//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Rainbooms and Royalty (New) // by Trinary //------------------------------// Prologue: Years Ago Victory! Rainbow Dash might not have known all the big words that eggheads liked to use, but she couldn’t think of a single one that was better than Victory! She had won the race, defended Fluttershy’s honor, and pulled off the sonic rainboom, all at the same time! Rainbow Dash felt completely justified in calling this the Best Day Ever!   She performed a victory lap around the camp, whooping and hollering as she blazed a bright rainbow trail behind her. This was so cool! Making the impossible happen? Not a problem for Rainbow Dash: future Wonderbolt and greatest flyer ever! She could practically imagine the Wonderbolts writing her now, begging for her to join! So what if she was just a filly? She’d done what every pegasus had always thought was just a legend! In fact, maybe that could be what they called her—Rainbow Dash: The Legend!   She let out a fillyish squeal, secure in the thought that no pony would hear it. She was so caught up with her internal fantasies that it wasn’t until she was halfway around the perimeter that she realized she had picked up company at some point. And even then, not until they spoke up.   “A lovely day for a flight, isn’t it?”   “Huh?” Rainbow Dash looked up and her mouth dropped open. She felt all the moisture in her mouth vanish as she looked upon the graceful, giant swan-like wings that soared over her head. More important was the giant—by pony standards—body attached to it, the glimmering gold adornments, her long elegant horn, and her amazing multi-color mane that never stood still.   “Q-Queen Celestia?!” Rainbow Dash squeaked, blushing at her ill-timed voice break—she wished she'd grow out of those soon—and the fact that she was addressing the ruler of all Equestria!   With an elegant barrel roll, the Queen was soon flying side by side with her. She winked. “Last time I checked. What is your name, my dear?”   “I’m Rainbow Dash! One day I’m going to be the greatest flyer ever!”   “I don’t doubt it.” Celestia looked out at the still present, if fading, ring of rainbow-colored light. “Simply breathtaking. You have an amazing gift. I’ve never seen a pegasus with your raw talent."   “Really?” Rainbow Dash felt her wings flap a little faster. “I am pretty cool huh?”   Celestia laughed, and it sounded as pure and clear as rainwater rattling off chimes. “Very cool,” she confirmed, moving close enough to gently tickle Rainbow’s muzzle with her wing tip, making her giggle. “But no pony is so good or talented that she cannot learn more. I would like you to take that opportunity with me: as my own personal protégé.”   “Protewhat now?”   “As my personal student. I would teach you more about your gifts and what you can truly do with them, as well develop you into a well-rounded filly.”   Rainbow tilted her head. “You want me to be fat? But then I wouldn’t be able to fly as fast!” she blurted out earnestly. She must’ve said something funny because the Queen let out a sharp laugh before pressing a hoof over her muzzle, her cheeks bulging out.   After a moment, Celestia cleared her throat. “I mean I would teach you all sorts of things. As well as helping you train your body, I would also help train your mind and spirit.”   Rainbow Dash tilted her head. “What good will that do? I want to be a great athlete, not an egghead. Uh, your majesty,” she belatedly added.   “You would be surprised what a little education can help you accomplish. With your talent and drive, I think you would be capable of anything.”   Shaking with excitement, Rainbow Dash fought to keep her voice even. “D-do you think you could help me become good enough to join the Wonderbolts?” She spoke that name with a reverent awe that Rainbow hadn’t even used in addressing Celestia herself.    “If you work hard and become all that I know you could be … the Wonderbolts would be the least of your options.”   Rainbow didn’t even need to think twice. “Oh yeah, sign me up!” She whirled in mid-air, doing a little happy victory dance, too excited to even remember that she had an audience.   “Oh, Rainbow Dash? One more thing!”   “More?!”   Celestia pointed at the filly's flank. Rainbow craned her neck. She'd gotten her Cutie Mark!   “Awesome! Oh wow! Maybe I’ll even get to a have a Cutie Markvitzvah too! Sweet!” She did a loop de loop in the air. She was going to invite everypony: Fluttershy, Derpy, Cloud Kicker, even those three dorks who always annoyed her. "This really is the Best Day Ever!” Present Day "Announcing her Royal Majesty, Queen Celestia!" It was the evening of the Canterlot Society Dinner, one of the most highbrow affairs of the year outside of the Grand Galloping Gala. Amid the trumpets and fanfare, one pony rolled her eyes. Another night, another boring function. How Celestia could do this year after year and decade after decade was a mystery to Rainbow Dash. She wished she could’ve ducked out to do something better with her time, but the Queen insisted she come. She was expected to show up to at least some of these high society events. Even if a trip to the dentist was more productive and only half as painful. She cast a quick, yearning look out the window towards the clear evening sky. It was perfect weather for flying, yet she had to waste the night indoors at some fancy party. Plus, it was a formal party, which meant wearing a dress that had more layers than a wedding cake. Her wings twitched, feeling restrained. After so many years in Canterlot, she could predict exactly how long the applause for the Queen would last before the herald would get around to actually announcing her. Her ear flicked. Queen Celestia saw the sign of her growing impatience and gently nudged her, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly and she subtly shook her head. Her message delivered, Queen Celestia strode out and shimmered down the stairs to the tepid applause that the upper-class thought showed proper appreciation. Hidden behind the curtains at the top of the stairs, Rainbow sarcastically mouthed the herald’s next words, “And her student, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow bristled and walked out on cue, moving with small, measured steps … then, with a flare of her wings, she flipped and somersaulted to the bottom of the stairs. Stairs were for ponies without wings or without style, and she had both. The attendees stared at her oddly, then murmured and quickly found something else to look at. Rainbow sighed, all too used to those looks from Canterlot ponies. Whether she walked down the stairs like she had on other occasions or added her own little flair like she had here, the looks never changed. With nothing to do for it but to suffer through it, she walked over to the horse-do-over table. Okay, it was the hors d’oeuvre table, but given how it was spelled, that’s how Rainbow always thought of it. It’s also what she thought needed to happen with the food. She almost gagged when she sampled the tiny morsels. How the hay did ponies convince themselves that they liked these? What was wrong with a hayburger and fries? “Rainbow Dash!” Her head perked up at Queen Celestia’s voice. “Could you come over here please?” “Sure! Just a second, Celestia!” she called back, ignoring the other guests’ disapproving stares and sniffs. As Rainbow Dash nimbly worked her way through the crowd, she couldn’t help pick up on grumbled snippets of conversations: hushed, haughty proclamations about slipping standards. Her ear twitched irritably, but Rainbow tried to ignore them. If standards were actually enforced, all these ponies would’ve been shown the door. She arrived to find the Queen with a unicorn couple. The mustached, monocled stallion somehow managed to appear funny and kinda cool at the same time, though the mare looked like she was in more dire need of a hayburger than even Rainbow. Queen Celestia smiled as she watched Rainbow approach. “Rainbow Dash, I would like you to meet Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis, the hosts of tonight's festivities.” Rainbow smiled and silently mouthed to the Queen out of the corner of her mouth, "Fancy Pants?" The Queen rolled her eyes and mouthed back, "Be nice.” “Charmed to make your acquaintance, my dear!” Fancy beamed, bowing to her. Fleur smiled as well, but remained pressed close to Fancy. “Uh yeah, ditto.” Rainbow fought the impulse to facehoof. No matter how hard she tried, she could never make herself sound classy at these lame events. Celestia raised a hoof to her face, barely obscuring a grin, and Rainbow tried again, shifting her tone as she attempted to talk more formally. She thought back to her lessons with the Queen—specifically, Celestia’s three-step guide to polite conversation. “I mean, uh, yes.” Step 1: Express an interest in Mr. Pants. Her mouth curled into a grin. Step 1a: Don’t actually call him that. “It’s great to meet you too,” she said. “What is it that brings you here?” “My companion and I are here to take in the splendid company of the Queen and the rest of Canterlot society. Including yourself, of course!” Rainbow somehow doubted that. As if reading her mind, Fancy Pants added, “It really is a pleasure to meet you at last, my dear. Queen Celestia has spoken about you many times to me. Why, I almost feel as if I know you already. Still, it’s most welcome to get to talk to you in the flesh, as it were.” Rainbow wondered if that had been a crack about her way-too-heavy dress. She felt her wings bristle, but she forced herself to take a deep breath and remember Celestia’s second rule of polite conversation. Okay, Step 2: Don’t let the condescending remarks get to you. If it was unintentional, there’s no point complaining about it, and if it was an insult, then ignoring it will annoy them. “This isn't my first time being shown around like this,” Rainbow replied neutrally. Step 3: Be as bland as possible, and only respond when you have to. Revert to Step 2 as necessary. “Well, I’m sorry we haven’t had the chance to talk before now,” the mustached pony answered. “I know it can be difficult to suffer through one of these if you don’t enjoy idle gossip or sabotaging the self-worth of everypony around you.” That caught Rainbow Dash's attention. She’d thought the same thing many times in the past, but she’d never heard anypony else say it out loud to her. “I know exactly what you mean!” she exclaimed. “Everypony is always so wrapped up in themselves and taking shots at each other that there's never any actual fun!” Fancy Pants chuckled. “I must say, you are a breath of fresh air, and you do add some much-needed color to these proceedings.” He raised Rainbow’s hoof to his muzzle and gently kissed it. Her cheeks lit up with a bright blush as her voice broke into an embarrassed squeak. “Th-thanks. So, um, nice party?” “My thanks, but I think we both know it isn’t the liveliest.” Fancy Pants chuckled drolly. “I’m sure you’ve been to much more festive soirées, haven’t you?” Rainbow tried and failed to suppress a sigh. “You could say that. I mean, it’s great that you invited me!” she added, feeling Celestia’s stare burning into the back of her head. “Still, it’s no day at the Wonderbolts Derby.” She meant to keep her tone light and airy, but a little frustration still bled through. The Wonderbolts were the epitome of skill and determination. Rainbow once thought that being Queen Celestia’s student would be all about fast-tracking her so she could join them sooner. Instead, she was stuck here. Celestia readily picked up on the source of her frustration. “Rainbow Dash...” Her rebuke was gentle, but a rebuke nonetheless. Rainbow lowered her head. “Sorry.” “Not at all! I quite agree,” Fancy Pants chuckled again. “Your Majesty, you certainly have a fine student. It’s always refreshing to hear a young mare speak her mind. In fact—” he looked down at Rainbow Dash “—I happen to have a personal box for the Wonderbolts Derby, and I think a standing invitation to join me would make the experience much more memorable. Wouldn’t you agree?” “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh … That’s so awesome!” Rainbow looked to Queen Celestia. “I can go, right? Please say yes!” Celestia smiled wryly. “I don’t see why not, provided you keep up with your studies.” Rainbow idly rubbed the back of her neck. “Ahehheh, sure, right. My studies. No problem!" She replied quickly before turning back to her host. "Thanks again, Fancy Pants! That’s really cool of you!” “Nicest thing anypony has said about me in ages,” the older stallion chortled. “I think there are some other ponies your age here. Why don’t you go talk to them while we old ponies ruminate on how things were much better when we were young?” He winked, prompting a small laugh from Rainbow. “Sure thing! Thanks again!” Rainbow was practically dancing on the tips of her hooves. Maybe this party wouldn’t be so lame after all! Lamest. Party. Ever. Rainbow moped as she rested her head on her foreleg. As soon as she got within five feet of the ponies her own age, all the conversation suddenly ceased save for hushed giggles. The looks she got made it clear what the subject of their discussion had been about. This was the way it went. Either everypony wanted to be her best friend and casually wonder if she could introduce them to Celestia, or it was this. Rainbow moved off, ignoring the resumed conversation. It was just as well, she figured. Even if it wasn't about her, all the petty talk of society gossip and fashion would make her lose her appetite. Lost for what to do, she just wandered around until dinner was served. Dash looked down at the spread in front of her and couldn’t help wondering why they had a hundred seemingly identical spoons and forks when all the serving sizes were small enough to finish with one swallow. A small bowl of soup was placed before her, and her hoof was halfway to the soup spoon when she froze. The fact that she even knew which one out of these countless spoons was the correct one bothered her immensely. I’ve been in Canterlot training and studying for years, and what do I have to show for it? Am I a Wonderbolt yet? No, I get to know which pointless spoon to use. For crying out loud, it’s tiny! The soup will be cold before I get halfway done with it. Rainbow quietly seethed as she felt the gaze of the partygoers on her when she moved to select her spoon. They were preparing to evaluate her entire worth based entirely on her choice of silverware. That's all they cared about: appearances and etiquette. Who she was, what she could really do, none of that mattered to them. Across from Rainbow, she caught the shadow of a smile on the face of a smug-looking pink unicorn mare about her own age. She turned to her companions on either side of her and began to titter amongst themselves, amused by the presence of the clearly out-of-place pegasus. That’s when Rainbow made her decision: it wasn’t worth it. Even the satisfaction of proving them wrong would be a hollow victory. There wasn’t any point in going through the motions anymore. Instead—foregoing any silverware at all—she grabbed the soup bowl with her hooves and drank the entire thing in one gulp. She smirked at the scandalized faces of the snobby young ponies who immediately resumed whispering with one another. When some of the older ponies sitting nearby frowned at her, Rainbow Dash defiantly held her head high and looked each one of them in the eye. One by one, they all looked away. The rest of dinner passed in relative silence as ponies watched the young pegasus devour her salad with the wrong fork, biting their lips at the crude display but saying nothing. After dinner, Rainbow went out onto the balcony, enjoying the silence and the cool night air. It was a welcome break from all the stuffiness of the evening. She rested her head against the balcony railing and let the wind blow through her mane. It felt wonderful. A shame it didn’t last. “Why, hello!” She looked up to see the pink snob from the table and a gaggle of her giggling friends approaching her. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Tiffany, and this is Primrose and Royal Blue.” She gestured to her two companions. Rainbow Dash snorted softly at the names. Apparently their parents were history buffs, naming their kids after some of the traditional six unicorn princesses who ruled before the founding of Equestria. Historical or not, it was still dumb. What the hay is a ‘Tiffany’ anyway? “So sorry to disturb you,” Tiffany went on. “I should’ve realized you must’ve been tired, given how quick you were to finish your meal. It must take a lot of work for you to stay so thin and trim.” When Rainbow first came to Canterlot, she would’ve thought that was a compliment. Bitter experience had taught her to sift through the words to find the insult buried beneath. That’s how fake Canterlot was, she realized: they can’t even openly insult you straight to your face. Her mood thoroughly soured, she didn't bother trying to break out Celestia's rules for polite conversation. “You know I can tell you’re just pretending to be nice when you’re actually being insulting, right? You’re about as subtle as a tap-dancing yak.” Tiffany’s fake-smile shrunk ever so slightly. “Aren’t we in a mood? I just wanted to ask if you could share some of Her Majesty’s thoughts. So much of what she does is a mystery to us. Perhaps could you enlighten us about a few of her more … curious decisions?” There was no mistaking what that meant. “I’m sure a lot of things go over your head.” She fluttered her wings meaningfully. Primrose and Royal Blue traded hushed whispers while Tiffany’s complexion darkened, making Rainbow smirk. “Understanding is in the eye of the beholder,” Tiffany growled, maintaining her smile through sheer force of will. Rainbow knew that expression very well. She wore it every time she was at a function like this, usually when dealing with ponies like Tiffany. “Perhaps you should see an optometrist about your unique sense of fashion.” She patted her ruffled pink dress. “I seem to recall you went for a very minimalist look at the Canterlot Garden Party last month.” In fact, Rainbow remembered with a snicker, she hadn’t worn anything to that party. It had been an ongoing fight with Celestia about her and ‘proper attire’. She didn’t mind dresses on principle, but a lot of the ‘appropriate’ dresses were either so delicate she felt like she was walking on eggshells or, like tonight’s dress, they were so stifling and multilayered that she felt like she was like wearing a sleeping bag. Most of all though, Rainbow hated having to change who she was just to gain acceptance from Canterlot ponies who never gave it anyway. The best compromise she and Celestia had come up with had boiled down to alternating events where she would wear a dress. If these ponies thought riding her about a lack of a dress was going to bother Rainbow, they thought wrong. She shrugged, knowing how much it would annoy them. “Really, if you can’t come up with any better insults I’m going to just leave. I’m just getting bored here.” Tiffany was unable to hide a derisive snort. “Nopony wants to keep you if you don’t want to be here. I’m sure you have so much to do as the student of the most powerful magic user in the world.” She paused, pretending to think hard. “Perhaps you could remind us, what is it you’re doing, exactly? Somehow, I don’t think the Queen is teaching you magic.” Rainbow gritted her teeth. She would’ve liked to do nothing better, but Celestia didn’t want her freely talking. Not about that, certainly. “Lots of things,” she answered. “If you don’t know then I guess Celestia just decided you weren’t important enough to know.” She knew that riposte would hit Tiffany where it hurt. The color rose in Tiffany’s cheeks, proving her right. “You—you common lout!” she spat. “What have you ever done to make you so special?! Fly through the streets while being chased by the guards like a criminal? Flap your little wings and make pretty rainbows? You’re just Queen Celestia’s idea of a charity case!" “You want to see what I can do?! Just watch!” Rainbow snorted and stomped onto the balcony. As she walked she began shucking her dress off, ignoring the scandalized gasps behind her. By the time she reached the balcony ledge, she was free and unencumbered. She turned around and tossed Tiffany a mocking salute before casually stepping off the ledge. Rainbow let herself fall until she was about halfway to the ground, then snapped her wings open and soared upwards. The night sky beckoned her. Rainbow Dash heeded its call, her signature contrail following her in the dark sky. She pushed forward, straining herself to the limit. She could feel the air barrier pressing against her as she flapped her wings faster and faster, trying to squeeze out that last burst of speed she needed to push through. Her wings ached, sweat dripping down her face. Come on. Let me just do it this time… But she couldn’t break through. The barrier snapped her back like a rubber band, sending her tumbling head over hooves. Rainbow flailed her limbs as she desperately tried to prevent herself from simply smacking into a nearby building like she had done with the School for Gifted Unicorns. And the Canterlot Opera during their showing of Die Neighbelung. And the royal guard barrack's shower. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash did a mid-air somersault not unlike the one she performed at the start of the evening. Having reoriented herself somewhat, she managed to largely bring herself back under control. She landed heavily back on the balcony, her hooves stinging as they slammed onto the ground. Unfortunately, all that did was bring her back to Tiffany and her cronies. Rainbow Dash’s cheeks burned as they laughed, having witnessed her failure. “You certainly showed us!” Tiffany crowed. “Here I thought the Queen kept you on because you could fly. Turns out you can’t even do that! Now we know why Queen Celestia keeps you around: every court needs a jester, right Rainbow Crash?” That does it. Rainbow clenched her teeth and flew back to the sky, their gales of laughter echoing in her ears. She grabbed a low-hanging cloud and sped it back over. Tiffany barely seemed to notice. “Now you brought over a cloud! Good for you—getting a headstart on your future as a cloud bucker?” “Buck this!” Rainbow slammed her hooves down on the cloud, sending a chilly downpour onto the gaggle of high-class fillies. They let out a startled shriek as their teeth began to chatter. Tiffany and her compatriots shivered, their elegant dresses drenched and clinging to them, making them look almost sickly thin. Rainbow snickered as their makeup ran down their faces in rivulets, glad for the sake of her eardrums that they couldn’t see their reflections. Tiffany sputtered with fury. “Y-you nag!” A small bolt of lightning sputtered out of the cloud and struck her rump. She ran off with a squealed whinny, her friends quickly following. Rainbow didn’t bother trying to hide her amusement, hugging herself and laughing as she lay back on her borrowed cloud. Nopony called her ‘Crash’ without getting a shocked plot. Her amusement faded as she felt the cloud begin to move out towards the empty balcony. It dissipated and left Rainbow falling heavily on her hooves. She looked up to see the one responsible: Queen Celestia. She towered over her, looking like a dark cloud right before a storm. All she said was one word: “Really?” “Hey, you weren’t here!” Rainbow described the altercation. “And it’s not like this is the first time I’ve had to deal with this sort of horseapples either.” “I know,” Celestia sighed. “I try to address this sort of behavior wherever I can, but I cannot be everywhere. You must find a more productive way to deal with these sorts of disagreements yourself. There will always be neighsayers, but being angry won’t change their minds.” She arched her brow. “Lightning, while perhaps momentarily satisfying, changes even less. You must find a way that promotes respectfulness on all parts.” Rainbow goggled at her. “Respect? How's that supposed to work when they never show me any? What, I should just smile when they trot all over me? Forget it! They want respect, they can try showing some of their own first!” There had been ponies back in Cloudsdale who she hadn’t always gotten along with, but she never lived in a place where folks just looked straight through her, sizing her up and judging if she was even worth acknowledging. If she was, then it wasn’t because of who she was as much as who she knew. She spotted Celestia flexing her wings and straightening her poise, subtle signs that she was getting tense. Rainbow unconsciously did the same; this was hardly the first time they had an argument, but in the last few months, it felt like they were hardly doing anything but arguing. Just two weeks ago they’d gotten into it over seeing the Wonderbolts Summer Extravaganza instead of attending some gallery opening. In the past, they’d been able to talk things over and work something out. Like when Celestia let her join the guards’ camping trip in exchange for going to the opera. But lately it had become one high social event after another, so many that she had hardly had any time to even practice her flying. On top of everything else she knew was coming, it was driving her nuts. Now when Celestia pushed, she pushed back. “I know it’s difficult.” Celestia was visibly straining to hold onto her temper, at least by her standards. Rainbow Dash pawed at the ground. “If I could just tell them what you’re training me for, tell them what’s coming...” Celestia shook her head. “It does no good to panic random ponies by telling them of the coming danger.” She sighed. “Especially not to soothe your own hurt feelings. You’re better than that.” Rainbow dug in her hooves. “You said I could stop Nightmare Moon when she returns to Equestria. But I can’t talk about that, so now I just look like the biggest failure ever.” “That isn’t the right way to look at it.” Celestia’s shoulders sagged. “I’m starting to wonder if I made a mistake telling you about my sister’s return. I wanted you to be prepared, not obsessed.” Rainbow threw up her hooves. “You tell me that some ancient evil is coming back to doom the world, but I shouldn’t focus on that? Oh no, tonight is so much more important because that totally makes sense! You keep interrupting my training for no reason!” “Not all problems can be solved with creative use of a thundercloud.” Celestia let a slight grumble work its way into her voice. “I’ve let you work extensively with a guard trainer of your own choice.” She gave her a knowing look. “We’ve far from neglected your physical training. But there’s more to saving Equestria—and more to improving yourself—than finding new ways to hit things. Learning how to cooperate with others is important.” Rainbow snorted. “What, being friends with Tiffany is going to save the world? Then we’re all doomed. The only thing ponies like her care about is sucking up to you through me or getting me out of the way so they can do it more directly.” She stood up to her, angrily beating her wings. “I’m sick of it, I'm sick of them, and I’m sick of you shoving me at them!” She pointed an accusing hoof at Celestia. “How is dealing with this going to help me stop Nightmare Moon?” Celestia whickered in frustration. “There are answers to be found in many places—if you give them a chance.” Rainbow’s eyes went wide. “You say that like I haven’t been trying! Is this all my fault now? I’m just a bad student like they’ve all been saying?” She bit off each word, a faint tremor in her voice. “You’re right, what was I thinking expecting you to actually help me accomplish my dreams or, you know, save the world instead of putting up with 'high society' snobbery all the time. If this horseapples was that important then maybe you should've picked somepony else instead!” “Rainbow Dash, you will be still!" Celestia closed her eyes and took a breath, already regretting the lapse. Her anger had passed as quickly as it arose, like a cloud that blocked the sun. She gently rested a wing on Rainbow’s back As much as Rainbow hated it when they fought like this, she hated how so simple a gesture could make her feel instantly guilty for ever arguing with her at all. She felt her eyes tear up and she looked away, not wanting Celestia to see. “I’m always stuck in your shadow. Always being compared to you … and I can’t win!” Rainbow Dash shut her eyes. “I can't even be me here! How am I supposed to be you?!” “Rainbow—” Celestia started, but Rainbow’d had enough. “I gotta go!” She backed away. “Rainbow Dash, wait!” Rainbow took to the air, flying off as fast as her wings could carry her. She heard Celestia calling after her, but her words were lost in the wind.