Chapter 5: The Race
Twilight and her friends started to get into the carriage but Blades stopped Rainbow. "What the hay are you doing? Are we going to go see Luna or what?" Blades smiled wide. "We are but you and I are racing there. I kept my promise to help Spike and now it is time to race you. I told you I would and now I am going to keep my word. You ready? Or do you not want to race all the way there?" Rainbow was now getting excited at the idea of a long race. "You are on!" Blades smiled. "Alright we start from here and end at the gates of Canterlot. Then we wait for the others to show up. Sound good to you?"
Rainbow bent down and flared her wings. "Ready when you are slow poke!" Blades flared his wings and got ready to launch. "Hey Twilight do you mind doing the starting bell? So it stays fair?" Twilight nodded and made a bell appear next to her. 'Not what I meant but it works.' Twilight rang the bell and the two took off at speeds that only left colored tails behind them. There was the normal rainbow colored one the others were used to, but there was another next to it this time. This tail was red, black and silver. Twilight and the others couldn't believe that anypony but Rainbow was that fast.
Rainbow pulled ahead and looked back to see how far behind Blades had fallen and almost stopped in midair when she saw Blades was right next to her in the air, and he looked like he was barely trying! "I didn't expect you to be this fast! Keep it up Rainbow and you might be able to tie me for getting there. Now to see if you have the endurance to make it all the way there. Try and keep up!" Blades flapped his wings harder and started to pull ahead, but kept it at this pace. He knew how to pace himself. And he guessed that Rainbow was good but not for a race like this. He could tell she liked to go fast then slow when she knew she beat her opponent.
Rainbow was good for the first three fourths of the race to Canterlot. Then she started to feel the fatigue of keeping up the pace. She was wearing out and slowing down. Blades slowed to match her pace so he wouldn't leave her alone. "You kept it up longer than I thought you would but why don't we slow down and relax the pace. We will still get there long before the others do." Rainbow was reluctant to slow any further but knew he was right. "I hate losing!" Blades laughed. "If you ask me it is a win on your part. You just kept up with a demon that is both stronger and older than you. And you did it for most of the way here. that is an accomplishment if you ask me."
Rainbow had slowed to a crawl and could see his point. "Ya I guess you are right. I don't think anypony else could do that. And that just means I am the fastest normal pony in Equestria." Blades laughed at her and agreed. Then Rainbow's wings bent in funny angles, which meant she had huge cramps in them. Rainbow screamed at the intense and surprise pain as she fell toward the ground. Blades reacted out of instinct and dove for her. He got to her long before she hit the ground. He swooped under her and she landed gently on his back. Then he used his magic to rub the knots out of her wings. Normally this would have other affects, but in these cases it just stopped the pain.
After Rainbow's pain was gone Blades stopped the massage. "You ok back there?" Rainbow still on his back told him she was. "Ya thanks to you I am. I would have been hurt bad if you hadn't caught me. Speaking of which am I heavy for you to carry? I can get off." Blades shook his head. "You stay put. You are not heavy at all. Besides if you try and fly again so soon you will just have the same thing happen. You know that so don't be stubborn and just except the fact that I am going to carry you the rest of the way." Blades had picked up the pace after he had caught Rainbow so he could get her on the ground faster. Rainbow was blushing slightly at the forceful tone in Blades voice.
Rainbow was lost in fun little thoughts of how Blades could use that voice on her when he landed. She was lost in her own world when he did so and as a result she almost fell. But thanks to his wings and magic she landed on her hooves. "You ok there? You kinda seem out of it." Rainbow tried to hide a blush and turned to look for her friends arrival. "I just have never been carried like that before. It was different." Blades then connected the dots. "Well any time you want a ride just let me know. Until then let's just sit here and wait for the others. So can you tell me what you want to do and maybe more about Luna?" Rainbow was happy to change the subject.
After about an hour of talking about how Rainbow wanted to be part of the WonderBolts and how they had saved Luna Blades saw the carriage in the distance. "wow here sooner than I thought. Well let's go meet up with them. Do you think you can fly again?" Rainbow nodded quickly. She did not want her friends to see her being carried by anypony, no matter how much she wanted to be. The two took off and met the carriage. Blades flew next to the ponies leading it and warned them it was about to get heaver because of Rainbow and himself getting on. They thanked him for the warning and got ready for the change. Blades teleported himself and Rainbow inside the carriage.
Rainbow looked confused. "Why didn't we just keep flying?" Blades gave an amused laugh and explained. "Because only certain things can pass through the protective barrier. The princesses and carriages are the only things that can fly into Canterlot. Walking is a different story, but you can't get in flying. Trust me I tried it, and it didn't end well." The others were giggling at his tone and embarrassment. After that it didn't take long to get to the castle. At this point Blades was both excited and nervous about seeing Luna again. 'I just hope Celestia doesn't know who I am or what I am, or she might kill me on the spot.'