The main stage of the Cloudiseum was simple, yet paramount. A vast expanse of flat, white cloud stood below the surrounding stands, free of any disturbances or imperfections. The stage was often reformed to accommodate the stadium’s numerous events, whether it was for a derby or a concert. Sometimes, the stage was even taken away. Today, the stage was left alone as a flat, blank slate, completely devoid of any equipment or alteration to the clouds. Having no preconceived notions of the preliminary stages of the tryouts, Rainbow Dash was pleasantly surprised at the sight. The only sizable uncertainty in her mind had been completely diminished, allowing the right corner of her mouth to rise dramatically.
While Rainbow Dash was well versed in nearly all aspects of flying, her prowess never truly showed itself until she was in the open skies. Her skill was a wild beast, one that needed to roam unencumbered by boundaries or limitations. She had no quarrels with set courses or accuracy exercises, but that didn’t stop her from finding them unnecessary or mundane at this point in her flight career. Judging by the Cloudiseum’s lack of adaptation to the tryouts, the Wonderbolts seemed to be on the same page. Rainbow had grown tired of loops and laps in the Academy, and it was nice to see that her opinion had been shared. Freedom was the blue mare’s greatest ally, and it looked as though they were about to spend a lot of time together.
She looked to her left, finding that Airheart had decided to land and walk alongside her opponents. The pink mare’s attention looked to be divided between every metaphorical corner of the circular stadium, her large blue eyes traversing the stands and the skies, her joyous smile never faltering. Not wanting to look toward him directly, Rainbow Dash peaked at Flintlock out of the corner of her eye. The disinterested expression remained on his face, his orange eyes locked on the key focal point of the Cloudiseum’s architecture. Rainbow traced his gaze toward the other end of the arena, where the main stands stood prominent among the rest. Under the outstretched wings of a tall alicorn statue stood the opened curtains of a columned dais, where three pegasi waited.
Standing behind a long podium was Spitfire, glaring down at the three hopeful flyers as they crossed the cloud field. She had her head held high, her eyes invisible but undoubtedly fierce behind her tinted aviators. Despite her short height, her presence effortlessly undermined the tall stallion standing to her left. Rainbow Dash immediately recognized his relaxed and undeniably handsome face. His navy blue jacket was far less decorated than his captain’s, but didn’t fail to display his high rank in the team. Soarin had a coat of the faintest of blues, a few shades lighter than Rainbow’s. The stallion’s windswept mane and tail, however, were on the exact opposite end of the spectrum of blue, nearly fading into black. His pistachio-colored eyes were half-lidded, his lopsided grin giving the cadets a sense of reassurance.
On Spitfire’s other side was the mare whose departure from the team had made this entire event possible. She had a coat of faint gold, nearly white in some lights. Her mane and tail contrasted heavily against her fur, bearing two shades of vibrant aquamarine. Her hair was thick and combed back, resembling a healthy lion’s lustrous mane in shape and style. She had warm blue eyes, like small, deep pools of ocean water. Misty Fly nodded happily toward the three approaching pegasi, who all returned the favor with respect and gratitude. She may never have been of a high rank on the team, but Dash knew her to be one of the most amazing flyers ever to wear a Wonderbolts uniform. She would indeed be missed, but on the other hoof, Rainbow Dash was tired of being a fan.
When they reached the center of the arena, Rainbow’s eye was caught by the frantic waving of a pink earth mare high in the stands. She looked up to find her five closest friends, all wearing bright smiles and waving proudly. Dash watched with slight trepidation as Pinkie Pie jumped onto the safety rail in front of their seat, standing on her hindhooves as she bellowed over the stadium, “YOU CAN DO IT RAINBOW DASH!”
Everypony whipped their heads around to glare at Pinkie Pie, including a very cross Spitfire. “Hey! One more word and you’re out of here!”
The earth pony was pulled back to her seat by Rarity and Applejack, both throwing a hoof over Pinkie’s mouth. They smiled bashfully down to Rainbow, whom smirked with a roll of her eyes. I told you, Pinkie.
“I see where you get your undeserved confidence from,” Flintlock murmured out of the corner of his mouth. His tone wasn’t supportive as the words would have suggested, but patronizing instead. Rainbow wanted nothing more than to retort with a sharpened jibe, but decided against it. She needed to keep her cool now more than ever.
“Now if we can move this right along without any more distractions, I would greatly appreciate it,” Spitfire noted with a sense of hostility. Misty, however, kept her mouth behind a hoof, giggling at Pinkie Pie’s antics. The yellow mare cocked an eyebrow at her, shaking her head with the ghost of a smile. “The Wonderbolts have a performance in Fillydelphia in exactly one month, so one of you will be selected today to join us there. This afternoon, that pony will be awarded his or her flight suit and will be immediately escorted to Wonderbolt Headquarters for entrance processing. Take this as your last warning: once you’re on the team, there’s no turning back. Being a Wonderbolt is a commitment; one that demands every last bit of you. If any of you can’t take that, then spread your wings and fly back home before we waste any more time on you.”
Spitfire paused to slide her sunglasses up over her forehead, her keen eyes glaring down at them. Rainbow knew exactly what she was doing, and she was ready for it. She kept her composure, her stance unwavering and her eyes locked on the yellow mare above. She was right; the Wonderbolts weren’t just about putting on a uniform and performing tricks to fill a stadium; it was a lifestyle that required a vast amount of time and effort. But Rainbow Dash had already known that. She had been warned on several occasions during her time at the academy, and she was sure that Airheart and Flintlock had too. Even long before her status as a cadet, Rainbow knew what being a Wonderbolt would cost. She would be away from her friends and Ponyville for several months at a time, pushing her limits everyday to better herself in the skies. If she ever questioned her decision on the matter, Rainbow Dash would never have applied to the academy.
The blue mare cast a glance under Flintlock’s muzzle, smirking toward her friends in the high stands to the right. They all nodded with the brightest of smiles, their expressions emanating their happiness for her. Rainbow Dash looked back to Spitfire, whom seemed to be content with her analysis.
“Good,” said the captain simply. “Now as you three were told in your acceptance letters, there will be three preliminary tests and a freestyle display. The tests, above all else, will tell us about your speed, grace and agility. You will be judged based on your performance in accordance to not only the main points of the tests, but also on your expertise and ability to handle yourselves in the unknown. There’s a reason you weren’t given the details, cadets. We’ll end the tryouts with the freestyle display, where you will show us your own personally-crafted routine. We wanna see just how hard you’ve been training, and how creative you’ve become with your own skills.”
Rainbow Dash laughed inwardly, unable to wait for the last portion of the event. She had no feelings for the preliminary tests, for she was always unrivaled during the numerous exercises in the academy. However, that didn’t stop her from considering her opponents’ prowess. For all she knew, Flintlock or even Airheart were vastly more graceful and agile than she was. There was even a possibility of them having a more impressive routine than her. The only thing she could be certain of was her superior speed. Rainbow Dash would be surprised to meet another pony that could break the sound barrier, let alone perform a Sonic Rainboom.
“One last thing before we move on,” the yellow pegasus announced, catching everypony’s attention. Her previous tone seemed facetious compared to the demeanor she wore at that moment. Her next words carried weight beyond anything Rainbow Dash had ever heard before, and it aroused a cold lick of fear to graze along her spine. “Soarin, Misty and I will be picking apart every last move you will make today. You are about to be judged with much more objectivity and even cruelty than you ever have been before. Remember one thing: this will more than likely be the only shot you’ll ever get in the next decade to become a Wonderbolt, maybe even longer. Make. It. Count.”
Rainbow felt a cold block of ice drop into the pit of her stomach. She knew full and well that this may as well have been her only shot to become a Wonderbolt, but the sheer power of the thought had never truly resonated with her until Spitfire spoke the words. Once a pony received their flight suit, they did everything they could to hold onto it. No pegasus in the history of the team left or found themselves kicked off sooner than the majority of a decade. It may not have been a lifetime to wait to try again, but it certainly was to Rainbow Dash. It was now or never in her mind, for no other option was up to par. Come on, Dash. Don’t think about it. These two got nothing on you. You’re the best, and you’re gonna show ‘em all.
“Now one month isn’t a whole lotta time to prepare a new Wonderbolt for their first show, so let’s get this started already.”
“Ooooohhh, this is so exciting!” Pinkie Pie squeaked behind her hooves, practically quivering with glee. “I can’t believe Spitfire allowed us all to come and watch! I mean these seats aren’t quite as fluffy and comfy as some of the others here, but they definitely have the best view!”
“Oh yes, we’ll have to send the Wonderbolts a thank you card for letting us break the guest limit,” said Fluttershy, her voice barely heard over Spitfire’s opening speech.
“Are you kidding me? We gotta send them a giant thank you cupcake basket—No! A giant thank you cake!” Pinkie exclaimed, her volume nearly earning her another scolding from the captain below. Rarity threw her hoof over the mare’s mouth again out of reflex, but apparently Spitfire hadn’t heard them. “Oh! Sorry...”
Applejack let out a sigh of relief, her anxiety getting the best of her. With Rarity sitting on the other side of Pinkie Pie to the right, the farmer had to force herself to calm down on her own. She closed her eyes, taking in a long, slow breath through her nose. She did everything she could to not let it show, but apparently Applejack was more shallow than she thought. When her eyelids drifted open, the orange mare jumped in fright at the sight of Fluttershy’s wide aquamarine eyes staring worriedly into hers.
“Woah, uh... hey, Fluttershy. Somethin’ wrong?” the farmer sputtered, wearing a guilty smile.
“Oh! Well, I’m fine. But... I’m sorry if I’m being intrusive, but you just seem a little... um, restless,” the yellow mare spoke softly, wincing at her last word as if it was insulting.
Applejack froze, mentally cursing at herself. “Wh-What? Naw, everything’s just dandy!” she replied, thinking of a way to dodge the matter outright. The farmer leaned forward, catching Twilight’s eye on the other side of Fluttershy. “Hey Twi, Ah’ve been a mite curious about somethin’.”
“Oh? What about?” she asked with a pleasant smile, leaning forward to converse with Applejack.
“Well, ya’ know how ya’ said there was a certain trick that Rainbow never got ‘round to gettin’ right? Ah’ve kinda been wondering just what that trick was. Ah mean, if RD couldn’t pull it off, then it must’a been quite a doozy.”
Applejack subconsciously flicked her gaze toward the stage below, finding Rarity staring cautiously at her out of the corner of her eye. The orange mare ignored it as she looked back to Twilight.
“Oooh, yeah! I forgot about that!” Pinkie chimed in. “So what was it, Twilight?”
The purple mare hesitated, putting a hoof to her chin in contemplation. “Well, I did promise Rainbow Dash that her routine would be kept a secret until she showed it today, but... I guess since it’s not going to be a part of her routine for the Wonderbolts, then technically I can talk about it.”
“Are you sure?” asked Fluttershy. “We wouldn’t want to force it out of you.”
“No, I think it’s alright,” Twilight said reassuringly with a curt nod of her head. Everypony leaned forward, listening intently. “Well as you all know, Rainbow came to me a while back looking for some books about the more technical aspects of flying. She wanted to see what she could do to better her routine. One thing led to another and I started helping her form a completely new skill set with my knowledge of physics. One of the biggest things she wanted to know about was the science of the Sonic Rainboom, and just how it worked.”
“Why would she care about that?” asked Applejack, quirking a brow. “She ain’t exactly one to learn about things like science and what have ya’.”
“Well, it was something that would eventually improve her skills in the field of flight, so this was actually an exception,” Twilight answered before continuing her story. She looked to grow visibly excited over what Applejack expected to be a highly in-depth explanation. “Anyway, I gladly accepted, especially since it would improve her knowledge of physics. You see, when something flies through the air, it creates pressure waves that—”
“Twilight,” Applejack interrupted in a dry tone. “Ah got a feelin’ yer about to go on a big ol’ sciency tangent that none o’ us are gonna understand. Do me a favor and make it simple, please.”
“Um... okay, how do I put this and still get the point across... Oh!” Twilight started, perking up with delight. “Alright, so you know that white V-shaped thing that forms in front of Rainbow when she’s going really fast? That’s actually a shock wave created by the pressure she’s creating. It’s called a Mach cone, and it occurs when a flying object breaks the sound barrier. So when Rainbow takes it a step further and performs a Sonic Rainboom, the pressure that’s created is massive. Rainbow was pretty interested in that. She asked me what would happen if multiple Rainbooms occurred right next to each other. Well, since she’s the only pony to ever be able to fly fast enough to create one, nopony knows. My theory is that if two or three Rainbooms happened right next to each other, then the opposing pressure waves could result in an enormous shock wave of some sort. But without being able to test it, there was no conclusive evidence proving whether or not I was right.”
“Pardon me dear, but how does that work into this trick you two have been hiding?” asked Rarity, just as interested now as Applejack was.
“Don’t worry, I’m getting to that. All of this explanation is necessary, I assure you,” the purple unicorn answered simply. “Unfortunately, we would have needed two pegasi capable of creating a Sonic Rainboom to try it. Well, that’s what I thought, at least. Rainbow actually came up with a plausible way of doing it herself. Her idea was performing one Rainboom, then turning right around quick enough to create a second just after the first, right next to the first. It certainly wasn’t the worst idea in the world, but at the same time it sounded pretty much impossible.”
“Why’s that?” asked the farmer.
“Because both the visible and invisible shock waves of a Sonic Rainboom spread outward and lose energy very quickly. By my calculations, the window of opportunity would be less than half of a second. Now under normal circumstances, since she’s already travelling at supersonic speeds, time wouldn’t be that big of an issue. But since she’s travelling that fast in the first place, nopony could turn right around and fly in the opposite direction like she would need to, especially with such a small window. Obviously, the two of us were very curious about this and wanted to try it anyway. But at the same time, I didn’t think going into a field and just going for it was such a good idea. Being in the middle of all of that opposing air pressure is dangerous, and I wanted to wait and plan a safe course of action before the experiment. But you all know Rainbow; she had an idea and she wouldn’t wait one more second before she tried it.”
That arose a memory in Applejack’s mind. “Hold on a second. Last month when Rainbow was helpin’ me in the orchard, Ah think Ah saw her use her wings maybe once that whole day. She was hurt, wasn’t she?”
Twilight blinked, clearly surprised at the farmer’s deduction. “Oh, that must have been after we tried the stunt.”
“What? Did she crash?” Fluttershy chimed in with heavy concern, her forehooves over her mouth.
“I’ll explain,” said Twilight, making a calming gesture with a hoof. “We went to the fields north of Ponyville, right at the bottom of the Unicorn Range. It’s pretty far from town, with nopony around for miles. So I figured it was a great place to practice. I was able to convince Rainbow to start slow; to try some preliminary experiments before moving on to the real thing. We started out gauging how sharp of a turn she could make during high-supersonic flight, or the speed she travels after a Sonic Rainboom, to put it simply. Not only would she have to make a one-hundred and eighty degree turn while flying that fast, but it would have to be nearly just after she created the shock wave. Needless to say, the first few tries made the goal seem impossible. But after a while, she was able to tighten her trajectory until she was able to do it. Now I’ve seen some pretty astonishing things in my life, but I thought for sure that this wasn’t going to work. By the end of that day, Rainbow did the impossible again. She found a way to slow down, turn around and create another Rainboom right next to the first one before the shock wave died out.”
Applejack’s eyes flew open, her jaw hanging limply. She wouldn’t have been surprised to hear about such a thing happening if Twilight hadn’t spent the time to explain the science of the trick. Somehow the farmer was able to understand every word of Twilight’s veritable lecture, and it only increased the intensity of her shock.
“There was actually a small burst of light from the opposing prismatic shock waves, and the pressure was large enough to throw Rainbow into the side of a mountain. Luckily she walked away with just a sprained wing and nothing more, so I guess that’s why she might have restricted the use of her wings,” explained Twilight, quelling everypony’s worries. “Overall what she did was incredible in itself. Well, in terms of physics. Rainbow knew how impressive it was on paper, but to anypony that didn’t understand the math, it didn’t exactly look difficult or spectacular. She asked what would happen if a third Rainboom was included in the stunt, assuming she could be fast and agile enough to perform three of them and still escape the shock waves. We waited a week for her wing to heal before we tried it again. She was able to escape the shock wave after the second Rainboom, but in order to create the third one where the first two were, she had to fly headlong into the opposing pressures. It was... less than successful.”
“So I assume she wasn’t able to accomplish the stunt before the tryouts, considering you said it was removed from her routine,” said Rarity.
Twilight nodded. “To tell you the truth, I’m fairly certain that she won’t ever be able to do it. The sheer amount of air pressure she’s facing is more than the pony body can handle. I’ve done the math over and over again, and I can’t find a conclusion that proves she can do it. The sad truth of it is that it’s just impossible.”
“Well that is disappointing,” Rarity noted sincerely. “It does sound like a truly spectacular maneuver.”
“Did RD ever come up with a name for it?” asked Applejack, purely out of curiosity.
“Well the small burst of white light came from the two prismatic shock waves as a result of every last color shining as one,” Twilight started up again. “I figured that the addition of a third Sonic Rainboom would result in a high-intensity flash of light, kind of like a dying star. I brought this up to Rainbow Dash and she liked the comparison enough to name the stunt after it.”
“Well come on now, tell us!” Pinkie demanded, jittering with impatience. “I bet it’s something super creative and super cool-sounding!”
“The only part Rainbow specifically said that she wanted secret about the stunt was the name until she could do it,” said the unicorn with a sense of sorrow. “But considering the physics and the math, I think it’s never going to be more than just a theory.”
“Uh... Twilight? You did tell Rainbow not to try that trick today, right?” Applejack inquired, the worry coming back to her. “She might know how dangerous it is, but after knowin’ that mare as long as Ah have, it wouldn’t exactly surprise me if she tried it anyway.”
“What? Oh no, no, no. She agreed that her new routine was sufficient enough to win her spot on the Wonderbolts, and I would be shocked if it wasn’t,” said the purple mare reassuringly, absolutely certain that she was right. Her confident demeanor lasted for the better part of two seconds before Twilight’s eyes flicked between her hooves and the cyan mare below. Her expression slowly fell, her smile turning into an uncertain frown. “Well maybe... No, she won’t. She wouldn’t... right?”
Unwilling to wait another second, Spitfire motioned to Soarin with a hoof. The lax stallion nodded, rolling his neck and wing joints a few times. He leaped over the long podium and glided down to the cloud field below, landing expertly in front of the three cadets. They saluted him in perfect unison, to which the tall stallion offered another lopsided grin before returning the gesture.
“Alright cadets, you three wanna be Wonderbolts, right?” he asked, his relaxed tone rising in volume at the last word.
Rainbow Dash and Airheart both cocked an eyebrow, answering the question a second apart from each other and Flintlock. “Yes, sir!”
“And you’ll do what it takes to surpass each other in order to get it, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good, ‘cause you three are gonna work together for this first test,” Soarin grinned cruelly, starting to pace in front of them. A small part of Rainbow grimaced over the thought of working with Flintlock. “Now we know you’re all good flyers by yourselves, and you’ve performed your share of simple cooperative exercises. But you’ve never had to keep formation behind a highly-trained Wonderbolt that’s trying to shake you off his tail, have you?”
Rainbow Dash blinked, a momentary flash of bewilderment on her face. From the dais behind the pale blue stallion, Spitfire and Misty watched closely, as if to judge their physical reactions to Soarin’s words. Despite the severely low odds of her facial expressions being a part of the test, Rainbow erased every last trace of emotion from her face. Unnecessary precaution had never exactly been a prime factor in her life, but the mare wasn’t about to let anything ruin her day.
“I’ll take that stunned silence as a ‘buck, no.’ Well good! It’s always a great idea to try new things, you know,” Soarin continued, his voice loud and jubilant. Rainbow’s right ear twitched at the sound of teeth grinding. She spotted Flintlock’s face in her peripheral vision, a dark corner of her mind cackling maniacally at the annoyed look in his eye. “So here’s the rundown, and I don’t wanna hear a single question afterward. You all remember the three basic formations for a trio of flyers, right? Right. Well you three are gonna keep up with me in perfect synchronization for a duration of one-hundred and twenty seconds. Easy, huh? Well not so fast, newbies. Here’s the catch: not only am I gonna try and lose you cadets, but I’m going to be calling out one of the three basic formations at random. When you hear one, get into that positioning as quickly and smoothly as possible.”
Being prepared was something that Rainbow had prided herself in doing before a performance, in more ways than one. However, working cooperatively with two other pegasi aiming for the same spot on the Wonderbolts was not something she could have foreseen. She couldn’t think of a single issue following Soarin’s moves by herself, but alongside Flintlock and Airheart was a completely different situation. But she didn’t have time to formulate a game plan, for the blue stallion had already snapped his flight goggles to his eyes as he spread his wide, powerful wings.
“We’re starting off with the tally formation. Ready, go!”
With the briefest of warnings, the Wonderbolt drove his wings down and catapulted into the sky before anypony could so much as blink. A thundering roar accompanied his ascent from the sudden burst of speed, casting a gust of air to nearly topple Airheart’s small frame.
“Horseapples!” the pink mare exclaimed over the wind, throwing her goggles over her wide blue eyes.
While Airheart fought to restore her composure, Flintlock and Rainbow Dash took to the air themselves in pursuit of the rising Wonderbolt. The blue mare threw her forehooves in front of her, ascending rapidly into the sky. Flintlock kept pace right beside her, his gray wings pounding at his sides. The stallion had a large frame, one that bore quite a few rippling, toned muscles. While his wings were aptly proportioned to the rest of his heavy form, he lacked the lithe, streamlined body that Rainbow Dash had. His sharp eyes were squinted behind his goggles, his nostrils flaring with short, yet trained breaths. The cyan pegasus watched him briefly out of the corner of her eye, scowling inwardly. Flintlock looked to be at his highest speed already, and Rainbow had barely reached a fraction of her own.
Thankfully, Airheart only took a moment to join them, taking the open position between Rainbow and Flintlock to neatly form a lateral configuration of flyers. They ascended as one, rising past the orange and yellow banners dotting the uppermost edges of the Cloudiseum. Up above, Soarin stopped in midair, waiting patiently with his forelegs crossed. Rainbow swore to herself, wishing that her current accomplices could at least hold a candle to her potential velocity. They needed to go faster, and Rainbow wanted nothing more than to break away from Flintlock and Airheart and catch up with Soarin. However, doing so would break formation. For now, Dash needed to take a breath and slow her racing mind down and focus on their configuration.
But then again, academy cadets had always been taught to push their limits, and Rainbow wasn’t about to be out-flown for anything. “Come on, you two! Don’t give him the chance to rest!”
“Oh, you’re the leader here now?” Flintlock called back over the wind, his scornful tone grazing along Rainbow’s patience like a coarse stone.
The blue mare gritted her teeth, mentally punching the stallion in the jaw. She could have argued with him for several minutes over the matter, but time was an enormous factor. “Are you telling me that I’m the only one that can keep up with this guy?”
Something in Flintlock’s orange eye sparked at the jibe. His brow furrowed in concentration, the corner of his mouth curling to bare his gritted teeth. Rainbow watched his wings slow down a beat or two, signalling his preparation to take off. She braced herself, attempting to gauge his upcoming launch. Airheart seemed to notice it as well, her eyes flicking between his and Dash’s wings. Rainbow was impressed, hoping the pink mare could estimate her partners’ speed and keep formation.
Once they got within range of Soarin, he quickly rolled over once in the air and bolted across the sky, calling out over his shoulder: “Triad!”
The trio of pegasi arched out of their vertical trajectory, leveling their bodies high over the Cloudiseum. As soon as the Wonderbolt’s command reached their ears, Rainbow Dash turned herself into a roll, throwing her wings out to balance herself a few hooves over the other two cadets. She left enough room for their wings to beat unencumbered, but close enough to keep a tight and impressive formation. Her eyes caught the gray stallion at just the right second below and to the right, his large wings a mere second from catapulting him through the air. Rainbow grinned like mad, desperate to unleash even a portion of her unrivaled wingpower. Up ahead, Soarin was already spreading the gap between himself and the cadets, his black tie billowing in the wind over his right shoulder.
“Let’s do this! Go!” Rainbow Dash bellowed, throwing her wings back with a large portion of her might. The familiar rush of wind and glee spread down her body like wildfire as she rocketed through the air. But even through her adrenaline, she still kept one eye on Soarin and the other on the two pegasi directly below her. They matched her burst of speed, keeping perfect form as they accelerated cooperatively over the stadium. It took a moment for her to spot the bright, translucent trail of orange and yellow behind Flintlock, growing more and more visible as he accelerated. They gained speed much quicker than expected, and soon the Wonderbolt was only a few lengths in front of them.
Soarin flashed them a cocky grin right before suddenly dropping out of the sky. Rainbow must have blinked, for the maneuver had completely evaded her field of vision. She pushed herself a few inches forward, leading Flintlock and Airheart into a sharp dive. Her eyes found the pale blue stallion again, his forelegs held casually at his sides and his wings closed. Even with their refined speed, Soarin was still toying with them. Rainbow wouldn’t take more than a second to catch up with him by herself, but with two pegasi of only above average speed flying with her, she was heavily restricted.
Rainbow Dash took in a cautious breath through her nose, careful not to have the high winds forced into her lungs. This was only the first test, and she was already allowing her desire for speed get the better of her. They never needed to catch Soarin; they needed to display their ability to work together under challenging situations. As long as the Wonderbolt didn’t lose them, the cadets were free to prove their grace and symmetry.
“Let’s show them what formation flying looks like!” Dash yelled as she leaned to the left, signalling her partners to follow with a gesture of her hoof. Airheart nodded, a determined grin spreading across her face. Flintlock merely gave a short shake of his head, a grunt barely heard over the wind. Rainbow led the other two pegasi into a downward spiral, their triangular formation plummeting toward the Cloudiseum after Soarin. The world spun around the three cadets as they consecutively tightened and widened their corkscrew. Rainbow’s ears picked up a few scattered gasps and sounds of awe from the stands below, specifically Pinkie Pie’s distinctive high-pitched cry of joy. Below them, Soarin blew past the top of the stadium, diving toward its center at terminal velocity. Rainbow Dash, Flintlock and Airheart kept their distance from him, waiting for the stallion to make a move. Faster and faster he fell, rapidly approaching the stage.
Just like the last turn, Soarin pulled up at the last second, nearly grazing the flat expanse of cloud surrounded by the Cloudiseum’s high walls. “Arrowhead!” he called out as the trio of pegasi followed him into a large loop. They pursued the Wonderbolt, flawlessly turning out of the Triad and into the shape of an arrow. Rainbow led her partners in the lateral form of their last configuration, peaking behind herself to make sure they were in line. It seemed she hadn’t given either of them enough credit, for they were matching every last one of her moves without a single mistake. A small part of her subconscious worried about this, wondering what else they were capable of in the air.
“Tally!” Soarin yelled as they reached the first quarter of the loop, to which they complied effortlessly. Rainbow simply slowed herself down, allowing her comrades to flank both of her sides. But as they reached the apex of the curve, the blue stallion ahead called out for the Triad again, mere seconds after the Tally. Rainbow Dash rolled toward the ground, the cadets upside-down as they reached the third quarter of the loop.
Soarin continued to lead the trio of pegasi into what felt like a never-ending series of arches and spirals, calling out commands with only seconds separating them. At first his flying had been relaxed, his maneuvers peaceful and carefree as if he were enjoying a vacation in the sky. But as each trial passed in the seemingly endless two minutes, the Wonderbolt started to prove his worth. He flew faster, forcing Rainbow to push her partners’ limits even further. As if the increase in speed wasn’t enough, Soarin kept his high velocity in every turn, never slowing down once. It was growing more and more difficult for three pegasi flying in an ever-changing formation to keep pace with him.
Rainbow Dash counted down the last twenty seconds of the test, pleading for the end to arrive before Flintlock or Airheart lost the ability to continue. They looked to be exhausted; their eyes squinted with concentration and their wings slowing down with fatigue. Luckily, Soarin seemed to be content with the Triad formation they were currently pursuing him in. Once Dash reached the number eleven in her mind, the blue stallion directed them into a wide, downward spiral toward the center of the Cloudiseum once again. The cadets had lost the energy to show off with rolls and advanced maneuvers between configuration changes and stunts, for their only focus was now on simply meeting the required time limit. Rainbow kept one eye on both of her fellow cadets as they flew toward the stadium, each passing second slower than the last. If any of them fell out of formation for even a fraction of a second, they would all suffer the consequences.
10... 9... Rainbow counted down in her head. She looked ahead to Soarin, thankful to find him committed to the downward spiral. It seemed as if this was the home stretch; the last line of flight that would push their limits of endurance. Rainbow Dash was confident in herself to complete the test, but her withering hopes for her teammates all but died out once Airheart caught her eye.
The pink mare had looked to be doing everything she could to keep pace with Rainbow Dash’s lead, but it seemed as if the pressure was about to break her. Her place in the formation was faltering, her beating wings losing speed with every fraction of a second. A pained grimace contorted her face, her outstretched forelegs shaking violently. Rainbow considered slowing down for her benefit, but doing so would surely lose their place behind Soarin.
“Come on, Airheart! We’re almost there!” the blue mare yelled over the high winds.
“I-I can’t hold it!” she called back, her voice strained with effort.
Rainbow grit her teeth, watching her with intense scrutiny. It never took long for Dash to analyze a flyer. Even with the limited amount of time she had known Airheart, she could tell that she was no quitter in her element. The pink mare wasn’t giving up because it was too hard, but her body was an entirely different matter. There was something in her large blue eyes that was breaking on a level much deeper than her fatigue.
“Let her go, Dash!” came Flintlock’s deep voice. “Don’t let us be dragged down to her level!”
Despite the fact that every word he spoke defied and even insulted her morality, Rainbow Dash had no time to retort. Wave after wave of air pressure rocked Airheart’s petite frame, until one final gust devoured the last few drops of her energy. With a high-pitched yelp, the small pegasus was torn from the group, her flailing body rocketing down toward the stands. Her momentum sent her into a collision course that would prove to be nothing more than one thing: fatal.
“Airheart!”
Rainbow Dash threw everything to the wind and broke formation, launching herself away from Flintlock and in the direction of Airheart. She tumbled at breakneck speeds through the air, inciting a chorus of gasps and cries of terror from the scattered spectators. The blue pegasus beat her wings as hard as she could, dread flooding her veins as Airheart grew closer to the solid lower walls of the stands. The cyan mare watched the air pressure accumulate in front of her, forming a thin white veil. She closed the gap as quick as she could, pressing cautiously against the sound barrier without breaking it. As the pink mare rapidly approached the wall, Dash gave her wings a final pound before executing her maneuver.
The blue mare reached her comrade, throwing her forelegs around Airheart’s torso. She gripped the small pegasus, rolling over in the air as she braced herself for impact. Rainbow’s hindhooves hit the vertical wall with a resounding thud, her legs buckling to absorb the massive shock. Her knees lit up with a sharp, immediate pain. She grimaced, one eye peaking open to find Airheart cradled safely in her forelegs; one hoof supporting her hindlegs and the other holding her torso. In the brief second before gravity overtook Dash, she flashed the wide-eyed mare a lopsided grin.
Rainbow kicked weakly off the wall, rolling once in the air before landing on the cloud floor of the stadium ten hooves below. She crouched her hindlegs low, attempting to lessen the pain in her knees as much as she could. The stands may have only held a hoofful of ponies, but every last one of them roared with applause, stomping and clapping their hooves to show their approval. Rainbow Dash lowered the pegasus to her hooves, wincing as she did.
“R-Rainbow! What did you do?!” Airheart exclaimed in shock. Dash’s eyebrows flew up, her lips parted in confusion. “You were so close to finishing the test! Why would you put your score in jeopardy for me?”
“Wh-What?” Rainbow stammered, her brain still racing with adrenaline. “You were in danger! Did you think I was gonna let you crash?”
“Why wouldn’t you? You said it yourself: I’m your opponent, remember?”
“Not during that test, you weren’t!” Rainbow retorted, throwing a hoof toward the sky. “You were on my team up there, and I don’t let my teammates get hurt if I can help it. Yeah, we’re flying against each other today, but for that test we were partners.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Rainbow Dash and Airheart whipped their heads around to find Spitfire and Soarin landing to the right, both wearing proud smiles. In the background, Flintlock was spotted hovering high in the air over the center of the arena, his forelegs crossed and his face expressionless. The captain of the Wonderbolts approached the cyan pegasus, giving her a nod of approval before turning her gaze to Airheart. “You okay, Airheart?”
“Y-Yes, Ma’am,” the shorter cadet answered between breaths.
“Glad to hear it. Now let’s move on to the next test,” Spitfire replied, turning around to face the judges’ podium on the opposing side of the stage. But before she and Soarin took off into the air, the yellow pegasus turned her head at a shallow angle, looking to Rainbow Dash out of the corner of her eye. “Oh, and Dash... good work.”