Sonic Rainboom

"She's practiced that move a hundred times and she's never even come close to doing it. I don't know if I can cheer loud enough to help her..."

- Fluttershy

Sonic Rainboom is the sixteenth episode of the first season and first aired on February 18th 2011.

Writer: M. A. Larson

Summary
Rainbow Dash was prepping for the Best Young Flyer competition, a gathering and exhibition of the most talented Pegasi in Equestria, held in the cloud city of Cloudsdale. Prior to this event, she was trying (hopelessly) to help Fluttershy improve her cheering based on three fundamentals: control, screaming/hollering, and passion. As always, she could never surpass the verbal volume of a little mouse. In any case, Dash continued to practice her moves, including a old one from when she was younger. If performed right, she could break the sound barrier and create a huge rainbow from the thunderous boom, which she appropriately dubbed the Sonic Rainboom. However, she was unable to break the barrier and was, literally, catapulted right into Twilight's library, just as the unicorn and her friends finished cleaning up the books.

Twlight learned what was going on between the two Pegasi and the competition, including the grand prize: a contest's crown and a full day with the world-renowned Wonderbolts. She took off to rest before practicing again. Fluttershy left as well, told to work on her cheering. Recognizing Dash's recent attitude as a form of stage fright, Rarity told Twilight to find a spell that can make them temporary Pegasi themselves in order to join Fluttershy in cheering their friend on. Pinkie Pie instantly found the specific page, on account of it landing on her face when Dash crashed. The spell would allow any Earth or Unicorn Pony to have wings for the next three days, but she needed a test subject since she never tried it before.

Rarity eventually volunteered. The spell worked, granting her the most beautiful wings ever. However, Twilight could only complete the spell once due to the extreme draw on her power. The remaining ponies were still able to visit Cloudsdale, thanks to a less taxing spell that allows earth ponies to walk on clouds for a limited time. So they went to the sky city via hot-air balloon.

Reaching the sky city, Rainbow Dash ran into a trio of male Pegasi who seemed to have known her from way back. They also knew about her old move and believed that she would never pull it off. Fluttershy, who was trying to be more assertive, defended her saying that she will make the Sonic Rainboom a reality. Dash began to become nervous, even more so when she remembered that she had an entire audience to impress when the contest actually starts. She began to panic before she and Fluttershy saw a familiar-looking pegasus above them, except it wasn't a pegasus, but Rarity with her temporary wings. The rest of Dash's friends arrived too. Flattered by her friends' support, she decided to show them around the city.

During the tour, Dash saw Rarity causing some commotion as some of the city's residents were loving her new wings. It was bad enough that Dash may never successfully pull off her old move, but now she was concerned about her own pair of wings being too boring. The last blow to her dignity came when the they all recommended the glamorously winged unicorn to take part in the competition to which she, basking in the radiance of her fame, quickly accepted. It was clear that Dash's chances of winning were dive-bombing as she spoke.

The day of reckoning had arrived in the Cloudsdale stadium, when the Best Young Flyer competition began. Princess Celestia was in attendance and the Wonderbolts were the special judges of the event. Ridden with fear, Dash was trying to avoid being the next contestant by switching numbers with the remaining contestants, while Rarity was busy working her image before it was her turn. On the contrary, she allowed a few other Pegasi to go ahead of her. Dash and Twilight and the others were impressed of the competition so far, but were eager to see their friends perform.

The contest was about to end, and Dash (showing number 15) and Rarity were the only ones left. Since there was only enough time for one last performance, they would have to go at the same time. Rarity stepped out of her accommodations in an extravagant ensemble. She notified Dash that she changed the music to suit her performance, and wished her luck. The performance consisted of a ballet-in-the-sky routine. Dash was trying to remember her own routine, but was constantly messing up under the pressure. Her only hope was to use her Sonic Rainboom, even though she was doubting if she would actually succeed. Rarity decided to end her performance by flying close to the sun so her wings would sheen above the audience.

Rarity's grand finale was a success, but she had forgotten one small thing: Twilight warned her earlier that her temporary wings were too delicate for highly physical or elemental strain. It was too late; The heat from the sunlight burned them right off and, without the "cloud-walker" spell, she helplessly plummeted right through the cloud stadium. The Wonderbolts tried to save her, but were knocked out when Rarity flailed her legs in panic. Rainbow noticed what was happening and dove down fast to catch up with them. She gained the speed necessary to not only save them all from hitting the surface of Equestria but, ironically enough, be able to break the sound barrier to unleash the beautiful Sonic Rainboom for Cloudsdale's audience to see. Twilight and the others saw this and were in awe as well; Fluttershy was so excited, she finally cheered with a voice she rarely thought she had.

All of this made the multicolor-maned Pegasus the winner of the competition. Most importantly, she earned her prize of hanging with the Wonderbolts, who thanked her for saving their lives. It was a first step to her lifelong dream of becoming one of them.

Rarity apologized to everyone for being caught up in the excitement of showing off her wings and overshadowing Rainbow Dash in the process. Since then, she learned to be there for her friends, while keeping her hooves on the ground (literally and figuratively).

Major Events

 * Rainbow Dash revealed that she was born on Cloudsdale before moving to Ponyville.
 * Rarity gains butterfly wings thanks to Twilight Sparkle's spell. But lost them during the Best Young Flyer's Competition.
 * Rainbow Dash used the Sonic Rainboom -- performed only once before -- to save The Wonderbolts and Rarity while winning the Best Young Flyer's Competition.
 * It is hinted that the Everfree Forest may be used for banishing ponies accused of heavy crimes.

Quotes:

 * Fluttershy: Yay.
 * Rainbow Dash: Ugh... You're gonna cheer for me like that? Louder!
 * Fluttershy: Yay.
 * Rainbow Dash: Louder!!
 * Fluttershy: Yay.
 * Rainbow Dash: LOUDER!!!
 * Fluttershy: *inhales* Yaaaaay... *sees Dash fall in frustration* ...too loud?


 * Rainbow Dash: That was a truly feeble performance...
 * Fluttershy: Actually, it wasn't all bad. I particularly liked it when you made the clouds spin.
 * Rainbow Dash: I'm not talking about my performance! I'm talking about yours; That feeble cheering.


 * Rarity: Didn't you see how nervous she was?
 * Applejack: Nervous? Have you spit yer bit or somethin'? She was tootin' her own horn louder than the brass section of the marching band.
 * Rarity: Oh puh-lease! I put on enough fashion shows to recognize stage fright when I see it...


 * Twilight: How am I supposed to find a flight spell in this mess?
 * Pinkie Pie: A flight spell? One sec... *finds book with spell* Page 27...
 * Applejack: How'd you do that?
 * Pinkie Pie: It landed on my face when Rainbow Dash knocked me into the bookcase.


 * Rainbow Dash: AAAAHHH!!! What do I do?! Everypony is gonna see me fail! The Wonderbolts will never let a loser like me join! Princess Celestia will probably banish me to the Everfree Forest! MY LIFE IS RUINED!!!


 * Fluttershy: Rar...
 * Rainbow Dash: "Rare"?! The Sonic Rainboom is way more than "rare"!
 * Fluttershy: Rarity?


 * Rainbow Dash: And here's where they make the Rainbows...
 * Pinkie Pie: *tastes concentrated rainbow* Spicyyyyy!
 * Rainbow Dash: Yeah. Rainbows aren't known for their flavor...


 * Twilight: Rarity! We're supposed to help Rainbow Dash relax, remember? Put your wings away and stop showing off.
 * Rarity: *scoff* How could you ask me to put away perfection?


 * Rarity: Look upon me Equestria! For I! AM! RARITY !


 * Fluttershy: *Sees Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom* A Sonic Rainboom!!! She did it!! She did it!! WOOO!!! *Jumps up and down cheering wildly*


 * Rainbow Dash: I just wish I could met The Wonderbolts when they're awake. * Felt someone poking her and turns around, sees the Wonderbolts in person* OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!
 * Wonderbolt Member: So you're the little pony who saved our lives. We really wanted to meet you and say thanks.
 * Rainbow Dash: *Fangirl mode* OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!

Trivia

 * The episode's title is a portmanteau of "sonic boom" and "rain/rainbow".
 * Rarity's wings might be a reference to the Flutter Ponies of the old My Little Pony series in 1986, whose sheer butterfly wings were notoriously fragile. The wings are also reminiscent of the Breezies in the direct to video movie My Little Pony: The Princess Promenade in 2006.
 * Rarity's hubris, leading to the loss of her wings to the sun, echoes the story of Icarus from Greek mythology.
 * To a real world pilot, the bow wave Rainbow Dash generates is inconsistent. her going at the speed of sound (1,125 ft per second.) is what changes it from a leading curve to a trailing "V".
 * When executing the Sonic Rainboom during practice, Dash was leading with a single hoof and rebounded from her bow wave. During the competition and her rescue effort, she led with both hooves and was successful.
 * The name Cloudsdale is curious. "Dale," when associated with places, is an old word for a valley. It is also a pun on the Clydesdale breed of horse.
 * Derpy Hooves makes another set of appearances in this episode, both derp-eyed and not. In addition, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle also roll their eyes and are derp-eyed for brief moments.
 * When Rarity's incautious use of her new wings disrupts snowflake production in the weather factory, the situation can be compared to "the butterfly effect," a metaphor for small changes in complex systems such as the weather.
 * The contestants in the Best Young Flyer competition wear numbers over their cutie marks. Participants in the Running of the Leaves did the same thing during the episode Fall Weather Friends.
 * To delay her presentation, Rainbow Dash swaps her number for a higher one three times: from two to five, from five to six, and from six to fifteen. Fifteen is the highest number shown, and Rainbow takes it from Derpy Hooves.
 * When the "contestant wrangler" pony enters to send the first pegasus out, Derpy Hooves can be seen on the left side of the screen. A close examination of her half-hidden number shows that it's reversed. It's right-side around when seen on the other flank later in the episode.
 * Dr. Whoof/ Dr. Whooves seems to have warped the fabric of time and space as he is shown to be a pegasus in this episode. Unlike other episodes where he has been shown, where he is an earth pony.
 * Rarity gives this epsiode's moral instead of Twilight
 * It was revealed in this episode that Rainbow Dash came out of Cloudsdale. It is unknown however if she was actually born there or or if she just grew up there before moving to Ponyville.