The sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly as Lark rode his bike to the aviation center. He was excited to finish the final remaining tests to earn his Pilotwings in the Pilot Class. It took him many hours, days, and even months of practice, with crashes here and there, to move beyond the Beginner Class. Lark still remembered earning a bronze badge on his first aviation test.
As he rode on his bike, the cool breeze touched his face, the memory of first test came back. He was flying over Holiday Island, and the weather was rainy and overcast. Lark almost chickened out as he stood at the edge of the castle top, afraid of the height. However, with the encouragement of his friends and a "not-so-gentle" push from his instructor, the boy took off. While the weather wasn't great, Lark was fortunate there were plenty of air currents to keep his altitude up. He did his best as he flew through the rings in the sky and safely landed on the landing pad.
From that moment forward, Lark was hooked on aviation, and nothing would get in his way to enjoy it. As his confidence grew, many people noticed his change in attitude. He was no longer a quiet, timid boy, and now had ambition and drive like never before. His parents were happy to see the difference and continued funding his hobby. That was, however, based on the condition he kept his school grades up. And keep his grades up, he did and then some.
While his school grades went up overall, math and science were the most notable improvements. That was mostly based on his ambition to use said knowledge to enhance his flying skills. His parents didn't complain and his attendance to the Aviation Club continued. As Lark sped up his bike's acceleration, he noticed a short-cut across the field, which lead to the Aviation Club. He turned towards the field and increased his speed as he rode down a hilly slope. Using the gained momentum, he easily shot over a bump, and made a good jump.
Rasing his fist and shouting, "YAHOO!", Lark landed perfectly on the ground, continuing towards the club. Unexpectedly, a familiar person flew right over him, catching Lark completely by surprise.
"GOOD ONE!"
And the boy knew who it was, based off of the Little States themed Hang Glider. It was his mentor, and pseudo big brother, Goose. If there was one person Lark could always trust and look up to, it was him. The young man had taught Lark tons of tips and tricks and had always been encouraging him to push his limits. And Goose knew what he was talking about, as he had earned his Pilotwings in the Pilot Class with scores to back it up.
When Lark asked why he helped him so much, the man shrugged his shoulders and said, "I wish I had help when I started, so why not?"
Lark wasn't going to complain and took all the help he could get. It didn't take Goose very long to reach an air current as he quickly arose in altitude and picked up speed. Although Lark was fit for a young boy, he would not be able to catch up to Goose. A bike could not beat a hang glider and the boy knew it. Every now and then, Lark and Goose would have friendly races. While Goose won the majority of them, Lark would surprise the young man every now and then with an upset victory.
"Cool! My mentor showed early to get some practice in. I wonder if the others are already there?"
As Goose made a holding pattern in the sky, Lark cleared the field and entered the Club's parking lot. Surprisingly, not a lot of members showed up today but the ones that did, Lark recognized their cars. Goose's car was very easy to spot, with his Little State's bumper stickers and paint job made it obvious. The young man was a patriot and was never ashamed to show it, even if he sometimes went overboard.
Ibis signature metallic green sedan was also not too far away.
"She must already be inside, no doubt going over the score boards."
Ibis was a generally pleasant person, especially for one being from the Desert Lands. She was, however, a very competitive person. Anytime someone made a record, she tried to beat it. And sometimes, she did just that, though, her failures were rather spectacular. She was the very example of tunnel vision and lack of situational awareness. This was something the Aviation Club always stressed a pilot should maintain at all times. Because of her overzealous attempts to one-up a person, she lagged behind Lark in the class system, remaining in the A Class.
Lark turned towards the bike rack and came to a stop. As he locked his bike, Goose came in for a landing. When Lark turned around, he witnessed Goose making a perfect landing. The young man landed directly on the target's bullseye on the nearby landing pad. If it were a test, he'd no doubt get bonus points. Walking over to his mentor, Lark greeted Goose and said, "Hey, nice landing, bro! What brought you out here so early?"
The young man took his helmet off, letting his signature blonde hair flow loose. He replied, "I'm due for my hang-gliding proficiency test. It's one of the draw backs to earning your Pilotwings in the Pilot Class, but whatever. It's an easy test, you only need to just complete it safely. I figured I'd get a run in before our Instructor, now certified Evaluator gets here."
Lark completely forgot the drawback of the Pilot Class requirements. Beginner Class merely required you do it correctly and only once. Class A required an annual test, while class B required it twice a year. Pilot Class required it every 4 months for each test. The purpose of this was to ensure competency was retained for each aviator in their respective class systems. On the surface, it made sense, but to Lark, it was an annoyance.
"Dang... Well, if that's what you gotta do, then you gotta do it. I guess...," said Lark.
Goose shrugged and said, "Eh, it's no big deal to me. C'mon, Ibis is inside, and the others will show up soon."
Lark helped Goose set his hang glider away and both made their way in once the glider was locked up. It was interesting to the young boy, as the building was mostly empty. Usually, it was packed with other aviators, but not today for some reason. In any event, Lark shrugged it off and the two made their way to the break room. It was full of vending machines, snacks, and had a few tables and TVs with some showing the news. In addition, there were a few comfortable couches and chairs one would find in a hotel lobby.
And on a nearby wall, were the scores and results of the latest tests during the past week. And as Lark predicted, Ibis was looking at the board. He could tell she was taking notes on note pad, no doubt setting goals of who to beat. Lark's curiosity got the better of him and walk over to the board too. The young woman hadn't noticed the boy but did the moment Lark said, "Surprise!"
Ibis let out a quick "Yelp!" in surprise, but then realized it was just Lark. The woman playfully slapped Lark's arm and said, "Oh, you! I'll remember that when I beat your score."
The boy smirked and rolled his eyes jokingly, "Yeah right, sister. I'll believe it when I see it."
Ibis playfully stuck her tongue at Lark out before noticing Goose. She regained her composure and warmly greeted the experienced pilot with a smile and a wave.
"Hey Goose! You here for a test too?"
The man nodded and said, "I sure am. I'm gonna do a simple hang glider test. How about you? Got an idea what you're gonna do?"
The eastern woman blushed and twisted some of her hair before replying, "Oh, I'm I think gonna do the Rocket Belt. I need to earn a bronze badge before I can progress to B Class. But I think I can do better, so I'm aiming for silver."
Lark rolled his eyes at Ibis' antics and thought, "Oh brother, she's got a crush on him. And of course, she's trying to go for silver. Best I ever got on that test was bronze."
Goose, ever oblivious, simply just gave her a thumbs up and said, "Well, go get it, girl! It's yours for the taking."
As Ibis blushed some more, Lark walked over to the snack bar. As he pulled out coins for the moneybox, Lark playfully added, "Be sure to not to get burned over a flaming smokestack!"
This broke the young woman from her crush induced blush and made her pout. With her arms crossed, her nose stuck up in the air, and a finger pointing to the ceiling, she replied, "ONE TIME! I've only ever done that once and it's never going to happen again!"
Lark chuckled before giving her the "Okay" hand gesture. Goose intervened and said, "Simmer down, Lark. Don't be so harsh, we all remember your first time. You were practically screaming when Hawk pushed you over the ledge."
Before Lark could put some coins in the box, he turned around and was quick to defend himself.
"I did not scream!" said Lark as he raised a finger in the air, "It was a spirited war cry."
Ibis laughed while Goose turned away, doing his best to prevent Lark from seeing his grinning. The young woman replied, "Cope harder, little Lark."
Lark sighed before saying, "Whatever." The young boy put a few coins in the box, he took a chocolate bar and an apple juice drink. While Ibis and Goose were chatting about mundane things, Lark took his sugary snacks and sat on the couch. He watched the weather channel on the TV and paid attention to the local forecast. He was bummed as the weather report was showing a foretasted rainy and overcast week. As he finished his snack, Hawk and Kiwi entered the room.
Hawk was a kind man, but he was also one you did not want to cross. He knew when it was appropriate to assert authority and Lark had made the mistake of justifying it and once was enough. Hawk was also his instructor and the one who had pushed him over the ledge back on Holiday Island for his initial hang-gliding test. The push certainly scared Lark but it also gave him the needed speed for his take off. If it wasn't for the push, he was certain he'd have crashed.
While his landing wasn't great, he still safely reached the landing pad, even if barely on the target. Despite this, Lark had made enough points to earn a bronze badge. It was one of the scariest but most satisfying days of his life. Even though he went on to earn silver and gold badges in other tests, Lark still kept his very first bronze badge as a lucky token. It was special to him and always would be as he pulled it out of his pocket, admiring it. It would always be a reminder of why he wanted to fly and what made him truly happy. Everyone had congratulated him that day, cheering his success, especially Kiwi.
She was only a year younger than him, but she too had the same passion for aviation. She was also a nice person like her dad, but also could be annoying sometimes. One thing that stood out, was her insistence upon being around him. Lark didn't think she wasn't bad per se, but it was annoying when he wanted to be alone, and she'd tag along. Whenever Lark wanted to hang glide, Kiwi would do the same. If he wanted to sky dive, she would again do the exact same thing. The only exception would be if Hawk told her do a different test or activity that she was due for.
Lark would have tried his best to hide from her but there was no possible escape route. Resigning to his fate, Lark found Kiwi spotting him and immediately walked over to him. With very happy smile on her face, Kiwi sat next to Lark, almost bouncing on the couch's cushion, "Hi Lark! What 'cha doing?"
"Ugh? What is it with people asking what you're doing when they can perfectly see with their own eyes!?"
Doing his best his to avoid being rude, Lark answered, "Nothing much. Just having a snack and watching the forecast. More gray skies and stuff."
Kiwi looked at the television and said, "Bummer. Too much to ask for some good weather I guess."
"And for some space." thought Lark.
Kiwi then turned her attention back to Lark and asked, "So, there's a fair on Holiday Island this weekend. Wanna go with me?"
And it was now that Lark realized he was in the danger zone with Kiwi. Not only did she invade his personal space, a little closer than usual he noted, but made it clear she wanted his weekend time. Lark knew if he said no, he could risk causing a fuss, and make her sad. She wasn't a bad girl, just strangely needy of his spare time, which was reserved for a special project. Lark had planned on testing a new rocket model for the gyro copters.
Ever since the attack from the robot on the Little States, the cities were left a bit unnerved. The military was, unfortunately, caught by surprise by the giant robot, and took too long to scramble. It was only due to the Aviation Club's gyro copters, armed with rockets, that the robot was defeated. It took five rockets to take him down and unfortunately, had only knocked the metal menace out. Once the military arrived on the scene, it was nowhere to be found.
No one knew where it came from or why the robot was attacking the Little States. The fact it resembled Hawk caused the authorities to investigate him, but he was quickly cleared on any wrongdoing. It was probably the only time Lark had scene Hawk's normally nice and calm demeanor break, even if for small moment. Lark could only guess Hawk had made an enemy in the past. It was not only a sick way of trying to ruin his life but to hurt others.
"That stupid metal bucket almost hurt Kiwi too! It's a good thing my last rocket got him before it hit her gyro copter."
It was that moment onward that Kiwi had followed him much closer than before. That might have been a reason he was much nicer to Lark in their flight lessons. The young boy knew, that if that robot were to ever show it's face again, they needed to be better prepared. His science project not only would be valuable to the club but could save lives as well.
"And I can blow up the spinning targets better too! Doesn't Kiwi realize I got important things to do? I gotta think of something!"
Lark looked at Kiwi's innocent smile as she awaited his answer. He quickly came up with a non-committal answer and said, "Well...maybe. You see, I got a project going on and before you ask, it's top secret."
The girl's eyes lit up in amazement and said, "Ooohh! Can I have a hint?"
Lark put a finger to his chin, pretending to ponder her request. "Hmmm." said Lark, "It goes fast and makes a noise."
Kiwi put her hands on her hips and pouted, "That's it? What a lame hint! That can be anything."
The young boy rolled his eyes and said, "Well, that's all you're getting. Anyway, if that goes well, I might be able to meet up with you, but I can't make any promises."
The young girl looked down at the ground and moved her legs back and forth like one would sitting on a fence. She clearly wasn't happy at Lark's answer, but nodded her head and replied, "Okay, just...please try to make it. I know you'll have a lot of fun."
For some reason, Lark felt very guilty at giving Kiwi his answer. He really wanted to work on his new rocket project. For too long he had put off making the new and improved rocket. And if it did prove successful, he could make a name for himself, make his parents proud, and get scholarships for possible colleges. He really wanted to pursue an aviation engineering degree, but that was a long-term goal for later.
Lark sighed and said, "Okay, I promise."
Kiwi squealed in excitement and bounced on the couch and said, "Awesome!"
Whether it was guilt or wanting his space again, Lark handed over some coins to Kiwi and said, "Go ahead and get yourself a snack. My treat."
If stars of happiness could be seen in her eyes, Kiwi's pupils would be shining bright. She took the coins and happily skipped over to the snack table. Happy to have his space again, even if for a few moments, Lark relaxed on the couch. That didn't last long as Robin came from around a support pillar. Lark was surprised by her presence and realized she was probably eavesdropping. The older woman smiled, "You know, when a girl invites you to a festival, it's probably a good idea to accept it."
Lark did his best to maintain his composure to the confident woman, trying to not come off as embarrassed.
"Out of everyone who had to overhear, why did it have to be Robin?"
"Well, I have a thing I gotta do. I will try to get there if I can."
The blond woman raised an eyebrow and said, "Uh-huh, sure you will, young man. You know, you can't put off the next phase of your life forever."
As much as Lark wanted to avoid it, he knew what she meant.
"Girls...they're always trouble."
He crossed his arms and said, "Maybe, but I don't have to deal with it now. I just wanna get my Pilotwings. I'm only 13 you know."
The woman laughed and said, "That maybe be true, but nothing says you can just have fun at a fair with a girl. Enjoy your less complicated life Lark, because the next few years are going to go fast. And be nicer to Kiwi. You'll wish you did when you get older. Ta-ta!"
As the mature woman walked off to join the others, Lark sat on the couch dumbfounded at Robin's words. He knew what she meant, but the boy didn't want to accept it. Plus, the idea of romance for him was still new and awkward. Kiwi was a nice girl and not at all ugly, but it was still weird to him. And of course, it wasn't a scary thing for Robin, as she was a woman who was not easily fazed. No matter what it was, whether people or flying, Robin could handle it.
Even when it came to the assignment of taking photos of Missi the Monster, she could do it unfazed. That assignment made Lark really nervous as most people rarely over got close to the serpent animal. It's high-pitched screech sent shivers down his spine, even though the animal was peaceful and never bothered anyone. Lark had no idea how Robin did it, as she not only was the one who took the best picture of the serpent, but also had the highest score so far. Lark only managed to take photos at strange angles. Lark certainly wished he could one day match her confidence.
Sighing, Lark got up from the couch and stretched his arms and back. Everyone was starting to gather around Hawk, which meant the test assignments were about to be announced.
"Finally, on to the good stuff! No more talk of kissy goo-goo nonsense!"
Adjusting his red cap sideways, Lark walked over to the group. As predicted, Kiwi walked up to his side, drinking an apple juice and with a pack of gum in her other hand. She offered the boy a stick, who took it and put it in his mouth. It was a sweet and hot cinnamon flavored gum, which was Lark's favorite. Nodding a thanks to Kiwi, the girl blushed before turning her attention to her father.
Hawk stood in front of the score board, which also had a wet marker board next to it. Taking a black marker, he began writing the names of everyone in the room and underlining them. Once he was done, Hawk turned his attention back to the group and cheerfully said, "Good morning! Glad to see all of you showed up this Saturday morning. As you can see, we're the only ones here today, and that's on purpose."
The aviators looked at each other glanced confusing looks. Hawk was prepared for this and continued, "The reason for that is, I managed to get the Aviation Club's resources for all of our tests. Wuhu Island Resort Club tried to get all of our vehicles for a special event, but the Club owed me a favor and I called it in. So, what does this mean for us, you ask? That's easy; to get us all of the vehicles to ourselves and no waiting times!"
"Yahoo!" cheered Lark.
"Yeehaw!" cheered Goose.
"Alright!" cheered Ibis.
"Here we go!" cheered Kiwi.
Robin clapped her hands and said, "Oh yeah!"
Hawk was happy to see the enthusiasm among the group and cheered, "That's what I'm talking about! EEYAGH! I'm glad you're all happy about it, because we're gonna have plenty of time to do our tests and have some free flying to boot! And if need be, do retakes if you fail. But I doubt you'll need them."
"Get ready to trail me behind, Larky boy!" said Ibis, confident she'd be able to beat his score at whatever test she would have.
The young boy smirked, crossed his arms and said, "We see about that, smokestack!".
The group laughed at the back and forth while Ibis huffed and said, "Ugh, one time, and that's what I'm forever known for. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up folks."
"You'll do fine, I'm sure of it. Just keep your situational awareness in check.", said Hawk in his fatherly reassuring tone. "Now that is out of the way, I'll write your assigned tests on the board, right next to your names. The tests will be based on the test types and your Class system difficulty. Standby."
The large, fit man began writing on the board and doubled checked with the paper in his free hand. Goose and Ibis started talking to each other about the festival next weekend. Kiwi took the opportunity to up sell the Festival on Holiday Island to Lark. He did have to admit, it was a good pitch, and she brought up plenty of fun sounding activities. The games alone, even if they were likely rigged, sounded cool to play. Kiwi even brought up the funnel cake and other fried, delicious treats. Lark started to tune out after her she pitched the Ferris wheel.
As if his sixth sense was tingling, Lark turned around and noticed he was being looked at. Robin simply smirked and enjoyed the boy's discomfort, which Lark knew why she was smiling.
"She's just enjoying this no doubt. Ugh! When am I gonna get my test?"
Lark's thoughts were interrupted as Hawk addressed the boy and said, "Don't go daydreaming about the clouds just yet, Lark. Focus on your test, it's on the board."
The others were already close to the board, obstructing Lark's view of his assignment. Goose, as predicted, got an easy Hang-Gliding test. Satisfied, the young man walked away and went over to the snacks. Ibis fist pumped in the air and cheered, "Alright! Rocket Belt! Off to beat your score, lanky Lark".
He rolled his eyes, sighed and said, "Sure, you do that."
Despite her being his rival, he wished her the best and hoped she wouldn't get burned or hurt. It was only Robin and Kiwi at the board, with both still obscuring his view. Kiwi cheered as she said, "Yes! I get the Gyro copter! Target blasting exercise for me!"
"She gets the Gyro copter?! Dang, I wanted that one! That's the best one!"
As Kiwi walked away, Robin still was in the way. He could hear her say to herself, "Oh yeah!" before walking off.
"Sky Diving for me! This will be a piece of cake.", said Robin, brimming with confidence.
Lark got nervous hearing about the sky diving test. He knew eventually he'd have to complete that one and it scared him beyond belief. Only Goose and Hawk in the group had completed that test and both had gold badges to back it up. Lark had neither the accolade nor the opportunity to complete that test. He dreaded it, but he knew Hawk would never let anything bad happen to him. It was an advanced test after all, and he'd soon have to face the music eventually.
Once the board was free of people, Lark walked up and saw his name. As he looked at the board, he said, "Okay, there's my name. There's my test and... no. No, that can't be right!"
"It most certainly is, you're due for it in the Pilot Class. You got the other ones so easy, and I know you'll do fine."
The young boy looked at Hawk with pleading eyes, almost rivaling that of a sad puppy. The man wasn't buying it and said, "It's not gonna change, my boy. Man up and face the test."
Lark turned back to the board and gulped in nervousness and with good reason. This is his least favorite test and quite possibly the scariest one of them all. He had completed it three times before and he screamed every time he was shot out of it. He managed to snag a gold badge out of it, but that was mostly due to not wanting to crash into the ground.
"The Cannon Ball... I-I got this! Eeyup! Totally got it!" said Lark.
Feeling the man slap his back, Lark shook as Hawk said, "Good thing my boy! You're the first one up. Go get a restroom break and another snack break, if you need it. We'll head out in twenty minutes."
As the man walked away to the hangar, Lark stood alone in front of the board. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going happen.
"I'm dead."
Author's Note
Okay, a little codex to those who haven't played the game.
-Little States is map in Pilotwings64 that's a small version of the USA.
-Holiday Island is the first, small map in the game.
-The robot Hawk is a villain you have to defeat with rockets. It looks like Hawk and no one knows why Nintendo did that.
-The difficulties are Beginner Class, then A, B, and Pilot Class. Easy to hard difficulty.
-The personalities of the characters are extrapolated from what little description is given on the Nintendo Wiki page. There's not much to go on, so I hope I did them justice.
-Wuhu Island is the only place in Pilotwings Resort Wii.
-Romance will not be explicit or anything of that nature.
If you haven't played the game, try it! It's really fun, and a classic.
Next chapter will be our ponies! Stay tuned for more!
Loading for bear, firing for effect.
As Lark walked towards the locker room, he felt a heavy weigh on his shoulders. His heart picked up its pace as every step closer to the locker room felt like his last. The Cannonball Test was by far the worst one of the entire Aviation Club. It was mostly reserved for acrobats and stunt people, but because it involved flying through the air, it was part of the licensing process. Since the flying "act" was always a popular spectacle to watch at many events, its inclusion was mandated.
Lark didn't have to worry about dying, since the safety gear was enhanced by a strange, unknown means from the Mushroom Kingdom. It was a trade secret amongst the industry, almost as much as whatever Government projects might exist. Lark didn't understand how or why, but the items exported by the Mushroom Kingdom were considered special and very expensive. All he knew was that he had very little to worry about in regard to getting seriously hurt but feel pain he would. Lark had failed his first cannonball test resulting in a sore and bruised body for weeks.
It was because of the Mario Brothers that the Little States and the rest of the human territories were safe from many other attacks from strange creatures and enemies. The Mario Brothers were so well regarded, that Mario himself was added to the Mount of Great Leaders. And apparently, out of all places for Lark to complete his test was no other than the Mount of Great Leaders.
"Great! I get to possibly bomb my hole test with the mountain's faces looking right at me! Oh c'mon! Why can it be in a safer, more secluded spot?"
As Lark made his way to his locker, he noticed Goose already kitted out in his personal gear. The young man must have noticed his forlorn expression, as Goose sat down on a bench and turned his full attention to Lark.
"Hey, my man, what's shaking you up? And by shaking, you're dang near shaking on your sneakers too!" asked Goose.
The boy stopped just before his locker and looked at his mentor before sighing, "It's the test. I hate the cannonball. It's so scary, more so than skydiving."
The blonde-haired man's eyes widened at Lark's claim before whistling and replying, "Dang! Now that's a bold claim! But you've done it before though and you've gotten so far. So why worry about something you've done before?"
The boy stopped and tried to reply but couldn't. He thought really hard, but words were not coming to his lips from his brain. After thirty seconds, of silence Lark said, "I don't know. I may have done it before, but I just...hate it. I hate not having control the moment the cannon throws me into the air. It's scary and the worse since this is the Pilot Class Test. I also have a bad feeling about this test. I don't know how, I don't know why, but I just do. So there, I don't want to do this test."
As Lark crossed his arms and looked at the locker while thinking about his worries. The young man put a finger on his chin, as if he was contemplating his words. As if having an epiphany, Goose snapped his fingers and said, "Well, it's your call. Don't do it if you don't want to."
This took the young boy by surprise, making him turn back to the young man and asking, "Wait...WHAT?!"
"No way, he can't be serious! That's not what I expected mentor to say."
Goose nodded, "Really, really. I too have walked away from tests before. When it didn't sit right with me, I walked away. It took me a long time to get out of the Beginner class. It took even longer when it came to the Pilot Class. You, however, went through the Beginner class much faster than me, or anyone for that matter. So what I'm really saying is..."
Goose took his helmet off and rubbed his hair before continuing, "Every time we go out there, it's a risk. It's up to us if we decide it's worth it or not. If you want to get your Pilot Class Pilotwings, you're going to have to take that risk. Neither I nor Hawk can make you get in that cannon. Just know that, whatever decision you make, you need to stand by it."
Goose then patted Lark on his shoulder and said, "Now, I'm gonna go out and Hang Glide. What are you gonna do?"
The young man walked out of the locker room, leaving Lark standing there. The boy contemplated his mentor's words carefully and thought, "He's right! I'm not gonna let some stupid cannon stop me! Pilot Class, here I come!"
With a determined look on Lark's face, he grabbed all of his protective gear and equipped it. He adjusted his number 28 plate, his favorite number. He had chosen it partly due to his birthday being on the 28th of his birth month but there was another reason. The other reason he chose it was due to his age of 14 years old. Lark had felt he had doubled as a person in the growth of his courage and over all character. Because of these reasons, he felt it was a number fitting for him.
Everyone at the Aviation Club knew if a number 28 was on a personal item, it was likely Lark's property. And the boy preferred it that way, both as his theme and property marker. Lark checked his gear one last time and made sure he had his phone, wallet, and that his personal protective gear was properly secure. Satisfied every thing was in order, he looked at his reflection in a nearby mirror.
The young boy remembered who he was before joining the aviation club on a whim. He used to be shy, nervous, and unsure of himself no matter what the situations were. The rush of his first test and success had pushed him out of his shell and into a larger world. Lark refused to be that boy every again and he was going to blow the cannon test out of the water. He puffed his chest in pride and gave himself a thumbs up before saying, "You got this! Now go get it!"
Lark confidently strolled out of the locker room and met the group, who were ready to head to the hangar. It didn't take long before Hawk took them to their testing areas.
As they all rode in the large van, Lark thought to himself, "I got this stupid test. Ain't nothing gonna go wrong!"
Rainbow Dash, after taking Applejack's advice, decided to forgo her training until the afternoon and chilled out for most of the day. Rarity and Fluttershy were both busy doing their respective chores and work, which meant Rainbow Dash couldn't hang out with them. Twilight Sparkle and Spike were still walking around Ponyville doing boring library related activities, which meant cool stuff with them was out of the question. This left Rainbow Dash with little to do on a Saturdays with out flying.
She flew back to her house and grabbed some spare Bits and played some arcade games. Some of them happened to be new and the mare found herself killing time more than she expected. After having her fill of games, she went and bought herself a sandwich and took a power nap on a nearby cloud. After seeing where the sun's ray were shining, Rainbow Dash realized it was probably close to 3 PM. The last thing she needed was to be late and be one Applejack's bad side.
The mare got up from the cloud and flew to the nearby Ponyville Clock Tower. She saw that she only had two minutes to 3 PM, and said, "Horse apples!" before taking off to Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash flew as fast as she could and avoided a few pegasi flying in the air. The other ponies were taken by surprise as she slew past them, who yelled at her. Rainbow Dash even avoided Ditsy "Derpy" Hooves, who was carrying a basket of muffins. The sudden rush of air caused the basket to fall from her teeth's grip, making the mare scramble in a dive to reclaim her baked prize.
"SORRY!" yelled Rainbow Dash.
The blonde maned and gray coated pegasus mare ignored her as she successfully reclaimed her basket of muffins. Happy her treats were safe, Ditzy shook her head in disapproval before flying away. Not wanting to have another accident, Rainbow Dash avoided several clouds, expertly weaving and dodging them. This turned out to be a good call, as Cloudchaser and Flitter were enjoying a picnic on the cloud. The last thing Rainbow Dash needed was to get shouted at with the two sisters, especially since their parents knew her parents.
As she continued to fly, Sweet Apple Acres came into view. Focusing on her landing spot, Rainbow Dash decided to land with a back flip, hoping to make a big entrance. As the trees cleared beneath her, the mare expertly performed a black flip and laded on all fours. As the dust kicked up, Applejack came out of the barn, using her stetson hat to wave it away. Once the view was clear, Applejack whistled, "Well, dang girl! You tryin' to kick up a dust storm or somethin'?"
Rainbow Dash shook her head and grinned, "Nah, the ground is just getting out of my way. It must know I'm awesome or something."
Applejack rolled her eyes before pointing towards the very large pile of hay.
"Ah went ahead made the pile that you asked for. Now how's this trick of your gonna work?"
Rainbow Dash explained, "Okay, so I'm going fly up take a few cloud and swirl them around. After that, I'm going to turn them into rings and make a vertical drive through the rings as fast as I can. Once I'm through the rings, I'm going to stop at the last second. And the hay is just a back-up if I don't stop in time."
Applejack nodded and said, "Sounds good to me. You ready to start?"
The Pegasus mare said, "Hay yeah! All I need you to do is just watch and get help if I'm hurt. Not like that's gonna happen."
Applejack walked out of the way before saying, "Be careful, because Ah don't want you breaking your wings again."
Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and hovered above the ground before replying, "One time! And it's not gonna happen again!"
The country mare whispered, "Ah still got a bad feeling about this. Just don't know why but Ah can feel it in mah bones."
The Pegasus mare took off into the sky and spotted some clouds not too far off from Sweet Apple Acres. Gathering the clouds was as easy as a foal's playtime and it wasn't long before she moved them to where they needed to be. Rainbow Dash made quick work spinning the clouds into rings and checking their size. Satisfied that all was right, she went to her starting point. Applejack looked almost like a small dot on the ground but Rainbow Dash's eyes could see the country mare was cheering her on.
As her confidence was boosted from her friend's cheering, the flying mare locked eyes on the rings. Licking her lips as if she were a predator eying her prey, Rainbow Dash said, "The Wonderbolts are so gonna want me to join the team after I show them this trick! And nothing is gonna get in my way."
She didn't give a second thought before taking off at a high speed, certain nothing would stop her from nailing the stunt.
To say Lark's anxiety was high was an understatement. The ride to Cannon Launch Pad was excruciatingly long. The van went to many other locations first to drop off the other members for their own tests. Robin was the first one to be dropped off, who gave the rest of the group her best wishes. She was as confident as ever, and left the van with no hesitation. Ibis and Goose were the next ones to be dropped off. That left him with Kiwi, Hawk, and just himself.
Kiwi's stop was next as Hawk pulled up to the Gyrocopter launch pad, and let his daughter out. She took her safety gear and waved good-bye to Lark. Despite the grey overcast skies, her spirits were in a stark contrast to Lark's. As Hawk drove off, he could see Kiwi take off in her Gyrocopter and was out of view a short moment later. Lark sat back in the seat and felt the anxiety of his impending doom become heavier. Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the cannon launch pad.
Taking a sigh, Lark grabbed his gear and was followed by Hawk. The sky was still grey and hadn't changed a bit. The young boy could only hope it wouldn't rain as that would make his test harder. Lark must have lost track of time as Hawk said, "Okay, time to get in the cannon. Remember your fundamentals, Lark."
He nodded but not before gulping in fear. He put his safety gear on and connected his helmet's chin strap. Not wanting to delay the inevitable, Lark climbed into the cannon and took the control of the cannon using the wireless switch. This was the most difficult part of test. It was based purely on gauging your ability to measure distance and the force needed to reach the target pad.
Without the use of safety gear from the Mushroom Kingdom, this test would be all but impossible to safety attempt. He started shaking in fear in the cannon before Hawk called out, "I hear you shaking in the cannon, Lark. Just take deep breath and calm down. You have time before you need to launch."
The young boy did just that, and took a deep breath before counting to ten. After calming down, his body no longer was shaking. This allowed him to think more clearly before focusing his attention back to finding the target. Using the wireless controller, he moved the cannon around in order to find the target pad. He found the target pad and was surprised to see where it was located. It was located on the Mountain of Little States, right next to Mario's Head.
With Mario being a hero and celebrity, he felt a strange sense of encouragement. Lark then said to Hawk, "I found the target! I'm ready to begin the test."
"Remember to check your aiming point before applying power. Take notice of the power scaler and time your shot. You only get one chance to take this test. I know you got it in you to get at least a bronze."
Heeding Hawk's words, Lark made his adjustments to the aim at the target pad. The power scaler began to slide up and down, indicating the altering power input of the cannon. It was now all up to him and Lark knew it. He focused on the target pad before looking at the power scale one more time, he decided that an 85% charge would be enough to at least his the target.
Taking a deep breath, Lark slowly pressed his finger towards the launch button and was almost ready to press it until something went wrong. A loud crack of thunder started him, causing him to slightly move the cannon over to the right. His finger hit the button, launching him in the air. Hawk watched as Lark sailed through the air, and heard the young boy scream. The man could only watch in horror as he noticed Lark every so slightly move away from the target pad.
Lark could fell the air hit his face at high speed and struggled to keep his mouth closed to avoid the air going. As the target got closer and closer, the face of Mario became closer and closer, and not the target pad.
"No! I'm gonna hit Mario's face! I'm gonna fail and have to do this test again!"
But that wasn't even the worst of it, Mario's face suddenly turned into Wario's face. Wario's reputation among the Little States was as poor as it was in the Mushroom Kingdom and Lark was going to run face first into his teeth. Lark had no clue why Mario's face was replaced with Wario, but it made no difference as he was about to crash into the stone. If things couldn't get any worse, the statue somehow moved and opened it's mouth.
Instead of impacting the Wario statue, he was swallowed whole into a void. Lark screamed once more before the statue closed it's mouth, with no sign of the boy to be seen. Hawk couldn't believe what he was witnessed and wasted no time in getting help. Hawk had no time to waste as seconds meant everything to Lark's safety, and the man wasn't about to lose a student on his watch.
He didn't know what to he was going say to his daughter nor Lark's parents, but he was not going to rest until Lark was brought back home. The day for aviation testing was over and now the race to get a fellow aviator, had just begun.
Author's Note
Sorry for the delay, but life keeps taking me away from writing. This chapter was going to be longer but I had to stop it here. I think you guys have waited long enough.
And oh no! Lark has been taken by a strange Wario portal! Where could it possibly go to? Tune in next time to Pilotwings64: My Little Pony.
Ponyville was experiencing great weather; the pegasi at the weather factory was rather generous for the small town this week. Rainbow Dash had no problem flying in the very clean, fresh air as she sped high in the sky. Nothing felt better than having a good stretch of her wings, gliding in the sky.
"It's the little things you appreciate. Like having wings!"
She did a few flips and a summersault here and there before flying away from her home and down towards Ponyville. The ponies were already walking through the roads and meeting and greeting their fellow ponies in the town square. With a quick pass over, Rainbow Dash spotted Applejack setting up a stand. The rainbow maned pegasus mare figured it would be a good time to say to hello to one of her good friends. She aimed towards the ground and expertly landed a few hoof steps away from Applejack.
The country mare adjusted her stetson hat and waved hello to her friend, "Mornin' Rainbow Dash! You're up mighty early today. There a reason you ain't sleeping in?"
Adjusting her wings before folding them back, Rainbow Dash said, "Yeah, actually there is. I'm trying to get some practice in before the Grand Galloping Gala. I wanna impress the Wonderbolts since last year's party was a bust. I think I have enough tricks this time to catch their attention."
Applejack nodded as she set up her stand. The country mare replied, "Ah hope it works out for you. Last year certainly stank more than outhouse. Ah'm still irritated Ah only managed to sell one pie."
After hearing that, Rainbow Dash remembered that Soarin was the pony who had purchased her pie. She had helped saved his desert treat, which gave her an in to the Wonderbolts. A grin formed on her face as she rubbed her hooves together and thought up an idea.
"If I can hook Soarin up with an apple pie, I might be able to hang out with them again. Then show them my tricks and BOOM! Wonderbolts, here I come."
Applejack noticed Rainbow Dash rubbing her hooves together and had a bad feeling. The country mare raised an eyebrow and asked, "Woah nellie! What are you up to? You're looking a mite creepy right now."
The pegasus mare snapped out of her trance and said, "Huh? Oh, well I just had an idea. It's about-"
Applejack held up a hoof and said, "If it's about the Gala, count me out. Ah ain't selling more food at the gala. Mah family lost money on that and Ah can't afford to do it again."
Rainbow Dash shook her head and said, "No, I just want you to bake a pie for Soarin. Since he liked it last year."
Applejack raised an eyebrow and replied, "Trying to bribe your way in with food? That might make it a bit obvious, you know."
"C'mon AJ." said Rainbow Dash, "I'm kinda desperate here. I'm not sure what else to do."
The country mare sighed and said, "Ah guess Ah can, if it's just one pie. But no more than that. If he takes it and you get nothing, you're out of luck."
Rainbow Dash pumped a hoof before saying, "Thanks AJ, you won't regret it."
"Uh-huh, sure I won't.", said Applejack as she shook her head.
Before either mare could continue their conversation, Twilight Sparkle and Spike came around the corner. The two noticed their friends walking up as the unicorn was talking to her number one assistant. The little dragon was scratching off a list of items on a scroll while Twilight Sparkle said, "Did you scratch off our appointment with Mayor Mare?"
"Eeyup. That's done." said a bored Spike.
"And what about the grocery list? I was certain we needed to buy some food.", said Twilight Sparkle.
Spike nodded and replied, "We do."
Twilight then continued, "I figured as much. Starting in alphabetical order, list the first item and we'll go buy it."
Spike saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash watching them and shook his head. The two mares silently giggled as Twilight Sparkle wasn't paying attention to them and wholly focused on the list Spike held. The young dragon then said, "You mean A? As in apples?"
To drive his point home, he put the list away and pointed towards Applejack's apple stand. The unicorn noticed her friends and blushed before saying, "Oh, hello girls. I got a tiny bit focused on the checklist."
Applejack nodded while Rainbow Dash said, "We could tell. Another minute later, you'd be crashing into us."
While Twilight Sparkle blushed, Applejack added, "Says the mare who crashes all the time."
The pegasus sat on her haunches and crossed her forelegs with a pout. Spike started laughing but quickly shut up as Twilight gave him a disapproving look. The dragon shrugged and said, "What?" before he knocked off his laughing completely. The pegasus mare then said, "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up now, but you'll see! I'll be a Wonderbolt one day! Just you wait!"
Rainbow Dash got back on her hooves before Twilight Sparkle added, "Well, you might get a chance to see the Wonderbolts again. Princess Celestia informed me that the Wonderbolts are doing a tour across Equestria. They're going to do a show a month from now, right here in Ponyville."
Time seemed to stop entirely for the pegasus mare, as her friend's words echoed in her brain.
"The Wonderbolts are coming here?! To Ponyville?! I might have a chance!"
Putting her hooves to her mouth, Rainbow Dash suddenly said, "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"
"Well, would you look at that! Looks like you'll have a chance to impress them after all without an apple pie."
Spike and Twilight looked at each other confusedly while Rainbow Dash said, "Hang on AJ, I might need one, just in case."
"What does an apple pie have to do with meeting the Wonderbolts?" asked Twilight Sparkle.
"It's a long story." said Rainbow Dash as she tried her best to dismiss her friend's question.
Applejack, however, gave a quick answer by saying, "She saved Soarin's apple pie that I sold him last year at the Gala. That's how she got an audience with the Wonderbolts."
The pegasus snorted at the earth pony mare and said, "Okay, it's a short story then. Whatever. My point is, I'm trying to show them I'm Wonderbolt material."
Twilight quickly added, "Well, I wouldn't worry about that. I heard a rumor the tour is to see if there's new talent for their ranks. They need reserve members and some of the current ponies in their line-up might possibly retire. I'm not sure how the show is going to be organized but they might do audience participation games. If you do well, you might catch their attention again."
"Really?!" asked Rainbow Dash.
Spike then replied, "Really, really! That's what Princess Celestia wrote in her letter."
The rainbow maned pegasus did a flying back flip and shouted, "Woo-hoo! Yeah!".
As she landed back on the ground, Rainbow Dash said, "I got a plan! Sweet! I'll practice my skills, get a routine made, and boom! I'll win whatever contest or game they have, and I'll be in! See you guys later! I got some tricks I need to practice."
In a flash, she took off into the air and was gone. Spike then spoke up, "You still going to make her an apple pie?".
The country mare nodded, "Eeyup. Just in case. You never know what crazy stuff Ponyville might get."
Twilight Sparkle giggled before saying, "That's very nice of you, Applejack. She's lucky to have a friend like you."
Applejack nodded before taking out a few clean apples and setting them on the stand. She continued, "She sure is. Ah got no doubt she's gonna need my help making a landing pad of hay later today. Sometimes Rainbow Dash's crashing makes me worried she'll hurt herself more than she usually does. Anyway, how many apples do you need?"
The unicorn tapped her chin and turned to Spike. The dragon quickly checked the list and said, "You wrote eight."
"Ah! We'll take eight apples, please."
Applejack picked out eight good apples and put them in a paper bag for her. Satisfied of her purchase, Twilight Sparkle waved her friend goodbye and said, "Tell your family we said hello!"
"Later, Twi! Later Spike!"
As the unicorn and dragon walked away, Applejack sighed and said to herself, "Ah gotta feeling this week is gonna get mighty interesting and strange."
Just before Applejack could continue about her day, she spotted Pinkie Pie walking across the street. Without any warning, the pink earth pony mare started shaking and twitching her tail. Several back flips were made before the mare stopped. Not taking any chances, Applejack took shelter under her apple stand. When nothing happened, the country mare shouted across the street to her friend and asked, "Hey! Pinkie Pie! What pinkie sense was that?!"
The pink mare looked around confused before shrugging her shoulders and shouted back, "I dunno! I wanna say something is gonna fall from the sky, but I've never had that one before. It was a certainly a strange doozie!"
An earth pony mare, whom Applejack recognized as Berry Punch, opened her window and said, "Hey, would you ladies keep it down? I'm trying to take a nap."
"Sorry!" said Applejack, "Pinkie had a strange pinkie sense moment. Something might fall from the sky."
Berry Punch put her hooves to her mouth and gasped before closing her windows and covering it with curtains. Pinkie Pie kept looking around before saying, "Okay, I guess it means later. First time on the later part and not immediate. Still strong on the vague, though. Later Applejack! La-la-la-la-la!"
As Pinkie Pie trotted away, Applejack came out from under her apple stall and said, "Land sakes! That got me mighty scared! Now Ah'm really expecting something crazy will fall from the sky."
The country mare looked up at the sky and asked, "Now just what could it be?"
"Look out below!"
With out a moment to spare, Applejack dodged out of the way. Rainbow Dash rolled on the ground and made kick up some dirt. The pegasus mare got back up and said, "That doesn't count, I didn't crash, you didn't see me crash, can't prove a thing!"
The country mare sported a bemused look before saying, "Rainbow Dash, later this afternoon, Ah want you to meet me at the barn. Ah'm gonna build a landing pad for you. Ah can't have my friend possibly breaking another wing like you did months ago. And Ah can't have you crashing into my stall. You hear me?"
The pegasus mare lifted a hoof and pointed it at her friend, as if she was going to argue. Instead, she rubbed the back of her head and said, "Okay, I guess that's a better idea. I'll see you later around 3:00 PM, if that's okay with you."
Satisfied, Applejack nodded with a smile and said, "See you later, Dashie!"
Rainbow Dash saluted and took back off into the sky. Applejack sighed and said, "Phew! Glad that's over. Was worried something else was gonna fall out of the sky. Back to selling apples."
As more ponies started coming out of their homes, they went about their daily lives. All of them, however, were unaware that the signature strangeness of Ponyville, was just beginning.
Author's Note
The Wonderbolts?! Oh yeah, nothing is gonna get in Rainbow Dash's way....or will it? Stay tuned for the next chapter!
