Tales of the Wonderbolts

1

The sky-blue mare looked up, internally groaning as her team’s escort flew over to introduce themselves. Only the bronze one was unfamiliar to her - the rest she’d gotten to know quite well while they defended her Ci Squadron.

She smiled at the sight of Thunder. If she liked anypony on that team of misfits, it would be him. He was normal, at least. Not to mention always very polite. A twang of sympathy coursed through her as she remembered his fragile heart. Bolt Buck was a sweetie too, she decided, though he could be a little... uncoordinated. Especially with his lightning.

Near those two was that detestable pig of a pony known as Comet Streak. Just the other day, that birdbrain had trashed a few of the surplus stalls on base while trying to impress another weather mare. With a malicious disgust, she had hoped he’d broken his wing and lay grounded, at least for a while.

What made it all the worse was her very own lieutenant had developed a silly filly’s crush on that numbskull. Speed Star’s eyes would sparkle every time that barely-flying alcohol disposal came zipping by. No matter how many times Jetstream asked her why that colt in particular when there were so many... nicer ones, she’d only retort that she wanted to settle Comet Streak down.

“It’s no fun when it’s not a challenge.” Her mind never changed on this matter. Jetstream only hoped that her friend’s heart wouldn’t get broken by that smooth talking, but far less smooth flying stallion

No such luck with the wing, Jetstream sighed. Her eyes were drawn back to that slender figure of bronze as he brought his team down on top of their cloud. A very small part of her even wanted to declare him ‘cute’, though that could have just been because he was a new face. Still, let him make the first move, as he undoubtedly would. The stallions always did.

2

A million thoughts raced through Starfire’s brain as he touched down on the cloud, locking his golden eyes with the weather captain’s own icy-blue pair. He found it was a tight balance to not just let himself fall into those pupils that returned a barely interested gaze.

The aroma wafting off of her didn’t help his cause any as its invisible tendrils tantalized his nostrils. When he was just a young foal on his daddy’s farm, he would gallop through the nearby meadow, reveling in the sensation of the rain hitting his back and the wet grass soaking his hooves. The accompanying, unique smell of a spring day’s light shower was always his favorite for its simple purity.

The exact same smell surrounded her now.

He straightened out, clearing his throat and trying to maintain a professional composure while the rest of the team landed behind him. “I’m Starfire,” he said, reaching a hoof out and holding his haze. “I was just appointed captain of the Thunder Chasers.”

“Jetstream,” she replied, taking his gruff hoof in her dainty one. “Captain of Ci Squadron, Weather Patrol.” Well, he’s polite at least. I wonder if he’s easily stirred... “Thunder!” She pushed past Starfire and gave her steel friend a comfortable hug. “How are you, sweetie?”

He returned the embrace much as a brother would hug his sister. “As fine as I ever am.”

Starfire gave a lopsided grin as he looked upon the two. “So you’re familiar with each other?”

Either her plan had failed, or else he just didn’t get annoyed. “Yes,” she confirmed, “you’re the only one who’s unfamiliar around here.”

“Ah,” he replied, catching a movement to his left. He cow-kicked out, landing Comet Streak square in the shoulder.

“Ow! What the hay!” Comet snapped, glaring at his Captain.

Starfire gave an apologetic look to his female counterpart. “If you’ll excuse me.” In a flash, he turned his attention on Comet Streak, who visibly jumped at the sudden movement. “Stop being a birdbrain for the mares and focus! Stand at attention until I tell you to move or you’ll be running laps with your wings tied!”

“Hey!” one of the mares piped up.

“Speed Star,” Jetstream gazed at her lieutenant sternly, “stay yourself.”

“Aw, c'mon Captain! Just let me sock him once," she said, cracking her neck.

"Feisty... I like that in a mare," Comet smirked, slicking his mane back with a wing. "C'mon, you know you liked that stunt."

"Yeah, about as much as having a screw drilled into my head," she said sarcastically, causing a few of the other cadets to laugh.

"That can be arranged... but not in the way you're thinking," Comet said with a dirty look in his eye. It took Speed Star a moment to register what exactly he meant, and suddenly her face flushed such a deep red that it almost matched Comet's coat. He would have said something else if a hoof hadn't suddenly swung out and hooked him right in the jaw, sending him flat to the cloud.

"Okay...that I'll allow," Jetstream chuckled. "Move out, cadets." The group began to disperse, Speed being the first one to get away from him.

Why did I hit him!? Why would I DO that to someone I like so much!? All he did was make a dirty joke! C'mon, Speed you gotta grow up! she yelled internally as she quickly flew off in an attempt to hide her blush.

3

Comet looked up at her, watching Speed Star fly off as he held a hoof to his jaw. "Yeah, she totally digs me."

Starfire ran a hoof across his face, breathing deeply to calm down. “For the love of Celestia, Comet. Is being insufferable your special talent?”

"I'll tell you what's insufferable: letting a cute mare like that get away. Nice going, 'Captain,'" Comet said, glowering at him.

If ever in his life Starfire were to have an aneurism, it would have been at that very moment. Up to his last days on Equestria, he’d still swear he felt a blood vessel burst in the back of his head. “I... was just... trying to establish... relations,” he said slowly, taking deeper breaths and grinding his teeth. A lifetime in Fort Hayvenworth would have been worth it just to kill this cocky cadet.

“Hey now,” Comet said, giving a cheeky grin, “I was just trying to establish relations too.”

"Comet... get out of my sight... before I do something I won't regret," Starfire growled, his face flushing a bright red from anger.

"Suit yourself. I'm gonna go see where that cutie went... Maybe you wouldn't be such an ass if YOU had a mare," he said. His eyes went wide as his commander finally snapped, lunging at him. Comet tore off into the sky, Starfire in hot pursuit. "HEY, HEY, I WAS JUST KIDDING!"

"WE'LL SEE WHO'S KIDDING WHEN I'M WEARING YOU LIKE A BOOT!" Starfire roared, his vision blurring out at the edges as the thought of mashing Comet into paste filled his mind.

Shit, he's gaining! I gotta kick it up! Comet thought, pushing himself into high gear and rocketing off. Starfire still dogged him, slowly gaining speed.

"I'LL GET YOU! I'LL GET YOU, YOU ARROGANT SACK OF CRAP!" He raged, growing ever closer to his prey.

Little did they know they had been gaining altitude for a good while at this point, a group of cadets watching the altercation from below. Speed Star had rejoined on Ci Squadron, having since calmed down.

"What's going on?"

"Comet finally pissed off the Captain enough. He'd better hope Cap doesn't catch him."

Oh dear, please don't do anything stupid Comet... she thought.

When the two pegasi reached an altitude where they could no longer climb (or breathe), they both turned back. Comet felt himself accelerating far past any speed he had ever achieved, leaving Starfire in the dust. "Ohcrapohcrapohcrap!"

Without warning, a cone of bright red flame formed around Comet, turning him into an absurdly-fast line of flame descending from the heavens. The cadets on the ground watched in awe, Speed Star's jaw hanging slack off her face. As his speed only grew higher and higher, the flame changed from a deep red to a bright blue. A loud explosion cued a massive burst of speed, a star of blue flame expanding outward as feathers fell off his wings, trailing off into smaller streaks and burning up.

He looked just as his name implied - he had become a comet.

4

Son of a griffon! Starfire mouthed, levelling out and bleeding off his speed. Any normal pegasi (such as him) would have passed out by now from a pure vertical descent at such a high rate of speed. It had taken all he had just to pull up and stay conscious.

Either that birdbrain was crazy, suicidal, or he really could fly.

Starfire descended in a corkscrew, keeping a wide berth and leveling his breathing to compensate for the changing atmospheric pressure. After only a few minutes, he reached comfortable altitude and pulled straight again, keeping the blue fireball in his vision as it swept a wide lap and pulled into a horizontal spiraling loop, either to bleed off his own speed or else to simply show off.

Pfteh, Starfire spat, half impressed and half annoyed, he might not be so useless after a- A siren from the base below cut him off, blaring at its loudest. At first, Starfire thought it was just the earth ponies panicking about the fireball blazing in their air space, probably thinking it to be some Anhalter secret weapon.

But then he saw them: two squadrons incoming at a high rate of speed, both from the Sons of Sleipnir, Anhalter’s answer to Equestria’s R.E.A.F. Instinctively he scanned them for the signature scarlet which denoted The Baron, but it was nowhere to be found.

Just harassers, he thought, trying to formulate a plan. The R.E.A.F’s own fighters could easily drive them back, but they were still scrambling to get airborne, most still out of uniform.

Fulfill his squadron’s obligation and stick by the weather mares? Or let his Thunder Chasers get some valuable combat experience? It was a judgement call he’d have to make - and quick.

He’d settle for a compromise; half would fight and half would defend. Cupping a hoof to his mouth, he shouted downwards. “Thunder! Cloud Keeper! Bolt Buck! Stay with Ci Squadron, no matter what!” He saw them nod and take off. Taking a breath, he shouted again. “Speed Strike! Comet! To me!”. Speed Strike launched in his direction, but Comet... Starfire twisted his head. The throbbing blue fireball had dissipated back into a wine-red stallion, and that stallion was now on a singular intercept course with the Sons of Sleipnir.

That birdbrain can’t take on two squadrons by himself! A panic threatened to overtake Starfire, but he willed it away, instead covering his mind with the icy blanket of combat readiness. In one deep breath, time itself seemed to slow. He saw every flap of Comet’s wings; could make out individual faces poking out of the enemy’s suits. It was the feeling he relished most when being in the sky.

I’m coming, Comet, he told himself, pushing off as Speed Strike caught up with him. Comet would intercept well before Starfire could reach him.

Just keep ‘em busy.