The Wonderbolt Academy

Raindrops sat in on a bench as she idly listened to Dizzy telling they’re mutual friends about the secret daughter thing. Parasol and Cloudkicker seemed the most mad out of the group. Raindrops personally opted to stay quiet unless Dizzy asked her to speak.

“I thought you trusted me,” Parasol said finally and shifted in her seat. “We’ve known each other for years yet you tell her-” Parasol jabbed a hoof at Raindrops who continued eating. “Before you even told me?”

Raindrops pushed down her anger and kept eating. Raindrops was fairly well known for her explosive anger that rarely came out. She didn’t get angry often but when she did, most ponies tended to listen or stay away. Dizzy shot her an apologetic look and spoke before she could.

“She’s my lead pony and she was there at the time. She needed to know first. And I do trust you Parry,” Dizzy answered and rested a hoof on the light yellow mares back. “And Raindrops deserved to know. I trust her just as much as I trust you all. She’s a good mare and a good friend.”

Raindrops and Dizzy smiled at each other as they both gave subtle nods to each other.

“Obviously not enough to tell us about your daughter,” Cloudkicker scoffed and looked away. “You’re only thirty three so you were-”

“Twenty six when I had Scootaloo. Fluffy Wings uh passed a few months before then,” Dizzy idly pushed her breakfast around her tray. “It was a difficult time. I didn’t really go out during the entire time I was with her. Of course, Rainbow Dash knew what was up so I got to keep my job.”

“Does she know?” Sassaflash asked with a raised eyebrow and Dizzy nodded slowly. “What?”

“She looks after Scootaloo for me. I tag along often. When I can’t go with, she always tells me how she’s doing. Cheerilee talks to me about her school work,” Dizzy explained and White Lightning nodded along. “You and Sprinkle understand. Scootaloo is pretty close with your kid.”

“Cotton Cloudy does like her a lot,” White Lightning admitted after a moment. “You do know we would have helped look after her, right? Hell, I attended your husbands funeral.”

“You’re right. I’m stupid as Tartarus,” Dizzy buried her face in her hooves as the group collectively glared at Parasol and Cloudkicker.

“Nice going,” Banana grumbled quietly and rolled his eyes. While the desert tan stallion didn’t really know Dizzy that well, he did admire her fairly well. She was nice to him the few times they talked. “Now she’s gonna in a piss poor mood for days.”

Cloudkicker and Parasol gave each other sheepish logs before they both sighed, Parasol jerking her head towards Dizzy.

“You can always make it right,” Cloudkicker suggested and Dizzy eyed her behind a hoof. “After this, adopt her. Then you can either tell her the truth or not, up to you. I’d personally tell her though.”

Dizzy hummed in response and Cloudkicker shot Parasol a look that screamed help me.

“Whitey had a point. I would have personally helped with Scootaloo if needed. She’s pretty impressive actually,” Parasol smiled and nuzzled Dizzy. “Those scooter tricks are nuts. I’m still offering to help look after her. You’re my friend, after all.”

“After this, I might see about it. If they let me. I was stupid,” Dizzy slammed a hoof against her face and Sprinkle Medley scowled at her.

“I hate when my friends say that about each other. You were in a difficult situation and had lost your husband then had a kid. I don’t think any of us judge you too badly for that decision. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is give up. But it takes a certain amount of love to admit you can’t take care of a life. You can’t take care of somepony else until you get yourself right,” Sprinkle lectured and fluttered her wings as the Wonderbolts eavesdropped from their own table.

“She has a point,” Wave Chill said after a moment. “Can she even have a kid and be a Bolt?”

“Well yeah. More than a few have kids in our ranks. Most have families or had families. Hell, Silver Zoom has a kid,” Sun Chaser answered with a yawn. “It’s too early.”

“Agreed. I haven’t seen Captain Spitfire all morning. That’s not like her,” Lightning Streak shook his head.

“She’s helping Watermelody and Twilight with something. She’ll be out all day,” Soarin answered. “I have a class to teach. Big test apparently that Twilight came up with.”

“Oh boy. They’re in trouble,” Misty commented with a laugh as she noted High Winds absence. “Where’s High Winds? Helping Twilight?”

“Yep. Apparently all of the Elements are. Don’t know about what but it’s apparently important. Probably that weekly letter deal,” Blaze waved a spork around with a wing. “Good luck Soarin. You’ll need it.”

Soarin had a feeling she was right. He’d much rather be flying or setting up details about his bar. But they only had three more weeks till the academy trainings were done and he trusted Fuchsia to set up the layout. After all, she was the one who actively worked in a bar at the moment, not him.

“Everypony has their quills, you’ve all studied for this. I’ll be at the desk uo front. You have two hours to finish this and no notes allowed!” Soarin explained and pointed at the chalk board. “I have faith you all will do fairly well. Time starts now.”

Raindrops and her friends each picked up a quill in their wing as they started writing. Dizzy had been allowed another Wonderbolt to write her answers in for her that she pointed out.

Dizzy whispered her chosen answer into Lightning Streaks ear and he colored in the circle with an unreadable expression. One of the things he agreed on was not helping her in the slightest, no matter how attractive the mare seemed.

Soarin had been wary of allowing him to help her. Everypony knew Lightning was the more flirtatious member of the group. He was nicknamed Hasty Fling for a reason. The only ponies he didn’t hit on were his teammates specifically the stallions. Males were pretty much a strong no go for him.

Whiplash eyes scanned his sheet with a sigh. He personally hated tests. But he knew he had to at least do well on this to get in. Most Wonderbolts weren’t stallions and he intended on changing that. Mares were simply lighter than most stallions so they usually got accepted more.

He glanced down at a sheet hidden inside his wings and wrote down the answer on his test. Raindrops’ eyes widened slightly as she watched and they quickly narrowed.

She and him made eye contact briefly for a moment as her eyes locked onto his wing and he paled, watching Raindrops hesitantly raise a hoof and he quickly shook his head.

Raindrops pauses and sighs as she lowers her hood back down.

“What’s up Raindrops?” Soarin called out from his desk as he set down a book he was reading. He personally didn’t care for romance but apparently somepony who last used the desk had left it on the worn surface. He figured he might as well take advantage of the source of entertainment, no matter how much he might hate the content inside.

Raindrops and Whiplash both made eye contact. Raindrops personally hated cheaters and was a firm believer cheaters never prospered. But she also didn’t want to crush his dreams. Or well, not without him explaining himself to her first.

“Nothing sir,” Raindrops lied as she forced a smile upon her lips. “Nothing at all.”

Raindrops trotted out of the classroom with Dizzy as they both headed back to their quarters. The two felt equally good about their scores.

“Raindrops. Wait up!” Whiplash called out and the two paused as Raindrops eyes hardened.

“What do you want, Whiplash?” Raindrops flared her wings out and Dizzy watched awkwardly.

“I’ll uh be right over here while you two talk,” Dizzy’s eyes flicked between the two before hastily excusing herself.

“Out with it,” Raindrops gestured impatiently with a hoof.

“Thanks for not ratting me out in there. You could have, but didn’t so thanks.”

“Hmph. I don’t know what your end game is but you could get kicked out if caught. And if I get dragged down with you because of it, I’ll be your worst nightmare,” Raindrops threatened as she pressed a hoof against his chest. “And that’s a promise. I keep them too.”

Whiplash shuddered slightly at her touch as she continued glaring at him. Her hoof was surprisingly soft as she pushed him a few feet back with a scoff.

“What’s going on here, cadets?” Soarin asked as he stood in the doorway watching intently.

“Nothing sir,” Dizzy cut in quickly as she rejoined the two. She didn’t know what was said but she presumed it was something he did to make Raindrops made to have her shove him. “They were just arguing about whether the Cloudsdale Cumulus would beat the Las Pegasus Stratoms this week at the hoofball game. You know how hoofball makes ponies act.”

“Fair enough. And Cloudsdale will win. Obviously,” Soarin added with an eyeroll and turned away.

“I don’t know what is going on between you two but figure it out,” Dizzy placed herself between the two. “It’s hard to lie to the Wonderbolts. I won’t always be here to break this up. So sort it out.”

“Fine,” Raindrops tossed Whiplash a glare. “We will. He can explain to me later. I’m going to go sleep. Let’s go Dizzy unless you wanna hit the showers.”

“Bed sounds good.”

Dizzy shot Whiplash an apologetic look before galloping after Raindrops.