Time Traveling Kids of the Mane Six! Ch. 4

CHAPTER 4: High Fliers

Orion and Bucky looked up into the deep blue sky in amazement as the last ripples of the rainbow shockwave slowly dissolved high above them, their vivid hues shimmering in a dazzling spectrum before their very eyes. Though both colts had grown up knowing very well what a sonic rainboom was, their familiarity with the great spectacle still never ceased to amaze them. Before the last waves of light finally faded into the azure atmosphere, one more echo of powerful thunder roared around them, as if announcing its departure. Even after the sky returned to normal, the two colts continued to stare upward with a sense of intrigued wonder.

"Was…that," Orion stammered, still in shock, "a sonic rainboom?"

"Yeah, but it was huge! Ah've never seen a one that powerful before!"

Looking at each other with wide grins, they raced past Rainbow Dash’s home and towards the far away woods to see what was happening. Though the phenomenon was nothing new to the citizens of Ponyville, it was still a somewhat rare occurrence to see or hear one. Bucky could only recall a dozen or so times he had seen it in his entire life.

“What do ya think is goin’ on?” he asked as they sprinted.

Orion ran alongside him and did his best to shrug as he did so. Before he could answer, another explosion of color and sound echoed through the valley, nearly throwing them off-balance once again. The blast was even more powerful than the previous one. After regaining control for a second time, Orion brushed off the dirt that covered his coat.

“I have no idea, Bucky, but RD and Tempest will know!”

Though he didn’t voice his thoughts, Orion felt a curiosity about the location of the booms. Looking back at Ponyville, which was now far behind them, he could tell that the source was far enough away to avoid damaging the town. Tempest had become notorious for unintentional property damage.

“We better find them quick,” he said, continuing his thought.

Ten minutes passed before they were finally able to make it to the origin of the rainbooms. Once there, they found themselves on the edge of a wide-open area of the woods that stood at a great distance from their home, while high above them, they could see Rainbow Dash and her son Tempest inspecting the damage of the boom. Their light blue shapes glowed in the warm sun, making their wings look like those of angels. Below their celestial appearances, however, lay a hellish no-mares-land of massive craters and deep gashes from brutal crash landings. It was clear that the ground, once green and beautiful, had now become a testing sight for them.

“Look at this place,” Orion said with astonishment. “They’ve really torn it up out here. Fluttershy would have a fit if she saw this!”

Continuing to gaze upward, Bucky and Orion could see that Rainbow Dash and her son were in the middle of a heated discussion, so they quickly hid in the bushes and to watch undetected. Seeing one or both of them angry was always a recipe for disaster. Even from a safe distance, they could easily hear Tempest's frustration.

“I can't believe it!" Tempest yelled with a booming voice of annoyance. Bright red anger flushed through his blue face as he inspected the results of his last attempt. "I put everything I had into that boom and it still wasn't enough! I'll never hit mach 2!”

"Mach 2?" Bucky and Orion whispered to each other.

As Tempest flew around, Rainbow Dash remained stationary and looked at him with a mild temperament. He was fired up and only she could calm him down at this moment.

"You'll never break the second barrier if you think that way, Tempest," she replied calmly. "Sonic rainbooms aren’t just some fancy trick you can pull off on the fly. It’s a difficult achievement that took me years to practice and eventually perfect. You’ve already figured out how to do it, thanks to me, so maybe you should listen to your mom if you want to learn how to take the next step.”

Tempest snorted hot air from his nostrils.

"But I've tried a hundred times and the same thing keeps happening! I get so close to the second barrier, but I always lose control. I'm going nowhere fast and it’s getting annoying! This is a waste of time! It’s obvious that I’m not good enough!"

Rainbow Dash sighed. Part of her just wanted to throw his frustrations back at him, but as a mother, she had matured. Her demeanor no longer fully fit the stories of the hotheaded and overcompetitive pegasus that foals like Orion and Bucky had grown up hearing about. Though still a mare with unbelievable talent and a renowned temper when pushed, it was clear to all who had known her for a while that she was a lot more patient than she once was. Perhaps raising a son who was just like her when she was younger had played a role in that.

"You’re so impatient!" she said with crossed arms. "You seem to forget that you're already leagues above my abilities when I was your age. You were even accepted to the Wonderbolts, until you left, and while you may claim that you left because you didn’t like all the rules and regulations, I know you left because you wanted more of a challenge. That's not just a skill, Tempest! That's a gift! I would have given almost anything for your raw ability and training! I’ve pushed you to push yourself ever since you could fly because I saw so much potential in you from the moment you were born. You need to remember that."

Tempest still brewed in his frustration, but he was listening.

"But,” Rainbow Dash continued, "despite your natural skill, you’re still undisciplined at times, which is why staying with the Bolts would have done you some good. You focus so much on speed that you lack finesse. Quit trying to go faster and focus on control! Even the slightest misplacement of your head, arms, or wings will create drag that you can’t afford to have if you’re going to fly at this kind of acceleration."

Lowering herself into the most recent crater, she scooped some dry dirt onto her hoof and inspected it.

"And I think we both know the consequences of misplacement."

Tempest's magenta eyes constricted. What little patience he once had was now gone. Twilight Sparkle always said that Tempest was aptly named for the temper he had acquired from his mother, and Orion and Bucky looked at each other nervously as he took a dive and landed next to his mom with a powerful thud. The impact of his rapid descent cracked the hardened ground below him like shattered glass.

"I am doing that!” he yelled, though not directly at her. “My form was exactly like you told me and I still crash and burn! I'm giving it my all and it's not enough! What am I missing?"

Steam seemed to fume out of his ears from irritation, but Rainbow Dash could see that his feelings were more out of defeat than anger. Placing her wing around his neck, she turned his head to face her and looked her son in the eyes with a soft gaze.

"Remember the story of my second rainboom?" she asked him. "The one at the flying competition, when I was your age? When Rarity was falling to the ground after her wings failed, I was scared. At the time I would never admit it, but… I had never been so afraid in all my life. The thought of her dying was more terrifying than any stage fright I had that day, and it fueled me. Even then, I barely saved her in time. I would have lost one of my best friends if I was just one second too late."

She paused and continued to hold him with gentle care. Slowly, his eyes dilated and returned to normal.

"But I overcame that fear and replaced it with courage. When I attempted a Mach 2 rainboom later in my life, I was discouraged just like you are now. I had no idea if I would be able to do it. Heck, Twilight thought I was crazy for trying it. She even had some kind of egghead explanation about why such speeds would be both impossible and dangerous, and that’s when I realized that personal drive and form wasn't enough to accomplish what I was attempting, and neither was bravery. It wasn't until I removed all possible doubt and fear did I achieve it. That is what you must do.”

Tempest looked down at the dirt below him and kicked at it.

"I'm not afraid," he mumbled quietly.

"No, but you feel like a failure. You're betraying yourself, Tempest. If the sonic rainboom is the physical aspect of flight, then the mach 2 boom is the mental. If you want to do it and do it right, you can’t rely on one or the other. You need both for it to work."

Tempest fell down onto his back and grunted. All of these teachings were beginning to sound more like martial arts philosophy than flying instructions. With a loud sigh, he peered up at his mother and grinned with a light smirk.

"Since when did you become an all-knowing flying guru?"

Rainbow Dash laughed.

"Same time I became a mother. Mothers know everything," she said as she started flying towards Orion and Bucky in the distance. "Now take a break before you break something yourself, and don’t forget to wash the dirt off in the creek. We have some visitors."

Tempest nodded and made his way to the creek while Rainbow Dash landed next to the bush Orion and Bucky were hiding in. The two colts tried their hardest to keep quiet and hoped she hadn’t spotted them, but with a quick pull of the branch covering them, Rainbow Dash found them.

"Well well well," she said with a raised eyebrow, "it's a regular Cutie Mark Crusader reunion, isn’t it? Happy birthday, Orion.”

With their hiding place discovered, Orion and Bucky squeezed their way out of the constricting bush, nearly falling to their faces in the process.

"Thanks, Rainbow Dash," Orion replied, looking up at the lovely pegasus.

Her long, rainbow hair draped around her neck and shoulders like a river of many hues, each color glowing bright.

"So,” she said, leaning against a nearby tree, “what brings you two partners in crime this far outside Ponyville? You guys on the run already?"

Bucky and Orion giggled.

"Nooooo,” Orion laughed. “We came to give Tempest an invitation to my birthday party."

"But we got distracted by the rainboom," Bucky finished. “Ah’ve never seen two on the same day before!”

“You saw the fireworks, huh?” Rainbow Dash replied with a grin. “How did you like them?”

"It was so cool!” Bucky nearly shouted. “The way the sky was like ‘booooom’ and the wind was like ‘whoosh!’ Ah just wish we were closer to see it!”

While Bucky voiced his excitement, Orion did not share his friend’s enthusiasm while he spoke to her. Instead, his face showed an impression of concern.

“We heard Tempest yelling while you guys were up there,” he said anxiously. “He looked really mad. Is he okay?”

Rainbow Dash’s smile flattened. Young as Orion was, she could see that he was more perceptive than his age let on.

“He’s going through some things right now,” she replied assuredly. “We’re working on them.”

“Do you think he’ll do it? The mach 2 boom, I mean.”

"Yes,” Rainbow Dash answered. "Yes, I think he will. Tempest doesn't realize it yet, but he's a lot closer to a breakthrough than he thinks. I've never seen anypony with that much raw talent. Not since myself, at least."

“Is he faster than you, Rainbow Dash?” Bucky asked with wide eyes.

Rainbow Dash smiled. It was a question even she was beginning to ask.

“Right now, no. I’m still the fastest around, but he has a lot of potential, so we’ll see.”

"Ah've never seen a mach 2 rainboom before, either,” Bucky continued. “Ah didn’t even know it existed.”

"That's because nopony has ever done it. Well," Rainbow Dash said with a proud look of confidence, "nopony except me, of course. In fact, Tempest is the only other pony alive that I know of to achieve a regular sonic rainboom."

“Is that why Tempest is so mad right now?" Bucky asked, watching Tempest washing up in a creek. “He’s trying to be as good as you?”

Rainbow Dash turned to look at her son in the distance. He was rash, hot-tempered, over-competitive, and wild, but so was she when she was his age. Despite it all, he was a loyal friend and a good stallion to others, and she knew his heart was in the right place. Rainbow Dash wasn't a patient pony by nature, but she understood Tempest as only a mother could.

"That’s exactly it,” she said softly. “Everypony already demands perfection from him because of me and his time as a Wonderbolt, and it’s my fault. I’ve put so much pressure on him to be the best since he was a foal. Sometimes I feel like I’ve pushed him too hard. He has a lot of expectations on his shoulders because of me.”

The word "expectations" sank deep into Orion's heart. Being the son of Twilight Sparkle made that word a frequent term in his vocabulary. If anypony could understand the vexation Tempest was going through, it was him. He hated being on display for others to measure up as the son of an Equestrian hero.

"Yeah," he said half to himself, "I know the feeling."

"Wait an apple-pickin’ minute," Bucky said, changing the subject, “ah just realized…you said 'Cutie Mark Crusader reunion' earlier, but there's only two of us here."

"Three, actually!" a voice chimed in from the tree above them.

Looking up, Orion and Bucky saw a peach-colored pegasus filly hanging on the branches high above them. It was Peach Cobbler, Fluttershy's daughter and the third member of their group.

Had it not been for sharing her mother's greenish-blue eyes and light pink mane, one would never guess that she was the child of the shyest mare in Ponyville. Where Fluttershy was timid and girly, Peach Cobbler was a tough, loud-mouthed tomboy with a love for excitement. It was believed that her growing up hanging out with colts had made her want to prove that she could not only keep up with them, but do even better. Despite being a girl and the youngest of the three, she had earned their trust and respect. Once she landed next to her CMC teammates, she gave them both a heavy punch to the arm, a trait of affection for her.

"What's up, guys?” she said nonchalantly. “Took you long enough to notice me!”

"Peach!" Orion exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Catching the show, of course. I got here not long after you did, so I thought I’d mess with you guys a bit. What about you? Same thing?”

"Well, that was part of it,” Orion answered while he rubbed his sore arm. “I'm handing out my birthday invitations today. You’re invited, of course.”

"Awesome!" she said. "By the way, happy birthday Orion."

“Thanks, Peach. When Tempest gets here, I’ll give him his.”

"Give him his what?” a new voice asked.

Orion turned to see Tempest, who had just returned from cleaning up. With the dirt and mud freshly cleared from his mane and coat, his blue hair and coat shined as bright as Rainbow Dash’s, and if his personality wasn’t already an indication of whose son he was, his appearance certainly made it clear. He shared the same spectrum mane-style as his mother, though not the same color. Where her hair was an assortment of several different hues, his was a variation of three different shades of blue. Coupled with his light blue coat, the blue thematic seemed to fit his name.

“I came to give you…” Orion started to say before an eager Peach Cobbler interrupted him with a bouncy excitement when Tempest showed up.

"You were awesome, Tempest! You made those sonic rainbooms look easy! I wish I could fly like that," she said with joy.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but chuckle whenever she saw Peach Cobbler light up when he arrived. The peach-colored filly looked up to Tempest in a way that reminded RD a lot of how Scootaloo did the same with her. He was the big brother she never had and Peach Cobbler wanted to be just like him. Fortunately for Peach, Tempest had little problem with being her personal hero.

"Sure you can," he said tranquilly. "You’ll be able to fly really fast someday. I just know it. Maybe I’ll show you some tricks sometime.”

Peach’s aquamarine eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"Really?!?" she squealed. “You mean it?”

"Of course," he replied. "You're my wing filly, right?"

“Right!”

Realizing that he was ignoring the other two foals, he turned his attention back to the previous conversation.

"So, Orion,” he said, “I heard it was your birthday. Happy B-day, bud! Can’t believe you’re getting so big. I’ll bet you’ll be getting your mark any moment now.”

Orion sighed.

“If I ever get it.”

“You will,” Tempest responded firmly. “Don’t worry about it. Sometimes it’s just luck that you discover it, so don’t worry yourself too much over it, alright?”

Tempest gave him a grin of clear confidence that always made Orion feel like he knew what he was doing. Orion couldn’t help but return the infectious smile and nod.

“Okay, Tempest. I won’t.”

“Good. So what brings you guys this far outside of Ponyville, anyway? Wait, Cheerilee isn't still mad at me for shattering the school's windows, is she? I already told her that I had no idea how much distance was needed to safely use the sonic rainboom!"

"That was the fourth time you shattered some pony's windows, Tempest," Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. "When are you going to learn?"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders laughed as he shrugged sheepishly.

"We're just here to invite you to my birthday party," Orion answered, giving him his invitation. “Hope you can come!”

Tempest picked up the crude, hoof-made invitation and inspected it. Though he was nearly twice Orion’s age, the small unicorn colt always considered him a close friend, for which Tempest was both flattered and grateful. With a smile, he tucked the small paper under his wing.

"Thanks, champ. I'll be there, but first I've got to meet the Wonderbolts about something this afternoon, so I may be a little late to the party, but I’ll get there as soon as I can. Sound good?”

“Sounds good.”

“Cool. Well, I’ve got to take off. See you guys tonight. And mom,” he said, turning towards Rainbow Dash, “I’m…sorry.”

Rainbow Dash drew him closer and gave him a big hug.

“What am I going to do with you?” she asked with a smirk.

Tempest shrugged again.

“I dunno."

“You can’t keep getting frustrated like this when things don’t work out,” Rainbow Dash continued. “You’ll drive yourself crazy that way. Remember when you had to wait for your cutie mark, and how upset you were when you were Peach Cobbler’s age?”

“Yeah,” he answered grimly.

“I don’t remember how I was able to accomplish my first sonic rainboom, but when I tried to copy it a second time, I failed over and over. You’re going through the same thing right now, but the mach 2 will come when it does, just like a cutie mark. You just need to wait for that moment when it all comes together.”

Tempest didn’t like the idea of having to wait for the “moment” like he did his cutie mark, but he appreciated his mother’s help.

“Okay, mom,” he replied. “I will. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now get going. You and I both know that Spitfire isn’t the patient type, so try not to get on her bad side today, alright?”

With an acknowledging nod, Tempest crouched down and leaped into the air, taking off with great speed until he quickly disappeared in the deep blue of the sky. Once his blue speck had finally faded away in the distance, Orion returned to business.

"Okay then," he said excitedly, "I’ve invited Bucky, Tempest, Peach, Bismarck, Berry, and Cherry. That means I've only got Flora and Radiance left! Want to come with us, Peach?”

"Yeah,” Bucky added, “we can go to yer house together and give the invitation to yer sister.”

"She's not there," Peach Cobbler said, rolling her eyes. "She's with Rarity, Radiance, and my mom. They're having their 'girl' time at the spa. I don't get what the fuss is about."

"Great!” Orion smiled. “That just saves us the trip to both houses. Let's go!”

Saying their goodbyes to Rainbow Dash, the three kids began walking back to Ponyville. As they drew closer to the small town, they began reminiscing on their time together as crusaders.

It was hard for all of them to believe, but another year had come and gone. Now impatience was at an all-time high as each day of being a “blank flank” was another day of having to face all the other fillies and colts who had their marks already. Had it not been for the CMC club, the three ponies would have had a much harder time waiting for that moment. Peach Cobbler pondered this while they directed themselves towards the Ponyville spa.

"So what happens when one of us gets our marks?" she asked.

"What do ya mean?" Bucky said.

"You know, what's going to happen to the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Are we going to split up one-by-one or are we going to stick together until the last one gets a cutie mark?"

"Well, the last CMC was Bismarck, Flora, and Andromeda, and they stuck with each other to the end, even though mah big brother got his mark long after the others did."

As soon as Bucky finished his sentence, a somber look blanketed his face. His legs began to slow down until he stopped altogether and looked down at the ground. Realizing that he had fallen behind, the other two turned around and stopped beside him.

"What's the matter, Bucky?" Peach asked. “Is something wrong?”

Bucky continued to stare at the grass and flowers at his hooves. His eyes winced lightly while his face crinkled into a frown.

"Every…” he began, still caught in his thoughts, “everypony in mah family was the last one of their friends to get their cutie marks. Mom, dad, Bismarck, uncle Macintosh, aunt Applebloom.....all of them. What if ah get mine last too?"

The only ones in their class to not have their marks yet, the three Cutie Mark Crusaders had become a target of ridicule from the other foals, but Bucky knew Orion and Peach would get theirs before him. It was inevitable. It was genetic.

“Ah don’t want to be the last one last one to get mine,” he murmured, fighting tears that welled in his eyes. “Ah don’t want to be alone.”

Seeing their friend in distress, Peach Cobbler and Orion both placed their hooves on the country colt’s shoulders and looked at him encouragingly.

“You won’t be alone,” Orion said. “We’ll wait for you.”

Bucky looked up from the ground and sniffed. He was lucky to have friends like them, and for that moment, he felt better. They gave him hope.

“Promise?” he asked.

"We promise.”

Before they continued their journey, Peach Cobbler gave him a pat on the back and winked.

“Crusaders stick together."