Every pegasus in Cloudsdale dreams of becoming a Wonderbolt, colts and fillies alike. All parents reinforce it, saying, "Wonderbolts study hard, Wonderbolts practice every day, Wonderbolts look both ways before crossing the runway." The most dedicated and brightest ponies make it eventually.
But they don't tell the reserves about the traditions the main team holds near and dear.
Nor do the reserves tell the main team of their previous experience with certain nicknames.
Spitfire remembered when Rainbow Dash had told her the story of her old nickname, "Crash," and how it effected her performance in Ponyville as a result. So now she goes to see why another up-and-coming reserve member threw out his badge on his first day.
\\\\\\//////
Written moments after watching the episode, "Newbie Dash," and based off of a true story.
I'd like to upvote this, I really would but as I'm unsure if this is a anti-Wondetbolts fic or not I just can't though. That rather heartwarming ending makes me lean towards the non-anti side though. I'm really not sure.
7202341
It's not anti-Wonderbolt.
I just... some people just don't know boundaries.
7202344 Ah, I see. I was just confused on that. Here, have that upvote I did say I would like to give. Sorry if I offended you or anything.
Grate job, it had some real feels to it, but I wold have that jackass sued and then fired.
7202406
Which jackass?
This is... wow. This is amazing. Poor Buzz. That hurt my heart. I can't believe I got first thumbs up, this thing deserves, like, seventy. At least.
7202409 the doctor whom did not sterilize the needle. It sounds to me that thay ran the needle in water more than put it in one of those machines that sterilize the equipment. For an effect like that to happen it had to of benn a seriously dirty needle.
7202426
Preaching to the Choir.
7202429 sorry, but I don't get what you mean by by preaching to the choir. Its just that I don't know answer to that. Also I don't know what it means.
7202464
It means that's how I feel and you're just reaffirming my own belief.
7202478 thanks,
but theirs one thing I am wondering are you still working on wasteland to wonderland?
7202503
Yes.
Updates soon.
7202505 yes!
it is one of my all time favorite stories on this sight!
I like this story.... very good... now I wonder what the others bolts' reactions were if they heard Buzz's story
I couldn't sit in a desk without kicking something, and I couldn't hold a pencil without flinging it across the room.
Now before I say anything is like to note that I DO NOT think it is funny to watch people have to go through Tourette's Syndrome. I do not have Tourette's but I did accidentally launch a pencil across the classroom in third grade and managed to stick it into the chalkboard. Don't ask.
I can relate to this a LOT
I like it. Reminds me of how I got the nickname Goliath.
Why can't I upvote this more than once
This is seriously really good. Kudos 
7205034
Mistress Milfbuster?
7205226
All will be answered later.
7202817 I also don't have Tourette's (though my legs bounce without direction and my arms do sometimes twitch), but once in third or fourth grade I accidentally threw my pencil along the long end of a table, nearly into someone's eye. I also once dropped a pencil in the kitchen and, while reaching to grab it, stabbed my hand with it whilst it was in the air so hard that it broke through my skin and left a permanent mark.
I also sometimes thought that I had/have ADHD due to my short attention span and how I'm unable to sit still half the time.
7206587 whoops. Lol. I have ADHD but it's pretty minor. I just have difficulty sitting still. And every once in a while my hand will start twitching for no reason. No clue why.
7206763 for some reason, I sometimes randomly start dancing as I walk or stand. Like right now. It's usually very simple.
7206789 Right. I remember this one time a few years ago I was sooo bored, I was leaned up against a wall and for some unknown reason I turned into frickin Bruce Lee and tried(and failed) to copy his moves.
...
I can't decide if Rainbow Dash would've been better or worse off if she went this route.
Honestly, this is a solid counterpoint to the episode, mainly because of its balanced approach to the subject matter. No one was demonized; it was just a matter of poor communication. Something Spitfire struggles with a lot, if you look at past episodes.
That being said, I like the episode and this story equally, even if they have different approaches to the problem. And I applaud you for promoting a balanced, nuanced discussion of the topic rather than browbeating one side or the other for being "wrong."
7206807 You'll notice Spitfire explains the jackets to RD: She probably thought that WAS letting RD know what was up. I have a hard time imagining that NO word of this tradition leaked (they wear those jackets in public), but RD isn't always the most aware of ponies.
Ok, now for overly long commentary.
First, I do want to make one correction. Meningitis isn't caused by an allergy. It's caused by an infection. In this particular case, you seem to be referencing the New England Meningitis outbreak of 2012, where improperly sterilized needles infected a large number of people. That, however, was fungal meningitis. The symptoms described here are more usual for bacterial meningitis, though I think a severe case of fungal meningitis could cause that. The link with the expression of Tourrettes, however, is with viral meningitis. Though, fungal meningitis is rare enough that it's not known if it can force the expression of Tourrettes (which is prooobably genetic), so I suppose you're covered there.
Second, it was nice to see that they explained right away. The lack of explanation to RD was a large part of the episode conflict (though how she got that far without at least hearing rumors I don't know). So they did learn from their mistakes (not clear on where RD was during this, though).
Was the bit about somepony checking Buzz out suppose to be referring to Surprise?
The reaction of refusing to answer to an insulting name is a common coping mechanism, and it's painful to even read about that being ignored, but completely in-character for Spitfire. I dunno but that some of the other Wonderbolts might have cottoned on faster... we don't really know enough about them. RD might have. By the end I realized he was walking away so that he didn't either break down crying or haul off and hit them. I know that temptation, though I personally would never strike unless struck.
The refusal to accept resignation was a little... extreme. I feel like there maybe could have been a bit more of a description of Spitfire's thought process there. They aren't really the military, and even in the military you could refuse to do anything and get a dishonorable discharge (assuming you're not in battle) It's part of why conscientious objector status exists, I suspect. Regardless of that, it is seldom a good idea to try to forcibly restrain someone. It's unlikely to yield favorable results.
He did have what I think is the right reaction to someone refusing to listen as here. Effectively saying "no" when told to calm down or what have you. There is a risk of escalation though. But if they're restraining you from leaving, and assuming you don't think they'll try to actually hurt you, it's about all that can be done.
Is this based on personal experience?
Sorry to go on, but I had to vent after reading this. Much like Amending Fences or to some extent the Friendship Games, this is something I don't know that I could bear to put myself through again, at least not for the immediate future. My issues were mostly after high school, mind. There were bullies in k-12, but between school policies and the fact that I could whup pretty much any of them one on one (only one tried...) meant it was generally physically violent. Plus, I had my friends and family. Move away, though, and friends just fall away, apparently even in an age of instant communication. I've got some kind of weird social invisibility power where people don't notice me if I'm not right in front of them. It has its uses but... well, enough venting.
On a lighter note, Mistress Milfbuster? Lol. I have a hard time coming up with a story behind that one. I suppose she could be a lesbian... Ok, you know what, I'ma stop there for ratings sake. XP
Also, I had an argument that this reminded me of with someone. I said RD should have tried talking to at least Spitfire. He said she'd just see it as whining (and he derogatively used the term 'safe space'), regardless of presentation. I said it's an idealized world, so real world standards need not apply. And besides, what happens in reality isn't always what should happen, and one shouldn't let things pass without at least trying to do something about it. I suspect had RD asked, they would have just explained earlier, thus ending the episode early, which probably explains why she didn't. Here we see they learned to say that up front, but that wasn't the problem here as it was with RD (since Rainbow Crash didn't follow her for very long).
Ultimately the other party and I found some common ground and basically agreed to disagree on the rest, if you're curious.
7208159
My doctors all said meningitis was the swelling of the lining of the brain.
7208159
And also yes, based off a true story.
7208219 I meant is it your story or a friend's?
7208213 Oh, sorry, I was a bit unclear. You're absolutely right about what it IS, I was talking about the causes. Generally, it can be caused by a virus, a bacteria, or a fungus. The last is the rarest, and is what was accidentally distributed by contaminated needles back in 2012, though in principle I guess the others could spread that way, too. I suppose their can be other causes, but those are the most common. Viral meningitis is annoying but seldom dangerous. Bacterial, on the other hand, if not caught soon, can be fatal. My uncle caught it and it was much as described here. He did not develop persistent muscle spasms, but he was unable to move freely for a long time. Tourrettes is genetic and often activates spontaneously, but can be activated by certain viruses, and among therm are some that can caught meningitis. I suppose you'd know that last part better than I do. There was some concern when I was 5 that I might have had Tourettes triggered by a viral infection, but it turns out that it was OCD. I asked my parents about it when older and did some research. Did a refresher after reading this: I didn't remember everything correctly, it turns out.
7208257
My own experiences, and thanks for the info. Comments like yours are why I do this sort of thing on this site.
7208266 And that kinda reception is about half the reason I make that sort of comment. :P The other half is venting.
If you don't mind my asking, did something like the non-backstory bit happen when you entered college or a workplace or the like?
7208558
Workplace, and most of it was guesswork as to what would have happened if I hadn't said anything to anyone.
7208778 That's what I was hoping was the case. Well, now I may have to add some of your other stuff to my reading list... which is already way too long.
7208780
It's all crossovers with video games.
7208785 Ah so it is. Well just the ones based on games I like, then. XP
Where did Bones come from?
7209848
Bandcamp.
7209892
Just saying the names are MEANT to be embarrassing, they're MEANT to remind the Wonderbolt of a screw up they made, so they never get a swelled head (there's a reason Spitfire is captain, and why her nickname is the most humiliating of the bunch).
7210017
I like how you replied to your own comment there.
But still, his nickname came from the fact that he got a boner in front of everyone at bandcamp.
7210032 Which brings up a logistical question, as Equestrian stallions have no visible genitalia, but with real horses it's kind of hard to miss. Maybe they're retractable?
7210470
Methinks the genitals just blend in with the color of their fur.
7210495 Well if they're fur-covered that would conceal just fine for females and for males from some angles, but you'd have to assume they defy gravity or something for the males' to not show up from a front view, where there'd be a colored protrusion.
...I'm thinking about this too much, but now I'm thinking of a scenario where they do defy gravity in some manner, but not when there's a boner. Since they don't have a nudity taboo, that would be back to making it about as embarrassing as that happening in human society. Though I'd like to note that in humans, a good pair of briefs generally takes care of that possibility.
7210017 A screwup that THEY made. The first nickname came from a screwup that nearly killed him, and was in no way shape or form his fault. It would be like calling a holocaust survivor Auschwitz. Completely tasteless and likely to destroy any camaraderie that might be built.
7229469
Except that information was not made available to them until after the fact. Since the likelihood of someone GETTING a nickname like Auschwitz, survivor or not, is insanely small.
7230233 Such information should be freely available in their medical records, and yes those are open to the access of one's commanding officer, so Spitfire should have been aware of this in the first place. It is outright stated here that Spitfire is not reading the reports that she has been receiving, just rubberstamping them, so this was all on her.
7206587
7206763 I've got ADHD. I had some teachers tell me to stop pumping my leg as if it was something a little willpower would fix. I mean sure, I could make it stop, but only if I focused all my attention on holding it still.