Read The Bridge
 
The dual shockwaves of fiery purple and red intersecting bands of rainbow split the sky thousands of meters above and caused the crowd to go wild upon the completion of Team 3’s dual sky bursts courtesy of Rainbow Dash and Rodan’s top speed in their second maneuver. Thankfully performed so high up and not at full power to avoid damaging the cloud stands, the brilliant light from the display flooded the bleachers and escalators with roars of cheering from the crowds. Far below, the sight of the magnificent display spurred some members of the crowd to try and push forward for a better picture. The pushing built upon itself with cameramares and stallions trying to get the best shots while the rest of the crowd attempted to keep their views. The mob worked their ways onto the escalators and the all important lever to control its motion was broken by the shoving. Soon dozens of eager ponies spilled past the gate and headed up to the platform far above, some trying to run ahead and get seats while others got carried along by the crowd but weren’t much to complain. In the chaos, the warning sign stating a weight limit was knocked over the edge and out of sight by the crowd who had their heads pitched skyward.
 
Oblivious to the change, Rodan and Rainbow Dash zoomed toward each other with color contrails behind them. Just before they seemed like they’d crash into one another, the daredevils turned sharply to the side and flew parallel as they raced along. Moving too fast to hear one another if they spoke, Rainbow Dash nodded three times to Rodan while the latter held up three claws to verify which maneuver they were shifting to. Rodan began to pull away and charge up his beam, slowing down his speed to let Rainbow Dash zoom on ahead for her buckaneer blitz. It was then when things went off the plan. Rainbow Dash hooked her forelimb around Rodan’s, smiling and shaking her head as the confused gryphon looked to her. While they couldn’t talk the expression on her face which ran from beaming to determined and her speeding up while towing him along told him what was on her mind in this last minute change of plans.
 
You said they will remember us, and I am loyal to my wingmate.
 
Rodan smiled before lowering his brow to mimic Rainbow’s expression and matching her speed while they held onto each other. Much to his joy, his friend had proven Gilda wrong. Rodan and Rainbow Dash held onto each other’s hooves and forepaws, spiraling around in almost a high flying dance as their contrails began to fuse together. If one looked close, they could see the symbol for the Element of Loyalty appear on Rainbow Dash’s chest with sparkling brilliance coating her form that bled onto Rodan. They spiraled into a dive, going over and across the bleachers just as the buckaneer blitz shot off. The great flash of light and awesome crash temporarily blinded the cheering crowd. But when the boom died down and vision returned, both of team 3 were out of sight. Several long seconds passed before a new awe inspiring uproar fired off. An enormous pillar of olive green light erupted from beyond the edge of the platform, firing off into the space above and out of sight. The winds hissed and the clouds beyond the platform began to shift around the pillar, dragged up by an updraft.  
Then, in an instant, two forms exploded free of the cloud bank and into sight. One was a flying sphere of red magic, leaving a vast curtain of rainbows as she flew upwards with her hooves spread and her wings out wide. And the Element of Loyalty, the supersonic mare, wasn’t alone. With wings the size of battleships that stretched out the entire diameter of the light pillar, an enormous shadow in the form of a Pterosaur mirrored Rainbow Dash’s pose as he ascended. The light show cut off, revealing the glowing Rainbow Dash soaring skyward with the fully formed Guardian Beast of Air, Rodan, bathed in her rainbows.
 
To call the crowd jubilant would be a severe understatement, roars of awed cheers called out as the sun was blocked out by a kaiju and replaced by a spectrum of light. Radiance was having the time of her life, jumping up in her seat and waving her hat to her smiling daughter when Rainbow Dash passed overhead.
 
“HAHAHAH! BRAVO! BRAVO! THAT’S MY LITTLE DASHIE!”
 
The Crusaders were her only competition for loudest audience members, each nearly squealing their heads off in exhilarated joy despite all the stunts they’d seen previously. Even Destroyah seemed content as the dazzling curtains of rainbow light crossed over her, though admittedly the tiny smile on her face was more a result of the three fillies around her. Scootaloo, tail still wagging, tapped Destroyah’s brow and looked at the kaiju upside down while being perched atop her head.  
“So that race wasn’t a fluke! He really is as awesome as Rainbow Dash! Aren’t you impressed Miss Destroyah? Why aren’t you cheering?”
 
“I’ve already known his capabilities for years and he didn’t disappoint.”  
She shrugged. Nodding a few times after some thought, Scootaloo decided she just wasn’t the expressive type outside of a fight and took what she could get.  
“Well, guess that counts for something!”
 
Rodan and Rainbow Dash shared a glance, both mentally gawking at the other for different reasons. Rodan on account of Rainbow Dash’s stunning light show and gleam, and Rainbow Dash on account of seeing Rodan’s gargantuan size and the strange magic at work that somehow meant neither of them had torn out of their flight jackets. Despite practically igniting with light, Rainbow Dash’s suit was untarnished and the stretching fibers Radiance had mentioned were nothing to undersell given they had conformed to the kaiju’s new body shape and size. Hearing the cheering crowds below and looking to one another, Team 3 couldn’t help but burst into a fit of joyful laughter. Trust and teamwork had paid off in ways neither of which expected. Nodding between each other they broke off and continued on with their maneuver routine, their flight having now far exceeded expectation. Unfortunately, not all the surprises were positive.