//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Learning the Secret, The First Show // Story: A Paladin's Strength // by Blaze Riaz //------------------------------// *Knock* Vigilant stirred a bit in his uncomfortable position on top of his own desk, his forehooves sprawled over the edge. *Knock* *Knock* With the silence disturbed, Vigilant stared at the door across the room, wishing that his sleep wasn’t interrupted, uncomfortable as it was. Grumbling, Vigilant cracked his neck and rotated his shoulder, feeling several satisfying pops through his motion to rid the aches from falling asleep on top of his desk. *Knock* *Knock* “Sir, are you there?” questioned a mare’s voice that he didn’t recognize. “Yeah, yeah, I’m here… uh… enter.” Answered the dreary stallion After a short pause, the door creaked open to reveal a cream colored unicorn mare with a blue mane and tail, she wore her formal uniform, a royal blue jacket with the rank of corporal over a white collared shirt, and atop her head sat the standard beret. “Sorry for the interruption, sir,” she said as she gave him a salute and stood at attention. “At ease. It’s alright, I needed the wake up call.” Vigilant responded, returning the salute. Still unsure of why this mare was here at his office, Vigilant got out of his chair and trotted up to mare. “So, what is it that you need, corporal?” He asked, standing in front of her with a raised eyebrow. “I was transferred under your command, sir.” She replied, snapping to attention once more, her eyes looking straight ahead. “Um… at ease, there is no need to be so… well, formal with me. Now, you were transferred to my command? I don’t remember accepting any request.” He looked away as he scratched his chin. “I… uh… ah, yes! Here are my transfer papers.” The mare pulled out some neatly collated paperwork from her jacket and handed it to the stallion. He looked over the paperwork, trying to see if he signed it. To his surprise he saw that the one who accepted this transfer was Celestia herself. “Heh, guess that explains how you got here.” Vigilant chuckled as he tossed the paperwork on top of his desk. “So, you are going to be my company’s Medic?” “Yes, Sir!” She saluted, though she had a hard time holding the position, shaking slightly as she looked at the stallion in front of her. “Ok, first, you don’t need to be so uptight, I ‘m just trying to get to know you.” He laughed as he trotted to his door. “Care to accompany me to the mess hall?” “Uh… sure…” ______________________________________________________________________________ After the events that transpired with the Bitalian Mafia, Vigilant became the Marshal of Ponyville. As the weeks passed, Vigilant first took the time to find a place that could be used as his office. With the help of the Mayor and Twilight, they found an old building that was converted to a small station with holding cells inside. As well as getting set up as the Marshal, Vigilant spent a lot of time with Scootaloo trying to comfort her after her ordeal with Venny. Still weary, Scootaloo recovered and returned to being her happy self, playing with her friends and trying to learn how to fly, and of course, try and discover her cutie mark. With Winter Wrap-up over and spring started, Spitfire spent less time with Vigilant due to getting ready for the season as a Wonderbolt. After getting the Marshal Office set up, Vigilant spent his time learning more about the denizens of Ponyville. He would talk to them as they passed by and helped those who needed it, even the odd requests. It wasn’t long until school started back up and all the fillies and colts had to return to the classroom. The school bell rang, signaling the end of class, and all the fillies and colts cheered as they dashed out of the building, heading off to enjoy the rest of their day. Scootaloo, however, was much more excited than all the others. She dashed out faster than the rest, waving good-bye to her friends as she left the school grounds. She took off down the street on her scooter, wings buzzing, eager to get to where she was going. As she weaved and dodged ponies and other obstacles, she found who she was looking for. Next to Sugarcube Corner stood a cyan mare with a rainbow mane and tail chatting with a white stallion. “RAINBOW DASH!!” Shouted the excited filly. Rainbow jump and stiffened up her muscles when she heard her name, but relaxed when she noticed the orange filly heading over to her. “Oh, hey there, squirt.” Rainbow rubbed Scootaloo’s mane as she came up. “What brings you here?” “You promised to teach me how to fly today.” Responded the filly as she hopped up and down, leaving her scooter behind herself. “Today?!” Yelled Rainbow as she reeled back and her pupils shrank to pin pricks. “Yes, today! Did you forget?” Scootaloo tilted her head to the side as she looked up at Rainbow Dash. “No-No-No!” Stuttered the mare. “So… uh… are you ready to learn to fly!?” “YEAH!” Shouted the filly as she hopped into the air, flapping her wings. “You’re going to teach her how to fly?” Asked the stallion. “Oh hey, Vigilant! Yeah, she’s going to teach me!” Gleamed Scootaloo with a huge smile plastered her face. “Oh?” “Yeah, so… uh… sorry, but we are going to head to the meadows next to Sweet Apple Acres.” responded Rainbow. “Mind if I join you?” Inquired the stallion. “Um… sure, I guess, you ok with that, Scoots?” “Uh… yeah.” Responded Scootaloo. The trio headed to the open meadow Rainbow mentioned, Vigilant decided to watch from the distance under a tree. After hours of failed attempts to take off the ground, Scootaloo started to get frustrated and tired. Rainbow didn’t fair much better, she was teaching Scootaloo the same techniques that she was taught, but nothing seemed to work for Scootaloo. After seeing them both frustrated, Vigilant got up and trotted over to them. “Looks like you’re having a hard time.” Sympathized Vigilant as he saw the dejected look on the filly’s face. “Say, mind if I try and teach you, Scootaloo?” “I guess… I don’t know how you can help me if Rainbow Dash can’t.” Answered the saddened filly. “You ok with that, Rainbow?” “S-sure.” She responded with the same amount of dejection in her voice. “Ok, if you want you can go rest over under the tree I was at.” Rainbow nodded and head over to the tree he was under moments ago. “Ok, now, first off, you won’t like what I’m about say, but I will explain as I go on.” Scootaloo just looked at him strangely. “I am going to need you to forget everything Rainbow has taught you so far.” Shock was plastered all over Scootaloo’s face for a second before she glared at him. “Why?” growled Scootaloo. Vigilant chuckled a bit before answering. “Not surprising you reacted that way. Ok, let me explain. The way Rainbow Dash was teaching you is the traditional way to learn how to fly. I, however, do not fly in the traditional way.” Responded Vigilant as he looked up into the late afternoon sky. “Now, you know that we Pegasi have magic. It’s how we fly, and where our ability to walk on clouds and manipulate the weather comes from.” Scootaloo’s face changed from a glare to pure confusion as she nodded. “Good, but I bet you don’t know our magic goes a little further than that. You see, I fly with the wind.” “Don’t Pegasi already fly with the wind?” Questioned Scootaloo, unsure of what he meant. “Yes and no, you see. Normally, Pegasi fly with the wind where it direction is flowing. I however, have learned to control the wind. It’s how I am able to do some tricks that many other Pegasi can’t. I change how the winds flow around me and it makes the tricks possible for me. I don’t know if I’m the first to learn this ability, it might even be a skill we Pegasi have lost. Now, I’ve asked you to forget what Rainbow taught you, because the traditional way of flying interferes with the flow of magic that allows you to control the wind.” Explained Vigilant “Why that is, I honestly have no clue.” “How do you know it interferes?” Questioned Scootaloo, her mind still trying to wrap around the idea. “Well, I tried to teach others how to control the wind, but nopony has ever been able to truly do it. They already knew how to fly, so for one reason or another they just can’t do it.” answered Vigilant. “... Can you teach me how to fly with the wind?” Questioned Scootaloo, feeling guilty that Rainbow wasn’t the one teaching her. With a smile, Vigilant began his teachings. “Of course, now first clear your mind of everything and listen to what I have to say…” Rainbow wondered what Vigilant could teach her that she hasn’t already. It frustrated her that she couldn’t teach Scootaloo how to fly or even just get off the ground. It made her feel like she was failing her as her honorary sister. Why is she having difficulty learning? It isn’t that difficult to learn to get yourself off the ground, yet Scootaloo doesn’t get it. Why? And what in the hay is he teaching her? Looking over at them, Rainbow saw Scootaloo standing there with her wings spread out horizontally and her eyes closed. Before she could get up and question Vigilant somepony landed next to her. “So, you guys are teaching her how to fly?” “S- S- Spitfire?! What are you doing here?!” Shouted Rainbow. “What? When I find some free time I can’t come by?” Questioned the fiery mare. “I didn’t say that, I just… uh… wasn’t expecting you to be here.” “I see, well, I came to see Vigilant and see how Scootaloo is doing, I haven’t had anytime to come by after what happened.” Spitfire looked over at the two Pegasi in the middle of the meadow. “Oh… er, I tried to teach Scootaloo to fly… Now Vigilant is trying.” Respond Rainbow dejectedly as she stared at the ground. “Hey, don’t feel too bad, I doubt it was your way of teaching her that was wrong. You know how some foals have a hard time learning to fly. Took me ages to learn, and my dad was a great flier, too.” Spitfire remarked as she trotted up to Rainbow and patted her back, trying to comfort her. “Say, do you know what he is teaching Scoots?” “Hmm… It looks like he is teaching her how to control the wind.” “Control the wind? We Pegasi already do that when we fly.” “Well, sort of, you see, he changes the wind around him as he flies even at a slower speed. You know how almost any Pegasi can make a tornado?” “Yeah, we spin in a circle fast enough and that causes the wind to rotate. Wouldn’t that be controlling the wind?” Asked Rainbow as she scratched her chin. “That’s more like manipulating it. From what Vigil has told me, he changes the way the wind flows around himself and around his wings. You know how some tricks require a certain motion in your wings to be accomplished?” “Yeah?” “Well, he makes the wind flow around his wings, making it so he does the maneuver faster with less effort.” “I still don’t get it.” Rainbow shook her head, trying to shake the confusion away. “Ha,ha,ha, not surprising, I don’t even completely understand how he does it.” Remarked Spitfire as she giggled at Rainbow’s confusion. She looked back over at Scootaloo who was still standing there like she was in a meditation state. “... Now what do you feel?” Asked Vigilant. “... I don’t feel anything.” Sighed Scootaloo, getting frustrated again. “Focus, this takes focus. Feel the breeze flow around you and through the feathers of your wings. Think of nothing else but the feeling of the wind.” Reiterated Vigilant. Scootaloo again tried to focus on the wind, scrunching up her face. “Relax” was all she heard when she felt the breeze. She felt the wind blow through her mane and tail, making them flap around ever so slightly. She also felt the weird sensation through her feathers, as if the wind danced and played around them. There came a huge smile on her face as he opened her eyes and looked up at Vigilant. “I DID IT!” She squealed, giving a huge toothy smile to Vigilant. Vigilant returned the smile and patted her head. “Good job, now, before I can teach you anymore, I need you to practice doing this to until it is second nature to you.” The smile vanished quickly and Scootaloo now looked upset once more. “Hey, don’t be sad, you know this was going to take time. I need you to be able to feel the wind as if it is a part of you without even thinking before I can go any further. If you can do that, then maybe the next time I teach you you’ll be able to take off the ground.” encouraged the stallion. Reluctantly, the filly nodded and looked over to Rainbow. “Spitfire!” Shouted the excited filly as she galloped to the Wonderbolt, hopping up and giving her a hug. “Hey, Scoots, been too long.” Laughed Spitfire, returning the hug. “Yeah, I’m so glad to see you!” Cheered Scootaloo, giggling all the while. “What brings you here, Spit?” Inquired Vigilant as he gave her a hoof bump. “Just came to check up on my favorite filly, I haven’t seen her since the incident.” Answered Spitfire as she rubbed Scootaloo’s mane. “That all? Thought you just came down here to annoy me some more.” Vigilant teased before Spitfire punching him in the shoulder. “You know you like it when I visit.” Teased Spitfire. The four Pegasi laughed for a moment before Spitfire perked up a bit. “Oh, right! I also came to see if you and Scootaloo wanted to watch our first show of the season.”Asked Spitfire with a slight blush as she played in the dirt. Vigilant looked at his blushing friend, Why is she acting like that? “Well, that depends on the day it’s on and what time the show is.” Answered Vigilant. “Oh, Yeah! Duh! I should have said when it was. It’s tomorrow at two.” Spitfire’s blush reddened. “In that case, I don’t see why not. Scootaloo doesn’t have school tomorrow.” Vigilant looked over at the excited filly, who was smiling wider than ever before. He then noticed a slight frown on Rainbow’s face as she stood on the other side of Spitfire. “Mind if we take Rainbow, too? She is a big fan of yours and the Wonderbolts.” Spitfire eye’s widened as her pupils shrank before she looked over at the equally shocked Rainbow Dash. Her gaze fell to the ground before she looked back to Vigilant with a forced smile. “Sure, I don’t see why not. Alright, I… uh… I gotta head back now, meet me in front of the the Cloudsdale Stadium, I’ll get you guys VIP passes. Don’t be late!” With that said, she took off into the air. “You didn’t have to invite me with you guys.” Said Rainbow. Vigilant was still looking in the direction Spitfire flew off before answering. “I couldn’t let the biggest fan miss out on a chance to see the first Wonderbolts show. I could see you wanted to ask but was too shy to.” “I-I wasn’t too shy!” Shouted Rainbow behind a heavy blush. “Ha, ha, ha, no need to be so embarrassed Rainbow, come on, let me treat you and Scootaloo to some lunch.” Chuckled Vigilant as he trotted back towards the town with Scootaloo gleefully following close behind. After their lunch, Rainbow needed to head off to weather patrol. Scootaloo was eager to get to flying and insisted on practicing feeling the wind. The next day couldn’t come sooner for Scootaloo; she had never been to a Wonderbolt show nor had she ever been to Cloudsdale. She excitedly woke up Vigilant early in the morning, trying to get to the cloud city as soon as possible. Reluctantly, Vigilant got up and fed the over-excited filly as she ran around the house shouting she was going to see the Wonderbolts. This made him laugh, she was reminding him so much of his niece. After a delicious breakfast, Vigilant, with Scootaloo, got Rainbow Dash and headed to Cloudsdale. Arriving early and needing to waste about two hours, the trio explored the city. Rainbow and Vigilant reminisced about their foalhood in the cloud city. Scootaloo could hardly contain her excitement as they visited a few of the tourist spots. After their exploration, they made it to the Cloudsdale Stadium. There was a huge crowd around the entrance, all wanting to get in to see the first Wonderbolt show. “Wonder how Spitfire will give us the VIP passes from out here.” Remarked Rainbow as she looked at the crowd. They were pushing and shoving to the get to the ticket counter before it sold out. Vigilant looked around, noticing a blind spot to the crowd and front entrance. Trotting over, Vigilant chuckled to himself. “I wonder indeed.” As if being summoned like some divine intervention, Spitfire flew over the stadium and landed next to them. “Guess you can read my mind.” Chuckled Spitfire as she trotted up to Vigilant. “Here, enjoy the show.” She gave him the passes and took off back into the stadium. “Huh, something seems off with Spit.” Vigilant said as handed the mares their passes. Rainbow chuckled a bit before trotting off to the entrance. The VIP room they were given was amazing. It was almost like a small apartment. There was a small kitchen area with a fruit bowl on top of the counter. Next to the open wall that allowed them to watch the show was a couch large enough to hold at least a half-dozen ponies. “WOW!” Shouted Scootaloo as once again she ran across the room. “This is amazing, I’ve never been in a VIP room.” Rainbow awed as she trotted up to the couch and hopped up onto the middle of it. “It is amazing, I’ve never seen a place like this, either. A normal pony doesn’t usually get something like this.” Vigilant said, trotting to the couch as well, sitting on the far right end. Shortly after their arrival to their room, the announcer spoke up. “LADIES AND GENTLECOLTS, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE NEW WONDERBOLT SEASON HAS BEGUN!” With that said, the Wonderbolts flew out into the stadium. The crowd cheered, some shouting names while others whistled. Vigilant easily found Spitfire out of the dozen Wonderbolts, he also noticed a few others he knew. The show was going smoothly, Spitfire was preparing for the finale. She flew high into the air with two other Wonderbolts. The other two broke off in opposite directions while Spitfire flew even higher, suddenly, she stopped high above the stadium. She tilted herself downwards and folded her wings in an arch, diving at high speed. As she reached the stadium, a suited Pegasus flew from the stands and flew straight at her. Before Spitfire noticed and could react, the Pegasus headbutted her, knocking himself and Spitfire out. The suited Pegasus flipped out of control and landed somewhere in the stands while Spitfire spiraled down through the open floor of the stadium at an alarming rate. Before any of the Wonderbolts could react or any of the crowd could gasp at the situation, Vigilant took off after her, his hat flying off in the VIP room. Many of the Wonderbolts finally reacted as Vigilant dove after her, however, due to delayed reactions, they couldn’t catch up to an already freefalling Spitfire in time. Vigilant quickly approached Spitfire, grabbing her in midair. As he attempted to slow down their rate of descent, his wings strained. Seeing the ground quickly approaching, Vigilant angled his descent to be closer to a glade, he also flipped himself over, holding Spitfire above him. As he approached the ground he folded his wings around Spitfire and braced for impact. Just before he hit the ground he thought of one thing, I hope Spit will be alright.