By the Moonlight

The Third - Vertigo

The blue pegasus angrily gave her pillow another smack. Damn all this confusion! Now even she didn't understand what exactly it was she felt or wanted.

Flight camp held many a fond memory for Rainbow Dash. It was when she had discovered just how talented she was, after all. Oh, and how brash she had been. The spunkiest little filly in all of Equestria!

She had grown, however- matured and changed. Now whenever she looked back, she did so not with pride or a sense of accomplishment, but shame and regret. She just didn't seem to be as rough as she had been. A loss and a gain at the same time.

Of course, that wasn't what kept her up now, was it? No, it was that she simply couldn't bring herself to break this to all those who had grown so used to her as who she had been. If somepony needed a quick flier with a sharp tongue and flashy tricks, Dash was your mare. Reputations grow on you.

And Gilda, her old friend. They had been true friends back in those days, the griffon's bold edge something to be enjoyed and shared. When they had met again... Rainbow sighed. Did she really have to remember? Of course she did. You can't help yourself if you just forget.

When they had met again, she still had been her old self. The two had enjoyed each others' company, perhaps at the expense of a certain hot pink earth pony. But then her feathered friend had burst out like that and the pegasus had been overcome by fear. What if she would become like that? What if being "cool" would end up taking priority over her true friends? Ever since, Dash had that awful feeling deep inside that something was wrong with you, and you didn't know how to fix it or whether it was really wrong. Whatever it was, it had made her lose her edge- that can-do attitude shared by her beloved Applejack.

She glanced outside. The moon was shining rather brightly. A little spin would clear her thoughts... She pushed the window open gingerly and spread her wings, then took off leaving a rainbow-hued trail behind her.