"Well, considering your impressive heritage, experience, and abilities, I don't see why Elementary Flight Cloudsdale rejected you."
It was September 1999, and the sun was setting, turning the clouds into the same impressive reds, yellows, and oranges as the leaves of the trees below. Frank was meeting with a recruiter from the Advanced Flight Academy. It had been over 2 years since the day that the Rainboom was completed... and no one had completed it since. Even his dad had tried to complete it, and he had injured himself in October '97.
"And from what our inspectors told us, you scored 94 on your flight test, and 95 on your theory test." The recruiter leaned forward. "You did better than most of this year's incoming class. And they're 2 or 3 years older, and finished Elementary Flight. Why are you different?"
"My parents both taught me. My dad would be up in the air with me, my mom below. Even if my dad couldn't catch me, my mom could- she used magic to create a shield under me. I never feared the ground, whereas many of my peers did."
"How have you been improving recently? I mean, I heard that your father got injured about 2 years ago." It was true. James Stablehaus nearly completed the Rainboom, but a crosswind caused him to spin out of control.
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1997
"An investigation is ongoing into why these crosswinds are occurring."
"Today, James Stablehaus was injured in an attempt to recreate the Rainboom. Reports say that he nearly had it, but the crosswinds spun him out of control. It is also claimed that James will not be flying again for a good long time, if he ever does again..."
"Air traffic has been ordered to slow down as the crosswinds worsen..."
"Frank..."
"Today, Spitfire was announced to be the third Wonderbolt for the 1998 season, following the sudden end of the former captain's career. Soarin' was announced as the new Captain. When asked to comment, both declined."
"Ma'am, he's been in a serious accident." Mom hadn't looked so scared in her life. All the color in her normally light purple face drained out. Tears stained her cheeks, the only places where she looked roughly normal."It's probable that he may not make it through the night. Maybe he won't fly again. But they say that there's only a 2% chance that he'll fly again..."
Make it stop. Please.
"Stablehaus!" Frank fell off of his chair in front of the class. His wings stopped him from hitting the floor. He looked up to see the angry face of the teacher looking at him from the front desk. "I've had it! You think that you're just entitled to be here?"
"No, sir. Not at all, sir."
"Well, get out." Frank started to leave. "No, no. Take your books. I'm never teaching you! NEVER! Your Mother was one problem, but then she married a Pegasus! AND CREATED YOU!"
Frank's face, normally a calm light blue, had turned a grotesque shade of red. "My mother is a greater unicorn than you will ever be! EVER!"
The teacher's face got redder and redder, until it matched Frank's. "How dare you! Get out!" And he bucked Frank right through the door. He then continued on with his lesson, 29 trembling colts and fillies remaining in the room.
The teacher across the hall saw him fly through the door. She was a theory teacher- being an earth pony, she had no magic. When she got out, she gasped. He lay, unconscious, motionless, and badly gashed. Quickly, she brought her students out, and after having them magic him onto a rolling desk, she and several of her students wheeled her to the front office. "Miss Cheerilee, do you know who this colt is?" Asked one of the students.
"No I don't."
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The knocking came at the office door. Princess Celestia, being there, opened the door. In came a breathless Cheerilee, wheeling an unconscious student in. "Is something the matter..." her voice trailed off as she noticed the student on the table. "What the... Whose class was he in?"
"Griffith. Theory 202."
The Princess' face contorted into a snarl. "I will personally kill him. I WILL KILL HIM!"
At that moment, Frank began to stir. "Where am I?"
Cheerilee responded. "Safe."
Frank looked around, grasping what he was seeing. "I'm in the office. I blew it."
"Frank..." Celestia looked over the colt with a slight tint of anger in her eyes. Not towards him, but towards Griffith.
"I knew I shouldn't, but I lost it with Griffith... he insulted my mother... after I lost track of time... and then, he bucked me... The door..." Frank's eyes suddenly crossed and he began to spout gibberish.
Celestia looked down in horror. The first signs of Dementia... "Guards! Get him to the hospital! And you two! Come with me! I have a stallion to arrest!"
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"I would really prefer not to talk about that, If it's okay with you."
"Of course. That's very common to not want to answer a question or two. Now, let's see... They expect you to graduate from Magic School... 2 years early?"
"Yes. I tested out a good deal of the curriculum in late '97. Possibly for the better- my horn was never the same."
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November 1997
"In again, Frank?" asked Princess Celestia of the light blue colt in front of her.
"I couldn't focus. Miss Cheerilee's a good teacher, but I just am having trouble concentrating. Is that normal?"
"Usually, no. But given what's happened to you in the last month, it's not."
"Did I... go mad that day?"
"Only temporarily." Celestia looked beyond Frank, to where a small portrait of she and Luna was. The portrait was painted in 990, as stated by a small bronze plaque under the portrait. "Good stallions and mares have been drawn to the absolute brink by a multitude of things. Even my sister. Our parents died in 996. She became depressed and soon contracted Melancholia. It eventually worsened into Dementia."
"What are those?"
"Melancholia is when somepony is so sad that they get sick. Dementia is when a pony goes mad for one reason or another. In Luna's case, she had nopony to turn to. I was never there for her. Hardly anypony was awake at night, and she needed to see joy in her life."
"What happened?"
"She weakened. Her inner evil- we all have it in us- overpowered her, and transformed her into Nightmare Moon." Celestia sighed. "Sometimes, I wish I could have gone back and stopped it all. It would've saved me a lot of grief, and a lot of work. But it also meant that I've missed having that younger sibling." She turned to look out the window, over the golden rows of wheat and Farmponies harvesting. "In 5 years, the cosmos will align, freeing her. She will most likely break free as Nightmare Moon, and it will take the combined force of the Elements of Harmony to free Luna."
"But, why are you telling me this? Do I have some role to play?"
"No. You will not be one of the bearers. The 6 have already been chosen. There is a related prophesy. 'In the early days of 21, the Elements will dull. The Lost Lesson must be retaught to the 6, or Equestria falls forever.' I want you to be on the lookout for them, and hopefully, the teacher."
"I see." The admissions officer shifted in his seat. "Well, given your impressive abilities, I have no choice but to offer you a position at our school. But are you sure that you can do it?"
"I will have very few times that I will have to be at the Magic Academy over the next couple of years, so it shouldn't be too hard."