Rainbow Dash shot through the clear mountain skies not far from Canterlot, heading further down the mountain itself. Struggling behind her was Fluttershy; the yellow pegasus was trying her best to keep pace with her friend, but Rainbow’s excitement had gotten the better of her, and she flew on without a care in the world. The two were on their way to Fort Admiration, an airbase not far from Equestria’s glorious capital. The fort functioned as one might expect, trafficking the various militant pegasi that came to and from Canterlot. This was not an ordinary visit, however: the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash’s idols, were performing in an airshow held at Fort Admiration, and she just so happened to be in town to see it.
Rainbow had been confident that her chances of catching the show were slim, but after hearing of the delay in their next assignment from Twilight, the pegasus could not have been happier. “This is perfect!” she exclaimed, flipping head over tail in the air in her excitement. “Gotta hand it to the Princess, she has great timing!”
“Try not to get too carried away, Rainbow,” Twilight said with a smile. She was happy for her friend, even if she herself did not quite understand the pegasus’ admiration for the ponies in question.
“No promises!” Rainbow Dash replied with a coy grin, fluttering in place. Suddenly, she turned to Fluttershy, who was standing not far away. “You’re coming too, right Fluttershy?”
The smile disappeared from the quiet pony’s face. “I’d love to, Dashie, but-”
“Come on, Fluttershy! You can’t expect me to go alone!”
“Oh, I’ll just slow you down…”
“It’s not nearly as fun without other ponies!” Rainbow insisted, not agreeing or disagreeing with what the other pegasus had said. “Besides, I need somepony to back me up when I tell the Wonderbolts about my adventures.”
Fluttershy struggled to find a reason that would get her out of the situation. It was not that she wouldn't enjoy Rainbow Dash’s company; she just had a tendency to get flustered in a crowd. All that cheering, all those ponies…it was not a good place for her.
“You owe me! Remember, you bailed on the dragon migration.”
She had a point.
And with that, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were on their way to Fort Admiration. The former did not expect to keep up with the latter for very long; thankfully the journey was short. Fluttershy had to convince herself to keep her eyes forward, however; looking down from where they were was looking down the side of the mountain. With a fear of heights, this was not the wisest thing to do.
For Rainbow Dash, it was breathtaking. They could see into the far reaches of Equestria from up there. Had she not been so focused on their destination, she may have slowed down to enjoy it. But they had places to go; despite having an extended stay in Fort Admiration, the Wonderbolts would only be performing one day of the air show. Rainbow Dash had no intention of missing out.
Fort Admiration was an impressive, if not very simple sight. Practical grey structures were clustered at one end, while the rest was occupied by flat open space. What made the complex striking was its size and location; nestled on a plateau about half way up the mountain, the fort’s various runways gave way to a sheer drop of at least eighty feet. It was the perfect place to send and receive pegasi, and now it was home to the Wonderbolts themselves.
Swooping in like a hawk on the hunt, Rainbow soared the length of the fort as she surveyed it from above. The complex was swarming with ponies – other attendees to the show – and already the eager pegasus could see the site of the Wonderbolt’s performance. A large chunk of one of the larger runways had been separated from the rest by a series of cones and police tape, keeping the public from intruding. The skies were filled with pegasi, however, and would continue to be until the start of the performance; show officials - usually guards borrowed from Canterlot - would make sure the skies were clear before the Wonderbolts performed.
After several minutes of sightseeing high above the fort, Rainbow was finally joined by her exhausted companion.
“Let’s go Fluttershy! The Wonderbolts will be up soon!” she said as the other pegasus neared, shooting down to take her place in the crowd. Fluttershy took a moment to collect herself before she followed, thankful, at least, that they were no longer suspended above the mountainside.
By the time Fluttershy joined her, Rainbow had muscled her way to the head of the crowd assembled around the restricted area. Fluttershy managed to squeeze through the rift her friend had created quick enough to avoid confrontation, and took up a place beside her. The timid creature tried her best to avoid thinking about the horde of ponies massing behind her.
“All attendees are to remain grounded for the duration of the performance! Repeat: all attendees are to remain grounded for the duration of the performance!”
“It’s starting!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, bobbing up and down in excitement. Fluttershy gave her a worried smile, trying her best to keep out of the other ponies’ way.
“Introducing Equestria’s world renowned flying elite! Fillies and gentlecolts, please put your hooves together for the Wonderbolts!”
The crowd exploded into applause as three distant shapes shot overhead, creating a mix of smoke and lightening behind them as they went. As the team of fliers reached the end of the runway, they suddenly split, each soaring up in an arch, creating what appeared to be a three-clawed hand in the air with their maneuver. The three pegasi continued to climb until they crossed with each other; the middle flier continued along her path, upside down, while the other two began to fly around her, intertwining their smoke trails around the center trail. As they drew nearer and nearer to the ground, they suddenly shot off in different directions, creating a large burst of smoke and static as they did, much to the bewilderment of the crowd.
Rainbow Dash had seen the Wonderbolts perform before, but this one was in a league all its own. She watched in astonishment as the pegasi made intricate shapes out of their trails, performed dangerous stunts that brought them inches from the ground, and demonstrated for the crowd their impressive flying formations. This was why she loved the Wonderbolts. They were amazing, fearless ponies that were unmatched in the skies, and some day, she would be one of them.
After the show ended, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but gush about what they had seen. Fluttershy had seen the entire thing, of course, but knew that her friend could not help herself. She found the other pegasus’ excitement admirable, and listened intently, glad she was out of the crowd.
"There they are!"
Before Fluttershy could even try to comprehend who “they” were, her companion was already long gone. After a quick survey of her surroundings, Fluttershy eventually spied the object of Rainbow’s excitement: the Wonderbolts, surrounded by a sizeable crowd, were signing autographs for their fans. Golden armored guards flanked them, ensuring that the pegasi celebrities would not be harmed.
It didn't take Fluttershy long to spy Rainbow Dash forcing her way through the crowd. Again, the pegasus tried to follow, but the crowd quickly collapsed into the path her friend had created.
“As I live and breathe!” Spitfire, leader of the Wonderbolts, said suddenly as she handed an autographed photo back to an enthusiastic fan. “Rainbow Dash, is that you?”
Rainbow Dash couldn't help but gape. Despite her insistence that she was destined to be one of them, she was more than a little star struck to be recognized by none other than Spitfire. After several moments of odd choking noises, the pegasus finally regained her composure. “The one and only!”
“It’s been a long time, newbie,” Spitfire said with a smile. If there was one pony in existence that could get away with calling Rainbow Dash ‘newbie’, it was Spitfire. “I’m taking a short break,” the leader of the Wonderbolts said to a nearby guard. The guard gave her an approving nod, its expression unchanging. A hole in the crowd seemed to appear before Spitfire as she walked, gesturing for Rainbow Dash to follow.
“That was a pretty good show, by the way,” Rainbow Dash said as they walked, suppressing her inner fan to maintain her cool. “I could give you a few pointers on how to improve, if you want.”
Spitfire chuckled. “You haven’t changed a bit, newbie.” As the two neared the rear of the crowd, they quickly spotted Fluttershy, muttering requests for passage at the back of a stallion, who paid her no mind. “Fluttershy!” Spitfire called suddenly, causing the pegasus to jolt. “Would you like to join us?”
“S-sure,” Fluttershy replied meekly, shrinking closer to the ground as a sizeable portion of the crowd turned their attention to her. Spitfire and Rainbow Dash continued walking as Fluttershy joined them, heading to a more secluded location to chat. “I’m h-honored you know my name, ma’am…”
“Are you kidding? You and your friends are the talk of Equestria!” Spitfire said with a grin. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about your adventures. Did you really take down a dragon with nothing but a branch and some chewing gum?”
“Yes,” Rainbow Dash said suddenly, preventing Fluttershy from dismissing the claim.
“Impressive,” the leader of the Wonderbolts replied, smirking. “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask: How would you like to receive some professional training from us Wonderbolts? It could be useful in your line of work.”
“Would I!-I mean, that’s cool, I guess,” Rainbow Dash said with an indifferent sniff, inspecting a hoof nonchalantly.
“Great,” Spitfire replied. Her gaze shifted to Fluttershy. “You’re free to join in as well. You are a member of the same team, after all.”
“Oh, that’s alright,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “I appreciate the offer, but-“
“This is an offer of a lifetime, Fluttershy!” Rainbow interrupted suddenly, prodding her comrade’s chest with a hoof. “It’s not something you just turn down right off the bat!”
“I don’t…I can’t…” Fluttershy replied, her eyes pleading as she stared into Rainbow’s own, begging the pegasus not to pressure her into something she couldn’t hope to accomplish.
“Don’t you wish you could do more for the team?”
“I play a support role…” Fluttershy muttered, frowning.
“Exactly! Wouldn’t you like to do something useful?” Fluttershy looked like she was ready to cry. Rainbow Dash sighed. “Look, that may have been a bit harsh. You've come through for us lots of times when the chips are down, but wouldn’t it be nice to come in handy before we are all about to die?”
Fluttershy was at a loss for words. She was surprised at herself for even considering such a thing!
“Just because you know how to fly and fight doesn't mean you have to either of them,” Spitfire added, shrugging. “Martial arts are more about discipline than violence, after all.”
“You’re going to teach us how to fight?” Rainbow Dash asked suddenly, giving the leader of the Wonderbolts a confused blink.
“Of course!” Spitfire replied with a grin. “You forget, we used to be a lot like you girls: flying around Equestria, sorting out various problems…most of the time,” she explained, looking away as she remembered the incident involving Ponyville and a certain dragon.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up…” Fluttershy murmured, her head hanging low.
“Maybe you won’t, but it’s worth a try, right?”
“I…guess so…” the pegasus conceded with a deep breath.
“Fantastic!” Spitfire exclaimed with a grin. “I’ll see you two after the show is done. Don’t keep me waiting!”