The Wonderbolts

by Captain Dash

Dawn of a New Day

Spitfire drew in a sharp, calming breath, trying to rid the butterflies in her stomach. Her eyes were closed, trying to envision every technique she had taught herself. Deciding she was ready, she silently counted down from three, and allowed herself to fall off her high cloud perch. A mental image began to appear in her mind. She could see herself in a free fall, back parallel to the ground, waiting. As the wind swept rapidly by her falling body, she could feel the time coming. The ground was quickly approaching, but Spitfire was one step ahead. She knew what she needed to do, and was set on nothing less than perfection.

A smile crept onto her face, as she perfectly pictured where she was in respecting to the earth. Spitfire jolted her eyes open to the bright sky and did a barrel roll. Within an instant, her powerful wings had shot open, using the momentum of the fall to propel her nearly straight forward at a ninety degree turn. The bank occurred just quick enough to save Spitfire from a grueling match with the ground. Her wings beat at a rapid pace, rocketing her forward. The speed from the free fall turned into the straight away was enough to form a flowing fire trail behind her, leaving the grass just inches away ablaze. She was near sound shattering speeds; a fiery bullet to anyone watching in the distance. With a smirk of determination, Spitfire banked hard left to right several times, leaving a burning trail in her wake. Deciding work was done, she shot straight into the sky, losing some momentum.

“Woo-hoo!” Spitfire yelled loudly over the wind, doing a loop-de-loop as the flame behind her began to fizzle out.

Spreading her wings to a full extension, she slowed herself and drifted onto a lower-leveled cloud. Peering over the edge of the white fluff, Spitfire admired her work. An amateurish lightning bolt was still visible in the grass below.

A small giggle escaped Spitfire’s lips as she turned her attention back towards the sky. Her golden fur reflected brightly in the sunlight. Celestia had just begun to raise the sun and bring in a new day. Amber eyes gazed confidently off into the vast sky, her mind wandering as free as the expanse.

If Spitfire were to be honest, she didn’t really like waking up early, but today was no ordinary day. She hadn’t slept much the night before anyway. Her morning flight routine had done well in calming some of her nerves, but there was still a feeling of uneasiness deep inside.

“What if I’m not good enough?” Spitfire thought aloud. Ever since she had gotten her cutie mark, she knew flying was her future. It’s where she felt free, and it’s what she loved to do most. Still, Spitfire couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy at the prospect of what today brought.

Closing her eyes once more, Spitfire thought back to the day she had received the letter in the mail. The elation from opening it to find that she had been accepted into the training academy for the Pegasus Division of the Protective Pony Platoon filled her senses as if she were in that moment again. The E.U.P. Guard was not a thing to be taken lightly, and Spitfire knew that only the best made it in.
Shifting mental gears, Spitfire thought about the summer that lie ahead. She knew that it would be a hard couple months of drills, strenuous flying, and challenging tasks. Spitfire grinned at the prospect. She accepted it as a challenge, barely now able to control her growing nervous excitement.

“This is it,” she thought to herself. “It’s time to put my training to use.”

With a kick and a flap of her wings, she darted off the cloud.

“Today’s the day!”

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Beep! Beep! Beep!

An annoying alarm filled the quiet morning atmosphere. Groggily opening his eyes, Soarin’ looked at the accusing device. Taking a glance at the clock, his heavy eyes flew open, as he bolted upright in shock.

“No, no, no, no, no!” he stammered. “I’m so late!” Throwing the sheets off him and slamming the alarm off, he darted out of bed. Within an instant, he had raced down the hall and into the bathroom. “Come on, come on, come on!” he grumbled, waiting for the cold water of the shower to warm up. Deciding that there wasn’t enough time, he tossed his towel on the floor and plunged in anyways. His body quickly tensed up under the cold water, as he began to rapidly scrub himself clean.

“Stupid water always taking forever to warm up at this altitude,” he mumbled to himself. “How did I sleep in this long!” he exclaimed out of frustration. “Stupid, stupid, stupid…” Soarin’ muttered, as he banged his forehead against the shower wall a few times. “I have to be there in an hour!”

Expertly using his wing to turn off the water, he stepped out of the shower – and straight onto the towel. The towel flew out from under him as he lost his balance and slipped, causing him to fall forward at the door, smacking his left eye of the doorknob. “Celestia dammit!” he yelped, as he lay on the floor, filled with pain and embarrassment. He could almost feel the ring forming around his eye. “Great, just great,” he slurred, getting back to his feet. One look in the mirror told him all he needed to know. He swiftly combed back his long navy blue bangs and disheveled mane and stared at his growing black eye.

“It’s going to be a long day, isn’t it?” he thought to himself. He shook his head as to clear the negativity and tried to reach a better mindset. Forcing a small smile to his face, he closed his eyes in thought.

“Today’s the day!”

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Soarin’ couldn’t have had a worse morning. Fortunately, he had spent the last week packing and making sure everything was in order for him to walk out the door. His clothes were packed, his papers were in order, and his apartment was almost effectively powered down.

“Okay,” he thought, munching on some oatmeal, “If I leave here in fifteen minutes, check out, and power down my apartment, that should leave me with thirty-three minutes to get out to the academy. It’s a thirty minute flight so…”

Coming to this realization, he tried pouring the rest of his breakfast down his throat. “I gotta get going now!” he mumbled through his mouthful of food, sputtering some every which way. He quickly grabbed a sheet lying across from him, and went over the checklist again.

“What to do on check-in day: A checklist,” Soarin’ read aloud. “Step One: Check in at the front desk of your appointed dorm by eleven o’clock. They will give you a key to your room. Step Two: Find your room and roommate. Step Three: After accommodating, make your way to the Cloudiseum for the introductory ceremony and meeting.”

“Easy enough,” he said, tucking the sheet into a satchel. “Time to get moving!” He began buzzing from place to place around the apartment, giving it one last glance before he would have to lock it up for the summer. He gathered up his luggage – a suitcase of clothes, another suitcase of personal items, and a satchel full of necessary papers – and placed them out in the hallway. Deciding that his work was satisfactory, he closed the door and locked it.

“I don’t think I’ll be missing this place any time soon,” he chuckled to himself. Soarin’ let out a happy sigh as he grabbed his luggage and took off. He flew down the hallway and several flights of stairs in a hurried frenzy, coming to a screeching halt in front of the front desk. The mare in behind the desk looked up, and gave him a quizzical look.

“Can I help you?” she asked, looking at his injured eye with a raised eyebrow.

Soarin’ wiped the mirthful grin off his face remembering his black eye. “Umm, I need to make sure everything is locked up and shut down for apartment 357. I’ll be gone for the summer.”

Looking annoyed, she got up from her chair and stated “Just one moment, sir” very monotonously. Soarin’ tapped him hoof impatiently as she returned with a folder and some papers.

“Soarin’ I presume?”

“Guilty as charged,” he smiled innocently.

She gave him an unamused look. “Sign here.” Giving a sloppy signature, he shoved the paper back across the desk. “We’ll make sure your apartment is kept safe,” she said flatly, walking to the back room again.

“Am I done, or…” Soarin’ drawled out. No reply came. He bit his lip and glanced back and forth between the clock on the wall and the front door. “Screw it.”

Soarin’ quickly gathered his stuff and raced out the door. He took off in the direction of the city, zooming down the main street, taking in the sights of the city as he flew by. Cloudsdale was growing at a fast rate. New, large buildings, made from industrial strength cloud material seemed to popping up each month. Cloudsdale was now one of the leading cities in weather operations as well, with factories dotting the outside of the floating cloud metropolis. Soarin’ quickly flew down several streets, taking the shortcuts he knew. Someone gave him an angry yell as the blue blur sped in front of him. He didn’t pay any mind; it wasn’t the first time it had happened. Construction workers were always grouchy, even if he may have flown a little too close to the growing structure. The academy campus was on the complete opposite end of town, built on its own cloud on a higher altitude slightly apart from the city. As Soarin’ reached the outskirts of the city, he began to ascend upwards. The suitcases staggered his flight, but with some reluctance, he soared to an altitude above the clouds, spotting the giant fortress in the distance. The Cloudiseum was standout enough, but Soarin’ couldn’t help but gawk at the sheer size of the academy. He had been there only a few times, and never once inside. Liquid rainbow flowed freely off the cloud. Dozens of buildings came into focus as he neared his destination. The Cloudiseum was centered at the heart of the complex, with what he figured were dorm rooms and other training facilities around it.

“Wow,” he thought to himself. “This place is incredible!” He noticed several other pegasi flying in, also in a frenzied hurry. Remembering that he was close to being late, Soarin’ pushed his giant wings forward with long strides. Coming down with a soft “Pomf” on the cloud landing area, he took in his surroundings.

There was a large, golden arch, inscribed with “Protective Pony Platoon Training Academy” over a pathway that led to a building that read “Welcome Center” above its door. Soarin’ took a tentative step forward, breathing out a heavy breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in.

“This is it,” he thought nervously.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, he forced a confident look on his face. He picked up his suitcases once again, and crossed under the golden arch.

Author's Note:

Just a quick clarification for those that asked: Events in this story are set mostly to Testing, Testing,1,2,3. The only exception is that there are no Wonderbolts yet, only the mitary minded Protective Pony Platoons, as mentioned in Testing, Testing, 1,2,3.

Hope this clears up any confusion!