The trip back to Cloudsdale was long and quiet, but when Rainbow Dash finally made it back to the arena, Fluttershy was waiting faithfully. The winners had already been announced and they were preparing to begin the uniform distribution ceremony for the new inductees when Rainbow had come back, so Fluttershy did her best to distract her friend from the crowd's roars but ultimately found it futile to raise her spirits.
"I'm not sure what I'm gonna do now," Rainbow Dash said looking out over the arena from a waiting area away from most of the crowd. "I just felt like this was my shot you know? My one shot and I blew it."
"Now, now Rainbow Dash, I'm sure you did your very, very, absolute best and I'm sure that if you keep doing the best that the Wonderbolts will take you in next time."
"Next time? Next time?! They have never done this before and I don't know if they will ever do this again!" Rainbow Dash half yelled, half cried out while fighting back tears. "This was my dream Fluttershy and look at me now, I'm going right back to kicking clouds forever!"
"But, Rainbow Dash, your forgetting how important your job is, if you didn't do your job we would have gloomy skies and rain that wouldn't stop, or worse…a drought and we wouldn't be able to grow any food."
"That's not me Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said then turning her view to the open sky. "I need freedom, I need adventure, I need…I need to go fast. Do you know what I mean?"
"I do." A voice from behind them said. They both turned and where surprised to Spitfire trotting in. "Not gonna lie kid that was some slick flying, your're fast, no doubt about it. Its shame that you couldn't demonstrate the qualities we need to be a team player."
"Spitfire, you gotta listen to me," Rainbow Dash pleaded. "I practice day and night, I eat breathe and sleep Wonderbolts. Listen if you just give me the chance to-"
"Soarin' really wanted you in," Spitfire interupted. "He kept on and on about how you went back for your teammate, how we needed that sort of loyalty on the team. Ironic don't you think, Soarin' wanting you in for the loyalty you'd be bringing to the team."
"I don't understand," Rainbow Dash stammered the tears beginning to fall freely. "Why then?"
"Why? Well that's simple, it's not your loyalty to us I question, it's his loyalty to me that is in jeopardy. Now if you'll excuse me I have a ceremony to attend." Spitfire took off to join the other Wonderbolts.
Rainbow Dash, unable to think of any reasonable response, broke down into tears with Fluttershy unable offer any words of comfort, wrapping her arms around her as she wept.
Two Months Later
"Oh dear! Spike this is terrible," Twilight Sparkle fretted as she paced back and forth in her library.
"Oh come on Twilight, it can't be that bad. What's the matter now?" Spike mumbled while descending the staircase and rubbing sleep from his eyes. As usual Twilight was keeping him awake in the middle of the night and would do so until the situation was resolved.
"The Princess is canceling her meeting with me in Canterlot; she said she has an important meeting that she'll she have to reschedule to next week."
"So what's the big deal, just go next week then?"
"It's not the rescheduling Spike; it's who she is rescheduling me for. She is having a meeting with Lord Graywing."
"Lord Whowing?" Spike said scratching his head.
"Lord Graywing Spike," Twilight explained. "The high king of the east, he is the leader of the griffons, whose armies maintain peace in our world. His armies protect Equestria from the other nations that would wish harm on us. He keeps Equestria safe and Princess Celestia and Luna raise the sun and moon for him."
"How come I've never heard of him?"
"Not too many ponies do Spike, Equestria has become self-sufficient over the years, and with Lord Graywing protecting us from outside threats, I don't believe he's been in our lands for thousands of years. So whatever the Princess is meeting him for is probably really important"
"Thousands?! Does he have the long life of an Alicorn or something?"
"I believe he's got much more power than that Spike, there has never been much written about him except in the oldest of books in Canterlot, all I know is before Celestia and Luna were, he was. He forged his empire during the Great Darkness and defeated the never ending night!"
"But wasn't the never ending night Nightmare Moon's doing?"
"As I said Spike, there isn't a lot written about him, I suppose during my meeting with the Princess I can ask about him, or...wait, better yet…Spike take a letter."
Spike quickly rummaged around the library and grabbed and a parchment and quill. "Ready when you are."
"Dear Princess Celestia, I am willing to reschedule my appointment with you; however I would like to know if it would be possible for Spike and I to accompany you on your trip to not only meet with Lord Graywing, but to see if we can learn more about this world around us. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
With that Spike breathed heavily and lit fire to the parchment to send it to the Princess.
"Gee Twilight, do you really think she'll let us go?"
"I don't know Spike I'm sure-"
"Twilight!" A voice from outside yelled out. "Twilight Sparkle you need to hurry!"
"What in the world?" Twilight said as she headed toward to the door. "Is that
Rarity?"
Twilight's question was answered when her door flew open to an out of breath white unicorn with a well styled purple mane. "Twilight, its Rainbow Dash and Applejack, they, they,"
"Slow down Rarity, they're what?"
"They're," now Rarity voice was high pitched and squeaky. "They're destroying my store!"
"OOF!" Applejack grunted as she tumbled into a mannequin knocking it over and sending rolls of fabric flying. "Why you no good cloud chasing slacker, I'mma tan yer blue hide!"
Rainbow Dash dug at the floor with her fore hoof and snorted. "Not before I beat you so hard they'll call you Applesauce!"
"That's it!" Applejack yelled as she reared up on her hind legs and charged her at top speed. Rainbow Dash beat her wings and took off towards her as well. However there collisions never came, instead they were both held fast by a magical force. They were left inches away from each other, suspended in a purple mist.
"Stop it you two!" Twilight yelled as she barged in with Rarity.
"Stay out of this Twilight, Applejack has this coming to her!" Rainbow yelled as she struggled against the spell.
"Coming to me!? Why I never, you brought all this down on yerself!" Applejack yelled back at her also fighting to free herself.
"My store!" Rarity said on the brink of fainting as she looked at the destruction.
"You two need to calm down and let's just talk about this." Twilight said trying to reason with the two of them.
"Just stay out of this!" the two said angrily.
"No, I'm not gonna stay out of a problem that has my two good friends at each other's throats. Now either your both gonna tell me what you're fighting about or I'll leave you stuck up there all day!"
"I came here to drop off an order of apples for Rarity and Rainbow here sucker hoofs me!"
"Yeah...well...Applejack cost me my job!"
"I didn't cost you nothin' maybe if you weren't sleepin' all day and workin' the
weather. Things wouldn't have turned out so bad for ya!"
"Wait, Rainbow you're not running the weather team anymore?" Twilight interjected, this was the first she had heard about it.
"I made some complaints to the mayor that we weren't getting enough rain, that the rain wasn't even following the schedules. Next thing I hear, Rainbow Dash was kicked out of weather duty." Applejack explained calming down. Then addressing Rainbow Dash, "Rainbow I swear I didn't try to get you in trouble, it's just that the apples were not getting nearly enough rain. Honest I didn't! Why would I want to get you in trouble?"
Twilight let them both down as the both seemed to calm down and then spoke to Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash, what happened, you've been removed from the weather team?"
"It's true," Rainbow Dash said through a sullen looking face. "I've… I've been a little off lately. I just, I haven't been keeping up with the clouds, and I guess when mayor brought it up with the pegasus council…I guess that was the last straw."
"Oh dear, do you know what you're going to do?" Twilight asked.
"I got a new job, I was picking up the uniform from Rarity when I ran into Applejack I guess that I just lost it a little, and I'm really sorry Applejack. I've been kinda down for the past few days."
"It's alright Rainbow Dash, how about we help Rarity and clean up this shop?"
"Sounds good Applejack, sorry about the mess Rarity."
Rarity nodded and the four friends began to clean up the shop, talking and catching up on things, try to move past the little spat that had just happened, but then Spike burped up a parchment which prompted a the attention of the whole group.
"Twilight, this is good news," Spike blurted out "The princess says that you can attend the meeting, as well as have access to the history books in Lord Graywing's library!"
"Spike that's wonderful," Twilight exclaimed.
"She's given us a ticket to Canterlot, you leave tomorrow!"
"Fantastic! Let's help clean up this shop then go home and pack then Spike."
"Weird," Spike added. "She want's me to stay here..." his voice quite and unnoticed over the excitment.
"Twilight dear," Rarity chimed in, "Who is this Lord Graywing?"
"I'll explain as we clean but first, Rainbow Dash what was the new job you were able to get?"
With a loud sigh Rainbow Dash confessed, "Mail delivery."