Spitfire was young when she met Soarin' for the first time. They were in the same class together and when they got to talk, she found out that he dreamed of being the same thing she wanted to be, a Wonderbolt. But they both knew then that only a few ponies got to join their ranks and those ponies happen to be the best of the best. For them to even have a chance at joining them, they would have to start working at it now. And that they did. Every single day, they left school together and flew in the skies. They tried new tricks and they couldn't count how many times they got hurt in the process. The doctors at the hospital started to know them by name and could figure out exactly what to start to look for as soon as they arrived. As they grew older, their cutie marks showed up and both of them knew that flying was their talent and life, but they were still far from being as good as the Wonderbolts and they still dreamed of the day they would join their idols in the skies over Equestria.
The year that they graduated from school, the captain of the Wonderbolts claimed that he was going to retire and that try outs would be held to welcome a few new members into the team. Spitfire and Soarin' decided immediatly that they would both try out for the spot. Even if only one of them got a spot, it would be worth it in the end. Little did Spitfire know what Soarin's plan was the entire time. As the days passed, they practiced harder stunts than they had ever dreamed of. One of the stunts would allow Spitfire to be the main one seen. Soarin' wanted her to get the spot before he did and if he had to mess up to allow her the spot, he would do it.
When the day finally came for the try outs, Spitfire woke up terrified of what was going to happen. What if she made a complete fool of herself and screwed up everything she had been her whole life on? What if she messed something up and prevented not only her from getting in, but also Soarin'? She couldn't allow herself to do that. Closing her eyes again, she laid in bed and tried to forget about the try outs, but Soarin' knocking on her window made her get up and let him in.
"Did you plan on staying in bed all day?" he asked her, slightly confused?
"Yeah," she responded softly as she walked a few steps away from him.
"Spitfire, what's wrong?"
"I am afraid that I will mess up and may prevent us both from getting in," she told him with a sad tone in her voice.
"And why do you think that you will do that?" Soarin' responded.
"Soarin', the others are going to be better than us. We are just two normal ponies."
"Two normal ponies that love flying," he added.
"Maybe so, and you have a better chance than me to get in with them. Your cutie mark is the sysbol on the uniforms," Spitfire said turning towards him with tears forming in her eyes. "I have no chance of making it on the team."
"Do not say that, Spitfire. You will be great," he said as he picked up a brush and started to brush her mane. "By the way, I have a new idea on your mane."
"And what may that be?" she asked slightly worried.
"Just watch," he said as he used a bit of styling cream and ran it through her mane.
As he did so, he started to style it to look as if it was blown by the wind to stay back. Smiling, he add a little more styling cream and got it to stay that way before putting everything down.
"Now what do you think?" he asked with a smile.
"That looks cool," she smiled as she turned to face him. "And better, it will stay out of my face when I fly."
"That's what I was trying to think of last night. A way to style your mane where it will stay out of your face when you fly, but also something that will give you style," he explained.
"Why don't you do yours the same way?" she asked as she picked up the brush and styling cream.
"Are you sure?" he asked her.
"Of course. That way we stand out compared to the others," she said with a smile, happy that Soarin' had gotten to her house early.
Soarin' smiled as he brushed his mane and did the same style with his. In his mind, it didn't look as good as it did on Spitfire, but he wasn't about to say no to her. At the same time, seeing her smile made his heart feel better than seeing her a few minutes earlier when she was almost in tears.
"I think it's about time we head out," he said to her causing her smile to fade. "Trust me, you will do well."
Spitfire nodded as the two headed to her front door and headed out into the cool morning. The sun had just started to rise which casted a pink and purple glow to the clouds above her home. Soarin' smiled as he reached a hoof out for her causing her to take it as they dove off the cloud and let the feel of the moist air wash over them before opening their wings and letting them be carried.
Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home
They flew towards the famous Wonderbolt taining center as Soarin' thought over his plans. He was determined that Spitfire would make the team and that she would be the best flyer, but he needed to see what kind of competition they were up against before he decided how to handle his own preformance. He knew he needed to do worse than her, but he also wanted to do better than the others to give himself a chance as well.
Landing at the training center, they soon noticed that they were only two of about fifteen ponies there to join the team. That gave them hope that they would make the team, but again that all depended on the skills of the others. Spitfire first took notice of the numbers and the fact that she was the only mare in the group. That caused slight fear to fill her. How was she suppose to compete against that many stallions who seemed more confident in their abilities than she seemed in hers. Lowering her head slightly, she stayed close to Soarin' as the others insulted the mane styles.
"It's may not be the best fashion choice, but it keeps our manes out of our faces for our preformances," Soarin' spoke up in their defence. "But I guess you wouldn't understand that because it looks like you don't have much of a mane at all."
This caused Spitfire to smile as she hear them trying to convince Soarin' that they only cut their manes to fly better, but they were both not believing it. But their comments about mare's not being able to fly with the Wonderbolt's made her smile fade quickly.
"A mare can fly with the team, if I allow it," the Wonderbolt captain spoke up as he entered the area causing everyone to fall silent. "As a matter of fact, I would love to see a mare join the team."
Soarin' smiled knowing that now Spitfire had an advantage over all of them, even himself. He had to get her on the team now.
"Try outs will start in a few minutes. Proceed to the locker room and put on a uniform and googles. Meet me here in five minutes or you will not participate," the captain commanded and a group of 'yes sir's followed.
Soarin' and Spitfire flew slower than the rest as they headed to change.
"Listen, don't pay attention to them. They are trying to get you worked up and put fear in your head. If you let them, you won't fly well. No matter what, you are not alone. Even if they don't like me, I will stay till the end. I will cheer for you no matter what," he smiled at her as she looked in his eyes.
"Thanks Soarin' and I will be with you till the end too," she responded as the entered the locker room to see two uniforms and two sets of googles.
They quickly pulled them on and Soarin' made sure their manes still looked decent after the change. What he didn't expect was to look at Spitfire and realize that this was what she was meant to be. The look of the uniform over her form looked amazing and the colors went well with her. Spitfire smiled as she looked at Soarin'. She remembered the year he made a makeshift Wonderbolt outfit for Nightmare Night. It looked good on him, but seeing the real thing made him look amazing. This was what he was meant to be and she was sure of it.
Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home
They smiled at each other one last time before heading off the the meeting place and arriving there a minute early. As much as Spitfire was nervous, she was also excited to be standing here with Soarin'. She was also excited to be able to show off her moves the the captain of the Wonderbolts before he retired. This was her dream coming true. It wasn't long before the captain sent them on 100 laps and started to time them. For Soarin' and Spitfire, that was nothing. That was a fifth of what they were use to when they practiced, but they were not expecting the captain to tell them to do 100 more and beat their previous time. That was a little more of a challenge, but nothing they couldn't do. They could tell right there that a lot of the ponies in the group where having trouble with beating their previous times. And with each 100 laps, the captain wanted them to go faster and faster. Soarin' and Spitfire noticed this and paced themselves to allow them to beat each time. This went on for a few hours as about mid-day, the captain called lunch time for everyone. By this point, there were only four ponies who were not crawling across the ground to reach the chairs already set up. The captain sat and took notes and watched them as ate their food.
"After lunch, only the four ponies who can still walk will stay, the rest of you will be sent on your way," the captain said as he turned his attention to the two ponies that sat near Soarin; and Spitfire.
He knew he had three great flyers in his presence, but he only had a few spots.
"While you eat, may I ask why you did your mane like that," he asked looking at Spitfire and Soarin'.
"I styled her mane this morning as an attempt to keep it out of her eyes when she flied and she talked me into doing mine the same way," Soarin' explained to the captain as Spitfire felt some of the pressure of the day melt away.
There were only two other ponies that they had to be better than. She knew at that moment that Soarin' had a good chance of making it as well as she did.
"I think it works well," the captain smiled. "If I would be staying around, I would use it for the Wonderbolts looks."
Soarin' looked at him shocked at the thought of the Wonderbolts all using the mane style he came up with in the middle of the night.
It didn't take long before they finished lunch and the captain explained that for the rest of the day, he would be watching everything they did. He wanted them in pairs and they would be showing him their stunts. Being that the other two ponies came together, he allowed the pairs to work together which allowed Soarin' and Spitfire as a team. Soarin' smiled as he whispered to Spitfire which stunts they should do and which ones they shouldn't. Spitfire knew the routine by memory and was excited to do it. the captain allowed the other team to go first. They flew through the air as they did spirals and rolls as well as a few harder stunts. Watching them carefully, Soarin' began to whisper a few changes in their preformance. He had to make sure that theirs would be better than the other teams and that she got in.
As the team finished, they landed next to Soarin' and Spitfire as the captain make a few notes and then nodded at them.
"Just know you're not alone," Soarin whispered to Spitfire as he helf his hoof out for her.
She willingly accepted it as they leaned forward and fell head first towards the ground. Keeping their bodies as straight as possible, they began to build up speed before releasing their hooves and splitting off to the opposite sides, before heading straight up with speed. As they flew, the colors of their tales started to leave a slight trail behind them as they spead past the cloud they fell from and started to almost dance as they spiraled together. The colors left a pattern in the sky before they pulled back into a backbend before falling downwards again. As they did this, they made a heart pattern followed by a upside down heart before climbing the sky to a comfortable height before flying towards each other. At the angle the captain was watching, it looked like they would crash into each other. As they neared each other, they rolled and broke apart in different directions. The other team watched in awe as the ponies flew with grace that they always dreamed of. They knew they were beat and that one if not both of them would join the Wonderbolts.
Spitfire smiled as she flew straight up for their last stunt. Soarin' came up beside her and they flew in a tight circle once, before pulling away and flying down as a firework went off where they were. He knew at that moment that they had the best chance at making the team. They hadn't made a single mistake and did a ton more than the other team. Landing in front of the captain, they couldn't help but notice his shock.
"I would like for both of you to join the Wonderbolts," he took no time in announcing.
Spitfire couldn't help the smile that spread over her face as she turned to Soarin'.
"We made it," she smiled and hugged him as she looked at the sky where their colors were just now starting to fade.
-Years Later-
Spitfire watched from the window as the newest recruits worked on clearing the sky. She remembered all the tasks that she did to join the Wonderbolts and how as the years passed, they began to add stuff and take others away. Now she was the captain and was training the new ones. She wasn't looking to retire anytime soon. Others on the other hoof had started to, but there was one pony that had not left her like promised. That was Soarin'. He had said on day on that she would not be alone and he had kept that promise.
"So what are you thinking?" came a very familiar voice behind her.
"I am trying to decide which ones should stick around and which shouldn't. I am still worried I will make a mistake and send the wrong one home though," she turned as she explained it to Soarin'.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "You are not alone and if you need help, I will be here."
Spitfire smiled as she kissed him softly. "Thanks."
"Anytime," he smiled as he left her office to allow her time to finish her work.
Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home