Devotion and Desire

by Jacetheponysculptor

Devotion and Desire

Devotion and Desire
by Jacetheponysculptor
Edited by Longshot

"Twilight! What the heck are you doing up there!"

"Sorry, I'll be down in a sec!" said Twilight Sparkle. She hurriedly combed the last few knots out of her hair.

"Twilight! Seriously, we're going to be late!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" the purple mare said. She put some toothpaste on a nearby brush, rammed it against her teeth and spit into a nearby cup. She gave herself a little sniff and stuck her tongue out. She had been on a research binge and hadn't taken a bath in a while. Hopefully nopony would notice.

"That's it Twilight! I'm leaving! I don't care whether you come or not!"

"I'm coming down the stairs right now!" Twilight bolted down the steps, nearly tripping over her own hooves. The owner of the annoyed voice stood downstairs, tapping a clawed foot against the floor. The little dragon snorted at Twilight and shook his head.

"Took you long enough," he said.

"I'm so sorry Spike. I stayed up longer than I should have last night, and I forgot to set an alarm." Twilight sighed and lowered her head. "Hopefully we won't be too late."

"Well don't expect me to take any blame," said Spike, waving a claw at her. "Dash yells at me enough as it is."

"Fine, I'll own up to it," said Twilight. "Now hold onto me. We're teleporting there." Spike obliged, grabbing onto one of her legs. He sniffed the air.

"Eww, what smells?" he asked, pinching his nose. Twilight rolled her eyes, and her horn began to glow. In a flash of purple light they were gone.

~

"Where the heck are they?" growled Rainbow Dash, pacing back and forth in the air. Applejack shot a worried look at her.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon," Applejack said. She, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy stood in the middle of a large open field. Bleachers were set up haphazardly around it and quite a few ponies had sat in the seats. A stallion in a black and white referee uniform tapped his hoof impatiently, staring at the group. Dash continued to buzz around like an annoyed bee.

"Oh I hope they're alright," said Fluttershy. "Twilight is never late. Maybe something happened to her."

"Something better have happened to her, or I'm gonna make something happen to her!" said Rainbow Dash. Rarity let out a gasp.

"Rainbow, how barbaric!" she said. "They could be in serious trouble."

"Or they could be having a party!" said Pinkie Pie, bouncing around. "They could be having punch, or chips, or cupcakes!" She suddenly stopped mid hop. "But that means that they didn't invite me." Pinkie's bottom lip began to tremble.

"All of you calm down," said Applejack. "I'm sure they're fine. They probably just-" A flash of light cut off Applejack mid sentence. Twilight and Spike stood a few feet away from their friends, both looking rather disheveled.

"I'm here, I'm here," said Twilight as she trotted over to her friends. "I'm sorry, I just lost track of time.”

"LOST TRACK OF TIME!" Rainbow's face began to turn red.

"Uh-oh," whispered Fluttershy, as she covered her head.

"THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF MY LIFE, AND YOU LOST TRACK OF TIME!" Rainbow was positively seething. Her eyes bulged out of her head, and a large vein began to pulse in her temple. Twilight shrunk down, resembling Fluttershy.

"I'm sorry Dash. I don't know what to say." Twilight bit her lower lip.

"Well, whatever!" Dash threw her hooves up into the air. "At least you're here now." She landed and walked over to the ref. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Wonderful," the ref said facetiously. "Go stand at the starting line and start your routine when I blow the whistle."

"You got it chief!" Rainbow said. Her excitement was slowly beginning to drown out her anger with Twilight. She stood at the starting line and motioned to the purple mare. As Twilight trotted over to join her, the other girls went into the stands.

"Good luck!" said Rarity.

"Break a leg!" said Applejack.

"Be careful!" said Fluttershy.

"After you win, we'll have a party!" said Pinkie Pie. Dash felt a smile come over her face.

"My friends," she thought to herself. "Don't know what I did to deserve them, but today, I'm going to make them proud." Twilight sidled up next to her.

"You ready?" she asked, her horn beginning to glow.

"Yup. We'll start when the ref blows the whistle," answered Rainbow. She wiggled her rump in anticipation. Twilight gulped, preparing her mind for the task at hand. The tension built in the air.

"Hey, what's that smell?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Did you just rip one?" Before Twilight could answer, a sharp whistle pierced the air.

Rainbow Dash bolted upwards, knocking Twilight over with the force. Twilight refocused herself, following the rainbow pegasus with her eyes. Dash started out some simple loops and a few drops. The crowd cheered as she began to pick up the pace. Twilight waited for her cue, bouncing on her hooves. Her horn began growing brighter and brighter. As she did so, Dash flew into a sunbeam and spread her limbs. She then relaxed her wings and began to fall. Twilight tensed, and began to form her magic. Purple rings of fire materialized in the air. Dash casually maneuvered through them without using her wings. As she neared the ground, she straightened herself. She began to pull up and avoided the ground by what seemed like an inch. She soared back into the air as the rings of fire began to move after her. She bobbed and weaved, dodging some, flying through others. The speed of the rings increased, and Dash sped up with them. Twilight's muscles tensed, her entire body strained with the exertion of this prolonged magic. Sweat moistened her brow. She could it falling onto her cheeks, and tasted their salty flavor on her lips. The rings began to merge, combining to create a strange form. Dash peeled away from them as they formed the shape of a hydra. The crowd gasped as the flame hydra stretched its many heads, glaring menacingly at Dash. The daredevil scoffed and prepared for an attack. She swerved from side to side, avoiding the heads as they reached out to bite her. She got closer and closer, dodging the heads and claws of the beast. The hydra reared back for another blow but Dash rocketed into the stratosphere. She propelled herself higher and higher, until her breath began to became constricted due to the lack of oxygen. She flew higher than the clouds, higher than the highest mountains.

Then she dropped.

Heat built up all around her. She felt her skin pull away from her, nearly ripping itself from her muscles. The ground was back in sight, and Dash was ready for the finale. With a crack she burst through the hydra, dissipating it with her momentum. A blindingly bright rainbow followed behind her. The crowd stared up in awe, hardly able to comprehend what they just saw. Rainbow Dash touched back down to the ground, exhausted. She turned and saw Twilight. She too was exhausted. Her knees were shaking and her mane hung in a wet clump. Still, they both smiled as they knew that they had done an incredible job. After a few seconds of incredulous silence, the crowd erupted in spectacular applause. Ponies jumped into the air, throwing their food. Dash saw members of the crowd hug, and heard them whistle. One had even fainted by the look of it. She turned to her three competitors. They all looked crestfallen. Dash turned to the judges, three older pegasi who were clustered around each other. They were deep in conversation. The ref held up a hoof, and the crowd gradually quieted down.

"That concludes the performance section of the Wonderbolts qualifier," the ref said. "Our judges will now make a decision. The winner of this event will get a spot in the upcoming Wonderbolts single elimination tournament, which will determine the next member of the star studded group." Dash did her best not to sink down to the ground, although all her muscles ached. Ached rather badly in fact. Nothing to worry about though. She looked towards her friends in the stands. All of them paced in anticipation.  

"I think I'm gonna pass out," Fluttershy said. " The anticipation is just too much."

"You'll be fine sugercube," said Applejack. "There's no way Dash didn't win." Her assurance in her friends victory didn't stop her from gnawing on the edge of her hat.

"All this tension is making my mane frizzy," Rarity whined, desperately patting herself on the head.

"Shush, the judges are gonna say something!" Pinkie said, pointing at the judges. The judges had stopped deliberating. The oldest of the three was a grizzled grey stallion with a Wonderbolts badge pinned to his vest. He walked to the center of the field and joined the referee.

"Our decision was unanimous!" the ancient stallion said. "Todays winner is Rainbow Dash!" The crowd screamed in joy. Rainbow felt elation flow through her. She had done it. She had really done it. After three attempts she had finally made it to the tournament. Before she could register anything more her friends crowded around her, jostling her and congratulating her. Her body twitched when they touched her since she still really hurt, but she appreciated it all the same. Twilight stood in front of her, a big smile plastered onto her face.

"You were amazing Rainbow," Twilight said. Dash smiled back at her.

"Thank you all so much. Without you I-" she was cut off by a ground-shaking boom. She turned to Pinkie, who had just set off the party cannon. It had covered the referee and head judge in confetti.

"Time to party!" she whooped, and the entire crowd whooped with her. Her friends lifted Dash into the air, and Dash let out a triumphant holler. This was the best day of her life. As her friends carried her back to Ponyville, she couldn't help but notice something. The slow ache was turning into bad pain. But it was nothing to worry about. It was just a little pain. No big deal.

~

Rainbow couldn't relax. It had been three days and her muscles still hurt. Every time she tried to get out of bed her body protested. Once she had fallen to the ground and had to get Fluttershy to help her up. That was extremely embarrassing. The whole situation was too much. Dash loved Fluttershy like a sister, but her home was to say the least, eccentric. Every time Dash was about to fall asleep something would happen. A bird would squawk and wake her up. Animals would hop on top of her, causing her body to scream in pain. And one of the rabbits kept giving her dirty looks. The only thing she had to keep herself occupied was a stack of Daring Do novels and her pet tortoise Tank. Even he was getting bored. Today he had flown off without her, puttering away on his magic fan. Rainbow again tried to close her eyes. She pulled up her blanket and tried to think relaxing thoughts. Soaring through a gentle breeze. A night of secrets and wine with her friends. Big Mac's juicy flank. Just as she was starting to drift off, the door to Fluttershy's guest room burst open.

"Sorry to disturb you Rainbow, but I made you some soup," said Fluttershy. Rainbow opened an eye. Fluttershy stood there, accompanied by the glaring bunny. He held a bowl of soup, looking at it distastefully. Dash straightened herself up.

"Thanks Fluttershy," she said, trying to inject some fake happiness into her voice. Fluttershy quickly picked up on her discomfort.

"Are you okay Dash?" she asked, walking over to the bed. The bunny hopped over to the bedside table, spilling soup with each jump. He flung the bowl onto the surface, and hopped away. Dash swore that she heard him muttering under his bunny breath.

"I don't know. I'm happy that I finally made it to the tournament, but I hate the fact that I'm stuck here. I'll be competing in a month, and instead of practicing I'm cooped up in a room with a bunch of smelly animals," said Rainbow Dash.

"They don't smell," whispered Fluttershy.

"Huh?" Dash began to slurp up the soup. "Sorry, didn't hear you."

"Nothing, nothing," said Fluttershy. "Well I'm sorry Dash, but you have to get better. You really strained yourself at the qualifier. If you push your muscles any further you might seriously injure yourself. Then you won't be able to compete at all." Rainbow stopped slurping the soup. The concept of not being able to compete in the tournament filled her with dread.  

"Yeah, you're right. Don't know what I was thinking," said Rainbow Dash. She set the rest of her soup aside. "Guess I'll just have to wait." She noticed Fluttershy give a twitch. "What's the matter?"

"Well, it could be nothing," Fluttershy said.

"What? Come on, tell me," said Dash.

"Well, I am a little worried. You don't seem to be healing fast enough," the yellow pegasus said. Dash felt something cold begin to crawl through her stomach.

"What do you mean?" Dash asked.

"Well, it's okay for muscles to hurt for awhile. But to not be able to get up at all after three days is a little unusual." Fluttershy began to scrape at the floor with her hoof. "Dash, you may have really hurt yourself." Dash felt her jaw drop. Hurt herself? Before the big tournament?

"No, there's no way," Dash said, shaking her head. "I refuse to believe it."  

"I don't want to think that either," Fluttershy said. "But I think it would be in your best interest if we took you to see a doctor."

"No!" shouted Dash, startling Fluttershy and forcing her to back up a few paces. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. But after what happened last time, I'd prefer to stay out of the hospital. Unless I'm like dying." Dash tried to sit up, but her back surged with pain. She gasped and sunk back down into the bed. Fluttershy pulled a few pillows out of a closet, and stuck them under Dash's back. "Thanks. But isn't there anything you can do? That's the reason I stayed with you. You take care of all the animals around here, I figured you could help take care of me."

"But I'm not a doctor Rainbow. I just look after the animals,” Fluttershy said, as she looked out into her living room where her tiny friends cavorted. "If any of them got seriously injured I'd have to take them to a specialist."

"So you can't help me?" asked Dash. Fluttershy gave her a crestfallen shake of the head.

“Well, that's just great!" Dash threw her hooves into the air. She lost her tenuous balance on the bed. “Oh crap!" she said, trying to pinwheel herself back into place. Fluttershy tried to help her but she only worsened the situation, pushing Dash by accident. Dash fell off of the bed with a crash. There was a pause, and then Dash screamed in pain.

"Fine! Take me to the hospital!"

~

"Stick out your tongue," Nurse Redheart said. Dash complied, and the nurse jammed a thermometer into Dash's mouth. "Don't take that out  until I tell you."

"Thli thlusn't thlanning thon thit," Dash spat. Redheart raised an eyebrow.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," reprimanded the nurse. Dash rolled her eyes. "Well Ms. Dash, I'm going to be frank. You put a lot of strain on your muscles during the qualifier. I was there actually. I thought you did a great job." She gave Dash a smile but Dash didn't return it. Nurse Redheart cleared her throat and continued. "Anyway, it looks like you might have torn some ligaments. We can treat this, but it'll take a week or two."

"A thweek or thwo!" Dash said.

"Yes, a week or two. There's no helping it," the nurse said. "You're going to need a lot of bed rest, a lot of fluids, and some T-L-C."

"Thee thel thsee?" asked Dash.

"Tender loving care," answered Redheart. "That's what we do here, service with a smile." The nurse carefully plucked the thermometer out of Dash's mouth, and held it between two hooves.

"Hmm, not getting an accurate reading from this one." She rooted through a few drawers, and found a rubber glove. She snapped it on.

"Look like we'll have to do it the other way." She turned to Dash. "Bend over."

Dash gulped.

~

"I hate the hospital," growled Rainbow.

"Well, you had to go," said Twilight. Dash had been sent over Twilights house after the rabbit had gone on a kicking spree. After Dash got a good one in the ribs, Fluttershy was forced to use a broom to keep the pegasus from killing the bunny. They both decided a move was for the best.

"Do you know where that nurse stuck her thermometer?" asked Dash. "Right up my-"

"Twilight, you have a letter from Princess Celestia!" called Spike from downstairs.

"Oh, I have to get that. I'll be right back," said Twilight. She went down the stairs, and Dash rubbed her flank.

"Who puts a thermometer there?" she asked. There was some talking from downstairs, and Dash heard Twilight pound her way back up.

"Bad news Dash," Twilight said, as she began to root through her drawers. The purple mare began throwing  random items into a nearby rucksack. "Princess Celestia needs me to go to Tartarus. Some of the residents are getting a little restless. Spike is going to look after you for a while."

"Spike? Isn't he a little young?" asked Dash. Twilight shook her head.

"He's a good helper Dash. He'll be able to take care of you just fine." Twilight levitated a few scrolls into her bag. "Besides, the other girls are busy. Unless you want to go back to the hospital, you're kind of stuck." Dash felt a pain in her backside.

"Alright, I'll stay here," she said. As Twilight continued to go through her drawers, Dash peered around her bed. She noticed a pile of books on a nearby shelf. She reached for them, and looked through their titles.

"Into The Minds Eye? Boring," she said, tossing that one aside. "How Grass Grows And Other Interesting Floral Questions? Junk." Twilight frowned, not a fan of Dash calling her books little more than trash. "A History Of The Water Cycle? Stupid. A Complete Guide To Male Reproductive Anatomy? What the-!?"

"That's for research!" shouted Twilight, yanking the book out of Dash's hands with her magic.

"Sure, research," said Dash with a smirk. Twilight giggled nervously.

"Yup. Well, gotta go!" Twilight bolted at the door, and Dash burst out laughing.

"Guess she's a bookworm in every sense."

Dash heard a clicking noise, and turned to where Twilight had just left. It was Spike, his claws clicking against the floor. He had a large spread of food on a tray.

"Here you go Dash. I didn't know what you liked, so I just made you a little bit of everything," Spike said with a smile.

"Wow, thanks little buddy!" Dash said, ruffling his spines with her hoof. Spike giggled in appreciation.

"No problem. Let me know if you need anything else!" Spike clicked his way back down the stairs, and Dash got down to eating. It was the best meal she had had in weeks.

"Huh. Maybe this will be cool after all."

~

It had been three days since Dash had moved in with Twilight. Spike had been more than an adept helper. He easily and graciously answered her every beck and call. She had never felt hungry and had even begun to gain an appreciation for some of the more scholarly titles in the library. Her muscles had been healing slowly and she could walk around now. Today, she had decided to test out her wings. She carefully got out of the bed, doing her best to ignore the protests of her torn ligaments. Once she was firmly on the floor, she did a few squats, and slowly spread out her wings. She gave them a little flap, and gasped. Everything but the feathers hurt. She cursed under her breath. She still couldn't fly. She gave a huff and collapsed back onto the bed. Just as she began to brood about her bad luck, a knock came at the door.

"Come in!" Dash said.

The door opened, and Spike walked into the room.

"Hey Dash," he said. "Feelin' okay?"

"Not really," Dash said. "My wings aren't better yet, and time keeps ticking away. At this rate, I'll only have a day or two to practice before the tournament!"

"Shucks Dash, you'd only need a day or two anyway," said Spike. Dash felt tickled. Even a girl like her enjoyed the occasional compliment.

"Thanks kid," said Dash. Spike gave a little nod.

"So, umm, were you planning on going out today?" the little dragon asked.

"I don't know," said Dash. "I was gonna go fly, but my wings are torn up there's so there’s no point. I can walk a little bit, but going for a jog..." Dash clenched her teeth. "That probably wouldn't be a good idea."

Spike nodded, and put a claw under his chin. He closed his eyes, deep in thought. His eyes suddenly flew open, and he snapped his fingers.

"Let's have a game day!" Spike said. Dash raised an eyebrow.

"A game day?" she asked.

"Well sure. Since Twilight is out doing Celestia knows what, and all the rest of the girls are working, I figure we could have a little fun." Spike looked around the room, and ran over to a nearby corner. He pulled out a dusty stack of board games, and set them on the floor. "Let's see here. We got Trivial Chase. Twilight always kicks my butt at that one. Oh, we could play Corporation! Or Gamble! Wait, that game takes forever. Hmm, maybe-"

"Spike," Dash interrupted. "I appreciate the attempt, but I don't think I'm up to playing any games." Spike scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, sorry." Spike picked up the games, a frown forming on his face.  "I thought it would cheer you up, thats all. But, I'll let you go back to bed."

Dash felt something tug in her chest.

“Wait a second." Dash rolled out of bed, and carefully made her way over to Spike. "I guess it couldn't hurt to play one game." A huge smile lit Spike's face.

"Awesome! What do you want to play?" asked Spike.

"Let's play Existence," said Dash.

"Cool!" Spike pulled out the pieces, and began setting them up. "You going to college?" he asked.

"What? Why would I?" asked Dash. Spike giggled.

"Not in real life. I meant in the game." He set up the carriage pieces, and picked out a blue figure for her and a purple one for him.

"Oh, duh," Dash said, giving herself a little tap on her forehead. "I'll just go straight ahead. Worked for me in real life, should work for me in the game."

"Yeah, I'll join you," Spike said. As he set his piece on the board, his forehead creased, and he peered up at the ceiling. "Hey Dash? Could I go to college, if I wanted to?"

"Of course you can!" Dash put a hoof on the game board. "Just put your piece right here."

"No, not in the game." Spike fidgeted uncomfortably. "I mean in real life. Do you think I could go to college?" Dash froze. She had never thought of it. Now that the question was raised, a bunch of other questions began to form in her mind. Could a being that wasn't a pony go to college? Dash tried to imagine a dragon in school. A picture of a gigantic red beast desperately trying to fit itself into a tiny desk filled her head. She did her best not to laugh.

"I don't know Spike," Dash admitted. "I don't think a dragon has ever wanted to go to college before." Spike chuckled.

"Yeah, I never really thought school would be my thing," he said. "Twilight really wanted me to go to Ms. Cherilee's class, but I talked her out of it. I figured Twi was already giving me a great education. But then I overheard her talking to somepony about it, and..." Spike twiddled his claws, and looked towards the floor. Dash began to feel a little uncomfortable. She didn't like emotional, sappy moments. Still, if anypony was going to give Spike advice, it might as well be her. She was Rainbow Dash after all, the coolest mare in all of Equestria.

"Go on," Dash said. "What did she say?"

"She said that she was kind of glad that I decided not to go," sighed Spike. Dash looked affronted, and Spike waved his hands.

"Not because she wants me to be dumb or anything! She just said that it might have been tough to get me in. She said ‘Cherilee wouldn't have any problem with it. The kids had spent enough time with me that they know I'm no harm. But their parents wouldn't be as trusting’." Spike raised his shoulders. "Later on, I thought about maybe trying to convince her otherwise. It gets boring around here. The only thing I have to keep me company are the books and Owlicious when she's gone. So I thought school might be a good time. But then I ruined my chances with that whole destroying half the town thing."

"Come on Spike. Everypony knows that was an accident," said Dash.

"Even if it was, it doesn't change the way people see me now. Before, they saw me as this adorable little baby dragon. Now, they always have that incident in the back of their minds. Every time they see me, they wonder if I'll go off again. I know Twilight got a ton of angry letters, demanding her to let me go. I heard Celestia almost had to be called in." The dragon now seemed entirely depressed. Dash put a hoof on his shoulder.

"Spike, everyone makes mistakes. Heck, even I've messed up a few times in my life, and I'm freaking Rainbow Dash!" Spike gave a half-hearted attempt at a smile. "No one is perfect. If you only looked at someone's flaws, then of course you'd think that person was some sort of jerk. But a person's flaws don't define them." Dash couldn't believe she was saying this. She was supposed to be telling him to man up and get over it or something. Maybe all this bed rest had made her a wimp. Still, the dragon seemed to be cheering up, so she continued on. "A persons heart defines them, Spike. And you've got a big ol' heart. A big, fiery, dragon heart!" Dash puffed out her wings to emphasize her point, and pain shot through her body. She collapsed onto the floor, much to Spike's dismay. "It's alright, I'm okay!" assured Dash. She struggled to her feet. "If you want to go to college, then go to college. It doesn't matter what anypony else thinks of you Spike. You'll always have friends that love you." Spike put on a massive smile, going from one side of his face to the other.

"Thanks Dash," said Spike.

"No problem little buddy," Dash said. "But if you tell anypony that I said any of this mushy stuff, I'll use you as a throw rug. You got it?" Spike laughed, and gave her a salute.

"I got it Rainbow. So," he motioned to the game on the floor. "Still up to play a round?"

"I am if you are," said Dash. "But just so you know, I'm gonna kick your butt!"

~

"Okay Dash, you ready?" Twilight asked.

"I think so," answered Dash.  It had been four days since she and Spike had their talk, and they had grown a lot closer since then. She had always liked Spike, and thought of him as sort of a kid brother. Now she could honestly say she understood him. He was actually very intelligent for a being his age, and clever as well. Dash was great at games, and she only managed a fifty-fifty record against the nifty little dragon.

Dash pawed at the ground with her hoof. She didn't seem to be healing very fast, even after using the ointments prescribed by Nurse Redheart. It had been a full week since that meeting though, which meant that Dash needed to get over the pain and try to fly. Twilight, who had gotten back from Tartarus the night before, was helping her out. "Remember, use your magic catch me if it looks like I'm gonna fall."

"Don't worry Dash, I got you," Twilight assured. Dash wasn't so confident. It was autumn, and they were standing outside the library. The wind was blowing hard, and the sun shone bright. Despite the chill in the air, and the brightness of the sun, Twilight was nodding off once in awhile. The trip seemed to have taken a lot out of her. Dash said that they could postpone this another day, but Twilight had assured her she was alright.

"Alright, I'm about to take off." Dash knelt down, and wiggled her rump. Spike, who was standing next to Twilight, blushed a little. "Stop looking at my butt, pervert!" Spike gulped, and turned away.

"Sorry," he said, his face now pink instead of his normal purple. "Good luck."

"Won't need it," she muttered. She spread her wings, and took off. For a second, she thought for sure she would fall. The pain was immense. But soon the wind lifted her into the air, and the strain was taken off of her body. She gently soared into the sky, carefully moving her wings every so often. The pain slowly started to dissipate. She sighed as her problems melted away. Flying always relaxed her, made her feel safe and secure. She decided to try a maneuver, a little backflip. She moved her wings to the side. So far so good. She straightened her body, and caught a draft. She arched her back.

Her world was red.

She felt herself tumbling. By the time she was aware of what had happened, she was speeding toward the ground. "Twilight!" she shouted. The purple pony blinked out of sleep.

"Huh? What?" Twilight murmured, spittle dripping from her mouth.

"Dash is falling!" cried Spike, pointing desperately into the air. Twilight looked up, and gasped. She closed her eyes in concentration, and forced her magic to wrap itself around the plummeting pony. Dash was surrounded by a purple light, and her descent slowed. By the time she reached the ground, she was floating like a feather. She touched down, and collapsed. Spike and Twilight ran to where she had fallen.

"Dash, what happened?" asked Twilight, carefully helping the pegasus back to her feet.

"I don't know," Dash groaned. "One minute I was fine, and the next..."

"You didn't try to do any tricks, right?" probed Spike. Dash gave a little shrug, and Twilight and Spike both glared at her.

"What? It was just a little backflip," Dash explained, waving her hoof dismissively. Twilight put a hoof to her forehead.

"Dash, you're not well enough to do tricks." Spike nodded fervently as Twilight continued. "You're barely healthy enough to fly."

"I know, I know," said Dash. "But I just couldn't help myself. It was so nice being in the air again, you know?"

"No, I don't," said Twilight.

"Oh right. Unicorn," Dash remembered. "Well, it's awesome." Dash gave a longing look at the sky. "It just takes all your cares away. It's so hard for me not to want to push myself when I'm up there."

"Well you're going to have to be more careful," admonished Twilight. "I think we should take a break. You need some rest, Spike needs to do his chores, and I..." Twilight let out a massive yawn. "I need a nap." The two ponies cantered back inside Twilight’s house, with Spike followed close behind. He shut the door behind them, and helped take Dash up the stairs. Twilight collapsed onto the couch.

"I'm going to have to find somewhere else to crash," said Dash, as Spike led her to the bed. "Twilight shouldn't have to sleep on the couch."

"I'm sure she doesn't mind," said Spike. Dash laid down, and Spike pulled the covers over her.

"I know, but still. This is her room, not mine." Dash pulled the covers over her more, and gave Spike a grateful smile. "Besides, you need a break from me. You've been doing nothing but waiting on me hand and claw since I got here."

"I don't mind." Dash raised an eyebrow. "Really," assured Spike. "It's nice having someone here with me."

"Listen Spike. When this is all over, whether I'm a Wonderbolt or not, I want you to know something." She pulled the dragon close to her. "If you ever need a friend, I don't want you to hesitate to call me. You're a good kid. A real good kid." Spike grinned gratefully.

"Thanks Rainbow. That really means a lot," Spike said. Dash pulled him into a hug, which he returned.

"I'm gonna talk with Twilight. I think you should start going to school," said Dash. Spike suddenly broke the hug, and backed away.

"Oh you don't have to do that," Spike said. "I'm very happy helping out here with Twilight."

"No, you're not," said Dash. "Twilight is an egghead, so I'm sure she's a good teacher. But you need to be with kids your own age. You need to go out, have fun. Stop being a servant."

"But Twilight hatched me. I owe her everything," whispered Spike.

"You've given her everything for a long time now Spike. It's time you did something for yourself." Dash looked over at Spike, and to her shock, she saw he was crying. Spike tried to form words, but nothing came out except for grunts and sniffles.

"Thank you!" he finally managed to blurt out.

"Any time kid." Dash rolled over, put her head to the pillow and began to fade into sleep. Spike tiptoed out of the room and carefully closed the door behind him. He made his way through the living room, past the couch where Twilight slept and into the library proper. He pulled out a book, a boring one about photosynthesis that no one would check out. He leafed through its pages until he reached the middle of the book. He pulled out a clump of paper. It contained a collection of Spike's crude etchings. He looked through the pictures of Rarity, Rarity, an older dragon, Rarity, Rarity, a tasty looking emerald, Rarity. He finally found a blank piece, and ran over to a drawer. He collected a quill, and some different colored inks. He began sketching, but stopped abruptly. He would have to get more colors.

He was drawing a Rainbow.

~

Thunderlane nervously did a few laps in the air, trying to calm himself down. He had of course heard the news. Rainbow Dash had injured herself, and hadn't been able to train for nearly two weeks. What had seemed like a distant dream now seemed like a real possibility. He might be able to become a Wonderbolt. When he first entered the Cloudsdale qualifier three years ago, he had almost given up hope. There were several pegasi that were faster than him, not the least of which was Rainbow Dash. It didn't help that he had a lazy streak, which meant that he didn't practice as much as he should have. Still, he had a lot of natural skill, and the thought that he might one day be a Wonderbolt always lurked in the back of his mind. It was a dream. A distant, near impossible dream, but a dream nonetheless. And now, suddenly, that dream didn't seem so far away. Dash had competed in the Ponyville qualifier rather than the Cloudsdale one in order to be around her friends, and so Thunderlane hadn't had to race against her. And now Dash might not be able to compete in the final tournament. Thunderlane had always considered her his primary rival. She was the only one that regularly out-sped him. The realization that he might actually be able to capture his dream had put a pep in Thunderlane's step. The normally lazy stallion was now practicing for hours a day, even missing work in order to better hone his routine. Today he was working on his final maneuver. He steadied himself, and began to scan the sky for clouds. He found a few good ones, and pulled them into the center of his practice area. He then landed, and put his body close to the ground. He got low enough for the grass to scratch the bottom of his chin, and then he jumped. He sped blindingly upwards, as fast as a bullet. He smashed into the clouds, and they pooled around him. He continued to go higher and higher, creating a massive cone of clouds surrounding him. He spread his legs, and suddenly came to a stop. The clouds dispersed with amazing speed. A thunderclap filled the air, and the clouds began to pour water. After a few seconds, a full fledged storm broke out, soaking the ground below. Thunderlane smiled and lowered himself to the ground. The rain felt good on his sore muscles. He had to make sure he could do this without hurting himself. He didn't want to end up like Dash.

"I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't just seen it." Thunderlane jumped. He turned, and saw a smiling Cloudchaser standing behind him. She continued.

"That's pretty amazing. It could even rival the sonic rainboom."

"That's what I'm hoping," said Thunderlane. "I've been practicing this for years now. When I first started, I never thought I'd be able to pull it off. But now..."

"You think you might be able to become a Wonderbolt?" asked Cloudchaser.

"I don't want to say that, I feel like I might jinx it somehow," said Thunderlane. "Plus it's not like Dash is out for sure. If I know her, she'd compete even if every bone in her body was broken. But she's not one hundred percent. That's the only reason I feel like I can win this thing."

"Well it's not like Dash is the only prospect. Fourteen other ponies besides you two managed to win their qualifiers," said Cloudchaser. "You're going to have a lot of competition, Dash or not."

"Maybe you're right," said Thunderlane. "But I don't know. I just have a good feeling about this year. I think I have a real chance."

"Well for your sake I hope you're right. You can't afford to train like this every year. You know what it does to your body," said Cloudchaser. Thunderlane nodded.

"I know the average career expectancy for a Wonderbolt, and I know that a lot of them suffer for years afterward. But..." Thunderlane peered of into the sky, looking at the storm he had created. A smile crept onto his face. "It's worth it. The roar of the crowd. The adoration from the other pegasi. Instantly becoming high class. Getting to meet the Princesses. It's all worth it."

"Yeah, it is," agreed Cloudchaser. "I would compete myself, if I wasn't so busy all the time."

"You couldn't handle it anyway," said Thunderlane with a smirk. Cloudchaser raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Race you to Cloudsdale. Last one to get there is servant for a week," growled Cloudchaser.

"You're on!" shouted Thunderlane. He jumped into the sky, and Cloudchaser followed him right on his heels. After a few seconds he was already miles away, laughing and soaring in the breeze. Cloudchaser grinned happily. "He may actually have a chance," she whispered.

~

"Push it! Faster! Faster! Perfect!" Dash collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard and sweating profusely. Spike stood above her, a big goofy grin on his face. "That was thirty more than last time Dash!" he exclaimed. "You can almost do a hundred now!"

"Dang, pushups never used to be this tough," moaned Rainbow. "Still, it's a lot better than what I could do before. I might be able to practice my routine soon."

"Let's not be too hasty," said Spike, wagging a claw. "You may be getting better, but you're still recovering." Dash stuck out her bottom lip and crossed her forelegs.

"We only have a week and a half until the tournament," she whined, "and I haven't even practiced once." Spike helped her off the ground, and gave her a pat on the back.

"You'll be fine. Now come on, let's do some-" Spike was interrupted by a crack of thunder. The mare and the dragon looked up, shocked to see a curtain of clouds slowly covering the sky. They quickly grew black and bloated, and before long were pouring rain. Spike put his hands over his head. "Aw man, I didn't know it was gonna rain today!" Dash spread a wing over his head, shielding him from the drops.

"It wasn't supposed to," Dash said. She chewed her bottom lip pensively. "I'll be right back Spike. Stay here." She crouched down, and launched into the air. Spike went to say something, but another crack of thunder almost made him jump out of his skin. Dash soared higher, her wings folded close and her head forward, her eyes squinted against the rain. She burst through the cloud cover, into the part of the sky where it was clear. She looked flew around, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. After a few seconds, she noticed something. It was another pegasus. He had a pitch black coat, and a green and white striped mohawk. His flank was marked with a lightning bolt and a cloud. Dash had seen him many times, but never like this. Normally he was lounging around, coming up with excuses on why he couldn't come to work. Instead, he hovered in the air, soaked to the bone. His teeth were gritted, and his eyes burned with intensity.

"Thunderlane?" Dash called, hardly able to believe it was him. The black pegasus turned to look at her. She almost fell out of the sky. It couldn't be the same person. He had the same body, but she had never seen his face look like that. Angry, determined. They stared at each other for a second, sizing each other up. Then, out of nowhere, the black pegasus cracked a smile.

"Hey Rainbow!" he called back, waving a hoof. "Nice to see you up in the air again."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," she agreed, still in shock. He flew over to her.

"You gonna be able to compete?" Thunderlane asked. Dash scoffed.

"Who, me? Of course," Dash answered, doing a mid air somersault. Thunderlane wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a flash of pain go across her face.

"Well I look forward to it. I've been training pretty hard, you know," Thunderlane said.

"You're actually training?" Dash shook her head. "Where's the real Thunderlane and what have you done with him?"

"I know, I know," said Thunderlane. "I don't normally train. But this time..." he looked downward for a second. When he raised his head, the intensity had returned to his eyes. Dash involuntarily flew back a pace. "I think I have a shot. I don't know if I'm ever going to get another chance like this, so I'm going to give it my all." He looked into Dash's eyes. "I'm not going to be a pushover Rainbow. You better hope you're one hundred percent, because you're going to need it to beat me." Rainbow felt anger rise up in her.

"Oh please! I could beat you with all four of my hooves tied behind my back!" Dash challenged. Thunderlane chuckled.

"Same old Dash I see," he said. A shark like leer spread over his face, and Dash felt a shiver run down her spine. "Good. I wouldn't want it any other way." Thunderlane spread his wings, and began to rise above Dash. "Don't underestimate me Rainbow. I have every intention of becoming a Wonderbolt this year, and no one is going to stop me." His eyes narrowed. "Not even you." He pushed with his wings, and propelled himself backward. He pushed himself harder and harder, distancing the two of them until he was out of sight. Dash slowly flew back down to the ground. It had stopped raining. Spike had waited patiently for her.

"What took you so long?" the dragon asked.

"Let's train," answered Dash. The dragon narrowed his eyes.

"Okay, sure," he said slowly. "Some more pushups, and then maybe-"

"No," Dash said abruptly. "I mean really train. No more of this, 'I'm still recovering' stuff. If I want to win this, I need to start really training now. Right. Now." Spike gave her a concerned look.

"Dash, what happened up there?" the dragon asked. Dash shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. The only thing you need to know is..." she tilted her head upward. "This may not be as easy as I thought it would be." Spike wanted to question further, but the look in her eyes stilled his tongue. He just nodded.

"Okay. Then I'll help you. But please Dash, try not to hurt yourself." Spike kicked at the ground. "I couldn't bear it if you got hurt." Dash gave Spike a smile, and a little shove.

"I'll be careful," she said. "Now then." She knelt down, putting her flank into the air. A stupid grin spread on Spike's face as Dash lifted off, soaring back into the sky.

"I love it when she does that," he slurred.

~

"Is that Rainbow?" asked Fluttershy, looking skyward. Rarity nodded. "Is she well enough to be doing tricks like that?"

"I honestly don't know dear," Rarity said. "But even if she wasn't well, I don't think we could stop her. You know how she gets." Fluttershy nodded. "But she seems to be in good shape. With any luck, she may actually be back to form soon," said Rarity.

"I hope she'll be okay," muttered Fluttershy. "She only has a few days left."

"If anyone can do it, she can," Rarity said. The two friends continued to look skyward at the blueish blur. Rainbow spun, cartwheeled, dived, and zigzagged, not stopping for even a beat. Spike ran under her desperately, throwing different signals with two yellow flags.

"Okay, now left!" the dragon shouted, waving the flags to his right. "Oh shoot, other left! Okay, now turn- no, dive! I mean- oh crud, I'm messing this up." Rainbow came to an abrupt stop, and landed on the ground next to Spike.

"Come on Spike, get your head in the game!" Dash said. "You're making me fly all over the place up there!" Spike lowered his arms to his sides, and his head drooped.

"Rainbow Dash! What's wrong with you!" gasped Rarity. She ran over to Spike and pulled him into her chest. The look on Spike's face was somewhere between panic and bliss. "Can't you see he's just trying to help?"

"Yeah, that was uncalled for," said Fluttershy. "I mean, maybe, I guess."

"Sorry Spike. Guess I'm a little stressed," Rainbow said.

"It's okay Dash," Spike said, as he tore himself reluctantly from Rarity. He gave Dash a gentle pat. "I can't even imagine the pressure you must be feeling." He inflated his chest, and raised his flags up in the air. "I'll do better this time, I promise! Ready for round two?" Dash groaned, and began to walk away from the group.

"Not today Spike." She took off her flight goggles, and tossed them to Tank, who was hovering nearby. "I'm just not feeling it."

"But Dash!" Spike protested. Dash gave him a sad shake of the head and wandered off, Tank puttering behind her. Rarity and Fluttershy looked after her, concern etched on their faces.

"Saying no to practice? That's not like Dash," said Rarity.

"Yeah," Fluttershy agreed. "I thought Dash would be practicing morning, noon, and night."

"She has been," said Spike. "For the past few days, she's been doing nothing but pushing herself. She's getting better, but at the rate she's going..." Spike gave a shrug. "She's nowhere close to being able to do a rainboom. I think Dash is a good enough flyer that she wouldn't need it, but she's got it in her head that without it she'll fail."

"Did she say why?" asked Rarity.

"No. I've asked, but she keeps brushing the question aside," answered Spike.

"Maybe there's someone really good this year," Fluttershy said.

"Somebody better than Rainbow?" Rarity scoffed. "Please. If there's a better flyer then Dash, Celestia is a cow."

"The Princess might have to get used to udders," said Spike, as he pointed up to the sky. The two mares peered curiously at a strange burst of lightning that seemed to streak across the sky. After a few seconds, Fluttershy gasped.

"What is it dear? I don't-" but then Rarity saw it as well. It wasn't lightning. It was a pegasus.

"Oh dear," said Rarity.

"This could be bad," said Fluttershy.

"Very bad," agreed Spike.

~

Dash thrashed about in her bed. "No, no no please," she muttered, still asleep. She sat upright, a scream on the tip of her tongue. She had to cover her mouth to stifle it. She closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths. It had been that horrible nightmare again. She had been in full Wonderbolt regalia, flying around, fans cheering her on. She was at the top of the world. And then a mirror appeared. She looked into the mirror, and took off her Wonderbolt mask. It wasn't her staring back. It was Thunderlane.

Dash rolled out of bed, stretching her sore muscles. So far she hadn't strained anything, but she had been in almost constant pain since she had begun practicing again. She took a long look around. It was nice to be back at her house again, without having to rely on anyone to take care of her. She did have to admit that she missed Spike waiting foot and claw on her, but at least her independence was back. She wandered over to a table, cleared off some of the clutter, and served herself some apples. She grinned. Apple Acre’s produce always brought a smile to her face. She looked over at one of the walls, and nearly choked on a piece of apple in her throat. The tournament was tomorrow! She slammed her head onto the table, and gave a huge sigh. There was no way she was going to be ready in time. She had most of her mobility back, but she still couldn't perform her rainboom. She had seen Thunderlane flying about, and had heard rumors of a new special move. She was going to have to bring out all the stops to beat him, but she couldn't perform her signature move.

"Oh man," she whined. "Why did this have to happen now?"

She got down from the table, and trotted out her front door. She looked down. Her cloud home was high above Ponyville. In the early morning light, all the residents of the small town looked like ants. She put her legs to her sides, and let herself fall off the cloud. She enjoyed the feeling of the free fall for a few seconds, before she straightened her body and pulled into a gentle glide. She stopped a few feet short of the ground and floated down. She had landed in front of Twilight's treehouse. She gave a sharp knock at the door. Spike opened it.

"I'll go get Twilight for you," he said, taking a few steps towards the inside of the house. Dash reached out a hoof to stop him.

"Wait. I don't want to talk to Twilight. I want to talk to you," Dash said.

"Oh right, I guess we have to start training. Tomorrows the big day! I'll go get the flags, and-" Dash put a hoof on Spike's mouth, shutting him up.

"No training. At least, not right now." Dash removed her hoof, and gestured to the road behind her. "Let's just take a walk, huh?" Spike shrugged and walked outside, closing the door behind him. The two began to stroll down the lane, both looking around uncomfortably. Spike never knew what to say in these situations, and Dash wasn't sure how to broach conversation with Spike.

"So, umm, nice weather we're having," said Spike, motioning to the sky. Dash simply nodded, and Spike chuckled awkwardly.

"I need you to be honest with me," said Dash. She stopped, and turned to Spike. "I don't know if I can ask any of my other friends. All of them would only try to encourage me if I talked to them, but I don't need encouragement. I need honesty." She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself. "Spike, am I good enough?"

"Of course you are," answered Spike with no hesitation. "You're the best flyer I've ever seen."

"I don't mean that," sighed Dash. She walked over to the side of the road, found a patch of grass, and sat down. Spike joined her. "I mean, am I good enough for all this? Do I really deserve to be a Wonderbolt?" Dash lowered her head.

"My whole life, I've been so convinced that I was the best at everything. I won every competition I entered. I was the envy of mares, the dreams of stallions. But lately, I can't help but wonder, what did I do to deserve all that? What have I really done to warrant all that praise?"

"Come on Dash. You've done plenty," said Spike. "I mean, you stopped Nightmare Moon, saved Equestria from Discord, stopped the Changeling invasion. And that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"But I didn't do all that!" Dash protested. "It was all of us. Me and my friends. I was just a piece of it. Even then, I couldn't help thinking that I didn't deserve any praise. I just lucked into those friendships. Of all the ponies Twilight could have picked, she just happened to pick me. Just because I happened to be on weather coordination that week. I can't help but think that it was all just some lucky coincidence. That if she had come a week later, or a week earlier, or if I had been sick or something, another pony would be standing in my place." Dash started to shake. "And then, I start to think that maybe that wouldn't be so horrible. I mean, before I met them, I was already one of the most privileged pegasi in all of Equestria. I can't help but wonder why a less privileged pony didn't get that position. A pony who had to struggle during their life. A pony who was nice. A pony who... who hadn't done such mean things." Dash began to sniffle, and tears began to form in her eyes. "I've hurt people Spike. When I was younger, I was a lot more brash. A lot more hot-headed. I used to pick on people who I considered inferior. People who already had so much pain in their lives. I was just a bully!" Dash pounded a hoof into the dirt. "I try to put on this macho facade, try to pretend I'm some kind of super girl. Because I have to. Because if I really stop for a minute and think, really think about who I really am..." Dash trailed off. "I don't like looking in the mirror, Spike. I don't see the same wonderful thing everyone else does. I see someone weak. Someone deserving of praise, of any sort of reward. I see-"

"Stop." Spike had both of his hands raised in the air. "Just stop." He stood up, and stared into Rainbow Dash's eyes. "Rainbow Dash, I don't know what's come over you. Maybe you're just stressed about this competition. Maybe you're sick. Maybe you're just having a weird moment. But whatever the reason, you're not yourself. The Dash I know would never feel sorry for herself. She would know that everything she ever got she worked hard for. That she was not especially privileged. That she had some talent, but she had to work to hone it. That she was not chosen by Twilight at random. She was chosen because Twilight saw what was inside her and realized she wanted that in her life. She would realize that everypony makes mistakes, and that you have to learn from them and move past them. Not dwell on them. The Dash I know would look in the mirror, and be proud. You know why?"

"Why?" Dash asked, mesmerized by the passion in Spike's voice.

"Because she's Rainbow Dash, that's why! Best flyer in Equestria, bar none!" Spike grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her up onto all fours. "Now spread your wings, and get crackin'! We got one day, and you still haven't got the rainboom down yet!" Spike panted, and looked at Dash. He was unsure how she would react. Their roles were reversed, and he wasn't entirely sure how to handle it. To his surprise, and relief, she began to grin.

"You're right Spike! I'm going to get the rainboom down if it kills me!" She spread her wings, and Spike's mouth dropped open. With the sunlight reflecting off of her, Spike was sure she looked more majestic than Celestia herself.  "Hey Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," Dash said. "Now go get those flags! We've got some practicing to do!"

~

Dash arrived at Cloudsdale Arena and got her bearings. She was always shocked by the size of it. The arena was huge. The inside of the it seemed endless. Marble halls seemed to stretch into infinity. It was very easy to get lost. After a few minutes of fruitless wanderings, she found a sign pointing her in the right direction. She moved into a large entrance hall. She saw several ponies milling about, and a large podium at the center of the room. A pegasus stood at the podium, shuffling through some papers. "Dash, Rainbow!" a gruff voice called out. Dash looked for the voice, before realizing it was the stallion at the podium. Dash sprinted towards the center of the room.

"Present!" Dash shouted. The pegasus at the podium was a stern looking type, thick with muscles, a short cropped mane, and a cloud on his flank.

"Let's see here. You won the Ponyville qualifier, correct?" the pony asked.

"That's right," answered Dash.

"Okay. Well, let's go over the format." The stern looking pegasus pulled out a stack of papers, and tossed them at Dash. She followed along as he explained it. "Sixteen pegasi, single elimination. First two rounds are races, first without obstacles, second with. The semi-finals is the routine round, judged by a group of former Wonderbolts. During the finals, contestants appeal to the current Wonderbolts, and they will render their decision. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do," confirmed Dash.

"Good." He pointed to an area on the stack of papers. "Sign the waiver here, here, and initial here, and we'll get started." Dash picked up a pen in her teeth, and scribbled down some signatures. "Okay, wait over there. We'll call you when the first round starts." He took the papers from her and tossed them in a pile. Dash wandered over to the waiting area, where her friends nervously paced around. When Dash appeared, they ran over to her.

"Well, that's it. I'm registered," Dash said. Her friends all crooned their approval. Dash couldn't help but notice that they seemed more nervous than she did. Twilight had on a wide, creepy looking smile. Rarity kept tossing her hair back and forth. Pinkie kept bouncing up and down like she was on springs. Applejack chewed on her hat, and Fluttershy kept hiding her face behind her hair. Spike had it the worst. He was green instead of purple, and looked like he was about to pass out. "Come on guys, lighten up!" Dash pleaded. "I'm Rainbow Dash, remember? I got this!"

"Contestants! Please follow the adjudicator into the foyer!" a voice called over a loudspeaker.

"Good luck Rainbow. The girls and I will be cheering for you in the stands," said Twilight. The rest of the girls wished her luck as she wandered off, following the muscular pegasus and her fellow contestants into a nearby room. The door closed behind them, and the muscular pegasus turned to face the group.

"My name is Sky Swallower, and I'll be your adjudicator for today. You've all come here for one reason.” He paused for dramatic effect. “To become the next Wonderbolt. This is an honor bestowed upon only the most talented and hardworking of pegasi. For those who have never competed before, let me assure you, this tournament will take everything from you. If you are not willing to give everything, then you will fail. And for many of you, even if you do give everything, you will still come up short. Only one of you will get to join the Wonderbolts. That pegasus will live a life of luxury and privilege. The rest of you will have to wait until another Wonderbolt retires, and that may be a long time." The competitors all exchanged nervous glances. "To put it simply, you must give it your all. This may be your last chance." He walked to the front of the room, where a large chalkboard was placed. "We've randomly determined the pairings for the tournament, as seen here. Dizzy Twister will race Rainbowshine, Sassaflash will race Parasol, Merry May will race Thunderlane, Medley will race Prism Strider, Raindrops will race Great Scott, Cloud Kicker will race Sunny Rays, Airheart will race Lightning Bolt, and Rainbow Dash will race Brolly." The ponies looked around to find their opponents. Dash quickly found hers. His body hair was snow white, while his mane was bright blue. His cutie mark was that of a parasol, likely a weather pony like her. She noticed his musculature. it was heavy around the wings, and the shoulders. Definitely a racers muscles. Dash gulped. She had hoped for an easy first victory. Brolly sauntered over to her, and gave her a nod.

"Good luck Dash," Brolly said. "I know you'll be a heck of an opponent."

"Yeah, same to you," Dash answered. After the pegasi had exchanged greetings (or intimidations), the adjudicator continued.

"The first race starts in five minutes," said Sky Swallower. "Get yourselves ready. Good luck to all of you."

~

"Oh my goodness, I'm so nervous," said Fluttershy. The girls were a few of the thousands of ponies sitting in the massive aerial arena. The entire place was packed. They were clustered together near the front of the action. Twilight had to pull a few strings with Celestia, but the seats were worth it. The inside of the arena was about as long as a hoofball field, with no ground at all. At one end, a cloud hung suspended in the air, with a blue line showing the starting point. At the other end was two pedestals, each with a large red button.

"It's gonna be okay sugar," said Applejack. "Rainbow said it herself. There's no way she can lose! I mean, her and Spike have been practicing non stop since she got over her injury. She's definitely ready, right Spike?" There was no answer. "Spike?" The once purple (now green) dragon swayed in his seat.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," he groaned.

"Wow Spike, you must be really worried about Dash," said Pinkie Pie. Spike nodded.

"Look, let's all just calm down, and focus on the match," suggested Twilight. "There's nothing we can do now, so no use worrying. Right?"

"Right!" the girls said in unison. Spike still looked queasy.

"Mares and gentlecolts!" boomed an incredibly loud voice. "Welcome to the Tournament of Amateur Champions!" The entire crowd erupted in applause. "This tournament will determine the next member of the the star-studded Wonderbolts!" The crowd again cheered. The girls clapped along half heartedly. No matter how they tried to talk themselves out of it, they were still full of nerves. "Keep your eyes on the starting line, because the first race will start any minute!" The girls looked to the starting line in anticipation, but were disappointed to see that Dash was not up yet. "Our first race is Dizzy Twister versus Rainbowshine! This first round is a test of pure speed. First one to reach the end of the arena and touch the buzzer wins!" As the crowd cheered its approval, the two mares at the starting line crouched and spread their wings. "On your mark! Get set!" The two racers leaned forward. "GO!" They burst off the line, going blindingly fast. The girls barely had time to register what had happened before a loud buzz filled the arena. One of the mares was jumping for joy, while the other one hovered miserably by the side.

"Did you see that?" asked Twilight. The other girls shook their heads.

"It was over as soon as it started," said Rarity.

"Next up, Sassaflash versus Parasol!" the announcer roared. The races continued in this fashion. Even after a few runs, most of the girls still couldn't keep up with the blazing speed of the pegasi. Only Applejack seemed to be able to follow any of the action, and she was reporting what was happening to the girls.

"Oh, that was bad. Prism Strider got to the buzzer first, but he overshot it, so Medley won," reported Applejack.

"Oh, who cares about those two," moaned Spike. "When is Dash coming on?"

"That's a good question," said Twilight. "There's only a few more races left." The races continued still, until finally they announced the final matchup.

"And now, presenting our final race in the first leg of our tournament. Rainbow Dash versus Brolly!" The girls jumped and cheered, and Spike collapsed.

~

Dash wandered up to the starting line, her heart ready to fly out of her chest. She looked around for her friends, but there was no way she'd be able to see them in the massive crowd. She turned towards her opponent, who was doing some stretches. He finished, and approached her. "Let's make it a good race," he said.

"Sure," Dash replied. It felt like somebody had drained all of the fluid in her mouth. She had never felt this nervous in front of crowds before. In fact, she reveled in it. But nothing this big had been on the line. She shook her head, and grit her teeth. She let the applause wash over her like rain. They were cheering for her. All her friends were out there somewhere, cheering with the crowd. They all wanted her to win. She could not fail.

"On your mark!" the announcer boomed. She approached the starting line, and let her mind go blank "Get set!" She crouched down, and spread her wings. "GO!" She pushed off with all her might, and moved her wings as fast as she could. She did not look at her opponent, or the crowd. All she cared about was the buzzer. It was so close... a loud buzzing noise broke her concentration, and she felt her heart fall out of her chest. She looked at her opponent, sure she would see his hoof on the buzzer. But instead he hovered to the side, clearly heartbroken. She looked at her own hoof, and was delighted to see that it was on her own buzzer. She had done it! She’d won! The crowd was bursting with excitement. She gave a little bow and went over to her opponent. The two touched hooves.

"Hope you win the whole thing," sighed Brolly.

"Thanks," said Dash. She floated back to the starting line, went through a nearby door and stood with the rest of the winners in the waiting room. It was a strange atmosphere. One of enjoyment, but a tentative one. It was tough to truly be happy, as there were still three rounds to go, each more difficult than the last. She looked at the survivors, recognizing a few. She knew Airheart, her next opponent, a pink mare with brown hair and thick aviator goggles. She recognized a few ponies from weather services she had worked with. And of course she recognized Thunderlane, who stood away from the rest of the crowd. She was about to go mingle, when pain seized her body. She gasped and nearly collapsed. Her whole body was wrought with it but her wings hurt especially. It was like someone had set fire to the sensitive muscles that kept her afloat. She walked over to a nearby wall and leaned on it to take some pressure off herself. The pain began to fade after a little while, but a dull ache remained. She had done her best to keep her discomfort off her face, but a few of the competitors were looking at her worriedly. She closed her eyes, and cleared her head. Now was not a time to succumb to any sort of pain. It was time to focus. Three more rounds. Just three more rounds.

"Excellent job everyone!" Sky Swallower bellowed as he looked around. "But this is just the beginning. Next round is another race, but this one won't be easy. We'll have several obstacles in your way. Obstacles you won't know about until you enter the arena. So get ready. Rainbowshine, Parasol, you two are up first!" The two mares nodded, and trotted back out to the starting line. This round lasted much longer. Dash heard the muffled voice of the announcer, the roar of the crowd (which, at times, seemed to gasp or groan) and the nervous shuffles of her fellow competitors. Only Thunderlane seemed unaffected. While the rest of the ponies pranced around, Thunderlane stood quietly, his eyes narrowed in focus.

The door burst open, and an exultant looking Rainbowshine trotted in. She was covered in scratches and bruises, but she was beaming. She opened her mouth to say something, and her eyes rolled back into her head. She collapsed to the ground, to the surprise and horror of the other competitors. Even Thunderlane looked perturbed. "Medic!" shouted somepony. A group of ponies burst into the room, and loaded Rainbowshine onto a gurney. They carried her out, as one of the doctors shouted instructions.

"She's in shock, and bleeding heavily! Someone get me sutures!" The door closed behind them, leaving the stunned wannabe Wonderbolts staring at each other in horror. Sky Swallower walked back into the room. He seemed not to have been affected at all. In fact, it seemed like he had almost expected something like this.

"Thunderlane, Medley, get out there," the adjudicator said. Thunderlane walked towards the starting line, but Medley refused to move. She was quaking in sheer terror. "Medley, if you don't get out there, you forfeit!" Medley gulped, and slowly followed her opponent out into the arena. The doors closed behind them. Again, the crowd began to roar. This time, Dash was sure she heard gasps, moans, and groans. After a while, Thunderlane returned. He looked a little worse for the wear, but he didn't collapse. He trotted back over to the side of the room, and stood his ground. Raindrops and Cloud Kicker went out next. This time there was a quick victor. Cloud Kicker returned, not harmed at all.

"My opponent gave up," she said to the three remaining ponies in the room. Airheart and Dash looked at each other. What the hell was out there?

"Rainbow Dash, Airheart, go ahead," Sky Swallower prompted. The two ponies nodded, and trotted back out into the arena. They opened the door, and Dash was temporarily blinded by the sun, and deafened by the crowd. When her senses returned, she gasped. The arena had magically widened, and was now filled with a massive amount of dangerous looking objects. Spiked metal balls flew haphazardly through the air, while rings of fire moved up and down at a fast rate. In the distance, Dash saw several storm clouds, but her view was obscured beyond that. Airheart looked at her, and it was clear that she was terrified. It was everything Dash could do not to smirk. Compared to the things she had gone through, this was nothing.

"On your mark!" Dash sauntered over to the starting line. Airheart was shaking so badly it looked like she was attempting a bad two-step. "Get set!" Dash crouched down, and spread her wings. "GO!" Again, Dash jumped off, this time a little more carefully. As soon as she hit the air, most of the spiked balls stopped moving. Dash felt a strange tension building up in the air, and then they turned, whizzing toward her at an incredible speed. Dash was forced to correct her course. She whirled, ducked, and dodged the spikes as they hurtled towards her. She felt her muscles begin to burn, but she ignored the pain. After she had gone a little ways, the balls settled and stopped pursuing her. She then focused on the wheels of flame. This was child's play. Dash had incorporated such things in her routines many times before and soared through the obstacle with ease. She then reached the menacing looking storm clouds. She flew into them, and her hair began to stand on end. Electricity was building up. Sure enough, lightning began to flash around her. She carefully proceeded through the clouds, but even with the utmost caution she was still nearly hit by a few strikes. One even singed some of the feathers off of her left wing. She saw another flash of lightning, and heard a scream. She turned, and saw her opponent. She had clearly been hit. She had burns on her, and was flying with no direction. Dash stopped, and turned around. She grabbed Airheart, and shook her. No response. With her opponent in her forelegs, she navigated through the clouds, nearly being hit again and again. After several tortuous minutes, she finally found her way out. The crowd cheered, but their cheers quickly turned to confused mutters.

"Help!" Dash called out. "Airheart is hurt! She got struck by lightning!" She looked around, and the crowd began to fall silent. "Help!" She looked at her opponent, and saw that she had become conscious. As she registered this, Airheart wrestled out of her grasp, and propelled herself forward. Dash felt her jaw drop open. She felt a burst of anger and pushed herself to catch up. Airheart flew ahead of her, Dash could see the pedestal with the buzzer on it. Airheart would surely reach it first. Another scream pierced the air, and Airheart began to free fall. Dash automatically began soaring towards her falling opponent, and then she got hit. It felt like somebody had dropped a bag of bricks on her. She looked around, stunned. She couldn't see- wait, what was that? It hit her again, this time scratching her deeply through her chest. Dash howled in pain, and the crowd gasped. She doubled back, and cleared her head. She narrowed her eyes, and tensed her muscles. There it was! It was speeding towards her, faster then any pegasus. By the time she realized what it was, she had cartwheeled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the creatures talons. She had seen many before, but this was the first time she had ever been attacked by one. She made a mental note to apologize to Gilda. This was the last time she wanted to be attacked by a griffon. It stopped midair, and turned on Dash. This time, Dash was ready. It dive-bombed, stretching its talons out, its beak open and eyes narrowed in rage. Rather then try to dodge it, Dash flew straight at it. This surprised the griffon, who tried to pull off out of the way. It didn't work; Dash caught up to it, and kicked it squarely in the jaw. It spun out, falling through the clouds, before collapsing onto an invisible platform placed below the arena. It had been knocked out cold. Dash looked around dazedly, trying to remember what had been going on before she had been attacked. The pedestal! She flew towards it with all her might, sure Airheart would already be there. To her immense relief, Airheart was nowhere in the area. Dash collapsed onto the buzzer, letting out an immense sigh of satisfaction. The crowd roared its approval. She looked down, and saw both the griffon and Airheart being collected off the platform by medical personnel. She slowly hovered back to the starting line, the obstacles dissipating in front of her. She landed on the starting cloud, found the door to the waiting room, and pushed through it. She smiled at Cloud Kicker and Thunderlane, and slowly lowered herself onto a nearby cushion. She waited for it. The adrenaline would wear off any second now.

Pain.

More than Dash had ever experienced in her life. It took all of her willpower to keep from crying out in sheer agony. Her muscles were alight. She must have rent them apart, there could be no other explanation. "Get past it, get past it," she whispered to herself. She was so close. Two more rounds.

~

"Good job you three," congratulated Sky Swallower. Dash turned towards the voice, and saw the pegasus at the front of the room, beaming. "That was one of our most difficult obstacle courses ever, and you three did a phenomenal job. Unfortunately, Rainbowshine won't be able to compete. It seemed that she was concussed by the griffin. As such, we've decided to condense the final two rounds into one. You three will say a little something to the Wonderbolts, and then you'll perform your routine. Both old and new Wonderbolts will cast their votes, and a winner will be chosen in that fashion. Do you three understand?" Thunderlane and Cloud Kicker nodded. Dash tried to nod, but even something as simple as that made pain shoot down her spine. Sky Swallower seemed to notice this, and walked over to Dash. "You okay missy?"

"Yes, fine! Feeling great!" Dash blurted. She stood up, ignoring the massive protest of her entire body. "I'm ready to go." Sky Swallower looked a little pensive, but finally nodded.

"All right. Cloud Kicker, you'll go first, then Thunderlane, then Rainbow Dash." He sighed. "Remember you three, this is it. You've made it this far. Only a little bit longer to go. Give it all you got." He turned towards Cloud Kicker. "You ready?"

"Yes," Cloud Kicker said.

"Go ahead then," said Sky Swallower. Cloud Kicker gulped, and slowly made her way out. "You two are allowed to watch this round, if you want." Thunderlane and Dash looked at each other, and then slowly followed Cloud Kicker out the door. They waited on the side of the cloud while Cloud Kicker flew over to a magically conjured seat in the center of the arena. The seat faced the center of the stands, where the Wonderbolts, old and new, had gathered. The head Wonderbolt, Spitfire, went to the front of the stands and pulled out a microphone. She cleared her throat, and the crowd quieted.

"First of all, let me congratulate you," said Spitfire. Cloud Kicker gave a little nod of appreciation. "All of us Wonderbolts have been in your shoes, so we know how it feels. Just one more round. Win, you're in. Lose, you're out. It's pretty stressful, wouldn't you say?" A nearby unicorn levitated the microphone over to Cloud Kicker, who gave it a confused look. The Wonderbolts looked at her expectantly, and she realized she that the question wasn't rhetorical. She was supposed to answer it.  

"I, I guess," Cloud Kicker said. The audience was silent, waiting for her to continue, but that seemed to be all she would say. The unicorn slowly returned the microphone back to Spitfire.

"Okay then," chuckled Spitfire. "Are you ready for the final round? Do you think your routine is good enough?" The microphone floated back to Cloud Kicker.

"Yup," Cloud Kicker said with a smile. The crowd waited with bated breath for her to continue, but the clueless pony was silent. The microphone again came back to Spitfire, who looked a little embarrassed.

"Right," muttered the captain of the Wonderbolts. "Well, good! Guess we'll go on to the last question. Why do you want to be a Wonderbolt?" The mike returned to Cloud Kicker.

"It would be nice," Cloud Kicker said. This time nobody bothered waiting. It was clear this pony was short spoken. The mike went back to Spitfire.

"Alright. Perform your routine," Spitfire instructed. "Good luck!" The crowd cheered, and Cloud Kicker flew back to the starting cloud. She spaced for a while, while the crowd waited restlessly for her to begin. After a few seconds, the pegasus jumped into the air gracefully. She did a few midair pirouettes, floating through the air like a butterfly. She was doing a strange, wonderful dance routine. It was unlike anything the crowd had seen before. Most pegasi simply did power moves, flashy dives and tricks to impress the audience. Cloud Kicker was simple, but effective. She used beauty and grace, rather than awe. She continued the routine, bending her body into strange and wondrous shapes. Her wings became two more limbs, at times spread in arcane magnificence, at other times covering her in savage mystery. As she twirled, many of the audience members looked around. They could swear they were hearing some sort of soothing music. As Cloud Kicker continued, it became clear that she was the source of it. The music was not audial. Rather, it was visual. The entire crowd sunk into their seats. Cloud Kicker had them all. Her movements became more complicated, and yet they were somehow even more graceful. At many points, she didn't even resemble a pony. Rather, she resembled a dancing point of light. The crowd was totally silent, enraptured. Even Dash was amazed. She had never considered Cloud Kicker much of a flyer, but it became clear how she had made it so far in the tournament. Cloud Kicker slowed down, and the crowd began to come out of their stupor. Her twisting stopped, and her movements slowly ceased. The music that had been playing in the crowds head slowly faded out, as Cloud Kicker took her final pose. The crowd went absolutely nuts. People bounced out of their seats, whistling and hooting. Cloud Kicker beamed. She had done it perfectly. Dash turned towards the judges. They were talking animatedly, most of them with huge smiles on their faces. Dash grimaced. The Wonderbolts were looking for originality, and Dash had never seen a routine like that before. As the applause died down, Cloud Kicker took a look at the Wonderbolts, and gave a deep bow. Many of them returned it in earnest. She landed back on the starter cloud, winked at her competitors, and went through the waiting room door. Dash looked towards Thunderlane. He looked impassive, but she knew it was a facade. She was worried. Even if she pulled off the rainboom, it would be hard to beat that.

"Wow, magnificent!" praised the announcer. "Next up, Thunderlane!" The crowd gave a polite smatter of applause as the midnight colored pony flew over to the seat by the Wonderbolts. Spitfire again addressed the competitor.

"I'd like to start out first by congratulating you. Your advancement in this tournament proves that you've put in untold amounts of dedication and effort. Let me ask; what did you do to get ready for the competition?" The mic was passed over to Thunderlane. He pondered the question.

"Well, I didn't, at first," Thunderlane said. "For a while, I was lazy. Very lazy. I just figured my natural talent would pull me through, you know?" He looked towards Dash. "But then I met somepony who was better than me. Somepony who wasn't born with it. Somepony who had to work hard for what she had every day of her life." He looked back towards the Wonderbolts. "I realized that if I was going to win this, I'd have to really try. That it wouldn't just be handed to me on a silver platter. So, I started practicing. At first, for a few minutes a day. Then, a few hours." He grimaced. "Before long, my life was consumed by it. Everything started changing. I lost my friends, who didn't recognize me anymore. I lost my job. I began to hurt, physically, all the time." He paused, letting the words sink in. "And it was wonderful. I wouldn't change a thing." He again looked towards Dash. "Still, I've lost a lot. Enough where if I don't win, I don't think I'll be able to forgive myself. To give up everything for something, and not get it in the end... I won't let that happen." He looked back towards the Wonderbolts. "I'm not going to lose. I will become a Wonderbolt. I have to." The mic wandered back over to Spitfire. It was clear she had planned to ask more questions, but there was no point. Thunderlane had laid it all on the line with that response. So, Spitfire simply nodded.

"Perform your routine," she said. Thunderlane rose, and went to the center of the arena. He started off with a pretty standard set.  Some backflips, some dives, a few corkscrews. Nothing the crowd hadn't seen before. He began to repeat himself, but this time it was faster. He did it again and again, each time getting faster and faster. Before long, he was a blur. Most of the crowd stared, jaws to the floor. Nopony should be able to move that fast. Before long even the blur was hard to see. It began to look like one fluid motion, a black, pulsing infinity symbol. Just as it seemed like he would pass beyond the speed of light, he shot up, keeping the same speed. He pooled clouds into the center of the arena. After he had a healthy amount, he sprung into them. They dispersed with rocket velocity, knocking many of the crowd members out of their seats. There was a crack of thunder, and the clouds grew pitch black. Gale force wind rocked the arena, and lighting coursed through the sky. Rain pounded everypony. It was a hurricane. Just when several pegasi stood up to disperse the storm, the black blur came back, cutting through the storm with another crack of thunder. It dissipated as fast as it had begun. At first, the crowd did not understand what had happened. Did a freak storm pass through the arena? But then they saw Thunderlane slowing down, returning to pony form. They saw his drenched body, his black coat seared red from a lighting strike. It dawned on them. Somehow, Thunderlane had created the storm. The noise that came from the crowd was deafening. The judges were abuzz. It was clear that was way more than they had expected. As he flew back to the starting cloud, Thunderlane, for the final time, looked toward Dash. Dash could see the severity of his wounds, and did her best to bite back sympathy. They said nothing to each other. A lifetime of conversation passed in those glances. Dash saw him walk into the waiting room and collapse into the arms of a doctor. The door closed behind him, and Dash turned towards the crowd. She didn't even wait for the announcer before flying over to the chair. The announcer said something anyway, but she didn't hear it. Her heart was beating so hard she could barely hear anything. She was hiding it well, but she was still in terrible pain. The biggest moment of her life, and her body might fail her. Spitfire tapped the microphone, and the crowd's cheers died down. Spitfire addressed Dash. "Again, I'd like to congratulate you. Rainbow Dash, coming into this tournament, you were a heavy favorite. However, two amazing competitors have come before you. Do you think you can still win?" The microphone wandered to Dash, and the audience heard her chuckle.

"Do I think I can win?" she asked. "Do I, Rainbow Dash, think I can win? No, I don't think I can win." She paused. "I know I will win. There was never any doubt. I'm Rainbow Dash. Best flyer in all of Equestria. Nopony comes close," she finished. The crowd cheered, and she pumped a hoof. The mic returned to Spitfire.

"There was rumor you were injured," continued Spitfire. "Have you fully recovered?" The mike went back to Dash.

"It doesn't matter, truthfully," Dash said. "I'll always perform at my best, no matter what condition I'm in. A little pain won't stop me." Even as she said this, her body continued to burn. She did her best not to shake, or scream, but it was horrible. The mic went back to Spitfire.

"Perform your routine."

Dash rose from her seat and floated into the air. Like Thunderlane, she started out simple, but unlike Thunderlane it was anything but graceful. Even the simplest of moves tore her body, and she fumbled through even simple tricks. Still, she pushed on. As she dived, her brow began to soak with sweat. As she tumbled, she groaned. By the time she began weaving, she began howling. She couldn't help it, but still, she didn't stop. There was no applause, no cheering. The crowd and the judges looked at her only  with concern. She realized she'd have to give up much of her routine and go right to the finale while she still had the chance. She flew skyward, increasing her speed. The pain began to fade into a massive, pulsing ache. It seemed to penetrate her physical body and pierce her soul. Still, she increased her speed, going higher and higher. The pain was blazing, blinding, all consuming, and then something snapped. Dash continued to fly up in the air, every muscle in her body tearing. She felt meat pulling away from bone, could feel cracking and crumbling through her body. Interestingly, she felt no pain. A smile slowly crept onto her face. "This is me. Really me," she said to herself. She hit the top of the world, going faster than she ever had before. She felt the rainboom from behind her. She imagined the roar of the crowd as it burst from her. In her minds eye, the rainboom continued to increase in size and scope, going beyond the stadium, beyond Cloudsdale. When people would recount it later, it seemed that there was no pony in Equestria that couldn't see it that day. Dash sighed in contentment, as she reached as high as she could go. Dash lingered in the air for a minute, the thin breeze keeping her afloat. She noticed, curiously, that she couldn't move her wings any more. In fact, she couldn't really move any part of her. As she began to plummet towards the arena, her smile increased in size. She had done it. She had performed the rainboom. She had gone past her physical capabilities, had done what nopony else could do. As Dash fell, the crowd began to scream in panic. Dash was oblivious. As she reached the arena, she briefly made eye contact with her friends. It only lasted a second, but she saw their faces. In reality, they were stricken with terror. Through her rose colored lenses, she saw only pride. She was especially attentive to Spike. What a good kid. He had helped her so much. He would make somepony a wonderful partner. As many of the unicorns tried to catch her before she crashed into the artificial floor of the arena, Dash closed her eyes. She realized she never actually saw the rainboom, but she never needed to. She knew it was there.

~

The sun was rising over a cloudless sky. Dash woke up looked around. It was a seemingly endless field. At first, she thought she was alone. But after a second, Dash saw all her friends. They called her over, and she raced towards them. She dived into them, bowling them all over. They all laughed and stood up. Twilight gave her a smile.

"Are you ready?" Twilight asked.

"For what?" Dash asked back.

"For our next adventure," Twilight said. Dash beamed.

"Sure!" she replied. The rest of the girls whooped. She felt a tap on her flank and turned. It was Spike.

"You did a good job Dash," he said. "A real good job." Dash looked down, and saw herself in full Wonderbolt regalia. She had done it. She turned to Spike and gave him a high-hoof.

"Well, let's go!" Twilight prodded. The group wandered into the distance, ready to take on whatever the future held. Dash took one last glance back. It would be strange, never going back there again. But she had a lot to look forward to. She turned towards the sun and never looked back.