Showing True Talent

by bron33guy

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure
Length: 2066

Rainbow Dash undergoes extensive training to really prove she's Wonderbolt material.

Rainbow Dash undergoes extensive training to really prove she's Wonderbolt material. When she get's to show off her skills, she has a finish for Spitfire to remember, one that will go down in history as an iconic moment for Equestria.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-13 03:51:35 UTC

Chapter 1

I paced around, the gears turning a million wing beats per second, going over my display that I was going to show the Wonderbolts. An idea, sure it was crazy insane, unfurled in my mind, but providing I made it look good, they’d have to sign me in straight up, on the spot.

But how was I going to pull it off? It probably was going to be triple the speed, if not more, so I’d need every bit of flying tech in the book to give myself every chance to pull it off. Whoever thought that Rainbow Dash, me, would ramp up the Sonic Rainboom, and add a Double in front of that name. My wings are going to be the most crucial piece of gear in the book, because if those fail on me halfway, it’s terra firma coming at me, fast.

Realising that I’d be putting myself into unknown territory, and mostly grumbling to myself, a little research couldn’t hurt could it? Reading books suck.

First place for research goes to Twilight, easy peasy. A little deviation from my usual style can’t be all bad can it? If I can get a bit of advice from the egghead, hopefully before she goes lecture mode, I can decide if it’s possible. But the results! Just like when I daydream!!! Awesome!!

I fly over to Twilight’s and knock.

“Oh! Hi there Dash!”

“Twilight, groundbreaking as it sounds, I need your advice. And can you please refrain from going lecture mode. Just give me your personal down to Equestria opinion. On the spot from what you know”

“Okay… then. Come in”

I walk in and sit. Spike’s doing a little reshelving.

“What is it you need my advice on Dash?”

“A double rainboom” I say flatly, straight and true.

“Isn’t a single one enough?”

“You know my style Twi. A single one just doesn’t cut it anymore. I want to ramp it up to another level.” I reply “For the Wonderbolts” I add.

She smiles. “That’s your style isn’t it?” she says “I’d say it’s possible. Doing it is of one other thing entirely”

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out for myself” I reply

“The phenomenol forces that surround you when you do a single one are mind blowing in itself. You are going to need to ramp up your wing strength to have a chance”

“Yeah, knew that on the spot already” I reply “These ones have done a couple already” I continue, flapping my wings. “They’re pretty strong right at the moment”

“You are also going to need specialised gear, reinforced, possibly magically, to take the kind of stress you are going to put it under. Normal gear, even Wonderbolt gear, as I hypothesize, would start to break up under that kind of load”

I smile. The Wonderbolts are going to gawk like cadets do.

“I say the best way to train is in both body and mind. First, you need to do single rainbooms regularly to get a feel of how it’s gonna be like. Just remember this: a Double has never ever been done before in all history. Then, you also need to train your mind. Find the trigger that pushes you over, like the memories of us falling at the Young Flier Competition. I’d start there. Picture it in your mind as you go for one and remember what you felt.”

Game face. It’s training time.

“I’ll need to work on your gear from the Wonderbolt Academy. That gear is built to a high standard, and will be a good base to place my spells on.”

“Okay Twi” I reply

“Oh and Dash? Do your Rainbooms a safe distance from Ponyville, where you won’t damage buildings and spook any of Applejack’s cattle.”

“Got it!”

I flew off, heading for Cloudsdale, racing to grab my gear from my cloud home and head back to Twilight’s.

Chapter 2

Rainboom after Rainboom.

There was a new spectacle for Ponyville.

Rainboom Fireworks.

Bridle gossip got around, mostly rumours that had nothing to it, rumours that were absolutely absurd. But everyone knew it had something to do with Dash.

Twilight was the biggest help, tweaking and refining her spells to make the gear as best she could for Dash. It was good for Twilight too. She was doing a lot of writing, documenting the procedure as the pair worked together. For her, this was the research opportunity that couldn’t be missed. And Rainbow’s wing power soared, higher that she thought she could go. That only reinforced her iron-clad confidence that she could do it.

Once, somepony swore that she saw Spitfire, accompanied by Soarin’, taking a fly by, checking out what was happening. Not even this appearance distracted Dash, for being a Wonderbolt was a lifelong dream, and if this netted her a spot on a team, she was willing to go all the way, and not let anything distract her.

Once Dash reached a phenomenal 40.3 wingpower, albeit knocking over Twilight as she measure it on one of the regular tests she did and busting the wing-meter in the process, both agreed that it was Double Rainboom time. Dash wanted to ramp it up further, but it was a case of a pony’s maximum had been reached. Dash was a little discouraged, at first, but listened up when she heard Twilight stating that around 40 was a Pegasus pony’s maximum. Both satisfied, the two headed back to Twilight’s to celebrate. Dash then called over all of her friends to talk and chat at Twilight’s over a bit of food.

Once Rainbow’s friends arrived it was Applejack who was the most impressed. Naturally, Pinkie Pie threw a party, as usual. The afternoon started to melt away over talk and apples.

Later that afternoon, a hoof-knock came at the door. Pinkie Pie bounced her way over to the door.

“Teehee! It’s one of the blue and yellow ones who oversaw the Young Flier Competition!”

WHAT?!

All pony heads turned to the famous Pegasus mare standing in the doorway to The Golden Oaks Library, know Equestria over as Spitfire. The suspense in the air went extremely brittle.

“Hey Rainbow Dash”

The suspense broke.

“Uh, can I join in?”

“Whoohoo! Of course you can join!” piped up Pinkie Pie

A fan-girl scream escapes Rainbow Dash. It was uncontainable. Spitfire? Captain of the Wonderbolts? Over for the afternoon?!

Spitfire took off her head beanie part of her uniform and sat down.

“Well go on. Where were you lot in the conversation before I arrived?”

“Umm, discussing something Dashie has been training for” pipes up Applejack “Apple?”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Thanks Spitfire “Ohh, perfect apple!”

“Oh, dear, what brought you over here down from Cloudsdale?” asks Rarity

Finishing her mouthful, Spitfire begins “Everypony’s been talking about it. It wasn’t hard for gossip about the Pegasus who’s been training so hard for something to reach Wonderbolt ears”

“So what have you heard?” asks Dash, another fan-girl scream barely contained from within.

“Only the bridle gossip from the street” continues Spitfire “That Dash must be training for something big, so big that all focus goes to training. I was indeed the somepony who flew out to take a peek at what you were doing. I was most impressed that my appearance didn’t distract you”

The night dissolves into talk you don’t often get to talk about, especially when you’re talking with a Wonderbolt. She was that impressed by Dash’s dedication she even organised for a signed Wonderbolt uniform to be made and sent to Dash’s house. At roughly 1,000 bits apiece, they weren’t cheap. And Spitfire just handed one out? Total awesome!!

After the talking, Spitfire eventually left. The party broke up, with everypony on their way home. Dash flew home faster than ever, wanting a good night’s sleep.

Chapter 3

Dash woke up with confidence running pure. She bolted down a quick breakfast and zoomed over to the Wonderbolt Academy, landing perfectly on the launch runway. She waited, quite a while. She was patient. Beyond her nature it was, but she was willing to wait however long to be seen by Spitfire and the rest of the team.

Eventually Spitfire trotted out, clipboard and commander uniform on. She had already marked a box down as complete:

[X] Patience

“Okay then hotshot. Amaze me” she spoke, in her commander voice. She sounded completely different from last night.

Dash’s plan was like this:

High speed fly-by

Model clouds- Wonderbolt logo

Clean skies fast as possible

Do 200 laps

Bucaneer Blaze

Single Rainboom

^ Double it!!! ^

Firstly, the High Speed fly-by. A no brainer. The sky model was a no brainer too. A quick peek I take behind me and I see it’s perfect.

Clearing the skies is easy. Doing it fast can be tricky. Thanks to years of being Ponyville’s weather manager, the sky gets cleared faster than ever. Now for 200 laps. Bah. Too easy. I add an extra 600 laps on top for good measure so my lap counter ticks up to 800 laps. Now the heat is really on. The Bucaneer Blaze goes off without a hitch. I’m surprised my wings don’t even ache by now. Thank you again Twilight for the training!

It’s.

Rainboom.

Time.

I just hope Twilight’s magic holds up as I head into the dive, from a higher height than usual. Spitfire notices something’s up. The familiar squeezing comes forth as my usual Rainboom bursts forth, but my confidence soars higher than ever as the sight of the Wonderbolt captain has looked up from her writing, all focus on me. The look of “Is she really…?” is pasted perfectly on her face. Flapping my wings faster than ever, I push harder and harder but can’t break the barrier.

One image: Me as a Wonderbolt and my frustration that I could be let down here by a stupid barrier. That’s what I needed! I flap my wings faster than ever before the barrier fails before me and the Double Rainboom echoes forth, reaching Spitfire and knocking her back a good way across the Academy fields.

The Rainboom spreads further than the usual one I do, encompassing as far as Canterlot. In Canterlot, Princess Luna is reading a book with a window open. The accelerated air flowing in through the windows knocks her back a fair way. She shakes her head, and sees Rainbow’s Double Rainboom in the distance, slowly fading over the Academy, and doesn’t believe it.

Back at the Academy airfield, I land on the runway with perfection, then collapse right where I landed.

I open my eyes, to see the entire Wonderbolt team and my friends all around a hospital bed. Well, almost all the Wonderbolts. One was missing.

“You’re awake sugarcube” says Applejack

“Spitfire left that box for you” Twilight says, pointing beside me. Taped to the box was the checklist Spitfire must have used when she marked me.

[X] Patience.

[X] Dedication.

[X] Focus.

[X] Able to inspire others.

[X] Can work in a team.

[X] Maintain a professional attitude.

[X] Always does what’s right.

[X] Loyal to the Wonderbolts.

The last option was scribbled in on the bottom and earned a smirk from me:

[X] Can break records and look totally awesome at the same time!

A couple days later and I’m tidying up my cloud home. The initial hype over my Double Rainboom hasn’t quite died down, when I remember I still haven’t opened the box Spitfire left for me. Inside it was a letter and a smaller box:

Rainbow Dash:

Sorry I couldn’t be beside you at the bed, but I had other commitments. I wish you all the best for the future as a Wonderbolt and hope to be flying beside you soon after you complete your training. I’ll be honoured to see how you turn out. You’ve got some real guts and talent to do a double rainboom. Just remember those friends who helped you get where you are.

P.S. Keep up the awesome work!

P.P.S. See you at 0800 sharp on Tuesday on base.

Spitfire.

Inside was the signed Wonderbolt uniform Spitfire had promised. When I realise that today is Tuesday, and I look at the clock with half an hour to go. I have but two words to say:

Game on.