Rainbow Scout
"Rainbow Dash, I am very disappointed in you." Her father was glaring down at her in the Principal's office. Rainbow looked up, one wing still bruised.
"But I got my cutie mark!" She tried to cover why she had ditched class to join a race.
Her colt friends had been planning it for a week, and she was determined to win it and be the "cool" kid in Flight School. Halfway through though, the teachers had began to chase some down and take them back to class. Rainbow had managed to stay ahead of them and managed to leave the school grounds. She was going fast enough to have a cone of air form around herself. It was fantastic, until a Canterlot police officer had intercepted her, hurting her wing in the process. Rainbow had noticed something, and saw her rainbow bolt cutie mark appear. She managed a smile, but her wing still hurt badly and she was crying. She had been drug back to school and her dad was there waiting for her in the principal's office.
"Dad," Rainbow complained, "How else am I going to get into the Wonderbolts unless I show I'm a great flier?"
Rainbow's dad shot back, "That is enough Rainbow Dash. I apologize Mrs. Merrysky for interrupting school time. She will never attempt a stunt like this again."
"Oh I hope so, we will result to expulsion unless she can get under control. Thank you Mr. Dash for coming so quickly."
As they walked out of the school, Rainbow couldn't help but smirk. She had gotten her cutie mark, and it was worth the Saturday school.
12 Years Later
Rainbow looked up from her Wonderbolts magazine, her father had walked into her room.
"Kinda busy here dad." Rainbow resumed reading the article on Spitfire's promotion to Captain.
Rainbow's father slowly said, "Rainbow Dash, you can't stay here anymore."
She looked up dumbstruck, dropping her magazine on the couch. "Are- are you kicking me out!?"
He slowly nodded, "I'm getting old Dash, I can't pay for two ponies anymore. You need to find your own place or I'll go broke and we're on the streets. Janitor's don't get paid like doctors do today."
Rainbow stood up and faced her father. "You're just tired of me being around you? Isn't that right! You just don't want me to be here anymore! You don't think I can become a Wonderbolts do you?"
"No Dashie not at all-"
"Don't call me that!" She glared at him. She had figured something was going on since that day in Flight School.
She had gotten expelled like the principal had threatened. This time for beating up a filly during free practice time. Her father had acted very coldly to her, and she returned the favor. They enrolled her in the Public School, where Rainbow was declined to being rude to students and teachers. She had managed to get through to high school, where she dropped out her Junior year. She was constantly having to fly away from angry ponies who hated the pranks she would pull on them. She had spent most of her time training herself for the Wonderbolts. She was trying to hit on any good-looking colt, and sometimes mare, who passed by and gained a bad reputation throughout Cloudsdale. She was always asking her father for money to buy caps, magazines, and trading cards for the Wonderbolts. But her father was becoming more picky to how much he would give her, until he refused to give her anything.
"I'll just leave now, be out of your mane. Isn't that what you want 'Daddy'?" She hated calling him Dad. She usually only called him Jackass or nothing at all.
"Rainbow don't take it that way, it's just-" A slamming door interrupted his sentence as Rainbow flew into her room.
One Month Later
"What do you mean I didn't get in! I've trained my whole life for this!" Rainbow yelled at the official who had just told her the news.
"I'm sorry Miss. Dash. The spot that was open was won by Miss. Dust. Perhaps next time there's an open spot on the team."
Rainbow looked down in dismay. How could she have let that mare beat her?
She had spent most of her time in her new 'home'. She was forced to sell her rare trading cards to afford an apartment. Rainbow had only rented a month, since auditions opened in the next one. Once she had packed everything, she sped to the auditions to be the first in line. However, a mare named Lighting Dust had arrived first. Lightning had openly taunted Dash for having to bring her luggage. Rainbow had made her the mare to beat throughout all of the day's drills. She failed to realize that doing this would be a huge distraction. Rainbow had missed most instructions in drills and continuously lost her way in everything they had done that day. In the final race Rainbow finally managed to defeat her and win first. So when Dash had heard Lightning got the spot, her anger started to grow.
"I bet it was rigged wasn't it?"
The official looked up confused, "Excuse me?"
Rainbow started to yell again, "The whole competition was rigged wasn't it? She was in Flight School, the goody-four-hooves! I bet her teachers and friends payed you all to let her in! I won that last race!"
"Miss, I assure you no external influences were-"
"Don't lie to me you son of a bitch!" Rainbow punched him in the nose. The official was knocked back.
He rubbed his now bleeding nose and yelled, "Somepony help!"
Rainbow got afraid and froze. She shook her head and ran. She had never run so fast, the adrenaline was pumping in her veins as she ran out of the stadium into the clouds surrounding it.
She heard the voices of other officials as they searched for her. Rainbow climbed into the small cloud she was on and hid, her heart pumping.
Several minutes later, as the voices wandered off, she poked her head out carefully. No one was around, and the sun was setting giving the area an orange glow. Rainbow started to relax a bit, then realized somepony was flying behind her.
She jumped out and held her hooves up defensively. The pony had a grey coat and a hat and cloak hiding their other features.
"Who are you? Why are you stalking me you perv?" Rainbow questioned the stranger.
"Rainbow Dash," The pony began to speak.
She became confused, "Wait, how do you know my-"
"We know who you are and why you're here." The pony interrupted. "I am a representative of Reliable Excavation Demolition. My superiors have noticed you and are interested in hiring you for our team. They send this." He held out a letter marked with a red bomb to Rainbow.
She eyed it, then reached out to grab it, keeping an eye on him. As she opened it, she skimmed through it until she found what she was looking for.
"I get paid how much!?" Her eyes opened up wide in amazement.
"Go ahead and tell your 'serpents' or what ever to sign me up now! A job that pays this must-"
The pony was gone.
1 Week Later
Rainbow Dash walked up to the red barn doors, questioning if this was really a good idea.
She had received another letter from the RED company explaining where she would need to travel and what to bring. They had also sent her uniform: a red shirt, some dog tags, and a black bag. It said to go to Canterlot and take the train to the destination, San Palomino Desert. Rainbow decided to fly herself, claiming it would be much faster. After being lost twice, and managing to run into a flock of geese, she finally made it to the meeting place, late. Three days late.
She held her breath and opened the barn door, walking into her new world.