Yeah, I’m the number one all-time squealing fangirl, right? So let me tell you a story, and ‘cause I’m awesome, I’ll even start it with a little surprise for you. Ready for this? I, Rainbow Dash, never had a Wonderbolts poster in my bedroom. Stop the presses! Freaky, I know. Never had Wonderbolts dolls – er, action figures. Never collected Wonderbolts trading cards or comics. Why? Answer’s easy, see…
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…And there I was, ready to show my stuff. Okay, I always am, but this was different. Every year the Best Young Flyer competition is judged by the Wonderbolts, and every year the judging lineup switches. How do I know? ‘Cause I charted every Best Young Flyer competition for years to figure it out, that’s how. What, you thought I was just speed and style, no brains? Yeah, I can make a chart, so eat that!
Anyway, every year they send a solo flyer, a left or right wing flyer, and either the lead or slot flyer. Soarin flies slot and Spitfire flies lead, and they alternate, so I timed my entry to make sure Spitfire was there. My luck! The one year they surprise me by changing the lineup (probably because Princess Celestia made an appearance) is the one year my friends decide to show up, and one of them brings wings.
You heard me right – one of my unicorn pals dredges up a wing spell, tries to enter the competition unannounced, and you probably know the story from there. I had everything all planned out, every amazing trick I wanted to show the world, and it all went to Tartarus. Yours truly ended up saving them all, naturally, but it’s hard to impress somepony when they’re unconscious. The second rainboom I’d ever pulled off, the second one ever done period, and Spitfire’s in la-la land. Just featherin’ great.
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Ever been to a Grand Galloping Gala? No? Don’t bother, you aren’t missing anything. I went because my friend is Princess Celestia’s personal egghead, and the Princess probably wanted to show off the Elements. Did I mention I’m the bearer of the Element of Loyalty? Yeah, you can print that. And, of course, the Wonderbolts always send their best for a pre-Gala flyover, and they’re basically required to mingle, and you bet they send their Captain every year.
Total. Bust. What a waste! Every two-bit noble and high society bluefur was there, mobbing Spitfire and Soarin, and I couldn’t get a word in wingwise. Finally I had enough and decided to improvise. Did a juggling act with a pie and actually got invited over by Spitfire herself. Oh holy leaping Luna, I was in! I was ready! I was – I was about a second away from spilling everything when the mob rolls back in and I lose her in the crowd. Perfect. I try the juggling act again but either nopony’s watching or they’re about to run for their lives before the squirrel stampede arrives. All I could do was watch her melt away into the crowd - my loss.
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You think I didn’t know who they’d sent to monitor the Ponyville water-lift attempt? What am I, some kind of amateur? I’d have tried for the record anyway but with Spitfire watching, I had to go the extra mile. I wanted Fluttershy aboard because it was all hooves on deck and I needed my friends to make a good example. Flutters could use a good showing for her own self-confidence, too, I admit.
Once the Feather Flu started making the rounds I knew the record was out of reach. I could've asked Spitfire to join us and we’d have made the water lift no problem. But between needing to show my stuff and wanting to give Shy a little boost, I did what I had to do. When we pulled it off – and with the crew we had, that was still a fraggin’ miracle – I was so happy for Fluttershy, I took off with the crowd and gave her an impromptu parade. Spitfire was there at the start but once things calmed down, she was gone. Again. All that for – well, not for nothing, but not exactly all I was hoping for.
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That last day at the Wonderbolts Academy was almost the worst. Spitfire’d been giving me all unholy Tartarus the entire time, giving me the evil eye, making me fly wing for Lightning Dust, telling me I wasn’t pushing myself – was she blind? Had the last two years been for nothing? I did everything in my power to show her I was worthy, to show her what I could do, to see if they’d notice me. Buck the Wonderbolts, I wanted her to notice me. The ‘Bolts has become almost secondary by this point, and the Academy was my last hurrah. Make or break time, you know?
Nailed. It. Nailed it to the wall, solid! That was the one thing I never counted on. I did everything I could for two years to show her what I was made of, and finally when I’d had enough of playing second fiddle to that pathetic turkey Lightning Dust, I marched right up to Spitfire, told her off, and left her cold.
That was the day she gave me the wing leader slot, and a week later when the Academy season was over, she’d finally asked me out. Yeah, you got that right - she asked me! So she's got a couple of years on me - big deal! Have you seen that mare? Wish I’d known from the start that the key to her heart, the thing that would guarantee she’d notice me, wasn’t just fancy flying – it was being a great flyer with the backbone to stand up to her, too.
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Well, there’s the story behind the glory. So you saw that poster in my room? I wasn’t lying.
That wasn’t a Wonderbolts poster.
That was a Spitfire poster.