Chapter 1 - First Warm Up / Plans
11AM Canterlot Derby Warm Up
The team flies swiftly across the cloud track course, with Spitfire being in the lead as always. Nothing could stop a mare like her for even once in her life. She turns her head to Fleetfoot. "Hey Fleet, you won't be gaining on me like you always do!" Fleetfoot is too focused on the course, to even notice her friend calling her from just a short distance away. She felt alive flying, as the wind swept through her mane.
Fleet's ears perk. "Wait a minute, no you won't. Not this time Spit! You won't beat me again as you always did before!"
Spitfire sticks her tongue out. "Heck yeah, I will!"
"Hell no". Fleet turned in front of Fire Streak and his brother. After a second, she flies past Soarin who is behind Surprise. Finally catching up to her competitive friend, she immediately flies past her, as fast as her wings can take her.
Spitfire's eyes widen, she never expected her own best friend to fly ahead of her. She's always normally in the lead, when it came to leading flight practices back in the past. This was nothing like the pleasant ole times. She pauses, then she puts her two hooves to her muzzle, to call her from a short distance. "Hey, I'm the one who's usually in the lead. Not you!"
Fleetfoot turned around to see who's calling her. "Not this time butterfly, better luck next time!"
Spitfire jolts in surprise at the sudden nickname. "Butterfly?! Really Fleetfoot?”
“Laugh out loud, Surprise also calls you that. Now you’re hearing it from me”, Fleetfoot said, sticking her tongue out too. Spitfire could only roll her eyes at that remark.
Soarin's ears perk as he hears his two closest pals arguing like foals again. He brushes it off and continues making his second lap around the track. Soar eventually flies fast enough back to the starting point, he pants after being exhausted from his first one. ‘I’m never flying two laps like that again, I’m doing it way too quickly. I'm slightly dizzy’. He thought to himself.
He goes to rest on the vacant bleachers of the Derby. After Soar takes his desired seat - a seat in the most outer position - he decides it’s a splendid idea to jokingly mock Spitfire and Fleetfoot.
“Spit! Fleet! You two better act like the adults you are!”, he shouts from the bleachers in a mocking tone. "You're not ten year old fillies anymore!"
"SOARIN! WE'RE GONNA GET YOU FOR THAT!" both mares shout.
While Soarin, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot talk around like fools. The other team members focus on completing their second lap on the cloud track. They fly around past the starting point, containing the first marked red flag - before flying around back to the start to begin their second lap. The others immediately begin their second lap around the track. They eventually finish after flying all the way around the track.
"Terrific practice, guys", Misty Fly said. She, among the others, finished her second lap first. As the other members followed in pursuit, they too eventually finish their second round on the track.
“Woo, finally done with those ridiculous two laps!” Surprise shouts. She flies towards Misty and gives her a hoof bump, with Misty returning the same gesture.
“That was just a warm up guys”, Wave said to them, as he made his landing onto the bleachers.
“A warm-up?” the others said at the same time.
Every one face hoofs knowing this practice isn’t over yet. ’When is this practice going to be over?’ They all groan, knowing there is more to practice before the Grand Galloping Gala coming up.
Spitfire, being the understanding Captain and friend, notices all the groans and facehoofs. But brushes it off, knowing their new routine has to be perfect. “Fine everypony, we’ll take a break. But then it’s back to practice afterwards”, Spit declares to every pony.
"Yes!" everypony says at the same time. They then get up from the derby bleachers and immediately fly into the doors leading to the locker rooms.
"You only get 1 hour", Spit says before following them.
Ten minutes later, every pony arrives in the main locker room. They walk to the central part of the room where it has been furnished with: ten bean bag chairs, one vast sofa behind it, a shelf filled with assorted flight books and guides. Everypony slumps onto the comfortable furniture in an almost exhaustive struggling motion.
"Unbelievable Spit, you're only giving us an hour break?" Soarin groans at his closest friend, as he struggles to sit upright on the bean bag.
"We only always take 1 hour breaks every practice, it has become a routine for us", Spitfire says, rolling her eyes at her best friend and second-in-command. She's seen sitting in the seat opposite from Soar.
"Well, what do we gotta lose? Let's make this one hour break worth our time", Fleetfoot says determinedly, as she gets comfortable on the huge sofa.
Once every pony is comfortable, Spitfire decides to get straight to the discussion. "Ahem..", she says, as she puts a hoof over her mouth to adjust her voice. "..guys, now that I have everypony's attention. It's time we discuss the matter at this time. After that two lap flight warm-up we just did earlier, the purpose of this warm up is to help us mentally - and physically - prepare us for a new routine to work on".
Every members' mouths hang ajar, as they stare at their Captain feeling stumped. 'What new routine and why the two lap warm up?' Is what the other members seem to be wondering.
Spit looks at every pony as she tries to hold back a laugh. "Anyways, as you can see. Our General has been working on a new routine recently for the Gala's opening touch. She calls it the Firework Flash. It is a somewhat complex routine where it require us to fly in a circle once, falcon dive a few feet below the sky, then we fly together up into the sky as a group. So, in order to create a firework illusion, half of us will have to fly west - while the others have to fly down southeast".
Spitfire took a short breath before gulping down some water she lay beside her. All that talking about their routine made her very thirsty.
Everypony sitting down became speechless. After the mention of a new routine to work on for the Gala's opening, every team member felt anxious about it. 'This new routine is sure gonna be different than the ones we worked on years prior'.
Once Spit seems to be done gulping down water from her water bottle, she still sees her other companions sitting there in thought - speechless.
"What has gotten into you guys?", the captain asks her fellow Bolts, as she raises a brow.
Fleetfoot, among them, is the first one to speak up. "Isn't a new routine kind of sudden for such a prestigious occasion?"
Spitfire gives Fleet a look of skepticism. "Save that question for General Thundershine. You ask her why she chose the Firework Flash."
"Oh come on! Why do I need to ask her?!" Fleet groans.
"She told me to spread the news to every pony. It's not my fault she's not physically here to announce this wonderful news herself", Spit said.
Soarin decides to pitch into the conversation. "Why does that flight trick sound so familiar?" He then grabs a book titled: Choreography in Flight from the shelf - authored and coauthored by generations of members on the team. Soarin skips more than ten pages of the book, until he finally finds Thunder's section.
He takes his time to read her section of the book.
Page 201: Choreography in Flight
Firework Flash
Written on June 10, 2010.
To whomever is reading my section in the book, you have come to look into the right page. Dear wonder bolt, do you wanna know how this trick came to be?
Well, lemme share my story behind this. You see, I was but a mere young filly when I created this routine. I had joined the junior bolts a year prior. As part of our so called "entrance exam" to be able to join the Junior Wonderbolts , we had to create a routine that would blow away the minds of the Cap back then.
He (yes, it was a he), Wind Rider was the captain and instructor who was hosting this so called "entrance exam." When I encountered him for the first time, I shivered from my head to my hooves. He was the best of the best, a legend - but a very strict, stern drill instructor. He looked to be in his past 50s during my time. He hadn't retired yet when I joined.
I remembered as every pegasus took their turns to try and impress such a stern ole stallion, I was scared for the life of me. Two questions rang in my mind; will he like my routine that I practiced everyday for a month? Will I not make it in?
Like my older brothers, Blue Streak and Easy told me: "Little sis, you got this!" I will never forget the support I received from them. Thanks big bros.
By the time my name was called, I was nervous. But at the same time, ready to give it my all! I flew once in a circle, falcon dived a few feet almost mid ground - then flew back up quickly as my lightning trail blazed behind me - as I flew up, I spun like a top five times all the way up before making myself fly upside down. Once I was upside down, I flew down at full speed forming my trail of lightning again. I was midway to the ground, I flew again at full speed back up to the azure sky as a slight breeze blew my blue mane.
I loved it! The adrenaline. The speed. It was my worthwhile!
As I was about to make it up halfway to the stratosphere, I flew down at a speed I only ever did, once in my life. I closed my wings to quicken the speedway flight down. I continued diving down with my wings still closed. Once I was halfway close to a Birds Eye view of the academy, I first flew west, twirled once more, then flew back slightly downward before flying southeast in a twirl again.
Afterwards, I let my tail spin in a circle to generate an illusion of sparks. I flew from the southeast part of the sky past the horizon. With my trail still active, I finally flew in various directions to form the pattern of a firework. I then picked up speed and flew back upward. To my realization, I looked behind me and saw the sparks exploding. I twirled for the last time in various directions again as the firework flashed and sparked. I ended my performance towards my future captain/instructor with a bow. When I was done, I walked off back to where other future cadets were waiting.
After that nerve racking performance, I waited among the others to find out who would be selected. I heard a drum roll by one of the academy workers. One seconds. Two seconds. Three seconds; the seconds kept counting down. I saw Wind Rider walking down the nicely formed isle of us with an eyebrow raised. He looked at every pony, one by one, intently. I had thought to myself. 'Please do not let it be me.'
But it happened, I was the first one to be selected. I was shocked. Surprised. Confused. A voice was telling me. 'Thundershine, you finally made it into the Junior Wonderbolts. You worked hard from day one, you earned it'.
"Congratulations, first Cadet Thundershine", Wind Rider told me. I saluted my new captain and instructor, as he did the same.
As I write this section for future pegasai who want to join the Bolts, I implore you to follow your passion. If you want to join, I would tell you to go for it. Life in Equestria is short. I know I didn't go into too much detail about what happened after being the first female selected. But there's still more to tell you in person. I end my section here, I will be looking out for you future wonderbolts!
It took Soarin twenty five minutes to finish reading Thunder's written section. All the others were staring at him dumbfounded, wondering why it took him the past 20 - 25 minutes to finish one section and page of a book on flight choreography.
"Somepony's a s-l-o-w reader", Surprise said cheekily.
"I can spell, Surprise. You know I'm not dumb", Soarin said slightly disappointed at his second closest friend.
"It's honestly true, Soarin. You are a slow reader. Your family already knows that about you", she said with an obvious tone.
"My big brother too, grea-", he says almost sarcastically. As Soar's about to express his sarcastic side towards Surprise, he gets interrupted by Spitfire.
"Can you and Surprise express sarcasm after practice, please?" Spit tells them firmly.
"Yes ma'am!" Soar and Surprise say at the same time. Both of their ears droop in fear. With Spitfire expressing satisfaction at that response, she smiles. "That's better you two".
"Anyways Soar, what were you able to find out? Did you read anything that could be important?" Wave Chill asks.
Soarin closes the book, then turns to face his older brother. "Well, I was actually able to read the part where she explains how her routine goes. There's more than one move to follow".
"Good to know. But when do we actually get started?"
"Our break's almost over anyways", their captain mentions, as she looks at the wall clock. The time shows a quarter to noon. "We can start at noon".
"Noon?!" every pony says. Their stomachs rumble, even though they had an early brunch.
"Grab a snack bar on the way out. There's a box full of them right by the door, on a podium to your right", Fleet says to everyone. "Got it".
"Cap, what else do we have on the agenda?" everyone asks.
Spitfire grabs a marker sitting on the ledge of the whiteboard, with her wing. "Let's write it down, so we won't forget". She slightly flies to the white board in front of where every pony is sitting - and starts writing.
Practice Agenda:
- master the basics of the firework flash (the falcon dive, amount of times to twirl at the beginning, mid and end; the tailspin technique to generate a spark, learn the grand finale.)
- direct everyone what direction to fly to: west and southeast
- break when needed
After Spitfire writes down everything they need to work on, she puts the dry erase marker down. "Done". The team takes the time they need to read the agenda. They're in for an intense practice.
