Rainbow threw her hooves up. "Rare? The sonic rainboom is WAY more than rare!"
"Rarity?"
Rainbow looked up. Behind Fluttershy, Rarity hovered on shimmering butterfly wings. "Rarity! Are you... flying?"
"I most certainly am! Aren't my wings smashing?" Rarity did a little spin in the air to show them off. "Twilight made them for me. I just adore them!" She paused. "Why so shocked? We couldn't leave our favorite flyer without a big cheering section!"
"We?"
A moment later, her other three friends popped up above the clouds, each one with a matching set of wings.
Rainbow's mouth dropped open. "This is so cool! You guys made it!"
"Sure did!" Pinkie fluttered up next to her. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"I found a spell that makes temporary wings." Twilight touched down on the cloud, eying it a little dubiously at first, but quickly learning to trust it with her weight. "The spellbook said it would be really difficult, but it wasn't really a problem."
"And we came to cheer you to victory!" Applejack landed on the cloud next to them all.
"To be honest, I was starting to get just the teeniest, tiniest bit nervous. But I feel a LOT better now that you guys are here." Rainbow grinned. "I'm sure to win the competition now!"
* * *
Rainbow pushed herself harder and harder, speeding toward the second Rainboom of her life. All her friends were there, from Rarity to Fluttershy. She couldn't let them down!
Finally, just as she passed through the stadium, the barrier broke. She did it! "Yes!" she shouted, even though it would be drowned out by the wind. The rainboom, combined with a perfect run in the beginning would have to be the winning routine!