Sonic Rainboom

Pony's Log Number 116: Pride can lead to problems for both you and your friends, but so can the fear of failure...

Somewhere just outside the Everfree forest, Rainbow was apparently coaching Fluttershy. The yellow Pegasus looked rather focused as the blue Pegasus was instructing her.

"Now, what have we learned?" Rainbow asked Fluttershy as she hovered about.

"Loss of control," Fluttershy began.

"Good"

"Screaming and hollering"

"Yes, and most importantly?"

"Passion!" finished Fluttershy.

"Right!" said Rainbow with a smile, "So now that you now the elements of a good cheer, let's hear one." Fluttershy inhaled before shouting.

"Yay." in her casual soft tone. Rainbow facehoofed herself.

"...Ugh. You're gonna cheer for me like that?" Rainbow asked annoyed, "Louder!"

"Yay," Fluttershy cheered, but her voice was barely any louder.

"Louder!" Rainbow shouted.

"Yay," Fluttershy repeated, but still was only a tiny bit louder.

"Louder!" Rainbow yelled. Fluttershy took a deep quiet breath and let out a...

"Yaaay"

Okay...there's just no way that was louder and it might have been even softer.

"Ugh..." Rainbow groaned before collapsing into her back.

"Too loud?" Fluttershy asked worried. Rainbow just stayed quiet and said nothing.

(theme song)

Rainbow began to stand upon a nearby cloud. Fluttershy watched her from the ground below.

"Yay," she cheered in her soft tone. Rainbow took a deep breath.

"And now, phase one of my routine," said Rainbow as she flew down and began to maneuver between a series of green trees and zoomed past Fluttershy from above.

"Wooo," Fluttershy cheered in her own special way.

"Phase two," said Rainbow aloud as she flew up to some clouds and began to fly about them at high speed, making them spin in place without deteriorating.

"Way to go," said Fluttershy as Rainbow flew away from the clouds.

"Here we go," Rainbow told Fluttershy, "Phase three: the sonic rainboom." Rainbow then flew as high as she felt necessary. She then began to fly downward at high speed, leaning one hoof forward as she picked up speed.

"Come on," Rainbow grunted as her slipstream began to change shape into a sharp V as she poured everything she could to increase her speed. But suddenly...

"Uh-oh," Rainbow said before her own slip stream rebounded her backwards. Rainbow screamed as she sent flying out of control.

Meanwhile, back at the library, Twilight had just finished placing a book back on the shelf.

"Last one," Twilight sighed with Mario wiping his brow as the purple pony turned to Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity, "Thank you so much for help us clean all these books, guys. It was a crazy week of studying."

"You can say that again," said Mario as he rubbed his head, "my head still hurts from all the memorizing, note card taking, and magic practice." Twilight nodded in agreement. Then the screaming of a familiar blue Pegasus was heard. Mario looked unamused.

"Three...two...one..." Mario counted with an eye roll.

CRASH!

The four ponies grunted as Rainbow came barreling through the window and made a crash landing inside of the library, knocking all the books off the shelves and onto the floor. Fluttershy flew in from the window a few seconds later.

"Rainbow Dash, you rock! Woohoo!" said Fluttershy, only earning a discreet eye roll from the blue Pegasus. Fluttershy then gasped when she saw the mess, "Did my cheering do that?" Mario couldn't help but chuckle. The idea of Fluttershy's soft voice causing a major accident was just too adorable.

"Hehe. Sorry about that ladies..." Rainbow said sheepishly.

"GRR!" Mario growled.

"And plus one," Rainbow added, making Mario's scowl deeper before grunting to herself, "That was a truly feeble performance."

"Actually, it wasn't that bad," said Fluttershy, "I particularly liked it when you made the clouds spin."

"Ugh, I'm not talking about my performance, I'm talking about yours," Rainbow snapped, "that feeble cheering."

"What are you two arguing about?" Twilight asked.

"Are you giving Fluttershy a hard time again?" Mario added. Rainbow stiffened a bit. She could well remember when Mario scolded her severely the last time she had done that.

"Were we arguing?" Fluttershy responded, "I'm sorry."

"Oh boy," said Mario. He knew Fluttershy didn't like confrontations, but this just takes it to a whole another level. Rainbow just grunted.

"I wish you guys could come to Cloudsdale to see me complete in the Best Young Flyer's Competition," said Rainbow.

"I could go if you needed an extra supporter," said Mario.

"Oh yeah right," said Rainbow, "Only Pegasi can get there Mario."

"When there's a will, there's a way," said Mario firmly, "besides I..."

"What's that?" Twilight asked Rainbow curiously about the competition.

"It's where all the greatest Pegasus flyers get together and show off their different flying styles! Some are fast!" Pinkie answered, making racecar sounds as she zoomed about through the fallen books, "And some are graceful. Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Pinkie had tried to stand on her hind legs and twirl about, but she lost her balance and tumbled into some books on the other side of the room. Mario laughed.

"Looks like not all ponies can stand on their hind legs for long periods of time," Mario boasted as he stood up and folded his fore legs in front of him, making the task look easy. That is until Twilight gave him a light push from the shoulder to tilt him a bit.

"Whoa-oa-oa! UGH!" Mario wobbled a bit before tumbling into the books. Twilight snickered as Mario got back up and glared at her.

"Golly, I'd love to see you strut yer stuff in that competition," said Applejack to Rainbow.

"Yeah, I wish you guys could be there," said Rainbow, "Fluttershy's a great support, but her cheering isn't exactly inspirational."

"You know by now Fluttershy isn't a loud pony," said Mario, "The fact she's there for you should be inspirational enough."

"I guess..." said Rainbow reluctantly.

"Ooh! I'd love to see you make a sonic rainboom!" said Pinkie, "It's like the coolest thing ever! Even though I've never actually seen it, but I mean come on! It's a sonic rainboom! How not cool could it possibly not be?!"

"What's a sonic rainboom?" Twilight asked puzzled and Mario's jaw hit the floor.

"You really need to get out more," said Pinkie bluntly to Twilight's face.

"And you really need to listen to me when I'm doing my speed research!" Mario added, feeling clearly offended Twilight had never been listening to his studies about increasing his running speed.

"The sonic rainboom is legendary!" Pinkie explained, "When a Pegasus like Rainbow Dash gets going sooo fast...Boom! A sonic boom and a rainbow can happen all at once!"

"And Rainbow Dash here's the only pony to ever pull it off," said Applejack.

"It was a long time ago..." said Rainbow in a rather timid and modest fashion, "I was just a filly."

"Not to ruin the moment, but...she's not the only pony to pull it off," said Mario. Everyone looked at Mario stunned.

"Are you serious?" Applejack said in disbelief.

"Mario we know you can run very fast," said Rarity indignantly, "But you can't seriously say you've pulled off a sonic rainboom!"

"You have to be flying at high speed to make that appear, not running!" Rainbow added.

"I've been testing to see if one could be done on the ground," Mario added, "I had actually pulled off a smaller one when I was fighting that hydra. But fine, seeing is believing." Mario then hopped towards the door and then revved up a bit before taking off away from the library. The other ponies were indignant as they waited outside the door.

"Is Mario really going to pull off a sonic rainboom on the ground?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight just chuckled.

"Ahh, let him have his moment," said Twilight casually, "he doesn't get the center of attention alot these days."

"Besides, there's no way he...he...wuh?" Rainbow was left stunned as Mario zoomed by at high speed. Time seemed to come to a brief stop as he dashed by the library. Not only was Mario looking like a blur, but Rainbow noticed that his hooves were moving in a manner that even Twilight thought was impossible for a pony.

Mario's hooves were making the legendary double helix...and with four legs! That's not easy to do! Just as time resumed...

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A large rainbow arc blasted from the ground as Mario rocketed away and out of sight in just a few seconds, leaving a faint rainbow trail behind him. The other ponies were in shock and Rainbow's eye was twitching and her jaw dropped. The other ponies cheered as Mario returned and they headed back into the library. Rainbow was still speechless.

"Wow...he...he really did it," said Rainbow.

"Yeah, but you're gonna do it again, right?" Pinkie asked.

"Are...you kidding?" Rainbow asked after some hesitation, "I'm the greatest flyer to ever come out of Cloudsdale! I could do sonic rainbooms in my sleep."

"Wow," said Twilight impressed, "If you pull that off, you'll win the crown for sure!"

"The grand prize is an entire day with the Wonderbolts," said Rainbow, her purple eyes sparkling as she told them, "A whole day of flying with my lifelong heroes... It'll be a dream come true!"

"Yay," said Fluttershy, trying to be supportive, but Rainbow couldn't help but eye roll at her best friend's...in her words...underwhelming support.

"I'm gonna go rest up," said Rainbow, "Don't wanna over prepare myself, y'know. Hehe." She turned to Fluttershy with a stern look, "You need to keep practicing. I need a cheering section to match my spectacular performance."

"Rainbow, I'm warning you..." said Mario.

"You don't understand Mario," Rainbow snapped, "Now bud out!" Rainbow flew out of the window quickly.

"She's practiced that move a hundred times, and she's never even come close to doing it," Fluttershy told them before adding, "I'm not sure I can cheer loud enough to help her." With that, Fluttershy flew out the window as well.

"Well, guess we better get this cleaned up...again," said Twilight, dread not being hidden in her tone before Rarity nudged her.

"Go on, go on," said Rarity.

"Go on what?" Twilight asked puzzled.

"Find a spell that will get us wingless ponies into Cloudsdale," said Rarity, "Didn't you see how nervous she was?"

"Nervous?" Applejack retorted, "Have you split yer bit or something? She was tootin' her own horn louder than a brass section of a marching band!"

"Oh puh-lease," said Rarity, "I have put on enough fashion shows to recognize stage fright when I see it."

"I saw it too," said Mario, "and even if she tried to hide it, the truth was revealed to us by Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash has attempted the sonic rainboom over a hundred times and failed. That's got to have an effect on her self-confidence!"

"And you're showing off probably didn't help either," Rarity pointed out.

"Hey, ease off, Rainbow's been teasing me since I moved into Ponyville that I could never be as fast as her," said Mario in his defense, "The whole reason I was able to pull that off is because I've been working harder on increasing my top speed. Last time I measured it, my speed is close to Mach 1.2 now!"

"Mach 1.2?!" Twilight exclaimed, "That's over 900 miles per hour!"

"And I'm getting faster everyday, but that's beside the point," said Mario, "Rainbow needs all the support she can get. It might even help her uncover how to do the sonic rainboom again! Besides, if all she has is Fluttershy and she messes it up, I feel Rainbow is gonna take it out on Fluttershy and we can all agree that nopony wants to see Fluttershy cry." The other's nodded with a hum.

"We've got to find a way to be there for her," Rarity agreed, "Now go on!" Rarity gave Twilight another hard body check.

"Owaa! Ugh," Twilight cried out as she was knocked over and tumbled into the books, "How am I supposed to find a flight spell in this mess?"

"A flight spell?" said Pinkie, "one sec." Pinkie dashed away and then got a book and tossed over to Twilight.

"Page twenty-seven," Pinkie told Twilight.

"How'd you do that?" Applejack asked in shock.

"It's landed on my face when Rainbow Dash knocked me into the bookcase," Pinkie answered.

"Here it is!" said Twilight, "A spell that will allow Earth ponies to fly for three days. Ooh, it's looks really difficult. I'm not sure I can do it."

"Let me look," said Mario as he read the instructions and flinched a bit, "Oh boy, even trying to do it together wouldn't make this spell any easier."

"You've got to try!" said Rarity.

"Okay...But who's gonna volunteer to be the test subject?" said Twilight, "and Mario, I need you to help me perform the spell the first time so you can't volunteer yourself." No pony said a word for a while as Rarity narrowed her brow.

"I will!" she said bravely, "For Rainbow Dash, I will go first."

"Here goes," said Twilight as she and Mario began to concentrate and made their horns glow. A band of magic that resembled a piece of silk lifted Rarity into the air. As Twilight and Mario increased their concentration, the magic wrapped around Rarity until she was completely wrapped up into it. The two ponies began to sweat as the magic became more intense. A small ball of light was created between Rarity and the two ponies before it suddenly burst. Mario and Twilight screamed as they were sent flying backwards. Twilight landed between Applejack and Pinkie while Mario landed on the other side of Applejack. The four ponies all gasped as they looked at Rarity, who was now shining multicolored prisms against the walls.

"I think it worked!" said Twilight.

"Yeah, but I think you'll agree that trying to do that three more times is a bit too much," said Mario, "but luckily, I have a plan B." Twilight and the others looked at him curiously as he searched the scattered books.

"I know we had shelved it around here..." Mario said aloud, "Hey Pinkie would you..."

"Page 64!" Pinkie called out as she tossed the book towards him so it opened on the exact page.

"Hmm...let's see...that's it," said Mario excitedly, "and its way easier to perform and lasts indefinitely until we decide to reverse it!"

"What is?" Twilight asked puzzled until Mario presented her the book. Twilight read the page and smiled.

"Mario, I like the way you think," Twilight answered and the others agreed.

They were going to Cloudsdale!

Meanwhile, Rainbow and Fluttershy were already making their way towards Cloudsdale. Rainbow was still trying to convince Fluttershy to be more outgoing.

"You've got to learn to be assertive," Rainbow told her as they continued to fly towards the cloud city. They landed just before a series of three Pegasi who worked nearby.

"Well, well, well," said a pony named Dumb-Bell, "What do we have here?"

"It's our old friend Rainbow Crash!" another colt named Hoops said as the two girls landed.

"Get kicked outta any flight schools lately?" Dumb-Bell teased as he, Hoops, and another colt named Score laughed at her. Rainbow just glared but said nothing. It could be assumed she knew these three ponies from childhood. Guess Mario wasn't the only one who has to deal with a bully who never wanted to grow up.

"I didn't get kicked out," said Rainbow under her breath.

"Face it, Rainbow Crash," said Dumb-Bell, "Flight school had too many rules for you, and not enough naptimes for you."

"Huh, ask her about the sonic rainboom," Hoops suggested.

"That's nothing but an old mare's tale," said Dumb-Bell, "You don't have the skills to try something like that."

"Now wait just a minute!" said Fluttershy in a stern voice, causing them all to look at her, but then she cowered back a bit, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm trying to be more assertive," But then quickly recomposed herself, "Anyhow...She is going to do a sonic rainboom!"

"No she's not," Dumb Bell sneered, "'cause there's no such thing!"

"Then show up at the Cloudeseum and see for yourself," Fluttershy retorted before cowering back, "...if you're free." Dumb-Bell, Hoops, and Score laughed.

"Yeah, I'll be free," said Hoops as his laughter settled down.

"Oh, don't worry," Dumb-Bell added, "We'll be there!"

"See you then, Rainbow Crash!" Hoops added as the three colts took off. Fluttershy and Rainbow just looked indignantly until they were out of sight.

"Did you see that?" said Fluttershy excitedly, "I was so assertive!" Rainbow just sighed to herself. As much as she tried to be strong, their mocking words had gotten to her.

"Those guys are right," said Rainbow sadly, "I'll never be able to do it."

"But, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy protested, "Just because you've failed the sonic rainboom a hundred thousand times in practice doesn't mean you won't be able to do it in front an entire stadium, full of impatient, fully-critical sportsfan ponies." As much as Fluttershy was trying, she may have said a bit too much.

"Aaaaaah! What do I do?!" Rainbow cried out in panic, "Everypony's gonna see my fail! The Wonderbolts are never gonna let a loser like me join. Princess Celestia will probably banish me to the Everfree forest. My life is ruined!" Rainbow just buried her face into her hoofs when Fluttershy noticed something behind her.

"Rare..." she muttered.

"Rare?!" Rainbow remarked, "The sonic rainboom is way more than rare!"

"Rarity?" Fluttershy repeated again, stunned at the sight. Rainbow turned around and saw Rarity flying above them with a pair of beautiful butterfly wings.

"I most certainly am!" Rarity replied, "Aren't my wings smashing?! Mario and Twilight made them for me. I just adore them!" Fluttershy and Rainbow couldn't stop staring with their jaws hanging out.

"Why so shocked?" Rarity asked, "We couldn't leave our favorite flyer without a big cheering section!"

""We"?" said Rainbow puzzled when a big purple balloon peeked out of the clouds. Inside of it was Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, and Mario.

"Surprise!" Mario called out from the balloon.

"I...I can't believe it!" said Rainbow excitedly as the balloon landed near them.

"It's incredible!" Fluttershy added.

"This is so cool!" Rainbow continued, "You guys made it!"

"Sure did!" said Pinkie as she was the first to jump out of the balloon.

"Wait!" Rainbow cried out until she saw Pinkie set foot on the clouds, "How'd you do that? Only Pegasus ponies can walk on clouds."

"Haha," Pinkie laughed as she cart-wheeled before the two Pegasi, "Pretty cool, huh?"

"I found a spell that makes temporary wings," Twilight explained as she hopped out of the balloon with Mario behind her, "but it was too difficult to do more than once. So Mario found an easier spell that lets the rest of us walk on clouds."

"And we came to cheer you to victory!" Applejack finished as she took her step on the clouds.

"To be honest, I was starting to get the teeniest, tiniest bit nervous," Rainbow answered, "but I feel a lot better now that you guys are here. Hey, we've got some time before the competition. Why don't Fluttershy and I show you around Cloudsdale?"

"Yes!" Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, and Pinkie said together at once.

"Be nice to actually tour the city for once," Mario added. Everyone looked at him stunned.

"Since when have you ever been to Cloudsdale?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Before meeting you and starting magic school," Mario explained, "Princess Celestia would let me go with her on her diplomatic visits from time to time. One of those places was Cloudsdale. She was the one who taught me the cloud walking spell too. But such visits were very short so I've never got to explore the city."

"Well...cool then..." said Rainbow before recomposing herself, "Come on!" Rainbow and Fluttershy guided the four ponies across the clouds.

"Here it is: the greatest city in the sky!" Rainbow Dash announced as they reached a spot where they could see the entire city, which was a collection of various large clouds that had buildings on them.

"Oooh! Aaah!" said the four other ponies.

"Oooh! Aaah!" said Rarity, using a nearly store mirror to admire her own wings.

"Uhh...Some of the greatest Pegasi in history have come from Cloudsdale," said Rainbow, feeling a little awkward as she guided the other ponies along.

"Oh, wait for me!" said Rarity as she flew over the group to catch up. That was when three Pegasus construction workers noticed Rarity flying by. One had been holding a jackhammer and let go, causing it to fall off into the abyss. (Hope no pony is underneath where ever the jackhammer lands.)

"Those wings are gorgeous!" said a colt named Steam Roller.

"Why, thank you!" said Rarity, feeling very pleased with her wings.

"Be careful with those wings, Rarity," Twilight warned, "They're made from gossamer and morning dew, and they're incredibly delicate."

"And if you get too close to the sun, they'll dissolve," Mario added, "Remember you don't have the cloud walking spell equipped. If you fall, these clouds won't catch you!"

"Don't worry, Twilight and Mario," said Rarity, "I'm sure they can't get worn out from too much attention." Twilight just glared as Mario rolled his eyes.

"Since we're up here," said Applejack, "I'd sure like to get a look at where the weather's made."

"Great idea!" said Rainbow, "C'mon, girls and Mario. To the weather factory!" It wasn't much longer before they arrived at the building to the weather factory. Ponies were hard at work as some thunder could be heard in the background as the seven ponies entered. For safety protocol, each pony was geared in a white work shirt and matching hard hat.

"This is where they make the snowflakes," Rainbow explained as some ponies were hard at work crafting and collecting snowflakes, "Each one is hoofmade."

"Is that why they say no two snowflakes are alike?" Mario asked.

"You got it," Rainbow answered, "As you can see, it's a delicate operation." Rarity then flew up towards a collection of snowflakes hanging from the ceiling.

"Ooh," Rarity gasped, "the snowflakes look even better from up here." However, the gusts she created with her wings made the snowflakes break from their strings and the ones the workers were crafting flew out of their hooves. The workers began to grumble and yell as they tried to prevent their hard work from being destroyed.

"We better move on before Rarity ruins winter and causes a drought," said Rainbow and the other nodded in agreement. She then guided them towards an area that appeared to be loaded with pools of colored paint. One already had its rainbow colors inside of it.

"And here's where they make the rainbows!" said Rainbow.

"Wow," said Mario, "It must take alot of work to get the bands of each color perfect and keep them from mixing into each other."

"Tell me about it," said Rainbow, "But that is actually a Pegasi secret."

"Bummer," said Mario, hoping to learn about it. Pinkie then dipped a hoof into the rainbow colored paint and slurped it. Her face went multiple colors and a kettle whistle could be heard.

"Spicyyyyy!" Pinkie panted before rushing off to get some water. Applejack and Mario laughed.

"Yeah, rainbows aren't really known for their flavor," said Rainbow. It was then three colts that Rainbow had been teased by appeared with...Rarity?!

"Whoa!" said Dumb-Bell as he admired Rarity's wings, "where'd you get those amazing wings? I want a pair!"

"Hmm...yeah, I guess I could see that," said Rarity plainly.

"Oh, hey look, it's Rainbow Crash again!" Dumb-Bell remarked as Rainbow and Mario glared.

"Heheheyeah! Rainbow...Umm...Eyah...Crash!" said Hoops, having to stall since his head couldn't process remembering a nickname he heard not two seconds ago. Dumb-Bell then gasped and started laughing.

"Hey! Look it's that unicorn who quit after crashing on the race track!" said Dumb-Bell, "Unicorn Crash!"

"Heh...Unicorn Crash!" Hoops remarked. Mario looked indignant.

"Unicorn Crash?" Mario remarked before adding sarcastically, "wonder how many brain cells it took to come up with that one?"

"You know them?" Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow remarked.

"They were rivals of mine when I used to race," Mario remarked, "Too bad they were so slow they could never place top 10 in any races though." The two colts weren't listening and still laughing when Score actually thought of something.

"So we've got Rainbow Crash and Unicorn Crash," Score continued to jest, "Hey! It's Mr. and Mrs. Crash! The couple that crashes where ever they go!" Dumb-Bell, Hoops, and Scores laughed harder as Rainbow and Mario gave them stern glares.

"It amazes me how some bullies never grow up," Mario told Rainbow who just hummed in agreement.

"Didn't think you'd be girly enough to marry and settle down, Rainbow Crash!" Hoops jeered.

"He's your type, a real crasher!" Score added.

"We're NOT married!" Mario and Rainbow yelled angrily.

"Yeah, Mario's is my sweet babboo!" Pinkie retorted, appearing out of nowhere.

"I'm not your..." Mario retorted.

"TASTE THE RAINBOW!" Pinkie bellowed, sticking a hoof with rainbow paint into his mouth. Mario's face went bright red.

"Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Mario hissed before rushing to find water as the three colts continued to laugh.

"Rarity!" Rainbow snapped, "What're you doing talking to these guys?"

"Oh, there were just admitting my wings, Rainbow Dash," Rarity answered as Mario returned.

"Yeah, you should forget the sonic rainboom and just get yourself some wings like these!" Dumb-Bell teased as the three colts laughed again.

"Looks who talking mister I want to be beautiful butterfly," Mario remarked, adding a bit of a dorky tone at the last part.

"Yeah...I...HEY!" Dumb-Bell said angrily as Mario chuckled.

"Too easy," Mario remarked, but Rainbow wasn't chuckling.

"Oohh..." Rainbow groaned to herself, feeling her nerves return and her confidence waiver.

"Uhh...C'mon, girls and Mario," said Fluttershy, trying to do damage control, "Why don't we go see how the clouds are made?"

"I think that would be a good idea," said Mario, "I wanna see if a non-Pegasi can make a cloud for himself."

"Why would you wanna make a cloud?" said Twilight.

"I'm surprised you don't want to try," said Mario, "It's called research and experimentation." Twilight just said nothing. Fluttershy then walked up to Rainbow, who was looking very flustered.

"Don't listen to them," said Fluttershy, "You're gonna win that competition for sure!"

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow groaned, "I can't do the sonic rainboom, and just look at these boring, plain old feathered wings. I'm doomed!" As if things couldn't get more discouraging for Rainbow, Rarity was continuing to make a public spectacle of herself as a large group of weather ponies began awing at her.

"What, these old things?" Rarity asked in pure mock modesty, "Go ahead, everypony. Photos are encouraged!"

"Rarity, we're supposed to be here helping Rainbow Dash relax, remember?" Twilight told Rarity sternly, "Put your wings away and stop showing off!"

"Oh, pfft," Rarity replied, "How can you ask me to put away perfection?" Rarity expanded her wings as she hovered in front of the sun. This caused her wings to sparkle, earning her more awes from the workers below.

"Waa-haa-haa!" Rarity chortled happily. Her friends just glared annoyingly at her, except for Rainbow, who was sitting in a crunched position and her body was shaking a little.

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Twilight asked worried and Mario looked concerned for her as well. He had never seen Rainbow look so nervous before, "You don't look so good."

"Of course," Rainbow answered as she panted, "Why wouldn't I be okay? Everyone's so in love with Rarity's wings they won't even notice when I totally blow it in the Best Young Flyers Competition." Mario just knelt beside Rainbow and wrapped a fore-hoof around her for a side hug. Rainbow seemed to welcome the gesture, finding some safety as she tucked her head under his chin for a moment to relax a little.

"Hey! There's an idea!" said a pony named Rainbowshine, "You should enter the competition!"

"Yeah! I could watch you fly all day long!" said another pony named Foggy Fleece.

"There really isn't anypony who uses their wings quite like me," Rarity boasted, "Perhaps I should compete."

"WHAT?!" Rainbow squealed in shock.

"Rarity, what are you doing?!" Mario retorted angrily, but was drowned out by the other ponies continuing to awe at Rarity. Rainbow felt her heart sink.

"What am I gonna DO?!" Rainbow groaned as she put both her fore-hoofs over her eyes, "I'll never win the competition now."

"Don't worry Rainbow," said Mario, "This competition is more about a flashy appearance. Rarity may got visual appeal, but you've got visual appeal with your awesome mane and you've got the skills to go with it."

"No, I don't..." Rainbow whimpered as Mario just continued to comfort her.

It wasn't much longer before the sound of trumpets could be heard as pegasi from all over Cloudsdale gathered at the Cloudeseum to watch the competition. The crowds cheered as small groups of three to five sat on one of two rows of clouds. Inside a small area was a waiting and dressing room where the other competitors had registered and were ready to go, except for Rarity. A green colored pony went over to the dressing room to knocked three times on the door.

"I'm going to be a while!" said Rarity and quickly slammed the door shut. Meanwhile, Rainbow was already registered and waiting for her turn. But her nerves hadn't settled one bit since arriving. She decided to peak out of the waiting area and looked around the stadium. There on one of clouds was her friends. Pinkie had even found herself a #1 hand glove and was waving it about as she giggled to herself. Right beneath them were the three colts, Dumb-Bell, Hoops, and Score, laughing to themselves. Rainbow knew they were gonna waste no time poking fun at her when she failed. Rainbow gulped. Just then, a colt named Madden appeared in the center stage riding a small cloud, which was actually nothing since the Cloudeseum had no floor.

"Fillies and gentlecolts!" Madden announced, "Please rise and join us in welcoming our beloved Princess Celestia!" The crowds cheered and applauded as Celestia waved to them with a warm smile on her face.

"Please welcome our celebrity judges for the Best Young Flyers Competition," Madden announced next, "The Wonderbolts." More cheers and applause were made as six ponies donning blue and yellow uniforms zoomed overhead. They did a quick flying formation before settling down on their own cloud. Rainbow smiled as she saw them.

"And now, let's find out who will take the prize as this year's best young flyer!" said Madden as everyone cheered.

"Okay, contestant number one, you're up!" said a pony Lucy Packard, who was also the backstage organizer in charge of making sure everyone went up in a timely manner.

"Eyah!" Rainbow yelped nervously, knowing her time to appear on stage was coming up.

"Okay, number two, let's go," said Lucy Packard next. Rainbow then remembered that she was number two.

"Umm..." Rainbow stuttered before the noticed a brownish-grey colt standing nearby with number three and quickly swapped them.

"C'mon, c'mon, we ain't got all day," Luck Packard remarked impatiently.

"She's talking to you!" Rainbow told the colt, nudging his side.

"Oh. Umm..." said the colt, noticing his number and not even realizing it had been changed, "Oh, I guess that's me!" The colt took off as Rainbow then swapped her number three for someone else's number five.

"Okay, number four, time to go," said Lucy Packard as she knocked on the door to the dressing room. Number four was Rarity.

"I'm number four," said Rarity, "and I need just one more itsy-bitsy minute. Be a dear and have somepony else go ahead of me, hmm?" Lucy Packard blinked for a moment but then got back on track as Rainbow swapped numbers again from five to eight. The pony named Meadow Song looked at her number and saw it was now five.

"Let's do this!" said Meadow Song and flew off to do her routine. Rainbow was still panicking.

"Uhh...What am I gonna do?" Rainbow groaned fearfully. Meanwhile, her friends were enjoying watching the other contestants. Mario wasn't having as much fun since he could hear the three colts still talking badly about Rainbow down below and it was really getting on his nerves.

"I loved number seven," said Twilight, "Doing fifteen barrel rolls in a row can't be easy."

"My favorite was number ten," Fluttershy commented, "She just looked like such a nice pony."

"Hmm...wonder how come we haven't seen Rainbow Dash or Rarity yet," Applejack wondered, "The competition's almost over."

"You know Rarity when it comes to making an entrance," said Mario, "But for Rainbow...hmm...I'll be right back." Mario then used his magic to make a cloud appear.

"Isn't that the cloud you created yourself earlier?" Fluttershy asked.

"It is," said Mario as he jumped on and began to pilot the cloud around theirs. (And NO, this cloud doesn't have a smiley face on it).

"You sure there won't be an angry spiny throwing turtle complaining their cloud was stolen from them?" Pinkie asked next. Everyone just stared at her.

"What?" Pinkie asked innocently.

"Never mind," said Mario with an eye roll, "I'll be right back." Mario then flew away with his cloud. He could resist hovering above Celestia, said a quick hello, and then headed towards the waiting area. There near a pillar was Rainbow Dash, huddled on the floor shaking. Mario slowly walked up to her and sat beside her.

"Rainbow?" Mario said gently.

"G-g-go ahead," Rainbow whimpered sadly.

"Go ahead and what?" Mario asked her gently.

"Go ahead and laugh," Rainbow continued, "Everyone else will. I can't do the sonic rainboom. I can't go out there and fail in front of everyone. I'll just be a pony with a big ego. I'm not awesome...I'm not..." Mario just listened attentively before titling her head so she was looking at him.

"We may have had our differences Rainbow Dash," said Mario, "But you're one of my best friends. I would never do that to you. And if anyone gives you a hard time for failing is going to go through me. I don't know who told you being awesome means you can't fail but being perfect all the time is something nopony can do. Nopony is perfect."

"But...my reputation..."

"Rainbow, it might be one thing to want a positive image for yourself," said Mario, "but it is another to think that you have to deal with your insecurities all by yourself."

"I don't have..." Mario glared at her, "Okay, I do...but...I hate failure. You wouldn't understand..."

"Oh really?" Mario replied, getting up, "You're talking to the one pony who understands what it's like to fail in front of a bunch of critical sports ponies. A pony who knows what it's like to crash in the public eye and be utterly humiliated for it for years without end. It was a worst fear come true for me and its still awful that ponies still rub it in my face today!"

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Rainbow retorted.

"Let me finish," said Mario, "I used to do what you're doing now. Hiding in a corner having anxiety attacks because I didn't want ponies seeing me when I was at my weakest. I only wanted them to see me when I'm at my strongest. It's a losing battle, Rainbow. You don't have to deal with being nervous all alone like this. I care about you. Your friends care about you. We don't care if you pull off the sonic rainboom or if you do crash. All we care about is that you do your very best because at the end of the day, your friends are always here for you."

"But the Wonderbolts..."

"I know you want to impress them," said Mario, "but even if you fail today, that won't mean the end of your dream. There will always be a next time and we'll help you in every way we can to make sure you do get a next time. That is a promise." Rainbow calmed down a bit and gave Mario warm smile. Mario smiled back as Luck Packard arrived.

"Number fifteen, let's go!" she said aloud and apparently had ignored their conversation. Rainbow felt her nervousness returned and started shaking once more.

"You'll be okay," said Mario as he reached out a hoof to help the pony to her feet as Rarity burst out of the dressing room. Rarity had gone over the top with her costume and makeup for her performance. Mario couldn't tell if she was trying to be Broadway inspired butterfly or even a vanity obsessed peacock.

"Rarity...is ready!" the marshmallow pony said majestically.

"You've got to be kidding me," Mario said in disbelief and annoyance.

"Look, ladies," said Lucy Packard, "I don't know what to tell you. There's only time for one performance. If you both want to complete, you'll just have to go out there together."

"What kind of scheduling is that?" said Mario, feeling that every time he tried to bring Rainbow up, the universe kept knocking her down. Seriously, Rainbow has an ego and sometimes it needs to be checked, but...she doesn't deserve this, Mario thought to himself, but Rarity didn't seem to care one bit.

"Well, Rainbow Dash? Shall we?" Rarity offered, completely clueless to the poor girl's panicking as all the cyan pony could do was babble fearfully.

"You can do this," said Mario as he got Rainbow to her feet and pulled her along, "I know you can do this. Just go out there and do your best. Remember, you are awesome! Girl, you are awesome!" With much hesitation, Rainbow finally found her ability to fly as she and Rarity exited the waiting area.

"And now," said Madden, "our final competitor of the day, contestant number fifteen...and apparently contestant number four..." The crowds began to cheer as Rainbow was still unsure about what to do.

"Good luck, Rainbow Dash," said Rarity, "Just do your best. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of changing our music. That "rock and roll" doesn't really match my wings." Mario, who was standing just outside the stage as he hopped back to his cloud, gave Rainbow a confident wink before flying away back to their friends. The classical music began to play and Rarity began to actually perform in front of everypony. Rainbow was shocked, Rarity had come up with a dance routine as well, but then quickly remembered what Mario had said and shook her nerves off with a gulp.

"C'mon, Rainbow Dash," she told herself, "You can do this. Just remember the routine. Phase one." Some cloud hedges had been placed just like the planted ones Rainbow had practiced flying between with Fluttershy. Rainbow was doing well maneuvering between each hedge as the crowds were cheering, but then she bumped the side of one hedge and went crashing into the bottom edge of the Cloudeseum.

"Nice work, Rainbow Crash!" Hoops sneered as he, Dumb-Bell, and Score laughed at her. Mario gritted his teeth.

"That's it!" he bellowed, having enough of their teasing as he jumped into the air above them.

"Mario!" Twilight cried out.

"POINT OF IMPACT!" Mario shouted angrily, as his left fore-hoof began to glow.

WHAM!

The impact left Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, and Fluttershy shaken up as the three colts were left dazed as Mario performed a splashdown attack from above them. It wasn't much longer before Mario bounced himself back up to the group, who had just recovered from the shake up.

"Feeling better?" Twilight asked sarcastically as the others gave him a glare. Mario just gave a squeaky smile, leaving the others to roll their eyes at him. Rainbow had already recovered from her little "crash" and was ready to move on. She had to admit that seeing Mario splashdown on the three colts helped her smile.

"Time for phase two," Rainbow told herself as the ponies continued to cheer. Rarity was just doing her own routine and had completely missed Rainbow's mess up and Mario's splashdown. Rainbow just flew over towards some clouds and began to make them spin.

"Look! Phase two is working," Fluttershy said excitedly.

"That's it Rainbow!" Mario cheered, "Keep it up!" Rainbow suddenly lost her control of one cloud as it spun away from her. The cloud, still spinning, was sent barreling towards Princess Celestia. She gasped as she ducked away to avoid the cloud from crashing above her head. All the while Rarity was continuing her dance routine and the ponies were still paying more attention to her.

"And now for my grand finale," said Rarity to herself, "I will fly right up to the sun and beam my beautiful wings over the whole city of Cloudsdale!" Rarity gasped and squealed with glee, "They'll be talking about it for years!" Rarity began to ascend higher into the sky. Rainbow had recovered from her cloud control loss.

"Looks like this is my last chance to turn things around," said Rainbow, "Phase three. The sonic...[gulp]...rainboom. Wings, don't fail me now!" together on opposite ends of the Cloudeseum, they ascended high into the sky. The crowd gasped in awe before Rainbow grunted as she began her flight upward at high speed. Rarity positioned herself so she was right behind the sun, she could feel the heat starting to make her sweat. Mario's eyes shrunk.

"Rarity...no..." he squeaked.

"Look upon me, Equestria, for I...am...Rarity!" the marshmallow pony announced proudly as she opened her wings, created the prism effect on a much grander scale. The crowd oohed in amazement...until her wings became heated...and burnt into ashes in just two seconds flat.

"Uh-oh" Rarity realized her mistake and then plummeted. Rarity screamed.

"Oh no! Her wings evaporated into thin air!" said Twilight. Mario was about to hop onto his cloud to try and catch her when he saw three Wonderbolts, whose names were Soarin, Spitfire, and Misty Fly had already taken off to rescue her. Rarity continued to scream and waved her hooves wildly in panic. Because of her panicky hoof waving...

"Ooh!"

"Aah!"

"Uuh!" Misty Fly, Soarin, and Spitfire groaned as Rarity knocked them all out and Rarity was continuing to scream as the ground below drew near. That was when Rainbow saw that Rarity and the three Wonderbolts were in trouble.

"Hold on, Rarity!" Rainbow called out, "I'm coming!" Rainbow then began to descend to try and catch up to Rarity and the others. The rest of her friends watched with worry as Rarity just continued to scream as Rainbow increased her speed to try and catch up with her.

"Oh, I can't look!" said Fluttershy as she covered her eyes with her fore-hooves before peeking from them later. Rarity then gasped as she saw Rainbow coming for her. Rainbow continued to poor on as much speed as she could, feeling another slip stream surround the front of her body. Pinkie, Applejack, Twilight, Mario, and Fluttershy gasped excitedly as the slip stream once again began to shift into a V shape as Rainbow continued to push her speed to the limit. Then suddenly...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A large rainbow ring appeared behind her as she zoomed forward faster than ever before. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Twilight's jaws dropped as the other spectators were in awe. Mario wasn't sure what made his jaw drop, the fact Rainbow did the sonic rainboom...

"A sonic rainboom! She did it! She did it! Wooo!" Fluttershy screamed loudly as she hopped up and down excitedly.

...or the fact Fluttershy went fan girl over the accomplishment, which many would agree looked absolutely adorable. Rainbow didn't even realize she had done the sonic rainboom until after she grabbed Rarity and secured the three unconscious Wonderbolts on her back just a few yards short of the ground below.

"Whoa!" said Rainbow as she flew back towards the Cloudeseum just beyond Mach 1, creating a beautiful rainbow in the sky as she made her way back towards the center of the stage. A few Pegasi were standing by to help carry the still unconscious Wonderbolts to safety and two Pegasi helped hold Rarity secure for the time being. Everyone was cheering for Rainbow's amazing performance and rescue as Fluttershy was still in full fan girl mode.

"A sonic rainboom! Wooo! Yeah!" Fluttershy screamed, still hopping up and down. Rainbow couldn't resist a smile.

"I did it," Rainbow said softly before saying it louder, "I did it!"

"You sure did," said Rarity with a sigh of relief and gratitude, "On thank you, Rainbow Dash. You saved my life."

"Oh yeah, I did that too," Rainbow realized before giving herself a hoof pump, "Ha, best day ever!" Once the crowds had died down and the competition was finished, Rarity was now sitting securely inside of their balloon while the others, minus Mario for some strange reason, were on the clouds with Rainbow. Rarity didn't wait long after they had finished congratulating Rainbow on her performance to speak.

"I want to apologize to all of you for getting so carried away with my...beautiful wings," said Rarity with a whimper, "I guess I just lost my head."

"It's okay," said Fluttershy.

"Oh, don't worry about it, kiddo," said Applejack.

"We still love you," said Pinkie.

"And I'm especially sorry that I was so thoughtless as to jump into the contest at the last minute after you had worked so hard to win it," said Rainbow, "Can you ever-ever forgive me?" Rarity asked Rainbow sadly.

"Aw, it's okay," said Rainbow, "Everything turned out all right, right? I just wish I could have met the Wonderbolts when they were awake." Rainbow looked down sadly. Then someone tapped Rainbow's shoulder.

Rainbow turned and gasped when she saw Soarin, Spitfire, and Misty Fly with Mario standing beside them.

"Surprise!" said Mario with smile. Rainbow's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Rainbow repeated in fan girl mode.

"So you're the little pony who saved our lives," said Spitfire, "We really wanted to meet you and say thanks."

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" was all Rainbow could say.

"Mario's been telling us all about your flying since he met you," Spitfire added.

"Ohmygoshohmygosh...wait what?!" Rainbow exclaimed in shock and the other gasped as well. Rainbow just blinked twice.

"Mario...you knew the Wonderbolts?!" Rainbow exclaimed, "And you never told me!?"

"I was bound to a promise of secrecy," Mario answered, "Spitfire is an old friend of mine. I was there to cheer her on when she first joined the Wonderbolts and I got to meet the others. While it's hard for us to see each other these days, we do keep in touch via letters and such. She said I was not to tell you about our friendship until the right time."

"Because I wanted to tell her myself," said Spitfire, giving Mario a friendly jab in the shoulder. Rainbow and the others were rather impressed when a familiar majestic Alicorn made her appearance.

"Princess," said Twilight as she, Mario, who rushed beside Twilight, and the others bowed before her.

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle and Mario Star," Princess Celestia responded cheerfully, "and hello to your friends too."

"Princess Celestia," said Rarity, "I am sorry I ruined the competition. Rainbow Dash here really is the best flyer in Equestria." Rainbow just smiled modestly.

"I know she is, my dear," said Princess Celestia, "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." The crowd cheered as Princess Celestia placed a golden leaf crown on Rainbow's head.

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"So Twilight Sparkle, Mario Star," said Princess Celestia, "did you learn anything about friendship from this experience? I'm certain my son learned to control his temper in public?" Celestia gave Mario a sly look, telling him that she had seen Mario's little splashdown attack on the three colts. Mario blushed and chuckled sheepishly as the others snickered to each other.

"I did Princess, so did Mario in more ways than one," said Twilight with a chuckle, "but I think Rarity learned even more than both of us."

"I certainly did," Rarity agreed, "I learned how important it is to keep your hooves in the ground, and to be there for your friends."

"Excellent," said Princess Celestia, "Well done, Rarity."

"This really is the best day ever!" said Rainbow excitedly. It was then the three colts arrived behind her.

"Uhh, hey, Rainbow Crash," Dumb Bell said nervously.

"Dash!" Hoops corrected, jabbing Dumb Bell on the side.

"Oh! Uhh...Sorry, Rainbow Dash," said Dumb Bell, "Uhh, we just wanted to congratulate you in winning the competition."

"That sonic rainboom was awesome!" said Hoops.

"Heh, thanks, guys," said Rainbow.

"Uhh, we're really sorry we gave you such a hard time before," said Dumb Bell.

"Aww, that's okay," said Rainbow, "don't worry about it."

"Hey. Do you want to hang out with us?" Dumb Bell offered, "Maybe you could show us how you did that incredible trick!" Rainbow just smiled as two Wonderbolts flew nearby.

"Sorry, boys..." said Rainbow, allowing each Wonderbolt to wrap one of her fore-hooves around their own, "But I've got plans!" The three ponies just flew away as the three colts watched her disappear. Mario approached them.

"Hey, umm...sorry about earlier," he said sadly, "I..."

"Stop right there Mario!" said Hoops, "we're the ones who should apologize."

"What?"

"Yeah, we were mostly just trying to give Rainbow Cr...I mean Dash, a hard time," Dumb Bell added, "We were just jealous cause it took your...umm...other word for crash?...before we could even have a chance of winning races. We probably had that splashdown coming."

"It's cool," said Mario as he gave them each a hoof bump. Princess Celestia and the others just smiled.

Late at night the next day, Mario was at his house sitting comfortably on his bed reading a book. Then he heard a knock on the door downstairs.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Mario wondered as he exited his bedroom and rushed towards the door. He was surprised to open it and find Rainbow outside.

"Hey," Rainbow said gently.

"Hey, what's up?" Mario asked her curiously.

"I just got back from my day with the Wonderbolts," said Rainbow as she walked inside, "I wanted to talk to you before I headed home."

"It's a little late...it can't wait until morning?" Mario asked with concern. Rainbow just looked at him sadly.

"Come on in," said Mario as the blue Pegasus slowly walked inside. Rainbow was rather surprised. She had never been inside Mario's house before. As she walked in, she noticed the stair case leading to the second floor. As she looked towards the right, she found a rather open floor plan living room, kitchen, and dining room area that had pastel yellow walls and wooden flooring. Though she could see some brown carpets around the dining table and living room area. The kitchen was tucked into the back left corner, with an island counter and stove combination and the dining table was on the right. The dining table could seat up to eight ponies. The front half contained three large comfy sofas that were surrounded by a low table with a large stereo towards the back wall.

"Nice pad you've got here," Rainbow commented as she hovered about and took a seat on one of the sofas.

"Thanks," said Mario, "can I get you anything? Something to drink? I made some peanut butter cookies this morning..."

"No thanks," said Rainbow, "I just wanted to talk to you and then I'll be on my way."

"Alright," said Mario as he took a seat opposite of her on the sofa, "What's up Rainbow?" Rainbow just took a deep breath.

"I wanted to thank you for...you know...helping me out yesterday," said Rainbow, "I still can't believe I was so worked up over nothing. I had what it took to be awesome all along." Rainbow gave a smug smile as Mario smiled back at her.

"I know," said Mario plainly. Rainbow blinked a bit before she sighed to herself.

"You...don't need to pretend Mario," said Rainbow sadly, "You know that my fear was real and that I literally was doubting myself. I'll admit it. I was scared."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of Rainbow," said Mario, "We all get scared and doubtful about ourselves. If we're not afraid to tell each other, then that means we're just as awesome." Rainbow just felt her eyes water as she looked at him.

"Can you seriously say I'm awesome when I'm acting like that?" Rainbow demanded.

"Yes," said Mario, "because its shows that you're not afraid to show your imperfections in public. It's like you're saying to ponies: "Yeah, I'm scared. So what? I have fears too and that makes me awesome"." Rainbow chuckled.

"You're a really great friend Mario," said Rainbow, "It's nice to know that I...I have someone besides Fluttershy where I can...well..."

"Talk about this kind of stuff without feeling uncomfortable?" Mario answered. Rainbow blinked before nodded quietly.

"I just ask one thing," Rainbow said softly.

"Yes?" Mario asked before the cyan pony flew right into her face.

"If you ever mention any of this to anypony I'll..."

"Stop it!" Mario said sternly, making her back up suddenly, "Why would you think I would want to use this against you? I wanna to help you, Rainbow Dash. My ears and door are always open. Whatever you want to say to me will stay inside this house. Next time, just pick an earlier time to talk to me if you can help it." Rainbow just stared and then smiled.

"Cool," said Rainbow, "I'll see you tomorrow then? I totally want to learn how you know Spitfire."

"Sure," said Mario and Rainbow excused herself from the house and slammed the door. Mario flinched at the door slam, but just smiled. Mario went to bed and fell happily asleep, grateful that he had such an awesome Pegasus for a friend.

It had been hinted way back in Episode 1 that Mario knew a Wonderbolt and now the truth is revealed!

I always felt like all Mario has ever done at this point was just clash with Rainbow. I wanted to show that his friendship with her was growing too, especially at the end.

And if you haven't noticed, Mario hates bullies, but if you think Mario's anger was something, just wait til...next chapter.

Peace Pony Fans!