The Single Tree of Pride

My Dear Tree;

Now that I’m writing to you, everything is over. While I’m sitting here, in my room, safe and sound, I remind myself over and over that I owe my everything to you. So I write these words and remind myself of everything that happened.

The day we met is still as clear as today’s sky. Everything about us is crystal clear to me. And this one… now that I remembered it, the scenes play in my mind. From the very beginning…

It was a beautiful, clear day just like other days. I was in the HQ, practicing tricks with Soarin Skies. I clearly remember how after my disastrous show in Ponyville, Spitfire made me clean the entire HQ for a full month and not only that, but also commanded Soarin to teach me the basic rules, just like a cadet!

I also remember how angry I was when I heard her command but what else could I do? I just went along with it. And that special day was like all the other boring days I spent ‘learning’ the rules, though I knew nothing could be boring if I just showed a little interest in it. The session itself was never boring. How could it be boring when I had it with Soarin?

He was exactly like my big brother. Fun, caring, kind and many more. The kind of pony that lightens up your day even if it’s filled with all of the storm clouds of Equestria. He was a good friend too. Always listened to my problems and even got happy and sad along with me. Whenever I saw him, I couldn’t think of any word but ‘big brother’ and that was what made me happy in the boring sessions.

However, the practice with Soarin was as boring as always. At least to me. Soarin was joking and laughing as always and didn’t look even a bit tired. His energy made me smile as well. His jokes were so funny that made me laugh really hard. My lost energy was back again and I could continue the day as if nothing had happened and that was the best thing about this training thing.

Because of the training, I had a very rigid schedule and I couldn’t go back home most of times. In fact, it had been a month since my last visit to Ponyville. I had been staying in the HQ the whole time. My only connection to home were the letters my friends and I wrote to each other.

Dislike my real home, Ponyville, there at the academy, I didn’t have much friends. Only Soarin and a kind filly named Night Flight. She was a newbie as well. Spitfire also counted as my friends but I barely saw her so she wasn’t a close one. At the times I didn’t see Night Flight, I hung out with the stallions in the team. They were much, much better than those mean mares.

Night Flight also hung out with the guys but she was friends with other mares too so, when they were planning a gathering, she joined them. But I could see that she preferred to hang out with me instead of them. As I believed at those times, it was because I was 20% cooler!

However, everything started when at that day, I left Soarin and went to dorms to plop down on my bed for a while. This was the only break time I had before everypony had to gather for the afternoon exercises. When I entered, some mares were there, talking. I didn’t pay attention and just plopped down on the double bed.

From above a voice called, “Hey Crash! How was the practice?”

It was my best friend in the team, Night Flight. A weak smile formed on my lips. She was the only pony I didn’t shout at when I was super tired. Well, I did that the first time we met but with the answer she gave me, I preferred not to talk at all!

“As boring as always Shiny!” I said with a smirk. I knew she really hated it when I called her this.

“HEY! Don’t call me that… that… thing!” Looks like I was right as always!

“Then don’t call me Crash either,” I said with a winning smile, though she couldn’t see.

“I thought you got over it,” she mumbled.

“Are you kiddin’ me? I know everypony has a name and all but this doesn’t mean I approve of it. I still think it’s wrong to call ponies by a nickname they don’t like,” I said with a frown and in a low tone. I sure didn’t want those other Wonderbolts in the tent hear me.

“I know, right?” whispered Night Flight with a sad sigh. “Hey! I have an idea!” she exclaimed happily. Some of the mares looked at her but they quickly went back to their talking.

“Idea? What?” I said.

“About the nickname thing. Well, we can’t make them stop it but we can stop it ourselves.”

“Okay?”

“Well, you see, everypony call each other with nicknames and nopony cares about their feelings or whether they like their nickname or not. But I think there’s nopony in the academy who doesn’t like her/his real name. So if we just call others by their real name, they would probably do the same and therefor, the nicknames will be forgotten forever!”

“And what if others kept calling each other with nicknames?”

“Then we can be sure that we aren’t hurting anypony.”

“Hmm, to tell you the truth, seems like a good plan if it works,” I said with a smile.

“Great! Then we’ll start from now, Dashie!” she exclaimed happily.

“Don’t. Call. Me. That,” I said with a big frown.

“Fine, whatever,” she muttered. I bet she was rolling her eyes at the moment.

It was at that moment that Spitfire, Blaze, Surprise and Soarin entered the dorms. Blaze and Surprise were chatting while Spitfire was walking to end of the room with frown. Soarin was walking beside her with a worried expression.

“Spitfire, it’s important,” said Soarin to her.

Spitfire’s frown deepened. She stopped walking and glared at him. “What do you want Soarin? Is anything more important than putting those moves together in less than few hours?”

“Yes, of course there is,” he answered with a frown. Then he whispered something in her ear.

Her eyes quickly went wide and she gasped. “No…” she mumbled.

“That was what I was trying to tell you all the time,” muttered Soarin under his breath.

“But… but… now what?” mumbled Spitfire nervously.

“Is it just me or Spitfire really looks helpless?” whispered Night Flight to me. She flew down to my bunk and looked me with a surprised expression.

“So you see that too? I’ve never seen her like this,” I whispered back.

“Everypony attention!” called Spitfire with her previous frown. “Today’s practice is gonna be intense. Very intense so you all better prepare yourself for worse. I’ll kill whoever slips up today,” she said in a serious, loud tone. Then she turned to Night Flight and I who were listening to her with wide eyes. Her frown deepened and she gritted her teeth once she noticed us. “Especially you morons. Crash, Shiny, you will be instantly kicked out of the team if you do the slightest thing wrong. UNDERSTAND?”

“Yes ma’am!” we both said quickly.

“I sure hope so,” she mumbled with a glare to us.

“Spitfire, don’t you wanna say why are you doing all of these? I’ve been asking Clipper and you questions but neither answered,” said Blaze.

Spitfire looked at her for a few seconds before she opened her mouth and gave her a simple, but confusing answer, “He’s coming back this evening.”

Rainbow Dash opened the little drawer that was beside her and placed the first letter with a small smile. There was nothing in the drawer… yet. Soon, it would be filled with memories and letters.

She closed the drawer and locked it. Then, she hide the key under her bed, hoping that one day she would find the courage to send the letter to its real owner…