Newbie Dash
Pony's Log Number 607: I'm happy Dashie made her greatest dream come true, but I still question if Rainbow understands the true meaning of being part of a team...
It was another beautiful day in Ponyville as Rainbow and Mario were taking a casual flight above the town.
"You're really good at flying, Mario," said Rainbow, "I'm surprised you weren't born a Pegasus, you're a natural." Mario chuckled.
"I had some good teachers," said Mario, giving Rainbow a wink. Rainbow just smiled back.
"Hey! Rainbow Dash!" somepony shouted. Mario and Rainbow looked down below. There was Scootaloo, riding her scooter with a big smile on her face and was waving at them. Mario 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!" 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," Mario teased.
"Cut it out!" Rainbow remarked, giving Mario 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, right?" Scootaloo asked.
"A Reservist one, yeah," Rainbow answered.
"Hmm," Scootaloo pondered before smiling, "That's good enough for me." Mario snorted.
"Ya know, Scootaloo," said Mario in an annoyed and jealous tone, "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."
"He actually is," said Rainbow, "Spitfire asked Mario to lead the routine during the Ponyville Wonderbolt show. She feels that ponies should see just how cool and special Mario 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." Mario chuckled.
"Spitfire feels I need a confidence boost," said Mario, "Twilight told her about my...issue. Spitfire thinks a little showcasing of my flying skills would help ponies see me more positively. Or I might just crash and burn and everypony will laugh at me until I start crying and thinking that I'm not special! They'll post my accident all over the papers just like when I crashed as a racer. They'll tease me about the crash for years on end. I'll be branded by this accident for the rest of my life! My grandponies will walk down the street and ponies will point and say: look there's goes the ponies of Mario Star, Equestria's biggest loser! Oh why did I let Spitfire convince me to do this?! I can't do this! I can't!" Mario began to hyperventilate. When Rainbow hugged him, Mario settled down after a few seconds.
"Thanks," said Mario, feeling a little embarassed as he returned the hug.
"You really are like Twilight aren't you?" Scootaloo remarked.
"Never denied it," said Mario wearily. 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, Mario, 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, Mario, 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, "Mario!" Mario 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.
"N-nervous is the better..." Mario tried to say.
"Oh no! None of this self-doubt sap," said Spitfire as she started jabbing his shoulder continuously with her fore-hooves, "You are a super star! Now repeat: You're a super star!"
"Okay, okay, I'm a super star," said Mario, "Now quit trying to bruise me. You already broke something once!" Spitfire and Mario 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.
"Surprise!" said Mario, 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 Nine, except for Starlight, 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 Shenran 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?" Shenran guessed.
"No..." Rainbow said bluntly.
"Muffins?"
"No," said Rainbow irritably.
"Twilight?"
"No!" Rainbow snapped.
"Oh, then it was my Flutters!" said Shenran, "She's the best flyer in Equestria."
"Oh, Shenran, stop it!" said Fluttershy, trying to scold him but ended up giggling at his complement. Rainbow just rolled her eyes.
"I'm just kidding, Dashie," said Shenran, "Of course it would be you." 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 Mario said he would help me since he's going to be head lining the Ponyville show."
"Oooh! I can't wait to see how cute Mario looks in a Wonderbolt uniform," said Twilight as she looked at him lovingly. Mario blushed as he hovered over to Rainbow.
"Then we better get going," said Mario. 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!"
"Pinkie, I'm not leaving Ponyville," said Rainbow, "I just have to train for this show. Besides, Mario is coming with me." 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 Applejack.
"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, Dashie," said Mario, "Plus it's not a good idea to show up acting like a big shot. It's only gonna get you into trouble. Believe me I would know." Mario couldn't help but lower the volume of his voice as he said that last sentence and looked away.
"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." Mario just face-hooved himself. Twilight and Spike also glared at her while the others gave her funny looks.
It wasn't long before Rainbow and Mario were at Wonderbolts HQ. Mario had wasted no time fitting into his specially made Wonderbolts uniform. 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.
"At least unlike you, she's got a brain," said Mario.
"Zip it!" Spitfire snapped as Mario snickered and she went back to speaking to Rainbow, "And I know you've seen the academy bunks, but these are the official Wonderbolt barracks."
"Which includes your own personal servants, silk bed sheets, and complementary chocolates," Mario added with the voice of a salespony.
"Ha-ha-ha!" Spitfire remarked, "Are you gonna being making bad jokes during the entire tour?"
"Why not?" Mario replied simply, "You've been poking fun at me for days." Spitfire just gave him a raspberry in reply. Rainbow wasn't paying attention and was just admiring the building.
"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 Mario, "or they might try to surprise you. Once when I was crossing, I did everything right, then Fleetfoot and Misty Fly decided to surprise fly across the runway. They "tried" to put on their brakes, but they ended up smashing into me and I went flying into some safety cones...and got one stuck on my head!" Spitfire snickered loudly.
"I know you set that prank up!" Mario retorted with an eye roll as Spitfire just smirked before turning to Rainbow, "Be on your guard, Rainbow."
"Right, no problem!" said Rainbow and then noticed that Spitfire and Mario were already standing at the entrance to the barracks and the former gestured with a fore-hoof for Rainbow to come inside.
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, Mario!"
"Why do I have to...?" Mario tried to complain.
"Say it with us!" Spitfire yelled.
"Fine," said Mario annoyingly.
"Altius volantis! Soaring Higher!" said Rainbow, Spitfire, and Mario said together with a dynamic background behind them.
"Wow!" said Rainbow as she did a back-flip and then gasped when she saw Mario and Spitfire staring at her, "I mean, ha, cool." Spitfire and Mario 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."
"Yes, ma'am!" said Rainbow, "I'll have all the moves down by the end of the day!"
"Let's hope so," said Spitfire, "Not even Mario was that good."
"Hey!" Mario retorted but was ignored, "We're all expecting you to make quite an impression." Spitfire then zoomed away, making Rainbow's mane and tail flow about.
"And try not to show off when you meet them," Mario warned, "I'd hate to you do what so many other newbies do." Mario then hovered away to leave Rainbow alone.
"Heh, no worries, Mario," Rainbow told herself smugly, "I'm not like other newbies." 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. It was then a thought bubble with Mario's face inside of it appeared.
"Didn't I warn you not to show off?" the thought bubble said.
"Relax, I've got this," said Rainbow as she popped the thought bubble, "Okay, Wonderbolts, get ready to meet your most awesome member ever!" She then put on her goggles and headed outside. She had just arrived on the edge of the runway when as several groups of Wonderbolts were chatting with each other. Rainbow then trotted importantly across the runway. Spitfire and Mario had been chatting with Misty Fly and another Wonderbolt 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 Mario just walked up to her and shook their heads disapprovingly. It wasn't that they weren't concerned, but Mario 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 Mario as he cringed painfully as the nickname. He saw that Rainbow just looked very hurt. Mario 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 keeping 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 embarassed.
End Flashback
Back in the present, Rainbow was looking just as embarassed and miserable.
"Dashie? Are you okay?" Mario 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," Mario added, "You made it too easy, but at least you didn't land on your head and get a 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. Mario 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!"
"And we can also forget about the orange cone incident too?" Mario asked irritably.
"Hmm...nah!" said Spitfire smugly before they started walking and Mario just groaned annoyingly.
"Classic rookie move, Rainbow Crash," said Misty Fly as she walked past the blue Pegasus, "That was amazing." Rainbow just looked upset as Mario walked up to her.
"Dashie..."
"I'm fine," said Rainbow sternly before following the rest of the squad. Mario just sighed. He knew that Rainbow was anything but fine.
It wasn't long before the practice session began with Spitfire standing on a cloud with a loudhailer set up before her. Mario 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. 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. 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.
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," Mario remarked as he walked by, annoyed at Rainbow's boasting. Rainbow glared and kicked his flank to be quiet.
"...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 Mario as he put his goggles into his locker room, "I was finally able to do the current routine flawlessly!"
"Only in your mind, handsome," Fleetfoot teased as Mario gave her a raspberry.
"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?" Mario then walked up to Rainbow irritably.
"Okay, what part of "leave the routine alone" did you not understand?" Mario snapped.
"But Mario, 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," Mario replied smugly. Spitfire just stuck her tongue out at him before Mario did the same before standing 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." Mario's eyes popped out.
"Was it with you military ranks having these ridiculous...oomph!" Mario was cut off when Spitfire shoved him down. Rainbow just gave Mario 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. Mario took notice.
"Sorry, Dashie," said Mario, "But they made me do cleaning duty too so...I guess it's fair." Mario wasn't entirely sure, but he knew from Shenran that the royal guard had these kinds of "group rules" as well and walked away.
"My name's not Crash," Rainbow sighed under her breath as she got to work. 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..." Mario said gently.
"I'm fine!" Rainbow said bluntly as she kept flying. Mario hummed sternly before he got in front of her.
"Will you stop it?" Mario 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 Mario, "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!" Mario just sighed.
"You really think too highly of them," said Mario, "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's a total doofus."
"Don't talk about Spitfire that way!" Rainbow yelled.
"I can and I will!" said Mario sternly, "She says the same things about me all the time! Plus I knew her before she was a Wonderbolt. You may know Spitfire as this uncompromising, stubborn, and blunt Captain, but the real Spitfire is 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. Mario sighed.
"Probably not," said Mario slowly.
"Then what's the point?" said Rainbow, "I just wanna go home." Rainbow then flew around Mario. Mario just gave her a sad look before catching up with her.
"Look, I won't force you to tell them the truth," said Mario, "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," Mario 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 prince," said Rainbow, "there's no way they'd be that nice to me." Rainbow then surged ahead. Mario just sighed in defeat and went to catch up with her again but said no more.
Eventually, Mario and Rainbow at 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 five girls, Shenran, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Rainbow walked inside first, followed by Mario, 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 Mario 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," Mario 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.
"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..." Mario said in a gentle but firm tone.
"Zip it!" Rainbow yelled. Mario just looked hurt and both Twilight and Rarity took notice.
"Oh, no," said Rarity as she gave Mario a side hug, "Something is wrong. What happened, darling?"
"I told you, it's nothing!" said Rainbow defensively, "I mean, maybe some of the Wonderbolts started calling me Rainbow Crash." Fluttershy and Shenran 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?" Shenran 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, Mario," 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 Mario, "Talk about the worst case of déjà vu."
"You can say that again," Rainbow replied sadly, not upset Mario 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 Shenran and Mario 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 Mario, "I might not be a Wonderbolt, but my first day was certainly no cakewalk."
"And being a newbie in the Royal Guard wasn't easy for me either," said Shenran, "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." Shenran 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 Mario, "but military nicknames tend to be rather set in stone."
"I can testify to that," said Shenran, "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 Shenran, "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 Mario.
"So is there no hope at all?" Rainbow asked worried. Mario 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 Shenran 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 Mario just shook his head.
"Practice tomorrow is gonna be painful, I just know it," he groaned.
"By the way," said Twilight, "You talk like you've gotten a Wonderbolt nickname. What was yours?"
"I'm not comfortable sharing it," said Mario nervously.
"At least tell me," Twilight begged and gave pouty lips. Mario rolled his eyes and told her the nickname and what had happened. As he was whispering in her ear, Twilight's face shifted from curious to a large smile on her face as she bit her lower lip. Suddenly...
Pfffffffffffffffft...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Twilight burst out laughing and crying as she fell into her back and couldn't stop. Mario just had a long face as he stomped away, deeply regretting he ever opened his big mouth. Shenran and Fluttershy just watched Twilight laugh hysterically on the floor.
"Must've been pretty humiliating if Twilight is laughing this hard," said Shenran bluntly.
"Pity," Fluttershy said simply before they exchanged giggles of their own. Since Mario didn't say to keep it a secret, they were eager to ask Twilight what the nickname was once she had calmed down. And they were soon laughing and crying hysterically on the floor too.
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. Mario started wide-eyed 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..." Mario groaned as he pulled his blanket over himself to hide. He had been staying overnight since he needed all the practice he could get. Spitfire was now standing beside his bed.
"Did you..."
"I, Mario Star, I'm not responsible for this content!" Mario said sternly with his voice muffled due to the blanket over him. Spitfire just rolled her eyes and then bucked him in the flank with a hind leg.
"OW!" Mario yelped as he poked out of the blanket, "What was that for? I said Rainbow's behavior isn't because of me!"
"I heard you," said Spitfire, "but you know I usually kick you to make sure you're awake."
"Ugh!" Mario groaned as he pushed the blanket off and glared at her while making his bed.
"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 Mario 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 will y'all quit mockin' my sister," Mario replied, using a proper country accent, "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.
Outside at the runway and training grounds, two Wonderbolts quickly soared across the foreground. On the ground, Spitfire and Mario 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. Mario was the first to notice her.
"Not again!" Mario 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!" Mario 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," Mario 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 appreciate it if you stopped mocking my wife or you're gonna get it!" Mario yelled at Rainbow angrily, "Remember that we geniuses rule Equestria! Not airheads like YOU!" Spitfire nodded in agreement as Mario's loud voice knocked Rainbow to the other side of the runaway.
"And that goes for you too AIRHEAD!" Mario yelled with the loudhailer at Spitfire's face. Spitfire quickly grabbed the loudhailer from him. The other cadets were snickering until Spitfire shot them a death glare to make them stop.
"You're so gonna pay for that later," Spitfire warned.
"Worth it," said Mario smugly as Spitfire rolled her eyes. 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 Mario, 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 Mario 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 Mario growled in a low tone. Mario 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. Mario 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 Mario, "I think I had a right to let off some steam."
"Fair enough," said Spitfire.
"Of course, if I catch her imitating me, she's gonna get it," Mario said bitterly as Spitfire rolled her eyes.
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. Mario had lost a bet with Misty Fly and now had to give her one.
"I am so jealous that Princess Twilight gets these all the time," said Misty Fly. Mario rolled his eyes and chuckled.
"She doesn't ask for them all the time," said Mario, "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 incident, 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 already forgave you 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?" Mario 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?" Mario asked playfully since he heard the comment.
"Nothing!" Spitfire yelled and got back to Fleetfoot's message. Mario 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 Mario, "I see plenty of beautiful ladies here that are available." Especially a rainbow mane Pegasus. But he kept that last line to himself. 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."
"Pfft, does it matter?" said Mario, "Until Shenran married Fluttershy, I was the only boy in the group. I get exactly how it feels to be outnumbered and ganged up on by girls."
"Would you say it's worth it?" Soarin asked. Mario smiled.
"Yes it was," Mario answered, "Despite their teasing, they love and care about me. I'm sure these girls tease you because, deep down, they love and care about you. Right girls?"
"Meh..."
"Eh..."
"Whatever..." the three Wonderbolt mares said apathetically. Soarin and Mario just rolled their eyes. Neither stallion noticed that the three mares were smirking afterwards. It was then 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 Mario with an eye roll.
"Despite how annoying Crash's been, I wanna see her imitate Mario," said Fleetfoot to Misty Fly.
"I'm right here ya know!" Mario retorted as the two mare just 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." Mario jaw hit the floor.
"Since when does she know about bold lines and classic contours?!" Mario 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?" Mario called out, "Rainbow was about to ask Soarin out!" Rainbow blushed heavily as Fleetfoot and Misty Fly cooed. Rainbow growled menacingly at Mario.
"That's not what I was doing!" Rainbow sneered under her breath, but then got an idea as she made her mane look like Mario's.
"Hello, it'sa me, Rainbow Dash! Woo-hoo!" Rainbow said in a rather upbeat tone, "I can do anything I set my mind too. Because I love you guys and I'll do anything to get ponies to like me. I have oh so very many abilities and I do tasks quickly too! In fact, you can call me, "Super Rainbow"! Waa-hoo!" Spitfire glared angrily as Mario growled and lunged at Rainbow. Spitfire held the enraged alicorn prince back by a fore-leg.
"Enough!" Spitfire snapped, making Mario stand down 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 Shenran 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 Shenran 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...Mama's Boy?" Spitfire said as Mario cringed and Rainbow as rather stunned.
"Mama's Boy?!" Rainbow repeated.
"Right...Spitfire," Mario replied in a very bitter tone as the others snickered.
"Now it's official," said Spitfire, "Welcome to the Wonderbolts, Crash!" Spitfire then laughed as she and all but Mario 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 Mario, "Imitating your friends wasn't what they had in mind."
"Okay, I get it, so back off!" Rainbow snapped angrily. Mario glared.
"Don't take this out on me," said Mario 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 Mario, "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 Mario, "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!" Mario 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!" Mario sighed to himself.
"I know I promised not to say anything," said Mario, "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 Mario, "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, Dashie, just trust me when I say you can tell them the truth."
"I said NO!" Rainbow snapped, before turning her back away from Mario 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 Mario wasn't going to back down.
"And in the meantime, what are you supposed to do?" said Mario, "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 do 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!"
"Dashie, are you even listening to me?!" Mario snapped, "You don't need to go ruining the show! Just trust me and tell them to truth!"
"NO!" Rainbow shouted at the top of her lungs and gritted her teeth at him. Mario just gave her a stern glare.
"You know how nervous I've been about the Ponyville flight show," said Mario 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." Mario 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 few more tears left her eyes.
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, Fluttershy and Shenran 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, Big Brother 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 Mario 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 Shenran 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 Shenran 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 Shenran 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 Mario too."
"Excellent point," said Rarity, "it's simply dreadful that Rainbow Dash's had such a rough start after finally achieving her dream. As for Mario, he has been having to deal with helping Rainbow Dash as well as dealing with his own jitters about the show."
"Rainbow Dash is a pretty resilient pony," said Twilight, "And my husband is alot better than me at getting his nerves under control. Plus Rainbow Dash always finds it easy confide with Mario and asking 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 my big brother with..."
"Perfect!" said Rainbow as she hovered 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 Mario.
"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 Shenran wearily.
"Me too, Shenran," said Twilight worriedly, "I just hope Rainbow doesn't ruin the show. She's gonna hurt more than just herself if she tries anything." 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 Mario know you're gonna have me do this? I thought he was afraid of lightning!"
"Of course he does and he's fine with it!" Rainbow lied as she gave Scootaloo her scooter, "Like I'd ever go behind Mario'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 Mario 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 Mario 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 Marioooooooooo!" It was then eight ponies took to the sky at high speed with Mario 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. Shenran 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."
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. Mario then led the charge four of the Wonderbolts flew high into the sky. Then they stopped their momentum, leaned back, and closed their wings. Mario 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. It was then Mario did a few spins and made a firm landing with his hind legs.
"WA-HOOOOO!" Mario 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 Mario. 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 Mario'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 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. Mario and Rainbow are doing great!"
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 Mario. Mario 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 Mario 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, look 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. Mario then did a few somersaults before landing on the ground with his hind hooves.
"YES!" Mario shouted as he posed on his hind legs and then the other Wonderbolts landed behind him. The crowds cheered as Spitfire walked over to give Mario a hoof-bump for a job well done, but before they could connect hooves. Soarin walked up and whispered something to Spitfire as Mario looked at them curiously. The two Wonderbolts looked up and saw Rainbow was still flying. Mario then noticed Rainbow as well and felt devastated and betrayed as he sat down and covered his face with his fore-hooves, knowing his moment in the spotlight was about to be taken from him.
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, Shenran, 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 Mario glaring at her furiously. She could tell he looked fit to explode. But instead of bursting into rage...
...Mario began to cry and said nothing. Spitfire just put a fore-hoof around his back as he buried his face into her shoulder.
"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. 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 Mario.
"You gonna tell us what just happened, newbie?" Spitfire asked, getting right to the point. Rainbow just sighed, especially when she saw Mario still looking very upset.
"I'm so sorry," Rainbow said sadly.
"I should hope so," said Spitfire, "You changed to routine without consulting me, put other ponies at risk, and ruined our effort to showcase what a great flyer Mario is! 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." Mario gave a chuckle. Spitfire nudged Mario and gestured for him to speak up.
"No, no, no!" Mario said sternly.
"Mario, if you ever wanna get over those negative words, you gotta be able to laugh at yourself," said Spitfire, "Now come on. You do a great job reenacting that moment."
"Are you talking about why you're called "Mama's Boy"?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah," said Mario, "fine...if I don't tell you, I'm sure Twilight will." Mario took a deep breath, "This actually dates back to one of my visits to Wonderbolt HQ since Spitfire is my best friend. I was doing the proper routine before crossing the runway and started to cross. Then Fleetfoot and Misty Fly intercepted me and sent me flying into some orange traffic cones. One of them got stuck on my head..." he then put an orange cone over his head before speaking into a dorky tone, "duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh...why is it so dark? Is it nap time? But if it's nap time, why am I standing up? I can't go sleepy without my night-light...or my Twilight plushie! I don't like this..." By now all the other Wonderbolts were cracking up and Rainbow was snickering. Spitfire then pulled the orange cone off Mario's head.
"I WANT MY MOMMY!" Mario bellowed and then covered his mouth with his fore-hooves and his eyes shrunk while darting from side to side. Spitfire broke out in hard laughter and fell into her back and the others started laughing as well. Rainbow was laughing hard as well. Unlike the other times where Mario felt annoyed and embarassed, he was able to just smile and roll his eyes.
"Wow, talk about totally embarassing," said Rainbow as she finally calmed down and the others, "So I guess everypony else has a nickname because of something embarassing they did on their first day?"
"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. Mario then laughed deviously.
"Her nickname is..." said Mario.
"I'll tell her ya doofus!" Spitfire retorted with a fore-hoof over his mouth. 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 Mario, 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 Mario 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.
"She's right about that," said Mario, "I've told you time and time again that when I was the Flying Unicorn that I did some terrible things. One of the worst things was...being Spitfire's bully."
"What?!" Rainbow exclaimed, "You bullied Spitfire and made her cry?" Mario gave her a sad smile.
"I did," said Mario, "How else did you think she got so angry that she finally decided to make me crash?"
"True," said Spitfire, "and while I did forgive him long ago for being so mean. The hurtful words take time to heal. When I first joined the Wonderbolts, my emotions were all over the place."
"No kidding," said Mario, "after her first day, she came to me in tears thinking she wasn't cut out for the Wonderbolts. She felt the same overwhelming emotions when she was made Captain too." Spitfire had glared at Mario, but then saw that he wasn't teasing her and relaxed her facial expression.
"As you can see, it's normal to feel a little doubtful when you first start out," said Spitfire, "and it's normal to feel overwhelmed. But in the end, you don't let those feelings make you give up. You keep on fighting and each day, you'll get stronger. I'd like to say that I've gotten over my scars rather nicely over the years."
"Right," said Mario with an eye-roll as Spitfire jabbed him with a fore-knee.
"The point Crash," said Spitfire, shooting Mario a death glare before continuing, "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 Mario, "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." Mario 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. Mario did roll his eyes.
"Don't you get enough of a laugh teasing me about the traffic cone incident?" Mario laughed. Spitfire snickered.
"Hey, it's all in good fun," said Spitfire, "Just like you tease me."
"True. I do love teasing about how you sleep with a pink pacifier in your mouth every night," Mario remarked.
"Exactly," said Spitfire but then blinked, "HEY!" The rest of the Wonderbolts, Mario, and Rainbow laughed.
"Gotcha that time didn't I?" Mario chuckled as Spitfire just shook her head and started plotting in her mind to pay him back later. 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 Mario and the others started to walk off.
"Mario, wait!" said Rainbow, "Can...can we talk?" Mario froze in place.
"Why?" said Mario bluntly, "I know you're sorry, but I don't want to talk to you right now."
"Mario," Spitfire warned, "not the time for tough love."
"Why does hearing that you from sound so weird?" Mario remarked as Spitfire slapped the back of his head.
"Just go hear her out," said Spitfire, "After all, staying angry doesn't do you any good." Mario sighed, knowing how true that was as he walked over. Rainbow was already crying before he even stopped walking and sat in front of her.
"I'm so sorry, Mario," Rainbow sobbed, "I didn't mean to ruin the show 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..." Mario'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 Mario, "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 Mario, "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 Mario, "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 Mario, "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 Mario, "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, Mario. 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 Shenran recently, but...I still feel more comfortable talking to you about things. Sorry..."
"It's okay, Dashie," said Mario, "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, Mario," said Rainbow, "and again, I'm sorry for ruining your chance to have the spotlight. You were really great out there. I see in my eyes the real best flyer in Equestria." Mario smiled as the two best friends shared another hug with each other. Mario then pulled away, kissed her fore-head, and 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.
Late that night, Rainbow was busy sweeping the empty show grounds as Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Twilight, Mario, Shenran, and Scootaloo came up to her. Mario had 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 Mario, "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. 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. Shenran then gave a chuckle.
"I take it that you managed to come clean regarding that nickname of yours?" Shenran asked. Rainbow sighed. She didn't want anything spoiling her good mood, but she really want to show Mario that she did trust her friends.
"Yeah, I finally took Mario's advice and told the Wonderbolts the truth about the nickname," said Rainbow.
"You actually listened to Mario?!" Fluttershy exclaimed dramatically.
"That means the sky is gonna fall any second now!" Shenran shouted fearfully as Fluttershy held her husband for dear life.
"Oh be quiet!" Twilight and Mario snapped annoyingly. Rainbow snickered.
"Very funny, you guys," said Rainbow, "The point is the they call me Crash to say I'm part of the Wonderbolt family, not to be mean. And besides, the extra cleaning is something I have to do for ruining Mario's moment and changing the show routine behind Spitfire's back. I gotta take responsibility after all. And I get to live my dream!" It was then a montage of Rainbow's face in her Wonderbolt uniform was seen, along with herself, Soarin, and Spitfire racing below it across the blue sky.
Back in reality, Rainbow just smiled contently and went back to work. The others just smiled.
"Well, we're glad everything is okay," said Twilight.
"And Scootaloo," said Rainbow, "I'm sorry I put you up to kicking that storm cloud at me."
"It's okay," said Scootaloo, "I should've spoken up instead of just doing it. After all, Mario helped me learn to confide in Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle when I have a problem. I'm glad you know you can confide in the Wonderbolts. Just remember that you can confide in me and the rest of your friends too."
"Well said, Scootaloo," said Mario as Scootaloo nuzzled his side.
"I know, Scoot, I know," said Rainbow, "Well...I got work to do so I'll see ya later...hopefully..." Rainbow then got back to work. Twilight, Scootaloo, and Mario exchanged nods with each other before they headed over to where Rainbow was busy cleaning. Rainbow saw that Twilight and Mario were helping with taking the decorations down. Soon the others were also doing the same.
"Guys!" Rainbow protested, "Spitfire said..."
"I'll deal with Spitfire," said Mario, "We're your friends and we want to help our friend because we've got her back." Rainbow just smiled gratefully as they all got to work with the clean up duty. Little did Rainbow or Mario know, was that Spitfire had returned to check on Rainbow and had seen everything. Soarin was also with her.
"You gonna stop them Captain?" Soarin asked quietly. Spitfire just chuckled.
"No," said Spitfire in the same tone, "She'll be working solo cleaning the compound for a month anyway. Right now, she needs her friends." Soarin just smirked.
"Sounds like somepony is getting soft in her old age," Soarin teased.
"Oh button your lips, Soarin!" Spitfire shot back since Soarin was the older then her by a few years, "Besides, when you're a newbie and had a rough first few days, being with close friends is the best medicine." Spitfire then blinked and made a face, "I sound just like Mario don't I."
"Guess he's rubbed off on you," Soarin added, "but I always knew you had a caring heart."
"Alright, cut it out!" Spitfire retorted and gave him a hard shoulder jab with her fore-leg, "Let's head back to HQ!"
"Right boss," said Soarin with a chuckle as they two Wonderbolts headed back to their Headquarters. Spitfire rolled her eyes, but deep down she smiled.
She didn't mind the team knowing about her caring side.
Just she, like Rainbow Dash, didn't like just anypony knowing about it.
If you're wondering why Rainbow didn't do an imitation of Shenran, it was because the friend that allowed me to use Shenran in this story requested Rainbow NOT imitate him. So it was done out of respect. Sorry pony fans.
And I had to do a little Soarin-Dash shipping. I mean Rainbow picked Soarin to act like Rarity. Plus she did get in his face and batted her eyes at him. LOL
And the person that allows me to use Shenran requested that Rainbow Dash not impersonate his pony. That's why she didn't imitate Shenran. Sorry pony fans.
And it always bugged me that Rainbow was never honest about why "Crash" bothered her so much, so I added it into the story. In addition, it also allowed me to give Spitfire a little more character development. After all, the show really focuses on making her so cliché and many fans don't take her character seriously, I want to show that underneath that tough persona of hers, Spitfire is a real pony who can be relatable to others and a good friend.
At the end, I'm glad Rainbow was feeling better, but to leave everypony else out in the cold about what happened just left the ending incomplete. She could have spent a simple ten to fifteen seconds to say all was well. That is why I included an alternate ending.
Next Time: the Holidays are back once again and this time the Mane nine play roles in a Hearth's Warming Variation of Charles Dickens's The Christmas Carol. What roles will Shenran and Mario play in this story?
Peace Pony Fans!