

One griffon throws himself toward you. With nowhere else to run, you leap to the air, but your weakened wings can't carry you far enough. You feel an icy talon grasp your hind leg, dragging you down as you collapse unceremoniously onto the ground. The remaining griffons rush over and press down against you, keeping you pinned. You struggle to move, but any attempt to escape is a mere waste of energy.

Gilda approaches, towering over your prone body. She roughly twists your head upward to meet her gaze. “I don't like ponies that make things difficult.” She then turns away, looking toward the far end of the greenhouse. “Hey, Dash! We've got your little friend. You'd better crawl out of your hiding spot.”

Silence. You look toward the ceiling, but she is nowhere to be found.

“Fine. Have it your way,” she sneers. “You get to watch us twist your friend's wings off.” She digs a talon into your left wing, grabbing it and stretching it to its length. “I want you to take a good look, Dash, 'cause we're gonna do the same thing to you!” She then leans in close to you, whispering in a hoarse voice. “This is going to hurt you. And I am going to enjoy it!”

Just as she raises her other talon, a shrill whistle pierces the air. The greenhouse doors are shattered as Coach Cloudmane bursts through, leading a large group of uniformed pegasi.

“Everyone freeze!”

Gilda suddenly gasps, loosening her grip. 'You're kidding me!” The other griffons immediately release you, vaulting into the air. They fly around erratically for a moment, then, sensing no escape, slowly glide back to the ground as the uniformed pegasi surround them.

Coach Cloudmane flies right over to you. “Are you all right, son? Did you get hurt?”

“Just fine, coach. No worries.”

“Rainbow Dash told me everything. We came as quickly as we could.” He sighs, wiping his brow. “You did well, my boy.”

Further away, Gilda kicks and screams as she is dragged away, her fellow griffons already in chains. “You can't do this to me! How the hell did you even find this place?”

You hear a distinct chuckle nearby. You look up and see Rainbow Dash's head poking out of an open ceiling window. She gives you a wink, smiling from ear to ear, before flying off.

The Following Afternoon

“I'm here. I, uh, brought some notes from class.”

You stand before Fluttershy's hospital bed. Her wings are propped open, neatly wrapped in bandages. She looks at you but does not say anything.

“Um, I know you can't study like this very easily,” you say. Ugh, can I make this any more awkward for her? “But I figured I'd at least read to you everything we did.

Fluttershy's eyes shimmer. “I-I'm sorry.”

You cock your head to the side. “What? Why?”

“I believed all those horrible things Gilda said. I felt . . . so helpless . . . that I just hung on to everything she told me.”

You shake your head. “No, don't be sorry! You didn't do anything wrong!”

Looking away, Fluttershy sighs. “I've been betrayed so many times and stepped on by so many ponies. When you were nice to me, I was afraid, so afraid, that it was too good to be true.”

You place a hoof on the edge of the bed as Fluttershy softly weeps.

Between quiet sobs, she continues. “All those things she said . . . they were like nightmares. My worst nightmares, and I thought they were coming true.”

“Enough, Fluttershy! I'm the one who's sorry. It's my fault for trying to reason with Gilda. If it wasn't for me—”

She reaches a hoof out toward you, wincing as her wing is stretched. “No! Please, don't blame yourself! It's not your fault. She was out to get me, whether you did anything or not.”

You step closer, walking to her side. “I'm so sorry. There's nothing I can do to make up for this.” Gently resting your head on her bed, you close your eyes. It should be me in this bed, not Fluttershy.

You lie still as she places her hoof on your head, softly ruffling your mane. “You are the kindest, nicest pony I know,” she says. “That's enough for me.”

Several quiet moments pass next to Fluttershy. When her food arrives, you help her eat, her forelegs difficult to move due to their proximity to her injuries. Afterwards, you spend the next hour going over the day's classes, earning a few light-hearted laughs as you stumble through some of the more difficult portions of Classical Aeronautics.

With visiting hours almost over, you begin to pack your notebooks. As you root through your saddlebags, you pick out a small, distinctly purple petal, placing it on Fluttershy's bedstand.

Her eyes widen. “Is this . . .”

You nod, looking at the lone petal. “I've replanted your Heart's Desire in my room. By the time I did, one of its tiny petals had fallen.” You turn back to Fluttershy. “I know it has many, but I couldn't bear to have one go to waste, so I decided to keep it with me. You know, for good luck. Now, I think you need it for a little while.”

Fluttershy beams brightly at you.

“Well, I think it's lucky, at least. I didn't exactly ace today's Draconic Literature test, but I like to think it works.” You offer a nervous smile as a single tear runs down her cheek. As you get up to leave, you chance one more question. “Fluttershy, when will your wings recover?”

Her smile slowly fades. “They won't know for another week.”

“Why not?”

“I-I'm not sure.” She looks away.

You shake your head. “Don't worry. I bet everything will be fine.”

Fluttershy offers a meek smile as you leave the room.

Later That Night

Tap tap tap.

You stir in your bed. Cracking open an eye, you peek around. Scant moonlight from the window casts a pallid glow upon your room.

Tap tap tap.

No, that noise wasn't in my dreams, then.

One eye still closed, you summon the willpower to sit upright, pushing your bedcovers off. You check outside your window. A darkened silhouette of a pegasus stares back at you. I hope I'm still dreaming.

“Hey, open up!”

You unhinge the window and slide it open. “Rainbow-mane.”

“I-I just need to fly. I need to clear my head.”

You turn to your alarm clock with half-lidded eyes. “At two in the morning?”

“There's something about cutting through the cool night air. Soaring through the silent skies. Nothing but the moon and stars, nopony in sight.”

“Sounds like I would ruin that.”

She shakes her head. “I-I want to fly with somepony. The only other friend I had here wasn't really into night flying.”

I wonder why. You look at her as she draws her face into a desperate frown, ears hanging low. With a slow sigh, you shrug. “Well, I'm awake now. Okay, let's go.”

“All right!” Rainbow Dash somersaults in the air. When she comes to rest, she pokes her forelegs through the window. “C'mon, I'll pull you out.”

You stretch your wings, then approach the window, letting Rainbow Dash yank you out of your room. As you tumble outside, you flare your wings and catch the air, hovering before her.

“See? Easy. Just follow me, okay?”

Hooves outstretched, she streaks off into the night. You soar behind her, taking a deep, calming breath as the crisp night wind whips through your mane.

You match her movements as she surges high above Cloudsdale. Despite her incredible speed, you find yourself effortlessly following, the exhilaration of the flight purging your fatigue. Her expressions are pure; even at such a fast pace, she maintains a wide grin. You put on a quick burst of speed to bring yourself side-by-side with her.

Rainbow Dash turns to you. “Isn't night flying so awesome?” she yells.

You nod vigorously. Tears form at the corners of your eyes from the piercing wind, but you wear the same unbridled smile. You fly closer, wings lightly grazing her, as you each slow down to a more manageable pace. “You do this often, rainbow-mane?”

“I get this urge, this impulse to fly. It happens some nights.”

“Well, I'm glad you brought me along. I like it. Not sure how I'm gonna fall back asleep now, but I like it.”

Rainbow Dash wraps a foreleg around your neck, grinning once more. “Stick with me. I'll show you all sorts of cool stuff.” You keep smiling, the two of you now flying as one.

Releasing her hold on you after a few moments, she points toward a faraway mountain peak. “Come on,” she yells, “I'll race you to that mountaintop!”

“You're on!”

One Week Later

“All second-year students, please report to the academy auditorium. All second-year students.”

The school PA system crackles as the announcement echoes throughout campus. Almost immediately, your fellow Chemistry II classmates abandon their workstations, the air now humming with excited chatter.

You slip off your lab goggles. “Well, I guess we'll have to burn these crystals tomorrow.”

Your lab partner, Rainbow Dash, leaves her goggles on for a moment longer. “Aww! And we were just getting to the good part.” As she pulls them off, she glances out the window. “Hmm.”

“What is it?”

She doesn't respond as she leaves the classroom, motioning you to follow. Once you enter the hallway, Rainbow Dash hooks a foreleg around yours, pulling you away from the crowd of ponies working their way out of the building. “Hey, what gives?” you say.

“Let's skip the auditorium.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

“It's probably gonna be something lame like raincloud safety. Who cares about that? Besides . . .” She leans closer, nearly brushing against your face. “I wanna show you something cool.”

Chapter 6: The Letter

“You're gonna love this!” Rainbow Dash says, dragging you down the hallway by the foreleg.

“I'm sure I will, but why does it have to be now?”

“Shhh!” She places a hoof on your mouth. “Don't ask questions. You'll see! We just gotta stop by my locker to pick something up.”

With most of the students already gone on their way to the auditorium, the two of you have a clear path through the building. As you follow, you keep hearing Rainbow Dash say “so awesome” under her breath. I'm just gonna have to go along with this, aren't I?

“Here's my locker. Just wait a sec, okay?”

You stand back as she works the lock. “How about a hint, at least?”

She stops for a moment. “Hmm, well, there is flying involved.” Thanks, rainbow-mane. “There, got it!” Swinging her locker door open, she begins rooting through her belongings. You take a peek inside. What the—no books! It's all flight paraphernalia! Suits, goggles . . . this mare is serious. Nice Wonderbolts picture, though.

“It's here somewhere,” she says, her face buried in her locker. “Wanna help?”

You lean closer. “Sure, what are we looking for?”

“It's a key.”

“All right. Let's see . . .” You push some stuff around with a foreleg but can't find any keys. As you search, an unmarked envelope catches your eye. “Oh, are you mailing something?”

“Hmm?” Rainbow Dash steps back.

“You have a letter.”

“R-Really? Somepony must have slipped it in my locker.” She snatches the envelope and tears it open.

“Well?”

Rainbow Dash becomes wide-eyed as she scans the letter. Rereading it over and over again, her breathing pace quickens each time.

“What does it say?”

“Nothing,” she says, still reading. “Don't worry about it.”

“Come on, you've gotta tell me! You've read it about five times now.”

“No, forget it.”

You step closer to Rainbow Dash, gently placing a hoof on her shoulder. As soon as you touch her, she spins around and slams you against the lockers. “I said no!” she screams.

“Okay, okay! I'm sorry!”

She hastily stuffs the letter in her saddlebags. “Look, forget it, okay? It's just a stupid note. I . . .” she trails off, closing her locker door. “. . . I've gotta go.”

“Hey,” you call out, “come back!”

Rainbow Dash is already out of sight.

“. . . can be dangerous to fly through. If you see an unscheduled raincloud in the area, immediately report to . . .”

Wow, rainbow-mane was right. This safety lecture is gonna be brutal.

Having crept into the auditorium mid-presentation, you slink into the back row, taking one of many empty seats. It only takes minutes for your eyes to gloss over as the presenter drones about the hazards of rogue rainclouds.

“Hey, this seat taken?”

You look up as Rosewing slides into the chair next to you. This must be a joke. “Uh, I guess not. Be my guest.”

She flashes a grin as she looks directly into your eyes. You turn back to the presenter, but her focused gaze on you makes it difficult to ignore her.

You scratch your head. “Can I help you?”

“Oh, don't mind me,” she says in a honeyed voice. “Just enjoying the view.”

“Wh-What?”

She puts her foreleg around you. “You're awfully cute.”

What the hay is going on?! I don't even know how to properly react to this!

“Okay, thanks. Uh, can we just watch?”

“Don't worry, sweetie. I'll watch all I want.” Rosewing looks you up and down.

“That's not what I—”

“You know,” she says, leaning close to your face, “we should hang out after class. I think we would have a great time.”

“N-No, no thanks.”

“Oh, that's right. You're sweet on Rainbow Dash, aren't you?”

You shoot her an incredulous look.

Rosewing rubs up against you. “Come on, I'll show you things Rainbow Dash would never do,” she whispers. As her lips graze you, she licks your face. With a wicked gleam in her eye, she rises from her seat and saunters off. “Think about it.”

“ . . . just remember, proximity and size are your biggest factors. After you determine the raincloud's strength . . .”

Somepony tell me what just happened here.

At the end of the day, you escape to the academy greenhouse. You have to admit, Fluttershy was right; it was the best place to go to be alone with your thoughts. Although several plants are now gone, everything has been cleaned up and reorganized, returning that soothing, peaceful aura to the greenhouse.

You pace back and forth between the displays. Wait until rainbow-mane hears about Rosewing! I'm not even sure how to begin that story . . . then again, maybe I shouldn't bother. The last thing I want to do is stir up trouble.

Not that it matters. She's not interested in talking to me anyway.

As you pensively tour the greenhouse, you hear soft hoofsteps. You rush toward the entrance to find Fluttershy standing before you.

“Fluttershy! You're okay!”

She gracefully fans out her wings. “I'm sorry to have worried you.”

“Are you kidding? I'm so happy to see you here! Are your wings fully healed?”

“N-No . . . I can move them, but it's too dangerous to fly.” She carefully folds her wings back. “I still need two more weeks to recover.”

“I'm just glad to see you on your feet again.”

“The doctors said it was remarkable. They told me I was very lucky.” She points out a small, purple flower petal clipped to her mane. “I think they were right.”

Blushing, you rush closer to her, admiring her wings. “Luck or no luck, you're here, and that's what counts. Hey, let me show you what we put in while you were away!”

You lead Fluttershy through the greenhouse, excitedly talking about the new plants. “Somepony planted these a few days ago. They blossomed quickly.”

“Ashflowers?” She takes a closer look. “They're very pretty.”

“Oh, you've seen these flowers before?”

“Yes. After they bloom, a single touch turns them to ash. You can't move them at that point.”

“Th-That makes a lot of sense now,” you stammer, attempting to hide a nearby pile of ash with your legs. Fluttershy brings a hoof to her mouth, giggling.

After making your rounds, you finish at the greenhouse doors, still only half-repaired after Coach Cloudmane tore them down. You fumble for words to describe what had happened here last week, but Fluttershy shakes her head. “I already know,” she says. She trots up to you, looking into your eyes. “They told me everything at the hospital,” she continues. “I don't know anypony else who would fight five griffons just like that!”

“Well, that's not exactly how it went. It was more like running from five griffons.”

She strokes your foreleg carefully. “You're a true gentlecolt.” She leans in and gives you a warm kiss on the cheek.

Your eyes instantly brighten. “At your service, miss,” you say, your mouth locked in an unrestrained smile.

“In that case, would you mind, um, escorting me to the laboratory?” She extends a wing, testing its strength slowly. “For now, I'm still on my hooves, and it's a long walk . . .”

“Laboratory. You mean Thunderhead Labs?”

“I'm getting some extra help to catch up on what I missed last week. I'd really like you to come along. That is, if it's okay with you.”

“Of course, Fluttershy! Today, I'll be your wings.”

She gasps. “Y-You will?”

You bend down, motioning her over. “I'll carry you there.”

After a quick fit of blushing, Fluttershy straddles you, wrapping her forelegs around your neck. The two of you take to the air, gliding through campus at a steady pace. As you pick up speed, she squeezes you tightly, her head resting on yours.

In short order, you arrive at Thunderhead Labs and coast up to the second floor.

“Here it is,” she says. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

You kneel as she slides off your back. “It was my pleasure. Good luck in there!” You wave as she enters the room.

Once the door shuts behind her, you close your eyes, reliving the memory of her kiss. Your back still carries the residual warmth of Fluttershy's body.

You canter blissfully down the hallway. Suddenly, your legs become snagged on something, forcing you to stumble forward. Catching yourself in mid-air with your wings, you look down at what nearly tripped you.

A pair of saddlebags, seemingly discarded, sits against the wall. Several of the books within have spilled out across the floor. A flashy, rainbow-bolt mark adorns the side of each bag.

These are rainbow-mane's saddlebags! Sensing no one else around, you slip them on and fly away.

Later That Night

I'm never going to finish this essay.

Having sorely underestimated the length of your latest Draconic Literature assignment, you are forced to spend the greater part of your night scrambling to finish your report on “The Disappearance of Ancient Dragontongue.” Just as you seem to hit a groove, a loud knock at your door interrupts your writing.

“Hold on,” you call out. You crack open the door to your room and see your third wingball teammate hovering in mid-air, his wings flapping rapidly. “Oh, Fairweather.” You open your door further. “What's up?”

“Hey, we're wondering if you've seen Rainbow Dash anywhere.”

“Me? No, not since this morning.” You eye her saddlebags, now sitting in your room behind the door. “Why do you ask?”

“Nopony has seen her all day,” he says, frowning. “Some folks were hoping you've been with her, but I guess not.”

“I'm sorry. I wish I knew where she was.”

“No problem. Catch you later.”

As you shut your door, you steal another glance at her saddlebags. Rainbow-mane . . . what's gotten into you all of a sudden?

You return to your desk to finish your essay. Despite your best efforts, you find it difficult to focus, your mind continuously wandering back to Rainbow Dash throughout the evening. It's not until several hours later that you manage to complete your work.

All right! This paper should score, at the very least, a solid B. Well, I hope.

After placing your materials away, you collapse onto your bed, glancing over at your alarm clock. 12:45 am! Wow, that's the last time I let Draconic Lit sneak up on me like that.

As you rest on your bed, Rainbow Dash's saddlebags taunt you from the corner of your room. Well, I put in a lot of hard work on that essay. I might as well reward myself, right? And rainbow-mane owes me.

You glide over to her saddlebags, tipping them over and allowing their contents to spill out. As her bags are emptied, the mysterious letter lands face-down on the ground. Hold on. I shouldn't be reading this. The letter belongs to her. But, if it was so private, why didn't she just tell me? Did she have to push me against the lockers? That rainbow-mane can be so frustrating. Whatever! I'll just read it real quick.

Shaking your head, you pick up the letter.

Dearest Rainbow,

You've been a very bad pony. You've forgotten who your real friends are. You need to be punished.

Meet us in the storage room across from TL213 right after classes. If you don't show up, your loser coltfriend will regret it. If you tell anypony, we'll make sure he'll never want to show his blank flank at Wingbury again.

No. No way. You fall to your haunches in a daze, dropping the note. She didn't actually go through with this, did she? You remember Fairweather's words. “Nopony has seen her all day.”

Something must have happened in that room.

You stand back up and look at your alarm clock. It's almost one in the morning. I can't get help now, and I could get in serious trouble for roaming around campus so late at night. You read the letter one more time. But that doesn't matter! She put herself in danger to protect me. I'll just have to figure this out on my own. And there's only one thing to do . . . follow this letter's instructions.

You crack your window open and slip out, flying toward Thunderhead Labs. Your body shivers as you cut through the cold night air. As you approach the building, you look around for an open window. Spotting one on the third floor, you slip inside and find yourself in a classroom. The darkness within reminds you of how ill-prepared you are. Are there any security measures here? What am I going to do if I get caught? I don't even have a flashlight. Either way, I can't stop now.

You creep out into the hallway, squinting your eyes in an effort to orient yourself in the shadows. A single window at the far end of the hallway provides dull moonlight. All right. TL213 is on the second floor, and I'm on the third floor. Gotta find the way down. Unable to see beyond your own hooves, you slink across the floor, taking careful steps while following the walls. A few awkward minutes later, you reach the second floor.

Now to figure out where TL213 is. You find the nearest classroom, struggling to read its number. TL211. You edge your way to the next classroom. TL212. Your pace quickens as you reach the final classroom. Here it is. TL213. A shiver runs down your spine as you slowly turn around. And there's the storage room. Rainbow-mane could still be in there!

You rush to the door to find it locked. An odd, ammonia-like smell emanates from the crack beneath the door. “Rainbow-mane! Are you in there?” No response.

What if she can't talk? What if . . . Not allowing yourself to finish your thought, you fly like an arrow toward the door. Although you bash it with all your weight, your light pegasus frame just bounces back. You try bucking it down, but the door holds fast. Still undeterred, you ram it over and over again, each impact sending a heavy shock throughout your body. Despite the pain, each failed attempt is a reminder that Rainbow Dash could be trapped inside in desperate need of help.

You pause for a moment to catch your breath. As you rest on your haunches, the image of Rainbow Dash unconscious in some dark closet drives you back to your legs. With a primal yell, you blast the door with every remaining ounce of your energy. As you collide with it, the hinges give way, snapping apart.

Your momentum carries you as you tumble into the room. You immediately raise a hoof to your nose. What is that stench? It's unbearable!

You scramble to your feet in a panic, unable to see what is causing the smell. “Hello? Anypony here? Rainbow-mane, please answer me!” Without the hallway window's pale light as a guide, you wait a moment for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.

The room is mostly empty. Some unknown chemical is splattered across the floor, its heavy odor saturating the air. Carefully scanning the floor, you see several strands of multicolored hair.

You clench your teeth. What have they done to her? Shaking in anger, you back out into the hallway and dash back up toward the classroom on the third floor, the hallway's path still fresh in your mind.

As you enter the room, you freeze—a white-maned pegasus mare is climbing in through the open window. Most of her body is concealed by a black, skin-tight hooded uniform. If somepony is here dressed like this, it means only one thing.

“Hey!” you call out. “What have you done to Rainbow Dash?”

The mare flinches. As soon as she sees you, she quickly dives through the window. You tumble outside after her, surging through the air. That's all the confirmation I needed. I'll chase her to the ends of Equestria!

The mysterious white-maned mare streaks across the sky with incredible speed, but she is no match for your adrenaline-fueled wings. You burst forward and strike her with a rough tackle. Your forelegs hooked around her neck, you drive her into a nearby cloud, pinning her.

“Tell me what you've done!” you shout.

She looks up at you, a tear running down her cheek.

As you examine her face, your grip softens. “Wait,” you whisper. “Those eyes . . . those are rainbow-mane's eyes . . .”

The pegasus mare pulls off her hood to reveal a frayed, colorless mane. She breaks down, sobbing. “I'm not . . . rainbow-mane . . . any more.”

Chapter 7: Midnight

Rainbow Dash, her mane stripped of its glow, trembles under your grip. You continue to hold her against a cloud far above the academy. As relieved as you are to see her once again, your mind brims with questions.

“Why?” you ask. “Why did you go to that room? Why did you let them hurt you?”

“You read the letter?!” she gasps.

“Tell me why!” you yell. She bites her lip, but you tighten your hold. “I'm not letting you go until you tell me.”

She shuts her eyes tight. “Because I like you!” she yells. “There! Okay? I couldn't let anything happen to you.”

“You idiot! I can handle anything those losers throw at me! You shouldn't put yourself in danger just for my sake. I'm the one who . . .” you trail off, pushing yourself off of her. “I'm the one who should be protecting you.”

You float in the skies, pressing a hoof to your forehead. Rainbow Dash lifts off the cloud and silently hovers before you.

“What did they do to you?”

Rainbow Dash takes a deep breath. “It was a whole group of ponies. I was blindfolded. They h-held me down and forced this chemical on me. They put it in my mane, my tail . . . I couldn't tell what was going on. They kept laughing the whole time.” She turns her back to you, sniffling. “I c-can't remember anything else. I passed out halfway through. I woke up somewhere behind the building.”

“I'm so sorry,” you say. For a moment, you look at her solemnly while she stares at the academy below. “But why all this?” you ask. “The suit, the hood . . .”

“I-I had to get my stuff back, so nopony would know what happened.” She points at her uniform. “I couldn't let anypony see me with this hair.”

“You don't have to worry about that! It will grow back to normal on its own.”

“It doesn't matter anymore. I'm never going back to Wingbury. I'm done.”

You grab her by the shoulders. “What are you saying?”

“I'd be a laughing stock! It's not just . . . them. Everypony would make sure I never hear the end of it.”

“That's not—”

“They took away who I am!” she screams. “They took away my own namesake! How can you call me Rainbow Dash after all this?” she cries, holding her white tail. “I'm nothing!”

“You're wrong! You're the fastest flier in all of Equestria. You're strong, brave, confident, cute, funny . . . you're just incredible.”

Tears run down her cheeks once more.

“I don't care what color your mane is, Rainbow Dash. I like you for who you are.”

You press your lips against hers. She recoils at first, but as you wrap your forelegs around her, she fiercely kisses you back. Wings beating rapidly, the two of you are locked in a passionate embrace in the skies high above Cloudsdale.

As you slowly break out of the kiss, Rainbow Dash whispers to you. “Th-That's the first time you called me by my name.” She strokes your cheek. “I liked hearing you say it.”

“Rainbow Dash,” you say, kissing her on the cheek as she calmly closes her eyes, smiling. “Rainbow Dash,” you whisper, kissing her once more. “. . . don't go, Rainbow Dash.”

She shakes her head. “I can't stay.”

“I can't imagine a Wingbury without you! I'll take care of those ponies myself—”

“No!” she says, “don't do or say anything! Please, you can't!”

“What? Why?”

“When they had me in that room, they told me that if anypony found out about this, they would come after me again. On campus, off campus, it didn't matter. They would get me, and they would pull you into it too. I couldn't even see who they were.”

“You can't let them get away with this! I bet Rosewing is the one—”

“Please!” she says, placing a hoof on your mouth. “Even if you find out who it was, leave it alone. Please . . .” She hovers away from you, staring at the far-off mountain range. “I-I have to go.”

“I want to see you again, Rainbow Dash.”

She looks into your eyes, the night wind blowing through her white mane. She reaches into one of her suit pockets, fishing out a key. “Here. Tomorrow night.”

“Is this . . .”

“Go to the observatory at midnight.” She passes you the key. “There's a small door in the back. You can open it with this key.” She slowly flies backwards, away from you. “Go there and I'll meet you one last time. Okay?”

You silently nod.

“I'm sorry it has to be this way.” She pauses for a moment. “Promise me you'll be there.”

“I promise.”

With a sorrowful look, she turns away and flies off into the horizon.

The Next Day

Those cowards! I can't believe anypony would do this. Why?!

I can't let Rainbow Dash leave. I have to convince her to stay. If she won't confront anypony about this, I'll have to handle it my own way.

“Are you all right?”

Fluttershy sits across from you at your usual corner table in the cafeteria.

“Wh-What?”

“You're staring at the wall.” she says. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry, sorry. I've got a lot on my mind.” You take a quick bite of your sandwich.

“That's okay.” She looks down at her salad. “Um, you can tell me, if you want.”

You shrug, offering a nervous chuckle. “Ah, no, it's nothing, really . . .”

“Oh. Okay.”

I can't worry her with this. Besides, I'm sure Rainbow Dash will be fine. She's just overwhelmed by everything that happened. She can't just leave the academy—

“—the wall again.”

“What?”

“You're staring at the wall again.” Fluttershy frowns.

You shake your head. “I'm sorry. Really, I'm okay, Fluttershy.” Get it together!

She looks up at the ceiling, then back to you. “If it's your classes, we can study together tonight.”

“Actually, that's a good idea. Are you sure you don't mind?”

“Oh, not at all! I'd love to. I think it would be fun. You can, um, come to my room.”

“You got it! I'll meet you after dinner.”

Softly smiling, Fluttershy takes a drink. Between sips, she nervously shifts her eyes to another table.

“Is there . . . something going on?” you ask.

She blushes. “Rosewing, is, um, looking at you.”

You turn around. Head resting listlessly on her hooves, Rosewing stares right at you. As soon as you meet her gaze, she licks her lips. You turn back to Fluttershy with a clumsy look. “Are you done with lunch?”

She nods.

“Great. Let's get outta here.”

The two of you leave the cafeteria. As Fluttershy walks off, Rosewing's voice catches you from behind. “I guess you can't call her rainbow-mane anymore, huh?”

You spin around, eyes narrowed. “What did you say?”

“Look, your marefriend is gone. Forget her.” She traces your flank with her foreleg. “We can have lots of fun together. I know how to treat a colt . . .”

You knock her hoof away. “Why are you acting like this? I just don't understand.”

She glances over her shoulder, then canters behind the cafeteria building. You follow her, but as soon as you turn the corner and the two of you are alone, she pushes you against the wall, holding your shoulders back.

“I want you. I want to take you from Rainbow Dash. I see the way she looks at you.”

Stunned, you remain wordless.

“And now she's gone. So stop fighting it,” she says, bringing her face close to yours, “because you're mine now.” She forces herself on you, giving you a rough kiss.

You push her off, spitting on the ground. “You're disgusting! What makes you think I'd want to go along with this?”

“I don't care if you want to or not. I'm going to make you.”

You scoff at her. “I'd rather have my wings clipped.”

Laughing, Rosewing shrugs. “Well, I guess I can't force it.” She turns around, taking a step away, then looks back. “By the way, I hear Fluttershy's back.”

You glare at her.

“Oh, don't give me that dirty look. I'm just making conversation.” A sly smile creeps along her face. “You know, I haven't been to the greenhouse in so long. Like, forever.”

“Stay away from her.”

“Oh yeah?” She flies right up to your face once more. “You listen closely, blank flank. You will do what I tell you, or I'll turn that pretty little Fluttershy into—”

“No!” you yell. “Don't you dare touch her!”

Rosewing giggles. “So which one is it, huh? Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy?”

What . . . what does she mean?

“Nothing to say? That's what I thought.” She turns her back to you, brushing her tail against your face. “Look at you, getting worked up over two mares! Playing with their hearts . . . why, you're almost as bad as me!”

“It's not like that at all!” you say, standing sternly.

“We'll see about that. Meet me behind the library at midnight.” She jumps into flight, flipping her mane. “Unless you want Fluttershy to leave the academy too.”

As she flies off, you notice a strange patch of white on the tip of Rosewing's tail.

. . . Did she say midnight?

You arrive at Fluttershy's dorm. Stepping up to her door, you clear your throat and knock.

You hear her muffled voice through the door. “Um, just a moment.” She opens the door with a smile. As soon as she lays her eyes on you, her smile widens and she motions you in. “Oh, I hope you didn't mind me asking you to come here.”

“No, are you kidding? I was really glad when you offered.” You look around you. “Besides, I've never seen your room.”

Fluttershy's room is simply but gracefully decorated, each ornament and picture lending a warm touch. Despite the schoolwork that looms ahead, you feel comfortable here. As you admire her room, you see Fluttershy slowly testing her right wing.

“Your wings, how are they feeling?”

“Stiff, but they're a little better than yesterday, I think.” She folds her wing back. “Shall we get started with Early Equestrian History?”

“Sure. We're covering the establishment of monarchy, right?”

“Yes. Section 13-B.”

You lie next to Fluttershy on the floor, the two of you comparing notes and working on your class assignments. As you each flip through the pages of your books, your forelegs occasionally brush together, each accidental graze evoking a slight blush from her. As you reach a lull in your studies, she sits up on her haunches.

“I wonder where Rainbow Dash is these days,” she says.

“Ah, yeah. She's been gone for a while.”

“I wanted to see her again, to thank her for what she did for me.”

I want to see her again, too. Why did things have to happen this way?

Fluttershy places a hoof on your wings. “Are you okay?”

“Hmm?”

“Your wings are tense.” She runs her foreleg across your extended wing. “You haven't been overworking them, have you? Did you hurt them during wingball practice? Oh no, you didn't strain them when you were carrying me, did you?”

“No, no! Everything is okay. I guess I'm just feeling stressed.”

“Would you, um, like me to help your wings relax?”

“S-Sure.”

Fluttershy motions you to her bed, directing you to lie down. She carefully works her hooves into your back, massaging the base of your wings. As she kneads your back, her hooves gradually work their way to your wings, delicately rubbing them.

“Oh, that's really good,” you say. “Where did you—”

“Shhh,” she whispers.

After a few more minutes of gentle caressing, she helps you back up. You sit on her bed, flexing your wings. “Fluttershy, that was . . . amazing.”

“I-I'm glad you liked it.”

“You're a really special pony. I don't know what I'd do without you.”

Fluttershy looks at you with wistful eyes. She raises her forelegs and leans on your shoulders. “I feel the same way about you,” she whispers. As she leans closer, you both close your eyes, lips meeting in a tender kiss.

You open your eyes to see Fluttershy wearing a mirthful smile. She gazes at you for another moment before glancing at the clock on her wall. “Oh, it's gotten late. Um, I guess that's enough studying for today. Would you like to work some more tomorrow?”

“Yes, I'd really like that.” You likewise look at her clock. What—11:50 pm already?! “Uh, thanks for everything, Fluttershy. I guess I'll head home now.”

“Oh, but it's almost midnight. You can get in trouble if you go out this late at night. Why don't you stay—”

“It's fine, I'll just scoot on home real quick! Really, don't worry at all.” You hastily slide books back into your saddlebags.

“Okay.” Fluttershy looks around awkwardly.

As you slip on your saddlebags and start heading toward the door, you stop short and turn around. “Thanks for everything, Fluttershy. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night.” She smiles as you dash out of her room.

Having deposited your saddlebags through your room's window, you soar through campus, keeping low to avoid attracting attention. You hold the observatory key in your teeth.

Only a few minutes until midnight. I'll just have to hope Rainbow Dash is there early and that Rosewing is willing to wait.

You coast into the observatory, its front doors unlocked. You ignore the stairs leading up, instead flying directly to the door in the back. After some slight fumbling with the key, you manage to unlock it.

You find yourself in a small office. Judging by the cobwebs and dust, the room has not been used for several years. Empty bookshelves line the walls. An ornate wooden desk rests against the far side of the room. She's late.

You walk over to the desk, avoiding the use of your wings to keep the dust in the room settled. Atop it is a single sheet of paper. Curious, you take a closer look. Wait. This is addressed to me!

I'm sorry I couldn't be here. I just can't handle this right now. I don't know what I'm going to do, but until I decide, I can't stay at Wingbury. Please don't hate me for doing this. One day, I hope I have the courage to tell you how I truly feel.

Please write me back. I'll come by and pick up your letters at night.

Yours forever,
Rainbow Dash

Two teardrop stains dot the bottom edge of the paper. She put a lot of effort into her writing. It's not her usual scrawling.

With a deep breath, you step away from the desk. This is Rosewing's fault. She drove Rainbow Dash away. Now she's threatening Fluttershy. It's time to settle this.

You jet outside the observatory, gritting your teeth as you surge toward the library's rear. You arrive quickly to see Rosewing standing alone. As you land in front of her, she smirks at you.

“You're a little late, blank flank. Did you have another date or something?”

“Shut up.”

She shrinks back. “Hey, I'm here to apologize—”

“No, you're here to tell me exactly what you did to Rainbow Dash.”

“I don't know anything about Rainbow Dash. I heard she's been missing for a couple days, is that right?”

You growl at her.

“Now, now, is that any way to act toward somepony who's trying to make amends?” She shrugs. “Look, all I want is one thing, and this is all over. I'll never bother you again.”

You shoot her a grim look. “Tell me.”

“I want you to kiss me.”

You step back. “You're sick. You have a problem.”

She gives you a devilish grin. “Kiss me, and I'll leave you and Fluttershy alone forever. Your little Rainbow Dash, too.”

“I have no reason to believe you.”

“You also have nothing to lose. Just a kiss. What's the harm?” She steps closer to you. “That's all I want.” She takes another step forward. “I just want to taste you one more time . . .”

You stand rigidly as she brings her face right up to yours. Hovering an inch away, she waits for you to act. You slowly close the gap, locking lips for a brief moment. She slides her tongue into your mouth, but you instantly jerk backward.

“There. That wasn't so bad, was it?” She licks her lips.

“We're done. Now leave, and don't bother us ever again.”

“I know you liked it.”

“Leave!”

“Oh, fine, fine. A deal is a deal,” she says, flying away.

You sick freak.

I'm going to win Rainbow Dash's confidence back. And when she returns to Wingbury, we're going to make you regret this, Rosewing. You'll regret everything. We have all the evidence.

It's time for my own brand of retribution.

Chapter 7x: Correspondence

Saturday

You fly to the observatory in the afternoon. Heading to the now-empty desk at the end of the small office, you begin to write.

Rainbow Dash,

I already miss you. Things are not the same at the academy. A lot of ponies have been asking about you. We're all worried and we wish we knew you were okay. I don't think anypony would ever tease you if you came back.

Fluttershy has been helping me with my studies. She was thinking about you. She wanted to thank you for what you did for her. You're a hero at Wingbury. We want our hero to come back home.

Sunday

You return to the observatory office. The letter you wrote is gone, but there is no response. You write once more.

Rainbow Dash,

Today we had weekend wingball practice. It wasn't so bad—I promise I'm working hard on team formations. Actually, it's a little difficult because it's just me and Fairweather on the team. Coach refuses to give us a replacement for you. I think he's hoping you will come back. I hope you come back too.

Can you tell me if you are okay? I don't even know if you have a place to sleep. At least tell me if you are safe.

Monday

You head to the office after classes to find the desk bare.

Rainbow Dash,

I thought I heard you in class today, but when I turned around, you weren't there. Even though you left, I expected to see you sitting behind me. My mind has been playing tricks on me.

Lately, I've been having trouble sleeping. I've been doing a lot of night flying. It's not the same without you, though. To be honest, I spend the whole time looking for you. One night I hope I find you.

Tuesday

The observatory office desk is empty.

Rainbow Dash,

We finally burned those crystals in Chem II today. It was as cool as you thought it would be. I saved one of them and snuck it out of class. When you come back, we can burn it together. I think you'll like it.

I really miss you, Rainbow Dash. Even if you're not coming back, can I see you again? I'm afraid of the day that my letters stop disappearing.

Wednesday

You return to the office. No letter.

Rainbow Dash,

Tomorrow's our first wingball match. We're going against Chesterfeather. It's a home game. Maybe you can come watch from up high? I promise we'll make you proud. We still don't have a third member. Fairweather and I decided to try and do a two-pony team. We just can't think of anypony that can replace you.

It's getting really hard to write these letters. I choke up every time I leave one on this desk. I miss you so much, Rainbow Dash. Please write back.

Thursday

“You ready for the game, dude?” Fairweather grins.

“Yeah,” you say. “I bet we'll do pretty well, even without a third member.”

“I have a good feeling about it. I think we'll set some new wingball record, or something. The first two-pony team in wingball history cruises all the way to the finals!”

You chuckle. “Well, let's worry about winning our first game. Then we'll start talking about the finals.”

You float away from Fairweather, scanning the crowd. Matches start in fifteen minutes. Rainbow Dash, if you're out there . . . we need your share of luck today.

A quick glance at the academy greenhouse in the distance reminds you of Fluttershy. She missed lunch this afternoon. Actually, I haven't seen her all day. I wonder if she knows about the game.

“Coach!” you call out, flying over to the team bench. “Coach!”

Coach Cloudmane turns to you. “What is it, son? You ready for the game?”

“I'm ready, I'm ready. There's just somepony special I want to watch the game. Can I fly out there and—”

“Whoa, we're about to start. Why didn't you think about this sooner?”

“Please, coach! I didn't see her in class. I promise I'll be quick. I won't miss the game. I—”

Coach Cloudmane sighs. “All right. Hurry up. I don't want to send out Equestria's first one-pony team to the field.”

“Yes sir!” You flash a smile, then fly off the field toward the greenhouse. I just hope she's there. I might not have time to get to her dorm.

You land carefully inside the greenhouse. As you canter to the far end, you call out, “Fluttershy! Are you there?”

No response. You head deeper in. In the corner, you see Fluttershy standing before a table, quivering.

“Hey, are you okay? You missed class.”

Fluttershy does not turn to face you. “What are these? Letters?” You look over at the papers on the table. Those are the letters I wrote to Rainbow Dash!

“What—how do you have those?”

“You knew where she was the whole time?” Her voice begins to crack.

“No! I still don't know.”

She waves a hoof at the letters. “How can you explain all of this?”

“I . . .” you trail off, unable to come up with the right words.

Fluttershy finally turns around, red-eyed. “Tell me,” she says flatly. “When did you kiss her?”

“What?”

“I said, 'When did you kiss her?'”

“I-It was a week ago,” you stammer. “The day after she disappeared. I found Rainbow Dash in the sky after everything happened and we kissed. It was a rush of emotion. I—”

“You kissed Rainbow Dash?” She stumbles backward. You softly nod as Fluttershy bursts into tears. “H-How many m-mares does it take to satisfy you, you monster?!” She runs off, leaving you alone at the greenhouse.

“Please, wait!” you call out, but she does not stop. You walk over to the letters on the table. Why are these here? I don't understand!

You check the letters. As you flip through them, a photo of you kissing Rosewing slips out from between the pages.

Chapter 8: Retaliation

Later That Night

That's it. Back to square one. I couldn't save Rainbow Dash. I lost Fluttershy. Don't get me started on the wingball match.

Despite a valiant effort, the lack of a third teammate proved troubling during your first wingball match against Chesterfeather High. Coach Cloudmane had congratulated you and Fairweather on your performance—you had played well considering the uneven teams. If I learned anything, it's that we need Rainbow Dash back.

You creep through your room window shortly before midnight. With most ponies now asleep, the academy grounds are quiet. All you can hear is the wind as you soar across campus. I only have one chance left. The observatory. I can only hope she hasn't completely given up and is still checking for letters.

Once you enter the observatory lobby, you resign yourself to pacing back and forth. You glance at the clock on the wall, but its hands are stuck. Figures.

Minutes bleed together as you lose track of time. How long has it been? An hour? Why did I even bother? You check the clock for the tenth time. And why do I keep looking at this thing?

A voice from the entryway startles you. “That clock doesn't work, you know.”

Rainbow Dash slowly walks inside, the light casting a sheen on her white mane. You spin around, your face opening into a smile. “Rainbow Dash . . . I'm happy you're here.”

She continues to walk, straight-faced, coming right up to you. “Why are you here?”

“Look, I really wanted to see you again. And your letter—”

“You never wrote back,” she says sternly. “Not a single word! I thought the one pony I was close to would at least try.”

“You don't understand—”

“I don't even know why I bothered to come here.” She turns away. “I should be halfway across Equestria on some cloud-pushing job or something.”

“You didn't give up, and neither—”

“Forget it.” She hikes up into the air. “This was a waste of time.”

“Stop!” As she heads for the door, you leap over to her, pulling her back down to the ground.

“L-Let go of me!” She twists herself to try and escape your grip, but you maintain a firm hold.

“You have to hear me out!”

“I don't have to hear anything!” She shoves you off, flaring her wings. “Leave me alone!”

“I wrote you letters! Rosewing stole them!”

She freezes in place. You trot over to her, this time using a foreleg to turn her head toward you. “I wrote you every day. Each time I left a letter, it was gone the next day.”

“You . . . you wrote to me?”

You softly exhale. “Let me show you.”

“All these letters . . .”

Rainbow Dash stands at the far end of the greenhouse, reading your letters slowly. You stand back as she leafs through them. “Yeah. I really wanted you to come back.”

“I feel terrible.” She continues reading, her eyes shimmering. “I-I let you down.”

“No. You could never let me down. I knew I'd get to see you again.”

She suppresses a tear with a sniffle. “You kept writing . . . even when you didn't get any responses?”

“Like I said. You didn't give up. Neither did I.”

She rushes up to you, wrapping her forelegs around you in a tight embrace. “I'm glad,” she whispers, crying. “I'm so glad I checked one more time.” Her wings fan out as she releases you, stepping back with a smile.

“I'm glad too. I need you, Rainbow Dash. I need you to help me take care of Rosewing.”

Her smile fades. “What? We can't do anything.”

“Yes! We can!” You grab hold of her shoulders and give her a light shake. “She stole these letters. She stole you away from Wingbury. She stole you away from me. I can't let that go.”

“You don't get it,” she says, shaking her head. “She . . . she knows ponies. Just forget it.”

“I don't care if she knows Celestia. We have this.” You produce a carefully-folded sheet of paper. “Her blackmail letter to you.”

As you unfurl the letter, Rainbow Dash recoils, turning her head away. “That won't get us anywhere.”

“No, probably not. There are two more things we need.” You stare into her eyes. “We need you, and we need whatever else we find in her room.”

She remains still. “Her room.”

“Tomorrow. I'm skipping last period. Everypony will be in class. We're going to break into her room, and we're going to find something to expose her. I want to make sure she can never hurt us or anypony else. Ever again.”

Rainbow Dash returns your grim stare. After a moment of silence, she carefully nods. “Fine. Let's do it.”

The Next Day

The bell rings for lunch. You fly outside amid the crowd of students, working your way toward the cafeteria.

Wait. Maybe I should just eat somewhere else. This is going to be too awkward.

. . . No, I have to at least try.

After grabbing some food, you walk over to your usual table. Fluttershy sits alone. “Is it okay if I sit here?”

She looks up at you. As soon as her eyes meet yours, she sinks her head back down. “H-Hello.”

You quietly sit down and take a bite of your sandwich. A moment later, Fluttershy rises from her chair.

“Excuse me.” She turns around, leaving her tray of food behind. “I have to go.”

You watch her leave, staring at her abandoned salad. I can only hope there's room for forgiveness when this is all over.

“Oh, that's so sad.” Rosewing hooks a foreleg around your shoulder. “It's okay. I'll be your friend instead.”

I was right. I should have eaten somewhere else. You stand back up, taking your food with you. Without sparing her a word or a glance, you walk away as she laughs.

Enjoy this moment, Rosewing.

It's just about time.

With one minute before the final period of the day begins, you leave your saddlebags in your locker and wait for the hallways to clear. Once the bell rings and the last few students zip into their classrooms, you slink outside. Like I needed a reason to skip Draconic Lit.

As you arrive at the mares' dormitory, Rainbow Dash is waiting for you near the outer wall. You ask, “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.” She runs a hoof through her mane. “Let's get this over with.”

“All right. Which one is Rosewing's room?”

Raising a foreleg to her chin, she hovers from window to window, peering inside. “This one. Right here.”

With a grunt, you try to slide the window open, but it does not budge. “No good. You think her door might be unlocked?”

She sighs. “I have to do everything, huh?” She turns her back to the window. After a quick glance around, she gives the window's hinge a light buck, cracking it.

“You broke it!”

“What?” She shrugs. “You said we'd have to get our hooves dirty.”

“I didn't say that!”

“Okay, okay. Let's just get in there before somepony notices us.”

With the hinge broken, the window slides open effortlessly. The two of you slip inside Rosewing's room.

Rainbow Dash trots over to her desk. “Whoa. This is messed up.”

You look over her shoulder. A pile of photographs covers most of the desk. Pictures of Fluttershy. Pictures of Rainbow Dash. Pictures of you. This mare is disturbed. How does she have all these pictures of us?

As she flips through them, Rainbow Dash staggers backward. “I-I think I'm going to be sick.”

You step up to the photographs. There are countless pictures of Rainbow Dash, blindfolded and held down, a strange liquid being rubbed into her mane and tail. These were taken in the storage room! What are these, trophy photos? You push them around with your hoof until one catches your eye: Rosewing dragging a limp Rainbow Dash, a sinister grin on her face. This is what we need!

“I think I've got it,” you say, taking the photograph. “Did you find anything else?”

You don't hear a response.

“Rainbow Dash?” You turn around to see her cowering by the corner.

“I can't believe . . .” She falters, her voice breaking away. “I can't believe she took pictures of me like that.”

You calmly walk over to her. “I know. I'm sorry.”

She turns an eye toward you. “I'll be fine. Just . . . just keep looking.”

As you slide the rest of the photographs aside, you find a collection featuring you.

Heading to class.

Eating at the cafeteria with Fluttershy.

Sitting at the auditorium.

Practicing wingball.

Night flying.

Entering the observatory.

She's been watching me since I joined Wingbury. A chill runs down your spine. Just who is this mare?

. . . And why did she choose me?

“Rainbow Dash,” you call out. She rises to her hooves as you pass her the photograph of Rosewing. “Here. You take it.”

“What? Why me?”

“You're the only pony who can do this. You have to come forward on your own.”

She stares at the photograph, unblinking.

“Talk to the academy officials tomorrow. Show them the letter and the picture. If you tell them everything that happened, Rosewing will have no chance.”

Rainbow Dash slowly lifts her eyes from the picture. “Tomorrow. I can do it.”

You nod, giving her a rigid smile. “You go ahead. I'm going to wrap things up here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, right?”

She looks outside. “I'm not going to run any more. Count on it.”

As Rainbow Dash flies out the window, you rip a blank sheet of paper from one of Rosewing's notebooks. Time for a taste of your own medicine. You begin to write.

Rosewing,

Today's your last day at Wingbury. I just wanted to say goodbye before the academy officials show up to take you away.

Maybe they'll drag you out of here the same way you dragged Rainbow Dash by the mane after abusing her. I wonder, was there anypony else there with you that day? The picture I have just shows you.

Later That Night

A knock at your door rouses you from sleep. You turn toward your alarm clock. 1:15 am. I'm glad Rainbow Dash is back, but I don't have the energy to fly tonight.

The knocking continues. Wait, that's not the window. You drag yourself out of bed, cracking open your door. “Hello?”

A dejected Rosewing sits in the hallway with reddened eyes. “Please, please don't show that picture!”

This is rich. “Always nice to see you,” you sigh. As you open further, she slides her way inside and closes the door.

“I'm sorry! I really am!” Rosewing sinks down to her haunches, forelegs raised up to you. “Look, I'll change. I'll tell Dash that I'm sorry, and you won't have to show anypony that picture.”

You cross your forelegs. “Yeah, that will make things all better.”

“Please! I messed up. I'm sorry! I made a lot of mistakes, okay? What do you want me to do?”

“Do you really think—”

“Anything!” she bursts out. “I'll do anything! Just don't show it, please! I swear I'll leave you alone forever!”

“That's what you said last time, and look where it got me.”

“I-I'll do whatever it is you want right now. Just tell me! I'll turn my mane white too, if you want. I'll—”

“I don't care about your mane.”

“I'll apologize to Fluttershy. I'll tell her it was all fake.”

“I don't need you for that.”

“I'll tell Rainbow Dash I'll never bother her again. Please!”

You point toward the door. “I think it's time for you to leave.”

“I can't! I can't leave without that picture. I'll do anything to get it back, aren't you listening?”

You flare your wings. “Go!”

Rosewing reels back, stunned. “Please, won't you reconsider? There has to be something I can do to change your mind.”

You remain silent. As you stare at her, you notice a slight smile forming at the corner of her mouth. “I guess saying sorry just doesn't cut it with you, huh?”

She rises to her legs and opens your door, but does not exit. Instead, she turns to face you once more. “So we get to do this my favorite way after all.”

As she says this, three other pegasi quietly enter your room, closing the door behind them. You don't recognize any of them.

“These ponies are from Chesterfeather. They're not very happy that you gave them such a hard time at the game yesterday.”

You back away. “What is this?”

“I know a lot of ponies. You could say . . . they owe me favors.” As she licks her lips, a mare hands Rosewing a soaked rag.

“Oh, this?” she continues, holding the rag up. “I like to do the dirty work myself. They're just here to make sure you don't give me any trouble. Just like Rainbow Dash.”

“You're horrible! How can you live with yourself?”

Rosewing simply smiles. “If you had just minded your own business like a good little pony, I wouldn't have to do this. Really, it's your fault.” She saunters up to you. “It's not too late, you know. Give me the picture.”

“It's already on its way. Out of my hooves. You can't stop it.”

“I don't believe you,” she says, giggling. “I think you know exactly where it is.”

You step back, but she immediately closes the gap.

“And I wasn't kidding. I really will do anything to get it back. Anything.”

Rosewing hooks a foreleg around your head, pulling you forward. You open your mouth to yell, but she covers your face with the sweet-smelling rag, muffling your voice. Despite your attempts to wrest yourself free, the other ponies are already holding you down, pinning your wings.

“I wonder how far we'll have to go with you . . .”

Rainbow Dash, it's all . . . up . . .

You slip into unconsciousness.

Chapter 9: Truth and Lies

Everything seems hazy. Muffled, even. Where am I?

You find yourself soaring through twilit skies. The stars have just begun to appear overhead. In the distance, the last vestiges of the sun slowly disappear as the moon takes its place.

How did I get here? Why is my flight so effortless? I'm barely flapping my wings.

As you seamlessly float through the air, Rainbow Dash suddenly zips to your side. Her mane is restored to its former spectral glory. “Rainbow Dash,” you call out, “you're okay! How did this happen?”

She flashes a wide grin and winks.

You feel something brush against your left wing. You turn to see Fluttershy keeping pace with you, her graceful wings fully recovered. “You too, Fluttershy! I'm so glad to see you!”

She gives you a warm smile and nods.

The three of you fly together for several minutes. At various points, you try to get their attention, but at most they merely smile back at you. Soon enough, the three of you land upon a cliff overlooking the ocean.

As you stand at the precipice gazing at the horizon, you embrace Rainbow Dash, softly wrapping your right wing around her shoulder. “I'm happy you got your color back.”

Rainbow Dash shrugs your wing off and steps back. You look over to see her mane turning back to white before your very eyes. “What are you talking about?” she cries. “I've lost my color, and it's all your fault!” She pokes you sharply with her foreleg.

“N-No! I didn't want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Look at me. Look at me!” she screams. “This is all because of you! I wish I never got myself involved with you.”

Fluttershy's voice chimes in from behind. “She's right. All you do is hurt everypony.”

You spin around to see Fluttershy wincing in pain, her wings wrapped in a cast. “I didn't want this to happen!” you say.

She turns her nose up. “If you had just stayed out of my life, I'd still have my wings.”

Rainbow Dash shoves you away. “Just leave us alone! Nopony wants you!”

“Nopony!” says Fluttershy.

I can't process all of this! I can't think straight . . . You sink to your haunches, covering your face in your hooves as both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy berate you. “What can I do?” you plead. “What do you want me to do?”

Silence. When you look back up, there is no sign of Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy. Instead, you see Rosewing towering over you. She grabs you by the shoulders. “You know what I want you to do,” she says, giving your face a rough lick. “Wake up, my little pony. Wake up . . .”

You snap awake in a barely-lit room. Your vision is somewhat blurry, and you are unable to recognize where you are. You try to spread your wings, but they don't respond—you quickly realize your legs and wings are completely bound by rope.

“Don't bother trying to move. You'll just waste your energy.” Rosewing slowly steps toward you, alone. She is wearing a half-mangled purple flower in her mane. That flower . . . that's the same flower Fluttershy gave me!

“Where . . . where did you get that flower?” As you speak, you taste a sweet, chalky flavor in your mouth.

“This?” Rosewing points to her mane. “Oh, it's a rare flower. It's called Heart's Desire. For the life of me, I can't seem to remember where I found this little treasure.”

You lean forward in your bindings. You try to speak again, but it takes you some effort to formulate the right words. “What have you . . . done to it?”

Rosewing uses a foreleg to push your body against the wall. “Heart's Desire can be used for many things. I had to strip off a few petals to make you a special drink. If you know how to mix things just right, it can produce some interesting effects.”

As she speaks to you, a light-headed sensation overtakes you. You shake your head in an attempt to dispel your daze. “What are you talking about?”

She brings a cup to your lips. “See this? Just a few sips and you can't help but speak the truth . . . speak what your heart truly desires.”

“I-I'd never drink this.”

She smirks. “Take a closer look.” The cup is already empty. “Give me a little more credit. I slipped it down your throat while you were asleep.”

No . . . no way . . .

With a wicked smile, Rosewing delicately touches your face with her hoof. “Now, let's see if it works. What will I ask you first? Oh, I'm going to have so much fun with you!” She straddles your body, slowly stroking your face. “Tell me. You broke into my room, didn't you?”

“Yes.”

“You weren't alone, though. Did you have somepony with you?”

“Yes.”

“It was my darling Rainbow, wasn't it?”

“Yes.”

“She saw all those pictures on my desk, didn't she?”

“Yes.” Why? Why am I saying this? Why can't I stop myself?

“How did she feel about all those lovely pictures?”

“She felt devastated. Horrified.”

Rosewing laughs. “Why don't you describe it in detail? I want to savor the moment.”

“She was trembling. She cowered by the corner on the verge of tears.”

Rosewing closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Yes, that's good.” She opens her eyes, smiling. “Tell me how she feels about her white mane.”

“Empty. Hollow. She's a broken mare.” I-I can't stop myself . . .

“Oh, really? What do you think of white-mane now?”

“Her name is Rainbow Dash,” you say, gritting your teeth.

“Somepony that ugly doesn't deserve a name.”

“You're wrong,” you say assertively. “I think Rainbow Dash is as beautiful as ever.”

She leans back. “Excuse me?”

“She's an incredible pegasus. Nothing you do would ever change that.”

She gives you a blank look for a moment. “You would do anything for Rainbow, wouldn't you?”

“Yes.”

“I see.” Her lips curl into a smile. “Then you'll just love what you're about to do for her. That picture you stole—who has it now?”

“Rainbow Dash.”

“Oh, how interesting! Tell me again. Who should I go after if I want that picture back?”

“Rainbow Dash.”

“Mmm.” Rosewing cradles your face in her hooves, but in your bleary state, you cannot offer any resistance. “And what is she planning to do with that picture?”

“She's going to reveal it in the morning.”

“Is that so? Well, can you think of anything stopping me from stealing it back?

“Yes.”

“And what is that, sweetie?”

“You don't know where she is.”

“That's right! You know, I'm really enjoying this game.” Rosewing gives you a soft kiss on the cheek. “Tell your girl Rosewing where Rainbow is.”

“I don't know.”

She wrinkles her nose, pausing for a moment. “Well, I guess we'll have to do this a different way,” she coos, ruffling your mane. “It's time for a little insurance.”

She lifts herself off of you, walking over to a shelf and retrieving a small electronic device. “You've done a lot of bad things at this academy. Sounds like something that should be recorded, don't you think?” She winks at you. “You don't have to answer that one.”

She turns the recording device on and speaks both your names into it. “I'm glad you decided to confess. Please tell me what you did to my room.” With a grin, she holds the device before you.

“I skipped class to sneak into your room with Rainbow Dash. We broke your window, went through your belongings, and stole from you.”

“I see. Have you ever broken into any other academy buildings?”

“Yes.”

“Could you be more specific, dear?”

“I snuck into Thunderhead Labs and the observatory at night.”

“Interesting. How often do you sneak out of your room late at night?”

“Almost every night.”

“Very well. Finally, have you ever engaged in fights with any other students?”

“Yes.”

“Oh? A little more detail, if you please.”

“I entered into a fight with Rainbow Dash.”

“A colorful history you've had with that mare, it seems. Tell us, what happened during that fight?”

A tear rolls down your cheek. “Rainbow Dash s-struck me.”

“Thank you for your honesty.” She clicks the device off. “Now, won't this recording be useful along with all of my other photographs of you?”

“Yes.”

Rosewing stares at you silently for a moment, a disturbing smirk across her face. “You've been such a good little pony, answering all of my questions. Such a shame you're going to have your hooves full trying to find Rainbow and stop her from showing that picture. If you don't, I'm sure you know what will happen to the two of you.” She dangles the recording device in front of your face before setting it on the shelf across the room.

“Well then, we still have some time,” she continues. “Why don't we learn a few secrets about everypony's favorite blank flank?”

“Please, stop . . . Rosewing . . .” Your voice begins to break as another tear streaks down to your chin.

“Tell me about Fluttershy. When she saw those lovely letters you wrote in that observatory, what did you say?”

“I told her I k-kissed Rainbow Dash.”

Rosewing bursts into raucous laughter. “How perfect! Oh, that is just beautiful. How did she take it?”

“Terribly. She doesn't want to speak to me anymore.”

“What a shame. How do you feel about that?”

“I feel horrible. I hurt her. I don't think there's anything I can do to make things better.”

“Oh, you poor thing!” She giggles. “Don't worry. It's not like you lost much.”

“I lost a great deal. Fluttershy was truly special. I think I . . . ” you trail off. My head is starting to clear up.

Rosewing pets you softly. “There, there. How does it feel being forced to tell me your most pure thoughts? To have no control over what you say?”

“I hate you, Rosewing.”

“Ha! If that isn't from the heart, I don't know what is. I suppose that leaves just one more question.” She brings her face right up to yours. “What is your heart's desire?”

You don't respond. It must be wearing off!

“I asked you, 'What is your heart's desire?'”

You remain silent. This isn't over. All I have to do is pretend . . . and wait for my chance. After all, I know her weakness.

You look into her eyes. “Rosewing. You are my heart's desire.”

She takes a few steps back. “What did you say?”

“I'm in love with you, Rosewing. The way you handled me, the way you crushed the hearts of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy . . . I care for them, but after seeing you in control, I can't help myself. I despise you, yet I want to be yours, Rosewing.”

Mouth agape, she slowly edges closer to you. “Really, now? Do tell me more.”

“From the moment you forced that kiss on me, I've been so confused. But now that I say it out loud, I'm sure of it. Forget those other losers. You are the mare I want. You are the mare I need. Use me, Rosewing. Use me however you wish!”

With wide eyes, she brings her face right up to yours and strokes your face gently. “Oh, I'll use you. I'll make you do whatever I want. And you'll enjoy it, won't you? You'll love to do what I tell you, my little pet.” She stares deeply into you, tracing your body with her eyes. “Yes, this is perfect. Just perfect . . .”

Time to close the deal. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash . . . forgive me for what I'm about to do.

You lean forward and kiss Rosewing. She immediately responds by jumping on top of you. The two of you spend the next two minutes wildly kissing, Rosewing caressing your bound body. All worked up, she roughly whispers in your ear, “Your wings. Give me your wings.”

“They're yours,” you whisper back.

Softly moaning, she gives your closed wing a quick lick, then uses her teeth to cut the ropes binding your wings. As the ties come loose, your legs slip out of the ropes. “Open your wings,” she murmurs. You spread them open, and she begins to sensually run her tongue across their length, her hooves slowly rubbing them.

Just when you feel she has lost herself in your body, you lurch forward, shoving her off of you. She tumbles backward as you hop into the air, soaring over to the far shelf.

“What are you doing?” she cries. “No!”

You grab the recording device and hurl it to the ground. Rosewing runs toward you, but she can only make it halfway before you grind the device to pieces. It only takes you a few quick stomps with your hooves to reduce it to dust.

She stares at you, speechless. You march over to her, prompting her to take a few steps back. Her flank now against the wall, she sinks down to her haunches. “Please don't hurt me!” she whimpers.

You glare at her. “Let me know how Chesterfeather High works out,” you say, leaving the room.

The Next Morning

I'm exhausted. No sleep last night. Stupid academy and its Saturday course schedule. I'll probably doze off in the middle of class.

At the same time, I don't think I could fall asleep knowing what had happened—and what will happen.

As you walk the corridors of Highwind Hall shortly before first period, you see Rainbow Dash standing in front of her locker, blankly staring ahead. “Hey!” you call out. “Rainbow Dash!”

She twitches slightly, but doesn't turn around.

“Hey, it's really nice to finally see you at the academy. Did you go down to the admistrator's office?”

“Yeah. I went down there, all right.”

You spin her around, forcing her to face you. “And? Whoa, what happened to your face?” You notice her cheek is slightly swollen.

She meets your eyes for a moment, then looks down. “Well, when I got there, Fluttershy was waiting outside.”

“Fluttershy? Okay.”

“She needed help. She asked me to follow her.” Rainbow Dash bites her lip.

“I'm with you so far.”

“When we turned the corner, she bucked me across the face and knocked me out. When I came to, the letter and the picture were gone.”

You cock your head, stifling a laugh. “Uh, no. Not buying that one.”

“Hey!” she yells. “I'm serious!”

“Look, just be honest with me.”

“I am! Go ask her yourself,” she says, pointing down the hall. Sure enough, you see Fluttershy standing near the water fountain at the end of the row of classrooms.

You briskly fly toward her as Rainbow Dash follows. “Fluttershy—”

As soon as you call her name, she takes several steps back, a frightened look plastered across her face. From around the corner, Rosewing walks over and places a hoof on her shoulder. “It's okay, Fluttershy, I'll take care of it,” she whispers. Turning to you, she shakes her head, “Why don't you leave Fluttershy alone, you bully?”

“What?” You stare at her in disbelief. “Me?”

“Yeah. You. I had a long talk with Fluttershy very late last night. We were candid with each other. We found out we had a lot in common . . . we were both played by you and Rainbow.”

“No, no. This is all wrong.” What the hay is going on here?

Rosewing tightens her hold on her. “Can you imagine how heartbroken we felt when we found out that the very flower you gave to me was the same one she gave to you?” She points at the remainder of the Heart's Desire, still clipped to her mane.

“I didn't give that to you!”

“Look, I don't want to argue with you. Just leave us alone, okay? You've hurt us enough.”

You shake your head. “Fluttershy, I . . .” you stammer. “Look, I'll work this out later. Why did you hurt Rainbow Dash? You stole something very important from her!”

Fluttershy shoots you a cold gaze. “Somepony once told me, 'It's either pick on others, or get picked on yourself. That's how it is.'”

Rainbow Dash hangs her head low.

“That's enough,” Rosewing says. “Fluttershy is off-limits, you meanies. Stay away from us!” She wraps a wing around Fluttershy, guiding her away. As they walk down the hall, Rosewing turns her head back around.

With a naughty grin, she blows you a kiss before whispering something into Fluttershy's ear.

Chapter 10: Reversal

Second period. I am not in the mood for Classical Aeronautics today.

You sit at your desk, waiting for the rest of the class to filter in. As you lazily lean your head on your foreleg, your fellow classmates suddenly fall silent. You perk up and notice Rainbow Dash slowly stepping through the doorway, walking toward her desk. You hear muttering nearby.

“Look who decided to show up! Did she just come from a bar fight?”

“What happened to her mane?”

“Do we still call her Rainbow?”

She slinks to her seat behind you with a nervous smile, your classmates slowly returning to their usual banter. “Not as bad as I thought it'd be,” she whispers.

Shortly after the academy bell rings, the professor clears his throat. “Class, today we will be conducting a field experiment. All students are expected to perform. Consider this your practical examination in Mistwright's laws.”

You hear a squeal of glee behind you. Turning around, you see Rainbow Dash, her face beaming. She leans close to you and whispers in your ear. “This is so awesome. I came back at the perfect time!”

“You know Mistwright's laws?” you whisper back.

“Well, uh, not all that formula stuff. But I've done this before!”

Done what?

You turn back around as the professor adjusts his glasses before continuing his explanation. “I'd like you to pair off into two-pony groups. Your team will be graded on your understanding of the laws and your ability to apply them.”

“See?” whispers Rainbow Dash. “You know all the equations, right?”

You nervously flip through your notes. “I think so.”

“Perfect.”

As the professor leads the class to a nearby cloud field, Rainbow Dash flies circles around you. Every so often, her wings graze against yours, but she pays it no mind. “Look, these laws, or whatever. They're the basis of the Sonic Rainboom!”

You shoot her a puzzled look, your eyes trying to follow her as she continues to revolve around you excitedly. “I thought that was an old mares' tale.”

“It's real! I did it once! See?” She freezes in mid-air, turning her flank to you. “My cutie mark. I got it right after I performed my first Sonic Rainboom. Well, first and only.”

“Even so, what does it have to do with Classical Aeronautics?”

“These Mistwell laws—”

“Mistwright.”

“Yeah, Mistwright. They talk about distorting the air if you're flying at just the right speed and just the right angle.”

“Right,” you say, “that's what all of these equations are for.”

“Well, if you push hard enough, the distortion gives way to the Rainboom! Or something like that,” she adds, looking away. “It's not exactly something I've been able to copy. I think I'm missing something.”

A worried frown grows across her face, but you pat her back gently. “If it was anypony else, I wouldn't believe it. You, on the other hoof . . .”

“Well, thanks,” she says, blushing. “I can't promise a Sonic Rainboom, but wait until you see the way I tear up the air! I mean, anypony can cause the distortion if they know the angles, but nopony can do it like me! I just have this . . . intuitive sense for it.”

“Thus your cutie mark.”

Rainbow Dash smiles.

The class arrives at the field. The professor pulls out a notebook and starts paging through it. “Students, there are three phases to this exercise. First, have your aerial velocity tested by flying past the radar set up across the field. Second, insert that value, along with today's weather patterns, into the equation governed by Mistwright's second law. This will give you the required angle. Third, trace that angle through the air at the same speed to perform the distortion.”

“Ugh, let's skip the math part and go straight to the distortion. Let me just do it!” Rainbow Dash flexes her wings.

“We're getting graded on the calculations, too, you know.”

“We'll get to the boring stuff later. Watch me!” She fires herself high into the air. The professor yells after her, but she is already past earshot.

The entire class turns toward the sky, peering into the distance. A nearby classmate turns to you. “She's going to create the distortion on her own? Without calculating it?”

You nod. “Knowing her, she's not joking.” Also, knowing her, she never learned the calculations in the first place.

The students turn quiet as the white-maned, cyan pegasus surges back down, the air around her forelegs rippling in a sonic wave. Just as she nears the cloud field, she hooks back upward, causing the distortion effect to dissipate with a flourish.

The professor lowers his glasses. “That's even better than the textbooks.”

As Rainbow Dash lands, the class bursts into applause. “Thank you, thank you!” She flares her wings and bows before cantering over to you. “So? How was that, huh?”

You stare at her, unblinking. “I think we're gonna ace this practical exam.”

After her performance, the rest of the class begins working through the exercise proper, most students eventually producing the Mistwright distortion at some level. Toward the end of the period, as your work is just about complete, you hear commotion from the other side of the field. You squint your eyes and see a few ponies embroiled in a heated argument. Sharing a quick glance, you and Rainbow Dash fly over.

The professor floats in the air, his wings beating rapidly. “I'm not taking any more of your excuses this time, Miss Rosewing. Stop slacking off and join the class!” He points a hoof toward her. “It's a quick exercise, and your partner has already worked out the calculations.”

“I just can't, okay? Please, I'll make it up another way,” pleads Rosewing. “I just . . .” She walks up to the professor and whispers something in his ear.

He shakes his head. “The last time you wormed your way out of an assignment, I found out you had been lying. Not happening.”

Rosewing's partner chimes in. “Come on, stop being so stubborn! I am not failing this exam because I got stuck with a prissy mare who refuses to fly.”

Rosewing's ears droop. “Please, if I could do it, I would, but I can't.”

“Can't what?” her partner cries. “Can't stop acting like a spoiled brat?”

You give Rainbow Dash a confused look. “What's up with her?” you whisper. She doesn't respond, instead continuing to watch the scene unfold with widened eyes.

After receiving enough scolding and realizing that the entire class is now watching, Rosewing dejectedly floats up into the air. She gradually works her way higher, then begins to descend; however, her slow pace produces no distortion. Despite the strained look on her face, she barely approaches the minimum speed required.

“That's it?” her partner yells. “You're a pegasus! Flap your wings! You know you have wings, right?”

A few snickers work their way through the crowd of students. Rosewing's mouth opens in horror.

“Actually, don't flap!” she continues. “You'll probably go faster if you just fall straight down.”

The entire class is now lost in rowdy laughter. Facing away from the crowd, Rosewing lands some distance away and runs off.

“Wow,” you say. “I wasn't expecting that.”

You look over, but Rainbow Dash has already left the field.

The lunch period seems to arrive quickly. You make your way to your usual table, but there is no sign of Fluttershy.

Probably hanging out with Rosewing. Although, now that I look around, I can't see either of them here.

You sit down at the table, alone. Halfway through your usual sandwich lunch, you're interrupted by a sudden poke on your flank by a particular cyan mare.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” you say. “You never eat at the cafeteria.”

“Nope. But, ever since my mane became so popular, I figured I'd show off for a change!”

“Popular?”

“Apparently, white is the new black. Or the new rainbow, depending on how you look at it.” She points to her chest, grinning.

“You're in good spirits today.”

She taps you on the foreleg. “Yeah, yeah.” Sitting down, she unwraps a daffodil sandwich and begins eating. “Hey, you get flower sandwiches too?”

“Me? Yeah. Why, is that a bad thing?”

“Oh, no, it's cool. So do I!” She takes a large bite and almost immediately swallows. “Everypony else just eats hay. So boring.”

You look at Fluttershy's empty seat. Almost everypony . . .

You take a bite of your own sandwich, smiling. “You're all right, Rainbow Dash. You're all right.”

She blushes. The two of you eat in silence for a moment. As she wolfs down the remainder of her sandwich, she raises a hoof. “So, about Rosewing . . .”

You shake your head. “I've thought about it. The best thing to do is just stay out of whatever she does. No matter what she says, just ignore her.”

Rainbow Dash gives you a blank look.

Thoughts of last night run through your head. “I mean, she is borderline insane.” I won't pretend I understood what happened earlier today, though. “Besides, these things have a way of working themselves out naturally.”

She perks up. “I agree. Let's just leave it alone. Forget all about her.”

You chew thoughtfully for a moment, then swallow. “No. I'm not saying we forget everything that happened. We just have to wait for the right moment.”

“Uh, don't they say it's best to 'forgive and forget'?”

“Not in her case.” You take another small bite. “To be honest, I'm more worried about Fluttershy. Rosewing can't be a good influence.”

Rainbow Dash softly rubs her cheek. “Tell me about it.”

I've really messed things up with Fluttershy. How am I going to explain everything when I can't even approach her? Or even find her? I feel like the more time passes, the worse this will get.

You sneak a glance at Rainbow Dash while she looks across the cafeteria. I'm glad I'm not alone right now, though. As you finish your sandwich, you stare out the nearby window. “Well, anyway. Are you ready for wingball practice today?”

“Really? We have practice today?” She leaps into the air, hovering over the table. “Awesome!”

You chuckle. “I don't think it'll be that awesome for you. Coach will probably chew you out pretty good.”

She dismisses your comment with a wave of her hoof. “Wingbury's star player is back! Coach'll go easy on me. No problem.”

“. . . abandon us before the first match of the season, and you come back thinking you own the wingball field? When I used to play . . .”

“. . . don't care how many Sonic Rainbooms you can do . . .”

“. . . sent out a two-pony team! Kept hoping you would show up, but no . . .”

Wow, coach is really letting her have it.

Rainbow Dash holds her head and wings low. After Coach Cloudmane finishes his rant, she chances a look up to meet his eyes. “I'm really sorry, coach.”

He looks back at her with a scowl, but after only a few seconds, his face softens. “Oh . . . it's all right.” He sighs. “I'm just glad you're back safe and sound, kiddo. Don't scare me like that again, okay?”

Rainbow Dash jumps up from her slouch. “You got it, coach. I promise!”

“Good.” He smiles, then turns to you and Fairweather. “You three have a lot of catching up to do, practice-wise. Our next match is in a few days, and you haven't had a chance to work together. Get out there and mix it up.”

With a blow of his whistle, Coach Cloudmane dismisses the teams for independent training. Your team hits the field, Rainbow Dash showing you everything she had learned about wingball over the previous year. Despite the complexity of her advanced tactics, you quickly learn each maneuver and formation. You cap the hour of practice with a few two-on-one drills to hone reflexes.

One spirited session later, the three of you celebrate your success. Although the other teams are exhausted after a long afternoon of training, your own team still brims with energy.

“All right! That was awesome!” Rainbow Dash pumps her hoof in the air. “If we keep this up, our wingball team will be unstoppable!”

Fairweather flaps excitedly in the air. “You were amazing, Rainbow! Does the white mane help you fly faster or something, 'cause, wow, dude.”

Rainbow Dash chuckles. “All-natural skill!”

You ruffle her mane. “No way! It's the mane, for sure.” She gives you a playful shove.

As the three of you jovially canter back toward the gymnasium, the academy bell rings in the distance, marking the end of the afternoon. Fairweather bids farewell and takes flight, leaving you and Rainbow Dash.

“Today was a pretty good day,” you say. “Awesome, even.”

“Yeah,” she says, looking off into the horizon. “It really was.”

“I'm glad you're back, Rainbow Dash.”

“Me too.”

You pause for a moment. “Well, I've gotta grab my stuff from my locker before I head back. I'll catch you tomorrow!” you say, flying off.

“Wait, wait! Hold on.” She catches up to you, hovering only a few inches away from your face. “You know, you're . . . really cool.”

“What?”

“I just wanted to tell you. If it wasn't for you . . . I might not be here right now.”

“Rainbow Dash, I didn't do anything. You're the one who had the courage to come back. To be brave and finally stand up for yourself. And everypony can tell how great you are—there's a reason they all like you.”

She floats even closer to you. “You were the only one who liked me from the start. For who I really was. And that's why . . .”

She looks away for a moment, then rushes forward, meeting your lips in a kiss. Her wings beating rapidly, she leans into your body as you return her embrace. She pulls back after a few seconds, a shameless grin plastered across her face.

A short, silent moment later, she scratches the back of her neck. “You, uh, wanna meet tomorrow night? Maybe go to the center of Cloudsdale and do something?”

Your heart pulses quickly. “Yeah, I'd love to. Definitely.”

“How about you meet me outside my dorm at eight?”

“Sure thing.”

“O-Okay. See you!” she stammers, flying away.

That mare . . . she really is special.

You arrive at Thunderhead Labs and zip over to your locker to retrieve your saddlebags. As you root through your belongings, sharp voices echo from elsewhere in the corridor. Amid the shouting, you can hear sobbing. Shutting your locker door in a hurry, you run down the hall and turn the corner.

This day is full of surprises.

Rosewing stands alone, backed against the lockers as three other mares surround her. They poke and prod her between their ridiculing.

“I can't believe we ever associated with a loser like you. You used to tease us, but you can't even fly!”

“How did you even get into Wingbury? This is a school for pegasi, not earth ponies.”

“How do you think? Haven't you heard the rumors about this fillyfooler?”

Rosewing tries to speak, but one of the mares interrupts her by pushing her against the lockers. “Remember your place, Rose. It's at the bottom. Grow some wings.”

“Hey, who is that?” Realizing you are watching from the other end of the hall, the group quickly scatters. As they leave the building, you step closer to Rosewing, tears streaming down her face.

She notices you approaching. “What are you l-looking at? Huh? You h-happy now?” She stares at you for another second, lip quivering, before running away.

Chapter 12: Fight Fire With Fire!

Fluttershy sits on your bed, hooves held to her face. “I-I'm so sorry . . .”

Having told her the extent of her actions, you sit beside her and slowly rub her back. “Don't worry, Fluttershy. This isn't your fault at all. It's Rosewing, isn't it?”

She nods. Just how potent is this flower, anyway?

“How did this happen?”

With a deep breath, Fluttershy takes hold of your hoof in hers. “Two . . . two nights ago, I heard crying outside my door late at night. When I opened the door, Rosewing was sitting there. She started talking about you almost right away.”

“About me?”

“Yes. She said you two had been going out together, and she just found out you had been seeing Rainbow Dash too. She said she was heartbroken and needed somepony to talk to. That's when I noticed she was wearing the flower I gave you.”

“She stole that from me!”

She pats your hoof gently, but you sense her foreleg trembling. “I know. I didn't believe her, especially when I saw how the flower had been treated. I know you would never rip out its petals like that.”

All this time, she trusted me. You offer a wan smile, but it does little to calm Fluttershy.

“She told me about confidence. About being strong enough to take what you want. I didn't like what she was saying at all. Then she took out this . . .” she breaks away with a ragged gasp for air. “She took out this flask, and—”

“You don't have to say it.”

Fluttershy hides her face from you, breathing erratically. “She pushed me to the ground and h-held me down. I kept struggling but I couldn't d-do anything.”

“Stop, Fluttershy.”

“She forced it down my throat a-and—”

You grab her roughly. “Enough!”

Fluttershy continues to face away, now silent. As you hold her, you feel her shudder with each breath. She leans back against you as you cradle her with your forelegs, her breathing slowly returning to a normal pace. After a calm minute, she softly speaks. “I don't know what it did to me. When I came to, I was in Rosewing's room in the middle of the day and I could only remember bits and pieces of the morning.”

You stroke her mane quietly.

“She did this to me every day since,” she continues. “Before each drink, she told me, 'I'm doing this for your own good. You've always wanted confidence. I'm giving it to you.' And she kept telling me about you and how I needed to be with you. That I needed to do something about it. I guess I eventually did.”

You gently turn Fluttershy around. Tears along her cheeks, she looks at you with reddened yet still eyes.

She lowers her voice to a whisper. “I can never forgive her for what she did, but if she had never done this, then I would have never realized how much I . . .” she says, her voice becoming too soft to follow.

“Realized what?”

She gives you a wistful look, then shuts her eyes, shaking her head slowly.

You rise off the bed. Rosewing has done unspeakable things. To me. To Rainbow Dash. To Fluttershy.

You look back at her. As she rubs her eyes, you clench your teeth. I don't care what Rosewing has been through. I don't care about doing this the right way. I'm going to make her pay.

“Fluttershy. Let's go to the library right now.”

She gives you a puzzled look as she wipes away the last of her tears.

You hold your head high as you continue. “All this time, I thought we had to snare Rosewing by proving her guilt in everything she's done. Instead, we'll have her do it for us. We're going to research a little chemistry.”

“Chemistry? It's past midnight. We'll get in trouble for sneaking into the library!”

“It's nothing I haven't done before. Which reminds me . . .” You trot over to a nearby shelf and grab a flashlight, tossing it into your saddlebag. “We'll probably need this, at least.”

As you slide your window open, Fluttershy tugs on your tail. “Wait! Why do we need to study chemistry?”

You turn around and flash her a triumphant grin. “We're going to mix Rosewing a special drink. And I need your expertise.” You fly out the window. After a moment's hesitation, Fluttershy slowly follows.

Although an unceremonious entrance, the two of you tumble into the library's third floor through the roof access. “All right, we're in.”

Fluttershy glances around. “Are you sure we should be doing this? I'm nervous.”

“Don't worry. Nopony is here. We just have to find everything we can on Heart's Desire.”

“The flower?” She points toward the darkness. “The academy has a section dedicated to botany in the back.”

“I'll light the way.” Flashlight in teeth, you lead her to the bookcases near the far end.

Within moments, she has already collected a half-dozen books on rare flora and herbalism, piling them on a nearby desk. “These should have what you're looking for.”

You set the flashlight down. “You must read about plants often.”

“I have to. I take care of most of the plants in the greenhouse.” She places a hoof on one book, Modern Herbology. “I haven't read them all, though.”

After lighting a nearby lantern, the two of you begin poring over each book, searching for anything that involves Heart's Desire in any way. “Here's something,” you say, scanning the pages quickly. “ . . . rare plant . . . one year to bloom . . . hmm, says here it's dangerous to ingest on its own. Need to mix it with other ingredients or it causes some kind of 'aptitude pox reaction.'”

Fluttershy's face faintly glows as the lantern's fire flickers. “I'm not sure what that is.”

“I don't think this book will help.” You shrug, picking up another book and rapidly leafing through it. As you work through its pages, you hear Fluttershy briefly squeal. “Did you find something?” you ask.

“Yes!” she exclaims. “Here, here.” She guides your hoof to her open book, Ancient Equestrian Potionmaking. “It's mentioned several times.”

You lean over. This is pretty old. The pages are musty and frayed. According to the book, Heart's Desire has many applications. Depending on the ingredients used, it produces a variety of effects. “There are several recipes here.” You read aloud to Fluttershy.

ELIXIR OF REPLACED DESIRES

Synthesizing the following agents results in a dangerous concoction. When consumed, this elixir drives one to lust over the first living being they see.

Heart's Desire (2 petals)
Stonemurk (3 leaves)
Mireling powder (2 ounces)
Crushed Spelltuft root (1 ounce)

“No, this isn't it,” you say, turning the page to the next recipe. “Although it's certainly a scary thought.”

POTION OF LUCID FERVOR

The careful mixture of the following agents produces a powerful solution, forcing the imbiber to act without restraint in pursuit of what is desired the most. The effect is so strong that one's consciousness is severed from the body's actions.

Wild Whisperwind (1 stem)
Heart's Desire (3 petals)
Toothpetal (1 root)
Ashflower ash (3 ounces)

You look at Fluttershy. “That must be what you drank.”

Even in the dim light, you see her crestfallen face as she remains silent. Your eyes wander further down the page to another familiar recipe.

TONIC OF TRUTHTELLING

The characteristic draught of the Heart's Desire plant is the tonic of truthtelling. The following agents combine to form a volatile compound that lasts for one day before losing potency. Drinking this potion obscures the mind, resulting in the inability to tell any falsehood.

Heart's Desire (1 petal)
Darkrose (5 petals)

Fluttershy looks at you expectantly. “Yes?”

You shake your head. “Just these two ingredients . . . but this is the one I'm looking for. Can we make it?”

She looks out a nearby moonlit window. “We have several Darkrose in the greenhouse.”

“And Heart's Desire?”

She hesitates for a few seconds. “Yes. Shall we make it?”

Nodding, you begin packing away the books, tucking the copy of Ancient Equestrian Potionmaking into your saddlebags. “Let's go.”

Inside the greenhouse, Fluttershy wastes no time getting to work. She plucks two Darkrose and strips their petals, a stoic look across her face. As you search the grounds for some Heart's Desire, you hear Fluttershy grind ingredients inside a mortar.

“Fluttershy, we still need Heart's Desire. I can't find any.”

“Oh, it's okay. I've already added the petal.”

You cock your head. “Where's the flower?”

“Don't worry,” she says, giving you an awkward smile. “It's all taken care of.”

While she grinds, you formulate your plan. “We just need to find a way to get Rosewing to drink this. When will you see her?”

“At lunch,” says Fluttershy, still working. “She has me visit her room.”

“I think that'll work. Would it be natural for you to bring her lunch?”

Stopping for a moment, she thinks to herself. “Yes, I think so.”

“Okay. When this is done, we'll pour it into a small bottle of juice. What does she usually eat?”

“Hay.”

“Then I'll pack some for tomorrow. We'll meet in front of her room. After she drinks it, we'll guide her to the academy officials and let the rest work itself out.”

Pacing between floral displays, you nervously wait for Fluttershy to finish brewing the tonic. Minutes later, Fluttershy walks toward you, gently carrying a small vial filled with a nigh-translucent pink solution.

“Fluttershy, thank you.”

She sets the vial down and shakes her head. “It's my turn to be confident. And I have faith in you.”

You give her a warm smile. “Be careful until tomorrow, okay? I'll see you then.”

The Next Day

This is it.

You stand before Rosewing's door in the mares' dormitory, minutes after the start of the academy lunch period. Fluttershy gently pokes your shoulder. “Um, are you sure she will drink this? Maybe we should think of something different.” She takes a cautious step back.

“No, no, we have to take care of this now,” you say. “This drink will only last the day, and we can't make any more. Just act . . .” you trail off, thinking. “Just act the way Rosewing would want you to act.” You give Fluttershy a soft nudge forward.

“Um, okay.” She softly knocks on Rosewing's door. No answer.

“She didn't hear you, Fluttershy.”

She tries once more, this time a bit louder than the last knock. As you hear hoofsteps within, you quickly hide behind a nearby corner, poking your head out.

The door creaks open. Fluttershy gasps. “I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt.”

“Flutters, Flutters,” says Rosewing. “You came back on your own this time. And you brought me lunch! I take it things went quite well last night.”

“Y-Yes,” she stammers, taking a careful step inside the doorway.

“Tell me, when you came to, were you in the loving hooves of an appreciative young colt?”

“Yes. It was, um, nice.”

“Good, good. That's what I wanted to hear. Come, Flutters, sit.”

Fluttershy turns around slowly, giving you a worried look before shutting the door behind her. You briskly walk over and press an ear against it, but can only listen for a few seconds before a voice from down the hall startles you. “What are you doing in the mares' dorm?”

You quickly turn around. Rainbow Dash glides down the hall wearing a confused look. You raise a hoof to your lips and shoot her a fierce glare, but she doesn't stop her advance.

“You know, you can get in trouble if you're here without an escort.”

“Not so loud,” you whisper.

She frowns. “What's the deal, anyway? Rosewing in there?”

You back away from the door and softly speak into Rainbow Dash's ear. “Rosewing forced Fluttershy to drink something to alter her mind. That's why she's been different lately.”

“No way!”

“Yes! And now it's her turn to drink. We made a truthtelling tonic.”

Rainbow Dash pauses for a moment, then gasps. “You can't!”

“Lower your voice!” you harshly whisper. “She'll hear us.”

“Forget it!” Rainbow Dash pushes you aside and violently knocks on the door. “Rosewing! Stop! Don't drink—”

The door clicks open. Fluttershy awkwardly exits the room, a hazy-eyed Rosewing slowly ambling behind.

Rainbow Dash takes a step back. “Hey, are you okay?” she asks.

Rosewing casts her a slow, lazy gaze. “No. Don't . . . don't ask me anything, Rainbow. Just walk away.”

Eyes narrowed, Rainbow Dash immediately turns toward you. “I can't believe you! I never expected this from you!”

“This is the only way!” you yell back. “Why would you even defend her?”

“Look, I don't like her, but I don't want to hurt her.”

“We're not hurting her. We're learning the truth.” You turn around. “Rosewing. Tell Rainbow Dash what you did to Fluttershy.”

“I poisoned her. I held her down and made her drink something to give her what she wanted. The confidence to kiss this loser colt.” Rosewing points at you.

Rainbow Dash flinches. “Why?” she asks. “Why would you do that?”

“Because of him. I wanted to pull him away from you, so I used her.”

“I don't understand.”

“If I could get him to fall in love with her, then you would be all mine.”

“No,” says Rainbow Dash, stepping backward. “That . . . that doesn't make sense.”

“I want you, Rainbow Dash. Everything I ever did to you, everything I did to your stupid friends . . . I did it because I wanted to make you mine.”

A tear rolls down Rainbow Dash's cheek. “Why couldn't you just be nice? That's all you needed to do. When you told me about your wings, I wanted to believe you were a good pony on the inside. I wanted to be your friend, Rosewing! Why didn't you just let me be your friend?”

“My wings . . .”

“Yeah. That's it, huh?” Rainbow Dash leans into her face. “Your messed up wings. Is that why you acted this way?”

A small chuckle escapes from Rosewing. “My wings are fine. They're not messed up at all. I lied to get special treatment. I lied to get other ponies to feel sorry for me.”

The color drains from Rainbow Dash's face.

“I lied to get you to do what I wanted.”

Chapter 13: Reconciliation

Rainbow Dash sinks down to the ground, burying her face in her hooves. Through shuddered breaths, she speaks in a muffled voice. “B-But I saw them. I saw your wings. You couldn't have been lying to me back then. All this time . . .” She rises for a moment, shuts her teary eyes tightly, and lowers her head once more.

Rosewing looks down at her with a smug grin. “The truth hurts, huh? Oh, Rainbow. I used you real good. I used you until there was nothing left. Not even the color in your mane!”

You sharply rap Rosewing on the back of the head. “Don't talk to her like that!”

“Why? All of a sudden, you don't wanna hear the truth?” Rosewing's smile widens. “This might be fun after all. I mean, look at what a few little sentences did to white-mane!” She points a hoof at Rainbow Dash trembling on the floor. “If I'm forced to tell the truth, I won't spare a single detail.”

She's not even trying to stop herself!

“Come on,” she taunts. “Ask me how I got Rainbow to become my sweet, little follower. Ask me how I sucked every bit of kindness out of her and turned her into my personal bitch.”

“That's enough!” you say.

“Hmm. Maybe you want to hear something more interesting.” She turns toward Fluttershy. “Ask me what I did to little Flutters last year.”

A look of absolute terror spreads across Fluttershy's face. Her legs buckle as she quivers in place. “Please, I don't want to be t-teased any more,” she softly stammers.

Upon noticing her reaction, Rosewing takes an unsteady step closer to her, reflexes still dulled from the drink. “You know, she used to be friendly and outgoing until I got my hooves on her. I turned her into the miserable pile of awkward she is now.”

You walk over and pull Rosewing away from Fluttershy with a rough tug on her tail. “Leave her alone already!” You turn her around, forcing her to look at you. “How can you live with yourself? Don't you have any shame at all?”

Hazy-eyed, Rosewing scans your face lazily. It takes her a moment to collect her thoughts. “I-I don't know. I try not to think about what I've done to others because it hurts. I have . . . I have nightmares almost every night.”

“Then stop! You don't have to—”

Suddenly, Rosewing stumbles forward, catching herself at the last moment with her shaky hooves.

“Hey!” You prop her back up. “Are you all right?”

“I'm . . . I don't think . . .” Her voice trailing off, Rosewing collapses. You prod her with a foreleg—she is unconscious.

Well, horsefeathers.

Lifting her head for a moment, Rainbow Dash gives a short, mocking laugh. “Good. I couldn't stand another moment of her.”

Her nerves gradually calming, Fluttershy slowly walks over to Rosewing, her body sprawled on the floor. “Something's wrong,” she whispers. “I don't think her wings really are healthy.”

“I don't follow,” you say. “She just told us they're fine.”

Carefully moving Rosewing to a more decent position, Fluttershy continues. “Rainbow has seen them. Some of us have heard rumors about her wings, too.” She gives you a solemn look. “There's no way she could pretend her entire life.”

“Then let's find out. Spread her wings.”

Fluttershy hesitates at first, then gingerly lifts one of Rosewing's wings and extends it to its length. You see a shriveled, feeble mass of sinew in place of normally healthy wing muscle. Her wings are practically mutilated!

“This doesn't make sense,” you say. “How did she lie?”

“Maybe she wasn't trying to lie.” Fluttershy gently refolds her wing, sighing. “I think she's delusional.”

When it comes to Rosewing, that'd be par for the course, I suppose . . . but I'm not so sure.

You stare at her in disbelief. “Are you telling me, in her mind, she thinks her wings are normal right now?”

“I-I don't know. It could be that our tonic wasn't quite right, and it's causing some kind of side-effect,” says Fluttershy. “Or it's interfering with something else she's taking. Or maybe she's trying to repress her feelings after so long. Whatever it is, I think she's completely convinced herself.”

Rainbow Dash silently looks on, tears still trickling down her cheek. You reach a hoof out to her and pull her up. She regards you with a smile, but it fades quickly.

As you turn back to Rosewing, you see her slowly stirring awake. Upon noticing the three of you standing above her, she rises in a panic, suddenly frightful. “Stay back! Don't touch me! Leave me alone, okay?”

“Calm down,” you say. “Just come with us so we can figure out what's happening to you.”

“I don't care! No more questions!”

“We don't have time! We have to go,” you say, nudging her flank forward.

As soon as you graze her, she recoils. “Get off!” she yells, turning around to face you with narrowed eyes. “I-I can't stand you. You make my life miserable!”

Stepping backward, you raise an eyebrow at her. “What have I ever done to you?”

“If you never came to Wingbury, Rainbow would still be eating out of my hoof,” says Rosewing. “Instead, she's in love with a pathetic, blank flank loser.”

Undaunted, you move right up to her face. “You're the worst kind of pony there is. If these are your honest, true feelings, you're beyond saving.”

“I don't care what you think!” With gritted teeth, Rosewing flares her wings, stretching them to their length. Despite their appearance, she looks at you with a confident air.

“Rosewing, look at your own wings,” you say guardedly. “There really is something wrong with them. Can't you tell?”

“There's nothing wrong. I can fly just fine. See?” She takes a short hop into the air and begins hovering. Despite her pride, her face is strained—it takes all of her strength to keep afloat.

Rainbow Dash rushes over and pulls her down. “Please, don't!” she pleads. “We talked about this. I don't want to see you in pain!”

“Don't touch me, Rainbow! I can do whatever I want!” She pushes Rainbow Dash away, throwing her back several feet, then returns to the air, her wings flapping clumsily.

Nostrils flared, Rainbow Dash assumes an offensive stance. “I won't let you hurt yourself again! Don't you remember showing me your wings? Telling me about the pain?”

“They were just stories. Everypony was wrong about me. My wings feel great! Didn't you see me in class the other day? I did that Mistwright distortion better than anypony else!”

Fluttershy was right. Her memory is distorted. She really is delusional!

“Your mind is all messed up, you know that?” Rainbow Dash jumps forward once more, challenging her. “You're confused. You can't fly! Stop being so stubborn!” She leaps up and bites on her tail, dragging her back to the ground.

As her hooves touch down once again, Rosewing releases a quick buck across Rainbow Dash's face. The sudden blow sends her reeling, but before she can recover, Rosewing follows with a hard tackle, bashing her with surprising force. You hear a sickening crunch as Rainbow Dash's wings are crushed against the wall. “Nopony's going to tell me what I can't do anymore!” She bolts down the hallway toward the exit, leaving the cyan pegasus injured on the floor.

“Rainbow Dash!” You run to her side. “Are you okay?”

Stifling a groan, she remains on the ground, testing her wings one at a time. “Forget me,” she says, wincing. “This is nothing. Stop Rosewing before she does something stupid!”

You nod and fly outside, Fluttershy trailing behind. Once you leave the building, you see Rosewing standing at the edge of a distant cloud. Staring at the ground far below, she dangles a foreleg over the precipice. She spares you a quick glance before spreading her wings, her face suddenly serene as the wind tosses her mane. “I feel so trapped,” she calmly says. “All my life. Like I've never been outside before.”

Oh, no.

“Rosewing!” You run over, stopping a few yards away. “Back away from the edge. You can't fly out there in this drugged state, even with healthy wings!”

She ignores you. “I want to be free. I want to fly so badly. Just like Rainbow.”

That's it. The more she thinks of her true feelings, the stronger her desire to act on them. At this rate . . .

You cautiously take a few steps closer. “Snap out of it! You're not thinking straight. Rainbow Dash is right; you'll hurt yourself!”

With reddened, tearless eyes, she leans over the edge. “I don't care . . .” She leaps into the cloudless skies. Almost immediately, she begins to plummet toward the ground, unable to muster the strength to maintain flight.

Next to you, Fluttershy gasps and runs up to the edge of the cloud, then stops, paralyzed with fear. “Do something!” she cries shakily.

You grit your teeth. I'm not like Rosewing. I can't let this happen! You rocket forth and fly downward. As you approach, you see her peacefully free falling, eyes closed, almost smiling.

You focus your vision past Rosewing. The ground is mere seconds away from meeting her descent. Putting in every ounce of effort, you strain your wings, surging closer. With a rough grab, you wrap your forelegs around her and hook back upward, your hind legs grazing the earth below as you turn.

Rosewing's half-lidded eyes wander about aimlessly as you carry her back to the academy. She gathers her wits long enough to muster a single, weakly-voiced sentence. “I just want to fly like everypony else.”

You shush her softly, groaning while you shoulder her weight during your skyward climb. “I know. Let's just get you back home.”

Back on campus, a crowd has gathered near the cloud precipice. Rainbow Dash is being treated outside for minor injuries while Rosewing is surrounded by academy officials, being questioned by an interrogation officer.

As you watch from a distance, Fluttershy approaches you. “I'm glad you could save her,” she says.

You slowly nod. “Yeah. Thanks. It's not exactly the way I wanted this to happen.” A glance at Rainbow Dash receiving first aid prompts Fluttershy to give you a slight nudge.

“Don't worry, she'll be fine,” she says. “They said it was nothing serious. A day of rest, maybe.”

“I'm happy to hear that, but there's something else bothering me.” You start walking closer to Rosewing.

Fluttershy follows. “She's complying with all their questions. I heard her confess to everything. The bullying, the harassment, the blackmail . . .”

“I don't understand. She gave us a hard time the whole way through, yet now she's completely docile. I feel like something is off.”

You feel a playful tug at your tail—Rainbow Dash surprises you with a wide smile on her face. “Hey! I heard about how you saved Rosewing.”

You stop moving for a moment.

“I wanted to say thanks. I mean, I don't think she's nice or anything, but—”

“I know.” You place a hoof on her shoulder, smiling. Tracing her wings with your eyes, you ask, “Will you be okay?”

“Of course! You're talking to the fastest young flier in all of Equestria! A little scuffle isn't going to stop these wings.”

You ruffle her white mane affectionately, earning a soft giggle. Your lighthearted banter doesn't last long once you take notice of Rosewing. “Well, I'm going to see her now. Fluttershy said she's confessing to everything on her own.”

“What?” says Rainbow Dash. “But why?”

“I'm not sure. Maybe the truthtelling tonic is still in effect, and she can't lie. Or maybe there's something she knows that we don't.”

As the three of you approach the interrogation, Rosewing pays you no heed. The officer eyes you warily before continuing. “One more thing, Miss Rosewing. We've received odd reports from other students. Are you under the influence of any mind-altering substance?”

Your muscles tense. Both you and Fluttershy exchange furtive glances.

Rosewing looks away from the officer, her attention eventually settling on you. She feeds you an intense leer, but her eyes seem empty.

The officer waves a hoof in front of her face. “Over here, sweetheart. Are you on anything?”

After a moment of hesitation, her expression fades and she calmly drops her head. “No,” she states. “I'm just fine.”

What?!

Leaning into your ear, Rainbow Dash roughly whispers. “What is she saying? I thought she couldn't lie!”

You open your mouth to say something, but instead shake your head. Behind you, Fluttershy softly speaks. “It must have worn off.”

For how long has she been lucid? Why didn't she say anything about us?

Two officials take hold of Rosewing and begin to escort her away. Rainbow Dash immediately runs forward. “Wait, don't take her!”

The officer holds a hoof out at her. “Hold it, young mare. We need to get her processed. We've heard all we needed to hear.”

“Rosewing. Rosewing! I forgive you!” Rainbow Dash stops before her, forelegs raised, pleading. “You can stay at Wingbury! You don't have to go!”

Rosewing refuses to look at her, a scowl drawn upon her face.

“Please! I get it, okay? We can be friends. We don't have to bully anypony.”

The officer shunts Rainbow Dash away. “That's enough. Move along, now.”

As she is dragged away, Rosewing sharply tosses her mane, causing the remainder of the Heart's Desire to slip from her hair. Still straight-faced, she looks at it on the ground, then at Rainbow Dash, before being carried out of sight.

The Next Day

You walk through the cafeteria holding your lunch tray. As you walk by fellow students at their tables, something seems different.

Strange. No weird stares. No hooves over empty chairs. Some ponies are even waving at me! . . . did I wake up in Chesterfeather High or something?

You continue toward the end of the dining hall to your usual table where a familiar pony is sitting. A slender, yellow mare is eating her salad. Expecting her to flinch nervously when you approach, you are pleasantly surprised when she turns to you with a confident smile.

“Hey, Fluttershy! It's nice to have you back.”

With a blush, she hides her face behind her flowing pink mane. “Th-Thanks! It's nice to have a normal lunch with you again.”

You sit down cheerily and begin eating, but as you chew your first bite, you are suddenly wracked with questions.

Do we talk about Rosewing? Would that be a touchy subject so soon? I don't want to dampen the mood.

What about Rainbow Dash? I can talk about my date. That would be fun.

Wait, that's not appropriate! For that matter, doesn't Fluttershy have feelings toward me?

Well, either way, I have to at least be honest with her. Regardless, I'm still not sure how I feel about—

“—really like that wall, don't you?”

You snap to your senses. “I'm sorry.”

Fluttershy giggles. “No worries! Just tell me what you're thinking. Maybe I can help.”

“Well . . .” You reach a hoof behind your head, nervously rubbing your neck. “I guess I'm thinking about everything.”

She turns her head and looks at the rest of the students in the cafeteria, watching them eat, talk, and mill about. “The last few days have been hectic. And now, Rosewing is gone.”

“Fluttershy, I'm glad she's gone,” you say confidently. “She didn't just hurt us. She hurt everypony. But, I keep thinking about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did we do the right thing?” you ask. “Should we have left it alone? Should we have done even more? A part of me is worried that I'm turning into her.” You lower your voice to a hush. “I mean, we just poisoned somepony and got them expelled from the academy!”

Shaking her head, Fluttershy leans forward. “Rosewing hurt other ponies to hide her own insecurities. You're not Rosewing. You didn't try to hurt her. You just wanted to stop her.”

“Thank you. I'm still not certain, but it's a relief to hear you say that.”

“Please don't worry. I'm sure, someday, she'll understand.”

She takes a cautious bite of her salad, waiting for you to speak, but you remain quiet. After a moment, she breaks the silence. “Was there anything else?” she asks.

You look away, trying to find a delicate way to talk about Rainbow Dash. “Yes, but, I'm not sure how to approach it.”

With a slight blush, she smiles. “I know you're going out with her.”

You swallow hard. Oh Luna, how do I handle this?

Upon gauging your panicked reaction, Fluttershy reaches across the table and pats your hoof gently. “Listen, meet me at the greenhouse after classes, okay? We can talk about it in private.”

“Oh . . . sure. Of course, Fluttershy.”

She picks up her tray and gives you a subtle wink as she leaves the table. “I'll be waiting . . .”

“Hello? Fluttershy?”

Having promptly arrived after the final academy bell, you trot through the greenhouse, scanning the area. She seemed a bit different today. I hope she's not hiding anything. I don't think I can handle another crisis right now.

“I'm here.” A soft voice reaches you from the flower beds in the back.

You pick up your pace and find Fluttershy standing alone. Something about her appearance strikes you differently; she seems somewhat taller, and her flowing, pink mane almost glows in the soft light streaming in from the ceiling. “Hey,” you call out, “is everything okay?”

“Yes! I'm glad you came,” she says, walking toward you. “There was something important I needed to tell you.”

“Really? It's not bad news, is it?”

“No, no! Nothing like that. It's something that I . . . something I hope you like.” She shyly scuffs the ground with a hoof. “I, um, I can't think of the very best way to tell you this.”

“Whatever it is, I'm sure it's fine. Just lay it on me.”

You stand before her, waiting for a response. She looks into your eyes with a hint of a grin, a slight tilt to her head.

“Go ahead, Fluttershy. I promise I won't—”

Fluttershy briskly steps right up to you, planting her lips on yours. She gives you a long, deep kiss, a slight moan escaping her as she slides her tongue into your mouth.

As she breaks out of the kiss, she opens her eyes slowly, grinning from ear to ear. When she notices you unable to hold back your own shy smile, she blushes.

“I-I always liked you,” she stammers. “You were such a nice colt, but I was always afraid to tell you.” Her mirth fades as she reads the expression on your face. “I know you're going out with Rainbow Dash, but I won't give up on you. I w-won't!”

“Fluttershy, I—”

“No!” Her hoof darts forward, covering your mouth. “Don't say anything yet. Just . . .” She looks away for a moment, then leans in close once more, talking quietly into your ear. “I'll wait for you. No matter how long it takes. I'll always be here for you.” She kisses your cheek softly, then gracefully glides her way toward the exit.

You stand still, watching her leave. As she approaches the door, she turns around and surrenders one more giddy smile before flying away.

Fluttershy . . .

Later That Night

“. . . and she crushed their carrier, just like that! Can you believe it? Of course, we won the match and went straight to the finals.”

Rainbow Dash sits with you on a cloud far above the academy wingball field, regaling you with tales of her past athletic exploits. You carefully listen as she reminisces in joy, the two of you enjoying the cool night air beneath the stars.

“Oh, and you should've seen me in the championship match. Ten minutes. I held the ball for ten whole minutes! The other team just gave up!”

“I have a feeling I've heard this story before,” you say with a chuckle. You steal a glance at her mane when she isn't looking; her signature rainbow color has already started seeping back in.

“It was so cool. I really wish you were there!” She stops for a moment, catching your gaze and sending a long, wistful stare in return.

“What is it?” you ask. “Do I have something on me?”

She giggles. “Nah, I was just wondering . . . what took you so long to get here anyway?”

“I was the one waiting for you tonight!”

“Hey!” You feel a sharp poke against your side. “I don't mean tonight, silly. I mean . . . here.” She waves her hoof toward all of campus. “Wingbury Academy. We . . . I could have used you last year.”

“That's sweet, but I didn't do much, though.”

“Excuse me?” Rainbow Dash slides closer to you, facing you directly. “If it wasn't for you, I'd still be a bully at the academy. Or worse, I wouldn't even be at the academy.” She leans in close and touches your face lightly. “I owe you so much.”

“You don't owe me anything, Rainbow Dash. Just you being here with me is enough.”

Eyes shimmering, she blinks at you for a moment, her white mane being tossed by the night wind. Her lips part, but she doesn't say anything. As she hovers in front of your face, you close the gap and kiss her. She immediately leans into it and kisses you back, her hoof reaching around your head and pulling you closer. The two of you spend a passionate minute locked in each other's embrace, the cloud underneath you drifting across the academy.

A peaceful hour passes, Rainbow Dash held securely in your forelegs, as you slowly float beyond Wingbury, the cloud working its way ever-closer to the horizon.

With her body pressed tightly against yours, you can feel her voice as she speaks. “I'd be lost without you, you know. You stood up for me when I needed help, even when I didn't ask you. Even when I pushed you away.”

“I'll always stand up for you, Rainbow Dash.”

She turns her head, looking into your eyes at the mention of her name. “I promise I'll always stand up for you, too.”

Chapter 1: Getting to Class

Where the hay is Highwind Hall?

With the first class of the day mere minutes away, your pace quickens. Of all days to get lost on campus, you had to pick the first day at your new school.

Receiving your acceptance letter to Wingbury Academy in Cloudsdale is high on the list of “most awesome moments ever.” Your parents were so proud of you, and they were particularly happy that you would at last be able to live life up in the sky, where it was most natural for a colt like you. Suffice it to say that your former school, Manehattan High, wasn't the best learning environment for a pegasus.

The joy of your acceptance is all but a fading memory now, replaced by an ever-increasing panic. There's no pony around to ask for directions. The last thing you'd like to make is a poor first impression by being late.

You look up at the next building's lettering. Thunderhead Labs? No, that's second period. Gotta find Highwind Hall. Highwind Hall . . .

You hear an argument coming from the side of the building. Unable to make out any words at first, you fly closer.

“...think somepony would be nice, for a change.”

“As if! I wouldn't be caught dead talking to a loser like you.”

“Excuse me? What's your problem?”

“You are. Get lost!”

A rainbow-maned pegasus mare flies out from around the corner of the building. Red-faced, she looks back and screams. “No, you get lost!” In a flustered daze, she zips right by you without so much as a glance in your direction.

You check the campus clock. Four minutes left? Horsefeathers.

You bite your lip—that exchange you heard sure wasn't pretty, but you're running out of time and decide to try your luck. “Hey, sorry, where's Highwind Hall?” you call out to the mare.

She stops and spins around, eyes locking with yours, teeth bared. “Does it look like I care?” she says, throwing her forelegs out.

Rolling her eyes, the mare turns back around and begins to float away as you grow a wan smile. Get ready for this one, rainbow-mane. “Sorry, sorry,” you say. “You'd think somepony would be nice, for a change.”

The mare freezes, then faces you once more with a sheepish grin. “You, uh, heard that, huh?”

“Yeah. Hey, niceness should go both ways.”

Eyes flaring open, she flies closer to you. “I know, but that pony can get on my nerves. I mean, she annoys everypony, really—”

“Uh, sorry,” you interrupt, “but I'm in a hurry. In a big way. Do you know where Highwind Hall is?”

Her face softens. “Yeah! I suppose I owe you, after all. Just follow me!” She quickly launches into flight, and you waste no time taking to the air right alongside her.

She guides you all the way across campus. Oh brother, I must've been way off. As you fly together, you get a closer look at the fiery-mannered pegasus. Sleek, sky-blue coat. Untamed, rainbow-colored mane and tail. Impressive wingspan. Athletic, toned build. A rainbow-bolt cutie mark.

Cutie mark . . .

You still don't have your cutie mark. Everypony you knew got theirs years ago, leaving you as the oldest pony without one. Your blank flank earned you enough ridicule back in Manehattan. You're hoping that a fresh start at Wingbury Academy would leave all that behind, but it doesn't help when your lack of a mark has followed you.

Good thing rainbow-mane here hasn't noticed. You spend a moment eyeing her mark.

“So, you must be new here if you don't know where—hey!” The mare scowls. “What're you looking at?”

“Oh, I wasn't . . . I mean—”

She breaks into a giggling fit. “You should see the look on your face!”

You send her a grim stare in response, but she continues laughing.

“Aww,” she coos, “relax! I was just teasing. I guess you couldn't help it, huh?”

“N-No! Really, I was just admiring your cutie mark.” So much for being smooth.

With a wide grin, she winks. “Oh, I bet you'd love to hear how I got it. It's a great story! I oughta tell you sometime.”

You stare ahead, smiling for a moment, then glance at her once more. “Hey, thanks for helping me, by the way. What's your name?”

“I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest young flier in all of Equestria! Like you couldn't tell by my cutie mark. You know, I bet I could guess your name by your . . . oh.”

As her eyes wander to your bare flank, you look downwards and blush. “Well, I haven't yet, uh, gotten my mark.”

“Th-That's cool.” A small pause. “So, how old are you, anyway?”

You groan. Why did I bother asking for her name? I'm only inviting awkward questions. For the love of Celestia, where is Highwind—oh, there it is.

As if answering your silent prayer, some force of luck has brought you and Rainbow Dash before the opening to Highwind Hall at last. You steal one last glance at the campus clock. One minute left!

“Well, here it is.” Rainbow Dash lands on the building steps. “Hey, I never caught your—”

“Sorry, thanks, I gotta go! Later!” Without stopping flight, you soar right into the building entrance, leaving the cyan pegasus behind.

H306. H306. Where is it? Third floor? The hallways are empty—I'm probably already late! H306, come on . . .

You blast through the corridors in each floor, sweat building up from your feverish panic. At last, you come to a dead stop before the door to your first class, Chemistry II, only to find it closed.

Spying a clock on the wall, you shiver as you whisper the time. “7:02.” Well, better late than never. I can't just skip my first day, can I? No, I just have to pony up and do this.

Eyes shut tight, you slowly open the door. The hinges creak as you walk inside, step by step. Wincing, you crack open an eye. The classroom is dark and empty.

Having just realized that you were holding your breath, you exhale sharply and double back to the hallway, checking the room number once more. Yep, this is H306, all right. Then why—

“Say, what are you doing here, anyway?”

Startled, you turn and find Rainbow Dash. With an awkward chuckle, you say, “I'm going to class.” You peer once more into the empty classroom. “Well, trying to, at least.”

She looks at the hallway clock. “It's 7 o'clock, silly. Classes start at 8.”

A few seconds pass as you blink at Rainbow Dash. “That,” you say, “makes me feel so relieved right now, you have no idea.” You exhale once more and sink down to your haunches, a stupid grin on your face.

Rainbow Dash matches your smile. “You are definitely new! And since you've got an hour to kill, it sounds like you need somepony to show you the ropes.”

“That would be great, really. Wingbury Academy has already gotten me confused, and I haven't even been to class!”

Rainbow Dash twists her brow. “Wingbury? Whoa, now. This is Chesterfeather High.”

What?! You quickly jump up, hovering in the air. “Chesterfeather? But my schedule . . . I checked the class assignment billboard—”

You stop as Rainbow Dash collapses on the floor, uncontrollably laughing. Covering your face with your hoof, you shake your head. “You are something else, rainbow-mane, you know that?”

“Priceless!” she manages to yelp between breaths. “Your face . . . it's too much . . .”

You can't help but give a small chuckle yourself at the sight of Rainbow Dash rolling in laughter. “Okay,” you relent, “you got me there. Cut me some slack, though—it's my first day. I'm nervous!”

Calming down with a sigh, Rainbow Dash returns to the air, her wings flapping excitedly. “Yeah, yeah. Well, first things first. What's your name?”

You introduce yourself, and she twists her face in confusion. “Huh. Your name sounds familiar. Have we met before?”

“I might be gullible, but you won't get me again.”

“No, really! I just can't put my hoof on it. I'm sure I've heard it before . . .”

Unsure of what to say, you remain silent as a low growl escapes from your stomach.

She smirks. “You hungry?”

Throughout the whole ordeal, you hadn't even thought about food. “Now that you mention it, I could use breakfast.”

“Then, stop number one on the Wingbury tour: the cafeteria!” She bursts into flight, and you quickly follow her.

As you exit the building, you see Rainbow Dash waiting for you, hovering impatiently. “Not bad,” she taunts, “but I expected faster.”

“Oh, you wanna race, rainbow-mane?”

“That's Rainbow Dash!” She flies right up to your face. “And you're on!”

This is just what you needed—a boost in confidence. If you were one thing, it was fast. You haven't met another pegasus that could match you in speed, and you're not expecting that to change today.

“In fact,” you begin, “let's make this more sporting and give you a five second head start.”

Maintaining her close-up hover, Rainbow Dash flashes a wicked grin. “Oh yeah? If you're so confident, then you'll buy me breakfast after I win!”

“Fine! And if I beat you, then you'll owe me breakfast!”

“Sure, sure!” She rubs her hooves expectantly. “Ready?”

“Ready!”

Without hesitation, she rockets forward in a flash of rainbow colors as you count out five seconds. Unfortunately, you can only get to two as she stops at the building right across from you.

Pumping her forelegs in the air, Rainbow Dash calls out, “I win!”

“What? But . . . Oh, you've got to be kidding me.” You slowly drift over to the cyan pegasus, your head hanging in defeat. No more bets with this one.

“Shoulda asked me where it was, don't you think?”

You reply with a half-hearted nod. As the two of you enter the building, a lilac-colored pegasus mare hanging by the entrance gives you an odd look. “Rainbow Dash?” she calls out.

“Oh, hey Rosewing. What's up?”

Throwing you another strange glance, Rosewing whispers something into Rainbow Dash's ear.

“Huh?” Her ears droop, and she turns around to face you. “Uh, why don't you go on ahead. I'll . . .” She looks off to the side. “I'll see you inside.”

You nod and head into the building. The cafeteria is somewhat modest in size, but it sports a wide variety of foods. You pick an apple from the fruit bar and wait for Rainbow Dash.

Ten minutes later, you're left wondering what happened to her. Unsure of what to do, you buy the apple and wait at one of the tables.

Ten more minutes pass. You gaze out a nearby window and begin eating your apple. At first, you are annoyed at having to wait, but your frustration turns into concern. As you finish the apple, you feel a pang of guilt. Should I have waited longer before eating? Should I check outside? What if something happened?

You rise from your table and start heading outside but are momentarily distracted by some laughter coming from a table behind you. You turn and see Rainbow Dash, sitting with Rosewing and three other pegasi, locked in excited conversation. Looking up, Rainbow Dash sees you staring at them, then quickly turns away. What is going on? I'm getting to the bottom of this.

“Hey,” you call out, cantering over to their table. “Everything okay?”

Rosewing shoots you an ice-cold glare. “Nopony's talking to you, dweeb.”

“What? I'm just—”

A colt at the table snorts loudly. “Why don't you go bother someone else?”

You look expectantly at Rainbow Dash. She stares out the window. “. . . Beat it, loser.”

You step back once, then turn and fly toward the exit. Before you leave, you take one last look at Rainbow Dash. She glances at you with an expressionless face, then turns back to the window.

Chapter 11: Unraveling the Past

The Next Day

7:55 pm. You stand outside the mares' dormitory, waiting early for Rainbow Dash.

Wow, I'm nervous.

I mean, we hang out all the time now, but this is different. Is this a date? It feels like a date. I'll just have to play it cool and go with it.

While tangled in thought, you notice Rosewing approaching from a distant academy building. The remainder of the Heart's Desire is still clipped to her mane. As she gets closer, she hangs her head low, avoiding your gaze. Is she afraid of me?

You toss a greeting when she passes by. “Hello, Rosewing.”

“H-Hi,” she meekly says, stopping before you.

After an awkward moment of silence, she looks away, toward the other end of campus. “The rumors say you and Rainbow Dash are going out tonight.”

You stiffly nod. “Who told you that?”

She slowly cranes her neck toward you, a hint of a smile across her face. Through slit-like eyes, she calmly whispers to you. “I hope you two have a good time together.”

You don't respond as Rosewing canters into the dormitory. Never mind her. Just Rosewing being Rosewing. You shake your head, purging her from your mind.

Ten minutes pass with no sign of Rainbow Dash. You begin to pace in the air, your wings flapping incessantly. As you move back and forth, your eyes wander to the dorm windows. Rainbow Dash's room is dark. You fly up to her window but sense no activity. Where could she be? She didn't forget, did she?

You look across the building wall and see Rosewing's lit window. Curtains block your view, but muffled voices can be heard. You realize there are two mares talking to each other, but despite moving closer, you can't make out any words. As you carefully listen, you hear crying, followed by more muffled sounds.

What the hay is going on in there? The room falls silent after a minute. Boredom renewed, you fly back to the dorm entrance. Only a few seconds later, Rainbow Dash emerges from the building.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!”

“Sorry I'm late. You, uh, ready to go?”

“Sure. Where are we going, anyway?”

Rainbow Dash jumps into the air, performing a quick aerial loop. “We're going to see the Wonderbolts!”

“Whoa, really? You got tickets to their night show?”

She scratches her neck. “Well, not exactly. I'll explain when we get there. Now, are we gonna talk or fly?”

You chuckle. “Let's fly, then!”

You follow her through the air as she surges into the heart of Cloudsdale. As you travel, she slows her pace for just a moment, bringing herself in line with you. “So, you like the Wonderbolts too?” she asks.

“What pegasus doesn't? Based on your locker, though, I think you've got everypony else beat.”

“Hah, yeah! You should see my room.”

It doesn't take long for the two of you to approach the grand stadium at the center of the city. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash calls out to you. “Hey, hey, not so low!” She hooks a foreleg around you and drags you skyward, far above the stadium. “We don't have tickets, remember?”

She lands on a small, distant cloud. There's not much room—barely enough for two pegasi. You take a seat next to her. “Now I see what you had in mind,” you say.

“Yeah, sorry,” she says with a sheepish grin. “At least we won't get caught watching from up here.”

“Don't worry about it. I think it's pretty cool. Our own special seats.” You give her a playful poke.

She giggles as she scans the crowd below her. “Wow, the stands are nearly full down there.” She strains her eyes for a moment. “I hope the Wonderbolts don't fly this high for any of their tricks. They might spot us.”

“What are they gonna do, stop the show and make us perform?”

“Whoa, yeah!” Rainbow Dash's eyes light up. “Maybe we should call out and have them pull us into the act!”

“No, no, I was just kidding!”

Several minutes pass filled with cheery banter. During a lull in the conversation, you notice Rainbow Dash staring off into the distance.

“You all right?” you ask.

“Wha—yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking about Rosewing.”

“Oh. Don't worry about her. She's not worth thinking about.”

Rainbow Dash doesn't say anything.

“You're such a great pony. How did you even get involved with a loser like Rosewing?”

She continues to look silently toward the horizon. After a moment, she sighs softly.

“Look, you don't have to tell me,” you continue. “I shouldn't have asked—”

“No, it's okay.” She pauses. “This will be a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?”

“Yeah,” you softly reply. “I do.”

“It's . . . it's really hard to talk about. I haven't told anypony about this.” She touches your cheek lightly. “But I trust you.”

A sharp night wind streaks by, tossing her white mane; she shivers. You slide closer and extend your wing, wrapping it around her. “I trust you too. I'm ready.”

She smiles, but it fades quickly. “Will you still like me? Even after what I tell you?”

“Rainbow Dash, I know you. No matter what, you are you. I promise.”

“Okay.” She takes a deep breath, then looks directly into your eyes as she tells her story. “Last year, I used to be best friends with Fluttershy. We hung out a lot. Halfway through the year, other ponies started picking on her. Rosewing was the one who caused most of the trouble.”

“I remember.”

“Well, I noticed that the worst always happened when I was with her. They made Fluttershy cry all the time, and no matter what I did, they wouldn't stop. They even started picking on me. Eventually, I got fed up with it. I went over to Rosewing's room and told her I wasn't going to put up with it any more.”

“What did you do?”

“We were alone, and I really let her have it. I yelled at her. I told her she can't treat Fluttershy like that. I must've gone on for a couple minutes straight. In the end, she broke down crying.”

“Rosewing did?”

“Yeah. She just gave in and told me everything. It was jealousy. She was jealous! She wanted to be my friend instead of Fluttershy. I didn't believe it at first, but she kept talking about my wings.”

“Your wings.”

Rainbow Dash slightly frowns. “She loved my wings. She told me that she loved to see me fly around campus. That I was the coolest, fastest pegasus around. That's why she liked me. I didn't get it until she showed me her wings. On the outside, they looked fine, but when she spread them out for me, there was something wrong. They just . . .” she chokes on her words, swallowing hard. “They just didn't look right.”

You withdraw your wing. “What do you mean?”

A tear forms under her eye. “Sh-She told me she was born with some kind of defect. I can't remember the word for it. Her wing muscles are very weak. She can fly slowly, but even then, not for too long. When she told me all this, the first thing I wanted to do was push it back into her face. Tell everypony else. Make her the target instead of Fluttershy, for all the mean things she did to us.”

“But you didn't.”

“I couldn't tell anypony. The way she told me about her wings, the way she told me how she felt about me, I just couldn't. She had never told anypony else about them. In a way, I was sorry for her.”

“I guess that's why you joined her and . . . did what you did.”

Rainbow Dash closes her eyes. “I'm sorry. Even when I knew we were hurting other ponies . . . even when I knew I was hurting Fluttershy . . . I just swallowed all my feelings because of Rosewing's secret. Because she liked me. I can't forgive myself.”

You softly place your foreleg around her, pulling her closer. As she looks into your eyes, you give her a warm smile.

Sniffling, she smiles back.

A loud voice echoes from the stadium below. “Mares and gentlecolts, are you ready for some action?”

“Hey,” says Rainbow Dash, “they're about to start.”

You both lean forward to get a better look. She wraps a foreleg around your shoulder as the Wonderbolts burst onto the field.

“. . . and the way they lit up the sky. So awesome!” Rainbow Dash can barely contain herself as you arrive back at her dorm. “They even did that Mistring thing. All of 'em at once!”

“Mistwright!”

“Yeah, yeah!” She waves a hoof. “Can you believe it?”

“It really was cool. I don't think they did it as well as you did, though.”

Rainbow Dash laughs. “You're just saying that 'cause you couldn't get a good look from where we were sitting.”

“You mean outer space?”

“Aw, come on!” She gives you a lighthearted shove. “Wow, this night went by pretty quickly.”

“Yeah, it did. I'm really glad we went out tonight.”

Rainbow Dash slowly hovers closer. “Me too.” She places her forelegs on your shoulder, leaning on you. She stares at you for a few seconds. You reach forward and meet her in a kiss, her eyes closing as you touch lips.

As she pulls back, she opens her eyes with a smile. “Good night,” she whispers, as she slowly flies into her dorm.

I couldn't have asked for a better night.

In the distance, you hear a window snap shut.

Later That Night

A tapping at your window rouses you from sleep. You cover your head with your pillow, but the noise continues. “No night flying tonight!” you groggily yell. “I can't even think straight.”

A voice from outside. “It's Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy? What is she doing here?

And why do I keep getting visitors past midnight?

You slide your window open, and Fluttershy promptly enters. “Is everything okay?” you say. “I figured you'd never want to speak to me again.”

She looks around your room silently.

“I'm glad your wings are healed,” you continue. “I was worried.”

She takes a step toward you, still quiet.

“What's wrong? Did something—”

Fluttershy lunges forward, knocking you down to the ground. She straddles your body, pinning your wings down with her hooves. Unsure of how to react, you lay stunned underneath her.

With a fierce grin, she leans down and begins kissing your body from bottom to top. She whispers to you between kisses. “You're the only . . . pony that . . . I want . . . don't you understand . . . I want you . . . to be all mine.” She finishes with a deep kiss to the mouth, moaning as she releases you.

Her mouth has a strangely sweet taste.

“F-Fluttershy!”

She holds her head high, her wings flared out to their length. “I'm not a doormat anymore. If there's something I want, I take it.” She places a hoof on your chest, an odd gleam in her eye. “And I want you.”

You stare up at her, mouth agape.

“This is what you like, right? You like mares kissing you, right?”

I can't believe this is Fluttershy. The way her eyes look at me . . . something is wrong. Seriously wrong.

You gently shake your head. “Rosewing. What did Rosewing do?”

“She told me all about you. What you want. And I'm giving it to you.”

“No. I mean, what did she do to you?”

She leans back down, her hoof painfully digging into your chest. “She gave me what I've always wanted. My greatest desire. Raw, unbridled confidence.”

Desire.

You slither out from underneath her. “You're not Fluttershy. I don't believe it.”

She laughs. “Of course I am! But enough about me. I want you.”

You back up against the wall as she approaches you. “S-Stop . . .”

As she closes in, her voice takes on a slow, dulcet tone. “You know, I figured it all out. It was my fault I lost you to those other mares. I didn't try hard enough.”

“It's not like that,” you say, a lump forming in your throat.

“Now I know exactly how I'm going to get you.” She looks at your bare flank, licking her lips. “Let's get a mark on that blank flank tonight.”

You grab hold of her shoulders and shake her. “Snap out of it, Fluttershy! Pull yourself together!”

For a moment, her eyes glaze over, but she shakes her head and develops a fanged grin. “Tough love. I'm in,” she growls.

For Pete's sake.

You lean right into her face, your eyes locked with hers. “Fluttershy!” you say sternly. “What do I have to do to get through to you? What do I have to do to get my Fluttershy back?”

Her smile fades. She blinks a few times. “Your Fluttershy?”

“Please! I've missed you so much. I just want things to go back to normal. I just want my gentle, kind Fluttershy back.”

The wild expression on her face slowly fades. She rolls her tongue around in her mouth, smacking her lips. “How did . . . where . . .”

Has it worn off? You close your eyes for a moment, sighing. “Are you all right?”

“Where is Rosewing?” She looks around. “Where am I?”

“You don't remember?”

Wide-eyed, she begins to tremble. “Please tell me wh-what I've been doing.”