A World Without a Rainboom

Rainbow Dash's Loss

Rainbow Dash was in the final turn of the race to defend Fluttershy's honor and as she lost her balance she ran into a cloud with a light puff. Her opponent charged ahead. "Great job, Rainbow Crash," he called as he passed her for the finish ring.

"Oh no you don't," Rainbow called as she tried to recover. Her wings fluttered and she jumped from the cloud in pursuit of the cocky colt. Flying her fastest proved futile as she just couldn't gather the speed she needed to beat him. Passing the finish ring seconds in the lead he hovered several lengths away waiting for her to finish. Rainbow looked up at him, he was gloating, a massive smirk on his face that she knew would end in her being teased and mocked. "Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash!"

Her eyes filling with tears, she flew away with no place in mind she looked down at the earth below her. Her wings leaned and she descended for the first time below the clouds. The ground got closer and closer and for the first time she smelled the nature of earth. It made her smile even though she still wept at her loss. "I can't believe I lost to that punk. If that stupid Fluttershy wasn't such a crummy flier I never woulda lost. I hate her. Hate her. Next time I see her I'm gonna pluck her primaries."

Seeing the tree tops she began to glide over them as several smaller birds joined her in a flock. I see what the appeal is to the ground. It smells nice and there are these critters too. Maybe when I graduate I can guard a huge city and be the best captain in its history and the city will have trees all over with birds. Smiling as her tears dried she took a deep breath and began to glide, the air blowing through her mane as she closed her eyes and turned her face to the sun.

It feels so much warmer here too. And best of all, no jerks calling me Rainbow Crash.

She opened her eyes and began to scan the ground looking at new critters scurrying between bushes and trees across the ground. I'm gonna touch the earth finally. For the first time. It's right there, just go to it. Doing her best to psych herself up her nerves got the best of her and she just couldn't do it, not yet. She found a large tree, large enough for her to land on one of its branches and rest her wings. This isn't so bad. I can see living in one of these things. She joked to herself. I think they're called bees. No, not cheese, um... knees, fleas, deeds, trees? Trees! That's it. And they have leaves. That rhymes, trees leaves. Butches are those green things that those small critters are going into over there. I don't see why they said not to come here 'till we passed the flight test. It's really nice here. I- I think I wanna stay. I still have to live with mommy and daddy but I can play here... Flock flight school, I can fly good enough. Or, maybe not. I think I have to think about this a lot.

Sitting in the tree until she calmed herself completely she began to feel a peace and serenity she had never known. Opening her wings slightly she jumped and landed on the ground. Grass blew around her hooves as she broke the fall with a gust from her wings. So, this is what the earth feels like. I think this green stuff is call glass. Yeah, I remember that. It's so soft and kinda wet, like a raincloud but, not. This is so weird. Falling to her side she expected a light receipt of her body but instead she thudded onto the ground with a shout of pain. As she rolled onto her belly she looked and saw a rock where she landed, then she looked at her side to see a few drops of blood leaving her coat.

Okay, this place is a lot more dangerous than I thought. Maybe I should live here. It's where I belong since all I do is crash, I even crashed onto a rock falling over. Lowering her head she felt the last of her confidence slipping away as she heard a bird cawing nearby. Great, even the birds here are calling me Rainbow Crash. "Shut up, stupid bird," she shouted as she picked up a rock and threw it in the birds direction.