PROLOGUE

Rainbow Dash began her final lap around the obstacle course as scores of fans cheered below. Giving a final burst of speed, she flashed across the finish line in a wondrous streak of rainbow. But then she was falling...where were her fans now? She woke up, jumping up instantaneously in her Cloudsdale mansion that she had won from the Equestrian flying contest last year. It only put more pressure on her for this year, which she definitely did not need.

Even though it was only 4:30 in the morning, she decided to go for some warmup laps on the local track. She put on her tracksuit dully as she stared around her room, back ever-so-slightly hunched. She had been lonely ever since she won the contest, became famous, and her friends had slowly begun to reject her. Over-achievers always have the worst luck, she thought glumly.

She took off from the upstairs balcony, ducking under some low-flying storm clouds as she headed towards the track. Soaring up for a full minute, she gained momentum for a dive - and possibly a sonic rainboom. Yeah. that was cool, wasn't it? She recalled her first sonic rainboom, when she was a filly at summer flight camp. Her second, where she had her friends to cheer her on and be happy for her. That wasn't a big enough achievement to make them resent her yet. Maybe the years together, the problems they faced as one, had drawn their friendship farther apart and finally to a close. Maybe she had done something wrong. Maybe it would have been better to reject the fame and fortune as opposed to friendship. She couldn't see herself resenting someone for achievement - but then again, she was the element of loyalty.

Not that it mattered anymore, right? She had no more friends to cheer her on now. Not really trying, she sped downwards. Without warning, a gigantic crackle of lightning pierced the sky and struck the spot where Dash had been half a second ago. Recoiling in surprise, she realized she was so caught up in her sadness that she'd forgotten to check the weather before heading out. Now miles from her home, she would have a tough time heading home. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow Dash sped off towards home as rain started to pour. With Nightmare Moon manipulating the weather, she never had a chance.