//------------------------------// // First Day // Story: Broken Sky // by Fyn16 //------------------------------// First Day “Beep, beep, beep…” The alarm clock’s incessant beeping jolted Nimbus out of the first peaceful slumber he’d had in a while. Reacting just as he would have in Field Training, Nimbus rolled out of bed and started getting his things together as quickly as possible. “For the love of Celestia, Nimbus, shut that alarm clock off before I kill it,” Storm Runner called out from under his covers. “Nope,” Nimbus said, “not until you get up and out of bed! We have class in two hours!” “That’s two more hours I could use to sleep!” Storm Runner protested, sliding out of bed, “I consider that some very useful time!” “Not on our first day,” Nimbus countered, tossing Storm Runner his saddlebag, “we need to get to class early. Besides- it’ll be fun. We’ve got Aviator Training School Practical Operations first thing!” “Prac Ops, yeah,” Storm Runner said, “sounds like a hoot.” Nimbus caught the sarcasm in his voice. “In other words, that’s where we learn how to dogfight and go on patrols and such.” Storm Runner’s bleary eyes were wide open now. “Oh, you mean- never mind. I must have misheard you… yeah. Just a misunderstanding. Let’s get to class!” … Nimbus and Storm Runner were the first two ponies in class when they arrived. The Practical Operations building was located on a peak just next to their living quarters, as it turned out, and all they’d had to do was cross a single bridge to get there. The classroom itself was quite small, but the building was anything but. The entire building was dedicated entirely to prac ops, and it boasted a gymnasium, an indoor obstacle course, and several training areas. This was clearly the “hooves on” class. Storm Runner glowered at Nimbus as he lowered himself into his seat, nodding his head at the clock on the wall. They still had half an hour before class was scheduled to start. Shrugging, Nimbus smiled back at this friend and chose his own seat, taking out what he felt he’d need for class. As time passed, more ponies began to enter, and before long the class was completely full. The noise of excited, chattering ponies was almost overwhelmingly loud, and Nimbus almost didn’t notice as a grey Unicorn entered the room from the front, wearing the rank and insignia of a REAF Officer. “Room, tench-hut!” Nimbus barked, and instantly he and his fellow cadets snapped to attention. The Unicorn put a few things away in his desk at the front of the classroom and turned to the cadets. “Excellent job, to whoever caught that. Don’t think that just because Field Training’s over you don’t have to call the room to attention when an officer enters. At ease, and take your seats, please.” Nimbus lowered himself down into his seat, feeling rather proud of himself as the Unicorn went on. “I’m Lieutenant Colonel Dusk Shine,” he said, pacing around the front of the room as he spoke, “and as you can clearly see, though I am not a Pegasus, I am in fact a member of the Royal Equestrian Air Force. Why? Well, let me be the first to tell you that there’s much more to the Air Force than what you hear about. Aviators, weather specialists, the few of us who become Royal Guards… these are just the tip of the iceberg. Before I came here, I was a combat analyst. By the time I was stationed here, I had a pretty firm understanding of what makes Equestria’s armed forces tick, and it’s my goal that every last one of you becomes an effective warrior of the air. Yes, I cannot fly. Is this going to hinder me? No. We will study historic dogfights that will make even your heads spin in here, and you will receive what I believe is top-quality training at one of Equestria’s primary flight schools. Listen up, do your studying, and participate, and I can guarantee that this class will benefit you.” Dusk Shine turned to a closet near his desk and unlocked it, opening the door. “Inside here is the first step you will take to becoming the best batch of cadets Equestria’s ever seen. Because Aviator Training School is a military organization, you will all wear uniforms. All we’ll be doing in class today will be fitting you and issuing you your uniforms and items required for class. Now please come to me as I call your name.” Nimbus relaxed slightly in his seat. Today wouldn’t be terribly difficult at all. As he leaned back, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned around. Storm Runner was waiting for him. “Dogfights and patrols, eh?” “Oh shut it,” Nimbus countered, “you can’t really expect that we’ll be getting up in the air on day one.” “Yeah, whatever. Just messin’ with you,” Storm Runner said. “Cadet Nimbus.” "And I've been summoned, it seems." The orange Pegasus looked at Storm Runner apologetically, slid out of his seat and headed to the front of the room where he was directed into the fitting room. He was brought before a white Unicorn with a curly purple mane first, who instantly began measuring him from head to hoof with a speed that would have shamed even the fastest fliers. “I do hope you’ll stand still better than the last cadet who came through here,” she mumbled, wrapping a tape measure tight around Nimbus’s stomach, “he was falling all over the place, terrible coordination.” “You won’t have that problem with me, ma’am,” Nimbus replied, trying not to gasp as the tape measure went around his neck. The Unicorn looked unconvinced. “Well that’s what the last stallion said as well, and I already told you how he turned out,” she passed Nimbus a clipboard with a few measurements jotted down, “take this to the next station and have a splendid day, as I’m sure you Air Force types do.” “And you as well,” Nimbus added as the mare went back to her work. Grumpy much? He thought to himself as he moved on and started collecting his required items in his oversize saddlebag. By the time he was done, he felt he was carrying his own body weight in issued gear. Storm Runner just laughed as Nimbus walked by under instructions to head back to his room and put away his things before returning. Nimbus had the last laugh, though, as he returned just in time to watch Storm Runner fall into the same predicament. When the last Pegasus returned, Dusk Shine returned to the front of the room. “Cadets, I’m not going to lie. You will never see another day as easy as today was. I want to see every single one of you fly over our parade field at graduation. Yes, that is a tradition, and no, I’m not going to tell you about it now. You need to earn that honor. Unfortunately, statistics tell me that several of you will inevitably quit before this year is out. I want you to prove those numbers wrong. I want you to show our country and even Celestia herself that you can take any challenge in your way and overcome it through teamwork. Am I clear?” A resounding cry of “yes sir!” echoed through the class. Dusk Shine nodded. “Cadets, you are dismissed. I will see you all tomorrow at the same time as today. Be ready to work.” Nimbus hefted his saddlebag and headed out the door behind Storm Runner. "So that mare who was measuring everypony was a jerk, don't you think?" he asked, catching up and falling into a steady trot next to the blue Pegasus. "I can't really blame her," Storm Runner replied, "do you know who she is?" "No," Nimbus replied, "should I?" "Well," Storm Runner shrugged, "in all honesty, probably not, but my sister was always into fashion magazines, and apparently that mare back there is one of Ponyville's up and coming designers." "Up and coming designer or not, she could use a chill pill or two," Nimbus said, "but anyway- what's your next class?" “Equestrian History,” Storm Runner replied, rolling his eyes, “which is probably going to be extremely boring.” “Oh I wouldn’t say anything yet,” Nimbus countered, taking his schedule out of his saddlebag and holding it up with his teeth. Storm Runner studied it for a moment and started laughing. “Okay, I take it back. My next class is a picnic compared to that!” “Tell me about it,” Nimbus grumbled, “I think I’d rather shove a pencil through my eye than sit through Accelerated Officer Education.” “Yeah,” Storm Runner replied as the two walked across the bridge back to the main hall, “math, language, and science all rolled into one class. And I don’t have to do it until later!” “You still have to do it, though,” Nimbus pointed out. “Can it,” Storm Runner said, “let’s just get some lunch.” … As Nimbus had predicted, Accelerated Officer Education was nothing but dull. He’d found himself sitting in his desk for an hour and a half while his teacher read over the year’s syllabus. Adding to the situation, he’d just had lunch, and was on the verge of falling asleep. The instructor had been nice enough, Nimbus supposed. She was a female Earth Pony who was clearly very well-read. Nimbus’s only gripe was that the mare seemed to deem it necessary to explain everything in excruciating detail. When class was finally dismissed, Nimbus winked at Storm Runner as they passed by each other. “You’ll love it,” he said, grinning slyly, “Accelerated Officer Education is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” “Yeah, sure sounds like it,” Storm Runner said, picking up on the sarcasm, “but hey- don’t give up on your day just yet. You might actually like History.” Nimbus shook his head and headed on his way to his Equestrian History class. The class was located on a nearby peak, and the bridge leading to it actually transitioned into a flight of stairs, spiraling around the peak until they reached the spire-shaped building. The architecture caught Nimbus’s eye instantly. This hadn’t been done recently. The stonework resembled that of the main hall, and when he finally reached the top of the stairs, the tower which housed the class only confirmed his suspicion. It was nothing if not tall, and while its design was quite plain, it looked solid; certainly strong enough to withstand an attack. Nimbus headed inside and took a seat, gazing around at the classroom’s décor. A small staircase ran up the wall on one side, leading to a door with a gold name plate on it. While Nimbus couldn’t make out the name on it, he felt it was safe to assume it was the instructor’s office. The rest of the tower’s interior was covered in artifacts of all sorts, ranging from the days of Equestria’s founding to recent history. At the front of the classroom, a large mural overlooked all of the desks. On it, Equestria’s history appeared to be detailed. Nimbus could make out several characters from stories he’d heard as a colt- Discord the Draconequus, Princess Celestia- Equestria’s ruler, shadowy pony-like figures he guessed were the “Dark Ones,” strange creatures shrouded in mystery that had supposedly existed since the dawn of time. He’d never liked those stories. According to his parents, the Dark Ones could change their form at will, and preyed upon happiness. Nopony had seen them for a long time, of course, so their existence had become something of an old mare’s tale, which still hadn’t stopped Nimbus from sleeping with a few lights on when he heard about them. Speaking of old mare’s tales… Nimbus thought as his gaze rested upon one of the most famous pieces of pony folklore ever to be passed down- the Mare in the Moon. Her depiction was simple- just the shadow of a mare’s profile visible on the moon. He remembered her story well. The mare’s identity was unknown; some stories claimed that she’d defied Celestia. Others claimed that she’d killed Celestia’s sister- Princess Luna- almost one thousand years ago. All seemed to have a nugget of truth to them. Celestia’s sister had, in fact, disappeared, and Celestia had never personally spoken of the mare in the moon. As a result, Nimbus had always found this tale to be slightly more believable than the others. “Class, tench-hut!” Startled, Nimbus jumped out of his seat and snapped to attention. He’d been daydreaming, and hadn’t even noticed as an elderly, tan Pegasus trotted down the stairs and into the classroom. The Pegasus said nothing, fixing the class with a steely glare from the front of the room where he stopped. Nimbus gulped. Just how scary could History get? The Pegasus kept up his act for almost a minute, then broke into a wide grin. “Please sit down,” he said, “and please- don’t worry. This class isn’t meant to scare you. I just enjoy watching your reactions after coming straight out of Field Training.” The pony started walking through the class as the students took their seats, talking as he went. “Furthermore, there’s no need to call the class to attention. My days of service are long behind me. My name is Polaris. I am a veteran of the Griffon War, I am fifty-seven years old, and I guarantee you that those two things put together can be a dangerous combination. If you want to hear about the war, I will most likely talk your ear off. You have been warned. I’ve also been fascinated by the history of this great country, and I will try my best, so help me Celestia, to impart that fascination onto you in this class. We’ll begin lesson one today.” The class immediately began taking out books, but Polaris waved his hoof. “No, no books. As much as I’m sure you want to read some top-quality textbooks after taking Accelerated Officer Education, we won’t be using those much here. Relax. Today, we’re just going over the basics- you won’t hear anything today you don’t already know…” Nimbus listened intently as Polaris spent the next hour and a half talking about the basic milestones of Equestrian History. He’d been right, of course. Most of the things Polaris said, Nimbus had learned a long time ago, but to hear him actually talk about it… Nimbus didn’t know what exactly the old Pegasus was doing, but somehow he managed to explain things in a way that was actually interesting, painting vivid verbal descriptions and talking about events as if he’d been there. When the Pegasus finally dismissed the class, Nimbus found himself surprised that he actually wanted to hear more. As he turned to leave, Polaris spoke. “Cadet Nimbus, is it? Would you mind staying back for a moment?” Nimbus froze. While he’d never been much of a troublemaker back in grade school, he’d always assumed that staying late was never a good thing. Still, it was better to comply now than disobey. He turned around and trotted over to Polaris warily. “Sir?” Polaris chuckled. “Relax, Nimbus. And please don’t call me sir. Have I taught you nothing today? We’re all friends here.” “Yes s- I mean, yes, Polaris,” Nimbus said, nodding. “It’s just kind of a hard habit to break.” “I understand perfectly,” Polaris said. “Now, I understand that you attended the Wonderbolt Academy before this, correct?” “Yes,” Nimbus replied, feeling his hear sink. “Oh I’m not going to reprimand you,” Polaris reassured him, “we all make mistakes, and I do not want to make your life harder. I simply wanted to know if you’re feeling alright. Something like that is hard to shake off.” “I’ll be fine,” Nimbus said after a moment. “If anything… my drive to succeed is greater now. I made a promise to Spitfire while I was there that I’d graduate this program as an Aviator, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Tartarus itself won’t stop me.” Polaris stood back, sizing up the young Pegasus. “You sound determined,” he said finally, “and I think you’ve learned your lesson. Nimbus, I want you to know that I have full confidence in you. If you ever need help, do not hesitate to come to me.” Polaris stopped, but had the appearance that he had more to say. “Did you have something else to say?” Nimbus said. “Well I did,” Polaris said, “but it’s more of a personal nature; a question for you.” “You can ask me,” Nimbus said, “I’ve pretty much been swallowing my pride answering personal questions for the last year, so this won’t bother me.” “Well, it’s about your cutie mark,” Polaris answered. Nimbus gazed back at his flank. He’d never really thought about his cutie mark until Polaris brought it up. The mark was a white arrowhead-type shape turned on its side. The top side of the arrowhead broke off into a stylized wing, while the bottom side tapered down to a point. “It’s not often I see ponies with an abstract cutie mark design,” Polaris continued, “are you familiar with how a cutie mark is selected?” Nimbus shook his head. “All I know is that they represent our talents.” “Exactly,” Polaris replied, “it’s an extremely complicated process, but to shorten it up, our brains fixate on a physical manifestation- an image- of a particular talent for a brief, but intense moment. At that moment, our bodies release a short burst of magic, which transfers the image to the flank via a sort of permanent spell. The entire process is involuntary and takes place in fractions of a second, but that’s how a cutie mark is born.” “It’s quite fascinating,” Nimbus admitted, “I didn’t know that all ponies had magic.” “Yes, it’s a common misconception that Unicorns are the only ones,” Polaris went on, “but in fact, they are simply the only race capable of controlling it. They have several magic-sensitive organs that channel their internal magic through their horn, thereby releasing it. But I digress. You see what you’ve done? I’ve almost talked your ear off. My point is that since a cutie mark is based off of a mental image, it’s extremely rare for one to take the form of an abstract pattern. Most manifest as images of concrete, everyday objects.” Nimbus raised an eyebrow, “I guess that’s odd. I got my cutie mark when I learned to fly.” “A flight cutie mark? For a Pegasus? Doesn’t that strike you as a bit abnormal?” “I guess I’d never really thought about it,” Nimbus said, shrugging. “Why do you ask?” The old Pegasus didn’t answer. Instead, he trotted up next to Nimbus. “You can go soon. I’d just like to see one more thing. Can you extend a wing for me?” Nimbus raised his left wing and Polaris bent under it, examining its structure. “What exactly are you doing, if I may ask?” Nimbus said. “Just checking for something,” Polaris said, raising a hoof, “now I want you to close your eyes. And just try to stand still.” “Okay…” Nimbus said, shutting his eyes. Without warning, he felt a small, needle-like prick on the bottom of his wing, and instantly felt his wing muscles tense, then release. The room was silent for a moment before Polaris spoke again. “You may open your eyes.” Nimbus folded his wing to his side. Polaris was staring at him as if he’d seen a ghost. “What did you do?” Nimbus asked, curious. Polaris showed Nimbus a small needle. “I pricked a nerve cluster on your inner wing. It’s a normal test, completely harmless, but up until now, I have yet to see a pony react to it the way you did.” “How?” Nimbus pressed. “Well, most Pegasi have no reaction at all. For others, the wing locks up completely. But you…” Polaris trotted over to a chalkboard and drew out what looked like a teardrop. “This is your wing from the side,” he explained. He then drew another teardrop, but this one was bent, as if trying to take the form of an upside-down “U.” “This is what your wing did when I touched the nerve. For all intents and purposes, it changed shape.” “Which means?” Nimbus said. “Which means… well, I must not get too ahead of myself. You’re dismissed for today, Nimbus. As I understand it, there’s going to be a mock dogfight in your Practical Operations class tomorrow, to see how naturally skilled your classmates are. I will be there. If I’m right, your gift might very well be much deeper than just knowing how to fly, and I may know a few tricks to help you unlock that potential.” “Potential for what?” Nimbus asked. “Oh don’t worry yourself about it,” Polaris said, “it’s just a theory of mine right now. I’ll explain more if all goes well tomorrow. Good luck!” “Okay… thanks,” Nimbus said, heading out the door. As he began the trek down to the dining hall for dinner, Polaris’s words echoed in his mind. What made him so different? What did his cutie mark really mean? Nimbus shook his head, clearing his mind as he saw Storm Runner waiting for him at the main hall. He didn’t know what Polaris was up to, but he dismissed his confusion for the time being. After all, there was a dogfight tomorrow, and he intended to win it.