//------------------------------// // 13 - The Star Flyer of the EFL // Story: The Storm's Challenge // by OneLonelyPickle //------------------------------// Chapter 13 - The Star Flyer of the EFL “Z-Zephyr? The REAL Zephyr?!” Rainbow’s jaw refused to return to its proper place and hung like a sack of rocks. Zephyr rolled his eyes. “Yeaaah — hey, relax. We’re both celebrities, aren’t we? Don’t be so star-stuck.” The cyan pegasus scooped up her muzzle as best she could and shook her head with incredulity. “B-But what the hay are you doing here, by yourself, and talking to me — wait, me, a celebrity?” Zephyr chuckled. He performed a backwards somersault and descended through a cluster of clouds, then came back up and flew a wide circle around Rainbow. He stopped in place, upside down, and twirling in place, as if hanging upside down on an invisible rope, his eye-blindingly pink ponytail swaying in the light breeze. “I came to find you, of course. That and watch Lovey Dovey’s team… and I don’t like to travel in style, contrary to popular opinion. In case you thought I'd be coming in a giant limousine carriage or something.” Rainbow thought back to Soarin' the other day and snickered. Zephyr sighed. “It’s all so tiresome — everypony always wants a piece of Zephyr. Let's hassle Zephyr! So, I came by myself in secret. Actually, I have something to ask you, more importantly!” With a whip of his ponytail Zephyr flipped himself back to normal so he wasn't looking at Rainbow upside down. He moved his goggles to just above his brow and stared at his fellow “celebrity” with a piercing emerald gaze. “And yeah, you’re pretty famous yourself. You think you can save Equestria several times, pop off a sonic rainboom TWICE, and not draw attention?!” Rainbow blushed. She swatted a hoof in front of her. “Pshhh — well, when you say it like that, I mean… it’s n-not really a big deal. I didn’t save Equestria by myself, but YOU did beat Quicksilver Dart one on one – with two broken fetlocks!” The two started to fly at a brisk pace, as Rainbow still needed to keep her spot in the exercise and bust obstacles as she did so, and Zephyr followed. He replied, “Yeahhhh I did beat Quicksilver, but y’know, she’s not all that, like the tabloids would make you believe. And you don’t need fetlocks to fly well – coming back to your rainbooms, how is it that you managed to do one as a filly and then not again until just a few years ago?” Rainbow kicked a cloud into next week. “I dunno, honestly. I mean, both times it happened it was when I had to save a friend, and only the rainboom could get me to them in time.” Rainbow shot Zephyr a sidelong glance. “Say, how do you know about that time when I was a filly? It was a long time ago; most ponies don't know that was me.” Both pegasi came to a clearing where the nearest cloud was miles away. All before them was orange-blanketed cloud tops far below and huge columns of white to the east and west. It was like a great big bowl of air encapsulated by fluffy white clouds. Zephyr smiled to himself as he responded, “Let’s just say I… come from a well-connected family.” He hoofbumped the air. “Anyway! I want to show you something; it’s related to my request. Come on!” Zephyr was off like a flash, descending below the clearing so fast that even Rainbow almost missed it. She took off after him. Down and down they flew, and Rainbow started to worry she would mess up the exercise if she didn’t get back on track. Suddenly, she broke into another cleared-out area and watched Zephyr with wide eyes. A sharp cone was forming in front of him as he headed towards the earth like a comet. Rainbow could tell from her angle what that was: he was going to perform the sonic rainboom! But just as quick as Zephyr had been, the sonic rainboom cone disappeared, and losing his momentum, Zephyr shot back up into the sky with hooves and wings flailing. He caught himself once more and flapped his wings to keep aloft, then zoomed up beside Rainbow. He was panting and coughing like he had just won a marathon twice in a row. “Did you – was that — not bad… eh?” Zephyr smiled through his struggles. Rainbow felt her jaw grow limp again. “You almost did the sonic rainboom!” Rainbow’s expression changed to one of excitement. “I mean, I’m a bit jealous, but wow! That’s so cool! I thought I was the only one who could do it!” Zephyr took in a deep breath and exhaled out of his mouth drawn into an O. He jerked his head so his ponytail flopped out of his vision. “Well, you still are the only one who can do it. I’ve practiced the darn move like 5000 times in the last two years and have never been able to get closer than that to completing it.” Rainbow remembered the exercise and motioned upwards, asking if they could continue back where they left off. Zephyr agreed with a nod and a few moments later both ponies were soaring in the clearing along the path of the exercise. They were close now to the end if Rainbow’s time-keeping skills were anything halfway decent. “You’ll get it, Zephyr,” Rainbow said as she directed a flock of geese towards a safer direction, “Trust me. You’re already so close AND you’re a champion flyer! You’ll figure it out!” Zephyr beamed at Rainbow. “You’re right, I will… because you’re going to teach me!” At this Rainbow gasped. “No way! Like, now? Tomorrow? The races are starting soon! No offense, Zephyr, you’re awesome and all, but I’m going to win those races” — Rainbow broke into an ear-to-ear grin and pointed at herself with a stalwart hoof, her multi-colored mane bouncing up as she did — “which means I need to train with the Wonderbolts as much as I can. Sorry, but no can do.” Rainbow and Zephyr passed into a cumulonimbus. Rainbow had to kick and flap her wings harder than ever before during the exercise as the massive cloud began to dissipate. Zephyr cried amidst the noise of static electricity breaking off as Rainbow hit the cloud. “This is the best part, though, Rainbow! In exchange, I can show you a way to fly twice as fast and actually have a chance to beat me at the races!” The cloud broke up around the two with a final burst of static. It only slightly frazzled the two pegasi, as both had a lot of experience with angry storm clouds. “What do you mean?” Rainbow asked, eyebrow raised. “A way to fly TWICE as fast? You saying right now you can fly at least TWICE as fast as ME?” Zephyr nodded with hooves crossed, looking proud. “It’s my secret; it’s how I win every race, and I’m willing to share it with you – and only you, Rainbow Dash – in exchange for the secret of the sonic rainboom. It’s the ONLY way you’ll be able to keep up at the end of the final race, I can assure you.” “The final race?” Rainbow asked as the two continued towards the sun. Zephyr hummed an affirmation. “I wouldn’t play my trump card on the other two, less-important races, would I? So, do we have a deal?” Zephyr held his hoof out with a smile. Rainbow didn’t sense any ill-will, and this was THE Zephyr. She clasped the outstretched hoof in her own and returned the smile. “Fine, but you better not be joshin’ me, or I’ll come find you. Thanks to Famous Flyer Monthly, I know where you live!” The two laughed and Zephyr said somewhat seriously, “That’s a little creepy!” The sun wrestled with the horizon as the day came to a close. Rainbow and Zephyr glided towards the end point of the flying exercise. “Hey.” Rainbow broke the silence. “You mind if I ask you how awesome Maelstrom is, like, in person? I’ve been dying to know – and I mean not in front of a crowd. Like if it was just you and him.” Rainbow looked at Zephyr with a big grin and sparkly eyes, but the stallion just turned away with a sigh. “Ehhh… he’s… well,” – Zephyr rubbed the side of his face – “Stoic? Rough around the edges? He’s an amazing flyer, no question there.” Zephyr quietly cleared his throat. Rainbow raised a brow. “That’s it? It kinda sounds like you hate the guy, even though you should adore his every fibre and being!” Rainbow got into Zephyr’s face and threw her hooves in the air. “He’s been a champion racer before either of us were born! A living legend!” Zephyr snarled for a split second. Rainbow flinched. The star flyer of the EFL closed his eyes and swerved around Rainbow. He let out all the air gathered in his lungs. “Maelstrom is my boss. That’s all there is to it, alright?” Rainbow gulped. She caught up and maintained her pace beside Zephyr. “Alright, sorry I asked.” After some silence to lighten the tensions, Rainbow piped up again. “So, you want to start training tomorrow? I’m not sure how much I can teach and show you, but I have some things in mind, shouldn’t take more than a few hours.” Zephyr forced a smile. “Sounds good. Let’s meet in town where the skies are the clearest, around 4pm. That way we can both get some training in with our respective teams. Where's the best place to train?” Rainbow stroked her chin with a hoof as if to entice thoughts to form. “Well… guess that would be Sweet Apple Acres. We weather ponies usually don’t put many clouds around there because the trees need the sunlight. We could meet above the highest hill, the one with the three apple trees.” Zephyr turned to Rainbow and nodded quickly. “Until then, then.” With one final smile, he was off behind a cloud. He called out from a distance. “Don’t worship the ground your heroes walk on – or fly over – until you know them, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow mulled the words over for a few minutes before letting her happiness overtake her face. She shrieked and started punching and kicking the air. “Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh! Training with Zephyr? I gotta pinch myself!” And that she did, with an “ow!” afterwards. She shook her head. “Gotta be real! Well, one more for good luck.” This time was harder than the last, and with a yell, she left a red mark on her forehoof. “Okay, definitely awake! Time to get back to base!”