Rainbow Dash sat on the seat as she watched the mountains and trees passed by the Friendship Express. They're on their way to where the qualification rounds are held, Rainbow Falls resort. Rainbow is looking foreword to the moment when they get there.
While her teammates are sitting in from of her, the rest of her friends joined in to root for her. Twilight Sparkle, a book-wormish lavender alicorn is sitting next to her. The fabulous white unicorn named Rarity was priming her stylish purple mane with Pinkie Pie and Applejack sitting on seats behind Bulk and Fluttershy.
“Good luck to you Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow turned to see two Pegasi looking apologetic, "Sorry we couldn’t fly with you on the Aerial Relay, but the Air Sprinters needed us too.”
“Although, we like too,” The other pony said, “But we can only compete in one event. Oh well... Rules are rules,” Then they left to another train car.
Twilight waved her hoof at them and said, “Good luck!” She then turned to Rainbow, “It was nice of you to be part of the team that doesn’t have... uh... the strongest flyers.”
“Nothing nice about it,” Rainbow resented, “I know that I can pick up the slack for anypony. With me on as the last third relay on the team, we’ll qualify. I’m sure of it.”
Truthfully, she is really upset that no other pony could compete more than one event. If the rules are written that one pony can make more than one event, then she wouldn't have to put up with Bulk and Fluttershy.
But then again, Bulk is a pretty good flyer. She had seen him with the other pegasi to create a tornado for community service and even made it in the Wonderbolts academy along with her however, on the other hoof, he still needs to work on his agility. His strength of his wings may get him off the ground but he needed to be quick on stop himself and also flexible turns which is the most crucial part in the relay. She learned that the hard way back at the park. But hopefully this wouldn't be difficult.
Fluttershy who is squished by Bulk making it difficult for her to move, waved her flag and said. “I am so proud to be representing Ponyville.”
The truth is with Fluttershy, Dash knew her very well that she can’t stand crowd of ponies watching her perform. She is concerned for Fluttershy right from the beginning. By the time, when Rainbow signed up to be on the relay, Bulk Biceps was the first to volunteer to be on her team. She waited for any other Pegasi to volunteer to be on her team but nopony came. That is until to her surprise, Fluttershy was the only pony who volunteered to be on Dash’s team. She was about to resent that however she remembered the time when Ponyville is on the community services by creating tornado to send water from the reservoir back to Cloudsdale. When there weren’t many Pegasi to create enough wind power to lift water, It was Fluttershy, the shyest pony of Ponyville, who stepped in to create enough wind power to send water to Cloudsdale. With that impression, why deny her to be on the team?
“Oh, It’s such an honor to even try out for the Games.” Fluttershy continues, “I just hope I don’t let anypony down.”
“We’ll make them proud!” Bulk blurted out as he’s pumped his foreleg.
Pinkie pie cheers on, “P is for proud! We’re gonna be the best fans anypony has ever seen!”
“Ooh, can’t wait to see what everypony else is wearing,” Rarity added on, “even though I am absolutely sure they won’t be better than the Ponyville uniforms I’m designing for the Equestria Games.”
Applejack nodded, “And we will make it to the games once everypony carbo-loads on my apple brown betties.”
Rainbow is happy to have her friends to be with her to watch her and her team to qualify. But she needs work with Bulk of his agility skills and Fluttershy picking up the pace and she’ll do the rest. As the last third relay team, everypony will be ahead of her to beat her and she’ll not have it.
Suddenly, the train whistle blew that they’re arrived at the station. Rainbow Dash looked out the window. The resort is one of the gorgeous sight that Rarity would never take her eyes off. It was a plot of land on the mountainside with arches of rainbows splashed around the sky. Rainbows poured from the clouds floating overhead. Condo’s are built conveniently on a plot of mountain land where the rainbow creek flows.
Pinkie can’t contain her excitement, “I can’t wait!”
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Rainbow Dash with the rest of her friends got off the train. A chilly breeze blows through their mane, it is refreshing from the hot summer day from Ponyville. They checked out a condo they’ll be staying for a few days. Rainbow Dash have no time to laze around the condo when she has work to do.
When they first stepped in the grounds, Rainbow witness that there are ponies stretching their wings and legs for the games, some even do wing push-ups while testing their strength of flying. There is no doubt that these ponies, representing their cities and towns, are going to be a lot tougher. Even griffons are taking part of the games, Rainbow saw them stretching their legs and wings.
They stopped at the small space of meadow and they were about to set up a shade tent. Until the sky roared from the distance and Rainbow knows that sound. All the ponies looked up at the sky as three ponies flew over their heads as swift as lightening. Rainbow recognized them by name, Soarin, Fleetfoot and their leader Spitfire and they are known by one name, The Wonderbolts. She heard that they’re flying for Cloudsdale, her former hometown. With the Wonderbolts flying for them, Cloudsdale will defiantly qualify.
But that also means, she’s got some real competition here. With two more days of practice, she’ll see them on the air... if she’s lucky.
There’s no time to fool around. “All right, team!” Rainbow called as Fluttershy and Bulk turned to her with straight attention, “The Wonderbolts may know a winner when they see one and we’ll be winners just as soon as we practice! Right Team?”
Fluttershy smiles, “Right.”
“Yeah!!!” Bulk shouted as Pinkie blew a party hooter.
“And, um I’m with her! Hooray!” said Twilight as Rainbow Dash's eyes fixed on her then Rainbow beamed proudly.
Pinkie turned her attention at the cheerleaders as they’re cheering, “Give us some clouds! Gives us some dale! And what do we got? Cloudsdale! Whoo-hoo!” But she’s not looking at their routine but at the ones that gives Ponyville a miracle to cheer.
“What can I get pompoms like those?!”
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“So do I need to remind you of what our goal is here?” Rainbow hovers around her teammates.
Bulk Biceps responds, “Uh... Maybe.”
Rainbow shook her head at Bulk for that response, “We want to qualify. For our qualifying round, we are timed to enter the games. So we have work on our speed and agility.”
Rainbow’s team acknowledged her words while Rainbow called on the buff stallion, “Bulk Biceps, you’re the first flyer, so let me see how you do!”
Bulk sprang off the ground and joined up with Rainbow in the sky. Rainbow smiled and said, “Good, here’s I want you to do. Watch this!”
Rainbow flew to a rainbow ribbon wrapped pole, like a falcon she sharply turned around this pole and flew back to Bulk.
“I want you to fly around this pole as close as possible without touching it,” said Rainbow, “You got it?”
Bulk nodded then with all his strength flapped his wings towards the pole. Rainbow watched his teammate darted towards the pole, her eyes are fixed with hope that he’ll make a turn and then suddenly drained as his bulky marshmallow slammed his face and slid down to the ground.
“Ugh... get up and try again, Bulk Biceps,” Rainbow commanded as Bulk regains his composure and went back to start.
Rainbow moved away from Bulks flight path, Bulk flew to the pole in the same speed as last time but he moves to the side, certainly he’ll make the turn this time. That is until... “Heads up!” Something splattered on his face then he completely missed the pole and crashed into the tree.
“What the...?” Another one flies up and she caught it. She notices on her hooves an apple brown betty.
Applejack is the one who’s tossing those betties up, “Sorry, Got the idea from them but...” Two ponies on the ground stomped their hooves down on the lever tossing the cakes up and their competing teammates caught them with their mouths without a hitch, “It looks like they got better aim.”
Rainbow shook her head in disgust, even though it’s not a bad idea but next time, Applejack should notify her first so she’ll approve that for training.
Then she return to her fallen teammate who regained his composure again, “Okay, Bulk, get up and try again.”
This has been going on for an half an hour. Bulk’s attempt has been no better although he got the turning but he keeps touching the pole also sometimes he keeps missing the pole and crashes into a tree. Rainbow just had enough of it.
“All right stop,” said Rainbow as Bulk wheezed after so many trial and flew up to join with his leader, “Now we’re moving on to the next stuff.”
Rainbow pulled out a rather dull looking horseshoe with a cloud emblem inside it, “Okay, the passing of the baton needs to be seamless. You shouldn’t miss a wing beat or drop a hair in altitude, and whatever you do, don’t let go of it!”
She passed the baton to Bulk while he gripped it tightly.
Fluttershy flew up to Bulk, “Are really, really, really sure you’re ready? I mean, I don’t want to take it if you’re not super sure.”
Bulk breathed in with confidence and shouted, “Ready!”
Fluttershy reached her hoof as Bulk passed the baton. Fluttershy got a good grip then it slipped from her, “Oops.”
With a clink, Rarity picked up the baton from the ground, “Hmm, Ponyville could do so much better. I’ll be back with a freshly painted one in no time!”
Rainbow protested as the fashioner trotted away, “Hey, We were using that!”
“It won’t be a minute!” Rarity responded in a singsong voice.
Rainbow shook her head in disbelief, “Oh, It’s not like anypony else has color-coordinated horseshoes or anything!”
She turns to the attention to the other team and finds that one of competitors passes to her teammate a gold horseshoe with a silver cloud baton. Rainbow heart suddenly sank.
“I guess some ponies do,” Rainbow said as she descends to the ground.
“Some ponies do what?” Twilight noticed her friends dismal.
Rainbow sighed as she realized better than anyone, “Have a better chance of qualifying and going to the Equestria Games than others.”