“So, Robert, how are you truly doing?” Gris asked, after a moment. He'd adjusted his position so he could watch Rainbow and Gilda.

“Far better than I ever expected.” Robert said. “I have to admit, I wasn't sure coming to Equestria was a good idea.”

“And now?” Gris prompted gently.

“Now I am glad that I did.” he replied. “I don't think I would have earned my stripes if I'd stayed home.”
“I see you haven't earned all of them.” Gris noted, raising the brow of his missing eye.

“All good things come to those who wait. Besides, not all my visions have come to pass.” Robert said. “Then again, I did not expect I would learn to fly.” that caused Gris to swing his head around.

“Come again?” he asked, momentarily forgetting Rainbow and Gilda.

“I had an allergic reaction to a compound while making potions with Zecora. I was blown across a clearing, and into a tree. When I woke, the wings I had for a special trick?” Gris nodded. “They were stuck in place and my magic was broken. Wouldn't work at all. Rainbow Dash taught me to fly.”

“So, you overcame your fear?” Gris asked.

“No.” Robert chuckled. “Every time I take to the air, I'm terrified I'm going to crash. It's... not something I can get rid of I don't think. So I either let it win, or I fight it. And you know me. I never back down from a fight.”

“Even one you can't win.” Gris nodded. Robert gave him an offended glare, which had no effect. At all.

“I do win even my fair share of those.” Robert said. “Hah, and I just got finished telling Twilight I don't boast.”

“Telling the truth is not boasting. Unless done to excess.” Gris smiled. “There is of course the fact that you haven't won any fights you couldn't win.” he chuckled. “After all, if you won, obviously they weren't unwinnable.”

“Out numbered a dozen to one, surrounded, and attacked from above as well? I think that was pretty well unwinnable, and I won.” Robert snorted. “And that one is no boast. I have the guard statements to back it up. Gris rolled his eye.

“Very well, I'll give you that one. Can you hear them?” Gris asked, pointing towards Rainbow and Gilda.

“Not really.”

---

Gilda waited at the base of the stairs for Rainbow. Rainbow sat down for a long moment. “So.”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

“Right.”
“We should probably use more words.”

“Yes, probably.” Gilda hung her head. “Rainbow. I'm sorry.”

“I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have thrown you out of my life like that. I should have given you a chance to change.” Rainbow offered. “Not threw you out on your tail feathers. My element is supposed to be loyalty. That means loyalty to all my friends.”

“I wasn't a very good friend.” Gilda admitted. “I guess I didn't grow up very well.”

“Nah, you grew up fine. Maturing just escaped you.” Rainbow smiled. Gilda smiled back after a moment.

“Yeah, I guess it did.” Gilda sighed. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Rainbow asked.

“Saving my life.” Gilda replied. “If you hadn't sent me to Gris, I don't think I would have convinced them.”

“I didn't send you to him. But if that hadn't been an option, I would have brought you back.” Rainbow grinned. “So, have you changed?”

“A little.” Gilda admitted. “I'm still me, but he's been teaching me to control it.”

“Good.” Rainbow nodded. “Control is important.”

“Yeah. I guess I owe a few apologies.” Gilda said. “To your yellow friend more than anyone else.”

“Yeah.” Rainbow nodded. “And Pinkie.”

“Oh.” Gilda had tried very hard to forget Pinkie. It was impossible, but she'd made a valiant effort. “Yes, I guess she deserves one as well. I might as well apologize to all the rest of them, just in case.”

“Probably a good idea. In fact, apologize to Pinkie first, and she'll help with the rest.” Rainbow shrugged. She'd made an apology or two in the past. So had Pinkie, though it was decidedly difficult to remain mad a Pinkie.

“Goody. I see my punishment is only just beginning.” Gilda sighed. “Do you think you'd be willing to help me? So they believe me?”

“Of course. What are friends for?” Gilda smiled. So did Rainbow. “Now, I've got a race to win, and you have got to watch.”

“Sure, what are friends for?” Gilda asked.

---

Twilight, Robert, Gris and Gilda lined up on the edge of the roof of the Embassy. Some distance up in the sky, sitting on a cloud, Rainbow, Gyre and Longwing lined up.

“Twilight, we're ready. Give us the go.” Rainbow called. Twilight counted to seven, then fired a flash of light from her horn. The racers exploded forward. It was more of a contest than the four on the rooftop had seen in some time. Gyre was not as fast as the other two, but he did not let a simple lack of speed stop him in the slightest. He fell in behind Longwing, using the other Griffon's draft to pull him along. Rainbow led almost immediately, shooting straight out from the others. She was fast, but her lead wasn't quite so large as she would have thought. Longwing stayed within a few pony lengths of her, no matter how fast she went. As they approached the first turn, she realized what he was doing. He was drafting HER.

She wasn't about to let that pass. She over shot the turn, then twisted, whipping around, and over Longwing's head, before diving down between him and Gyre, and disappearing forward into the night. The pair of Griffons struggled to backwing and change direction. Rainbow shot on away, though she didn't get too far ahead. It wasn't fun if the opposition didn't think they still had a chance to win. Gyre drafted behind Longwing again, then burst out and over the bigger griffon, and dove straight towards Rainbow. She felt him coming up behind her, and let him catch up. Not too much, then she put on a burst of speed, hit the next turn and leveled out into the straight. She shot over the ground, not quite losing him, and even Longwing managed to catch up and keep up in Gyre's slipstream. The final turn came up fast. Rainbow braked sharply, carved a line around the cloud pillar with the tip of a wing, then exploded back the other direction, shockwave disrupting the careful draft the other two had been maintaining. All pretenses forgotten, Rainbow poured on the speed. She wasn't going quite fast enough for a sonic rainboom, but Twilight could feel the energy crackling, waiting for release. Dash rode the edge of that energy, and was a full minute and a half ahead of her competition.

Gyre and Longwing were speechless when they finally arrived. Gilda wasn't. She was rolling on the ground, laughing madly. “You two just got owned. By a pony!” she managed in between fits of laughter.

“I had not anticipated that level of speed.” Longwing admitted. “Nor such grace in stringing us along for so much of the race.

“No Sonic Rainboom?” Twilight asked. Rainbow shrugged.

“Didn't want to show off.” Gilda laughed even harder.

---

Twilight and her friends were waiting for the train to Ponyville when Rainbow, Robert, and Gilda arrived. Fluttershy slid behind Applejack when she saw them. Pinkie paused in her bouncing. She resumed it after a moment, slightly slower, and not quite as high into the air.

“Girls.” Twilight's voice caused them to look at her. Except Rarity who was still examining her luggage. “Rarity?” Rarity looked up.

“Gilda has something to say.” Rainbow said. Gilda hesitated, and Rainbow nudged her forward.

“Thanks.” she muttered, completely ignoring Rainbow's return grin. “I have been made aware that I was not a...” she faltered, searching for the words. “Very good friend.”

“Duh.” Pinkie said, to glares. “What?”

“It's okay. I get what Rainbow was saying. I got older, but... I still needed to do some growing up. She helped me meet someone that saw the same things. And he helped me do that. To her I'll be grateful forever. And as for the rest of you... I owe each of you an apology.” she looked at them. “I was a pretty big jerk. I'm still a jerk, and I know that. I hope I can come and show you that I've changed sometime in the future.”

“Yes.” that was Fluttershy. The others turned to look at her. “If Discord can change, so can she.”

“Sure.”

“Of course.”

“Why not?” the others chorused.

“Absolutely.” Twilight nodded. “Any time you're ready, we'll be happy to see the new you.”