Technicolor Dreams
Rainbow Dash sat up at the knock on her door. It was her day off today, so she had been lazing in her house this early. She'd figured she'd go join her friends for other things to do later, but she wondered who would knock this early. She went and opened the door...and gasped in shock at who stood there.
"Hey Rainbow," Spitfire said, standing there without her uniform. "You got a minute?"
"S-sure!" Rainbow Dash stammered out. "Come on in!" As she brought SPitfire inside, she was trying to contain her internal reaction. *Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! Spitfire of the Wonderbolts is here to see ME!*
Spitfire settled down on a cloud, smiling at Rainbow Dash as she stumbled over herself getting some refreshments. Once Rainbow Dash was settled down as well, Spitfire took a sip of her drink. "You know my favorites," she said, not a question but a statement. When Rainbow Dash obviously didn't know what to say to that, Spitfire continued. "So how's your life going? I'm aware of your accomplishments, but how does it feel to actually accomplsih them?"
Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. "Well, most of the things I manage to do are kind of instant things. You know, do it or everyone you care about gets it bad type of thing. Most of it is just too intense in the moment to think about, though the adrenaline rush is pretty intense. Probably nothing compared to being a Wonderbolt, though."
"Hmm." Spitfire sipped her drink again, watching Rainbow Dash carefully. "That's actually part of why I'm here to see you, actually." Spitfire could see Rainbow Dash's breathing stop in anticipation. "In exactly one month, the Wonderbolts will be coming here to Ponyville to officially invite you to join our numbers."
Rainbow Dash proceeded to squeal happily as she litterally bounced off the walls of her home, eagerness and excitement pouring off of her in waves.
*I'm glad I'm not an empath like the Princesses,* Spitfire thought with a smile as she waited patiently for Rainbow Dash to calm down. When Rainbow Dash was about to start babbling gratitude and other not quite coherent statements, Spitfire held up a hoof. "Please, sit. You aren't supposed to get ahead notice for just this reason...but there are some things I feel you should know about this dream of yours...and I feel I should be the one to tell you, since I inspired this dream."
They both glanced towards a picture on the mantle, an autographed picture of Spitfire, with the message, "You're gonna go far, kid." Rainbow Dash nodded, settling down.
Spitfire gathered her thoughts. "Have you ever wondered why you rarely see any Wonderbolt out of uniform?"
Rainbow Dash blinked. "You were at the Grand Galloping Gala."
Spitfire shook her head. "I was there in an official capacity...to schmooze, so that all those high and mighty upper class folk could say they'd met me. I'd have much rather spent my time there talking with my teammates, or you and your friends...but that option wasn't open to me. Did it look like I was having fun?"
Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Not really."
Spitfire smiled. "I admit, I had to hide a smile when you tackled that pony who wouldn't stop jabbering at me. I wish I could get away with something like that." They shared a brief laugh. "The truth is, as a Wonderbolt, you don't get much free time. We only accept the best of the best flyers in Equestria...and we have to push ourselves mercilessly to stay at our peak. You've seen the tricks we pull in our shows?" At Rainbow Dash's eager nod, she continued, "Can you picture what would happen if one - or worse, more - flyer was off at the key point of the tricks by so much as a wingbeat?"
Rainbow Dash shuddered. She had sudden mental images of the Wonderbolts crashing into each other when they were supposed to brush before breaking apart, resulting in injury or worse. She knew what it was like to fly normally at high speeds. The level of skill and coordination needed to pull those group stunts at high speeds... "How can you risk taking any time away from training?" she asked suddenly.
Spitfire smiled, as Rainbow Dash had made her point for her. "We don't. Every major event is scheduled for afternoon or evening, and the entire morning is dedicated to training and practicing stunts and manuevers. After all, the Wonderbolts aren't just stunt flyers. We also run defense and rescue operations. Then it's not just our lives that depend on us being at our physical peak, but the lives of others as well. We CAN'T risk being so much as a half wingbeat off."
Taking a sip of her drink, she continued. "It's not jsut training. Our diets are all strictly regulated so that we get all the energy we need for everything we'll have to do without ever putting on any weight. Even an extra ounce unaccounted for could doom us. We also have the best medical treatment in all of Equestria, since the Princesses themselves see to our health when we fall ill." She shook her head. "It all sounds great, but...this is the one day off a half year I get."
Rainbow Dash stared in shock. "One day off every six months?"
Spitfire nodded. "And it has to be scheduled two weeks in advance." She sighed. "My family lives in Manehatten. I've missed every family reunion since becoming a Wonderbolt. There's still letters and all, but...I've had three younger brothers born since I put the uniform on, and I've never been able to meet them in person. They've probably been to my shows, but I wouldn't know them if I saw them in the crowd."
Rainbow Dash stared. "That's...that's awful." She blinked. "But...how have you been keeping track of me, then?"
Spitfire smiled. "Because I've had you tapped as maybe becoming one of us since before you got your Cutie Mark." Rainbow Dash gasped. "When I signed that picture for you, I saw the fire in your eyes. I saw the dream flower inside you. I kept track of your development. I was even able to be present to witness your first Sonic Rainboom."
Rainbow Dash stared at her hero, her idol, slackjawed.
"I knew from the first day I saw you, Rainbow, pushing past all the other fillies to get to me, outrunning them...that you would go fast and far. I had you cherrypicked to be one of us from that day." Spitfire sighed. "I never imagined you'd take on a role much more important to Equestria, when you and your friends saved us all, first from Nightmare Moon, and then from Dischord. I know the kind of bond you must have with your friends to accomplish that. It's the same kind of bond all of us share with each other to work as we do." Spitfire continued to sip her drink, a frown wrinkling her brow.
"I...I don't understand," Rainbow Dash said at last. "What are you trying to say?"
Spitifre looked at Rainbow Dash seriously. "Because of how much we have to trust each other, we ask a lot of new members. Joining the Wonderbolts is a lifetime commitment, in contract. The only way out is through reaching retirement age...or total physical or mental collapse." Spitfire set her drink down. "When we come to make the offer to you, We'll be asking you to choose...between your friends, and your dreams." She held up a hoof. "Don't say anything just now, okay Rainbow?" She smiled softly at her. "I've watched you grow from an eager filly to a strong young mare. I know you can seize your dreams by the reigns and ride them to the end. I never had a chance to be a mother...and I've kinda come to see you like a daughter. So I speak to you now as I would to my daughter. You have a chance to seize your dreams...but know the cost." Spitfire went to the door. "Thank you for your time, Rainbow. See you in a month." With that, Spitfire flew off.
Rainbow Dash sat back on her couch, staring at where Spitfire had flown off, and turning to look at the picture. Her dreams were within her grasp...but were they worth the cost?
00000000000
One month later...
Twilight and the others watched as Rainbow Dash floated to and fro, obviously pacing in the air. "Say...have you girls noticed something...off about Rainbow this past month?"
"Yeah!" Pinkie said. "She hasn't been interested in playing any pranks, and she declined the invitation to a party last night!"
"She's been pacing a lot, and it don't look like she's been sleeping well," Applejack spoke up.
"She came into my boutique the other day asking for fittings!" Rarity said in shock. "And she asked me for advice on how to cure stress!"
"She told me she's had a lot on her mind lately," Fluttershy said quietly.
Twilight shook her head. "Rainbow...what's wrong with you?"
All of a sudden, there was a fanfare, and the Wonderbolts flew overhead, leaving a stunning contrail in the air. While everyone else looked up excitedly, Twilight noticed an expression of mixed dread and resignation on Rainbow Dash's face. She wondered what was going on.
In front of City Hall, the Wonderbolts landed as everyone gathered. No one was surprised when Rainbow Dash was right at the front of the audience...but her lack of excitement raised quite a few eyebrows.
Soarin approached the podium. "Citizens of Ponyville," he said calmly, smiling. "I'm sure you are all wondering what brings us here unannounced. The truth of the matter is...there's one particular pegasi here in Ponyville who has caught our eye...and we're here recruiting." Gasps and whisperes spread like wildfire through the crowd. "Rainbow Dash, would you please come up to the platform?"
Thunderous cheers heralded Rainbow Dash's approach to the platform, and didn't die out for quite some time. When they finally died out, Soarin turned to Rainbow Dash. "We've seen what you're capable of, Rainbow Dash. I admit I'm not much for big speeches, so I'll be a bit blunt. Are you in?" He held out a bundle to her. It was a Wonderbolt uniform in her size, with the wings emblem right on top.
Rainbow Dash held the uniform in her hooves, not quite taking it. She had dreamed of this moment for so long, wishing, hoping, dreaming of it...but then she remembered something.
When she and the others had pursued Nightmare Moon, she had been tested by a group calling themselves the Shadowbolts. They had offered her the dreams of glory and greatness...but had told her that she would have to choose between that and her frineds. Even though she had barely met most of them then, she hadn't hesitated to choose her friends. Since that day, her bond with her friends had only grown stronger. And now, when that same choice was offered to her...she discovered that nothing inside her had changed since that day of the Summer Sun celebration.
"Soarin," she began carefully, "this is a great honor. You have no idea how long I've longed for this moment, but...now that it's come..." She handed the uniform back. "I can't accept."
Shocked gasps ran through the crowd. Soarin's eyebrow twitched. "Can you explain why?"
Rainbow Dash smiled sadly. "When I dreamed of joining the Wonderbolts, I had no idea what it would truely mean. The time I've spent bearing the Element of Loyalty...I've begun to understand just what level of commitment it takes to dedicate yourself to Equestria for everypony's sake. I can only just barely imagine the level of commitment it must take to be a Wonderbolt...a level of commitment I'm not ready to make. I saw the fire's of my dreams, never dreaming they could be as much yoke as glory...until now." She gave the uniform back to Soarin. "Thank you ever so much for the honor...but I can't accept today."
As the crowd was stunned into silence, Soarin smiled. "I understand quite well, Rainbow. I wish I'd had your foresight when I was recruited." He handed the uniform back to her. "Keep this, and keep flying strong. When you are ready...we will have a place for you."
Rainbow Dash stared at Soarin in shock, then pulled the uniform tight against her chest. "Thank you," she whispered, tears of gratitude in her eyes.
"Come on," Soarin said with a grin. "Go get changed...we have one show to do with you. Come fly with us."
It didn't take long for Rainbow Dash to get changed, and then everyone went to the stadium to watch as Rainbow Dash lined up with the others. Soarin smirked at her. "I know you know the signals for each trick as well as any of us...so we'll follow your lead today."
Her eyes wide, she flared her wings in eagerness and took off. Effortlessly, reveling in the moment, she led the WOnderbolts through several of their trademark tricks. The Starburst, the Pentagram, the Weave (an especially difficult trick, where they flew around each other, crossing their paths to make their contrails look like a woven tapestry). Finally they all shot together up into the heavens.
"We've got one last trick today, Dash!" Spitfire called. "WHy don't you let us taste the Rainbow?"
Smiling, Rainbow dove towards the ground. The other Wonderbolts kept up, slipping easily into her wake to keep up. As she accelerated, they pulled tighter together as the mach cone formed around them all, sharpening to a blinding point. Just before striking the earth, they all pulled up together as a massive Sonic Rainboom was unleashed. Wingtip to wingtip they flew together across the ground, the massive rainbow trailing behind them, each one of them trailing a seperate color trail. Shooting upward into the sky, they began to weave in and out once more, creating a braided rainbow across the sky.
The cheers were deafening. Finally, the Wonderbolts came to a landing with Rainbow Dash. Soarin grinned at her. "You flew great, Rainbow. I hope you're ready soon. We'll be so much stronger with you."
Rainbow Dash could only grin as she waved goodbye to them. "I'll let you know!" she shouted after them.
0000000000000
Back in Canterlot, at the Wonderbolt compound, Soarin followed Spitfire as she headed to an isolated part of the compound. "I wondered where you went on your day off," he said quietly.
Spitfire smiled sadly. "Can you blame me? Would you have been happy if she had joined us...only to come to hate it?"
Soarin shook his head. "I can't say I'm surprised." He stood quiet for a time. "So...did you tell her...everything?"
Spitfire shook her head violently. "No, I did not. And neither will you."
Soarin's eyes widened in shock. "Spitfire, really..."
"She knows she's adopted, Soarin," Spitfire interrupted. "She's never looked into it to find out who her birth parents are. I'm not going to force that truth on her." She tried unsuccessfully to blink away tears. "We made the right decision for her all those years ago. Our little Rainbow needed to fly free, and we couldn't give that to her."
Soarin nodded, but he knew Spitfire wouldn't see. Walking forward, he pulled her into a tight hug, once more letting her shed the tears she hid from all others.