//------------------------------// // The Other Side of the Rainboom // Story: The Other Side of the Rainboom // by Cajun //------------------------------// The sun began to rise over the noisy city of Manehatten, and the young Applejack was awake to greet it. “Cock-a-doodle-doo.” she said sadly, thinking back to last night’s ‘dinner’ where the proper ponies laughed at her talking about a rooster. “I wonder what Granny Smith and Big Macintosh are up to.” she mused. “I’ll bet they’re applebuckin’ their way through the Red Delicious trees.” she said with a smile. A sad sigh escaped her lips as she looked out on the sunrise. Oh, what I wouldn't give for just one bite...” As the filly thought back to her home, a tear rolled down her face. She watched the sky for a few more moments. “Applejack, darling, come on out here!” came a sweet voice from outside her room. Applejack let another tear fall as she thought about Sweet Apple Acres. “Ahm comin’ Aunt Orange.” She said with a sigh, feeling something was not quite right. --- A young white filly sat sewing in her room, working her orange fabric through the sewing machine, trying to find that final thing that would change her outfits from nice to beautiful, that would make them stand out like her one true talent would. “Maybe I’m not meant to be a fashionista after all.” The young Rarity moped as she looked sadly at th costumes for the play that would open the next day. Something was missing…but what was it? She looked down at her cloth, ready to give up when… FWING! Her horn glowed an intense blue and carried her out the door and outside. “What’s going on!?” the filly wondered aloud as she tried to stop her horn from carrying her. After a minute, she resisted, allowing her horn to take it wherever it was going, knowing unicorn magic doesn’t happen without a reason. Her horn dragged her through forest and desert, over mountains and finally into a rocky wasteland. While she didn’t know where she was, she knew it had to do with her love for fashion, no, her destiny. She abruptly stopped when she crashed into a large boulder. “A ROCK?!” she yelled. “That’s my destiny? What is your problem, horn?!” she shouted, frustrated. “I followed you all the way out here for a rock?” she said, still shouting at her horn. “Dumb rock!” she growled at the unmoving monolith. She turned and kicked the rock, resulting only in hurting her hooves. Well, what was she going to do now? Her horn had dragged her all the way out here, there had to be something… After waiting a full minute, Rarity screamed and ran back the way she came, hoping she could make it back in time to do at least one last touch on her costumes before it was too late. --- An excited purple filly ran ahead of her parents, eager to get to the school she had studied so hard to get into. “Come on!” she shouted happily, unaware of what would happen once inside. Twilight Sparkle practically hopped the whole way through the school, until she reached a large set of double doors. Each door became outlined in a different color before swinging open and allowing her and her parents inside. “Well, miss Sparkle, are you ready?” “Ready for what?” Twilight asked somewhat nervously. “The entrance exam, of course.” One of the unicorn instructors said calmly. “I didn’t know there was an entrance exam!” The filly began to panic and the four unicorns scribbled something on their clipboards. The doors opened again, this time revealing an Earth pony pushing a cart carrying a spotted purple egg into the room. As he left, Twilight noticed the sign on the cart. She had to hatch the dragon egg with magic. “Well, miss Sparkle?” a yellow unicorn asked. Twilight chuckled nervously as the four unicorns raised their clipboards. Not wanting her nervousness ruin her chances, she immediately tried her magic, but nothing she tried worked, not a single spell even worked, and the unicorns grew impatient. “We don’t have all day, miss Sparkle.” Twilight put one last push into her magic, succeeding only in getting two sparks to fall on the floor. “I’m sorry I wasted your time.” The young unicorn said sadly. The unicorns started scribbling on their clipboards again, but Twilight could only look down in shame. After a few seconds she walked to her parents. “Let’s just go home.” she said quietly with tears forming in her eyes. --- A sad pink pony walked across a barren field, pushing together a pile of rocks while her sisters did the same not far away. The rock farm was a depressing life for any pony, but this pony seemed especially put down by the lack of talking and smiling. She rolled another rock onto the pile, wondering why in Equestria they needed to move the rocks across the fields. She looked to the sun, the closest thing to happiness that could be found in the desolate rock fields and had the strange feeling something was missing in her life, but she had no idea what. Her father rang a bell, indicating it was time to come in. Her sisters walked inside, heads down, but Pinkamina stayed outside for a minute, looking out in the distance, wondering what was out there besides rocks. She stared at the bleak sky, almost expecting something to jump out at her, but nothing happened. After a few more seconds, Pinkamina sighed and followed her sisters into the house, knowing many more years of rock farming were ahead of her. --- “Come on Clutz-er, Fluttershy, you can do it!” yelled an excited cyan filly. “O-okay R-rainbow.” Fluttershy stuttered as she flapped her wings. “There you go! Keep it up, Fluttershy!” Rainbow cheered as she started flying herself. “Whoa, whoa!” the lanky yellow filly squeaked. “C’mon, Fluttershy, you gotta learn to fly sometime!” Rainbow Dash vainly cheered on her friend. “I dunno Rainbow, I’m thinking I should just go back home and give up.” Fluttershy whispered as she landed on a cloud and started to run. “Nuh uh!” Rainbow yelled, flying in front of the timid Pegasus. “If you want those bullies to leave you alone, you gotta be able to fly!” Rainbow encouraged. “I-I don’t think so Rainbow…” Fluttershy whimpered. “NOW FLUTTERSHY! GO GO GO!” Rainbow ordered. “The sooner you do it the sooner you’ll be done.” “Uh, uh…I dunno about this Rainbow Dash you know I think I can take the bullying.” Fluttershy said quickly as she slowly rose in the air. “Hey Clutzershy! How you doing today?” Hoops yelled. “Oh! Well, Rainbow is teaching me-” Fluttershy began. “Rainbow Crash? Rainbow Crash can’t teach you anything Clutzershy, you’re better off not flying!” the young colt laughed. “Yeah, all Rainbow Crash could teach you is how to…uh…crash!” Dumbbell continued. “Even if you could get up in the first place!” The two colts laughed. “Hey! Leave her alone!” Rainbow yelled as she noticed her friend’s wings pumping faster. “Oh yeah, what are you gonna do about it, Rainbow Crash?” Hoops mocked, laughing at their names once again. “Keep making fun of me and find out!” Rainbow said smugly. “What’s that supposed to mean, uh, Rainbow, uh, Crash! You and Clutzershy gonna do something?” Dumbbell laughed. Just then, a flash of yellow bolted from her spot in the sky to the two Pegasus ponies’ faces. “How dare you! How. Dare. You! Listen here colts! Just because I’m small and can’t fly doesn’t mean you get to be a bully! YOU MAY BE BIGGER THAN ME, AND YOU CAN FLY BETTER THAN ME, BUT YOU DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT. INSULT. MY. FRIENDS!” Fluttershy exploded at the two bullies, now both horrified at the sight of an enraged Fluttershy. “YOU GOT THAT?!” she screamed. Not wanting to find out how much angrier the yellow Pegasus could be, the two colts dashed off as fast as they could. “Wow! Fluttershy that was amazing!” Rainbow laughed. “Well, I couldn’t let them keep insulting you like that. I hate it when people make fun of my friends. Friend.” She whispered at the end. “See, I knew you had it in you! And did you see yourself fly! I told you you could do it. C’mon,” she said, taking to the sky herself, “Now I gotta show you what flying’s really about…”