Two wings, strong and agile, zipped across the clear blue sky at a breakneck speed.  Wind flew through Rainbow Dash's flamboyant mane and tail, leaving her trademark rainbow trail behind.  Onlookers watched in amusement as Ponyville's best flier performed her usual routines for the purpose of either showing off her stunts, practicing, or just for fun.  Although, some may argue her motive were all three at once.

Used to the feeling of being watched and adorned, Dash smiled to herself and inclined her body for a dive.  She shot down at almost a ninety degree angle, gathering tremendous velocity with each second.  The ground approached her, quickly and dangerously.  Green rolling planes that one would deem peaceful and serene now threatened Dash's very life.  However, the ground proved to be no challenge.  It can only watch, and mock from below as Dash defies its wishes of coming in contact.  

With a brilliant, gleaming rainbow trail following behind the pegasus, who's name is so aptly named after her aforementioned streak of diffracted light, Dash shifted her wing joints.  Through the use of basic aerodynamics, her direction and g-force changed in a split second.  Going from a vertical dive to a horizontal drift, but not without leaving her signature move in her wake.  

A tremendous roar, followed by a halo of multicolored light waves erupted and expanded in an enormous diameter.  Spectators cheered at almost the same volume as the roar from the sonic rainboom.  Vibrant colors arced in all directions, radiating the small town with a glorious, beautiful light show that no firework display can even come close to matching.

Since the point of which Dash succeed in breaking the sound barrier was so close to the ground, the nearby onlookers seemed to be almost basked in the array of lights.  However, Dash was not reckless.  She knew what the dangers of doing a sonic rainboom close to the city were, and knew to perform one outside of city limits, and above a certain altitude, which only was about three inches from the minimum.  

The mayor may complain, but hey, who can blame Rainbow Dash for being awesome?  Who can blame her for wanting to give her revered fans a grand show, like she does almost everyday, but spice it up a little this time?  Mayor Mare may disprove of the brash pegasus's actions, but if there was no property damage, or formal civil complaints, than what can she do other than shake her head and sigh?

So the village was basked in light.  So close was the blast point that it was almost able to be physically touched by a pony standing on the roof of a building.  Though light cannot be physically touched in a sense, it still amazes the onlookers how the halo retains an almost incorporeal appearance as they wonder if they can physically touch it, and what it would feel like.

With a single fell swoop, Dash hovered in front of her audience, soaking in the cheers and whistles like an over-sized egotistical sponge.  This was what Dash lived for.  The crowed, the adornment, the adrenaline, and most importantly, the pride.  The combined power of the roaring fans, the excitement from performing, and the rush of adrenaline in her veins drained their entities into the cyan pegasus herself.  It was like a drug.  The feeling of swelling pride being bulked up in her system, to be all released within herself at once felt...exhilarating.

Even with all her self-doubts and worry cast aside to be replaced by her pride, Dash still has her one aspect that can never be replaced, abused, corrupted, or thrown awry.  It was the very concept that grips all ponies to a root, to show them who they are and who they belong to.  To some it was a burden.  It holds them down like a weighted chain, and the key being those above them who they are aligned to.  To others, it was a gift.  To fight and protect those you love, those you care for, those that mean something to you.  It was the very element Dash was embodied with.  One of six that form a bond of perfect union and harmony: Loyalty.

There were those who Rainbow Dash was loyal to, and those who she was blindly loyal to.  Those who she would never forsake, even in the most dire of situations.  The other ponies who make up the sacred Elements of Harmony, as well as a one particular other.

A purple spec weaved through the crowd.  Dash followed the spec with sharp eyes as it made its way from the back to the front line.  Once the purple patch of fur reached the front row of the envious crowd, only then was it revealed to be Scootaloo.  As the orange pegasus filly gazed at Dash with envy shining in her eyes, the cyan mare couldn't help but allow herself to be swelled with more pride then before.  She knew very well that Scootaloo had been her 'number one fan' for quite some time now, but it wasn't until a fortnight ago when everything changed between the two.

Scootaloo had been wanting to spend more and more time with her idol.  She envisioned herself as being sort of like a little sister to the rainbow maned mare.  Her dreams of learning under Dash's wing and becoming her 'little' sister had been brought to life at their camping trip with Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and their respective older sisters.  Their bond had grown tremendously.  Within just two weeks Scootaloo had learned so much about basic flight and aerodynamics from Dash.  Maybe, just maybe, within a few more months Scootaloo can start to fly on her own.

Dash zipped over from her hovering position to land graciously in front of Scootaloo.  The smaller pegasus smiled widely with glee.  "What's up, squirt?"  Dash asked.

As soon as Scootaloo replied, a sharp pang rattled through Dash.  Her eyes widened in surprise as the world around her faded into gray.  The cheering fans halted their jeering as not a single sound resonated through the world.  It was as if time had stopped, as if Dash had fallen into a void.  

Pain.  Unimaginable pain pierced Dash's soul.  It did not cause her to scream in agony, nor even flinch from it.  It was more so a phantom pain, as if only her mind and soul could feel it, but not her senses.  Lighting flashed in her head, shocking her subconscious and resurfacing old, forgotten memories.

"Why, Rainbow Dash?"

The voice sounded almost ghostly.  Like as if a banshee was whaling in her ear.  Memories, lost and desired to be forgotten, once again resurfaced.  Cold, harsh, unforgiving memories that no sane pony should ever have to relieve.  Dash could only watch in horror as these memories forced their way back into her mind from the darkest corners of her subconscious.  

Then she looked to Scootaloo.  The sight was unlike anything Dash had seen before.  The once orange coated, innocent, fun-loving filly she had known, the pony that now stood before her was like a nightmare incarnate.  Scootaloo's coat had become corporeal, but the scars and bruises on her transparent skin still could be shown clear as day.  Her mane looked like it was mist itself, streaming up like a gust of wind blew from below.  Then her eyes, those peaceful, magenta eyes she always used to have now gave the look of sorrow in its most purest form.  Dash tried with all her might to avert her gaze, but her head did not move.  No tears ran down Scootaloo's cheeks, but in her eyes an unseen flood arose.

They reminded Dash of a lost foal, abandoned and neglected, only wanting a single arm to embrace her to mend her aching heart.  

"Why, Rainbow Dash!?"

The entire state of unrest lasted for only a second as the world returned to normal.  The fading world around her became vibrant and full of life again.  Ponies resumed their cheering and whistling and congratulation.  Sound rang once again in her eardrums.  Scootaloo's nightmarish appearance no longer existed, but instead the normal, sweet, brash filly that she'd come to know.

Dash shook her head.  None of that was real, it was only her mind playing tricks on her.  Probably something she ate last night.  As quickly as the look of fear crossed her features it disappeared, allowing a hearty smile to take it's place. "What was that, Scoots?"  Dash asked.

Scootaloo jumped and fluttered her wings in excitement.  "I said 'hi, Rainbow Dash'!  Ohmygosh!  That sonic rainboom was so awesome!  It was so close I could almost touch it!"  Scootaloo stopped in her tracks as her mental processes clicked.  "Can you even touch a sonic rainboom?  Well, I remember taking the color from a rainbow once, maybe it's the same?"

Dash chuckled heartily and ruffled up Scootaloo's mane.  Her hooves did not stop there, but instead followed up by lifting Scootaloo into the air and onto her back.  Quick as a whip, Dash zipped off once again with Scootaloo clutching Dash's neck as if her life depended on it.  In that case, however, it did.

That kind of fiasco as of late happens quite often.  As a filly who cannot fly just yet, Scootaloo deeply enjoys riding on Dash's back as the cyan mare flies at breakneck speeds while performing various stunts.  The young pegasus gasped as the wind whipped through her mane and adrenaline coursed through her.  A broad smiled crept to her features as the fragile bubble holding in her excitement and joy threatened to burst.

Scootaloo's grip tightened as Dash jerked upward and into a tight loop.  A corkscrew followed the loop as well as a nose dive, then a sharp ascendance.  The orange pegasus's mind rattled and her eyes rolled in their sockets in a comical way as the dizziness from the sudden movements caught up with her.  

Dash's wild ride ended suddenly she swiftly, but gently, landed on a cloud, carefully dropping off her companion.  After a few attempts at standing upright, at which most of them were complete failures, Scootaloo's brain finally settled itself and decided to focus on what was in front of her.  

The first thing that materialized was a cloud.  The soft texture of the cloud cradled her hooves gently on its surface.  To any non-pegasus pony, it would be impossible to stand on a cloud, for it is only water vapor and you will slip right through.  Pegasi have a special connection with the elements.  They can use their magic to control the weather, with the help of factories, unfortunately.  Legends tell of in the old days, pegasi had the power to manipulate the forces of nature to their whim.  They say that a pegasus Shaman can duel a unicorn Archmage, and the battle will be glorious.

The second thing Scootaloo noticed was a small pool of liquefied rainbow.  The weather factories in Cloudsdale have multitudes of these pools to mix the composed color and manufacture it into a solid rainbow to shine over Equestria.  The mixture of magic and chemicals in the rainbow pool was not toxic, but to consume it would not give pleasant results.

Scootaloo followed the rainbow pool until it connected to a waterfall.  For a millisecond she assumed Rainbow Dash brought her up to Cloudsdale.  However, the lack of citizens and the size of the cloud they were standing on proved that they were not at Cloudsdale, or the weather factor, but of the only other cloud structure floating over Ponyville that has a rainbow waterfall: Rainbow Dash's home.

Scootaloo's already present smile grew wider.  In addition to watching Dash perform death defying stunts, she gets to spend time with her in her home?  Scootaloo has only been on a cloud a few times in her life.  Once was when she was on a school field trip to Cloudsdale a few years back, and the other was during another attempted Crusade to earn her cutie mark.  She had momentarily forgotten that only pegasi can stand on clouds, thus it didn't end well for Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.  Luckily the cloud was over a lake, and the other two Crusaders suffered no bodily harm.  Scootaloo rushed to the front door after a high pitched squee; a chuckling Rainbow Dash following shortly behind.

From the second Scootaloo's hoof contacted the door, it happened again.  In an instant, the world turned back to grey.  The vibrant rainbow pool nestled to the side of Rainbow Dash's house became a single shade of grey, void of life and happiness.  The aura of despair lingered, causing everything around her to become a shadow of its former self.

Time seamed to have stopped once again.  Not a single sound resonated through the world.  Not a single life form appeared to exist.  The world continued to fade away into grey around Dash as even she herself lost her vibrant colors.  The agonizing pain pierced her soul once again.  She pleaded for it to all end, but nothing was there to listen.

Rainbow Dash risked a glance at Scootaloo, and sure enough her appearance altered once again.  Her coat was ruffled up and torn in some places, her mane was frizzy and torn as well.  When her head slowly and dreadfully turned to face Rainbow Dash, her eyes burned with agony and bloodlust.  

"You are so cruel."

And just like before, it all vanished.  For the second time that the world faded away, it came back just as quickly as it started.  Less than a second of time passed during the whole event.  Dash's anxiety had dispersed, and she allowed her self a second or two to catch her breath before speaking.  "Whatdya say Scoots?"

The filly was marveling at the sight of Dash's cloud home when she answered.  "I said 'you're so cool!'  I mean, look at this place!  It's so big!  You can probably do stunts in here!"  She gasped and rushed over to the living room, where a poster of the esteemed Wonderbolts was hanging in.  "So awesome!"  The poster showed off the entire Wonderbolts team flying in a V formation with an explosion in the background.  Spitfire was smiling at the camera and winking, while Soarin was elbowing Fleetfoot, making the white pegasus gasp in surprise and loose a bit of balance.  The other members were professional looking.

Dash sighed with relief, then trotted over to Scootaloo's position.  From there, the younger pegasus gaped at the poster.  "You know."  Rainbow Dash started.  "I've had that poster since I was a kid."

"Really?"  Scootaloo asked without taking her eyes off of it.

"Yep.  It was the day of their Anniversary.  Every year the entire team puts on a show in Canterlot, and the year I was there was the 50th.  Spitfire and Soarin were autographing posters before and after their performance.  I happened to catch em right before they started, and got both of their signatures.  The rest were after the show."  A smile crept to Dash's features.  "Hey, maybe if you ask your folks, I can take you to this years show!"

Scootaloo's head zipped around, revealing her bowling ball sized eyes.  No words were able to be enunciated, the only action Scootaloo was able to do was point a shaky hoof between herself and Rainbow Dash.

"That's right!"  Dash said excitingly.  "Just you and me at the Wonderbolts Anniversary Show.  Hey, maybe we can do some tricks to show em how awesome we are while we're--."

Rainbow Dash was cut off by an orange pony like object impacting her side and gripping on tightly.  The cyan pegasus was able to fend off the attack and keep her balance as Scootaloo buried her muzzle into Dash's chest.  "Thank you thank you thank you!  Ohmygoshthisisgoingtobesoawesomeican'twait!"  Another high pitched squee was soon followed.

"Alright alright!"  Dash said as she removed the clinging orange blob, "I know I'm awesome, no need to thank me...but I do enjoy your applauds."

Scootaloo detached herself and looked up to Dash with wide eyes.  "So how's the show like?"  She asked.

"Well awesome, obviously."  What more was there to say?  It's kind of self explanatory.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes.  "Duh, I meant what do they do at the Anniversary that's different from their other shows?"

"The difference is that they don't do shows with all of their members at once.  At the Anniversary, every active member of the Wonderbolts performs at once.  Older members who are retired and can't do the stunts anymore start the show off by flying in a V formation and dropping fireworks and carrying the Wonderbolts banner while the national anthem is sung.

"Then, when the show is over, the Wonderbolts stick around for a bit to sign autographs and do a little thing where they talk to the foals about their tricks.  Hey, maybe you're still young enough to pass off...what're you like, nine?"

"Ten."  Scootaloo stated proudly.

Dash shrugged.  "Eh, maybe.  Anyway, since the show is performed at the Canterlot Coliseum, the Royal Museum of Equestrian History is right next to it.  On that day, it's free admission, and they give you a T-shirt with an old Wonderbolts badge or patch on it."

Scootaloo faked a vomit.  "Bleh, history?  Sounds boooooring."

Dash scoffed.  "Well sure, if it's about politics and stuff, but this is the Wonderbolts we're talking about!  Did you know that they used to be a special forces branch of the Royal Air Force that did like, undercover spy stuff and sabotage?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, like, right after Luna's banishment they were super cool assassins n' stuff."

"Huh."  Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin.  "I guess that's kind of cool."

"You bet it is.  History may not be my favorite subject, but Wonderbolts history sure is."

Scootaloo groaned.  "I hate history.  All Ms. Cheerilee teaches is like...boring politics and stuff.  I mean, can't she teach something interesting?"

"Oh lighten up!"  Rainbow Dash said as she playfully slugged Scootaloo's shoulder.  Another moment when Scootaloo masked her pain in the defense of her ego.  "Enough about school and stuff, see if you can get your folks to let me take ya."

Scootaloo started for the front door.  "Ok!  I'll go tell them right now!"  She stopped short as she noticed something.  Turning back to Rainbow Dash and blushing from embarrassment, she asked, "Can I um...get a ride down?  Hehe..."

A quick updraft and Dash was hovering in the air.  She scooped up Scootaloo onto her back and hovered over the edge of her cloud yard.  "Sure thing, on one condition.  When you're there, ask your parents if you can spend the night."

If the built up excitement from Scootaloo hasn't been let out that whole time, it has then.  "Spend the night?!  Like a sleepover?!"

Dash nodded.  "Totally!  It'll be so awesome!  We can pull pranks on ponies, do some flying tricks...tell some scary stories."  The last sentence was said with an ominous tone and a smirk, to which Scootaloo gulped at.  "Don't worry, I'll go easy this time...but not too easy."

Scootaloo chuckled nervously.  "Oh don't worry about me, I can take it!"  She struck a triumphant pose with her eyes closed and nose in the air.  Not wanting to waste a moment like this, Dash jerked her body, startling her passenger and nearly knocking her off while simultaneously saying 'boo!'.  The outcome was a hysterical Dash, and an agitated and fidgeting Scootaloo.

"Gotchya."  Dash said.

"Well uh...obviously I would be scared!  I'm on your back and here you are trying to shake me off and fall to my death!"  Scootaloo feigned a hurt expression and looked away.

"Whatever you say, squirt."  Dash smiled and rolled her eyes.