//------------------------------// // The long shadow of the past // Story: At the Edge of the Rainboom. // by PonyBlue //------------------------------// Chapter 1 The long shadow of the past. “Good morning sports fans and welcome to the 50th Annual CloudsDale Pegasus race. I am your hostess Winter Flake and out in the stands is my co-hostess Summer Bubble. Together we will be providing life commentaries for what promises to be an exciting race over the Equestrian Broadcasting Channel, EBC Radio 1.” “Great to be here, Winter. To our listeners, I have to say, the sky is the bluest I have seen in weeks. CloudsDale Weather ponies have done a marvelous job keeping the sky cloud free over the be-utiful CloudsDale Hippodrome.” “A good thing they have, Summer. If a single stray wisp gets caught in the wings of our racers, it could mean a terrible tumble, quite likely putting a pony out of the race and onto a one way trip to the hospital.” “And nobody wants to see that happen. Certainly, not the large crowd that you can see around me. And when I mean large, I mean CloudsDale’s Racecourse is packed. Over forty thousand pegasai have arrived, some coming as far as Manechester, Trottingham and Las Pegasus to see this race, the fastest race on Equestrian. “Security at the CloudsDale race course has been especially tight this year. I understand that Her Royal Highness Princess Luna of Equestria will be officiating this year’s race. This will mark the first official appearance of Princess Luna since she began mourning the death of her husband, Royal Consort Pipsqueak who passed away in his sleep five years ago. On a more pleasant note, Princess Luna will be accompanied by her son, Prince Abacus. This will be the first official engagement for the young Prince, heir apparent to the Night Court. And I must say he is an adorable young colt. I would even say some ponies are here simply to see the young princes.” “Oh, sure there is the trill of seeing royalty. When was the last time anypony saw a young alicorn? But lets us be honest here, Winter. Most ponies aren’t here for the Prince, they are here to see Sonic Rainbooms! If you are wondering what a Sonic Rainboom is, you are either a very young foal or a pony so deprived that you must have lived your entire life on a rock farm. Why a rock farm you ask, because there is no other place in Equestria which could be that isolated or depressing. To the latter I offer my pity and a promise that after today you will see colour and rainbows to wash away the grey in your life. To the former and little fillies in the crowd, a Sonic Rainboom is the rainbow wave produced when a pegasus flies fast enough to splits the light barrier. It is spectacular burst of light, colour, magic and sound! The Sonic Rainboom has been known to shake mountains, split boulders and give young ponies their Cutie Marks! The awesomeness of a Sonic Rainboom is simply too awesome for anypony to convey with words.” “Summer Bubble, you might want wipe off that foam around your mouth. You are likely scaring the foals in the audience and quite likely a few stallions too. Also stop spreading that urban legend, there has been no reliable evidence that Sonic Rainbooms gives Cutie Marks, let alone split boulders. But I have to concede, my co-host is right on one point. The Sonic Rainboom is indeed an ‘Awesome’ spectacle, and one that will forever be associated to the name Rainbow Dash. It was 56 years ago to the day, at this very spot where CloudsDale Race Course now stands that the first Sonic Rainboom was heard. Still in her early twenties Rainbow Dash made history when she became the first pony to split the light barrier. She turned what was then an old mare's tale into tangible reality. Sadly, there are few pictures that captured this key moment in ponykind’s history.” “Enough of the school lessons, Winter! Ponies are falling asleep. You folks at home and in the crowd are in for a special treat, because today marks a very special race. In front of our eyes, on this bright morning we could be seeing the crowning of the first Triple Tiara in nearly 20 years, Rainbow Lightning. If you don’t know who she is, you should be banished to the Moon! Debuting just a scant 10 months ago, Rainbow Lightning has been on the mouth of every pony as she set the racing world on fire. This young mare has come to CloudsDale Pegasus Race with fire under her hooves, thunderclaps in her wake and the promise of Awesome!” “Undoubtedly so, Summer. Should Rainbow Lightning win this race today, she will be the youngest Triple Tiara winner in history. This remarkable pony is the daughter of Rainbow Flash, the fastest mare in Equestrian history and granddaughter of Rainbow Dash, the first mare to split the light barrier. Her sire was Thorny Sparks, famed for being the only stallion to have won the Annual Rarikini Canyon Race on three consecutive occasions. With a pedigree like hers, Rainbow Lightning is certain to put a strong showing at this year’s race.” “Are you putting bits on that Winter because I sure am.” “Most certainly, Summer. Who can forget the nimble agility she displayed as she flew through the Rarkini Canyon Race? Only a pony without fear could have weaved those tight turns of the Rarkini Canyon system, missing the dangerous cliff faces by what could only be described as a feather length distance. This race is not for the faint hearted to watch, let alone participate. Amazingly, Rainbow Lightning shaved off a heart pounding 2 minutes and 23 seconds from the previous record.” “Or…” Summer Bubble joined in. “the unforgettable moment when Rainbow Lightning crossed the finish line at Pacifica Marathon, an epic event better known by fans as the Ocean of Fire. I am sure most race fans would be familiar with this demanding 1500km marathon. But for those deprived few living on a rock farm, try imagining a cloudless expense of sky, over open-ocean and the sun beating on your back.” “I shudder at the thought.” Winter Flake added. “With no place to rest, either in the air or on the ground, the Pacifica Marathon is a single non-stop flight. All a pegesus can do is sleep on the wing while riding a thermal or not sleep at all. It is the ultimate test of pegasi endurance and clear sky navigation. Over the decades and despite improving safety precautions, this marathon has claimed more than a few lives. The most famous was Vanilla Airheart, a noted long distance flier and the first mare to cross the skies over the Lantian ocean.” “Yet Rainbow Lightning’s first attempt at this marathon has already shattered a record that has stood for more than a decade. Mind boggling isn’t it not, Winter?” Summer Bubble prompted. “The amazing pace she set trimmed 2 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes and 3 seconds off the previously record. No pony was even close to this young athlete when she crossed the finish line. Rainbow Lightning has thus shown agility in the Rarkini Canyon Race, endurance in Pacifica Marathon and now all she needs to win her Triple Tiara is Speed from the CloudsDale Pegasus Race.” “Fitting isn’t it,” Winter Flake said. “Rainbow Lightning has broken the records held by her parents. The record for the Rarikini Canyon Race was held by her father and the Pacifica Marathon by her mother. This pony will not be standing in the shadow of her herd.” “But such a sad shadow it has been.” Summer Bubble joined in. “Tragedy as well as greatness has haunted the Rainbow herd for two generations. In the small town of Ponyville, stands a statue marking the spot where her grandmare, Rainbow Dash was killed while training for the 534th Annual Canterlot Airshow. Even to this day, the death of this pioneer of Sonic Rainbooms has remained one of the enduring mysteries of pegasi flight. Rumors range from an undiagnosed medical condition leading to a midair heart attack, to a rumored attempt at combining the Sonic Rainboom with another stunt of her own design.” “A mystery indeed,” Winter Flake finished. “While tragedy overtook Rainbow Dash while she was away from the public eye, the same cannot be said about her daughter and son-in law. What we are about to hear is the radio recording on that tragic day nearly 14 year ago at the 1042 After Discord Trottingham Airshow. Please be warned, some parts of this recording is unsuitable for the ears of young foals. Listener discretion is advised.” ** *** ** What a performance that was, a perfectly executed double inside-out loop by Rainbow Flash. Judges are now awarding their score. Misty Bubble has awarded a 9.9. Sunlight Delight has awarded a 9.8, Moon Pie has awarded a perfect 10. As usual Moon Pie is a pony generous with her points. Now for her last performance of this evening, in the freeform flight category Rainbow Flash has a display entitled ‘Surprise’. No description has been given but from what we have already seen this evening, I look forward to the surprise she has prepared for us. As I look across the cloud field, I can see that the judges have waved their flags, signaling the start of the performance. From my telescope I can see Rainbow Flash in the clouds above. With a hop skip and a jump she leaves the cloud which is then followed by a gentle barrel turn as she begins her dive. Her wings beat fast as she gathers speed. Wind whips around her distinct rainbow coloured mane. It flows behind her like a living rainbow. Wing beat by wing beat, her speed continues to increase. The tracking talisman of my telescope can barely keep up with this mare speed. Rainbow Flash’s speed is unparallel and yet she continues to drive harder, gathering even more speed. There is only one aerial stunt that this poor unicorn can think off which requires such tremendous velocity. It is a feat so rare and unique that it is a signature stunt known to every filly and colt in every town across Equestria. Even as I speak, the air strains to hold this tremendous athlete back. A shock cone has built around the nose of Rainbow Flash. Something must give, but it will not be this mare. Not today. Not the fastest mare in Equestria. …static… …Sonic… …static… Sonic Rainboom!! My ears are ringing and the crowd around me is cheering at the top of their lungs. A Sonic Rainboom has exploded across the sky. The air is awash with the titanic rings of the seven colours of a Sonic Rainboom. The sky is a blazed with light as rainbow rings explodes into the darkening evening sky. The seven colours of rainbow pours froth from her tail as Rainbow Flash cut a swath through the air. Bit by bit, little by little her flight path has begun to straighten. She begins to rise up into the dark backdrop of the evening sky. Hard angle turns. A double barrel, then a triple loop. What is she doing? By Celestia horn, Rainbow Flash is sky writing at Sonic Rainboom speed! It is as if this mare has transformed her tail into a living paintbrush of rainbow colour. It spells ‘Welcome to the 1042 Trottingham Airshow.’ Before the rainbow contrails can fade, Rainbow Flash is making one more pass. I see something new, a corona of blue lightning building up around her. The blue glow shimmers around her like a living storm of blue lightning. Waves of energy spill over her like…Wait… there is some kind of commotion at the tent of the Rainbow team. Thorny Sparks has left the ground! What is he doing? Officials are flagging him for safety violations. This might see point being deducted form Rainbow Flash’s breath taking performance. A second please…, it is unfortunately confirmed. Points have been deducted. Thorny Sparks’s mysterious actions may just have cost his wife’s the victory cup at this air show. The mid-flight rescue pegasi have scrabbled off their cloud decks! Something is rather odd. The rescue pegasi are not diving toward Thorny Sparks, they are climbing? They are climbing higher into the sky? Something is very odd. Where are they going? I am reaching for my telescope to get a closer view. This is not good. Rainbow Flash is shaking like a leaf in a storm. Her whole body is fluttering violently. It’s as if she has been caught in severe turbulence. I don’t know how much more of these violent gyrations she can take. A pony’s body can only withstand so much before… By Celestia mane… just before my eyes Rainbow Flash has just made a misstep. She is tumbling head over hoof. Her limbs are flailing. She is falling from the sky, throwing off Sonic Rainboom as she falls Thorny Sparks has flown into view. He is racing upwards, high into the sky on a course to intercept the falling Rainbow Flash He may not be the fastest pony in Equestria but Rainbow Flash did not pick a slow stallion for a husband. Despite their initial lead in altitude, the mid-air rescue pegasi team has just been passed by the iron bullet that is Thorny Sparks. These ponies simply cannot keep up with this red stallion. As the two ponies approach, I can see Thorny Sparks flashing hoof signals. But Rainbow Flash is unresponsive. I think she is unconscious. A normal rescue recovery cannot be made. Thorny Sparks has flipped himself over and entered a steep dive, doing all he can to match her pace and line up in parallel with her. I believe Thorny Spark is attempting a text book inverted flip midair rescue. The dangers are immense. The wake vortices of a speeding pegasus can feel like a buck to the face to any nearby pony. Rainbooms flash into his face, but this stallion is undaunted. He is reaching out with his fore hooves… He is almost there. A pony can only image the grim determination on this stallion's muzzle. Thorny Spark has caught her! Thorny Sparks has caught Rainbow Flash with both his fore hooves. This is pegasi flight at its best. A text book rescue! Thorny Sparks is flaring his wing…no…by Celestia’s grace no. They are not slowing down. Sparks can not slow their descent. His wings are beating with all his might but they are still moving too fast and the ground is simply too close. Sonic Rainbooms continue to spill off Rainbow Flash’s tail and wings. The mid air rescue pegasi just can not reach the distressed couple. No pony is fast enough. They are coming up to the ground… Sweet Celestia... Let go Thorny!” …Static… “We are experience technical difficulties with our field correspondent. Reel Tape can you here me? Reel Tape?” “I’m here… cough…cough… I’m okay Daffodil. I don’t know how. I’m bleeding. I’m okay. I just need a moment to get my legs back under me. My legs can’t stop shaking. “What has happened, Reel Tape?” “I am standing and taking in the scene before me. There are no words that can describe this...carnage. There is smoke everywhere. There is debris everywhere. There is fire everywhere. Cough… cough… Rainbow Flash along with Thorny Sparks have plowed into stands crowded with ponies at near Sonic Rainboom speed. By Luna’s grace this can’t…Ponies are dead, Daffodil. Ponies are dead. Bodies have been shattered and torn apart. The smoke is thick, black and arid. It stings the lungs and the smell… oh Celestia’s sweet mane. The smell of burn flesh, it clogs the air. It has the smell of burnt oil and burn nuts. It is impossible to breathe. Ponies are stampeding in panic trying to get away from the fire.” “Reel Tape, please get yourself some medical attention.” “Did you hear that, Daffodil.? I… I think there are ponies trapped in that forest of red flames. Above me, I can see weather ponies trying to put out the blaze with a torrent of rain. But the wall of magic flames is too intense and they can’t get close enough to the center of the inferno. Some pony has to rescue them. Where are the unicorn fire responders? Somepony has to… I’m blinking in.” ** *** ** “No pony can forget that, Winter. No pony. I was actually there at 1042 Trottingham Airshow as a spectator. 119 ponies and 32 foals died on that tragic evening. Among the ponies that died that day was EBC sports reporter Reel Tape. She was credited with saving four ponies and a foal by teleporting three times into a burning blaze before succumbing to smoke inhalation. 523 ponies were also injured in the fire and subsequent stamped. The impact was so severe and the fires so intense that magical residue analysis was required to identify the remains of the accident victims, which included Rainbow Flash and Thorny Sparks.” Winter Flake continued. “The deaths of Rainbow Flash and Thorny Sparks left a gaping wound in the race circuit that took a generation to fill. This unfortunate accident also hammered home the dangers of flight at Sonic Rainboom speed. A pegasus is truly alone in the sky when flying as such terrific speed.” Winter Flake paused, collecting her thoughts before she continued. “After that accident, pegasi racing was temporarily halted by decree of Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia of Equestria. It was only a year later, after much pressure that pegasi racing was allowed to resume. One of the most significant changes and improvements in safety was introduction of the Pegasi Flight Disabling talisman. Moments before a crash, this talisman cuts off a pegasi’s innate magic preventing the magic driven fires that killed so many on that tragic day at Trottingham Airshow. Sadly for technical reasons, the use of this talisman in pegasi racing ended the era of low ground maneuvers…. Summer? Are you alright?” “I... Ah, yes I am Winter Flake. Where was I? Ah! Aside from all the new talismans that the safety ponies started sticking on our racers, the crash of Trottingham cemented the legend of the Cursed Rainbow Goggles.” “Oh please…that old mare’s tale?” “Every recount of the Rainbow herd must include the tale of the Cursed Goggles. In every fatal accident that has claimed the life of a Rainbow, this one object has survived intact and undamaged to be passed along to the next Rainbow mare. Legend has it, any ponies who wears the goggles of the famed Rainbow Dash is destined for greatness and ultimately tragedy. It is these same goggles that Rainbow Lightning now wears, like every Rainbow mare before her. Ponies have claimed to hear whispers when holding these goggles. Some claim to have felt a strange presence come over them with whispered promises of awesome if they just let go.” ** ** ** “R.L, no matter what happens please promise me you won’t use the Buccaneer Blaze.” The mare with rainbow coloured mane didn’t look up. Her mane was cut short, and even the hair on her tail was trimmed to aerodynamic perfection. She wore a red skintight flight suit and allowed only one thing to mar her streamline form. It was a pair of old goggles. It was decades old, passed from mother to daughter, down four generations of Rainbow mares. She slapped the locker door shut. She didn’t answer the stallion. “Please,” the stallion begged. “The theoretical speed boost is not worth it. Combining the Buccaneer Blaze and the Sonic Rainboom killed your mother and your grandmother. It will kill you too.” She didn’t reply. The desperate stallion took a step closer but dared not touch the pegasus mare. “We have known each other all our lives. I can’t bear to watch you kill yourself over a record.” He knew he had made a mistake the moment the words left his mouth. Her face hardened. “Then don’t.” His gaze fell to the floor. How could she say that? How could she throw away her life like that? He….he lov… He looked up, he had to say something. But she was already gone. And the single words he had kept hidden in his heart for so many years died before reaching his lips.