"Ha! I told you that I was the best flyer in all of Equestria!" Shouted Rainbow Dash as she raced through the air.
"Impossible! How can you be so fast?!" asked Plasma Burner as he struggled to keep up with Rainbow Dash's speed.
"Who's the novice now Plasma Burner?"
"No, it can't be!"
"I gonna win! I knew I would win!"
"Rainbow Dash! Look out ahead of you!" shouted Plasma Burner.
Rainbow Dash turned forward to see a giant wall of storm clouds. She quickly turned back only to find herself surrounded by a raging storm. Thunder and lightning crashed all around her. She began maneuvering through the clouds, but no matter where she flew there were just more storm clouds in her way. The lightning began to strike at her as she flew through the storm. Her attempts were in vain as a lightning bolt suddenly struck her wing, sending her falling towards the ground. As she fell, the world around her began falling apart. She screamed her lungs out as she continued falling down an endless pit.
"Rainbow Dash!"
"Rainbow Dash!"
"Rainbow Dash! Wake up!" shouted Plasma Burner.
"Gah! What?! What's happening?!" she shouted as her eyes shot open. Her eyes focused on Plasma Burner as he was shaking her.
"You were screaming in your sleep. Are you okay? That must have been one horrible nightmare." said Plasma Burner as he let her go.
"Yeah, I'm okay. What time is it?" she asked as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"It's morning. The sun rose about an hour ago. Come, it's time for breakfast. I'll prepare some tea, it will help calm your mind." said Plasma Burner as he headed out the door.
"Yeah, today's the big day after all." said Rainbow Dash as she got out of bed. The week had passed by so quickly, each day Rainbow Dash applied Plasma Burner's medicine onto his wing. At last his wound had disappeared and he had grown new feathers. Rainbow Dash climbed out of bed and headed downstairs where Plasma Burner was preparing breakfast. After they finished eating, Rainbow Dash stepped outside and took in a deep breath. At last the day of their race had come, and she couldn't be more excited.
"Enjoying the fresh air?" asked Plasma Burner as he stepped outside to join her.
"You could say that. So how about it? Are you ready to race?"
"Humph, if you can call it that. I'll be sure to make you feel like you stood a chance before you lose."
"We'll see who loses!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she darted in front of him.
"Rainbow Dash!" called a voice from below.
Rainbow Dash and Plasma Burner walked towards the clouds edge and looked down to see five ponies standing below them. "Hey! You all made it!" Rainbow Dash took off and landed near her friends. "I'm glad you're all here!"
"Oh Rainbow Dash! I'm so glad to see that you're okay! I heard about what happened to you during that horrible storm!" said a white unicorn.
"Ah can't believe you would go flying in that storm! Ah thought you of all Pegasus ponies would know better than to pull something like that!" said an orange earth pony.
"Yeah, I guess it wasn't my best move." said Rainbow Dash as she rubbed the back of her head.
"So? Where is this amazing Pegasus who saved your life?" asked the white unicorn.
Rainbow lifted her head up, "He's up....there....Where did he go?"
"I'm right here." he said from behind Rainbow Dash.
"Gah! Don't do that!" she shouted as she jumped in shock due to his sudden appearance.
"What's wrong? Did I scare you?" he asked.
"N-not a chance! Nothing can scare me!" She noticed that Plasma Burner was wearing the cloak he wore on the first day that they met. "Why are you wearing that thing again?"
"I always wear this when I go out. I don't want to be seen by anypony who might recognize me. Besides, I don't like meeting new ponies."
"So this is the Pegasus who saved your life?" asked as the white unicorn.
"Yeah this is him. Plasma Burner, this is-"
"Rarity, Applejack, and the pink one who is about to try and surprise me from behind is Pinkie Pie." said Plasma Burner as he quickly ducked down. At that moment, Pinkie Pie had leaped at Plasma Burner to surprise him but ended up leaping over him and landing on the other side instead.
"Hey! How did you know I was coming from behind?" she asked.
"I could hear your hoofsteps."
"How in tarnation did you hear her?! Ah couldn't even see her, let alone hear her." asked Applejack.
"It's quite simple for me."
"You listened to the wind, didn't you?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Say what now?" asked Applejack.
"He listened...to the wind?" asked Rarity.
"Yeah, it's this cool thing he can do." said Rainbow Dash..
"It's amazing!" said Twilight. "I've been stopping by at his home recently and have been studying this ability of his. It's unlike anything I've ever seen! It seems that everypony has their own personal wind pattern surrounding them, and he is somehow able to read them like books! It tells him who they are, where they are, what they're doing, and it allows him to read their emotions!"
"Well, that certainly is interesting." said Rarity.
"Ah don't know. It sounds kind of funny to me. What about you Fluttershy? can you, um, hear the wind?" asked Applejack.
"Oh no, I can't do anything like that."
"Alright, I think that's enough! I hope you all haven't forgotten why we all gathered here in the first place!" said Rainbow.
"Oh yeah, the race. Sorry about that Rainbow Dash." said Twilight.
"Do not worry Princess Twilight. Rainbow Dash is simply anxious to lose." said Plasma Burner.
"Oh you're asking for it now! Let's go! I've been dying to beat you in a race all week!" said Rainbow Dash.
"Very well then. Let's be on our way." said Plasma Burner as he began to lead them down the road.
As they began their trip towards the hills, Rarity moved ahead to walk alongside Plasma Burner. "Pardon me, but are you going to wear that...thing...all day?"
"Yes, I do not like to be seen by others. Although I shall not be wearing it during the race."
"Then you wear that even when Rainbow Dash is around?"
"No, she has seen my face. Only by sheer coincidence though. She just happened to be around when my hood came off."
"I see. Where did you get that cloak? It looks very old, and I'd say it's been through a lot as well."
"Hey Rarity, what's with the bag?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Oh it's just a little something I brought just in case."
"Hang on a minute!" Applejack interrupted. "Ah want to know more about this...hearing the wind thing. How did it tell you our names?"
"I would be happy to tell you Applejack, but I'm not so sure an Earth pony who works on her family's apple farm with her little sister, big brother, and grandmother, would be able to understand the concept of listening to wind."
"How in Equestria?!"
As Applejack gawked in amazement, Rarity slowed down to talk with Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, are you sure you cannot listen to the wind? You are a Pegasus pony as well, so would you not have the same ability?"
"I'm sorry. I don't think I can."
"Not just any Pegasus pony knows how to listen to the wind. Only those with certain wing types can possess this ability." said Plasma Burner.
"Yeah, like me!" said Rainbow Dash.
"Really? Well then what do you feel when you listen to the wind Rainbow Dash?" asked Applejack.
"I, uh...I don't know how to listen to the wind...yet." she said with red cheeks. At long last they had arrived on the hill that would be the starting point for their race. "Aw yeah! Finally I get to show you just how awesome the great Rainbow Dash can be!"
"Easy there Rainbow." said Applejack as she leaned in to whisper to Rainbow Dash. "From what ah've heard, this guy is a professional. So ah don't think you'll be able to beat him so easily."
"What?! Are you saying I might lose?!" asked Rainbow.
"Ah'm just saying that you should think about what you're getting yourself into! He's not like others ponies. Something about him just seems...strange. It's like he's hiding something."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. He's been keeping his awesome flying secrets from me! And now it's time for me to uncover all of them!" said Rainbow as she ran towards Plasma Burner.
Applejack put her hoof out. "No Rainbow, that's not what ah...oh forget it. Ah'm sure ah'm just worrying about nothing."
"Alright! Let's get this race started!" shouted Rainbow Dash.
"No, not yet." said Plasma Burner.
"What?! Why not?!" asked Rainbow Dash. "I was promised a race! And I'm not about to let you walk out on this!"
"I'm not walking out on our race!" shouted Plasma Burner.
"Then what's the problem?"
"Somepony's coming." he said.
"What? How do you know?" she asked.
"I can feel them...No, not them...her."
"Who is it?"
"It's Spitfire. She's coming this way." said Plasma Burner as he looked up to the sky.
"Are you sure?" asked Twilight. "I can't see anything."
"Yes, neither can I." said Rarity.
"Ah think you're pulling our legs." said Applejack. They all stared in the same direction as Plasma Burner but couldn't see anything. After a few moments they all spotted a small dot in the middle of the sky. The more they waited, the more they could make out the shape of the object. Soon they could see the yellow coat and the fiery mane of Spitfire heading towards them. They continued watching in amazement as Spitfire moved in for a landing nearby. "Ah don't believe it. How did you do that?!"
Spitfire turned around to look at all of the ponies standing there with a smile. "Hello everypony! I hope I'm not too late to see the race!"
"What are you doing here Spitfire?" asked Plasma Burner.
"Well it's been so long since I've seen you fly, and I thought it might be fun to watch you race again. So here I am!"
"Hey Spitfire! It's great to see you again!" said Twilight.
"Greetings princess! Forgive me for not noticing you sooner!" said Spitfire as she bowed to Twilight.
"It's okay, really. I bet you can't wait to watch this race huh?"
"Of course! Good luck Rainbow Dash, you're going to need it!
"Oh, uh, yeah...thanks." said Rainbow Dash as she turned away. If I win, then she'll have to go on a date with Plasma Burner.
~~~~~
"Captain please, I still love you."
~~~~~
No, I can't think about that right now! thought Rainbow as she shook her head. "Are you ready or what?!"
"Hmm? Of course I am ready." said Plasma Burner as he removed his cloak. "So, how are we doing this?"
"Oh my, well he certainly is a looker." said Rarity. "I see why Rainbow Dash has taken a liking to him."
"Ah don't think so. She's probably been too focused on learning flying tips from this guy."
"You know I can hear you!" shouted Rainbow Dash in embarrassment. "The first one to fly around that mountain and back wins!" said Rainbow Dash as she pointed towards a mountain on the opposite side of Ponyville.
"That's about an fifteen minute long flight for an average Pegasus. It's not exactly challenging, but I suppose it will have to do. Where is the starting line?"
"Right here!" said Rainbow as she began dragging her hoof along the ground. "I hope you're ready, because I'm not holding anything back!"
"I'll be sure to watch out then." he said with a grin.
"Hey Twilight, do you think you can do the countdown for us?" asked Rainbow.
"Of course Rainbow Dash, I would be delighted to." said Twilight as she walked up to the starting line. "Ahem! Welcome everypony! Today we will be having a race between our very own Rainbow Dash, and the new mysterious Pegasus in town known as Plasma Burner! This is sure to be an exciting race so don't look away!" The other ponies began cheering as Twilight continued talking. "Alright ponies, get ready! Three!"
At last!
"Two!"
It's finally happening!
"One!"
Time to show my stuff!
"GO!"
Rainbow Dash took off like lightning towards the sky. She planned to fly at half her full speed in the beginning, then if that didn't work she would increase to her full speed, if that still wasn't enough then she would use the sonic rainboom to finish the race and guarantee her victory. As she soared through the sky she took a quick glance back to see if Plasma Burner was flying behind her. When she did look back there was nothing there. "Ha! This is going to be even easier than I thought it would be!"
"I agree, this is going to be quite the easy win. Perhaps I was too lenient when I said that you were just above a novice?"
"What?! Who said that?!" asked Rainbow as she began looking around. "Where are you?!"
"Up here."
Rainbow Dash tilted her head up to see Plasma Burner flying right above her. "What...When did you get there?!"
"I've been here since the beginning of the race. I'm surprised you didn't notice me, then again you are just a novice. Perhaps even below a novice? I'm not sure there's a rank low enough to describe your...abilities, if you can call them that."
"Grrr, I'll show you!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she burst forward. She took another glance back expecting to see Plasma Burner falling behind, but here was nopony there. She then checked above herself to make sure that he wasn't there. "Humph! I showed him!"
"Indeed, you've shown me that this is going to be the easiest race I've ever had."
Rainbow Dash lifted her head again, but saw nothing. "What the?! Where are you?!"
"Down here."
Rainbow Dash lowered her head to see Plasma Burner with his body turned upside down. She noticed his hooves were behind his head and his eyes were closed. "Are you sleeping in the middle of the race?!"
"Of course not, I'm just relaxing..." He opened his eyes and looked at Rainbow with a smile. "And I've got to say the view is rather nice."
"T-t-the view?!" she said with a blush. As they soared over the skies of Ponyville, Plasma Burner and Rainbow Dash began flying around each other. Their Rainbow trails intertwining as they continued spiraling around one another. Rainbow Dash could then feel Plasma Burner closing the distance between them. Soon they were nearly face to face, and Rainbow Dash's face was getting hotter and hotter.
Plasma Burner closed his eyes and turned away, "Can we stop playing games? My wings are warmed up now and I'm getting bored."
His words made Rainbow Dash shake her head in anger. "Why you! If you're so bored, then I guess it's time I show you my true speed!"
Rainbow's comment intrigued him. "Is that so? So does that mean you've been holding out on me?" he asked.
"That's right! Get ready for my secret weapon! THE SONIC RAINBOOM!!!" shouted Rainbow. At that moment she exploded forward as a giant explosion of rainbow colors filled the sky.
Back on the Hill
Rainbow Dash's friends cheered as they saw the great sonic rainboom in the sky. "Amazing! I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing that!" said Twilight.
"Ah hear you. That Plasma Burner fellow is in for a real race now!" said Applejack.
"I can't wait to throw Rainbow Dash a victory party!" said Pinkie Pie as she waved flags with rainbows on them.
"Oh such beauty!" said Rarity as she watched the sonic rainboom through a pair of binoculars. "Oooh! I just had an idea for a new dress for Rainbow Dash!"
"I hope she wins." said Fluttershy.
"Don't count on it." said Spitfire. The other ponies turned to face her. "I can tell you right now that Plasma Burner hasn't even been trying to win this race yet. That sonic rainboom may give Rainbow Dash a great boost of speed, but it's not going to be enough to beat Plasma Burner."
Back in the Race
Rainbow Dash had just performed the sonic rainboom and burst forward at incredible speeds. "How do you like my secret weapon?!" Rainbow Dash could feel that her speed was still increasing. "Wow! This is amazing! I've never flown this fast before!" said Rainbow Dash as she finally reached the mountain. "Oh man, it's harder to turn at this speed. I can do this though, I can win!" she shouted.
"Are you so sure about that?"
Rainbow turned back to see a blue blur of colors rush towards her at great speeds. "No way, it can't be!"
"I must admit that move was quite impressive, not many Pegasus ponies can perform a move as advanced as that." said Plasma Burner as he kept up with her speed. "However I think it's time I showed you what true speed is." In that single moment, before she could even blink, Plasma Burner had disappeared.
"T-t-that's impossible! How did he..." Rainbow Dash continued flying around the mountain and when she finally came around she could see a giant explosion of blue colors in the sky and a thin blue trail that lead to the finish line. "No way, did he use a sonic rainboom too?! There's no way, there's just no way!" she shouted. Rainbow flew as fast as she could back towards the hill. When she landed back on the hill she struggled to catch her breath.
"Rainbow Dash are you okay?" asked Twilight as she ran up to her.
"Yeah...I just...I just need to catch...my breath. Did...Did I win?" she asked.
"Well..."
"I'm afraid not." said Plasma Burner as he walked up to her, wearing his cloak once again.
"What?! How?!"
"I'm impressed that you could perform such a technique, but you're only on the first level." said Plasma Burner. "Even I can perform your 'sonic rainboom' whenever I want."
"That's...impossible!"
"That was incredible! Ah can't believe how much faster you've gotten Rainbow Dash!" said Applejack.
"Thanks...but I think I need to rest a little." said Rainbow Dash as she collapsed.
"Don't worry Rainbow Dash! I brought my picnic baskets just in case!" said Pinkie Pie.
"Great idea Pinkie Pie! This place is perfect for a picnic!" said Twilight.
"I brought some blankets that we could use!" said Rarity.
"So that's...what was in...the bag!" said Rainbow Dash.
"Let's find a place with some good shade!" said Applejack.
"Um, do you mind if I come along?" asked Spitfire.
"Of course not! You're more than welcome to join us!" said Twilight.
"You don't mind, do you Plasma Burner?" asked Spitfire.
"It is not my place to say. Do what you want. I'm heading home."
"No way! You have to stay and have a picnic with us silly!" said Pinkie Pie. "I will not let you leave until you have some cake!" she shouted with determination.
"Hmmm...fine. If you insist."
"Hooray!!!"
The eight ponies then went in search for a shady spot so that they could set up the blankets and enjoy the picnic. After a short while, Plasma Burner found them the perfect spot and they began unpacking Pinkie Pie's basket. It was mostly full of cakes, cupcakes, candy, and a few sandwiches. They chatted away about their old adventures to Spitfire and Plasma Burner, the most incredible one being about their battles and how they saved the world with the elements of harmony.
"Pinkie Pie! Quit hogging all of the chocolate cupcakes!" said Rainbow Dash.
"How many of those did you bring with you anyway?" asked Rarity.
"Well I wasn't sure how many we would need so I just grabbed three baskets and filled them all up!" she said as she pulled out more baskets from the first basket.
"How did you even get those in there?!" asked Applejack.
"It's a secret!" said Pinkie with a smile.
As everybody was having fun chatting away, Plasma Burner stood up and looked towards the forest. "I'm going for a walk."
"I'll come with you." said Rainbow Dash.
"No, I will only be a moment. Stay here with your friends."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yes. I will return soon." he said as he left.
The picnic continued for a while until they all decided to pack things up and head for home. "Come on Pinkie Pie, let's get this stuff back into the basket." said Twilight.
"I must say those cupcakes were quite delectable." said Rarity.
"Hey, where did Spitfire go?" asked Rainbow as she looked around.
"Ah think she said she had some business to take care of." said Applejack.
"Did you see where she went?"
"I think she went that way." said Fluttershy as she pointed into the forest.
"I think I'll go take a look around and see if I can't find her and Plasma Burner. We should at least let them know we're heading back." said Rainbow Dash as she headed into the forest. "Man, I didn't think it would be this hard to find those two. Where are you Plasma Burner? Spitfire?" She continued running through the endless maze of trees hoping to find some trace of Plasma Burner or Spitfire. She saw a cliff off in the distance, she then noticed two ponies standing near the edge. She began creeping up on them, eventually she could see that it was Plasma Burner and Spitfire. She snuck up on them but kept her distance in hopes that Plasma Burner would not be able to sense her.
"This view is beautiful, isn't it? It reminds me of the time we flew to the top of the Crystek mountains." said Spitfire.
"..."
"Soarin couldn't even make the trip up with us because he forgot his goggles so the snow kept getting into his eyes when the wind would pick up. We had to go on ahead without him, he didn't show up for another hour."
"..."
"Do you remember the picture we took? I still have the scarf you got me."
"..."
That must be the picture I saw! thought Rainbow.
"I also have the picture we took on that day. I've kept it in my office for all these years."
"..."
"Did you get my letter?"
"...Yes."
"You know, you're allowed to bring a guest with you."
"I am well aware."
"I was wondering...if you wanted to go together?"
"...No."
"Why not?" she asked.
Plasma Burner turned his head away. "Because I refuse. And even if I did decide to go, I wouldn't go with you, or for you." He then began walking along the edge of the cliff, not looking back at Spitfire.
She then began to follow from behind. "B-but...why not? I don't understand! I'm trying to fix what we've lost but you just keep brushing me off! This isn't like you!"
"This is me. This is who I am, and I don't care what anypony else thinks about me."
"What about your fans?! The ponies who still remember you! The ones who cheered for you every time you flew across the stadiums with your team?!"
"They've probably all but forgotten about me by now. They've moved on to the new face of the Wonderbolts."
"That's not true! I haven't forgotten about you! I never stopped thinking about you after you left! I even tried looking for you, hundreds of times! But no matter how hard I tried, I could never find you!"
"..."
"Then finally one day I got that letter from Rainbow Dash and I learned that you've come home! I couldn't have been happier to see that you had come back!"
"I did not come back. The fact that you had even discovered my presence in Ponyville was a mistake."
"Then why did you go to Ponyville? Why now?"
"I don't know. The wind...it brought me here. Or rather...it feels like it pulled me here. I'm not even sure I should stay here anymore."
Rainbow Dash continued following and listening to them. "What? He can't leave!" She whispered as she prepared to approach them. "He still has-"
"But I can't." said Plasma Burner as he stopped and looked across the land. Rainbow Dash then stopped in her tracks, waiting to hear his next words. "I have a promise to keep."
"A promise? What promise?" asked Spitfire.
"That Pegasus, Rainbow Dash. I made that promise to teach her. Until I've completed this task, I cannot leave."
"That's why you can't leave?! That stupid bet you made with her?! Why is that even important to you?! I'm here trying to get you to open up to me and I even asked you to come to the big party up in Canterlot, but you won't even give it a second thought!"
"Humph! You know I erased all records of myself from the Wonderbolts! If I attended such a party, who's to say I won't be recognized by somepony there?"
"But that's a good thing! If we go to the party together then everypony will remember you and you can return to the Wonderbolts! It can be like old times, we'll be together again!"
"I refuse!"
"But why?!" she shouted. Her eyes then suddenly went wide with shock as she quickly shot a glare at Plasma Burner. "It's her, isn't it? It's that pony!"
"What about her?"
"You...you would rather go with her wouldn't you?!"
"Go? With her? Humph...and if I did?"
"Why?! I love you! I've waited for you to come back all this time! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"
"You know it's something that will never be no matter how much you want. Times have changed Spitfire, and I don't love you anymore." he said as he turned away from her.
Spitfire then ran up and grabbed Plasma Burner. "Why?! Why her?! Why some stupid mare like her who could never understand you like I do?!"
Rainbow Dash's eyes grew wide as her idol had just insulted her. She began to feel angry, but at the same time she felt upset. She had admired the Wonderbolts all her life, especially Spitfire since she was everything Rainbow Dash had been aspiring to become one day. She bit her lip as she prepared to reveal herself to them both and get back at Spitfire.
Before Rainbow Dash made her move, however, Plasma Burner immediately shook Spitfire's grip away as he gave her a mean look. Just then a gust of wind suddenly blew in and began flowing around both Plasma Burner and Spitfire, it was as if the wind was surrounding them. "How DARE you speak that away about her! She has done absolutely nothing wrong to you, and yet you think you can just insult her like that?! You don't know anything about her or what she's been through! It's time for you to go...NOW!!!"
Spitfire's eyes began to tear up as she ran away angry and took to the skies. Rainbow Dash then watched as the wind around Plasma Burner died down as he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He then looked back over the hill as the wind slowly blew by. Rainbow Dash was unsure as what to do next now that Plasma Burner was alone. She then took a deep breath and began walking towards Plasma Burner. "Hey...are you okay?"
Plasma Burner immediately looked back to see her approaching him. "Huh? Oh, it's you Rainbow Dash."
"Are you okay? I saw that big gust of wind over here. I didn't know what was causing it so I came as quick as I could."
"Ah...I see. Not to worry Rainbow Dash, the wind has already gone and passed."
"Oh, okay. Hey, have you seen Spitfire? I was coming to tell the both of you that we were heading back home."
"Sorry, but I'm afraid you just missed her. She had some important Wonderbolt business to take care of so she couldn't stay."
"Oh, well that's too bad. Um, well, do you want to head back now? I think they're waiting for us back at the starting line."
"...Yes. Let us head back." Plasma Burner then turned around and began walking towards Rainbow Dash. "Are you okay? Your wind...it feels cold."
"Me? Oh...yeah, I'm fine! I'm still a bit tired from our race so that's probably it."
"Well then, we should head back so that you can rest." Together, the two made their way through the trees and found Rainbow Dash's friends still waiting for them. "My apologies for being gone for so long. I hope I didn't make you all wait too long."
"Oh not at all deary." said Rarity. "We just finished packing up so you showed up right on time!"
"Hey, we're still missing Spitfire." said Twilight.
"Plasma Burner said that she already left." said Rainbow Dash.
"Oh that's too bad. I wanted to ask her something. But maybe you could answer my question Plasma Burner?"
"If it is something within my knowledge then I would be more than happy to answer your question princess."
"Well...you see. It looked like the two of you knew each other, so I wanted to know-"
"Yes...Spitfire and I knew each other before today. We had first met long ago."
"Wow, where did you two meet?"
Plasma Burner turned away and looked up to the sky. "Forgive me princess, but I would much appreciate if you simply forget the matter altogether. I do not like to talk about...my past."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."
"No, it's fine. You were only curious princess. Now then, shall we all head back?"
"Yes, of course. Come on everypony! Let's go home." said Twilight as she led them back to Ponyville. On their way back home to Ponyville Plasma Burner stayed in the back of the group. Rainbow Dash looked back to see him there and slowed down so she could talk to him.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Hm? I believe it is the sky."
"What? No, dummy, I'm asking how are you?"
"Oh, of course. My apologies, I was lost in thought for a moment."
"Lost in thought? Well what are you thinking about?"
"Let me ask you something Rainbow Dash. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"Through with what? You mean the training? Of course I'm sure! It's my dream to become the fastest flyer in all of Equestria and one day become captain of the Wonderbolts...or maybe...even start my own team! I know I'm not as good as you, or Spitfire, but I know I can do this! I can handle the training, and I will not give up no matter how tough it gets!"
"Oh...no I was talking about our date."
"Our...date?!" she repeated.
Suddenly all of Rainbows friends turned their heads and stared at the two of them. "Date?!"
"D-did you just say your date?!" asked Rarity.
"Did she not mention that to you?" asked Plasma Burner. "When Rainbow Dash demanded a race from me, she decided to make a bet on the race. Now that she's lost the race, she must go on a date with me."
"Eeeeeeeh! Rainbow Dash! So this was your plan all along?" asked Rarity.
"No way. Ah didn't think you would go this far just to get a date with a colt." said Applejack.
"So where are you two going to go for your date?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"Does that mean you lost on purpose?" asked Twilight.
"No! You girls all have it wrong!" said Rainbow Dash as she attempted to get control of her situation.
"Well, it seems you have this under control. I think I'll take my leave now." said Plasma Burner as he took off with a smile on his face.
"You! You did that on purpose! Didn't you?!" she shouted at him while her friends continued to bombard her with questions.
"Good luck Rainbow Dash!"
"Get back here!" she shouted. "Ack! Girls please! It's not like that! Just let me explain!"
30 Minutes Later
Plasma Burner was in his cloud home watching the sun set as his dinner was cooking in his kitchen. He had some tea in a cup and occasionally drank small sips as he watched the sun go down. He began to think about how difficult his life had become so suddenly. All he wanted was to be left alone and forgotten by the world, now he has a student ready to learn from him, and his past has caught up to him in the form of his ex-girlfriend Spitfire.
*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*
"My, those are quite the aggressive knocks." said Plasma Burner as he made his way to his front door. He opened it to see Rainbow Dash there, staring at him angrily. "Hmmm...can I help you?"
"Oh! Sure! Now you ask me that! What about earlier when I actually NEEDED your help?!" she shouted. "They kept asking weird questions about us that it took me forever to clear things up!"
"I'd say about twenty eight minutes, and then two minutes to get here."
"DON'T JOKE ABOUT THIS!!!" she shouted. "Geez! I've never been so embarrassed before in my life!"
"What about when I called you out about spying on me with your friends telescope?"
"That was embarrassing too!" She said as she tried to calm herself.
"So tell me, was yelling at me the only reason you came by?"
"Huh? Oh, well...I was wondering about the...you know..." Rainbow's face began to blush slightly.
"Ah, right, I almost forgot to tell you...training begins tomorrow morning when the sun comes up."
"Huh? Wait, I was talking about...grrrr!"
"Something wrong? You seemed so excited about finally getting trained by me."
"I am! But you just...never mind!" Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, feeling irritated. "I'm going home now. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" she said. She opened her eyes to see Plasma Burner smiling at her. "Why are you smiling like that?"
"Oh nothing, I'm just enjoying the view. It's rather beautiful." he said.
Rainbow Dash then turned around to see the sun about to fully set. "Wow, you're right. It is beautiful."
"I wasn't talking about the sun." said Plasma Burner as he closed the front door.
"Huh?!" Rainbow Dash quickly turned back only to see that Plasma Burner had already gone back inside. "He wasn't talking about the sunset? W-was he talking about...me?" She then jumped off of his cloud and flew back to her own home and walked inside the front door. "Phew! I'm kind of glad to be back home!" Rainbow Dash closed her door and then took a few steps and relaxed on a nearby sofa. "Aaaahhhh, hey I was wondering...oh yeah...there's no one else here. It's...just me...again."
Rainbow Dash got off the sofa and walked towards the stairs until her stomach growled. She then decided to find something to eat before she goes to bed. She made herself a hayburger and began making her way towards the stairs, until suddenly she felt really cold. She immediately froze in place, she didn't know why but she felt as though she was in danger. Then before her very eyes, an unknown blur began flying through her home at incredible speeds. The blur continued to rummage through her home, breaking everything and distorting her cloud home as it flew.
Rainbow Dash attempted to run for the door until she was blocked off by the blur. It was then that the blur began to circle around Rainbow Dash, this being began to scare her like nothing ever had before. She feared this being that she couldn't see, "Who are you?! What do you want?!" she screamed. It was then that the figure stopped for a split second in front of her. It almost appeared to be a pony, wearing some form of purple suit. The figure then disappeared from her line of sight, and the front door was left open. Rainbow Dash turned around to see that her home was completely destroyed by whatever it was that had attacked her.
"W-w-what w-was-" Rainbow Dash was cut off as she noticed a picture of her friends, shattered on the floor. She lifted the picture to see that the figure had cut a message for her on the picture. One line only...
Stay away from Plasma Burner!
Rainbow Dash felt an ice cold wind overcome her entire body as her home continued to fall apart, the speed at which her home distorted increased with each passing second. She quickly ran out the front door and took to the night sky of Ponyville. She turned to see the horrible damage done to her home and immediately began flying towards Plasma Burner's cloud home which was still there in one piece. She slammed down onto the cloud and began banging on the front door with all her strength. She continued to knock on the door even faster as the absolute feeling of fear inside began to cause tears to fall down her face.
Just then she could see a light heading down the home and towards the front door. "Whose banging on my door?!" shouted Plasma Burner. He then realized that it was Rainbow Dash and that she was crying. "Rainbow Dash? What's wrong?!" Plasma Burner could immediately sense that something was wrong. This feeling, her wind is completely erratic. But this fear is different, it's almost as is her life was at risk.
"P-p-please help me!" she screamed. "My home...something...attacked my home! It's gone...it's completely gone!"
"Something attacked you?! What was it?" he asked. Rainbow Dash just shook her head and continued to cry. "Come inside, quickly." He guided her to the kitchen and prepared some coffee for her, he then brought a blanket down to give her. "Listen to me Rainbow Dash, I want you to stay here. I'm going to go take a look at what happened, but you have to promise me that you're going to stay here. Do you understand?"
"No, please don't leave me! I don't want to be alone!" she shouted.
"It's okay! It's okay Rainbow Dash. I won't be gone for long. I promise, you'll be safe here. I'll be right back." said Plasma Burner as he grabbed his cloak. He then lowered the hood and bolted out the door, leaving Rainbow Dash in his home. "Gone? How could her home be gone? You can't just...destroy, a cloud home." Plasma Burner then arrived at her house to see the ruins of what used to be Rainbow Dash's home. "This...this is...unbelievable. This is impossible! The wind...the air...it's gone...there's absolutely no wind to read here...but that cannot be possible! It's almost as if something cancelled the wind itself!"
Plasma Burner then rushed towards the home of Twilight Sparkle and called her from outside. She opened the door, surprised to see him there. "Plasma Burner? What are you doing here?"
"Princess Twilight, I'm sorry but this is an emergency! Rainbow Dash just came to me saying that she had been under attack!"
"What?! Is she okay?!"
"She's fine, but she's completely terrified of whatever it was that attacked her. Not only that, but her home has been completely destroyed, it's gone."
"Her home...gone. What happened?"
"I don't know. I left her at my home, but I need you to call the royal guard. We don't know if whatever it was that attacked Rainbow Dash is still here in Ponyville or not."
"Right! I'll contact Princess Celestia right away!" said Twilight as she quickly gathered her scrolls and quills. "I'll come by once I've reported the situation to the guards, please take care of Rainbow Dash! I'll tell the others too!"
"Thank you princess, and don't worry, Rainbow Dash will be safe with me." said Plasma Burner as he quickly flew back to his home. He opened the door only to have Rainbow Dash jump out and grab him.
"Don't leave again!" she said as she tightened her grip to him.
"I won't. Don't worry, the royal guards are on their way. Come on, let's go inside." Plasma Burner then brought her to the couch and poured the coffee that had been prepared. I've never seen a pony this scared before. Whatever it was that attacked her, it must be a vicious creature with tremendous abilities. "Rainbow Dash, I need you to tell me what happened."
"I...I went home...right after we talked. I...I walked inside...I got hungry...made myself something to *Sniff* eat. And then...it flew in."
"Flew? So this creature could fly?"
"Y-y-yes. I-I-I-I-I felt so cold before it flew into my home. It kept flying around my home, going back and forth! And then...I tried running for the door...when I saw it!"
"You saw it? What was it?" Rainbow Dash tried to answer, but her fear made it difficult for her. "Rainbow Dash, you have to tell me what you saw."
"It...it looked like a p-p-pony...in a purple s-suit."
".....no.....no that's impossible. Rainbow Dash, you must have seen it wrong. It couldn't possibly have been a-"
"IT'S TRUE! THAT'S WHAT I SAW!!!" she screamed.
"Are you absolutely one hundred percent sure?" he asked.
"YES!!!" she screamed as more tears began falling down her face. "It was horrible! And then...after it left...it left a picture of me and my friends on the ground. It was shattered, but on the back...that thing left a message."
"What did it say?"
"It said...to stay away...from you." Plasma Burner backed off slightly and turned towards the window, shocked. "What do I do now?" she asked. Plasma Burner turned to look at her. "I've lost my home...I spent most of my life in that house! And now...it's gone! I have nothing now!" They began to hear more knocks on the door. Plasma Burner opened the door to see Twilight's friends and a group of royal guards. He allowed them to enter as Rainbow's friends attempted to comfort her, while Plasma Burner shared what he had learned to the royal guards as they began to fly around town to make sure it was safe, while two others flew towards Rainbow Dash's home to investigate the scene. Plasma Burner turned back to look at Rainbow Dash and her friends, and began wondering on what to do next.
"Don't worry Rainbow Dash, the royal guards will find whatever it was that attacked you." said Twilight. "Isn't that right Plasma Burner?" Twilight Sparkle then turned around to see that he had disappeared. "Plasma Burner? Where did he go?"
~~~~~
Plasma Burner soared over the skies of Ponyville, scanning the ground for any signs of the mysterious pony that had attacked Rainbow Dash. Yet no matter how many times he flew over the town, he couldn't find anything. He stopped midair and looked over towards his home where Rainbow Dash was recovering. "What am I doing? She must have seen it wrong. There's no way she saw-" Plasma Burner then stopped as his eyes had fixed themselves on something standing on one of the roofs of Ponyville. There, on top, was the mysterious pony in purple. Just as he had seen him, the pony had taken off and sped off towards the woods. Plasma Burner then immediately took off after him and chased him through the woods.
The two Pegasus ponies raced through the woods, Plasma Burner attempted to catch it but could never get close enough to catch it. Then suddenly they both stopped in a clearing where the moonlight shined down on them. Plasma Burner stared in shock. "You...it was you! You were there! On that day!"
"What's wrong Plasma Burner? You look like you've seen a ghost." said the pony. It's voice sounded as though it had been distorted.
"You...why? How?!" he shouted in anger.
"You want answers tough guy? Then you're going to have to catch me...if you can!" said the pony as it took off at incredible speeds. Plasma Burner immediately took off after the pony as the two continued to race until they entered a clearing where Plasma Burner found himself alone. The mysterious pony was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did he go?" asked Plasma Burner as he looked around.
"Poor Plasma Burner." said a voice from behind. Plasma Burner immediately turned around to see the mysterious pony. "After all these years, you're still too slow. When are you going to learn that you'll never be fast enough to catch me?" The figure then disappeared from Plasma Burner's sight. Then in a quick moment, Plasma Burner was struck from his right, and then from his left, and then a third attack was performed from the front, sending Plasma Burner falling onto the ground.
"Why...why can't...I..."
"Come on Plasma Burner. Is that all you have to show after all these years?"
"Don't underestimate me!" shouted Plasma Burner as he got up and zoomed towards the mysterious pony. The two began to fly around in the air, Plasma Burner attempted to get the upper hand on his opponent, but was soon overwhelmed by the mysterious ponies speed. He was then sent falling towards the ground where the mysterious pony tackled him towards a tree. "You...*cough!* I will get you!"
"Hah! Look at you! Still wanting to go up against me!" said the mysterious pony as it lifted Plasma Burner up. "But you can't even fly straight! Your anger is making you sloppy...just...like...before. You can never beat me Plasma Burner..." Then suddenly a huge gust of wind had overcome them both until Plasma Burner noticed that they were both back in Ponyville. "Because I...am the fastest Pegasus pony alive!" The mysterious Pony then threw Plasma Burner on the ground. "See you around, ex-wonderbolt." The mysterious pony then disappeared in an instant, leaving Plasma Burner there alone.
~~~~~
"Are you feeling any better Rainbow Dash?" asked Fluttershy.
"A little bit...but...I'm getting this sick feeling inside. It's like...something bad just happened."
"Something bad?" said Twilight. "Do you think Plasma Burner's okay?"
"That pony is the fastest colt ah've ever seen. He can handle himself." said Applejack.
Just then, two royal guards entered the house. "Your highness! The guards all report that Ponyville is secure. Whatever it was that had attacked miss Dash's home is gone."
"What about my home?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"We...salvaged what we could from inside. I'm afraid to say that, we could not repair any of the damages." Another guard walked in with a cart full of Rainbow Dash's things. "I'm sorry."
"What am I going to do now?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I can't believe this is happening to me. Where am I supposed to go?"
"Sir! Are you okay?!" asked one of the guards from outside. Everypony turned to see Plasma Burner walk in, covered in bruises.
"Plasma Burner! Are you okay?!" asked Rainbow Dash.
"What happened?!" asked Twilight.
"I...I found it...the thing...that attacked Rainbow...Dash..."
"You went out looking for it?!" asked Rainbow Dash. "Why did you do that?! Look at you! You're hurt!"
"I'll be...fine. But...we have to talk..."
"Talk?! What about you?! You need a doctor!"
"That can wait! Right now, it's important that I tell you about that pony."
"Wait, what?" said Twilight.
"What do you know about this pony?" asked Applejack.
"I know that this isn't the first time it's attacked." said Plasma Burner. "And I know for sure that this won't be the last. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I must speak to Rainbow Dash, alone."
"What, why?!" asked Applejack.
"No, it's fine Applejack." said Rainbow Dash. "Please, let us be alone for now." Everypony did as she asked and everypony waited outside for them.
"Plasma Burner, what's going on? What is that thing? And why didn't you tell us about it sooner?"
"Because I wasn't certain if it was real or not. Rainbow Dash, I know this may seem difficult right now, but I need you to trust me. This isn't going to be easy for you...nor will it be easy for me. But I think it's time I shared my biggest secret with you."
"Y-your biggest secret? Wh...what is it?"
"The true reason as to why I left the Wonderbolts and why I erased my history from them."