Dreams and Shutters (Chapter 1)
*CRASH* She sat up with a jolt, looking around for the source of the sound. *CRASH* She breathed a sigh of relief, it was just a gust of wind knocking a loose shutter against the window. So much for sleep, though she wasn't very deep in it anyway. She sighed again as she climbed from her bunk. It was going to be another one of those nights. She trotted to the barracks' kitchen to tend to her parched throat. As she sleepily filled her glass, she heard hoofs behind her clopping softly on the floor. She knew who it was without having to turn around.
"Another one of those nights huh?"
Quaint, how they seemed to be of one mind at times; though their empathy towards one another should probably be expected.
"Evening, Soarin." Spitfire turned from her water to face her team mate, and best friend. "It's the dreams, I just..."
Soarin placed a wing around her. "I know, we all do. But we've all stuck together this far, and that's not going to change."
Spitfire smiled weakly and rested her head against his affectionately. "I guess that's what matters for now."
She may have been their captain in title, but it was Soarin everyone really looked up to for guidance. He was like a big brother to the rest of them, always with their best interests at heart. Without him they all knew they probably would have fallen apart long before this point.
"Come on, let's get back to bed, we've got a long day tomorrow," Soarin said kindly as he started back towards the bunk room with her still under his wing. She nodded and walked with him silently. Their eyes met knowingly before they climbed into their separate bunks and laid down. The silence in the room was deafening other than the occasional wind gust and the crashing of that shutter. Nobody said anything, but they could all feel it. Nobody was sleeping tonight, as they all lay in their bunks, listening to that damn shutter.
"Come on slowpokes! You ever gonna catch me?" Spitfire was zooming around the clouds on the track with her two best friends. Soarin, a young colt with a mane as dark and blue as the night sky, was her older friend, zipping after her with a fierce look plastered on his face. Of course any other time he would have been cracking jokes or stuffing his face. He was so kind and carefree that it was almost a shock to see him shift into competition mode where his ferocity and determination took over. Then there was Misty Fly, a filly almost Spitfire's age but still the youngest of the trio. Her mane an icy blue with a white streak through it. When she flew it almost looked like it was made of an arctic wind. Her skills had vastly improved over the past few months, but they all had a long way to go if they had any hopes of winning the young acrobat competition in a few months. Their dreams of becoming a world famous flying team had drawn them to each other, and they had quickly formed strong friendships and began pouring their heart into practicing, that is when they weren't goofing off around Cloudsdale.
She cackled and put on a burst of speed as a challenge to her friends. Her mane which resembled a streak of flame was slicked back. As she sped on towards a curve it waved in the wind, looking very much like a live fire. Soarin and Misty glanced at each other and grinned. It was so on! They jetted forward towards their friend, feeling especially energetic today. Spitfire turned her head and was surprised to find her friends right on her tail. A look of shock crossed her face and then a smirk. "Well look at this, I guess-"
"Spitfire look out!" The other two cried in unison.
She turned her head and gasped, but it was too late to avoid it. She put the brakes on and tried to veer but she still slid into the cloud barrier around the edge of the track. She bounced off the cloud wall and came tumbling down into the cloud "floor" of the racetrack, disappearing into it with a *pomf* and a squeak.
Soarin and Misty slowed down in a hurry and dove to where she had fallen. "Whoa are you okay?!" They called out.
"Ungh..." Spitfire flapped back up and rested on the cloud with a sigh. "I guess I still have a ways to go too." She looked up at her friends, "But man! With that kind of speed we're well on our way! When did you two suddenly get so fast?" She fell back laughing and her friends plopped down beside her and joined in the laughter.
“All right everyone rise and shine with the sun! You know what day it is!” Spitfire called out from the doorway, looking in at all the bunks. Ten tired pegasi slid from their beds, every one of them tired from the previous night. Soarin had already been up and was preparing a hearty breakfast for the team, the delicious smells wafting through the barracks helped rouse the ponies a little more as they quickly and sleepily made their beds. Spitfire watched and nodded in approval. “Chow time in ten team, and eat well, we need every ounce of energy we can get for inspection day.” Then she smiled at them and headed out into the common area.
Inspection day. Always such a great relief... when it was finally over that is. She loathed it as much as the rest of her squad, but none of them could really voice that feeling now could they? After all they wouldn't be were they were today without Her Majesty. Though maybe that would be for the better...
She shook her head and glanced around the room, she didn't have time to be daydreaming, there was too much preparation that needed tending to. She checked items off the list on her clipboard as she walked around. “Furniture in a pristine state, check. Windows spotless, check. Floors spotless, check.” She muttered more items to herself, making her way back into the bunk room. All the beds were uniform and perfect, as they should be. Personal affects had been stowed for the time being. Photos, and things of that nature, while not contraband, weren't supposed to be displayed. However on any other occasion she let it slide. Everyone needed some comfort after all.
She sighed as she finished ticking off the last item 15 minutes later. She walked back to her office down the hall from the bunks, at the very end. She dropped the clipboard and quill on her desk and flexed her wings a bit. Gripping that quill was almost a chore in itself. She headed back to the dining area to join the rest of her team who were already most of the way through their meals. Some of them seemed to have less of an appetite however. Spitfire took her place at the large circular table they all sat at together. She felt it more appropriate this way. They were all friends, and more than that, they were like a family. Sitting around the table together made them all equal, nobody at the head or the end.
“Hey guys, eat up, it's going to be a hard day, for all of us and we need the strength. Please?” Fleetfoot spoke up at her family. She was the oldest of them all, her mane was stark white and perpetually windswept. It almost resembled a cloud. She tended to act a bit motherly but never controlling. A few of the ponies glanced up and smiled at her but none said a word. Everyone ended up clearing their plates in the end. They all stood up and shuffled out to have a breather before it was time to suit up. Misty Fly stayed to help Soarin clear the dishes away.
“It's been six months again already. Time sure flies doesn't it?” She posed rhetorically. Soarin nodded solemnly and patted her with his wing while they scrubbed the remainder of the dishes.
“It's just one day, and then it'll be over,” He reassured her gently.
“Yeah until 6 months come and go again,” She replied, a hint of sadness in her voice.
They finished up the dishes in silence and joined the rest of their team in suiting up, as ready as they could be to face the day ahead.
The three friends sat together in the stands, watching the other teams practice their routines, hoping to pick up some pointers from observing. The teams on the field now were the older division so they were up to more advanced flying techniques and stunts. The friends watched in awe as a a particularly showy trio of pegasi flew straight at each other with unmatched speed and precision, then at the last second all three pulled up in unison and shot skyward in an intricate weaving and spiraling pattern in extremely close proximity to one another, parting at the pinnacle of their ascent and spinning off in separate directions before returning to their formation.
“Man, those Razorwings are amazing!” Gushed Misty.
“Mmmhmmph oo faid ith!”Exclaimed Soarin through a mouth full of popcorn. Spitfire chuckled at this. His manners may have been lacking but he sure knew how to enjoy himself.
She shook her head and turned her gaze back to the field where an argument was breaking out amongst one of the teams. Each was blaming the other for messing up one of their maneuvers. They may have been in the junior division, but even the three friends knew that harmony in the team was key to success. Spitfire stood up and stretched her legs and wings out with a yawn as Soarin tipped the remaining contents of his popcorn bucket into his mouth and chomped contently, seeds and all.
“Well fellas, what do you say we head back into the city and get some grub?” Spitfire posed to her friends. Misty stood and felt her stomach grumble.
“Yeah it's getting to be about that time I guess. Soarin you coming?”
“Yeah I could eat!” He exclaimed as he hopped up and tossed his empty bucket into a nearby trash bin. The girls exchanged giggles.
“Gee what else is new?” Spitfire remarked sarcastically with a smile and a roll of her eyes. “Alright let's go then.”
The three ponies took flight and set off towards Cloudsdale proper. Leaving the arena behind them. The arena they all aspired to perform in one day. All the big names did their shows there, as well as the races and other fantastic feats of flying showmanship. They flew along, thoughts of screaming crowds and fans with signs and a life of luxury filled their heads. Before they knew it the elegant buildings and fluffy scenery were upon them, though it was a relatively short flight anyway. They landed in unison and looked around for a second. The “streets” –if you could call the cloudy pathways streets– were usually bustling this time of evening but tonight they seemed quieter than usual. They started off down one of the roads together, following the twists and turns without even thinking about it. They knew this section of the city like the backs of their hooves. Past the fitness center, left at the old bakery that had closed a few years back when the owner was struck ill, down the alley between the camera shop and the “Preen and Clean” salon... The scenery gradually seemed to diminish in quality as they neared the northern edge of the city. Buildings seemed darker and more uninviting, while still somehow maintaining that cheery and pristine look that Cloudsdale prided itself on. They neared their destination and saw an irate looking mare waiting by the front door, tapping her hoof as they approached.
“Uh oh, looks like we're in for it again.” Muttered Misty to the others.
“Well well well, look who showed up, curfew was nearly 30 minutes ago you do realize?” Indeed the sun had lowered beyond the horizon for the most part, leaving the city shrouded in the orange of the waning light, with the darkness of night imposing from the east.
“We're sorry Miss Amble, we were watching the teams practice and- ”Spitfire was cut off by the middle aged mare.
“Well it can't be helped now can it. Just get inside, all of you.” Then she sighed and her tone softened a bit. “You know we just have your best interests at heart, and I don't want to discipline you. So please just keep better track of the time?
“Yes ma'am.” they all replied in an unenthusiastic but respectful monotone.
“Well alright then, supper is about to be served so hop to it you three.” With that they all entered the building under the faded archway, engraved with a once beautiful carving featuring their ruler and protector, Princess Celestia; Her wings around a few young fillies and colts. Under the now worn and faded carving were the words “Her Majesty's Wings of Providence Orphanage.”
Author's Note
This is the first fic I've sat down and worked on in years so I decided upon a pilot chapter to get some feedback and criticism before deciding to fully commit my time to it. So please feel free to critique and let me know what you think, it would really help. <3
Memories In The Wind (Chapter 2)
The springs in his mattress creaked as he rolled over, the noise piercing the silence of the night like a dagger. *criiik spak spoink creeaaak* He lay for a moment before sighing and rolling back to the other side. This happened frequently these days. Being away from his friends made him feel uneasy. Since they slept in the girl's dorms on the other side of the building, he couldn't even check on them or talk to them as you might to become sleepy. Soarin sighed and rolled to his stomach, plopping his face in his pillow, waiting for sleep to find him.
On the other side of the facility, Spitfire and Misty Fly weren't faring much better; but at least they had each other to whisper to. They were fortunate enough to have adjacent beds, either through providence or simply a kind gesture from one of the staff.
“Do you ever think we'll be as good as the Razorwings?” Misty whispered to her friend.
Spitfire snorted, “pshaw, we'll be even better than them if we keep practicing like this. We'll be the best fliers in Equestria, just wait and see.”
Misty yawned and rested her head on her pillow. “I sure hope so. I want to be famous and live in a big house. You and Soarin can come too, and we'll be like one happy family...” She trailed off as her eyelids closed slowly.
Spitfire smiled at her friend. “Yeah, I'd like that too.” She sighed and plopped back in her own bed and stared at the ceiling. “Good night, Misty.” But her breathing had already become slow and rhythmic. She was fast asleep. Spitfire was not the least bit tired, her mind was too full of thoughts that were unorganized and random.
She heard hoofsteps approaching across the floor. “Sheesh, it's one o'clock already?” she thought to herself. Sure enough a few moments later, she could see the dim light of one of the night staff who was coming around to do bed checks. That is, making sure everyone was accounted for and not off sneaking around the building or any such mischief. When the light hit her she sat up and glanced at the stallion.
“You best be getting to sleep miss, the hour is late,” said the burly stallion in a voice that was completely unfitting for his frame.
Spitfire fell back into her pillow, “yeah I could be so lucky.” The stallion ticked her bed number off his chart and moved along. A minute later the light from his lantern faded as he rounded the corner and proceeded on his rounds. She closed her eyes and tried to will herself to sleep when she heard hoofsteps approaching again. “Celestia take me! How does he expect me to sleep if he keeps coming through, and he was just here what could he need now?” She sat up quickly expecting to see the night staff again, and instead found herself face to face with a different colt.
“Whoa, sorry if I startled you miss grumpywings,” Soarin whispered at her with a grin.
The cross look on her face quickly changed to one of joy. “Oh no, it's okay I just thought you were- oh nevermind. What are you doing over here anyway? You're gonna get in trouble.”
“Not with my masterful stealth skills,” he said as he performed a few lame looking martial arts moves. “Besides, I couldn't sleep anyway.”
Spitfire giggled and put her hooves over her mouth. “Dang it Soarin, you're gonna get me in trouble now,” she said back in a hushed voice. A few of the other girls around the dorm room had woken and were giggling amongst themselves at Soarin's presence.
“oooooooohh” they called out quietly in the typical teasing way.
“Shhhhh!” spitfire hissed at them, as they continued to giggle quietly to themselves. “Yeah I can't sleep either, I just can't stop thinking about the competition and what winning could mean for us.”
Soarin nodded and sat on the edge of the foot of her bed. “Yeah I know what you mean, it's still months off but every day closer to it feels like a leap ahead. Don't worry though, we're getting better every day, I mean look at the three of us, we're already better than some of the teams in the senior division. In a few months we'll be the best in the junior division for sure, and then we'll show everyone what we're really made of.”
Spitfire smiled and touched her wing to his. “Thanks Soarin, you always know the right thing to say.”
“Well I do my best, and you know you guys are my family,” he said nodding to Misty in the next bed who was snoring away. “And I'm always here for you guys.” They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Soarin piped up, “man you could build a cabin with those logs she's sawing huh?”
Spitfire let out a loud guffaw before she covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Then from down the hall a voice called out, “what's going on back there?” and then they saw a light heading up the hall around the corner.
“Welp, time for me to go.” Soarin whispered as he hopped off the bed to speed off down the other hall. “Get some rest, I'll see you tomorrow,” he said with a grin as he bolted off towards his own bed.
“Thanks, sleep well,” she whispered as he dashed off. Half the girls' dorm was up and giggling now as the burly stallion rounded the corner.
“All right what's the meaning of all this?” he chirped up in his uncharacteristic voice. “Back to sleep with all of you, and enough of this foolery.” All the girls quieted down and laid back down as the staff shook his head and started back to his post at the front. Spitfire closed her eyes with a smile and was quickly embraced by the arms of a restful sleep.
“All right everyone, look alive! Major General Foxtrot is en route, eta 5 minutes! Get it in gear and be ready to greet him.” Spitfire barked at her squad as they scurried towards the door, everyone suited up and looking professional. Their flight suits were sky blue with a yellow lightning bolt down the chest and a smaller bolt around the bottom of each leg. Their goggles all shining and freshly coated with water repellant. Loss of visual while flying could be devastating in a crisis so the Captain made sure her team kept on top of gear maintenance, though she didn't have to press it much, they all knew the importance of it.
As the last pegasi scuttled out the door she did one final check around the room before following and closing the door behind her. As she emerged into the daylight, she took in the scene displayed before her. The Equestrian Royal Air Force Base was full of life this morning, pegasi were drilling and checking equipment and generally looking busy in anticipation of the Major General's arrival. The base itself was always a magnificent site. The control tower was the attention catcher of course, standing tall above the other structures that littered the area. There were two strings of lights to mark the runway, though that was really more for carriages that carried important figures. A pegasus needed virtually no room to take off or land, so unless they were expecting someone it usually just served as a walkway. There were a few rows of barracks on the eastern edge of the base that housed the other squads. Their own barracks however were separate, being as they were a special squad, but they were identical to the normal ones with the exception of their kitchen and dining area. Everyone else ate in the mess hall. Then there was the concealment center. It housed a specially modified cloud generator and was manned by a team of ponies whose sole task was keeping the base a secret. Indeed the entire base was concealed inside a giant cloud several miles from Cloudsdale, positioned out over the sea where the weather wasn't controlled by the factory. If someone didn't know what to look for, they would never even know the base was there. A virtually undetectable flying fortress of sorts, and quite the feat of engineering.
Spitfire inhaled the morning air deeply and let it out slowly. Suddenly a call came over the P.A. System that rang across the base. “Attention! Major General Foxtrot approaching! Clear the strip! Carriage inbound!”
The Captain turned to her team. Eleven fierce looking pegasi lined up and at attention. She looked them over, thinking at that moment how proud she was of all of them, but more than that, how much she cared for them and depended on them. They were her family. She cleared her throat and stood tall bursting with confidence. “All right folks this is it. Let's just do what we have to do and get this over with. I know it's rough, and it never gets any easier. Just maintain that famous Wonderbolt resolve and we'll pull through.”
There came a chorus of “Ma'am yes ma'am!” from the line of ponies, but she had the feeling her little speech hadn't done a whole lot for morale, even if they knew it was sincere.
Then a brighter beam of sunlight shone down as the clouds above parted for a moment as the carriage holding the Major General slipped through, the cloud being closed behind him by two of the concealment engineers. The carriage descended and touched down on the runway, slowing to a halt a few meters from the Wonderbolts. Spitfire took her place in front of her team, the double bars on her uniform glinting in the sun. The Major General disembarked and thanked the two Royal Guard pegasi drivers.
“Sir, it was our pleasure sir!” They exclaimed with a salute. Without another word the Major General trotted over to Spitfire and her team.
“Major General sir! Welcome to Air Base Alpha sir!” Greeted Spitfire in a clear and respectful tone as she saluted. She was echoed by the team as they saluted in unison.
“Very good Captain, very good. Your team is looking sharp today, I like that.”
“Thank you sir. We strive for excellence.”
“Hmm, quite right. Well let's get this started. Come with me so I can check the barracks.”
“Of course sir. First Lieutenant, take command until I return”
Soarin stepped forward and took Spitfire's place at the front as her and the Major General headed inside the barracks. “Yes ma'am, you can count on me.” He gave her a wink and she glared back at him, but the Major General either didn't notice or made no mention of it. He waited a few seconds until after the doors closed behind them to speak up. “Okay everyone, I just want to let you all know that we're in this together, and that's something they can never take from us. We're family. We live and breathe together and we all know we'll never abandon each other. Just bite the bit today and after it's over we'll be alright. It's just like all the other times. We'll pull through and keep going because that's what we do. We haven't given up yet and as long as we stick together, we never will right?” The other ten nodded solemnly
“Yeah! We're the toughest and fiercest ponies from Fillydalphia to Canterlot! We've made it this far right?” They all turned to look at the shy mare who addressed them. She was one of the younger ponies on the team but filled with wisdom beyond her years. Her mane was similar in color to Soarin's, though with natural highlights. It was crazy, curly and wild, a stark contrast to her personality. High Winds wasn't one for talking but when she did it was always so insightful and inspirational. She had a certain charm about her that just conjured fortitude in others. The other team members muttered and seemed to relax a bit, knowing she was right. Her and Soarin exchanged smiles. “Well spoken my dear, couldn't have said it better myself.” Everyone was a bit more confident now though still anxious. Just then Spitfire and the Major General exited the barracks. The look of relief on Spitfire's face indicating that all was satisfactory. Soarin fell back to his place in the formation as Spitfire resumed command.
The Major General stood in front of them again. “Very well now that the formalities are out of the way, let's proceed to the castle so we can commence with your inspections.”
A sudden wave of dread washed over the squad, but they stood firm and echoed a resounding “sir, yes sir!” Spitfire looked at her team with an almost apologetic look and gave them a smile.
“All right Wonderbolts! Take to the sky!” And with that, they started what was always the longest flight of their lives.
It was scheduled to be a beautiful day outside. Misty Fly was in the back yard of the orphanage, enjoying some of the warmth the sun provided while she daydreamed, lost in a photo of a handsome stallion in a flight suit. She closed her eyes and laid back on the clouds. The sun warmed her to her core, she sighed contently and clutched the photo to her chest. Suddenly her paradise was shattered.
“Oooh who's this! Does Fly-Fly have a boyfriend?” A young colt with an orange mane snatched the photo from her grasp and started waving it around teasingly.
“Hey! Knock it off! Give it back Teddy!” Misty jumped up and tried to take her photo back but he kept it out of her reach.
“Who is he? Do you write him love letters? Are you gonna get married?” Teddy taunted as he bumped Misty out of grabbing distance of the picture.
“Give. It. Back!” She yelled as she dove for the photo. She lost her footing at the last second however and ended up falling in to the colt, resulting in them laying in a heap. The force of the impact caused Teddy to lose his grip on the picture. It was caught in a gust of wind and carried off above the orphanage. “No! Oh no no no!” she exclaimed in a panicked tone as she scrambled to get up, but by the time she managed to get on her hooves, she had lost track of where the wind had taken the photo. “No please no!” She darted into the sky and looked around frantically, but wherever it had been carried off to, it was long gone. Slowly she fluttered back down and sat down with a plop, staring at the cloud beneath her. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, her chest felt heavy.
“Hey what's the big deal? Can't your boyfriend just give you another picture? Teddy said, finally clambering to his hooves.
Misty looked up, glaring at him. “What's the big deal?” She fluttered up a meter above him. “That wasn't my boyfriend! That was my brother! That was the last thing I had to remember him by and you just sent it to the wind! She was furious now, hot tears streaming down her cheeks and she hovered there.
“Oh gee Misty... I didn't think-”
That's your problem! You never think! You're just insensitive and... and, gah!” She turned and bolted off into the sky. She heard someone calling her name as she sped off but she didn't care. She flew fast, as fast as she could. The only sounds were her sobs and the wind whistling past her. The wind dried the tears to her cheeks before they could blow away. She flew for what seemed like forever before her eyes ran dry and her breathing returned to normal. It was then that she realized where she was. She had ended up at the arena, though whether or not it was intentional she couldn't say. Perhaps it was the memories of her seeing her brother race that brought her here, or perhaps it was her own ambitions within. She flew over to the stands and dropped into one of the seats, absentmindedly watching the teams of ponies drilling their routines, taking full advantage of the lovely weather. She stared off into space, not really paying attention to the other ponies below her as she lost herself in thoughts and memories.
“Thought you might be here.” Misty snapped out of her trance and wheeled around to be met by the soft gazes of her two friends. They sat on either side of her and placed their wings around her, sitting there in comforting silence for a moment.. Soarin spoke up first. “Teddy told us what happened. Before Spitfire emptied a cloud onto him.
“Yeah well, he's a jerk to everyone anyway, nobody's gonna complain.” said Spitfire with a tone of irritation to her voice.
“Well except maybe Teddy,” said Soarin with a grin, which elicited a light giggle from Misty.
“Oh he's not all bad, he can actually be kinda sweet sometimes. He just doesn't always use his brain,” said Misty, drooping her head. Suddenly a commotion on the field drew the attention of the three.
“What's going on down there?” said Spitfire.
Soarin motioned to the end of the field where a mare in a starchy suit was tacking up something to the noticeboard that usually displayed things like weather schedules and competition news. “Judging from the excitement and that suit over there it looks important.”
“Well come on let's go check it out!” exclaimed Spitfire eagerly. The trio glided down from their seats to join the crowd. “Well what does it say? I can't see!” said Spitfire impatiently. They managed to work their way through the excitedly murmuring crowd until they were close enough to read the fancy yet official looking notice.
“BY DECREE OF HER ROYAL MAJESTY, PRINCESS CELESTIA...”
The three exchanged glances of confusion but turned to keep reading.
“In two week's time, there will be held a friendly tournament. The competition shall be sorted into two sections. First will be a derby for individuals to test their speed and endurance against one another. The second part will be a test of agility and flying skills which will include a multitude of time trials, obstacles and other activities for teams to participate in. Her Royal Highness will be personally attending the tournament and will offer a unique reward to selected individuals that show the highest levels of determination and sportsmanship. More information will be available when registrations open this following week.”
Soarin, Spitfire, and Misty Fly sat for a moment amongst the crowd, going back over the notice again and again before finally exchanging excited grins. They immediately bolted off, heading back towards Cloudsdale, and the orphanage.
“Spitfire who was giddy with excitement, could barely contain herself. “Oh man oh man a tournament! This is gonna be so cool!”
“Yeah! We can finally show everyone how our hard work has paid off. I can't wait to see their faces.” said Soarin with a massive grin.
“And the Princess is going to be there to see us. I wonder what this mystery prize they mentioned is,” chimed in Misty.
That night the three of them all slept deeply and peacefully. Their dreams filled with visions of glory and crowds and fabulous prizes fit for royalty.
