Chapters Prologue: The Birthday Gift
1
"Blitz, honey, we're home!" Winter gently shut the cloud-door with her left hind leg while her husband took a few extra steps in before being tackled by a violet blur.
"Hi mom and dad!" Blitz beamed at both of his parents with eyes matching his amethyst coat, picking himself up off of the floor as his father did the same. "I got all my chores done already! I was about to take a nap when you got home." He yawned with a hint of exaggeration. His father gave their cloud home a once-over, then smiled down through his trimmed mustache.
"Well, son, it looks like you did an amazing job today," Blaze commented, proud of his son for the hard work. "I know we were too busy to get you a present for your birthday yesterday, but I hope this more than makes up for it."
"Aw, dad," Blitz twisted his hoof on the floor in embarrassment, his cheeks turning pink, "I don't need any gift. I've got everything I could want already!"
"Oh?" Blaze winked at his wife; her response was a grin. "I guess we'll just take this Wonderbolts Air Show ticket back then."
"Th-The Wonderbolts!?" Any embarrassment was immediately replaced with excitement. "You mean I get to see THE Wonderbolts live!? Tomorrow!?"
"Yes sir you do!" Blaze brought the ticket out of his saddlebag, letting it fall into his son's out-stretched hooves. "As a bonus, you get an entire day away from us. I already know for certain you know your way around Cloudsdale." He looked over at Winter, giving her a smirk and letting the added implication go straight over their son's head. And we get some time to ourselves. I'll give her my version of a Winter Wrap-Up . They both watched as Blitz hopped around the house, his birthday present gripped proudly in his mouth.
2
Blitz was tucked into his bed by his mother, but was still too excited to even think of sleeping. All around his room were various posters and pictures of the Wonderbolts. Above his bed on the ceiling hung individual posters of each pony, with Spitfire in the center.
"I can't wait! It's going to be so cool! What do you think they're like, mom!? I wanna see Spitfire! She's my favorite." He squeezed his Spitfire toy closer. Winter chuckled, kissing Blitz on the forehead.
"You'll just have to wait for tomorrow. But if you go to sleep now, tomorrow will be here before you know it."
"Aw, okay. I'll try. Goodnight mom, I love you. And dad too."
"I love you too, sweetie." She couldn't resist giving him another kiss on the forehead before walking out of the room. She placed an ear on the door, mentally counting down precisely when he'd fall asleep. Sure enough, when her mind reached zero, she could hear snoring on the other side of the door.
Chapter One: The Morning of the Air Show
1
Blitz mumbled sleepily, instinctively covering his head from the rays of sunlight that were penetrating his window after his mother had opened the curtains.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," she sang out in soft voice, "you have a busy day ahead of you. Breakfast is already cooked, and I packed your bags with a snack for later. I also placed your ticket in the left shoulder pouch, so you don't accidentally lose it." He yawned widely, rubbing his eyes and stretching out his small wings. A renewed excitement dissipated the rest of his morning weariness as he remembered what day it was. Winter giggled as he shot past her and down the stairs in record time. He's going to be a Wonderbolt himself someday with that speed and agility, she mused as she floated downstairs.
Alfalfa pancakes were shared across the kitchen table; Blitz ate his portion in one bite.
"My favorite! Thank you!" he exclaimed enthusiastically as he licked the apple syrup off the roof of his mouth.
"A special day deserves a special breakfast, don't you think?" Blaze savored every bit of his own plate, letting the richness of the alfalfa blend naturally with the sweetness of the apple syrup. "That Sweet Apple Acres sure knows how to make a delicious topping... of course it would mean nothing without your mother's absolutely amazing cooking!" he added quickly, catching a stern look out of the corner of his eye. His wife rolled her eyes and shook her head, letting it slide this time.
After a quick shower and a little spiffying up, Blitz tied on his saddlebags and trotted towards his parents, giving each of them a hug and wishing them a good day as they did the same. The electricity in the air was palpable as he stepped outside.
This is going to be a great day. I already kno- "Hey! Blitzey Boy!" Blitz turned to the source of the call and saw an older, and rather pudgy, gray pegasus beckoning to him. It was his favorite person in Cloudsdale, Mr. Mint, who ran the local Soda Fountain. He could sit at the bar and slurp on a soda (always free of charge) while listening to Mr. Mint's stories all day long, which he would often do if his parents were too busy at work and he felt alone in the house.
"Hi, Mr. Mint," he greeted, gliding up to his friend, "How are you today?"
"Well I was just on my way to open up shop. Gonna be very busy today what with the Wonderbolts show later. Why I haven't seen them perform for, oh, thirty years or more. I assume yer going to see the show, what with all the gear on yer back?"
"Yeah, I am! Wait, you saw them live before? What were they like!? Were they amazing?!" Blitz could barely contain his excitement, but the old pony just laughed.
"Why don'tcha come on down and be my first customer of the day, and I'll tell ya all about it?"
"Yes sir!" Blitz hopped in the air, to which Mr. Mint chuckled again.
2
"Pepper! I'm gonna hafta leave you to the wolves... erhm... ponies again. Blitzey Boy here is gonna get another story. This time about them Wonderbolts." Mr. Mint filled a glass to the brim with his homemade rootbeer. It was famous all over Equestria, not to mention it was the boy's favorite.
"Oh, Ande," Pepper said with a smirk, "You're always regaling tales to the lad." Not that she minded. She adored Blitz, and enjoyed having him around. He always seemed to somehow rejuvenate Ande's youthfulness like nopony else could. "You're going to bore the poor boy to death someday."
"No way, Mrs. Mint! I love his stories!" She giggled at his enthusiasm. He really DID love the stories.
"Is that so? Well I'll leave you two to it. Looks like a crowd is starting to pile in anyway." She began to work, filling up everypony's order without missing a beat.
"I'll be along with you in a moment, dear." Ande turned his full attention back to Blitz, the boy's eyes wide with anticipation.
"Now then, the Wonderbolts. It's been a good thirty years since I seen 'em, but I remember it all like it was yesterday. It's a show ya never forget; you'll be telling yer grandkids about what you see today. Just s'long as I get a mention here or there of course... where was I? Oh! Right. It was at this very Cloudiseum actually. Was the usual six fliers with Starfire as their leader. Of course ya know Starfire is that Spitfire's granddad. 'Course I know she's your favorite and all but I still don't think she has a lick of talent that her granddaddy had. He could pull off stunts like you wouldn't believe. Even invented that smokey lightning trail he did! Ah I'm rambling again..." Blitz giggled. Mr. Mint often got side-tracked in his tales.
"Anyhow I was just a young colt with that pretty little filly over there-" he nodded towards Pepper "-and the Air Show was our first date. And boy was it somethin' else. We got ourselves good seats way at the top so we could see everything. The announcer guy practically blew up when he shouted 'and here come the Wonderbolts!'. And boy did they come alright. They flew into the stadium six abreast, which is side-by-side in case you didn't know, and slowly peeled off until they was in a triangle formation. Right at the wall, two ponies went left over the crowd, two went right, one went down, and Starfire went straight up, all in a perfect arc to crisscross in the center." Mr. Mint moved his hooves in the air to add emphasis, flaring his wings out in the excitement. He had almost forgotten just what that show was like. Blitz sat wide-eyed, absentmindedly sucking on a straw that sat in a half empty glass while his entire focus was given to the old pony's story.
"Meetin' up in the center, they all went straight up in the air and grabbed a partner, facing downward while tucking their wings in to spiral. Was a bit scary I'll admit, but right at the last moment they flared their wings and stopped with their noses barely touching the crowd. Some of the lucky ones even got to shake their hooves! Shame Starfire didn't stop and hover above us, but what the hay that's how it goes."
"Whoa..." was all Blitz could muster as he sat awe-struck. Mr. Mint chuckled as he saw the gleam in the boy's eye. He could feel the same gleam in his own eyes.
"After regaining themselves and reforming in the center, they formed a ring nose-to-tail and proceeded to spin in a tight circle and shoot out of it, flying out above the crowd at breakneck speeds. From where we was sitting, they were just a blue and yellow blur. That is, heheh, 'til one brushed Pepper's hair and startled her straight into my legs. For their finale, they pulled out the smokey lightning trick, as it wasn't a common thing like it is now, and flew inches above the crowd, three going one way and three going the other, spiraling upwards until their circle closed and a clash of thunder echoed out from their impact. After that, they took their leave and we gave 'em a standing ovation."
"Wow..." Blitz sat with his chin on his hooves, sipping at the last of his rootbeer with the straw. He could vividly imagine the story as it was being told, could hear the cheering of the crowd and could see the last generation of Wonderbolts performing their revolutionary tricks. "That was an amazing story, sir."
"Glad ya liked it, Blitzey Boy. It's not one I often get to repeat. Speaking of which, ya better get along. Need to getcherself a good place in line for the show. And afterwards, you can tell ME how this one went!"
"Yes sir I will!" Blitz hopped off the stool, squirming to get his saddlebags back in position, "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow! Thank you!" And with that, he trotted off towards the Cloudiseum, waving to Mr. and Mrs. Mint as he left.
Chapter Two: Building Up to the Show
1
The Cloudiseum dominated the sky from his short perspective as Blitz walked towards it, his wondering mind completely transfixed by the structure.
"It's so huge..." Only a whisper made its way out, his jaw hanging slack and his neck beginning to ache from craning it upwards. "I bet it can fit thou-oof!" His mind was pulled out of its fascination and back to reality as he accidentally ran into the hind quarters of a blonde haired magenta pegasus standing at the end of a line leading into the Cloudiseum. She gave a high pitched 'yip!', jumping into the air and turning around to see what it was that bumped into her.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Blitz regained his footing and watched the mare as she landed, facing him. "It was my fault, I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking."
"It's quite alright, young man," she assured him sweetly, "The Cloudiseum really is quite magnificent. I can't blame you for not taking your eyes off of it. I'm Swirl by the way." She extended a hoof towards him; he politely shook it.
"Pleased to meet you, ma'am. My name is Blitz." Her smile widened upon hearing his name.
"You're THE Blitz? Your father talks about you quite a lot down at the Weather Factory. He's very proud of you, you know." She smirked, finally able to see the legendary Blitz with her own eyes.
"Aw," he looked down at his hooves, blushing, "I'm nothing special. I can't even fly yet."
"Maybe not, but I see you already have your cutie mark." He turned sideways to proudly display his flank. Permanently etched upon it was a pair of stiff, elongated wings, with one slightly overlapping the other; it signified his unique ability to glide by pushing off the ground with his hind legs, extending his wings straight back and letting the air carry him. "But yes you are special. Blaze never stops talking about how fast you can glide. And at the speeds he mentions, you're already practically flying! Even if it just a hoof off the ground." He grinned, both to himself and her. His special way of gliding was one thing he couldn't deny; many of the ponies had already seen it as he'd zip around Cloudsdale, living up to his name.
"Well, uhm, thank you ma'am," he replied bashfully. The line was starting to move as the ticket-pony took his post. They continued talking as the line slowly trickled into the Cloudiseum, ponies still falling in behind them. Eventually the line in front of them was gone and it was their turn to enter.
"Next ticket, please," the olive colored pegasus sounded bored behind his counter. It was a long day already, and from where he sat it seemed as if the line had no end. Swirl stepped aside and swept her hoof forward, letting Blitz move in front of her.
"Re-really?" She nodded, smiling as he stepped forward. He grabbed the ticket from his left shoulder pouch with his mouth, giving it to the ticket-pony.
"Looks good," he turned it over, looking over it with a professional's eye. Some ponies would try to fake their way into an event this big. "Alright kid, go on... wait, hold on a second." He had spotted an emblem in the top left corner on the back. Blitz gulped, his knees turning into rubber, not knowing what to expect next.
"This ticket here..." The ticket-pony handed it back to Blitz, who took it with a shaking hoof. "This ticket has a back-stage pass to Meet and Greet the Wonderbolts after the show!" Blitz's jaw seemed to hit the very cloud he was standing on. It was more than he could have possibly hoped for.
"Woo! Congrats, kiddo!" Swirl clapped her hooves behind him. Even the ticket pony grinned. Seeing the indescribable joy on the colt's face made his entire day and renewed his vigor for the long workday ahead.
Blitz hopped around in pure joy while Swirl handed over her ticket, and they walked into the massive Cloudiseum together. His head turned back and forth, up and down, trying to take in everything at once.
"This... is... amazing!" He hopped in the air, excitement getting the better of him. They followed the crowd under a series of archways, the halls wide enough to comfortably accommodate every pony there. Soon they breached a doorway and walked out into the arena stands. Blitz almost had to pick up his chin with his own hooves as he stood in awe of the sheer scale of the stadium. Pillars rose high into the air all around the arena, with sets of clouds in between to serve as seating. On the outside, three massive rings wrapped around the pillars, serving as the walls. A statue of Princess Celestia stood on a cloud above a podium that served as the real Princess' personal seat, though it would be vacant today. He gasped as he looked in the arena's center and saw no floor; it was just an endless gaping hole.
Most of the pegasi would simply float to their desired vantage points, but walkways had been constructed for the occasional special guest, or the young foals who didn't yet fly. He was just taking a step forward when Swirl placed her hoof on his shoulder.
"Uh-uh kiddo, we need a good place to sit." She hovered above him, lifting him and flying up to an unoccupied cloud which floated at the center of the right side of the arena. They would be able to clearly see when the Wonderbolts flew in, and would be sitting right in front of the action.
"Wow! Thanks again, Miss Swirl!" He opened his saddlebag, deciding to have a quick snack before the show began. The sweet aroma of the oats wafted into his nostrils, making his stomach growl. He offered half of his lunch to Swirl; she accepted gratefully. They ate in silence, watching the other ponies fill the rest of the clouds. He could feel the excitement build up in the air, felt the very same in himself, becoming almost volatile. Movement caught his attention as a cloud holding a white-maned blue pegasus floated into the center of the arena. The announcer was wearing a black silk shirt trimmed in white, blue-tinted opaque sunglasses to compliment the outfit, and a headset over his ears with the microphone hanging under his mouth.
"ALLLLRIGHT EVERYPONY!" His amplified voice echoed across and out of the Cloudiseum, "FIVE MINUTES TO GO UNTIL WE SEE THE WONDERBOLTS PERFORM LIVE! JUST SIT TIGHT, I'M TOLD IT'S GOING TO BE ONE HAY OF A SHOW!" Blitz's heart was racing. Everypony was staring intently at the southern entrance where curtains were drawn. Behind these curtains, they all knew, the Wonderbolts were making last-minute preparations. He couldn't feel his cheeks anymore he'd been smiling so hard. His tail had started twitching, swishing back and forth from his exuberance. After what had seemed like an eternity, the announcer returned to the center.
"IT'S TIME, EVERYPONY! HERE! COME! THE WONDERBOOOOOLLLLLLLTS!" The curtain barely had time to open as they exploded out of the waiting room, the crowd roaring with excitement as they blew past, three each taking a side, giving the crowd one full lap before lining up abreast above the announcer.
"INTRODUCING THE WONDERBOLTS THEMSELVES! I GIVE YOU, THUNDER! FLASH! SOARIN'! SPITFIRE! BARON! AND INTRODUCING THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE GROUP, RAINBOW DASH!" Each Wonderbolt rose a foot higher as their names were called, waving to the audience and receiving a deafening cheer in return. The announcer flew out of the way and took a seat as the Wonderbolts positioned themselves, Rainbow Dash trading places with Spitfire in the center so her unique rainbow trail would fit perfectly with the crackling smoke.
In unison, they slipped their goggles over their eyes, spread their wings to full glory, and began the show.
Chapter Three: The Air Show and the Meet
1
Like many young pegasi, Blitz was enamored with the Wonderbolts. He had followed them as much as possible; the bookshelf in his room was stuffed with individual biographies, beginning and advanced aerial maneuvers, and even their complete history dating back to their official formation over sixty ago. He would spend hours reading and dreaming of them; of someday flying with them, going so far as to develop a schoolcolt's crush on Spitfire.
All of it was just whetting of the appetite for what he was seeing now. Celestia's sun sat above the stadium, a distant jewel glistening in the endless sky; the serene setting seemingly contrasted the excitement of the fast-paced aerial show below.
The Wonderbolts broke apart, taking their own routes around the arena to build up their speed. They reached the southern wall in unison, pushing off of it and entering a delta formation, kicking on their signature crackling smoke contrails. Rainbow Dash flew rear-center just below Spitfire, her uniquely colorful trail contrasting the dark smoke perfectly. The crowd gasped in a mixture of shock and excitement as they drew closer to the seat which Princess Celestia would normally occupy. Ponies covered their eyes in the suspense, but the bone-crushing impact never came as the Wonderbolts flew apart with inches to spare; the air exploded in a single firework from the force of their separation.
"Did you see that!? That was awesome!" Blitz was on the edge of the cloud now, his head going from the aerial show to Swirl and back again. She wore a grin that stretched across her face as she kept an eye on the excited colt, making sure he wouldn't slip off the cloud. Deciding he would be fine, she turned her attention back to the show as they prepared for their next trick.
They tucked their wings and fell into a nosedive, each pulling up at the last second to fly upside-down inches above the crowd. Their maneuver was met with thunderous approval; the Wonderbolts kept their concentration even through the deafening noise.
Blitz was having the time of his life as he tried to follow their every movement. He set his focus on Spitfire as she pulled up and righted herself, flying to the southern wall to regroup with the team. Swirl had to pull him back from the edge of the cloud by his tail more than once, but had eventually just given up as he would only go right back to his spot.
The hours flew by just as quickly as the athletic stunt group, the sun having long since hit its apex and begun the slow descent into rest. Regrouping after another successful crowd pleaser, the Wonderbolts were off again with Rainbow Dash taking position in the bulls-eye of their newly formed vertical ring. The others circled around her, creating a smokey corkscrew with a rainbow core. They held the formation for the length of the arena, flying upwards at the end and arcing over the top of the Cloudiseum.
The structure was vibrating now as the crowd reached maximum volume. Each hair of Blitz's violet coat was standing on end; not even his wildest daydreams could match the adrenaline coursing through him as he watched his lifelong heroes perform such unbelievable stunts.
The ending was a true spectacle. The Wonderbolts formed abreast, flying high above the Cloudiseum for all to see as they began their grand finale . They spread apart, their smoking trails replaced by small bursts of fireworks that popped within seconds of each other against a sky that had fallen into early stages of dusk. The crowd had settled down, expressing their joy of the light show through 'ooohs' and 'ahhhhs'.
They pulled up, each arcing backwards softly, meeting up to form a tight circle and falling into a steep nose-dive. Cloudsdale itself seemed to shake as the air exploded behind the Wonderbolts, bright golden balls of light appearing and shooting down everywhere. The crowd cheered and stomped their hooves in approval as the Wonderbolts leveled out and waved their goodbye before landing in the ready room, the curtains closing behind them.
"What did you think?" Swirl was smiling down at Blitz. He sat speechless, mind still reeling from the excitement of the show.
"I-I..." he could only manage a stutter. She giggled as she picked him up, flying them both down to the floor level. Ponies filed out of the Cloudiseum as Swirl said her goodbye, ruffling his hair.
"Have fun at the meet, kiddo." He nodded, his face glowing from the grin that covered it as he waved good-bye to Swirl and trotted towards the guard standing next to a doorway blocked by a velvet rope. Blitz dug through his shoulder pouch, retrieving the ticket with his mouth and giving it to the guard, who looked it over thoroughly.
"Ah, there it is," the guard had spotted the emblem that identified the special ticket. "You're a real lucky kid; this was the only ticket of its kind." He unlatched the velvet rope, giving Blitz a wink as the colt trotted through.
Spitfire and Soarin' were the only Wonderbolts in sight, out of uniform already and standing in front of media ponies. Lights flashed from cameras and microphones were shoved into their snouts. Soarin' let Spitfire do most of the talking while he tried to back into his room, his stomach growling its protest at being empty. Baron and Thunder had already retired to their quarters; being the oldest fliers on the team had left them exhausted. With tomorrow free, Flash had taken off to spend the day with his sweetheart. As the rookie, Rainbow Dash had been delegated to putting the uniforms away.
Blitz edged his way through the circle of ponies, finding it harder than he thought it would be. He was met by Spitfire's flank when he finally broke through; she was finishing an interview for one channel and preparing for another bombardment of typical questions from the next. Blitz dug out his favorite photo of her, finding a pen in the process. His muffled calls of 'Spitfire!' were drowned out by the unending noise of the crowd, and her gaze missed his small stature. His heart sank; he persisted to no avail. She turned around and proceeded into her room, done with every pony for the night.
His mouth hung open, the picture fluttering to the cloudy floor. His tail drooped, dragging behind him as he turned around and lowered his head. He had gotten one of the rarest tickets a pony could have, and all the Wonderbolts had been too tired or too busy to greet him.
2
Rainbow Dash was grumbling to herself as she washed the Wonderbolts' uniforms. She had wanted just a bit of time in front of the cameras, if only to say hi to her friends down in Ponyville... and perhaps brag about her performance today.
"That stupid Spitfire, always in the limelight!" Her whispering was furious as she dried and folded each uniform. "It's not fair! I was in the center most of the night! She barely even kicked on her trail!" She snorted, taking deep breaths to calm down. It was, after all, quite generous of Spitfire to give up the center position. And she was the best at talking to the camera. Rainbow Dash's frustration was slowly replaced with shame; who was she to be acting like such a hot-shot? She stopped her chore when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head to get a proper view, she saw a violet pegasus colt sulking his way across the ready room.
"H-hey! What's up?" the light blue pegasus hovered over to see if she could help, reeling back when the colt picked his head up and snapped at her.
"What? Aren't you too busy for me too!?" The ferocity in the tone was more than he'd meant to give, but the result was all he could hope for. She fell to her flank, giving a surprised look. He snorted and began walking again as she glanced over to where Spitfire had been surrounded by the media, now just empty space. She could only manage a simple 'oh', realization dawning on her.
"Wait a second!" She trotted, catching up and walking beside him even has he muttered under his breath. "I know you. You got the ticket to meet and greet us back here. But I guess the others just forgot." His snort was harder this time, as if to laugh at the thought, but she stayed with him.
"Hey, come with me for just a few minutes. After that I'll stop bugging you." Blitz nodded his agreement; a few more minutes wouldn't hurt, and the ticket wouldn't be completely wasted. She led him to the western edge of the Cloudiseum, sitting down and inviting him to do the same. He accepted the offer, sitting a few inches from her and watching the sun sink low behind the horizon.
Dash was the one to the silence. "I'm sorry about back there," she began sincerely, "sometimes Spitfire can get a little camera happy. And she can be rude..." She trailed off, remembering her own experience at the Grand Galloping Gala a few years ago. She recounted the night to him, explaining how a few months earlier she had saved Spitfire's life, but was still ignored the entire night. His ears perked up as he looked at her, confusion in his eyes.
"Why did you still want to become a Wonderbolt then, even after that?" The cyan mare sat quietly for a moment, not having thought about it herself. Feeling his curious eyes on her, Dash returned his gaze; her magenta eyes were as warm as her long smile.
"Because. It's not about just one pony. It's about being the best. I didn't want this to fly with them, I wanted this to prove to everyone... and myself... that I can be the best. Understand?" He nodded, his spirit rising. It had finally dawned on the colt that he was sitting right next to a real-life Wonderbolt, and the day's earlier excitement came back full-force. She giggled; helping him had made her feel better as she remembered her original goal. Who cared about being interviewed? Dash would just let her flying do all the talking for her.
"Say, what's your name anyway?"
He exclaimed proudly, "I'm Blitz!" She giggled again at his new found enthusiasm. It was almost contagious.
"Blitz, huh? That's a pretty cool name. Hey, it's getting dark out. Mind if I walk you home?" She saw his face light up at the prospect.
"I would love that! Oh... and Miss Rainbow Dash?" He looked down, thankful she couldn't see his blush in the dark.
"Just Dash to you. Only my cool friends can call me Dash."
"Oh, okay... Dash?" Blitz tried the word as if trying on a shoe, seeing if he'd like the fit. He did.
"Yeah?"
He wrapped his legs around her neck in an embrace. "You're my new favorite Wonderbolt." She grinned, returning the hug before the both of them set off for his house.
Chapter Four: Home Sweet Home
1
They walked side-by-side, passing by Mr. Mint's darkened stand which had since closed for the night.
"So, tell me how you got your cutie mark." Dash had been curious about it since meeting the young colt. She had been barely older than him before discovering her own special talent, but he seemed as if he'd already had the mark for a while. Blitz almost seemed to strut at her inquiry; she couldn't help but giggle at his pride, having been the same way not long ago.
"Well... I can't fly yet..." he rolled his eyes, embarrassed to admit to one of the best fliers in Equestria about his inability. It wasn't from a lack of trying. He would frequently jump off his bed and flutter his wings as fast as possible, the result always being him on his haunches. His parents had eventually stopped coming upstairs after every little thud
"Well, I tried putting my wings in all sorts of positions! Flapping didn't work, straight out didn't either. I was about to give up and go home when I brought my wings straight back, like this." He demonstrated the act, stretching his wings as far back as they'd go. Dash's eyes widened a bit in surprise; the wings stood stiffly at a thirty-five degree angle. Only pegasi in a steep dive would bother with that angle, and even then it was only used to gain incredible speed.
"I was still running around, going faster as I got more frustrated, until I got mad enough that my back legs actually pushed me off the ground! With every stride, I could stay off the ground longer... it always feels like a little bubble of air is carrying me. I've been practicing it ever since! Now I can do it without even thinking about it." Rainbow Dash laughed inwardly, knowing exactly what happened. The boy had used his wings as fins to cut through the air, not that it was particularly thick up here in Cloudsdale to begin with. She silently wondered what he could do closer to the ground.
"I was so tired after that I didn't even notice my cutie mark until dad pointed it out. He was so proud of me! Hey, look! It's my house!" They had come up to a rather modest two story cloud-house. A light was still shining in the living quarters, although most Cloudsdale residents were asleep by now. The door slowly opened as an aged, well kept white face with soft lavender eyes peeked out from behind a curtain.
"Welcome home, honey." Winter's voice bore its usual gentle tone. Blitz trotted inside as Blaze rounded the corner, having stopped his reading to come and meet his son. Rainbow Dash stood just short of the threshold, patiently waiting for an invite before stepping in.
"I see you've made a new friend," Winter commented, turning her attention to their unexpected guest. She extended a hoof in greeting; it was returned in kind. "Won't you please come in?"
"Thank you." Dash stepped into their entrance hallway as Winter closed the door behind her, catching only glimpses of the house before being properly introduced. Blitz jumped to her side, giving preliminary introductions.
"Rainbow Dash, this is my mom and dad! Mom, dad, this is Rainbow Dash. She's a Wonderbolt and she offered to walk me home!"
Blaze's moustache contorted with his grin. "Is that so?" he teased. "I had a feeling there was something special about that ticket." Knew it, in fact. He had reserved the ticket as soon as it was advertised, taking a week of extra shifts to afford it. His hooves throbbed from overuse, but the soreness was worth it. "Welcome to our humble home, Miss Rainbow Dash. Dinner is a bit late for obvious reasons. Would you care to join us? A salad with various plants and hay fries are the meal of the night."
"Well... I'm not really that hungry," her stomach chose to make an honest mare out of her with its growling. "Oh what the hay, I'd love to!" They all walked to the dining room, laughing and anxious to fill their stomachs.
2
"So, Miss Dash," Blaze began as he passed the salad bowl to his wife, "how long have you been in the Wonderbolts?" Dash swallowed her leaves, taking a drink of water to chase before answering.
"I just started this season. Today was my first official show, in fact." She let her pride seep out a bit; she had done an awesome job after all.
"It must have been nerve-wracking," Winter commented, putting on a motherly tone of sympathy as if it were her own child performing. Rainbow Dash thought about it for a second.
"Nah." She shook her head to supplement the word. "There's another rookie named Flash. It's not so bad when you're not the only one. We joined up at the same time; he's the technical flier and I'm more about speed. He does kick one mean snowball, though." Her nose wrinkled at the very thought of another pelting, accompanied by a light chuckle from all around the table. "So what about you guys?"
Blaze volunteered to answer this one. "I work at the weather factory. I can handle a number of tasks, but my specialty is creating snowflakes, as my cutie mark can prove." Dash tilted her head, her face a mask of confusion.
"But... your wife's name..." Blaze let out a hearty laugh, having heard it a hundred times. To him, it would never get old.
"Yes, her name's Winter, but I make the snowflakes. Funny enough, she's a chandler." He nodded toward the table centerpiece. It was a three branched, gold-leafed ornate Candelabrum. Each base held a hoof-crafted wax candle, the flames dim in the artificial light. A strong but not overpowering aroma of cinnamon wafted from each stick, with similarly scented candles were spread around the rest of the house, giving it very comfortable feeling. "It was a very fun first meeting we had." Dash giggled. Her tough exterior would never allow it to be admitted, but she enjoyed cute stories like that.
The chatter grew as the salad bowl emptied, each pony finished with their second helping. Rainbow Dash offered to clear the table to show her gratitude; Winter politely refused, claiming a guest needn't raise a hoof in somepony else's home. She balanced each dish with a skill that only years of practice can bring, almost tiptoeing into the kitchen.
"Hey Dash!" She looked over as Blitz spoke up, eyebrows raised on her soft features. "Wanna come see my room?"
"Sure!" He led her upstairs, opening his room door and allowing her in first, as he was always taught to do. She trotted in, amused by all the Wonderbolts memorabilia. Just like my old room . A smirk came to her face as she looked around, taking in every detail. The room itself was of decent size, allowing Blitz the chance to grow up in it without having to move anything. A moderately sized bed faced her from across the room, sitting under a window that would no doubt let Celestia's sunlight wash over its occupant every morning. A three-level bookshelf sat to her left, packed with Wonderbolts reading material and the Daring Do series.
"Well..." Blitz had become sheepish; one of his idols had just entered his private sanctuary. "This is my room."
"I love it!" Rainbow Dash could barely manage the words through an amused laugh. "It looks just like when I was a filly. Well, with different posters. And more books." She leaned toward his ear, whispering as though she held some deep secret only he could appreciate, "I didn't like reading very much when I was a filly. But I did learn to love it after being hospitalized." A sly grin was shared between them as a voice gently floated up the stairs.
"Blitz, honey, it's time to go to bed!" His ears flopped; it also meant Rainbow Dash had to leave. She saw his face lose its spark, and came up with an idea.
"Say, kiddo. Tomorrow's an off day for us; why don't you and I hang out for the whole day?" He couldn't believe it. An entire day spent with Rainbow Dash! He nodded, words failing to make their escape. "Cool! I'll make sure it's okay with your parents. Now, you oughta get to sleep."
"Oh... alright. Goodnight, Dash!"
"Goodnight." He trotted toward his bed as she shut the door, moving downstairs to give her proposal.
As soon as he heard the footsteps fade, Blitz tiptoed to the door, listening in on the conversation below. A hoof was raised in triumph when he heard both parents give their consent to his day with his new hero. Satisfied, he crept back to his bed, looking up and pinning his ears slightly at the poster arrangement on the ceiling. He grabbed a stool, carefully standing on his hind legs, with wings as a balance, and tore down the Spitfire poster which hung in the center. It was replaced with Rainbow Dash, striking a daring pose in her uniform, hood drawn back and goggles resting on her forehead.
Happy with the new arrangement, he let himself fall back on the plush bed, smiling upwards at the blue pegasus staring down at him. That smile of pure bliss never left his face as he drifted off to sleep, eagerly anticipating what tomorrow would bring.
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Chapter Five: The Morning of a Very Long Day
1
The newly risen sun drenched the cyan mare's face with its warmth, causing her to grumble irritably while pulling the thin sheet over her head. Her mind began the slow process of awakening, piecing together the events of yesterday. Her eyes snapped open and the cover was tossed back as she rolled out of the bed with sudden vigor, the promise of a full day with her young new friend sitting on the forefront of her mind.
Rainbow Dash stretched her wings out, dispelling the soreness that had settled in during the night. Every muscle in her wings burned with a dull throb from the strenuous flight of yesterday's show; even the practice sessions seemed like foal's play in comparison. Her jaw popped uncomfortably from a wide yawn, the expulsion of air from her throat audible in the silence of the private room. She gave herself a once-over in front of the dresser mirror, untangling the knots in her mane, but retaining the small touch of unruliness she had always been fond of. Satisfied, the freshly groomed pegasus stepped out of her room and into the Cloudiseum's private lounge.
The fair sized lounge held a relaxed atmosphere this morning as the Wonderbolts took full advantage of their day off. Rainbow Dash glanced to her right, observing the team's oldest fliers locked in a tense game of chess. A stocky, crimson-hued pony with a smooth, jet-black mane wielded the white army, his cherished lucky scarf coiled around the base of his thick neck. He was the silent type; Dash only knew that his name was Baron Von Himmel, and he had come from a land east of Equestria.
Opposite Baron sat Thunder, controlling the black side and rivaling the age of his red friend. His coat bore a steel tint, with his mane a lighter shade. They had been in the group, as well as the best of friends, for over sixty years apiece, their careers having begun under the tutelage of the legendary Starfire. The end of this season would mark their official retirement, appropriately ending under the leadership of the renowned pegasus' granddaughter.
Turning away, Rainbow Dash scanned the rest of her surroundings. Soarin' was mowing down his breakfast gleefully, sparing any table manners to fill his stomach as quickly as possible and get on with his day of relaxation. The pony she had been looking for, however, was carefully sorting the team uniforms.
"Hey Spitfire!" Dash trotted up to her query, mind still trying to formulate exactly what she would say.
"Well well," Spitfire smirked, a playful tone accenting the small grin she wore, "look who finally woke up. I'm surprised you're not going to sleep the day away. You did return pretty late, after all."
"I spent most of the night with a certain fan..." her tone dropped noticeably, "who felt very ignored." She hoped the hint would be taken. It must have had some impact; a suit floated to the ground as Spitfire turned to face her accuser.
"I don't know what you mean, Dash. We never got approached yesterday." Her eyes were glazed with confusion; last night's after-show had been pretty routine. The usual fanfare of cameras and comments.
"I mean, the special Meet and Greet ticket! The colt who had it was completely hurt; nopony paid attention to him except for me!" Frustration began to make its way into Dash's tone.
"Well I'm sorry, but I didn't see anypony out of the ordinary." Spitfire was becoming increasingly irritated at the rookie who was now treading a very thin line. She kept her voice as professional as physically possible, knowing it would be futile if this conversation lasted any longer.
Rainbow Dash scoffed, pushing the limit of Spitfire's patience in the process. "That's because you were too busy being a camera hog!" There. It was out in the open; Dash couldn't back down now even if she'd wanted to. Judging by the look on Spitfire's face, she had gone too far this time.
Choking sounds were heard to their side as Soarin's breakfast caught in his windpipe. The rookie was playing with a very volatile fire. He had seen Spitfire mad once before - the result of which involved her back hooves and some poor stallion being sent to Canterlot General with an 'unofficial' castration.
The Wonderbolt captain's body trembled from an equal amount of wounded feelings and explosive anger as she began her reply. "Do you... really... think I LIKE having a microphone forcefully shoved into my snout!?" Dash recoiled as Spitfire flared her wings out to their fullest; she had expected an outburst, but not like this. "Do you honestly believe I enjoy being bombarded by a hundred questions?" Rainbow Dash was still in shock; the tables had been turned completely. She was the one being scolded now.
"Look at my eyes, Dash." Spitfire raised a hoof for emphasis. Dash did as she was told; seeing a pair of bags and various lines that were mapped across the angry pegasus' face. "I haven't taken a vacation since I became the captain! Do you think this is easy!? Do you think being the captain is all glamor and fame!? Well it isn't! I bust my bucking flank keeping the Wonderbolt image pristine!" Spitfire breathed heavily; more from exasperation than exhaustion. "In fact, I have something for you. Something I really think you need, and I definitely know that I need." She spun around. Dash gulped, believing she was about to get her flank, quite literally, kicked. Instead, Spitfire reached down, grabbing the Captain's uniform in her teeth and throwing it at the unsuspecting blue mare.
The suit struck her softly in the face, her having no time to react. She reached for it with her hooves, pulling it away to examine it closer. It was just the standard Wonderbolt flight suit, the only oddity being the captain's emblem that sat on the left breast. Her eyes moved cautiously between the suit and its owner, herself not daring to speak for fear of escalating the situation further.
"Congratulations, Rainbow Dash." Spitfire's tone was heavily laced with sarcasm. "You're the new Wonderbolt Captain. For the next show, at least. Let's see how you like it for once. Of course, I'm sure you can handle the pressure just fine. I, meanwhile, am going to take a very long overdue vacation. You'll be able to find me at the Canterlot Spa." She turned, lowering her wings into a more suitable take-off position. "Oh, and don't forget to tell Flash about this changing of the guard. He's down in Ponyville with his wife." With that, she left a stunned Rainbow Dash sitting on her haunches, still trying to comprehend exactly what just happened.
2
Winter hummed a soft tune as her hooves wove around the wax, shaping another candle to sell. She had lost count after the fiftieth one, opting to let her body take over the work while her mind relaxed - the inventory could always come later. The house was lit only by her own work, the shades drawn tightly. She preferred to work in the soothing atmosphere that only lit candles could offer.
Her almost-meditative trance broke when a knock came from the front door. She stood, careful not to disturb her work-in-progress as she moved with a natural grace to answer the call. She opened the door before another series of rasping could begin, before her standing a cyan pegasus who wore a nervous smile.
"Hello, Miss Dash." She maintained a soft, almost motherly tone. "I assume you're here for Blitz? Please wait a mo- or nevermind." The violet colt had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, eager to get his day started. He did not notice what his mother had seen.
"What's the matter, dear?" Winter kept that same tone, adding in a bit of concern for good measure. "You look rather distraught."
"Well... um..." Dash didn't know how to begin. She was afraid of either of their reactions, but did what she always had done when in doubt - muster up her courage and barge through it like a train. "I promised Blitz an entire day, but something came up and I have to make a trip into Ponyville... and I wasn't sure... if he... would be allowed..." The momentum she had built up crashed to a halt as Winter raised her hoof, looking between the scared mare and the now-worried colt.
"Ponyville, you say? I've been there quite a few times myself - very nice place if I may say so. And I assure you, dear, your fears are unfounded. I absolutely trust that my Blitz is in perfectly capable hooves. So, in short, he may accompany you. You did promise him a full day, after all." She smiled wryly at their unbelieving faces, knowing neither had expected such an easy victory.
Blitz was the first one to regain his composure. "Well, Dash, what're we waiting for? Let's go!"
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Chapter Six: The Afternoon of a Very Long Day
1
"Hey, Dash?"
"Yeah, squirt?"
"Why me?"
This question threw Rainbow Dash off like a strong gust of wind; she hadn't been anticipating it, neither to hear nor to answer.
Blitz had his front legs locked around her neck, laying across his carrier's back as she flew down towards Ponyville. The trip itself only took an average pegasus thirty minutes. Dash could be there in fifteen, but today she had a passenger to think of, despite his numerous requests for stunts. Her face contorted as she mulled the question over, thankful that her small friend could not see the tears welling up in her magenta eyes. A mournful sigh escaped as she fumbled for the answer.
"Well... there... there was a filly a few years ago, about your age. About as spunky as you too." A sliver of a grin began to show itself as Dash brought up the memories she believed locked away. "She followed me around everywhere. Desperately tried to get my attention, to impress me I guess. But I just ignored her like the cocky foal that I was... until she got sick of it. We finally got into a fight one day. Before I could make it up to her, her family moved away. Worst timing ever. She probably still hates my guts. Her name was Scootaloo."
"So... this time with me is a sort of amends?"
Rainbow Dash cringed; the blunt way he had put it struck her heart. "Yeah... I guess you could say that. I know it makes me sound really selfish, and I don't mean to- "
"It's okay," he interrupted, squeezing her neck into a tight hug, "I'm just glad I can help make you feel better." Something between a choke and a cough came out of her throat; she covered her mouth with a hoof, using every ounce of her willpower to stop from breaking down. She had just admitted to her possibly biggest fan that she had her own reasons for hanging out with him, and he didn't even mind.
"Hey, squirt? Do me a favor?" Dash decided now was a good time to execute her surprise for the colt.
"Of course!" He was more than happy to oblige.
"Spread your wings out."
"Um... alright." He did so. The air rushing over his wings felt different from whenever he ran. It seemed to brush his feathers with an ethereal comb. "Now what?"
"Now," Dash grinned, "hold on tight!" In an instant, her own wings were tucked against her body. It took Blitz a moment to realize what had just happened. He was now the one carrying them!
"Am I... flying!?" His heart threatened to beat itself out of his chest as he held on. The feeling was beyond anything his imagination could have possibly invented.
"Sort of!" she responded, letting Blitz enjoy himself a bit longer. They had only lost a few feet of altitude; she was prepared to regain control of their flight at a moment's notice if need-be.
"This is so cool!" Some part of him knew it wasn't really flying, but he didn't care. He was having too much fun.
The regular drop in altitude from Blitz's inability to sustain them both actually worked to Dash's advantage, she found out, as she let him carry them the rest of the way. Only once did he try flapping his wings, accomplishing absolutely nothing, and settled on merely gliding them down.
A rather large cottage, seemingly built from a tree, came into view, signifying the outskirts of Ponyville. An aura of absolute peace surrounded both it and the various forms of life around. Rainbow Dash resumed her flying duties, landing them a short distance away.
"I don't want to upset the animals with an abrupt landing," she explained as Blitz slid off of her back, "so we'll walk the rest of the way." He seemed not to hear her, however, as he brushed his hoof against the grass, giggling as it tickled the bottom of his foot. Of course , her mind reasoned, if he was ever down here before, he wouldn't remember. So this is all new to him. Already satisfied with the sensation of grass, he quickly turned his attention to the nearby dirt road that led up across a bridge and to their destination. Blitz pounced, stirring up dust as he pawed at the ground.
"It's so... solid!" He could feel the miniscule particles of dirt cling to his normally clean coat. A realization suddenly struck him; he swiveled his head around to fully appreciate his surroundings. It all seemed so... endless. He could run as much as he wanted without falling off the edge of Cloudsdale.
Rainbow Dash saw the gleam in his eyes. "You're rearing to go, aren't you?" He nodded, his wings parting from his sides. "Well," she smiled, stepping beside him, "see that bridge? We'll race to there."
"You got it!" He bent, getting into position. Everything but the bridge became shut out as his wings moved to their familiar spot. Dash took her own stance, looking over at her competition.
"Ready?" The only reply was a small nod. It surprised her on how focused he was; a stark contrast to his usual hyper self.
"GO!"
A cloud of dust kicked up as they took off together, staying neck-and-neck; not that she was giving it her all. She glanced down, noticing the difference in their strides. While her legs kept the steady four-beat rhythm of a gallop, he barely moved his legs at all; his front legs would afford him balance for only a second while the back legs replaced them, allowing him to push off the ground. The momentum he maintained meant he would gain speed at each stride, letting his legs rest in the air a second longer each time.
One thing he had not taken into account, however, was the difference in surfaces. While Cloudsdale was soft and gave-way under hoof, the hard earth resisted against each step; the result, Blitz quickly learned, was that he could push harder with his back hooves, thereby allowing him to go even faster than he originally believed.
They hit their imaginary marks simultaneously, tucking their back legs underneath themselves in perfect synchronization, sliding to a stop just before the bridge.
"That was fun!" Blitz proclaimed through light gasps, catching his breath. "I've never been able to go that fast before! Can we do it again!?"
Dash smiled, panting rapidly herself. "Sure! I'd love a full speed race. But it'll have to be later, okay?" Blitz nodded his agreement, following her across the bridge and up the dirt road.
2
A silvery blue pegasus rounded the cottage's corner, spotting two figures trekking up the lane. A small breeze ruffled his two-tone mane and matching tail; shades of gold and blue exactly the same as his Wonderbolts uniform. Flash recognized one traveler immediately as his teammate, and dearest friend, Rainbow Dash. The colt following her, however, he could not even guess at. He turned back, peeking his head around the corner.
"Fluttershy?" he called out. She turned her head, questioning him with a glance as chicken feed poured from a sack she held. "We have visitors. One is Dashie."
"Oh how lovely," she answered, joy seeping into her voice. "Please, go greet them. I'll be done with the morning chores soon."
Flash nodded, returning to the front of the cottage. The visitors stood patiently as he approached, a toothy grin stretching his face.
"Dashie!" Flash threw himself at the cyan mare, who returned the hug with equal affection. He spotted the pegasus colt standing next to her. "Who's your friend?" He extended his leg in greeting; the colt took it eagerly.
"I'm Blitz, sir!" he answered, shaking Flash's hoof vigorously.
"Pleased to meet you, Blitz. I'm Flash." He stood tall, stretching his neck straight up to its fullest, planting a hoof on his puffed out chest and striking a daring pose. "The Wonderbolt!" A goofy grin adorned his face. He opened an eye when his display was received with snickers, ears drooping slightly.
"What?" He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.
"Flash..." Rainbow Dash let out an amused sigh, her fit of giggles over. "You are such a dork."
A pastel yellow pegasus, soft-hued pink mane cascading majestically over her thin neck, sauntered up to the group, giving her own introduction with a curtsy. Blitz returned the favor, bowing in a gentlecoltly way before returning his attention to Flash.
Rainbow Dash motioned to her young friend. "Blitz here was the one with the special ticket." Flash fell back on his haunches as his mouth dropped, pupils almost non-existent.
"Th-th-the ti-ti-ticket?" He couldn't believe it. In his haste to spend the day with his lovely mare, he had completely forgotten that event. He tried to swallow, a lump forming in his throat.
"I-I-I-I... that is to say... you see, Blitz.... um..." He sighed, hanging his head between his forelegs, giving up. "Okay, I forgot. You can be mad at me. I deserve it." Rainbow Dash facehoofed, shaking her head with a groan. A twinge of concern pulsed through her body when she realized that she had no clue if he was being merely theatrical or not.
Blitz only giggled, patting the overly dramatic pegasus on the leg. "It's okay! Really! I'm not mad." Flash's ears perked up, his smile returning.
"Really?"
"Yes!"
Fluttershy moved next to her love, giving him a soft hug. "I didn't know you were so good with children." She giggled, a sparkle in her eye. "That makes me glad." Flash cocked his head curiously.
"Why does that make you glad?" His eyes widened as she whispered into his ear, turning to gaze at her excitedly. "Really? You're serious?! We can have one!?" Her response was a sheepish nod. The very thought filled him with joy. He had always dreamt of being a dad.
Rainbow Dash was forced to puncture their moment with an audible throat clearing.
"Blitz?" She looked down at the eager colt; he returned the gaze. "Why don't you go with Fluttershy and see the animals? I need to have a word with Flash." For a heart-stopping moment, she was afraid he would object. The glowing grin that suddenly burst forth, however, proved her fears unfounded. He trotted merrily beside the soft-spoken mare as she lead him toward both the rear of the house and wonders he had yet to lay eyes on.
Them gone, Flash dropped his 'dorky' facade, giving Rainbow Dash an accusing glance.
"What did you do this time?" His voice was coated with suspicion.
Her response was a mock-hurt grunt. "Why do you always assume I've done something bad?" His cocked eyebrow was the only answer he needed to make her cave in.
"Okay, okay!" She twirled a hoof in the dirt like a reprimanded foal. "I'm... uh... I'm kinda the Wonderbolt Captain for a week."
"WHA-" Flash stuffed his front hoof in his mouth, calming himself down before attempting to speak in a lower voice. "Why!? What happened? Is Spitfire alright!? Oh no she had an accident didn't she? Oh I hope she's alr-mmrf!" It was Dash's turn to quiet the rambling pony with a well place hoof to the mouth. If she didn't, he would never stop.
"No, nothing like that. I... I kind of called her a camera hog. We got into a fight. She got mad and threw the captain's suit at me."
"Wait wait wait." The silvery blue pegasus sat on his haunches, rubbing his temples in exasperation while trying to make sense of the situation. "So... you insult her, get into an argument, she gets really mad, and tells you to take over?" He frowned at his friend, who merely shrugged.
"Well," he bounced back to his feet with a grin, "who am I to question our illustrious leader? Oh... I guess that's you for a week!" He snorted, giggling like a schoolcolt as she hoofed him in the gut with complete bemusement.
"Oh come on Dashie! It'll be fine. Think of it like this, you get to boss me around even more than usual! It'll be fun!"
"Speak for yourself!" The distraught mare started to panic, sat on her haunches. "I'm not ready for this! I thought I was. I sort of wanted it even. But... now that it's in my hooves... I dunno." She looked down, chest rising and falling in rapid succession. A soft hoof on her shoulder caused her to look up.
"Come on, this isn't the Dashie that's been like a little sister to me." A soft voice and a warm smile. "That Dashie would see this as another challenge to conquer. And that Dashie has never failed to conquer a challenge." With a tight hug to emphasize the point, Rainbow Dash finally calmed down, eventually bounding back to her cocky self.
"Yeah... Yeah! You're right Flash. Psh, I'm not worried a lick. This'll be cake. Just watch me!"
Flash's beaming smile returned, lighting up his face. "That's the spirit!"
3
"Please try and be quiet, okay? We just fed them their breakfast, and they can be cranky if disturbed from their food." Fluttershy was more nervous than usual; she vividly recalled the antics of a certain trio of Crusaders. Her young guest, however, was surprising her with his manners; not to mention his unfathomable awe. She breathed easier as he walked with a respectful silence. Despite his obvious, bug-eyed enthusiasm, he kept his voice down to a low drone as he questioned what each animal was, which she was more than eager to answer.
"This is my first time from Cloudsdale that I can remember," he nearly whispered, speaking as softly as his gracious hostess as they crept past free-roaming creatures that were filling their stomachs. "I could never dream the Earth was like this."
A silent chuckle began her response. "It is beautiful, isn't it? I was only a year older than you when I came here."
"Did you move down?"
"Oh... kind of." Another chuckle. "I fell off of Cloudsdale." Blitz could only manage a 'guh' sound, giving her a double-take. She had put it so matter-of-factly, as if merely commenting on the weather.
"Oh, but don't worry. It was the most wonderful thing that could've happened, really. I found my special talent... and my cutie mark. It was taking care of the animals, as you can see." Which, to their surprise, they couldn't see. Lost in the most effective of time-traveling mechanisms known simply as 'talking', they had unknowingly made a complete circle, their trek ending right back at the rear of the house.
"Hey, squirt!" A familiar raspy, tomboyish voice permeated the air, rounding the corners of the cottage and landing in the colt's ears. He trotted to its source, seeing a prismatic-maned cyan mare standing at her proudest, a mischievous grin combined with an eye's twinkle etched on her face.
"How 'bout I take you up on that race?" The infectious grin spread as Blitz squinted his eyes, natural but dormant pegasus desire for a challenge boiling forth.
"You're on!"
"Good. I know just the place. You guys can come watch too," she added, looking at Flash who had taken his place next to his wife.
"Oh my, a race?" Fluttershy blinked, then smiled. "I can't wait."
"Yeah," Flash added, "this is going to be fun."
Chapter Seven: The End of a Very Long Day
1
The midday sun poked shimmering rays through an overhead canvas of red and gold as three pegasi landed in the soft soil. A fourth, smaller and still flightless, winged pony slid off the back of his prismatic-maned carrier.
"Welcome to Whitetail Wood, squirt."
Blitz had never seen such a vibrant display of blending hues. Each individual leaf seemed to breathe with its own life, swaying in the gentle waves of a warm breeze. The area itself was bright, open; inviting. A polar opposite to the woods he had noticed earlier near Fluttershy's cottage. He could only gape at the forest which lay ahead with but a single wide path running through it.
"This is where Ponyville holds its annual Running of the Leaves," Dash explained, amused by the colt's reaction. "It's obviously not happened yet, but I'm sure they won't mind just a couple of ponies having a race." The cyan mare drug a line through the dirt between two trees, signaling the 'official' starting line.
Blitz's heart was beating against his chest, ready to burst forth from his excitement. The restrictions of Cloudsdale were lifted; the firm ground gave him more push. The violet colt had gotten a small taste of faster speed during the short gallop to the bridge, and he was eager for more. The path stretched before his eyes, growing longer as he followed it as far as sight would allow.
A plaid quilt floated to the dirt, followed by a hoof-weaved basket harboring all sorts of delicacies. Each pony chose whichever item looked appetizing and picked a spot to consume their lunch. The silence was broken as the chatter rose; the ever-blissful Flash talking to his wife about his escapades while being away; Rainbow Dash enamoring her new friend with every manner of tale; from her struggles of getting into the Wonderbolts to the adventures she and her friends in Ponyville have had (and still embark upon occasionally).
Fluttershy often spoke up in these regales, especially whenever the excitable mare would over-exaggerate her own role ("Then I waved my hoof in the air menacingly, yelling 'and stay out of Ponyville you overgrown lizard!'" "You did nothing of the sort, Rainbow Dash. You were more frightened of the dragon than I was.") or inflating the story with more dramatic flair than necessary.
Her current tale was particularly riveting to the young colt. He sat, wide-eyed and absentmindedly eating a pastry, letting the cyan storyteller think he fell for her every word. The tale itself was true, as he would later find out, but she seemed to have a different recollection of the events.
"The Ursa Major then proceeded to ravage the entire town! It was chaos, it was horrible, it was pandemonium!" She fell over backwards and curled her legs in to add emphasis.
Fluttershy sighed at this particular piece. "It was an Ursa Minor. And Twilight handled that situation very well. Not a single building was harmed."
"Psh, whatever," Rainbow Dash waved off the soft-spoken mare with a flick of her hoof as she sat up. "I'm just trying to give the squirt an entertaining story! Anyway..." She stood up, stretching each leg individually as she turned full attention to Blitz.
"You're going to want to limber up. I have a feeling this is going to be a fast race." He nodded, jumping up and mimicking his hero's every stretch.
Soon enough, both took their positions at the starting line. Flash stood before the competitors, facing them with his wings standing up
"Okay you guys," the silvery blue pegasus-turned-referee put on his best, rather unimpressive, authoritative tone. "This is a friendly race only," he squinted at Dash, who chuckled sheepishly in response. "It doesn't matter who wins or loses, right?"
"Forget that! I'm going to win!"
Rainbow Dash flashed a sly grin at her opponent. "Little cocky there, aren't we squirt?"
"Nope, just telling the truth! Dad says I should never lie."
"Oh ho ho! Well then, I hope you're ready," she set back into her ready position, back legs poised to push off, "to eat some dust."
Flash sighed in defeat; he knew all too well that when a pegasus' competitive blood starts pumping, nothing can stop it. Especially when it came to a certain rainbow-maned mare. He glanced in turn at each racer.
"Ready?" Two nods.
"Set!" They positioned themselves. Flash brought his wings down as though they were flags.
"GO!"
A cloud of dust billowed up as the competitors sprung off their back legs, each running full-bore, neck-and-neck down the dirt path.
2
Whoa, he's quick, Rainbow Dash mused to herself, testing the speed of her opponent and being tested in return. At this rate, we'll either cross the finish line in record time, or tire ourselves out before half-way! Her breathing kept steady; years of practice and conditioning had taught her proper breath control.
The mare snuck a glance at the violet pegasus running beside her. His wings were set back, vertically slicing through the air. That same, four-step lope which served as his special talent kept him up to pace with his opponent. It could almost be called a proper gallop, if his limbs didn't move in seemingly slow-motion.
By gosh... if he picks up the pace, I'll be seeing the thin end of his tail.
3
The two runners barreled down the Earthly path, specks of dirt and rock kicking up in their wakes. A break in the woods opened up into a rocky canyon; Rainbow Dash fondly remembered trying to misguide her last opponent by 'fixing' a sign. A foalish grin crept across her face at the thought. Soon enough they were back into wooded territory.
4
This is amazing! Blitz's outward appearance was a stark contrast to the way he felt on the inside. Externally, he was ice; the only indication of his feelings was the grin that had plastered itself onto his face. The focus he afforded the task-at-hoof left nothing to spare; not only was he racing against one of his heroes, but he promised to beat her.
Internally, however, he was as giddy as a schoolcolt, ready to burst at the seams from the elation coursing through his small body. The warm Autumn air blew against his face; several times he had to whip his head around to keep his mane from covering his eyes. The rushing air filled the colt's young, but powerful, lungs quickly, causing him to figure out an effective rhythmatic breathing pace.
The familiar pocket of air under the youthful pegasus' belly carried him further after each stride. He shot a boastful sneer to his right...
5
...Only to see the tip of a prismatic tail. Rainbow Dash had decided to live up to her name, putting every ounce of power into her legs. Her breath quickened, sweat building up under her sky-blue coat.
Sorry squirt. You're fast, but I'm still fa- The overconfident mare's thoughts were cut off as a violet streak shot past her peripheral vision. She skidded to a halt, chest rising and falling rapidly, slack jaw nearly touching the ground.
Now I see where he gets his name. Applejack would eat her own hat if she saw this! Wait a second... he's winning! That last thought was enough to bring the pegasus back to reality. Galloping for all she was worth, the mare unfurled her wings and took to the air.
It was no longer a friendly run in the park between two buddies. It had become a full-fledged competitive race, and she was going to win it.
6
Seeing the cyan speedster run ahead of him was all the motivation Blitz needed to spur himself harder onward. He switched gears, going from a floating elope to digging into the ground with all the might that his legs would give. What was once an example of slow-motion fluidity now changed into a violet flurry of limbs.
Every sharp inhale pierced his lungs, aggravating a building stitch in his side like white-hot dagger that was crudely jammed into his ribcage. Every expulsion of breath was audible as he pushed himself to his very limits, never imagining such speeds could exist. An arrogant exuberance washed over his foalish body as he shot past his cyan opponent.
He had reached the same conclusion as the rainbow mare whom he had left behind: This wasn't a game anymore. It was a real race, and he had promised to win.
7
A constant blast of warm air slammed into Rainbow Dash's face, causing her eyes to both sting and water. Her wings cried out in agonizing protest to the demands their owner made of them as she flew faster still, wanting every ounce of speed they could afford.
Finally, a plum-hued tail made its way into her blurring vision. She could see the colt running no-holds-barred down the final stretch of the woods; the edge of the forest marked their finish line.
"Just... gotta give... a little more." She murmured breathlessly to herself, being her own motivation. It seemed to work; she had picked up a hint of more speed, closing in on her challenger.
8
The edge of the wood loomed ahead. Blitz was confident that he had won - until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking up, the playful face of Rainbow Dash grinned down at him. With a salute, she gave one final burst of speed, pulling ahead and breaching through the woods and into unfiltered daylight.
Pushing his body to its limits, he dug as hard as he could into the ground. She had won, but he was determined to keep up just to prove he could.
As he broke through the barrier, a sharp pain shot suddenly up his right foreleg as his hoof slammed against a jutting rock. Only on three legs now, the colt lost his balance and was thrown forward, somersaulting across the ground in a flurry of dust. He tucked his head down, closing his eyes and letting gravity do all the work. The tumbling came to an end with the violet colt sprawled on his back. He opened his eyes, giving his head a stiff shake to stop all of Equestria from spinning. He held his right foreleg close to his chest, the fetlock throbbing with an intense heat.
A small laugh escaped; then another, followed by more, until eventually he was rolling across the dirt, giggling in a fit of pure joy.
9
A terrifying image beheld the race winner as pulled up to bleed off the rest of her speed. As she slowed to a hover, heaving shallow breaths of exhaustion, her pupils shrunk in horror. Before her, a cloud of dust shrouded a purple colt as he tumbled head-over-tail across the finish line, finally coming to rest on his back and holding his right foreleg close to his chest.
"Omigosh omigosh omigosh omigosh!" This utterance never ceased as she dove to the ground, hoping to Celestia that the squirt was okay. As she neared, a strange sound struck her ears even as she watched the boy roll around. She became dumbfounded as she identified the noise for what it was, and not what she had originally believed.
He's... he's not crying at all. He's laughing! He's giggling like a schoolcolt! The cyan mare let out a relieved breath she hadn't realized was being held in as she landed, smiling weakly down at the giggling pegasus.
"Hey there squirt," she sat down, rubbery legs no longer able to support the rest of her trembling body, "you okay?"
Blitz forced the rest of his laughs down, laying on his back and beaming up at his hero. "Yeah! That was fun!" He rolled over, standing up. His smile became hollow as his fetlock inflamed, but he refused to show any sign of weakness in front of Rainbow Dash.
She gave him a sly grin in return. "So you're sure you're okay?"
A nod.
"Really?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"Well... um... maybe my leg sort of hurts," he finally admitted, letting only the tip of his hoof rest against the ground.
"Well then." She motioned for him to get on her back. He did so easily enough, wrapping his front legs tenderly around her neck. "Let's go get the others, and then take you to nurse Redheart. She'll fix you up in no time."
10
"That should do it."
A pure white earth pony, with a red cross on her flank, announced her success to the room as she finished wrapping the colored bandage referred to as 'Vetrap'. The nurse had a full spectrum for the injured colt to choose from; he had chosen a blue that matched the coat of his idol.
"You're lucky the fetlock wasn't broken," Nurse Redheart kindly regarded the boy with a warm smile and a soft voice. "See if you can walk now."
Blitz carefully took a step, testing the device on his hoof. It was a rubber boot with a foam sole. It felt like a cloud against his foot. His hoof had been spared any damage, but Nurse Redheart was not about to take any chances. The offending fetlock had been splinted and wrapped; the leg beneath the knee would have to stay straight for an entire week.
"Now then, don't go playing too rough." She mock-scolded him, never losing an ounce of her warmth. "Especially when you're around this one," she nodded in Rainbow Dash's direction. "This energetic filly alone funded an entirely new hospital wing with as many times as she's been in here." Dash could only blush at this.
"I promise I'll take it easy, ma'am!"
"I hope so. And please stop by again! Though... not under such circumstances." A chuckle was shared across the room.
11
"Hey, Dash?"
"Yeah, squirt?" A sense of deja-vu washed over the cyan mare.
"Will you teach me to fly?"
They were returning to Cloudsdale, their day finally coming to an end. The bottom of Celestia's sun was barely touching the horizon; they'd make it back just as night fell. The question swirled in her mind as she tried to formulate an answer, eventually coming up with simply...
"No." She winced, almost able to physically feel his heart sink at the denial.
"It's not that I don't want to, believe me. You are something else, squirt. It's just... I'm not the right pony for the job. There's only one who deserves the honor of giving your lessons, of seeing you fly for the first time."
"Who would that be?"
"Your dad."
Blitz was ashamed to admit that he had never considered the option. His dad was always so busy at the weather factory that it never occurred to the colt to ask, which he quickly pointed out to his carrier.
"Oh, I don't know about that. Something tells me he's going to get a week's vacation."
"Really!? Do you think so?"
"I know so, squirt." He tried in vain to stifle a yawn; Dash merely smiled.
"Go to sleep. Then we'll be home before you know it."
Another yawn. "Okay."
She felt him nuzzle up, warm breath blowing on the nape of her neck. She held his front legs to keep them locked. A small stream of drool tickled her skin; he had fallen asleep within seconds. The thousandth smile today stretched across her face as she flew both of them into the sunset and back home.
Chapter Eight: Learning to Fly
1
With a mighty yawn and a stretch of his forelegs, Blitz awoke to a brand new day. Beams of Celestia's sun pierced through the window over his bed, casting the mattress in a sublime radiance. The colt finally managed to roll stiffly out of bed, still physically exhausted and sore from the previous day's race. He slid down to his hooves, wondering why the room was uneven before remembering the boot on his foot.
He glanced down, grinning impishly at the discoloration denoting the cyan adhesive holding a simple splint in place. The boot itself was there only to keep his sprained fetlock from too much movement while his actual hoof rested on a pad of foam covering the interior. The contraption still felt alien as he gingerly paced around the room, testing various methods of walking. Not only did his lower leg need to remain locked, but the device gave his right foreleg an extra inch of awkward height.
Satisfied with the decreasing awkwardness of his leg, Blitz managed to make his way down the stairs and into a kitchen filled with the sweet aromas of breakfast. He clambered up onto a seat at the kitchen table, sitting comfortably on his haunches and making sure not to overexert his bad leg.
"Well good morning, sleepy head," Blaze looked up from the newspaper covering his section of the table and gave his son a warm smile. "We heard you had quite the day yesterday." Behind the midnight-blue stallion, the lady of the house was busy preparing their initial meal of the day.
"Miss Rainbow Dash told us all about it when she brought you home last night." Blaze positively beamed at his son. "Told us how you managed to beat her in a race, even after hurting your leg!"
Blitz was stunned, caught completely off guard. Dash had lied? About losing, of all things?
"Well," his father continued, "I can't take all the credit. You get your speed from your mother's side."
The colt snorted at this notion. "From mom? But she's so... so..."
"So floaty? Soft, quiet, sweet? Yeah, have her chase you with a frying pan. You'll see how 'slow' she is. Boy that second date was fun." Blaze's eyes dreamily rolled upwards, lost in his reminisce, a goofy grin adorning his face. Winter chuckled lightly as she spread their breakfast around and sat down herself.
"And I've got good news! I went into the weather factory this morning, and Miss Swirl told me to take the week off. She's training some new guy who's going to help me out, so I won't be working as hard or as late. So, Blitz, you have me free for a week. Anything you want to do, I'm all ears."
"Well, um..." Blitz shuffled what remained of his food around, building up the courage to ask. This opportunity had not presented itself to him before.
"Yes?"
"Well, um, would you..." He took a deep breath, and let the words come as they will. "Would you teach me to fly?"
Silence struck the room. Blaze's eyes became wide as he mulled that one question over. The one he had been anticipating. "Son," he began slowly, his serious demeanor a far cry from his usual chirpy self, "ever since you were conceived have I been waiting for you to ask me just that. Of course I will! We'll be going back down to the ground, though, if you don't mind."
"Of course not! It was fun down there!" His heart beat rapidly. The question had been asked, and received a positive response - he was going to learn to fly!
"Then get ready. We leave after breakfast."
2
They stood on the bank of a grand lake, both reveling in the beauty of an opaque surface reflecting the surrounding scenery. Blaze's entire personality had changed from a fun loving goof into a serious stallion. The lesson of flight was a rite of passage for all pegasi, and even he treated it as such.
"My father," he mused solemnly, "brought me to this very spot when it was my time to fly. So now do I bring you. By the week's end, Blitz, you'll take to the skies. At least, I hope so. It's the only way we'll get back home."
"Wait, what?"
"You heard me. I'm not leaving you down here by yourself, nor will I carry you back up. We'll just camp here as long as it takes. Are you ready?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good, now show me what you can do currently."
With a stuttering acknowledgement, Blitz began fluttering his small wings, carefully hopping into the air, still mindful of his fetlock. Unable to catch any lift underneath his rapidly beating wings, the colt merely landed back on his feet with a soft thump and a small cloud of dust.
"Mm. No. You're using your wings as tools, not as natural parts of your body." Blaze hopped up, hovering in the air. His wings kept a steady up-down rhythm. "You're also thinking about it too much. Let your wings do their own work."
Again Blitz tried, managing to hover in the air for only a few seconds longer than before. The difference in feel was astounding, though. For the first time, he had felt the tiniest hint of flight, before apprehension caused his wings to seize up and send him back down to the ground.
"You were right, dad! I almost had it that time... but then I thought about it, and my wings kinda froze."
"Yes, I saw. Good job, son. You're learning. Now, try again."
3
The sun began to set on a full day of learning; Blitz had done his last hover of the day only moments ago. The father-son pair set their tent up near the lake. The violet colt had taken his first step toward flight today as he hovered longer and longer in the air - even so much as hanging in the sky for a full minute. His wings pulsed with a mild ache, not yet acclimated to the efforts of flight.
With the tent up, they relaxed close together in front of a modest campfire. The warmth radiating off of the flame embraced the two ponies as they sat and talked, bonding as father and son as they had never done before. Stars revealed themselves as the sun finished it's daily routine and Luna's moon rose to cast it's silver glow across the lands; the orange flame cackled as the two ponies conversed in the night.
"You know, this is exactly what my dad did with me." A smile widened Blaze's face as he stared skyward. "I was just about your age when he decided it was time I learned to fly. His father did the same with him, and someday you'll do just this with your own foal. And thus the cycle continues."
"How long did it take you to learn?"
Blaze rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Oh, a few days. He made me take one step at a time, as I do with you now. Master one technique before moving to the next - that was his secret. By tomorrow, you'll be hovering in the air as though you've been doing it your entire life. Then we'll get to the fun part, which is actually flying. And once that's mastered, we'll make our way home."
"But! You make it sound so easy!"
"Because it is. Once you stop thinking about it, it becomes second nature."
"I... I guess."
Blaze wrapped a foreleg around his son's neck, giving him a small hug. "You'll see, I promise. But for now, I think we should go to sleep. Busy day tomorrow." He stood up, kicking out the fire and leading Blitz into the tent for their night of rest.
4
"That's it, Blitz! You've got it!"
Blitz hung aloft in the still air, his small body bobbing up and down in direct opposition to his beating wings. The dull throb of sore joints had completely disappeared as his feathery appendages became more accustomed to their rightful duties. Though he hovered only mere feet off the ground, the very fact that he was in the air at all gave him utter joy, and his father a sense of pride.
"Now, son, your wings are your power and the air underneath them is your thrust. You must change their form to manipulate the air and push you in the direction you want."
"Like this?" The constant flapping of the colt's wings changed as he slightly shifted their position. A pocket of air formed under each wing, affording him a slight resistance with which to push off of. Tendrils of compressed air wove soothingly between each of his feathers as the majority of it was expelled from beneath his wings, giving Blitz a small push forward. The only indication of his movement was the ground slowly creeping along underneath.
"I... I'm doing it! I'm actually flying!"
"Well, not quite." Blaze chuckled, amused at the excitement his son displayed. "But you're getting closer. Just practice for a little bit and, before you know it, we'll be racing home."
The colt complied, fluttering gaily in the sky. Soon enough, he taught himself the trick of three-dimensional maneuvering; floating up, gliding down, turning every-which-way. He giggled joyfully as he floated through the air, reveling in his newly acquired ability.
As an hour passed, Celestia's golden sun moved its way high into the afternoon sky. Blaze raised a hoof, stopping his son for a moment. Blitz stopped just short of the hoof, bobbing in the air with a curious glance toward his father.
Blaze merely smiled. "You've been working hard this morning. What say we go into Ponyville and have some lunch?"
"Okay! Oh, um, can I fly there?"
5
The sweet aroma of the daffodil sandwiches wafted up into each pony's nostrils, enticing their appetites. Blitz had managed to keep himself grounded long enough to consume his meal. The dull throb in his aching wings was offset by their desire to be used more; the new-found attention to his wings caused them to beg for more work. He had spent his foal years on his hooves, and now his wings wanted to make up for lost time.
"Ponyville sure hasn't changed much since dad brought me here to fly." Blaze cast his reminiscing glance across the town. He could spot only a few new buildings; if not for these unfamiliar structures, he could've sworn that they had stepped back in time. "And I'll bet it won't change much when it's your turn to teach."
Their stomachs full, the duo made their way back to camp; Blitz took great joy in using his injured leg as an excuse to fly again. The purple pony hovered just above his father's head, full attention on the elder stallion's tales.
"Your grandpa, admittedly, was a trite stricter than I am." Blaze gave a chuckle as the memories came to the forefront of his mind. "He told me he would just leave me on the ground if I didn't figure it out. Of course, he didn't really mean it... I think. But at the time, it freaked me out. Either way, mom would've smacked him senseless if he dared such a thing. You know, we should pay them a visit soon. I know you love stories, and dad has a ton of them. And he hasn't even seen you since you were just a little guy. He'll be thrilled!"
"Really? Hehe, I can't wait to see him and grandma."
6
As the magnificent sun cut it's eons-old path across the sky, one colt with the newly granted ability of flight dared to reach higher altitudes. Blaze sat near the tent, watching his son play in the dwindling light. Stars began to take shape as the sun dipped below the horizon, making way for Princess Luna's pale moon.
"Alright, son," Blaze called upwards, "That's enough for tonight. Come on down and rest."
The colt complied, landing softly in front of a newborn campfire. The now-familiar warmth embraced him once again as a hoof appeared out of nowhere to ruffle his mane.
"You did good, Blitz." Blaze was beaming down at his son, swelling with pride. A pair of sticks sat in the flame, roasting the marshmallows attached to their ends. Each pony chose a stick and pulled it from the fire, blowing on the treat just enough to eat it. Soon enough, they were both chomping with pleasure and laughing in tandem as the gooey snack stuck to their mouths.
It became harder and harder to chew as they worked on the bag of marshmallows; it now sitting half empty. With a large swallow to clear his mouth, Blaze spoke once again into the flame.
"You know, I was a huge fan of the Wonderbolts when I was a colt."
"Really?" Blitz's ears perked up at this revelation.
"Oh, yes. Though I'm sure all the pegasi foals like the Wonderbolts at one point or another. But I was going to be one, or so I told myself. Starfire had already retired by the time I was old enough to fully appreciate them, but the captain, Comet, was something else in his own right. It's said that while Starfire invented the tricks, Comet perfected them. That pony could dazzle a crowd like no other. Unfortunately, he was also a bit cocky."
Blaze glanced over at his son with a mischievous grin. "Did I ever tell you that I tried out for the Wonderbolts?"
"You did?" The boy's interest was piqued at this news.
"Oh yes. I tried to ignore my cutie mark and go for them. Obviously, it didn't pan out. That tryout was the second scariest thing I've ever done, though. Showing off in front of that crowd, some of the most famous ponies in Equestria judging my every movement. Dad watching me..."
"Wow... wait, second? What was the first scariest thing?"
"What? Oh, um, your mother asked me to give her my honest opinion about the first meal she ever made for me. Now that was truly terrifying."
"The meal or the answer?"
Blaze erupted with laughter, falling to his back and clutching his stomach. Blitz added his own chuckles into the mix.
"Oh my," the elder pony could hardly breathe, gasping for air through the laughs. "Now that's a good one." He rolled to his legs, standing up and letting his fit finish. "Just don't ever let your mother hear that one. Come on, kiddo. I think it's time for bed. The real training begins tomorrow."
As Blitz followed his father into the tent, he noted with some curiosity that the other pony had seemingly avoided answering the question.
7
Thunder snapped sharply throughout the grey sky, jolting the colt out of his peaceful, meadow-filled dreams. Rising to his feet, the first thing he noticed was the empty bedroll. The second thing he noticed was the downpour assaulting the tent. The material of the tiny shelter held its own against the raindrops pounding against it.
Blitz was immediately soaked as he stepped out of the tent - his scruffy mane drooped on every side of his head. The sun was completely eclipsed by a horizontal wall of steel-grey clouds; a gloomy shadow was cast over the lands. Glancing everywhere, Blitz found no sign of his father.
"Hey! Up here!" A small hole appeared in the clouds, followed by a suspiciously dry head and the playful gaze of a mischievous stallion.
The saggy colt shot a glance upwards, frowning. "What the hay, dad!?"
"What?" Blaze brought a hoof to his ear and leaned down in a comical display of hearing trouble as he shouted down. "I can't hear you over this noise! Come up here!"
"What! Are you kidding me!?"
"Sorry, son! Still can't hear you!" And with that, the hole closed.
Blitz snorted, preparing for his test of the day. The last dry areas of his body became drowned as he spread his wings, taking to the air with an ease he could've never imagined just a few days earlier. The rain drenched his violet coat, seeping down to his skin and adding pounds upon pounds of weight to his flight. With every flap of his wings, droplets of water flew outward.
Locking his eyes on the spot where the hole was, Blitz began his ascent. He squinted his eyes against the downpour now assaulting his face. His body shuddered with chill; his wings were almost numb. Slowly he pushed upwards, the imposing wall of cloud growing ever larger.
The gap of distance seemed to stop closing, until the drenched pony realized that it actually had. Gravity was suddenly winning the tug-of-war with his wings, pulling him back down to the earth. Harder he flapped his frozen wings, giving all the strength he could, and began flying upwards again.
Finally the colt breached through the clouds, being welcomed by both a clear sky and a helping hoof. He sat on the cloud, panting heavily - the extra weight caused by the rain was more work than he anticipated.
"My my, aren't we just soaked to the bone?" Blaze gave a goofy lopsided grin while his son simply glared. "Oh don't look at me like that. You can never predict the conditions you'll face. Alright, I'll make it up to you. Let's go to Sugarcube Corner and get a treat."
8
With the hardest workout over, the last few days consisted of father and son flying higher and faster with each other. One would tease the other to catch him. The muscles of Blitz's wings developed as he used them more and more. Higher altitudes and faster speeds were no longer impossible.
Finally the last day came. The tent was packed up; by the night, they'd both be in their regular beds for well -deserved rest.
"Say, Blitz," Blaze cast a glance at the splint on his son's foreleg, "when did Nurse Redheart say that thing could come off?"
9
"Well look who's back!" The pearl-white pony gave Blitz a smile. "And you brought a new pony with you this time"
"This is my dad!" Blitz returned her smile; he liked Miss Redheart.
Blaze extended his hoof in greeting. "Hello, ma'am."
"Oh, my. I see where he gets his manners." She returned her attention to the colt. "So, is that thing finally ready to come off?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Alright, lie still please." She unstrapped the boot, pulling it off, and unwrapped the adhesive from around his foreleg. "That should do it. See how your leg feels."
His leg finally free, Blitz flexed it. Satisfied with the lack of pain, he hopped down from the table and trotted around the room. "My leg feels perfect again!"
"I'm glad!" Nurse Redheart gave her patient a smile. "Just don't hurt it again anytime soon, okay?"
"Yes ma'am. I promise." The colt crossed his chest with his healed leg.
10
The two ponies were almost home now, flying side-by-side; Celestia's sun lay half-hidden below the horizon.
"Thanks a lot, dad," Blitz randomly blurted out, taking the older pony by surprise. "This week meant a lot to me."
"It meant a lot to me too, kiddo." Blaze's ears perked up as a thought ran through his mind. "Say, how's about a race home?"
"Are you sure you can fly that fast?" Blitz gave his father a wink, increasing his speed slightly.
"Oh ho ho, don't be getting cocky on me." Blaze stuck his tongue out at the younger pony, adding his own speed. "I did try out for the Wonderbolts, you know. I'm still in shape. On three?"
"Fine, on three. One..."
"THREE!" Blaze shot off, chuckling madly.
"Hey! No fair!" Blitz gave his own giggles as he pushed harder. Winning or losing didn't matter - father and son only cared about the fun they were having with each other in that moment.
Chapter Nine: Learning to Fall
1
Rainbow Dash shook her head in a futile attempt to clear it. Never had she been as exhausted as she was now. Her week of unexpected captaincy, along with going off at night and returning at the sunrise, had brought the mare to the precipice of her limits. More times than not she wanted to beg Spitfire to take the position back, but knew it would be pointless - not only did her own pride forbid such an act of weakness, but the sun-tinted pegasus wouldn’t budge even if she could ask.
Rainbow Dash had made her mistake, and had to pay the consequences. She mentally snorted with bemusement at the very idea of a promotion to captain being a punishment; almost sneered at the irony of the exact same thing happening to Spitfire’s granddad during his youthful service in the Royal Equestrian Air Force.
It had been the longest week in the de facto captain's life - there were a hundred things to do and hardly any time to do them. Mornings like this were full of practice sessions which lasted for hours. The practice was harsh; team coordination demanded absolute perfection. If she was even the slightest second off, the entire team was off; if she were to give a miscue, the entire team would falter. Everypony on the team expected her to deliver, and she had no choice.
If the practice drills weren't draining enough, her afternoons had been consumed by the menial yet necessary behind-the-scenes responsibilities that came with the captain's title. One moment, she's meeting with the next event's stunt choreographer to have everything set up - from the tricks they were going to preform to all the little details, including timing and proper cues.
Another day had her getting the music and lights just right with the appropriate musical pony, more specifically a certain DJ with a two-toned electric-blue, purposely unkempt, mane. Though Rainbow Dash had practically lived off of Vinyl's beats for the past few years, she had no time to be starstruck with the energetic yet still professional pony. Much to Dash's surprise, the DJ hadn't even beat an eyelash at working at an all-pegasus show.
"Don't sweat it," Vinyl had said, waving a dismissive hoof, "I've done sets at plenty of pegasus venues. It just takes a simple little cloud-walking spell, and poof, I'm there."
"Um... aren't you afraid of falling?"
"Pffft," the cream colored DJ rolled her eyes, "you're the Wonderbolts aren't you? You'll just catch me."
The DJ's chill demeanor had completely thrown off Dash. "Uh, yeah, I guess."
But by far the press conference had been the most horrendous; hundreds of ponies with blended, unintelligible voices bombarded her with questions. It became worse once Spitfire shared her plan with the public; the voices seemed to triple, both in volume and quantity. She had to buckle down and untangle the knot of unceasing queries, all the while feeling Spitfire's judging eyes and mocking sneer upon her.
Her only respite came after all was said and done. Early in the evening, she would leave the Cloudiseum and not return until the first light of the morning, needing to take care of some personal business. The only two consequences to this activity was the severe lack of sleep, and Spitfire had been growing increasingly suspicious over the course of the week.
Either through her musing or her fatigue, Dash failed to notice the cloud she was about to plow into.
“Gaah!” She closed her eyes, deciding to fly straight through. Unfortunately, she was met on the other side by one of the Cloudiseum’s solid pillars.
Spitfire showed up only a moment later. “You alright, Dash?”
“Fine,” Dash growled, peeling herself off the pillar, “just fine.”
“Come on,” Spitfire placed a hoof on Dash’s shoulder, concern alighting the golden pony’s eyes. “Let’s take a break.”
Dash gritted her teeth. “I said I’m fine ,” she snarled in an indignant tone.
“And I said we’re taking a break.” Spitfire’s own voice went flat, leaving no room for argument. Though the rookie before her wore the captain’s suit and title, Spitfire’s word was still law according to the Wonderbolts.
Dash conceded defeat without further protest, being led out of the cloud and into the Cloudiseum’s lounge area. The rest of the team followed suit, confused but not asking questions. They took advantage of this pleasantly surprising recess; Baron and Thunder began another game of chess while Soarin’ and Flash went out to fetch everypony some lunch.
“Alright, we need to talk.” Spitfire pulled Dash to the locker room. Taking their suits off, Spitfire held a neutral tone as she looked Dash straight in her magenta eyes - the very eyes that the cyan mare now struggled to keep open. Every other minute was punctured by vocal yawn from Rainbow Dash.
“Every night this week you’ve been sneaking out and not returning until morning. What’re you up to, Dash?”
She yawned before answering. “Nothing.”
“Horse apples, nothing. You’re completely drained...” Spitfire raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Tell me what you've been doing.”
“It's nothing that concerns you.” Dash gave her inquirer a scowl.
“When it makes you this tired, it obviously concerns me.”
“No, the image of your Wonderbolts concerns you.” Dash was starting to lose her patience. She ground her teeth together to keep her cool.
Spitfire's jaw fell open; she felt like she had just been struck in the face. "That is not true and you know it! I just wanted to know what you're doing every night, that's all!"
"It's none of your business what I do on my off-time," Dash snorted defensively.
"I'll make it my business," Spitfire growled her retort.
Dash leveled her ears, glaring at the golden mare. “You know what? Fine! I'm visiting my friend every night! This captain thing is a pain in my flank, so it's nice to sit back with a glass of cider and a good friend!”
"That... that's all?"
"Yes that's all! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a nap before I pass out." With that, Dash trotted off into her private quarters, leaving behind a stunned and still-quite-disbelieving Spitfire.
2
Spitfire lay hidden inside a small cloud, eyes locked on the door of Rainbow Dash's private room. The filly was up to something, and Spitfire didn't buy her 'friend' story for a second. Perhaps the captaincy got to her head, and she was just out showing off to whoever would listen. The golden mare herself could certainly remember her days, or rather nights, of doing the very same... that is, until her grandpa had put his hoof down on that nonsense. He hadn't tolerated her shameless flaunting for even a second, and now it seemed as if she would have to teach that same lesson.
She thought again of her day at the spa - of how Starfire had come to her in her dream. He was displeased with what she had let the Wonderbolts become. Once, under his reign, they were the most renowned Wing in the Royal Equestrian Air Force. And now... now they were just a household product, a group of pegasi who flew stunts together. She could only imagine the shame that Baron and Thunder felt, playing the very same game of chess which they had begun hours ago.
They were there from the very beginning. Bitter rivals turned closes friends, they served as Starfire's most trusted lieutenants. Sixty years later, they use their battle-hardened skills solely for the enjoyment of others...
Her thoughts were cut off as Rainbow Dash's door creaked open ever-so-slightly. A rainbow-maned head peeked out, glancing to both sides before the rest of her followed suit, quietly shutting the door and making her way out of the Cloudiseum.
Now where are you going... Spitfire stalked her prey, maintaining a comfortable distance between them. Visibly relieved as she made another seemingly successful escape from the Cloudiseum, Rainbow Dash dropped her guard in favor of a quicker trot. The golden mare glanced around, marking each cloud in her mind should she need to hide.
She silently thanked her grandpa for the years of lessons he gave her, cleverly disguised as simple games. Hide and Seek became scouting hunts where she learned how to hide and spy; games of Tag incredibly boosted her speed and maneuverability. As a filly, she thought he was just a fun old pony who loved to play games with his granddaughter. Now she knew that he had been helping her develop her skills.
The streets were still crowded as Dash unwittingly led her tracker around Cloudsdale, keeping a straight line to her destination. Spitfire became only more confused as her cyan mark simply ignored every club she trotted by, moving with a steadfast determination.
A strange sight stuck out at Spitfire - Dash seemed to be following a single line of ponies all going to the same destination. The golden hunter frowned, frustration growing as her suspicions were disproved. She wanted to just fly down and confront the cyan mare, corner her in public and get a straight answer once and for all. But, she knew, Rainbow Dash would just spook and flee if Spitfire were to take such a direct approach.
She wouldn't have to take the direct approach anyway, she discovered, as the line reached Rainbow Dash's destination. Spitfire gawked, unbelieving, at the massive structure in front of her. So that's what she's been doing...
As comprehension sunk into Spitfire's mind, Rainbow Dash trotted into the Weather Factory.
3
"Hi Swirl." Rainbow Dash waved as she passed the shift manager, a white overcoat covering her magenta hair. She grinned in return.
"Good evening, Rainbow Dash. I take it this is your final night?"
"Unfortunately, yeah." Dash gave the mare a lopsided smile. "Too bad, too. I was actually kinda having fun."
"Well you could always quit the Wonderbolts and come work here full time." Swirl gave her temporary employee a playful wink.
"Hah!" Dash snorted, fitting on her hard hat. "It's not that fun."
"Oh well," Swirl shrugged. "At any rate, it was nice of you to volunteer in Blaze's absence this week."
"Nah," Dash waved her hoof to dismiss the compliment, "it was nothing." And with that, she trotted off to the conveyer belt where unformed snowflakes awaited her crafty hooves.
4
Abandoning all subtlety, Spitfire landed in front of the Weather Factory's doors and walked in. Ambient noises of machinery meshed together, forming a single, incomprehensible sound. Immediately she was greeted by a blonde, short haired pegasus who was flying around keeping an eye on her workers.
"Oh hello there, Spitfire." She reached a hoof out; the golden mare shook it. "I'm Swirl, the night-shift manager here at the Weather Factory. To what do I owe the honor of a second Wonderbolt's appearance? Have you come to volunteer as well?"
"Volunteer?" Spitfire tilted her head, now very interested.
"Oh yes. Rainbow Dash has been coming here every night this week to volunteer while one of our regulars is on a vacation."
"You don't say... yeah, actually. I did come here to volunteer and work. Could you take me to her?"
"Certainly! Right this way, ma'am."
5
"So, how's your friend doing?"
Rainbow Dash's entire body froze as the familiarity of the voice struck her eardrums. All week she had gotten away with it, but now, on the final night, she was busted. Slowly she turned around, coming face-to-face with a very unamused Spitfire.
"Yeah... my friend... um... he was sick so I decided to... you know..." Spitfire merely raised an eyebrow, looming over the seemingly shrinking rainbow-maned filly.
"Just tell me the truth, Rainbow Dash." Spitfire's golden irises bore into the other pony's eyes, a deep frown gracing her muzzle.
"Fine! Fine... I'll tell you. You know that fan that you oh-so ignored last week? Whom I've spent a little time with?"
"Yeah?"
"His dad works here, and I volunteered my entire week so he and his dad could spend some bonding time together, and his dad could teach him to fly."
Spitfire's hard gaze turned into an almost hurt stare. "Why... why didn't you ever tell me? Or anypony?"
"Psh, like you'd care," Dash responded, a little more defensively than she'd meant.
"Dash..." Spitfire sat down, ears slowly drooping. "Do you really think I'm such a bad pony? Do I act like such an insensitive filly that I only care about how good I and the Wonderbolts look?"
"N-no... I mean, um, not on purpose. But you can be a little... out of it." Rainbow Dash had never thought it'd go this way. She was expecting another yelling match; possibly even expulsion.
"And I'm sure this week has shown you exactly what I've gone through for years."
"Actually... yeah, yeah it has. And, uh..." she abashedly rubbed the back of her head, "I'm sorry for what I said. About the whole 'camera hog' thing."
"I just have one question for you, Dash." Spitfire maintained her stern gaze.
"What's that?"
The golden mare pointed to the conveyer belt with her hoof. "Can I help out?"
6
"I should actually thank you," Spitfire said as she formed the umpteenth snowflake of the night, "for calling me a camera hog. That day at the spa really helped me a lot, in more ways than one. I grew up a little that day."
"Dash..." Spitfire focused intently at the snowflakes before her, not knowing how to proceed. She decided to just push through it. "I'm sorry. I was mad, and I took it out on you. I dumped too much responsibility on you all at once. But I had a reason."
"What reason is that?" Her tone suggested more interest than any actual contempt.
"I'm choosing you to be my successor."
It took a moment for the words to process. "Successor?"
"Yes. You're going to be the next Wonderbolts Captain. This week has been half me testing you, and half me getting to take a break."
"Me? B-but I'm still a rookie."
Spitfire rolled her eyes with a grin. "Well it's not like I'm passing the torch right away. You've got a few more years before attempting to fill my horseshoes. Hey, Dash?"
"Yeah?"
"Well... at the spa, I saw my grandpa. And he didn't like for a second what I had let happen to this team or its integrity. And I promised, to him and myself, to fix it. And my first act should be to make it up to the kid I blew off." She finally turned her head, a pitiful combination of pleading and desperation in her eyes. "How can I possibly make it up to him?"
"Actually, heh," Dash smiled sheepishly, yet another plan already in place. This was the final piece she had needed to make it all come together. "I do have something for him, and with your help it will be that much cooler."
And thus the two mares conversed in the night; Dash had suggested her idea, and Spitfire took to it instantly. Preparations would be made tomorrow, they decided, before the air show in the evening. Slowly, the awkward tension between the two ace fliers melted away and was quickly replaced by a budding friendship. Laughs were shared as snowflakes were made, though each still held their competitive, proud spirits. Each tried to outdo the other on who could make the prettier flake, or the most in a minute. Light, harmless vocal jabs quickly became a chorus of 'oh yeah? watch this!'; a nudge became a shoulder bump. All the while, from dusk to dawn, their giggling never ceased.
Across the town, a certain violet colt nestled in his well-earned bed, exhausted both from his very first flight home just that evening, and from the best week of his life.
Chapter Ten: Captain Dash
1
The sun set for the day, giving room for Princess Luna's moon to cast its silver glow across the lands. Rainbow Dash slipped into the captain's suit one final time, mentally preparing herself for the impending aerial show. The practice she endured throughout the week felt like a stroll through the clouds in comparison to the pressure she felt tonight. Her stomach tightened at the mere thought of leading the Wonderbolts in front of hundreds of ponies; it fully cramped at the possibility of her screwing it all up. With the dual colored elastic suit zipped up and the temporary captain fitting snugly into it, Dash decided to peek her head through the ready platform's curtains, eyeballing the Cloudiseum arena.
Ponies were filing into the stands by a combination of moonlight and minimal stadium illumination; the big lights would come on when the main show began. Directly across from her at the far end of the arena was one of the few solid pieces in all of Cloudsdale. The granite plateau which served as Princess Celestia's throne now held an array of unicorn-powered music devices, most prominent being the good sized, square turntable. The operator of this equipment was sauntering around her small area, making sure everything was connected and testing random functions.
Turning her head, Dash swept her eyes across the stands, seeing fans pick their seats and eagerly anticipate the event. Her gaze came to rest upon one particular cloud, on which sat a decidedly violet colt and his parents. Blitz caught her looking in his direction and gave her an enthusiastic wave. She returned the wave, noting with some joy that the splint on his foreleg had been taken off.
Rainbow Dash pulled herself back behind the curtains, willing her stomach to settle. It's okay, she reassured herself, it's just like practice. Just with... she gulped, a lot more ponies watching.
A voice appeared beside the panicking mare. "Hey," it said, emitting a cool, soft sound. It took Dash a minute to recognize whom the voice belonged to; took her a minute more to work up the courage to look straight at Spitfire.
"How're ya feeling, Dash?" Spitfire cocked her head, her face a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"Like I could throw up." The cyan mare took a deep breath, let it out. Her stomach was still performing its loops in her body, though it had calmed slightly. She licked her lips, though her mouth had run dry. She tried swallowing, but her parched throat only afforded her a sharp cough.
"Come on," Spitfire said, leading Rainbow Dash to a nearby fountain. "Trust me, I know the feeling. Just drink some water and you'll be fine."
Dash complied gratefully, unable to remember a time when a simple drink of water felt so good. Her nausea was fought back down to her settling stomach, though a hint of queasiness remained. To finish her healing, the nervous pony took a deep breath and plunged her head completely into the water. She brought it back up, shaking off the excess water that dripped from her face.
Spitfire tried to duck as a few stray droplets bombarded the patches of yellow coat not already covered by her suit, letting out a small giggle in the process. "Feel better now?" she asked, stifling more giggles as Dash's face sagged from the weight of the water.
"Yeah, actually. A lot better." She blew out a deep breath, trotting onto the ready platform with Spitfire in tow. The rest of the Wonderbolts were readying themselves as the mares returned; they gave their full attention to Rainbow Dash as she audibly cleared her throat.
"Alright, guys. So, uh..." She cleared her throat again, feeling herself come apart in front of their watching eyes. She brought herself back, standing firm as Spitfire took a place in line. "Wonderbolts!" Dash commanded, smiling as they snapped to attention. "Routine Comet Oh-Two-Seven. Ready up!"
All said in unison, "Ma'am!"
Through the curtains, Dash could hear the announcer finishing his ritual for riling up the crowd, getting them ready for the show. The stadium fell into silvery darkness for only a moment as the lights were switched - all at once, concentrated beams of multispectrum illumination shone on, and through, the curtains. As one, the Wonderbolts brought their hoods over their heads and lowered their goggles, half readying for the show and half shielding their eyes from the sudden light.
The stadium began to vibrate in tune with a pulsating beat as the DJ warmed up her tapedeck. Outside, Dash could hear the crowd stomping their hooves in rhythm to the beat. Strangely, it seemed only to boost her confidence rather than amplify her nerves. Her own head bobbed up and down to the tune as she lined the Wonderbolts in a two-by-three column, flaring her wings and knowing they did the same.
After an agonizing eternity, the announcer recited his formal cue. "AND HERE! COME! THE WONDERBOLTS!"
2
It was a dream. That was the only rationale that Rainbow Dash could come up with - that this show was merely a dream, and she'd wake up soon, start her day, and be a nervous wreck.
At least, it felt like a dream. Every last ounce of apprehension had been wiped away as soon as that curtain spread open. She'd led the Wonderbolts out at full speed, giving the arena a full lap before the DJ set her tracks to mix with their routine of the night.
Routine 'Comet-027' was three things: a classic, a crowd pleaser, and most of all not overly complicated to execute. Or, in short, the perfect choice for a new captain. It consisted mostly of tandem loops and flashy maneuvers; the kind that looked impossible to a normal pony, but were actually quite simple in practice. Rainbow Dash had given her hired DJ a copy of the routine's flight plan, so the creme-colored unicorn could develop the perfect mix to compliment the moves. So far, she had not disappointed - every piece of music had fit smoothly with each trick, so much so that it seemed the Wonderbolts themselves were the music's source.
The Wonderbolts accelerated down the arena's center, splitting the column in half at the DJ's end. Three ponies went each way, entering into a twirling loop. From high enough above, it would have looked as though two corkscrews were going to collide with each other.
The corkscrews disintegrated upon meeting, reforming once again into six blue-clad pegasi cutting through the arena's center. Halfway past, Dash pulled into a straight vertical climb and pushed herself back down, with the rest of the team forming a tall, vertical ring in the arena. One by one, the Wonderbolts carefully edged out of this ring, watching as it became smaller and they formed their own mini-loops on its edge. By the trick's end, six high-speed ponies were crisscrossing each other, barely missing a hair on their teammates.
In perfect unison, they pulled apart and shot upwards in a pure vertical climb, kicking on their signature crackling smoke trails, with a beam of rainbow directly in the center.
Rainbow Dash heard the crowd's awed approval; could see their excited faces as she hovered upside-down, reveling in the strange sensation of pure weightlessness for only a minute before gravity tugged her back down, with the Wonderbolts falling a moment later in tandem.
The cyan mare's mind kept shouting its orders to her body as each maneuver of the memorized routine came. She set her goggled sight on the lowest cloud seat and took aim for it. Okay... Mark! Three... two... one... Now! Her body responded to the commands her brain gave, trusting its internal clock. Soon enough, she was right-side up and bursting toward the arena's center, noting with satisfaction that her team had all pulled the same stunt with practiced precision. Each pony eased ever upwards, forming on each other to create an invisible cone.
At the cone's peak, Dash broke off, feeling the rest of the team do the same in multiple directions. She free-fell parallel to their recently created vertical cone of dissipating crackling smoke. She could hear the crowd's gasp as their favorite acrobatic fliers fell into a seemingly-uncontrolled spiral, but the roar their cheers rose once again as the Wonderbolts pulled up in a 'save'. Rainbow Dash could feel her heart soar; what had she been so worried about before? Nothing was different out in this arena, save for her being the lead pony in the spotlight instead of Spitfire. Down there it had been nothing but chaos and nerves.
But here, in the sky, she felt nothing but pure serenity.
3
For the rest of an hour, the Cloudiseum rocked from a beautiful melding of cheering ponies and the DJ's music. Rainbow Dash waved her hoof, informing her team that it was finally time to perform the finale.
The DJ's music fell away into a full bass drop as the Wonderbolts pulled their final vertical climb of the night, circling around their captain and her crackling prismatic trail with their own smoking contrails. Dash waved off her team, ordering them to keep their altitude even as she kept climbing. She grinned to herself at what was about to come - she hadn't told anypony about her changing of the routine's finale, wanting it to be a surprise for everyone. Higher and higher she climbed, until the air was chill enough to give her entire body a tremble from the cool, thin air.
Deciding she had gained enough altitude, Dash wasted neither time nor momentum as she twisted around, setting her mark at the very center of the arena. With a quick snap, she folded her wings back for the best push, letting gravity's tug accentuate her already impressive natural speed. Come on, Dash, she encouraged herself, coaxing out as much as she could, just need to push a little harder!
The rushing air in front of her nose began to shimmer, soon becoming visible tendrils that whipped across her face. Her cheeks stretched back in a comical, if painful, way. The violently whipping tendrils of rushing air formed into a coherent cone as the Cloudiseum sped closer and closer. She could see the crowd craning their individual necks to get a better look; could also see the Wonderbolts hovering in a loose ring, their jaws slack as comprehension of what she was about to do dawned on them.
Just... a little more... THERE! For only a fraction of a second her entire being experience complete tranquility. Suddenly, the Cloudiseum was shook to its very core as a prismatic ring exploded outward at its very peak, washing the stadium in a full spectrum of illuminating colors. Rainbow Dash pulled herself level, looping through the arena to bleed off her speed before settling back in with her team.
Long after the ringing in her ears from the explosion had died away, the Cloudiseum sat silent - even the DJ was flat on her haunches, shades crooked on her nose, staring up with her crimson eyes at the place where, only a moment ago, a pegasus legend had just come alive. Then, all at once, what could only be described as a second explosion took place as the crowd's roar reached deafening levels. Dash led the Wonderbolts around the length of the arena for one final lap, reaching down her hooves to high-hoof anypony who reached up, with her team doing the same.
Finally, with a crowd now filing out of the stands, they flew back behind the curtain to call it a night.
4
Despite the ready platform's excellent lighting, flashes from cameras still assaulted the cyan pony's eyes. Indecipherable sounds that seemed like questions forced themselves into Dash's ears as easily as microphones were shoved into her snout. She tried waving them off, but they seemed only to get closer, surrounding her.
"I, uh..." She'd gladly talk about tonight, only if she understood what they were saying. It's like a whole different language. But, suddenly, one single voice hit her ears. A very familiar voice.
"Excuse me, guys," she said, pushing the media ponies aside and slipping away, trotting over to an obviously excited Blitz.
"That was awesome, Dash!" He beamed up at her; she gave his head a small ruffling, untidying his mane.
"Thanks, squirt." She leaned in closer to whisper, "Don't tell anypony, but I did that sonic rainboom just for you." She winked at him. "Say," she remembered, "I have someone who wants to meet you. Come on." She nodded in the general direction, walking towards the locker area. Blitz followed, curious as to who here would want to actually meet him.
Rainbow Dash whistled ahead, grabbing the attention of the yellow pony putting their suits away for tomorrow's washing. Blitz's heart skipped a beat as he suddenly took cover behind Dash, peeking out from the side. Spitfire looked up upon being signaled, and stayed very still as she spotted the violet colt. The time had finally come for their inevitable meeting, and she had sworn to herself not to screw it up this time. She took a cautious step in Dash's direction, feeling the awkwardness press down on her being.
Dash had stepped behind Blitz, gently nudging the purple colt. "Go on," she soothed, "Spitfire won't bite." Still a small trepidation held him back; he had been so mad at her, so hurt that night, whether she knew it or not. Eventually, he figured out how to make his legs move once again, and trekked his half of a seemingly long walk.
They met face-to-face, neither willing to break the eye contact or the silence. Behind Blitz, Dash cleared her throat.
"So, uh, hi." Spitfire cringed internally at how unprofessionally she started their conversation. This was the fan she had unintentionally offended. An image of her grandpa appeared in the yellow mare's mind. What would you do, grandpa? Her body seemed to give the answer. She knelt down to get eye-level with the colt, looking him straight in the eye.
"I'm sorry," she began, "I'm very, very sorry that I upset you. Please know that I would never do it on purpose. It was entirely my fault for not noticing you. My grandpa would be utterly ashamed of me right now for daring to disrespect a fan like I did. If you'd be so kind, I'll gladly make it up to you." She extended a shaking off, hoping for the best.
Blitz sat there a moment longer, unsure of how to react. The Spitfire was right in front of him, on her knees and begging for his forgiveness. Slowly, he reached out and pressed his own hoof against hers. His face cracked a smile, and in an instant all animosity between the two had been washed away.
When it came to the subject of Spitfire, Blitz had returned to his starry-eyed self. "I... I'm talking to Spitfire! I mean, I'm talking to the Spitfire!" She giggled at his exuberance, happy that one part of her reformation had been complete.
Rainbow Dash sauntered up, standing next to her once-again captain. "Hey, squirt. So I've been thinking. I met you on your birthday, but I didn't get you anything! Well, Spitfire here and I gotcha something. You'll get it tomorrow on your doorstep before we head to Baltimare, and it's only the most awesome gift ever."
Spitfire nodded her agreement. "It's true," she chimed in, grinning at the colt. "Well... technically it's two gifts. But they're related."
Blitz's jaw hung open at the very idea. "What are they? I mean what is it? I mean-"
"Uh-uh-uh," the golden mare chided, "you'll just have to wait until tomorrow."
"Aw, okay."
"Hey," Dash piped up, ready to get herself to bed. "We need to take the squirt back to his parents. They'll think we coltnapped him or something!"
"I dunno, Dash," Spitfire replied, winking down at her once-more fan. "I don't think he'd mind that at all."
The three ponies shared a laugh at that as they walked back to the ready platform, with Blitz fitting quite snugly in between his two biggest heroes.
Epilogue: An Even Better Gift
1
"Blitz, honey, wake up! There's something here for you!"
His mother's voice was still distant as he crossed the precipice between sleep and awake as Blitz sat up. Groggily, he rubbed his eyes with his fetlocks, the afterimage last night's sonic rainboom still visible from behind his eyelids. Satisfied, Blitz stretched his forelegs outward with an audible yawn and stepped out of bed.
Giving wings a quick flutter to loosen them, he gave his mane a quick brushing to untangle the knots it had tied for itself in his sleep. He gave himself a once-over in his bedroom mirror, feeling content at his appearance. With the summer coming to a close, school would be starting again and he wanted to look his best. He already knew it was going to be a good school year - not only had he learned to fly over the summer, but he was officially close friends with one of the Wonderbolts! Of course, Rainbow Dash would be on her way to Baltimare right now, ready to dazzle a new crowd, but before they parted last night, she had told him to write to her whenever he wanted; seemed, actually, to want him to do so.
Reaffirming his satisfaction, Blitz trotted out of his room and down the stairs, coming upon a pair of smiling ponies with an unopened small box at their feet. Blaze nudged the box forward with his hoof, and Blitz scanned it over, spotting a small sticker saying 'To: Blitz, From: Rainbow Dash & Spitfire '. Carefully, he opened it, eyes widening as he peeked in at the contents. With more fervor, he lifted the top of the box completely open, heart racing as he stared inside.
"Well?" Winter cocked her head quizzically, curious herself now. "What is it?"
Blitz reached in, pulling out an actual, adult-sized Wonderbolt uniform. He could only gaze at it, slack-jawed and disbelieving. Gingerly, he touched the fabric, as if to confirm it was indeed real. Confident that the suit wasn't just a figment of his imagination, Blitz slipped into it. Fabric sagged all around him as he zipped the suit up, as it was still quite too big for him to fit into. Still, it felt amazing to be wearing an actual Wonderbolts uniform.
"There's something else," Winter commented, peeking inside the box. Blitz stuck his head in, pulling out the envelope that lay innocently in the center. Opening it, he found two different letters inside - one official looking, and the other written in chicken scratch. He picked the latter to read first, knowing it was from Dash.
Heya squirt,
By the time you read this, then you'll have seen one part of your present. Spitfire and I hope you like the uniform - it's brand new! And it's also real... if you catch my meaning. But, like I said, it's only one part. If you haven't read it already, the other letter is your second part. And don't forget: Spitfire was a HUGE help with that part (I'm so glad you two made up!). So go ahead and read it now, and try not to get too excited, okay?
Stay cool,
Rainbow Dash.
Curiously, Blitz read over the second letter, feeling his jaw drop further and further each second; his heart threatened to pound right out of his chest. Unable to say anything, he gave the letter to his mother. After finishing, her hoof covering her mouth in surprised joy, she passed the letter to Blaze. Curious as to all the fuss, he began to read it as well.
Dear Blitz,
This letter has been forwarded to you with the express delight to inform you that you have been accepted into the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, with tuition paid in full under the Sponsorship of the Wonderbolt Captain, Spitfire. We look forward to receiving you in the Fall after this, and hope you enjoy your time here.
Sincerely,
Speed Shot, Administrator of the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, Canterlot division.
Finished reading, Blaze looked up over the letter to see his son thoroughly passed out on the floor.