Over the Rainbow

"Ahhh, what time is it?"

Rainbow Dash awoke from her deep slumber. She still had no idea why everyone was avoiding her as best as they could. If they were mad at her, they would've kicked her out by now. But they didn't- everyone just stared at her without emotion. What was that supposed to mean?

The cyan Pegasus arched her back forward, puting her hooves behind her as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her first direction to look was down, of course, eyeing the miniature Pinkie Pie plush still laying in the sleeping bag. Rainbow Dash reached down in for it and picked it up subconsciously. She really was attached to it. As her eyes focused into the room around her, she noticed that everyone was still asleep. A quick look at the windows justified this.

It was dark. Very dark. 3:00 at the latest. Apparently Rainbow Dashes sleep wasnt so deep. Rainbow Dash pulled her bottom half out of the sleeping bag and shifted it behind her, standing up. The only sound in the air was the soft breathing of the five mares that were still asleep. Rainbow Dash took flight once again, and then a dark idea came into her head. Thinking back on the story she has told earlier that night, the idea was more terrifying than any that had previously entered her mind.

One quick look at Pinkie Pie was enough to flush the thought out of Rainbow Dashes mind immediately. No pony- no- nothing living would think of possibly doing that to their friends. Rainbow Dashes eyes stared away in self embarrassment at the window, with moonlight and starlight seeping in from the thin glass, providing what little light they could to the silent room.

Rainbow Dashes eyelids drooped down at the sight. She looked down at her sleeping bag, with the rainbow lightning cloud gleaming on the cyan fabric. Soon she landed from her hover and slumped back into the sleeping bag and embraced the pinkie pie plush once again. "Gah, just go back to sleep," she mumbled to herself, before obeying her own command.

Rainbow Dash had to wake herself up. Despite all five of her friends waking up before her, none of them would wake up the sleeping Pegasus. When Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, she found out why.

"BOO!"

Wait, no, that was just her imagination.

Rainbow Dash propped herself up with her hooves behind her back and slid out of the sleeping bag. With the Pinkie Pie plush in hoof, she took flight and scanned the room below her. No one around. At the realization, Rainbows attention was directed to the vacant staircase that lay parallel to the cluster of cutie- marked sleeping bags that broke away from the one belonging to the last pony in the room.

Instinctively, Rainbow Dash flew down the wooden steps aimlessly and was met by a second empty room. Twilight Sparkles house was empty. In order to follow her friends path, Rainbow exited through the doors and was finally met with the targeted life forms. The other five elements of harmony were all perched into a tree (for some reason) and were unnoticeably chatting to one another. Despite four out of five of them catching a glimpse of the missing Pegasus, no one acknowledged her presence.

"Hello," called up the cyan mare to the supportive branches of her friends. For a second, it seemed as if they had ignored he again, before the white unicorn on one of the branches directed her attention to the caller.

"Oh, hello Rainbow Dash. We honestly thought you were going to sleep in all day," responded Rarity, with a fitting expression on her face. She was sitting alone on her branch, with one hoof supporting her with her hind legs and the other wrapped around the trunk.

Yeah, sure you did. thought Rainbow Dash, who resumed her flight to meet her friends above. But, as she met her fellow mares at twelve feet up, both unicorns teleported themselves and their three counterparts back to the ground, as if Rainbow was a repellant.

Annoyed, Rainbow Dash flew back to her friends that had teleported "down" and stood alongside them. Something that Rainbow Dash had noticed the previous day is that, under chances, her and the other elements could be off for two more days. Although that would mean no sick employes (or relatives) the mothers do their jobs for once, that the 99% chance of a hurricane is wrong, and so many other things would have to happen. But there's always a chance.

"So, since we also have today off..." began Pinkie Pie. Wow. Apparently there IS always a chance. "what do you want to do now? I personally think we should enter the ski-comp-eh-tition..."

"YES!" agreed Rainbow Dash, abruptly. "I mean... Yeah, that's a good idea. At least what I had in mind. For maybe or maybe not a few years."

"Okay... Now, what did you have in mind, Rainbow Dash?" questioned Twilight Sparkle, who raised an eyebrow at the random suggestion.

"Well, as it turns out, a competition was announced a few days ago, and whoever can make the best comedy skit will win bragging rights and an engraved name on a pillar of town hall. Which, while we already have one, would be the only ponies to have their name twice on there," finished Rainbow Dash.

"That, was ex-act-ly what I had in mind, too!" added Pinkie Pie, who bounced for emphasis. Who could be another psychic?

"Okay, that still doesn't answer my question," stated Twilight, who was becoming slightly annoyed herself, "what is your idea?"

Well, that wasnt good. Rainbow Dash had another talent than athleticism. But her idea for a skit, was not exactly too exciting, although it would without a doubt win. "Well, its parodied first-world problems."

The five listening pairs of eyes shot open at those six words. What did that mean, anyway? That was pretty strait foward as is, and parrodied? How exactly to you parody that?

"And how do you plan to do that?" Asked Twilight Sparkle, who kept her brow raised.

Rainbow Dash grinned maniacally, and then responded. "Like this."

Rainbow Dash looked at the wooden planked stage in aw- she had outdone herself this time. The cabinet lined one way door hung in the corner of the small setup, with a desk and office chair complementing it to fit the scene. Although it was not professional- it was still quite good.

"Now, for this, I will assign rolls," began Rainbow Dash, who hovered hypocritically over her demanded "directors chair", "and so I will start with the most obvious one. Pinkie Pie, you will be the sad hopeless evil genius who doesn't know his own power."

Pinkie Pies wide open grin spoke for its speechless owner, as her eyes sparkled in approval.

"Okay, so the genius is going to be the centered main character. That means, that every time Pinkie has a line, the entire scene should be silent except for her," stated Rainbow Dash in the same position.

"Now, the first scene is Pinkie Pie stationed at the back of the stage. This will introduce the genius's character. Now, Pinkie, see if you can make some lines with your part."

Pinkie Pie separated from the watching five mares and stood in the spot of order, then began to speak. "HAH!" she chortled, in an accent resembling stereotypical German, "I can fancy up an amazing plan in an instant! And this time, THIS time, it WILL work."

"Good," judged Rainbow Dash, "now that brings us to the second role. Rarity is the evil genius's superior servant."

Rarity put a hoof to her chest, "Superior servant? Why is he the boss of me if I'm superior?" she asked.

"Because, Pinkie Pie is going to be an average Brainy evil genius. He will be in charge, but his servant will do most of everything. Now, let's see if you can scrape together a few lines or something." replied Rainbow Dash.

"Actually," cut off Rainbow Dash from Rarities readied dialogue, "I just remembered. The servant is completely silent except for one line. Well fix that once we get to the script. Now that leads us to the scrip girl. Fluttershy, you will bring in the theme of this. You and Twilight Sparkle will complain a lot about first world problems that aren't really first world problems. These lines are fixed again, so we'll plan them later," she said subsequently.

"Okay. I still don't get it though," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Now, Applejack, you will be the annoyed protagonist. Your character will be based around a adventurer that is annoyed by everyone around her. This will help make a sense of mood," continued Rainbow Dash, aiming her eyes at the accommodating orange mare.

"So ah just get mad at everyone?" replied Applejack.

"Pretty much."

"Okay the opening scene will begin with the scrip girls and the protagonist starting a multi cry. Start in a melodic tone and add one mare every second, lifting your heads up as you begin."

The three subjected ponies complied immediately, beginning with Fluttershy who raised her eyes to the sky and began her melodic oh. Soon added Twilight Sparkle, then Applejack. The three mares were good at timing, but their combined sound was awful. There was Fluttershy, who came out as A high pitched squeak, Twilight Sparkle who was way too loud, and Applejack, who couldn't sing for the life of her, who came out as a series of cracks and flat pitches. Soon, the sound became ear numbing.

Rainbow Dash covered her ears in a cringe, trying to block out the terrible sound. Behind her eyelids, her pupils shrunk as did her temper, which deflated to a plonk mark in size from its previous infinite stature. Soon, she became outraged.

"CUT! CUT! CUT! STOP THE DAN-MN-NN NOISE!" she yelled. The three subjected mares soon complied, setting their silent heads down in unison.

"Okay, scrap that part. I am not listening to that again."

Rainbow Dashes attention turned to Pinkie Pie, with her cringe faded back to her normal meaningless stare. "Now, Pinkie Pie, what did I tell you about your expressed line?"

"To do it like this," answered Pinkie Pie, as she formed a confining half growl at the director, "I'VE DONE IT!"

"Good. That everyone is what's known as a end dramatic line. When these come on, the everyone else must be completely silent, or it will lose its affect. Now, in the midst of things comes a stunt scene. Rarity, put in the ice cream now."

"I'm on it." complied Rarity, whose horn glowed brighter than the sun at that moment.

Within a second, the scrip girls and Applejack were swept up from under their hooves in a gigantic pile of Ice cream. All three mares disappeared into the icy substance before popping their heads out, Fluttershy being the only one to stay on the pile. The yellow Pegasus shivered her way to the top of the pile.

"THATS NOT WHAT I MEANT!" yelled Rainbow Dash once again, this time aiming her shockwave at no one. Her attention now turned to Pinkie Pie, who stood on the stage unnoticed.

"Go help clean up Applejack," she said, sending the pink mare on her first job. "Now the scrip girls are going to be ranting about unnecessary bestiality hoaxes."

"Action."

Twilight Sparkle didn't do anything at all, while Fluttershy simply continued dabbing her tongue at the ice cream below her. "What was that?" she said, lifting her head up.

Rainbow Dashes short temper burst. "YOUR All Bucking idiots!" she ranted to the air. Despite her volume, no one noticed her scream to the air.

Rainbow stormed over to the four mares on the contradicting side of the stage. "If we're ever to get this thing off the ground, were gonna need some de-cap-I-tat-ion." Fluttershy semi- obeyed and dug her face back into the ice cream.

"Okay, you mean like this?" said Twilight Sparkle, redirecting her attention to the now clean Applejack, "Help me, you beautiful queen!"

"That's not my part," said Applejack, turning away from her addresser.

Rainbow Dash turned around and stomped her way back to Rarity on the other edge of the stage. "We have got to get on with this dumb thing!"

"That's right!" Agreed Rarity,"But what about my part?"

Rainbow stared blankly at the white unicorn, before almost being pierced by Rarity's horn.

"What about the billion bit superior servant?" she asked again.

"Are you really going to let ALL THIS BEAUTY go to waste?" she asked for the third time, now with a hint of annoyed in her voice.

"Yep." answered Rainbow Dash assuringly.

"What we need is a script," stated Rainbow Dash.

"A well written, thought out script!" added Rarity.

"Go organize something for this, Rainbow Dash. Because this is not going to work out the way were planning right now," chimed in Twilight Sparkle.

"I'll do just that!" complied Rainbow Dash, "I'll take Fluttershy with me back to the house. The rest of you, practice your damn act."

Rainbow Dash turned away from the crowd and walked off the stage with her fellow Pegasus by her side. Not even away from the setup and she was already nervous.

"Go write the best story in Equestria Rainbow Dash!"

That didn't help.

At Twilight Sparkles house, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat down and let out a deep breath that they wish they hadn't had to hold.

"Okay," started Rainbow Dash, "to write a script, you have to know what your story is about," she said to herself, a yellow Pegasus by her side.

Rainbow Dash walked into Twilight Sparkles room, and settled herself onto the chair seated accompanying a matching desk, taking a pen between her teeth in the process while a blank sheet of paper store up at her from the desk, which seemed to be placed there in preparation of a situation like this. Or maybe just to write down a massive to-do list most likely.

"So, how does this story go by the way?" asked Fluttershy, who followed her cyan counterpart into the room with her.

"Well... I guess it would be easier to write it down," replied Rainbow Dash, who set down the pen and bent her upper body towards her questioner.

A magenta eye tracked back to the paper it had been previously looking at, and dragged its owners mouth back down to the pen, which it picked up and began writing.

"Ah don't think its a good ideah to let that numbskull write this thing out," stated Applejack to her other three mares, who had stayed behind while the Pegasus's left.

"Well, I don't think we had another option," said Twilight Sparkle, "do you have an idea for 'parodied first world problems'?"

"Eh, ah guess not... maybe your right."

"I just hope this doesn't turn out to be a waste of time, like how last years thing went," commented Rarity, who stepped in on the conversation.

"Shut up. I never want to be reminded of that again," snapped Twilight Sparkle at her fellow unicorn.

"Calm down. Remember what Rainbow said, 'practice your act.' We're going off one sentence apiece, we should probably get to that," suggested Rarity, which would immediately prove to be the idea of choice. So the four mares did just that.

"We're back eggheads."

Rainbow Dash returned from Twilights house with Fluttershy silently by her side, and soon passed by her fellow mares with a full 22 page script in her hooves. The responding look was one of ignorance. Rainbow Dash set the papers on the foot of her stage and backed away from them, expecting similar action to their earlier behavior towards the newly written script, but to her surprise no such event occurred.

"Hey Rainbow, why don't ya do somethin' about this ice cream? It's startin to attract pest," spoke Applejack, who was by the white pile of order.

"Yeah, we should probably get rid of that," agreed the subjected Pegasus, as she turned to the white unicorn next to her, "Hey Rarity, remember that reflecting thing I told you about?"

"Yes, and I have mastered it. Although it was annoying having to test it," replied Rarity, who thought back to her experience with the spell in question.

"Good, I say we use that to clear that stuff," said Rainbow Dash, pointing to the ice cream.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Don't you remember wha-"

"Just do it," insisted Rainbow Dash.

Rarity climbed onto the stage and waited for Rainbow Dash to set up the spell. The cyan Pegasus flew towards the sky quickly and instantly spotted what she needed. A cloud. Moving quickly, she made for her fore hooves to press down on the top of the fluffy white cloud, and pushed it downwards. Further and further, until she reached the point where the cloud was only a few feet above the Ice cream pile.

"Okay, start in on the count of three," started Rainbow Dash to Rarity, readying her hind legs for a kick, "three, two, one, NOW!"

Rarity sent a jolt of magic towards the cloud as Rainbow Dashes back hooves clashed with it, turning the bright yellow lightning bolt that would usually spawn a six colored rainbow refraction, and watched in aw as the "rainbow bolt" struck the ice cream below, obliterating it into water.

Rainbow Dash thought that was the end of the spell, but was completely caught off guard when a second HUGE rainbow bolt exploded from under the thunder cloud, hitting the now cleared stages wood planks and annihilating them, along with everything within a hundred yards of it. All six mares were instantly sent flying through the air, landing just outside a gigantic crater left behind from the explosion. All of them had there faces covered in ash and dirt, especially for Rainbow Dash, who had half her head stuck in the ground.

When her eyes met above land, she was met by two furious pairs of pupils staring her down. The eyes were unmistakable- belonging to Twilight Sparkle and Applejack.

"Boy are you stupid Rainbow Dash," began the furious earth pony Applejack, inching a forehoof closer to the cyan Pegasus, who was lying down on the ground, all legs spread along the dirt.

"You blew up half the forest, along with those papers that took six hours to write," continued Twilight Sparkle.

Aw buck, I've screwed this one up a bit. thought Rainbow Dash as her two scolders looked down on her. Inside, something else churned inside. Not guilt, but anger. And not at the mistake, but at its successors.

"Well, it could've gone right if you hadn't distracted the system, egghead," replied Rainbow Dash, causing Applejacks eyes to wide but Twilight Sparkles to only shrink in more anger. And that wasn't to blame- Rainbow Dash had no idea where she was going with this.

"What are you saying?" questioned Twilight Sparkle, pushing her head further out at the dirt covered Pegasus.

Rainbow Dash stood up, then followed the same path as the purple unicorn in front of her, "I'm saying, that I'm tired of you thinking you've been gifted by God in your little magic act and feel that if something goes wrong it gives you the right to go insane."

"That's coming from the mare that does the same thing."

Well, that relieved Rainbow Dash a bit that Twilight hadn't questioned the relevance of her argument, since such action would have left Rainbow Dash speechless.

"Hah, at least I didn't almost kill ponies over stupid cupcakes. And I can prove that your so called 'royalty' doesn't change damn anything about your ability."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Rainbow Dash picked up a conveniently placed (or launched?) paper that sided next to her, then shoved it in front of the unicorns eyes.

Twilight Sparkle telekinetically grabbed the paper out of Rainbows hoof with little resistance and shifted it into a more comfortable reading position. The paper read a ten-bullet rule sheet for a race of some sort.

"What is this?" asked the purple unicorn.

"The Equestrian foot race," replied Rainbow Dash, "Lost in history, but still in memory. I can show you real talent."

"Your saying you want me to race you at this?" asked Twilight Sparkle, lifting her eyes from the paper.

A grin rose to Rainbow Dashes face. She looked at Applejack, who had backed away from the two of them, and then farther back, at Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. I can take them, she thought.

"Yep. In fact, I bet I could beat all five of you at once in it," she answered, the smug grin still on.

Twilight Sparkle stepped back and took on a new expression of disbelief and disapproval, then opened her mouth to accompany her thoughts, "Your not serious, right?" she asked.

Rainbow Dash spread her wings out and started in a hover before her unicorn friend, a smirk plastered on her face. "I'm serious, and I'll do it too. I can beat you and the other elements of harmony at once."

Twilight Sparkle laughed behind her closed teeth, that now formed upward at the edges in a matching maniacal grin of her new cyan opponent. "Don't make me laugh."

"Oh I won't. Go. Go tell them about it. I've memorized the rules already, you can have it," assured Rainbow Dash.

"Your on!" shouted Twilight Sparkle.

"Good. I'll be at my home, and so will you if you want any honor in this race," finished Rainbow Dash, who turned her back on the unicorn and flew off, undoubtably to her house if she 'wanted any honor in this.'

Twilight Sparkle watched as her new adversary disappeared behind the trees and clouds into the sky, and when the time came she turned to the four ponies behind her, which were regrouping far back to the edge of the rubble. Good thing trees don't set ablaze from explosions- they wouldn't be so lucky if that was the case.

Twilight Sparkle hurried over to the four ponies regrouped far behind her, the rules (wait, did Rainbow say map?) levitated beside her. When she reached voice distance of her friends, sure enough, the first words she heard were, "wait, where's Twilight?"

"I'm right here," answered the unicorn, now afoot with her new 'teammates,' "Back there, Rainbow Dash challenged me to some sort of race. And actually all of us against her is her plan."

"She wants tah do what now?" asked Applejack, first to turn attention to Twilight.

"She wants to race all of us at once at this, and she plans to win."

Twilight didn't know four ponies could make so much noise.

Amidst the mumbling, the five mares came to the decision, yes, they were going to take on their cyan friend. They still had over a day left off from their jobs, which was not something that should be wasted on denial.

"So, I supposed that paper," started Rarity after the decision, "explains the race. Lay it down and let us take a look at it."

Twilight realized she hadn't really looked at the set of rules yet, so she complied and levitated the sheet flat out infront of her, letting all of her friends to scan and study the paper.

The foot race of Equestria. Rules-

1- All racers must start at their respective homes.

2- All racers must be within 5 years of age between each other.

3- No deliberate violence towards racers or checkpoints, although hijacking

opponents is allowed as long as it does not interfere with the race itself.

The race-

All players start at their homes. They will collect marks at each checkpoint they come across

and only when all five are bared can a racer finish the game. The race goes as following

1- The first checkpoint is in the back corners of The Everfree forest, within a ravine crack. The

Marks will be given by temporary tattoo formula. There is one for each racer- do not take extra.

Violation will result in disqualification.

2- The second checkpoint is in a room of Cloudsdale Town Hall. The room will become obviously placed further in the race.

3- The third checkpoint is in a certain intoxication saloon in Canterlot. Like the room, its location will become obvious further in.

4- The fourth checkpoint is in a room in the Town Hall of Ponyville. It is the same room as the one in the Town Hall of Cloudsdale.

5- The fifth and final checkpoint is in Celestias palace. It will also be in a certain room, but not the same as the rooms of the previous Town Halls.

6- There is a central small building in the middle of Canterlot. It is empty in population but holds a single button for each racer. Whoever presses their respective button first is the winner of the race.

"Wow." started Applejack, the first one to speak up after reading the paper. "Rainbow Dash set that all up. Wow."

"She is pretty determined to have it already set up for who knows how long," continued Rarity, who stood in front of two more silent mares. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had been especially quiet that day, using there ears more than there mouths. One of them hadn't even read the paper.

"Rainbow already left, so I guess she expects us to race her," added Twilight Sparkle.

"Wait, when does this, race, begin?" asked Applejack, pointing out a flaw in the paper.

"I don't know, maybe I should go ask Rainbow Dash. She left to go to her hou-" started Twilight.

"Wait! Twilight, move your hoof!" spoke up Pinkie Pie.

Twilights fore hoof had been resting on the bottom of the page when she unraveled it, and made no retraction when she telekinetically flattened it out in mid air. Under it, lay more text, probably the last rules.

The race begins on the first ring of the bell tower once every racer has read the rules. This is a surprise race- there is no planning time.

Naturally, the first ring of the bell tower of Ponyville shook right after all eyes had withdrawn from the paper. Rainbow Dash was probably already flying though the air on her way to Everfree Forest.

She probably got some planning time! ranted Twilight Sparkle in her head. "Well, I guess the race starts now," began the purple unicorn.

But the only one who could hear her was Rarity. The mare who had made the same route as her purple friend, and now teammate apparently, had run extremely fast away from the now destroyed forest west towards the Everfree Forest. The unicorns had to beat Rainbow Dash, and they were right on their desires. Everyone on their team was left in the dust as Twilight and Rarity ran towards the first checkpoint.

Their trek didn't last long, however. Soon, the unicorns stopped in unison, ending the telepathic bonding of thoughts that was stringing between them, sharing their thoughts as if it was easier to do than talk while sprinting (which was actually true.) They had shared a plan in their bond, and needed to share it with the three mares that had not followed their path.

Using a special "backtracking" spell, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity rescinded to Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Their grins were as huge as ever.

"Have we got a plan for you," began Twilight Sparkle, a smug grin on her face. Soon, a backtracking Rarity met her, turning to face the halted following ponies with a similar expression as her purple teammate.

"Oh what a plan it is indeed," continued Rarity.