Come Soar with Me

Come Soar with Me

By Wolfy

“Thank ya kindly!” Applejack said, with a tip of her stetson.

“No problemo, AJ! You know I don’t mind helping a friend out.” Rainbow Dash replied, with a nod.

Applejack laughed, and Rainbow smiled. She had just swooped down by Sweet Apple Acres for a quick chat after her practicing, and she had somehow ended up buying two apple pies. It wasn’t a big deal though, the pie was certainly good fuel for a Wonderbolt, or even one-in-training! At that, a vision of Rainbow’s favorite blue-maned athlete popped into her mind.

Dash brought herself back to the deal she was making.

“Now lemme, just find my bits..” Dash said, checking under her wings. “Aww man! I hope my bits bag didn’t fall out during my training!” She began to search more frantically.

“Hold on there, Dash, these are on the house. Ah ain’t one to leave a friend hangin’.” Applejack replied, smiling warmly at her best friend.

“Woah, you sure AJ? I wouldn’t want Macintosh to totally flip out over why you guys didn’t meet your sales or someething crazy like that.” Rainbow brought a hoof up and twirled it around her head to emphasize her idea of Big Macintosh going crazy.

Applejack suddenly went serious. “Now hold on there, don’t go kiddin’ round’ bout’ our lifestyle and profession her at the Acres.”

“Sheesh.” Dash huffed. “Lighten’ up there AJ. You should’ve seen your face!”

Applejack smiled a bit awkwardly, as if she were embarrased. “Yeah well, you know how serious Ah am bout’ the farm, just like my ma ‘n’ pa.” Her eyes glazed over for a minute, in a flashback, but she replied a few seconds later.

“Let me help you load these up on your back. Ah know about that storm you pegasi got rollin’ in, and Ah’d hate for y’all to get caught up in it.”

“Oh puh-leeze AJ. Equestria’s GREATEST flier can handle anything!” Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest like a valiant hero.

“Hmmph.” AJ smiled at Dash. “Typical RD.”

Fifteen minutes later, Rainbow Dash was alone, flying back to her house in Cloudsdale, skillfully balancing two apple pies on her back. The cold wind blew her beautiful rainbow mane and tail back, and lifted her up. She felt on top of the world. Training had gone well,  and she had just created and mastered a new move. She tried to preoccupy herself by trying to think of a name.

“Hmm. ‘The Dashie Dive?’ That might work! Awesome!”

A proud smile crept across her lips.

“Well, hold on a sec. If The Wonderbolts ever use my trick that might seem awkward for them. Like, Spitfire doing my move? No way! or Soarin..”

An image of Soarin’s light blue face and cobalt mane flashed in her mind for the second time that day, wearing a lazy smile and fluttering eyes.

Thinking of her secret crush, or love more of, brought some new thoughts in her mind. Would she ever find that special stallion? The one who would be there for her, care for her, and love her with everything he had? Rainbow Dash frowned. Nopony had ever shown a love like that for her. The only colt who had ever done that was Caramel, the earth pony down in ponyville back in school.

She smiled at the memory of them sitting under a tree by the playground.

But, that had been long ago. Caramel was with another close friend of hers. She hoped him and Twilight were doing okay.

Dash’s smile turned to a more serious one. This “Lovey dovey” talk was not for her! An athlete had better things to do. She had her own things to deal with, a stallion or mare could wait.

Then, she remembered that that had been what Fluttershy said the morning before Big Macintosh had arrived at her cottage door, with a small flower in place of his wheat sprig, asking if she would like to go to the park for a walk together.

The frown came back again.

“Wow, this sucks. The one who has my heart doesn’t even know it.”

The clouds welcomed Rainbow Dash’s cyan hooves as she touched down in Cloudsdale.

The flight from Sweet Apple Acres had gone smoothly, besides for the thoughts about a lover. She had began to pick up the pace a little after the gray clouds began to catch up. The storm was going to be nothing big, but she still didn’t want to be caught up in it. Dash decided that she could walk for the remainder of the way back to her home.

Cloudsdale was very active, even now before a storm. Pegasi fluttered here and there, or stopped and chatted with each other on the cloud pathes.  Dash spotted a few of her friends and waved a hello to them, but never stopped her trot.

Rainbow continued along, when she began to hear crashes behind her.

“Woops! Sorry, didn’t-OWW! That wasn’t there yesterday! Darn eyes!”

Dash knew that voice, and wasn’t surprised to see everypony’s favorite mailmare touch down shakily beside her.

“OOOH, ohh Dashie! Hi!” Derpy Hooves said joyfully.

“Hey there Derpy! How’s it hangin’?”

“Hanging? What’s hanging? Did I crash into something again? Oops!” Her pupils spun around crazily inside of her eyeballs. “Hey, check out this yummy awesome muffin Cloudkicker gave me!” Derpy suddenly stepped in front of Rainbow Dash, and held up a muffin with chocolate chips. Then, she set it down on the cloud ground and began to bow down to it. “Muffin! Muffin!”

Rainbow Dash laughed. “Geez Derpy! You are such a laugh. We should chill sometime!”

Derpy looked up from her muffin worship and chuckled. “Yeah, totally. We can bake muffins!” She chuckled again, except a little louder and sillier.  “Alright buddy, I gotta get back to work. This mail won’t deliver itself, don’tcha know!!!” She patted her mail satchel, giggled, then took to the skies.

“Woah, and I thought Pinkie was crazy!” Dash smirked.

Soarin examined himself in the mirror of the locker room.

Practice had ended a little while ago. It had been a tough one. A good shower felt nice on his sweaty skin. Now, after drying off, he looked at his own reflection, wondering about things in the future.

Would he ever find a mare, who loved him, the Soarin side, and not just the Wonderbolt side?

Could anyone out here look past his celebrity status and see the real him for the real stallion he was?

Soarin sighed heavily, and turned from the mirror. It felt like a lost cause. Why dwell on what seemed like a dream? Some dreams didn’t come true.

He sighed again, and walked to his locker. It opened slowly and creakily. Soarin pushed his Wonderbolt suit into his saddlebag without a word. He then raised a hoof to close the locker door, but stopped at the sight of the pictures he had taped on the insides of it.

Himself, with Spitfire and Fleetfoot. He remembered the day very well. He and FleetFoot had engaged in a cupcake eating contest, with the winner of the challenge taking home 10 bits.

The battle had been fierce, but the competition fiercer. Soarin had walked home 10 bits richer, with a terrible tummyache on the side.

His eyes scanned over to the next one.

His mother and father, together with him as a colt. Soarin frowned. That was the last time they had been happy together. Still today, he wondered why they broke apart. His mother wouldn’t say, and his father had passed on.

Soarin scowled angrily. Love ment nothing. It builds ponies up, and then tears them down.

His anger faded as his eyes met the last photo.

At the gala, with Spitfire, and...

Rainbow Dash.

Soarin longed to see her stunning mane, her cyan coat, and magenta eyes again. She was beautiful to him. He wanted to really connect with her. He wished every day to have told her how he felt that night. But, the fans, with their pictures and their photos had stopped him.

This was the only picture he owned of her, before she had disappeared and the gala had been trashed.

Soarin felt alone, and sad. The popularity was almost like a curse.

He looked into Dash’s eyes again, then closed the locker, and left.

Rainbow Dash hummed and dreamed of new tricks. She was just about home. Her house was just past the Wonderbolts stadium. She coasted her eyes over to its height, and then down to the entrance where she saw a light blue pony leaving with saddlebags bulging at his sides.

“Is that...Soarin?” Dash asked herself inquisitively. She watched him carefully as he opened his saddlebag and stuck his muzzle into it.

“Woah, he’s even hotter without his Wonderbolt suit!” Rainbow giggled like a school filly.

Her star-struck infatuation turned to worry as she saw him look in her direction.

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh what if he doesn’t remember me? Should I say hi? What if he thinks I’m just another fan, looking for his autograph?” She continued to ramble on with crazy ideas. Rainbow Dash didn’t even notice Soarin trotting closer and closer to her.

Soarin was positive that was her. You couldn't really mistake a mare with a rainbow mane for somepony else.

He coudn’t believe his eyes. His two favorite things, right there together.

Rainbow Dash and apple pie!

Now is the time. Make your move. Stop making excuses and turning your back on what your heart says.

Soarin took a deep breath and walked over to where Dash was restlessly babbling to herself.

He raised a hoof and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Umm, Ms. Rainbow Dash....”