Change Your Mind

by FlutterSky1979

Losing Touch

Change Your Mind

The morning sun shone warm and bright against Rainbow Dash’s folded wings, as she stood at attention with nearly two hundred other Pegasi. While her troop’s primary drill instructor, Rain Twister, made his way down the ranks, nopony dared move an inch, knowing all too well what the consequences for doing so would be. Once the morning cadence had come to an end, Twister began to holler over the ponies, barking out in his typical, gruff fashion.

“Listen up, maggots! The time has finally come when I won’t have to look at your sorry asses day after day! That’s right, in three days, y'all's final examination will commence! Now, my associates and I have done our job weeding out the weaker pukes that arrived at program’s start and molding the rest of you pathetic excuses for Pegasi into what you are today, but there are still five hundred and eighty two of you left! That means that five hundred and sixty seven of you will go home disappointed!"

He paused, continuing to pace in front of the rows of ponies that made up Rainbow Dash's massive group.

"Now, I’m only going to say this once, so listen up! Come the day of the examination, the lot of you that do not pass, WILL NOT come bitching to me when you fail! Believe me when I tell you, that I do not give a damn why you failed, no matter the reason! It does not matter to me that you did not get enough sleep the night before! It does not matter to me that you did not eat a proper breakfast that morning! It does not matter to me that you-”

Twister went on, but Rainbow Dash was far too lost in her anxieties to focus. Sweat poured down her brow, her legs felt rubbery and weak; her stomach was in knots.

Fifteen, that’s it?! I knew most of us wouldn’t make the cut, but fifteen?! Oh my God, what am I gonna do? I’m definitely top twenty five, maybe even twenty, but fifteen? I’m so screwed!

Rainbow Dash snuck a quick glance at the other Pegasi and swallowed hard.

A few months ago, Rainbow had finally gotten an invitation to try out for the Wonderbolts. As soon as she had seen the Wonderbolt’s seal on the envelope, she tore it open and began to pack her things. As much as Rainbow knew about the Wonderbolts, their closely guarded, top secret tryouts, were something that she had never been able to find out much information on. This was probably for the best, for had she had known just how much she would have to go through to make the team, the lazy by nature Pegasus would have most likely given up her dream to join years ago.

The first stop for all Pegasus Ponies trying out, was this 6 week training program: the appropriately named, Pegasus Hell. Never in her life had Rainbow Dash been worked as hard anywhere as she was here! Even her years of training hadn’t been anywhere near enough to prepare her for the nightmare that was Pegasus Hell. If her speed and skill had made her gold before, this camp had transformed her into diamond.

Even worse than the twenty-hour days, were the other Pegasi, each as skilled, stubborn, and just as determined as she was to make the Wonderbolts or die trying. Rainbow had spent every moment of her training eagerly awaiting the day she could leave, but now that it was here, there was nothing she wanted more than a little more time to train. Just a teeny bit more, that’s all she wanted! An extra week, a day, hell, she felt that even an extra hour could make a world of difference. No matter how many times she reminded herself of just how much she had improved since first arriving here, Rainbow was still positive that she wouldn’t be good enough to make the team.

“Rainbow Dash, do you hear me!?”

Rainbow blinked, brought out of her daze. Twister’s muzzle was a mere inches away from her own, his harsh, hot breath filled her nostrils. The rest of the Pegasi had already taken to the skies, each going their own way to prepare for the upcoming final.

“Sir, yes sir!”

Rainbow snapped to attention. Her hoof flew up to her brow, giving her superior a salute. Of course she hadn’t heard the majority of Twister’s speech, but being respectful was definitely the best way to go in order to escape maximum punishment. Twister rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

“Put your hoof down before you go and make any more of an ass out of yourself. Look, you’ve got three days to prepare, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t spend your time here, stinkin’ up my field.”

Rainbow nodded, a faint blush rising in her cheeks.

“Yes sir, sorry sir.”

Rainbow leapt into the air, both welcoming and dreading her return home. Dash made it maybe twenty feet, before Twister called out to her again. With a sigh, Rainbow put on the brakes, swinging herself back around as she readied herself for the inevitable scolding.

“Yes sir?”

“Good luck.”

Without another word, he turned the opposite direction, heading off to join the rest of the staff in their barracks.

“Thank you sir,” Dash replied with a half hearted smile.

Even her instructor’s unexpected tenderness (or at least what could pass for tenderness coming from a pony like Rain Twister) wasn’t enough to improve her mood.

*****

Rainbow Dash gazed up at the ceiling, her eyes tracing imaginary patterns along the cloudy material. Dash had barely moved an inch since returning home the day before. Her bed was feeling more like a prison with each passing second, a self made prison she had absolutely no intention of leaving. Finally, she let out a sigh and took a deep breath.

“Dammit… Gotta pee…”

Dash was debating on whether or not to get up, when she felt a light nudging at her hind hoof. She gazed down and spotted her pet tortoise, Tank, staring blankly up at her. He didn’t make a sound, but he didn’t need to. Dash could read the hunger in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, big guy. I know it’s getting late in the morning, but I’m just not feeling too hot, ya know? Can’t you wait a couple more hours?”

Tank blinked, continuing to stare up at her in his expressionless manner. Dash rolled her eyes and groaned.

“Fine, I’m getting up!”

Rainbow rolled out of bed and took care of her bodily needs, before making her way to the kitchen. Switching her oven on to 350 degrees, she chuckled to herself as she pulled a frozen pizza out of her freezer.

“I know you’ve been missing this, buddy. Fluttershy’s great and all, but I know she ain't been feeding you quite like I have. Hell, she would probably flip if she knew what I’ve got you eating!”

Rainbow slid the pizza into her oven and set the timer.

“Eh, what does she know anyway? This is all those turtles in the comics eat, and they have yet to steer me wrong!”

Dash slumped down at the kitchen table, before reaching down to scoop up Tank. She gently dropped him onto the tabletop in front of her. Tank blinked, still as stone as he stared back at Rainbow.

“What?” Dash finally asked, her pet’s persistence steadily working on her nerves.

Tank opened his mouth, letting out at his dry squeak of a reply.

“Why don’t you invite some of your friends over? They might take your mind off the test.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, not in the mood for one of Tank’s lectures.

“Yeah, maybe… But I doubt it! They just don’t understand how important this is to me. I mean, when they look at the Wonderbolts, all they see is a team of fliers. They just don’t see them like I do! And besides, I’m sure they’ll be by sooner or later anyway…”

Rainbow Dash really didn’t want company, but ever since she had picked Tank up from Fluttershy’s the day before, she had kind of been preparing for it. The girls had been pretty tight friends for the past couple of years now, and one of their problems quickly became the rest’s, no matter how hard any of them may try to fight against the other’s help.

Tank opened his mouth and let out another rustic squeak, continuing a conversation only he and his master could understand.

“Don’t you think you’re being a little unfair to them? It’s not like you’ve ever actually explained just why joining the Wonderbolts is so important to you. Maybe if you’d actually take the time to talk to them-”

“Oh what, now you’re gonna start in on me with that crap? What are you, my shrink?”

Tank’s face contorted just the slightest as he squeaked back in a harsher tone, a slight contort that roughly translated to:

“Well excuse the hell outta me, Dash! I’m just trying to help!”

Rainbow Dash let out a drawn out sigh.

“I know you are, and I’m sorry for being so pissy at you… It’s just the stress getting to me-”

The oven’s alarm cut through the air. Dash looked up for a moment before looking back down at her pet.

“Hold that thought.”

A few minutes later, Dash and Tank were scarfing down their meal. Tank imitating his master’s poor table manners at about a tenth of the speed.

“Like I was saying-”

Before she could pick up their conversation, a loud rapping at the front door interrupted her.

“Were you expecting company? Did you invite somepony over?” Tank’s tilted head asked.

“Expecting, yes… Invite, no…”

Rainbow Dash pushed her chair back from the table, and walked to the door.

“Who is it?”

The muffled, country twang of her friend Applejack’s voice answered back.

“Whaddya mean, 'who is it'? It’s us of course!”

Rainbow Dash hung her head, knowing that if an Earth Pony like Applejack was up here in the clouds, then that meant that a cloud walking spell had been used. If a cloud walking spell had been used, then that meant that Twilight Sparkle was involved. If Twilight was involved, then the rest of her friends were here, and if the rest of her friends were here, then Fluttershy had blabbed!

“Fluttershy! What the hell, you told everyone? I thought I could trust you!”

From behind her door, Rainbow could hear the soft voice of the Pegasus Pony squeak back.

“Um, I-I-, you don’t understand, it’s not-”

She was quickly interrupted by the haughty voice of a particular cream-colored Unicorn.

“Oh really, Rainbow Dash, must you be so accusing? For your information, I was heading over to Fluttershy’s because she was late for our spa day, when I just happened to see you leaving! I’m the one who let everypony else know that you were back, so if you want to get mad at anyone, get mad at me!”

Dash continued on, hoping against hope that maybe she could get her friends to take a rain check on this little 'visit'.

“Rarity, you gossipy bitch. I outta-”

Twilight Sparkle cut her off before she could finish.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow. I had no idea you were going to be this upset! Is this a bad time for you? Do you want us to come back later?”

“We are not coming back later! Ah came this far, and A’m not leaving without at least seein' her,” Applejack interjected.

“I didn’t ask you guys to come over! Look, I just want a few days to prepare for my final, alright? Is that too much to ask?!”

“C-come on guys, let’s go… I told you she didn’t want company…”

Rainbow Dash stopped replying, listening as the girls bickered amongst themselves. She turned to walk back to the dining room, just as a heavy hoof began to thud against her door.

“You guys can go if you want, A’m staying right here until she OPENS THIS GOD DAMN DOOR!!!”

Rainbow couldn’t help but admire their persistence. It was nice to have such dedicated friends, and it felt terrible to turn them away. Dash groaned, knowing that her conscience wouldn’t allow her to keep them out much longer. Dash was still mentally debating on whether or not to let the girls in, when the bubbly voice of her hot-pink friend, Pinkie Pie, pierced the air.

“Don’t be silly girls. We don’t have to go anywhere! Dashie doesn’t even keep her door locked!”

Rainbow’s eyes widened, her guilt quickly transforming into rage as her front door swung open and her friends began to file in.

“Hey! You can’t just barge in-”

She found herself unable to continue, a tight group embrace cutting off her words. Dash looked from one face to another, unable to resist cracking a smile as she squeezed them back.

“Aww, you guys… I was about to let you all in…”

“Well you were movin’ far too slow fer my taste! Ah can’t believe the nerve of you, Aar Dee! Keeping out your own best friends who just want to see you after you’ve been gone for nearly two months,” Applejack scolded.

Rarity chimed in after her.

“Do you have any idea how much we’ve missed you?!”

After Rainbow Dash had at last managed to pull herself free from the hug, she began to walk down the hallway back towards the kitchen; she motioned for her friends to follow.

“Come on, since you’re all here I might as well make you guys some breakfast... Er, lunch.”

“Oh, please don’t trouble yourself. We don’t want to impose…” Fluttershy replied.

“Hate to be the one to break it to ya, but it’s a little late for that, pal,” Dash snorted back.

*****

By noon, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle, were all seated at Rainbow Dash’s kitchen table, a meal of daisy sandwiches and hayfries spread out before them; Dash and Tank stuck with their pizza. Fluttershy was watching Tank eat, an expression of surprised horror on her face.

“Dash… Please tell me this isn’t what you feed him all the time... This-this is so wrong!”

Rainbow looked over to Tank, a wide grin spread across her lips.

“Ha! What’d I tell ya? Was I right, or was I right?!”

“So, lemme git this straight,” AJ began. “The day after tomorrow, you’ve got your final physical exam. The physical exam that decides whether or not you finally make the Wonderbolts? Your life's main goal, riding on a five minute performance that’s coming up in less than 48 hours. Make it or break it, it’s all riding on this, right?”

Rainbow squirmed a little in her seat, the thought of her impending doom making her sick all over again.

“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Is there a point to this?”

“Welllll,” Applejack started; if Rainbow hadn’t known better, she would have sworn that AJ was enjoying watching her suffer.

“Well what?” Dash asked flatly.

“Are ya nervous?”

Rainbow didn’t reply, she couldn’t reply. Words were simply beyond her grasp at such an idiotic question. A narrow eyed glare was all she could muster.

“I’m never leaving my house unlocked again.”

Applejack burst into a hearty laughter, Rainbow Dash was less than amused.

“Imagine that! The great Rainbow Dash, Equestria’s own self-proclaimed, baroness of bad-ass, scared like a little school filly! Ah can’t believe you’re letting something like this git ta you!”

Twilight rolled her eyes, sending a sharp jab into Applejack’s ribs.

“AJ, knock it off!”

“Yeah, it’s not like you have a lot of room to talk, now do you? Little Miss, I-can’t-come-back-to-Ponyville-because-I-couldn’t-win-any-blue-ribbons,” Dash interjected.

Now it was Applejack’s turn to glare, and Rainbow’s to laugh.

“Now, that ain’t fair! Ah was under a lot of pressure then, and Ah had an obligation ta Ponyville! It weren’t right ta let y’all down the way Ah was! It was a completely different situation!”

“It wasn’t different at all! And even if it was,” Pinkie Pie countered. “It’s not nice of you to make fun of poor Dashie! The way you’re talking, AJ, one would think you two were enemies instead of best friends.”

“Poor Dashie?” Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief. “Pinkie, I’m a big girl, okay? I don’t need you sticking up for me!”

“Aw shucks, Pink, A’m just giving her a hard time is all. Ah just can’t believe she’s this nervous! Ah mean, the way she’s always going on like she’s Celestia’s personal gift to the world of aviation, she’s just not the kind of pony A’d expect to get all worked up over a little pressure.”

Dash’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me, a little pressure? Have you lost your damn mind?! This is just a teeny bit more than a 'little' pressure!”

Fluttershy spoke up next, putting her opinion in the same field as Applejack’s.

“Well, you gotta admit, Dash, it is a little, um… Different, seeing you get so worked up over something. I didn’t think anything got you flustered!”

Rainbow Dash sighed, leaning backwards in her chair a moment before snapping back to the conversation.

“Alright, alright. I’m a little bit freaked out, so what? What, am I not allowed to get nervous every once in awhile, is that it? Cause if that’s the case then let me go ahead and apologize right now because I must have missed that memo!”

Twilight placed a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder, hoping to calm her down before she really began to rant.

“We’re not saying there’s anything wrong with it, Rainbow, we’re just a little surprised, that’s all. Don’t take it so personally!”

Dash took a deep breath and folded her arms together. At this point she was done making an effort to hide her frustration.

“Look, we’ve already established that I’ve got a little test anxiety, okay? I’m just flesh and bone like the rest of you, it happens. So can we please stop making a big deal out of it and skip this, whatever the hell this is, and go straight to the part where you guys start making me feel better, or is that too much to ask?”

“Well,” Rarity began with a smile. “I think that’s an idea we can all agree on!”

A murmur of approval ran through the table, and soon, plans were being discussed on the best way to take Rainbow Dash’s mind off the test.

“Oh, oh, oh, I know, I know!” Pinkie Pie shouted, bouncing up in her chair.

“Hmm, let me guess,” Rainbow began, rolling her eyes.

Her and Pinkie answered at the same time. Pinkie, still bursting with enthusiasm. Dash, not so much.

“A party-”

“Ooh, you’re good, Dashie!”

Dash chuckled back in a sarcastic manner she had picked up from Twilight.

“No parties, Pinkie.”

“But, Da-”

“No,” Dash interrupted. “No parties! Being surrounded by a bunch of ponies I barely know is not going to help me, period!”

Pinkie Pie frowned, reluctantly agreeing to Rainbow’s terms.

“Fine… I’ll come up with a better idea!”

“Um, I have an idea,” Fluttershy stated in her soft spoken manner; to her dismay, the conversation continued as though she hadn’t spoken.

Rarity was up next.

“Pinkie Pie, what she needs is some good, old fashioned rest and relaxation! A good pampering is just what her body needs to prepare itself for the upcoming test.”

Dash rolled her eyes.

“Spa day? Uh, thanks but no thanks, I think I’ll pass.”

Fluttershy tried again.

“I have an idea…” Once again, she had spoken too softly for anypony to hear her.

Applejack spoke in her place.

“Yeah, Rarity, your fancy shmancy spa isn’t the ultimate solution to everything! What Aar Dee needs is some quality time out on the farm. There ain’t nothin’ the fresh air of Sweet Apple Acres can’t cure!”

“Now look girls,” Twilight began. “It’s obvious that we’ve all got our own ideas on what would be the best way to ease Rainbow’s nerves, and it doesn’t look like we’ll be agreeing on a single one anytime soon. So… Why don't we just all take her out, one at a time? Surely our combined efforts can do something! How does that sound to everypony?”

Dash looked around at her friends, feeling the situation quickly growing out of hand.

“Twilight, I’d really rather not make a big deal out of this. I just wanna-”

The girls didn’t hear her, they were already arguing over who would get to hang out with her first. Now Rainbow Dash was in the same boat as Fluttershy, unable to get a single word in edgewise. Finally, the little dispute was ended by Rarity.

“Hold on now, Twilight was the one who came up with the idea, it’s only right that she should get first dibs on Dash.”

“Hey, you can’t call 'dibs' on me!”

Again, Rainbow’s complaints went unheard.

“Aw alright... But Ah want her after Twi’s done,” Applejack stated.

Pinkie Pie added in her approval.

“Perfect, that should give me more than enough time to think up something totally, unbelievably, amazingly awesome!”

Fluttershy simply frowned, having given up on trying to get a word in the conversation.

Twilight’s eyes lit up, she clapped her hooves together. “Yes! I know just the thing to take your mind off of this whole situation, Rainbow! Oh, and we should probably get going right away. I’m not quite sure how much longer this spell’s going to last, and I for one don’t feel like falling through the floor!”

Twilight giggled and Dash sighed, hanging her head.

“I give up! I’m done trying to fight with you guys… Just… Do whatever you want…”

Dash looked down at Tank, shaking her head at him.

“You see, this is exactly what I was trying to avoid. This is why I don’t tell anypony anything!”

Tank ever so slightly raised his eyebrows, his tortoise equivalent of a shrug.

“I’m sorry, Dash, I had no idea this was gonna be such a big deal.”

Comments

[Rustic Burghalle]

Yeah, I'm definitely interested with this one, Sky. Looking forward to the next few chapters! ^^

[redactedandredacted]

GAHH. Why is your dialogue so FUCKING PRO? You understand mane 6 dynamics so well, it's like I'm reading a transcript from a new episode of the show itself. Except with swearing. Hehe.

Also, I love the turtle. Silly Dash, having conversations with herself. But how does Tank live in a house made out of clouds when the other ponies have to use spells?