The Hidden Color Of The Rainbow

by Screep

Chapters

• 1. A week at the cottage.
• 2. The tryouts.
• 3. This is your life now.
• 4. The dream that keeps returning.
• 5. Somewhere in-between.
• 6. The ship has sailed.
• 7. Them Apples.
• 8. Accepting the truth.
• 9. Before the trip.
• 10. Them Apples: The aftermath.

1. A week at the cottage.

The bright blue sky was clear, with only a few lonely clouds scampered far away from each other. The summer heat was mercilessly pouring over Ponyville, making even the simplest of tasks seem impossibly hard to do. It was one of those days that makes you want to hug a giant block of ice, only to see it melt away in seconds. It was one of those days when a certain weather pony wanted to be left alone.

Rainbow Dash has taken a break from her daily routine and was resting under an apple tree, in the cooling shade of Apple Family’s orchards. She had much tension built up inside. The day of the annual Wonderbolts tryouts was approaching rapidly. It was going to be her second attempt to get onto the team.

“You’re a great flyer but your performance was lacking something very important. Something that would set the audience on fire when you pull it off, that special ‘umph’ at the end. I’m afraid that you won’t become a part of this team until you come up with a move like that. I’m sorry, Good luck next year.”

One year later, Nighthawk’s words still strongly resonated in the back of her head. She felt deep respect for this stallion, admiring him ever since she has first seen him fly, fifteen years ago. Nighthawk was the Wonderbolts previous captain. He became the team’s coach after Spitfire took over his old position. His harsh words only made Rainbow Dash focus more on reaching her ultimate goal.

The Best Young Flyer competition was a breakthrough for her. All the hard work paid off when she finally mastered the stunt which put the lightning shaped cutie mark on her flank. The Sonic Rainboom was now at her command.

“I’ll sweep you off your hooves this time, Nighthawk.” Rainbow thought as she drifted off to sleep.

***

“Wake up, Rainbow Dash.” An orange earth pony tapped her friend on the shoulder.

“Hmpfffmmm” Rainbow mumbled through her sleep.

“RAINBOW DASH!” Applejack shouted.

“Ugh… Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep over here, Applejack?” The cyan mare said with a groggy voice.

“Why are you always like this? Ah know that weather management isn’t your true callin’ and that the tryouts are startin’ next week but come on! Ah’m tryin’ to make a livin’ over here! Get off your flank and put some rainclouds over the orchards or Ah will personally make sure you don’t get your hooves on this year’s batch of cider.” Applejack kept yelling.

“Sheesh… I’m on it, I’m on it.” The irritated pegasus replied and took off.

Rainbow Dash started swooshing all around the sky, pushing all the clouds she could find towards the Sweet Apple Acres. After about an hour of hard work, first drops of rain started landing on the thirsty leaves. Being done for the day, she decided to fly over to the small cottage located at the edge of Everfree Forest. She knocked gently at the door and was greeted by a guilty look on Fluttershy’s face when the door opened. The yellow pegasus was a very different pony when she was alone with Rainbow Dash. Their friendship was on a different level than with the rest of the group, they were like sisters.

“Was it that obvious?” Fluttershy said with a nervous chuckle.

“I know you wanted to help but Applejack looked really awkward while she was screaming her lungs out at me like that. She even used the ‘cider card’ on me, can you believe it? I barely stopped myself from laughing in her face back there.” Rainbow replied.

“I’m sorry… I’ll make it up to her somehow.”

“I know you will. Now listen, I hate to see you worry about me like that. You know that I’m going to sweep them off their hooves this time. I could pull off a Sonic Rainboom right here, right now if you asked me to.”

“Please, don’t. It would startle all the animals.”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I’m planning to take a week off from work and would like to stay over here for the time being. I get the feeling that I’ll probably do something stupid and pull a muscle, or worse, if I stay alone. The anticipation is tearing me apart from the inside.”

“Oh my! Of course, I’d love to have you stay here. You could help me with the chores to take your mind off it and let your wings rest a bit before the big day. Is that okay with you, Angel?”

The bunny wanted to object, but one glance from the cyan mare made him reluctantly nod at Fluttershy.

***

Three days have passed since Rainbow Dash temporarily moved in to the cottage. She felt the pressure inside slowly disappear. The mares spent most of their time talking whilst doing Fluttershy’s daily chores.

“Anyway, after all those years, I still don’t really get it. What were your parents thinking when they’ve sent you to that summer flight camp? They must have known that you would be bullied to oblivion over there." Rainbow Dash changed the topic of an ongoing conversation.

“Oh you know how some things are. Back then, my parents couldn’t accept the fact that flying just wasn’t my thing. I still love them though. You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.” Fluttershy replied.

“Yeah… I guess.”

“Ooh! I’m so sorry. What an insensitive thing of me to say.”

“Relax, Flutters. Of all the ponies, you wouldn’t offend me even if you tried to.” The cyan pegasus said with a cheeky smile.

“It was fate, I guess. I wouldn’t be mare I am today if I hadn’t met you back then… We got our cutie marks thanks to you.” Fluttershy said with sisterly affection.

“You’re giving way too much credit to me. It was all just a happy coincidence.”

Rainbow Dash decided to change the subject again. She had a tendency for running away from difficult situations.

“So! Found the stallion of your dreams yet? You’re going to become the old, grumpy mare that nobody likes if you don’t spice up your love life a bit.”

“Oh my…” the yellow mare blushed at the unexpected question.

“Finally! What’s his name? What’s his name?”

“Pif Muffinfuf…” she mumbled, looking away from her friend.

“You don’t say!” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Yeah, he would be a perfect match for you but somepony has to make the first move or nothing will ever come out of it. Besides, half of the mares in Ponyville are after him and yet I have never seen him with a marefriend before. How does that sound to you?”

“I don’t think he is a… Umm…”

“ Yeah, yeah. Maybe he really is shy, just like you. That’s exactly my point. You have to tell him.”

“It’s so embarrassing...”

“Don’t mind it, just tell him. You’ll have to break the ice yourself because he certainly wont. Ask him out for a date. He’ll go if he knows what’s best for him. Also, Applejack would be so happy for both of you.

“I will, someday… And how about you, have you found that special somepony yet?”

“Same old, same old. A stallion here, a stallion there. I won’t be going steady anytime soon. Besides, I’ve got more important things to do right now.”

“Don’t be silly, you just haven’t met the right one yet.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right… What are we having for lunch?”

2. The tryouts.

When she got to the Cloudsdale Sky Stadium, Rainbow Dash saw many familiar faces among the other participants. Just like her, they kept on pursuing their dream no matter what stood in their way. Fifteen Ponies were competing for the single spot on the team. The day of the Wonderbolts tryouts has arrived.

After several hours of watching other ponies perform, Rainbow Dash was looking confident. She haven’t had a crippling anxiety attack ever since the breakthrough.

“Number fifteen. Rainbow Dash. Please get ready for your audition.” A voice came out of the speakers.

The cyan pegasus was calmly stretching herself at the starting position. She saw Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Spike sitting among the small crowd of friends and families of the contestants. She smiled as she waved at them, knowing that they would come even if she asked them not to. She flinched when she saw a brown pegasus mare, surrounded by a small group of foals, sitting not too far from her friends.

“You believe in me to the point of bringing the kids with you? Okay then, one Sonic Rainboom, coming right up!” She bolted from the starting platform when the starting buzzer sounded.

She left the concept of slowly building up the crowd’s anticipation someplace far away behind her. Seconds later, she was rising unbelievably fast, made a giant inside loop and dived straight in the direction of the crowd. She kept gaining more and more speed only to suddenly snap back to horizontal flight, fifty feet above the stands. Thirty seconds after she took off, a giant Sonic Rainboom flashed above the spectators, promptly followed by the sound of an explosion tearing through the air. The small crowd went wild as the multicolored ring was spreading above their heads. Their eyes followed a rainbow colored stripe draw beautiful shapes on the afternoon sky.

***

After exactly ten minutes of exhausting aerobatics, Rainbow Dash landed back on the starting platform. She slowly walked towards the jury table, breathing heavily.

“‘Umph’… enough… for… you?” she asked, panting.

“You really did let my words get to you, huh?” An older stallion laughed. “That’s exactly the kind of devotion I was expecting to see over here today.”

“There’s more… where that… came from…” she was still trying to catch her breath

“We’ll be announcing the winner in about fifteen minutes. I don’t want spoil the fun but don’t go anywhere.”

***

“By an unanimous decision, the seventh Wonderbolt has been chosen. Number fifteen, Rainbow Dash. Congratulations.” A small part of the crowd went absolutely mad after the announcement came out of the speakers.

“Welcome to the team, Wonderbolt.” Nighthawk shook Rainbow’s hoof, camera flashes went off all around them.

She stood there speechless.

“Now then, let me introduce you to your new captain.” The Stallion said.

“There’s no need for that, dad. Hey there, Rainbow Dash! I see you’ve finally made it, took you long enough.” A familiar voice came from behind.

Rainbow slowly turned around and saw Spitfire standing right in front of her.

“OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh...” she couldn’t control herself.

“This again? We’re equals now. That means you’ll have to stop doing that. Welcome to the team.” Spitfire laughed. Another hoofshake was accompanied by cameras flashing.

“Thank you.” Rainbow Dash calmed down.

“Come and meet the rest of the guys at the VIP lounge when you’re done with the paperwork.” Spitfire was about to leave.

“Before you go, I’ve got about ten foals waiting for me at the stands and I really don’t want to go there empty hooved. Do you have posters or something I could give to them?”

“Got some fans already, I see. Sure thing. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Spitfire disappeared for a minute and came back holding a bunch of posters with the Wonderbolts logo printed on them.

“You should sign them, you’re a celebrity now.”

“Awesome! Thanks a lot.” Rainbow Dash immediately started signing the posters.

“You’re free to go for now, we’ll talk about details later. Meet me in my office in about an hour from now.” Nighthawk said.

***

Rainbow Dash was flying towards the stands, holding a bunch of rolled up posters. She heard her friends cheer loudly when they saw her. To their surprise, she flew right past them and landed next to a brown mare and a group of six foals.

“Huh?” Everypony, except for Fluttershy, was surprised.

“S-she’ll be right back, I promise. P-please don’t ask her about it, if you can. S-she doesn’t really like to talk about it.” Fluttershy stuttered after she felt the stares coming from each direction around her.

***

“So, did you like it, Bronze Feather?” Rainbow Dash asked as she was giving out the posters. “I’ve got one for you too, you can hang it in your office.”

“It was beautiful, sweetheart. Even better than what you’ve described to me over the years. I’m glad that you finally grasped it, I’m glad that I was finally able to see it with my own eyes.” Bronze Feather replied.

“And how about you, kids? Did you like it?” the cyan mare asked and got no reaction whatsoever.

“Don’t be shy, children. Rainbow Dash is one of you, think of her as an older sister.”

“That was so cool!” A young colt jumped into the air. “I’m going to be just like you when I grow up! I’m your your biggest fan ever!”

“Is that so?” She smiled and switched the poster she gave him a moment ago with one of the three that she had left.

“That one’s special.” She whispered into the colt’s ear.

“Great, two of them already, and I haven’t even signed the contract yet.” She let out a barely audible sigh.

***

Rainbow Dash landed near her friends. They were sitting quietly and just stared at her with intensity.

“The Wonderbolts are twenty percent cooler now!” She exclaimed, deciding to skip any explanations.

“Woohoo! You’re the best! Way to go!” the group cheered for her. Fluttershy felt relieved.

“I’ve even got some posters for you, squirts. All signed by yours truly.” She gave the three remaining posters to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“What about us? No posters for us?” Pinkie Pie asked, cheerful as always.

“Aren’t you too old for this?” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“Of course not, you silly filly. Besides, you gave one to that lady over there and she’s way older than we are.”

“Ugh… Pinkie Pie!” Twilight Sparkle groaned.

“And that’s none of your business. Got it?” Rainbow Dash immediately snapped at the pink earth pony.

“Got it…” Pinkie Pie frowned in response.

“You can have mine, Pinkie.” Scootaloo gave her the poster. “I don’t want it.”

“Are you absolutely, positively sure that you don’t want it?” the frown was gone.

“Yes, I’m sure.” The cold voice continued.

“Thank you, Scootaloo! You guys know what that calls for? A Wonder Dash celebration paaartaaay!”

“You’ll have to start the party without me, Pinkie. I still have a business meeting to attend. I’ll meet you guys back at the Sugarcube Corner when I get back home. See you later.” She left the group, to avoid any more awkwardness.

3. This is your life now.

Rainbow Dash found herself standing in front of Nighthawk’s office. She took a deep breath and knocked at the door. The stallion invited her in.

“You’re half an hour early. Have a sit. Somepony from the legal department will drop by with your contract in a while. Would you like to celebrate with a glass of champagne in the meantime?” He offered.

“A cup of tea would be nice.” She replied.

“Tea it is, then. I’ll be right back.”

Nighthawk left the office and came back with two cups a couple minutes later. He sat down at his desk and started scribbling something on a piece of paper. When he finished writing, he showed it to Rainbow Dash.

“This is your monthly salary. This is how much you’ll get for every minor event. This much for every major event. And this is how much you’ll get for each of the biggest, biannual events.” The stallion pointed out different numbers on the piece of paper while he was speaking. “That’s our standard offer for the newcomers but we are open to negotiations.”

“One major event will get me more than a year of working as a weather pony!” It overwhelmed her a bit.

“I don’t think there will be a need for that. I’m satisfied with what I see. Can we talk about work conditions?” She kept her composure.

“There’s a three month training camp at springtime each year followed by the season premiere event. You do around twelve major shows during summer. Autumn means going back to full workout and doing smaller events that lead to the grand season finale. You rest during winter. That’s your ‘free time’ and you are unsupervised  as long as you pass the monthly physical checkups. We have to make sure that you take good care of your body.”

“Got it. When do I start?”

“You’ll be added to the autumn schedule. That’s when you start training with the team. You’ll be excluded from  any events until the Grand Season Finale. That will be your inauguration show. You have about a month to mentally prepare yourself for this. Any questions?”

Before she could say anything, a quick knock on the door was promptly followed by a mare entering the room.

“Is that her? Ooh, such a cutie. Congratulations! Have you met my daughter yet?” the mare seemed excited.

“Yes, it’s her and yes, she’s met our daughter. Excuse me, Rainbow dash, let me introduce you to my wife, Fiery Breeze.” Nighthawk was a bit embarrassed.

“Did those lazy stallions from the legal department make you bring the papers yourself, honey?” he continued.

“Of course not. I took the chance to meet the newest addition to your team. I’ve heard she’s a great flyer.”

“Hello and thank you, I guess.” Rainbow Dash was pretty confused but didn’t forget about her manners.

“Since the papers are here, check if your personal data is entered correctly and read the contents carefully. I can wait outside if you’d like me to. I don’t want to fog your judgment, it’s an important life decision you’re about to make. This is your last chance to back out.” He offered.

“I’ve been dreaming about this moment ever since I’ve got my cutie mark. I’ve spent most of my life doing everything I could to have this conversation with you. Did you honestly think I would hesitate?” She replied to him while signing the contract.

“Just like our daughter.” Fiery Breeze laughed.

***

Rainbow Dash decided to drop by the lounge and socialize a bit with the team.

“Can I help you?” A large black pegasus stallion asked with a low voice.

“I’m here to meet the Wonderbolts?” She was a little intimidated.

“Of course you are.” He sarcastically remarked. “Anything else?”

“Watch your manners, she’s the newest team member.” Spitfire flew over.

“Sorry ma’am, right this way please.”

“Done with the paperwork?” Spitfire asked as they walked.

“Yeah.”

“Okay then. Guys, Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash, guys.” Spitfire had a rather casual approach to introductions.

“Hey… guys.”

“Rainbow Dash, savior of the apple pies! Glad you’ve made it.” Soarin’ replied. “Sit down with us.”

“So, this is how you spend your free time?”

“We get swarmed by our fans wherever we go. This is one of the few places where we can have some peace and quiet.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“Wait and see, wait and see. Care for a drink?”

“I’m exhausted, I don’t want to get drunk.”

“Come on, just one. Don’t make me beg.”

“Well, okay. Just one, I’m serious.” Rainbow Dash gave in. Soarin’ tapped his hooves.

“Would you like to order anything, sir?” The waiter came out of nowhere.

“Double Martini, dry and a Passionate Screw for the beautiful lady.” Soarin’ said with a smirk.

Rainbow Dash looked away, embarrassed. Spitfire only shook her head at the stallion and mouthed something silently to him while pointing her hoof at the cyan mare.

“MINE!” He read from her lips.

***

It was already dark when Rainbow Dash landed at the Sugarcube Corner. The sounds of loud music and hooves tapping on the dance floor were coming out from the building. She opened the door and saw a huge crowd of ponies. She wondered how Pinkie Pie managed squeeze all of them inside. Even the Mayor mare was there. A big banner was hanging on the wall.

“RAINBOW DASH – THE WONDERBOLT FROM PONYVILLE”

“Pinkie Pie…” Rainbow Dash was overwhelmed by the sight.

“She’s here, guys! She’s here!” Pinkie Pie yelled when she saw her friend enter.

The music stopped playing and everypony went quiet.

“Hip hip!” Pinkie started.

“Hooray!” The crowd responded.

“Hip hip!”

“Hooray!”

“Hip hip!”

“Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!”

The music started playing again and the fatigued pegasus was quickly swarmed by ponies who wanted to socialize with a celebrity.

“So this is what Soarin’ was talking about?” she sighed at the thought.

***

It took her over an hour to be able to sneak outside and breathe some fresh air. Her five best friends were already waiting for her there.

“Too fast for you, darling? You’ll have to get used to it. This is your life now.” Rarity said.

“Yeah… I’m afraid that I’ve bitten more hay than I can chew.”

“Nonsense, my dear. You’ll do just fine, you’ll just have to adjust your life style a bit and I can help you with that.”

“And if you’ll ever need some time off, you are always welcome stay over at my place. I’m sure Angel won’t mind.” Fluttershy said.

“Don’t worry about anything, is what we are tryin’ to say.” Applejack explained.

“We’ll be always there for you.” Twilight added.

“Aren’t I supposed to be the element of loyalty?” Rainbow Dash smiled.

Pinkie didn’t say a single word during the whole conversation, it finally caught the attention of the group. She was deeply concentrated on something when her knees twitched, eyes fluttered and right ear flopped. A frown appeared on her face and she started looking around her.

“What is it, Pinkie?” Twilight asked.

“Somepony’s crying and urgently needs a hug!”

“Umm, Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy looked at her cyan friend.

“Yeah, I know, I’m on it. See you guys tomorrow.” She flew off.

***

Rainbow Dash was flying over the Sweet Apple Acres when she noticed a faint light coming from Applejacks old tree house, soon she was hovering near the window. She saw Scootaloo lying on the wooden floor, shivering slightly from the night’s cold. She cried herself off to sleep.

The tired mare flew inside, laid down right next to the filly and instinctively put a wing around her. They were both sound asleep moments later.

4. The dream that keeps returning.

A brown pegasus mare was silently searching for something through a pile of papers on her desk.

„Where the hay did I put it?” She was a bit angry at herself for misplacing an important brochure.

She took a deep breath and adjusted her light blue mane.

„I think I already looked everywhere.”

Her green eyes wandered around the small office.

„Desk, checked. Purse, checked. File cabinets, checked. Coffee table, checked. Couch, checked.”

The booklet was still nowhere in sight.

„Maybe I accidentally threw it away?” She cringed at the thought of going through the trash.

Just as she was about to dive into the bin, a colorful piece of paper caught her attention.

„ Of course, I checked everywhere except for the most obvious place.”

With a sigh of relief, she picked it up from under her desk.

„This will make things much easier.” Her mind drifted a little as she reminded herself why she was doing all of this.

Bronze Feather was a social worker at the Cloudsdale Orphanage, she was the warm blanket that protected kids from the freezing cold of institutionalized childhood. She found inner peace in her work, even more so after her husband’s untimely death. Many of the foals who lived there left that place as young stallions and mares. Bronze Feather always went the extra mile to ease up their harsh ascension to adulthood.

In contrast, the others mostly treated their work like any other job in Equestria. They pretended that their lack of true commitment didn’t really matter. They didn’t realize or maybe just didn’t care that, at the end of the day, it only caused more harm. It’s hard to substitute a true, unconditional motherly love. It’s impossible if you don’t even try.

A loud thud snapped Bronze Feather back to reality. She opened the door and looked towards the floor. A little pegasus filly was lying on her back and rubbing her muzzle with her hoof. The goofy smile on the kid’s face explained more than words ever would.

„You really need to be more careful, sweetheart. Come in, Rainbow Dash. I need to talk about something with you.” The mare said, smiling softly.

Rainbow Dash was a bit more hyperactive than usual.

„Miss Bronze Feather! Miss Bronze Feather! Why did you call me over? Am I finally getting adopted? Are they nice ponies? Are they rich? Am I going to have a brother? Is their house big? A sister? How old are they? Where do they live? When will I meet them?” She was bouncing in front of the mare with a wide grin on her face and eagerly awaited for a response.

The cheerful stream of words caught Bronze Feather off guard.  

„Here we go again…” The mare quietly sighed.

„We already talked about this, sweetheart. I’m really sorry but that’s not why I asked you to come over today. Have a seat, I want to show you something.” She said, trying to avoid the inevitable.

Rainbow Dash stopped listening to her halfway through. She wasn’t jumping anymore. Her body started showing the first signs of an incoming mood swing.

„How much longer will I have to wait? Why does nopony want me? Is there something wrong with me? This is so unfair! I want to have a normal life!” The filly was throwing a fit.

One look of disapproval from Bronze Feather was enough to quickly settle her down. Deep inside, Rainbow Dash knew that this was the main reason why she was still here. She was always overflowing with unspent energy which resulted in temper issues. The potential parents couldn’t handle outbursts like this and gave up soon after one happened. Bronze Feather was already used to them and did all she could to stop them from happening. She found a great solution to the problem but had to wait until now to implement it.

The filly hopped onto the yellow couch and sat down, her head hanging low.

„I’m sorry I shouted... But I’m not stupid. I’ve been here since birth. There must be something wrong with me. Why won’t anypony adopt me? I want a real family…” She repeated herself with much less emotion in her voice.

She was tired of waiting for something that probably was never going to happen. Her eyes started welling up.

„I want to be normal…” Rainbow Dash was now sobbing quietly.

The mare slowly approached the couch, sat down next to the cyan filly and put a wing over her.

„You are perfectly normal just the way you are. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You just need to learn to control your emotions better. You’ll find a loving family when you’ll be least expecting it. Until that happens, I’ll be always there for you. Okay?”  The mare said with a soft, calming voice.

Rainbow Dash hesitantly nodded her head, tears still rolling down her face. Bronze Feather knew she had to be patient. They sat like this for a couple of minutes and the filly was beginning to calm down.

The mare decided to break the peaceful silence.

„Rainbow Dash, who would you like to be when you grow up?”

 A puzzled look appeared on the filly’s face. She sat there quietly, thinking deeply about the answer to the unexpected question.

„I don’t know…” She answered.

„That’s all right, sweetheart. Let me rephrase my question. What’s your favorite thing to do? Something that you couldn’t live without. Something that makes you truly happy!”  The mare asked again.

Bronze Feather felt a twitch under her wing and managed to fold it just in time before the filly jumped into the air.

„Flying! Flying makes me really happy!” Rainbow Dash shouted without a trace of hesitation.

“But there’s nothing special about flying. Every pegasus in Equestria can fly. I could be a weather pony, I guess, but that’s a boring thing to do.” She continued, her enthusiasm gone again.

„Did you know that there are ponies who do air acrobatics professionally and, if you work hard, you could become one of them someday. How does that sound to you?”

“Air acrobatics? What’s that?”

Bronze Feather took the chance to show the brochure to the filly.

„This will explain it better than I will, read it carefully.”

Rainbow Dash curiously sank her gaze into the piece of paper she received. With each word she read and picture she saw, her eyes grew bigger and bigger.

„They’ll teach me all those things over there?”

„They sure will!”

„And I could do this for a living when I grow up?”

„Those are only the basics but the short answer is yes. I’ve got tickets to a professional show. We’ll go see it when you get back from the flight camp. Go pack yourself, you’re leaving tomorrow.” The mare playfully tapped Rainbow Dash on the flank. The filly gave her a quick hug and bolted out of the office.

5. Somewhere in-between.

It was morning already. Scootaloo snuggled up into her blanket, enjoying the warmth, when she suddenly realized that she didn’t take one with her yesterday. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that the blanket was made of soft, delicate cyan feathers.

“Your parents must be worried sick.” Rainbow Dash broke the silence, her eyes still shut.

“I live with my grandma.” The filly replied.

“Then your grandma must be worried sick about you not coming back home for the night.”

“I told her I was going to sleep over at the Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Then I’m sure that she had something different on her mind when she allowed you to go.”

“You suddenly care about me now?”

“What made you think that I didn’t?” Rainbow Dash raised her head and looked at the filly.

“You gave my special poster away. To a colt you just met.”

“I… don’t feel comfortable talking about it...”

“Why won’t you just admit it?”

“Admit… what?”

“Now that you will become famous, you’re going to ditch me, the only flightless pegasus in all of Equestria!”

“Ditch you? I don’t even… I… Ugh… Just hop on and hold on tight, I’ll give you all the answers you want.”

“Where are we going?”

Rainbow Dash didn’t answer and took off towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

***

“She spent the night in Applejack’s old tree house. Make sure she takes a bath, give her something to eat and babysit her for a while. Be sure to answer any question she asks. I’ll come back later. Thanks.” Rainbow Dash said and flew away.

“O-okay.” Fluttershy replied to the cyan silhouette on the sky.

“Hey, Fluttershy.” The filly was baffled by the situation.

“Good morning, Scootaloo. Come on in.”

***

Rainbow Dash landed at the address Applejack gave her only moments ago. An old earth pony mare opened the door.

“Good morning, my name is Rainbow Dash.”

“I know who you are, child. She’s not here.”

“I know, I was hoping I could talk about her with you.”

“Of course, come in, please.”

“What exactly do you want to know?” the old mare asked as she served tea to her guest.

“She’s always clinging on to me, she doesn’t fly, she doesn’t talk about her family. I need you to help me understand my role in her life. I’m leaving Ponyville in a month, I desperately need some answers.”

“You’re a pegasus, she’s a pegasus and I’m just an old earth pony. There are some aspects of her life that I wouldn’t understand, no matter how hard I tried. The way she always talks about you… You’re neither a sister nor a mother to her. You’re somewhere in-between. A good role model, I hope.”

“Her parents aren’t around anymore?”

“My daughter… was naïve and selfish. She fell in love with a wealthy pegasus stallion and quickly got pregnant, stupidly thinking that it would ‘seal the deal’ for her. What she didn’t know, was that he was already ‘happily’ married and wasn’t planning on leaving his wife anytime soon. Time quickly flew by and one week after Scootaloo was born, that bastard had the nerve to show up, holding a suitcase in his hooves! “I warned you. I am cutting all my ties to that foal and have an army of lawyers protecting me from any actions you might decide to take against me. Accept the cash I’m giving to you and get over it.” he casually said and left. Money was his answer to everything.”

“How did your daughter react?“

“My daughter… took her own life the next day after his visit. He didn’t even show up at the funeral.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“As far as Scootaloo is concerned, both her parents died in an accident. I hope that you will keep it this way, at least for now. She already has her future to worry about, there’s no reason for her to linger in the past.”

“Is it about her wings? They seem rather small for her age. Is there any medical reason that prevents Scootaloo from flying?”

“Yes, Alae Crudelis, it’s a very rare condition. Scootaloo’s wings grow much slower than the rest of her body. “She’s one in a million”, the doctors said.”

“That’s another thing I didn’t want to hear today. Is there a cure? I can assure you, money’s not an issue.”

“That’s another problem that no amount of money could ever fix, but thank you regardless. I was told that ninety percent of cases end up with a surgery. The affected pegasus lives the rest of his or her life as an earth pony.”

“That’s terrible! You said ‘ninety percent of cases’, what about the other ten?”

“There’s a slim chance that a growth spurt will occur during puberty, enabling her to fly again. We should have a definite answer in, give or take, two years  from now.”

“She flew before?”

“She was just two years old when her wings couldn’t support her weight anymore. I’m not even sure if she remembers the days when I had to chase her around the house to get her back into the crib.”

“Thank you, for sharing all of this with me. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“No. Thank you, child. I’m old and tired, nopony knows how much time I have left. It’s important for me to know that there is somepony who cares about her future.”

***

Rainbow Dash flew straight to the Ponyville Library.

“Twilight! Rainow Dash is here to see you!” Spike shouted.

“Invite her in! I’ll be there in a sec.” Twilight shouted back.

“Hey, Twilight.”

“Hi, Rainbow Dash. Came to borrow a book?” Twilight asked jokingly.

“Actually, kind of, yes. I need something about rare medical conditions that only affect pegasi.”

“Is there something wrong with you?” Twilight asked, concerned.

“There’s nothing wrong with me. Just look if you have a book like that. It’ll be easier to explain if you find one.”

“Have a seat, this might take a while.”

Twenty minutes later a big, heavy book levitated towards Rainbow Dash.

“Found one, looks detailed.” Twilight’s voice came from behind the book.

“We’re looking for something called Alae Crudelis.”

Both mares started looking through the book, Twilight was turning the big pages using her magic.

“There.” Twilight pointed.

***

“Alae Crudelis, also known as the Cruel Wings Syndrome. A very rare condition that may occur only if a pegasus foal was born by an earth mare. The disorder greatly affects the growth rate of wings.

Up to date of publishing this book, only one hundred and three instances were discovered throughout the history and can be divided into two categories.

In ninety two cases, the affected pegasi never regained their ability of flight, their wings being disproportionately small to the rest of their bodies.

In eleven cases the symptoms not only withdrew during puberty but were followed by a growth spurt that, by the time of reaching adulthood, resulted in wingspan roughly twenty five percent above the average, giving the affected pegasi extraordinary flight speed and maneuverability.

No known cure exists.”

***

“I think I understand now.” Twilight frowned.

“I was hoping we could get more out of the book.”

“Don’t worry, Rainbow. Spike!”

“Yes, Twilight Sparkle?” Spike asked.

“I’m going to the Canterlot Library. I’ll be gone for at least three days. Don’t forget to do your chores.”

6. The ship has sailed.

Rainbow Dash landed back at Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Fluttershy told me everything. I’m sorry.” Scootaloo said.

 “You don’t have anything to apologize for. I went to your grandmother while you were here, got some answers myself.” Rainbow explained to the filly.

“Oh…” Scootaloo replied.

“Hop on, we have some talking to do.”

The filly jumped on Rainbow’s back, no questions asked. The mare took off and landed on the highest cloud she could find.

“You can get off me now.” She instructed.

“What if I fall through?” Scootaloo was scared.

“You’ve never been on a cloud before?”

“I was, in Cloudsdale, but that one looks so thin.”

“Stop worrying. I can stand on it just fine, and you will too.”

The filly hopped off Rainbow’s back and gave her a quizzical look.

“Spread your wings.”

“No!”

“Nobody’s looking. Just do it.” Rainbow Dash assured her.

Scootaloo unfolded her small wings, the high-altitude wind caressed her feathers. It felt somewhat familiar, like a distant memory, long forgotten.

“Feels great, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah…”

“Although slim, there’s still chance that we will soar through the sky together, side by side.”

“You don’t have to sugarcoat it. The chances are, that we won’t.” Scotaloo frowned.

“That’s precisely the way I don’t want you to think about the world around you. For all those years, I was waiting for the family that never showed up… But I had a dream that kept me afloat. And look at me now, I’m a frickin’ Wonderbolt! Can you imagine what would’ve happened if I gave up half way through? I know I can’t.”

“But what if-“

“No buts! no what ifs! There’s still a tiny thread of hope dangling around. I want you to grab it as hard as you can and hold tight onto it. Don’t ever let go, at least not until the day you see what’s on the other end of it. Can you do that? For me?”

“Yes…”

“Now I want you to close your eyes… and flap those wings! Leave all the uncertainty behind you! That feeling in your feathers? No matter what the future brings, never forget about it!”

“Wahahah!” Scootaloo shrieked with joy, forgetting about all her sorrows, even if only for a short while.

***

Rainbow Dash was doing her usual weather work in preparation for the upcoming applebucking season and to keep her form up before the autumn training session. She saw a carriage, pulled by two armored pegasi stallions, in the distance. She immediately dropped everything she was doing and flew over to the Ponyville Library. Shortly after, the carriage landed next to the building. Five days have already passed since Twilight Sparkle left off to Canterlot. The purple unicorn’s bloodshot eyes had the answer written all over them.

“Something? Anything?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Nothing. Completely nothing! I’ve tried, I really did…” The exhausted mare replied, close to tears.

“Don’t worry about it, I know you did your best. When was the last time you slept, you look like a complete mess.”

“Five… days ago.” She swayed on her hooves.

“Are you insane?! Go to bed!”

“I’m okay. Maybe there’s a book I’ve missed over here. Let me check my library again.” Her left eye twitched uncontrollably.

“Bed! Now!”

Even the smartest unicorn Rainbow knew couldn’t find a solution to the problem. The only thing left to do was to wait for the answer to show itself, when the right time comes.

***

The remaining days went by in a blink of an eye. Rainbow Dash has recently quit her weather job and was getting ready for the trip to Cloudsdale. She was packing her bags when she heard a familiar voice calling her name from the ground.

“Hey there, squirt. What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked as she landed next to Scootaloo.

“I was hoping that maybe we could spend some time together before you leave.” Scootaloo said.

“Anything specific on your mind?”

“Not really.”

“Want to come over to my place?”

“Yes!”

Rainbow Dash flew back up to her house, with the filly on her back.

“I still have some packing left to do. There’s orange juice in the fridge if you’d like some.” She said and went to her bedroom.

“Woah!” Scootaloo gasped when she entered the room, holding a glass.

“That’s ‘THE WALL’, squirt. That reminds me, I still didn’t make it up to you for that poster. Pick anything you want.”

Scootaloo stared at the shelves filled with Wonderbolts memorabilia.

“That one!”

“Are you sure you don’t want anything cooler?

“I’m sure.”

Rainbow Dash gave the small object to Scootaloo, a framed photo of herself in a Wonderbolt costume. Bronze Feather made her that outfit for the Nightmare Night, years ago.

***

“You wanted to see me?” Spitfire asked.

“How was her first day?” Nighthawk asked.

“Her stamina is better than you predicted but still needs to be worked on. She was completely exhausted about two thirds into the drill.”

“She didn’t look that tired.”

“You say that because you weren’t up there with us. Three months may not be enough. She might do a full minor show, or even a major one, but a full season finale is out of the question at the moment.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. How’s the new formation working out?”

“She bumped into Fleetfoot a few times but there’s nothing big to worry about, she’s a quick learner. Soarin’ seems a bit iffy about the fact that he’s not flying in the front with me anymore. Other than that, things look good as they are.”

“There are seven of you now. It’s the only way for the formation to work properly.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“Anything else you’d like to report, captain?”

“No sir, coach sir!” Spitfire chuckled.

***

One month has passed since Rainbow Dash moved into Cloudsdale. She spent five days a week training and hung out at the lounge on the weekends, while the rest of the team was doing the autumn events. She has integrated well with the squad already.

“Free weekend guys!” Spitfire triumphantly shouted after the training.

“Let’s get wasted!” Soarin’ replied.

“That big of a deal?” Rainbow asked.

“Says the weekend loafer!” Rapidfire countered.

“Not by choice!” Rainbow laughed.

“To the lounge!” Soarin’ commanded.

The group arrived at the VIP lounge shortly after.

“Hey, Muffin.” Rainbow said to the large black stallion.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.” He replied and invited them in.

“Would you like to order anything?" The elusive waiter showed up as soon as they sat down.

“The usual.” Rainbow replied.

By the time evening came, all of the Wonderbolts were completely intoxicated.

“And then I say to her: ‘Honey, it’s not a typewriter. There’s only one button to operate and you’re clearly not very good at it.’” Everypony laughed when Spitfire finished telling her anecdote.

“I didn’t know that you are that kind of a pony.” Rainbow blurted.

“That kind of a pony? What the buck, Rainbow Dash?! Somepony needs to pull the broomstick out of her-“

“As a gesture of friendship,  I won’t punch you right now! Are you calling me a homophobe?!” Rainbow interrupted before Spitfire finished the sentence.

“Well, are you one?!”

“Catfight!” Soarin’ yelled. Two hooves, one from each of the arguing mares, simultaneously landed on the sides of his face.

Both of them let out a short burst of laughter that quickly turned into a staring contest. Spitfire decided to make a move when the music playing in the background changed.

“How much can we take before we care to settle?

Thought we were set for a perfect scene(…)”

She leaned over and planted a quick kiss on Rainbow’s lips. The cyan mare didn't move a muscle, the stare down continued.

“(...)If I had the answer would that make you stay?

This is the time and place, it is your moment of fate(…)”

Rainbow Dash suddenly relaxed, closed her eyes and leaned a bit forward.

“(…)What are you longing for?

What are you longing for?

What are you longing for?(…)”

Rainbow Dash broke her lips away from Spitfire’s and, without saying a word, left the club.

7. Them Apples.

Rainbow Dash was at her limits after flying for the whole night in the cold. The sun was about to rise.

“That’s not who I am. I’m normal. She tricked me into it. She tried to rape me! She’s evil!” She mumbled to herself, still a bit drunk. “I need a stallion. Right now. I know who I really am and I’m going to prove it!”

She was soaring aimlessly through the sky above Ponyville when she felt the exhaustion take its final toll. Her vision got blurry and she unwillingly started to descend. She fainted just before her hooves touched the ground.

She woke up lying under a tree, a few hours later. She was tired, thirsty and had an awful headache. A stallion she knew was standing next to her. He seemed amused by the sight.

“That must’ve been one hell of a party.” The stallion said. ”Aren’t you supposed to be in Cloudsdale right now?”

She didn’t reply to him, she was too busy kissing him.

“Are you tryin’ to get me drunk?” He poked fun at her breath when their muzzles separated.

“Shut up and buck me.” Was the only reply he got.

“Nice to see you too.” The stallion decided to just go with the flow.

***

“It’s no use… I am not enjoying any of this at all. Try to finish up quickly...” She told him after a few minutes.

He wasn’t doing anything wrong. It just didn’t feel right anymore. Come to think of it, did it ever? At this point, she admitted defeat.

A moment later, they were standing next to each other. An awkward silence made the world stop for a second.

“I kissed a mare. And I liked it.” A sarcastic remark came from Rainbow’s mouth.

“Eeyup.” He finally understood the reason of the sudden visit.

“Why didn’t you finish up? I told you it was ok.” The sarcasm was gone now.

The red stallion only shrugged at her.

“Are you a coltcuddler?”

“Nope.”

A sonic explosion cut through the air. Big Macintosh casually went back to his work, it was the middle of applebucking season after all.

***

“Ah was preparin’ lunch when Ah’ve heard the Sonic Rainboom and saw her fly away. Why was she here? Why did she dart off like that? Did you finally tell her how you feel about her? Did somethin’ bad happen?” Applejack fired questions at him.

“Nope.” He answered.

“Ah’m your sister. Ah can see there’s somethin’ wrong.”

The stallion didn’t answer. Tears started rolling down his cheeks.

“Ah won’t be able to help you if you don’t tell me what happened.”

“She had a… relationship problem. And Ah helped to fix it, I guess. We… I mean she… I mean… Never mind…”

Big Macintosh’s body got really tense while he was trying to explain what has actually happened. To him, it wasn’t something a brother can casually describe to his younger sister. He looked around him for a moment and slowly started walking towards the biggest apple tree he could see in near view. He stopped to look at it and sighed deeply. He slowly turned himself around.

“Mac, what are you doin’?”

*THUMP*

The dull sound of his rear hooves hitting the trunk was promptly followed by an echo of fresh apples hitting the ground.

*THUMP*

Another rain of leaves and apples fell as he bucked the tree much stronger than before.

*THUMP*

The apples were accompanied by smaller branches now. The energy that filled the stallion was far from depletion. Applejack, who was standing in a safe distance, didn’t intervene. She felt that he needed to let some steam out and one healthy apple tree was a price she was willing to pay.

*THUMP*

His blood felt like boiling from the frustration.

“WHAT!”

*THUMP*

“THE BUCK!”

*THUMP*

“WAS AH THINKING?!”

*CRACK*

Applejack darted in the direction she has seen Rainbow Dash fly to. Shortly after, she saw a rainbow colored tail hanging off the edge of a small cloud.

“You! Get your stinkin’ flank down here right this instant!” Applejack yelled, fuming with anger.

She didn’t get any reaction from the other mare.

“Ah’ve never seen him in such a state before! Ah don’t know what you exactly did to him but it surely was somethin’ unbelievably cruel! He’s got feelings… for you… and you hurt him real bad. Buck your life up in any way you want but leave my family out of it! Be an adult, go and fix your mess or Ah’ll buck your flank so hard that you’ll fly all the way to Fillydelphia without a single flap of your buckin’ wings! Ah want this situation resolved before I get back home!”

Without saying a word, Rainbow Dash took off back towards Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack started galloping back to the farm shortly after.

***

Big Macintosh was sitting under the remains of what once was a beautiful apple tree. Fallen leaves, crushed apples and broken branches were scattered all over the ground.  The trunk was cracked, making the whole thing lean quite a bit to its side. He was covered in sweat, all the frustration evaporated. He heard  the sound of wings flapping in the distance. Seconds later four hooves tapped on the grass, Rainbow Dash Landed right next to him. He blushed when his eyes met with hers.

“Listen. I had no idea. I really didn’t.” Rainbow started her monologue, Applejack’s words were still ringing in her head.

“You were there when this stupid idea formed in my mind and I took advantage of you. I really am sorry about what happened. I know you already understand that it wouldn’t work out anyway, right?” She continued.

Big Macintosh nodded.

“With that out of the way, let me tell you that there is a certain bundle of pink-and-yellow that is really sweet on you. I think you’d make a great couple, give her a chance and try not to mention this incident to her. I better get going. I don’t think Applejack would like me to still be here when she gets back. I hope that we could become more than just friends, if you ever forgive me.”

The stallion snickered at what he heard. Rainbow suddenly realized what she just said.

“Sorry. That last bit came out wrong. No… The way I came out was wrong.”

Rainbow Dash planted a goodbye kiss on his cheek and took off. Something was different about him now.

“Ah can see you there, Applejack. How much did you hear?” Macintosh said.

“Enough.” Applejack replied.

“Was what she said true?”

“Which part? The one about her comin’ out? Ah think that Ah should be the one askin’ that question.”

“Ugh… Don’t make it harder than it already is for me… Is Fluttershy really feelin’ this way towards me?”

“Yeah…”

“Why didn’t she tell me herself then?”

“Why didn’t you tell the fillyfooler yourself?”

“Right… I’m going for a walk. Finish up the rest of applebuckin’ for today, please.”

“Just what in tarnation are you plannin’ to do?”

“Hit the iron while it’s hot, Ah guess.” He trotted away.

***

Fluttershy was sitting in her living room, reading a novel she borrowed from Twilight Sparkle, when she heard a knock on the door. Her face turned as red as the coat of her unexpected guest when she opened the door.

“Eep! Oh my… H-hi Big Macintosh…” She stuttered.

8. Accepting the truth.

After coming back from her little trip to Ponyville, Rainbow Dash decided to visit the only pony she knew, besides Twilight Sparkle, who always had the right answer to everything. The weekend was almost over and a confrontation with Spitfire was inevitable.

„It’s wonderful to see you, sweetheart. What brings you here?” Bronze Feather said.

“Do I need a reason to pay you a visit?” Rainbow Dash asked.

The brown mare suggestively raised her left eyebrow in response.

“I’ll try to come by more often.” Rainbow replied, a little ashamed of herself.

“So? What is it?” Bronze Feather asked, with her usual soft smile.

“I think I might have fallen in love…”

“That’s wonderful! And the problem is?”

“…with a mare.” She turned her head to avoid eye contact.

“You should take her with you next time. I’d love to meet her.”

“What kind of a reaction is this?” She looked at the brown mare again.

“Oh, right. That’s not how I've raised you! It’s against nature! How dare you come to me and-“ she snorted with laughter before she managed to finish the faux tirade. “I can’t do it, sorry. ”

“Is this really okay with you? Is this really okay at all?”

“I accept you for who you are.” Bronze Feather’s tone got serious when she saw first tears emerging from Rainbow’s eyes.

“What am I supposed to do? I’m scared.”

“Do whatever will make you happy.”

“But what will everypony think of me?”

“Does it matter? The true friends will stay by your side.”

“And the ones who don’t?”

“Good riddance, I’d say, but can you name even one pony who you think would turn away from you?”

Rainbow Dash took a while process what she heard.

“It really is that simple, isn’t it?” She sighed.

“Yes. Don’t overthink things, sweetheart.”

“Thank you, I needed to hear that.”

“I’m always happy to help. How’s your training going?” Bronze Feather changed the subject.

“All right, I guess. I’ve already got used to flying in a formation, still working on my stamina.”

“I can’t wait for your inauguration show.”

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Come in, please.” Bronze Feather said.

A dark-blue colt entered the office and jumped straight onto the old yellow couch. He hasn’t noticed that Bronze Feather wasn’t alone.

“Feeling under the weather today, Maelstrom?” Bronze Feather asked.

“Yeah…” He sighed.

“Hey there, little guy. Remember me?” Rainbow asked.

He raised his head and saw his idol standing in front of him.

“Rainbow Dash! What are you doing here?” He instantly cheered up.

“I came by to tell miss Bronze Feather that I’ll arrange some free tickets for you kids. You wouldn’t miss my first show ever, would you?” She improvised.

Maelstrom looked quizzically at Bronze Feather.

“Of course, we’ll be there.” She replied for him.

***

On Monday morning, Rainbow Dash casually entered the locker room. Spitfire was halfway through putting her training outfit on. Her face flushed when she saw the cyan mare.

“Hey.” Rainbow said.

Spitfire fell over as she tried to hastily leave the room. She quickly got up and disappeared.

“She’s been like this the whole weekend.” Fleetfoot said.

“Wow.” Rainbow replied.

“She cried her eyes out when you left. She’s serious about you, you know.”

“I was confused…”

“That’s what alcohol does to you. Try not to break her heart too badly.”

“Actually, I think I might give it a shot.”

“What?”

“I can’t deny it any longer. I’m a fillyfooler.  I, kind of, raped a stallion when I was away, just to be sure.”

“Now that’s a story I’d like to hear.” She chuckled.

***

Spitfire performed terribly that day and still hasn't spoken a single word to Rainbow Dash . After the training was over, she didn’t even have the time to take the suit off because Nighthawk immediately called her over to his office. He seemed angry.

“You were flying like a complete amateur today. Please explain yourself.” Nighthawk said.

“Dad…” Spitfire replied.

“What is it?”

“I did something really stupid.”

“Yes?”

“Actually, I think it’ll be better if I talk with mom about it.”

“As you wish. I’m concerned about you, as a father. But as a coach, I have to tell you to get your act together. You’re a professional. Your performance today was unacceptable, even if it was only training.”

“Yes sir, coach sir…” She said and left the office.

Rainbow Dash was waiting for her outside.

“Can’t run forever.” Rainbow said.

“I was drunk, I’m sorry.” Spitfire replied, feeling cornered.

“I’m not letting you off the hook that easy. Go take a shower, you reek. I’ll be waiting at the lounge.”

***

Rainbow Dash was chilling at the VIP lounge when Spitfire finally showed up.

“I was beginning to think that you chickened out.” Rainbow said.

“I almost did.” Spitfire replied.

“Sit down.”

“You could’ve just said it back at my dad’s office. Let’s get it over with.”

“Not so fast. Let’s do this properly. I want to hear it from you. Say it.”

“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Say it.”

“Is public humiliation your idea of fun? What the buck is wrong with you?”

“Say it!”

Spitfire took a deep breath.

“Rainbow Dash, I l-“

“That’s not something you should say on a first date.” Rainbow giggled after their muzzles parted.

“You little b-, I’m going to k-, Seriously-“

***

“Are you sure you’ll have enough steam to last for the whole show?” Nighthawk asked.

“I worked overtime on her endurance, dad. She can handle it, believe me.” Spitfire replied.

“It’s not the time for dirty jokes, Spitfire!” He reprimanded her.

“I think I can handle it, Nighthawk.” Rainbow Dash said.

The Cloudsdale Stadium was filled to the brim. Despite the cold weather, the crowd started boiling when the seven ponies appeared on the sky above them. The Wonderbolts started their show with a representative flyover, leaving a trail of smoke behind them.

The Equestria-renowned DJ Pon-3 was standing at the turntable. Music  began playing from the gigantic sound system. The spectators watched in awe as the perfectly synchronized formation performed all kinds of: normal rolls, barrel rolls, flip rolls, snap rolls, inside loops, outside loops,  half loops, dives and more. The Wonderbolts presented combinations of maneuvers, gradually increasing complexity. The best was still to come. After a carefully planned two hours, the real fun began.

The grand finale has started. In one swift motion, the formation reconfigured. Three stallions, led by Soarin’ were flying on the left side, Spitfire led the female trio on the right. Rainbow Dash raised above the highest cloud layer, disappearing from the audience’s sight. When they gained enough speed, the six remaining Wonderbolts executed all of their signature moves, one by one. Soarin’s Midnight Marauder was beautifully illuminated by Spitfire’s Inferno. The crowd let out a huge roar when they saw a rainbow-maned missile falling down. After the Sonic Rainboom ripped through the air, the performers got back into the standard formation, now led by Rainbow Dash. One flyover later, they landed.

“I… told… you… I… could… han-“ Rainbow fainted.

Ten minutes later, she regained consciousness. She was lying on a bench in the locker room, with a wet towel on her forehead.

“Wake up, sleepy head.” Spitfire said with affection, caressing her marefriend’s mane.

“How was it? Did I do good?” Rainbow asked as the post-performance anxiety set in for the first time in a while.

“Get yourself ready, honey. There’s a horde of fans waiting outside for us to show up, autographs and all. You don’t want to keep them waiting, do you?”

9. Before the trip.

One day has passed since Rainbow Dash’s inauguration show. The winter break has begun and the happy couple was having a celebration dinner at the dining room of Spitfire’s residence. Up to that point, only a small group of ponies knew about the relationship they shared. They didn’t want Rainbow’s first official appearance  to be overshadowed by nasty, sensationalist articles showing up all over the newspapers. Although it was hard for them, they were careful to not to show too much affection for each other when in public. The lounge was their safe haven. If anypony, the big black Muffin was really good at his job and kept the pesky tabloid reporters away from the place where they spent most of their free time at.

“Honey, I think it’s time. We should make it official.” Spitfire said.

“Yeah. I’m sorry that we had to wait this long. I really want to finally tell all my friends about us. Would you like to spend the winter in Ponyville with me?”

“Sure thing, but I’d rather start off with informing your parents first.” Spitfire said with a dose of hesitation in her voice.

She hadn’t touched on that topic earlier and had no idea about this aspect of Rainbow’s past. Judging by the way Rainbow Dash originally reacted when she found out about Spitfire’s orientation, the yellow mare made up a horrible mental image of them. For her, they were a couple of bigots who repressed their daughter’s true self.

“It’s a bit more complicated than you might think.” Rainbow Dash answered, hoping that Spitfire will leave it at that.

“I was afraid you’d say that. They won’t accept our relationship?” Spitfire asked with disappointment in her voice.

“I… don’t have parents. I was raised in an orphanage. There is a mare I would like you to meet over there but I’ll understand if this is too much for you.” She stiffened up but answered anyway.

“Don’t be stupid, I’d love to meet her. You’ll have to tell me about such things if we want to build a healthy relationship.” Spitfire said and leaned over to give Rainbow Dash a kiss.

“We can pay her a visit tomorrow if you’d like.” Rainbow smiled, feeling relaxed again.

They continued chatting throughout their meal and drank a big bottle of wine while doing so. Rainbow Dash told her marefriend about Bronze Feather, about her friends, about Scootaloo and, when she got intoxicated enough, about Big Macintosh. Spitfire absorbed everything she heard like a sponge.

“Whoa, poor stallion… I really want to meet your friends and Scootaloo, but are you sure it’s ok to go there after that?” She asked, more concerned about Big Macintosh than about the incident itself.

“We won’t find out if we stay here.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Rainbow Dash got lost in her thoughts for a moment.

“I’ve been talking about myself through the whole dinner, but what about you? I can’t believe I haven’t asked you about it before, but when exactly did you start feeling this way towards me?” Rainbow Dash asked, a little tipsy.

“Well, ever since my first performance, I kept seeing the same cyan mare cheer wildly at almost every show we gave. Your rainbow mane made you stand out, you know. It felt great to know that we have such a zealous fan. Then, at the Best Young Flyer Competition, you saved me when that crazy unicorn knocked me out.” Spitfire started explaining.

“Sugar, that’s Rarity you’re talking about.” Rainbow grimaced.

“Oh, so it was her? Sorry. Nevertheless, I fell for you that day. I tried to talk with you a bit at the Gala, but you know well how that turned out. Being a Wonderbolt is great but also has it’s downsides.” She continued.

“I know, I know. My back still aches from posing for all the pictures the fans took with me yesterday. It was almost more exhausting than the show itself. Seriously, everypony wanted something from me.” Rainbow stretched herself as she said that.

“Have you ever wondered why that dirty philanderer of a stallion stopped his advances so suddenly the first time you came over to the lounge? I've made him. Now you know.” Spitfire still had more to say.

“Hah.” Rainbow snickered when she remembered the situation. ”Well, ’subtle’ isn’t a word I would use to describe Soarin’. Thanks for doing that.”

“I’ve waited for the right moment to tell you ever since that day.”

“And then you’ve kissed me instead.” Rainbow laughed.

“And you already took your revenge on me for that, you little devil.”

“Let’s get it over with.” She mocked Spitfire with a flirtatious tone and started walking towards the master bedroom.

***

They went to the orphanage on the next day. Spitfire was a bit overwhelmed when she saw the three-story building. As they walked through the corridors, she imagined how growing up in such place must feel like. Soon, they were standing in front of Bronze Feather’s office. Spitfire was very anxious to meet the mare. Rainbow Dash knocked on the door and entered the room.

“Hi, Bronze Feather.” She said.

“Hello, sweetheart. It’s good to see you. Came alone again?” She said, a bit disappointed.

„Nope, I’d like you to meet somepony.” Rainbow replied and encouraged Spitfire to come into the office.

“Who would’ve thought.” Bronze Feather thought and barely stopped herself from giggling when she saw the yellow mare.

“This is Spitfire, my teammate, my marefriend.” Rainbow said, excited.

“It’s nice to meet you, Spitfire. My name is Bronze Feather.” She introduced herself.

“Nice to meet you too, Bronze Feather.” Spitfire politely replied.

“I’m so happy for both of you, you look great together. Have a sit.” She said and then placed a kettle on the stove that was standing in the corner of the room. “Would you like some tea? Or maybe coffee?”

“Coffee, please.” Spitfire said.

“Same for me.” Rainbow added.

“Any plans for the winter?” Bronze feather asked.

“We’re going to spend it in Ponyville, starting tomorrow.” Rainbow explained.

“Good for you. You deserve some rest.”

“Have you seen the show?” Rainbow asked the rhetorical question.

“All of the kids I took really enjoyed it, Maelstrom the most. Thank you again for the free tickets.”

“How’s he doing?”

“Pretty good. He’s still new around here, and domestic abuse isn’t something you can deal with overnight but… You’ve had a large impact on him, sweetheart. I’ve noticed a positive change in his behavior ever since he met you at the tryouts. And after the recent event? Well, look for yourself.” She pointed her hoof at the window.

Her guests curiously looked outside. The colt was flying around the inner courtyard, trying to replicate some of the combinations of maneuvers he recently saw. He didn’t mind the early winter snow falling onto his white mane. The mares observed him for a moment.

“He reminds me of a certain somepony, who grew up to become a Wonderbolt.” Bronze Feather said with a nostalgic tone.

“He does fly fast for his age. Have you thought about sending him to a flight camp? I could pull some strings at the team’s Young Talent Division and get him a free spot.” Spitfire offered, much to the other mares’ amusement.

“Knowing Bronze Feather, she already did.” Rainbow replied for the brown mare and smiled.

“I have thought about it, yes, but help is always well appreciated, we’re running on a tight budget here.” Bronze Feather added.

“Consider it done, then. I’ll get your information from Rainbow Dash and make sure that somepony contacts you about it.” Spitfire assured her.

“Since we’re on that topic… I’ve got paid for my first show.” Rainbow Dash gave a check to the brown mare. “You’ll spend it better than I ever would.”

Bronze Feather looked at the piece of paper in astonishment.

“Have you lost your mind, sweetheart? I can’t accept this much.”

“I haven’t exactly told you how much I make now, have I? I won’t be starving because of this. Be sure to tell me if you need more.” She replied.

10. Them Apples: The aftermath.

It was early evening when the couple arrived at Rainbow’s small cloud house back in Ponyville. They were planning to spend almost three months there.

“Your place is smaller than I expected, but I like it. Seems cozy.” Spitfire said with honesty.

“A bedroom, a guestroom, two bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen. It does its job just fine when you’re a single weather mare living in a small town.” Rainbow replied, a little offended.

“That’s not what I meant, honey. Being a daughter of a Wonderbolt, I’ve never really had a chance to experience the simple lifestyle. I went to private schools, had wealthy friends and met many famous ponies throughout the years. I’ve spent my youth obsessing about joining the team. Meeting my dad’s high expectations wasn’t easy to achieve. It already feels great to run away from all this.” She explained herself and Rainbow giggled in response.

“We may come from different backgrounds, but fixating about joining the Wonderbolts is certainly a thing we have in common. Let me show you the bedroom.” Rainbow was careful not to give the wrong idea to Spitfire, she had something different planned for the evening.

The mares took their luggage upstairs and entered the room.

“Wow.” Spitfire wasn’t too surprised when she saw ‘THE WALL’.

“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash replied, slightly embarrassed.

“We should start unpacking.”

“We can do this later. Let’s go to the Sugarcude Corner. I’m sure my friends are already waiting there.”

“You’ve told them that we were coming today?”

“I didn’t have to. I’ve told you about the special pink device that detects those things.”

“Pinkie Pie, right? Your friends seem like an interesting bunch of ponies.”

***

They had to sign a couple of autographs on their way to the bakery but they didn’t mind. When they arrived at their destination, Spitfire looked through the window. The lights were off any nopony seemed to be inside.

“I think it’s closed.” Spitfire said and was ready to go back.

“Watch and learn.” Rainbow said with a cheeky smile.

The doors were unlocked and Spitfire followed Rainbow Dash inside.

“Hi girls, I want to introduce somepony to you.” Rainbow casually said.

A shot from the party cannon instantly decorated the Sugarcube Corner’s party room and made Spitfire jump back in terror. The lights came on an four mares came out of hiding. Fluttershy wasn’t among them.

“Aww.” Three of  them groaned, disappointed that Rainbow didn’t even pretend to be surprised, and then looked inquiringly at the yellow mare she brought with her.

“Girls, meet my marefriend, Spitfire.”

Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and Pinkie Pie ran over to Rainbow Dash and soon all of them squealed like fillies who just got their cutie marks. Applejack didn’t join them and only squinted her eyes in response to the revelation. The excited mares decided to introduce themselves to Spitfire, starting with the chatterbox Pinkie Pie was.

“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie. I work here. I made cupcakes. Do you want a cupcake? Of course you want a cupcake. Everypony likes cupcakes.” Pinkie cheerfully said and then shoved a cupcake into her newest friend’s face.

Spitfire only smiled and started chewing the sweet pastry. The pink earth pony was exactly like Rainbow Dash described her. Twilight Sparkle came over to her next.

“Hello. My name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m the local librarian. It’s nice to meet you, Spitfire.” Twilight introduced herself in a much calmer way and shook Spitfire’s hoof.

It was Rarity’s turn now.

“Good evening, my name is Rarity. I’m a fashion designer and run the Carousel Boutique. I’ve designed Rainbow’s Gala dress for her. It’s a pleasure to properly meet you, Spitfire.” Rarity tried her best to leave a good impression, still remembering the incident from the competition.

In the meantime, Rainbow Dash approached Applejack.

“Hi, Applejack. Long time no see.” She tried to start a conversation.

“Ah’ve tried to get over it, but Ah can’t.” The orange mare looked her in the eyes as she spoke with a tone of voice that was the scary kind of calm.

“Do we have a problem?” Rainbow Dash asked, not giving in to the intimidating stare.

Instead of replying, Applejack began slowly walking towards the cyan pegasus. Rainbow Dash found herself backing away and stopped when her flank touched the wall. The other mares were done with the introductions and now watched the situation unfold. They didn’t know about Applejack’s reasons but were ready to jump in to separate them.

“Applejack…” Rainbow was expecting the worst from her.

“It’s your fault. Have you seen that thing? It was completely destroyed. Rainbow Dash, you owe me an apple tree. A big, healthy apple tree.” She was deadly serious.

“An apple tree? I’ll get you one, I’ll even get you an orchard worth of trees! But what about Big Macintosh?” Rainbow Dash didn’t know if she felt relived or even more anxious at this point.

“And that’s also your fault. He’s dating Fluttershy now.” With the issue out of the way, she gave Rainbow a hug. “Ah still don’t understand his involvement, but Ah’m happy that you found out who you are and Ah accept it.”

She trotted over to Spitfire.

“My name is Applejack. Nice to meet you.” She said, smiling.

“Is that why Fluttershy’s not here?” Rainbow asked with enthusiasm.

“They’ll drop by soon.” Applejack replied.

***

The mares were busy with socializing when the door opened and Fluttershy, followed by Big Macintosh, came inside. Rainbow Dash immediately flew over to them.

“Hey, Flutters. Hey, Big Mac. I’ve heard that you’re dating now. I so happy for you.” She greeted them with eagerness.

Fluttershy fought hard to keep the smile on her face, but Rainbow’s words were the straw that broke the camel’s back for her. She leaped at the cyan mare and started flailing her hooves after they both fell to the ground. Rainbow didn’t  fight back, she only covered her face, waiting for somepony to intervene.

“I’ve trusted you! How could you do this to me?! I hate you, you dirty fillyfooler!” Fluttershy screamed.

“’Shy, timid and sensitive?’” Spitfire thought as Big Macintosh pulled the lightweight pegasus off of Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy broke away from Big Macintosh’s embrace and ran out of the building. The other ponies were dumbfounded by the situation.

“You’ve told her?” Rainbow cried out. “Why?!”

“Ah don’t know, Ah just did. She told me she was okay about it. Ah didn’t expect it to turn out this way.” Big Macintosh explained an rushed after his marefriend.

Rainbow Dash didn’t get up. She was crying her eyes out on the floor as Spitfire tried to calm her down.

„Rainbow Dash, tell me what really happened that day or Ah’m goin’ to lose my mind.” Applejack was terrified by Fluttershy’s reaction.

“She was confused, she had sex with him. It’s partially my fault, I’m sorry.” Spitfire replied for the lamenting mare.

“Say what now?” Applejack was getting angrier with every second that passed, her synapses were making new connections as she filled out the blanks.

“I raped him, all right? That’s how I made sure that I’m a fillyfooler.” Rainbow Dash started crying even harder.

“Calm down, Rainbow Dash! You? Raped Macintosh? Big. Macintosh? Argh! Ah feel so stupid right now! It’s all my fault you think this way, isn’t it? What you two did wasn’t smart, but it also wasn’t wrong. What was that moron expectin’ to happen? Rainbow Dash, Ah’m sorry! Excuse me girls, Ah need to have a little chat with them.” She finished venting.

Applejack darted off. Rainbow’s friends calmed the mare down after Spitfire couldn’t. Pinkie Pie went to make a hot cup of cocoa and Rarity wiped the tears from Rainbow’s face as Twilight Sparkle gave Rainbow a heartfelt hug. It all helped, but Applejack’s honest words had the most influence. Spitfire was amazed by how much they cared about her marefriend, she hasn’t experienced a friendship this strong in her life. The connection she shared with most of the ponies she knew wasn’t even close to this.

“I’ve known her since I was a filly. I don’t want it to end like this.” Rainbow was devastated.

“Everything is going to be all right, darling.” Rarity assured her.

“Applejack will sort things out.” Twilight reassured her.

***

Applejack ran straight to the cottage. When she got there, she was invited inside by Big Macintosh. She gave him an angry look and went straight to Fluttershy, who was sitting in the living room.

“Fluttershy, you weren’t even dating him when that happened. You wouldn’t be dating him if that didn’t happen. Neither of you would’ve made the first move if she didn’t push him. Are you seriously ready to end an almost lifelong friendship over this?” Applejack calmly explained.

“You’re… right…” Fluttershy admitted after a while, she was back to her old self again.

“And you! You’ve told her but didn’t tell me? It’s all so clear to me now. ’She had a relationship problem?’ ‘Ah helped to fix it?’ What the buck, Big Macintosh… You didn’t have the guts to tell her how you felt about her, but the moment she waved her flank at you, you bucked her? You didn’t question her motives at all? Ah thought it was all her fault, but you brought this on yourself. She’s still hasn’t gotten over it. All of this because Ah care about you…” Applejack didn’t hide her disappointment.

“Ah couldn’t force myself to tell you…” Big Macintosh answered.

“Because deep inside, you knew how Ah would react.” She told him.

He hung his head low and Fluttershy came over to hug him.

“Ah’m happy that you’re happy together but it’s not okay to leave this situation as it is right now. It’s your choice to go back to the Sugarcube Corner with me.” Applejack said to both of them.

***

Rainbow Dash was almost done sipping the, now lukewarm, cocoa from a cup Pinkie gave her. She was about ready to ask Spitfire to take her back home when two mares and a stallion came through the door. She looked at her ex-friend with eyes that showed regret and got an apologetic look in response. Fluttershy slowly walked over and put her hooves around Rainbow. Without saying a single word, they both started weeping.