Chapters Chapter 1: Head held high
Rainbow Dash is confident in her abilities. However, this does not exclude her from feeling nervous about her second time competing in the Best Young fliers competition. She is still nervous despite all of her friends telling her there is not another Pegasus that can fly like her. However, the time for doubts has long since passed and there is no turning back now. Rainbow hasn't turned away from a challenge before and she does not intend to start now.
Rainbow Dash and her fellow Elements of Harmony had arrived in Cloudsdale earlier that day and were seeing the sites before the competition began. Twilight of course had performed the enchantment allowing them to walk on clouds, so they could show support for their friend. Rarity had opted out on wings this time around as nearly falling out of the sky last time was unpleasant to say the least.
"Rainbow! Hey Rainbow! Equestria calling Rainbow Dash!" yelled Pinkie.
Rainbow snapped back to reality "What was that Pinkie?" asked Rainbow.
"I was asking if you were ready to kick flank in the competition." said Pinkie with a joyous smile.
"O-of course I'm ready for the competition." stammered Rainbow " What makes you think I wouldn't be?"
"Ya'll just seemed a might jittery, so we was worried about ya." answered Applejack.
"Well don't worry about me." said Rainbow " I'll fly circle's around the competition."
"Well, either way Rainbow just know were her to support you." reassured Twilight.
"Yeah whatever it's fine Twi." replied Rainbow Dash "Really."
Twilight sighed and decided it was best to drop it and continue enjoying what Cloudsdale had to offer. While her fellow Elements enjoyed the sights Rainbow fell behind to be with her thoughts. Her friends were unaware of this but Rainbow had heard rumors of a Pegasus colt from fillynois entering the competition this year. It's said he's done the impossible. A double Rainboom. A sonic Rainboom was impressive but a double was the stuff of legends.
Whoever this colt is he is not to be taken lightly thought Rainbow Dash.
Just as she finished this thought the PA system came to life "Attention all contestants report to the waiting area at once."
"Well I guess that's my cue Ill see you guys in the history books" said Rainbow Dash proudly.
The Elements all gave their well wishes and Rainbow made her way to the waiting area. She acted cocky but her gut was in a knot. The rumors of this new contestant whirled around inside Rainbows head. She tried to shake them off telling herself a double Rainboom was impossible. It is impossible isn't? Rainbow shook her head and told herself that the rumors were exaggerated. They had to be. But what if their not?
This time Rainbow exclaimed out loud "They cant be true!"
Everypony around Rainbow turned to stare at her. Rainbow just smiled embarrassed and picked up the pace on the way to the waiting area. She finally arrived at the entrance to the waiting area. It was a long room filled with about forty or fifty Pegasi. Rainbow made sure to look all of them up and down sizing up which one of them could be the new contestant. None of them fit the bill. This made the knot in Dash's gut even tighter.
Curiosity got the better of Dash and she decided to find a familiar face and ask if they've heard anything. She looks around the waiting area and decides upon Ponyvilles resident mailmare.
"Hey Derpy, have you heard anything about a new contestant competing this year?" inquired Dash"Maybe one who's really talented.
"It's Ditzy, and to answer your question, no I have not heard anything about any new contestant." replied Ditzy Doo.
"Okay thanks anyway" said Dash.
She mumbled a good luck to Ditzy and went to get a placement number from the table at the end of the waiting area. She approached the table being attended by an old mare wearing spectacles.
"Name?" barked the old mare.
"Rainbow Dash." Dash replied proudly.
"Your number is forty-nine.' she said handing Dash a piece of paper with a number on it." go wait over there."
Rainbow began to make her way to where the old mare had gestured to when she heard another pony come up to the number station. There was only one spot left in the competition and everpony else she saw already had a number. Could that mean?
"Name?' the old mare barked again.
"C.M. Pony."
Rainbow Dash was a nervous wreck. Her conversation with C.M. Pony had left her angered without a doubt, but it also left her feeling uneasy. She started to regret ever approaching him in the first place. She tried to tell herself he was just bragging without anything to back it up. But the way he spoke, the confidence in his own abilities did not support this theory.
She vaguely started to hear the numbers being called at differing intervals. She even started to make out the sounds of the announcer outside announcing the name of the contestant and where they were from. She continuously tried and failed to block out all of the surrounding sound so she could work out the performance she had been planning for weeks out in her head one final time. She had practiced much to hard to let nerves get the better of her now. She couldn't let her fiends down, but more importantly she couldn't let herself down.
"Number thirty-four!" called the old mare"You're up!"
Dash was jolted into reality once again. She couldn't believe how much time had passed without her noticing. She then began to realize how much closer she was to her number being called. Rainbow became visually flustered by this revelation. She then took notice of C.M. Pony chuckling to himself on the opposite wall. Rainbow shot him a death glare that any rational pony would wilt under, but only served to encourage C.M. Pony.
"Feeling nervous Rainbow Dash?" He asked with a smug grin.
"Shut up" Rainbow replied dismissively.
"Oh now you don't feel like trading the witty banter with me?" he asked mockingly.
Rainbow began to ignore him trying to use some of the calming breathing techniques Fluttershy had taught her. They proved ineffective in this instance as mocking laughter of C.M. Pony increased.
"Aw what's the matter Rainbow?" he asked "Are you ignoring me now?"
"Number forty-one, your up!" called the old mare once again.
"Looks like your destiny is close at hand." he stated "How does that make you feel?"
Rainbow couldn't stand it any longer 'It feels like I'm gonna kick your flank!" she screamed.
C.M. clapped his hooves together with a laugh. "There's the Rainbow Dash we all know and love!" he exclaimed.
"Egotistical and ignorant right up to the very end." he stated.
Rainbow felt ready to explode at him when she heard the old mare "Number forty-four, your up!"
"Well Rainbow this is it just you and me." C.M. said "I am going to take you down in front all your friends and fans."
Rainbow was angered but a thought occurred to her "Why do you have it out for me so bad" she asked.
C.M. Pony raised his eyebrows "I'm surprised you don't remember me Rainbow Crash ."
Rainbow was shocked and C.M. continued "I was the best in that stupid flight camp and everypony knew it." he said as his frown deepened. "But after the stunt you pulled with the sonic rainboom all eyes fell on you."
"And now I finally get to give you your much deserved comeuppance." he said with a satisfied smile.
Rainbow tried to take it all in. He has been holding a grudge against her since flight camp when she was just a filly. And now he was on some kind of mission of revenge. What was she to do? Try and upstage him? Apologize and try to befriend him? What would her friends do?
Her thought's were interrupted by the old mare one last time "Number forty-nine!"
"Your up" C.M. Pony finished.
Chapter Two: The challenge
"Your number is fifty,go wait over there." squawked the old mare.
The gray Pegasus colt snatched up his number with a frown and pushed past Dash to go sit down in the most sparsely populated part of the room. Dash looked him up and down and was kind of amazed by him. He was fairly muscular and had a grey coat. He had a short black mane that was slicked back. He had a small ring piercing in his lip that seemed to be locked in a permanent frown. He sat on his haunches with his forelegs crossed making no attempt at conversation. He carried an air of perpetual unfriendliness.
So naturally, Rainbow had to approach him to find out just what he could do. C.M. Pony didn't acknowledge Dash until she was about four feet from him. He looked up at Dash with his ever present frown. Rainbow was unsure what she could do except make a pitiful attempt at conversation.
"Hi there my name is-"
"Rainbow Dash, I know." C.M. Pony finished.
Rainbow was agog. He already knows who I am?
C.M. continued "I've known who you are for a long time."
"Oh well that's good cause-" Dash was cut off once again.
"I know what your trying to do Dash" said C.M. "And the answer is no I have no interest in being your friend Rainbow Dash."
Dash was stunned and C.M. continued "You are just one more brass ring for me to grab."
"You see Rainbow all I have heard in the past year is Rainbow Dash is the Best young flier." said C.M. with a sneer.
"And you know what I've been thinking?" he asked rhetorically."I think I am better than you."
Rainbow was shocked by his words. Shocked, but also had a feeling deep inside of her. A feeling of burning rage. A match had been lit inside of her soul and it had set her insides on fire. Her eyes became intense and she put her face very close to C.M. Pony. He looked up his eyes challenging her.
"If you think your so much better than me why don't you prove it?" Rainbow asked menacingly.
C.M. just smirked and replied "Believe me Dash, I intend to do just that."
Rainbow was enraged even further by his calm nature and simply yelled "Fine!"
"Fine" C.M. replied evenly.
"Fine" Rainbow repeated through gritted teeth.
She then sat on the opposite wall from C.M. Pony. She said nothing and instead stared at him with a stare that would have terrified any normal pony. But C.M. Pony was anything but, he just looked back with a smirk. Rainbow was once again lost in thought. Can he really do a double Rainboom? She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice when numbers started to be called.