The Rainbow Connection

Chapters

Chapter 2: For the 'Bolts
Chapter 4: The Secret War of Rainbow Dash
Chapter 5: Wonderbolt Love
Chapter 6: Soarin's Big Decision
Chapter 7: Moonlit Proposal
Chapter 8: The Wedding
Epilogue
Chapter 1: The Best Young Flyer
Chapter 3: After the Gala

Chapter 2: For the 'Bolts

“And quite right too,” mused Firefly once Rainbow Dash had finished her recollection of that eventful day. “I remember how your father and I came to read about it in the papers the following morning. You were wonderful, Rainbow Dash.”

“Yep – you sure showed them, huh, Dashie?” agreed Solar Blitz, patting his daughter on the shoulder. “I tell you what, though, I still can't understand why they let a unicorn into the competition in the first place.”

“Yeah, but the judges found Rarity's wings so captivating that they just had to make an exception,” laughed Rainbow Dash. “Still, probably not the most sensible idea anypony could have come up with!”

“And it's good to know that you managed to get your day out with the Wonderbolts,” added Firefly. “After all that effort you put into that Rainboom, and how you saved their lives, you deserved it.”

Rainbow Dash laughed again. “I know, right?” she boasted proudly. “Still, that was just the beginning...”

Even as Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts left the Cloudaseum for the Wonderbolt Base, she still couldn't believe that, after all this time, her hopes and dreams of ranking among her idols were slowly beginning to come true. Every so often, she couldn't help but swat one of her ears with her wing, trying to ascertain whether this was for real or she simply hadn't woken up yet. But ultimately, nothing could snap her out of this foalhood fantasy. Relieved and overjoyed that it wasn't a mere figment of her subconscious, she decided instead to try and strike up conversation with her heroes.

“This has to be the best thing that's ever happened in my life so far,” she observed. “I've always wanted to meet you guys.”

“The pleasure's all ours,” smiled the pony who had spoken to her earlier. Through her flying overalls, Rainbow Dash could just make out the mare's brilliant amber coat and wing colour, with a fiery orange mane and tail to match. “I tell you what, you did pretty well with that Sonic Rainboom of yours; nopony's ever managed to pull off such a stunt other than the Princesses on occasion.”

Rainbow Dash placed a hoof against the back of her head, blushing modestly. “Ah, it was nothing really.”

“By the way, we never did ask what your name was.”

“I'm Rainbow Dash.”

“Nice to know you, Rainbow Dash,” replied the Wonderbolt. “My name's Spitfire; I'm the team captain. This is my best friend, Lieutenant Misty Fly...”

“Great to meet you, Miss Dash,” said the blonde-coated mare with two-tone blue mane and tail flying next to Spitfire, “and thanks again for saving us.”

“...our fastest flyer, Lieutenant Echo Fleetfoot...”

“How do you do?” greeted Fleetfoot, a well-spoken baby-blue pony with a flowing white mane and tail.

“...Squadron Leader Fire Streak, my co...I mean, um...our...our head choreographer...” Spitfire looked away bashfully, as if trying to hide a blush – not that anypony would have noticed through her flying suit.

The buff-coated stallion with two-tone orange mane and tail to whom she was referring raised a friendly hoof in a sort of equine equivalent of a thumbs-up. “Pleasure,” he said in his deep, calm voice.

“...Flying Officer Blaze, our youngest member...”

“How's it going, Dash?” chirped the somewhat brash tone of Blaze, whose colours seemed to match those of Spitfire.

“...and last but not least, Wing Commander Soarin Starr, my second-in-command,” finished Spitfire, indicating towards a pale blue stallion with dark blue mane and tail whom Rainbow Dash realised was the last of the three Wonderbolts she had saved.

For some strange reason, Soarin seemed a little hesitant to speak at first. Only when Spitfire gave him a slightly impatient look did he finally find his voice. “I'm...pleased to meet you, Rainbow Dash,” he spoke up in a soft, withdrawn tone.

“It's a real honour, guys,” replied Rainbow Dash, not just to Soarin, but to all six of them.

“You a great fan of our shows then, Rainbow Dash?” asked Spitfire.

“You bet!” chuckled the rainbow-maned mare enthusiastically. “Heck, why else would I have entered that competition if I didn't look up to you lot? To fly alongside you – maybe even join the Wonderbolts myself one day – that's always been my life ambition!”

Spitfire laughed heartily. “Well, you know what they say – 'aim high, but don't aim for the impossible',” she quipped. “Still, taking your victory at the Best Young Flyers' Competition into account, you sure have a great deal of potential.”

Rainbow Dash, of course, could only agree.

“...and after we arrived, Spitfire and Soarin took me on a tour of the base,” went on Rainbow Dash. “Soarin was kinda quiet at first, and I was like 'How the heck did he become second-in-command of the Wonderbolts with an attitude like that?' But he gradually opened up to me as the day went by, and told me about some of his favourite Wonderbolt performances as he and Spitfire showed me round.”

“I can understand how he must have felt,” grinned Firefly. “If somepony had saved me from certain death like that, I'd be all nervous around them too – well, at first, anyway.”

“Yeah, but by the time we'd gone to get the grub on, he was chatting away with me like we were old friends,” mused Rainbow Dash. “I was pretty sorry to have to leave that evening, but somehow, Soarin always seemed to stick in the back of my mind. Dunno why, but there you go.”

Just then, the three ponies heard a knock at the bedroom door, which slowly opened to reveal a certain orange-coated filly.

“Morning, Rainbow Dash,” chirped Scootaloo. “How are you doing?”

“I'm okay, thanks, tiger,” smiled Rainbow Dash. “I was just telling Mom and Dad how Soarin and I first met.”

“Yeah, I remember you telling me about it!” replied Scootaloo. “That was truly awesome, how you managed to save those three Wonderbolts' lives as well as that of Rarity – and perform that Sonic Rainboom at the same time!”

“And just as well that she did, young Scootaloo,” chortled Solar Blitz. “If it hadn't been for her Rainboom, those four ponies wouldn't have stood a chance of survival.”

“Too true, Mr Blitz – too true,” agreed Scootaloo wholeheartedly. She then turned her attention to her legal guardian; “And just think – by the end of today, you and one of the Wonderbolts you saved will be leaving Ponyville Town Hall a married couple! Think of that!”

“Well, only as long as we make it there in good time,” Firefly spoke up, noticing what time it was. Nearly an hour had passed since she and Solar Blitz had come to treat their daughter to breakfast in bed, so if they were to be ready in time for the arrival of the chariot they had hired, they would have to get a move on. “Come on, you two, we've gotta go get ready. Do you need any help with that dress of yours, Rainbow Dash?”

“Um...thanks, Mom, but I'll manage okay by myself.”

“Okay, honey,” conceded Firefly, “but be sure to let us know if you're having any trouble,” and she followed Scootaloo and Solar Blitz out of the room, leaving Rainbow Dash to prepare for her big day.

Another hour later, the other three ponies were gathered in the living room to wait for Rainbow Dash and the chariot, all dressed in their finest attire. Solar Blitz had donned a smart grey top-hat and tailcoat with a white shirt and red bow-tie, while his wife was wearing a stunning sky-blue dress, patterned with white, heart-shaped clouds and trimmed with golden lace. As for Scootaloo, who was to act as Rainbow Dash's flower filly, she had gone for the dress that she had worn on the day of Princess Cadance and Shining Armour's wedding a few years previously – mainly for old times' sake, she had explained, for she and her best friends Apple Bloom and Sweetie-Belle had played a similar role back then too.

The three of them hadn't been waiting long when Rainbow Dash finally entered the room – and what a stunning sight she was too! She wore a pale rainbow-striped wedding gown, almost white in colour, lined with cloud-like white satin frills along its hem, with a pale blue silken veil over her head to match. Her wings had been carefully preened, her normally unkempt mane had been neatly brushed into a beautiful ponytail, with a few small bangs hanging down over her forehead, and her hooves were graced with a set of silver slippers. Around her neck hung a gold necklace with a pendant in the shape of her and Soarin's Cutie Marks, with a bead in the shape of the Wonderbolts emblem either side. It was enough to make both her parents stare in awe, and even Scootaloo was at a loss for words.

It was Firefly who broke the silence first. “Oh...my darling!” she gasped. “You look wonderful!”

“Aw, thanks, Mom,” replied Rainbow Dash, bashfully turning her head away to hide the blush forming on her cheeks.

“No, really, Rainbow, I mean it,” insisted Firefly, coming alongside her daughter and placing a hoof on her shoulder. “You'll surely sweep Soarin off of his hooves when he sees you.”

“Well...yeah, I guess so,” agreed Rainbow Dash thoughtfully. “Still, that's the thing about Rarity; whatever clothing she makes, she always manages to tailor it to suit her customer, no matter what it takes.”

“Well...except for those Grand Galloping Gala dresses she offered to make for you guys,” Scootaloo pointed out.

“That was different, Scoot,” objected Rainbow Dash pointedly. “The whole reason we looked so ridiculous was because we had been all picky and such about how she made them. Even mine didn't look half as cool as it did stupid, so I was kinda glad to be wearing the one she'd originally made for me.”

Solar Blitz was amazed. “You actually let Rarity make a gala dress for you?” he exclaimed. “I wasn't expecting that!”

“What did it look like?” asked Firefly curiously. “I don't think you've shown it to me or your father before.”

Their daughter smiled broadly. “You're right, Mom – I hadn't. It was kinda like this one except that it wasn't quite so pale, my slippers were gold rather than silver, and instead of the veil, I had a sort of leaf-shaped golden headpiece.”

“That must have turned a few Wonderbolt heads too!” chuckled Solar Blitz.

But Rainbow Dash couldn't quite bring herself to agree. She glanced wistfully down at her hooves as she remembered how badly it had gone for her and her friends. “Well...not exactly......”

As the six ponies arrived at Canterlot Castle after their long carriage ride from Ponyville, they could hardly believe that their hopes and dreams were about to come true. A night at the Grand Galloping Gala was something that they had always dreamed of, and all for different reasons...

It had been a long time since Twilight Sparkle had spent any real time with Princess Celestia. Having received tickets for the Gala – and an almighty headache from the others over who should get the extra ticket, which had ultimately been resolved by Celestia herself – she had been delighted to get the chance to hang out with her, and was looking forward to spending the whole evening with her mentor.

Being the party animal she was, Pinkie Pie expected a great deal of fun and games throughout the Gala, and couldn't stop chattering about what an exhilarating time she would have.

Applejack was always on the lookout for an excuse to bring in some extra income for her family, and the Gala seemed the perfect opportunity to set up a stall and cater for the Canterlot elite. Before they had left, she had packed a vast amount of fritters, tarts, pies and other apple produce, thus providing a wide variety of tasty treats for her stall.

Needless to say, Rarity had long dreamed of finding the one whom she was destined to be with for all time, and back then, she had hoped it would be one of Canterlot's finest stallions. Hopefully, that very special somepony might turn out to be a member of Equestria's Royalty – and that would be a fairy-tale come true for her.

Fluttershy, of course, couldn't care less about mingling with ponies she didn't know. Her reason for coming was the abundance of rare creatures she hoped to befriend from the palace gardens; she had read a great deal about them, and even her mother, Posey, and her aunt, Dancing Butterflies, had spoken fondly of them. But now, she would finally get to see them for herself.

As for Rainbow Dash, her foalhood idols would be performing here, so she was looking forward to hanging out with them for the first time since the end of the Best Young Flyers' Competition. If she was lucky, they might even invite her to perform a few stunts alongside them.

Once they were within the castle, the six friends went their separate ways; Twilight went to find Princess Celestia, Rarity started to explore the castle for her Prince Charming, Pinkie bounced merrily into the ballroom, and Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow Dash headed out to the castle grounds.

The Wonderbolts had already finished one performance by the time they had arrived, and were now taking a break before the next. As Applejack was setting up her stall, one particular Wonderbolt happened to be close by, and eyed the various pastries and other treats in awe. He so loved apples and their related produce as much as the next pony, and though there was a buffet table inside the castle, he could hardly resist the snacks that the orange-coated Earth pony behind the stall had to offer.

“Howdy, partner,” drawled Applejack cheerfully, seeing a chance to attract a customer. “You hungry?”

“As a horse,” replied Soarin eagerly.

“Well, what're ya hankerin' fo'?” offered the orange farm pony. “Caramel apple? Apple pie? Apple fritter? Apple fries?”

Soarin paused, examining the stall again. He had worked up quite an appetite from the air display that he and his fellow Wonderbolts had been performing earlier. “I'll take that big apple pie,” he said at last, and placed a few bits into the pail that hung on one side of the stall.

“Well, thank ya kindly, sir.”

With a polite nod, Soarin took the pie he had just bought and made his way over to the nearby VIP section, where his fellow Wonderbolts would be waiting for him. As he was about to enter, Spitfire could only smile when she saw the huge pastry he had just bought.

“Always hungry after a show, eh Soarin?” she quipped.

Soarin chuckled. “Yeah...” he began; but he had completely forgotten that he was still holding it in his mouth, and could only watch in horror as it fell towards the ground.

Luckily, Rainbow Dash happened to be nearby, trying to work out what to say to the Wonderbolts should they notice her. In an instant, she raced forward and only just managed to grab the pie in time to prevent it from being ruined. After a quick check to see that it was still intact, she picked herself up and held it out to the Wonderbolt; but as she did so, she happened to look into his emerald-green eyes, which bore an expression of awe and gratitude. Soarin gazed back at her, noting the mare's attractive rainbow-coloured mane and remembering how she had saved him at the Best Young Flyers' Competition just a few months ago. For a few short moments, everything around them seemed to fade into the background as the two ponies became lost in each other's eyes.

“You......you saved it,” stammered Soarin, after a long silence. “Thanks.”

“Hey...no prob',” answered Rainbow Dash, rather shyly for one of the few times in her life, as Soarin took his pie back and trotted into the VIP section.

“Hey, I know you.” Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder to see Spitfire standing just beside her. “You're the pony that saved us in Cloudsdale and won that Best Young Flyers' Competition.”

“Hay yeah!” affirmed Rainbow Dash, her brashness quickly returning after her little encounter with Soarin. “Name's Rainbow Dash.”

“Well, Rainbow Dash,” remarked Spitfire, “looks like your skills saved us again – well, at least they saved Soarin's apple pie,” she added, pointing to one side of the enclosure. Rainbow Dash giggled inwardly as she watched Soarin eagerly stuff his face. “Wanna come hang out with us?”

Rainbow Dash didn't need to be asked twice; it was what she had come all this way from Ponyville for, after all. “Sure, why not?” she agreed, and followed them into the enclosure, quietly squealing with excitement...

Chapter 4: The Secret War of Rainbow Dash

Soarin turned out to be something of a Sergeant Wilson to Spitfire's Captain Mainwaring during the training regimes. Even though he pushed the new recruits almost as hard as her, he was far more encouraging by comparison, even whenever any of them failed to achieve the targets that had been set by the Academy. Nevertheless, he always made sure to maintain discipline, especially when Spitfire came out to inspect the cadets.

But this did little to reassure Rainbow Dash. Somehow, she felt as though she had to do far better than her best no matter what it took, and over time, she became almost as reckless as Lightning Dust; she didn't go as far as endangering anypony else's lives, but Soarin soon began to worry that, soon enough, she might well endanger her own.

Finally, about three weeks later, it all came to a head. The cadets had been given another cloud-clearing session, and Rainbow Dash was determined to clear her area of cloud faster than the others could manage. Her wing-pony, a cautious young mare named Swallowtail, seemed rather nervous as they climbed towards their clouds.

“Are you sure about this, Rainbow Dash?” she asked uneasily. “With the number of twists and turns you're planning on making, you could hurt yourself.”

“Ah, give it a rest, Swallowtail!” snorted Rainbow Dash. “I know what I'm doing. Just you stand back and watch me!” and before Swallowtail could object, she charged towards the clouds and began punching and kicking them violently. Her wing-pony could only watch anxiously, hoping to goodness that she wouldn't overexert herself.

Their area of sky rapidly became clearer and clearer, and for a moment, Swallowtail thought she could finally relax. But then, suddenly...

“AAAAHH!”

“What the...!?” Swallowtail looked up again in horror. In trying to break up her last cloud, Rainbow Dash had turned so sharply that she had pulled a muscle in her left wing, and was now plummeting towards the ground. She was doing her best to level out, but her wings kept faltering each time. Swallowtail dived towards her in a bid to break her fall.

But just as she was within range, there was a flash of blue right in front of her, and Rainbow Dash seemed to vanish into thin air. By the time Swallowtail had gathered her awareness, much to her relief, her lead pony was safely back on the runway with Soarin standing next to her.

“Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?” he asked anxiously.

“I guess so,” groaned Rainbow Dash, clutching her wing. “Thanks, Soarin.”

“What the hay were you trying to do up there anyway?” went on Soarin, a slight sternness in his voice. “Didn't you realise you could have killed yourself?”

The rainbow-maned mare looked deeply ashamed of herself. “I'm sorry, sir,” she said sadly. “I didn't mean to. I was just scared that......that you might throw me out of the Academy if I didn't do any better.”

“What?!” Soarin was taken aback. “Why would I do something like that just for setting a reasonable clearing time?”

But Rainbow Dash couldn't answer. Somehow, she felt as though any answer she gave him would make her look silly in front of both her trainer and the rest of the cadets, particularly on account of the embarrassed tears she could feel building up in her eyes. If anypony on the Academy saw anything of the sort, they would probably see her as little more than a wimp, and then her chances of becoming a Wonderbolt would definitely be dead.

Soarin did, but far from thinking of her as a coward, it merely served to soften his demeanour. His heart went out to Rainbow Dash, and he rested a gentle, reassuring hoof against the distressed mare's back. “Rainbow Dash, I know you're anxious to become one of us someday,” he said softly, “but just because you don't get the best time in just one simple training exercise doesn't mean you never will be. Wonderbolt training isn't just about getting it right the first time; it's about improving yourself until you're at your physical best, so you don't need to worry about being thrown out of the Academy just because you weren't quite so far ahead of the others as you thought you might be.”

“Don't I?” stammered Rainbow Dash.

“Heck, no,” reassured Soarin. “What you do need to worry about is your own safety, as well as that of others – I mean, not much point in being a Wonderbolt if you're not alive to enjoy it, eh?”

Rainbow Dash gave an awkward smile in reply. “Nah, I guess not.”

“Nope – you're absolutely right,” agreed Soarin. “Come on now; let's get that wing seen to.” But before he and Rainbow Dash went to see the Academy medic, he turned and addressed the other cadets; “The rest of you, stay put while I deal with Rainbow Dash. If I catch any of you in the air when I get back, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the Academy pronto. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” replied the cadets, and all saluted smartly as Soarin escorted the injured mare to the hospital wing.

“It wasn't too serious, was it?”

“No, Mom,” replied Rainbow Dash. “It was pretty much healed up after a couple of days, so I was soon up and about again. Spitfire wasn't too happy about it, but Soarin managed to persuade her to let it slide, and so she agreed not to say anything else about my mishap. All the same, she insisted on grounding me until she was sure I'd fully recovered.”

“Well, after an accident like that, who wouldn't?” quipped Firefly.

“It was a further two or three days before she deemed me fit to fly again, and during that time, I grew incredibly bored,” Rainbow Dash continued. “Still, it gave me plenty of time to figure a few things out, particularly with regards to Soarin; not only had that pony understood what I was going through at that moment, but he had returned the favour for me saving his life at the Best Young Flyers' Competition...”

“...which pretty much made you quits, I take it?” Solar Blitz presumed.

“Well...kinda, but I felt I owed him a lot more, and that made me begin to realise that my feelings for him ran far deeper than mere friendship and idolisation. I wasn't sure how to feel about it, but no way did I want to tell him immediately; I mean, this is the second-in-command of the Wonderbolts we're talking about. You don't just walk up to the second-in-command of...well, any organisation and say, 'Hey, babe, I just found out the other day, I'm starting to get a crush on you!' If I'd said that, I'd probably have fallen from his favour.”

Scootaloo couldn't help laughing at such a notion. “Right on, Dash!” she giggled heartily, but quickly subsided when Firefly gave her a slightly reproving glance.

“But you did tell him in the end, didn't you?”

“I sure did. As our training continued, I began to feel a lot stronger and more confident under his tuition, and while I was careful never to put...well, anypony's lives at risk, I continued to push myself as far as I could go, to the point where Spitfire promoted me to Cadet Leader. Soarin was so impressed with how much I had improved that he started hanging out with me most evenings after training; sometimes we would race each other, but at other times, we would just sit near the barracks and gaze up at the stars. But one evening, about four months later, he started coughing badly, and when I came for training the following morning...”

Rainbow Dash was horrified. “What do you mean Soarin's not gonna be training us?!”

“I was just coming to that, Cadet,” replied Spitfire in a harsh whisper. “Now keep your voice down and pay attention!” She then turned and addressed the whole group; “As I was saying, Soarin has gone down with the feather flu, and won't be available for a further three days at least. As of now, you will be under the tutelage of Squadron Leader Fire Streak until further notice.”

Though she tried not to show it, the revelation that Soarin had been taken ill had left Rainbow Dash utterly distraught. Her chest began to feel rather sore, and everything seemed to fade out from existence, as if she was trapped in a deep pit with only a dim shaft of sunlight from above to illuminate the darkness. Even with the vast number of cadets either side of her, she had never felt so alone in all her life.

Things were no better when it came to the training exercise. Not only did Rainbow Dash feel empty without Soarin, but she couldn't stop worrying about his condition, and far from the expertise and agility she had displayed thus far, her flying became increasingly sloppy, and at one point she nearly ended up knocking herself out of the air towards the end of the exercise. To add insult to injury, some of the other cadets didn't seem very impressed with how she had performed.

“Cripes!” remarked one of them as they lined up on the runway. “Maybe there was a reason that so-called 'Cadet Leader' of ours gained the nickname of Rainbow Crash.”

“Yeah, how's that kind of performance supposed to get somepony like her into the Wonderbolts?” added another. “Besides, I thought she was supposed to be the best flyer in Equestria.”

“Shut up, you guys!” bellowed Thunderlane angrily. “Rainbow Dash is the best flyer in Equestria! I should know – I came from the same town as her!”

“So?” scoffed another cadet. “Just because you...”

“That's enough, cadets!” ordered Fire Streak. “I know Rainbow Dash's performance today was......less than average for whatever reason, but that doesn't give anypony the right to put her down so strongly. Now if I hear any further insults directed towards your Cadet Leader, the ones responsible will be hearing from the Captain about it!”

“Yes, sir,” said the cadets ruefully.

But even though the remainder of the cadets remained respectfully quiet on the subject of Soarin, Rainbow Dash still found it difficult to concentrate on her training, and by the time she returned to the mess hall at the end of the day, she was so stiff and sore from all her bumps and spin-outs that she could barely hide her discomfort. Spitfire, who happened to be nearby, happened to notice how bruised she was – both physically and emotionally – and instructed the rainbow-maned mare to come to her office after she had eaten.

As Rainbow Dash approached the office door, she was secretly a little scared of what Spitfire might have to say. What if Soarin had been wrong about her being kicked out just for falling short of her own target? What if the next few minutes at the Academy were to be her last? Nervously, she tried to push those thoughts aside as she knocked at the door and entered the room. Much to the rainbow-maned mare's surprise, Spitfire had a look of concern plastered on her face as she entered, something that she hadn't shown for one second during Rainbow Dash's time at the Academy thus far.

“You wanted to see me, Captain?”

“Yes, Cadet Rainbow Dash, I did,” affirmed Spitfire. “Fire Streak had been telling me that your performance today had left a fair bit to be desired, and to be quite frank, I'd been rather worried about you myself. You've never been this sloppy under me or Soarin, so why our head choreographer?”

Rainbow Dash paused, hanging her head slightly. She was secretly relieved that Spitfire was showing concern for her top cadet, but couldn't bring herself to explain what had caused her to mess up her training routines that day.

“It wouldn't have anything to do with Soarin, would it?”

This took Rainbow Dash even further aback than before. “H-h-how did you find out about me and Soarin?!” she spluttered, flabbergasted.

“Oh...lots of reasons,” replied Spitfire. “Your outburst when I informed you of Soarin's absence this morning was quite a give-away for a start, and besides, having spent so much time with Fire Streak...” She paused, and gave a coy wink. “...I know what it's like to have a crush on somepony and not know how to admit it to them.”

“You mean...you knew the whole time? But why didn't you say anything?”

“And embarrass you in front of the other cadets?” retorted Spitfire. “No way would I want to do that; but before you ask, neither do I have a problem with you two being together as long as you don't let it interfere with your training.”

Rainbow Dash looked away sheepishly as she remembered why Spitfire had been so worried earlier. “Sorry about that, ma'am,” she apologised meekly. “I didn't mean for that to happen – I just couldn't stop worrying over Soarin's illness.”

Spitfire gave her top cadet a soft, understanding smile. “You really do care for him, don't you?”

The only reply she elicited from the rainbow-maned mare was a solemn nod.

“Alright then, Cadet,” conceded Spitfire gravely, “I don't wish to make a habit of this, but if you're really so upset about my second-in-command, you'd better take tomorrow off.”

“What?! But ma'am...”

“No, Rainbow Dash,” insisted Spitfire defiantly. “I can't have my cadets pushing themselves too hard. I'd already told you before, being a Wonderbolt isn't just about pushing ponies to their limits – it's about pushing them in the right direction. Besides, you don't want a repeat of what happened during that cloud-clearing exercise, do you?”

With a defeated sigh, Rainbow Dash finally relented. “No, I guess not,” she agreed, remembering how her recklessness could nearly have resulted in her losing her life were it not for Soarin. “Okay, Captain – if you really think so.”

“Try not to beat yourself up about it, though,” added Spitfire, softening again. “You've done really well so far, and we're all pleased with you, so don't let anypony or anything persuade you otherwise. Now you go and rest yourself – and try not to lose sleep over Soarin; the medic says he'll be fit and well again by Thursday.”

“I'll try not to,” promised Rainbow Dash as she left the office.

Chapter 5: Wonderbolt Love

The next two days proved rather difficult for Rainbow Dash. She tried her best to keep her mind off Soarin, but no matter what she did, whether it was reading her favourite Daring Do novels, drawing a few sketches of some of the other Wonderbolts (something she wasn't very good at) or trotting round the racetrack, nothing seemed to alleviate the boredom and loneliness she had begun to feel. Even when she resumed training after her day off, she no longer seemed to have the same gusto that she normally did.

The following Thursday, just as Spitfire had said he would, Soarin came out of the hospital wing feeling as fit as a fiddle and better. Rainbow Dash was relieved to have him back as her trainer, and throughout their training exercises that day, she performed so well that nopony would ever have known that, just a few days previously, she had been so sloppy as to warrant any downtime on her part.

What everypony else did notice, however, was that when they were off duty, she didn't seem to want to leave Soarin's side for one second. Soarin himself pretended not to mind, but he too was rather confused by how strangely Rainbow Dash was behaving. Only when the two ponies had gone to relax in a quiet, out-of-the-way spot behind the barracks did he bring himself to say anything about it.

“Um...Rainbow Dash,” he ventured, “have you been feeling okay the last few days?”

Rainbow Dash gave her trainer an odd look. “What do you mean, have I been feeling okay?” she retorted, not quite understanding what he was talking about. “It's not as if I'd gone down with pony pox or anything.”

“What? No, I don't mean in terms of health, Rainbow,” objected Soarin hastily. “I'm just...that is......well...I don't mean to offend you by any means, but you never once left me alone today. Was there anything wrong?”

“As if!” scoffed Rainbow Dash, trying to play it off with a somewhat awkward smile. “I'm the top cadet of the Wonderbolt Academy; why would anything be wrong?”

But deep down, she felt rather guilty for having to maintain the tough mare act. All she had wanted right now was to wrap her forelegs around him and never let go as long as she lived. But what if Soarin didn't feel the same way about her as she did him? What if her feelings for him were nothing but a lost cause?

“Then why did you keep following me round the base between training exercises?”

This caught Rainbow Dash completely off guard, and her reply caught in her throat as she realised that she could barely hide her thoughts from him much longer. Maybe he had already learned of her feelings from somepony else on the base – maybe his queries were merely a rejection in disguise. At this point, she could no longer hold her inner loneliness back; flinging her wings and forelegs around Soarin, she buried her face in his shoulder and, for one of the few times in her life, broke down into loud, uncontrollable sobbing as she cried into his warm, pale-blue fur.

Soarin froze. He hadn't been expecting the embrace Rainbow Dash was giving him, but equally sudden was the pain in his chest that he began to feel upon seeing her so upset. The rainbow-maned mare was normally so brash and cool-headed that the last thing anypony would expect was for her to become so emotional over anything, let alone such a petty matter as how clingy she had been that day, and to see her in such a state pained him to the point where he could barely hold back tears of his own. He remembered when he had had to save her after she had pulled that muscle in her wing; the look of shame in her eyes back then had been so depressing that he had been hard-pressed to restrain himself from hugging her reassuringly. But now, secluded from all the other Wonderbolts and cadets, all he could think to do was wrap his arms around her and return the embrace, gently running one hoof through her rainbow-coloured mane.

They remained that way for a few more minutes before Rainbow Dash finally resurfaced, her eyes swollen and mildly bloodshot from crying so hard. “I'm sorry, Soarin,” she murmured morosely.

“What for?” asked Soarin calmly.

“For smothering you the way I did,” explained Rainbow Dash. “Those last three days had been some of the loneliest I've ever had, and I just couldn't bear to be away from you any longer.” A further tear trickled down her cheek as she tried to calm herself down for what she had to say next. “I know you keep saying I'm the best flyer ever to set hoof in this Academy, but without you, I......I'm nothing. You were the one who made me who I am today, and not through promotion either; just knowing you were the one watching us from down on the ground made me feel like I could take on the world – the whole universe, even! That's why I messed up so badly when I heard you were ill; I just felt so lost without you.”

At first, Soarin could only stare in amazement at the rainbow-maned mare still in his embrace. What was going through his mind right now, Rainbow Dash couldn't tell; but as she poured her heart out to him, she noticed that his eyes were starting to glisten in the moonlight. Another silence ensued for a few moments.

“You...really mean it?”

Rainbow Dash nodded wearily, letting out a small mumble and yet another tear in reply as she looked down at the grass with shame. But after little more than a few seconds, she felt a firm but gentle hoof trying to lift her head upwards again. With a slight reluctance, she looked back into Soarin's eyes, and was greeted with a soft, warm smile of affection.

“You've no idea how long I've wanted to hear that from you, Rainbow Dash,” he whispered. “I'll be honest with you; when I first joined the Wonderbolts, getting myself a marefriend was pretty much the last thing on my mind. Being recognised as one of the best flyers in Equestria, if not the world – that was my true ambition in life, just like yours. That act of bravery of yours at the Best Young Flyers' Competition changed all that, though.”

“How do you mean?”

“After you saved me, Spitfire, Misty and your friend Rarity, I just felt like I owed you my life, hence why I was so quiet when we took you back to base after the competition. You were a real hero back then, and I couldn't even stop thinking about you after you left; whenever we had a training exercise, I often imagined you were flying alongside me, and I even dreamed about you a lot when I was asleep. You remember that Grand Galloping Gala you attended?”

“Not something I enjoy looking back on,” admitted Rainbow Dash, “but yeah – I remember.”

“Well, crazy though this may sound, that moment where you dived forward and saved that pie I'd just bought off of Applejack seemed to remind me of the heroic mare that I'd always seen in you, and that's partly what prompted me to talk Spitfire into letting you come and visit the Wonderbolt base a second time. For me, you hanging out with us was the only real highlight to an otherwise boring evening, and likewise, that dance we had at Princess Cadance's wedding was one of the best moments in my whole life.” Soarin paused, heaving a deep sigh. “To cut a long story short, Rainbow Dash......well...I've fallen for you over the years.”

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. “Really?” she gasped, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Once again, the two ponies fell silent, gazing into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity before, at last, Soarin finally plucked up courage and leaned forward. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but froze when she felt a moist, warm sensation wrapping itself round her lips. Her heart skipped a beat as her mind finally registered what was going on – Soarin was kissing her! Dizzy with joy, she slowly closed her eyes and hugged him tightly as she returned the kiss, which went on for almost a minute before the two of them finally separated.

“Oh, Soarin, that was......indescribable,” she breathed.

“I'll say it was,” agreed Soarin. “I'd often wondered what a kiss would be like, but I never thought I'd get to experience it.” His soft smile then turned to a hopeful expression. “Do I take it then that you like me back?”

“'Like' you?” repeated Rainbow Dash, pretending to take umbrage. “What the hay are you talking about, Soarin? I don't 'like' you.”

Soarin looked a little dismayed; but just as he was about to ask what she disliked about him, Rainbow Dash suddenly flung her arms around him once again, squeezing him so tightly he almost thought he was being choked. “I LOVE YOU!!!” she squealed joyously.

“Wait......seriously?” Soarin was so confused by now that he didn't know what to think.

“Well, duh!” laughed an amused Rainbow Dash. “Why do you think I let you kiss me just now?”

At this point, Soarin had to laugh too. “Fair point, Rainbow Dash,” he conceded heartily. He then wrapped his arms back around her waist and nuzzled the side of her neck, which Rainbow Dash fondly returned.

As they came apart once again, Rainbow Dash took one of Soarin's hooves in hers. “By the way, Soarin,” she added softly, “I never did thank you for saving my life during my fourth week here.”

“You've no need to thank me for anything, Rainbow Dash,” said Soarin kindly. “Being a Wonderbolt may have been my life ambition, but you alone have come to mean the whole world to me, way more than my position as second-in-command could ever have done. Heck, I don't even care if I have to give it up for your sake.”

“You...you'd really forsake your spot on the Wonderbolts for me?”

“Well, I'm hoping it won't come to that; but yes, I most certainly would.”

“Oh, thank you, Soarin,” beamed Rainbow Dash, fresh tears starting to spill from her eyes in her happiness as she hugged Soarin for the umpteenth time that night. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too......Dashie,” whispered Soarin, fondly returning the hug. Rainbow Dash sighed happily as she dozed off in his warm, welcoming embrace, the aura of their love glowing all around them.

Firefly raised a hoof to her heart. “Aw, how sweet,” she cooed.

“And he really meant it too,” added Rainbow Dash. “With all that training going on, we hardly ever got any time alone at first, but eventually he began inviting me to come and hang out in his suite from time to time; and when one of the other cadets tried to make me look silly in front of the others so he could gain the title of Cadet Leader for himself, Soarin refused to demote me without investigating into what had really happened. In the end, that idiot stallion was kicked out for assaulting me.”

“That sure sounds pretty loyal of him,” agreed Solar Blitz. “What did you think of him calling you Dashie, though?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Well, up until that point, outside of you and Mom, the only other pony who had called me that was Pinkie Pie,” she replied. “I wasn't too fussed about nicknames back then, but with Soarin, it was different; I actually found it rather...well, cute every time he called me that...”

But any further conversation was abruptly cut short by a knock on the front door, which Firefly got up to answer. Upon opening the door, she noticed an immaculate horse-drawn vehicle standing just outside, with four well-groomed, smartly-dressed Pegasi harnessed to it. The vehicle's spotless golden paintwork glistened in the sunlight, and the padded seating added tremendously to its luxurious appearance. Another Pegasus, a silver-coated stallion wearing a chauffeur's uniform, sat patiently in the driver's seat, and a sixth stood just in front of the doorway.

“Pardon me, madam,” questioned the stallion politely, “but would I be right in assuming that I've just arrived at Rainbow Villa, Ponyville?”

“Indeed you would,” affirmed Firefly, and turned back towards the hallway. “Dash, Blitz, Scootaloo,” she called into the house, “the chariot's here.”

“Be right with you, honey.”

“Coming, Mrs Firefly!”

“Okay, Mom, we'll be right out.”

The other three ponies exited the living room and made their way out to the waiting chariot. Before long, the six Pegasi had received their directions from Firefly, and were flying Rainbow Dash, her parents and her adopted daughter to the Town Hall.

As the scenery trundled past their chariot at a sedate pace, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but stare vacantly into the clear, blue sky. She could just about make out the outline of Cloudsdale in the middle distance, floating majestically above the horizon, and blinked back a few wistful tears as she recalled some of her fondest foalhood memories. Looking back over the last few years since she had left her old home for Ponyville, she somehow found it hard to believe how far she had come from the clumsy young flyer she used to be. Now, not only had she gained recognition as Equestria's best flyer overall, but she had finally managed to gain her long-coveted position in the Wonderbolts, and before long, she would be spending the rest of her life with one of them.

“Rainbow Dash?”

The rainbow-maned mare snapped out of her reverie and turned her attention back to Firefly. “Yes, Mom?”

“Is anything the matter, dear?”

“Nothing,” replied Rainbow Dash; but Firefly could tell she didn't mean as much. A long pause hung over the four ponies.

“Are you nervous?”

Rainbow Dash gave her mother an odd look. “Nervous? Why should I be nervous?” she objected. “I'm the toughest pony in Equestria; how do you think I made it into the Wonderbolts?”

“By training hard and not putting a hoof out of line?” suggested Solar Blitz innocently.

Firefly rested a gentle hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder to try and reassure her, completely ignoring her husband's cheek. “It's okay to be nervous, honey,” she said softly. “A lot of ponies get that way when they're about to be married; even your father and I were a little uneasy about it.”

Rainbow Dash sighed heavily. She knew her mother was only trying to help, but she felt rather ashamed of having to admit her feelings. “Well...yeah, I am nervous,” she confessed at last. “It's just such a big change, me getting......getting hitched to Soarin and all...” She broke off, trying to fight back her tears, whereupon Firefly pulled into a gentle, comforting hug.

“Take it easy, Dashie,” she soothed, wrapping her arms around her daughter. “You're a big girl now; you'll be able to go ahead with it. Even if you aren't, I'm sure Soarin will understand.”

Rainbow Dash paused for a few seconds, thinking it through. At last, she pulled back from Firefly and wiped her tears away completely; “No, Mom,” she insisted bravely, “I can't just turn back now that I've made it this far. If I'm tough enough to get into the Wonderbolts' team or perform a Sonic Rainboom, I'm tough enough to go ahead with this wedding, and nothing, absolutely nothing is gonna stop me.”

Solar Blitz smiled broadly. “That's my girl,” he encouraged.

“That's the spirit, Rainbow Dash,” agreed Firefly, smiling fondly. “You're a really brave mare, and we're really proud of you.”

“Thanks, Mom,” whispered Rainbow Dash, deeply touched.

“Oh yeah,” remarked Scootaloo, “that reminds me, Dash; you never did tell me how or when Soarin proposed to you.”

Rainbow Dash stared at Scootaloo in disbelief. “Did I really not tell you?”

“I don't think you told any of us,” affirmed Solar Blitz. “Any chance you could do so now? I know we'll be at the Town Hall in a few minutes, but still...”

“Okay, Dad, I get it!” chuckled Rainbow Dash. “Well, let's see......if I remember Misty's side of the story right...”

Chapter 6: Soarin's Big Decision

Misty Fly sat lazily on the couch on one side of the officers' lounge at the Wonderbolt base, reading the latest copy of the Cloudsdale Tribune, while Fire Streak and another male Wonderbolt occupied themselves with a game of chess. It had been a quiet, somewhat uneventful day thus far, and Misty couldn't help wondering whether Spitfire should have just let them all have the day off if there weren't any stunt routines that needed to be practised.

“Terribly sorry, Wave Chill,” announced Fire Streak, breaking the silence that had been hanging over the room, “but I'm afraid that is...” he paused impressively as he moved his queen to capture one of his opponent's rooks, “...checkmate.”

“Darn it!” groaned Wave Chill. “That's the third time you've beaten me so far!”

“Ah well – better luck next time, Lieutenant.” Fire Streak looked towards the door, wondering if maybe he should get himself some coffee. “Oh, hullo, Soarin. I didn't see you come in just now.”

“At ease, Squadron Leader,” replied Soarin, sitting down next to him. “How was your vacation in Baltimare?”

“It was okay, I guess. The catering at my hotel wasn't exactly that good,” the buff-coated stallion mused, “but I enjoyed seeing that regatta all the same – matter of fact, one of the captains even invited me onto the lead vessel of the naval flotilla.”

“Oh, well that's good to know.”

“How about you, Commander? Cadet training been treating you okay?”

“Um...not bad,” said Soarin quietly.

Fire Streak was rather taken aback by the somewhat distant tone with which his superior had just spoken. “Nothing wrong, was there, sir?” he asked.

“No, nothing at all.”

Wave Chill and Fire Streak exchanged puzzled glances. It wasn't like Soarin to get so distracted so easily – but then since Rainbow Dash had enrolled in their Academy, he probably had every reason to be, so they simply shrugged it off and began packing away the chess set. Just as they were getting up to go and get something from the canteen, however, Soarin abruptly broke the silence again; “Hey, Fire Streak, do you know of any good jewellery stores around here?”

Misty lowered her newspaper and listened with interest. Maybe she could be of help, she thought.

“Jewellery?” repeated Fire Streak. “Never bother with the stuff.”

Soarin gave him an odd look. “What, not even for Spitfire?”

“No – Spitfire's not a great fan of jewellery. You know that.”

“What's this about jewellery, Soarin?” asked Misty curiously, putting the paper down and walking over to the three stallions.

Soarin hesitated. “I just wanted to know......where I could find a little something for Rainbow Dash,” he explained uneasily. “You wouldn't happen to know, would you, Misty?”

“Well, you've come to the right pony, Commander,” smiled Misty. “I gotta ask, though, why are you planning on getting jewellery for Rainbow Dash of all ponies? It's not like she's into that kind of thing herself.”

“Um......I suppose I might as well tell you,” decided Soarin, “but only if you promise not to breathe a word to anypony else – and certainly not to the Wonderbolt cadets. Can you guys do that for me?”

“Sure thing, Commander,” affirmed Misty.

“As you wish, sir,” added Wave Chill.

“Same here, Soarin,” chimed in Fire Streak.

“Well, it's like this...” began Soarin, and gestured to the other ponies to lean in closer. He then checked that nopony else was in the room and whispered something into their ears.

“Oh, I see!” remarked Misty as soon as he had finished. “Ah, well that changes everything.”

“When do you plan on bringing it up then, Soarin?” quizzed Fire Streak curiously.

Soarin placed a hoof behind his head, blushing slightly. “Haven't really worked it out yet, but that's not important right now. Misty, are there any places that you would recommend?”

“Yes, actually; there's one on Prancetown Avenue in San Fratello. In fact, my coltfriend Concorde once got me a medallion from there as a Hearth's Warming present,” explained Misty. “Tell you what; if Spitty will let us go down there for an hour or so, I'll help you pick something out for your marefriend. That'll be my way of repaying her for that Best Young Flyers' Competition.”

“That'd be really helpful, actually. Thanks, Misty.”

“Hey – no problem. Can't exactly leave a senior Wonderbolt hanging now, can we?” grinned Misty, and headed off to Spitfire's office with Soarin close behind. Fire Streak and Wave Chill watched them leave the lounge, silently wondering what Spitfire would have to say about it.

“For Rainbow Dash, eh?” remarked Spitfire thoughtfully. “Well, it hardly sounds like a good excuse to vacate this base...”

Soarin looked disappointed.

“...but what the hay – rules are made to be broken, so I reckon I'll stretch a point. Just make sure you're back by sundown, okay?”

“We will, Captain,” promised Misty. “That jewellers' place usually shuts shop at 1700 hours anyway, so we should be back in good time.”

“Good – then you have my word,” conceded Spitfire with a smile.

“Really?” said Soarin, perking up. “Aw, thanks, Spitty. You're a real buddy, you know that?”

“You're welcome, Wing Commander,” chuckled Spitfire. “Now you go and find that something for your mare.”

“Come on, Soarin,” prompted Misty. “The day isn't getting any longer, you know.”

Soarin laughed as he followed the blonde-coated mare out of the office. “Hey, who's supposed to be ordering whom about here?” he joked.

It wasn't long before Soarin and Misty arrived in San Fratello, a smallish market town located a few miles away from Trottingham. They came into land on a cobbled roadway just north of the town centre, opposite to what looked like an old cottage from almost a century ago except for the huge front windows, with a sign above the door reading “JASPER CARAT FAMILY JEWELLERS” in large letters.

“Is this the place?” asked Soarin as they touched down.

“Yep – 47A, Prancetown Avenue, just as Concorde said it would be. Come on, Soarin, let's go in and take a look.” Misty led the way into the shop, where they immediately began browsing through the various accessories in the display cabinets and underneath the counter. But after a just a few minutes of searching, Soarin was starting to get cold hooves.

“I don't really know about this, Misty,” he said doubtfully. “These all look pretty pricey to me.”

Misty just laughed and continued searching. “Don't go on, Soar,” she goaded. “You wanna win your mare, you gotta really spend on her.”

“Well, that's just it,” explained Soarin. “I'm not saying I don't want to spend any money on Rainbow Dash by any means; I just want it to be value for money. I mean, just look at this lot! Can you find anything that would look right on that mare?”

Still scrutinising the various jewels, Misty pondered over what Soarin had just said. “Yes, I see what you mean,” she agreed. “There's loads of different options here – baguette-cut moonstone on a silver band with small opal doublets around them; string of agate cabochons with a brilliant-cut diamond pendant; pearl necklace; triangle-cut fire-rubies round a platinum band with a princess-cut amber on the front...”

Soarin shook his head wearily as Misty began rambling on about what jewels there were on sale. “Misty, please,” he interrupted at last, “none of this is making any sense to me.”

“Sorry, Soarin,” apologised Misty, grinning awkwardly. “I guess I just got a bit carried away there. But yeah, I can see what you mean; there's nothing here that'd suit Rainbow Dash. I guess we'd better ask for advice on this matter.”

But as luck would have it, one of the ponies running the shop had just come downstairs at this very moment. He was a deep purple unicorn stallion with a crimson mane and tail, a finely combed “imperial” moustache and a pair of half-moon glasses. His Cutie Mark consisted of a pearl necklace and a golden crown, and he wore a smart white shirt and blue waistcoat, giving him an air of wealth and prosperity. By the looks of him, this had to be Jasper Carat himself.

Soarin walked up to the counter to speak to him. “Pardon me, sir,” he began, “my name is Soarin Starr, I'm here to...”

“Wait just a minute!” the purple unicorn interrupted. “You're both part of the Wonderbolts, aren't you?”

“Um...yes, actually – I'm second-in-command of the team, as a matter of fact,” affirmed Soarin, taken by surprise. “How did you know?”

Jasper chuckled knowingly. “I've got a couple of little fillies who talk about you guys all the time,” he explained. “They're both Pegasi, and have always wanted to meet you and your team-mates. They're particular fans of a mare called Mist...hang on – what would your friend's name be?”

“What, the mare who's come into this shop with me? Oh, that's Lieutenant Misty Fly.”

Misty goggled in amazement. “Do your girls really idolise me that much?” she asked, unsure whether to believe what she had just heard.

“They sure do,” smiled Jasper. “Most of the pictures they draw of you and the rest of the Wonderbolts show you performing all the really gripping stunts while the rest of you are just making patterns in the air.”

The blonde-coated mare could only blink in disbelief. Of all the Wonderbolts that two Pegasus foals could have idolised, they had to go for one of the lesser members of the team? A mere Lieutenant such as herself? “Why, Mr Carat,” she stammered, awestruck, “I just dunno what to say.”

“Ah, you don't need to say anything,” chuckled Jasper. “You're a great flyer, and you're really lucky to have your very own fans. Now then, what can I do for you?”

“Well, sir,” explained Soarin, “there's this mare at the Wonderbolt Academy named Rainbow Dash for whom I'd fallen since she saved me, Spitfire and Misty from certain death at the Best Young Flyers' Competition about three or four years ago.”

“Oh, yes, I know the one,” remarked Jasper. “Former chief weather pony in Ponyville who's saved Equestria several times, according to what I'd read in the papers. Didn't know you two were an item, though...well, I did kinda get the hint from the picture of you and her at the Royal Wedding, but I never really paid it that much notice.”

“Well, it would turn out we are,” went on Soarin, blushing heavily and placing a hoof against the back of his head. “Anyway, we've been dating for quite some time now, and......well, I just feel like it's time we took things a stage further, if you see what I mean.”

Jasper smiled and nodded understandingly. “Yes, I see what you're getting at. So do you have anything special in mind, or is there something here that might suit her?”

“I'm afraid we've already checked,” answered Soarin gravely, “and there doesn't seem to be anything particularly suitable. See, Rainbow Dash isn't very much into fancy jewellery, so what I really need is something that fits her personality, but at the same time isn't too extravagant. Any chance you could commission something for me?”

“Of course I can,” agreed Jasper. “In fact, I'll tell you what I'll do; if you two agree to say hello to my daughters – maybe even give them your autographs – then I'll happily allow you a substantial discount.”

“How much?”

“30 percent?”

Soarin eagerly reached out his hoof. “Deal!” he declared.

“That's settled then,” replied Jasper, shaking Soarin's hoof. “Give me a minute, and I'll be right back with my daughters,” and he trotted cheerfully round to the back of the store.

He returned quite shortly, with both his daughters scampering eagerly behind him. The two Pegasus fillies looked about four years old and were almost completely identical, with the same style of mane and tail, the same russet-coloured eyes, and even the same rose-coloured coats; the only way that either Soarin or Misty could tell them apart was that the mane and tail of one were cream-coloured with golden highlights, and those of the other were a deep green.

“Well, girls,” said Jasper, levitating his little fillies onto the counter top, “you said you wanted to meet some of the Wonderbolts, and here they are. Soarin, Misty, I'd like you to meet my twin daughters; Emerald Sheen and Golden Pearl.”

“Um...are you really Wonderbolts?” asked Emerald Sheen shyly.

“We sure are,” smiled Misty proudly.

Golden Pearl let out a gasp of excitement. “Oh my gosh!” she squeaked. “I can't believe we're actually meeting up with our favourite Wonderbolt! This is so awesome!”

“I'll say it is,” added Emerald Sheen, quickly coming to her senses. “Hey, you wanna see our drawings? We've got loads of them.”

Soarin and Misty exchanged thoughtful glances.

“Yeah, why not?” conceded Soarin at last.

Eagerly, Emerald Sheen leaped off the counter, glided onto the floor and galloped into the storeroom at the back of the shop, emerging just seconds later with several sheets of paper in between her teeth. As soon as she approached the three adults and her twin sister, she leaped up, flapped her wings vigorously until she was just a few inches above the counter, and touched down on top of it before spreading out the sheets for all to see.

Misty eyed the drawings with interest. Just as Jasper had said, where most of the Wonderbolts in the pictures were flying in fairly uninteresting formations, they all featured her performing the sort of daredevil stunts that Rainbow Dash would have enjoyed. “Very good,” she praised. “You two sure put a lot of effort into these drawings.”

“Do you like them?” asked Golden Pearl hopefully.

“I...I'm actually really flattered that you two should think so much of me,” remarked Misty, deeply touched. “I'm not that good a flyer really; if anything, that honour should really go to Rainbow Dash.”

Emerald Sheen cocked her head in surprise. “But Rainbow Dash isn't a Wonderbolt,” she objected.

“You're half-right, little one,” Soarin pointed out. “She's actually been training to become one for quite some time now, and is due to pass her final test next month.”

“Wow!” gasped Emerald Sheen. “Rainbow Dash is about to become a Wonderbolt too? That's so cool!”

“Yeah, but not as cool as Misty,” added Golden Pearl. “You'll always be our favourite Wonderbolt.”

Misty beamed softly in reply, humbled somewhat to know that she had two little fans of her very own.

“Um...Misty,” ventured Emerald Sheen, “could you and Soarin sign our pictures for us?”

“My pleasure, little Emerald Sheen,” replied Misty, and pulled over a nearby writing quill and pot of ink so that she could write her signature on the drawings. While she was doing that, Soarin told Jasper what Rainbow Dash was like so that he could get a good idea of what he was meant to be making.

“Right,” murmured Jasper, quickly sketching out the jewel that he had in mind, “I reckon if I made it a band of pure gold......yes, that's a pretty good start...so next thing I could do is inscribe her initials either side of the centrepiece......I think maybe add the other three hues into that as well – but definitely make it studded...something like a white quartz cabochon...”

Soarin rolled his eyes as Misty signed the last drawing and passed him the quill and ink. “Are you following all that, Misty?” he asked in a somewhat bored voice. “Because this jewellers' gobbledegook is just going right over my head.”

“That's right, Soarin, you go right back to playing with our little fans,” teased Misty, watching carefully as the outline of Soarin's mysterious gift to Rainbow Dash started to take place. “Leave me to do the real work!”

Golden Pearl and Emerald Sheen giggled; but Soarin didn't seem quite so amused as he did anxious. “I just hope Mr Carat knows what he's doing,” he muttered to himself uneasily as he began signing the drawings.

“Don't worry, Mr Soarin,” soothed Emerald Sheen. “Daddy's really good with jewels. Whatever he's drawing, I'm sure Rainbow Dash will like it.”

“Are you in love with Rainbow Dash then?” asked Golden Pearl curiously.

Soarin shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't seem to keep this a secret from anypony, could he? “How did you two find out I had feelings for that mare?”

Golden Pearl giggled again. “When a stallion comes into this shop and asks Daddy for something special from here, it usually means he's in love with somepony,” she explained simply.

At this point, Soarin had to laugh too. No wonder those two fillies had second-guessed him. “Okay, you two, I admit it,” he conceded heartily. “Yes, I love Rainbow Dash.”

“I knew it!” squealed Emerald Sheen triumphantly. “I knew Soarin was in love with somepony!”

“You sure are a lucky pony, Mr Soarin,” admired Golden Pearl dreamily. “It must be so nice to have a special somepony, same as you.”

“Well, we can dream, can't we?” mused Soarin. Already he was starting to grow rather fond of these two fillies; not only did they appear to be a pair of budding romantics, but there was something about them that reminded him of Rainbow Dash back when she was still just an ordinary weather pony – even before they had known each other, in fact. He remembered all the times he had heard the rainbow-maned mare in the midst of the crowd, cheering for him especially, and all the times she had come up to him when he and his team-mates were signing autographs, practically ignoring the remainder of the Wonderbolts in his favour.

At last, Jasper placed his pencil back down again. “Okay, Soarin, I think I might have worked it all out,” he announced. “How does this look?”

Soarin came round to the other side of the counter and carefully studied the sketches. After only half a minute, he looked back up to Jasper with an approving smile; “That looks perfect,” he declared. “Rainbow Dash will love it. How soon can you have it ready?”

“Should have it done by tomorrow,” answered Jasper. “I'll mail it to the Wonderbolt base as soon as it's ready. That'll be......three-hundred bits to you.”

“Okay, Mr Carat.” Soarin reached into the saddlebag he was carrying with him and pulled out a bundle of twenty-bit notes. “There you go, sir; three-hundred bits, just what you asked for.”

Jasper quickly checked the banknotes in case Soarin had missed any. “Uh-huh, three-hundred bits – excellent,” he said at last. “Thank you very much, Soarin and Misty; it's been a real pleasure doing business with you, and I'm sure my little ones are really happy to have had you here.”

“We sure are, Daddy,” chimed Emerald Sheen and Golden Pearl gratefully.

“Glad we could make acquaintance with you, Mr Carat,” smiled Misty. “Maybe I'll see you again someday, and then I can talk Wonderbolts with your daughters again.”

“Well, let's hope so,” mused Jasper.

“Bye, Misty,” called Emerald Sheen as the two Wonderbolts passed through the doorway. “Come back again soon.”

“Bye, Mr Soarin,” added Golden Pearl. “I hope Rainbow Dash likes your present.”

“I hope so too,” chuckled Soarin, and he and Misty took off back to base. Golden Pearl and Emerald Sheen stood outside the door and watched them fly away, waving enthusiastically until the two Wonderbolts were out of sight.

Chapter 7: Moonlit Proposal

Soarin and Misty made it back to the Wonderbolt base in good time; cadet training had already finished for the day by the time they arrived, but at least Soarin had enough time to hang out with Rainbow Dash as usual that evening. He never said anything about his trip to San Fratello, of course, but he was deep in thought as they sat side by side, gazing up at the night sky and generally enjoying each other's company.

“Um...Dash,” he ventured at last, “I've been thinking – do you wanna go somewhere different some time? Just for a change of scenery?”

Rainbow Dash directed a puzzled look at her coltfriend. “How come?” she quizzed. “You're not getting bored with this place, are you?”

“Well...not exactly,” answered Soarin sheepishly. “I just wondered if maybe you were.”

“Hmm...” Rainbow Dash gazed up at the few clouds that were hovering among the stars, raising a hoof to her chin in contemplation. “Well, it's been a while since I was in Cloudsdale last. I kinda miss that place,” she admitted wistfully.

“Cloudsdale, huh?” This gave Soarin an idea. “Well, in that case, how would you like it if I took you for dinner there? I know a really nice Chineighse restaurant to the north of the city centre that you might like.”

“That'd be great, Soarin,” agreed Rainbow Dash, smiling broadly. “Yeah, let's go for it.”

“Okay then, Dashie. How does 7:30 on Friday evening sound? It should give us enough time to prepare after training.”

“Yeah, that sounds fine,” conceded Rainbow Dash.

“Good. I'll make the reservations first thing in the morning,” replied Soarin. He then got to his hooves, stretching slightly in the process; “Ah well, I guess we'd better turn in. We've got a long day of training ahead of us.”

“Okay, Soarin,” said Rainbow Dash, getting up to head back to the barracks. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Dashie,” smiled Soarin, and planted a soft kiss on Rainbow Dash's cheek before heading back to his suite at the base.

The next two days passed by swiftly. The jewel Soarin had ordered was delivered to him by courier the following afternoon, and when Friday finally came, he had managed to finalise how he was going to go about what he had been planning to do all this time. After they had finished in the restaurant, he would take her out to a secluded location near Ponyville; that, he was hoping, would be when he would make his move.

The training exercise went without a hitch that day, and shortly after it had been completed, the two ponies went to prepare themselves for their night out. When they met up outside the barracks an hour later, both were stunned by how smart the other looked; Soarin was wearing a smart black tuxedo with a matching red bow-tie, and Rainbow Dash, for once, had painstakingly brushed out every last knot from her fur and let her mane hang loose over her shoulders.

“Wow, Dashie,” breathed Soarin, so taken by her appearance that he only just managed to avoid drooling in awe. “You look great.”

“I could say the same thing about you, Soar,” remarked Rainbow Dash. “That tuxedo looks really good on you.”

Soarin chuckled heartily. “Thanks,” he said. “Well then, shall we get going?”

“Ready when you are, Soarin,” answered Rainbow Dash, eagerly spreading her wings. “Last one to Cloudsdale's a mouldy dragon egg!” and she shot into the air before her coltfriend could react. Soarin could only smile as he raced after her.

Predictably, Rainbow Dash easily managed to beat Soarin to their destination. As soon as Soarin caught up to her, he knocked her onto her back and passionately mashed his lips onto hers, eliciting a moan of pleasure from the rainbow-maned mare.

“Well, Dashie,” he chortled as they parted, “some 'loser' I turn out to be, huh?”

Rainbow Dash giggled as she nuzzled the side of his neck. “You're okay, Soarin – at least you're a real good kisser anyhow.”

“Ah, give it up, Dash,” teased Soarin. “I could still beat you in a race any day; I just...well...”

“...haven't exercised those wings of yours properly? Really, Soar, I thought you were supposed to be one of the best in the team!” quipped Rainbow Dash.

The two Pegasi continued to joke and tease each other all the way down the street, until at last they reached the restaurant that Soarin had booked. The restaurant looked like a classic oriental pagoda, a sort of Nanking blue in colour, with a cloud statue of what looked like a lion with a snake's tongue stood either side of the entrance. Above the door hung a sign reading “BREIJING PALACE CHINEIGHSE RESTAURANT” in large letters, with a set of Chineighse lithographs above and below the main text. A buff-coated, black-maned Pegasus stallion with a thin moustache and narrow yet friendly eyes stood just next to the doorway as they entered.

“Ah, good evening, Soarin, wonderful to see you again,” he remarked. His voice was cheerful and upbeat with a trademark Chineighse accent.

“Ni hao, Chang,” greeted Soarin politely. “How's business?”

“Very well, thank you, Soarin,” smiled Chang. “Now then, you came here with a Miss Rainbow Dash, yes?”

Soarin nodded in reply.

“Ah, good – then let me show you to your table.”

Chang led the two ponies across to a table for two next to a beautiful stained glass window on the far side of the restaurant, which offered a good view of the city. As Soarin and Rainbow Dash took their seats, the rainbow-maned mare took a moment to take in the sights and sounds, as well as the aroma of fresh food being prepared. The interior of the restaurant looked just as exotic as the outside, with old tapestries and lanterns hanging from the ceiling, potted bamboo plants standing on specially designated tables by the walls, and even a few small statuettes of ancient Chineighse ponies and other creatures. It was as though she and Soarin had stepped off the face of Equestria and entered a whole new world, one that she had only ever read about in some of her Daring Do books.

“There you go, sir, madam,” said Chang. “Can I get you anything to drink while you choose what you want to eat?”

Rainbow Dash checked the wine list that stood on the table between her and Soarin. “Just a glass of apple juice, please,” she decided.

“And I'll go for a Tsing Tao,” added Soarin.

“One Tsing Tao and one apple juice coming up,” replied Chang, bowing slightly.

As the buff-coated stallion headed over to the kitchen, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. “You never told me you knew any Chineighse,” she commented.

“Didn't I?” Soarin chuckled. “Well, yes, I do know a bit of that language; not exactly fluent in it, but I always make a point to use it every so often whenever I visit this place.”

“Do you come here very often then?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Well...every once in a while, yes,” affirmed Soarin. “Mostly it takes the form of a social outing with my fellow Wonderbolts, but I've been known to treat my little nephew to a meal here every so often – particularly when it's his birthday. He really loves a bit of Chineighse, and he's pretty fond of this restaurant too.”

“Yeah, I can see why,” mused Rainbow Dash, gazing around the room once again. “I've had Chineighse take-outs before, but the place where I usually got it from was just like all the other stores and cafés and such in Ponyville, so I'd never seen what a real Chineighse restaurant was like.”

“And your thoughts on this one?”

“It's...well, what else? Truly awesome!” beamed Rainbow Dash.

“I thought you'd like it,” smiled Soarin. “How about the view from our table, what do you think of it?”

Rainbow Dash turned to look out of the window, and couldn't help but gape in awe as she gazed upon the panorama that it offered. She had seen Cloudsdale from the air hundreds of times when she was young, but never had she stopped to fully appreciate the view, even in the daytime. Now, in the fading light of the evening, she found herself captivated by the amber glow of the sky, which had transformed the normally bluish-white clouds that made up the great city into an undeniably atmospheric glow of gold and pink.

“Wow, Soarin,” she breathed, “this is...I know I don't use the word 'beautiful' that often, but this definitely fits that description. I never knew you could get such an amazing view of Cloudsdale from the surface of the clouds. Heck, I can even see the Cloudaseum from here,” she added, pointing out the magnificent Doric structure in the distance.

Soarin couldn't help blushing at this point. “Yeah, actually, Dash,” he confessed, placing a hoof against the back of his head, “that was kinda why I chose this place. I still remember that day you saved me and Misty and Spitty, and I can't even think about the Cloudaseum without thinking of you. I kinda wanted to relive the memory of when we first met.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head in amusement. “You're such a big softie, Soar,” she teased.

“You're a fine one to talk, Dashie!” reproached Soarin with a mischievous grin. “Who was it that had to comfort whom just before we confessed our feelings to each other?”

“Oh yeah? Well out of six Wonderbolts who accompanied me back to their base after I won that Best Young Flyers' Competition, I seem to remember that one was a bit shy for a Wonderbolt in my presence,” smirked Rainbow Dash, “and it certainly wasn't Spitfire, or Fire Streak, or Misty, or Fleetfoot, or...”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” laughed Soarin, jovially conceding defeat. “So perhaps I can be a bit sappy at times, but come on, everypony has to have a soft side to their character. If I hadn't......well, you probably wouldn't have gotten off so lightly for that injury you sustained, or how you never left my side after I got over my...” but he broke off when he noticed a look of shame on his marefriend's face. “What's wrong, Dashie?”

Rainbow Dash looked away. “Sorry, Soarin,” she apologised in a low, meek voice. “It's nothing you've done wrong; I just hate being reminded of all the times I've screwed up.”

“Oh,” said Soarin, taken aback. He had completely forgotten how sensitive Rainbow Dash tended to be about being humiliated, whether through her own mistakes or the intervention of other ponies. “Sorry, Dashie, I didn't mean to upset you like this.”

“Nah, it's okay.” In spite of her embarrassment, Rainbow Dash still managed a reassuring smile in reply. “I pretty much had it coming my way anyway; and I don't care if you get all soft sometimes, 'cause that's part of what I love about you.”

This caused Soarin's blush from earlier to return to his cheeks. “Now who's going all soft?” he mused under his breath.

“Was I interrupting anything?” Both ponies noticed Chang standing next to their table with a tray balanced on his wing.

“Uh...no, Chang,” answered Soarin hastily. “We were just having a friendly chat was all.”

Chang smiled knowingly at the young couple. He had overheard the tail end of the conversation upon leaving the kitchen, and knew all too well that there was more to this “friendly chat” than Soarin was letting on. “Anyway,” he said, lowering the tray onto the table, “I've brought your drinks – Tsing Tao for you and apple juice for Miss Dash, yes?”

“Yeah, that's right,” replied Soarin.

“Good. Have you decided what you're going to eat?” asked Chang.

“Yes, I'd like the lemon-grass and bamboo soup for starters, and for my main course...I reckon I'll go for the Canternese sweet and sour tofu dumplings with mushroom chow mein.”

“Certainly. And for Rainbow Dash?”

“Could I go for...the spring rolls for my starter, and the pan-fried battered broccoli in green pepper and black bean sauce with egg-fried rice?” requested Rainbow Dash.

Chang nodded as he wrote down their order; “A very good choice, madam. Right, thank you both – I'll be back shortly with your food.”

“Okay, Chang. Xiexie,” said Soarin as Chang headed back to the kitchen again.

“Gesundheit.”

Soarin turned back to Rainbow Dash. “What?”

“I thought you sneezed just then,” explained Rainbow Dash.

“Course I didn't, Rainbow Dash,” laughed Soarin. “The word 'xiexie' means 'thank you' in Chineighse.”

“Oh, does it?” asked Rainbow Dash, surprised. “Sorry about that.”

“Nah, it's okay,” soothed Soarin. “You weren't to know.”

Soarin and Rainbow Dash enjoyed their meal together. Occasionally, they would take a moment to talk about the goings-on in each other's lives and with the Wonderbolts, and Soarin would teach Rainbow Dash a few other Chineighse words and phrases he knew, but mostly they just sat in silence and enjoyed each other's company. Soarin even let Rainbow Dash have the last dumpling when they got to their dessert.

An hour had passed since they had arrived at the restaurant, and the two Pegasi had finally finished eating and were ready to pay their bill. As Chang waited patiently next to their table, Soarin reached into his saddlebag for some change. “There we go, Chang,” he said at last, placing some ten-spots on the saucer Chang had laid out for their money.

Rainbow Dash stared in confusion. “Eighty bits? Surely yours didn't come to that much, did it?”

“No, Dashie, it didn't,” affirmed Soarin. “Mine came to about thirty-six bits and forty cents; yours was...thirty-four exactly, I think.”

“Oh, okay then, if you wanna leave such a big tip, I'm okay with that,” replied Rainbow Dash, reaching into her own saddlebag. “Let me see how much change I've got, and I'll...”

“No need for that, Dashie,” interrupted Soarin. “I'm paying for both of us tonight.”

If Rainbow Dash seemed confused earlier, she was now utterly baffled. “You're...paying for both of us?” she repeated. “Soarin, I don't get it; we usually pay for our own stuff separately when we go out together, don't we?”

“Well......yes,” replied Soarin casually. “And your point being...?”

“Why should tonight be any different? It's not as if it's my birthday or anything.”

“Oh...you'll see,” said Soarin coyly. “By the way, Chang, you can keep whatever's left from...well, 'our' payment.”

“Thank you very much,” smiled Chang, bowing slightly. “Farewell, Soarin, and I hope you enjoy the remainder of your date. No doubt I shall see you again?”

“You bet, Chang,” beamed Rainbow Dash, forgetting her confusion as she and Soarin got up headed for the door. “This place beats a take-out any day.”

“It sure does, Dashie,” agreed Soarin. “Zaijian, Chang, and I hope to see you again soon.” And with that, he and Rainbow Dash exited the restaurant and took off into the cool night sky.

Later that night, the two Pegasi were laid side by side at the top of a small hill just a few miles away from Ponyville, the milky white light of the moon glowing against a backdrop of dark blue. Soarin gazed up at the midnight sky with his right wing wrapped around Rainbow Dash, tracing patterns among the stars that glittered the blanket of darkness as he tried to pluck up courage in readiness for the real reason why he had asked her out on this date. Every so often, he would glance into his saddlebag, into which he had made sure to pack his little gift before they left.

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was almost completely oblivious to what Soarin might be thinking or what he was doing right now, for she was dozing peacefully in her coltfriend's embrace, her head resting gently against his shoulder. It had been a wonderful night out so far; the restaurant had been an interesting new experience, and although she was still a little confused as to why Soarin should have insisted on paying for both of them, she was nevertheless deeply grateful to him for taking her out to such an exotic venue for their date. Now, out in the middle of nowhere, she felt so much closer to him than ever before, and silently wished that this night would never end.

Soarin could only smile as he watched his marefriend lie peacefully and contentedly next to him. Part of him felt a little guilty for what he was about to say, knowing that it would mean having to rouse his sleeping beauty from her slumber in order to get her attention – but he also knew that there was no point in beating about the bush. He hadn't simply brought Rainbow Dash out on this date for the sake of reviving old memories or hanging out with her – no, there was a special reason behind it, and it had to be fulfilled no matter what.

“Um...Rainbow Dash,” he ventured, “there's something I wanted to ask you.”

Rainbow Dash stirred slightly as she drowsily came to. “What would that be, Soarin?” she asked sleepily.

“I, um......I've kinda been thinking......we've been together for almost a year now, and have known each other for even longer,” replied Soarin, trying his best to sound casual despite his nervousness. “I make it about...four years since we first met, and in that time, we've gone from not knowing each other at all to being marefriend and coltfriend. Did you, um......did you ever wonder if someday we might be even more than we are now?”

Rainbow Dash fell silent again as she pondered over Soarin's question. “Well...yeah, I have been wondering about that lately,” she said thoughtfully. “To be honest, I can't help feeling as though our relationship isn't actually going anywhere right now. I'm not saying I don't love you the way I used to; you're a really nice guy to have around, and you've been just as loyal to me over the years as I have to...well, pretty much all my friends. If anything, I've grown even closer to you than I'd ever been before.”

“So...what are you saying?”

“I don't know why,” confessed Rainbow Dash, gloomily pawing at the ground with one hoof as she averted Soarin's gaze, “but I no longer feel that same spark as when we let each other in on our feelings. I just feel like there's something missing.”

Soarin's eyes were wide with intrigue. Whatever he had been thinking at this moment, it seemed he and Rainbow Dash were on the same waveband – maybe he didn't need to be so nervous about the whole thing after all. “It's okay, Dashie,” he soothed. “I kinda had the same thoughts myself earlier this week, and that's prompted me to get you a little something that might fill that gap.”

He reached into his saddlebag and produced a small box, which he set down on the grass between them. Rainbow Dash stared at it, unsure of what her coltfriend was getting at. “Uh...how's a cardboard box supposed to help our relationship progress?” she asked in deadpan.

“This isn't just any old box – it's a small box with a big surprise hidden inside,” explained Soarin. “Go ahead and open it, Dashie.”

Rainbow Dash stared doubtfully at the box. She knew Soarin wasn't the sort to play practical jokes on her unless he knew she would see the funny side of it, but she was all too used to Pinkie Pie's light-hearted jokes, and couldn't help wondering if maybe that box was part of a small prank of his own. Nevertheless, she cautiously opened the lid – and gasped at what she saw. Inside the box was a bracelet of pure gold with her initials inscribed either side of a gemstone likeness of her Cutie Mark, the latter consisting of a milky quartz cabochon with a gem-studded thunderbolt coming from beneath. The thunderbolt was made of the same spectrum of colours as her mane rather than just the three on her Cutie Mark; scarlet rubies lined one side of the bolt and deep purple amethysts the other, with the colours between them being made up of ambers, citrines, emeralds and sapphires.

The rainbow-maned mare could only gaze at the bracelet as a mingle of emotions started to stir up inside her – joy, shock, excitement, disbelief, unease, wonderment – she wasn't sure which one to feel. Surely, though, this couldn't be happening to her right now – this had to be some sort of dream. But if it was, then why was she still asleep? Why hadn't she just woken up to find herself back in the barracks at the Academy?

“Rainbow Dash,” asked Soarin softly, kneeling next to her and taking a hoof in his own, “will you marry me?”

Rainbow Dash placed a hoof against her mouth, stifling another gasp as she finally remembered that this was no dream. So perhaps she may have had such a fantasy in the past, but it was definitely coming true; after all the time they had known each other, Wing Commander Soarin Starr, her coltfriend, trainer and all-time favourite Wonderbolt, was finally asking her to marry him. Overjoyed, she tackled him onto his back and hugged him tightly, smothering him with kisses. “YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!” she squealed in delight. “I WILL MARRY YOU, SOARIN! I WILL, I WILL, I WILL!”

Soarin beamed lovingly upon his new fiancée as she embraced him for dear life, ignoring the ringing in his ears from her joyous shouting. They remained that way for about a minute or so before Rainbow Dash finally stood up again and backed off to allow Soarin some breathing space. “Sorry about that, Soarin,” she giggled. “Couldn't help myself just then. But yeah, I can think of nothing better than to have you as a husband, whether or not I do make it into the Wonderbolts myself.”

“Oh, I don't doubt you will for one moment,” grinned Soarin. “The way you're going at the Academy, you'll ace that final exam. Still, gotta make it official.” He stood up, reached for the bracelet and carefully slipped it onto Rainbow Dash's front right hoof. Then the two Pegasi embraced once again, kissing passionately as the stars twinkled softly in celebration of their engagement.

Chapter 8: The Wedding

“The following day, Soarin and I announced our engagement to all our friends including our fellow Wonderbolts. A week later, of course, we had the whole fiasco with Scootaloo and her Dad, after which he released her into mine and Soarin's care – and the rest is pretty much history,” finished Rainbow Dash.

Firefly wiped away a small tear. “Oh, Rainbow Dash,” she said softly, “that was such a beautiful story.”

“I'll say,” admired Solar Blitz. “I never realised Soarin could be so romantic, not even when you introduced him to us after you started going out together. I tell you what, though – you timed the end of that tale of yours pretty well,” he added, pointing to one side of the chariot.

Rainbow Dash could only agree when she saw what he was talking about. The chariot had just pulled up outside the Town Hall, where her friends, her extended family and all the other wedding guests were patiently awaiting her arrival, all finely dressed and meticulously groomed for the event. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity, whom Rainbow Dash had chosen as her bridesmaids along with Derpy, had followed the same lead as Scootaloo and gone for the dresses they had worn at Princess Cadance and Shining Armour's wedding, while Derpy wore a golden silk dress that almost matched her blonde mane and tail.

All the other Wonderbolts were in attendance too, all dressed in their finest mess jackets except for Misty; always the more fashionable of the team, she had chosen a smart red velvet dress of her own. Rumble, Scootaloo's coltfriend and Thunderlane's younger brother, had been chosen as the ring-bearer, and wore a smart reproduction of the Wonderbolts' mess uniforms that had been specially made for him by Rarity for the ceremony. Only Twilight Sparkle was absent from the gathering – hardly surprising, Rainbow Dash thought, since she had volunteered to officiate the ceremony. She was probably inside the hall, overseeing the final preparations.

Taking care not to tarnish the train of her wedding dress, Rainbow Dash gingerly stepped off the chariot and went to chat with her entourage before the actual ceremony. “Hey there, everypony,” she called as she approached them.

“Howdy, Rainbow Dash,” greeted Applejack.

“Dashie!” squealed Pinkie Pie, bouncing over to the rainbow-maned Pegasus. “It's so good to see you again – and on your own wedding day too! This is so exciting! Are you excited? 'Cause I'm excited! I've never been so excited – well, except when you said you and Soarin were engaged, and I was like...” she let out a loud gasp of excitement, “...but I mean, really, who can top that?”

“Okay, Pinkie, I get the message enough already!” laughed Rainbow Dash, rolling her eyes.

“But seriously, though,” went on Pinkie Pie, “you and Soarin are getting married for ponies' sake – I mean, come on, how can that possibly not be exciting?”

“Pinkie Pie makes a very good point, Rainbow,” observed Blue Finch. “We've all been looking forward to the day when you and Soarin would officially get together – even if it may have seemed a bit unlikely at first.”

“Yeah, we never thought y'all would even think about getting' hitched,” put in Applejack, “an' yet, of a' the ponies who could'a tied the knot first, it had ta be you.”

“I know what you mean, A.J.,” mused Rainbow Dash. “I never thought I'd find myself being married either – not for some time anyway.”

“Didn't you?” asked Thunderlane, raising an eyebrow. “I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I could see that crush you had on him from miles away. Hadn't thought of getting married, my hoof – you and Soarin are way too perfect for each other for you not to have at least considered it!”

Rainbow Dash simply brushed him off with a slight chuckle.

“You looking forward to this ceremony then?” asked Derpy cheerfully.

“Kinda nervous,” admitted Rainbow Dash meekly, “but what's with that? I mean, it's not as if I'm headed for the chop or whatever.”

Applejack smiled reassuringly. “Most ponies get that way before a wedding,” she soothed. “Still, it's good that yo' bein' honest with yourself.”

“It's okay, Rainbow Dash,” comforted Fluttershy. “Soarin's a really nice stallion, and he loves you so very much. He'd never just walk out on you because he's so nervous, so don't you worry; in a few minutes from now, you and he will be walking out of the Town Hall a married couple.”

Rainbow Dash wiped away a few tears, deeply touched by Fluttershy's reassurance. Even today, she could still remember all the times she had had to defend the canary-yellow Pegasus mare's honour or try to boost her confidence, and she found it really moving that she was returning the favour in her most hoof-biting hour so far. “Thanks, Fluttershy,” she said softly, giving her foalhood friend a gentle hug. “I'd do the same for you one day.”

“You don't need to, Rainbow Dash,” smiled Fluttershy modestly. “You already have done many times before now.”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” agreed Rainbow Dash thoughtfully. “How's Soarin doing, by the way?”

“Oh, he's just inside,” stated Thunderlane. “Last I heard, he and Fire Streak were making a few last minutes adjustments to his...” but he was cut off by a sharp nudge in the ribs from Blue Finch. “What'd you do that for, Dad?” he asked indignantly.

“Don't spoil it for her, Thunderlane!” his father whispered sharply.

“What's that?”

“Nothing, Rainbow – just something to do with the decorations inside the hall, that's all.”

At that moment, the main doors opened, and a certain purple dragon emerged from within. “Fillies and gentlecolts,” announced Spike, “we're almost ready to begin the ceremony, so if you would all come inside and take your seats, please?”

Rarity, Rumble, Fluttershy and the Wonderbolts led the remainder of the wedding guests into the hall, while Rainbow Dash remained outside with her father, Scootaloo and her bridesmaids. Just before Firefly went inside, she gave her daughter a small kiss on her forehead. “Do your best, Rainbow Dash,” she whispered.

“I will, Mom,” promised Rainbow Dash bravely, “and thanks.”

“You're welcome, honey; it's what we're here for, after all,” smiled Firefly, giving Rainbow Dash a final hug before she entered the hall.

Just two minutes later (though it seemed like ages to Rainbow Dash), soft songbird music began to drift out from inside the building, signalling for the rainbow-maned mare and her entourage to enter. Scootaloo led the way, scattering multicoloured petals as she went, while Derpy and Applejack carried the train of Rainbow Dash's dress from behind. Solar Blitz walked alongside his daughter, holding onto her hoof, and Pinkie Pie, who had been appointed as Rainbow Dash's maid-of-honour, took up the other side as they slowly walked into the hall and up towards the altar that had been set up for them.

It was then that Rainbow Dash saw the stallion of her affections awaiting her arrival, and everything else seemed to fade from existence as she gazed upon his handsome appearance. He too was dressed in his finest mess uniform, the only differences being that this one was pure white in colour where the rest were blue, and he had a beautiful red rose inserted into his top buttonhole. His mane and tail had been carefully trimmed and brushed to perfection, his wings had been finely preened, and he even wore a peaked officer's cap complete with Wonderbolt badge. He didn't say anything, but simply smiled fondly upon his bride as she came to stand face to face with him in front of the altar.

With the bride and groom ready for the ceremony, Fluttershy, who was conducting the songbird choir, raised her baton and brought the music to a soft climax as Spike, Scootaloo and the bridesmaids stood in line behind Rainbow Dash, while the rest of the Wonderbolts stood to attention on Soarin's side. Solar Blitz, meanwhile, went to sit next to Firefly on the front row of seating. As the hall fell silent, Twilight stepped up to the altar and addressed the crowd;

“Good afternoon, fillies and gentlecolts, and welcome to Ponyville Town Hall. We are gathered here today to honour the commencement of a matrimonial alliance – a kind of 'rainbow connection', so to speak...”

The crowd chuckled heartily.

“...between two of the Wonderbolts' finest flyers, Wing Commander Soarin Starr and Squadron Leader Rainbow Dash. As a great friend of the latter, being selected to perform this ceremony by Rainbow Dash herself gives me a deep sense of appreciation, one that stems right back to when I first moved to Ponyville five years ago. As you all know, she was one of the five ponies who assisted me in the quest for the long-lost Elements of Harmony, during which the then recently-freed Nightmare Moon attempted to trick her into abandoning the rest of us. By refusing to do so, she earned herself the honour of representing the Element of Loyalty, and over the years, she has more than lived up to her element. Indeed, that was how she came to meet a certain other pony with whom she was destined to spend her whole life; were it not for her bravery, Soarin and two of his fellow Wonderbolts, Captain Spitfire and Lieutenant Misty Fly, would never have seen another Wonderbolt performance ever again, and it is therefore fitting that he should have been the one to train Rainbow Dash during her two-year training course at the Wonderbolt Academy prior to joining the team. Their decision to marry four months ago was a great surprise to all of us, but it has since become clear just how much these two care for each other, and I therefore commend you, Rainbow Dash, on taking that final step in your relationship.”

“Hear, hear,” agreed Solar Blitz, and the whole crowd applauded.

Twilight held up a hoof for silence before continuing; “Now, before I proceed, I must ask that anypony who wishes to object to this marriage either speak up now or forever remain silent.”

“I OBJECT...”

Everypony stared in horror at Pinkie Pie.

“...to anypony who has a problem with Soarin and Rainbow Dash getting together! I mean, come on – those two are way too perfect for one another!” the pink party pony finished severely.

All the others quickly calmed down upon hearing this. Twilight, meanwhile, could only roll her eyes at Pinkie Pie's interruption. “Moving on,” she muttered, and turned her attention back to Soarin and Rainbow Dash; “Now, I understand that you two have prepared your own vows – so, Soarin, would you like to recite yours first?”

Soarin nodded, and nervously began. “Rainbow Dash, even after so many years, I can't thank you enough for how you saved my life at that Best Young Flyers' Competition. You were a real hero back then, and more importantly, you showed me and my fellow Wonderbolts just how worthy you are of becoming one of us. I promise to always love and support you no matter where our careers take us.”

“Well done, Soarin,” said Twilight. “Your turn, Rainbow Dash.”

“Soarin, you've come to mean a great deal more to me over the years than just being another one of my idols. Joining you guys in the Wonderbolts Display Team had always been my life ambition, but if you hadn't been there for me, I might never have gained that honour; you were the one who spurred me on during training, even when I thought I'd met my match, and for that, I am forever grateful. As bearer of the Element of Loyalty, I will always be there for you no matter what.”

The whole audience was deeply awed by Rainbow Dash's speech. Pinkie Pie was so moved by her best friend's unusually romantic demeanour that she seemed to melt there and then – literally! Rarity held onto Spike's hand, barely able to hold back tears, and even Spitfire unconsciously nuzzled against Fire Streak as she listened to Rainbow Dash's heartfelt vow. She and Soarin had always been like brother and sister to each other, hence why he had chosen her as his Best Mare, but to see him finally becoming hitched to the mare he was destined to be with filled her with a joy she couldn't quite describe. Even the moment when she had learned of their decision to adopt her niece Scootaloo seemed to pale in comparison with this event.

Twilight nodded her wholehearted approval as the rainbow-maned mare finished her vow. “Nicely put, Rainbow Dash. Now then, Soarin, do you take Rainbow Dash as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward? Do you promise to love, honour and obey her, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as the both of you shall live?”

“I sure do, Your Highness,” replied Soarin.

“Rainbow Dash, do you take Soarin as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward? Do you promise to love, honour and obey him, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as the both of you shall live?”

“I do,” said Rainbow Dash emphatically.

“Very well then.” Twilight turned and nodded for Rumble to step forward, carrying a deep red cushion on his back which contained two bracelets made of pure gold, with the words “FOREVER MY LOVING WONDERBOLT” stencilled onto them. There was a short pause as Soarin took one bracelet and slipped it onto Rainbow Dash's left hoof, and Rainbow Dash returned the favour with the other. “By the power vested in me by my former mentor, Princess Celestia, I hereby pronounce the two of you husband and wife. You may now kiss.”

And so, Rainbow Dash lifted the veil from her face and softly rested her lips onto Soarin's, signifying the true beginning of their marriage. The remainder of the Wonderbolts saluted, and Spike, Scootaloo, Rumble, the bridesmaids and the wedding guests applauded rapturously, whereupon Pinkie Pie jumped out of her liquefied state and bounced around the hall, cheering loudly.

Firefly wiped a small tear from her eye and held a hoof to her heart. “Oh, Rainbow Dash,” she whispered, “I'm so proud of you.”

Solar Blitz smiled and wrapped an arm around his wife as they gazed upon their newly wedded daughter and her lover. “You and me both, Firefly,” he agreed softly, “you and me both.”

After another few blissful moments, Soarin and Rainbow Dash finally broke apart, enabling the latter to address the crowd. “Thank you so much for coming to our wedding, everypony, and for all the support you've given me and Soarin over the years,” she spoke up. “If you would all like to accompany us to Sugarcube Corner, that's where we'll be holding our wedding reception.”

“Come on then, everypony!” chirped Pinkie Pie, full of energy as always – well, very nearly, anyway. “It's PARTY TIME!!!”

Epilogue

Twenty minutes later, the wedding guests were all gathered at Sugarcube Corner for the reception. Needless to say, Pinkie Pie and the Cakes had put a great deal of time and effort into preparing for this party, so that by the time everypony had arrived, the whole bakery was lined with buffet tables and drink stands, with a live stage set up next to the shop counter for the musicians who had been invited.

Among the musicians were Sweetie-Belle's idol, Lavender Rhapsody; Sapphire Shores, the renowned “Pony of Pop”; and the distinguished Canterlot cellist Octavia. The last one had been recommended to Rainbow Dash by Rarity, though the white unicorn was more than a little worried when she found out that Ponyville's local disc-jockey Vinyl Scratch was to be playing disco music here as well. Much to everypony's disbelief, of course, Octavia didn't seem the least bit annoyed at having to put up with a DJ when she heard that it was going to be Vinyl; instead, she just casually shrugged it off, and lightly bobbed her head as Vinyl began playing a lively tune.

Soon, the lobby was alive with dancing ponies. Scootaloo seemed to glide across the makeshift dance-floor as she and Rumble performed a boisterous tango together; but the same couldn't quite be said for Soarin. He was more used to aerobatics than wild dance moves, and kept tripping over his own hooves every so often, much to Rainbow Dash's amusement.

“Nice one, Soarin!” she teased as she pulled him upright for what seemed like the fourteenth time. “It's a wonder you managed to become second-in-command of the Wonderbolts with such lame dance skills.”

Soarin smirked in reply. “I'll take that as a compliment, Dashie,” he retorted sweetly, and tried to retaliate by way of a somewhat simpler “jitterbug” routine – only to lose his footing and collapse onto the floor again! Rainbow Dash could only laugh as she helped him back to his hooves.

Thankfully for Soarin, the music had ended by this time, thus saving him any further embarrassment and providing all with an opportunity to take on refreshment. At the same time, Pinkie Pie emerged from the kitchen hauling a tall, intricate four-tiered wedding cake behind her that appeared to have been constructed in the same Doric style as Rainbow Dash's house and most of Cloudsdale. “Cake time, everypony!” she chirped, parking it next to one of the buffet tables.

Rainbow Dash gazed in awe when she saw the huge confection that had been wheeled out. “Whoa!” she breathed. “That looks way beyond awesome!”

“So it should, Dashie,” agreed Pinkie Pie brightly. “Recognise it from somewhere?”

“Uh...I think so, but I can't quite place my hoof on...” but that was when Rainbow Dash realised. “Wait a minute – that's the same as the Cakes' entry for the National Dessert Competition a few years back, isn't it?”

“Yes indeed-y! When we were planning this wedding reception for you, I immediately thought of the MMMM...”

“The what?” asked Soarin, cocking his head in confusion.

“That was my name for the Cakes' Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness,” explained Pinkie Pie. “I know how much Dashie enjoyed it before it even arrived at the competition...”

Rainbow Dash looked away with an awkward expression on her face, causing Soarin to stifle a chuckle.

“...so Mr and Mrs Cake and I decided to make another one specially for your wedding. We did have to make a few changes, though; we had to go for white batter and as white a mascarpone as we could get, and we did away with the fruits in favour of you two on the top too – but hey, it's still as yummy as the original MMMM. Even better, this one comes with an extra M in it as well.”

“An extra M?”

“Yep – this new and improved MMMMM is what we call the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Marriage Madness!”

Soarin shook his head in amusement. “That's quite a mouthful,” he joked as he and Rainbow Dash made the first cut of their cake.

“Yeah, and a really tasty one too, I'll bet,” chuckled Rainbow Dash. “You want some?”

“Don't mind if I do,” replied Soarin, heartily accepting the first slice. Having cut a second piece for Rainbow Dash, he took an experimental bite of his own helping of wedding cake. “Wow! Pinkie sure wasn't joking when she called this the MMMMM – this cake's out of this world!”

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened as she took a taste of hers. “You're right there, Soar,” she agreed. “This is way better that I can ever remember it being. It's...it's like I've just taken a mouthful of paradise!”

“Thought you'd like it,” beamed Pinkie Pie proudly, and bounded off towards the punch bowl on the other side of the room.

Rainbow Dash smiled. “I gotta hand it to that Pinkie Pie,” she mused, “she sure knows how to make a mare feel special on her wedding day.”

“She wouldn't be the only one,” smiled Soarin, leaning forward and kissing his bride deeply.

The reception went on until late in the afternoon, and the two newly-weds found themselves being congratulated on their marriage more times than they could count, each time by a different pony. Even Octavia, whom Rainbow Dash hardly knew, graciously wished them the best of luck. There seemed to be no shortage of dancing and other entertainment either, though Soarin was a little reluctant about taking to the dance-floor with Rainbow Dash again at first.

However, once Octavia and the remainder of her group started playing a serene, gentle tune, his confidence seemed to increase again as he and Rainbow Dash joined the others. Needless to say, Rainbow Dash was taken aback by his change of mind, and even more so when she realised how much better Soarin was at slow-dancing than the wild jiving that had previously predominated. Far from his clumsy movements from earlier on, the soft waltz in which he was leading her came so naturally to him that he seemed to float on air. The crowd parted as the two Pegasi drifted gracefully across the dance-floor, and even Scootaloo could only stare in amazement as she watched her legal guardians dance.

As evening drew in, the party finally drew to a close, and the wedding guests gathered outside the bakery to see Soarin and Rainbow Dash off on their honeymoon. Before they left, the newly-weds spoke to the crowd one last time, and thanked Pinkie Pie, Spitfire, Twilight, Rarity, Vinyl Scratch and the other musicians for giving them such a splendid day.

“Also, special thanks to Misty for helping me choose the engagement bracelet for Rainbow Dash,” added Soarin, “and to both our parents for their wholehearted support.”

Misty blushed with pride. “Ah, it's nothing really, Soarin,” she replied modestly, indicating towards the golden Pegasus stallion next to her. “It was Concorde who gave me the idea, after all.”

“Aw, Misty,” laughed Concorde, nuzzling his marefriend fondly, “you're too much.”

“Don't I know it, Connie?” giggled Misty.

At this point, Firefly came forward and hugged her daughter tightly. “Goodbye, Rainbow Dash,” she whispered. “I hope you and Soarin enjoy your honeymoon.”

“We will, Mom,” smiled Rainbow Dash. “Thanks again.”

“So long, Dashie,” added Solar Blitz fondly. “Do take care of her, won't you, Soarin?”

“Don't you worry, Solar Blitz,” assured Soarin. “There's no way I'm about to go back on those wedding vows of mine any time soon – you can bet on it.” He turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Well then, shall we away?”

“Yeah, let's,” agreed Rainbow Dash. “Come on, Scoot – time for us to get going.”

“Okay, Dash, have a good......wait – us?!” repeated Scootaloo in disbelief.

“Duh!” laughed Rainbow Dash. “Did you honestly think we'd just leave you behind and enjoyed ourselves?”

Scootaloo paused, nervously averting her gaze from her guardians. “Well...yeah, I kinda did,” she admitted. “I thought you'd want to spend your honeymoon...well, together – alone – and I know I'm not your real daughter, so I...I didn't wanna intrude.” A few tears leaked from her eyes in her shame, and she started pawing sadly at the ground.

The two newly-weds were stunned. Scootaloo had meant a great deal to them since they had adopted her, Rainbow Dash in particular – and yet here she was claiming that she would potentially be intruding on their honeymoon if she came with them, all because she wasn't actually related to them. Seeing the tears in her number-one fan's eyes, Rainbow Dash came up to the orange Pegasus filly and patted her shoulder.

“Come on now, Scootaloo,” she said softly, “there's no need for you to seclude yourself from me and Soarin just because you're not a blood relative of ours. I've only had you a few months, but I can no longer imagine what life would be like without you,” and she pulled Scootaloo into a gentle hug. “You and Soarin are the two most precious things in my life, and I don't care if we're not related; you'll always be like a daughter to me.”

“You really mean it?”

“I sure do, squirt,” affirmed Rainbow Dash, brushing away the little filly's tears.

At last, Scootaloo managed a small, grateful smile. “Thanks, Rainbow Dash,” she whispered. “You mean an awful lot to me too.”

Rainbow Dash smiled back affectionately. “I know,” she agreed, standing up again. “So, you coming with us then?”

This time, Scootaloo didn't hold back. Pausing only to plant a quick kiss on Rumble's lips, she darted towards the chariot with her newly married adoptive parents not too far behind. The wedding guests all cheered and waved as the three Pegasi boarded the chariot to the sounds of the Wedding March from Octavia and her group, and as Rainbow Dash threw her bouquet out towards the crowd, the unmarried mares and fillies fought desperately to try and catch it. To everypony's surprise, the one who eventually caught the flowers – purely by accident – was Pinkie Pie; in the act of bouncing exuberantly up and down and wishing the newly-weds a great honeymoon, she had inadvertently grabbed the flowers in between her teeth! In an instant, she forgot to be boisterous and stared at the bouquet with intrigue, seemingly deaf to everything and everypony around her...

As the chariot set off, the three Pegasi waved to the rest of their wedding party until they were out of sight. Once they were out of town, Rainbow Dash snuggled up to her new husband as they sat back to enjoy the ride.

“Well, Rainbow Dash,” observed Soarin softly, “five years gone by and we're now a married couple.”

“Yes, Soarin,” whispered Rainbow Dash. “Kinda strange to think that, all those years ago, I never saw you as anything other than just another Wonderbolt, and neither did I even see myself getting a coltfriend. It's just...wacky how far we've come since then.”

“And with our own little daughter to love and care for to boot,” agreed Soarin, nodding fondly towards Scootaloo who had fallen asleep from exhaustion. “And you know what, Dashie – I wouldn't trade this life for anything else in the world.”

“Neither would I, Soar, not after all you've done for me.”

Soarin smiled and nuzzled his wife. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” murmured Rainbow Dash, and wrapped her arms around her husband as they and their adopted daughter were carted off into the sunset.

Chapter 1: The Best Young Flyer

“Wakey-wakey, Rainbow Dash. Rise and shine, my little pony.”

Rainbow Dash groaned slightly, still half-asleep. “Maybe later, Mom,” she muttered, turning away from the pink, blue-maned Pegasus mare standing next to her bed.

Firefly stifled a chuckle as she watched her daughter trying to return to her slumber. “What, and miss out on your big day? I should certainly hope not, young lady,” she teased.

“What?!” Rainbow Dash sat bolt upright, startled. “Aw, heck, I totally forgot today was my wedding day! What time is it?”

“Calm down, honey,” soothed Firefly, “it's still only 8 o'clock in the morning. We've still got a good four hours to get ready.”

Rainbow Dash sat back against the headboard, heaving a sigh of relief. “Well, thank Celestia I didn't sleep in then,” she remarked. “I guess I should have had a good, long talk with Pinkie about that hen party she threw for me. Imagine nearly letting it drag on into the early hours of the morning!”

“Never mind, Rainbow; at least you were careful enough not to have had too much to drink that night,” replied her mother brightly. “You just take it easy for the moment.”

“Okay, Mom,” said Rainbow Dash with a yawn. “Ah well, time to get some breakfast, I guess.”

“All taken care of.” Rainbow Dash's father Solar Blitz, a pale indigo stallion whose mane and tail colours matched those of his daughter, came trotting into the room balancing a tray on his back. On the tray, Rainbow Dash noticed a plate of freshly cooked hay fries and a bowl of fruit salad, with a glass of apple juice to go with it.

The rainbow-maned mare gazed in disbelief. “You...you did all this for me?” she gasped.

Solar Blitz smiled and nuzzled her fondly. “Well, it being a special day and all, your mother and I just thought it'd warrant special treatment on your part,” he replied kindly.

“Aw, thanks, Dad,” smiled Rainbow Dash, and gratefully returned the nuzzle before making a start on the lavish meal laid out in front of her, while the two older ponies both sat down by her side.

As their daughter ate her breakfast, Firefly gazed dreamily out of the window as the sun gently peeked over the horizon under Celestia's guidance. She had always loved the effects of a summer sunrise such as this – the beautiful golden glint in the morning sky, the soft, gentle light that it cast on the landscape...it was as if Luna had used what little of the night she had left to make for an ethereal start to the day. But on this occasion, of course, it seemed to signify so much more than that.

“You know, Dash,” she murmured, “it still staggers me to think that our own little filly is finally getting married after all this time.”

“I'll say,” agreed Solar Blitz heartily. “Ten years ago, you never seemed to have time for colts, and now look at you – twenty-four years old, and you've found a stallion you love more than being a Wonderbolt. And from the same team too – incredible, isn't it?”

Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I always knew my destiny would be in the Wonderbolts,” she observed, “but I never thought that said destiny would actually be one of them.”

“I don't think any of us did,” chuckled her father. “Still, that in itself is a bit of a surprise, especially when you come to consider what a charmer Soarin Starr can be. When you told us the two of you were dating, I just knew he was the right guy for you.”

“Ah, don't go on, Blitz!” chided Firefly, playfully punching her husband's shoulder. “The number of times you played with that pony's head in front of Rainbow Dash, anypony would think you didn't trust him!”

“I've already had to tell you a thousand times, babe,” protested Solar Blitz, “I was only joking!”

“Yeah, sure,” teased Firefly, and turned her attention back to Rainbow Dash; “Your father does make a good point, though, and that's how lucky you are to have a stallion like him.”

“You can say that again,” mused Rainbow Dash. “I can still remember how it all began...”

So far, things hadn't been going too well for Rainbow Dash. She was doing her level best, but her fears of losing the Best Young Flyers' Competition were playing on her mind so much that she could barely concentrate, and the change of music to a more graceful tune wasn't helping either. It was almost impossible to believe that, just the other day, her unicorn friend Rarity had been the one to insist that she and her other friends – Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle – accompany her and Fluttershy to Cloudsdale to cheer her on; instead, she had taken advantage of the beautiful wings that had been conjured up for her by Twilight and entered herself into the competition at the last minute!

Of course, Rarity was only taking part for the sake of being recognised. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, had a far more ambitious motive; the Wonderbolts were judging the competition, and the winner would be allowed to spend the day with them. Unfortunately, her eagerness to win had become somewhat inhibited by the trouble she had had with trying to fly fast enough to create a rare optical phenomenon known as the Sonic Rainboom, something she had already managed to achieve once, and was hoping to do again. Her fears certainly seemed justified, what with her not being able to build up enough speed, and after being mocked by three obnoxious stallions who had constantly bullied her in her youth, she therefore felt as though the stunt routine she had been practising so meticulously was doomed to failure.

Now, with so little time left, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were both having to perform their routines at the same time. As Rarity danced gracefully through the air, Rainbow Dash attempted to weave her way through the cloud slalom course. But such was her anxiety that she threw a steering wobble and bumped into one of them, dropping out of the air in the process.

“Nice work, Rainbow Crash!!” jeered one of the stallions, and all three laughed horridly.

Rainbow Dash glowered at them, but deep down, she felt even further disheartened. Still, maybe the next part of her routine would be enough to save her bacon – or so she hoped anyway.

Climbing back into the air, the rainbow-maned mare flew up to a small group of clouds and started to circle round each one. The slipstream from her wings gradually caused them to start spinning like carousels, slowly at first, then faster...and faster......maybe her routine still had a small chance of success, she thought.

But just as she had got the fourth cloud spinning nicely, a lump of stray cloud hit her in the face, knocking her off course again. She bumped into the larger cloud with such force that she sent it flying towards where Princess Celestia herself was watching – but cloud is a fragile substance, and so it simply disintegrated on impact, without inflicting any injury on anypony. Nevertheless, the six Wonderbolt judges didn't seem very impressed with how Rainbow Dash was doing so far.

Rainbow Dash watched, almost despairingly, as Rarity began to fly up towards the sun for her grand finale. After both her mishaps, the white unicorn looked certain to win the competition now.

“Looks like this is my last chance to turn things around,” the rainbow-maned Pegasus thought aloud, trying in vain to steel herself. “Phase Three – the Sonic...Rainboom. Wings, don't fail me now!”

Screwing her eyes shut and clenching her teeth with exertion, she turned and started to climb higher and higher, trying to gain more than enough altitude for what she hoped would be her saving grace. But no matter how much height she gained, she couldn't escape the notion that now could well be her darkest hour. Unless she managed to pull off that legendary Sonic Rainboom...

Having climbed to her maximum altitude, Rarity angled her wings down towards the Cloudaseum below, with the sun beaming a magnificent display of lights onto the whole city. “Look upon me, Equestria,” she cried regally, “for I am Rarity!”

The crowd gasped in amazement as the lights danced around the arena – but not for long. With little more warning than a wisp of smoke and steam, her wings, made of little more than gossamer and dew, began to sizzle ominously. Picking up the noise, Rarity anxiously glanced over her shoulder, and was horrified to notice that her wings had completely vanished! She hung in the air for a few seconds – and then, as if the laws of physics had suddenly remembered what they should be doing, the white unicorn plunged down towards the Cloudaseum.

But she didn't stop there; though the clouds had easily been able to support her weight earlier, the loss of her wings now meant that they could no longer break her fall, and she simply fell right through them. Three of the Wonderbolts dived after her, trying to fly her to safety, but Rarity was in such a panic that she wouldn't stop flailing her legs. As they closed in, she punched and kicked them so hard that all three were knocked out.

Just as Rainbow Dash was almost as high as she could go, she suddenly became aware of frantic screaming. Opening her eyes and looking back down, she could just about make out the outline of Rarity, now wingless, plummeting with the unconscious Wonderbolts towards what she knew could well be their deaths. “HOLD ON, RARITY!” she shouted, redirecting her course accordingly. “I'M COMING!” and she dived after the four ponies.

Slowly – too slowly for her liking – Rainbow Dash started to gain on Rarity and the Wonderbolts. Through the haze of what few clouds were left, she could see that they were running out of time, so if she was to save them, then there was only one thing she could do – it was a big risk, but one she had to take. Flapping her wings even harder, she gathered speed again, and an air cone began to form around her. Now or never, she thought...

At last, everything around her seemed to go completely mute as she burst through the sound barrier. With a final brave effort, she caught up to the four ponies, clung onto Rarity for dear life and, with all three Wonderbolts perched on her back, levelled off for a few miles before gently angling herself upwards again and climbing back towards Cloudsdale. Looking back over her shoulder, she could hardly believe her eyes as she saw the rainbow-coloured trail she was creating – after so many failed attempts at a Sonic Rainboom, she had finally pulled it off!

It came as an even greater amazement, though, when she came into land at the Cloudaseum to the sounds of wild cheering from the whole audience. For one of the few times in her life, Fluttershy was literally bouncing with excitement, and even the three stallions had been rendered absolutely speechless.

“I did it!” she gasped, as some of the resident Pegasi came forth to take the unconscious Wonderbolts away for medical attention. “I did it!”

“You sure did,” agreed a deeply grateful Rarity, now being held in the air by two other Pegasi herself. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. You saved my life.”

“Oh yeah. I did that too,” remarked Rainbow Dash. Then, overcome with delight at having managed to wow the crowd, she raised a joyful hoof and proclaimed, “Best day ever!”

Shortly afterwards, Rarity was lowered gently into the safety of the balloon that Twilight and the others had used to travel to Cloudsdale. Once inside the basket, she apologised ruefully to them all, Rainbow Dash in particular, for having nearly stolen the rainbow-maned mare's thunder.

“Aw, it's okay,” replied Rainbow Dash. “Everything turned out alright, right?” But then her face fell, and she stared ruefully down at the clouds; “I just wish I could have met the Wonderbolts when they were awake.”

But she had spoken too soon. Barely a second after she had finished talking, she felt somepony tapping her shoulder. Rainbow Dash turned around, wondering who would be trying to get her attention – but when she did, she had a job trying to suppress her inner fan-filly, for there, standing just behind her, were the very three Wonderbolts whom she had rescued earlier.

“So you're the little pony who saved our lives,” one of them spoke up. “We really wanted to meet you, and say thanks.”

Rainbow Dash was so overwhelmed with delight that the only reply she could manage was a long stream of, “Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh!” It was almost as if she was dreaming the whole thing – and yet, there they were, three of Equestria's elite flying team, standing right before her, thanking her for saving their lives!

At that very same moment, Princess Celestia herself stepped forward. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle,” she greeted them warmly, “and hello to your friends too.”

“Princess Celestia,” ventured Rarity, “I am sorry I ruined the competition. Rainbow Dash here really is the best flyer in Equestria.”

Celestia smiled and nodded. “I know she is, my dear,” she agreed, and turned back to the crowd; “That's why, for her incredible act of bravery, and her spectacular Sonic Rainboom, I'm awarding the grand prize for best young flyer to this year's winner, Miss Rainbow Dash!”

The crowd broke out into another chorus of cheers, and Rainbow Dash herself beamed with joy as she was presented with a small, golden headband with a wing on each side and a bolt of lightning on the front. Against all the odds, she had done it – her attempt at a Sonic Rainboom, that elusive optical phenomenon that many had dismissed as a mere ponies' tale, had finally paid off. And in more ways than one, too; not only had she achieved fame among the residents of Cloudsdale, but she had saved the lives of some of her foalhood heroes and won them a new respect for her. This really was her best day ever!

Chapter 3: After the Gala

“Well, that's not so bad then,” replied Solar Blitz, still a little confused. “I mean, you got your chance to hang out with the Wonderbolts; what more could you possibly want?”

“That's just it,” sighed Rainbow Dash unhappily, scuffing a hoof against the floor. “There were so many other guests at the Gala that the Wonderbolts didn't actually have any time for me – they might as well have just left me standing outside the VIP enclosure. I tried everything to get their attention, even going so far as to stage an accident in the ballroom, but nothing seemed to work, and even when I tried to save that statue that that stuck-up Prince Blueblood knocked over, I only succeeded in causing even more destruction. In the end, I decided to abandon the Gala and join the others at Doughnut Joe's.”

Firefly was most dismayed. “How unfortunate,” she sympathised. “You must have been very disheartened after all that.”

“Yeah, I was,” agreed the rainbow-maned mare, hanging her head in sorrow.

But Scootaloo wasn't about to let her idol feel sorry for herself on her own wedding day. “Ah, c'mon, Dash,” she said brightly. “It's not as if you and the others didn't get what you came for, is it now? Hadn't you forgotten what happened at Joe's afterwards?”

Only then did Rainbow Dash perk up again. “Oh yeah!” she remembered. “Yeah, you're right, Scoot!”

“What did happen then?” inquired Solar Blitz, interested.

“Well...”

The six friends spent the rest of the night hanging out in Joe's doughnut shop, each talking heartily of their misadventures at the Gala. Rainbow Dash was still a little disappointed at not having properly hung out with the Wonderbolts as she had hoped, but still managed to draw some good from what little time she had spent with them, and had to laugh when she heard Pinkie Pie's story of how she had tried to liven things up in the ballroom.

In fact, only Twilight seemed to have got what she had wanted out of their night out, for Princess Celestia had turned up at the shop shortly after they had told Spike what had happened; but over the course of the next half-hour, that gradually changed. Not only did they end up having the wild party that Pinkie Pie had been hoping for, but Celestia generously compensated Applejack and Rarity for the unsold apple treats and ruined dresses, and offered to help Fluttershy in trying to befriend the creatures on her castle grounds a second time. That, of course, made everything alright for all of them.

Rainbow Dash, however, felt rather left out. All her other friends had achieved their goals for that evening (with the exception of Rarity, by the looks of it), and yet she herself still had to live with the Wonderbolts not paying her the attention she felt she deserved – heck, she had even saved three of them from certain death, and yet they had turned around and completely ignored her. This made the rainbow-maned mare very annoyed; annoyed with the Wonderbolts, annoyed by the other Gala guests, but also annoyed at herself for having ruined her chances of becoming part of their team...

“Rainbow Dash?!” exclaimed a voice.

Startled, Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder. There, standing just next to the door and staring in disbelief, was none other than Soarin. At first, she too was rather stunned to see him; but she quickly remembered herself and angrily turned her back on him. “Oh, hullo, Soarin,” she said coldly. “What are you doing in a doughnut shop of all places? Haven't you got guests you need to entertain?”

“I could ask you the same question, Rainbow Dash,” replied Soarin, a little hurt. “I thought you wanted to hang out with us...”

“What, hang out with some pie-gobbling glutton and a group of ponies who care nothing for their number-one fan?! Forget it!”

“Rainbow Dash!” scolded Twilight. “That's not the way to talk to one of your idols!”

“Yeah, Rainbow!” agreed Applejack severely. “Besides, at least he were decent enough to buy from mah Apple Family stall!”

“So what, he's a fan of your pies now? Well, good for you, A.J.!” scoffed Rainbow Dash sarcastically.

Soarin hung his head in shame. The one pony he should have been thinking about at the Gala, on the basis that she had saved his life, and he had ignored her in favour of an apple pie and several high-society ponies for whom he never cared too much. How could he have been so ignorant? “Rainbow Dash,” he ventured, “I wanted to apologise on behalf of the whole Wonderbolt team. It's not that we don't care for our fans; we were actually quite pleased to have you at the Gala, me and Misty and Spitfire particularly. It's just that...well, there were so many supporters in attendance that we...”

“...thought talking to them would be better than a common weather pony like me?” snarled Rainbow Dash, who by now was having to fight the urge to slap Soarin round the face.

“No, Rainbow Dash. Being the celebrities that we are, we couldn't just ignore a bunch of high-class ponies even if we wanted to,” explained Soarin sheepishly. “Most of them tend to talk about social issues and other sorts of trash, but we're practically obliged to socialise with them whether or not we want to. You're more than just our number-one fan in our books; you've got a great deal of potential as a Wonderbolt in your own right, and we're truly grateful for you saving our lives at the Best Young Flyers' Competition.”

Rainbow Dash didn't reply. She didn't know what to think anymore, even now that Soarin had apologised on the Wonderbolts' behalf and told her what he, and possibly all the rest of them, truly thought of her. All she could do was stare at her hooves, a somewhat lost expression in her eyes.

“Please don't be mad at him for all that's happened, Rainbow Dash,” pleaded Fluttershy. “He did say he was sorry, after all.”

The defeated Pegasus mare averted Fluttershy's gaze, still unsure of herself. “I dunno, Fluttershy,” she muttered unhappily. “I'm not sure I can face any of the Wonderbolts again after tonight.”

“Come on, Dashie,” urged Pinkie Pie softly, giving Rainbow Dash's shoulder a gentle nudge. “This is what you wanted all along, wasn't it?”

“Well...yeah, but...”

“Am I late for anything?”

Soarin looked towards the doorway just in time to see Spitfire entering the shop. “Oh...hullo again, Captain,” he stuttered, quickly saluting.

“At ease, Soarin,” replied Spitfire, making her way across to the table at which Rainbow Dash and her friends were sitting with Princess Celestia and Spike. She then sat down next to the rainbow-maned Pegasus; “Rainbow Dash, I can understand you might be a bit disappointed with how the evening went, but Soarin and I really mean it when we say we're sorry we ignored you all this time,” she told her. “If I remember correctly, Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, referred to you as the best flyer in all Equestria at the Best Young Flyers' Competition – not just the best young flyer, the best overall. Am I right, Your Highness?”

“Quite so, Captain Spitfire,” agreed Celestia wholeheartedly.

“In fact, that was why Soarin put in a good word for you after that fiasco in the ballroom,” went on Spitfire. “He told me he had wanted to know you a lot better, which I think we all do, and was sorry not to have set much time aside to talk to you. He even said to me, and I quote; 'That mare may only be a weather pony, but with skills like hers, she might as well have been the captain of the team.'”

Rainbow Dash could hardly believe her ears. Throughout the whole Gala (or at least what time she had spent there), the Wonderbolts seemed to be making out like they didn't think much of her, and now one of their number was saying that she was a better Wonderbolt than the team itself. “So...you really think me an awesome flyer?” she breathed.

“Always had done since that competition,” affirmed Spitfire. “Now, I must ask; when are you free next, Rainbow Dash?”

“Um...” Rainbow Dash paused, trying to work out when she would next be available. “...in about three weeks from now on the Friday.”

“Excellent,” smiled Spitfire, “because on Soarin's suggestion, I intend to make up for tonight by treating you to another visit to the Wonderbolt Base. How does that sound?”

This proposition rendered Rainbow Dash utterly speechless. Another day with the Wonderbolts – it couldn't possibly be true......could it? She glanced over to Soarin, who seemed to have read her mind; for he responded with a small, nervous smile and a nod of affirmation.

At this point, the rainbow-maned mare could no longer hold back her untold delight. She leaped up from her seat, lunged joyously onto Soarin and hugged him feverishly, thanking him time and time again for a few seconds before letting go and standing up again to allow him back onto his hooves. “Sorry about that,” she apologised sheepishly. “Couldn't help myself.”

“It's okay, Rainbow Dash,” smiled Soarin modestly. “Just glad I could put things right in one way or another.”

“You and me both, Soarin,” chortled Spitfire. “Ah well, we'd better head off back to base. So long, Rainbow Dash; we'll see you in three weeks.”

“See ya later, Spitfire,” called Rainbow Dash as the two Wonderbolts left the shop, “and thanks again, Soarin.”

“Later, Rainbow Dash,” replied Soarin, and gave a friendly wave as he passed through the door and followed Spitfire back to their base.

Firefly beamed warmly as she imagined the whole scenario. “That was really kind of him, Rainbow Dash,” she commented.

“I'll say it was,” smiled Rainbow Dash. “After that, Soarin sort'a became my favourite Wonderbolt. He was the one I'd cheer for at races and air displays and such, the one I'd see for autographs, the one I'd dream about when I was asleep – heck, I even took Scootaloo to meet him once when I had a Wonderbolt ticket going spare.”

“That must have been a nice experience, Scoot, meeting the Wonderbolts for the first time,” observed Solar Blitz. “I have to ask, though, did you ever leave one of those shows wondering if you and Dashie and Soarin would ever become family?”

“Um...well, I'd always wanted Rainbow Dash for a big sister,” replied Scootaloo thoughtfully, “but I never once thought I'd find myself under her care – or Soarin's, come to that. I did get the hint that he knew my parents, though, because when I went to see him that first time, he said, 'By the way, say hello to your Dad for me.' That was long before he and Dash adopted me, of course, so he never knew how bad things were for me and my Dad...”

“Yeah, but that's another story,” Rainbow Dash cut in. “In any case, I don't think any of us thought it'd come to this...”

“What, even when you and Soarin danced with each other at the Royal Wedding?” laughed Firefly. “I find that hard to believe!”

Rainbow Dash blushed madly. “Well, it's true, Mom!” she protested. “Even when I finally got my chance to join the Wonderbolts, I didn't understand what was going on inside me!”

“Well......not until about three weeks into your Academy training – from what I heard, anyway,” pointed out Scootaloo innocently.

It had been four days since Lightning Dust, whose reckless actions had nearly cost Rainbow Dash's best friends their lives, had been discharged from the Wonderbolt Academy in disgrace. Standing among the other cadets, Rainbow Dash could hardly believe she had been so angry with the Wonderbolts as to try and quit on them, especially now that she had been promoted to a lead pony.

“Alright, cadets,” announced Spitfire in her “drill-sergeant” manner, “as you already know, your induction week has come to its end. I need not remind you that the Wonderbolts can only accept the best flyers in Equestria, so if you no longer think yourself worthy of being a Wonderbolt, I suggest you back out now!”

Only one pony, a shaky, scrawny, grey-coated young stallion, actually did; but the remainder stayed firmly put.

“So you still think you're good enough to be part of the Wonderbolts? We'll see about that – right after you've met your new trainer.”

As Spitfire spoke, the trainer came walking along the runway towards them, flanked by two corporals. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped in disbelief when she saw who it was... “Soarin?!” she burst out, instantly forgetting herself.

“SILENCE IN THE RANKS!” barked Spitfire sharply.

Rainbow Dash obediently subsided, but barely seemed to pay much attention to what Spitfire was saying immediately afterwards. For some odd reason, she felt deeply delighted and horribly insecure at the same time; she knew Spitfire had to enlist another Wonderbolt to look after the Academy training she was so busy with her office work, but her second-in-command? To her, that was like an inexperienced unicorn being taught Higher Level spells by an ordinary teacher for a week before having Princess Celestia teach her some of the toughest in the world! Somehow, she thought, it wouldn't be long before she too would have all her dreams smashed to smithereens.