The Misadventures of Ponified Friends
Chapter 20: Taste the Rainbow, Mother Bucker! (Sonic Rainboom)
(Speedy's POV)
I'm ticked off.
While I was doing boring weather duties in Ponyville, Robert and the others went on an epic adventure a few days ago? Talk about missing out on the fun!
He even faced a Hydra, a freaking Hydra, head on! Without me! He also earned a battle scar for it!
Guys, believe me. I would've done a number on that creature way better than what Robert managed to do against it.
Twilight and Blast had only discovered about the Pinkie Sense around that time, too. I bet that purple Unicorn had a field day with Pinkie's weirdness.
"Hey, Glee! Are you listening?"
Rainbow's voice put me out of my thoughts. "Whoops, sorry."
"Okay, again. What have we learned?" She asked.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you that Rainbow Dash was teaching Fluttershy and me how to do a cheer (or just Fluttershy). Rainbow Dash was going to compete in the annual Best Young Flyers competition today in Cloudsdale, the home of the Pegasi here in this world. She has been practicing her routine for months, and today was the dry run for the big one.
"Um, loss of control…" Fluttershy answered.
"Good." RD gestured her to continue.
"Screaming and hollering…"
"Yes, and most importantly...?" Rainbow then pointed at me.
I scratched my head and thought about the answer for a few seconds. "Passion?"
"Passion! Right!" Rainbow landed on the ground. "So now that you know the elements of a good cheer let's hear one!"
I raised my hoof. "Ooh! Me first!" I cleared my throat, took a deep breath, and I cheered as loud as I can. "WOOOOOOOHHH! YEAH, BABY! WHOOOOOO!"
Rainbow Dash had to clean her ears out. "Okay, that's good. A bit obnoxious, but I like it! Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy sniffed. "Yay."
Both Rainbow Dash and I were dumbfounded at the softness. RD face hoofed.
"Ugh, you're gonna cheer for me like that? Louder."
"Yay," Fluttershy repeated in her same tone.
"Louder!"
"Yay!" her voice went a decimal of a decibel.
"LOUDER!"
Fluttershy practically sucked in air exaggeratedly. "Yaaaay." How the heck did that come out even quieter and softer?
Rainbow groaned, and she had to flop down out of annoyance.
I just clapped at Flutters' effort. "I couldn't have done it better."
"Was that too loud?" Fluttershy asked innocently.
"Eh, just right."
"Well, I guess that's that." Rainbow declared as she got up. "Time for me to practice the routine."
"Good luck!" I called to her. She searched for a decent cloud to perch on and readied herself.
"Um, Speedy?" I turned to Flutters. "If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you join the Young Flyers competition with Rainbow Dash? You're just as good at flying."
I sighed. "I've thought about it, but Rainbow kept raving on and on about that competition for weeks. I wouldn't want to steal her thunder."
"Oh, that's too bad. You have a good shot at winning if you ask me." Fluttershy said.
"It can wait," I replied with a shrug. "Besides, doing those routines like she's gonna practice right now ain't really my thing."
"Hey! You gonna watch me or what?" Rainbow shouted up top.
"Lookin' good, RD!" I said.
"Yay." Fluttershy cheered meekly.
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, and then she dived straight down to begin phase one of her routine. She skillfully weaved through some tall trees as she zoomed past us from above.
"Wooo…" Fluttershy said in wonder.
I began to get hyped. "That was great! Keep it up!"
She flew straight up. "Phase two!" she said aloud before diving down again at an insane speed. She began circling a huge puff of cloud, then she switched to another one, and another one still. I've gotten dizzy just watching her.
"Way to go…" Fluttershy softly said.
I couldn't contain my excitement by knowing what comes next.
"You can do this, Rainbow!" I exclaimed. "It's Sonic Rainboom time!"
Rainbow Dash flew as high as she could, and then she dove down at an increasing speed. She leaned her hoof in an attempt to make her drop quicker. I was on the edge of my, well, grass that I was sitting on and began chewing on my horseshoe nervously. All she needed was to break the sound barrier, and a mushroom cloud of a rainbow would appear (that was what she told me).
I could tell that she was struggling to match the speed of sound, and that's when she suddenly stopped, and she was thrown away in the opposite direction if that was even possible.
"Oh my." Fluttershy put a hoof in her mouth.
"What the heck happened?" I questioned. I flew up and tracked Rainbow down. She was catapulted straight to Ponyville, or, more specifically, the library.
"Uh oh, she just crashed into the library," I mentioned. "and it's cleaning day in there. Let's go back, Fluttershy."
She nodded and followed me all the way home. When we arrived, all the books in the library were scattered on the floor. I should say the same to everyone, too.
"Rainbow Dash, you rock. Woo hoo." Fluttershy cheered as quietly as always. She just noticed the mess. "Did my cheering do that?"
"Wow, it looks like you just shook off the entire tree," I observed.
Rainbow Dash laughed awkwardly. "Sorry about that, everypony. That was a truly feeble performance."
"Hey, that was twenty percent way better than the last practice," I said.
"It wasn't all that bad. I particularly like the part when you made the clouds spin." Fluttershy praised.
"I'm not talking about my performance. I'm talking about yours, Fluttershy. Feeble cheering!" RD pointed out.
"What are you three arguing about?" Twilight asked in confusion.
"Were we arguing? We're sorry." Fluttershy apologized.
"We're not, Sparkles. We're just talking about Rainbow Dash's practice for the Young Flyers competition in Cloudsdale." I told her.
Twilight tilted her head. "What's that?"
"It's where all the great Pegasus flyers come together to compete with all sorts of flying styles," Rainbow responded. "I hope you guys could come and watch me."
"Ooh! I know about that!" Pinkie perked up. "Some are fast!" She ran around the room like a race car. "Some are graceful." She attempted to tiptoe like a ballerina, but that resulted in her to fall ungracefully.
"Golly, I'd love to see you strut yer stuff in that competition." Applejack said.
"I wish all you guys would be there. Speedy's great support, but Fluttershy's, well, not exactly inspirational."
"Hey! She's trying her best." I said, wrapping my right-wing comfortingly on a frowning Flutters.
"Oh, I'd LOVE to see you make a Sonic Rainboom! It's like the most coolest thing ever! Even though I never actually seen it, but I mean, come on! It's a Sonic Rainboom! How not cool could it possibly not be?" Pinkie ranted hyperactively.
"What's a Sonic Rainboom?" Twilight asked curiously.
"I think I've read about it." Robert finally decided to speak. "It's a legend amongst pony folk. When a Pegasus reaches a certain amount of speed, a massive explosion in the form of a rainbow could happen once that Pegasus breaks the sound barrier."
"And Rainbow Dash here is the only pony ever to pull it off." Applejack informed proudly. I knew as well when she started talking about the competition a month ago.
"Yeah, but that was a long time ago. I was just a filly." Rainbow said modestly.
"Right after hearing what that Sonic Rainboom was all about, and you said that you did it when you were a filly? That's a pretty impressive feat." Hassan praised.
"You're gonna do it again, right?" Pinkie asked Rainbow, who hesitated before answering.
"Aaaaare you kidding? I'm the greatest flyer who ever come out of Cloudsdale. I can do Sonic Rainbooms in my sleep."
Me, who watched her practice at least a dozen times a day, couldn't hold in my laughter that I have to cover my mouth with both my hooves. Rainbow glared at me.
"Wow, if you pull that off, you'll win the crown for sure." said an impressed Twilight.
"The grand prize is hanging out with the Wonderbolts for a day," I said.
"Exactly! A whole day of flying with my lifelong heroes. It'll be a dream come true!" Rainbow's eyes were filled with excitement as she exclaimed.
"Yay." A barely audible cheer came out of Fluttershy.
"I'm gonna go rest up. Don't wanna over prepare myself, you know." Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously before doing a 180 on us. "You two, on the other hand, better keep practicin', especially you, Fluttershy. I need a cheering section that can match my spectacular performance."
I snorted at her false smugness. It earned me an elbow in the gut before she flew away, though.
"She's lying, isn't she?" Silver said.
"She's practiced that move a hundred times, and she's never even come close to doing it," Fluttershy responded. "I don't know if I can cheer loud enough to help her."
"That bad, huh? No wonder she's nervous." Star Blast said.
"RD's definitely gonna practice one again before going back to Cloudsdale. Why don't you check, Flutters?" I requested. "I'll catch up with you in a moment."
"Okay." she nodded before leaving.
"Welp, guess we better get this cleaned up… again." Twilight annoyingly announced.
"Can't you and Blast find some way for you guys to fly? You two are the geniuses here." I brought up. "Plus, that'll really ease RD's jitters."
Twilight contemplated my question. Rarity poked her with her horn. "Go on, go on," said Rares.
"Go on what?" Twilight asked in confusion.
"Go find a spell that can get us wingless ponies into Cloudsdale." Rarity told her. "Didn't you see how nervous she was?"
"Nervous? Have you spit yer bit or something? She was tootin' her horn louder than the brass section of a marching band." I honestly didn't know what Applejack was talking about. I had to look at Hassan for a translation.
"She's saying that Rainbow is confident." Silver answered.
"Thanks, bro." I gave him a hoof up.
"Oh, please. I've put up enough fashion shows to recognize stage fright when I see one." Rarity said, disagreeing with Applejack.
"Yeah, I've had that look many, many times." Blast shared. I've known him for years, so I understand his pain.
"We've got to find a way to be there for her." Rarity declared before pushing Twilight to get into one of the books. "Go on, Twilight."
"How am I supposed to find a flight spell in this mess?" Twilight questioned.
"A flight spell? Wait, just a sec." Pinkie became a blur, and a second later, she came back with a book and threw it at Twilight. "Page twenty-seven."
"That was fast even for me," I commented.
"How'd you do that?" Applejack asked.
"It landed on my face when Rainbow Dash knocked me into the bookcase." Pinkie informed. I thought it was because of another one of her Pinkie Sense.
"There it is!" Twilight exclaimed. "A flight spell that can make Earth ponies fly for three days."
"That's a difficult spell to pull off." Blast said. "I'm not even sure if you can do it, Twilight."
She frowned at the realization. "You might be right, Blast."
"You've got to try." Rarity insisted.
"Okay, but who's gonna volunteer to be the test subject?" Twilight asked. We looked at Pinkie, AJ, Blast, and Silver. They turned at one another, expecting someone to step up. When no one even said a word, Rarity spoke up.
"I will! For Rainbow Dash, I will go first." Rarity announced firmly.
"Here goes." Twilight's purple aura illuminated the room as her magic was activated. A wave of blue, glittery ribbon began to envelop Rarity until it wrapped her completely. A blinding flash of light happened before us, and when our vision became stable, Rarity has glowing butterfly wings!
"Oh, it worked," Twilight said in a squeaky voice. That magic took a lot out of her, evidently enough.
"Sweet Celestia!" She exclaimed with a smile. "These wings are simply magnificent!" She flew around the room as her wings lit up the library like a disco ball.
"They are pretty, but why butterfly wings?" Applejack asked. She looked disgusted. And also confused.
"The spell didn't say what the wings would look like, and all it said is that it gives ponies the ability to fly." Twilight explained.
"Boy, aren't you glad that you didn't volunteer, huh?" I nudged Silver playfully. He rolled his eyes.
"Oh! I want one! I want one!" Pinkie began jumping in excitement.
"I'm sorry, Pinkie." Twilight frowned. "I don't think I can cast another one of those spells."
"Aaawww." Pinkie said in disappointment.
"You know, I think I encountered a spell that can make us walk on clouds." Blast told us. "It won't let us fly, though."
"That could work." Applejack said with a smile.
"Problem is, it's somewhere around all this mess." He gestured to the books. "It might take a while."
"Huh, good thing I know what spell you're talking about Blast. All we need is to find the book." Twilight said.
"Well, you guys do your thing. I'm gonna go meet up with Rainbow and Flutters." I told them. I jumped out of the window and peered inside. "I'm expecting you guys to be there, right?"
"You can count on it, Lem." Blast said.
"Don't tell Rainbow Dash yet, Speedy. We'll make it a surprise." Rarity told me.
"Okay then, I'll leave you guys to it." I saluted, and then I finally left.
I met up with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy at the waterfall that we were practicing in earlier. RD made a few warmups (and another failed try for a Sonic Rainboom) before leaving for Cloudsdale. While we were flying, Rainbow continued to teach Fluttershy how to be assertive. On the other hand, I took in the sight of this floating city that only the Pegasi can fully appreciate since they're the only group of ponies that can go up this high. Streams of water and rainbow made up most of the great city, thanks to the Rainbow Factory, the place responsible for this kingdom's climate.
The city was bustling with waves and waves of crowds, thanks to the competition, no doubt.
"You've got to learn to be assertive, Fluttershy. Don't be afraid to speak up." Rainbow continued to instruct.
We gradually slowed down and glided down near the factory. I noticed there were three Pegasi stallions in white uniforms looking at us, and they were sniggering for some reason.
"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" the brown one said mockingly.
"It's our old friend, Rainbow Crash." said the tall, yellow one.
"Get kicked out of any flight schools lately?" the brown one teased, followed with laughs from the tall, yellow one and the short, gray one.
"Uh, you know these guys?" I whispered to Rainbow Dash.
"They're just jerks from way back," Rainbow told me.
"Aww, what's the matter? Telling all your problems to your boyfriend?" I instantly choked from that statement.
"He is NOT my boyfriend!" Rainbow said through gritted teeth. "and I did NOT get kicked out of any flight school."
"Face it, Rainbow Crash. Flight school had too many rules and not enough nap times for you." The brown Pegasus said.
"Ask her about the Sonic Rainboom." The tall one suggested.
"That's nothing but an old mare's tale. You don't have the skills to try something like that!"
"That's where you're wrong, kiddo-" I tried retorting, but my coughing wouldn't stop still. "Fluttershy, say something..."
Flutters rubbed my back gently before taking over for me. "She is going to do a Sonic Rainboom!" she stopped for a bit. "Um, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to be more assertive."
"Uh, no, she's not, cause there's no such thing!" The brown Pegasus replied.
"Then show up at the Clouduseum and see for yourself." She told them assertively, before going back to being meek. "If you're free…"
The three Pegasi laughed at Fluttershy's sudden change.
"Don't worry. We'll be there." The brown Pegasus said.
"See you then, Rainbow Crash." The yellow one added before they took off laughing. We looked at them irately until they were out of sight.
"Did you see that? I was so assertive." Fluttershy said with a smile.
"You sure are," I said as I cleared my throat. "Are they childhood friends or Nah?"
"Not friends," Rainbow said before sighing sadly. "Those guys are right. I'll never be able to do it."
"But Rainbow Dash, just because you failed the Sonic Rainboom a hundred thousand times in practice doesn't mean you won't be able to do it in front of an entire stadium full of impatient, supercritical sports fan ponies." Fluttershy's reasoning didn't help RD, who screamed out of anxiety.
"Okay, Rainbow Dash. Just chill," I said.
"What do I do?!" She cried. "Everypony's gonna see me fail! The Wonderbolts would never let a loser like me join! Princess Celestia would probably banish me in the Everfree Forest! My life is ruined~!"
Rainbow Dash buried her face in her hooves in frustration. I thought that I had to say something to lighten her up. That's when I noticed Fluttershy was staring at something.
"What's wrong?" I said.
"Rare…?," she muttered.
"Rare? The Sonic Rainboom is way more than rare!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"Rarity…?" Fluttershy pointed behind us, and we saw Rarity sporting her chandelier-like wings when we turned.
"Rarity?! Are you flying?!" Rainbow asked in surprise.
"I most certainly am!" she said in a sing-song voice. "Aren't my wings smashing? Twilight made them for me. I absolutely adore them."
Rainbow and Fluttershy's mouths were slack open in awe. They were in for a big surprise.
"Why so shocked? We couldn't leave our favorite flyer without her big cheering section, would we?" Rarity asked.
"We?" Rainbow said, confused.
I could hear an inflating sound near us. Soon after, a purple hot air balloon emerged under the clouds that carried everyone.
"I… don't believe it!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"It's incredible," Fluttershy said brightly.
"You guys made it!" I said as I waved.
"We sure did!" said Pinkie. As the hot air balloon landed on the cloud, Pinkie Pie got off it and hopped down. The fact that only Pegasi can walk on clouds made Rainbow Dash panic.
"Pinkie, wait!" Rainbow yelled, but Pinkie Pie stepped on the cloud without passing through. Twilight and the others went down as well.
"How'd you do that? Only Pegasus ponies can walk on clouds." Rainbow said.
"We found a spell that can make temporary wings, but it was too difficult to do more than once. So we used an easier spell that lets the rest of us walk on clouds." Twilight explained.
"So the spell works," I said. "You guys took forever. It's been hours."
"We practically have to turn the library upside down to look for it, as annoying at it was," said Twilight.
"Pretty cool, huh?" said Pinkie, cartwheeling around us to prove the effectiveness of the spell.
"And we came here to cheer you to victory!" Applejack added.
"To be honest, I was just starting to get the teeniest, tiniest bit nervous." That statement made me stifle a giggle. Don't want another punch in the gut. She may not look like it, but she had heavy hooves. "But I feel a lot better now that you guys are here."
"When does the competition start?" Silver asked. I noticed that he brought a camera with him, and he was snapping pics left and right.
"Easy with the snapshots, bro. Save some film for the actual event." I told him.
"Hey, I may never get the chance to walk in the sky ever again." He reasoned. "I'll make the most of my time here."
"Well, we've got some time before the competition. Why don't Fluttershy and I show you around Cloudsdale?" Rainbow suggested. The rest of the gang, besides RD and Flutters, responded with delight, and we made our way to the great city.
"So, how's the experience so far?" I asked Blast and Silver.
"It is pretty chilly in here, just as I expected," Blast commented. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before. Way different than seeing the sky in an airplane."
"Breathtaking, right? My jaw dropped so low I thought I could never get it back up the first time I was here. I still couldn't get used to this."
"I can see why." Silver started to take shots rapidly at sight in front of us.
"Here is the greatest city in the sky!" Rainbow announced. Luckily, we were in a great spot to view the rest of Cloudsdale's beauty, resulting in some Oohs and Awes from the gang. I turned around to see Rarity in awe of herself, or was it for her wings? I don't know, works both ways, though.
Rainbow Dash saw Rarity as well, and she started to walk away awkwardly and started a topic. "Uh… some of the greatest Pegasi in history came from Cloudsdale."
"Wait for me!" Rarity called behind us.
Some huge Pegasus dudes working on clouds turned to look at Rarity's wings, much like those construction workers that check out attractive women in tv shows. "Those wings are gorgeous!" one of them said.
"Why, thank you!" Rarity replied happily. She flew above us, making loops.
"Be careful with those wings, Rarity," Twilight said. "They're made from gossamer and morning dew, and they're incredibly delicate."
"Don't worry, Twilight. I'm sure they can't get worn out from too much attention." Rarity said. Five bucks say that she'll get in trouble later.
"Since we're up here, I'd sure like to get a look at where the weather's made." Applejack said.
"I'm curious to check it out, too." Blast added.
"Great idea!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Come on, everypony. To the Weather Factory!"
She led the group to the famous Weather Factory, the place responsible for Equestria's climate. Thunder clouds here and crystal snow falling over there, the factory was bustling just as usual. Once we arrived and signed up for a brief tour, they made us wear safety gear like boots and hard hats before entering the building for snowflake making.
"Now this is where they make the snowflakes," Rainbow explained as we watched the workers. "Each one is hoof-made. As you could see, it's a delicate operation."
"By hoof? That must be difficult," Silver commented, astonished. "You think they're doing something like folding a paper in half and just cut a pattern?"
"I think they're just carving it," I said. "I never really got to know the process."
"Also, each snowflake is unique than the other, which makes it more difficult to make." Blast added.
Rarity flew up and observed the large snowflakes hung in a string from above. "Ooh, the snowflakes look even better from up here." Unbeknownst to her, the gusts of wind from her wings were making the snowflakes float everywhere. Now, the ponies working were in distraught to prevent the crystals from shattering. A lot of it was already broken.
"Uh, should we do something?" I brought up.
"… I think we better move on before Rarity ruins winter and causes a drought." Rainbow suggested. We just backed away slowly and decided not to go back to this place for a while.
Rainbow escorted us to the rainbow making area, where there are pools of multicolored liquid that are, well, rainbow-colored.
"And here is where they make the rainbows," RD announced.
"I thought rainbows are just reflections of light or something?" Silver wondered.
"It's top-secret," I said. "I heard a rumor that the rainbows were made from ponies themselves…" I whispered that last part.
"…I think you meant by," Blast corrected.
"No, from!" I replied.
"Speedy, stop telling ponies about that story," Rainbow scolded me. "The last time you did, Derpy got so scared she wouldn't work for a month."
"It's a really interesting story!" I said.
"So, do they have a taste?" Applejack asked.
"They're not known for their flavor. Feel free to try," Rainbow told us. Pinkie Pie obliged by dunking a hoof from a pool and licking it. Her face turned into different shades of the rainbow seconds later, and her mouth was on fire for a moment.
"SPICY!" Pinkie screamed in pain and ran away to look for relief. Twilight and Applejack laughed.
Silver got curious and dipped his hoof in the pool. He licked his hoof, and he started to smack his lips to take in the taste. His face went through the same thing as Pinkie Pie's, and he began coughing. "Wow, that is spicy."
"Skittles lied to us," I commented. I could hear familiar voices from somewhere, and I turned to the direction. Rarity was with the three ponies we confronted earlier, and it looks like they were amazed at her wings as well.
"Woah, where'd you get those amazing wings?" the brown one asked. "I want a pair!" But why?
"Hmm, yeah, I guess I could see that." Rarity said.
The brown one and I made eye contact, and he smirked instantly. "Oh, hey look! It's Rainbow Crash and her boyfriend!" and with that, I lost my voice again and I coughed and coughed.
"Yeah, Rainbow… uh… Crash!" The yellow one failed to think of an insult.
"Hol' up, did he say boyfriend?" I held my hoof up to tell Silver not now.
"Rarity! What are you doing talking to these guys?" Rainbow demanded.
"Oh, they were just admiring my wings, Rainbow Dash," Rarity replied.
"Yeah, you should forget the sonic rainboom and just get yourself some wings like these!" The three bastards laughed as they flew away. I hate them!
"Is there something you're not telling us?" Silver said with a smile.
"They're just messing with us," I said, regaining my breath.
"They seem like the kind that picks on others to feel better about themselves." Blast said. We all agreed to that one.
Rainbow Dash groaned sadly, lowering her head in shame. "Uh, come on everypony. Why don't we go see how clouds are made?" Fluttershy said quickly, breaking the sad mood. We walked, and she went to Rainbow Dash to brighten her up. "Don't listen to them. You're gonna win that competition for sure."
"Are you kidding? I can't do the Sonic Rainboom!" RD replied in a worry. "Look at these plain, old, feathered wings. I'm doomed."
"Didn't you do one when you were a filly?" I questioned.
"That was a long time ago. It's nothing but an accident if I think about it."
"Accident or not, you've done it. Did those three idiots do it?" she shook her head. "Then you have nothing to worry about. Just believe in yourself, and everything will work itself out. Make those three eat their words, especially Mister I want butterfly wings."
I heard a chuckle from Rainbow. "Thanks, Speedy. I needed that." I answered her smile with my own as we hoof bumped.
Anyway, we entered the cloud making area of the factory, where the room was mostly steam and lotta buckets of water. Rarity doesn't help with the situation at all since she was hoarding all the attention for herself, thanks to her wings. Rainbow Dash's confidence was sinking as time goes on.
"Why, these old things?" Rarity said in a braggy tone. "Go ahead, everypony. Photos are encouraged."
I noticed that everyone was glaring at Rarity, except for Silver, who was cringing at this attitude of his crush. Rainbow was getting jitters again, and I figured I should talk to that fashionista.
"Pssst! Rarity!" I whispered. "We were supposed to support Rainbow Dash, remember? Why the heck are you showing off? Fold those wings and get down here."
"How can you ask me to put away perfection?" Rarity flew up and spread her wings, where the light passed through its colorful patterns and illuminated the room, sparking up the admiration of the ponies further. Rarity's ego just boosted up.
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was practically shaking in nervousness on the ground. "RD? You okay?" I asked.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be okay?" Her tone didn't convince me at all. "Everyone is so in love with Rarity's wings that they wouldn't even notice when I totally blow it in the Best Young Flyers competition."
"Hey, there's an idea!" One of the workers said. "Why don't you join the competition?" She pointed at Rarity. She must've heard our convo.
"Yeah! I could watch you fly all day long!" A granny Pegasus said.
"There really isn't any pony who uses their wings quite like me… Perhaps I should compete." Rarity announced while striking poses.
"WHAT?!" Both Rainbow and I exclaimed at the announcement as Rarity flew away, still flexing her wings with an entourage of fans.
"What am I gonna do?! I'll never gonna win the competition now." Rainbow said worriedly.
"Okay, she may have the looks, but she's nowhere in your league when it comes to actual flying." I reasoned.
"You don't know that, Speedy! What if Rarity pulls off a flight sequence the wows the crowd? Doing the Sonic Rainboom is my only chance of winning!" Rainbow responded.
We were really in a pickle.
Trumpets could be heard all over the city as the competition finally starts. Everyone was inside the coliseum to watch the big event. Crowds cheering in excitement from the seats made from clouds encircled the stage for the contestants. Twilight, Blast, and the others already picked seats while I joined Rainbow Dash and Rarity in the backstage. I peeked from the stage to look at the massive audience. I could see my friends eagerly waiting in anticipation. Pinkie even had a foam finger with the #1 on it. Oh, great, also, the three idiots were here.
I went back inside to see Rainbow Dash pacing around to ease her anxiety. Meanwhile, Rarity was taking her time in the powder room. She even shooed away somepony who was gonna use it. Rarity's hooves were sparkling. I tell you that.
Rainbow Dash stopped walking and instead began biting her hooves. I needed to talk to her. "How are you holding up?"
She sighed. "Still nervous… I'm scared something might go wrong."
"Come on, don't think negative thoughts!" I encouraged. "Let me show you a technique to ease you up. Try writing this symbol in your left hoof with your right hoof like this," I demonstrated, like what an anime character would do to calm their nerves. "Then, you do it three times and then pretend to swallow it!"
"I don't know how that's going to work, Speedy," Rainbow said skeptically.
"Just do it, okay?"
She sighed in defeat and then tried writing the man kanji on the palm of her hoof. After doing it three, she eventually pretended to swallow it. I noticed the change in her behavior.
"Well?"
"Huh, it kinda does work," Rainbow said. "I do feel a lot calmer now. What does that symbol mean?"
"It means to dominate over others," I explained. "If my memory is right, the swallowing meant to swallow or be swallowed by your fear or something."
"Interesting…" Rainbow did the man character again before asking me. "That reminds me, what are you doing here in the backstage?"
"I figured I need to talk to Rarity about her participation," I answered. She might've treated me a delicious meal from that fancy restaurant like she promised one time, but I am putting my foot down to stop her ego from bloating. "I don't even think she knows what she has gotten herself into."
"Well, good luck with that," Rainbow said, swallowing the man character.
"Fillies and Gentlecolts!" We heard someone from the stereo shout. "Please rise and join me in welcoming our beloved Princess Celestia!"
The announcement piqued my interest as I looked out the curtain. Two guards accompanied the Princess, and she had her fancy VIP section. Rainbow Dash also peeked through the curtain next to me.
"Please welcome our celebrity judges for this year's competition: The Wonder Bolts!"
Rainbow Dash gasped in wonder right next to me as six Pegasus ponies wearing blue and yellow spandex ruled the sky with their fancy tricks with them ending the brief intro with a firework. The Coliseum was erupting with cheers. Rainbow couldn't stop smiling as the Wonder Bolts flew past us, taking their place right next to Celestia's booth.
I noted that this was the first time I have ever seen these Wonder Bolt ponies in person. They're just kind of okay. Never really interested in flying like them (yet), but I could see why Rainbow Dash worships them.
"And now, let's find out who will take the price in this year's Best Young Flyers!"
"All right number one, you're up!" The organizer said inside. The first contestant made her way outside the stage, and the cheering commenced.
"Oh no, Speedy!" I turned to Rainbow Dash, exclaiming. "I'm going to go next!"
"What?" I looked at the number on her flank, and yeesh, she was number two. "Well, then, just go."
"I'm not ready!"
"Okay, number two, you're up!" The organizer announced (and that fast?). Rainbow Dash looked around and saw a brown pony with an hourglass cutie mark with the number five. She sneaked around behind his back and switched their numbers.
"Hey, she's talking to you," RD said to the pony.
The pony was caught off guard and took off clumsily (That was mean). Rainbow Dash did the switcheroo once again once it was number four's turn.
"Okay, number four! Time to go." The organizer announced.
The powder room door opened, and Rarity went out with a beauty facial mask and curlers in her hair. "I'm number four, and I need one more itsy-bitsy minute. So, be a dear and have somepony ahead of me, hm?" Rarity told.
"Look, I don't care who it is, but somepony has got to go on!" The organizer exclaimed.
"Let's do this!" The pony beside me shouted and went out of the stage. I'm pretty sure that guy was supposed to come out after Rainbow Dash.
"What am I gonna do?" she asked nervously. "Your symbol thingy isn't working, Speedy!"
I don't know what else to say to her as I scratched my head. "You have no choice. You gotta get out there and do your best." That was the only advice left I could give her. If she keeps switching numbers, she's just prolonging the inevitable, which is what she's currently doing right now. I smacked my head out of frustration for her.
That finally leads me to my original plans. I walked towards the powder room and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Speedy…"
The door opened, and what appeared almost took my breath, in a bad, BAD way.
"How can I help you, darling? I'm a bit busy at the moment," said Rarity.
I realized I kept staring at her face full of really thick makeup, and I snapped out of it. "Yeah… Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Why, of course! Is it something important?"
"… Yeah, you could say that," I said hesitantly. "The thing is, it's about you and your wings."
"What about these bedazzling pair of wings?" Rarity said. "If you're worried about my performance Speedy then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. I'm pretty confident that I'll amaze the crowd!"
"That's one of the problems. Rainbow has been a nervous wreck ever since you came here with those. Maybe just, I dunno, tone down the superstar act a bit?"
"Why, I have no intention to steal the show away from her!"
"Even if you say that…" I moved aside and showed her Rainbow Dash creeping up on Derpy (Why did she join the competition? I'll never know) who was number fifteen. "That might not help her at this point."
"I guess I could be humbler… but what about my wings, Speedy?"
"Blast and Twilight said it's way too delicate. You could end up in an accident if you're not careful!" I warned. "This isn't a beauty pageant. This is a flying competition. You know that, right? There's high-speed stunts and loops and turns and everything!"
She scoffed. "Pish posh! I'm going to be fine, darling. I am destined for this!"
I was about to say more risks about the competition, but she had already closed the door. She just waved me off! I sighed and decided just to let her go through this thing. I wished RD good luck, and I returned to the stands to watch with the gang.
"I love number seven! Doing fifteen barrel-rolls in a row can't be easy!" Twilight shared excitedly.
"My favorite is number ten," said Fluttershy. "She looks like such a nice pony."
"Let's not forget about number fourteen. I feel bad for whoever comes next after him." Silver brought up, and everyone remembered the routine then eventually agreeing in murmurs.
"Speaking of, I haven't seen neither Rainbow Dash nor Rarity," Applejack said. "How come they haven't shown up yet? The competition's almost over."
"You went back there, right?" Blast asked me. "What happened?"
"Rainbow Dash kept switching numbers, and Rarity looks like the Joker thanks to her thick makeup," I replied. "This is just a disaster waiting to happen."
"Did you just say looks like the Joker?" Silver asked. Let's see if he still likes Rarity after this.
"Poor Rainbow Dash. I can't imagine how nervous she is backstage." Fluttershy said. I definitely shouldn't tell the others about her state. If I have to guess, she's probably lying on the floor shaking right now.
"And now, for our final competitor of the day!" The Announcer continued. "Contestant number 15!"
At long last, Rainbow came out of the curtains, looking terrified as ever. Rarity, wearing one of the ridiculous outfits that I have ever seen alongside that horrendous makeup, went out in style.
"Oh, and uh, apparently contestant number 4." The announcer added quickly.
The crowd cheered, but my friends even more so. I checked Silver, and he was rapidly snapping pictures. Guess he didn't mind, much to my disappointment. I was hoping for a good reaction out of him.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity were having a conversation down there, and suddenly classical music began to play around the arena. I was sure that RD requested a rock and roll background music. Rarity no doubt changed it, and her dancing around the air confirms it.
Rainbow Dash composed herself and began phase one of her routine where she has to weave around pillars of clouds instead of trees. She picked up her speed, but she was too quick to notice the last cloud, and she was sent hurtling to the wall below us face first.
"Nice work, Rainbow Crash!" The three idiots started laughing.
I stood up. "Shrug that botch off, Rainbow! You can do this!" I yelled, the others backing me up with cheers.
Meanwhile, Rarity was prancing around like a ballerina, but my attention is solely on Rainbow. She relaxed and soared way high outside the arena to spin the clouds rapidly for her next phase.
"Look, phase two is working!" Fluttershy said. We followed it up by cheering loudly, but during that, Rainbow was sent flying like earlier for some reason, and one of the clouds came falling to where Celestia's booth is. Good thing the Princess and her guards ducked down, and the cloud completely disintegrated.
I could see Rainbow Dash wince after her failed routine, while Rarity was still putting on a boring (for me anyway) albeit consistent performance where she began flying up towards the sun.
"Oh no, at this rate, Rainbow Dash is gonna lose," Fluttershy said.
"Well, there's only one more trick up her sleeve. Let's hope she pulls it off." I said.
Right on the mark, RD flew straight up the sky as far as she could, going past Rarity, who was also in an incredible height. She was, at our point of view, was in the center of the sun as her wings shined the whole coliseum. Probably the entire city as well.
Awes could be heard around the entire place, including ours. I was having difficulty to look at that overdressed Unicorn from the sky, but I was sure that I saw a short flicker, and the aurora-esque light show instantly disappeared.
"Uh… is the falling a part of her performance?" I asked loudly.
"Wait a minute," Silver used his camera and readjusted the lenses to zoom in. "Her wings are gone!" We all gasped at the news.
"Her wings must've evaporated because of the sun's light!" Twilight exclaimed.
Rarity was falling really fast. I'm not even sure if I could reach her, but I have to try. I stood up and flew down after her as soon as I could. I noticed that the Wonderbolts were also going after Rarity, and they blew by me with ease.
Rarity's flailing and panicking didn't help us. The Wonderbolts were trying to grab her, but her thrashing limbs were hitting them. They… They were all knocked out!
"Rarity!" I shouted. "You need to relax!" I keep calling her name, but the loud winds were making my voice unreachable. Rarity and the unconscious Wonderbolts were falling fast on the ground, and I was too slow to save them.
I can't watch it! Was the last thing that I thought as I closed my eyes for whatever that was going to happen.
That's when I heard a loud explosion, and something extremely fast flies by me, practically blowing me out of the way. I twirled around while not knowing what just happened. When I opened my eyes, a rainbow trail caught my attention as it flew back up the coliseum.
"Was that… Rainbow Dash?" I mean, it had to be her! There are freaking multicolored rings of light on the sky and over the city! This is what the Sonic Rainboom is capable of?
I returned to the coliseum and encountered the crowds cheering for RD. Even Fluttershy was going crazy! "A Sonic Rainboom! Woooh! Yeah!"
"I did it... I did it!" Rainbow exclaimed happily.
"You sure did," I said. "You even saved Rarity and the Wonderbolts!"
"Oh yeah, I did that too!" she chuckled. "Best. Day. EVER!"
I offered her a hoof bump, and she gladly gave one.
The crowds had died down after the end of the competition. We were all down on the stage, with Rarity riding on the hot air balloon. Turns out she didn't have the spell to allow her to walk on clouds.
"I'd like to apologize to all of you for getting so carried away with my-" Rarity sniffed. "-beautiful wings. I guess I just lost my head." Everyone accepted her apology, of course. "And I'm especially sorry to Speedy and Rainbow. I should've listened to you about how my wings are too delicate, and about how thoughtless it is as to jump in the into the contest at the last minute after you had worked so hard to win it. Can you two ever, ever forgive me?"
"Aw, it's okay," Rainbow said. "Everything turned out all right, right?"
"Yup! You're safe, Rainbow did the Sonic Rainboom, and she won the competition," I added. "Uh… You did win, right?"
"I dunno, but that's not important anymore," she sighed. "I just wish I could've met the Wonderbolts when they were awake…"
"Well, today's your lucky day, Rainbow, cause…" Star Blast pointed behind us, and the three Wonderbolts had walked over to meet us. Rainbow Dash turned instant fan girl mode in front of them.
"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygoooosh!"
"Way to play cool, RD," I said.
"So you're the little pony who saved our lives," the one with the fiery mane said. "We really wanted to meet you and say thanks."
"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygoooosh!" Oh, this girl. Princess Celestia walked over to us as well. We bowed before her presence.
"Hello Twilight Sparkle and Star Blast," she greeted her two pupils. "and hello to your friends, too."
"Princess Celestia, I'm sorry I ruined the competition. Rainbow Dash here really is the best flyer in Equestria." Rarity spoke up, causing Rainbow Dash to be flattered and shy before the Princess.
"I know she is, my dear. That's why for her incredible act of bravery, and her spectacular Sonic Rainboom, I'm presenting the grand prize for Best Young Flyer to this year's winner: Miss Rainbow Dash!" Princess announced, and the whole arena erupted. The Princess put on a crown on Rainbow herself, and the Pegasus was overjoyed at this moment.
"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygoooosh!" she said as Applejack, Pinkie, Silver, and Fluttershy carried her around the stage for her moment of glory while some of us stayed behind.
Princess Celestia went towards Twilight, Blast, Rarity, and me. "So, Twilight Sparkle, did you learn anything about friendship with this experience?"
"I did, Princess. So did everypony in a lot of ways," she glanced at the pony in the hot air balloon. "but I think Rarity learned even more."
"I certainly did," answered Rarity. "I learned how important it is to keep your hooves on the ground and be there for your friends."
"Excellent," the Princess smiled. "Well done, Rarity."
"This really is the best day ever!" Rainbow and the others returned after their brief parade.
I noticed the three idiots making their way towards us. My face instantly formed a scowl.
"Uh, hey, Rainbow Crash-" the one with the dumbbell cutie mark started.
"Dash!" The tall one with basketballs as CutieMark corrected. Wait, basketball?
"Oh! Uh, sorry, Rainbow Dash. We just wanted to congratulate you on winning the competition."
"That Sonic Rainboom was awesome!"
I wasn't buying it. Rainbow Dash and I looked at each other, and she seems amused at the stallions' change of heart. "Thanks, guys," she said.
"We're really sorry we gave you and your friend such a hard time before." The dumbbell pony said.
I sighed. "Don't worry about it. But if you ever call me her boyfriend again, we're gonna have problems."
"Uh, okay, I promise!" he answered. "Say, do you wanna hang out with us, Rainbow Dash? Maybe you can show us your incredible trick."
"Sorry, boys," RD flew off with a smile. Two of the Wonderbolts earlier was waiting for her, and she joined them. "But I've got plans!" then we just watched her disappear with them. The three Pegasi turned to me.
"I guess we should probably apologize to you personally, too." the one with the basketballs said. "But you two really did look like a couple-"
I immediately held up my hoof. "I'm gonna stop you right there. We're all cool now, really, so say no more." He smiled sheepishly.
"We better get outta here. Break time's almost over." The dumbbell pony said. I gave them a nod as they flew out of the coliseum. Man, what a day.
I felt someone tapping my shoulder, and I was met with the fiery-haired Wonderbolt.
"Hey, you two sure surprised us a lot back there. Not a lot of Pegasi can fly with THAT kind of speed." She said to me.
"Oh, Uhm, thanks," I said. She caught me off guard. "but I'm not as good as a flyer like Rainbow and you guys." I replied.
"Well, regardless, when you jumped in and tried to rescue your friend, you got some guts that most of the great Wonderbolts have," She said. "My name's Spitfire and I would like to ask if you and Rainbow Dash would like to join us someday."
That raised my eyebrows. "Wow… Okay, that's a huge one to take in."
"Don't worry, you have plenty of time to think about it," she gave me two application forms. "We're not gonna force you or anything, but we could use ponies like you in the ranks." She then followed Rainbow and her colleagues. I was left staring at the forms in my hooves.
Princess Celestia had left the others a farewell. Blast walked to me. "Hey, Lem. Why did the Wonderbolt talk to you?"
I showed him the forms. "She was recruiting me and Rainbow Dash to join them."
"No way!" Applejack exclaimed. "Not everypony gets asked to join the Wonderbolts by Spitfire herself."
"Is she like the leader or something?" I asked.
Applejack nodded. "She's the best Wonderbolt out there. She probably realized how special you two are."
I nodded in understanding. "I guess that makes this recruitment way more important than I thought it would be."
"Wonderbolts are basically the air force in this world, Lem." Blast said. "That's a pretty tall order. Are you considering it?" He asked, and for once, I didn't answer as I stared back at the papers I'm holding.
It was already nighttime at the library. Usually, I would play with my JoyBoy at this late hour of the night, but this application form in front of me was giving me a lot to think about more than it should. I know Spitfire told me to take my time, but I consider this an issue that I must resolve immediately before I completely ignore it later on.
I could hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and Twilight came down with a candle with her. "Speedy? You're still up."
"Yeah…" I yawned. "I think that Spitfire pony just gave me an identity crisis."
"How come?" Twilight asked. She headed to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk before sitting next to me.
"I dunno. I haven't thought about it that much. When I gave the form to Rainbow Dash, she filled it out in a second and went back to her home to mail it."
"Well, it is her dream to become a Wonderbolt," said Twilight. "Say, what do you wanna be? If you don't mind my asking."
I sighed. "Even back home, I have no idea what I want to become. Blast and Spur had it easy here cause they genuinely like their calling."
"You joined the Weather ponies. I remember you have a lot of fun in manipulating clouds."
"Yeah, but that was almost a year ago," I rested my head on the table. "Nowadays I'd just sit around the library and play through my game a dozen times, then I have nothing to do afterward. Blast is busy studying things that my mind couldn't even comprehend, and then suddenly, he's a teacher now! I didn't even know he wanted to be one! Let's not forget about Silver. The dude is only good at Basketball, but guess what? He's also good at cooking and farming! What am I good at? Just lazing around!" I bumped my head on the table out of frustration.
Holy moly, where did that come from?
I slowly looked up, expecting a creeped-out face, but I got a worried one instead from the Unicorn.
"I'm sorry… I think Rarity's make up took a lot out of my sanity."
Twilight smiled kindly. "I get it, but if that's what you're feeling, then why not try this one out?" She suggested. "If Rainbow Dash enjoys being with them and eventually becoming one of them someday, I'm sure you will."
"I'm still not sure. Aren't they just performers? I don't do that kind of stuff."
"They're more than that, Speedy. Why do you think Rainbow Dash calls them her heroes?" Twilight said. "Anyways, it's getting pretty late, and we both need some sleep."
"You go ahead. I'll take care of the lights down here." I told her.
"Thanks," she turned to me before going up the stairs. "Hey, Speedy. Who knows? Maybe being a Wonderbolt is your calling after all."
I smiled at her, and she had gone back to her room. I tapped my hoof on the table as I stared at the form, then at the quill and ink right next to it.
I guess enlisting wouldn't hurt. It could take years for me to get called, so might as well.
I grabbed the quill and filled out the paper. Here's to a new direction in my life as a Pony.
Author's note!
So, midterms are done and I've finally finished the chapter. Man, it has been a rough week, but let me address something first.
One of the best accidental things that happened in my life was watching this show out of pure curiosity. I never could've imagined that I'd be so connected with multicolored horses to the point that I'd cry during the final episode of the series. During the last 3 years of me being a brony, Friendship is Magic has helped me go through rough times and it never fails to do so. I am deeply saddened that it's all over, but like Tony Stark said, Part of the Journey is the End, nothing lasts forever. I'd like to thank everyone involved in making this show possible and making it last this long, but now, it's the fandom's turn to keep the spirit of friendship alive towards the next generation.
Okay, enough with the drama! Time to work on the next chapter. Leave a review, hit the follow and favorite button if you're gonna stick around, and I'll see you in the next update! - Super Bright Brat
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT MY OCs!
