//------------------------------//
// Who are you? 
// Story: It wasn't a dream, it was a memory. 
// by pegasister16 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash landed back on stage, everypony staring at her in awe. A large rainbow was seen stretching as far east as Fillydelphia, and as far west as Canterlot. She passed Flame with a grin. He stared at her, mouth a gape. The audience were just underneath the point of the Rainboom. Everypony, including the judges, was covered in rainbow colours from head to hoof. After a few minutes of shock, somepony began to clap. This was followed by a few others, and then a chorus of applause stirred up. Rainbow Dash was called back on stage. On the front row, stood Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Spike. Dash smiled at them. It was a bit comical seeing them covered in rainbow colours. Fluttershy especially, was trying to be brave after the loud explosion. But she was still there, supporting her friend. 

"Rainbow Dash," Spitfire began, "That was the most amazing Sonic Rainboom I have ever seen! So much speed and control, especially as you were flying right over the audience! I don't think we need anymore time to judge. Rainbow Dash... Welcome to the Wonderbolts!" Dash's heart nearly stopped. Soarin' walked up to the stage and handed her a Wonderbolt costume. She stood there in shock, just looking at it. Tears formed in her eyes. She stroked the soft blue and yellow costume, hardly believing her eyes. It was hers. All hers. She, Rainbow Dash, was a Wonderbolt.
"Thankyou." Was all she was able to whisper.

Later that day, there was a massive party to celebrate. Rainbow Dash proudly showed off her Wonderbolts costume. This had to be the happiest day of her life! Everypony wanted to talk to her, congratulate her, a few even wanted autographs! Dash had never been this popular since... well... ever. It was the first time in her life that everypony wanted to be around her. Yet, she would just have been happy with her 5 best friends. She wished she could ave some private time with them. 

Pinkie Pie was talking to her when Flame approached.
"Hey Rainbow Dash..." He said awkwardly, "I just wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you today... And if you ever need anyone to fill in for you-" Rainbow silenced him.
"Thanks, but I think I'll take my chances." She replied.
"Yeah!" Pinkie cut in, "You have to be nice to other people to get what you want! If you weren't such a meanie then maybe she'd have let you!" Somehow, this was all said with a huge smile on her face. Even when Pinkie was angry, she smiled. I was a kind of big, scary smile. There was no laughter in her eyes. It was like a threat, a challenge. Flame glowered at them both before leaving the party.
"Hey, um Rainbow Dash?" Twilight approached, "What exactly happened with your 'Dad' today? You didn't see him again, did you?"
"Well, I flashed a little today but... wait... why do you care so much?"
"Oh... uh... no reason!" Twilight responded unconvincingly. Rainbow Dash sighed.
"I think I'm just gonna go home now... I've had a long day, you know?"
"Oh... Ok... if your sure-" Rainbow Dash had already left.
"Well that was rude!" Pinkie Pie huffed.
"No Pinkie, it's not that..." Twilight said, exasperated. 
"Well what is it then?"
"Nevermind." Twilight sighed, before heading after Rainbow Dash.

Twilight galloped through the cold night after her friend. The wind blew roughly in her mane. Rainbow Dash took to the skies and disappeared into the distance. Twilight remembered the box in Dash's attic. If she remembered her father, then the box seal could have broken. If she found it, it could be all over. For all of them.

Rainbow Dash flew up to her cloud home. Today had been the best day of her life! But why wasn't she happy? Something strange was going on. She wasn't sure what it was, but she wanted to find out. Why did she keep having those dreams and flashes? Who was that man? Just as she was getting to her front door, she had another flash.
Filly Dash lay in bed again. Daddy wasn't there. Rainbow Dash was confused. He was always there. She looked beside her bed, and there, was a gigantic helium balloon. It was dark blue and in big, bright letters encrypted the words;
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!". Dash looked at her bedside table. There was a sticky note. Carefully, she picked it up. It said;
'Happy Birthday Rainbow Dash, Love Dad x'.

Present Dash opened her eyes again. What was happening? Was her fall really THAT bad? She continued to stumble her way through her home. The flashes taking control over her. One after another, they piled on top of eachother. Words raced through her mind, everything became a blur.
"Daddy, do you still love me?"
"It's glorious outside!"
"I can't believe I got my cutie mark!"
Rainbow Dash stumbled backwards through a door. It was a door she'd never been through before, one she had never needed to go through before. The door to her attic.

Twilight began to panic. Rainbow Dash had probably headed to her cloud home. She didn't know what she would do. She knew she was curious about her father. Suddenly, she spotted Fluttershy leaving the party.
"Fluttershy!" Twilight called her.
"Oh, hello Twilight! That was a great party huh? I can't believe Rainbow Dash is finally a Wonderbolt!"
"Fluttershy, listen to me. I need your help."
"M...my help?"
"Yes! Yours! Rainbow Dash landed on her head today and woke up speaking about her father. I'm really worried about her!"
"Oh... dear..."
"I need you to fly up to her home in Cloudsdale, and check that she's ok. You're the only one of us who's able to do that."
Fluttershy swallowed. They were all depending on her, but she had to do it.
"I'm on it!" She said bravely before swooping up to find Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy landed on Rainbow Dash's doorstep. The front door was open.
"Oh dear... this doesn't look good..." She said, anxiously. Nervously, she stepped inside.
"R-Rainbow Dash?" She follwed hoofprints to the door of an unusual room. Fluttershy grew afraid. Whatever was inside was going to be unpleasant. She gulped and opened the attic door. It creaked open and she walked inside. There, on the floor, sat a sniffling rainbow coloured mare.
"Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy said softly. Dash was sat in front of an old box labeled 'Give to a good home'. Surrounding her were photos, sticky notes, posters, and old birthday balloons. Fluttershy walked cautiously over to her.
"Oh... y... you opened it." She said worriedly. Rainbow Dash ignored her, and sat staring at a picture of herself and the man in her flashes.
"It wasn't a dream." She said.
"What wasn't?"
"It wasn't a dream. It was a memory." 

Twilight Sparkle cast a spell. There was a flash so bright that Spike had to shield his eyes. And there, before him, stood an Alicorn pony.
"Come on Spike, we have to get to Rainbow Dash! This spell won't last long." Twilight said in a rush. Spike quickly vaulted onto her back. They galloped to the library door and Twilight shot into the air. They made their way to Rainbow Dash's home shakily.
"You really need to get the hang of this flying thing." Spike said. Twilight ignored him and landed on the front porch.
"The door is open..." Twilight said, panicking. They ran inside, and straight into the attic. They came in to find a berserk Rainbow Dash yelling at a terrified Fluttershy.
"AND YOU!" Rainbow Dash turned to face them both, "HOW LONG DID YOU PLAN ON KEEPING THIS FROM ME?"
Twilight looked at the box. It was open. Fluttershy saw Rainbow Dash was distracted and bolted.
"No... this can't be happening.... Rainbow Dash.. We were going to tell you... it's just-"
"Just what? Just that it would be better and way more funnier if you didn't?"
"NO! Rainbow Dash! He's a human! If he ever got into this world, we would all be in danger!"
"He wouldn't hurt you! He wouldn't hurt any of you! I wouldn't let him!" 
"I'm not just talking about him.. if another human got into our world, he might not be as nice."
"I don't want to hear it!" Rainbow Dash screamed. She gathered up her memoirs and ran out of the home. Twilight didn't know where she was going, and to be honest, she didn't care at that moment. She was furious with her friend. She couldn't believe she would put her selfish needs in front of the safety of others!

Rainbow Dash swooped through the air, sobbing. Down below, Applejack had just left the party. She was heading back to the farm with Applebloom when she saw something. It was Rainbow Dash. She was clutching a crumpled picture to her chest. And she was crying. Her, Rainbow Dash, was crying in public.
"She knows. Oh my gosh. She knows."
"What's that big sis?"
"Nothin' sweetie. Go back to the party an' get Big Macintosh to take you home. There's something I gotta do."
"But Applejack!-"
"Just do it." Applejack's kind tone was gone. 
Applebloom ran off in the direction of the party without another word. She hated making Applejack mad.

Rainbow Dash got tired of flying. She got tired of everything. Why would her friends keep something from her like this? He was her own father! She began to wonder how much of her past they were really keeping from her, and how much of it was true. Dash realized that her legs just kept on moving. She wasn't thinking about where she was going, she just knew she had to get away from everything. She carried on running, until she heard a voice behind her.
"Hold on there sugarcube!" It was a voice she thought she could trust. Thought. She wasn't sure if she could even trust Applejack anymore. Still, she gave up. Skidding to a halt, she turned to face the orange mare.
"What do you want?" She asked, flatly. She was too tired of all this. 
"Dash... you know... don't you?"
"Yes, yes I know! I know perfectly well!" Dash then changed her angry tone, "Why did you keep it from me Applejack?" She said, heartbrokenly. She slumped down on a nearby log.
"Sugarcube, ah didn't wanna. More than anything else, ah really wanted to tell you."
"Then why didn't you? We're supposed to be best friends. You're the pony I trust more than anyone. And you're the element of honesty!"
"You don't understand sugarcube. Ah couldn't tell ya, because it would be puttin all of us at risk. Not all humans are as nice as your father."
"I know... But why is Twilight being so rotten about it? She had two perfect parents. My Mom left when I was a kid, because I was so obnoxious. My Dad sent me to flight camp for most of my teen years because he hated me. But then something happened. This... this 'human'... he was more of a Dad then my bilogical Dad ever was to me. But can you at least tell me why I ended up in the human world?"
Applejack sighed. "Well... you deserve to know... in short, it was a spell gone wrong. You were zapped into the human world by Twilight by accident. You were there for 15 human years. It was only 15 days in our world. Celestia wiped your memory clean... but its hard seperatin' a kid from it's parent. Ah should know..."
Rainbow Dash looked at the now teary eyed Applejack.
"Thankyou." She said quietly. Applejack pulled her friend into a hug and they sat there in the early hours of the morning in blissful silence.