One down and two to go, Spitfire proudly concluded. Never mind that Surprise was panting in exhaustion upon the bare dirt. They were going to relax at a spa later anyhow.
"That," Surprise wheezed, "was not easy."
The captain tilted her head in acknowledgement and gave the mare a hoof.
"But it's like learning to fly. You only have to learn it once. I think," Spitfire suggested while realizing that she didn't quite know her words to be fact.
Surprise caught onto it and gave a questionable look in return as she got back onto her hooves.
"All I know," the pale pegasus started, "is that I've been training, sweating, and panting non-stop for..."
"Six weeks?" Spitfire offered, not entirely sure if it was five or six. The past was hard to gauge in terms of numbers.
"Six gruesome weeks," Surprise declared.
Spitfire patted her friend on the back to encourage her. The training was soon to pay off and, to excuse the usually dire analogy, they were approaching the light at the end of the tunnel. All the captain needed was to train the others for the ignition technique and get their overall strength up to five-hundred. With that estimated strength, Spitfire guessed that only two of them could funnel a reservoir straight up to Cloudsdale. That made her smile even more. The Bullet was paying off in ways she had not originally wanted it for.
Surprise looked thoughtful after she finished catching her breath and made for conversation when they were on their way from the gym to their hotel.
"Shouldn't we have a few others though? I mean, half a squadron would be better than a four-point wing, don't you think?"
"Oh. Yeah," Spitfire replied a tad jarringly. She had forgotten about the two other 'Bolts that she had thought about adding in.
"It's too bad that Fleetfoot and Rapidfire are so dedicated to the leg races. I thought it would have been nice if they could join us."
The captain held similar feelings since those two pegasus were less prone to theatrics. Show business, in spite of the name, was not the place for hot-blood or drama. Keeping one's cool was crucial to staying alive in stunt work. Unfortunately, the only candidates that Spitfire could bring up were the three Wonderbolts with the hottest blood. Blaze, Fire Streak, and Soarin' were all easy to upset but they were also rough on themselves when it came to personal training. They were the only ones that could pull off the Bullet soon enough to be included in the first special team.
"No kidding," Spitfire agreed. "High Winds and Lightning Streak are also good but neither of them is even close to half of the strength requirement."
"Blaze?" Surprise worriedly turned her head to her leading wingmare.
"Pfft," chided the orange pegasus. "She's powerful enough to finish the physical parts but I wouldn't trust her to not be a problem child in the attitude department."
The light-colored 'Bolt nodded solemnly at that. Even if Blaze was more even-tempered, there was just too much bad atmosphere between her and the captain. Maybe it's because the both of them are so headstrong, Surprise thought silently.
"How about we just forget it for now? Romeo and Juliet need to learn ignition before I'll have time to get the other two 'Bolts."
"Oh?" the white pegasus perked up. "You know about Misty?"
"Who doesn't?" Spitfire kidded flippantly as the two of them continued on their way. "But they're way more mature about it then most ponies these days. They don't go all mushy in front of everypony. I'm kind of grateful to be honest."
The wingmare smiled without looking to her friend.
"Yeah," she said. "They always were the mature ones. They both know what they want for the future."
Both continued walking in silence and it wasn't until they were walking back into their hotel that Spitfire decided to ask an old question.
"What do you want for your future?"
The white mare gave a "hmm" and "huh" to indicate she was thinking about it and the answer didn't come until they were back within the familiar walls of their hotel suite.
"To always fly by your side."
The clock ticked one more time and then stopped. The seconds needle was making a vibration-like motion that indicated it was taking great pains to get in one more tick. But the clock was done. It needed to be wound again.
"You'll have to set it again if you don't wind it right away," Misty remarked as Silver Lining continued digging through his closet.
The two pegasus were in the stallion's room as he searched for something that he insisted was crucial in having before they set out. Misty had only just arrived to pick him up and, even though It was quite the switch from the stallion coming to pick up the mare, Misty was content with it. In fact, she had been the one to suggest that they not get involved in all of the formalities that typically came with having a romantic-love relationship. Misty just wanted to relax around her stallion.
This, on the other hoof...
"I don't really use it anyways," Silver Lining dismissed the matter of the clock. "My lucky clip is something I do use. If I don't wear it today then my chance of successfully proposing to you in fifteen months might as well be zero."
Misty facehoofed.
"You don't have to be so specific about the date," she moaned, not even bothering to mention the bluntness of the remark he had just made.
"Wait," the stallion exclaimed as he suddenly popped his head back out of the closet. "Which one of us is paying today?"
Misty decided to give up hope of quickly being on their way. She might as well dig in for the long haul and thus she took a seat on the room's overly plush carpet.
"It's just the pool, Silver. It doesn't matter. Getting in is what? Two bits per pony?" the mare raised a brow.
But the stallion returned the look.
"I know. I just don't want to bring my wallet if I don't have to," he stated flatly.
Misty facehoofed for the second time.
"Oh! I found it!" Silver Lining beamed as he discovered the missing clip using the powers of his peripheral vision.
"Are you really going to wear that wingclip to the pool?"
"Well I have to have something to give the proper highlight against my alicorn-like physique," he stared blankly back at her. Clearly he was unaware as to why the mare could not understand the importance of the miniature accessory.
"Alicorn-like?" Misty groaned and barely stopped a third facehoof. Of all the stallions she could have loved...
A "let's go" and two seconds later saw the pair of pegasus out of the room and well on their way. Misty was bursting with happiness on the inside even if she was advertising exasperation on the outside. Of all the stallions she could have loved, she loved the best one.
"I heard that something happened to Misty before she got on the team," Fleetfoot gossiped as she hovered outside of the clothing store's changing rooms. The room to which she was directing her words was currently occupied by another Wonderbolt. A certain High Winds to be exact.
High Winds didn't care much for gossip. Or at least, she didn't care for gossip that could cause problems later. But then, it was nigh impossible to keep Fleetfoot from leaking every single thing she ever heard. It was an unavoidable event that the mare would gossip and the sooner that the past was once again in the past the better.
"She had some thing with a stallion named Chestnut," Fleetfoot continued. The mare was seemingly unconcerned with High Winds' lack of response.
The Fashion-minded mare who was, even now, testing new fashions, decided to offer at least a few half-baked words to the "conversation."
"I'm not sure if I would take a stallion seriously or not if he had that kind of a name."
"Well, maybe that was only half of his name. I got this from an event volunteer, after all," Fleetfoot explained.
What a shock, High Winds rolled her eyes. Gossip was only one pinch truth and a full two cups rumor.
"So she dated this Chestnut guy and things didn't work out. In fact, he kind of scarred her. Apparently, he was the real gruff-type stallion that thinks that anything cute or girly should be banished and locked in a dungeon all at the same time."
The mare in the changing room was well aware of the type. They even came to Wonderbolt events because they were under the impression that all Wonderbolts were like them. What a shock they would have if they met Silver Lining.
"So I guess I'm starting to get why Misty is so smitten with Silver," Fleetfoot began to conclude as if she had read the mind of her friend behind the changing room curtains. "He's so gentle and girly that he makes her feel safe."
"I'm not sure if 'girly' is the proper word," High Winds remarked as she popped back out from behind the changing room curtains.
Fleetfoot looked shocked for a moment as she beheld her clothing-lacking friend but then remembered that such a state was normal.
"He's more reserved and he has a more precise sense of fashion. That does not make him 'girly.' It just means that he's more sensitive than others," the fashion mare continued.
"Look who's talking," the second mare grinned. "If he's sensitive then what does that make you?"
High Winds gave a "tsk" of dismissal as she sorted through the items that she had just finished trying on. One shawl and two mane pins didn't make the cut.
"What do you think is going to happen with the team?" Fleetfoot switched tracks as the two headed for the check-out register.
It took a full three seconds before the other 'Bolt looked back up from the scarf that she had wrapped around her neck. It was a deep burgundy color and quite a steal for the clearance price.
"Are you referring to Wave Chill's empty position or Spitfire's elite?" High Winds finally replied in question.
"Well, I was thinking more about what Spitfire is going to do with us when her elite team is scheduled for an event. Are we going to get sent off to pass out fliers? It kind of irks me."
The fashion mare opened her mouth in mock surprise.
"You honestly don't think that we'll be included in the event?"
"Oh, you know that we won't. And I don't know about you but I'm glad I'm not in the running. Wonderbolt work is tough enough as it is. I don't want to get drilled even in my free-time. I, for one, enjoy my goof-off hours," Fleetfoot explained cheerfully.
"I wouldn't consider my activities to be 'goofing off' but I still agree with you," High Winds considered aloud. "So who do you think will be included? I doubt Spitfire will stop with just herself and the other three."
High Winds was simply making for idle conversation as she loaded the clothes and accessories onto the store counter for the cashier to scan. Canterlot really did have some of the most advanced and extravagant technologies. Minus shopping baskets. For some reason, High Winds still had to carry her purchases upon her neck and back. Perhaps it was just something that other ponies preferred to do. Personally, she would have preferred a cart. After all, she tended to buy quite a bit.
"Do I really have to say? It's totally obvious!" Fleetfoot started to get excited for some reason. "Soarin' is even looking to surpass the captain now. Fire Streak is almost to that point too. And Blaze...I'm pretty sure she'll get in too."
One ring sounded and then two. High Winds watched the checkout-screen as the prices were added for each item. She had done rather well to attain the best looks for the best price. Satisfied even as the ringing continued, she turned to continue speaking to her fellow Wonderbolt.
"I suppose. Lightening Streak would never be able to catch up to his rival anyhow. The poor stallion lost too much time in the hospital after the last accident. I mean, the accident before the last one. I do hope there are no more."
"Well, I sure don't want to get injured. Unless, of course, Rapidfire would visit me every day," Fleetfoot reconsidered. "Did you know that he isn't looking for a marefriend right now? Said it to me straight up. I'm not convinced."
The rest of the conversation continued in typical Fleetfoot-fashion and High Winds considered herself free some thirty-five minutes later when they had exited the store and went their separate ways some five blocks distant. The fashion mare was finally able to let out a sigh that she had been keeping in. It wasn't just for Fleetfoot either. She was slowly getting weary of all of the activity that had been going on recently with her other Wonderbolts. Perhaps she had a secret desire for the peacefulness of routine rather than the torrent of accidents, relationships, and posturing that was ongoing.
It will be over soon with any amount of luck, she thought.