Soaring Skies

by Gallifrey

Out of the Blue

Soaring Skies
by Gallifrey

Chapter Two
Out of the Blue

Rainbow Dash twisted in her sleep, eyes flitting frantically under their blue lids. She was dreaming; a good dream too. Flying. She often had dreams about flying, but this was different: she wasn't in the skies, she was above the skies, dancing amongst the stars. As she surfed the melting Milky Way, some of the stars rearranged themselves to form the faces of her friends. Fluttershy had just morphed seamlessly into Twilight Sparkle, when the luminous apparition began to talk.

"Beep!" said Twilight.

"What?"

"Beep!"

"Twilight, you alright?"

"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!"

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Rainbow Dash's slightly bloodshot eyes snapped open and she smashed a hoof over her alarm clock to shut it up. With a monumental effort, she sat up, stretching and yawning widely, bleary eyes looking around the bedroom. She rubbed them with her hooves and blinked a few times. Falling back into the warm embrace of her bed, she stretched again because it felt so damn good. She lay on her back for a few minutes, until her tummy decided to have other ideas and began rumbling loudly.
Grumbling that she actually had to move, she rolled to the side until she fell out of bed. Extracting herself from the tangled blue blankets, Rainbow mooched through her house to the kitchen, giving herself a glance in the mirror at the bottom of the stairs: her mane was a mess, and she didn't really care. Passing her front door, she saw that Derpy had already delivered the mail. She scooped the letters up and set them on the table.

"I better have some cereal," she muttered, rummaging through cupboards. "Aha!"

After a few minutes walking back and forth, Rainbow sat down happily in front of a big bowl of Honey Hooves. Remembering that she had letters to address, she drew them closer and began sifting through them.

"Schedule for next week, some crap on wing lotion..."

She turned over the advertisement.

"Fly higher, faster, stronger... simply rub into wing joints once daily..." Her eyebrows raised and she set it down. "Sounds a bit kinky to me." She took another glance at it, then continued through her mail. "A letter from Twilight, again."
She rolled her eyes and opened it, knowing what she was about to read.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

Hey Rainbow, just writing this to remind you about the Wonderbolts' show today, six o'clock, in the park, okay? I'm really excited about it! See you soon.

Twilight

X

"This is the fifth time this week!" exclaimed the exasperated pegasus, "She knows how much I love the Bolts, how was I gonna forget? If anything, I should be writing these letters to her!"

The last letter looked unusual. It was a sky blue envelope with 'Rainbow Dash, Ponyville, Equestria' written on it in what appeared to be an attempt at elegant hoofwriting. Rainbow turned it over to break the wax seal, pausing when she saw just what the seal was: a winged lightning bolt. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes shrank as she just stared at it, knowing where it had come from. With trembling hooves, the starstruck pegasus broke the wax, drawing the parchment out, and began to read:

Dear Rainbow Dash,

I was just wondering if
Would you be able to
As I'm sure you're aware, we're coming to visit Ponyville tonight. I can't wait. Ponyville is always such a welcoming town, with the best pies! Anyway, that's beside the point. As I'm one hundred percent certain you'll be holding tickets for the show, I'd be delighted if you'd like to come to dinner with me after you've watched the show to catch up and stuff, I haven't seen you in ages! If you're agreeable, meet me by the town hall at eight o'clock. No need to send a reply: I'll grab a sandwich if you don't wanna go, don't worry. Hope to see you there!

Soarin'

Rainbow Dash flipped over the parchment to see if anything was written on the other side. There was.

Knew you would look on this side. :P

She ran a hoof through her mane and took several deep, steadying breaths.

"Okay, okay. So!" she said, voice cracking. "A Wonderbolt wants to take me to dinner... A Wonderbolt wants to take me to dinner. Soarin' wants to take me to dinner..."
Her insides writhed in excitement.
"Ahahaha!" she cried joyously, jumping up so fast she may as well have been struck with lightning. "This is beyond awesome! I gotta tell the girls!"
With a giggle that she couldn't control, she bolted to her door, spreading her powerful blue wings and streaking off to Ponyville.

-----------

The light blue stallion snored loudly, turning over in his sleep. His mouth opened and a rivulet of drool oozed over his pillow and soaked into his cheek fur. A small shaft of sunlight found its way in through the closed curtains, as sunlight always has a mischievous tendency to do. Celestia's little joke.
The sunbeam edged slowly across Soarin's pillow, across the puddle of saliva, across his nostrils, muzzle, and snout, coming to linger on his eyes.
Somepony suddenly started hammering at his door.

"Soarin' Windsong! Wake up you lazy bucker!"

Soarin's eyes snapped open, and they were treated to a blast of bright sunlight. He cursed and rolled over reflexively. The bed disappeared from beneath him, and the floor rushed up to wish him a good morning, not knowing its own strength. With a groan, he picked himself up and scrambled to the door in a less than linear fashion.

"Ah, mornin' Rapid," he said upon opening the door to see his best male friend, Rapidfire, standing before him, grey coat and orange mane damp and shiny from a morning wash.

"Yeah, just had a shower," he said, noticing Soarin's expression of slight confusion. "You been, ah- having a wash of your own?" he asked, chuckling.

"What are you talking about?"

"Look in the mirror, you'll see what I'm on about. Anyway, hurry up, Spitfire wants us out in fifteen minutes."

"What?!" exclaimed the stallion.

"Well, it's partly because she's keen to get moving, but mostly because you've slept in dude. We were all up ages ago."

"That's because nobody woke me up! I asked Spits to wake me up this morning!"

"She must have forgotten; she seems a bit feather-brained today, and we've all given her a bit of space just in case, you know how she is sometimes on tour."
Soarin' nodded.
"Anyway, I won't keep you. You need to get your stuff together, see you in a few minutes bro."

"Yeah," said Soarin' vaguely. Something was odd. Spitfire was only ever in a funny mood for a good reason, and he couldn't fathom what might have happened recently. He pushed it out of his mind for the present and padded to get ready for the day. He was midway through brushing his teeth when he looked in the mirror and winced. His entire left cheek was covered in matted fur and dried slobber. He took a wet flannel and went to town on cleaning it all off. Last of all, he ran a hoof under the tap for a second and drew it all along his mane to give it his signature windswept look even when it wasn't actually being swept by the wind.
Satisfied that he looked suitably handsome and dashing, he gathered his possessions and put them into his suitcase. He took a final sweeping glance of the room and decided to at least put the blankets back onto the bed for courtesy's sake.
Suitcase in teeth, he trotted out of the room and made his way to the lobby, but it was empty. He looked outside and saw Rapidfire waving at him. Backing out of the door, he joined the rest of the Wonderbolts.

"Fleetfoot, give your luggage to um, Solar... no, Sandy, and he'll load it into the taxi for ya," said Spitfire, hovering above all and directing them. "Come on guys, the train for Ponyville leaves in less than twenty minutes! Rapidfire, do a head count please, we don't want anyone sleeping as late as Soarin'. Speak of the devil..."

"Mornin' Spits," he said brightly.

"Morning," she said evenly. "Soar, have you got everything?"

"Yes ma'am!"

Spitfire fluttered over and landed in front of him.

"Now are you sure? Your track record of forgetting things isn't exactly, great..."

"Heh, you don't have to tell me," he said sheepishly, rubbing a hoof behind his head.

The yellow mare leaned in conspiratorially, Soarin' did likewise.

"Just be sure, be completely sure, that your... literature is packed away. The last thing I want is everypony in Equestria knowing my Vice Captain reads porn," she whispered into his ear, giving him a sly wink.

"I'm very sure it's in there," he said confidently, giving an impromptu salute.

"Just double check though," she said, before taking off and resuming the leaving preparations.

Soarin' cautiously opened his luggage, and saw the sultry gaze of a yellow pegasus staring up from a page.

We're all good, he thought, zipping it up quickly.

Spitfire had forgotten what she was doing and floated in the air, tapping her chin with a hoof as the others waited expectantly beneath her.

"I think... I think that's everything, is everyone ready?"

There was a ripple of agreement through all six Wonderbolts and their technical support.

"Then let's get this show on the road!"

-----------

Ponyville's fastest mare was zooming through the crisp morning air, on her way to Twilight Sparkle's abode. She had just left Sweet Apple Acres after gleefully telling the cowpony about her unexpected date with a Wonderbolt. Sure, she would've preferred Spitfire, but she knew she shouldn't be ungrateful.
A sudden and intensely pleasant surge of giddiness surged through her form as she soared through sapphire skies, causing her to perform a tight retrograde corkscrew for the sheer joy of it.
The arboreal form of Ponyville library rapidly came into view, and following her tried and tested method of 'how to talk to a Sparkle in the fastest possible way,' Rainbow Dash flew in through the window, deliberately collided with a bookshelf, all the while yelling at the top of her voice:

"TWWWWWWIIIIIIIILLLLLIIIIIIIIIGHHT!"

The cacophony of sound from her shouting and the tumbling of many heavy and ancient books caused a frantic scramble of hooves up the flight of stairs and a door to burst open.

Less than two seconds, way faster than knocking on the door, thought Rainbow smugly, under the weight of many books.

"Rainbow Dash! Goodness, are you alright?" asked a concerned Twilight Sparkle, running up to and prodding the mound of books for any signs of life.

"I'm good," said the pile of books.

"Rainbow, I know you like doing tricks, but must they always end with you knocking my books over?"

"Hey, the tricks choose where they wanna go, ain't my fault!" defended the pile, which caused Twilight to roll her eyes. "Anyway, that's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here? Speaking of which, you're here! Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

A book in the pile shifted slightly as Rainbow's ears perked up. She pushed up her head so it was finally free of the fallen tomes.

"You got any sandwiches? I could really go for a sandwich right now." Her stomach growled loudly in affirmation.

"I can make some, I'm feeling kinda hungry myself. I skipped breakfast!" Twilight giggled a rebellious giggle as though it were a forbidden activity to skip breakfast. "Can you imagine?"

"Uh sure, crazy times," said a confused Rainbow, as she worked her way out from the books. She often skipped her own breakfast, usually on account of not waking up until lunchtime.

Twilight looked at the fallen books and paused for a moment, wondering whether to tidy them up now or later. Or...

"Spiiiiiike!" she called loudly.

-------------

"So Rainbow," began the purple unicorn, setting down a glass of water and meeting Rainbow's eyes. "Why did you come to visit me? Not that I'm complaining or anything!" she added hastily. "Just curious."

"Well," said Rainbow, through a mouthful of delicious cucumber sandwich. "I have the most awesome news ever to tell you."

"Oh?" said Twilight, interest piqued.

Rainbow began the same story she had already told her four other good friends that morning.

"It just came totally out of the blue!" she began dramatically, throwing her forehooves over her head for added emphasis. She then proceeded to take a bite of sandwich.

Twilight waited for a few seconds before asking:

"What did?"

"Hang on, just enjoying this, you make gorgeous sandwiches Twi."

"Thank you Rainbow," said the lavender mare, blushing at the kind words.

"Anyway. Story. Out of the blue. It was a letter, guess who it was from?"

"The Princess?"

"Nope."

"Your parents?" she asked tentatively. Rainbow snorted.

"Not likely."

"The Wonderbolts?"

"Yes!" barked the pegasus instantly, causing Twilight to jump.

"Oh Rainbow, that's fantastic news! When are you joining?"

"Huh? Oh no no no, they haven't asked me to join."

"Oops, sorry," said Twilight meekly, tapping her forehooves together awkwardly.

"This might be even better," Rainbow declared, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"Better than joining them? How so?" asked Twilight, raising an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued as to what could possibly be better for a Rainbow Dash than being accepted.

"Well, you know Soarin'?"

Twilight nodded, bringing the light blue stallion to mind as she took another drink of water.

"He wrote to me asking if I wanted to go to dinner with him!"

Twilight choked.

"Wh-what?!" she spluttered, suddenly looking stricken.

"I know! Awesome right?" said Rainbow happily, not noticing the panicked and hurt expression on her friend's face.

Twilight finished choking and painfully forced her face into one of delight on behalf of the pegasus.

"Th-that's really... really good, Rainbow," she said, grinning a lot wider than the situation really called for. "Fantastic even! When are- when are you meeting him?"

"Tonight, after the show!"

"After the show," Twilight muttered, more to herself than Rainbow, feeling her heart plummet. The unicorn had been so very excited for the Wonderbolts show as well. As soon as she heard about it she had asked Rainbow if she had wanted to come, and even bought her the tickets. Twilight had hoped it would be a special evening for them both. Alas, it seemed not to be, with Rainbow gallivanting off with a stallion immediately after. The purple mare sighed internally as her heart sank a few inches lower in her chest.
"Well, I wish you the best of luck," she said lamely.

"Heh, thanks. Tonight is gonna be amazing!"

"I certainly hope so."

"Anyway, it's been great seeing ya," said Rainbow, getting to her hooves, and glancing at the open window above her, "but I have to go and tell my friends on the Weather Team the good news!"

"Sure."

"Thanks for the food by the way, I'll see you this evening, yeah?"

Twilight nodded.

"See ya around!"

Twilight opened her mouth to bid Rainbow farewell, but she had already gone, out of the window. Slowly, she closed her mouth and licked her lips, it felt somehow comforting.

"Well..." she began, planning to give herself a lecture on how it 'wasn't so big a deal' that the mare she harboured feelings for clearly had plans of her own, but no words came out.

With heavy spirits, heavy hooves, heavy heart and heavy everything else, Twilight dragged herself upstairs, up to her room and locked her door with a snap. She collapsed miserably on her bed, staring through the ceiling and into infinity; for how long she didn't know.
After five minutes, or it might have been five hours, there came a gentle and timid knocking on her door.

"Twilight? Are you alright?" murmured Spike through the thick, wooden barrier.

Twilight didn't answer, instead choosing to roll onto her side, away from the door, mane covering her face as a single silver tear streaked from her eyes.

Comments

[Gallifrey]

Early chapter!
I'm in a good mood this evening, so I'm putting this out earlier than I intended. Enjoy!

[Lostzilla]

mmmmm, im sad for twi, RD is so dense sometimes

[Gallifrey]

1424070
I am also sad for poor Twilight, unrequited love is never easy.

1424092
Thanks? I think.

[Lelouch Vi Britania]

Well...I feel sorry for twilight and spitfire. The respective crushes are both so dense I'm surprised they can fly

[MLPDavester]

So this fic looks like it'll be about a mainly focussed SoarFire, with a good chunk of TwiDash on the side?

Well then someone set me up a table, because I'm buying the full course meal!

[lonleybones]

Is this a SoarinDash? Or at the end of the story Soarin will end up with Spitfire and Dashie will end up with Twilight?

[brosofbronys]

whos the yellow pony on the front of the cover

[thewaffler]

Wait hetero Spitfire? What witchcraft is this?
Spitfire wants to date her childhood friend and Rainbow wants to date a celebrity. Meanwhile Soarin' isn't all that interested in dating Dash that much and Twilight is kinda in the same boat as Spitfire. Seeing as you made the readers seek a happy resolution to their dilemmas, I'm guessing the dinner date goes horribly.

[Gallifrey]

1424954
Aha, that'd be telling.

1425085
That'd also be telling!

1425346
Telling!

[shadowless_night]

twili-dash and soar-fire? ... i aprove

[Cranberry Muffin]

I'm not normally a Twidash shipper (because Appledash all the way!), but I'm enjoying this fic so far (because yay Wonderbolts!). Will continue to read :D

[Sunset_Shimmer83]

awesome story so far, i did not see that twist coming with Twilights feeling being crushed like that. Although i'm not sure who twilight likes, RD or Soarin. we know RD's preference is Spitfire.

[Desol]

The very first sequence had me rolling on the ground laughing. I can vividly picture Twilight standing among the clouds, anxiously yelling "Beep!" at RD over and over.

[emberflare]

Really? Twi has a crush on RD and Spitfire has one on Soarin?
Sucks so be them right about now

[ShamefulHorsefucker]

"Soarin' Windsong! Wake up you lazy bucker!"

Personally, I'd prefer it if you maintained the use of "fuck" instead of pussifying it, but hey, you're the writer here.

[Phoenix Nebula]

2676210

Okay I remember some one telling me to use pony related cures words like: Buck, horse apples, and pony feathers. Now I see some one saying not to do that. Rely?

[way_2_spooky_4_u]

6406751
It's so the mods don't chew him out for not putting in the AU tag, since the show has its own set of swear words.

[Wonderboltfan10]

I’m sorry but who else has a certain dislike for Rainbowdash especially when she is shipped with Soarin
For some reason that ship makes me angry