Finding a Home

by Jeckard Cain

Welcome to the Academy

Chapter 12: Welcome to the Academy

Sparrow had been flying for over and hour now, he had left Ponyville behind him on his way to the Wonderbolt Academy. As he understood it, the Academy moved around on its own, being a giant flying landmass it made some sort of sense. Sparrow didn't want to think too much of the technicalities of it. Maybe some kind of weird pony magic.

On his way there, Sparrow had passed by a few geese flying in formation and he'd flown over a few storm clouds that were starting to brew. Applejack had explained that pegasi were the ones who controlled the weather in Equestria, so they would make thunder clouds and rain clouds then release them to travel where they needed to. Again, he didn't understand how it works, but he had been able to mess a little with the clouds above Sweet Apple Acres for someplace to sit for a little while.

Sparrow enjoyed flying by himself, maybe a little too much. It was just too peaceful for him not to enjoy it. He could do any kind of flying tricks he felt like, whistle and sing, even though his singing sounded more like squawking, and the heady feeling of freedom that came with the territory of the sky. He didn't realize how much time he had spent on the ground around Sweet Apple Acres. Most likely due to the work he was doing, and his time spent with Applejack.

"Applejack." Sparrow whispered to himself as he flew, it sounded wonderful to his ears, and just hearing her name made him think of her. He couldn't help but miss the simple orange mare, she'd saved him, in more ways than one. He realized that, and he felt an ever growing need to go back to her as soon as he could. Just the short week he'd spent with Applejack and her family had given him a taste of something he'd never had, and he didn't want it to end. But if he never gave other avenues in life a chance, he'd still be stuck in Griffonstone.

"Heya griffon!" A males voice called out "What are you doin' way out here? Thought your kind is supposed to be uh, what's the word, located else-wheres." A mid sized cobalt blue pegasus with a black quaffed mane and a single bright red streak within it flew up next to Sparrow. Considering Sparrow was small for a griffons size, this pegasus was still smaller than he was, only a little though.

"Well, I left Griffonstone a while ago. Now I'm headed to the Wonderbolts Academy. And you?" Truthfully, the pegasus showing up during Sparrow's solo flight time bothered him a little, it felt petty, but this was his time to ruminate on things and get the brooding out of his system before he got to the Academy.

"Oh same," The pony said it so nonchalantly it made Sparrow turn and look at him in confusion, just how many ponies actually go to the Academy? "name's Shifter by the way, Split Shifter. What's yours?"

"I'm Sparrow." The pegasus reach out a hoof to Sparrow and he bumped the knuckles of his talons against the hoof. "You said you're going to the Academy too, did you get an acceptance letter or something like that or did Rainbow Dash just tell you to go?"

"Ha!" Split doubled over in the air, doing a small loop "I wish Rainbow Dash even knew who I was let alone tell me personally to go to the Academy. Ya I got a letta in the mail," he craned his neck in Sparrow's direction "what you didn't?"

Sparrow scratched the back of his neck "No, I got told to go, do I need the letter to get in or something?"

"Told?" Split tilted his head at Sparrow "By who?"

"Oh," Sparrow realized he hadn't explained "I was told by Rainbow Dash to go, so I thought she had told you to go as well."

"Wait. You're telling me, Rainbow Dash told you," Split motioned towards Sparrow "to go to the Academy, without an acceptance letter?"

"Yes." Sparrow nodded.

"THE Rainbow Dash?" Split asked again.

"Uh, ya" Sparrow said.

Split flew closer to Sparrow and eyed him up and down. "The Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Danger Dash, told you personally to go to the Academy?"

Now Sparrow was confused "Element of what now?"

"Ha! I knew you were jerkin' me around. No way you wouldn't know about that if you met her." Split broke away and continued his normal flight pattern.

"Blue mare with a rainbow colored mane, one hell of an attitude, and probably the fastest flyer in Equestria?" Sparrow said as sarcastically as he could "I know that Rainbow Dash, but I don't know what the Element of Loyalty is."

Split's jaw dropped, "Holy canoli, you really did meet her?"

"Yes!" Sparrow shouted for the third time "We raced and she beat me, but suggested I go to the Academy to work on my skill at flying because I almost beat her at cloud busting."

"And she never mentioned anything about how she saved Equestria like, 3 times?" Split asked.

"Nope, just introduced me to her friend Applejack and I stayed at Sweet Apple Acres for a week or so to get ready for my race with Rainbow. Now I'm here. What is the Element of Loyalty?" Sparrow questioned the pegasus, he wanted to hear this story for sure.

"You met Applejack too? What I wouldn't give to meet that pony, I bet she's got quite the attitude too." Split saw Sparrow frowning at him and coughed. "Well it's actually an extremely long story," Split waved his hoof "Plus you can ask someone else I'm sure." Split smiled at Sparrow.

Sparrow grinned smugly "How long would it take you to tell it then?"

"Probably till we got to the Academy honestly." Split said quickly, then slapped a hoof against his forehead "Well now I have to since I told you how long it would take." Split sighed as they flew. "Okay, so it started a few years ago, on a night of the Summer Sun Celebration. Guess I'll have to tell you what that is too ARGH!"

****

A few hours later Sparrow and Split arrived at the Academy, a large chunk of earth that floated through the sky. There was a few buildings scattered around the area along with a runway that other ponies were landing on. Sparrow didn't recognize anyone there, he know he wouldn't but he'd hoped that he would see Rainbow Dash just so he could say hi to his friend. Split was a nice enough stallion though, Sparrow wasn't sure if he could call him a friend but he was definitely interesting.

As Sparrow and Split landed a mare wearing a Wonderbolts uniform approached them both, she had a bright orange and yellow mane that blazed like a burning fire, along with some dark aviator sunglasses, Sparrow noticed Split almost drooling as she approached and he nudged him.

"Welcome recruits, I'm-" The mare began.

"You're Spitfire! Captain of the Wonderbolts, holy canoli ma'am it's an honor!" Split shouted out before he was smacked on the head with a hoof.

Spitfire's eyes burned with rage through her sunglasses "It's great you know who I am and all recruit but if you interrupt me again I'll kick you off this rock with your wings tied to your back! Now get back in line with your companion here and stand at attention. NOW!" Split yelped and got next to Sparrow and stood straight with his hooves all close together and he stared straight forward, Sparrow looked at him and did his best to emulate the stance, his tail swishing nervously behind him. "And who in Celestia's green Equestria are you? You get lost in the corner of Griffonstone and wind up over here? Huh? Answer me!"

Sparrow blinked and looked at the considerably smaller mare shouting at him. She was so much smaller than him but she was more intimidating than anyone he'd ever met. "Ma'am I'm Sparrow, I was, uh, directed to come here by Rainbow Dash."

The mare tilted her head and squinted at Sparrow "A likely story. Do you have the proper paperwork with you?"

"Paperwork?" Sparrow tilted his head before he got a sharp smack on his own head this time.

"Paperwork, ma'am!" Spitfire shouted at Sparrow. He stood up straighter than before and continued.

"No ma'am, I don't have any paperwork." Sparrow said as loudly as he dared. He could hear the grinding of Spitfire's teeth from where he was standing.

"Follow me recruit." Spitfire motioned to Sparrow, "As for you," Spitfire turned to Split Shifter "Do you have your paperwork?"

"Yes ma'am!" Split was quick to shout out.

"Good," Spitfire started "go over to the main building, there's a line of other recruits, go stand in that line and turn your sheet in. You'll be assigned a partner for your training at that time and then a dorm. Now GO!" She finished with a shout. Split took off at a breakneck pace to get to the line, almost running into other recruits landing on the runway, "newbies, never checking the runway." Sparrow heard her mutter quietly. He didn't say anything, fearing her wrath and the pain of a hoof against his head again. "Let's go recruit, you'd just get turned down at the line without your paperwork, and I need to find out if you're lying, if you are so help me..."

"I swear I'm not ma'am." Sparrow said with conviction.

"We'll see, follow me." With that Spitfire led the way and Sparrow followed.

Nice welcome party, what have I gotten myself into here? Sparrow thought, he was beginning to regret his decision of coming here.

****

Author's Note:

You want boot? You're gonna get some boot. This is only the beginning of what I have planned. It's going to be a wild few chapters we get here. I picked another theme song for this chapter, let me know what you think of me doing these. I enjoy picking songs for writing that I feel matches the tone. Other than that I'll try and get another chapter out soon-ish rather than later-ish.

Feedback is always appreciated and thank you to those that keep coming back for more.

This is the theme song for the chapter in my mind.

Comments

[Grekoy]

:facepalm: So much for a good impression.

[Jeckard Cain]

7278967
Yup, Sparrow's gonna have a great time here as you can quickly tell!