Making the Best of it
Fall of a Rainbow
It’s been a few weeks since the start of Anthony's theater. In that time he watched the rest of MLP. He also lived through Winter Wrap Up and then a week later there was the Running of the Leaves to make way for... fall? Equestria has some weird weather patterns. Anthony's theater was a huge success, every night would be a full house and the ponies loved everything that he showed. He even got Applejack to start selling her apple goods for a 20-80 cut and he got Rarity to make the Cutie Mark Crusaders small usher costumes.
It was like any other day but then Twilight came to the barn in the morning to ask Applejack and Anthony, who is now living in the barn, to come help clean up the library. They agreed and Twilight said that she would gather up the rest of her friends and that they would meet them there. So Applejack and Anthony where at the library when they saw Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie coming their way.
"Where’s Dash and Fluttershy?" Anthony asked as the others approached.
"We couldn't find them... I hope they’re Okay." Rarity said.
"Oh oh I know where they are! Their out going over Dashie's routine!" Pinkie Pie yelled.
"How do you know that Pinkie? We didn't see them." Twilight asked.
"I don't know!" Pinkie Pie said with a smile.
"Okay... well should we start?"
"Yeah we might as well." Applejack said.
The group moves into the library and is shocked by the mess that Twilight made.
"Hehe, yeah... this week I was studying pretty hard." Twilight said with embarrassment.
"Come on y'all, this mess won't clean it's self."
They started on the cleaning, all but Anthony that is. He had a feeling that he’s seen this before. "Hmm, if I'm right then this is the episode when dash goes to the best young flyers competition. So there's no point in cleaning this up." Anthony went over the couch and sat there while the others worked on cleaning. It wasn't long until Applejack noticed and went over to see whats up.
"Uh Anthony, why ain't ya helpin?" Applejack asked the lazy human.
"Because it will be a wast of energy Applejack."
"What d’ya mean?"
"You'll see when you guys are done." Anthony says getting more comfortable.
Applejack just rolls her eyes and got back to work. They cleaned for about a hour until they where done.
"Thanks a lot girls, this would have taken forever to clean my self." Twilight thanked them
"No problem sugercube, though it would have gone faster if somepony helped !" Applejack aimed at Anthony
Anthony was laying on the couch and as he heard Applejack, he held up three fingers ...then two ...then one ...and when his last finger went down they heard a yell getting louder and louder and then Rainbow Dash crashed through the window and every book was on the floor again. One by one they lifted their heads above the books and Fluttershy landed on the window saying "Wooho... did my cheering do that?"
Anthony laughed, "No Fluttershy, Rainbow did."
"Yeah and that was a lousy performance." Rainbow Dash said rubbing her head.
"I wouldn't say that, I liked how you made the clouds spin." Fluttershy praised.
"I'm not talking about my performance, I'm talking about yours. That was some of the worst cheering I've ever heard."
"Come on Rainbow its not that bad, its cute in a way." Anthony said with the others staring at him, besides Fluttershy who was looking away blushing. "What?... it is." now Anthony started blushing.
"Aaany way... what do you mean be performance?" Twilight asked.
"Ohh yeah, I'm training for the Best Young Flyer Competition in Cloudsdale, but I'm stuck with Fluttershy’s pathetic cheering, I wish you guys could come."
"I'm sure we can, there has to be some sort of spell that can let us walk on clouds, right Twilight?" Anthony asked knowing the answer.
"Yeah there should be but with this mess, it could take awhile." almost on cue Pinkie Pie grabbed a book and gave it to Twilight, "Here it is, thanks Pinkie."
"How'd ya do that?" Applejack asked with a puzzled look.
"The book landed on my face when Dash come through the window, it said something about making wings so why wouldn't it have something to let us walk on clouds." Applejack just stared at her.
"Thanks guys, now there's no way I'm losing the competition." Rainbow Dash said with excitement.
"Yay~..." Fluttershy cheered, Rainbow just looked at her and shook her head.
Twilight cast the cloud walk spell on the land ponies and Anthony. They squeezed into the hot air balloon and took off to Cloudsdale with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy leading the way. When they finally got up to Cloudsdale the group meet three other Pegasus ponies who where calling Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Crash and making her feel as though she wasn't ready for the competition. Fluttershy just made it worst by telling the bullies that not only will Dash win but she will do a Sonic Rainboom. Anthony couldn't just sit there and let Dash wallow in nervousness.
"Don't let them get to you Rainbow, you will do the Sonic Rainboom. You just have to believe you can do it and you will."
"How can you so sure?"
"Trust me Dash, you will do it. I know you will."
"Alright... I'll try, well anyway... since we’re here, wanna check out Cloudsdale?"
They all agreed and they started in the tour, they had no real destination until Applejack asked to see where the weather was made. When they got there they put on a scientist like coats and a helmet, all but Anthony, who only got a helmet. The group saw how snowflakes were made and saw how rainbows were made, and that's where they came across the Pegasus ponies from before.
"Hey look its Rainbow Crash again!" the dark brown one said
"Yeah its Rainbow um nhm uhm CRASH!" the light brown one laughed
"See ya at the competition, to see your hehe Sonic Rainboom HAHAH!" The three flew off laughing leaving Rainbow doubting herself again.
"Don't listen to them Rainbow your going to win that competition for sure." Fluttershy told her
"But I can't do the Sonic Rainboom."
"Rainbow Dash! What did I tell you before? As long as you believe with all your heart, then you can and will do a Sonic Rainboom." Anthony snapped at her.
"I know, I know, but I've never been able to do it agin-" She was cut off by Anthony who placed his hands on both sides of her face to make her not look away.
"Listen Rainbow Dash, you will compete, you will do the Sonic Rainboom, and you will win Okay."
"Okay I'll try." she said with a weak voice.
"Don't say try, say will."
"I will" she said, still with a weak voice.
"What was that I couldn't hear you?"
" I will win." she said a little louder.
" Sorry still couldn't hear you"
" I will win!" she said louder.
" Say it louder!"
" I will WIN!"
" LOUDER!"
Rainbow flew into the sky and yelled, "I WILL WIN!" Everypony in the weather lab stared at her, "Hehe sorry eveypony." she flew back down, "Thanks Anthony... I needed that."
"No problem Rainbow Dash. So when does this competition even start?"
"If we leave now you guys can get the good seats."
And so they went to the coliseum and waited for the competition to start. Princess Celestia made her appearance and the competition was underway. A yellowish pony with a pink mane was the first competitor doing a somewhat decent job and next was Rainbow... Doctor Whooves? That wasn't right...
"Don't tell me she went back to worrying. Dammit Rainbow Dash I thought I got through to you." Anthony thought and let out a sigh.
"Whats wrong?" Fluttershy asked sitting next to him.
"I think Rainbow is having stage fright again."
"How do you know?" She asked again.
"Well she should have been number two and that's clearly not Rainbow Dash."
"How do you know she was going to be number two?" Twilight asked sitting all the way on the other side
"Damn Twilight, being so on top of it.", "That's not important right now, what is important is cheering for Rainbow when shes up." Twilight nodded and let it pass, this time.
They sat there waiting for Rainbow Dash to come out, and as Anthony thought she was the last one to compete, and like in the show she was nervous. Rainbow started her routine and she messed up just like in the show, she didn't go through all the cloud pillars and when she went to spin the clouds she was hit in the face and sent one flying to Celestia. That's when she started flying up to get ready for the Sonic Rainboom and that was when Anthony realized just how much he messed this whole thing up himself.
Anthony's eyes went wide as he realized all the mistakes that he had done, "Shit... shes not going to do it. The only reason she did it in the show was because Rarity was falling to her death. If I didn't suggest the walking on clouds spell first, then maybe it would have happened but, not now. Think there has to be a way to help push her... maybe... maybe I can jump... that's the only way..." Anthony stood up on the cloud and got ready to jump but... he couldn't push himself to do it. Doubt washed over him, "What if she wasn't fast enough, what if the Wonder Bolts didn't see me fall, what if I die..." these are the thoughts that entered his mind as he stood there.
Just then Rainbow Dash started on her dive, she went passed the coliseum and it looked as if she would do it... but at the last second... she was shot back... and failed. Rainbow looked up at her friends with tears in her eyes and before they could say anything she flew off to her cloud home.
The group with heads hanging low went to their hot air balloon.
"Poor Rainbow Dash, she must be devastated." Rarity said sadly
"Yeah... maybe I didn't cheer loud enough." Fluttershy said.
"No Fluttershy, if its anyone's fault its mine." Anthony said hanging his head lower than the others.
"Why do you say that?" Twilight asked
"I... I can't tell you... but can you do me a favor?"
"What?"
"Can you drop me off at Rainbows Dashes place? I think I should be the one to talk to her since I'm the who built her courage up."
"Yeah Okay, we can do that."
"Thanks Twilight."
They got into the hot air balloon and went down, no one said a word. When they got to Rainbow's house instead of having white clouds, they where black and there was no rainbow either. When they landed Anthony got out and told them to stay away but still in sight so that he could get down. They nodded and flew off, Anthony turned around and went to the door and knocked.
"Hello Rainbow Dash you in there?"
"GO AWAY... I DON"T WANNA SEE ANYONE RIGHT KNOW!" Rainbow yelled at him with both anger and sadness in her voice.
"No Rainbow Dash I wont. I need to say what I came here to say!"
"Fine what IS IT!"
"Don't blame yourself Rainbow, If there is ANYONE that you need to blame... BLAME ME!"
"Why? All you did was try to cheer me up. How could it your fault?"
"I... I can't tell you... just know that its my fault and not yours or anypony else!"
"Is... is that true?"
"Yes... yes it is..."
The door opens and Rainbow is staring at Anthony with the most anger that he has ever seen.
"Go away." Rainbow said in a flat voices
"But... but Rain-" Anthony was cut off
"Go away right now." her voice getting more anger
"But Rainbow I just wanted to say I'm sorr-
"GET OFF MY CLOUD RIGHT NOW... I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" she screamed with enough anger alone to get Anthony to back off, "GO NOW, STOP STANDING THERE AND GOOOO!" it was then that Anthony ran to the edge of the cloud and singled the others to pick him up. He turned around and saw the door slam, sounding like thunder.
When the others got back they asked, "What happened... why are you crying?"
Anthony didn't notice the tears in fact, he hardly noticed anything at all. He just moved into the balloon without saying a word and just stood there... motionless.
The rest of the day was like that for him, he didn't eat for the rest of the day and needless to say there was no movie that night... or for the next few nights...