Soarin hummed happily to himself as he put his uniform in his locker. He was going to meet a friend at Cloudsdale's best patisserie, one that was famous for its apple pie. He had been looking forward to it all day - the very thought of chowing down on that sweet delectable goodness had got him through the six hours of rehearsal. The Wonderbolts had spent the entire day practising the same manoeuvre, called the “Falling Leaf”, over and over again. It was not particularly difficult in itself – the challenge lay in perfectly coordinating their movements. It was like making ten pendulums swing simultaneously, with exactly the same amplitude and period, exactly the same rate of descent, and the exact positions in the sky. The constant stopping and starting required to make the "falling leaf" effect had begun to cramp up his muscles. The end result will undoubtedly be fantastic to watch; however, there were still many hours of practice required to make it flawless.
He trotted out the building's back exit. This took him past the grassy practice field, avoiding the main entrance. He was keen to get to the patisserie as soon as possible, and did not want to be delayed by his teammates as they thronged into the foyer. As he was running through the menu options in his mind, he heard a swooshing noise overhead. Curious, he looked up. A multicoloured blur caught his eye. It was the newbie, Rainbow Dash! Soarin paused to look more closely. Why was she still here?
As he watched, Rainbow Dash flew straight upwards. She rose higher and higher, above the afternoon sun low in the western sky. At the level of the cirrus clouds, she stopped. She paused for a bit, then slowly began her swinging descent. Her body drifted down, her wings held level as she glided from side to side. The manoeuvre looked deceptively simple - as if she were riding on a changeable breeze. However, Soarin knew her muscles were straining in an effort to maintain a controlled pendulum motion. It was a wonder she had the stamina to keep practising after all the run-throughs they had done that day.
Halfway through her descent, she suddenly halted, let out a frustrated-sounding growl, and shot upwards. Again, she paused at the top. Again her body relaxed into a descent, then tensed as she repeated the swinging paths. Once more, it was not satisfactory. Soarin watched as she reattempted the exercise - speeding upwards and drifting downwards repeatedly, each try getting shorter and shorter, as she grew more and more frustrated. Eventually, she ceased her attempts, lowered herself to the ground and flopped back on the grass. She lay there, limbs spread-eagled, breathing heavily.
Soarin was unsure if he should approach her. He had been working closely with her as part of the Wonderbolts for only a few weeks, but he had previously been a direct witness to her stubborn dedication. If that pony was determined to do something, there was no stopping her. She would practise, practise, practise, until she literally dropped out of the sky. He figured her rough and rocky debut on the team had only served to strengthen her resolve. She would perfect that move, if it were the last thing she would do.
Rainbow Dash had made a name for herself ever since she had won the Best Young Flyer competition in Cloudsdale two years ago with her Sonic Rainboom. Since then, she had blazed her way into the world of aerobatic and speed flying, with her performance in the Equestria Games relay team, followed by her Wonderbolt debut at Princess Celestia’s royal garden opening. After she joined the reserves, the team had been watching her as she sat on the sidelines, knowing that she was at the top of the list and would be joining them once a spot opened up. It was like a release of pent-up pressure when Fire Streak retired. Everypony had been looking forward to her first day on the team. It almost did not matter that, in her desperation to prove herself, her ego had broken through her nervousness and she had crashed down to earth in a rather spectacular fashion. Even though her coping mechanisms were sometimes over-the-top, they were also understandable.
Soarin knew ponies who found her self-confidence intolerable. Admittedly, he had been rather taken aback when he had first encountered it, but over time it had become like her signature. Her wide-eyed, childlike excitability when one of her long-held dreams had been fulfilled was also rather endearing. She was earnest and idealistic. Her belief in the Wonderbolt Dream was inspiring, particularly in the face of the most gruelling training sessions. Nothing was too hard for Rainbow Dash, and no challenge could stand in her way.
Being near somepony who believed in their own abilities to such an extent stirred up strange feelings in Soarin. Although he had been a Wonderbolt for close to four years now, and was the second-in-command, there were still moments when he was amazed to be where he was in life. As a young colt, he had been good at flying, but had lacked the confidence to put himself out there. His flying instructor saw potential in him and had endeavoured to convince him to enter competitions. Even as his trophy cabinet steadily filled with prizes, he continued to doubt his own abilities. He did love flying, but it always seemed as if he were waiting for the dream to end. When that day came, he would accept it graciously, and be thankful for the time he had been given with such an amazing team. Some ponies were disparaging of his humble attitude, thinking it out of place in a Wonderbolt, let alone in a second-in-command. However, his sheer dedication to his training and natural talent were enough to silence most of his detractors. What’s more, they earned Spitfire's respect, although she often bulldozed over his humble personality with her more forceful one.
Soarin started slightly when Rainbow Dash sat up in the grass. His thoughts had drifted away from him, like the breeze that blew gently past. The late afternoon sun caught the brilliant colours in her mane and tail, transfixing his gaze. She stood up, head held high and posture regal. In those few seconds, Soarin could not look away. She shot upwards again, a rainbow blazing behind in her wake. This time, rather than coming to a halt in the sky, she continued flying. Her path curved into an arc, the seven different colours overlaying the pale blue dome above. Soarin forgot himself for a moment - his eyes were full of the sight in front of him.
He came-to only when he realised that Rainbow Dash had flown away. The arc slowly faded into the sky, which was turning a pale lavender as the day drew to a close. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. His mind felt foggy and his legs were cramping from remaining in the same position. The gurgling of his stomach brought him back to earth. How long had he been standing there, having forgotten about his original destination? What was the time, anyway? The sun was setting - oh no! Had the patisserie already closed? His apple pie!
In a panic, Soarin took off into the sky, his previous musings forgotten for the time being. They would not, however, fade from his mind altogether.
