//------------------------------//
// Fate 
// Story: A New Generation 
// by QuiteNiceDynamite 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash fell back to sleep after she had promised herself to attempt to join the Wonderbolts, and when she awoke, she was eager and ready to go, but she didn't know when the trials were happening, if they were, in fact, at all.

As the sun rose to its highest point in the sky, just as Rainbow was finishing her dinner, the Pegasi went to clear the few clouds dotted around the almost clear sky. The clouds were very easy to break, all Rainbow had to do was fly past them and they would disappear.

"Just like old times." Rainbow muttered to herself.

Rainbow continued to fly around the skies for the rest of the afternoon. Occasionally she would stop for a five-minute break on a cloud, but she would soon pass further on. Rainbow Dash would look down at the ground every so often as she flew over the fields, and if she saw another pony, she swooped down to the ground to ask if they knew about the trials, nopony knew. She also checked around Cloudsdale as well, but to no avail. 

As the sky darkened and the sun began to go down, Rainbow retreated back to her home. Still eager to impress, but angry at not knowing when the trials were taking place. Rainbow was walking through her door to go and relax in her house when she saw the delivered newspaper on the ground. Rainbow flicked the newspaper up from the ground to under her wing by flicking her hoof upwards, catching the paper in mid-air. She threw the newspaper towards her bed while she went to brush her teeth.

After Rainbow Dash had brushed her teeth, she turned off her houses' main lights and turned on a bedside lamp while she read the newspaper. 

"Highest yearly profit ever at Sweet Apple Acres, A look at tomorrow's Wonderbolt Derby,  Princess Celestia visi-."

Rainbow froze, looking back at what she had just read.
"The Wonderbolt Derby! Oh my gosh, how did I forget?" Rainbow Dash squealed with excitement.

Rainbow continued to read on, transfixed by the news,
"Tomorrow's event at the Aerodome, the 79th Annual Wonderbolt Derby! The six quickest Wonderolts of the year compete for the golden wings medallion! The event starts at noon, coinciding with the arrival of Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Twilight Sparkle!"

Rainbow could hardly wait, she would definitely be going to this, and she would see Twilight there! The friends had kept together through letters, but nothing could compare with seeing her friend face-to-face.
After the boredom of that day, Rainbow felt re-energised by the knowledge that she would meet Twilight again and that she would be going to her first Wonderbolt Derby.







The Aerodome was swarming with Pegasi, at least 30,000 had come to the Wonderbolts' Stadium to witness this magnificent spectacle, and Rainbow Dash was one of them! She was stood underneath the stands, near the food stalls by the VIP entrance, hoping to see the Wonderbolts up close. Rainbow was wearing a blue cap with yellow trim, the Wonderbolt colours, but her unmissable rainbow mane still trailed out the back of the hat.

Rainbow had bought a program and was flicking through it, studying the Wonderbolts' line-up. Only the fastest six would qualify for the event, but only six Wonderbolts remained overall, many had left due to Spitfire's death, feeling unable to complete their duties. Fleetfoot and Soarin were both there, along with Rapidfire, Blaze, Firestreak and the outsider Misty Fly. Mistly wouldn't have been in the race if Spitfire had been there to compete, as Spitfire was the fastest Wonderbolt ever on record. As Rainbow had her head buried in the program, a pony spoke from behind the program,

"Well, I didn't expect you to be reading here."

Rainbow looked up from the program to see a beaming purple unicorn, no, an alicorn.

"TWILIGHT!" Rainbow yelled, dropping the program and flying to her friend. The two embraced tightly, finally together after such a long time apart.

Twilight giggled, "Hey, Rainbow, long time, no see."

"Oh, it's been so long, Twi, I've missed you ." Rainbow admitted.

"I know, Rainbow, I've missed you as well." Twilight muttered, releasing her friend from their embrace.

Behind Twilight, Princesses Cadence, Celestia and Luna were followed by Captain Shining Armour, ready to oversee the race. The royal fanfare rang out around the stadium.

"Twilight, are you coming?" Princess Celestia asked, nodding towards the steps to the royal box.

"Yes, Princess." Twilight obeyed, trotting to her Princess.

Rainbow Dash stared longingly as her friend walked away, and she held her head low and walked away to her seat.

"Rainbow, where are you going?" Twilight asked, turning back to face her friend.

"What? I'm going to my seat." Rainbow mumbled, feeling lonely.

Twilight laughed, "Do you seriously think I'd make one of my best friends stay away from me? Come and sit with us."

Rainbow Dash looked astounded that she would be allowed to sit alongside Twilight, the Captain of the Royal Guard and the other Princesses of Equestria, "Are you sure?" She asked.

"Come on, Rainbow Dash." Princess Cadence encouraged her, "the more, the merrier."

Rainbow couldn't help herself, she bounded up the steps after the VIP's into the royal box. The box itself was amazing, there wasn't anything special about the inside of it except for the extremely luxurious couches. But the box itself was open-topped, exposed to the afternoon sunlight, and it was directly in line with finishing post, so the royalty could witness the excitement closely until the very end.







The six Wonderbolts were flying their last practice laps around the track when Soarin flipped into a spin-out, the Wonderbolts trained for this kind of incident all the time, but Soarin collided with the track's concrete border. A horrifying snap rang out around the Aerodome. Soarin started to fall down to earth, but Fleetfoot and Blaze quickly rushed to his aid, catching the strucken Pegasi. The entire crowd fell silent, shocked by the accident. Soarin was being held by the other two Wonderbolts, he himself was unable to fly hard enough to keep himself in the air, he wouldn't be able to compete.

Princess Luna tutted sadly, "Shame. First Spitfire, now this. How can Soarin put up with this?"

The VIP's muttered their approval of Luna's comment, Soarin had been dealt a tough run recently, and now he was out of the competition.
Rainbow looked back down towards Soarin, he was gritting his teeth, but talking to Fleetfoot and Blaze, who still held him.
When he finished talking, they flew up towards the royal box.
Rainbow assumed that Soarin would wish to tell the Princesses that he couldn't compete, but her wanted to talk to her.

"Rainbow Dash." Soarin groaned, still obviously in pain. The medics waited behind him, ready to whisk him away to the Infirmary.
"I don't want there to be only five Wonderbolts out there, neither does anypony else, and we have no other Wonderbolts left. I wanted to do this for Spitfire, but I can't anymore, 

I want you to compete in my place."