The Weaver
Rainbow took a deep breath.

“You ready?” Soarin asked, walking up behind her. They both were wearing the full Wonderbolt suit. It was the day of the show. Almost 10,000 ponies were down in the stands, watching the take-off platform. The formation flying had been flawless and all the other Bolts’ solo flights had been great. Now it was Rainbow’s turn.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Rainbow replied, taking another breath.

“What’s the most important thing to remember once you hit the poles?” Soarin quizzed, handing her goggles to her. Rainbow took them.

“Tuck primaries in. Don’t curl them.”

“Yep. What about the hoops?”

“I can’t flick my tail. Only guide it behind me and the air will do the rest.” They had reviewed everything the day before, but Rainbow wanted to make sure she didn’t panic and forget anything.

“I think you’re ready,” Soarin said encouragingly. “Any last words?” he teased. She rolled her eyes cheerfully at him.

“Shut up, doofus.” Just then, the first signal horn went off. Rainbow hurriedly adjusted her goggles and crouched, spreading her wings. “Here goes nothing.” The horn sounded again and she shot into the air, zooming upwards. She reached the peak of her leap, twisted, and flapped towards the first set of obstacles: three misaligned hoops. Tail, she thought to herself, stilling her twitching tail. She dove through the hoops, wings tucked against her sides. On to the next one.

The obstacles were held in the air by small hot air balloons, controlled by a single pony in each. As Rainbow wove through the obstacles, she mentally prepared for the last obstacle: a triple-weave pole set. She had been flying through them just fine at practice, but just looking at one intimidated her.

“Here goes!” She slid under the first pole, tilted up between the first and second, rolled over, tucking her primaries, arced over the high second pole, and dove between it and the last one. I did it!! she cheered in her mind, whipping her wings out to break her fall. She landed in a sliding stop on the platform and the closing horn sounded.

“You did it!!!” Soarin shouted, flinging his wings around her. “Congratulations, Crash!!!” Rainbow floofed all her feathers and fur out.

“Gah! Get off, you big lug!” Soarin let her wiggle away as the other Bolts came over to congratulate her.

“Nice job, Crash!”

“Way to go!”

“That was AWESOME!”

“Thanks!” Rainbow blushed from all the praise. “Soarin helped me a lot.” She glanced over at him and smiled her thanks. Soarin winked back at her.

“Anytime, Crash.”

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I’m really cranking these things out!! I got the idea for the pole set up in the picture from the first book of Dragonsdale. The first is awesome, I hate the second! It’s so sad! ☹️

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