Rainbow Dash was piqued with excitement. After 2 days of tryouts, she had made it to the finals. In all her years she had never made it this far. She stood in the hallway with two other pegasi she wasn’t acquainted with. What seemed like hours later, Spitfire poked her head out of the door and asked for one of the others to step into the evaluation room.
Within five minutes of that, however, that mare came storming out, crying.
“I guess those are the breaks.” said Rainbow Dash.
The second mare crept into the evaluation room. It was odd that this all came down to a small room in the middle of Canterlot Castle. Especially since all the other vettings were done in the air force barracks.
Within a few more minutes, the second mare stormed out of the room, also crying. Rainbow felt sorry for her, but this could only mean one thing! They had saved the best for last.
Rainbow was soon inside the room. It seem strangely cozy for the Wonderbolts. It had soft furniture and a vitriola played soothing music. The room was triangular, leaving Dash to believe there was a second lounge behind the far wall. The strangest thing was that there was a fancy couch on the side wall. Sitting on it was Soarin, completely naked. Not that nudity wasn’t the norm in Equestria, but Rainbow Dash had never seen a Wonder Bolt out of their uniform before.
Spitfire sat behind her desk with a spiral bound day planner and a tin full of pencils. She sized Rainbow up and rubbed her hooves together in satisfaction. “Congratulations, Dash. You’ve made it to the final test. We just need one last thing from you and we’ll know if you’re cut out to be one of us.”
Dash panicked. “This isn’t going to involve a written test is it?!”
Spitfire snickered. “Oh, no. You can do this orally.”
“Ok, good. I’m good at taking tests orally. Give me your worst! I can take anything you can dish out!”
“You are just too much, Rainbow Dash.” Spitfire had to choke down a chuckle. “But Sourin will be administering this test. It will be up to him to judge your... physical abilities.” Spitfire wore an evil grin. Soarin was making bedroom eyes at Dash, and motioned for her to join him on the couch.
Rainbow Dash blushed. “So that’s how it is?!”
“Yes, that’s how it is. If you want in to the Wonder Bolts, you need to let Sourin give you body a thorough inspection.”
“What about you?”
Spitfire licked her lips. “I like to watch.”
One thing was clear. Rainbow Dash was not going to get into the Wonder Bolts unless she put out. She began to feel a pang in her stomach. Her entire life had been spent pursuing this, and it all amounted to something so petty. She turned for the door.
“C’mon Dashie, don’t be such a baby.” teased Spitfire.
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth. Her dreams and standards were now at odds with each other. She felt like her entire perspective on life had been shattered. Then she remembered something her father said; “If you don’t have the right perspective, there’s no way you can fly in the right direction.” Rainbow struggled to finally put together what those words meant.
Then it hit her. The night before she was in the barracks with the other hopefuls. She had stepped outside to look into the night sky. It was so beautiful. She saw what she swore was Princess Luna traveling through the sky, though it could have just been a shooting star. Blossomforth joined her on the field. “Those Wonder Bolts are something.”
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Are they ever! That’s why I’m here!”
“But wouldn’t you like a taste of them? You know that Rapidfire is pretty hot.” Blossomforth said with a wink.
“Oh, are you kidding? If I had half a chance I’d date them all! Behind each others backs!” she laughed! They had gone on all night describing what they’d like to do to which Wonderbolt.
And yet here she was running from the very thing she would have given anything to do yesterday?
Rainbow Dash understood now. It was their rules, but didn’t mean she couldn’t play her way. She shut the door and turned to Soarin on the couch.
Soarin was glad it was her who accepted his offer. It was even better that she was crying. The tears make it all the sweeter. Funny, it didn’t sound like crying, more like a feral growl. Sourin saw through his own arrogance into the hungry stare of Rainbows eyes, but it was too late. She pounced on him.
Spitfire’s mouth was agape with what she was witnessing. The force of Dash's movements made the strong Soarin a rag doll to be played with. Any protests he made with his hoofs were swatted away. The entire room was shaking with her fury, to the point where the pencils in the tin on her desk were dancing about. She was feeling a mix of excitement, jealousy and fear. All these feelings solidified into terror when Dash shot a look at her. Rainbow mouthed the words “You’re next.”
By the end of that day, the hallway outside the evaluation room was full of injured Wonder Bolts. Some had sore hunches, others were bruised and battered, most were exhausted. All were being treated for dehydration. As the nurse pegasi were running about, a limping Spitfire made her way to the throne room of Princess Celestia.
“My Princess! I am happy to announce we have chosen our newest member. I’d like to suggest she start immediately, as we have sustained several... injuries.”
The Princess was calmly sipping her tea. “That’s interesting. I thought there was no flying for you today, for tryouts. How odd.”
Spitfire tried to hide her shame behind her flight goggles. “It seems we were over-eager in our attempts to vett our applicants.”
Princess Celestia spoke dryly. “You won’t be making such mistakes in the future, I presume?”
Spitfire hung her head in shame, defeated. “Yes, my Princess.”
“And I trust you’ll be removing your ‘casting couch’ from the evaluation room.” Celestia took another sip of tea.
“That won’t be necessary, my Princess. The casting couch has already been smashed to pieces.”
Rainbow Dash now stood alone before Celestia. It was all she could do to hold back the huge grin on her face. She had been accepted by her heroes, tasted them, and now was wearing her very own Wonder Bolts uniform. This was the best day ever!
The Princess finished her tea and addressed her new servant. “Congratulations Rainbow Dash. You’re spirit has helped me improve morale and do away with some unsavory selection practices. You deserve a medal for this.”
“Your Majesty”, a bit of Rainbows grin was seeping through “I was happy to help. This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Celestia grinned back. “Yes, but there is still the matter of the Elements of Harmony. My pupil Twilight Sparkle still needs to study your methods of friendship in Ponyville.”
Rainbow’s heart sank.
“I think it would be best if I didn’t call you up to active duty until until next season, at the earliest.”
“Well, can I at least keep the outfit?” Rainbow Dash begged.
“Of course, my friend. You can take it with you. I’ll be sending a letter of recommendation shortly. Feel free to tell all your friends about your great accomplishment! You, more than any pegasus I know are Wonder Bolts material! Thank you for all you’ve done for us this day.”
With mixed feelings, Rainbow Dash darted past the evaluation room toward the palace exit. Spitfire was pushing Soarin, the last of the injured, away on a stretcher. As they disappeared into the long hallway, Rainbow Dash heard him call out to her;
“I regret nothing!”