Heroism

by DiveBomb

Four - Downfall of a Dreamer

Rainbow Dash’s spirits soared at the captain’s words, a proud smile curling her lips as Spitfire and Soarin flew off to return to the judges’ podium. As they departed, Airheart quickly turned her blue eyes back to her savior, her expression torn between several different emotions. She took a moment to catch her breath, her gaze softening into something more appreciative.

“Oh thank Celestia,” she exhaled. “I thought for sure that Spitfire was gonna dock points from you.”

“Hey, she can’t be mad at me for saving your life,” Rainbow smirked.

“Y-Yeah... yeah you did, didn’t you?” Airheart realized aloud. She pushed her goggles back up to her forehead, pressing her auburn bangs against her brow. “Thanks, Rainbow Dash. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep—”

Dash pressed a hoof to Airheart’s mouth, effectively silencing her. “Hey, the test is over. Don’t apologize to your competitors. It’s a sign of weakness.”

With that, the cyan pegasus spread her wings and flew toward the center of the stage. Airheart hesitated for a moment before following her. Rainbow flexed her hindlegs as she flew, stretching the muscles in hope to shake the throbbing in her knees. While her legs weren’t going to be used nearly as much as her wings, Dash prayed that the pain wouldn’t cause her to falter in the air. The pink mare caught up with her, watching her kick her legs with a guilty look on her face. Rainbow didn’t look back, but ahead toward the center stage.

They landed in their previous spots, Flintlock taking position next to Rainbow Dash once again. She had her eyes on his mouth, hoping that he dared not to open it. But when her hooves made contact with the cloud, a surprisingly sharp sting in her knees forced a grimace to her face.

The stallion didn’t miss a beat. “Price of being the hero, I gue—”

“Shut your mouth, already,” Rainbow snapped out of the corner of her mouth, lacking a wittier retort. Fortunately for her, Spitfire started before the gray stallion could utter a comeback.

“Alright cadets, let’s move on to the next test. Hopefully we can get through the rest of the tryouts without any more drama. Can we do that?”

“Yes Ma’am!” the three called back. Rainbow’s eyes subconsciously drifted to her left, finding Airheart’s head an inch or so lower than it was before. It was hard to tell against her dull pink coat, but a shade of red had appeared over her cheeks. The blue mare would have felt a small bout of sympathy for Airheart if her knees weren’t throbbing with every small movement. She let out a short breath through her nose, forcing the pain from her mind.

“Glad to hear it,” Spitfire replied from the enclosed dais above, her expression emotionless.

Before she continued, Rainbow Dash noticed something. The captain mentioned at the beginning of the tryouts that they would be tested on their speed, grace and agility, but neglected to announce what the first test represented. At first, Rainbow had guessed that the three attributes of flying would be tested individually, considering the similar number of preliminary trials. However, chasing Soarin while keeping perfect formation and speed tested all three at once. Dash took a moment to inwardly pat herself on the back for figuring Spitfire’s intentions out so soon. If the first round went like that, then the other two would have to follow suit to be consistent and fair. Rainbow made a mental note to keep her deduction in mind. And they said a dropout wouldn’t make it anywhere in life.

The remaining two events of the tryouts had certainly increased in difficulty, and just as Rainbow Dash had predicted, they both pushed the cadets’ speed, grace and agility. However, that wasn’t where they stopped. The second trial tested their endurance as well, to which even the cyan mare found to be strenuous. They were required to follow Spitfire herself in a series of high-speed laps above the Cloudiseum. Under normal circumstances, the test wouldn’t have made anypony fatigued in the slightest, but the captain was inventive. Rainbow Dash, Airheart and Flintlock fought for the lead behind Spitfire as high above the stadium as they could fly. Not only were they flying at nearly subsonic speeds for the better part of twenty minutes, but they were racing near the edge of oxygen’s reach.

At such altitudes, Rainbow’s intermediate skills and maneuvers were of zero assistance. She had seen nearly every Wonderbolt show in Equestria, and not one of them included high-altitude flight. At the edge of the stratosphere, she was untrained and completely out of her element. Her lungs burned from start to finish, and fatigue had become much more of an issue than under normal circumstances. Airheart proved to be even worse during the test, for she nearly lost consciousness several times. Rainbow found it arduous to keep an eye on the pink mare during the event like before, regardless of their opposing positions. She cursed her compassion, wondering how in Equestria such a veritable novice could have been given a chance to become a Wonderbolt. Flintlock, however, seemed to have little to no difficulty performing at high altitude. While he had been panting with much more oxygen down below, the gray stallion seemed to thrive up above.

The final test had been led by Misty Fly herself, the very pony whose position on the team the three cadets were attempting to fill. It began no longer than two minutes after the second event, further pushing the limits of their endurance. Fortunately for the cadets, Misty’s trial was at a pace much slower than Soarin’s or Spitfire’s. But on the other hoof, it was something that nopony could have expected in the wake of the previous tests. If she was known for anything, the golden Wonderbolt was known for her unparalleled grace and beauty in the sky. She was a master of dazzling crowds by adding her own personal flair to the simplest of aerial acrobatics, and today she wanted to see what the cadets could do in the same field.

Unlike before, Rainbow, Airheart and Flintlock were tested individually. They were required to perform a series of tricks and maneuvers that appeared simple. However, they were to do so not only as Misty did, but exactly as she did. Every arch, loop and dive needed to be performed in the very same way as the Wonderbolt. There had been a saying among the Wonderbolt fanbase: there were backflips, and then there were Misty Fly backflips. In the air, she could turn the mundane into the magificent with the simple addition of a back arch or a tail flare. Misty not only demonstrated this, but made the cadets copy her moves exactly, with no room for error. Flintlock proved to be worse than useless in this facet of flying, giving Rainbow Dash plenty of room to grab the Wonderbolts’ attention. It wasn’t particularly her favorite form of stunt flying, but it was a skill she respected enough to practice. However, her competence paled in comparison to Airheart’s mastery.

Rainbow Dash had been certain that the third trial was hers, and she never expected a pony she thought to be incompetent to steal the show. Completely deviating from her previous failures, the pink mare showed that she was no stranger to the art of grace. Airheart was like a figure skater and a ballerina combined in the skies, and not only that, but she also displayed a wealth of confidence. Watching her fly was almost like viewing one of Misty’s solo performances. Rainbow couldn’t find it in herself to be jealous or angry at the mare as she observed her moves. Every last flip, roll and turn was masterfully executed, doing more than impressing the blue mare. Dash nearly felt herself in awe as if she were watching a true Wonderbolt, and she was fairly certain that she spotted the same feeling in Flintlock behind his stoic demeanor.

In fact, Flintlock had been surprisingly quiet after the last two trials. He gave no sarcastic jibes or condescending utterances, but maintained a straight, unreadable expression for the remainder of the tryouts. A small part of Rainbow wished to think that he was starting to respect his two opponents, but she immediately brushed the thought aside, keeping the narcissistic pony out of her mind.

“Well, that was certainly… something,” Spitfire announced, her word and annunciation choices sparking interest in Dash’s head. Her last word was completely unreadable. It was neither positive, nor negative, further displaying her wish to keep her thoughts of the tryouts behind an opaque veil. Rainbow Dash was never one to be considered perceptive, but when the situation involved something she was vastly interested in, she was nothing but. “Alright cadets, get yourselves in the waiting room and take five. Soarin will be in momentarily to collect you three individually for your freestyles. Dismissed!”

Rainbow Dash did all she could to hold back a long groan of relief, striving to keep a cool demeanor under Spitfire’s watch. She led Airheart and Flintlock to the other side of the vast cloud stage, walking at a slow pace to dull the persistent throbbing in her knees. As they approached the opening in the stadium’s interior wall, Airheart trotted beside the cyan pegasus to the right, wearing an alarmed expression.

“Oh no, you’re still hurt, aren’t you?” she asked with deep concern. “Dash, I’m really sorry.”

“What’d I say about apologizing to your opponents?” Rainbow retorted, although not with a single touch of scorn. She gave her a ghost of a smirk, to which she hoped the pink mare would spot. Without looking for the answer, the chromatic pegasus shot a glance to her left, spotting Flintlock at her side staring determinedly ahead. “Hey.”

The gray stallion didn’t reply, nor did he allow his gaze to falter. But still he showed his acknowledgment with the shallowest of nods.

“During that second test,” Rainbow started, her voice stern. She paused, looking back to the hallway ahead of them. “You did good up there.”

As she expected, Flintlock didn’t reply with words, but with a sharp snort. Regardless, it didn’t matter to the mare. She had overcome rivalry and displayed her capacity for sportsmareship. The stallion could react however he wanted.

Without another word, the trio of pegasi exited the stage and walked down a short, curved hallway, finding themselves returning to the waiting room moments later. Flintlock immediately reclaimed his spot on the floor near the threshold, laying back down on his stomach and closing his eyes peacefully. In the wake of the preliminary tests, Rainbow and Airheart took advantage of the plush seating arrangements they had previously ignored. The cyan mare plopped herself down on her haunches, leaning back into a comfortable violet sofa. She found an ottoman nearby, pulling it over with a hindhoof to rest her tired legs upon. Dash groaned in relief while Airheart floated over, delicately landing aside her with a bright smile.

“You were amazing out there!” she practically exclaimed, pricking Rainbow’s ears up in fright. “I mean, nopony would have expected any less of you, but it was really something else seeing you fly up close like that!”

“Hey, you weren’t too bad yourself,” Dash replied sincerely, her voice haggard but encouraging.

The blue mare quelled her snicker as a tinge of red shaded Airheart’s pale pink cheeks. “What? I was terrible during those tests. If Soarin comes in here and doesn’t just kick me out right now, I’ll be shocked.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, attempting to devise a way to raise Airheart’s spirits without displaying too much compassion. “Don’t sell yourself short. You don’t see me downplaying how I fly, do you?”

Before Airheart could respond, the door opened, and Soarin walked through. His lax grin turned into something a little more mischievous as he scanned the room, looking at the three cadets individually. “Take five” had always meant at least a five minute break, but Rainbow had only sat down for nothing close to a moment or two. It seemed as if Spitfire wanted to see if she would ask for the remainder of her break. Yet another test that she wasn’t going to fail.

Despite the fact that Rainbow knew what he was doing, the purposeful hesitation still unnerved her. After a moment, the Wonderbolt smirked, turning his pistachio eyes to Rainbow Dash. “You’re up first, Dash. Let’s go.”

The cyan mare took in a deep breath, taking a long blink before snapping up to her hooves. The pressure in her chest doubled as her moment approached. She had not expected to go first. Nevertheless, the daredevil of Ponyville kept her posture inside and out, following Soarin out the door.

“Dash.”

Rainbow froze on the spot, the gruff, low voice surprising her. She turned her head slightly, catching sight of Flintlock raising his head to look at her. He showed no emotion on his face, and yet said, “Good luck.”

The mare felt her lips part, her eyes squinting slightly. He didn’t say it with scorn nor sarcasm, but with undeniable sincerity. Dash replied with a curt nod and a smile before exiting the room.

Rainbow followed the Wonderbolt with a spring in her step, emerging into the hallway she had walked through only moments ago. The second the mare shut the door behind her and walked behind Soarin, he began to speak in an undertone.

“The captain would kill me if she knew I said this,” the stallion murmured. Rainbow caught up with him, walking beside the Wonderbolt with her ears pricked up. “But we’ve been pretty darned ansy to see your freestyle. Spitfire included.”

Dash squinted slightly, peering at Soarin out of the corner of her eye with a quirk of her brow. “Nice try, buddy,” she smirked. “But I’m not falling for any tricks today.”

Soarin chuckled as they turned the corner of the hall, the daylight shining on them more with every step. “I actually like that answer more than the one I was expecting. Good luck out there, Dash.”

Before Rainbow could say another word, Soarin unfurled his wings and flew out of the hall, taking his place across the Cloudiseum next to Spitfire a moment later. The mare shook her head with a smirk, not giving Soarin’s words any thought. She crossed the threshold onto the flat expanse of cloud at a brisk, proud trot, keeping her daring grin all the while. Once she reached the center of the stage, Spitfire, Soarin and Misty Fly looked down to her, the captain’s gaze just as piercing as ever. The yellow mare removed her sunglasses, tucking them into the pocket of her uniform. “You have two minutes to show us why you think you’re Wonderbolt material, cadet, and not a second more. Your starting point is on the cloud behind you. The clock starts ticking the second you leave it. Do you understand?”

Rainbow Dash pushed her goggles down over her eyes with a confident grin. Even through the lenses, she could have sworn she spotted a smile play on the captain’s lips.

“Good. Now get up there so we can begin.”

The cyan mare turned around and took to the air, finding the small cloud Spitfire mentioned at the other end of the arena, floating just above the yellow and orange banners atop the Cloudiseum’s high walls. As she ascended toward the starting point, Rainbow couldn’t help but grin inwardly at her luck. Beginning high in the air like this went perfectly with her new routine. She landed delicately atop the small cloud, facing toward the enclosed dais where Spitfire watched intently. The mare held her wings high and proud, as if to display them for the ponies below. The sky was clear and as blue as could be, offering zero hindrance for her performance.

Rainbow Dash never took a deep breath, closed her eyes or even blinked before starting, not wanting to give anxiety any opportunity to take control. The prismatic mare leaned forward, tucking her wings in and closing her eyes as gravity took over. She fell from the cloud headfirst, picking up speed faster and faster with her forelegs held casually at her sides. With every meter of descent, a group of muscles relaxed under the cool wind whistling through her mane and ruffling her feathers. While her limbs loosened, her mind kept itself focused on her visualization of the world around her. Judging by the height of the starting point from the Cloudiseum’s stage, she would reach terminal velocity just before making impact with the flat cloud below.

Two seconds went by after her performance began, and the mare’s ears barely heard a chorus of fearful gasps through the rushing wind. Her mind’s eye watched as the stage grew closer and closer, until she felt her acceleration cease altogether.

Rainbow’s eyes flew open behind her goggles, her wings snapping open at her sides. In the same instance, the mare threw her forelegs in front of herself and pulled upward with all of her might. Everypony in the stands roared with glee as Rainbow Dash soared inches over the stage, a prismatic trail marking her trajectory vividly behind her. She circled the interior walls of the arena, ascending rapidly in a wide coil. Dash accelerated, tightening her rising spiral with every pass until she pushed over the top of the arena. As she reached the center of her spiral, Rainbow pounded her wings, accelerating near her limit straight into the skies above. The white veil of air pressure only had a brief moment of visibility in front of the pegasus before she shattered the sound barrier.

The blue mare shot straight upward, a flash of light and an explosion of sound detonating behind her. Not a half a second passed before the prismatic shockwave of a Sonic Rainboom roared to life, expanding mere hooves above the banners of the Cloudiseum. Rainbow Dash slowed her acceleration; turning over high above the stadium and catapulting herself back down toward the center of the shockwave. She picked up speed at an alarming rate, gravity assisting in her descent. Her translucent trail brightened as she gained velocity, becoming increasingly bright and vivid. Once her body approached the epicenter of the first Rainboom, the pegasus pounded her wings and turned into a tight roll. Buck it, let’s start this off with a bang. Phase One: Galactic Rainboom.

Rainbow Dash corkscrewed through the center of the dying Rainboom at hypersonic speeds, a second shockwave erupting in the aftermath of the first. The world spun around her as she spiraled toward the center of the arena, every color of her vivid trail wrapping around each other like a chromatic braid. Up above, her Sonic Rainboom didn’t expand as a ring, but swirled toward its center as a result of her high-velocity roll. Every vibrant pigment blended together like a collection of differently-hued dyes draining down a funnel, the remnants of the first shockwave surrounding her creation. She threw her wings straight out to her sides, ending her corkscrew outright. On the edges of her vision, Dash spotted the dropped jaws of everypony watching, her heart soaring when she caught sight of Spitfire’s priceless expression.

Changing the order of her routine stages was a decision made completely in her need to start things off with monumental flair. She had two more phases to go, and one of them was supposed to be her opening maneuver. After a quick moment of pondering, the pegasus decided upon her new succession of stunts.

Gravity pulled the mare toward the cloud stage below, plummeting headfirst passed the small crowd of astonished faces. She spread her wings, every feather tasting the air for any trace of an air current. Her grin brightened when her nerves found nothing but the still air she was falling through. This was truly her day.

---

There wasn’t a single word in the Equestrian language that could truly describe Rainbow Dash’s performance. The words “awe-inspiring” and “magnificent” immediately came to mind, even before Rarity had uttered them breathlessly beside the farmer. But somehow nothing seemed to capture Rainbow’s aerial prowess. Since the pegasus began, Applejack’s jaw had never once closed. Her brain refused to allow even a single blink, fearful of missing something. Like everypony else from Ponyville, Applejack knew well of the pegasus’ skill, but what she was witnessing was something on a whole other level.

Being born without wings, the orange mare knew not of the true significance of what Rainbow was doing, but with Fluttershy sitting on the edge of her seat to the left, Applejack was starting to grasp the idea. The yellow pegasus kept her hooves over her mouth during the entire performance, aquamarine eyes wide with shock and awe. With every dive and trick, the mare would gasp or whimper with fright. It didn’t take a Wonderbolt to fully appreciate Dash’s new routine. All the while, Twilight watched her meticulously, whispering the names of Rainbow’s stunts right before she performed them.

“She changed the order... why would she do that?” Twilight murmured to herself, her voice barely heard over the resounding crash of the spiraling Rainboom overhead. “It’s supposed to be the Orbiter, then the Galactic Rainboom before the finishing move.”

The unicorn didn’t speak with fear or concern, but with pure curiosity. Nevertheless, it aroused a sense of dread within Applejack’s heart again. The farmer’s eyes constantly flicked between Rainbow and Twilight, watching for any negative change in her expression.

---

Rainbow Dash laughed aloud in triumph as she pulled to the left, rocketing towards the western side of the arena. She took a turn sharper than most pegasi could make at such a speed, rolling over in the air and leveling herself over the main stage. Without missing a beat in her flow, the cyan daredevil drove her wings back as hard as her small frame would allow, catapulting her around the inner walls of the stadium in a constant left turn. She took in a short breath through her nose, preparing her body for the extraordinary amount of pressure it was about to endure. Dash stuck close to the stands, picking up speed with every flap of her nimble wings. She drove her trajectory upward a few hooves, tucking her limbs close to her body as she announced her next move to the imaginary crowd in her mind: Phase Two: Chromatic Orbiter.

Holding her breath, Rainbow Dash dove her head forward, the rest of her body following suit into a series of high-velocity somersaults. The Cloudiseum rolled and tumbled around the pegasus as she circled the interior of the arena, keeping herself as close as she could to the stands. She kept her path level, rolling through the air like the wheel of a speeding caravan. While her eyes remained closed, her mental visualization ran on overdrive, keeping her physical flight pattern aligned with the one in her mind. After months of practicing the move under Twilight’s supervision, the Orbiter was as second-nature as a Sonic Rainboom. Her cognitive vision was nearly twenty-twenty at this point, and she could never thank herself enough for practicing such a technique.

The pegasus rolled through the air in the form of a chromatic pinball, encircling the interior of the Cloudiseum, inches away from the stands. After a few laps around the arena, Rainbow tilted her axis to the left, putting her body under more gravitation force than even the most insane of amusement park rides. Regardless of the pressure, the mare doubled her speed once her imaginary orbit went into a vertical axis. Her lungs were starting to burn from lack oxygen, having not been allowed a single breath since the beginning of the maneuver. Just a few more revolutions, RD. You can do it!

During practice, the Orbiter would have been done by now. But after seeing her captain’s awestruck face in the wake of her first move, every last trick needed to be on the same level, if not better. If she needed to change the order of her routine, fine. If she needed to add a few more laps to the Orbiter, no problem. If she needed to risk everything to guarantee her spot on the Wonderbolts, then so be it.

Rainbow made one final loop in the middle of the stadium, this one as fast as she could to hurl herself straight into the air. The pegasus shot into the sky assisted by nothing but pure momentum, somersaulting away from the Cloudiseum at breakneck speeds. Dash threw out her wings, slowing her tumble until she was ascending headfirst into the air. Her lungs tingled in pleasure as they were filled to capacity with a single, heavy breath. She cast a glance back down toward the arena, finding her multi-hued trail only beginning to fade away. Nearly every lap and revolution was marked down below, forming what looked like a giant, paling wireframe ball. But what caught Rainbow’s attention the most was something that threatened to turn the limited contents in her stomach.

She spotted three diagonal rings offset from her path, staggered among the paths of her imaginary orbit. A block of ice the size of a hoof dropped in the pit of Rainbow’s stomach, her magenta irises constricting beyond their limit. She had performed the Orbiter countless times; flawed at first but perfection had soon followed. But she had faltered. It was as plain as day, illustrated down below by her radiant trail for all to not only see, but to glare upon and fully digest. Her routine was supposed to be perfect, and not one iota of a flaw was acceptable.

Rainbow Dash swore under her breath. She threw her forehooves outward, her brow furrowing with determination. The pegasus threw all of her strength into her wings, ascending higher and higher above the stadium until it was no larger than a coffee mug. She needed as much room as she could if she was going to fix this. Joining the Wonderbolts wasn’t just a dream; it was her life, and she was not about to let that go.

The air grew thin as Rainbow Dash rose high above the cloud layer, her wings beating relentlessly at her sides. On the edges of her vision, the horizon was no longer a flat line, but slightly curved from her high vantage point. The Unicorn Range was in full view from here, the city of Canterlot hanging precariously on the side of the country’s highest peak. Once her breaths grew short and she was satisfied with her altitude, the mare stilled her wings, closing her eyes and leaning back. Gravity pulled her down headfirst, her body gracefully turning over in a slow backflip before falling toward the Cloudiseum once again.

Once she achieved terminal velocity, Rainbow opened her wings, driving them back with her forehooves outstretched. “You’re gonna fix this Dash,” she spoke loudly to herself over the wind. “You’re the best, and not even Twilight’s stupid math is gonna hold you back.”

The mare plummeted toward the stadium, the translucent sheen of a mach cone forming in front of her. “You’ve trained your whole life for this, and you’re not gonna let one mess-up keep you from your dream.”

With a flash of light, an entanglement of multi-hued bolts of pure energy flared in front of her, zapping around the blue mare’s supersonic form. “Let’s do this!”

---

The muscles behind Applejack’s eyes were exhausted from watching Rainbow’s spinning form circle around the arena like a subsonic bowling ball. As impressive as it was, the mare was thankful when Dash shot herself into the sky. However, Twilight did not seem so relieved.

“She messed it up!” the unicorn hissed between her teeth, effectively grabbing everypony’s attention. When the four of them gave her worried, inquisitive looks, Twilight covertly pointed to the fading chromatic trail that Rainbow left behind.

“What do you mean, dear? I don’t— oh!” Rarity gasped, throwing a hoof over her mouth. Applejack followed her gaze to find three of the many rings that formed the pegasus’ trajectory jagged and out of place, completely deviating from the majority of the stunt. The farmer’s awestruck expression snapped into something much more dreadful at the sight.

“Ah thought ya’ said she perfected her new routine!” Applejack whispered heatedly around Fluttershy, staring daggers at Twilight.

“She did! I don’t know what happened but... wait, what is she doing?” the purple unicorn trailed off, looking back into the sky.

Up above, Rainbow Dash was soaring straight into the sky, her prismatic trail as bright as a torch at the end of a sunset. Applejack expected to watch her immediately dive into another trick, but the pegasus kept driving upward, her blue form shrinking to the size of an ant. Everypony was forced to squint their eyes, barely witnessing Dash slow her ascent before turning over high in the air. As she rocketed back down, the orange mare caught sight of Twilight’s expression out of the corner of her eye.

The unicorn’s face had paled considerably, her pupils mere pinpricks under her heightened brow. Her lips were parted, forming a horrified look of realization. Applejack’s heart rate rose yet again, trepidation tightening her throat. “What is it, Twilight? What’s she doin’?”

“Oh! Is she gonna do some sorta really cool super move?!” Pinkie chimed in, completely missing the pressure of the moment.

“She couldn’t be...” Twilight muttered breathlessly, her ears drooping low to the sides of her head. “Oh no...”

---

Look, I won’t lie to you. I made a whole lot of mistakes in my life, but none of them were as big as the one I was about to make. You think putting on the mask was the worst move I’ve made? Not by a long shot. I was scared to death over not making the Wonderbolts, and I was willing to risk everything to make my dream come true. But I had no idea that one little misstep would change my life forever...

...I was so stupid...

Everything happened in a fraction of a second, but to her, it felt like the better half of a minute. Rainbow Dash took a shallow turn to the left, her burst of acceleration rewarded with the enormous crash of a Sonic Rainboom roaring to life behind her.

“Sonic...”

She wasted no time before taking a sharp turn to the right, making a loop until she was ascending back up toward the newborn shockwave. Dash pushed upward, leaving behind another Rainboom to erupt perpendicular to the first with their epicenters perfectly aligned.

“...Super...”

Her heart pounded against her chest as a flash of pure, white light appeared in the center of the two shockwaves, only giving her one tenth of a second to finish the maneuver. In one sharp, hypersonic move, Rainbow Dash rose above her creation, soaring downward into the intensifying sphere of light.

“NOVA!”

Comments

[RTStephens]

And here comes the turning point.

Still lovin' Dash's conviction to press herself above and beyond her limits. Even if it means breaking every rule of physics to do it. The ponies watching have probably lost half their hearing by now.

Even though we're still in the tryouts, I really like the slow build that's been made. Rainbow Dash really comes to life here and sets up nicely all the things that make her who she is and what she will later become.

Looking forward to how this all turns out!

[mrjerrio]

So she's in the middle of two waves of pressure and light? As in, right where the two waves will meet? That's not great.

[Pontiac56]

Holy Crap!! I get the distinct impression that what she is attempting could probably kill someone if they are too close. Man I hope this doesn't hurt anyone too badly.

Great work!!!!

[Pontiac56]

Holy Crap!! I get the distinct impression that what she is attempting could probably kill someone if they are too close. Man I hope this doesn't hurt anyone too badly.

Great work!!!!

[dancing mop]

So now the excrement meets the oscillating cooling device. Ohhhh nooo...

[MellowMabari]

Ah, poop. I was holding off on reading this chapter until another one was out, because I just knew it was going to end in a cliffhanger...and I caved. I'm so weak!

But seriously, awesome job. I'm on the edge of my seat while reading this thing, and that's a compliment because its not all that comfortable. Who's she going to maim? Applejack? A Wonderbolt? Her fellow competitors? The whole Cloudiseum? Will her caped crusading be some attempt at redemption? Or is she going to injure herself? Gah, so many questions. Welp, until the next chapter, I guess. Which is soon, right?

Right?

[TheAspiringWriter93]

2754342
No, no, I don't think she's going to harm anypony... I think she's just about to take the fabric of reality and make it her surprised and unintentional bitch.

Fucking with physics like a bau5.