Dashing Dreams

by TheSillyDuck

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Alternate Universe, Sad, Romance
Length: 12177

Rainbow Dash's dreams become realized, but can she overcome the troubles that arise soon after, when things don't go to plan?

When Rainbow Dash's dreams of becoming a Wonderbolt come to fruition, she's ecstatic. But when the Wonderbolt Academy turns out to be the toughest thing she's ever had to do, can she overcome the obstacles that are thrown at her? When the inevitable beast known as 'change' rears its ugly head and makes everything different in an instant, it may be too much. Can her sanity and her friendship survive the realities she has to overcome?

(Marked Alternate Universe simply because this goes further back in the series and changes things regarding RD's activities with the Wonderbolts. Also, for the record, this is the first true attempt at a fic I'm trying on here. Constructive criticism welcome!.)

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-06-15 21:49:40 UTC

Chapter 2

OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh! This was all Rainbow could think to herself as she walked through the greaty Cloudsdale Coliseum. Hter eyes wandered over the intricate beauty of the structure, captured by both the design and the meaning. Many ponies simply admired the work for the craftsponyship. Very few actually took the time to notice the minute details of Equestrian history carved forever into the building. From battles long gone, to Celestia's triumph over Nightmare Moon, the origin of the Wonderbolts, and even the grand return of Princess Luna to Celestia's side! These halls payed homage to pony culture, and most would never know. Rainbow Dash on the other hand recognized all of it. Though she would never admit it to Twilight, there was one thing she would study. That would be anything and everything to do with the Wonderbolts. She was an egghead when it came to their past and their present, and the sheer awe-inspiring history that was carved into this very building was not unnoticed by her.

Making her way to the center of the field she spied two dozen or so other ponies who had already gathered. All of them waiting for a chance to become a Wonderbolt. All of them praying to be the BEST of the best to be on the demonstration team alongside the likes of Captain Spitfire and Lieutenant Soarin. As the ponies milled around waiting, wondering, too awe struck to even speak, the clock struck noon. At the far south end of the field, away from where Rainbow had entered, a large double door opened up. Six ponies walked out wearing Wonderbolt blues. All of them with a chest full of ribbons, their uniforms adorned with gold, their buttons and rank insignia glinting in the summer sun, eyes all hidden behind the same aviator style sunglasses. At the head of the pack was a firey maned mare. Her golden color reflecting the sunlight like a beacon. Captain Spitfire. Leader of the Wonderbolts demonstration team. Rainbow Dash was so star struck she didn't even hear the mare as her lips began to move. Shortly after, ALL of the Wonderbolts' lips began to move.

"LET'S GO LET'S GO! GET INSIDE! MOVE MOVE MOVE!" All the cadets looked at each other before breaking off in a gallop towards the open double doors. Rainbow Dash bolted to the front of the pack. Not wanting to be last. She had no idea what to expect but with nearly three dozen ponies and six instructors present she knew she didn't want to be one that drew their attention. As she ran she saw the Wonderbolts converging on the stragglers of the bunch. Those who didn't hear the commands or stumbled along the way and were falling behind. They were like Timberwolves on raw meat.... Out of nowhere three instructors were on a mint green pony with a dazzling white mane.

"Let's go, beat your muzzle! I want to see wing-ups! MOVE MOVE MOVE!" they screamed at her. The pony was doing everything she could to do the wing-ups as fast as she possibly could. Another pony stumbled, a deep blue stallion with a jet black mane. The instructors shifted towards him, yelling at the mare to get back on her feet and follow the group. "LET'S GO BLUE, WING UPS! NOW! PUSH PUSH PUSH, BEAT YOUR MUZZLE!" Rainbow didn't bother to stick around to watch. She just wanted to get through the first set of doors without painting a target on herself.

Once inside she found herself with all her fellow cadets in a large gymnasium. Another Wonderbolt was standing there screaming for everyone to form up. He was instructing every pony to get in line with eachother, four rows deep. Several press ponies wearing glistening gold badges were flying around documenting the entire thing with cameras. Clearly they were the elite of the media. The Wonderbolts' chosen few. As soon as all the ponies were in line the lone instructor shouted. "Class, attention!" Most didn't know what specifically to do, but EVERYPONY knew to shut up and face forward. The doors swung open and Spitfire walked towards the front of the group.

"Class! Welcome to the Wonderbolts Academy. You are class 953 of more than 1000 years of tradition! All of you are here because you want to be the best! MOST of you, will NOT make it through. Some of you will make become Wonderbolts. But only a few of you... " she paused for effect, her eyes sweeping over the class, "will make it to the demo team. Only a select few of you will get to show your skills as primary members of Equestria's elite demonstration fliers. Is that what you want?!"

A resounding "yes ma'am" came from the class.

"Good!" Spitfire stopped dead center at the front of the class. "Because we only want the best! The Wonderbolts are draped in tradition, mystique, and honor! We are Celestia's best, and there is no compromise! You're all here because you want to be a part of something, well now is your time to prove it. The next 6 months will be the hardest of your lives! BUT. If you survive, IF you make it through, you'll have earned the right to wear this blue uniform. Anyone who wants to back away, do so now." Not a soul moved, save for the press ponies buzzing about, recording every detail. "So be it! Lieutenant Soarin!" A light blue stallion with a navy blue mane promptly walked up to Spitfire and saluted. After returning the salute she gave the order. "Get these maggots processed and into their barracks!"

Soarin turned to the class. "Fall out and follow the golden line on the floor, get signed in and get the BUCK TO YOUR ROOMS! MOVE MOVE MOVE!" Everypony gave a resounding "Yes sir" and scrambled to follow the line on the floor. The other Wonderbolts were following the line looking for anypony who didn't keep their eyes forward. Anypony who didn't stand at attention. Rainbow watched as they began to call ponies out and demand wingups or flutter kicks. Her knees began to shake as she moved forward, keeping her eyes as level as possible. Praying they wouldn't focus on her. After all, it wasn't even day "one" yet.

Rainbow Dash was a zombie.

Not literally, but figuratively for certain. It had been two weeks at the Wonderbolt Academy, and she was tired. She had trained for years and never felt this exhausted. The past few months she had flown farther, harder, and faster than ever before. She had done wing ups, flutter kicks, every exercise she could think of, it didn't matter. The instructors knew how ponies trained, they knew how to break them. Instead of just flying they made the ponies carry extra weights in their hooves. Instead of running their wings were strapped so they couldn't beat them. Instead of being able to put their hooves under them for leg lifts they had to cross their barrels. The instructors truly thought of how every pony might train, and then changed the training so everypony essentially started at nothing.

Every muscle in Rainbow's body screamed for mercy. Her mind was being beaten left and right. But she endured. Two weeks in. 13 days total. She was surviving. She could do this. This was up until Treasure Cove. After a 14 hour day already the instructors ushered all the cadets to the field with their added weights and instructed them to follow on a flight. After flying well out of the Cloudsdale limits the ponies came to a clearing on the ground just outside of Whitetail Woods. They touched down on a grass field surrounding a section of trees. Instructors yelling for ponies to fall into formation, urging them to succeed, goading them to be slow enough to "make their day." There was no way to be fast enough. The ponies were made to hold their weights high with their wings while jumping, squating, and running in place. There was no way to succeed. Spitfire's voice boomed over the class.

"We have tried to give you latitude. But no more! You forget, we have eyes and ears everywhere! When one of you bucks up, you ALL buck up. And you ALL pay the price. Such it is if you become a Wonderbolt. When ONE of us makes a mistake, we ALL pay for it. Because of that, YOU will all pay for it now." After 45 minutes more of exercise, the class struggled to low crawl around the trees. If they failed to do so in the proper time they were made to do so again. Finally Spitfire ordered the class to recover. Only to order them back into the woods to retrieve 24 golden horse shoes.

"24 shoes!" She bellowed. "24 shoes to represent 24 Wonderbolts who have DIED in the line of duty. Whether during a show or in some far off land. These ponies DIED as part of a team. The weight of their loss so we may continue to live on is on all of us daily, and now it is on all of YOU! Those shoes are NEVER to touch the ground. EVER! Or so help me, you will all pay until we are ALL in Tartarus." As Spitfire began to instruct the class further in PT the class was ordered to do a significant amount of jumps, being ordered to the air and to their bellies as fast as possible. As an exhausted Rainbow Dash went down, her front legs stayed straight, her back legs gave out, and a loud snap reverberated from her back. She let out a yelp and felt as if someone stabbed her in the spine. Rainbow pressed forward until the instructors finally granted relief in the form of a flight back to the academy and sleep. Her whole body ached, masking the pain from any particular area. But the flight back was labored, she didn't notice her wing speed seemed a bit slower than normal, she didn't realize the tingling in her hooves. She didn't realize what it all meant.

At 0500 the next morning the lights came on. Ponies were flying out of their bunks trying to get ready for the day's training. Rainbow rolled out of her bunk and couldn't bear to stand. A trip to the team medic confirmed only that SOMETHING was wrong with her. They couldn't explain what. That would require a specialist. That would mean she was done. Rainbow hobbled into Spitfire's office at 0800. The fiery mare looked at her knowingly. The grimace on Rainbow's face and the tears in the corners of her eyes said it all. She was done. Spitefire shook her hoof, patted her on the shoulder, and processed her out.

"Dash, I know it sucks. But you're an amazing flier. You were born for this. You'll be back again someday. Just.... not now. We can't risk you getting hurt further." Spitfire tried to comfort the cerulean mare, but it didn't help. This was her idle. Her icon. She was seeing Dash at her worst of times. She filled out her forms as quick as she could as tears started to roll down her face. Her back shattered, just like her dreams. Rainbow was given a chariot ride back to her cloud home. As she sat upon her sofa in her old home she replayed the events of the past few weeks in her mind. All for nothing. She was glad she lived alone. Because she would've hated for anyone to see her, the mighty Rainbow Dash, crying like a school filly. All her dreams, gone. All the support from her friends, for nothing. She let herself down. She let them down. She let everyone down. She cried.

Chapter 4

Whatever joy Rainbow had felt earlier that day faded like Celestia's sun slipping under the horizon. The feelings of warmth that had radiated from the admittedly few friends she had explained her predicament to had long since been replaced by the cool numb buzz of the cider. They're just being polite... I shouldn't be here. I should be in Cloudsdale. I should be on the Wonderbolts. I let everypony down.... I let me down. She took another long swig of cider, draining the bottle of its amber bliss before dropping it haphazardly to the floor of her room. A lone tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away. It served as her reminder of what had transpired. She was alone, without options. Rainbow didn't see a light at the end of the tunnel, she didn't see any alternatives. The Wonderbolts were her life. They were her calling. With that dream stripped away, what else was there?

A sharp hiss escaped the fresh bottle of cider as her hoof removed the bottle cap. A sigh of desperation escaped Rainbow's lips as she muttered softly to herself, "what's the use?"

The mare wandered towards the kitchen, unable to walk in a straight line. The buzz of the alcohol swimming through her veins wreaked havoc on her coordination as she stumbled down the hall. Reaching the kitchen and attempting to turn towards the cupboard to grab a snack, the mare fell face first into the dividing wall. Stupid clouds... she thought, attempting to pull herself through. Half stuck through the wall she sighed before finishing off her cider. Not sober enough to pull herself out and too drunk to care, the mare simply closed her eyes and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

Through the night the cider slowly worked through her system. The alcohol-induced haze slowly being replaced by a nagging in her brain as the sun's rays filtered through her windows. Dreams flashed through her mind as the alcohol faded away, or were they memories? Wishes? The cyan mare was surrounded by trees, a certain farm pony faded in and out of her thoughts.

"Rainbow, Ah don' know what Ah'd do without ya." The dream Applejack faded as quickly as she had come. Or was she a memory? Rainbow Dash couldn't recall. If ya ever need anythin' don't hesitate ta ask, ya hear?" Again, this time just that country drawl was present without a body. Rainbow couldn't tell where it was coming from, but wanted it to be real. Was it?

Rainbow gave a quick snore as she shook herself awake. "AJ?!" Looking around and realizing she was at home, stuck in a wall no less, her expression drooped. "Aw horseapples..."

Applejack pulled the farm cart to Ponyville for the day's sales. She was stocked full of every good imaginable and was as ready as a timberwolf was for the full moon. So why couldn't she shake the feeling something was wrong? The previous day's events kept running through her head. She hadn't slept well knowing that her best friend was going through such turmoil. She as well as anyone knew that Rainbow had been preparing for this her entire life, and now it seemed like it would never come to fruition. There's gotta be somethin' Ah can do for her, but what? This is Dash we're talkin' 'bout, that pony is as stubborn as a mule and'll never let herself live somethin' like this down. That thought with a thousand others rummaged through her mind as she reached the center of town. Setting up her cart she spied a peculiar pink mare wearing mustache sunglasses poking in and out of the bushes around Sugarcube Corner.

"Uhh Pinkie? What are ya doin'?" She gave Pinkie an incredulous look with a raised eyebrow, not quite sure what to make of her antics.

"Ummm.... nooooooooooooooooooooooooothing," Pinkie replied with a huge grin. "Buuuuuuuuuuut, if you happen to see Pound or Pumpkin crawling around out here could you MAYBE scoop them up and come find me? We were playing silly games to make them laugh and I turned around for JUST one teensy-weensy second and they were gone!"

Applejack just continued to stare at the pony that had apparently been outsmarted by Ponyville's two youngest residents. Glancing up she could see the two infants scuttling around the bakery, hiding under a table cloth in the corner. For a brief second she was about to tell Pinkie, then decided that a search through the bushes would probably be the least crazy antic the mare took part in the whole day. "Uhh sure thing, Pinks. Hey, when ya find 'em, can you come over to mah stand? Ah need to talk ta ya about somethin'."

Pinkie, with her head still buried in the bushes, shook her tail as a muffled "Okie-Dokie-Loki!" emanated from within.

Walking back to her stand the farmer shook her head, "that mare is crazier than the Flim-Flam brothers tryin' ta actually sell somethin' useful." As she finished setting up the stand she caught sight of a buttercup yellow mare with a pink mane and tail coming out of Twilight's library. Strangely enough she was accompanied by a large, red stallion that Applejack was very familiar with. Big Mac?! What in tarnation...? Completely caught off guard to see her brother and Fluttershy together in town, she could only gawk. Arguably the two most timid ponies (or at least the two with the least to say) seemed to be talking up a storm between the two of them.  Well, Ah suppose weirder things have happened. She flipped the sign to "open" and awaited the first customer of the day.

Rainbow Dash finally managed to wiggle herself free from the wall of her cloud home. After dusting herself off and cursing Celestia's sun and all of the pain it caused her eyes, a trip to the fridge for another cider seemed in order. Rainbow took a swig of the frosty brew and yawned, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Ugh, what a crazy dream. Was I even dreaming? She looked at the chilled bottle in her hoof. She wasn't sure why, but it just didn't seem right. Setting the bottle down she began to stretch her legs. Then her wings. Going to crack her back she felt a sharp tinge from her spine. Looking back and noticing the bandages she grimaced. Oh, right.... stupid back. Forgoing the last stretch she cantered to her stoop before launching herself from her home, beginning a slow decent into Ponyville.

Touching down just outside of town, the cerulean pegasus started searching for the one pony she wanted to see--brilliant orange mare with a straw colored mane that shone like the sun. Being careful to avoid crowds and any situation she could possibly foresee Pinkie Pie erupting from made her progress slow, but it was worth it to her. The last thing she wanted was another peppy pony trying to cheer her up when she didn't want to see them. She felt a pit in her stomach at avoiding Twilight, Rarity, and especially Fluttershy. But she just wasn't ready to face them yet. She wasn't ready to face the truth. Her lips descended into a frown as her friends crossed her mind. A pit that never seemed to be filled. Suddenly she didn't want to see anypony. She just wanted to escape the situation she'd placed herself in. Rather than proceeding to the market she took a quick left and found herself in front of Berry Punch's bar, the High Horse Saloon. She shrugged and walked inside, wanting to be anywhere other than where she currently was.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkened establishment she noticed a few ponies milling around in the shadows. Her eyes were drawn to an unusually chipper plum colored pony behind the bar with a magenta mane. As she approached, Berry Punch took notice and came up to meet her.

"Welcome to the *hic* High-Horse Saloon! What can I *hic* getcha?" Berry offered a warm smile in between her hiccups and slightly slurred words. Escorting Rainbow to the bar she couldn't help but feel that the prismatic mare looked familiar, but given the nature of her establishment and the fact that it was hardly even noon decided it best to just leave sleeping ponies lie until her customer brought it up.

"Uhh..." Rainbow sounded unsure of herself, this being her first time in the bar. "Can I get.... a... cider?" Thinking to the confrontation with her friends to come and her desire to talk to Applejack she changed her mind. "Actually, do you have anything stronger?" Berry Punch smiled and with a curt nod disappeared under the bar, coming back up with a black-labeled bottle that read "Applejack Daniels - Equestrian Whiskey."  Hmm... there's no way... coincidence? "Uhhh... Berry? First off, pour me a double. Second off. 'Applejack Daniels,' um.. is that from Sweet Apple Acres?"

The inebriated bartender nodded with a smile. "Yup! *Hic* The Apples turn most of the cider harvest into the usual. *Hic* But every year a percentage gets turned into *hic* resherve select, and even less gets turned into their whishkey!" Rainbow could swear the mare was getting more drunk as time went on, her slurs becoming more pronounced.

Rainbow turned her attention to the amber liquid in the glass in front of her. Sniffing it, the odor of alcohol stinging at her nose.  Berry could tell that Rainbow Dash didn't have much experience with hard liquor. "Ship it! *Hic* If you want to do shots later then I'm game! But! This is meant to *hic* be sipped. The first one will burn. The shecond ship will numb. The third will release the flavor." Berry's eyes glazed over at the thought of the delicious nectar. Rainbow turned back to her glass. Gently grasping it with her hoof she took her first sip. Her nostrils burned and her eyes watered, but the hint of apple remained, making the drink palatable. She took a second sip. The liquid went down smoother than the first time, cleansing her maw of the burning sensation, leaving a numb buzz. The third sip was heaven. The crisp whiskey washing over her tongue with a refreshing apple hint and an oakiness from the barrel it was aged in giving Rainbow a whole new sensation.

"Woh." That was all Rainbow could manage to mutter. Taking a final swig and enjoying that same sensation she slammed her glass to the bar with a satisfying clink. "Can I get another?"

Four doubles and three shots later (most of which Berry Punch had joined in on), Rainbow and Berry punch were laughing and hugging like they had known each other for years. In between foalhood stories and crazy tall tails the two had lost track of the drinks and the time. Glancing up Rainbow realized it was almost 5pm. "Ohmygosh! Berry I need to go!" Slamming a hoof full of bits on the bar she galloped out, trying to get to the market. "If I owe you anymore I'll square up next time!" Galloping to the door proved to be the easy part. Managing to get through it proved to be a bit more challenging. Rainbow Dash finally exited the bar and broke into another gallop hoping to get to the market before Applejack retreated to the farm.

Applejack wiped the sweat from her brow as she closed up the cart for the day. She had managed to sell everything but a pie and two cobblers, not bad for an honest day's work when one doesn't eat the supplies. Just as she finished packing everything she heard a distant "Hey AJ!" coming from the street. Applejack turned just in time to see a cloud of dust enveloping a cyan pegasus coming straight for her before being wrapped in a massive hug that would make Fluttershy's bear friend green with envy.

"Aww, well shucks Dash. It's good ta see ya too." The farm pony tried unsuccessfully to pry the mare from around her neck. "Can Ah have my neck back though? Ah do need to be gettin' home." As Rainbow separated from the farmer she caught wind of the scent. She'd know it anywhere, it was her brew after all. The smell of cider and whiskey was coming from every pore on the mare. "Consarn it Rainbow, yer--" she didn't have a chance to finish yelling at the pegasus. Her first thoughts were that it wasn't even the end of the day and Rainbow was completely drunk. But one look at the pony told her there was more too it. It wasn't the way she swayed as she stood still or the disheveled look of her coat and main. It was the magenta irises of her eyes. The sadness. The desperation. Rainbow Dash didn't know it but her face screamed out for somepony. Anypony. The only pony she even wanted to see just so happened to be the one receiving the signals. She wrapped a foreleg around her best friend and whispered "shhh, let's get on back ta the farm and we'll talk all about it." The tipsy mare just nodded as she fell in beside Applejack for the long walk back to the farm. As the two walked, Rainbow leaned her body weight against the farmer to help steady her. Applejack felt warm. Rainbow wasn't sure why, but it just felt 'right' to be supported by her best friend.

Applejack walked with Rainbow until she felt Rainbow's weight push into her. After adjusting her gait accordingly she looked over to see the drunken mare smiling widely. Applejack couldn't help but smile to herself. She knew Rainbow was drunk and that she probably didn't realize what she was doing. But deep down she hoped that Rainbow knew, that Rainbow was enjoying it just as much as she was.

Chapter 5

The pegasus and the earth pony trotted through the gates to Sweet Apple Acres at a snail's pace. Not so much because of the cart Applejack was pulling, but because the sky blue pegasus couldn't walk straight on her own and had her body weight pressed against her best friend. Every so often the flustered filly would nuzzle into Applejack's neck resulting in a blush from the mare before a smirk crossed her maw.

"Hey Applejack?"

The first words out of the mare drew a confused look from the farmer before she realized Rainbow Dash was actually speaking and not just muttering to herself. "What's up, sugarcube?"

"Wh... what am I gonna do now?" The prismatic mare gave her friend a longing look knowing that the Element of Honesty would tell her what she needed to hear.

"Well, Ah recon yer gonna get some chow in ya an' a shower, an' get yerself some sleep." She knew what Rainbow meant, but she also didn't know what answer to tell the flustered pegasus. Her dreams had come crashing down around her. It was no fault of her own, but it happened none the less. Applejack had no idea if she'd get a second chance or if she'd be forced to something else.

Rainbow Dash gave AJ a deadpan stare before calling her out on her blatant dismissal of the question. "You know what I mean, AJ." She leaned into the earth pony and gave her a nuzzle along her cheek, garnering a blush that would give Big Mac a run for the color of his coat. "But thanksh..."

Unhitching the cart from her back as she got to the front door, Applejack lead her friend inside, sitting her at the table. Big Macintosh was still working the fields, Granny Smith was asleep in her rocking chair, and judging by the absent sounds of chaos the crusaders were off wreaking havoc somewhere else. Grabbing a plate of apple cobbler and a glass of water, she set the two before Rainbow as she sat with her at the table. Rainbow struggled to keep her eyes open and her face off of the plate as she began what seemed like an overly complicated process to eat what was before her.

"I just don't get it, AJ... I mean I... thish... *hic* it was all I had. I let you down. I let our friendsh down... I've got nothing to go back to. I'm alone here. All the washted time passing everything else by for what, a shtupid dream?" The mare was clearly fighting back tears as the corners of her eyes glistened. Her resolve held fast and no tears fell.

AJ sat across from her friend a concerned look on her face. Scooting her chair closer to Rainbow she draped a foreleg over her shoulders and wrapped the teary eyed pegasus in a tight hug. "It weren't stupid, Rainbow. If it's yer dream it ain't stupid, an' yer not alone. Ya got me an Twi, Shy, Pinkie, Rares... we ain't goin' anywhere ya hear?"

The corners of Rainbows muzzle turned up ever so slightly before falling back down at Applejack's words. "Thanks AJ, but that's not really what I meant." A confused expression washed over Applejack, her eyes softening and brow raised trying to understand.

"It's jusht... empty. My family ish all... we're not that close anymore. I guessh I always planned on getting a fresh start with the Wonderbolts... start over... meet new ponies beshides you guys... meet somepony..." Rainbow's eyes glazed over before she turned away, fighting the tears that threatened to cascade down her cheeks.  Applejack just squeezed her closer.

"Shhhh sugarcube, it'll be alright." Leaning into the hug she nuzzled Rainbow close. "Ya wanna get cleaned up or do ya just want ta go to bed? Whatcha wanna do, Dash?" The pegasus' head bobbed in defeat as she fought away the sleep.

"Well Ah recon that answers that. C'mon now, let's get you upstairs and ta bed." Helping support her flightless friend the two slowly made their way up the stairs. Stopping outside the guest room, AJ quietly opened the door before walking Rainbow inside to the edge of the bed.

"All right now sugarcube. Time for bed. You just rest up and I'll be here for ya in the mornin'... heck I'll be here all night if ya need me. Just holler mmk?"

Her flanks on the bed, legs still wrapped over AJ, the mare looked towards her best friend. "mmmm thanksh. G'night AJ..." before letting go she leaned in and kissed the farmer quickly on the nose. Leaving the stunned earth pony in a state of shock she leaned back and rolled under the covers, her snores starting almost immediately.

AJ brought a hoof to her nose. Did she just... but she.... Ah thought she.... Stallions? But I... does she know? A relentless cavalcade of thoughts crossed her mind before a smile crept up on her maw. She slowly backed out of the room. Closing the door she turned her back to the wall and slid down to her haunches, sitting in the hallway. What in the hay just happened?

Big Macintosh trotted into the house. Taking off his yoke with a grunt as he hung it in it's place by the door he saw his sister sitting at the top of the stairs. "AJ? Ya alright?" It took several seconds before he even caught a reaction from the mare.

"Hmm what?" Being snapped out of her confusion the orange earth pony slowly rose to her hooves and quickly slipped down the stairs towards the kitchen. "Oh, hey big brother. Yeah, Ah'm alright Ah guess. Just confused." Grabbing a glass of water she sat at the table, the condensation dripping slowly to the wood below.

"Well Ah recon it must be somethin' a might heavy given how out of it ya seemed. Wanna talk about it?" Big Macintosh's deep voice resonated through the kitchen having an a calming effect on the troubled pony.

"Thanks Big Mac, but Ah uh... Ah think this is somethin' Ah'm gonna have to figure out on mah own."

Big Mac watched his sister as he saddled on over to the table. Her words told him "no" but as he watched her head drop and her eyes focus on the water glass--or rather anything in the room other than himself--he could tell something was definitely not right. "Well Ah recon you'll be able ta figure it out. But if'n ya need me, Ah always got an ear for ya, lil' sis." He smiled, hoping to bring some comfort to her.

"Thanks Big Mac, Ah just.... need some time." Giving an uneasy smirk she attempted to paint a picture of serenity on her face.... the opposite seeming to be true. Rather than press the issue, Big Mac seemed to sense her uneasiness and said exactly what she needed to hear.

"Eeyup." He trotted to the next room, leaving his sister to her thoughts.

"Hey Big Mac?" Applejack tried to get his attention before he left. The large stallion stopped in the doorway before sticking his head back in. "We're gonna have a guest tonight, maybe more. She's already asleep in the guest room upstairs, so if'n ya could keep it down?" Offering her best smile to him he simply nodded and walked off.

Applejack returned to staring at her now mostly empty glass of water, the dripping condensation forming a ring around the glass on the table.  Deciding that something a little stronger might better serve to calm her nerves she began a slow climb up the stairs to her room. Walking to the back corner she found the floorboard with a small knot hole in it. Providing a swift kick to the wall just next to it, the board popped up revealing a small opening in which sat a bottle of her namesake whiskey, a rusty old harmonica, and  a ticket stub from a Wonderbolts show two years prior. Picking up the ticket stub she held it to her face and sighed.

The stub was from the first Wonderbolts show that she ever went to. Actually, "went to" would be only one way to put it, more accurately it was the first Wonderbolts show that Rainbow Dash had dragged her to, begging the farmer to try and experience the excitement she felt. After her initial misgivings, the day had actually been quite wonderful. The two had spent the entire day walking around the show field enjoying a beautiful day, having silly contests with one another, and finally capped off with Rainbow sitting right up against her explaining each aerial move in detail as the Wonderbolts shattered all expectations.

Putting the stub back in its place she withdrew the whiskey bottle. Taking several long swigs of the fiery nectar she replaced the bottle as well. Walking back towards the kitchen with a slight fog she stopped outside of Rainbow's door, not quite sure if she heard a sound or not. She had not drank enough to feel buzzed, but not so little as to be completely unaffected. A warmth radiated through her enough to bring her emotions out and provide the mare with a pleasant feeling through her whole body. Her ear twitched as she placed it too the door, there was a muffled noise from inside the room. Opening the door a crack she could see a pony sized mass under the covers slowly rising and falling with each breath and sob. Not sure what had woken the sleeping pegasus, the pragmatic farmer gingerly stepped into the room. First one step, then another, closing the door behind her.

"Sugarcube, ya alright?" She took another step forward as the blue mass stopped. "Dash, what's wrong, ya can talk to me ya know."

Rainbow Dash gave a sniffle before sitting up, staring at the farmer who had nothing but concern in her eyes.  "He...hey AJ. Look, before you even say anything, I'm sorry you had to see me like this." Clearly not sober, but sobering up, her slurred speech had at least started to fade.

"Hey, 't'ain't nothin, Rainbow. Yer just havin' a rough patch is all. Yer gonna get through it, ya always do. Heck, Ah'll be here every step o' the way if'n ya want me to." She tried to give her downtrodden friend the warmest smile she could, but Rainbow's gesture earlier in the night only served to float back to her mind, flustering the farmer a tad. "Ya ain't got ta be goin' through this by yerself." The rainbow colored mare pulled AJ in to a tight hug.

"Thanks AJ. I'm just... this isn't me. I shouldn't be like this... I shouldn't be afraid to be here... to be on my own and unsure about everything. I'm Rainbow Dash! I'm supposed to be awesome!" She chuckled to herself, more in an attempt of false bravado than anything, but it was a genuine effort at least.

The farmer couldn't bear to see her friend like this. Her mind screamed one thing but her emotions another, trying to figure out the best course of action to help her best--neigh--her oldest non-familial friend. "Yer not alone..." she whispered. Rainbow looked up into her jade green eyes, trying to comprehend what she just said. Applejack just leaned forward and pressed her muzzle to Rainbow's, their lips on top of each other, neither trying to part, just savoring the closeness.

Rainbow Dash's eyes grew wide as saucers, not quite sure what just happened. Pulling back after several seconds revealed the shock on her face to the orange earth pony. "Umm.... woh. Uhh... ok..." for once the chatty pegasus was at a loss for words.

Applejack stared into her magenta orbs, but what she saw made her recoil. It was fear. Uncertainty.

"Aj, I'll.... be right back." With that and a new found sense of sobriety (and stability) the pegasus dashed from the room to the bathroom down the hall, leaving AJ sitting on the edge of the bed, a mixture of pain and fear blanketed her face.

What in the hay did Ah jus' do... She had kissed her long time crush. Sure it was to make her feel better, but why did it make Applejack feel so... rotten? Years of pent up emotion and feelings spilling out in the heat of the moment, a moment she was now worried she exploited taking advantage of her friend. Ah know full well that she goes fer the stallions, what in the hay is wrong with me?

The sounds of the shower running in the background slowly came to a stop before the creaking steps of the hallway floorboards and the squeak of the door resounded through the room minutes later. Rainbow Dash came back in, her mane and tail, still wet, hung straight down, hugging every curve of her neck and flanks. Applejack had to fight to keep her eyes off of the mare as she came and sat back down next to her.

"AJ look, I-" an orange hoof silenced her muzzle.

"Rainbow, Ah'm sorry, Ah just.... Ah didn't want ya to find out this way but ya looked so hurt, so... alone. Ah wanted to be there for ya, to let ya know it'll all be ok. Ah know yer attracted to stallions an' Ah should've kept mahself in check." She sighed to herself, the cat was out of the bag now, so it was all or nothing. "Ah like ya, Rainbow, an' Ah can't bear to see ya hurtin' like ya were. But Ah don't want ta make things awkward between us... I hope ya can forgive me."

"AJ... I... don't be sorry for how you feel. Ok? I just needed to clear my head because I didn't know what to say. When this all happened you were the first pony I thought to tell and wanted to come to for a reason. I trust you and still do. I... I was hurt, still am. But it helped." She smiled at Applejack and embraced her in a hug, tightly wrapping both her forelegs around Applejack's shoulders.

"It was weird, but, I don't know. I may not be attracted to mares, but I'm attracted to you." The orange farm pony raised her chin slightly as she peered into Rainbow's eyes. Eyes that were speckled with uncertainty, with tears, but most of all, passion. "Applejack I just... I need to go to bed. Stay?"

She smiled at the earth pony, who's muzzle was now hanging slightly open. Applejack wasn't quite sure what she had just heard, whether it was a dream or real, or if she was hallucinating after getting a bad batch of the Applejack Daniels. Rainbow Dash saw the confusion and leaned forward, kissing the farmer gently before nuzzling her cheek. Applejack just nodded as the pegasus crawled under the covers. Applejack crawled in next to her and lay up against the flyer who had already closed her eyes and drifted off to a much more peaceful sleep than before. She removed her trademark stetson, placing it on the side table before saddling up next to Rainbow dash. Draping a foreleg over Rainbow before closing her eyes in contentment, she drifted off to sleep feeling the warmth of her friend and the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

Chapter 1

Cloudsdale Coliseum was a flurry of activity that particular morning. The crowds were gathered just outside, hoping to get a glance at the elite. The media pegasi were buzzing about in a flurry all around the perimeter trying to catch the latest soundbite or furtive glance over the top of the ancient structure. Only a select few were allowed inside. This was of course a rare and momentous occasion. Once every few years the Equestrian Air Force and their elite fliers would host the event. Once every few years would the best fliers in Equestria come to train and earn a spot with the Wonderbolts. For one cyan pegasus and her polychromatic mane, this was her time to shine.

The Caneterlot Royal Guard stood at every entrance to the hallowed training facility. Their stoic resolve only broken when challenged for entry. Only the select few cadets and even more select few press ponies were allowed to pass to document this historic occasion. For decades—nay, centuries—the Wonderbolts had trained at the old arena. THIS year however, was the beginning of a new era. A brand new, completely revised facility had been crafted from the sturdiest of clouds. After decades of use and repair Celestia herself had decided that her top performance team was worthy of a new showground. In the off season the coliseum had been completely gutted and redesigned. Corinthian columns rung the outside of the coliseum, virtually identical to when the venue was formed a millennium ago. The intricate groves and carvings trailing the trim along the building, a monument to pony-kind itself and a testament to their fortitude. At the front, a colossal carving of the sun and moon, paying tribute to the diarchs of Equestria. Beyond this ancient design however, sat a true work of art. A sign of how far things had come in the last thousand years. Beyond those columns and carvings sat a miniature city. Dozens of passageways leading in a ring around the interior branching off into dozens more halls to offices, restaurants, seating areas, locker rooms, and even living quarters. Beyond that, the center of the arena itself. Almost as large as two hoofball fields, the venue was massive. Overlooking the pitch were two decks and tens of thousands of seats for eager ponies. The entire arena was enchanted so that earth ponies and unicorns alike would be able to attend without fear of falling through the clouds. Two large, flat sections of cloud sat on either end of the field awaiting the enchantments of the day to broadcast the activities for all to see.

For the rainbow maned mare however, none of the intricate details seemed to matter as she passed by the Royal Guard ponies. Her eyes darting all around the stadium as she made her way to the field. One single thought captured her mind…. Repeatedly.

OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh!

For today was the day she stepped up from the reserves and attended the Wonderbolt Training Academy.

One month prior

Rainbow Dash was enjoying one of her many afternoon naps on a relatively puffy cloud over Ponyville. Having completed her Weather Team duties for the day there wasn’t much else for her to do. As she lay on the cloud, her tail hanging over the edge blowing delicately in the breeze she couldn’t help but release a contented sigh. She’d been training extra hard for months in preparation for the Wonderbolt Academy. As of yet she hadn’t received her acceptance letter, but after talking with the pony in charge of recruiting she couldn’t help but feel confident. Suddenly from down below her, she heard the shrill cry of a certain cotton candy haired pink mare.

“Rainbow Dash! Oh oh oh! Rainbow Dash!”

Peaking over the cloud Rainbow saw Pinkie Pie bouncing towards her, four hooves at a time, at a somehow unbelievable pace. Rather than question physics, Rainbow shrugged it off as an It’s Pinkie Pie moment and flew down to see what was the matter.

“What’s up, Pinkie Pie?”

“Welllllllllllllllllllllllll……” Pinkie said with a huge intake of air, “IwasatSugarCubeCornertryingtomakethissuperduperawesomecakeforLyraandBonBonspartytonightwhenDerpyflewintalkingaboutmuffinsandmailandbeforeIknewitshewasgonewithatrayofthembutleftaletteronthecounterandIthoughtitwasformebutitwasadressedtoyou!” The pink pony was gasping for air after finishing what was intended to be an entire conversation in one sentence. She produced a letter clad in a light blue envelope that had a lightning bolt with wings stamped over the seal.

Rainbow’s eyes widened as big as saucers as she snatched the letter from Pinkie.

CONGRATULATIONS!  You have been selected to be placed on the hiring list to become a Wonderbolt Cadet.  This letter serves as a conditional offer of employment, provided you successfully pass a psychological examination, and a physical.  Selection from the list will be based on the number of academy positions available.  Applicants will be given an academy slot based on their ranking on the register.  Your ranking on the register is based on your combined score of the physical fitness test and previous flight performance.  Applicants that are not selected for Cadet Class 953 will remain on the list for one year.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe her eyes… nor did she try to. She didn’t even bother to finish the letter before darting straight into the air to do several flips. After years of training and waiting she had done it. She was going to be a full-fledged Wonderbolt. It dawned on her she had left Pinkie standing there. Alone. Without a clue… ok Pinkie usually didn’t have a clue, but she had a knack for knowing the full scope of things before anyone else. As Rainbow touched down in front of Pinkie she saw the biggest smile she’d ever seen on the party pony’s face.

“Oh my gosh Dashie I’m so happy for you! After all this time it’s finally happening! You get to follow your dreams!” Gasp “OhmygoshIneedtothrowyouaWonderboltacceptanceparty!Ineedtogetcakeandmmmm” a cyan hoof found its way to Pinkie’s mouth.

“Uhhh Pinkie? Stop. Breath, your turning…. Well you’re starting to look like me.” Pinkie began a few deep breaths as soon as Rainbow removed her hoof. “I need to go tell everyone else first. Besides, it says here I still need to get medically and psychologically cleared… Not that that’ll be a problem being as awesome as I am!” Rainbow Dash’s ego shined brighter than Pinkie’s smile ever could.

“If you realllllllly want to throw me a party then there are two conditions.” Before Pinkie could even speak, Rainbow put her hoof back to the party pony’s mouth. “Just nod if you understand.”

Pinkie just wiggled her head up and down.

“Ok good. Number one, you have to let me go tell the rest of our friends first. Number two….. bring cider. Lots and lots of cider.” Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but grin at the last part. Her reputation as a cider hound was known across Equestria, but her knowledge that she’d be unable to touch the stuff once she started the academy fueled her desire for the crisp, fermented beverage even more. “Do we have a deal?”

Rainbow slowly removed her hoof from Pinkie’s muzzle before a quick “Deal!” was heard from the pink pony and she disappeared into a cloud of dust. Rainbow waved her hoof back and forth out of disbelief that Pinkie could vanish so quickly. She shrugged before darting off to Sweet Apple Acres.

Rainbow was chomping at the bit (as much as she hated the expression) to tell her friends of the news, but something deep inside just told her she had to tell Applejack first. She’d been her first friend when she came to Ponyville (other than Fluttershy, whom she knew from flight school), and felt a connection to her and the Apple family she couldn’t quite shake. Maybe being the Element of Loyalty helped her stay true to her oldest friends, maybe it was something about the fiercely competitive nature of the two’s friendship. Either way Rainbow felt she HAD to tell the orange farm pony first… well, second thanks to Derpy the mail mare’s mixup with the post again. But the klutzy Pegasus was lucky to find the right town half of the time, so it was to be expected.

As Rainbow Dash glided in to a landing outside of the farmhouse on Sweet Apple Acres she couldn’t help but admire the golden sunset over the orchards. The slight wisps of clouds that remained in the sky accented the deep hue cresting the horizon, fighting the darkness for control. Settling down with just a tuft of dust under her hooves she began a quick trot towards the front door when a certain red stallion caught her eye. She immediately stopped, caught admiring the colt as he removed his yoke at the barn before he began a stroll back to the farmhouse, unaware of the Pegasus observing his every move. As he approached the house, she spoke up.

“Uhhhh, hey Big Mac. Gorgeous night huh?” Gorgeous night, really Rainbow? That’s the best you can come up with? She mentally chided herself.

“Eeyup,” came his trademark reply. Not really sure what I was expecting, Dash thought to herself.

“Umm, i-is Applejack here?” Another quick-witted response, Eh Dashie?

“Eeyup, Ah’ll get her for ya.” The red stallion trotted inside. A deep “AJ? Yer friend is outside fer ya” resounded from within.

“Consarn it Big Mac!” Applejack scolded her brother as she passed him at the door. “Ah just got Applebloom to stop fussin’ an’ get to bed an ya go yellin’ across the house.” She swatted him with her Stetson on the flank as he passed with his head hung in shame.

“AJ? What’s that, who’s there?” A little filly’s voice echoed through the house.

Turning back towards Mac she glared at him with a This isn’t over type of look before muttering “told ya.” Walking outside she saw the usually hyper Pegasus still locked up and silent. “Well hey there sugarcube! What brings ya out to the ol’ homestead this time of night?”

Rainbowdash just stared silently for a moment before holding out her letter to Applejack. All of the sudden she couldn’t seem to string words together to form a sentence. This time it wasn’t out of awe or foolishness, it was out of fear. As she prepared to tell AJ about this she realized that this was it. This was her big chance. This was her dream. This was… her going away. This was her leaving her friends and, in essence, her family behind. She wasn’t sure how they would react.

As Applejack read the letter though her eyes grew wide and a smile crossed her muzzle. “Well Ah’ll be damned! Congrats, RD! Bout damn time they realized how great ya’d be!” Applejack swooped in and wrapped her forehooves around Rainbow Dash’s withers in a tight hug. “Ya think yer ready for this?” The farm pony backed up just a step and stared at Rainbow, who had yet to move a muscle.

Rainbow stared back. A second past. Then two. Finally she grinned widely with an “awwwwwwwwww yeah!” She swooped in and captured the farm pony in another hug. “This is gonna be so AWESOME! I mean there are still a few more hoops to jump through, but I’ve totally got that.” She smirked as she said the last part, taking a forehoof and whipping imaginary dust off of her shoulder as she did so. “I just hope they’re ready for ME!”

“Ah’m real proud of ya, Rainbow. Ah always knew you’d get to follow yer dream someday. Course Ah’m sad to see ya go, but t’ain’t like ya can’t visit! Ah’ll be sure to be there fer ya whenever you graduate too!”

Rainbow smiled. Not the egotistical smile she usually wore. Not the one of excitement she wore when she received her letter. She wore one of affection. One that was from the heart. One she knew was for a true friend that would always be there for her. It was the warmest smile she’d ever worn.

“Awww thanks Aj!” A slight hint of crimson graced her cheeks as she spoke. “I still need to pass the last few hurdles though. Chances like this are pretty rare so I need to make sure I don’t blow it. Ohmygosh! Rare. Rarity! I still need to tell everyone else about this! Gotta dash!” Before Applejack could even say a word, she was gone in a blue and rainbow colored blur. As quick as she was gone she came back, hugged the farm pony one last time, and took off again towards town. Applejack just smirked before turning back inside to go yell at Macintosh some more for waking up their little sister.

Over the next few hours Rainbow Dash made her way to Rarity’s, Twilight’s, and Fluttershy’s houses and gave them the good news. Rarity insisted on making Rainbow Dash a new outfit to wear for reporting in as well as one to go celebrate. Rainbow took off as soon as the word “frill” left her mouth. Twilight (after jumping around in circles for several minutes screaming “yes” and her congratulations) offered to help Rainbow learn every last minute detail about the academy as she could and offered to help her read every book needed. After turning her back on the cyan pony to get the tea only to turn around and see she was gone, she realized this may not be the best way to approach the Wonderbolt-to-be. Fluttershy was by far the most ecstatic of the bunch… not that anyone else could tell. Rainbow Dash’s oldest friend offered a rather hearty “yay!” in response to the news. It was so loud that the mice in her walls scratched their heads wondering what the noise was and Angel Bunny paused a whole two seconds before going back to munching on his carrot.

“I’m so happy for you, Rainbow,” the butter yellow Pegasus started, “this has been your dream ever since flight school!”

“Aww thanks, Shy! Ya know I couldn’t have done this without you. Without all of our friends. You guys never stopped believing in me.” She gave the timid pony a smile. “It really means a lot that you guys are ok with this. Me leaving to follow my dream I mean.”

“Oh Rainbow, you should know by now that we just want whatever makes you happy. We’re your friends, and we’ll support you no matter what. I mean um…. If it’s what you want.” Fluttershy attempted to brush her pink mane in front of her face to hide.

“Aww c’m here Shy.” Dash pulled the yellow Pegasus in for a hug. “I may have to leave for a while, but you guys are always gonna be with me in here,” she said gesturing to her heart with her hoof. I’m gonna go and make you all proud!” Rainbow Dash stood and offered a salute as she said the last bit, holding it until both she and Fluttershy burst out laughing. “Just don’t go changing on me while I’m gone, mmk? You’ve been my oldest friend since flight school. I’m gonna need your support to get through this.” Rainbow stopped with wide-eyed look like a deer that just got caught stealing feed. She pulled Fluttershy in close and wrapped a hoof around her neck before whispering to her ear “but if you tell anyone that I need their support for this I’m gonna deny it. Mmk?”

Fluttershy chuckled. “Ok, pinkie promise,” she said, going through the motions before miming with her hoof to her eye. “Just go blow them away. Promise?”

“I promise, Shy.” Rainbow gave her a smile before heading out for the night.

Two weeks later.

Rainbow Dash waited anxiously for her letter. She had finished talking with the psychologist and the medical doctor a week ago. All she wanted was for her results. She wanted to know she was placed high enough to start the academy. Her closest friends knew she was accepted. Now she needed to pass the final hurdle. While pacing inside of her cloud home she heard a thud followed by two distinct knocks. Rainbow rushed to the door and opened it in time to see Derpy dusting herself off before reaching into her mail bag and pulling out another light blue envelope for her. Rainbow ripped open the letter and only got through the first sentence before squeezing the mail mare into a hug so tight her eyes went straight for a moment, before releasing her.

CONGRATULATIONS! REPORT ON THE FIRST OF NEXT MONTH TO THE CLOUDSDALE COLISEUM FOR THE 953RD WONDERBOLT ACADEMY CLASS…

Chapter 3

The next few days were a blur to Rainbow Dash. The normally unstoppable pony was broken into a disheveled mess, mane on the fritz and wet streaks cascading down her cheeks. She rolled out of her bed at some point well into the afternoon. She wasn’t sure when exactly. Empty cider bottles rolled around her floor as she walked, her alarm clock having been thrown out the window to Tartarus as its shrill cry attempted to wake her up for what would normally be her routine. Her home, long since devoid of any suitable cuisine, resembled a fast food eatery with all the empty Neighponese take-out boxes speckled amongst the empty cider bottles. Rainbow delicately rubbed her face with a forehoof before cracking her refrigerator. Sighing at the emptiness within she grabbed another bottle of hard cider and a leftover container of Neighponese before retreating to what was technically called her “living room.” Though, given her current state, the term only loosely applied at best. Her movements were slow and uncoordinated. The compression bandages wrapped around her torso limited her movement, but also kept her back aligned. Her wings offered her limited mobility—she could hover, glide, and fly slowly—but she chose to avoid it whenever possible. Whereas healthy and prosperous Rainbow Dash would dart from place to place, showing off her speed and glory, injured Rainbow Dash felt out of touch and slow. A shadow of her former self, she chose to stick to her own four hooves as taking to the skies just reminded her of what she was missing.

Living in a cloud home made avoiding the skies very difficult.

At a certain point, the polychromatic mare would have to face facts and venture into the world during the light of day. Not that she’d do so by choice, but her cider reserves were running dangerously low, and the places she could get more were not quite as indiscriminate as the Neighponese takeout restaurants she could order from at night.

As she finished off her first cider of the day and the bottle clattered to the floor, clinking off several of its brothers there from days prior she sighed to herself as her reflection was caught in the glass. “What am I gonna do? I can’t face everyone, I’m a failure…. But I can’t keep sitting here either...” Rainbow let out another exasperated sigh. Eventually she settled on donning a cloak and going into town to stock up on regular food. Maybe some hay fries and a big bundle of daisies… and a few more cases of cider of course. Donning a rather drab, gray cloak that would make Maud Pie proud, she hobbled to her front door and began a slow glide to the ground below, choosing to walk to town and avoid wandering eyes. Only a blue muzzle and four blue hooves stuck out from her cloak, her wings pinned to her sides and her tell-all mane and tail hidden from anyone but their owner.

She should’ve known this plan was doomed from the start.

As she approached Ponyville an eerie silence swept the usually chipper landscape. The birds ceased singing, the woodland critters all stopped what they were doing. Nothing was moving except for the drab draped Pegasus… and a suspicious pink blur flying towards her at light speed.

“HI! Welcome to Ponyville! You must be new here because I know eeeeeeeeeeverypony and I don’t think I know you so welcome to town! OHMYGOSHIHAVETOTHROWYOUAWELCOMETOPONYVILLEPARTY!” Pinkie Pie began raving at the disguised Rainbow Dash before sweeping her into a gigantic hug. Rainbow Dash made a mental note to talk to the party mare about personal boundaries and space in the future. But for the time being only one immediate thought crossed her mind. Pain. So much pain as the hyperactive Pinkie squeezed the life out of her, compressing her back along with the rest of her.

“Aagh! Pinkie, let go! Let go!” Rainbow Dash screamed at the now confused pastel pony. As she reared back the sunlight entered her hood, displaying briefly the many colors of her magnificent mane. Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks and put a hoof to her muzzle before uttering an unusually quiet response for herself, putting even Fluttershy’s discretion to shame.

“Da…Dashie?” A grimaced nod from Rainbow was all she got in return. Pinkie went to jump for another hug before Rainbow’s foreleg shot straight forward and landed on Pinkie’s forehead, holding the mare in place as she tried to keep charging the (now) discovered Pegasus. Suddenly stopping as if getting the hint, a quizzical look crossed Pinkie’s face. “But… if you’re here… then who’s in Cloudsdale?”

“No one, Pinks,” Rainbow Dash tried to speak with a straight face, but she wore a grimace and the moistening corners of her eyes belayed the real truth. “I uh…. I’m out… Like, ‘out out.’ I got hurt and had to leave the academy.”

Pinkie’s cotton candy mane and tail visibly deflated at the news. Almost as quickly as it deflated, it was back to normal as the mare got a look in her eye that said it all. This was Ponyville’s premier party pony after all, and she had one goal in life. To make other ponies smile.

Before she could even open her mouth to suggest one of her crazy party plans, Rainbow Dash cut her off. “Look Pinkie, no one else even knows I’m back yet. No one knows what happened. I just want to keep it that way.”

“Awwwwwww but Dashie! Our friends will want to see you! We need to turn that frown upsmmmhmhmhm!” A cyan hoof found Pinkie’s muzzle yet again.

“Pinkie, listen to me. You need to Pinkie Promise NOT to tell anyone until I say so, ok? I’m not taking my hoof back until you do.” The party pony nodded her head and waved her hooves in an abstract fashion until Rainbow saw a hoof land on her eye. Knowing how sacred the promise was to Pinkie, she removed her hoof. “If you really want to help me out can you just help me get some things? I’m not ready to face everyone yet…” She felt the tears starting to form again. “Just… can you go grab some basic food stuff for me and meet me back here? Hay fries, flowers, all of it? I don’t really have any food left at home…”

Pinkie gave a dejected look before snapping to attention and giving a crazy salute. “Done! You can count on me Rainbow Dash!” She turned to leave but cocked her head back slightly to look at the currently demure Rainbow Dash. “Ya know, Dashie, I know you’re not ready. But whenever you are…. You didn’t do anything wrong. Our friends know that. This isn’t your fault.” Turning back she began bouncing back into town like nothing had happened and she hadn’t just had a surprisingly deep moment, looking into her friend’s very soul at what was eating her.

Rainbow Dash blinked at the pink pony, trying to figure out how she was able to read her so easily. After all, she was Rainbow Dash! She was macho. She was awesome! She… was she really that easy to read in this state? How did she…? I didn’t even tell her… again shrugging it off as Pinkie being Pinkie, Rainbow made a slight change in course to pick up her true love. Cider. Lots and lots of cider. Even if it meant an awkward day at Sweet Apple Acres it would be worth it in the end.

~~~~

As Rainbow Dash walked through the front gates of the farm, the loud thwumps of the field told her that at least some of the family was out harvesting. Maybe I can just catch Granny Smith at the house and get a few cases. I doubt she’d recognize me. Smiling to herself that she may be able to avoid detection after all, her elation was short lived as a straw maned orange pony with a worn Stetson hat walked around the edge of the barn. Locking eyes with the cloaked mare there was something she couldn’t quite put her hoof on, but shrugged thinking it’d come to her in time. In the meantime, she had a potential customer to introduce herself it.

“Welllll howdy, partner! Name’s Applejack! What can Ah get’cha today? We’ve got…” Applejack began her long list of treats produced on the farm, but only one caught Rainbow’s ear. At “…Apple Cider…” her ears twitched up, her stance got a bit straighter, and even her wings fluttered a bit under the cloak. None of which went unnoticed to the famer. “Aha! Ah knew it. Well don’cha worry none sugarcube, we here at Sweet Apple Acres make the best cider in all of Equestria! Usually have a problem keepin’ it in stock it sells so well.” As she spoke the wind picked up lifting the hem of the cloak ever so slightly over the wearer, sunlight yet again betraying the vibrant colors of Rainbow’s mane.

Applejack stuttered for just a moment before getting a gleam in her eye. She leaned towards the unsuspecting pony, who was not yet aware her cover had been blown. “Between you an’ me, sugarcube, I think I can give you a pretty good price actually. Generally there’s this one particular pony that drinks us out of house an’ home with the stuff. But she’s not around right now, so I think you an’ I could work out a deal.”

After all, what good would knowing your best friend is right before you in a disguise be if you didn’t have a little fun at her expense?

“Usually Ah hate tryin’ ta do business with that mare, but in yer case I can make an exception.” She froze, realizing her potential mistake, praying that Rainbow didn’t pick up on it.

“Well uhhh… Applejack was it?” The cyan pegasus’s jaw clenched slightly both to conceal her voice and out of anger towards the farm pony. “I guess we can figure somethi-…” Rainbow Dash stopped as Big Macintosh came into view hauling a cart from the fields. I’m a grown mare, I’ve seen plenty of stallions, why do I always freeze like a school filly at THAT one? She shook her head. Before she could speak, Applejack had caught Rainbow staring, turned, and saw what had captured her eye.

“Ah’d be careful with that sugarcube. Ah hear that somepony named Rainbow Dash has a might big crush on mah brother. Might want ta tread lightly. Ah hear she’s the jealous type, kinda like a young filly with her first crush. Real meanie when it comes to it actually.” Applejack tried to hold back her laughter, hoping this would put Rainbow over the edge. Her hopes were quickly vindicated.

“What!? Jealous? Crush!?” Rainbow tossed back the hood on her cloak. “Young filly?! Applejack!” She went to yell more but saw the orange pony rolling around on the ground in a fit of laughter.

“Ahaha! Oh Rainbow, ya should’ve seen yerself sugarcube. That was priceless!” The farm pony dusted herself off before standing back up. “So how in the hay are ya!? Ah wasn’t expectin’ ta see ya back so soon. Ya do so well at the academy that ya blew their minds and they graduated ya early?” Looking into Rainbow’s face though she could swear she saw the telltale sign of a frown on her maw and water in her eyes. Immediately shaping herself up from jokester to friend, she reached a hoof out to Rainbow, wrapping it around her withers. “Hey sugarcube, what’s wrong? Ya alright?”

This wasn’t just any pony asking about her wellbeing. This wasn’t even just one of her friends. This was Applejack. Her competitor. Her rival. Her first and best friend from Ponyville. Rainbow opened her mouth to speak but the words weren’t there. Instead she collapsed to the ground, startling Applejack, and just kept whispering “I’m sorry” over and over as tears flowed from her face.

Applejack wasn’t sure what to make of it. Whatever happened before didn’t matter. All that mattered to her was that her friend needed her. Now. She sidled up next to Rainbow and lay against her on the ground, whispering to her, “shhhh sugarcube. Everythin’s gonna be ok. Jus’ let it out. It ain’t yer fault.” She stayed pressed up against her best friend until the tears turned to sobs turned to nothing. The two just rested. Eventually Rainbow found the words to explain the story to Applejack. The academy, the toughest two weeks of her life, the injury. The past few days spent in an alcohol induced haze. She told her everything.

Applejack just hugged her friend close before leading her to the house and sitting her down at the kitchen table. She fetched two plates, two fritters, and two cool glasses of water and just let the rainbow maned mare eat. She needed to rest. To recover. She needed her friend more than anything.

Eventually after bellies had been filled and tears had been dried, the two friends began to wander back towards Rainbow's cloud home, each carrying a fresh case of cider on their back. After meeting with Pinkie and retrieving a week's worth of provisions.... and Rainbow stopping several attempts at her enthusiastic hugging, the pegasus and party pony bumped hooves before she returned to town.

"Hey, AJ?" Rainbow turned to her friend as she dropped her case of cider to the ground. "Ummm, I just wanted to say.... thanks. I needed this today." The farmer wiped the sweat from her brow with a foreleg and smiled back at the sheepish pegasus.

"Well tarnations, Rainbow. Ya know as well as Ah do that yer welcome to come by anytime. If ya ever need anythin' don't hesitate ta ask, ya hear?" She stared directly into her friend's magenta eyes, meaning every word of it.

"Th... thanks AJ. But if you tell anyone I'm getting all sappy on you I'll totally deny it." She stuck her tongue out at the farmer in jest, causing a deep chuckle to emanate from the mare.

"Rainbow, Ah don' know what Ah'd do without ya." She leaned in to hug her friend goodbye. The mare wasn't sure why she did what she did next, but with her legs wrapped around Rainbow's withers she gave the cyan mare a warm nuzzle cheek to cheek. Perhaps lingering a bit too long. Nothing a passerby would glance twice at, but something that made the Rainbow mare's eyes go wide.

"Thanks AJ," she said, breaking the hug. "I... uh, I should get back up there now." The pegasus slowly began the process of carrying her supplies back up to her home as the farm pony turned back to Sweet Apple Acres. A look of mixed pleasure and fear covered her face, wondering why she held a bit longer than she should've.

Rainbow continued her flights back and forth, focusing on the task at hand. Or trying. Is it just me or did that last a bit longer than normal... Nah, I must be over thinking that. Landing back on her stoop she immediately popped open a cider and drained it. Cracking a second she slowed down, savoring the flavor. This is gonna be a long night.