"...Do I really have to do this? Fine. I order all of you to take the day off."
"Princess, there's really no need for this, we can stay out of sight quite easily."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "No, I think you all deserve a day off. You've been with me 24/7 for two weeks straight, I think you all deserve a day to have fun. Besides, I'll have Applejack and Rarity with me, and we're just going to the park. Nothing's going to happen."
"But..."
Twilight frowned.
"....yes... Princess." Jaeger resigned. He turned to his subordinates. "Well, seems like we're all having a day off... don't get into trouble, don't make a disturbance, don't draw attention. You are free to use your pay however you wish. I expect full reports."
Four "Yes sir!"s were said, and the Longma split off.
Jaeger narrowed his eyes at Crescent, who had stayed behind. "Crescent... if this is about our talk two nights ago, this is not the time."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Why, what happened?"
"It's a personal matter, Princess. I would prefer if you didn't pry, but if you require to know, we'll say." Jaeger said before Crescent could open her mouth.
Twilight frowned slightly. "I don't want to pry... but if any of you need anything, anything at all, don't be afraid to ask. Have fun!" Twilight called back before fluttering away.
"... I was going to ask if I could go along on the picnic..."
Crow flew over Ponyville, searching for possibly the easiest to identify Pegasus in existence. "Hey, uh, Rainbow Dash!"
The pegasus turned to look up and immediately her ears perked up. "Crow?"
He fluttered in place over the cloud. "Hi... so, er... well." The Longma looked from side to side. "Okay... here goes. I know literally nopony in this entire country who I have anything in common with."
"Huh?"
"Maybe Jaeger, and Sanguine sometimes likes to hang around me, but nopony likes to race, or do anything action-y." He frowned. "Besides you, Wonderbolt."
"...what does this have to do with me?"
"I have a day off today, and nothing to do. And I kind of want to make up for my whole.... 'episode' from when we first met."
Rainbow shivered slightly, remembering the beastial expression on the Longma's face. "Okay... how?"
"I don't know, whatever you want to do... within reason."
"Like?"
"I don't know, going to a restaurant or a carnival or something, and then I'd pay for everything."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "That definitely makes up for going psycho at me."
"Well, what would you suggest?"
"Forget it, besides, I have plans today already."
"It's a matter of honor and courtesy, I'm not about to just forget it! What kind of plans, I'll help you in whatever way I can!"
"...Crow, just mentioning what I'm doing today would make you go ballistic."
"...It's Wonderbolts related....?"
"Yep. Very."
"...then it'll be suitable punishment. I've already gotten my revenge... whatever anger I hold for the current Wonderbolts is mostly just leftover fury. I can handle it, and I really do want to make up for my 'going psycho' at you."
Rainbow Dash stared at him for a few minutes before sighing. "Fine. But you have to do everything I say, alright?"
"Within reason."
"So there's no way I'm getting you to wear a Wonderbolt hat?"
"I'd rather tackle Celestia again."
Rainbow blinked. "What?"
"I was lying in a hospital for three days after that. And I was lucky."
"...okay then. No hats for you. Whatever. Well then, come on. I was already on my way when you caught me."
Scootaloo paced back in forth outside her house. She had been waiting for this day for three weeks. The Wonderbolt show.
And Rainbow Dash, the coolest pony to ever grow wings, was the one taking her there.
She couldn't stop smiling.
She just couldn't stop.
She had taken the occasion to get a Wonderbolt hat, goggles, and shirt, and had a camera strung around her neck and ten bits in her shirt pocket. She was prepared for everything!
So when she saw the rainbow trail speeding toward her house, she jumped for joy, and taking the opportunity, decided to flap her wings as hard as possible, managing to stay in the air an extra five seconds. She cursed silently at the temporary failure, but she forgot the irritation the moment Rainbow Dash landed on her lawn. "Hey Scoots, you ready for the big show?"
"Yep! It's going to be awesome!"
"Definitely!"
Scootaloo's pupils shrunk as she saw the monster diving down to land behind Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash!! Behind you!!" Scootaloo screamed, jumping up to tackle the monster before he could land.
"Whoah there! He's a friendly!" Rainbow shouted, grabbing the filly out of the air before she collided with a descending Crow.
"A friendly?! Look at him!"
"Ease up Scoots, he's......" Rainbow searched for the words as Crow progressively became more irritated. "....okay?"
The Longma sighed before turning to look at Scootaloo and grinned. "Hey there, are you going to the stupid show to-"
"Are you a vampire?"
"Yes." He said completely serious look on his face.
"What? Really?" Rainbow asked, her eyes widening. Crow looked in her direction and winked, before turning back to Scootaloo.
"Yep."
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "How are you going around in the sunlight without burning to cinders?"
"That's a myth we made up to fool vampire hunters."
"Really?!"
"Yes."
"...is that why we failed at being Cutie Mark Crusader Vampire hunters?"
"Probably." the Longma said with a shrug and a smile. "So, who are you?"
"I'm Scootaloo! I'm the president of Rainbow Dash's fanclub and I'm a founding member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"
"I'm Crow Moon. I'm a cold-blooded bloodsucking monster. How do you do?" He said with a wide grin, showing off the shark teeth.
"I'm good. So, are you a wonderbolts fan too?"
"....not exactl-"
"Here! You need to show your team spirit when you're at an official show!" She pulled off the hat and forced it over his spines, bending them to the side.
"Gah!!" He shouted, yanking the hat off and massaging the quills. "owowowow...." he whined, "I wasn't ready for that!"
"Oh! Sorry, did I mess up your mohawk?" Scootaloo asked hesitantly.
"What the heck is a mohawk?" the longma asked Rainbow Dash.
"It's when you put a lot of gel in your mane to get it to stick up like.... well like yours... are... are those frills?"
"...yes."
"....why?"
"What the heck do you mean 'why'? Why do you have feathers if the magic is in your bones? My frill helps me sense wind conditions okay? We don't all have weather magic you know."
"Okay, okay! Sheesh... I was wondering why every single one of you had mohawks... then how does the big one get his to bend like that?"
"Den? Heck if I know, I think he just broke them all and never set them."
"Huh... vampires are weird." Scootaloo said to herself.
"So... this is what the Wonderbolts are." Crow said to himself, a strange expression on his face.
"...what do you mean?"
"Nothing... I mean... I guess the biggest thing is that the outfits are so flashy now. They used to be black with a few small white lightning bolts all over them... the goggles are the same though."
"Huh... that seems closer to the Shadowbolts."
"What do you mean?"
>The Wonderbolts two-o-clock show is about to start!! Grab some popcorn, get to your seats and enjoy the show!< a speaker suddenly interrupted.
"I'll tell you about it later! It's showtime now!"
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo dashed off into the grounds, galloping over to the stands and then floating to their seats. The longma sighed, getting some free popcorn from a tourist with a shark smile and fluttered up to join them. "This is going to be so cool!" Rainbow Dash said with a squee, taking the popcorn the Longma offered and began sharing it with Scootaloo.
"The coolest!! Do you think Soarin'll do his firecracker special?"
"Nah, the weather's not good for a firecracker... I'm betting on a lightning split."
The two went back and forth over which tricks would be shown, while Crow began tapping his hoof impatiently, his face emotionless.
About ten minutes later there a fanfare as three roars were heard, and the crowd suddenly jumped up around the Longma, staring up at the three trails of cloud flying high into the sky. >The line up for today's show is Soarin! Surprise! And last but not least, Blaze!< the announcer shouted proudly.
As the show went on Rainbow's attention occasionally shifted from the totally awesome tricks the wonderbolts were doing and began noticing Crow's strange behaviour. She had expected the Longma to either be totally anti-wonderbolt, booing whenever anypony else cheered, or to be totally bored... but he didn't seem either. His face was some strange emotion she couldn't recognize, and it seemed like he was biting his lips a lot. She tried to just focus on the show, and Scootaloo's enjoyment over every loop and swish and flash, but Crow's face seemed to constantly change emotions before shifting back into the weird one without completely shifting emotion. She stealthily nudged herself and Scootaloo slightly farther away from the Longma.
By the end of the show the crowd was in an uproar of applause, and Rainbow had gotten caught up in it as well. As the crowd began to siphon out of the stands Scootaloo was still clapping. "That was amazing Rainbow Dash! Thank's so much!"
"Thank Crow, he's paying." Rainbow said proudly. "But being a Wonderbolt in training gets some perks too.... want to go meet them?"
"Would I?!"
"Would you?" Crow asked.
"Would I?!"
"Would you?" Crow asked, his smile getting bigger.
"Yes!!" Scootaloo shouted, dancing in place. "Come on!" Rainbow chuckled and lifted the filly into the air, speeding up toward a large cloud that had been set up near the edge of the grounds. Rainbow Dash deposited the filly on the cloud and smiled as the disappeared in an orange and purple wave that rushed inside.
"So, how'd you like the show? Was it the most impressive thing you've ever seen?" Rainbow asked the Longma with a smirk.
"...I was impressed actually, that was a decent show of magic power... pfft..."
"What?"
"hehe... I'm sorry, don't mind me... I just thought of a joke I heard... bwaheheh.... earlier..." Crow said, the same non-emotion from earlier covering his face.
Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "...so, are you ready to meet the wonderbolts?"
"...I'll just stay out here, thank you."
"Nope! You're going to come in here with me, and then you'll see that the Wonderbolts are some of the best ponies in Equestria."
The longma sighed. "..Fine."
"Rainbow Dash!!" Scootaloo called, running back over to her sister-figure. "This is amazing! Surprise agreed to help me do some flying exercises!"
"Sweet, Scoots. You'll be going almost as fast as me in no time, I bet."
"I know!" The filly jumped up and down in place on the cloud. "This is going to be so awesome!"
"So awesome." Rainbow agreed.
"Hey Dash, how's our newest recruit?"
"I'm good, Soarin."
"So, who are your.... uh... friends?" The pegasus froze at the sight of the Longma, the shifting non-emotion still covering his face.
"This is Scootaloo, she's been one of my long-time supporters, and mr batwings back there is Crow Moon."
"...how did he.... wait... is he one of those dark ponies that marched to Canterlot a few weeks ago?" he whispered to the mare.
"Night pony." Crow corrected, before biting his lips and looking away.
"...how did you hear me?" Soarin asked nervously.
"My ears are bigger than yours."
"...okay?"
It was too much for the Longma, who promptly stopped fluttering in place and dropped straight through the floor, laughing maniacally. Rainbow shivered at the sound before sighing. "Sorry, he's... uh... shy?"
"Sure..." Soarin replied. Rainbow dashed outside the cloud and swerved down to find Crow rolling around on the ground laughing.
"What's the big deal?! I thought you were about to go on a massacre or something!" Rainbow hissed, frowning as the Longma just continued to laugh.
"I-I'm sorry ~bwahahahahehe~ I... I can't... pfft.... it's just..."
"What?!"
"It's just... hehehe... they're showponies!"
"Yeah, and?"
"But they're the wonderbolts!" The longma shouted before going back to laughing evilly.
"And what does that mean?"
The longma calmed down enough to get up and dust himself off. "...the wonderbolts... are a no-nonsense group of elite bombers dressed completely in black despite working for the light. They haunted my dreams, terrorizing me without emotion until the night I killed them. They could give nightmares to Nightmare. They were the ultimate in solar badasses!" a wide, insane smile broke out on his face. "And now they're doing flashy magic tricks for a cheering crowd in bright blue suits!" He fell back into the laughter.
Rainbow began to get more and more irritated. "Stop laughing! The wonderbolts are still the 'ultimate in solar badasses', whatever 'ass' means, and... I'll prove it!"
"bwahehehe... oh yeah?"
"Yeah! How much more time do you have off?"
"A few hours... why?"
"I want to show you what some 'showponies' are capable of."
"A race?" The longma asked, bored. "In a circle? This is what you were thinking of? I thought it was going to be some kind of extreme challenge like... I don't know, Canterlot Castle and back? I'm a high-speed messenger, I'm the top of the elite, and I've already proven I can take on twenty Wonderbolts at their prime. This is going to be a cakewalk." the longma bragged.
"Yeah, yeah, sure. You seem to like making excuses for why you shouldn't participate in a simple race." Rainbow got a sly smile. "You chickening out?"
"...am I whating out?" Crow asked, a look of pure confusion covering him.
Rainbow sighed. "nevermind. I was calling you a coward."
The longma froze in place and turned to her, a wide shark grin on his face. "Fine. I'll do your silly race. So... what are the rules, and why the heck do you think a group of showponies could manage to beat me?"
"The rules are simple, it's a wonderbolt derby, there's a cloud runway you are not allowed to leave or cut across. You aren't allowed to leave your strip or touch another pony and you should fly at level with every other pony racing. It's normally fifteen laps, but in this case we're doing thirty."
"Are you sure? Those wings probably get tired pretty quickly."
"And yours don't look very aerodynamic, so it's even." Rainbow replied, her smirk getting wider. "First pony to cross the finish line wins."
"Sounds like fun." Crow said happily. "So... who else is competing? You?"
"Of course! I'm a wonderbolt in training after all. But I've made a few calls, and we're going to be in for a treat. Fleetfoot and Rapidfire are veterans of the derby, not to mention the 'showponies' from today's show; Soarin, Surprise, and Blaze. And then, of course, we have the captain of the Wonderbolts; Spitfire."
The longma nodded. "Seven versus one then."
"Think you can handle it?"
"Definitely... but why not make it interesting? I'll give you thirty bits if I come in second, forty if I come in third, fifty in fourth, sixty in fifth, seventy in sixth, and eighty in seventh. And if I come in last place, I'll hand out 100 bits."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "What do I do if you win, then?"
The longma thought about it for a few seconds. "You have to get a mohawk."
Rainbow Dash smirked. "Alright then, you're on."