Rainbow origins: Chapter 2
Rainbow Dash left Cloudsdale early next morning, because she had to tend to the weather in Ponyville. The forecast had called for a partially cloudy day, so Rainbow had to move the clouds the weather factory had sent.
Unfortunately for her, she arrived before anypony else was awake. “Aw, man this is going to be boring.”
As the morning went on, the same thoughts from the previous night began to fill her head once more. Eventually, she stopped working and sat on a cloud with her thoughts. “I wonder what my mother was like. She was probably awesome and adventurous, just like dad said. But he did lie to me about her. Ugh! Why is this so frustrating!?”
“Rainbow Dash! Hey, Rainbow Dash!”
The cyan Pegasus looked over the side of her cloud to see her friends calling up to her. She quickly flew down to them. “Hey guys, what’s up?”
“Rainbow, we just wanted to apologize for yesterday.” Twilight explained. “We shouldn’t have said all those things about your mother.”
“We understand that this subject can be rather personal. Could you forgive us?” Rarity asked.
“Ah don’t worry about it.” Rainbow Dash replied nonchalantly. “Actually, I was going to come looking for you anyway. Rarity, could we go to your place and talk?”
“Why, sure darling. May I ask what about?”
“I’ll explain when we get there.”
The six ponies soon arrived at Rarity’s boutique. She decided to close the shop for the rest of the day, since Rainbow Dash had seemed troubled.
“So what is it ya wanna talk about?” Applejack asked as Rarity magically set a full teacup in front of them.
“Our conversation yesterday got me thinking about my mom. I knew you guys we right about my dad lying to me, so I went to Cloudsdale to get some real answers.” Rainbow Dash explained pushing back the teacup.
“What did he say?” Fluttershy asked
“He said he couldn’t tell me anything, but he did give me this letter” she took the scroll from under her wing and placed it on the table.
Twilight levitated the letter in front of her and read it aloud after she finished, the room was completely silent. “Well Rainbow, this is… interesting.”
“It sounds like your mother was pulled away from you and your father.” Fluttershy suggested. “Or maybe she was trying to protect you from something.”
“I never thought of thought of that.” Rainbow Dash said as she re-read the letter” It does seem like that.”
“So, how do you plan on finding her?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t know! I thought an egghead like you would be able to figure that out for me. No offense.” Rainbow replied.
“Oh!, oh! I know! Let’s go check the Canterlot Archives!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Well aren’t you full of good ideas.” Rarity said, obviously impressed. “Twilight, Don’t the Canterlot Archives hold the birth records of everypony in Equestria?”
“That they do.” Twilight said excitedly. “Girls, it looks like we’re going to Canterlot!” All of them cheered and squealed except for Rainbow Dash, who thought to herself.
“I’m starting to wonder if this is a good idea” she thought
The train ride to Canterlot seemed to take forever to Rainbow Dash. Even on a good day, she was not known for her patience. Now that she has something on her mind the wait was unbearable. It took all she had not to jump off the train and fly to Canterlot herself.
“Is this how Twilight feels when she wants to know something?” Rainbow Dash wondered. “No wonder she spends so much time in that library. I’m glad I’m not always like that.”
Pinkie Pie saw Rainbow Dash staring out the window and bounced over to her. “You seem tense. You need to loosen up a bit!”
“I can’t loosen up pinkie. I’m too… what’s the word?”
“Anxious.” Twilight said from across the train car.
“Yeah, that.”
“It’s like a surprise, and who doesn’t like surprises?!” Pinkie replied. “The feeling you get when you know something coming, but you don’t know what it is. Then you find out and know that the wait was totally worth it!”
Rainbow Dash shook her head and smiled softly. “I guess you’re right Pinkie.”
The next day, the train began to slow down and the intercom sprang to life. “Now arriving in Canterlot. Watch your step when exiting the car and have a nice day.”
“Rainbow, wait up!” Twilight called out as she and her friends galloped after her.
“She is really excited to get there isn’t she?” Fluttershy said to Applejack.
“Well, the ride did take a day so I can understand”
The five ponies eventually caught up to their rainbow-colored friend. Twilight told her that she was heading the wrong way and pointed to a large, blue and white tower near the castle in the center of the city.
Rainbow Dash laughed nervously. “I knew that.”
They soon arrived at the Archives building and were met by a white Pegasus in golden armor.
“Halt! None may enter the archives while-“ The guard noticed who he was talking to. “Oh Twilight, it’s you. So sorry for the inconvenience you may enter.”
“What’s going on?” Twilight asked.
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are away on royal affairs, but before they left, they decreed that none shall enter any property on the castle grounds.” The guard explained. “With the exception of Twilight Sparkle and her friends.”
“Lucky us.” Fluttershy whispered to Rainbow Dash.
“Whatever can we go in now?” Rainbow dash asked impatiently
“Calm down, R.D. Just think in a few minutes ya gonna know who yer ma is.” Applejack replied happily.
Twilight nodded as they trotted inside. “AJ’s right besides, good things come to those who wait.” This earned an agitated groan from Rainbow Dash.
They walked through the building until they came to a small, wooden door.
“Um Twilight, are we lost?” Fluttershy asked.
“Of course not. We’re already here.”
“Hold on ya’ll tellin’ me that all the records fer everypony is behind that ol’ thing?” Applejack asked in disbelief.
“Yep!” Twilight pushed open the door, revealing rows upon rows of full bookshelves that went on as far as the eye could see.
The other ponies stared in awe. “How the-“
“Princess Celestia enchanted this room to grow and not take up space.” Twilight explained. “That way she could port the records of everypony in Equestria in one place.”
“It’s gonna take us forever to find anything in here!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I want to find my mom, but I don’t want to grow old and die first!”
“I agree with Dash.” Added Rarity. “I am much too young and dazzling to rot in this place.”
Twilight laughed. “You guys act as if this place isn’t organized. All we have to do is go in the section that contains Rainbow Dash’s date of birth. It shouldn’t be too far from here.” She galloped away into the sea of bookcases, leaving the others behind
“Couldn’t she have just teleported us there?” Fluttershy asked as they began to follow her.
“Who knows? You couldn’t ask that before we started this awful running?” Rarity asked.
“Oh stop being such a spoil-sporty-sport Rarity. It feels great to get physical!” Pinkie said happily, bouncing from the tops of the bookshelves.
“Plus it gives you a chance to show off your speed and gives you a chance to prove how slow Applejack really is.” Rainbow Dash said in a challenging tone.
“Me, slow? Ah’ll show ya’ll how slow I am!” Applejack quickly took off ahead of Rainbow Dash, causing her to smile and give chase.
The two ponies raced through the archive, one constantly pulling ahead of the other. They kept a good distance behind Twilight so they knew where to go, but when she comes to an abrupt stop and nearly run her over. “Be careful you two. Do you know old and important these documents are!” Twilight stressed. “Where are the others?”
“They were behind us.”
Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Yeah like three miles back.”
Half an hour later, Rarity and Fluttershy finally arrived. Both were extremely exhausted.
“This is ridiculous!” Rarity exclaimed. “Please tell me we’re here , Twilight.”
“Yes, Rarity, we’re here. Somewhere on this bookshelf is Rainbow Dash’s birth records.” She replied.
“Hey where’s Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I’m up here!” they all looked up to see Pinkie jumping up and down on the bookcase.
“Pinkie, get down from there before you break something!” sadly Twilight’s warning came too late.
The bookshelf shook and creaked before collapsing on itself, sending documents flying and scattering themselves on the ground.
“oopsie.” Pinkie said apologetically, who was now standing next to Twilight.
“I’m not even going to ask how she got right there.” Twilight thought. “Its okay, Pinkie this just means a lot more work for us.” That caused everypony to groan.
The equines tackled the mess of documents head on. However, as the hours passed, they couldn’t find Rainbow’s record. Soon after, all but Twilight had fallen asleep in the pile of papers.
“Come on, it has to be here somewhere.” She said as she read the names as she picked up each document. “Nova Star, no. Aqua Shine, no. Rainbow Dash, no Summer Bloom, no. Wait!” she quickly levitated Rainbow’s record and ran over to the others. “Girls, wake up! I found it!”
They woke up and ran over to Twilight except for Rainbow Dash, who remained asleep on the shelf.
“Five more minutes” the Pegasus mumbled in her sleep.
“Rainbow!” Twilight exclaimed forcefully
“What! I’m up! I’m up!” Rainbow exclaimed in a panic. “What happened?”
“We found your record!” Twilight said.
“Awesome! What’s it say?”
“It gives your information, your father, Sonic Blitz and it says that your mother is…
“Well? Who is she?”
“I don’t know” Twilight replied.
“What do you mean you don’t know? Gimmie that!” Rainbow swooped down, snatched the document out of the air and looked at it. She saw everything Twilight had mentioned, except for her mother’s information, which was strangely blacked out. Rainbow’s expression contorted into one of despair. “We went through all that for nothing.”
“Not necessarily.” Rarity levitated the document down to herself. “It appears that they did not cover your mother’s hoof print, which is rather large for a mare, I must add. Could we not get this examined?”
“We could, but if there’s no information here then I doubt there would be any there.” Twilight Explained.
Rainbow moaned. “I’ll never find my mother.”
“Yes, you will.” Twilight said comfortingly. “And I have a plan that just might help.”