Investigative reporter Sterling Silver chewed the end of his quill. "So, Miss Dash, I'd like to think the dust has settled by now. It has been a full year since the allegations surfaced. Have your thoughts on the matter changed in the meantime?"

"Have they changed? Tch." She rolled her eyes sluggishly, burying herself deeper into her cloud couch. "No. Why, have anypony else's?"

"Well, it's a prickly matter, as I'm sure you're aware. While there was never incontrovertible proof as to the extent of the Competitive Flying Commission's claims, you have to admit, the available evidence is... overwhelming. More than has been amassed against any other professional flyer in the history of—"

"Your point?" Dash scowled.

"Sorry. Point is, everypony who knows your name is convinced by now that you've indulged in performance-enhancing spells and potions. But they're no longer outraged like they were before, when the news first hit. I truly think your fans are willing to forgive you; they want to see their hero come back stronger than ever. But that's never going to happen, unless... you know... you begin to adopt a more contrite attitude about—"

"About [i]what[/i]?" She shot up out of the couch, wings flapping. "About being slandered by my trainers and colleagues? About everything being blown totally out of proportion? About having ever record and achievement to my name stripped from history?" She threw her hooves out in exclamation. Her crazed eyes lingered over the trophies strewn out in decoration across the walls of her living room. Although the awards were officially rescinded, Sterling knew, most tournament officials had been loath to physically repossess them. Especially after the first few attempts went awry.

Slightly fearful, Sterling nonetheless ventured a lead: "For the record, if you still maintain your innocence, to what do you attribute the mountain of circumstantial evidence against you? The testimonies, the payoffs, the duped blood samples...?"

"How should I know? It's probably Wind Rider out to frame me again! Or Lightning Dust! Or Spitfire! She's always been jealous of my progress..."

"Actually, Sp—" Sterling thought better of reminding Dash that Spitfire had at one point been the last member of the Wonderbolts to maintain her protégée's innocence. "Never mind."

[hr]

Rainbow managed to hold back her tears until the reporter had left. This much, at the least, she was proud of. Having vented all her anger, she now felt the familiar twinges in her chest that signaled the arrival of a much different emotion. In learned routine, Dash retired to her bedroom and drew the blinds closed.

"It's not your fault, Mom and Dad," she whispered to a family picture cradled between her hooves. "You didn't know the beast you were feeding. But sometimes, I just couldn't tell the difference between love and achievement, y'know?"

[i]I just couldn't keep pace. My friends, fans, and family all demanded more of me. More than I could ever provide.[/i]

[i]The more I won the more they expected of me. The worse of a mess I got into.[/i]

[i]Just a little bit of aid here and there, and suddenly I was in a league where I couldn't compete without constantly being on gear.[/i]

[i]The Element of Loyalty has betrayed all her fans. The icon of bravery is too cowardly to own up to it.[/i]