Not being able to fly sucked. Not even being able to walk right sucked even more. Rainbow Dash was always a pony for action, yearning for the next rush of adrenaline. Now she was stuck on the stupid ground, with Scootaloo always looking out for her. Rainbow hated that she needed someone to look after her. Her friends were supposed to depend on her, not the other way around!
As she lay in bed waiting for Scootaloo’s daily visit, she recalled her early years. She was just a filly, and she was already racing every pegasus that messed with her or Fluttershy. Even when she lost, she still ignored their laughs. Then after she did that Sonic Rainboom, they all adored her. She never abandoned Fluttershy to bask in the crowd though, always staying by her side when they were surrounded. She never even stopped to sign autographs.
Her memory switched to her young mare years, with all her friends around her. She was just out of Flight School, being kicked out after breaking all their rules. These years were just the start of her adventures with her friends. Together, they defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, and a host of other evil things. She never thought once to abandon her friends for anything.
Then came the best years in her mind. She was a Wonderbolt now, the underdogged rookie. All the other bolts generally ignored her, thinking that she would drop out of the team after seeing how fiercely they trained. Of course, she stayed through all the remarks and jabs, becoming the Captain of the Wonderbolts with her own blood and sweat. She had become what she always wanted to be, famous. But it had felt empty to her, as if something were missing.
She had taken a leave from the Wonderbolts after she reached middle-age, heading back to Ponyville for a long needed break with her friends. After another host of adventures, duty called her back to the Wonderbolts, where Scootaloo was the temporary captain.
Almost as if Rainbow had called her name, Scootaloo opened the door. She was wearing the sky-blue suit that Rainbow Dash had given to her all those years ago, though with a few patches here and there from where it had ripped during a performance.
“Heya there captain, how you doin?” Scootaloo’s bright tone never failed to raise Rainbow’s mood. Rainbow smiled and tousled Scootaloo’s hair.
“I’m doin pretty good you chicken.” Scootaloo made to jab a hoof in her shoulder, but then remembered Rainbow’s condition, and stopped short. “What’s the squad been doing now Scoots?”
“The usual. Flying, crashing, fixing, flying again, and crashing again. You know how it goes.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes and sighed. She walked with Rainbow over to her bed, and sat down on it, wincing at how slow Rainbow moved.
“I’m allright Scoots, just not as “dashy” as I used to be.” Suddenly, Rainbow stopped moving and looked at Scootaloo. “You know what Scoots, how about we do a little something to remember old times?” Before Scootaloo could respond, Rainbow stood up and walked to the door. “Come on little chicken, unless you’re afraid to lose?” Grinning, Rainbow made her way outside and away from the Orange pony’s protests.
Once outside, Rainbow stretched her wings. Wincing at every popping noise the under-used wings made, she pulled at her feathers, straightening them from the crooked positions they had been stuck in. She stood in the midst of a crowd of ponies who looked at her with concern. After Scootaloo walked out behind her, they looked confused. Rainbow stepped forward and raised her voice.
“Hello everypony! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you all.” She felt her emotions coming up into her throat. “I know that I’ve been stuck in there for a while, but I want to tell you all something before me and Scootaloo here race.” Scootaloo opened her mouth to protest, but Rainbow held up a hoof to silence her. “I have always been a Ponyville pony, even after I became a Wonderbolt. I hated that I couldn’t be both here for my friends and there for my squad. It made me feel….empty. I felt as if something was missing from my life. I know now that it’s you all who I was missing. I just want to say that I’m sorry for missing everything about our lives. I’m sorry for missing what I could have been seeing. But I see it now, how much you all meant to me. Even after I left for the team, you all cheered me on and on, not wanting me to fail. You all were more loyal than I ever was. You all deserve to watch me race again.” Spreading her wings, Rainbow flew upwards in a shower of feathers and prisms of sparkling tears, glittering with light from the dying sun.
Flying straight up, Rainbow prepared herself for her last trick in the routine, the Sonic Rainboom. The tears on her face froze into small crystals of ice as she went higher and higher. She knew that she couldn’t possibly do it now. She wouldn’t be able to fly fast enough, but everypony was counting on her! Gritting her teeth, Rainbow went even higher. After she couldn’t go any further, she turned around in midair, breathing heavily. It was time. Going into a dive that was exactly Eighty-eight degrees, Rainbow started to gain speed. She dove and dove, going faster and faster every second. The air had started to thicken around her, trying again to stop her efforts for the Rainboom. Growling to herself, Rainbow pushed back into the air waves, fighting to break through. With a sudden rush, the air resistance broke, and Rainbow was in a world without sound and only blurring lights.
The ponies below were gifted a Sonic Rainboom like never before, followed by a downpour of ice that shimmered with rainbows in the setting sun.
Epilogue: Dash of Joy
Dear Scootaloo and Wonderbolts,
Most of you know me as the great and beautiful Rainbow Dash. I'll bop Scootaloo with my wing if she didn't play me off like that! But seriously, this is my last words of encouragement to you all. I gave up most of my life to be with the Wonderbolts. So I'm the best one to give this advice to you. This is my last tip for all of you. That tip is: Don't let this take over your life. Sure, it's great and all, but real success is when you have your friends there to enjoy it with you. Don't make the mistake I made. Since this is my will though, I'll get on with what I'm leaving behind.
To the Barnyard animal I love the most, I leave my cloud-mansion, with everything in it. Try not to turn it into a coop will you Scoots?
To the team of the greatest fliers of Equestria, I leave my handbook of tricks that I have written. If you choose to accept this gift, you must help me honor the rest of Equestria with my last bequest.
To the ponies of Equestria, I leave a Sonic Rainboom in the hope that it helps them all discover beauty in the darkness that grips us all and in the hope that it guides them to good.
Now I'm sure by now that all of you are either crying or trying to look tough. I would hate to leave Equestria hangin on that Sonic Rainboom. So you go out and make me one!
Blinking away tears, Scootaloo heard the rest of the team sniffling as they each read the letter. Scootaloo still had a small smile on her face from Rainbow's nickname for her. Stomping into the middle of the locker room, she raised her voice to a shout.
"You heard her fillies! Let's give Equestria a Rainboom that they will never forget!"
