Sonic Rainboom

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 it, 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 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 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 due 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 of Cloudsdale, where the competition was located, 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 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 quickly accepted. It was clear that Dash's chances of winning were divebombing as she spoke.

The day of reckoning had arrived when the Best Young Flyer competition began. The Wonderbolts were the special judges of the event. Ridden with fear, Dash was trying to avoid being the next contestant, 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 and Rarity were the only ones left. Since there was enough time for one more performance, they would have to go at the same time. Rarity stepped out of her accommodations in the most stylish ensemble she ever wore, unaware that her friend was suffering a major inferiority complex. The unicorn changed the music to suit their performance before wishing Dash luck, and started a ballet in the sky. Dash was trying to remember her own performance, but was constantly messing up. Her only hope was to use her Sonic Rainboom, even though she was doubting if she would actually succeed. Rarity decided to fly close to the sun so her wings will sheen above the audience.

Rarity's grand finale was a success, but she had forgotten one small thing: Twilight warned her that her temporary wings were too delicate for highly physical or elemental strain. It was too late. The sunlight and heat burned the wings right off and, without the "cloud-walker" spell, she plummeted right through the 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, and 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.

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

Trivia

 * The title of this episode mixes 'sonic boom' with Rainbow Dash's name.
 * Rarity's wings is a reference to both the Flutter Ponies of the old My Little Pony series in 1986 and the Breezies in the direct to video movie My Little Pony: The Princess Promenade in 2006.
 * Rarity leading to the loss of temporary wings to the sun echos the story of Icarus from Greek mythology.