Newbie Dash
In the town of Ponyville, we find young Rainbow Dash flying overhead with a copy of the Cloudsdale Chronicle in hoof. She smirked as she stared at the section that had a picture of her boyfriend standing on a winner's podium. The title above read: 'Skies Seven Straight Successes.'
"Hey!" She was pulled from her thoughts by a familiar voice, looking down to see Scootaloo rolling down the street, "Rainbow Dash!"
"Hiya, Scootaloo! What's up?" Rainbow asked as she flew down.
The Rainbow Dash Fan Club just decided-" She stopped when she spotted the newspaper, "Wotcha got there?"
"Oh this?" She showed her the paper, "My folks just sent it over. Pretty cool, right?"
Scootaloo read the titles and nodded. "Heck yeah it is. Soarin's been on the top of his game since he got back from the war with my brother."
"You know it," Rainbow rolled up the paper. "All that fighting really pumped up his flying skills. Every race he's been in he's won by a mile."
"I guess having Theta Mode helps with that," Scootaloo laughed.
Rainbow shook her head. "Not really. He hasn't been using it." This made Scootaloo go wide-eyed, making Rainbow laugh, "He said it felt like cheating. Since he got it by a magical power-up instead of his own training, he didn't feel right using it, so he's only using Theta Mode during shows like the Wonderbolt Tour."
"Huh. I guess that makes sense," Scootaloo replied before gasping, "Oh, right! Everypony's coming to see you when the Wonderbolts' new tour comes through Ponyville!"
Rainbow chuckled before rubbing the back of her head. "Well, it's great that you all are going to the show Scoots, but I won't actually be performing in it. Reservists aren't in the show unless one of the real Wonderbolts can't fly." She giggled and waved her hoof, "I'll probably be working crowd control or something."
Scootaloo's jaw dropped at this, only to smirk at her, "But you're a Wonderbolt! Wait....does that mean you're still gonna be wearing a Wonderbolts uniform though, right?"
"A Reservist one, yeah."
"Hmm..." Scootaloo hummed before giving her a toothy grin. "That's good enough for me."
Rainbow smiled back, only for a sudden noise to ring out in the distance. They turned to see a sonic-boom on the horizon, only to look up and see a trio of blue suited pegasi flying overhead. Rainbow saw a certain head of blue dark hair and blue wings, only for the trio to do a quick aerial maneuver before dive-bombing down. All three pulled up as they were about to hit the ground, the central pegasus coming to a stop with a super hero landing.
"Whoa!" Scootaloo yelped as the pony known as Spitfire stood up, lifting her goggles. At the same time, Soarin and Misty Fly were hovering with Soarin and Rainbow sharing a smirk at the sight of one another.
"Rainbow Dash!" Her attention was pulled back to Spitfire as she trotted up to her, "Glad we found you. We need you in the show when we get to Ponyville. Flying."
This caused Rainbow's eyes to go wide, Scootaloo blinking before pointing at Rainbow, "But she's only in the reserves!"
"Not anymore, kid." This statement made Rainbow's eyes go even wider, Soarin wondering if they might fall out in a second.
"You mean..." She couldn't even dare to say it, only for Scootaloo to let out a gasp and turn to Spitfire. Spitfire nodded, confirming what they both thought.
"Rainbow Dash!" She leapt up and hugged her older sister around the neck, "You're finally a full-fledged Wonderbolt!" She jumped off and started cheering, Rainbow Dash just standing dumbfounding as she let the information sink in.
"Heh...what she said." Spitfire added as Rainbow Dash's face broke out into the biggest smile anypony had ever seen from her. "You'd better come with me," Spitfire chimed in while spreading her wings. "I'll explain everything on the way." She expected Rainbow to reply, but the pegasus remained quiet. "You okay?"
"Mm-hm..." Rainbow nodded, the ponies all seeing her body vibrating, clearly trying to keep herself from exploding with excitement.
"Well then, let's get going," Spitfire took off while Rainbow began to flap her wings, following the captain while still shaking.
"Alright Rainbow!" Scootaloo cheered as the pegasus flew off. "I've gotta tell everypony!" With that, the filly leapt onto her scooter and shot off, racing through every street while screaming the same thing over and over. "RAINBOW DASH IS A WONDERBOLT!"
It wasn't long until the whole of Ponyville heard about the news, including Rainbow's friends. They ran over to Rainbow's house as soon as they were free, arriving to find the pegasus packing a suitcase.
"Rainbow! Is it true? Are you really a Wonderbolt?" Twilight asked first.
"You know it!" Rainbow laughed as she threw her toothbrush and paste into the suitcase. It was clear she had finally calmed down enough to make full-on sentences. "You're looking at the newest member of the elitist flyers in Equestria."
"That's awesome!" Flash cheered.
"We're proud of yah," Applejack added while taking off her hat and placing it on her heart. "All yer hard work has finally payed off."
"Thanks...but I'm not really a Wonderbolt until I do all that boring paperwork. Which means I gotta get to Wonderbolt's Headquarters ASAP." She continued to run around the house, gathering everything she could while the others got comfortable.
"So what did Soarin have to say about all this?" Rarity asked with a smirk, "I'm sure he must be excited."
"He was, though he wasn't able to say it." Rainbow replied while packing some sleepwear, "He had to head back with Spitfire before we could talk."
"Well that's a shame," Rarity sighed, "But now that you two are working on the same team, I'm sure that means you'll get to spend a lot more time together."
"AHH! This is so exciting!" Pinkie cheered, "Now every one of us have fulfilled our life goals! Twilight and Flash are the Princess and Knight of Friendship, Rarity has a store in Canterlot, Applejack is running her family farm, Fluttershy has her animals and I'm helping ponies smile and have fun." She began to sniff as tears appeared in her eyes, "And now you're finally a Wonderbolt….I'm just so happy."
Rainbow giggled back before zipping through the house, only to come to a stop, "Anypony seen my wing balm? I don't want to be stiff when I show up at Wonderbolt headquarters."
The others glanced around, only for Spike to pull something out from between the couch cushions. "Got it!" He said before getting tackled by Rainbow and thrown into the suitcase with the balm, Rainbow shutting the case and trapping him inside. "Help!"
Flash raised an eyebrow at this while the others continued to focus on Rainbow.
"Do you have time to tell us what happened, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked next.
"Oh, yes," Rarity nodded as a dizzy Spike lifted the case lid off of him. "We must know every detail!" Seeing what was coming, the knight grabbed Spike and pulled him out of the suitcase seconds before Pinkie shot down from the ceiling and slammed the case shut.
"Start from when you were a foal and you first knew your destiny was to become a Wonderbolt!"
Rainbow let out a laugh as she leaned against the wall. "Well, not much to tell really. Spitfire told me that the Wonderbolts need me to go on tour with them."
"That's really great," Fluttershy added, "I know how long you've been waiting for a spot to open up."
"Yeah, its been a long wait...but it finally happened. Fire Streak decided to retire and teach full-time." Rainbow trotted over as she continued, "Cloudsdale Flight School will probably be churning out Wonderbolts with him there...but guess who was at the top of the Reserve list."
"Ooh, ooh, I know!" Pinkie was swinging her hoof around like a mad mare, "Pick me!"
Rainbow giggled at this as Rarity walked up to her, "So what do you do now, Dashie?"
"I have to report to Wonderbolts headquarters this afternoon." With that, she grabbed her case and headed for the door. "It's only two days 'til tour starts, and I need to learn the routine." But before she could open the doors, they flew open to reveal Pinkie, a look of pure shock on her face while also carrying a bunch of presents, balloons and a large cake.
"You're leaving already?!" She gasped, "But we barely started your congratulations party!" She fell onto her flank, "I haven't even thought about your going-away party yet!"
"Pinkie, I'm not leaving Ponyville," Rainbow laughed, "I just have to train for this show."
"I sure hope everything goes well." Fluttershy added as she gave Rainbow her flight goggles. "Sounds like an awful lot of pressure, having to learn everything so quickly."
"Yeah," Applejack nodded. "Good luck, Dash."
"Luck?" Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Heh....save that for the rest of the team." She snapped her goggles on. "Now that my awesomeness has finally been recognized, the other Wonderbolts will have to keep up or eat my cloud trail!" She leapt up, doing a loop with a cheer.
It was here that Twilight spoke up, "Rainbow...Everypony knows you're a great flyer, but so are the rest of the Wonderbolts. It might be more challenging than you think."
"Aw, you're right! I mean, do I show up wearing sunglasses or not? Sunglasses are automatically cool, but anypony can put them on. Maybe I'd stand out more if I didn't." She turned to the others for their opinion, only to see deadpan stares, "What?"
Flash let out a long sigh, "Rainbow...you've gotta keep your ego under control. Don't forget, Soarin beat you in a race, and he's a lot better now then he was then. If you're not careful, you could end up making a fool of yourself and the Wonderbolts might never let you live it down."
"Oh please, like that would-" She stopped as her eyes went wide, her mind flashing back to a day long ago when Soarin had joined her and her parents at a café on Hearts and Hooves Day. She remembered what he had told her about the Wonderbolt's tradition to give nicknames to each other, usually as a reminder of something stupid they did. She did a loud gulp as she glanced back down at Flash, "Well...maybe you've got a point." The others went wide-eyed at the sudden shift in attitude. "What do you think I should do?"
"Just stay calm and don't do anything overly dramatic," Twilight instantly replied, "Show them you're willing to work as a team. and not showboat. Then when you get more comfortable in your position, start showing them why you were chosen to be a Wonderbolt."
"Got it," Rainbow nodded before opening her door again, "Huh, it is kinda bright out. Maybe I should wear sunglasses." She turned to the others, all giving another deadpan stare. "Alright, no shades." She took another deep breath before turning to fly off, "See you all later!"
She shot through the skies as the others waved her goodbye.
"Do your best!" Twilight chimed in.
"We'll be rooting for you!" Flash yelled, the others giving their own cheers, but Rainbow was too far away to hear them as she flew through the clouds.
"Okay," she whispered, "My life as a Wonderbolt starts now, and nothing's gonna stop it. Not even my ego." She put on the gas and soon arrived at Wonderbolt Headquarters, spotting Spitfire standing on the edge of the floating landmass.
"Nice to see you here on time," Spitfire commented as Rainbow landed. "I'll tell you Rainbow, everypony's excited to finally have you permanently on the team."
Rainbow nodded back, trying to remind herself to keep her ego in check. A pegasus then flew up and offered to take her suitcase to the barracks while Spitfire showed her around. She happily gave it over, soon going on the tour despite how pointless it was since she had been there before. There were some places she hadn't been allowed in before now, including the team locker room, showers and even the hot tub. Rainbow couldn't wait to try that out.
Once the tour was done, Spitfire showed her to the barracks. "Team briefings are every morning at-"
"Oh seven twenty because there were twenty ponies in the original E.U.P. Guard that became the Wonderbolts!"
"Right," Spitfire nodded before pointing toward a building. "And I know you've seen the academy bunks, but these are the official Wonderbolts barracks."
"Built by Admiral Fairweather himself!" Rainbow chimed in as she prepared to run inside, only to feel something pin her tail, making her fall over, "Augh!"
"Don't forget rule number one, newbie." She turned back to Spitfire, "Always check both ways before crossing the runway."
To show what she mean, she walked up to the runway and glanced left and right before flying across. Rainbow raised an eyebrow at this as she did the same, "Uh...okay? But nopony else is here."
"They will be," Spitfire instantly replied, "And most of the Wonderbolts like to make a flashy entrance, so stay alert."
"Right, no problem!" But as they entered the building, they didn't notice a trio of pegasi flying down, landing on the other side of the runway. They were all fairly older ponies, all with graying manes with a few wrinkles here and there. They were all wearing Wonderbolt suits, caps and aviator glasses.
"Is that her?" A green stallion with a graying blue main asked.
"She's the one," a dark blue mare with a clearly dyed pink mane added.
"What was Spitfire thinking?" A red stallion asked while shaking his head, his completely white mane ruffling. "We have to deal with this problem before it causes to many issues."
It was then that Spitfire exited the barracks, spotting the three. "Status, Azure, and Afterburn? What a surprise to see you three here. Let me guess, come to see our newest Wonderbolt in action?"
"We have come to see her," the green pony named Status replied, "But we haven't come to see her in action. You've made a grave mistake, and we now have to fix your mess."
"What?!"
"Lookin' good!" Rainbow told herself when she looked in the mirror. She was now wearing the Wonderbolt uniform, unable to help but feel it was meant to be on her. "Okay..." she turned away from the reflection, "You're about to take your first flight as an actual Wonderbolt." She took a deep breath, "Just be careful, or you'll end up with a horrible nickname."
She stepped out of the room, instantly spotting Spitfire alongside three other ponies, Spitfire's voice echoing out, "You can't do that!"
"We can, and we have," the other mare replied. Their arguement had caught a fair bit of attention, several more Wonderbolts flying down and landing beside Spitfire.
"She's proven herself more than enough," Spitfire responded.
"Has she though?" The red pony asked, "The fact is, we can't be sure."
"What's going on?" She heard Soarin ask as he pulled his goggles off of his eyes, the others turning to him before Spitfire let out a growl.
"These three have rejected Rainbow Dash's entry into the Wonderbolts."
"WHAT?!" The group spun around, seeing the shocked look on Rainbow's face. "What do you mean they rejected me?!" She trotted up to Spitfire. "I thought I was in!"
"So did I," Spitfire nodded before frowning. "But the truth is, your promotion to fully fledged Wonderbolt has to be approved by the board of directors before you officially join."
"Board of directors?"
"Us." He turned to the green pony, "I'm sure you're familiar with us."
Rainbow nodded. "You're Stratus Slipstream." She turned to the mare, "Azure Vortex." Then to the red stallion, "And Afterburn. You're all former Wonderbolt captains."
"Exactly," Stratus nodded. "And though we no longer fly on the team, we manage the Wonderbolt's appearances, funding, and even the approval of new members."
"And you're not approving Rainbow?" Soarin asked, "Why? What possible reason could you have to reject her? Especially now that she's here."
"That's not our fault," Afterburn replied, "Spitfire shouldn't have gotten her hopes up before we officially approved her."
"I didn't think it'd be a problem," Spitfire chimed in while crossing her hooves, "We only have two days until the tour begins, and I didn't see any reason to waste time waiting for what should have been an obvious decision."
"Well, your poor judgement doesn't change our decision," Azure hissed back.
"But why? Why did you reject me?" Rainbow yelled as she walked up to them, "Haven't I proven myself enough? I graduated from Wonderbolts Academy, I passed the history test and I've even been working as a reserve member for months. Heck, I replaced Soarin for the time he spent off on his mission with Flash Sentry! What else do I have to do!?"
Azure sighed and shook his head. "Here's the facts. How can we be sure the results of the academy and history test weren't falsified?" This statement made everypony go wide-eyed as they continued, "After all, you could have very well manipulated a high ranking officer into changing their results."
Slowly, the three director's eyes shifted over to a certain pegasus, followed by the rest of his team. "What?!" Soarin yelped before glaring back at Azure, "That's insane!" He turned back to the rest of the ponies, "I didn't change anything!"
"That's right," Spitfire nodded. "I can't believe you're even suggesting that!" The rest of the team nodded as well, Stratus shrugging and shaking his head again.
"Was he not working at the academy during the time Rainbow was there?"
"I was," Soarin replied.
"And was it also not true that you and miss Dash started your relationship during that time?"
"That doesn't mean anything. I was interested in Rainbow way before then."
"Exactly. That means she may have influenced you into helping her," Afterburn responded, "How can we be sure she really earned a spot in the academy?"
"I looked over her file," Spitfire chimed in, "Rainbow would have gotten in regardless of what Soarin thought of her."
"But we can't be sure of that," Azure replied. "The same way we can't be sure that her test results were not fudged. Besides, we've been getting word of incidents involving her that could put the Wonderbolt's reputation at risk. Such as the events involving my old teammate."
"You mean Wind Rider?!" Soarin asked, "That wasn't Rainbow's fault! He framed her!"
"But he did have a point when he said your relationship with her may have caused favoritism that influenced the results of her time as a reserve. There's also the decision of making her a team leader over the Lightning Dust debacle, which we suspect is your fault in terms of putting her as a leader."
"What?! Lightning Dust tried to put citizens in danger! You can't-"
"That's irrelevant." Azure interrupted, "We believe that Rainbow is dangerous for the Wonderbolts, and we believe that favoritism is one of the main reasons, something Wind Rider did show us after being removed. That and I trust his word, even if you don't."
Soarin opened his mouth to respond, only for Rainbow to walk in front of him and declare, "Fine. I'll gladly take all those tests again! You can grade them yourselves if you want!"
"No Rainbow," Spitfire shook her head. "You shouldn't have to prove yourself again." She turned back to the three. "Don't forget, I've been there during every one of those moments you're bringing up, and I can say with certainty that Rainbow Dash deserves to be here. She's passed more trials then any other Wonderbolt in the history of the team. She hasn't just passed the academy and the history test, she's also helped save Equestria countless times, not to mention she saved my life along with Soarin and Misty Fly during the best young flyers contest." The two ponies nodded in agreement. "She's every bit a Wonderbolt as you, me or anypony else here!"
"I'm sorry, but our decision is final." Rainbow shrunk back at this, her eyes shrinking as Soarin did the same. Azure then turned to them, "Unless..."
"Unless what?" Rainbow asked, seeing the trio glare at her.
"Unless you can prove to us you're worthy of being a Wonderbolt."
"How?"
"By defeating another Wonderbolt in a gauntlet," Afterburn announced. "We've already made the preparations. Tomorrow, you will compete in a series of challenges. Win and you'll be a Wonderbolt. Lose...and you'll be expelled from the academy."
Rainbow's eyes went wide again, fear now filling her entire being.
"But who's gonna be her opponent?" Spitfire asked, the directors turning to her. "Me?!"
Stratus turned to Soarin. "Usually, we'd pick the Wonderbolt whose been doing the best in the races, but since Soarin is part of the problem, it wouldn't be right to have him be her opponent." He turned back to Spitfire, "That's why you'll be racing her. And you'll be racing to win, understand?!"
"Now hang on-"
"Understand?!"
Spitfire backpedaled, only to sigh and shake her head, "This all feels pointless, but if it'll get you off our backs...fine." She turned to Rainbow, "Sorry newbie, but if we want to prove you're worthy of being here, I can't hold back."
"I understand," Rainbow nodded before turning to the three. "And don't worry. This time tomorrow, you'll be more than happy to accept me as a Wonderbolt."
"We'll see," Status replied before turning away to fly off. "We'll see." And as they disappeared into the sky, Rainbow's anxiety returned, feeling her dream now hanging by a thread yet again.
Rainbow Dash had been sent back to Ponyville after her run-in with the directors. Spitfire had said both of them weren't allowed near headquarters until the race so neither could see what they had to do. Rainbow had wanted to talk to Soarin, to tell him this wasn't his fault, but he had been put in charge of the Wonderbolts while Spitfire was off duty. And with her forced to leave the compound, she didn't get the chance to even say two words to him.
Now she found herself landing in front of her house, barely opening the door before suddenly getting blasted by a party cannon. "SURPRISE!"
"Huh?!" Rainbow yelped as confetti covered her face, wiping them away before seeing half of the place was decorated for a party.
"Hooray, Rainbow Dash!" The CMC, Heart, Soul and young jakhowls yelled, though she couldn't understand the last two. "Our favorite Wonderbolt!"
The seven were standing under a large banner with the image of herself in her uniform, though it was only half coloured in. As this happened, Twilight trotted up to her. "We know you're probably tired Rainbow Dash, but Pinkie really wanted to throw you a party."
"Your best day EVER PARTY!" Pinkie exclaimed through a megaphone.
Rainbow let out a nervous laugh "Yeah. It was somethin', all right."
"Sorry. I know the place isn't fully decorated," Flash chimed in, "Honestly, we were expecting you to be back a lot later."
"Uh...yeah." Rainbow muttered out.
"So how'd yer first day as a Wonderbolt go?" Applejack asked.
"Did you impress them?" Rarity added.
"I hope nothing bad happened," Fluttershy finished, only to see a giant frown appear on Rainbow's face.
"Rainbow?" the pegasus turned to Twilight, "What's wrong?"
Rainbow let out a sigh, shaking her head as she began to speak up, "Well...its a long story."
One half of a chapter explanation later...
"What?! That's horrible!" Twilight exclaimed, everypony now frowning or growling at the explanation.
"I can't believe they would do that too you!" Rarity screamed, "You go out of your way to prove yourself and now they say it doesn't matter just because you're dating a member of the team?!"
"That's horseapples!" Flash yelled, getting a few stares from the exclamation while the others pointed at the younger ones. "Well it is! I mean, what right do they have to steal our friend's dream?!"
Rarity turned to Twilight, "Isn't there something you can do? The Wonderbolts are a military organization. You must have some influence. Or maybe Celestia or Luna can help-"
"No!" Rainbow interrupted, making them turn back to her, "If I get somepony else to fix this problem for me, it'll just be one more thing they'll have to hold over me. My only hope is to win that race tomorrow."
"But what if you lose?" Scootaloo asked, a low tone in her voice.
Those words made Rainbow shake, sighing as she put a wing around the filly, "I...I don't know."
There wasn't much left to say after that, the group mainly just trying to give Rainbow encouragement and telling her they would be there to support her before going home. And as the moon was raised into the sky, Rainbow laid down in her bed, barely able to close her eyes. Sleep seemed impossible, making her shift around in her bed as she kept thinking about how her dream was once again put in jeopardy by somepony who only seemed to care about themselves.
And in that moment, a knocking sound came from her door.
She got up and flew downstairs, opening the door before blinking at the sight of Soarin standing on the other side.
"Uh...hey," he said in an almost whispered tone.
"Hey," she replied before stepping aside to let him in. "I didn't think I'd get to see you so soon."
"Yeah....sorry." he rubbed the back of his head, "With everything that's going on, I thought you might not want to see me right now, but...I had to see you. To tell you I'm sorry."
Rainbow sighed at this, "Soarin, this isn't your fault."
"But it is. It's because we're together that those old coots are doing this. And well," Soarin glanced away at his next words. "I'm the one that started it. It was me who kissed you that day."
"I didn't exactly stop you," Rainbow replied, a small scowl starting to appear on her face, "So what, you're regretting doing it?"
"No!" Soarin yelled as he looked back at her, "Of course not! But...if I had waited until after you joined-"
"So you'd happily toss the time we've had away?!" Rainbow interrupted, her eyes narrowing at this.
"Rainbow...I don't mean that. I just...with everything that's happening..." He let out a long sigh, "It's not like we could anyway. I just hate that this is happening and its all my fault." He slumped down, "I don't...I don't know what to do except say I'm sorry."
"Except it's not your fault, or mine." Rainbow added as she crossed her hooves, "We didn't do anything wrong. There's no rule against us being together, so there's nothing you have to feel guilty about." She reached out and put a hoof on her shoulder, making him look up at her as her scowl disappeared, "And if I could go back to the moment we first kissed, knowing this was gonna happen, I wouldn't have changed a thing."
"Neither would I...but this is your dream."
"My dream isn't dead yet. So what if I have to win a race to get in? That's what I'll do."
"But Spitfire's gonna be going for the win, even if she doesn't want to. I know you're just as fast as her, but she's got years of experience. And one wrong move and your dream could be up in smoke."
Rainbow shook her head, "It's like you said. We can't change the past, so all we can do is...focus on making our future a better one."
Soarin sighed at this, a small smile appearing on his face as he saw the confident expression on his girlfriend's face. "You're right."
"Besides, I'm way too awesome to let my dreams be destroyed that easily. I'm gonna win that challenge and show those old buzzards why I deserve to be a Wonderbolt!"
Soarin chuckled at this, getting back up as he added, "You really are amazing."
"And don't you forget it," Rainbow poked him in the chest before putting a hoof under his chin, "And even if I lose, you shouldn't feel guilty. Those old geezers might be able to ruin my dream, but there's no way I'm letting them ruin our relationship. Now come here..." Soarin nodded and wrapped his wing around her, the two hugging each other before doing a long kiss, their fears melting away with one motion.
The next day...
Wonderbolts Headquarters was abuzz with activity, every member of staff busy getting everything ready for the big race. Soarin was sitting on the stands with the rest of the team, none of them allowed to talk to Rainbow or Spitfire before the event.
"Augh!" Fleetfoot yelped, "This is so weird! I've never been in the stands and not wanted Spitfire to win!"
"We're all in the same boat," Misty Fly added, "But what can we do? They're the board of directors." She turned to the barracks that Spitfire was getting ready in. "I just hope Spitfire doesn't do something she'll regret. She can't throw the race, and if she wins, she'll think she's the one responsible for losing us the best new member we've had in years!"
"All we can do is hope," Soarin sighed. "Hope Rainbow is able to beat her."
As this was happening, within the reserve barracks was Rainbow sitting on a bench, trying to calm her nerves. "Okay," she took a deep breath, "You can do this." Another deep breath. "It's just one race. It's like any other race. Except this one has your entire future on the line. Everything you've worked for. All the hours training. Everything, coming down to this one race."
As she began to say this, her breathing got more and more rapid, about to hyperventilate until a pink hoof held out a plastic bag for her. "Breath!" Pinkie's voice told her, Rainbow grabbing the bag before turning to see her friends.
"What are you all doing here?"
"We told you we'd be here to support you," Twilight replied, "But if you're wondering why we're in the barracks, we came to tell you good luck."
"Yeah!" Scootaloo chimed in, "And check this out." She and Heart held up a large banner, Rainbow realizing it was the completed version of the one she had seen yesterday. "It's to help you remember you're not alone! If at any point you feel like you're going to lose, just look at this and remember we're right there with you!"
Rainbow let out a chuckle, "Thanks everypony."
"Eh, don't mention it." Flash responded, "Just remember, you're a Wonderbolt, no matter what those old geezers tell you. If they think you're not worthy of being on their team, then their team isn't worthy of having you on."
"And heck, if they still don't want you after this, just go start your own team." Heart added, "What was that team you told us about that you almost joined?"
"Shadowbolts?"
"Yeah, that's it! Rainbow Dash, leader of the Shadowbolts!" The others laughed at this before an announcement sounded to tell everypony the race was about to start.
"We'd better get going," Twilight finished, "Just remember Rainbow, relax and do your best. That way, win or lose, you'll have nothing to regret."
Rainbow nodded back before they all left, Pinkie running back to give Rainbow one final hug.
In the main barracks, Spitfire was busy stretching when she felt a presence and turned to see the cause of her problems standing behind her.
"What do you all want?"
"Just came to wish our captain luck," Azure replied before showing a low glare, "And to remind you what this race means."
"It means I might lose one of the best flyers I've ever trained," Spitfire growled. "Just because you all are being idiots."
"Spitfire!" Afterburn sternly yelled, "We will not tolerate insults!"
"But you are! You're just-"
"Try to see this from our point of view." Azure interrupted, "If we allow this mare into the Wonderbolts and it's revealed she did find a way to manipulate her way onto it, that'll look bad for the team. Besides, flyers come and go, but the Wonderbolts are eternal."
Spitfire sighed before looking away. "Wonderbolts are supposed to stand for loyalty and teamwork. We may try to be the best, but not at a cost. That's something I forgot once, twice even. But Rainbow Dash was the one who reminded me of it." She turned back to them. "And now you're forcing me to race against her, and try to steal something she's already earned more then any other pony."
"But she hasn't earned it." Stratus instantly responded, "We believe she is a fraud, which is against the Wonderbolts. We will not allow this unless she proves it." He then put a hoof on her shoulder, "This is for the best. Just make sure you race to win. Or else."
Spitfire hissed as she slowly pushed the hoof away, "Don't worry, I always fly too win. Besides, me holding back would mean Rainbow wouldn't have to give it her all. And it's clear you won't be happy until you see her best."
"Exactly."
With that, the three directors left the room, making Spitfire growl before putting on her uniform.
Outside, everypony had taken their seats while the Rainbow Dash banner was being held by Heart and Scootaloo. The directors arrived and sat down at a desk on the other side of the runway while the commentator from the best young flyer's contest flew down and landed. "Welcome sports fans!" He cheered to the audience as a balloon floated just above and behind them with a unicorn waiting inside, "Today's special event is a race between Wonderbolt Captain Spitfire, and her plucky young recruit Rainbow Dash." The crowd cheered at those two names. "Now, please welcome former captain Stratus so he can explain the rules."
The crowd booed as he stood on the runway, the unicorn unleashing a spell that created a magic screen. "The contest will start here. The racers must then make their way over to the Lightning Labyrinth." The screen changed to show a maze made entirely out storm clouds. "Somewhere in that maze is a chest. In that chest are two keys, each racer taking one to use in the second obstacle." The screen changed again, showing a mountain. "This mountain is five miles from the labyrinth. On that mountain are another two chests, each with a medal inside." The screen then showed a medal with the Wonderbolt symbol on it.
Afterburn walked up next, "Once they have that, they must make their way back here, but along the way, they must pass the spike tunnel." The screen showed a long cave that lead into a tunnel roughly seventy meters long. Inside that cave were a bunch of stalagmites and stalactites.
Azure then moved over to a podium with an coin shaped indent. "The first pony to make it back here and place their medal inside the podium will be the winner!"
At that moment, Spitfire and Rainbow walked onto the runway, both having goggles on with glares on their faces. "Alright competitors!" The commenter pegasus called out as the directors sat back down. "Do you both understand what you have to do?" They nodded back as they trotted up to the starting line, Rainbow hearing her friends cheering her on. "Then let's hear some final words from the organizers!"
They all turned to the three as Stratus spoke up from his seat, boos once again coming from the audience. Despite this, he kept a straight face, "I have only one thing to say to both of you. Fly hard, fly well, and most of all, fly fast." The other two nodded, signaling that was all they wanted to say.
"Then let's get this contest underway!" The announcer yelled. "In three!"
The two got into ready pose as the audience spoke up, "TWO!"
They shared one final look, "ONE...GOOOOOOOOOO!" With that, the two blasted off the runway at such a speed it sent a burst of air that threatened to knock everypony off their seats.
And as everypony had recovered from the wind blast, they looked to the magical screen to see the racers already racing to the labyrinth, Scootaloo cheering at the sight. "Alright! Rainbow's already in the lead!"
"That's only because Spitfire's letting her be in front," the others turned to Soarin, seeing him stare at the screen of Rainbow flying in front of Spitfire, "Both have about equal speed, but Rainbow's younger and has more stamina. If Spitfire tried to get ahead of her this early, she'd wear herself out long before the race was over."
"She's pacing herself?" Twilight asked.
"Exactly," Fleetfoot nodded. "But she's doing more than that. Look at where she is." They turned back, now seeing she was perfectly in line with Rainbow. "She's in Rainbow's slipstream. That means she doesn't have to fly as hard to keep up with her cause there's no wind resistance."
"Spitfire's playing to win," Misty Fly sighed, "Those old coots are really making her do this."
"Come on Rainbow," Scootaloo prayed as the pegasi reached their first obstacle.
Rainbow and Spitfire stared up at the electrically charged clouds that made the maze they had to navigate. The lightning would make it impossible to bust through the clouds, making them have to navigate it the old fashioned way.
They quickly found the entrance and flew inside, splitting up as they tried to find the area with the key chest. "Come on," Rainbow turned a corner. "It's gotta be around here somewhere." But then she turned another corner, only to come to a stop as she found an electrified dead end. "Dang it!"
"Looks like Rainbow took a wrong turn!" The announcer yelled as everypony watched the screen, which was now divided in two to show the two racers, "Meanwhile, Spitfire appears to be getting closer to her goal."
"Come on Rainbow!" Scootaloo cried before flinching when she saw Rainbow overshoot a corner and skim her wing on the wall, "Ouch."
"How is Spitfire finding her way?" Twilight asked while staring at the mare, seeing she was holding her hooves close to each wall. "She must have some kind of trick."
As for Spitfire, she had came to a X-shaped turn. She pointed her hoof down each tunnel and stared at the back of her leg, seeing how the hairs of her fur stuck up. Once she did that for all three, she smirked before turning to fly down the path that her hair stuck up the most. "Static electricity. The further in, the more there is."
She continued to use this trick while Rainbow kept going down random hallways, constantly finding herself hitting dead-ends.
As she did this, the directors all sighed, "Can't even find her way through a bunch of storm clouds. She must be a fraud."
"I thought she worked as a weather pony." Afterburn added while shaking her head. "If she can't locate a single chest, what'll she do if the Wonderbolts are called to save a pony lost in a storm? It seems Wind Rider was right. If only he hadn't done that..."
"She may yet surprise us," Stratus finished, "But so far, I remain thoroughly un-surprised. In fact, perhaps we should just cancel this at this rate."
"OH!" The announcer exclaimed, "Looks like Spitfire has found her key!" They turned back to the screen, now seeing Spitfire fly into the middle of the maze where the chest was. She landed on the only white cloud in the maze and opened up the chest, finding a pair of plastic keys with a rope tied to it.
Spitfire grabbed one and shut the chest before flying back the way she came, Rainbow's friends all gulping as the commenter added, "It looks like Spitfire will escape the maze before Rainbow even finds her way to the center."
"AHH!" Rainbow yelled at same time, now hitting another dead-end, "COME ON ALREADY!"
She turned to head down another route, only to realize she had be going in circles with all the left turns she was taking. "Where's the chest?!" She screamed in frustration, but then stopped to take a deep breath. "Can't let myself get angry. Gotta stay calm!" She then flew down another passageway, only to see Spitfire flying down it from the other direction.
The two locked eyes as they passed one another, Rainbow seeing the key around her neck. "I'm sorry Rainbow," she said before disappearing down a turn in the maze.
Rainbow shook her head at this, zipping down the corner she saw Spitfire head down. "She must have found it somewhere around here." she whispered to herself, taking another turn before seeing the white cloud and the chest sitting atop it. "Yes!"
The crowd cheered as they watched her grab her key, the announcer speaking up, "Rainbow has her key, but...Spitfire's already found the exit!" They all turned to see Spitfire fly out of the maze.
"Oh no!" Twilight yelped, "By the time Rainbow finds her way out of there, Spitfire will be at the mountain!"
"How's she supposed to catch up to her?" Pinkie asked next.
Rainbow appeared to be thinking the same thing as she placed her key around her neck. She then turned to the electrified wall, taking a deep breath. "No choice!" With that, she shot straight through the wall. "GYAH!" She screamed as she was zapped, surprising those watching as she began pushing her way through another wall, then another and another. Each time she was electrocuted, but she didn't let that stop her.
"What is she doing?!" Azure yelled.
"Clearly, she's finding a shortcut," Stratus replied.
"Is that even allowed?" Afterburn asked.
"We didn't say she couldn't do that," Status responded, "But to actually do that....she's got determination, that's for sure."
The others nodded as Rainbow blasted her way through the last wall, escaping the maze. Her hair was singed, eyes spinning before shaking her head and turning to the mountain. Spitfire already halfway there, and with another quick shake of her head, she shot forward after her hopeful future captain.
As for Spitfire, she glanced behind herself as she got close to the mountain, only to do a double-take when she spotted Rainbow coming up fast. She couldn't help but smile before turning back to the mountain and picking up speed. "Not bad kid. But I can't make this easy on you."
"Come on!" Rainbow growled as she kept beating her wings. Within a minute, Spitfire reached the mountain and Rainbow was several seconds behind her. The two began circling the mountain, looking for the spot that the chest was held. "This place doesn't look so bad. Maybe this should have been the first obstacle." But as she said this, she found herself flying past a bunch of holes, only to suddenly sense some movement. Turning to one of the holes, she yelped, "WHOA!" before flying back, just barely avoiding a pair of snapping jaws.
"RAAAAAAARRRRRRR!"
"Quarry eels?" She screeched before another red snake-like creature shot out of another hole, "What are they doing here?!"
"Don't they live in Ghastly Gorge?" Flash asked at the same time while the others nodded.
"They live anywhere there's good rock to live in," Fluttershy responded.
Scootaloo did a long gulp at this. "So not only does Rainbow have to find a chest, she also has to do it while dodging pony eating eels?"
"They're seeing how well Rainbow does under pressure," Soarin told her. "Being a Wonderbolt isn't always about flying really cool. Sometimes, we have to face danger. Remember that dragon that attacked Ponyville?"
Spike chose this moment to hide himself behind Twilight's wing. While this happened, the screens showed Spitfire now getting herself attacked by eels. She began showing exceptional skill as she weaved around them, all the while keeping her eye out for any sign of the chest. Another eel shot out after this, the captain dodging this before slamming her hoof into its face. Small cheers followed this before the audience focused back on Rainbow.
"Back off!" Rainbow roared as another eel tried to bite her. As she did, she suddenly spotted a chest on a nearby ledge. "YES!"
She shot down and hovered in front of it, placing the key inside the lock. However, the key didn't move. "Huh?" She grunted as she began to turn it, the chest not wanting to unlock. But as she did this, a growling sound occurred above her, an eel now sliding up to her.
Rainbow felt herself swearing as she continued to turn the key, the pegasus mare almost able to smell the creature's breath. Then, seconds before it could strike, the lock was undone. "YES!" She pushed to chest open, grabbing the medal inside just as the eel struck.
Those watching gasped until they saw Rainbow kick away from ledge and fly back, the eel now slamming into the chest and losing its grip on its hole. It began to fall down the mountain, chest in its mouth as it descended into the clouds below.
"HA! Take that!" Rainbow cheered while her friends applauded.
And as this happened, Spitfire found her own chest on another ledge. Hers opened without much issue, allowing her to grab the medal inside. She flew up while putting the medal around her neck, spotting Rainbow doing the same thing. Both flew level with one another, sharing a glance before turning toward the ground, seeing the entrance of their final obstacle.
"WOW!" The announcer exclaimed, "Both competitors are now neck and neck!"
Rainbow's friends all cheered at this, clapping and whistling as they watched the two begin to fly towards the cave. "Go Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cheered, "You're awesome!"
"Keep it up sugarcube!"
"You've almost got it!" Rarity added.
Soarin frowned, keeping his gaze locked on the two as they got closer to the cave. "This is your last chance to get ahead of her. You've gotta be careful."
As for the duo, they were side by side as they arrived at the entrance to the cave, both stopping and glaring into the darkness. In another second they saw the light at the end of the tunnel, only to see a large amount of spikes sticking out of the floor and ceiling. Both smiling at one another before heading inside, zigzagging through the spikes.
"If I can just get ahead of her," Rainbow whispered. "One Sonic Rainboom and this race is mine."
But when they were at the halfway point of the tunnel, something made them both raise eyebrows. The ground started shaking, causing small rocks and pieces of dust to come loose from the ceiling. "Huh? What's going on?" Rainbow asked when she was almost hit by a rock.
"I don't-" Spitfire didn't get to finish as the ground in front of them suddenly exploded, a giant eel slithered out next, "Well that explains that."
Rainbow wondered if that was the eel that she had sent falling to its doom, though she didn't get the chance to ask as she had to start dodging the eel's attacks along with the rocks that were falling down. "We gotta get out of here!"
"Right behind you!" Spitfire yelled as they flew toward the exit. But then, one of the larger rocks suddenly slammed down and hit her wing. Her cry of pain was drowned out by the shaking, Rainbow now hearing it as more rocks began to hit the Wonderbolt. As for Rainbow, she kept zipping back and forth to avoid the falling debris, all the while the eel was still trying to get to her.
And as its jaws opened to get her, the pegasi suddenly blasted out of the animal's range, zooming right out the exit. "YES!" she cheered before glancing behind her, "We did Spitfire! We-" She came to a stop at this, gasping as she saw nopony around her.
"Oh no..." she whispered as she looked down, now seeing the pony half-buried by rocks. "HANG ON!" The blue pony shot back inside, ducking under the eel as she began evading the rocks that were slowly filling the tunnel.
Back at the stadium, the audience gasped at the sight, Stratus getting up and pointing at the Wonderbolts, "This race is over! GO SAVE THEM!" The bolts nodded and took to the sky, Flash following after them.
"Let's go!" Heart cheered as he leapt into the air, only to be magically grabbed and pulled back by Twilight.
"Oh, no you don't. Leave this to the professionals." Heart grumbled as he yanked into his seat, the colt growled as he turned back to the screen.
"Come on Rainbow!" Scootaloo added, "You can do it!"
"RAH!" Rainbow roared at that moment, dodging a barrage of falling stalactites. She barrel rolled to evade them, another stalagmite now falling over before zipping around it. "Almost there!" She pulled back to keep from getting hit by another rock, her eyes still on Spitfire as the edge of a falling rock came down and cut the ribbon of her medal loose. But as this happened, she got to Spitfire and began to pull her out from under the rocks.
"Rainbow?" Spitfire moaned as she felt Rainbow tug on her.
"Hold on!" Rainbow yelled before looking up, now seeing the eel charge at them. "Oh, come on!" She then pulled Spitfire with one last tug, getting her out of the rocks before slinging her over her back.
"Just...drop me," Spitfire muttered, "You won't...make it-"
"No way!" Rainbow interrupted, "I am not leaving you behind!" She then took to the air, zipping through another barrage of rocks as the eel tore right through the rubble. Rainbow looked back at this, now seeing the eel about to get bite her. Glancing back at the exit, she whispered to herself, "Come on!" The eel opened its mouth, about to snap her tail, "Faster!" Several small rocks then hit her wings, making her flinch as she kept flapping them, "Faster!" She stared at the exit, not seeing the eel's mouth opening to chomp her in one go. Instead, all she saw was a new rain of rocks about to cover the exit as she screamed, "FASTER!"
And with that, the rest of the mountain fell on top of them.
"RAINBOW!" Scootaloo screamed as the footage suddenly cut, signaling whatever was sending the unicorn the images had been buried.
The screen vanished and everypony looked down, Fluttershy about to cry as Applejack slung a hoof around her. At the same time, the younger ponies were pulled into hugs by those closest.
In the sky, Flash and the Wonderbolts had arrived at the entrance to the cave, only to see it and the exit were both buried. All were in shock while Soarin simply shook his head, "No....this can't be real."
And as Flash hovered over to him, placing a hoof on his shoulder-
KABOOM!
The pegasi were blown away by a force that ripped the ground apart, a shockwave shooting out in all directions while a streak of light flew out into the air. The sight made all at the stadium gasp, now seeing a large rainbow spread across the sky.
"OH YEAH!" Rainbow cheered as she pulled Spitfire through the sky, only for her wings to give out. "Oh no." Gravity immediately took over, pulling them instantly as they both screamed. That is, till three blurs flew up and caught them.
"You okay?" Rainbow looked up to see Soarin, the pegasi holding her with a grin.
"Yeah...I'm good." Rainbow replied before turning to see Fleetfoot and Misty Fly had caught Spitfire, sighing in relief. "And so is she."
"Thanks to you," Spitfire moaned back, the group slowly descending to the airfield a few minutes later. There, the directors and all their friends were waiting, cheers of excitement happening next as they saw everypony cheering and waving banners.
"Way to go Rainbow!" Scootaloo yelled.
"Are you and Spitfire alright?" Twilight asked, Rainbow letting out a laugh as Soarin put her down.
"Are you kidding? I'm a hundred and twenty percent awesome, just like I always am."
"Yes," Everypony froze before turning to the directors. "We have a lot to thank you for Miss Dash. Now, about the race."
This statement caused everypony to growl, Spitfire hissing as she pulled herself out of her teammate's grasp. "Let me guess," she said as she marched up to them. "You're gonna say that Rainbow lost because she doesn't have her medal." Rainbow looked down at herself, blinking as she realized this fact. "Or that the race didn't count and now we have to do it all over again or something like that." Stratus tried to speak, only for Spitfire to raise a hoof, "Well forget it! I'm not gonna let Rainbow be denied anymore! She might not have won the race, but that's because she did the right thing and saved my life! There's more to being a Wonderbolt than winning every race, and Rainbow Dash proved that today. She risked her chance at victory, and even her own life, just to help the pony that was trying to take her dream away from her. And if that isn't enough to prove she's Wonderbolt Material, then I don't wanna be a Wonderbolt anymore!"
Rainbow's eyes went wide at this, only to hear Soarin speak up. "Me neither." He walked up to Spitfire's side, "After all, if the only way to be a Wonderbolt now is to risk your life in a race over things that are not your fault, I'll quit right now!"
"Same!" Fleetfoot yelled.
"I'm out too!" Misty Fly exclaimed as the rest of the team all did the same, shocking Rainbow Dash and making Spitfire smirk.
"So, what's it gonna be?" She asked while getting up in Stratus's face. "You gonna let Rainbow in or are you not gonna have a team to fly in your Equestria tour? And before you answer, I'll remind you that what just happened in this race is all. Your. Fault! You risked the lives of the Wonderbolts over a pointless race that should have never happened!"
She and Stratus stood for a few seconds after this, staring each other down as Stratus gave her a blank expression. "If you're done," he sighed, "I was merely going to say that you were right. This race was pointless."
Spitfire went wide-eyed at this. "Huh?!"
Stratus shook his head, "While Rainbow is young, brash, and possibly a little egotistical." Rainbow growled at this, "It's clear she has the skills needed to properly represent the Wonderbolts. And nowhere was that more clear then in her selfless actions to save you."
"You're right, my dear," Azure added with a nod, "Being a Wonderbolt is about more than just being a good flyer. It's about strength of character."
Afterburn scratched the back of his head at this, "And it's clear the only ones lacking any character in this situation was us. It seems...we were told wrong."
They all focused on Rainbow and spoke together, "We apologize."
Rainbow suddenly felt very self-conscious, looking away as she responded, "Don't...don't mention it." Her eyes then went wide as she glanced back, "Wait! Does that mean what I think it does?!"
They all nodded, "We officially endorse your entry into the Wonderbolts!" That was all they got to say before they were knocked off their hooves by the blast of wind Rainbow created when she shot into the air.
"YEAH-HEH-HAAAAA!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, everypony giggling at the sight. It had been a long road, but Rainbow had finally done it. She was a Wonderbolt.
The next day...
Thanks to the whole fiasco with the race, the Wonderbolt's tour needed to be rescheduled. Now they had two days to get the routine down before their first show. Luckily, the injuries Rainbow and Spitfire had been minor, and the two were ready for training right away.
As for the Wonderbolt's newest recruit, she was now walking out of the barracks wearing the uniform again. This time, she had more of a strut in her step as she spotted Spitfire standing on the other side of the runway. "Hey, Spitfire!" She flew up to the mare, "I was thinking about my nickname. How about, Mountain Crusher? You know, because I crushed a mountain in order to save you!"
Spitfire was about to say something when she noticed something and gasped. "STOP!"
Rainbow stepped onto the runway, only to suddenly hear a scream. "LOOK OUT!" She turned to see Blaze and Fleetfoot flying up, the pegasus letting out a scream before she leapt to the side. She found herself flying through some bushes, only to crash into a bunch of trash cans. The others all flinched at the several painful crashing sounds that echoed for several seconds until they died down. They each walked up to her, now seeing the new Wonderbolt laying in a trashcan with spinning eyes.
"You forgot to look both ways, didn't you?" Spitfire asked as Rainbow pulled herself free, the mare nodding her head.
"Are you okay Rainbow Dash?" Soarin asked while running up to her, pulling a banana peel off her head.
"More like Rainbow Crash," Fleetfoot laughed with the others following her, Rainbow's eyes going wide at this until Soarin patted her on the shoulder.
"Relax Rainbow," he chimed in, "We all have embarrassing nicknames. It was gonna happen eventually."
"I guess..." Rainbow sighed. "But does it have to be that one?"
"It's a reminder," Spitfire responded, "We may be Wonderbolts, but we're not perfect. If you don't have something humbling like a reminder of your screw-ups, you can get a little overconfident. Besides, there are worse things to be called."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow and looked at the others, each of them pointing to themselves. "Flatfoot," Fleetfoot replied, "My first day I misjudged my landing and came down right on Spitfire's hoof."
"Dizzy," Misty Fly added.
"Slowpoke."
"Hoof-in-Mouth."
Rainbow then turned to Spitfire, "You don't wanna know what they call me." She leaned over and whispered something into Rainbow's ear, the young pony's eyes going wide.
"Whoa! That is so much worse than Crash!"
"But if being called that isn't to your liking," Spitfire pulled a piece of garbage out of her hair. "We could always think of something else."
Rainbow blinked at this, only to rhyme with the word Dash. "Crash is good. Crash is perfect."
The others laughed before Spitfire spread her wings. "Alright Bolts, we've wasted enough time already! LET'S GET FLYING!"
"YES MA'AM!" The pegasi all screamed before leaping into the air, Rainbow lining up with the rest of her team. Her team. Her...team.
"This...is...AWESOME!" The other Wonderbolts giggled before they began their training, ready to break their newest member in.
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Actually I feel insulted, almost to the point of taking offense. You presented the Chairponies as one-dimensional characters that needed to learn something, when they were in the right to turn RD down, you presented their argument, and by extension my own argument, in such a dumbed down manner it boarders on strawmanning me....
I already PM you what my thoughts were on how to address this, feel free to share it or consult back to it.
I get your want to save RD's face, but to save her face is to miss the point of what the episode was trying to say, that military life is hard, it's a culture at you have to have a certain mindset so thrive in, and that means accepting your screw-ups, baring whatever moniker you get because of said screw-up, pick your self on and move forward, and does RD have that mindset, can she function as part of a 'one-shape' outfit,
This comes off as 'This pony was a friend of Wind Rider, this pony is trying to stop RD from getting her dream, this pony must be bad.
Too bad, unlike this chapter in the eyes of most readers, Rainbow was the one that ended up in the Trash.
Well, it was better than the main one. (The episode spent too much on that stupid nickname situation and Dash making a fool out of herself).
Rainbow Dash is officially a Wonderbolt! Yay!
Glad we didn't have to see her doing an awful impression of her friends! A point for you, Banshee!
Here's a highlight
He got a point Dash!
HA! Soarin never let Spike to forget about him almost destroying Ponyville!
Hey! No Showboating Heart! Your name ain't Starlight Glimmer and we don't want a character that hogging a spotlight!
TL;DR: Spitfire and others telling the geezers to fuck off.
At least, Wonderbolts immediately tells her about the nickname tradition or else she will be making a fool out of herself.
Great chapter! :)
10524451 He's not a unicorn. The unicorn is in a balloon. He creates the screen when Status steps onto the strip.
10524452
Oh! Sorry.
I must misread.
Thank you for clarifying it.
That was awesome! This was another episode I was hoping gets adapted and you certainly didn't disappoint. Once again, you did a good job incorporating an original idea for an adaptation of a canon episode.
I think the thing fans love to nitpick about this episode the most is because of the way Rainbow is given her nickname by the Wonderbolts and teases non-stop about it, making the team out to be jerks in the process until the penultimate scene. They certainly don't have that problem here, with all of them standing by Rainbow's side through the whole ordeal.
I admit, back in Rarity Investigates, I thought Wind Rider insulting Soarin's relationship with Rainbow was just him trying to grasp at straws when he didn't blindly go along with his accusations of her like he was supposed to, but I guess despite his dishonorable discharge he has friends in high places who feel the same way. Although the directors came off as incredibly petty for the most part, I'm glad they realized their mistake once they actually saw Rainbow in action, and risk her life to help Spitfire. I also think that their general opinion of Rainbow could be understandable at first considering they hadn't met her before and only knew about her through reports and accounts of others like Wind Rider. So once they actually see her in action they realize that the whole thing they put her through really was "pointless" like Spitfire said.
The race itself was also pretty intense too. The way that Rainbow and Spitfire were in danger at the end was a little much, but I'm glad that they didn't force them to redo the whole thing or hold it against Rainbow. I guess ethics and safety like that is what hold the Wonderbolts above other teams like the Washouts (even if they haven't been introduced here yet but you get the point).
I also really liked Soarin here once again. It is nice to see he is at the top of his game after everything he went through in the war, and it is really impressive he hasn't even needed to use the Theta Mode to constantly win his races. Spitfire better watch out or he might end up replacing her as captain before Rainbow. The scene where he met with Rainbow at her home was also really sweet and a little sad too, with him blaming himself for what Rainbow is going through. I'm glad everything worked out for them though. Now I'm just curious when they'll have their rematch like they promised to have way back in Season 2.
10524457
10524451
How can you praise this trash? How are you so easily amused?
I must be the only adult in the room, because, as Banshee admitted, is based on my critique pointing out that Wind Rider is in fact right to accuse Soarin of allowing a conflict of interest, and as such this is based off of my arguments, and given that is the case this take has basically strawman-ed me. And yet you praise this... this... this... ... I am just dumbfounded by this... in the immortal words of Scar as portrayed by the voice of Jeremy Irons in the good Lion King movie, "I am surrounded by idiots."
10524488
No we're just not ungrateful bullies who nitpick everything and insult people for their hard-work. If you don't like it, that's your opinion to have, but you can at least be generous enough to not throw insults 24/7. But why should I expect anything less from you by now? You're a troll and a bully and I bet you only stick around to insult Banshee's hard-work and ruin the fun for the rest of us. So if you want to see an idiot, look in the mirror.
10524505 Don't bother, I've blocked him. I've just had enough of him.
Good take on *Newbie Dash* here Banshee, especially with Soarin/Rainbow relationship in the line here cause of these 3 jerks, so glad Rainbow came out on top (as her nickname as well
) Also thanks for cutting down that other part of the sudden yet brutal Spike abuse (you rock Flash) the original episode had. 
And as I soar on high I spy......the Highlights! :
No Pinkie, no squashing my fave purple dragon this time!
I see 3 jackasses in need of a good smite! *shuffles though my stuff looking for my quiver of lightning arrows*
Ah yes, I totally love this crowd!!!
And here's your triple order of crow, enjoy!
Sweet chapter Banshee, keep up the awesome work!
In the Flash Sentry chronicles love always finds away.
Yeah, um, I know those three board members are supposed to be the bad guys, but I can understand where they are coming from. During my regretfully short clerkship, I learned that reputation is incredibly important in a professional setting, even if that reputation couldn't be farther from the truth. It's understandable that they'd be more than willing to throw Rainbow and her dreams under the bus to protect the Bolts'. Considering that Flash has been a professional longer than the girls, I'm surprised that he would be unaware of that. I'm not saying that it's fair. I just don't think that it's entirely unreasonable.
Also, I question Soarin deciding to go see Rainbow Dash the night before the race. That's quite a lapse in judgment on his part, especially if they wanted to prove that their relationship is irrelevant to Dash earning her place.
Also, that part where Spitfire attempts to accommodate Dash's dislike of her nickname kind of feels like it killed the point of everything she just said to Dash beforehand. Maybe if she had smirked or said it in a different tone like, "Of course, we could give you a different nickname if you're too sensitive to take what you're given." You seemed to imply that you've had prior military experience in one of your earlier chapters, so I would expect that you would know what the culture is like. I'm sure you didn't mean to make Spitfire come off as too accommodating.
10524656
At least your not insulting the readers who do like the chapter, unlike someone I will not mention.
And don't worry, I understand your critiques.
Wow, are these former captains part of the GOP cause the level of hypocrisy is astounding. They claim, with absolutely no evidence, that Sorin altered Dash's entrance exam to get into the reserves and tried to use the events with Lightning Dust and Wind Rider to justify their opinions. Those two events by the way had a recruit breaking protocol and endangering military and civilian lives. The other had exposed outright fraud and slander on the part of Rider. The Wonderbolts are military, they have a system of checks and balances to make sure recruits don't cheat. The directors should know this. And to say that Dash got in from nepotism, and to then have one of the former captains say his opinion is backed up by his friend Wind Rider, is also straight up nepotism. And not only that, but to say if she didn't win the race she'd be banned from becoming a Wonderbolt.... what the fuck grounds do you have to authorize that?! And then let's talk about the race. An extremely dangerous and needless event that put military and civilian lives in danger. I hope Spitfire goes to Celestia and petitions her to remove the board and form another one. Cause these ignorant asses should not have this much power.
I feel like a couple tweaks would make this work. First make the board of directors civilians, or elected politicians. They would be able to have this cold disconnect from the military aspect and feel more believable. Especially when listening to Wind Rider. Next, actually have them find something wrong with Dashie's test, like a filing error, or something just as innocent to actually create doubt. Then finally after this insane trial they are forced to step down cause of the lives they've endangered, and they're replaced with a military board.