//------------------------------//
// 13:00-13:30 "A Touch of Advice" 
// Story: Ponies All Day-Writing Challenge 
// by ThunderTempest 
//------------------------------//

Spitfire grumbled as she flew alongside Princess Cadence. She didn’t mean to be grumpy, certainly not at visting royalty, but she hadn’t been in the best of moods all this week. The Wonderbolt Academy had let out only a few days ago, and she was still reviewing the Lightning Dust incident.

Rainbow Dash had annoying been right about the other pegasus. There was a fine line between pushing limits, and just being stupid. Spitfire would know, she’d crossed that particular line more than once in her days as a rookie. The Dizz-o-tron, the accident during the capture the flag exercise could be written off as Lightning Dust just pushing her limits, or not knowing where her partner’s lay, but the obstacle course, and of course, the tornado in the cloud bucking exercise were crossing the line. Spitfire had taken Lightning Dust aside after tearing her Lead Pony badge off, and had attempted to explain what Dash had made her remember. The Wonderbolts were the best fliers in Equestria, yes. Nopony ever got there by cruising, and yes, they’d all done something stupid and beyond dangerous in their days as rookies. The lesson was that the ones who learned from that experience were the ones who became Wonderbolts. The ones who didn’t, like Lightning Dust was acting like, ended up taking a permanent dirt nap.

“Captain Spitfire?”

“Yes, Your Highness?” replied the Wonderbolt, shaking her head from the memories.

“You looked lost for a moment there. I was just asking if you were alright.”

“It’s...fine, Your Highness. I apologise if my demeanour has reflected negatively on your opinion of us.”

“Bit for your thoughts, Captain?”

Spitfire weighed up the potential consequences of sharing potentially classified information with the Princess of the Crystal Empire.

“Just some issues with potential Wonderbolt recruits, is all. It won’t affect me anymore, ma’am.”

“I see.” The two flew on in silence for a few more miles.

“Captain Spitfire, if I may?” said Cadence, and at Spitfire’s nod, she continued on, “This recruit issue-is it a physical one, or a mental one?”

“Mental, your Highness.”

“Somepony too reckless?” Spitfire turned to look at the Princess.

“I spent time in Cloudsdale in my youth, Captain. I know what young, ambitious pegasi are like. All speed, no direction.”

Spitfire had to suppress a chuckle at the useage of the common pegasus phrase for hotheads.

“In my experience, Captain, the best way to deal with hotheads is to tell them what they’re doing wrong, then let them crash. They’ll either learn, or they won’t. You just have to pick up the ones that learn.”

Spitfire smiled under her flight suit.

“Thanks for the advice, Princess.”