Academy Days
Chapter 16: Academy Days
"Quit struggling and this won't take so long!"
"Quick! Tie her legs!"
"That's not her leg! That's my tail!"
"Don't let her get away! If she does, then everypony will know!"
"Bar the doors! Don't let her out of this room!"
"Since when have doors ever stopped her?"
"Less jawin' more lasooin', boy!"
"Why wasn't that on the checklist?"
"Why are you asking me? You wrote the checklist!"
"I think we've almost got her!"
"Get that gag on tighter! I've seen how wide she can open that mouth when she wants to!"
"Mmmph phmph hmph mrrf!"
Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armor all looked on with bemused expressions as Twilight Sparkle and her friends worked desperately to subdue and restrain a struggling Pinkie Pie. Had they all not already been familiar with the pink party pony's antics, they would have found the titanic struggle to restrain her and keep her from bolting to be a ridiculous sight indeed.
Mayweather had been first to notice their peril when she looked over at Pinkie to see her fillyfriend twitching in place. Though she couldn't be sure, Mayweather would later swear she'd heard something that sounded vaguely liking ticking. The implication had dawned on her immediately and she'd pounced on Pinkie. Naturally, once Pinkie's party proclivities were aroused, restraining her was a task no single pony could hope to accomplish. Even when Twilight and her friends all joined in on the effort to keep Pinkie restrained, it had been a desperate battle, as Pinkie's abilities seemed to exceed those of any earth pony, pegasus, unicorn, or alicorn.
Finally, Twilight stepped away, her horn shimmering with its typical violet aura, mixed with hints of gray and white. Her study of Dark Matter and her acquisition of the ability to control it had been among the things that had led to her ascension. She could even create Dark Matter at will and devising new forms of it was not beyond her. At the moment, the matter she was creating took the form of an ebony strip, like a ribbon, that she wound tightly around Pinkie's entire body, practically cocooning her in the material. For a finishing touch, she affixed a mask over Pinkie's mouth, keeping her voice from getting out.
"Phew," said Twilight, wiping away her forehead, "that was a close one. Good call, Mayweather."
"I'm starting to get the hang of her...maybe," said Mayweather with a sheepish grin.
Bound in unbreakable Dark Matter or not, nopony really trusted Pinkie's bonds to hold. They made it a point to keep at least one set of eyes on her at all times until they worked out a solution to the problem.
Twilight sighed and walked up to Pinkie, who was still wriggling like a landed fish, her eyes going wide and her cheeks bulging as she desperately tried to talk or shout through her mask. "Pinkie, I know you're excited, but we don't want everypony to know yet. Arkenstone and I don't want a big hubbub."
"Or another Royal Wedding," added Arkenstone with a wry chuckle. "No offense," he added, his ears twitching in the direction of Shining and Cadance. "I'm sure your wedding was a lovely affair, but we could do without getting half the country involved."
"Do you understand, Pinkie?" asked Twilight.
Pinkie's only response was to continue to try and shout through her mask, apparently completely oblivious to what Twilight had been saying.
"Ugh...How can we get through to her?" asked Twilight. "There's gotta be a way to calm her down."
"Calm her down? I can do that." Mayweather grinned and stepped forward, rolling Pinkie onto her back and settling above her. "When I give you the signal, get that mask off."
"Are you sure?" asked Twilight nervously.
"Yep," said Mayweather, giving Pinkie Pie a sultry smirk as she lowered her muzzle down. "Now!"
Twilight did as she was told. Her horn flickered and the mask over Pinkie's mouth dissolved. Immediately, Pinkie opened wide, prepared to shout...something. Whatever it was was lost as Mayweather immediately covered Pinkie's mouth with her own, capturing Pinkie's lips in a passionate kiss, tangling their tongues together. The words Pinkie had been planning on screaming were supplanted by low moans and wet slurping sounds.
The rest of the group watched, shifting awkwardly as the kiss went on...and on...and on... As Pinkie's moans grew deeper and more euphoric, they began to blush and avert their eyes, one by one, feeling more like voyeurs than concerned friends. Of them all, the only pony still watching with complete attention was Princess Cadance, who had produced a paper and pen out of somewhere and was now taking notes.
Finally, Mayweather pulled away. Below her, Pinkie was practically catatonic, her eyes rolled upward, strands of her frazzled mane sticking out at awkward angles, her tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth.
"Wow!" said Cadance. "That was four minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Where'd you learn to do that? And can I get some pointers?"
Shining Armor shuffled a few steps away from her.
Mayweather wiped her mouth with her foreleg before chuckling. "That was my Personal Patented Pinkie Pie Pacification Pucker. It took lots of practice, but I've learned how to deliver a forty-two-hit knockout kiss."
"Is she okay?" asked Twilight, waving a hoof in front of Pinkie's eyes. Pinkie's glazed expression didn't change in the slightest.
"Sure," said Mayweather with a grin. Leaning down, she put her lips next to Pinkie's ear. "Okay honey, time to wake up."
Pinkie jerked with a snort, her tongue retracting back into her mouth before her jaws snapped shut. Pinkie blinked and looked around. "Wha-Where am I?" She looked up at Mayweather. "Why am I tied up like this. Are we having some special playtime again, Mayweather? Did you invite everypony else so that they could watch or-"
Mayweather's hoof plugged Pinkie's mouth while Mayweather herself blushed fiercely and coughed awkwardly, conscious of all the curious looks she was receiving. "Um...no."
"Oh..." Pinkie's ears drooped. "That's too bad. I love getting tied up and these are really comfy."
Mayweather sighed.
"Huh," said Pinkie, her eyes rolling upward thoughtfully. "I just woke up from the most amazing dream. Twilight and Arkenstone said they were getting married and then-"
"They are getting married," said Mayweather, before putting her hoof over Pinkie's mouth again, preemptively stopping Pinkie from letting loose the squeal held behind those lips. "But right now they don't want it to be announced to every corner of Equestria before they're ready. That's why they had us all in here, so that we'd be the only ponies to know."
"Aww," protested Pinkie as Mayweather withdrew her hoof, "but what about the party. If there's going to be a wedding, I need to plan the reception."
"Of course we'll want you to plan the reception," said Twilight, coming forward. "But...we kinda want the party to be on our terms. We haven't settled on when the wedding is going to be and what we're going to do for it."
"Given Twilight's status, letting the population at large know would only make things more difficult," said Arkenstone. "A wedding involving a member of the upper-class is sure to attract all manner of ponies, looking to pressure her into doing it one way or another. A wedding for a Princess would be even worse."
"That's why Shining and I put off our announcement until the last minute," said Cadance with an apologetic grin, thinking back to their wedding. "I know we kinda sprang it on you out of nowhere. But for us, that was the best way to settle on planning things so that they would go the way we wanted them to."
"Given that Arkenstone's true status is a close-kept secret," said Celestia, "the fact that a Princess of Equestria will be marrying a common teashop owner will ultimately cause quite the uproar."
"I was Captain of the Royal Guard and ponies were giving Cadance grief for marrying me," groused Shining. Cadance brushed her wing across his back.
"So, basically, we do want you to help plan the reception," said Twilight, "But we don't want too many ponies to find out about it before we're ready. We haven't even fully decided on a date or where we want the wedding to be."
"So we'd like to keep the fact that we're engaged a secret for the time being," said Arkenstone. "You'll need to make your plans quietly. Think of it as a surprise party for all of Equestria. We'll just be telling you when it's time to yell 'surprise.'"
Pinkie thought it over for a minute. "Okay. That sounds like a ton of fun. I can make all kinds of super-duper surprise plans."
"You know, I think we had a good idea until you gave her the notion of making it a surprise party for all of Equestria," Twilight muttered to Arkenstone.
"Knowing Pinkie, she'd be able to pull that off," replied Arkenstone with a chuckle.
"That's what I'm worried about," said Twilight wearily.
"Well, in any case, congratulations to both of you," said Dawn, giving Twilight and Arkenstone a smile.
"It's certainly about time," said Rarity nodding in agreement. "Considering that you've had a crush on Arkenstone since you were a foal, I'm amazed it actually took this long for the two of you to finally get engaged."
"Rarity!" gasped Twilight, turning red.
"I apologize for my lack of promptness," said Arkenstone clearly not meaning a word of it.
"I'm so happy for you two," said Fluttershy, drifting over to give Twilight a hug.
"This is totally awesome!" said Rainbow, grinning. "Maybe we should have our weddings together, make it a double affair..."
"Rainbow Dash!" admonished Rarity. "That is simply unacceptable. Why, what would ponies say if a Princess of Equestria were upstaged at her own wedding...Twilight...what is it?"
Twilight was standing there, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Well...it would certainly make the logistics simpler. We wouldn't have to worry about the issue of having two separate weddings."
"But think of the dresses!" wailed Rarity. "Do you have any idea how hard it will be to design to separate ensembles so that they don't clash but don't make it look like all four of you are getting married to each other. Herds are so outdated!"
"I don't know," said Rainbow, grinning teasingly. "Maybe you're afraid you just can't do it."
"I beg your pardon," said Rarity, the tone of her voice dropping the ambient temperature by at least ten degrees.
"Maybe you're scared that there's an occasion you can't design a fashion for," replied Rainbow. "I know you're worried that my awesomeness will make me outshine Twilight on her special day. But I guess you're just not up to the task of doing it. I guess your creative juices are running dry."
"Excuse me!" gasped Rarity, her pupils contracting. Everypony in the vicinity was certain they were seeing ice crystals dancing in the air now.
"Oh well, I guess it comes with getting old," said Rainbow.
Rarity was at a complete loss for words, her mouth working, but utterly unable to voice anything but strangled grunts.
"I guess we'll just have to find somepony who can handle it," continued Rainbow, "somepony with drive, talent, vision...youth."
The sound of something snapping echoed through the room. Rarity's eyes blazed as she marched right up to Rainbow Dash, the sheer ferocity of her gaze matching the murderous intent of a trained martial artist. Rainbow fell back onto her haunches with a startled squeak as Rarity raised a hoof and thrust it at her chest.
"If that's the way you want it...Fine! I will happily design dresses for you and Twilight on your wedding day. I will show you the true depths of my skill as a designer so that you will rue the day that you dared question me about my artistry. I will make the most spectacular ensembles you have ever seen! Just you wait!"
Turning around with an angry snort, Rarity thrust her snout upwards and stalked away from Rainbow, her tail swaying in long, sweeping motions. She was joined by Flaxseed, who was doing his level best to keep from laughing even as he tried to calm her down with caring nuzzles.
"Aw yeah!" exclaimed Rainbow, pumping a hoof into the air. "The double wedding is on!"
"Why did I even think that was a good idea?” groaned Twilight, dropping her face into her hooves. "This is going to be a disaster."
"Agreed," said Arkenstone. In spite of his words, he was smiling widely. "I can't wait."
Twilight groaned again as her friends swarmed around the couple once more, offering their heartfelt congratulations.
"Aw, now I get to plan a double reception for two of my bestest best friends in the whole wide world!" exclaimed Pinkie, throwing her arms around Twilight.
"I'm glad you're onboard with this, Pinkie," said Twilight before freezing and looking over at where Pinkie had been only a few seconds earlier. Sure enough, the Dark Matter ribbon that had held her bound was now lying limply on the floor, with no trace of the pony it had once restrained to be found...except hanging from around Twilight's neck.
"I don't even..." Twilight groaned. It's Pinkie Pie. Never mind.
"By the way, Twilight," said Pinkie, dropping her voice down to a whisper. "Do you think you could tie me up again?"
"What?" gasped Twilight, whipping her head to look over at Pinkie, who was now standing by Mayweather again. To her surprise, the normally shameless Pinkie Pie was actually blushing lightly, wearing an expression that would have looked more at home on Fluttershy's face than Pinkie's.
"Er...In my bedroom I mean," clarified Pinkie. "I was so excited about the Grand Galloping Gala that I didn't even think about bringing some rope and so I was wondering if you could tie me up so that Mayweather-"
"Too much information!" yelled Twilight, her face burning bright red.
With Twilight's announcement out of the way and Moonstone Gust safely behind bars, the Grand Galloping Gala came to a satisfactory conclusion. The investigation into the Gust Clan's doings was headed by none other than Spitfire and the majority of the clan's members ended up joining Moonstone in Canterlot's prison. Despite his willingness to warn Dawn about Moonstone's plan, Swift Bolt was also held to account, though his cooperation with the investigation resulted in a lessening of his sentence.
After the conclusion of the whole affair, Dawn made another quick trip to Canterlot to see Swift one more time.
When he arrived at the prison, Dawn was shown into a small room. The room was empty, save for a single table and a cushion on either side of it. One side of the room was dominated by a sheet of glass that Dawn knew to be a one-way-mirror, which would allow anypony on the outside to watch and listen to the conversation, while the ponies in the room couldn't see who was outside. This room was normally used for interrogations. If he remembered correctly, Perlin had been interrogated in one of these rooms, following his capture after the events surrounding Wight Shade's takeover of the Royal Palace.
With a click, the door opened and Dawn watched as Swift Bolt was led into the room by a pair of Guards. His expression was neutral, tightly controlled. Dawn canted his head, studying the older stallion intently as the Guards stepped back out, leaving the two of them alone.
Swift's eyes met Dawn's and he smiled sardonically. "So...Here we are."
Dawn nodded.
"What did you want to talk about?" asked Swift.
"I'm not sure that talking was what I intended to do," admitted Dawn. "I am unsure what to say...what to ask. I'd hoped that seeing you would give me some idea in that regard."
"And has it?" asked Swift.
"Perhaps," said Dawn. "I'm a bit surprised. After what you told me about fearing retaliation from your wife and her clansmares, you were apparently quite cooperative with the authorities."
Swift shrugged. "Well, from the look of things, it seemed they were going to net everypony anyway. I figured I should simply do my part and make sure that none of them got away. I'm just glad that they managed to get everypony I was worried about."
"I imagine that your wife won't take that well," said Dawn.
Swift nodded. "Oh she didn't. Luckily, she and her kin are being held in a different block, which minimizes the risk that I'll run into them. I'm still putting in for a transfer to another prison though."
"You gave up everything that you had to help me," said Dawn. "You knew that your wife and her clan wouldn't survive this affair. You also knew that you would be held to account for your culpability in this. Why?"
Swift looked down at the table. "My whole life, I've just gone through the motions. I married Moonstone because that's what my parents wanted. I sired a son with her because that's what she wanted. You know how that worked out. Other than that, I simply lived life without really caring about anything. I enjoyed my luxuries and I simply sat back and let others decide everything for me. When Moonstone told me that she'd 'disposed' of you, I...I just sat back and accepted it. None of it mattered to me."
He sighed and shook his head. "When Moonstone first proposed that we try and bring you back into the Clan, I realized that it wasn't going to work. I remember the article about you from a few years ago. You remembered what Moonstone did. I told her it wouldn't work, that it was a hopeless effort and that things would turn out very badly for us. She didn't listen, of course." He looked up at Dawn, meeting his eyes and holding his gaze. "When I saw you there, in Ponyville, with your family, I saw something that we never had. Your mom and dad married each other because they loved each other. You were adopted because you were loved. If Moonstone hadn't thrown you out, you wouldn't have had any of that.
"After that first meeting with you, I started to think...about what kind of pony you would have been if we'd kept you, what kind of life you would have had if you'd lived with us. I started to think about what kind of father I would have been. I thought about it and I understood...it made me sick. In the end, throwing you out our window, trying to send you falling to your death, and then looking the other way like I did; that ended up being the best thing that Moonstone and I ever did for you."
Swift looked down again. "I'm scum, no question about it. But, when I realized how different your life would have been had you been with us, I decided I couldn't simply sit back and let Moonstone make all the decisions anymore. I decided to do at least one thing...because I feel that we owed you that much."
Silence fell between them. Dawn looked at the pony across from him, studying him even more intently than before. In Swift's coat and mane, Dawn could see traces of his own colors. Looking at the figure of the stallion in front of him gave Dawn the impression of something akin to looking in a mirror. He could see a lot of himself in this pony. He could easily believe that this was the stallion that had sired him.
"So..." said Swift hesitantly, "...now what?"
"I think we're finished here," said Dawn.
The door opened at the Guards stepped back in. Swift nodded to Dawn and stood up to go with them. As he turned to go, Dawn felt his throat seize up. He knew the words he wanted to say.
"Swift Bolt."
Swift paused, the two Guards stopping as well. He looked over his shoulder at Dawn, their eyes meeting one more time.
"I already have a Dad," said Dawn. "I love him very much. He will be the only pony I ever acknowledge as my Dad."
Swift nodded slowly.
"But," continued Dawn, "someday, I might be willing to call you Father."
Swift's eyes widened and his jaw trembled, as though he were suddenly on the verge of holding back tears, which he might well have been. He stared at Dawn for a long moment. "Thank you," he said finally, before leaving through the door with his escort. The door shut behind him and Dawn was left alone in the room.
Dawn stayed there a little while longer, alone with his thoughts as he tried to puzzle out his feelings about what had just taken place.
When Dawn returned to Ponyville, his heart was lighter and he happily returned to his daily routines. However, they didn't last long. A couple weeks later, the time came for him and Scootaloo to attend the Wonderbolt Academy arrived. The two of them said their goodbyes to their friends and family. Dawn, in particular, had a difficult time, as he was loathed to separate from Larksong and Pepita. Poor Larksong clamped onto Dawn's leg and had to be pried off, crying the entire time, wailing that she didn't want her brother to leave. All assurances that Dawn would be coming back were ignored by the filly.
Finally, they were on their way, soaring through the blue skies, taking a drifting flight in the direction of Cloudsdale with nothing but the saddlebags they wore on their backs.
"Finally," said Scootaloo, rolling her eyes. "You took forever."
"Larksong was very insistent," said Dawn. After it had finally become clear that all the tantrums in the world weren't going to make her brother and Scootaloo change their minds about leaving, Larksong had insisted on one last hug before going...and then another one...and then another one...and then another one...
"Yeah right," said Scootaloo with an amused smirk. "I noticed you weren't exactly trying too hard to resist-and don't go trying to blame it on her cuteness."
"Well...I'm worried," said Dawn. "I mean, I'm sure Mom and Dad will be fine but..."
"You are such a worrywart," teased Scootaloo with a laugh. "Most parents don't need a third pony to help look after their kids all the time. Your Mom and Dad'll look after the Li'l Sprout and Peppy just fine." Looking back and seeing Dawn's worried look, Scootaloo chuckled. "Maybe we should have packed her in your bags. You're like a little colt who's upset he had to leave his favorite blankie behind."
Dawn sighed. "You're right. I'll miss her though."
"It's only for a month. You'll be back before you know it." Scootaloo grinned. "Now buck up. We're about to go learn the tricks of the trade from the Wonderbolts!"
Dawn smiled albeit with a little less enthusiasm than Scootaloo had. Still, he had to admit that he was looking forward to the Academy a little, if only to see what methods Spitfire used to test and teach her cadets.
A few hours later, they arrived at the Academy. Looking up, Scootaloo could see Cloudsdale, and the Wonderbolt Headquarters specifically, hovering of in the near distance. The Academy itself was housed on a long plateau. In order to reach it, they first had to make it through the Privacy Screen, a network of clouds holding together a veil of condensation between them. From the outside, it gave the impression of the Academy grounds being perpetually shrouded in fog. From the inside, however, the air was clear and the blue sky above perfectly visible, reminding Dawn of the one-way-mirror in the interrogation room, only inverted, as the ponies in the Academy could see out with perfect ease, but anypony trying spy through the veil of the Privacy Screen would be unable to see a single bit of what was going on within.
The top of the plateau was covered in manicured, green lawns, dotted with trees and posts with rings on top. A runway divided the grounds, somewhat unevenly. A fair-sized stream also meandered across the plateau's top, before descending down into a hole and pouring out in a waterfall from the side of the landform. The plateau was surrounded by a level of clouds, hosting several buildings, including living quarters and the mess hall, as well as administrative offices.
Dawn and Scootaloo looked around as they descended towards the runway, which was where the new cadets were told to assemble when they arrived. All around them, they could see staff going through the process of preparing equipment and warming themselves up with their own exercises. They all looked like serious, no-nonsense ponies, the kind of ponies who would scrutinize a cadet's every move, looking for any faults. Scootaloo found herself starkly reminded that this would not be like her apprenticeship on the Weather Team.
"You need to remember, squirt," Rainbow Dash had told her, "Spitfire's a different pony when she's working the Academy. When she's there, she's in charge and she takes things seriously. I know you've seen how casual the Wonderbolts and Spitfire herself are when they're at headquarters, but she doesn't put up with any of that from the Academy cadets. When she tells you to jump, you do it. Asking how high will just get you in trouble, so just jump as high as you can. It's gonna be jarring, but discipline is a big deal, so make sure you don't get thrown off."
Coming in for a landing, they spotted the rest of their fellow cadets. Scootaloo swallowed nervously, remembering that she and Dawn were special cases. All of the other ponies already assembled and waiting were older than them. She could tell that many of them were hardcore flyers. A few had the builds of professional racers. They sported toned muscles, flawless postures, and perfectly preened wings, not a feather out of place. Even as they took in the wondrous surroundings, they affected an air of disinterest that managed to be convincing, however feigned it might have been.
Scootaloo swallowed. She and Dawn set down their luggage and settled in to wait for Spitfire to arrive. A moment later, a shout from above prompted her to look up.
"Hey!" Scootaloo broke out into a happy grin as she saw Sunflower and Cyclone flying towards them.
"Hey there, Sunflower," said Scootaloo, waving as the two of them settled on the asphalt next to them. "I'm glad you made it."
"Of course we did," said Sunflower excitedly, bouncing in place. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."
Scootaloo nodded her agreement before focusing on Cyclone. "It's good to see you too," she said.
Cyclone looked a bit confused by the friendly greeting. Granted, the last time they'd seen each other, things had been...complicated. Cyclone shifted awkwardly until Sunflower bumped a shoulder against her. "H-hello."
Scootaloo nodded. "It's nice to have you two here. For a little bit, I thought Dawn and I were going to be the only younger ponies in attendance."
"Hmph, like I'd turn down an invitation to the Wonderbolts Academy,” said Cyclone, straightening her posture, a little bit of her old bluster coming back.
Behind her, Scootaloo could hear Dawn chuckling softly. She was having a hard time keeping from laughing herself. "Well, let's do our best to blow them away."
"I always do my best," said Cyclone. She leaned forward and locked her eyes with Scootaloo. "You should be worried that I'm gonna do my best to blow you away."
So she's still feeling a bit competitive with Scootaloo, thought Dawn. At least it's in a good way this time.
Scootaloo narrowed her eyes and she fired a cocky grin back at Cyclone. "Oh yeah...Bring it!"
"Aw, can't we just get along," pleaded Sunflower, looking between Scootaloo and Cyclone.
Dawn came up next to her and patted her shoulder with his hoof. "So long as they don't get carried away, it'll be good for them. A fierce rivalry goes a long way towards encouraging ponies to push themselves further than they would otherwise."
Sunflower gave Dawn and confused glance, realizing that he was speaking with the weight of experience and wondering just what his rivalry had been like.
"What they hay!" The four of them were distracted by a gruff voice as the biggest stallion yet came in for a landing just a short distance down the runway. He wasn't a massive hulk, like that Slab stallion that Dawn and Scootaloo had dealt with on occasion, but he was still very heavily built. His bags thunked heavily as they hit the asphalt, giving the impression that they'd been packed with training weights; although why anypony would bring their own training weights to a fully-outfitted athletic training facility was anyone's guess.
"When the hay did the Wonderbolts Academy become a daycare center?" demanded the stallion, his gray eyes hardening as he glared at the four youngest cadets. As he walked, heavily veined muscles stretched and bunched beneath his dark-brown coat. "Are you serious? One of you doesn't even have a cutie mark. Are you some kind of overgrown baby or something?"
He snorted, the harsh exhalation actually stirring Scootaloo and Cyclone's manes as he approached them, glaring down at them like their presence was a personal insult.
Dawn perked one ear up, noticing that the stallion's exclamation had set off a chain of whispered mutterings that went throughout the assembled ponies. Apparently, he wasn't the only one troubled by their presence at the Academy. Spitfire had caused quite the uproar with her invitation, which was already unprecedented in and of itself, given that ponies normally had to apply and then be approved to attend the Academy.
Naturally, the ponies who had submitted applications and been approved upon review of their records would probably find it unsettling for four ponies, so much younger than them, to have been essentially hoofed an opportunity that they'd felt they'd sweated and bled for.
"All right, you brats," growled the stallion, "get lost. This ain't no playground."
Sunflower squeaked and settled back behind Dawn, cringing as she watched nervously over his shoulder.
Scootaloo glowered at the stallion, not intimidated in the slightest. When push came to shove, he had no idea just how thoroughly outclassed he was. Beside her, Cyclone returned the stallion's glare with one of her own, his attitude and posturing drawing back old habits built up over the years of confrontation between her and her old rivals back in Flight School.
The stallion clearly did not like that they were not about to bow to his orders. His nostrils flared and he pawed the asphalt angrily, looking as though he might charge them. Scootaloo's wings twitched, but she felt a tugging sensation through the air and realized that it was Dawn, manipulating the air to pull gently at her feathers, a silent reminder to restrain herself. She realized he was right and took a deep breath to calm herself down. Using the Gale King on another pony under these circumstances would only get her in trouble. More importantly, she couldn't allow her anger to get the better of her. Petty confrontations like this weren't what the Gale King was for.
"Didn't you babies hear me?" demanded the stallion. "I said, get lost."
"We're not going anywhere," replied Cyclone coldly. "You don't get to decide who stays and who goes, so shut up and get in line or get lost yourself if you can't handle it."
"Why you...!" The stallion lifted a forehoof slightly and gave the distinct impression that he might swing it.
Scootaloo tensed, this time feeling no remonstration from Dawn. Using the Gale King to settle a petty argument was wrong. Using it to defend another pony from an attacker was perfectly justified.
"LINE UP!" Spitfire's voice boomed across the Academy grounds, its power making everypony flinch and jump to obey. Dawn, Scootaloo, Cyclone, and Sunflower immediately stepped into line. Their antagonist got into position a few ponies down from them, still glaring at them sidelong.
"Let me see what we've got here," said Spitfire, wearing her dress uniform, strolling along with her head held high. Her eyes were shadowed behind her sunglasses, though the shaded lenses did nothing to hide the force of her glare as her eyes swept across the line of ponies. "Let me get this straight, you sorry lot all think you're Wonderbolts material."
"Yes ma'am!" replied the assembled ponies sharply. Even Dawn felt compelled to answer more forcefully than usual. Spitfire's presence was just that commanding. He could feel her force of will, the will of a Celestial Knight as it washed over them, reinforcing the fact that she was in charge.
"I have my doubts," said Spitfire as she paced along the line's length. "If you lot were Wonderbolts material, you'd already be Wonderbolts. Seeing as you aren't..."
She stopped and glared specifically at Dawn. "You don't look like you could fly more than a mile before you pass out."
Dawn said nothing and simply stared straight ahead. Fortunately, he had considerable practice in that respect.
The tiniest upward twitch at the corners of Spitfire's mouth was the only indicator of her approval as she moved on to her next victim. "You don't look like you've got what it takes," she said to Scootaloo. "I bet you'll wimp out before today is out."
"No ma'am," replied Scootaloo firmly, fighting to keep her expression from changing.
"And what about you?" asked Spitfire, coming next to Cyclone. "I bet you'd trip over your own wings if you tried to pull off a simple loop."
"No ma'am," replied Cyclone, her expression not faltering.
"And I don't think you could bust up a cloud if it came with written instructions," said Spitfire as she came to Sunflower. "Think you're hot stuff?"
"No ma'am." said Sunflower, her voice cracking just the tiniest bit, betraying her nerves. Still, Spitfire said nothing and moved on, prodding the other cadets with similar taunts and predictions of failure. None of the cadets responded with anything more than a simple "yes ma'am" or "no ma'am" as Spitfire's remarks warranted...save one.
A faint snort could be heard amongst the line. Spitfire whirled around, zeroing in on the source with incredible speed and precision, her gaze burning as it fell upon the large, muscular stallion. Dawn, Scootaloo, Sunflower, and Cyclone all recognized him as the one that had been badgering them earlier.
"You think something's funny, cadet?" asked Spitfire, getting right up in the stallion's face. "If it's a joke, then perhaps you'd like to share it with us. I'd love to hear a good joke."
"Your selection's the joke," replied the stallion curtly. "I didn't apply to the Academy so that I could play with a bunch of babies, fresh out of elementary school."
"And I didn't accept your application because I wanted to hear your opinion," replied Spitfire. "You're not here to play or talk or make decisions. You're here to train. You train however I tell you to train, whenever I tell you to train, with whoever I tell you to train. And guess what! You don't get any say otherwise. If you can't handle that, then this is your chance to bail." She leaned in so that her right eye was almost pressed directly up against the stallion's left. He was rigid now, his face drawn and tense with nervous fear as he felt the bulk of Spitfire's wrath. "Since I'm feeling very gracious, I'll let you choose, just this once. You can either stay here and agree to follow orders without complaint or...you can get lost. This is the one time I'm letting you decide. If I hear so much as a peep of complaint later on, I'll toss you out with my own hooves."
A heavy silence descended on the group. All eyes and ears were, discreetly, on the stallion. "I'll stay," he said softly.
"Good," said Spitfire. "Now shut up and do as I say."
"Y-yes ma'am," he stammered.
"Any other complaints?" thundered Spitfire as she whirled around to survey the other cadets. Nopony made a sound. "Good," said Spitfire. "Then it's time for a little introductory exercise. Seeing as mister Big Britches here seems to think that this training is so easy a bunch of kids can do it, let's start things out real nice and gentle." Her smile took on a malicious quality. "Two-hundred laps around the track...NOW!"
The cadets immediately spread their wings and took to the air, rushing to make for the starting line of the track that ran around the Academy's perimeter, outlined by cloud rings that circled the outbuildings. Several of them pulled ahead, obviously aiming to do the allotted number of laps as quickly as they could manage. The large stallion was among them, his wings powering him up to the front, where he took the lead on the track.
A blur of white flashed past Dawn and Scootaloo and they saw Cyclone rushing to keep up with the heavily built stallion. The two of them glared at one another as they began their laps, flying neck and neck.
"They're gonna wear themselves out before they make it halfway," muttered Scootaloo.
Dawn said nothing, but Scootaloo could feel him nod in agreement beside her. By her reckoning, the two of them were near the front of the middle. Sunflower flew along behind them, clearly aiming to pace herself as well. For Dawn and Scootaloo, two-hundred laps wasn't such a difficult flight. Their strong affinity for their pegasus magic allowed them to fly easily through the air, covering a great deal of distance with each flap of their wings, while still maintaining a decent speed.
As they flew, the starting line of the track went by again and again and again... By the time they'd reached their fiftieth lap, Scootaloo was struggling to keep count. For her, boredom was a greater opponent than fatigue. They were just flying in circles, an exercise so simple and mind-numbing that it was threatening to put her to sleep. Still, she and Dawn maintained their pace as they continued around. Behind them, she could feel Sunflower, still going strong, though she'd fallen a little farther behind. She wasn't the only one though.
Several of their fellow cadets were now slipping behind them. Some had worn out their strength early by pushing themselves too hard at the start. Others were adjusting their pace and most were unable to keep up with the two martial artists as they continued their gliding flight around the track at a respectable speed.
The only ones that hadn't slowed down yet were Cyclone and their stallion antagonist. They were both going strong. By this point, they'd lapped the rest of the pack several times, still straining against each other, their rivalry apparently making them forget the limits of their own endurance.
As time wore on, however, their bodies remembered their limits, even if their minds didn't. The stallion was the first to flag, his legs sagging downward as he found it more and more difficult to maintain an aerodynamic posture while flying. Cyclone kept on pushing and forged on ahead, her wings beating hard as she struggled to widen her lead. The stallion's flight began to flag further and he fell back. Per Scootaloo's predictions, they hadn't even passed the hundredth lap yet.
Past a hundred laps, more and more ponies began to lag and slump. Even Sunflower was clearly starting to feel the strain as she dropped farther and farther behind. Then, to Scootaloo's surprise, the large stallion, who'd been slowing down even more, finally threw in the towel, turning sharply and descending towards the runway. She wasn't sure how many laps ahead he was, but he should have been nowhere near two-hundred. Is he giving up? she wondered.
He wasn't the only one. He was the first, but soon, a few other pegasi began to trickle away from the track to follow him. Scootaloo frowned. Some of those ponies had been hovering near the back of the pack. They shouldn't have been pushing themselves nearly that hard. She herself felt her wings straining a little, but no more than usual after a vigorous warmup during her and Dawn's regular afternoon training.
Maybe we should push it, thought Scootaloo, remembering Rainbow's stories about the Wonderbolt Academy. The purpose of training here was to push the envelope after all. What better time than now? This was their chance to show Spitfire what they were capable of and shut that arrogant stallion up once and for all.
Scootaloo raised her wings up a little higher and beat them down with more force, picking up her pace. Suddenly, she felt Dawn, who'd been beside her and matching her wingbeat for wingbeat the whole time swirl one wing in a circular motion, producing a backwards current that flowed over Scootaloo and dragged at her, slowing her down forcefully. It wasn't powerful, so slight that she would have hardly noticed had she not directly sensed Dawn doing it. But Scootaloo realized that Dawn was telling her to slow down. She threw him a questioning glance and he responded with the barest shake of his head.
Scootaloo frowned, wondering what her coltfriend was thinking. However, she decided to let him set the pace for now.
Up ahead, Cyclone was finally beginning to run out of steam. She'd kept up her murderous pace a bit longer than the stallion. But she was finally beginning to feel her limits. Though she was still several laps ahead by this point, she'd slowed down considerably. Nonetheless, she was still pushing forward with a determined look on her face.
Behind them, Scootaloo could feel Sunflower straining as well. She was panting for breath and her wingbeats were beginning to get erratic. She had fallen even farther behind. Hang in there, Scootaloo silently thought at her friend. Still, she was going faster than Cyclone now.
They began to lap Cyclone, eating up her lead little by little. Most of the rest of the cadets had dropped away, unable to go any further. Only a couple remained aside from the four youngest participants. At around a hundred and eighty laps, Scootaloo reckoned that they'd nearly caught up with Cyclone's count, lapping her yet again. Cyclone was straining, barely able to make forward progress anymore, but doggedly pushing herself forward all the same. Sunflower's flight had become one of ups and downs as her course dipped before she had to beat her wings extra hard to make up for lost altitude.
For Scootaloo, her wings were finally beginning to get sore. She wagered that Dawn was feeling the same amount of strain as her. However, they were still a long ways from being completely worn down as they crossed the line for the two-hundredth time and banked their flight back towards the runway. Sunflower and two other cadets were a little less than a minute behind them. Poor Sunflower was gasping for breath and struggling to remain aloft. But she managed to maintain her control, stumbling a little on the landing. Dawn spread out a wing and gently held it out in front of her chest to catch her before she could pitch forward onto her face.
"Thanks," said Sunflower breathlessly, grinning up at Dawn.
"Think nothing of it," said Dawn with a smile.
Sunflower struggled and stumbled for a moment, but she managed to get her legs back under her and stand up. However, she ended up leaning against Dawn to keep from toppling over. Scootaloo watched them, feeling a sense of irritation bubble up inside her. What the hay am I getting angry about? she wondered.
Meanwhile, Cyclone was still struggling. By this point, she'd actually fallen behind the others. Now, finally, gasping for breath, barely able to keep flying at all, she lurched over the finish line and bent her flight into a glide that angled back towards the runway.
Sunflower squeaked, her fatigue momentarily forgotten as she rushed forward to catch Cyclone as the white mare came in for a clumsy landing.
Spitifre looked over the group smugly. While the big stallion had been catching his breath, she'd come up right behind him. "Well now, what's this here? I asked for two-hundred laps, but the only a few of you could deliver. What happened to you, Mr. Big Britches? You were complaining about having to train with kids, but it looks to me like you're the one who needs to go back to kiddy-grade flight school."
The stallion opened his mouth to retort, but managed to remember Spitfire's threat just in time.
Spitfire, seeing him cut himself off, smirked. "Good to know you can learn," she observed teasingly. "Let's see what we have to work with, shall we." She began to trot around the group. "Some of you just plain have a ways to go if you wanna make it through here. We have a few reckless amateurs who wore themselves out too quickly. There are a few of you who fit the bill though." Her gaze landed on Sunflower. "We have a promising rookie who shows some guts and perseverance to get the job done." She turned her eyes to Dawn and Scootaloo. "We've got a couple of youngsters with the skills to go the distance." Finally, her eyes landed on Cyclone, who barely looked conscious. "And we've got a reckless fool who overreached, but had the guts to give it everything she had until the very end."
She looked out over the group as a whole. "Some of you have promise, some of you, not so much. The reason you're here is because I think you might have what it takes to get through the Academy program. Even if you do, that doesn't automatically mean that you're a shoo-in to be a Wonderbolt. This is just an intermediary step. I'm looking at a lot more than mere physical performance."
She looked them over, taking in their physical condition after the grueling series of laps she'd just put them through. "Get your things and report to the dorms. You're going to be assigned rooms. After that, you have lunch and then we'll move on to the next exercise of the day. So you lot had better get your wind back pretty darn fast."
She turned and began to walk away before pausing and smirking over her shoulder. "Oh...and welcome to the Wonderbolts Academy."
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So both Dawn and Scootaloo are training to be Wonderbolts ey? This should be interesting...
Confirmed to have banged:
☑ Fluttershy
☑ Derpy
☑ Coco
☐ Scootaloo
☐ Twilight
☑ Pinkie Pie
Bit of envy there for Scootaloo towards Sunflower and Dawn's interactions...
7331853 I was just remembering your comment from yesterday. I wonder who will bang next (or at least be confirmed to have banged)?
Now... if Spitfire was anything like Sgt. Hartman from Fullmetal Jacket...
...when did we enter my stories?
Sounds like the story has a ways to go yet, and I'm glad. I genuinely dread the end of this saga! Dawn, your version of the canon characters, and your OC's have all become old friends.
7331938 My goal is to keep a running tally (and check all those boxes, damnit!)
...yep, we entered my stories.
hovering off in the
...Dawn's going to be roomed with that stallion, isn't he? And Scootaloo... with Cyclone.
7332001 You might want to add all of the ponies then. Save you having to add any new ones like you had to in this chapter.
After all, if you're going to try, go all the way:
☑ Fluttershy
☑ Derpy
☑ Coco
☐ Scootaloo
☐ Twilight
☑ Pinkie Pie
☐Rarity
☐Applejack
☐Rainbow Dash
☐Applebloom
☐Sweetie Belle
☐Flitter/Storm Front (whether you want to go with the mare or the more major character is up to you)
I guess you could knock the last two off seeing how we have yet to see Flitter or Storm Front and haven't seen much of Sweetie Belle and Rumble, but we seen a bit of Applebloom and Spike, and you should at least include the whole of the mane six.
gelbooru.com//images/e8/8f/e88f5a4ccceee9929cef7039c2389d56.jpg?2763114
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/1/22/1408__safe_pinkie+pie_pinkamena+diane+pie_parody_artist-colon-johnjoseco_police_straitjacket_muzzle_silence+of+the+lambs_hannibal+lecter.jpg
First scene in a nutshell. XD
I really like this line. I'm surprised I've never heard something like it before. This should be an interesting arc, now that (most of?) the bad guys have been taken care of.
Personally, I can't wait for Twilight's reunions with Swift Stride, Sunset and Trixie, assuming they happen. Plz Plz Plz happen
7332164 Rarities married. I'm pretty sure it's safe to check her off.
i cant wait for that instructor to realize who he was badmouthing...
7332324
Rarity and AJ have both been married a couple of years. I think they're both safely checked.
I can gaurantee that dawn and the stallion will be wing mates. This will be very interesting.
Sunflower gave Dawn a confused glance
The second-to-last arc already?! It sure doesn't feel like it. I hope you don't leave still more loose ends by the time this is over! Are you at least going to cover the Double Wedding?
Speaking of which, boy, did you catch our attention from the get-go! Always account for Pinkie when announcing anything party-related!
There's physics, and then there's Pinkie Pie.
And there she goes. The funny thing is that I didn't see this scene coming.
Errors:
I believe you mean "vaguely like ticking".
The word you need here is "loath".
Comma needed before "albeit".
That quotation might be better off ending with a question mark.
a confused glance
I believe you meant "what the hay". And I think that exclamation point should be a question mark,
That first comma should be a colon.
Honestly, Dawn's Parents could have been a lot more impressive a story arch. A very fitting end-cap to the series. But then again, this is reading more like a very long-reach slice of life than a One Last Hurrah adventure, a sort of "where they are now."
Also, the Pink One is a menace and needs to be
restrained.no wait, she'd get off on that.what have you wrought?There is one thing I would really love to see....
Dark Wing's story and how he trained Dawn the Gale King
So are we going to learn why Dawn's eyes are so different from others including Luna with that condition?
Still waiting for the Dojo.
I think it would be awesome if Dawn starts taking notes on what to do and what not to do.
7331918
She wants Dawn's love. So that means that next chapter, we find out about the Secret Affair going on between Dawn and Sunflower!
7332705 We already did. Didn't we? The condition is very rare, and the only way it shows up is by strong emotions. Which emotion and how strong is different from pony to pony. Some combinations are more rare than others. And out of all the ponies to ever exist, the combination finally clicked into a very rare combo in the very rare disease inside of Dawn, giving him the eyes Permanently, without it having to be connected to an emotion.
7332910 only the first part in my mines was answered. why he was different never was.
7332951 What wasn't answered? It's the exact same Disease/condition. Just that where everyone else's is triggered by Emotions. Dawn had a very rare combo where it wasn't tied to an emotion, and instead set to 'on' all the time. again, thought it was all explain. There is nothing different other than that it's on 24/7, which is something so rare that Dawn is the only pony in all of history to that it happened to. As far as we know. Could have been other babies born like that and killed on the spot that we don't know.
So again, what wasn't answered? There is nothing else.
7333194 However there is litteraly no record of any other pony having his specific condition. Not even Luna has it. So why him out of everypony out there.
With regard to the author's note, if you didn't actually like your villains, why include them at all? I get it for some of them. They often had some central story purpose or had an interesting quality. But, like, for Moonstone, she just came across as unnecessary. I don't think an author should pretty much ever include something out of an abstract sense of obligation. If it doesn't matter, don't use it. And I don't consider the Swift interaction any justification, cause that didn't need Moonstone there.
That said, I'm glad that this arc seems lighter on random tribalist villains. It does indeed seem more interesting and well plotted.
7332324
7332347
Okay, fair enough. I forgot about them.
Although considering how lose Twilight and Arkenstone were to being checked off at the end of the last story, I'd argue that she could be safely checked off too.
7333355 As this story was meant to cover some loose ends from the other stories, I think Moonstone was included to answer the question of who was Dawn's parents, as that was something that I'm sure almost every reader of this series wanted to know and see.
7332470 I totally agree with you about Pinkie Pie's law-breaking powers of randomness;p Its as OP as Fluttershy's Stare...
7333345 I kinda pointed that out too, tho it was minor in one of my posts.
The Condition itself is rare. Very, Very rare. So Rare that until Twilight started research on Dawn, who was forced to have the eyes 24/7, NO ONE even knew that the condition even existed. Not even Luna. They never thought it was biological genetics. They thought it was demonic possession. Which of course got everyone but Luna hunted for and KILLED.
Dawn is a very very VERY rare case. Like 1 out of 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999.99
Whats more, it isn't until RESENTLY, that ponies even checked to see if it was a medical problem. Believing that they were demons, most likely any very rare cases with people having Dawn's condition, ended the same way Dawn's did. Murdered as a baby. Dawn got very lucky and saved, but no others, if there were others, did.
7333940 Theoretically, yes. But, in the current portrayal, we're getting practically no new information. They're functionally identical to both the baseline portrait I had in my mind, and to the grandparents that were just here.
If you really need them, and in this form, just have a kinda toned down version of the opening scene, maybe minus thugs, and have the rest of the conflict be internal family stuff. And maybe toss in any kinda reveal, cause not having one is weird after the wait. Definitely don't have a billion separate thug fighting scenes.
I hope Dawn and sunflower somehow end up in the same room. Or something akin to that.
7331960 Same here. I'm hoping that Moguera lets Dawn and the CMC take over as full fledged Knights of the Celestial Order before this is all done.
...whoa. I don't know whether to laugh or be disturbed.
I'm calling it right here and now that Cyclone and that big guy will end up a couple!
So funny
The next bit of lines were even funnier
7886251
Lethal
Because she's probably the closest thing you've had to a love rival since Dinky
Scootaloo becomes the wingmare of Cyclone and Dawn becomes the wingmare/stallion of Sunflower... at least that's my prediction
Dawn is in a good mature position to not be a showoff. In many ways, that might tick ponies off even more...
Cadance taking notes had me in tears!