-/-Gust Gale Memorial Tribute Show-/-
Ding….
Ding….
Ding….
Silence. That’s what it was in the arena. Pure Silence.
All the Wonderbolts, all current and some retired legends, stood in the center with their heads bowed in respect to their fallen comrade. Their fellow Wonderbolt.
Their friend.
Even though it was silent, minus the 10 bell salute, sniffles and sobs could be heard. A lot from the fans. One in particular was a little filly crying her eyes out into her mother’s chest. There were also some adult mares as well who could be heard crying as well.
And it wasn’t just the fans. Quite a few Wonderbolts couldn’t hold it in as some could.
Rainbow Dash, who had a hoof in solving Gust Gale’s murder along with Detective Shadow Haze, had tears in her eyes. She was happy that that psycho fucker Skyler Storms was dead now. She heard about him being gang raped and tortured to death in prison. She felt he got what he deserved, and he did.
However, that still didn’t stop her missing her. That still didn’t change the fact that she was gone. Far too soon. Far too young.
Spitfire also had tears in her eyes as well. If anypony felt some type of personal responsibility for this, it would be her. She felt she should’ve known it was Skyler underneath all that coat and mane dye. She felt so stupid for not catching on immediately. And now her friend, who she personally took under her wing to teach her how to come out of her shell, was gone. And she wasn’t coming back.
Her boyfriend Soarin had his wing draped over her, while also showing tears in his eyes. Gust Gale was a friend to him too. He ALSO felt like he should’ve known it was Skyler all along. If he could go back in time, he would have beat the shit out of “Corkscrew” the minute he revealed himself to Gust Gale as her secret admirer.
But he couldn’t. And he felt just as guilty as his girlfriend does.
The same could be said for Fleetfoot too. She was also a close friend of Gust Gale. She should have figured it out too. But, it was too late.
However, of all the Wonderbolts who loved Gust Gale, NO pony was as hurt, as devastated, as emotionally crippled as Gust Gale’s best friend.
High Winds. The one they called Hoof in Mouth. She stood their shivering, shaking, and just quivering in pure sadness and sorrow. Tears rolled down her eyes, almost like a waterfall.
Surprise, the one called Slowpoke, stood next to her, trying to soothe her friend to no avail. She started to tear up too.
After the 10 bell salute, Captain Spitfire took a live microphone and spoke aloud to all the fans.
“Thank you all for being here. Tonight, everything we’re gonna do is for our friend. In honor of her memory.” She said, now looking up to the heavens. To Gust Gale.
“We love you, Gust Gale.” She said with a light sob.
The entire arena applauded with tears in their eyes. This night was for Gust Gale.
When Spitfire made that small speech, all High Winds could do was just cry her eyes out, looking up to the heavens at her friend.
-/-
The show was certainly an emotional one. Especially when the announcer made this speech when High Winds went out.
“Mares and Gentlecolts, the word love often gets overused. However, that is not the case here. High Winds LOVED Gust Gale. High Winds was Gust Gale’s very best friend. The two grew up together. They were like family. No pony knew Gust Gale better then High Winds. And tonight, she’s gonna do a special flight for her friend.”
The crowd cheered High Winds. Gave her a standing ovation. After her flight, she got emotional again and bowed for the crowd.
And right at the very end, a huge poster was shown at the top of the arena. It was a picture of Gust Gale when she was still alive. Looking so happy to be a Wonderbolt.
All of the Wonderbolts came out and saluted Gust Gale. This was a good way to say goodbye to their comrade. To their friend. To keep her memory alive.
Although, one certain Wonderbolt still was having trouble with saying goodbye to their best friend.
-/-3 Months Later-/-
The Wonderbolts continued with their scheduled tour. Going to places like Van Hoover, Las Pegasus, Baltimare, and New Colt City to name a few. It was going back into the swing of things.
Also, recently, a few Wonderbolt members helped clean out Gust Gale’s locker. Her stuff was given to her parents, Chinook Puff and Air Blast, and two older sisters, Whirlwind and Cyclone. Tears also were shed here. But, it needed to be done. They needed to keep moving forward.
However, of the few Wonderbolts who helped clean out her locker, High Winds wasn’t one of them. When she saw her dead friends locker, she turned away and flew back to her bed and just weeped. Cried for her friend, who wasn’t here anymore.
They understood why she couldn’t do it. With how close Gust and High were, it would be to upsetting for her to do it. They got why she would NOT want to look into her friends locker.
Now, her flights afterwards?
…….
-/-Three Days Ago-/-
High Winds was flying in unison with Surprise and Misty Fly. They would usually do a triple team move to wow the audiences. An absolute visual to behold that many ponies would think “How could somepony pull that off”?
As she flew though, her thoughts weren’t on the move. They weren’t on making sure to stay in motion with Surprise and Misty Fly. They weren’t on potentially wowing the audience.
They were on Gust Gale. As they were ever since she got the news that her friend had been raped and murdered. Especially after the tribute show.
They were on the good old days when her and Gust were fillies, dreaming one day to be a Wonderbolt. Them meeting in the first grade, when High defended Gust from a colt picking on her, and the two becoming almost inseparable afterwards. Them going to the park to race each other. Them going to the mall when they were teenagers, where Gust would try to chat up colts and failed miserably. Them in high school, and going to a school dance together, because they didn’t have dates. Them training at the Wonderbolt facility, and Spectrum Ryder yelling at them like a drill sergeant. Them being accepted into the Wonderbolts.
Them talking. Them hanging out. Them flying together. Them laughing together. Them being there when they needed each other.
All these thoughts were spinning around in her head so much, remembering all the times with Gust, that the tears from the tribute show had started to come back.
All this, while she was flying.
“HIGH WINDS! LOOK OUT!” She heard Surprise yell out to her.
She snapped out of her dream and realized she was headed toward a wall.
She tried to avoid it, but it was too late. She crashed into the wall, on her side and fell to the cloud floor below.
Misty Fly and Surprise rushed to the ground to go check on her and see if she wasn’t hurt. Or, hurt too bad.
“Oh my Celestia! High Winds, are you okay?!” Misty Fly asked, sounding worried.
High Winds had had a few accidents before, it was almost guaranteed to happen. She knew of the story with Soarin flying for a month with a broken wing.
And all the times she had a bad fall, who was there almost instantly to see if she was okay? Who was there to check on her?
Gust Gale.
High Winds looked up at Misty Fly and Surprise. She swore she felt like Gust Gale was there too. Looking over her to see if she was okay.
But she wasn’t. She was dead.
“Gust Gale.” She whispered before the tears came.
All Misty Fly and Surprise could do was look at her with sympathy before they called a medic.
-/-Present Time-/-
High Winds was now in the hospital. Her right wing was broken and her right foreleg was extremely sore. She wasn’t like Soarin, because right now, she was currently laid up in a hospital bed. Several fellow Wonderbolts, as well as her family members, had come to see her. Keep her company. Cheer her up.
Problem was, she wasn’t cheering up. She was quiet. She was despondent. She looked like she didn’t want to interact with anypony. All it looked like she wanted to do, was just stay there, trying and failing miserably to not think about the thoughts in her head.
And this did NOT go unnoticed by every pony.
Captain Spitfire was currently in her officer, going over the last of paperwork she needed to get done. And she was SO happy for that. She loved being the Captain, but all the paperwork was just such a pain in the ass.
*knock*knock*
Oh, she seriously hoped it wasn’t more paperwork to do.
“Who is it?” She called toward the door.
“It’s us, Captain.” She heard a familiar voice say. She knew who they were. And was SO thankful for that.
“Come on in.” She said, inviting her guests in. It was Surprise and Misty Fly. Both took a seat in front of her desk.
Spitfire knew they both were kinda shook up after High Winds’ accident. It wasn’t super serious, but it’s never easy to watch a fellow teammate get injured. Especially when practicing a move you were going to use in a show.
“What’s up?” She asked them, getting right to the point.
Surprise and Misty looked at each other and sighed.
“Captain, we need to talk about High Winds.” Misty said, not looking her Captain in the eye. Instead, looking at the floor in sadness.
Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “Is this about her injury?” She asked.
“No. It’s more than that.” Surprise said.
“What do ya mean?” Spitfire asked the two of them.
The room was silent for a few seconds before Misty Fly spoke up.
“High Winds hasn’t been the same since…” She started to get choked up. She even fanned her eyes with her wings. “…Gust Gale.”
Spitfire knew what they were getting at after she said that. She had head down in sadness too.
Surprise continued for her. “We’ve visited her at the Hospital a few times. She doesn’t wanna talk to us. She barely laughs at my jokes, like she always did. She…she just isn’t like what she used to be. And we’re both worried.” She sounded very concerned with her friends possible mental well-being.
“Gust Gale’s death has really been affecting her. She didn’t want to help clean out her locker. She hasn’t spoken to Gust’s family. She even whispered her name before the medics arrived after her accident.” Misty Fly said, while getting some tissues from the Captain’s desk.
Spitfire sighed. She had a bad feeling something like this would happen. She knew how close High Winds and Gust Gale were. And she knew, or at least had a feeling, that Gust would still be on her mind, even after the tribute show.
“You guys are worried she’s gonna do something bad to herself?” She asked them.
They both flinched at the thought of High Winds potentially…well, ending it all. Normally, she was such a lover of life and would NEVER even attempt a thought of something like that.
However, after receiving such a devastating loss of somepony that close to her, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility. And that was something they were terrified of. Even the thought of it.
They both then developed tears in their eyes again and nodded their head yes.
“I think she needs help, Captain. But, she won’t talk to us. So, could you, maybe talk some sense into her?” Surprise asked.
Spitfire thought for a moment. She missed Gust Gale too. She missed her everyday. But, she had to keep a strong face on for her crew. That didn’t mean NOT admitting she still grieved for her friend. It meant that, while she was hurting, she was still a strong-willed mare that would still go out and do the things she was made to do. She would talk with her boyfriend Soarin about her problems in private, but still keep going with her head held high.
However, it’s different for High Winds here. She was just a random Wonderbolt mare that not a lot of ponies knew about. Unless, they were a hardcore Wonderbolt fanatic. High Winds wasn’t like Her, or Soarin, or Fleetfoot. So, it would kinda make sense for High Winds to feel like she would have to bottle things up. Which, according to Stormy Flare, her mother, was NEVER the right thing to do. High Winds didn’t have the same responsibilities like Her or Soarin do. She didn’t have to try and be strong for her crew.
Spitfire sighed again as she rose from her office chair. Surprise and Misty Fly looked up at their boss.
“Guess I’ve got to give somepony a talking too.” She said.
The three embraced each other before Spitfire left to have a conversation with her comrade. Hopefully, she could get through to her.
-/-Clousdale Hospital-/-
She stood outside her hospital room. Wondering what she was gonna say or do. Should she be all commanding like she does out in the field? Should she be sympathetic and caring? Should she be upfront and honest with her?
She didn’t know. All she did was knocked on the door.
It was barely audible, but she heard a light sounded “Come in.”
When Spitfire did walk in, she almost felt like she had to leave instantly at the sight of what she saw.
High Winds looked terrible. Her mane was disheveled, her Hospital gown had food stains on it, she looked like she gained a few pounds and her eyes just looked downcast. She looked like a shell of her former self. And it’s only been three months since her best friend passed away.
They were right. High Winds hasn’t been the same. And it showed.
“Need something, Captain?” High Winds asked very monotone like.
Spitfire paused for a minute before answering her.
“Yeah. I came to check on you. See how my comrade is doing.” She said, putting on her usual confident persona.
“Well, I’m fine.” High Winds said. “Now, you can leave. I’ll be back in about 3 weeks, I guess.” She sounded rather rude with that statement.
“Why would I wanna leave? I just got here.” Spitfire said. She ignored the rude comment just now. No sense in dwelling on it.
“Cause I don’t feel like talking to anypony right now.” High Winds said.
Then Spitfire said something that, HONESTLY, took balls to say.
“Still thinking about Gust Gale, huh?”
She saw High Winds cover her face with her good wing. To get Captain Spitfire out of her line of sight.
“I think about her too, ya know? So does Soarin. And Surprise, Misty Fly, Fleetfoot. All of them do. We all miss her.” She said, talking apparently to High Winds good wing.
“Stop.” High Winds said softly. Spitfire didn’t.
“I know you miss her. It’s okay if you do.” She said in the most gentle way she could.
“Please, stop.” High Winds said again, this time her voice slightly raising with an emotional edge to it.
“We know how you feel, Hoof in-“ Spitfire started to say, before being interrupted.
“NO YOU DON’T!” High Winds yelled out loud as she removed her good wing away from her face, and there it was.
Tears. The very tears from the tribute show were there. Although, instead of just sadness like that day, this time there was anger. Frustration. And hurt there too.
All Spitfire did was just look at her.
“That’s what every pony says to me! You guys and fans! They all say they’re sorry and they know how I feel! But they don’t! None of them know how I feel!” She ranted and raved in her boss’ face, who just stood there with a somber expression on her face. Not saying anything, as High Winds continued on.
“You have your best friend still. Fuck, he’s even your boyfriend now. Surprise and Misty Fly still have each other. And what about Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail? None of them are dead! No pony knows what I’m going through!” She yelled as more tears rolled down her face.
Spitfire shook her head. “You really think we don’t?”
High Winds just looked on in anger at her boss.
“What about her family?” Spitfire asked.
High Winds’ angry look changed to a look of surprise. She had forgotten all about them.
“You don’t think they’re hurting like you are? They lost a daughter and a sister. You ever think about what they’re going through? They loved her too, ya know.” Spitfire said, this time having more of a scolding tone in her voice.
High Winds looked down, away from her Captain. “No. I guess I didn’t.” She now felt even worse then before. She never considered how Gust Gale’s parents and older siblings were feeling. She only was focused on how SHE was feeling. And what she felt now was a feeling of being totally selfish. Like she was being a bad friend. Something she never wanted to be viewed as.
“And I’m telling the truth, ya know. I get it, okay? I miss her too. I feel so guilty for not doing something when I should’ve.” Spitfire said. Now she was getting emotional.
High Winds looked up at her boss. “It wasn’t your fault, Captain.” She said, her voice shaking. Tears rolling more down her face.
“Even if it isn’t, I’ll still have that shit on my mind for a long time. And it’s not just me. Every pony does too. We all wish she was here.” Spitfire said. Now the tears were there.
They were silent for a quick sec, before they embraced and cried. Openly weeped for almost a half hour. The only sounds in the room were their sobs.
After the crying session was over, they let go of each other.
“You seriously stink, ya know that?” Spitfire said in a joking way. High Winds did smile at the joke, before going back to her somber expression.
“I can’t stop.” She said.
“Can’t stop what?” Spitfire said, wiping the tears away from her face.
“Thinking about her. Every place I go, all I can do is think of Gust Gale. We were in Van Hoover not too long ago. Last time I was there, Gust Gale was there. Then, we were in Fillynois. Last time I was there, Gust Gale was there. Everything. I can’t get her off of my mind. I feel like I’m about to snap.” High Winds said with a sob.
Spitfire gently lifted her head with her hoof to get her to look at her face.
“And that’s why I came here. I’m offering you time off. To go and grieve your best friend. I’d even recommend seeing a grief counselor. I really think you need this. All of us do. We don’t wanna lose another one.” She said, her eyes still reflected with leftover tears.
High Winds remained silent for a quick moment before asking, “But, what if you guys need me?”
“Do you think Gust Gale would want you to live with all this pain?” Spitfire asked.
High Winds knew the answer to that. Gust Gale would constantly worry about her best friend if she was feeling down and deeply depressed. She wouldn’t want her to not have her mind clear for a big flight. She’d want her to be all hyped up and ready. Both physically, mentally and emotionally.
High Winds sighed. “No. She wouldn’t.”
“Damn right.” Spitfire said with a confident grin. “You rest up, take as much time as you need. Call me when you’re ready to come back.”
“I know it won’t be easy.” High Winds said.
“I know. But you have a lot of ponies here to help you. Us, Gust Gale’s family and your’s too. We’re here for ya, okay?” Spitfire said.
High Winds hugged her boss again. “Thank you, Captain.” She said.
Spitfire just hugged her comrade back.
-/-Cloudsdale Mental Health Treatment Facility-/-
It was actually two weeks later when Gust Gale was released from the hospital. And after her talk with Captain Spitfire, she did start to open up to ponies. Her parents being one big example. As well as her older brother.
She did apologize to Surprise and Misty Fly as well. And even opened up to them as well.
Now, however, she was gonna talk with a true professional. Somepony who could truly help her. Help her in dealing with her grief and sorrow for the loss of her best friend.
She sat in the waiting room for about 5 minutes before she heard her name called.
“High Winds.” The doctor said.
She gave a sigh and sat up. Before she walked to the doctors room, She looked up to the heavens again at her friend.
“Wish me luck, Gust Gale. I’ll always love you.”
Author's Note
Yeah, this was something I had been thinking about for a while now. After The Wonderbolt Case, I wanted to explore more of High Winds and Gust Gale’s friendship.
I also wanted to explore the concept of grief and loss. And I’m glad I got this out here.
For the record, I do plan to do a Side Story for Comet and Shadow as well. I just wanted to get this one out first.
Anyway, next time I’ll be getting back into the swing of things with a new case. What’s it about? Stay tuned to find out.
Thanks everybody, hope you all liked this story, and have a good rest of your day.
