The Paths We Choose

by discord7

The Mailmares Delivery

We were all on a picnic that day, actually it was more of a picnic pet play date. Everypony had brought their pets, and Scootaloo had even seemed to bring a little critter of her own.

"See Rainbow, I'm just like you!" she exclaimed prouldy holding up her... apparently pet snail.

"He's slow but I don't mind he sticks to me no matter what."

"Or probably just because that's what snails do." I told her trying to ignore the pestering youngster. She was always following me it seemed, I wondered why didn't she have a mom who was calling her in for dinner at all. Honestly she would follow me until I flew away. Even then as I was leaving, she be like 'Ok Rainbow, byw I'll see you tomorrow ok?' and watch me until I dissapeared into the clouds.

One time I turned around while I flew past a cloud and I swear I saw her start to cry. I couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for the little filly but honestly she was a little too clingy sometimes.

A crash into a nearby tree got all of our attentions.

"Oops, my bad." It was Derpy, the mailmare. I sighed as I flew over to pull the clumsy pony out of the tree.

"Hey Rainbow, got a letter for ya!" she proclaimed. I set her down on the ground and the grey pegasus gave me the letter and took off. Immediately smashing into a low hanging branch. I shook my head and turned my attention to the letter it REALLY got my attention. I felt my wings unfurl with the excitement of what I saw.

Twilight trotted over to me and looked at the letter, "What's got you so excited, Dash?" she asked.

The others had gathered around me as well, to find out what was happening. I showed them all the baby blue envalope with a lighning bolt shaped postage stamp.

"This is an official letter from the Wonderbolts!" I squeed, not bothering to hold back my excitement.

I tore open the letter without any further hesitation.

Dear miss Rainbow Dash,
We are proud to announce that we the Wonderbolts, have decided to coordially invite you to a private tryout for our team. This honor is only given to six other pegasai in all of Equestria, only one can gain the honour of becoming an honorary Wonderbolt. Please report to the address in Cloudsdale at the appointed date for your tryout. Once again we thank you for your dedication to training yourself and all you've done for the pegasai and all of Equestria.

Sincerly yours,

The Wonderbolts.

The signatures of all the official Wonderbolts were underneath it as well as the specified location. I couldn't believe it, not only had I gotten invited to tryout for the Wonderbolts I had gotten ALL of the autographs. This was officially the BEST DAY EVER!!!

When I got home that night I hung up my invitation on my wall full of Wonderbolt memorabilia. Tickets for the shows pictures. I even had cards with the Wonderbolts past and present on them. I gazed at my wall imagining a picture of me one day on it preforming a Sonic Rainboom. I drifted off to sleep dreaming of Wonderbolts.

Two days later I was at the training grounds of the Wonderbolt acadamy. This was truly awesome, the huge coloseum towered over my head. The race track that so many times I imagined flying over. Wonderbolts had raced on this track thousands of times before. I now stood on this field ready to give it my all.

A blue pegasus with a white mane came out stomping the ground. A whisle around her neck and sporting the Wonderbolt uniform.

"All right fillies let's get this over with." It was Fleetfoot.

One pony spoke up, "Uh, excuse me, miss Fleetfoot, I'm a colt not a filly." he said.

She zoomed in front of the gray colt eyeing him with her cold intimidating stare, "You questioning me?" she said, "Thunderhooves is it, says on your file you didn't learn to fly until you were six is that true?"

"Uh... well I-I uh..." he stuttered.

"Not too impressive." Fleetfoot tsked.

I snickered, Fleetfoot cocked her head and started towards me. She looked me dead in the eye, siezing me up.

"Well, well, well, miss Rainbow Dash. Let's see what you got." she told me.

She turned to the rest of the five who had been elected only one could win.

"Alright ponies this is a simple enough competition, for three weeks you get special training from the Wonderbolts themselves. You eat what we tell you to eat, you sleep when we tell you to sleep and you train when we tell you to train. Consider this, Boltcamp fillies." she finnished.

This was gonna be a breeze.

"Let's start things off with a race!" she said.

Before anypony could react she shouted, "GO!"

I sprang into action, leaving the other five in the cloud mist.

I was a good twenty feet in front before anypony had even realized what had happened. As soon as I reached the finnish line I started to slow down.

"Keep it going Dash this is an endurance race so don't try and burn out, sixt-five laps, GO, GO, GO!!!"

I races forward and onward, taking down lap after lap after lap. I was at fourty-seven when I felt the burn. My wings were begining to cramp up. I couldn't quit now I was ahead. I pushed on.

Fifty-six.

Fifty-seven.

Fifty-eight.

Almost there.

Sixty-two, sixty-three.

I was in the home streatch when my wings couldn't take anymore, they gave out. I skidded hard on the cloud track.

"Common Dash a Wonderbolt never quits, your still three laps ahead of Thunderhooves over there." Fleetfoot cheered

I watched as the gray colt zoomed past me.

My wings may be done for but I still had legs to race on.

"Common Dash, two laps ahead now, pick it up." she challanged.

I got up and started running, I galloped as hard as I could. It was tough because it was thick clouds. Like running in tall grass. But I zoomed through it keeping up with little Thunderhooves. He noticed this, he was panting as well I could see it. I threw him a smug smirk and he looked determined.

He picked up the pace, I did as well.

"You got some serious speed on you there I guess that's why they call you Dash." Fleetfoot said as we passed another lap. Sixty-four. One more to go.

Thunderhooves flew forward with all he had and came up on me with what was left of his endurance. We were both on lap sixty-four.

Neck and neck he had decided to fly right above me.

As we came within yards of the finnish line I felt the sting in my lungs and the burn in my legs. I lunged forward as I dived. It was all in slow motion now, I was in front of him by a nose, six inches to the finish line. I felt myself falling... down. I was going down, BAM! I hit the ground, banging my chin. My eyes were shut by the sheer force. I opened them to see Thunderhooves at the other side of the finnish line living up the spotlight.

I looked down my nose to see I was just an half an inch short.

Fleetfoot came over, "Nice dedication Dash." She slapped me a hoof and turned around and left.

We all trotted on into the bedding quarters accompanied by Spitfire, I couldn't belive it. I was complemented by Fleetfoot. This day couldn't get any better.

"This is where you'll all be sleeping." Spitfire was giving us the grand tour of our surroundings. I wasn't listning I was daydreaming about being a Wonderbolt. I had finally made my dream come true.