Prologue: Dawn at Mareaco

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The cool of the early morning ran a brush through her mane and coat, sending a hint of the sea into her nose and onto her tongue. The first rays of the sun painted the sky shades of pink and blue, while rogue stars twinkled in defiance of the coming day. Below, city lights glimmered, a few showing signs of losing the battle against the morning. Her eyes scanned the horizon, caught sight of the harbor, and wound their way toward the streets below.

She ignored all else at that point, the layout of the track flashing through her mind.

So many buildings. So many chances for a crash, one that would be the last for the unfortunate pegasus caught in the mess.

This course ate ponies—took their souls and their hearts and anything else it could. This was no stadium full of cheering fans, no circular track where all that mattered was staying in another racer's jet stream. Hairpins and chicanes threatened to tear wings off. Elevation changes demanded utmost focus. The tunnel, nearly a mile long, signaled a drastic change in lighting.

Mareaco dwarfed the Wonderbolt Derby.

Rainbow Dash had never been to Prance. She'd never been to Bitaly, or Manehattan, or Fillydelphia. Ponyville was all she knew, and Canterlot was all she dreamed of. The City of the Diarchy was home to Wonderbolt Stadium, the training ground and base of operations for the stunt team. She'd been inside once for the graduation ceremony of the Academy, where she was named one of the Top Five.

Not too many of her class made it inside. Several washed out, or were kicked out.

Rainbow persevered, and that put her and everypony else with her that day one step closer to having their name on the flight roster, or even just the reserves. She should have been satisfied.

She wasn't.

Rainbow shut the memory out, closed her eyes, and took in a breath of the morning air. Nothing mattered but the track, the wind, the sky. She felt herself disconnect, tuning everything else out. Soon, buildings and asphalt flew past in her mind's eye, the rush of the first straight immediately checked by the opening turns. She cut through wide, sloping bends, forced herself to slice the hairpin, and dove into the tunnel.

Rainbow’s wings twitched. Her heart raced, and her breathing picked up.

She tore out from the other side, the flash of blinding sunlight obscuring the track for a precious two seconds. Chicane incoming, slow down. Barely miss the building. Keep going.

The line in front of her did not matter, not until the end. Speed didn't matter. Style didn't matter. The crowd didn't matter. What mattered was precision, technique, cunning, and grit—pure skill. There was danger at every corner, every turn, because one wrong move could send her spinning into a building, into the harbor, or into the street.

She ran the track through her head again, planned out her line. Normally, Rainbow planned for nothing—she just felt and moved. She thought with her body, not with her brain, and learned best by doing. But here, that wouldn't work. This was no straight-line race, no set of checkpoints. It wasn't a stunt routine or one of her experiments in making a new trick. Her sponsor stressed that she'd have to run this race perfectly, without errors in judgment or timing. Rainbow couldn't run anyone else's race but hers.

"Out at the track again?"

Her eyes opened as the radio clipped to her right ear buzzed. Rainbow tried for the hundredth time to flick it off, a reflex and nothing more. The damn thing never budged, and she'd never get used to it. "Yeah. Can't sleep. Figured I'd take in the view." She glanced up at the sky again. The sun had broken the horizon by now. From the rooftop where she stood, Rainbow had a view of the harbor and most of the city. Her eyes narrowed as the sun's glare washed over her, and she donned a pair of mirror-coated shades to block it out.

Now she could appreciate the view, and a smile came to her muzzle. "I gotta admit, I was never one for sightseeing, but I'd like to come back here after this is over."

"I must agree with you, darling. I've never been to Prance before now—it's absolutely gorgeous! And the shops here are marvelous; just think of the inspiration I could bring back home!"

Rainbow chuckled. "Yeah, sure. You go do that. I'll be out here doing my job."

The sound of somepony clearing her throat came from the other end. "Terribly sorry. I should be up there with you, not in the hotel gushing over Prance. Are you quite sure you're all right?"

Her smile shifted into a frown. "Honestly?" She took in another breath. "I don't know."

"Whatever do you mean?"

She looked back down at the streets. "I've run through this track a million times on the way here. I've been through all the angles and the ups and downs, and I know practically every turn. Heck, last night I dreamed about running the race!" She chuckled. "You remember how much of a wreck I was at Best Young Flyers?"

"Yes. That was partly my fault, of course."

Rainbow shook her head. "I've already forgiven you for that." She sighed. "Take those nerves and ramp 'em up by eleven. I'm... scared of this course. Hearing about it is one thing—I can imagine how awesome I can be. But seeing it for myself, being out here, walking around the whole length of it at least once..." She shook her head. "The stories about crashes are real. I can see exactly where they'd happen, too. The hairpin, the chicane, just out of the tunnel, out near the harbor..."

"Rainbow, I understand what you're going through. You're afraid something bad will happen to you." A pause. "To be honest, so are we. But we have faith that you'll make it through. All you have to do is..."

"...Run my race." She grinned as they said the mantra at the same time. "I've had that beaten into my head more times than I'd like to count."

"Well, it bears repeating." Another pause. "I suppose I'm due for some fresh air. Wait just a moment—I'll be up there soon."

Rainbow's eyes widened. "How soon?"

The air just to her right sucked in, formed a pocket, and popped with a flash of pale blue. A white-coated mare with a coiffed purple mane and clear blue eyes appeared just next to Rainbow. The red and white silk dress on her figure, enchanted to ward off the cold, glistened in the first rays of the sun, and the wide-brimmed hat on her head did well to shade her eyes from the morning light. "This soon!"

Rainbow nearly shrieked, her hooves a foot off the ground from her shock. After a few wing beats to steady herself, she groaned as heat rushed to her cheeks. "I hate her for teaching you how to do that."

"Well, it isn't easy, darling—takes more focus than I'm usually up for, and it makes me terribly dizzy afterward. It'll take some time to get used to." She glanced up at Rainbow. "I'm just glad I can get the jump on you like she does now. Nothing else surprises you these days!"

Rainbow landed with a huff. "Well, don't expect me to fall for it again." She turned back to the sunrise. "Hey, you think after this, you could... y'know..." She cleared her throat. "I feel like I should be wearing something a bit nicer when I'm out here. I mean, this place is just so different."

The other pony turned to face Dash. "You mean... a dress?" Her eyes sparkled. "You actually want a dress from me?"

Rainbow nodded, her features resolute. "Yeah. Y'know that one thing you made for Twilight’s big day? Something like that, but different. I'm not sure what I want, so I'll leave it up to you again."

Rarity squealed. "I'll get on it right away! You'll be the talk of Prance when I'm finished with you!"

Dash chuckled again. "That's what I'm afraid of, but go ahead anyway." She glanced toward the pony on her right. "Thanks for being here, Rarity. For some reason, I feel better now."

"And you’ll feel even better when we win." Rarity sighed. "I just wish I could do more than be the one holding the pit lane marker, but there's not much I can do there besides fix tears in your flight suit. I'm sure there will be many after this, with all those ruffians out there trying to muscle you out."

Rainbow smirked. "It's held up so far. I'm surprised there hasn't been a scratch on it before now, to be honest!"

Rarity hissed. "Don't you jinx it now, Rainbow Dash! I worked hard on that." She took in a breath of the sea air, and it seemed to calm her. "Just be careful out there. None of us wants to see you get hurt."

"I'll be fine! Go work on that dress." The pegasus gazed out at the harbor. "I'm gonna stay here a little while longer."

She barely heard Rarity teleport again before she was alone on the rooftop. The sun was on its way through its ecliptic now, and the morning brought with it the sounds of gulls and the city's awakening. Her ears took these sounds in, a breath brought a fresh sample of sea air to her senses, and she smiled. Whether she won didn't matter so much, nor whether she crashed.

She just had to finish—run her race. Maybe her first time in Prance wouldn't be such a disaster. Who knew for sure?

"Today is gonna be awesome."

Rainbow spread her wings and felt the wind tug at them. It'd be doing more than that during the race—and in far more brutal fashion—but right now it played with her. Maybe it was time to get some laps in—no need to spend any time away from the track. Dash turned away from the harbor, set herself, and launched from the rooftop in a single wing burst.

She did her best thinking on the move, after all.

Rainbow dove toward the valley between the buildings, toward the freshly set track, and made her way toward the starting position. Her starting position. Close enough to the front that she could get a good start, yet far enough away that she could draft if she had to. She'd have loved to be at the first marker, but her sponsor had told her that this was the best position. Since the top three in points could put themselves anywhere they wanted, there was no reason to argue.

She glanced at the signal lights, licking her lips as they lit up in her mind's eye. On the instant they turned green, she shot forward with a burst of air and adrenaline, the wind kicking up in her wake.

This was no one’s race but hers.

Rainbow took the first corner, ninety degrees right, gritting her teeth as the g-forces tore at her. She burned her way uphill toward a wide left turn, curved around, and pushed ahead toward a sharp right. Rainbow grimaced as the hotel approached. She'd have to slow down for this one. The pegasus twisted sideways as she took the hairpin before continuing with a right turn. Dash sliced yet another right—and dove into the tunnel.

Rainbow struggled against the wind as it tried to turn her into a smear on the street. Something about this tunnel made flying difficult—maybe it was the aerodynamics as she came through. Or maybe it was her nerves, the anticipation of the tunnel's exit and the bright light that would overtake her senses.

Rainbow ignored the warnings and pushed on. This was the place where she could pick up speed, and she took all she could get.

She launched out of the tunnel, and the flash in her eyes would’ve hit her like a buck to the forehead if not for the sunglasses. But she wouldn't have her shades in the race. Pretend you're disoriented. Adjust. The chicane was already on top of her, along with the potential for disaster. She shot to her left and then her right, accelerating out of the death trap as soon as she recovered.

Rainbow twisted and turned in a mock fight for position. Ghosts appeared in her head now—other racers—trying to navigate the course just like her. She ignored them and focused on what lay ahead. Soon, she saw the line and poured on the speed again, crossing it in what could have been a record for the track. No one was around to keep time, but she was sure if they did, she just set a new standard.

Rainbow didn't care. She pushed on, into another lap.

"Never enough," she said through her teeth. "It's never enough."

It would never be enough. Not for her.

Everything's Just Fine

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The certificate hung on the wall just above her bed, to the right of the autographed Wonderbolts poster. It was framed in gold and encased in glass, and the sunlight hit it at an angle where the eye would be drawn to it first before anything else. If being around Rarity had taught her anything, it was that location mattered, and maybe the dressmaker had a point as Rainbow looked at the certificate from the entrance to her bedroom. The paper, the writing, what it meant for her dreams—it was all she could think about, even after the coronation of one of her best friends.

This certificate hereby marks the recipient, Rainbow Dash, as having graduated the Wonderbolt Basic Training Course with high marks and with the full confidence of her instructors and peers. Her fortitude and unconquerable spirit are an inspiration to all pegasi, and will be remembered as examples to future candidates.

Spitfire and Soarin's signatures were on it, along with the seals of the Wonderbolts and the Royal Air Force.

Rainbow felt a grin spread across her face, and her heart filled her chest until she felt she'd pop from any more excitement.

Top Five. So many flight runs, simulations, sprints, races, and team exercises, and she stuck it out. Not only that, but she graduated with top honors, one of only five selected! Week after week, she watched as ponies washed out, retired, or saw themselves ejected by Spitfire because of their attitudes. The herd thinned, and it only made things harder. A hundred pegasi had entered, and only a fourth of that made it to the final two weeks. Rainbow shuddered as the memory of that last stint, that final push, broke into her thoughts uninvited.

Whatever it takes. That was the Wonderbolt motto, and those last challenges demanded everything of her and those left of her class. They'd all made it, some half dead, others still on their feet, ready for more. Only the best of the best could stand at the front of the pack, and she ended up in that very spot.

Her eyes narrowed at the thought of one particular mare. Reckless. Headstrong. Inconsiderate.

Almost killed her friends.

They let her stay, but only after some time in the brig. Rainbow wanted more than that for Lightning Dust and her lack of control, but she couldn't bring herself to demand it. Lightning reminded Dash too much of how she used to be. Mare Do Well, the Running of the Leaves with Applejack, her behavior at the Crystal Empire—it all came back to her in a single flash. She and Lightning were mirror images.

It was why she'd asked for the unruly pegasus to be her wingpony. She promised to take responsibility for any mistakes her partner made, and though they were many, she reminded herself that it was only Lightning's attempts to prove herself worthy, maybe even get the gold wing pin that marked a candidate as a lead pony again. They fought against each other more than they worked together, and as days turned to a week, Rainbow started to regret her decision.

Something happened near the beginning of the second week of the course that gave Rainbow renewed purpose, though.

Rainbow noticed Lightning Dust sitting apart from the other trainees’ clouds at mess hour, just after they'd gone through an obstacle course run. Every time Dash asked something, Lightning replied in a clipped tone, her answers brusque and to the point. The back-and-forth eventually irritated the wingpony, and she resorted to name calling in an effort to force Rainbow away. “Teacher's Pony” was the first one she picked. “Spitfire's Mare” was another. Rainbow took it all in stride, letting wave after wave slam into her. Then she asked, with a calm that would make Fluttershy jealous, why Lightning hated everyone so much.

"Not everyone," she replied. "Just you."

Rainbow shook her head. It was everypony Lightning hated, not just Dash. The antics she pulled hurt the team and would hurt anyone watching a show if she managed to make it on the roster. She was better than that, and they both knew it. There was no need to prove herself here. Just being here was enough.

Lightning glared at her and demanded to know what made Rainbow so special, so different from everyone else. Lightning had heard about her feats, her record, but she took it as being above everypony else. What gave Rainbow the right to talk down to her, when she'd worked just as hard?

Rainbow explained herself in as few words as possible: "Because you're just like I was, before all this."

Before Dust could interject, Rainbow went into everything she'd done wrong and every lesson she’d had to learn. She remembered every mistake she made and told her about the friends that helped her through them, to realize what being competitive really was. She’d thought she was the best flyer in Equestria until she saw Lightning. Though she had resented it at first, now Rainbow saw the use of a wingpony: to remind the leaders that there was always somepony better, always somepony that could inspire them to greater things. "Right now," she said, "that pony isn't here."

The next morning, Lightning Dust made a formal apology to the entire class, including Spitfire.

They were a near-perfect team through the rest of Basic Training. Lightning Dust, despite her rough start, made it to the Top Five. Rainbow even noticed a tear running down Lightning’s face as she accepted the diploma and gold pin.

The memory faded as Rainbow turned toward the picture of herself and Lightning side by side in a picture just next to the ones of her and her friends. Her wingpony sported a smile that would make Pinkie proud, without a trace of insincerity or ego. It made Rainbow grin again just to see it.

She turned to the Wonderbolts poster just above the headboard of her bed, and her eyes narrowed in focus. That Basic Training wasn't enough. She wanted more of it, more of everything they could give her. Spitfire said she and the other graduates would be considered for the Reserves, but being put into the Reserves was like being named an honorary member—and that was only a consideration.

"What's it gonna take?" she muttered as she scowled at the poster. "What's it gonna take, Spitfire? I've done everything I can..."

Rainbow Dash shook her head. Some fresh air would do her good right about now. After all, she did her best thinking while flying.

She headed for the exit to her house, grabbed a pair of saddlebags with her cutie mark on the clasps, and made her way out to the “launch pad,” as she called it. Just at the top of her house, she'd built a platform of clouds with just the right amount of bounce to use as a springboard, a booster for a vertical takeoff. All she had to do was point herself in a direction, jump a few times, and give her wings a good flap when she felt she was ready.

The first time she'd tried this, it took her all day just to stop screaming about how awesome it was. Over time she'd made adjustments to it and fine-tuned the cloud density and pressure until she could get to the same height all the time. From that vertical takeoff, she could get anywhere from her house faster than a train.

Ponyville. Today, she'd head for Ponyville and check in on—she paused on her way up the stairs leading from the living room. Who wouldn't be busy this time of hour? Rarity was probably on some fashion trip, Fluttershy had her critters, Applejack was busy with the farm just about every time she went over, so that left—

Rainbow grinned. Perfect.

She finished her climb and took the last few steps up to the launch pad. Her hooves pressed into the clouds, and the pad responded by sending her bouncing a few inches. Rainbow nodded, bent her legs, and jumped. She bounced, bounced again, and launched herself a third time, each leap sending her higher. The fifth one sent her fifty feet into the air, and as she came down, Rainbow let out a war cry.

"Banzai!"

She gave her wings a hard flap once she touched down, and she shot a mile upward, punching through any cloud in her way as she climbed. With a jubilant shout, she reached her apex, and with the momentum from the launch, she burned her way to Ponyville with a contrail of colors in her wake. Seconds later, a sharp crack from air and sound giving way made the snow atop the mountains tremble, and a vibrant halo of light spread from the point of her Rainboom.

Rainbow touched down in the middle of the the town square, a few feet in front of the fountain of Celestia. She cast her gaze about the area, taking note of the stalls and tents, ponies selling their produce at every turn. She smiled as she headed for one particular cart, instinct leading her hooves where they needed to go. Maybe she'd be able to see Applejack after all.

A different sight greeted her as she got closer to the Apple family's stall, though. A blond stallion with green eyes and a red coat stood there instead of the pony she expected, handling the usual line of customers with all the pace of a snail on his lunch break. Behind him, the cart of apples loomed, baskets piled to the sky. Rainbow headed to the back of the stall, only to be stopped by a filly with a yellow coat, a red mane and tail, and a determined expression on her features.

"No customers allowed past this point—" She blinked for a moment, seemed to realize who was in front of her, and grinned. "Hey, Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow smiled and put a hoof in Apple Bloom's hair. "Hey, squirt. Mac working you hard enough?"

The filly squirmed away from Rainbow's hoof. "Quit that, I ain't a baby! And no, he's just having me watch out for the line!"

Rainbow chuckled as she put her hoof down. "Well, you're doing a fine job! Don't let me stop you for anything—I just came to see Applejack. Where's she at, anyway?"

Apple Bloom shook her head to try to clear out the tangles Dash had put in her mane. "She's over at Pinkie Pie's—something about bein' invited to a party. I wanted to go, but Mac had stuff for me t'do here, so here I am!" She glanced over her right shoulder. "I needed some extra muscle though, so—"

"Hey! I'm almost done moving this stuff around!"

Apple Bloom smiled again. "Thanks, Babs!"

Rainbow nodded. "Looks like you two are getting along just fine, huh? So she's not bullying anypony?"

"Nope! Gotta hand it to her, she's had it rough back in Manehattan. I figured I'd show her how we do things down here in Ponyville for a bit, and she's taken to it pretty well. After the family reunion, she's been writin' to me non-stop about how she's trying to start up the Cutie Mark Crusaders in Manehattan!" Apple Bloom's grin stretched across her face. "I never thought we'd be in more than one city, but looks like we might have a new chapter!"

Rainbow's eyes widened. "Wow, you guys are coming up big-time!" She ruffled the filly's hair again. "I'm gonna head for Pinkie's, see if I can find out what's up with AJ. Don't get into too much trouble, and tell me if Babs gives you a hard time again. I wouldn't mind a little re-educating."

Apple Bloom frowned. "Hey now, if anyone's gonna be doing that, it'll be me!" She smiled and lifted her chin. "But you can relax—we're best friends now. Anyways, I gotta get back to work!"

Dash nodded and headed for Sugarcube Corner. "Sure thing. I'll let you get to it!" Cute kid.

It took her ten minutes to head to the confectionery and bakery, waving at ponies that called out to her in greeting.

The bass of a muffled house track graced her ears as she approached the front door, and she ended up nodding her head to the rhythm just before she raised a hoof to let herself in. Before she could move another inch, the door opened for her, and she took a startled step back. A pair of blue eyes shone out from behind a cotton candy mane and bubblegum coat, along with the biggest smile a pony could possibly manage. "Hi, Dashie! Come on in, the party's just gotten started!"

Rainbow Dash stared wide-eyed into the pastry shop packed full with customers and a DJ booth. "Sure, Pinkie. Just gotten started."

"Yup. Now, come on, you're missing out!" Pinkie Pie reached out, hooked a leg around Rainbow's neck, and pulled her into the sound and noise of celebrating ponies. "Food's over there, music's over there, games are over there, and I'm everywhere if you need me!"

Rainbow glanced up at the decorations, streamers of purple, lavender and gold hanging from the ceiling and balloons with a familiar six-pointed star for a cutie mark bumping up against the walls. She chuckled. "I'm gonna assume you weren't kidding about the whole ‘alicorn party’ thing, huh?"

Pinkie stopped and turned to face Dash, a grim expression on her features. "I never foal around when it comes to parties, Dashie. It's serious business." After a few seconds, she couldn't help herself anymore and giggled as she led Rainbow through the throng of revelers. "I wanted to deliver your invitation personally, but I didn't have time, with all the planning and decorations and the food. Especially the food! We have cupcakes, eclairs, bear claws, jelly doughnuts, mixed berry pie, all kinds of candy—"

Rainbow's stomach growled, making her cheeks flush. "I get the point, Pinkie! Just lemme find AJ first, and we'll get to the chow!"

"Okie-dokie-lokie! She's right this way!"

They found Applejack surrounded by several ponies, fielding questions and being congratulated for the latest apple crop. When she saw Rainbow approach, the farm pony cleared her throat. "Sorry y'all, duty calls! Mighty nice chattin' with you ponies, but this ain't my show, so I gotta act lively." The small crowd made way for her as she moved toward her friends, raising her right foreleg for a hoof bump. "Thought you'd never show up, sugarcube!"

"And miss a Pinkie Pie party?" Dash met the hoof with her own. "Not for all the bits in Canterlot!" She glanced around at the ponies having a good time. "I'd love to get to the festivities, but I don't see a specific combination. Y'know, purple, horn, wings?"

Applejack frowned for a moment, her eyebrows slanting upward. "And she'd have love to come, darn tootin'. But she couldn't." She made her way upstairs, and Pinkie and Dash followed behind. "She's got all this princess-y stuff to take care of, or at least learn herself how to do it. With all those lessons, she doesn't have time for stuff like this anymore." She looked over her right shoulder. "Before you go sayin' anything, I was there when she told us. Never seen a mare cry so much."

"See, that's why I wanted to have a 'sorry you couldn't come so here's a party to make up for it' party in the castle! A lot of ponies could fit in the ballroom, we could have a ton more food, a whole live band, and a buncha cider to boot!" Her eyes widened. "Ooh, maybe we could even drink cider from boots! Gotta find a way to do that!"

Rainbow blinked at Pinkie before laughing. Okay, that was why she'd come over. "I dunno if ponies would go for that, Pinkie. I mean, I'd be all for it, but would anypony else?"

They entered Pinkie's bedroom—which was all shades of pink, from the candy-coated wallpaper to the bedsheets and comforter, to the closed curtains at the window. The only offsetting feature was the sand-toned carpet, but it seemed to add to the look rather than detract from it. The whitewashed ceiling was still pristine, bringing a good contrast to the room's otherwise garish scheme.

On the lamp stand next to the bed sat something that all six of them shared: the first picture the six of them had ever taken, in a frame decorated with assorted designs of candy.

"What I am for," Rainbow continued as Pinkie closed her bedroom door with one of her back legs, "is heading over there and checking in on her. All five of us. We gotta do it sometime this weekend—that way, we're all free to spend a whole day in Canterlot."

Applejack smiled. "Well, that sounds like a mighty fine idea, Rainbow! 'S not like I have anything planned. We won't have another crop like this for a while. Figure it'd do me some good to see what she's up to. Shoot, I'll even bring Apple Bloom with me! But what I'm concerned about is getting Rarity and Fluttershy to come with us."

Pinkie cleared her throat. "Let me take care of that. I have ways to... convince them."

The other ponies in the room stared at her for a moment.

"What? I do!"

Rainbow shook her head with a smile. She never wanted Pinkie to change, not even the creepy bits. "So it's set, then. We need to get the other two in on this before Saturday. Then we take the train all the way to Canterlot, go right up to Twilight's room or tower or whatever, knock on her door, and drag her out for a good time!"

Applejack snickered. "I'm surprised you even thought of knocking."

Rainbow snorted. "And why wouldn't I?"

"Just sayin’."

"So," Pinkie Pie burst in, "let's get our own little party started in here!" She walked over to the radio next to the picture frame and pressed the “on” switch with one of her front hooves.

Instead of music, a stallion's lively voice boomed from the speakers, probably the voice of the station's DJ. "Before we go into our next mix, I wanna let you fillies and colts know something about Sky Racing."

Rainbow's ears perked.

"It's not your usual obstacle course or a straight line sprint. Oh no, this is the big-time, the professional, high-grade level of flying that every pegasus aspires to. The bad-flank side of flying that demands attention and respect! Obviously I'm a shameless fan of it, and you should be, too—so I'm gonna give you a chance to experience it!"

Dash's eyes widened, and Applejack took a few steps toward her. "Hey, you okay? You're gettin' that look in your eye..."

Pinkie giggled. "We already lost her, AJ. Might as well let her hear all of it!"

"I have just received, for your information, a ton of preseason tickets to the Pegasus Grand Prix, the biggest racing series to ever hit the sport. You heard me—I got a whole mess of ticket sheets, prime seating, for those who call in next hour! Taking the first twenty-five callers, the rest are gonna have to pay for 'em at the booth!"

Rainbow's wings nearly popped out of their sockets. "Omigosh."

Applejack cleared her throat. "Now that sounds like a fine thing to do this weekend, but don't go overboard, sugarcube. We don't wanna do anything too rash."

"No, I know exactly what I'm doing." Rainbow turned toward Applejack and Pinkie, a wild grin on her face. "We're not gonna watch on the sidelines. We're gonna be right in the middle of it!"

The farm pony sighed. "And how d'you propose we do that? I haven't seen a race per se, but I know the particulars. You need a crew, a sponsor, the right gear, and to pass the qualifying time trial for each race. The last one I got no doubt you can nip in the bud, but the others—"

"—are already taken care of." Rainbow chuckled, the grin turning into a confident smile. "You guys are gonna be my crew. All of you."

Applejack huffed. "Beg pardon, but we don't know the first thing about it. Maybe one of the princesses would, but—" She stopped there, her eyes wide. "Oh, horseapples."

Rainbow nodded. "You get where I'm going now?"

"Yeah, I do. Doesn't mean I like the idea, but I get it. So you got us for the crew, plus one more which you don't have a real idea who it might be. You plan on getting either Rarity or one of the princesses to sponsor you, then you're planning on getting us trained in the next few months to be a top-notch pit crew for ya. Am I missing anything?"

Dash's face sported a grin as wide of one of Pinkie’s best. "Nope!"

Applejack glanced at the carpet for a few moments, her brows furrowed and one hoof dragging at the floor. Then she looked up at Rainbow and nodded. "Mac can handle himself and Apple Bloom's turnin' into a fine farmhand. I think I can spare a while to help you out." She put her right foreleg up for another hoof bump. "Let's kick some flank."

Rainbow touched a hoof to AJ's. "And have fun doing it!"

Pinkie Pie squealed, bouncing on her hooves. "This is gonna be the best race ever! I already have an idea for the party we'll have!"

Dash chuckled. "What, you mean if we win, or if we lose?"

Pinkie giggled. "Silly Dashie, I got one for both!"

Everypony shared a laugh and made their way back downstairs to the music. Visions of winning the whole thing danced in Rainbow's head. Just the fame from winning one race would be enough, but she wanted the whole series—needed it. This would make her into more than just a Reserve member. It'd get her on the list, the team itself! And after that, the possibilities were endless.

Rainbow couldn't help but grin again. "Best. Idea. Ever!"

Proposals

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Rainbow Dash ended up spending the rest of the day at Sugarcube Corner, even as the party wound to its end. She spent most of it on the dance floor, making a fool of herself and not giving a single buck about it. Pinkie’s knowledge of dance moves surprised her, until she realized that Pinkie excelled at anything that had to do with a party. The rest she spent at the buffet, and she wasted no time in getting herself fueled up with sugar.

So when she returned home at sunset, Rainbow collapsed into her bed. She had promised to start planning the weekend at Canterlot as soon as she could and had found herself almost unable to fly back to her clouds. She groaned and nuzzled her pillow. “I am never eating that much sugar again. Don’t think I’ve ever crashed so hard during one of my stunts compared to now.” The bedroom blurred before her eyes as she started her way toward oblivion—

—and then her eyes shot open as a knock-knock-knock on her front door sent her spiraling back to the land of the living.

“For the love of Celestia,” Rainbow muttered, “gimme a break!”

Dash crawled out of bed, stumbled toward the source of the disturbance, and tripped over a stray book she’d left on the floor. By the time she entered the living room, she had recovered enough of herself to figure out the first words she’d say to whoever came knocking. They were to be short, rude, and designed to send the pony crawling back to whatever cloud they came from without realizing they couldn’t fly.

Her anger evaporated once she opened the door.

“This looks like a bad time.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. Blond mane, hazel eyes, cutie mark of a lightning bolt with three stars, and a light blue coat. She’d only seen her once without her flight suit, but the image stuck with her. Her shock turned to delight, and she stepped aside to let the pony in. “For my wingpony? It’s always a good time! I was wondering when you’d show up!”

Lightning Dust stepped through the doorway with a smile. “You’re not an easy pony to get a hold of. Had a bit of a snag when I couldn’t find you in Cloudsdale, until they told me you lived in Ponyville. Took me a bit of looking before I figured out your house wasn’t there either.” She scanned the living room and whistled in approval. “Gotta say, this is a nice place. You make it yourself?”

Rainbow closed the door behind Lightning. “You know it! Took me a good year to do it, but I managed. Even added some neat adjustments to it, too!” She turned to face her. “That’s beside the point. What’re you doing here?”

Lightning’s gaze found the clouds that served as the carpet, one of her front hooves digging into the floor. After ten seconds of silence, she sighed and looked up at Dash. “I actually came here to make up for being such a pain in the flank at Basic.”

One of Rainbow’s brows quirked. “But you already did that. I mean, without you we wouldn’t have made it all the way to—”

“I know that.” Lightning gave Dash a downtrodden smile. “I was talking about your friends. Ever since you told me about them, it just made me feel so much worse about what happened. We were so focused on training that I never really had the chance to talk to you about this stuff, and they were gone anyway on the day I almost...” She looked away, finding the wall just behind Dash very interesting. “... Well, you know.”

A silence fell over the living room, and Rainbow’s eyes bored into the pegasus in front of her.

Lightning cleared her throat and looked back toward the cyan mare. “So yeah. If there’s anything I can do to apologize or make amends, I’ll do it. Anything at all.”

Dash rubbed her right forehoof just beneath her chin. “Anything, huh? I mean, you won’t back out when I tell you what I want, will you?”

Lightning shook her head. “I’m not one for wimping out of a promise. Lemme know how I can make up for it, and I’ll do it.”

The other mare grinned. “I want you to remember what you just said.” She took in a breath. “Honestly, you couldn’t have asked at a better time. I have a plan, and it’s gonna take all the help I can get. Ever heard of the Pegasus Grand Prix?”

Lightning Dust’s eyes widened. “What sane pegasus hasn’t? It’s only the biggest racing series ever, taking place all across Equestria! Manehattan, Neighpon, Bitaly...” She grinned. “At least three Wonderbolts on the current roster got their start from winning the Grand Prix. Every pegasus that wants to Sky Race dreams of this stuff!”

Rainbow nodded and took a few paces toward Lightning. “Good, you’re a fan. So you know what it takes to enter, what kinds of ponies are needed for the crew, how long the races and tracks are...”

Lightning blinked for a moment. “Well... yeah, I do. Why are you asking me all this?”

“Because I need a crew captain.” Rainbow Dash poked Lightning with her left foreleg. “And since I don’t know any better ponies for the job, you’re it.”

Silk curtains of purple and gold draped from the four-post bed, concealing the comforters and covers. A vast painting of a cloudscape, just at sunset, covered the ceiling. Carved into the floor, made of marble tiles that gleamed and shone when the moon cast its light upon it in just the right way, was a large portrayal of a six-pointed star, surrounded by six others. Even the walls were not spared the royal treatment, given a soft lavender paint job to match the rogue streak in her hair.

Just across from the twenty-foot-high double doors, a fireplace burned bright, with an odd collection displayed on the mantle. A doll with most of its stitching frayed, the buttons serving as eyes just about ready to fall off, sat in a diamond display case. A quill crafted from a phoenix’s tail feather gave off a slight glow. Pictures of ponies, framed in gold and covered in glass enchanted to ward off aging, sat front and center.

Princess Twilight Sparkle stood as straight and tall as she could, her head held high and the Tiara of Magic just behind her horn and ears. The crystal that used to be encased in Twilight’s Element twinkled and shone atop her new crown, but otherwise remained silent.

“Now remember, you have to be relaxed, but regal. Confident, but not too much so. Ponies have to see you as both one of them, and above them.”

Twilight’s face twisted into a frown of distaste. “But I’m not above them—I’m just like anypony else.” She glanced back at her wings. “These don’t change who I am. They just change what I can do.”

“I know that, you know that, and your friends know that. But other ponies don’t. They see you—us—as something more.”

Twilight sighed, her posture relaxing a bit. “I don’t know I can do this for much longer, Cadence. I mean, I want to learn how to be a princess, and I know I have what it takes. But this just feels like one big lie.”

Cadence sighed. “I know, but a lot of ponies are going to be looking to you for leadership. You might not be as tall as Auntie Celestia or Luna, or even me, but you still cast a long shadow. On top of that, you’re the most powerful unicorn ever seen. We still don’t know what kind of new magic you have either, so the other noble houses are nervous about you.”

Twilight grimaced. “I can’t be seen as weak or uncertain, no matter how true that is. Is that right?”

Cadence nodded. “Exactly.” She walked over to Twilight and ruffled her hair with one of her front hooves. “I know you’re good at organizing, and you’re already one of the smartest ponies I know. You can be a princess without trying. But you have to act like one too, and that’s not easy.” She sighed and sat near the fireplace, just atop the rug. “I’d know—Celestia taught me how when I first became an alicorn.”

Twilight blinked for a moment. “She did?” She trotted over and sat next to her old foalsitter, now her equal. She shivered at the thought. “Tell me how that went.”

Cadence chuckled. “I was in the same boat you’re in, trying to take all this in at once. It was confusing and hard to remember—especially things like etiquette. But there was one thing she told me that always got me through it.”

“And what was that?” Twilight’s eyes widened, her gaze locked on Cadence. “What lesson did you have to learn?” It was one she’d have to remember as well.

Cadence looked toward Twilight with a smile. “No matter what may happen, never lose who you really are. For me, it was my love, not just for Celestia, but for every pony I came across. Sure I got angry, but it was only from all the pointless arguments. It was just so silly to me.”

Twilight glanced at the carpet, her eyes distant, gaze trained elsewhere than the floor. For her, it was her friends. She wasn’t just friends with them, though—she was friends with an entire town. Ponyville had been her life for three years, and she’d seen so much. A Nightmare Night where Luna was accepted again; ponies celebrating their first successful Winter Wrap-Up in years; a formal event turned into a complete riot, saved only by the fact that it was something new and different. Twilight made a mental note to change how the Gala operated this year.

“Everything okay there?”

Twilight shook herself out of her trance and looked toward Cadence. “I want to see my friends.”

Cadence grinned. “I figured you would say that. You always get that wistful look when you’re thinking of them. I could arrange to have them brought here for you...” She giggled as Twilight’s face scrunched up. “...But if you want to do it yourself, that’s fine.”

Twilight smiled, stood back up, and trotted to the middle of the room, just in the center of her cutie mark carving. “Let’s get this going, Cadence. I need to be able to act like a princess before they get here.” But she’d never lose herself to it.

Cadence stood and walked until she was just beside Twilight, then she settled into posture without effort. “Now remember... relaxed, but regal.”

That night, Twilight dreamt of flying with Rainbow Dash, and of having a proper spa date with Rarity. She dreamt of tea with Fluttershy and attending another Apple Family reunion. She dreamt of one big party, with Pinkie and her in the middle of it all, and everyone else. A smile etched itself on her face for the rest of the evening.

Applejack wasn’t one for anything Rarity called “fabulous.” She’d rather call it impractical or wasteful and leave it at that, but miss frou-frou-frilly pony decided to be stubborn as a mule when it came to the spa. It was the one thing she insisted they do today along with Fluttershy, and Applejack had promised to participate in something that involved Rarity’s way of life, if the dressmaker would do the same for the farm pony.

“Nnnngh...”

She never did get why Fluttershy needed her wings preened and oiled, or why Rarity insisted on playing around in the mud like one of the pigs on the farm. They tried to explain to her, but it always went over her head.

“Little to the left—mmmm! There we go... Sweet Celestia, why didn’t I think of this sooner?”

This... Applejack could understand this.

Aloe’s hooves pressed into Applejack, finding knots the farm pony had ignored or worked through without complaint. A kink in her neck, fixed with a single light tap. Her right shoulder, unwound with a few gentle rubs. Her back legs uncoiled like tightly-wound springs. “This’s some kinda magic. It’s gotta be,” Applejack drawled, taking on an almost drowsy tone.

Rarity giggled. “I take it you are enjoying your first massage?” She peered out from one of the cucumbers over her eyes. “You worked so hard yesterday and Apple Bloom was fast asleep when I arrived, so I figured I’d treat you to this.”

“I feel like one of my ropes after it’s untangled and hung up,” Applejack sighed as another knot eased away. “If this’s what that feels like, sign me up for it!” She tilted her head toward Rarity. “You sure you okay about paying for this? I got the bits for it—”

“—and I insist that you not spend a single one of them. That money is yours; you earned it. You should be saving instead of spending it on silly things.” Rarity grinned. “That’s my job, and I’m happy to do it for my friends, so no more arguments!”

Applejack chuckled. “Well, you ain’t gettin’ any more lip from me on this, that’s for sure. I admit defeat.” Applejack groaned from yet another strained muscle being stretched out. “This keeps up, I won’t be awake for the rest of it.”

Fluttershy giggled from the adjacent table, her wings glistening with a faint sheen of peppermint oil. “You should have seen me after my first one. They had to wake me up for the next appointment on the books!” She gave Lotus Blossom a nod as the spa pony walked toward Rarity’s mud bath. “So you were saying something about heading for Canterlot this weekend?”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah, we’re gonna pay Twi a visit. It was Rainbow Dash’s idea, actually.” She hesitated for a moment. “She also had another idea, one that I’m already on board with. It’s crazy and probably won’t work, but I can’t rightly back out now.”

Rarity pulled the cucumber slices off her eyes. “Whatever do you mean, Applejack?”

“Well, y’all ever heard of Sky Racing?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened.

Rarity tilted her head to the right, her hoof rubbing her chin in thought. “Is it something like the Wonderbolt Derby? That was rather exciting to watch, and I do admit placing a small bet on one of them, just to see what it was like.”

Applejack shook her head. “Not exactly. That there’s just racing in a circle a few times. Sky Racing is—”

“—racing with twists and turns and curves.”

The other two mares in the room shifted their gaze toward Fluttershy, who was busy hiding behind her mane. “Um... it’s reserved for pegasi with a wing power of one thousand at minimum, on specially built courses. It’s not just speed—it’s agility and cornering, watching the best line to take while making sure nopony else finds a better one.”

Applejack sat there on the massage table, stunned into silence. When she managed to speak, it was with a soft tone. “Didn’t know you were a fan, ’Shy.”

Fluttershy blushed. “I’m not. Not really. It’s all very scary to me, honestly.”

Rarity blinked. “Well only an aficionado of the sport could know such things, dear. So if it’s not you, then your parents must have talked about it quite a bit, yes?”

“Something like that.” Fluttershy stared at the tiled floor just below her massage table, and her wings trembled. She took in a breath and spoke again. “I never told you about my parents, did I? You never asked, and I was fine with that. I think it’s time I said something.” She looked toward Applejack, then Rarity. “My dad is a retired Sky Racer.”

Two pairs of eyes widened. “Well shoot, that’s about the darndest thing!” Applejack grinned. “I mean, I heard about the hurricane you helped out with—thought all that speed from you came outta nowhere. Guess that shows how wrong I was about that!”

Rarity almost squealed with delight. “Well, you must tell us all about this! I can’t imagine how many tried to knock him off the track, how many close calls or crashes he had. To think that my dearest friend has such an important pony for a father!” She rose from her mud bath, just in time for Aloe to come by and rinse her off. “So tell me, how many races did he win?”

“Um... all of them.”

Rarity blinked again. Applejack’s jaw went slack for a few seconds before she got herself together again. “Beg pardon, sugar cube? Heard you say all of them.”

Fluttershy sighed. “Just before he retired, my dad, Sunset Streak, was the champion of the Pegasus Grand Prix for three years running.”

Rarity’s squeal finally came out. “My best friend has a bona-fide celebrity for a father, and she never told me! Honestly I should be angry, but I’m not, because it’s just so wonderful!” Stars danced in her eyes. “This explains Flight Camp too, it makes perfect sense! He wanted you to follow in his hoofprints—”

“—and I failed!” Fluttershy sniffed, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. “I couldn’t race, I couldn’t fly, I could barely open my wings, and if it weren’t for Rainbow Dash, I... I...”

“You wouldn’t have done what you did when it came time to send water to Cloudsdale.” Applejack bowed her head. “But you’re wrong about one thing. You did follow in his hoofprints. Twilight told us all everything after it was over. You put out a thousand wing power out there, and if it weren’t for you, that water wouldn’t have gotten where it needed to be!” Applejack lifted her head toward Fluttershy with a smile. “Dash might’ve pushed you and motivated you—but that? That was all you.”

Fluttershy fell silent, her eyes locked on Applejack’s. Then she brushed the tears away and smiled back. “It... it was all me, wasn’t it?”

Rarity nodded. “And a fine thing it was! It must’ve been satisfying, hearing everyone cheer you on.” She glanced at Applejack. “So I trust Rainbow Dash’s idea is to take us all to the races and watch, right?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I already figured what Applejack was talking about when she said it. Rainbow Dash is gonna try to win this year’s Grand Prix.”

Applejack nodded. “I was gonna ask this when we went to Canterlot, but since we’re already talking about it—are y’all in or out?” She glanced at Fluttershy. “I can rightly understand if you don’t wanna. You can say no and that’ll be okay. But I don’t know what she’s gonna do if we’re even one member short, and I don’t think she trusts anyone else.”

For a few moments, Fluttershy stared at the floor again, her eyes shifting from side to side. After a while she shut her eyes, took in a breath, and lifted her head. “No, Applejack. I’ll do it.” She opened her eyes and turned toward Applejack with a smile. “She needs us again, and that won’t change no matter how scary this is. I just don’t know what I can do to help.”

“Well I know what she’ll need me for,” Rarity responded with a toss of her curls, “so I can certainly help with that. But I’m not cut out for—what was it—pit crew work?” Her eyes narrowed. “The smell of all that wing oil and all the sweat and grime and...” She almost paled. “No, I do not believe I can do that.”

Applejack chuckled. “She won’t need you to. Just come to the races and watch her; cheer her on. You’re right, though—she’s gonna need something to race in. I’m sure she’ll let you know the specifics when it’s time.” The farm pony sighed in relief. “Y’know, for a second there, I though I wouldn’t be able to get y’all to do this!”

Rarity blinked. “Why not? Would it be the fact that none of us know much about this, present company excluded? Or the fact that some of us don’t like being icky?” She smiled. “Well, that’s never stopped us before, has it?”

Fluttershy turned toward Applejack. “Rainbow’s helped us so many times. If we can help her with her dreams, we should put everything we can behind it. Besides, I’m not going to let how nervous I am about all this get in the way.”

Applejack grinned. “Atta girl! Now all she needs is a captain and we’re good.” She placed a hoof under her chin. “Only question is, who’s that gonna be?”

Team Dynamics

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“Okay, so have you already figured out what you’re gonna say to them?”

Lightning Dust shook her head. “I haven’t exactly hashed that out yet. I mean, what do you say to somepony you could have hurt really badly? Especially since one of them is a princess. I could get in some deep trouble for this if it goes wrong.” Her eyes widened. “I could even be barred from the Wonderbolts if she—”

Rainbow laughed. “Now you’re just being paranoid! Twilight might be upset—even disappointed—but she won’t just fly off the handle.” She directed her gaze toward Mount Canter as it loomed on the horizon. “I’d like to think she’s past that phase by now. Besides, even if she does try that, my friends will get her to see reason. Especially Applejack.”

Lightning cringed at the name, and her ears folded back. “From what you’ve told me about that one, I don’t think she’ll take it as calmly as everyone else. I think the shy one will just be scared of me, and that dressmaker might snub me entirely.”

“Maybe, but she’ll warm up to you.” Rainbow glanced back at Lightning. “Don’t worry about AJ. She’ll know if you’re real about apologizing or not. And Pinkie won’t care—she’ll just try to make you laugh.” Her eyebrows tilted upward. “You might be right about Fluttershy, though. I’ll have to convince her you’re not out to get her.”

Dust grimaced. “No, I’ll do that. It’s my mess—I’ll clean it up.”

Mount Canter’s silhouette swelled in size as they approached. Rainbow picked up speed with a grin, Lightning following in her wake. “So, do you already have an idea about who’s best for what position,” Lightning called out over the rush of wind, “or are we gonna work on that as we go?”

Rainbow kept her gaze trained forward. “I’ll tell you when we land!”

They touched down in Canterlot Square, and the crowd parted as they glided toward their landing zone. Rainbow turned toward Lightning with a smile. “I told the others to meet up at Pony Joe’s. Their train should be here in a few minutes; we have time to head over.” She headed east from the fountain at a trot, Lightning at her right side. “I won’t have much to say besides introducing you. If you haven’t planned out what you’ll start with—”

Lightning chuckled. “I can’t script something like this. No matter how much time I’ll have to think about it, it won’t be enough. So I’ll just wing it.”

The two pegasi walked into the cafe, and Joe greeted them from the bar. They picked a booth near one of the windows and sank into the plush leather cushions with sighs of relief. Rainbow ordered two boxes of doughnuts and several shakes of various flavors, and Lightning quirked an eyebrow. “Trust me, we’re gonna need ’em,” Rainbow said as she fished a doughnut out of one of the boxes. “So about the positions...”

“Yeah, I was just about to get to that.” Lightning took in a breath. “We need two grease ponies, one on either wing; a markspony to put the sign up for your position in the pit lane; and somepony to refill the water trough, because that thing runs out quick. Four ponies in total.”

“Right. Here’s who I was considering.” Rainbow took a sip from her shake. “The grease ponies are gonna have to be Applejack and Pinkie Pie. They’re not afraid to get dirty, and Pinkie would have a field day out there, because she thinks everything is fun. Fluttershy will be the one to refill the water trough. I don’t think she’ll be up for anything more than that, even though she’s braver than she looks.”

Lightning nodded. “That leaves this Rarity you keep talking about. Don’t you already have her making your flight suit?”

“Yeah, and she’ll do an amazing job of it. But I think she should be the markspony.” Rainbow held a hoof up before Lightning could respond. “I only know one other pony who can tolerate holding a sign up for that long, and she’ll be busy with something more important. Besides, it doesn’t get her dirty, so she’ll be fine with it.”

“Fine with what, exactly?”

Rainbow turned toward the entrance to find Rarity on her way toward their table with Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie in tow. Rainbow grinned as their faces lit up with surprise and delight at the food laid out before them. “Well, how about that? You came prepared for once,” Applejack chuckled as she sat next to Dash.

“That’s because Dashie is serious!” Pinkie scooted next to Lightning, who pulled away from her with wide eyes at how she’d come almost out of nowhere. “Hey, I know you! You’re—”

“The one that tried to blow us out of the sky.” Rarity’s eyes narrowed. “I do hope you haven’t come here to be casual with us after that.”

Applejack turned toward Rainbow. “I sure hope you got a good explanation for this, sugar cube...”

Dash nodded. “I do. But I’m not the one that’ll give it.” She glanced at Lightning and gave her a nod.

Dust nodded back and turned toward Rarity. Then she closed her eyes and turned away with a sigh. “I don’t deserve to be here.”

Rarity blinked and tilted her head to the right, one eyebrow raised and her eyes wide.

“You girls have every right to be angry, and probably need to talk this whole thing over without having to worry about me. I did some more research on you guys; turns out I almost hurt some very, very important ponies. As if Rainbow chewing me out wasn’t enough—”

Rainbow pounded the table with her right forehoof, jostling the plates. “I did not chew you out!”

“Let me finish.” She waited a moment before glancing around the table, her eyes heavy with regret. “I knew I was in trouble when I lost control of that tornado. When I got tossed by the wind, I didn’t see where it was headed. By the time I saw what happened, it was too late for me to do anything, so I let Rainbow handle it.” She sighed. “Should’ve taken care of it myself.”

Nopony replied, and after a pause, Lightning cleared her throat. “I got tossed in the brig after that, and the thing that probably hit me the most was when I was told Rainbow almost quit because of what I did. You guys won’t believe this, but I liked having her around. Somepony that flew as well as I did, pushed herself just as hard, and was just as confident that she’d ace this whole thing? I couldn’t have asked for a better pony to hang with! She wouldn’t slow me down—wouldn’t hold me back.”

“No wonder you two got along so well.”

Everypony turned toward Fluttershy, who had that rare surety in her eyes when she knew exactly what to say. “Rainbow doesn’t like to be held back or slowed down either. But she does it anyway. If she didn’t take time out to do that, I don’t know where I’d be.” She turned toward Lightning with a smile. “None of us would.”

Applejack nodded. “I’m gonna assume you weren’t there to make friends, not necessarily. You were there to be a Wonderbolt, to prove you were the best out of everypony else. But there’s a snag to that plan.”

She leaned forward, just enough to make Lightning turn toward her. “Being the best doesn’t mean trampling over everypony else, especially when you’re part of a team. Sometimes you gotta be the one on the bottom, so somepony else can climb up to where they need to be.”

Lightning stared at Applejack for a moment, glanced at Pinkie—who was still grinning—and then turned to Rarity, meeting her gaze. “I just wanna say I’m—”

Rarity lifted her right hoof. “Not another word.” She took a sip of the shake in front of her. “If you apologize after all that, I may very well not forgive you.” She smiled. “You seem to have learned your lesson and want to make up for it. The question is, how?”

“Well, has Rainbow told you her plan?”

“By proxy or otherwise, yes.” Rarity turned toward Dash. “Speaking of which, what were you saying earlier?”

Rainbow looked up from her doughnut, eyes wide. “What? Oh, that!” She brushed the crumbs from her muzzle and cleared her throat. “I know you’re already in for making my flight suit. I don’t even have to ask that. What I’m going to ask is something you probably don’t wanna do, but you’ll like it anyway, because it doesn’t get you messy.”

Rarity lifted her chin. “There are many things I don’t want to do, but I do them anyway. Ask, and I’ll try it once.”

Rainbow nodded and looked around the table. “Before I do, I need to tell everypony what a crew needs. We need two grease ponies—ponies that keep a racer’s wings oiled—one for each wing. We need a water pony to keep that water trough nice and full, because if it runs out, I run out of steam. And we need a markspony to help me find my stall in the pit lane via a sign. That’s one job for each of you.”

Rarity nodded. “I’m going to assume that you want me as the water pony, correct?”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, that’s Fluttershy. AJ and Pinkie will be the ones keeping my wings oiled. You’re going to be my markspony. It’s one of the most important jobs, because that pit lane is going to get crowded, fast.”

Rarity rubbed a hoof under her chin. “And if you get lost out there, you won’t be able to make a stop when you need to. So it will be on me to show you where your place is.”

“Exactly! And you can hold something like that up longer than anypony here.” Rainbow shrugged. “Sure, you’d still have to deal with the smell and the noise, but we’ve all got things we gotta deal with. This way, the grime will be off your hooves.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed again, this time in thought instead of ire, then she nodded. “I do believe I can manage it.”

Rainbow grinned. “All right! So we’ve got everything set up and ready to—”

“Hang on just a minute.” Applejack looked around the table. “Aren’t we supposed to have a leader, somepony who keeps everything running smoothly? I mean, none of us here can really lead besides Rainbow, so the only other viable option would be...”

Lightning glanced up from the table for a moment. “Now you see why I said I don’t deserve to be here.”

“Um... you’re the only one that thinks that.” Fluttershy wrapped a wing around Lightning and put a hoof under her chin to lift her head upward, enough that their eyes could meet. “I’m sure you’ll make a great team leader.”

“Yup! And even if you don’t, we’re all behind you one hundred percent!” Pinkie joined in the hug, and Lightning blushed.

Rarity and Applejack glanced at each other before the dressmaker cleared her throat. “Terribly sorry, darling, but aside from the two of you and Rainbow, not too many of us hold that same opinion. After what she did at Wonderbolt Academy, and despite her apology that we all accepted, I don’t think she’s in the best position for that. That would have to be—”

“It’s not gonna be Twilight.” Rainbow shook her head. “She’s gonna be part of this, but she has something more important to do than just lead the race team. I’ll tell you when we go see her today, but trust me when I say there’s nopony better I can think of to be a crew captain than Dust here.”

Lightning took in a breath. “Before you go anywhere else with this, I have something I want to say. Been thinking about it for a while now.”

The rest of the table went silent. Lightning sighed and closed her eyes, still in the midst of Pinkie and Fluttershy’s hug. After a few moments, she opened her eyes. “I’m glad you’re all just letting me sit here with you after what I did, and I’m glad you forgive me. But I came here to make up for it somehow. When Rainbow came to me with this, I didn’t think half of you would accept it so easily. I knew some of you would chafe at it, and I understand.” She looked up from the table, toward Rarity. “But I have to do this. And besides, I’m not really the leader.”

Lightning pointed a hoof toward Rainbow Dash. “In Sky Racing, the racers are the ones that win the races. They’re the ones that run the laps, that fight for position, that give their all to be one of the first three across that line when it’s over. That would put any final decisions in Rainbow’s hooves, and for some reason she picked me to be her coach and crew captain.”

She turned toward Applejack. “You said something about having to stand under somepony to help them get where they needed to be. Well, that’s my job. I wasn’t any good at it in Basic, and I didn’t learn anything about it while I was there. But now that I’ve seen all of you and gotten the chance to talk... I want to learn, starting right now.”

Silence fell over the table again. A few moments later, Applejack shrugged. “She’s got my vote.”

“I suppose after that, she’d have anypony's vote, wouldn’t she?” Rarity nodded. “All right; I did say I’d try anything once. I can tell when somepony is trying to change for the better—believe me, I’d know what that looks like.” She smiled. “So then, what say we show those other teams how a real race is run?” She put her right hoof forward, toward the middle of the table.

Applejack nodded and did the same. “Like I said before, I’m already in it—for better or worse.”

Fluttershy and Pinkie broke from the hug long enough to follow suit. “This is gonna be the best Grand Prix ever,” Pinkie squealed. “We’re gonna have so much fun!”

Rainbow put her hoof forward as well. “Once this starts, I won’t accept anything less than victory. We either win, or we go home. With you girls behind me, there’s no way this’ll be anything less than awesome!”

Everypony looked to Lightning, who sat there wide-eyed. “You guys...” She smiled. “You guys have something that I really, really want. I don't even know what to call it, but I want it." She put her hoof in the circle. "We're gonna bring the cup back to Ponyville, whatever it takes!"

Twilight Sparkle peered at Celestia from the corner of her eye, her teacher levitating a cup of honey tea and taking a sip. The captain of Manehattan’s weather team was giving his monthly report, his gaze shifting back and forth between Celestia and Twilight as he spoke of the storm front that was planned to hit the city in the next week and refill the reservoir.

She didn’t like how he kept glancing at her. She already felt awkward enough, sitting here next to her mentor.

“Very good,” Celestia said with a nod. “I’ll leave it to you. Let me know if you need any assistance from the Royal Weather Patrol; I’ll have a few members sent out. You need all the rain you can get.”

The pegasus bowed, the badge on his vest glinting in the sunlight as he rose. “You’re most kind, Your Highness. If there’s nothing else you’d ask of me, I’ll take my leave...” He looked back at Twilight and smiled half heartedly before turning to leave.

“Just one more thing.”

The captain stopped in his tracks.

“Is there a problem with having my student sit in for this?”

He tensed. “N-no, not at all! I’m just unfamiliar with having another—” He cleared his throat. “A new royal to speak with.” He turned to face Celestia again. “I don’t really know Princess Twilight all that well besides what I’ve heard about her. I wasn’t even able to come to the coronation—business at home, y’see.”

Celestia took another sip from her tea cup as she opened her eyes to regard the captain. “Well, you do have a point there.” She turned toward Twilight. “Rest assured, she means you no harm. But if you would rather she study the workings of Day Court somewhere else, it can be arranged.” She frowned, her brows tilting upward. “I believe, however, that the experience she would lose in reading about it would be a tragic thing indeed.” She turned back toward the captain. “Don’t you agree, April Showers?”

The stallion ran a hand through his frost-blue mane, equally blue eyes resting on Twilight. This time, he gave her his full attention, and she squirmed under his gaze. He sighed and took a few steps toward her. “I agree.” He bowed to Twilight. “Forgive me for doubting you right off the bat; it’s somewhat unfair of me. This changes a lot of things for all of us, though.”

Twilight relaxed as he rose from his bow. “I know that. I’m trying to learn as quickly as I can, but it’s going to take time to get it all right.” She smiled at him. “I’ll be fine, though. Sooner or later, you’ll see me holding court instead of Celestia. We all know she needs a break from it!”

There was a round of polite laughter from the crowd of ponies in the room, and a genuine smile from April. “Glad to hear it. I wish you the best.” He bowed to Celestia again and turned to leave the room.

She leaned down toward Twilight. “Very well done,” she whispered. “I didn’t expect him to just walk up to you like that. He doesn’t do well with sudden changes, I’m afraid. You set him at ease.”

Twilight looked up at Celestia with a grin. “Did I?”

“You did.” Celestia sat back up again and lifted her right forehoof over a small pedestal just near her throne. “Is there anypony else?”

The room fell silent.

“Then we recess for lunch and some music.” She tapped her hoof twice on the pedestal, and the ring of her golden horseshoe echoed across the room with each knock. Murmurs of conversation filled the hall as the nobility headed through the doors at the front of the audience chamber, and she turned to Twilight again. “I think that’s enough for today. Why don’t you go join them and socialize a bit?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, thanks. Honestly, they still scare me.” She chuckled. “Yeah, the Princess of Friendship, Element of Magic, scared of a few ponies. I don’t think any of them really want to be my friends.”

Celestia regarded Twilight, her gaze calculating. “And how do you know this?”

The student stared at the marble-tiled floor. “I-I dunno... I can just feel it. Most of them are watching for any mistakes I make, ready to use them against me.” She frowned. “It’s just a pit of cockatrices out there for me.”

Celestia smiled. “It’s all right. You can retire to your tower. Just one more thing, though.” She tilted her head to the right. “You said ‘most of them,’ not ‘all.’”

“Yes—yes I did.” Twilight looked back up at Celestia. “Why?”

“Who exactly can you exclude from the number of ponies that don’t like you?”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Is this... a test or something?”

Celestia shook her head. “Not at all. It’s just an observation I’m starting to make. Now please, answer my question.”

Twilight lowered her head again. “Well...” She frowned, eyes narrowed with focus. “I remember seeing my mom and dad here today, but I think there were two others. They were—what were their names?” She tilted her head to the left, as if doing so would help her remember. Her eyes widened after a few moments. “Ah, that’s right! Fancy Pants and his Prench wife, Fleur de Lis. They’re more curious than anything—at least, that’s what I think.”

“And you could tell all that without even looking at them?”

Twilight blushed. “Yeah, I could. I don’t know how I did it, I just—”

Celestia placed a hoof atop Twilight’s head. “The Elements of Harmony are unpredictable things, Twilight. Many researchers have tried to gauge what they’re fully capable of, but the crystals have defied every attempt at analysis. There may very well be no explanation for it.” She ruffled her student’s mane. “I can’t say for certain, but I think this may be first of your new abilities.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “You mean I can tell how somepony’s feeling?”

“I don’t think that’s exactly it.” Celestia looked upward for a moment. “It’s more like you may be able to read their intentions. How they feel and what they intend for you are two different things.” She looked down at Twilight again. “You will know the difference soon enough. In fact, you have to know the difference, or else the less scrupulous nobles will take advantage of you.”

Twilight gulped before nodding. “I understand.”

Celestia nodded back at her. “You need to see your friends today, right?” Before Twilight could respond, Celestia put a hoof just under her chin, closing her student’s mouth. “Go to your tower and get ready, then. You’ve more than earned some time with them.”

Twilight grinned, gave Celestia a quick bow, and leapt out of her chair before breaking into a sprint toward her personal chambers. Before long, she raced up the stairs to her bedroom and opened the doors with her magic, skidding to a halt just in front of the etching of her cutie mark. “Oh, I hope I’m not late! There’s no telling when they’ll be here!”

A distant voice in the back of her head told her to calm down, but the rest of her ignored it in favor of dashing around the room, rearranging things that didn’t need to be moved and checking her wardrobe for something to wear. Another voice pointed out that ponies don’t normally wear clothes, and it made her giggle before closing the cherry oak doors again. “I really should relax. I mean, it’s not like this is anything important, it’s just a day out.” She headed for the vanity just to the right of the wardrobe and dragged a brush through her hair. “Though I do need to apologize to Pinkie for missing that party she had planned for me.”

“That’s okay, Twilight! I had another one planned just in case you missed it!”

Twilight sighed. “Well that’s a relief, because I thought—” Her eyes widened, her magic losing its grip on the brush. She wheeled around and found Pinkie right in front of her, her grin a mile wide. Twilight leapt three feet into the air with a shriek.

Pinkie giggled. “I always love surprising you like that. It’s so easy to do!”

“Well, stop it! You’re gonna give me a heart attack before I become an old mare.” Twilight took a moment to stop her heart from pounding. Once she calmed herself, she lifted the brush again and ran it through her hair to straighten out the tangles Pinkie gave her. “How did you get past the guards, anyway?”

“There aren’t any guards on the outside wall, silly! I came in through the window!”

Twilight blinked. “But I’m three stories up—oh, never mind.” She gave Pinkie a brief hug before heading for the door. “So if you’re here, where’s everypony else?”

A knock on the door answered her question, and she trotted over to open it, only to be tackled by two ponies. “Twilight!”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash almost knocked her over in their pounce, with Rarity and Fluttershy preferring to walk in. “It’s been too long, sugar cube,” Applejack said with a nuzzle. “We missed you!”

Rainbow grinned as she mussed Twilight’s mane. “You been using those wings of yours yet? I mean, somepony’s been teaching you that too, right? ’Cause if they haven’t, I could totally do that!”

Twilight smiled and let her friends rough her up as the others joined in the cuddle pile. “So then, how’s life in the castle been for you? I know all that work must be a terrible strain on you,” Rarity said worriedly.

Twilight backed away from the hug with a huff. “Honestly? It’s been tiring. I’ve had to learn so much about actually being in charge that I never knew about before, not to mention that most of the nobles don’t like me all that much.”

Rarity sniffed. “That’s because most of them are fools. They don’t take the time to look at anything they’re not comfortable with.” She glanced around the bedchamber. “But enough about that unpleasantness. This place is absolutely wonderful!” She trotted toward the four-post bed and ran a hoof along the velvet comforter. “I’d love to stay in here for a night or two sometime. I bet I would sleep like a rock.”

“I can arrange that, if you want. Matter of fact, you girls should stay the night.” Twilight gasped. “We could have another sleepover!”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “I sure hope you don’t try to, erm... go by the book. We all know how the last one went when you did.”

Rarity turned toward the princess. “She does have a point. Surely you know by now that books are not the ultimate authority on everything. Life is learned by living it, not reading a book on how to live it.”

Twilight blushed. “I’ll keep that in mind when we actually get to it.” She cleared her throat. “So then, what are we doing today?”

Rainbow peered around the room. “Wait, we’re missing one.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “We are?” Glancing toward the doors, she sighed. “Consarn it... hang on, everypony.” She marched toward the exit but stopped halfway when Fluttershy stepped in front of her.

“Um, I’m sorry, but...” She dipped her head behind her mane. “Maybe I could try to bring her in?”

Applejack blinked, peered toward the doors, then shrugged. “Long as she gets in here, I’m fine with it. I don’t know what she’s so skittish about—it’s just Twilight.”

Twilight chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t think anypony can say I’m ‘just Twilight’ anymore.”

Her ears swiveled toward the bedchamber doors as Fluttershy headed out to look for this last guest. She picked up faint snatches of conversation, and her eyes narrowed as she tried to focus. “Who is this pony you brought with you, anyway?”

“Well, she’s—”

Rainbow fell silent as Fluttershy came back inside. Another pegasus trailed behind her, her head lowered and eyes turned to the left, brows tilted upward.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Lightning Dust.”

The pony’s head snapped up, her eyes the size of pinpricks. “Y-you know me?”

Twilight closed her eyes. “Age sixteen; from Cloudsdale. Top marks at Junior Speedsters Camp, with instructors praising her for her boldness and drive. Family moved to Hoofington afterward, where she joined the local weather team upon meeting age requirements.” Twilight opened her eyes and took a few steps forward. “Selected to participate in the Wonderbolt Basic Training Course two years later after exemplary conduct in the Weather Service. Cited for endangering lives during the course; confined to the brig for forty-eight hours.”

Lightning wilted under Twilight’s gaze.

“If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s conducting research.” Twilight stopped three feet in front of the pegasus. “But you know what I found the most interesting?”

Lightning shook her head, her eyes squeezing closed.

Twilight smiled. “You ended up placing in the top five percent of the class.” She glanced toward Rainbow. “Friend of yours?”

“Yup!” Rainbow grinned. “She was my wing pony—well, not the whole time, but you get the idea. I figured I’d bring her over to meet you, since she said she’d never heard of you before.” She scoffed. “Imagine, a pony that’s never heard of the Twilight Sparkle!”

Lightning opened her right eye. “Well I learned a little bit about you from Dash here, but not all of it.”

Twilight nodded. “I see.” She tilted her head to the right, the gears in her brain coming to life. The eerie feeling she’d gotten from the nobles in Day Court came back to mind, as well as what Celestia had told her afterward. If there was any way to test it, this was it. “Well, one thing you’ll learn about me is that I don’t hold grudges. If you’re really sorry about what you did, then I’ll believe you.” Twilight reached for the sensation again.

Lightning opened her other eye and nodded. “I really am, about all of it. If I’d held back more, that wouldn’t have happened. And then I brushed it off as if it were nothing, because Rainbow stopped you guys from really getting hurt. But it was my fault, and I want to make up for it.”

Something in the back of Twilight’s mind whispered to her, and she nodded. “Well, there is one way—but before I say what it is, could you please stand up?” She blushed. “I’ve had enough ponies bow to me for one day, thank you very much.”

Her friends chuckled as Lightning got to her hooves. “Sorry, I just—” She shook her head. “Sorry. What did you need me to do?”

Twilight smiled. “Gimme a hug.”

Lightning raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Give me. A hug.” Twilight tilted her head again. “What, can’t you do it?”

“Oh I can, just... it’s weird, hugging a princess.”

“Oh, really?” Twilight giggled. “Come on, girls.”

Her friends pressed in around her and all hugged her at the same time. “See this? They’re not even nobility. Technically they’re not even supposed to be here, let alone touch me, but here they are. If they don’t care about my title, why should you?”

Lighting stammered, her ears drooping.

Twilight stepped away from the hug and walked toward Lightning. “The biggest thing about friendship is that you have to abandon what you’re comfortable with, put on a blindfold, and jump into the unknown. Not that I’m calling you a coward, but it takes a different kind of courage to do that than to face down a drill instructor.”

Lightning's eyes shifted between Twilight and her friends, but the ponies did nothing but stare back, waiting for her to move. Lightning sighed and closed the distance, wrapping a foreleg around Twilight's neck.

Pinkie groaned. "That's your best hug?"

Rarity frowned. “You know, she does have a point. With how passionate you were with us earlier, I’d have expected you to have a bit more gusto when it came to this.” She sniffed again. “Clearly, I was mistaken.”

Lightning stepped away. “Well, what do you want me to do? I mean, it’s just—” She shook her head. “It’s just uncomfortable.”

Fluttershy gasped. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! That hug that Pinkie and I gave you must’ve been—”

“No, that was okay.” Lightning smiled. “That was more than okay; it made me feel great!”

Twilight nodded. “Then just reach for that feeling again. Close your eyes if you have to.” She smiled again. “We’re not leaving until you give me a good hug.”

“You’re a weird princess, you know that?” Lightning closed her eyes.

Twilight watched her, the buzz in the back of her head no longer audible. She lifted one eyebrow as the sensations returned—first a slight tingle at the back of her neck, then an itch that she couldn't scratch. She ignored Rainbow Dash’s yawn in favor of the rising anticipation, and her smile turned to a grin.

She met Lightning halfway once the pegasus walked forward, and they both reared back to wrap their forelegs around each other. Twilight held tight, the buzz shifting into a clear, bright hum. “That any better?”

Lightning was silent for a few moments before she opened her eyes. “Yeah. I think I’m good now.” She broke away from the hug, and Twilight felt the sensation abate. “Wherever you guys are going, take me with you. I don’t have anything better to do, and we need to discuss a few things when we get there.”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, better to get this over with now; everypony’s been wondering about that, anyway.”

Twilight turned to face Dash. “What do you mean? Was there something you needed from me?”

Rainbow looked at the other ponies as she took in a breath. “Actually, there is. Something really big. It has to do with me getting into the Wonderbolts.” She lifted her right hoof. “No, I’m not asking you to make them accept me on the roster. I can find a way on my own—in fact, I already have an idea.” She gestured around the room. “Everypony else here is in on it, except you. Trust me, you’re gonna like this one.”

Applejack nodded. “It’s one of her better-thought-out plans. Figure it’s worth a shot.”

Twilight nodded. “Just tell me what it is, and I’ll help you out in any way I can.”

Lightning cleared her throat. “I think I’ll explain this one.” She walked until she stood in the center of the room, and the other six fillies surrounded her. “The Pegasus Grand Prix is the biggest series in Sky Racing. It’s mostly run on special cloud circuits, each twist and turn designed to test a racer’s limits.” She paced in a circle as she pressed on. “Final victory is not based on wins, it’s based on points. This means that there are no minor tracks—every race counts.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as Lightning spoke. She could feel the passion that Dust had for the sport. Twilight put a note in the back of her mind to research it later, but for now she tuned her ears forward.

“Each team that enters puts their all into recruiting the best pegasi. They put in countless practice hours on each track. Everypony in that race has something to fight for. They’re either there because this is the highest form of flight, or they’re there because they need to win; winning will help them achieve something more. It’s why it’s called the Race of Dreams.

“But more than that, everypony spends a good amount of bits to keep their racers going. Wing oil, flight suits, license fees, equipment, water, and places to stay during the race weekends—all add up.” She stopped pacing just in front of Twilight. “What I’m saying is that each team has a sponsor to pay for all this.”

“And you want me to be yours. Is that it?”

Rainbow nodded. “I can totally understand if you say no. You got princess stuff to do—we can find another. But...” She sighed. “I trust you more than any other pony out there. You’d look out for us—you always have. Will you help me?”

Twilight dipped her head. This was a lot they asked of her, supporting a racing team. They’d be counting on her for so much, and she knew it wasn’t all about the money either. But Rainbow was right in the fact that she had so much to learn still, and that meant she couldn’t spend a moment away from Celestia or Luna. She looked up at Rainbow. “How long until this starts?”

Rainbow grinned. “It’s in pre-season right now; we still have a few weeks.”

Twilight nodded. Plenty of time to ask for some advice. “Give me two days.”

Rainbow nodded, still grinning. “I’ll give you all the time you want. I just hope you say yes by the end of it!”

“If nothing else, I’ll cheer you girls on from wherever I am, even if it’s not in the stands.” Twilight just wasn’t sure it would be as their sponsor. Not yet, anyway. “But this isn’t the time to decide on that—we’ve gotta go have some fun!” She trotted toward the double doors. “Let’s paint the town, girls!”

Pinkie pouted. “But I don’t even have my brushes! How am I gonna paint anything without those?”

Lightning sniggered. “Is she always like this?”

“You’ll get used to her, darling,” chuckled Rarity. “We all had to, at one point.”

The seven fillies walked out from Twilight’s room and headed downstairs, Pinkie bouncing every few steps. Rainbow trotted up to Twilight and slowed to match her pace. “So then, about that whole flying thing. You got anypony teaching you yet?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’d ask Celestia or Luna, but they have so little free time. Cadence is leaving for the Northlands again soon—she won’t be able to coach me. So that leaves only two ponies.”

“Well, I know for a fact that I don’t have anything better to—” Rainbow blinked. “Wait a minute. Two?”

Twilight turned her gaze toward Rainbow. “Well yeah. I mean, you’re going to be busy getting ready for that race, right? And from what I can tell, it’s going to be a whole bunch of them.”

Rainbow’s brows tilted upward, her eyes wide. “But that’s weeks away! I’ll have plenty of time—”

“No you won’t, because you’ll be busy training with everypony else for the season opener at Wonderbolt Stadium,” Lightning snorted. “I’m not about to take any chances when it comes time for the big show. If you wanna do this, we need to start tomorrow, all of us.”

Twilight shrugged. “Well then, that leaves one.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Well who else could there be? I mean, I don’t know anypony more awesome than me to teach you how to fly.” She smirked. “I’ll have those wings of yours working full time before the Grand Prix starts, and still be ready for the race!”

Rarity chewed on her bottom lip. “You do know you’re putting an awful lot on yourself, do you not? Perhaps this other pony would be a more suitable candidate.”

Applejack shrugged. “Well, Twi always has a plan, and she’s never steered us wrong before. Whoever she picks, I’m sure she’s given it a lot of thought.” She glanced at Twilight. “Right, sugar cube?”

“Actually, no.”

Everypony stopped moving to stare at Twilight. Applejack was the first to recover. “Say again?”

Twilight turned toward the others. “I just thought of this a few minutes ago, while we were talking. I was right when I assumed Rainbow would be busy getting ready for the race, so I’d already ruled her out.” She glanced in Rainbow’s direction. “Sorry, but this is the way it has to be. Getting ready for the races is more important for you than helping me fly.”

Dash pouted. “Fine, but at least tell me who you picked.”

“In a bit.” Twilight directed her attention toward Lightning. “What position do you have on the team?”

Lightning lifted her head slightly. “Crew captain. My job is to help Rainbow pick her lines and pick her places to overtake other racers, and to make sure everypony does their best to get Rainbow in, refueled, and out before she loses too much distance.”

“So you’re the coach, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Lightning tilted her head. “Why?”

Twilight settled her face into a mask of authority, her brows in a slight frown even as she managed to keep her eyes relaxed. Her posture shifted as she straightened her back and stretched her neck slightly. Relaxed, yet regal. “Because if I’m going to trust you with my friends, I need to know what you’re capable of—how good of a trainer and coach you are.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “You’re not saying—”

Twilight nodded. “Lightning Dust is going to teach me how to fly.”

The Race of Dreams

by Hoof of Approval

Prologue: Dawn at Mareaco

Everything's Just Fine

Proposals

Team Dynamics