The New Recruit

As the new recruits filed in, Ace was happy to help them settle in, even if they weren't so happy to see him. Some had good reason, as they didn't want to be partnered with him as they felt he would weigh them down, others had not so good reason, having read the news article or made the assumption that he was little more than a publicity stunt. Spitfire hadn't been around until last night, having successfully settled the lawsuit in strong favour of the academy, the results of which were still being decided. That is to say, the news media company that had printed the story had been found guilty, but their punishment had yet to be decided. Spitfire would have to return for that, but for now, she had an academy to run.

Ace wasn't particularly fond of his new roommates. Bub and Gent had been nice, and the other three were at least bearable when they were around, but the new ones were insufferable. There was Golden Pomade, a manedresser from Canterlot, and Blitz Break, one of the best young flyers all grown up. They saw him as being beneath him. Snap Sprint and Dusk Wind were both flight school graduates that thought he'd bought his way in thanks to the article. The only one that seemed to not mind him was Peregrine, a mailpony that had made it through tryouts like he had. As a matter of fact, they'd been at the same place on the same night.

The morning that classes were to start, Ace woke up extremely early. He was too excited to sleep, having rolled over several times before giving up on falling back asleep. There were still six whole hours before first class, so he opted to do some exercising, just like his first day there, right in the dorm room. Only this time, he could go and shower immediately after on his own. So he did, and then had an early breakfast. He started off as the only one in the room, but Spitfire walked in just as he was finishing up.

"Morning, Ace. You're up a little early, aren't ya?"

Ace shook his head. "Couldn't sleep. Nervous, excited, terrified... I don't know how anypony could sleep like that."

"First day jitters," confirmed Spitfire. "Don't worry about it too much. End of today, you'll be so tired that you'll just fall into bed and be out like a light."

"Vote of confidence noted and accepted..."

Spitfire chuckled and shook her head. "Give it a few days, rookie. In the meantime, harness that energy and use it to make it through your first class. I'm going to pay very close attention to your process. You have been practicing, yes?"

"As much as I can, yeah."

"I expect you to impress me. All the same, you're going to be a wingpony. Not a lead. Change my mind if you don't like it."

Ace just smirked. "Ma'am, anypony you assign to my team will look good. I guarantee it."

"That's the supportive attitude I want to see in a wingpony. You'll do fine."

Finally, it was time to begin. Of the hundred students that had showed up, twenty-six were in Ace's group. They would practice first, then a group of twenty-four, then the other group of twenty-six, then the rest. There were some complaints from the other cadets that, because there were twenty-six students, there would be thirteen pairs, and whoever ended up paired with Ace was screwed because thirteen was the unlucky number.

Spitfire, after a quick uniform inspection, walked out in front of them and turned to face them, her assistants at the ready. "Alright, everypony. You've all been accepted into the Wonderbolt Academy. Do you know what that makes you?"

Ace knew this was a trick question. Bub had told him not to answer it, but judging by the hooves that went up into the air, there were plenty of ponies already set to respond to the query.

Before Spitfire could pick one, Golden Pomade just belted out "Wonderbolts in training!"

Spitfire took off her sunglasses. She was smiling at first, then that turned to a scowl right away. "Wrong, cadet! That makes you nothing! If you were good enough to be a Wonderbolt, we wouldn't need training, now would we?!"

Ace tried not to smile. He had to remember to thank Bub for the advice.

"Now, I'm going to offer you the skills required to become a Wonderbolt. If you don't blow it, you will learn at this academy what it takes to be a Wonderbolt, and if you're skilled enough to pass every test, then you may yet become one. I surmise that more than half of you will not succeed. Of those, about half will fail out, and the rest will give up. I see that some of you are already failures, and a lot of you are quitters. You want to be a Wonderbolt? Prove to me that you're not a failure, and not a quitter."

"Well, we know one failure already," chuckled one of the other cadets, one that Ace hadn't met personally yet. He didn't have to look to know that she was pointing and laughing at him.

"Poinsettia!" shouted Spitfire, storming over to her. Ace glanced sideways, but tried to keep himself at attention. The mare, bright red with soft pink hair, stood at attention, shaking in front of her. "Did I just hear you say that you and the giggle squad, here, are volunteering to go first?"

"N-no, ma'am."

Wrong answer.

"I see. I must have heard you wrong, because I thought you were volunteering to go first. I suppose what I actually heard was that you'd rather take a failing grade on your first day?! Is that what I heard you say?!"

"No, ma'am."

"Then just what was it you said, cadet Poinsettia?!"

"I was just pointing out that this earth pony can't pass the tests. He can't fly, so I said he'd fail the course, ma'am."

Spitfire narrowed her eyes at her. "I definitely heard you right that time. Yes, it is indeed possible for you to set the academy record for "fastest expulsion." Current record is set at day three. Do you want to try to be kicked out on day one, cadet?"

She lowered her head. "No, ma'am..."

"Then off you go. Run the course, take a failing grade for the first day, or pack up and go home. I will not tolerate such behaviour from my students, so choose wisely."