Applejack; Rarity; Twilight; and Fluttershy were watching the exit tunnel of the stadium excitedly, the stunt show was supposed to start any minute now.
"Oh, I just hope Rainbow makes it back in time, she shouldn't miss this." Said Fluttershy, barely heard over the sound of the other ponies nearby.
"I know what you mean, Rainbow being such a big fan, I thought she wouldn't be caught dead missing this event." Agreed Rarity.
"Ah just don't know where that feather-brain has go to, I thought she just wanted a minute. She's been gone nearly half an hour." Complained Applejack.
"Twenty five minutes to be precise." Said Twilight.
"Gosh-darn-it, Twi, you know I don't care none for your fancy mathematics, that's ma brothers job."
Twilight grinned rather sheepishly, "Sorry."
Applejack shook her head, "Ahh don't ya worry yourself none, I'm just a bit cranky from all the heat. Not had a day this sunny in a long time."
"I know, isn't just simply marvelous. If only I had finished making my new range of parasols, they're simple divine."
Luckily the girls were spared any more of Rarity's talk about fashion as the crowd suddenly burst into applause, the Wonderbolts were walking out into the stadium.
"Girls, I don't mean to be prude, but isn't there meant to be three of them?"
"Hmm, I think you might just be right there, Rarity. I wonder where Soarin's got to."
"Fillies and Gentlecolts; Stallions and Mares, would you please rise for the Equestrian national anthem."
At the sound of the announcement, Fluttershy looked around nervously, "I hope Rainbow gets here soon, she always loved singing the anthem."
"That's the least of her worries, sugarcube, if she don't get here sharpish she's going to miss the start."
"I do hope she's alright. Maybe I should go look."
"Oh don't you worry, Twilight, darling. I'm sure she's fine, besides, she wouldn't want us to miss it. She's probably off seeing if she can sneak into the box with Pinkie."
-x-
At the other end of the stadium, Pinkie was stood at attention, her hoofs raised in salute while Si just giggled from the back of box. A few other ponies had arrived, which to their dismay signaled the end of their socializing, until half time at any rate. Si could barely contain his laughter at the way Pinkie was behaving, her salute while respectful was partially ruined by the look of concentration upon her face. A look which involved squinting eyes, sticking out her tongue, and glancing around occasionally at every pony in the box. She even motioned the two other ponies, a couple by the looks of it, to join her, too their disgust.
It was hilarious, she couldn't look more out of place in this box if she tried. But yet, Si couldn't help get a warm fluttering feeling inside as he look at her. Maybe it was the cider talking, or maybe it was the spicy hay fries from the night before. However, part of him thought it might just be because he had just seen the craziest, most beautiful mare he had ever laid eyes upon.
-x-
Back inside the changing rooms, Soarin could only listen as the crowd applauded his teammates, he also heard some murmuring, probably wandering where he was right now. How he wished he could be out there, soaking up the admiration as he grinned cheesily at Twister, possibly sneaking a glance towards the booth where the mare of his dreams was.
Unfortunately, a quick inspection from Spitfire and the teams physio, Ball, had confirmed that he was unfit for the rigours of the event. Not after he preformed his little savior stunt without so much as the tiniest of stretches.
To his surprise, Spitfire had be rather calm about the whole ordeal. Of course she had been annoyed that he couldn't perform, not that she admitted as such, she didn't need to, he could see it in her eyes. But, she had understood that saving a ponies life, the pony who had saved them at Equestria's Best Young Flier no less, was far more important.
Twister had teased him about it though, of course he did. "Oh, not content with the one mare now? I'm down with that, and on the plus side, you can always chuck one my way when you're done with them." That remark had almost earned him a smack in the face, almost but the team needed at least two ponies to still put on show.
As the cheering continued, Soarin sighed and collected a jug of water and two cups, he figured the pony - Rainbow something - would probably want a glass of water after what she had been through. Today was going to be boring, and he couldn't even go and join Pinkie in the box, something he could do if it weren't for the pony lying passed out next to him that he had to look after. He hoped he could sneak up there later, but given how much of a fan she had appeared to be, it was unlikely he would be able to do so easily.
Preparing himself for a long wait, he went over to a nearby table and had a look through a set of magazines, mostly trash but he did eventually find something about extreme sports. It wasn't much to read, but it would keep him interested for a while.
A couple of hours later, he had long since finished the magazine and had moved on to the crosswords in a pile of old newspapers found in a storage cupboard, a sign of desperation. Soarin wasn't the bluntest tool in the box, but crosswords usually tied his brain in knots, because of a lot of his lines were filled with rude words out of frustration.
He was about to scrunch up his fifth paper when he heard a groan from besides him. "Oh my back, this must be tartarus, no way I survived a fall that high." Rainbow groggily stood to her hooves and flex her wings, it was then she spotted him, newspaper in hand. "You're...." She seemed to freeze and he got really worried for a second, he clapped his hooves in front of her face and was rewarded by the loudest 'squee' he had ever heard.
Rainbow stumbled for a second, being in the presence of one of her idols draining what strength she had left. Moving quickly, Soarin grabbed hold of her and stopped her mid fall for the second time that day. "Then again this could be paradise."
Silence filled the room, and for a moment he thought she had passed out again until she gave a low giggling and what sounded like a whispered "Oh my gosh - oh my gosh - oh my gosh..." Yes gooey fan mode had been activated.
'Why can't I spend a single moment around a sane pony, you know like Pinkie, is that too much to ask?' he thought to himself.