Chapter 7: Newbie Dash
It was another beautiful day in Ponyville as Rainbow was taking a casual flight above the town with Chase doing his jiujitsu skills by jumping on rooftops of the houses and running on them while doing front flips.
"You're really getting good at jumping really high, Chase." Rainbow said. "I'm surprised you've been using your jiu jitsu skills well when you were young."
Chase chuckled.
"Well, it's not the skills that matter, Rainbow. It's the pony who learns it." Chase said, giving Rainbow a wink. Rainbow just smiled back.
"Hey! Rainbow Dash!" Somepony shouted.
Chase and Rainbow looked down below. There was Scootaloo, riding her scooter with a big smile on her face and waving at them. Chase and Rainbow landed.
"Hiya, Scootaloo!" said Rainbow, "What's up?"
"The Rainbow Dash Fan Club just decided - everypony's coming to see you when the Wonderbolt's new tour comes through Ponyville and for Chase's birthday party!" Scootaloo told her.
"Well, it's great that you guys are going to the show, Scoot," said Rainbow, "but I won't actually be performing in it. Reservists aren't in the show unless one of the real Wonderbolts can't fly." Rainbow chuckled, "I'll probably be working crowd control or something."
"And she'll be waving pom-poms about," Chase teased.
"Cut it out!" Rainbow remarked, giving Chase a playful shove. Scootaloo just looked away, clearly feeling a little disappointed, but then quickly recovered.
"You're still gonna be wearing a Wonderbolts uniform though and be at Chase's birthday party, right?" Scootaloo asked.
"A Reservist one and for Chase's party, yeah," Rainbow answered.
"Hmm," Scootaloo pondered before smiling, "That's good enough for me."
Chase thought of something.
"You know, Scootaloo," said Chase, "You could go to the show for my sake and not just cause Rainbow is going to be there."
"What do you mean?" said Scootaloo, "You're just friends with the Wonderbolt Captain. You don't get to fly in the show. Besides, they'll be celebrating your birthday there."
"He actually is," said Rainbow, "In honor of having his birthday there, Spitfire asked Chase to lead the routine during the Ponyville Wonderbolt show. She feels that ponies should see just how cool and special Chase is."
"Why do you need to show ponies you're special?" Scootaloo asked, "You are special...to me, to my friends, to your friends...You've got nothing to prove." Chase chuckled.
"Spitfire feels I need a confidence boost," said Chase, "Twilight told her about my issue from my encounter with Zhao when I was fighting him in Past Cloudsdale. Spitfire thinks a little showcasing of my flying skills would help ponies see me more positively. I just need to believe in myself so I can prove that I'm worthy."
It was then the sound of jet engines roaring was heard high in the sky. Up above were Soarin, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot, flying in the sky at high speed. Spitfire then noticed Rainbow, Chase, and Scootaloo watching them.
She gave a fore-hoof gesture to both Soarin and Fleetfoot, who both nodded as she broke away from the group. Rainbow, Chase, and Scootaloo both smiled as Spitfire made a hard landing. Scootaloo was a bit shook up from the rumble, but also very impressed.
"Whoa!" said Scootaloo in amazement.
"There's my flying superstar!" said Spitfire as she lifted her goggles.
"Heh...thanks," said Rainbow sheepishly.
"Not you!" Spitfire said annoyingly, "Chase!"
Chase just chuckled as Rainbow rolled her eyes as the two best friends did their special hoof-shake and then ended it by shaking tails.
"Excited for the big show, buddy?" Spitfire asked. "Especially for your birthday?"
"Yup. Just hope I'm ready for this." Chase said, feeling a little unsure.
"Oh come on, Chase!" Spitfire said as she started jabbing his shoulder continuously with her fore-hooves in a playful manner, "You are a superstar! Now repeat: You're a super star!"
"Okay! Okay!" Chase said with a laugh. "Now quit trying to bruise me. You're gonna break something there!"
Spitfire and Chase chuckled to each other.
"Rainbow Dash!" said Spitfire, "Glad we found you too. We need you in the show when we get to Ponyville." Rainbow was in shock.
"But she's only in the Reserves!" Scootaloo pointed out.
"Not anymore, kid," said Spitfire.
"She has a surprise for her!" said Chase, hinting that he actually knew Spitfire was going to make this announcement. Rainbow gave a slow gasp.
"You mean..." said Rainbow slowly since the news was still overwhelming. Scootaloo then gasped.
"Rainbow Dash!" said Scootaloo excitedly, "You're finally a full-fledged Wonderbolt! Woo-hoo! Yeah! Rainbow Dash! Whoo!" Scootaloo laughed and did a little victory dance. Rainbow was in a state of shock.
"Heh, what she said," said Spitfire.
It was then the news finally sank into Rainbow's brain. The blue Pegasus soon had a very big and happy smile on her face.
*Main theme*
Later at Rainbow's cloudominium, the rest of the Mane thirteen, except for Starlight, Trini, and Antonio, and Spike were in the living room as they watched Rainbow zooming about trying to pack her suitcase.
"Uh, anypony seen my wing balm?" Rainbow asked the group, "I don't want to be stiff when I show up at Wonderbolt's headquarters." Rainbow flexed the tips of her feathers to prove her point.
"Got it!" said Spike as he held the item in his claw. Rainbow then grabbed both the balm and Spike and stuffed them into her suitcase and closed it.
"Do you have time to tell us what happened, Rainbow Dash?" said Twilight.
"Oh, yes," Rarity added as Spike popped out of the suitcase looking rather dazed, "we must know every detail!"
"Start from when you were a foal and you first knew your destiny was to become a Wonderbolt!" Pinkie said excitedly as she landed on top of the suitcase, closing it with Spike still inside of it.
"Heh. Well, not much to tell, really," said Rainbow as she finally landed, "Spitfire told me the Wonderbolts need me to go on tour with them."
"That's really great," said Fluttershy as Spike wearily crawled out of Rainbow's suitcase, "I know how long you've been waiting for a spot to open up."
"We're very proud of you, Dashie," said Sokka as he put a fore-hoof over his wife's shoulders.
"Yeah," said Rainbow, "Fire Streak decided to retire and teach full-time. Cloudsdale Flight School will probably be churning out Wonderbolts with him there. But guess who was at the top of the Reserves List?"
"Ooh, ooh, I know!" Pinkie shouted as she waved a fore-leg in the air, "Pick me!"
"Was it Thunderlane?" Clay guessed.
"No..." Rainbow said bluntly.
"Muffins?"
"No," said Rainbow irritably.
"Twilight?"
"No!" Rainbow snapped.
"Yeah! Mom's a princess and she doesn't like the center of attention sometimes." Nyx said with a glare.
Twilight nodded in agreement with her daughter.
"Oh, then it was my Flutters!" said Sokka, "She's the best flyer in Equestria."
"Oh, Sokka, stop it!" said Fluttershy, trying to scold him but ended up giggling at his complement. Rainbow just rolled her eyes.
"He's just kidding, Dash," said Sunray, "Of course it would be you."
"Yeah, you don't need to be so dramatic." Jade added with a smile.
Rainbow just smirked.
"Duh, of course it would be me!" Rainbow replied.
"Aw..." Pinkie whined, "I didn't even get to guess!"
"So what do you do now, Dashie?" Rarity asked curiously before anypony could give Pinkie some sympathy.
"I have to report to Wonderbolts headquarters this afternoon," Rainbow answered, "It's only two days 'til tour starts, and I need to learn the routine. Plus Chase said he would help me since he's going to be headlining the Ponyville show for his birthday."
"Oooh! I can't wait to see how cute Chase looks in a Wonderbolt uniform," said Twilight as she looked at him lovingly. "And to be there for his birthday party again."
Chase smiled as he blushed a bit before he stood beside Rainbow.
"Then we better get going," said Chase. Rainbow nodded and went to open the door and there outside the door was Pinkie with her party cannon, cakes, balloons, and presents.
"You're leaving already?!" Pinkie gasped, "But we barely started your congratulation party! I haven't even thought about your going-away party yet!"
"Couldn't she have just been a little bit more patient than be so quickly?" Sunray asked Jade with a blunt look as his sister shared the same look.
"I think she'll never learn, little bro." Jade replied back.
"Pinkie, I'm not leaving Ponyville," said Rainbow, "I just have to train for this show. Besides, Chase is coming with me and we'll be celebrating his birthday at the Wonderbolts reserve." The rest of the group walked up to the blue Pegasus and alicorn prince.
"I hope everything goes well," said Fluttershy as she handed Rainbow her flying goggles, "Sounds like an awful lot of pressure having to learn everything so quickly."
"Yeah. Good luck, Dash," said Clay.
"Luck? Heh," said Rainbow confidently as she put her goggles on, "Save that for the rest of the team. Now that my awesomeness has finally been recognized, the other Wonderbolts will have to keep up or eat my cloud trail!" Rainbow then hovered into the air, her ego in full swing.
"Everypony knows you're a great flyer, Rainbow Dash," said Twilight, "but so are the rest of the Wonderbolts. It might be more challenging than you think."
"My wife has a good point, Rainbow," said Chase, "Plus it's not a good idea to show up acting like a big shot. It's only gonna get you into trouble."
"Aw, you're right!" said Rainbow, "I mean, do I show up wearing sunglasses or not? Sunglasses are automatically cool, but anypony can put them on. Maybe I'd stand out more if I didn't."
Chase just face-hooved himself. Twilight, Nyx, Sunray, Jade, and Spike also glared at her while the others gave her funny looks.
(Scene changes)
It wasn't long before Rainbow and Chase were at Wonderbolts HQ. Chase had wasted no time fitting into his specially made Wonderbolts uniform while he still wore his wrappings, bandana, and still carried his katana swords. Spitfire was already in uniform as well as she gave Rainbow the grand tour.
"Team briefings are every morning at-" Spitfire began.
"...0720," Rainbow finished as Spitfire's expense, "because there were twenty ponies in the original E.U.P. Guard that became the Wonderbolts!"
"Right," said Spitfire annoyingly.
"Guess she learned it from the Wonderbolts history lesson in her younger years." Chase whispered to Spitfire with a smirk.
"Agreed, buddy." Spitfire said and she went back to speaking to Rainbow, "And I know you've seen the academy bunks, but these are the official Wonderbolt barracks."
"Built by Admiral Fairweather himself!" said Rainbow and went to head to the building when she was pulled back and landed on her stomach. Spitfire had stepped on Rainbow's tail to keep her from crossing.
"Don't forget rule number one, newbie," said Spitfire, "Always check both ways before crossing the runway." Spitfire then did just that before hovering across. Rainbow then looked to her left and then her right.
"Uh, sure, but..." said Rainbow as she hovered across, "nopony else is here."
"They will be," said Spitfire, "and most of the Wonderbolts like to make a flashy entrance, so stay alert."
"She's right about that," said Chase before he smirked. "or they might try to surprise you. So be on your guard."
Spitfire snickered loudly.
"Right, no problem!" said Rainbow and then noticed that Spitfire and Chase were already standing at the entrance to the barracks and the former gestured with a fore-hoof for Rainbow to come inside.
(Scene changes)
Once inside, the main room had a dozen or so beds set up in two rows and near the front was a glass display case that had a general's cap.
"Whoa!" said Rainbow, "is that General Flash's cap?!"
"And the original crest with the Wonderbolts motto on it," said Spitfire, "Say it with us, Chase!"
"Okay, okay." Chase said as he chuckled a bit.
"Altius volantis! Soaring Higher!" said Rainbow, Spitfire, and Chase together with a dynamic background behind them.
"Wow!" said Rainbow as she did a back-flip and then gasped when she saw Chase and Spitfire staring at her, "I mean, ha, cool." Spitfire and Chase smirked.
"Okay, newbie, we've got a show in two days," said Spitfire, "which means you gotta hustle your haunches to learn this routine. You got five minutes to get dressed and get outside to meet the rest of the team along with talking plans to make Chase's birthday party."
"Yes, ma'am!" said Rainbow, "I'll have all the moves down by the end of the day!"
"Let's hope so," said Spitfire.
"Yeah, because we're all expecting you to make quite an impression." Chase added as Spitfire then zoomed away, making Rainbow's mane and tail flow about.
"And try not to show off when you meet them," Chase warned, "I'd hate for you to do what so many other newbies do."
Chase then flew away to leave Rainbow alone.
"Heh, no worries, Chase," Rainbow told herself smugly, "I'm not like other newbies."
(Scene changes)
It wasn't long before she had on her own Wonderbolt uniform and was preening in front of a mirror.
"Lookin' good!" Rainbow told herself, "Okay, you're about to take your first flight as an actual Wonderbolt." Rainbow just sighed to herself, "No pressure."
Rainbow then did a stretching groan as she extended her fore-legs and then her hind legs.
"Just gotta go out there and knock 'em off their hooves," Rainbow continued telling herself before she smirked. "Okay, Wonderbolts, get ready to meet your most awesome member ever!"
She then put on her goggles and headed outside.
(Scene changes)
Rainbow had just arrived on the edge of the runway when several groups of Wonderbolts were chatting with each other. Rainbow then trotted importantly across the runway. Spitfire and Chase had been chatting with Misty Fly and another Wonderbolt. That's when the former saw Soarin and Fleetfoot coming in for a landing...
...and Rainbow was in the way!
"Hey, look out!" Spitfire shouted.
"Huh?" said Rainbow as she stopped moving and saw Soarin and Fleetfoot coming right at her, "Whooaaa!"
Rainbow jumped out of the way and ended up crashing into a trash can full of garbage. Rainbow gave an unsteady groan as he crawled out of the garbage can, covered in trash and grime.
Spitfire and Chase just walked up to her and shook their heads disapprovingly. It wasn't that they weren't concerned, but Chase had seen just how stuck up Rainbow was looking with she crossed the runway...incorrectly.
"Whoa, most awesome entrance by a newbie ever," said Misty Fly.
"Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?" Soarin asked with concern.
"More like Rainbow Crash," said Fleetfoot as the three Wonderbolts laughed.
"Ooooh, ouch," said Chase as he cringed painfully at the nickname. He saw that Rainbow just looked very hurt. Chase understood why.
Flashback
On the flight camp grounds, young Rainbow was hovering before her fellow flight students and adult instructor. Young Fluttershy was also amongst the young ponies, but kept to the back of the pack so she could remain unnoticed.
"Okay, flight school!" Young Rainbow boasted, "Get ready for Rainbow Dash!" She then tried to do a loop-de-loop.
"Hah-" Young Rainbow grunted but then halfway through she lost momentum, "Whoa!"
Young Rainbow then went into a tailspin, smacked into a cloud ring, tumbled off of several crowds, and then ended up plunging into a trash can. The trash can rolled about as Young Rainbow groaned and was covered in grime.
"More like Rainbow Crash!" Young Hoops remarked.
Everypony else, except Fluttershy, just started laughing at her. Even the instructor was snickering and didn't even bother asking if Young Rainbow was alright.
"Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash!" The young foals taunted leaving Young Rainbow feeling upset and embarrassed.
End Flashback
Back in the present, Rainbow was looking just as embarrassed and miserable.
"Dash? Are you okay?" Chase asked with concern, but Rainbow just growled inwardly.
"Hey!" Rainbow snapped, "You guys buzzed me on purpose!"
"Not quite," said Spitfire, "You forgot rule number one, newbie."
"Always check both ways before crossing the runway," said Surprise, Fleetfoot, High Winds, Misty Fly, and Soarin together.
"And I did warn you that these guys might try a surprise attack," Chase added, "You made it too easy, but at least you didn't land on your head and get an orange cone stuck on it."
Spitfire snorted loudly and then quickly coughed to recompose herself.
"Yeah, well, I was just...testing you guys!" Rainbow retorted.
The other Wonderbolts just laughed, making it clear nopony believed her. Chase just shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"Alright, nopony got hurt and we got a lot to do," said Spitfire as she made the laughter stop, "so let's forget about this and get flying!"
"She's right. Come on, guys! Let's get practicing!" Chase said as they started walking away.
"Classic rookie move, Rainbow Crash," said Misty Fly as she walked past the blue Pegasus, "That was amazing." Rainbow just looked upset as Chase walked up to her.
"Dash..."
"I'm fine," said Rainbow sternly before following the rest of the squad. Chase just sighed. He knew that Rainbow was anything but fine.
(Scene changes)
It wasn't long before the practice session began with Spitfire standing on a cloud with a loudhailer set up before her. Chase took the lead, but Rainbow was lagging behind.
"Higher, Crash!" Spitfire shouted, "You're breaking formation!"
Rainbow appeared to be having a hard time getting up to top speed before she finally managed to recover and catch up.
(Scene changes)
The next trick involved the team breaking into two groups to make some downward figure eights. Rainbow was at the back of one group while Soarin was at the back of the second group.
"Check your nine, Crash!" Soarin called out.
Hearing that nickname made Rainbow stop flying, but then she quickly recovered and got back with the formation.
(Scene changes)
Next the group was then flying in sync when the group made a sharp left turn, Rainbow was actually a little late making the turn herself.
"Tighter, Crash!" Spitfire yelled, "get in there!"
"My name's not Crash!" Rainbow growled when she ending up colliding into Surprise and sent them both tumbling into a cloud.
"Huh, could've fooled me," said Surprise as she flew off. Rainbow just poked out of the cloud looking very upset.
(Scene changes)
Soon practice was over, Rainbow headed to her own locker in the locker room, she was looking rather glum when Fleetfoot walked up to her.
"Hey, Crash," said Fleetfoot, "I know it was a tough day today, but don't worry. You'll get the hang of it."
"Tough day?" Rainbow replied in her cocky manner, "Please. If I can pull off a sonic rainboom..."
"And suffer stage fright beforehand," Chase remarked as he walked by, annoyed at Rainbow's boasting.
Rainbow glared at him.
"...I can learn this routine," Rainbow continued boasting, "I have it down cold tomorrow. Probably even come up with a couple of improvements."
"Oh, don't go trying to change the routine," said Chase as he put his goggles into his locker room. "Some of the best flyers have to show humility too."
"Just like you do with honor, handsome." Fleetfoot said with a smirk as Chase rolled his eyes with a smile.
"Rainbow Dash, over here!" said Spitfire as she leaned against the end of the wall. Fleetfoot couldn't help but back away behind the opposite wall.
"Yes, ma'am!" Rainbow asked as she hovered over to her.
"I'm glad you're still here," said Spitfire.
"Oh, yeah?" Rainbow replied smugly, "Did you want some ideas on how to make the show extra awesome?" Chase then walked up to Rainbow irritably.
"Okay, what part of "leave the routine alone" did you not understand?" Chase snapped.
"But Chase, we all wanna see you fly through a dozen thunderclouds and some fire geysers," Spitfire remarked with a pouty face.
"If you'll fly with me, then you've got a deal, sweetie," Chase replied smugly.
Spitfire just chuckled with Chase before the alicorn master stood beside her.
"Anyway, not quite," said Spitfire to Rainbow, "I know you've been a Reservist for a while, but the 'Bolts have a few rules you might not know about."
Chase pointed at something behind Rainbow Dash. Rainbow just gave Chase and Spitfire a funny look when she looked behind her to find four other Wonderbolts smirking as one held a mop and the other had a bucket of water.
"Like the worst flyer of the day has to clean up the whole compound," Spitfire remarked, "Better get to it, Crash." The others just walked off as Rainbow glared at them. Chase took notice.
"Sorry, Dash," said Chase, "But you gotta do it."
He then walked away.
"My name's not Crash," Rainbow sighed under her breath as she got to work.
(Scene changes)
It was late at night when Rainbow finished cleaning and headed for her cloudominium with Mario right behind her. He could tell that Rainbow looked rather miserable.
"Dashie..." Chase said gently.
"I'm fine!" Rainbow said bluntly as she kept flying. Chase hummed sternly before he got in front of her.
"Will you stop it?" Chase remarked, "It doesn't take a genius to realize that the Wonderbolt's new nickname is upsetting you!" Rainbow just looked away, not saying anything.
"Look, I've had a long day," said Rainbow, "and I just want to get home."
"Rainbow, nopony else is out here," said Chase, "I can tell me that this is bothering you. Why else would you have flown so badly today? That nickname was getting to you..."
"Well, what do you expect me to do?!" Rainbow snapped, "Tell my little sob story about how I was bullied as a filly with that nickname and look like a complete baby in front of the Wonderbolts! The Wonderbolts! I don't think so!" Chase just sighed.
"You really think too highly of them," said Chase, "The Wonderbolts aren't these almighty perfect ponies that you make them out to be. They're just regular ponies like you and me. In fact, Spitfire doesn't know everything."
"Don't talk about Spitfire that way!" Rainbow yelled.
"I can and I will!" said Chase sternly. "Besides, I knew her before she was a Wonderbolt. You may know Spitfire as this uncompromising, stubborn, and blunt Captain, but the real Spitfire is a caring pony. She just had a blunt way of showing it. And I'm telling you that if you told her the truth about being called "Crash", she'll understand. She might not give you a hug over it, but she'll understand."
"But she won't change it, will she?" said Rainbow sadly. Chase sighed.
"Probably not," said Chase slowly.
"Then what's the point?" said Rainbow, "I just wanna go home."
Rainbow then flew around Chase. Chase just gave her a sad look before catching up with her.
"Look, I won't force you to tell them the truth," said Chase, "but please consider it. I promise that they'll understand."
"Did you tell them about your issues?" Rainbow asked defensively.
"Actually, Spitfire did, without my consent," Chase remarked rather bitterly before sighing, "But...I did explain the situation to them and they were very sympathetic. In fact, it just added to the list of friends who have my back. Of course, Twilight got very jealous because Misty Fly and Fleetfoot kept cooing about how cute I am."
Rainbow just rolled her eyes.
"They were just being nice because you're a master of jiu jitsu and a prince," said Rainbow, "there's no way they'd be that nice to me."
Rainbow then surged ahead. Chase just sighed in defeat and went to catch up with her again but said no more.
Eventually, Chase and Rainbow arrived at the cloudominium, the blue Pegasus had just opened her front door when...
POP WHISTLE!
A party cannon blast covered Rainbow from head to hoof in confetti.
"Surprise!" said the rest of the six girls, Sokka, Clay, Sunray, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Rainbow walked inside first, followed by Chase, when they found her living room was decorated.
"What?" said Rainbow.
"Hooray, Rainbow Dash!" shouted the Cutie Mark Crusaders as the pointed up to a hand drawn banner of the blue Pegasus in her Wonderbolt uniform, "Our favorite Wonderbolt!"
Rainbow just stared at the banner as Chase stood beside her from her right.
"We know you're probably tired, Rainbow Dash," said Twilight as she walked up to her, "but Pinkie wanted to throw you a real party."
"You're best day," said Pinkie before finishing with a megaphone as she got in between Twilight and Rainbow, "ever party!" Rainbow just laughed and smiled nervously.
"Yeah," Rainbow replied, "it was somethin', all right."
"You can say that again," Chase muttered under his breath as Rainbow growled at him to keep quiet.
"Well, we can't wait to hear all about it," said Applejack.
"Heh. And I'd love to tell you, I really would," said Rainbow as she hovered over to the top her staircase, "but I'm pretty beat." She then gave a fake yawn, "You know, from all the excitement of my big day?"
The rest of the ponies all gathered around the bottom of the staircase.
"Um, is something wrong, Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked with concern.
"Yeah, you don't look so happy." Sunray added.
"What's the matter, girl?" Jade asked as well.
"What could be wrong?" Rainbow replied rather defensively, "I'm finally a Wonderbolt, which means everything has to be totally, perfectly awesome." She then sat at the top of the stairway with her wings extended in a droopy fashion. The others could tell she looked miserable.
"Rainbow, would you stop beating around the bush and..." Chase said in a gentle but firm tone.
"Zip it!" Rainbow yelled. Chase just looked angry and both Twilight and Rarity took notice.
"Oh, no," said Jade sternly as she gave her big brother a side hug, "Something is wrong, now tell us. What happened?"
"I told you, it's nothing!" said Rainbow defensively, "I mean, maybe some of the Wonderbolts started calling me Rainbow Crash." Fluttershy and Sokka cringed.
"Oh, no!" said Fluttershy, "Isn't that the same terrible nickname those bullies in flight school used to call you?"
"And they continued to taunt you with it for years until you finally pulled off that sonic rainboom?" Sokka added. Rainbow whimpered and nodded in reply.
"Why would they call you that?" Twilight asked and noticed that her husband clearly knew, "honey..."
"I'll tell her, Chase," said Rainbow before he could speak up, "Well, I kinda sorta fell into a garbage can." Rainbow whimpered again.
"Urgh," Twilight cringed.
"And Rainbow did the same thing during flight school to earn the nickname too," said Chase, "Talk about the worst case of déjà vu for you."
"You can say that again," Rainbow replied sadly, not upset Chase had told everypony else.
"Well, look at the bright side!" said Pinkie, "At least they didn't call you Rainbow Trash!"
Applejack shoved a fore-hoof into Pinkie's mouth as Sokka, Clay, Sunray, and Chase gave the pink pony a glare.
"So you started off on the wrong hoof," said Applejack, "I'll bet every new Wonderbolt has a tough first day."
"Mmm-hmm!" said Rarity in agreement.
"She's right," said Chase, "I might not be a Wonderbolt, but you know, I did have one of fair share of fights with one of my worst bullies at Canterlot when they mocked me about Grandpa not coming back."
"And being a newbie in the Royal Guard wasn't easy for me either," said Sokka, "I can't tell you how many times I got stuck with cleaning duty at the end of the day simply because I was the quiet cadet. At least I learned how to use over 150 different types of detergent." Sokka gave a chuckle, but then saw that Rainbow wasn't laughing.
"What you need is a positive way to stand out," Rarity suggested, "as soon as your known for something else, that nasty old nickname will be forgotten."
"Not to be a downer," said Jade, "but military nicknames tend to be rather set in stone."
"I can testify to that," said Sokka, "Even Shining Armor still calls me Turtle."
"Turtle?!" the others exclaimed.
"Why'd they call you Turtle?" Rainbow asked.
"Was it because you had a hard time coming out of your shell, dear?" Fluttershy asked.
"I wish, honey," said Sokka, "it was because one of the other cadets scared me and I crashed into a nearby suit of empty armor. The torso part trapped my upper half so the first thing that came out of the armor piece was my head, just like a turtle pokes its head out of its shell."
"Oh boy..." said Clay.
"What about you, honey?" Applejack asked her husband with a soft smile.
"I didn't do anything. I just had to watch Sokka clean up." Clay said.
"So is there no hope at all?" Rainbow asked worried. Chase just looked away, unsure about what to say.
"Rarity's right," said Twilight, hoping to cheer Rainbow up, "Why don't you think of the Wonderbolt like us? We're a team, and we all stand out in different ways."
"That's it!" said Rainbow as she hovered to the bottom of her staircase, "I'm gonna stand out in a different way, just like you guys. Goodbye, Rainbow Crash. Hello, Captain Awesome!" She then zoomed away, leaving everypony else with worried looks.
"I think you're advice just went over her head, Twilight," said Sokka as he sighed, "Well...at least Rainbow can now master how to use 150 different types of detergent." The others just rolled their eyes as Chase just shook his head.
"Practice tomorrow is gonna be painful, I just know it," he groaned.
"By the way," said Twilight, "You said you had your fair share of fights with one of your worst bullies in Canterlot, honey. What happened?"
Chase blinked before he became a little modest. Jade, Sunray, Sokka, and Clay gasped in surprise.
"You mean he hasn't told you and the others yet, Twilight?" Jade asked her sister-in-law with a grin before she chuckled with Sunray, Clay, and Sokka. "Oh, this is too rich!"
"What?" Nyx asked her aunt with a curious look as the others shared the same while Chase smiled modestly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I really rather you would not bother, little sis." Chase said while smiling sheepishly.
"Oh, come on, honey. At least let your family, Sokka, and Clay tell me." Twilight begged and gave him pouty lips. Chase rolled his eyes.
"Yeah. It's no bother, buddy." Sokka said with a smile.
"You see, guys. When we were still living in Canterlot, Chase was always challenged by some ponies, who would pick on him until he fought back." Jade said, telling them a story of Chase's battles.
Flashback
As Jade spoke, a series of scenes from Chase's childhood plays. It shows that Young Chase, back when he was a unicorn, faced off against some challengers that wanted to prove he was worthy of being like Darius Hisomi as a crowd of filles and colts watched as they cheered Chase on.
"Chase was once the unstoppable champion fighter and hoped that he would take Grandpa's place at the leader of the Elite Ninja. He surprised and impressed many with his courage, skill and honor. Princess Celestia was impressed with Chase's skills as well as the other ponies, but his successes led him to a final battle with one of our biggest bullies, Prince Blueblood." Jade narrated as Young Chase took on everyone of he fighters that would outfight him, only to be knocked out by the younger unicorn colt without ease as Princess Celestia appeared as she was impressed with Young Chase's jiu jitsu skills.
Young Chase bowed his head in respect to the sun princess as the fillies and colts around his age cheered and praised for him. That was when Blueblood watched everything and was very jealous before he walked away.
(Scene changes)
Another replay was shown as Chase was glaring at an opponent that Prince Blueblood had brought with him to tear the unicorn colt down.
"That snobby prince had brought out a bigger opponent for Chase to fight so that Blueblood would humiliate our brother in the tournament. His name was Strong Hooves." Sunray narrated as well as Strong Hooves battled Chase viciously trying to batter the unicorn colt as Chase was flown against a lamp post, breaking his right hind leg as he screamed in pain.
Princess Celestia appeared and asked if Chase wanted to forfeit.
"Poor Chase. His leg was broken in the battle, and it looked hopeless. The match was halted, and Chase was given the chance to forfeit, but he would not. He was allowed to splint his leg and continue the contest." Sokka narrated as well as Young Chase shook his head and declined the chance to forfeit.
Strong Hooves crossed his forelegs and waited impatiently as Chase picked up the two sticks and wrapped a bandage around his damaged leg, using it as a splint.
Chase stood ready to fight as Princess Celestia flew away and into the crowd to watch as the contest continued. Chase narrowed his eyes at Strong Hooves and allowed him to make the first move. Strong Hooves charged for a frontal assault. Chase however flipped over and kicked him right at his exposed chest, where Strong Hooves left himself wide open.
"I swear by Celestia's name not even me, Jade, Sokka, and Clay believed it when Chase managed to triumph over Strong Hooves, broken leg and all. It was spectacular." Sunray continued to narrate as Young Chase Strong Hooves's chest yet again and again, until finally Strong Hooves fell to the ground defeated. Chase bowed to his opponent and the crowd cheered for their newest champion. Prince Blueblood was shocked and furious before he walked away.
"Truly he was the best of the best that day. Chase was the new champion." Clay finished.
Flashback ended
The ten girls looked at Chase in awe as the alicorn master sat in a lotus position while meditating.
"He was unstoppable since the bullies in Canterlot almost tore him down until he fought back. And because of his fast reflexes, he was known as Chase 'Lightning' Young." Clay concluded.
"Whoa!" Sweetie Belle, Nyx, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo said in awe as the six mares ooohed in amazement.
"My husband… the greatest master in Canterlot." Twilight spoke to everypony.
"It was nothing, guys." Chase said with a smile.
"This is huge! It's like, finding out your friend is a power pony!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly.
"I won the competition. That is all. Besides, Grandpa always told us to approach our accomplishments with humility, honor, and grace." Chase said with a smile as he chuckled.
"You really have taken your grandfather's wisdom very seriously." Twilight said as she giggled.
Chase chuckled at his wife's enthusiasm.
"Ah! But wait my friends, for there is more. Dark deeds were afoot that day….." Sokka said as he, Jade, Sunray, and Clay became serious.
Flashback
Chase was walking through the town of Canterlot that night, ready to head home. Mist surrounded the place and it was somewhat eerie. He then suddenly stopped as he sensed that he was not alone. Suddenly, several pony figures wearing black body suits and had weapons came out of the shadows and charged at the young unicorn colt, ready to take his life.
Despite his injured leg, Chase was ready to fight. He spun in air and delivered a powerful kick knocking one of his assailants. He flipped backwards and took out another one, wincing a bit from the pain in his leg. A couple threw rope attached to balls and it wrapped around him.
Another assailant came charging at him with a blade, but Chase just in time and allowed the blade to cut him free from his binds. The assailant kept kicking at Chase above, but he blocked each one until his attacker hit his broken leg causing him to fall down in pain.
His attackers surrounded him and prepared to end his life once and for all.
That was until young Clay and young Sokka were seen walking down the same path as Chase when they saw what was happening. They gasped at the sight which gained the assassins attention.
Seeing that Chase needed help, Sokka and Clay decided to intervene and help. They narrowed their eyes at one of the assassin's as he charged to attack them. Clay took out his kusarigama chain, swung it as Sokka spun his machete and boomerang, as the Earth Pony colt swung the chain at the assassin and whacked him back.
Young Sokka then leapt up and kicked the next assassin that charged at him right in the face. He then ran over and began to attack the other two assassin's away from Chase.
Young Clay helped Young Chase up as they went to aid Young Sokka, but before they could do that, something grabbed them from behind and hoisted him up in the air. It was Strong Hooves.
Young Sokka gasped as he turned around and saw his friends being held by Strong Hooves. He ran to help, but then something tripped him as he grunted in pain while sliding on his stomach until Strong Hooves stopped him by placing his hind hoof on him. Then appearing out of nowhere, Prince Blueblood appeared with a glare he sent to the two ponies, more specifically Chase.
"So, little worm! You still think you can approve your grandfather's place as the leader of the Elite Ninja, you miserable ruffian?" Blueblood mocked with a glare. "You think yourself my better so you could accept my aunt's respect?! Think again!"
Prince Blueblood laughed as Strong Hooves began to crush the life out of them by holding them in a tight bear hug. But just as he was about to end all three of them, a yellow beam was shot out of nowhere and hit directly at Strong Hooves, forcing him to let go of Chase, Sokka, and Clay. A blue beam hit him again and sent him falling to his knees. They all looked to see that it was Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance, who had come to their aid. Santos, Jewel, Sunray, Trini, Antonio, Jade, Zayto, and Angel had come to their family member's aid as well.
"Chase and us would've been destroyed that night, if Chase's family, Princess Cadance, and Princess Celestia hadn't intervened." Clay finished.
Clay and Sokka helped Chase stand up and they stood beside Chase's family, Princess Celestia, and Princess Cadance as they glared at Strong Hooves, the ponies, and Prince Blueblood for harming them. Princess Celestia ordered a group of Royal Guards to bring Strong Hooves and his followers to the dungeon while Princess Celestia was gravely disappointed in Prince Blueblood as her nephew bowed in fear and shame to his aunt while Cadance glared at him hatefully for harming Chase.
Flashback ended
"After that, we brought Chase home so he could be attended to for his injury. Blueblood was then sent to Canterlot Castle and faced punishment for his crime on Chase." Sokka said with a smirk.
"And boy was Celestia really angry. She grounded Blueblood for a month and was nearly removed from his royal status." Jade added while snickering.
The rest of the Mane thirteen silently giggled while Chase smirked in amusement.
"Well, I for one am truly more disgusted with him after dismissing your story about him, Chase." Rarity said with glare. "He doesn't deserve to be a prince after what he has done to you."
"Well, that's one thing about being a prince as well. You have to show humility, respect, honor, and grace." Chase said. "Even if it means to tolerate everypony's behavior when they disrespect you."
Twilight giggled in amusement at her husband's words.
(Scene changes)
Next morning as the sun was rising into the sky, the Wonderbolts were fast asleep at the barracks. Soarin was fast asleep when he woke up to see Rainbow staring at him. The front of her mane had been styled just like Pinkies. She had also had tied balloons on the bedposts of their Wonderbolt beds.
"Good morning, everypony!" Rainbow said quickly like Pinkie would do and woke the other Wonderbolts up and hovered about, "Who's ready for a fantastic day of flying? I know I am! I just couldn't be more excited for the big show tomorrow. Are you guys excited? I'm excited. Actually, I'm always excited! Some ponies even call me "Dynamic Dash"!"
Rainbow then made face like she had eaten way too much sugar as balloons surrounded her and one of the balloons popped. Chase just watched everything with a blunt face at the scene.
"Because I'm so full of energy all the time," Rainbow continued as she did a back-flip and then panted like a puppy dog.
"Oh for the love of… ugh!" Chase groaned as he got out of bed and made his bed. He had been staying overnight since he needed all the practice he could get. Spitfire was now standing beside his bed with him.
"Did you..."
"Nope." Chase said sternly, finishing tucking and folding the sheets.
"Uh, Wonderbolts don't get excited, Crash," said Fleetfoot to Rainbow, "You gotta keep a level head to fly the way we do." Rainbow just sighed before she flicked her mane.
"Well, of course I know that!" Rainbow remarked, trying to imitate Applejack, country accent and all, "But the truth of the matter is, you should be excited! It's the dream of near every little Pegasus pony to grow up and fly with the Wonderbolts! And here you all are doin' it!" Soarin just watched Rainbow babble with still sleepy eyes as Chase just shook his head and went to take his turn brushing his teeth.
"So are you," said Fleetfoot as a matter of fact.
"True!" said Rainbow, still imitating Applejack as Fleetfoot brushed her teeth, "Go ahead and call me "Forthright Filly" if you want. But shee-yucks, I like to tell it like it is, and I believe a pony ought appreciate hard work payin' off like this, because bein' a Wonderbolt is somethin' special!"
"We know," said Misty Fly bluntly.
"Now quit mocking Applejack." Chase said. "Or she'll pound you into applesauce faster than it takes usin' a masher."
Rainbow then snapped out of her little charade and found that the sleeping room was now empty. Rainbow looked a little dejected at first, but she wasn't done trying to get the other Wonderbolts to see her differently just yet. She quickly headed out of the area.
(Scene changes)
Outside at the runway and training grounds, two Wonderbolts quickly soared across the foreground. On the ground, Spitfire and Chase were busy consulting some cadets as the former held a clipboard with her wing. It was then Rainbow showed up wearing some dark purple frames and holding a book with some sheets of paper. Chase was the first to notice her.
"Oh no! Not again!" Chase groaned loudly as he looked away with a bitter look on his face.
"You know," said Rainbow as imitated Twilight, "I was just reading about how dihedral wing angles can help increase stability in banking turns. It made me think that pre-flight checklists could really help increase our efficiency so I went ahead and made them for everypony!"
Chase and Spitfire just have very annoyed looks on their faces as the latter just tilted her clipboard so the papers just slid off and into the ground. Rainbow just gave a nerdy smile and took no notice.
"I'm always finding so much interesting information in books," Rainbow bragged, "In fact, alot of ponies call me, "Reading Rainboom"."
"They so do not," Chase muttered. Spitfire then put the loudhailer to Rainbow's face.
"We all know how wings work, newbie," Spitfire shouted through the loudhailer, which made Rainbow's lips flap about and her eyes swirl about, "And we actually have checklists! Now get off the runway!" Mario then grabbed the loudhailer from Spitfire.
"And I would appreciate it if you stopped mocking my wife or you're gonna get it!" Chase yelled at Rainbow angrily, "Remember that we geniuses rule Equestria! Not airheads like YOU!"
Spitfire nodded in agreement as Chase's loud voice knocked Rainbow to the other side of the runaway.
(Scene changes)
On the other side of the runway, Rainbow shook her head to recover and then fixed the top of her mane so it now looked like Fluttershy's mane.
"I'm so sorry," said Rainbow, imitating and sounding like Fluttershy, "I was just trying to help because I care all about the Wonderbolt oh-so much. Yessiree, just call me, "Care Mare"."
"Oh puh-lease," said Chase, knowing that, while she was improving, Rainbow was still the most insensitive pony in the group.
"No one asked for your opinion ya dork!" Rainbow remarked in Fluttershy's voice. Now Spitfire and Chase were giving her stern glares, which made Rainbow cower back.
"Um, but if you're busy now," said Rainbow timidly, "I can just come back later..."
"Grrrrr," Spitfire and Chase growled in a low tone. Chase even gritted his teeth at the blue Pegasus as a clue to leave now before either one of them exploded at her.
"Or, you know, not at all..." Rainbow replied quickly before taking off. Chase sighed in exasperation.
"I see that temper of yours still needs work," Spitfire teased.
"Girl, when that Pegasus has mocked my wife for years on end and doesn't stop," said Chase, "I think I had a right to let off some steam."
"Fair enough," said Spitfire. "Let's just hope she doesn't ruin your birthday party for this."
"You and me both." Chase nodded in agreement.
(Scene changes)
Once practice was over, some of the Wonderbolts were inside the locker room, Soarin was putting some items away in his locker. Spitfire was giving Fleetfoot a back message. Chase had been asked by Misty Fly and now gave her one.
"I am so jealous that Princess Twilight gets these all the time," said Misty Fly. Chase rolled his eyes and chuckled.
"She doesn't ask for them all the time," said Chase, "but I try the best I can to treat her well and take care of her. I just hope that she still thinks I'm a good husband. After that battle with Zhao in the past at Cloudsdale, I still can't help but feel like I let her down..." Spitfire snorted.
"You're doing just fine, buddy," said Spitfire, "Twilight said she was proud of you for making it back home safely and she loves you something fierce. She is clearly still possessive of you."
"Did Twilight sent another scroll about you not stealing me from her?" Chase asked annoyingly. Fleetfoot and Misty Fly snickered as Spitfire rolled her eyes.
"No," said Spitfire before saying under her breath, "but she does scare me..."
"Say what, Spitfire?" Chase asked playfully since he heard the comment.
"Nothing!" Spitfire yelled and got back to Fleetfoot's message. Chase and Misty Fly snickered quietly to each other. Even Soarin cracked a chuckle. The three ponies had heard what Spitfire had said.
"Must be nice to be married," said Soarin, "I envy you sometimes."
"Why?" said Chase, "I see plenty of beautiful ladies here that are available."
Soarin rolled his eyes.
"Oh please," said Soarin, "These girls are more like sisters to me. Besides, they just like to gang up on me because I'm a boy. After Sokka and Fluttershy got married, including Applejack and Clay, those two boys came into the group as well."
"Have they ever outnumbered and ganged you up, Chase?" Fleetfoot asked with a curious smirk as Spitfire shared the same one.
"Well, let's just say when they're overconfident and doing something reckless, being a father is like one of those things that really scares them a lot, especially when I have to punish them or ground them." Chase said with a chuckle.
Soarin, Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Misty Fly snickered.
"And Rainbow Dash is one of those ponies who gets whacked in the head a lot by you, right?" Spitfire asked with a smirk.
"Yup." Chase replied back with a smirk before he sighed with a soft smile. "But despite all of that, I love and care about them a lot. Even if they do try to trick me, karma's gonna come right back at them. Right, girls?"
"When you put it that way, those ladies will be in real trouble if you ever get crossed." Soarin said with a smirk as the Wonderbolt mares chuckled in agreement.
Chase smiled.
"Hey, Chase." Soarin said, gaining Chase's attention. "You know, speaking of beautiful mares, you think Rainbow Dash is available?"
Chase and the girls stopped as they turned to Soarin with stunned looks before Spitfire smirked.
"Oooh, you got yourself a crush on her, huh?" Spitfire asked in amusement.
"Well, uh… I've seen the way she looks at me when we're practicing in the group with this smile on her face." Soarin said with a smile. "So I played it cool and pretended I never saw it."
"Well, we'll see if she is after the show and my birthday party." Chase said as the mares nodded in agreement.
It wasn't long before Rainbow peeked into the locker room.
"Okay," said Rainbow to herself as she leaned her back against the wall. She then made the front of her mane look like Rarity's as she walked inside. Mario was the first to see her.
"Here we go again," said Chase with an eye roll.
"Easy, Chase." Spitfire whispered to him with a smirk. "Let's just try and play along with how annoying she is."
"Right." Chase said, smirking in agreement as Fleetfoot and Misty Fly giggled.
"I must tell you how much I just love these uniforms," said Rainbow as she imitated Rarity, "Why, ever since I was a foal, I've admired the mixture of bold lines and classic contours." Chase just glared at her.
"Since when does she know about bold lines and classic contours?!" Chase remarked indignantly.
"They don't call me "Rainbow Fash for nothing," Rainbow finished. Soarin just looked weirded out and very uncomfortable, especially since Rainbow battled her eyes at him.
"Uhhhh...huh...?" Soarin stuttered.
"The "Fash" is for "Fashion"," Rainbow said as she leaned forward into Soarin's face with a rather flirty smile on her face.
"Crash!" Spitfire snapped to make Rainbow come over to her, "I'm not sure why you're acting like this, but you need to stop."
"Aww, why'd you stop the moment, Spitfire?" Chase called out, smirking. "Rainbow was about to ask Soarin out!"
Rainbow blushed heavily as Fleetfoot and Misty Fly cooed. Rainbow growled menacingly at Chase.
"That's not what I was doing!" Rainbow sneered under her breath.
"Enough!" Spitfire snapped before she spoke sternly to Rainbow, "I know you're excited to find your place on the team, but just focus on the routine for now, okay? And I better not see you imitate Sokka and Clay or else!"
"Yes, ma'am," said Rainbow as she used a hind hoof, to push away a pair of wooden swords that had mysteriously appeared behind her. Apparently, she was going to do Sokka next.
"Maybe this will help motivate you," said Spitfire as she banged a locker. Inside was an aviator's jacket made specifically for Rainbow. Rainbow smiled excitedly as she grabbed the jacket, but then was shocked to see the emblem on it was her cutie mark breaking a traffic sign.
"Crash?!" Rainbow exclaimed, "Couldn't you just put my regular name on it?!"
"That's not how it works around here," said Spitfire, "we all have our nicknames on our jackets? Right, Clipper?"
"Clipper?" Rainbow said puzzled.
"Right, boss!" said Soarin as he closed his locker.
"Right… Lightning?" Spitfire asked as Chase blinked as Rainbow was rather stunned.
"Lightning?!" Rainbow repeated.
"When did you hear that?" Chase asked Spitfire confusingly.
"Woman's intuition." Spitfire answered before she turned to Rainbow Dash. "Now it's official. Welcome to the Wonderbolts, Crash!"
Spitfire then laughed as she and all but Chase left the area. Rainbow angrily threw her new jacket into her locker.
"Rainbow, when Rarity and Twilight said for you try and give yourself a more positive image," said Chase, "Imitating your friends wasn't what they had in mind."
"Okay, I get it, so back off!" Rainbow snapped angrily. Chase glared.
"Don't take this out on me," said Chase angrily, "You wouldn't have gotten that nickname if you had been paying attention when crossing the runway!"
"I said back off!" Rainbow yelled.
"No," said Chase, "You're the one making a fool of yourself and I'm trying to help you! You need to tell Spitfire why "Crash" bothers you so much."
"She's not gonna care about some stupid sob story!" said Rainbow angrily, "I don't need them making fun of me for that too!"
"Being bullied isn't a laughing matter," said Chase, "and Spitfire would never laugh at a pony over that. If you want to feel better, then tell Spitfire the truth!"
"NO!" Rainbow screamed.
"Then I'm gonna tell her!" Chase said firmly.
"You promised me to keep that within our group!" Rainbow retorted sternly, "You Pinkie promised me that anything I told you would remain between you and me!"
Chase sighed to himself.
"I know I promised not to say anything," said Chase, "but you're letting this nickname affect your behavior and you're flying performance. You're never this sloppy unless something is bothering you. You can tell the team about it you know. They'll help you. Otherwise, they think you're just being a typical newbie and I know that isn't the case. Remember what Spitfire said, the Wonderbolts look out for each other. That doesn't just apply when flying or handling a crisis. It also means that they care about each other. They're like a family in their own special way."
"And how would you know about that?" Rainbow snapped.
"Spitfire told me," said Chase, "And you need to remember. I am a certified Reservist and a lieutenant in the Academy. I get to spend hoof-on time with the Wonderbolts every now and then. I know how they are with each other. So please, Dash, just trust me when I say you can tell them the truth."
"I said NO!" Rainbow snapped, before turning her back away from Chase since she could feel her eyes water, "If I can't even show them my strengths, what makes you even think I wanna show them my weaknesses? They. Don't. Need. To. Know." Rainbow's voice cracked as she finished speaking, but Chase wasn't going to back down.
"And in the meantime, what are you supposed to do?" said Chase, "Just let this eat you up inside so you can never fly at top performance. Are you just gonna keep hiding behind your ego? Because if you hadn't noticed, it's not doing you any favors!" Rainbow just kept her back against Mario.
"If I don't come up with something unforgettable to add to the routine," said Rainbow as a pair of tears left her eyes, "I'm gonna be Rainbow Crash for the rest of my life!"
"Rainbow Dash, are you even listening to me?!" Chase snapped, "You don't need to go ruining the show! Just trust me and tell them the truth!"
"NO!" Rainbow shouted at the top of her lungs and gritted her teeth at him. Chase just gave her a stern glare.
"You know how a little nervous I've been about the Ponyville flight show," Chase warned in a low tone, "And I hardly ever say this but I'm warning you, Rainbow Dash. Don't you dare ruin this show for me and don't ruin my birthday party." Chase then walked away, leaving Rainbow alone. Rainbow just had a bitter look on his face.
"You're the one who doesn't understand," Rainbow said to herself weakly as a few more tears left her eyes.
While she walking out she hadn't noticed that Soarin was watching her with a concerned look after hearing everything. He began to think of something as he went out to follow his comrades.
(Scene changes)
The day of the Ponyville show had finally arrived. Rainbow was already at the show grounds looking around the area when she finally spotted a lone black cloud nearby. As she was flying over to it, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Applejack were already sitting on the bleachers. Rarity had also put on a floppy hat and scarf to wear to the event.
"This is gonna be so amazing!" Scootaloo said excitedly.
"I know!" said Spike as he, Twilight, Nyx, Fluttershy, Jade, Sunray, Clay, and Sokka arrived, "I'm almost as excited as Pinkie Pie!"
"I can't wait to see Rainbow Dash's first performance as an honest-to-goodness Wonderbolt," said Pinkie and she appeared from under Spike so the little dragon was on her head.
"Don't forget that my husband is gonna be the headline for the show," said Twilight, "I can't wait to see him take to the skies!"
"You're right, Chase is a top notch Wonderbolt flyer in his own right," said Pinkie before adding, "I hope there's cotton candy!" Pinkie then zipped away with Spike hanging on the top of her head for dear life.
"I wonder if Chase will do a shout out to you, Twilight," said Sweetie Belle.
"A shout out?" Twilight said, puzzled.
"You some sort of sky drawing that say's how much he loves you or something like that," said Sweetie Belle, "it would be very romantic."
Rarity couldn't help but smile and giggle. She forgot just how much Sweetie Belle liked romantic moments as much as herself. Twilight just blushed shyly as Sokka and Fluttershy just chuckled to each other.
"How come you never do something with the clouds for me?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'm...not a very good artist," said Sokka honestly, "or that good of a flyer."
"Oh, you're better than you think dear," said Fluttershy with a cute smile on her face.
"Same with you," said Sokka with a smirk.
"Quiet you!" said Fluttershy as they both laughed and snuggled up to each other before she spoke to the others, "We should all remember to be extra supportive for Rainbow Dash and Chase too. And when Chase's birthday begins after the show, we'll be more supportive."
"Well, I just hope Rainbow won't screw this one up." Jade said in concern. "I'd hate to see what will happen if she humiliates Chase on his birthday."
"Excellent point," said Rarity, "it's simply dreadful that Rainbow Dash's had such a rough start after finally achieving her dream. As for Chase, he has been having to deal with helping Rainbow Dash as well as dealing with his own jitters about the show. We also have to make sure his birthday is splendid."
"Rainbow Dash is a pretty resilient pony," said Twilight, "And my husband is a lot better than me at getting his nerves under control. Plus Rainbow Dash always finds it easy confide with Chase and ask for help. I'm sure she's shaken off her first day and turned it around by now!"
"Speakin' of..." said Applejack when a familiar blue Pegasus appeared, "Hey, Dash! Is Chase with..."
"Perfect!" said Rainbow as she hovered over to Scootaloo before Applejack could finish, "Hey, can I borrow Scootaloo?"
"Me? What for?" Scootaloo asked.
"Oh, heh, I just needed some help and figured the President of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club was the right pony for the job!" Rainbow said nervously while stroking Scootaloo's ego. Scootaloo smiled.
"I thought the Wonderbolt Reserves were here to help," said Twilight, "And is my husband doing okay?"
"Oh, yeah, they're all busy doing, uh, official Reserve stuff," Rainbow fibbed as she grabbed Scootaloo off the bleachers, "With Scootaloo's help, everything's gonna be awesome. Better than awesome!" Twilight gave Rainbow a funny look since the blue Pegasus hadn't even answered her question about Chase.
"Does...does that mean practice went well yesterday?" Rarity asked.
"Gotta go," Rainbow said quickly before zooming away with Scootaloo. The others just shared worried looks with each other.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Sokka wearily.
"Me too, Sokka," said Twilight worriedly, "I just hope Rainbow doesn't ruin the show. She's gonna hurt more than just herself if she tries anything."
"I hope Daddy will not get so angry at Rainbow Dash for this." Nyx said with worry.
"If she does ruin our big brother's birthday for the show, she'll get it big time!" Sunray said with a glare.
Meanwhile, Rainbow had finally put Scootaloo down near a ridge where a steep ramp had been set up behind her.
"What are we doing up here, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked curiously.
"I just need a small favor from you that's really gonna make this show something special," said Rainbow, "Now, the Wonderbolts are gonna fly over this ridge right before the finale of the show. I'll fly by last, and when I signal you, you zip up the ramp on your scooter and kick the storm cloud into my path!" Rainbow then showed Scootaloo the black cloud.
"What?" said Scootaloo in shock.
"That kick will shoot off a lightning bolt right behind me," Rainbow continued to explain, "making me look totally awesome! And then I'll do some incredible Rainbow Dash flying with it to create the coolest, show stoppingest. lightning-tastic light show anypony has ever seen!" She then made a fangirl smile. Scootaloo looked a little uncertain about the idea.
"Are you sure about this?" said Scootaloo, "And does Chase know you're gonna have me do this?"
"Of course he does and he's fine with it!" Rainbow lied as she gave Scootaloo her scooter, "Like I'd ever go behind Chase's back." Rainbow gave a nervous laugh. Fortunately for her, Scootaloo believed her.
"If you say so," said Scootaloo nervously.
"Uh-huh," said Rainbow, "It's gonna be so awesome! And nopony will ever call me "Rainbow Crash" after this!" Scootaloo looked puzzled.
"I thought Chase was going to help you with that nickname?" Scootaloo remarked. It was then the sound of some engines roaring was heard. It was the signal that Chase and the other Wonderbolts had arrived.
"Oh, gotta go!" said Rainbow as she put on her goggles and took off, "Be ready for me, okay, Scootaloo?"
"Umm...okay...?" said Scootaloo hesitantly, feeling very confused, puzzled, and concerned.
Back at the bleachers, the show was ready to start.
"Mares and gentlecolts, fillies and foals of all ages," said an announcer from a loudspeaker, "Look to the skies and prepare to be awestruck by the incredible flying prowess of...the Wonderbolts! Being led today by...put your hooves together...Equestria's Prince and Alicorn Master Chaaaaaaase!"
It was then the rest of the Mane thirteen took to the sky at high speed with Chase being right in front. The group of flyers than took a firm turn to the left together as the other ponies watched from below and cheered. Then the eight flyers zoomed close to the bleachers, causing a great gust of wind that blew Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's manes about. Rarity was rather annoyed at the suddenly gust of wind as she adjusted her hat. Sokka was a little late in grabbing his wife as Fluttershy was pushed into Twilight's fore-legs by the strong gust. Despite the mess, everypony else was cheering excitedly.
"I hope Spike and Pinkie Pie are done getting their snacks," said Fluttershy as she sat up and recovered, "or they're gonna miss Rainbow Dash!"
"Oh, don't worry, Fluttershy," said Rarity, "Nothing will keep Pinkie Pie from missing this!"
"Heh," said Applejack, "Except maybe cotton candy."
"Eeyup." Clay nodded in agreement with his wife as she giggled at her husband's tone
Just a short distance away, Spike had seen the Wonderbolts were flying overhead.
"Come on, Pinkie," Spike said impatiently, "the show's starting!"
"One second!"Pinkie told Spike before speaking to the cotton candy vender, "Just a little bit bigger please, but hurry!" He then handed the completed product to Pinkie.
"Bigger!" Pinkie shouted, stunning the vender.
Up in the sky, the Wonderbolts were continuing their flying routine as the crowd smiled and awed in amazement. Chase then led the charge four of the Wonderbolts flew high into the sky. Then they stopped their momentum, leaned back, and closed their wings. Chase did several spins and twirls as he freefell and the four Wonderbolts just remained motionless as they fell above them. The audience looked worried and Twilight was nervously biting her horseshoes while Jade and Nyx did the same with nervous looks on their faces. It was then Chase did a few spins and made a firm landing with his hind legs.
"OH YEAH!" Chase shouted as he rocketed back into the sky, causing the ground to rumble behind him. It was then the four other Wonderbolts. flipped over just as they were couple of feet below the ground and opened their wings to continued flying after Chase. The crowds cheered excitedly. The group noticed that Twilight was crying.
"Easy, Twilight," said Apple Bloom as she put a fore-hoof on her shoulder, "You know Chase's just trying to impress you, not scare you."
Twilight just sniffled and wiped her eyes. Fluttershy just gave Twilight a sympathetic look.
"When you're married, you'll always be worried sick about your special somepony," said Fluttershy to the yellow filly as she gave Twilight a hug to help her feel better. Twilight just smiled and sniffled in agreement.
"True," said Twilight, "That was pretty amazing. Chase and Rainbow are doing great!"
"Go, Daddy!" Nyx cheered for her father as Sunray and Jade cheered for their older brother.
Back at the cotton candy stand...
"Bigger!" Pinkie yelled as the tent started filling up with cotton candy.
Spike just sighed in annoyance, knowing he would probably not gonna get to see the Wonderbolts show at all.
Back in the sky, Spitfire and Fleetfoot flew directly at each other before tilting to the side and mirroring one another as they flew harmlessly past each other. The other three pairs did the same. Then Rainbow, Soarin, and Spitfire then came flying at Chase.
Chase then tilted to the left and then the right and then the left again to let each Wonderbolt fly past him. Then they joined up with Chase into two lines of four as they did a sharp nose dive and rose back into the air. As they went back up into the sky, Rainbow suddenly stopped and looked down to give Scootaloo the signal. Scootaloo, with her scooter in position and helmet on, looked worried.
"I hope this works," Scootaloo said to herself as she rolled down the ramp and gave the black cloud a good kick.
Just as Rainbow caught up with the rest of the group. Then she saw the black cloud floating into position and broke formation, but her break of formation did not go unnoticed. Chase then did a few somersaults before landing on the ground with a crouch.
"Oh yeah." Chase said as he got back on all fours.
Then the other Wonderbolts landed behind him. The crowds cheered as Spitfire walked over to give Chase a hoof-bump for a job well done, but before they could connect hooves, Soarin walked up and whispered something to Spitfire as Chase looked at them curiously.
The two Wonderbolts looked up and saw Rainbow was still flying. Chase then noticed Rainbow as well and looked suspicious at what she was doing.
However, there was trouble. Scootaloo had kicked the cloud too hard so it was right in front of the oncoming blue Pegasus flight path!
"YAH!" Rainbow yelped as she braked and flew away from the cloud. But she didn't watch where she was going and collided with a tree and tumbled down it, yelping as she tumbled down the branches. Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, Sokka, Sunray, Jade, Clay, Nyx, and Apple Bloom all cringed. Rarity put a fore-hoof around Sweetie Belle's eyes.
Fluttershy used her mane to cover her face so she didn't have to watch. Rainbow then tumbled out of the tree with a bird's nest on her head as the birds who lived in the nest attacked her. Rainbow finally got the nest off her head and was trying to shoo the birds away when she ended up flying into a flag banner.
Just like a slingshot, Rainbow was sent flying back into the tree where Scootaloo was watching nearby. Rainbow crashed into the tree so hard that it recoiled and flung Rainbow into the air, making her goggles fall off. She was then sent spiraling into the air, around the bottom curve of a cloud and made her way down. It was then Rainbow finally recovered but then she didn't realize until too late that she ended up flying right through the black cloud.
BZZZZZZZZZT!
Rainbow came out slightly burnt and went down for a crash landing. It was then Pinkie arrived with Spike on her back. Spike was looking very annoyed as he held a paper cone filled with a puff of cotton candy even bigger than Pinkie herself.
"Hope, I'm not too late," said Pinkie as she scoffed, "I dunno what took that pony so long." Back at the cotton candy stand, the tent was a mess and the vender looked exhausted. She had just arrived at the stands and saw that everypony was looking upward.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAH!" Rainbow screamed when...
SPLAT!
Rainbow smashed into the cotton candy and made a hard landing just a few yards away from Pinkie. Rainbow also had a huge clump of the pink candy on top of herself.
"That was amazing!" Pinkie shouted as Rainbow just groaned.
It was then a shadow appeared. She looked up to see Chase glaring at her furiously. She could tell he looked fit to explode. But instead of bursting into rage… he just shook his head and said nothing as Spitfire put a fore-hoof around his back for comfort.
"Way to go, Rainbow Crash," said Spitfire in stern and angry tone.
Rainbow just let the cotton candy bury her and tried to stay hidden until a local nurse came to take her to the medical tent.
(Scene changes)
Once Rainbow had been bandaged, the nurse let the blue Pegasus take her leave. She didn't go far before she was surrounded by the rest of the Wonderbolts and Chase.
"You gonna tell us what just happened, newbie?" Spitfire asked, getting right to the point. Rainbow just sighed, especially when she saw Chase still looking very upset.
"I'm so sorry," Rainbow said sadly.
"I should hope so," said Spitfire, "You changed your routine without consulting me, put other ponies at risk, and ruined our effort to showcase what a great flyer Chase is! And may have possibly ruined his birthday! I've drummed out flyers out of the 'Bolts for less."
"I know," said Rainbow as she lowered her head in shame, "and I'm ready for whatever punishment you want. You guys were right to call me "Rainbow Crash". I've always been a standout flyer, but since I joined the Wonderbolts, I've only stood out for making mistakes." Rainbow sighed, "It's been my dream my whole life, but...I guess maybe I'm not Wonderbolt material after all."
"Are you serious?!" Soarin remarked, "You're the most talented flyer we've ever had!"
"And you've saved all Equestria like, a dozen times," Fleetfoot added.
"Uh, I-" Rainbow stuttered.
"Of course you're supposed to be a Wonderbolt," Spitfire told the blue Pegasus, "We've been waiting for a spot to open up ever since you joined the Reserves!"
"But...you guys all called me Rainbow Crash," said Rainbow sadly.
"Yeah, so?" said Soarin, "My nickname's "Clipper". You know why they call me that?"
"Uh...'cause you're as fast as a ship?" Rainbow asked.
"Because I clipped my wing on a flagpole as I was landing on my first day," said Soarin, "Heh."
Chase gave a chuckle.
"Huh…" Rainbow could only say before she turned to her fellow Wonderbolts.
"Flatfoot," said Fleetfoot, "My first day, I misjudged my landing and came down right on Spitfire's hoof."
"Dizzy," said Misty Fly.
"Slowpoke," said Surprise.
"Hoof-in-Mouth," said High Winds.
"You don't wanna know what they call me," said Spitfire with a smirk on her face.
She then leaned into Rainbow's ear and whispered it to her.
"Whoa!" Rainbow exclaimed, "That is so much worse than Crash."
"I know right?" said Spitfire with a smirk. Rainbow then looked at Chase, who looked a bit more cheerful, but she knew he was probably still hurt. It was time she did something that she should've done in the first place.
Trust her big brother and best friend.
"Listen, everypony," said Rainbow timidly, "I...I've been told by Chase that the Wonderbolts see each other as like a family to some degree. Is...is that true?"
"Yeah, you could say that," said Spitfire slowly but in a bluntly, "Why? Out with it!" Rainbow winced before she took a deep breath.
"There's another reason why Crash bothered me so much," said Rainbow, "You see, back in flight camp as a filly...I tried to show off and I landed in a garbage can then too. Somepony branded me Rainbow Crash right after. They continued to bully me with that nickname from that point on until I finally pulled off that Sonic Rainboom when I rescued some of you. As much as I want to say I got past it and moved on, the name just brought back some bad memories that still hurt. Guess I'm not as strong as I thought I was..." As Rainbow was speaking, her eyes started to water and soon tears were falling from her eyes as she finished speaking.
"What you've been though has nothing to do with strength or being weak," said Misty Fly, "You were bullied and you happened to get the same nickname from when you were a filly."
"That honestly was just dumb luck," said Fleetfoot, "we didn't know you had that nickname beforehand."
"We've all had to deal with bullies to get where we are today," said Soarin, "While the memories can still hurt, at least you didn't let them stop you from chasing your dream."
"And as much as I want to say you should just get over it," said Spitfire, "I can't."
"Why not?" said Rainbow, "You're the Captain. Tough love is what you do best."
"True," said Spitfire, "But I've had to deal with alot of hurtful bullying back in my day as well. And it made me cry a few times too."
"Really?!" said Rainbow in surprise.
"Yeah, especially when Chase got hurt after he was fighting off Strong Hooves after Prince Blueblood tried to humiliate him." Spitfire explained, making Chase stunned for a moment before he turned to her.
"Wait, you saw for what happened to me at the competition years ago?" Chase asked curiously as Spitfire nodded with a smile. "But why didn't you come to my aid when I was attacked by those two goons the other night? I was nearly overwhelmed."
"Nearly overwhelmed? Because of how you took down Strong Hooves with your broken leg, Chase." Spitfire explained the story. "I wasn't gonna stand to see you being bullied by all of those ponies in Canterlot. But you managed to fight back and found the courage to open up more. After you got hurt when Strong Hooves injured you, I was about to rush in and get you to the hospital when I was in the crowd until I saw you patching yourself up until you defeated that overgrown dweeb. Seeing you fighting off those bullies taught me something after your grandfather disappeared; winning isn't everything. Your friends and family you love, that's the most important. That's what sacrificing yourself for. I can't thank you enough for helping find the courage I needed."
"There's no need, buddy." Chase said modestly.
"Come on, you're a hero to all of Equestria." Spitfire said with a smile.
"Well, deep inside I feel like I'm not." Chase said sadly.
Spitfire kept smile as she wasn't gonna back down.
"Chase. You're the best friend I ever had. You gotta stop feeling you've dishonored your family. It's not okay. Okay? Because you've always kept honoring your family no matter what." Spitfire said as she held a hoof out to Chase for a hoof bump.
Chase felt quiet for a moment before he smirked.
"Okay." Chase said as he and Spitfire hoof bumped each other as their comrades cheered for the two friends.
"The point, Crash," said Spitfire,, "is that we all have our ups and downs. But if we're not afraid to tell each other, we can work together to help a teammate out when they're down or not feeling at their best. That's what being part of a team is all about."
"And now you know that being called Crash by these ponies is just their way of saying you're part of the family," said Chase, "not that you're nothing but a flying accident. That just kept happening because you kept trying to play off your feelings with that ego of yours." Chase gave her a knowing smirk as Rainbow just smiled sheepishly.
"So does this mean I'm...still on the team?" Rainbow asked meekly. Spitfire gave Rainbow a serious look.
"Do you think you can be part of this team and not constantly showboat?" Spitfire, "and next time, you've got a problem, you'll speak up and confide in me or the team about it?"
"I promise!" said Rainbow, "I spent my whole life trying to be a standout flyer, but now that I'm a Wonderbolt, it's time to be okay with fitting in."
"Good, because I really didn't want to miss the chance to tease you for years about this catastrophe!" Spitfire laughed, "I mean, that crash was epic!"
The others laughed as well as Rainbow just smiled sheepishly. Chase did roll his eyes.
She then walked up to Rainbow and sternly poked her with one of her wings.
"But you're on probation for a month," said Spitfire and got into her face, "Got a problem with that?!"
"No, ma'am," said Rainbow quickly as Spitfire handed Rainbow her goggles back. One of the Wonderbolts had gone back to retrieve them. Then she remembered. "Does this mean no cake for me?"
"Actually, the party doesn't start yet. So you haven't completely ruined it yet." Chase said with a smile.
"Yup. So you'll be on probation for a month after some of Chase's birthday cake." Spitfire added with a smirk.
Then Chase and the others started to walk off.
"Chase, wait!" said Rainbow, making Chase freeze in place. "Can...can we talk?"
Chase turned to see the sad look on Rainbow's face. Seeing how she needed him more, Chase walked over to her. Rainbow was already crying before he even stopped walking and sat in front of her.
"I'm so sorry, Chase," Rainbow sobbed, "I didn't mean to ruin the show and your birthday or not trust you. I just wanted to make a good impression and I ended up stealing the spotlight away from you. And...I don't know if you noticed, but...telling Spitfire about my past with the name Crash...was really scary for me...talking about my strength is easy, but my weaknesses..."
Chase's facial expression softened as he walked over to her and pulled her in for a big hug.
"Do you really think they would laugh at you for crying or for feeling hurt?" said Chase, "Did you think they're that shallow?"
"More like their stronger than I'll ever be," Rainbow cried out, "just look at me. I can't stop crying cause I feel bad and I feel really stupid."
"You're not stupid," said Chase, "You just made a stupid decision and will have to face the consequences for it. I hope now you'll understand that your ego isn't going to do you any good with Spitfire and the rest of the team."
"Learned that one the hard way," said Rainbow feebly, "And I so knew better, but there I go. Miss Ego making a fool of herself. What's wrong with me?"
"Your problem is that you want others to see you only when you're at your best," said Chase, "Because growing up, you were bullied when others saw you at your weakest. You might not want to admit it, but it affected your confidence. You don't want to feel that weakness because you don't want others making fun of you. You wanted the Wonderbolts to see you at your best, but when they saw you at your worst, you lost confidence in yourself and kept making mistakes."
"Big mistakes," said Rainbow sadly.
"But at the end of the day," said Chase, "You told them the truth and they saw you cry. What happened?"
"They...they were understanding," said Rainbow as she pulled away with tear stained cheeks and watery eyes, "Even Spitfire understood and they let me know that they call me Crash to say I belong, not because I'm weak. That's why I feel so silly...you were right all along. You've never steered me wrong and yet...I just couldn't trust you and I chose to trust in my...fear."
"I actually understand that better than anypony," said Chase, "remember who I married."
"Miss Anxiety herself," said Rainbow, "but...I just don't want you think that I don't value your advice. You're very special to me, Chase. You're still the only pony I can open up to like this. To open up with somepony else still feels...uncomfortable. I've been trying with Sokka, Sunray, and Clay recently, but...I still feel more comfortable talking to you about things. Sorry..."
"It's okay, Dash," said Chase, "But just know that your friends all love you just as much as I do and that you can open up with them without fear of judgment. And don't worry too much about opening up with the Wonderbolts. Just remember that when something is bothering you that you can speak up and they'll help you out just like we would do okay. They've got your back just as much as you have theirs and the rest of your friends." Rainbow smiled as she used a fore-hoof to wipe her eyes.
"Thank you, Chase," said Rainbow, "and again, I'm sorry for ruining your birthday and your chance to have the spotlight. You were really great out there. I see in my eyes the real best flyer in Equestria."
Chase smiled as the two best friends shared another hug with each other. Then they broke it as Chase walked off. Rainbow just had a rather emotional smile on her face as she looked up to the sky and held her goggles with a fore-hoof.
Then she felt someone touch her shoulder. She looked up to see Soarin in front of her with a smile on his face, making her gasp in surprise.
"Soarin?!" Rainbow Dash asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Soarin didn't answer as pulled her into a hug.
"Soarin, I don't..." Rainbow tried to protest.
"Rainbow Dash, crush or not, I'm not the kind of pony to leave any of my teammates in tears," said Soarin in a calm but firm tone, "And we are friends. Just be lucky I found you like this instead of Spitfire."
Rainbow whimpered and just let Soarin hold her close as she kept crying.
"I guess you've heard of Chase and me talking, huh?" Rainbow asked feebly.
"Yeah, besides, Chase is a really good friend to you. You should be lucky to have him." Soarin said with a smirk as Rainbow Dash wiped her tears away with a smile.
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash said.
Soarin smiled before he then asked her something.
"By the way, is it true that you have a crush on me?" Soarin asked Rainbow with a curious smile.
Rainbow blinked before she blushed heavily.
"Yeah, I do." Rainbow Dash said sincerely with a smile.
"Do you want to go on a date before the party starts?" Soarin asked gently.
Rainbow smiled as she blushed a bit.
"Yes, I would like that." Rainbow replied back as they walked off together from the tent and somewhere else.
Watching them leave was Spitfire and Chase. They had knowing smiles on their faces that those two were on a date together.
(Scene changes)
While the sun was sitting in the forest, Soarin and Rainbow headed to a magnificent waterfall as they walked in front of it on top of some rocks. After walking around each other and taking in each other's movements, Soarin and Rainbow stopped at the edge of the pond.
They smiled at each other before Soarin backed away from Rainbow, making her confused. Then Soarin ran at full speed and jumped high in the air and goes splashing in the middle of the pond.
Looking over the still water, Rainbow tries to see where Soarin disappeared when he suddenly lunges up under her and wraps his hooves around her as he pulls Rainbow in the water.
Rainbow immediately resurfaced, gasping for breath, and crawled back onto the ledge all dripping, shivering, scared out of her mind, and miffed at the same time. Soarin came out of the pond with a goofy smile on his face. Rainbow smirked and playfully pushed him back into the water as she runs off. Soarin leaps out of the water and chased after her.
Soarin and Rainbow were then seen running across a field as small white birds flew out of the way. Soon, the two ponies started playing around with each other as they hugged and then tripped as they stumbled down a hill.
After tumbling down the hill, Soarin and Rainbow landed in the grass as butterflies came out and fluttered around the two love ponies. Soarin and Rainbow laughed as they watched the butterflies frolic all around them and Soarin pinned Rainbow. Then as they sat back up, and Soarin was still recovering from the dizziness, Rainbow gave Soarin a kiss on the cheek, surprising the stallion as he looks at her.
Rainbow looked at Soarin with a smile. Soarin's expression changed into a smile as he understood what Rainbow was feeling and he returned it. Then they gave each other a loving kiss… on the lips and nuzzled each other lovingly.
It was clear now that their feelings were revealed to each other, Rainbow Dash as finally found her special somepony.
(Scene changes)
Later that night, the two had returned just in time for Chase's birthday party as they were celebrating it with cakes, games, and presents they got for Chase. The alicorn master received a kiss from Twilight on the cheek as well as a book of new jiu jitsu skills for him to teach from his wife. After a few games of pin the tail on the pony, opening more presents, and playing games, the party was done. Chase declared it the best birthday ever.
Once the party was over, Rainbow was busy sweeping the empty show grounds with Soarin helping her as Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Twilight, Chase, Jade, Sunray, Nyx, Clay, Sokka, and Scootaloo came up to her. Chasehad let them know that he and Rainbow had settled things between each other, but not about the nickname.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash," said Twilight as she, Scootaloo, and Chase, "We just wanted to check on you. Are you doing okay?"
"I'm doing great, thanks!" said Rainbow cheerfully.
"Sure you don't need any help?" said Scootaloo.
"Nah," Rainbow answered, "This mess is my responsibility, and I've gotta clean it up myself, even with Soarin helping me. And after this, Spitfire's got me cleaning the Wonderbolts' compound for the next month." Twilight and Scootaloo shared puzzled looks with each other.
"So why are you in such a good mood?" said Scootaloo, wondering if Rainbow had even heard what had come out of her mouth.
"Duh! Because I'm a Wonderbolt!" said Rainbow and just smiled happily. Then she and Soarin held each other's hooves. "And I've finally found my special somepony."
"Me too." Soarin added, making the others gasp in surprise while Chase smirked, knowing he had seen everything with Spitfire.
"We're very happy you two. Good luck with your new relationship." Chase said as the others smiled at the new couple.
"Don't worry, Chase. We will." Soarin replied back with a smile.
The others then left them to do their work.
Soarin and Rainbow smiled at each other as they nuzzled each other's noses lovingly. Watching them from above in the air was Spitfire. She smiled at the sight, happy for those two to be finally together.
Author's note: Here's the seventh chapter, guys!
With a new turn of events as well. I hope you like it!
