> The Cloudsdale Underground
>  by Stratocaster
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Pegasus's Loyalty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Cloudsdale Underground



Chapter 1: A Pegasus's Loyalty




"No no no no no no no no no!"

Rainbow Dash zipped through the Ponyville skyline, dodging between rooftops expertly. But this was no race or usual stunt she was in the middle of. She chose to fly so she could get to her destination faster and without causing a ruckus on the ground. Her heart pounded and she breathed heavily, nervous about what she might find.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay!" she frantically chanted as she buzzed to the side of town.

There, Rainbow finally reached the Ponyville hospital. She landed with a long skid and burst through the front door. Along the way through the corridors, she cantered sill frantically, paying no courtesy to the passing doctors and nurses and patients on stretchers. After taking a quick look at a directory as she passed by it, Rainbow kicked into gear and rushed to the correct room. At last, she found the emergency wing of the hospital and nearly knocked down the door as she entered the room. Her worst fears were there in front of her.

"Oh no! AJ!"

There on the bed was Applejack, lying in pain. Her front right leg and her back left leg were both hoisted in traction and her back right one was also in a cast. Her face and body were almost covered in bandages and gauze, and her left eye was swollen and purple. Nurse Redheart carefully adjusted the bed to make sure she was comfortable.

Rainbow came to her friend's side. "Oh my gosh, Applejack I'm so so so sorry!" she pleaded. "If I had watched where I was going, I wouldn't have crashed into your barn...again."

"It's alright, Rainbow," said Applejack meekly. "Accidents happen." She grunted from a tinge of pain in her leg. "I guess that'll teach me to work with lumber."

"Oh man this is bad." Rainbow frowned. "It's all my fault!"

"Hey hey, listen Dash," Applejack managed to smile at her. "I don't blame ya at all. That roof wasn't well supported, and ya couldn't have known I was under there."

"That's no excuse!" replied Rainbow. "I feel terrible. I have to do something about his. I'll...I'll pay for your medical bill!"

"Oh come on now, Dash." Applejack rolled her good eye. "Ya don't have to do that. Just the fact that you cared enough to come here is already enough."

"But...but I caused this." Rainbow could feel a tear welling up.

"Don't go blamin' yerself, ya knucklehead." Applejack reassured her. "I'll be fine. It'll take a lot more than a few breaks and bruises to bring this ol' cowgirl down."

Rainbow tried her best to keep her chin up. She wiped her tear away and gave her brave pal a hug, as gently as she could. "I promise I'll come back as soon as possible."

"That's all I need, sugarcube." Applejack winked, her morale uninjured.

Rainbow couldn't help but smile at the farm pony's gusto as she walked out. But her face quickly turned long again in the hallway, the guilt still dwelling insider her.

"Um, Rainbow Dash?" said Nurse Redheart, who exited the room behind her. She seemed hesitant to break the news. "I'm afraid Applejack's condition is worse than she thinks. She has multiple compound fractures, and some internal bleeding. She'll be fine overall, but based on the level of treatment we'll need, she'll likely be staying here for at least six months."

"Six months?!" gawked Rainbow. "She can't be here for that long!"

"Well, we can perform a special operation to mend her back to health within a couple weeks." Redheart said. "But I'm not sure if she can afford it."

"I don't care whatever it is!" stomped Rainbow. "I'll pay for her operation!"

"It's fifty thousand bits."

"...Oh...that is pricey."

"I'm really sorry, Rainbow." Redheart assured her. "We'll do everything we can to bring her to a speedy recovery."

"Thanks, Nurse." Rainbow sighed and left the hospital on hoof, hanging her head in shame.

Outside, the young pegasus moped through the street, as the guilt was too much for her to bear. Applejack may have been tough as nails, but if Nurse Redheart's predictions were true, that meant Rainbow would have to live with that guilt for a whole six months, at least. She knew she couldn't accept that. She had to do something to make her mistake put right. But it would be an even longer time before she could pay that fifty thousand bit bill. Rainbow hated how the world ran on money.

Eventually, she fluttered upward, still moping, and tried to find a nice fluffy cloud to relax and ponder on. But as she hovered, she overheard a conversation between Cloud Kicker and Thunderlane floating by.

"Hey, did you hear what's goin' on in Cloudsdale?" said Thunderlane. "Apparently, there are rumors of a secret racing circuit, unqualified by the Wonderbolts. And they hold huge cash prizes for the winners of each race."

"Wow that sounds like fun!" replied Cloud Kicker. "Maybe you should join."

"Are you crazy?!" bugged Thunderlane. "Only a complete nut would think of taking part in those kinds of races! They're full of thugs and cheaters and whatnot!"

"Kinda like you?"

"Oh shut up!"

A spark ignited in Rainbow's brain. The words 'racing' and 'cash' stuck in her ear as she formed an idea. There was no arguing against it. Rainbow quickly perked up, and sped back to her floating home, to pack immediately for Cloudsdale.

"Hold on, AJ," she said to herself. "I'm gonna get you back on your hooves!"

...

Fortunately, the floating sky metropolis of Cloudsdale was travelling relatively close to Ponyville, in central Equestria. And as a native, Rainbow already knew her way well around the cloud-built streets. Unfortunately, she had no leads whatsoever to a secret pegasus racing circuit anywhere. And asking certainly wasn't going to help.

"Secret race. Secret race." Rainbow trotted down the fluffy cloud road, looking left to right for any signs or flyers. "Oh what am I doing?!" she stopped. "They wouldn't advertise a secret race!"

"Did you say secret race?!" came a gruff voice.

"Uh, yeah?"

Speaking was a yellow male pony in a dark blue Cloudsdale Police Department uniform, walking over to her with a stony face. "You must've caught wind about the Cloudsdale Underground."

"I guess," said Rainbow. "Do you know about it?"

"I wish!" the officer replied. "My squad has been trying to crack down on it for years!"

"Crack down?" Rainbow cocked her head curiously.

"That's right." The cop huffed. "The Cloudsdale Underground is an illegal circuit. They travel to all parts of Equestria for tracks that are deemed too dangerous by Wonderbolts regulations. That's why only freelance flyers take part in the races. The whole organization is headed by rogues and crime lords. And for some reason, we haven't been able to find them yet!"

"Oh, that sounds serious." Rainbow instantly started to regret her decision.

"You weren't thinking of joining the Underground, were you Miss?" the officer looked at her suspiciously. His hoof started to move in a nudging gesture.

"What, me?!" she immediately played innocent. "Never! I was just...curious! Um, are you pointing somewhere?"

"I'm pointing you to move along, Miss!" he said, suddenly darting his eyes from side to side. "You should forget what you've heard!"

"It looks more like you're pointing toward that alley." She replied.

"Yes! That alley!" the cop said in a strange manner as he continued nudging. "Definitely do not go into that alley! There is some bad crime that happens in there!"

Rainbow looked at the peculiar cop for a moment. It was then that she noticed that his badge didn't even have a number. "Hey what's your deal, pal?" she glared.

The cop then gave up the strange act and suddenly pulled Rainbow by her tail into the nearby alley, before any passersby could see. He quickly pushed her against the wall, covering her mouth, and took off his cap revealing a spiky bleached white mane. "You're looking for trouble, sweetheart!" he seethed.

Rainbow pulled his hoof on her mouth. "Huh?! Wha- who are you?!" she blurted.

"So, you wanna join the Underground, huh?" the fake cop stared her down. "We don't just let little fillies like you in."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Rainbow pressed herself against the wall in surprise. "You're with the Cloudsdale Underground?! And you're posing as a cop?! Don't you think that's kind of illegal?!"

"We don't exactly abide by the law in our little club." The shifty pony said. "You see, we have 'standards' and 'conditions' that-"

"Now just hold on a minute!" Rainbow interrupted and glared at him. "...'Little filly'?! Just who do you think I am?!"

"Heh, a pretty thing like you should stay away from our races." He lifted her chin. "It's kind of a big kid's game, ya hear?"

"Listen punk!" she retorted. "I happened to have graduated at the top of my class in Cloudsdale Academy. I'm the speed record holder in Ponyville, and I was even an official member of the Wonderbolts...for a few hours. In fact I'm even friends with Spitfire!"

"The Wonderbolts?!" the shady pegasus laughed a cocky laugh. "The Wonderbolts wish they could clean our hooves! If you really wanna join, somepony like you's gotta have a death wish!"

"I have my reasons." Rainbow insisted boldly. "And I don't care what it takes. I'm joining your stupid circuit! Now tell me where to go!"

The phony cop stared at her for a brief moment. Then he let a crooked smile cross his face. "I see, you really do have a death wish. Alright, I'm curious to see what you can do. Follow me." He flapped his wings and took off. Rainbow followed, looking around for witnesses.

Sailing over the pristine white buildings of Cloudsdale, Rainbow followed the cop poser all the way to the harbor at the edge of the city. There several huge zeppelins and many hot air balloons were docked, taking on and unloading passengers and/or cargo. Because of its constant movement, Cloudsdale became a hot-spot for passing airship pilots and opened the city up for tourism. The fake cop led Rainbow to the farthest end of the harbor, where a powerful quad-engine zeppelin waited on its moorings. There was a gangway leading up to the passenger entrance and a sign above it reading "Party Time Air Cruises". Strangely, there was an entire lack of passengers outside.

"Hey what gives!" said Rainbow. "I thought I was joining an illegal race, not a cruise!"

"Will you keep your big mouth shut?!" hissed the poser, looking around discretely.

Awaiting the two at the passenger entrance of the zeppelin was a red mare dressed in a deckhand's uniform. She stood formally and greeted them with a friendly smile. "Welcome aboard, sir!" she said in a pleasant young voice. She then saw Rainbow. "Oh, and I see we have a new gold flight miles member!"

"Gold what?" Rainbow looked confused as she stepped aboard.

The passenger deck inside the zeppelin was well-lit and complete with carpeting and decor. Photos of other airships exploring Equestria, and murals of picturesque skies adorned the walls between the luxurious cabins. It really did seem to Rainbow like it was meant for a cruise. But still the only thing missing was passengers. As she looked around, she heard the hatch close and a loud slap across somepony's cheek.

"You idiot, Volt!" the female deckhand scolded, her pleasant voice turning into a harsh one. "What do you think you're doing bringing some chick onboard?!"

"She's here to join, Flare!" the yellow pegasus named Volt rubbed his cheek. He then removed his cop disguise revealing a cutie mark of an electrode ball. "Apparently she's supposed to be fast."

"You know how the boss gets about recruiting new members so close to race time." The red pegasus named Flare then removed her flight uniform, letting down her tightly tied jet black mane and showing her cutie mark of a streak of fire. "He's going to turn you into vapor when he's done with you!"

"Hey look lady!" glowered Rainbow. "I'm good enough to race anypony in this little cult of yours!"

"Don't you talk to me you little bint!" sneered Flare. "I have every mind to toss you back off this ship!"

Just then, the deck shuddered for a moment, and the ponies instantly began to feel heavier. Outside the windows, the skyline of Cloudsdale sank below, as the zeppelin lifted off its tethers.

"You were saying?" Rainbow looked at the other mare smugly.

Flare ground her teeth in anger. "We'll just see what our boss has to say about you." She got in her face. "He doesn't take new members so easily."

"Really?" Rainbow met her face with hers. "I'd like to know how he let you join."

"Kiss." Volt muttered lightly, watching the other two.

"What did you say?!" Both mares looked at him.

"Nothing!" Volt walked away.

"Come with me." Flare seethed.

She begrudgingly led Rainbow down the corridor until they reached a larger area of the deck. It was a lavish lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows giving a tremendous view of the sky and the earth far below. Gathering in the lounge were over twenty pegasi, all unique yet equally thuggish looking. Most wore various pieces of black leather and spikes, as well as other ragged mismatched clothing. Some wore expensive jewelry and bling, others featured crazy punk hairstyles, and some even had grizzly scars across their faces from past races. The Cloudsdale Underground had convened; and standing before them in front of a window was their aforementioned boss.

"My friends...welcome back."

The speaker was none other than the notorious crime lord, Peregrine Falcon. With a massive bounty on his head, Falcon made his fortune from betting on, and fixing, Wonderbolts races, and eventually started his own line of racers who were the founding members of the Cloudsdale Underground. But the crime lord didn't just manage races, he partook in them. He was a pegasi of staggering figure, his muscles trained from years of rigorous stunt flying. His coat was a desert orange, his black mane graying from middle age, and his left eye was a charcoal brown; the other eye was blinded from a long scar that ran down it. To add to his menacing figure, Falcon wore a long black duster jacket and a matching wide-brim hat, that could conceal his face. If there was a perfect picture of an enigmatic villain, he would have bowed to Peregrine Falcon.

"It feels far too long since our last circuit." He spoke in a low gravely voice. "But considering the few of you who survived it, I consider last year's races...entertaining. I can only hope that the rest of you newcomers will show the same amount of guts."

"Man," scoffed Rainbow quietly. "Who's the creep in the pimp outfit?"

"Shut your mouth!" hissed Flare. "That's Peregrine Falcon! He started this whole circuit. You will show some respect."

"Hey, as long as he's giving out money, I'll respect anypony." Rainbow rolled her eyes.

Then, Falcon paused in his speech, hearing Rainbow whispering. He looked at the rebellious mare from Ponyville with intrigue. "Well well, another addition to our cruise."

"Sorry, Falcon," said Flare, embarrassed as the others looked at the newcomer. "She showed up uninvited."

"Now now, Flare my dear," said Falcon with a crocodile grin. "The more the merrier. Anypony with the lust for speed is welcomed. Tell me, my blue filly, what is your name?"

"It's Rainbow Dash. And I ain't no filly, old man."

Some of the racers glared and readied themselves to teach her a lesson for insulting their leader.

But Falcon let out a resounding chuckle. "Quite the feisty one, aren't we? Looks like you have a run for your money, Flare."

"And just why, Miss Rainbow Dash," continued Falcon as he stalked toward her. "Do you decide to join our fun and games?"

"I'm not here for fun." She narrowed her eyes. "I'm here for your cash prize. I assume fifty grand?"

"Hmm, if you want to know what your prize is," he taunted. "You'll just have to stick around to find out."

"Fine." She replied. "I'll still beat every one of these goons."

Falcon chuckled again. "If you say you're that fast, then I guess I have no reason to see a demonstration of your skills." He looked at her sinisterly. "We'll just let the first race of the circuit decide that, Miss Dash."

"Bring it on." Rainbow scowled.

Falcon turned back to his crowd. "I hope that all of you will enjoy yourselves on my personal zeppelin while you still can." He spoke with a mysterious edge. "Tomorrow we land in the San Palomino Desert to begin the first race. And so my friends, tonight, sleep like geese, and tomorrow...soar like eagles."
> Desert Rumble
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2: Desert Rumble


Rainbow Dash found herself lying on her bunk in her assigned cabin onboard the roaring zeppelin. The thundering of the propeller engines outside resonated through the helium-filled gas bags above, and made the entire cabin feel alive and moving. While the other racers of the illegal Cloudsdale Underground mingled and partied in the lounge, bar and dining room, Rainbow quietly read a Daring Do novel she had brought with her, invigorating her mind for adventure. Ironically, in this edition, Daring Do was sneaking aboard a zeppelin in pursuit of the Holy Chalice of Luna, while running from evil griffon gangsters. Rainbow's mind was soaked in the heart-thumping story, until the silence was broken by the cabin door opening. She had been told that she had a bunk-mate, and had been waiting for whoever it was.

Without looking from her page, she said, "What's up? I'm Rainbow. I already called top bunk, so tough luck."

"Rainbow Dash?!" came a familiar voice.

Rainbow slammed the book shut and looked down in utter shock. "Soarin'?!"

The quirky champion of the Wonderbolts looked back up at her the same way. "What in the name of Celestia are you doing here?!"

"I should ask you the same thing!" she jumped down from her bunk. "A Wonderbolt taking part in an illegal racing circuit?! I think that deserves an explanation!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" urged Soarin'. "I don't want anypony to know who I am."

"I'll say!" she rolled her eyes at him. "If these guys found out you're a Wonderbolt, they'd probably tie your wings up and throw you off this ship."

"Don't remind me!" he gulped.

"So what are you doing here anyway?" she asked.

Soarin' sighed heavily. "Look, things aren't going well with the Wonderbolts, okay? Thanks to half of our members getting injured and low ratings, we've been getting budget cuts left and right. Spitfire was getting stressed and I had to do something to help. When I heard that the Underground was giving away a cash prize, I decided to join under a false name. I'm just thankful they didn't recognize me without my uniform."

"Soarin', that's completely hair-brained!" said Rainbow.

"Well why are you here then?!" he interrogated. "I know you're crazy, but you're not a lawbreaker."

"I'm trying to get that money to help my friend, Applejack." She admitted. "I accidentally injured her, and her operation is too expensive. I have to do this for her."

"...Wow. That kinda blows my reason out of the water." Soarin' scratched his head awkwardly. "I guess you'll be really trying to beat me out there, huh?"

Rainbow sulked. "Look, I'm sure a rich thug like Falcon has got plenty of money for the both of us. If I win the money, I mean when I win the money, I'll share enough of it with you to help the Wonderbolts."

"Wow, really?" he looked up in hope. "That's actually pretty generous of you, Dash. It's a shame you couldn't stay with us."

"Someday, my friend, but not today." She shrugged. "By the way, what's your false name anyhow?"

Soarin' puffed out his chest proudly. "Zeus Lightninghooves!"

Rainbow snickered. "Really?! How lame can you get?!"

"Hey, it worked for Falcon!" he retorted. "And please please PLEASE don't mention this to Spitfire. She'll have my tail on her mantle! That is, if these ponies don't first."

"No skin off my nose." Rainbow winked at him. "So where is this big balloon taking us?"

"The heck if I know." Soarin' shrugged. "Falcon's racetracks are in classified locations."

"And we hope to keep it that way." Flare said, who appeared leaning against the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt you two lovers, but I'd just like you to know that Falcon is hosting his pre-victory dinner in half an hour."

"Lovers?!" glared Rainbow, blushing a little. "What is your problem, you crazy hussy?!"

"I should smack that rude mouth off your pretty little face!" sneered Flare.

"I'd like to see you try!" Rainbow stood off.

"Kiss." Soarin' said, absentmindedly.

"Shut up, you!" the two mares both shouted.

"See you at dinner, newbie," huffed Flare, walking out. "It just might be your last."

Rainbow pulled a face at the snippy mare as she left.

"I don't know about you," said Soarin'. "But all this zeppelin travel is making me hungry. You coming to dinner?"

"I guess." Rainbow looked pensively. "I mean, I don't want to sound chicken or anything, but...I'm starting to think maybe it will be my last dinner. What if this race is the one where I kick it?"

"Eh don't talk like that, Dash." Soarin' smiled at her. "I've seen you fly. It'll take a thousand or more races to kill ya."

"Thanks, Soarin', that's...kind of nice." She smiled back.

Soarin' then sniffed the air. "Ooh! Daffodil loaf! If you'll excuse me!" he then rushed out of the cabin to chase after his grub.

Rainbow decided to spend the half hour she had left reading. She knew that after dinner she would have to get some much-needed sleep, as tomorrow held her fate.

...

The next morning, Falcon's zeppelin loomed over the vast, sun-baked wasteland of the San Palomino Desert. The stagnant heat of the sandy ground was stirred up by the wind from the propellers, as the airship descended to a makeshift landing platform. In the observation lounge, the Underground racers looked down at the desolate desert, awaiting their first challenge in the cutthroat circuit. Rainbow managed to get herself out of bed earlier than anypony else, to stretch out her tired muscles and psych herself up. She only grabbed a slice of toast for breakfast, as she didn't want to be weighed down by heavier foods.
While the zeppelin was being tied down by Falcon's crew, the racers stepped out and onto solid ground, shaking off their air legs. But they wouldn't stay on their hooves for long.

"Racers," announced Falcon, standing a few yards away from the landing platform. "I give you the first leg of the circuit!"

The rogues looked down over the edge of a high sandstone cliff. Stretching beyond where they stood was a wide canyon carved into the earth, where massive rock structures had formed into arches and spires over millions of years. Metal posts with flags on them on the canyon walls marked what appeared to be the boundaries of a laid out track, which stretched out beyond sight.
Rainbow gazed at the sprawling canyon. She wasn't afraid, yet she wasn't too eager to smash into a rock or get dunked in the sand. And she could've gone without the racer next to her.

"Fast! Fast! Wanna go fast!"

Standing to her left was a ratty-looking green pony, with a completely messy blond mane, an exceeding speedometer as a cutie mark, and an uncontrollable tic in his neck. He looked down at the racetrack with a twitching eye, and sputtering words in a hyper tone. "Fast! Fast! Speed! Go! Fast! Hee hee!"

Rainbow looked at him puzzled. "You alright, buddy?"

"Turbo! Want fast! Need speed! Need to go! Nrrgh!" The pony named Turbo was one of the most dangerous members of the Cloudsdale Underground. Ranking high alongside Volt and Flare, he was known for bowling aside opponents with his lust for speed tests. That, and he was generally insane. "Need speed! Want go! Fast fast fast! Whoo!" Turbo spat.

"Okay, good luck with that." Rainbow decided to pay the psycho no mind, or not get in his way so soon.

"As you can see, I've spared no expense for these courses this year." Falcon spoke. "Here in the desert, you will make your way through the crags and canyon walls. Then you will enter an underground cavern that will steer you back toward the starting line. And from there, it's just miles of open salt plains where only the fastest will prevail. Of course, I still employ certain rules and regulations to keep sportsmanship alive." He sneered at some of the racers as he said this. "Forging shortcuts or flying too high above the obstacles will have you disqualified. And no artificial means to win whatsoever."

"They still have rules?" Rainbow muttered to herself. "Pretty lame syndicate."

Falcon then approached and looked down at her with a devious smile. "I hope the intense heat won't be too much for you."

"Piece of cake." Rainbow grinned back.

"I hope the rest of you will show the same bravado." Falcon prattled on. "Prepare yourselves. You'll start in a few minutes."

As the racers gathered together their flight clothes, Rainbow found Soarin' peering over the edge of the cliff, looking nervous.

"BOO!" she shouted from behind him.

"Gah!" Soarin' stumbled, sending rocks tumbling down the canyon. "What is wrong with you?!" he yelled at her. "Don't scare me like that!"

"What are you so afraid of, Mr. Lightninghooves?" shrugged Rainbow. "This doesn't sound all that bad."

"This is no cloud race, Rainbow." Soarin' frowned. "All the rumors you heard about this circuit are not rumors. Ponies die out in these races. I'm starting to think this was a big mistake."

"You know something, Soarin'?" she spoke to him sincerely. "I've been thinking that too. Maybe Applejack and Spitfire wouldn't want us to do this just for their sake. We could probably turn our tails back now, and nopony would care. Then what? Would we just say that we almost fought, not just for a friend, but for ourselves? I don't know about you, but I was made for this. I never back down for a challenge. And neither should you."

Soarin' thought for a moment, then sighed. "There's no convincing you otherwise, is there?"

"Probably not." She said flatly.

Soon, the twenty-four total racers lined up at the edge of the cliff, sporting their own unique colored flight uniforms, goggles, earplugs and bandannas over their mouths. Soarin' wore a Wonderbolts uniform, but with the blue and gold switched, which surprisingly eluded the others. Rainbow wore her own Wonderbolts uniform, however it was an unofficial one. All was silent except for the feint wind whistling over the desert, as the contestants narrowed their eyes and tensed their hooves, with nothing else on their minds but finishing first. The fear of death was no longer a factor.

Falcon watched from a lounge chair under a cabana, while wearing sunglasses, drinking hard cider, and having his servants cater to him. "Racers, on your marks!"

The racers knelt down, preparing to spring off.

"Get set!"

Rainbow's heart pounded. She wasn't just doing this for Applejack. She was doing this for herself.

"GO!"

Like a deafening rocket blast, the entire line of pegasi released a sonic wave as they took off into the canyon bellow. Falcon sipped his cider, and brought up footage of the race on a magic viewscreen.

Rainbow honed all of her skills and willpower as she zoomed through the rugged terrain, achieving speeds of well over two hundred miles per hour. She was feeling confident, just like it was any other race back in her academy days. But she still had roughly half the competition's flanks back in front of her. Rainbow knew she had to catch up, but suddenly lost her focus as a sandstone monolith came barreling toward her. With quick reflexes, she dodged it and continued. Yet there were still many more rock formations up ahead bearing in at range. Like a great terrifying slalom, Rainbow ducked and weaved around the twisting arches and mounds, shaving just inches away from a brutal crash each time. The difficulty of the circuit suddenly began to dawn on her.
As she swerved around the obstacles, trying desperately to keep her opponents in sight, something caught Rainbow's eye to her right. Even in the bright sun-lit desert, there was a strange flashing, buzzing around the rocks like an ecstatic firefly. She glanced and saw a lightning yellow streak making tight, straight turns around the boulders and monoliths, like a direct current of electricity. Rainbow thought for a moment that maybe the heat was making her hallucinate. But upon closer approach, she could see that leaving the electric streak was Volt, zigzagging in all directions to avoid the obstacles.

"Having trouble keeping up, sweetheart?!" the yellow pony could barely be heard over the rushing air.

Rainbow couldn't believe the smug racer's handling. It was as if he already knew the terrain like it was engraved in his memory. She had yet to learn that Volt was one of the top contending members of the Underground, because he had extraordinary reaction skills, able to cut turns at nearly ninety-degree angles without faltering. To add to that, his blinding streak was known to disorient other racers, distracting them from the course ahead, and causing crashes. He was definitely no novice, and Rainbow knew she couldn't forget that.
Changing tactics, she ascended slightly to get a better view of the situation ahead, without pushing the regulation boundary above. While dodging only the tops of the spires, Rainbow spotted her closest opponent and swooped in behind. She tailed behind the pony and drifted on his air, taking time to build enough potential energy. After a few seconds, she launched herself over the opponent and zoomed over until she was in front. Satisfied that drifting hadn't failed her, Rainbow continued to bypass the competition.

A few minutes passed, and Rainbow had already managed to clear seven or eight ponies from drifting alone. She wondered why nopony else was thinking of trying it. Then again, she figured that most of them were simply giving their ace Volt the lead out of respect. If she didn't think they were cowards before, she did then.
Then, up ahead, the rock structures dissipated, and the next length of the track loomed in. Before Rainbow was a massive cave entrance with nothing but blackness emanating from inside. She nearly halted in disbelief that that was part of the course, but entered the darkness nevertheless. Fear ran up Rainbow's spine as she descended the gloomy cavern, as she had little to no visibility. She had to come to a complete stop when a large stalactite appeared in front of her; she had just avoided a face plant by mere inches. With her lungs trying to keep up, she quickly continued around and tried to adapt her eyes to the vast blackness.
It was practically suicide. Like several other pegasi, Rainbow couldn't avoid a cave structure without screeching to a halt, which drastically altered the competition. She even was nearly knocked aside by a hurdling racer who had just been clonked by a hanging rock. She could only hope that this nightmarish stretch of the track would end soon.

Then, several meters ahead, a warm glow grew as she flew closer. Rainbow followed it curiously, and became baffled when she saw the source. It was Volt, carrying a pair of headlights on his shoulder which greatly lit his way through the cavern. Rainbow stared in disgrace, remembering that the main rule of the race was no artificial means.

"Son of a mule!" she shouted. "What the heck do you think you're doing?!"

"What, you didn't bring any?!" taunted Volt. "Not very...bright are we?! Ha ha ha ha ha!" he cackled as he zoomed away.

Now with anger searing, Rainbow almost caught up with the cheating stallion in a drift. But her troubles quickly worsened when the cavern was illuminated again. A ghastly line of fire slithered in front of her and grew into a bright flaming wall. Rainbow stopped quickly, as the flames simmered on the cavern floor. Hovering above the firewall was a familiar, boasting face.

"I always make the competition a little hotter!" smirked Flare. "Don't forget that, new girl!" She then took off just as quickly as she appeared, leaving behind a blazing fiery streak.

Volt's position as top racer was only shared by the violent red mare. Flare's reputation on the track was not only due to her incredible top speed, but she also used her streak to create a deadly blockade for her followers, not only slowing them down but also posing a hazardous threat. Racers tended to stay a distance away from her to avoid third degree burns.
Rainbow couldn't let the flames keep her at bay. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and burst through the firewall, coming out the other other side patting down her singed fur. She continued on through the bleak cavern until finally, a light appeared up ahead that wasn't meant to beat or kill her. It was the exiting cave, which let out into a wide and open flatland. Rainbow shielded her eyes from the rays of the blinding sun, as she readjusted her eyes. When her retinas finally healed, she looked in front of her with elation that there were only four ponies left speeding over the salt plains in front of her. She figured that the others must have gotten discombobulated back in the cave; she also worried for Soarin's safety.
Out in the open terrain, Rainbow now had freedom to push her speed to the max, exceeding the three-hundred mark. She managed to catch up to the fourth-place holder and drift behind him. Then she had an idea; if the others could play dirty, then so could she. After sailing on her drift, Rainbow popped above her host and used her momentum to slam into the third-place holder, sending him spiraling down into the dirt in a heap. Now she only had two left to go, the rival top contenders.

Hoping that he would be gullible enough, Rainbow sailed up behind Volt getting ready for yet another drift. But Volt was expecting such a tactic, and suddenly put on his brakes to smack his hooves into her face. Rainbow turned at the last minute to dodge, but still got clipped on the cheek by his front hoof. Then she suddenly began to lose acceleration, as Volt clung onto her tail.

"Get off me you creep!" she barked at him.

"Gladly!" he gave a mocking salute then yanked her underneath as he catapulted forward.

Rainbow could feel herself spiraling, but she quickly turned her blunder into an advantage. Inverting herself upside down, she ascended and turned her face toward the track ahead as she executed an arc with a multicolored streak. She gathered the energy from her trademark streak and used it to propel herself even faster through her arc, until she finally found herself barreling down on Volt from above. Rainbow tackled onto his back, clinging to him like a bad bull, and quickly made a grab for one of his mounted headlights. She ripped the lamp from its strap and stuck it straight into Volt's face, turning the intense beam on in his eye.

"Gyaaaaaaah!" he screamed. "I can't see!" With his sense of direction completely lost, Volt now flew in a beeline as Rainbow pushed off him and rocketed ahead. Volt plummeted into the gravel, his head spinning and his eyes burning.

But Rainbow's victory would not be complete yet. She suddenly felt the wind get pushed out of her already strained lungs, as something slammed into her left side. Rainbow rolled twice to the right in pain before she could see what had hit her.

"So, you like to fight don't ya, you little runt!" cackled Flare. Her elbows were equipped with metal bracers with a pointed bulge on each. It seemed she was also breaking the "no artificial means" rule.

Rainbow steeled her nerves. This was not only a race to the finish, but it had also turned into a midair brawl. Flare rose above and came down to dig her bracer into her meddling opponent. But Rainbow instantly decelerated back a bit to dodge the blow. Now back behind the deadly champion, she tried to think fast for a way to get the upper hoof on Flare, so she could have clear reign until the finish line. There was only about a mile left on the course. Rainbow tried in vain to swerve around or drift behind Flare, but the fiery fighter managed to block her way with every turn. It seemed pointless to try and claim the lead now.
Then, an idea came to her as she glanced toward the ground she sailed over. Rainbow noticed the large patches of salt on the desert surface and carefully lowered herself until she was inches over it. At the risk of swallowing bugs, she removed the bandanna from her mouth and gently scooped up some salt into it. If she couldn't win through artificial means, maybe she could through nature.
With her sack full of salt, Rainbow climbed back up near Flare's left side. Now all she needed to do was get her attention.

"Hey Flare!" she yelled above the wind. "Those goggles make your face look fat!"

Flare gritted her teeth and, without slowing, turned toward her pesky opponent. She removed her goggles, intending to throw them at her out of rage. "I am going to beat you into the-"

Without a moment too soon, Rainbow hurled the bandanna full of salt at Flare's now unprotected face.

"My eyes!" she screeched in pain. "Ah! You bitch! What is with you and blinding everypony?!" She tried desperately to rub the debris out of her eyes.

With Flare now losing speed, Rainbow pushed ahead. At last, she could see the bulbous zeppelin that marked the starting line where the racers would also finish. Giving every last bit of energy left in her body, and spirit, she pushed her speed up to near four hundred miles an hour, not taking any chances that could ruin this opportunity. Here eyes were closed, so she couldn't see that she had crossed the checkered banner first.

"I'm gonna make it! I'm gonna make it!"

She also couldn't see the huge bag of helium in front of her.

POW!

Rainbow unwittingly flew straight into the canvas hide of the zeppelin's hull, and tore a gaping hole in the side. Like the force of a hurricane, the helium rushed out of the zeppelin's gas compartment in an ear-splitting hiss. Falcon, whose attention was fixed on the viewscreen, lifted his shades and turned to see his beloved airship deflate like a giant punctured hoofball. His eyes narrowed into a spiteful glare.

"I hope victory tastes sweet." He muttered hatefully.

One by one, the rest of the racers crossed the finish line, gradually slowing down until they landed bruised, battered and beat. But their exhaustion was quickly forgotten as they turned their attention to the leaking zeppelin. The enormous gas bag finally collapsed into a pile of canvas, the last of the helium comically squeaking out like a whoopie cushion. A long silence followed as everypony stared with hanging jaws at the ruined airship. Then, something within the canvas began to squirm and struggle to get out. Rainbow finally appeared, ripping open another hole to escape the mess and gasp for oxygen. Miraculously, she was uninjured, but the massive amount of helium exposure had a small consequence.

"WHAT HAPPENED?! DID I WIN?! AM I DEAD?!" She shouted in a high pitched voice.

The other ponies broke out in wild laughter. They were not even jealous of her victory since her voice, which now resembled that of a Breezie, was simply too funny to ignore. But not everypony was laughing; Volt and Flare grumbled with hatred as they nursed their stricken eyes.

"WHAT ARE YOU GOONS LAUGHING AT?!" Rainbow yelled at them like a filly having a tantrum. "CUT THAT OUT! DID I BEAT YOU OR NOT?!"

"You sure did," said Soarin', chuckling along as he dug her out of the wreck. "And with an awesome entrance!"

Rainbow's face became alight with joy. "AW YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT!" she boasted as she mooned the losers. "KISS MY FLANK, SUCKAHS!"

But the pegasi took no shame, as they were too busy rolling on the ground in laughter at her voice.

"Here," Soarin' gave her a paper bag. "This ought to put an end to this bit."

As Rainbow breathed into the bag to expel the helium in her lungs, Falcon approached her with a dark scowl. "It looks like you're today's champion." He grumbled lowly. "Not the most graceful finish, but it'll count."

Rainbow finally took a deep breath, feeling her voice return to normal. "Well it's your fault for parking your balloon so close!" she defied him with a roll of her eyes. "And by the way, I got a little complaint about your so-called champions!" she pointed to Volt and Flare. "Those two jerks were sneaking tools onto the track to try and win! They should be disqualified!"

Falcon strangely returned his calm smirk, and laughed to himself. "Aren't you noble." He taunted. "I'll have you know that my rule only applies if you are caught with foreign objects. If you manage to conceal a weapon or tool until you're on the track, then it's free game."

Rainbow glowered at the unfair rule, as she saw Volt and Flare snickering and taunting her.

"But I see it'll take a lot more than that to take you down, my dear." Falcon said, begrudgingly. "So, without further ado, you win the first cash prize of the Cloudsdale Underground." He then presented her with a silk bag full of bits.

Rainbow gleamed as she peered into the sack full of beautiful coins. But she then became a tad disappointed when she read the amount: ten thousand bits. The money for Applejack's surgery was five times that amount. "Uh, is that all?" she asked meekly.

Falcon scoffed. "Really, I would think a small town pony like you would be delighted to see that kind of money." He then stared down at her angrily. "Now you can use that prize to fix the damages to my zeppelin!" he seethed.

Rainbow thought blankly. There was no way she was going to pay for anything for this gangster. But then she came to a realization; for each race in the circuit, the cash prize must increase in value every time. If she stuck around long enough, she could accumulate enough bits to help her injured Applejack. For now, she decided to use the money she earned now for something else.

"I got a better idea." Rainbow smirked as she dropped the sack into Soarin's hooves. "I think my good buddy Soar- I mean, Zeus Lightninghooves deserves this more than I do."

Falcon raised his brow. "And just how do you two know each other?"

"Oh you know, he comes from a broken home and all." She lied on the spot. "I try to help him whenever I can." Rainbow then winked at her pal.

Soarin' grinned widely, deciding to thank her later as not to look even more foolish in front of the crowd.

"Fine." Falcon snorted. "But thanks to you, everypony will have to make do with the desert heat for a while. Because it'll take hours before my beautiful ship can be repaired."

All the rugged racers groaned and mumbled curses under their breath, as they would have to suffer without their air-conditioned cabins. They all walked past Rainbow, each giving her a vengeful eye and an uptight huff.

"You got lucky, newbie!" hissed Flare, with bloodshot eyes. "Thanks for leaving us out to die of thirst."

"You're gonna pay for my contact lenses, you psycho!" grumbled Volt, walking off with Flare.

"Fast! Fast! Again! Fast! Wanna go fast! Again! Whoo!" sputtered Turbo, his mind elsewhere.

Strangely, Rainbow began to feel embarrassed, crashing into the zeppelin. The hurtful name 'Rainbow Crash' came back to her as she stood there awkwardly among the rubble. But she immediately felt a pair of hooves wrap around her, as Soarin' cheered her up with a thankful hug.

"Wasn't so bad, was it?" he smiled at her.

Rainbow blushed and smiled back. "Piece of cake."
> Jungle Heat
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3: Jungle Heat




After many hours of extensive repairs, the zeppelin lifted off again with a whir of its engines and the Cloudsdale Underground was back underway. Rainbow sighed with relief. The dry salty air of the desert, and the fact that she soared through it at hundreds of miles an hour, gave her reason to take a much needed shower. Unfortunately, only Falcon had a private bathroom in his suite, so Rainbow had to make do with the public lavatory. She stood under the gentle torrent of hot water, letting the sand and dirt wash out of her cyan fur. But just as she was relaxing, she heard a voice as another pony entered the shower stall next to her.

"It's about time you got yourself cleaned up, new girl." Flare said.

"What the-?" came Rainbow. "How'd you know it's me?!"

"Um, it could be the stupid towel with your face on it?" the red mare retorted.

"...Oh yeah." Rainbow said, so used to her personalized towel.

"Enjoy your little taste of victory while it lasts." Flare taunted as she washed her long straight black mane. "Because I don't think you'll last long in the next race."

"Are you saying I'll finish it in record time?" Rainbow smirked.

"You ever been to the Tanglewood Thicket, Dash?"

"Is that where you get your mane done?"

Flare chuckled, unphased by her rival's witty comebacks. "It's the most dense rainforest in Equestria. We've had races there before. Many ponies never came back out. You'll get lost sooner than I'll finish."

"So what?" sneered Rainbow. "You're trying to scare me out of it?"

"Not at all." Flare grinned. "I'm just trying to make sure you're prepared. If the jungle doesn't beat you, I will."

"We'll see about that." Rainbow thought for a second. "Hang on, how do you know about the next course? Isn't that kind of secret information for Falcon?"

"Oh I assure you, Falcon knows me quite well. As his top contender, he tells me everything."

"Oh I get it, you're screwing him."

That last comment seemed to make Flare loose her cool, and she became steamed. "You shut your dirty little mouth!" she hissed. "Falcon is not that kind of guy. You will never know him like I do."

"Whatever," Rainbow turned off the water and stepped out to dry her mane. "You can try and scare me all you want. All I hear is more reason to beat everypony around me. I don't care how this whole underground thing works. All I know is that I'm gonna crush it." She exited the bathroom with nothing more to say.

Now alone with her thoughts, Flare slammed her hoof in the wall. She badly wanted to unleash it on the blue pegasus for insulting both her and Falcon. She soon became flooded with feelings of anguish and bad memories.

...

Soarin' stared out the panoramic windows of the observation lounge. The cruising zeppelin was currently drifting over the treetops of the vast, dense jungle of the Tanglewood Thicket. Below, a variety of tropical species made their homes among the moist green vegetation, and the cluster of tall, slimy trees formed a dizzying maze of swampy terrain. A knot tied in Soarin's stomach. He was certainly not in Cloudsdale anymore.

"Enjoying the view, Lightninghooves?" said Volt, who appeared next to him.

"Who?" Soarin' turned to him awkwardly forgetting his own fake identity. "Oh, me! Uh, yeah totally! I uh, I love jungles! Yup!"

Volt rolled his eyes and stared out the window. "I know who you really are, by the way."

Soarin' nearly choked. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"Please," the electric punk scoffed at him. "You thought I wouldn't recognize the speed record holder of the Wonderbolts? You might as well hide Princess Celestia with a mustache."

"Look, I'm not here to compete with anypony." Soarin' began to sweat hard. "I got nothing against you but...Oh please go easy on me!" he suddenly begged. "I'm just trying to get by! It's my first time, be gentle!"

"Jeez, you are weak sauce, buddy." Volt scowled. "I'm not gonna rat you out or anything."

"Really?!" Soarin' looked up with hope. "Oh thank you!"

"Get a grip, will ya?" said Volt. "Man, is this really what the Wonderbolts have to offer? The only reason I'm not revealing your name is because I want to keep you in the races."

"You do?" Soarin' cocked his head. "Why?"

Volt then looked at him with a sinister smile. "Because I want to destroy you myself. Imagine the kind of respect I'll get when I knock out a Wonderbolt champion on the course and reveal that he's been sneaking among us! Falcon might even choose me to take his place!"

Soarin' bugged. "You...why are you telling me this?!"

"Because I know that if you try to escape, I'll just catch you and haul your flank back into the circuit." Volt shook a fist at him. "So try to behave, and stay a while so I can cream you."

"Hey, back off him, Volt." Rainbow said as she entered. "I don't see you winning yet."

Volt snickered. "Come off your helium high, sweetheart?"

Soarin' wouldn't let Rainbow take the insults from his nemesis. "Listen pal, you got no business with my friend. I'm the one you're after."

"So you're 'friends', huh?" Volt shot back at him. "Sorry to get between your romantic vacation."

"You just wait," glared Soarin'. "I'm gonna leave you completely blind when I beat you in the next race!"

"I don't need to see to beat you!" barked Volt as he got in his face.

"Two-timing punk!"

"Washed-up wimp!"

"Kiss." Rainbow muttered, watching them in their fit.

"What was that?!" both males looked at her.

"Nothing!" she quickly shut up.

"I don't need to waste my time with you two newbies." Volt growled as he stormed off. "I won't be seeing much of you soon anyway."

As the conniving champion left, Soarin' quickly retained his nervous stare into oblivion. Despite his fame and reputation, he was not a fighter, and he certainly did not want to die in a jungle.

"You okay?" asked Rainbow.

Soarin' sighed. "Don't worry about me. I'm not gonna let that thug make me look weak." He winced. "Even though I am totally terrified."

"Hey, I'm scared too." Rainbow touched his shoulder. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But I'm still ready to go because I know I have what it takes to survive. And so do you, Soarin'. If there's one thing you're not, it's weak."

Soarin' stared at the floor for a moment, hesitating to reveal what was on his mind. "Rainbow...if by some chance we don't make it out of this, there's something I want you to know."

"What is it?" she asked.

But before Soarin' could get the nerve, the intercom came on over their heads. "Attention, racers" said Falcon in an eerie greeting. "We're approaching our entrance into the Tanglewood Thicket. I hope you're all prepared for an exciting race." the intercom clicked off.

Soarin' looked outside. He hadn't even noticed that the zeppelin had already landed in a large glade outside the dense web of branches and vines in the jungle. Ponies started to file out.

"Tell me later, when we do make it, okay?" winked Rainbow as she went off.

Soarin' sighed again. He was definitely not in Cloudsdale anymore.

...

The league of racers found themselves standing in the grassy glade and staring into the dark maw of the jungle. From inside the thicket, loud calls from exotic birds and monkeys echoed through, and there was a strong odor of ripe stink plants abundant. The only signs that there was some kind of racetrack in this twisting rainforest were two flagged markers on the outside of a haphazard clearing in the trees. The noticeable orange flags would be the ponies' only guide through the maze of the jungle.

"Get used to that smell, my friends." Falcon announced, lounging in his chair again with a portable fan. "Because it'll be with you for quite a while. For this leg of the circuit, it won't be as much about speed, as much as agility. The entire way, you'll be dodging and weaving around everything that the Tanglewood Thicket throws at you. But it's easy to get lost, so don't get your hopes when you don't see many ponies in front of you."

"It's in the bag, Falcon." Volt boasted, slicking back his spiky bleached mane.

"Whatever you say, Volt." Falcon rolled his eyes at his cocky champion.

Rainbow breathed on and wiped her goggles. "Hey Soarin'," she said. "Just stick close to me. No reason for us to get separated here."

"I'll try." Soarin' gulped. "But I got bad feeling about this."

"Come on, it's me!" she gave him a confident smirk.

"Racers, on your marks!" called Falcon.

The pegasi steeled their nerves as they approached the jungle entrance. Even the wild animals seemed to be silent.

"Get set!"

Soarin' gave one last look at Rainbow. The image of her would be his drive to keep moving.

"GO!"

A wave of air battered the trees outside the clearing as the racers plunged into the jungle. Falcon swatted a mosquito with his wing as he watched the magic footage.

At first, Rainbow had thought that making her way through the canyon walls in the San Palomino was difficult. But she was sorely mistaken when the huge, twisting branches of the canopy trees came into view. Like the other pegasi, she had to react fast to swerve around the foliage and keep her eyes on the track markers. She was drastically losing speed, as she she was too busy dealing with the confusing twists and turns. A few careless racers had already gotten themselves tangled up in hanging vines. Rainbow felt leaves the size of dinner plates slapping her in the face as she struggled through. But she didn't let that keep her from pressing on.
She took a quick look behind her to see that Soarin' was having just as hard a time as she was clearing the brush. But he was still a good short distance behind, and all she had to do was lead him to the front.
Up ahead, a familiar flashing could be seen through the trail. Once again, Volt was using his lightning fast reflexes to make tight corners around the massive trees, and he was quickly gaining the lead. Rainbow knew that he would have the advantage in a race that involved expert handling and agility. So he would be her current target.

"Hey Soarin'! I have an idea!" she called back, hoping the wind would carry her voice. "You ever play leap frog?!"

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Soarin' shouted back.

Carefully keeping focus on the incoming obstacles, Rainbow slowly decelerated until she was closer in front of her partner. "I'm gonna let you drift!" she called. "When you're ready, you fly up over me and propel forward! Then I'll do the same with you and we'll repeat it!"

"That still doesn't take care of the branches!" he complained.

"I'll give you a heads up before you go! You ready?!"

Soarin' tried to brace himself for this dangerous stunt. "Yeah, I'm building momentum!"

Rainbow strained her long-range vision, trying to see what the track looked like up ahead to give Soarin' a prediction. It was a painstaking process, as she was still trying to avoid the close-range obstacles. She had to look far enough to give her partner time to prepare for the directions, something only professional race navigators were trained for. But her keen eye had yet to let her down.

"Okay, listen!" she shouted back. "Up, left, left, down, up, up, right, left, down, up, up, right! You got that?!"

Fortunately, what made Soarin' such an experienced Wonderbolt was his steel-trap memory for racetracks. He reviewed the directions Rainbow gave to him once over in his head, and responded. "Alright! Here I go!" With his eyes narrowed, Soarin' leaped over his companion and used her drift to rocket forward. Remembering the navigation, he swerved in all four directions with only inches to spare, and managed to gain a great lead in just seconds. He found himself ever closer to Volt's lightning streak.

With a satisfied grin, he called back to Rainbow. "Your turn!"

Rainbow became relieved that her plan worked. The advantage that she and Soarin' had was that the other racers were in it for themselves and formed no partnerships. It didn't matter to Rainbow whether she won or he did, as long as they had teamwork on their side. She carefully approached Soarin's tail and built up momentum, ready for her own drift.

Soarin' thanked his navigational training from his cloud slalom days. Suddenly the daunting trees were just more track markers, and he computed the obstacles ahead with skill. He then relayed the directions back to Rainbow quickly. "Alright! Down, left, down, right, up, right, right, left, up, left, left, down!"

"Right! Coming up!" Rainbow wasted no time and sailed above his head as she slingshot forward. Just as planned, she executed the fast turns as she repeated them to herself. "We got this, Soarin'!" she shouted.

With victory in sight, the dynamic duo executed another slingshot with Rainbow falling behind her partner. But suddenly, their routine was thrown off when she was violently knocked to the left. Rainbow found her self pinned to the trunk of a tree by a red hoof.

"Your little coltfriend won't help you get to the finish." Flare smiled. Her front legs were equipped with curved blades which helped her cut through the foliage. "This is our territory, so don't even try!" She then blasted off, shearing the vines and overgrowth to clear her way.

Rainbow didn't wait a single second. She sprang from the trunk and took off in Flare's direction. But she quickly realized that she shouldn't have trusted going after the conniving red mare. The orange flag markers were suddenly nowhere in sight, and all around was just more uncleared jungle terrain. It became apparent that Flare had pushed her off the course, and then deliberately misled her to veer even further away. Rainbow now hated her even more.
She buzzed around every opening in the branches she could find, but neither saw nor heard any signs of the other racers passing through. Time was wasting away, and Rainbow was completely lost. In a moment, she thought that if Flare could cut through the overgrowth, then she could too; some of the withered branches looked weak enough to break. Rainbow looked up at the sunlight to get her sense of general direction back, and sped forward with her hooves held rigid in front of her. She snapped off a sizable branch in her wake, but the force left a tinge of pain in her hooves. Cursing to herself, Rainbow continued to punch and kick down the foliage, forging her own path to try and find the track again.
Eventually, after a minute or two of pummeling wood, she finally found an orange flag and became relieved to see that some racers were still making their way through. But as she prepared to rejoin the competition, Rainbow was caught off-guard by a familiar upcoming lunatic.

"Fast! Fast! Going fast! Ha ha!" Turbo charged forward in a crazed frenzy.

"Whoa!" shouted Rainbow.

Before she could react, Turbo slammed into Rainbow with the force of a connonball, sending her up through the jungle canopy and falling downward in a spiraling trajectory.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

After a brief moment of seeing sky, she fell back down into the canopy, way off course, and tumbled through a mess of leaves and branches. Her fall was finally broken by a sticky surface which wiggled upon impact. Rainbow looked around frantically and quickly realized that she had landed on a gigantic spider web.

"Oh crap." She gained a look of fright.

As if on cue, the web began to wobble again, as a black hairy spider almost the size of her crept closer. The grizzly arachnid clicked its huge fangs and stared at its trapped prey with multiple red eyes.

"No no no no no!" Rainbow rocked and wriggled with all her might to escape, but the adhesiveness of the web proved too strong.

The situation seemed hopeless. It became apparent to Rainbow that she was about to be devoured by a giant version of a creature she had squashed hundreds of times before. It was worse for her knowing that she was falling way behind in the race, and victory seemed out of reach. All four of her legs and both wings were stuck to the sticky web, and the spider was just a foot away, ready for dinner.
In desperation, Rainbow jerked her head to the right and gnawed her teeth on the weaves of the web, pulling it apart with ferocity. She continued to bite off more of the web, until her right wing became free. In a frantic motion, she batted her wing violently, warding off the spider and whacking away parts of the sticky surface. Slowly but surely, Rainbow peeled off the web and finally became free. She wanted badly to pulverize the sickening spider, but she didn't want to waste any more time. No longer caring about regulations, Rainbow rose above the canopy, and tried to navigate her way back onto the track.

...

Meanwhile, Soarin' had earned a welcoming second place in the race lineup as he followed the rounding track. But he began to worry, since Rainbow was nowhere in sight. He darted around to find her.

"Rainbow?! Rainbow!" he called. But he regained focus after getting clonked in the cheek by a careening yellow hoof.

"Ha! Where's your little marefriend, Wonderbolt?!" taunted Volt, having just kicked his challenger in the face.

Soarin' shook his head to fight off the dizziness, and kept his eyes trained on the smug first-place holder. But it was easier said than done as Volt zipped in all directions. The vicious champion came at Soarin' with punches or kicks, trying to knock him into dreamland. Soarin' tried desperately to avoid the attacks, but it was driving his focus away from the actual race. Then, a damaging punch to the gut threw that focus off completely, sending him upward and nearly through the canopy. Volt then grabbed the collar of his flight suit and practically dragged him through the air as he sped onward.

"There ain't none of your rules here, poster boy!" grinned Volt. "I'm the king of this circuit! Nopony else!"

Soarin's head swam from impact. He could only choke through whatever air was left in his lungs and utter a simple word. "...Down..."

"What?!" seethed Volt. "Speak up, wimp!"

"Down..."

"You're not gonna fool me, you-" Volt's words were cut off as his face slammed into a large branch and he fell into a heap. He was so busy with intimidating his rival that he didn't pay attention to the track ahead, which Soarin' had kept his memory of.

No longer being grasped, Soarin' plummeted as well into the mossy ground, and felt himself rolling along like a bowling ball. After his long tumble, he finally stopped when his momentum was caught by a puddle of mud. Soarin' lay in a daze for a few moments as the slime dripped over his face. Then, he removed his goggles and squinted upward. To his bafflement, he had landed directly under the checkered banner of the finish line. Only a few yards away, Falcon sat up in his lounge chair and looked at him over his sunglasses.

"Hm, record time." Falcon flared his nostrils as he looked at a stopwatch. "Not bad, Soarin' Skies. Maybe I won't kill you for being a Wonderbolt after all."

Taking that as the best compliment he could get, Soarin' quickly stood up and became awash with elation. "YEAH-HA! I did it! I actually did it! And I'm alive! I'm alive! Ha ha ha!" He bucked and rolled around in the puddle overjoyed, unknowingly splashing mud in Falcon's direction. The crime lord shielded himself with an umbrella, quite annoyed.

As the rest of the racers followed through the finish line, Soarin' then realized he'd forgotten something. "Oh wait, where's Rainbow?" he looked into the hollow of the jungle anxiously.

It seemed as though the entire rest of the lineup made it out of the thicket, and there was still no sign of his dear friend. Then, before he was ready to go for a risky search, the blue mare finally appeared out of the trees, only fluttering at a cruise and panting with exhaustion. Her already unkempt mane was windswept and tattered, and her fur was clotted with dirt and leaves. She was still spitting out sticky pieces of spider web.

"Rainbow!" beamed Soarin', as he rushed up to hug her. "Thank Celestia you're okay!"

"Uh, Soarin'? Buddy?" she winced. "You're covered in mud."

"Hey you don't look so great yourself." He shrugged.

"Tell me about it." Rainbow looked away in shame. "I came in dead last. I got sloppy and lost my way."

"Come on, you were great in there." Soarin' tried to cheer her up. "Besides, you're not dead last. I didn't see Volt come out yet."

"Still, I should've done better." Rainbow looked at him. "But I'm glad that you won, Soarin'. You were terrific."

"I'll admit I am surprised." Falcon murmured as he approached the winner, giving him a silver briefcase. "It seems that you've earned your cash prize; twenty-thousand bits."

"Whoa, that's twice the amount from last race!" gawked Rainbow.

"Thank you, Mr. Falcon," said Soarin', graciously. "But I think my good friend Rainbow deserves this more than I do."

"Again?" snorted Falcon. "If you ponies are just going to keep giving away your rewards, I don't know why I bother handing them out."

Rainbow gave a heartfelt smile as Soarin' gave her his hard-earned money. She returned the kindness with a kiss on the cheek.

But the sweet moment was shattered when Volt finally slogged out of the jungle, ensnared in twigs and vines and featuring a massive blue bruise on his forehead. He seethed with anger as he stormed up to Soarin', staring at him with hate.

"You think you're so clever, huh?!" growled Volt. "You don't deserve that win! This is my track! I've had the top speed record here five times in the past!" he grabbed his collar again, shaking him silly. "Nopony steals my thunder! Nopony!"

A gasp from the racers sounded as Volt was knocked to the ground again, this time by a painful punch from Falcon. The imposing orange stallion stared daggers at the younger punk as he lifted him up by his bleached mane.

Falcon got in his face and spoke in a terrifying bellow. "If you want to be a soar loser, then you can just stay on your precious track and die in there!" He then threw Volt into the mud harshly and walked away. He turned back with another thought. "And don't forget who's really king around here."

Volt coughed in agony as he wiped the mud from his face. It was hard for him to imagine feeling any lower than he did then, bruised, beaten, and besmirched. Then he looked up as a red hoof offered to help him up. He got to his feet and looked at Flare.

She helped to clean the dirt out of his white mane. "I'm so sorry." Flare said, sincerely.

...

As the zeppelin sailed through the sky on its way to its next destination, once again Rainbow took advantage of a cleansing shower. But this time, alone with her thoughts, she wasn't feeling as confident as she did around the first race in the desert. Coming second to last was humiliating to her; she hadn't even done that bad in her first days of academy. Granted, she was happy for Soarin' taking the victory. And the twenty-grand he generously gave her meant that Applejack would be farther along on the road to recovery. But still, her performance in the Tanglewood Thicket was a massive blow to her ego. She didn't care what the other racers thought of her; instead, she cared about what she thought of herself. She felt weak, and suddenly unwilling to go up against her rivals again. It seemed that the Cloudsdale Underground was becoming too much for her to take.

Finally clean again, Rainbow exited the shower and dried herself off with a heavy sigh. But as she walked up to the door of her cabin, a grainy voice called to her.

"Been in too many races I see?" A mysterious pony leaned against the wall next to her. He was practically concealed in a gray hoodie, a pair of sunglasses, and a bandanna over his muzzle hiding his face.

Rainbow sneered. "What's it to you, creep?"

"Maybe you're just not feeling like yourself anymore." The stranger spoke deeply.

"I don't have time to be intimidated." Rainbow opened the door and prepared to close it on him. "Get lost already."

The hooded pony stuck his hoof in the door. "Shift." He uttered.

"Excuse me?" she opened the door again and looked at him suspiciously.

The stranger responded by holding up a small glass vile up to her face. It contained a peculiar purple liquid with yellow sparkle in it. "It's a special kind of potion." He explained. "Made to give pegasi an extra boost, ya hear? It speeds up your blood and muscle movement. Could give you an edge in the next race."

"That...that stuff is a steroid, isn't it?" stared Rainbow. "How did you get it?"

"Don't worry about it." The stranger grinned behind his bandanna. "I can see you already want it. You want to push yourself, to your ultimate power. This little juice could help you with that."

Rainbow glared. "No way! I never cheat! And that includes taking steroids! To think that I would even pay a scumbag like you for that kind of stuff."

"Who says you have to pay?" enticed the dealer. "I can give it to you right now, and none will be the wiser. Just try a tiny little sample. And if you like it, I'll be happy to resupply you."

"I...I don't know." She looked around hesitantly.

"You want to help your friend get better, right?"

"...How did you..." Rainbow stared in awe that the stranger knew that. But she reconsidered the importance of getting Applejack out of the hospital as soon as possible. She weighed the pros and cons, thinking between her moral compass and her loyalty.

"Well?" urged the dealer.

At last, Rainbow looked at him sternly with an answer. "Give it to me." As much as it pained her to do so, she took the vile and examined the strange purple liquid.

"You won't be disappointed." The shady stranger disappeared as Rainbow shut the door.

She sat on the edge of her bunk, suddenly regretting taking the dubious vile. There was no telling what kind of effect a potion of this caliber could have on her body, or her mind for that matter. But then again, she would never truly know unless she experienced it for herself. Rainbow decided she would only try half of the small vile just to see how she would react, and then decide if she would use it again or not, even though she truly did not want to. She removed the cork and slowly tilted back the substance called Shift.
The first thing she noticed was that it tasted absolutely brutal. Rainbow imagined drinking sock sweat mixed with vinegar and spoiled grape juice. Of course, there was no guarantee that it would be a pleasant experience. But then, she dropped the vile after closing it. Something was happening. Rainbow suddenly lost her balance and fell off the top bunk, clutching her stomach in agony. The small amount of liquid was oozing through her like acid, and she could feel her blood boil. A surprise sting of pain gripped her head in a pulsing migraine. Her heart was beating like a military drum and her lungs were barely keeping up. Rainbow struggled to stand up, her knees buckling. All at once, she could feel sweat exiting every pore, and every point in her body was growing increasingly hot. What's more, her muscles began to tighten and tense up on their own, making her feel cramped in her own skin. This entire reaction evoked something in her, as she uttered in a strained voice.

"Why...why did I end up here?!" she groaned, growing more angry. "This damn race! I hate this!...Flare...that...that bitch! I...I want to destroy her! All of them! Falcon too!" The muscles in her wings tensed up as well, causing them to extend as if ready fly. The immense rush of blood ignited something else in her body. "I...I can't...control...I feel...I want to..."

Just then, the door opened and Soarin' entered the cabin. He stopped in shock as he saw Rainbow trembling in place. "Rainbow! Are you alright?" he approached her. "Come on, talk to me! What's going on with you?"

Strangely, as he came to her, Rainbow seemed to hold completely still as if she had paused life. Then, she turned her head slowly to Soarin' and looked at him with a calm smile. "Nothing, Soarin'." She said flatly. "I feel fine." After a long silent stare, Rainbow finally released her pent-up energy and tackled Soarin', wrapping her hooves around his body and kissing every point on his face.
> Arctic Rush
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4: Arctic Rush


Rainbow awoke in a bleary haze. She pulled her heavy sleep-encrusted eyelids apart and looked up, trying to fight against her swirling head. The glow against cabin wall showed that Celestia's sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon outside the window. She opened her eyes wider with confusion, having no memory of the night before. Then, as her sense began to reactivate, she felt something weighing her down on her body. Rainbow became even more baffled to see an extra lump underneath her covers. She quickly removed the blanket, and suddenly the memories came flooding back. Soarin' was fast asleep, happily cuddling against Rainbow's soft chest, like a mare against her stallion.

"Son of a-" Rainbow cursed to herself, wiping her eyes in disdain.

Immediately, she wanted to get up out of bed. But the satisfied stallion holding her like a teddy bear was not making it easy. With minute, subtle movements, Rainbow slowly slid herself out of Soarin's clutch and instantly replaced her presence with her pillow. Fortunately, Soarin' only moaned in his sleep, and squeezed the pillow. Rainbow slumped out of the lower bunk and wobbled on her hooves. The feeling of being airborne was no help at all, as her legs felt like jelly and her head was light as a balloon. She looked in the mirror. Her messy mane was flayed in all directions, and her blue fur was matted from frantic movements in bed. With a tired groan, Rainbow grabbed her towel and prepared to make her way to the bathroom, when she then heard a friendly voice.

"Morning!" Soarin' awoke, lying on his side and staring at her with an affectionate smile.

Rainbow spun around in a fright. "Oh! Uh, hey...buddy!" she said sheepishly.

Soarin' gave a long yawn. "How'd you sleep?"

"Uh...pretty good." She couldn't say for sure. "How about you?"

"Oh man, last night was amazing!" he rolled onto his back, reminiscing. "I've never felt more alive."

Rainbow scratched her mane. "Wow, uh, what time did we get to sleep?"

"Heh, probably not for a few hours." Soarin' smiled giddily. "You really let me have it last night. It was like you were hooked on the adrenaline from racing. I didn't know you had it in ya." He gave her a knowing wink.

Rainbow began to feel queasy. She recalled that the only reason she made that kind of jump on Soarin' was because she had sampled the steroid known as Shift, and the reaction caused her to go into an adrenaline-induced heat. Everything else was still a blur, but it quickly dawned on her that she had gotten herself into a big misunderstanding.

"Yeah well," she said, trying to find an excuse. "I better go freshen up. Mind if I step out?"

"Take your time." Soarin' said with a wink. "The next race doesn't start until later today, so I think I'll sleep in." He looked at her suavely. "See ya later, hot stuff."

Rainbow forced a chuckle then exited the cabin, filling with regret.

...

She took her time with freshening up and decided as well to head to the dining room for some breakfast in solitude. Rainbow rested her face on her hoof with a mug of coffee, extra sugar no cream, and mulled over her rash action last night. It was true that she cared about Soarin' and felt close to him, but had never planned to get that close to her friend any time soon, especially since she wasn't in the right mind. She didn't have the heart to tell Soarin' that she only seduced him because she was under a drug-filled tirade. But it was the truth, and she didn't want her dear friend to be fooled by false love. If this was the kind of affect that Shift had on her, then she never wanted to go through its influence again. It was simply too dangerous.

"Somepony had too much fun last night, huh?" came the voice of Volt, as he sat in the adjacent table.

"Ugh, I am so not in the mood to deal with you right now!" Rainbow dropped her head on the table.

"Relax, sweetheart," he grumbled. "I'm not in the mood for hazing you either. I just want to enjoy my coffee and relax before the race."

Rainbow sat back in her chair. "I bet your ego's pretty shot after that whole mess in the jungle."

"Mess? Pfff!" he rolled his eyes. "A mess is getting a stain on your flight suit. That was a travesty."

"So you lost your title on that course." Rainbow shrugged. "What's the big deal? Records are meant to be broken, aren't they?"

"You don't understand." Volt said flatly. "This underground is a hierarchy. If you do well in a few races, Falcon makes sure you live like a king. But if you screw up, he treats you like dirt. He makes his lowest contenders either train like dogs or work like 'em. You either try to improve yourself on a dangerous course, or you become one of his servants. If you choose neither, well, let's just say it's not likely for you to leave the circuit. Alive, anyway."

"Jeez, I thought he was bad before," said Rainbow. "But this Falcon guy is a real tyrant."

"Try not to say that too loud, now." Volt replied. "The walls have ears, you know?"

Rainbow then thought for a second with a nagging question. "Volt, why did you join the underground anyway?"

Volt took a long sip from a scolding hot mug and replied reverently. "That's a little personal for you business, new girl. But I will say this. I made a promise to somepony special. I told them that I would help them avoid shame and punishment by becoming the best racer here. So I'm not just in it for myself. And I'll do whatever it takes."

"Wow," she was genuinely surprised at the tough punk's sincerity. "That's too far off from why I'm here."

"And what reason is that?" he asked.

"I accidentally hurt one of my closest friends," she sighed. "And now I'm responsible for paying for her recovery. I'm pretty much just in it for the money. And I just need enough of it to get her out of the hospital."

Volt cocked an eyebrow at her. "Well this is a pretty extreme solution to that."

"Say what you will." Rainbow sulked. "I'm gonna help my friend no matter what."

"Assuming Falcon will let you leave after you get your money." Volt remarked. "In that case, you better hope to win the next couple races. And I doubt you'll have much of a chance today."

"I thought you were done with the hazing." Rainbow sneered.

"I'm just telling you this for your own good." Volt glowered. "Have you noticed all the snow outside, all of a sudden?"

Rainbow looked out the window. For the past couple hours, the zeppelin had crossed over the cold tundras of the north, and the terrain began to poke out in snow-covered crags. Flurries of snow blew by, indicating high altitude and wind speed.

"We're coming up to the Crystal Mountains." Volt continued. "Instead of a circle, the track we've built there starts at a base camp, works through some icy crevasses, and ends at the summit of one of the tallest mountains there. You can't fly too high, or else the winds will drag off to nowhere. And if you stay still for too long in those mountains you'll freeze to death. I've lost some pretty decent rivals here before."  Volt then stood up and prepared to leave. "If you have any way of helping you win, even if it's cheating, I suggest you use it."

Rainbow gulped as he left. She was able to endure the blistering heat of the desert and the jungle. But she hated cold. She absolutely dreaded every time winter came around. And she was not excited about speeding through near-zero temperatures at a blinding velocity. But it suddenly occurred to her. She had a way of beating the cold as well as the competition. Rainbow told herself that she would swear off using Shift again. But as the zeppelin cruised ever closer to the towering peaks of the Crystal Mountains, she began to have second thoughts.

...

The zeppelin was soon heavily anchored down on a mountaintop base amidst the blistering northern winds that rocked it from side to side. This time, Falcon would watch the race from a large luxurious tent, with a fur coat, cappuccino machine, and a space heater. Rainbow saw the crime lord in his comfortable state and wondered how such a spoiled old goat managed to pull off a series of speed records in his day. She joined the other elite racers at the designated starting line, which overlooked an ice-covered crevasse that plunged down to an unseen bottom below. Rainbow gulped; if her wings were to suddenly freeze up in mid-flight, it would be a long way down. It became apparent that the trick to winning was staying ahead and keeping warm at the same time.

"If any of you can't take a little chill in the air," announced Falcon. "I suggest you leave right now."

Flare took her time with donning a pair of fuzzy earmuffs and a scarf. "No reason to sacrifice warmth or fashion."

"Prima-dona." Volt rolled his eyes, as he put on a ski jacket that zipped up all the way over his mouth.

It quickly dawned on Rainbow as she adjusted her goggles that she should've packed better prepared for the cold. Her slim flight suit would not be enough to protect her body from the frigid temperature. Now seemed like an even better time to use her secret weapon. After double-taking to check if nopony was looking, she discretely pulled the vile of Shift from her sleeve and quickly downed the lot of it in one gulp. She knew the risks taking the steroid potion would have on her body, but she was willing to make that sacrifice to not only win, but also survive.

"Racers, on your marks!" called Falcon.

The pegasi leaned over the crevasse.

"Get set!"

Rainbow suddenly felt a leap in her heartbeat as it began to pump over a hundred times a minute. She quickly had the urge to put her entire body into motion and seemed to involuntarily shoot off from the ground and into the freezing air, before Falcon could say go.

"Hey! She got a headstart!" complained Flare.

Falcon looked off at the blue pegasi as she soared off early, then to the rest of the competition. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go and beat her you idiots!" he commanded. "I never said you had to wait for me to count you off!"

Immediately, the racers spread their wings and took off into the unforgiving cold.

Rainbow felt more on top of her game than ever. The effects of Shift was coursing through her veins like steam in a locomotive. Surprisingly, the cold barely even phased her, as she plowed through it at nearly five hundred miles an hour. The amount of heat emanating from her body was enough to practically melt the snow smacking into her. Now that she was immune to the cold, the snow-covered peaks in front of her were just giant white obstacles for her to focus on. Rainbow had already pulled way ahead into first place, leaving the other pegasi to eat her multicolored dust. It seemed that the Crystal Mountains would be an easy win for her.

The same couldn't be said for Flare and Volt, as they struggled to push forward through the harsh headwind. Although they were still ahead of the rest, they were nowhere near catching up to Rainbow.

"Damn that little tomboy!" exclaimed Flare over the howling wind. "How did she get so fast all of a sudden?!"

"I don't know, but I don't care!" Volt grimaced. "I'm not gonna be humiliated on another track."

"Are you seriously still mad over the jungle thing?!" glowered Flare.

"You know exactly why I'm doing this!" he replied soberly. "Just stay behind me and-"

"Volt look out!" shouted Flare.

The blinding snowdrift had been distracting Volt from noticing. Trailing close behind him was Soarin' riding on his drift and attempting to overtake him. With a quick reaction, Volt turned upward and looped back, preparing to come down on his foe's back with a kick. But Soarin' saw the attack coming and rolled out of the way.

"If you think you're gonna send me to last again," glared Volt. "You got another thing coming, wonder boy!"

"I don't need to waste my time with you!" replied Soarin'. He then managed to catch an updraft from the wind, which gave him an extra push of speed forward.

Flare looked at Volt discerningly. "Are you going to catch him or what?!"

"Relax will you?" responded Volt with a devious grin. "I'm not going easy on him this time!" He quickly produced another method of cheating from his flight suit, an air horn, and let it sound.

Soarin' continued on a part of the track that led down a steep mountainside, the barrier markers dropping him low close to the ground. His downward velocity was giving him an increasing lead over the competition. But the blaring sound of the air horn resonated through the mountain range, and the earth suddenly began to shake. Immediately, the deafening sound caused an avalanche to erupt. A great wave of snow tumbled down the mountain at the speed of a bison charge.
Soarin' gawked at the avalanche. His reaction was to fly above the cascade, but the track markers, which arched over the track and kept the racers flying through them, prevented him from avoiding it. Soarin' figured that this leg of the race was intentional for racers to beat each other with the advantage of an avalanche. The despicable methods of Peregrine Falcon knew no bounds.
The far-from-home Wonderbolt dug into his energy and gave his wings everything he had to stay ahead of the snowy torrent. But nature was beginning to gain the upper hoof, as the avalanche followed inches behind his blue windswept tail.

"Come on, come on!" he urged himself to avoid a collision. But his hoping didn't stop his right wing from cramping up in mid-flight. "Youch!" he yelled as his wing ceased up from strain.

The cramp caused Soarin' to drop in speed, and before he knew it, he was enveloped in a shroud of powder. He tossed and tumbled violently in the snow for nearly a minute, choking and gagging on the powder all the while. At last, the avalanche came to a stop, and Soarin' lay underneath in a heap. He tried vigorously to scrape and push the snow out of his way to escape. But the blanket was far too thick; Soarin' couldn't move.

"Oh no. Help! Help!" he cried out to nopony. He imagined the other pegasi speeding over him that very moment. "Ugh, you bastards!" But as Soarin' lay there in the silence, quickly feeling hopeless, he heard a new sound.

"WOOF! WOOF!"

Soarin' heard a faint plodding coming from the surface above, which then turned into the sound of digging through the snow. He smiled with hope. "Oh thank Celestia! Rescue dogs!"

Before long, Soarin' saw light peer in from above, as a small hole was dug into the snow. Fortunately, he now had room to move his hooves and climb up through the surface. But as he poked his head out, he came face to face with one of his rescue dogs.

"GRRRRRRRR!"

"AAAAAHH!" screamed Soarin' as he looked upon a snarling timberwolf, who had migrated north along with its brethren.

Soarin' panicked and scrambled out of the snow while a trio of timberwolves were ready to pounce on him. His hooves moved in a spastic gallop as he hurried down the mountain. But the ferocious canines howled and bounded after him, ready to sink their fangs into their prey. Still in the mindset of racing, Soarin' continued to run through the arch markers, although he was quickly considering throwing aside the rules and escape somewhere else. He tried to flap his wings to take off, but the cramp was still persistent. Then, as the timberwolves were about to snatch the pony by his tail, Soarin' heard a frantic voice approaching.

"Fast! Fast! Outta the way!"

"What the-?!" Soarin' suddenly felt himself being swept off the ground, as the adrenaline junky Turbo knocked into him. With fast reflexes, he grabbed a hold onto the crazy pony's back.

"Gah! Get off get off! Need to win!" sputtered Turbo as he tried to shake his straggler off.

But Soarin' clung on. Without his right wing in action, he would surely not survive the mountains before finishing the race. So he decided to use Turbo as a lifeline. "Hey buddy," he called, gripping onto his shoulders tightly. "If you let me finish the race with you, I'll give you a hundred bits!"

"No! No! Alone! No partner!" exclaimed Turbo, continuing to try to wriggle him off.

"Okay then," continued Soarin'. "How about this? I got some Discord Energy Soda back in my cabin. I'll let you have the whole case!"

"Energy?! Soda?! Fast?!" queried Turbo.

"Very fast."

"Yes! Yes! Fast! Wanna go fast! Yes!" Turbo let Soarin' ride along with the promise of sweet sweet energy drink.

Throughout the rest of the race, Soarin' tagged along hoping that this violation of the rules would be accepted by Falcon. However, his added weight caused Turbo to drag and lose his edge in speed. Still, the two of them managed to get ahead of the other pegasi at twelfth place, as they approached the final mountain, which towered up ahead. The markers were placed so that the racers would have to hover over the mountainside upwards at a steep eighty degree angle. As Turbo approached the mountain, he surprisingly became exhausted from both the altitude and carrying Soarin' on his back. Eventually, Soarin' had to hop off and the two of them found themselves scaling the mountain on hoof.

"Fast! Not fast! Too slow!" Turbo shouted in desperation as he climbed the rocky side.

"Oh give me a break!" Soarin' scoffed as he followed alongside. "I thought you were one of the best in the circuit!"

"Shut up! Can't...breathe!" panted Turbo.

"Quit complaining!" said Soarin'. "I think I see the top!"

As the mist of the mountaintop cleared, the summit finally came into view. Soarin' thanked his lucky stars. He had survived freezing temperatures, an avalanche, a pack of timberwolves, and of course the misdeeds of the other racers. It was a race for survival, and to him, he still won.
At long last, both he and Turbo poked their heads up out of the clouds and saw the mountaintop. The first thing they saw in the flat craggy summit was Falcon, sitting by his cozy tent with all his amenities, staring at them bemused. Several other racers sat nearby nursing their wounds and freezing their tails off.

"Huh? How did you get here?!" Soarin' gawked at Falcon.

"I have wings too, dumbass." Falcon snorted at him. "Hmm, twelfth place. Seems more fitting for you, Wonderbolt. Although I expected much better from you, Turbo. Maybe I should keep you locked in your cage."

"GRRRAAAAAHH!" shouted Turbo in anger. He then pointed accusingly at Soarin'. "Your fault! Too slow! Dragged me down!"

"Ah come on, buddy." Soarin' urged. "You still want those energy drinks or not?"

"No! No charity!" Turbo huffed. "...Yes please."

"Wait a minute, where's Rainbow?" asked Soarin'. "Did she finish first?"

"What do you think?" Falcon pointed upward with disdain.

High above, Rainbow was circling over the mountaintop in hyper elation, burning off the last remaining fumes of Shift. "Whoo hoo! Ah yeah! That's right!" she gloated as she circled like a drunken bee. "I'm the alpha pony here! Nopony beats me! Come and get some!"

"She's been celebrating for half an hour." Falcon growled with annoyance. "And she still won't shut up! It's like watching a griffon chase its tail! Freaking griffons."

"Man," Soarin' stared up at her stoked friend. "I didn't think Rainbow would handle a cold track so well. She seems different now."

"Why are you telling me this?" glared Falcon. "Go get some water or whatever, before you fly back to my zeppelin."

"Wait, you're making us fly back?!" blurted Soarin'. "Haven't we suffered enough?!"

Falcon stared down at Soarin' with narrowed eyes, like a drill sergeant looking at a house fly. "You should try the kinds of races I've done in my time." He seethed. "Then you'd know what suffering is."

"Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! I'm the queen of the sky!" cheered Rainbow, still buzzing around.

"Will somepony shut her up?!" bellowed Falcon.
> Ocean Madness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5: Ocean Madness




Soarin' trotted with a spring in his step through the corridors of the airship over to his cabin the next day, hiding a bundle of flowers under his wing which he swiped from the wall decor. Vivid memories of his passionate night with Rainbow Dash not long ago swirled through his mind. He planned to have a mini celebration with his "close friend" before the next race began. After surviving three races so far, life didn't seem so dangerous, and it seemed like time to enjoy it. He approached the door to the cabin happily as he knocked on the door.

"Hey Rainbow, you there?" he called. "I thought we could celebrate not dying so far!"

"Uh, don't come in!" responded Rainbow from inside. "I'm...not decent!"

"Oh come on, you've been in the cabin all day!" Soarin' opened the door anyway.

"No, wait!"

He entered the cabin just in time to see Rainbow sliding a dubious wooden box under the lower bunk. She looked at him with a blank face which seemed to be hiding a sign of worry.

Soarin' stared with suspicion. "What's in that box?"

"What box?" replied Rainbow, a bit quickly.

Soarin' walked over to the mysterious item. "Um, this box?" he said as he held it up. "The one that you tried to hide under my bed?"

"That's not mine!" she denied. Rainbow didn't want to raise more suspicion by taking the box away.

"It has your name on it." Soarin' pointed to a label that said "PROPERTY OF RAINBOW DASH".

"That could be any Rainbow!" she said.

"It also has your picture on it." Soarin' noticed a head photo of her on the box.

"...Okay I got nothing." She capitulated.

Soarin' opened the box to reveal neatly stacked rows of vials all containing vibrant purple liquid. "Uh, Rainbow? What exactly is this?" he looked at her with a raised brow.

"Soarin', I can explain-" she replied.

"Wait a minute," the pieces started to come together for Soarin'. "These are steroids, aren't they?!" he gawked.

Rainbow finally snapped the box back and closed it. "Soarin' please, you can't tell anypony! I'll be kicked out of the races for sure! Or worse! You have to understand!"

"That explains everything." Soarin' frowned in realization. "That's why you were so fast in the Crystal Mountains! Have you always been taking these?!"

"No, just for the last race, I swear! But I have been taking a few more for training."

"I don't believe this!" he glared at her. "I thought you were better than cheating! I thought-" Soarin' then thought about his night of passion with her, suddenly realizing that it wasn't as genuine as he thought. He grew a feeling of embarrassment. "Oh sweet Celestia, I've never felt so stupid!"

"Look Soarin', I have to do everything I can." Rainbow stood firm. "I still haven't forgotten about Applejack."

"Would she approve of you doing this stuff?" he replied.

"You don't get it!" she urged. "I had no choice! I would've died out there in the cold without these potions!"

"No you wouldn't!" scorned Soarin'. "You're better than that, Rainbow. I actually respected you enough to think you wouldn't stoop this low. I even thought you were better than most of the Wonderbolts. But now I'm not so sure that any of that is true."

"Come on, Soarin', I haven't changed or anything!" pleaded Rainbow.

"You know what, Rainbow? I don't even care." Soarin' walked away from her. "If this is what it takes for you to win these damned races, then it's no skin off my nose. Just don't expect me to be there much for you on the track."

"Soarin', please!"

Despite her rebuttal, Soarin' couldn't bear to face Rainbow and slammed the door on his way out. He stopped outside in the corridor filling with a mix of disappointment and humiliation. He looked at the flowers he had hidden and resentfully threw them away. Soarin' had actually made himself believe that his favorite flyer had shown affection towards him. But it was all just a part of a drug-induced, adrenaline-filled romp. Even though he agreed not to tell anypony, the Wonderbolt champion still felt just as much shame. He slumped away to prepare for the next race, hoping his regret wouldn't bring down his game too much.

Rainbow looked down in guilt. She suddenly realized that had become no better than the rest of Falcon's thugs. The need to win and improve had blinded her from her vow of fair play. And even worse, she had lost the trust of a friend. With regret for ever accepting them from the hooded stranger, Rainbow gathered her entire surplus of Shift and took it to the bathroom to be flushed away.

...

Under the glare of a clear sunny sky, the zeppelin cruised over the coast of eastern Equestria, and out onto the open sea. Inside the observation lounge, Falcon addressed his so-called guests with information on the next race.

"That was quite a shaky performance from you all on the mountain." He looked at them all inquisitively. "Perhaps it's time to take this circuit up a notch. You're all probably wondering why we're flying out to sea. How could we hold a race out here? I think you're going to like the answer."

"Wait, Falcon," said Flare with realization. "You're not actually suggesting..."

"Oh yes I am, my dear Flare." He smiled deviously. "I'm talking about the underwater track!"

A gasp from the crowd sounded as Volt protested. "What?! But I thought that course was off limits!"

"There are no limits in my circuit." Falcon continued. "Out in the Eastern Sea I have set up a long network of transparent tubes that run to the depths of the ocean, of which you will fly through. Sounds simple, right?" he gave a knowing chuckle. "That is, if you stay careful. The deeper the water, the higher the pressure, which means that if you make one wrong turn and slam into the tube walls, it could shatter the glass and flood the entire track. Nothing like a little danger to make things more exciting, huh?"

"Just hold on, Falcon!" stomped Volt. "Last time, I nearly drowned on that track! That glass is as weak as paper! I refuse to go there again, it's just plain suicide!"

Falcon sneered at the tenacity of his top racer. "Are you saying you'd rather take the coward's way out, Volt?"

"He has a point, Falcon." Flare said. "The underwater course has the highest casualty risk. And it hasn't been maintained in years. If we fly through that tube, there's a chance none of us will-"

"Shut up!" growled Falcon. "I'm not giving any of you a choice! We have a Wonderbolt in our midst and you choose to run away from a challenge?! What kind of pegasi are you?!"

"Look pal," said Soarin'. "If your best racers think this course is a bad idea, I think you should-"

"You don't have a say here, poster boy!" barked Falcon. "This is my organization, and I what I say goes! And if any of you don't survive a little glass tube, then that only means you bit off more than you could chew when you joined this circuit!" He then walked away in a huff. "I expect you all to assemble in the loading bay in an hour, and leave behind this disgrace. You better not be afraid to get wet."

...

Miles offshore, the zeppelin approached a designated area in the eastern ocean and hovered directly over the calm waters. Underneath the hull, the trapdoors of the airship's loading bay opened up, and a large platform lowered onto the surface on which the racers stood in anxious anticipation. Rainbow looked over the edge as she stood among the pegasi. Beside the platform, she looked at the entrance of a wide round tube that stretched about twenty feet in diameter. The tube seemed to snake down deeper and deeper below the crystal blue water like a ghostly sea serpent. It soon came to Rainbow that Falcon spent way too much time building tracks than actually racing on them.
She then looked over across the crowd at Soarin', who had chose to avoid her. Rainbow hoped that he would soon forgive her for her rash action. But then she also noticed a loud hiss, as a fine mist poured out of the airship's hull.

"Um, what's that?" she asked.

"Oh, that's just the ship emptying its tanks from the bathrooms." Volt answered, next to her. "I don't know why it's purple though."

Rainbow knew exactly why the bathroom water had turned purple, but decided to whistle innocently instead of telling anypony.

Falcon soon stood before his champions as they prepared themselves. "This'll surely be one for the books. I'll make sure that everypony who comes out of this tube won't go empty-hoofed. You'll receive a cash prize just for surviving."

Rainbow perked up at that promise. This race could mean finally getting Applejack out of the hospital. But it could also mean that risk of flying through this underwater raceway garnered a higher risk for death. Suddenly winning didn't seem like such a priority anymore.

"And it seems that this time, cheating won't provide you much help here." Falcon resumed, then spotted one of the racers with curiosity. "Although I see at least one of you came prepared."

"Fast! Fast! Wanna go fast!" Turbo sputtered, wearing swim trunks, floaties, a mask and snorkel.

"Racers, on your marks!" announced Falcon.

Rainbow knelt down, preparing to launch herself into the gaping maw of the-

"Oh just get out of my sight already!" Falcon waved them off.

The platform rocked in the water as the pegasi soared up and down into the tube, descending into the depths.

"Let's see you come out of that one, Dash." Falcon chuckled to himself.

The transparent tube offered an unusual racing experience for Rainbow. There were no obstacles or ways to fly out of bounds, and the priority was much more about keeping ahead of the others than knowing what lay ahead. Of course, since Falcon offered consolation to anypony who finished regardless of position, she couldn't have cared less. But her competitive spirit was still alive as she zipped through the clear tunnel, willing to be the best flyer she could be without cheating of any kind. After all, Soarin's trust mattered more to her than she had previously thought.
Outside the glass wall, the crisp blue water of the ocean provided a strange serenity to the high risk course. Schools of fish passed by the views of the racers, along with bigger lone predatory fish, and even a few whales. Rainbow recalled back to her childhood when her parents took her to an aquarium, where she strolled through a similar underwater tube giving her an incredible view of the sea life around her. It would've been a nice time to reflect, if she wasn't barreling through a tube of fragile glass at high speed, surrounded by twenty other pegasi doing the exact same thing.
Suddenly, she felt a hard nudge against her side, as Volt zoomed past her and ahead.

"Hey, come back here and face me like a man!" she taunted him.

"I ain't got time to deal with you!" he called back, eager to move forward. "I'm getting out of this deathtrap!"

It seemed that the brutal champion was a bit on edge to save his own hide, instead of ready to win. Nevertheless, Rainbow still wanted to show Volt up, in order to redeem herself. She buckled down and increased her speed, which also increased her risk of bonking into the tube wall. Already she began to see hasty repairs made on the glass as she passed. It was really just pieces of duct tape covering up cracks, which showed how miserly Falcon really was.
Alas, Volt still managed to evade her pursuit. It looked like he was so driven by fear of a leak that the fear actually boosted his adrenaline. Rainbow simply thought he was a coward. But her focus was immediately thrown off by a jab in her thigh, as Flare caught up with her from behind.

"A little water isn't gonna stop me from feeding you my dust, Dash!" she grinned.

"Finally, some competition!" Rainbow replied and instantly put on the brakes, causing her to fall back and slam into her.

But Flare knew better than to let herself falter and quickly grabbed Rainbow by the back hoof. With all her might and momentum, she flung the blue pegasus off to the side and into the glass wall with a thump. The tube shuddered from the impact, but no damage was present. Rainbow shook off the dizziness and tried to get back up to speed, by launching from the walls several times and gaining velocity.
From then on out, the two mares duked it out as they recklessly sped through the underwater course. Eventually, the tube descended deeper and deeper into the hollow ocean, and the water around became much darker. It became increasingly difficult to see the curves ahead which only worsened the danger. In addition, the higher water pressure pushed against and weakened the structural integrity of the glass.
As the pressure crushed around them, Flare now held Rainbow in a choke-hold, almost unaware of her flight path. Rainbow wriggled out of the clutch by using her wings as air brakes and fell way back. Flare smiled back at her smugly.

"Don't mess with the best, you little-"

WHAM!

Without paying attention, Flare flew straight into the wall of a perfect ninety-degree turn, impossible to avoid without slowing to a snail's pace. Rainbow stopped just in time to see the nasty turn, which otherwise would have been difficult in the dark of the deep sea. She watched Flare slide to the floor of the tube like a wet sponge.

"Ha! Eyes on the road!" Rainbow gloated.

CCCRRRRRRKKK!

A new and dreaded sound resonated through the tube. Rainbow looked in shock as the a crack spawned in the glass wall, which quickly grew into a shattered web.

"Oh crap."

With a deafening roar, the large crack burst open and a cascade of water rushed in. Rainbow's initial reaction was to hightail it out of there. But before she could forget, she turned around and looked at Flare again, still lying on the tube floor. The impact must have knocked her unconscious. Rainbow knew that leaving without her would only put more guilt in her conscience, and although she hated her foe's guts, she knew it was only right to rescue her. She fluttered down toward Flare to scoop her up.
But she was haltered by the rest of the straggling racers passing by. They completely ignored Rainbow's presence, but were immediately spooked by the sight of the leaking water and bolted though. Rainbow had to swerve and weave to avoid a collision, but inevitably could not dodge the last straggler.

"Ah! Water! Can't get wet! Fast! Gotta go fast!" screamed Turbo as he slammed into Rainbow in a moment of de-ja-vu.

Rainbow hit the floor hard with a pained grunt. She tried to hover again but found that the collision had crippled her wings, which were now unable to even get her off her hooves. The water continued flooding in, and was already rising to her knees. Even still, Rainbow lifted Flare onto her back, and galloped on down the tube.
However, the course up ahead now ascended upward at a steep angle back toward the surface. Rainbow tried to run up the incline, but the glass proved too slippery for her to manage; she was trapped in the depths of the tube. Before she could react, the water thundered toward her from behind and swept her up. Now she found herself treading the water as it filled up the tube going upward, making her feel like a boat in a canal gate. She had to kick hard in order to keep herself and Flare's body afloat. It seemed to Rainbow that she would be keeping this up for a gruesomely long time, until the water finally pushed her out of the exit.
And yet, fate intervened again.
The leak in the deeper section of the tube made the structure even more weak. As a result, a seam higher up burst apart, and even more water came dumping onto Rainbow's head.

"No! No no no!" she yelled.

Up above her, the tube was cracking apart and fracturing completely. In mere moments, Rainbow would be completely underwater, far from the surface. There was no way out. Rainbow was staring death in the face. Her efforts to win and help Applejack seemed all for naught. And on top of that, she hadn't even gotten a chance to apologize to Soarin'. She wished then that she had never joined the Underground in the first place.

"I'm sorry, Applejack. I'm sorry, Soarin'." She said to herself somberly. "I failed you both." In a few seconds, the entire tube shattered, and she was now floating helpless in the middle of the ocean. Rainbow took one last breath in, ready to embrace a watery grave.

And then, she suddenly felt a harsh nudge on her rear. She opened her eyes, ignoring the sting of the salt water on her corneas, and became perplexed as she began to ascend toward the surface. Whatever was pushing her up seemed to be living. Rainbow had heard tall tales about dolphins rescuing ponies stranded at sea, so she glanced down expecting to see the friendly creature. But her amazement instead grew.

It was Soarin', swimming upward like a sleek sailfish, as if he had lived in the water his whole life. He pushed Rainbow up by the crown of his head, while kicking his back legs and flapping his wings rapidly, keeping himself hydrodynamic. What was even more impressive was that he also carried the unconscious Flare in his fore hooves.
Rainbow couldn't believe what was happening. But her longs quickly began to feel compressed, and she was running out of breath. She felt as if she wouldn't make it regardless. That's when Soarin' moved himself up closer to her face, while still pushing her along. He grabbed Rainbow's head, quickly put his lips to hers and breathed a pocket of air into her airway. Even in a life-threatening situation, Rainbow still managed to blush.

But even though Soarin's ability to swim and save a life was astounding, it didn't seem like enough to get all three of them to the surface in time. Then, a loud rumble echoed through the resonance of the water. Down below, the air inside the exposed section of the tube escaped out of the broken end, and ascended in the form of a giant bubble. The massive pocket of air rocketed upward and caught the swimming ponies, taking them with it.
As they expelled air from their lungs, trying to avoid hazardous pressure change in their bodies, Rainbow and Soarin' eventually were propelled up and out through the surface, finally able to take in oxygen. But the bubble had actually launched them dangerously high up into the air and were now plummeting back down toward the water. A fall from that height into water would be like landing on concrete. Rainbow's wings were still broken, and Soarin's were exhausted from paddling through the heavy water. And yet, a new hope arrived in the form of a familiar yellow streak.

Volt swooped in and snatched all three ponies out of their fall, Flare in his forelegs, Rainbow on his back, and Soarin's tail in his teeth. Rainbow gawked at the fact of the punk saving her life, but figured that he only did it for the sake of Flare. Volt quickly brought the survivors down to a floating dock that marked the exit end of the tube, where the rest of the racers awaited in awe. The even clapped and stomped their hooves as he lowered them safe and sound.
Rainbow collapsed on her back from exhaustion and panted, soaked to the bone. She then quickly sprang up and face her friend.

"Soarin'...you..." she panted. "You came back for me?"

Soarin' breathed carefully, trying to rest his lungs. "Well, actually, I was behind everypony else." He said, a tad embarrassed. "But luckily I had water training during my first years as a Wonderbolt. So when I saw the flood, I just kept on moving through the water. That's when I saw you, and the broken tube. I just did what I could."

Overcome with relief, Rainbow wrapped her hooves around him and nuzzled his neck. "Oh Soarin', I'm so sorry for letting you down. I was so eager to win that I just lost sight of-"

Soarin' interrupted her with a long and meaningful kiss on the lips. He then looked into her eyes with a smile. "I'm the one who's sorry. I should've just tried to keep by your side. You know what? I don't care how many potions or underwater tubes you go through. You're still the best flyer in my book, Dash."

Rainbow blushed as she managed to crack a smile. "You know...your breath really stinks."

He smiled sheepishly. "Man, I'm just glad that everypony made it."

Then, Rainbow grew a sullen frown. "Well, I don't know about that."

Flare lay on the floating dock lifeless, her fur matted and her mane unkempt from the water. Volt leaned over her with fright in his eyes. "Flare! Flare, come on! Wake up!" He then tried to resuscitate her.

"Oh no." Soarin' gawked.

"She flew into the side of the tube and got knocked out." Rainbow explained with concern. "I tried to get her out."

"Come on, come on, gimme a sign!" cried Volt desperately. He pressed down hard on Flare's chest several times and breathed into her mouth, repeating the process. He struggled to keep himself from panicking. "Don't do this, Flare! Please! Stay with me! Flare!"

Before he could continue, a couple of pegasi paramedics working for Falcon rushed over and lifted Flare onto a stretcher board. "Don't worry, Volt, we got this." One of them said. "We'll do everything we can." The other said as they hauled her off.

"Please...please save her!" Volt urged, as his face became streaming with tears.

Both Rainbow and Soarin' watched in astonishment, as the hardcore, though-as-nails racing punk bawled and wept. Just like that, whatever grudges they had against him seemed to drop from memory.

"Now that was some real passion, Volt my boy." Falcon's voice came as he approached the heart-stricken pegasus. "I didn't expect it, but you came out of that tube in first place. You've finally redeemed yourself for your cowardice earlier. That's why you deserve that whopping fifty-thousand bit prize for this race."

Volt turned around and looked at him with anger. "You think I care about that now?!" he barked. "Don't you realize that she could die?! Do you have any concern at all?!"

"Really, Volt, I thought you would be more proud." Falcon scoffed. "This just means she wasn't up for the challenge. You might have just trumped Flare's reputation in this tournament."

"Screw the tournament, screw the cash, and screw you!" Volt yelled with fury before storming off.

Falcon sneered at the rebellious flyer, but quickly shrugged off his pity. He then turned toward Rainbow, his anger reboiling. "You just keep coming back, don't you?" he seethed. "No matter how much I try, I just cannot snuff you out. And now you've even come back with one of my champions out cold. Just what did you do to her?"

"Me?!" blurted Rainbow. "It was an accident! The only reason she got hurt was because you put her through too much danger!"

"Yeah, what kind of psychopath are you?!" added Soarin'. "If you want your champions to win so badly, then why put their lives at risk? It seems awfully counter-intuitive!"

"That's enough out of you, poster boy!" growled Falcon. "And as for you, Dash, don't think you can survive anything just because you got lucky down there. I refuse to let an amateur like you stake your claim in my tournament!"

"Shouldn't you be worrying about Flare instead of trying to scare me?" replied Rainbow.

"Why should I care?" Falcon scowled as he lumbered off. "That girl couldn't even make it through a little glass tube without bonking her head. She's no daughter of mine."

"......WHAT?!"
> A Pegasus's Bond
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6: A Pegasus's Bond




Rainbow walked a bit unsteadily through the corridor of the zeppelin as it sailed back to the mainland. After her biggest near-death experience in the Eastern Ocean, she was still trying to shake off her sea legs, which wasn't helped by the constant airborne motion of the zeppelin. Nevertheless, she managed through the queasiness over to the onboard infirmary. She stepped inside to see Volt sitting close by one of the beds which held Flare in a comatose state hooked up to a breathing tube. Volt looked at her longingly before turning to Rainbow, who entered with two cups of cider.

"Something else you're not telling me?" she joined next to him while trying to crack a friendly smile.

Volt sighed as he took one of the ciders. "I don't know why you're here," he said. "I thought you hated my guts."

"Well, I still kinda do," shrugged Rainbow. "But it just wouldn't be right to ignore you after what happened."

Volt looked back at his fallen racing rival somberly. "Thanks." He uttered.

"Hey, I'm a good listener after all." She replied.

"I mean for saving her." He said.

Rainbow looked at Volt with more sympathy. "She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

Volt stared down reflectively. His edgy attitude had finally been put aside. "I love her." He said, stroking Flare's shoulder. "She means everything to me."

Rainbow paused to consider a question that had been nagging at her for a while. "Volt...how did you join this group anyway?"

With another heavy sigh, Volt sat back in his chair. "I was an orphan growing up alone in Cloudsdale." He explained. "I managed to live off of challenging others to back-alley races. I even tried out for the Wonderbolts once, but they wouldn't let me in because I played dirty. Then I met Peregrine Falcon. He found me off the streets and took me under his wing. For some reason, he saw potential in me, and offered to join his racing circuit. I was scared at first, but...then I saw his daughter."

"So it's true, huh?" Rainbow said.

"Yeah, Flare is Falcon's daughter." Volt nodded. "And I fell in love when I saw her fly in training. She's so tough and brave, and it's like she excites my blood every time she flies. I agreed to compete for Falcon, but really I was just doing it for Flare. I had hoped that one day, once I got on Falcon's good side, he would repay me for all my progress with his daughter's hoof."

"Well, I can definitely see you guys together." Rainbow said. "But I just don't get it. What kind of father would make his own daughter compete in a bunch of dangerous races?"

"I was the only one she told this to," continued Volt. "But when Flare was born, her mother died of childbirth. So I guess Falcon kinda had a grudge against her. He started treating her less like a daughter and more like a worker, and so he would make her try to prove her worth through racing. When Flare told me that, I made a promise to her. I would become the best racer in the Underground and become successful enough to take her away from all of this. But Falcon is such a damned perfectionist that he still won't let either of us leave. He's a tyrant. He won't give us any freedom until we're just as good as he is. And now it's almost gotten Flare killed." Volt gripped his beloved mare's hoof. "I'm sick of it, Dash. All the training. All the races. It's torture."

Rainbow frowned reverently. "I'm sorry, Volt." She said sincerely. "The only reason I joined this circuit was to help a friend in need. But you have it way worse. I wish there was some way I could help."

"Don't worry about it." Volt turned to her with a soft look. "I'm just grateful that you and Soarin' rescued Flare. I've seen a lot of gutsy flyers come and go. But you, Dash? You're one of the best. I was just too stubborn to admit that."

"Ah, I was just trying to push myself." Rainbow smiled. "But you're a natural at this. You and Flare."

"I guess we have to be, in Falcon's eyes." Volt nodded.

As if on cue, Falcon entered the infirmary with a disdained scowl directed at Rainbow. "I knew you were bad luck." He said in a gravelly voice. "Ever since you arrived, you've been making a mockery out of my racing league. No good can come from small town amateurs."

"Piss off, old man." Rainbow stood her ground. "What kind of father puts his daughter's life in danger like that?"

"I assure you I'm not completely heartless." He approached his unconscious daughter. "I came to make sure that Flare is still alive and well. She is my flesh and blood after all, even though I thought she would be strong enough to handle that underwater tube. Apparently not."

"You crossed a line, Falcon." Volt said. "She doesn't need your pity."

"And who are you to speak up to me like that?" Falcon glared at him. "I gave you a new life! I picked you up from nothing and gave you all the luxuries of a champion, and now you repay me with disrespect! I should send you back to the streets you came from!"

"At least I'd be better off!" retorted Volt.

"Well it doesn't matter now." Falcon sulked. "Since I've pretty much lost faith in everypony in this circuit, I'm cancelling the rest of the Underground early. It's been a disaster this whole time."

"What?!" gawked Rainbow. "But I still don't have enough prize money for my friend's medical bill!"

"And how is that my problem?" scoffed Falcon as he strode out. "You should count yourself lucky that a wannabe like you has managed to survive this long. We'll be arriving in Cloudsdale shortly. I'll just be glad to have a jinx like you away from my sight."

Rainbow stuck her tongue out as he exited.

"Look Dash," said Volt. "I know what it's like to fight for somepony you care about. So I want you to take my winnings I had saved from earlier races. It's the least I can do."

Rainbow looked at him in surprise. "Volt, are you sure? I mean, what's gonna happen to you now?"

"Well, I want to quit the Underground, but I think Falcon will come after me if I do." He gave her a half-hearted smile. "Don't worry about me though, I lived through a lot. I'll be able to get myself, and Flare, out of here soon. But you got a future ahead of you, Dash. You just might be one of the greatest flyers in Equestria. Don't let this crummy tournament keep that from happening."

Rainbow looked down with a heavy heart. Not long ago she saw Volt as just another thug who was trying to get her goat. But now he was another friend to fight for. She knew she couldn't accept his offer. But she also knew she could still make things right. "Hang on." Rainbow cantered out of the infirmary and hurried after Falcon down the corridor. "Hey Falcon!"

"What now?" asked Falcon with a groan.

"The competition may be over, but I ain't done yet." She said. "I challenge you to a race, one on one, just you and me!"

Falcon stared at the feisty mare for a moment, then failed to keep back laughter. "Now that's adorable! Forget the fact that you could never beat me in a race. If you think you're getting any more prize money from me, keep dreaming. I'm done wasting my time with you."

"This is no longer about me." Rainbow held firm. "If I win, you have to give all of the wealth you made in this shady tournament to Flare, Volt, and every other pegasus you've worked to death."

Falcon sneered. "Fine. But if I win, you'll have to stay in my racing league for the rest of your life. And if you fail to exceed my exceed my expectations, I will not make it easy for you."

"Oh don't worry." Rainbow smiled cockily. "This race will be all I need to blow your mind."

"If you say so." Falcon turned to leave. "I'll be choosing the track for us. Make sure to bring your best game tomorrow."

"I'll be miles ahead of ya, old man." Rainbow turned away.

"Dash, are you out of your mind?!" Volt came up to her. "Falcon is unbeatable!"

"Oh please," Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Has anypony actually seen him fly?"

"Don't be fooled by his age." Volt said. "He trains every day in secret so that nopony can observe his technique. There have been pegasi who've challenged him before and...well..."

"How bad could it be?" she shrugged. "Have you raced him before?"

"Yes," he shuddered. "And I was the only one who came back after losing."

"...Oh..." Rainbow stared for a moment. "Whatever! I'm not gonna let the odds beat me. I'll give Falcon a run for his money!"

"You don't understand!" urged Volt. "Look, you're a fantastic flyer and all, Dash, but Falcon is just plain over-powered. And if he doesn't know how to beat you now, he'll find a way on the track! He's knows every trick in the book! He's unstoppable!"

"And you sound like his fan club." Rainbow mocked.

"I'm just saying this is a bad idea because I'm worried for your life."

"Volt, you won't believe how many times I've risked my life, before I joined this stupid tournament." Rainbow told him. "I've faced more bad guys and monsters than a pony should have to. And do you know what I get out of it? Knowing that I'm fighting for the safety of my friends. So no matter how much crap I face, I'll go through a thousand races with Falcon as long as it means somepony else will be happy. That's what I believed before, and that's what I believe now."

Volt smiled at her tenacity. "You really are something else, Rainbow Dash. But that doesn't mean you'll be going this alone."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "It's a one-on-one race."

"Sweetheart, you're talking to the cheating master here!" he grinned deviously. "If you're gonna win against Falcon, then you gotta be able to play dirty. And you're gonna need my help."

"Count me in too!" Soarin' strode in happily.

"Oh really?" Rainbow grinned slyly at him. "Mister Honest Wonderbolt is going to start bucking the rules?"

"Well if it's going to be like that, maybe I won't save your life again." Soarin' winked.

"You're not too bad either, poster boy." Volt said to him. "No hard feelings?"

"Hey, I was actually kinda jealous." Soarin' scratched his head. "You gotta teach me how to turn at a ninety-degree angle like that."

"I'd be happy to teach a Wonderbolt a thing or two." Volt gloated.

A hoof tapped Rainbow on the shoulder from behind. She turned around to see a familiar face smiling at her.

"Gotta go fast!" Turbo gave her a friendly salute.

"Sure, Turbo," smiled Volt. "You can also help." He then turned to Rainbow again. "Dash, I can never thank you enough for what you're doing. I think you just might have a shot at this."

"I guess it's just a bad habit of mine." She shrugged. "And don't you worry, Volt. We're going to make Falcon pay for his torture, especially for Flare's sake."

"So, how are we gonna beat this old crook?" asked Soarin'.

"Simple. We just have to look at all the rules we've ever learned about flying," Rainbow grinned. "And forget them all."
> Rainbow vs. Falcon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 7: Rainbow vs. Falcon



"A volcano?!" blurted Rainbow, near speechless. "...A volcano!...You're serious!"

"Does this face look like I'm kidding?" glowered Falcon, as he stood with her on the observation deck the next night.

"You expect me to race you inside an active volcano?!" repeated Rainbow. "You really are a psycho!"

"What's the problem, Dash?" he smirked. "I thought you could handle anything."

"All I'm saying is that it's pretty suicidal to be barreling at breakneck speeds through a mountain of fire!" she retorted. "I don't care how good a flyer you are, this is just plain stupid!"

"We had an agreement, Dash." Falcon sneered at her. "I decide the venue. And if you want to back out of this race because you're too afraid, then you can forget our deal."

"Now let's get one thing straight!" Rainbow buckled down quickly. "I ain't afraid of racing anywhere! I just don't want you to burn your toupee when you're out there."

"Aww, look who's showing a little more respect for her elders." Falcon continued to taunt her.

Rainbow sneered as she stared out of the panoramic window. Dark clouds formed around the cruising airship as it traversed over the sharp mountains of charred black rock in the Equestria Badlands. Up ahead, Rainbow could see the haunting destination. A massive peak loomed in the distance, with plumes of toxic smoke billowing out of the top, and bright orange streaks of molten rock streaming down the side. Rainbow stared at the hellish scenery and sulked.

"I can't believe I would end up here." She said, forgetting who she was with momentarily. "And all just help my friend in the hospital." She forced a chuckle. "Maybe I just care too much."

"That's the first time I've heard you make sense." Falcon remarked.

"I'll tell you what doesn't make sense," she turned to him. "This whole racing league. What's the point of the Cloudsdale Underground anyway? Just to show up the Wonderbolts? Is it even worth it, knowing the danger?"

Falcon said nothing for a moment, then gave a deep disdained sigh. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Dash. A lot I'd prefer you didn't know."

"Maybe if I did," she said. "You wouldn't come off as such a creep."

Falcon continued to stare out as he explained. "I was a Wonderbolt too."

"Okay, you can stop right there. No you weren't."

"It's true." He looked at her with all seriousness. "And so was my beloved wife. We were just partners during training. But eventually we grew more and more attached until we became lovers. The Wonderbolts frowned upon romantic entanglements with teammates and we were threatened to be fired. That's when I realized the Wonderbolts were full of ingrates, allowing the best flyers to join, but without enjoying the sweeter things in life. So, my wife and I left, and I gradually built up my success with the Cloudsdale Underground, where only the best of the best can truly live life in midair. I was overjoyed when my wife became pregnant with Flare. But when she died of childbirth, it was as if the happiness I had found had been shaken. That's why I wanted to mold Flare into a perfect free-spirited flyer just like her mother. And to tell the truth, she constantly surpasses my expectations. And what did I learn from all of this, Dash? Never let a set of rules keep you from living your passion."

Rainbow feigned a yawn, seemingly unmoved by his story. "Boring. I already knew that! I even wrote something like that in a friendship letter to Princess Celestia once."

"That seems even more far-fetched." Falcon rolled his eyes.

"Well it doesn't matter," said Rainbow. "When I beat your ass in that volcano!"

"You're just like Flare. Rude and rebellious." Falcon cracked a crocodile grin at her. "May the best pegasus win."

...

Before long, Rainbow found herself staring into the maw of danger once again. She and Falcon stood on the rim of the volcano's summit, mere feet away from a dizzying drop into a vat of bubbling magma. The heat rising from the hollow mountain stung their eyes, belching out fumes of smoke and ash. Soarin', Volt, and Turbo stood close by with a viewscreen, as the zeppelin stayed tied down to the summit, rocking and swaying impatiently in the rising hot air. Rainbow dared not approach the edge of the rim to get a look at the bottom. She knew it would only distort her perspective of height. That, and she didn't trust Falcon not to kick her in.

"I hope you're ready for this, Dash." Falcon uttered coldly.

"That depends," she responded. "Are you?"

"Always." With a flick of his hoof, Falcon removed his black duster jacket and spread his wings. They stretched out to an enormous wingspan of over eight feet, made even larger by well-toned wing muscles.

"Holy crap!" gawked Rainbow.

"Forty years of the same wing-lifting routine, and a strict diet of oat steaks." Falcon boasted. "Go ahead and stare. It's not uncommon for mares to get aroused."

"Hm, peacocking to a mare in her early twenties. Gross." Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"He must be compensating for something!" Soarin' called, garnering laughs from Volt and Turbo, before getting thwacked on the head by a rock thrown by Falcon. "Sorry. Inappro-pro."

Without further hesitation, Rainbow and Falcon hunched down on their marks, ready to spring forward.

"Racers, ready!" called out Volt. "Get set..."

Rainbow once again ignored the knot in her stomach and faced death in the eye.

"GO!"

The column of smoke disappeared for a moment as a whirlwind exploded when Falcon took off and into the volcano's mouth. He had already gained a sizable lead on his challenger. Rainbow zoomed into the fiery mountain just behind. Already she could see down below was the boiling mass of lava, stirring and bubbling like a giant pot of overcooked fire stew. There didn't appear to be any markers like in the previous courses. But Rainbow knew that she needed only to follow Falcon to find her way through; that is, of course, if he didn't intentionally lead her into the wrong direction.
With an expertly coordinated roll, Falcon flew into a hole in the side of the mountain's innards, which led into a long but tight cavern. Rainbow followed suit, barely managing to keep on his tail. She knew it would be a challenge judging simply by his over-trained wings. A flashback to the cave in the San Palomino Desert came to her as she ducked and weaved through the tunnel of volcanic rock. Then, she felt a disturbance in the cavern.
The whole place seemed to shake and rumble repeatedly. It then occurred to Rainbow that Falcon must have been knocking himself into the cavern walls to try and cause a cave-in. The old stallion was tougher than she thought. With great strain, Rainbow threw her front hooves back and tried to catch up to Falcon, even pushing off the side of the tunnel for extra boost. Before long, she could already see the back hooves of her foe, who was indeed punching and kicking the walls and sending pebbles falling from above.

"Not today!" she smiled, as she grabbed what was hidden inside her flight suit.

In an homage to her friend in the hospital, Rainbow procured a rope tied into a lasso, and hurled it toward Falcon's rear. She successfully wrapped it around the older pegasus's tail and grabbed a tight hold of the rope. Falcon's eyes bugged as he felt the sudden drag and turned his head.

"So, I see you've learned what I said about getting away with cheating!" he mocked.

"Don't call it cheating!" she boasted. "Consider it revenge!"

In one swift motion, Rainbow also wielded a small mallet and hammered the spike tied to her end of the rope, driving it into the floor of the cavern, careful not to slow herself down. Just as she hoped, the rope held and caught Falcon, causing him to fall with a face full of pumice. As a bonus, Rainbow gave herself an extra boost of speed by pushing her rear hoof into his face. She had gained the lead, but she knew it wouldn't last, since the spike and the rope were only enough to give Falcon a few seconds' worth of drag.

"Clever girl." Falcon seethed as he freed himself from the lasso and sprang off again.

Satisfied, Rainbow continued through the tunnel for a few more moments before it finally ended. Now she found herself hovering in the middle of a massive rock chamber, floored by another cauldron of lava. The walls of the chamber featured multiple cave openings all around, and Rainbow couldn't discern which was the correct path now that she was alone. And she wasn't going to let Falcon show her the way either.

"Dash! Over here!" Volt's voice came as she found him hovering next to a higher cave and gesturing her into it.

Without a moment to lose, Rainbow flew upward and into the opening, sharing a wink with her former rival. Then, Volt quickly fluttered down to a lower cave entrance closer to the lava and used a knife to carve an arrow above it. He hurriedly dove into another cave and waited as Falcon appeared into the chamber and immediately dove into the cave marked with an arrow.

"Idiot." Volt chuckled as he went to find his way out.

The tunnel Rainbow flew into didn't last long, as she soon appeared underneath the night sky again. Back on surface level, she looked out at a sprawling lava bed lined with blackened rock and rivers of melting iron. An earth pony would not have been able to traverse this path, but even Rainbow felt hesitant about the sizzling lava bed. But then she spotted a series of flags dotting the black rock, one of which she could see being planted by Soarin' with a wave. The flags conveniently depicted her cutie mark. It was all Rainbow needed to know that this was the quickest path to the finish.
Even so, sailing over the fiery straight was not no safe feat. The vats of lava beside the bedrock gurgled and spewed balls of flame through the air. Rainbow swerved and dove to avoid the overflowing magma, barely feeling the excruciating heat passing by her. The hairs on her tail were even singed from the pulsating fire. Still Rainbow ignored the heat and pressed on, confident in winning soon.
Suddenly, an explosion of gravel appeared off to the side. Up through the imploded rock flew Falcon, his fur dirtied and singed, hurdling toward Rainbow vengefully.

"You think I don't know this place by heart?!" he growled as he torpedoed into Rainbow's side.

The younger pegasus tumbled off to the right. Rainbow dug her hooves into the dirt with all her might, as she skidded toward a pool of lava waiting to swallow her up. She stopped herself from taking a painful dip just by mere inches, even though her front hooves were now badly scraped and blackened. The bedrock was hot to the touch.

"Some ponies just can't take the heat." Falcon gloated as he looked back at her. But that would be his next blunder.

Up ahead, Volt was setting a slightly more sophisticated trap. As he watched Falcon approaching quick, he hoisted up a hidden rope net and caught the old stallion in the nick of time. The net overlapped Falcon and dragged him down, thanks to a set of four iron weights tied to each corner of it. Falcon struggled and thrashed to escape from the crude ensnarement. Then, he looked in anger to see Soarin' sailing overhead, with Rainbow gripping onto his hind legs.

"Eyes on the road, old man!" Soarin' taunted, as he launched Rainbow ahead of him like a tow plane casting off a glider.

With her burns cooled, Rainbow brought herself up back to speed and continued through the last of the lava bed and down a steep slope. But farther back, Falcon had managed to break from the irritating net by cutting an opening.

"If the lava won't take care of you," he seethed. "Then it looks like I'll have to." He sped off down the slope, with a large grizzly knife clutched in his teeth.

Descending over the staggering slope, Rainbow swooped into a deep, narrow chasm, where the lava came pouring out from the rock walls on both sides. It had already became apparent to her that, almost all the time, the quickest way to the finish wasn't always the safest. Her fur was near scorched, her hooves were blackened and bruised, her throat was becoming hoarse from the ashy air, her joints were soar and aching from too many slams into the rock, and she was pushing herself to the brink of exhaustion. She began to wonder just how much more she could take.
Falcon descended into the rocky causeway as well, ready to put his challenger in her place. Swerving and avoiding the lava-lined chasm with practice, he quickly began to close the gap between him and Rainbow. The ash whipped and battered his goggles. But despite so, he could see in front of him the multicolored tail of the blue pegasus.

"You shouldn't have overstepped your boundaries, Dash." He said to himself, ready to strike.

But before he could completely catch up, the younger pegasus quickly pitched upward and rocketed toward the sky. Falcon looked up in confusion, knowing full well that flying above the chasm would be going off the course. Nevertheless, he followed his target with dastardly intent. Now high over the deep crack in the bedrock, Falcon slowly but surely reached his opponent's hind. With his knife in hoof, he readied himself to attack the blue pegasus, who in fact actually had his fur painted blue.

"FAAAAAST!!!"

"What the buck?!"

Turbo stalled in midair, the wind battering his rainbow wig and collided into Falcon, with a brutish headbutt. The duped older pegasus spiraled out of control back down to earth. But before he could slam into the jagged rock, Falcon righted himself and shook off the dizziness from the blow to his head.

"I'm not taking anymore chances!" he growled as he hovered above the chasm. He then procured a small glass vile and took a swig from its contents. With a mighty whirlwind, Falcon disappeared down the causeway at near mach speed.

Rainbow continued toward the end of the chasm, almost a mile ahead. Fatigue was setting in, and she had no idea of how much longer this endeavor would continue. She wanted nothing more than to land right away, preferably into a bath of ice. But a sight for soar eyes came with Soarin' joining next to her in flight. He held out the straw of a water bottle, and Rainbow immediately refreshed herself with a midair fueling.

"Your're doing great, Rainbow!" Soarin' called. "You're almost there! Just one more pass up the mountain to the finish!"

"Where's Falcon?!" she called back, clearing the dust from her throat.

"Don't worry!" grinned Soarin'. "Volt and Turbo took care of him way back! It was a good idea painting Turbo to look like you! I'll guide you through the rest of the course! Just hang on until-"

WHAM!

"Soarin'!" cried Rainbow.

The Wonderbolt champion was suddenly erased from view, as Falcon bolted from behind with a harsh kick. Soarin' fell onto the cliff above the chasm and rolled to a stop, dangling over the edge and fighting off unconsciousness. Rainbow was about to come to his aid. But before she could descend, she was quickly knocked aside by a hard punch from Falcon. Stopping herself from careening to the ground, she looked at her right shoulder to see a large gash left on it. Falcon hovered in front of her with knife in hoof, fueled on pure muscle and rage.

"This is my domain, Rainbow Dash!" he bellowed. "And you've disgraced it for the last time!"

He sped off again in a blur and crossed Rainbow with another violent impact, before she could fully avoid him. The edge of his knife left a cut on her left cheek and severed the strap on her goggles. Rainbow didn't let the painful blows keep down her focus. She knew she had to get back toward the finish line. But Falcon was moving even faster than he did before, and it seemed that she would not be able to ignore his crude attacks. As she conflicted with herself, yet another kick dug into her back and Rainbow was knocked into the dirt not far from Soarin'. She rolled to a stop, then struggled to sit herself up, coughing up blood. Falcon landed beside her, kicking up dust, and grabbed her by her matted mane, holding the knife to her throat.

"Take pleasure, Dash," he breathed into her face. "In knowing that you got to see my best performance before you and your friends died. You'll never know what it means to be a true pegasus!"

FWOOSH!

"AAAAAGH!!!"

Before he could exterminate his foe, Falcon was struck from behind by a terrifying ball of fire. He quickly flopped onto his back to snuff out the searing burns, dropping Rainbow wear she lay. She strained to glance up to see who saved her from a bloody fate. She lost all attention to her wounds when she saw the assailant hovering above the cliff.

"Your reign is over...Daddy."

Falcon looked up with a surprised scowl. "Flare?! You're awake?!"

"My head must be too thick." The feisty red mare stared him down. "I guess I inherited that from you."

"How dare you try and throw me off!" barked Falcon. "Don't tell me you're actually helping this pathetic wannabe! After everything I've done for you!"

"Please!" sneered Flare. "You've done nothing for me! The only one who's ever shown me any kindness was Volt, and you grind him into the dirt like the other thugs who fly for you. Well I'm gonna put an end to it all. And if that means helping this newbie, then so be it."

"Get back to the zeppelin, Flare!" ordered Falcon. "This is none of your business!"

Flare hunkered down, ready to shoot off. "You've disgraced my mother!"

With a loud whoosh, Flare rocketed toward her father, slamming into his chest and knocking him back. Falcon skidded across the dirt without falling, but refused to strike back against his own daughter. Flare however was more than keen to do so against her father. With a backwards loop, she again zoomed toward him leaving behind her signature flaming pegasus streak. But Falcon could only dodge and defend himself, conflicted in this skirmish against his own kin.
Then, he was suddenly blinded by a familiar flash. Falcon was knocked in his left side by an unseen force, toppling him to his knees. He growled in agony as he saw the impact had completely crippled his left wing, disabling him from flight.

"Man, that felt good!" Volt grinned deviously down at him.

As Falcon stood up, not yet ready to capitulate, Flare circled above him, creating a barrier of fire around her wounded father. Now unable to fly, Falcon had nowhere to escape, and found himself staring down his dear filly in a ring of fire. Flare repeated a series of dive-bombing kicks at a blinding speed even greater than his own. The rapid battering even left burn marks on the old criminal's face due to her pegasus streak. Falcon tried in vain to counter the attacks, still relying on his extra boost of speed. But even he was not fast enough to fend off his own daughter. After many brutal seconds, Falcon stood loosing his balance, his face bloodied and burned, and glowering at Flare.

"So this is what it's come down to." He hissed with a spit of blood. "Betrayed by my own daughter for some small-town nopony."

Flare approached him, plenty of fight still left in her. "You knew this was coming."

Falcon gave her a cocky grin with missing teeth. "Then go ahead. Finish me off." He threatened. "Kill your own dear dad!"

"Rainbow! Hey, Dash!" Volt shook the downed mare gently as she wobbled to stand back up. "Now's your chance. Go and finish this damn race already!"

"But...what about Flare?" she uttered. "And Soarin'!"

"They'll be okay." Volt assured her. "I'll get Soarin' back to the zeppelin. The path to the finish is just up the next slope. I know you can do this, Dash! End this!"

With an affirmative nod, Rainbow summoned every last drop of strength in her body to flap her wings and continue off. She looked back at the tragic duel between Flare and Falcon, grateful that the latter was no longer a threat, but sorry that she couldn't help. Nonetheless, she knew that completing this race would signify the end of Falcon's torture. And so she pressed on.
For the next several minutes, Rainbow could only slow down to a flutter, to tired and beaten to move any faster. But still, she crept up the narrow slope that led back to the top of the volcano, where the welcoming sight of the zeppelin awaited her. Rainbow strained to breath as the air became thinner and hotter. Her now unprotected eyes stung from the floating ash. Each flap of her wings felt like daggers pushing deeper into her back. Soon, her vision grew blurry, and she began to see two volcanoes instead of one. The seconds passed by like hours, and even though she knew that Falcon would not catch up to her, she still had the fear of being crept up on and ambushed. But Rainbow dared not look behind. Up and forward was the only direction.
At long last, the glow from the bubbling lava within the mountain met her bloodshot eyes as she approached the summit. What was once a mile's distance was now just several yards from victory. Closer, and closer, Rainbow floated up to the top. Slower, and slower, her pace grew to a crawl. And before she knew it, Rainbow came face to face with the banner for the finish line...and immediately passed out.

...

"Rainbow?...Rainbow are ya there?" came a familiar voice. "Come on, sugarcube, I know you're awake."

Rainbow slowly opened her heavy eyes, letting her blurry vision unfold. All around her there seemed to be only white, and she felt as if her body was weightless. The thought crept into her mind that she must have perished from exhaustion on the fiery mountain. But there was a figure standing over her in the middle of the light. As her vision resolved, she immediately recognized the presence of her dear friend.

"Applejack?" croaked Rainbow barely moving her lips. Sure enough, the orange earth pony stood by her with her charming smile.

"Shoot, you look like a right mess." Applejack jested as she patted her cheek.

With her vision becoming more and more clear, Rainbow scanned her eyes across the strange location. She peered around to see that she was lying in a brightly lit hospital room, different from the infirmary on board Falcon's zeppelin. She also realized that the weightlessness she felt was from the comfort of the bed she was lying in, along with the IV tube pumping into her foreleg. But what caught her attention apart from Applejack standing to her right, was her other comrades at her left. Soarin', Volt, Flare, and Turbo all stood beside the bed relieved to see her awaken. All four of them featured scattered bandages here and there. They had all taken their share of beating on the volcano.
Rainbow struggled to sit up, pushing herself up despite the sudden aches in her joints. She got a better look at Applejack, who had made a dramatic recovery from the injured farm pony covered in gauze days before. The only evidence of her invalid state that remained was the hospital robe and bracelet she wore. It was a miraculous sight for Rainbow. And yet she couldn't let go of her initial confusion.

"Wh-what happened?" she cleared her throat and asked.

"I gotta say, Dash," said Volt. "I never would've believed a pony like you could reach the top of the volcano after all that."

Rainbow turned her head to him. "You mean...I made it?"

"By a nose!" Soarin' winked.

"But...how did I get here?" she asked, rubbing her head. "Where's the zeppelin? And what happened to Falcon?"

"We managed to incapacitate him." Volt said. "Once you finished the race, we immediately grabbed him, along with you, and returned to the zeppelin. We hightailed it back to Cloudsdale to get you to the hospital, but the damn city had moved somewhere else. So we managed to land in Ponyville which was the next closest place."

"When we rushed you to the hospital here," added Soarin'. "We met Applejack here and told her everything. We told her that you had won Falcon's money to help pay for her treatment and she agreed to go through with it."

"So...it's over?" Rainbow stared into space, unwilling to believe it just yet.

"Rainbow, ya shouldn't have done this to yerself just for me." Applejack told her. "If I'd known you went and joined some big dangerous racing league, I would've never let you. You almost got yerself killed!"

"I know." Rainbow sagged. "You said I shouldn't let it bother me. But I couldn't help myself. At the time, it just seemed right to me, to repay for what I did to you. I guess I'm just a hothead, AJ. I care too much."

With a roll of her eyes, Applejack leaned in and hugged her friend gently and warmly. "I can't be mad at ya, sugarcube." She smiled. "This is the greatest thing you've ever done for me. You risked your life just me. Only a true friend would've done that. I'll never forget this, Rainbow."

Rainbow wrapped her aching hoof around her in return. Just like that, all the regret she had before about risking her life and caring too much was replaced with a tremendous sense of gratitude and triumph.

"Just don't go off doin' somethin' that stupid again." Applejack gave her a gentle nudge.

"Yeah, for our sake, too." Soarin' scratched the gauze wrapped around his forehead.

"Rainbow?" spoke Flare, approaching her side with a sense of guilt. "I'm actually glad to see you're okay. When I came to and heard what you were doing, I didn't believe a word of it. But when I saw you on top of that volcano with my father, I was awestruck. Nopony has ever had the courage to challenge my father like that, or even lived to tell about it. And I think you even gave me the courage to stand up to him also. So, I just want to say that...well...I'm really grateful for what you've done. Especially for saving me from drowning. I can never repay you for that. And I'm so sorry for bullying you all the time. You don't have to forgive me." She looked down with remorse.

Rainbow gave her a reassuring grin. "No, I do forgive you." She said. "Your dad may have been complete tool, but he did make a good point. You gotta be tough in these kinds of fights, break rules and push others aside. That's something I used to live by. But making your way through to victory doesn't matter as much as having somepony to count on for help. I think that's what Falcon may have been missing. But not you, Flare. You're not like your father. You'll always have somepony to rely on."

Volt rested his hoof around Flare's shoulders as she wiped a tear of joy away. "So are you glad I found her now?" he nudged her.

Flare responded with a slap to his already bruised face. Then made up for it with a kiss on the lips. "You can be smart sometimes." She said with a loving smile.

"Say, what happened to that sidewinder Falcon guy anyway?" asked Applejack.

"After coming to the hospital," explained Flare. "We had him detained by the Royal Guard. It looks he'll be doing some hard time for this whole terrible tournament."

"That must be rough havin' your own father bein' sent away." Applejack said sympathetically.

"It is pretty difficult." Flare sighed. "He taught me everything I know about flying. But now, I just have no respect for him anymore. Whatever punishment he gets, for all that he's put me and countless others through, will be too good for him."

"So what will you guys do now that the Cloudsdale Underground is over?" asked Rainbow.

Volt smiled proudly. "Well, there was still a ton of Falcon's fortune left over after Applejack's medical bill. If we sell the zeppelin, along with all the racetracks, everypony in the Underground will probably be set for life! But who knows, we might even start our own racing circuit; one that's perfectly legal anyway."

"As long as we have enough to settle down of course." Flare nuzzled her beloved racing punk.

"You know me, babe," Volt squeezed her. "I never settle down."

"Wow, that's actually pretty sweet." Rainbow beamed. "I might have to pay a visit just to show you guys up again."

"I'd like to see that, newbie." Flare winked at her.

"We couldn't do it if it weren't for you, Dash." Volt grinned.

"You have my eternal thanks, fair Rainbow Dash." Turbo said, in a pleasant mannerly voice. "I will forever cherish our endeavor together. May our paths cross once again on the field of glory."

Rainbow and everypony else stared back at the twitchy psycho in bafflement. "...Thanks...Turbo..." she uttered.

"FAST! FAST! WANNA GO FAST!" Turbo jumped, back to his usual self.

Without a word, Soarin' looked down in deep thought.

"What's the matter with you, poster boy?" jabbed Rainbow.

"Nothing." He said sheepishly. "It's just that...I got so worried when I heard you passed out on the summit. I knew you could win, but deep down, I was a nervous wreck. You mean that much to me, Rainbow. I don't want to see you so beat up again. Maybe I just wish I could've been a better help."

Rainbow looked at him sweetly. "Soarin', I couldn't have asked for better help. To be honest, the only reason I managed to stay in those races so long was...was because I knew that you were there with me. Just knowing that I had a friend to back me up was all I needed."

"You mean it?" he looked hopefully.

Rainbow gestured him closer. "Come here, you."

With a blushing face, Soarin' leaned in closer to the mare of his dreams.

Rainbow touched his cheek lightly, grabbed his chin and spoke into his eyes. "When I get out of this hospital," she said vengefully. "I am going to crush your racing time from the Underground!"

Soarin' grinned back at her deviously. "Then you better be a fast healer, Dash, because it is so on!"

"You pegasi are all freakin' crazy." Applejack shook her head.


THE END