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The chilling wind roared through the pegasus’ ears as snow, dirt, and grime sped through her vision, a few errant pieces of residue impacting upon her helmet’s visor. Ignoring the growing fatigue and pain in her muscles and feathers, the pegasus accelerated, her wings splayed out as dagger-like airstreams passed through them. The pegasus was intent on victory, her mind set on the first place finish—nothing would stop her, and nothing would stand in the way of her path to triumph!
A turn, left, sharp and steep, doubling back, stood before her. The pegasus tilted, angling herself for the critical rotation. Her muscles screamed in protest as g-forces pressed down on upon her body, shouting at her to yield, and yet the racer pushed forth, the futuristic contraption on her wings seemingly grappling the turn as the pegasus spun. In an instant, the pegasus was righted, speeding up the icy path on her way forwards. Behind her, she could see a multitude of her opponents, pushing this way and that way for an attempt at bronze. Ahead, another racer, her rival, sped forth, in first place.
The pegasus intended to change that.
Extending her wings, her ears were rocked by a booming roar as the pegasus suddenly raced forwards, snow and ice kicking up behind her in a fog of white. The pegasus smirked, the air to her front almost seeming to swirl into a raging maelstrom as she zoomed up the course, quickly gaining ground on her rival. Like the shrill cry of an electric guitar, the sound of her wings cutting through the air marked her descent upon the final stretch.
The thunder of the crowd, stomping their hooves and shouting their glee and praise, reached the pegasus’ ears, yet she ignored all of it—her main focus, her driving stimuli, was still ahead, flying forwards. The pegasus’ rival looked back, eyeing her, and he seemed to step on a metaphysical accelerator, attempting to widen the gap between them.
She was not going to let that happen.
Zooming forwards, the racer grimaced and narrowed her eyes, icy pebbles and hail striking her visor as her helmet rattled in seeming excitement. Quickly, quickly, quickly, she thought, faster, faster, and faster! Chills rang through the pegasus’ body, the fabric of her suit stretching and distending as a slightly visible shell of air and wind formed ahead of her, narrowing down into a cone of haze.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, she was beside her rival, who had likewise formed a windy cone in front of him. The two racers were single-focused, intent on victory at all costs, life or death. Though she had rapidly closed the gap between them, she could not pull ahead any further—not at this speed! Through ice and snow, sleet and hail, the thin air of the mountain providing little oxygen, she knew she had to burst forwards, and break the barrier of sound! Ignoring the shrieking pain, she willed her wings to extend even further, the contraption upon them screeching as it pushed harder and harder, the small blue flames leaping out of their engine sockets. Yet still, the pegasus pushed forwards, nudging ever so slightly ahead of her rival. Faster, faster, faster, quickly, quickly, quickly!
Boooom, CRASH!
With a sudden, guttural scream, the cone of air and wind broke, a wave of pressure and sound breaking upon the onlookers as the pegasus raced ahead, leaving her rival in a cloud of icy white dust. The ponies in the crowd, unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony alike, fell in droves, their eardrums all but shattered.
The racer broke past the finish line, an electronic buzz sounding off as it marked her victory. Not a second later, her rival also passed through, and yet the pegasus didn’t care. Pushing past all limits and barriers, even that of sound, she had snatched victory from those who doubted her! On and on, she flew, rising higher and higher into the sky as she performed her victory lap, a streak of color matching her furry coat rushing behind her within the contrails of her flight.
She had won!
Twilight Sparkle pursed her lips, raising an eyebrow as she looked curiously upon the silent form of her friend Rainbow Dash. The rainbow-maned pegasus sat inert in her seat, her face abound with excitement and wonder as her eyes rolled upwards. Comically, her tongue had fallen out of her mouth during the exchange, and Rainbow Dash seemed to be in a state of relative unconsciousness. She looked around the bakery, looking to see if anypony else had noticed her friend’s state.
Sugarcube Corner was relatively empty, save for Mrs. Cake at the counter polishing a couple of dishes, a pegasus named Ditzy Doo, though commonly known as Derpy, eating a muffin at a nearby table, and finally another pegasus, though Twilight’s view of him was blocked by several pieces of the bakery’s furniture.
“Uh, sugarcube? Is RD alright?” Twilight Sparkle turned her head, noticing another one of her friends, Applejack, staring at Rainbow Dash with a strange gaze. Twilight sighed, putting her head in her hooves and rubbing her face.
“I think so, Applejack. Rainbow Dash was just telling me about the end of the 24th Jet Wing Series.” Twilight responded, somewhat exasperated. “Though, I think she may have gotten a little bit excited.”
“Jet Wing?” Applejack asked. “I think I’ve heard of that. Some race where pegasi fly ‘round real fast?”
Twilight nodded in response, taking a sip of the coffee that sat in front of her. It had been a simple matter, overall, to persuade Rainbow Dash to spend some time with the scholarly unicorn. After all, Twilight had wished to socialize with her closest friends outside of their regular hijinks—normal get-togethers that did not, for once, entail fighting some evil creature from the Everfree, or some inane matter that would absorb Twilight and her friends into a wild goose-chase across Equestria. The tomcoltish pegasus had simply been next on the list, after the demure Fluttershy and the genteel Rarity.
At first, after she had somehow managed to rouse the near-hypersomniac Rainbow Dash, it had begun with a simple walk or, in Dash’s case, hover, to Sugarcube Corner. There, the two mares had purchased a selection of morning beverages and pastries from another of their friends, Pinkie Pie. Of course, actually conversing with the rainbow-maned pegasus had proven to be a difficult matter as Twilight’s friend was rather restless, constantly fidgeting in her seat, preferring the open air of the sky. Sitting still, quietly and patiently, was by no means the purview of Rainbow Dash’s personality.
Despite that, however, Twilight had utilized the many hours she had spent pouring through her guidebooks on conversation and socialization, and had eventually driven the conversation to a point where Dash was comfortable—namely, where the pegasus was talking about herself and her own hobbies and loves.
After a multitude of different topics, including matters such as the Wonderbolts, wing power, the Wonderbolts, high-speed aerial pursuit methods, and finally, the Wonderbolts, they had finally reached the subject at hoof. Namely, the triennial Jet Wing series. It was a matter that was near and dear to her dear friend Rainbow Dash—not so much as the Wonderbolts, maybe, yet still very important to Dash.
Returning her mind back to the matter at hoof, however, Twilight addressed Applejack. “From what I can gather, the Jet Wing Series is a pegasus racing event that happens every three years.” The unicorn took another sip of her coffee, preparing herself for the semi-lecture that was sure to follow. “Competitors use small contraptions on their wings to propel themselves at much higher velocities than their natural flight would allow them. After several initial preliminary and qualifying courses, thirty-two finalists race each other in teams of one to four through a gauntlet of dangerous courses spread throughout Equestria. The finale, a celebratory race, is held in the skies over Canterlot, where the winner is finally determined through point-totals. Apparently, it’s a widely-celebrated sporting event all over Equestria, where ponies come from all corners of the world to watch each individual race before the racing season’s end.”
Casually, Twilight set her cup of coffee down to nibble on a small biscuit. Looking back at her earth-pony friend, she noted that Applejack was, indeed, still more focused on Rainbow Dash’s peculiar state.
“Did you even listen to me, Applejack?” Twilight asked pleasantly, an unnerving smile creeping up her face.
“Huh? What?” The country pony snapped her gaze back to Twilight, guilt evident on her face. “Uh, sure. ‘Course I was.. I just got one question, though.”
Twilight merely fluttered her eyebrows, silently gesturing for Applejack to ask. Applejack cleared her throat, obviously still distracted by their pegasus companion.
“You said it was viewed by ponies all over the world, right? Then do earth-ponies or unicorns do anything? Seems like it’d only be fun for pegasi.”
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash snapped back to her senses, her wings flared as she took flight. “Only fun for pegasi? Are you kidding me? Everypony loves it!” The pegasus glided through the air, tracing small, tight loop-de-loops and figure eights. “They race hard, they race fast, and it’s the biggest rush to even watch it!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed before stopping suddenly, hovering over Applejack as she continued. “Besides, unicorns and earth ponies help out too. Lots of them make up B-Spec teams for every racer.”
Applejack’s face, however, remained confused and unimpressed, ignoring the new, unknown element of such “B-Spec” teams. “And you like watchin’ it?”
Rainbow Dash nodded, pumping her hoof. “Yeah, totally! My pops took me out to watch one of the races in person way back when, ‘cause they had one of the main races set in Cloudsdale.” The pegasus flipped backwards through the air, flailing her hooves. “It was radical! They were going so fast that every time they passed us in the stands, my mane would get all messy and my ears seemed to explode!” Rainbow Dash proceeded to make whoosh noises as she pantomimed the racers with her hooves, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack staring at her with blank expressions.
“But sugarcube, do you only want to watch it? I reckon that if I liked a sport enough to watch it, I’d want to play it myself,” Applejack asked, scratching her head with a hoof. “Wouldn’t be satisfied with just watchin’ it.” Twilight nodded in agreement, despite her relative lack of athletic knowledge.
Rainbow Dash, in turn, looked incredulously at her friends. “Are you kidding me? Of course I want to compete in one! It’s always been my dream to race in a Jet Wing series!” Her head started to nod furiously, her excitement clear. “Maybe not as big a dream as getting into the Wonderbolts, but it’d still be amazing!
However, Rainbow’s head began to hang, doubt growing in her mind. “Problem is actually getting to race in one. There’s a whole bunch of stuff in the way—you need money for a team, a sponsor, you’d need to buy the jet wing equipment itself.” Rainbow Dash slowly grew glum, disappointment filling her face as she landed back on the ground. “Kinda impossible, really, unless you have all of that stuff. And the training, too. At least with the Wonderbolts, you can try out.”
Twilight frowned, not wanting to see her friend in such a state. “Oh, don’t worry Rainbow Dash. A pegasus as awesome as you could totally compete in a Jet Wing series.” She glanced briefly at Applejack, a plan starting to grow in her mind. “When’s the next one? I’ll bet all of us here in Ponyville would be willing to help you get closer to your dream. Right Applejack?”
In response, Applejack nodded her head vigorously. “Yeah, ‘course. Friends help each other, right?”
Rainbow Dash’s face grew brighter, as if a small measure of hope had entered her. She opened her mouth to speak when, suddenly, a new voice interrupted her.
“Don’t ever compete in a Jet Wing series. It’ll only lead to misfortune.” Twilight gaped, snapping her gaze up to look at the newcomer. Standing above the three mares was the pegasus stallion Twilight had noticed earlier, having somehow approached their table without Twilight and her friends noticing. The stallion looked older, although not too old, and bore a dark red coat, his short grey mane fading slightly as it flowed back across the back of his neck. The stranger spoke once more, his voice gravelly, yet with an air of exhaustion and fatigue.
“Someponies get hurt, to the point where they can’t fly no longer. They become cripples. Others burn out, can’t keep up with the fame, and become bitter—they cut off all of their friends.” He took a moment to pause, looking straight at Rainbow Dash with a severe gaze. “And yet, quite a few ponies have died racing in the Jet Wing courses. Broken necks, broken bodies, drowning, freezing to death—or worse. Trust me, you don’t wanna mixed up in any of it. I don’t think you’d even be able to keep up, anyways.”
While Twilight and Applejack stared at the pegasus with aghast expressions, Rainbow Dash jumped closer, her face nearly touching his. “Oh yeah? What do you know? I think I could race pretty well—I could probably even get first overall!”
Not wanting the situation to escalate, Twilight Sparkle jumped up from her seat, her hooves spreading the two pegasi apart. “Alright, Rainbow that’s enough.” She looked at the pegasus stallion, a curious expression on her face. “But it sounds like you’re speaking from experience, sir. What do you mean, ponies have died?”
The stranger looked at Twilight glumly, a frown spreading across his mouth. “For sure, ponies have died racing in a Jet Wing series. Some of them were my friends.” He turned away, looking out the window of the bakery with a solemn expression on his face. “I apologize, I’ve forgotten my manners. My name is Blackjack Gunner, and I was the captain of Team Manehattan K1.”
While Twilight and Applejack looked on with confused expressions, Rainbow Dash let out a gasp of surprise and disbelief, her hooves flying to her mouth. “Manehattan K1? You guys were the best back when I was just a filly! Came first, second, or third in a whole bunch of series.” Her face fell once more, however, as she remembered another fact. “But then, you guys kinda, fell out of the limelight. Nopony knew what happened.”
Blackjack shifted his gaze back to Rainbow Dash, and the pegasus mare shrank under his solemn stare, as if he was looking into her soul.
“Exactly.”
He turned around without another word, leaving Twilight and her friends confused, bewildered, and shocked. Applejack turned to look at Rainbow, whose visage had become rather comical, her eyes bugged out as her mouth hung open. “Sugarcube, are you alright?”
The pegasus did not answer for a few moments, before her eyes narrowed and her mouth closed into a grimace. “Yeah, yeah, I’m alright. But,” she muttered, watching Blackjack take flight through the window of the bakery. “I’ve gotta find out more. He’s not telling us something.”
Twilight and Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash, worry detailing their faces. “RD, I don’t reckon that’s a good idea,” Applejack cautioned. “I don’t think Mister Blackjack Gunner would take to that kindly.”
Rainbow Dash did not respond, slowly returning to her seat opposite Twilight. She took a bite of the unattended pastry in front of her, as the three mares regressed into silence. The pegasus’ mind was dead set—she needed to know more!
It was decided. She would find this “Blackjack Gunner” later. Even if he did not want to give her the answers she wanted, she would get them. Somehow.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
What was she to do? It would have been a simple matter, and yet she found it impossible to determine her next course of action.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
By all means, she was a mare of action—she lived for it, dynamic and vigorous in movement and thought.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
And yet now, she was confused, inert, and undecided as to what she was to do next.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
The quiet, nearly mute ticking and tocking of the grandfather clock rang in her ears, and yet she paid it no need, pacing back and forth, back and forth, through the cool expanse. Her mind raced at a million miles a second, but every time, it reverted back to the same pictures in her mind. Speed, action, dynamos of flight whizzing past the cells of her brain. Red, pale and dark, and a grey color, faded with age.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
By Celestia, Rainbow Dash did not know what to do!
The rainbow-maned pegasus, frustrated and exasperated, let out a lengthy groan, gnawing her teeth and flipping backwards through the air as her hooves flew to her face. There she was, presently in her home in the sky, the cool chill of the great above seeping through the pulpous walls, cumulus and spongy to the touch. The large, expansive cloud house seemed only to exacerbate her current feelings of isolation and indecision, and the pegasus slowly fell to the floor, holding her hooves over her head.
She had wanted to find this Blackjack Gunner, the jet winger of yore. Rainbow Dash sought answers to her questions, and, though she did not admit it, she also desired to know what exactly the old stallion had meant by Rainbow Dash’s inability to compete.
Rainbow had searched far and wide, across Ponyville, from the dark limbs of the Everfree, to the rolling hills and orchards of her friend’s farm, to the river blue, its flowing waters crisp and clear. Yet, she could not find Blackjack Gunner, and few in town had seen him—fewer still mentioning noticing him after their encounter in Sugarcube Corner.
Just where, exactly, could he have disappeared to? He couldn’t have left Ponyville altogether, not yet? But doubt gnawed at her insides, frustration growing as she realized that soon, her sole potential ticket to the halls of the sport she held dear would float away in the wind, much like the streamers and confetti that Pinkie Pie oft fired from her cannon.
Wait…
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
That was it!
Yes, yes, yes, that was indeed a possible solution! Pinkie Pie, her friend Pinkie Pie, the party pony, friend to all in Ponyville—she would know where Blackjack Gunner had gunned off to, maybe! After all, she was friends with everypony in Ponyville, so, obviously, she would already be friends with Blackjack!
Nodding her head in triumph as a victorious smirk crept up her face, Rainbow Dash shot back into the air, her wings extending as she zoomed out of her floating house. Her eyes scanned and searched the ground below, her mind on the prowl and her soul on the hunt as she sought she who would bring Rainbow Dash to her quarry.
There!
On the ground, on a viridian-green hill, bouncing up and down, up and down, very much looking like a runaway ball that the colts and fillies would play with in the schoolyard. Her signature beam, of jollity and joviality, though admittedly somewhat unnerving, her eyes closed as she hummed a joyful tune. Letting out a gasp of affirmation, Rainbow Dash extended a hoof downwards, speeding to the ground in order to intercept the pink one.
“Pinkie Pie!” She shouted, attempting to garner her friend’s attention. The party pony stopped mid-bounce, falling to the ground as she snapped her gaze up at Rainbow Dash.
“Oh, hiya Rainbow Dash! Fancy seeing you here this afternoon!” Her smile brightened as she came face to face with her pegasus friend. “You want a donut?”
“Wha?” Rainbow gaped in confusion, tilting her head as she contemplated whether it was the best idea to deal with Pinkie Pie’s nonsensical unpredictability at this time. Her confusion grew by multiple factors as her friend procured a pair of donuts from out of nowhere, as if pulling them from some pocket dimension.
“Here! Donuts!” Pinkie Pie frowned slightly, staring down at the pastries. “Let’s see, we’ve got a cream-filled jelly donut, glazed with strawberry frosting, and, ooh, a chocolatey goody!” She raised the treats up to Rainbow Dash’s nose, and it took all of the cerulean-coated pegasus’ composure to resist biting into the soft texture of the donuts.
“No, no, no, Pinkie! Not now!” She shook her head, grabbing Pinkie Pie by the shoulders. “That doesn’t matter right now. What matters, is that I need to find a certain somepony stat. Can you tell me where he is?”
Pinkie Pie nodded vigorously, her head bobbling up and down as if it were a toy. “Yeppers peppers! Who do ya’ need?”
“Middle-aged pegasus stallion, has a red coat and a grey mane. Probably arrived to Ponyville not too long ago, his name is Blackjack Gunner. Do you know the guy?”
Upon hearing Blackjack’s description, Pinkie Pie notably deflated, a frown appearing on her face as her eyes fell. “Oh, him? What do you need him for? He’s a meanie peanie, that one.”
At Pinkie Pie’s statement, Rainbow Dash’s face grew angry, the makings of a snarl emerging from her mouth as concern for her friend grew in her eyes. “What? What do you mean? Has he hurt you, Pinkie Pie?”
Pinkie Pie shuffled her hooves, looking away, as though the topic made her uncomfortable. “No, well, yes—actually, no, he hasn’t hurt me, no,” she muttered unsurely, but a pointed gaze from Rainbow Dash stopped her in her tracks. “Okay, well he hasn’t hurt me really, but he made me sad.”
“What did he do, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked, floating backwards to give her friend some breathing room.
“Well, I saw him leave Sugarcube Corner yesterday when you, Twilight, and Applejack were still in there. I knew he was new to Ponyville, so I stopped him, and talked to him,” Pinkie Pie explained, her frown growing. “But I don’t think he wanted to be my friend. He even said no to my party! My party, and you know, Rainbow Dash, how everypony loves my parties!”
Pinkie Pie grew more anxious by the second, bouncing back and forth as flashbacks of Pinkamena Diane Pie appeared in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. “He just wanted to be left alone, but I followed him everywhere, you know, because everypony is my friend, but he didn’t want any of it!” She kicked her hooves at the ground, dirt flying up into the air. “Oh, he was worse than Cranky Doodle Donkey was! What do you need him for, Rainbow Dash?”
Though Rainbow Dash saw red—nopony hurt her friends!—she attempted to reel her anger in, looking into Pinkie Pie’s eyes. “Well, Pinkie, I just needed to find him, but now,I’ll make him be your friend!” She crossed her hooves, a devious smirk creeping onto her face. “You can count on me!”
Almost immediately, Pinkie Pie’s mane blew up, a smile whipping back onto her face within seconds. “Really?! You will?!”
“Yep! So, can you tell me where I can find him?”
Pinkie Pie bounced into the air, grabbing onto Rainbow Dash in a full-fledged bear-hug in a spurt of joy. “Oh, thank you so much, Rainbow Dash!” Letting go of the rainbow-maned pegasus, Pinkie Pie fell back to the ground, beaming up at Rainbow Dash. “Blackjack’s usually hanging around the Everfree, closer to Applejack’s farm, but sometimes he’s in his room at the motel! Room twenty-seven!”
Rainbow nodded in affirmation, her grin growing despite her anger towards Blackjack Gunner. “Alright, thanks Pinkie! He’ll be your friend soon, I promise!” She made to leave, before a tug on her hoof stopped her.
“Pinkie Promise!” The party pony cried out, grinning sunnily at Rainbow. The pegasus let out a muffled groan, before proceeding.
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Her hoof poked slightly at her eye, and Rainbow frowned before beginning to float away. “Alright, I’ll be back soon, Pinkie, and Blackjack Gunner will your friend!”
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie Pie’s voice faded away quickly as Rainbow Dash zoomed back into the sky, her hunt renewed as she first scanned the tree line of the Everfree forest.
Rainbow Dash gave a low, tired sigh as she flew towards the Ponyville Motel, its orange roof and sunbaked yellow bricks standing out amongst the rest of the town’s visage. Having spent the last hour searching the Everfree’s tree line to no avail, the pegasus had decided to try the latter portion of Pinkie Pie’s directions.
‘Room twenty-seven, room twenty-seven,’ Rainbow thought to herself, speeding faster towards the motel with a gentle flap of her wings. Silently counting the individual rooms, left to right, she focused on a particular door—the second floor of the three-story motel, stretching about halfway across the building. Nodding to herself, Rainbow set herself into a comfortable glide as she approached twenty-seventh room. Coming to a stop before the oak door, Rainbow raised a hoof to knock.
Bang-bang-bang. Rainbow’s hoof beat against the wooden entrance, a trio of knocks signaling her arrival. Standing back, Rainbow stared anxiously at the door. How would she approach the meeting? Sure, Blackjack had hurt Pinkie, but Twilight had spent many an hour admonishing the brash pegasus on the value of patience, and not beating the information out of every opponent she came across.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the door slowly creaked open, revealing a dark, unlit interior. Before Rainbow, through the entrance, stood the dark-red pegasus, staring at Dash with curious, if not annoyed, eyes.
“Yes? What do you need?” He asked, a frown appearing on his face as recognition filled his eyes.
Rainbow hesitated for a few moments, mutely shuffling her hooves. ‘Oh, to hay with it!’ she decided, anger filling her face as she pointed a hoof at Blackjack Gunner.
“You! Why did you hurt my friend?” She shouted, slowly approaching Blackjack. The old pegasus raised an eyebrow, backing up slowly as Rainbow took flight and entered his home.
“Hm? What do you mean?” Blackjack asked in confusion. What exactly was this crazy mare talking about?
Rainbow shook her head in response, looking straight into Blackjack’s eyes. “You know what I’m talkin’ about, buster! You told my friend Pinkie Pie that you didn’t want to be her friend, and that you didn’t want a party!”
After a few moments of silence, Blackjack’s memory seemed to click, and his mouth formed a small ‘o’ in recollection. “Oh, yes, her,” he muttered, displeasure evident in his voice. “Some ponies just don’t recognize the value of peace and quiet.”
“That doesn’t mean you’ve gotta be mean about it, Blackjack!” Rainbow rebutted. “You didn’t have to make her sad.”
Blackjack merely shook his head in response, his hooves waving in dismissal. “I don’t think I was mean about it at all. I only politely requested that she leave me alone.” It was half of the truth, yes, but the infuriated mare in front of him did not need to know that. An old stallion needed his tranquility—even if he himself didn’t deserve it.
The mare seemed to buy his semi-fib, muttering a low “oh” as she fell back to the ground. The two ponies remained in silence for a few moments, neither knowing how to proceed.
“Then is there anything else you need, miss? I have things to do.” Blackjack asked a few seconds later, raising an eyebrow as he glanced pointedly at the door. Rainbow did not reply at first, her hooves shuffling on the floor again as anxiety crept in.
Shaking off her unease, Rainbow spoke once more. “Well, uh, yeah. There is.” Blackjack’s face prompted her to continue. “We met at Sugarcube Corner, and you told me there that you were a former jet winger. I just had some questions about that, too.”
Letting out a low groan, Blackjack rolled his eyes before answering. “Yes, I remember you. Rainbow Dash, yes? I distinctly remember telling you to never get mixed up in that entire Jet Wing business.” He pronounced the name of Dash’s beloved sport with a measure of disgust and finality, obviously holding some amount of distaste for it. “What makes you think I’ll help you in your stupidity?”
Though miffed by Blackjack’s insult, Rainbow chose not to retort to it, simply continuing. “I just had some questions,” she explained, playing with her hooves as she carefully chose her next words. “I got curious, right, ‘cause you were saying how ponies got hurt, and stuff.” She did not mention her particular interest in Blackjack, due to his status as a former competitor.
After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Blackjack finally responded, though with a question of his own.
“Tell me, Miss Dash, how much do you really love the sport?” Blackjack’s voice was muted and low, as if unsure of his own proceedings. Despite the investigative nature of the question, however, Rainbow reacted with gusto, her wings flaring in excitement as her face beheld her joy for the sport.
“Oh, man, I totally love Jet Wing! The races have got to be my favorite thing in the world, besides the Wonderbolts!” Mimicking her actions from the day before, the cerulean-coated pegasus re-enacted the racers with her hooves. “There aren’t really many other places you can get that same speed, agility, and raw power!”
Blackjack watched silently as the young pegasus mare to his front visibly showed her excitement, tracing small figure-eights with his eyes as he followed her flight. “And what makes you think you could ever actually compete in a Jet Wing Series, Rainbow Dash? Don’t you realize how hard that is?”
Rainbow nodded her head energetically, though a frown appeared on her face. “Of course I do! It’s just, I’ve always wanted to compete in a series since I was a filly—and I think I could totally compete! I’m fast, I’m agile—I’m the best flyer in all of Ponyville!” She proclaimed, raising beaming towards the roof as she held her chin up.
“But,” Blackjack responded. “You do realize that jet wingers are the best flyers in all of Equestria, yes? Besides the Wonderbolts?” Surely, the filly flying before him understood that she needed to be the cream of the crop to even consider competing in a Jet Wing series.
However, Rainbow had an answer, staring willfully at Blackjack with a smirk on her face. “Oh, yeah? Well, I attended the Wonderbolt Academy, and I graduated with flying colors!” She exclaimed, watching as Blackjack’s expression slowly changed. “I’m even a reserve for the Wonderbolts!”
Blackjack’s eyebrows rose, his mouth hanging open in subdued shock. He had certainly not expected that to be the case. Rainbow Dash, for her part, basked in Blackjack’s clear surprise, satisfied with one-upping the old stallion. After a few moments, Blackjack shook his head, clearing his mind of his stalled thoughts.
“Well, that—that changes things, I guess,” Blackjack mumbled, before continuing. “But that doesn’t mean I could help you become a competitor, Miss Dash. I haven’t raced in a Series in a long time. You’d be on your own—you’ll need a sponsor with lots of money, you’ll need the equipment, the training, the team and crew to help you.” He stopped to look knowingly at Rainbow Dash. “Nevermind that you’d also need a partner—Jet Wing competitors are all required to compete in teams of at least two pegasi, with at least one active racer in each race. I don’t think there are any in this humble town of yours that share the same enthusiasm as you as to actually compete.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Blackjack in confusion, slightly tilting her head to the side. “What? Couldn’t you be my partner, though?” She asked unsurely. "That is, if I ever did find a way to compete."
In response, Blackjack let out an amused chortle. “Miss Dash, do you realize how old I am? I can’t possibly compete in a Jet Wing Series.”
“What?” Rainbow asked in bemusement. “You don’t look that old. How old are you?”
“Well, first of all, how old are you, Rainbow Dash?” Blackjack fired back.
Rainbow frowned at the returned question, answering slowly. “Uh, I’m twenty-four. Why?”
Blackjack chuckled once more, shaking his head as if enjoying some inside joke. “I’m old enough to be your father, Miss Dash. I’m fifty-five, myself.”
“What?!” Rainbow Dash cried out, shock filling her face. “But—but—I remember watching you, and Manehattan K1, racing all over Equestria! You weren’t that old back then, that can’t have been that long ago!”
The old stallion gave a despondent grin, amused by Rainbow Dash's astonishment. “Tell me, Miss Dash—how old is a typical Jet Wing team’s captain?”
“Uh, in their mid-thirties? I don’t know, something like that? They have to be experienced enough to lead, after all.”
“And how long ago did Manehattan K1 actually race? Do you remember how old you were back then?”
Rainbow shook her head as she fell into thought, struggling to remember. “I think I was, uh, five? Or six?”
“I was thirty-seven when I was K1’s captain. Our prime was eighteen years ago, Miss Dash. Besides, I couldn’t ever race in one of those Series’ again, even if I wanted to. My body, my wings—they wouldn’t be able to handle it.” Blackjack said, with a measure of finality.
Rainbow Dash, though immensely surprised, shook her head to rid herself of her shock. “Well, that doesn’t matter. I can still race in one of those series—I will! I just… I just…” She trailed off, her head starting to hang as she became discouraged. No, she couldn't race in a Jet Wing Series. Not now, and not ever. After all, who was she but a simple pegasus from Cloudsdale, living in a small, unnoticeable town in the middle of Equestria? She wasn't even a Wonderbolt, not yet, and even if she did manage to secure the money necessary to even start a team, she would be stuck--who else in Ponyville held the same enthusiasm as she did for the sport?
Blackjack gazed at her silently, his eyes filled with regret, as well as a hint of longing, as he watched the mare turn around to leave. As Rainbow Dash spread her wings, about to take off, the stallion decided upon a course of action--a risk, a bid, unsure as he was.
“Wait, Miss Dash. One moment, if you will…” Blackjack called out to the departing pegasus, a hoof splayed out towards her. “I have... an offer, for you."
Rainbow Dash stopped in her tracks, turning around slowly with a frown upon her face. “Yeah? What is it?”
Blackjack did not speak for several moments, merely staring into Dash’s eyes as they pulled at something within him. A certain wistful feeling reached out, as if Dash’s mere presence brought back the rush, the excitement, and the pure joy that remained bottled deep within the old stallion.
“If you can find a sponsor, and the money, to start a Jet Wing team, come back to me,” Blackjack slowly uttered, himself unsure where he was headed with his offer. “I guess I can be your… coach and trainer, I think. I’ve kept up with the sport all these years, so I think I can be of at least some aid.”
Rainbow hesitated, her expression slowly shifting as she digested the new information. After a few moments, however, a smirk crawled up her face, and her eyes narrowed. “Deal. But I’ve got a condition."
Blackjack raised an eyebrow, uncertain of Rainbow’s intentions. “Yes? What do you want, then?”
“If I find a sponsor, and we manage to get a team up and running, then you, Blackjack Gunner, will have to apologize to my friend Pinkie Pie. And you’ll need to accept her own offer of a party. Deal?”
Blackjack gaped in slight surprise, staring blankly at Rainbow Dash for a second or two before he replied. “I accept. Now, be off on your way, Miss Dash. I have things to do, like I said.”
Rainbow Dash nodded back towards Blackjack, her smile devious as she turned around, spreading her wings as she jumped out of the small motel room. A flap of her wings sent the door slamming shut, and Blackjack Gunner was left behind in the dark room, his eyes wide as he contemplated what had just happened.
“That filly… she does seem to bring the youth out of me again.” Blackjack Gunner turned around, laying back on a small bed as a smile crept up his face, thoughts of years past, of excitingly fast races and break-neck turns, filling his mind as he reminisced on his early adulthood.
