Follow-up to "The Things We Leave Behind"

After years and years of hard work, Rainbow Dash has finally achieved her life's goal: becoming a member of the Wonderbolts. But when things don't go entirely as planned in her first Wonderbolts Derby, a promise from her past drives Rainbow Dash to tears. Will Rainbow Dash be able to overcome what she calls her only fear with the help of friends both old and new, or will the pressure simply be too much?

Title inspired by the song by SoGreatandPowerful.

Thanks to all of my proofreaders! You know who you are.

Twilight Sparkle starts to develop strange and alarming symptoms after learning that Rainbow Dash helped her earn her cutie mark.

Spike has been rejected by Rarity after helping her for a very important client and a fashion show. He disappears shortly afterwards, leaving Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and the rest of the gang saddened by his absence.

It has been three years since that incident, and the girls have gotten past the sadness, but still get together to remember the purple dragon every year. On this day, a new pony comes to Ponyville, and although he knows nothing of what his life was like, helps the group have more fun and fills part of the hole left in their hearts from Spike.

Idea for the fashion show goes to LordPlagus777's story Heart of Scales.

After the events of "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000", things go from bad to worse for the FlimFlam Brothers. In a time of desperation, they turn to the only pony they can think of for help, but differing views on how to go about apple farming causes friction...

Twilight has an experiment planned, and it centres on Rainbow Dash.

As anxious as she is, Dash really has no right to complain.

It was her idea after all.

Fan Reading!

Twilight Sparkle finds a book in the library.

Twilight Sparkle reads aforementioned book.

Twilight Sparkle's life is thrown upside down, her view of her teacher shattered, and her friends pitted against each other.

Everything will return to normal.

One of these statements is false.

Twilight Sparkle is fed up of her unrequited love for Rainbow Dash. She has decided that the time has come to reveal the passion she has kept hidden for so long - but how? There is only one sane, logical way to do this.

She must become a cloud.

Nothing can go wrong.

The thing about loyalty... the thing about loyalty is that sometimes you don't know where your loyalties lie.
Have I always been loyal to my friends? No. There are things that they didn't know about me. Lots of secrets from the past that I've kept from everypony. I had a past full of disgrace, shame, and loneliness. Things that I wish had never happened. Only a few ponies know the truth. But I could only keep my past away for so long...

Rainbow Dash is torn between fulfilling her dreams and acting on her feelings for Twilight Sparkle. Does Twilight not feel the same way, or is she simply oblivious to Rainbow's intentions?

Cover art by http://jewlecho.deviantart.com/ !

Every rising star must eventually fall. Rainbow Dash is locked in a struggle against her own past, and with the help of Twilight is about to make a discovery that will change the way she flies forever. But what will she lose in the process?

Massive thanks to Furor1 and Nyuuchandiannepie for the ridiculously awesome artwork, you should really check them out on DeviantArt if you've not already.

Dedicated to Donald Campbell and his Bluebird, for chasing his horizons for no other reason than the fact that they were there. Also to Steve Hogarth and Marillion for writing Out Of This World, the song that inspired this story.