Danger Zone

“What the hell are you doing here!?” Rainbow pointed accusingly at Lightning Dust. She hadn’t landed at the Wonderbolt Academy for more than a second before accosting the light green Pegasus that was the source of her animosity.

“The same thing you’re doing here. Wonderbolt training, duh.” Lightning Dust waved her hoof casually enough, but her face couldn’t help but betray the resentment she held for Rainbow Dash.

“How is that even possible? You were kicked out for being reckless and nearly getting my friends killed. You’re the last pony that should be considered for the Wonderbolts.” Dash’s scowl stiffened as a puff of steam jettisoned from her nostrils.

“Well, I guess when you have real talent, it’s just too terrible to let it go to waste. But then again, what would you know about talent?” Dust scowled back at Rainbow Dash, revealing a devilish smile to go along with it.

Spitfire stepped in between them.

“Alright you two, that’s enough,” she stuck her hooves out toward each of them to prevent the two ferocious mares from getting any closer.

“Spitfire, you can’t let a pony like her be a Wonderbolt.” Dash pointed indignantly to Dust again.

Spitfire joined their scowl party by adding one of her own; making her namesake all the more appropriate in that moment.

“Oh, I’m sorry Dash, I didn’t realize you were in charge here. By all means, any other demands you’d like to lay out for me?” Spitfire walked toward Dash with such an aggressive fervor that Dash retreated a few steps back.

“N-no ma’am. I didn’t mean to… I mean… it’s just that she’s…”

“When I want your opinion, newbie, I will ask for it. Do I make myself clear?”

Spitfire nearly butted her forehead against a very confused and terrified Rainbow Dash. Lightning Dust wondered if someone should step in between them. It certainly wasn’t going to be her. She knew she was on thin ice as it was and planned to be on her best behavior at all times. Seeing Dash get a good scolding didn’t hurt her mood, though.

“Very clear, ma’am,” Dash’s voice was soft and timid.

“What was that, cadet? I couldn’t hear you?” Spitfire pushed Dash back with her forehead this time.

“I said yes ma’am, Crystal clear!” Dash shouted so loud in Spitfire’s face, she was sure another reprimand was coming. She closed her eyes in anticipation.

“Good.”

Spitfire casually walked back to where she was standing between the two would be rivals.

“Now you two get your flanks over to the d-fac hall and get your barracks number assignments. They’ll be posted on the bulletin board. Lead and wing pony partners will be bunking together.”

“Yes ma’am.” Dust and Dash spoke simultaneously, however Dust was a bit more enthusiastic in her tone.

“Oh and just to give you two a heads up, you’ll be bunking together for the duration of this training session. Be sure to get better acquainted.”

Dash jumped over to Spitfire.

“What? You can’t make me bunk with her.”

Spitfire stomped her hoof on the cloud runway tarmac. Her face was red and steaming.

“Cadet, what did I just tell you?” Her yelling was more than a simple Drill Sergeant's shout. An exasperated growl was present in her voice and she could feel her teeth grinding together.

Dash backed off again and avoided eye contact.

“Cadet Rainbow Dash. My office. 5 minutes. If you're late, show yourself off of the premises.” Spitfire took off flying towards the administration building. She was afraid of where her temper might take her and needed to get as much distance between her and the cadets as possible. Dash lowered her head toward the ground.

“Serves you right for such direct Insubordination. I hope she throws you off the cloud and sends your sorry flank back to Ponyville with other special snowflakes.” Dust spit on the tarmac.

“Don’t even talk to me.” Dash kept her gaze on the ground. She was afraid that if she looked at Lightning Dust, she might try and strangle her. Dust just rolled her eyes.

“Oh so you're gonna give me the silent treatment for the whole training camp? That’s gonna be kinda hard if we're… what was it again? Oh yeah, roommates.”

Dash looked up and dared a glance at Dust's face. Their eyes met and you could almost run a conduit of electricity between their gazes.

“You’re dangerous, Lightning Dust. And I’m not gonna take my eyes off you for a second.” Dash followed suit with Spitfire and took off into the air.

“Yeah, well if you’re gonna check me out for that long you might as well enjoy the view.” Dust reared her flank up toward the direction of the airborne Rainbow Dash, giving her back side a rub with her hoof for good measure.

****

Rainbow Dash stared at the door to Spitfire’s office. The last time she’d walked through these doors, it was with righteous indignation that she resigned from the Wonderbolt Academy. This time there would be no pompous air to her entrance, no grandstanding or justification. She felt as if she had been sent to the principal’s office. Still, underneath her guilt of challenging Spitfire, Dash couldn’t help but feel justified all the same. What could possibly have possessed Spitfire to let an undisciplined pony like Lightning Dust come back to the academy? Did the peril that her friends went through not mean anything anymore? Maybe the only thing the Wonderbolts valued was winning after all. But if that was the case then…

Dash knew the subject was not open for discussion when she walked into the office. The air was thick and Spitfire’s eyes were glaring at Rainbow Dash from behind her desk. She barely noticed that Soarin was standing off to her right in the corner near the bookshelf. His gaze was more open and uncommitted. It was hard to tell exactly what was on his mind. Strange since he was usually an easy going guy and simple to read. Spitfire motioned to the chair in the middle of the room.

“Have a seat cadet.”

Dash obeyed and sat on the uncomfortable metal framed chair.

“I’m writing up a formal reprimand for insubordination.”

Dash wanted to say something in her defense, but her mouth had gotten her into enough trouble as it was today.

“Don’t you have anything to say in your defense, cadet? You’ve been more than open about your opinions so far today.” Spitfire opened her drawer and pulled out a clipboard that she facetiously attended to. She didn’t have any real paperwork to busy herself with at the moment but felt she needed the facade to distract her attention or Rainbow Dash might suspect how much this confrontation was troubling her.

“Am I allowed to speak?” Dash stared blankly at the top of the desk.

Spitfire cocked her eyebrow and looked up from her clipboard.

“Are you getting cute with me, Cadet?” Spitfire was prepared to jump to her feet and whip Rainbow with another verbal thrashing.

“No ma’am.” Dash spoke softly yet curt.

Seeing that there was no arrogance or pretense in Dash’s tone, for once, Spitfire’s anger subsided. She sighed and set her clipboard down.

“I can’t believe I have to say this to you of all ponies but… feel free to speak your mind, cadet.” Spitfire leaned back in her leather desk chair. The contrast in the quality of Rainbow and Spitfire’s seats was enough demonstrate the difference in their statuses. In Wonderbolt and military political affairs, Rainbow Dash was at a clear disadvantage.

“I just have one question.” Dash finally made eye contact with her superior. “Do you honestly believe that Lightning Dust is Wonderbolt material?”

Spitfire was taken aback by the question and her eyes darted for about a split second. Although Rainbow Dash was not normally a pony for subtle nuance or wordplay, Spitfire knew that her query was a loaded question. Dash wasn’t asking about Dust's skill, or competitive drive. She wanted to know if Spitfire felt Dust was worthy of being forgiven for her past actions, and consequently if the Wonderbolts were being self serving in their forgiveness.

“Absolutely.” Despite stalling for several seconds, Spitfire’s reply was as confident as it was brief.

“I see.”

Dash broke eye contact with Spitfire and glanced over to see Soarin’s reaction. Soarin’s expression remained unchanged. He had been more a part of the decorum than the conversation. Dash could feel herself holding back tears and wanted to leave the office as soon as possible.

“I’m sorry that I was insubordinate. It won’t happen again.”

Dash couldn’t understand why everypony was so casual about Lightning Dust. Dust had represented everything Dash had rejected about her past self. A pony who put accomplishment and competition over her friends and colleagues. A pony so driven by success that the lives of those around her didn’t even matter. A disposition she had hoped the Wonderbolts did not prescribe to. Now she wasn’t so sure. She had no choice but to resign again or trust Spitfire’s judgement.

“Apology accepted. You’re dismissed, cadet.” Spitfire watched as Dash quietly stood up and exited to the door. Before leaving, Dash turned around to say something.

“How do I… what should I do…” Dash struggled to express her worries into words. “What would you do?” She finally asked.

Spitfire pondered for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and saying,

“Just be you.”

Dash closed the door behind her. Spitfire buried her face into her hooves.

“‘Just be you.’ Solid advice I’d say, but maybe a little too dangerous when it comes to Rainbow Dash.” Soarin broke his silence at last.

“What the fuck do you want from me, Soarin? I’m a captain not a school teacher. I can’t hold anypony’s hand for them. Why can’t those two just deal with each other like professionals?” Spitfire picked up her clipboard again, but remembered she had no real use for it so she tossed it over her shoulder. It landed with a loud cracking sound on the floor.

“So much for acting professional, huh?” Soarin crossed his hooves and smirked.

“Shut up, doofus.”

“Are they really any different than when we got bunked together as reserves?” Soarin looked over to the far wall where there was a framed photo of Spitfire and Soarin saluting the camera together in cadet uniforms resting on the filing cabinet next to some other awards and accommodations.

“What do you mean?” Spitfire’s eyes followed his to the picture.

“Oh come on, you hated me in training camp. What did you call me? ‘Firefly’s little bitch?’”

Both of them chuckled.

“I mean, I wasn’t wrong was I?” Spitfire threw up her hooves.

“When Firefly made me your lead pony, she knew it was just the humbling experience you needed to learn how to be led before becoming a leader. You did to same thing for Dash last camp.”

Spitfire nodded in agreement.

“They’re so good Soarin. You and I could both drop dead and they could carry on this team for us easily. At least talent wise anyway.”

Spitfire shook her head as if she was having an argument inside her mind.

“Is that why you let her come back? Because she’s talented?”

“She’s not as bad as everypony seems to think she is. We are the Wonderbolts, for Celestia's sake, not unscrupulous talent vultures.” Spitfire shot back.

Soarin put up his hooves apologetically.

“Woah, woah, I didn’t say I disagreed with your call, but who exactly are you trying to convince right now?”

“There’s a lot of things I could use some convincing on.”

Spitfire stared at Soarin so long he started to get uncomfortable.

“What is it, Spits? I’m starting to wonder if there’s something in my mane.”

Spitfire smiled and bent her posture, allowing her shoulders to relax a little bit.

“Remember what Firefly used to say all the time?”

Soarin nodded.

“Yeah she’d say, ‘Soarin, I swear to Celestia, if you leave your flight suit on the locker room floor one more goddamn time…’”

Spitfire giggled and shook her head.

“No the other thing she said all the time. It was, ‘You can’t fly well unless you’re at least a little pissed off.’”

Soarin pointed his hoof at her.

“Oh yeah, and then I’d say, ‘I guess that’s why you’re so good, captain. You’re always pissed.”

Spitfire laughed out loud.

“And then she’d beat the living tar out of you. I can’t believe you never filed HR on her.”

“On the captain?” Soarin looked down and sighed with a boyish smile on his face, “Wouldn’t have dreamed of it.”

Spitfire narrowed her gaze suspiciously but kept smiling.

“You fucking love sick tool. I hope she left scars all under your fur.”

“You would know if she did.” Soarin’s grin grew.

Spitfire rolled her eyes.

“Do you think they’ll be able to keep it together, Soarin?”

The two of them stood quietly for a few moments.

“All I can say for sure is, this is going to be one hell of a ride.”

****

Mom,

I’m writing to let you know that I’m off to join the Wonderbolts again. Don’t worry, I know what you’re going to say and believe me, I’m going to slug that pompous Rainbow Dash in her stupid face the first chance I get. I don’t intend to get kicked out again, but if anything does happen this time, I will come home and find a job like I promised. I’m sorry that I had to run out on you again, but I was going to lose the apartment anyway and it’s not like fast food jobs are gonna get any shittier while I’m at camp. I hope you can wait for me just a little longer. If I score a spot on the Bolts I swear I’m gonna buy you a Manehattan high rise flat with a view of Filly Liberty like you always wanted. Give Dr. Heart Strong my regards and let him know that if he mixes up your medication again, I’m gonna kick his new dentures out so that they look like the last set. And if the hospital wants an update on when the next payment is coming, let them know the next check will be signed with a Wonderbolt stamp.

Love you Mom,
Dust