Chapter 26
It was time for the final competition. The four players were waiting by the starting line. A time keeper, an announcer, the three judges, a medical team, a DJ and the eliminated contestants were all present.
“It is time to begin the final exercise,” announced Immelmane. “I have four cards that will determine the order of your routines. Soarin has shuffled them and Spitfire will now lay one in front of each of you.”
Spitfire went down the line and took a card from the announcer and laid it on the ground in front of each pony. Frost was first followed by Firewing, then Windyday and finally Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash frowned and quietly muttered, “I hate being last.”
Frost took a deep breath. “Looks like I'm up.”
“Give your script to the announcer and your recording to the DJ,” instructed Immelmane. “When the music starts, you start. The time keeper will watch for your return. Ideally, your tail should cross the finish line just as the music ends. There will be a few minutes between each contestant while we tabulate your scores. Good luck to you all.”
Frost stepped forward and handed her script over as directed and gave her recording to the DJ.
“Tear it up Frosty!” yelled Rainbow Dash. “Show us what ya got!”
The other ponies joined in cheering on Frost. They fell silent as the music started and Frost took off like a rocket, flying nearly vertical before going into a shallower climb. She reached her altitude quickly and began her stunts.
The announcer read off the stunts just before she executed the move so everypony knew what to expect. They were synchronized and she performed them well. She went into her special trick; a combination barrel roll and loop. It was difficult but she pulled it off. She then sped toward the ground and started a series of loops. As she did the loops she slowed and landed gracefully trotting across the line as the music ended. The ponies all cheered.
Rainbow Dash welcomed her friend. “That was great Frost, you looked beautiful up there.”
“I wish I could have flown like that earlier in the week,” said Frost ruefully. “Oh well, at least the last day turned out good.”
“That's true and you did look great,” added Windy. “We'll have to step it up to beat that.”
“Good show Frost,” said Firewing. “That trick was amazing.”
Immelmane called the next contestant. “Firewing, you're next.” Firewing stepped forward, hooved over her materials and readied herself.
“Give us a show Firewing!” Windy shouted, first to begin the cheers this time.
“Come on roomie, you can do it!” called out Rainbow Dash as the others joined in.
Firewing's routine was graceful and flawless. Her new trick that Rainbow Dash had shown her went off without a hitch. She strung together five barrel rolls with the snap spins twice on each roll. Exiting the final loop she went into a tight spin and climbed to a stall. Falling backward, she dropped into an inverted dive pulling a perfect Immelmane loop near the ground. As she came around a second time she abruptly twisted and landed directly on the finish line. She too stepped across just as time expired.
Again there were cheers of approval from the assembled ponies.
Frost nudged Rainbow Dash. “Well, I guess that's it for this exercise. No pony is going to beat that.”
“Maybe, that was just beautiful,” said Dash.
“That was perfect Firewing, just perfect!” said Windy.
“Nice trick Firewing, where did you learn that one?” laughed Rainbow Dash.
“Hush you!” said Firewing, “but thanks.”
“You have this sown up unless Windy has something special in her suit,” said Frost.
Immelmane called out: “Windyday!”
“I guess it's time to find out,” said Windy. She put on the serene demeanor she always did before an exercise and strode forward.
Windy was also treated to cheers of encouragement. Her eye's welled with tears. No opponent had ever cheered for her before. In fact, she seldom had received this sort of encouragement from her team mates. She regained her composure and was soon in the air.
She did an incredible job. While her routine contained all the flawless precision for which she was famous, there was also some of the graceful joy that Firewing often showed when she performed. The staccato rhythms of her music meshed with the execution of each maneuver, each new stunt beginning or ending on the beat. She gained altitude and did a wing over roll to start her final and most difficult stunt.
Screaming out of the sky as if she was attempting a Sonic Rainboom, she pulled out just above the ground and rocketed back into the sky, wings beating rapidly as she did another slightly smaller loop. Again and again she did this, always nearly skimming the ground in tighter and tighter loop. Her time was nearly up when she suddenly spun into a back wing display and landed backwards just in front of the finish line. She backed across with her head down in a bow as her music ended. The waiting ponies erupted in cheers.
“I'm in a competition with two crazy ponies,” said Firewing to Rainbow Dash. “That was almost as dangerous as yours. I think I'll team up with Frost; she's the only one that does a sane routine besides me.”
“That was so cool! I love that kind of stuff,” said Rainbow Dash.
“You would,” said Firewing. They joined the other ponies in cheering for Windyday. It was now Rainbow Dash's turn.
Immelmane called her name and she stepped forward with her materials. The music started and she instantly leaped skyward. She climbed rapidly to her peak altitude and began her routine. Most of her moves were similar to those done by the other ponies, with a few of her own making mixed in, but the speed at which she did them was jaw dropping. Her precision was as good as Firewing's or Windy's; she had learned well in less than a week. Soon she was nearing the point that her friends dreaded. The dive into the flat spin ending.
“I wish I could stop her,” said Firewing.
“I know,” said Windy.
“I'd tell Immelmane but she'd hate me if I did,” said Firewing.
“And a promise is a promise,” said Windy. “We can't tell on her.” Frantically Windy tried to think of a way to get Rainbow Dash to stop her routine. Suddenly the solution came to her, there was a way. “We can stop her Firewing! We can concede.”
“What?!” said Firewing.
“If we all concede there will be no reason for her to finish,” said Windy. “Frost! Come here!”
“I'm watching this,” complained Frost, not taking her eyes off of Rainbow Dash. “What is it?”
“We all have to concede and let Rainbow Dash win,” Windy said hurriedly. “It could mean her life.”
Frost was confused, “I've never conceded in any contest!”
“Windy and I will concede too,” said Firewing. “There's no time to explain.”
“Oh feathers,” breathed Windy as she watched Rainbow Dash, “it's too late.”
As her friends debated, Rainbow Dash had completed her hammerhead stall and started the dive for her ending move. There was nothing any pony could do to stop her. Firewing headed towards Immelmane but at that point the announcer read Rainbow Dash's last move.
“Quad inverted flat spin and flip into a quad flat spin, flare-wing stall landing,” said the announcer. He stared at the paper as if re-reading it to himself.
As one the three judges said “What!?” and then stared in horror as Rainbow Dash plummeted towards the ground. The other competitors that hadn't known let out a collective gasp and looked at one another. To all present it looked like Rainbow Dash was going far too fast as she slowly started spinning, preparing to hurl herself sideways into the flat spins.
“Sun and moon,” said Spitfire softly, “she's really going to try it.”
Rainbow Dash neared the ground. To the spectators that had yet to see her trick, it looked far too low for the stunt. She pulled up slightly, flipped over, and threw herself into the inverted set of spins. The blue pony spun through the first set of spins and gracefully flipped into the second set. Kicking out of the last flat spin, she spread her wings wide and rose into the stall, her tail almost touching the ground. Her speed gone she dropped gently to the ground and bowed the way Firewing had shown her.
She had only a few seconds to cross the line. She walked forward. Her body crossed the line. As time expired, she flicked her tail along side of her body to cross the line in time.
There was no cheering this time. Not at first. Every pony was too stunned by what they had seen, even Firewing and Starshine who had already seen it. Rainbow Dash looked around nervously. Windy and Firewing suddenly rushed her, cheering and the other ponies join in.
“That was spectacular!” said Firewing excitedly, “and I don't just mean the ending.”
“Incredible Dash, just awesome!” said Windy.
“That was insane!” said Frost as she joined the group. “You're absolutely nuts, you know that? I thought you were dead.”
Spitfire and Soarin walked up. Immelmane was looking at the announcers sheet as if to confirm what he had just witnessed.
“You three knew what she was going to do?” asked Spitfire coldly.
“I did,” admitted Firewing.
“Yes,” added Windy, “but Frost didn't.”
“If I had known... no wonder you two wanted to concede,” said Frost understanding. “If I had known, I would have too.”
“You were going to concede?” asked Soarin.
“We swore not to tell any pony what Rainbow Dash was going to do but we wanted to stop her,” explained Windy. “It was the only way. I just didn't think of it in time.”
“I see,” said Spitfire, “if you had all conceded we could have stopped her routine because there would have been no need for it.”
Windy and Firewing nodded.
“You wanted to stop me that bad?” said Rainbow Dash with a pained look on her face.
Immelmane walked up. “She did her routine exactly as she had it written down. My dear filly, whatever possessed you to try such a thing?”
“I uh... I just thought it would look pretty cool,” said Rainbow Dash.
They all stared at her and suddenly Frost started to laugh. “Oh Dash! I can't believe you. Cool! You risked your life because you thought it would look cool? Now THAT is the Rainbow Dash that I remember! You really are still nuts!”
“I have to admit, it did,” snickered Firewing.
Windy started to giggle behind a hoof. “Yeah, I guess it did.”
Spitfire was not laughing though Soarin had a hint of a smile. Immelmane tried to be stern but looked shocked.
“Wait here while we confer to determine the winner,” said Spitfire.
The three judges walked a short distance away. The announcer leaned over to Rainbow Dash and said: “That was really cool” and went to join the judges.
“I guess they didn't like it,” said Rainbow Dash. “I'm sure one of you will make a great Wonderbolt.”
“Are you kidding?” said Firewing. “Even without that last move you had a great routine. You looked sharp.”
“And fast!” added Windy. “I don't know how you kept going for three minutes at that speed.”
“Yeah, you looked great, kid,” said Frost. “You have as good a shot as any of us.”
“I guess all we have to do now is wait,” said Dash. “I hate waiting.”
Windy giggled and hip bumped Firewing who bumped into Frost.
“Hey!” said Frost surprised. She bumped back. Windy moved to the side and Firewing stumbled before hitting her.
Rainbow Dash started laughing. She was still a little tired from her exercise and collapsed on the ground. The others took the opportunity pounce on her. Dash rolled away so only Windy actually landed on her while Frost and Firewing collided and landed in a heap. The other ponies standing nearby enjoyed this silly display which continued until the judges returned unnoticed.
“If you 'ladies' are through,” said Spitfire with a grin, “perhaps you'd like to hear the results.”
The four contestants regained their hooves and composure.
“We will announce the winner of the open position now,” said Immelmane. “To the three of you who don't win, do not be disheartened. We have something more to tell you in a little while.”
Spitfire started to announce the winner. “This was an incredibly difficult decision, we weighed all the....giggle...sun and clouds you four are a mess! I'm sorry, no more delays. Windyday takes the presently vacant position. Congratulations.”
They all gathered around Windy, who started crying, offering her congratulations and best wishes.