It was a clear day, not even a tiny hummingbird in the sky and yet a furious rainbow was being draw over the rooftops of Ponyville.
Obviously, it was the fearless athlete Rainbow Dash, taking speed to perform a maneuver. The ponies below couldn´t see more than a small point but they could imagine the smile of satisfaction as she felt her whole body accelerating more and more, reaching the limit, surpassing it; until the air around her broke in an explosion of colors.
"Aw!"
Instead of the explosion of faboulous colors known to ponies as a Sonic Rain-boom, all that Rainbow Dash accomplished was breaking a few clouds in her fall into a pile of haystacks.
"Are you okay?" Asked a sweet voice to the grumbling pile.
"No, Fluttershy! I'm not okay! This maneuver was a complete disaster! It was supposed to be spectacular and instead it was-auh! "Rainbow groaned and looked at her right wing which was twisted in a very painful looking way. "Oh great, back to the hospital."
"I don´t think it´s broken. It just looks strained. May I? "Fluttershy said.
Rainbow wasn´t so sure but considering how delicate Fluttershy usually was, it seemed there was no problem letting her touch her wing.
"AUH" Rainbow couldn´t decide what hurt more, if the fall or Fluttershy´s grip "Are you crazy? That hurts! "
"Does .. does still hurts?"
Rainbow flapped her wing a bit. "Hey, it doesn´t hurt anymore. Thank you, Fluttershy. "
"You must had forced yourself. You should take a break, Rainbow ", Fluttershy suggested.
"Nah, I probably didn´t streched enough after my second nap of the day. My wings still feel a little tense", Rainbow said, stretching her wings a little.
"You lack elasticity in your wings," Fluttershy said.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing." Replied the timid pegasus, hiding her own wings. "I'm just saying that if they were a little more flexible, you wouldn´t get cramps so often ..."
Fluttershy noted how Rainbow was looking at her and shrinked with a whimp.
"Yeah, maybe you're right. I've been focusing a lot on my speed lately but if I plan to win flight competition this weekend, I better start doing a few push-ups with my wings. You know, to improve their strenght," Rainbow Dash said.
"Or you could practice yoga ..." Fluttershy murmured.
"I do not like foreign food, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy could not help but giggle. "No Rainbow, yoga. It´s an exercise technique, It gives elasticity to your body, improves your breathing. It's very beneficial. "
"And you practice this yola?"
"Every morning. It keeps me in shape," Fluttershy said, stretching her wings.
Now it was time to laugh for Rainbow. "Fluttershy? Fit? "She thought. "She can barely push a rain cloud."
"Want me to show you?" Fluttershy asked, putting the sweetest and most innocent expression she could master.
Rainbow sighed. What could she say to that?
*****
"Now put your right leg over your shoulder. The other leg, Rainbow. That's not your shoulder. Need help? "
Rainbow needed the whole hospital staff out of the mess she had gotten into. This was worse than that time Pinkie had them play Twister in one of her birthdays. Somehow, she had ended with her right wing under her left hind leg. To make matters worse, Angel bunny and other animals in the cottage were laughing at her expense.
"Sure you do not want my help?" Fluttershy asked again.
"No! I just ... I ... I can´t find where my tail ... "
Rainbow looked at Angel who had a mocking grin on his face. She growled and the rabbit pulled her tail. The result was that Rainbow came apart like a wrapped gift and crashed into the ground.
Fluttershy patted the bunny in the head for doing a good job.
"Aren´t you going to thank him?" Fluttershy asked Rainbow.
"Thank you." Rainbow muttered with her face on the ground.
"Let's try something else, something easier. Put your front hooves over your head. Perfect, Now raise your right hind leg and leave it like that," Fluttershy said.
"What now? What am I supposed to do? "
"Nothing. This is the tree pose. Just be firm with your roots in the ground and the wind swinging your leaves. "
Rainbow stood like that for a minute before growling again.
"Now we drop. Gently. "Rainbow flopped hard, her patience running out. "We raise the chest and stretch our wings. This is known as the position of the griffon. And now, we let out a powerful roar. Roar. "
Needless to say, that roar was pathetic.
"You didn´t roar, Rainbow."
Rainbow took a deep breath.
"ROAAAAAAAARRRR!"
All animals ran to hide behind the hay while Fluttershy fell to the floor.
"Good job. Although it was a little ... violent," Fluttershy said. "The goal of yoga is to learn to relax Rainbow, not get even more angry."
"How do you expect me to not get angry with such boring exercises? I can´t just sit still and learn to swing with the wind! "Rainbow mocked her friend, floating a few inches above her. "These delicate exercises of tota or whatever is called may work for you but I need to move, okay?"
Fluttershy was almost crying but managed to say: "I just wanted to help."
Rainbow knew she had gone too far but her pride was too big to admit it, so she just took off and flew away.
****
The competition was very tough. Rainbow had to compete against other fifteen Pegasus in an obstacle course, controlling a tornado and then a height competition. So far she had managed to stay in the top five but it was time for the final competition, skill and ability.
Rainbow was sure of her abilities but not so much of her routine and she had failed to practice some more before the competition. Watching the other participants, she felt a lump in her throat. A couple held hooves during their routine, another mare did a routine with a laso pretty much like Applejack would and there was even a pony who did the test blindfolded. All had given a great presentation and Rainbow did not feel up to par. Finally, they called her number so she took a deep breath and moved into stage.
She started simply, just a few turns and dives. She could feel the whispers of the other competitors, sure that she would end last. The judges also looked unimpressed. Rainbow closed her eyes, rose a few feet and with her hooves together over her head. She remained in the air in that pose, despite the wind in the track. Then she closed her wings and dropped. After disappearing into a cloud bank, she made a loop up, stretched her body, spread her wings and let out a roar so loud that it threw the judges from their seats.
The whole stadium gasped and then burst into applause. The other competitors were stunned while a humble simoling Rainbow bowed to the audience and judges.
*****
Fluttershy played with her half-empty cup of tea, not ready to fill it. She thought a tea party with her animal friends will lift her mood but it wasn´t working. Angel offered her a cookie but she refused with a smile. The bunny shrugged and ate the cookie. Fluttershy sighed and suddenly, a strong wind shook her mane.
Turning around, she found that Rainbow had landed behind her.
"Oh, hello Rainbow Dash."
"Hey." Rainbow said, trying to be casual.
The two looked away, both too nervous to say anything.
"So, a tea party, eh?"
Fluttershy just nodded. Peering between her mane to look at Rainbow, who was scratching her head nervously, Fluttershy noticed the medal around her neck.
"Did you win the competition?" Fluttershy asked.
"Third place, actually. But I´m okay, the competition was very tough this year. But next year, first place will be mine! "
Fluttershy smiled and Rainbow scratched her head again. Fighting dragons, facing storms, all that was easy. Apologizing in the other hoof.
"But I'll have to practice a lot before. So, do you think you can ... help me with that? "
Fluttershy looked surprised but soon she was happy and nodded.
Rainbow Dash smiled back and then her stomach decided to invite itself to the tea party. Fluttershy laughed and motioned her to sit in the other chair.
Rainbow and Angel ended up fighting for the last cookie while Fluttershy served tea for both.
(Dedicated to Analiz Sanchez, the great voice of Rainbow Dash in the latino dub for her birthday!)
