//------------------------------//
// Rainbow Dash always crashes in style 
// Story: What in Equestria is This? 
// by nodamnbrakes 
//------------------------------//

“I just don’t know what went wrong,” said Rainbow Dash as Fluttershy finished bandaging her bruised and beaten leg. The first of four, anyway. “One sec, I was doing fine, and then... bam.”

“Maybe you could try a lower level on the course?” Fluttershy suggested meekly.

Rainbow sent her a flat, unamused look. “Why would I what to do that?”

“Um, well, those courses are for older colts and fillies who’ve had more experience... um, I think... and you’re not very--”

“Fluttershy, do you have any idea what kinds of standards the Wonderbolts hold their flight team to? Spitfire was flying circles around everypony else by the time she was in her very first year--it says so in her autobiography!” the prismatic filly ranted.

She threw up her hooves in exasperation, which gave Fluttershy a good, jarring jerk because the latter pegasus didn’t think to let go of the bandage in her mouth. “I mean, if I don’t spend every second of my spare time practicing, there’s no way they’re gonna take me! I need to--what is it--operate at a higher level. Means I gotta be doin’ death-defying stunts while the rest of you guys are learning to hover, and stuff.”

“Um, well, um, if I, um, could make a tiny suggestion?” said Fluttershy, having finished with Rainbow’s other foreleg. “Maybe it would be a good idea if you, um, mastered hovering before you started reading ahead in the textbook? Because my granddaddy says it’s always a good idea to get good at the basics before--”

“Are you kidding?” Rainbow puffed up indignantly. “I could hover all day if I wanted.”

Taking to the air, she hovered in front of Fluttershy, looking smug and self-satisfied. This lasted about ten seconds, and then she mistimed her wingbeats, wobbled dangerously, and faceplanted into the cloud.

“Horseapples!” she swore, her voice muffled somewhat by the cloud.

“Oh, dear...” tsked Fluttershy. The gangly filly helped Rainbow back up and resumed bandaging her war wounds. “Maybe you should see a doctor. You might have a vestibular disorder. My cousin has Water-Wings, and that affects your vestibular system, and he can hardly fly in a straight l--”

“I don’t know what vesidualar means,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, “and Mom said if it has a really big name that I can’t pronounce, I shouldn’t stay up at night worrying about whether I’m going to die of it or not and driving her and Dad crazy.”

Fluttershy just sighed and continued to patch her clumsy friend up.