//------------------------------// // Act 1, Scene 2 // Story: When Two Fly As One // by John H //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash tossed the clouds aside, revealing the sun’s position. “It’s not even noon yet! How am I gonna burn all this time before tomorrow?” “How about a race?” A young mare with a grey coat and white mane flew into view. Two other colts flew up beside her, whom Rainbow immediately recognized as her reformed tormentors from the Young Flier’s Competition. Settling on a cloud, the pony kicked up some of the fluff with a smirk. “I’ve been training ever since we helped get that water up to Cloudsdale. So how about it?” The brutish pegasus with the barbell cutie mark chimed in. “I’m gonna race too! B-but no sonic rainbooms allowed. That’s way too fast!” “SHE’S the pony who pulled off a rainboom? Now we definitely have to race! First one to Canterlot wins? Loser buys lunch.” “Don’t worry, Cloudchaser. Rainbow Dash NEVER turns down a race. Don’tcha, Dash?” Rainbow turned away from the three, shoulders sagging. “No, thanks.” The three pegasi watched Rainbow in awe as if she had performed the sonic rainboom for the first time. “Why not?” Cloudchaser demanded as she stomped on the cloud in vain. “Go kick a cumulus around or something. I’m not in the mood.” In a huff, she dropped down to a cloud of her own. “Don’t think you can shoo us away that easy!” Cloudchaser flew up to Rainbow Dash and kicked her resting spot into another formation. “Where’s all that chest-puffing and tough talk from before when you whipped us up into getting that tornado off the ground?” “I bet she’s getting soft. She probably doesn’t even practice anymore. Is it possible the best Young Flier already retired her need for speed?” Rainbow Dash tore herself out of the collision. “You guys got a problem with privacy? I could fly circles around you.” She dashed up to Cloudchaser’s friends and looked them both in the eye. “I’ve learned and forgotten more tricks than you two have even tried combined!” “So you have no problem proving all this then,” the sly challenger goaded. “I said I’m not in the mood to race. Maybe after I see my date-“ “Wait. YOU have a date? Who’s cool enough for your sky-high standards?” This development excited Cloudchaser even more. Dash’s attitude turned around. Wings spread, her chest puffed, and confidence brought her smile back. “I asked out only the coolest pony in all of Ponyville!” “Is it Thunderlane? Skybreak? Or did you ring in that beefcake with the earring from your coaching sessions?” “Sorry, Cloudchaser, you’ll have to guess cooler than that. I’m going to spend a whole day with the coolest, smartest, most undeniably awesome unicorn ever! Twilight Sparkle’s her name, and you better remember it. She’s technically not my special somepony yet, but I’m sure after a couple of swoops and dashes she’ll want me as her one-and-only!” Cloudchaser’s surprise was visible. “Wasn’t she that nerd who stuck her muzzle into pegasus business with her weird contraptions?” “Have a problem with that? Something wrong with asking her out?” Every muscle tensed in her body, and each feather on her spread wings stood on end. “I don’t need anypony telling me who I can or can’t like! What do you want, seeing me with some other pony with their head in the clouds?” “Don’t mind me, Rainbow Dash,” Cloudchaser struggled to say while holding back her laughter, “I didn’t think the ‘Miss Must-be-cool’ would let anything – or anypony – keep her grounded.” She caught some lift under her wings and beckoned her two friends to follow. “Personally, Dash, I don’t see how cool you can be for your little marefriend if you can’t even keep your talents up to speed.” Rainbow Dash continued to shout as they vanished from view. “Oh yeah? I WILL be cool enough for Twilight. Just you see!” She couldn’t see them anymore. Finally relaxed, her legs caved in and gave way to the comfort of her makeshift bed. She allowed herself a single sigh of self-pity as she reflected on the hole she dug herself in. Turning over to look around, she could still see the library which housed her thoughts and dreams. I WILL be the pony she’d want to be with. A pony she’d love to know. Her mind raced in circles. She replayed her conversation with Twilight over and over, recalling every tremble - each time she felt her knees shaking - and the lip-biting she hoped her unicorn friend didn’t notice. Why am I so nervous? The pegasus had won the Young Flier’s Competition, won almost every race she ever entered, had more tricks in her inventory than the Wonderbolts had ever performed at any show, and helped Twilight save Equestria twice. She began to dwell on this detail more. I helped Twilight. I’ve always said that, when I should be saying I helped my friends. I helped HER save the day, I helped HER save the wedding, and I impressed HER with the rainboom. This brought her back to something that shocked her out of her daydream. Her yelp tore the silence in half, and she almost lost her balance in spite of already laying on her side. This wasn’t the first time thinking of her jerked Dash back to a fateful encounter with Twilight, something her heart wouldn’t let her forget. It was those bothersome pegasi that brought it up. It will always come up as long as I like her. Recuperating, she pulled herself together and sat upright, never tearing her sights away from Twilight Sparkle’s home. She saw the unicorn trotting around, practicing magic like she always did. Rainbow Dash turned herself over and closed her eyes in the hope sleep would overtake her exhausted state. “I hope I can tell you everything soon, Twi,” she mumbled under a sigh. “Better yet, here’s hoping you can forgive me.” She dreamed of her tomorrow. She dreamed of her Sparkle, and the glint of hope it brought. No more cool. No more showing off. Not until everything is finally off my chest.