//------------------------------// // What A Show // Story: Starlight Glimmer Makes Many Mistakes // by MagicS //------------------------------// It was a totally packed stadium, the stands nearly overflowing with ponies not just from Canterlot but all over Equestria. Flags and banners with the names of ponies favorite Wonderbolts were being waved all over and the cheering was nearly deafening even though the show hadn’t even begun yet. Starlight, however, led her group to the luxury box where a number of other VIP’s were already gathered. She was lucky that the pony working the entrance to the box recognized her and Spike as guests of Celestia’s cause otherwise this would have been a little embarrassing. So Starlight, Spike, and Lightning Dust made their way into the box and sat themselves at a table, more than one head from the others in there turned to watch them but nopony actually confronted them on who they were and how they got in here. A mere curiosity to the elite ponies for the moment it seemed. “This is awesome! You must be really important if you got us in here.” Lightning said as she excitedly looked all over the stadium. The filly was a massive bundle of energy. “Oh, maybe just a little bit.” Starlight said, enjoying the admiration. Spike noticed that the three of them were quickly becoming the topic of several whispered conversations between the other ponies here but still none of them decided to come up and talk to Starlight or ask who they were. Spike was grateful for that, he couldn’t imagine how poorly Starlight would handle any conversation with these ponies. Although it was probably only a matter of time before word got out that they were special guests in the castle… Spike hoped that either Twilight found them before that or that Discord would suddenly appear out of nowhere and fix everything. He still half-expected his Draconequus friend to randomly appear and drag him off to a game of Ogres & Oubliettes. “So you really like this Wind Rider huh?” Starlight’s sudden question to Lightning Dust brought Spike back to reality. Wind Rider? Spike was sure he had heard one of his friends mention that name before too but he couldn’t remember who or why. Since the guy was apparently a famous Wonderbolt it was probably that Spike had heard Rainbow Dash gushing over him at some point. “Yeah! He’s the best Wonderbolt ever!” Lightning Dust answered. “Everypony thinks he’s gonna break a big record today too.” “Hm.” Starlight hummed, sitting back in her chair and smirking. It was not something that filled Spike with ease. “What are you thinking about, Starlight?” Spike asked her. “Just thinking that this certainly would be a memorable Wonderbolt’s show if Wind Rider set a record or two.” Starlight replied innocently. “Right? I hope it happens.” Lightning Dust said, oblivious to Spike’s worries about Starlight, Suddenly a blast of music was played over the speakers and the crowd erupted into even more cheering. Lightning Dust going crazy at their table as Starlight and Spike watched in amusement. The Wonderbolts were coming from their tent and out onto the “field”, a cloudy track had been arranged for them along with all kinds of hoops and other obstacles. Cannons for fireworks had been placed at the bottom as well for when the show ended. Starlight and Spike didn’t recognize a single Wonderbolt but they still clapped along as they came out flying and waving to the crowd. Lightning Dust was buzzing above her seat as she cheered for them. The little pegasus seemed more excited than any other pony in the stadium. Starlight smiled. “Looks like it’s my time then.” She got up out of her seat. Spike noticed this and gave her a questioning look. “Where are you going?” “Don’t worry about it, Spike.” She said as she walked to the back of the luxury box, where no other ponies could see her, and vanished. “That can’t be good...” Spike said aloud to himself as he watched her disappear into thin air before returning his gaze to the Wonderbolts. “What are you planning, Starlight?” Starlight was happy to be as talented as she was. Which was funny considering how much of her life was spent stamping out such thought. But if she wasn’t so great at magic she’d never be able to turn invisible and fly at the same time. Now she floated in the middle of the sky at the stadium, watching the Wonderbolts get ready to performs their show. The fancy dress she was wearing was a little cumbersome for this but she couldn’t just take it off and leave it lying on the ground either. Now it’s time to make this a Wonderbolts show for the ages. Starlight thought. Which one of them is Wind Rider? The announcer for the show was more than happy to help out Starlight as each Wonderbolts name was called up over the loudspeakers when they lined up to begin their show. As Starlight had expected, this Wind Rider was out in front. A suitable place if he really was the best like Lightning Dust said he was. Best until Rainbow Dash comes along at least. Starlight thought with no small measure of pride for her close friend. She wasn’t really sure how the show would go but she figured there was plenty of racing, stunts and aerial acrobatics. And what Starlight planned to do to make sure this show was extra amazing was “beef up” Wind Rider in a way. Helping him along with her magic, lessening wind resistance, giving him helpful updrafts, and all of it while staying totally invisible so nopony was any wiser. He’d be faster and more agile with her spells and the wind would even be on his side with Starlight’s help. “Let’s get this show on the road!” She said as music began to play over the loudspeakers and the announcer yelled that the show had begun. Instantly the Wonderbolts that were performing zoomed off into the sky, performing a myriad of tricks and flight patterns to dazzle the crowd. It seemed to mostly be just some opening exercises to get the crowd warmed up so Starlight wasn’t doing anything just yet. Instead she just floated there and enjoyed the show for the moment. That’s why she and Spike were originally coming here after all. And being where she was she had a better view than any pony in the stadium. All that was missing was some popcorn. Looking down at the luxury box she saw Spike and Lightning Dust cheering, she was happy that Spike was able to relax and enjoy himself instead of worrying about what she was doing. A few minutes in to the show and the Wonderbolts began to break off from each other, preparing for individual maneuvers. “Now we’re talking.” Starlight grinned in anticipation and focused on the flying form of Wind Rider. There wasn’t anypony down below that would be able to tell what she was doing as her spells worked their magic on Wind Rider. It was an almost imperceptible change at first, so small that likely even he didn’t notice his slight increase in speed and maneuverability. But as he moved faster and faster along, darting between rings and taking turns like he never could before, the crowd’s cheering became louder and louder. Wind Rider probably thought he was in the zone as the air itself seemed to push him along and didn’t create near as much drag on his body as usual as he flew through every routine and pattern for the show. He zipped around like a missile, stunning the crowd and his fellow Wonderbolts. At this point he must have realized too how special this was and Starlight could tell he began to push his body even harder. She could imagine little Lightning Dust going crazy as she watched this. Starlight’s invisible magic was doing good work, she didn’t know what the records were like but she couldn’t believe that Wind Rider wouldn’t be breaking them today with his natural speed and her power backing him up. By now a lot of the crowd had changed from cheering their lungs out to watching in awed silence. Wind Rider being so much of a blur that even Starlight thought his uniform might suddenly catch fire from it all. The other Wonderbolts formed up alongside him, or tried to but couldn’t match his speed. It became a show of Wind Rider leading the others at the head of a chevron formation, him quickly performing any tricks and maneuvers and the rest copying them. The Wonderbolts had become a single unit now as they looped, turned, and sped as fast as they could across the sky, much to the delight of the crowd below. Starlight had to figure this was improvised by the others as they saw how amazing Wind Rider was being today. “Good, just keep going all out.” Starlight said as she pumped more power into her spell. It finally all ended with the Wonderbolts performing a great climb high up into the sky before immediately taking a hairpin nosedive, all of them rocketing straight down to the ground below. Starlight had to move out of the way to avoid getting hit. Even then the shockwave from them all flying past her threatened to blow her away and cancel her spells, but luckily she had enough control to avoid that. Finally when they were just barely above the ground the Wonderbolts sharply pulled upwards, gliding along the bottom of the arena and landing perfectly safely in formation. The crowd went wild. Starlight also couldn’t help but clap along. The other Wonderbolts gathered around Wind Rider, patting him on the back and congratulating him on an amazing job. Another pegasus with a microphone flew down to where they were gathered, he must’ve been the announcer. “That was absolutely amazing!” The announcer yelled into his microphone. “I don’t think anypony has seen a pegasus fly like that before! Wind Rider, how did you do it?” He held the microphone out to Wind Rider. The Wonderbolt had a million-bit grin on his face as he took off his goggles, grabbing the microphone out of the announcer’s hoof. “Well to be honest it felt almost magical. I came out here flying my hardest and trying my best and I guess even the wind decided to be on my side today, I managed to hit that perfect zone and I stuck with it the whole show.” The crowd cheered loudly for him. “Hehe, thank you, thank you. Now I don’t know what made today so special but I can guarantee that no pony is ever gonna break the records I just set.” He handed the announcer his microphone back and stood there grinning, basking in the glory. “And there you have it, folks!” The announcer said to the cheering crowd. “And now to finish off this amazing show we have the celebratory fireworks, coming right now!” Oh yeah. Starlight thought. Hm, maybe I can make those a bit more extravagant too? A minute later the fireworks began, the crowd cheering and watching along for those as well but not to nearly as high a degree as they had cheered for Wind Rider. Starlight decided to spice things up a bit and enhanced a lot of the explosions with her magic or fired off beams of light on her own that turned into emblems of hearts, stars, diamonds, etc. in the sky. The fireworks crew were somewhat flabbergasted and confused but the crowd loved it even more. All in all thanks to Starlight this was a Wonderbolts show that nopony would be forgetting anytime soon. As Spike and Lightning Dust watched the fireworks with glee Starlight suddenly reappeared in her seat right next to Spike. “Gah!” Spike yelled in shock, falling over backwards. Starlight caught him and his chair before they could hit the ground and righted them both. “Miss me?” Spike frowned at her. “I take it you had something to do with Wind Rider’s unusually amazing performance?” “Maybe~” She winked at him. “It was all for our little friend here anyways.” Lightning Dust hadn’t been paying attention to Starlight’s return, she was still buzzing above her chair, hooting and hollering at the fireworks. “Enjoy the show?” Starlight said to her. The pegasus filly turned around with a huge grin and flew up right into Starlight’s face. “You bet! That was the most incredible thing ever! I’m definitely becoming a Wonderbolt now and nothing’s gonna stop me, I don’t care who or what it is, nothing’s getting in my way!” Starlight grinned. “Heh, good on you. But now that the show is over I think it’s about time for us to be heading out. And for the three of us to pay a visit to the police.” Lightning Dust deflated, her little wings stopping as she fell to the table. “Oh.” She chuckled, a blush and a small nervous smile replacing her huge grin. “Eheh, can you trust me to go turn myself in?” “Not a chance.”