Rainbow Dash and Soarin: Wingbeat

by Pimped Kiwi

Ponyville...

An Evening sun slowly drifted beyond the Horizon and the streets of Cloudsdale were buzzing with life, crowds of Peggasi were swarming every corner of the marketplace and the city was alive with vibrant colours and an air of excitement. The Wonderbolt Headquarters stood above the countless shops and restaurants that covered almost every inch of the vast metropolis. Inside the famous building a pale blue Pegasus paced around his room occasionally stopping to look at a Callander that hung on his wall.

"One week" the Stallion thought aloud to himself, "But where?", He seemed to trail of for a moment, standing and gazing blankly at a map of Equestria that hung next to his Calendar. A familiar voice called to him from the doorway,
"Daydreaming again Soarin?",
the Stallion instantly snapped out of his trance after recognising his name and he turned to face the intruder.
"Oh, hey Spitfire" Soarin called back to the bright yellow Pegasus that had appeared in his doorway. Spitfire raised an eyebrow at Soarin,
"Y'know you were due downstairs for dinner like half an hour ago right?" the mare spoke impatiently,
"Oh, right..." the stallion replied having clearly forgotten, he turned back to his calendar and ran a hoof through his dark blue mane, "Spitfire..." He began to speak "Where are you going for your week of?".

Spitfire looked at Soarin inquisitively
"Uh... Going?, well... Nowhere I guess" she responded,
"You're just staying in Cloudsdale for hearts and hooves day?" Soarin asked curiously,
Spitfire gave Soarin a confused look "Well... Yeah me and Rapidfire were-"
"Oh right... Rapidfire...." Soarin interrupted sounding slightly sadder than intended,
"Soarin we've been through this, you and me are just friends okay?" Spitfire shouted almost angrily at the Stallion,
"I know" Soarin began " but I'd rather be with a friend than on my own" he responded looking down at the cloud floor. Aside from other Wonderbolts Soarin really didn't know many other ponies. "You'll find somepony Soarin, I know loads of ponies that would go crazy for a stallion like you" Spitfire spoke trying to sound supportive but coming across slightly patronisingly.

"Thanks Spitfire" Soarin eventually replied "But I'd rather not be with some random fan mare, I'm fine with being alone but I'd rather spend my break somewhere other than Cloudsdale, I just wish I knew where" The stallion turned back to his map and began studying it sighing in frustration.
"How about Ponyville?" Spitfire replied,
"Ponyville?" Soarin looked back at Spitfire who had now moved to his side,
"Yeah! I went there for a week a couple years back, It's a great place to go if you're just looking to relax for the week" Spitfire spoke as if she was giving some kind of sales pitch, She drew Soarin's attention to Ponyvilles location on the map "s'not to far away either, About an hour away by train" Spitfire continued before standing up and walking to the door "Don't take to much longer up here" she added "There's still some apple pie left downstairs if you hurry", Soarin's ears instantly picked up at hearing this,
"Apple pie!?" He asked enthusiastically
"Yep" Spitfire replied "and I'd hurry if I were you because I told Fleetfoot that, if you weren't down there in ten minutes, she could have the last of it".

Soarin instantly jumped up and flew past Spitfire and down the hallway thinking about their conversation, clearly the idea of relaxing for a week was growing on him the more he thought about it,
Soarin began to think aloud to himself again as he sped of down the hallway, he paused next to a window and watched the last few minutes of sunset, his emerald green eyes fixed on the horizon as the dim orange glow disappeared "Ponyville...".

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Meanwhile in Ponyville
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The town was almost in complete darkness, the subtle glow from the windows of shops and houses were slowly going out one by one as the residents of Ponyville were turning in for the night, all except Rainbow Dash. The Cyan Mare flew from Sweet Apple Acres at the edge of the town back to her cloud house above the small village leaving a rainbow trail in her flight path. When she arrived home she stopped on the balcony and looked out to watch the sun disappear over the horizon, she thought about all the other ponies who were watching the same sunset as her. She pushed her front door open and trotted inside, she was immediately greeted by her pet tortoise Tank, "Hey there buddy" the cyan Pegasus said petting his shell with her hoof before wandering into her bedroom and collapsing on her cloud bed.

The Rainbow Mained Pegasus let out a long sigh of relief as she laid back and admired the posters of her favourite team of acrobatic peggasi "The Wonderbolts", She knew the names of each of them of by heart, "Fleetfoot, Fire Streak, High Winds" She went along the poster going through the names in her head "Wave Chill, Spitfire.... And Soarin..." She stopped and gazed into the emerald green eyes of the stallion on the poster, she had met her heroes before on a number of occasions, at the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot, at the Best young fliers competition In Cloudsdale, and yet she was starstruck every time she would even look at a poster with their faces on it. She flung herself back onto her bed and closed her eyes with the image of Soarin's Emerald Green eyes still strong in her mind as she drifted of to sleep.

Morning Sunlight flooded in through Dash's windows the next morning and casted it's warm orange glow across her face, The Cyan Pegasus opened her eyes, clambered out of bed and trotted over to her balcony. While still in a drowsy state she spread her wings and flew down towards sugarcube corner, she dove through every cloud in her path, the condensation was refreshing and woke her up instantly, as she flew past town hall she noticed a train pulling into the station but the streets were so busy with activity that she didn't even notice one of her heroes getting of the train.

Soarin stepped of the train and stretched his wings, after a full term of intense training he chose the train over flying. He walked into the town square and began taking in his surroundings, the town was quite, or at least in comparison to Cloudsdale, the streets weren't nearly as crowded. For a while the Stallion just stood by the town hall taking in the natural beauty of the area he found himself in until he noticed an orange earth pony pulling a wagon full of apple baskets that was clearly to heavy for her in the direction of the market, Soarin instantly noticed something familiar about the mare but he couldn't quite put his hoof on it.

Finding himself in a chivalrous mood Soarin trotted over to the mare to lend her a hoof, "Excuse me miss? Do you need help wi..."Soarin began before being cut of by the sudden aroma of Apple pie's from the mare's cart, the smell instantly reminding him of exactly who the mare pulling the cart was, "Hey, I know you!" Soarin exclaimed "You're that mare that sold me that awesome apple pie at the Gala last year!", Soarin, being the mare's only customer on the night of the gala, seemed familiar to the mare too,
"Oh yeah, ah remember you" the mare spoke in a familiar southern accent, "say ain't you one of them Wonderbolt fellers?" She asked with a look of sudden curiosity,
"Sure am" He replied, "names Soarin" he said introducing himself to the mare,
"Nice to meet you Soarin, I'm Applejack" the earth pony responded shaking Soarin's hoof a little to firmly,
"I was just wondering if you needed a hoof pulling that cart" Soarin asked, "Well That'd be great!" Applejack responded gratefully, "If you could just carry these baskets that'd be a great help" she said gesturing toward two baskets in the back of the cart, Soarin grabbed the two baskets and trotted alongside Applejack to the market,"So Soarin, what brings you to Ponyville" Applejack asked inquisitively,
"Every Wonderbolt gets a week of work for Hearts and Hooves day" Soarin began "I didn't really have any plans so my friend Spitfire told me this was a good place to relax",
"Well your friend was right" Applejack spoke with the same "Sales pitch" tone as Spitfire had done.

Soarin set the baskets down next to an apple stall in the center of the marketplace, "thanks for all yer' help Soarin" Applejack said gratefully, "why don't you swing by Sweet Apple Acres later and I'll make some of those apple pie's to repay you", normally Soarin would've rejected any kind of reward for such a small task, but with the taste of the last apple pie he bought from Applejack at the grand galloping gala still lingering in his mind he accepted instantly, "Ah should really tell my friend Rainbow dash you're here" Applejack continued "She's a huge fan of the Wonderbolts, you in particular", Soarin blushed slightly,
"Well anyway, I'll see yah later Applejack" Soarin waved as he flew of to perch on a cloud that hung over the town center, Soarin laid back on a cloud and closed his eyes, "Rainbow Dash..." Soarin thought to himself, "where have I heard that name before..."

Author's Note:

I know this is kind of long but this first chapter was originally going to be split into two so yeah... enjoy :3 /)

Comments

[ParadoxPony]

I LOVED it1 The chapters were just the right length! Not too short as to make it not interesting, but not too long as for it to be dull

[DaDerpy8]

Why did Soarin forget Dash?

[RoyalCanterlotVoice98]

I love how you kept all of the characters (especially Spitfire) in character!