”First call for the one hundred meter dash finals.”

The crowd cheered. This is it. Rainbow Dash exhaled slowly. One hundred meters between me, the finish line, and racing glory.

And the other seven ponies in the race. Like Spitfire over there. I can’t compete with the captain of the Wonderbolts, and on top of that, she’s my hero. I idolize her. I don’t race against her. How am I supposed to deal with that? Or even the other Wonderbolts, for that matter. They’re the best, and I’m just some no-name scrub. I don’t belong in this field.

“Hey, you’re Rainbow Dash, right?”

“Huh?” Someone recognized me and called out to me? In this field? “Oh, yeah, that’s me. Fastest flier in all of Equestria.” That’s always sounded better in my head. Geez, how can I even say that in this field, and to the guy who had by far the fastest prelim time? This Bolt guy is probably gonna win with a time like that, even against Spitfire and the Wonderbolts. Little old me is hardly impressive enough to even make that claim. You’re such a moron, Dash.

“Fastest, huh? We’ll see about that.” Bolt chuckled. “Anywho, I heard an interesting story about you just now. They said you played a big role in stopping Nightmare Moon.”

“Oh, that? It was nothing. Really, it was Twilight who did everything. I was just along for the ride,” Rainbow said.

“That’s not what I heard. I heard you all wielded the Elements of Harmony, and that makes you an Element. That’s a pretty big deal.”

“Well, I guess when you put it that way, I guess I am pretty awesome, heh.”

“You bet. Good luck in the finals. I expect some good competition from ‘the fastest flier in all of Equestria’,” he called as he flew off.

“Yeah, good luck to you too.” Not that you’ll need it. You’re gonna do great, and you’ll get good competition, but it won’t be from me. I don’t stand a chance against this field.

Rainbow Dash continued to mutter to herself as she paced up and down the field, occasionally stopping to stretch the same leg over and over. She was so absorbed in her pacing that she didn’t notice Fluttershy had walked up to her.

“Uh, Rainbow, you don’t look so good, and you’ve stretched that leg five times already. Are the nerves getting to you?”

“Huh? Fluttershy? When did you get here?”

“I’ve been here, watching you pace. Are you sure you’re okay? It’s a really big race, so it’s okay if you’re nervous.”

“Nervous? About what? I’m the fastest flier in all of Equestria, ‘Shy! I got this one in the bag.”

“If you say so. But if you have it ‘in the bag,’ why are you pacing so much? Are you worried about the competition in this really tough race?”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “You’re right. I’m doomed. I can’t compete at this level with these ponies. They’ll destroy me!”

“Now now, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said. “You’ve been training really hard for so long. You’re ready for this race, and you’re ready to compete against these ponies. And don’t forget that you have friends here to support you no matter the outcome.”

”Second call for the one hundred meter dash finals.”

The crowd cheered. This is it. Rainbow Dash exhaled slowly. “I have been training really hard, haven’t I?” She exhaled again. “Thanks for the pick-me-up, ‘Shy. I really needed it.”

“Anything for a friend.”

“Anyway, I better head to the starting area to finish stretching and get checked in. I’ll see you after I win the race.” Rainbow winked at Fluttershy before flying off.

“Good luck! I think you’ll do just fine.”

She’s right. I am ready for this. Not even Nightmare Moon could get in my way. This is my time to show that I am the fastest flier in all of Equestria. It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for. I can do this.

She landed at the check-in tent. “Hey, I’m here to check-in for the hundred meter finals.”

“Name?”

“Dash. Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow flashed a grin at the check-in pony.

“Uh huh. Here’s your number. You’re in lane seven. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Not that I’ll need it. I am so prepared for this!

“Hey, wait, aren’t you one of them Elements of Harmony?” asked the check-in pony.

“Yeah, that’s me. Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty.”

“Well ain’t that somethin’. An honest to Celestia Element of Harmony competing in the Vanhoover Relays. I expect a good race from you then, Miss Dash.”

“Heh, you bet.”

Rainbow flew off to a mostly empty part of the field and started going through her stretching routine. Okay, lane seven. I can deal with this. Spitfire’s in four, and Bolt’s in five. They’re close enough that I’ll be able to see them out of the corner of my eye.

Rainbow paused mid-stretch. Then again, since I am the fastest flier, I shouldn’t see anyone in the corner of my eye. I’ll be too far ahead.

“Deep in thought before the race, huh?” Spitfire asked as she lands close by, immediately starting her own stretching routine.

“Heh, yeah. Gotta figure out the best way to win. I mean, I am going to win, so I might as well do it in style.”

“Oooh, confidence and flair? I like that in the competition, especially from a new face. You got a bright future ahead of you.”

“Heh, you bet I do.” Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! She thinks that not only am I gonna do great this race, but I’m gonna do great in future races? That there are going to be future races? Oh my gosh oh my gosh!

The two finished stretching in silence, focused solely on getting ready for the race.

”Third and final call for the one hundred meter dash finals.”

The crowd cheered. This is it. Rainbow Dash exhaled slowly.

“Well, I better make my way to the starting line. Good luck,” Spitfire said.

“Thanks. You too.”

Rainbow finished the last of her stretching alone and flew over to the starting area alone.

Bah, who am I kidding? I can’t fool anyone else, let alone myself. I don’t stand a chance. I’ve never competed on this level before. These other ponies have been doing this for a long time. They know what they’re doing.

Me? I’m just some upstart kid putting on a show. I’m not the fastest flier in Equestria. I have no idea what I’m doing, and I’m definitely not ready for a stage like this. There must be at least a few thousand ponies in the crowd, and this is the event they’ve been waiting for. This is the event for the meet. ‘Will the Wonderbolts make a clean sweep, or will Bolt steal the show?’ That was the headline. That’s what people came to see. I’m just some pony from some small town. I’m not headline material.

I’m not ready for a stage this big. Rainbow shook her head. “Bah, why did I even show up here? What’s the point? I’m just gonna lose.”

“But what if I PR? Is that pointless?”

“No, the whole point is to win!”

“Isn’t a flying a PR ‘winning’?”

“Not on this stage! It’s all about winning here!”

“But what if there is no stage?”

[i]Bleh, arguing with myself isn’t going to get anywhere. Let’s just get to the starting line and get this over with. The sooner this is over, the sooner I can go home and hide in shame.” Rainbow sighed and slowly flew over to the starting line.

Everyone expects so much of me. ‘You’re an Element of Harmony? You better do great.’ ‘Oh, confidence and flair? I expect great things from your future.’ Meanwhile, I go around calling myself the fastest flier in all of Equestria. All this pressure, all these expectations… I’ve set myself up for nothing but failure. That’s all I am and all I will be after this. An expectation doomed to fall short.

“Fliers to the starting line.”

The crowd cheered. This is it. Rainbow Dash exhaled slowly.

That’s what I need to be doing. Rainbow exhaled again. I need to calm myself.

Now is not the time to be panicking, Dash. Stop your nonsense and get yourself in the race. There’s no going back now. The competition is what it is. The crowd is what it is. The expectations are what they are. Stop worrying about it so much.

You’ve been saying all along that you’re the fastest flier in all of Equestria. Now’s your chance to prove it, Dash. Don’t mess it up.

“Of course I’ll mess it up.” Rainbow’s voice was barely louder than a whisper. “What do I know about going fast?”

What did I say about your nonsense? Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You’re an Element of Harmony. You stopped Nightmare Moon. You’ve faced tougher spots than this. Get yourself ready for the race. We both know you’re physically ready for the race. You need to get mentally ready, too. You know you know a lot about going fast, so stop telling yourself otherwise.

“But what if I mess up? What if I don’t go fast enough?”

Then you pick yourself up and try again. You’ll train harder. You’ll work more on starting from blocks. And perhaps you’ll even talk to Twilight about mental preparation. That egghead is sure to know something about this. She knows everything. And maybe Applejack can help with your diet. You have a lot of new friends who know a lot of different things. Even if it’s just the support that Fluttershy offers by coming to the meet and cheering you on, at the end of the day, your friends will be there for you. It’s not just you out there, just like it wasn’t just Twilight facing down Nightmare Moon.

“Yeah, I’m right. Heh.” Rainbow grinned. “I guess arguing with myself did work.”

”On your marks!”

The crowd cheered. This is it. Rainbow Dash exhaled slowly. She stretched her back legs as she settled into her blocks. You’ve worked hard for this moment, Dash. This is what you’ve been training for.

Look at those guys over there. Spitfire, Soarin, Bolt. Those jokers won’t know what hit ‘em.

“Yeah.”

You know you can beat them. Your PR isn’t too far off from their best times this season. You’ve trained really hard since you qualified for this meet, and you showed you belonged during prelims. Now it’s time to show that you belong among the best and the fastest.

“Yeah!”

Now look at that crowd over there. You saw the headlines. They saw the headlines. They’re all gonna be watching Spitfire and Bolt. Make them watch you. Show them what the Element of Loyalty can do.

And there’s Fluttershy. She came all the way over here to Vanhoover just to cheer you on. With support like that, you’re in great shape.

Now breathe. Calm yourself. Focus up. And get ready to fly.

”Get set!”

The crowd cheered. This is it. Rainbow Dash exhaled slowly. The field is empty. The stands are empty. I’m all alone. It’s just me, the gun, and the finish line. One hundred meters between me and the next repeat. That’s all this is. Another day at practice. Another chance to get better. Another chance to get faster. Another chance to PR. And when it’s all over, I’ll get to go home and celebrate with my friends. I bet Pinkie already has a party planned. I bet it’s the “Rainbow Dash is the fastest flier in all of Equestria” party. Yeah, that sounds great, doesn’t it? It’s time to go fast so she’s not wrong.

Rainbow exhaled again. I’ve worked hard, and this is my chance to see that work pay off. That’s all this is. A time trial. A race between myself and my seven fastest times. I better win.

But of course I will. I’m Rainbow Dash. I’m the fastest flier in all of Equestria.

The gun fired.

Rainbow Dash grinned.