Faded Rainbow
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The Cloudiseum was packed with cheering, screaming pegasi fans. Rainbow Dash beamed with excitement. This was it! What she spent her whole life waiting for! She practically radiated with excitement. “And now, announcing the newest member of the Wonderbolts…” The announcer pony from the Best Young Flyers Competition paused for effect “…Raaaaaainbow Daaaash!”
With a triumphant whoop, the cyan pegasus zoomed out into the open taking her rightful place in the middle of the cloudiseum where everyone could see her in the totally awesome Wonderbolts uniform! She paused waiting for the cheers, the chants, the applause that invariably greeted the appearance of the Wonderbolts. What she got instead was laughter. Wild rancorous, whooping laughter. Pegasi beat their hooves on the cloud bleachers and rolled in the aisles.
“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!”
Rainbow flattened her ears, not understanding what was happening. She strained her head around to see what the problem was…then she saw that instead of the Wonderbolts emblem on the flanks of her flight suit, there was a symbol of a red and white target being struck by lightning on her rump. Right where Trixie’s lightning had zapped her. Her facing paling beneath her suit, Rainbow Dash looked up and saw—to her horror—that the Wonderbolts were laughing at her too. The entire Cloudiseum, the Wonderbolts, even Princess Celestia was there, pointing their hooves and laughing at her. Rainbow gave a powerful flap of her wings and zoomed out of the Cloudiseum faster than she had ever gone before. But no matter how fast she flew, she could still hear the mocking laughter behind her. Rainbow turned her head only to discover that her wings were now gone too! She plummeted down to the ground like a stone, and still they all laughed! The ground was getting closer and the laughter was getting louder. Rainbow screamed.
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“Aaaaah!” Rainbow jolted awake as she hit the floor. Panting she looked around, finally sighing in relief when she realized that she had just fallen out of bed. “Just a dream…just a dream…again.”
It was a few days after Nightmare Night when the nightmares started up again. Appropriate enough, Rainbow thought in one of her more cogent moments. She groaned from her place on her floor. The first time she had that dream was right after the Trixie affair. Getting zapped in the rear in front of the whole town was pretty embarrassing. Okay, a lot embarrassing. Rainbow corrected. But it was quickly drowned out by what happened later, with the Ursa Minor rampage and the revelation that Trixie was full of hot air. Big shock.
Part of Rainbow Dash still wanted to hunt Trixie down and give her a good beating for what she did, but those feelings had started to fade. She tried to put that whole lousy day out of her mind. Then Nightmare Night came and Princess Luna set off a loud clap of thunder from about a pace behind her.
Twilight and Spike and Luna had a good laugh over that one. Okay, she couldn’t very well hold that against them. After all she had kinda deserved it. Besides, it was a prank among friends and Rainbow was never upset by the stuff Pinkie did. But apparently Spike couldn’t help but mention how Princess Luna startled—okay, fine—scared her half-way across the Everfree Forest. Rainbow, in a more introspective moment, might’ve admitted that after causing Spike to nearly choke he was entitled to enjoy a little turnabout. But over the next couple of days she found herself going through town and could just barely hear faint whispers and snickers on the wind as she went past.
Rainbow couldn’t figure it out until one day when some pony had up and asked her if it hurt to sit down after Princess Luna zapped her backside. Rainbow’s angry glare made that pony abandon her inquiry entirely. But apparently the damage was already done and it wasn’t long until ponies began to remember the Trixie incident.
She flapped her wings to get herself back on her hooves before she wearily stumbled under a gray raincloud in the next room. Rainbow felt like death warmed over. With a weary groan she raised her hooves and kicked the bottom of the gray cloud, letting ice cold rain water fall on her. She yelped at the sudden, bracing cold but at least she was more awake than she was a moment ago. A little bit anyway.
Looking out the window, Rainbow gazed out over Ponyville. She was supposed to start clearing the sky of clouds so it could be a nice sunny Saturday. Groaning, she put her hooves over her eyes. “I really don’t want to work today.” She griped, laying her head on the windowsill. “Ugh.” Flapping her wings she lethargically dragged herself over to a cloud hanging over the town square.
She had just started to push it away when she paused. Rainbow Dash saw the spot where Trixie’s carriage had once stood…right before that Ursa stepped on it. Rainbow smirked at the memory. She remembered pawing through the wreckage of the carriage before Snips and Snails started clearing it away. She found the not-so Great and Powerful Trixie’s hat and cape in the wreckage and took it with her. Rainbow had taken it thinking it would make for some great pranking material but had forgotten about it. She thought about wearing it to the Nightmare Night celebration but her Shadowbolt costume was way cooler.
Rainbow’s attention was suddenly jerked back to the here and now after a thunderclap of a noise. Flinching, she turned this way and that, looking for the source. Finally she saw the source of the commotion: it looked like Mr. and Mrs. Cake had dropped some pots and pans they were carrying into Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow sighed only to then stiffen when she heard a strangled snicker from behind her and she heard the words “lightning rod.”
She whirled in midair. A pair of ponies tried too late to hide their smiles at Rainbow Dash’s reactions to the loud sound. It was Sticks and Stones, Snips and Snails bullying older brothers. “Um, nice weather we’re having, huh Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow felt her face pale. Without betraying what she was thinking, she turned and slowly flew away. Once she was safely out of sight, she launched herself into the air. In a second there was no trace of Rainbow Dash except for a prismatic trail.
She knew that she had a job to do and for once, she didn’t care. Oh she knew she wasn’t what you would ever call punctual, but Rainbow Dash always cleared the skies. Eventually. After all, she never left Ponyville hanging. But…
“What’s the point if everypony in Ponyville is laughing at me?” She grumbled. Then she checked herself. “Okay, fine, not everypony. Twilight and the gang wouldn’t. Probably. But still!” She zipped around Ponyville in a circle, not really knowing where she was going. Whenever Rainbow needed to think—and yes, contrary to popular opinion, she DID think—she knew she did her best thinking on the fly. Literally.
“If they don’t appreciate my awesomeness and all I do for this place, why should I keep it from raining on their parades? So they get their heads soaked. They probably could use it.” She all but snarled. “It’s not like I ever did anything for Ponyville—I mean besides clearing their weather ever since I got here, facing down Nightmare Moon and SAVING THE FLIPPING WORLD!” Zooming around to avoid a tree, she snorted. “Heck I even kicked my ex-best friend out for being a jerk to the ponies around here and how do they pay me back? They laugh when some out of town phony shows up and zaps me in the rump when I try to stand up for my new best friends!”
Rainbow banked hard, coming around for another lap around town. “I only took on Trixie after she hogtied one of my best friends! Heck, it’s not as if she actually did anything to show me up! Or Applejack. Or even Rarity! All she did was move Applejack’s rope around and change Rarity’s hair color! Nothing she did was even close to being as awesome as the stuff they did! And my trick was 20% cooler than that!”
Just as her mind was stuck in an angry spiral, so too did her body follow: zooming around and around the perimeter of town. Soon she felt the wind roaring in her ears as she circled round town. The air rushing past seemed to yell at her. She swore she could hear it calling her name.
“…ainbo…sh!…” Wait, that wasn’t the wind. Looking down the rainbow mare saw a familiar orange cowpony waving her hooves at her, trying to get her attention. Rainbow stopped in midair, only to regret it when the wind she’d whipped up by flying around town for ten minutes smacked her from behind, trying to pull her back into the loop.
Rainbow flapped hard and fought her way down to Applejack. The pull of the air was much less severe at ground level. “What’s up Applejack?” Her breath came with a small pant that she quickly fought to suppress. No need to show her best rival that her awesome flying display made her even the teeniest tiniest bit tired.
Applejack gave her a nod. “Whoo-ee! That shore was one humdinger of a flight show. Ah don’t think ah’ve ever seen clouds do that!” She pointed at something behind and above Rainbow Dash.
When Rainbow turned to look she saw a big white fluffy cloud ring circling around Ponyville. All her circuits around town had pulled in the clouds behind her, forming a large cloud orbit. “Neat! I mean, yeah, totally. Just working on a new routine.” She bluffed, thinking quickly. It was doubtful if Applejack would buy it or not. AJ had a nose for honesty.
“Ah huh.” AJ didn’t smirk but it was lurking just beneath the surface. “Anyways, ah was wondering if you could push a cloud or two on over to Sweet Apple Acres. Some of the trees need shade and a little drink.
“Sure thing!” Rainbow buffed a hoof on her chest. “I can have that done in—”
“If ya say ten seconds flat, then ah’ll buck you right on over to the farm right now and save you the trip.” Applejack drawled, a hint of humor in her voice.
Rainbow crossed her legs in a pout. “Spoilsport.”
“Oh Rainbow Dash!” Applejack and Rainbow Dash turned to see an orange earth pony trotting up to them.
“Hey there Carrot Top.” Applejack waved to her friendly farming rival as she drew close. She squinted. “Did you do something to yer mane?”
Carrot Top primped, tossing her now orange mane for emphasis. “Well after a certain pony who shall remain nameless made a big stink over having green hair a few months ago I decided to try something a little different. Haven’t you noticed it before? What do you think?”
“It looks…nice?” Applejack smiled weakly. It looked fine to her but she didn’t see it as that big of a deal. Sensing that perhaps her lackluster attitude towards the whole subject would be noticed, Applejack hurried on. “Musta been a right ol’ surprise fer Ditzy though. You two still livin’ together?”
Sighing, Carrot Top gave a rueful grin. “Yes, I am. Ditzy asked me if I spilled orange muffin mix into my mane.” Rainbow Dash couldn’t help snorting at that. That seemed to remind Carrot Top of her presence. “Oh Rainbow! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to forget about you! I heard you talking to Applejack and I was wondering if you could come by and give my carrot patch a little rain too?”
A frown crossed Rainbow’s face. “I’ll…see.” She said neutrally. Was Carrot Top in that crowd that laughed at her when Trixie was in town? She vaguely remembered her coming in later, but she wasn’t sure. Was she laughing at her now thanks to those rumors? “I might be busy.”
Applejack gave her a look. “First time fer everything ah suppose.” She drawled, giving a little chuckle. Carrot Top looked confused for a second but couldn’t help bringing up her hoof to try and cover a giggle.
Rainbow felt blood rush into her cheeks as she tried to fight a blush and failed. She flared her wings in annoyance before snapping them back to her sides. With an angry snort and a harrumph Rarity would’ve been proud of, she turned and started walking away.
Sensing something was amiss, Applejack trotted after her. “Whoa there nelly, no need to get all het up.” She called after her. “It was just a joke!”
Rainbow’s answer was to put on a burst of speed. Applejack quickened her own pace to match. “Consarnit, Rainbow!” She groused. “Fer a pony who loves pranks and jokes yer sure have trouble taking one!”
“Well maybe I’ve had enough of ponies laughing at me lately!” Rainbow shot back, turning her head to shoot Applejack a glare.
“Shoot Rainbow ah—Ah can’t talk to ya ifn ya keep running! Can we please stop?”
Part of Rainbow Dash considered the idea of just running on, confident that Applejack wouldn’t be able to catch her, especially if she took to the air. But…she shook her head and sighed. Rainbow dug her hooves into the ground. A small cloud of dust was thrown up by her abrupt halt, but she didn’t seem to even notice.
Applejack shook her mane to get the dust out when she approached. “Whooee, what’s gotten into ya?” She panted. “Look, ah’m sorry it was supposed to be a little joke—ya know, since you like sleepin’ and lazin’ about. But if you’ve got a burr under yer saddle the best thing you kin do is talk to me ‘bout it.” Rainbow looked away at nothing in particular. Scratching her head through her hat, Applejack scrunched up her face as she replayed Rainbow’s comment in her head. “Rainbow are you sore about that prank of Princess Luna’s? Shoot, after the way you were carrying on at the Nightmare Night festival it seems like sour apples to me if YOU of all ponies can’t take a joke.”
Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, it isn’t…it’s not what Luna did. Not just that, I guess. It’s everyone thinking about what…” she gestured at nothing with a hoof. “That loudmouth did.”
Applejack frowned, but it didn’t take long for her remember the ‘loudmouth’ in question. “You still upset about that whole Trixie thing? Shoot, it ain’t like you were the only pony she made look foalish, ‘member? I was trussed up an’ hogtied. Ah tell you, I was plum fit to be tied, er, no pun intended.”
Rainbow shook her head angrily. “It’s—it’s not the same!” She blurted. “The town just ‘oohed’ when Trixie did that to you, which, by the way, was totally not cool. And they were all appalled by what she did to Rarity’s hair—” The cyan pegasus trembled with barely repressed emotion. “—But when she struck my rump with lightning they laughed! They all laughed!” She looked Applejack in the eye. “And now they’re all laughing again! I clear the weather, I do the most awesome job I know how to do—and this is how they repay me?!”
Applejack was stunned. She had never heard Rainbow Dash sound so…hurt, before. And was she—no. It couldn’t be. She never…“Rainbow, are you--?”
“No!” The cyan pegasus turned away, rubbing at her face with her hoof. “I just had some dust in my eye. That’s all.”
“Rainbow Dash…” Applejack started apologetically. “Ah’m sorry. Ah didn’t know it were botherin’ you so much. I mean, shoot, yer, one of the toughest ponies ah know.”
“Y-you mean it?” She turned back to face Applejack. “Really?”
The farmpony grinned. “Darn tootin’ ah mean it! Forgit who you were talkin’ to Dash? Honesty an’ all that? Now c’mon sugarcube, why’s this upsettin’ you so much?”
Rainbow Dash hung her head and muttered something almost too low to hear. “…not the first time.”
“Eh? What was that? Could ya speak up a bit?” Applejack asked, feeling a bit like Granny Smith for a moment.
Sighing, Rainbow repeated herself. “This…wasn’t the first time I’ve had ponies laugh at me. Remember those three jerks from Cloudsdale when I went to the Best Young Fliers Competition? Rainbow Crash and all that? Well, that’s what I put up with from when I was filly to when I finally moved to Ponyville. Doesn’t matter how awesome I flew, a couple of dumb crashes earned me that stupid nickname. They might as well have branded my flank with it.”
“Rainbow ah’m—” Rainbow held up a hoof. She didn’t want Applejack’s pity.
“And now…it’s like its happening all over again! All my awesomeness, all my work—everything is becoming replaced by one stupid, bucking incident!”
“Whoa there, Rainbow! Calm down!” Applejack held up her hooves.
Rainbow Dash snorted, but she did pause. Taking a breath she started again. “I always thought…I mean Ponyville is MY place. I thought maybe I’d shed that Rainbow Crash garbage and I figured most of the ponies around here were cool. But when they all—” her throat seemed to catch. “—laughed at me…” She shook her head, unable to explain it.
“Y’all thought they woulda supported ya more?” Applejack offered.
Rainbow nodded sharply. “Y-yeah, that’s it! I mean, I never leave Ponyville hanging, right?” AJ shook her head. Rainbow warmed to her theme. “But they left ME hanging, didn’t they?” Applejack bit her lip.
“Well, I suppose—”
“Right! Loyalty is a two way street or whatever! When was the last time anypony went up to me and said, ‘Thanks Rainbow Dash for this awesome weather!’ or ‘Thanks for helping make sure the night won’t last forever!’? Does that seem right to you, AJ?”
“Well, no—” She began before Rainbow cut her off with an abrupt nod.
“So that settles it then, doesn’t it?”
“Uh…settles what?” Applejack asked in confusion, not sure what her friend just decided but something in her gut told her she wasn’t gonna like it.
Rainbow lifted off the ground and crossed her hooves across her chest. “If Ponyville can’t appreciate how incredibly awesome I am, then they can clear their own darn weather. I quit!”
Applejack’s jaw dropped. “Now, h-hold on a sec there Rainbow—” Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively.
“Yeah, yeah I know what you’re gonna say and its cool. I’ll still push a cloud over to Sweet Apple Acres whenever you need one. I’ll do that for any of the guys. I mean, you and me and Twilight and the others? We’re cool. The rest of Ponyville?” Rainbow blew a ripe raspberry. She turned around and started off. “I’ll be by later with that cloud. See ya AJ! Good talk!” With that, she zoomed off.
Applejack finally got herself together enough. “Now wait an apple-buckin’ minute! Rainbow Dash, you come back here! Rainbow? Rainbow!”
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