//------------------------------// // 8 - Training Begins! // Story: The Storm's Challenge // by OneLonelyPickle //------------------------------// Chapter 8 - Training Begins! COCKADOODLEDOOOOOO The distant crowing of a rooster caused a jolt in Rainbow that launched her into the air above her bed. She looked at her bedside clock with fear gripping her. It was only 5:50. She released a calm sigh. “Alllright! Ten minutes early! Let’s go, Tank!” Rainbow sped out of her room in a flash and flew all around her house, becoming a multi-colored blur in the process. Her trusted tortoise companion leisurely followed. Rainbow was in and out of the bathroom in a hoofful of seconds, having styled her mane in the coolest way possible. She made sure every smidgeon of sleep was removed from her eyelids. Brushing her teeth was done extra-speedy. Rainbow flew downstairs. Tank floated into the kitchen a minute after Rainbow. The cyan pegasus was gulping down a cup full of raw eggs. She retched after finishing the venerable breakfast of champions and cringed. After that, she flew to an open spot outside the kitchen and began doing warmups, putting her hair up in a ponytail and sweat bands on the ends of her hooves. Tank clicked a button on a cassette player with his nose and cheesy workout music started to play. “Today’s… the day…” Rainbow said in between deep breaths. She was kicking and punching in front of her as she floated. “No distractions… from here on out…” After a few minutes of sweatin’, Rainbow left her home and poised herself for lift of. She was stopped when a little arm poked her. She turned around to see Tank with a Wonderbolts outfit in his mouth. Rainbow beamed. “Oh, right! What would I do without you, buddy?” Rainbow rubbed the top of Tank’s head and the tortoise glowed with pride. Rainbow squeezed into the outfit and the two were off. She had already grabbed a pair of goggles — she wasn’t completely forgetful that morning. Then the two of them were off just as the sun said its first hello over the horizon. The flight to the Wonderbolt Academy, where the training took place, took close to half an hour, but Rainbow had accounted for that and had time to take it leisurely. At least, in terms of speed. During the flight, Rainbow tested a few different twists and turns that she had been working on before the Storm’s Challenge. She had to hone each and every one of them before the races. She knew it would take more than mere speed to win. Tank kept pace beside his friend. The two reached the Academy as the sun bathed the world below in earnest. Rainbow looked down at the clearing on the mountain peak which her favorite group of flyers used for training and as their headquarters. Many of the Wonderbolts were already in action, engaged in various drills or helping other members use the training equipment. In the middle of the Academy tarmac were three ponies: Spitfire, Soarin’, and Fleetfoot. The latter pony, the arctic blue third-in-command of the Wonderbolts, was smack dab in the middle of a disagreement, or at least that is what her face showed. Rainbow and Tank came to a stop on the tarmac in front of the trio. “Fleetfoot,” asked Spitfire, annoyed. “Could you tell Soarin’ that he should go and ask the Equestria Flyers League representatives in Canterlot if they want to take part in a training exercise with us?” Soarin’ frowned at Spitfire, then turned to Fleetfoot. “Why don’t you tell Spitfire that she should go instead, so she can calm down from whatever it is this is.” Soarin’ motioned at Spitfire with a hoof. Fleetfoot looked at each of her companions and chewed her lip. She noticed Rainbow and lit up. “Oh hey, you’re early! W-why don’t we do some laps together?” Rainbow was ecstatic at the prospect. She nodded so fast her irises ricocheted inside her eyeballs. Fleetfoot tried to pull Rainbow along with her into the sky but the cyan pegasus resisted. She turned to Tank. “We’ll probably be going too fast for you to keep up, pal.” Tank smiled and nodded in his own little tortoise way. He took to the air with his magical propeller and pointed over to a small obstacle course off to one side of the clearing. It seemed to be designed for junior members of the Wonderbolts or even young foals, but it was just perfect for flying tortoises. Rainbow hoofbumped into the air. “That’s the spirit, Tank! See you later then!” Fleetfoot had Soarin’ and Spitfire breathing down her neck and sighed with relief as Rainbow was finally ready to leave. “Wait, Fleetfoot!” Spitfire and Soarin’ both called out in desperation. The called-for pegasus didn’t even look back. Rainbow and Fleetfoot were high enough up in the sky for the Academy to be a small dot before either one spoke. “Glad I’m out of that mess!” Fleetfoot cried. “Those two are crazy!” She sighed and shook her head. “I wish Spitfire would just spill the beans already, yeeeessh.” Rainbow cocked her head. “About what? Why is she so peeved with Soarin’ anyway?” Fleetfoot looked at Rainbow and shot her a sly smile. “Oh, no particular reason — but I heard Soarin’ was going all mushy over that Ms. VeeVee chick yesterday, and Spitfire HATES when Soarin’ talks about other mares like that.” Rainbow did a somersault and began to fly upside down beside Fleetfoot. “So that’s what made Spitfire so mad! I don’t get it, though. Why would Soarin’ bringing up whatsherface make Spitfire mad?” Fleetfoot chuckled. “Nevermind, Rainbow. Let’s just focus on training.” Rainbow shook away all her distractions. “Right! Time’s a-wastin’!” She pointed to a cloud off in the distance. “Race you to that cloud!” “You’re on!” Fleetfoot shouted. One race led to another, and before either pegasus knew it, they had used up an entire morning pinballing from cloud to cloud. Rainbow routinely won every race, but only by a feather. Sometimes her opponent would manage a victory. Fleetfoot was out of breath by the end of it all. “Pony… smokes… kid…” she huffed. Rainbow beamed. “Don’t… you… get… tired?” Rainbow crossed her hooves and blew her mane out of her eyes. “Well, y’know, maybe at the end of the day. But I’ve been practicing my endurance lately, and I could probably do an entire 100-lap race with my eyes closed and without missing a breath!” Fleetfoot took one final breath and cleared her throat. “I’m glad you’re representing the Wonderbolts in the Challenge, then” — Fleetfoot pointed her hoof at Rainbow — “wait, you ARE representing us, right?” Rainbow’s eyes popped open. “C-Can I? Like, as one of you guys?!” Fleetfoot replied, “I don’t see why Spitfire would say no. You’re better than most of our members, if I’m being honest. Just don’t tell any of them I said that. And this doesn’t mean you’re a full-fledged Wonderbolt but, well, we’ve all seen what you can do over the past two years since that time at the Best Young Flyer competition.” A rainbow blur shot upwards from where Rainbow was once floating. A cheer resounded from the blur. Fleetfoot giggled. “I guess that means you’ll do it,” she shouted. “I’ll talk to Spitfire about it a little later.” Fleetfoot let Rainbow perform a few more aerial feats before shouting back up at her. “Alright, we should probably head back! The other rookies and all of the members will be ready for the late morning drills now. We need to get ready for our spar with the Flyers League later!” * * * Chaos consumed Carousel Boutique. Rarity’s groans of pain made Sweetie Belle cringe. Hooves clattered down the stairs and back up again. Fabrics, accessories, and embellishments were flying in all directions thanks to a light blue magical glow. “This is just terrible!” Rarity whined. “It’s a tragedy!” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes as her sister continued. “Why, this could be the absolute single WORST thing that’s ever happened to me!” Sweetie Belle jumped up. “What, Rarity? What the hay is it!?” This stopped Rarity and she looked disapprovingly at her sister. “Sweetie! Language!” “Oop” — Sweetie Belle shoved a hoof in her mouth — “Sawwee, Werwehwee.” Rarity shimmied her forehooves in a dainty display of displeasure. “Oh, but it’s just horrible, Sweetie Belle! I’m not sure what to bring to Canterlot today on my trip to find a sponsor.” Rarity sat down on her flank and Sweetie Belle joined her. “If I don’t make a good first impression, Applejack” — Rarity said the name through gritted teeth — “will never let me forget it! And this lady does not lose when it comes to making remarkable first impressions.” The entrance to the Boutique sounded off downstairs with a bell ring as somepony entered the store. Rarity shot Sweetie Belle a glare. “So much for you locking the door last night, huh?” The littlest, sweetest little sister in the world just returned the glare with a big, foalish smile. Rarity was less than impressed. A female gasp from downstairs was followed by words spoken in a strange accent. “Mmm, vhat beautiful dresses!” The two sisters descended the stairs to greet whoever had entered. Rarity cleared her throat as she dismounted the last step. “Ahem. So sorry, but we are actually supposed to be—” Rarity’s mouth dropped. She took in a large gulp of air, as if she was trying to suck in the dazzlement she was seeing. The pony who had entered her shop — why, this had to be a pony cut from the same fabric as Rarity herself. The would-be customer’s fur was a light grey — certainly not as luxurious as Rarity’s own — but it was in any case well cared for. And her mane was as black as ebony and styled into a coiffure that just HAD to be the work of a stylist from Canterlot, or someplace equally as regal. It looked like poofy cake from Sugercube Corner. Most importantly, Rarity beheld the most becoming little fangs protruding from the pony’s mouth. And her wings — she had bat wings! And her outfit— Something tugged at Rarity’s mane. “Earth to Rarity!” Sweetie Belle said, ending at a higher volume. Rarity ran up and forced a hoofshake on her would-be customer. “Darling, your look! Your look is just marvelous! Everything… your mane, your outfit” — Rarity raised a single eyebrow and made a cheeky face — “A tad risqué, mind you.” Rarity quickly turned her head back to her little sister and used her magic to cover the filly’s eyes with a cloth, eliciting a “Hey!” of disapproval. Rarity turned back around. “I’m the proprietor of this fine establishment — Rarity, you may call me! And to whom do I owe this pleasure?” The would-be customer, taken aback at first, returned the hoofshake with a smile. “You can call me VeeVee, und I came here because I heard from zhe ponies of Ponyville zhat zhis is a splendid Geschäft zhat sells zhe dresses und such — mmm, no?” Rarity was lost in the piercing amber irises of her newest potential customer. The skillfully applied eyeshadow and blush of VeeVee made her penetrating gaze oh-so captivating. VeeVee inferred an answer and stepped forward to inspect more of the dresses. “Ja, zeeze are perfect. Absolutely my thing, as you say.” Out of nowhere, VeeVee shouted a foreign word in an aggressive tone and made both Rarity and Sweetie Belle jump. Another pony came inside the Boutique, carrying a long, gnarled branch in her mouth. There was a shiny stone on the end of the branch. “Danke,” said VeeVee as she continued focusing on a dress in front of her. The pony at the doorway whipped her head back and threw the branch into the air. As it got closer to VeeVee, it eventually slowed and then stopped in mid-air, being kept afloat by a transparent yellow mist. Rarity and Sweetie Belle both looked at each other’s horn, saw there was no magic emanating from either, then looked back and blinked at the floating branch. The pony at the doorway left the shop as quickly as she had come. The stone at the end of the floating branch produced an otherworldly bolt of black that surrounded the dress VeeVee was eyeing and brought it right against the chest of the spellbound bat pony mare. VeeVee looked at herself in a nearby mirror with the dress magically pressed against her. “Ohhh — zhis one is beautiful! So many colors, like zhe rainbow!” VeeVee posed a few more times for the mirror while Sweetie Belle tip-toed away towards the kitchen. “I’m going to get ready for breakfast…” the diminutive filly murmured to her sister. “Don’t worry; I’m not going to cook anything.” Rarity briefly looked back at her sister and smiled with a nod. She turned back to VeeVee, who spoke once more. “You see, humble shopkeeper, I don’t always vear zeeze outfits.” She motioned to her leather ensemble. “Only for ze races, ja? So zhose stallions get all zhe flusters und lose zheir focus. Zhe design does not impede my fliegen one bit!” Rarity’s eyes shot open and her mouth dropped. She quickly scooped it up into a wide grin. “Wait, are you saying you’re one of the racers in the Storm’s Challenge? And you love my dresses? And high fashion?!” VeeVee nodded. “Ja, zhis is correct.” She sighed. “I am not zhe biggest fan of zhe racing, but my wings are good for it, und it pays for my dresses und outfits.” Rarity’s grin became even wider as she hatched the greatest idea ever. She began to work her magic on VeeVee and explained the proposal she had given Rainbow the night before, plus a new incentive she had just thought up. The lucrative offer made VeeVee spin around, and Rarity jumped a little as she saw a yellow glow in her new friend’s eyes. “I can pick out any of zhe outfits I vant?!” Rarity finally realized where the yellow mist from around the branch came from. The pulse of amber emanating from VeeVee's gaze was even more attractive than her usual stare. Some different form of magic! Rarity surmised. She paid it little mind as she continued with her sales pitch. By the end of it, both ponies were smiling and holding hooves. “Doesn’t it sound marvelous, VeeVee?” Rarity said with twinkles in her eyes. “Ja, all zhe dresses, und I get to show them off und tell zhe ponies about zis wunderbar Geschäft!” VeeVee held the same twinkle in her glowing eyes. The two ponies separated. The black beam from the floating branch turned into many different beams, each one shooting off at a different dress. The beams were like outstretched limbs, carrying the dresses in their grasps. “I vill load these in my wagon und let my little Schvester know about our agreement. You go und eat vith your own little Schvester! Take your time! Vee have many hours before vee need to be in Canterlot!” Rarity jumped in place, hooves flailing in excitement. “We won’t be long at all, VeeVee! We’ll be ready to leave in no time!” - - - After whipping up a tasty breakfast for her and Sweetie Belle, Rarity cleaned the kitchen in a flash with her magic. She all but floated out of the kitchen in elation, humming a tune the entire time. She spoke to Sweetie Belle in a sing-song tone. “Ohhh little sister! Can you believe my luck? Here I thought I was going to have to go to Canterlot all alone and win over some big shot with my pizzazz when all I had to do was —absolutely nothing!” Rarity smiled devilishly. “Applejack will be seething!” She quickly turned back to her little sister with a softened expression. Sweetie Belle was frowning at her. “Oh, you don’t think I am taking the tiff with Applejack too seriously, do you?” Sweetie Belle bounced in place and protested squeakily. “Too serious? Oh no, not at all, Rarity! You’re not taking this too far at all — and hello! Nopony would have come if I hadn’t kept the door open last night! You might want to say thanks!” Rarity chuckled nervously. “Right… you have a point Sweetie Belle.” Rarity ruffled the top of Sweetie Belle’s head with a tender, sisterly hoof. “Thank you. Even if it was only because you didn’t do what I asked you to.” Sweetie Belle’s “good little sister” smile almost blinded Rarity with its glow. The two sisters left the Boutique. Rarity made sure she locked the door behind them as they stepped into a fine Ponyville day. The first thing catching both sets of eyes was VeeVee’s imposing, packed wagon towering towards the sky. The sheer amount of luggage stacked atop the wagon rivaled Rarity’s own wagon when her and Sweetie Belle had gone camping last year. Strapped to the harness of the wagon was a large, bipedal creature made entirely of a black liquid-like mass. It resembled a minotaur without the horns and was almost as tall as the wagon and its load, which rose slightly above the Boutique. The creature seemed solid, but a sort of mirage-like effect made its form wavy and illusionary. It stood completely still and silent. Sweetie Belle retreated behind her sister, who was staring at the creature with mouth agape. “Do not fear!” VeeVee chimed. “He is just my companion pet, Arnold!” VeeVee continued, this time using her strange amber eye magic to float the branch with the stone right in front of Rarity and Sweetie Belle. “He comes from zhis — it is a magic stave, vhich my people entrusted to me.” Suddenly the stone on the end of the stave lit up, a black beam shot out, and at the end of the beam a small creature formed. It looked like a rabbit, and unlike Arnold, the creature was formed solidly enough that it was just as cute as a rabbit. It hopped over to Sweetie Belle and began to cuddle up against her. Sweetie Belle relaxed. “Aww, it’s so cute!” she squeaked. Rarity sighed happily. “Right, of course!” Rarity watched as VeeVee moved the stave through the air and spun it a few times. “It’s really quite awe-inspiring. You should meet my friend —she would die to learn more about your magic.” The hairs on the back of Rarity’s neck stood up. She suddenly realized a presence was right in front of her. It was the pony from before, VeeVee’s “little Schvester”, who had passed her the stave back inside the Boutique. “Twilight… Sparkle…” the pony said slowly, looking Rarity right in the eyes. Rarity could not escape the pinprick gaze. “Yes… she certainly would… enjoy the stave of Dunkeleidenschaft.” Rarity felt her breathing grow shallow and her vision turn blurry. Those eyes… “She would… also very much enjoy… our homeland. We have… so many books… that she would love… to study…” Rarity blinked rapidly and shook her head, regaining her senses. She took a few steps back from the pony with the pinprick eyes and caught her breath. The mare had a mane as black as VeeVee’s but it hung down, not up, and covered most of her face. Both eyes could barely be seen, not so much due to the hair, but because they were pinpricks. The whites of her eyes were enormous. Her coat was a shade of grey close to VeeVee's but lacking the sheen. She also did not have any bat pony wings or fangs. “Enough, Velmeera,” VeeVee chastised, addressing her Schvester. “You are scaring Ms. Rarity — mmm, no?” Sweetie Belle had been oblivious to the entire exchange as she galivanted around with three black rabbits, two more having joined their big sibling after the stave created them. “Vee should go now,” VeeVee suggested. Velmeera held Rarity’s gaze briefly before she turned and trotted back to her place by Arnold. Once back in place, Velmeera stared at Rarity once more. The fashionista started to walk down the road with her sister in tow.