//------------------------------// // 7 - Pre-Race Jitters // Story: Top Wings // by Outlaw Quadrant //------------------------------// Sunrise, Sunday morning. The start of the race was still a few hours away, but that didn’t keep Blaze Peregrine from paying Rainbow a visit at her home. Last night, he spent hours poring over books inside the Library Treehouse, searching for even the smallest nugget of information that could be useful for his two pegasus friends. He all but designated himself their race strategist, if nothing else, so he could declare his race weekend a success if his data aids Rainbow or Swift in crossing the checkered flag first. It was bad enough that the doctors told him he couldn’t race, but that despite the objections Blaze raised yesterday, that they were actually right. His one attempt at race speed on his journey to Rainbow’s proved that, so when he reached his destination, he used his good wing to knock. He got no answer. “Is anypony in there?” he bellowed, adding more noise to the door. Inside, on a sectional sofa within the living room area, cyan ears slammed shut, as though the rattles were church bells ringing only inches away. For Rainbow, that was the usual reaction whenever someone decided to visit in the morning, but rather than get up with persistent grumbling, she kept her eyes closed, snuggling up on something rather soft and warm. It didn’t have the puffiness of a pillow, and for whatever reason, it was moving like a boat traveling over gentle waters, but she could care less. All she knew was that it made her at ease unlike anything she had slept with before, so she wasn’t budging for anypony. Unfortunately, her comforter decided to shift on its own. “Shoot, Blaze,” spoke a dazed voice. “Not now.” Rainbow recognized the speaker, so she allowed one red-veined eye to open. She saw a sea of grey, with what appeared to be multiple feathers folded onto its side. Further up were blue forelocks, a snout, and pupils adjusting to the light bombardment from the morning sun. They soon focused on her, but the pony reacted as though the sight of a mare resting by his side was par for the course. “’Sup, Rainbow” said Swift, yawning. “Hey, Swift” she responded in kind. They blinked a few more times, as their minds, slowly, but surely came online. Outside, Blaze had turned around, ready to leave. How peculiar. Have they left already? I do know Swift is a morning pony, so maybe he and Rainbow left for breakfast. I certainly hope not. With such a long race, both require proper nutrition, and I had put a list together of essential carbohydrates and a mix— Muffled yells shattered his thoughts. What is that? That sounds like… an altercation! Leading with his shoulder, he smashed through the door, only it gave far too easily. Blaze tumbled onto the floor, landing sideways on his injured wing. Even with the pain flaring up, he clawed on the floor for balance, believing his friends were facing an immediate threat. Instead, Blaze found Rainbow and Swift on opposite ends of the sectional, their chests working overtime for some air. There was no sign of danger, although the falcon could sense the heat emanating from the ponies’ faces. His beak swung open to ask what had happened, but then he spotted a cyan, and grey feather amongst a pile of pillows. Blaze’s imagination pieced together the puzzle, which came out to something innocent, but it gave him the perfect opening line. “Well, good morning. I assume you two had quite a—” He couldn’t hold back a grin “—eventful evening?” Swift replied with an “Eh?”, as his memories emerged from the haze. ***Start Flashback*** Rainbow’s abode in the sky emerged from the darkness, but for Swift, it was a thousand miles away. His passenger remained asleep, although by either magic or fatigue, Rainbow weighed more than an anvil. Swift’s wings sputtered under the stress, which chewed up his altitude by the second. For a moment, he thought of how he’d explain to Rainbow why they ended up sleeping on the ground. Fortunately, one final burst got his hooves to touch the base of the clouds holding her home, albeit they buckled in such a way that he’d have trouble calling it a smooth landing. Then again, it would’ve woken up his friend, so she could get off, or so he thought. “Are you kidding me?” he moaned. While his wings got their breather, his hooves went to work carrying Rainbow to the front door. They complained on every step with a fervent shake, adding pain halfway through. Even though Swift found the door unlocked, it took five tries with his snout before nudging his way inside. With a small kick, he got the door closed shut, hoping the rattle might wake Rainbow. No dice. She continued snoring on his back. Ahead was the spiral staircase that led upstairs to the mare’s bedroom, but not only was he out of gas, he remembered that it was off-limits. In fact, she made it a point of emphasis not when he arrived for the race weekend, but also the first time he was here a month ago. He gulped, as he could only begin to envision the mare’s wrath if he ventured upstairs, so Swift had only one option available. My bad, Rainbow. He made it to the sofa’s side, and with a few wriggles, he dumped his friend with a plop. The snores continued unabated. You’re really a heavy sleeper, aren’t ya? With a sigh, he tossed a blanket over her, followed by placing few pillows by her side. Finally, he prepped his own resting spot at one of the sectional’s corners, his usual spot. However, Swift didn’t realize Rainbow was closer than he expected, until he covered himself up for the night. He thought about moving further away, but the strength to get up again just wasn’t there. That and he found himself smiling at the view; a pony with drips coming from her mouth, a pony that slept in an awkward position, and a pony with a snore that could be mistaken for one from a barn animal. Like the hues on her mane, Rainbow had no reservations showing her true colors, and that was something he truly appreciated about her. Swift held that thought, as his eyelids came down for good. *** End Flashback*** Swift swore he was inside a volcano. “We, um hung out, and… t–that’s it! Why… why are you looking at me like that, Blaze?” The falcon had an eyebrow raised. “Are you sure? Rainbow?” ***Start Flashback*** Darkness, that’s all Rainbow saw as the midnight air tickled her fur. Around her hooves was not the pony she had fallen asleep on, but a plain pillow, a poor substitute for her head. There were smaller ones ahead, but what interested her was what looked like a large lumpy one. Once she scooted over and placed her head on top of it, Rainbow approved with a content sigh. As for the soft, gentle snore that was close by, Rainbow ignored it. She was too tired to figure out where it was coming from, and in a way, it was the perfect melody to take her back to dreamland. ***End Flashback*** “Nothing happened!” Rainbow turned away from Blaze, crossing her hooves. There was no way she would grant him the view of sheer embarrassment. “So, why are you here so early, anyways?” Blaze could only sigh, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to scratch that itch that was his curiosity. “Today is a very important day. Therefore, we must start it with a properly designed meal at a local dining establishment.” She gave no response, both because her face hadn’t cooled off, and Rainbow had no idea what he had just said. “You mean breakfast?” replied Swift, making a guess. “Correct. After that—” “It better not be more training,” mumbled Rainbow. “—we will need to find allies.” “Allies?” both pegasi responded. Blaze repositioned himself like a drill sergeant. “Today, approximately fifteen minutes ago, I ran into Sir Lionheart on my journey here, to inform me of a rumor that may be detrimental to our efforts. Supposedly, Gilda and Gecks have been conducting secret negotiations with other competitors to either aid their cause or disrupt everyone else’s. Lionheart suspects they have… the crows on their side.” Rainbow responded to the stern briefing with a cackle. “The crows? Pffft. They’re all in the back! What are they going to do? Caw at me as I lap them?” Swift rolled his eyes, believing she had forgotten he was starting shotgun. “And quite possibly the geese,” added Blaze. Her laughing came to a screeching halt. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You mean that blabbing bird, Hermes, and his group?” She stomped her hoof. “Are you kidding me? You know how fast they are when they work together?” Blaze walked toward the two. “That is the dilemma. If this rumor is true, then I believe their objective will be to increase the race pace, in order to distance themselves from the others, like you, Rainbow.” The falcon turned to Swift. “It is quite possible you could end up going a lap down, and out of contention.” “How?” replied Swift. “I was just going to go full speed from the start.” The falcon disagreed with a headshake. “That would be unwise. Take no offense, friend, but as you are now, your stamina is insufficient for that approach. I believe you will need to conserve your strength by assembling a group of slower competitors, and use their collective draft. Even so, that strategy requires a timely safety period, so we can only wish for good fortune.” “Let me guess,” interrupted Rainbow. “I gotta hook up with some fast racers.” “Exactly. Lionheart has already agreed to assist you, but we will need more…” His sour-looking beak turned upwards. “…and I believe I know who to ask.” The mare’s stomach came to life. “Right after breakfast, okay?” As the sun crept higher into the Equestrian sky, creatures of all shapes and sizes glided in and about the floating racecourse surrounding the Cloudiseum. Inside the stadium, most of the competitors were inside, preparing for the race in their own, unique way. Some slept, others meditated, the strong worked out, and the smart ones pored over details. Swift went off on his own to find willing allies who had qualified in the rear, while Rainbow and Blaze scoured the endless corridors and rooms for who the falcon thought would be of great help. When they found him, Blaze soon found out he might have made a slight miscalculation. “Nein!” Wolfmacher said, placing his orange paw on the Cloudiseum’s floor. “My squadron does not fly with others! Besides, how do I know this rumor has any merit?” Standing behind their leader, a pack of wolves nodded in approval. “Listen here!” Rainbow barked in the wolf’s face, unfazed by his subsequent display of fangs. “We’re going to be in big trouble if it is true! I know you don’t want Gilda and Gecks controlling this race, especially after what happened yesterday!” The wolf shut his eyes with a growl. “Ja. That is very true but we are here to compete for victory and pride. I cannot stomach accepting any outside assistance.” Blaze nudged Rainbow backwards. “I might be able to convince him otherwise. You go ahead and find McPecks. I doubt the pelican will join us, but you should at least make an attempt.” Rainbow preferred staying, as she understood the reasoning of Wolfmacher’s persistent refusal. The concept of cooperation during a competition tasted bitter, but there were benefits to that idea that was worth it, something she believed the wolf didn’t see. However, she entrusted Blaze to the task, so she could begin her search for another potential ally. After a few minutes going through a few twists and turns through the Cloudiseum’s hallways, she detected a presence following behind her, one that had heavy footsteps. “What you’re doing’s not gonna work, Crash,” said Gilda, standing at a low-lit part of the hallway. The mare stopped, but denied the griffon a view of her furrowed brow. Instead, Rainbow took her time to develop a comeback. “Since when did you get so scared of me, Gilda? Heh. Not only did you pair up with a trickster lizard, now you got some blabber beaks on your side too? I knew you wouldn’t have the guts to face me one-on-one on the track.” Gilda brushed her bangs aside. “Look who’s talking! Before, you didn’t care what anyone else did. You just went out and crushed them on your own. You’ve gotten soft.” “Soft?” Rainbow finally turned around but she kept her distance. “And what is that supposed to mean?” “Like you don’t know,” Gilda replied with a sly smile. “You and that dweeb pony. I saw you two at the Fly-In, getting all lovey-dovey with each other.” Rainbow’s wings stood erect. “W–w–wait a minute!” she stuttered. “It wasn’t like that! You know I hate that stuff!” The griffon cracked up, slapping her talon on the ground. “Oh my gosh! You should see the look on your face! I can’t believe you and scrawny—” Her squawking laughter intensified, the noise bouncing off the walls. Anger boiled within Rainbow, but other conflicting emotions had fallen into the pot as well. Every time she scooped in to find her voice, it came out as a scrambled mess. “You don’t, why you, I… uh.” She turned away, so she could cobble together some confidence. “Yeah, well, you don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s my friend.” Rainbow faced her again. “My friend, unlike Gecks. He doesn’t really want to be your friend. He’s just using you. The moment he sees a chance, he’s gonna bail on you.” “Tell me something I don’t know,” the griffon casually responded. Rainbow took a step back. “Hold on. You know?” Gilda did an eye roll. “Well, duh!” She approached the mare with wings on full display. “Since you obviously have no clue on the situation, let me give you the low-down.” She jabbed Rainbow in the chest. “This is a competition! Friendships or… whatever you and scrawny have doesn’t matter on the track! If someone can do something out there they can do to win, they’re going to do it! If Gecks is going to try to take me out late in the race, I’m cool with that.” “You’re cool with that? Seriously? How can you say that?” Her golden eyes shifted darker. “Because it’s survival of the fittest. Obviously, I won’t let him win either. I’ll just take him out before he sees it coming. Now, I’m feeling generous so let me give you a tip. When the time is right, you’ll do the same thing to that dweeb, that is if he’s even around at the end.” The idea turned her body cold. “Me, take out Swift? Bu–but why would I ever do that?” “What did I just say, doofus? To win!” Gilda raised an eyebrow, “Or did that part of you change too?” It took a moment for a firm response. “No! You know me! I’ll do whatever it takes to win!” Gilda walked past Rainbow, and then stopped. The griffon’s beak hinted at a smile from a bird of prey spotting its next meal. “We’ll see. I’ll keep my eye on you.” She continued down the corridor, “That is, if you don’t crash out.” Even long after the griffon disappeared around the bend, Rainbow remained where she was; breathless as though she was at the summit of Equestria’s tallest mountain. She had trouble comprehending what just happened, let alone the words that she spoke. They were filthy, but no matter what she did, Rainbow couldn’t scrub it away from her consciousness. No way! I’m not sinking that low! Rainbow’s head limped. Would I? At the other side of the Cloudiseum, Swift walked in step with another pony, one larger than he was, and with a grayer coat. “You were getting over the feather flu, Thunderlane?” said Swift. “Well, that explains why you’re starting in the back, but…” The stallion took a big step back. “Um, the doc did clear you, right?” Thunderlane did a facehoof. “Yeah, yeah. Geez, you get it twice in one month and everypony thinks I always have it!” “My bad, my bad,” Swift replied with a sheepish smile. “Listen, thanks for hooking up with me.” “Well, I owe ya for not telling Rainbow of my little screw-up back in Ponyville.” Swift visualized what had occurred a month ago, involving an unplanned downpour that threatened to burst the dam open. It took hours of ditch digging behind the structure to avert disaster. Little? Really? He patted Thunderlane in the back. “No worries! She didn’t suspect a thing!” A pitter-patter sound caught the pegasus attention. It was a violet bat walking up to them, standing nearly as tall as the pony greeting him. “’Sup Echo,” said Swift. “Any luck with more recruits?” “Sure have!” the bat replied in a squeaky voice. “The owls are game—” The sparkles in his eyes fizzed out. “—but the gargoyles’ leader told me that they only work as a clan.” Swift’s ears folded down. “Bummer.” “And I think that creepy lizard was following me.” “He was?” Swift peered down the hallway to a spot by a plain, white door where half an hour ago, the pony had his own encounter with the flying lizard. *** Start Flashback *** “What do you say? Gecks said as he hovered around Swift. “The offer to join us still stands.” He cringed at how the reptilian’s slimy tongue continued slithering out of his mouth, as though he was hungry for a treat, and Swift was a small fly. After breathing in, the stallion responded with a plain “no.” Gecks’ frills opened up, “Disss- appointing!” The winged reptile gave Swift a close-up of the dark slits in his eyes. “Just remember this, Swift! That mare of yours, if she crosses our path, her safety is not guaranteed, and if something does happen, you only have yourself to blame.” He turned around to leave. “Eh?” A light flickered within, small but orange. “Hey!” he snapped at the leaving Gecks. “What is that supposed to mean? Come back here!” *** End Flashback *** Shoot! He’s just trying to get me worked up! Water doused the flames within the short stallion, but it also brought a frigid chill to the air around him. But what if something does happen and I’m not there to help her? Would it really be my fault? Would I let Rainbow down? “You okay there, Swift?” said Thunderlane, waving his hoof across his line of sight. “Eh?” He faced both the pegasus and the bat, hiding his concerns behind a smile. “Yeah, yeah, it’s all good. C’mon! Maybe we could ask the herons next.” As Thunderlane and Echo went forward with lifted spirits, Swift followed behind, only he was lost in his own little world, one where Rainbow kept getting herself in trouble, and he was far away. No matter what he did, he was always too late to help, and in the aftermath, his injured friend kept asking him why. He had no answer. With a fervent shake, Swift returned to reality. Cool your jets, now. Rainbow’s one of the toughest pegasus I know! She can handle things on her own, until I catch up to her… right? Thirty minutes to green. Within the open area in the Cloudiseum, the race participants stood shoulder-to-shoulder, as endless balloons floated into the open air, much to the delight of the spectators that flowed in to watch the opening ceremonies. An orchestra played a joyous, festive melody, while flag bearers proudly presented the colors of the various nations that had come together to either compete or otherwise watch a race. Above, the Wonderbolts’ reserve members ripped through the air above with trailing blue smoke, gaining them oohs and aahs from the onlookers, including an orange filly who insisted on watching her idol on the racetrack. She had also convinced the others around her to hold up signs that, together, would spell out the name of said hero. “Um, Scootaloo?” said Twilight, holding up the board that said R. “I think there’s something wrong here.” “What do you mean?” replied the Cutie Mark Crusader. She turned to her other two teammates. “We did remember to check these before we left, right?” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell rubbed their hooves on the soft cloud below them, unwilling to admit their collective mistake. However, Rainbow caught it in full display, and so did her stallion friend. “Rainbob Hash?” Snickers escaped Swift’s mouth. Rainbow let out a long groan. “Don’t tell me I have to teach her how to spell, too. I’m having enough trouble with the flying lessons as it is.” At the center, standing on a round stage, Princess Celestia stood amongst other avian creatures, each denoting their importance with sashes, crowns, fancy silk, and the stern presence of the Royal Guard all around them. After an introductory trumpet tune, the alicorn did a polite cough into the microphone placed front and center. All eyes turned toward the princess, who beamed at her subjects, and all the other faces that resided beyond Equestria’s borders. “Welcome, everybody, to the city of Cloudsdale, home of the Equestrian Grand Prix! As the ruler of this fair nation, I cannot be thankful enough to see all of you here for a friendly competition. It is my hope, and the hopes of the delegation that stands behind me, that despite our differences in appearance, customs, and ideals, this event will foster friendships that will last for a lifetime.” Gilda, standing a few feet away from Rainbow, stuck her tongue out. “This speech is driving me buggy! Why do we have to stand here listening to this lame princess?” Rainbow took a step in the griffon’s direction, but Swift shook his head, making her stop. “Just let it go,” whispered the stallion. Rainbow returned to her original position, but grumbled on about Gilda’s disrespect, until a few burly pegasus flew by, carrying something draped by a sheet. “What is that, Rainbow?” said Swift. “No clue…” The ponies placed the item by the princess. “… but whatever it is, it’s big and heavy.” Celestia’s horn glowed. “Now, I know we said that this race is purely for fun, but after much discussion, the delegation thought the winner should get at least a little recognition.” The princess lifted the veil, allowing the ten-foot, cup-shaped trophy to display its golden sheen at the widening eyes of everyone around it. Down the line of racers, some let their jaws drop, others licked their chops, and Rainbow Dash squealed her delight at a pitch that startled Swift. He moved in to touch her, only for Rainbow to let out a flurry of “Oh, my gosh!”, while stomping the ground like a fan pony. Even as Celestia continued with her speech, Rainbow gave the inanimate object her undivided attention. Just look at that thing! Its glistening glow, its dominating presence, that really cool ornament on the top! That trophy is so much better than that medal I got from Junior Speedsters! I already know where to put it too! I gotta win this thing, no matter— Rainbow’s encounter with Gilda came back to her. “No matter what,” she finished, the spoken words lacking the enthusiasm of her prior thoughts. Swift scratched his mane. “No matter what?” “Huh?” She waved him off. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just thinking about… stuff.” His curiosity begged to probe further, but Swift decided against it. He had a guess based on how she kept biting her lip every time her vision wandered toward the trophy. Swift already knew the lengths Rainbow would go for acknowledgement from her peers, and the prize on display definitely fit the bill. Despite Rainbow having told him this race was for enjoyment, the fact that this was a race against the best in the world meant that she would likely focus more on winning. He couldn’t be upset at her for that, for that was who Rainbow Dash was, and Swift was more than willing to accept that. However, it also meant that his friend would take even more risks, if that were even possible, and that was something that twisted his stomach. With Gecks’ implied threat mixed in, Swift swore he had food poisoning. There was only one cure he could think of, the words he said to her back in Sugarcube Corner. “I got your back, all right?” he assured Rainbow, who was staring into space. “You have mine?” She failed to answer right away. The mare was battling an unexpected adversary, her own conscience. Rainbow wanted to win, but she couldn’t find where to draw the line where that desire would breach her virtue of loyalty to not only her friend, but also the allies that she gathered, Sir Lionheart the Griffon, Wolfmacher the Flying Wolf, and Harry Harrier the Hawk. All three pledged that they would work together, and would race cleanly for the win, but would she ditch them or deliberately harm them if that helped her, she thought. The fact that she was posing the question in the first place disgusted her, but like before, it wouldn’t go away. At that point, she questioned whether she was any better than Gilda. With the silence making Swift fidget, Rainbow scrambled for an answer. “Mhm,” was all she could muster.