//------------------------------// // Deciding on Dash // Story: Ways of the Wonderbolt // by pinkaminapegasister //------------------------------// It was a beautiful sunrise. A sunrise that crept over the hills oh so drearily. A sunrise that dazzled with a brilliance that Celestia would have no doubt been proud of. But most importantly, It was the sunrise that awoke a sleeping Spitfire from her slumber. Still in her dreamy state, she yawned, stretched and looked out at the sunrise, then back at her clock. "Six am. Today is going to be great!" With this newfound revelation, she quickly sprung from her bed and trotted over to her wardrobe. Upon opening her closet doors, she was momentarily mesmerised by the sight; there in front of her, hung her perfectly ironed, dry cleaned, official, one-of-a-kind, members only, Wonderbolts uniform. She stood there awhile, stunned yet again by the sheer awe the uniform itself seemed to emit. She grinned giddily and eagerly changed into her uniform before staring at her own reflection for a moment. She approved of what she saw, and puffed out her chest in pride, just fantasising about all the possibilities of the adventures that could happen. Distracted by her daydreaming, she took a step down the stairs, only to be met with the lack of surface. Her momentum however, did not cease, as her head collided with the hard, sturdy edge. And then again. And then again. And then again, as her body tumbled unyieldingly down the cacophony of never ending platforms that make up the Canterlot Palace steps. Her body finally came to a sudden halt at the bottom of the stairs. Dazed, and with an agonised groan, she attempted to lift herself back up onto her feet, but failed, as a searing pain crept up through her left wing and hind leg, temporarily rendering her to lose all balance and collapse. "Well that wasn't how I planned to start the day..." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Spitfire grumbled uselessly at her situation. What even happened? She was Captain of the Wonderbolts for Celestia's sake! The Captain of the Wonderbolts does NOT fall down the stairs and wind up in hospital! She falls down the stairs and gets back up like nothing happened, because she was tough! Heck, the Captain of the Wonderbolts should not have fallen down the stairs in the first place! She groaned again as she tried to think clearly about what she was going to do. Who to choose, who to choose..? Her train of thought was focused until an unexpected jolt of pain shot through her wing as she realised she had brushed it against the corner of monitor next to her. Frustrated, she slammed an angry hoof onto the side of the bed. "I don't know!" She rubbed her temples as she just tried to escape from the responsibility she had laying in front of her. She started to imagine being away from where she was. She thought about how much she would give just to be up in the air, saving innocent ponies from dangerous ursers, dragons and out of control carriages… She imagined dining in expensive restaurants, signing autographs, chatting idly with fellow celebrities… But most of all, she imagined the shows… The shows she would be missing out on… Oh how she wanted so desperately to be performing her signature, death-defying, stunts. How she craved the feeling of the gushing wing combing through her hair. She craved the adrenaline. The speed. The lightning… But most of all, the roar of the fans. The fans as they cheered her name… And as she imagined the wonderfully welcome chanting of her loyal fan-base, one specific pony came to mind. One cheering fan. One talented pegasus. One colourful character… Her thoughts stumbled onto her biggest fan. The perfect recruit… "Rainbow Dash." Satisfied with her choice, she smirked at her fellow Wonderbolt members crowded around her bed. "Rainbow Dash? That name sounds familiar… Have we saved her once before?" One of the members asked. Soarin rolled his eyes and face-hoofed. Spitfire noticed this, as she too, was unimpressed by her team member's lack of social protocol. She was about to inform her clueless team member in on the profile of said chosen pony, when Soarin beat her to the punch. "Rainbow Dash is just the ONLY pegasus EVER to pull off the infamous Sonic Rainboom! Geez Snow Storm, do you live under a rock or what?" Snow Storm, embarrassed, bowed her head. Happy with the dominant effect he had had on her, he continued. "Not only that, but Rainbow Dash has won EVERY Best Young Flier's Competition ever since she first competed as just a wee filly! She's quit the achiever." "Yes," Spitfire interrupted Soarin's giddy smile of admiration, "and she is also a very athletic, super-focused, talented young pegasus." "But does she have any experience? I mean talent or no, she is still a rookie." Snow Storm looked uncertainly at her Captain as she pondered on this. Despite her having a valid point, Spitfire was still confident in her decision. "A rookie with a darn good resume! She may not be a Wonderbolt, but she has saved Equestria from disaster more than once. I think that in itself justifies us trusting her with such a task." Snow Storm was about to interject, but decided against it as she received a very stern glare from her Captain. "Rainbow Dash is the perfect candidate. She's hardworking, honest, strong, and most importantly, she's loyal," SPitfire could see the gradual trust building up towards this idea in each of her tem members' eyes. Satisfied, giving everypony in the room a warm smile of assurance, she concluded; "And she is the perfect pony to fill in as a temporary Wonderbolt."