The first thing Soarin felt was a dull pain. His neck and spine hadn’t had the most comfortable of sleeps on the train seat. He groaned slightly as he opened an eye, searching the area around him. By the looks of the passing scenery the train had slowed down, signaling it would soon be arriving at a station. The scenery that was passing by also suggested the train was now on the border of Equestria itself. Soarin’s eyes began to travel downward as a smile crept along his muzzle at the sight of his still sleeping marefriend. Dash had curled up close to Soarin’s wing and was breathing contently through her nose, but it was still enough to tickle Soarin’s primaries. The stallion stifled a chuckle as she breathed in and out, not wanting to disturb her, but unfortunately their stop was approaching.

“Rise and shine all those for the Crystal Empire!” A familiar stallion with a pocket watch and blazer shouted as he passed through the carriage waking up the ponies that would need to get off soon.

Dash stirred slightly from her sleep, Soarin helping her the rest of the way back to consciousness with a nuzzle. The pegasus mare smiled as she awoke before yawning, “Mornin, Soar.”

“Morning, Dash,” Soarin said as the pair shared one more nuzzle before a blur of pink, ribbons and confetti shot past the two. Pinkie Pie pressed her face close to the window of the train as everyone turned around to see the unforgettable sight of the crystal palace. The scene passed by slowly with Pinkie only shouting in wonder at the sight she had seen many times before.

Fleetfoot rolled her eyes at the display of the pink mare before trotting down the carriage with Spitfire following close behind. “Come on, Soarin, we need to get going!”

The stallion chuckled as he looked to Dash. The pair got up and trotted towards the end of the carriage as the train slowly came to a halt at the crystal train station. Once the doors opened Fleetfoot shot out of the train, speeding around in the cool morning air. “It’s so good to be out of that tin can!” she hollered down at the ponies below as everyone disembarked.

Spitfire shook her head playfully as Soarin and Dash helped her bring out everyone's suitcases. Once everypony was out of the train, the locomotive whistled as it started its long return route home.

“Okay, guys, we’ve got one week to train before the big game. So let’s make the extra time count!” Rainbow called inspiringly to her team. Fluttershy and Bulk nodded before taking off in the direction of the training grounds with a happy Pinkie Pie bouncing her way after them.

Dash turned to Soarin with a smile. “I’ll see you later today?” she asked with a hopeful tone.

“Sure thing,” Soarin remarked with a similar look on his face as the rest of the ponies started to make their way over to the training areas just leaving the two of them on the platform. Dash smiled and kissed Soarin on the cheek before shooting off into the sky. He looked behind him to see his large suitcase and sighed. Perhaps letting Rarity make all these clothes wasn’t such a great idea afterall.

“You finally showed!” Fleetfoot announced as she and Spitfire saw Soarin approaching, dragging his bag behind him. Soarin looked up to see the two teammates already doing wing ups in the middle of the Crystal Empire’s large and decorative stadium.

“We were gonna start… setting a calendar up to see… how long you’d take,” Spitfire said in between breaths as she continued to press her muscles to the limit.

Soarin made his way over, putting the suitcase to one side as he started getting down on his belly. He then planted his wings to the ground and began pushing himself up. Soon he found a rhythm like the two mares beside him. This went on for some time until the exercise switched to sit-ups where Fleetfoot decided it was time to start up another conversation.

“So what do you guys think about the competition?” the arctic mare asked in between her exercises.

Spitfire looked over at the two. “Well with Rainbow in the race I’d say it’s gonna be a tough one, the griffons are putting up quite the competition as well,” the captain admitted.

“I think Ponyville might actually win it this year,” Soarin added in an surprisingly optimistic tone, earning eye rolls from both mares.

“We’re the Wonderbolts, Pieboy, I think we’ve got it in the bag,” Fleetfoot boasted confidently, playfully hitting Soarin in the shoulder.

“Well as long as we stay on top of our game, I think we’ll take gold,” Spitfire said in equal confidence.

“I-I guess you’re right,” Soarin admitted.

“Always am,” Fleetfoot agreed with a smirk as she and Spitfire went back to their exercises.

As Fleetfoot said those words, it was at that point Soarin’s mind began to wander. What if Fleetfoot and Spitfire were right? How would Rainbow take to losing against him, would she envy him or be jealous towards him? No, that wouldn’t be Rainbow’s style, but still Soarin felt nervous, he didn’t want to upset the mare he’d tried so hard to date in the first place.

“Hey, Soarin, are you alright?” Spitfire asked, turning to the stallion. “You’re staring off into space again.”

“I swear it’s because of all the pies he eats,” Fleetfoot commented with a grin as Spitfire gave her a questionable look. Fleet shrugged before getting up and flying into the air to start practicing.

“I’m fine,” Soarin answered as he got back up onto his hooves again. His mind was still on the thought though.

Spitfire raised an eyebrow slightly, concerned by the way Soarin was acting, but shrugged it off. “Come on then, let’s get some air!”

Soarin nodded happily as he and Spitfire took off to join Fleetfoot, however this new thought was something he was going to have to consider later on.

As the time ticked by things went well in training for Soarin and the other Bolts, besides the odd teasing from Fleetfoot for how slow he was compared to her. So far they had completed all the training aspects of the relay and now the day was slowly starting to come to a close. The thought that had slightly scared the stallion earlier on was still in his mind, but he’d passed it off for a few hours being more focused on his training.

“Okay, I think we can call it a day,” Spitfire said proudly at the two other Wonderbolts who nodded in agreement with the idea. “You guys all got places to stay? If not I booked us some apartments at a hotel nearby called the Crystal Hotel ironically,” Spitfire continued, rolling her eyes.

“Well... I’ll probably have to crash there,” Fleetfoot admitted.

“What about you, Soarin?” Spitfire asked as the three started trotting towards the exit of the stadium.

“I, uh… guess I’ll have to see where Dash is staying the night,” he said rubbing the back of his neck with a forehoof as the three made their way out of the stadium and onto the shining streets of the Crystal Empire.

“Well, Short Stack, I guess we’ll leave you for now. Come on, Spit I got somthin’ real cool to show you!” Fleetfoot said, taking off into the air.

“It better not be another dragon cave you just so happened to mistake for a train tunnel!” Spitfire shouted to her before taking off after her giving a wink to Soarin and leaving him on the ground. Soarin smiled before turning towards the center of the city and taking off to find Rainbow Dash.

As Soarin flew through the air over the city of the Crystal Empire, his mind again returned to the thought of Rainbow Dash and the potential that she could lose the relay. There was every chance she could win, she was one of the fastest pegasi in Equestria if not so the fastest. However his mind kept on assaulting him with doubts, he just wasn’t sure.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed his marefriend and her team trotting down the main street towards the crystal palace. Soarin smiled before diving down to meet them. “Hey, Dash!”

Rainbow turned around and smirked as her coltfriend landed behind them. “Hey, Soar, you finished training?” she asked. The stallion nodded as he trotted up to her and the rest of the Ponyville relay team and its only cheerleader who seemed as happy as she had been since the moment she woke up on the train. The pair shared a nuzzle as the cheerleader in question spoke up.

“Aww, you two are just so cute! Oh hey, maybe we can throw a party at the castle!” Pinkie exclaimed happily.

Soarin blushed at the compliment along with Dash before speaking, “I don’t think the castle would be too happy if we just walked in and demanded a party, Pinkie,” he said with a chuckle.

“Well actually,” Rainbow said with a grin, turning to Fluttershy who took a letter out from her saddlebags, “we got a letter from Twi saying she talked to her brother Shining Armour and we’ve been allowed to stay at the castle for the week to crash.”

“Wow, really?” Soarin asked astonished looking at the ponies who nodded.

“Yeppers!” Pinkie exclaimed bouncing around the ponies, each one giving a slight chuckle at the mare’s antics before they all started to make their way towards the entrance of the castle.

The entrance opened up to a large hallway, which housed large, shining crystal walls and features. Guards patrolled the halls and doors in their respected golden armour plating, but one of them however wasn’t standing to attention and was directing the other guards instead. The stallion had a white coat and blue mane, his flank adorned a shield with a star centered in the middle and three smaller stars on top of the shield. Pinkie noticed this and shouted, “Shining Armour, over here!”

The large stallion turned around and smiled when he saw the group of ponies. “Hey, Twilight said you guys would be showing up,” he said happily, trotting over to the ponies.

“Yeah, Twi said you’d have a place for us to stay,” Rainbow said slightly nervous.

Thankfully Shining Armour nodded at the mare. “Yeah, she mentioned that,” he said with a smile. “Well, we have no guests staying at the moment so we have rooms for each of you, though Twilight also mentioned we may only be needing one for you and… Soarin is it?” Shining asked with a grin as his eyes looked over Rainbow and the stallion next to her. Soarin blushed nervously under the gaze of the Prince.

Rainbow grinned mischievously, looking over at Soarin. “Well, he might be able to share a room if he’s lucky.”

Shining Armor chuckled before asking the ponies to follow him. Some of the guards around the palace cowered slightly under Bulk’s gaze as he trotted by them, the stallion nearly a double the size of most of them. Soon they all reached the upper floor where the guest rooms were, Shining smiled as he turned around and showed the ponies the guest rooms to them. “There will be breakfast tomorrow morning if you're interested. Cadence wanted to welcome you all today but she had to rush off to a meeting with Celestia. She’ll see you tomorrow though,” Shining explained.

“This is just so exciting!” Pinkie Pie shouted, rushing around the halls looking at each individual room.

“Well, I’ll leave you all to it,” Shining said happily before trotting away and leaving the ponies to choose their own rooms. Each pony dispersed into their own places. From the earlier comment Soarin wasn’t too sure if he should follow Dash instead choosing to wait around awkwardly.

The rainbow maned mare noticed this and giggled as she turned around to face him at the doorframe of the room. “Oh, there’s only a double in here Soarin,” Rainbow said with a smirk, trying to keep her tone and expression saddened.

Soarin rubbed one forehoof with another. “W-What do you wanna do?” he asked raising an eyebrow.

Rainbow’s smirk widened. “Well, I guess we’re just gonna have to ask for two singles,” she said trying to contain her laughter.

“Do you want me to go ask—” He was cut off by a set of lips kissing his muzzle.

Rainbow giggled. “Soarin, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this,” she said happily. She quickly slipped her hoof in his as Soarin smiled, following his marefriend into the guest room.

The room was very tidy and housed a large balcony with a window which let light shine onto the foot of the large double bed. Rainbow slowly climbed onto the bed, rolling onto her back and waving a hoof over to Soarin to join her. However, before he could, a knock sounded from the door.

Suddenly a skinnier stallion with a neat black uniform popped his head in the door. He smiled when he saw the two ponies. “Hello sir, Mr Armour had me collect your bags,” he said politely.

Soarin raised an eyebrow at the stallion’s heavy breathing, but then he realised why as he slowly trotted in, holding the two suitcases on his back. Soarin took the bags quickly to save the trouble of him going any further.

“Thank you, sir, call me if you need anything,” the stallion said bowing, before making his way out of the room. Soarin nodded to him before putting the suitcases over to a side of the room and hearing a voice calling for his attention.

“Soarin,” Rainbow said. He turned around to the mare still laying on the bed, she motioned with a hoof for him to join her again. Soarin smiled sheepishly, he wanted to say she looked stunning the way she was on the bed, but decided to keep his mouth shut and followed Dash’s silent order. He proceeded to clamber onto the bed as Rainbow wrapped her hooves around him.

“So... hey,” Soarin started as Rainbow nuzzled into his chest. “How was training for you?” he asked.

“Went awesome,” Rainbow replied in her worn out tone as she snuggled closer.

“You tired already?” Soarin asked with a grin as he looked down to Dash. The mare murmured in response.

“We had a race,” she explained with a yawn, “me against the relay team.”

“You won I guess?” Soarin asked chuckling as he did so, already knowing the answer to his question.

“You know me, Soar. I love winning,” Rainbow said happily before yawning again.

“Yeah… of course you do,” Soarin said, his mind quickly drifting back to the thought he’d had earlier that day. Soarin was about to respond when he found the mare had fallen asleep and was now snoring against him. He proceeded to pull to covers over them and drape his wing over the mare’s frame.

Leaning down, Soarin placed a small kiss on her cheek. He knew his nerves were rising about what she had said. She loved winning… but what if losing could affect more than just Rainbow’s pride?

To be continued…