> Dancing Through Life
>  by MiraculousDragonMaster
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Rainbow's Rough Life
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 1



Rainbow's Rough Life


Lights were flashing everywhere in rhythm as pop music started playing. Then, a shadow of a person was shown through all the lights. Then, they stopped and revealed a 18-year-old girl.

The girl had rainbow hair, magenta eyes, cyan skin, and a lean figure. She wore a casual red polo shirt over a black sleeveless tank top and tight black pants, showing off her curves and figure. She smiled confidently as other people came behind her in formation and all of them began dancing, their hands and hips moving in sync, and with style and grace. Then, the rainbow-haired girl started singing while she danced. 

Everybody tells me that it's wrong
What I'm feeling,
That I shouldn't believe in,
The dreams I've been dreaming.

I hear it everyday,
I hear it all the time.
I'm never gonna 'mount to much,
But they're never gonna change my mind. Oh!

Tell me, tell me, tell me,
Something I don't know,
Something I don't know,
Something I don't know.

How many inches in a mile?
What it takes to make you smile?
Get ya not to treat me like
A child, baby.

"RAINBOW DASH!"

The girl, now known as Rainbow Dash, snapped out of her daydream, and the scene changed into a dressing room, and her 22-year-old stepsister, Adagio Dazzle, glaring at her. Adagio had golden orange hair, yellow skin, and dark maroon eyes, similar to Rainbow's own, except there was not a speck of kindness in them; only cruelty and pride. Over her dance clothes, she wore a white robe, and make up artists were prepping her with blush and toner to accent her skin tone.

Rainbow, instead of the cool dance outfit in her fantasy, was now wearing a simple white shirt with a tri-colored lightning bolt under a blue sports jacket, a pink and white gym skirt, black leggings, and blue sneaker boots.

"How can I be an artist when you can't be bothered to do your job?" Adagio asked as Rainbow brushed aside her bangs. "Which, by the way, is fetching me bubbly water. Are you trying to ruin me?"

"I'm sorry." Dash apologized. "It won't happen again."

"There are people who would even kill for a job like this. You bubble me now, or you're grounded forever." Adagio threatened. "And stay out of my dressing room."

Dash rolled her eyes with an annoyed huff and went out of the dressing room to follow out her order. This was the actual reality of her life. No dancing, no singing; just work. 



Soon, Rainbow Dash got to the waiting room, went over to a cooler and opened it. After scanning through lots of soda cans and bottles of regular water, she found a bottle of bubbly water. But just as she grabbed it out, a hand came over and snatched it away.

"Oh my gosh. Thanks so much, Rainbow Dash." It was Aria Blaze, Dash's second stepsister. She was 18 like her, and she had long purple hair with teal highlights tied up into two long pigtails, her skin a lighter shade of plum than her hair, and her eyes a darker purple. She wore a cream tank top underneath an aqua vest with short jagged sleeves, dark purple pants, and tall boots an even darker shade. And her arms were covered with several armbands.

"That was the last bottle of bubbly, wasn't it?" She said.

Rainbow gave her a sarcastic smile. "No, thank you, Aria." She glared at her, then groaned as she began to search the cooler again. "Adagio's gonna kill me."

"Not my problem." Aria said indifferently.

Just then, Sonata Dusk, Rainbow's third stepsister, came in and beside Aria. She was also 18, and she had cyan skin similar to Dash's own, long cerculean hair with navy blue highlights tied up in a crown-high ponytail, and had matching magenta eyes, except just like her sister, there was not any emotion in them, except when it involves food or boys. She wore a maroon jacket with pink trim along with a matching skirt, a pink shirt underneath, and matching boots with white heels.

"So true." She said as she took out a can of soda from the cooler. "Oh, they told me that you're holding back the whole filming of the video, and that's bad. Because you work for us, in case you forgot."

"Oh, how can I ever forget?" Rainbow Dash said sarcastically as she rummaged through the cooler.

How did Dash end up in this situation? Well, when she was about 12 years old, her parents had adopted Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, who call themselves the Dazzlings, since they were a girl garage band starting out at the time. But then, 2 years later, Rainbow's parents died in an accident. Since Adagio was old enough then to take legal custody of her younger siblings, including Dash, they had remained together. But, they make Rainbow do all the work around the house, while they increased their popularity and became well-known throughout Canterlot City.

The reason why, unknown to Rainbow, was because it was becoming obvious that throughout the years, she was becoming more beautiful than them, and that she has an amazing talent for dancing. So, they always try to bring her down so that she doesn't get more popular than their upcoming band.

"What's with the attitude?" Aria demanded, pretending to seeth through her teeth. "We have been so good to you. Without us, you'd be out on the street."

Rainbow only glared at her before she continued searching around in the cooler.

"You may live in the 90210, but you're still just a zero." Sonata teased.

Dash finally found another bottle of bubbly water at the bottom and closed the cooler. "We live in the 90211, genius." She corrected with a roll of her eyes.

"Rainbow Dash!" Adagio called out from the other room. "Bubbles, now!"

"Coming, Adagio!" Rainbow called back as she ran out of the waiting room, leaving behind a stunned Sonata and Aria.

"Is that true?" Sonata asked her sister.

Aria groaned and rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
> Dance Announcement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 2



Dance Announcement


The music video filming went according to schedule, and soon, the Dazzlings were riding back home in their van, while Rainbow Dash was riding behind them in her motorcycle.

Soon, all of them arrived back at Adagio's house; a large two-story white house with a huge front yard and curved driveway. Adagio stepped out of the van, talking on her phone. She wore a dark blue shirt with a small purple vest, a darker skirt, tight purple pants, and matching heeled boots with spikes around the ankles.

"No, we're not doing that man's talk show again." She said into the phone.

Aria and Sonata stepped out of the van as well, also on their phones.

"This semester is totally gonna rock." Aria said.

"Oh, of course I know that. I know everything." Sonata giggled.

Rainbow parked her motorcycle near her corner of the house. "There's laundry to do!" Aria called out to her.

"Okay." Dash called back.

She entered into her room, and closed the door. There was nothing fancy about it like the rest of the house, but it was the one place where she could get away from her daily troubles.

A simple bed with blue sheets and three pillows was in the middle of the room against one of the walls, a TV set was on the opposite wall, and an armchair was in one of the corners. Next to her bed was a wooden green nightstand and two framed pictures. One was a more current photo of herself and her best friends, and the other was of her as a young teenager with her parents, Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles.

Rainbow sadly smiled at the photo and gently fingered it. She was a lot like her mother; sharing her magenta eyes and cyan blue skin. But her spectrum hair, she inherited from her father. They always supported her, even if sometimes they embarrass her. But, she loved them dearly. And now, their support; embarrassing or not, was all she really wanted.





Back inside the fancy house, Aria and Sonata were squealing over their phones. "They're coming back for the rest of the year! How hot is that?!" Sonata shrieked.

"Like, surface-of-the-sun hot!" Aria fangirled, which was a bit out of character for her. She and Sonata then headed over to the living room.

"Don't you dare turn on that TV!" Adagio threatened.

"Okay!" Aria groaned loudly. Once her older sister was upstairs and out of earshot, Sonata whispered to her.

"Turn it."

Aria flipped over to a local news channel. There, a news reporter woman was speaking.

"I'm here in front of Canterlot High School where is nothing but buzz, buzz, buzz."





Back in her room, folding the two large batches of laundry, Rainbow was watching the same news story on her own TV.

"Fresh from their fourth world tour, the famous teen dance team, the Wonderbolts, are bringing their triple threat of singing, dancing, and breaking hearts back home to Canterlot."

The scene changed to a slightly blurry video clip of the Wonderbolts performing live at one of their previous concerts. There were three members: Two girls and one guy. The guy was singing the lead part while the girls were backing him up.

Spitfire is the leader of the Wonderbolts dance team, and she has a fiery attitude to match her name. She has golden orange hair cut short, amber eyes, and golden yellow skin.

Fleetfoot is the other girl, and second-hand to Spitfire. She has wispy, cloud white hair cut short as well, aqua blue eyes, and pale aqua skin.

Finally, Soarin' is the only guy on the team,  the lead singer of the band, and a heartthrob to the female population. He had wild navy blue hair, green eyes, and pale blue skin.

All of them were wearing their signature dance uniforms: a tight blue shirt with yellow lightning bolts on the sleeves and ends, jeans, and black dance shoes.

While Sonata was squealing at the video of Soarin' singing and dancing on the stage and Aria grinning with lust in their living room, Dash was just smiling with admiration at the whole dance team. They were her inspiration for dancing.

The scene on the TV then changed to a camera recording the Wonderbolts.

"Hey, guys. What are your plans for the year?" The reporter holding the camera asked.

"Uh, getting back to our roots." Soarin' replied to the camera as he followed Spitfire and Fleetfoot to their van. "We're taking our senior year off, going back to school."

"And we're gonna keep it real." Fleetfoot added. Her voice had a slight lisp to it.

The scene then went back to the reporter woman. "How do these three plan to keep it real? The Wonderbolts and their record label are sponsoring a huge dance competition where one lucky student will win the opportunity to dance with the Wonderbolts in their next video. So, all you dancers in waiting, it's time to get your freak on!"

Rainbow started smiling even wider, and this time with excitement. That competition could be her big break before heading off to college! She can finally show everyone, besides her friends, what she can really do and earn some respect from her stepsisters! All she needed to do is enter without them knowing.

There was a loud beep that broke Dash away from her thoughts. She turned to her intercom, which was the main form of communication between her and her stepsisters when they wanted her to do some chores if they can't tell her in person for whatever reason.

"Rainbow Dash, I need you here right now!" Adagio ordered. "You forgot to TiVo my dramas."

Dash flinched and quietly groaned at her mistake. Seriously, how does her stepsister come up with these ridiculous chores? She pressed the response button on the intercom to answer back. "Sorry, Adagio. I'll be right there."

"Can you feel that?" Adagio asked.

"What?" Rainbow questioned hesitantly.

"I'm choking you, from a distance." Adagio explained. "Choking you!"

Dash moaned with annoyance. This was going to be a long night. And, she had school in the morning. Just great.
> School and Wonderbolts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 3



School and Wonderbolts


The next morning, Rainbow Dash got ready for school. Outside waiting for her was her ride: a bright light blue bus with colorful symbols all over it. Some of them were a pink six-pointed star with five white smaller ones around it, three red apples, three blue diamonds, three soft pink butterflies, three balloons; two blue and one yellow; all in a triangular pattern, a red and orange sun, and her own signature tri-colored lightning bolt.

Normally, she wouldn't be caught dead in a vehicle this colorful and eccentric, but at least this wasn't her car, if she even had one. She always has her trusty motorcycle if she wants to be by herself. But right now, she rather be with her friends.

She hopped in the passenger seat. "Hey, girls!" She greeted.

"What's up?" A girl with poofy hot pink hair, crystal blue eyes, and soft pink skin was driving the big van. She wore a white shirt under a light blue jacket, a pink skirt, and blue boots. That was Pinkie Pie, the hyperactive one and the drummer of their band, the Rainbooms.

Rainbow looked in the back and saw five more girls. The first two were right behind her, and the other three were in the very back.

The first two were almost complete opposites. The first was a girl with blonde hair in a low ponytail, green eyes, a beige Stetson hat, and light orange skin with minor white freckles on her cheeks. She wore a white and green polo shirt, a jean skirt, and brown cowgirl boots with red apple prints. That was Applejack, her best friend and cowgirl bass guitarist.

The other girl had royal purple hair curled stylishly down her back, sapphire blue eyes, and snow white skin. She wore a fancy light blue blouse, a dark purple skirt, and matching boots with blue diamond studs. That was Rarity, the fashionista, designer, and keytarist of their group.

The girls in the very back were smiling at her. One of them had soft pink wavy hair clipped with butterfly barettes, pale yellow skin, and teal eyes. She wore a white tank top, a light green skirt with three butterflies on the side, and matching boots with soft pink trim. That was Fluttershy, the shy caretaker and the tambourinist of the Rainbooms.

Another had indigo hair with pink and purple highlights, amethyst violet eyes, and lavender skin. She wore a light blue blouse, a dark purple skirt, and matching boots with hot pink trim. That was Twilight Sparkle, the brainiac of Canterlot High and their lead singer.

And finally, the last girl had wavy amaranth red hair with pale yellow highlights, aquamarine eyes, and golden amber skin. She wore an aqua blouse under a black leather jacket, light jeans, and black ankle boots with orange trim. That was Sunset Shimmer, the other nerd besides Twilight, and she is the backup singer and guitarist of the Rainbooms.

Rainbow Dash smiled at all her friends as Pinkie started driving all of them over to Canterlot High. Dash reached up to the dashboard to check her reflection, but it broke off. She groaned.

"Pinkie, you really need to get this thing fixed." She said as she tried to put the dashboard back up.

"Thing?" Pinkie asked. "Don't hurt her feelings, or she'll break down for good. You need to respect our Rainbooms van."

Rainbow rolled her eyes playfully. That was just like Pinkie Pie.

Rarity then tapped Dash on her shoulder. "Rainbow Dash, do you think this leather jacket would go well with this type of skirt?" She showed Dash a detailed drawing of a snazzy leather jacket with a flowy knee-length skirt.

Although Rainbow wasn't into fashion, she gave an answer. "Whatever way, Rare, it's gonna be awesome, as always."

Rarity smiled, then continued to work on the design.

"I can't believe this is our last semester together." Sunset called from the back.

"Hey, do you think we could ever survive senior year without each other?" Dash asked.

Everyone shook their heads. "Nope." Pinkie said. "When we graduate, I'll open my own bakery and joke shop, Rarity will start her own clothing line and become rich beyond her wildest dreams, Applejack will start bigger sales, Fluttershy will have her full-time job at the animal shelter, Twilight and Sunset will have their own laboratory, and you, Rainbow Dash, will be a star in dance school."

"Ooh, and on weekends, I will pick all of you up in my private jet, and we'll go shopping in Maris!" Rarity squealed.

"Wow." Twilight said, amazed of everyone's future plans.

"To quote Dash," Applejack then mimicked the jock dancer, even putting on a cocky smirk. "Embrace your awesomeness.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and joined everyone else in their laughter. 



Soon, the Rainbooms arrived at Canterlot High School. Dash got out and pulled out her school bag out of the van once they parked.

"Girls, I need to get into dance school and away from the Dazzlings first before I embrace my own awesomeness." She lamented to them. A few months before, Rainbow had sent an application form for the Manehattan Academy of Performing Arts. Now, she is still waiting for the reply to see if she has a spot to enter.

"Relax, Dash." Sunset assured when she hopped out. "You're gonna get in."

Fluttershy placed a hand on her childhood friend's shoulder. "There is no better dancer we know than you. I should know. I remember you rocking out when we were kids."

Rainbow smiled and placed her hand over Fluttershy's. Then, everyone got out of the van and entered the school.

Unknown to them, Aria and Sonata were watching them from behind some lockers when they entered. They gritted their teeth. They heard a lot of the other students greet them. They swore they even heard some boys whistling at them.

It was not fair! They used to have all that attention when they were all freshmen! Now, the Rainbooms have stolen their thunder when they became juniors. They were also considered the prettiest girls in school, both inside and out, according to the student body. But since they can't harass them in school or when they are altogether, at least they can make Rainbow Dash's life miserable.

Suddenly, a girl began screaming. "OH MY GOSH! IT'S THE WONDERBOLTS!"

Immediately, everyone began running outside to greet and crowd the limousine that had arrived.

"Talk about drama!" Pinkie cried out as students were pushing past them.

"Let's go before we get trampled." Dash suggested.

"I second that." AJ agreed. 



Everyone was snapping photos like crazy when the Wonderbolts stepped out of the limo. But, the first one that was out was a teenage boy with green eyes, mustard yellow skin, and brown poofy hair. He wore a green T-shirt with a pin of a cheese sandwich being cut in half, jeans, and brown shoes.

"Okay, everyone!" He shouted to the crowd. "Back up!"

As Soarin', Spitfire, and Fleetfoot exited out of the limo and entered the school, everyone had calmed their cheering and once in a while, kept snapping pictures with cameras or phones.

"Thanks for the help back there, Cheese." Soarin' thanked his friend.

Cheese Sandwich grinned widely. "No prob." He said. "Just remember, take it slow for a while and keep it real."

"We'll be keeping it real, all right." Fleetfoot said, lowering her purple shade sunglasses.

Spitfire took off her own black shades. "It's ridiculous, though." She moaned. "Everytime we step off the stage, we get mobbed like we're a piece of meat."

"Your words, not ours." Soarin' said with his hands in the air.

"Relax, you three." Cheese assured. "I got your back." He then started humming a very familiar song, making them roll their eyes.

We've got the music,
Makes you move it.
Got the song that makes you lose it.

"Don't get us started on them, man." Soarin' groaned, interrupting his friend. For weeks, the Dazzlings had been suggesting that they perform a song together. But, the Wonderbolts knew they only wanted to use them to boost their popularity.

"OW!" Suddenly, Soarin' bumped into someone, and papers went flying everywhere and onto the floor. "Hey, would you watch where you're going?" The voice demanded.

Soarin' was about to reply when he froze and saw who had spoken to him, and the sight of her was making him turn bright pink. 

Her cyan blue skin seemed to glow, her long hair had all the colors of the rainbow, and her stunning magenta eyes had a fire within them as she glared at him. He took a quick look over at her attire, and judging from her sneaker boots and gym skirt, he could guess she was on a sports team.

The girl's eyes slowly widened and her cheeks began flushing when she realized who was in front of her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"It's okay." Soarin' cut her off, surprising her. "I'm the one who should be saying sorry."

"Soarin'!" Spitfire barked, tearing his gaze away from her. "Come on." She tugged his arm and pulled him away, eager to get to their first class. As he was dragged away, he stole one last glance at the rainbow haired girl. She definitely was already something to look forward to. 



Rainbow Dash had never felt so stupid in her life. She had just yelled at Soarin' of the Wonderbolts. Just perfect. She knelt down to pick up her papers to distract herself from her fire-red face, flushed with humiliation.

"I can't believe you just did that." Rarity said as she began helping her, along with the other girls.

"Me either." Dash mumbled.

Applejack handed Rainbow a couple of papers. "Hey, we're still going to meet up at the studio, right?" She asked, changing the subject.

Rainbow internally thanked AJ for that save. "Yeah, unless everyone else has plans."

Everyone shook their heads. "Flash and I have to study at the library during free period, but I will be there." Twilight said.

"Timber and I have some studying to do as well, but count me in." Sunset added as they all stood back up.

Flash Sentry and Timber Spruce are Twilight and Sunset's boyfriends. It was sometimes mind-boggling how the two nerds were the first of their group to have relationships. Flash was a guitar player in charge of his own band, while Timber was an environmentalist in training.

Dash smiled. "All right. We'll see you there." The Rainbooms then split up to their first period classes. Rainbow felt a little bit better when she entered into her classroom, thinking about later today. Dancing did always made her feel better.
> Wonderbolt Lesson
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 4



Wonderbolt Lesson


Later that afternoon, Rainbow Dash hopped in the Rainbooms van with her friends. Pinkie drove them to a local dance studio and parked behind the building.

"I still don't understand why we have to sneak in through the back." Rarity said as they climbed out of the van with their school bags.

"Because two of Dash's family witches are in there right now." Applejack reminded her. "Who knows what they might do to her if they find out that she's been dancing. They treat her badly enough."

"Quiet, guys!" Rainbow hissed as she threw her bag through an open window. She then climbed through, with her friends following her lead.

They then entered into a spare room with several mirrors in front of them. They could see the class on the other side of the room, but they can't see them. Luckily for them.

The girls then got into a V formation: with Dash in front, AJ, Rarity and Pinkie flanking her right, while Twilight, Sunset, and Fluttershy were on her left. They all can dance, but the other six always gave Rainbow the spotlight, since this was her dream. They just support her to the end.

They followed the daily warm-ups with sun salutations and tree poses the class was instructed to do. But, just as they finished, Spitfire and Fleetfoot entered into the classroom. Everyone started cheering.

"All right, settle down!" Spitfire barked, and everyone immediately became silent. When Spitfire means business, she means it. "We came because of your teacher's permission. We're here to teach you how to really dance."

"It's one thing to dance with your feet. It's another to dance with your heart." Fleetfoot added.

One girl in the back raised her hand. "Where's Soarin'?" She asked excitedly while blushing bright red. All the other girls began squealing at the thought of the male Wonderbolt. Sonata was squealing along with them, while Aria had a lustful grin on her face. Spitfire and Fleetfoot rolled their eyes with annoyance.

"He decided to pass on this, since we have another thing to attend to later." Spitfire explained. The fangirls gave cries of disappointment, including Aria and Sonata.

In the spare room, Applejack snickered quietly. "I wouldn't count on any of 'em gettin' him. Earlier at school, I thought I saw him checking out our favorite dancing captain over here." She gestured to Dash, making her cheeks turn bright pink.

"He wasn't." She denied.

Rarity started giggling. "You can't hide the first signs of love, Rainbow Dash." She whispered giddily. "He looked like he was entranced by you."

"No, he wasn't, guys." Rainbow hissed. "Besides, if it were true, which it isn't, people like me don't belong with people like him."

"Now, let's begin." Spitfire said. Fleetfoot began playing some pop music on the radio, and everyone began following the two Wonderbolts, as did the Rainbooms in the spare room. 



Unbeknownst to everyone, Soarin' was hiding from all of those fans, especially from females who just can't control themselves around celebrities. He had enough of them at school already, and it was his first day back. So, he wanted at least 1 hour of just being alone.

He was wandering around the dance studio with a black hoodie over his face and sunglasses when he heard music and sensed movement nearby. It was probably the dance class Spitfire and Fleetfoot were teaching. As much as he wanted to sneak past, his curiosity got the best of him, and he peered in.

It wasn't the class, though he could see the students practicing with Spitfire and Fleetfoot through the mirrors as if they were windows. The room was dark, though he could see seven girls dancing in a V formation. What caught his attention was the one at the head of the formation, in the center. It was her: the girl he had bumped into earlier at school, and who had been haunting him ever since that moment. So much, he barely remembered what his first two classes were.

He was mesmerized by the sway of her hips, not too much to be on purpose, her frame being graceful yet strong, fitting her tough attitude displayed before, and her multi-colored hair was flying with vigor, as if the colors wanted to become a real rainbow. He watched the movement of her hands and feet; everything was in sync. She was dancing like a superstar. No, like an angel with such a fiery spirit.

As he listened to the music and observed her moves, lyrics began spinning in his head that would definitely fit the song. He better write all of them down before he would forget them.

Something happens when you groove.
Earth beneath ya starts to move.
It's so rad, I'm looking at you.

It's crazy how you work that frame.
You and me, we can change the game.
What's your secret? What's your name?

To me, you're a star.
When you move, you're off the charts.
You've already won my heart.

To me, you're a star.
You don't have to play the part.
You can be just who you are.

'Cause you're just that girl.

Finally, the dancing session came to an end. Soarin' quickly hurried away from the doorway to wait for his teammates outside. But then, he realized something. His thoughts were already plagued of this mysterious girl who dances spectacularly, yet he doesn't even know who she is. 



The class ended with the class cheering themselves. Fleetfoot was clapping for them as well, while Spitfire had a small smile on her face.

"Not bad!" She complimented. "For a couple of rookies."

"Yeah!" Fleetfoot agreed. "Now, if you guys can dance like that in the competition, we're gonna have a lot of fun."

Suddenly, a ringtone sounded through the air.

"What did I say about cell phones in class?" The teacher reminded.

"Rainbow!" Pinkie whispered as she pointed to Dash's school bag. Rainbow flinched, then slid over to her bag to quickly answer her phone.

It was Adagio. "Where are you?!" She demanded. "The most important luncheon of the Dazzlings' career, and you forget?!"

"I'm sorry." Dash apologized, whispering. "I'll be there, soon."

"I won't ask why you're whispering, but I don't want excuses." Adagio snapped. "I want crab puffs on a silver tray, got it?"

"Yes, Adagio." Rainbow mumbled before disconnecting the call. She and the other Rainbooms then quietly packed up and climbed out of the spare room. "Looks like I have some shopping to do." Dash grumbled.

"We'll help you out." Sunset assured her, coming up beside her. Rainbow smiled, then everyone climbed back into their van.
> Intense Lunch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 5



Intense Lunch


A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash entered her "home" with two large bags of groceries in her arms. But before she could quickly escape into the kitchen, Aria and Sonata were there, waiting in the living room, sneering and ready to confront her.

"I have crab puffs to make." Dash said, trying to get past them.

"Then you know who's coming over." Aria said.

"No?" Rainbow raised a confused brow.

"Oh, it's just the Wonderbolts." Sonata said, trying to suppress a squeal. "And your crush, Soarin'."

Dash rolled her eyes. "I don't have a crush on Soarin'."

"Oh, really?" Aria asked suspiciously. "Then, what's this?" She held up a worn out picture of a younger Soarin' with a red heart around his face.

Rainbow blushed crimson red and grabbed the picture. "You went through my stuff?!" She demanded.

"Our house, our ways." Aria said, glaring at her.

Dash groaned as she folded the picture and stuffed it in her school bag. "That was in middle school. Besides, people like me don't belong with people like him."

"Finally, we agree on something, Rainbow Dash." Sonata said. "Do you really you ever stood a chance?"

Rainbow glared at her. "No." She hissed before pushing her way past her stepsisters. "Now if you will excuse me."

As Dash was prepping the lunch, she thought of Soarin', and of their hidden history. Back in middle school, before he, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot became famous and formed the Wonderbolts, she used to have an itty bitty thing for him. But, he was already popular, while she was just a newbie nobody playing sports non-stop and starting to get in the spotlight.

When they first entered high school, Rainbow decided to move on from him, especially since her parents were gone, while Soarin' formed the Wonderbolts in honor of their high school. Since then, she erased all affection she had for him and just focused on school, sports, and dancing. Or, at least she thought all affection was gone. 



An hour later, the Wonderbolts were sitting with the Dazzlings at the table. Soarin' was seated in between Spitfire and Fleetfoot to avoid Aria and Sonata. Adagio was seated at the head of the table, ready to get down to business. Cheese Sandwich was the only one who was really eating.

"I am so glad you were able to meet with us today." Adagio said a little too sweetly. She then snapped her fingers. "Rainbow Dash." She called.

The name made Soarin' perk up a bit. That name sounded familiar, and it seemed to fit the identity of that girl who had been haunting him all day. What if it was her?

Rainbow was about to enter when she saw the Wonderbolts seated down at the table. "Oh, yikes." She whispered before she pulled up her hood that she was wearing and shielded her face with the plate of drinks she was bringing in.

The Wonderbolts, including Cheese, were curious about the girl that was about to serve them. They couldn't see her hair or face. Soarin' in particular raised an eyebrow. Was she shy or hiding from them? If not so, then who? Was this the girl who was radiating confidence and style back in the dance studio?

The Dazzlings, however, didn't seem to notice their stepsister's strange attitude as Rainbow Dash poured them their drinks. "We are so looking forward to our collaboration." Aria said, smirking at Soarin'.

"We have already told you." Spitfire said annoyed. "We are not doing any work with you."

"Why not?" Sonata asked, making puppy eyes, directing them mostly to Soarin', but he wasn't fazed.

"It's not what we are looking for." Fleetfoot tried to explain.

"And what is that?" Adagio asked, slowly losing her cool.

"We are looking for style, confidence, and passion." Soarin' said. "And not everyone has that."

"Well, there's no one else better that has all that than us." Aria said.

"No offense, but as their manager, I say that you three are not what makes a good performance." Cheese Sandwich said. By now, Rainbow was now serving them some salad. "I think we're done here."

The Dazzlings huffed. Soarin' mentally thanked his best friend for that save. "Thanks for everything." But just as he stood up and was about to leave, he bumped into Dash, making her drop the salad bowl. Shredded parmesan cheese, shrimp, and lettuce went flying everywhere, making everyone cry out, while Soarin' brought Rainbow down to the ground with him, her hood slipping off her head.

"We keep meeting like this." Dash groaned as she wiped cheese off her face.

Soarin' though, was in shock. This Rainbow Dash was the girl he had bumped into before! The same girl who was dancing like a star at the studio. And her name fit her to a T; with her stunning prismatic hair. But, why was she hiding herself from everyone? She didn't seem like the girl who would be shy. Also, now that he was really looking at her, she did seem familiar. Like they had met before.

But then, he realized that he was hovering on top of her, his hands on either side of her to keep himself up. In order to not make it seem awkward, he picked up a shrimp tail. "You do know you have shrimp in your hair." He said, trying to be witty. It seemed to work as Rainbow rolled her eyes with a small smile.

Cheese then helped Soarin' up. "You okay?" He asked.

Soarin' could only nod as he helped Dash get back up on her feet. He then saw Adagio coming up from behind her, fuming mad. Cheese decided to guide him with the others and away from the angry Dazzling.

"Rainbow Dash, you will clean this room spotless in 30 minutes!" She ordered. Soarin' flinched when he heard her furious tone. Rainbow must have it hard.

Adagio threw down a shrimp tail that was hanging from her hair. "And your phone privileges are gone for a month! Hand it over!"

Dash rolled her eyes with annoyance and handed her oldest stepsister her cell phone. "Clean!" Adagio commanded with a growl, then ran to catch up with everyone else.

Rainbow looked around the dining room. Food was everywhere, from the table to the floor. This is so not gonna be awesome. She thought as she started to clear away the dishes.
> A Small Dilemma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 6



A Small Dilemma


The next day, over at Pinkie's house, the Rainbooms were practicing a new song to sing for the upcoming Spring Fling. But, one member in particular didn't really feel like rocking out this time.

Rainbow Dash finished playing her guitar and set it down against the stand next to Pinkie's drum set. She then sat down on a spare chair with a heavy sigh.

"You okay, Rainbow?" Twilight asked as she was putting away her microphone.

"Don't hate me, girls, but I don't want to go to the Spring Fling." Dash announced glumly.

"WHAT?!" The other Rainbooms shouted.

Rarity grabbed Rainbow by the arms and quickly pulled her up from the chair to meet her eyes. "You have to come, Rainbow Dash! I've been working on our dresses for weeks!"

"Plus, you're our lead guitarist." Applejack added as she set her bass down. "We need you for the song."

"In case you girls have forgotten, Aria and Sonata will be going as well, and who knows what they might do to embarrass me in front of everyone." Dash reminded as she pried Rarity's hands off her.

"Well, your parents only teased you because they loved you, and you sometimes took it for granted." Fluttershy said. She then realized what she had just said and covered her mouth with her hands, looking horrified.

Something snapped inside Rainbow as she felt her legs grow weak. She slid down her chair to the floor and curled up into a ball, bringing her legs closer to her and putting her head down.

"Did you have to bring that up?" She whined, though it sounded muffled.

"Sorry, Dashie." Fluttershy apologized as she came over to her childhood friend and gave her a comforting hug. Rainbow gratefully returned it. She was trying so hard to fight back the tears that were building up inside.

The other Rainbooms came over to their friend and sat beside her. Usually, Dash was an easy-going, maybe a little too confident, sporty tomboyish dancer. But ever since her parents passed, the very mention of them was enough for her to become vulnerable.

Soon, she stood up, wiping her watery eyes. "Still, I'm not going." She said.

"Oh, yes, you are." Pinkie answered back. "And we'll figure out a way."

Rainbow gave her friends an uneasy smile. Suddenly, Rarity gasped loudly.

"I just remembered something!" She exclaimed. "It's a masked dance! And if I have the right materials and designs, I could make us masks that coordinate perfectly with our dresses in time for the dance tomorrow!"

The other Rainbooms began cheering, except Dash. But then, she smiled as she listened to the excited conversations. Maybe she should go, for her friends. When she decided to look over at the digital clock on the wall, she froze. 5:30.

"Girls!" She cried, getting their attention back. "I'm sorry, but I gotta head out now!" She grabbed her guitar and placed it in her trunk. "I have to start cleaning back at the house!" Rainbow lifted up her trunk and strapped it on the back of her motorcycle. She then got on it, put on her helmet, and started it up. "See you gals there!" With that, Dash revved off to start her bothersome chores. 



The next afternoon, Adagio was having a relaxing massage at the spa while Aria and Sonata were waiting, since they both had just finished having a mani-pedi. But, Aria was getting a little impatient since she wanted to tell Adagio something important.

"Are you almost done, Adagio?" She groaned.

The eldest sister finally got up from the cot, feeling great. Or was, before she heard Aria's whining. "Relax, Aria." She said. "Now, what has got your hair in a twist?"

Aria self-consciously brushed her hand through one of her pigtails, then spoke. "As you know, the Spring Fling is tonight."

"Yes?" Adagio gestured for her to continue, but Sonata interrupted.

"The Rainbooms will be performing, so that means Rainbow Dash will be going to the dance."

Aria slugged her sister hard in the arm. "Say it, Sonata. Don't spray it!"

"Well, this is something." Adagio said as they went outside and sat down on a bench. "That girl has been a pain in the neck since her parents passed."

"Yeah!" Sonata agreed. "We used to be the most popular girls in school until she and her friends stole our spotlight. And she is actually really pretty, tough, cool, athletic, talented-"

"Shut up, Sonata!" Aria snapped at her.

Adagio placed a finger under her chin, deep in thought. "This must be dealt with." She said to herself.

"Ooh, you can tell her to clean my room as an extra chore." Sonata suggested.

"And maybe my closet." Aria added.

Adagio then formed a smirk on her face. "Actually, I have a place that does need some sprucing up." 



Soon, the Dazzlings entered the living room, where Rainbow Dash was scrubbing the tile floor in the entryway. Adagio silently gestured to the other two sisters to head upstairs. They did so, both hiding devious grins.

"Rainbow Dash." Adagio called her stepsister's attention. "You know that Sonata is turning 17 in a couple of days."

"Yes?" Dash said, unsure of what was being implied.

"We're throwing a big party, and I want to have the house absolutely spotless." Adagio said.

"But, my friends and I are going to the dance." Rainbow replied. "Besides, I cleaned every room in this stinking house."

Normally, Adagio would reprimand Dash for a snarky comment like that. But, her plan was right now more important. "Not my bedroom."

Rainbow froze. 



Adagio led Dash upstairs to her hazard of a master bedroom. There was clothes everywhere, almost burying the entire floor. Bugs buzzed everywhere, thick dust coated the furniture, and it reeked of body odor, cheap perfume and moldy pizza.

Rainbow thankfully resisted the urge to throw up, and she was just gobsmacked at the horrific condition. "You're kidding, right?" She asked, careful not to choke on her breath.

Adagio smirked. "I'm clubbing with Maris tonight." She began to explain. "It's my turn to host the after-party."

Great. Dash thought. Now I might have to deal with broken bottles and drunks later tonight.

"When I get back home at midnight, on the dot, this room will be in pristine condition." Adagio finished.

"Adagio, I need heavy equipment." Rainbow said. "For example, a flamethrower. And maybe a dozen cans of air freshener."

"Watch your tongue, missy!" Adagio snapped. "Or you might not see your friends until the end of the school year."

Dash held back her retorts, still glaring angrily at her eldest stepsister. Adagio, seeing that she won't put up a fight, smirked victoriously and turned to leave. She then saw some fishsticks on the ground and stepped around them.

"And throw away those." She pointed out to Rainbow, who was now more grossed out. "They've been there since New Year's." With that, she left.

Dash looked around, absolutely disgusted. This room was the epitome of a nightmare, and her plans for the night have gone downhill.
> A Plan For Sneaking Off
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 7



A Plan For Sneaking Off


That afternoon, in her house kitchen, Pinkie was baking some cookies with the other Rainbooms when her phone began ringing on the counter. Sunset wiped her hands and answered it.

"Pinkie Pie's phone. This is Sunset Shimmer." She said.

"Hey, Sunset." A familiar voice spoke up.

"Hey there, Rainbow Dash." Sunset said. "Hang on a second." She pressed the button for speaker as the other Rainbooms gathered around her. "Okay. You're on speaker."

"Thanks." Rainbow said. "Girls, I can't come to the dance tonight. Adagio Demon is making me clean her bedroom."

Pinkie gasped dramatically. "You're in her lair?!" She exclaimed.

"There are species of bugs in here are still unknown to science." Dash remarked.

"Really?" Twilight asked, suspicious of her remark.

"Figure of speech, Twilight." Rainbow clarified with a roll of her eyes from the other side of the line. "But still, there's no way I'll finish in time."

Pinkie began thinking. "Unless we probably could-" She was cut off by another phone line joining in the conversation.

"I believe that what I meant by no phone privileges, I also meant the land line." Adagio's voice said from the separate line.

Rainbow flinched at being caught. "Sorry, gals. I gotta go." She then quickly hung up the phone.

From in Pinkie's kitchen, Applejack looked ready to take on a raging bull. "Oh, I really hate that girl. She and her sisters treat Rainbow Dash lower than dirt."

"But, you were thinking something, Pinkie Pie." Twilight said, turning over to the party girl. "Do you have something in mind?"

"Absolutely." Pinkie replied with a smile as she began to tell the others of her plan. 



Back at the Dazzling house, Rainbow Dash hauled in a cart of cleaning supplies into Adagio's room, wearing a baggy cleaning suit and face mask. She began to sweep, dust, freshen up, and throw away spoiled food into the trash.

After an hour of working, and resisting the urge to gag at least seven times, Rainbow saw something rumbling around in a pile of clothes. She grabbed her broom and defensively held out in front of her as she cautiously walked over to the heap of gawdy clothing.

When she softly poked the pile, it slightly moved again. Dash then swung the clothes away with the broom, and underneath them was a very familiar tortoise.

"Tank?" Rainbow was surprised to find her pet tortoise in this nightmarish room. She put away her broom and picked up the reptile. "What are you doing in here, you goofy turtle?"

Tank only gave her a slow lick on her cheek, making her giggle and wiping her cheek. Then, the doorbell rang. Dash kept her tortoise in her arms as she went downstairs and answered the door. On the front steps were her friends.

"Girls!" She said with a smile. "Look, I found Tank and I was about to put him back in my room-" Rainbow stopped when she saw Rarity and Fluttershy each holding at least three black carrying bags in their hands. "Please tell me those aren't our dresses?" She asked, giving them an exasperated glare.

"We can't, then." Pinkie said. "Because they are. We are going to the dance."

Dash frowned. "Uh, what part of 'Adagio Demon is making me clean her bedroom' did you not understand?" She asked.

"Well, Dashie." Pinkie said, using Rainbow's "cute" nickname, making Rainbow look at her dryly. "What if we said that you won't have to do this by yourself, sneak off with us, and Adagio would never know?"

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "I'd say you guys are my heroes, but who would help me?"

Pinkie brought the other girls closer to her. "Us, of course!" She then released them as Sunset and Twilight showed her some extra cleaning supplies that they brought.

Dash felt a grateful smile on her face. "Really?" She asked. "You girls would do this for me?"

"Of course we would." Applejack said as she came inside and wrapped an arm over Rainbow's shoulder. "As your BFFs, we wouldn't leave ya hanging. Just like you would do for us."

Rainbow, for once, let some tears come to her eyes. "You guys are the best!" She cried as she brought her friends into a tight hug.

"Yeah, we know." Pinkie said, then after Dash released them and let them into the house, she quickly put on a janitor's clothes; all in pink of course. "So, when do we start?"

Rainbow took a couple of the dresses from Fluttershy and handed her Tank. "Flutters, can you put Tank back in my room, in his terrarium?" She asked.

"Of course." Fluttershy took the tortoise from Dash's arms and went over to her section of the house.

"And what about the rest of us?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow reached into a pocket of her cleaning suit and pulled out a box of rubber gloves. "First off, you girls definitely need something to protect your hands." 



A couple of minutes later, Dash lead everyone else, including Fluttershy who came back from her "chambers", to Adagio's bedroom. They all were appalled by the horrific conditions, especially Rarity.

"Oh, ewww!" She exclaimed, holding her nose. "Darling, I can't see how you work in a place like this."

"Welcome to my world, Rare." Rainbow said.

"Dash, if I ever said something about how hard my work is compared to yours, I take it back." Applejack said.

"You didn't, but thanks anyways." Dash said dryly. "But, if you girls want to get to the Spring Fling on time, let's get going."

"If we must." Rarity said as she began to spray the room with a can of disinfectant. Twilight, AJ, and Sunset each grabbed a broom, while Fluttershy and Pinkie helped Rainbow began organizing the piles of clothes. While they did, Rarity would make a critique about some of Adagio's wardrobe choices. And none of them were good.

Thankfully for everyone, soon the room was spic and span. It smelled much better, and the clothes were clean and hung in the closet. Dash wiped her forehead. "Whew! You gals still hanging in there?"

"I think so." Fluttershy replied, removing her rubber gloves, relieved that the air was now much more fresh.

"Come on, ladies!" Rarity said excitedly. "We only have 30 minutes until the dance, and we need to look fabulous!"

Everyone quickly ran downstairs to get ready for their big night.
> The Spring Fling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 8



The Spring Fling


At Canterlot High later that evening, the Spring Fling was in full swing. Everyone was enjoying themselves, dancing and mingling with each other as the music was playing. And like Rarity said, it was a masked dance, so everyone was wearing colorful masks.

Aria and Sonata were looking around the gym, trying to see if they could find the Rainbooms. Aria was wearing a black and purple dress with metal studs on the bodice and she had a matching mask on part of her face. Sonata wore a light blue dress with silver trim on the skirt and she was holding a mask over her eyes.

"I don't see those Rainbooms anywhere." Sonata said. "Can we do and dance now, Aria?" She asked.

"Not yet." Aria said. "Once those Rainbooms notice that Rainbow Dash isn't here, then they can't perform their song for the dance. And guess who will come to the rescue?"

"The DJ?" Sonata asked.

Aria slapped an open palm against her face and mask. "No, us!" She corrected her sister. Her anger soon vanished as a sly grin came on her face. "We'll see who is the better band yet."

Sonata then noticed someone leaving the gym. She had on a pretty purple, white, and yellow ruffled dress down to her knees, short sleeves, and purple shoes. Her pink poofy hair was tied into a side ponytail with a peppermint tie, a purple and white striped with a yellow center bow was clipped to the side, and she had a yellow domino mask on her face.

"Is that Pinkie Pie?" She asked, pointing to the masked girl. Aria also saw her, and a grimace came on her face.

"Come on." She said, grabbing her arm.

Soon, they had followed Pinkie into an empty hallway. But, she had vanished. The two Dazzlings looked around, wondering where she had went.

The sound of a closing door caught their attention. Sonata saw the supply closet door close, and she and Aria went inside.

"Where did she go?" Aria growled.

"Hi-ya!" A chipper voice called out. The two Dazzlings spun around just in time to see Pinkie shut the door and locked it. "See ya!" She then skipped away while humming, ignoring the bangs and shouts from inside the supply closet. 



The dance was still going on. Spitfire was wearing a knee-length navy blue dress with a matching mask, Fleetfoot wore a similar dress and mask, except silver.

Soarin', though, was glad that it was a masked dance. No one will know who he is. He was wearing a nice tuxedo with a black mask. Beside him drinking some fizzy apple cider was Cheese, who was wearing a white tuxedo, a matching mask, and a matching top hat on his curly brown hair.

Cheese noticed that Soarin' was looking around the gym, as if he was looking for something. Or maybe, someone.

"You okay, Soarin'?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He assured him. "I'm just..."

"Looking for that pretty girl you bumped into earlier?" Cheese guessed with a sly smirk and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Soarin' blushed a bright red. "No!" He denied. But Cheese wasn't buying it.

"Come on, dude. You have distracted by that girl ever since you saw her this morning." He pointed out. "And, it's not every day that someone like you gets his eye on a girl. And a really attractive one at that."

Soarin' felt his whole face exploding with heat. "Don't bother to deny it. Because I could just keep this up." Cheese added.

Soarin' looked over at the cups with fizzy apple cider. "Then, I won't." He finally said, admitting the truth. Cheese smiled and pumped his fist.

"Count me in on helping you hook up with her." He said.

"Cheese!" Soarin' reprimanded. But before he could say anything more, a speaker came on.

"Hey, Wondercolts!" The DJ said. "You all enjoying the night?" Her answer was a lot of cheering. "Well, get ready to shake your tail, because we have a special performance tonight. Please welcome our all-time favorite school band, the Rainbooms!"

Soarin' wasn't paying attention to the loud cheering of the students cheering loudly. To him, the blood pounding in his ears was all he could hear. The Rainbooms? He heard Spitfire mention them earlier, saying that she wished that they could do a collaboration with them instead of the Dazzlings. It sounded a lot like Rainbow Dash.

Seven girls came onto the dark stage. One came behind the silhouette of drums, two each picked up a guitar, another girl picked up a bass, one picked up a keytar, another took hold of a tambourine, while the last one got behind a microphone.

Lights began flashing everywhere as the band started to clap in sync to the rhythm. The crowd started clapping along. Seven girls then began to sing.

Rainbooms: We used to fight with each other. (Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh)
That was before we discovered, (Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh)
That when your friendship is real, (Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh)
Yeah, you just say what ya feel.

And the music, yeah, the music
Gets us to the top,
As we learn how the rainbow...
rainbow rocks!

The spotlights then flashed bright, lighting up the stage and the Rainbooms.

Twilight was wearing a turquoise dress with daisies on the hemline, her hair curled, matching shoes, and a matching turquoise domino mask on her face with yellow sparkles and trim.

Applejack was wearing an apple green dress with red roses as embroidery on the bodice, brown dressy cowgirl boots, a matching apple green Stetson hat on her head, and a matching apple green domino mask on her face with red trim.

Fluttershy was wearing a peacock-themed dress, sea green low-heeled shoes, a peacock feather hair clip in her hair, and a dark teal domino mask was on her face with lighter aqua trim.

Rarity was wearing a purple and blue dress with matching diamonds on the embroidery, a matching hair clip in her hair, matching heels, and a plum purple domino mask with light blue sparkles and trim.

Sunset was wearing a dress that had three shades of magenta with a gem in the center of the bodice, dark magenta heels, and a matching dark magenta domino mask on her face with a lighter shaded trim.

But, Soarin' only had eyes on Rainbow Dash. She was wearing a dress that had an orange bodice and a light purple skirt with stars. On her feet were gold dress boots, and on her face was a light purple domino mask with gold swirls and trim.

However, Cheese couldn't take his eyes off of Pinkie Pie at the drums. Soarin' saw that and hid a smirk. At least that would be good payback for later. Right now, the Rainbooms were still singing.

Applejack: You can pick up the bass,

Rainbooms: (Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh)

Rainbow Dash: And you can play the guitar.

Rainbooms: (Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh)

Pinkie Pie: You can bang on the drums,

Rainbooms: (Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh)

Twilight: Or you can sing like a star!

Soarin' was just absolutely amazed. How much more awesome can this girl be? She is attractive, a top athlete in school, she dances, she plays the guitar, and she sings? Just what can't she do?

Rainbooms: And the music, yeah, the music
Gets us to the top,
As we learn how the rainbow...
rainbow rocks!

As we learn how the rainbow...
rainbow rocks!

The song ended with an awesome finish, and the students were all cheering as the Rainbooms placed their instruments back and got off the stage to let the DJ take over.

Immediately, Soarin' made a beeline for Rainbow. "Hey." He greeted.

Rainbow froze for a second when she heard someone call her name. She then saw a familiar boy wearing a tuxedo and a black mask. But, she had a feeling she knew who that was.

"Soarin'?" She asked quietly for him to hear, because it was a masked dance. And she had a suspicion that if fangirls knew who he was, it would be mayhem in the gym.

"You were awesome up there." He said.

"Thanks." She said, rubbing her arm, feeling a little flustered.

A pop song then started to play. Soarin' then had an idea on how to keep her around. "I heard that you got some real slick moves." He said, making Rainbow raise an eyebrow. "I want to know if that's true."

"Is that a challenge, Mr. Wonder Boy?" She asked, a challenging smirk coming up on her face.

"If it is, do you accept?" He asked, holding his hand to her.

Dash took it. "You're on."

Soarin' did a victory fist pump in his mind. He pulled Rainbow closer, and held their closed hands out, while his free hand went to her back. Rainbow placed her free hand on his shoulder, and the two of them began to dance.

The Rainbooms, whether they were dancing or at the buffet table, saw Rainbow and Soarin' dancing to the music and all smiled. Their plan was working like a charm.

The feeling that Rainbow was having couldn't be described. It was like she could finally be free; no stepsisters, no nagging, and no hiding. It was exhilarating. Her feet were moving in sync as Soarin' twirled her out, then in.

All too soon though, the music ended, and another song came on. Dash didn't want whatever she was feeling to end. A smile came on her face as she dragged Soarin' off the dance floor.

"Come on." She said, starting to laugh.

Her laugh was like music to Soarin's ears, and it was contagious as he started laughing as well. The two of them then left the gym and went outside to the school courtyard.
> A Quick Midnight Getaway
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life

Chapter 9

A Quick Midnight Getaway


Rainbow Dash led Soarin' over to the school field, just outside. They could still hear the music booming from inside the gym.

"That has been the most fun that I've had in a long time." Rainbow admitted, her joyful smile not leaving her face.

"Because of your sisters?" Soarin' asked her, remembering about how Adagio was yelling at her yesterday.

The smile left her face. "Stepsisters." Dash corrected him with a grimace. The Wonderbolt saw that even though she was frowning, there was a hurt in her eyes.

"I get the feeling that they are not that nice to you." He said.

Rainbow gritted her teeth. "They treat me like I'm their personal slave!" She exclaimed, clenching her fists. "They always think that they're the best, but I think that they're all just shallow, prissy, uncool, jerks. They say that they care about me. Well, care about me, my-"

"Whoa, whoa!" Soarin' cut off her rant before she finished her sentence. "Now, that's not nice language for a girl like you."

Rainbow could've blushed at what he said, but she was still feeling mad about how the Dazzlings had treated her for the past four years. "I don't know why they treat me like dirt." She said, sitting down at one of the benches. "I've tried to be nice to them, since they are family, but I sometimes don't know what else I can do."

Soarin' was silent as he took a seat next to her. So that's why she had to hide her true talent. If the Dazzlings saw that she was outshining them, and they know she does, they would make her life more miserable than it probably is.

"I kind of know how you feel." He said softly.

Rainbow looked up at her idol and old crush, a little surprised by what he said. "You?" She asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, maybe not with the jealous jerks of three stepsisters, but I know what it's like to feel like you're holding back on who you really want to be."

Dash gestured him to go on. "Everyone thinks that I'm just a good-looking guy that has the swag moves and voice. But, one of the real reasons why I came back to school is to remember why I wanted to dance."

"Have you remembered?" Rainbow asked him.

Soarin' shook his head. "Not yet." He answered.

Rainbow hesitated for a moment, but then placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling softly. "Well, if it helps, I'll tell you why I started dancing."

Soarin' smirked. "Now, that's a story I'd like to hear." He said coyly.

The rainbow-haired girl rolled her eyes, returning the smirk. "I was just a little girl, but I have always loved dancing. I just loved the way it makes me feel: free and alive." She said. "My parents had enrolled me in a dance class, and I loved going there every week, while every other day, I would practice sports with my dad. That's how I became the captain of every single sports team here at school."

"Really?" Soarin' asked, impressed.

Dash nodded. "Yep." She said. "But after the Dazzlings moved in, they always humiliated me wherever I go. So now, I have to always sneak into dance class and practice in secret just so they can cut me a ten-minute break of them trying to hurt me."

Soarin' gave her a sympathetic smile. So that's why she has to be on the down-low and not fully displaying her full capability to dance. His soft smile then turned into a snarky grin as he got off the bench and began listening to the music that was playing from inside the gym.

"Well, since they're not here, how about you really show me what you can do?" He asked, holding his hand to her.

Rainbow looked at the outstretched palm, and then shot him a smirk. "You really love challenging me, do you?" She asked.

"Well, that's the real you, right?" Soarin' questioned.

Dash rolled her eyes and took his hand. The two of them began dancing once again, this time, they were mouthing the words of the song that was playing. 



Back inside the gym, Pinkie was hanging out with Cheese Sandwich over at the buffet table, snacking on candy. He seems like a nice guy, seeing that he loves fun just as much as she does, and that he is a good friend to the Wonderbolts. As she looked all across the gym, she saw Twilight dancing with Flash. Then, Sunset and Timber waltzed passed them.

On another side of the room, she saw Applejack talking with Spike, Twilight's foster brother, who was the same age as her. And not far away, she watched Fluttershy get all flustered by Discord, who was complimenting her. Then, Rarity and two of her friends, Capper and Fancy Pants, decided to join in the conversation.

Soon, the music stopped, and then, the DJ began speaking again. "Hey there, Canterlot High!" She said. "Are you all having a blast tonight?"

The students cheered loudly in response.

"That's great!" The DJ said into the mic. "Now, we just have five minutes until midnight now, so, let's get ready to rock out!"

Pinkie felt like everything froze to a stop in her brain. Five minutes? Until midnight? This is not good. She immediately caught the glance from Twilight, then one by one, Sunset, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity were all thinking the same thing.

"I gotta go now!" She yelled over to Cheese, who had just returned with their fifth helping of candy. She tossed him the key to the supply closet. "Check the supply closet for me! Thanks a lot!" With that, she zipped away without Cheese giving a word to her and the other girls excused themselves before they all ran outside.

A few seconds later, they found Rainbow Dash out with Soarin' on the school field. "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack yelled over to their friend, who had snapped out of the moment that she was sharing with the Wonderbolt.

"AJ!" She yelled back. The girls then ran over to her. "What's going on?" She asked, seeing that they were getting in a panic.

"Guess who will be home in five minutes?" Twilight reminded her. Rainbow felt her blood freeze and she glanced over at the clock outside of the school building. The minute hand went up a tick.

Rainbow whirled over to Soarin', "I'm sorry." She said. "I gotta go!" With that, all of the girls began running to the front courtyard.

"Wait!" Soarin' gave chase, but the girls didn't stop. They were in such a rush that Rainbow didn't notice something falling out of a dress pocket and onto the concrete.

The Rainbooms dove into their tour bus and they revved off, leaving Soarin' alone. He soon noticed the object that Rainbow had dropped. He picked it up and saw a small photo of a younger Rainbow along with he supposed were her parents. He smiled at how energetic Dash was, playing a bold blue electric guitar.

He turned it over and saw a drawing on the back. It was a lightning bolt with wings on the side. Soarin' recognized that symbol. It was the logo for the Wonderbolts, their logo for their team and for their sports store brand that started when they started getting famous. He then started smiling widely. He knew where he can find her now, and he has to see her again. 



Rainbow Dash was hyperventilating as she watched the electronic clock of the bus changed once again to 11:59.

"Calm down, Rainbow." Sunset tried to assure her. "We're almost here."

"How can I calm down at a time like this?" Dash asked her. "If I don't get home by midnight, I am dead!"

"We're here!" Pinkie exclaimed as she put on the brakes in front of the house where Rainbow lives.

"Thank you girls so much! I owe you one!" Rainbow said quickly as she ran out of the bus. "Now, hurry before Adagio gets back!"

"No worries!" Pinkie assured her, before Rarity closed the bus doors, and the Rainbooms drove away.

Rainbow dashed over to her chambers and quickly changed back into the clothes she was wearing earlier. She was just back outside when she saw the familiar headlights of Adagio's car. She ran inside the house and back up to Adagio's clean bedroom. There, she sat on the bed and sat calmly, regaining her breath and waiting for her eldest stepsister.

When the clock showed midnight, Adagio entered her house and saw that Rainbow Dash was waiting patiently for her, on her bed, in her now spotless bedroom.

"Was it much work?" She asked her with a smirk.

Rainbow surpressed the urge to shiver, knowing that that was just the sense of satisfaction that she kept her from going to the dance. Yeah, right. She thought with an inward smirk of her own.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Dash answered. She then stood up from the bed. "I hope you have a good time tonight."

"About that." Adagio cut in, making Rainbow stop in her tracks in the doorway. "Actually, the after party was cancelled."

Rainbow breathed a silent sigh of relief. Now, she wouldn't have to worry about more work to do later.

"I see." She answered, hoping she sounded neutral. "So, am I excused for the night?"

"Yeah, go." Adagio said, shooing her away. Then, Rainbow left the room. 



Later, in her own quarters, showered dressed in fresh pajamas, Rainbow climbed into bed, the smile not leaving her face. She turned over to the picture of her and her parents on her nightstand.

"Mom, Dad." She whispered to the photo. "If you are watching me, then I also have you to thank. For such an awesome time tonight. It was so much better than a dream." With that, Rainbow fell into a deep sleep, while in her head, reliving every second of the dance, and her time with Soarin'.
> A Meeting Arrangement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life

Chapter 10

A Meeting Arrangement


The next day, at school, Soarin' couldn't take his mind off of Rainbow Dash. How could he not? She was just... amazing. Her long rainbow hair, her magenta eyes, and that smile. Whether it was a confident grin, or a soft smile, it was beautiful either way.

"Earth to Soarin'." Spitfire waved her hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his daze. "You okay? You have been staring off into space for the past few minutes."

"He's probably thinking about that girl he bumped into yesterday, which is the same girl he danced with last night." Cheese said with a smirk.

Soarin' blushed bright red. "Cheese!" He hissed.

Fleetfoot began laughing out loud. "Oh, has it finally happened?" She asked dramatically, a girly grin on her face that was asking for juicy details. "Is our boy in love at last?" Soarin' rolled his eyes, turning away to hide his deepening blush.

"Knock it off." He said, brushing their teasing off. Then, he walked away from them, taking a piece of paper out and a pencil. After writing something on it, he folded it with a smile on his face. He just hoped that it won't end badly. 



A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash was walking towards her locker with her friends. She was telling them what had happened earlier at her house with the Dazzlings.

Flashback

Rainbow was serving the Dazzlings some pancakes as she listened to their conversation, pretending to not be paying attention.

"You mean to tell me that almost all that time during the dance, the two of you were locked in a supply closet?" Adagio shrieked.

"It wasn't our fault!" Aria retorted back, while Sonata shrunk back. "Someone locked us in there on purpose. When we finally got out of there, the Wonderbolts still wouldn't talk to us."

"Especially Soarin'." Sonata added, making Rainbow slightly perk up at his name. "He just kept heading outside, as if he was looking for someone."

"Do you know who?" Adagio asked.

Aria shook her head. "No, but that was all he was doing, and all we do know was that it was a girl. At least that was what Spitfire said when she was complimenting the little tramp."

Rainbow smirked inwardly as she headed back towards the kitchen so that she could eat her own breakfast in there, since she was not allowed to eat with her stepsisters in the dining room.

Adagio seethed through her teeth. "Find out who she is, because she could ruin everything!"

End of Flashback

The other girls were laughing out loud when Rainbow finished, except for Twilight.

"I wish I could've seen the looks on their faces!" Applejack snickered.

Rainbow snorted. "Trust me. They were priceless."

"But, if they start to pry for information, then they will eventually find out that it was you who the Wonderbolts were talking out." Twilight said.

Rainbow froze. She totally forgot about that one little setback. And if the Dazzlings found that she did sneak out to the dance, and that she was the one who danced with Soarin', they'll make her life even more intolerable than it already is.

"Well, we'll help you if things might seem to be going that way." Sunset assured her. "You girls want to head on over to the diner for milkshakes after school?" She asked everyone.

While everyone else nodded, Rainbow shook her head. "I can't today. It's Friday, and I have to work a shift at the store."

"You're always so busy on Fridays." Pinkie whined.

Rainbow shrugged. "Well, I don't earn wages by being a servant in my own house." She said. "I still have to save money for college."

"Speaking of college, have you heard back from the Manehattan Academy of Performing Arts yet?" Twilight asked.

Dash shook her head again. "Not yet." She answered. "I'm supposed to recieve a letter from them any day now. So, keep your fingers crossed."

"Aw, would ya relax? You're gonna get in there, Dash." Applejack said, wrapping one of her arms around her best friend's shoulders.

Rainbow smiled. "Thanks, AJ." She said. Then, she shrugged her friend's arm off. "I'll see you gals later." She said before walking away. 



Moments later, Rainbow arrived at her locker. Once she unlocked and opened it, a piece of paper fluttered down to the ground. Dash bent down and picked up. Seeing that paper was meant for her since it had her name on one of the flaps, she unfolded it.

Hey, Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry, but I really want to see you again. So, I'm hoping that I can catch you later this afternoon, at the Wonderbolt Sports Supplies store down at the mall. That's where you take a normal job, right? If so, I'll meet you there, if you want me to.

-Soarin'.

P.S. You also dropped this last night. You were actually kind of cute as a little girl.

Rainbow felt her face growing warm. Soarin' wants to see her again? For real? If she were a crazy fangirl, she would be screaming out loud with joy. But, luckily for her, she wasn't. She instead just smiled shyly, tucking a loose lock of her prismatic hair behind her ear. Rainbow then saw that taped to the inside of the note was her photo of her and her parents. She smiled again, this time with fondness.

Dash looked around, hoping that Aria and Sonata weren't around, and tucked the note into a pocket. She then grabbed one of her binders and tore out a separate piece of paper. After writing on it for a minute, she folded it and placed into the covering of her binder.

Soon, she caught up with Pinkie Pie, who was heading towards her Home Economics class.

"Hey, Pinkie!" She called out to her.

The party girl turned to her friend. "What's up, Dashie?" She asked.

Rainbow reached back into her binder and pulled out her note. "Can you give this to your new friend, Cheese? It's for Soarin'."

Pinkie took the note. "What's in the note?" She asked, giving her a sly smile.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "A reply." She simply said before walking towards her gym class. 



A few minutes later, Soarin' was quietly tapping his pencil against his desk, trying to pass the time as he listened to the biology lecture.

A finger then poked his shoulder, getting his attention. Soarin' turned around, and saw that Cheese was holding out a note to him. The Wonderbolt took it and unfolded it.

Hey, Soarin'. I got your message. Meet me at the Wonderbolt Sports Supplies store after school. I take a shift there every Friday. I'll see you there.

-RD.

Soarin' felt a grin threatning to split his face in two. This is going great. Then, he felt another poke to his arm, and saw that Cheese was wiggling his eyebrows teasingly. He rolled his eyes with a slight red blush, and pushed him away playfully before he turned back to the front of the class, listening to the lecture. But, he was much too anxious to really pay attention. The end of the school day couldn't come soon enough.
> Afternoon Bonding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 11



Afternoon Bonding


Thankfully, Soarin' didn't have to wait much longer. Before he realized it, the school day ended for the weekend. He rushed out of the building, jumped into his car and headed towards the city mall.

When he arrived, he had first noticed that it had gotten much bigger since the last time he was in Canterlot City. The mall was almost twice as big as it was when he lived here in middle school. Soarin' grabbed a pair of dark sunglasses and a sports cap that had the Canterlot Wondercolt team mascot on it. He put them on before he left his car and headed inside the mall.

Luckily for him, no one seemed to notice him as he searched for where the store Rainbow Dash was working at. Soon, he came to the store that had his band's logo on the front. He walked inside and saw a couple of customers inside and a few employees.

Then, he saw her. Rainbow was in one of the aisles where it had soccer ball, basketballs, and footballs. She was wearing the store uniform; a red and white shirt with a black collar and her nametag, black shorts with dark purple leggings, and red and yellow shoes. Her prismatic hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and her work cap had her signature rainbow lightning bolt on the front.

She was practicing bouncing a soccer ball on her knee. But then, she bounced it too hard, and it was flying towards Soarin'. But he quickly caught it by bouncing it on his own knee before catching it in his hands.

"Soarin'!" Rainbow whisper-yelled, remembering that the store and mall would go crazy if they discover him. "Sorry about that." She said, rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"No worries." Soarin' assured her. "I was a soccer superstar back in middle school, as I'm sure you remember."

Rainbow shook her head while rolling her eyes, but it was with a playful smile. "Yeah, I remember."

Soarin' returned the smile and put the soccer ball away. "Now, how about you and I head out and explore town?" He asked.

Rainbow thought about that for a second. "Well, my shift ends in a couple of minutes." She said. "We can leave right when I'm done. You mind exploring the store until then? I'll come find you."

Soarin' smiled. "I'll be waiting."





True to her word, Rainbow was finished within two minutes, got out of her work uniform and back into her normal clothes, and found Soarin' by the pyramid of shoe boxes in the front of the store. She smirked as she went up to him.

"That pyramid took me forever to assemble." She said, taking him by surprise. "There's about a hundred shoe boxes in that."

Soarin' whistled lowly. "That must have been a lot of work." He said.

Dash nodded. "I almost had to build it twice, thanks to the CMC." Seeing Soarin's confusion, she began to explain. "They're the Canterlot Movie Club. They know pretty much everything about the newest movies and the classics. But they can be a bit of a handful."

Soarin' chuckled. "I take it you can't be mad at them for long." He said.

Rainbow smiled. "Yep." She said. "Now, you said you want to explore town?" She said with a smirk.

Soarin' returned it. "Yep." He said. "Come on."

Once they left the mall and went to the parking lot, Soarin' got inside his car with Rainbow in the passenger seat. Soarin' started it and he drove it out of the parking lot and onto the main street.

"So, where do you wanna go?" Dash asked him. "I have to get back to my house by six, or else my family of witches are gonna kill me."

Soarin' smiled. "Well, I was hoping for the long way around town." He said.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you not hear what I said?" She asked.

Soarin' only smirked. "I promise I'll get you home in time." He said cheekily, making Rainbow roll her eyes playfully.

The Wonderbolt superstar then turned on the radio, which had a really catchy song on there. Rainbow laughed as she and Soarin' began singing along.





It definitely was an afternoon to remember. Rainbow showed Soarin' the best place to get ice cream, some popular tourist spots that have changed in the time he was away, and the arena where the dance competition was to be held. They had to make a stop at the grocery store when Rainbow got a text from Adagio giving her a list of things for lamb chops. But Soarin' didn't mind, and that made Dash feel like the most special girl in the world.

Soon, the dark blue car arrived a couple of blocks away from the Dazzlings' house. Soarin and Rainbow were laughing as the rainbow-haired girl got out of the car and opened the back seat to get her two brown paper bags filled with groceries.

"I've had a fun time today, Soarin'." She said, as she closed the door. "The most fun I've had in awhile."

Soarin' smiled warmly. "Me too, Dash." He agreed. "So, about the dance competition."

"What about it?" Rainbow asked, getting a feeling that she knows where he's going with this.

"I've seen your moves, Rainbow." Soarin' said. "You should enter, and I have a feeling you're gonna win."

Rainbow shook her head. "No way, the Dazzlings are gonna bury me alive under the garage if they find out that I want to enter the competition." She said. "They already make my life miserable enough."

Soarin' reached over and grabbed her hand, but didn't pull it away from its grip on the brown paper bag. "Come on, Dash." He said. "I know you're gonna win that, and this might be your ticket to get the freedom you want."

Dash thought about that instead of the cute boy that was holding her hand so that she could hide the blush that was starting to form on her cheeks. If she did have the courage to enter the competition, then she might finally be free of the Dazzlings for good.

"If you want, I can come over when the Dazzlings are gone, and we could practice." Soarin' suggested.

Rainbow smiled. "I'd like that." She said.

"So, tomorrow morning, then?" Soarin' asked.

Dash nodded. "I'll meet you at the park before the Dazzlings leave to get ready for Sonata's birthday party tomorrow night. Then, we'll have the whole house to ourselves for the whole afternoon."

"Great." Soarin' said, letting go of her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Rainbow waved goodbye to him as she walked the couple of blocks to her house with her arms full of groceries. Soarin' watched her leave his line of sight before he drove away. He had a strong feeling that he was going to get an earful from Spitfire when he got back to the house he was staying at, but honestly, he could care less. It had been pretty much a perfect day.
> A Threat Made
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 12



A Threat Made


Rainbow Dash came inside the house with a smile on her face even though she was carrying two brown paper bags full of groceries. But then it vanished when she was met with a glaring Aria. Sonata however, just had her arms crossed and looking confused about why she and her sister are confronting Rainbow.

"Where were you?" Aria demanded.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You know I have a shift at Wonderbolt Sports every Friday afternoon." She said, trying to squeeze past her stepsister.

"But were you with someone?" Aria continued to interrogate. Sonata gave her sister a wary glance, somehow getting a bad feeling about what might happen.

"No." Rainbow said.

"Don't act so innocent!" Aria shouted, making both Rainbow and Sonata jump back. "I know you were with Soarin' all afternoon."

Rainbow's eyes widened, remembering what she and her friends were discussing earlier at school about what might happen if her stepfamily knew that she and Soarin' were dancing together.

"How did you know that?" She asked cautiously.

"I overheard it when you were gossiping with your friends." Aria explained. Rainbow frowned at her stepsister's choice of words. "And I also know that it was you who was dancing with Soarin' at the dance last night."

Dash felt her blood freeze with fear. She almost dropped the grocery bags due to the revelation hitting her hard.

She glanced over at Sonata, only to be confused by the surprise that was etched on her youngest stepsister's face. Did Aria not share this information with her? It was strange, since she pretty much plots everything with her.

Then she put on the bravest face she could muster at the moment. "What are you doing to do?" She challenged Aria. "Tell Adagio on me?"

"Oh, she doesn't know yet." Aria said with a smirk on her face that made Rainbow's confidence go down a bit. "But if you see or talk to him again, I'll give this to the school newspaper on Monday." She held up the old photo of Soarin' with the faded red heart around it. "I'm sure the reporters will have a field day, posting a story about their toughest athlete having a schoolgirl crush on one of the hottest superstars ever."

"You wouldn't!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"Oh, I will." Aria said, her smirk deepening, sending chills down Rainbow's spine. "And I'm sure that if the story gets out, Adagio will eventually figure out that you snuck out last night. And I don't think she'll be thrilled about it. She already has something planned for you to make sure that everything is ready for Sonata's birthday party tomorrow night."

Rainbow resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Aria might share almost all of her devious plots with Sonata, but when it comes to things concerning her little sister, she doesn't care one bit. It was the same with Adagio.

"Now go and make the lamb chops." Aria ordered coldly. "Adagio is getting very hungry."

With that, the purple Dazzling left the living room, leaving Rainbow and Sonata alone.

"Was it really you?" The blue Dazzling asked her stepsister.

Rainbow didn't answer her, not wanting to endure any more verbal harassment from her stepsisters.

"I'm not going to say anything to them. I promise." Sonata vowed.

Rainbow looked over at her, surprise in her eyes. She searched her red-violet eyes, trying to see if Sonata was pulling any punches, or just trying to get her to spill all her secrets. But she seemed genuine this time. So she only nodded before going to leave the living room.

Once she was in the kitchen, she dropped her bags on the counter. She finally felt her knees growing weak and she fell onto the tile floor, quietly sobbing. She hugged her legs to her chest and scooted herself into a corner as she let Aria's threat sink into her brain. Her dignity was at risk if she gets closer with Soarin'. She wants to, but at what cost? She doesn't have much left, and she tries to hold onto them.

A pattern of footsteps was then heard as someone entered the kitchen. Rainbow sniffed and wiped some tears from her eyes. She looked up and saw Sonata standing above her.

"Go ahead." She said, looking down at her boots, knowing what situation that her stepsister saw herself in. "Let everyone know that Rainbow Dash is now a broken shell of pain and sorrow instead of the confident, butt-kicking athlete they think I am."

Sonata only stared down at her with guilt. She didn't think that Rainbow Dash was really suffering this much this whole time ever since her parents died. She knew that her stepsister was as tough as nails, and it took a lot to get under her skin. But now, she realized that all that was a facade over the past six years.

"I'm sorry." She finally said after a long moment of silence.

Rainbow's head shot right up at Sonata's words. "What?"

"I'm sorry." Sonata repeated. "For everything I've done to you. I've always known you were trying to be nice to us, but we were just jealous of you."

"Jealous?" Rainbow asked, not sure if she should believe it. "Of me?"

"Well, you're just so much prettier and more talented than we are." Sonata explained. "You and the other Rainbooms."

"Well, all I really want is just to be myself in front of everyone else." Rainbow said. "At least, without you or your sisters trying to make me look bad."

Sonata looked down at the floor. "I'm really sorry, Rainbow Dash." She said, looking back at her stepsister. She then held out her hand to her.

Rainbow looked at it for a second before smiling up at Sonata and taking her hand. Once she was back up on her feet, she wrapped her youngest stepsister in a hug. Sonata was a little surprised to receive a hug from her stepsister who she had been acting so mean to, but she eventually returned the embrace.

Eventually, the two broke the hug. "We keep this only between us. Got it?" Rainbow said.

Sonata nodded. "Got it." She then turned to leave the kitchen, but before she did, she turned back to Rainbow. "For the record, you're the closest person I have to a real sister."

Rainbow Dash was a little surprised by that, but then she smiled gratefully. Once Sonata left and she got to work on the lamb chops, she couldn't help but feel better. Maybe things are finally starting to turn around.
> Hanging Out While Working
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 13



Hanging Out While Working


The next morning, after Rainbow had served a nice and hot breakfast for the Dazzlings, she had politely excused herself from the table saying that she was going to check the mail. This was partially true, since she did have to get the mail from outside, but once she had given them their mail, she would take hers and then head over to the park on her skateboard where Soarin' was waiting for her.

Once she counted the number of envelopes in her hand, she passed out a certain number to the respective Dazzling, her eyes only meeting Sonata's, the blue Dazzling giving her a brief and subtle smile, and she quickly returned it. When she was done, she saw that there was one envelope addressed to her. She hid it behind her back as she left the dining room and towards her chambers.

After a few moments of quietly getting inside her room, Rainbow let out an excited cry of "Ohmygosh, Ohmygosh, Ohmygosh, Ohmygosh!" She quickly tucked the opened envelope in her backpack and got onto her skateboard. She just had to tell someone this, and the first person that entered her mind was Soarin'.





Soon, she had arrived at the local park where she was to meet him. She eventually found him sitting at a park bench, who immediately stood up once he saw her coming his way.

"Soarin'!" Rainbow exclaimed, getting his attention. Luckily, there was no one else in that area of the park at the moment. The Wonderbolt caught her in his arms so that she could stop before she rolled away.

"Skateboarding now?" He asked, his eyes twinkling with glee. "Seriously, is there no end to your talents?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes with a giggle at his comment as she picked up her skateboard. "Well, you'll probably think that I'm even more awesome when I tell you this. Guess who has an audition with the Manehattan Academy of Performing Arts?" Soarin' quickly thought about that for one split second until Rainbow excitedly squealed out the answer. "ME!"

The Wonderbolt's jaw dropped in amazement as Dash continued to rapidly explain all the details, holding out the letter to him, talking in one breath and failing to keep the excitement out of her voice. "There were 200 applicants, and they only chose 20 for auditions, which means I'm in the top 20!" She then paused to take a deep breath. "Wow, I haven't been that excited for anything in so long."

Soarin' laughed. "Take deep breaths, Dash." He said.

After Rainbow calmed down, she chuckled lightly. "Geez, after saying all that in one breath, I wonder how Pinkie Pie does it."

"Is she one of your friends?" Soarin' asked. "The bubbly pink girl? I think my friend Cheese has a thing for her."

Dash smirked. "Well, be happy to know that she feels the same for him." She said. "Honestly, I think those two are made for each other."

"I agree." Soarin' added.

"But still, I can't believe it!" Rainbow exclaimed, jumping around in a circle.

Soarin' laughed at the adorable scene and pulled her into a hug, which Rainbow gladly returned, placing her hands around his back, and his own around her, one arm around her shoulder and the other around her waist.

"That's amazing, Rainbow." He said.

Rainbow broke the embrace to look up into his eyes. "Thanks." She said, a soft and joyful smile on her face. Soarin' thought that her face was even glowing by how happy she was.

Eventually, after a couple of moments of comfortable silence, Soarin' had an idea. "Hey, since I'm coming over to hang out anyway, how about I help you practice some moves?"

Rainbow beamed even brighter. "Sure." She said. "Having a dancing superstar as a coach? I'm now more certain that I'll get in!"

Soarin' laughed again. "Okay, then. Let's go." Her enthusiasm was contagious as he too started to get excited.





Once they arrived a block away from the Dazzlings' house in Soarin's car, they stayed hidden until the Dazzlings left the house in their limousine, Adagio yelling loud threats at the driver if they were late to their dress appointment.

"Here go the two wicked witches." Rainbow said.

"I thought that there were three total." Soarin' said, a little confused.

"Well, it seems that Sonata Dusk does have a heart." Rainbow briefly explained, remembering her conversation with the blue Dazzling the day before.

"Huh." Soarin' said. "It seems things are starting to go your way."

"I wouldn't push it too far, though." Rainbow said. "Fate has a way to backfire on me."

She shouldn't have said that as they got out of the car and walked over to Rainbow's outside bedroom door. There, taped to the door, was a piece of folded paper with the title, "Rainbow Dash's To-Do List," in thick red permanent ink.

Rainbow groaned. "You have got to be kidding me. Those two A's are driving me nuts."

"What is it?" Soarin' asked her as he took the taped list off the door. When he unfolded it, the list went all the way down to the ground. "Okay, wow." He said as he realized how many chores she was given. He then began to name some of them, one by one as Rainbow crossed her arms in annoyance.

"'Repaint the pool. Fix the lighting system. Vacuum the driveway'? This is ridiculous!" Soarin' exclaimed as he tore his eyes away from the list to look over at Rainbow, wondering if these chores were for real.

However, Rainbow let out an annoyed huff. "Chores from Adagio." She said. "They're gone for the day, and won't be back until tonight. I have to do them, or else who knows how long she'll ground me." She gave Soarin' an apologetic look. "Sorry, maybe another time."

Soarin' then had another idea come to him. "Well, what if you can do your work while you do hers?" He suggested.

Rainbow raised a confused eyebrow at the Wonderbolt. "What do you mean?" She asked him.





A few minutes later, they were in the den, vacuuming the carpet. Rainbow was pretending to dance along as she moved her vacuum back and forth. Soarin' then came up to her.

"Okay, let's try this." He said. He then slid across the carpet, and then did a spin, crossing his arms when he finished.

Rainbow smirked. "You mean, like this?" She asked. She pushed her vacuum a little away, and then copied the move Soarin' demonstrated.

Soarin' returned the playful smirk. "Yeah." He said.

Dash then had an idea of her own. "I think there is a way to make this a little more fun."

Soarin' raised his own brow. "How so?" He asked playfully.

Rainbow smiled. "Wait right here." She left the den for a couple of minutes, and then came back with a radio player.

"Why just dance when you can feel like you really want to?" She asked him rhetorically with her mischievous smirk slowly growing wider.

Soarin' returned the smirk as he came over to her. "Well, what do you have in mind?"

Rainbow playfully pushed a finger against his nose to push him away before he could get too close. "Just let the music take lead." She simply advised as she turned on the radio and cranked it up to full volume.

In a matter of seconds, music began blaring as they continued to work and dance. Soon, Soarin' began to sing along to the words of the song.

Soarin': Waking up, ready for some action.
Strapping in, ready for the ride.
Going big now that I can take it
All the way to cloud 9.

Rainbow playfully rolled her eyes at him as she started to move to the music. Then, she too started to sing.

Rainbow Dash: Dropping in, wanna feel the rush now.
Sun is out, the wind is in my hair.
Nothing else could be quite as awesome
As when I'm soaring through the air.

Then, the two started to dance together in sync as they began shining shoes, polishing tables, or cleaning windows. Sometimes, they would dance beside each other, or sometimes they would be dancing circles around the other.

Both: So here we go, and we ain't gonna take it slow.
We're ready now to touch the sky.
This must be how it feels to fly.

I'm on cloud 9, I'm on cloud 9!
This must be how it feels to fly.
I'm on cloud 9, oh oh!

Soarin' then grabbed Rainbow by the hand and started to spin her around in a twirl as he sang, and then stopped, having her in a dip.

Soarin': Don't give up, keep on taking chances.
Put in time, till you get it right.
Winding up, swinging for the fences,
Won't go down without a fight.

Rainbow smiled, bopping him on the nose. Flustered, he let her back up, but she then started to move slowly around him, delicately brushing her fingers across his chest and back. But then, she abruptly removed her fingers and spun around him, causing him to catch her and hold her by the leg, which was slightly wrapped around his thigh. Then they did a little bit of tango before dancing together in a circle.

Rainbow: Going hard, push it to the limit.
To the edge, go to the extreme.
There's no doubt that I'm gonna win it,
Never giving up the dream.

Both: So here we go, and we ain't gonna take it slow.
We're ready now to touch the sky.
This must be how it feels to fly.

I'm on cloud 9, I'm on cloud 9!
This must be how it feels to fly.
I'm on cloud 9!

I'm on cloud 9, I'm on cloud 9!
This must be how it feels to fly.
I'm on cloud 9, oh oh!

The two then started to move in a steady rhythm as they put one foot in front of the other as they danced in a straight line.

So here we go, and we ain't gonna take it slow.
We're ready now to touch the sky.
This must be how it feels to fly.

Finally, they went all out in dancing. They did spins, steps, and sways of their bodies.

I'm on cloud 9, I'm on cloud 9
This must be how it feels to fly.
I'm on cloud 9!

I'm on cloud 9, I'm on cloud 9!
This must be how it feels to fly.
I'm on cloud 9, oh oh!

Finally, they ended in a pose where Soarin' had his hands on Rainbow's waist, she had one of her legs out behind her, the other was slightly around Soarin's calf, and her arm was around his neck, her fingers touching his hair.

Soarin' was slightly out of breath, but it felt like it was completely taken away as he stared into Dash's magenta eyes. They were unlike any jewels he had ever seen, even in pictures. Her rainbow colored hair still looked like they could become a real version of her namesake.

Rainbow could feel her face becoming red and hot as she stared into Soarin's emerald green eyes. She never dreamed that she would be dancing and singing with her old middle school crush, or that he actually wants to hang out with her. His hair was really soft and wispy, not that her fingers were starting to entangle themselves in those navy blue locks.

Shyly, but still smiling, they removed themselves from their somewhat intimate position. As a new song started to play from the loud radio, they continued doing Dash's chores while dancing.





Soon, they were out in the front yard, vacuuming the driveway. However, they didn't know that they were being watched. The Dazzlings were looking at the touching scene from the limousine a block away. While Sonata was trying herself from cooing at the cute moment between her stepsister and the Wonderbolt, Adagio and Aria were seething through their teeth.

"He's doing her work?" Aria asked in disbelief.

Adagio growled. When Aria reported to her the night before, they thought of every possible chore they could give Rainbow Dash for the day as a sort of secret punishment for her sneaking out. But they didn't count on Soarin' of the Wonderbolts coming over to help her and flirting with her.

"'Let's make her repaint the pool. Let's make her vacuum the driveway?'" The yellow Dazzling asked, making her younger sisters flinch at her tone. "You're an idiot!"

The Dazzlings then looked back at the front yard, just in time to see Soarin' playfully chasing Rainbow Dash with his vacuum, making her laugh.

"What does he see in that little tramp?" Adagio asked.

Secretly wanting to get her sisters even more mad, Sonata began to list all of the things that her older sisters were jealous of their stepsister. "Well, she is a good height for him, and she has really pretty hair, and of course, her figure is almost as perfect as one can-"

"Shut up!" Aria hissed harshly, making the blue Dazzling stop in mid-sentence.

Adagio looked back out the window at the scene, and she saw that Rainbow Dash was now over Soarin's shoulders, the both of them laughing.

"We need a new plan." She said ominously. Sonata felt a worried twinge in her stomach. She didn't like where this is going.
> Perfect Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 14



Perfect Harmony


Soon, Rainbow Dash and Soarin' were taking a short break and hanging out in her room. She was lying on her bed, watching Soarin' play and tune up her old acoustic guitar. He tried multiple times to get it sounding right, but it didn't seem to work.

Finally, he turned to Rainbow. "Uh, I think you need a new guitar." He said, a smirk coming on his face.

Rainbow rolled her eyes with a playful chuckle. "Yeah, that would be nice." She answered. "But I prefer my trusty electric guitar these days. I haven't played that old one since middle school."

Soarin' returned her smile with his teasing grin growing on his face, his head slightly shaking, and tried once more to tune the guitar. Rainbow sat back up on the bed. "You writing a new song?" She asked.

"Yeah." He replied. "It's a work in progress, though." He strummed the guitar, and it finally sounded just right. "You want to help me with the harmony?"

Rainbow tried her best to fight back against the blush that was threatening to explode on her face in blasts of pink and red. Singing with Soarin'? Dancing with him was one thing, and it was already enough to set millions of fireworks in her stomach. But singing? The very thought was making her grateful that she was already on her bed instead of standing up.

"No, I'm good." She said, trying to revert back to the cool and confident girl that she put on in front of everyone.

But Soarin' saw right through her act. "Come on. You know you wanna help with the harmony." He smirked like a cat, which made Rainbow roll her eyes.

"Fine." She said, pretending to sound annoyed, but Soarin' saw the playfulness in her magenta eyes.

Rainbow scooted to the edge of the bed and Soarin' sat beside her. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and handed it to her

"This is as far as I got with the lyrics." Soarin' explained. "Just start right here." He pointed to a specific spot, propped up the guitar in the proper position and started plucking the strings, playing a melody.

Soarin': It's become so hard.

Then Rainbow joined in, her voice harmonizing to his.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin': For me to be surprised.
You're bringing back the real me.
No judgment in your eyes.

It's the way you make me feel
Like I'm finally something real.

By now, they were both staring into each other's eyes, emerald green melting into rosy magenta. The meaning of the words were hitting them in their hearts.

Rainbow Dash knew that her facade of being the most awesome athlete in school would soon break if she can't keep brushing off Adagio and Aria's schemes to make her life miserable. True, she had her friends to help her through her problems, but there are still some things that they can't exactly fix. But whenever she was with Soarin', she wasn't afraid of judgement because she knew that he would never leave her as a broken shell. He made her feel safe, just like when she was younger, and her parents boosted her morale up to be the shining star they always saw her as.

As for Soarin', whenever he was with Dash, he felt like he was a normal young adult. No routines to memorize, no crazy fans begging for autographs or pictures, and no pressure that comes with his celebrity status. Just looking at her was enough to make all his worries disappear, and he loved the freedom to just be himself.

Unfortunately, the moment ended when Rainbow realized that they were just staring at each other for too long. "Okay." She said, turning away and brushing a prismatic lock of hair behind her ear. "Break time's over."

Soarin' felt a little disappointed when she ended the moment, and he went back to the chair he was sitting in. When he turned around, he saw she was lying back down on her bed, looking at him from an upside-down angle.

"Back to resting." She teased. Soarin' chuckled as he sank back into the chair and stared up at the ceiling. They were in a comfortable silence until he spoke up again.

"You know, one of the reasons why I came back was to remember why I started dancing in the first place." He said, making Dash look back over at him.

He caught her eye and smiled softly. "Dancing with you, I'm starting to remember." He admitted.

Rainbow looked at him with a soft and curious gaze. "Really?" She asked gently.

Soarin' nodded. "Yeah." He answered in the same tone. Rainbow smiled brightly at him, making him suddenly get a large boost of confidence.

He stood back up and came over to the bed, hovering over Dash with his hands placed on either side of her head. "And you're getting closer."

Dash snorted in amusement. "And so are you." She teased. As much as she sort of liked the position that she and Soarin' were in, she knew that neither she or he would fight off the temptation to pounce on one another for long.

Soarin' chuckled. "I mean with your moves." He clarified, though he was playing along in her joke.

"You're not looking so bad yourself." Rainbow answered coyly, even having enough confidence to reach up and playfully tap her finger on the tip of his nose.

Soarin' fought back the urge to either blush bright red or quickly plant his lips on her mouth. "Why don't we pick it up tomorrow, right here?" He asked.

"As in this house, or as in this position?" Dash questioned back, a flirty grin coming up on her face.

"I'm not that kind of guy." Soarin' teased, chuckling lightly. As much as he would like to kiss her, he knew that now was probably not the best time, because her stepsisters will be coming back in a few minutes. Kissing her would make him lose all sense of time and reason.

Rainbow giggled. "Somehow, I don't find that entirely convincing." She teased back, pushing him back up with her hands and pulling herself up. Then, she turned around to face him. "But in answer to your question, how about sooner?"

Soarin' was confused for a second, but then remembered what she was implying. "Oh, right." He realized. "Your stepsister's party is tonight." Rainbow nodded. "I'm not sure. I'm sure that Sonata has changed, but the other two, if they know of me being there, they'll have the doors guarded, ready to pounce on me."

Dash laughed. "Chill, Wonder Boy." She teased, slightly relishing in the fact that the name brought a fierce red blush on the Wonderbolt's face. "My friends will be coming to help me with refreshments. And since your friend Cheese has the hots for Pinkie, he'll be wanting to come anyway."

Soarin' then caught onto what Rainbow was implying. "He'll let me know when the coast is clear." He said, the realization hitting him like a lightning bolt.

"You got it!" Dash said, nodding.

Soarin' smiled at her. "So, I guess I'll see you later tonight." He said, his grin turning softer.

Rainbow returned. "It seems so." She answered.




> A Party and a Song
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 15



A Party and a Song


It had only been a few minutes after Soarin' had left, but Rainbow Dash bit back her grin to remember that she will be seeing him again very soon, in about an hour and a half. As of then, she was looking around in the fridge for a quick snack before starting to put up decorations for the party.

Eventually, Rainbow found a leftover container of tuna pasta and pulled it out. She closed the fridge door and was immediately confronted with the sight of an angry Aria with her arms crossed and a nervous Sonata, holding her hands behind her back.

"So where's Prince Charming now?" Aria asked with a slight snarl. "Couldn't stand to be around the help anymore?"

"Wow. Jealous much?" Rainbow asked sarcastically, feeling a slight boost of confidence at how her stepsister was acting.

Suddenly, there was the sound of the doorbell ringing. "I'll get it." Rainbow said, groaning and placing her tuna pasta in the microwave to reheat it.

When she entered the hallway leading to the door, Sonata suddenly came beside her, having managed to lose her sister. "Just in case." She said quietly. "Adagio and Aria are up to something, but they're not telling me about it. I think they might have caught me."

"Well, to be fair, you're not exactly subtle." Rainbow said.

Sonata rolled her eyes with a scoff. "I can be subtle!" She exclaimed.

"Name one time." Rainbow challenged, a familiar glint in her magenta eyes.

Sonata opened her mouth to make a reply, but then she closed it, trying to come up with an answer. Rainbow smirked.

"I rest my case." She said smugly. Now, Dash had opened the door, and her friends were standing there on the front porch.

"Hey, Rainbow." Sunset greeted.

"Hey, girls." Rainbow Dash said with a wave.

Just then, Applejack caught the sight of Sonata next to Dash. "Uh, is this a bad time to be droppin' in?" She asked cautiously, pointing to the blue Dazzling.

"It's alright, AJ." Rainbow assured her and her friends. "It's all good between us." She gave her stepsister a small smile, which Sonata returned gratefully.

"If you say so, Dashie." Pinkie Pie cheerfully piped in.

"We're here to help you with the catering." Twilight explained as they all headed outside and towards Rainbow's room.
Dash smiled at them. "You girls are lifesavers." She said, giving all of them a quick hug before leading them back outside. She then turned to Sonata. "I think you should start getting ready. Guests will be arriving soon."

Sonata grinned at her. "I'll get to that, then." She said, actually sounding excited. Then she ran inside and up to her room. Rainbow couldn't help but feel her grin getting wider. It felt nice to finally know what it was like to have an actual sister in one of her stepsisters. 



A couple of hours later, the party was in full swing. People were all mingling and dancing throughout the first floor of the house as the Dazzlings' music blared from speakers. 

The Rainbooms were dressed in waitress outfits, designed by Rarity, who insisted that they wear them for the party.
All of the girls had their hair tied up in ponytails or high buns, and their dresses were all uniform, black with simple white lace on the hem of the sleeves, and the skirts down to the mid-thigh. And they all wore white knee-high stockings and black shoes with low heels, though Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight's shoes had straps across their shoes, making them a little bit more feminine. The other girls just have simple black dress shoes, though AJ had fancy black ankle boots instead.

Rarity, of course, added some unique flair to each individual dress. Twilight's dress had her signature magenta star sewn on the side of her skirt, with amethyst studs on the hem. Her indigo hair was up in a bun, with tendrils of indigo hair framing her face.

Sunset's dress had her signature red and yellow sun on her skirt, with ruby studs lining the skirt. Her hair was up in a ponytail.

Applejack's had her signature apples on her skirt, with a large orange stud on the side of her chest, as if it was a pocket. Her blonde hair was up in a bun, along with tendrils of her blonde hair framing the sides of her face.

Fluttershy's dress had her signature butterflies on the side of her skirt, with pink and teal studs circling all around the bodice. Her hair was up in a high ponytail.

Pinkie's dress had her signature balloons on the side of her skirt, with pink streamer designs all around the skirt. Her hair was up in the usual ponytail she would wear when she would work at the diner.

Rarity's dress had her usual blue diamonds all over her skirt, and her hair was pulled up into a fancy ponytail.

And Rainbow's dress had her signature tri-colored lightning bolt on the side of her skirt, with a smaller matching one up on the side of her chest. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail.

As the Rainbooms were serving hors d'oeuvres to the guests, Dash saw Adagio and Aria talking to each other in a corner of the room, sometimes glancing over at her, making her quickly avert her attention back to serving the guests to avoid getting caught.

Adagio was dressed in a sparkly black dress that trailed down to the floor, had a long slit in the skirt, showing almost all of her right leg, up to the thigh, and had spaghetti straps. Aria was wearing a tight knee-length dark red dress with a jagged V-neckline and strapless. They were a little overdressed in Rainbow's opinion. But then again, she didn't have a fashion sense like Rarity.

Finally, Sonata came down the stairs with a boy that was most likely pushed into being her date by her sisters for the party. Sonata was wearing a simple dark pink dress that was knee-length and had short sleeves. When she caught Dash's eye, she gave her a nervous smile. The other girl just gave her a thumbs-up of encouragement.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was serving some appetizers to guests when a familiar boy came over to her to take one.
"Hi again." Cheese Sandwich said, flashing her a bright smile.

Pinkie giggled cutely. "Fancy seeing you here." She said before she leaned in closer to whisper. "I thought the Wonderbolts wouldn't come here."

"The Wonderbolts, maybe." Cheese answered mischievously. "Not a guy who's a little eager to see a certain girl again so soon."

Pinkie had to bite back a squeal. "Soarin' is here?" She asked.

"He's outside." Cheese explained. "Waiting for me to give the word."

"Well, you can give him the word now." She motioned with her head over towards Rainbow Dash, who was serving appetizers on the other side of the room.

Cheese winked at her, and then headed outside to make the call. 



A couple of brief minutes later, after walking aimlessly around the crowded living room three times already, Rainbow Dash still hadn't seen any sign of Soarin' yet. She didn't want to admit that she was eager, but she was, darn it! Why is she acting like a lovesick schoolgirl? Well, it could be worse and more embarrassing, but still.

However, as she put down the empty plate to search once more, she bumped into someone. "Sorry." She said, rubbing the back of her head.

A familiar chuckle was then heard, making her face heat up. "Is this going to become a regular thing with us?" It asked.
She looked up and saw who it was. She blushed a deeper pink, but she quickly erased it with a coy smile. "I was wondering what was taking you so long." She asked. "Though, what's with the glasses?" She asked, slightly flicking up the dense black shades over his eyes.

Soarin' smiled as he lowered them down a bit. "I don't think you want me being mobbed by crazy fans coming here. Especially since the majority are attending this."

Rainbow laughed, imagining the sight. "That would be kind of funny, but no." She said.

The both of them lightly chuckled at the image in their heads, and then they went into a comfortable silence, looking into each other's eyes. Still so close, yet there are still some things that they just can't say to the other yet.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen." Adagio spoke over the microphone. "In honor of my baby sister turning seventeen today, I would like her to please let come up to the stage."

The crowd clapped politely as Sonata nervously made her way up beside her eldest sister. "And now, she will present you with a song that she has written on her own." Sonata's eyes widened. How did she learn about her secret hobby? The usual songs that they'd sing were Adagio's works. Something didn't feel right.

"Sonata dear, would you care to play it for us?" Adagio gestured over to the piano that was settled on the stage. Sonata gulped and went over to it. But then, she saw Rainbow smiling brightly at her, standing next to Soarin'. An idea then came into her head.

"Ready when you are, sister." Adagio said as she and Aria came over to stand beside her, ready to sing.

"Actually, may I ask for some volunteers?" Sonata asked sweetly. "You and Aria do want your voices to be pitch perfect for the competition, and you seem like you can use a rest."

"Oh, don't be silly." Aria said. "We'll be fine."

"Please. I insist." Sonata said, gesturing to the end of the stage. Adagio and Aria slightly glared at her, but not wanting to make a scene with another argument, they begrudgingly did so.

Smiling internally to herself, she then turned to the audience. "Hey, you two." She called over to Rainbow and Soarin', as the spotlight came on them. "Why don't you join me up here?"

Glancing around nervously, Rainbow wasn't so sure, especially with the way Adagio and Aria were glaring at her fiercely with hatred. But when she felt Soarin's presence closer to her, she felt more confident.

They both came onto the stage and stood beside the piano, and Sonata handed them each a copy of the lyrics. Then, she began playing and singing along.

Sonata Dusk: Na na na na.
Na na na na na, yeah.
You are the music in me. 
You know the words "once upon a time"
Make you listen, there's a reason. 

Feeling more confident, Rainbow began singing her part along with Sonata.

Sonata and Rainbow: When you dream, there's a chance you'll find
A little laugher, or happy ever after. 

After that, Soarin' and Dash took up singing the rest of the song while Sonata played.

Rainbow and Soarin': You're a harmony to the melody
That's echoing inside my head. 

Rainbow: A single voice (Soarin': Single voice.)
Above the noise

Both: And like a common thread, 

Soarin': Hmm, you're pulling me. 

The rainbow-haired athlete almost blushed by the way Soarin' was looking at her, with such fondness, but she quickly brushed it off and focused on the song.

Rainbow: When I hear my favorite song,
I know that we belong. 

Soarin': Oh, you are the music in me.
Yeah, it's living in all of us. 

Rainbow: And it's brought us here because

Both: Because you are the music in me.
Na na na na. (Soarin': Oh)
Na na na na. (Yeah yeah yeah)
Na na na na.
You are the music in me. 

Feeling better than she had ever felt before, Rainbow began dancing around the piano, practically tempting Soarin' to chase her.

Rainbow: It's like I knew you before we met (Soarin': Before we met)
Can't explain it (Uh-huh)
There's no name for it (No name for it)

Both: I sang you words I've never said, 

Soarin': And it was easy (Rainbow: So easy)
Because you see the real me. (I see)

Soarin's hand came out to her, asking her to dance with him. Rainbow Dash smiled at him and placed her hand in his, and they began swaying to the music.

Both: As I am, you understand,
And that's more than I've ever known. 

Rainbow: To hear your voice (Soarin': Hear your voice)
Above the noise (Oh)

Both: And I know that I'm not alone. 

Rainbow: Oh, you're singing to me (Soarin': Ooh, yeah)

Both: When I hear my favorite song
I know that we belong (Soarin': Yeah, oh)
You are the music in me. 

It's living in all of us,
And it's brought us here because
Because you are the music in me. 

By now, the audience was clapping along in rhythm with the song. But no one had noticed Adagio and Aria sneaking away from the room. Everyone was too fixated on Rainbow and Soarin' dancing together.

Together we're gonna sing, (Soarin': Yeah)
We got the power to say 

Soarin': What we feel, (Rainbow: What we feel)
Connected and real. 

Both: Can't keep it all inside, oh yeah (Soarin': Ooh, yeah) 

Now, everyone was singing along with the song as the two finished singing and dancing.

All: Na na na na (Rainbow: Oh yeah)
Na na na na (Rainbow and Soarin': Yeah yeah yeah)
Na na na na
You are the music in me. 

Na na na na (Oh yeah)
Na na na na (Oh yeah)
Na na na na
You are the music in me. 

When I hear my favorite song (Soarin': Favorite song)
I know that we belong (Rainbow: We belong)
Oh, you are the music in me. 

Soarin': Yeah, it's living in all of us
It's brought us here because (Rainbow: Here because)
You are the music in me. 

All: Na na na na (Soarin' and Rainbow: Oh yeah)
Na na na na (Both: Oh yeah)
Na na na.
You are the music in me.

Soarin': Yeah. 

Everyone cheered and clapped loudly at the sight of Rainbow Dash and Soarin' in each other's arms, looking deeply into the colorful eyes of their partner.

Rainbow had never felt more breathless, nor more giddy. If this was a dream, it was one of the best she's had in a long time.

Her hot breath mixing with Soarin's, it was enough to make her slightly dizzy, yet there was the urge to lean in a little closer to him and almost taste it.

Suddenly, everyone's phones started beeping with an alert. When Rainbow reached into her skirt pocket to look at it, her heart stopped.

There was a new article for the school paper, and the front page said, "Rainbow Dash: Not So Cool After All?" And there was a picture of her dancing with Soarin' only a few moments ago, along with the cut out of the middle school picture of him. 

She felt her legs getting wobbly as she looked around the room. There were some people beginning to laugh, her friends and Sonata were looking at her with wide eyes, and then there was Adagio and Aria, looking at her with evil smiles on their faces.

When Rainbow looked over at Soarin' standing in front of her, she felt tears of shame coming to her eyes. He wasn't looking at her with disbelief or disgust, but he was confused and looking at her, as if he was trying to remember something. The moment his eyes widened in recognition, she had enough.

Dash jumped off the stage and ran outside, feeling suffocated. She took deep breaths to keep herself from crying. She won't cry. Not here.

"That's what you get for going behind our backs." A familiar voice said. Rainbow turned around and saw Adagio and Aria.

"Why?" She asked. "Why do you two torture me like this?" When there was no reply from either of them, she felt her voice choking as she continued. "For years, I've done everything you've ever asked me to do, yet it's still not enough for you! Why?!"

Adagio glared at her hatefully. "Why?" She repeated bitterly. "You may seem tough and cool, yet you're just so good. You have all that we want, so we'll take it away."

"My freedom?" Dash demanded. "My dreams?"

"Oh, yeah. About that one." Adagio said. "The Manehattan Academy called earlier today. You didn't make the cut after all."

Rainbow felt her heart breaking into millions of pieces. "What?" She asked, her voice fading into raspy whispers.

Adagio smirked. "Face it, Rainbow Dash. You may think you're a winner, but in reality, you've never won anything."

That was the final break. Dash ran away from her stepsisters and entered her room, slamming the door shut. She then collapsed on her bed, sobbing. It was over. They won, and she was never going to be free.
> Hearts Beating and Breaking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 16



Hearts Beating and Breaking


It had been a few minutes since all the phones at the party had buzzed with the news about Rainbow Dash. The girls had looked all over the house for Rainbow, even in her room. But she wasn't anywhere. If she was in her room, then she must've already left before they looked.

Soarin wasn't sure what to think, exactly. In a way, everything finally made sense. He thought he had recognized Rainbow from somewhere before, and now, he remembered when. It was back in middle school.

He briefly remembered the girl with the rainbow hair walking in the hall, talking animatedly with some of her friends, and seeing her excel in various gym classes. But he never had the chance to talk to her before he, Spitfire and Fleetfoot became the Wonderbolts.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he saw Applejack. "Any sign of her?" He asked.

AJ only shook her head. "Sorry, Soarin." She said. "But she's nowhere in the house."

Soarin hung his head. "Where could she be?"

Applejack thought about something for a few seconds. "There may be a place." She said, making the Wonderbolt look at her. "There is that old dance studio that she would go to whenever she wanted to be alone. You can check it out. Pinkie will forward the message to you."

Soarin nodded and headed out the door. Once he jumped into his car, he received the text from Cheese, who must've gotten it from Pinkie Pie. He started it up and began driving away.





In a matter of minutes, he arrived at the dance studio where he first saw Rainbow dance. All of that vigor and confidence in the way she moved to the music was one of the things that first drew him to her. She just had to be here.

Soarin got out of his car and entered the closed studio through an open window. He carefully walked around the hallways. Finally, he had sensed some movement from one of the larger dance practice rooms. He peeked in and saw that Rainbow was slowly yet forcefully moving her body to the rhythm of the deafening silence. It was like she was in a trance to lock herself away from reality.

He must've made some sort of noise when he tried to sneak up to her, because she had stopped moving, but didn't turn around to look at him. Instead, she said, "I know you're here."

Soarin then came up to her, but she still didn't move. "I take it now you remember."

"Yeah." He said simply. "That girl that I've seen in the hallways a lot during middle school. The one I was kind of intrigued with."

"I wasn't one of those crazy fangirls, if that was what you were thinking." Rainbow continued.

"I know that you never were that type of girl." Soarin tried to reassure her. "But all of that shouldn't really matter anymore, right? It's a thing of the past."

"That's not all." Rainbow muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Soarin asked.

"Adagio and Aria said that I didn't make the cut for the Academy." She replied.

"And you believe them?" Soarin continued to question. "You know that they could easily lie about that."

"Face it, Soarin!" Dash shouted at him. "I'm never getting away from them! They've won!" By now, all of the pent up anger and heartbreak was starting to show on her face, tears slowly leaking out. "I'm never good enough for anything, or anyone."

Both of them were silent for a few seconds before Rainbow turned away and moved towards the other end of the room where her stuff was.

Soarin knew that he had to do something. That little stunt that her stepsisters pulled was a severe blow to her pride, or rather the little self-esteem she still had after her parents died, revealing who Rainbow Dash really was to everyone in the most humiliating way possible.

Without even knowing where he got the idea, he opened his mouth and started to sing.

Soarin: You know I want you.

That simple phrase made Rainbow stop in her tracks, her eyes widening but didn't look back at him. Seeing that it was a step, he continued.

It's not a secret I try to hide.
I know you want me,
So don't keep saying our hands are tied.

Rainbow shook her head and continued to pack her stuff. Soarin took that as a cue to get closer to her.

You claim it's not in the cards,
And fate is pulling you miles away
And out of reach from me.

He forced her to look at him in the eye by grabbing her backpack. Rainbow brushed him by pulling her backpack away and began walking towards the window she came in from.

But you're here in my heart,
So who can stop me if I decide
That you're my destiny?

Those words made Dash stop again, pondering them if they were really true. Soarin once again moved over towards her.

What if we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine.
Nothing can keep us apart.
You'd be the one I was meant to find.

He took her hand, making her look at him again. As he slowly led her away from the window, he took her backpack again and tossed it against the wall.

It's up to you, and it's up to me.
No one can say what we get to be.

He then entwined their hands as he guided her in a ballroom styled twirl before holding her by the waist.

So what if we rewrite the stars?
Maybe the world can be ours tonight.

Dash pushed his hands away from her before moving out of reach, spinning on one foot on the ground before jumping up and arching her back in a back flip. When her feet landed back on the floor, she was in the middle of the room, the moon above, shining like a spotlight. Her magenta eyes glowing like beacons, but there was a sad dull to them now.

Rainbow Dash: You think it's easy?
You think I don't wanna run to you.

She started to side-step her own feet in a box-step pattern towards Soarin. But when he reached out a hand to her, she took a large step backward.

But there are mountains
And there are doors that we can't walk through.

This cycle repeated as they both added their own styles, Soarin moving smoothly and reaching out forward to her, and she expertly extending her leg back to slide herself in the opposite direction, and then adding a little spin for flair.

I know you're wondering why
Because we are able to be
Just you and me within these walls.

After doing that process for the fifth time, Soarin finally managed to grab Rainbow by the waist. But she pushed against his chest, getting herself away from his grasp.

But when we go outside,
You're gonna wake up and see that
It was hopeless after all.

Rainbow then jumped in the air again, this time twirling as she did so. When she landed, she grabbed the windowsill, her feet against the wall.

No one can rewrite the stars.
How can you say you'll be mine?

She then jumped off, and Soarin caught her in his arms, twirling her around for a second, her arms flying. Then, she wrapped them around his neck, hugging him. But the force of it sent both of them down to the floor, rolling around until Rainbow was on top of him, straddling him. Their position would've made them blush, but right now, being caught up in the passion of their dancing, they didn't mind.

Everything keeps us apart,
And I'm not the one you were meant to find.

Dash then pushed herself up and away from him, flipping over him. Soarin then grabbed her arm, and she started twirling in a pirouette.

It's not up to you, it's not up to me
When everyone tells us what we can be.
How can we rewrite the stars,
Say that the world can be ours tonight?

They then started to dance together, stepping in time and Rainbow sometimes curling her leg around Soarin's and lifting her other leg up into the air.

Both: All I want is to fly with you.
All I want is to fall with you.
So just give me all of you.

Rainbow: It feels impossible. (Soarin: It's not impossible.)
Is it impossible?

They then started spinning around rapidly in a tight circle, their bodies almost pressed together.

Both: Say that it's possible!

They then stopped and Soarin tossed Rainbow in the air, her doing a few spins as she did so. She then landed in his arms.

How do we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine.
Nothing can keep us apart
'Cause you are the one I was meant to find.

They then once more began stepping in time, Rainbow's arm around Soarin and the other up in the air. One of Soarin's arms was around her waist, and the other was behind his back.

It's up to you, and it's up to me.
No one can say what we get to be.
Why don't we rewrite the stars,
Changing the world to be ours?

Then they started to slowly spin around and then come to a stop as their other arms wrapped around each other. Dash looked at Soarin with soulful eyes, her eyes watering as she breathily sang the last loving but heartbreaking words.

Rainbow: You know I want you.
It's not a secret I try to hide.
But I can't have you.
We're bound to break and my hands are tied.

Tearfully, Rainbow removed herself from him, grabbed her stuff, and left through the window without another word nor even looking back at him so that he couldn't see her crying. But little did she know that Soarin himself was also shedding a few tears.




> Reassurance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dancing Through Life



Chapter 17



Reassurance


It had been three days since that whole incident where Rainbow Dash’s pride was shattered. She was in a serious funk, and she hardly made contact with her friends, or Soarin. She could hardly speak a word or even look at her cruel stepsisters without feeling like she could break down and cry. It was hard to keep cool when Adagio and Aria looked at her with cruel victory in their eyes. Sonata felt her heart breaking for her stepsister. 

One day, she decided to confront them. “Why did you two do that?” She asked. “Rainbow Dash did nothing to hurt you. All she ever did was try to please you, yet it’s never good enough for you! Why do you torture her?” There was not an answer from either of her older sisters. “Why?” She asked again, raising her voice for the first time at them. 

Adagio glared at her. “Why?” She repeated. “Because she is pretty, talented, good, and had everything she could ever have when we came along. And us? We had nothing! Never had, and never will! And you can rot here in this stinking town for all I care, but I won’t let some little orphan miss goody-two-shoes who wasted six years of her life trying to make us happy, take what we deserve away from us!” After her jealous rant, Adagio huffed and left the room, with Aria following her, glaring at Sonata. 

The blue Dazzling felt shocked to learn her sister’s reason for hating Rainbow. She looked down, her breath now fast and heavy. “No way I’m letting this happen.” She whispered to herself. With that, she reached for her phone. She scrolled through the numbers in her contacts list until she found the one she was looking for. 



The next day, when the Rainbooms had their off period to practice before the school day ended, they all saw that Rainbow didn’t even pick up her guitar and was just sitting on the steps of the little risers, head resting on her arms. 

Pinkie gave the others a glance, and then nodded. The other girls returned it. It was time to say what Dash needed to hear. They all set down their instruments and took a spot either beside or behind her. 

“Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked. 

“Do I look okay?” Dash snapped, making her friend flinch at her tone. “Sorry, Flutters.” She apologized. 

“It’s fine.” She assured her. “We just want you to know that we are still here for you.” 

Dash smiled. “Thank you.” She said. 

Sunset then spoke up. “You know that the dance competition is tonight.” She said. 

Rainbow nodded. Soarin had tried to tell her about it earlier, but she was still maintaining a distance from him. She wasn’t quite ready to talk to him yet. 

“We thought that all of us can enter.” Sunset continued. 

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “What?” She asked. 

“Actually, we already signed up.” Pinkie piped in. 

“WHAT?!” Rainbow squawked, jumping out of her spot. 

“Come on, Dash.” Applejack said. “This is most likely your last chance to show everyone here who you really are and what you can do. Don’t let those two low-life witches bring you down. You’re stronger than this.” 

“Girls, I appreciate this, but I’m done.” Rainbow said. “I’m done dancing.” 

“Well, we know you’re not.” Twilight said. “You can’t give up now when you’re this close.” 

“This was your dream, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity added. “This is your dream.” 

“Not anymore.” Dash said, turning away from her friends. 

The other members of the Rainbooms looked at each other. “Actually, it was Sonata that suggested that we sign up without letting you know.” Pinkie revealed. 

Rainbow looked back at the hyperactive pink-haired girl with wide eyes. “She did?” She whispered. 

Twilight nodded. “Yup. And she has as much faith in you as we do.” She said. “You have your friends and one of your stepsisters by your side. You can’t give up on them.” 

“You also have Soarin by your side as well.” Rarity came in. “He cares very much for you, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in love with you.” That comment almost made Rainbow blush bright pink. “You two are perfect for one another. You bring out the best in each other.” 

“And don’t forget your parents.” Fluttershy added. Rainbow looked over at her oldest friend when she mentioned her parents. “They were the ones who inspired you to persevere towards your goals, and they were with you every step of the way.” 

“And they still are.” Sunset spoke up. “They were, and still are, your rock that keeps you up on your feet. If you won’t do this for us, or for Soarin, or even for showing all of Canterlot who you really are, at least do it for them. I know they would be proud of you for doing this.” 

Applejack then came up beside the broken athlete. “What do you say, Dash?” She asked gently. 

Rainbow felt so much emotion swirling inside of her that she was silent for a few long moments. But when she opened her mouth to speak, the bell rang, signifying the end of the school day. “Give me a minute to think about it.” She said. “I’ll see you girls at AJ’s.” With that, she left the band room. 



As Dash was putting her stuff away in her locker, the words of her friends were echoing in her head. All of them made valid points as to why she should compete in the dance competition. But there was still something that was holding her back from making that decision. 

She slammed her locker shut after she grabbed her backpack and started walking down the hall. As she did, it seemed like everything was moving in slowly and she was the only one moving at a normal pace. Then, she started to sing. 

Rainbow Dash: I have so much more to say. 
But I live in slow motion,
From moment to moment, hey. 

While moving past the slow moving students, memories of the past week came rushing into her mind. Starting from when this whole thing began, at the announcement of the dance competition, herself and her friends practicing in secret at the dance studio, her running into Soarin, and then them dancing at the Spring Fling, and then when he came over to help clean up the house. 

Holding back from day to day. 
The clock's ticking slowly,
But time cannot hold me down. 

A smile slowly came on Rainbow’s face as she pushed open the main doors of the school and recalled those moments when she felt like she can do whatever she can set her mind to. 

I find myself in the rhythm of my feet. 
Feel it in my heartbeat. 
The time is now, and I won't hold back, hold back. 

Starting to feel like she was becoming her normal confident self again, she took off towards where her motorcycle was parked, her feet guiding her into a rhythm as if she was dancing, got on it, and began revving away from the school and onto the street. 

Gonna break free, yeah, I'm runnin'! 
Watch me, yeah-yeah, I'm runnin'! 
I let go in this moment, all roads open. 
Gonna break free, yeah, I'm runnin'! 
I was born to break free! 

When she came to a red light, she stopped and looked around her. She recognized this area. On one side of the street, there was a little ice cream stall. When she was little, her parents would take her there to get ice cream and she would dance along the sidewalk with her cone of Neapolitan ice cream in her hand, her parents watching her with smiles on their faces. 

I choose my path, I choose my dreams. 
My spirit's a fighter, 
A passion igniter, yeah. 

When she and Soarin were exploring the city after her work shift a few days before, she had introduced the Wonderbolt to that very same ice cream stall. Dash had ordered her usual, and Soarin had a normal French Vanilla. She smiled at the memory when Soarin had a dollop of ice cream on his nose, and she had to flick it off. He tried to put one on her, but she gracefully dodged it while laughing, and the two continued that before they realized that their cones were melting. 

All I need's inside of me. 
A light shining brighter, 
A spark to a fire now. 

Rainbow felt her smile growing fonder the more she thought of Soarin and the way he makes her feel all floaty and giddy whenever they would dance or just hang out and talk. And the way that he looks at her made her feel like she was worth something, almost similar to how her parents grinned and cheered her on towards her dream. She guessed that what Rarity had said was true. She was in love with the Wonderbolt, and maybe he did feel the same way about her, after that passionate dance they did last night. To her, it spoke words that they couldn’t say to the other right then. 

I find myself in the rhythm of my feet. 
Feel it in my heartbeat. 
The time is now, and I won't hold back, hold back. 
(Whoa-oh-oh-ohhhh-oh)

Her soft grin turned into her normal confident one that she would wear when she was at the top of her game as she came to a final decision and the stoplight in front of her turned from red at the top to green at the bottom. 

Her friends were right. She can’t give up now, not when she had so many supporters rooting for her, and who love her for who she truly is. Not a broken shell of an orphan turned into basically a slave by her older stepsisters; but a confident, talented, beautiful girl who deserves a chance in the spotlight, who can make her own choices in her life, and who won’t ever stop believing in herself as she gets a chance to live her dreams. 

She revved her motorcycle like she was about to race someone and then continued driving it as she came closer and closer to her destination. And it wasn’t her stepsisters’ house. 

Gonna break free, yeah, I'm runnin'! (Yeah-yeah!)
Watch me, yeah-yeah, I'm runnin'! (I'm runnin', runnin' wild!)
I let go in this moment, all roads open. 
Gonna break free, yeah, I'm runnin'!
I was born to break free! 

A few minutes later, she arrived at Applejack’s farmhouse, and her friends were starting to get warmed up for their practice in the barn, putting their instruments off to the side and making sure they had enough room to dance and move around. They stopped what they were doing when they saw Rainbow Dash parking her motorcycle on the curb in front of the barn, and then getting off it. 

“So, girls.” She called out to them, her arms crossed confidently and her hip slightly jutted out in a familiar pose to the members of the Rainbooms. “Anyone ready to win a dance competition?” She asked with a cocky smirk. 

The other girls returned her grin with either confident smiles of their own, or proud and cheesy ones because of Rainbow’s choice. But they all had answered her question. “Did ya even have to ask?” AJ asked in a similar cocky tone.