Over Yonder

by theNDinspector

Chapter 10: A New Mission

Scootaloo once again found herself fighting against the bugle call early in the morning. She finally relented and crawled out onto the still messy floor from the previous night’s battle.

“They’d have a field day if we were inspected now,” she muttered while trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

Aurora spoke up in an annoyingly cheerful tone. “Can’t be any worse than when we had to clean the entire compound after Silverwings put that ‘pie face’ sign on the Major’s back, eh Blue?”

Before Blue Yonder could respond, a series of knocks came from the door. Since she was the closest, Blue Yonder opened the door only to find nopony there. Stepping out to get a better look around, her hoof brushed against something left on the doorstep.

“What is it?” Aurora asked once the door was shut again.

“It’s a letter,” Blue Yonder replied, holding up a piece of paper.

“Why would somepony knock, just to leave a letter here?”

“Dunno.”

Scootaloo waved her hoof. “Well don’t just stand there. Read it.”

Blue Yonder tore open the envelope, pulled out a piece of paper and read it aloud.

“Good morning Cadets. Today marks a new phase of your training to become part of the super awesome Wonderbolts team. You’re to report to the Eastern Field, Section D at 0900 hours, where you will receive details of your new mission—should you choose to accept it. This message will self-destruct in five seconds.”

Blue Yonder scoffed as she finished reading the letter. “Okay, that’s ridiculous. How can a letter possibl—”

In a puff of smoke, the letter turned into a pile of confetti and fell out of Blue Yonder’s outstretched hoof. Scootaloo couldn’t help but snicker at her lead-pony’s flabbergasted expression.

“But….but how…what!?”

Scootaloo couldn’t hold it back any longer and burst out laughing, much to Blue Yonder’s dismay.

“It’s not funny!” she snapped.

Scootaloo gasped for breath and wiped some tears out of her eyes. “Seriously…you don’t find that hilarious?”

Blue Yonder scowled as Scootaloo resumed laughing. Even Aurora couldn’t help but giggle.

Aurora took a deep breath after calming down. “Well, we should get some breakfast.”

“Wait,” Blue Yonder said, stopping Aurora from walking out the door. “You’re not confused to the fact that we had an exploding letter here?”

Aurora shrugged. “It’s probably just a prank, nothing more than that. Now come on, the line is already starting to fill up.”

With that, Aurora left the barracks, shortly followed by Scootaloo. Blue Yonder groaned in frustration, kicked the confetti with a swipe of her hoof and stomped out of the room.

***

The mess hall was stuffed with the usual sea of cadets and officers, all of whom idly chatting with one another while they ate. Due to being held up by the mysterious letter, it took a while for Scootaloo, Blue Yonder and Aurora to find any available seats. Soon they sat down with the stallions from their class—who were deep in discussion about something when they arrived.

“Hey,” Silverwings said as the mares sat down. “You’re not going to believe what just happened to us this morning.”

“You got a letter telling you something about a mission and then exploded into a pile of confetti after five seconds,” Blue Yonder said bitterly.

Silverwings stared at her for a moment, utterly perplexed. “Well, not exactly,” he finally said. “Ours was a tape recorder telling us all that…before it started hissing, smoking and melted the tape.”

“Okay, at least that makes sense!” Blue Yonder exclaimed. “You can actually rig a tape to do that, but how the flying flank do you rig a damn letter to burst into confetti?”

Aurora placed a hoof onto Blue Yonder’s shoulder. “Please, there’s no need for that kind of language.”

Blue Yonder wheeled around and snapped. “How are you not concerned by this? There’s no way this is some simple prank!”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Aurora said, holding her hooves up. “But this is restricted facility, so unauthorized ponies don’t just come waltzing in—”

Suddenly, food sprayed out of Scootaloo’s muzzle as she snorted with laughter. She tried to cover her mouth as best as she could before swallowing—still struggling to fight back open laughter.

“Sorry,” she said, coughing a little. “Please continue.”

Everypony stared at her for a second before Aurora spoke up again. “Anyways, it’s unlikely that somepony outside of the Academy did this.” Aurora turned to Silverwings. “Did you see who left the tape?”

“Nope,” Silverwings sighed. “The only one who might have was Hot Shot, but he was too busy practicing.”

“That early in the morning?” Scootaloo gaped.

“Yep,” Silverwings nodded. “He tried getting me to do it too, but gave up after the first week. I don’t do mornings.”

“Well,” Hot Shot’s haughty voice rang out. “If you were more serious about becoming a Wonderbolt then you would do it.”

Blue Yonder leaned forward to look at the stallion. “You never had me doing early morning exercises.”

“What, were you going to complain about that too?” Hot Shot sneered.

Blue Yonder’s face flushed, but Scootaloo pulled her back down before she caused another scene.

“Can you tell us more about the pony on the tape?” Aurora asked in an attempt to move the conversation back to where it was.

Silverwings shrugged. “Not really. It was a mare, but none of the ones around here—and I would know. I wonder if that yellow mare would talk to me again.” Silverwings shook his head. “Anyways, she talked really fast, and seemed really excited.”

“That’s not much to go on,” Blue Yonder lamented.

Suddenly, Barrel Roll came up to them. “It’s about time for us to go.”

“Oh right,” Aurora said, getting up. “Where are we supposed to be today?”

“The Eastern Field, Section D.”

***

Scootaloo’s mind raced as they approached the training grounds. Who did place that letter outside their cabin as well as that tape recording in the stallion’s barracks? Why would somepony pull a prank like that?

‘Wait, pull a prank? No, it couldn’t be…could it?’

The letter also said something about “super-awesome” training with the Wonderbolts. There was only one pony she knew who constantly used those words—especially when it came to the Wonderbolts.

But how was that possible? Wasn’t Rainbow Dash always busy in her own duties? However, the academy was also a part of the Wonderbolts. So she could come here and train others—and pull off some pranks while doing it. But if she was here, then why pull a prank about training? It was one of the few things Rainbow Dash actually took seriously. This didn’t make any sense.

Scootaloo was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t realize that they had reached their destination until she ran into Blue Yonder. She also didn’t notice that Colonel Spitfire was right there waiting for them alongside Major Soarin. It was hard to read her cold expression, since it was blocked by her sunglasses. Soarin, however, seemed a little nervous and was sweating a lot—although that could have been from the rather hot morning sun.

“Well, good morning Newbies,” Spitfire said. “I was beginning to wonder when you slackers would show up!” She started pacing back in forth in front of the cadets, much like she had on their very first day—making them feel like prey to a tiger. “You disgust me! You want to know why?”

Spitfire stopped right in front of Scootaloo and stood nose to nose. Scootaloo could clearly make out her amber eyes behind those purple sunglasses and feel their icy glare. A shiver ran down Scootaloo’s spine and she could feel a lump in her throat, but couldn’t find the nerve to swallow. Spitfire continued staring and it took all of Scootaloo’s willpower to keep her from backing down.

“Why, Ma’am?” Scootaloo finally asked.

Spitfire backed up her head a bit, but still kept her gaze fixed on Scootaloo. “Because you are some of the worst cadets I’ve ever seen!”

A small snort came from somewhere towards Scootaloo’s left. Spitfire broke her stare and turned, instantly zeroing in on the source.

“Oh, don’t think your off the hook you hot-headed little brat,” Spitfire shouted as she got up into Hot Shot’s face. “Oh, I know about your little early-morning training program, and let me tell you something. I DON’T GIVE A SHIT!”

Hot Shot’s golden face instantly went pale. Scootaloo stole a glance at Blue Yonder, who was struggling between smirking and keeping her face straight. Yet, she still seemed terrified about the situation.

“The Wonderbolts,” Spitfire continued, “may be the best flyers in all of Equestria—and any one of them could outstrip you as if you were a butterfly—but they’re also a team!” Spitfire resumed her pacing. “So far, I have seen absolutely nothing to show me that any of you value teamwork. Sure, you may get along fine with your wingpony, but most teams usually have more than two members.

“You may also get along fine outside of the training field too and think that you might have friends here. Well, this isn’t HIGH SCHOOL! You’re here to work together as a cohesive group, and what do I see?” Spitfire stopped pacing and turned to face the whole group. “Arguments that nearly lead into hoof-fights, injuries, distrust and complaining! I have half a mind to throw you all out right now.”

A heavy silence permeated the area. Even the sounds of wind and cadets in other, distant training fields were muted echoes to Scootaloo’s ears. Nopony bore even the slightest hint of a smile now.

‘Throw us out?’ Scootaloo thought angrily. ‘But I just got back!’

“Now that I have your undivided attention,” Spitfire stated, “you better listen carefully to what I’m going to say next.” She turned her back toward the sun and looked off into the distance—far beyond the other side of the compound. “Under the supervision of an officer, you will go out and navigate the land around and inside the Galloping Gorge—without flying.”

The eight cadets glanced at each other as Spitfire turned to face them again.

“Don’t take this lightly,” Spitfire continued. “Completing this task will require you to work together as a team. The officer may be in charge and offer guidance, but you will be doing the work. Once you return, the officer will report to me and I’ll determine your future at this academy.”

Scootaloo and her fellow cadets remained stupefied at these words. None of them dared to speak. Scootaloo herself felt at a loss for words. Her heart started beating hard as Blue Yonder raised her hoof.

“Excuse me, Ma’am,” Blue Yonder said and Spitfire nodded towards her. “Who would this officer be?”

For the first time they saw all morning, a smile crept upon Spitfire’s face—which somehow caused Scootaloo’s heart to race even faster and more sweat to drip down her face. She looked over towards Soarin and the other officers with him, but they remained silent.

“Oh, I wish I could tell you that,” Spitfire said gleefully, “but this pony often beats me to it with her own actions.” She moved her head from side to side, as if looking for something, before turning back at the cadets. “But it looks like I have to try as always.”

Scootaloo blinked in confusion, and noticed the same thing happening on Blue Yonder’s face.

Spitfire cleared her throat. “Let me introduce you to Lieutenant—”

“SURPRISE!~”

Scootaloo jumped as she, and the seven other cadets, broke rank at the unexpected outburst. They all turned around to see a white pegasus mare with a curly yellow mane and tail standing right behind them—a place where she wasn’t a second ago. She had purple eyes, a cutie mark of five purple balloons and bore an extra-wide grin on her face. Scootaloo had to do a double take in order to make sure this pony was indeed a pegasus, and not a particular earth pony she knew with a dyed coat and mane.

She also wore what looked like a uniform, but very different from the other officers’. Instead of the short-sleeved jacket, shirt, medals and tie making up Spitfire’s and Soarin’s uniforms, this pony wore a camouflaged jacket with two patches bearing the words E.U.P. Wonderbolts and Surprise. She also had a flat-toped cap of the same camouflage material. Yet it was hard to call it “camouflage” since the colors consisted of yellow and blue—much like the cadet flight uniforms.

“Hello everypony,” Surprise said in a high-pitched voice that was eerily similar to the same earth pony that Scootaloo mistook Surprise for earlier. “This is going to be superduperawesomeriffic! I can’t wait to—”

“Calm down Surprise,” Spitfire interrupted.

Surprise closed her mouth and immediately snapped into a salute. “Yes Captain.”

Spitfire rolled her eyes. “I’m not your captain,” she muttered under her breath. She then called all the cadets back into attention. “All right Newbies, you know what’s at stake. I’ll be leaving you in the capable hooves of Lieutenant Surprise.” She then turned to the newcomer. “They’re all yours.”

With that, Spitfire walked away, followed—somewhat reluctantly—by Soarin and the other officers. After watching them leave, all the cadets turned back towards Surprise, whose smile had returned. She began to bounce up and down excitedly before she stopped, took a deep breath and began to pace back and forth in front of them.

“Okiedokieponies,” Surprise said. “The Good Ol’ Captain wants me to get you working as a team, so we won’t be worrying about rank at all.” The cadets muttered in confusion, but Surprise kept on going as if she didn’t hear them. “There’ll be no lead or wing-ponies or partners. That way, you can all work together. Won’t that be fun?”

The cadets just continued to stare blankly at Surprise.

“Also,” she continued, “Surprise will be fine. There’s no need to call me Lieutenant, Ma’am, la Reina de Prance, or Mr. Wilson—although that last one is really, really fun to shout out.

“We’ll all have a superfun time out in the wilderness, although you’ll need a new outfit since flight uniforms aren’t really good for hiking. So head over to Mr. Quartermaster and he’ll give you everything you need for our camping trip. We’ll meet back in about an hour waaaay over there.”

She pointed towards the western end of the Academy and then started hopping away.

“See you later, alligators,” she shouted back at them.

All the cadets shuffled around uncertainly as Surprise continued to bounce farther and farther away. After realizing that she wouldn’t be coming back at all, the cadets started walking towards the main building in order to carry out their rather vague orders.

“I’m not really sure how I feel about this,” Blue Yonder finally admitted.

Scootaloo chuckled and smiled. “I actually think this is going to be a lot of fun.”