"Here we are. Are you ready?" A soft glow radiated over Shift's face as he and Dash stood outside of the entrance of the Canterlot stadium, the sun's light reflecting into the shaded hall. The grounds were quiet: there were no shows to be had, and Shift had wanted to arrive early so they could enjoy their time without the worry of being late.
"Well, all that training wasn't for nothing... and you pushed me beyond my limits," Dash said. "I think I'll be fine."
"Alright, then..." He looked up and drifted his gaze across the massive arch that compromised the upper entrance to the stadium. "Funny... I've been here before, but the majesty of this place never changes."
"For Spitfire's audition, right?"
Shift looked at and smiled, nodding. "Yep. That wasn't a priority audition, though, just a regular one. There were dozens of other pegasi here for the audition, and it was through her own skill that Spitfire managed to be accepted."
"I'd say that your training helped, too," Dash said, stretching her wings. "I mean, I feel a lot better, and can fly a lot faster and better, thanks to you, coach. I don't think she would have done well without it."
Shift gave a half-hearted hum in response. "I don't think I deserve as much credit as you do, Dash, or Spitfire. As much as my training would help, it would mean nothing if you didn't put your heart and soul into it. You're a great flier, Dash. I know you like the challenge and the feeling of being the best like any flier out there, but you also have that spark of knowing how great it is to fly. That's why I wanted to coach you."
"Oh, Spitfire talked to me about that... about how much you love flying, that is."
"Yep. It's like a second home to me, up there in the skies," Shift said, pausing a moment to admire the architecture of the gates. "Say, Dash... I know I've never brought it up until now... but are you sure you really want to go ahead with this?"
"Huh?" Dash raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I? Joining the Wonderbolts is literally my life's dream! And now I know you and Spitfire on a personal basis, the Captain of the Wonderbolts and her own coach! Well, my coach now, but you get what I'm saying."
"Well, it's a pretty intensive lifestyle. There's a lot of performing, training, public events, and all that other stuff that comes with being popular, even with you're off-season. Are you sure you can handle all of that every single day?"
"I'm sure," Dash said seriously. "I'm one hundred percent sure I want to do this."
"Even if it means not being able to see your friends that often?"
Dash smirked. "Well, I don't think that's going to be much of a problem seeing how much Spitfire has been visiting you recently..."
"Oh. Good point. Well, I'm sure it'll be a strain on your social life, though... Spitfire's been putting in a lot of effort to see me... more... recently..." he said, trailing off into a mutter. "So!" he quickly recovered. "It might be different for a pony like yourself, with such an involved daily life with your friends."
"Well... I guess I never really thought much about that," Dash said, fiddling with the flight goggles around her neck. "It's just more motivation for me to try my best. My friends know that I want to be a Wonderbolt, and I know they'd be behind me on this decision. I want to make them proud."
"That's a great attitude to have. From what I understand, travel's one of the best parts about this job. Well, aside from literally having everything paid for, that is."
Dash grinned and leaned in towards Shift. "Is that jealousy I hear?"
"Nope!" Shift shook his head, laughing. "I like my mailpony wages just fine. Besides, what would I do with all those extra bits? Make a castle out of them?"
"You could buy anything you want..." Dash suggested.
"Mmm, yeah, I can do without," Shift replied. "The sky's all I need, and it's always going to be up there." He looked up behind him into Canterlot's skies, unaware that the grin spreading across his face did not go unnoticed by Dash.
"Hey, flier boy! Down here," she said, waving her hoof in front of his face. "I think it's about time we head on--"
The gates clattered open as a single pony poked her head out. "Oh, hey!" Spitfire said. "I had a feeling you'd show up early, so I got the staff to unlock the gates. Hey, Shift, I see you decided to show up." She looked at Dash and smiled at her. "I hope you're ready for the big show, Dash."
"Of course I am!" Dash exclaimed, holding her head up high. "I was born for this!"
"You know, Shifty," Spitfire said, "I was sort of thinking you wouldn't show up." She turned to look at him through her Wonderbolts mask, turning her gaze between him and Dash. "Well, then again, you were always there for your pupil's support. Alright, Dash, let's get started."
She led them into the stadium proper: the bleachers sat empty as the wind freely rushed through the open-air cloud field, with a small judging booth set up at the edge of the spectator stands for the judges. A number of rings were set up on various platforms, making a small circuit that spanned the whole length of the field.
Spitfire led them to the booth, and sat down with the other two judges. Both Shift and Dash immediately recognized one of them as Soarin' - minus his standard accessory, the pie - and the other as Fleetfoot, both set to perform with Spitfire in the Manehattan show in the coming weeks.
"Alright, Dash," Spitfire said. "We'll start with something simple: three laps around the circuit, and we'll time you as you go through each lap. We'll give you some time to warm up, so notify us and take up starting positions when you're ready." She went back to conversing with her comrades as Dash moved aside with Shift to start her stretches.
"Okay, this should be simple for you, Dash. Easy in, easy out, let the wind do the work. The stadium's got great ventilation, so you'll get some strong airflow in here," Shift said, as Dash stretched her wings. "Use that, and don't wear yourself out. The straight stretches are what usually gets you: most pegasi end up gunning down the stretch and then botch the turn when it comes. You remember how to avoid that, right?"
"Yeah," Dash said, huffing as she bent her wings, eliciting a minute crack from them. "Go in wide, don't force the turn, and to weave, not push." She took in a sharp breath as she bent in the opposite direction with her other wing. "Let the wind do the work," she echoed.
"Great!" He looked up and counted the rings. "Don't forget to tuck through the rings. It's a focused target, so don't flare your wings too much as you're going through. Speed is everything here, and having wings open as you're going through might sheer off seconds - mere seconds, maybe, but every bit counts here."
"It'll help me pick up speed, too, right?"
Shift nodded. "I see you remembered our lesson. Yes, if you streamline as you're going through it, you'll pick up a bit more speed as you're going through. Remember the flying stance I taught you?"
"The arrow-bend?" Dash lowered herself into a readied crouch, half-flaring her wings so they looked were three-fourths open. "Like this, right?"
"Exactly. Remember, if you use the arrow-bend, you'll be sacrificing control for speed. Using this on the long stretches will help you pick up momentum, but full wing control will allow you to make those sharp turns." He lowered his head at her. "I hope you know when to use it."
"Of course I do! Uh... well, I hope. I mean..." She sat down, rubbing the sides of her head. "I feel like I know, but I don't know, and I just feel like I'm going to--"
"--mess it all up?" Shift finished, sitting down next to her. "Spitfire told me the same thing, you know. Almost word for word, what you said right now."
"...and what did you tell her?"
"Aw, it's nothing special... really cliche, and stupid."
"Come on, tell me."
"Okay... I told her to just... to just 'trust the wind'."
Dash said nothing, merely staring off into the stadium space pondering on the thought. "...I guess that means something."
"Really?" Shift inquired. "I always thought it was kind of stupid. I did make it up on the spot, after all... Oh, but don't tell Spitfire that, I think she... she really takes it to heart."
"Well..." Dash said, looking at the ground and fiddling with her hooves. "I think it's sort of telling of who you are, Shift."
"I don't follow...?"
"You love to fly, and you love the sky, and I'd probably say that you know better than any pegasi what it feels to move with the wind. I mean, I'm just a weather pegasi, but you're a first-class mailpony who's broken his own records repeatedly with every delivery he makes. You try your hardest, and you always want to improve yourself no matter what. 'Trust the wind' is so like you."
"Wow, Dash... I didn't know you were a philosopher."
She punched him in the shoulder. "Hey, I can pick up my egghead when I want to. I'm just saying that what you said sounds a lot like who you are. A pegasus that that thinks flying is the greatest thing in the world."
"Hmm, yeah..." he said humorously. "That sounds like me, alright. Ready to go now?"
Dash sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be."
"Come on, what happened to 'I was born for this!', huh? You'll ace this one, no problems, trust me."
Dash nodded, turning to approach Spitfire at the booth, before stopping. Turning around, she hugged Shift, holding for the longest moment before parting with him. "That's a good luck hug, just in case," she said. "BUT!" she said loudly. "Don't take that the wrong way, we're still just friends. I just trust you... a lot." She turned her head over her shoulder. "Hear that, Spitfire?! Nothing romantic going on here, we're just friends!"
"Yeah, I can see that just fine!" Spitfire called back, snickering. "Hey, keep your hooves off of Shift, you're here to audition, aren't you?"
"Yep!" Dash said, flaring her wings with new-found courage. "I'm ready to do this!"
"Then take your position at the starting line, applicant!" Spitfire formally said. Dash tossed on her goggles and jumped, flying off towards the small tuft of cloud marked with a checkered line in the distance, taking her time as she dodged through the many clouds on the field.
"That crazy mare..." Shift said. He exchanged glances with Spitfire and only smiled and shrugged.
"Ready... set... go!" A horn was sounded as Dash's timed laps started. Springing immediately to action, she shot forward, immediately passing through the first ring as she dove into the first turn. The gradual turn curving to the other side of the track proved no problems for her, and she began down a long distance stretch, remembering her training and giving it a wide berth.
Her form was a complete blur as she darted down the next lane, soaring through the sky with finesse as she raced through another ring. Coming up on another turn - this time, a sharp one - she flared her wings and adjusted her body position, drifting into the turn like Shift had taught her.
Spitfire narrowed her eyes when she saw it. So Shift decided to teach her his technique...
"Yeah, alright, Dash! You're making good time!" Shift cheered.
"You know she can't hear you from down there, right?" Spitfire asked.
"Well, yeah, but it doesn't stop me from trying... I mean, I did the same thing at your audition, too."
Spitfire's expression went unnoticed by the other two Wonderbolts as she saw Shift look back towards the field. The nagging feeling in her chest had returned, and already, she could feel it messing with her concentration in a really big way. Shaking her head quickly, she returned to focusing on the task at hand.
Dash had just completed her first lap, and was going into her second. Spitfire could see the signs of Shift's training in her: unlike some other competitive racers, who could only react to any changes in a race based upon how they knew the course, Shift's training relied completely on proactive awareness and adaptation. Spitfire watched as a rogue cloud strayed into the path, which Dash narrowly dodged by pulling into a twisting dive, skimming the bottom of the cloud as she passed under it.
"Hey, that cloud isn't supposed to be there..." Soarin' said. "Huh, I guess they haven't brought the track back up to standards yet. But that was a pretty good reaction there, don't you think?" he asked them.
"Yeah, I agree," Fleetfoot said, her right eye obscured by her bandage. "Usually most applicants either panic and mess up, or just fly straight through it and take the speed hit. It's nice to see an applicant that knows how the ropes work without spectacularly spiraling into a cloud afterwards."
Spitfire ignored the conversation as she continued watching Dash race around the track. There was a feeling, but it wasn't the nagging one that she felt before. No... this time... she felt pride. It was as if she were watching herself race around the track... and that this was how Shift must have felt, to be able to see the results. Maybe Shift should become one of the official judges for the Wonderbolts audition with that good eye of his for talent.
Shift cheered again as Dash flew by, completing her second lap. The stopwatch in front of Spitfire showed that Dash's current time, even with some of the priority auditions she'd had in the past few days, could easily be one of the best she'd ever seen, even coming close to her own at the auditions.
"Well, I guess your training really paid off," she said to Shift.
"Hard work and patience always pays dividends, hotshot!" He whooped again as Dash perfectly another sharp turn, clapping his hooves into the ground.
Try your best and keep at it, Spitfire!
Why? Well, why not? Give it a try!
You can do anything if you put your mind to it, Spitfire.
Looks like flight school didn't teach you much, haha!
Stop looking at this like it's some sort of chore, and start flying like you love it!
What's with the interest with professional flying all of a sudden?
So... that's what you want to be? A Wonderbolt?
Do I think you can do it? Of course! In fact, I'll be your coach...
The thought of Shift standing next to her outside of Canterlot back then came back to Spitfire. Feelings of the soft wind breeze and the sun setting before them as they sat overlooking the vista of the valley below Canterlot. She wished that such a day would arrive where she would--
"Whoa!" Soarin' said, breaking Spitfire out of her daydream. "That was a nice turn!"
"Woo, yeah, I'm impressed!" Fleetfoot said, clapping her hooves. "I think this one's a real winner, Spitfire. Not like the other audition where there's more... hoof-kissing or stuff like that. Celestia knows I hate those types. Oh, look, she's coming down the final stretch now."
Spitfire halted the stopwatch just as Dash zoomed past the finish line. "Wow..." she said, looking at the time.
"Well, I think that's one of the best ones yet," Soarin' said, leaning over to see the time. "Well, I think we've already known how good Dash is, what with the competition and then the wedding."
"Okay, Dash! Take ten and prepare yourself for the creative part of the audition!" she shouted as Dash came in for a landing on the spectator deck.
"Nice work!" Shift said, handing over a cup of cold water, which Dash gratefully took. "You really knocked that one out of the park."
"Heh, thanks," Dash said, downing the cup's contents in one long drink. "Hah, I really needed that. So, what's this creative part of the audition?"
"Well, Wonderbolts are always serious about talent. The track usually checks whether or not an applicant is up to par with their physical standards, but the creative part of the audition is where it really counts. They want to see what you can offer to the team, and just being a good enough flier isn't going to cut it if every other applicant is going to be the same physically."
"Oh... I get it... is that how Spitfire passed her audition, with her creative part?"
"Well, I guess so," he said, pouring himself a cup from the refreshments table. "I don't know whether she's performed her signature move since she passed the audition, but let me tell you, it can definitely turn heads. I definitely remember that it did at the audition, and nearly set the judges' booth on fire with her speed."
"I'm a pretty big Wonderbolts fan, and even I'm not sure if I've ever seen her perform her signature move," Dash said. "So, what is it?"
"Well, let's just say it involves a lot of flair, and a bit of pegasi magic that helps Spitfire live up to her name."
"That's pretty awesome... I wonder if I'll be able to see something like that."
"I think she might be willing to perform it, if I ask nicely," Shift said, laughing.
"Hmm, I'll bet she might," Dash teased. "You two sure seem to have gotten closer recently..."
"Is that so...? Well, anyway, we've only started talking a lot more recently... aside from that, her Wonderbolts stuff has been taking up some serious time on her schedule, so we only usually met around once a month or so."
"Hey, there," Spitfire said, walking up to them. "So, I wonder what sort of masterpiece you and Shift put together, Dash."
"Don't you worry, it'll make your jaw hit the ground out of all the sheer awesomeness it has in it. Right, Dash?"
"Yeah!" Dash said. "I totally worked hard on it."
"Mm-hmm," Shift agreed. "And I told her to practice more on it, but the move is so huge and so awesome that it's kind of hard to do it without giving it away to all of Equestria, so she only performed it once to test. You won't find it lacking, that's for sure."
"I'll be the judge of that myself, Shifty," Spitfire said. "Alright, Dash, you're up!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Dash said, returning to the sky once again.
"Remember, this isn't timed!" Shift reminded her. "You can take your time and do whatever you want, just make sure you impress the judges!" He looked to his left at Spitfire. "Well, uh... I hope you're already impressed enough, that is."
"Dash has always been one of those special sort of pegasi, Shifty. I'd probably be lying if I said we haven't been keeping an eye on her talents, but we can't play favoritism when it comes to recruits. Now, priority applicants, however... that's a different story."
"So you're saying she has a higher chance of getting into the Wonderbolts because of this audition I arranged for her?"
"Maybe, maybe not," Spitfire responded slyly. "But you didn't hear it from me." She headed back to the judges' booth and shared a lighthearted conversation with her teammates as she sat down.
Dash began her routine, trailing with a wide thread of rainbows as she slowly worked her way up and around the stadium's circular confines. The growing ribbon produced an iridescent glow within the stadium as the pegasus leading it arced upwards, beginning the climb towards the open-air roof.
"I like where this is going," Fleetfoot said, looking at the glowing cone of rainbow above them.
"Maybe she's doing something different this time around," Soarin' said. "I know she can do a Sonic Rainboom, so--" He was cut off at Dash reached the apex of the cone, cutting off the flow of rainbows behind her and arcing backwards as she broke into the final part of her routine. With a single powerful flap of her wings, she propelled herself with great force downwards, leaving behind a massive shockwave of spreading light that caught the rest of the cone in its wake.
The cone exploded in a shower of pure blinding light, creating millions of falling sparks of shining magic as she flew through it towards the stands. She began to outpace the spread of the motes, zooming ahead and landing in front of Shift and smiling, before turning back to see the results of her routine.
"Wow..." Dash said. She looked back at Shift with a look of surprise on her face. "Is that what it looks like?"
"Yeah..." Shift said, nodding. "Still impressive as always, I see."
"That..." Spitfire appeared out of nowhere, wrapping an arm around Dash. "...was the most amazing thing I've seen in a long time. And trust me when I say I've seen some pretty amazing things; I'm a Wonderbolt, after all. Oh, and that concludes the audition. We have to keep things short for time constraints, but you're the last of the priority auditions we're having this month."
"So... did I make the cut?" Dash nervously asked.
"Hmm..." Spitfire gave an exaggerated expression of thought. "I can't say for sure right now... but I'll clue you in: that move you just pulled is definitely Wonderbolts material. Is it a little routine you and Shift thought up?"
"Nope," Shift said. "It was all her."
"Really now? Well, I'd like to know what that little routine is called."
"It's called the Spectra Meteor. Just, uh, heh, something that I thought up one night. I pitched the idea to Shift and he liked it, and, well... there you go," Dash said, pointedly looking at the fading cloud of glitter that obscured the whole track.
Spitfire gave a nod of approval. "Impressive. Well, Dash, you're one step closer to your dream with this audition. I feel like this one deserves a captain's recommendation..."
"Hey, Spitfire, when are we going to meet that stallion you've been talking about?" Fleetfoot asked, trotting up behind her. "You said we were going to meet him after the audition, right?"
"Actually, he's right here, Fleetfoot," Spitfire said, breaking her embrace on Dash and wrapping her arm around Shift instead. "Here he is."
"Wow... so you're Spitfire's coach?"
"Yeah... uh, hi. I'm Sky Shift. Nice to meet you, Fleetfoot... and Soarin'," he said, giving a nod at the other pegasus walking up to them.
"Sweet, dude. I've heard lots of awesome stuff about you," Soarin' said. "Is it true you helped Spitfire with her signature move?"
"Yeah, it's true."
"What do you do for a living?" Fleetfoot asked. "I mean, somepony as talented as you that can coach Spitfire must have some sort of job lined up for life, right?"
"I guess? I'm a mailpony."
Silence wracked the air as Fleetfoot and Soarin' looked at Spitfire.
"I told you that it won't be anything impressive," Spitfire responded. "He's a mailpony, first-class, and he works at at the Canterlot Post Office. He can make deliveries from Stalliongrad to Appleloosa in less than a half day's time."
"Wow, that's pretty fast," Soarin' said. "Sorry, it just seems a little... I don't know, underwhelming, I guess. Spitfire keeps talking about you like you're larger than life, so I have to apologize for something, uh... less than that."
"No problems with that," Shift said. "I just like the more... quiet lifestyle afforded to me by it. And it pays well enough, so I don't really have anything more than that."
"I can get with that," Fleetfoot said. "Sometimes all this Wonderbolts stuff can be just so stressful, and you just want to get away from it all, and I'm not talking for a day or a week, I'm talking around a couple of months, at most. Just get away from all that crowding, fan cheering, and non-stop paparazzi for a while. Maybe I should be a first-class mailpony when I retire."
"No problems with that since we're always recruiting," Shift said as they all shared a laugh.
"So, let's see him work his magic, Spitfire," Soarin' offered. "Have a little race on an official racetrack?"
Spitfire looked at him. "Sure, why not? Come on, Shift, it'll be just like old days..."