All the Colors of the Rainbow

Wind whipped at Rainbow Dash’s mane, tossing it about in a wild frenzy. Rainbow could feel the cold rush making her eyes water and drawing a thin stream of tears back from the corners of her eyes. Not fast enough. She flapped harder, squinting into the airy blast as her tail flailed around in her slipstream.

This was it. That familiar sensation. Warmth building on her muzzle, the trickle of tears freezing in place, clouds of water vapor forming around her shoulders and wings. Each wingstroke brought fresh protests from her muscles, but she pressed on, knowing she was almost through the worst of it. Optical distortions danced in front of her eyes as Rainbow fought to keep her body from wobbling, then finally...

Resistance dropped away as she surged forward, one hoof extended in front of her. Stretching out in her wake, rings of color spread across the sky, and a low rumble swept over the crowd below. Rainbow could hear their gasps as she rocketed back and forth, leaving bright, layered bands for all to see. Flashbulbs ignited, reporters scribbled away on their notepads, and a white stallion screamed, “Yeah!”

That applause! She lived for it! After a couple more victory laps, Rainbow settled into a slow glide and headed toward the royal palace’s largest courtyard, where a small space had opened up in the middle of her audience. She touched down in the clearing and trotted up to the couple that had otherwise commanded everypony’s attention. At least until Rainbow had taken to the sky.

“How was that, Princess? Awesome, huh?” Rainbow folded her wings neatly and put her full effort into holding them steady. A star had to make it look effortless. It wouldn’t do to have all these bigwigs see how spent she was.

Cadance leaned forward to hug her, but froze for a moment when she felt Rainbow’s invisible trembling. Her mouth hanging open a little, Cadance pulled back and searched Rainbow’s eyes, but the set jaw and gritted teeth told her all she needed to know. She gave Rainbow a tight squeeze and whispered in her ear. “Thank you. That was a wonderful wedding gift.” Patting her on the shoulder, Cadance motioned toward the French doors leading into the ballroom. “Open bar’s in there. You look like you could use a cider.”

Rainbow smiled and rubbed a hoof on the back of her neck. “Well... that does sound good.” She took a step in that direction, but Shining Armor blocked her path.

“Don’t think you’re getting away without a hug from me, too.” Hooking a foreleg around her neck, he beamed at her. “It means a lot that you were willing to do this for us. This is the first wedding in centuries to have a Sonic Rainboom.”

“Heh. Well, I’m not gonna turn down a princess.” She hugged him back and walked toward the bar, but managed to intercept a server carrying a tray of full glasses, saving herself the trouble. Taking a long pull, she drained half the glass before coming up for air.

“Good show, Rainbow Dash!” She looked up to see Fancy Pants smiling at her. “I have the name right, I trust? I remember you from my little soiree.”

“Uh... yeah,” Rainbow said, wiping the foam off her upper lip with the back of her hoof. “I like somepony who can appreciate a good light show.”

“Oh, no doubt. No doubt. You could be the next big thing.” His attention was briefly diverted by an officious-looking pony beckoning toward him from across the courtyard. “Unfortunately, moving in these social circles means just that—moving. Frequently. I regret that I can’t be as attentive a conversationalist as I should, but I’d wager I haven’t heard the last from you.”

“Of course not! I’m always working on bigger and better things,” she replied before emptying her glass and setting it on a vacant table.

“Good! I shall have to see more of these... Sonic Rainbooms. Exquisite. But I must take my leave. Not good-bye, though—Au revoir,” said Fancy Pants, bowing his head and waggling his moustache back and forth.

“Um... Oh reservoir to you, too.” As she trotted over to join her friends, more praise floated out from the crowd. It was wonderful.

“Way to go, Rainbow Dash!”

“Spot on, young lady! Spot on!”

“Very expressive—reminiscent of a Manedrian.”

One scratchy voice in particular caught her attention.

“Nice going, kid. You’re making quite a name for yourself.”

Rainbow gave a friendly smile in reply, but when she reached her friends’ table, her jaw dropped. “Omygosh omygosh! Did you guys hear that? Spitfire congratulated me!”

“That’s great, sugarcube!” Applejack said, giving Rainbow’s shoulder a playful jostle.

“Yeah! Everypony wants to see more!” A spark igniting in her eyes, Rainbow stood up and scanned the crowd. “Hey!” she shouted. “I practice those on Wednesdays over in Ponyville if anypony wants to come watch!” A few cheers rang out, including another “yeah!” from across the square.

“Hold on, sugarcube. You practice over Sweet Apple Acres, right?” Rainbow nodded and raised an eyebrow. “S’pose somepony were to charge admission to your practices...”

A familiar boom rang out over Sweet Apple Acres as yet another rippled pattern of color floated along with the clouds. Rainbow Dash pulled up before the crowd and hovered in front of her creation with her forelegs crossed and her chest puffed out. It was the perfect photo opportunity. Except she couldn’t hear many of the characteristic snapping noises. In fact, quite a bit of the crowd looked like they were waiting for something. She turned around to see the display in the sky behind her. No problems there.

Glancing down at Applejack, Rainbow squinted and shook her head. Applejack nudged her hat upward a bit, scratched her head, and shrugged. Rainbow flew down to confer with her business partner, but as soon as she’d moved, a whole volley of clicks sounded. “Must be a lighting thing,” Rainbow said as she looked around for any clouds that may have kept the sun from making her Rainboom brilliant, but the sky was clear.

She flew back up to strike a pose again, but heard only one more camera, from the edge of the crowd. The assembled ponies muttered among themselves, then started milling about to head back to their coaches for the return trip to Canterlot. Only the one who had snapped that last photo kept watching: Scootaloo.

“Hey, Scoot!” Rainbow said as she flapped down to her side. “You can see me anytime. Why’d you pay to get in?”

Flinging her forelegs around Rainbow’s neck, Scootaloo giggled. “Applejack lets me in for free. I wanna see you all the time!”

“Free, huh? She must really like you,” Rainbow said with a chuckle of her own, her ears pricking toward her little friend.

“Quickly now, quickly! Before it goes avay! Ve must have... ze photo!”

Rainbow turned abruptly at the commotion and saw Photo Finish wading through the sea of ponies. She ran up to Rainbow and looked her over.

“Ve need you... a bit to ze right,” Photo Finish said, giving a rapid nod.

Taking a couple of steps over, Rainbow reared up, pointed a hoof to the sky, and donned a winning smile. “Is this good?”

“Hm? Yes, yes. You vere standing on de spot I need.” Photo Finish shouldered past her and set up a tripod where Rainbow had been standing. She cast an anxious glance toward the sky, where the shimmering spectacle was just starting to fade, then toward an assistant, who was consulting a light meter. The assistant shook her head. Photo Finish gritted her teeth as the rainbows above became a bit paler. Finally a nod, and the camera clicked.

“Ah! Ze magics!” Exhaling sharply, Photo Finish folded up her tripod, paused to give Rainbow a quick look from head to hoof and back again, then motioned to her assistants. “Ve go!”

Rainbow slumped her shoulders and stared after her.

The crowds were as full as ever, but Rainbow Dash had lost some of her enthusiasm. She stood up on top of the barn roof, situated in the center of a perfect trio of Rainbooms. In her usual spot, Scootaloo took another picture and jotted a few notes down in her scrapbook.

“Miss, could you please move?” called a well-dressed mare from below. “You’re blocking my view.”

Rainbow dropped to all fours and trudged to the end of the barn, where she would be out of the way. She held her ears flat, but they perked back up as a new voice rose above the jumbled conversations.

“Excuse me, ma’am?”

Her wings popping up inquisitively, Rainbow stood and looked for its source.

“Would you mind coming down here for a moment? I would love to use you as a model,” Hoity Toity said, his hooves clasped together.

Rainbow glided down to a landing beside him and wrinkled her brow. “Um... What kinda stuff are we talking about here? Like fashion shows? That’s not really my scene.”

Waving a dismissive hoof, he chuckled. “Oh, there are other ponies to handle that. I need you for your wonderful colors.”

“Oh... Well, I guess that’s okay,” Rainbow said, cracking a smile. “What do I do?”

“Splendid! You just stand there.” Hoity Toity held up some fabric samples to her mane and hemmed and hawed at length about each one. After scratching a few notations on his pad, he started packing his gear.

“So... what now?” Rainbow turned to follow him. “Do you need me to stop by your studio? Wherever it is...”

“No, no. All I need is the color. It’s going to be just fabulous for my new spring collection next year.” He smirked as he gave an infuriating little chuckle. “It’s just much easier this way than trying to hold my swatches up to the sky.”

“Oh. So you’re done with me?” she asked, hanging her head. When she looked back up, he had left. She trudged toward the barn, but an orange streak nearly bowled her over.

“Rainbow Dash! You’re gonna inspire a whole fashion line! You really are the coolest!” Scootaloo shouted as she hopped up and down and buzzed her wings.

“Well... not exactly,” she said, halfheartedly returning Scootaloo’s hug. “These folks are more interested in the Rainboom, not who makes it.”

“But Dash!” Scootaloo’s grin faded and her ears drooped.

“It’s alright, Scoot. Don’t sweat it,” Rainbow called back as she took off at a lazy pace toward Cloudsdale.

Rainbow Dash was running ten minutes late, but she didn’t care. She was almost at her practice area, but chose to zigzag through the groves of apple trees instead of zipping there as quickly as possible. When she finally arrived, she found the place deserted. No carriages full of high-class spectators, no flanks in the bleachers, nopony telling her to get out of the way so they could see the pretty colors.

She came to a landing in front of the seats and blinked, looking around again as if the scenery might have changed in that brief moment. Her jaw dropped and she shook her head. Sinking to her haunches, Rainbow stared at the empty stands until she heard soft hoofsteps behind her.

“Hey, sugarcube!” Applejack said, patting her on the shoulder. “What’re you doin’ here? Didn’t feel like enjoyin’ the show?”

“Show? I... What are you talking about?” Rainbow asked, half-listening as she continued sitting in a daze.

“You didn’t get an invite?” Applejack rummaged around in her saddlebag and pulled out a postcard. “See here? Rainboom art show, it says. I figured you’d be the main attraction.” Giving her friend an encouraging smile, Applejack wrapped a foreleg around Rainbow’s neck and tugged at her to follow.

Rainbow dug her hooves into the dirt a bit to offer some token resistance. “Oh. No... I haven’t checked my mail today.”

Nodding smartly, Applejack flashed a toothy grin and dragged Rainbow along. “No problem. Says here that I can bring a guest. That’d be you. C’mon! You don’t wanna see what you’ve inspired ponies to do?”

“I... guess it wouldn’t hurt. Sure.”

Rainbow trotted along behind Applejack until they reached the town square, where rows of racks and easels stood, displaying a wide variety of artistic creations. Rainbow split off from Applejack and wandered down an aisle of photographs. Each hung from hooks in a piece of white pegboard, and a number sported prize ribbons of various colors.

Leaning in to peer at the many Rainboom photos, she pointed at one and turned to the mare next to her. “Oh, I remember this one. It was two weeks ago! Here I am right below...” She squinted at the picture for a moment, then let her shoulders droop. “Oh... It looks like I’ve been airbrushed out.”

“You were in the audience. I can’t believe the photographer managed to airbrush out all those ponies,” the mare said. “Wow, that’s a wonderful job of it. I like your dye job, by the way. Did you get an advance look at Hoity Toity’s spring designs or something?”

“No, it’s... Never mind.”

She walked over to the next row, lined with paintings. The first one was flecked and splattered with a mix of colors on a white background. It had a large blue ribbon affixed to it.

“Amazing vision, isn’t it?” asked a bearded stallion. “It really takes an artistic mind to come up with something so bold.” He puffed out his lower lip and gave a pretentious little nod.

“But... I did that! That was me!” Rainbow insisted, jabbing a hoof toward the canvas.

He levitated a pair of glasses up to his face and examined the loopy signature in the lower corner. “No, this is a Jackson Paddock. I don’t know whom you think you’re trying to impress by passing yourself off as him.” He knit his brow, clicked his tongue, and stalked off.

Stepping down to the next one, Rainbow looked at an odd pattern of dots. It looked a bit like a Rainboom, but it was a bit hard to make out. She cocked her head to the side and held a hoof to her chin.

“Try backing up,” suggested the portly mare that had ambled over.

Rainbow tried it, and soon the individual points had blended into a familiar wavy ring of rainbow stripes. “Hey, that’s a neat effect! I made that, by the way,” she said, raising her head up and wearing a proud grin.

“Hmmph! You don’t even know how to view an impressionist work, and you expect me to think you’re the Reinoir?” She chuckled as she watched Rainbow slink away.

After making her way out of the crowd, Rainbow sat on a bench and rested her chin on her hooves. She sighed and cast a searching glance around the square to see if Applejack might be ready to leave soon. A few minutes later, a small voice sounded beside her.

“Rainbow? You okay?” Scootaloo said, gazing up into Rainbow’s eyes.

“Oh. Yeah, I’m fine, Scoot,” Rainbow replied as she tousled the filly’s mane. “It’s just... all these uppity Canterlot types love the Rainboom, but won’t give me the time of day. A little recognition would be nice.”

“But all your friends like you!”

“I know. But I’m not trying to impress them, y’know?” Rainbow shrugged and looked at the ground. “It’s different with them.”

“I think you’re awesome, Dash,” Scootaloo said, smiling at her idol.

“I appreciate the thought, kid, but you probably just like the Rainboom, too. I don’t hold it against you—it’s natural for a young filly to be like that.”

“No, Dash, I—”

“Not now, Scoot.” Rainbow reached over to pat her on the shoulder, but she’d already run off. Rainbow’s mouth hung open as she watched her go.

“She was just tryin’ to help, sugarcube,” Applejack said as she strolled up and sat down beside Rainbow.

“What’d I say...?”

“Give her a bit o’ credit,” Applejack replied, leaning forward so she could see her friend’s face. “I’m around their clubhouse enough to hear ’em chattin’. She really does think the world o’ you.”

Rainbow let her ears droop as she looked over at Applejack. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t sort out what to say.

“Maybe,” Applejack said, “you’d better go talk to her. Might do both o’ you a bit o’ good.”

Nodding slowly, Rainbow gave a grim smile before winging off toward Sweet Apple Acres. She set down on the elevated front porch of the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ clubhouse and pressed her ear to the door. A faint rustling noise emanated from within, but no voices. She walked in quietly and saw Scootaloo huddled over a table, scribbling away at a sheet of paper.

“Hi, Scoot...”

Scootaloo’s eyes shot wide open as she hid the page with her forelegs. “No! It’s not ready yet!”

“What’s not—?” Glancing down over Scootaloo’s shoulder, Rainbow held a hoof to her mouth. “Oh...”

Scootaloo reluctantly uncovered her picture. It was a drawing of Rainbow Dash, her coat already filled in with the sky-blue crayon stub that lay on the desktop. “I’M SORRY” was scrawled in black across the top, and an array of hues colored Rainbow’s tail and a series of Rainboom rings. But something was wrong. It looked off somehow...

“Scoot, how did you pick those colors?” Rainbow asked as she knit her brow. The yellow and blue were right, but there was a dark green where the purple should be, tan in place of the orange, brown for the red, and gray for green.

“I... I had to guess,” she answered, rolling her eyes up at Rainbow as if she were about to be lectured. “I usually just grab whatever the other girls use.”

“You’re... colorblind?”

Scootaloo drew her eyebrows together and hung her head, but didn’t answer.

“The Rainbooms don’t look all awesome and colorful to you?”

Scootaloo shook her head faintly. “I like them ’cause you make ’em. You’re the only pony who can.” She slumped forward onto the desk. “That’s why they’re cool. Because they’re yours.”

Rainbow froze in place for several minutes while everything clicked into place, then wrinkled her nose to fight off the tingle that was threatening to become a sniffle. Stepping over to sit on the floor next to Scootaloo, Rainbow wrapped a wing around her. “You’re pretty cool yourself, y’know? I wasn’t fair to you. Here—let me help you with the crayons, and then I’ll take you for a flight. Okay?”

Scootaloo blinked away her tears and nodded vigorously as she broke into a wide grin. “Thanks, Dash. But what are you gonna do about your shows?”

“Those are so cancelled,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes upward. “I don’t need those ponies to make me feel good about myself. I’ve got you.”

Closing her eyes, Scootaloo leaned in to nuzzle Rainbow’s neck, but she soon pulled back as her face fell. “What’re you gonna tell Applejack? She was making some good money.”

Rainbow shot a blank stare at the wall for a moment. “Let’s finish this ‘sorry’ note. I think I’m gonna need it.”