Rainbow Dash zipped across the sky, plowing through clouds, forcing them to dissipate. She looked back to see how many clouds were able to escape her magnificent speed. With a slight turn, the last few surviving clouds became victims of her agility. Rainbow Dash stopped and looked at the world below her, pleased that she had cleared the sky so quickly. “How long was that, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash yelled at the bounding pink earth pony below. “10 seconds…again! You know what this calls for?!” the pink pony exclaimed. “A PAR-” She her exclamation was muffled with Rainbow’s hoof. “Pinkie, you know you can’t throw a party for everything, right?” Rainbow removed her hoof from Pinkie’s mouth. The pink earth pony nodded, saying, “Oh well, no party. But I’m glad your fans enjoyed the show!” She gestured with her hoof to the group of young colts and fillies standing not too far away, all of them sporting something featuring their proud Rainbow Dash spirit. Rainbow stared at the group, as they stared back at her. Pinkie bounded back to Sugarcube Corner, ready to get back to the Cake twins.
“Umm…what are you guys doing here?” Rainbow asked them, attempting to break the ice. “We were in the middle of out meeting, when you whooshed by us, so we came here to see the master at her best!!” Scootaloo bursted with admiration. Snips and Snails pushed through the crowd and stood next to Scootaloo. “Um, Rainbow Dash, may we ask you a question?” Snips asked sheepishly. “Sure…why not?” Rainbow replied, still shocked that her admirers had grown since the last time she remembered. “Well, the other day we went to the library to get some books for Ms. Cheerilee, and that day we were wearing our ‘Rainbow Dash Fan’ shirts, and Twilight told us that you started…reading?” Snips and Snails both cringed as they said 'reading'. The whole group gasped as they turned to the cyan pegasus, awaiting her response.
“Well…yeah, I like reading now. I finished the Daring Do series not too long ago.” she replied coolly. “But wouldn’t that make you…” Scootaloo began. “An egghead? No. I’m still awesome, the only thing that’s changed is that I don’t think reading is uncool now.” Many of the young ones accepted this, but Snips was skeptical. “I don’t believe it! And I won’t until I see you do something amazing!” he cried out in defiance. Rainbow Dash became furious at this young colt. She couldn't believe that anyone would doubt her reputation, that she had kept since the day she was born. “Fine! I’ll go find something awesome, and do it!” Rainbow exploded. She flew off towards the library in a flash, leaving the group coughing n a cloud of dust. “Nice going Snips; now she’s mad at us.” Scootaloo sneered. Snips and Snails looked around, giving sheepish smiles, as the other ponies glared at them as well.
“My life is ruined!” Rainbow Dash cried out in despair as she sobbed on Twilight’s table. “Oh come on Rainbow, it’s not that bad.” Twilight said as she attempted to comfort the desperate pegasus. “Yes it is! Soon he’s gonna convince the others that I’m an egghead, and I’ll be called Rainbow Crash again!!” Rainbow wailed. “What is it with ponies and letting their imaginations get the best of them?” Spike mumbled as he grabbed more books to shelve. Twilight, meanwhile, pulled a book off a shelf and levitated down in front of Rainbow Dash. “Hey, I just put that one up!” Spike called, but Twilight ignored him. “Look Rainbow Dash, if they want something awesome, then give it.” As she spoke, Twilight flipped through the book to a certain page. Rainbow Dash looked up to see the page titled, “The Golden Idol of the Gallopagos Islands”. She picked up the book herself and scanned through the page quickly. “This looks perfect! I can easily fly to these islands, come back, and I’ll be cool again!” Rainbow shouted happily.
“It isn’t that simple. Many pegasi like yourself have tried to fly over there before, but ended up stranded at sea; it’s easy to get lost up there.” Twilight warned Rainbow Dash. Rainbow sighed with disappointment and looked up back at Twilight. “Then how in Equestria do you think I’m going to get over there?” she asked dryly. “Simple; get a boat.” Twilight remarked. Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “A boat?! Where in Equestria am I going to find a boat?!” she exclaimed. “Well I heard or read somewhere that a mare named Ivy has an old pirate ship and a crew.” Twilight replied as she put the book back on the shelf. “She lives just south of here in the town of Trottington; they have a nice port there.” Rainbow Dash, confused for a second, asked, “Wait, there actually were pirate ponies?” Twilight strained to remember, and began what would be a very long monologue. “Well, there were pirates once, back when Equestria was a very different place, in fact, in some records, the earliest attack occurred in the years soon after…” As she spoke, Rainbow slammed her face into the table repeatedly, regretting that she ever asked.
The day afterwards, Rainbow Dash came back wearing an exploration hat similar to the hat of Daring Do, and trotted around Ponyville with pride as she wore it. As she strolled into the library, Spike rolled his dragon eyes as she showed off her prestigious hat. Twilight came down, happy to see one of her friends visiting the library often. Then she stopped dead in her tracks as she gazed puzzled at Rainbow Dash. Then as she stared at the hat on her head, she squinted at it, as though it was familiar to her. "Hey...isn't that my hat?" Twilight remarked. Rainbow Dash glanced up, suddenly remembering that it was indeed Twilight's hat, and stuffed it under her wing. "Um...what hat again?" Rainbow asked. Spike chuckled as Twilight rolled her eyes. Rainbow Dash was the Element of Loyalty, not Honesty. A fact Twilight sometimes had to remind herself of; and this was one of those times. She levitated Rainbow Dash a book about the Gallopagos Islands. "Here; it's about how to get the Golden Idol of the Islands as well. I left some notes in their that might help you out." As Twilight spoke, Rainbow Dash grabbed the book with her hooves and flipped through a few pages, scanning them. As she skipped through words and pages, she noticed little pieces of paper with Twilight's personal handwriting on them. She could tell it was Twilight's because it was sloppier than Spike's whenever he writes a letter to Princess Celestia.
"Thanks Twilight..." Rainbow murmured as she continued to flip through the numbered pages. "It was nothing really," Twilight remarked. "Just did a little more research on some stuff they don't cover too well in here. But overall it's a good place to look. When are you going to leave town?" Twilight asked. "I was planning to leave in a few days." Rainbow replied. "I'm guessing sailing takes a longer time than flying, right?" Twilight nodded her head. "Then I'll need stuff so I won't get too bored. Pinkie's already got some stuff for me, so I should be heading off soon." Twilight and Rainbow Dash hugged before Rainbow flew off to Sugarcube Corner to get the "super-extra-doubly-fun package".
