Rainbow Crash lounged about in the yard of her Canterlot school. She was waiting for her big brother to come and pick her up. She was a little filly with a white mane and bright green eyes. Her mane was braided into a cute pony tail, and she wore a designer dress. Those were the perks that came with being the daughter of a Wonderbolt.
Suddenly spotted another one of those perks. A purple unicorn with her nose buried in a book. She practically smelled like insecurity.
Rainbow Crash smirked and zoomed in. “Hey nerd. Whatchya doin’?”
The unicorn looked up, and gasped, dropping her book. “Uh… uh… hey Rainbow Crash…”
Rainbow picked up the book. She couldn’t read, but she could figure out what it was from the cover. “Huh. A Smarty-pants book? Figures, a nerd reading a book about a nerd.” She dropped the book in a patch of mud.
“NOOOOOOO!!!” Rainbow Crash laughed wickedly as she kept the unicorn from recovering the precious book. She picked it up and flew in the air.
“Of course you can’t have it.” Rainbow Crash sneered. “You can’t take it with your magic, can you? You can’t fly. What good is your magic anyway? You don’t deserve this book. You’re nothing but a baby.” Rainbow Dash looked at the book in her hooves. “And since I don’t want it, and you don’t deserve it, there’s only one thing to do…” Rainbow Crash took one of the pages of the book, and to the sound of Twilight’s wails, she slowly began to tear out a page.
“What is going on?”
Rainbow Crash’s eyes widened, as a taller unicorn stallion trotted angrily towards them. Rainbow let go of the unicorn, who rushed over to the mud patch to save her book. “We’re playing a game.” She said, smiling innocently. “Right?” She nudged the unicorn menacingly.
Unfortunately, the unicorn was braver then she thought. “She made my Smarty-pants book muddy!” The filly cried. “And then she almost tore out a page!”
The older unicorn glared at Rainbow. “When your parents hear about this young lady…”
“When I hear about what?”
Rainbow Crash breathed a sigh of relief as her mom and big brother floated down. Her mother was a white coated Pegasus with a bouncy rainbow styled mane that Rainbow wished she’d inherited. But she was fine, because she’d inherited her mother’s beautiful green eyes. Her brother was even bigger than the purple unicorn’s brother.
“Soarin’?” The unicorn asked in disbelief. “Soarin’ Crash? Is this little filly your sister?”
“Yes, she is.” Soarin’ said, landing and putting a comforting hoof around her. “Is this your sister Armor?”
“Yes.” Shining Armor put a comforting hoof around Twilight. “And your sister was bullying her.”
“It’s not true!” Rainbow Crash yelled.
“Now now, I’m certain that no harm was meant.” Rainbow’s mother said with a smile. “I’ll make sure that my dear Rainbow knows what she did wrong.”
Shinging Armor glared at her stiffly, before nodding. “You see to it Mrs.” He said. “This won’t happen twice.”
He and his sister walked – walked! – away. Rainbow Crash looked into her mother’s green eyes. The eyes she shared. “Rainbow, darling.” Her mother stroked her cheek. “Why were you harassing that lady?”
“’Cause she deserved it.” Rainbow Crash shrugged. “It’s her fault for not being tough enough, she can’t even fly.”
“Rainbow Crash.” Soarin’ looked sad and upset. “I can fly circles around you. Does that mean I can do anything to you that I want?”
“Yeah.” Rainbow Crash said. She loved her big brother. She knew he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. To her, it was obvious that he should be the boss of her. “Dad said the fastest flyers should be the ones in charge.”
Her mother and her big brother exchanged looks. “I think I’ll have to have a talk with your father about that.” Her mother said, ushering her off the field.
~0o0~
It had been a week after mom died. The night before the Summer Sun Celebration.
Rainbow Crash didn’t cry herself to sleep that night. She wouldn’t allow herself to. She was strong, like her dad.
Her dad hadn’t cried. Even when he’d lost a wing trying to save her, and his wings meant everything to him.
And losing this wing meant he spent more time training Soarin’ to be on the Wonderbolts. That was all right. Dad never paid much attention to her anyways. After she’d told him she didn’t want to train, she was fine with the way she was.
And he’d left her alone after that. And he kept leaving her alone. So this was no different.
But… she missed her mommy.
She tried to stay quiet as the door to her room opened. She wouldn’t let her dad see her being un-cool.
“Which one?” A strange voice asked.
“The girl.” She heard her dad say. “Take the girl. She’s always been a disappointment.”
Rainbow Crash sat up with a start and tried to scream, but something filled her mouth and everything went black.
~0o0~
It was dark.
Rainbow Crash opened her eyes. It was very dark, but there were candles. Candles everywhere. And an ominous chanting.
“Wh-what’s going on?” She asked. She tried to sit up, but she was strapped down to a table.
The candles began to glow with a fierce light. The fire rose, and in the rising she saw a pair of eyes. They were old, ancient eyes, eyes that had seen the universe. Eyes of a trickster, eyes of a warrior, eyes of a doctor, eyes of an explorer, eyes of fire and ice and everything in between.
“HEEEEELP!” rainbow Crash cried.
Then the eyes fell into hers, and all was silent.
~0o0~
Somewhere among the crowd of the Summer Sun Celebration, there was a purple unicorn filly. Her special talent was magic, though she didn’t know it yet. Despite being a Canterlot Unicorn, she was not one of the nobility and was not stuck up on her prowess. She was slowly remembering her many past lives, and though she had their experience she was not them. She was new. She was destined to become Celestia’s apprentice, to become an outgoing member of the royal courts of Canterlot, to overthrow the rotten aristocracy, to lead a social revolution, discover the Seventh Element of harmony, with her friends Rarity, Octavia, Lyra, Minuette, Berry Punch, and Raindrop. In short, she was a complete and total Mary Sue, ideally placed to save Equestria from every disaster that would take place in the next fifty years.
But she would never get the chance to live up to her full potential. Because as Celestia raised the sun, the pink in her eyes dimmed. The memories of past lives left her. She was nothing more than Twilight Sparkle.
A short distance away, in the land of Ponyville, lived an earth pony. He had a brown coat, a scruffy brown mane, and striking, cat-like green eyes. He was currently terrorizing his parents to take him to Canterlot. There, he would be able to advance himself in the most prestigious academies. Soon he would charm, woo, and marry Princess Cadence, distinguish himself as the inventor of the Time Machine, develop a war between ponies and dragon in the midst of the confusion of the revolution his adversary would doubtless spark, and soon, for the first time, destroy that accursed pony that kept him from destroying Equestria two millennia ago.
Be he would never get the chance to live up to his full potential. Because as Celestia raised the sun, his green eyes dimmed, and became round instead of slitted. The memories of past lives left him. He was nothing more than Time Turner.
~0o0~
“… Did it work?” One of the hooded figures asked.
“I think it worked.” Another said. “At least… I mean… we only have the one page from the Necroponinomicon, but I think I translated it correctly…”
A scoff. “Typical unicorns.”
“Shut up Crash.”
“D-daddy?” Rainbow Crash began to cry.
“Check on her.” The youngest voice commanded.
“Rainbow?” Thunder Crash worked his way into rainbow Crash’s field of vision. “Rainbow, wake up.”
“Where am I?”
“You’re in a sacrificial pit. We were going to have a ritual, and it was going to work, but apparently you can’t even trust unicorns with magic.”
“Y-you were gonna sacrifice me? Why?”
“You were just bait for a larger prey.” Thunder Crash cursed. “It was either you or Soarin', and let's face it, you'll never be a great flyer. You don't have the drive. Pity this poor excuse for a trap was manned by unicorns and an earth pony, they promised me a new wing.”
“Thunder! Silence!” The younger voice commanded.
Rainbow Dash kept crying. “This is a really horrible trap.”
“Yeah, I know.” Thunder rolled his eyes.
“I mean, you made an even bigger mistake then trusting unicorns.”
“What’s that?” Thunder asked, curious.
“Thunder, get back.” The young voice commanded.
“Quiet, I wanna hear what mistake she thinks we made.” Thunder growled over his shoulder.
“Oh yeah.” Rainbow’s crying died down to sniffling. “Big mistake. Huge mistake. Didn’t anypony ever tell you? There is one thing you should never put in a trap. If you’re smart, if you value your continued existence, there is one thing you never! Ever! Put! In a trap!”
“It’s him!” the young voice yelled, As Thunder realized his daughter’s eyes were now pink.
“Me.” With a flick of her wrists, Rainbow tossed the tears that had collected in her hooves into the air. Forming a cloud, she began to punch them, sending lightning across the room. Thunder, with practiced speed and accuracy, leaped out of the way of the first bolt, falling out the window. The other unicorns were not so lucky, getting zapped the first chance they got.
When the room was clear, Rainbow grunted, dislocated her shoulder a little, then slipped out of the ropes. With a heave, she popped her shoulder back in.
“Alright, who’s in charge here?” Rainbow demanded of the room filled with groaning ponies.
“I am.”
Rainbow walked forward. A crystal ball sat on a pedestal, and a young face looked out. “You?” Rainbow asked. “You can’t be any older than this body is!”
“It’s never too early to think about the future.” The young earth pony mare in the crystal ball smirked.
“You have no future.” Rainbow snarled. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? In this body, I might not be able to stop Equestria from being destroyed!”
“Oh, I know that Doctor.” Said the smirking foal. “Or do you prefer Starswirl? Daring? Dodger? I know all about your exploits. My papa started this organization, and I’m going to finish it. The ritual we used has put you in the body of a foal, whose own father thought she was a weakling. How does it feel to be less than spectacular? Less, even, then ordinary?”
Rainbow growled. “My life force is tied to the Adversary. This ritual effected him too.”
“But he didn’t have a focus.” The foal continued to explain. “He could end up anywhere. And when he does, when some random weak body ends up with his memories, he’ll have to have me help him. That way his inevitable betrayel will be curbed before it begins.”
“So you want him for his power, but he won’t be powerful?” Rainbow scoffed.
“Oh, but you forget.” The other reminded her cheerfully. “Remember in your days as pirate king? You defeated that regeneration of your nemesis, but only by having him set up to be sealed in the moon for ten centuries. Guess which century it is?”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed.
“He’ll be back more powerful than before. I’ll have him on a leash. And the one pony with a history of being able to stop him? Is in the body of the most pathetic foal we could find, and the only living witness to the scene of a terrible massacre.”
Rainbow hissed. “I’m a filly. My lightning bolts weren’t that –”
The ponies on the floor screamed. All of them at once, in a horrendous symphony. And then, they were silent. No more groans. They stopped trying to get up. They stopped breathing.
“Enjoy fleeing from the Royal Guards with a body that isn’t your own.”
Rainbow Crash leaned forward. “Whoever you are, wherever you are, you won’t get away with this. I will find you. I will –”
The crystal ball shut off.
Rainbow was in a daze. She shook it off. “What… what happened?” She looked around and all she saw were the bodies.
“What… what’s going on?”
“Rainbow.” Rainbow heard herself say. “Rainbow Crash, isn’t it? Nice name, wonderful name.”
“Who are you?” Rainbow asked. “What’s happening?”
“Well, here’s the thing Rainbow.” Rainbow said. “We’ve got a bit of a problem. Well, two problems. Three problems. Four problems and a book, and quite possibly an angry alicorn.”
“Why aren’t they moving?” Rainbow poked the bodies. “They used to be moving… they were singing…”
“They were chanting.” Rainbow explained to herself. “Chanting a way to put me inside your head. Let’s call that problem four point five.”
“Are they…” Rainbow’s blood chilled when she realized they weren’t moving. At all. Not even shuffling like ponies who were asleep tended to do.
“Now now Rainbow.” Rainbow told herself. “I know you’re scared, but we still have problem two to deal with. Direct the attention of your ears to the door.”
Rainbow turned. There was one door in the room, and two windows. Beyond the door, she could hear the frantic thumping of hoofsteps. Far away, at the stairs, but getting ever closer.
“I don’t need to alarm you Rainbow.” Rainbow said. “If you can’t handle this, I’ll save us. But we’re going to be together for a long time, and I don’t want to suppress you.”
“Is that what happened?” Rainbow shivered. “You heard dad taking me away? I heard him and I thought I was in danger, so I… I took over… I ‘handled’ this?”
“I know you’re upset…” Rainbow tried to explain to herself.
“Upset… why would I be upset?” Rainbow’s eye began to twitch. “I’m only insane. I’m only a psychopath that talks to herself and could snap at any time!”
I can talk to you without talking if it helps.
“That doesn’t help!”
The door slammed open. Three well built unicorns entered the room. One of them had to hold back his vomit at the scene.
Rainbow Crash looked around, and saw one of the windows had been smashed open. “Freeze!” The guards yelled, and she bolted. She dove out of the open windows, taking to the skies.
“Did I do that, or did you?” She asked.
“You did it.” She answered.
“Oh man, that was the royal guard!” She moaned.
“Well look on the bright side; you’re flying!”
“Yeah.” She sighed. “I’m flying away.”
Goodbye brother.
~0o0~
Rainbow Crash – no, Dash – got ready to take off, as she watched Fluttershy hovering to the cloud with a flag in her mouth. She blew a lock of her hair out of her face. She didn’t own a comb anymore, and she’d had to dye it a distracting variety of colors. But she liked it. She liked being a ruffian. She decided it was better then any of her posh former friends.
Why are you doing this? One of the voices asked. There were more of them now, more personalities, more memories…
Because somepony has to. Rainbow Dash answered.
Fluttershy waved a flag, and they took off like a shot.
But… if I may ask, why are you being better than yourself?
What? Swerve. Swerve. Hoop.
Your father taught you that anypony who couldn’t fly, even baby Pegasi, were worthless. That they deserved whatever you wanted to inflict on them. You’ve lived your life believing that. Why turn against it now?
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth. I’m not turning against anything. Fluttershy, Unicorns, Earth ponies, they’re all pathetic.
But you’re helping Fluttershy.
Just because she’s pathetic doesn’t mean she'll always be. Rainbow Dash pushed her speed to the limit. When I was a baby, I couldn’t fly either. I’ll help Fluttershy fly. I’ll build her up. I’ll help Earth Ponies. I’ll help unicorns. They may be babies, but who wouldn’t help a baby who’s crying?
… I can only think of one.
Rainbow Dash pushed herself further She passed one of the bullies. I’ll protect them. And I’ll help them grow. Because right now, I need that too. I need to keep hidden from the Royal Guards. I need to grow big enough so I can someday fix my four and a half problems. And someday, I won’t be a baby anymore. I’ll be as awesome as the Wonderbolts – no, I’ll be even more awesome then them. I’ll be the best! I’ll be elite!
A sharp turn in the course came. Rainbow Dash could feel the very sky itself trying to slow her down, trying to reject her, trying to tear her apart. But she would make this turn.
Because all babies grow up. And someday, the world will know Fluttershy’s name. And mine. We’ll take the world like a hurricane.
She tore through the color spectrum. Everything exploded into light. Looking behind her, she saw her cutie mark, and grinned.
Like an Oncoming Storm.
~0o0~
“Okay parrot.” Rainbow Dash whispered. “You do what I say, and you’ll get your cracker.”
The parrot and her shoulder looked at her dubiously. “Squack, Liar liar, pants on fire, whistle!”
“Please!” She hissed. And with that she rounded the corner and bumped into her friend Fluttershy. Being one of the most unexpectantly strong ponies she knew, instead of bouncing off her like most foals, Rainbow found herself on the ground with her friend.
“Oh!” Fluttershy said, getting up hastily and helping Rainbow up. “Oh, I’m so sorry Rainbow Dash, I should have watched where I was going.”
“Oh, no problem.” Rainbow Dash said getting up.
“Squack! Here, let me help you up!” The parrot gallantly offered a wing, but Fluttershy got up on her own.
“Oh thank you, you’re such a lovely bird.” Fluttershy cooed.
“Squack! Gonna cut ya with a spoon!”
Fluttershy squeaked and backed away. “Oh… my…”
“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash’s face flushed red. “I decided that I should have a pet. But Jackie here has violent schizophrenia…”
“No I don’t! Squack! Ahahahahaha, kill you myself.”
“Oh my, that sounds quite serious.” Fluttershy fished around in her saddles and brought out a bottle of pills. “Here. Have her take one of these and a slice of apple, and a long nap.”
“Thanks Fluttershy, you’re a real gem!” Rainbow Dash eagerly scooped up the pill bottle and the two Pegasus parted ways.
“I want my crackers.” The parrot informed Rainbow.
“Yeah yeah, here’re your crackers.” Rainbow Dash shoved the box of crackers into the parrot’s claws and the bird took off.
You don’t have to do this! ‘Starswirl’ yelled.
I know! If you want to make it effective for a Pegasus, I’d say two pills, and two full apples a day.
Doctor!
What? She has as little choice in this as the rest of us. If she wants to be rid of us, it's her choice. We said we wouldn't dominate her!
Yeah! Let her live as she wants for now, if she needs us, she knows where to find us!
You too Dodger?
“Guys, I’m right here you know. I can hear you.” Rainbow Dash said. She sighed and took the pills. “Now be quiet.”
~0o0~
Rainbow Dash placed her bits on the table. “I’m telling you guys, this stuff is the best. My friend AJ, she makes it every year and…”
“I’m sorry Ms. Dash…” The waiter placed the tray on the table with not three, but two foamy glasses of cider upon it. “But this is all the kitchen has in stock at the moment.”
Rainbow Dash’s face passed through various stages; shock, anger, denial, resignation, and resolution. “Alright. Here ya go guys, cider’s on me.”
Soarin’ and Spitfire looked at her with shock from across the table. “Oh, you don’t have to…”
“No, no, I want to.” Rainbow Dash beamed.
She’d just won the Best Young Fliers competition. She’d been so stressed out about it, that she’d actually almost failed her routine. If it weren’t for Rarity, she probably never would have done the rainboom and won.
The truth is she’d been… hesitant about winning. Very hesitant. Did she really want to win? Should she lose? But now that she’d won… well, it was all worth it. Even if Soarin’ did discover her secret, even if he did turn her over to Celestia who would probably never let her near Twilight or Fluttershy or any of her friends again for being a psychopath… it was worth it.
“You’re right this is great!” Soarin’ said, sipping his cider.
“Woah!” Spitfire’s eyes widened. “After travelling faster than the color spectrum, everything tastes like dazzling sparkling meadow dew with the finest hint of clovers! Or maybe that’s just the amazing cider. Better order some more food just to make sure.”
Soarin’ nodded in agreement. The three of them had already racked up a substantial bill (being athletes means copious consumption of calories) and were still hungry. Rainbow, of course, had eaten the lion’s share, being the one who’d gone Mach 10 this morning. But Soarin’ wasn’t one to lose, and was doing his best to keep pace.
“So, hey, Dash.” Spitfire continued, after they’d placed another order to the mind-boggled waiter. “What do you think of joining the wonderbolts?”
Rainbow Dash, having been bereft of cider, was currently chugging a gallon of lemonade. The contents immediately went from her mouth to Spitfire’s face.
“Y-y-you mean it?” She asked, shocked.
“Well, what you did this morning?” Soarin’ smirked. “Kind of impossible. Especially with passengers. I can’t believe we haven’t heard of you before today, but even you are younger than most of our applicants, I’d say you’ve earned it. Even if the rest of your routine totally sucks – and I’m sure that was just the jitters – we’ll work you into Wonderbolt shape in no time.”
Rainbow Dash swirled her cup in her hands slowly, before resolutely answering; “Sorry, no.”
The two Wonderbolts exchanged shocked looks. “Why not?”
Because Wonderbolts have background checks, and I’d be arrested and hospitalized before you could say V.I.P. “Because I’m too awesome for the Wonderbolts.” Rainbow smirked at the looks on their faces. “Seriously guys, I just wanted the prize of being able to hang with you today.” She tried not to make her eyes soften and she touched her brother’s unknowing hoof. “But I’m kind of an Element of Harmony. That’s like, as elite as you can get. I’ve already reached the top. And you guys are awesome and I’d totally do you both, but being a Wonderbolt would mean leaving Ponyville and I just couldn’t do that.”
Spitfire smiled. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash shrugged, praying they bought it. “I mean, if I were a Wonderbolt, everypony would know my name. Being an Element of Harmony is basically the same thing, but a little more low key.”
“Well it sure is nice to meet somepony secure enough in herself that she doesn’t need thousands of adoring fans to tell them how special they are.” Soarin’ smiled. “Here, I’ll pick up the check.”
Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but smile at her brother. Even if he'd never smile back the way he used to.
~0o0~
Rainbow Dash snuck up on the library. There she was. Twilight Sparkle. Dressed up in some sort of goofy country singer song. Soon, she’d wished she’d brought and electric guitar, ‘cause she was about to get the zapping of her life!
She loomed in closer, just as Twilight was explaining her costume was some old dead dude called…
Starswirl the Bearded.
The hoofsteps were calm and balanced, walking without fear even as the magma flowed freely from the volcano behind her. Occasionally, the hooves would falter, and the bearded pony would gasp in pain, but then he would correct himself and continue walking.
Two shadows fell on the floor. Out of the moonlight emerged the princesses, Celestia and Luna. “Starswirl… oh Starswirl.” Celestia hugged him. “What happened?”
“I bested the Adversary… temporarily.” The old stallion coughed.
“What do you mean?” Princess Luna asked.
Starswirl’s beard grew ever longer, and the wrinkles on his face became more pronounced. “I am dying… but I managed to use the Necroponinomicon to bind my life force with his.” He coughed and wheezed. “And he is immortal.”
“Then why are you dying?” Luna asked.
Starswirled looked at her with ancient eyes. “He is defeated… but will return every century. So too will I return. Always in a new form. If I win, the cycle begins anew. If I best him twenty one times, the cycle will end. If he bests me even once… he will destroy Equestria.”
The two princesses gazed at him, tears in his eyes, as he walked towards the blue booth in the field. “This world… these traditions… I would have used them to best him. I would have the Adversary defeated by a common pony. But no… I had to use the ancient dark rituals found in the necroponinomicon to bind him. As far as I am concerned… I have failed.”
He walked into the blue box. “And now, I pay the price for the black magics I’ve used. But I will see you again my princesses… in my next regeneration. You will know me by my eyes… and him by his.”
And with that he shut the door, closing the box as his tomb. The princesses cried, and the magma rolled on and over…
Rainbow Dash shook her head. Where had that come from? She shrugged, and focused her attention on Pinkie Pie. Twilight probably wouldn’t have liked the prank anyway.
~0o0~
The pendulum moved ever lower, as Daring Do and her faithful companion Rose lay strapped to the table.
“I hate this.” Rose moaned. “Why does he always leave us in these traps?”
“You worried I won’t get us free?” Daring Do asked brashly, tangling her hoof in the ropes that bound them.
“Well no, but…” Rose sighed. “That’s another thing, you always escape!”
“We always escape.” Do corrected.
“Why does Azzy leave us in a trap if we always escape?”
Daring Do frowned. “There’s a protocol to these things Rose. Our adversary is an ancient creature, bound by rules of black magic. He can’t kill us directly. It has to be a trap for him. Always a trap.”
Rainbow Dash blinked. Where had that come from? She hadn’t read that in the book.
She shifted and yawned. Awe well. Maybe she could write a fanfic about it later. She wasn’t much of a writer, but she never would have guessed she was a reader before, so maybe.
She loved the Daring Do novels. It was almost like she was right there, in her place! It was like she could feel the ropes on her skin and the heat of the savannah… like they were memories…
The alarm clock next to her buzzed, and Rainbow Dash jolted out of bed. “Oops.” She facehoofed, and went to her medicine cabinet. She hadn’t had any of her pills since before she went to the hospital.
~0o0~
The garden was alive and light with dancing ponies, but only two could fit in the dance floor. Naturally, once the Bride and Groom had left, the honor of dancing in the middle would only – could only – go to the fastest dancers on the floor.
Soarin’ Crash and Rainbow Dash.
They danced like their hooves were on fire, and they were likely to be if they didn’t stop dancing sometime soon.
Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief as Soarin’ slowed down. Not that she’d ever stop dancing with him, but he really set a high pace. “You want something to drink?” He asked.
“Sure.” Rainbow agreed, and the two of them moved out of the centre of the dance floor (more room for Rarity and Fancy-Pants). Soarin’ motioned for Rainbow to sit down and the bench. Now, Rainbow was certain that she had been very careful to be awesome tonight. There was no way any wincing had made it through her sore hooves, on the dancefloor with Rarity’s really uncomfortable horseshoes mere hours from bucking Changelings.
So she decided not to blow cover just yet. “I’m gonna go and sit with Spitfire.” She told Soarin’ discreetly hovering to take the wait off of her hooves.
“Sure.” Soarin’ smiled and headed to the punch bowl.
Spitfire smiled as Rainbow sat down next to her. “Well, congratulations Rainbow.”
“Yeah, that Sonic Rainboom was pretty sweet, huh?” Rainbow tossed her mane. “At an upward angle even. My wings are the strongest in the world!”
“Well, yes, that too.” Spitfire giggled. “But I was talking about you and Soarin'. I’ll be honest; I’ve had a crush on him for like, forever. But the better mare won his heart.”
The world seemed to shatter into fragments. Then the fragments shattered into universes, each universe containing a single screaming Pegasus.
“W-w-w-what?” Rainbow Dash asked, aghast.
Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m not his ex or something. He doesn’t even know. You don’t need to worry about me interfering with you two lovebirds.”
“No! No no!” Rainbow Dash shook. “I mean… he’s not really into me is he?” The thought of her brother being attracted to her in that way was… well, she didn’t know enough words, but there was probably something a whole lot wordier out there than disturbing!
“Of course he is.” Spitfire said, winking and nudging Rainbow Dash. “He told me so just last week. Asked me to put in a good word for you tonight. You know, romantic atmosphere, you saving the world and doing a sonic rainboom again, I think he’s going to ask you –”
“Oh look at that!” Ranibow Dash gulped. “My friends are all running after the Princess’ wedding carriage! I’d better join them! Bye!”
“ – on a date.”
Spitfire looked confused as Soarin’ walked up with the drinks. “Hey, where’d Dash go?” Soarin’ asked.
Spitfire shrugged. “She said she had to go do something with her friends. She’ll probably be back soon.”
But Rainbow would never be back. She could never look her brother in the eyes again, not knowing that he was looking at her with doe-eyes. That night, as she made it back to her house, she took down her trophy for the best Young Flier competition, and replaced it with her new most cherished possession.
The picture of her and her brother, the last time they would meet.
For the first time since her mother died, tears flowed free and unrestrained.