The drums of the orchestra echoed off the castle walls, the ponies who were closest to her had gathered in the gardens of Canterlot. I could hear them outside the window. They were probably carrying her body to the center of the courtyard, where the statues of the celestial sisters stood.
I was supposed to be down there right now. I thought I was ready for this. But for everyone out there, I was in here, frustrating myself with myself.
I just couldn’t…
I was supposed to be the one, the one who placed that stupid ribbon on her...
I was the one who's going to give her the speech she desrves, the one to send her on. The one which would forever immortalize her memory and her honor.
I needed to get out there… To show them my own courage; bearing my own soul to the ponies who were supposed to believe in me to lead them into the next generation…
Oh, Celestia… I knew this would be hard...
I took a deep breath and looked into the mirror that hung on the wall. My new officer’s coat, I’ve had it for almost as long as I’ve known Spitfire and when I was given the coat, I knew this day might come, but it was too soon.
I hadn’t had the time to prepare myself for this kind of weight. This personal sort of torment. I felt as though my stomach had exploded and my heart had taken its place. It sickened me to think that my leader… my friend… My… She was dead and in a box now. Prepped and prepared ready for the next step to happen.
If she was readied for it. Then why couldn't I be there for her then or now? “Why!? I'll never be as strong as she was!” My eyes shot back open and I looked at myself in the now shattered mirror. The hoof I held in it's center had blood dripping from it and a dull pain pulsed from it. Slowly, I withdrew my hoof and limped to the sink to clean it out.
So stupid. So, so stupid.
I began plucking the glass shards out of my skin, dropping them onto the countertop. Just then a knock came to the door. With glass clinched between my clenched teeth, I shouted, “Comin’!”
No one entered.
“COMIN’!” I tried again, and the door cracked open.
“Did you say coming or come in?” asked the familiar voice of Twilight Sparkle. She opened the door the rest of the way open. I looked over my shoulder, rolled my eyes and put my focus back to the glass lodged in my hoof.
It didn’t take her long to recognize what took place moments before. Suddenly appearing next to me, a purple fog disbursed from around her. “Rainbow Dash! What did you do!”
“C’mon Egghead, can’t you figure it out just by looking around,” I growled at her as I swept my bloodied hoof past the rest of the room as if I were presenting the grand prize at the Cloudsdale Young Flyer Competition. “I punched a mirror and that’s it!” I said, angrily biting the air with the final word.
“We were expecting you to be downstairs, in the courtyard nearly fifteen minutes ago. Don’t you see how important this is? Do you understand how important it is that you are the one there to accept Spitfire’s place as commander of the Wonderbolts? She’s your friend. She’s your leader! What is it? Aren’t you able to set aside your emotions for something like this?”
“I can't just… Because we…I-” I began trying to fight back the tears, but if I couldn’t defeat this demon of mine without punching a mirror, how could I possibly answer Twilight honestly. “It's because…” I tried again but my voice trickled into nothingness. I was looking at the stone floor, fighting back a flood of emotion.
I could hear Twilight’s sigh, a mixture of frustration and understanding. She wrapped her hooves around my neck and pulled me tight for a brief moment before she pulled away and lifted my chin so we were eye to eye. “Look Rainbow. I know you have your reasons, I understand that. But denying Spitfire her honor isn’t the way to handle this. We can talk to Celestia or Luna or even Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy about it after this whole ordeal is done. I promise that we will help you through this.”
I couldn’t help but weakly smile, tears burning the corners of my eyes. I gave a small sniffle and focused again on my hoof. “Well, before I can go down there, I’ve got to finish getting ready… which means getting this glass out of my hoof.”
Twilight smiled and took my hurt hoof in between her hooves. Using her magic she quickly withdrew the last few pieces of glass and dropped them with the others I had been collecting. “I’m going to use a healing spell, it shouldn't hurt. Hold still."
I nodded and watched the magical mist engulfed her horn. Almost immediately, the cuts and bruises covering my hoof had begun to sting. It felt like I had stuck my hoof into a campfire, I only barely stopped myself from wincing and almost pulling my hoof to me.
“Almost done,” she said, slipping her tongue out of the corner of her mouth. Obviously, she never learned to break that old concentration habit she had… chewing on her tongue. I’m just surprised she hasn’t bit it off yet.
My hoof suddenly just stopped hurting. I lifted it out of Twilight's hooves and looked at it in pure amazement. “How did you…” I stopped myself, looked at Twilight, waved my hoof as I turned toward the door. “Screw it. It's Magic.” I told her, leaving the room.
Twilight flew out after me and landed in a short gallop, blocking my way. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Well… I already punched a thing and hurt myself, so... yeah, I’d say I’m ready. At least as ready as I’m ever gonna be. Right?” With that, I continued on my way, skirting around her.
“Uh, I suppose…” She mumbled. Her mouth leaning to one side as she swam in her deepening thoughts. Suddenly, she swooped around, landing before me again and stood with her legs and wings spread. “But Rainbow! Do you know what happens if you mess up this speech?!”
“I dunno, something about unlucky spirits of departed Wonderbolts… ghost mumbo jumbo? Yeah… when Spitfire had been explaining all this to me, I really kinda couldn’t concentrate on it...”
“And why not?” she asked me, almost accusatorily; as if I’d offended her mother, or worse, her teacher.
“I… uh… I had to pee, yeah, that was it.” I could feel it, a fresh blush washing over my face. I closed my eyes and pushed past Twilight again. “Now will you stop slowing me down, I’m already late as it is!”
Dropping to all four again, Twilight followed me out keeping a small distance behind me. She’s always having mood swings like that, getting upset over the smallest of details and stupid stuff only she could find a reason to worry over.
Down the curved stairs and out the open glass doors, we reached the courtyard’s entrance. I paused, just outside the hedged entrance. Just out of sight for those ponies waiting for me. Twilight stood at my side, “You have to go in first, Rainbow. I was just sent to find you.”
“Thanks for the encouragement, Twilight.” I told her with the flattest voice I could muster up.
“Not a problem!” she chirped, oblivious of the discouraging thoughts she planted in my mind.
I pushed myself around the corner and walked out into the sunlight which warmed the cobblestone path leading out and winding briefly through many kinds of fall coloured flowers. It was appropriate, Celestia had changed the flowers to suit Spitfire in every way, her favorite flowers were even present.
Through the garden's colors, which promptly clashed with my own, My pace didn't slow. Taking a deep breath and taking in the ponies that were gathered, I could see Twilight fly in, landing beside me. She and I shared a nod as we reached the front of the funeral.
All the ponies shared a solemn silence. I approached the coffin with a sense of clarity. My breath held in my chest as I looked down at Spitfire. She was dressed in her officer wear, but she was missing her sunglasses. That made me feel like something was missing, but I shrugged it off.
Twilight had taken her spot with Celestia and Luna, Cadance and Shining Armor, along with all our friends. The Wonderbolts, who I was now responsible for, were standing together with their heads bowed. “Please help me get through this…” I whispered to her, taking a firm breath before taking my position behind the podium.
I straightened my shoulder and looked across the cloud of faces and bodies, some of them weaped openly, others held a stern silence. “I stand before you today to honor one pf the greatest leaders we have ever had. We knew she was tasked with our protection. A warrior who stood in the face of danger and flew through the most dangerous storms to ensure the safety of all that stand here today. I am… here to honor her memory. Here to honor Commander Spitfire. It falls to me by her choice, to be the one to place this final medal in its proper place. The medal which only the most honorable of ponies will ever possess. The medal of Eternal Courage." I paused and picked up the medal before rounding the podium to stand beside her coffin.
"She earned this achievement when she gave her life to protect all of Equestria against the changeling army. It was she who defended this castle and all those within its walls. She paid the ultimate price. She gave her life to preserve everything amd everyone she fought for. Now her burdens fall to my shoulders and her honor becomes that of my own. If I fail myself, I fail her too… But! I promise you here and now, I will not allow that to happen, I will fight for my Wonderbolts, I will give every feather and every hair in my mane for this city… for all of Equestria!”
With my heart leaping to my throat, I gulped the lump away, my tongue turning to sandpaper in my mouth. Tears streamed from my eyes and drizzled down my cheeks, dropping and soaking into Spitfire’s cheek. I took a shaky breath and looked over the fallen commander. Her mane was neat and organized, shampooed and freshly washed. Her wings were folded at her side and her hooves were folded over her.
She was dressed in her uniform dawning every badge, emblem and accolade she had ever earned. The one I had just added stood out amongst the variety she was adorned with. The emblem depicted a set of wings on a setting sun.
I looked up at the crowd again. They were in tears, a low woeful mist of noise echoed across the crowd. “As beautiful as the drifting clouds, it’s in the service of duty that Commander Spitfire-” I paused for a split-second, fighting the urge to choke on the very words I spoke. “had given her life. Now, it is in this same line of duty that I take her place as the Commander of the Wonderbolts. From this day forth, my duty is to protect Equrstria, and… My honor will give me the courage I need to face any danger and defeat every foe that stands in the way. Like the flowers that surround us here today, the courage of Spitfire and the honor that we now share will live on forever more.”
With that, I bowed and turned to face Princess Celestia. She wore a calm sorrow filled smile and simply nodded, “Are you ready, Rainbow Dash?” she asked in her sweet, all-knowing tempo.
“I believe… I am…” She smiled and stepped towards me, bowed and placed the tip of her horn over one of my shoulders. She then took a step back and Luna did the same to the opposite shoulder.
Luna looked down at me and smiled, “You’ll do great things,” she whispered before stepping back into her place.
Celestia looked out and addressed the surrounding audience. I turned and took a seat behind Spitfire’s coffin. The crowd quieted, “Rainbow Dash has accomplished many things in the time she's been been with us all. She was the lead manager of the Ponyville weather team, She later became the bearer of the Element of Loyalty, an honor given to only the truest of hearts and purest of souls. Shortly after that, she won the Young Flyers Competition where she first met her childhood heroes, the Wonderbolts. It was also the first time she successfully initiated her trademark flying technique, the Rainboom, which she later used to save her friends. Over the years, Rainbow Dash went on to break almost every record the Wonderbolt Academy had and continued to set new records. It was there that she rose through the ranks and is now officially recognized as the Commander of the Wonderbolts!” Celestia and Luna and even Twilight bowed, followed almost immediately by the surrounding audience, including her friends and her new family.
“I’ll never forgive you...” I whispered as quietly as possible as I looked down at the mare I will always love.
I smiled and let the words slip from my lips to be caught in the wind. “I love you.
