The Fast Lane
(Listen to This)
Rainbow and dash, the two words I grew up with, the two words I still live with...
Being a Wonderbolt has been one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. Soaring through the air at sonic speeds, the only sound as I make my daring ascent is the wind whistling in my ears, and the soft ruffle of my plush coat. The tension in the air, and the silent admiration resonating from the stands below filled with my hundreds of adoring fans.
This is what I'd always wanted, this is what I'd trained for since my first Wonderbolt show. My eyes glued to the multicolored pegasi as they swooped down low across the stands. Now I'm the one with being gazed at, now I'm the one smirking with pride as I wink at a random admirer. But one thing hasn't changed since then. Despite the goggles, I still have my eyes glued to whatever lies in front or ahead of me. By now I've realized what a foolish mare I've been, and how I could have achieved so much more.
I have the week off and I plan to make the most of it. I have a few bonds that need mending and who else to help than the loyalist of ponies, Rainbow Dash. As for explaining the two words that make up who I am today, I'll save that for later. As for right now, I have to slow down, swerve off the fast lane and look back, to my friends, my past, my home.
This morning I've decided to visit Ponyville. I haven't seen my friends for at least half a year now. Letters were all I could afford to send and receive. The life of a Wonderbolt was a busy one, and I've been going all out, no breaks all month to have this one week off. According to the last letter I received, which was sent by Twilight, the girls missed me and though the skies were still cleared by other pegasi, they would never be as clear when I used to be there. Touching, but not enough to change my manager's attitude toward my schedule, so I've had to hold off for at least three weeks since the letter was sent. But how much could three weeks possibly change my friends? Not a lot, if I remembered them correctly.
Then again, what did I know? I'm just the hot shot, the show off who ditched her friends to be in the big time. Do I really deserve their friendship? I really don't know, but I'm willing to find out today.
I started by packing a few bits into my saddlebag. My cutie mark, the thunder-like rainbow cloud, was stitched onto both sides of the bag. A reminder of Rarity's generosity to lighten my mood. I then packed a few photos of me, one of them was of myself when I first wore the Wonderbolt uniform. My signature was finely written at the bottom right corner of the photo, including the words, Always Chasing Dreams. If I was to leave again, I wanted my friends to remember me by something.
And just as I started for the door, a side cover of the latest Daring Do caught my eye. I'd gotten the first copy from the author herself. I never caught her real name, and the name on the cover was never there. In its place were the initials D.C. But none the less, I received the copy from the mysterious mare. I remember her saying how she was honored to have a famous Wonderbolt such as myself being a fan of her series. It was one of my few golden moments. That's when I thought of Twilight and how she first offered the first book to me while I lay, broken-winged, in my hospital bed. Twilight always knew what to do when I was bored or was feeling down.
And so I grabbed the book, shoved it in my bag and hurried out the door, diving off my cloud porch, only to crash into a dozen of cheering ponies. They were fans of mine. I could tell by their rainbow colored wigs, and rainbow colored face paint, and their rainbow colored everything showed in the morning light. I greeted them with a welcoming smile as I stepped forward to give them my autographs. There was one filly that, no matter how hard he tried, always got pushed to the back of the crowd. With a motion of my hooves, I opened a pathway between the crowd and approached the young filly. As I kneeled down to meet him face to face, he shied away. I chortled silently as I signed his photograph. He reminded me of Fluttershy. He blushed deeply, much like how Fluttershy did when she drew too much attention, and he didn't have eye contact until he found you were friendly. Oh, what I wouldn't do to have her in my company right now. But back to business, I think to myself as I wave my fans goodbye and take off for a real dive, my next destination, Ponyville.
With all my thoughts focused on my friends, I ask myself, who else do I care about in Ponyville? I spend a moment of thought, then I come to a conclusion. I'm going to visit Scootaloo. I haven't seen her, or talked to her in ages. I wonder if she has her cutie mark yet? Maybe she got it without me. Maybe she learned to fly without me. And one by one, the predictions all turned to guilt, which piled higher and higher on my mind, more anxious by the wing beat. I gulped as I spotted her tree house in the distance. This was it, this was my chance to make things better. In my mind I knew it was now or never, it was time for me to keep a promise I'd made months ago with a certain, five year old filly, flightless filly.
