//------------------------------//
// Wonder 
// Story: How to Disappear Completely 
// by shortskirtsandexplosions 
//------------------------------//

	No less than nine pegasi landed on the deck of the Midnight Oil with remarkable grace.  Their blue jumpsuits glinted in the early dawn-light, but Flash's eyes were drawn towards one figure in particular.  To his shock, her head and mane were on fire.  However, when she began speaking—in a calm and scratchy tone at that—he realized she wasn't being immolated in agony.

"Alright.  What's the deal, Pants?!"  She strolled forward, lifting the goggles off her face to reveal a pair of bright amber eyes.  Her coat was yellow.  Her mane was yellow.  Her eyes and tongue and even her voice:  "We've been over this a hundred times.  The only reason you should be firing a flare is if the ship is on fire or if you're being attacked."

"A thousand pardons, Captain Spitfire," Fancy Pants said, bowing ever so slightly.  His calm voice contrasted her anxious, pacing presence.  "We had ourselves something of a dilemma.  But fear not.  It's been taken care of now."

The mare arched a fiery eyebrow.  "What kind of a dilemma?"

Captain Typhoon strolled up.  "Prince Canterloy fell overboard."

Stunned, several of the uniformed pegasi exchanged dumb glances.

"However..."  Typhoon sighed.  "It would appear as though providence was on our side.  He was saved by a random citizen.  The flare was fired belatedly by one of my junior officers.  I apologize for redirecting you from your reconnaissance."

"Spitfire's" muzzle scrunched, positively shriveling inside the mouthhole of her suit.  "Citizen?  What citizen???"

"Why, this fine fellow right here!"  Fancy Pants said, smiling in Flash's direction.  "Mr. Brad.  He hails from Ponyville!"

"Ponyville???"  Spitfire nearly spat.  "I swear, is there something in that town's water?!  These are dangerous skies for anypony to be flying in!  The moment you get grounded, you'd be dogfood!"

"Errrr..."  Fancy Pants smiled nervously at Flash.  "Perhaps I should introduce you to the superior officer of our escort and Captain of the Wonderbolts:  Spitfire."

Flash did his best salute.  "Pleased to meet you, Captain.  What's your first name?  Jaundice?"

Spitfire's ears twitched.  "I beg your pardon?"

A stallion cleared his throat then lowered his goggles.  The very moment he spoke, Flash thought he was listening to the hero from Disney's Aladdin.  "Did you... actually save Prince Blueblood's nephew?"

Before Flash could reply, Fancy Pants blurted:  "He absolutely did!  Right when we were all panicking and expecting the worse!  Snatched him straight out of the sky!  Back in the ravine east of our current location!  He came up from below with the poor shivering fellow in his arms!"

"It... went a great deal more awkwardly than Mr. Pants here is describing," Flash said with a nervous titter.  "He slipped through my hooves once."  He gulped.  "I nearly dropped the little dude."

"Still... if the Midnight Oil was above you at the time—at that point in the day—it must have been next to zero visibility!" the stallion exclaimed.  His voice took on new breathy levels of surfer dude-ism as he grinned.  "You practically saved his tail while blind!  That's so awesome!"

Flash bit his lip, smiling.

"'Lucky' is the word I would choose," Spitfire said, grumbling.  She trotted up and stared Flash down.  "What's your name again, kid?"

"Errrrrrrrrr..."  Flash was too busy trying to place her name and face on a human he knew back home... but ultimately decided against the whole thought altogether.  He sweated more than just a little bit.  "Brad."

"Brad what?"

"Just Brad... uhm... ma'am."

"Ugh... the names in Ponyville only get weirder and weirder."

"In any case, good work, Brad!" the jumpsuited stallion said.

"Yeah yeah, but everypony knows the rules!"  Spitfire turned to face the rest of the so-called Wonderbolts.  "These skies are categorized as extremely dangerous for the average citizenry.  That includes the owner and royal accompaniment on board this ship."  She sighed, evidently lacking sleep... among a few other things.  She rubbed her muzzle and muttered:  "As if this recent flare wasn't evidence enough... it was my mistake for leading the entire squadron out to do reconnaissance."

"We were making progress, Captain!" the stallion exclaimed.  "So what if there was a minor hitch on board the Midnight Oil?  Looks like luck was on our side—!"

"We can't afford to rely on luck!" Spitfire grumbled at him.  "Especially when the safety of Equestrian royalty is on the line!  Nor can we expect random orange fuzzballs to save our butts or our reputation!"

"Erm... r-right, Captain..."

"From now on, one of us will be assigned to guarding the Midnight Oil, its crew, and its citizen complement."  She slapped a hoof against the stallion's chest.  "You just became our first volunteer."

"Uhhhh—"

"Got a problem with that?"

He gulped.  "No, Spitfire.  Whatever you say, Spitfire."

"Good."  Spitfire turned towards Captain Typhoon.  "Typhoon, with your blessing, I would like to lead the rest of the team in searching the skies for our rendezvous."

"Rendezvous?" Flash asked.

Fancy Pants cleared his throat.  "We're expecting to meet another zeppelin out here."

Flash's jaw dropped.  "You mean you've got two of these crazy thingies in the sky?!"

Fancy Pants was already chuckling.  "It's just a small transport.  It'll be dropping off a few business partners who will be partaking in the upcoming diplomacy."

"It's also Brad Boy's ticket out of here," Spitfire said.

"Awwwwwww..."  Flash's ears drooped.  "But I just got here."

"Captain..."  Fancy Pants tilted his chin up.  "If you don't mind, I would very much like Mr. Brad here to join us."

"For what?"  Spitfire squinted.  "He's done his part.  All he's good for now is diminishing our rations."

"I beg to differ!  I feel he's earned a front row seat to history!  After all, I've learned that the Ponyville lot are a veritable good luck charm!"  He winked through his monocle.  "Wouldn't you agree?"

For whatever reason, this somehow won the argument in Fancy Pants' favor.  Flash could see it in Spitfire's eyes, despite her scrunching expression.  "Hrmmmm... fine.  Whatever.  But you and Typhoon had better keep an eye on him.  My team's here to make sure the canines don't rip your throats out.  We're not here to babysit."

"Except for the royal lineage," the jumpsuited stallion said.

"That's your job, buddy!"  Spitfire brushed past him, giving him a sassy wing-slap in the process.  "Have fun changing Blueblood's diapers."  Her scratchy voice rose an octave or two. "Alright, songbirds!  Wing up!  We've got a lot of recon to do!"

And the group of protectors soared skyward in a series of blue streaks.  All except the sighing stallion who was stuck on guard duty.

Fancy Pants leaned in towards Flash.  "Don't mind her.  She's just sad she's had to give up drill sergeant privileges for the interim of this voyage."

"I'm getting the feeling you've nailed it on the head," Flash said.

"Heh..."  The male Wonderbolt wandered over, lowering his cowl so that his dark blue mane flowed freely.  "You have nooo idea."  He smiled.  "So... 'Brad,' huh?"

"Sure thing!"

"Ponyville sure makes for some great wings!  Tell me..."  He smirked.  "Ever flown Ghastly Gorge with Rainbow Dash?"

A pit formed nervously in Flash's throat.  "Rainbow... Dash...?"

"It's her stomping grounds, after all!  Though she was born in Cloudsdale—heh—she's got Ponyville in her blood.  Through and through.  Landed herself a silver medal during the Equestrian Games!"

Flash gulped.  "That sure sounds like Rainbow Dash, alright!"

"What drew you into this part of Equestria anyways?  Seems like you were in the right time and place when Blueblood's nephew fell overboard."

"Oh, I was... uhm..."  Flash rubbed the back of his head.

"Lemme guess."  The stallion smirked.  "Windchillin'?"

"Wind-what?"

"Y'know!  Windchillin'!"  He spread his wings.  "When you just... take to the air and let the current take you places.  The clouds and your thoughts become one.  Except when you fart—that ruins the thermals big time."

Flash laughed.  "Jee, how did you guess?"

"You seem like the kind of dude who lets the breeze take him wherever it wants."  He winked, then extended a hoof.  "The name's Soarin'."

"Heeeeeeeey..."  Flash smiled, bumping his hoof.  "Like the Disney ride?"

"Like the... what?"

"Er... I'm sorry.  I learn that I confuse a lot of ponies."

"Hey!  Don't be sorry."  Soarin' smirked wryly.  "So far, you've only confused Spitfire, and that's okay in my book!"

Both stallions chuckled as one.