> Hope > by Flutterbat276 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter One: Dissapointment > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- She flew about Ponyville, happy and competitive as ever. Her rainbow mane flew behind her, and the feeling of the wind blowing by her made her feel a sense of happiness. That happiness was something Rainbow Dash had never outgrown. Ever since she had first lifted herself off the clouds that she had called home when she was a filly, she loved the feeling of flight. To be free as the birds she flew alongside and to be as agile as a cat as she dodged the trees she'd sometimes fly through in the bright sunny days of summer, spring, and fall. In winter, she visited her hibernating pet, Tank, to read him a Daring Doo book from time to time when she wasn't busy doing weather patrol. She had even volunteered to be the one to wake up her little buddy when Winter Wrap Up day came along. She flew into her cloud house above Ponyville to check the mail, as she had been doing everyday that week. This time, she caught the mail pony just in time! "Derpy!" Rainbow called. "Yea, Dash?" the wall-eyed pegasus responded, her golden eyes meeting Rainbow's magenta ones. "Did it arrive yet?" Rainbow asked as her hooves hit the fluffy patio. "Yes! It did! Here you go," Derpy said, giving the letter to her friend from Senior Speedsters Flight Camp. "Omigosh, thank you!" Rainbow said, obviously elated to see the familiar Wonderbolt emblem that sealed the letter shut. She flew over to Derpy and tackled her into a flying bear hug. Derpy, being the nice and laid back pony she was, hugged back, smiling. "Now, why are you so excited Rainbow Dash?" Derpy asked. "This is my approval letter into the Wonderbolts! I'll finally be more than...a...reserve..." Rainbow said, slowing her pace as she had started to read the letter. She read it aloud. Dear Rainbow Dash, We are sorry to inform you that you have been denied into the Wonderbolts. While your speed and agility is incredible for a mare of your size and age, you seem to be more of a show flyer than a competition flyer. We recommend you try for the "All Equestrian Show Flight Club" (AESFC) in downtown Las Pegasus instead. Their contact information is printed below. AESFC phone: (768) 504-3927 email: aesfcflyers@equestriamail.com Thank you for your time and energy at tryouts Ms. Dash. I really enjoyed your company. Sincerely, Spitfire, Caption of the Wonderbolts "What! This cannot be happening!" Rainbow screamed, reading over the letter one last time before starting to bawl her eyes out. She sat on her patio, her head in her hooves, crying. Derpy wrapped a wing around her to try and comfort her dear friend. > Chapter Two: A Soarin' Fire > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What do you mean you already sent the denial letter!" Soarin's voice boomed in the office of his superior. "Look, Soarin', I know you love Rainbow, but it's not like I had any choice in the matter! It was the flight executive's decision!" Spitfire replied, her usually professional tone had disappeared from her voice as she yelled. "You know that she wanted to be a Wonderbolt ever since she saw Wind Ryder and Hurricane Winds perform at Junior Speedsters Flight Camp! Why didn't you object!" "Because I don't have that authority, Soarin'! Do you think I wanted to deny her admission! Huh, Soarin'? Do you! If it were up to me, I would've given her the official team badge face to face on a buckin' silver platter at the throne room with Celestia herself to assist me, but it wasn't up to me, now was it!" Spitfire roared, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. "I...I..." Soarin' started, but he soon found out that he was speechless. Spitfire was right. It wasn't up to her or him as to whether Rainbow became a Wonderbolt or not. It was down to the flight executive to make the final say in the matter, and Soarin' had let his anger get the better of him this time. He bolted out the door as quickly as he could manage to head to Ponyville. He had to make sure Rainbow was okay! He just had to! > Chapter Three: Denial Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I'm a failure Derpy! A failure!" Rainbow wailed between sniffles and audible cries. Derpy hadn't removed her wing from Rainbow's back. "No you're not Rainbow! You are a great flyer! They just think you're too good for the team!" Derpy tried. She was determined to make her friend feel better, but to no avail. "But that means that I tried too hard to get into the Wonderbolts! They think I'm desperate! A silly filly who is too much!" Rainbow yelled. She had caught the attention of a few residents below, who had started to gather under the flying cloud home of Ponyville's best flyer and weather control caption, not to mention the barer of one of the Elements of Harmony and one of the best friends of a princess. "Rainbow Dash!" a familiar voiced called to her. She turned to see none other than the Wonderbolt himself, Soarin'. She had been one of his biggest fans ever! And there he was in his suit, which mocked her. "What?" Dash replied, putting her head back in her hooves as she sniffled loudly. Derpy finally stopped her relentless wing wrapping and backed off to give the two space. She even considered flying back to the mail room, but just flew over and sat on the nearest cloud. "I came to check on you. I care about you and..." "Save the stupid sappy stuff, Soarin'! I failed at becoming the thing I dreamed of becoming my entire life! How am I supposed to go on like this! I just need some space..." Rainbow said. Soarin' was a bit overprotective of her sometimes, but she had never known why. She had planned on questioning him when she got into the Wonderbolts, but all of Equestria knew how that turned out by then. "Dash, I..." "I said save the sappy stuff!" Rainbow snapped. "I can prove to Spitfire that I'm more than just a show flyer! I can prove myself! I can be a Wonderbolt like you!" Rainbow continued. Soarin' knew this process all too well. Grief. Stage one: denial. "Rainbow, I know that this was your dream all your life, but you don't have anything left to prove! You gave your all at tryouts, and I should know! I watched them! It was the most graceful flight routine I've ever seen! I'm sure you'd make an excellent entertainer, but you just have to..." Soarin' said, being cut off early by Rainbow once more. "You watched my tryouts? That's....weird...." Rainbow stated. She shook her head. "That aside, I know you wanna help, but let me handle this! I'll go back up there and demand that I get accepted tomorrow!" Soarin' shook his own head, knowing that she'd be at stage two by then. Anger. > Chapter 4: Denial Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Rainbow it will be ok, just calm d-" Soarin' said, as he was cut off by Rainbow. "Soarin' I told you I don't need your help!" Rainbow Dash said, as she flew away from Soarin' as fast as she could. "You know thats not true!" Soarin' said, as he dashed after Rainbow wondering why he cared so much, "You can't change the truth Rainbow no matter how much you try!" "That's what you think I will become a wonderbolt and you can't stop me!" Rainbow said, as she used her wings to send a gust of wind towards Soarin'. "Rainbow please just accept the facts, if you don't it will just make things harder on you." Soarin' said,  as he fought against the wind current Rainbow was producing. "Just shut up Soarin'!" Rainbow said, as she flew into the clouds. "Great now what did I do?" Soarin' thought as he flew after her. "Now where did she go?" "I swear your obsessed! Why can't you just leave me alone?" Rainbow said, as she looked right at Soarin' with a fire in her eyes. "Because I care about you Rainbow." Soarin' said, as he slowly flew towards Rainbow. "Well I don't care about you!" Rainbow screamed, as she flew so fast that the blast of wind knocked Soarin' of balance. "Well that hurt." Soarin' thought, as he serched for Rainbow. "I will go back and I will make it in." Rainbow said, as she headed towards Cloudsdale. "Now where could she have gone?" Soarin' asked, as he looked and saw a rainbow streak in the distance, "There she is." "All I have to do is just focus on my speed then they'll have to let me join." Rainbow said, as she sped up. "Jeez why is she going so fast?" Soarin' said, as she sped up to keep up with her. "Wait what's that noise?" Rainbow asked, as she herd wing beats and saw Soarin', "He just doesn't give up does he." "I've almost caught up with Rainbow." Soarin' thought as he felt a light pain in his right wing and a blast of air. "I told you to leave me alone." Rainbow said, muffled by the fact that she had a white feather in her mouth. "Wait how did you?" Soarin' asked, as he was baffled by how fast she was able to go. "Oh can it you were distracted which made it easy to turn around and take a feather before you ever even noticed." Rainbow said, as she spat out the feather. "It still doesn't change anything, they made their decision no please just calm down and-," Soarin' said, as he looked straight at Rainbow. "Soarin' shut up, you know nothing about me or even flying and remember even they wanted ME more than you!" Rainbow screamed, as she rammed into Soarin' and headed towards Cloudsdale. "Rainbow please stop." Soarin' screamed, as he regained his balance. "Good bye Soarin'." Rainbow said, as she sped up and hid in the clouds. > Chapter 5: The News > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soarin' stayed behind, thinking over what happened. He thought about trying to find Rainbow again, but she seemed like she needed time to calm down. Besides, if this was her denial, he really wasn't going to want to stick around for anger. It would be a while, yes, but he figured he would let her be alone. Yet again, she was going to confront Spitfire about this, which wouldn't help much. Whatever the issue, certainly she could handle it on her own. Dash sped closer and closer to Cloudsdale, stopping in the sky city. "I can be a wonderbolt! They'll see!" She said, walking towards her parents house. "Rainbow Dash!? What are you doing out here? Shouldn't my little Wonderbolt be in training now?" Her father asked. She looked at him, sadness filling her eyes. "Y-you didn't make it?" He asked, understanding the message. "No. I didn't," she said. "They said I was more fit for show flying. But I wanna be in the big leagues with some of the best flyers in all of Equestria!" she said. Her dad wrapped a wing around his daughter in an effort to comfort her. He sang an old lullaby her mother would sing when she had a nightmare as a filly. She hugged him tightly, sobbing into his coat and fur. "I...I was on my way over to the Academy to talk to Spitfire about this, but...Soarin'...he..." "Your idol tried to stop you?" "Mhm!" She said. "Well, I'll go with you to clear up any questions, if you want?" "No thanks dad. I just wanted to tell you the news. I'll be going off on my own to the Academy," she said. "Alright. But be careful. I know you can be a bit...out there when you get frustrated," he said. "Okay, dad. Bye," Rainbow said, heading out the door.