Dancing Through Life

by MiraculousDragonMaster

A Quick Midnight Getaway

Rainbow Dash led Soarin' over to the school field, just outside. They could still hear the music booming from inside the gym.

"That has been the most fun that I've had in a long time." Rainbow admitted, her joyful smile not leaving her face.

"Because of your sisters?" Soarin' asked her, remembering about how Adagio was yelling at her yesterday.

The smile left her face. "Stepsisters." Dash corrected him with a grimace. The Wonderbolt saw that even though she was frowning, there was a hurt in her eyes.

"I get the feeling that they are not that nice to you." He said.

Rainbow gritted her teeth. "They treat me like I'm their personal slave!" She exclaimed, clenching her fists. "They always think that they're the best, but I think that they're all just shallow, prissy, uncool, jerks. They say that they care about me. Well, care about me, my-"

"Whoa, whoa!" Soarin' cut off her rant before she finished her sentence. "Now, that's not nice language for a girl like you."

Rainbow could've blushed at what he said, but she was still feeling mad about how the Dazzlings had treated her for the past four years. "I don't know why they treat me like dirt." She said, sitting down at one of the benches. "I've tried to be nice to them, since they are family, but I sometimes don't know what else I can do."

Soarin' was silent as he took a seat next to her. So that's why she had to hide her true talent. If the Dazzlings saw that she was outshining them, and they know she does, they would make her life more miserable than it probably is.

"I kind of know how you feel." He said softly.

Rainbow looked up at her idol and old crush, a little surprised by what he said. "You?" She asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, maybe not with the jealous jerks of three stepsisters, but I know what it's like to feel like you're holding back on who you really want to be."

Dash gestured him to go on. "Everyone thinks that I'm just a good-looking guy that has the swag moves and voice. But, one of the real reasons why I came back to school is to remember why I wanted to dance."

"Have you remembered?" Rainbow asked him.

Soarin' shook his head. "Not yet." He answered.

Rainbow hesitated for a moment, but then placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling softly. "Well, if it helps, I'll tell you why I started dancing."

Soarin' smirked. "Now, that's a story I'd like to hear." He said coyly.

The rainbow-haired girl rolled her eyes, returning the smirk. "I was just a little girl, but I have always loved dancing. I just loved the way it makes me feel: free and alive." She said. "My parents had enrolled me in a dance class, and I loved going there every week, while every other day, I would practice sports with my dad. That's how I became the captain of every single sports team here at school."

"Really?" Soarin' asked, impressed.

Dash nodded. "Yep." She said. "But after the Dazzlings moved in, they always humiliated me wherever I go. So now, I have to always sneak into dance class and practice in secret just so they can cut me a ten-minute break of them trying to hurt me."

Soarin' gave her a sympathetic smile. So that's why she has to be on the down-low and not fully displaying her full capability to dance. His soft smile then turned into a snarky grin as he got off the bench and began listening to the music that was playing from inside the gym.

"Well, since they're not here, how about you really show me what you can do?" He asked, holding his hand to her.

Rainbow looked at the outstretched palm, and then shot him a smirk. "You really love challenging me, do you?" She asked.

"Well, that's the real you, right?" Soarin' questioned.

Dash rolled her eyes and took his hand. The two of them began dancing once again, this time, they were mouthing the words of the song that was playing.

Back inside the gym, Pinkie was hanging out with Cheese Sandwich over at the buffet table, snacking on candy. He seems like a nice guy, seeing that he loves fun just as much as she does, and that he is a good friend to the Wonderbolts. As she looked all across the gym, she saw Twilight dancing with Flash. Then, Sunset and Timber waltzed passed them.

On another side of the room, she saw Applejack talking with Spike, Twilight's foster brother, who was the same age as her. And not far away, she watched Fluttershy get all flustered by Discord, who was complimenting her. Then, Rarity and two of her friends, Capper and Fancy Pants, decided to join in the conversation.

Soon, the music stopped, and then, the DJ began speaking again. "Hey there, Canterlot High!" She said. "Are you all having a blast tonight?"

The students cheered loudly in response.

"That's great!" The DJ said into the mic. "Now, we just have five minutes until midnight now, so, let's get ready to rock out!"

Pinkie felt like everything froze to a stop in her brain. Five minutes? Until midnight? This is not good. She immediately caught the glance from Twilight, then one by one, Sunset, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity were all thinking the same thing.

"I gotta go now!" She yelled over to Cheese, who had just returned with their fifth helping of candy. She tossed him the key to the supply closet. "Check the supply closet for me! Thanks a lot!" With that, she zipped away without Cheese giving a word to her and the other girls excused themselves before they all ran outside.

A few seconds later, they found Rainbow Dash out with Soarin' on the school field. "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack yelled over to their friend, who had snapped out of the moment that she was sharing with the Wonderbolt.

"AJ!" She yelled back. The girls then ran over to her. "What's going on?" She asked, seeing that they were getting in a panic.

"Guess who will be home in five minutes?" Twilight reminded her. Rainbow felt her blood freeze and she glanced over at the clock outside of the school building. The minute hand went up a tick.

Rainbow whirled over to Soarin', "I'm sorry." She said. "I gotta go!" With that, all of the girls began running to the front courtyard.

"Wait!" Soarin' gave chase, but the girls didn't stop. They were in such a rush that Rainbow didn't notice something falling out of a dress pocket and onto the concrete.

The Rainbooms dove into their tour bus and they revved off, leaving Soarin' alone. He soon noticed the object that Rainbow had dropped. He picked it up and saw a small photo of a younger Rainbow along with he supposed were her parents. He smiled at how energetic Dash was, playing a bold blue electric guitar.

He turned it over and saw a drawing on the back. It was a lightning bolt with wings on the side. Soarin' recognized that symbol. It was the logo for the Wonderbolts, their logo for their team and for their sports store brand that started when they started getting famous. He then started smiling widely. He knew where he can find her now, and he has to see her again.

Rainbow Dash was hyperventilating as she watched the electronic clock of the bus changed once again to 11:59.

"Calm down, Rainbow." Sunset tried to assure her. "We're almost here."

"How can I calm down at a time like this?" Dash asked her. "If I don't get home by midnight, I am dead!"

"We're here!" Pinkie exclaimed as she put on the brakes in front of the house where Rainbow lives.

"Thank you girls so much! I owe you one!" Rainbow said quickly as she ran out of the bus. "Now, hurry before Adagio gets back!"

"No worries!" Pinkie assured her, before Rarity closed the bus doors, and the Rainbooms drove away.

Rainbow dashed over to her chambers and quickly changed back into the clothes she was wearing earlier. She was just back outside when she saw the familiar headlights of Adagio's car. She ran inside the house and back up to Adagio's clean bedroom. There, she sat on the bed and sat calmly, regaining her breath and waiting for her eldest stepsister.

When the clock showed midnight, Adagio entered her house and saw that Rainbow Dash was waiting patiently for her, on her bed, in her now spotless bedroom.

"Was it much work?" She asked her with a smirk.

Rainbow surpressed the urge to shiver, knowing that that was just the sense of satisfaction that she kept her from going to the dance. Yeah, right. She thought with an inward smirk of her own.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Dash answered. She then stood up from the bed. "I hope you have a good time tonight."

"About that." Adagio cut in, making Rainbow stop in her tracks in the doorway. "Actually, the after party was cancelled."

Rainbow breathed a silent sigh of relief. Now, she wouldn't have to worry about more work to do later.

"I see." She answered, hoping she sounded neutral. "So, am I excused for the night?"

"Yeah, go." Adagio said, shooing her away. Then, Rainbow left the room.

Later, in her own quarters, showered dressed in fresh pajamas, Rainbow climbed into bed, the smile not leaving her face. She turned over to the picture of her and her parents on her nightstand.

"Mom, Dad." She whispered to the photo. "If you are watching me, then I also have you to thank. For such an awesome time tonight. It was so much better than a dream." With that, Rainbow fell into a deep sleep, while in her head, reliving every second of the dance, and her time with Soarin'.