The Wonderbolt Academy

Dizzy experimentally lifted her wing with a scowl and wince before she folded them at her side. Or well, folded one of them. The other was still in it’s cast. She idly spun around in her chair for a few moments before picking up another stack of papers. Stupid wings, Dizzy thought bitterly with a sigh.

“You know, messing with it only will make it take longer to heal right?” Spitfire commented dryly as she pressed a hoof into an pot of ink before placing her hoof on a letter.

“Sorry Captain.”

“Don’t apologize to me. Just don’t do it again,” Spitfire wiped her hoof off on a towel and sighed. “If you like this better, you can do this full time. I need an assistant.”

“No offense ma’am but this is boring. I’d rather be out there flying,” Dizzy gestured outside and Spitfire smirked at her.

“Good answer. This is boring as shit but necessary. Like this letter,” Spitfire held up one. “Is from a kid in Rainbow Falls that has a fatal disease that I’ll be meeting next week. It’s one of the few times I like opening letters.” Dizzy stared for a moment before her eyes glanced away.

“You like being sad?” Dizzy tilted her head in confusion and Spitfire shrugged.

“Reminds me I have more emotions than just anger. Anger issues runs in the family,” Spitfire answered and started writing down on a piece of paper. “Some ponies say my sister and I are on the same level of anger. Only difference is mane color, eye color and cutie mark. And the horn.”

“Uh no offense, but I can confirm you are terrifying. Lieutenant Fleetfoot and Commander Soarin scare me too. And I thought he was the quiet one.”

“Who, Soar?” Spitfire snickered and slid her sunglasses onto her desk. “He’s one of them. The Streak twins are pretty quiet.”

“Hm. Commander Soarin can be loud when he wants to be. He scared me and Raindrops senseless,” Dizzy admitted as she slid a folder into a filing cabinet. “Hey, what’s in the cupboard?”

“Whiskey. Some opened, some unopened. And you can’t have any. It’s for special occasions,” Spitfire shot her a smirk. “Sorry Cadet.”

“I don’t drink anyway so,” Dizzy turned away and yawned. “Not anymore at least.”

“We have some Wonderbolts like that. I think Rapidfire hates alcohol. He’s super religious and all, church every Sunday.”

“And you guys don’t care?” Dizzy asked with a surprised expression. “Huh.”

“We’re ponies just like you. Why would we care if he is into drinking water and eating bread during some weird sacrament thing? We all went one year because it was his father’s funeral right after. It was a bit uncomfortable but I have to admit, he looked nice in a suit and tie,” Spitfire looked outside and sighed.

“Something on your mind, ma’am?”

“No.”

Dizzy nodded and retreated to the spare desk Spitfire had allowed her to use till she was fully healed. It was a bit crammed but Dizzy was fairly certain it wouldn’t be once she was able to fly again and Spitfire had the other desk out.

“Dizzy, why did you want to become a Wonderbolt?”

“Uh well I guess why not? I’ve always been a good flyer and well, it pays more bits than any other job. I’ve always liked helping ponies and you guys do that a lot.”

“I see,” Spitfire hummed and raised an eyebrow with an unreadable expression. “Really. What’s the reason?”

“I don’t know fully. I knew what the Wonderbolts represented and I guess I wanted to be apart of that. A lot of ponies look up to you all and not just pegasi. Earth ponies and unicorns too. There’s this kid in Ponyville who does crazy tricks with her scooter. She has a wing deformity but she doesn’t give a damn. She’s going places,” Dizzy grinned slightly before looking away. “I’m super proud of her.”

“Why be proud of a random kid?” Spitfire asked in confusion and looked up again. “Why exactly are you looking like you’re gonna be crying or some shit?”

“Well,” Dizzy scuffed a hoof and shrugged. “She’s my kid but Scoots has no idea.” Spitfire sat up straighter with wide eyes before rolling a hoof in the air.

“Carry on. This sounds like a story I’m interested in,” Spitfire commented and glanced at the files in her desk. Naturally, she had files on every Wonderbolt and recruit. But Dizzy’s said absolutely nothing about a kid. “If she’s there, who’s watching her?”

“Whoever is at work at the orphanage. I don’t really like talking about this. Only my closest friends know so I shouldn’t be even talking about it,” Dizzy sighed and Spitfire shook her head. “I can’t tell her. Not yet till I’ve proven to myself I can be what Scoots needs.”

“Spit it out. I’m your Captain, it’s my job to worry about you even if you don’t want me to. I worry about all my cadets and teammates. So speak.”

“Well, her dad kinda you know,” Dizzy made a cutting motion across her neck and Spitfire nodded slowly.

“So dead,” Spitfire mused and Dizzy nodded. “You have my sympathies.”

“Thanks. Anyway, I got super you know, depressed afterwards. I didn’t really know how well of a parent I’d be on my own. Especially with trying to provide for me and her, keep a job and pay rent was stressful. So I opted to give her up so she could have somewhat of a better life than I could give her. She has friends and is super optimistic. She’s turned out well,” Dizzy admitted and looked outside. “Some days I regret my decision. I regret it a lot, believe me.”

“Sometimes, it takes a lot of love to admit you can’t take care of a kid. I know some of my Bolts who had family like that,” Spitfire answered and Dizzy shrugged. “You can always adopt her and tell her the truth after. I can’t guarantee you’ll always see her once you become a Wonderbolt. I only get a few days off, after all.”

“Maybe. My friends will be so pissed at me. I never told them. Only two or three ponies in town know.”

“They’re your friends. I’m not the best at friendship but I’m fairly certain they’d understand. You all seemed tightly knit when you got here. You and Shampoo have gotten along well too,” Spitfire pointed out dryly. “Twilight is pretty decent at being the friendship expert. I’d go to her when you can.”

Dizzy gave her a confused look and Spitfire bit back a remark. She should have known not many ponies from outside town would know who Twilight was.

“Purple unicorn. One of Princess Celestia’s students and element of harmony. Nice mare,” Spitfire clarified and Dizzy gulped.

“One of her students? Who’s the other?”

“My sister,” Spitfire answered proudly and glanced at a picture of her, Sunset and Blaze on the wall. “And by the way, you’re gonna make a damn fine Wonderbolt. If you survive Hell Week of course.”

“Hell Week?” Dizzy looked worriedly at her and Spitfire grinned widely.

“Oh yeah. We’ve all been through it. I forgot you can’t attend it this time because you can’t fly but you’ll be getting up with the others early. You can watch. Now I want you to go find your friends and tell them what you told me. That’s an order, Cadet.”

“Yes ma’am,” Dizzy started to salute and Spitfire held up a hoof, pointing at her wing. “Oh. Right. Injured stupid wing.”

“Mhm.”

Dizzy flung herself down on her bed as Raindrops finished listening to the orange mare, idly tapping a hoof against her chin.

“That explains a lot,” Raindrops said finally and looked at her. “You and Scootaloo are both orange. Both pegasi. Both have purplish eyes. Yours are more rose colored though. I’m not surprised.”

“Yeah I suppose. She’s a good kid,” Dizzy agreed and Raindrops nodded. Raindrops was pretty wary of Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Those three caused chaos wherever they went. There’s a reason Ponyville has insurance for whatever damage they cause. “Sorry.”

“S’all good. You just meet me at the beginning of the month anyway. How’s your wing?” Raindrops eyed the bandaged wing. “I broke my wing once in a tornado from the Everfree trying to break it apart. Got stuck in a tree with Cloudkicker.”

“I remember that,” Dizzy snickered and Raindrops rolled her eyes before stifling a yawn. “Photo Shoot took a picture of it. I was there that night. That was a wild shift.”

Raindrops simply snorted in response. Wild in her eyes was an understatement. Half of Ponyville had left the town when they heard about said tornado. Hell, Raindrops herself was worried about her own house if they didn’t break it apart. She hated the Everfree with a burning passion. Place wasn’t normal.

“You know, I bet she’d be bouncing off the walls if she found out where you were,” Raindrops commented and pulled her blanket over her. “Scootaloo is obsessed with the Wonderbolts. I blame Rainbow Dash for that one. You can always use that for your benefit, Dizz.”

“Maybe,” Dizzy mumbled and looked down in thought as Raindrops shut off her lamp on her nightstand. “Night Dropsy.”

“Night Dizz.”

Dizzy watched the other pegasus shift in her bed before breathing quietly as Dizzy quietly pulled out a quill and piece of paper from her saddlebags.

Dizzy glanced at Raindrops sleeping form and inhaled, beginning to write.