Ex-Bolts Rising

by Melody Song

Ponyville to Ghastly Gorge

Rainbow hovered above Ponyville, glaring at Wind Rider. He had a smirk on his face. Sun Chaser and Cyclone were heading for them. Sun Chaser looked out of breath and her mane was messed up. Rainbow leaned forward and reached for the horseshoe.

"What happened?" she asked in an undertone

"Cyclone. She attacked me. Watch out for Wind Rider." Sun Chaser passed on the message, and Rainbow nodded.

Rainbow flew after Wind Rider, easily catching up.

"You won't beat me again Rainbow Dash." Wind Rider called, referring to she and Rarity's uncovering of his true colors.

"Please! You're so slow I could beat you in my sleep!" Rainbow replied

"Not so fast! Lightning Dust designed this course. And we have to go through the Everfree Forest, then Ghastly Gorge!" Wind Rider yelled, flying into the dense undergrowth of the forest.

"Oh, please. He really thinks that I can't win? Well, prepare to be wrong, Rider." Rainbow thought, grinning.

Rainbow flew after Wind Rider, swerving easily through the trees and prickly bushes. A branch snagged one of Wind Rider's wings, and he lurched backwards. Rainbow shot past him, her smaller frame helping her to weave around the thick undergrowth.

"Could be worse. There's no big black weeds, or any monsters nearby." Rainbow reasoned as she neared the edge of the forest. Wind Rider came up behind her, his aviator jacket flapping in the breeze made by their wings.

The two Pegasi burst out of the Everfree Forest and headed for Ghastly Gorge, where their teammates waited on the other side.

"Good luck trying to fly through the toughest terrain of all!" Wind Rider shouted, and Rainbow smirked, simply keeping her eyes on the Gorge.

Rainbow flew into Ghastly Gorge, keeping her wings curved to her sides, the way Spitfire had shown her. She had mentioned it might be useful in the tough winds. Rainbow was wearing the special goggles that Kerfuffle had made for her on their visit to Hope Hollow. Somehow the pegasus mare had managed to make them strong enough to last anything. Hopefully that included Ghastly Gorge.

"Right, just passed into the wind tunnel, Quarray Eels should be right around the corner." Rainbow muttered, mapping out the route through the gorge in her head.

Wind Rider's bulky frame was; while useful in standing up to the wind; less than helpful in powering through the confined tunnel. Rainbow, however, remembered that Spitfire had once told her that wind tunnels were strange in the fact that the wind lessened the higher you got to the top. And if you flexed your wings just right...

She did a complicated wing maneuver and caught the wind, flipping upside down and gliding over Wind Rider. She smiled and began flying upside down through the tunnel. Rainbow made it out and flipped right-side up again. She looked backwards and shouted out to the very flustered stallion that had just emerged from the tunnel.

"Watch out for the Quarray Eels! They don't like it when ponies get too close to their nests!"

Rainbow then promptly swerved to the wall of the Gorge. She went over and under the holes as the infamous Eels came out, snapping their jaws hungrily at the mare and stallion. Wind Rider grinned and followed her. He shoved Rainbow out of her over-under pattern and straight at the jaws of a nearby Eel. Rainbow spread her wings wide, caught the air again, and followed him.

---

Wind Rider grimaced as she easily caught back up with him.

"How is she doing this? Dust told me nopony can fly the Gorge! Well, I'll lose her in the thorn bushes and cacti before making my...escape." Wind Rider thought, pulling forward.

---

Rainbow wove her way precariously through the cacti, flying over the tops of them. Wind Rider got ahead of her and led the way into the thorn bushes. Rainbow followed him in, the thorns catching in her mane, a few pricking her ears.

"The Frozen North was probably less dangerous than this." Rainbow thought. Suddenly, Wind Rider punched her in the side, and Rainbow fell into a whole mess of the bushes. Rainbow groaned and struggled to get free, the branches cutting into her legs and wings.

"Try getting out of that one!" Wind Rider yelled, turning back.

"Where is he going? The exit's the other way!" Rainbow thought, trying to stand but finding the thorn bushes wrapping around one of her back legs and one of her wings.

"Well, it's less humiliating than last time I got trapped down here. And at least it wasn't my fault this time." Rainbow muttered, struggling to break free.

---

"Dash!" Spitfire called as Rainbow tried to pull herself out of the thorns of the Everfree Forest. They'd been flying over to do a routine check.

"I'm okay Captain!" Rainbow called back.

"Can you get out of there?"

"I-I don't think so." Rainbow admitted, sure that Spitfire was going to leave her behind.

"Clipper! Take over the patrol for me!" Spitfire called up to the stallion.

"Fine." he called back, somewhat reluctantly. The rest of the Wonderbolts followed him away.

"That was some tailspin huh?" Spitfire commented as she grabbed a thorn vine and tugged it away from Rainbow.

"I-I didn't mean to slow down the team."

"You didn't. It's not your fault anyway. The trees here do have a habit of grabbing onto ponies." Spitfire said

"Why are you helping me?" Rainbow's question caused Spitfire to step back and drop the vines.

"Would you rather I leave you here to fend for yourself?"

"That's not what I meant."

"It's what I heard. Why do you sound so surprised that I'm capable of helping somepony?" Spitfire asked

"Well, back at the Equestria Games Tryouts you..."

"That wasn't my best moment. I am sorry about what I did. I'm trying to prove it to you."

"Really?"

"Why do you think I made the Wonderbolts Reserves? It was my way of apologizing. I didn't act like myself and I gave you the wrong impression."

"I forgive you Spitfire." Rainbow said, struggling "But I don't think the two of us are gonna get me out of here."

"We will Rainbow. You may be in a tangle now but you're gonna do great stuff on this team. Remember, no matter how beat up you get, keep reaching for your dreams."

---

"Keep reaching huh?" Rainbow looked up at the sun, just visible through the thorns. "She's right. Now it's time to break free and reach it."

Rainbow pushed forward and the vines snapped. One flung forward and scratched her face, but Rainbow kept going. She finally got free and extended his wings. She took off again and flew on, towards the cacti, heading for the edge of the Gorge

"I can do this. I have to keep going." Rainbow thought, though the cacti were scratching her wings and making her drop lower down. Rainbow found that somehow, Wind Rider had got ahead of her, though he'd been going the wrong way.

"How did you get up here?! You were supposed to be stuck!" Wind Rider yelled

"You won't get the best of me Wind Rider!"

"I know this Gorge better than anyone, that's why I told Spit I would fly it. I can do this!" Rainbow sped forward and nearly crashed into Soarin.

"Dashie! What happened to you?!" Soarin exclaimed, and Rainbow shoved the horseshoe at him.

"Just go Soar, I'll explain later. Just know that they cheat." Rainbow said, before her wingbeats slowed and she was forced to land on a cloud nearby. Soarin took off, but glanced back in concern.

"Just like when Spitfire made him lead the patrol so she could help me. I guess he'd been crushing on me then too." Rainbow thought, blushing a little. Wind Rider had passed on his horseshoe to Moon Spear and turned to look at her.

"Why couldn't you have stayed down?!" Rainbow just took off again to fly down to the ponies stationed there to watch the passing of the horseshoes.

---

"He did what?!" Celestia asked

"He got me trapped in the thorns. That's why I'm covered in cuts."

"How did you break free?" Luna butted in

"Once something similar happened during a patrol over the Everfree Forest. Spitfire sent the others ahead and stayed behind to help me. She told me 'no matter how beat up you get, keep reaching for your dreams'."

"Very insightful of her." Celestia murmured "And the dream in this case was to win, I assume?"

"No, it was to see Spitfire happy again. She's been so upset since the Washouts took over, the rest of us agreed that we weren't racing for the title. We were racing for her." Rainbow said "It was Fleetfoot who suggested it, but we all agreed."

"Ah." Luna said, smiling "You are such good friends."

"Not friends. Family." Rainbow objected. Wind Rider stalked up behind Rainbow and spun her around, ignoring her wince of pain.

"How did you get past me!!!?" Wind Rider demanded. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Rider...I fly through Ghastly Gorge every morning for fun."

Author's Note:

In case any of you were confused by the last chapter, this was the order:

Rapidfire from Manehatten to Starlight's Village
Surprise from Starlight's Village to Rainbow Falls
Fire Streak from Rainbow Falls to the Crystal Mountains
Lightning Streak from the Crystal Mountains to the Crystal Empire
High Winds from the Crystal Empire to the bottom of the Frozen North Mountains
Thunderlane from the base of the Frozen North Mountains to Vanhoover
Silver Zoom from Vanhoover through the Smokey Mountains
Sun Chaser from the Smokey Mountains to Ponyville

~Melody Song

Comments

[Melody Song]

10003182
Just doing my job as a Rainbow Dash fan.

[Toriandthehorse]

"Rider...I fly through Ghastly Gorge every morning for fun."

This is the best line yet. Seriously -- I cried laughing. This is so much like Dash! This is exactly what she'd say.

[Melody Song]

10013695
Thank you!