Take to the Skies

by Gallifrey


The Thunderway 500

Take to the Skies



by Gallifrey




Chapter Six
The Thunderway 500

Rainbow Dash woke unusually early after a bad night's sleep. Today was Saturday. The day of the Thunderway 500, and she didn't feel prepared, she hadn't practised nearly enough, eleven hours a day for the last week and a half just wasn't cutting it. Spitfire was going to kick her flank she knew it! She tumbled out of her bed and forced herself to eat some breakfast, as much as her body rejected the idea right now due to feeling queasy, she knew it would ultimately do her good.
Eventually, she finished her cereal, and put her head in her hooves to have a quiet moment of despair and to reflect that her life would soon be over.

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She touched down on the high street of Ponyville in the early dawn light, where many ponies were already gathered for the race. There were many signs that had been erected the previous evening, directing the participants. Rainbow followed them until she came upon a large, yellow tent in the centre of town, which was adjacent to a wide starting line.
Rainbow entered the tent to see a few other early pegasi warming up, stretching and flexing their muscles and wings. The cyan mare however sat in a corner and remained motionless, as if frozen, watching a nearby clock tick agonisingly slowly to the start time of nine o'clock. By half past eight, many more pegasi had showed up, though Rainbow had yet to see Spitfire. At twenty-to, a small gang of ponies entered the tent and made a beeline towards Rainbow Dash.

"Mornin' Rainbow!" called Applejack.

"Oh, Rainbow, are you alright, you don't look too good," said a concerned Fluttershy.

"Hey guys," said Rainbow in a higher voice than usual. "I'm fine, why'd’ you ask?"

"You look ever so tense dear," said Rarity.

"Like you-" Pinkie began.

"Ate cement?" Rainbow finished for her.

"Yeah!" said Pinkie happily.

"You'll be fine," consoled Twilight, attempting to quell the pegasus' fears. "Have you not met up with Spitfire yet?"

"I haven't seen her," said Rainbow, looking at the clock. Quarter-to.

"Is she ever late to shows or anything?" asked Rarity.

"I dunno, I’ve only ever seen her as she comes out to perform, I don't know about what goes on beforehand."

"A pity."

"Well, we have to get going Rainbow," said Twilight, "We'll be cheering you on all the way!"

"Thanks guys," said Rainbow, a small spark of confidence igniting inside her, "I'll do my best."

The pegasus waved her friends goodbye as they left.

The clock was all too soon pointing at five-to. Rainbow was beginning to wonder if Spitfire was going to turn up at all.
The curtain of the tent flicked as a golden yellow pegasus sauntered her way into the canopy, her expression one of focused calm and serenity, not at all affected by the imminent race. A sky blue stallion followed her, but hung back to allow Spitfire to talk to Rainbow Dash alone.
Rainbow clapped eyes on her as soon as she entered.

How in Equestria is she so relaxed? Rainbow marvelled.

"Morning Rainbow," said Spitfire the moment she was within earshot. She extended her hoof and Rainbow bumped it in return. "How ya feeling?"

"Just the slightest bit nervous."

"Now that's a lie, you look like a wreck Rainbow, you do know that this is just a game right?"

"A game?"

"You know, a competition, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose right?"

"But if I lose... What about you? You won't think I'm a... bad flier or anything?"

"What? Why would I think that?" asked Spitfire, genuinely confused.

"I dunno, I guess I let my myself get carried away. I just thought you might think I wasn't a good flier."

"You can be pretty dumb sometimes Rainbow," said Spitfire bluntly, but adding a wink.

"Huh?"

"If it wasn't for your flying, I'd be a splatter of dead pony. Hay, not just me either, also Soarin', Fleetfoot and your friend Rarity."

"Oh yeah!" said Rainbow, confidence inflating like a balloon inside her.

Spitfire brought a hoof to her face but continued her pep talk.

"No matter how you do I'll be proud of you, because I already am and always will be." She gave Rainbow a glowing smile. "Now are you ready to get out there and give it your best?"

"Yeah," said Rainbow.

"Louder."

"Yeah!"

"Louder!"

"Yeah!"

"Atta girl! Now let's get going!" said Spitfire enthusiastically, giving Rainbow a light pat on her flank as she got up by way of encouragement... at least that was Spitfire's excuse for it.
As they ascended the steps to the starting line they heard a loud horn.

"Oh ponyfeathers! It's just started!" yelled Spitfire, as the pair galloped to the top of the stairs and shot into the air to join a ways back behind the rest of the race.

"Now what in the hay were those two numbskulls doing that made them miss the start?" asked Applejack from the cheering crowd.

"I can think of a few things," giggled Rarity, licking an ice cream.

"You might not be far off," commented Twilight, which caused the white unicorn to accidentally shove her snout into her ice cream.

"Surely not?!" she exclaimed. "Those two?"

"What's so far fetched?" said Applejack, "they're both pegasi, both great racers, they share a heck of a lot in common if ya ask me."

"I think so too," chirped Pinkie, "what do you think Flutterbutter?"

"I think it's nice. I'll be happy for them if they get together."

"Oh don't get me wrong I will be too!" said Rarity, "perhaps I should have seen it coming, I always thought she'd end up falling for you Applejack if I'm honest."

"Excuse me?" said Applejack, not unkindly.

"Oh, you know," said Rarity, nonchalantly curling a lock of her mane in a hoof, "the competitiveness, the rivalry, the tension between you both, it was a melting pot in my humble opinion."

"It probably would've been if you ignore one major flaw in your guesses Rares."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Mah barn door don't swing that way, sugar cube."

"Ah... I see..." said Rarity as the others fell about laughing around her.

While they had been talking, the pegasi of Ponyville, not to mention a few from Cloudsdale, had almost completed their first lap of the town. Soarin' was in the lead, though he was being tailed by Thunderlane. Spitfire and Rainbow Dash, despite missing the start entirely, had worked their way through the field to the middle of the pack, the yellow pegasus ahead of the cyan.
They flew past the start line to tumultuous cheering.

"Come on ya numbskull!" were the words Rainbow Dash thought she heard Applejack yell at her. Grinning, she put on a burst of speed to catch up with Spitfire, manoeuvring around her fellow competitors and getting into the pegasus' slipstream.
Rainbow was determined to beat her at her own game, the slipstream making it easier for her to fly while she waited for the time to strike. Spitfire soon became buffeted slightly by an air current and as she corrected her flightpath, Rainbow took her chance. She dove under her and boosted her speed, leaving Spitfire in the metaphorical dust.

She's better at this than I gave her credit for, thought Spitfire, I didn't even know she was behind me.

Narrowing her eyes, the feisty yellow pegasus continued keeping her steady pace, biding her time.

Derpy Hooves meanwhile was in third place, eyes closed without a care in the world, humming to herself. How she was managing to fly was quite beyond anypony watching her.

"Is it over yet?" Rarity complained, "I'm scheduled for a pony pedi after this is over and my hooves are itching for it."

"Simmer down and jus' enjoy the race Rares," said Applejack, rolling her eyes.

"Who do think might win?" asked Fluttershy tentatively.

"Hang on," said Pinkie, pulling a few bits out of nowhere and flipped them into the air; after bouncing off Twilight's snout they came to rest on the ground, where the pink party pony inspected them closely.

"Spitfire," she said.

"Wha-? You can't just, urgh," said Twilight, irritated once again by Pinkie's lack of making sense.

"We'll see if she's right soon enough," said Applejack, "what are we on now, lap five?"

"Six," said Twilight, "and Rainbow is still pretty far from the lead."

"Oh my, what's holding her up?" asked Fluttershy.

"I'm not sure, but I can guess. I reckon she and Spitfire are running their own race on who can beat who rather than actually concentrating on the race, remind you of anypony AJ?"

"Hey, no need to rub it now."

"Who's in the lead again?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"Tain't Soarin' no more, he's been falling back fer the last lap or two."

"Yes, I hear that Soarin's not the best endurance flier," said Rarity, "he specialises in agility and complex tricks. Whereas Spitfire excels in speed, though the way she's been going with Rainbow Dash she's lost quite a bit of that. What are you all looking at? Is there something in my mane?"

"We just didn't know you were that knowledgeable about the Wonderbolts," said Fluttershy.

"I do take an interest in them it is true," she replied, "though I think it's somewhat eclipsed by Rainbow Dash's enthusiasm."

The blue pegasus meanwhile was at arms with Spitfire as they jockeyed for position, all but forgetting the race going on around them. Rainbow had just lost a little ground when Spitfire intentionally flapping her wings over Rainbow's snout made her sneeze.
Soarin' was panting as he maintained a more steady pace in fourth.

Boy, I sure regret eating that pie for breakfast, were his constant thoughts as he struggled along, watching a blue-grey pegasus list to the left and right as she flew.
Derpy was in first place and was having ever so much fun, the kind ponies cheering her on from the ground fuelled her motivation and enjoyment. She opened her eyes, and one of them looked down on the crowd. She saw her daughter waving a light blue flag with 'Go mum!' written on it. Derpy was quite unaware that Dinky had made her a flag, and her heart glowed at the touching sentiment. With added resolve, the mail mare closed her eyes once more, and picked up her pace.

"Last lap!" said Twilight, who had been keeping count, "Where are Rainbow and Spitfire?"

"In fifth and sixth," said Pinkie Pie, looking at a leader board behind her.

"An' who's in first?" asked Applejack.

"Derpy," said the pink pony casually.

"Derpy!?" everypony within earshot exclaimed in unison.

"What's so odd about that? She's been flying a great race," said Pinkie, puzzled. "Didn't you notice?"

"I thought she'd been lapped or something," muttered a mauve earth pony.

"Me too."

"Honestly, some ponies," whispered Twilight under her breath.

"Ooh! Ooh! Here they come!" squealed Pinkie Pie, pointing excitedly.

Soarin' had managed to reclaim the lead, Derpy on his tail. She saw the flag her daughter had made and put on a sudden burst of speed as both ponies dashed to the finish line...

"She won!" yelled Fluttershy, bouncing up and down. "She won! Wahahaha!"

Her four friends also joined in her celebration, though more reservedly.

"But where's Rainbow?" asked Twilight.

As if she had heard her, the cyan mare and her yellow friend tore around the corner, in fourth and fifth, having finally remembered the race wasn't centred around them. Both ponies were giving it their all to triumph over the other, but in the end there could only be one 'winner.' Or could there?

"Who in the hay beat who?" said a confused Applejack. The two ponies were so close when they passed the finish line, no-one was quite sure who was fourth, or who was fifth. The officials decided to just say they both tied for fourth place and leave it at that, it wasn't like it mattered.

"Tied?!" yelped the two pegasi in unison, looking at each other "how can we be tied?!"

"How did Soarin' beat me?" said a disbelieving Spitfire, "that stallion eats so many pies it's untrue!"

They looked up to see a delighted Derpy standing on top of a podium with a large golden medal around her neck. A microphone stand was placed in front of her.

"I just don't know what went right!" she said jubilantly. "Thank you everypony!"