Turbulence

“So wait, your grandfather was an Ace in the Equestrian Air Force?!”

Dash didn't respond to Dust's question for a while, letting the water from the shower pour over her face and down her body as he faced the head. Trying to wash away the stress the afternoon had given her.

Rainbow Dash and Spitfire had run into Lighting Dust a while after the talk with Warhawk. Dust had intended to get Dash back for what she was put though but shelved it when she saw Dash's disheveled face. Spitfire offered then that both of them take a trip to the showers. In part to let Dash relax a bit but mostly because the two of them had gone an entire day without washing and she was starting to smell them.

It took the trip to the showers for Dash to get her thoughts straight enough to start explaining what happened as the water poured poured from the shower heads. Dash finally lowered her head and turned around so that the stream of water flowed down her back and across her wings. “Ya, that metal on his chest in the picture. It's the Ace Cross, clear as day. I even remember seeing that one and many others as a filly.” She shakes her head in disappointment at herself, “I can't believe I didn't recognize any of them.”

Dust watched Dash for a while, feeling pity for her friend but anger at herself for having no means to help her. Instead, the teal pegasus focused on rubbing her hair with her hooves for a while to get them clean while she thought. “Well..” she started, a thought coming to mind, “you can't really blame yourself for that. You were a filly when you saw him last, right?”

“Ya,” Dash started before the started scrubbing the barrel of her body with a hoof. “But I had a chance to see him before I moved to Ponyville. But I brushed him off to watch a Wonderbolt show. That makes it worse, Dust. I'm living proof of what Warhawk said! And worse yet it was with someone of my own family.” She sighed pitifully and hung her head as the water pelted her, “What sort of granddaughter am I to act like I deserve to be in the same skies that he dominated?”

Dash's moping session was cut short when she was hit in the head with a bar of soap. “Ow! What was that for?!” Dash bared her teeth at Dust who only frowned in return.

“Sorry, wasn't sure if I was talking to Rainbow Dash, the greatest flier in all of Equestria, or a changeling.”

“So the test is to throw soap at me?”

“The test is to help you snap out of it. Do you honestly expect me to believe that your own family would shun you just because you didn't know every little aspect about them?”

Dash slunk back and looked away, “Well.. No, but-”

“But nothing!” Dust gave Dash a gentle shove to keep her focused. “Family loves you for you. And so do friends. You are the one who taught me that, remember?” She looked back to the spray of water from the shower head to wash her face before looking back to Dash, “Besides, if you are so up in arms about honoring him, why not do so by earning Ace yourself?”

Dash responded to the idea with snort that sent water droplets flying. But as she let the idea bounce around in her mind, she slowly warmed to it. A smile growing on her lips as her wings grew in excitement. “Ya.. Ya! I can earn the Ace Cross. Then I can use my Wonderbolt popularity to get more ponies talking about it! Dust you are a genius!” Dash hugged her friend in excitement, catching her off guard at first but Dust quickly warmed to it.

“My pleasure.” Dust returned the hug and warmly nuzzled into her friend's arms.

“Wooo Wooo! Action in the showers~” Both of the girls were caught off guard by a catcall from a stallion standing in the doorway. They both shot gazes to the culprit but Soarin just strode the gazes off as he went around the dividing wall in the middle of the shower that divided the large unisex showers into unofficial stallion and mare sides.

Dash only rolled her eyes and cut the shower off, having cleaned herself a long time ago. “Right, I think that's our cue to go.” She started to the locker room connected to the showers but stopped when she noticed Dust was not close behind her. She looked over her shoulder to find her Wingpony with her head still in the showers and a lewd expression on her face. Dash walked back to her and followed her gaze to Soarin. The stallion's back to them as he washed his mane. “What are you staring at?”

Dust elbowed Dash's shoulder, “Don't act like you never considered it.” Slowly, she tore her gaze away from the sight and went to her locker. “I mean, just look at that flank.”

Dash could only roll her eyes at the comment as she went to her own locker. “Ya, but you know how obsessed with pies he is,” she pointed the fact out, hoping to break her friend's obsession. “You know that after a few years, it's gonna get all plump.”

Dust barked out a laugh, “Hey, more rump for the hump!” Dust made her point by bumping her flank against Dash's, making the cyan's face blush twice over.

Dash pulled on her flight suit and stuck her tongue out at Dust, “Pervert.” Dust's only reaction was to laugh further as she got her suit on as well.

It was a few more days before they were cleared to fly officially. Another harrowing examination with the doctor and they were cleared to fly. Dash's excitement were clear from the tip of her forelock, to every feather in her wings and the tip of her tail. And Dust was left unable to resist feeling it as well. They both were on edge to get the chance at tasting the sky again.

Not even getting lost once or twice was able to damper their moods.

Finally, they found their way to the hanger. The room was massive with a giant door taking up an entire wall. Ponies of every kind were actively moving about, checking machineary in the floor and moving armor and weapons about. After several moments of taking it all in, Dash and Dust's attention were pulled to the far side of the hanger by Spitfire calling out to them, inviting them to join the rest of the Wonderbolts as they stand around her.

Dash and Dust gallop to the rest of the group an strike a smart salute. “Airmane First Class Rainbow Dash...”

“Airmane Lightning Dust...”

In unison, they finished, “Reporting for duty!”

Spitfire gave them both a smile before quickly hiding it behind a professional looking frown of disappointment. “Dash, Dust. Not only are you late but you appealingly forgot your own ranks!” She let Dash and Dust soak that in as the pair looked at each other in confusion. After letting them steep in it, Spitfire explained, “What you are looking for is Senior Airmane Rainbow Dash and Airmane First Class Lighting Dust.” She let the false frown be over taken with another smile in congratulations.

Once it clicked for the duo, they were all smiles and hoof bumps until Spitfire got them focused. “Alright alright, we can have cake rations to celebrate afterward, lets focus.” She let her troop express their disappointment at the mention of rations before going on, “As most of you know, Command seems to think that we are too slow getting into the air. I tried to convense them that we weren't slow and if we were, it was the fault of them for having rations be so good.” She lowered her voice as she added, “Sometimes, I worry that they actually listened to me.” The squadron shared a soft laugh before Spitfire carried on, “So now they figure that the best way to get us into the air faster is to sling us out of the ship!”

Next to them, the floor opened in two places, revealing what looked to be workings of a large slingshot. Mechanics start moving in, using tools to make sure everything is working properly and setting in four armored hoofshoes in both of the slings. “Here is how it will work, fillies! You will step into the boots, get secured in and have your armor attached. Then, when you are all set, you are going to get shot out of the ship! Soarin and I will be giving a live demonstration.

She and Soarin move into position, setting their hooves into each of the boots and making sure they were secure before giving a nod for the crew to move in and attach the rest of their equipment.

Pegasus armor tended to always been more complicated than any other, mostly out of need to protect in three dimensions instead of the two that Earth ponies and Unicorns had to face on the ground.  Each piece snapped and bolted into place into the other until the Pegasus was completely encased in metal and weapons. It was though this that Pegasus soldiers often were nicknamed as 'Flying Swords'.

First came on the chest piece in two parts that went around the neck, shoulders and legs, proudly displaying the crest of Equestria. Then the back piece snapped into the chest and wrapped around the barrel of their bodies, snapping into place before the flank piece was attached. Fore and back leg armor were attached in a similar manner, attaching to the prior piece before snapping into itself as it completely encased the limb.  Wings were attached next, being a combination of weapons and armor. A shield of metal covered the most critical of the feathers top and bottom while a razor sharp blade sat at the front of the wing. The neck and head pieces game in last, completely covering the face and eyes with a mask and goggle set, giving the pegasus advanced vision while in flight.

At the end of it, Spitfire and Soarin both looked more like metal golems rather than pegasi.

With their armor secure and tight on them, the pair give it a test by moving their bodies as best as they could with their hooves attached to the machine below them. With a nod of their heads, the two pegasi gave their ok's for launch. They lowed themselves close to the ground as a set of lights above the door counted them off.

Three. Their bodies tensed in preparation, taking in a deep breath.

Two. The Wonderbolts watching on swallow and lean in closer to watch.

One. Everything seems to hang still for that moment. The final buzzard feeling like it was taking an eternity as everything was still.

“Launch!” The shout from the catapult officers jolts every one of the Wonderbolts except two, who instead get the ride of their lives. From their position, they could see the metal ropes tighten though the gaps in the floor before the catapult suddenly lurches forward, carrying them along with it. They had to resist the urge to go limp and be pulled back by the force and instead lean into it, spreading their wings wide to catch the wind to be ready to fly.

When the catapult reaches it's end, it releases their hooves and lets them loose into the air. For a moment, they disappeared as they dipped below the edge of the hanger, exhausting gasps from the inexperienced Wonderbolts. A moment later, the pair of pegasi rose up into view and flew towards the nose of the ship as their team cheered from inside.

“Spitfire! I hate to disturb you while you are enjoying yourself, but we have to get back to teaching the rest of the 'Bolts.” Spitfire sighed into her radio as Soarin pulled her out of her daydream. She hadn't intended to spend so long flying around the ship, but being able to taste the sun again was too intoxicating to say no to just spreading her wings and soaking in the sun as she 'laid' on her back in the sky. As diluted as it was though the armor. “Uh... Spitfire?”

“I read you, Soarin,” Spitfire groaned into the radio as she flips around to face the ship, Soarin hovering next to her. After clearing her throat, Spitfire tapped on her radio twice, “Patch me though to Hanger One.” A double beep confirmed her request and she spoke, “As you can see, it isn't that hard. All of you suit up and join us out in the sky, we are going to do a bit of training. Double time it!” A tap on her radio and the connection was cut, leaving her and Soarin alone.

Things were quiet for a bit before Soarin spoke up again, “You know you were going to get this when you signed up for it.” Spitfire only nodded as she watched the first pair get launched out, their control sloppy after being flung. “No more time for soaking in the sun or just cruising.” Spitfire nodded again as another group was launched and started their path towards the lead pair. “No more sharing a cloud-”

Soarin was swiftly cut off with an elbow to the gut. The armor blocked the most of it but the message was still there. “Hush up, Pie Thighs.” Soarin only chuckled and nodded, joining her in watching the 'Bolts get launched out.

Finally, it was Dash and Dust's turn. Last ones out, it was up to them to show the rest of the Squadron how it's done. With a brohoof, they set their feet into the armor boots to ready themselves for launch. The deck officer walked in front of them while their armor was being set up, his face covered behind a helmet and dark visors. “Alright, here's what you are going to do. Lean into the wind when the catapult launches you and keep your wings spread. When you are set loose, go down into a dive to get speed and then pull up and turn into a half corkscrew towards the nose of the ship. You will reach the rest of your Squadron there. All clear?”

Both Dash and Dust gave confirming nods and the officer moved out of the way, waving his hoof in the air to let the rest of the crew know that it was all set. Once the runway was clear, the countdown ran and the pair were launched like bolts out of a crossbow. Dash felt like every part of her body was going to be ripped off of her as the rush of air hit her. She held together somehow and pulled the maneuver off nearly perfectly with Dust close behind her. When they were clear of the ship, Dash let go of the long breath that she didn't know she as holding. She shared a look with her wingpony and both of them nodded, only one word between them to describe what they went though.

“Awesome.”

The rest of the evening was spent doing formation training and proper scattering. Then when the rest of the squadrons were let loose, some practice combat. She could feel that the talk with Warhawk had effected the other squadrons. Before, they either didn't put their all into the practices with the Wonderbolts or did it over the top as if they were venting their frustration. But now she could actually feel a sense of co-operation and unity. Now she actually felt like she could put her trust in them as well as her fellow 'Bolts.

The uplifting feeling carried on into the mess hall. Once, the Bolts were isolated from the rest of the crews and airmanes but now they mingled and conversed. Cliques and groups were still apparent. Wingponies sat together and squads were always within earshot but it seemed a whole lot less abrasive.

As Dash climbed into her bunk, she sighed happily at the result of the evening. She was about to dose off when she felt a kick from below her. She looked over the edge to see Dust smiling back up at her, “Somepony is looking pretty happy. Everyone getting along puts you in a good mood?”

Dash smerked and rolled back on her back to look back at the flat ceiling above her. “It's a.. Loyalty thing, ya know?”

Dust let out a slow 'Ooohhhh' as she realized what Dash meant. “Right, your Element. Hey, what is it like?” When Dash only replied with 'Huh?', Dust explained, “I heard that when you go all Elemental, you get all sorts of magical stuff going on around ya. So.. what is it like?”

Dash was quiet for a long time at the question, trying to find the right words. After so long that Dust thought she went to sleep Dash spoke slowly and softly, working her hooves like it would help her form the words, “It's like.. giving every fiber of yourself to another pony.. and yet.. having them fill you until you are overflowing with themselves. There's no sense of it being just me working with them. But that we are all together as one.” She looked at her hooves for a long time before asking, “Does that make any sense?”

With a snort, Dust replied, “Nope, but that's magic for ya. G'night Dash. See ya in the mornin!”

Rainbow Dash nodded and said, “Ya.. I'll see ya...” She turned her head to the wall against her bunk, a picture of her friends during a picnic taped against it. She gently pressed her hoof against the photo and whispered, “I'll see you soon.”

A bright flash and Dash was left rubbing her eyes, trying to get the spots out of it. “Oh dear, Darling did you need to turn the flash up so high. I should have worn my sunglasses.” Rarity? That was her voice. As Dash's eyes cleared she looked over to see the familiar white unicorn screwing her eyes to get them clear.

“Sorry, Rarity. But don't worry about the glasses. I would hate to not see your beautiful eyes.” That was Spike. The young dragon making goo-goo eyes at Rarity even as a purple glow envelops his camera and lifts it away.

Rainbow Dash felt elation. She was back home on the green grass of Ponyville sitting with all her friends. She wanted to hug them all and say how much she missed them, but all that came out of her mouth was, “It wasn't his fault, Rarity. If you hadn't worn such a big hat, we wouldn't have all this shade around us.” Dash chuckled, Applejack next to her joining in.

Rarity gave a fake pout like she was hurt by the comment. “Oh Dash, I must insist on it though. Hats at parties are all the rage this season. Especially with the weather being exceptionally warm this season from Celestia's sun. Though I wish, Twilight, that you could give us a heads up when she plans to do this.” Rarity gave her best pleading eyes but only got a shake of the head from the purple alicorn.

“Sorry, Rarity, but Celestia insists,” Twilight said as she fiddled with the camera. “There is a balance to be kept and part of that balance is to not give too much forewarning to events like this. She told me once that she did so and everypony panicked and over-watered their lawns and crops. Killing them dead before the Sun even hit it's full stride.”

“Ah remember that!” Applejack spoke after chugging a bottle of apple juice. “I heard they had to get some water re-routed from the sea. Didn't know it was possible to take the salt out of it.”

“It's a really fascinating process,” Twilight started, getting that familiar glimmer in her eye when she has a chance to teach something. “They take the water and pour it into-”

Dash couldn't take it, “Hey Fluttershy!” The sudden call sent the shy pegasus cowering under her pink bangs. She hated to put her shy pegasus friend on the spot, but anything was better than Twilight droning on. “How are your animals handling the heat?”

Fluttershy perked up at the chance to talk about her animals. “Oh, well, they are doing swell. There is a nice pond near the Everfree that we sometimes visit so they can cool off, and plenty of shade for them to relax under. Thank for you helping with that again, Applejack.”

Applejack tipped her hat, “Twas notin'. You give an Earth Pony two pieces of wood and some nails and she'll build you your dream house.”

Fluttershy tiled her head, “I don't need a dream house, but thank you for building those lovely awnings for my critters.”

There was a moment of quiet all around which let Dash look around at all her friends, smiling warmly at all of them as they returned it in kind. Up until she saw Pinkie Pie who was just staring at her while sucking on the straw of her drink. “Pinkie Pie, you are really quiet for some reason.”

Pinkie took a long drag out of her drink before letting it go. “Oh well I have a WHOLE BUNCH I want to talk about, but we don't have the time.”

Rainbow Dash tiled her head in confusion about to ask what was going on when suddenly Pinkie Pie's mouth opens wider than she ever saw it and let out a horrible sound. A cross between a buzzer and a horn. She was suddenly grabbed at the shoulder and shook, “Dash! Wake up!” Rainbow Dash looked to her side in sock as the face of Lighting Dust filled it. “Wake up! Scramble Order!”

All at once the picnic and her friends faded away to the dull grays of the ship interior, only Dust remaining next to her. Her body was already moving before her brain was fully awake, rolling off the bed and charging out of the bunk room and down the halls and stairs while a voice shouted over the intercom until it faded away into the din of the rumbling of hooves on metal. “Scramble Scramble! Angel Three Zero. Confirmed One Five Zero Bandits. Confirmed One Zero Boogies. All Fliers to the Hanger, all crew to their posts. Scramble Scramble! This is not a Drill. This is not a Drill. Repeating! All Scramble. Enemy Spotted at Angel Three Zero...”