As the Wonderbolts braved the trouble brewing overhead, the air surrounding the unnatural disaster suddenly took a very chilly drop. Soarin felt it and almost immediately knew what was coming.
“EVASIVE ACTION!”
No sooner did he give the order did the storm unleash a volley of icicles big enough and sharp enough to shishkabob a buffalo warrior! The Wonderbolts broke formation, remembering their training in such situations and each `Bolt went a different direction, decreasing the chances of them flying into each other. They weren’t out of it yet. The stormcloud continued to grow larger and unless they acted fast, it very might grow past the point of no return.
“RESUME V-FORMATION! IT’S TIME TO TURN UP THE HEAT!”
Soarin pushed himself, using his honed senses to navigate the icicles still falling, and he felt his wingmates form up alongside him. But before they knew it, the weather changed as the icicles stopped while the sandstorm from within the cloud earlier was unleashed into flowing whips of sand at such velocities a single lash would tear the `Bolts wings from their sockets.
“SOARIN! WE CAN’T FLY OUT IN THIS SAND FOR LONG!” Spitfire yelled, trying to avoid getting sand in her mouth.
“WE HAVE TO CANCEL OUT THE WIND CARRYING IT!” Soarin yelled back, “WONDERBOLTS! REVERSE TORNADO, NOW!!”
At Soarin’s command, the Wonderbolts began flying at high speeds counter-clockwise, fighting against the gales and sand whipping at them. Flying round and around and around, against hurricane winds strong enough to carry a foal skyward, only their trusty goggles protecting their eyes from the airborne grains of sand and tiny pieces of hale. While they had all trained to fly in conditions that could make one dizzy, they persevered.
Even so, even as their efforts gradually built-up a reverse-tornado, they felt the strain setting in.
“C’MON EVERYPONY!” Soarin yelled over the roar of the wind, “HOLD THE FORMATION! WE’RE DOING IT…!!”
“YEEK!!” Fleetfoot shrieked as she barely evaded an errant lightning bolt of purple energy. Her hesitation almost caused her to hit Silver Lining, much to the old soldier’s annoyance.
“FLATFOOT!! GET YOUR TAIL MOVING BEFORE I SHOVE MY HOOF UP YOUR ASS, PULL OUT YOUR INTESTINES AND USE YOU AS A YO-YO!!!!”
“SIR YESSIR!!” Fleetfoot squealed and pumped her wings harder.
Finally, the reverse-tornado took shape and got to work, sucking in the sandy winds, canceling any of the storm’s winds that got too near it, making the air in the air easier to fly in.
“Don’t get too comfortable, Wonderbolts!” Soarin called out as he looked up at the pulsing cloud above. “We’re not done yet!”
As if to punctuate Soarin’s words, the ice returned, this time in the form of hail the size of apples, Soarin yelling, “Look sharp! One of those hits you, it’s lights out!”
“Soarin, we have to stop this hail!” Surprise worried as they all zipped about to avoid the lobs of ice, sometimes knocking them away with their hooves. “They’ll cause so much destruction down below!”
“Spitfire! Take the Streak Twins and execute the Flame Wheel Maneuver!” Soarin commanded. “Send it hurtling into the ice cloud!”
“We’re on it, c’mon boys!” Spitfire took flight, Fire Streak and Lightning Streak in tow.
The Flame Wheel Maneuver was a difficult and dangerous technique to create a literal wheel of flame by flying in a vertically moving circle. The fliers flew in a “funnel” of hot air and oxygen concentrated with pegasus magic that ignited by striking the fliers’ horseshoes at the same time to produce multiple sparks. It had to be done simultaneously by all fliers involved or the flame start too quickly before the rest were to break the maneuver and exit the Flame Wheel without getting torched. Done correctly, the fliers would quickly exit the “wheel” while at the same time sending it spinning at the intended target.
Spitfire had the formation down to pat, having mastered it alongside Rapidfire. But right now, she had to make do with the Streak Twins, who were still training to get it right.
As they flew in a straight line, Spitfire yelled, “Begin formation and wait for my signal! ”
She started making loop de’ loops, the Streaks following, and quickly enough they were all flying in a continuous loop de’ loop, their pegasus magic controlling the flow of air to create a wheel of wind highly concentrated with oxygen.
Not yet… Spitfire thought as her pegasus senses enabled her to know how much oxygen she and the Streaks were absorbing into the wheel.
Almost…! She had to do this at the exact moment. Too soon and the wheel wouldn’t be powerful enough. Too late and they would be too dizzy to be able to escape the flame once it was ignited.
“NOW!!”
Spitfire flew out first, then Lightning Streak, while Fire Streak struck his hooves at the last second, creating a spark, that ignited the magic-laced oxygen, and he escaped the Flame Wheel in the nick of time, the flight path of his exit directing the wheel right up towards the cloud from which the hail fell.
The Wonderbolts watched as one of the most daring and dangerous of their aerial techniques collided with the cloud, and there was a muffled explosion of steam, and the hail quickly stopped. But there was no time to celebrate as the purple lightning became more and more erratic, forcing the Wonderbolts to continue to fly evasive maneuvers.
“Everypony! We gotta break up the storm cloud!” Soarin yelled, “It’s time for a good ol’ fashioned cloudbusting!”
“YES SIR!!”
Almost at once, the Wonderbolts began striking at every cloud in sight. Bursting from the cloud layer the `Bolts zoomed up, all leveling themselves parallel with each other. Once they were in position, they all looked to their temporary leader and awaited the signal. Soarin looked them all over, watching the determination on their faces, the drive and skill all there, waiting to follow orders. The synergy they all shared as they worked together to end this beast of a storm once and for all.
With a proud smile on his face and a fierce determination in his eyes, Soarin looked to them all and roared “NOW!”
The air cracked as some of Equestria’s most powerful fliers snapped their wings with all their might and dove towards the crackling clouds as one solid mass.
With force enough to crack steel, the fliers all slammed into the clouds, their pegasus magic at their hooves and their power felt all over Canterlot. The clouds were powerful and filled with unstable magic, but they were no match for the force of the pegasus magic that crashed down upon it. The lightning flashed in all directions in one mighty burst, before it all disappeared into the air. The clouds smashed into pieces, its blackness fading into a dull grey and for some pieces even a fluffy white. Hundreds of clouds pieces flew about, at different height levels and different sizes, some scattering miles from Canterlot itself.
But the combined effort had worked, and as Midnight scanned the air for traces of the unstable magic, he could feel it all dispersing into air, no traces being left behind.
Up in the sky, hovering right in the center of the cloud ring was the Wonderbolts. All over the `Bolts were battered and bruised, their muscles exhausted and their magic drained. But all of them couldn’t hold back the smiles and the smirks of pride on their muzzles at what their combined effort had achieved. Spitfire looked them all over, feeling a Captain’s joy. But above her, smiling the widest, feeling as though the bolts had truly shown their real strength for the first time, Soarin held his head high.
The Wonderbolts were full of wonder once more.
Relief efforts were glad to see nopony had been seriously hurt during the storm aside from a few cuts and bruises here and there. The real damage had been to the parts of the city that had been directly beneath the storm, and already damage control was being taken care of. But right now, right in front of Canterlot University, the Dean was making a speech before some attendees, including the Wonderbolts, the Royal Sisters, and even Princes Midnight and Sombra.
“Ponies of Canterlot, it is my great privilege to bestow this degree in weather,” the Dean announced, levitating a framed degree in his magic, “to Soarin, for his bravery, his leadership, and applying the knowledge he has learned so well and using it for the good of Canterlot!
“While anypony can learn in a classroom, there is no greater teacher than experience. As Dean of Canterlot University, there is no joy like that of seeing my students applying their knowledge and using it to help the lives of those around them. And now! Let’s hear it from the pegasus of the hour. Soarin, come on up here!”
The crowd applauded as Soarin, wearing a sash and academic cap, stepped up to the podium, accepted his degree, and shook hooves with the Dean, and then cleared his throat.
“Uh, thank you, everypony, as well as Your Majesties, for this honor and recognition. Although I must say, this outcome wasn’t just my doing.
“If it weren’t for the bravery and cooperation of the Wonderbolts, I’m scared to even imagine what could have happened, so let’s give them theirs, huh? Come on!”
The crowd cheered and whooped for the `Bolts, Spitfire, Silver Lining, and Misty Fly all just giving them a nod and a wave, Fleetfoot, Surprise, and Lightning Streak gave dramatic bows, hamming it up, while Fire Streak, Rapidfire, and Wind Waker both smiled.
Soarin was glad to see Rapidfire up and about with only a broken wing and an electric burn, both would heal in due time.
Once the cheering died down, Soarin continued.
“Now, you all probably know that I used to be a Wonderbolt, but due to… certain issues, I soon came to think the Wonderbolts wasn’t where I was supposed to be. I was surrounded by colleagues and fans and yet I may as well have been on a deserted island.
“So, I quit… But despite my original misgivings, all that’s happened these past couple of days have helped me realize something. If you see a problem, don’t waste time arguing with the ponies who are supposed to be your teammates, but find a way to work together!
“Put the goal of the team before individual problems, remember your own strengths and the strengths of those beside you, and take a little time to cooperate. That’s all it takes, to come together in order to accomplish what the many united can that the individual cannot alone!
“Sure every group needs a leader, but a real leader knows when to listen to his teammates. To hear their perspectives, and give them a chance to contribute something in order to help accomplish the goal. In fact, this reminds me of a saying my father once told me, that I think truly exemplifies the spirit of teamwork and cooperation among ponies:
“‘A unicorn to light my way, a pegasus to watch over me, and an earth pony to shoulder my heavy burdens’. This phrase, almost forgotten over the centuries, kinda went over my head when I first heard it as a colt. But now that I’m older, I know now, it promotes harmony between earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns alike, bringing us all together in the spirit of cooperation by applying what it is we have to offer. For even despite our differences, we are all ponies where it counts and can come together to accomplish anything!”
A stunned silence was Soarin’s response before a stomping from Rapidfire sparked an applause that grew into thunder of cheers, Soarin smiling when he felt a strange tingle in his feathers!
Midnight felt a similar tingle on his horn when a bright light shined from Soarin’s saddlebags, which he’d been holding onto for his friend. Suddenly, the bag opened to reveal a flash of energy that turned into a pillar of sky-blue light, surrounded by a vortex of streaming wind and cloud that went skyward, silencing the crowd as they watched in shock.
The pillar dimmed, revealing something small and sparkling that floated downwards towards Soarin, and he saw it was, “My Element jewel…!”
The jewel was surrounded by what appeared to be a tiny tornado of cloud wisps and streams of air with glistening drops of moisture. Hesitant, but knowing it was his time, Soarin slowly reached out to the jewel, and at the barest of touches…
*WHOOSH!!!!*
Several ponies in the crowd screamed, most of them covering the faces, as a powerful gale whirled out in streaks of sky-blue, cloud-white, and rainy-gray, and as the wind roared Soarin heard something hurtling through the air before he felt them. Pieces of armor zooming through the air as though they were caught in a tornado, before they all zeroed in on Soarin attaching themselves, piece by piece, to his body, the armor blue and white like the sky and the clouds, accented rainy-gray, and finally he felt a helm on his head, a plume matching his own wild dark blue hair.
And just like that, the wind died down, and everypony gazed at Soarin, clad in Harmonic armor, the chest piece sporting the lightning bolt of his cutie-mark, as the jewel still floated in front of him before he reached out with his wing and claimed it.
Soarin now understood, what he was meant to be and what this new Element represented.
“Soarin?”
Soarin looked and saw Spitfire standing up, and smirking at him, “Is there something you want to show us?”
Soarin chuckled, holding the jewel high and proud as he declared, “Yeah… Everypony! I present to you… the Element of Unity!”
It was a proud day for Soarin. He’d come to Canterlot to take a test crucial to his grade and wound up leading his old squadmates to stop a literal storm of destruction, and it was his studies that had given him the knowledge necessary to quelling the anomalous weather and saving Canterlot. His actions had rewarded him with the degree he’d long been studying for, the respect of his former teammates, and the last new Element of Harmony, the Element of Unity.
After removing his armor and placing it into a bag provided, promising to stay in touch with his old Wonderbolt friends, and receiving honors from Celestia, Luna, and Sombra themselves, he was back on an airship with Midnight, soaring on back home to Ponyville.
But as they cruised through the sky, he remembered something.
“Hey Midnight, wasn’t there something you were gonna share with me?” Soarin asked as he and the prince both leaned against the railing, enjoying the view.
“Oh yeah, there is,” Midnight gave Soarin a look that told the pegasus this was important. “Soarin… I’m planning a project that, as I said, could be of interest to you. I was uncertain about sharing it with you, given what happened between you and Spitfire and Fleetfoot…
“But after all the guts you showed, I have no such misgivings. Soarin! I’m planning to form a new Wonderbolts squad.”
“What?!” Soarin gave Midnight a confused look.
“An off-the-books squad of fliers,” Midnight explained, “under my command, similar but different to the official `Bolts, and not so rigid in structure.
“We would train together periodically, building up wing-power, speed and stamina, coordinate and choreograph our own aerial maneuvers and techniques, but since we wouldn’t be so public as the Wonderbolts we wouldn’t have to devote so much time together that it affects our personal lives.
“Soarin, I am offering you the position of commander of this squad, with me as its head-captain, and together we’d recruit at least five extra fliers to join the first squad for our team.”
“Midnight, I… I don’t-” Soarin hesitated only for Midnight to hold up a hoof.
“I don’t want you to give me an answer just yet,” Midnight clarified, “I want you to consider it first, and at length. I’m not telling you to join, Soarin, I’m offering you. This squad won’t be like the Wonderbolts.
“A flexible training schedule, regular pay, a real military rank, and you would only answer to me in such matters that concern the squad.”
“Huh…” Soarin pondered what he’d just learned before asking, “Are you gonna ask Thunderlane to join?”
“Not just yet...” Midnight nodded slowly. “I’m offering you a confirmed position in this squad as you’ve already completed Wonderbolts training and have proven yourself. Thunderlane however is still only a cadet, unless, by now, he’s passed his test and earned a spot in the Reserves.
“What I mean is, I want Thunderlane to earn a spot on this team, not just be given it since we’re friends.”
“Okay, I can appreciate that,” Soarin commented, “and… Dash?”
“I’m not so sure about Rainbow Dash,” Midnight hesitated. “I care about her as a friend and respect her flying skills, but… Well, part of why I’m not inclined to recruit her is because she is dedicated to joining the Wonderbolts. This team however wouldn’t officially be the Wonderbolts, plus I know for a fact Spitfire has her eye on Rainbow Dash.
“...Maybe I’ll offer her a position if being on the Wonderbolts doesn’t work out for her.”
“Hmm,” Soarin thought about it and could see Midnight’s point of view. “Well, Midnight, I’ll do as you suggest and give it a real thinking over.”
“Good, and Soarin?” Midnight placed his hoof on Soarin’s shoulder. “I’ll respect your decision no matter what it is.”
“Thanks, Midnight,” Soarin replied with an appreciative smile that suddenly darkened a little with doubt. “I just hope Dashie isn’t still mad at me for not helping her study.”
Rainbow knew she should be over the moon. She knew that this was one step closer to her dream and that she should be flapping her wings and soaring through the skies cheering with glee.
Yet, when that 100% sticker hit her paper, it didn’t bring any of the satisfaction or joy. All it made her feel was more guilt over her words to Soarin.
All day things had been stressful and hard for her, but the crushing guilt had just made it even worse for her. Thunderlane had made it clear when he slammed the door in her face how he felt about helping her out. She had tried doing as he and Soarin had suggested and get Twilight to help her study for her exam, but the pain in her heart and her abysmal studying skills made it completely impossible to absorb anything the purple pony told her.
The rest of her friends had all tried to teach her Wonderbolts history using the different learning styles they all preferred. Pinkie rapped, but that did nothing for her, Fluttershy tried using visual learning to help but that did nothing but confuse her, Cheese Sandwich tried interpretive dancing which was a sight she frankly never wanted to see again, Blueblood tried using a combination of graphs and projector presentations, but her boredom and idle thoughts about Soarin kept her too distracted to take anything in, and the fashion presentation Rarity set up just freaked her out seeing her friends in old time uniforms.
Twilight had eventually helped her to learn the Wonderbolts history after making the connection that Rainbow learned through heightened awareness while she flew, but the Princess had been surprised when this hadn’t cheered Rainbow up in the slightest. All Rainbow could think about was the hurtful words she had said to Soarin.
As Rainbow sighed and made her way to the exit of the Wonderbolts study centre, seeing out of the corner of her eye as Thunderlane arrived to do his test, ensuring he made no eye contact with her whatsoever to further reinforce his current opinion of her, she said aloud what had been on her mind since the beginning.
“Do I even deserve to be a Wonderbolt?”
“I’ve never seen a pony more worthy.”
Rainbow gasped at the voice and looked up to see Soarin standing before her, clad in his new harmonic armor, and a warm smile on his muzzle.
He didn’t get another word in before the rainbow mare zoomed forwards and latched onto him in a fierce hug.
“Soarin! I’m so sorry about what I said! I don’t care whether you’re in the Wonderbolts or not! I love you just as you are! I was just upset and lashing out and, and- I’m just so sorry!”
She could feel some tears start to build in her eyes, but she fought them back. She was Rainbow Dash and she didn’t cry dammit!
She would have kept blubbering apologies, but Soarin nuzzled her neck and held her tight. “It’s alright Rainbow. I know you didn’t mean it. I forgive you, and I love you too.”
She held him close, her eyes closed and sniffing because clearly something was acting up her allergies right now. They held each other for a moment, before Rainbow finally released him to take in his appearance. She didn’t say it out loud, but the blush on her cheeks and the sudden stiffness in her wings made it obvious she liked the look.
“So I see you found your element while you were away. Seriously what went down this trip, I thought you just had some test to do?”
Soarin smiled at her and rubbed his new armor with pride. “Yeah it's a pretty cool story and I can’t wait to tell you about it, but first I just want to spend some time with you. I missed you lot. I mean, I know it was only for one night but I still missed you.”
“I missed you a lot too, Soarin. I wish you had been here. And not because of my test or anything. Having you around just seems to make my day so much better.”
Rainbow smiled at him and noticed a curious then hesitant look cross his face. “What’s up Soarin?”
The stallion looked unsure, but he seemed to come to a decision in his head and looked her in the eyes.
“Dash? We both missed each other a lot and... even though it was only for the night. Maybe… maybe we might feel better if we got to see each other every night.”
“What do you mean?” the blue mare tilted her head a little, looking adorable without realizing it, which gave Soarin the strength to continue.
“I mean… Rainbow, do you maybe want to… move in together?”
Rainbow’s eyes went wide and for a moment, nothing was said. Just as panic started to built up in Soarin that maybe he had crossed some line, moved too fast, he felt Rainbow wrap around him once more, her shining smile warming his heart.
“Yes! Yes I would love to live with you Soarin! Oh this is so awesome! My place is huge, you could move in right now! Plus Skye and Tank get along well and you’re awesome with Scootaloo whenever I bring her over for a visit with her big sis! This is going to be so great!”
Happy and content, Soarin silenced Rainbow’s excitement by pulling her in for a loving kiss. The rainbow mare had no objections and held him close.
The two had taken the next step and it felt wonderful.
That evening, shortly after he'd moved into Rainbow's house, Soarin, accompanied by Midnight, took Unity to the chest so it could join with the rest of the new elements.
Seeing it completed, save for its as-of-yet missing keys, both stallions felt awed by a strange mixture of confidence, hope, doubt and concern. They shared a look but after all that had transpired, everything that had led to this moment, they both smiled, mutually assured that whatever happened next, they and their friends would face it together.