//------------------------------// // 5: The Freedom of Flight // Story: Rainbow Reflections // by Bookish Delight //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle leaned against the refreshment table on her palms, catching her breath. The more she thought about her present state, the more confused she was. Not one hour ago, she'd been battling for the fate of two worlds against a raging she-demon, and the whole time, she'd barely felt a thing. If anything, she'd been energized throughout the conflict. A few dance numbers, however, were clearly too much for Twilight Sparkle, Magic Princess of Equestria, to handle. She would have rolled her eyes if she had the spare energy to at the moment. Like any party consisting of Pinkie Pie on the design committee, the Canterlot High School Fall Formal was nothing to sneeze at — a bash where its attendants were encouraged to pig out and dance for as long as the festivities lasted. Which Twilight was just fine with doing, up until the point where she found out that traditional pony dances — to say nothing of the silly jigs she was used to dancing because she knew she had no technique whatsoever — were far more strenuous to perform in a human's body. She had to excuse herself simply to keep from collapsing in a heap. She forewent the punch, opting to pour herself some ice water instead. She took a sip, and instantly appreciated the decision. Water always was the best-tasting drink in the universe when one's body truly wished for it. "Hey, Twilight!" a nearby voice called. Twilight looked towards the voice and saw an orange girl with short purple hair standing next to her. "Scootaloo, right?" she guessed. The girl beamed, a full second before launching into a rapid fire torrent of words and gestures. "Yep! Have you seen Rainbow Dash? I was really enjoying hanging out with her! She's the bestest ever, and I wish I could be around her more often, but she's always so busy with teams and stuff, but now she's here at the dance which is weird 'cause she doesn't like girly things, and now she can fly? What's that about? Can she teach me to fly? I-" "I'm sorry, Scootaloo," Twilight said, shoving a cup of water into the other girl’s hand. "I haven't been checking. I'll go look around right now, though, okay?" Scootaloo downed the water in one gulp. "Okay, thanks! I'm going to fight brainfreeze now." She scrunched her face. Twilight stared. "Yes. You, uh, do that." Twilight backed away, then scanned the gymnasium. She wandered around the edges of the dance floor, looking inward. People, streamers, balloons, more people, more streamers, even more streamers... Twilight chuckled and shook her head. Human world or not, this place could be a little too close to home sometimes. During her walk, she spied the music booth. She waved courteously at the ivory-skinned disc jockey on duty, who gave a smiling nod and a wave back... then gestured for Twilight to come closer. Once Twilight approached, she held up two albums. Twilight read their titles: The Three Seasons and Midnight Electronica. Twilight gasped, blushing deeply, which she desperately hoped went unnoticed amidst the music and colored strobes. Memories surfaced of herself and a pony colored very similarly to this DJ sharing a balcony in a concert hall, then dancing in a city square. She willed the memories away — she had a mission, after all — and pointed to the latter record. The DJ changed the music, then gave a thumbs-up, bobbing her head to the beat. Still slightly flushed, Twilight waved once more before continuing on her way.  She continued walking across the gym until she saw a familiar white-skinned figure twirling in place, amidst a gathered audience of onlookers. Twilight approached her. "Rarity?" Rarity stopped mid-spin, the scarf that was in her hand falling limp. "Twilight? Is anything wrong, dear?" "Have you seen Rainbow Dash?" Rarity cradled her chin between her thumb and forefinger. "Now that you mention it, she excused herself right after our group picture. I thought it was to use the bathroom, but that was over an hour ago." Rarity looked above the crowd. "She was flying around the room the whole time, wasn't she?" "I thought so too, but she was with Scootaloo all that time, and Scootaloo was the one who asked me to find her just a few minutes ago." "Oh, my," said Rarity. "It's not like her to avoid the spotlight. Should we form a search party?" "If we have to, I'll let you know, but I don't think it's that serious. Thanks, Rarity. You can go back to your... um... whatever it was you were doing." She cocked her head. "What are you doing?" "I'm merely putting my latest design through its paces, darling!" Rarity said, sashaying to show off the movement of her dress. "Let's face it: if this outfit can survive a Pinkie Prom and maintain its style, then it should be good for any occasion!" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "So you're technically working right now?" "But of course! Fashion and fabulosity wait for no entrepreneur! Besides, there's no rule saying you can't work and play at the same time. As long as there's music, I'll keep on dancing." Rarity tossed out her scarf, its other end whirling and catching around the waist of one of the hapless onlookers — a brown bespectacled boy whose face embodied total awkwardness. "What is your name, dear?" Rarity asked him. "T-T-T-T-Trenderhoof," the boy said. He appeared to be moments away from fainting. "Well, then! Come, Trenderhoof! You're my partner this round..." She yanked the scarf, pulling him in close, and grinned at him mischievously. "...and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it." Rarity's dancing resumed, with a hapless Trenderhoof in tow. Twilight shrugged and walked away.  With no sign of Rainbow in the gym, Twilight made her way to the doors. It would be much quieter out there. She'd be able to think better and come up with a plan. Just as she headed for the door, a boy's voice came over the loudspeakers. "Hey there, folks, just want to thank you again for pitching in to make the Fall Formal a success! And now, the moment I'm sure all you couples have been been waiting for!" Twilight looked around. What moment could he possibly mean? The lights shifted color, and the music went from fast beats to a much slower melody. Twilight looked at the dance floor. Flash Sentry was looking for her. She understood. Twilight sighed inwardly, now realizing what she was about to do. I'm sorry, Flash. But I have to find someone very important to me. She slipped out of the gym, ran through the halls, and exited Canterlot High school. I hope you'll understand. --- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic x Equestria Girls: "Rainbow Reflections" Chapter 5: The Freedom of Flight by Bookish Delight, 2014-2015 All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro. --- Once outside, Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated. A bright purple aura covered her as she reached out to familiar magic. The Elements of Harmony have touched six people in this world the most. Four of them are in the gym right now, one of them is in the principal's office, and the last... Twilight's eyes snapped open. She gasped. What... what's one doing so far from here? Twilight redoubled her concentration efforts, zeroing in on the magical signature. That's Loyalty, all right. West of here, and ultra-distant. Has she been... for more than an hour...? She flapped her wings, attempting to head in the direction of the magic. She wobbled in midair, her flight still uneasy. Tiring of it, she stopped and hovered, thinking again. If I link my transportation spell to the magical signature... I hope this works. It'll be weird to explain otherwise. She placed two fingers to her forehead, concentrating one last time. The star atop her crown glowed, first dimly, then brighter, then blinding.... ...and she blinked out of existence. --- Twilight blinked back into existence amidst clouds. She looked around. More clouds. She looked up. Stars. Then she looked down. There were flashing lights everywhere, in all colors of the rainbow. Humongous... things flew below and above her. Things that certainly didn't look like ponies at all. They looked like large... ...machines? Machines that fly? Twilight wandered the skies, searching for the Element of Loyalty's unique magical signature. The second she found it, she was almost overwhelmed. It was close. Close enough that she heard a familiar voice in her head, much to her initial shock. "Yeah, yeah! None of you can lay a finger on me!" No doubt about who that was. Twilight surmised that linking herself directly to the Element of Loyalty's magical signature must have linked their minds as well. She made a note of this for future study, then headed towards the magic. Soon, she was able to see Rainbow Dash, still with her wings, twirling and looping in midair with what looked like zero required effort. Twilight suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Which was good, because that was the moment Rainbow looked back and saw her. She was just barely visible in the distance. "Oh, another one, huh?" Her voice echoed in Twilight's mind again. "You want me, you gotta catch me, just like all the rest!" And Rainbow took off at top speed. Twilight flew after her. "Rainbow!" she called out. Rainbow didn't answer, lost in her joyful, speed-filled world. "Rainbow!" Twilight called again. If Rainbow heard Twilight, she didn't answer directly. "Sheesh, whoever you are, you'll never catch up to me at this rate!" Twilight decided to fight fire with fire. I can't catch up to you, Rainbow! she thought, projecting her own thoughts back. I... I've never been able to! That got Rainbow's attention. "Wha-? That voice!" Rainbow slowed to a hover and turned around. "Twilight! Is that you?" she called out. "Who did you think it was?" said Twilight, finally catching up. "I..." Rainbow looked embarrassed as she approached. "I thought you were a bird. Or maybe a plane." She chuckled. "I've been buzzing both all night. But boy, am I glad you're here." "That makes one of us... w-whoa!" Twilight said, erratically bobbing in midair. "Whoa, are you having trouble? Hang on," Rainbow said, grasping Twilight's hands and propping her up. "Riiiiight. You said you just got these wings, didn't you? I mean, so did I, I guess, but figuring them out wasn't that hard." This time Twilight did roll her eyes. "Gee, thanks." Rainbow laughed. "Totally didn't mean it like that. But that's weird. I would've thought your Rainbow Dash would have offered to give you flying lessons or something." Twilight looked down. "I... I keep telling her I'm busy." Rainbow gave Twilight a sheepish look and snicker. "Welp, lesson learned. I ain't gotta say nothin' there." Twilight sighed. "Guess not. So, why are you out here?" she asked. "Why wouldn't I be out here?" Rainbow raised a fist skyward. "That party left me pumped! Who'd've thought a school dance could be that awesome?" She looked back at her wings. "But I didn't expect to get these babies halfway in. I'd been wanting to try 'em since I got 'em, and the school's a little cramped. For some reason Fluttershy wasn't much into flying, so..." Rainbow sighed. "Here I am. By myself. At least I was." She smiled at Twilight. "Thanks for coming." "Think nothing of it." Twilight smiled back, then looked around. "That's the other thing, though — where is 'here?'" "Heh. Glad you asked." Rainbow took out her smartphone, and gently pulled Twilight below the cloud layer. What met Twilight's eyes when she descended was the cleanest, brightest city she'd ever seen. It was filled with white-painted buildings, of all shapes and sizes — some rectangular, some curved, all majestic. The majority of those buildings, in turn, were covered in the same multi-hued lights she'd seen only hints of earlier, causing the entire cityscape to come alive in an explosion of color, and giving off soft rainbows of light that stretched up to even her and Rainbow’s present altitude. Gleaming skyscrapers reached up to the clouds themselves, the occasional blimp and plane sharing space with them. Through the bright lights, it was all Twilight could do to make out cars speeding by on roads below, looking oddly mundane amidst the rest of the city's visuals, but no less colorful and energetic. Rainbow gave Twilight her phone. Twilight looked at its screen, which showed a map, and a dot hovering over a name she recognized. She gasped the second she read it. "Cloudsdale?" "Bingo!" Rainbow's grin showed teeth. "Welcome to Cloudsdale District, Flight Capital of Equestrian City." Twilight looked at Rainbow. "'District?' 'Equestrian City?' Still? Wasn't Canterlot a District, too?" "Yep!" Rainbow spread her arms. "Equestrian City is, like, huge! Really, really huge. There's other cities in Equestrian City, it's that huge! And Cloudsdale's planes run back and forth across all of 'em. They go beyond, too," she added, with a wink. Twilight let out a slow, awed exhale. The only magic she could sense for miles around was her and Rainbow's, yet to look at the sight below was to believe this world had indeed found several ways to get along just fine without it. "This is amazing," she said. "I know, right?" Rainbow said, just before grabbing Twilight's arm. "C'mon! Let's fly through it!" "W-wait, w-w-what?" Twilight said, barely comprehending Rainbow's words before they were turned into action, and she was pulled forward. "Yikes!" They flew above and below clouds. They touched rooftops, leaping from building to building. They flew past blimp cabins, with Rainbow waving to spooked travelers and officers before zooming away in an eyeblink.  All the time, Rainbow couldn't stop laughing. It was a loud, pleasing, joyful sound. For the first time since she'd met her, Twilight could see Rainbow not secretly worried about something. If only she could say the same about herself. While she could appreciate how happy and free Rainbow looked at the moment, it was all she could do to hang on for dear life. Neon signs passed in a blur, traffic honked below, and the wind whipped past her ears, all combining to create sensory chaos. "You see, Twi?" Rainbow's voice cut through the din. "Once you get flying down, it's as easy as running! And with both of those, you're always gonna feel the need for speed! It's a package deal!" "But I haven't got flying down yet, Rainbow!" Twilight cried out in spite of herself. "This... this is too fast! I'm scared!" Rainbow instantly halted, looking back at a Twilight who was gasping to catch her breath. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, Twilight," she said, instantly letting go of her friend's arm and embracing her. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "I-I got carried away, I've never been able to... I-I never meant-" Twilight took the time to fully catch her breath and let her vision clear before responding. "No, Rainbow, it's alright," she said, shaking her head and hugging back. "I know what this must be like for you right now, and I'd never take that away that joy! I'm just... not quite your speed. I'm not sure I ever will be." "Don't you say that. If anyone could catch up with me one day, it's you. You worked out everything else!" She held Twilight at arm's length. "But alright. For you, I'll slow down. A little. Until you get it." At those words, Twilight’s eyes widened. "What's wrong?" Rainbow asked. Twilight snapped out of it. "N-nothing, it's... I've heard my Rainbow say that to me more than once." Rainbow's grin widened. "Ha! Told ya'. It's nothing to be sad about, though. It's not on you. It's a choice she made. Just like the one I'm makin' now." Twilight sighed, calming down. "Speaking of which... you think we'd be able to make the choice to head back to Canterlot High? People back at the Fall Formal are getting worried. Maybe you could give me some pointers as we fly back there-" Rainbow gasped. "Not yet! We can't go yet!" "Why not?" Rainbow looked around frantically. "There... there's someplace I gotta go. It's why I came out here in the first place!" She looked at her phone. "And it's totally not far from here, either." "You mean head into the city? What if someone on the street notices two girls with wings? Bad enough we've romped on rooftops, and you've buzzed by who knows how many planes! You want people to find out who did all that?" Rainbow placed her hands on Twilight's shoulders, meeting Twilight's gaze with a desperate one of her own. "Please, Twilight. From what I've heard of this place, it's already deserted. But I've just gotta see it with my own eyes." Twilight hesitated, then relented. With a long sigh, she said, "Okay, we'll figure it out. Lead the way." Rainbow gave her own sigh of relief. "Thanks, Twilight. Thanks so much." Rainbow led the way, maintaining a cruising speed that, gratefully, Twilight could follow.