Parental Glideance: TLC Timelineby Joshua CrapoChaptersChapter IChapter IIChapter IIIChapter IVChapter VChapter VIChapter VIIChapter VIIIChapter IUh, hi. It’s been a while. Normally, at this time of day I’d be on my DS playing one of a grand total of three games, either with myself or with Twilight, Spike or Starlight. Unfortunately, for the autumn semester, my school’s opening project is a report on the most inspirational ponies my class has ever known. That means I have to walk away from games for a while as I rally my project up. Who did I pick? Unfortunately again, there’s more than one I can choose from. I don’t know who to do: Chrysalis or Twilight. I’d consider Twilight, since she is my guardian now among a slew of other things, but who wouldn’t do their family or their guardian? I’d also consider Chrysalis because she’s the one that protected me from that Superintendent Spitfire’s most hurtful comments; she's the one that taught me how to trail. I’ll probably decide when I get home. For now, I’m helping the Cutie Mark Crusaders set up a runway for Scootaloo to make it to Cloudsdale by life-size grounded slingshot. This runway consists of a ramp, the slingshot itself, and a stake about four yards from the slingshot. In order for Scootaloo to whip up the speed in her scooter, Sweetie Belle and I pull the pad of the rubber band with our magic while Applebloom and Scootaloo push. Man that stuff’s a doozy to pull. Can you imagine if the Crusaders did that on their own? “Scootaloo!” Applebloom protests with strain in her voice. “Are you sure this was a good idea?” “What are you talking about? This is the best idea I’ve ever had!” “It’s just…” “I know you wanna tag along Applebloom,” I interrupt, strain in my own voice from using so much force. “but unless Twilight can redo her spell from the Best Young Flier Competition, it’s just Scootaloo going.” Sweetie Belle and I lift the pad to hook it on the stake. “I think we’re good,” Scootaloo notes. Applebloom walks under the rubber band and out of the runway as I put Scootaloo’s saddlebag on her, and Sweetie Belle readies the scooter. “We are? Scootaloo, Ah know you had to go to Cloudsdale to finish your report. I’m just wonderin’ if this was the best way to get there.” “It’ll be fine. Besides, how else could I get there?” “I could probably take you there,” I point out. “By levitation and/or teleportation.” “Huh, that does seem a lot safer. Aita, why don’t you unHOOOOOOOOK…” The force of the slingshot makes the stake bend in a way that releases the rubber band, thus launching Scootaloo down the runway and on her way to Cloudsdale. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle shriek. “I’ll go check on her, girls. See you later.” I teleport to what looks like the spot Scootaloo would end up on. The moment I’m up, Scootaloo bursts through the cloud floor, obviously disoriented. “Nailed it.” Looking ahead of Scootaloo, a pegasus stallion stops short of her. Apparently cloudmowing is a thing. I can barely make it out through the glare of the sun, but he seems to have a short rainbow mane and tail with an indigo coat. He has a shadow on the bottom half of his face. He seems to be wearing two layers of shirts, the undershirt just barely visible; the overshirt is a green polo. His cutie mark is a horseshoe over a rainbow that starts on a cloud. “Oh hello. Are you alright, little ma’am?” Before Scotaloo can start fangirling about who this stallion is, I pick her up above the cloud floor. “W-hey! Aita!” “She seems that way. A-are you the parent we think you are?” “If you’re referring to my Rainbow Dash, then yes. Bow Hothoof at your service.” I nod with excitement and shake his hoof. “You have no idea what an honor it is to meet the father of one of my friends!” “Hm… uh little sir, I’m flattered. Should I get Windy out here?” Scootaloo starts hyperventilating at hearing the name of Rainbow Dash’s mom. “Breathe, Scootaloo.” “Honey, we got company!” Bow happily shouts. When Windy, as Bow called her while talking to me, opens the door, I can see she looks a bit like Rainbow Dash, the main factor in that having the same coat color. Her mane and tail are all bangs with a color of peach, and her cutie mark is a cloud blowing wind. She has two layers of shirts on too, but unlike Bow, the overshirt seems to be more of a sweater than anything else. Windy gasps with excitement. “A juvenile changeling!” “Hi. I’m Aita. You must be Windy, right?” Windy nods. “Windy Whistles to be exact.” “A couple friends and I were helping Scootaloo get to Cloudsdale to finish this opening project we have for the fall semester in school.” “It’s a report on the most inspirational pony in each of our lives!” Scootaloo finishes. “I’m Rainbow Dash’s biggest fan!” “Uh Scootaloo, what you say is impossible, because nopony is a bigger fan of our Rainbow Dash than us!” Bow reveals with his wings that his undershirt has Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark in the middle. Windy bobs her head up and down with excitement now. Scootaloo’s eyes widen. “Whoa…” “Why wouldn’t you be? You’re Rainbow Dash’s parents. Same applies between me and Twilight.” “The Princess of Friendship adopted you?!?” Windy’s excitement is magnified now. “And I’m from another wo-” I stop short when Bow shakes by hoof back, and quite forcefully. “Oh what an honor! We should give the two of you the grand tour, you and Scootaloo!” “Awesome! That’ll help so much on my report!” Scootaloo takes the camera out of her saddlebag, puts it on and snaps a photo of Bow and Windy’s house. “Come on Aita!” She calls, going after the others as they walk inside now. I take a personal look at the house. It’s three full stories, complete with greek pillars at the entrance and the balcony above it. “Wow! They look just as wealthy as Rainbow Dash, if not more!” “Aita! What’s the hold-up?” I snap back to reality as Scootaloo calling me again, realizing Bow, Windy and Scootaloo are going in. “Coming!” I shout as I catch back up. Chapter IIThe first thing Bow and Windy do once we’re all in is guide us to the kitchen, and one that looks fairly modern, considering the technology of Equestria. It’s got a breakfast nook with two chairs to the right as you enter, and a stove to the left with pots and pans atop and hanging over. The countertop starts just past the stove with two drawers and a bread box, then a sink with two cupboard doors, The rest of the counter goes all the way to the corner before turning about midway through, only broken up by a refrigerator across from the entrance. The front part of the kitchen is loaded with old pictures of Rainbow Dash, Bow and Windy, and above the half of the breakfast nook across from the stove, there is a shelf of cereal boxes and china. Lastly, there are lamps littering the ceiling of the kitchen. Bow sits on the side below the shelf while Scootaloo and I sit on the other. Scootaloo pastes the picture of the front of the house on the scrapbook she brought with her. Windy sets two plates down on our side of the table with a comically tall sandwich on each plate. “Here you go, Rainbow Dash’s favorite meal: a pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough. She just loved to carbo load.” Windy chuckles, flashing back probably to every time she cooked that sandwich. “Whoa, even without tasting it, I can tell it was a labor of love,” I remark. Scootaloo and I take a large chunk out of our sandwiches. It really is delicious. “Man, this is so GOOD!” “Agreed,” Scootaloo barely can say with a full mouth. “Uh Aita, you were about to say that you were from another world, right?” I nod at Bow. “Where are you from?” “Wisconsin. It’s in a world that’s a bit bulgy… and more technologically advanced compared to Equestria’s. Chrysalis or Carve could probably describe it better than I can though.” I eat the rest of my sandwich, having finished explaining my homeworld. “Are you kidding?” Bow replies. “What you described sounds like a vacation spot waiting to happen! Do they have races there? Rainbow Dash was ALWAYS a fan of the gear and flags.” That remark got a bit creepy, but I press on. “...I suppose so. I know a few things would look familiar in my homeworld, like the stuff you mentioned, just not the racecars and tire beds.” When Scootaloo takes her scrapbook back out, I stop her. “Scootaloo, you know better. I know you want to document everything there is to know about Rainbow Dash, but please not at supper.” Windy puts her top feather under her chin. “Hm, I do have a photo I showed Rainbow Dash of that sandwich to get her into it. You could keep it, Scootaloo… though Aita did have a point there about keeping books away from food.” “Thanks, Windy,” Scootaloo says before smothering herself in another bite of her sandwich. “Now since she’s doing a report on our Rainbow Dash, who did you feel like documenting?” Windy asks me. “I haven’t decided on that one. I did make two scrapbooks myself in case I chose either one: Twilight or Chrysalis. I am gonna need a second opinion before I’m certain though.” Bow puts his left hoof on the table. “A second opinion? Sure. You seem good at descriptions. Why don’t y-” I cut him short by teleporting in the two scrapbooks I mentioned. “Or you could just do that.” I flip through the pages, making sure everyone could at least see the pictures I’ve taken. “See, I could either go with the tried and true with Twilight, or go bold with Chrysalis.” Bow points to one photo in the Chrysalis scrapbook; it’s the one that was taken in my homeworld. “Who’s that?” “Oh the human?” Bow nods at me. “Her name is Sophie Handy. That’s where half of my last name comes from in Aita Bagley-Handy. She was my main caretaker before last year’s Hearth’s Warming, when Chrysalis’ relationship with my homeworld was soured from the loss of my biological mother. Sophie was the only adult there she still trusted, thus immortalized my memory of her in this picture.” “Whoa… well just like our Rainbow Dash, Windy and I will still root for you, Aita. Obviously we can never hold a candle to how Princess Twilight feels about you, but we can try, right?” “Yuh-huh. So who’s the better candidate for the report?” “So let me get this straight,” Windy says trying to process in the pictures she saw. “Chrysalis, queen of the changelings, befriended Equestria, preserved memories of your homeworld, helped arrest xenophobic school faculty, calmed her subjects down by singing, and personally taught you to trail?” “Gotta say honey, Chrysalis appears to make a strong case for herself.” Bow now turns back to me. “But Aita, you get along with Princess Twilight pretty well too from the looks of it. I love that you guys share a laugh off of any potential conflict, that she’s gotten you to ace school, that you feel so comfortable around the castle, that she comes to you when you need her the most. You should do Princess Twilight if you really wanna continue breezing through your education.” I look at the two scrapbooks, and think it over. Bow has a really good point. We are talking about the most inspirational, and while Chrysalis’ actions certainly did a lot of good ever since she got her hive back, Twilight’s done the same for me personally. She’s even better than Sophie at times, maybe because of gaining experience with Spike. “Alright, Twilight it is,” I announce. “And now that you’ve helped me decide my project, why don’t I help you guys. Windy, you still have the photo you showed Rainbow Dash of our sandwiches? Twilight made a branch of a copy spell that I can use so that you and Scootaloo can have the same photo.” Windy realizes she never did give Scootaloo the photo. “Oh, here you go Aita.” She gives it to me now. “Thanks, be right back.” I teleport out of the kitchen to Twilight’s throne room. Chapter IIIIn Twilight’s throne room, I place the photo on the map and light my horn. Unfortunately before I can do anything, the door opens. I spin around to see Twilight. “Aita?” “Hi, Twilight.” “I thought you were with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, helping with their reports.” “I am… at least Scootaloo’s. See, she was about to put a sandwich in her scrapbook, and I insisted she put a picture of it on instead when we were done with supper. But I was also thinking that I’d make a copy for Scootaloo and-” When I show Twilight the picture, she stops me short. “Scootaloo was about to WHAT? And isn’t that Rainbow Dash’s sandwich of choice?” “Yeah… it was actually really good. I can tell Windy adores making that.” “WHAT? You were at Rainbow Dash’s parents’ house?!? Oh I am so jealous! I really wish I could go back with you, but I have to get ready for the Grand Galloping Gala!” “Are you sure? You don’t even have enough time to copy this picture?” “Well that’s simple.” Twilight takes the photo out of my magic and puts it back on the map. “You remember how to do this, right?” I nod and let Twilight join horns with me. That very same copying sequence that happened on my birthday happens here, even down to the fidget spinner-shaped beams of light. Only difference now is that three new copies of the picture start flying around the throne room before smoothly landing on the floor. “You clearly only meant to use that on my DS. I only needed an extra copy. But no harm done, right?” “Alright, I suppose it could use a little tweaking. Take these two, and I’ll take the other two.” Twilight gives me the original picture and one of the copies, then teleports out with the other two going with her. So I teleport back to the kitchen, only to see that Scootaloo, Windy and Bow have all left the room. I try to look for them, but I easily lose track due to the excessive amount of Rainbow Dash baby photos framed on the wall. “...eugh… Starting to see why Rainbow Dash never mentions Bow and Windy. Isn’t one or two enough?” Our little Dashie was an early- I chortle a little when Bow refers to Rainbow Dash like that. “Oh Aita, you’re back.” “Yeah, I just, uh, copied the photo. Here Scootaloo, Windy.” I give Windy the original and Scootaloo the duplicate I took, who puts it in the scrapbook. “I couldn’t help but notice the, uh, wide selection of pictures you guys got in the halls.” “Oh, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, Aita,” Windy replies. “Whatever it is about our Rainbow Dash, we owe it as her parents to preserve it.” I am quickly getting uncomfortable around here. Surprisingly Scootaloo doesn’t seem to mind. She’s at around the same stage of development as I am, so what gives? What kind of lackadaisical parent raises their child to think this is okay? “What’s wrong, Aita?” Scootaloo asks. “I’d tell you, but they’re right there,” I whisper as Bow and Windy approach a door with Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark on it. “Just try to go along; I think that’s her room they’re about to show us.” Scootaloo and I catch up to Bow and Windy, who open the door to reveal an actually pretty nice room for Rainbow Dash. It has a linen closet, a hay carpet under a rainbow themed bed, a basketball hoop next to the main entrance, a bookshelf next to the linen closet, a mirror and desk on the other side of the closet, and a side-table that has balloons tied to a cloud. The bookshelf has a lava lamp on top, two play sets, dolls, and a record player with albums right next to it. The walls have rainbow themed wallpaper on them, and are littered with a variety of posters. One of the walls has an extra shelf that has a globe, toy dinosaur and breezie trophy. Below that is a bulletin board with, again, a variety of pictures plastered on. Scootaloo drops her jaw with awe, as I do. “Whoa…” we both exclaim. I’m the first one to walk around. “I figured you meant what you said Windy, but this is impressive!” Scootaloo takes pictures of various spots in the room and puts them in her scrapbook, then takes a look at the poster right below the hoop. It depicts text above a tortoise in a grassy field. “Hey Aita, look! When the going gets tough, the tough don’t notice because they have hard shells!” Bow leads Windy to a door past the one to the hall. “Scootaloo, Aita, wanna see something REALLY cool?” “Scootaloo, go ahead if you want. Considering the baby pictures in the hall, I’ll probably just admire the work put into this room some more. That’s where your dedication counts.” “Okay, but you’re really missing out,” Windy replies. Suddenly when the door opens, I hear a choir sound playing. Scootaloo gasps as they enter and the door closes, which stops the choir sound. I, uh, installed the sound effects myself. Bow chuckles, then demonstrates that choir sound two more times. Pretty great, huh? “Amazing work, Bow!” I respond. And look at this… Windy starts, before she becomes inaudible. “Man, what is up with those ponies? First the racing gear in the kitchen, then the baby photos in the hallway. I understand they’re supposed to be Rainbow Dash’s biggest fans, but this goes beyond the maternal love that puts Twilight there with me by default… oh well, at least I won’t have to babysit for much longer.” OUR DAUGHTER’S A WONDERBOLT?!? I hear Bow and Windy shout. Scootaloo opens the door to play the chorus sound. Uh oh, looks like I need to think of something quick, something Twilight could do. Wait a minute; I have the perfect idea! You two were kind enough to show me the Rainbow Dash you know! Now please, allow me to show you the Rainbow Dash I know. Chapter IVBow and Windy are lead out of the trophy closet by Scootaloo. She stops when I call her name. “Scootaloo?” “Yeah?” “Why don’t I show them? I think I have something to whip up for them.” I think of the time Twilight showed Coloratura behind the scenes of Svengallop by showing a projection. Then I think of the time Spitfire broke the news to Rainbow Dash. You’re still gonna be wearing a Wonderbolts uniform though, right? A reservist one, yeah. That’s good enough for me. In the projection, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo’s conversation is interrupted by the sound of the Wonderbolts over the sky. Spitfire shows Soarin and Fleet Foot Rainbow Dash on the ground and breaks from formation to land in front of her. Whoa… Scootaloo exclaims. Rainbow Dash, glad we found you. We need you in the show when we get to Ponyville, FLYING. But she’s only in the reserves. Not anymore, kid, Spitfire counters to Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo gasp. You mean… Rainbow Dash, you’re finally a full fledged WONDERBOLT!!! Scootaloo proceeds to cheer and dance around in celebration, prompting a chuckle out of Spitfire. What she said. The projection finally ends, leaving Bow and Windy open-jawed. “The Wonderbolts went on tour to Ponyville when one of the members ended up teaching full-time at HQ. So, Rainbow Dash filled that spot since she was on the top of the list,” I explain. Bow is the first to speak. “...forget how she got in; you just played a movie!” “Oh that? I just got that from Twilight exposing Svengallop.” “But you were never at the festival to see her do that!” Oh. Of course Scootaloo was at the Helping Hooves Music Festival. “How were you able to project that?” “That’s just it. How could an event like that not be documented? And besides, if not seeing that back in my homeworld, Twilight would’ve told me about it. I was just hoping that projection would give you the real deal.” Bow nods. “Ah, I see what you mean. Scootaloo is all done with her scrapbook though. Need a lift back to Ponyville you two?” “You’ve got to be kidding. With Aita’s magical ability, I think we’re good. We’ll be at the castle if you want to come around later.” “Oh we will, Scootaloo,” Windy says. “See you later, okay?” Scootaloo and I nod yes before I teleport myself and Scootaloo back to my room in the castle. “So now what, Aita?” “Well, we still got mine to do. I was so focused on helping you and deciding between projects, I have less than half of what I wanna jot down about Twilight. I haven’t even gotten a single photo of her from the times before she adopted me.” Suddenly, I hear a strange shimmering sound coming from my DS, then I realize what it is. “Oh no… not this again…” I groan. “What is it?” “You’ll see. I was headed there to retrieve my scrapbook anyway.” “Is that your stylus?!?” I chase the hologram of my stylus all the way into the throne room, Scootaloo following close behind. When we do enter, Twilight is slack-jawed like I was never called before. “Twilight! Why is the map calling me again?!? And now of all times?!? I got homework to do before the Grand Galloping Gala!” “I don’t know, Aita. But look where you’re being called to.” I look at the map, my destination being… “WBHQ?!? Puh-leez tell me this isn’t about those creeps!” Twilight tilts her head. “You mean Bow and Windy?” “Yeah I mean Bow and Windy. They were intrusive about racing gear in my homeworld, and they had a plethora of baby pictures of Rainbow Dash all over the halls.” “Not sure if this adds anything Aita, but they did have oddly specific trophies and frames in the momento room.” “Huh, no wonder Rainbow Dash never brought ‘em up,” Twilight remarks. “Well Aita, I really wish I could go with you in case things get uncomfortable, but it seems like the tree of harmony has everything under control. Besides, you have the Wonderbolts when you get there.” “Yeah, I just know you’ll do great on your own,” Scootaloo agrees. I carry a near empty saddlebag that only has my DS in it. It’s pretty clear why I bring it: so I know when the problem’s solved. In the skies, I look below me to see where Wonderbolt Headquarters is. In the distance is a cliff that looks promising. There is a runway going down the right side with a small field on the left, and what is probably HQ further on the left. “Ah, good old Wonderbolts,” I say to myself. “Really too bad there won’t be much of an opportunity to watch the routine.” When I land, it seems the Wonderbolts are practicing their stunts. In the front is who must be Equestria’s Spitfire. O- there’s Rainbow Dash on the far left of the team. I watch as they divebomb the cliff and seemingly ricochet off the runway with a shock wave. I quickly make a high jump to at least avoid ground portion, but the wave sends me into a small tailspin. Spitfire notices me. A changeling?!? Crash! Grab him! Yes ma’am! yells Rainbow Dash, who zooms toward me and bear hugs me to stop me from spinning. “I got you!” Rainbow Dash then takes me right back to where I was as the other Wonderbolts gather around. “Adoptive son of the Princess of Friendship… what’s up Aita?” asks Spitfire. “And where’s Twilight?” “Yeah, for some reason only I was called by the map. You know the drill though, right?” “Oh yeah, official friendship business.” ALRIGHT!!! WAY TO GO RAINBOW DASH!!! WOOHOO!!! AWESOME DASHIE!!! AMAZING!!! KEEP AITA SAFE!!! Windy and Bow respectively cheer into megaphones, knocking everyone off guard, including me. “Okay! Which pony broke protocol and invited guests to our training exercises?!?” Spitfire seems mad now, rightfully so this time. I rub the back of my head. “...aaand I think that’s our friendship problem.” Rainbow Dash groans with a hoof over her eyes. Chapter VRainbow Dash and I look to see Bow and Windy each holding a megaphone in the right hoof, the former of us being the first to approach them. “Mom… Dad… so… good to see you…” Rainbow Dash sure feels pretty awkward about meeting Bow and Windy in the middle of practice. I don’t blame her. Windy embraces Rainbow Dash the moment she hears, taking what Rainbow Dash said at face value. “Oh honey! It’s great to see you too! And wow! You were so amazing up there with all that FLYING!!” “Well, it did blow me away… literally,” I add as I come closer to Rainbow Dash and Windy. “Uh, how did you know I was here?” “AITA!!!” Windy exclaims, letting go of Rainbow Dash and turning to me. “Fancy meeting you here!” “Wait, did you have something to do with this?” asks Rainbow Dash. “Me? I was just here to solve a friendship problem. I had no idea Windy and Bow would be here.” Spitfire now joins in. “Alright, Wonderbolts. Let’s hit the showers so that Aita can sort this out with Rainbow Dash and her parents.” “Okay yeah, uh great practice. I’ll, uh, catch up with you guys in a minute.” So, the rest of the team go on and leave the area for the showers and us to discuss this in relative private, except Fleet Foot takes a quick second to compliment Bow and Windy. “Sir, ma’am, you two really raised a great flier.” “Aw, thank you so much, Bow and I certainly made sure that happened.” Bow starts tearing up with joy at the compliment, prompting Windy to comfort him. Rainbow Dash starts pushing me away from them with her wing. “Uh, could you excuse us for second?” she asks Bow and Windy. She turns to me as we make some distance from them. “Aita, do you want to explain why my parents are here?” “That’s just it. Scootaloo and I never told them where HQ was; I even tried to show them myself how you got to be a Wonderbolt, which took place in Ponyville.” “Ugh, if you and Scootaloo never revealed that I was a Wonderbolt, the map never would’ve called you here. You had to’ve known they’d reach HQ somehow.” “Okay fine! I had a feeling they were on their way here when the map called me. I never knew for sure then, but now I do.” Rainbow Dash is now taken aback at what I just said. “WHAT?!? Aita, not only did you just LIE to me about your involvement with my parents, but you also lied in front of all the Wonderbolts! That could get you in serious trouble! What were you THINKING?!?” The thought of getting in trouble with the Wonderbolts for accidentally lying starts getting to me, putting me in the same position I was in back at the birthday party. “I-I wasn’t trying to! Bow and Windy arrived on their own! For all I know they had a map on hoof!” Rainbow Dash sees my reaction, and stops to take a deep breath and pull me closer to her with her wing. “Look… kid, even after telling me the truth, I can tell you weren’t responsible. The map called you here at a time you were behind on your homework; I get it. That has nothing to do with my parents. I just can’t fathom how all of that was any excuse to lie when it was clear you weren’t responsible to begin with. You could be barred from further friendship problems for doing that, especially if it got into public hooves.” “I… I’m sorry. I’ll make sure I can be as rational as I can, even if it means stepping back to clear my mind.” “Okay, good… now why don’t we go talk to the team and confess what happened.” “What about Bow and Windy?” Rainbow Dash looks the way I point, toward her parents. “But they’ll understand. Like you said, neither you or Scootaloo led them here, and they know it already.” “Okay. Let’s go.” Rainbow Dash proceeds to lead me over to the showers at HQ, but not before detouring to get Bow and Windy. Spitfire is the first to notice when Rainbow Dash comes into the locker room with me and her parents behind. “Haha, you got things sorted out, huh Crash?” I suddenly smell slight concern coming from Bow and Windy upon hearing Rainbow Dash’s nickname. “Yes ma’am. It’s come to my attention that Aita lied on accident trying to say Mom and Dad arrived uninvited. He knew he’d see ‘em coming here, but forgot all about it when his involvement was first brought up.” “I mean that much is clear,” Spitfire replies. “No child is gonna think rationally if they’re being confronted with that. Just be glad that you cleared that up before it could spiral out of control.” She now walks over to me. “I would appreciate if you avoided pulling that stunt again, Aita. Serious consequences can happen if you aren’t careful. I’m proud of Crash for saving you from all that trouble, because I seriously wouldn’t wanna ban someone so important from coming to HQ.” “I understand, Spitfire.” There she goes again, I hear Bow whisper to Windy as I speak. Spitfire now walks to the locker benches. “Well now that all that’s been resolved, why don’t you go hit the shower, Rainbow Dash? We’re gonna need everypony in tip-top shape for the rest of practice.” “Yes ma’am!” Rainbow Dash salutes before flying past everyone else in the locker room. Now that Rainbow Dash is out of the room, Spitfire looks to Bow and Windy for a split second, then to me. “You think you should talk to them?” “Absolutely,” I answer. “I could tell just by smelling the air in here.” “Well just in case, good luck out there, kid.” So I lead Bow and Windy out of the locker room in HQ, and back to the field next to the runway. Chapter VIOnce Bow, Windy and I are at the field on the cliff, I turn to them with curiosity. “Windy, Bow, I could feel you were worried about something. I think I know what it was. Was it Rainbow Dash’s nickname?” Bow is the first to answer. “Yeah… we had some concerns about Spitfire. She was calling Rainbow Dash a truncated version of the same name those bullies at camp called her.” “You mean Rainbow Crash?” Windy nods. “We remember our Dashie wasn’t very fond of it. What’s changed now? She never batted an eye at Spitfire.” “I don’t know. Maybe the name just loses its value after enough times,” I answer. “That’s what happened with Chrysalis prefacing my name with ‘young’.” “Aita, buddy,” Bow starts. “affectionate nicknames are expected. Young Aita? Dashie? Affectionate. Rainbow Crash? Not so much.” “That nickname… it was hazing… it was the same thing you experienced back at Canterlot High School.” I think of human Twilight’s definition of that word: hazing. Yeah, it adds up. “Huh. Okay. I think I see a solution to this. Well, let’s start with something I think I can help you with… I noticed you guys are far more rational when it really counts, when your minds aren’t directly on Rainbow Dash. You’re her biggest fans; you’re supposed to be. It just gets in the way of your thinking is all. If Rainbow Dash is around you guys while talking to Spitfire, that Crash situation would be perfect to show just how big of fans you are, willing to defend her any way you can.” Bow starts the think. “You think that’ll work? We are talking about the Wonderbolts after all.” “But you’re Rainbow Dash’s parents. You have way more power for Rainbow Dash’s wellbeing than I do. I’d hate to go behind this Spitfire’s back, but I know what I’m talking about.” “There was another Spitfire?” Windy asks. Literally every time does that get me. “Uh yeah. Now, um, just to be entirely confident, what did I say you should do?” “Make Rainbow Dash watch me and Windy call out Spitfire’s namecalling?” “There you go! Now you’re getting it! I’ll be inside to spectate.” Racing inside to the locker room, I pass by Rainbow Dash. “Aita?” I turn around and see her. “Oh! Rainbow Dash, I’ll need you in the locker room for a bit. I have something to show you; I just hope it’ll be okay with Spitfire.” “What are you talking abo- WHOA!” I take Rainbow Dash with my magic and rush to the locker room, where I set her down. “What’s the big rush, Aita?” Spitfire asks. “I just had a talk with Bow and Windy about their concerns, so I showed them a chance to properly use their powers as Rainbow Dash’s biggest fans. I just hope you’re okay with what they’re about to say.” “Is this about what I think it is, Aita? You know just how embarrassing my parents can be. Besides, if it is about… that, that was over and done with after the Ponyville tour.” “Well…” Spitfire chimes in. “Not everything about it.” The locker room door across the room from me and Rainbow Dash opens up, revealing Bow and Windy. “Ah, Bow Hothoof, Windy Whistles. Aita said you’d come. I heard you two were worried about Rainbow Dash.” “Why yes,” Windy answers. “Here in the locker room, we heard you referring to our Dashie as Crash.” “Do you have any idea the baggage that name has on her?” Spitfire rubs her chin with her right wing. “Well, at least that explains the odd behavior during her first tour. She never approached me about it. But every single Wonderbolt has a nickname. Call it an epidemic if you want, but what everypony does here on their first day determines their nickname, and it sticks.” “But why that specific nickname? Why Crash? That was the one used at the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp.” “Um, Mom, Spitfire’s is way worse. I thank you and Dad for trying to address this, but Crash is not the end of the world.” Bow and Windy are shocked at Rainbow Dash’s newfound flippancy toward her old nickname. It looks like this is not going anywhere, so I look in my saddlebag. As it turns out, I did bring my scrapbook with me like I said I would. “Rainbow Dash, I know there are times you have to tune out stage temper, but an old nickname like that was something you should’ve brought up during the tour in Ponyville. I’m sure you’re aware of what happened to me when I visited CHS, right?” Rainbow Dash nods. “The former superintendent over there did pretty much the same thing to me, and look how that affected me. She left me devastated, and Princess Twilight and Queen Chrysalis can attest to that.” “While I understand where you’re coming from, Aita,” Spitfire says. “you still got nearly a decade to grow past that. The Wonderbolts are trained to be resilient, and nicknames are just a part of that. What you experienced most likely went much farther than names.” “But how do you think Rainbow Dash felt during the tour?” I ask. “As Windy said before, she wasn’t very fond of being called Rainbow Crash. Rainbow Dash wasn’t wrong about that; she darted into a trash can, yeah, but calling it out once would’ve been enough to get the message across. Using that name… is just wrong.” During my speech, Rainbow Dash begins to look down on the floor, thinking to herself about what I’m saying. I think she’s getting it, judging from what I’m smelling. Bow sees this, so he comes up to Rainbow Dash and wraps his wing around her back. “Dashie, why don’t we all go out and take a rest. Honey, Aita, you two should come along as well.” So, Bow leads me and Rainbow Dash out of the locker room, Windy following when we pass her, and back out to the field. Chapter VIIOnce the four of us, including Rainbow Dash, are back outside, I can see Rainbow Dash is really shaken about initially being right about her Wonderbolt nickname. “Rainbow Dash,” Bow starts. “Windy and I are so proud of you for achieving your dream to be a Wonderbolt. And we just wanted you to have the best experience you could possibly have with them. We couldn’t just take Spitfire’s name-calling lying down as your proper biggest fans.” “...Aita, was it true all along? Was I seriously right to be upset at the tour?” “Rainbow Dash, think about my experience at Canterlot High School. The Wonderbolts do the same exact thing the superintendent did. Even if it is lighter and more amicable, it’s still a terrible thing to do. This isn’t even considering where your nickname comes from.” Rainbow Dash ends up hugging Bow and Windy, hearing me oppose the Wonderbolts’ sole outdated ideal. “I… I get it… I really wish I went to Spitfire during the tour. You guys are right; nopony deserves to be bullied, even if they do mess up. But what do we do? We can’t go around changing policy just because one newbie Wonderbolt opposed it.” I start tapping my forehead with my hoof, trying to think. Those pears the fake Applejack ate… that’s perfect! I widen my eyes in the epiphany and set my hoof back down. “Maybe if someONE opposed it.” I teleport in four pears, giving one to each of us. “Here, eat these pears. I know what to do with the seeds.” Some time later, I put the pear seeds into the saddlebag and lead Rainbow Dash and her parents back to the locker room. Spitfire is still on the bench on our right when we do enter, everyone else gone to wait for her outside. “So, we good this time?” Spitfire asks, relatively impatiently. “We’re supposed to get back to practice soon.” “Yeah, although you might want to get everypony back inside,” I answer. “We’ll all need to talk to someONE about this naming policy.” “If you say so.” Spitfire dashes past us with a bullhorn on her left hoof. ATTENTION WONDERBOLTS! YOU ARE NEEDED IN THE LOCKER ROOM RIGHT AWAY! I begin to smile, knowing what’s about to happen. The rest of the members come in behind Spitfire. “Alright, Aita. Let’s make it snappy.” I nod, then float the pear seeds onto the floor as corners for a perfect square. The moment the last one is set down, the seeds’ shells split open in the direction opposite of the each other. They shoot beams in a way that creates this perfect square, another set targeting about a foot and a half off the ground of the center of the square. The moment Chrysalis is on screen, I bow. “Hm… young Aita. You called? And where are you anyway?” “That’s what I called you about, Chrysalis. The map sent me to Wonderbolts HQ, and I was struggling with something Rainbow Dash’s parents made a stink about.” “Those are her parents, right? The ones not in uniform?” I nod. “So what are their concerns?” “It’s about the naming policy for the Wonderbolts. Each member’s first day determines what they’re called.” The moment Chrysalis hears Rainbow Dash’s explanation, her mood turns bitter. “And THAT is why changelings have single-word names. They’re so short and simple, you might as well use that instead of whatever the Wonderbolts call each other. They are single-word right?” “Affirmative, Queen Chrysalis,” Spitfire salutes. She opens her mouth, only to be cut off when Chrysalis raises her hoof. “No examples please. Verification was enough. What I want to know is why you still have such an outdated policy running today; when you went to school, Spitfire, did faculty have the same rule that you enforce on your team?” “Of course not. It was a public space anypony can access. But Wonderbolts don’t need the formality schools do. Besides, we-” Chrysalis raises her hoof again. “Spitfire… you’re not receiving the full picture. When my teacher carried on her predecessor’s army, she enforced that all members be referred to by their legal names; so even an evil queen can wrap their head around common courtesy. Your team is supposed to teach resilience, not bullying.” Soarin’ steps forward. “Huh? Really?!? So you’re saying all this time I could’ve been called Soarin’ under your army and saved the humiliation?!?” Chrysalis nods. “Well, no more Clipper for me then. I rally to adopt Chrysalis’ policy.” During Soarin’s declaration, Chrysalis’ cheeks turn red with embarrassment over what she just told everyone here. “...Also Aita… please don’t tell Areola I said that. I’d get an earful if you did.” “You have my word, Chrysalis.” The other Wonderbolts start chatting among each other, probably talking about joining Soarin’s rally. Then each one steps forward with Soarin’ one at a time. “I’m Fleet Foot, and I join Soarin’ in his fight for change.” “Surprise here, and I’ll join too.” “Misty Fly!” “High Winds!” Spitfire stammers. “You serious? ALL of you?!?” “Yes Spitfire… and besides, my name’s. not. Crash.” “...Okay. If it’s a rule change you all want, then I must oblige.” Chrysalis nods as Spitfire heads to her office. “Very good. I look forward to see how progress goes around here. So Aita, was that all you needed?” “I think so. I did pretty much all I could do around here. I’m confident that stylus should be glowing in no time.” And right on cue, I hear the shimmering sound from when I got home from Bow and Windy’s. I take out my DS, confirming the stylus is glowing. “I’m very proud of you, Aita. You’ve just solved a friendship problem all on your own. I look forward to the time we collaborate.” And so, the signal cuts out and the seeds go back to normal. I float the seeds back into the saddlebag along with the DS, which still has its stylus glowing. “I’m hoping we get to do that too, Chrysalis,” I say mostly to myself, blushing from Chrysalis admitting her pride. Chapter VIIII look around the locker room, now that silence has fallen between myself, the Wonderbolts - sans Spitfire, and Rainbow Dash’s parents. Bow is the first to break the silence. “Aita, Windy and I wanted to thank you for showing us that we could be rational about our daughter. I think we have a few things in the halls and that memento room to throw away. We’ll still be her biggest fans, but we’ll also only show it when it counts. Who knows what we would’ve done if you didn’t intervene so early.” “And now that this is done,” Windy says. “Maybe it’s finally time to get going on your project. No more friendship missions or decisive dilemmas stopping you now.” “Ooh hoo, yeah.” Rainbow Dash blinks. “Oh and when you get back to Ponyville, Aita, you might see me with my jacket. I’m gonna see if Rarity can replace the tag to represent my actual name.” “Why don’t you just get it tailored here?” Soarin’ asks. “That’s what I’m gonna do.” “Nah, my friend owns a business for that. I’ll do her instead.” “Well Wonderbolts, it’s been nice talking to you, but now I have to finish my report on the most inspirational pony in my life.” “Oh, that does remind me,” Rainbow Dash replies to me. “Are you gonna need help with that?” “No one knows Twilight like I do. If anypony can help me, it’s her.” The day of me and Scootaloo’s presentations is the day before the Grand Galloping Gala, which happens to take place around the autumnal equinox, at least back in my homeworld. Currently, Scootaloo is wrapping up her presentation. “...and that’s why Rainbow Dash is my most inspirational pony in my life,” Scootaloo announces for her presentation in school. The class taps their desks in applause. “Thank you, Scootaloo,” happily says Cheerilee. “Very well researched. You got just the right amount of pictures, and your presentation was fantastic. ‘A’ for you. Now, who’s next?” Scootaloo runs back to our seat as I raise my hoof. “Alright Aita, looks like you get to come up next.” I open my desk and take the scrapbook out, then walk to the front of the classroom. I set the scrapbook on the teacher’s board. I take a deep breath to brace myself. “Alright, so this was going to be a toss up between Chrysalis and Twilight, but who’s the one with the local castle? Well, we all know why Princess Twilight is inspirational to all of us, but I have relatively personal reasons. See, before Twilight, I lived around humans different from the ones in Canterlot High School. They’re more detailed, but have less skin tone diversity. When I ended up having to leave my homeworld last Hearth’s Warming, Twilight took me in so that I could readily see one of my new peers, Trace Light. “Ever since, I’ve been in a living heaven. Twilight enrolled me here at this wonderful school, and we know how that turned out. She was the pony who found me in the Everfree Forest so many years ago after running away from my homeworld. She was the one who brainstormed a new game for me. She was also the one, along with Spike and Starlight Glimmer, to find and comfort me after I had to walk out on my own birthday party. “Not only that, but how could I forget all that she’s done for Equestria. Twilight represents the element of harmony known as magic. She’s helped put so many figures in their place: Nightmare Moon, Discord, King Sombra, Tirek, …Queen Chrysalis-” I blush when I have to mention Chrysalis in such an unflattering way. I’m really hoping she never hears that. Starlight wouldn’t be impressed if I kept going. “Twilight also had a hoof in thrusting Rainbow Dash onto the Wonderbolts reserves, a position that can only be entered through a history test. “Now, Twilight has a castle rooted from the tree of harmony with a map that calls various ponies to solve a variety of friendship problems, including me. She already has a graduate in the name of Starlight Glimmer, and all of THAT is why Princess Twilight Sparkle is the most inspirational pony I know. WHEW!” As I give the report, I sprinkle in some pictures, one each from every instance I recap or mention. At that last stretch, I accumulate a little sweat from all the talking, which I wipe off at the end. My classmates cheer at the report, Cheerilee approaching me to review it. “Aita… Aita! What an amazing report! Perfect photographic placement, clear and concise recitation, thorough research! Only thing I recommend is to work a bit on the impartiality, but it was otherwise perfect! ‘A plus’! And with that, all the reports are graded; the coveted ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala goes to… Aita!” The class cheers again as I go back to my seat, floating the ticket I earned into my desk. “Wow Aita,” Scootaloo remarks as she gets up and offers a hoof bump. “Bow Hothoof actually helped you get a near perfect grade, AND a ticket to the liveliest, fanciest party in Equestria!” I nod at Scootaloo, then look to the still-cheering crowd. “Thanks everypony. Choosing the subject originated from the recommendations of Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles, the parents of the official Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash.” I sit back down on my desk as the crowd of fillies settles down, then I turn to Sweetie Belle. “Who’re you going to take as your plus one, Aita?” “Huh. I don’t know. I’ll have to see who else has a ticket before I choose that.” The bell rings, which means class is over. After a long week of parents, map quests and the Wonderbolts, I think it’s time to get a little R ‘n R. I could finally play my DS back at the castle, and for a moment, no care in the world whatsoever. When the friendship problem was solved, I had collected an experience I never would’ve known I ended up getting. What I learned is that it’s good to stop and breathe so you can think more clearly before things get out of control, that way we can save others as much as trouble as we can. I learned it after my accidental lie, and Bow and Windy learned it when I got them to raise a stink about the outdated policy, that has since been abolished.
Chapter IUh, hi. It’s been a while. Normally, at this time of day I’d be on my DS playing one of a grand total of three games, either with myself or with Twilight, Spike or Starlight. Unfortunately, for the autumn semester, my school’s opening project is a report on the most inspirational ponies my class has ever known. That means I have to walk away from games for a while as I rally my project up. Who did I pick? Unfortunately again, there’s more than one I can choose from. I don’t know who to do: Chrysalis or Twilight. I’d consider Twilight, since she is my guardian now among a slew of other things, but who wouldn’t do their family or their guardian? I’d also consider Chrysalis because she’s the one that protected me from that Superintendent Spitfire’s most hurtful comments; she's the one that taught me how to trail. I’ll probably decide when I get home. For now, I’m helping the Cutie Mark Crusaders set up a runway for Scootaloo to make it to Cloudsdale by life-size grounded slingshot. This runway consists of a ramp, the slingshot itself, and a stake about four yards from the slingshot. In order for Scootaloo to whip up the speed in her scooter, Sweetie Belle and I pull the pad of the rubber band with our magic while Applebloom and Scootaloo push. Man that stuff’s a doozy to pull. Can you imagine if the Crusaders did that on their own? “Scootaloo!” Applebloom protests with strain in her voice. “Are you sure this was a good idea?” “What are you talking about? This is the best idea I’ve ever had!” “It’s just…” “I know you wanna tag along Applebloom,” I interrupt, strain in my own voice from using so much force. “but unless Twilight can redo her spell from the Best Young Flier Competition, it’s just Scootaloo going.” Sweetie Belle and I lift the pad to hook it on the stake. “I think we’re good,” Scootaloo notes. Applebloom walks under the rubber band and out of the runway as I put Scootaloo’s saddlebag on her, and Sweetie Belle readies the scooter. “We are? Scootaloo, Ah know you had to go to Cloudsdale to finish your report. I’m just wonderin’ if this was the best way to get there.” “It’ll be fine. Besides, how else could I get there?” “I could probably take you there,” I point out. “By levitation and/or teleportation.” “Huh, that does seem a lot safer. Aita, why don’t you unHOOOOOOOOK…” The force of the slingshot makes the stake bend in a way that releases the rubber band, thus launching Scootaloo down the runway and on her way to Cloudsdale. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle shriek. “I’ll go check on her, girls. See you later.” I teleport to what looks like the spot Scootaloo would end up on. The moment I’m up, Scootaloo bursts through the cloud floor, obviously disoriented. “Nailed it.” Looking ahead of Scootaloo, a pegasus stallion stops short of her. Apparently cloudmowing is a thing. I can barely make it out through the glare of the sun, but he seems to have a short rainbow mane and tail with an indigo coat. He has a shadow on the bottom half of his face. He seems to be wearing two layers of shirts, the undershirt just barely visible; the overshirt is a green polo. His cutie mark is a horseshoe over a rainbow that starts on a cloud. “Oh hello. Are you alright, little ma’am?” Before Scotaloo can start fangirling about who this stallion is, I pick her up above the cloud floor. “W-hey! Aita!” “She seems that way. A-are you the parent we think you are?” “If you’re referring to my Rainbow Dash, then yes. Bow Hothoof at your service.” I nod with excitement and shake his hoof. “You have no idea what an honor it is to meet the father of one of my friends!” “Hm… uh little sir, I’m flattered. Should I get Windy out here?” Scootaloo starts hyperventilating at hearing the name of Rainbow Dash’s mom. “Breathe, Scootaloo.” “Honey, we got company!” Bow happily shouts. When Windy, as Bow called her while talking to me, opens the door, I can see she looks a bit like Rainbow Dash, the main factor in that having the same coat color. Her mane and tail are all bangs with a color of peach, and her cutie mark is a cloud blowing wind. She has two layers of shirts on too, but unlike Bow, the overshirt seems to be more of a sweater than anything else. Windy gasps with excitement. “A juvenile changeling!” “Hi. I’m Aita. You must be Windy, right?” Windy nods. “Windy Whistles to be exact.” “A couple friends and I were helping Scootaloo get to Cloudsdale to finish this opening project we have for the fall semester in school.” “It’s a report on the most inspirational pony in each of our lives!” Scootaloo finishes. “I’m Rainbow Dash’s biggest fan!” “Uh Scootaloo, what you say is impossible, because nopony is a bigger fan of our Rainbow Dash than us!” Bow reveals with his wings that his undershirt has Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark in the middle. Windy bobs her head up and down with excitement now. Scootaloo’s eyes widen. “Whoa…” “Why wouldn’t you be? You’re Rainbow Dash’s parents. Same applies between me and Twilight.” “The Princess of Friendship adopted you?!?” Windy’s excitement is magnified now. “And I’m from another wo-” I stop short when Bow shakes by hoof back, and quite forcefully. “Oh what an honor! We should give the two of you the grand tour, you and Scootaloo!” “Awesome! That’ll help so much on my report!” Scootaloo takes the camera out of her saddlebag, puts it on and snaps a photo of Bow and Windy’s house. “Come on Aita!” She calls, going after the others as they walk inside now. I take a personal look at the house. It’s three full stories, complete with greek pillars at the entrance and the balcony above it. “Wow! They look just as wealthy as Rainbow Dash, if not more!” “Aita! What’s the hold-up?” I snap back to reality as Scootaloo calling me again, realizing Bow, Windy and Scootaloo are going in. “Coming!” I shout as I catch back up.
Chapter IIThe first thing Bow and Windy do once we’re all in is guide us to the kitchen, and one that looks fairly modern, considering the technology of Equestria. It’s got a breakfast nook with two chairs to the right as you enter, and a stove to the left with pots and pans atop and hanging over. The countertop starts just past the stove with two drawers and a bread box, then a sink with two cupboard doors, The rest of the counter goes all the way to the corner before turning about midway through, only broken up by a refrigerator across from the entrance. The front part of the kitchen is loaded with old pictures of Rainbow Dash, Bow and Windy, and above the half of the breakfast nook across from the stove, there is a shelf of cereal boxes and china. Lastly, there are lamps littering the ceiling of the kitchen. Bow sits on the side below the shelf while Scootaloo and I sit on the other. Scootaloo pastes the picture of the front of the house on the scrapbook she brought with her. Windy sets two plates down on our side of the table with a comically tall sandwich on each plate. “Here you go, Rainbow Dash’s favorite meal: a pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough. She just loved to carbo load.” Windy chuckles, flashing back probably to every time she cooked that sandwich. “Whoa, even without tasting it, I can tell it was a labor of love,” I remark. Scootaloo and I take a large chunk out of our sandwiches. It really is delicious. “Man, this is so GOOD!” “Agreed,” Scootaloo barely can say with a full mouth. “Uh Aita, you were about to say that you were from another world, right?” I nod at Bow. “Where are you from?” “Wisconsin. It’s in a world that’s a bit bulgy… and more technologically advanced compared to Equestria’s. Chrysalis or Carve could probably describe it better than I can though.” I eat the rest of my sandwich, having finished explaining my homeworld. “Are you kidding?” Bow replies. “What you described sounds like a vacation spot waiting to happen! Do they have races there? Rainbow Dash was ALWAYS a fan of the gear and flags.” That remark got a bit creepy, but I press on. “...I suppose so. I know a few things would look familiar in my homeworld, like the stuff you mentioned, just not the racecars and tire beds.” When Scootaloo takes her scrapbook back out, I stop her. “Scootaloo, you know better. I know you want to document everything there is to know about Rainbow Dash, but please not at supper.” Windy puts her top feather under her chin. “Hm, I do have a photo I showed Rainbow Dash of that sandwich to get her into it. You could keep it, Scootaloo… though Aita did have a point there about keeping books away from food.” “Thanks, Windy,” Scootaloo says before smothering herself in another bite of her sandwich. “Now since she’s doing a report on our Rainbow Dash, who did you feel like documenting?” Windy asks me. “I haven’t decided on that one. I did make two scrapbooks myself in case I chose either one: Twilight or Chrysalis. I am gonna need a second opinion before I’m certain though.” Bow puts his left hoof on the table. “A second opinion? Sure. You seem good at descriptions. Why don’t y-” I cut him short by teleporting in the two scrapbooks I mentioned. “Or you could just do that.” I flip through the pages, making sure everyone could at least see the pictures I’ve taken. “See, I could either go with the tried and true with Twilight, or go bold with Chrysalis.” Bow points to one photo in the Chrysalis scrapbook; it’s the one that was taken in my homeworld. “Who’s that?” “Oh the human?” Bow nods at me. “Her name is Sophie Handy. That’s where half of my last name comes from in Aita Bagley-Handy. She was my main caretaker before last year’s Hearth’s Warming, when Chrysalis’ relationship with my homeworld was soured from the loss of my biological mother. Sophie was the only adult there she still trusted, thus immortalized my memory of her in this picture.” “Whoa… well just like our Rainbow Dash, Windy and I will still root for you, Aita. Obviously we can never hold a candle to how Princess Twilight feels about you, but we can try, right?” “Yuh-huh. So who’s the better candidate for the report?” “So let me get this straight,” Windy says trying to process in the pictures she saw. “Chrysalis, queen of the changelings, befriended Equestria, preserved memories of your homeworld, helped arrest xenophobic school faculty, calmed her subjects down by singing, and personally taught you to trail?” “Gotta say honey, Chrysalis appears to make a strong case for herself.” Bow now turns back to me. “But Aita, you get along with Princess Twilight pretty well too from the looks of it. I love that you guys share a laugh off of any potential conflict, that she’s gotten you to ace school, that you feel so comfortable around the castle, that she comes to you when you need her the most. You should do Princess Twilight if you really wanna continue breezing through your education.” I look at the two scrapbooks, and think it over. Bow has a really good point. We are talking about the most inspirational, and while Chrysalis’ actions certainly did a lot of good ever since she got her hive back, Twilight’s done the same for me personally. She’s even better than Sophie at times, maybe because of gaining experience with Spike. “Alright, Twilight it is,” I announce. “And now that you’ve helped me decide my project, why don’t I help you guys. Windy, you still have the photo you showed Rainbow Dash of our sandwiches? Twilight made a branch of a copy spell that I can use so that you and Scootaloo can have the same photo.” Windy realizes she never did give Scootaloo the photo. “Oh, here you go Aita.” She gives it to me now. “Thanks, be right back.” I teleport out of the kitchen to Twilight’s throne room.
Chapter IIIIn Twilight’s throne room, I place the photo on the map and light my horn. Unfortunately before I can do anything, the door opens. I spin around to see Twilight. “Aita?” “Hi, Twilight.” “I thought you were with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, helping with their reports.” “I am… at least Scootaloo’s. See, she was about to put a sandwich in her scrapbook, and I insisted she put a picture of it on instead when we were done with supper. But I was also thinking that I’d make a copy for Scootaloo and-” When I show Twilight the picture, she stops me short. “Scootaloo was about to WHAT? And isn’t that Rainbow Dash’s sandwich of choice?” “Yeah… it was actually really good. I can tell Windy adores making that.” “WHAT? You were at Rainbow Dash’s parents’ house?!? Oh I am so jealous! I really wish I could go back with you, but I have to get ready for the Grand Galloping Gala!” “Are you sure? You don’t even have enough time to copy this picture?” “Well that’s simple.” Twilight takes the photo out of my magic and puts it back on the map. “You remember how to do this, right?” I nod and let Twilight join horns with me. That very same copying sequence that happened on my birthday happens here, even down to the fidget spinner-shaped beams of light. Only difference now is that three new copies of the picture start flying around the throne room before smoothly landing on the floor. “You clearly only meant to use that on my DS. I only needed an extra copy. But no harm done, right?” “Alright, I suppose it could use a little tweaking. Take these two, and I’ll take the other two.” Twilight gives me the original picture and one of the copies, then teleports out with the other two going with her. So I teleport back to the kitchen, only to see that Scootaloo, Windy and Bow have all left the room. I try to look for them, but I easily lose track due to the excessive amount of Rainbow Dash baby photos framed on the wall. “...eugh… Starting to see why Rainbow Dash never mentions Bow and Windy. Isn’t one or two enough?” Our little Dashie was an early- I chortle a little when Bow refers to Rainbow Dash like that. “Oh Aita, you’re back.” “Yeah, I just, uh, copied the photo. Here Scootaloo, Windy.” I give Windy the original and Scootaloo the duplicate I took, who puts it in the scrapbook. “I couldn’t help but notice the, uh, wide selection of pictures you guys got in the halls.” “Oh, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, Aita,” Windy replies. “Whatever it is about our Rainbow Dash, we owe it as her parents to preserve it.” I am quickly getting uncomfortable around here. Surprisingly Scootaloo doesn’t seem to mind. She’s at around the same stage of development as I am, so what gives? What kind of lackadaisical parent raises their child to think this is okay? “What’s wrong, Aita?” Scootaloo asks. “I’d tell you, but they’re right there,” I whisper as Bow and Windy approach a door with Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark on it. “Just try to go along; I think that’s her room they’re about to show us.” Scootaloo and I catch up to Bow and Windy, who open the door to reveal an actually pretty nice room for Rainbow Dash. It has a linen closet, a hay carpet under a rainbow themed bed, a basketball hoop next to the main entrance, a bookshelf next to the linen closet, a mirror and desk on the other side of the closet, and a side-table that has balloons tied to a cloud. The bookshelf has a lava lamp on top, two play sets, dolls, and a record player with albums right next to it. The walls have rainbow themed wallpaper on them, and are littered with a variety of posters. One of the walls has an extra shelf that has a globe, toy dinosaur and breezie trophy. Below that is a bulletin board with, again, a variety of pictures plastered on. Scootaloo drops her jaw with awe, as I do. “Whoa…” we both exclaim. I’m the first one to walk around. “I figured you meant what you said Windy, but this is impressive!” Scootaloo takes pictures of various spots in the room and puts them in her scrapbook, then takes a look at the poster right below the hoop. It depicts text above a tortoise in a grassy field. “Hey Aita, look! When the going gets tough, the tough don’t notice because they have hard shells!” Bow leads Windy to a door past the one to the hall. “Scootaloo, Aita, wanna see something REALLY cool?” “Scootaloo, go ahead if you want. Considering the baby pictures in the hall, I’ll probably just admire the work put into this room some more. That’s where your dedication counts.” “Okay, but you’re really missing out,” Windy replies. Suddenly when the door opens, I hear a choir sound playing. Scootaloo gasps as they enter and the door closes, which stops the choir sound. I, uh, installed the sound effects myself. Bow chuckles, then demonstrates that choir sound two more times. Pretty great, huh? “Amazing work, Bow!” I respond. And look at this… Windy starts, before she becomes inaudible. “Man, what is up with those ponies? First the racing gear in the kitchen, then the baby photos in the hallway. I understand they’re supposed to be Rainbow Dash’s biggest fans, but this goes beyond the maternal love that puts Twilight there with me by default… oh well, at least I won’t have to babysit for much longer.” OUR DAUGHTER’S A WONDERBOLT?!? I hear Bow and Windy shout. Scootaloo opens the door to play the chorus sound. Uh oh, looks like I need to think of something quick, something Twilight could do. Wait a minute; I have the perfect idea! You two were kind enough to show me the Rainbow Dash you know! Now please, allow me to show you the Rainbow Dash I know.
Chapter IVBow and Windy are lead out of the trophy closet by Scootaloo. She stops when I call her name. “Scootaloo?” “Yeah?” “Why don’t I show them? I think I have something to whip up for them.” I think of the time Twilight showed Coloratura behind the scenes of Svengallop by showing a projection. Then I think of the time Spitfire broke the news to Rainbow Dash. You’re still gonna be wearing a Wonderbolts uniform though, right? A reservist one, yeah. That’s good enough for me. In the projection, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo’s conversation is interrupted by the sound of the Wonderbolts over the sky. Spitfire shows Soarin and Fleet Foot Rainbow Dash on the ground and breaks from formation to land in front of her. Whoa… Scootaloo exclaims. Rainbow Dash, glad we found you. We need you in the show when we get to Ponyville, FLYING. But she’s only in the reserves. Not anymore, kid, Spitfire counters to Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo gasp. You mean… Rainbow Dash, you’re finally a full fledged WONDERBOLT!!! Scootaloo proceeds to cheer and dance around in celebration, prompting a chuckle out of Spitfire. What she said. The projection finally ends, leaving Bow and Windy open-jawed. “The Wonderbolts went on tour to Ponyville when one of the members ended up teaching full-time at HQ. So, Rainbow Dash filled that spot since she was on the top of the list,” I explain. Bow is the first to speak. “...forget how she got in; you just played a movie!” “Oh that? I just got that from Twilight exposing Svengallop.” “But you were never at the festival to see her do that!” Oh. Of course Scootaloo was at the Helping Hooves Music Festival. “How were you able to project that?” “That’s just it. How could an event like that not be documented? And besides, if not seeing that back in my homeworld, Twilight would’ve told me about it. I was just hoping that projection would give you the real deal.” Bow nods. “Ah, I see what you mean. Scootaloo is all done with her scrapbook though. Need a lift back to Ponyville you two?” “You’ve got to be kidding. With Aita’s magical ability, I think we’re good. We’ll be at the castle if you want to come around later.” “Oh we will, Scootaloo,” Windy says. “See you later, okay?” Scootaloo and I nod yes before I teleport myself and Scootaloo back to my room in the castle. “So now what, Aita?” “Well, we still got mine to do. I was so focused on helping you and deciding between projects, I have less than half of what I wanna jot down about Twilight. I haven’t even gotten a single photo of her from the times before she adopted me.” Suddenly, I hear a strange shimmering sound coming from my DS, then I realize what it is. “Oh no… not this again…” I groan. “What is it?” “You’ll see. I was headed there to retrieve my scrapbook anyway.” “Is that your stylus?!?” I chase the hologram of my stylus all the way into the throne room, Scootaloo following close behind. When we do enter, Twilight is slack-jawed like I was never called before. “Twilight! Why is the map calling me again?!? And now of all times?!? I got homework to do before the Grand Galloping Gala!” “I don’t know, Aita. But look where you’re being called to.” I look at the map, my destination being… “WBHQ?!? Puh-leez tell me this isn’t about those creeps!” Twilight tilts her head. “You mean Bow and Windy?” “Yeah I mean Bow and Windy. They were intrusive about racing gear in my homeworld, and they had a plethora of baby pictures of Rainbow Dash all over the halls.” “Not sure if this adds anything Aita, but they did have oddly specific trophies and frames in the momento room.” “Huh, no wonder Rainbow Dash never brought ‘em up,” Twilight remarks. “Well Aita, I really wish I could go with you in case things get uncomfortable, but it seems like the tree of harmony has everything under control. Besides, you have the Wonderbolts when you get there.” “Yeah, I just know you’ll do great on your own,” Scootaloo agrees. I carry a near empty saddlebag that only has my DS in it. It’s pretty clear why I bring it: so I know when the problem’s solved. In the skies, I look below me to see where Wonderbolt Headquarters is. In the distance is a cliff that looks promising. There is a runway going down the right side with a small field on the left, and what is probably HQ further on the left. “Ah, good old Wonderbolts,” I say to myself. “Really too bad there won’t be much of an opportunity to watch the routine.” When I land, it seems the Wonderbolts are practicing their stunts. In the front is who must be Equestria’s Spitfire. O- there’s Rainbow Dash on the far left of the team. I watch as they divebomb the cliff and seemingly ricochet off the runway with a shock wave. I quickly make a high jump to at least avoid ground portion, but the wave sends me into a small tailspin. Spitfire notices me. A changeling?!? Crash! Grab him! Yes ma’am! yells Rainbow Dash, who zooms toward me and bear hugs me to stop me from spinning. “I got you!” Rainbow Dash then takes me right back to where I was as the other Wonderbolts gather around. “Adoptive son of the Princess of Friendship… what’s up Aita?” asks Spitfire. “And where’s Twilight?” “Yeah, for some reason only I was called by the map. You know the drill though, right?” “Oh yeah, official friendship business.” ALRIGHT!!! WAY TO GO RAINBOW DASH!!! WOOHOO!!! AWESOME DASHIE!!! AMAZING!!! KEEP AITA SAFE!!! Windy and Bow respectively cheer into megaphones, knocking everyone off guard, including me. “Okay! Which pony broke protocol and invited guests to our training exercises?!?” Spitfire seems mad now, rightfully so this time. I rub the back of my head. “...aaand I think that’s our friendship problem.” Rainbow Dash groans with a hoof over her eyes.
Chapter VRainbow Dash and I look to see Bow and Windy each holding a megaphone in the right hoof, the former of us being the first to approach them. “Mom… Dad… so… good to see you…” Rainbow Dash sure feels pretty awkward about meeting Bow and Windy in the middle of practice. I don’t blame her. Windy embraces Rainbow Dash the moment she hears, taking what Rainbow Dash said at face value. “Oh honey! It’s great to see you too! And wow! You were so amazing up there with all that FLYING!!” “Well, it did blow me away… literally,” I add as I come closer to Rainbow Dash and Windy. “Uh, how did you know I was here?” “AITA!!!” Windy exclaims, letting go of Rainbow Dash and turning to me. “Fancy meeting you here!” “Wait, did you have something to do with this?” asks Rainbow Dash. “Me? I was just here to solve a friendship problem. I had no idea Windy and Bow would be here.” Spitfire now joins in. “Alright, Wonderbolts. Let’s hit the showers so that Aita can sort this out with Rainbow Dash and her parents.” “Okay yeah, uh great practice. I’ll, uh, catch up with you guys in a minute.” So, the rest of the team go on and leave the area for the showers and us to discuss this in relative private, except Fleet Foot takes a quick second to compliment Bow and Windy. “Sir, ma’am, you two really raised a great flier.” “Aw, thank you so much, Bow and I certainly made sure that happened.” Bow starts tearing up with joy at the compliment, prompting Windy to comfort him. Rainbow Dash starts pushing me away from them with her wing. “Uh, could you excuse us for second?” she asks Bow and Windy. She turns to me as we make some distance from them. “Aita, do you want to explain why my parents are here?” “That’s just it. Scootaloo and I never told them where HQ was; I even tried to show them myself how you got to be a Wonderbolt, which took place in Ponyville.” “Ugh, if you and Scootaloo never revealed that I was a Wonderbolt, the map never would’ve called you here. You had to’ve known they’d reach HQ somehow.” “Okay fine! I had a feeling they were on their way here when the map called me. I never knew for sure then, but now I do.” Rainbow Dash is now taken aback at what I just said. “WHAT?!? Aita, not only did you just LIE to me about your involvement with my parents, but you also lied in front of all the Wonderbolts! That could get you in serious trouble! What were you THINKING?!?” The thought of getting in trouble with the Wonderbolts for accidentally lying starts getting to me, putting me in the same position I was in back at the birthday party. “I-I wasn’t trying to! Bow and Windy arrived on their own! For all I know they had a map on hoof!” Rainbow Dash sees my reaction, and stops to take a deep breath and pull me closer to her with her wing. “Look… kid, even after telling me the truth, I can tell you weren’t responsible. The map called you here at a time you were behind on your homework; I get it. That has nothing to do with my parents. I just can’t fathom how all of that was any excuse to lie when it was clear you weren’t responsible to begin with. You could be barred from further friendship problems for doing that, especially if it got into public hooves.” “I… I’m sorry. I’ll make sure I can be as rational as I can, even if it means stepping back to clear my mind.” “Okay, good… now why don’t we go talk to the team and confess what happened.” “What about Bow and Windy?” Rainbow Dash looks the way I point, toward her parents. “But they’ll understand. Like you said, neither you or Scootaloo led them here, and they know it already.” “Okay. Let’s go.” Rainbow Dash proceeds to lead me over to the showers at HQ, but not before detouring to get Bow and Windy. Spitfire is the first to notice when Rainbow Dash comes into the locker room with me and her parents behind. “Haha, you got things sorted out, huh Crash?” I suddenly smell slight concern coming from Bow and Windy upon hearing Rainbow Dash’s nickname. “Yes ma’am. It’s come to my attention that Aita lied on accident trying to say Mom and Dad arrived uninvited. He knew he’d see ‘em coming here, but forgot all about it when his involvement was first brought up.” “I mean that much is clear,” Spitfire replies. “No child is gonna think rationally if they’re being confronted with that. Just be glad that you cleared that up before it could spiral out of control.” She now walks over to me. “I would appreciate if you avoided pulling that stunt again, Aita. Serious consequences can happen if you aren’t careful. I’m proud of Crash for saving you from all that trouble, because I seriously wouldn’t wanna ban someone so important from coming to HQ.” “I understand, Spitfire.” There she goes again, I hear Bow whisper to Windy as I speak. Spitfire now walks to the locker benches. “Well now that all that’s been resolved, why don’t you go hit the shower, Rainbow Dash? We’re gonna need everypony in tip-top shape for the rest of practice.” “Yes ma’am!” Rainbow Dash salutes before flying past everyone else in the locker room. Now that Rainbow Dash is out of the room, Spitfire looks to Bow and Windy for a split second, then to me. “You think you should talk to them?” “Absolutely,” I answer. “I could tell just by smelling the air in here.” “Well just in case, good luck out there, kid.” So I lead Bow and Windy out of the locker room in HQ, and back to the field next to the runway.
Chapter VIOnce Bow, Windy and I are at the field on the cliff, I turn to them with curiosity. “Windy, Bow, I could feel you were worried about something. I think I know what it was. Was it Rainbow Dash’s nickname?” Bow is the first to answer. “Yeah… we had some concerns about Spitfire. She was calling Rainbow Dash a truncated version of the same name those bullies at camp called her.” “You mean Rainbow Crash?” Windy nods. “We remember our Dashie wasn’t very fond of it. What’s changed now? She never batted an eye at Spitfire.” “I don’t know. Maybe the name just loses its value after enough times,” I answer. “That’s what happened with Chrysalis prefacing my name with ‘young’.” “Aita, buddy,” Bow starts. “affectionate nicknames are expected. Young Aita? Dashie? Affectionate. Rainbow Crash? Not so much.” “That nickname… it was hazing… it was the same thing you experienced back at Canterlot High School.” I think of human Twilight’s definition of that word: hazing. Yeah, it adds up. “Huh. Okay. I think I see a solution to this. Well, let’s start with something I think I can help you with… I noticed you guys are far more rational when it really counts, when your minds aren’t directly on Rainbow Dash. You’re her biggest fans; you’re supposed to be. It just gets in the way of your thinking is all. If Rainbow Dash is around you guys while talking to Spitfire, that Crash situation would be perfect to show just how big of fans you are, willing to defend her any way you can.” Bow starts the think. “You think that’ll work? We are talking about the Wonderbolts after all.” “But you’re Rainbow Dash’s parents. You have way more power for Rainbow Dash’s wellbeing than I do. I’d hate to go behind this Spitfire’s back, but I know what I’m talking about.” “There was another Spitfire?” Windy asks. Literally every time does that get me. “Uh yeah. Now, um, just to be entirely confident, what did I say you should do?” “Make Rainbow Dash watch me and Windy call out Spitfire’s namecalling?” “There you go! Now you’re getting it! I’ll be inside to spectate.” Racing inside to the locker room, I pass by Rainbow Dash. “Aita?” I turn around and see her. “Oh! Rainbow Dash, I’ll need you in the locker room for a bit. I have something to show you; I just hope it’ll be okay with Spitfire.” “What are you talking abo- WHOA!” I take Rainbow Dash with my magic and rush to the locker room, where I set her down. “What’s the big rush, Aita?” Spitfire asks. “I just had a talk with Bow and Windy about their concerns, so I showed them a chance to properly use their powers as Rainbow Dash’s biggest fans. I just hope you’re okay with what they’re about to say.” “Is this about what I think it is, Aita? You know just how embarrassing my parents can be. Besides, if it is about… that, that was over and done with after the Ponyville tour.” “Well…” Spitfire chimes in. “Not everything about it.” The locker room door across the room from me and Rainbow Dash opens up, revealing Bow and Windy. “Ah, Bow Hothoof, Windy Whistles. Aita said you’d come. I heard you two were worried about Rainbow Dash.” “Why yes,” Windy answers. “Here in the locker room, we heard you referring to our Dashie as Crash.” “Do you have any idea the baggage that name has on her?” Spitfire rubs her chin with her right wing. “Well, at least that explains the odd behavior during her first tour. She never approached me about it. But every single Wonderbolt has a nickname. Call it an epidemic if you want, but what everypony does here on their first day determines their nickname, and it sticks.” “But why that specific nickname? Why Crash? That was the one used at the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp.” “Um, Mom, Spitfire’s is way worse. I thank you and Dad for trying to address this, but Crash is not the end of the world.” Bow and Windy are shocked at Rainbow Dash’s newfound flippancy toward her old nickname. It looks like this is not going anywhere, so I look in my saddlebag. As it turns out, I did bring my scrapbook with me like I said I would. “Rainbow Dash, I know there are times you have to tune out stage temper, but an old nickname like that was something you should’ve brought up during the tour in Ponyville. I’m sure you’re aware of what happened to me when I visited CHS, right?” Rainbow Dash nods. “The former superintendent over there did pretty much the same thing to me, and look how that affected me. She left me devastated, and Princess Twilight and Queen Chrysalis can attest to that.” “While I understand where you’re coming from, Aita,” Spitfire says. “you still got nearly a decade to grow past that. The Wonderbolts are trained to be resilient, and nicknames are just a part of that. What you experienced most likely went much farther than names.” “But how do you think Rainbow Dash felt during the tour?” I ask. “As Windy said before, she wasn’t very fond of being called Rainbow Crash. Rainbow Dash wasn’t wrong about that; she darted into a trash can, yeah, but calling it out once would’ve been enough to get the message across. Using that name… is just wrong.” During my speech, Rainbow Dash begins to look down on the floor, thinking to herself about what I’m saying. I think she’s getting it, judging from what I’m smelling. Bow sees this, so he comes up to Rainbow Dash and wraps his wing around her back. “Dashie, why don’t we all go out and take a rest. Honey, Aita, you two should come along as well.” So, Bow leads me and Rainbow Dash out of the locker room, Windy following when we pass her, and back out to the field.
Chapter VIIOnce the four of us, including Rainbow Dash, are back outside, I can see Rainbow Dash is really shaken about initially being right about her Wonderbolt nickname. “Rainbow Dash,” Bow starts. “Windy and I are so proud of you for achieving your dream to be a Wonderbolt. And we just wanted you to have the best experience you could possibly have with them. We couldn’t just take Spitfire’s name-calling lying down as your proper biggest fans.” “...Aita, was it true all along? Was I seriously right to be upset at the tour?” “Rainbow Dash, think about my experience at Canterlot High School. The Wonderbolts do the same exact thing the superintendent did. Even if it is lighter and more amicable, it’s still a terrible thing to do. This isn’t even considering where your nickname comes from.” Rainbow Dash ends up hugging Bow and Windy, hearing me oppose the Wonderbolts’ sole outdated ideal. “I… I get it… I really wish I went to Spitfire during the tour. You guys are right; nopony deserves to be bullied, even if they do mess up. But what do we do? We can’t go around changing policy just because one newbie Wonderbolt opposed it.” I start tapping my forehead with my hoof, trying to think. Those pears the fake Applejack ate… that’s perfect! I widen my eyes in the epiphany and set my hoof back down. “Maybe if someONE opposed it.” I teleport in four pears, giving one to each of us. “Here, eat these pears. I know what to do with the seeds.” Some time later, I put the pear seeds into the saddlebag and lead Rainbow Dash and her parents back to the locker room. Spitfire is still on the bench on our right when we do enter, everyone else gone to wait for her outside. “So, we good this time?” Spitfire asks, relatively impatiently. “We’re supposed to get back to practice soon.” “Yeah, although you might want to get everypony back inside,” I answer. “We’ll all need to talk to someONE about this naming policy.” “If you say so.” Spitfire dashes past us with a bullhorn on her left hoof. ATTENTION WONDERBOLTS! YOU ARE NEEDED IN THE LOCKER ROOM RIGHT AWAY! I begin to smile, knowing what’s about to happen. The rest of the members come in behind Spitfire. “Alright, Aita. Let’s make it snappy.” I nod, then float the pear seeds onto the floor as corners for a perfect square. The moment the last one is set down, the seeds’ shells split open in the direction opposite of the each other. They shoot beams in a way that creates this perfect square, another set targeting about a foot and a half off the ground of the center of the square. The moment Chrysalis is on screen, I bow. “Hm… young Aita. You called? And where are you anyway?” “That’s what I called you about, Chrysalis. The map sent me to Wonderbolts HQ, and I was struggling with something Rainbow Dash’s parents made a stink about.” “Those are her parents, right? The ones not in uniform?” I nod. “So what are their concerns?” “It’s about the naming policy for the Wonderbolts. Each member’s first day determines what they’re called.” The moment Chrysalis hears Rainbow Dash’s explanation, her mood turns bitter. “And THAT is why changelings have single-word names. They’re so short and simple, you might as well use that instead of whatever the Wonderbolts call each other. They are single-word right?” “Affirmative, Queen Chrysalis,” Spitfire salutes. She opens her mouth, only to be cut off when Chrysalis raises her hoof. “No examples please. Verification was enough. What I want to know is why you still have such an outdated policy running today; when you went to school, Spitfire, did faculty have the same rule that you enforce on your team?” “Of course not. It was a public space anypony can access. But Wonderbolts don’t need the formality schools do. Besides, we-” Chrysalis raises her hoof again. “Spitfire… you’re not receiving the full picture. When my teacher carried on her predecessor’s army, she enforced that all members be referred to by their legal names; so even an evil queen can wrap their head around common courtesy. Your team is supposed to teach resilience, not bullying.” Soarin’ steps forward. “Huh? Really?!? So you’re saying all this time I could’ve been called Soarin’ under your army and saved the humiliation?!?” Chrysalis nods. “Well, no more Clipper for me then. I rally to adopt Chrysalis’ policy.” During Soarin’s declaration, Chrysalis’ cheeks turn red with embarrassment over what she just told everyone here. “...Also Aita… please don’t tell Areola I said that. I’d get an earful if you did.” “You have my word, Chrysalis.” The other Wonderbolts start chatting among each other, probably talking about joining Soarin’s rally. Then each one steps forward with Soarin’ one at a time. “I’m Fleet Foot, and I join Soarin’ in his fight for change.” “Surprise here, and I’ll join too.” “Misty Fly!” “High Winds!” Spitfire stammers. “You serious? ALL of you?!?” “Yes Spitfire… and besides, my name’s. not. Crash.” “...Okay. If it’s a rule change you all want, then I must oblige.” Chrysalis nods as Spitfire heads to her office. “Very good. I look forward to see how progress goes around here. So Aita, was that all you needed?” “I think so. I did pretty much all I could do around here. I’m confident that stylus should be glowing in no time.” And right on cue, I hear the shimmering sound from when I got home from Bow and Windy’s. I take out my DS, confirming the stylus is glowing. “I’m very proud of you, Aita. You’ve just solved a friendship problem all on your own. I look forward to the time we collaborate.” And so, the signal cuts out and the seeds go back to normal. I float the seeds back into the saddlebag along with the DS, which still has its stylus glowing. “I’m hoping we get to do that too, Chrysalis,” I say mostly to myself, blushing from Chrysalis admitting her pride.
Chapter VIIII look around the locker room, now that silence has fallen between myself, the Wonderbolts - sans Spitfire, and Rainbow Dash’s parents. Bow is the first to break the silence. “Aita, Windy and I wanted to thank you for showing us that we could be rational about our daughter. I think we have a few things in the halls and that memento room to throw away. We’ll still be her biggest fans, but we’ll also only show it when it counts. Who knows what we would’ve done if you didn’t intervene so early.” “And now that this is done,” Windy says. “Maybe it’s finally time to get going on your project. No more friendship missions or decisive dilemmas stopping you now.” “Ooh hoo, yeah.” Rainbow Dash blinks. “Oh and when you get back to Ponyville, Aita, you might see me with my jacket. I’m gonna see if Rarity can replace the tag to represent my actual name.” “Why don’t you just get it tailored here?” Soarin’ asks. “That’s what I’m gonna do.” “Nah, my friend owns a business for that. I’ll do her instead.” “Well Wonderbolts, it’s been nice talking to you, but now I have to finish my report on the most inspirational pony in my life.” “Oh, that does remind me,” Rainbow Dash replies to me. “Are you gonna need help with that?” “No one knows Twilight like I do. If anypony can help me, it’s her.” The day of me and Scootaloo’s presentations is the day before the Grand Galloping Gala, which happens to take place around the autumnal equinox, at least back in my homeworld. Currently, Scootaloo is wrapping up her presentation. “...and that’s why Rainbow Dash is my most inspirational pony in my life,” Scootaloo announces for her presentation in school. The class taps their desks in applause. “Thank you, Scootaloo,” happily says Cheerilee. “Very well researched. You got just the right amount of pictures, and your presentation was fantastic. ‘A’ for you. Now, who’s next?” Scootaloo runs back to our seat as I raise my hoof. “Alright Aita, looks like you get to come up next.” I open my desk and take the scrapbook out, then walk to the front of the classroom. I set the scrapbook on the teacher’s board. I take a deep breath to brace myself. “Alright, so this was going to be a toss up between Chrysalis and Twilight, but who’s the one with the local castle? Well, we all know why Princess Twilight is inspirational to all of us, but I have relatively personal reasons. See, before Twilight, I lived around humans different from the ones in Canterlot High School. They’re more detailed, but have less skin tone diversity. When I ended up having to leave my homeworld last Hearth’s Warming, Twilight took me in so that I could readily see one of my new peers, Trace Light. “Ever since, I’ve been in a living heaven. Twilight enrolled me here at this wonderful school, and we know how that turned out. She was the pony who found me in the Everfree Forest so many years ago after running away from my homeworld. She was the one who brainstormed a new game for me. She was also the one, along with Spike and Starlight Glimmer, to find and comfort me after I had to walk out on my own birthday party. “Not only that, but how could I forget all that she’s done for Equestria. Twilight represents the element of harmony known as magic. She’s helped put so many figures in their place: Nightmare Moon, Discord, King Sombra, Tirek, …Queen Chrysalis-” I blush when I have to mention Chrysalis in such an unflattering way. I’m really hoping she never hears that. Starlight wouldn’t be impressed if I kept going. “Twilight also had a hoof in thrusting Rainbow Dash onto the Wonderbolts reserves, a position that can only be entered through a history test. “Now, Twilight has a castle rooted from the tree of harmony with a map that calls various ponies to solve a variety of friendship problems, including me. She already has a graduate in the name of Starlight Glimmer, and all of THAT is why Princess Twilight Sparkle is the most inspirational pony I know. WHEW!” As I give the report, I sprinkle in some pictures, one each from every instance I recap or mention. At that last stretch, I accumulate a little sweat from all the talking, which I wipe off at the end. My classmates cheer at the report, Cheerilee approaching me to review it. “Aita… Aita! What an amazing report! Perfect photographic placement, clear and concise recitation, thorough research! Only thing I recommend is to work a bit on the impartiality, but it was otherwise perfect! ‘A plus’! And with that, all the reports are graded; the coveted ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala goes to… Aita!” The class cheers again as I go back to my seat, floating the ticket I earned into my desk. “Wow Aita,” Scootaloo remarks as she gets up and offers a hoof bump. “Bow Hothoof actually helped you get a near perfect grade, AND a ticket to the liveliest, fanciest party in Equestria!” I nod at Scootaloo, then look to the still-cheering crowd. “Thanks everypony. Choosing the subject originated from the recommendations of Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles, the parents of the official Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash.” I sit back down on my desk as the crowd of fillies settles down, then I turn to Sweetie Belle. “Who’re you going to take as your plus one, Aita?” “Huh. I don’t know. I’ll have to see who else has a ticket before I choose that.” The bell rings, which means class is over. After a long week of parents, map quests and the Wonderbolts, I think it’s time to get a little R ‘n R. I could finally play my DS back at the castle, and for a moment, no care in the world whatsoever. When the friendship problem was solved, I had collected an experience I never would’ve known I ended up getting. What I learned is that it’s good to stop and breathe so you can think more clearly before things get out of control, that way we can save others as much as trouble as we can. I learned it after my accidental lie, and Bow and Windy learned it when I got them to raise a stink about the outdated policy, that has since been abolished.
