The call to reveille roused the drowsy griffon from his semi slumber-like state, keptawake half the night, tossing and turning from the haunting stories he’d heard last night. The sounds of the other recruits getting out of their bunks forced his brain to put his body into motion, not wanting to lag behind the others.
He flipped the thin blanket from off his body and stretched his legs, trying to get the stiffness out and lazily rolled his body over. Yawning, he flopped out of his top bunk and fell down to the floor.
“Gallus, look-!” The female voice yelled to him but it was too late. The sensation of sharp, stabbing pain in his paws instantly shocked his brain to full awake.
“Eyah-h-h-h-h-h-h!” Gallus screeched as he jumped onto the lower bunk next to him, where Razzle Dazzle had been sleeping.
“Gallus, are you okay?!” Razzle Dazzle and his friends all rushed to his side, watching him pluck something stuck from his paws.
“What are they?” Solar Flare couldn’t tell what was stuck in Gallus’ paws, the fur in the griffon’s paws obscuring them from view.
“Get the first aid kit! He’s bleeding!” Razzle Dazzle yelled and Cloudy Sky stumbled across the bunk and over to the kit that hung on the wall next to the barrack doors. He nearly tore the kit off the wall in his franticness, rushing back to Gallus’ side, watching the griffongrit his beak as he carefully picked out some kind of small metal barbs from his paws with his talons. Each object made a distinct metallic clinkas they hit the wood floor when he dropped them.
Cloudy Sky threw open the lid and spilled at least half of the contents on the bunk where his friend lay injured. He got the alcohol and some gauze pads ready; sure his friend was going to need them.
“How bad is it?” Brightstar moved in close to examine the injury. It annoyed Gallus being crowded like this, even if they were trying to help.
“Get back! Get Back! I’m fine! I’m fine!” He loudly shooed her and the others back, panting a little from the shock as he plucked out the last two or three things from his paws. His pony friends, and Silverstream as well, were taken back by his curt tone, not wanting to be coddled over like some helpless griffon chick.
The friends saw he had a couple of small puncture wounds on the pads of his hind paws, small trickles of blood oozing from them when Gallus squeezed the injuries gently to gage the severity. Silverstream helped by smearing some anti-bacterial ointment on the sterile pads and then carefully covering the puncture wounds, applying some gentle pressure to his hind feet for a minute allow the blood to clot and stop the bleeding. He let her play nurse on him, suddenly feeling bad for snapping at all of them like he had. They were his friends and only wanted to help.
“Here, use these.” Cloudy Sky got out the medical tape and tore several long strips from the roll so Silverstream could affix the bandages in place and allow Gallus to get up. Nightflight looked over the side of the bunk Gallus was lying on to see what it was that his griffon friend had landed on.
Next to the bunks, someone had sprinkled some toy Jacks, a unicorn foal’s game of horn training for magic, on the floor. Gallus’ hind paws had landed squarely on the scattered toy pieces.
“Hey, check that out.” He motioned with a forehoof for Brightstar and Solar Flare to look, pointing to what Gallus had landed on. They could image how much it must have hurt Gallus’ paws to land on those sharp metal pieces.
The sound of several ponies laughing caught BFFs collective ears. They looked up to see Wind Raider and his friends laughing at what they’d done to Gallus.
“Oh, so some pony here wants to play dirty, eh?” Brightstar scowled at the foursome standing near the center of the barracks, watching.
“They’d better not, or they’re gonna be real sorry they did!” Firebolt was not afraid of getting ‘down and dirty’ if necessary with the likes of these four. If they wanted to be a couple of sneaky bastards, she could stoop to their level and get back right at them.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Silverstream looked Gallus over as he got up from the bunk and jerked his uniform on roughly, his anger growing with each second as his growl grew louder. He stood tenderly on his still sensitive hind paws, now securely wrapped in the bandaging.
“Yeah, yeah! I’ll survive!” Gallus, too, looked right at those four nasty ponies; none of them even attempting to conceal it was they who did this.
The BFFs had already suspected something like this was coming; some form of retaliation after last night’s gaff. Silverstream was surprised it was something as minimal and juvenile of a response. Though she’s suspected something worse coming from those four, they’d went just far enough to make their point and not get in trouble for it, perhaps a verbal reprimand at most for their actions from one of the instructors.
“Now we’re even, dirty ‘griff! Eye for an eye, I say!” Wind Raider pointed to the injury on his muzzle that was still covered with a protective bandage. Both Stormbringer and Crimson Sky laughed it the injured griffon and his pony friends. Sunglow looked on with a smug smile.
Solar Flare jumped into his uniform, as did the rest of the BFFs and the other recruits, to get ready for inspection. This undeserved attack on his friend and flight partner was a last straw for him. The quietest pony of the BFFs had finally had enough of these miscreants. He’d silently put up with their uncouth remarks and harassment towards Silverstream and Gallus since the beginning of the trials, always taking the high road of ignoring them and supporting his friends. But now he was pissed off and was going to make them stop.
“Solar?... Solar?! What are you going to-?!” Brightstar had seen the fire burn in Solar Flare’s eyes from this attack, watching him angrily yank on his uniform and then go tearing around her and Firebolt in a headlong rush right at Wind Raider at full speed.
“You miserable son of a bitch!” Solar Flare yelled as he lunged right at Wind Raider, catching the lead instigator off guard with his speed and ferocity. He covered the distance from his spot standing next to his friends to pouncing on Wind Raider in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Wind Raider never had a second to react.
WHACK!
Solar Flare’s left forehoof landed right on the spot where the bandage covered Wind Raider’s flight injury. The hit knocked Wind Raider down briefly and sent Sunglow and Crimson Sky scurrying out of the way. Stormbringer dove to his right and hit the floor belly first, getting out of Solar Flare’s path just as the blow was delivered to his lead pony. He was risking reinjuring his still-recovering wing and hustled to a safe distance from the action in the room. The other recruits also moved back, so close to the epicenter of what was about to explode.
“Ow-w-w! You bastard!” Wind Raider cursed at Solar Flare, getting back to his hooves and checking on his injury. He gingerly touched his wound and saw the smear of blood on the coat of his foreleg. The cut on his muzzle had been torn open and was bleeding again. The legacy pony snorted and was instantly in fight mode, the hair of his short mane bristling up in anger as he swished his bobbed tail hair vigorously.
“Okay, ‘griff lover, you want to rumble?! Let’s rumble!” Wind Raider flew right at Solar Flare, rearing back and landing his own punch right upside Solar Flare’s head, sending Gallus’ partner stumbling to the floor. Instantly, the barracks exploded with loud shouting and rooting by the other recruits as the two combatants tore into each other. The simmering animosity between the BFFs and Wind Raider’s group had finally boiled over.
“Oh, it is on! It is on!” Stormbringer was the loudest in the room, witnessing the chaos erupt. He and the other recruits backed up still more as Wind Raider and Solar Flare now wrestled about on the floor, flailing wildly away at one another.
“Get’em Solar! Stomp his stinkin’ guts out!” Gallus stood close to Solar Flare with the other BFFs, caught up in the fury of the moment. Gallus was mad at those instigators and he desperately wanted to give them ‘what for’ about messing with the wrong griffon. But his leady pony was doing a pretty good job in his stead.
“Teach him a lesson, Solar! Don’t let up on him!” Firebolt stood right next to Gallus, shouting encouragement, watching Solar Flare roll around on the floor more while grappling with Wind Raider and pinning the legacy pony’s wings behind his flanks.
WHAM!
“Get off me, asshole!” Wind Raider slammed the back of his head in the side of Solar Flare’s head, right on the temple. A crack of sharp pain and a bright white flash exploded in Solar Flare’s eyes, stunning him. His grip on Wind Raider’s wings loosened more, unable to focus as his head swam with nauseating disorientation.
“Solar, stop it! Stop it! It’s not worth the trouble!” Brightstar rushed forward in an attempt to jump in but she was tripped up by Sunglow’s extended hind leg that she’d stuck out. The blonde-maned mare sent Brightstar sprawling to the floor, her breath knocked from her lungs.
“Mind your own business, sister! This is between them!” Sunglow stood over Brightstar, scowling viciously, trying to stare Brightstar down.
“Screw you!” Brightstar sucked in a huge gulp of air, forcing her body to move though the pain and still try shoving her way past Sunglow, who used her body to block they way.
For Silverstream this was a nightmare made real, unfolding right in front of her eyes. Even more concerning for her was seeing how Gallus was so caught up in the fury and rage; giving in to those baser instincts, rather than relying more on what they’d learned at the School of Friendship at resolving problems. This was aside of him she’d never seen before. Something about this place, about being part of these trials, seemed to bring out aggressiveness in him and she found a little unsettling.
“Stop! Stop! Oh, please, every pony please stop this fighting!” She vainly waded into the group, trying to get their attention but it was no use. This had gotten way out of control. After that awkward speaking moment in the rec room last night with herself and Gallus, the confrontation with Sunglow in the bathroom right before lights-out, and now her friend getting into a fight on Gallus’ behalf felt like it was becoming too much for her to handle in so short amount of time. The thought of stepping away from the trials had briefly crossed her mind last night but now, in the middle of this fracas, it was looking more like a viable choice.
What would Professor Dash say if she found out there was a fight among the recruits caused by her and Gallus’ presence here at the trials? Would she be in trouble with Commander Spitfire and cause some kind of problem for Head-Mare Twilight?
“Get him, Solar! Sock him in the head!” Gallus yelled, balling up his talons into fists that were trembling with the fury, longing to be the one hitting Wind Raider. The two ponies continued to wrestle around on the floor more, egged on by the catcalls and yelling.
The whole melee lasted maybe a minute or so before Brightstar jumped in, attempting to pull Solar Flare off before some pony was really going to get hurt and in serious trouble.
“Solar, stop it! Stop it! Don’t risk your future at the academy over this muttonhead!” She pried at his forelegs, desperate to get him to let go of the headlock he had Wind Raider in.
It the heat of his anger, Solar Flare was unwilling to relent, so desperate was he to dish out some much-deserved justice onto the legacy ponyand to make himself understood.
“Leave my friends alone, you asshole! Do you hear me?! Leave them alone!” He squeezed Wind Raider’s head tighter, clamped within his forelegs.
WHAM! WHAM!
“Get off me, dipshit!” Wind Raider landed two well-placed punches from his right forehoof into Solar Flare’s ribs, causing the sandy-tan stallion to loosen his grip. Brightstar’s hard pulling on Solar Flare’s forelimbs finally got him to release Wind Raider from his grasp. Solar Flare was panting hard, wincing from Wind Raider’s body hits as Brightstar pulled him back.
Crimson Sky did much the same, finally jumping in to keep Wind Raider apart from Solar Flare when it had gone too far. The legacy pony was still taking swings in the air at Solar Flare after being separated, his fury still at peak level.
“C’mere, punk! I’ll knock your ass into the middle of next week!” Wind Raider fought against Crimson Sky’s restraint, eager to continue.
“Dude, cool it! You made your point, so stop! This is not what we need right now!” He wondered if Wind Raider realized how much he was jeopardizing the plans to get rid of the two volunteers as they had clandestinely worked out last night.
WHAM!
The doors to the barracks swung wildly back on their hinges, slamming against the wall from being violently flung open. The sudden noise and the loud clatter of charging hooves on the wood floor got every flyer’s attention away from the fight and to where the sounds came from. Like a blue flash of lighting, the Wonderbolt instructor tore into the fray.
“What in Tartarus is going on in here?!” Misty Fly’s voice carried over the din, standing now between the two opponents who were being held back by Brightstar and Crimson Sky.
“Atten-tion!” Brightstar shouted out as she let go of Solar Flare, so as to stand at attention. They all snapped to attention, now seeing the Wonderbolt instructor was in the room with them. Wind Raider and Solar Flare stood at attention too, realizing the trouble they were now in.
“You two,” Misty Fly collared Wind Raider and Solar Flare by their jerseys and jerked them both towards her, “are coming with me! Fighting during the trials is a surefire way for any recruit to be ejected! We’re gonna pay the C.O. a little visit in her office and you two can tell her yourself!”
The nightmare kept getting worse for Silverstream. Her good friend was going to get ejected from the trials for standing up for Gallus like he had. It was so unfair! Wind Raider and his friends were the instigators of the whole ordeal!
“Oh, there’s no need for that, ma’am.” Brightstar stepped in closer, trying to avoid any pony from getting in trouble. Interjecting into the situation caused Misty Fly to whip her head around and glare at the recruit.
“What’s that, newbie?!”
“Wha… what I meant is,” Brightstar glanced around at her fellow recruits in the room, trying to come up with some excuse to downplay the whole episode, seeing the looks of quiet desperation of her to come up with anything at that moment, “it… it was just a dumb recruit’s argument, ma’am. That’s all.”
Misty Fly looked about the oddly silent squad room and at the faces of the recruits standing at attention. None of them spoke up to either agree or deny what Brightstar just gave as an explanation. Clearly she had intervened in something they wanted to settle themselves without their instructors intervening.
Against her gut instincts, she’d let it slide for the moment. There was too much going on today and this was just going to compound the headaches for all of the instructors, what with the scheduled meet & greet planned in an hour’s time. She had a backup plan.
“You recruits get your bunks in order and line up for inspection outside in two minutes; move it!” She released Wind Raider and Solar Flare, ordering the recruits into action and watched briefly as they hopped to it, working in silence.She could still sense the unresolved tension in the barracks as she walked outside to await them for inspection.
“C’mon, every pony, let’s get to it!” Brightstar used her wings to corral her friends away from the others, not looking back or making eye contact with Wind Raider’s crew as she did. The last thing she wanted to happen was having any of her friends ejected because they lost their cool and acted rashly.
For Misty Fly, this ruckus was an affirmation of something she had been concerned about. Over the past few days, she and her fellow ‘Bolt instructors had noted in their reviews and write-ups about how the recruits interacted with the hippogriff and griffon who were participating with them. To the instructor’s relief, the majority of recruits seemed positive and welcoming to this change. But there were signs of problems with some recruits who had made their displeasure known. What had ignited this particular outburst between two of them was unknown and she would have to keep a closer eye on this group for the remainder of the trials.
I’d better let Dash and Soarin know what happened this morning first. Maybe together we can come up with a way of telling Spitfire without her losing her cool over it. Worse, that spy from Central Command was watching the whole time and who knows what else that might had happened before I got in there.
With any luck, the whole incident would stay quiet and out of any official record.
=====*****=====
“Dismissed!” Misty Fly blew her whistle, releasing them from morning inspection after giving them the ‘once over’ three times about what she’d witnessed. She made sure every recruit was in a fresh jersey and looking presentable, ordering a few of them to straighten up their sloppy manes and tails before heading over to the mess hall.
The BFFs stood by the doors to the barracks, awaiting some their group to reemerge from being sent back inside by their instructor.
“I’m hungry.” Gallus bemoaned having to wait for Silverstream and Razzle Dazzle to come back. Even from over here, he could smell the odors of this morning’s meal wafting wonderfully over from the campus’ kitchen. His stomach gave a growl.
“They’ll be just a minute longer, Gallus.” Firebolt said with a yawn, stretching out her forelegs once more.
“So, how’d it go last night? Did you ask her to be your lead pony?” Nightflight had forgotten to ask before lights out, remembering his talk with Cloudy Sky before going to the rec room together.
“I spent the whole time before the tournament talking with Harmony Blues and her friends but couldn’t get a moment alone with her to ask.” Cloudy Sky sheepishly confessed, wishing he’d been bolder in the time he had.
“Why didn’t you just ask her then? You would have looked twenty percent cooler and confident if you’d asked in front of her friends. It’s a gusty guy that asks a girl in front of her friends; being bold.” Nightflight thought he’d gotten Cloudy Sky prepped for his chance with his pep talk and advice.
“I... I just wasn’t sure if I could handle her rejecting my asking in front of them. I guess I had a case of ‘cold hooves’.” Cloudy Sky couldn’t help feel intimidated to ask Harmony Blues to be his lead pony.
She was probably three years older than him and a very talented flyer that expertly showed him that she had the skills to back up her stories of winning all those flight competitions. Not to mention Harmony Blues was a very pretty mare. But what made his heart feel like there were a million little needles pricking at it and made it a little harder to breathe was listening when she spoke. Her words sounded like musical notes hanging loftily in the air, caressing his ears with its melodic tones.
“You’ve got maybe an hour this morning to ask her before we’re going out on the field. Make it your priority to find her and ask her, regardless of who’s around.” Nightflight wanted Cloudy Sky to get in to the academy and knew his friend needed an exceptional partner who could help him. Asking Harmony Blues to be his lead pony was his best chance.
“Right. Top priority; ask Harmony.” Cloudy Sky took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind and relax for when he saw Harmony Blues again. No fancy leading up or anything; just come right out as ask her.
“Here they come.” Brightstar spotted the two they were waiting for through the barracks’ windows, heading their way towards the doors.
“We’re back! We-e-he-e-e!” Razzle Dazzle gave a leap in the air and fluttered her wings happily, flittering in the air for a moment in celebration of her new mane ‘do. Her friends took notice of the change.
“Wow! Check out her mane!” Firebolt liked the change Razzle Dazzle had made, pleased to see her friend maybe taking the trials a bit more serious now with keeping her mane under control.
“How’d you do that?” Brightstar wanted a closer look, impressed with the detailed work. Razzle Dazzle shook her head a little with a girlish giggle, making the long braded strands shimmy.
“I did it for her. She asked me to braid it so it wouldn’t get in her face so much when she flies. What do you think of my handiwork?” Silverstream was pleased with the end results, able to help get her friend’s somewhat abundantly curly mane into a manageable form.
“I think it suits you; very stylish.” Brightstar gave an approving nod, having observed Razzle Dazzle struggle with flying because of her mane getting in her face and blocking her eyes several times.
“I think we’d best get moving. I’d like to have as much time to eat as possible before heading out this morning. It’s going to be a long one so we’d best be ready.” Solar Flare rubbed the side of his head once more, tenderly feeling around the spot where Wind Raider and head-butted him a short time ago during their fight. His head still rang a little from the blow and he could feel a small lump had formed on the impact spot. With an aspirin or two, he was sure to be fine.
Together they made their way over to the mess hall, talking quietly among them and following after the other recruits and family members who had come for the meet and greet. Though they were in some low spirits after this morning’s trouble, the sight of seeing some of their fellow recruits happily joined by their families did perk them up a little. They were about to enter the mess hall when, in the middle of the conversation she was having with Nightflight, Razzle Dazzle blurted out her sudden revelation.
“Hey, I haven’t tried my magic on a hippogriff yet to see if it worked!”
“Wait, your what?” Nightflight thought he misheard her, thrown off the conversation by her inexplicable change in subject.
“My magic.” She stated simply and proudly, confusing some of her friends.
Gallus slapped his left grip of talons against his forehead, eyes rolling at yet another delay. “Oh, not this shtick again!”
“What magic?” Solar Flare had no idea what she was talking about. Razzle Dazzle was all too happy to explain.
“My material grandfather was a unicorn so I must have some real unicorn magic inside me. I’ve been trying to tap into it ever since was a little filly.” She was all smiles, getting to tell the rest of her friends her big secret. “Once I figure out how to tap into my power, I’m going to mush it together with my flying so I can do even fancier trick moves.”
Razzle Dazzle’s friends found her explanation rather odd and confusing with Cloudy Sky pointing out the obvious fact.
“But, Razzle, you don’t have a unicorn horn. How can you use magic?”
“It’s naturally inside me, silly. I’ll show you.” Razzle Dazzle turned to Silverstream standing next to her. “Would you allow me to try to read your mind?” The question, asked quite innocently by her friend, caught Silverstream so off guard that it actually intrigued her to see if Razzle Dazzle could.
“Uh, okay. So, what do I have to do?” Silverstream was willing to give her friend a chance to showcase her magical talents. What harm could there be?
“Hope she doesn’t zap your brains if it works this time.” The griffon couldn’t help himself to take a dig at the silliness of this exercise, smirking. Nightflight stifled a small chuckle from the comment, getting the griffon’s intended joke.
“Gallus, that not nice.” Silverstream gently called him out; reminding him he shouldn’t make fun.
“Here, just stand in front of me and I’ll try to read your thoughts.” Razzle Dazzle gently positioned her hippogriff friend to stand with her back to the rising sun. Razzle Dazzle explained; “I want to absorb Celestia’s morning sun energy to help boost my magic power.”
“Uh, Razzle, I… I don’t think…” Cloudy Sky was about to say something but he was stopped by a gentle tap on his withers from Firebolt, giving him a silent headshake and quick hoof-wave, indicating to Cloudy Sky that he was wasting his time.
“Ohm-m-m-m-m-m-m-m.” Razzle Dazzle began, closing her eyes and rubbing temples to first clear her mind. Finally ready, she opened her eyes and looked deeply into the eyes of her subject, as if to peer into the hippogriff’s mind and read her thoughts. She drew in closer to Silverstream’s face, her eyes widening more and staring intently as the tip of her muzzle just touched the tip of Silverstream’s beak.
“Concentrating… concentrating… it will come to me…” Razzle Dazzle rubbed her temples again, focusing her mind’s energy even more on Silverstream, trying to reach some higher plain of awareness.
Silverstream stood perfectly still, wondering what was going to happen if Razzle Dazzle was successful. Could a pegisus really read another creature’s mind?
“This is ridiculous. Can’t we eat now?” Gallus was watching the number of recruits getting on the chow line inside the mess hall ahead of them. His stomach grumbled again, complaining about the delay. He’d seen this act before. It was going to be a repeat outcome.
“Ohm-m-m-m-m-m….” The brightly colored mare scrunched her muzzle a little and squinted more, as if trying to force her brainwaves to penetrate her subject.
“Any idea on how long it takes?” Solar Flare assumed there would be some kind of big, splashy burst of magic light when it happened.
“I’ve… no idea. I didn’t know she could mind-read.” Brightstar shrugged a bit at the show in front of them, just as bewildered.
“Um-m-m-mm…. nope! I couldn’t sense anything coming from you.” Razzle Dazzle gave up with a smile, seemingly unconcerned by her lack of success of accessing her magic.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Would it have helped if I had concentrated on you in return?” Silverstream wondered if it might have made some kind of difference.
“Razzle, have you ever successfully read another creature’s mind?” Solar Flare had never heard of any pony being able to do that, except real unicorns that used very powerful magic.
“Um, no, I’ve tried a whole bunch of times on other ponies but this week was the first time I’ve tried with a griffon and a hippogriff. I was sure I’d make some kind of breakthrough by now.”
“So, how many more ponies do you have to try with before actually being able to read their minds? Is there some kind of minimum threshold or something?” Nightflight was lost on just why she would keep doing this after zero success in so many moons.
“I just have to keep trying at it until I find the right subject. You know what they say: persistence pays off, except for when it doesn’t. Great words to live by!”
Her friends thought it sweet but strange for her to believe she could read minds like that. Anyone of them would have given up long ago.
“Now can we go eat?” Gallus whined a bit louder this time, physically getting behind them and moving them along with his wings towards the door at last. They entered the mess hall, greeted to a mixture of newer and current recruits and their family members who were sitting and eating together in the mess hall or standing on the chow line.
“Wow, it’s pretty full up in here.” Firebolt scanned the room for any seats, not finding more than one or two unoccupied at the moment.
“Do you think we’ll find someplace to eat in time? I’m hungry too. I don’t want to do the trials today on an empty stomach.” In spite the troubles they had this morning back in the barracks, Silverstream knew this day was going to be challenging and wanted to be ready for the workout ahead.
“Solar! Son, over here!” The friends turned to the left to see, emerging from on the chow line, a chestnut-colored stallion hurrying to where they stood.
“Dad!” Solar Flare was grinning as he charged right over to hug his dad with affection, buoyed by seeing him here. “You made it.” Solar Flare quickly looked about his father and the mess hall. “Where’s mom and Nebula? Didn’t they come too?”
“Your mom couldn’t get away from her job today on such short notice and your sister has to study for mid-terms next week. But your ol’ dad made it here!” He gave his strapping son a fatherly mussing up of his mane, smiling and laughing, getting his son to relax and be happy. Solar Flare laughed right along, flipping back his mane.
“So, are these members of your flight squad?” The elder stallion nodded towards the group of flyers who were hanging back, all of them smiling and watching. Getting to meet Solar Flare’s dad was a welcome ray of sunlight on this rather gloomy start of their day for the BFFs.
“These are my friends. I want you to meet-”
“Perhaps you could kindly do more than just one introduction for your father.” A strawberry-roan mare with an accompanying bay stallion walked right up to the duo of father and son, momentarily stopping them with her request.
“Mom! Dad!” Brightstar gasped as she rushed over to embrace her parents, not expecting to see them so soon.
“How’s my little Twinkles doing? Knocking those instructors out with your amazing flying, I’ll bet.” Her dad doted over her more, cupping her muzzle in his forehooves and loving the chance to see his darling daughter again.
“Da-a-a-a-d! I thought we talked about not using that name in public, especially around my friends!” She groaned with expected daughterly protest of him using one of his pet names for her so brazenly. That only encouraged him more.
“Twinkle, twinkle, my Brightstar. Oh how lovely, yes you are. Up among the clouds so high, shining brightly in the sky.” Her dad sweetly sang as he embraced his only offspring again.
“Sweet Luna’s moon!” Brightstar’s swore as her cheeks seared red with embarrassment, hearing some of her friends snickering and choking back laughter. Even her mom was tittering. He finally let go of his only child to look on her admiringly once more. Trying to regain some semblance of respectability from her overly loving father, she and Solar Flare made introductions of their families to their friends, some for the first time and some reacquainting.
“Oh, Twinkles, is it now?” It was too delicious of a moment to let by and Gallus simply couldn’t help himself, sliding over a few steps closer to where Brightstar stood to tease her, a sloppy grin plastered on his beak. Annoyed, she gave him a soft verbal slap down for being a smart-ass griffon right then.
“Clap that beak shut and don’t go there, birdy-boy!” the tip of a primary feather on the end of her right wing just grazed the end of his bony facial protrusion that was grinning so stupidly back at her. Wisely, he backed off; getting to have some fun at Brightstar’s expense and helping everyone else forget about what happened this morning in the barracks. Brightstar’s mom came to her daughter’s rescue from the embarrassing moment.
“Your father has some business on base to take care of so I tagged along today. He’s going to eat with us before his meeting with the school staff.”
“It would be nice if you both could stay for the meet and greet with the Wonderbolts. We can have a little bit more time together or at least, watch us warm up for our trial this morning.” Brightstar straightened out the wrinkles from her jersey, recuperated from her father’s affectionate display.
With her father on the road so much as a sales-pony, she didn’t get many long stretches of time with him. But when their times coincided, getting to share one of her passions with him brought them closer. There was nothing more than he enjoyed when home then catching up with all she had been doing since they’d last been together.
“Sunstorm Blaze; it’s very nice to make everyone’s acquaintance here.” He made sure to shake every flyer’s wing, glad to meet them but was momentarily startled to find both a griffon and a hippogriff here at the trials.
“This is Gallus and Silverstream; Wonderbolt Rainbow Dash brought them along from Princess Twilight’s School of Friendship to participate in the trials.” Solar Flare made sure to clue his dad in on the details. Sunstorm Blaze greeted each of the youngsters with a wing shake and a smile.
“It very nice to meet you.”
“Gallus is my wing partner for the trials. He’s a real ace flyer, as good as any pony recruit here. I’m lucky to have him as my wing.” Solar Flare wasn’t the bragging type. He spoke honestly about Gallus. All the recruits had seen Gallus’ scores posted on the bulletin board; he was right in the thick of the top rank of flyers.
“I’m glad to hear that, son. I knew it was going to be tough to find a partner you could work with. Does he have your back?”
Gallus stepped forward, standing proudly next to his lead pony. “We’ve got each other’s back, sir.” Solar Flare put a foreleg around Gallus’ neck, hanging on to his friend like an old schoolmate, smiling.
“That’s what I like to here!” Sunstorm Blaze felt surer of his son getting into the academy now then at the beginning of the trials. Seeing his son partnered with a flyer that was both capable and a trusted friend put his mind more at ease. This was not like flight companions his son entered in; there was no second place award. It was pass or fail for every recruit.
“Sterling Morning; it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The mare greeted Solar Flare’s dad with a wing-shake.
“Likewise, I’m sure.” Sunstorm Blaze then turned to first accept a business card from the stallion standing next to Sterling Morning before being vigorously wing-shook with an overly friendly greeting before being hit with the pitch.
“Swiftwind; head sales pony for the Little-Giant Cloud-Making Machine Company of Saddlesore Junction. Are you in the need of a new-”
“Honey, please.” Sterling Morning stopped her husband from, once again, launching into his sales-pitch whenever meeting new ponies. He corrected himself, spotting his daughter shaking her head with this look of ‘please don’t do that’ all over her muzzle, wishing he would not give in to those natural sales-pony instincts so easily.
“Pardon me; just a bit anxious about my big meeting later.” He gave a nervous laugh for forgetting himself like that. Sunstorm Blaze smiled and waved away the gaff.
Sterling Morning had told her husband about both Gallus and Silverstream attending this season’s trials. But for Sunstorm Blaze, it was quite unexpected.
“This was something of a surprise to find at this year’s trials. Apparently the academy is attempting to make the opportunity of entry available to more creatures that can fly. Quite the change, wouldn’t you say?” Sterling Morning was curious as to what another parent thought about this, her attention turning to the collection of young pegisi standing with the two non-pony flyers.
“You know,” he scratched his head with a forehoof when contemplating his point to make, “I’ve wondered about in all the years of the academy’s existence why a griffon hadn’t tried before, or have they? I don’t know so I really couldn’t say about such things.” Sunstorm Blaze then looked at Gallus, giving the griffon an approving nod and wink. “But I’m glad at least one’s here teamed with my son. I’ve got my hooves crossed in luck for them.”
Hearing Sunstorm Blaze’s approval gave Gallus’ confidence a nice boost. He was eager to put on a show today and demonstrate how good he and Solar Flare were going to be.
Having only read recently of the return of hippogriffs after their many moons of self-isolation in the local newspaper, Sunstorm Blaze never suspected to find one here during the trials. “Please excuse my unfamiliarity,” he politely addressed Silverstream, “I’ve never met-”
“-a hippogriff before.” Silverstream finished the sentence with an easy smile, having heard it spoken to her no less than a dozen times by various other parents, recruits and cadets. They gave a small chuckle at her anticipation of what was about to be said. Suddenly, there was a sharp gasp from one of the BFFs.
“Silverstream, you can read another pony’s mind?!” Razzle Dazzle rushed to stand in front of her friend, beaming with delight. “Maybe our attempt triggered something in you instead! Here, let’s try once more but this time-”
“Oh, no, no, no! We’re not going to waste our time with that again! Once today is enough!” Gallus swiftly interjected, putting a stop to this. He was going to eat this morning no matter who’s pony hooves he was going to step on to do it.
“What is your friend talking about?” Sterling Morning looked to any of her daughter’s friends for an answer.
“We’ll explain over breakfast, ma’am.” Firebolt wondered what her friend’s parents were going to say when hearing of what Razzle Dazzle believed she could do.
“Let’s try to find some seats so we can all sit together and eat. There’s a lot to tell how we’re doing.” Solar Flare was eager to tell his dad and Brightstar’s parents how the trials were going. Cloudy Sky stuck his head inside the mess hall, looking about to see how crowded it was. Some of the cadets, recruits and their families had finished and were heading for the exit, but it still was quite full.
“Why don’t some of us wait here and keep an eye open for some seats while the rest of us get on line? That way if a table is-”
“Cloudy! Sweetheart, over here!” A mare’s voice called to him from somewhere close by, interrupting Cloudy Sky’s sentence. The friends all turned about to look from where the voice came from amid the collection of bodies in the hallway that were moving to and from the cafeteria area and mess hall.
“Over there.” Nightflight pointed to the three ponies moving towards them from the far end of the hallway, smiling happily at the sight of the group of recruits. Cloudy Sky moved out in front, surprised to see who was heading their way.
“Mom! Dad! Sis! You’re here!” He rushed over to greet them all with a huge hug, elated to see them. His friends followed slowly after, allowing Cloudy Sky a few moments with his family.
For the BFFs, the morning was becoming brighter still with the appearance of still another of their members’ family. The incident in the barracks this morning receded still further in their minds.
“How’re you doin’, son? Hangin’ in there with those hot shots, are ya’?!” The big dark-gray stallion with midnight blue mane and tail held his whole family within the protective folds of his wings.
“I missed you, Cloudy!” The small pale-yellow pegasus filly held onto Cloudy Sky, her forelegs wrapped tightly around his body and so happy to see her big brother after three days.
“Oh, just look at my future superstar; looking so dashing in his Wonderbolt uniform!” The gold-yellow mare with the wispy brown mane and tail simply glowed with motherly pride when stepping out from her husband’s embrace to admire her son dressed in a crisp Wonderbolt jersey.
“Wait, how is it you’re here? You said you were coming at the end of the week when the trials were over.” As happy as he was to see them right then, Cloudy Sky knew something was amiss.
“We couldn’t see you off when you left Nimbusville so when we got the notification from the academy about the meet and greet, your mother and I used a vacation day up to come. We wanted to see how things were going.” Stormy Sky was very proud to see his son was still in the running and hadn’t been eliminated. He knew how much his son wanted to go to this school.
“But…but that’s your anniversary vacation to Las Pegasus! You’ve been planning to go on that trip for, like, forever!” Cloudy Sky felt his heart grow heavy with the revelation of what his parents sacrificed to make this visit possible. This was something his parents had talked about doing and saving up their gold bits for as long as he could remember. It was supposed to be a special time for them. He and his sister were to say at their aunt’s house in the countryside this summer while his parents were away for that week.
“So it’ll be six days and five nights. No big deal.” Stormy Sky wanted his son to relax and not worry about it. Cloudy needed to stay focused.
Sunny Sky reached out to caress the side of her son’s muzzle with a forehoof in the way only a mom could, soothing him with her touch. When she looked at him with those loving amber eyes of hers, Cloudy Sky knew his mom was speaking from her heart.
“Nothing is more important to us than to watch you reach for your dreams, Cloudy. We wanted to be here to tell you how proud we are.”
Cloudy Sky reached out to hug his parents, his blue eyes tearing up and his breath coming a little quicker. “I love you all so much! Thank you for being here for me!” He made sure to say it just loud enough for them to hear but not enough to have any of his friends hear him get all ‘mushy’ with parents. But he couldn’t deceive his friends. Even from afar they could tell just from the body language that this was something very personal and special for Cloudy Sky to have his family here.
Sunny Sky turned her head to see the group of recruits and family members her son had been standing with now coming over to join them. “Oh,” she got her son’s attention away from his little sister, “are these some of the flight teams you’re with?”
“These are my new friends! C’mon, I want you to meet them!” He hastily rubbed away the tears with the back of a foreleg and eagerly tugged at his mom’s foreleg to come with him. His dad and little sister followed right after. Off to one end of the corridor away from the gathered ponies on the chow line, Cloudy Sky got to make the introduction.
“Mom and dad, I’d like you to meet Firebolt, Solar Flare, Brightstar, Gallus-”
“E-e-e-e-e! A princess!” A shrill young filly’s voice pierced the air, making a loud declaration of discovery. A streak of yellow color flashed past Cloudy Sky as he watched his sister rocketing directly for Silverstream.
“Princess! Princess! Princess!” Breezy Sky squealed loudly with delight as she hopped up and down, almost going ‘fan-girl’ at whom, or more correctly, what was now standing less than a yard in front of her. Stormy and Sunny Sky looked momentarily embarrassed by their daughter’s rather sudden and odd proclamation as they went around introducing themselves to Brightstar’s mom and dad as well as Solar Flare’s father before getting to their overstimulated child.
“Stormy Sky; it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The stallion gave the young flyers all a smile when greeting them and a quick wave.
“Sunny Sky; it’s wonderful to see you all working together like this; being such good friends of Cloudy’s.” This was something she had hoped for her son, glad to see Cloudy was coming more out his shyness and making new friends.
“I wasn’t aware other creatures were trying out for the academy now.” Sunny Sky was surprised to see, not only a griffon here, but also one of those hippogriffs that just reemerged from hiding relatively recently from the southern Celestial Sea.
Cloudy Sky was eager to introduce Gallus and Silverstream as his friends to his family. “Oh, yeah, it’s something new the academy is trying. One of the Wonderbolts from Ponyville brought Gallus and Silverstream along.”
Stormy Sky stepped forward to first address Silverstream, embarrassed a little by his child’s behavior. “Please, forgive my daughter’s enthusiasm.”
“Sweetheart, what are you talking about?” Stormy Sky crouched down to talk with his overstimulated daughter.
“Remember, daddy? Remember? In Canterlot; at the really big parade we went to! The seapony queen came to meet the pony princesses!” Breezy Sky was beside herself with glee, standing wide-eyed so close to a real princess and trembling slightly in excitement.
“Pbth! Yeah right, kid! A princess.” Firebolt dismissed the claim with a wave of a forehoof, as if too ridiculous to be possible. Silverstream wasn’t a princess.
“Who’s a princess?” Razzle Dazzle was pulled back into the conversation away from the bee buzzing around the ceiling that must have gotten trapped inside from flying in through an open door or window.
“Silverstream, do you have any idea what she going on about?” Brightstar watched as Cloudy Sky’s little sister simply bubbled over with unbridled excitement.
For a moment, Silverstream felt on-the-spot about where she was from and who she was. But then quickly recalled what this little filly was carrying on about; the visit to Canterlot and celebration exactly one week after the Strom King’s defeat.
“Oh wait,” Silverstream gave them an easy wave of her talons and laughing a little, “that was Princess Skystar on the float you watched with Queen Novo my aunt, not me. Every ‘griff gets me and her mixed up because Skystar’s my cousin and are so much alike that-”
Silverstream suddenly slapped all her foreleg talons over her beak, clapping it shut, realizing what she accidently just revealed about herself. All of her friends did a double-take when hearing what she said.
“Wait, what?” Firebolt suddenly pulled in closer to her hippogriff friend, looking right in Silverstream’s eyes with some disbelief.
“Did… did you just say…?” Solar Flare didn’t finish the question; the look in Silverstream’s eyes answered it for him. His dad was just as stunned by what he heard.
“Yeah, I… I think she just did, son.” Sunstorm Blaze was pretty sure she said what she said.
“Woah!” Nightflight, too, was speechless, only stating the obvious about the magnitude of what was just revealed. That was about the last thing he was expecting to hear this morning.
“That’s nice. Oh, there’s that poor bee again…” Razzle Dazzle gave Silverstream a happy smile for her stature as princess before the small buzzing insect got her attention away, flying right past her nose. An awkward silence hung among the gathered flyers and family members, still processing this piece of seemingly impossible news.
“Oops.” Silverstream barely squeaked out, her cover blown and looking like a thief caught in the act.
“Wait, you… you mean you’re… you’re like…” Cloudy suddenly became overwhelmed by his new perception of Silverstream, the realization that he was practicing flying with seapony royalty, “…like…like… like Princess Twilight?!” His little sister let out another loud squeal of delight that could have shattered glass.
“See?! I told you! I told you! A seapony princess! A seapony princess!” Breezy Sky was quickly yanked down to bow before Silverstream properly by her mother; it was disrespectful to act like that to a princess. Sunny Sky could barely keep her daughter still. Breezy would not stop giggling and squirming. Stormy Sky as well as Sunstorm Blaze did the same, showing proper respect to a princess.
“Oh, no, please every pony, please don’t do that!” Silverstream quietly begged them to stop as she went about and tried raising them up to cease their bowing. It was attracting some unwanted attention as well from a few cadets nearby who heard Breezy’s loud proclamation.
Reluctantly, the respectful ponies did as she requested, unsure why a princess of another country didn’t want her due courtesy.
“Is… it true? You are a seapony princess?” Solar Flare was reluctant to ask, unsure what to believe just then about his new friends.
Not wanting more unnecessary attention than they already garnered, Silverstream and Gallus hustled their friends and family members right around the corner to the adjacent hallway that led to the quartermaster’s office and the two locker rooms they used, near to the gymnasium.
“Will some pony tell me what all this secrecy is about?” Nightflight did not understand why Silverstream and Gallus moved them further away from the other recruits, getting corralled around the corner like this.
“Yes, I think you’d better.” Brightstar wasn’t taking this lightly; this simple omission made by Silverstream was nothing short of a bombshell. Had her new flight student been deceiving her all this time?
Silverstream looked about her friends, confronted with a situation she’d hoped to avoid, seeing the questioning looks directed at her. Silverstream took a deep breath and began.
“Yes, Princess Skystar is my cousin and Queen Novo is my aunt. So, in a… funny, small sense,” Silverstream tried to diminish her royal credentials, “I am part of the royal family. But, I’m not in line for the throne or anything like that!”
She wanted so much to be treated like every other flyer here trying out and not like some diplomat or special envoy in spite of the aggravation given to her and Gallus by Wind Raider and his group of friends. She wanted to have the same experience they would and did not want to be given preferential treatment. When she looked at Cloudy Sky, he kept looking down at the floor, as if unworthy to look at her. As she stepped closer to him, he took a step back, intimidated by her. Silverstream could almost feel an invisible wall go up brick by brick with each passing second, separating them by social status.
“Cloudy… Cloudy, please look at me.” She reached out to him, feeling his friendship slipping away because he discovered she was a princess. He struggled to do as she asked, allowing himself only the most modest glance up at her.
“Ye… yes, Princess Silverstream.” Cloudy Sky’s voice cracked a little with nerves, more than a little unsure of how to address her now. Silverstream dreaded the thought of Cloudy Sky putting her up on some pedestal of unimaginable grand magnitude of importance.
“Please don’t call me that, Cloudy. We’re friends.”
“Let me get this straight,” Firebolt tried to wrap her head around this fact, “you’re a real princess of Seaquestria and you never told us?”
“But I’m still the same girl you knew two minutes ago!” Silverstream insisted to them all, seeing a myriad of reactions to her confession.
“Yeah, but with power!” Firebolt thrust high into the air her left forehoof in an expression of mightiness or triumph while wrapping her right foreleg around her friend’s neck, momentarily startling Silverstream. Firebolt gasped softly, an idea striking her and she suddenly turned to face Silverstream, her muzzle mashed up against her partner’s beak as she looked right in the hippogriff’s eyes.
“With you as a princess,” her green eyes started to gleam, “you could ask Queen Novo to help get us all into the academy! She could apply some political influence to the school administrators, if you know what I mean, eh?” She gave Silverstream a gentle jab in her ribs with a foreleg elbow and a quick wink, an ever-so-slightly oily smile on her mouth to convey the implied meaning.
“Silverstream,” Brightstar stepped closer to address the flight student she’d been mentoring, “you lied to me; to all of us?” Firebolt let go of her partner, still taking in the gravity of what Brightstar was saying.
“No-o-o! I swear I didn’t! I… I just…” Silverstream looked around at all the faces of her friends and their families again, nervously running her foreleg talons through her mane-like crest and feeling like a charlatan for not being forthright with them from the beginning.
“I just… didn’t… tell the whole truth.” Her voice became smaller as she attempted to explain herself.
Brightstar then turned to face Gallus. “And, I’ll assume, you knew this all along but weren’t going to say anything, right?”
Gallus suddenly felt unusually warm in his uniform. “Well,” he pulled on the collar of his jersey, finding it a bit too tight just then, “Silverstream hadn’t bothered to mention it in conversation yet, so-o-o… I just figured… she would at some point or another. I mean, we all became such fast friends that I thought it wouldn’t matter.”
That was a pretty poor excuse to use for keeping such information from close friends and partners like them. Both Solar Flare and Nightflight looked on, wondering about their friendships with the two non-pony flyers and how they felt deceived by them when they had been open and honest from the beginning with them.
“You couldn’t trust us to keep something as important as you being a princess of Seaquestria under wraps?” Nightflight had admired Silverstream and Gallus’ raw skills and adaptability to the trials but felt for some reason put off by the secrecy they’d kept. Maybe it didn’t seem like all that much to either Silverstream or Gallus, but to him and the BFFs, it felt like Silverstream was playing them for simpletons or something.
Solar Flare had similar feelings. “We wouldn’t have told a soul your secret, Silverstream. I thought we were all friends here.”
Brightstar took a couple of steps back to stand closer to her parents, still looking at Silverstream and Gallus, upset by this deception. “Heck, who knows what else they’re not telling us or lying to us about. Maybe they’re spies or something for their kingdoms; a couple of infiltrators using the School of Friendship as a front and just posing as friends.”
“Oh, come now Twinkles, you’ve been reading too many of those wacky conspiracy-theory magazines in your spare time. I think you’re being a little paranoid.” Swiftwind found it very hard to believe a team member of the Wonderbolts would have knowingly brought a couple of ‘spies’ to this school’s tryouts, especially if they were students from the School of Friendship.
“She’s a princess from another country, for Celestia’s sake. I think it’s quite remarkable she decided to take part in…” Sunny Sky searched for the right words, “…I guess a kind of cultural exchange experience.”
“Why would two neighboring ally nations send spies to this flight school, of all places anyway? That doesn’t make much sense to me.” Sunstorm Blaze tapped his chin with a forehoof while contemplating what the young lady had said.
“Heavens, no! We’re not spies! It’s like we told you, Gallus and I are going to give a presentation at the School of Friendship about our experience here when we return. Princess Twilight herself asked us as part of a new friendship lesson.” Silverstream did not want such assumptions made about her or why she was attending the tryouts.
“Silverstream is telling the truth. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have brought us if she believed having us here would’ve presented some kind of danger to the academy or to the other recruits.” Gallus was unwilling to be accused like that, not even from a friend. He looked back at Brightstar just as hard and tough, standing his ground.
“Wait, so,” Swiftwind tried to understand the situation, “you two aren’t trying out for the Wonderbolt Academy?”
“Well, er….no, we’re not, but-” Gallus tried to explain but Solar Flare jumped in to help.
“Firebolt, myself and ever pony else here had talked about writing a letter to the Board of Trustees that, if Gallus and Silverstream completed the trials that the school should consider both of them for acceptance.”
“Really son? You feel that strongly about it?” Sunstorm Blaze knew his son was not one to get behind a cause or become a cheerleader for something unless Solar Flare felt it was something important. His son turned to look up at him.
“Absolutely, dad. If any of you get the chance,” he then looked to Cloudy Sky’s family and then Brightstar’s, “check the scores for all the recruits. You’ll see how well they’re doing. I can’t see a reason why they couldn’t be accepted.”
“You feel the same way, Twinkles?” Swiftwind looked down at his daughter, getting her to look up at him, trying to read her feelings, in spite of the revelation of Silverstream’s pedigree and how she had kept it hidden.
“Well,” Brightstar paused to consider her words carefully, “I thought I could rely my instincts about sizing up a flyer’s character,” She then turned to face the two volunteers, eyeing them with suspicion. “but now after learning this, I’m not so sure.”
Silverstream was going to set the record straight with her mentor, aware of how much Brightstar invested time and effort with her and had been first to volunteer to help. She walked right up to Brightstar, holding her friend where she stood as Silverstream looked directly in her eyes as she spoke.
“I wasn’t honest with you and that was wrong of me. I didn’t trust my instincts and confide in you,” she then looked at all the other BFFs, “or any of you. I apologize for not being forthright with you.”
When she looked again at Brightstar, Silverstream could see the yellow mare’s expression soften some, seeing and hearing how much she’d meant what she said.
“I suspected something was up by the way you sidestepped my question when we were sitting together in class.”
“I was just worried you’d treat me different; like not wanting to push me hard for fear of getting me upset.” Silverstream felt better when finally getting this off her chest and not having any more secrets between herself and her pony friends.
Hearing all this, Firebolt quickly came to the conclusion that for her, it really was a non-issue for Silverstream to be a seapony or hippogriff princess. If anything, it brought Silverstream closer to her, each sharing another secret between them.
Silverstream turned to look over at Cloudy Sky, seeing him repeatedly avert his eyes when she looked at him; like he was beneath her recognition and how he bowed his head to her when she approached, his whole body seemingly tensing up while in her presence. This was upsetting for Silverstream to see him so unnerved by being near her.
“Cloudy? We’re… we’re still friends, aren’t we?”
“But…you’re… like… some pony important… a real-life princess and… and… and I’m just no pony.” He put himself down in front of them all, including his family. Silverstream couldn’t stand to hear him belittle himself, not after all the hard work he put into his training and how close they’d become as friends.
“No, you’re not no-pony! You’re some-pony and a member of the BFFs. You’re also my good friend, Cloudy, don’t ever forget that.” She reached out to hold him gently by his withers with her talons, encouraging him to stop looking at the floor and look her in the eyes again. Silverstream could see he was struggling, having trouble separating the friend from the ‘royal princess’ standing before him.
A real princess of another country wanted to be his friend. How much cooler could that be?
“Really? You… you mean it?” It felt like too much of a dare to ask her if it was true, but it was just so unimaginable to him, allowing himself to meet her gaze. She held him steady with those lavender eyes of hers.
She could almost feel that invisible wall, as quickly as it had been erected between them instantly come tumbling down with understanding of how much his friendship mattered to her. She wanted to be his friend.
“I wouldn’t trade your friendship for all the gold bits in the world.” She watched as his whole body relaxed instantly and that familiar smile of his returned, only for them both to suddenly recoil back in shock at the sheer volume of his little sister’s high pitch squeal of delight.
“Cloudy’s best friends with a seapony princess! Cloudy’s best friends with a seapony princess!” Breezy Sky was beside herself with excitement, prancing wildly in place like an over-stimulated fan-girl.
Silverstream decided to have a little fun and sent Breezy Sky over the top. She leaned over to talk with Cloudy Sky’s little sister. “And having a big brother whose friends with a seapony princess could lead a visit to my home in Seaquestria. Would you like that?” She gave Breezy Sky a quick wink.
That was it. Breezy Sky lost it, falling over on her side and squealing with joy at the prospect of actually getting to see Seaquestria. Her parents tried to get their daughter to compose herself while their son looked expectedly mortified by his little sister’s behavior. The tension was broken as everyone got a quick laugh from Breezy Sky’s reaction to Silverstream’s invitation.
“Well,” Nightflight had made up his mind, “I guess Gallus is right. It really doesn’t matter in the end.” He could understand her reasoning to keep her identity under wraps. Maybe he would’ve acted differently at first, thinking he might have not treated her as ‘one of the gang’ and more like a guest of a pony school.
“About what?” Razzle Dazzle looked at her friends, confused by their rather serious looks.
“Uh, about how Silverstream just told us she’s a princess of Seaquestria.” Nightflight clued in the scatterbrained mare about what they’d been talking about for the past few minutes. He shook his head with disbelief at her having her head in the clouds so much of the time.
“Oh, that’s nice. I thought you guys were arguing over which was better for breakfast this morning; pancakes or waffles.” Razzle Dazzle could have sworn that’s what they were last talking about, her stomach giving a small growl.
“Pbth! That’s easy. It’s obviously pancakes!” Solar Flare was thinking about breakfast, feeling much like Nightflight with regards to Silverstream’s actual royal status and how she wished to be treated no differently than before.
He liked both volunteer flyers and could understand their thinking for keeping Silverstream’s identity under wraps. Admittedly, he would’ve liked to known earlier as a sign of trust between them. But, since it was out now and everyone here seemed in agreement to keep quiet on Silverstream’s linage, it wasn’t anything to fuss over really.
“Oh, Please!” Firebolt rolled her eyes, pretending insult. “Pancakes are what you make when you can’t make waffles correctly.”
“Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t all of us continue this round-robin discussion about breakfast while actually eating breakfast?” Solar Flare’s dad pointed out the fact why they were here and really did want to sit and eat with his son and get to know his friends more. Realizing the morning was slipping away and they still had to eat and go to the meet & greet, they started to make their way around the corner and back to the mess hall.
Silverstream and Gallus were so relieved to see how their friends had not held this moment of misjudgment against them. Firebolt again threw a foreleg around Silverstream’s neck once more, grinning broadly.
“Sisters of a feather; stronger together.” Firebolt really meant it, now knowing Silverstream trusted her with the knowledge of her ‘secret identity’ made Firebolt more confident that they were going to blow all the competition away during the trials. There was nothing hiding between them now. She got her lead flyer to smile and laugh a little, everyone now feeling more relaxed then they were earlier.
As the entourage disappeared around the corner, the door to the girl’s locker room gave a low creak as it was slowly opened, a mare recruit’s head emerging cautiously and checking for any more coming from the voices she’d been listening to. The hallway was now clear, no pony aware of her eavesdropping.
“Oh, a seapony princess is she, eh? Little Miss Record-Breaker wants to cosplay being a Wonderbolt recruit and show me up, does she?” Sunglow slipped out an oversized compact from a pocket in her jersey, cradling in a forehoof. She flipped open the lid to check on the round reflective surface that was mounted to the underside, grinning to herself at how well she could get the sun to angle off it and blind any creature flying above her.
“I could’ve taken her out with this before if I didn’t have to be so careful not to get Stormbringer in the process. This time she’s not going to be so lucky. Her freak-beak friend too; I can get rid of him too without Wind Raider’s plan to-”
Sunglow looked down at the mirror, not seeing her reflection but the reflection of another recruit mare standing silently behind her, having heard everything she’d just said. She instantly recognized the pony with the pearly-white coat and silver dapple marks that was glaring very angrily back at her. She had no time to react, gasping softly as it happened too fast.
WHAM! SLAM! CRAK!
The compact was knocked from her forehoof, the glass surface smashing on the hard linoleum flooring into many shards. The heavy wood door of the girl’s locker-room was almost closed on her head as the rush of wind it striking the metal doorframe echoed in the empty room around them. The strike of a hoof upside her head knocked her back into a corner, stunning her and rendering her dizzy for a few seconds. It was all her assaulter needed to make her point.
“Ow! Ow-w-w! Ow-w-w-w, that hurts!” Sunglow whined loudly she felt her long, lustrous blonde mane she’d spent part of this morning quaffing into the most perfect ‘ponytail’ was being pinned very tightly against the wall by the assaulter’s hoof, right up close to her scalp. “Snowblossom, why are-”
“Cram it, bitch!” Snowblossom snarled through her clenched teeth; her muzzle only inches away from Sunglow’s, their eyes locked. She was caught and at this pony’s mercy.
“It was you who slipped something in my cereal during the trial’s first mornings’ meet &greet that sent me to the infirmary for the past two days! You were sitting next to me! You were the only one! I know it was you!”
“I…I don’t know what you’re-” Sunglow’s meek attempt at denial and averting her eyes away from Snowblossom’s scrutiny just angered the white-coated mare more. Snowblossom growled as she pushed down harder on the long tresses she had pinned to the wall, making them pull harder on the roots attached the Sunglow’s head.
“Ow-w-w-w-w-w!” Sunglow whined louder still, her breath coming quicker now, the fear growing as to what was going to happen to her.
“I said cram it, bitch! Quit your whining!” Snowblossom watched as her pray bore the intense pain, a tear collecting in each of Sunglow’s now shut eyes, trying to hang on.
“I don’t know what you and your hoodlum friends are planning, but I’m warning you to leave that nice hippogriff girl and her griffon friend alone. Pull something like what you did this morning again, and I swear you will regret it! You hear me?!” Snowblossom leaned in harder again on the large clump of hair she pinned to the wall, holding Sunglow fast by her mane tightly.
Sunglow knew Snowblossom wasn’t fooling. She’d kept the threat vague enough to make her worried as to what it could be but sure Snowblossom wouldn’t go so far as to try beating her up or something like that.
“I-e-e-e-e-e! Yes! Yes! I get it! Please stop!” Sunglow was at the limit of her endurance. She could feel some hair-strands getting pulled out, pinched off by Snowblossom’s forehoof.
“Don’t hit me!” The pink mare whimpered, fearing retaliation.
“I’m not going to gamble the way Solar Flare did; risk my acceptance in to the academy by acting impulsively chivalrous, even if it was well intended.” Snowblossom suddenly released Sunglow and shoved the pink mare hard into the corner, the back of Sunglow’s head bouncing off the cinderblock wall from the impact. Sunglow yelped at the sudden sharp pain and cowered in the corner as Snowblossom loomed over her, making sure her words were heard.
“You’d best watch your flanks from here on out, Sunglow.” Snowblossom pointed with a forehoof at the pink mare who was recoiling back from her. “Consider yourself warned.” Snowblossom turned away, making sure to stomp the rest of the compact and its mirror into useless trash on her way out from the locker-room, leaving the pathetic Sunglow huddling in the corner. Momentarily stunned and humiliated by the confrontation, Sunglow steeled herself, bent on her plan.
“Bitch, I’ll show you!” Sunglow growled, stomping her hooves as she marched over to a locker among the one used by the cadets. One of her academy mare friends had a locker in here and gave her use of anything she kept in there if Sunglow should need it. With a quick twist of a forehoof, she had it unlocked.
Twelve… thirty-six… nineteen…
Pop!
The combination lock opened for her and Sunglow dug through the possessions of a carry bag, quickly finding what she desired. It wasn’t as large as the last one, but she could still make effective use of it.
“I’ll mess them up good with this today! No pony lays a hoof on me without regretting it!”