//------------------------------//
// Difficulty level. 
// Story: Rainbows. 
// by Arial_Dreemmurr 
//------------------------------//

"... Okay so I was wrong.. The last couple of days weren't as great as the first day. It's almost like it's getting worse every practice session. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I finished putting on my new suit and looked at myself in the mirror trying out multiple poses. I did this atleast for a minute or two and made my way to Wonderbolts HQ to the practice arena."





"Hey guys! I'm here!" I landed on the arena seeying Fleetfoot and Misty Fly already there.

They walked up to me and we did a wing-five. "Nice to know the newby's on time." Misty Fly taunted.

I just rolled my eyes at it and saw Spitfire wasn't there. "Where's Spitfire?"

"She's in her office. We wanted to wait for you first before we could do the warm up. You know, get our Wings ready." Fleetfoot happly said already in the air.

"Correction: She wanted to wait for you. But now that you're here we can start." Misty said as she few up.

"What's the warm up?" I asked noticing some obstacles in the arena.

"See those over there?" Fleetfoot pointed at them. "It's set up as a flying course. It's not too hard but you have to keep focus flying through it." She explained. 

"I'll start so you know what to do." Misty Fly said flying up into the course.

I watched as she flew through the course flawlessly. Meanwhile Fleetfoot followed her moves too while explaining the current obstacle. I just nodded and after she finished she flew back down to us.

"Who's next" She asked looking at both of us.

Before I could say anything Fleetfoot pointed at me with a smile. "I think you should go next Crash."

"Really?" They nodded. "Ok then." I was a bit nervous because it was my first time but I flew up and started the course. I had a few hick-ups here and there but I still finished the course on a good time and preformance.

"You did great! Now me!" Fleetfoot happly said jumping in the air and gliding up to the obstacle. She did it just as great as Misty Fly and finished the course half a second quicker. "Done!" She happle said pretty proud of herself.

"Damn. Beat me again. I don't think I'm going to keep up with you at the rate you're going." Misty Fly said half joking.

Fleetfoot chuckled and got a smile. "Nah.. You just gotta go a bit faster Misty." 

Misty Fly rolled her eyes and looked back at me. "Let's stop the jokes now. The newby needs to work her wings."

"Right." Fleetfoot flew up in the air. "Follow me! I'm in lead! And try to keep up.

Misty flew up too and I did too following both of them. We practiced scarp turns and circling though rings. It was WAY harder than last time but I tried my best to keep up and not mess up. It went pretty well and we moved on to the next exercise. In the mids of one Spitfire appeared and like last time she just watched as we flew trough the course. It was deffinetly harder than last time but I managed to do it without any major mistakes. After we finished we said good bye and went to the lockers. 

Fleetfoot and Misty Fly left so I was alone in there again. I used this time to just sit down and rest for a little before my fly home. I was in the middle of that when I heard someone enter. I quickly got up and acted like I wasn't just sitting and doing nothing a few seconds ago. 

When I looked I saw Soarin and he quickly noticed me too. "Oh, hey again Crash."

"Hey Soarin. So.. here again huh?" I tried not to sound awkward but how can you not while saying something like that.

"Yea." He stayed quiet for a bit before continuing. "So, how was practice with the elites?"

"Hard." I wasn't going to lie to him. He said he was in there once too so he would probably get it. "It was harder than last time. But I think I did pretty good."

"I know you did. You're a great flyer." We both blushed a little after that.

I brushed it away and broke the silence with the dumbest question ever. "So.. Did you get that pie?" I imagined face-palming at myself for saying something so stupid.

"I was on time and got it." He got a small smile. "It was great."

"You mean pie?" I asked a little confussed at his comment.

"Yea.. It just makes me happy. I can't explain it."

"Oh, alright then." I closed my locker and smiled. "It was great seeying you again but I have to go now. I'll see you another next time. Maybe."

He chucked a little and smiled back. "Yea. Maybe I'll see you too."

I walked out and made my way home. I smiled all the way home. I knew he was cute but now that we're talking a lot more I've been feeling even more when near him. But I tried not to think too much about it and continue my day.





"A lot happened the last couple of weeks. Training got harder everyday, Spitfire got stricter and me and Soarin got closer. But now one of the worst things that changed literally everything. So the practice was just as hard as usual and maybe even harder and I messed up a few times. I crashed into obstacles, I wasn't fast enough some times and saw everyone judging me every time. After the day I was called into Spitfire's office and nervously walked in.."





"Spitfire. I'm here like you asked me too."

"Good. I need to talk to you." She showed me a few papers with diagrams and notes writen next to them. I noticed they were calculating my skill and ability from every practice. "These are your skill papers. They show your improvement or regression of skill. Yours was normal at the first few days but as the training got harder your results started declining."

"I'm sorry but I'm really trying my best to keep up with them. It's just become very hard.."

She stayed quiet for a bit before nodding. "I get that. Now here's what I'm going to do.." She handed me a paper with some sort of test on it. "This is a flying test. I know you have great potential so if you pass this I will keep you on the team. If not I'm going to have to put you a class lower."

I didn't want that. I could do this! I had to do this! "I'll pass the test! I'll show you I can do better than this!"

She got a smile. "Good. Now go home and work on it. I want this back next practice. Then I'll make my choice."

I nodded filled with determination. "I won't disapoint you Spitfire."

I walked out of the office determined to pass that test. Like always I went to the lockers and put off my suit. I didn't wait for Soarin this time and left. I needed to get that test ready. I had to.





"Things were going alright. Exept for one huge thing. I was looking at this test for hours now but I keep failing to consetrate on what I'm doing. The test is mostly blank with only a few questions answerd. I take my eyes of it and sit back in my chair letting out a small groan. I was so annoyed at myself for not being able to-"

Knock Knock

I heard a knock coming from my window. I first thought it was a bird or something but when I looked I saw Soarin at my window.

"Soarin!?" I was very confussed and quickly got off my chair. "What are you doing at my window!?"

He signed for me to open it and after some hessitation did so. He got in and I still looked at him confussed.

"Sorry about coming in this way. I tried knocking but I didn't think you heard me." I remembered I tried to make my room some what sound proof in hope I could focus better.

"Oh that.. Sorry about that." I remembered my question again. "But why are you here?" 

"I just wanted to see what you were up to." He saw the paper on my desk and looked at it, reading what was on there. "What's this?"

I got back to the desk and got the paper. "Spitfire gave it to me. She said it was a flying test. I have to pass it or I'll be kicked out the elites.."

He looked confussed. "What? Why? Your a great flyer? What happened to make her tell you that?"

"It's just a lot harder than I expected. Ever since the first day it's been getting harder and harder. I guess it's just hard to keep up sometimes."

I saw a small smirk appear on his face. "Told you~" I really wanted to slap him right there. 

But I just rolled my eyes and continued. "Anyways, This is really important and if I fail I doubth they'll let me in again.."

He looked at it and saw the few scribbles I managed to put on there. "Looks like you just started. What's the due date?"

I sighed. "Tomorrow. And no, I didn't JUST start.. I've been here for hours but I can't consetrate on that damn test!" 

He noticed my frustration in my voice and gave me a smile. "Maybe you need a small break. Then maybe you'll be able to consentrate a little."

I did make some sense. "I guess I had been sitting here for a while.." I took another look at the test and smiled back. "You got something in mind? If you're here might as well join in."

He shrugged and looked around my room. "Movie?"

"Sure. I have some great ones over here." I said as I walked to a drawer. I opened one and got the movies out. "I got some of Daring Do's, Indiana Pones and some other ones I never watch. There's also this other one with weird being in them my friend Twilight calls humans and they do a lot of dumb things. It's some kind of dark comedy or something."

"Hmm.." He thought for a little. "Daring Do sounds cool. I read some of the books and it's pretty cool."

"Trust me it's amazing!" I got the movie and put it in. We got on the couch and started watching. While enjoying the movie I completely forgot about the test. We watched multiple movies and eventually fell asleep in the middle of one. 

I woke up and remembered last night. As I got up Soarin woke up too. I remembered the test and quickly got over to my clock to see the time. 8 AM.. I thought as I started to panic. "Oh no.. I completely forgot about the test! And the practice is in an half hour!" 

Soarin got up and tried to calm me a little. "Hey, maybe it's not that bad? I mean, you're a great flyer. Maybe they'll let you in?" 

I shuck my head. "Spitfire was really clear! And I doubth they'll let me in again.." 

There was a small silence before Soarin responded. "Make the test."

I looked at him confussed. "What? I cant make it! I only have thirty minutes and I'm not going to get any right if I rush it."

"Just make it, ok. If it looks like you made it we could win her over with something else. Even when you don't pass." I was still confussed but didn't waste any time and started filling in answers barely even reading the questions on some of them.

He got a glass and started making some sort of smoothie. "What are you making?"

"If we give her the best drink ever maybe she wont kick you out."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." I continued writing as he made the drink.

He openned a drawer and found an substance. "What's this?" He asked as he started pouring it in the glass.

"Don't put that in there! That's toxic that would kill her!" I quickly ran over and got it out of his hooves.

"Making it so she can't kick you out~" He said jokingly. 

"Quiet you dork." I ignored his dumb joke and finished the last question. "This deffinetly isn't going to make me pass so I hope your dumb smoothie plan works."

"It's the best we can try. Did you have any better ideas?"

I gave up. "Alright then.. Now let's go. I don't want to not pass and be late at the same time."

"Sure thing." Soarin got the drink (Totally forgetting the toxic substance in it) and put a small cap on it so we could fly it there.





We got there and I sped to her office where I had to give her the test. I got to the door of her office and felt very nervous to go in. Soarin gave me the drink and a smile. "You're going to make it." I returned a smile and walked in while Soarin waited for me inside. 

I got in and saw her at her desk already with her eyes on me. "Good to see you're finally here. You're a bit late."

"I know.. Sorry M'am." I walked over and laid the test on her desk. 

She got it and looked at the drink. "What's that for?" 

I put it on her desk trying to keep a smile. "I wanted to apologize for the last couple of weeks and I promise I'll do better. I just hope you like it."

She looked at it for a bit and got it. "A bit extreme but alright."

"The extreme Always seems to make an impresion." I nervously said as she looked over my test.

"These look like a lot of rushed scribbels. Also the answers are wrong at best and dont even make sense with the question at worst. I'm sorry to tell you but you failed. I'm going to have to put you a class lower." She put it down and took a sip from the drink.

I just looked away ashamed. "Alright.."

A few seconds later I heard something off. I looked up and saw Spitfire looking like she was chocking. Before I could do or say anything she fell on the ground unconcious. I froze in place and just looked at her shocked. 

I remembered the drink and the toxic substance and panicked. "Oh my.."

I heard the door open and saw Soarin entering the room. He noticed Spitfire there on the ground and had the same reaction. We stared at eachother for a few seconds before I got out of my frozen shock and quickly went to check if she was dead. I checked. She was not. 

I looked over to him. "What do we do??" 

I was really panicking and I think he noticed. "Uhm.." He walked over to a desk and saw her work schedule which was full. He also noticed her agenda was full with atleast one thing every day. "Wow. That must be stressful."

I walked over still panicking. "Stop looking at that! I'm stressing right now and we need to think of something! This could get us in jail!"

He tried to calm me down with a small smile. "Hey calm down. What if.." He got a paper from her desk and a pen. "it was like some suicide thing. Then they cant blame anyone. And we already got a reason right here."

"What!? You crazy!?" I yelled at him still panicking. 

"Just think about it. Nobody can blame anyone and if they do people will hate them. And we'll put her filled schedule for all to see so they think it's about stress or something?" He places it next to her by her hoof. 

I think it through for a bit and realise this is the only way not to get in trouble. "Ok.. Let's do it."

He gave me a paper and we wrote a fake suicide note and put it on the desk for people to find. We quickly left and hoped they wouldn't find out.