Rainbow over Griffany: RotE Episode 7

by Dream Volt

Rainbow Flash Falls

Rainbow flash falls. From down here I was reminded how high most of Lion's Aerie really was. The falls were huge. Splitting into smaller falls countless times as some rock redirected them. Yet one of their key features were the clouds. Countless dark clouds that formed in certain parts of the falls, in a way that didn't quite match anything anywhere else. But that wasn't the best part. No the best part was the lightning constantly jumping between the clouds, sometimes even up. It was every color of the rainbow, flashing constantly. For a long time I'd just been staring.

"I told you."

"Oh yea. You were totally right, no matter how pretty the picture you have to see it in pony. You griffins don't really go for creative names though, do you?"

"Only if we have to."

I took to the air, jumping off the rock we had both been standing on. I flew up a good bit just to get another view of it. I didn't get closer though. The roar of the falls and the rumble of constant thunder was loud enough even this far away.

"So why weren't you mad?"

"About what?"

"What dad did. Head butting the not so helpless one."

"I don't know about anypony else but I was in shock and still a little scared. I mean I could have whipped his tail if I stopped to think about it but…"

"Ponies have had heart attacks when they have to see him before. The magic on his cape is sorta subtle but really powerful."

"Hah, knew it."

"You did not. Honestly I was surprised Fluttershy didn't pass out the first time she saw him." Gilda then laughed. "Though I guess there is something there I missed."

"And you were serious about Pinkie too?"

Gilda took off herself, then nodded. "Sure. I mean I still think she's really annoying, but I can tolerate her for you. I might even have some fun, even if most of the time she still seems super lame."

"Eh, that's close enough."

"So now that you've had some time to think how do you feel about the headbutt."

I threw a few karate smashes, then followed with a kick. "I want to beat him till…" I then paused. "I'm not really sure, something. The others are mad too, but they were way more calm about it. Especially Twilight."

"Celestia probably warned her ahead of time. Also aren't unicorns just like that. You don't really see any negative emotion if they can help it?"

"Maybe, but Rarity and Twilight are both really bad at it if that's the case. Especially now with her mane."

"Oh yea, what is that about exactly?"

"It's her thing. We all seem to have something odd. Twilight's is just being like super powerful and good at magic so it's not really a change, but whatever."

"So Prissy's mane was burning because she was mad?"

I laughed. Rarity would be so mad if she heard that. "Yea. AJ I'm sure you heard even though she waited until you left the room to start badmouthing your dad."

Gilda laughed, then gained some altitude. "She really knows her way around a good insult, doesn't she?"

"Yea. Pinkie hasn't said anything else about what happened, and Fluttershy just mutters, so sad, or something similar and won't discuss it."

"So, how about a race?"

"G, you really don't know how much faster I am. I…"

"Strait up, as close to the waterfall as we can get."

I cringed. "So you'll have a huge advantage cause you know this, and I won't be able to go strait. Sounds like fun."

"Enjoy getting blasted."

Gilda was off. I sped after her going strait for the waterfall then up once I was close enough. The noise was intense, and I had to keep dodging the thunderclouds and lightning bolts jumping between them. I wasn't anywhere close to top speed and there was no way I could get there. If I could get my little trick to work I could easily get in front, but I didn't want that. I wanted a real win.

The clouds became harder to dodge, and flying strait up is crazy taxing. It didn't feel as bad as in the past, but the falls were huge. I had made up a little ground, Gilda not that far in front of me, but I was still well behind. Then I saw her start to go around a really big cloud. I decided that was my chance. Its not like she said I couldn’t hit any of the clouds, we just both knew it was a bad idea and would slow us down. I sped up wanting to get though best I can.

Something was different. I hit the cloud and the lightning arced across the cloud just like I thought it would, bits of dark cloud disintegrating in front of me. But the jolt when I left and the lightning could arc onto me didn't come. I dodged a few more, then hit another cloud. Again lightning crossed away from the cloud when I touched it, but didn't arc back. Or at least I didn't feel it. I tried again. A third time the lightning got pushed away by my magic at the first touch, and a third time I didn't get hit when I was no longer in a position for it to protect me.

Then I realized aiming for the clouds specifically and thinking about this had let Gilda pull way ahead again. I focused and decided who cares what's going on, I was going to use it, and I was going to win. I pumped my wings as hard as I could and sped forward. I only bothered dodging the rocks sticking out of the falls, blasting thought the thunderclouds like they were nothing. We were nearing the top, now neck and neck. Then G turned to me and stalled at the last second. I was past the cave the falls came out of in an instant and in the open air. There were no obstacles, nothing to slow me down. So I just kept going. I hadn't gotten a chance to show off a rainboom yet in front of Gilda, and this seemed like as good a time as any.

Then came the boom. Then it echoed. Again and again. I stopped and looked down. It was a full fledged rainboom, flaring out as usual, but as it moved it left black clouds in its wake at random. It was like the rainboom was revealing something that was already there, except I knew they hadn't been there. Gilda flew up to me.

"What the buck was that?"

I smiled. "I think I'll call it the thunder rainboom."

"Not that you dork. That doesn't make sense either, but I mean your wings. Lightning was crawling all along them and you just kept flying like it was nothing."

"Oh. Neat."

"Dash…"

Gilda paused and I dove down lower. Not all the clouds were at the same level, but there were a ton of them. Somehow I did this. Then suddenly it clicked.

"That's how the falls work."

"What?"

"Weather magic. Air magic I guess, but Unicorns didn't figure it out, so either it's something only griffins and pegasi have or something they don't get."

"So are you saying you know how to make the falls?"

I shook my head. "No, but that's why they're so unique, because somepony, or more likely some griffin, made them. They're a work of art."

"Wow. I never even thought about that, but I bet dad and a lot of other griffins would love to hear that." She then blinked. "Wait a second, you're just trying to make me forget you cheated, aren't you?"

"You didn't say I couldn’t go though them."

She just glared at me and I laughed. I still don't get what I did, but clearly it must be something along the lines of since I have to use magic to fly I can use it to mess with the weather at the same time, and somehow did this. I mean you can get lightning to arc around you if you're far enough away. It only makes sense you can do more than just that really. I then gave Gilda a wave and took off back toward the stadium. It's been awhile, and I should really get back. I could show off a few new tricks on the way.