A/N: This story is a DIRECT continuation of 'Distance' by Picardy 3rd. I liked his story, and I also love the Spitfire/Rainbow Dash shipping, so I decided to continue the story myself.

Also, this is my first fanfic, so If you find any errors at all, or see some things that could be improved, go easy on me and leave a simple review containing what you think could be improved.

***Chapter One***

Rainbow Dash watched through the window as her fellow competitors showed the Wonderbolts what they were made of. She laughed when one pony tumbled a bit in the air after doing a backflip. Twilight had been watching too, but hadn't said anything.

"Number sixteen!" The mare called to the small group of ponies in the locker room.

Dash watched the pony exit the locker room to begin his own routine, then turned back to the window to watch. She could see Spitfire in the judge's box, giggling to herself as she noticed Spitfire was clearly bored watching these contestants. Just wait, Spitfire, I'll spice up the competition for you. She thought. You're going to love what I cooked up for ya'.

Twilight awkward silence had confused Dash, and she turned to the lilac mare curiously. "Twilight?" she asked. Twilight turned her head to Dash. "What's wrong, Twi?" Dash asked her.

"Oh, I'm fine, Dash. I'm just thinking." She replied, smiling half-heartedly.

"Thinking about what?" Dash's face turned to a look of curiosity and confusion.

"It's not important," she said, "I'll… I'll tell you later…" at that her voice became a mere whisper. Dash could hear the troubled sadness in Twilight's voice, but decided not to press the matter as her number was called.

"Good luck!" everypony said, waving to Dash as she left the locker room.

She smiled and followed the mare to the starter's box, smiling up at the judge's box.

Spitfire glanced down at the starter's box and smiled, lifting her head up. "It's Dash's turn!" she said excitedly to Soarin, who smiled and nudged her. "Relax, Spitfire," he said, trying to calm her down. "We have eyes." Spitfire giggled and watched Rainbow gracefully unfurl her wings and stretch her muscles a bit.

Rainbow jumped from her cloud perch and flew straight down a ways, then went upwards. Spitfire recognized what she was doing, and smiled as Rainbow flew up just above the cloudisium, then reached out to the sides with her front hooves. She folded her wings against her back and fell backwards in mid-air, closing her eyes and smiling as her descent hastened quickly and she zoomed by and through the cloudisium. Spitfire watched with thrill, smiling, and knowing just this stunt was enough to show up half of the other contestants.

Just before hitting the ground – about twenty feet or so – she opened her wings and her eyes simultaneously, flying with the ground at a ninety degree angle from her fall. She continued for a good thirty feet then went back up, flapping her wings as hard as she can to increase her speed as she spotted a single storm-cloud in the sky. She smiled as she adjusted her flight to be directed towards it.

She reached it in seconds, speeding through it and leaving a wide hole in the cloud, much larger than herself. After a bit further, she turned and flew straight down, reaching her hooves out in front of her. Her speed increased quickly, and after a few seconds, became so great that sparks sparkled around her as the air seemed to bend to a point in front of her. As this was happening, the audience watched with wide-eyes and dropped mouths. Spitfire was the only one who was smiling, as she knew Rainbow was going to perform a sonic rainboom.

You can do it, Rainbow Dash! She wanted to scream it at the top of her lungs, but held herself back. She knew every pony would probably think that because they're marefriends, Spitfire would be giving Rainbow Dash extra points. She loved her and all, but didn't want to cheat Rainbow into winning. It wasn't fair, not to the other ponies, and certainly not to her partner. Rainbow wanted to do it on her own, and Spitfire respected that.

Back in the locker room, however, Twilight sat next to the window, staring out of it. Everypony watched her with a frown. It was obvious that something was troubling her, but she wouldn't speak up. Applejack – being the boldest of the group, and feeling a deep desire to help her friend – moved closer and sat next to Twilight. "What's wrong, sugar cube?" she asked Twilight, leaning up to her slightly as she said it. Twilight turned her head and, with sad eyes that looked about to cry, hugged her tightly and buried her face in the other's mane, beginning to sob quietly.

Applejack hugged her and pulled her close, then looked the rest of the group and nodded towards the door, telling them to leave the two alone for a bit. They complied and shuffled quietly out of the room, looking back worriedly at them.

Twilight continued sniffling uncontrollably. Applejack rubbed her back and whispered to her, "It'll be ahright, sugar cube." She hid her accent slightly, but not by much. It took some time, but when Twilight calmed down enough, Applejack held her away and wiped away her tears gently with a hoof. "Now, Twi, tell meh what's troublin' ya'." She said.

"I… I don't want Rainbow Dash to join the Wonderbolts… "

"Why don'tcha?"

"Because, if she does, she'll be gone. I don't want her to leave us... "

"Oh... Twi, you're worryin' over nothin'. Rainbow would nev'r lose touch with us. Not ah chance."

"How do you know? How do you know she won't forget about us as she travels around Equestria?"

Applejack sighed, "Ah don't, sugar cube. But Ah do know that she would try her best to visit as often as she can. Especially knowing how loyal she is to her friends."

"I... I guess you're right… but I can't help but think she'll forget us… "

Applejack leaned closer and kissed Twilight cheek. "Don't worry, sugar cube. She'll keep in touch, trust meh." Twilight stared at Applejack in silence. She turned her head away quickly, placing a hoof over it to hide her heating cheeks. Applejack smiled and pulled her back into a gentle and passionate hug. Twilight could do nothing but sit in disbelief and eventually, but slowly, hug her back.

Rainbow Dash struggled against the heavy wind that resisted her. Her wings started aching but she couldn't give up and she knew it. I'm almost there! She screamed in her head. So close! Damn it! I'm almost there!

As she was lost in thought and pain, the wind around her broke and a loud explosion could be heard for miles. It was a burst of color and sound, enough to break windows and hurt the ears of everyone around her. The colors spread in a circle at a ninety degree angle all around where the wind broke as Rainbow Dash flew. The wind's resistance, broken, it allowed Rainbow to speed through each damp cloud around, leaving large holes and gathering more and more water until it seemed as if a river were lagging behind her.

Spitfire couldn't contain herself anymore and screamed, "You did it! You did it, Dash!" She excitedly jumped into the air in cheer, her eyes closed and her hooves raised high above her head. Soarin nudged her as he cheered and she quieted down, receiving an odd look from the other two judges near them. She let out a nervous laugh as she twiddled her hooves and stared down.

Rainbow smiled blissfully as she flew, closing her eyes from the feeling she felt. A trail of rainbow followed after her, seeming to stream from her gloriously glistening mane.

Rainbow opened her eyes and flattened her body, beating her wings and changing her direction upwards to speed back into the cloudisium. She slowed herself and landed back in the starter's box.

Everywhere she looked, ponies were cheering loudly and clopping their hooves. Then as she looked at the judge's box, Spitfire was sitting there, clopping as well with a bright and toothy grin. Rainbow was greeted by the mare from earlier who had been calling the numbers. "That was a grand display," she said, smiling to the rainbow-bearing pony who smiled back and said, "I did it for Spitfire."

"I would think so. I heard you two were marefriends." She responded.

"We are, and I couldn't be happier to be with her." She smiled to herself, getting slightly teary eyed, though she was able to hold back her tears. The other mare smiled at her as Rainbow headed back to the locker room to meet up with her friends.

It was quiet in the hallways, the only noise being from the cheers of fans in the cloudisium. The quiet made Rainbow uncomfortable; she felt like she was being followed. The sound of a hoof hitting the floor echoed behind her, making her whip her head around and peer into the shadows. She dismissed it as her imagination after seeing no movement and hearing nothing more.

As the competition pressed on, Spitfire found she was bored as ever, watching the rest of the group who wished to audition.

The final competitor finished his routine, and they voted; the judges got up from their seats and headed inside the building. Soarin, Fleetfoot, Spitfire, and Stormcloud headed down the hallways, talking about the competition and praising few pegasi. Once the topic of Rainbow Dash came up, Spitfire couldn't close her mouth. She talked about how pretty she was, how well she flew, how fast she flew, and over all that she was an amazing pony.

Soarin nudged Spitfire with his shoulder. "Sorry." Spitfire replied with a laugh.

They continue walking down the halls, talking about this and that before Soarin noticed a figure on the floor ahead. It's mane was colorful like a rainbow; wings unfurled and spread out on the floor. "Isn't that Rainbow Dash?" he asked, looking at Spitfire. "Huh… why's she sleeping here?" she asked out loud.

Rainbow Dash's body was motionless except for weak, almost inaudible breathing. Spitfire inched closer cautiously and then noticed the blood on the floor and in Dash's feathers. She looked at the motionless Rainbow Dash in horror, a hoof moving up to her mouth as she froze in shock.

"Go get help!" Soarin told Stormcloud and Fleetfoot, who turned and galloped down the hallways. Spitfire collapsed next to Dash, reaching out to her with a hoof in disbelief of what she saw.

Soarin stared down at Dash and noticed there was a piece of paper tucked between her wing and side. He reached and slid it carefully from it's position, unfolding it slowly so he didn't tear it. It was nearly completely soaked in blood, but legible nonetheless.

Dear Wonderbolts,

This is what happens to your precious ones when you fuck with my team. Let this be a lesson to all of you, and keep in mind what has happened here today. Cross us again, and the next pony will be enjoying a fate worse than simple death.

Love,

White Storm.

Soarin grimaced as he read the note. "It was the Silver Bullets who did this," he told Spitfire, holding the note out to her.

Spitfire kept her gaze locked on her marefriend, who was showing no signs of waking up. "Rainbow… " she whispered, placing her hoof on the unconscious pony's cheek. "Wake up… please… " her voice wavered in sorrow just as Fleetfoot and Stormcloud returned with a few nurses and a gurney . Soarin pulled Spitfire back and watched as the nurses got her on the gurney, using slow movements in order not to cause further damage to Dash.

Spitfire was silent, watching along with Soarin and the rest of them as the nurses carried Dash slowly to the hospital wing of the HQ. They followed closely, all in shocked silence.

The group sat in the waiting room, awaiting news on Rainbow Dash. Fleetfoot and Stormcloud stared at the floor in silence. Soarin sat opposite them in a small square-like pattern of chairs. Spitfire sat adjacent to Soarin, leaning over into Soarin's embrace, tears flooding from her eyes. Silence crept through the room as she calmed. Soarin stroked her mane to help her do so, but until now had no effect.

A mare with a nurse's hat on approached the group. She took a breath, and began to speak. "She's hurt very badly. Both of her wings are broken in multiple places, four of her ribs are broken, two more fractured." She paused as they all focused on her and concentrated on her words. "Is that all…?" Spitfire asked, turning her gaze to the nurse's hooves.

"She has internal bleeding in three places as well. She… she'll be lucky to make it through the night." Spitfire looked up at her pleadingly. "Can I see her…?"

The nurse sighed, thinking. "I'm going to be in trouble for this…" she said under her breath, but not quite quiet enough to prevent them from hearing. "Come with me." She said, turning around as they all stood and followed slowly after her.

Spitfire was the first to go into the room in which Dash was. She walked up to the side of the bed, looking over Dash's body; she could see how serious the damage was. She lowered her gaze to the edge of the bed and sniffed once. "This is all my fault…" Soarin put his arm around her, "No it's not. You couldn't have known about this," he told her as he embraced her tightly.

Spitfire pushed him away, "I need to be alone…" she said between trembles.

"Okay," he ushered the rest of them out, including the nurse. As soon as they were all gone, Spitfire's head and front hooves fell onto the bed. She buried her face into Rainbow Dash's thigh as she shut her eyes tight.

Then, she cried.