//------------------------------//
// Forward 
// Story: Progression 
// by Underdogg 
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Hey guys, new update! It's been really tough to get my head back in the writing game, and I feel this chapter is mostly a filler for a chapter upcoming that is gonna be really a LOT better. I understand if you think this part is boring and I know it's been a long time since I updated, but I felt this was necessary to advance to story to bigger and better places. The chapter after this is filled to the brim with ideas, so stay tuned.

You awake slowly to the sound and smell of bacon.

Your eyelids slowly lift, letting in the harsh but warming sunlight that bled through the curtains beside your bed.

"Sweet mother of... something smells fantastic..." You drearily moan to yourself. You absent-mindedly scratch your crotch as you kick the covers off, sitting up with your eyes still half closed and your mane frazzled in all directions.

"What time is it..." You mumble to yourself, looking around Spitfire's guest room for a clock. When your eyes catch one your heart sinks.

"Six thirty?! Damn. Haven't woken up this early in a long-ass time."

You get on your hooves and wince as last night's little boozer with Soarin settles painfully into your skull with a throbbing ache. Stumbling out of your room and down the stairs, you begin to hear a sizzling sound. Your mouth is dry as a bone, but soon becomes wet again when you put two and two together with the smell. Bacon.

"Mornin'" Spitfire shoots to you as you enter her kitchen.

"Yeah, hey. Got any juice?" You swing open the fridge.

Spitfire rolls her eyes. "Sure, help yourself I guess." She glances over to you eagerly digging through the contents of her refrigerator.

Your investigation proves a success as you triumphantly hold up a half-full carton of apple-juice and unscrew the cap, throwing it over your shoulder.

As you take a swig straight from the carton, an orange blur of a hoof whisks it away from you.

"WHAT ARE YOU- GET A GLASS FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE!" She throws it down on the table in the middle of the kitchen. 

"Here..." she hands you a floral plastic cup.

You smile as you inspect her 'glassware'. "I haven't got germs, you little princess", you tease. She shoots you a look before scooping bacon off the frying pan into a plate.

"Hmph. While you're living under my roof, you'll respect my belongings and my rules. Now eat up, you've got a long day ahead of you."

You sit down across from the yellow pegasus, and you admire the food in front of you.

"It's been a while since I ate anything home-cooked." You think out-loud.
"Mmhm..." Spitfire was absorbed in the newspaper.

It was glorious. The eggs, the bacon, the everything. You devour your meal in a heartbeat.

"Hey that was great! So, uh, I'm gonna-"
"Meet me at the airfield in half an hour." Spitfire mumbles, still fixing her gaze on the papers. You wonder if the pony was even reading, and rather just trying to avoid conversation with you.

You ascend the staircase heading into her guest room, stopping in your tracks as you realise you had nothing to pack with you.



* * *


You touch down in the airfield. The warm fresh smell strokes your nostrils lovingly as you inhale the Equestrian air. The gentle gusts of wind ruffle your unwashed mane, and makes the grass dance around your hooves. As you look up, you see a few pegasi practicing high altitude flight, way out of earshot.

"HEY! NOOBIE!"

You dart your head around, furiously tracking down the familiar voice. Soarin hovers above you, before touching down on the soft grass of the airfield in front of you.

"Hey Soarin." you smile, as memories of the night before come rushing back at the sight of him. You are reminded of your lingering headache.

"You ready to start hittin' the training? Spitfire has some rugged exercises lined up for you. Think you can handle it?"
You gaze down at the grass. "Yeah. Hopefully."

"Uh oh. Speak of the devil."

You gaze upwards as Spitfire hovers down next to the two of you. "Morning, ladies." She grins.
"Morning." Soarin' utters.

"So. Indigo." You look up at her.
"Let's get you introduced to to the rest of the team. Then, we'll start off with some basic exercises, and get warmed up. After that we can start gauging your abilities."

You nod at her, before absent mindedly gazing upward. The faint specks you saw earlier were now huge grinning faces rushing towards you.

"WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!" An enormous gust of wind nearly knocks you off your hooves as a bright orange pegasus bolts past you, leaving you disorientated.

"Hey there new guy!"

You dart your head around.

"Yoohoo! Up here!" Your eyes catch a reclining pony atop a small cloud, not too far above you. It was definitely a female voice you heard, and she had a radiant orange mane that flowed carelessly in the breeze. "I'm Blaze!"

"Blaze, come down and meet our latest recruit!" Soarin' yells up at her. She harrumphs and rolls over on her front. 
All you can do is watch slack-jawed as the pony backfilps down in front of you with astonishing poise. She lifts her flight goggles and 

You hold out a hoof. "Indigo Flight." Blaze shakes your hoof and scans you up and down.
"Typical Spit." she tuts. "Always nabbing the good-looking ones." She shows a toothy smile. "Let's just hope you can fly well, hmm?"

You laugh awkwardly. "Well I'm about to start training now. Right, Spitfire?"

"Yes, actually. Blaze, I might need your help later, but for now I think I can take it from here." Spitfire nods to dismiss Blaze. She turns to the blue pegasus beside her. "You too, Soarin'. Go tell Lightning Streak and Silverbolt that there's a new recruit I'd like them to meet."

Soarin' shifts uncomfortably, realising his company is no longer needed. "Sure thing, I guess. See ya later, noobie."
You watch as both Wonderbolts swings into full gallop, unfurling their wings and majestically soaring upward, to meet the other two co-performers.

"Alright listen." Spitfire taps you on the shoulder, as you watch them fade into the clouds. "I know you're a good flier. I've seen you perform at that old flea-market circus and I know what you can do. That being said, you've got a long way to go before you can even hope to perform with us."

You look at the ground as her words roll around in your head. "Are we gonna start soon then?"