//------------------------------//
// Mark of Wisdom 
// Story: Flying to the Future 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 18: Mark of Wisdom

Spitfire's ears barely twitched at the sound of somepony's hoof thudding against her door.  "Enter," she said, not even looking up from the forms she was stamping.
Her ears picked up the sound of the door opening and somepony coming in.  It wasn't Soarin' again, but somepony smaller and lighter, a young stallion...
"Here to complain about your partner?" asked Spitfire with a mischievous smirk as she looked up.
Dawn looked at her and blinked before taking a second to remember that he was a cadet speaking to the chief instructor of the Academy.  "I have a request, Ma'am."
"Is that so?" said Spitfire, her eyes narrowing and her smile widening.  "Close the door."
Dawn turned and shut the door before turning back to Spitfire.  "At ease, kiddo," she said.  "You're good now.  This room is pretty well soundproofed."
"All right," said Dawn, his posture relaxing a little.
"So what is it you wanted to request?" asked Spitfire, resting her chin on her hooves.
"Our first exercise this morning impressed upon me how unprepared I am for the Academy," said Dawn.  "I was confident at first, because I thought I understood the point of the exercise.  But our performance suffered all the same because I lack a practical understanding of how to effectively communicate with my partner."
"So what do you want from me?" asked Spitfire.
"Help," said Dawn.  "I want to learn how to be an effective lead pony."
"Just what I was hoping to hear," said Spitfire.  "We're gonna need a lot of extra practice to get all this into your noggin.  It's gonna cut into what little free time you have here and it won't do you any good unless you bring your wingpony along.  You have to be in this together or you're not going to get anything out of it."
"I understand," said Dawn.  "I've already talked to Sunflower about it.  She agreed, but believed that you wouldn't agree to help us."
"Probably because she's thinking about a different definition of 'help,'" said Spitfire.  "Report to the runway at eighteen-thirty, this evening."
"Yes Ma'am," said Dawn snapping his hoof up in a salute.
"Dismissed, Cadet," said Spitfire, the formality of her tone matching Dawn's.
Dawn dropped his salute and left.  Spitfire sat there for a moment, staring at the door, her gaze piercing through the empty space where Dawn had just been.  Then, she threw back her head and laughed loudly.  "Oh that kid is way too much," she said after she calmed back down.  "Now...here's hoping that Scootaloo can get her head on straight too."



The afternoon exercise consisted of another obstacle course.  However, this one was considerably different than the one they'd run on their fist day.  It was longer, with many branching paths, all offering differing obstacles and hazards.  It was the job of the lead pony to pick out and navigate the path and work out how to approach each obstacle.  The wingpony's job was to keep an eye out for any unexpected surprises and warn her leader as efficiently as possible.  Naturally, runs through the course were timed to test how good each lead pony's decision-making capability was and how good their wingpony was at keeping a lookout.
Once again, the pairs were forbidden to separate on the course.  If they got more than ten meters apart from one another, they would be disqualified and forced to start over again, with an additional penalty to their time.
Scootaloo and Cyclone attacked the course fiercely.  With her wind-sense, Scootaloo didn't really need a wingpony looking out for her.  However, her irritation and frustration left her uncaring about what Cyclone did.  Cyclone repeatedly challenged her decisions, insisting that one way or one approach would be faster than the other.  Before they were halfway through the course, they'd broken off from one another and were forced to start over again.
By contrast, Dawn and Sunflower did a good job on staying together as they navigated the course.  However, Dawn insisted on taking things slowly, still not trusting his ability to maintain communication with Sunflower, taking each obstacle carefully.  As a consequence, their time was the slowest out of all the cadets, only to be surpassed by Scootaloo and Cyclone's dismal performance after finally making it through the course on their fourth try with all their accrued penalties.
Dinner was yet another sullen experience, not helped by their large antagonist and some of the other cadets making pointed jibes at the "Academy Babies" as they had been dubbed.  Scootaloo and Cyclone were too subdued and upset to even feud with one another anymore, reduced to picking at their meals and wincing at every derisive comment that came their way.
As they left the mess hall, Scootaloo was just happy for the day to end.  She wanted to go through her evening exercises with Dawn and then get to bed.  Maybe tomorrow would bring a way for her to get Cyclone to actually listen for a change.  Of course, that might've been too much to hope for.
"Ready to go, Dawn?" asked Scootaloo.
"Actually," said Dawn, fidgeting nervously, "Sunflower and I are going to get some extra training from Spitfire.  Maybe you'd like to join us."
"Huh?  Why are you and Sunflower training with Spitfire?" asked Scootaloo.
"We're trying to get a better feel for working as a team.  I wanted to improve our communication skills," explained Dawn.  "I think it would be a good idea if you and Cyclone joined us."
Scootaloo's jaw dropped.  Dawn was going to go train with Sunflower and not with her.  He wanted her to train with Cyclone.  What the hay?  The rational part of her mind told her it made perfect sense.  Dawn was right about his shortcomings at the very least.  His suggestion that she and Cyclone join him and Sunflower as also perfectly sensible.  But that was overshadowed by a part of her mind that was less rational, a part that flared up every time she saw Sunflower standing near Dawn, every time she saw Sunflower blush around him.  It was a part of her that wanted lash out at Sunflower, that saw her as a threat.
Scootaloo quashed that part down mercilessly.  She knew better than that.  Even if Sunflower did like Dawn that way, there was no way that Dawn would just up and abandon Scootaloo for her.  Their bond was stronger than that.  But that didn't mean that it didn't hurt.
"No thanks," said Scootaloo duly, turning and heading for her room.
Dawn watched her go, tilting his head in confusion.



To Dawn's surprise, Spitfire brought them back to the obstacle course they had run earlier that day.  "There's no question that this is the best way to go about it," said Spitfire.  "Part of bonding as partners is to fly together as much as possible.  It's also important to go through situations where you have make a call and stick to it.  I'm gonna walk you two through the signals you need to be using so that you can coordinate properly.
"Sunflower, as wingpony, you have a tricky job.  Dawn's going to be making the calls.  But you're there to watch his back.  So, in addition to keeping an eye on him and being on the lookout for his signals, you need to be on the lookout for any hazards coming in from unexpected directions.  That's why, ideally, the wingpony is always a couple beats behind the lead pony.  It divides your attention and means that, as wingpony, you need to keep up an even greater situational awareness than Dawn does."
Sunflower raised her hoof.  "But doesn't Dawn have that sense that lets him sense things from any direction?  Why isn't he wingpony then?"
Spitfire smirked.  "Because that's too easy," she said.  "I'm sure Dawn has told you something similar.  As a wingpony, it would be easy sailing for him.  You wouldn't need to signal him at all for him to know which way you're gonna go, sometimes before you do.  But, as a lead pony, he's a bit out of his depth and he doesn't really know how to coordinate with a pony that he hasn't spent years training with and who can read his moves as well as he can read hers.  That won't cut it.  Being a Wonderbolt means being part of a larger group.  You could be assigned to be a wingpony or a lead pony at any time and end up paired up with anypony else on the team depending on the situation.  Partners have to be ready to work together from the get-go or they won't manage in the field."
Sunflower glanced at Dawn, remembering him telling her that he wasn't really interested in being a Wonderbolt.  Of course, that didn't make the skill that Spitfire was trying to help him acquire any less vital.
"Any other questions?" asked Spitfire.
"Just one," said Sunflower.  "Is it really okay for you to be helping us like this?  I mean, you already invited us to the Academy without needing to apply, even though were younger than the norm...isn't this preferential treatment?"
"Is it really?" asked Spitfire.  "I don't recall every saying that the cadets couldn't ask for help.  It just depends on what kind of help you're asking for.
"What most ponies think of when they talk about preferential treatment is stuff like longer break times, or easing up on the assessment criteria, maybe cutting ponies some slack when they screw up on the course.  You're right that I don't go for those horseapples.  But if a cadet or two show that they're willing to go the extra mile to learn additional stuff, that kind of help I have no trouble giving.  You two are going to be putting in a solid two hours of additional work in before bedtime.  Those are extra hours you could be using to rest and laze around.  Given how hard you've been working during the day, that isn't an easy thing to give up.  But here you are."
Spitfire grinned.  "This is all part of becoming better.  You need to learn how to realize when you're at a loss and how to move forward.  You need to learn how to use the resources you have available to you.  After all, what use are we as instructors if we don't actually instruct?"
Sunflower nodded, relaxing a little.  Spitfire had a point.  Sunflower had been worried about what the other cadets might say, but it looked like Spitfire hat the perfect answer to any such accusations."
"Now let's get started," said Spitfire.  "After I walk Dawn through the signals, you two are gonna hit the course and I ain't letting you hit the hay until you shave at least twenty seconds off of your time today."
I regret this decision, thought Sunflower, her ears drooping.



Two hours later, Dawn and Sunflower staggered into the cadet quarters, exhausted and covered with sweat.  In spite of the fact that they had run through the obstacle course during the day, their subsequent runs through the course hadn't been any easier.  The course was designed so that it was possible to take multiple routes to reach the end.  Some were longer than others, which was deliberately not considered when actually timing a run.  The shortest way through was not necessarily the best one after all.  The most direct routes were more likely to have more obstacles that could slow down or even separate the pair as they flew, which would force them to start over from the beginning.  Furthermore, the design of the course was modular, so that the instructors could switch its configuration in between runs to keep Dawn and Sunflower from memorizing any of the routes.
After Spitfire had taught Dawn the signals he'd needed to learn, she sent them through the course.  For their first run, Dawn had led them through at a cautious speed, moving no faster than they had during the afternoon session.  Then, with each subsequent run, he began to speed up, tackling the course faster and faster.  It was a gradual process.  Sometimes they lost time because he picked a longer route or they were delayed by certain obstacles that Sunflower missed as she followed in his wake.  However, by the time they had finished, Dawn was definitely getting more used to signaling her, knowing what to say and when.
Of the pair, Sunflower was the one more physically tired.  She envied Dawn and his ability to cover impressive distances on a single wingbeat.  She had to work much harder to keep up with him, even moving at a relatively moderate speed.  He could also turn on a dime, apparently using his hooves to push off the air itself, not simply relying on angling his wings and shifting his weight.  The issue was that he sometimes forgot that Sunflower couldn't do that, which left her scrambling to keep up with him when he made an unexpected turn.  On a couple of occasions, it had thrown her off enough for them to get separated and end up starting over again.  She was amazed at Dawn's endurance.  By the time they finished their final run, she was just about ready to throw herself down and give up.
Dawn, by contrast, wasn't as physically fatigued as Sunflower was.  However, mentally was another story.  Every run of the obstacle course had been a struggle for him against his muscle memory as he was forced to remind himself again and again that the pony following him was not Scootaloo and couldn't do all the things that Scootaloo could do.  He had to remind himself that Sunflower couldn't pull of the same maneuvers he could because she hadn't been trained to use her hooves to interact with the air in addition to her wings.  When they started moving faster, he still had to remember to signal, still having to work out what signals to use and when.
It was extraordinarily difficult for him.  It was a far cry from battle, where Dawn was able to allow his awareness to slip away and engage his enemies through the instinct and reflexes cultivated over years of training and experience.  This exercise required him to think on the move and think quickly.  It required him to make conscious decisions and then communicate those decisions to his partner.  The mental load required to do that at even a fairly moderate speed was quite substantial for him.
Still, as he stepped into a shower stall and turned on the water, Dawn was smiling.  He was actually quite exhilarated by the challenge facing him.  It's been a long time, he thought, since I've actually had such a difficult time learning something.
Thus, when he crawled into bed, Dawn was feeling quite satisfied with how the day as gone.  Even as he closed his eyes and let sleep take him, his mind was still whirling with ideas as to how to build upon what they had learned this evening.  He had a particular idea of what to do when morning came.



Scootaloo yawned and stretched, working her legs and wings as she limbered up for the morning training routine she and Dawn were about to go through.  Following her usual habits, she had woken up early and gone out to join Dawn so that they would run through their forms together.  Even though yesterday had been a miserable experience, this morning, Scootaloo was smiling.  After all, training with Dawn almost every morning since he'd started teaching her the Gale King had become their routine for years now.  Not even coming to the Wonderbolt Academy could derail it.  Even if she was at the back of the class (which was entirely Cyclone's fault, she was sure), the feeling of spending an hour with Dawn, running through their forms together, synchronizing their movements, just the two of them with no distractions, would be more than enough to ensure that she was ready to face the day.
She smiled as she saw Dawn step out of the cadet quarters.  Then her heart lurched to a stop when she saw that he was not alone.
"What is she doing here?" asked Scootaloo, not trying very hard to conceal her irritation when she saw Sunflower standing there, blearily rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"I want her to join us," said Dawn.  "I'm going to teach her the First Form and then we'll run through it together."
"Wha-why?" asked Scootaloo, her jaw hanging free.
"Yesterday, she helped me learn the signals I need to be an effective lead pony," said Dawn.  "This morning, I'm going to teach her the First Form so that she can get a feel for how I move so that we can better synchronize while flying.  It won't be quite as effective as teaching her the Gale King in its entirety, but that's not exactly something we can manage over the course of an Academy session."
"Wait!  Then what am I going to do?" asked Scootaloo.
Dawn blinked as he looked at her.  "I was actually hoping you might help us," he said.  "As somepony who also learned the First Form, I'm sure there are plenty of pointers that you could give Sunflower, things that I might overlook."  He paused and tapped his chin.  "Actually, I think it would be good if Cyclone joined us too.  It would be a step towards the two of you learning to work together more effectively."
Something snapped inside Scootaloo.  It was bad enough that Dawn had brought Sunflower into what should have been something special, just between the two of them.  But now he was suggesting that they actually get Cyclone involved...She couldn't take it anymore.
"Forget it," she growled, spinning in place.  A powerful sweep of her wings sent her rocketing off the ground and flying away, heading to the edge of the Academy grounds as fast as her wings could carry her.
"Scootaloo...?"  Dawn stared off after her, his eyes wide in confusion.  "Was it something I said?"
Sunflower winced and looked down, masking a sigh.  She had an idea as to why Scootaloo was angry and felt more than a little guilty, seeing as she was the cause.  However, she was especially worried that Dawn didn't seem to realize what he had done to make Scootaloo so upset.  His expression wasn't one of guilt, but of confusion.  It was apparent he had no idea what was going on with his fillyfriend.
"You should go after her," said Sunflower.  "I mean, I understand that you want us to be better partners, but you hurt her feelings and I think she needs you more than I do right now."
"But why?" asked Dawn.  "What did I do?"
"Um...You two do this a lot, right?" asked Sunflower.
"Almost every morning," said Dawn.
"Just the two of you?"
"I haven't had any other students yet, so yes."
Sunflower sighed and planted her hoof against her face.  "I figured as much."  Raising her eyes, she met Dawn's, forcing herself to suppress that instinctual shudder that came from meeting those strange draconic eyes that looked so out of place set into a pony's face.  "I think Scootaloo sees this as something special between the two of you.  You've done this together so much that she doesn't like the idea of you bringing another pony into it."  Especially if the pony in question is a mare, she thought silently.  "To her, it's almost as though you brought along a completely unrelated pony along for one of your dates."
Dawn stared at her, his eyes wide for a moment, as though he couldn't quite fathom what she had just said.  Then his jaw dropped, just a tiny bit.  Sunflower's ears barely caught the tiny "oh," that escaped his mouth.  He blinked and looked down at the ground pensively, scuffing his forehoof.
"You should go after her," said Sunflower.  "I know it isn't what you had planned, but..."
"No," said Dawn, looking back up.  His face was forlorn, but also resigned.  "I'll talk to her...tonight probably, if I can manage it."
"B-but..." protested Sunflower.
"I think you're right," said Dawn with a sad smile.  "I haven't been thinking enough about Scootaloo's feelings.  This is something that is very special to us and I suppose I did violate that by bringing you in on it.  However, it was never my intention to make our training something so exclusive."  His eyes narrowed.  "Besides, I still have my responsibilities as a lead pony."
"Um...I don't think that's such a big deal..." said Sunflower, averting her gaze again.
"But it is," said Dawn.  "As a lead pony, I'm not merely responsible for my performance here, but yours as well.  If I don't do everything in my power to bring us together as an effective team, then I'm failing in that responsibility and, worse, jeopardizing your future here by letting personal issues interfere with that."
Sunflower felt Dawn's hoof touch the side of her muzzle, gently guiding her face back up and around so that her eyes were meeting his again.  This time, there was no flinching as she met that gaze.  Dawn's eyes, as alien as they appeared, were filled with warmth and kindness.  "Even if you aren't my fillyfriend, you're still important to me," he said.  "Because, for as long as this Academy lasts, you are my precious partner."
"O-okay," said Sunflower.
Dawn's smile widened slightly.  "Good.  I promise I'll talk with Scootaloo about things.  But for now, let's do what we came here to do."
"Okay," said Sunflower, smiling back.
Dawn nodded and stepped away, spreading his wings slightly.  "All right then.  I'm going to demonstrate the form for you once, then I'll walk you through the individual techniques that go into it.  After that..."



For a little while, Scootaloo was at a loss to decide what to do.  She felt she couldn't go back, not while Dawn and Sunflower were still there.  She couldn't face them right now.  Shame and anger warred inside of her as her rational mind pointed out that Dawn hadn't meant anything bad by bringing Sunflower to their morning practice.  They had never decided that such an activity was exclusive to them.  She had merely come to that conclusion through the assumption born of years of routine.  Dawn was trying to do his best as Sunflower's lead pony and was taking his responsibilities as a cadet at the Wonderbolts Academy seriously, something she should have been happy for, given the lack of interest Dawn had initially expressed in coming.
However, another part of her hissed irritably at how clueless Dawn could be at times.  He seemed completely oblivious to how much her feelings had been hurt.  Even after all the years that they had been together, Scootaloo sometimes found herself amazed at how dense her normally perceptive coltfriend could be at times.  She still loved him.  She still wanted to be with him.  But, at the same time, Scootaloo wondered if Dawn really wanted to be with her.
No...she couldn't go back right now.  She wasn't in any shape to face Cyclone either.  Things were too bad between them for Scootaloo to allow Cyclone to catch her in what Scootaloo knew would be a moment of weakness.  That would only make Cyclone all the more sure that she should be lead pony.  Scootaloo pondered about where she should go, her eyes ultimately falling on the Academy offices.



Spitfire's ears perked as she heard hoofsteps coming up the hallway.  She took these few quiet hours of the morning to finalize her plans for the first training sessions of the day and collect herself as she fell into the role of an Academy instructor, which was so much different than the one she played as the Captain of the Wonderbolts.  The rest of the Academy staff were generally happy to leave her to it.  Looking up, Spitfire raised an eyebrow as Scootaloo stepped through the door.
"It's a little early for a counseling session, isn't it?" asked Spitfire, taking in Scootaloo's forlorn face.
"Sorry, Ma'am," said Scootaloo softly.
Spitfire looked more carefully, seeing the hurt and confusion in the younger mare's eyes before sighing.  "Close the door."
Scootaloo nodded and shut the door behind her.  Spitfire rubbed her eyes and let herself relax.  "So...I'm guessing something unpleasant happened.  Colt troubles?"
Scootaloo smiled wanly.  "You could say that," she said.  She proceeded to recount what had happened earlier.
Spitfire listened intently, unable to decide whether she wanted to laugh at the silliness of it all or smack her face against the desk.  Kids and their drama, she thought sardonically.
"So..." said Scootaloo as she came to the story's conclusion, "I just don't know what to do.  I mean...I feel...I don't know...betrayed, I guess."
"Let me ask you a question, kiddo," said Spitfire.  "How do you think you'd have felt if, on that night at the Gala, Dawn had come rushing over to help you when those mercenaries attacked?"
"I'd be pretty pissed," said Scootaloo.  "I mean, I can handle myself fine.  If he came to help me, that would mean he'd be leaving Fluttershy and Caramel to fend for themselves.  That just isn't right."
"It would be like he thought you needed protecting," said Spitfire, "that he didn't trust you."
"Yeah," agreed Scootaloo, nodding fervently.
Spitfire's smile became warmer.  "That's good," she said.  "It means that Dawn doesn't see you as just his student anymore, or even as a student who also happens to be his fillyfriend.  He sees and trusts you as an equal, somepony who can stand beside him during the difficult times, somepony whose strength can be relied on.  That kind of trust is important in many relationships, especially romantic ones."
"But why did he have to bring Sunflower into it?" groaned Scootaloo.
"In a sense, he didn't," said Spitfire.  "You did.  He may have brought Sunflower into your morning training session, but you're the one who made something more out of it."  She giggled.  "You're actually jealous.  Dawn has been spending more time on Sunflower and giving her more attention than he's been giving you lately."
"Well yeah," said Scootaloo.
"In a sense I can understand why," said Spitfire.  "It's because Dawn is putting Sunflower into the same place he put you all those years ago when the two of you first met.  He's treating Sunflower like a student, teaching her and guiding her, helping her develop.  That's the place you used to occupy."
"That's right!" snapped Scootaloo, her wings flaring outwards.  "How could he do that?"
Spitfire chuckled and shook her head.  "Because that's not the position you occupy anymore," she said.  "I don't think he's seen you as his student for a while now.  Sure, in terms of mastery, he's still a little ways ahead of you, but you're closing the gap fast.  You haven't needed anything resembling direct instruction for a couple years now.  All you two really need to do is continue to clash and polish your skills with one another.
"Don't you get it?  Dawn can bring Sunflower in on your morning training sessions because he sees you as an equal, a fellow master of the Gale King.  You're somepony whose insight and understanding is valuable in its own right."
Scootaloo snorted and lowered her eyes.  "But why didn't he say that?  I think I'd have taken it better at least."
Spitfire snorted back.  "Because he didn't know that it needed to be said.  He's a stallion, not a mind reader.  However used he's become to being around other ponies and however close he might be to you, there will be times where he just won't get things unless he's told them straight out.  He's not exactly blameless in this, but he never meant to hurt your feelings and I hope, at least, that he intended that gesture as one of affirmation."
Scootaloo's wings sagged.  "I guess we need to talk then."
"That you do," said Spitfire.  "I'll be honest.  I'm really jealous of you two.  I hope I can find somepony to settle down with one day, like Rainbow and Soarin' have.  But, even if I did, I don't think we could get as close as you and Dawn are.  There are long-married couples who don't have the level of connection you two do.  Don't think I've missed the fact that you two are using your Gale King skills to add an extra level of communication to your relationship.  That's an amazing thing.  But you aren't always going to be of one mind.  In fact, you'll probably never be like that.  You're different ponies and you always will be.  But that doesn't have to be something that drives you apart."
Scootaloo stared pensively at the floor, not saying a thing.  When she looked up, Spitfire could still see the hurt and uncertainty in her eyes.  But Scootaloo was thinking.  She'd listened to what Spitfire had to say and she was thinking very hard about it.  That's good, at least, thought Spitfire.  "Anything else you'd like to say?"
"I guess not," said Scootaloo.
"If anything," said Spitfire, "I'd say that Dawn is taking this Academy more seriously than you are right now.  I'd like you to think about that, because, of the two of you, you're the one who really wanted to be here.  Now...if you're done moping in my office, you can see yourself out and mope someplace else.  But don't be late to roll call."
"Yes Ma'am," said Scootaloo, saluting sharply before heading out the door.
As she heard Scootaloo's steps recede down the hallway, Spitfire chuckled for a moment, then sighed, leaning back in her seat.  "These kids are gonna be the death of me," she muttered.



Scootaloo barely made it back in time for breakfast.  Dawn and Sunflower were already there, Cyclone too.  As Scootaloo took her seat, she felt Dawn spread one wing and send a gentle breeze that seemed to wrap around her.  Filled with his presence, it was like a warm, comforting blanket.  Smiling, but not looking at him, Scootaloo returned the gesture, creating a breeze of her own and meshing it with his.  She could feel Dawn's warmth, his affection, his care.  That hadn't faded in the slightest.  I'm such an idiot, she thought.
She was glad she made it for breakfast, because the morning session was the most strenuous exercise yet.  It was another obstacle course.  But this one was much more straightforward.  There was only one path from beginning to end.  However, the obstacles this time were much more potent.  Powerful fans generated extreme crosswinds that cut across the course at a variety of angles.  Rainclouds unleashed a torrential downpour that the winds subsequently blew about wildly, sometimes sending the rain directly into the faces of the straining cadets.  Without their goggles, they would have been blinded.  Dark storm clouds were positioned to reduce the light, making it difficult to see the gates that marked out the course.
"Miss one and you'll have ten seconds added to your time," promised Spitfire.  "Oh!  And don't forget to stay with your teammate.  If you get separated, you have to start over."  She gave Cyclone and Scootaloo a pointed look.
Scootaloo sighed and looked at her partner.  Cyclone was looking over the course.  "Hey, can we talk?"
Cyclone snorted and glared at her.  "Whatever you have to say, you'd better say it quick.  It's gonna be our turn soon."
"Look," said Scootaloo, "I know we didn't get off to the best of starts when we first met in Cloudsdale and we sure as hay aren't friends.  We might never be.  I get that.  But, if we really wanna show that we belong here, then we've gotta stop with all the posturing and arguing and take this seriously.  We need to do our jobs."
"Speak for yourself," said Cyclone.  "I'm gonna show Spitfire who the best pony is here."
"That's not the point," said Scootaloo.  "You can set all the records you want and go at it until you're blue in the face, but nothing you say or do is gonna make Spitfire promote you to lead pony.  It doesn't matter which of us has the better time in what exercise.  We've been given our positions and we've gotta do them to the best of our ability."
Cyclone's eyes narrowed.  It was clear she hadn't liked what Scootaloo had said at all.  However, at the same time, she couldn't exactly find anything to say against it.
"Look," said Scootaloo with a sigh, "let's stop thinking about it as a competition for a moment.  Let's just look at this as a routine weather assignment.  We've gotta navigate through this storm and we've gotta do it fast."
Cyclone frowned and stared at her hooves.  Scootaloo's words reminded her about what Sunflower had said the previous night.



"You're back late," Cyclone observed as Sunflower came stumbling into the cadet quarters' common area.  The accommodations of the Wonderbolts Academy were surprisingly homey.  Cyclone had been expecting a common barracks, with everypony sharing bathroom facilities and all of them sleeping in bunks in the same room, like the Guard training camps she'd seen.  Instead, everypony had their own, albeit small, room, and shared a pair of bathrooms.  They also had a common area where they could relax...in what little off-time they had.
"Dawn and I went to Spitfire to get some extra help," said Sunflower, stripping off her cadet uniform.  "We were running the obstacle course all evening."
Cyclone huffed.  "You're not gonna make an impression if you're always asking for help.  You can't let that stallion make you soft.  Ponies like that don't understand the importance of achievement."
She expected a snort and a dismissal from Sunflower.  Instead, Cyclone jolted as a wing smacked the back of her head...hard.
"When are you going to grow up?" demanded Sunflower, her voice hissing with anger.
Cyclone sat bolt upright and stared at her longtime friend with wide eyes.  She couldn't remember seeing Sunflower this angry, much less angry at her.
"I've tried to talk some sense into you before, but I've almost given up," snarled Sunflower.  "So this time you're going to shut that mouth and listen for once."
Cyclone opened her mouth, only to snap it back shut as Sunflower raised a wing again.  In general, pegasi were discouraged from using their wings as combat implements because it exposed them to potential damage.  So Sunflower's wing couldn't hit very hard, but she didn't need it to.
"Get it through your skull, Cyclone, because I'm sick and tired of your attitude, especially towards Scootaloo and Dawn.  The Stratuses are in prison, you aren't getting any kind of inheritance from them.  You've got nothing to gain from acting like they still matter.  They're in prison and Scootaloo and Dawn are here.  What does that tell you about who's more worthy?"
Cyclone pressed her lips together, unable to find a thing to say.
"That manure might've gotten you ahead back in Flight School and at work, but look where it's gotten you here," continued Sunflower.  "You're at the back of the pack now.  All the stuff you did to try and get ahead before, it's holding you back.  I like Dawn and Scootaloo.  They're amazing ponies.  There's so much I can learn from them.  But it's more than that.  Dawn's willing to admit when he can't do something and that he needs to learn how.  That's why we were going to Spitfire for help earlier.  Scootaloo's like that too.  You need to get your head out of your rump and do your part.  Like it or not, you're part of a team now and you need to be the best teammate you can be."
"But..."  Cyclone still wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Look, I know you and Scootaloo have a lot of baggage between the two of you," said Sunflower.  She walked right up to Cyclone and pressed their necks together, draping her head over Cyclone's shoulders.  "But please...do it for me.  I know you wanted us to be together as partners.  But the fact that we aren't shouldn't be the reason you fail.  I don't want you to flunk out.  I want to go through the Academy with you...even if we aren't on the same team."
Cyclone said nothing.  She remained where she was, her eyes closed.  However, she leaned back against Sunflower, returning the affectionate gesture.  For Sunflower, that was all the reassurance she needed.



"...Okay," said Cyclone as she ended her reverie.
"You are so st-Wait!  What?"  Scootaloo blinked out of her reflexive retort when she realized that Cyclone had actually agreed with her, not simply fired back with a pithy argument.
"Let's do our jobs," said Cyclone, setting herself for takeoff, glaring at the course, but not at Scootaloo.  "I'm tired of being in last place anyway."
Scootaloo pursed her lips, feeling somewhere between confused and elated.
"Looks like it's time for the Academy Babies to go," taunted the big stallion, speaking softly to avoid being overheard by Spitfire.  "Are you sure you don't want the teachers to hold your hooves while you go through?"  His comment earned more than a few chuckles from the other older cadets.
Cyclone snorted.  "Whatever."  She sank into a crouch and spread her wings.  "Let's show these chumps how it's done."
Scootaloo grinned fiercely and matched Cyclone's posture.  "Now you're speaking my language."
Their turn came and Spitfire's whistle sounded.  The two of them launched skyward in almost perfect synch.  "Stay with me!" Scootaloo shouted as they went into the first crosswind.  Feeling the flow of the current, she allowed the wind to sweep her up into a roll that actually allowed them to accumulate speed that they would have otherwise lost trying to fight against it.  Cyclone stayed with her, going through the roll just as effortlessly, surprised at just how easy the maneuver was.
As she did, she still managed to spot one of the obstacles concealed amongst the artificial storm conditions.  "Impediment at two-o-clock!" she shouted, already angling her wings to correct her course.  Scootaloo was matching her movements before Cyclone even finished speaking, allowing them to take an easy curve around the cloud column that had been cunningly concealed amongst the rain torrents.
Scootaloo led, reading the wind with her wings, moving with the flow of currents, giving them extra speed and time.  No matter how twisting or disorienting their course became, Cyclone had no trouble keeping an eye on their surroundings, spotting obstacles and giving Scootaloo their locations.  At some point, Cyclone unconsciously realized that she didn't even need to actually say anything to let Scootaloo know where an obstacle was.  She would angle her wings or shift her body to go around it and Scootaloo would match her in a heartbeat.
Finally, the two of them surged through the last gate in a final sprint that left purple and gold streaks trailing behind them.  As they passed, Spitfire hit the timer on her stopwatch then gaped at the results.  "A minute and thirteen seconds...that's an Academy record!" she exclaimed.
"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Scootaloo gleefully as they pulled away and began to loop back towards the rest of the cadets, many of whom were staring openly at them.  "That's what I'm talking about!"
Cyclone couldn't help but smile herself, finally able to bask in the satisfying feeling of a job well-done.  Glancing beside her, she saw Scootaloo coasting, holding one wing angled up.
"Come on," said Scootaloo, "don't leave me hanging."
Cyclone chuckled and rolled her eyes.  But all the same, she extended her wing and the two feathered appendages slapped together.  "Aww yeah!" crowed Scootaloo.
As they landed, Cyclone couldn't believe how elated she felt.  It was the best she'd felt since she'd learned that she'd been paired with Scootaloo.  It was an incredible feeling.  She was amazed that, in the end, it had been so easy.  The idea of letting Scootaloo take the lead had been grating.  But when Cyclone had finally decided to do her part and let Scootaloo do hers, she realized just how smoothly things had been gone.
If I hadn't been so stubborn, we could've been dominating since yesterday, she thought.  Sunflower's right.  I'm a stubborn idiot.
Up above, Spitfire watched the pair with a smile of her own, having to fight the urge to break out into an exultant grin.  Now that's what I'm talking about.
Now it was Dawn and Sunflower's turn.  Scootaloo and Cyclone watched them intently, trying to see if their training with Spitfire yesterday had borne any fruit.  Spitfire blew the whistle and they were off.
Dawn had many of the same ideas that Scootaloo had when it came to approaching the crosswinds, often reading the currents and using his skill to slip through them without losing speed or even gaining it sometimes.  However, he was more cautious of his approach than Scootaloo had been, always being careful to make sure that Sunflower was able to follow him through the maneuvers.  Still, the two of them were working a lot faster than they had the previous day.  Scootaloo could see that Dawn was still adverse to taking risks while he was guiding Sunflower though.  That's no good, she thought.  He's gotta learn to trust her skills or they're not gonna be able to do their best.  Knowing that he's holding back for her sake will make Sunflower's confidence take a dive too.
The bottom dropped out of her stomach when she realized that she could've given him that advice already, if she hadn't been too busy being jealous over Sunflower's presence.  Perhaps they could be doing even better than they were now.  Scootaloo resolved not to make the same mistake again.
Spitfire watched Dawn and Sunflower, having much the same thoughts that Scootaloo had.  However, the pair was at least doing much better than they had at the previous day.  While they didn't come close to matching Scootaloo and Cyclone's time, they were no longer dead last.  It also seemed that the other cadets had noticed that the Academy Babies were pulling up through the ranks, now that they had gotten their acts together.  This might just work out after all, thought Spitfire with a smirk.  Good.  It was touch and go there for a little bit.



Lunch was a much quieter affair than usual, though it wasn't a bad sort of quiet.  After all the fun they'd had laughing and scoffing at the "Academy Babies," it was clear that the older cadets had been mostly cowed by Scootaloo and Cyclone's showing on the obstacle course.  Of all their antagonists, only the large stallion who'd confronted them the first day remained openly hostile.
"Looks like you brats got lucky," he teased while his partner gave him a dubious look.
"Wait until this afternoon," Cyclone retorted, "and we'll show you just how lucky we can be."
Scootaloo snorted and smirked.  A low, rumbling growl worked its way out of the big stallion's chest, but he remained silent otherwise.  The four youngsters went to their usual table and enjoyed their lunch, no longer burdened by the frustration of their previous failures.
The afternoon session consisted of a strenuous exercise regimen that tested their strength and endurance.  This wasn't a team-based exercise, but based off of individual performances.  Scootaloo and Cyclone competed fiercely with one another, though Sunflower and Dawn both noted that the anger and resentment that had hung between the two of them earlier was now missing.
Dinner came and went.  After dinner, Dawn and Sunflower reported to Spitfire once again for additional practice to enhance their coordination with one another.  Finally, tired and sweaty, Dawn and Sunflower returned to the cadet quarters, ready to head to bed.



As their hooves thudded against the packed clouds that formed the courtyard in front of the cadet quarters, Dawn could feel a familiar pony in front of him, the ripples and eddies formed by her presence entwining with his own in a comforting feeling that helped drain the tension from his mind and body.  Looking up, he saw Scootaloo standing at the entrance to the cadet quarters, giving him and Sunflower a warm, friendly smile.
"Hey," she said.  "How'd it go?"
"It went well," said Dawn, smiling back.  Sunflower continued to walk, going right past Scootaloo and into the building, leaving the two of them alone.
"Good," said Scootaloo.  Her smile faltered.  "Can we talk?"
"Sure," said Dawn, his own smile slipping.  "Can you wait a minute while I get a shower?"
"Sure," said Scootaloo.  "Don't take too long.  We've gotta get up at the usual time tomorrow."
Dawn nodded.  Going into the building, he stripped off his cadet uniform and stepped into the shower.  In spite of his promise to Scootaloo, he did linger a little longer than usual, letting the warm water sooth his body and relax his muscles before finally drying himself off and proceeding outside, where Scootaloo was still waiting for him.
"Let's go someplace a little more private," said Scootaloo.  Taking to the air, she led them out towards the edge of the Academy grounds.  There, they settled on a patch of clouds that left them with a stunning view of the landscape stretching out bellow.  In the rapidly fading light of evening, the lands below were being plunged into darkness, save for small, island-like clusters of light that looked like swarms of stationary fireflies from this distance; small towns and villages that resided in the area.
As Scootaloo settled in, squirming to make a nice little indent for herself in the soft clouds, Dawn laid down next to her, draping his wing over her back and pulling her up against his side.  For a moment, neither of them said anything, simply basking in the silence and relaxing against one another.  They hadn't been able to do this since they'd come to the Academy, so they savored the feeling.  But Scootaloo knew that they had to start talking sooner or later.  Lights-out wasn't far away and they'd get in trouble if they were spotted outside after curfew.
"I'm sorry," she said softly.
"Why?" asked Dawn.  From the tone of his voice, she knew that he had an idea of what she was apologizing for, but wanted to hear the reason from her, in her own words.
"I've been a jerk," said Scootaloo.  "You've just been trying to help Sunflower and do your job as her partner and lead pony.  You're doing an incredible job."
"I could be doing better," said Dawn.
"But that's the point," said Scootaloo.  "Sure, your times today were nothing to write home about, but you're making a real effort, which was more than Cyclone and I could say before today."  She sighed and looked down.  "I was...jealous."
"Of Sunflower...why?"
Scootaloo sniffed.  "I...I didn't like it that you weren't upset that we weren't paired together.  It felt like you didn't care.  I understand that isn't really rational.  This Academy isn't about our relationship.  Spitfire wouldn't put us together just because we're coltfriend and fillyfriend.  She wouldn't separate us because of that either.  You saw that so easily...
"And then you were really gung-ho about working with Sunflower, improving yourselves, working together to be better partners.  You even brought her in on our morning practice sessions without a second thought.  It was like I was being replaced."
"Nopony could ever replace you," said Dawn, nuzzling the top of her head.
"I know that," said Scootaloo glumly.  "But I let my frustration get the better of me.  Spitfire had to spell it out for me to figure out what was happening and then I just felt stupid."  She let her head slump down onto her forelegs and sighed.  "I haven't been a very good fillyfriend or Academy cadet because I let those things get in the way of each other."
"I'm not exactly blameless," admitted Dawn, resting his head on top of hers.  "I...I got wrapped up in thinking about how to work with Sunflower and raise our performance.  I stopped worrying about your feelings because I figured you'd understand eventually.  You were the one who really wanted to be here after all.  I got...complacent."
"Complacent?" asked Scootaloo.
"When I brought Sunflower to our morning practice, I didn't even think about how you would feel about it.  I was excited by the idea because I would have the opportunity to work with another pony.  I've already taught you everything that you needed to learn, the rest is up to you.  So...it felt good to have somepony to teach again."  Dawn sighed.  "I got so wrapped up in it that I didn't even think about your feelings."
Scootaloo smiled wanly.  "First your sister and the foals back in Ponyville, now Sunflower.  I guess you really like teaching, don't you?"
"I suppose I do," admitted Dawn.  "You were my first student.  When you asked me if I could teach you to control the wind like I could, for the first time, I forgot my caution with other ponies.  I got excited and interested in interacting with another.  Mom brought me out of the forest, but, by asking me to teach you, you brought me out of myself."
Scootaloo smiled, a warm sensation welling up in her stomach.  She felt silly for doubting Dawn's feelings for her.  Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a faint flash of light.  "What was that?"
"What was what?" asked Dawn looking around.
"Some kind of light flashed," said Scootaloo, her eyes also seeking the source.
"It's probably nothing," said Dawn.  "You maybe saw light from a door or window back at the Academy..."  His voice trailed off an he found himself staring at the last place he would have expected light to come from.
"What is it?"  Asked Scootaloo, trying to follow the line of Dawn's eyes.  "What did you see...?"
Dawn Lightwing was a blank flank no more.  There on his haunch rested a new image.  It was a symbol, a pair of lines.  One was silver, like his mane.  The other was turquoise, like his eyes.  They were looped around each other in a shape that reminded Dawn of a square knot.
"Huh..." said Dawn, blinking.  "So that's what it was."
He turned back to Scootaloo, who was still staring at his flank.  "Anyway, I guess we'd better head back it's almost time for lights out and-why are you looking at me like that?"
Scootaloo stared at Dawn's face now, her cheeks puffed out.  "Pffffffffft!"  Finally, unable to restrain herself any longer, she burst out laughing, rolling onto her back and kicking her legs in the air.
"Only you," she forced out between guffaws.  "Only you...Dawn.  You're the only pony who could get his cutie mark and carry on as though nothing happened."
"Um...I'm glad you're so amused," he said.
Scootaloo rolled back upright and wiped tears from her eyes.  "Geez!  You have to be the goofiest coltfriend ever."
That brought a smile to Dawn's face and he leaned in towards her.  "But still yours."
"Yeah," said Scootaloo, wiping her eyes again before leaning towards Dawn.  "Still mine."  She pressed her lips to his.