“Fucking bullshit!”
Lightning Dust punched her bed frame over and over again until the wood started to separate at the joints. Her throat was scratchy and parched from screaming for the past 20 minutes or so. Tear tracks on her cheeks had dried and retreaded and dried again. Her Las Pegasus studio apartment looked like it had been ransacked. The drawers from her dresser had been tossed in random directions. Anything sitting on a counter or nightstand was knocked off or thrown across the room. Her ceiling fan had two broken blades and was barely hanging by the electrical wires. The wall that used to be a collage of Wonderbolts posters and memorabilia had been, for the most part, ripped down. Severe scratches were dug into the drywall from when she had torn them down with excess force. There was no way she was getting the deposit back on this place.
She stood right in front of a poster of Spitfire that was ripped down the middle of the lead Wonderbolt’s face. The remaining half had a fresh wad of spit running down Spitfire’s cheek.
“You bitch,” Lightning Dust spoke directly to the halved captain. “You fucking bitch, you whore, you cunt!” Dust swiped her hoof across the poster as if she were smacking Spitfire.
“I did everything you asked. I did everything you told me to do. What do you want from me?” Dust appeared to be waiting for the poster’s response.
“To go away, I guess. You just wanted me to go away, even then. I was just an annoying little shit to you so you lied. You lied so that I would go away and leave you alone.” Resigned to repeating herself, she leaned forward hitting her head against the wall and supported her weight against it.
Dust pictured a little filly from a long time ago. The filly looked up in the sky with awe as the legendary Wonderbolts soared with ease, leaving thick smoke trails in their wake. Their speed challenged the imagination and the grace of their movements was like watching angels slice the sky. After the show, the foal waited in line for hours to meet the majestic fliers and have them autograph her 5x8 photograph. She had saved up for four months to buy the overpriced ticket and picture, but it had been worth every single bit just be there and bask in their presence.
Spitfire signed the filly's picture with a smile and thanked her for being such a good fan. The overwhelmed child was barely able to form an audible reply, but just managed to whisper,
“When I grow up, can I be a Wonderbolt too?”
Spitfire leaned back in her chair with a crooked smile,
"Only the best can be a Wonderbolt, so you're gonna have to be the best. If you work hard everyday to improve yourself and hone your flying skills, then one day…” Spitfire motioned to the sky over the arena, “It could be you up there."
Standing alone in her studio apartment, Lightning Dust repeated Spitfire's words verbatim. Every emphasis and cadence memorized and recited perfectly.
"Lies, fucking lies... bitch." Tears followed the same tracks as their predecessors down Dust's cheeks and onto the floor.
Her doorbell rang.
"The fuck?" She wasn't expecting anyone. She wiped her face with her hoof and answered the door. A mail pony stood in front of her with a mail bag on his shoulder and a letter in his hoof.
"Are you Lightning Dust?" He seemed taken aback by the state of her apartment.
"Yeah that's me." She responded a little sheepishly. She was too tired to express any attitude she was feeling toward the unwelcome guest. The mail pony handed her the letter and walked away.
Dust opened the letter automatically without a thought. Receiving another mounting bill was just the thing she needed to complete her terrible mood. When she unfolded the paper, the letterhead at the top of the document gave her pause. It was the Wonderbolt's insignia. The contents of the letter were very short.
Second chances don't come by very often and never stick around long. If you want yours, be at the Wonderbolt Academy Monday morning at 8am sharp in dress.
-Spitfire
****
“Hey Dash, what’s going on?”
Rainbow Dash saw Spitfire walking toward her at the edge of Ponyville. Dash was just about to take flight toward the Wonderbolt Academy for the first time since her initial training stint.
“Spitfire?” Dash was surprised to see her on this side of Equestria. Spitfire chuckled and mustered a disingenuous frown.
“What, I’m not allowed to check in on my most promising cadet every now and then?” Spitfire winked and nudged Dash with her elbow. Dash shrugged her shoulders and smiled back with a tinge of overconfidence.
“Well I guess I can’t blame you. I am quite a sight to behold.”
Spitfire shook her head.
“Dash, it’s a good thing your wings can back up that mouth of yours or you would see your flank in trouble a lot more.”
Dash reared up on her hind legs and stretched out her hooves and wings while giving an exaggerated yawn.
“Speaking of my three best qualities, I was just about to head over to camp for my advanced Wonderbolt reserve training. Shouldn’t you already be there like… getting things ready or something?”
Spitfire waved her hoof dismissively.
“Don’t worry, camp doesn’t start until tomorrow. Plus I thought you could use some company on the flight over.”
Rainbow raised her eyebrow.
“Wouldn’t that kind of look like favoritism if we showed up together?”
Spitfire took off from the ground with the speed of missile but immediately relaxed into a hovering pattern in front of her cadet. Dash was impressed by how smoothly Spitfire had transitioned from a full speed take off.
I’ll have to work on that move, Dash thought to herself.
“Look, Dash. I’m not saying we’re going to play favorites from here on, but the time for egalitarian ‘everypony gets a fair shot’ jargon ends after the first training camp. Now it’s all about grooming the best fliers we have to be suitable additions to the Wonderbolt team. And that means we focus on the ponies with the most potential.” Spitfire pointed directly at Dash. Rainbow’s face lit up like a foal looking at a towering birthday cake. Her eyes glistened over her gleeful grin.
“Now get your flank in gear, rookie, and try to keep up with me. I wanna see if your all Dash and no stamina.”
Rainbow’s expression changed as quickly as Spitfire’s flight pattern to a fierce look of raw determination.
“Yes ma’am!” She saluted the captain and took off as fast as her commander had. But before Dash even left the ground, the captain was already accelerating into the afternoon sky.
Spitfire narrowed her gaze as the the g forces took toll on her slim figure. She climbed higher and higher at an astounding speed. Which made her all the more amazed when a cerulean blur jetted past her, leaving a rainbow prism in its wake that blinded Spitfire’s view of the horizon. Not allowing her surprise to overcome her, but perhaps pride instead, she thrust her wings with greater force than before; using her knowledge and flight experience she rode the natural thermal waves coming off the warm summer air currents. With relative ease, Spitfire caught back up to Rainbow Dash in a few moments.
“That was quite a take off, newbie.” Spitfire commented to Dash, their wings almost touching as they flew in a tight formation.
“Meh, I’d say that was about average.” Dash shot back.
Spitfire felt simultaneously impressed and annoyed by the hubris of her most capable cadet.
“Yeah, well we’ll see just how ‘average’ you are after 100 kilometers at this pace.”
Dash’s eyes widened.
“You want to keep this pace for 100 kilometers?” Dash was used to sprinting and testing her top speed, but unless she was specifically training for a race she usually didn’t fly super fast for extended periods of time.
“Did I stutter newbie? Consider it an order.” Spitfire took a sizable lead on Rainbow Dash. Dash knew she had to follow suit or face the consequences later. Her wings, hind quarters, and back muscles were already starting to burn a little bit from stress of high speed flight.
Dash made a concerted effort to keep the pace, but after about 30 minutes it was obvious that she was running out of steam. While still flying next to Spitfire, her appearance was the complete opposite of her captain. Spitfire looked calm and stoic, as if she was flying on autopilot with her wings engaged by some unseen engine or power source. Dash, on the other hoof, was sweating profusely. Her wing movements were erratic and she had to keep correcting her course to stay in formation. Fatigue had forced her to sacrifice all grace and technique just to keep going as her commanding officer had ordered her to do. Ironically, her sloppy flying caused her to expend more energy than Spitfire’s simplistic model of speed and efficiency. Spitfire broke her perfect form to chance a glance over at Rainbow Dash.
“Getting tired, newbie?” Hardly a question and more of an observation.
Dash tried to smile to cover her exhaustion.
“Tired? Are you kidding? I’m just getting started.”
Spitfire held her gaze with the flapping and gasping Rainbow Dash for a few more seconds before spreading her wings to catch the wind resistance and come to a near stop, hovering in mid air. Rainbow Dash copied her a second later.
“Take five Newbie. Land and stretch out your wings and hooves. I don’t want you getting a cramp on me. There’s a stream right down there so get some water too.” With professional precision, Spitfire descended down towards the waterfront she had mentioned.
“But I can still…” Dash started to protest when her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She dropped like a meteor to the fast approaching and unforgiving ground.
“Dash!” Spitfire shouted. She tucked in her wings and leaned forward into a sharp dive. She positioned herself under Dash, making her descent speed match the course of the falling flyer. As she reached out to take the unconscious Rainbow into her hooves, Dash suddenly awoke and corrected her descent into a glide. Her sudden movement jerked her body upwards and away from Spitfire. Both Pegasus ponies landed slowly in eerie silence.
“Nice save,” Spitfire offered.
“Tsk…” was all Dash could come up with. They each let a few heavy seconds of quiet pass.
“Look, Dash you…” Spitfire began but Rainbow interrupted.
“You don’t have to try and make me feel better. I couldn’t even follow a simple order like keep flying.” Dash kicked a rock into the river before sitting down to a much needed rest. Spitfire’s face turned red. She wasn’t sure if she was more angry or embarrassed.
“Who said I was going to make you feel better, newbie? And don’t interrupt your superior again.” Spitfire folded her hooves in contempt.
“Yes ma’am,” Dash replied void of enthusiasm.
Spitfire rolled her eyes.
“Oh come off the pity party already. It was an unfair test that I rigged against you. I knew you couldn’t keep it going for 100 kilometers. That was a taste of full Wonderbolt training. Something we haven’t subjected any of our cadets to yet.”
Dash looked over to Spitfire with a sideways smile.
“So I failed?”
“Failure wasn’t the point. I wanted to see what I had to work with when it came to your stamina. Frankly, I’m surprised you made it as far as you did. If you want to be in the Wonderbolts, know that sometimes we have to fly for hours on end and for multiple shows in a single day over a series of weeks depending on the length of the tour. Endurance is not just a necessity, it’s the very life of a Wonderbolt.”
Spitfire sat down next to Dash.
“Guess I still have a long way to go.” Dash threw another rock into the stream.
“Don’t let it get you down. In my tenure, I’ve only seen one other cadet who's self trained as hard as you have.”
Dash looked sharply at Spitfire.
“Who was that?”
Spitfire just sighed and looked out over the horizon. The afternoon sun was beginning to set.
“Dash, I don’t want to get your hopes up too high.” She faced away from Dash.
Rainbow stood up suddenly.
“Look, I know I’m not good enough yet, but I will be. I’ve trained my whole life for this and I’ll never slow down. I’ll train harder everyday. I’ll fly 1,000 kilometers at top speed if you tell me to; just give me a chance…” Dash held her hooves out desperately towards Spitfire.
“You don’t understand. I’m not worried about your skills or development. There’s another side to the Wonderbolt's you haven’t seen yet.” Spitfire rested her hoof on her cheek.
“Another side?”
Spitfire nodded.
“A political side. You see, the mane squad only has six spots. The reserves can be as many as we want but the actual team has to be exactly six. That’s tradition. And a spot on the team is for life. Unless a current Wonderbolt retires, nopony can make the squad. Doesn’t matter how much talent we have in the lower ranks.”
Spitfire sighed. Dash jumped to her feet.
“But I already knew that. I know I have to wait my turn. I can wait as long I need to.” Dash nodded her head to show her resolve.
Spitfire turned to face Dash. Her sharp, narrow eyes pierced straight through Rainbow’s stomach.
“Can you?” Spitfire shot back. “I’ve seen ponies talented and amazing, just like you, wait their whole careers for a spot to open up only to fly past their prime without ever getting a chance. Or be the number one prospect for years and then when a spot finally opens up, a new young upstart shows up and takes it from them. I hate to admit it, but as important as talent and skills are, timing and politics play an equal factor.”
Rainbow Dash swallowed hard and looked nervously at Spitfire. She couldn’t think of anything to say. It had never occurred to her that forces beyond her control could ever keep her from her dream of painting the sky with the Wonderbolts.
“I’m not saying this to scare you, Rainbow Dash. I just want you to be prepared for the worst. Besides, when a Wonderbolt does retire, the squad holds a vote to see who the successor will be. And when that day should come…” Spitfire smiled at Dash, making Rainbow feel at ease for the first time since she had landed. “I can’t think of anypony I would want on the bolts more than you.”
Rainbow felt her heart swell with pride. In fear of getting emotional she put on a tough face and saluted.
“You can count on me ma’am, I won’t let you down.”
Spitfire hopped up from her seat with spring and zeal.
“Good, cause we've still got about halfway to go and I want you flapping those wings until they fall off, do you understand me cadet?”
“Yes ma’am.” Just as Rainbow was going to take off, she felt a striking pain in her back calf muscle.
“Ow!” She keeled over, rubbing the sore spot.
“Damn it, cadet. What did I tell you about stretching and cramps?”
****
Author's Note
Cramps are a bitch. Now that I finally finished a story, it's time for a new one. Been wanting to do this one for a while.
No promises of any beach volley ball in the future. Tell me what you think in the comments, sugar cube 
“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
