Chapter 1
When I’m up here, I feel like I can do anything.
I’m free.
On days like this, I begin to pity the earth ponies and Unicorns. They will never know the true joy of flight, and well... it’s a damned shame. They’re missing out.
Imagine, having to live down there... never feeling the adrenaline rush, that surge of excitement one can only fulfil up here, up in the clouds.
If I were a regular pony, confined to the earth, well... I’d probably die of boredom.
It’s just not the Rainbowdash way.
I try not to think about it, though. It’s a beautiful day out. Great day for flying. The sun is blazing through the clouds, and a slight breeze hangs in the atmosphere. Best of all, not a raincloud in sight.
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
I can see all of Equestria from up here, from Manehatton to Canterlot. It looks... beautiful.
The wind is blowing in my face, my rainbow spectrum mane swaying to and fro behind me. I know for a fact that when I land, it will probably be a mess. Rarity will have a fit.
But do I care?
No.
The southern birds are catching up behind me. Sometimes I wish I were a bird.
No worries.
No troubles.
No... Painful memories.
Nope. Nothing but flying. That’s freedom.
They chirp, loudly, the sound of their voices carried in the wind. Sounds like a challenge to me.
They think they can beat me?
Rainbowdash? The best, the fastest, the GREATEST flyer in all of Equestria?
Challenge accepted.
I kick my hind legs behind me, giving me a small boost of speed as my wings go into overdrive. I barrel through the pale blue sky, blitzing my way through cloud after cloud.
Eat my dust birds.
They think they can catch up to me? I’m so fast, even the Wonderbolts won’t allow me to join.
Well, they asked me several times, of course.
But I said no. I don’t want to outshine them at their shows.
That would be mean.
See? I’m a really kind, considerate pony.
I only think about others.
But that’s okay.
I don’t mind.
I only need the sky.
Just me and the sky.
What more could you want?
So, those birds are still following, are they?
Think they can match me?
Fools.
Let’s see them top... this!
I inhale sharply and change direction, suddenly pointing down in a nosedive. I travel downward, faster and faster, and faster...
I feel g-force pushing against me, gravity stretching and pulling at my body as I continue my decline, constantly picking up speed.
Oh yeah... this. Is. Epic!
Feel that rush of adrenaline bolting right through your body?
That tingle of excitement in your stomach?
Welcome to my world.
Air begins to circulate around my body, showing I’m close to breaking the sound barrier.
I make myself as aerodynamic as possible so as to gain as much speed as possible, stretching my limbs out, forming a kind of bullet shape.
If I didn’t, well... It could get messy.
Believe me, I’ve spent more than a few nights in hospital.
But that doesn’t stop me.
Nothing stops me!
Just one final push...
Just a little more speed and...
KABOOM!
The entire Equestrian sky is lit up by a single rainbow, accompanied by a loud cracking sound that can be heard for miles around, akin to a clap of thunder.
That was me, of course, performing my signature ‘Sonic Rainboom’ move.
I, fillies and gentlecolts, am the only Pegasus...
EVER...
...To pull one of those bad boys off.
Right now, there were probably hundreds of young kids standing in their schoolyards, calling my name.
“Rainbowdash! By Celestia, it’s Rainbowdash!”
I’m kind of a celebrity here. No big deal.
I spiral upwards, rainbows continuing to stream off of my mane and tail.
I hear squawks of terror and confusion behind me, and turn to see the birds turn and fly away in the opposite direction.
They knew they had been beaten.
By the best.
I let my body relax, my beating wings slowing to a gentle flutter as I lower myself on to a nearby cloud.
Time to do my second favourite thing in the world, next to flying.
Time for a nap.
Amazingly awesome heroes need to sleep, too.
As I lie there, I begin to think of my friends.
Poor fools. They will never know how great it is to be able to fly.
Well, except Fluttershy, of course.
But she is afraid of heights. Can you believe that?
A Pegasus, afraid of heights?
Still, though, Fluttershy is one of the nicest mares I’ve met. So kind.
And Applejack is so loyal. Pretty fast, too. (Well, for an earth pony, that is.)
Nearly as fast as me.
Nearly.
Twilight is... well, an egghead really.
But the greatest, smartest egghead I’ve met.
And, well... keep this a secret, will you?
Okay... she got me into reading.
Just the Daring Doo books, I swear! None of that nerd crap she reads!
Honestly!
But when my friends found out, I was mortified. I guess I lost my temper and...
Well, I’m lucky to have such good friends. Really lucky.
Especially Rarity. Me and her... well, we’re like chalk and cheese. But at the end of the day, she is really patient with me.
Sometimes she asks me to model for her when she is making those dresses of hers, (which in my opinion are lame: they need to be at least 20% cooler. At least.) and I kind of get bored quickly.
What can I say? I’m an active pony.
So... yeah, I can be hard to work with.
But all my friends put up with me. Because, I guess... they love me.
For who I am.
And... I love them too.
I’m not crying, I swear. There is something in my eye. I swear!
Anyway, Pinkie is the most fun out of all of us. When I’m feeling down, she always knows how to cheer me up. Pinkie is great.
All of my friends think I’m pretty fun, too.
I guess I am pretty fun at parties. They always say,
“Wow, Rainbowdash! How are you so awesome and happy all the time?”
That is the side of me they always see.
But I have feelings, too.
Sometimes, I need to cry.
Sometimes, I feel depressed.
Sometimes, I need...
To... escape from it all.
From bad memories.
Painful memories.
From... life. Leave it all behind.
That’s why I come up here. To leave my troubles behind.
I feel a little drowsy. My eyes feel pretty heavy, too.
I might just take a quick nap.
Where I can dream of flying. Flying, so high, up there with the birds. Me, without a care in the world.
Because when I’m up here, in the sky, I feel like I can do anything. BE anything.
Up here...
I’m free.
The End