Rainbow Dash Wants To Fly

Chapters

Ch 4: Nice Moves
Ch 1: Food for Thought
CH 2: Court is in Session
Ch 3: Sail
Ch 5: Takeoff

Ch 4: Nice Moves

The plan seemed to be working…Rainbow Dash hovered over the swirling ball of parasites in over-watch, while Rarity and Applejack stood their ground by the doors of the Band Hall in case any of the odd creatures tried to escape. Pinkie Pie continued to play the freakish array of instruments she had somehow cobbled together to draw the parasites after her; the cacophony was starting to get painful to hear. Principal Celestia would be arriving at any moment and if she found about the experiment gone terribly wrong, then it was all over.

Suddenly, the school bell began to ring, indicating the start of the next period. Rainbow Dash looked up with a shot of panic as she realized that meant other students would be trying to come to the Band Hall for rehearsal and the horrific pests would escape again. She had to get the bell to stop! It was ringing and ringing…

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes groggily and her fingers groped over the nightstand to find the switch on her clock to turn off the alarm. For several moments, she lay there as the last vestiges of sleep drained away and she thought to herself “Where the hell did that dream come from?”

Rolling over slightly, she glanced at the clock, which displayed 9:00 AM with its bright red LEDs. Rainbow Dash rubbed slightly at her eyes and groaned, it was too early to be getting out of bed on a Saturday! But she had promised Scootaloo she would pick her up at 10:00 AM for the car wash, and she didn’t want to be late.

Forcing herself out of bed on sheer willpower, Rainbow Dash stumbled to the bathroom and splashed some water on her face. She would definitely have to grab a nap later today, five hours of sleep just wasn’t going to cut it. Finishing her necessities, Rainbow walked out of the bathroom and down the stairs towards the kitchen. As she shambled past the dining table, Rainbow Dash had to stop short before colliding into a large figure that blocked her way to the kitchen.

“Whoa there, kiddo! You’re up awfully early.” Rainbow’s father said with a bit of surprise. Glancing down at his daughter’s zombified expression, he handed her the cup of coffee he had poured and said “Here…you need this. I’ll go get another.” He then turned to head back to the kitchen.

Rainbow took the cup gladly, mumbling “Thanks, Dad,” and raised it to her lips to sip the steaming brew as if it were an elixir of life. She walked to the dining table and plopped herself down, content to let the coffee work its magic on her. After a moment, Rainbow’s father joined her with his own cup.

“Big plans today?” he asked.

Rainbow Dash shook her head slightly, starting to feel as if her soul was finally returning to her body. “Nothing big, just going to the car wash thing with Scootaloo this morning, then we were going to hang out after for a bit.” Rainbow said as she finished off her coffee.

Rainbow’s father nodded and set down his cup. “Your mother and I will be away most all day; we have to drive to Cloudsdale to deal with some issues at the construction site. We should be back for dinner if all goes well.”

Rainbow Dash gave her father a little nod of understanding and said “OK Dad, good luck with it. I’ll call if I’m going to be out extra late.” With that, she stood up and went to the kitchen to grab something for breakfast.

By the time she had finished eating and dressing, it was already 9:35 AM and Rainbow Dash found herself in a bit of a rush. She looked over to her desk at the mess of papers scattered on it and then hastily scooped the pile into her backpack so she could review the essay later which she had been working on until the wee hours of the morning. She grabbed her keys and sunglasses and headed out to her car.

The drive to Scootaloo’s house wasn’t terribly far, and Rainbow Dash was able to make up some time since traffic was light. As Rainbow rolled up in front of Scootaloo’s house, she found the teenager was already outside waiting for her. Rainbow rolled down the window and called out “Good morning, Squirt! Hop in and we’ll take off!” Scootaloo gathered up the bucket and rags she was bringing, along with her skateboard and tossed them all onto the floorboard of the backseat of the car before climbing in the passenger seat. Popping the car back into gear, Rainbow took off towards the middle school where the car wash was being held.

True to Rainbow’s prediction, the weather held, and even though it was cloudy, no rain seemed to be threatening. The car wash had gotten off to a surprisingly good start and Rainbow grinned with pride at the fact that even on short sleep she had won the first water-hose fight that had broken out. As the girls waited for the next car to arrive, Rainbow Dash pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes and kicked back against a wall, figuring she could catch a few winks.

Her plans quickly faded however as she heard the sound of a familiar truck pulling up into the lot. Pulling down her glasses over her nose, Rainbow saw Applejack getting out of the truck and handing the cashier some money.

“Howdy, y’all, give ‘er the works!” Applejack called out, way too energetically for Rainbow’s taste. How anyone could function so easily in the morning on a weekend was beyond her.

As she started to force herself up to help, she heard another one of the girls ask someone, “Would you like to buy a box of cookies?” The answer was kind, but brief, and Rainbow Dash recognized the “Nnnope!”

Standing up and smoothing out her T-shirt, Rainbow propped the sunglasses up in her multi-hued hair and walked over towards the truck. As she got close, she waved and called out “Hey AJ, Big Mac!”

Applejack turned her head at the sound of Rainbow’s voice, and said with a playful grin, “There you are! I should’a figgered you’d be hidin’ somewhere away from the work.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at Applejack and said “Oh please…someone’s got to supervise, after all!”

“Uh huh,” Applejack deadpanned.

Grabbing a bucket and sponge, Rainbow walked over to the tailgate of the truck, flicking the sponge at Applejack as she passed, drawing a “Hey now!” from her friend as Applejack jumped back to avoid the sudden splash.

As Rainbow Dash scrubbed the caked-on dirt from the rear bumper, she stole a glance over at Big Mcintosh, who was standing around with his hands in his pockets, looking at his feet as if he wasn’t entirely comfortable being surrounded by all the people. Rainbow wasn’t aware that she had been washing the same spot over and over until she felt a little nudge and Scootaloo asked “Whatcha staring at, Rainbow?”

Tearing her gaze from Big Mcintosh, Rainbow turned her head answered hastily “Oh, err…nothing, Scoots. Just a little out of it, stayed up too late last night.”

Scootaloo looked past Rainbow Dash to where she had been focused, and then “Oooh”ed with a giggle. Rainbow sighed and chased Scootaloo away with a slosh of her sponge, and then turned back to finish washing the tailgate.

When the work was done, Applejack gave an approving smile and said “Y’all done a right nice job here. I reckon that truck hasn’t been that clean in ages.” Big Mac nodded in agreement with his sister, and added “Eeyup.” Climbing into the driver’s seat, he said to Applejack “We’d best get back to chores, sis.” Applejack nodded, and then walked over to Rainbow Dash.

“I’ll see ya tomorrow, Dash. I ain’t forgot we’re goin’ to make you fly!” Applejack said with a conspiratorial look on her face. Before Rainbow could reply, Applejack then turned and walked over and climbed into the truck. Big Mac kicked the engine to life and the truck rumbled out of the parking lot.

Scootaloo had walked back over to Rainbow Dash, and asked with a puzzled expression, “Make you fly? What was that about?”

Rainbow Dash looked down at Scootaloo and said “Oh that…It’s just something that AJ and I had been talking about at lunch yesterday.” Rainbow shrugged nonchalantly, then said “I’ll tell you later, Squirt,” not wanting to get into anything serious in front of the others.

Scootaloo smiled up at Rainbow Dash and nodded. “OK, but I’ll hold you to that promise,” Scootaloo vowed. She giggled a little more and said playfully “And Big Mac’s gone, you can stop staring now.”

Rainbow Dash did a slight double-take, and said “Staring? No way…I wasn’t!”

“Was too!” Scootaloo snapped back.

“Was not!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Was toooooo!” Scootloo teased.

“Was n….oooh, come here you!” Rainbow growled, brandishing her water bucket menacingly at the younger girl. Scootaloo squealed and ran off, and Rainbow Dash gave chase, ultimately catching and dousing her companion, and the two shared a laugh before heading back to the others.

The remaining time at the car wash passed quickly, and Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo opted for a quick lunch afterwards on the way to the skate park. The clouds had finally given way to the sun, and the afternoon quickly became warm and sultry. The two girls welcomed the chance, however, to get dry from the remnants of the water bucket battles that had erupted. Rainbow Dash, naturally, considered herself the victor of the contests.

The skate park seemed to be mostly abandoned, most likely from the earlier threat of rain, and Scootaloo led Rainbow Dash down to the area where she had done her practicing. If the younger girl was nervous in anticipation of showing off her “signature moves” as she had called them to her idol, she kept the fear off her face as she started to warm up and put on her pads.

As Scootaloo rummaged around in her pack, she looked back up at Rainbow Dash and asked “Hey, Rainbow…did you bring any sunscreen? I forgot.”

Rainbow Dash dropped her own backpack down at Scootaloo’s feet and said “Oh…yeah, I did. Should be some in there, Squirt, help yourself. I’m going to run to the restroom real quick.” With that, Rainbow looked until she saw the little building not far away and then jogged over to it.

Scootaloo undid the fasteners and peeked inside Rainbow’s pack. As she pawed past the loose papers inside to find the tube of sunscreen, she couldn’t help but read the titles. The first couple of pages looked to be some homework or something, but the next stack caught her attention and she started reading more earnestly.

Hearing Rainbow’s footsteps returning, Scootaloo quickly fished around until she found the tube and grabbed it from the backpack. As Rainbow Dash sat down beside her, Scootaloo squeezed a bit of the protective lotion onto her fingers and started to rub it onto her arms and face. Rainbow Dash pulled her shades down over her eyes and kicked back to lean on the concrete steps, taking the opportunity to relax.

Scootaloo finished her preparations and putting on her gear and rolled her skateboard onto the paved walkway. But rather than heading off to start her show for Rainbow Dash, she paused and asked “Hey Rainbow. What’s ROTC?”

Rainbow Dash didn’t stir at the question at first, but then off-handedly she replied, “Oh…that stands for Reserve Officer…” Rainbow’s voice trailed off and then she sat up suddenly and turned to look at Scootaloo. “Where did that question come from?” she asked in surprise.

Scootaloo stepped on the skateboard, adjusting her balance and replied, “Oh...it was on the papers in your backpack. Along with the ones on the Air Force Academy and the Thunderbirds.” As a realization dawned on her, Scootaloo stepped off the skateboard and asked in a curious tone, “Rainbow Dash, are you…are you going to join the Air Force?”

Rainbow Dash growled inwardly, she hadn’t realized she had included those printouts along with her essay. After a moment’s pause, she said uncertainly, “Yeah…maybe. I dunno, Scoots. It’s something I’m thinking about.”

Scootaloo gaped a bit at Rainbow Dash, and then suddenly broke out in a fit of giggles.

“Hey!!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “What’s so funny about that?!?”

Scootaloo almost had tears running from her eyes in mirth but said, “Just…you…in the military. Following orders, having to get up at the crack of dawn…” Scootaloo burst into another fit of giggling as she finished.

Rainbow Dash only glared at Scootaloo, an expression of anger building on her face. “It’s not funny!” she growled, “I’m serious!” Rainbow Dash stood up, her sudden temper spiking. “If I want to fly, then by God, I’ll fly and nothing’s going to stop me!”

Rainbow’s voice had built to shout by the end of her outburst, and Scootaloo’s humor quickly darkened and she shrunk back from Rainbow Dash. “I’m sorry, Rainbow!” Scootaloo said with a slight quiver in her voice. “I...I just can’t see you enjoying a career in the Air Force. Why do you want to fly so badly?”

Rainbow Dash was about to fire off another angry retort, when she suddenly stopped short, the sudden gale of anger replaced by an underlying sense of loss. She sat back down, heavily, and ran her fingers through her prismatic hair.

“Because I got to fly once. For real, I mean. And I’d do anything…anything…to get to do it again.” Rainbow Dash said, her voice sounding very dejected. She looked up at Scootaloo, who was now regarding her with an uncertain look. “You remember the Fall Formal. What happened that night.” Scootaloo gave a little nod in remembrance. “I don’t really know if I want to be a pilot, not even one of the Thunderbirds, but without Twilight’s magic, it’s the only way I could think of to fly again.”

Rainbow Dash took a couple of breaths, her emotions a little raw from the confession. Her anger flared again, and Rainbow Dash kicked at her backpack, sending it tumbling. “I’d do anything to fly again, Scoots!" Rainbow Dash hollered. "And nobody gets it. Nobody!!”

Scootaloo just stood numbly, until Rainbow Dash had regained some control of her temper. Finally she said, “Rainbow…that night…what happened...it was a once in a lifetime thing. And not all of it was good.” Seeing Rainbow’s expression turn a bit confused, she pressed on. “You got to fly, but the rest of us…it didn’t feel very good having someone else control your mind, your actions. But that’s what Sunset Shimmer did, until you all freed us.”

Scootaloo’s voice hardened some as well. “The only thing that kept me from freaking out about it is that it wasn’t going to ever happen again. Rather than only think about what happened, I’m thinking about what I can make happen. And you know who taught me to stay cool no matter what? YOU did!” Scootaloo almost spat out the last words as her own temper flared.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She realized Scootaloo was right. It was a once in a lifetime thing. And no, feeling sorry for herself wasn’t cool. Worse yet, she’d allowed herself to become obsessed with a fleeting fantasy.

Rainbow Dash leaned back on the steps, and blew a stream of air between her lips as she started to let it go.

Looking back up at Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash said, “Thanks, ‘Lil Sis’. I guess I needed to say all that and someone needed to tell me how dumb it was.” Rainbow gave Scootaloo a hint of a smile and said “I still want to see your signature moves, if you’re still willing to give me a show.”

Scootaloo smiled back, her anger gone as quick as it had come. “You know it, ‘Sis’!" she exclaimed. The younger girl hopped back on her skateboard, but before she darted off, she looked Rainbow Dash right in the eye and said, “I can’t make you fly, Rainbow…but I can fly for you!” With that, she sped off into the start of her routine.

Rainbow Dash watched with a sense of awe as Scootaloo performed trick after trick, each one more daring and executed more precisely than the last. By the time Scootaloo reached her finale and stuck the landing, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but give a large, proud grin. “Nice moves, Squirt!” Rainbow called out, causing Scootaloo to beam happily as she skated back to her idol.

Ch 1: Food for Thought

Tic...Toc, Tic....Toc, Tic.......Toc.

For the twentieth time in as many minutes, Rainbow Dash stole a gaze at the wall clock near the door and her face settled into a grimace. She could swear that the second hand was moving slower and slower with each passing moment. As she absentmindedly twirled her pen along the blank page in her notebook without taking notes, the monotone voice of her teacher continued to drone on seemingly without end.

"And in 1881, the first construction of the Panama Canal was undertaken by French developer Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps, who had successfully overseen the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869. However, this effort was not successful due to the underestimation of several factors, primarily the..."

Rainbow groaned inwardly. All she wanted was to be saved by the bell and get out of class. The minutes crept by until finally the lecture was over. As the bell rang signaling the end of the class period and the start of lunch, the teacher looked over the class and said "And remember, your essays on the impact of the Suez and Panama canals on shipping and trade in the 20th Century are due on Monday. Class is dismissed!"

Rainbow Dash quickly stuffed her things into her backpack, and bolted from the classroom as fast as she could, deftly dodging past a couple of students who were pausing to chatter near the door. As she made her way to the cafeteria, she found herself lost in thought...again.

"History is so uncool. Only an egghead could enjoy this stuff." she murmured out loud with an air of disgust. The prospect of now having to write a paper over the weekend wasn't helping her mood. Rainbow knew she had been neglecting her studies a bit of late, and while she wasn't in danger of failing any of her classes, she knew she had to keep up with them so as not to face any academic ineligibility issues.

As she walked into the cafeteria and passed through the serving line, she almost didn't see the hand waving at her from a nearby table. But after paying for her lunch, a smile crossed her face as she caught sight of her best friend flagging her down, and Rainbow walked over and took a seat across from the blonde-haired girl.

"Howdy, partner!" Applejack said warmly, popping the cap off of a bottle of fizzy Apple Cider to go with her meal, beaming a bright smile at Rainbow Dash.

"'Sup, AJ?" Rainbow asked, flashing her trademark grin. She was always glad for the chance to hang out with Applejack, it felt like making up lost time ever since the incident over the bake sale. Rainbow had vowed to herself that she would never allow anyone to ever come between her and her closest friends ever again, and she and Applejack had become almost inseparable since.

"Just glad to get to set a spell, I reckon what with the holidays comin' soon, we're just goin' to get more an' more homework." Applejack paused to take a bite of her salad, and washed it down with a swig of her cider. "What about you, Rainbow? How was your mornin'?"

Rainbow Dash gave a sigh that was almost worthy of Rarity and slumped a bit in her chair a moment. "It was so not awesome. I stopped by the gym to see when signups were starting for Volleyball, and they said it wouldn't be for at least another two weeks. Like, how can they expect anyone to start training for the new season if they aren't making the team until the last minute?" Rainbow speared a piece of fruit on her plate with a fork as if to add emphasis to her question. "And now I have some stupid paper to write this weekend about canals and shipping." She rolled her eyes and waved the impaled fruit like a weapon. "Who cares about some dumb shipping?!?!?"

Applejack gave a little chuckle as she listened to her best friend's animated response. "Well, you know History ain't my favorite subject neither. But at least I'm not stuck with an essay to write this weekend."

The two exchanged more small talk while they ate their lunch, eventually the topic moving back to sports, as was common for them. Rainbow Dash thrust the last of the fruit into her mouth and chewed it, hardly tasting it at this point. Swallowing it down, she said "I hate Football season. It’s totally not fair they won’t let girls play on the Varsity team. After all, I would be an awesome receiver!"

Applejack grinned, and said "Well, I betcha’d get teased a mite about being a ‘tight end’.” Ignoring Rainbow’s scowl, she said, “Seriously though, there's not too many that could do it, other'n you I reckon. But that's what's got you all riled up? You're achin' for some competition?"

Rainbow Dash pondered that for a moment, and then said "Well...yes...no. I mean...of course I am because I am the most amazing athlete in all of Canterlot High, but...it's not that as much as something else that's been on my mind." Rainbow paused to eat another bite of her lunch as she tried to wrap words around her thoughts.

Looking back up at Applejack, she finally said, "It's more like...well, you remember the Fall Formal. And everything that happened that night?"

Applejack had set her fork down, and was looking at her friend with curiosity. "Of course I do, I don't think that'll be anythin' we'll ever forget."

Rainbow nodded vigorously, the happy memories of that night flooding back through her. It had been the most awesome night she could remember, but the aftermath had been hard for her. She hadn't shared her disquiet with anyone, not even Applejack. But it was a feeling that had been weighing on her more and more as the weeks passed.

"AJ, I just can't describe what it felt like...it was weird and wonderful and awesome, and..." She paused a moment, not sure how best to describe the odd sense of loss she had started feeling afterwards. "Oh come onnnn, Dash!" she told herself. "Just spit it out already!"

But despite her sudden need to share her feelings, she struggled to find words that could adequately describe the rush of that moment, and what it had felt like afterwards. She twirled her fork around idly on her plate as she tried to think of a way to explain it.

"Aww, sugarcube, I know, I felt it too...it was the most amazin' thing ever. An' you know, I still feel it, deep inside, especially when you and the other girls are close."

Rainbow gave a little smile, though her thoughts were still swirling like a storm inside her head. "Yeah, but it's more than that. I just...." She paused a moment, and then continued. "It's just that I really, totally miss...."

Applejack interrupted Rainbow and laid a hand on her best friend's shoulder, a wistful look on her face, and said gently "Yeah, I feel the same…I really miss Twilight somethin' fierce too."

Rainbow looked up with just a little hint of embarrassment, as the words tumbled out in a rush. “I miss my wings!”

Applejack cocked her head and blinked in surprise at Rainbow Dash, not quite certain she had heard her correctly. After a moment, she finally found her voice. "Your...wings?" Applejack stuttered, giving her friend a look that clearly showed that wasn’t what she had expected at all.

Rainbow Dash nodded enthusiastically, an excited grin starting to spread on her face. "Yeah! My wings! Being able to fly was just...so...AWESOME!"

Rainbow paused just for a second to catch a breath, and then seeing the look that had formed on Applejack's face, she quickly added, "Oh...and uh, yeah, I miss Twilight a lot too!" Rainbow extended the grin as wide as she could with a contrite look.

Applejack just shook her head slowly and her features took on her usual look of practicality. She puffed out her cheeks and said "Rainbow...people just ain't supposed to fly. At least not like that. Surely you know that was somethin’ downright unusual?"

“Yeah, I know, AJ” Rainbow admitted, but she just couldn’t keep a little edge out of her voice that underscored her exuberance. “But I did, and it felt completely natural.” She scrunched her eyes together for a second as she thought, then said “Not just natural. It felt right. Like I was always supposed to fly!”

Applejack pushed her lunch tray aside and leaned forward, setting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on the back of her hands. “An’ that’s what’s got you all churnin’ inside, ain’t it?” she asked. “You’ve gone and gotten yourself all worked up because you can’t fly no more.”

Rainbow Dash leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling. “Yeah, I just can’t stop thinking about it. The freedom was unlike anything I've ever felt. The speed, the adrenaline, the wind in my hair. I liked it! A lot!”

The two sat in silence a moment, as Applejack took her hat off to run her fingers through her hair as she thought it through. It did make some degree of sense to her, knowing Dash’s thrill-seeker spirit.

Applejack set her Stetson back in place and said “Well, I guess I can’t be one to say somethin' against that. What Twilight caused was magic, real magic, not like somethin’ in a movie. An’ I can only imagine how wonderful it must have been to have wings an’ fly.”

She looked over at Rainbow Dash, and gave her an understanding smile. “I reckon it must have been mighty fun to be able to do somethin’ like that. An’ I can understand how you’d miss it when it’s gone.”

Rainbow only nodded, still looking skyward. Applejack suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and her smile turned into a broad grin.

“An’ I think I have just the thing to help you, Dash. You busy this weekend?” Applejack asked with a playful look on her face.

“Err…let me think." Rainbow pondered as she looked back towards her friend, noting the look. "I have some things to do tomorrow, and that paper to finish before Monday, but that will be a breeze, why?” Rainbow answered curiously.

“Now, now, you just leave everythin’ to me. You come on out to Sweet Apple Acres after lunch on Sunday then an’ we’ll see about gettin’ you some air-time.”

“An’ I promise it won’t be anythin’ crazy like Apple Bloom might dream up.” Applejack said with a smirk.

Rainbow was so surprised by Applejack’s offer that she leaned forward suddenly, causing the legs of her chair to land against the cafeteria floor with a loud clang.

“Really, AJ? You’d do that for me?” Rainbow gushed. “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, this will be sooooo awesome!”

Before Applejack could reply, the bell rang indicating the end of the lunch period. Both girls started a bit at the sound, and then got up from the table to gather up their trays to take them to the disposal line and make their way to their respective classes.

Even the prospect of a chemistry quiz the next period couldn’t wipe the smile off of Rainbow’s face. She had no idea what Applejack could be thinking up, but it didn’t matter. Her best friend was going to help her fly again.

Author's Note

Nothing ventured, nothing gained I guess. Might as well put this out there and see what feedback it gets, if any.

Edited to consolidate the too-short transition "chapter" I had added.

CH 2: Court is in Session

Setting down her pencil, Rainbow Dash took a quick look over the paper and reviewed her answers. To her relief, the quiz hadn’t been too difficult, and while she wasn’t entirely sure she’d gotten every answer correct, she knew she had done well enough.

The teacher passed by each of the students, gathering up the quiz sheets, and then returned to her desk. “Alright, everyone can go to your lab stations” she said as she set the quiz papers aside and started to arrange her lecture notes.

Rainbow Dash got up and walked over to her station, plopping down on one of the stools as her lab partner pranced over and took the stool opposite across the small counter-height table. With a grin, Rainbow Dash lowered her voice and asked conspiratorially, “Hey Pinkie…did you remember the penny I told you to bring?”

“Sure did!” came the bubbly reply, a little too loud for Rainbow Dash’s comfort. Pinkie Pie reached into her pocket, and produced a shiny new penny, minted just that year. “Awesome, this will be cool!” Rainbow exclaimed, and dug out a small glass petri dish from the drawer in the lab station countertop. Setting the penny in the middle, she then picked up one of the test tubes that was labeled H2SO4 and poured enough liquid over the coin until it was submerged.

Pinkie leaned over the lab counter with a little “Ooooh” and gazed on with interest as Rainbow Dash finalized setting up her “experiment” and closed the lid to the petri dish and tucked it away back in the drawer.

Rainbow Dash grinned over at Pinkie and said “Ok…so now we wait and see how much of it dissolves by the holiday break.”

Pinkie bobbed her head with a smile and said “Okie dokie!” and then sat back on her stool as the teacher started speaking again.

“Today, we will be discussing and doing some experiments with acids and bases. Please don’t take any extra steps and follow my instructions during the labs.” The teacher said, beginning her lecture.

Rainbow tried to pay attention, but ultimately found herself slipping away mentally as the teacher droned on. Lectures were so boring! Her mind wandered back to her talk with Applejack, and Rainbow Dash wondered what scheme the cowgirl was cooking up. Whatever it was, Rainbow would just have to wait to see. And waiting wasn’t her strong suit.

Thankfully, the lecture came to an end soon enough and the students opened their lab workbooks to begin the exercise. Most of the steps were fairly basic and involved using litmus paper and recording the results to gauge the various pH levels. Rainbow Dash suddenly got a mischievous idea, and when she made sure that Pinkie wasn’t looking, poured out the distilled water from Pinkie’s rack of test tubes, and refilled it with the vinegar that had been provided as part of the exercise. Then she sat back, and waited.

Pinkie was murmuring to herself as she worked through the exercise, and finally came to step 11: “Dilute 25g of baking soda into distilled water, then add 4cc of vinegar to the solution and record the results.” Rainbow Dash had to force herself not to snicker as Pinkie measured out the powder and then dumped it into the test tube.

The results were everything Rainbow had hoped for.

With a sudden gushing fizz, the mixture reacted, boiling out of the test tube and covering Pinkie’s hand in a goopy mess. Pinkie’s eyes rolled up to her brows in shock and she let out a startled “Eeeep!” and nearly dropped the test tube.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Bahahaaa!” she chortled, and Pinkie suddenly realized she’d been pranked. Her surprise turned into mirth, and the two friends shared a good laugh over the joke, earning them a look and a “Shhhh!” from the teacher.

“Dashie, would you be super-duper cool and go get me a couple of paper towels?” Pinkie asked, looking at her hand as the foamy mess started to coagulate.

“Yeah, sure Pinkie, hold on.” Rainbow Dash said, and got up from her seat to go to the sink, shaking her head as she could overhear Pinkie talking to herself.

“It kinda looks like frosting from when I make cupcakes. But I don’t have any cups. I have a test tube, maybe it’s more like a tube-cake. Orrrrr, since it’s frosting my hand, maybe it’s a hand-cake!” Pinkie mused.

Rainbow grabbed a handful of paper towels from the classroom sink and walked back over to the lab station and handed them to Pinkie, not noticing that the majority of the mess was missing from her hand. Pinkie beamed and took the towels, dabbed away the little bit of remaining mixture off her fingers, then sat down on her stool to redo the experiment for the exercise.

Rainbow Dash sat down as well, turning the page in the notebook to get to the next step also, and stopped abruptly as she became aware that the seat of her pants and backs of the legs of her jeans were wet. With a groan, she then realized why her friend hadn’t needed so many towels after all.

“Pinkieeeeeee!!!” Rainbow Dash growled.

As if she had teleported somehow, Pinkie leaned over from behind Rainbow Dash, her face alight with the most innocent, angelic expression she could muster. “Mmmmhmmmmmm?” Pinkie hummed.

Rainbow glanced back and saw the look on Pinkie's face, and realized that she, the most awesome prankster ever, had been pranked.

Thankfully, the last class of the day was gym, and Rainbow Dash was eager to get out of the wet jeans and into her gym clothes. She would have to think up an appropriate revenge for Pinkie, of course. “No one gets the last laugh on Rainbow ‘Danger’ Dash!” Rainbow vowed to herself.

Today’s period was devoted to Volleyball, in preparation for the team tryouts coming soon. Rainbow wasn’t surprised in the least when the coach named her a squad captain for the afternoon; after all she was the Varsity team Captain. Looking over the other girls, she set about selecting the other four players for her team, picking the ones she knew would make the strongest squad. Practice or not, they needed to win!

The first choice was easy; Rainbow Dash took Golden Dawn, her friend and teammate from last season. The tall, thin girl gave Rainbow a fist-bump as she came over to stand by her captain. The others weren’t veterans from the actual team, but Rainbow Dash had a pretty good idea of their overall athleticism from watching them throughout the semester. In short order, she filled her squad and then headed over to the court where they had been assigned to play.

When they arrived at the court, Rainbow saw that the other team was being captained by Sunset Shimmer, and an almost feral grin broke out on her face. While she and the rest of the girls had slowly accepted Sunset’s apology, and were helping her understand the value of real friendships, Rainbow Dash didn’t mind taking her down a notch or two on the court.

As the teams took their position, Rainbow was playing center net to start, and Sunset Shimmer was just to her right across the net. Rainbow Dash looked over and said “Hey Sunset…I hope you didn’t have too much lunch, so I can serve you some humble pie.”

Sunset Shimmer scoffed, and said "If there's anyone that's going to be humbled, Dash, it's you. So far all I've heard is talk."

Rainbow Dash glowered at Sunset, and quipped "At least I can beat you fair and square. When we're done here, you're going to wish you were back a grade!"

Sunset Shimmer glared back through the net, and snapped back curtly with a menacing air, “Bring it, Loyalty”.

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth as she heard the first smack of the ball in service. It...was…on!

The other team was surprisingly good, which just made it all the more thrilling for Rainbow. She was in her second element, the spirit of competition, and as the other team executed a decent set for Sunset, Golden Dawn leaped up to make a perfectly timed block, resulting in a side-out for Rainbow’s squad. Rainbow Dash pumped her fist with triumph as she rotated to the right wing position.

The next serve was deep, but handled well, and this time, the block didn’t happen, but Rainbow’s mid-court player dug hard, saving the point as Golden Dawn batted the ball up and right, setting Rainbow Dash for the kill.

With a strong leap, Rainbow Dash took to the air, and in that second, all thoughts of flying in any other way ceased as she targeted Sunset’s sideline. Timing her smash perfectly, Rainbow pounded the ball past the blockers and screamed it down the line, but to her surprise Sunset was faster than she expected, and she dove to dig Rainbow’s spike back into the air.

Rainbow’s team was caught off-guard by the return, so certain they were that it was a guaranteed point that they weren’t in position to block the other team’s tap over the net. Sunset Shimmer looked up from the ground over at Rainbow Dash and flashed a victoriously snarky grin at her.

The match lasted the entire period, both teams trading points and side-outs until the final minutes, when Golden Dawn and Rainbow Dash teamed up for one of their signature sets and kills they had practiced and performed over and over during the regular season. As the coach blew the final whistle, ending the game at 25-23 with a win for Rainbow's squad, Rainbow Dash stole a glance across the net at Sunset Shimmer. Sunset’s usual air of bravado was gone, and she was catching her breath as the rest of her team headed for the showers.

Rainbow ducked under the net and walked over to Sunset, offering her a fist for a bump, with a respectful look on her face.

At first Sunset seemed genuinely surprised by the gesture, but then curled her fingers and bumped her fist with Rainbow's. Rainbow Dash lowered her hand and said “You know, you’re a lot better than I thought, Sunset. I have to admit, I’m impressed.”

Sunset nodded thankfully and said, “You too, Dash. I never gave you credit for being more than mostly hot air, but…you’ve really got game.”

Rainbow Dash grinned and said, “Of course, I’m just awesome! But really Sunset, I really liked your determination and skill. You should totally try out for the Varsity team this year. I’d have you on the team in a heartbeat!”

Sunset Shimmer blinked and said “Really? I…I didn’t think you wanted to be around me that much.”

Rainbow nudged Sunset and said “There’s no way I’d not want you on my team, after seeing you play. And besides…being competitors doesn't mean we can't be friends. This will be a good chance to get to know each other better.”

Sunset gave a thoughtful nod at that, then turned to head for the locker room. Looking back, she gave a hint of a friendly smile and said “I’d like that, Rainbow Dash.” Sunset turned back and walked off the court, favoring her right leg slightly where she had hit the ground pretty hard to pull off one of her great saves.

Rainbow Dash started to follow her, but instead of heading into the locker room, she turned to exit the gym and go out to the running track. The thrill of victory had her pumped up, and she wanted to get in a few laps to bleed off the rest of her energy before heading home for the weekend.

Ch 3: Sail

The afternoon sun was just starting to dip over the horizon, fading slightly behind the gathering clouds as Rainbow Dash took to the track. Even though she was still warm from the Volleyball match, Rainbow took a few extra moments to stretch, working her calves.

She started her first lap at a medium pace, but soon her need for speed took over, and in short order she had worked herself up to not quite a sprint, but setting a fast pace as she ran the 400 meters around the next lap. Her mind was racing as fast as her feet, and Rainbow tried in vain to calm her thoughts and just enjoy feel of the breeze through her hair as she closed her eyes, savoring the light spring of the tartan with each foot-fall.

In her mind’s eye, Rainbow once again took to the sky, as she often did in her daydreams. Each lap only carried her further into the fantasy, the feeling of soaring through the air, unfettered, free…

“Rainbow…”

So lost in her reverie was she, that at first Rainbow Dash didn’t hear the small voice that called to her. She was one with the wind, deep in the euphoria of her runner’s high.

“Raaaainbowwwww Daaaashhhh…”

The voice was closer, more insistent. Eventually, her concentration broke, and Rainbow opened her eyes and saw a familiar young girl standing to the side of the track, a backpack slung over one shoulder and a skateboard under one foot. Seeing Rainbow’s gaze, the young girl waved with a growing smile and Rainbow slowed her pace to bring herself down as she finished the last 200 meters and finally walked over to the other girl.

“Hey…Squirt!” Rainbow said with a smile between breaths, as she started to get her wind back.

The younger girl beamed back and said “Wow…you were really moving out there. Is it track season soon or something?”

Rainbow suppressed a chuckle, and said “Huh? Oh..no, Scoots, I just needed a few laps to clear my head." Glancing around, Rainbow asked, "Where’s the other Crusaders?” wondering where Scootaloo’s other two friends were, the trio were typically inseparable.

Scootaloo dug into her backpack, fishing around for something and said “Ah…Apple Bloom said she had to go into town with Applejack, they had to go to the hardware store before heading home.” This bit of information elicited a slight raise of an eyebrow from Rainbow Dash. “And Sweetie Belle had choir practice, they have a show coming up in a week or so and she’s staying late to work on her solo.”

Finishing her rummaging, Scootaloo handed Rainbow Dash a bottle of water from her backpack. Rainbow took it gratefully, and downed it in a single long series of gulps.

“Thanks, Scootaloo” Rainbow said earnestly. “So what brings you out here? I'd have thought you'd be surfing the pavement rather than standing around a running track.” She gave her friend a little smirk.

“Oh!” Scootaloo exclaimed, as if she had almost forgotten the reason she had come looking for Rainbow Dash. “I just wanted to check…we’re still going to the Big Brothers/Big Sisters car wash tomorrow together, right?” Scootaloo looked up past Rainbow Dash to the sky and the gathering clouds, and her exuberance turned a little concerned. “I really hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow…”

Rainbow Dash reached over and gave a friendly ruff through Scootaloo’s hair and said “Of course we are, I wouldn’t miss it for the world, ‘Little Sis’. And it’s not going to rain, that I can promise you.”

Scootaloo swelled with happiness at Rainbow’s affectionate term for her, but then asked with a tone of mild uncertainty, “But how can you be so sure?”

Rainbow Dash just grinned and said “I’ve always been pretty good with reading the weather, just a knack I guess. But nah, it won’t rain tomorrow and if it even tried, I’d just fly up and kick a few clouds to show them who’s in charge!”

Rainbow's tone must have changed a bit, and Scootaloo picked up on it, smiling up at her “Big Sister”. Rainbow Dash and she had met when they had been paired in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program three years earlier, and whatever Rainbow Dash said, Scootaloo believed whole-heartedly.

“I bet you would!” Scootaloo said with admiration. “Just like when we flew at the dance!!” she added with a burst of excitement.

Rainbow Dash thought back to that night, how the first thing she had done after getting her wings was to scoop up Scootaloo and zip around the dance hall at the Fall Formal. While it had been short, it had been the most awesome thing ever.

But now, without her wings, it all seemed like a distant memory.

Realizing it was getting late, Rainbow Dash walked over to pick up her own backpack from the side of the track, and slung it over her shoulder. She turned to her younger companion and nodded over towards the school parking lot. “C’mon, Squirt” she said. “I’ll give you a ride home.”

The pair started walking to where Rainbow’s car was parked. The sun was much lower on the horizon now, and they both had to shield their eyes with their hands as they walked.

“Hey, Rainbow, do you have plans after the car wash?” Scootaloo asked suddenly, as if she’d been holding in the question.

“No, not really…I might try to see if Fluttershy is free to help me with a dumb paper I have to write. Why?” Rainbow replied curiously.

Scootaloo looked down at her feet a moment, and then said “Well, it’s just that I had some new tricks that I’ve been working on, and haven’t shown anyone yet…I thought you might like to see.” She finished.

Rainbow Dash looked down at the younger girl and then bumped her with her shoulder. “New moves, huh? Yeah, I’d like to see that, Scoots. We can go by the skate park after the car wash.”

Scootaloo beamed up at her idol, and gushed, “Oh yeah! I can’t wait to show you!”

The pair reached Rainbow’s car, and Rainbow Dash pulled her keys from her pack, unlocking the doors. She tossed her backpack in the backseat, and Scootaloo did the same. After making sure that her passenger was buckled up, Rainbow turned on the radio just a little too loudly, and then started the drive to Scootaloo’s house. All the way there, her thoughts were a little distracted again at the memories of her flying with her “Little Sister”.

By the time Rainbow Dash arrived home, the sun had started to set, and she knew that she still had a full night ahead of her. She had to get a jump on that paper if she wanted to have the weekend free for the car wash and for whatever Applejack had planned for her Sunday afternoon.

As she entered the house and started to head upstairs to her room, Rainbow called out “Mom? I’m home!”

“Welcome home dear!” came the call from the kitchen. Rainbow could catch the hint of something roasting in the oven, and it smelled awesome. Given her sudden realization of appetite, the lovely aromas coming from the kitchen only served to make her stomach growl.

She quickly mounted the stairs and headed to her room, intent on taking a quick shower before dinner. Rainbow tossed her backpack carelessly onto her bed, and peeled off the sweaty gym clothes she was still wearing onto the pile of other clothes haphazardly gathered near her closet. No one would ever accuse of her being tidy, that was for certain.

Stepping from her room to the bathroom, Rainbow dialed up the water a little hotter than necessary, and then eased herself under the steaming cascade of water. The shower was just what her muscles needed after the afternoon’s exertions, and she enjoyed the warm rivulets that ran over her body. For several minutes, Rainbow Dash allowed herself the luxury of the warmth, then dug out the soap and shampoo to finish getting clean.

Finally, she turned off the water, and stepped out of the shower, wrapping her multi-colored hair in a towel and as she dried herself off, took time to appraise herself in the mirror. She was as toned and fit as ever, her legs having the bulk of her muscle. As she gazed over herself, she pondered that she might want to do some upper-body work to build up her arms just a bit more.

Turning slightly, her gaze dropped to her bare hip, and the birthmark that stood out. It was about an inch long, and shaped like a jagged line. However, in the last few weeks, it had seemed to become more pronounced, and that had Rainbow Dash slightly concerned. After all, it wasn’t always a good sign when a birthmark changed, right? Rainbow told herself she’d keep an eye on it, like she always did, and finished toweling off.

Heading back into her room, she put on a T-shirt and jeans, just as her Mother called up. “Rainbow, dinner’s ready!”

“OK Mom, be right down!” Rainbow hollered back. By now she was quite hungry, and since her Mother was a fantastic cook, dinner would be nothing short of amazing. Rainbow bounded down the stairs, two at a time, and settled in at the dining table with her parents to enjoy what looked like a wonderful supper.

After the meal, her parents retired to the living room to watch some television, and Rainbow Dash went back to her room to work on her paper. Digging out her History book with a slight sigh, she decided she needed backup. Sitting down at her computer, she launched her email program and typed out a quick message.

Subject: Paper
From: Rainbow Dash rainbowdash@pmail.com
To: Fluttershy flutters01@canterlotcable.com

Shy,

Sorry to ask you on short notice, but I could use your help again with a paper. Can I send you a copy and have you proofread it for me? Its due Monday, so if you could give it a look on Sunday and get back with me, it would be awesome. I’ll owe you big time.

--Dashie

Rainbow Dash clicked the “Send” button, and ticked that off her mental list. Now she had to get the paper done on time. Opening her textbook, she started reading and putting together her thesis in her head.

After thirty minutes, she looked back at her computer screen, and realized she hadn’t yet written a single word. Sighing to herself, Rainbow Dash stretched in her chair and she called up YouTube and loaded one of her favorite videos. It was a hang-gliding montage set to Awolnation’s “Sail”. As she leaned back in her chair listening to the music build, she once again found herself caught up in her memories from the Fall Formal. It was becoming something of an obsession, which Rainbow knew wasn’t healthy but she couldn’t let it go.

As she swiveled back and forth slowly in her chair, Rainbow had a sudden thought. She didn’t have wings, and without magic, sprouting another pair wasn’t going to happen. But that didn’t mean she could never fly again. A shot of adrenaline coursed through her at her impulsive idea, and she called up a search engine on her browser, filled with a sense of urgent purpose. The paper could wait…she needed to research her sudden inspiration.

Author's Note

Hadn't planned on such a long break between posting chapters, but starting a new job will definitely eat up time. I'll be working to get another update out much sooner.

Ch 5: Takeoff

As they made their way back to the car, Rainbow Dash decided to give Scootaloo a ride on her shoulders, piggy-back style. In a way it felt good, Rainbow thought, it was kind of like when she had taken Scootaloo for the short flight during the Fall Formal. It also allowed Rainbow Dash to grin from ear to ear at Scootaloo’s performance without getting caught.

Rather than heading straight back to Scootaloo’s house afterwards, the pair stopped off at Sugarcube Cafe for celebratory milkshakes. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo claimed one of the tables near the counter, and it took a moment for Rainbow Dash to realize she’d picked the same one where the girls had held their impromptu meeting on how to help Twilight win back her crown a few weeks earlier.

“My treat, Scoots, for your awesome moves!” Rainbow Dash said as she got up to place their order. “What d’ya want?”

“Oh, mmm…Get me the same thing you’re getting, Rainbow!” the younger girl answered with a big smile of thanks as she relaxed on the couch that was used for the table seating.

“Sure thing, Squirt.” Rainbow grinned back. As she walked up to the counter, Rainbow saw a familiar face at the register.

“Hey Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie said exuberantly. “What can I get for you?”

“Oh, hey Pinkie…I’d forgotten you were working weekends here for the Cakes.” Rainbow said as she fished in her backpack for her wallet.

“Yeah, they were super-duper nice to give me a job other than just baby-sitting. And the best part is I get to make cupcakes all morning long!” Pinkie spouted.

Rainbow Dash thought to herself that the Cakes probably should make sure that Pinkie stuck to decaf while at work. Finally digging past the papers in her pack to the wallet, she took it out and said “Let me get two large chocolate shakes, Pinkie, and that should do it .”

Pinkie nodded, flashing a smile and said “Okie dokie lokie!” After taking Rainbow’s payment, Pinkie went back to the fountain area to start making the drinks. Rainbow waited as patiently as she could, and when Pinkie was done, Rainbow thanked her and headed back to the table where Scootaloo was sitting.

“Here you go, Scoots” Rainbow said, putting down one shake for her friend and turning a chair around backwards to sit. “You really put on quite the show out there.”

“Awwww,” Scootaloo blushed as she took the shake, and twirled the straw around to mix in the whipped cream. “It wasn’t that big a deal, just wanted to share what I was working on with you.”

Rainbow Dash grinned at Scootloo, and dove into her shake in earnest. For some time, the two girls savored the treats silently. Finally, Scootaloo looked over at Rainbow and said “So…feeling better about things?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, taking a moment to swallow down the mouthful she had and then said “Yeah. I am. I think the thing that made me stop and think was when you said how everyone else had been affected. I mean, sure, flying is…was…awesome, and I’d love to be able to do it all the time. But if other people can be hurt by magic, then I’d rather not have any at all. I’ll just stick to the kind my friends and I have.”

As she said that, Rainbow Dash tipped up her glass and finished off her shake with a messy slurp, which elicited a little giggle from Scootaloo, who immediately tried to imitate Rainbow. Unfortunately, her glass wasn’t as empty, and a large glob of ice cream slid from the bottom of the glass to splash down Scootaloo’s chin and onto her shirt. With a sigh, Scootaloo grabbed some napkins from the dispenser and tried to mitigate the damage, but the mess had already been made. Rainbow couldn’t hide her smirk, but she didn’t say anything for once.

After Scootaloo had cleaned herself up as well as she was able, the two girls got up and with a final wave to Pinkie Pie headed back to Rainbow’s car for the drive to Scooaloo’s home. It was growing late in the afternoon, and Rainbow knew she had to finish her paper tonight so she wouldn’t have to deal with it the next day. Upon arriving at Scootaloo’s house, Rainbow Dash made sure that Scootaloo had gotten all of her gear from the back seat, and before climbing back in the car, ruffed the younger girl’s hair warmly.

“Take care, ‘Lil Sis’ and see you on Monday,” Rainbow Dash said as Scootaloo started to walk to the front door.

“I will ‘Big Sis’, and thanks for everything! This was an awesome day!” Scootaloo said in return and flashed a smile before turning to go inside. As Rainbow Dash opened the door to slide into the driver’s seat, she thought she overheard Scootaloo saying to herself “Best day ever!”

When Rainbow Dash got home, she saw that her parents were still not back yet from Cloudsdale. This wasn’t exactly atypical, often the work on the stadium project would run late and Rainbow was quite accustomed to scrounging up her own dinners. After tossing her backpack by the stairs and heading to the kitchen, Rainbow Dash foraged around in the refrigerator and found some leftover roast, which she took along with some salad and milk. Carrying her meal and backpack upstairs, she set the plate down on her desk and turned on her computer. The first place Rainbow did was to open her email, and was glad to see a reply from Fluttershy saying she would be happy to proofread Rainbow’s paper. Now all Rainbow Dash had to do was finish writing it.

As she took the stack of papers out of her pack, Rainbow thumbed through them, and separated out the ones with her first draft of her essay from all of the others that Scootaloo had discovered. Setting her essay aside, Rainbow read back over the others as she ate, and after a bit, shoveled them all off into the trash can, except for the article she had printed about the Thunderbirds. They still sounded cool to her, and teamwork was one thing that Rainbow Dash knew well and admired.

As she finished her supper, Rainbow Dash steeled herself for the task at hand…writing was not something she particularly enjoyed, and it certainly didn’t come easy to her. Still, it had to be done, and calling up a browser program to search for additional references, Rainbow started working on her assignment.

It was just after 9:00 PM when her parents arrived back home, and as they did, Rainbow’s mother called up from downstairs, “Rainbow, honey, we’re home!”

“Hi Mom, Dad!” Rainbow shouted back, “Working on homework in my room!”

Rainbow's father’s voice carried up after her, “Homework? Who are you and what did you do with my daughter?”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and hollered back down “Very funny! Really.” She knew her father would be sporting his snarky grin, after all, she had gotten hers from him.

Turning her attention back to task, Rainbow Dash continued to work on her paper. She wasn’t totally satisfied with how it was written, but it should do the job, and besides, if there was anything horribly wrong Fluttershy would catch it.

As minutes marched onward into hours, Rainbow Dash struggled with her final edits. Eventually, she reached her conclusion and once it was in the document, she quickly saved a copy and then sent it in email to Fluttershy for her perusal. Glancing over at the clock, she saw it was after 11:00 PM, and she was glad she didn’t have to get up early tomorrow. Rainbow wanted to be rested for whatever Applejack had been cooking up for her over the weekend.

Rainbow Dash yawned and shimmied out of her jeans, T-shirt, and underclothes and put on one of her over-sized sleeping shirts and crawled under the covers of her bed and was fast asleep in nearly 10 seconds flat.

By the time Rainbow Dash finally started to stir out of bed, the morning was well on its way to being over. Rainbow just stretched luxuriously, almost cat-like, before climbing out of bed to take care of her morning necessities. A good night’s sleep was the cure for all ills, Rainbow thought as she made her way down the stairs to make some coffee.

Rainbow Dash saw that her mother had left her some pastries sitting out near the coffee-maker, and she took two for her breakfast. The lazy morning felt great, and Rainbow Dash stretched out her meal to savor every moment of it. Her homework was done, she didn’t have any chores, and her afternoon was going to be spent with her best friend. Life was good.

Eventually, Rainbow Dash took her plate and coffee cup to the sink and headed upstairs for a shower. When all of that was done, she pondered what to wear out to the farm. She suspected that Applejack’s plans might involve getting dirty, so Rainbow fished out one of her older pair of jeans and last year’s District Soccer Championship T-shirt. After getting dressed, Rainbow Dash decided she still had a bit of time to make the drive to Sweet Apple Acres, so she plopped down on the couch in the living room to watch some television.

It didn’t take too long for Rainbow Dash to get bored with Sunday television, so she went upstairs to get her pack and keys and then headed out to her car to make the drive out to the farm. Despite her enthusiasm to see what the afternoon had in store, Rainbow Dash forced herself not to speed, at least not too much as she took the market road out of town and through the rolling hills that lead to Sweet Apple Acres.

As she pulled her car up the dirt road that led to the house, Rainbow Dash spotted Applejack and Apple Bloom finishing up what looked like some chores near the barn. Rainbow parked and got out, and called over “Hey AJ! Apple Bloom! I’m ready to fly now!”

The two farm-girls stopped their work and waved at Rainbow Dash, and Applejack leaned in to say something to Apple Bloom that Rainbow couldn’t hear. Apple Bloom nodded and ran off back towards the house and disappeared inside.

Applejack took off her hat to wipe her forehead, then set it back on and walked over to Rainbow Dash with a wide smile on her face. “Howdy, Rainbow!” she said as she got within hearing distance. “Just sent Apple Bloom to get one last thing an’ we’re all ready.” Applejack nodded her head towards one of the gates in the pasture fence and said “Come on, sugarcube, you’re gonna love this!”

Rainbow Dash fell in beside Applejack, and the two set out across the pasture towards one corner of the orchard. After a short walk, Applejack steered Rainbow Dash down towards one of the stock ponds, which had an older apple tree on the edge. Dangling from one of the limbs was a length of rope that had been pulled back and tied around the trunk. Upon seeing the rope, Rainbow Dash smirked and said “Uhhh…AJ, if you were just planning to hang me, don’t you think you could have made it a little less obvious?”

Applejack snorted derisively but then lowered her voice trying to sound conspiratorial and said “Naw, if I was goin' to do you in, Rainbow, I’d find’a much more subtle way to do it and they'd never find the body.” Rainbow Dash laughed at her friend's overly dramatic comeback and Applejack joined in with her. As their laughter faded, the two girls heard the sound of running feet approaching, and they looked up to see Apple Bloom jogging up carrying something made of straps and buckles.

“Thanks, Sis!” Applejack said as she took the item from Apple Bloom, then turned to Rainbow Dash and crooked a finger at her wickedly. Rainbow, for her part, regarded Applejack with raised eyebrows and said a little uncertainly, “And what, exactly, is that for?”

Applejack gave a slightly sinister grin and walked towards Rainbow Dash, the buckles on the whatever it was clinking slightly. “Just for keepin’ you on the end of the rope, now turn around,” Applejack commanded.

Rainbow Dash swallowed nervously a little, but then slowly turned around. Applejack moved forward, and started to fasten the harness around Rainbow Dash, tugging the straps a little harder than was necessary, or so Rainbow imagined. She better not treat me like we’re in a rodeo! Rainbow Dash thought to herself.

Once she was satisfied that Rainbow Dash was securely fastened, Applejack untied the rope from the tree trunk and threaded the end through the large eye-hook on the back of the harness, tying a knot she knew wouldn’t slip.

“Are you sure this isn’t one of Apple Bloom’s crazy ideas?” Rainbow Dash asked as Applejack finished her preparations.

“Well…I might have let her give me an idea or two I reckon,” Applejack admitted with a grin back at her sister. "Now this here's like a rope swing" stated Applejack, eliciting a 'well, duh!' look from Rainbow Dash. Unperturbed, Applejack continued on. "I'll push to getcha some speed goin' and you should be able to stretch out like they do in the movies when they do them flyin' scenes." Rainbow Dash nodded, and had to admit to herself, it wasn't that bad of a setup. In fact, it looked pretty fun.

"An' Apple Bloom here'll take a few snapshots, an' do that stuff she does on the computer to 'em and you'll have a few pictures of you soarin' through the sky!" Applejack concluded as she smiled at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash looked over at Apple Bloom and said "OK...but if this shows up on YouTube, you're dead, you know that right?" Apple Bloom nodded her head vigorously in understanding and Rainbow grinned at her.

"Alrighty, Dash, are ya ready?" Applejack asked, moving behind Rainbow Dash. Rainbow turned to face away from the slight hill and said eagerly, "Ready!"

Applejack grabbed Rainbow Dash's waist, and started to walk backwards, until the rope was taut and she could use the leverage to lift Rainbow off the ground, then moved her grip down to Rainbow Dash's ankles as Rainbow leaned forward, extending her arms out in front of her. Applejack pulled Rainbow as far back on the arc of the rope as she could, then suddenly burst forward, shoving Rainbow Dash with a mighty push into the swing.

Rainbow Dash swung out over the stock pond, dangling a few feet above it and speared her hands to reduce the drag on her forward motion. As the rope ended it's forward swing, Rainbow flailed a bit, breaking a bit of her momentum and swinging back towards Applejack who whooped to see how well her design had worked. As Rainbow Dash regained her equilibrium, she brought down her legs so that her feet brushed into the ground, bringing her to a stop.

"Oh wow, that was sooooo awesome!!" Rainbow exclaimed. "OK, let's go again, but at least 20 percent faster! Now that I have a feel for it, I can probably steer it some." Rainbow's voice had started to rise in pitch a bit, and was even more scratchy than usual, a clear sign of her excitement. Applejack grabbed Rainbow's waist again, and said "Ok...harder and faster, I can do that! You just hang on now!"

Applejack tugged Rainbow Dash back as before, and this time Rainbow was ready for it, forcing her muscles to relax as Applejack backed up just to the edge of her reach, and then ran forward and heaved Rainbow again, with all her strength. Rainbow flowed into the curve, shooting her arms forward like a diver, piercing the wind as she once again soared over the stock pond. As she came near the end of her forward arc, Rainbow Dash bent like a swimmer turning in a pool and changed direction on the rope, so that she could follow the return swing more aerodynamically.

Applejack didn't miss a beat, as soon as Rainbow Dash crossed near the base of the tree, she gave a shove at Rainbow Dash's heels, propelling her farther into the backwards arc this time, allowing Rainbow to gain a bit more air. "Yeaaaahhh!!!" Rainbow cried out, and closed her eyes, feeling the speed, the adrenaline, the wind in her hair. Turning once again at the top of the arc, she zoomed back downwards to where Applejack stood ready to give her another mighty push.

Applejack crouched low and as Rainbow Dash whipped past, added the strength of her legs into the push, timing her jump to propel her hands into Rainbow's feet, and as Rainbow Dash soared even faster, Applejack snatched her Stetson off her head, waving and cheering "Yeee-haww!!" loudly.

Rainbow Dash was lost in the moment. She was hurtling through the air, her eyes closed, as she flew, once again. She was soaring, soaring...

*cccrrraaaaAACCCKK*

She was...falling?

As the tension on the rope went slack, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes in surprise, and all of her composure evaporated as she plummeted down towards the stock pond, the broken branch whipping after her. Her athlete's reflexes reacted, unthinking, and just before she hit the water Rainbow Dash curled into herself to not land face-first into the shallow water. The result was a very impressive cannonball right as the branch splashed into the water on top of her.

Applejack had heard the branch break, and stood there gaping, frozen in the moment, but then she realized that Rainbow Dash might be hurt, and quickly scrambled down the short bank of the stock pond, splashing into the water calling out to her best friend. The stock pond wasn't very deep, just wide, and by the time Applejack had floundered up to her waist in the muddy water, Rainbow Dash surfaced. Rainbow's hair was plastered down the side of her head, she was completely soaked through, and a little muddy from the stirred up sediment in the water, but thankfully uninjured.

For a moment, Applejack and Rainbow Dash just stared at each other. Finally, Rainbow Dash began to laugh. She brushed her hair from her face as her laughter grew, and Applejack, in a flood of relief joined in to laugh with her.

"Are you alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked once she could control herself again.

"Yeah, I'm fine AJ, really. You sure Apple Bloom didn't come up with this idea?" Rainbow Dash inquired with a sly grin. She shivered a little at the chill of the air blowing over her wet clothes, and said "Let's get out of here before she takes a picture of this!"

Applejack grinned and said, "OK Rainbow. I reckon that picture would fall under the 'get killed' kind anyhow." Rainbow Dash nodded her agreement, and the two girls waded back out of the stock tank. "I think some of my clothes'll fit you, let's go change at the house and get outta these wet duds," Applejack offered. Rainbow Dash eagerly agreed, and they headed back to the farmhouse, with Apple Bloom not far behind. As they approached, Applejack saw Big Mac standing on the porch, regarding them with a bemused look. "Told ya Bloomberg wouldn't like that." he said sagely as they passed him, and Applejack just grimaced at her brother as she and Rainbow Dash marched into the house and up to Applejack's bedroom to change.

Applejack dug out a couple of pairs of jeans, and a flannel shirt for Rainbow Dash, and took off her boots and wet pants, while Rainbow peeled off her own soaked T-shirt and jeans. Rainbow buttoned up the shirt and started to put on one of the pair of jeans when Applejack's voice made her pause.

"Hey...Rainbow...you took a look at your birthmark lately? It looks like it's got bigger."

Rainbow ran a fingertip along her hip, and nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that. It's been that way a few weeks now, not sure if it's anything to worry about though" she said, trying to sound nonchalant about it.

"Huh. That's odd...a few weeks ago..." Applejack's voice trailed off as she pivoted and turned her hip to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow glanced and saw that Applejack's birthmark, which had always looked more like a mole had also grown more prominent, and it looked vaguely familiar, as if she should know the shape.

"This here's done the same thing. Got itself all swollen or somethin'," Applejack noted. "I didn't give it much thought either until you said somethin' 'bout yours. Purty big coincidence if you ask me."

Rainbow Dash finished dressing, nodding back and Applejack reflexively and murmuring, "Yeah, coincidence." As Applejack finshed changing as well, she said "Well, at least ya got to fly again Rainbow, if only for a bit."

Rainbow Dash smiled, remembering those few brief moments of feeling airborne again. Even as crazy as it had seemed, it really had felt good. "I did, didn't I?" Rainbow asked, giving Applejack a genuine smile. "But next time...IF there's a next time," she added. "Promise me you'll pick a stronger tree, ok?"

Applejack just chuckled, nodding her head slightly. "That's a deal, Rainbow." She opened the door to the hall and said, "Let's go see what Apple Bloom took for pictures." Rainbow Dash followed after Applejack, curious to see how awesome she looked flying again. The adventure was over, but the memories were going to last a good long time.

Author's Note

And so I draw my first fanfic to a close. I realize I've left a few teasers open-ended, which is on purpose in case I want to revisit this story line in another work. I want to thank everyone so very much for the favorites, the likes, and the comments. This whole thing started out as something that I wanted to get out of my head and onto "paper" as it were mostly for myself. But as I started to enjoy reading more on the site, I'm glad that I got to share a bit with the community as well for what it's worth.