Chapters "Now! Mares and stallions, get ready to meet... THE WONDERBOLTS!" The announcer screamed into the microphone and the crowd went wild, rooting and shouting for their favorite ponies. The Wonderbolts appeared and the crowd screamed even louder as they did amazing tricks. Suddenly, a new mare came out of the crowd, her mane the colors of a rainbow.
"I'm ready to join the Wonderbolts!" She boomed and the crowd whispered to each other, utterly confused. The pony looked around, a little surprised at the crowd but then shook it off and continued to bask in the spotlight.
"I am Rainbow Dash!" The pony screamed and shot into the beautiful blue sky, joining the Wonderbolts in their routine. The members looked at each other then shrugged, allowing Rainbow into their team. The crowd went wild, screaming at the top of their lungs as they did loops and amazing routines. Rainbow Dash beamed at her heroes, she couldn't believe that she was actually performing with them! One member of the team leaned into her as if to tell her a secret...
"Now all you have to do is wake up." He said and Rainbow raised an eyebrow, asking with her facial expressions ' What?'
"Wake up, Rainbow! WAKE UP!" He screamed.
"AH!" Rainbow Dash yelled and bolted upright in her lightning-bolt-pattern bed sheets. A second later she fell to the ground, letting out a oof! of pain. She looked up to see her five best friends looking down at her.
"Arragh! What did you guys do that for?! I was having the best dream ever!" She blasted and all the ponies shot backwards as Rainbow Dash bolted into the air, almost hitting Pinkie Pie's face. The party pony looked very surprised but then shrugged it off.
Rainbow Dash glared at all her friends who were all frowning at her. "What did I do this time?" She asked, looking very bored. All her friends looked at each other then took a deep breath.
"LOOK AT THE TIME!!!" They screamed together and Rainbow Dash's eyes shot to the clock on the wall. She was late for the Wonderbolt's performance!!! Rainbow gasped and quickly shot out the door, hoping to live out her dream for real. All she had to do is keep her dream in her head and the whole thing would work out perfectly.
"Now! Mares and stallions, get ready to meet... THE WONDERBOLTS!!!" The crowd went wild... Just like in Rainbow's dream. The Wonderbolts came out from their hiding place, ready to amaze the crowd with their amazing tricks and routines.
'Here's my chance... ' Thought Rainbow Dash and she began to stand up in her seat. All of her friends frowned at her and motioned for her to come back down to her seat but the stubborn pony wouldn't listen. It was her time to shine!
"Rainbow Dash! Sit back down! Ponies are starting to stare!" Harshly whispered Rarity but Rainbow still wouldn't listen to any of her friends. She took a deep breath then spoke.
"I am Rainbow Dash and I'm ready to join the Wonderbolts!" She cried and everypony stared at her... Then burst out laughing. Even the Wonderbolts stopped their routine to point and laugh at the joke that was Rainbow Dash.
The mare shrank down in her seat and a tear rolled down her cheek. Even Pinkie Pie was laughing!... Well, she did laugh at everything so... Rainbow Dash shook her head as Twilight tried to comfort her. She didn't want to be comforted!
Rainbow stood up again, but this time to run away from the embarrassement that was this performance. She just couldn't take it! The mare blocked out the sounds of laughter and her friends calling after her and just kept running away from the scene.
When Rainbow Dash had finally made it home, she collapsed back onto her bed though she didn't cry. On her ceiling were pictures of the Wonderbolts, her 'life-long-heroes' but all they did was laugh at her when she stood up for herself. She started to feel the hot prickle of tears in her eyes but she shook her head and blinked them away, certainly not wanting to cry, she was too tough for that.
Just as Rainbow was about to close her eyes for some sleep, there was a knock at the door. She sighed but rolled off her bed to answer it and, of course, it was her friends.
"Oh. Hey guys." Rainbow Dash said mopily and all her friends frowned.
"Are you okay? You just ran off and we didn't have time to catch up." Explained Twilight and Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
"Uh... How'd you get up here?" She asked and Pinkie Pie pointed to the huge balloon above them and the basket below them. "Oh. Right... Hot air balloon." Her friends nodded and Rainbow Dash sighed.
"Look, guys, I just want some time to rest and be alone. Okay?" She said and closed the door before they could answer. After she thought they were gone, Rainbow collapsed on her bed again but there was yet another knock at the door. The mare groaned but got up to open it.
"Guys! I told you I just wanted to be al-" Rainbow started but it wasn't them. Instead it was a cloaked pegasus with hair that looked like fire shooting behind her. Rainbow Dash got an odd feeling that she had seen this mare before but couldn't put her finger on a name or where she had seen the pony.
The two just stared at each other for a minute before Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. "Uhh.. hi?" She said and the pony left without saying a word. "Yes! I love the weather we're having! Goodbye to you too!" Rainbow Dash said, trying to act like that wasn't awkward at all. She shrugged and started to close the door when she spotted something near her door, drifting on a cloud: It was a golden flower. Rainbow's eyes widened and she quickly bolted over to it and delicately picked it up.
She had heard about these but had never actually seen one. The mare looked around to see if anyone had dropped it then took it inside and not-so-carefully shoved it in her mouth and swallowed it. It was the best thing she had ever tasted... Ever.
Rainbow Dash yawned and layed down on her bed, finally going to get some sleep. She was suddenly even more tired than she was before. Right as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.
Outside her doorway, the cloaked pegasus was listening and smiling a sly grin.
The group of five walked along the dirt road, their heads hanging low... Except for Pinkie, who was blowing up a balloon even though she didn't relize it had a hole in it.
"Aww... This balloon won't blow up!" She exclaimed and all the ponies rolled their eyes. AppleJack sighed and looked up to see a rogue apple cart barreling towards them.
"LOOK OUT!" She screamed and everypony looked up, screamed and sprinted for the end of the road. They had just barely made it when the cart smashed into Rarity's house. She grimaced then loo.ked into the smoke, seeing that there was a huge hole in the wall and her sewing supplies were in ruined.
"My business!!! What am I going to do now?!" She exclaimed then glared at AppleJack who nervously twitched. Rarity stomped over to the pony who took a step back, slipped on an apple then fell to the ground with an oof! .
"Why didn't you put the brakes on your apple cart?! Just look at my home!" Rarity whined and AppleJack gulped.
"Uh... carts don't have brakes..." She replied and Rarity glared at her.
"I don't care! Just what happened?!" The fashionista yelled and Twilight stepped in between them. The two girls stopped looking at each other evilly and Rarity took a step back then sat down.
"Just stop! We all know that AppleJack takes very good care of her apple cart and she would never do this on purpose! So, why are we doing this? Besides, you scaring Fluttershy!" Twilight reasoned and motioned to Fluttershy who was curled into a ball and shaking. The two ponies sighed and nodded at each other, AppleJack got up.
"You're right, Twilight. We shouldn't be fightin'." She said then frowned. "Well, what did happen to my apple cart?" Twilight frowned also and sat down to think. Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes then said
"In five, four, three, two..."
"I've got it!" Twilight shouted and Pinkie Pie smiled, getting her timing perfectly right. Rarity stared at her then stepped away casually.
"Let's start where AppleJack's stand was originally. We'll see if there are any clues there." Twilight said and her friends nodded in agreement. Twilight frowned still. "It just seems wrong with out Rainbow Dash though." Fluttershy nodded.
"Yeah... should we, um, get her?" She suggested and AppleJack stomped her hoof into the dirt, pulling up some grass. Fluttershy whimpered a little but calmed herself.
"No. She just wants to be alone. We sh-" AppleJack started but cut off by Pinkie Pie who was yelling.
"Guys! Guys! I got the balloon to blow up!" Pinkie said and inside her mouth was a full blown balloon. Everypony raised an eyebrow and AppleJack opened her mouth to speak but closed it.
"AJ's right." Twilight explained. "She just wants to be alone." She sighed and started walking up the hill from which the apple cart came.
"RAINBOW DASH! RAINBOW DASH!" Screamed the five ponies in unison, knocking rapidly on Rainbow's front door yet there was no answer. All the ponies were tired and exhausted from running up the hill, looking for clues, finding that note tapped to a sign that showed the Wonderbolts and read 'I have Rainbow Dash', running back down the hill, grabbing the hot air balloon, filling it up then finally reaching here. As you can see, they had a very busy day.
"Where could she be?" Twilight whimpered and the rest of her friends gave a shrug. "Well she must be here somewhere! That note said that some creeper had her!" AppleJack got up, a hoof on Twilight's shoulder for support.
"You're... Right. We need to find Rainbow Dash." She said but collapsed back down from exhaustion. Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes.
"You guys are acting pathetic. Does anyone have at least some idea where she could be?" Twilight asked and Pinkie rose her hoof.
"She could be in her house!" She explained the obvious and Twilight sat down as well.
"Well, um, let's get some rest here first." She suggested but all the other ponies were out cold, and soon she was too.
From around the corner of the cloud house, the cloaked pegasus emerged. Although, she was not cloaked anymore. The pony looked like a flame standing there: Her coat a dark red, her mane and tail a matching orange and yellow, and her eyes a deep red. Even her cutie mark was flame related: It was a ring made out of fire. The pegasus laughed a maniacal laugh and did a flip in the air.
"Oh, this is just too easy!" She cried and grabbed an apple from her saddle bag, taking a big bite out of it then carelessly throwing it over her shoulder and into the streets far below. The pegasus hungerly lingered over the ponies but forced herself away, shaking her head.
"No. I promised myself only payback for Rainbow Dash... Even though these ponies seem too innocent to go away unharmed." She said and allowed herself a sly grin. The pegasus zipped away to get her tools, happily humming to herself.
"Mmm... That was a good rest, don't y-" Twilight said sleepily then screamed, waking all the other ponies with a jolt. They all screamed, screamed at each other than collapsed onto the ground... or should I say netting of the hot air balloon... That was floating in the air far above Rainbow's house and above where any bird or pony dare flys. To make matters worse, the rope that was holding them to the balloon was dangerously frayed and was coming apart by the minute.
"We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die..." Muttered Rarity who was curled into a ball and huddled into a corner. AppleJack was trying to calm everyone down, running around the basket checking on everypony. Pinkie was the only one totally unfazed by this whole matter: She was planning her next party.
"I bet I know who did this." Twilight shouted and her friends said in unison "The ponynapper!" Twilight nodded then started to pace around the basket.
"That pony is crazy!" She said.
"Uh, Twilight?" AppleJack said, looking over Twilight's head.
"No, the pony's insane!"
"Uh, um, Twilight?"
"I can't find a word a mean that means worse than that but that pony's it."
"TWILIGHT! THE ROPE!" AppleJack screamed and pointed to the frayed rope that was down to it's last bit. Twilight froze.
"No pony make any sudden movements." The air was completely silent... Until Pinkie Pie sneezed. The rope snapped and the ponies plumeted to the ground, despretly trying to find something to hold on to.
They were very lucky because they were positioned so they landed right onto a cloud... That was Rainbow's house. The five friends plumeted through the cieling, crashing into Rainbow's room and shaking the whole house. What they saw next surprised them. They all gasped and said in unison
"RAINBOW DASH!"
Rainbow Dash rushed to class, hoping not to be late. She had heard that they were doing something very exciting today and she couldn't wait to find out what it was. The filly slid on the clouds, trying to get a grip with her hooves. Right as she entered the classroom, the bell rang and Rainbow let out a sigh of relief. The only seat that was open was one in front so the filly put down her saddle bags and sat down.
"Good morning, students!" Miss Flicker said a little too happily.
"Good Morning, Ms. Flicker." Not-so-happily said the class and the teacher cleared her throat, seemingly unbothered by the lack of enthusiasm.
"Now, everypony, will you all please meet me on the Training Field? We have something planned today that I'm sure you'll all enjoy!" The teacher said and the small ponies gathered their stuff and headed out the door, following their teacher.
When they reached the field, the ponies got in their assigned spots, trying to ignore the scorching heat. Rainbow Dash got in her place, streching out her legs. She knew they were going to race so, why not be prepared?
"Alright, everypony! Today we are going to do something new! We are going to start doing tricks while flying!" Said Miss Flicker. This statement was followed by whispers and murmmers, everyone not really sure what to make of it.
In Rainbow Dash's mind, she was chanting 'Now's my chance, now's my chance... over and over again. Beside her was a pony that was glaring at her, apparently for no reason. The filly set her jaw, looking like she was about ready to fight. Rainbow stepped back a little, not wanting to make a scene.
"Um, hi! I'm Rainbow Dash. You are?" asked Rainbow and the filly raised an eyebrow, then turned away. Rainbow Dash was very confused but slowly turned her head back to face foward.
"Alright, class! Are you ready?" Said Miss Flicker and the class shouted back an awesome "YES!!!".
"Okay! Ready? Set?... GO!!!!" Shouted the teacher and everyone bolted into the sky. Some ponies stayed low while others went high, but the highest two were Rainbow Dash and that one filly who had seemed angry had her. The filly smirked at Rainbow Dash then folded in her wings so she dropped to the clouds below. Right before she reached the school, she unfolded her wings and shot back into the sky, twirling around while doing so.
Rainbow Dash was dumbfounded but she didn't show it. The filly realized that this was now a competition. Rainbow bolted upward, higher than before. She could feel the air in her lungs getting thinner and her breaths getting shorter but that didn't matter. Right before she about passed out from lack of oxygen, Rainbow Dash did a flip then bolted back down, leaving behind her a rainbow.
When she got back down to the school, Rainbow realized that all of her fellow students were watching her. The filly felt a little embarrased because, well, the teacher was beaming at her like she was her own child. The class stood in awe for a second then burst out pounding their hooves on the cloud, making a huge racket. The only pony not cheering was that one filly. She was in the back of the class, a tear rolling down her cheek.
The bell rang and Ms. Flicker nodded. "Class dismissed! Have a great day!" She said happily and the class quickly grabbed their stuff then rushed out of the classroom. Right as Rainbow Dash was about to leave, the teacher motioned for her to come to her. Oh, great. What did I do this time? She asked herself and mopily trudged towards the teacher.
"Yes? Did I do something wrong?" She asked and the teacher shook her head then smiled. Rainbow raised an eyebrow then sat down in a chair.
"No! Not at all! Actually, the exact opposite!" Ms. Flicker said cheerily in the overly-nice way she said things. Rainbow Dash smiled and sat tall in her chair.
"Really?!" She exploded then cleared her throat. "I mean: What did I do to impress you?" Ms. Flicker smiled a sickly smile then paced closer to her student.
"You almost did a Super Sonic Rainboom!" The teacher cried and Rainbow fell back against her chair, almost slipping under the desk.
"I-I did?" She sputtered and Ms. Flicker nodded happily. Rainbow's eyes widened but she sat tall again. "Woah... Really?"
"Um... Yes?" The teacher replied then cleared her throat. "If you keep practicing, you may be able to pull it off!" This time, Rainbow did fall off her chair. Ms. Flicker rushed over to her student. "Oh! Are you okay?!" The teacher yelled and her student nodded. "Good. Well, see you tomorrow!" she called and Rainbow Dash rushed out of the classroom, hoping to make it on time to her next class.
"Good morning, students." Said Mr. Chase, not nearly as happily as Ms. Flicker.
"Good morning, Mr. Ch-" Started the class but the teacher cut them off.
"Yes, students. Today we will be learning about grammar." He said and everypony groaned. The teacher whirled around to face the students, his face a disturbing mash of evil and angry. "What... Was that?" He snapped and the class stopped then cheered unconvincingly.
"I like Ms. Flicker better." Rainbow whispered to the pony next to her who answered with a sneer. Rainbow grimaced, realizing it was the pony from before. "Oh... It's you again. Why were you so-" Rainbow Dash started but was cut off by Mr. Chase's stare and evil shout.
"Who is talking while I am teaching?!" He screamed and the rest of the class immideatly pointed to Rainbow Dash, she groaned. Of course. She thought then sat back in her chair, rolling her pencil around on the desk.
"I will be seeing you after class, Miss Dash." The teacher droned and the student nodded. Rainbow Dash looked over at the pony who was smiling smugly at her, apparently enjoying her pain.
"Idiot." Said the pony, a little too loudly... Well, just loud enough for the teacher to hear her.
"Who said that?!" He shouted and this time every hoof pointed at the pony, including Rainbow's. Now it was her turn to look smug. "I will also see you after class, Miss..." He trailed off, looking a little confused then turned back to the chalkboard.
What? Why does he not know her name?... Well, I don't know her name but... I only hang out with my friends, so. Rainbow thought, blocking out the teacher's dumb teachings. Looks like there is a new thing to investigate, Inspector Dash. She continued in her head then leaned back in her seat, thinking over the clues.
