Rainbow Dash fingered her blue geo, her expression bored, listening to the teacher drone on and on. Next to her, Twilight was scribbling down notes. Rainbow was more excited about showing her awesome tricks in the basketball game, which she was the captain of. She daydreamed about the cheers and the trophy that they would win, never mind the compliments the team would get after they won the match. Once the final bell rang, she bolted up from her seat and out the door in a flash. She was forced to slow down in the midst of the crowded halls which threatened to knock her down with each step.
"Rainbow Dash, where are ya goin'?" A voice said, racing to catch up.
Another voice called out, "Darling, would you please slow down? My boots are going to get all muddy at the rate we are going."
Rainbow stopped and turned around to see her friends racing up to her, "Hey guys. I've gotta go to basketball." Immediately, her friends exchanged looks, but Rainbow ignored them, not thinking much.
She arrived at the gym doors and threw them open before walking in and shouting, "Are you guy said ready to win?! Let's do this! I want-"
Someone coughed and she looked at the person, "Yeah? Got a problem with some pre practice?"
"N-No but didn't you hear the announcements?"
"What announcements?" Rainbow stared at the girl.
"Due to certain circumstances, I am the new basketball team leader. Shove off, Rainbow." She pushed Rainbow and Rainbow fell backwards, still shocked. Hand over her geo, she gripped it and ponied up before flying out the window, shattering the window in the process.
Sunset called out, "Rainbow! Come on girls, we've got to follow her."
Twilight said, "Seeing how she leaves a rainbow streak behind her, it should be easy to catch up with her." Twilight couldn't be more wrong. When the six finally got outside, there wasn't any sign of her.
Rarity said briskly, "Well, it seems like we have to wait for her to cool down. It's not like she could stir up too much trouble in a day. Besides, I've got to finish my dress. You have no idea how much time it takes to simply complete my lining of my new dress."
Where was Rainbow? She was running around in the soccer field, kicking a ball around. She lined up around ten balls and began kicking them towards, the goal, one by one. Rainbow didn't have to look to see that every last ball went into the goal since she was positive that it had. After she looked up to see that the goal was full of soccer balls, she gripped her geo and sped there before taking all of the balls out. She un-ponied up before kicking the balls to the opposite goal.
"Hey Rainbow," another familiar voice called, "Can I play with you?"
"Derpy? What are you doing on a soccer field?"
"I was trying to find Principal Celestia but I wanted to play also. Do you need help with getting the soccer balls?" Without really waiting for an answer, she walked to the goalpost and proceeded in accidentally knocking the balls around and the goal down.
Derpy rubbed her shoulder, "Oops. Let me help you in getting this back."
Rainbow shouted, "No! I can do it. J-Just watch from the sidelines or something."
She looked hurt, "Okay." She walked to the stands and sat down before looking around, her eyes still crossed. Rainbow turned back to the soccer balls, a smile on her face, waiting to show off.
As Rainbow kicked the ball, she muttered to herself, "She gets closer to the goal as she kicks the ball. She turns around to block the enemy. Hiyah!" She ducked and swerved around before commentating once more,
"She kicks it nearer to the goal. Can she do it? She scores!" She made a perfect flip and throws the ball into the air before kicking it with her shoe to the other goal. Almost like a cannon ball, it shoots the center of the goal and bounces off easily. She pumped her fist in the air before racing to the ball and began to play around with it once more.
A country voice reached her ears and she skidded to a stop, "What are ya doin' here, Rainbow? Ah've been looking for ya for ages. Ya've left your Math homework in mah backpack for some reason." Rainbow saw AJ across the field and clutched her geo. She ran towards Applejack but noticed that her speed was a little slower than usual. She shrugged this off, inferencing that it was just about how sore her legs were after the mini workout.
Rainbow said in a false, cheery voice, "Hey there AJ! Thought that you might do the homework if I left it there since I had a match."
"Ya okay there, Rainbow?"
"Of course I am. My whole life just got ruined because I'm kicked off of the basketball team for saving the world a few times! You know, no biggie."
"If ya had the choice of the team or saving the world, which one would ya choose?"
Without hesitation, Rainbow said, "Saving the world. It makes me look awesome!" Applejack raised an eyebrow before sighing.
Fluttershy came over, her face hiding under the usual mop of pink hair, "Good afternoon Rainbow. I hope that I'm not disturbing you but I would really like to see you in the track team race in two hours. The problem is that tickets are sold out and I can't cheer you on..."
"No probs Shy, I've gotcha covered. 'Sides, I'm allowed to invite whoever I want, as long it's not more than ten people."
"Thanks Rainbow. I... Guess that I should be going. Thank you again."
Rainbow looked at the coach before giving her teammates a prep talk, "All right everybody. We will win this race. Lightning Dust, I want you to be our opener to give us a speed boost before the other team. I'll be the closer. You guys already know the rest. Are we going to win?!"
Her teammates shouted as a whole, "Go Wondercolts!" After a few minutes, she heard the Shadowbolts cheer as well before they each got into their positions. Now, the track races were a little bit different than what other schools do. Principle Celestia firmly believed in collaboration and it was the whole team who had to pass horseshoes to one another to complete one section of the race and then giving it to the next person.
Rainbow nodded, "Positions everyone." The team separated and everyone got into their positions. Next to Rainbow, Indigo Zap raised an eyebrow at Rainbow before smirking. The whistle blew from the judge and the race was off. Lightning managed to get a lead, even though it was only by a little bit. Crystal Prep must've been training extra hard to compete with other schools by now. Cloud Chaser took the horseshoe from Lightning before 'accidentally' getting slammed into by a little from the first competitor in Crystsl Prep. Stumbling, Cloud dropped the horseshoe before quickly snatching it up once more and proceeding to run.
After a few minutes, the second to last competitor was neck in neck with the one from Crystal Prep. At the last second, Indigo snatched the horseshoe a little bit earlier and sprinted. Rainbow snatched the horseshoe with Canterlot High's symbol before sprinting. Indigo was in front of Rainbow. In the last few seconds of desperation in winning, Rainbow clutched her geo and sprinted forwards, crossing the finish line right before Indigo.
The whistle blew frantically and the race was over. Rainbow looked up, panting, and she expected cheers from her school. Instead, she was greeted with frowns and other expressions from the crowd that she was unfamiliar with. Her friends, especially Sunset, were looking at her with a disappointed expression on their faces.
Principle Cadence said in the mic, "Due to the cheating from the Wondercolts, Crystal Prep wins the competition! Good job Crystal Prep." Rainbow blinked before storming to Principle Cadence,
"I crossed the finish line first!"
Principle Celestia stood up, "Canterlot High accepts the loss. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust, I want the two of you to please follow me. Also, congratulations, Crystal Prep!" Grudgingly, Rainbow followed the principle to her office, with Lightning behind her.
The principle took a deep breath, "I am extremely disappointed in you, Miss Dash. You have used an unfair advantage over the other school, using your magic for your personal gain. I do not have magic so I can not pretend to relate to you, but I need you to be responsible with the power. Therefore, I believe that a ban from all of your sports teams will take place until you can prove yourself."
Principle Celestia turned to Lightning Dust, "In the meantime, Miss Dust, I want you to substitute as the team leader for the next few matches until the coach decides who would be the permanent leader. Of course, you may get chosen as is but I do understand that the teams need to have a leader and as you did extremely well today, I entrust this to you. Both of you are dismissed."
Once the door was closed, Lightning smirked, "I knew that it was only a matter of time until she realized my true talent." Before Rainbow closed retort, Lightning Dust sped off and disappeared from view.
Rainbow walked out of the front door of the school and saw her friends waiting anxiously, "No need to chew me out Sunset, Principle Celestia already saw to it." For once, her face was not smiling nor smirking, but rather emotionless.
Fluttershy stepped closer, "Are you ok, Rainbow?"
She laughed bitterly, "Sure, everything is fine."
Rarity adopted her motherly voice that she often used on her little sister, "Rainbow Dash, tell me what happened."
"I'm sure that Lightning Dust can tell you... If you'll excuse me, I've got to impersonate Rarity and rest on a fainting couch."
Twilight blinked, "Since when did you know the word, 'impersonate'? I recall that you got the question wrong on the last English test before proclaiming that you never learned it."
Rainbow snapped, "I'm not stupid, Twi. I'm gonna buzz off now. Don't even try to follow me." She gripped her geo, either from desperation or habit, before bolting out of the place and to her house.
Sunset looked at the others, "Let's have a talk with Principle Celestia."
Sunset shouted, "You did what?! Principle Celestia, with no disrespect, this is Rainbow's life we are talking about. Try, just try to imagine Rainbow without being an athlete. Please, on my behalf and her behalf, give her another chance. In return, I can do whatever punishment you want."
Principle Celestia merely sighed, "I have already informed the team-"
"Well, uninform them."
Twilight elbowed Sunset before whispering, "That isn't a word."
Twilight was ignored as Sunset continued, "She shouldn't pay for your mistake. She's a great person and you know that."
The principle said dryly, "Miss Shimmer, I assure you that I will give her another chance next year. As for now, she is lucky to not be suspended. This case is between Miss Dash and myself. She is fortunate to have friends like you but you can not save her this time."
"I'll do it."
"Do what?"
"I'll purposely ruin the teams along with my friends if Rainbow Dash isn't the captain." Sunset crossed her fingers, hoping that Principle Celestia wouldn't call her on her bluff. Besides, Sunset wasn't Miss Honesty, who was glaring at her while crossing her hands on her heart before waving it once more.
Principle Celestia finally sighed, "I can compromise to next week, which would be after the last game of her soccer team. I will appoint her back after that. Is that a deal?"
"Deal."
Rainbow stared at herself in the mirror. Her ruffled hair was down, as if she had taken a cold shower. Her face didn't even perk up, not even when she saw another Daring Do book on the counter. Most importantly, her blue geo seemed to be grey. A shockwave hit her and she fell down to her knees, still staring at her geo.
I am Rainbow Dash. I am the leader of the soccer-I mean I'm not anymore... I am the number 1 athlete and everyone knows... never mind... I am the most awesomest person in the-nope... I am a very good friend... who am I kidding? Remember how you shoved them?
She stared at herself before fingering her once vibrant geo.
Who am I?
Author's Note
I started this story a pretty long time ago but lost motivation over time. I wrote the last 1000 words today and I have decided to end it here. No sequel and no epilogue of any sorts... I just don't want to force myself to write and make it sound too forced so... until next time! Hope you guys enjoyed the story.
