“Name’s Lightning Dust.”
Teal feathers met cyan as the two pegasus ponies slapped wings, their owners projecting their confidence through the heavy sound of powerful appendages colliding mid-swing.
“Rainbow Dash.”
“Wanna grab some grub in the mess hall?”
“Definitely,” Dash responded and walked casually alongside her new friend, eager to fuel up after the excessive warm up their fiery captain-to-be had forced on them as a result of Lightning Dust’s confident outburst during her drilling. Not that she was complaining; Rainbow Dash knew the laps were simply a way to separate the good from the great and felt all the more confident that there was only one other pony who could keep up with her when she wasn’t at Sonic Rainboom speeds.
“So Rainbow Dash, I’m guessing I’d be correct in assuming you’re from Cloudsdale?” Her new companion inquired, a small, knowing smirk grazing her face as the cyan pony froze, a hoof paused in the air before she delicately let it back down to the ground to complete her step. Dash remained completely still for a few seconds before speaking up, her voice cracking slightly more than usual.
“…Yeah, I am. How’d you guess?”
Lightning Dust simply shrugged. “It’s a pretty good assumption. Most of the ponies that end up going here are originally from Cloudsdale because the school receives a lot of funding from the city. It’s pretty hard to get into the academy if you’re from other parts of Equestria ‘cuz they know you’re not filling their wallets. You have to be as good as us to even think about applying.”
It didn’t take an egghead like Twilight to connect the dots of the teal pony’s ranting. “So I think it’s safe to say that you’re not from Cloudsdale,” Rainbow Dash concluded.
“No, but they wanted me ‘cuz when you’re awesome, you’re awesome,” She finished with a wink. Reaching the door, she held a hoof up in front of Dash and gestured to herself, offering to open the door for the both of them.
Rainbow Dash smiled as Lightning Dust reared around and kicked the doors to the mess hall open with the same bravado she expected from… well herself. There was nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, especially if it meant a chance to push herself to her extremes during her stay at the academy… and show off her true potential to Spitfire while she was at it. The Wonderbolts captain had been unconscious during the first Sonic Rainboom she had performed as an adult, and she wasn’t entirely sure if Spitfire had attended the royal wedding. Rainbow Dash suppressed her excited squeal at the thought of performing her signature move in front of the whole camp and walked casually into the mess hall, a small sway in her step that swished her tail in steady sideways motions, flashing its full colors with every sway. She gasped.
To say the mess hall was large was an understatement. Enormous would have been a more accurate adjective to describe its dimensions, but the size of the cafeteria was far from its most impressive qualities. Rectangular tables, each draped in silky white cloths free from even the tiniest of blemishes were arranged in perfectly symmetrical rows, not a single one an inch out of place. They were adorned with simple, clean utensils, a different pastel color assigned to the mugs of each individual table. The décor the mess hall had to offer struck a familiar chord in Rainbow Dash, reminding the young athlete of her own personal tastes for decorating. Posters draped over the walls in several shades of blue and gold, each an impressive tribute to the Wonderbolts of past and present, their uniformed figures tinted every shade of blue imaginable. From aquamarine to royal blue, there was no questioning the dominant color scheme the eating establishment was presenting, though a sharp contrast in the usual blues and golds on one particular poster drew the attention of both talented rookies. Highlighted in red and unmistakable was the headshot of…
“…Soarin’?”
Understanding her friend’s confused outburst, Lightning Dust took to the air, stopping at eye level with the poster and squinting as she strained to read the fine print that had been imprinted on the pinup.
“For two years of excellent service, we proudly name Soarin’ our model Wonderbolt of the month,” She read flatly, continuing on in her monotone. “For bravery exceeded during our troubled times during… blah blah blah! They’re basically saying he’s hot stuff for saving some ponies during the changeling invasion.”
“I wanna see,” Dash said, joining Lightning Dust in front of the poster, her own eyes squinted to read the tiny printing.
“Why do you care? He was pretty much just doing the job description during the royal wedding.”
“Because,” She responded, her eyes remaining focused on the poster as she traced every line of the fine print with visible interest, “Soarin’ is cool. We’ve hung out before. He’s such a goofball that he gives me hope that the job won’t always be strict regiment. That we can relax and have some fun and freedom, y’know?”
“Fair enough, I guess I hadn’t thought of that,” Lightning Dust admitted with a shrug, her wings slowing their beating pace as she descended back to the ground. “Now c’mon, let’s get our grub on.”
“Huh? Oh y-yeah, sure,” Dash stuttered, taking one last look at the poster, a small warm smile stretching across her cheeks.
The cuisine at the mess hall was… palatable, to say the least anyways. Rainbow Dash drew sloppy circles in her food, tracing the ceramic trail with her spoon, her eyes downcast at her work. She sure as hay wasn’t expecting cupcakes and cookies to be on the menu of an athletic boot camp, but she hadn’t expected the cuisine to be so bland. Lightning Dust apparently shared similar thoughts, her laborious chews coming to an end once she had managed to finish half of her plate. Two half-lidded gazes met, each coming to the same conclusion as a teal and cyan hoof pushed their respective plates away from their bodies.
“You’d think they’d give us some decent chow,” Lightning Dust grumbled, taking another look at the food before cringing at the thought of another bite.
“Well, look at how many students they have to feed,” Rainbow Dash explained as she gestured to the rest of the mess hall with her hoof. Academy students of various colors and builds were scattered throughout the building, their chatter contributing to the noise that echoed within the cafeteria’s walls. “They probably have to make their food factory-style just to feed us all.”
“Justify it all you want, it still stinks,” The teal mare complained, her nose wrinkled as she made a face at the food.
“Maybe we should’ve gone with the green beans.”
With the end of Rainbow Dash’s sentence, the mess hall became completely silent. Both pegasus mares perked their ears at the change in background volume, their curious eyes following the direction everypony else’s head was directed at. A squad of confident ponies entered the dining complex, their cheerful chatter amongst each other a contrast to how their entrance was received. Ponies that had not yet taken the opportunity to sit down quickly scrambled out of their way, their behavior met with several amused shaking heads from the pegasus ponies in the group. Despite Spitfire’s absence, there was no mistaking the veteran members of Equestria’s most elite flight squad, the-
“Wonderbolts,” Lightning Dust whispered, trying her best to hide the excitement in her voice. Rainbow Dash held no such restraints.
“They’re all here!” She whispered loudly, a hoof brought in front of her large smile to muffle the sound. “There’s Fire Streak! And Misty! Silver Lining, Rapidfire, Lightning Streak, Wave Chill, Blaze, Fleet Foot, and-“
“Rainbow Dash!”
The outcry of her own name from a member of the Wonderbolts caused the young flier to choke on her words, the particular pony’s name never leaving her throat. Said equine trotted up to the two stunned rookies, his happy disposition seemingly contagious as Rainbow Dash found herself smiling even wider than before. His pale blue coat and windswept navy blue mane were unmistakable, but that didn’t stop the stallion from delivering a proper introduction to the new recruits.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash! It’s me, Soarin’! Do ya remember me?” He asked, a large silly grin stretched across his snout. Rainbow Dash found herself laughing, a small giggle she would later never admit was as girly sounding as it was.
“How could I forget? I don’t know what was more fun: kickin’ it after I won the Best Young Flier’s Competition, or at the Royal Canterlot Wedding. We’ve always had a blast hanging out, dude.”
Soarin’ needed no further prompting, his flank grazing Dash’s as he took a seat next to her at the table. The veteran flier’s green eyes darted down to the half-finished plates and up to Rainbow Dash, not noticing the incredulous look he was receiving from her golden-haired companion.
“You guys picked all the worst food here! You should’ve gone with the green beans!” Soarin’ laughed loudly. His jolly, boisterous laugh attracted the attention of his fellow Wonderbolts, the elite flying squad deciding with a hive mind to see what had entertained their teammate. Rainbow Dash felt her heart race as they approached, her eyes darting to the side to determine if Lightning Dust held any similar anticipation. A confident smirk found its way on the teal pony’s face as the professional team stopped by them, her expression devoid of any doubt or anxiety. A male member of the Wonderbolts stepped forward from the rest, an eyebrow raised in practiced criticism. His opal coat matched the lighter streaks that laced his fiery mane, the windblown hair shaking stiffly with every sideways motion of his disapproving countenance.
“Hangin’ out with the noobies, Soarin’?” He queried, a cruel grin appearing on his snout. “Are you that desperate to show off your plaque for fighting a few changelings?”
The stallion’s teasing was short-lived. A pale yellow hoof from a mare with an electric blue mane struck him solidly between the ears, forcing a high-pitched yelp from him in response. Rubbing the spot tenderly with a hoof, he pouted at the teammate that had assaulted him.
“What the heck was that for Misty?! I oughta-“
Any further protest to his ‘abuse’ was immediately silenced by the icy glare his teammate shot him, her angry eyes pinning him to the spot.
“Fire Streak, you idiot!” Misty barked. “Do you even know who this is?”
Fire Streak tilted his head quizzically, the obvious body language answering her question for him. The mare groaned, a forehoof clenched to her brow in undeniable frustration. Forcing an apologetic smile, she turned to Rainbow Dash.
“I am so sorry for my teammate’s disrespect, Rainbow Dash.”
Lightning Dust’s smirk vanished. “You guys know each other?”
“Know each other?” Misty chuckled. “The kid saved three of our rumps, myself and that big goofball sitting right next to you included.”
Lightning Dust found herself gawking. “That was you?!” She shrieked, an accusing hoof pointed at Dash. “I read about that in the papers, but I didn’t know that-“
“She’d be modest enough to not go around bragging about it?” A stallion from the group piped up. Rainbow Dash took notice of his grey-blue coat and dark cerulean mane, quickly identifying him as Wave Chill and mentally thanking him for the voluntary alibi. He cocked his head away from the table. “We’re gonna go sit down Soarin’. You comin’ with, or do you wanna spend a little more time with your special friend?”
Wave Chill’s wicked grin and fluctuation of his tone left little to the imagination about how he viewed Soarin’s overly friendly behavior toward the chromatic mare. Cheeks burning, the flushing stallion waved his teammates off.
“Ah knock it off, guys! It’s not like that; I just never properly thanked her for saving my life is all.”
“I can think of a couple ways you could- OUCH”
“Whatever you say, Soar’,” Misty cooed, batting her eyelashes innocently. Fire Streak rubbed the crown of his head where she had struck him yet again, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. Bottom lip jut out in a pout, he turned and started away from the group, the rest of his team following suit. Walking away with the rest of the Wonderbolts, Misty turned her head and motioned for her lagging teammate to follow the rest of the group.
Soarin’ grunted in annoyance, standing up tall and making his leave from the table. Pausing momentarily, he offered an apologetic smile to the two mares. “Sorry about that; they don’t really like it when we hang out with cadets. They think we’ll get biased for our favorite ones.” He turned his head slightly, making direct eye contact with Rainbow Dash. “Wanna hang out after your drill exercises tomorrow?” He asked, a rosy shady barely tinting his cheeks.
“What about your bias?” Dash asked obliviously. “You could get in big trouble if they found out you were making friends with me and Lightning Dust.”
“Oh…” Soarin’ said quietly, his ears drooping at the cadet’s response. “I guess you’re right.” He turned around, looking back once more before trotting off to meet his team. “I guess I’ll see you around then.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled as the crestfallen stallion hurried off, shaking her head in amusement. “What a goof,” She laughed, turning to Lightning Dust. “He really forgot about something he just said could get him in trouble.”
The teal mare simply gaped. “Are you for real?”
“Uhhhh, yes?” Dash cringed, very aware of the criticizing tone her new companion had used on her. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Just… never mind,” Lightning Dust grunted, waving off Rainbow Dash’s preemptive questions with a hoof. “It’s not important. We’re here to become Wonderbolts. Let’s not let anything else distract us.”
The cyan mare smiled. “Well duh! Now let’s go get those green beans.”
“Listen up!” Spitfire barked, earning the attention of her small crowd of cadets. “For the rest of the camp you’ll be working in pairs. Tomorrow morning, I’ll post the teams including who will be lead pony and who will be wingpony. Good luck.”
“Like we’re gonna need it,” Lightning Dust whispered confidently to her colorful companion.
“Heh, yeah,” Rainbow Dash chuckled, bumping her cyan hoof against the teal keratin of her friend’s hoof. The two mares trotted off, bee lining towards the mess hall as if by instinct. Dash looked to her left, noticing several veteran Wonderbolt members each coaching their own squad, though one officer in particular stood out to her. She smiled warmly and waved at Soarin’, her hoof grabbing his attention from his students before he quickly looked the other way.
Chuckling quietly, she pawed at the ground. “Oops, my bad! Forgot he’s actually a teacher here.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Lighting Dust retorted. “He’s supposed to be a leading officer and an example of the dedication and discipline a Wonderbolt has. It doesn’t matter to Spitfire if he’s got a crush, and he better hope she didn’t see that slipup.”
Dash tilted her head, confused. “A crush? On Spitfire? I guess I could see it- they have worked together for awhile.”
“No, not Spitfire,” The teal mare groaned, looking at the prismatic mare expectantly. When she didn’t return any indication that she understood, Lightning Dust decided it would be better to just fill in her companion. “You, Dash. He has a crush on you. Isn’t it obvious?”
“Meeee? That-” She squawked, the end of her statement cracking slightly as she trailed off into thought. Dash looked down, digesting the new information. Why would Soarin’ have a crush on her of all ponies? She never considered herself ugly by any means, but she never wasted any of her time putting effort into dolling herself up for the boys- that was Rarity’s field of expertise. All she did was save his apple pie… and his life at the Best Young Flier’s competition… and dance with him at what could be considered one of the most romantic settings in Equestria history… and…
“…actually, that makes sense,” Dash admitted, shuffling her hoof with slight embarrassment, the slightest tinge of rose on her cheeks. She tilted her eyes up to meet Lightning Dust’s gaze, the teal mare rolling her eyes with a smile.
“Go on, girl- just don’t get caught or you’ll both be busted,” She said with a slight sigh, a dismissing hoof waving Rainbow Dash off. “I’ll meet you later on in the barracks tonight.”
With an understanding nod, Dash trotted off.
“All right noobies!” Soarin’ barked to the crowd of cadets, their shaking limbs a true sign of the rigorous demands the squad leader had put them through. “You get a two minute break before that next set of wingups! I repeat, two minute break!”
The squadron groaned collectively. Soarin’ narrowed his eyebrows into a glare, quickly silencing his vocal students.
“Did I stutter?!” He asked rhetorically, nostrils flared with gusto. “You’ve all just cut a minute off your break for the attitude, including the time you all decided to moan instead of thank me for letting you slack off!”
“That’s too bad, I was gonna use that minute to ask you something, Soarin’.”
The stallion turned around wide-eyed, jaw slacked as he came face to face with the most colorful student at the academy. Rainbow Dash smiled impishly, turning to walk away.
“Buuuut I guess if you’re busy giving the recruits some extra training, then I probably shouldn’t bother you. I guess I’ll-“
“Wait!” Soarin’ fumbled, his forehooves waving to stop the mare in her tracks. He craned his neck back, fighting back the blush as a couple of his cadets couldn’t help but snicker at the predicament. “Class dismissed. Hit the mess hall, you slackers.”
Ignoring the whooping and ‘oohs’ his students vocalized as they walked off, Soarin’ forced a weak smile, tugging at his tie as he subconsciously adjusted it.
“W-whatsup?”
Dash walked up, her smirk confident and movements lithe, which Soarin’ noted was comparable to a cat. “You said you wanted to… ‘hang’, right?”
The pegasus stallion swallowed the lump in his throat, face bursting into flush as the green tip of her tail flicked his nose. “Yeah… I-“
“And what did you mean by that?” She asked coyly, interrupting him mid-sentence. Dash felt her heart pulse quickly as the stallion sat down on his haunches, mouth agape and eyes bugged out. She had him, and they both knew it.
“I’m sorry.”
This time Rainbow Dash was the one whose eyes bugged out. “Wait- what!?”
“I’m sorry,” Soarin’ repeated, eyes downcast onto the pegasus runway, his focus never leaving the blacktop road. “I should know better- I’m an officer for pony’s sake. It’s not appropriate and it certainly isn’t representative of how a Wonderbolt is supposed to act. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, and if you wanna report me for my inappropriate behavior, I’ll understand.”
“No no no!” Dash protested, quickly running to the stallion’s side. “Soarin’, I was just having some fun at your expense! Really! Although…” She paused, looking away to hide the blood that was slowly rushing to her cheeks. “If you’ve got something to say to me, then say it. I’m all ears.”
Soarin’ looked at the mare by his side, her head turned slightly away, yet her eyes focused on him. It was all the motivation he needed.
“Would you go out with me?”
Rainbow Dash turned her head, smile small and cheeks burning.
“Yes.”