//------------------------------// // 3. Rumours // Story: Cheated Dreams // by Kodeake //------------------------------// Cheated Dreams Chapter 3 Rumours “Thirty pounds!” Twilight called excitedly, watching has Rainbow continued to do her wing-ups seemingly unstoppably. Her horn glowed with magic, matching the glowing around Rainbow's own body. The wind blew gently over the grassy hill she and Rainbow occupied, the sun nearing it's zenith. The pegasus had been accepted into the Wonderbolts weeks ago, and since then she'd been training herself harder than ever for the day she went to officially become a member of the team. That day was less than a week away, now, and Rainbow continued to push herself, wanting to be the best she could be when the day came. “Forty pounds!” Twilight called again, the magical glow around her horn increasing in brightness along with the aura surrounding Rainbow. Rainbow breathed out slowly as she felt the magic all around her press down harder, keeping careful track of her breathing as she continued to push herself off the ground with nothing more than her wings and a determined stare. Twilight's magic had become an integral part of her training; the magic being able to add the resistance she needed without putting too much strain on any one part of her body. Not to mention magic could do a lot more then simple weights could when she was actually up in the air. “Fifty pounds!” Twilight announced loudly, watching in awe as Rainbow's pace actually sped up the more weight was added. Every thirty seconds she added ten pounds of force to her magical hold, and still Rainbow was going strong. The weight didn't even seem to be affecting her at all. They had both agreed beforehand that Rainbow would stop as soon as it became too much, but it looked like that was going to be a while away. “Sixty pounds!” Rainbow vaguely heard Twilight through her breathing. She was starting to grow tired, her muscles burning as she continued pushing herself. Last time they'd done this she'd made it all the way to ninety pounds. This time she planned on breaking one hundred. She kept her steely gaze aimed at the ground, watching as the grass swayed under her breath as she lowered herself and how it stood straight as she pushed herself back up. The smooth, fluid motion keeping her mind busy and away from the burning in her wings that was slowly intensifying. “Seventy pounds!” As Twilight called out the new weight, she herself began to feel sweat form along her brow. As much as this was for Rainbow's training, her magic got a good workout from it as well. She sat back on her haunches, the cool grass helping cool the her body as blood started pumping faster, counting off the seconds in her head and keeping her attention away from the dull throbbing in her horn, “Eighty pounds!” Rainbow was beginning to lose control of her breathing, on the verge of panting as she continued to push her self up then lower herself back down. The movements of the grass could no longer distract her from the burning in her wings. One upside of Twilight's magic was that her back wasn't under any extra strain like it would be if she were using normal weights. “Ninety pounds!” Twilight was breathing heavily as her horn continued to glow even brighter. She'd lifted heavier things, an Ursa Minor coming to mind, but never for such a sustained amount of time. She was beginning to wonder who would break first; her or Rainbow. “One hundred p-pounds!” Rainbow could hear the strain in Twilight's voice as she reached her minimum goal. She could hear her blood pounding through her veins as she lost total control of her breathing, her lungs struggling to get the air they needed as the weight got stronger. She knew she'd have to stop soon or risk injuring herself, but she knew she could last a little longer. “One... one hundred t-ten pounds!” Twilight could barely keep her eyelids open through the pounding in her head and the brightness of her horn. Through squinted eyes she watched as Rainbow continued to push herself, as shakily as that may have been. “Th-that's enough,” Rainbow panted finally, collapsing to the soft, cool grass. The glow around her body ceased instantly, and Twilight fell to the grass much the same way Rainbow had. They both lay silently for a while, struggling to catch their breath. Rainbow recovered first, standing on shaky legs and walking over to a nearby picnic basket, extracting two bottles of water before walking over to Twilight and placing one next to her head. “Thanks,” Twilight panted, opening it with a hoof and greedily sucking down a few gulps of water, kept cold through the use of an enchantment that was proving more and more useful. “You look more tired than I am,” Rainbow chuckled, taking a large drink of her own water before continuing, “and here I thought I was supposed to be the one training.” Twilight sat up, her breathing slowly beginning returning to normal as the burning in her horn started to recede. “Magic is just like any other muscle; it can be trained and it has its limits. This helps me just as much as it helps you,” she clarified, gently using her magic to hold the bottle to her lips this time. “You know, for a second there I thought I was gonna last longer than you,” Rainbow laughed, swallowing the rest of her water down in one big gulp before tossing the used bottle back into the basket. Twilight, taking a page from Rainbow's own book, laughed, saying “In your dreams maybe,” with a challenging smirk. Rainbow raised a surprised eyebrow as Twilight drank the last drops of her own water. “That a challenge Sparkle?” Rainbow asked, her tone leading to the conclusion that, if Twilight wasn't challenging, she was. Twilight shrugged, continuing to smirk as she laid back on the grass. “Maybe.” “You are so on. Next training session, we're gonna have a little contest,” Rainbow announced smugly, wearing a self-assured grin as she crossed her forelegs defiantly. “Your magic doesn't stand a chance,” she added after a second of silence. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle into the calm, quiet hills. Rainbow looked at her indignantly, and Twilight only laughed harder. After a second of looking down at the laughing unicorn disapprovingly, Rainbow joined in, the joyous sound filling the peaceful air, travelling with the gentle wind all around them. It wasn't long before Rainbow collapsed onto the grass herself, laying next to Twilight as they once again struggled to control their breathing. Eventually the sound of their uproarious laughter died away, leaving nothing to be heard on the quiet hill outside Ponyville. Together they sank into a comfortable silence, no words passing between them to ruin the serenity of the scene before them. Suddenly, Twilight spoke up, her voice low and soft. “6 more days huh?” “Yeah,” Rainbow breathed slowly, sitting back up on the grass, “it's all so...” “Surreal?” Twilight offered, sitting up and smiling as Rainbow nodded in approval. “Yeah, that. I've been working for this for so long, and dreaming about it for even longer. I just can't believe I finally made it,” she explained with a small, quiet sigh, looking out over the town some ways away. “You worried about it?” Twilight asked slowly. Rainbow looked over to her friend, sitting calmly on the flowing green grass, before looking away, back out towards Ponyville, and tapping her necklace with a hoof. “Nah, I got it in the bag.” Twilight nodded with a smile, following Rainbow's gaze. Silence reigned over them once again for an unknown amount of time. Eventually, Rainbow tore her eyes away from the small yet bustling town, looking instead to the mountains in the distance. “I'll miss you girls while I'm on tour,” she admitted quietly. “How long are the tours?” Twilight asked softly. Had it not been for the complete and utter silence of the world around them, Rainbow would have had a hard time hearing what she said. “I'll be out three months, back for two weeks – most of which will be spent on official training for our next tour – then we're back out again,” Rainbow explained, almost sadly. “Well, we'll just have to make sure to make the time you're here extra awesome!” Twilight said enthusiastically after a second, a faint smile tugging on Rainbow's lips as her somber expression began to melt away. “Yeah. Knowing Pinkie she'll throw a party every time I come back. Hay, she'll probably throw multiple throughout the time I'm here to make up for the ones I missed,” Rainbow chuckled as Twilight gave her own quiet giggle. Though she fell silent a moment later, her eyes locking on something behind Rainbow's head. “Twi?” She asked, watching as the unicorn's face twisted into an expression of worry. Rainbow turned around, seeing two pegasi in black suits flying down towards them. They stood from the ground, eyeing the stallions cautiously as they came in from the direction of Ponyville, landing with soft thuds on the grass in front of them. “Miss Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, I presume?” One questioned sternly. Rainbow briefly noted the Wonderbolts logo sewed to his uniform on the collar. “That's us, why?” Twilight asked, taking half a step forward, putting herself between Rainbow and the stallions. “We're under strict orders to bring you both to Cloudsdale immediately,” the other said, his voice deep and rough much like the first one. They looked more like bouncers from some club in Canterlot than Wonderbolt employees. “What's this about?” Rainbow barked, taking a step forward so she was on even standing with Twilight against the black suited ponies. “Information has come to light and, while a full scale investigation is still underway, we have reason to believe you cheated in the contest to decide who would join the Wonderbolts.” “WHAT!?” They both cried in unison, shocked that these stallions would even suggest such a thing. “An investigation is underway, and your presence is required in Cloudsdale for official questioning. There's a chariot waiting in Ponyville,” one of them said, unfazed by their outburst, motioning for them to begin the walk back to town. “Now hold on just a minute. Who the hay would accuse me of cheating?” Rainbow asked indignantly, even as the stallion started pushing her towards town gently, prompting her to start walking on her own. “They wish to remain anonymous in case they're wrong to avoid a scandal, but so far they have compelling evidence they're right. Now please, come with us,” the stallion repeated. Rainbow opened her mouth to argue again, but Twilight spoke up. “Just go with them; you didn't cheat and they'll prove it. Don't cause any trouble though. I'll see you when this is over,” Twilight assured. Rainbow sighed, hanging her head but nodding all the same. “I'm afraid you'll have to come with us as well, Miss Sparkle, we believe you to be an accomplice and we need an official statement from you as well. Not even Celestia's Student is allowed to cheat,” one of the stallions informed her, much to her own shock and indignation. “You can't possibly be suggesting I'd help her cheat on something as serious as a competition for the Wonderbolts,” Twilight asked. Her jaw fell open as the suited stallion nodded. “Now please, come with us.” With that final insistence, Twilight exchanged one final look to Rainbow before walking beside her to town and the waiting chariot. “It'll be alright,” Twilight soothed calmly, leaning down to Rainbow's still hung head. “They'll see you did it without cheating.” -_-_-_- The walk through town was the longest walk of Rainbow's life. Her mind was blurred with conflicting thoughts and emotions. She'd never cheat, ever, and everypony knew that. Who could possibly have accused her and what evidence did they have? Had she not been allowed to do something that she'd done in her routine? Perhaps she hadn't been allowed to use the Sonic Rainboom? That didn't make sense; it was a trick just like any other, it wasn't her fault she was the only pegasus alive that could pull it off. But then why did they seem so convinced she'd cheated? As she walked through the streets, she started to notice the disproving frowns on everypony's faces. All the ponies in the street stopped as she walked passed, staring at her and shaking their heads. Some were flat out glaring at her. “What's going on?” She asked one of the angrier seeming unicorns they passed. She sneered at her. “Like you don't know,” she snarled, “everypony in town heard you cheated.” Rainbow’s jaw fell open, her hooves stopping dead in their tracks as she stared at the unicorn before her. “I'd never cheat!” “Then why were these two looking for you?” Another pony spoke up, an earthpony stallion that looked just as angry with her as the unicorn. “I didn't cheat!” Rainbow insisted loudly. Everypony in the street simply seemed to grow angrier with her. “You ruined the good name of Ponyville!” One shouted. “If you didn't cheat, why are you being hauled back to Cloudsdale?” Another asked. Soon the street was roaring with loud, angry questions. All of them had somehow got it in their heads that she'd cheated. She didn't even know how she could have cheated on a flight contest. A mob formed behind them, hurling insults at her as she hung her head even lower, hiding behind her mane. With no real defence and no solid arguments, all she could do for now was take it until this was all cleared up. It all still hurt, though, no matter how untrue it was. Suddenly, it all went silent; the insults stopped, the hate stopped, it all just... stopped. Rainbow lifted her head cautiously, seeing Twilight glaring sternly back to the crowd behind them, her horn glowing as she kept both a force field and a sound dampening spell active around them. The stallions ignored the crowd and continued pushing them forward impatiently. “Don't listen to them; we'll clear this up then they'll all see the truth,” Twilight assured quietly, gritting her teach as she maintained her spells and moved them with her. Her words did little to lift Rainbow's spirit. Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, they reached the waiting chariot. Waiting next to them were four ponies Twilight and Rainbow recognized very well. “Girls!” Twilight cried happily, allowing her force field and sound proofing spells to evaporate, the mob having given up a while back. She ran up to her friends, all of them wearing smiles at her approach. “Twilight! What the hay is goin' on? These stallions came to town this morning and started looking for you and Rainbow, they said she cheated in that Wonderbolt contest,” Applejack exclaimed as soon as Twilight was within earshot, motioning with her hoof the the stallions that were now hooking themselves to the chariot destined to take them to Cloudsdale. “We're not sure, but we're going to go and clear this up,” Twilight promised. She noticed Rainbow lift her head upon hearing that her friends hadn't lost faith in her. They still believed she was innocent, at least. Even if the rest of the town didn't. “Good. From the sounds of it the rest of Ponyville isn't taking it too well,” Rarity spoke up. A grimace of pain flashed across Rainbow's face as she remembered the town's reaction to her. “No, they certainly aren't,” Twilight growled, clenching her jaw in barely contained anger at the mob of ponies that had been intent on following them. “Let's go,” one of the escorting stallions barked, signifying they'd hooked themselves up the the chariot and were ready to take the mares to Cloudsdale. “We'll be back soon,” Twilight assured, climbing aboard. Rainbow followed a second later, waving weakly at their friends. Even if they did sort this out, her reputation was already crushed; the whole town would forever have the lingering doubt in their minds that she had cheated, a rumour like this didn't ever disappear. Even if Twilight was right and they cleared this up and she kept her place as a Wonderbolt, she'd never hold the respect of anyone who'd heard the story of her cheating, no matter how false it was. The silver necklace bounced against her neck as the pegasi took off, carrying them high into the sky. Rainbow didn't even ask if she could fly along side them. Instead, she closed her eyes, placing a hoof over her silver lightning bolt and pressing it firmly against her chest.