It wasn't long before you and Rainbow reached the stadium after a quick bout of tag. Despite your efforts, she remained undefeated, even as you promised you'd beat her one day. You intended on keeping that promise.

The stadium was massive, capable of holding thousands at a time. From outside, you could tell that alone. You were amazed they were able to build it so fast. This structure wasn't here three weeks ago, you know that much.

The two of you arrived and showed your tickets at the front. With a quick glance, you were let in, only to be greeted with an almost entirely empty interior. Very few ponies were actually inside the stadium. Some were walking about, presumably trying to find their seat, while others were seated and doing whatever they could to pass the time—if the couple making out in the bottom seats was any indication.

"Wow," Rainbow silently exclaimed. "It's like a ghost town in here."

A short silence followed as you and Dash glanced at each other, then back to the open.

...

"... ECHO!" you both shouted at the top of your lungs. As expected, the voice reverberated off the walls and curves of the entire building, your words repeating for several seconds before it inevitably died out. The small pockets of ponies all turned in your direction, no doubt confused.

You and Dash only giggled it off before continuing to look for your seats. As the two of you walked down the seemingly endless rows, Rainbow counted each seat silently to herself.

"A1... A2... A3... hmm... mnm... ah, here! Five and six!"

It didn't take long to find both your seats and settle down in them. Well, you settled down, but Rainbow couldn't help but twiddle in her seat, clearly excited.

"I still can't believe you were able to get these!" she remarked with a silly grin. "How'd you do it?"

You had almost forgotten what led to you getting those tickets. You can't help but think back to it and laugh a little as you retell the events to her—even if that night was a bit of a pain in the flank.

"Starswirl the Bearded's birth year?" Rainbow questioned. Her face contorted into genuine confusion. "Ah! It's 309 FE, right?"

"About twelve years before that. Close, though."

"Ugh." Rainbow facehoofed herself. "I mean, I swear I listen to Twilight's lectures."

"It shows."

You could already feel the cold glare piercing your skin, but you were too busy holding back laughter to worry about it.

"Not a lot of ponies get that close, so the fact that you did on the first guess is actually really good."

The glare faded, but didn't go away. Rainbow grew curious. "Why's that? Why don't they get it right?"

"Well, according to Celestia, most entries regarding Starswirl's birth were lost after two centuries. Very few minds knew down to the minute he was born and just made it known. Of course, not everyone has a crisp memory, so down the line, it got jumbled with a whole bunch of years before and after. Most of the time, ponies always speculate decades off. It's widely believed that 297 FE was the true birth year, and has been documented as the most accurate date. Of course, because of all the neighsayers and theorists, everypony's got their own opinion and year, so the fact that you were only twelve years off is not only impressive, it's actually considered dedication by even the most renowned scholars."

...

"Dude... did you just give a history lecture in a freaking Wonderbolts stadium?"

"... Maybe."

...

"Nerd."

"Egghead."

...

The two of you couldn't hold it back any longer. You both broke into an assortment of giggles and laughing fits. You genuinely weren't expecting to pull a Twilight, especially not here, of all places.

Guess she really does rub off on you after a while.

Never in your life did you ever see a stadium fill that fast.

What was no more than fifty ponies at 7:30 turned into twenty-thousand. What was near crushing, echoey silence turned into deafening screams and chatter from twenty-thousand different mouths. You couldn't even hear yourself talk regularly; you had to tell over other just to speak, and you had to practically speak right into Rainbow's ear just so she could hear you, and vice-versa.

On the bright side, at least the hay dogs were great. If only there was mayonnaise to go along with it. You couldn't care less if anyone saw you as sub-pony; mayonnaise and hay work, damn it all.

As you waited for the show to finally start, you glanced around the stadium. It took the entire thing filling up for you to realize just how damn massive it is. Ponies at the base were visible and details easily identifiable, but the further up they went, the further away they were, and the less that could be made out.

"Literally ants," you mimicked Rainbow. At least, you think you mimicked her. It was hard to tell when you couldn't even hear your own voice.

You felt a hoof pat your shoulder; you turned to see Rainbow then pointing a hoof at her wrist, indicating she was looking for the time. You looked all around you for a clock, then at the individual wrists of everypony around you. None of them had any watches, which seemed odd to you, considering how popular they are. You have your own fair share of wrist watches, but none on your current person.

You spoke into Rainbow's ear. "It should be any minute now."

"I hope so too," Rainbow silently pleaded. "I swear all this talking is making me go deaf."

It probably didn't seem to help that the stadium was also closed in, so there was no place for the sound to escape, only bounce off. However, you noticed the giant hatches on the ceiling and base of the stadium that would eventually open to reveal the sky and far ground below. Surely, it would be enough to give your ears some breathing room.

Neither of you dared to leave your spots, lest someone either try to take them or you miss the start, as luck had it with other occasions. You and Dash were willing to wait a little longer.

Thankfully, it was no time at all before the show finally got underway. The lights that showered the stadium started to slowly dim, and everyone got quieter, though still talking. But what got everyone silent were the hatches opening, first the ceiling and then the base. Because you were front row, you were able to peer over the edge and look the mile between you and the surface. It didn't scare you necessarily, but even the most spellbound unicorn would probably gain a fear of heights from the sight alone.

The chatter in the stadium died to a crawl now, and the lights were nearly off. The only sound was the wind blowing by. Dash sat frozen in her seat, peering off into the nothingness. Everyone waited.

Then suddenly, flashes of light struck the crowd. Great booms echoed, and fireworks shot off into the air. In that same instance, three figures arose from the bottom of the stadium.

The very instance they appeared, the crowd burst into cheer and applause, screaming and hollering. Everyone knew who they were. Why else would they be here?

But among all of the screaming, none of them were as loud as Rainbow Dash. Her high pitched squeals of delight and pure joy could put even an excited filly on Hearth's Warming to shame.

The trio of Wonderbolts circled each other for a brief moment, whirling about like a whirlpool, before shooting into opposite directions and making their way across the stadium, flipping and twirling as a means to rile up the crowd—give them a reason to hoot. And hoot you all did.

After a solid minute of basic to complex tricks, the three of them met back in the direct center of the stadium. Ponies stomped their hooves, no doubt excited for what was in store.

Spitfire, the leading Wonderbolt, held a microphone in her hooves and observed the still-cheering crowd. It was only when their cheers started to die that she spoke into the mic.

"Good evening, Cloudsdale!" she shouted, and again, more applause.

You'd think ponies would eventually run out of ways to show their excitement. But you learned a long time ago never to underestimate a crowd.

"Welcome. Have we got a show for you..."

They wasted no time in starting things up right away. You more than appreciated that. When they said something, they meant it.

The mic disappeared in a field of magic. Then they were off, and the show finally began.

They shot across the stadium, joining—and through illusion, conjoining—together, and began to spin themselves in one direction. Their movements were so fast, it was no wonder Spitfire was called just that.

"The Tornado!" you heard Dash yell the move they were performing. It was one of the basic first stunts of any show, but what made this show different was its execution.

Along the edges of the stadium base, smoke and clouds began to create a floor, only darker and grittier, though no different from any other cloud. Once the last bit of cloud filled the floor, the Wonderbolts disappeared beneath it.

A deep roar filled the stadium, and it was then you realized...

They have a freaking orchestra in here?!

Yes. They do.

As soon as the performers vanished under the clouds, the orchestra began to hum this ominous tune, a rumbling. You recognized it almost instantly as the hums of a coming storm—at least, an impression of one.

Seconds later, the clouds where the performers vanished began to turn; it was slow first, but then it increased in pace. Suddenly, you felt the wind blowing against you, your mane and fur flowing freely, as did Rainbow's and everypony else's around you. It was then that you noticed the massive fans scattered across the stadium walls, activating incognito.

In that same moment, the spinning clouds began to rise from the "ground." Some of the lights that illuminated the stadium were now fixated on this growing mass, and at the same time, began changing colors, from a bright lightning white to a fiery red and orange, and flickered.

KKK-KRRA-CCKKK!

The sound shook you to the core. Each flicker and flash of the colored lights brought on that deafening boom, and it was clear what they were doing here now.

They were creating an actual tornado.

The final formation was a mass cluster of clouds and smoke that seemingly roared in anger. The orchestra wailed and moaned in timing with the illusion, and as it picked up speed, so did the wind.

You could feel your heart racing, pounding your chest with such intensity that you thought it'd rip itself right out.

Rainbow already was a different story. One quick glance at her, and you could see her breathing heavy and fidgeting in her seat, but that didn't knock that goofy smile off her face.

Nevertheless, you still prodded her, to which you found her looking back into your eyes.

"Are you okay?" you mouthed.

She grinned back at you, nodding her head profusely. Only, she hesitated the first second or two, her eyes locked on yours, before she turned back to the performance. You were no doubt curious, but you knew Rainbow would tell you if something was wrong, so you let it go for now.

After a few minutes, the tornado began to shrink in size and fall apart in composition, and the orchestra changed in pitch and scale, until finally, it seemingly dissipated, spreading outward until the clouds themselves ceased to be, the sound stopped, and only the cloud floor remained. Wind chimes echoed, a soothing song washed over the stadium. No one cheered just yet. They sat, waiting in anticipation.

Then with another great boom and flash of light, the Wonderbolts emerged once again from cover, rising into the sky with a thick cloud trail following them. The bass of the boom bounced off the walls, shaking the entire stadium in the process. The Wonderbolts hovered near the ceiling of the stadium, overlooking the cheering crowd.

You could hear Rainbow shouting in joy and stomping her hooves in succession with thousands of other show-goers. She was having trouble staying in her seat, and kept finding herself hanging over the ledge, as if trying to get a better look than she already had.

"Are you entertained?!"

A plethora of yeses waved them down.

"Good. Because we're just getting started."

Then the lights went out. The orchestra stopped, and everything went quiet. The cheers of the crowd turned to silence. Ponies expressed their confusion, wondering if this was either part of the performance or an error. A few moments passed.

"What happened?" Dash questioned, but her demands were as vocal as the other several thousand wondering the same thing.

pliff...

A brief flash of light, a little mushroom cloud, and a tap of instruments later, and the confusion was gone. Everypony was getting excited again.

pliff...

Another little puff, like a rock thrown into the pond. Then came another, and another. The orchestra whistled, but just softly enough that it sang with the wind. Each new puff grew with intensity, the booms in ferociousness. You found yourself standing with Rainbow—watching, waiting.

KkkaA-BBbbbOooOOooM!!

The sudden light was blinding, and the sound deafening, ringing your brain around like a bell. The shockwave nearly knocked you down. A great mushroom cloud rose on one side of the cloud field, lights chasing and dancing each other to create the illusion of a burning fire. The cloud began to contort and change shape, eventually resembling that of a great dragon in its prime. Even as a set of clouds, the detail was astounding, from the scales to the interior of the mouth.

In the expected darkness, you could see blue blurs flying around the illusion, any potential out-of-place pieces being put back together. The blurs were hard to make out, but you knew that was the point.

Among the commotion of the orchestra mimicking a dragon's roar, a second set of instruments accommodated them. But instead of sounds, it was music. What sounded like panflutes and violins started to hum, before being joined by cellos and drums, and it was clear that the music playing was meant to represent ancient Dragon culture, long before Equestria came to be.

The dragon illusion wandered across the stadium field, occasionally connecting with the cloud floor when its steps touched down. Each step "emitted" a boom, and the music changed and pitched in conjunction.

You didn't think the spectacle could get any better.

Then it breathed fire. Not smoke or more clouds, but actual fire.

The crowd lit up, 'oohs' and 'ahhs' of genuine surprise echoing around.

"Whoa!" Rainbow exclaimed. "How'd they do that?!"

You wanted to know, as well. But perhaps it was for the best that neither of you did.

The dragon danced alone, channeling itself across the clouds, crying out to the audience, who only cheered. It growled and shouted, threatening to burn them, but the fire was harmless to them. They stomped their hooves in approval. The music hissed and snarled alongside the dragon.

Then suddenly, the dragon began to fade away, first by the tail, and then the rest of its body. It was as if it turned to dust. The dragon gave one final howl, and a burst of fire, before it disappeared into nothing, the music dying with it.

The audience cheered again, waving their hooves into the air as the next act had come and gone. Beside you, Rainbow Dash was clapping her hooves and shouting out to the trio, who once again disappeared into the cloud cover, signaling another act.

This time, the act was not all explosions and fire-breathing dragons. Instead, it was a buildup. The beginning started off with gentle music, and the Wonderbolts flying with ease throughout the stadium. Ponies watched with anticipation, with curiosity as to what the payoff would be.

With each passing second, the tempo of the music began to pick up, and so did their movements, their flights. A solid minute in, and they were already beginning to touch each other, as if to gain momentum, before flying off again, only to reunite moments later.

The moment the second minute hit, so did everything else.

The music exploded. A surge of sounds and music filled your ears, and the sudden spark of movement filled your eyes. The moment your eyes were fixated on one spot, they were somewhere else, and then in two different places at once. They flew about with more than just ease, as if gravity didn't exist to them. With every strum or hum of a new tone, their movements did the same, bouncing and ever so little changing the pattern in a loop. What were flips became twirls, and what were twirls became roundabouts.

Lights shone down upon the performers, changing color, it seemed depending on who the light focused on. Harmless dust-like powder fell upon the scene, engulfing the performers and audience alike, almost like a light snow or a dust storm.

Rainbow sneezed as it got into her nose. She couldn't help but giggle in embarrassment before being enticed again.

And then suddenly, the lights started to dim, darker and darker until you couldn't see more than a few feet in front of you. It was then that you noticed just how dark it now was. The sun had set, and night had finally fallen. The fake dust continued to fall, which seemed to make it even darker. Darker than dark.

The music got quiet. The orchestra played gentle melodies, reminiscent of Beethooven.

Wait a second... that is Beethooven!

You loved Beethooven.

Then, in the direct center of the stadium, an atom appeared. Little compacted balls of clouds, clumped together into a tiny group of balls, sat perfectly together, surrounded by a trio of electrons that orbited them at such intense speeds, you had to really look hard to see what—or rather, who—they were.

The Wonderbolts' near supersonic speeds were keeping the clump of cloud balls from drifting apart. And as a result, a perfect atom was born.

Then it exploded.

A pitiful flash engulfed the crowd, and no boom ever came. If anything, a little tap of a drum and brief hiss of a cymbal signified the "death" of the atom. The music, however, rose in tempo and intensity.

Moments later, another atom appeared, similar in look to the other, before it too poofed out of existence. Then another, and another. After the first few "explosions," you knew exactly what they were doing.

Atomic decay.

Man, Twilight would geek out if she was here right now.

It was such a strange, yet interesting addition to the show. Strange because of the topic, yet interesting because of the fact they were able to recreate the look of a freaking atom to a T.

It was... spectacular.

Once the final atom had disappeared into nothingness, and the music had finally gone out with a bang, the lights died, just for a few moments, before they eventually brightened just enough for the audience to see. But neither the audience, nor you or Dash, had to see to start cheering in applause.

The cheers and stomps were louder than ever before. You couldn't hear you or even Dash cheer over the thousands of stomping hooves and screaming voices.

Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot floated in the center of the stadium, smiles apparent on their faces, almost as if basking in their admiration.

Can't blame them, you thought. It was a lot of admiration.

But of all the cheers, you didn't see one pony that did it as hard as Rainbow Dash. Even if you couldn't hear her well, you could see just how much she hollered, how rough her stomps were against the floor, like it was a contest to see who was more of a fan. And she definitely won, in that regard.

A solid minute of screams later, and the two of you sat silent amongst the crowd, though you couldn't help but watch Rainbow Dash jitter in her seat. And eventually, you shared the same fate. You were beyond excited.

You couldn't wait to see more!

"Thank you Cloudsdale! You've been a... spectacular audience! Good night, and remember us!"

...

"What? It's over?"

The first thing you've heard Rainbow say in a while, and it's the same thing you thought of. Surely, it can't be over already. They literally just said a few minutes ago that they were "just getting started!"

But sure enough, the crowd of thousands began to disperse, leaving in near orderly fashions while cleaning up after themselves. The floor of clouds in the field gradually disintegrated, and the bottom and ceiling hatches began to shut.

It was already over. And all the two of you could do was shake your heads in utter confusion.

"I thought it was gonna be longer!" Dash exclaimed with equal confusion, and even a hint of upset in her voice. "That was insanely short! Right?"

She looked to you, as if hoping you'd know the answer, but all you could do is shrug your shoulders, nonetheless agreeing with what she said. You tried looking for a clock, but the stadium didn't seem to carry one, oddly. A moment later, a passerby wearing a wristwatch caught your attention, and you just had to ask.

"Excuse me," you began, and the stallion turned to you. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Uh, it's..." The stallion paused as he gave his watch a quick rundown. "10:03."

...

"... What? It's already 10?"

He could only laugh in agreement. "Yeah. I was asking myself the same thing. Time really does fly when you're having a good time, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it... does. Uh, thank you."

"No problem." And like that, the stallion was gone, leaving a perplexed you and an easily perplexed Rainbow Dash to be confused together.

A couple minutes later, the two of you were outside the stadium, taking in the fullness of Cloudsdale streets, as showgoers now began to occupy marketplaces and nearby clubs or bars.

Despite the... oddity, if you could call it that... you had fun. No, more than that. You had a blast! That was one of the best shows you've ever been to! All the effects and creations were unlike anything you've seen before, especially when it came to cloud manipulation! Sure, it was all smoke and mirrors, but not a single drop of magic was used, that much you could tell. And that alone made it all the more better.

You could only imagine what Rainbow was thinki—

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA—"

The absolutely girliest scream emerged from her throat as she ripped you from the ground and spun you around in circles. Her grip on you was tight. Like, near back-breaking tight.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyooouuuuuu~!"

It wasn't long before the two of you were back on solid cloud. Rainbow continued to hold onto you, and you couldn't help but laugh silently to yourself.

"I... take it you liked it?"

Finally, Rainbow Dash pulled away and looked upon you with disbelief. Playful, of course.

"Liked it? Liked it?! Dude... I bucking LOVED it! Did you see that dragon?! The way they just made it move across the field like that?! Like an actual dragon! And that atom thing! Like, how did they even do that right?! And then the—"

It didn't take long before Rainbow was off on an excited rant that would put even Pinkie Pie to shame. The whole time, you couldn't help but smile, but she didn't seem to notice, clearly too busy recounting all her favorite parts.

"I mean, I wish it was longer, but I... heh, I guess we were already there for two hours! Man, it didn't even feel like it, you know?"

Rainbow Dash let out a faint chuckle and held her head for just a moment. It didn't take long for her eyes to fall upon you, and that smile to hint confusion.

"What?"

"... Huh?"

You realized you had been staring at her the whole time, the same goofy smile on your face.

"Oh. Nothing. Just... I'm glad you had fun. That's all."

You were glad it was dark out, because you were 100% sure you were blushing a bit. And you were pretty sure she was too.

"I did. I had a lot of fun." Rainbow walked up to you and gave you a firm hug. "Thank you."

You returned the hug wholeheartedly. "You're welcome, Rainbow."

The two of you sat there, embracing each other for a few moments and no doubt savoring each one. It was only after a firm growl of your stomachs that you pulled away.

Rainbow chuckled awkwardly. "I, uh... I think I'm a little hungry."

You laughed alongside her. "Well, I've got a couple bits on hoof. And I'm pretty sure there's a Shaky's up here. Aaannd I know how much you love Shaky's, so..."

"So...?" Rainbow repeated, eagerness piqued in her eyes.

"Wanna go out to—"

"Yes."

You didn't have to ask her twice.

Not that you planned to, anyway.