Magical Mystery Marks

by bdoubleowo

Rainbow Dash's Story

“I still don’t know what you had to wake me up for,” Spike grumbled to Twilight as they walked toward a small cottage on a hill near the Everfree Forest.
“This is important, Spike. Rarity had Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark, and she said that this was Rainbow Dash’s cottage! Something’s very wrong here…” By now, they had reached the cottage, and Twilight knocked on the door. The door opened, and Rainbow Dash peeked out.
“Oh, hi, Twilight,” the light blue pegasus said, moving aside so that Twilight and Spike could enter. Once they had, Rainbow closed the door.
Twilight’s jaw dropped. The cottage was full of animals, and they were all going crazy! A cat was sharpening its claws on the drapes, an eagle was flying around with a mouse in its talons… “What’s going on?!” she asked Rainbow.
“Well…” Rainbow sighed, then, to Twilight’s surprise, began to sing.
“These animals won’t listen, no, not one little bit! They run around, out of control, and throw their hissy fits!” Rainbow tried to get the cat off the drapes, and it hissed and swiped a paw at her. “It’s up to me to stop them, ‘cause plainly, you can see…”
Twilight watched as Rainbow flew after the eagle, trying to rescue the mouse, but instead slammed into the wall and fell to the ground.
“It’s got to be my destiny…” Rainbow lifted a wing sadly, revealing a cutie mark of three pink and blue butterflies on her flank. “’Cause it’s what my cutie mark is telling me.”
Twilight gasped involuntarily. “So Rarity has Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark, and Rainbow has Fluttershy’s cutie mark! Of course, I should’ve guessed that when Rarity said that this was Rainbow’s cottage. . .” Twilight thought to herself. Out loud, she said, “Rainbow, are you okay?” 
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bruised wing.” Rainbow stood up and spread her wings, stretching. She winced a little, but other than that she seemed to be fine.
“Rainbow, if you don’t mind me asking. . . Could you tell me your cutie mark story?” Rainbow looked up at Twilight, surprised by her request.
“I’ve never told you that story?” Twilight shook her head. “Okay, then sure!” Rainbow trotted over to the couch and lightly pushed Angel Bunny over to the side. “Sorry, Angel. But we need to sit down too.” To this, the bunny just glared at Rainbow.
“Alright then. Where to begin?” Rainbow Dash sat down, and Twilight sat next to her. Spike sat next to Twilight. “Ah! It all started at flight camp, when I was a filly. . .”

Rainbow took a breath and began. “Back in those days, I was fast. Not, like, Wonderbolt fast, but still fast. So fast, in fact, that sometimes I didn’t see where I was going. These incidents gave me the nickname ‘Rainbow Crash.’” Twilight winced in sympathy.
“Anyway, the ones who gave me that nickname were two flight camp bullies named Hoops and Dumb-bell. They loved to pick on other foals and make fun of them. But they had two favorite targets: me, and Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy?!” Twilight gasped.
“Yep, Fluttershy. They would call her ‘Klutzershy,’ for back then she was a really weak flyer, and even shyer than she is now. Nopony ever risked the wrath of the two bullies by sticking up for either me, Fluttershy, or any other foal that was being bullied by them. But one day? One day I just, well…” Rainbow paused, trying to think of a word to use in this context.
“Snapped?” Twilight offered.
“Exactly!” Rainbow nodded in thanks. “I was sick of them bullying me, and sick of them bullying others, and especially sick of them bullying Fluttershy. So on this day, I noticed them bullying her. I was really mad.”
Twilight listened intently as Rainbow Dash continued. “Hoops was saying things like, ‘My little brother can fly better than you!’ Of course, I didn’t know his little brother, but it didn’t matter. So, as fast as I could, I shot down toward them and landed in front of Fluttershy, shouting, ‘Leave her alone!’”
“’Hey, Rainbow Crash!’ Hoops told me. I rolled my eyes at that. I forget how the conversation went, exactly, but it ended up with Hoops, Dumb-bell, and I racing each other around the track at Junior Speedsters Flight Camp.”
“Wow!” Spike said, shocked. “You raced those two? What was the outcome? Who won?!”
Rainbow laughed and rubbed Spike’s head. “I’m getting to that. Fluttershy was the one who waved the flag, and we were all watching her intently so that we wouldn’t miss a millisecond of time to get into the lead. She waved the flag, and we were off – so fast, in fact, that she spun around a couple of times and then fell off the cloud! I was torn between wanting to save her and winning the race, but I realized that Fluttershy could still fly well enough to at least slow her fall. I’m not proud of it, but that’s what I thought. Anyway, Hoops flew around a cloud column, and I followed close behind. Dumb-bell missed the turn and slammed into the wall. It was just me and Hoops now – and I was thinking of this when I was suddenly hip-checked to the side. I looked at who my attacker was, and it was Hoops, yelling ‘Smell ya later, Rainbow CRASH!”
“How rude!” Twilight said indignantly.
“I know, right? I was so mad. I flapped my wings and shot after him, soon overtaking Hoops. But I didn’t stop there. I kept flying so fast – I was so mad about that Rainbow Crash comment. I wanted to show Hoops that I was not Rainbow Crash. I was Rainbow DASH! The pony who beat him in a flight race – and who, at that moment, was flying fast enough to have some sort of wind tunnel form around her hooves. I didn’t even notice the tunnel, until suddenly, there was a giant BOOM! I shot across the finish line, a rainbow trailing behind me. I gasped, realizing that I had just done a Sonic Rainboom, which was supposed to be just an old mares’ tale. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I realized too late that I had overshot Cloudsdale and was now about to land in the middle of a forest – on the GROUND. I had never been to the ground at that point. I quickly tried to stop but was falling too fast. Then, all of a sudden, a group of winged creatures flew under me – supporting my weight! I was saved! I had no idea what had saved me until later, for butterflies (that was what those creatures were) don’t fly as high as Cloudsdale. Once they set me down, I thanked them. Suddenly, I realized that the forest around me was filled with animals – and I could, somehow, understand them! Or, well, kind of. I had to practice a lot after I discovered that fact.” Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck, a little sheepish. “But, anyway, that’s how I got my cutie mark!”
“And what about your Sonic Rainboom?” Twilight asked. “What did you do about that?”
“Well, believe me, I was pretty psyched. But flying fast isn’t my talent, I guess. Sure, I’m still really fast. But it’s not what I’m meant to do.” Rainbow smiled at her friend. “I take care of these guys now.” Angel glared at Rainbow from his spot on the couch.
“Well. . . thanks for telling us your story!” Twilight jumped off the couch, Spike following behind. “Hey, um. . . Would you happen to know where Fluttershy is at this moment?”
“Yeah, she’s probably at Sugarcube Corner.” Rainbow suddenly gasped a little. “Mind if I come with? I just remembered I need to pick up some cupcakes.”
“Sure!” Spike told her. “It’s cool!”
“Awesome!” Rainbow hoof-bumped his claw and trotted over to the door. “Come on!” She opened it, smiling at her friends. “Let’s go see Fluttershy!”