Hug Chug

Spitfire and Spike flew to the academy and Spike got off the cloud. Spitfire lead Spike to her office, She sat at her desk, Much to Spike's shock a secondary desk and swivel chair had been set up for him right next to her desk. Spike took the seat and found a clipboard in front of him, Spike picked it up and looked at the list of training he was assigned to oversee.

"What in the name of Tarturus is the Dizzitron?"

"you'll see, we've got a few new training areas I had made just for the sake of giving you a job."

"Oh...wait...how?"

"Let's just say that after our first kiss, I made a few calls and pointed out how lacking we were in any sort of none areal combat, and just like that I got you your pin." Spike thought about that for a second.

"You gave me this like five minutes after that kiss"

"Wonderbolts work fast," Spitfire said as she looked over her list. Spike turned back to his, after the Dizzitron, he was to report to the newly instated Dragon fire dogging class, A wingless obstacle course, as well as a class on writing."

"Wait, why am I a literature teacher?"

"I really managed to get them on board after telling them you where a direct line to the princess herself."

"ok, but why do they need to know it?"

"A lot of our recruits are...think there the best purely because of brawn and speed, thanks to you, now they'll need a little intellect." Spike looked over his list, a lot of his afternoon would be taken up with paperwork. he sighed

"Where's this Dizzytron?"

"ah ah ah, not so fast" Spitfire stopped him, "You and I need to get into out captains uniforms." She dragged him into a side room, and gave him the outfit, and left the room, once he had it on, he left the room and found he and Spitfire had matching uniforms. the only difference was that She had a Lighting bolt on her chest, he had a fireball.

Spitfire and Spike made their way to the Dizzytron and Spitfire gave him a quick hug.

"Wish I could stay, but It'll have to wait until the afternoon," She flew off Spike looked at the recruits who were coming his way and sighed and he caught wind of their conversations.

"I can't believe this, who needs literature with wings like mine?"

"Once I finish this course first try they'll see how much of a waste it is for me, I'll probably get promoted asap."

"Please, Dragons are stupid, just throw something shiny, and then bash them in the eye, done."

"Excuse me?" Spike called out at that last comment, the recruits stopped in their tracks. there was a murmur for a moment.

"Wow, they actually hired a wingless dragon." the one who had made the Dragon comment stepped forward. "Once I'm in charge, I'll make sure you're cut, should only take like a week, so don't get too used to your position, and once she sees me in action I think the captain will agree, So, what'd you steal from her to get her to agree to go out with ya?"

"oh boy," Spike said "I'm gonna enjoy this" Spike took a deep breath and whistled a high-pitched whistle that made all the recruits cover their ears, and made his new best friend fall over as he tried to back away. Spike looked down at him and said in a loud commander-like voice that he definitely hadn't been practicing the night before "So, You think you're the best thing since sliced bread?"

"Name's Flame Sprint," the colt said, "and yeah, I really am just that good." Spike looked at him and then shook his head.

"Get back in line or I'm gonna have you throw out of here faster than Rainbow Dash can fly." The colt walked back, still looking cocky. before more could be said two helpers arrived, one gave Spike the name list and sat on the sideline in case of medical emergencies, the other took over the controls. Spike called for them to get into an orderly line and looked at the 8 recruits he was dealing with. "This..." He had barely started when Flame Sprint interrupted.

"It's the Dizzitron, it's used to make sure you can correct yourself when you spin out." he smiled smugly "Not that I need to do it, I'm already pretty..."

"Oh Really?" Spike asked stopping Sprint mid-sentence, "Well if it's so easy, let's add a twist." Spike heard the helper on the side stand up and walk behind the Dizitron, coming back with a cart full of wrist and ankle weights.

"Your twist sir."

"Not what I was thinking but I like it! Thank you," Spike said happily, shocked that they actually had something set up for this kind of situation."You will all now be wearing these lovely weights." Spike smiled at them "What do we say?"

"Thanks, Flame Sprint," The rest of the recruits said. Flame smiled and shrugged

"Hey, I understand the feeling, but I do this kind of thing all the time."

"Can I throw him off the cloud?" Spike asked the helper as he took the stopwatch from him, he shook his head

"He'd just fly back up." Spike sighed once more and turned back to the recruits, saying loudly.

"Ok, I've had enough of you strap up and get in." Spike watched as his new buddy Sprint flew up and got into the Dizzytron, Spike watched him for a second then yelled "GO!" Sprint let go and shot into the air, spinning, he managed to turn and land.

"oh yeah, that was probably a new record am I right?" Spike looked at the stopwatch in his hand.

"that was 13 seconds"

"Yeah, I know you're impressed with my..."

"The Record is 6 seconds." Flame Sprint stopped and turned on the spot.

"Bullshit! Nopony is that fast!"

"I can think of several ponies who could have done that faster than you, wearing twice the weight."

"But I..."

"You had your shot and you failed, still it was...ok. I personally wouldn't brag about it though." Spike turned "Next!" after a total of 3 minutes, Flame Sprint was ranked 5th in the group, and he looked less than thrilled at the news.

"This is an outrage, I am the Fastest one, I.."

"SHUT IT!" Spike yelled spewing smoke from his mouth, Sprint flinched. "The great and almighty stopwatch has spoken, and it says that Mellowcloud is the fastest one, coming in at 7 seconds, with the weights!" Spike looked at the white and blue mare who was glowing with pride, "That, you may brag about, next time we do this, without the weights, and you may top a new house record." Spike smiled then coughed and said loudly. "But bragging aside, it's time for our ground course." Spike was silent for a second "I have no idea where it is." The helper walked over and whispered in his ear "I have just been informed that it is...directly below us, on the ground as it turns out. so," Spike looked up and stopped mid-sentence then coughed," I'll meet you all there." Spike motioned down and the 8 flew down, once they landed Sprint scoffed.

"We'll probably be waiting here for the rest of the day, A wingless dragon, what a joke!" Mellowcloud looked up.

"I think he jumped off the cloud." they all looked up as what looked like a purple meteor fell from the sky, it hit the ground and Spike bounced slightly before uncoiling and landing on his feet.

"I heard that Sprint," He said as he looked at the open-mouthed recruits. "What? I'm a dragon, we're made to swim in lava, hitting the ground is a cinch, long as I'm rolled up I can do it no problem." Spike turned to the obstacle course. "Here's your next trial and..." Spike turned at looked at Sprint Flame "If you say anything smart or do anything stupid, I'm setting the whole fucking thing on fire, and making you do it in your underwear." Spike looked at the course, it had three parts. A mud pit with hurdles, a rock climb, and finally a barbwire crawl pit. "allright, everypony still have their weight on?" Spike asked. after it was confirmed Spike gave them terrible news. "Good, take them all off and clip two on each wing"

"But we won't..."

"Be able to fly? That's the idea genius" Spike said "This is a ground challenge.

"When would we ever..."

"What if you break your wing in the middle of a battle? what if you end up underground? What if you lose a wing?" Spike asked, he got his answer via silence "That's what I thought" Now everypony go to the start and wait for my signal, first one to the finish gets bragging rights." Spike waited till they were all lined up and then yelled "GO!" the 8 recruits ran towards the muddy hurdles and almost immediately 2 fell behind, having failed to tuck in their wing they almost immediately got coated in mud and brought one of them down, Spike watched as they took on the hurdles, Mellowcloud was pulling ahead fast, Flame Sprint was flipping in and out of 4th and 5th place. Mellowcloud was the first to finish the hurdles and started scaling the rock wall, meanwhile, the colt who was in 2nd tripped over his hurtle, causing a bit of a backup, after a moment, Flame Sprint was in 3rd. once he and 2nd got to the wall, Mellowcloud had started scaling down the other side. Flame Sprint looked to see if Spike was watching him, after making sure his attention was on Mellowcloud, he looked up at 2nd place and grabbed his tail, with a yelp 2nd place fell to the ground, landing on 4th and 5th place. Sprint smiled and made his way up, unaware that Spike wasn't the only one watching him. Once he made it to the top he saw that Mellowcloud had started the Wire crawl. he checked Spike, and in a flash flew to the bottom of the rock wall, his weights clipped into his uniform instead of his wings, he tucked his wings in them half haphazardly and started the crawl. by the end of it all Sprint got second place. Mellowcloud walked forward and shook Spike's outreached hand

"You're good at this" Spike said

"My family's all earth ponies except for my great grandmom, I was raised on hard work," Mellow said happily as she sat in the seat with a one on it Spike had set up. Sprint made it out second and made his way to Spike, Only for Spitfire to land next to Spike.

"So?" Spike asked, "Was anypony cheating?"

"Mister tail puller and flying down the wall was," Spitfire said as, with a tug, she reviled his weights to not be on his wings at all. Sprint stopped, his smug look melted off his face.

"wha...but"

"My Recruits decided to stay up late drinking and partying, so there currently unable to do jack shit, of course, once they are they get to do this course with you." Spitfire smiled and turned and smiled "I believe you said in his underwear while it's on fire?"

"Or you can just pack up and leave." Spike smiled as the true second place got there. after a few minutes, Sprint was sitting in the 8 seat.

"Tomorrow at 8 am," Spitfire told him," A group of helpers will be watching you and my recruits as you do this course in your undies, you'll be doing twice in favor of setting it on fire." Spitfire smiled then turned to the rest "As for the rest of you, I hope you're good at dodging because Spike's proven he's good at firing. Every pony back to the academy, and line up in the reverse order you are now." The 8 recruits flew up, following a helper, and Spike got on a cloud with Spitfire pushing.

"That was a great idea, Spike," She said, "How'd you know he'd cheat?"

"Eh, it was hunch" Spike called back as the two made their way to the open air, a large group of Wonderbolts and Recruits who were not currently assigned to anything were sitting to watch Spike spit fire at his recruits. Spike walked over to the line and looked at Spitfire, who smiled and pulled out a walk-e-talk-e.

"Bring them in," She said, and just like that several cloud hoops were made by the helpers, and another came down with Wonderbolt suits.

"These are for when Spike hits you," Spitfire told the recruits. "All you have to do is avoid him for as long as you can, the trial ends when he succeeds in hitting you." Spitfire turned and pointed at Flame Sprint "Last place goes first" Sprint's smug face returned as he put on the outfit

"might as well let me keep it, I'll be getting one within the week" he looked at Spitfire and winked, she shook her head.

"Then prove it." She said, she blew her whistle and Sprint flew into the air, Spike took a deep breath and Spat a pillar of fire in the air. at first, it seemed easy, until Spike started crawling under him at alarming speeds, Sprint was hit in the stomach by Spike's flame, and he started screaming, then a helper burst a cloud over him and he was extinguished. Spitfire looked at her stopwatch.

"14 seconds," She said "not all that great." as the trial continued nopony else did much better. Even Mellowcloud barely held the record with a total of 17 seconds. Spike walked forward.

"You all did great, all of you who didn't cheat that is." he added with a hard look "Now go get some lunch and report to the gym, I'll be seeing you all tomorrow, and make sure your ready to wright!" with that the recruits all flew to get their respective lunches. Spitfire smiled and grabbed Spike's arm.

"Let's go, we have a lot of paperwork to get in order before the end of the day" Spitfire suddenly smiled "I bet I can finish mine before yours."

"You're on!" Spike said automatically before freezing again "Oh Celestia dammit" he sighed as Spitfire smiled at him.

"You never learn." She said, "And I love that about you!"