Part Seven - Unnamed

> "I bet I could."
"No."
> "Oh yeah? are you sayin' I can't? 'cause..."
"No."
> "Aw, come ooon."
"No."
> "Pfft, you're a wuss."
"Still not doing it."
> "I'm gonna start calling you Flutterguy."
"Don't give a damn."
> "You're just scared."
> Rainbow Dash folds her forelegs over her chest in a huff.
> You mime taking something out of your pocket and present the empty, open palm.
" Just look at all the fucks I give."
> "W-huh?" Rainbow doesn't quite get that one.
> At least she's stop asking to try and carry you.
> For the moment.
> She's been complaining for the last half hour, since you left the Boutique, and trying to goad you into letting her carry you for the past fifteen.
> Your only idea regarding where to start looking for your errant luggage was head roughly in the direction of Canterlot and hope Dash spots something.
> So far, you've found an empty case in a nearby field and a pair of underpants which, due to having landed in a thornbush, were ripped on recovery.
> Split crotch underoos are not your fetish.
> Your route is leading you down a tree lined dirt road and for the moment you are just enjoying the silence.
> *sigh*
> *yawn*
> "bkukuk *cough*"
> Well, birdsong accompanied by Dash on the Sulk-ordian.
> "Soooo, when you were at Canterlot... Didya bump into any of the Wonderbolts?"
> You nod in response and her eye's light up as she takes a deep breath.
> Oh dear god, It begins

> It's an hour later.
> You now know more than any human or p0ny should healthily know about the Wonderbolts.
> At the point you were wishing you'd kept the shredded underpants so you could either fashion earplugs or garrote dash she stops.
> Shocked, but partly hoping you've been blessed with deafness, you turn and look at her.
> Rainbow Dash is hovering there, looking at you with a touch of concern in those rose coloured eyes.
> "Are you ok, Anon? You've gone quiet..."
> You're not sure how to broach this.
> She's not so much been dominating the conversation as orchestrating an assault on your ears.
> Carpet bombing you with information.
> Driving out all that lesser knowledge with a baptism of sheer awesomeness.
> Shock and awe all the way.
> "You're not still thinking about that Canterlot stuff, are you?"
"No... No, not really."
> Well, you are now.
> "Hey, y'know when you want to, y'can talk to Rainbow Dash about anything, right?" She strikes a dynamic pose, grinning and pointing to her chest with her hoof.
"Heh, sure. Thanks Rainbow Da-"
> "...and if you, want to, y'know, tell me how it really went down, that'd be cool too."
> Whut?

"Hey wait a minute. I told you what happened. You were there."
> "Uhuh."
"You were listening, right? Not just sitting day dreaming about the 'bolts?"
> "Can't a gal do both?" She gives a grin.
"Look, I told you what happened. Can't we just leave it at that?"
> "Sure. No problem... we can leave it."
> Whew.
> "I'll find out soon anyway. News really flies in Equestria." She gives her wings a quicker flutter to emphasise the point.
> By now, Dash is hovering infront of you, eye to eye and grinning with an aire of triumph.
> She's got you cornered, and knows it.
*Sigh*
"You're right. I didn't lie, I just need you to know that. I just... left a few things out."
> "I knew that. The thing with the Griffon? Buddy, I know Griffons. They can take their licks."
> "They might swing first, but it'd take more than just a comeback to make it happen."
> She's eyeing you in a serious fashion now.
"Yeah. You're right. I might have opened with the 'eagle-shitting-a-cat', but I didn't stop."
> You look up at the clouds for a moment, seeking respite from the stare,
> Unable to meet her eyes just yet, you continue.
"I don't remember exactly what I said. It wasn't 'courtly' though, that's for sure."

> You remember ladies fainting, monacles popping off with shock, that's about it.
> It rained monacles that day.
"The imporant part, though, is I was pushing him. As close as I could be, as loud, as aggressive. I'd had enough."
"Yeah, he was asking for... someone to take him down a peg or two, but he didn't get that. He got all of it."
"Everything that'd been building up and a few bad memories from before too."
"At that moment he was everything I'd ever hated."
> You look back down towards her.
> She hasn't shifted position, but there isn't anything accusatory about her expression anymore.
> On reflection, there may never have been.
> Guilt can easily taint a viewpoint.
"Somep0ny did laugh, but I think it was nerves if anything. He did swing for me first. I can't blame him for that, though."
"Guards pulled him back with magic and hoof. If he wasn't shouting about what he was going to do to me? He wouldn't have been expelled."
> "Yeah, they let their beaks run sometimes. Sometimes y'just gotta..." as she speaks she's turning to lead you onwards with the search.
"I hurt someone Dash."

> "Huh?" she slows and turns.
"It wasn't intentional. There was an accident. It was still my fault."
> She doesn't speak.
> Just waits there for you to be ready to continue.
"When they seperated us, one of the ones holding me back was a unicorn named StarBright. He was one of the p0ny's who'd helped me when I was recovering."
> He was a friend.
"He'd grabbed me about the waist and was trying to calm me down, but I was struggling. We were on the stairs..."
> You can tell by her expression she knows where this is going.
"I lost my balance, we both fell. It wasn't that far, but we landed badly."
"The impact of hitting the marble floor... well, it cracked his horn. It split all along the right side."
> Rainbow winces at the description.
"He was lucky it didn't snap off. Lucky he didn't break his neck...The noise he was making? He didn't sound lucky."
"After that? They didn't just think I was a fool, they thought I was a dangerous fool."
> Truthfully? you agree with them.
> "...but it was an accident, you didn't mean to..."
"It didn't matter. News flies in Equestria, right?"
"Celestia came to me. She consoled me, told me she knew it wasn't intentional, but agreed that I'd be unable to fulfil my purpose at Canterlot."
> "...and then started the plan to move you here, right?" Rainbow adds.
> You nod and then chuckle, remembering something else.
"She apologised. Do you believe that? said it was her fault for allowing this to happen. You don't argue with the Princess, but I'll tell you. She was wrong."
"I knew it wasn't working, but I was too damn stubborn to admit it."

"So that's it."
> You're walking now as Dash hovers along at your side.
> Silence, for a while.
> Then she asks "So. You feel any better getting that of your chest?"
> Strangely, you do.
> Not so much the telling, but having it heard by someone who wasn't going to judge and damn you, even if a part of you still thinks you deserve it.
> "S'always better to tell your own story. Let somep0ny else do it? They'll get the important bits wrong"
> Hard to disagree with that.
"Why didn't you ask me this back at the boutique?"
> "I figured I'd give you a chance to get around to it on your own." She smiles "...but like usual, you were taking aaages."
"Thanks Dash, I owe you one."
> "Heh, put your hoof out dude" she gestures with hers.
> You place your hand out, fist prepped for the inevitable brohoof.
> Rainbow grabs you hand and turns it flat, palm up.
> She mimes pouring something over it with her hooves, overacting as ever.
> "There ya go Anon!, You can have all the fucks I give about what you think you owe me."
> Heh.
> "Soooo, d'you want to fly the rest of the way?"
"....Nope."
> "Awww, come on! we had a moment!"
"Nope."
> "We're bros!"
"Still nope."
> "Dontcha trust me?" Ooh, the big puppy eye's, she's good.
> Ponder, Ponder
"Nope."
> "Augh!" Hooves in the air with frustration.
"Run Nope.exe."
> "What does that even mean?!"