//------------------------------// // The Dizzitron // Story: Broken Sky // by Fyn16 //------------------------------// The Dizzitron “I trust you read your Dizzitron recovery text?” Nimbus winced. “Yes, Polaris. Unlike… last time.” “Good,” the old Pegasus said, “then you’ll have the opportunity to test your recovery procedures. Right now.” “Wait, I- what?” … Nimbus leaned back in his seat. He and his fellow cadets were on their way to the Wonderbolt Academy. The time had finally come for the test he’d dreaded the most, and Nimbus had never been more apprehensive. He’d caught himself daydreaming, remembering his lesson with Polaris earlier in the day. Now he sincerely wished he hadn’t snapped out of it. Nimbus leaned his head on the carriage’s window sill and tried to concentrate, bringing back memories of what had happened earlier on. … Polaris left Nimbus alone on the parade field, in a state of utter confusion. Nimbus knew there was no Dizzitron on the grounds- the cadets wouldn’t be taking a trip to the Wonderbolt Academy if there was- so what was his mentor up to? Moments later, Polaris returned with what appeared to be a large harness, which he began slipping on. Noticing the look of confusion on Nimbus’s face, he decided to explain himself. “This, Nimbus, is what ponies used to practice spin recovery before the Dizzitron was invented, and in my opinion, this simulates an actual spin much more effectively.” Nimbus eyeballed the contraption as Polaris tightened a strap around his waist. “With all due respect, Polaris, it’s a harness. How is that going to simulate a spin?” “Well, it’s not going to use fancy electronics, that’s for sure,” Polaris said, giving his harness a quick once over before initiating a hover, “now come on over here and strap yourself in.” Nimbus raised an eyebrow. “Alright then.” The rest of the harness hung beneath Polaris by about five feet, and Nimbus secured himself. He couldn’t help but notice that all of his restraints were held together with quick-release mechanisms. It was then that Nimbus finally began to get an inkling of what was going to happen next. “Close your eyes, Nimbus,” Polaris said, soaring into the sky, “do not open them until I release you!” Nimbus obeyed, closing his eyes and completely cutting off any visual orientation references. Immediately, he felt himself lurch left, right, upside-down, right-side-up, skidding, whirling, diving, climbing- “Release!” Polaris called. Instantly, Nimbus was catapulted out into space, where he finally opened his eyes. When he did so, his world was a blur. In a fraction of a second, Nimbus recalled what he’d learned in his maneuvers book. First, detect spin direction, second, stop yawing, or side-to-side motion, third, stop rolling, fourth, regain lost airspeed, and five, recover. In mere milliseconds, Nimbus accomplished his spin checklist and fell into formation flight right next to Polaris. “Good,” the old Pegasus chuckled, “very good. If only those Wonderbolts could see you now.” “They’d laugh,” Nimbus said, “I don’t think that recovery was anywhere near perfect. I almost stalled coming out of it.” “Very well,” Polaris said, “once more, then.” … Nimbus picked his head up as the carriages slowed to a halt. Outside, he could see the telltale obstacle courses and runway- they were finally at the Wonderbolt Academy. “Alright,” he heard Dusk Shine call from the lead carriage, “cadets, come out and follow me.” Nimbus stepped down from the carriage and was immediately overcome by a wave of emotion. Everything was exactly as it had been when he’d left the place. Not a single thing had changed. It was as if he’d just left. Turning his head downward, Nimbus followed Dusk Shine as Storm Runner caught up to him. “Hey there,” Storm Runner said, “uh… yeah, this is probably really awkward for you, isn’t it?” “You have no idea,” Nimbus sighed, “I just want to get the Dizzitron done and go back as soon as possible.” Storm Runner looked around at the Wonderbolt Cadets observing the newcomers. Several of them were whispering amongst one another, and a few cast the occasional smirk their way. “They look like jerks,” Storm Runner said. “Maybe you joined up with the right crowd among us after all.” “I appreciate that, Storm Runner,” Nimbus said, “but you don’t have to sweeten this for me. If I can just get through this day without seeing… her, I’ll be fine.” “Her?” Storm Runner asked, confused, “who’s that?” “You’ll know when you see her. If you see her.” The answer was cryptic, but Storm Runner accepted it nonetheless. Dusk Shine led the group of cadets out towards a large, circular device positioned to the side of the Academy’s runway, where a group of three Wonderbolts were waiting. Nimbus drew in a sharp intake of breath. “Oh dear Celestia,” he hissed, “it just couldn’t be an easy day for me, could it?” “What are you talking about?” Storm Runner said, “just chill. You’re going to be fine.” “Cadets, tench-hut!” Nimbus jerked to attention as Dusk Shine’s voice rang out. One of the Wonderbolts trotted over to the group- a pony who looked all too familiar. Nimbus did his best to stay low, though this was nearly impossible while standing rigid. The gold Wonderbolt eyed the cadets through a pair of sunglasses for a moment before she spoke. “Good morning, cadets. I am Captain Spitfire, the head of flight operations here at the Wonderbolt Academy. For the rest of the day, you will be working your flanks off alongside my own cadets. The machine you see behind me is a Dizzitron. It is not a toy, and it is designed for only one thing- to confuse, disorient, and, in general, mess your sense of direction up. Ponies have been injured on this device, so we take safety very seriously. If you cannot pass the test, or if at any point your maneuver is deemed unsatisfactory, you will fail and retake the test at a later date.” Spitfire paused for a moment, eyes locking with Nimbus’s. “Retaking the test is a humiliating and degrading experience. Focus, and you won’t have to worry about it. That said, this will also be a fun competition. We will be keeping track of the day’s fastest recoveries, and while you are not technically Wonderbolts Academy Cadets and cannot qualify for our institution’s records, you can certainly challenge those set by your school. I believe the fastest recovery from REAC was... about nine seconds. Beat that today.” Spitfire turned to Dusk Shine and nodded. “Colonel, I’m glad you could make it here today. If you could have your cadets form up by the Dizzitron, we’ll get started.” “Absolutely,” Dusk Shine replied, turning to the cadets. “Alright, everyone form up by the machine. Let’s see if we can’t bring home some records today!” Storm Runner smirked. “Nine seconds? That record’s mine.” “You know it’s not all about speed, right?” Nimbus said, “going fast won’t do you any good if you’re flying in an uncontrolled condition.” “Oh don’t worry about me,” Storm Runner said as he and Nimbus stopped in front of the Dizzitron, “you have your recovery procedures, and I have mine.” Spitfire appeared from out of nowhere, descending from above and landing in front of the Dizzitron as the Wonderbolt cadets gathered around. “Alright,” she said, “who’s first?” Before anypony could say anything, a green-maned Wonderbolt cadet stepped up to the machine. “I’ve got this,” he said, clearly boasting, “crank it up to full power.” “Oh this’ll be good,” Storm Runner said, grinning impishly at the Pegasus being loaded into the Dizzitron’s harness. “He’s toast and he doesn’t even know it.” Behind the cadets, another Wonderbolt pulled a lever on the machine’s control panel, and the wheel began to spin, picking up speed. Before long, the cadet was nothing but a blur as he sailed around and around. It was cringe-inducing, to say the least. “Release!” Spitfire called. The controller cranked another switch back, and the machine stopped suddenly, catapulting the Pegasus out of the harness and into the sky. The cadet tumbled end over end, shooting through the atmosphere like a comet and completely beyond recovering. As he began to sail out of sight, Spitfire sighed and smacked her forehead with a hoof. Evidently watching her own cadets “set the example” by failing outright wasn’t the best first impression. “Go get him,” she groaned. Another Wonderbolt nodded, taking off after the rapidly-disappearing braggart. Storm Runner snickered, and Nimbus turned to face him, still slackjawed from what he’d just seen. “Storm? How the hay can you find that funny?” “Oh come on,” Storm Runner chuckled, “you’re laughing too, on the inside.” “No I’m not,” Nimbus said, “that was a full power spin. That machine…” “He totally deserved it, though,” Storm Runner said. Nimbus nodded. “Okay, I’ll admit you’re right with that, but still- I really don’t feel good about this all of a sudden.” “Suit yourself,” Storm Runner said as another Wonderbolt cadet strapped herself in, “but I’m going right after the lovely mare there.” Nimbus sighed as he drifted off again, remembering the ease with which he’d completed his maneuvers that morning and trying to draw some comfort from it. … Five spins later, Nimbus was already feeling more confident in his ability to recover from a spin. The sun had risen, and he was already feeling hungry for breakfast. Nimbus flew next to Polaris. “I think I’ve got it now,” he hinted, “I’m recovering safely.” “You certainly are,” Polaris agreed, “and I’m sure you’re anxious to get out of here and grab a bite to eat before heading to the Wonderbolts Academy. However, I’d like to try one more thing. It might help you out during the Cloudsdale Meet.” “Okay,” Nimbus said, “what is it, exactly?” … “Okay, that’s it- I’m going!” Contrary to what he’d said earlier, Storm Runner had yet to actually experience the Dizzitron, and had been cut off by others just a bit more eager to get on the machine. Up until now, he’d been silently fuming next to Nimbus. Now he made a beeline for the Dizzitron, standing by the machine and waiting for its unfortunate occupant to be tossed. When the spinning stopped, Storm Runner stepped up, and was promptly cut off again. “Come on!” he said to the Pegasus that had bypassed him, “are you serio-“ Storm Runner froze, recognizing the pony’s silver coat and orange mane. “Hello again, Storm Runner,” Sun Blaze said, “getting tired of finishing behind me? I know I’d be getting sick of it.” “Nah,” Storm Runner said, trying to shut out his annoyance, “I rather enjoy chasing tail.” Sun Blaze grimaced and Storm Runner found some small satisfaction in the reaction. “You don’t intimidate me,” Sun Blaze growled as she placed herself in the Dizzitron harness. “By the way,” she said, turning now to the controller pony, “I’d like full power.” Hesitantly, the pony turned cranked the lever to full. Nopony had requested the full setting since the “accident” earlier. The wheel spun as it had always done before, and catapulted Sun Blaze into the air on Spitfire’s command. The silver pony rocketed through the air, fighting for stability. At just past the runway’s threshold, she recovered, snapping to level flight and landing. Spitfire was openmouthed in awe. “Eight point seven seconds,” she called, out, “congratulations, cadet! You hold REAC’s new record!” Turning to Dusk Shine, she joked “sir, what are you feeding your cadets and where can I get some?” “A dash of common sense, Captain,” Dusk Shine replied with a grin. Storm Runner fumed as he strapped himself into the machine, and Nimbus could see him scowling out into the crowd of cadets. “Three quarters power,” he mumbled to the controller, “I want to play it safe.” The controller cranked the lever and the process started once again. Storm Runner’s recovery was dazzling. Instead of fighting the spin as the others had, he corrected his yaw and sped up, turning the spin into a high-speed roll, and then into a loop, arcing gracefully back onto the runway. “Eight point nine,” Spitfire called. Nimbus watched as Storm Runner kicked the runway surface in disappointment at finishing mere fractions of a second behind Sun Blaze. “I blew it,” he said as he approached Nimbus, “that mare’s gotten the better of me once again.” “Don’t worry,” Nimbus said, “you’ll have your day. Maybe you can take her out during out next dogfight.” “Yeah…” Storm Runner grumbled, completely unconvinced, “sure.” “Next!” Nimbus looked up. Nopony was volunteering for the next ride; everypony who’d wanted to go had already done so. Nimbus gulped, and hesitantly raised a hoof. Spitfire saw him immediately. “Cadet Nimbus? Alright, get up on my Dizzitron, we don’t have all day!” Nimbus’s face went red as his fellow cadets looked at him questioningly. The fact that Spitfire knew him was entirely new to them, though nopony knew the reason why. Nimbus breathed deeply as he situated himself in the harness. In the instant before he gave the ready signal, he remembered the technique he’d gone over that morning. … “Polaris,” Nimbus said, “with all due respect, how are you so sure this is going to work? The maneuver you specified, performed at high speed like this, should basically dislocate my wings.” Polaris shook his head. “If this maneuver was going to dislocate your wings, I wouldn’t have suggested it. If you’ve been pulling maneuvers like the ones you did during that dogfight all your life, your wings should already be toughened against something like this. That’s not to say it won’t hurt a bit, but it shouldn’t be any different than scuffing your hoof.” “Right,” Nimbus said, unconvinced, “let’s do this, then.” … “Full power,” Nimbus said to the controller. What he was about to do could either go very well or terribly wrong. It had worked out during Polaris’s spin training, but this was different. He was all too familiar with the Dizzitron; he’d sat in this exact same position three times before. Nimbus felt his stomach drop as the wheel began to rotate. As his speed picked up, he felt heavy, feeling the influence of positive g forces, and noted that his lips were being pulled back from the sheer force of acceleration. Finding any sort of visual reference was impossible now; his entire world was a blur. He was officially disoriented now. He faintly heard Spitfire call “release!” and suddenly he shifted from constrained, circular motion to being flung bodily into the air. Everything after release happened quickly, but to Nimbus, the moment seemed frozen in time. He had left the Dizzitron at high speed and was tumbling front-first. In addition, he could also sense that he was in a tight left roll, with a very slight right yaw. Nimbus shifted his back legs, correcting the yaw while using his wings to stabilize his roll. Now all he had to deal with was his forward tumble. Nimbus braced himself for what he was about to do next. Before he could second-guess himself, he whipped open his wings and extended his legs, presenting as much surface area as possible. His wingtips cut two perfect, white wingtip vortices in the air. Nimbus gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep his wings from folding in from the force against them. Contrary to what Polaris had said, this was nothing like scuffing his hoof. The pain was continuous and sharp, and it felt as if he was being pulled by the wings between two Manticores as some bizarre tug of war. As his airspeed slowed, Nimbus shifted into a dive. He rolled as soon as he was pointed straight down and began to level off, heading straight for the runway. As he entered ground effect, Nimbus controlled his descent, slowly bleeding off altitude until he touched down at a reasonable speed and transitioned to a trot. Everypony nearby was silent. Nimbus looked back. Over the course of the maneuver, he’d only used a quarter of the runway. Nimbus turned as he heard Spitfire approach. “Cadet Nimbus!” the gold Pegasus barked. Nimbus snapped to attention, afraid he’d done something wrong. Spitfire approached with a scowl that would have sent a dragon home crying. Spitfire stopped in front of the petrified cadet and removed her sunglasses, staring him in the eyes. “Cadet, that was a five point four second run,” she smiled, “that is an Academy rec-“ Spitfire stopped, wincing as she remembered that Nimbus was no longer one of her cadets. “I mean, that’s a REAC record. Well done, Cadet. I’d like to see you in my office when this is over.” Nimbus felt sorry for Spitfire as she left. It wasn’t hard to hear the sadness in her tone. He wanted her to know that it was all fine, that he’d moved on, but he couldn’t do that now. Storm Runner approached, looking considerably more cheerful than he’d been when Nimbus had volunteered for his turn on the Dizzitron. “You were awesome!” the blue Pegasus called, “five point four seconds? That’s the fastest time today!” “Thanks,” Nimbus said, “good to see you’re starting to feel better.” “Oh I feel great,” Storm Runner said, “mainly because you totally smoked Sun Bla- uh…” Nimbus cocked an eyebrow as Storm Runner faded out, then noticed that his friend was gazing wide-eyed and open-mouthed at something right behind him. Nimbus turned around and was only mildly surprised to find Sun Blaze staring him in the face. “I’m sure you feel pretty good about yourself,” she snarled, “you inconsiderate fake. You cheated somehow. I don’t know how, but you cheated. You want my advice? Lay low. Because I will be coming for you.” “Yeah,” Storm Runner said, “isn’t that basically what you said after the dogfight? About this very Dizzitron exam?” Sun Blaze glowered at Storm Runner, then turned back to Nimbus. “Do you always let your friend speak for you? Are you that much of a coward that you can’t speak directly to me?” Nimbus sighed. “You want me to speak to you? Okay. If I’m going to be honest, I don’t see any reason why you have to be so grumpy all the time. You’re practically at the head of the class, you’ve almost certainly got an Aviator slot lined up when you graduate… why do you care if I try my best?” Sun Blaze didn’t answer. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, and turned away, grumbling to herself. “That went well,” Storm Runner quipped. “Indeed,” Nimbus said, watching as the last cadet flew shakily down to the runway. Dusk Shine was taking over now, herding the cadets over to a line of picnic tables near the mess hall, where some food had been set. Spitfire, meanwhile, was headed back to the main building. “Come on,” Storm Runner said, “let’s go grab some chow.” “You go ahead,” Nimbus said, “I’ve got an appointment I need to keep.” … “Well done,” Polaris said as Nimbus rolled into formation next to him. The orange Pegasus winced as he gazed at his mentor. “Was that really necessary?” he asked, “my wings feel like a dragon’s been chewing on them.” “Oh it wasn’t necessary,” Polaris said, “you had the normal recovery fine, but if you really want to set a good impression, do exactly what you just did.” “Alright,” Nimbus said as the two landed back on the dew-laden field. “Good luck today,” Polaris said, extending his hoof towards Nimbus, “I know you’ll do just fine.” “Thank you,” Nimbus said, taking Polaris’s hoof in his own and shaking it, “I’ll let you know how it all turns out.” With that, Nimbus turned and headed into the dining hall for a quick breakfast before boarding the carriage for the Wonderbolt Academy. The biggest challenge he’d faced in a while was about to begin- returning to his old school. … Nimbus tried to keep his composure as he stared at the door to Spitfire’s office and knocked. The sound sent a chill down his spine. He was repeating the exact steps he performed before his disenrollment. “Enter,” Spitfire called from inside. Nimbus stepped in, snapped to attention, and saluted. “Ma’am, Cadet Nimbus reports as ordered.” “At ease, cadet,” Spitfire said, standing and pacing. Nimbus’s eyes followed her, occasionally darting around the room and picking out familiar cues. It was as if he’d traveled back in time and was reliving his worst memory, but this time the circumstances were different. “I see you wasted no time putting a uniform back on, Cadet Nimbus,” Spitfire said finally. “Yes ma’am,” Nimbus answered, “I guess you could say I enjoy the customs and courtesies.” “Right,” Spitfire snorted, “and I’m Celestia’s long-lost granddaughter. You, sir, are a glutton for punishment. You never had to do what you told me you’d do last year. You could have gone for the easy life. Instead, here you are. You beat the Dizzitron, you’re wearing the uniform… you’re not even back at my Academy for a day and you’re turning heads on the Wonderbolts team.” Nimbus felt his spirit surge. “Really, ma’am?” Spitfire nodded. “Soarin’ and I had a bet that you’d get the fastest time. We ended up raking in several bits from the others as a result.” Nimbus couldn’t believe his ears, but did his best to keep his excitement contained. Professionalism first, after all. Spitfire pulled open her desk drawer and reached in, taking out something that nearly made Nimbus’s heart skip a beat- his old Wonderbolt pin. “I kept this, you know,” Spitfire said, “just because I believed in you. Standard procedure is to just throw ‘em out, but I figured I hadn’t seen the back of you yet, and I was right. Here you are. I just wanted to let you know that I still support you, and I’m still following your progress, and that when you graduate,” she held up the pin, its metallic surface gleaming in the light, “I feel this should go to you.” “Ma’am? I- I- but,” Nimbus stuttered, completely taken by surprise, “but I’m not a Wonderbolt.” “It doesn’t matter,” Spitfire said, “this pin doesn’t symbolize that anymore. It represents how much you’ve grown since last year. Think of it as an incentive… if graduating as an Aviator isn’t incentive enough, that is.” “Yes, ma’am,” Nimbus said, feeling himself choke up, “I’ll keep that in mind.” “Rumor has it you’re REAC’s competitor for the Cloudsdale Meet, too,” Spitfire added, “so I suppose it’s fair to warn you that I’ll be watching you like a hawk,” she winked, “you know, from one competitor to another.” “You’re competing, ma’am?” Spitfire nodded, “I certainly am, as the Wonderbolts’ representative. We have an Academy rep as well. Soarin’ is working with her now.” “Yes ma’am,” Nimbus said. He had no idea what else he could say to such a statement. Spitfire trotted past him and opened her door. “Now,” she said, “let’s get you to lunch. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to find out how you managed to kick the flank of every last one of my cadets with that recovery of yours…”