The Town Hall was bustling with activity. The time was 7:45, and everypony was gathered around the marble structure in anticipation for the Wonderbolts. Due to the small size of Ponyville, the appearances of celebrities such as these were enough of a reason to throw a festival in their honor.
There were carts filled with food, party games, and issues of the latest Wonderbolts Weekly magazine. Ponies were running around, laughing and having a generally good time. Little colts and fillies were dressed in Wonderbolt costumes and were toying with little figures of the stunt-ponies. And at the head of all the festivities was none other than Pinkie Pie herself.
She, along with the rest of her friends (minus Rainbow Dash), were gathered around a cotton candy machine. Well, in reality, Pinkie was buried in the pink fluff while her friends stared at her, their mouths agape.
"C'mon, girls! The cotton candy's just soooo amazing!" Pinkie Pie called out, stuffing her face with the sugary treat. She attempted to pull Rarity into the sticky mess, but the fashionista managed to break away.
"Sorry, Pinkie Pie, but I really don't think cotton candy is good for your mane," she said sternly, making sure her hair was nice and clean.
But the other pony, whose fur matched that of the fluffy substance she was covered in, gave a huge grin and answered, "Well, it's sweet and yummy and good for your tummy! Oh, that rhymed! Tummy, yummy, tummy, yummy, tummy, yum-."
Twilight Sparkle, who was keeping her distance from the cotton candy booth, interrupted, "Yes, Pinkie, I think we get it."
Behind her, Applejack strolled up, carrying an apple pie between her teeth and her little sister on her back. In one swift gulp, she downed the apple pie, smacking her lips in delight. Then she said, "Well you're awfully tense today, Twi'. It's a party, sugarcube, we can't have you all sad an' all!"
The bookworm pony sighed and gave a sad smile, replying, "Oh I know, AJ. It's just that I'm worried…about Rainbow."
The farm pony's face hardened at the mention of her rainbow-maned friend, and she told her little sister to run off with her friends. Once the filly scampered away, Applejack continued, "She's been actin' strange 'round you too, huh?"
Fluttershy, who had been standing quietly and unnoticed behind the cotton machine, spoke up, saying timidly, "Oh dear, I've been quite worried about her. Why, today at my cottage, after we rounded up my animals, she took off without us knowing. Lightning went out to look for her because we were worried she was lost."
Fluttershy paused for a little bit, partially because she waited to see if her friends had any questions, and also because Pinkie had begun to choke on some cotton candy.
After a swift Heimlich and a stern scolding from Applejack ("How in the hay can ya' choke on cotton candy!"), Pinkie Pie settled next to her friends as Fluttershy continued to recant her tale.
"Well, after two hours of searching, Lightning said he found her in a field. But then he stopped for a second to talk to some little ones, and when he looked back she was gone. He said she looked upset. Oh…I hope she's alright."
"Speaking of Lightning," Rarity commented. "There he is over there."
The stallion was standing next to the roped off area where the Wonderbolts would begin their routine. A crowd was gathered around him, greeting the visitor and admiring his electrifying look. But Lightning looked extremely uncomfortable from all the attention, and so he attempted to make his way through the crowd. After some struggling, he managed to break free of the mob and trot over to the five waiting ponies.
With a chuckle, he told them, "All the ponies in this town are really friendly towards strangers, huh?"
The mares, however, weren't in the mood for idle chit-chat. Not even Pinkie Pie, who had practically been bathing in sugar only a minute ago.
Concerned, Twilight inquired, "Lightning, have you seen Rainbow around, lately?"
Hearing his cousin's name, the stallion sighed and looked up at the sky. He couldn't get the image of Dash soaring away, not even saying a word. Nor could he block out the look she gave him when she left. It was a stare that Lightning had never seen from his cousin before, and it had been eating away at his mind for the past two hours. Worried, he responded, "No, sorry. Can't say I'm surprised either. Arco has been acting strange all day. I'm…I'm really worried for her. What if she ran off somewhere?"
Applejack patted the stallion on the back and answered confidently, "Don't you worry 'bout a thing, Lightning. If there's one thing Ah'm sure of, it's that Rainbow never misses the Wonderbolts perform."
Suddenly, the crowd began to gather around the stage as a group of ponies lined up, trumpets held in their mouths. "Oh, the show's starting! C'mon, we have to get front row seats!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, rushing to the front of the mob.
The other ponies began to follow, until Twilight realized Lightning wasn't accompanying them. "Would you like to come with us Lightning?"
"Oh no, it's fine. I think I can see the stage from here," Lightning answered. The last thing he wanted was for the crowd to be distracted by his electrifying look. After all, it's the Wonderbolts' show, not the Lightning Flash show, he thought to himself. And, truthfully, the crowd of intrigued ponies was starting to creep him out. He could see everyone glancing over at him, and the attention and overall friendliness was making him uncomfortable. Surprising for a member of Dash's family, and Lightning knew that.
Finally, fanfare rang out triumphantly across Town Hall, directing everypony's attention away from the stallion. A cacophonous cheer emanated from the large crowd, and they began to chant, "WONDERBOLTS! WONDERBOLTS!"
The mayor appeared on the stage, scanning the crowd before her. Lights began to flash across the dark sky. Finally, the mayor announced, motioning towards the heavens, "And now! Please welcome…The Soaring Stuntponies …The Exciting Avian Equines of Equestria themselves, THE WONDERBOLTS!"
From far off in the horizon, small dots began to emerge. The dots kept getting closer and closer, speeding towards Ponyville at high velocity. Soon, the dots became six pegasi clad in blue flight-suits and goggles. Clouds of smoke and electricity were left in their wake, illuminating the night sky around them.
The shimmering streaks of static soared across the crowd as they stared up in awe. Then the group of pegasi pulled a one-eighty, and sped towards the stage. They performed dangerous corkscrews, gravity-defying loops, and amazing spins, not even breaking a sweat. They were determined to show that they owned the sky.
Lastly, they began to rotate around in a circle, slowly getting faster and faster, leaving a huge spiraling cone of smoke and electricity behind them. With a final flourish of fanfare, the stunt ponies landed on the stage, just as gracefully as they had been in the air. They simultaneously bowed, and the crowd went wild. It seemed as though all of Ponyville was there, cheering for the six pegasi that stood confidently before them.
Finally, after many attempts by the mayor to calm them down, the crowd went silent as an orange maned pegasus strolled up to the stage. The pony's name was Spitfire, the leader of the Wonderbolts. Taking the microphone from the mayor, she smiled and said smoothly, "I hope you guys aren't tuckered out already; that was just our entrance. There's still so much more to come. Now then Ponyville…let's get this show started, shall we?"
She gave the mic back the mayor and rejoined the group. "Wonderbolts! Form up!" she commanded. The flyer then peeled off one by one into the night sky, beginning their performance.
The rest of the night was a flurry of aerial tricks and stunts, and it seemed that after every outstanding trick, the Wonderbolts would perform an even more spectacular stunt. Every time the pegasi finished a segment, the crowd gave a hearty cheer, anxiously awaiting the next part.
For the finale, the Wonderbolts were, quite literally, going out with a bang. The six ponies spun around separately, each creating a small cloud of electricity. Then with a blast of air from their wings, they sent the clouds spinning towards each other. They collided with a huge bang, and sparks began to fly about in all directions. The explosion had been so bright that the light illuminated the entire village, giving it the illusion of daytime. The tendrils of static continued to shoot out from the giant smoke cloud as the mob below continued to bellow out a loud cheer. Finally, after a minute of non-stop crackling and lightshows, the explosion died down, leaving the six Wonderbolts standing on the stage.
In the back of the crowd, Lightning stood with a small smile on his face. Even though the rest of the crowd was screaming their heads off with joy, the stallion remained in his position calmly. For one, he was afraid cheering would attract attention. Two, although the Wonderbolts never ceased to entertain him, Lightning had seen them perform all around Equestria. You've seen one Wonderbolts show, you've seen 'em all, he thought to himself.
And three, although he wouldn't say it out loud, he was still worried about his cousin. Throughout the entire performance, Lightning hadn't seen hide or tail of Rainbow Dash, and he was overcome with guilt and worry. Naw, you worry too much, Lightning. You've got to relax, he told himself. But he was supposed to worry, wasn't he? That's what family members do, right?
Lightning attempted to calm himself down and concentrate on the scene before him. Arco's probably just hanging around somewhere. What could happen? Then he thought of all the things that could actually go wrong. Frowning, he thought to himself, Damn, that didn't work.
Before he could mentally scold himself further, fanfare rose once again. The Wonderbolts were doing one final victory lap before settling back down on the stage amidst their roaring fans. Fireworks streamed into the sky, ending the show with a flurry of lights, colors, and pyrotechnics (much to the delight of Pinkie Pie).
Then Spitfire proceeded to the front of the stage and asked coolly, "So, did you guys enjoy the show?"
But to the stunt pony's surprise, the crowd remained silent. Their eyes were wide and their mouths were agape. The Wonderbolts thought the crowd was staring at them, but it soon became apparent that the attention wasn't towards the pegasi onstage.
It took Lightning a little bit of time to notice the crowd suddenly become still. He was, after all, still wondering about his rainbow-maned cousin. But then somepony yelled, "Over there, at Bronco's Bluff!" pointing towards a towering cliff jutting straight up from the earth.
Although it was dark, the stallion could faintly make out a tiny dot, soaring around the peak at high speed. Upon seeing this, Lightning couldn't help but give a grin of relief. For even though the small figure was but a speck on the night sky, the stallion already knew what the object was.
As if he needed any hint.
xxx
Rainbow sat atop the peak, giving her a breath-taking view of the landscape below. She sat there as six pegasi zoomed by her, their slipstream almost knocking her off her perch. But the cyan pegasus didn't mind; after all they were the Wonderbolts.
She watched her idols soar in the sky, making awesome formations and electrifying tricks. The Wonderbolts never ceased to amaze Dash, and today was no different. She loved the adrenaline rush of watching those pegasi whirl around in the air. However, the mare's heart was racing not just for the Wonderbolts show. Today was the day she makes her mark.
When Spitfire told the crowd, "There's still so much more to come!" Rainbow Dash couldn't help but grin in delight. You guys have no idea, she thought.
Finally, the Wonderbolts were gearing up for their finale. Rainbow Dash could only sit in amazement as they rotated around at spectacular speeds, over and over and over again. Then came the explosion, illuminating the beautiful landscape in a rush of light. It was all too amazing for the pegasus, and she thought, Soon, I'll be doing that too!
Upon this thought, she realized the show was almost over. Which meant it was her time in the spotlight. Rainbow got up from her perch and stood out over the edge, standing over the plains like a sentry.
This is it, she thought, bending low into a starting position.
My time to show them who the best is. She spread her wings wide.
My friends, the Wonderbolts, Scoots, all of 'em. As the Wonderbolts touched down in the stage, that was the signal for her to begin. She pushed off the cliff, and let gravity take hold.
As she felt the wind rush through her mane in free-fall, she thought to herself, Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate…
xxx
"Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate," mumbled the steel-colored stallion as he watched his cousin plummet to the ground.
She's getting too close…Lighting worried. All around him, the ponies were silent, waiting to see what would happen. The Wonderbolts sat atop their stage, watching intently at the falling pegasus. Even Dash's friends waited anxiously for the outcome of Dash's dangerous stunt.
C'mon, prima. Pull up, pull up!
Then... it happened. Just a few feet from the ground, the rainbow pegasus quickly jolted herself at a ninety degree angle, leaving her dangerously parallel to the ground. The sudden change in direction created a large "Snap!", and in her wake was a flash of blue and tendrils of electricity. It was just as, if not more, spectacular than the explosion pulled off by the Wonderbolts just moments ago.
The pegasus then shot up higher and higher towards the sky, leaving a rainbow trail in her path. She had done it, Rainbow Dash had done it! Holy shit, she did it! Lightning thought.
The stallion couldn't contain himself. Breaking the silence, he cheered at the top of his lungs, "¡Está de puta madre! That was fucking amazing!"
Then everything went wrong.
xxx
With a snap of her wings, Dash pulled off her turn with just a few feet to spare. Behind her, she heard a boom, and then the blue light began to engulf her. The massive feeling of joy and relief surged through the pegasus's veins. Yes, the Buccaneer Blaze! Let's see ya do that, Lightning!
As she skimmed across the ground, she let out an ecstatic holler before pulling back up to take a glimpse at the no-doubt cheering crowd. She heard somepony shout in the distance, but she couldn't tell who it was. To Rainbow Dash, however, she thought that it was just the beginning of an enormous cheer.
But when she glanced towards the Town Hall, she was surprised to see the crowd's attention not at her. No, they were looking at a steel-colored stallion who had just cussed in front of an entire crowd.
No…no…this was supposed to be about me! The crowd may have only looked away for a few seconds, but it was enough of a distraction for the cyan pegasus. Enough to make her lose control. Enough for her to forget about the towering rock face before her.
When she did notice it, she was too late. Dash attempted to veer away from the cliff, but her momentum wouldn't allow it. With a slam, she ran into the rocky bluff with her side, crushing her wing and bashing the side of her head. She was stuck to the wall for a few seconds, her flank pierced by a jutting rock. The pegasus let out a grunt of pain before she slowly detached from the rocks, going into yet another free-fall. However, this was one she couldn't escape.
As the wind whistled past her ears once again and the world began to spiral closer, she thought, No, this wasn't how it was supposed to go at all…
Then she blacked out.
xxx
Pinkie Pie screamed, "Dashie's gonna hit the cliff!"
Despite the crowd gathering around him, Lightning reacted quickly, flying up at the mention of his cousin's name. His eyes focused on the cliff face where, sure enough, his beloved prima crashed. Horror flooded through the stallion's mind as he watched his cousin begin to fall.
There was no time to waste. With a burst of speed, he rocketed towards the cliff shouting, "Mierda! Arco!"
The stallions flapped his wings faster and faster. He was on a mission to save his cousin, and nothing was going to stop him. He kept pushing himself, willing himself to accelerate, telling his muscles to work harder. Now he was soaring at break-neck speeds, all the while closing the gap between him and his cousin.
Although the stallion couldn't see it, his lightning bolt tail had begun to elongate due his velocity. The shimmering bolt continued to grow bigger and bigger as he crept closer and closer to the speed of light. The crowd could only watch as the tail transformed into a crackling trail of light. Electricity flew off of the lightning trail, glowing in contrast to the night sky.
The stallion was leaving a zigzagging line of electricity, slowly giving him more boosts. Finally, with the strength of a lightning bolt itself, the stallion shot forward at the falling figure that was his cousin. Now he was practically engulfed in a spectacular light show of sparks; a show that left even the Wonderbolts in a complete daze.
C'mon, c'mon, almost there!, Lightning Flash told himself, able to see through the flashing electricity that surrounded him. His cousin was perilously close the ground now. Fifty feet…forty…thirty…twenty…
With a graceful swoop, he caught the plummeting pony in his front legs with just a few feet to spare. The sudden addition of his cousin's weight almost caused the stallion to plummet himself, but with some extra exertion of his wings, he was able to stay upright.
The stallion could feel his cousin's faint but steady heartbeat accompanying his own. Good, she was alive. As he smoothly curved around to the safety of the Town Hall, he whispered to the unconscious mare cradled in his arms, "Don't worry, Dash. I've got you."
Due to the extra load, Lightning began to slow down, his shimmering trail of lightning slowly transforming back into a tail. As he gracefully landed in the crowd with Rainbow Dash in tow, the trail he had carved in the night sky began to fade away. Exhausted, Lighting collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. Nearby paramedics began to take the injured Dash away, leaving Lightning to be hailed by the amazed crowd.
xxx
When Dash briefly came to, she found herself sprawled out on a stretcher, being wheeled towards a waiting ambulance-cart. She had a massive headache, and the world was just a giant blur of color and sound. Around her, she was able to make out the shapes of a crowd of worried ponies, looking down at the broken pegasus. Not exactly the attention I wanted, she thought.
As they lifted her into the awaiting cart, she caught a glimpse of an orange maned pony wearing a blue flight suit standing next to the paramedics. Her goggles were pulled up, revealing vivid orange eyes that shone with pride. Although Dash had a respirator, she let out a gasp at the sight of her idol. This was the moment she had been waiting for.
As she lay in the cart, Spitfire said happily, "What you did was amazing, kid. Spectacular, even. I have never seen anypony move that fast in my life! We'd be grateful if you'd come join us."
Those were the words Dash had wanted to hear her whole life. And under any other circumstances, she'd be jumping for joy. Except for the fact that they weren't directed towards her.
The last thing she heard before she blacked out again was the sound of a certain steel-colored stallion saying incredulously, "It would be an honor ma'am."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope you guys don't mind the swear words sprinkled here and there. That's why it's rated teen after all.