It was a bright and beautiful afternoon at the always active Wonderbolt Academy. The sky was clear of any clouds and shined bright blue, just perfect for all of the active Wonderbolts to practice some professional aerial moves together. They sped and turned all around, flying in intricate patterns all across the sky, from one end to another. If it were a live show with an audience, they would have certainly been hearing cheers. In fact, they did! Just under them, along the runway of the academy, stood a few ponies cheering them on, including a very enthusiastic pink earth pony.
"Wow!" Pinkie Pie hopped as Rainbow Dash gently landed in front of her. "That was amazing!"
"Thanks!" Rainbow replied as she wiped some sweat off her forehead. "We've been working on that one quite a bit, now. Glad to see all this practice is finally paying off."
"You bet it's paying off!" Pinkie began to trot uncontrollably in place. "You guys were all VRR! And then you went all VREIW! And then, finally, KABLAM!" Confetti exploded.
Rainbow chuckled. "Thanks, Pinkie."
"Crash!" The Wonderbolts' captain, Spitfire, trotted up to the duo. "Good work out there! Looks like you're finally getting the hang of that one!"
"Ma'am!" Rainbow stood at attention. "Much appreciated, ma'am!"
Spitfire readjusted her sunglasses and gave Rainbow a little smirk. "I mean it. You've really pulled it off out there. Why don't you hit the showers and show your friend to the mess hall for some chow? You must've worked up an appetite."
"Ma'am, I have, ma'am!" Rainbow replied. "And I will indeed show my friend to the mess hall, ma'am!"
Spitfire growled. "WITHOUT TAKING A SHOWER?! DO YOU KNOW HYGIENE, CRASH?!"
Rainbow Dash gulped. "Ma'am, I do, ma'am!"
"DO WONDERBOLTS JUST TROT AROUND AFTER PRACTICING FOR SO LONG?!"
"Ma'am, they don't, ma'am!"
"AND WHAT IS THAT?!"
"Ma'am, because they become sweaty, ma'am!"
"DO WONDERBOLTS WALK AROUND ALL SWEATY AROUND THE BASE?!"
"Ma'am, no, ma'am!"
"AND WHY IS THAT?!"
"Ma'am, because it's unhygienic and bellow Wonderbolt standards, ma'am!"
"THAT'S RIGHT!" Spitfire leaned in and gritted her teeth. "So, what are you going to do, Crash?"
"Ma'am, I will take a shower and then show my friend to the mess hall, ma'am!"
"That's what I want to hear." Spitfire turned around and began to trot away. "Carry on, Crash."
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Rainbow Dash finally relaxed her posture. "Geez. Of course, I was gonna take a shower."
Pinkie Pie hopped up beside Rainbow. "She seems really nice!" She smiled.
"HEY!"
Pinkie and Rainbow looked toward the source of yell to see Spitfire shouting at two ponies on the other side of the runway.
"I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS FREE TIME! WHY DON'T YOU PASS THE BALL OVER TO ME?! IN FACT, WHY DON'T WE ALL JUST TAKE THE REST OF THE DAY OFF AND FORGET WHAT WONDERBOLTS DO?!"
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, she's a real sweetie." She then stretched her wings and made her spine pop. "Ooph. Well, I'm gonna hit the shower. Come on. You can wait for me outside of the barracks."
"Right behind ya!" Pinkie hopped and began to follow her friend. "But Rainbow Dash..."
"Huh? What's up?"
"Why do you want to hit the shower? Didn't Spitfire say you had to use it? Does it owe you money?"
Rainbow Dash stared at Pinkie and just shook her head.
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were sitting at a table in the mess hall, about to enjoy some chow.
It appeared to have been very busy at that hour as nearly all the other Wonderbolts were eating there as well; the veterans were gathered at the VIP table, the rookies sat with their respective cliques, and even the cooks had their own spot, except for one poor pony who was stuck on mopping detail.
Even though she was familiar and friendly with most of her fellow Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash sat alone with Pinkie Pie, sitting across and giving her friend all of her undivided attention, and Pinkie could not be any more thankful.
"I cannot be any more thankful!" Pinkie exclaimed as she pulled out a big picnic basket from seemingly out of nowhere. "Thank you so much for sitting alone with me and giving me all of your undivided attention despite us being in a room with nearly all of your fellow Wonderbolts with whom you are mostly familiar and friendly with, Rainbow Dash!"
"Hehe... odd way of putting it, but you're welcome, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow nodded as she set her tray on the table. "And thanks again for coming to visit. These training weeks can really get to a pony. I needed to see a friendlier face, today."
"That's what I'm here for!" Pinkie pulled out a big cake from the basket. "To support my friends, make them smile, and brighten up their day!" She consumed the cake in one gulp.
"And I appreciate that." Rainbow began to eat her food.
"Hey." Pinkie looked at Rainbow's meal. "Is that really all you're eating?"
Rainbow looked down at her tray. All that was on it were a few pieces of fruit, some carrots, and a slice of bread.
"Uh, yeah." Rainbow scratched the back of her head. "I'm not really supposed to pig out during our training weeks; just take in the essentials. You know, just enough to keep my energy up."
"Oh-ho-ho!" Pinkie smirked. "I gotcha. The essentials." She winked.
"Uh-oh." A bead of sweat descended from Rainbow's head. "Where are you going with—?"
"This!" Pinkie pulled out a big, sparkly rainbow-colored cupcake with sprinkles and a candle on top from the basket. "Surprise!" Confetti exploded.
"What?" Rainbow stared at the treat. "You just had a rainbow cupcake on you?"
"No, silly! I had a rainbow cupcake with sprinkles on me!" She snickered. "I made it back in Ponyville just for you! I was gonna surprise you when I left, but, since your lunch looks oh so... that, I figured now would be an even better time!"
"Oh." Rainbow relaxed. "Haha. Well, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm not supposed to eat things like those around here."
"Not supposed to but..." Pinkie leaned in, smirking. "Allowed?"
"Uh..." Rainbow looked back and forth. "I mean, technically, yeah."
Pinkie leaned in. "So?"
Rainbow shook her head. "Look, I appreciate it, Pinkie. I do, but I really shouldn't eat that, here."
"Why not? You're working really hard! And this is supposed to be your down time! Don't you think you deserve a little treat? Just this once? You can eat all of that 'essential' stuff any other day." Pinkie smirked. "Come on. It's got sprinkles."
"Huh." Rainbow placed a hoof on her chin. "Well... you did make it for me."
Pinkie leaned closer, bending her back and twisting her neck quite unnaturally. "Uh-huh."
"And it's technically allowed."
"Uh-huuh."
"Plus, you're right; I have been training pretty hard."
"Uh-huuuh."
"And you are leaving today, so... I guess it would be kinda rude to reject your gift."
If Pinkie could lean any closer, her face would be touching Rainbow's. "Uh-huuuh!"
Rainbow chuckled. "All right, Pinkie; I'll take it."
"Great!" Pinkie's body snapped back to its normal shape. "I knew you'd come around!"
"Just pass it over."
"Nuh-uh!" Pinkie shook her head. "Can't do that, Dashie. It's not ready, yet."
"Huh?" Rainbow looked at the cupcake. "Looks fine to me. What do you mean it's not ready?"
"It's not lit!" Pinkie pointed at the candle on top. "See?"
"Oh. You're right."
"Yeah!" Pinkie then began to dig through her basket. "You can't eat a cupcake with a candle if the candle isn't lit! But don't you worry! I'll just light it up and then you can... uh-oh."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "'Uh-oh'?"
"Yeah; 'uh-oh'." Pinkie looked up. "It looks like I forgot the lighter back at home. Darn. I knew I should've checked the basket a fourteenth time before I left!"
"Is that all?" Rainbow Dash laughed. "That's no big deal. I'm fine eating the way it is—"
"No big deal?!" Pinkie's eyes widened. "This is a special cupcake! You can just eat it the way it is! That would be culinary sacrilege! But don't worry; I'll fix this!" She hopped off her seat. "You guys have birthdays here, right? I'll just ask one of the cooks if I can borrow one of their light—WHOA!" Pinkie slipped on the wet floor and landed with an unceremonious thud.
"PINKIE!" Rainbow Dash quickly leaned over. "Are you okay?!"
"Ooph... yeah, I'm fine." Pinkie smiled. "But what about the..." Pinkie looked across the room. "Uh-oh."
Rainbow Dash turned her head and lost her ability to breathe. "Oh, no."
The cupcake had gone airborne. It flew up towards the ceiling, flying over many ponies' heads as it soared to the other side of the room. Then, in an absolute cruel twist of fate, as if the little treat itself were mocking Pinkie and Rainbow, the cupcake began to descend and started to speed right for the veterans' table, right towards Spitfire's head.
"Oh, boy," Pinkie whispered. "Incoming."
"Please, no!" Rainbow added.
Another Wonderbolt sitting across from Spitfire, Soarin, caught glimpse of the cupcake. "NOOOO!" he yelled.
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash could do nothing as the cupcake crashed square on top of Spitfire's head with an audible smack, leaving sprinkles, icing, and crumbs all over her.
The entire mess hall became silent as everypony stared at the Wonderbolt captain.
"... it was nice knowing you, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie whispered.
"Me?! You're the one who—" Rainbow stopped when Spitfire moved.
All of the other ponies stared in horror as Spitfire stood up with a blank look on her face.
Soarin looked over at Rainbow Dash with a terrified expression. "What have you done?!"
Then, without any warning, Spitfire reached behind her and pulled out a ukulele from seemingly out of nowhere.
Pinkie and Rainbow stared. "... huh?!"
"What have you done?!" Soarin repeated as he galloped toward the two.
"I'm... sorry?" Pinkie halfheartedly apologized as she stared at Spitfire continuing to sing.
"Um..." Rainbow raised an eyebrow at Soarin. "What's going on? Why is Spitfire acting like... that?"
Soarin shook his head. "It happens whenever she gets sprinkles on her head. She'll just bust out a ukulele and start singing about it."
Rainbow stared. "... but why?"
"I don't know," Soarin answered. "But now do you see why we tell you not get to the ice cream or cakes around here?! We don't want this happening!"
Rainbow Dash looked over at the singing Spitfire. "... I think I do."
"I'm not so sure I do." Pinkie bopped her head. "I kinda like it!"
Soarin shook his head. "That's not the part you should be worried about."
"Huh?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "It's not? Then what is?"
"That." Soarin pointed back to Spitfire.
Pinkie and Rainbow look over and saw a couple of ponies approach Spitfire with paper towels. Hesitantly, they wiped her head clean, leaving the Wonderbolt leader staring blankly into space. In a few moments, Spitfire began to twitch and soon growled.
Spitfire flipped over a table, making nearly all the ponies in the mess hall run in terror.
Ponies scrambled all over the room as Spitfire began to smash everything in sight; tables were flipped, trays were thrown, and food decorated all of the mess hall's walls. Then, as she approached a random pillar, she opened her mouth and breathed fire at it, setting it completely ablaze.
The Wonderbolt captain growled. "SPITFIRE SMASH YOU ALL!"
Soarin just shook his head. "She'll go back to normal soon enough."
Rainbow Dash could only look in shock as Pinkie Pie laughed and said, "So that's how she got her name!"