"UP AN AT EM LADIES!" Cadet Col. Dusk called, a pegasus cadet blowing heavily into the horn he carried, waking everyone in the barracks. Cloud Dasher groaned as he rolled out of bed, landing face first on the floor, he gasped as his bunkmate hefted him up in his musclar grip, chuckling quietly and patting his back.
The Gryphon was the head of their Flight group and seemed to have a bit of a soft spot for the runt pegasus. At least Dasher saw himself as the runt, being the smallest and weakest flier among them. Though according to Gull Wing he had clocked some decent times on their last physical tests.
"C'mon, up an at em, lets move! Morning Flight rounds at 0900!" Gull called out to them, several pegasi groaning loudly.
"Hey! Fastest Flight gets the weekend free, I don't wanna hear any complaining, now lets move!" he ordered them. Cloud Dasher shook the sleep out of his wings and chased after his Flight, keeping pace as their Gryphon commader called out cadence, leading them to their take-off point.
"Alright, ranks up, wings out!" he barked, everyone falling into formation and spreading out their wings, shifting so they were all wing-tip distance apart, giving them all enough room to fly in formation without bumping into one another.
"No tricks, no pranks. I want clean ranks and clean formations, Do you get me!?" Gull barked, his Flight saluting
"WE GET YOU SIR!" they called out together as one.
"Start your engines ladies." he chuckled, lowering his goggles and unfurling his wings. Element Leaders lowered themselves to the ground buzzing their wings and bunching up their leg muscles, their ranks following suit.
"TAKE OFF!" Gull Wing called out as he took flight, the others falling in behind him, keeping in formation.
"Bank Left!" he called over the wind, his Flight executing the simple command flawlessly.
"Evasive right turn!" he barked, the entire flight rolling in the air in perfect sync.
"Split ranks!" the gryphon spun to face them, hovering in mid-ar as Elements one and two cut a diagonal path through Elements three and four which mirroed their movement.
"In-flight, march!" He barked, watching as they fell back into formation and hovered in place.
"AAAAAT EASE!" he grinned as they relaxed, though kept their military bearing. These were his troops and they were ready for their next trial.
"Alright ladies you've earned your breakfest, hit the mess!" he laughed as they landed, still in formation, and waited until he had officially dismissed them to break ranks and rush for breakfast. Though a group of pegasi remained on the spot, Gull rolling his eyes.
"Heh, like always I was the best." Rogue Shadow claimed, flipping his long mane out of his face.
"Yea right, i'm surprised you kept formation with all that hair in your face." Golden Sun teased, named for his golden coat and shortcut locks. Cloud Dasher chuckled quietly at their antics.
"Hey, come on guys, I think we all did pretty well." he pointed out.
"yea, says the runt." Rogue snorted.
"That runt, Cadet, is your commanding officer and can fly circles around you in his sleep. I'd show him a bit more respect." Gull Wing added, patting Cloud Dasher on the shoulder.
"Yea yea, whatever." Rogue said with a roll of his eyes. Though his attitude changed as Gull raised an eyebrow.
"Uh...sir." he said quickly before chasing after Golden Sun.
"You didn't have to do that." Cloud sighed.
"You don't deserve the crap they give you." Gull replied, lightly punching his shoulder.
"Come on, you can buy me a drink as thanks." he chuckled, walking past the pegasus. Cloud Dasher rolled his eyes and followed after his longtime friend. It was only a short walk to the mess hall, though they kept going, heading for the officers section in the back.
As Gull Wings' second in command Cloud Dasher was allowed access to the fabled back room where legend had it there were no rules, no saluting, and mares waited you around the corner.
Though this was all just rumor tossed together by a bunch of horny stallions desperate for some flank. Though the mares barracks was on the other side of the school after a certain incident forced the higher ups to take action.
Long story short, a curfew was set and drinks were only allowed off-duty. Unless you had access to the officers mess of course. Gull Wing gave a proud salute to Soarin' Stormwing. An elite flight commander and a Wonderbolt. It was every stallions goal to one day fill his shoes. Soarin' simply chuckled, waving away the salute.
"At ease Gull, this is the mess, on need to be so formal ya know." he laughed.
"I know sir. Its just an honor to be here." Gull Wing replied with a smile.
"Hey, no need for that cadet, we were all rookies once." Soarin shrugged.
"Oh, theres an officers meeting at 1400hours, don't be late." he ordered them before taking his leave.
"For a Wonderbolt he sure seems laid back." Cloud Dasher mumbled.
"Yea, but he's not a wonderbolt for nothin Dasher. You know why they call him Stormwing?" Gull Wing asked, the pegasus shaking his head.
"As a cadet, he flew headfirst into a massive thunder storm, caught all of the rogue bolts in his wings and redirected the whole thing on his own." Gull chuckled.
"Crazy bastard coulda gotten himself killed. Instead he gets promoted and taken under the watchful eye of the last Wonderbolt Captain. Now he's the standing Liuetennent." The gryphon shook his head.
"Woah...thats nuts..." Cloud Dasher laughed.
"yea, well, don't let me catch you tryin somethin that stupid. Now come on, you still owe me a drink bud." Gull pointed out. Cloud rolled his eyes, ordering two drinks and sliding one down to the Gryphon.
"So, I hear we're clockin flight times again today..." Cloud Dasher mumbled, staring into his drink.
"Just for the Enlisted Ranks. Officers still have til next week to get themselves in gear." Gull Wing assured him, the pegasus chuckled softly.
"Thanks Gull..." he said quietly.
"Hey, don't get all mushy on me. Whats eatin at you?" Gull Wing asked, placing a claw on his shoulder. Cloud Dasher shrugged.
"I dunno Gull I just...I'm sick of being the runt..." he mumbled. Gull Wing rolled his eyes.
"You aren't a runt. You've got a perfectly streamlined figure. Less wind resistence, it gives you an edge." Gull Wing tried to convince him.
"I don't care about the statistics Gull. I'm small and it looks like I always will be. I'm just sick of it." he sighed, chugging his drink. The gryphon shook his head.
"Alright come on." he grumbled, dragging the pegasus behind him as he stood.
"Where are we goin?" he asked.
"To prove a point." the Gryphon grunted. As they entered the main mess hall the pegasi fell silent.
"B Flight with me." Gull Wing said, his Flight falling in behind him as he left the mess hall. Cloud Dasher kept pace, glancing over at his friend.
"Gull, what are you doing?" he asked under his breath.
"I told you, proving a point." he said, pivoting and turning to face his men.
"I've a test for all of you. Rumor has it that your commanding officer, Cadet Lt Dasher is a worthless runt." he said as he paced back and forth in front of them, a few pegasi chuckling quietly.
"So heres what we're gonna do. When I give the signal you are going to take to the air. The first one of you to snag a feather off of this Runt, gets his rank." He explained, Cloud Dasher felt his heart jump into his throat. Gull Wing couldn't be serious, he was going to get him killed. The Grypon turned to him and grinned.
"You should start flyin." he whispered. The pegasus blinked as his friend blew into his whistle, an entire Flight of pegasi leaping for him. Cloud Dasher bent his knees and launched into the air, rolling about and weaving in between the pegasi reaching for him. He gasped as Rogue Shadow flew past him, zipping through several clouds and rushing for him again. Cloud Dasher grit his teeth, tucking in his wings and dropping like a rock with the entire flight on his tail.
"Buck today." he grumbled under his breath, pulling out of his dive mere seconds before slamming into the ground and throwing himself into a backwards loop, chuckling as he heard the sound of pegasi hitting cloud and then one another, leaving them in a heap below him. Rolling once more he caught Rogue Shadow by his mid-section and spun, tossing the pegasus down on top of the pile below. Gull Wing chuckled as he marched up to the pile of groaning pegasi.
"So, anyone manage to get one single feather?" he asked. No one answered him.
"Well, that settles that, back to your breakfest." he ordered, grinning as Cloud Dasher landed next to him.
"Still think you're just a runt?" Gull asked him as the pegasus opened his mouth to argue. Cloud Dasher just stood there for a moment and sighed.
"Did you have to try and get me killed?" he asked.
"Well it worked didn't it?"