How to be awesome in ten seconds flat
Stormheart woke up with a start. What a nightmare. But as he was thinking about his dream, it faded from his memory, gone like a shadow in the light of Celestial sun. He got up and headed for the bathroom. No use in sleeping anymore.
He had breakfast with the Applefamily. Being farm ponies they got up very early indeed to start their morning chores.
The blue pegasus had shed almost half of his feathers overnight. He was so famished, not even Bigmac was competition for his hunger. After the meal he helped clean up and swiped up his shed feathers. It was a bit embarrassing for him to leave them everywhere he went and he did not want to offend anypony with his condition.
It was still early, when he walked with Apple Bloom to the school in Ponyville. She didn't need anypony to walk her to school of course, but Stormheart wanted to get to the village anyway to write those letters he didn't get around to write the day before.
On their way he told her about his dream of the Crusaders and the Lady Of The Forest he had had the other day. The thought of that made the filly giggle in excitement.
“That's just like one of the stories of the Knights of Equestria. Bringing peace to the land before the reign of the princesses.” she exclaimed.
“Yea! Starswirl the Bearded and the Knights Of The Roundtable. They drove the Hydra back into the swamp, freed enslaved ponies from the dogs and defeated dragons at chess. Those were always my favorite!” the blue colt told her grinning widely.
They told each other their favorite tales about the legendary heroes till they reached the school building. Knights of Equestria. That sure had a nice ring too it. Maybe they could rename their secret society once their crusade for their cutie marks was at an end. Not much sense in crusading for cutie marks if you already got them.
They separated at that point. Apple Bloom headed for class and Stormheart made his way to the post office.
He was on his way back soon after. It had not taken long to write those two letters and get them commissioned to Manehatten and Cloudsdale. Not having anything to do he did not rush and took his sweat time strolling around town. He was just trotting through a park and looking at a fountain, when he heard a familiar voice from above: “Hi there Stormheart. Good to see you back on your hooves!”
He looked up and saw Rainbow Dash sitting on a small cloud. She jumped off. With a gust of wind, that made him shield his eyes, she landed beside him. Dash eyed him curious and the trail of feathers he was leaving behind.
“Your are loosing an awful lot of feathers. Are you feeling alright?” she asked and pointed a hoof at the trail. When the blue pegasus saw it, he blushed a little.
“Fluttershy gave me a potion that forced me to go into molt. You know, to replace my broken feathers. At this speed all of them will be good and new by tomorrow.” he explained happily. Just at that moment his stomach growled loudly for everypony to hear. He made an annoyed face and sighed.
“And I just ate. Growing that many feathers takes lots of energy.” he said.
Rainbow Dash nodded, slightly impressed.
“I can image it takes Bigmac portions with those big wings of yours.” she said.
“You think?” Stormheart countered stroppy and shot the rainbow maned mare an angry glare.
She was baffled. “What?” she asked confused.
At once the blue pegasus noticed his mistake. He let his ears sink and bowed his head apologetically. “I'm sorry” he said, “that was uncalled for. It's just that they make fun of me in flight school, calling me Blank Flank and Freakwing! I get defensively as soon as anypony mentions my wings being big. I didn't mean to snap at you.”
Rainbow Dash just smiled and waved it off. “Don't sweat it. I can relate. They bullied me in flight school too.” she told him.
That made his ears pop up again, he raised his head in curious disbelief.
“No way!” he exclaimed, “a cool mare like you must have been super popular!”
The compliment made her grin widely. “Heh, you think? They called me Rainbow Crash till I did that Sonic Rainboom at Best Young Fliers!” she explained.
“You must be joking!” he said over dramatically, still not believing it.
“It's true!” the blue mare assured him. “I may be the best flier in all of Equestria now, but in flight school, after my growth spurt I was kinda clumsy. I crashed all the time training for my awesome tricks.” she explained a little awkward.
Stormheart nodded slowly, dumbstruck. He could belief her story, but it was totally unexpected. Again his stomach growled, ending the awkward silence that had settled between them.
“Hey, why don't we go and grab something to bite. I didn't have breakfast yet and you sound like you could use a second one.” the mare offered with a smile.
The invitation left the young pony baffled. After seeing her at Best Young Fliers, she was kind of a hero for him. Eating breakfast with her was on his list of things that just don't happen.
“Uh... sure.” he said, very unsure actually. “Where do we go?” he asked.
“Oh I know just the place!” Rainbow Dash said with a confided smile, “Follow me!”
With that she flew off, at what was slow pace for her, but Stormheart had to really work his legs to keep up.
They were sitting at a table, on small hay piles, in front of a restaurant at the Ponyville marketplace. The pegasus colt was hungry enough to just order everything on the menu. But to go easy on the few bits he had with him, he settled for the cheapest food, hay fries, but triple portions. To his surprise Rainbow Dash ordered the same.
“Didn't expect you to eat Bigmac portions.” the colt remarked.
Rainbow Dash chuckled amused. “You'd be surprised. You burn a wagon load of calories if you fly as fast and as much as I do.” she explained. Stormheart nodded slowly. “I guess.” he said. But for a fact he didn't know any pegasus that ate that much. And Rainbow Dash was as slim and athletic as pegasi came. There could not have been an ounce of fat on her body.
But he had to belief it, when their hay fries arrived. Six plates of them. The two pegasi skipped formalities and just started chomping down, grease splattered everywhere as their meal turned into a fast eating competition.
Stormheart was very hungry. And then there was the fact that he was a colt and he would not stand a filly to eat more or faster than him. Even if she was the fastest flier in all of Equestria. Rainbow Dash was hungry too, and competitive by nature. In the end they finished their fries in a manner and at a speed, that attracted looks from every other table.
They finished almost at the same time. As they sat pack on their hay, they put a hoof on their bellies and let out enormous belches. That made them look at each other in surprise. When they saw the others face covered in grease, they burst out laughing. It was a sight to behold.
Stormheart recovered first. He took a napkin from the table and quickly cleaned his face. Rainbow Dash shortly followed suite. Both were still grinning exhilarated when they were done.
“So..” it was Rainbow who took up their conversation again. “How can they make fun of you by calling you Blank Flank? I mean, you got your cutie mark alright.” she asked curious.
“Just got it the day before yesterday.” the colt explained, “must have gotten it in that storm when I caught the crusaders.” He scratched his neck with a hoof as he continued: “Apple Bloom thinks it might be a search and rescue cutie mark, but I don't know. I don't think I'm good at that at all.”
“Your kidding?” Dash exclaimed, “you were able to fly through that freaky storm all by yourself and save three fillies at once! I'm not sure I could have pulled it off myself!”
That compliment left colt bashful. He waved it off. “Ah, your just saying that.” he said, “I saw your carry four grown ponies at once. Not mentioning catching them right above ground and flying all of them back up to Cloudsdale, or doing a Sonic Rainboom while doing so!” His eyes were shining literally at that memory.
Rainbow leaned back, hooves behind her head, enjoying the admiration. “Yep, I am awesome like that.” she said vainly.
Stormheart smiled amused but chanced topic before the mares head might explode. “So how was the day with the Wonderbolts?” he asked.
Now it was Dashes turn to get eyes like saucers. She suppresses a loud squee at the memory before she told him about it: “It was the best day ever! They showed me their training grounds, told me how they prepared for their shows. We even got to train together and they taught me some of their moves! It was so awesome!” Her voice cracked at the last words and Stormheart chuckled. Now there was one happy fan!
“Oh I wish I could spend a day with the Wonderbolts! Your so lucky!” he stated.
“Your are a fan too?” the pegasus mare asked, reverting back to her usual self.
The colt nodded grinning widely. “Sure am.” he said. “Oh, who is you favorite Wonderbolt?” he asked. He was really excited to have something in common with Rainbow Dash, something they could talk about, and that something being his most favorite fandom was too good to be true. His good wing flapped up and down involuntarily, his other wing threatened to break free of it's bandages.
Rainbow Dash was the same. Being hyper active by nature, and for once having someone to talk about her favorite pegasi, her wings flapping made her almost take off.
She did not have to think for more than a second, before she answered the question: “Spitfire!”
“Oh really? Mine too!” Storm burst out, “I have a poster of her over my bed!”
“Oh, me too.” Dash told him, “she just looks so awesome in that REA advertisements!”
The last comment made the colt stop for a second. He sure had seen the REA advertisements. He kept them hidden in his desk. Hack, didn't every young stallion? That Rainbow Dash had one hanging above her bed was... that was new. He shrugged mentally. Well, whatever makes her wings flap right? He decided not to bothered at all.
“She sure does.” he said nodding in agreement, but trying to keep his cool. “Almost made me join the REA.” he admitted with a chuckle.
The mare had to laugh at that comment. “Heh. What hold you back?” she asked.
Storm gave her a one wing shrug. “Didn't think I would fit in. I am not much of a fighter, or flier for that matter.” he told her. “Why didn't you join? I am sure you could buck it out with a dragon or something.” he said playing the ball back to her.
The azure pegasus had to laugh shyly at the last remark. She actually did try to buck it out with a dragon once. Her best shot had only managed to make it angry.
“Well, I considered to join after I quit flight school. Most of the Wonderbolts had made a career in the air force. But I'm not much for discipline. You know, too many rules, not enough nap time.” she admitted shaking her head slightly.
“How come you aren't a good flier? I image you’d be a great flier with that big wings of yours.” she asked quickly adding: “no offense.” Remembering the colt to be touchy about that subject.
“It's OK” he said with a sigh. “You would think big wings make you a good flier, but for me the opposite is true. I don't have the strength and weight to make anything out of this stupid wings. Can't move them fast enough to make quick turns, every minor turbulence sets me off course. To make it worse that all leads to me getting tired pretty fast.” he explained and let his ears and head sink.
Seeing the young pegasus like that made Rainbow Dashes heart hurt. A pegasus that did not enjoy flying was bad enough. A Wonderbolts fan that did not enjoy flying however. The worst possible thing! There was only one thing she could do, even if it meant her doom!
Without warning she jumped upon the table, making several plates fall off and started to shout down the blue colt with fierce determination: “DO YOU WANT TO BE A SORRY EXCUSE FOR A PEGASUS, NOT EVEN A CHICKEN WOULD LOOK AT?”
The young pony shrank back in surprise, shielding his face with his hooves before the verbal onslaught of the azure mare. What the buck was wrong with her?
“I CAN'T HEAR YOU! I SAD: DO YOU WANT TO BE FEATHER PILLOW TOO SOFT TO EVEN THROW AT LITTLE FOALS?” Rainbow shouter again, if anything with even more volume.
Stormheart managed to shake his head.
“CAN'T HEAR YOU!” she screamed.
“No.” he said.
“I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU!” she bellowed.
“NOOOO!” he shouted finally matching her volume.
Dash grinned mischievously. That completed the first step. But she only let him catch his breath for a second before she attacked him again.
“DO YOU WANT TO BE THE BUCKING BEST FLIER EVER TO COME OUT OF CLOUDSDALE?” she yelled. “At least second best” she added in her thoughts, but that would weaken the message and you can't do this things halfhearted.
Storm blinked a few times in wonder but did not answer.
“I SAID DO YOU WANT TO BE A PEGASUS THE WONDERBOLTS WOULD NOT BE ASHAMED TO CALL A FLIER!” she continued.
The colt stared at her wide eyed. He nodded but didn't say anything.
“I CAN'T HEAR YOU!” Rainbow shouted.
“Yes.” he said.
“I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU!” she bellowed.
“YES!” he yelled, “YES MA'AM, I WANT TO BE THE BEST FLIER IN ALL OF EQUESTIRA MA'AM!”
That completed phase two of her plan. Rainbow put on her scheming smile again. This had worked even better than she had expected. She jumped down the table, put a leg around his shoulder and pulled the still panting colt tight.
“My friend, you are in luck!” she told him, “for I happen to be the best trainer in all of Equestria.”
“Eh, what?” he asked confused, but Dash ignored it.
Instead she continued her passionate speech: “Your training won't be cakewalk. In fact it will be hard. The hardest thing you have ever done! There will be sweat, there will be blood and broken bones. Not everyone of you will make it through.”
“Of whom.. broken bones?!” Storm asked confused, but there was no stopping Rainbow. She continued uninterrupted: “But in the end it will be worth it. You will be strong, fast and elegant. The very definition of a pegasi warrior! You will be so awesome, it would make Commander Hurricane look like a kindergarten filly!”
Now he just looked at her as if she were crazy. But he slowly nodded none the less.
“Good! Your training starts right away. You need a proper diet to regrow your feather and to aid the growth of your muscles. WAITER! Three bowls of oatmeal, double portions! Make it quick.” the mare said, shouted and waved her hoof. By now not only all of the guests of the restaurant were looking at them like they were three headed apes, but some passing ponies had gathered to watch the spectacle. She did not care. Her plan was a success so far and she loved it when a plan came together.
Fact was, that she had not trained anypony since she helped Apple Bloom get her cutie mark. And that did not work out at all. She would make sure to get it right this time. Yes! She would make out a proper flier of this little colt yet, even if it meant loosing nap time, even if it meant asking Twilight for a few books on flight and training for her to read up on the subject. failure was not an option!
Stormheart was still confused. It dawned only slowly on him, what he had gotten himself into. But somehow he could not help but grin in excitement. Personal training with Rainbow Dash as his coach?! Too good to be true. Or it would be his doom. Ether way he was willing to give it his best shot. Who knew? This could even turn out to be fun.
They passed mountains and rivers, plains and forests. Their way was still long, but the swarm was unrelenting. Soon it would arrive. And then the storm would truly begin.
Special thanks to Mobius of the Moon for proofreading.