“Hmmm… should probably be a bit taller… but then it’s gonna need to be reinforced at the base so it won’t fall over…” The only sounds in the large room came from Copper’s pencil as he worked on his latest design. Or at he least tried to; this one was starting to give him a bit of a headache.

About three months had passed since Copper's rather... unique interview with Soarin that had landed him this rather unusual, but highly fulfilling job. An interview that STILL managed to send a happy shiver down his spine when he thought of it even now.

Though that was mainly because it had so far been the ONLY time he was lucky enough to have the Lieutenant Commander's feet at his mercy. Mainly due to the fact that they were both fairly busy over these last few weeks. After all, the new season was rapidly approaching, and with it, the first ever group of newly graduated recruits to be put through all of these new training methods. As such, it had called for Copper to kick his skills into high gear and have as many functioning devices ready at the start as he could, while of course keeping their quality up to the standard he had set for himself.

Thankfully, he had PLENTY of space for it. This position, unlike a good number of other maintenance positions, was year-round and required him to be available pretty much twenty-four/seven. So, it had actually come with included lodging; specifically, a small but rather cozy apartment located in the basement of the compound's modestly-sized maintenance building. It even came furnished, albeit with just the basics; shelves, lamps, and larger pieces of furniture such as chairs, a desk, dresser, and bed. While nothing overly special, he considered himself fortunate to have his own home down here. But really, that was small potatoes compared to the workshop that his new home was attached to!

Copper was no stranger to machinery workshops; he'd spent the last several years working in numerous others. However, those had either been workspaces in university, or the occasional shop he’d spent his summer months working at. None of them had ever been designated as his own, private workspace. None had been as big as this one, either; honestly it seemed a bit less like a workshop and more like an unused underground gym given it's size. The place was easily big enough to fit anything he could have possibly been capable of making with his own two hands, wide and long with a ceiling easily fifteen feet high. Upon his arrival, numerous work benches were already lined up against the walls, which themselves had pegboard he could move around with ease. There were even a series of sturdy metal rafters on the ceiling above that, if needed, he could hang any projects on that he needed out of the way, if the included storage room he had off to the side didn't have enough space.

Of course, while it may have started out rather empty and open, it didn't stay that way for very long; now, it was a mess of all sorts of components and electronic items. Tools of varying types lined the walls, or were scattered around the work benches or sticking out of toolboxes on said benches, several of which he’d pushed together to make individual work spaces around multiple areas in the room, many of which here holding several different devices. Several electric winches were now attached to the rafters as well, able to be moved back and forth across them if needed, and each with a long, dangling chain with thick, sturdy clamp-on hooks on the ends. However, at this moment in time they weren’t in use the hooks hanging safely out of the way.

At this moment in particular though, Copper himself was away from all of that, and seated at an artist's desk tucked away in the front left corner of the room. Though, he was still in his usual work outfit; a pair of blue overalls, a grey shirt visible underneath them, and a pair of brown work boots. As was usual these days, he had recently gotten a message from the higher ups (It was amazing how useful fax machines could be even in this day and age) about a new device that they wanted him to construct, and he was still in the middle of working out some of the finer details in the blueprints.

That was pretty much how the professional side of things had gone since he began his job, though; get messages from the admin offices, and fulfill their requests as soon as possible. At the very least they didn’t drown him in orders… well, at least not anymore. There was a slight rush for him to get some of the 'basics' finished in high enough quantity so they could be set up, and so his first few weeks he’d had to keep a list around of just what he needed to build and in what numbers. It was honestly a bit surprising how much they were asking for, but he at least had the funds to get it done and still keep to his quality standards. Over time the list had dwindled, and at the moment he was pretty much caught up on his work, hence being able to start on these new plans right away.

Unfortunately for him, the stallion had been so wrapped up in catching up on his work over the last while, that he had legitimately lost track of time outside of his workshop. As result, he didn't even realize what day it was.

Which was NOT a good position when you worked with an organization that worked like the military.

There was a knock on his workshop door that abruptly snapped him out of his working mindset. Not many of the officers headed down to this level of the basement, mostly due to their own personal little fears about his work, but some did come down on occasion. From those he had met so far, he quickly discovered that at least some of the Wonderbolts more elite fliers were pretty nice ponies. Though most of them seemed to give his inventions a wide berth.

Another knock came at the door, and this time it actually opened, revealing none other than Soarin. However, this wasn’t too much of a surprise to Copper; while it was true that the duo had both been busy doing their parts to prepare for this upcoming season, Soarin had made sure to visit every few days to check up on Coppers progress and make sure he wasn't completely overwhelmed with his workload.

However, what did surprise him was that Soarin was in his full, proper dress uniform at the moment; near identical to the uniform he’d worn during their interview, the biggest difference was this shirt was a deeper, almost navy blue and had several ribbons and medals on the chest, as well as a golden aiguillette, and his tan pants had been swapped for deep grey ones. "Hey Copper! Sorry to bother you but I just wanted to make sure you were-" he abruptly stopped himself upon seeing Copper at his desk, standing beside the door and giving him a quick glance over. "So...why aren't you ready?" he asked, his eyebrow raised as his eyes locked with the brown pegasus’s own.

As much as he didn’t like being interrupted while he was wrapped deeply into his work, Copper could tell from Soarin’s dress and expression that he had clearly missed something.

"Wait... what are you talking about?" he asked raising an eyebrow as he looked at Soarin, "I don't have any other plans today; I've been working on the design for this latest requested machine all afternoon. What's going on?"

Soarin looked at him with an ‘are you for real’ look, his eye twitching softly. "Copper, the new recruits have their welcoming party and ceremony tonight; Spitfire's reminded you several times and it’s starting in fifteen minutes!"

"Wait... that was TODAY!?" His eyes went wide in surprise, hand ducking into his pocket and quickly pulling out his phone. A quick glance at the calendar confirmed it; he had officially lost track of his days down here. He had been sure that tonight’s event was still several days away! Still, if he doubled-timed it fifteen minutes would hopefully be enough time... "O-Okay, just give me ten and I'll be ready, promise!" He hopped up from his chair, heading across the room to to back wall, up to a door marked 'Private'; with the twist of a key he was in his apartment, not wasting any time as he rushed into the bedroom and began to re-dress himself.

While he may not have been allowed a proper dress uniform due to the position he held, Copper was at least told he needed to get a proper dress outfit for himself for any of the more official events he may end up attending, such as tonight's ceremony. Thankfully, he not only had the money now thanks to this new position, but had gotten a good idea of what to buy for himself so he didn't stick out too much from everyone else.

It also helped that Copper knew himself, and had planned ahead for a problem such as this; among other precautions, he had set his outfit for tonight aside in his dresser already.

He soon emerged from the apartment once more, now wearing a smart-looking, blue button-down shirt with tan-colored pants and a pair of black dress shoes, a matching tie done up around his neck. He was back across the room in seconds to meet Soarin, giving him a nod, "Alright, I'm all set."

Soarin looked him up and down, a tad impressed about how he had gotten ready so quickly. He nodded, fixing the tie on his suit as they walked. Honestly, Copper was quite thankful that Soarin had come to fetch him; he would have most likely missed the entire thing if he hadn’t! In fact, Soarin had become a rather welcome sight these days, one of the few living lifelines he had to the outside world while he dealt with the biggest workload he'd ever had. During some of his check-ins, he would take some time to actually talk with the engineer and learn a bit more about him. In turn, Copper found himself learning a fair deal about Soarin that he had never heard about, nor expected.

However, one thing he wasn’t all that surprised to learn was that Soarin had been among the group who originally proposed this idea in the first place. But he was among a very small number of proposers. Aside from him, there had only been three others who had enough confidence to bring up this year’s new training regiment.

Among the others had been Fire Streak, who only really got behind it when he actually took a look at the publish studies that Soarin himself had seen in the first place. He had, albeit somewhat reluctantly, agreed that the data seemed to be sound, and put his backing behind the project. A bit of a necessity, since he needed one of the standard rookie trainers and was needed to even bring this to the table in the first place.

Another among them was none other than Fleetfoot; practically the face of the Wonderbolts, she perhaps had the biggest presence outside of the organization. She had, among other things, been featured in several prominent athletic magazines over the years and was known to endorse numerous products as well. She also had arguably the best public image out of all the other best-known members, having a great connection with fans and always being happy to interact them if the moment arose. Considering that such a drastic change in training methods was going to be introduced this year, it was basically inevitable that the press would have a field day reporting on it when it was made public. So having the biggest public face of their team throwing her support behind it would, hopefully, lessen any negative impact they got from it. That and, according to her own words, she was personally all for it ‘just for the personal kicks I’d get from watching what happens to the noobs.’

The fourth Wonderbolt to get behind it had actually been a bit surprising to Copper; apparently none other than Rainbow Blitz had thrown his backing behind the idea. One of the newer members of the Wonderbolts, Blitz had actually worked his way through the ranks rather quickly thanks to his ability and raw talent, and found himself among some of the fastest to make it into the upper ranked squads, becoming the lieutenant of Squad Four in only four short years. All while, according to Soarin, juggling time in his hometown with his close friends and even a serous, steady relationship! Quite impressive, to say the least, which was why having him behind the plan had been all the better. Though, much like Fleetfoot, he had apparently backed the idea for his own personal reasons. Though when he asked just what they were, all Copper got from his friend was a cryptic, “You’ll see.”

"Since you're the head of this new department, you're gonna need a speech. I assume you'll just make it up on the spot? It's what Silver does each year" he snickered a bit at his own words.

"Actually, no; Spitfire was kind enough to tell me that in advance, so I did at least prepare one ahead of time for this," he responded. He actually remembered that meeting quite clearly; it had been the first (and so far only) time he had met the Head Commander of the wonderbolts in person. But unlike Soarin, she seemed to give off an aura of strength and leadership, keeping their words focused on the subject at hand, which had been to come and inspect his work after a his first few weeks there. Still, she at least didn’t flinch when she saw his inventions, so that was a plus.

He patted his right pants pocket gently, "It's all in here if I need to reference it. I've lost track of time before this, particularly when I get lost in my work. But I try to compensate for it by planning ahead for stuff like this."

“Clever stallion; I’m guessing that you prepared what else you’ll need for tonight in advance, as well?”

He nodded, “Yeah, it should be there already and prepped to come out.”

The two were outside by this point, and began over to the main training facility, by far the largest building on the entire compound. It was a good five stories tall at least, mainly because there were inside areas that needed to left wide open for flight exercises and training sessions, and it was big enough to just barely hold every other building on the grounds inside of it. It also tended to serve as a bit of an all-purpose building, with numerous different rooms and halls inside for groups of pretty much any size.

Case in point, the main event hall, which had been set up for the ceremony this evening. It was more than large enough to hold everypony who had come this evening, with some space still left over, albeit blocked off for now. Numerous round tables had been set up, complete with either blue or yellow tablecloths and centerpieces of large lit-up Wonderbolt insignias. Since it was a larger special event, the food for the evening was buffet style; several straight tables had been lined up against the far wall, laden with numerous different foods from appetizers to desserts and everything in between.

It was also fairly packed at this moment, with this year’s new recruits and their families already here, as well as most of the current Wonderbolts. At this moment, the majority were either milling around with food and drink making conversation, or sitting at one of the numerous tables with friends and family celebrating personally.

There was a collapsible stage at the far end of the room as well, a blue curtain raised up at the back bearing the organization’s logo as well. A podium was set up at the front for the evening’s speeches, and a row of chairs in the back for other high-ranking members to sit during the ceremony...as well as Copper, the brown pegasus thought himself.

Soarin walked in beside him and patted his back with a chuckle, "Best get something to eat, especially before Surprise finds out the dessert bar is all you can eat.”

He chuckled a bit himself, giving a nod; his new friend had been quite the handy encyclopedia on many of the current Wonderbolts, especially the higher-ranked ones, whom he seemed to be on very good grounds with judging by the stories he had about some of them. But his remark had reminded Copper of something; he hadn't eaten since lunch, and he was starving! Without wasting a moment, he was on his way to the buffet table, glad for the convenience of catered goods.Naturally little expense had been spared for this evening, and a special catering company from Canterlot had supplied the food; it was much as a feast for the eyes as it was for the stomach. As he loaded up a plate with what seemed most appetizing, Copper took a glance around the room.

Wonderbolts of all kinds were around: from the high ranking officers to several of the lower ranking fliers, the reserve units, even the security and special effect staffs. Then, of course, there were the new cadets; a group of young, fresh-faced pegasi that stood out like a sore thumb from the rest of the evening’s guests. Whether having predecessors of greatness in their line before them or seeking their own, these were the youth of the skies and it showed in the energy and excitement they had.

Copper had to admit though, part of him felt a bit envious of the new recruits. He had taken a seat at one of the tables near the front with his meal and had a clear line of sight to one of the other tables, were a small group of new recruits were sitting together. All looked rather excited as they celebrated their graduation from basic training, clearly having forged strong bonds together through their experiences at the academy.

He would never deny the jot that came with his new job, but there were times he wondered how it must feel knowing you'd get to fly with the greats. Sadly, it was a chance he knew he couldn't have... he glanced back at his wings; even furled up, there was no hiding their smaller-than-average size. It wasn’t unheard of, but there were rare cases when some pegasi were born with stunted wings, and fate had dealt him an unfortunate hand in that regard. While he was by no means grounded, he couldn't fly for long periods of time thanks to them tiring out rather quickly, meaning any hopes me may of had of flying prowess were dashed long ago.

Still, it was an unfortunate fact of his life that he was unable to change, and something he had long since managed to come to terms with. Besides, he had his own personal passions that gave him satisfaction with his life. He had found his love of tinkering and designing machines at an early age, and it showed in his cutie mark; an open toolbox, with numerous tools sticking out of the top. It was only natural for a pegasus to enjoy being in the air, but as much as he did enjoy feeling the air rush by him, he was also quite content to toil the days away in his workshop.

Plus, they may not be looking so excited in a little while, he thought to himself with a slight chuckle. While he knew that the recruits had been told in advance that they would be the first group to try out a new training regiment this year, they still had no idea just what it would involve. But tonight, that was going to change. And he would be the lucky pegasus to drop the news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon enough, it was time for the official ceremony to begin, and everyone had taken their proper places, either down in the audience or up on the stage. Spitfire, of course, went up for her speech first, stepping up to the podium with her team, showing the same aura of leadership and strength about her just like Copper remembered. Her speech was one of inspiration, strength and most of all teamwork, as well as a message of good luck to the new recruits. As she spoke, Soarin stood behind her with Fleetfoot and Rapidfire, all holding a professional air of their own. Soon enough though, it came time for Copper’s own speech, the Head Commander introducing him to the crowd.

“Now I know this isn’t how these ceremonies usually go, but I’m going to be turning the mic over to our newest member of staff; will our new Chief of Athletic Technology, Copper Buckle, please step forward?”

Copper, for his part, had been sitting near the far end of the stage along with several of the higher ups and other chiefs of staff. Needless to say, he’d definitely felt a bit out of place sitting among some of the most well-known faces in Equestria, but he simply went with it, sitting off to the right end of the row as Spitfire gave her speech. When he was finally introduced however, he got to his feet and approached the microphone; at least he knew what he wanted to say, and had the audience's full attention already.

He gave his thanks to Spitfire and cleared his throat a bit, the Head commander moving off to the side while her teammates took their own seats. Adjusting the microphone a bit, Copper began to speak, "Hello everypony; first and foremost, allow me to give my congratulations to this year’s newest group of graduates from the academy. Anyone who can overcome the physical and mental strain of Wonderbolts training has truly earned their spot in this room. However, I myself am also new here; this will be my first year working among all of you, as the new and first Chief of Athletic Technology. I'm excited to bring my skills with machinery and engineering to the Wonderbolts, and to help usher in a brand new wave of modernized training programs for this year’s newest cadets. Now, some of you may be wondering what I mean about that, so I'll be up front; starting this year, the Wonderbolts are going to be incorporating far more unique methods of training and exercise, mainly among the newest members as they work to hone their skills and work for spots in either the reserves or this year's new recruit squads."

The crowd was clearly interested, eyes filled with wonder and ears perking up as the new starts seemed a bit excited; they were going to learn about these newer, modernized training methods! Some were even hoping to overtake the more senior members in no time flat with this year’s regiment! Of course, the only ones who knew the truth were the Lead Squad and High Ranking officials sitting on stage.

Copper looked out among the crowd of faces; while the more caring part of him knew that what was coming would be a rather cruel bomb drop, his more devious side was curious about the crowd’s reactions to what was coming next. He chuckled a bit, smiling at the crowd, "However, this new regiment may not be what you're expecting. Rather than simply starting new programs that will focus on intense physical strain, much of the same training routines will be kept in. But along with those, several new exercises will be added in, taking advantage of the new machinery I’ve been able to supply. There will also be a change in discipline methods for those who can't keep up with the demand of their Senior Commanders or those who shirk off in any way."

Again grateful that he had planned ahead for this day, he looked aside and nodded to a pair of waiting maintenance workers, who went behind the stage and rolled out something covered by a black tarp, carefully having it set down on the stage beside him. After a quick thanks, Copper grabbed the tarp and cast into the floor, revealing a set of metal stocks affixed to metal legs, leaving them high enough for everypony in the room to see. They looked fairly similar to the one’s he’d made to show off to Soarin, except that now there were longer any buttons sticking out at random areas. Rather, touch screen panels had been set up on the left, right, and center of this pair's top half, a nice upgrade he was able to give his original model. "These are just a basic model, but I think they speak for themselves; these stocks are just one of MULTIPLE devices rookies might find themselves in if they get in the bad graces of their commanders."

That's when the hopeful, excited mood of the newbies quite clearly crashed, their eyes widening with shock and some even going pale as they stared at the stocks; they knew EXACTLY what they were, and the implications behind them. The majority of the crowd was clearly stunned to see this, some were looking on with interest, and others were finding it bizarre, questioning how this would even work! Meanwhile, most of the higher ups were clearly holding in their own reactions to the crowd, though Fleetfoot looked like she was about to explode into her own fit of laughter and Soarin just grinned in amusement.

Copper actually had to hold in a few chuckles himself; the reactions were all he had been expecting and more, honestly. Still, he had to continue on, so he swallowed in his snickers and cleared is throat again, "Again, these won't be used solely for punishments; I've been hard at work these last few months creating numerous machines that will be incorporated into some of your more specific, advanced exercises and workouts. I'm sure that your future Senior Commanders will be happy to fill you in on all those details when the time comes, however. In the meantime, I’ll leave you all with this; I expect EVERYONE here to be respectful of my creations, and if any sabotage or purposeful harm comes to them, there WILL be consequences."

There was a murmur among the crowd now as they all looked and spoke to one another. Spitfire, seeing it was her time to come back in, stepped back over and took Copper’s position at the podium.

"Thank you, Copper Buckle." She nodded to him as he headed back to his seat, taking lead of the ceremony once more. "I will stress that this is a much newer and highly experimental training program, based around evidence that it can help the emotional, mental, and physical growth of our new cadets. While it is rather unorthodox, this is also a fully legal and permitted experimental period, approved by Princess Celestia herself. I promise you all we have not grown mad in our actions; we are just changing things to try and improve the generations that come after us all, and the results shall be seen in our future actions."

Copper was already back to his chair and sitting once more when Spitfire started the second half of her speech. And with good timing; it looked like a good amount of ponies in the crowd were finally recovering from the shock of his announcement as Spitfire went on to wrap things up with the night’s highlight; the graduation walk. She reached under the podium, pulling out a stack of small, bronze plaques.

“Now, we’ll begin tonight’s graduation like we always do; every year, out of twenty four best cadets chosen to graduate, we select the top eight cadets of each graduating class based on their performance, ability, and discipline. These eight will go on to received a more advanced training course, to better test their skills and hone themselves. So I would like to call up this year’s Advanced Senior Commanders, Lieutenant Commander Soarin and Lieutenant Commander Rainbow Blitz, to please step forward.”

Suddenly, Soarin’s little “You’ll see” made a lot more sense. Copper looked over as Soarin and Blitz both got up from their seats, stepping forward and flanking either side of the Head Commander. While both had professional, neutral expressions on their faces at the moment, it was quite obvious both of them were holding back other expressions. And if Spitfire noticed, she paid it no mind, simply nodding to Soarin and stepping back so he could take her place at the podium.

“Thank you Head Commander. As mentioned, I’ll be one of your Advanced Senior Commanders; Rainbow Blitz and I will each be taking four of this year’s top cadets, each personally put together by both of us. Now, I’ll be in charge of Squad Delta, so I’ll be handing out the plaques to each member of my new squad. So, let’s begin; first up, Graceful Breeze.”

Despite the round of applause and congratulations that rang out, it was clear the air was a bit tense in the room now. Still, a young pegasus mare got up from her seat, approaching the stage and stepping up to approach the podium… while giving a bit of distance to the pair of stocks that had been left up there, clearly off-put by them. She had a thistle-colored coat with a sandy-brown mane and tail, both cut into a short, streamlined style that undoubtedly was to help reduce the drag from her hair. She was also surprisingly tall for a pegasus mare, and a bit broader than most. She stepped up, giving her thanks while shaking hands with Soarin and Spitfire as she accepted her plaque, and was back off to her seat seconds later.

“Next up is Swift Trail,” Soarin said into the mic, and this time it was a stallion who got up and started his way over. However, he was actually quite short, about a head smaller than the average pegasus height, and yet a full-sized pair of wings rested on his back. His coat was an emerald green, and he had a short, fuzzy-looking dark-blonde mane and tail. Still, he didn’t let any of the stares deter him, and didn’t even flinch as he passed to technologic bonds on stage. He gave his thanks, shaking hands and taking the plaque off with him.

“Sand Dune.” The next one to rise got everypony’s attention at once, mainly because the largest pegasus in the room had just gotten to his feet. A stark contrast to Swift, Sand was pretty much a giant among ponies in general, with a size that rivaled even that of earth ponies! Copper was almost certain that this guy had some horse in his blood; there was no way he was a pegasus and also that big based on pony genetics alone. True to his name, his coat was a pale, sandy brown, and his rough-styled mane and tail were the same shade of green one might find on palm leaves. Like Swift, he didn’t seem at all bothered by the stocks as he stepped onto the stage, making the surface shake with every step. His handshake clearly had some strength behind it too, Copper able to see Soarin and Spitfire both flinch a bit from his grip.

“And now, Squad Delta’s Cadet Commander; Gleaming Streak.” This round of applause seemed a bit stronger than the others, most of it from other cadets in the crowd as young mare got to her feet. Her coat was a vivid, almost shiny shade of icy blue with a white-grey mane and tail, the former currently done up in a pixie cut. She also looked like she was the peak of level of fitness a pegasus her age could be at, lithe with finely-developed muscle. She approached the stage, looking quite proud of herself as she stepped up… but there was no denying that, even if her expression didn’t change, she tried to keep away from the stocks as well…

After she had accepted her plaque and shaken hands, Soarin stepped away from the podium. Now it was Blitz’s turn, and he already had a grin on his face as he began to speak, “Hey there folks; congrats to Soarin’s team of rookies, but unfortunately you guys missed out on the better teacher for this year! You’re looking at the Advance Senior Captain of Squad Echo everypony, now let’s get my newbies up here. First up, we got Winter Gale.”

Another pegasus mare stood up from her seat among more claps and cheers, this one with a snow white coat, her curly mane and tail a triage of blues in light, normal, and dark. She looked a bit thin, but otherwise looked to be in fit shape, approaching the stage quickly. As she got up however, Copper could have sworn she looked at the stocks not with nervousness but… curiosity? He didn’t really have time to be certain; she took her plaque like the others, and was off as soon as she’d come up.

“Next up is Dusty Trails!” Yet another one of the larger stallions in the crowd got to his feet, though he was at least a head shorter than Sand if not more so. His coat was an earthy brown, with a dirty-blond mane and tail which were both cut short rather simply. Though that wasn’t much of a surprise as the guy gave off a strong country-man aura. And he didn’t bother to mask his excitement at his new rank, approaching the stage and seemingly ignoring the stocks as he vigorously shook hands with Blitz and Spitfire, the former not seeming as rattled as the latter.

“Now we got Horizon Line!” Another stallion, this one actually of normal pegasus size and stature, got up. He actually seemed to be a bit gangly, his coat a rather foggy gray with a straight, dark-red mane and tail, the former fringed and actually covering his right eye. He didn’t seem to even try and hide his nerves as he got up on stage and gave the stocks a wide distance, enough to get some soft chuckles from the crowd. He kept his thanks short and simple, barely saying more than “thank you” before he was heading back to his seat.

“And last but definitely not least, Squad Echo’s Cadet Commander, Brave Star!” Of everyone up to this point, this name got the least applause of anypony, with a few scattered claps around the crowd. Not that it seemed to phase the pegasus in question, a rather fit-looking stallion with a golden-yellow coat, black mane tail short but looking like they were naturally spiked. He approached with a rather professional air about him, but there was no hiding the twitch on his face as he passed the stocks to get his plaque, shaking hands and offering his thanks complete with addressing them by their ranks, before heading down and back to his seat.

One he was seated again, Blitz stood back as Spitfire took the podium once more, this time pulling out a stack of what looked to be picture frames. “Congratulations again to this year’s advanced cadet squads; we’ll be holding you to our highest standards, so make sure you all keep at the top of your game. We will now move on to the rest of this year’s graduates; when you hear your name, please come up to accept your diploma.”

One by one, each remaining cadet was called up to the stage to receive the framed documents marking their completion of Wonderbolt basic training. And just like the others, they had to pass by the stocks while crossing the stage. Copper decided to simply continue taking in the reactions they had, if any, as they passed his invention.

Most were hesitant, like they were almost worried the device was going to eat them; some didn't like the look of them whatsoever; some seemed passive, and a couple others looked rather interested. Some clearly saw it as a means of punishment, something to fearfully hang over their heads as motivation to work their best just so they didn’t end up in them. Others seemed to see them as a challenge, a new means of developing their physical and mental strength to new heights. Then there were those who seemed unsure of just how to react to these things, or the announcement overall, and who would just have to try and adjust as they experienced it over time.

Copper had to give this class one thing; if they were anything, they were definitely varied. Not just by their appearances, but their actions as well. He also knew that, as the year went on, he would be learning a lot about them as well. While he hadn’t explicitly said it on stage, another part of his job was going to be working with the Senior Commanders this year as they worked with his devices and sought his help with them as needed. He also know for a fact that he’d be working particularly closely with the two advanced squads; they would be getting a special regiment all their own, personally designed to push their minds, bodies, and spirits. But that would be coming later, after he had the necessary data from all of them to start working on tweaking the machines he’d been hard at work building.

Eventually, the last cadet passed across the stage, leaving the ceremony complete as they stepped back down. With one last congratulations and a mention that their newest members would be given the upcoming weekend off to move into their new barracks and get situated, Spitfire ended the ceremony. Copper didn’t stick around long after that; he knew better than to give anyone in the crowd a chance to approach him at this moment. Instead, he gave a quick farewell to Soarin and slipped out one of the hall’s back doors.

A little while later, he was back at his workshop’s front entrance, and already he began to loosen his tie with a small sigh of relief. However, a quick glance at the door showed not everything was as he’d left it; something had been wedged between the wall and doorknob. He wasted no time in snatching it up, seeing it was a stack of string folders held together by a rubber band. As he walked inside, Copper set the band aside, opening the folder on top and lifting the contents inside up just a bit.

He was quickly met with a profile paper, with “Name: Brave Star” typed out at the top left, a photo on the right showing a portrait photograph of the stallion in question. Copper allowed himself a smile; seemed he’d gotten the profiles he’d requested already. Well, that just made things easier on his end. He just hoped that the advanced squads took this weekend to relax; he wouldn’t have such a luxury.

He had research to do.

Author's Note

Woohoo, new chapter up already, and not that long after the first one! Though it helps that this one was indeed clean and actually fairly easy to to get finished. And with all of this now established, along with a proper cast of characters, the REAL fun can begin, starting in the next chapter.

Speaking of the next chapter, expect it to be up by the end of this weekend if everything manages to go smoothly for me. And I can assure you, THAT will be where things start to pick up.

Again, all feedback and writing advice is welcome, and I do hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, despite the lack of any real action. I'll see you all next time!