Wings of Goldby totallynotabronyChaptersPrologueCollegeVacationOCSTrainingThe FleetEpiloguePrologueHaven't read what led up to this, Battleships are Magic and Connection? Don't worry, they aren't essential. July, 1993 Pensacola, Florida The men in blue jumpsuits stood beside the row of aircraft. On the lapel of each was an embroidered patch depicting a golden shield with outspread wings, the mark of a naval aviator. From her perch in the grandstands, Rainbow Dash looked on. The pilots began to board their airplanes, getting ready for the performance. First up would be a repurposed cargo aircraft. It rolled onto the runway, spinning up its engines. It was a large plane with four propellers. The blue, white, and yellow paint gleamed brightly in the sun. As the aircraft began to travel down the runway, four small rockets on either side of the fuselage fired. The white-hot flames propelled the plane forward quickly and it lifted off, climbing at a forty-five degree angle. Rainbow sat watching the feat with the rest of the audience. Many were smiling, although hers was argueably the widest. It was her first air show. Ponies and humans had only been interacting for a few months. The system of trans-dimensional doorways that connected their worlds had been an unexpected development in technology, but all of them were getting used to it. There was still some awkward staring at Rainbow when she visited Earth, but today, the whole crowd was watching the spectacle in front of them. The large airplane made a few passes over the crowd. They made the appropriate oohs and ahs. Rainbow couldn’t believe that something that big could move so fast. With her good mood, she had temporarily forgotten something that had been upsetting her. The Wonderbolts flight demonstration team had been all she’d thought about while growing up in Equestria. They performed flight shows all over the country, and it had been Rainbow’s dream to someday join them. When she’d auditioned the month before, she felt confident that she was going to be accepted. She was sure that she'd performed everything right and landed back in front of the ‘Bolts feeling great. They’d seemed impressed, but had bad news. “Don’t get us wrong, you’re a very talented pegasus,” said Soarin’. “There are a couple of things that disqualify you, though,” said Spitfire, sounding regretful. “Your mane doesn’t fit acceptable color patterns.” “I’ll dye it!” “As a weather pony, you don’t have much experience with low altitude flying.” “I practically live on the ground!” “You don’t have a lot of group experience. We’re about to embark on a tour of Earth, and we won’t have time to quickly train someone in the finer points of formation flying.” “But I…” “Sorry, Rainbow Dash. You’re a great flier, but we can’t use you.” The cargo airplane pulled off a few more stunts and landed after its brief show. Rainbow was eager to see what came next. Four sleek blue and yellow jets taxied onto the runway. A cloud of white smoke burst from behind them as they began to roll, quickly getting into the air. The planes formed into a diamond pattern, spaced impossibly close together and still trailing smoke. The group executed a couple of loops, never breaking perfect formation. On the runway, two more jets began to take off. One leaped into the air and flipped over. The other pulled up sharply and began to gain altitude like a rocket. After a loop, it flashed back across the runway at high speed, rolling over. Block letters painted on the underside of the wings spelled out US NAVY. Rainbow had been crushed at the Wonderbolts’ rejection. It was all she had ever wanted, and now the opportunity was gone. She’d sulked, feeling depressed. It was lucky she had such great friends. They’d noticed her mood, and tried to cheer her up. It had been Twilight that had come up with the idea of getting her a ticket to the air show. The featured performance was by a very different flight demonstration team: The Blue Angels. The four aircraft in formation passed close by the crowd, seemingly stacked even tighter than before. Behind them, the two solo aircraft met head-on, somehow missing each other. They came back around, flying low to the runway with one of them hanging upside down. The diamond crossed back in front of the crowd, half of the aircraft now inverted. One of the solo planes ripped into a tight turn and lit the afterburners to climb vertically. Meeting the other soloist, they barely missed each other again. Meanwhile, the four jets had broken out of the diamond and arranged themselves in a line. They split off in different directions, their smoke making a star in the sky. Unnoticed by the crowd, the two solo planes had maneuvered around to overfly the grandstands from behind, taking many by surprise. The six jets formed up together into a triangle formation. They rolled into a knot and then diverged, six trails of smoke going in all directions. A quick change of heading, and they all sliced back over the crowd simultaneously, rolling to form back up into the triangle. The formation passed back over one more time in salute. Each jet broke off one by one, circling around for a landing. Rainbow Dash cheered with the rest of the crowd. She’d never seen anything like that performance before. She’d never known anything so totally awesome could exist. There was a new goal forming in her mind. Even the Wonderbolts weren’t as impressive as this. Rainbow wanted to be a part of it, she wanted it more than anything. The technicalities and limitations could be worried about later. She was going to be a pilot. CollegeAugust, 1994 West Lafayette, Indiana The first day of school was something Rainbow Dash hadn’t experienced in a long time. It carried the usual feeling of nervousness. She was a long way from home, knew nopony, and might have just signed up for something that would be impossible. The US Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team had enamored Rainbow, and she knew there were several things she would need in order to accomplish her dream of joining them. One of the most time-consuming was getting a college education. To become a Naval Officer, she was required to have a degree. Rainbow wasn’t sure why. After all, what did school matter if you had the skills? Still, it was an unavoidable requirement. She’d chosen the college carefully. Her eggheaded friend, Twilight Sparkle, was interested in human learning and more than willing to help. They’d reviewed many possibilities before Rainbow made a decision. She'd eventually settled on Purdue University. It had one of the strongest Aeronautical Engineering programs in the country, in addition to an airport on campus. Twilight warned her that there would be difficult math involved with that field of study, but expressed confidence that Rainbow would have no problems if she worked hard enough. The school was located in the same state as doorway #1, the very first link that had been established between Earth and Rainbow’s world. The doorway was at a military research site in southern Indiana, and had a direct connection to Ponyville. Purdue also happened to be the same place where Amelia Earhart had taught. Rainbow had found a role model in famous human pilot. Her autobiography was titled The Fun of It, which struck a chord with the pony. There were also other well-known pilots from the school. Several alumni, including Neil Armstrong, had even gone on to be astronauts. Also, the university’s symbol was a train, which was touted as the loudest and fastest college mascot in the world. It sounded like a perfect fit for Rainbow. There was some difficulty in getting the university to accept her school records from Cloudsdale, but Twilight had come thorough once again and helped polish her application. She’d also managed to secure Rainbow grants and loans to pay for it all. She was not the first pony to go to a human university, or even the first to go to this one, but there was still very little precedent to follow. Rainbow was effectively blazing a new trail by doing something that hadn’t been done before. It was going to be a difficult undertaking every step of the way. She showed up a few days before classes were scheduled to start, and was glad that she did. It gave her some time to get used to the massive changes that she would have to live with. All the buildings were tall. It was less a school and more a city. There were tens of thousands of students. It was all very confusing to a pony who had grown up in the clouds. Flying with her own wings was going to be restricted. The airport’s traffic pattern was always busy, and there was a real risk that she’d get run over by a Cessna if she flew over campus. Lots of food was available at all hours of the day, but very little of it was tailored to her liking. Most was greasy junk food that the other students were content to shovel in, but probably would have made Rainbow sick. And then there was the dormitory. The most economical housing involved sharing a building with a couple hundred humans. All of them were different colors, spoke a range of languages, had varied customs, and practiced many religions. The concept that there were different ways to worship was perhaps the most confusing. Rainbow had no need for faith. After all, she knew the Princesses of Equestria existed. The dorm, Windsor Hall, was a very old building that the maintenance crew just barely kept up with. Like most buildings at the university, it was made of red brick. Rainbow was delighted to learn that Amelia Earhart had lived there. Meeting her roommate was a strange experience. Her name was Denise. She had yellow colored hair and was very friendly. She’d tried to pat the pony on her head when they'd been introduced, but Rainbow got her straightened out quickly. She was not a pet, and she expected to be treated like an equal. The girl was very embarrassed and made it up to her with dinner. To Rainbow’s surprise, it was exactly what she wanted to eat. As it turned out, Denise was studying Nutrition and wanted to go to veterinarian school. The thought of spending a year living in a tiny room with a human was disconcerting. Rainbow decided that she would need some advice, and began writing letters to her friends asking for input. The mail service did deliver to Ponyville, but it took a couple of days. Rainbow knew what a telephone was and thought it was a great invention, but phone lines between her dorm room and home did not yet exist. The opening day of classes finally arrived. Rainbow walked to the class building carrying heavy saddlebags of textbooks and notebooks. She quickly became accustomed to the stares that accompanied her wherever she went. Her totally awesome reputation as the coolest pony ever was unknown on Earth, but she still got plenty of attention. She felt like showing off, but knew she should instead concentrate on school work. It was just as well that she wasn’t allowed to fly. Such a load of books would quickly tire her out. It was her mouth, however, that showed fatigue first. There was a lot of writing to do, and each class lasted at least fifty minutes. There was no way she would trade her wings for a horn, but Rainbow did wish for a better way to hold the pencil. The math looked like nothing she had ever seen before, and she was forced to write down every word to make sure she understood. It was only her burning desire to achieve her goals that carried her through the first day, and every day after. Rainbow knew that she needed to have some kind of guiding signal carrying her forward. As a reminder of what she wanted, she hung a picture of a Navy F/A-18 fighter jet above her desk. It was a stark contrast to Denise’s pictures of cute animals. The series of letters that Rainbow traded with her friends gave everypony some interesting insights. All of them were supportive and curious about her life. The pegasus knew herself and her abilities very well, and had always been good at managing her day to include a designated time for getting her work done. As a result, she often got long periods of free time, which was perceived by some to be laziness when they saw her lying around. That free time gave a lot of time for new experiences, which she related to her friends. She had always been at home in a crowd, and Twilight was interested to hear firsthand accounts about human behavior and social gatherings. There were parties, events, and all kinds of things to do at college, many of them free to attend. She quickly learned to be careful about what she ingested. Grain alcohol was very different from grain. Rainbow managed to avoid trouble, and took warnings from many who didn't. When she got the chance, Rainbow would canter down the road a ways to get out of range of the airport. West of campus, there was farmland where she could stay in shape and fly. She wanted to take flight lessons in an airplane, but couldn’t afford it. Her budget had been calculated to include only the essentials. Looking for extra money, she applied to several places for a part-time job. Eventually, she managed to find work at a small restaurant in the student union. About the only thing she could do without fingers was make pizza dough. She had to spend long hours balancing on her back hooves to keep her sanitized front ones from touching the floor. Luckily, her wings helped with that. Once everyone caught on to how fast she was, Rainbow was tasked with delivery. She much preferred that to working in the kitchen, although making change was sometimes difficult. Humans had an annoying variety of coins and bills. It was all worth it to earn her first flying lesson. The price in dollars was frighteningly expensive, so she vowed to make it count. The instructor admitted he had no idea how a pony was supposed to control an airplane. After introducing the basics in a class on the ground, they walked out to the ramp to begin preflight. The aircraft was called a Piper Cub. It was quite old, but maintained well enough. All the controls were very simple. With a little creative positioning of the seat, she was able to reach the rudder pedals and manage the all the other controls. The airplane had been retrofitted with an intercom between the pilot and copilot. The headphones squashed Rainbow’s ears a little, but she figured she could stand it. The instructor handled the takeoff, but then let her handle the controls. The air was very familiar place, but experiencing the airplane was completely new. Rainbow was apprehensive at first. The loud mechanical engine seemed like it could quit at any time, and she didn’t trust wings that were made of bucking fabric. Still, she was soon enjoying herself. The instructor asked her to do a few basic maneuvers. Despite the simple controls, getting everything to move just right took practice. A couple of times, Rainbow caught herself moving her own wings when she instead wanted the airplane to move. She filed away the idea of a wing-to-control interface to talk to her professors about later. In what seemed like not very long, the instructor asked her to come around and return to the airport. He took over for the landing. When he asked how she liked the Cub, Rainbow told him honestly: it wasn't fast enough. Unfortunately, a higher-performance training aircraft cost more money. Rainbow thought that waiting until she could get her hooves on a jet would drive her nuts. That wasn't the worst of it. As Rainbow walked back from the airport, she began to think about other things that she had to wait on. Besides getting a degree, there was something else Rainbow had to have. She needed to be a citizen of the United States in order to join the Navy as an officer. The process would take several years, and she had begun as soon as she knew that it would be required. Rainbow felt conflicted. As the Element of Loyalty, it felt strange to be filing paperwork to become a citizen of a different country. Equestria was home. Changing citizenship didn’t mean she couldn’t be loyal to Equestria, but getting the green card was a big thing, symbolically if nothing else. She arrived back at her room, thinking of what lay ahead. Despite begining her bachelor's degree and starting on the path to joining the Navy, there was still a long way to go. Rainbow glanced at the picture of the jet above her desk. She wasn't about to give up. Big Author note: Real aviators, I beg you to contact me for technical support. I want to get this right. Purdue people, I hope I got everything correct. I'm only using Wikipedia and Google street view. The next few chapters aren't going to be awesome military badassery, or at least not at first. Rainbow has a long, long, road ahead of her in order to get her wings. I'm trying to write about these things called feelings. Thanks to everyone who helped out with ideas for this story, including my prereaders and the commenters on my blog, especially Jlargent. Yeah, here I go writing short chapters again. I've got a plan to fix it next time: Dialogue! Edit: I wrote a whole story based on just this chapter. It's called The Roommate VacationDecember, 1995 West Lafayette, Indiana Rainbow punched the buttons on her calculator with a pencil. In almost three semesters at college, she’d gotten quite good at manipulating numbers. The exam wasn’t too difficult, but it was the last one keeping her from the freedom of Christmas Break. Rainbow was not Christian, but appreciated getting a holiday. She wrote down the last answer and circled it. After a quick flip though the exam booklet to make sure she hadn’t missed anything, she walked it up to the front of the lecture hall and turned it in. “Have a nice break,” said the professor. She smiled. “Oh, I will.” Outside, the weather was cold, and a harsh wind blew. Rainbow was a little better equipped to handle the weather than a human. She wouldn’t have noticed the cold anyway, because her mind was elsewhere. She was free! She still lived in the same dorm with the same roommate. Despite the initial awkwardness, the two of them had become good friends. Rainbow entered the building and went upstairs. Her roommate, Denise, was there when she walked into the room. Her half of the room was decorated with pictures of animals. She wanted to be a veterinarian. “Hey Rainbow. Are you getting ready to leave?” “I sure am.” “Before you go.” She turned and pulled something out of her desk drawer. “This is for you.” It was a navy blue and bright yellow scarf. “Thanks a lot! I didn’t get you anything, though.” Denise smiled. “This is payment for all that food you keep bringing back with you from work.” Rainbow laughed. She worked part time delivering pizzas to make spending money. “I can go with that.” “See you next semester.” “You too.” Rainbow grabbed the saddlebags she’d already packed and put on the scarf. She trotted down to the airport to file a flight plan. The Federal Aviation Administration had issued new rules regarding pegasi. Short, low altitude flights did not need to be filed, but Rainbow was going to be traveling cross country. It was better that the air traffic controllers knew where she was going to be, else she might have a run-in with an airliner. Her destination was a military base in southern Indiana where a doorway was located. There were others that had been set up in Chicago and Indianapolis, but this was the one she had used the most. They knew her there. Once the flight plan was filed, Rainbow walked out into the wind, stretching her wings. It had been a little while since she had made such a long flight. She took off straight up, scanning the area to make sure there was no incoming traffic. When she was sure the sky was clear, she transitioned from hover into level flight and made for an approximate heading of 160. It was somewhat strange to think of her own flight in terms like that. Before deciding to be a pilot, she’d never really thought about it, she’d just done it. Her subscription to Aviation Week magazine may have had something to do with that. She’d learned that the military was experimenting with new VTOL aircraft. While Rainbow was already able to do Vertical Takeoff and Landing, she still had her mind set on fighters. Up in the jet stream, it was much colder than on the ground. Rainbow glanced at the handsome scarf around her neck and was glad to have it. Denise had taken up crochet as a hobby, but Rainbow never dreamed that her roommate was making something to give to her. Human holidays were always confusing. She could never tell whether she was supposed to get someone something, or send them a card, or light up fireworks. Rainbow didn’t push herself too hard. She had a couple of weeks’ vacation, after all. Taking a more leisurely trip home wouldn’t hurt anything. She hadn’t been aloft more than an hour, however, when her destination came into view. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division was the site where the first doorway between the two worlds had been opened. The doorway project had been primarily a Navy initiative, and they were still debating in Congress about who should get to run it. While doorway #1 had been open longer than any other, it had been brought up to standards and reliability had been improved. It did not get much use these days, as it only led to Ponyville, and there were other doorways in larger cities nearby. The Louisville Dimensional Transport Hub was supposed to be pretty nice. Rainbow landed softly and walked into the building. She had her passport ready to be examined, and it was a relatively simple matter to go through the doorway. She stepped out in Ponyville. The weather here was somehow more pleasant, despite the snow on the ground. Probably because the weather in Equestria was manufactured. As a former weather pony, Rainbow knew the ins and outs of manipulating clouds. It was slightly amazing to see how much Ponyville had changed in the relatively short while that she’d been gone. Some new construction had gone up, and more things catering to visiting humans had appeared. Rainbow headed for the library. Her friend Twilight Sparkle would be there, if she wasn’t in Canterlot on important business. A lot of Rainbow’s close friends weren’t so close anymore. They were still great ponies, but their lives and locations had drifted apart. It was somewhat sad to think about, but it was probably for the best. Everypony had their own dreams to pursue. Spike the dragon answered the door. He smiled at Rainbow and gave her a short hug to welcome her back. “Twilight’s studying, but I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.” He walked off to get her. Rainbow set down her things. She was planning to spend the night before going on to Cloudsdale to see her family the next day. Twilight walked out of the back room. “Hey Rainbow, it’s really good to see you!” She gave her a friendly nuzzle. “How have you been?” “I’m good. My grades have been doing well, and I’m pretty sure I aced my exams. I just got done filing a lot of paperwork with the INS, so that should take care of the permanent resident issue. I’ve also been keeping up on my flight hours, and I’m still on track for the pilot’s license.” Twilight laughed. “You sound so…mature.” “Well, we aren’t fillies anymore.” “True enough. Speaking of being grown-up, I invited a few ponies over for a dinner party. They should be here soon.” “Who’s coming?” “Applejack and her family, Fluttershy, and Scootaloo.” “Rarity and Pinkie couldn’t make it?” They may have been separate for years, but Rainbow missed them as much as any of her other friends. “Not at the last minute, no.” “It’s all right. I’ve got a couple of weeks off. I can go see them instead.” “Be careful when you visit Pinkie. You remember what happened the last time you were in Washington.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I told the Air Force I was sorry!” Both of them laughed. The door opened and Fluttershy came in. “Oh, hello Rainbow. It’s good to see you.” “You too, Fluttershy. How’s it going?” Fluttershy smiled. “I’m good.” She showed them some vegetables she’d brought that had been growing in pots in her warm kitchen. The Apple family was next. The four of them were cheerful and brought plenty of food with them, as was their habit. Applejack introduced Rainbow to a stallion that she’d begun dating. Scootaloo showed up and gave Rainbow the most enthusiastic welcome so far. “Dash! It’s so good to see you!” She gave Rainbow a hug. “Hey kid, how’s it going? I heard you were making a name for yourself.” The Cutie Mark Crusaders had finally achieved their goal. Scootaloo’s cutie mark was a wheel. She’d discovered that her scooter was useful for more than just transportation. She’d recently represented Equestria in a new athletic competition called the X Games. The ponies talked and laughed during dinner. The party carried on until late in the night. It wasn’t quite the same as a Pinkie Party, but it was still great. Rainbow helped see everypony off and then crashed on Twilight’s spare bed. She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face. It was the first time in a long time that she hadn’t been concentrated on work. It felt good to relax. In the morning, she had breakfast with Twilight before setting out for Cloudsdale. The weather was bright and clear, with little wind. She said hello to ponies she knew and made her way home. She’d seen little of her parents for years, even before the doorways opened. Rainbow was always a little unsure what to make of them. The love was there, but it was hard to decipher exactly what they wanted from her. Her parents were both Master weather ponies, and literally spent the time with their heads in the clouds. They were glad to see her, and she them, but there wasn’t quite the same connection Rainbow felt to her friends. Perhaps that was why she’d moved to Ponyville. She left after lunch for Manehattan. With increased business from human customers, Rarity had been able to open a second boutique. It wasn’t on Broadneigh, but if her business continued to grow like it had, a move to there wouldn’t be out of the question. It was only by pure luck that Rarity herself was in the showroom when Rainbow came in. None of the regular salesponies would have believed that she knew the famous designer. “Oh Rainbow! Come here, how long has it been?” Rainbow told her of the friends she had seen on vacation so far. Rarity expressed her regret that she wasn’t able to make it to the gathering. “Since you’re here, could I ask you for a favor? I’m introducing a new sport line. Perhaps you could help me decide what an athletic pony wants?” Rainbow agree to lend a hoof, and they spent the rest of the day in the back of the store. She didn’t like trying on clothes, but spending time with an old friend was worth it. As Rainbow prepared to say goodbye, Rarity tried to give her all sorts of things, most of which Rainbow couldn’t use. “But I simply must compensate you for your time!” “Well…how about that bracelet over there?” It was gold, with tiny animal-shaped charms attached to it. “Consider it yours. It was so good to see you, Rainbow.” “You too, Rarity. Thanks again.” Rainbow went back to Ponyville to spend another night. She packed warm clothing, and went through the doorway to Washington D.C. Rainbow met Pinkie at her apartment on the north side of the city. The President had handpicked her to work in the White House kitchen. As one of the best bakers in Equestria, her skills were in high demand on Earth. While her random and crazy behavior might have been enough for the Secret Service to deny her a security clearance, she’d Pinkie Promised never to reveal any secrets she learned. “It’s so good to see you Dashie! We should have a party. It’ll be a small party, but that’s cool right? I was just telling the President the other day that he should have a party. They’re planning a Christmas party soon. It’s going to be great. Some guy with claws is coming. I thought that sounded kinda creepy, but apparently it’s tradition.” “I think you mean Santa Claus.” Rainbow at least knew that much about Christmas. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Anyway, I baked this delicious cake!” As they ate, Pinkie told Rainbow a little about how her life had been. She’d gotten several offers from nearly everywhere to come use her baking skills. She was very good at her job to be in such high demand. All of Rainbow’s friends had become very successful while she was still in school. That thought upset her a little, and she said as much to Pinkie. “Oh don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be a great fighter pilot! Even the President thinks so. I talked to him about it, and he was all ‘I’ll see what I can do’.” That got her attention. It was always good to have the Commander in Chief on your side. “Thanks Pinkie. You’re a great friend.” On her way back, Rainbow stopped off at a small town where Denise lived. She was somewhat surprised to see the pony, and even more surprised to receive the gold bracelet with animal-shaped charms. “I love it. I hope you didn’t spend as much as it looks like it cost.” “Don’t worry about it. I know you don’t think of Hearth’s Warming Eve as a holiday, and I don’t celebrate Christmas, but between two friends, I wanted to get you a gift.” “Thanks, Rainbow. It means a lot.” The pony left for Equestria again. There was still a lot of break remaining before school returned. While Rainbow had been working hard to achieve her goals, she realized that maintaining friendships was also important. She didn’t have to visit the friends that couldn’t come to her, but she did. It wasn’t just because she was the Element of Loyalty. Any decent pony would have done the same thing. Without companions to share the memories with, then what was the point of doing anything? Her goals were worthless without the backing and support of her friends. OCSMay, 1999 Pensacola, Florida Fourteen weeks didn’t sound that long. It was three and a half months. It was less than a semester of college. It was also shaping up to be the worst time in Rainbow Dash’s life. She’d arrived at Officer Candidate School happy and looking forward to the process. She was now a naturalized US citizen, had a bachelor’s degree, and earned a private pilot’s license. Rainbow felt on top of the world, and was eager to begin the first step of a military career. Upon arrival at the base, she was informed that her new name was Indoctrination Candidate Dash. Her belongings were put in storage and she was issued new ones. Then, people began screaming at her. It was nothing she hadn’t expected. The recruiter in Indianapolis had been very clear that Officer Candidate School was going to be a very different experience from what she was used to. “They’re going to have you up in the early morning, out late at night, running in circles, and being verbally abused. On top of that, you’ll be learning navigation, damage control, and all sorts of book work.” “Nothing I can’t handle,” said Rainbow confidently. “It’s like Full Metal Jacket, but maybe not quite so bad.” At the recruiter’s suggestion, she had rented the movie. It was an eye-opener. At least the Marine Drill Instructors and Navy Recruit Division Commanders who were doing all the screaming seemed to have no idea what to do with a pony. None of them seemed to know whether she needed a haircut, had the same physical standards as humans, or how to inspect her uniform. Some of it was good. After all, they couldn’t bust her if they didn’t have a reason. On the other hand, many of them just enjoyed yelling and never missed an opportunity. There had been ponies, albeit very few, in the US military before Rainbow. She was the first to be admitted to Navy OCS. As such, pretty much all her gear was custom-made. With the precise measurements, most of it fit decently, but she was unused to wearing clothing at all. At least there were holes cut for her wings. It was unknown if shoes would even stay on her hooves, and at any rate, only one pair was supposed to be issued. The requirement for Rainbow to wear them was eventually waived. Years previously, she had consulted with an engineer at college and gotten a pair of “claws” made. They were metal bands that fit snugly on her front hooves, and each had a hook. They were out of the way enough so she could walk. After learning that Rainbow would be unable to do many things required of her without the claws, she was allowed to keep them. It was a good thing too, as fastening shirt buttons would have been nearly impossible otherwise. Perhaps the hardest task that was assigned to Rainbow was rifle drill. She had to balance and walk upright while carrying a weapon. She soon regretted admitting that she was capable of standing on her hind legs. If it weren’t for her wings giving her balance and the claws to operate the practice rifle, she would have had a real problem. The drill rifles were deactivated M16s that had been battered around by hundreds of people over the years. One she learned how, Rainbow could yank the charging handle, inspect the receiver, tap the bolt release, and pull the trigger without really thinking about it. Marching drill was better. Rainbow had to figure out how to coordinate four hooves with the cadence, but she enjoyed being in step with the group. It reminded her of flying in formation. She did make some mistakes, though. They were usually corrected with a Marine DI giving her “incentive training.” In other words, an incentive not to screw up again. Rainbow did not mind pushups. She was usually one of the best at group-wide physical training. Her front legs were stronger than most humans’ arms, and her wings could provide an added boost. As a result, she required a lot more incentive than most. After a particularly bad violation in which Rainbow had forgotten the name of the person who was eighth in her chain of command, she was made to go facedown on the asphalt drill area and pump out pushups for nearly an hour. Candidates were often quizzed at random times about general military knowledge. The names of the people in the chain of command were part of that, and she had been expected to know them. The drill instructor approached. “Learned your lesson yet, Dash?” “Yes, ma’am.” The candidates were divided, and had DIs of the same gender. “You can stop now. Just to let you know, you set the new record for time spent in the front leaning rest. I never thought it would be all in one sitting, though.” “Thank you, ma’am.” The DI smiled. “Get your feathery ass off my drill deck.” “Yes, ma’am!” It was another lesson for Rainbow. She couldn’t afford mistakes. She should have known that she’d be asked about the chain of command, and been expecting it. She would just have to plan ahead next time. As OCS went on, candidates were allowed more accommodations. It wasn’t until week nine that makeup was approved. Some of the women with Rainbow acted like they’d found an oasis in the desert. She was just happy to be allowed dessert at dinner. Since the incident with the chain of command, Rainbow had cut down on mistakes of all kinds. As a reward, she was given command of a sub-group of the class. Until that point, she hadn’t realized how much of the officer experience that she hadn’t thought about. It was more than just a rank that she had to have to fly a plane, it also came with responsibilities. Now, she had to look out for those under her and be accountable for them. Rainbow wasn’t sure she could handle a leadership position, but like everything so far, she gave it her best. She learned that she always had to be thinking about other people, rather than just herself. In the closing weeks, all who were still in the program had been promoted to Candidate Officers. That meant there were some minor changes to their uniforms, and things seemed to be getting less difficult, although Rainbow couldn’t tell if the instructors were nicer or she was just becoming used to it. On the day of graduation, there was excitement in the air. So many weeks were about to pay off. Rainbow reminded herself to keep cool and not do anything stupid. The candidates were gathered together. One of the lead trainers made a speech. “Navy owned, Marine Corps trained. That’s what you are. You came to us as nothing, and we’re sending you to the fleet as officers. We could apologize for all the hell you’ve been though. We could tell you that we’re sorry for shouting in your face because you had a thread out of place on your uniform. Of course, we aren’t.” There were a few nervous laughs. The man went on. “What you’ve been though has taught you how to be an officer. It’s more than just spit and polish. It’s more than toeing the line of regulations. It’s about making decisions under pressure. It’s about leadership. Honor. Courage. Commitment. They say that the strongest steel is tempered in the hottest flame. Your training forms a strong core that will carry you through any challenges you may face. Candidate Officers, you are ready for commissioning. Make us proud.” It wasn’t much of a speech, Rainbow reflected, but it got the point across. What’s this? Were her eyes watering? She moved to the room where the commissioning ceremony would be held. Her five closest friends had managed to make it for graduation. They smiled and gave her encouragement for what was about to happen next. Rainbow raised her right hoof and repeated after the prompter. “I, Rainbow Dash, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; That I will bear allegiance to the same; That I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; And that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me Celestia.” Author note: Navy Aviation OCS is supposedly 14 weeks, while "regular" is 12. In the old days, it was 16. So you can see my confusion regarding some of this, and I hope someone in the comments can straighten me out. I’d like to thank VADM John Harvey for inspiration in writing the speech. TrainingAugust, 1999 Corpus Christi, Texas The sunlight sparkled off the water as Rainbow Dash gunned the car over the bridge. Below, wading fishermen cast lines into the waters of Oso Bay. Truax Field was coming up on the left, and she got into the turning lane. The move was a little sudden, just like the rest of the drive had been. She’d left the apartment angry with her stallionfriend and hadn’t slowed down since getting in the car. She took a deep breath before entering the base. It was time to go to work and she couldn’t afford distractions. She parked the red Camaro and made her way to the training center. General Motors had made a remarkably smart decision to sell kits that converted their vehicles to be pony-compatible. The Chevrolet dealership in Pensacola had given her a good deal on the gently used car. She just wished people would stop telling her that she should have bought a Mustang. Rainbow was training to learn the military way of flying. She already had a civilian pilot’s license, and had undergone classroom and survival training. Now, she was on to primary flight training, and that involved actually getting her hooves on the controls of an airplane. The T-34 was not a jet, however it was still a cut above anything she’d flown before. Best of all, they were beginning to learn acrobatics. She’d been at Truax for a few months. While she loved the flying, she was anxious to move on. The propeller trainer had stopped being fun shortly after she had found its limits. Now, Rainbow couldn't wait to go to the next stage. After a couple of rewarding flights that day, she headed home. There was still work to be done in her off time, but at least she got to leave base. Entering the apartment, she stripped off her green flight suit. While ponies were pretty much exempt from wearing clothing in public, the military required uniforms. The suit was practical, at least. It was made from Nomex, a lightweight and fire-resistant material. It had pockets galore, which was something Rainbow appreciated. There was a pencil pocket on the left sleeve that was covered with a flap held in place with velcro. Most pilots tore the flap off. Those who could get away with it hung a vanity patch on the spare velcro tab. Rainbow’s depicted a “fun meter” that was pegged at maximum. “I’m home!” she called. “Hello,” said Raincloud. “Listen, I’m really sorry about what happened earlier.” “Me too. I just don’t know why we can’t get along.” The pegasus stallion came over to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sure we’ll work something out.” Rainbow nodded. “Yeah.” She wasn’t sure she believed it, though. Their relationship had been going downhill ever since they’d moved in together. She really shouldn’t have latched on to the first pony she’d met. Raincloud wasn’t bad, but the two of them didn’t really move in sync. Rainbow hoped to have things worked out soon. She went to do her homework. Kingsville, Texas A couple more months passed, and Rainbow was transferred to more advanced flight training. Luckily, the new base was just down the road from Corpus Christi, and she could keep the same apartment. It was good that the winter months were coming. The summer in south Texas was uncomfortably warm. Worse, Kingsville was inland and didn’t enjoy ocean breezes. It was all worth it, though. Rainbow had done well enough to have her pick of available positions in the various flight training paths. She’d chosen tailhook aircraft. Waiting for her in Kingsville was the T-45 jet trainer. It took a little ground school before she was declared ready to fly it. She would spend about nine months learning the T-45 before going to the next stage. Despite drawing closer to the end of her training, Rainbow was growing more impatient. Her first ride in the jet was great, but she still wanted more. While the T-45 seemed like it had lots of power and agility, and felt like a real fighter plane, Rainbow knew that there were better things to come. There were still things to study. Learning to fly blind with only instruments was scary, but useful. Formation flying was fun. The most important part of the tailhook program, however, was getting carrier qualified. Rainbow had visited the aircraft carrier Lexington that was used as a museum in Corpus Christi. After walking around and inspecting the flight deck, it seemed even more impossible that an airplane could land on a ship. Still, the T-45 would have to do it. When it was her turn, Rainbow and a pilot instructor took off and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico to find the carrier that was standing by for training. The navigation directions led them to the right place. Rainbow got into the flight pattern and waited for clearance to land. “Listen to the Landing Signal Officer,” said the instructor from the backseat. “He knows what he’s doing.” Sure enough, the LSO came on the radio for final instructions. Rainbow put the plane into the circling left turn that would ultimately end up right at the edge of the landing strip. Once she was in line and coming in straight, she called the ball. “The Ball” was a system of lights on the tail of the aircraft carrier. When an incoming pilot was in the correct position, a red “meatball” light could be seen. If the plane was too high or low, or off to the side, the lights would help them correct. Rainbow had only a small adjustment to make. As she closed in, she verified again that the landing gear, flaps, and tailhook were down. The airplane shook a little as it passed through the turbulent air behind the carrier. Alternating her eyes between the ball and the cockpit instruments, Rainbow also listened to the LSO’s voice. It was a lot of information to take in, process, and make decisions on. The flight deck loomed large, and she aimed the airplane where she thought it should go. It was the hardest landing she’d ever experienced up to that point. As the plane hit the deck, the tailhook grabbed one of the thick wires laid across the landing area and brought the airplane to a halt. “Not bad for your first time,” said the LSO. “Number two wire. Back off the throttle and get unhooked. Welcome aboard.” There were four wires, just to make sure a plane caught at least one of them. A perfect landing would catch number three. Rainbow pulled the throttle back and the airplane rolled backwards to disengage the tailhook. The planes went to maximum power shortly before landing so they would be able to take off again if they missed all the wires. Luckily, the wires were strong enough to take the impact of a plane under full throttle.. “That’s one,” said the instructor. “You’ve got more to do before you’re carrier qualified.” Rainbow didn’t need to be reminded. Most of the day, she would be doing nothing but practicing landings and takeoffs. She gave the plane a little power and rolled forward again. A crewman with lighted sticks directed her. The T-45 moved up to the nose of the carrier and the landing gear rolled up to the catapult shuttle. Crewmen got the airplane ready to fly. A blast shield to protect the deck from the jet exhaust was raised behind the plane. The front landing gear was locked into the shuttle. The catapult officer got everything ready to go. On his order, Rainbow throttled up and waited. The force that steam-powered catapult could genetrate was enormous, and there would be no problems getting the lightweight airplane moving. The cat shot was if anything more intense than the landing. As the plane fired off the end of the deck, Rainbow gently pulled back on the stick and the T-45 sprang into the air. They were flying again. “Good,” said the instructor. “Now do it again.” Lemoore, California It had been a long two years. Since leaving Officer Candidate School, that was how long Rainbow had spent training to fly. In a ceremony at Kingsville not long before, she’d finally received the decoration she’d worked so hard to earn. Standing outside the Replacement Air Group headquarters in Lemoore, Rainbow glanced down at the pin above the left pocket of her khaki uniform. She’d received it when she’d stopped being a student and became a pilot. The Naval Aviator badge was gold in color, depicting an anchor, a shield, and wings. It glinted brightly, and Rainbow couldn’t be more proud to have it. The Replacement Air Group was where she would finally learn to fly, to really fly. The RAG was a transition point where young pilots learned the aircraft that they would operate once they got out to the fleet. There would be weapons practice, air combat manuvering, tactical control, and everything she needed to know to be a fighter pilot. It was going to be several more months of training. Raincloud had protested her relocation, but begrudgingly moved to California with her. Rainbow would probably have to move again once she got a permanent assignment. She was honestly surprised that their relationship was strong enough that he hadn’t refused to leave Corpus Christi. An F/A-18B Hornet soared overhead with a training pilot and instructor inside. Someday, thought Rainbow, that’s going to be me. The FleetFebruary, 2002 North Arabian Sea USS John C. Stennis The wind blew at twenty knots, adding to the aircraft carrier’s forward movement of perhaps thirty. The combination made the total wind over the flight deck fierce, and made talking difficult to understand. The aircraft engines also added to the noise. The big carrier was one of several, yet had a personality all its own. Those who were aboard had learned all of the little quirks that made Stennis unique. The carriers were the largest ships in the Navy's fleet. Two nuclear reactors, ninety aircraft, and five thousand crew. Everything worked in harmony to project the influence of the United States anywhere in the world. Strapped securely into her airplane, Lieutenant Rainbow Dash relied on hand signals to communicate with the deck crew. They guided her to the number one catapult and readied the plane for takeoff. The blast deflector went up, and Rainbow brought her Hornet to full afterburner. She knew what to expect from the launch, and pressed her helmeted head against the seat back. As the cat fired, the jet gained more than one hundred fifty knots of velocity in about two seconds. The plane's automated takeoff system made adjustments to the tail, and the aircraft climbed away from the water without input from Rainbow. She brought her hooves down to the flight controls and took over, aiming the jet for cruising altitude on a northerly course. She was flying the F/A-18C, the improved model of the one-seat Hornet. It could not carry the same load as the Super Hornets or Tomcats that were also aboard the carrier, and it did not possess the awesome speed of the F-14. The basic Hornet, however, was one of the most agile fighters ever built. Even with the load of ordnance Rainbow’s plane carried, she trusted it to hold its own in a close-quarters dogfight. “Axe Two, forming up on your wing.” The calm voice on the radio was Rainbow’s partner for this flight, Lieutenant Guy “Milk” Gunderson. He maneuvered his plane into position beside and slightly behind her. “I wondered when you’d get up here,” said Rainbow. “Some of us like to take it easy and watch the clouds go by.” “I think you’re just slow.” She laughed. On paper, the Hornet could travel at Mach 1.8, nearly twice the speed of sound. For this flight, they were cruising subsonic to save fuel. Milk grumbled. “Who put you in charge of this flight anyway?” “Luck of the draw. Think anything will happen today?” “It’s a freaking wasteland. Just seeing signs of life will be a miracle.” Afghanistan was not an inviting place. As Rainbow settled in to pass the time, she reflected on why the United States Navy was flying combat air patrols over the country. Terrorism was something that Rainbow hadn’t experienced in Equestria, unlike Earth, where it seemed to happen a lot. The art of terror was simple: if you can’t defeat an enemy one-on-one, then attempt to scare him to death. There had been attacks that resulted in civilian deaths. True, many thousands of people died each day, but a couple thousand in one go was shocking. For a time, there was a lot of, well, terror. The only thing that could be done was to get back up and go on. If the fear got to you, then the terrorists had achieved their goal. Rainbow was still not exactly sure what that goal was. A difference of opinion, it seemed like. What a silly thing to kill people over. The United States wanted retribution. Rainbow could understand that, although she secretly harbored doubts about her role in it. She did not want to kill. Rainbow was embarrassed that she had never considered she might actually have to fight. The oath she’d taken upon entering the Navy floated up to the surface of her mind. She’d sworn it. The honorable thing would be to abide by it. But was that the same as the right thing? “Yo, Axe One, you there?” called Milk. “Ready to go feet-dry?” “Roger that.” The two planes crossed over the shoreline and were now flying over the land. “Man, it’s just as barren as I remember,” said Milk. Pilot nicknames were not governed by any set of written rules. Often, they were just a play on the pilot’s name or physical description. Mr. Kraft could be “Cheese.” Someone with an unusual birthmark could be “Spot.” Also common were nicknames that reminded of a past screw-up. Milk, for instance, had been told a funny joke while taking a drink and had accidentally spit up his beverage on the Commanding Officer. Not everyone could be an Iceman or a Maverick. Of course, that didn’t imply that every pilot needed a nickname. Some managed to go their entire career without. So far, Rainbow had never been called anything other than the mild “Dashie,” and even that was not in common use. The E-2 Hawkeye radar plane circling just off the coast kept Axe Flight in communication with the carrier. As of now, their orders were to remain on station and wait for something to happen. It was not Rainbow’s first time on Combat Air Patrol duty. It was unknown what they might face, so the planes were loaded with a mix of weapons. Both fighters were equipped with the same loadout: missiles, both air-to-air and air-to-ground; bombs; a machine gun; and external fuel tanks for longer range. It was best to be prepared for anything. The time was now midday, and the sun shone brightly though the plexiglass of Rainbow’s canopy. Her darkened visor was pulled down, although the custom-made oxygen mast was unfastened. It was times like this that she did her best thinking. She’d first arrived on Earth about nine years previously, just days after the first doorway had been opened. Wow, had it been that long ago? There had been a brand new President in the White House at the time, and now he was gone, two terms later. The new guy had a completely different take on things, some good, some bad. As a member of the military, she was not allowed to publicly express her political opinion, particularly not of the President. He was the Commander in Chief, and he gave the orders. “Axe Flight, we’ve got a little job for you,” said the combat controller sitting in the back of the Hawkeye. “Some Marines could really use your help.” He gave them coordinates to steer for and a radio frequency to call. Rainbow dialed up the new frequency and said, “This is Axe One, how copy?” “This is the ground team.” The man gave them the authentication code. “Now if you don’t mind, we’ve got a target for you.” He sounded stressed. Rainbow thought she heard gunfire in the background. “Going to ‘burner,” Rainbow said to Milk. She pushed the throttle forward. The computer readout gave her an estimated time of arrival. At supersonic speeds, it would be four minutes. “Four minutes, ground.” “Could you go any faster? We’ve got a big problem here.” “We’re coming as fast as we can. Tell me more about the situation.” “A group of hostiles has a mortar set up on the ridge above us. Thank God they aren’t very good with it. Things are still getting too close for comfort.” “Do you have a way of marking the target?” “No, but you can’t miss it. It’s the tallest point in the area.” “Roger that, we’ll be there soon.” Switching channels, Rainbow said, “What do you think, Milk?” “One low pass to confirm the target, then blow it up.” “Sounds good.” The Marine’s voice on the radio cut in, sounding frantic. “They found the range, and mortars are practically falling on our heads now. Where are you?” “Coming in from the south. You’re going to have to sit tight for just a little longer.” Rainbow hated to put it that way, but there was only so much speed the jet could give her. “Coming out of afterburner,” she said as they approached. The jet slowed quickly with the loss in power. “We’ve got a visual on you, Axe Flight.” His words were interrupted by an explosion. “Aim for that hill, and do it ASAP.” Rainbow swooped low, lining up the Hornet’s targeting package. There were visual, infrared, and other sensors that combined to give her a good view of the battlefield. As she went over the designated target, she saw the mortar setup with men standing around and…a pony? “Ground, can you confirm that there is a pony at the mortar site?” “Yes! Everything up there is hostile. If you don’t get some ordnance on it now, we are dead!” “I saw it, too,” said Milk. “I don’t believe this.” Rainbow was in shock. She had no idea what a pony could be doing in Afghanistan, especially cooperating with the enemy. She wanted to believe that she’d simply gotten it wrong. Maybe he was a prisoner. But no, she’d seen the stallion helping with the mortar. Forced labor or not, he was considered hostile. “Axe One, are you all right? I can do this.” “Wait.” “Axe Flight, what are you doing?” “Hold on.” “They can’t wait any longer!” What could she do? If the target wasn’t taken out, friendly forces would die. The target consisted of men and a pony that were flesh and blood just like any others. They could be dead at the press of a button. Killing to save lives? Either way there would be death. Rainbow had to decide whose. All manner of lessons that she’d learned over the years swirled through her head. She couldn’t keep thinking about it, a decision had to be made now. She just prayed to Celestia that she was making the right one. Back at the carrier, Rainbow set the plane on the deck. The tailhook caught the number three wire perfectly as usual, even if her mind was somewhere else. She was still thinking about what she’d done. The sailor on ordnance duty noted that her airplane had come back short one bomb. He mentioned it to his chief. There are no secrets aboard a Navy ship, and now the word was spreading. Rainbow climbed down from her Hornet and went to the briefing room for post-flight. They were going to analyze the patrol and determine what went right and what went wrong. The pilots and the operations staff had a discussion about the data collected during the flight. The feed from the plane’s video was shown. Rainbow sank low in her chair as all eyes turned to her. "The target was destroyed, although with some hesitation that could be eliminated in the future," said the operations officer. "Lieutenant Dash, do you have anything to add?" "Um, no, sir." When she was allowed to leave, Rainbow went to have a shower and try to come to grips with her actions. She went up to the deck and stood in an out-of-the-way spot with her wings spread and eyes closed. The strong wind allowed her to imagine that she was flying. It was calming. There was a sound of shoes on the nonskid surface of the deck. She looked up. A chaplain stood there. "Do you mind speaking to me for a moment?" he said, raising his voice to be heard. Rainbow shrugged and walked back through the hatch the man had come out of. Inside, it was quieter. "Lieutenant Gunderson asked me to talk with you. I understand that you're a little shaken up." "I don't know if you're someone who can help me." The chaplain reached up to his collar and popped off his Cross pin. "Forget for a moment that I'm a man of God. I just want to talk to you about what happened. You're probably conflicted about how to feel, am I right?" Rainbow nodded. The man went on. "My duty may be religion, my number one job on this boat is keeping everyone in harmony. When one has problems, everyone has problems. You've got to get this issue sorted out." "How do you suggest I do that?" "You can think of it as inner peace. Once you've got that, you can work on your relations with the rest." "Isn't inner peace the same thing as religion?" The man nodded. "Many times, yes. Mostly, though, it's about being okay with who you are and what you've done. You can either come to terms with it, or let it eat you. If you made the right decision, fine. If you didn't, then do something to improve. Either way, you have to move past it." "I don't know how." "Talk to your friends. They'll help." He said goodbye and walked away. Rainbow stood there, thinking hard. She felt terrible about what she’d done, but would she feel different if she’d chosen to do something else? Did her allegiance to the United States override her loyalty to Equestria? What about loyalty to her species? It’s not the same thing, she told herself. That pony on the ground did not represent her homeland. Equestria and the United States were allies, both on paper and on a personal level. Any self-respecting pony would refuse to turn against a friend, even under threat of death. The stallion she’d seen was either a coward or a traitor. It seemed like a very callous thing to think, but then, what was a mere thought compared to dropping five hundred pounds of high explosive on the target? She’d already rationalized the attack, so it shouldn’t take too long to get over accusing a dead pony of being disloyal. She found Milk and apologized. It wasn’t right that he had to deal with her issues, and she didn't want to loose his trust. He was a skilled pilot, and good to fly with. Milk said that he had confidence in her and would support her decisions. He didn't actually say so, but Rainbow knew that he'd forgiven her for freezing up and for having doubts. She realized that the chaplain had been right. She had made a lot of friends of all kinds over the years, but one thing remained constant. Friends were there to help when you needed it. Friends were wonderful. Author note: As I wrote this, I wondered a bit what might happen if Rainbow had made the other choice and refused to kill anyone. She'd probably get some kind of punishment, if not kicked out of the Navy. I am in no mood to explore a story with a downer ending like that, but if someone writes it, I will happily link to it. EpilogueEl Centro, California It had taken Rainbow more than a little effort to make it to the tryouts for the Blue Angels. She’d met the team a few times at various air shows. Being a multicolored pegasus ensured that she would be remembered. Once she passed the minimum flight hours requirement in the Hornet, she’d applied. The current members of the team voted on potential candidates, and invited them to audition. The grey Hornet that she had control of looked rather drab compared the line of blue and yellow jets parked near the runway. Still, Rainbow was counting on getting every last bit of performance she could out of the plane. On the radio, a voice talked her through maneuvers. She was being graded on how well she could follow orders and her overall control of the plane. She had no idea how many people were watching, but the news that a pony was trying out for the Blues had to be noteworthy. She’d been constantly accelerating, decelerating, turning tightly, looping, and tumbling for twenty minutes straight. It was all at the whim of the radio. She knew that they were trying to pressure her into a mistake, and wasn’t about to let that happen. Finally, she was ordered to land. Rainbow almost extended the tail hook, forgetting for a moment that she had a nice long runway to use. She caught her mistake just in time. Once the plane was slowed down, she turned off the runway and taxied to the parking area. The ground crew helped her shut the plane down and climb out. A couple of the people who’d graded her were waiting when she stepped down onto the pavement. Their blue flight suits were immaculate. “How do you think you did?” one of them asked. “I did perfectly.” Truthfully, it might have been the best flying she’d ever done. If it wasn’t perfect, then she had no idea what was. Another man nodded. “It was pretty impressive, I’ll give you that.” Rainbow looked back and forth between the group of them, sensing a but. “We’ve never flown with a pony before,” explained one of them. “There’s no way to tell what might happen.” Rainbow’s breath caught in her throat. “What we’re going to do is make you the number seven pilot. You’ll fly the twin-seat jet to take people for rides. In a year, if you check out all right, you’ll become part of the main event. Welcome to the Blue Angels, Dash.” When she could, Rainbow called Milk to tell him the good news. He was in the process of moving to a new duty assignment, and was able to talk. “That’s good to hear. You did a great job," he said. “Thanks. All this work, all these years, and I’ve finally done it!” “So what happens next?” “What do you mean?” “I know you. You’ve always got to have something to work towards. What are you going to do after the Blue Angels?” “I guess I haven’t really thought about it.” “There’s a lot of opportunities.” “I want to keep flying.” “NASA’s hiring. Want to be an astronaut?” “The first pony in space? Sounds like I’ve got a new goal.”
PrologueHaven't read what led up to this, Battleships are Magic and Connection? Don't worry, they aren't essential. July, 1993 Pensacola, Florida The men in blue jumpsuits stood beside the row of aircraft. On the lapel of each was an embroidered patch depicting a golden shield with outspread wings, the mark of a naval aviator. From her perch in the grandstands, Rainbow Dash looked on. The pilots began to board their airplanes, getting ready for the performance. First up would be a repurposed cargo aircraft. It rolled onto the runway, spinning up its engines. It was a large plane with four propellers. The blue, white, and yellow paint gleamed brightly in the sun. As the aircraft began to travel down the runway, four small rockets on either side of the fuselage fired. The white-hot flames propelled the plane forward quickly and it lifted off, climbing at a forty-five degree angle. Rainbow sat watching the feat with the rest of the audience. Many were smiling, although hers was argueably the widest. It was her first air show. Ponies and humans had only been interacting for a few months. The system of trans-dimensional doorways that connected their worlds had been an unexpected development in technology, but all of them were getting used to it. There was still some awkward staring at Rainbow when she visited Earth, but today, the whole crowd was watching the spectacle in front of them. The large airplane made a few passes over the crowd. They made the appropriate oohs and ahs. Rainbow couldn’t believe that something that big could move so fast. With her good mood, she had temporarily forgotten something that had been upsetting her. The Wonderbolts flight demonstration team had been all she’d thought about while growing up in Equestria. They performed flight shows all over the country, and it had been Rainbow’s dream to someday join them. When she’d auditioned the month before, she felt confident that she was going to be accepted. She was sure that she'd performed everything right and landed back in front of the ‘Bolts feeling great. They’d seemed impressed, but had bad news. “Don’t get us wrong, you’re a very talented pegasus,” said Soarin’. “There are a couple of things that disqualify you, though,” said Spitfire, sounding regretful. “Your mane doesn’t fit acceptable color patterns.” “I’ll dye it!” “As a weather pony, you don’t have much experience with low altitude flying.” “I practically live on the ground!” “You don’t have a lot of group experience. We’re about to embark on a tour of Earth, and we won’t have time to quickly train someone in the finer points of formation flying.” “But I…” “Sorry, Rainbow Dash. You’re a great flier, but we can’t use you.” The cargo airplane pulled off a few more stunts and landed after its brief show. Rainbow was eager to see what came next. Four sleek blue and yellow jets taxied onto the runway. A cloud of white smoke burst from behind them as they began to roll, quickly getting into the air. The planes formed into a diamond pattern, spaced impossibly close together and still trailing smoke. The group executed a couple of loops, never breaking perfect formation. On the runway, two more jets began to take off. One leaped into the air and flipped over. The other pulled up sharply and began to gain altitude like a rocket. After a loop, it flashed back across the runway at high speed, rolling over. Block letters painted on the underside of the wings spelled out US NAVY. Rainbow had been crushed at the Wonderbolts’ rejection. It was all she had ever wanted, and now the opportunity was gone. She’d sulked, feeling depressed. It was lucky she had such great friends. They’d noticed her mood, and tried to cheer her up. It had been Twilight that had come up with the idea of getting her a ticket to the air show. The featured performance was by a very different flight demonstration team: The Blue Angels. The four aircraft in formation passed close by the crowd, seemingly stacked even tighter than before. Behind them, the two solo aircraft met head-on, somehow missing each other. They came back around, flying low to the runway with one of them hanging upside down. The diamond crossed back in front of the crowd, half of the aircraft now inverted. One of the solo planes ripped into a tight turn and lit the afterburners to climb vertically. Meeting the other soloist, they barely missed each other again. Meanwhile, the four jets had broken out of the diamond and arranged themselves in a line. They split off in different directions, their smoke making a star in the sky. Unnoticed by the crowd, the two solo planes had maneuvered around to overfly the grandstands from behind, taking many by surprise. The six jets formed up together into a triangle formation. They rolled into a knot and then diverged, six trails of smoke going in all directions. A quick change of heading, and they all sliced back over the crowd simultaneously, rolling to form back up into the triangle. The formation passed back over one more time in salute. Each jet broke off one by one, circling around for a landing. Rainbow Dash cheered with the rest of the crowd. She’d never seen anything like that performance before. She’d never known anything so totally awesome could exist. There was a new goal forming in her mind. Even the Wonderbolts weren’t as impressive as this. Rainbow wanted to be a part of it, she wanted it more than anything. The technicalities and limitations could be worried about later. She was going to be a pilot.
CollegeAugust, 1994 West Lafayette, Indiana The first day of school was something Rainbow Dash hadn’t experienced in a long time. It carried the usual feeling of nervousness. She was a long way from home, knew nopony, and might have just signed up for something that would be impossible. The US Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team had enamored Rainbow, and she knew there were several things she would need in order to accomplish her dream of joining them. One of the most time-consuming was getting a college education. To become a Naval Officer, she was required to have a degree. Rainbow wasn’t sure why. After all, what did school matter if you had the skills? Still, it was an unavoidable requirement. She’d chosen the college carefully. Her eggheaded friend, Twilight Sparkle, was interested in human learning and more than willing to help. They’d reviewed many possibilities before Rainbow made a decision. She'd eventually settled on Purdue University. It had one of the strongest Aeronautical Engineering programs in the country, in addition to an airport on campus. Twilight warned her that there would be difficult math involved with that field of study, but expressed confidence that Rainbow would have no problems if she worked hard enough. The school was located in the same state as doorway #1, the very first link that had been established between Earth and Rainbow’s world. The doorway was at a military research site in southern Indiana, and had a direct connection to Ponyville. Purdue also happened to be the same place where Amelia Earhart had taught. Rainbow had found a role model in famous human pilot. Her autobiography was titled The Fun of It, which struck a chord with the pony. There were also other well-known pilots from the school. Several alumni, including Neil Armstrong, had even gone on to be astronauts. Also, the university’s symbol was a train, which was touted as the loudest and fastest college mascot in the world. It sounded like a perfect fit for Rainbow. There was some difficulty in getting the university to accept her school records from Cloudsdale, but Twilight had come thorough once again and helped polish her application. She’d also managed to secure Rainbow grants and loans to pay for it all. She was not the first pony to go to a human university, or even the first to go to this one, but there was still very little precedent to follow. Rainbow was effectively blazing a new trail by doing something that hadn’t been done before. It was going to be a difficult undertaking every step of the way. She showed up a few days before classes were scheduled to start, and was glad that she did. It gave her some time to get used to the massive changes that she would have to live with. All the buildings were tall. It was less a school and more a city. There were tens of thousands of students. It was all very confusing to a pony who had grown up in the clouds. Flying with her own wings was going to be restricted. The airport’s traffic pattern was always busy, and there was a real risk that she’d get run over by a Cessna if she flew over campus. Lots of food was available at all hours of the day, but very little of it was tailored to her liking. Most was greasy junk food that the other students were content to shovel in, but probably would have made Rainbow sick. And then there was the dormitory. The most economical housing involved sharing a building with a couple hundred humans. All of them were different colors, spoke a range of languages, had varied customs, and practiced many religions. The concept that there were different ways to worship was perhaps the most confusing. Rainbow had no need for faith. After all, she knew the Princesses of Equestria existed. The dorm, Windsor Hall, was a very old building that the maintenance crew just barely kept up with. Like most buildings at the university, it was made of red brick. Rainbow was delighted to learn that Amelia Earhart had lived there. Meeting her roommate was a strange experience. Her name was Denise. She had yellow colored hair and was very friendly. She’d tried to pat the pony on her head when they'd been introduced, but Rainbow got her straightened out quickly. She was not a pet, and she expected to be treated like an equal. The girl was very embarrassed and made it up to her with dinner. To Rainbow’s surprise, it was exactly what she wanted to eat. As it turned out, Denise was studying Nutrition and wanted to go to veterinarian school. The thought of spending a year living in a tiny room with a human was disconcerting. Rainbow decided that she would need some advice, and began writing letters to her friends asking for input. The mail service did deliver to Ponyville, but it took a couple of days. Rainbow knew what a telephone was and thought it was a great invention, but phone lines between her dorm room and home did not yet exist. The opening day of classes finally arrived. Rainbow walked to the class building carrying heavy saddlebags of textbooks and notebooks. She quickly became accustomed to the stares that accompanied her wherever she went. Her totally awesome reputation as the coolest pony ever was unknown on Earth, but she still got plenty of attention. She felt like showing off, but knew she should instead concentrate on school work. It was just as well that she wasn’t allowed to fly. Such a load of books would quickly tire her out. It was her mouth, however, that showed fatigue first. There was a lot of writing to do, and each class lasted at least fifty minutes. There was no way she would trade her wings for a horn, but Rainbow did wish for a better way to hold the pencil. The math looked like nothing she had ever seen before, and she was forced to write down every word to make sure she understood. It was only her burning desire to achieve her goals that carried her through the first day, and every day after. Rainbow knew that she needed to have some kind of guiding signal carrying her forward. As a reminder of what she wanted, she hung a picture of a Navy F/A-18 fighter jet above her desk. It was a stark contrast to Denise’s pictures of cute animals. The series of letters that Rainbow traded with her friends gave everypony some interesting insights. All of them were supportive and curious about her life. The pegasus knew herself and her abilities very well, and had always been good at managing her day to include a designated time for getting her work done. As a result, she often got long periods of free time, which was perceived by some to be laziness when they saw her lying around. That free time gave a lot of time for new experiences, which she related to her friends. She had always been at home in a crowd, and Twilight was interested to hear firsthand accounts about human behavior and social gatherings. There were parties, events, and all kinds of things to do at college, many of them free to attend. She quickly learned to be careful about what she ingested. Grain alcohol was very different from grain. Rainbow managed to avoid trouble, and took warnings from many who didn't. When she got the chance, Rainbow would canter down the road a ways to get out of range of the airport. West of campus, there was farmland where she could stay in shape and fly. She wanted to take flight lessons in an airplane, but couldn’t afford it. Her budget had been calculated to include only the essentials. Looking for extra money, she applied to several places for a part-time job. Eventually, she managed to find work at a small restaurant in the student union. About the only thing she could do without fingers was make pizza dough. She had to spend long hours balancing on her back hooves to keep her sanitized front ones from touching the floor. Luckily, her wings helped with that. Once everyone caught on to how fast she was, Rainbow was tasked with delivery. She much preferred that to working in the kitchen, although making change was sometimes difficult. Humans had an annoying variety of coins and bills. It was all worth it to earn her first flying lesson. The price in dollars was frighteningly expensive, so she vowed to make it count. The instructor admitted he had no idea how a pony was supposed to control an airplane. After introducing the basics in a class on the ground, they walked out to the ramp to begin preflight. The aircraft was called a Piper Cub. It was quite old, but maintained well enough. All the controls were very simple. With a little creative positioning of the seat, she was able to reach the rudder pedals and manage the all the other controls. The airplane had been retrofitted with an intercom between the pilot and copilot. The headphones squashed Rainbow’s ears a little, but she figured she could stand it. The instructor handled the takeoff, but then let her handle the controls. The air was very familiar place, but experiencing the airplane was completely new. Rainbow was apprehensive at first. The loud mechanical engine seemed like it could quit at any time, and she didn’t trust wings that were made of bucking fabric. Still, she was soon enjoying herself. The instructor asked her to do a few basic maneuvers. Despite the simple controls, getting everything to move just right took practice. A couple of times, Rainbow caught herself moving her own wings when she instead wanted the airplane to move. She filed away the idea of a wing-to-control interface to talk to her professors about later. In what seemed like not very long, the instructor asked her to come around and return to the airport. He took over for the landing. When he asked how she liked the Cub, Rainbow told him honestly: it wasn't fast enough. Unfortunately, a higher-performance training aircraft cost more money. Rainbow thought that waiting until she could get her hooves on a jet would drive her nuts. That wasn't the worst of it. As Rainbow walked back from the airport, she began to think about other things that she had to wait on. Besides getting a degree, there was something else Rainbow had to have. She needed to be a citizen of the United States in order to join the Navy as an officer. The process would take several years, and she had begun as soon as she knew that it would be required. Rainbow felt conflicted. As the Element of Loyalty, it felt strange to be filing paperwork to become a citizen of a different country. Equestria was home. Changing citizenship didn’t mean she couldn’t be loyal to Equestria, but getting the green card was a big thing, symbolically if nothing else. She arrived back at her room, thinking of what lay ahead. Despite begining her bachelor's degree and starting on the path to joining the Navy, there was still a long way to go. Rainbow glanced at the picture of the jet above her desk. She wasn't about to give up. Big Author note: Real aviators, I beg you to contact me for technical support. I want to get this right. Purdue people, I hope I got everything correct. I'm only using Wikipedia and Google street view. The next few chapters aren't going to be awesome military badassery, or at least not at first. Rainbow has a long, long, road ahead of her in order to get her wings. I'm trying to write about these things called feelings. Thanks to everyone who helped out with ideas for this story, including my prereaders and the commenters on my blog, especially Jlargent. Yeah, here I go writing short chapters again. I've got a plan to fix it next time: Dialogue! Edit: I wrote a whole story based on just this chapter. It's called The Roommate
VacationDecember, 1995 West Lafayette, Indiana Rainbow punched the buttons on her calculator with a pencil. In almost three semesters at college, she’d gotten quite good at manipulating numbers. The exam wasn’t too difficult, but it was the last one keeping her from the freedom of Christmas Break. Rainbow was not Christian, but appreciated getting a holiday. She wrote down the last answer and circled it. After a quick flip though the exam booklet to make sure she hadn’t missed anything, she walked it up to the front of the lecture hall and turned it in. “Have a nice break,” said the professor. She smiled. “Oh, I will.” Outside, the weather was cold, and a harsh wind blew. Rainbow was a little better equipped to handle the weather than a human. She wouldn’t have noticed the cold anyway, because her mind was elsewhere. She was free! She still lived in the same dorm with the same roommate. Despite the initial awkwardness, the two of them had become good friends. Rainbow entered the building and went upstairs. Her roommate, Denise, was there when she walked into the room. Her half of the room was decorated with pictures of animals. She wanted to be a veterinarian. “Hey Rainbow. Are you getting ready to leave?” “I sure am.” “Before you go.” She turned and pulled something out of her desk drawer. “This is for you.” It was a navy blue and bright yellow scarf. “Thanks a lot! I didn’t get you anything, though.” Denise smiled. “This is payment for all that food you keep bringing back with you from work.” Rainbow laughed. She worked part time delivering pizzas to make spending money. “I can go with that.” “See you next semester.” “You too.” Rainbow grabbed the saddlebags she’d already packed and put on the scarf. She trotted down to the airport to file a flight plan. The Federal Aviation Administration had issued new rules regarding pegasi. Short, low altitude flights did not need to be filed, but Rainbow was going to be traveling cross country. It was better that the air traffic controllers knew where she was going to be, else she might have a run-in with an airliner. Her destination was a military base in southern Indiana where a doorway was located. There were others that had been set up in Chicago and Indianapolis, but this was the one she had used the most. They knew her there. Once the flight plan was filed, Rainbow walked out into the wind, stretching her wings. It had been a little while since she had made such a long flight. She took off straight up, scanning the area to make sure there was no incoming traffic. When she was sure the sky was clear, she transitioned from hover into level flight and made for an approximate heading of 160. It was somewhat strange to think of her own flight in terms like that. Before deciding to be a pilot, she’d never really thought about it, she’d just done it. Her subscription to Aviation Week magazine may have had something to do with that. She’d learned that the military was experimenting with new VTOL aircraft. While Rainbow was already able to do Vertical Takeoff and Landing, she still had her mind set on fighters. Up in the jet stream, it was much colder than on the ground. Rainbow glanced at the handsome scarf around her neck and was glad to have it. Denise had taken up crochet as a hobby, but Rainbow never dreamed that her roommate was making something to give to her. Human holidays were always confusing. She could never tell whether she was supposed to get someone something, or send them a card, or light up fireworks. Rainbow didn’t push herself too hard. She had a couple of weeks’ vacation, after all. Taking a more leisurely trip home wouldn’t hurt anything. She hadn’t been aloft more than an hour, however, when her destination came into view. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division was the site where the first doorway between the two worlds had been opened. The doorway project had been primarily a Navy initiative, and they were still debating in Congress about who should get to run it. While doorway #1 had been open longer than any other, it had been brought up to standards and reliability had been improved. It did not get much use these days, as it only led to Ponyville, and there were other doorways in larger cities nearby. The Louisville Dimensional Transport Hub was supposed to be pretty nice. Rainbow landed softly and walked into the building. She had her passport ready to be examined, and it was a relatively simple matter to go through the doorway. She stepped out in Ponyville. The weather here was somehow more pleasant, despite the snow on the ground. Probably because the weather in Equestria was manufactured. As a former weather pony, Rainbow knew the ins and outs of manipulating clouds. It was slightly amazing to see how much Ponyville had changed in the relatively short while that she’d been gone. Some new construction had gone up, and more things catering to visiting humans had appeared. Rainbow headed for the library. Her friend Twilight Sparkle would be there, if she wasn’t in Canterlot on important business. A lot of Rainbow’s close friends weren’t so close anymore. They were still great ponies, but their lives and locations had drifted apart. It was somewhat sad to think about, but it was probably for the best. Everypony had their own dreams to pursue. Spike the dragon answered the door. He smiled at Rainbow and gave her a short hug to welcome her back. “Twilight’s studying, but I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.” He walked off to get her. Rainbow set down her things. She was planning to spend the night before going on to Cloudsdale to see her family the next day. Twilight walked out of the back room. “Hey Rainbow, it’s really good to see you!” She gave her a friendly nuzzle. “How have you been?” “I’m good. My grades have been doing well, and I’m pretty sure I aced my exams. I just got done filing a lot of paperwork with the INS, so that should take care of the permanent resident issue. I’ve also been keeping up on my flight hours, and I’m still on track for the pilot’s license.” Twilight laughed. “You sound so…mature.” “Well, we aren’t fillies anymore.” “True enough. Speaking of being grown-up, I invited a few ponies over for a dinner party. They should be here soon.” “Who’s coming?” “Applejack and her family, Fluttershy, and Scootaloo.” “Rarity and Pinkie couldn’t make it?” They may have been separate for years, but Rainbow missed them as much as any of her other friends. “Not at the last minute, no.” “It’s all right. I’ve got a couple of weeks off. I can go see them instead.” “Be careful when you visit Pinkie. You remember what happened the last time you were in Washington.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I told the Air Force I was sorry!” Both of them laughed. The door opened and Fluttershy came in. “Oh, hello Rainbow. It’s good to see you.” “You too, Fluttershy. How’s it going?” Fluttershy smiled. “I’m good.” She showed them some vegetables she’d brought that had been growing in pots in her warm kitchen. The Apple family was next. The four of them were cheerful and brought plenty of food with them, as was their habit. Applejack introduced Rainbow to a stallion that she’d begun dating. Scootaloo showed up and gave Rainbow the most enthusiastic welcome so far. “Dash! It’s so good to see you!” She gave Rainbow a hug. “Hey kid, how’s it going? I heard you were making a name for yourself.” The Cutie Mark Crusaders had finally achieved their goal. Scootaloo’s cutie mark was a wheel. She’d discovered that her scooter was useful for more than just transportation. She’d recently represented Equestria in a new athletic competition called the X Games. The ponies talked and laughed during dinner. The party carried on until late in the night. It wasn’t quite the same as a Pinkie Party, but it was still great. Rainbow helped see everypony off and then crashed on Twilight’s spare bed. She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face. It was the first time in a long time that she hadn’t been concentrated on work. It felt good to relax. In the morning, she had breakfast with Twilight before setting out for Cloudsdale. The weather was bright and clear, with little wind. She said hello to ponies she knew and made her way home. She’d seen little of her parents for years, even before the doorways opened. Rainbow was always a little unsure what to make of them. The love was there, but it was hard to decipher exactly what they wanted from her. Her parents were both Master weather ponies, and literally spent the time with their heads in the clouds. They were glad to see her, and she them, but there wasn’t quite the same connection Rainbow felt to her friends. Perhaps that was why she’d moved to Ponyville. She left after lunch for Manehattan. With increased business from human customers, Rarity had been able to open a second boutique. It wasn’t on Broadneigh, but if her business continued to grow like it had, a move to there wouldn’t be out of the question. It was only by pure luck that Rarity herself was in the showroom when Rainbow came in. None of the regular salesponies would have believed that she knew the famous designer. “Oh Rainbow! Come here, how long has it been?” Rainbow told her of the friends she had seen on vacation so far. Rarity expressed her regret that she wasn’t able to make it to the gathering. “Since you’re here, could I ask you for a favor? I’m introducing a new sport line. Perhaps you could help me decide what an athletic pony wants?” Rainbow agree to lend a hoof, and they spent the rest of the day in the back of the store. She didn’t like trying on clothes, but spending time with an old friend was worth it. As Rainbow prepared to say goodbye, Rarity tried to give her all sorts of things, most of which Rainbow couldn’t use. “But I simply must compensate you for your time!” “Well…how about that bracelet over there?” It was gold, with tiny animal-shaped charms attached to it. “Consider it yours. It was so good to see you, Rainbow.” “You too, Rarity. Thanks again.” Rainbow went back to Ponyville to spend another night. She packed warm clothing, and went through the doorway to Washington D.C. Rainbow met Pinkie at her apartment on the north side of the city. The President had handpicked her to work in the White House kitchen. As one of the best bakers in Equestria, her skills were in high demand on Earth. While her random and crazy behavior might have been enough for the Secret Service to deny her a security clearance, she’d Pinkie Promised never to reveal any secrets she learned. “It’s so good to see you Dashie! We should have a party. It’ll be a small party, but that’s cool right? I was just telling the President the other day that he should have a party. They’re planning a Christmas party soon. It’s going to be great. Some guy with claws is coming. I thought that sounded kinda creepy, but apparently it’s tradition.” “I think you mean Santa Claus.” Rainbow at least knew that much about Christmas. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Anyway, I baked this delicious cake!” As they ate, Pinkie told Rainbow a little about how her life had been. She’d gotten several offers from nearly everywhere to come use her baking skills. She was very good at her job to be in such high demand. All of Rainbow’s friends had become very successful while she was still in school. That thought upset her a little, and she said as much to Pinkie. “Oh don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be a great fighter pilot! Even the President thinks so. I talked to him about it, and he was all ‘I’ll see what I can do’.” That got her attention. It was always good to have the Commander in Chief on your side. “Thanks Pinkie. You’re a great friend.” On her way back, Rainbow stopped off at a small town where Denise lived. She was somewhat surprised to see the pony, and even more surprised to receive the gold bracelet with animal-shaped charms. “I love it. I hope you didn’t spend as much as it looks like it cost.” “Don’t worry about it. I know you don’t think of Hearth’s Warming Eve as a holiday, and I don’t celebrate Christmas, but between two friends, I wanted to get you a gift.” “Thanks, Rainbow. It means a lot.” The pony left for Equestria again. There was still a lot of break remaining before school returned. While Rainbow had been working hard to achieve her goals, she realized that maintaining friendships was also important. She didn’t have to visit the friends that couldn’t come to her, but she did. It wasn’t just because she was the Element of Loyalty. Any decent pony would have done the same thing. Without companions to share the memories with, then what was the point of doing anything? Her goals were worthless without the backing and support of her friends.
OCSMay, 1999 Pensacola, Florida Fourteen weeks didn’t sound that long. It was three and a half months. It was less than a semester of college. It was also shaping up to be the worst time in Rainbow Dash’s life. She’d arrived at Officer Candidate School happy and looking forward to the process. She was now a naturalized US citizen, had a bachelor’s degree, and earned a private pilot’s license. Rainbow felt on top of the world, and was eager to begin the first step of a military career. Upon arrival at the base, she was informed that her new name was Indoctrination Candidate Dash. Her belongings were put in storage and she was issued new ones. Then, people began screaming at her. It was nothing she hadn’t expected. The recruiter in Indianapolis had been very clear that Officer Candidate School was going to be a very different experience from what she was used to. “They’re going to have you up in the early morning, out late at night, running in circles, and being verbally abused. On top of that, you’ll be learning navigation, damage control, and all sorts of book work.” “Nothing I can’t handle,” said Rainbow confidently. “It’s like Full Metal Jacket, but maybe not quite so bad.” At the recruiter’s suggestion, she had rented the movie. It was an eye-opener. At least the Marine Drill Instructors and Navy Recruit Division Commanders who were doing all the screaming seemed to have no idea what to do with a pony. None of them seemed to know whether she needed a haircut, had the same physical standards as humans, or how to inspect her uniform. Some of it was good. After all, they couldn’t bust her if they didn’t have a reason. On the other hand, many of them just enjoyed yelling and never missed an opportunity. There had been ponies, albeit very few, in the US military before Rainbow. She was the first to be admitted to Navy OCS. As such, pretty much all her gear was custom-made. With the precise measurements, most of it fit decently, but she was unused to wearing clothing at all. At least there were holes cut for her wings. It was unknown if shoes would even stay on her hooves, and at any rate, only one pair was supposed to be issued. The requirement for Rainbow to wear them was eventually waived. Years previously, she had consulted with an engineer at college and gotten a pair of “claws” made. They were metal bands that fit snugly on her front hooves, and each had a hook. They were out of the way enough so she could walk. After learning that Rainbow would be unable to do many things required of her without the claws, she was allowed to keep them. It was a good thing too, as fastening shirt buttons would have been nearly impossible otherwise. Perhaps the hardest task that was assigned to Rainbow was rifle drill. She had to balance and walk upright while carrying a weapon. She soon regretted admitting that she was capable of standing on her hind legs. If it weren’t for her wings giving her balance and the claws to operate the practice rifle, she would have had a real problem. The drill rifles were deactivated M16s that had been battered around by hundreds of people over the years. One she learned how, Rainbow could yank the charging handle, inspect the receiver, tap the bolt release, and pull the trigger without really thinking about it. Marching drill was better. Rainbow had to figure out how to coordinate four hooves with the cadence, but she enjoyed being in step with the group. It reminded her of flying in formation. She did make some mistakes, though. They were usually corrected with a Marine DI giving her “incentive training.” In other words, an incentive not to screw up again. Rainbow did not mind pushups. She was usually one of the best at group-wide physical training. Her front legs were stronger than most humans’ arms, and her wings could provide an added boost. As a result, she required a lot more incentive than most. After a particularly bad violation in which Rainbow had forgotten the name of the person who was eighth in her chain of command, she was made to go facedown on the asphalt drill area and pump out pushups for nearly an hour. Candidates were often quizzed at random times about general military knowledge. The names of the people in the chain of command were part of that, and she had been expected to know them. The drill instructor approached. “Learned your lesson yet, Dash?” “Yes, ma’am.” The candidates were divided, and had DIs of the same gender. “You can stop now. Just to let you know, you set the new record for time spent in the front leaning rest. I never thought it would be all in one sitting, though.” “Thank you, ma’am.” The DI smiled. “Get your feathery ass off my drill deck.” “Yes, ma’am!” It was another lesson for Rainbow. She couldn’t afford mistakes. She should have known that she’d be asked about the chain of command, and been expecting it. She would just have to plan ahead next time. As OCS went on, candidates were allowed more accommodations. It wasn’t until week nine that makeup was approved. Some of the women with Rainbow acted like they’d found an oasis in the desert. She was just happy to be allowed dessert at dinner. Since the incident with the chain of command, Rainbow had cut down on mistakes of all kinds. As a reward, she was given command of a sub-group of the class. Until that point, she hadn’t realized how much of the officer experience that she hadn’t thought about. It was more than just a rank that she had to have to fly a plane, it also came with responsibilities. Now, she had to look out for those under her and be accountable for them. Rainbow wasn’t sure she could handle a leadership position, but like everything so far, she gave it her best. She learned that she always had to be thinking about other people, rather than just herself. In the closing weeks, all who were still in the program had been promoted to Candidate Officers. That meant there were some minor changes to their uniforms, and things seemed to be getting less difficult, although Rainbow couldn’t tell if the instructors were nicer or she was just becoming used to it. On the day of graduation, there was excitement in the air. So many weeks were about to pay off. Rainbow reminded herself to keep cool and not do anything stupid. The candidates were gathered together. One of the lead trainers made a speech. “Navy owned, Marine Corps trained. That’s what you are. You came to us as nothing, and we’re sending you to the fleet as officers. We could apologize for all the hell you’ve been though. We could tell you that we’re sorry for shouting in your face because you had a thread out of place on your uniform. Of course, we aren’t.” There were a few nervous laughs. The man went on. “What you’ve been though has taught you how to be an officer. It’s more than just spit and polish. It’s more than toeing the line of regulations. It’s about making decisions under pressure. It’s about leadership. Honor. Courage. Commitment. They say that the strongest steel is tempered in the hottest flame. Your training forms a strong core that will carry you through any challenges you may face. Candidate Officers, you are ready for commissioning. Make us proud.” It wasn’t much of a speech, Rainbow reflected, but it got the point across. What’s this? Were her eyes watering? She moved to the room where the commissioning ceremony would be held. Her five closest friends had managed to make it for graduation. They smiled and gave her encouragement for what was about to happen next. Rainbow raised her right hoof and repeated after the prompter. “I, Rainbow Dash, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; That I will bear allegiance to the same; That I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; And that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me Celestia.” Author note: Navy Aviation OCS is supposedly 14 weeks, while "regular" is 12. In the old days, it was 16. So you can see my confusion regarding some of this, and I hope someone in the comments can straighten me out. I’d like to thank VADM John Harvey for inspiration in writing the speech.
TrainingAugust, 1999 Corpus Christi, Texas The sunlight sparkled off the water as Rainbow Dash gunned the car over the bridge. Below, wading fishermen cast lines into the waters of Oso Bay. Truax Field was coming up on the left, and she got into the turning lane. The move was a little sudden, just like the rest of the drive had been. She’d left the apartment angry with her stallionfriend and hadn’t slowed down since getting in the car. She took a deep breath before entering the base. It was time to go to work and she couldn’t afford distractions. She parked the red Camaro and made her way to the training center. General Motors had made a remarkably smart decision to sell kits that converted their vehicles to be pony-compatible. The Chevrolet dealership in Pensacola had given her a good deal on the gently used car. She just wished people would stop telling her that she should have bought a Mustang. Rainbow was training to learn the military way of flying. She already had a civilian pilot’s license, and had undergone classroom and survival training. Now, she was on to primary flight training, and that involved actually getting her hooves on the controls of an airplane. The T-34 was not a jet, however it was still a cut above anything she’d flown before. Best of all, they were beginning to learn acrobatics. She’d been at Truax for a few months. While she loved the flying, she was anxious to move on. The propeller trainer had stopped being fun shortly after she had found its limits. Now, Rainbow couldn't wait to go to the next stage. After a couple of rewarding flights that day, she headed home. There was still work to be done in her off time, but at least she got to leave base. Entering the apartment, she stripped off her green flight suit. While ponies were pretty much exempt from wearing clothing in public, the military required uniforms. The suit was practical, at least. It was made from Nomex, a lightweight and fire-resistant material. It had pockets galore, which was something Rainbow appreciated. There was a pencil pocket on the left sleeve that was covered with a flap held in place with velcro. Most pilots tore the flap off. Those who could get away with it hung a vanity patch on the spare velcro tab. Rainbow’s depicted a “fun meter” that was pegged at maximum. “I’m home!” she called. “Hello,” said Raincloud. “Listen, I’m really sorry about what happened earlier.” “Me too. I just don’t know why we can’t get along.” The pegasus stallion came over to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sure we’ll work something out.” Rainbow nodded. “Yeah.” She wasn’t sure she believed it, though. Their relationship had been going downhill ever since they’d moved in together. She really shouldn’t have latched on to the first pony she’d met. Raincloud wasn’t bad, but the two of them didn’t really move in sync. Rainbow hoped to have things worked out soon. She went to do her homework. Kingsville, Texas A couple more months passed, and Rainbow was transferred to more advanced flight training. Luckily, the new base was just down the road from Corpus Christi, and she could keep the same apartment. It was good that the winter months were coming. The summer in south Texas was uncomfortably warm. Worse, Kingsville was inland and didn’t enjoy ocean breezes. It was all worth it, though. Rainbow had done well enough to have her pick of available positions in the various flight training paths. She’d chosen tailhook aircraft. Waiting for her in Kingsville was the T-45 jet trainer. It took a little ground school before she was declared ready to fly it. She would spend about nine months learning the T-45 before going to the next stage. Despite drawing closer to the end of her training, Rainbow was growing more impatient. Her first ride in the jet was great, but she still wanted more. While the T-45 seemed like it had lots of power and agility, and felt like a real fighter plane, Rainbow knew that there were better things to come. There were still things to study. Learning to fly blind with only instruments was scary, but useful. Formation flying was fun. The most important part of the tailhook program, however, was getting carrier qualified. Rainbow had visited the aircraft carrier Lexington that was used as a museum in Corpus Christi. After walking around and inspecting the flight deck, it seemed even more impossible that an airplane could land on a ship. Still, the T-45 would have to do it. When it was her turn, Rainbow and a pilot instructor took off and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico to find the carrier that was standing by for training. The navigation directions led them to the right place. Rainbow got into the flight pattern and waited for clearance to land. “Listen to the Landing Signal Officer,” said the instructor from the backseat. “He knows what he’s doing.” Sure enough, the LSO came on the radio for final instructions. Rainbow put the plane into the circling left turn that would ultimately end up right at the edge of the landing strip. Once she was in line and coming in straight, she called the ball. “The Ball” was a system of lights on the tail of the aircraft carrier. When an incoming pilot was in the correct position, a red “meatball” light could be seen. If the plane was too high or low, or off to the side, the lights would help them correct. Rainbow had only a small adjustment to make. As she closed in, she verified again that the landing gear, flaps, and tailhook were down. The airplane shook a little as it passed through the turbulent air behind the carrier. Alternating her eyes between the ball and the cockpit instruments, Rainbow also listened to the LSO’s voice. It was a lot of information to take in, process, and make decisions on. The flight deck loomed large, and she aimed the airplane where she thought it should go. It was the hardest landing she’d ever experienced up to that point. As the plane hit the deck, the tailhook grabbed one of the thick wires laid across the landing area and brought the airplane to a halt. “Not bad for your first time,” said the LSO. “Number two wire. Back off the throttle and get unhooked. Welcome aboard.” There were four wires, just to make sure a plane caught at least one of them. A perfect landing would catch number three. Rainbow pulled the throttle back and the airplane rolled backwards to disengage the tailhook. The planes went to maximum power shortly before landing so they would be able to take off again if they missed all the wires. Luckily, the wires were strong enough to take the impact of a plane under full throttle.. “That’s one,” said the instructor. “You’ve got more to do before you’re carrier qualified.” Rainbow didn’t need to be reminded. Most of the day, she would be doing nothing but practicing landings and takeoffs. She gave the plane a little power and rolled forward again. A crewman with lighted sticks directed her. The T-45 moved up to the nose of the carrier and the landing gear rolled up to the catapult shuttle. Crewmen got the airplane ready to fly. A blast shield to protect the deck from the jet exhaust was raised behind the plane. The front landing gear was locked into the shuttle. The catapult officer got everything ready to go. On his order, Rainbow throttled up and waited. The force that steam-powered catapult could genetrate was enormous, and there would be no problems getting the lightweight airplane moving. The cat shot was if anything more intense than the landing. As the plane fired off the end of the deck, Rainbow gently pulled back on the stick and the T-45 sprang into the air. They were flying again. “Good,” said the instructor. “Now do it again.” Lemoore, California It had been a long two years. Since leaving Officer Candidate School, that was how long Rainbow had spent training to fly. In a ceremony at Kingsville not long before, she’d finally received the decoration she’d worked so hard to earn. Standing outside the Replacement Air Group headquarters in Lemoore, Rainbow glanced down at the pin above the left pocket of her khaki uniform. She’d received it when she’d stopped being a student and became a pilot. The Naval Aviator badge was gold in color, depicting an anchor, a shield, and wings. It glinted brightly, and Rainbow couldn’t be more proud to have it. The Replacement Air Group was where she would finally learn to fly, to really fly. The RAG was a transition point where young pilots learned the aircraft that they would operate once they got out to the fleet. There would be weapons practice, air combat manuvering, tactical control, and everything she needed to know to be a fighter pilot. It was going to be several more months of training. Raincloud had protested her relocation, but begrudgingly moved to California with her. Rainbow would probably have to move again once she got a permanent assignment. She was honestly surprised that their relationship was strong enough that he hadn’t refused to leave Corpus Christi. An F/A-18B Hornet soared overhead with a training pilot and instructor inside. Someday, thought Rainbow, that’s going to be me.
The FleetFebruary, 2002 North Arabian Sea USS John C. Stennis The wind blew at twenty knots, adding to the aircraft carrier’s forward movement of perhaps thirty. The combination made the total wind over the flight deck fierce, and made talking difficult to understand. The aircraft engines also added to the noise. The big carrier was one of several, yet had a personality all its own. Those who were aboard had learned all of the little quirks that made Stennis unique. The carriers were the largest ships in the Navy's fleet. Two nuclear reactors, ninety aircraft, and five thousand crew. Everything worked in harmony to project the influence of the United States anywhere in the world. Strapped securely into her airplane, Lieutenant Rainbow Dash relied on hand signals to communicate with the deck crew. They guided her to the number one catapult and readied the plane for takeoff. The blast deflector went up, and Rainbow brought her Hornet to full afterburner. She knew what to expect from the launch, and pressed her helmeted head against the seat back. As the cat fired, the jet gained more than one hundred fifty knots of velocity in about two seconds. The plane's automated takeoff system made adjustments to the tail, and the aircraft climbed away from the water without input from Rainbow. She brought her hooves down to the flight controls and took over, aiming the jet for cruising altitude on a northerly course. She was flying the F/A-18C, the improved model of the one-seat Hornet. It could not carry the same load as the Super Hornets or Tomcats that were also aboard the carrier, and it did not possess the awesome speed of the F-14. The basic Hornet, however, was one of the most agile fighters ever built. Even with the load of ordnance Rainbow’s plane carried, she trusted it to hold its own in a close-quarters dogfight. “Axe Two, forming up on your wing.” The calm voice on the radio was Rainbow’s partner for this flight, Lieutenant Guy “Milk” Gunderson. He maneuvered his plane into position beside and slightly behind her. “I wondered when you’d get up here,” said Rainbow. “Some of us like to take it easy and watch the clouds go by.” “I think you’re just slow.” She laughed. On paper, the Hornet could travel at Mach 1.8, nearly twice the speed of sound. For this flight, they were cruising subsonic to save fuel. Milk grumbled. “Who put you in charge of this flight anyway?” “Luck of the draw. Think anything will happen today?” “It’s a freaking wasteland. Just seeing signs of life will be a miracle.” Afghanistan was not an inviting place. As Rainbow settled in to pass the time, she reflected on why the United States Navy was flying combat air patrols over the country. Terrorism was something that Rainbow hadn’t experienced in Equestria, unlike Earth, where it seemed to happen a lot. The art of terror was simple: if you can’t defeat an enemy one-on-one, then attempt to scare him to death. There had been attacks that resulted in civilian deaths. True, many thousands of people died each day, but a couple thousand in one go was shocking. For a time, there was a lot of, well, terror. The only thing that could be done was to get back up and go on. If the fear got to you, then the terrorists had achieved their goal. Rainbow was still not exactly sure what that goal was. A difference of opinion, it seemed like. What a silly thing to kill people over. The United States wanted retribution. Rainbow could understand that, although she secretly harbored doubts about her role in it. She did not want to kill. Rainbow was embarrassed that she had never considered she might actually have to fight. The oath she’d taken upon entering the Navy floated up to the surface of her mind. She’d sworn it. The honorable thing would be to abide by it. But was that the same as the right thing? “Yo, Axe One, you there?” called Milk. “Ready to go feet-dry?” “Roger that.” The two planes crossed over the shoreline and were now flying over the land. “Man, it’s just as barren as I remember,” said Milk. Pilot nicknames were not governed by any set of written rules. Often, they were just a play on the pilot’s name or physical description. Mr. Kraft could be “Cheese.” Someone with an unusual birthmark could be “Spot.” Also common were nicknames that reminded of a past screw-up. Milk, for instance, had been told a funny joke while taking a drink and had accidentally spit up his beverage on the Commanding Officer. Not everyone could be an Iceman or a Maverick. Of course, that didn’t imply that every pilot needed a nickname. Some managed to go their entire career without. So far, Rainbow had never been called anything other than the mild “Dashie,” and even that was not in common use. The E-2 Hawkeye radar plane circling just off the coast kept Axe Flight in communication with the carrier. As of now, their orders were to remain on station and wait for something to happen. It was not Rainbow’s first time on Combat Air Patrol duty. It was unknown what they might face, so the planes were loaded with a mix of weapons. Both fighters were equipped with the same loadout: missiles, both air-to-air and air-to-ground; bombs; a machine gun; and external fuel tanks for longer range. It was best to be prepared for anything. The time was now midday, and the sun shone brightly though the plexiglass of Rainbow’s canopy. Her darkened visor was pulled down, although the custom-made oxygen mast was unfastened. It was times like this that she did her best thinking. She’d first arrived on Earth about nine years previously, just days after the first doorway had been opened. Wow, had it been that long ago? There had been a brand new President in the White House at the time, and now he was gone, two terms later. The new guy had a completely different take on things, some good, some bad. As a member of the military, she was not allowed to publicly express her political opinion, particularly not of the President. He was the Commander in Chief, and he gave the orders. “Axe Flight, we’ve got a little job for you,” said the combat controller sitting in the back of the Hawkeye. “Some Marines could really use your help.” He gave them coordinates to steer for and a radio frequency to call. Rainbow dialed up the new frequency and said, “This is Axe One, how copy?” “This is the ground team.” The man gave them the authentication code. “Now if you don’t mind, we’ve got a target for you.” He sounded stressed. Rainbow thought she heard gunfire in the background. “Going to ‘burner,” Rainbow said to Milk. She pushed the throttle forward. The computer readout gave her an estimated time of arrival. At supersonic speeds, it would be four minutes. “Four minutes, ground.” “Could you go any faster? We’ve got a big problem here.” “We’re coming as fast as we can. Tell me more about the situation.” “A group of hostiles has a mortar set up on the ridge above us. Thank God they aren’t very good with it. Things are still getting too close for comfort.” “Do you have a way of marking the target?” “No, but you can’t miss it. It’s the tallest point in the area.” “Roger that, we’ll be there soon.” Switching channels, Rainbow said, “What do you think, Milk?” “One low pass to confirm the target, then blow it up.” “Sounds good.” The Marine’s voice on the radio cut in, sounding frantic. “They found the range, and mortars are practically falling on our heads now. Where are you?” “Coming in from the south. You’re going to have to sit tight for just a little longer.” Rainbow hated to put it that way, but there was only so much speed the jet could give her. “Coming out of afterburner,” she said as they approached. The jet slowed quickly with the loss in power. “We’ve got a visual on you, Axe Flight.” His words were interrupted by an explosion. “Aim for that hill, and do it ASAP.” Rainbow swooped low, lining up the Hornet’s targeting package. There were visual, infrared, and other sensors that combined to give her a good view of the battlefield. As she went over the designated target, she saw the mortar setup with men standing around and…a pony? “Ground, can you confirm that there is a pony at the mortar site?” “Yes! Everything up there is hostile. If you don’t get some ordnance on it now, we are dead!” “I saw it, too,” said Milk. “I don’t believe this.” Rainbow was in shock. She had no idea what a pony could be doing in Afghanistan, especially cooperating with the enemy. She wanted to believe that she’d simply gotten it wrong. Maybe he was a prisoner. But no, she’d seen the stallion helping with the mortar. Forced labor or not, he was considered hostile. “Axe One, are you all right? I can do this.” “Wait.” “Axe Flight, what are you doing?” “Hold on.” “They can’t wait any longer!” What could she do? If the target wasn’t taken out, friendly forces would die. The target consisted of men and a pony that were flesh and blood just like any others. They could be dead at the press of a button. Killing to save lives? Either way there would be death. Rainbow had to decide whose. All manner of lessons that she’d learned over the years swirled through her head. She couldn’t keep thinking about it, a decision had to be made now. She just prayed to Celestia that she was making the right one. Back at the carrier, Rainbow set the plane on the deck. The tailhook caught the number three wire perfectly as usual, even if her mind was somewhere else. She was still thinking about what she’d done. The sailor on ordnance duty noted that her airplane had come back short one bomb. He mentioned it to his chief. There are no secrets aboard a Navy ship, and now the word was spreading. Rainbow climbed down from her Hornet and went to the briefing room for post-flight. They were going to analyze the patrol and determine what went right and what went wrong. The pilots and the operations staff had a discussion about the data collected during the flight. The feed from the plane’s video was shown. Rainbow sank low in her chair as all eyes turned to her. "The target was destroyed, although with some hesitation that could be eliminated in the future," said the operations officer. "Lieutenant Dash, do you have anything to add?" "Um, no, sir." When she was allowed to leave, Rainbow went to have a shower and try to come to grips with her actions. She went up to the deck and stood in an out-of-the-way spot with her wings spread and eyes closed. The strong wind allowed her to imagine that she was flying. It was calming. There was a sound of shoes on the nonskid surface of the deck. She looked up. A chaplain stood there. "Do you mind speaking to me for a moment?" he said, raising his voice to be heard. Rainbow shrugged and walked back through the hatch the man had come out of. Inside, it was quieter. "Lieutenant Gunderson asked me to talk with you. I understand that you're a little shaken up." "I don't know if you're someone who can help me." The chaplain reached up to his collar and popped off his Cross pin. "Forget for a moment that I'm a man of God. I just want to talk to you about what happened. You're probably conflicted about how to feel, am I right?" Rainbow nodded. The man went on. "My duty may be religion, my number one job on this boat is keeping everyone in harmony. When one has problems, everyone has problems. You've got to get this issue sorted out." "How do you suggest I do that?" "You can think of it as inner peace. Once you've got that, you can work on your relations with the rest." "Isn't inner peace the same thing as religion?" The man nodded. "Many times, yes. Mostly, though, it's about being okay with who you are and what you've done. You can either come to terms with it, or let it eat you. If you made the right decision, fine. If you didn't, then do something to improve. Either way, you have to move past it." "I don't know how." "Talk to your friends. They'll help." He said goodbye and walked away. Rainbow stood there, thinking hard. She felt terrible about what she’d done, but would she feel different if she’d chosen to do something else? Did her allegiance to the United States override her loyalty to Equestria? What about loyalty to her species? It’s not the same thing, she told herself. That pony on the ground did not represent her homeland. Equestria and the United States were allies, both on paper and on a personal level. Any self-respecting pony would refuse to turn against a friend, even under threat of death. The stallion she’d seen was either a coward or a traitor. It seemed like a very callous thing to think, but then, what was a mere thought compared to dropping five hundred pounds of high explosive on the target? She’d already rationalized the attack, so it shouldn’t take too long to get over accusing a dead pony of being disloyal. She found Milk and apologized. It wasn’t right that he had to deal with her issues, and she didn't want to loose his trust. He was a skilled pilot, and good to fly with. Milk said that he had confidence in her and would support her decisions. He didn't actually say so, but Rainbow knew that he'd forgiven her for freezing up and for having doubts. She realized that the chaplain had been right. She had made a lot of friends of all kinds over the years, but one thing remained constant. Friends were there to help when you needed it. Friends were wonderful. Author note: As I wrote this, I wondered a bit what might happen if Rainbow had made the other choice and refused to kill anyone. She'd probably get some kind of punishment, if not kicked out of the Navy. I am in no mood to explore a story with a downer ending like that, but if someone writes it, I will happily link to it.
EpilogueEl Centro, California It had taken Rainbow more than a little effort to make it to the tryouts for the Blue Angels. She’d met the team a few times at various air shows. Being a multicolored pegasus ensured that she would be remembered. Once she passed the minimum flight hours requirement in the Hornet, she’d applied. The current members of the team voted on potential candidates, and invited them to audition. The grey Hornet that she had control of looked rather drab compared the line of blue and yellow jets parked near the runway. Still, Rainbow was counting on getting every last bit of performance she could out of the plane. On the radio, a voice talked her through maneuvers. She was being graded on how well she could follow orders and her overall control of the plane. She had no idea how many people were watching, but the news that a pony was trying out for the Blues had to be noteworthy. She’d been constantly accelerating, decelerating, turning tightly, looping, and tumbling for twenty minutes straight. It was all at the whim of the radio. She knew that they were trying to pressure her into a mistake, and wasn’t about to let that happen. Finally, she was ordered to land. Rainbow almost extended the tail hook, forgetting for a moment that she had a nice long runway to use. She caught her mistake just in time. Once the plane was slowed down, she turned off the runway and taxied to the parking area. The ground crew helped her shut the plane down and climb out. A couple of the people who’d graded her were waiting when she stepped down onto the pavement. Their blue flight suits were immaculate. “How do you think you did?” one of them asked. “I did perfectly.” Truthfully, it might have been the best flying she’d ever done. If it wasn’t perfect, then she had no idea what was. Another man nodded. “It was pretty impressive, I’ll give you that.” Rainbow looked back and forth between the group of them, sensing a but. “We’ve never flown with a pony before,” explained one of them. “There’s no way to tell what might happen.” Rainbow’s breath caught in her throat. “What we’re going to do is make you the number seven pilot. You’ll fly the twin-seat jet to take people for rides. In a year, if you check out all right, you’ll become part of the main event. Welcome to the Blue Angels, Dash.” When she could, Rainbow called Milk to tell him the good news. He was in the process of moving to a new duty assignment, and was able to talk. “That’s good to hear. You did a great job," he said. “Thanks. All this work, all these years, and I’ve finally done it!” “So what happens next?” “What do you mean?” “I know you. You’ve always got to have something to work towards. What are you going to do after the Blue Angels?” “I guess I haven’t really thought about it.” “There’s a lot of opportunities.” “I want to keep flying.” “NASA’s hiring. Want to be an astronaut?” “The first pony in space? Sounds like I’ve got a new goal.”
