It was your normal day in Cloudsdale School for Aspiring Flyers. Pegasus ponies trotting throughout the solid cumulonimbus halls of the expansive school, founded to teach them what’s what about being a Pegasus. Wing control, flying in extreme conditions, and the proper way to keep your feathers clean are a few of the many things a Pegasus can learn in the great school in the sky.
Among the many winged students were a group of ponies who showed remarkable talent in flying maneuvers that would inspire envy in the average flyer. These students were known as the CSAF’s best: The Cloudsdale Falcons. Pegasi who enter their ranks have their futures set on a path to greatness.
Ascended Wings was the Falcon's newest recruit. He knew nopony else at the school, being born outside of Cloudsdale doesn't come with the benefits of instant friends. He walked into the large school with his saddlebags containing only the basic necessities, lunch, goggles, and books on various flying related subjects.
He was a stallion of slightly average build boasting a pair of large downy wings . His coat was a dull steel blue, unlike a lot of the other brightly colored ponies that adorned the halls of CSAF. His most defining features were his piercing grey eyes, and his spiky sky blue mane.
Ascended pushed open the Stratonimbus clouds that made up the double doors to enter the school's Flying Courtyard. He looked to his left and scanned the nearby directory for...
CRASH!!!
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"Why'd you have to throw it so hard, Flint?" said a voice, a mare's voice.
"Hey, don't look at me, Soarin's the one who wanted tah catch it." said another voice, this one a stallion, with a southern drawl.
Ascended was coming to, as it happened so quickly. One moment he was looking at the school map, the next, a flash of blinding whiteness.
He slowly opened his eyes where he could barely make out the blurry images of three figures started appearing. Then another flash of white as his head convulsed in sudden pain. He hissed as he felt himself propped up against a solid, yet fluffy, wall. He reopened his eyes, less blurry this time, and his gaze fell on the most beautiful yellow pegasus mare he had ever seen. The way she styled her fiery orange mane was what really got his attention.
Flanking her on both sides were two Pegasus stallions, one with a beige coat wearing a black desperado hat, the other with a bluish white coat, pie crust still evident on the corners of his mouth.
The beige one with the hat looked about ready to laugh his feathers off. The beautiful yellow one had a worried look on her face, and the white one was gawking at her flanks.
The yellow mare then turned towards the other two and said "Well come on, he looks like he’s coming to, get him on his hooves."
"Ugh, fine," replied the hat wearing pony. "But don't expect me tah be givin' 'im a bubble bath any time soon."
They hauled Ascended to his hooves, though his ears still rang. The pain was beginning to subside as he began attaining a better grip on his surroundings. From what he could gather, he was nowhere near the school.
He looked towards Celestia's sun and saw that it was beginning its slow crawl toward the western horizon.
"How long was I out-GAH!" he blurted out before the pain returned, prompting him to put his head down and rub his temples with his hooves.
"Whoa there, guy," said the yellow mare. "You should calm down." She knelt down towards him and picked his head up. He opened his piercing grey eyes and looked at the bright orange orbs that conveyed her very being. Another shot of pain broke his reverie as he got up.
"Gah-Calm down! Who the hell are you people!? Where am I!? What happe-"
SLAP. The orange eyed beauty slapped a hoof across his face.
"Look guy, we are trying to help you, alright!? This was an accident, alright?" she pointed at the beige one. "Flint here's the one who threw the hoof ball too hard."
"What? Nuh uh, that was Soarin's fault," he said.
"Shut up Flint." She hissed as she turned back to Ascended Wings. "My name is Spitfire," she extended hoof towards him with a smile. "What's your name, guy?"
"My name is Ascended Cirrus Wings. Son of Overcast and Powder Wings," he said politely taking Spitfire's hoof in his own.
"Whoa, dude, no need to go all Canterlot pony on us bro," Soarin spoke up, raising laughs from the others, though Ascended was not amused.
"I am from Canterlot."
"Oh, no wonder you looked so stuck up," Soarin laughed. "Chill out, man."
Ascended, while calmed down, still felt as though he needed to question somepony thoroughly.
"So," asked Flint. "The hell's a Canterlot colt doin' in the rough 'n tumble streets of Cloudsdale?"
Flint had made himself comfortable by adopting a reclining position on a stack of short barrels, and lighting a Marelboro brand cigarette.
"Well, a Cloudsdale scout found me and said I had some sort of potential. I took some relatively simple tests; he said I had passed, and that I am moving to Cloudsdale."
The others were appropriately confused. What would some high life Canterlot pony want in Cloudsdale? The only thing of interest was the weather and rainbow factories that ran Equestria’s weather. Otherwise Cloudsdale was a city in the sky that held an abundance of flying schools for the Pegasus colts and fillies that learn constantly about flying.
“Well,” Ascended replied. “I am the newest recruit to the Cloudsdale Falcons. I was actually trying to go to their gym at the school, until I was rudely interrupted.” He said, glaring at Flint.
Now their jaws were really hitting the floor. Or in this case, clouds.
“Whoa, wait a second, Ascended was it?” asked Spitfire. “You mean to tell us that you’re the rookie that everypony’s been talking about? The new recruit who received special honors from Celestia herself?”
“Um, yes, I guess that’s me. Wait…who’s Celestia?”