//------------------------------// // Weather or Wonderbolt Pony? // Story: Rainbow Dash and the Darkwing Pony // by ThomasZoey3000 //------------------------------// My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Rainbow Dash and the Darkwing Pony (Inspired by the Disney Television Series 'Darkwing Duck') Written by: ThomasZoey3000 Chapter 1: Weather or Wonderbolt Pony? Luna's moon was just setting for another night, and it wouldn't be long before Celestia's sun signalled the beginning of a new day, and ponies could go about doing what they usually do. At the big house in the sky above Ponyville, one pony was going to get up long before anypony else. Ms Rainbow Dash, a blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane was tossing and turning in her sleep, and more often than not, she rolled close to the edge of her bed. Finally though, she rolled a little too far and with a yelp, she fell onto the floor. The fall had woken up Tank, her little pet tortoise, who looked over to her with a concerned look on his face. "Oh hello, that's a real wake-up call," Rainbow groaned. "Sweet Celestia, I haven't fallen out of bed in years, so why now?" She then noticed Tank's concerned look, "I'm okay Tank, nothing's broken. See?" She extended her wings and flapped them a few times to show she was alright. That was more than enough prove to Tank, he gave her a little nod as if to say, 'glad you're not hurt.' "Well since we're up anyways, we might as well have breakfast. Come on Tank." She picked up her little tortoise and brought him over to the kitchen. There, she gave him a small bowl of leaves with some vegatables sprinkled on top. For herself, she just brought out some Apple Juice and filled a bowl with Hay Oats Cereal. However, she didn't eat at first. Her focus was enterily on something that happened yesterday... It was nearing the end of the day, and Rainbow Dash was flying over Ponyville after completing some drills with the Wonderbolts. She figured for tonight she could clear some clouds before going home to see Tank, and get some rest. However, as she neared the first cloud, she heard a pony call from down below. Rainbow looked and saw Mayor Mare, looking rather serious. "Hello Mayor, what's going on?" Rainbow asked as she flew down. "Rainbow Dash, it has come to my attention, that you have recently become a Wonderbolt." "That's correct, full time Wonderbolt, that's me." Rainbow loved admitting that she was a Wonderbolt, it had been a dream of her's for years to be part of their team, and only recently did they invite her to join them. "It's also come to my attention that your training takes up a large portion of your day." The smile on Rainbow's face quickly went away, "well yes it does, but I do try to get back here as soon as possible." The mayor shook her head, "I'm afraid we can't wait around forever for you to finish your training runs. Three times this month we've been needing rain showers, but without you, our town isn't getting all the rain it needs." A look of concern came to Rainbow's face, "so what are you saying?" "I'm saying you need to make a choice Rainbow Dash, you're either going to be a weather pony full time, or you're a wonderbolt. You can't do both." "But I was a Wonderbolt reverse before, and I was still able to work on the weather with other ponies." "Perhaps, but you weren't needed as often as you do now. I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, but it's one or the other. If you chose to stay as a Wonderbolt, then we'll hire another pony to take over as leader of the weather team. Take your time, and think on it." The mayor turned and walked away. That conversation had been on Rainbow's mind all night, and she still didn't know what to do. She could easily show the mayor she could do both, but then she'd run the risk of upsetting the Mayor and Spitfire, leader of the Wonderbolts. This left her with the decision of which job she wanted most. She had been a weather pony ever since moving to Ponyville and loved every aspect of the job. On the other hoof, she had been dreaming about being in the Wonderbolts since she was a filly. "What do you think Tank? Should I keep the job I've had for many years, or stick to my dream?" Tank tilted his head to the left, which was his way of picking the second option. Although he was a tortoise, he understood perfectly of Rainbow's dream of being a Wonderbolt, and now that she was, he didn't want to see her lose that dream. "Thanks Tank, I'll stick as a Wonderbolt. As soon as I'm done here, I'll tell the mayor of my decision. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without you little buddy." Tank shook his head. He couldn't imagine either. The Mayor was just walking up to the town hall when she saw something flying down towards her. The something turned out to be Rainbow Dash, with an almost disappointed look on her face. "Good morning Rainbow Dash, have you made a decision yet?" "What? The look on my face isn't a giveaway?" She sighed and said; "that's to say, yes I have. I've decided that since I've been wanting to be a Wonderbolt for as long as I can remember, I can't give that job up. So I'm here to say I can no longer be lead Weather pony." The mayor nodded, "I respect your decision Rainbow Dash, and we will give the job to another pony to take over." "But make sure whoever does take over for me has the skill and know-how on how to be a leader, cause if that pony doesn't know what they're doing, you could end up with a few twisters in Ponyville." "Don't worry, we'll be giving each weather pony a trail to see if they got what it takes." Rainbow nodded, then asked one more question, "will I still be able to smack a few clouds from time to time?" "I see no reason why not, you just can't work with the weather team." The mayor turned and walked into Town Hall to make the arrangements. Rainbow was sad as she flew away, she was going to miss being a weather pony. However, the thought of being a Wonderbolt quickly brought a smile to her face, and she picked up the pace as she flew to Headquarters. Spitfire was just coming out of the office when she saw Rainbow Dash coming in for a landing on the runway. "You're early today Rainbow Dash," she said as she walked over. "I thought you'd be late what with your weather job." "Well that won't be happening again, I just gave up my job as a weather pony." "Oh? Well I'm sorry to hear that, but I am glad you're sticking with us." She then stared Rainbow firmly in the face. Rainbow fell into line like a soldier, "now listen Newbie, we have some intense training runs today, and we need you at your best. So get your uniform on and get out to join the rest of the bolts!" "Yes Ma'am!" saluted Rainbow Dash and flew to the change rooms. She quickly got into her uniform and walked outside to join the others. She stopped at the side of the runway, and cringed a bit. On her first day as a Wonderbolt, she had forgotten to look both ways, thus forcing her to jump and end up crashing into a garbage can. After that day, she had been called 'Rainbow Crash' and while by now, she was getting used to having the nickname, she did not want to end up in a garbage can again. She checked both ways, and when she was sure it was safe, she flew over to join the rest of the group. "Alright Wonderbolts, listen up!" Spitfire said firmly. "The city of Vanhoover is going to have an air show, and we have been asked to perform for the crowds there. This is a special treat for the Wonderbolts as we have not been asked to visit them in seven years, not sure why though. Anyways, we will be practising to make sure we don't delay our turns, spin out or tumble to the ground...or splash into a mountain of cotten candy again..." Rainbow groaned and smacked her forehead. She knew Spitfire was talking about the first airshow she had been in, and after her own stunts went wrong, she crashed into a mountain of cotten candy that had been ordered by Pinkie Pie. "So remember, pay attention to the instructions and no goofing off up there, do I make myself clear?" "Yes Ma'am, perfectly clear," all the Wonderbolts said in unison. "Good, now get onto the runway and let's get up there!" Spitfire flew over to the front of the runway, and the other bolts followed. Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash were the last ones on the runway, and right away, Rainbow could tell all was not well with her partner. "Hey Fleetfoot, are you feeling alright?" she asked worringly. "Oh yeah, nothing I can't handle Crash." Rainbow smirked, "alright then, just don't go landing on Spitfire's hoof again." But even though they were joking around, Rainbow was still concerned for her team-mate's health. Still, they took off into the sky and started practising all the tricks and stunts that would be shown at the Vanhoover Air Show. All was going well, and Rainbow Dash was finding it easy to keep up with them. However, she couldn't stop worrying about Fleetfoot's health. She seemed to be getting worse the longer they flew. Rainbow was so busy worrying about her that she accidently flew into a cloud. "Come on Crash, stay in line!" Spitfire called firmly. "Sorry Ma'am!" she called back. She was about to take flight once more, when suddenly she heard; "Fleetfoot!" coming from Soarin'. She looked and saw Fleetfoot falling towards the ground down below. "Here I go again," Rainbow thought to herself. She took off after her team-mate, but that was easier said than done. Fleetfoot was out cold, and her hooves were tucked in, making her go even faster. For a normal pegasus, that would've been a problem, but not Rainbow Dash. She kept putting on the speed, even as she felt the sound barrier getting harder. She pushed through, creating a Sonic Rainboom, and giving her the speed she needed to catch Fleetfoot. "Huh? Wha...what's going on?" she groaned weakily. "I'll explain when we get back to Headquarters, just don't go throwing up on me." They reached Wonderbolts Headquarters safely, much to the relief of the other Wonderbolts. Spitfire walked up to Rainbow, "nice flying newbie," she smiled. She turned her attention to Fleetfoot, "what happened up there?" "I don't know, I was just flying along, then everything...went black, then I found myself being carried on Crash's back." Spitfire checked her temperature, "yikes, you got a high fever, you're in no shape to fly. Not now, and certainly not when we're to go to Vanhoover. Fleetfoot, I want you to go to the medical office and rest there. Go aganist my orders, and you will be dealt with. Understood?" "Perfectly Ma'am." "Good, now Crash, get her to the office." "Yes Ma'am," saluted Rainbow Dash. She turned, and with Fleetfoot still on her back, headed to the office. Rainbow was glad when the end of the day finally arrived. Spitfire was able to bring in a Reserve to act in Fleetfoot's place, but due to the Reserve not knowing everything about the stunts of the Bolts meant they had to sit through lectures, and go through more practise runs than normal. Still, that was behind them and hopefully the Reserve Pony would do better when it came time to perform in Vanhoover. Before heading home, Rainbow Dash decided to go to Ponyville and see how the weather team was doing without her as leader. "Hope the new pony is doing a good job," she thought to herself. As she was coming in for a landing, she saw a long line of ponies heading towards her. She had to flap her wings to get off the ground and out of the way as all the ponies ran past her. "The horror, the horror!" cried Daisy, one of the Flower fillies. "All is lost!" added Lily Valley. "What? What in Celestia's name is going..." but Rainbow soon got her answer. A giant twister was heading straight for her, and inside it were several ponies, crying out for help. "You have got to be kidding me. I leave the job one day and they create a Tornado? Right, let's see if these wings have enough juice in them to keep going." She flew towards the Twister and started spinning the other way. However, the Tornado was fast, making it feel like it wanted to pull Rainbow Dash into it, trapping her with the other ponies. There was only thing she could do. She picked up the pace once more, gathering speed as she did and with another groan, she broke the sound barrier once more, creating a second Sonic Rainboom and giving the speed she needed to stop the Tornado. It worked, it weakened, allowing the ponies to fall back to the ground and the twister to disappear. With it gone, Rainbow could finally land on the ground and sigh with relief, "whew, two rainbooms in one day takes alot out of a pony." The residants of Ponyville started cheering, and the Mayor, who had been taking shelter, came up to her, "thank you once again Rainbow Dash, you truely are this town's greatest hero." "No, just a pony doing her job," she panted. The new leader of the weather team flew down towads them. It was Thunderlane, a black pegasus, "sorry about that, I thought it would clear the clouds away, not the whole town." "Well it was the other way round till Rainbow Dash came in and saved us once more," the Mayor said angerily. "Sorry." The Mayor shook her head, "you're definetly not the right pony for the job. I'll have to find some other pony to take charge." "Excuse me Mayor," interupted Rainbow Dash, "but maybe I should be the one to pick out the next leader of the weather team. I can pick one that will make the right decisions." "I don't know, you're not a weather pony anymore." "True, but I do know what our town needs in a leader. Besides," she added and pointed a hoof to the crowd, "I think everypony around here agrees with my idea." Everypony who was nearby nodded their heads angerily. "Very well then, you do know what it means to be a leader, so you pick out the next leader." "Thank you." She then turned to the weather pegasi, "for those of you who wish to become leader, meet me at the track tomorrow morning at five. There, I will give you tests to see how good you'll be, then I will decide who is best for the role. Do I make myself clear on that?!" she asked, trying to sound a bit like Spitfire. "Yes Rainbow Dash Ma'am!" they all said and saluted. Rainbow saluted them all and watched as they flew off for a night's rest. Thunderlane walked up towards her, "I'm sorry about that Rainbow, it's just that it was getting late and we spent most of the afternoon dealing with rain clouds." "Hey, everypony can make mistakes, but rash decisions like that will only cause trouble, as you have just seen. It's better to be safe than sorry. Geez, now I'm starting to sound like Twilight." With the crisis now over, Rainbow Dash was more than ready to go home and get some rest. Tank was waiting at the door for her. Fluttershy had come by earlier and made sure Tank was looked after, it was something she promised to do when Rainbow Dash was brought into the Wonderbolts. He smiled at her. "Hey Tank, it's good to see you too. I'm afraid I can't talk much right now though, I'm pooped." She picked up Tank, and together they went back to Rainbow's bedroom. She gently placed him in his little bed, and removed his propeller. Then she went back to her bed. "What a day, saving a team-mate when they started falling from the sky, and when I go visit Ponyville to see how the weather team is doing, I end up dealing with Thundelane's Tornado. ARGH!" she groaned as she leaned back onto her bed. "Oh well, once the new weather team's leader is found, my life should become much easier. What do you think Tank?" and she looked over to her Tortoise. He nodded his head before lowering it to his pillow and falling asleep. Rainbow Dash soon followed, and before long, they were both in dreamland. The town of Ponyville soon became quiet. There was hardly a sound to be heard. That was until... "Come on," whispered a voice. Two stallions were sneaking around Ponyville, and heading for a jewelery store. The window display showed plenty of jewels and other sparkly items, but the door was locked. "Get that lock picked." "Why is it always me? You can do that too," said the second stallion. "Because the boss wanted you to open the door, not me. You wouldn't want to go aganist his orders now would you?" The second stallion sighed and went straight to work. The first one stood around, looking for sighs of any ponies walking around. All was going well for them, but not for long. Shadows blocked the view of the second stallion, "hey, do you mind, I'm trying to work here." "That's not my shadow, I'm right beside you," said the first stallion. The second stallion looked down at the shadow and followed it across the path, and up to it's source. Both of them gasped as they saw a pony on the rooftops, but it was no ordinary pony as this one had a big floppy hat on, a scrap around it's neck, wore a jump suit and had a long flappy cape on it's back. The pony's wings extended and it looked down to the two stallions. "You punks picked the wrong night to rob this town." The mysterious pony jumped down to the ground, where the sounds of hoof punches could be heard. Then it was silent, and the mysterious pony disappeared into the night.