The three pegasus ponies dropped down on the edge of Cloudsdale. Rainbow stretched her wings as she cricked her hooves, showing she was ready. Scootaloo gave a huge smile and said, “You ready sis?”
“Oh yeah.” Rainbow said as she folded her wings and started to stare at her surroundings. She looked over the view of Cloudsdale she had just obtained. 'Wow...' she thought, 'How long has it been since I've been here? Its got to be at least three years...'
Fluttershy walked up and hugged Rainbow. “Its okay Rainbow. I know this place has some bad memories for you but it'll be alright.”
“I know.” Rainbow said as hugged back. “I'm just...a bit nostalgic right now Fluttershy. Its odd seeing all this again. I mean, I just can't believe that this is where its gonna happen.”
Fluttershy just showed a calm smile. “It'll be fine Rainbow. Now, I'll take Scootaloo and we'll be cheering for you in the audience. Good luck out there!”
“Yeah! You're gonna knock 'em dead!” Scootaloo said while doing a little dance and cheer. “Aw yeah! Go Rainbow Dash go!” Rainbow went up and gave a huge hug to Scootaloo. “Thanks little sis! Don't worry, I'll win for sure now.”
“I know you will.” Scootaloo said with stars in her eyes. Rainbow gave a big grin and ran to the stadium. A few minutes later, she had signed up for the competition and walked into the waiting room. She let out a yawn as she looked at her competition. 'Hmm...so this is who I'm up against...' Rainbow thought as she glanced at her flank, seeing the number she had been given. 'Looks like I'll be the last flier since I'm number fifteen...'
Rainbow walked to the corner and fluffed up the cloud floor and made herself a chair. She sat down and closed her eyes in meditation. 'Okay Rainbow...you can do this...don't be nervous...'
Her ears twitched as she heard three sets of hooves walk up to her. Her eyes slowly opened and saw three stallions. One of the stallions got closer to Rainbow and moved the hair covering his eyes. “Hey...you aren't Rainbow Crash are you?”
“Who?”
“Yeah...you look just like Rainbow Crash.” The stallion then turned to his friends. “Don't you agree?”
“Yeah, she's got to be Rainbow Crash. Nopony has hair like that. You're Rainbow Crash aren't you?!”
Rainbow looked at the three and gave a confused face. “Uh...who are you three?”
The stallions looked at each other and back at Rainbow. “What do you mean 'who are you three'?! It's us! Hoops, Dumb-Bell, and Score! You know, the three stallions that are superior to you in every way!”
“Um...no I don't. I don't know you three.” Rainbow said as she shook her head back and forth.
Hoops looked at the other two in confusion. The two gave him a confused look back and Hoops turned and asked, “You...you're not Rainbow Crash?”
“The name's Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow said in a deadpan tone. “Nice to meet you.”
The three looked at each other and showed faces of anger and rage. “THEN YOU ARE RAINBOW CRASH! DO YOU SERIOUSLY NOT REMEMBER US?!”
“No.”
“Why you little-”
“NUMBER TEN!” said a voice. Hoops turned his head and sighed. “Ugh...looks like its my turn...”
“Good luck Hoops!” the other two said with small grins. Hoops let out a huff and stomped out of the room. The other two glared at Rainbow and Dumb-Bell said, “This isn't funny Rainbow Crash. You seriously don't remember us?!”
“Yeah. I don't remember any of you. Now, if you don't mind, leave me alone.”
“Why I oughta-”
“Is there a problem here?” said another voice. Dumb-bell turned in anger, “Stay out of this...uh...er...”
“Say one more word buddy. I dare you.” said the voice. Dumb-Bell froze for a second and then gave a salute. “Captain Spitfire! I am-”
“Shut it.” Spitfire said in a deadpan tone.
“Yes Ma’am!” Dumb-Bell said as sweat flooded down his head.
“You and him are next, get ready right now.” Spitfire said as she pointed to Dumb-Bell and Score. the two quickly sprinted away, leaving only Rainbow and Spitfire. Spitfire lowered her shades and gave Rainbow a slight glare. “You okay? You could have just reported those three.”
“Its fine. I don't even know who they are.” Rainbow said in a deadpan tone.
“Yeah...we've had problems with them in last year's competition...” Spitfire put her shades over her eyes again. “You're the only newcomer I've seen this year. You do know only Cloudsdale ponies can sign up for the competition, right?”
“I know.”
“So why try now? You look the age that you probably could have done it last year.”
Rainbow turned her head away. “I have my reasons. You're Spitfire right? Aren't you one of the judges? Don't you need to watch the competition?”
“No...my other subordinates are enough for judging. That and Princess Celestia has the deciding vote anyways.”
“Oh...” Rainbow said in a low tone as she began to think, 'Celestia has the deciding vote...right...I just hope I can impress that monster...' Rainbow got up and cricked her neck again. “Well...I guess I should get ready. My number is last and I need to get ready to win.”
“You don't sound that confident.”
“No...I don't need confidence to win. My teacher taught me that.”
“Your teacher? Is that why you didn't compete till now?”
“Kind of. Listen, I need to get ready, alright?” Rainbow said in an annoyed tone.
Spitfire gritted her teeth after hearing those words. “Okay, can I just ask you one question?”
“What?”
“Why aren't you freaking out right now?”
“Huh?”
“Every pegasus pony I've ever met freaks out when they meet me. I'm the leader of the Wonderbolts after all, and this competition is one the best gateways to get into the Wonderbolts.”
“Yeah...sorry, I'm not that kind of pegasus pony.” Rainbow said as she walked past Spitfire. “I'm here to win. That's all.”
“That sounds like confidence to me.”
“Not exactly.”
“NUMBER FIFTEEN!”
Rainbow stretched her wings and showed a determined smile. “Looks like I'm up.” Rainbow turned to Spitfire with a cocky grin. “You better get out there and watch, I guarantee you'll like it.”
Spitfire merely gave a scowl and walked out of the waiting room, now hearing the constant screams and cheers from the audience. As she proceeded to the judge booth, she saw Rainbow fly out to the main course. She spread her wings out as she looked at the main commenter.
“Here's number fifteen! Are you ready?!”
Rainbow waved her hoof and the commenter gave a huge grin. “It looks like she's ready! Number fifteen, it's your time to shine!”
Rainbow stretched her hooves and looked at the audience. There, she saw Scootaloo and Fluttershy cheering her on. 'Okay Rainbow...they’re all watching you...and you're going to shock every last one of them, even that stupid princess Celestia! Here we go!' Rainbow gave her usual grin as her body began to move. As the crowd watch her fly out to the middle of the stadium, all jaws suddenly dropped in amazement.
BOOM!
A loud sound that pierced everypony's ears rang throughout Cloudsdale. At the same time, a giant rainbow colored wave exploded out of the stadium. As soon Rainbow had begun her turn, she had already performed a Sonic Rainboom. The audience watched in silence as Rainbow flew forward then straight up into the air.
Rainbow looked at the sky as she continued to increase her speed more and more. 'This is it...' she thought as she took a sharp turn, ready to put herself in a loop. 'I can do this...I've done it before...I can do it again!'
BOOM!
Another Sonic Rainboom.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
More and more Sonic Rainbooms went off as Rainbow took sharp turn after sharp turn.
BOOM! BOOM!
There, she had performed seven Sonic Rainbooms, each louder and bigger than the last. Even Celestia was silent as she watched Rainbow land down in the middle of stadium, a rainbow trail still following her. She showed a huge cocky grin and gave a bow. It was a few minutes before anypony said anything, but when they did, there was monstrous applause like no other. Ponies after ponies were clapping they're hooves, yelling and screaming cheers. Fluttershy and Scootaloo were dancing and singing together, “SHE DID IT! SHE DID IT! SHE DID MULTIPLE SONIC RAINBOOMS!”
Celestia gave her usual calm smile and stared at the main commenter. He stuttered for a second and then said into his microphone. “Uh...well done number fifteen! And uh...That is the Young Fliers Competition everypony! We would like everypony to wait a few minutes as the judges decide the winner...”
The competing fliers flew to a stand, where the fifteen then sat, waiting for the result. The three stallions from earlier just sat there in amazement as Rainbow flew over and sat down with a small smile on her face.
“Is that really Rainbow Crash?”
“No way...she must not be a Cloudsdale pony! There's no way that's Rainbow Crash!”
“Yeah! There's no way anypony like that is from Cloudsdale! She must be some fake Rainbow Crash!”
Rainbow merely showed a grin as she barely overheard their conversation. She stretched her wings as she thought, 'Ahh...I think that turned out pretty well...The last turn I took was a bit too sharp but I think I'm okay.'
“AHEM!” said the main commentator as he adjusted his microphone. “We have the results! The winner is...NUMBER FIFTEEN!”
A humongous amount of applause filled the stadium as Rainbow stood up with a big goofy grin on her face. “Heh heh...looks like I win.”
“HEY! HOLD ON A SECOND!” yelled Hoops. But his voice fell on deaf ears as the sound of applause drowned out his screams. The other two tried as well but to no avail. It wasn't long till Rainbow was in front of Spitfire and Princess Celestia. Rainbow tried every way to resist the urge to not show a face of disgust as she looked directly at Celestia. Rainbow thought, 'There she is...the pony that ruined the Rainbooms with her student and ruined Twilight's life...I can't believe I'm going to have to accept the award from her...'
“What is you name little pony?” Celestia said in her usual kind voice.
“Rainbow Dash.”
“Very well, in honor of her incredible act of speed and pulling off multiple spectacular Sonic Rainbooms...I am presenting the grand prize for Best Young Flier to this year's winner, Miss Rainbow Dash!” Celestia then put a small crown with wings on Rainbow's head and gave her a huge smile. “Well done Miss Rainbow Dash.”