Coolness Under Pressure
NOOOOO! Argghhh! Just make it stop! Just shut up those stupid foals already coach Twitter Tweet! Their mouths run WAY too much than their minds do. Just send me away from here. I knew that I made the wrong decision. Just please, oh Celestia please, GET ME OUT OF HERE!
Lightning Dust's ears were granted permission to listen to the not-so-pleasant sound of young fillies and colts everywhere screaming at the top of their lungs, obviously having fun. Meanwhile, she wasn't. Lightning Dust remembered going to the Junior Speedsters camp when she was just a little pegasus filly who was nine years old. Her coach was the well-favored Daring Duck. He always told the fillies and colts of his recent adventures he had when he wasn't so busy teaching a bunch of foals how to have fun while flying.
However, Twitter Tweet was an entirely different pony. She was a lot more ditsy than how much Daring Duck was adventurous! Twitter Tweet already had foals to begin with. Her filly, Chirp, was the head of the class and knew very much about flying. Her brother, Feather Flap, was very stupid and was always messing up when attempting to fly.
Lightning Dust was finally snapped back to reality from the imprisonment of her mind when Twitter Tweet walked over to her to have a nice chat with her.
"It'll be okay. You were in the Junior Speedsters before, right?"
"Yeah," replied Lightning Dust, "I was. I knew all of the tricks and all of the tips. Heck, I even still remember that stupid chant I had to sing with my peers when we first started flight class for the day."
Just like Twitter Tweet knew what the time was, she motioned to her class of fillies and colts that were obviously younger than Lightning Dust to come over to her. They eagerly galloped over to their coach.
"Class, it's about time to sing our chant!"
"Oh Celestia no!" groaned Lightning Dust.
"If you don't want me to drag you back to Cumulo Nimbus," warned Twitter Tweet, "you're going to have to sing the Junior Speedsters chant with us, as a class."
"Yeah," added Chirp, "as a class."
"This song is kind of ironic in my case..." spoke an embarrassed Feather Flap.
"Fine Twitter," retreated Lightning Dust, "I'll sing the stupid chant with everypony."
"Great," spoke a satisfied Twitter Tweet. "Alright everypony! Let's all sing our chant that reflects what we do here at the Junior Speedsters every day!"
See? Lightning Dust thought to herself. She's DITSY!
Soon, before she knew it, everypony started to sing the Junior Speedsters chant:
Junior Speedsters are our lives,
Sky-bound soars and daring dives
Junior Speedsters, it's our quest,
To some day be the very best!
"Great job, everypony!" Twitter Tweet proudly told her class. "Now let's go outside so we can begin our flight lessons for the day!"
The screaming of voices started again as everypony rushed outside of the Junior Speedsters building, which was located on a cloud. Twitter Tweet followed after them.
Lightning Dust just sat down on the ground, staring at a poster that said "Speed takes practice!" Twitter Tweet walked over to a doubtful Lightning Dust and told her:
"Lightning, you're going to have to come outside to learn with us sometime."
"Fine," spoke Lightning Dust.
Twitter Tweet lead Lightning Dust out of the Junior Speedsters building.
I wish that I picked a better place to go for my punishment...
"Alright everypony! Welcome to your tenth day at the Junior Speedsters camp! Today, as you might have all seen, we have a new student here with us! Lightning Dust, why don't you come over here next to me and introduce yourself?"
Lightning Dust immediately started to sweat, her heart feeling like it was about to escape out of her chest and scramble away. Ponyfeathers! What should I tell them?!
Feeling reluctant about this entire situation, Lightning Dust slowly ambled up towards coach Twitter Tweet.
"That's the spirit!"
Lightning Dust groaned at her coach as she slowly continued her way towards her. Finally, she was seen standing next to Twitter Tweet. Lightning Dust cleared her throat:
"Hello, fillies and colts. I'm Lightning Dust, and I'm sure to leave you in the dust. Yaaaaay, woo-hoo. It was my decision to come to this totally-not-boring camp and learn the basics of flight with you guys. I'm very overjoyed to make new friends, and during this first day I've felt honored to learn here at such a prestigious flight camp. Hooray."
Her voice sounded very deadpan and sarcastic. Twitter Tweet and the little foals, however, didn't seem to mind.
"Now little ponies, what do you all tell Lightning Dust?"
"THANKS FOR COMING HERE!"
Lightning Dust shut her eyes and plugged her ears to avoid hearing the joyous cheer of what sounded like a thousand little foals all at once. Twitter Tweet motioned her flight students to stop and began to speak:
"Once again, we are very honored to have a new student here at the Junior Speedsters flight camp. Today I'm going to introduce a new flight trick; the corkscrew."
Everypony looked like they knew what a corkscrew was except for a dumbfounded Feather Flap. "Mom, what's a corkscrew? I'm pretty sure that pegasi don't spend their time screwing bottle-caps off of soda here!"
Twitter Tweet looked at her son, concerned as usual, but still explained to him: "Well Feather, a corkscrew is in fact a real flight move. A pegasus performs this move in the air much like screwing a bottle-cap off of soda. Let me demonstrate."
Twitter Tweet flew off of the cloud where her eager students were all staring at her like curious fish. Her wings flapping in the air, she quickly flew around in rapid spirals, creating a light-blue corkscrew-shaped trail. Twitter Tweet landed on the ground as everypony started clapping. Well, almost everypony. Lightning Dust was scowling at Twitter Tweet.
"Yay. Already knew that one, but still, yay."
Twitter Tweet again took center stage. "Alright, now that I've demonstrated a corkscrew, who'd like to perform one?"
"I'll go first," spoke a determined Chirp.
Chirp started to flap her wings. In a matter of five seconds, Chirp was airborne. She started to fly around in a spiral shape, and soon she was spinning around as quickly as she could in the air. Twitter Tweet got out a pen and started to furiously write down on her clipboard. Chirp soon landed back on the cloud. Everypony was clapping and cheering for her!
"Thank you very much, fellow classmates! That's how you perform a corkscrew."
"Thank you very much, Chirp!" a proud Twitter Tweet told her daughter. "You've set a great example here at the Junior Speedsters camp that I highly emphasize that the other flight students should follow."
Twitter Tweet glanced over at Feather Flap, who was staring at clouds. "Excuse me Feather!"
Feather Flap turned around to face his mother and shrank back nervously. "No Mom! I'm not going to perform a corkscrew! We both know that I really suck at flying!"
"Since you're my son," began Twitter Tweet, "I still want you to set an example for the class."
"Set an example of failure?" asked Feather Flap.
After hearing what Feather Flap had to say, Lightning Dust had no choice but to let the giggles she had been concealing ever since Twitter Tweet walked up to Feather Flap escape out of her mouth. When Twitter Tweet turned around to see the cause of the laughter, Lightning Dust immediately shoved her hoof in her mouth.
Twitter Tweet turned around again to face her son. "Anyways Feather, I want you to show us the ropes on how to perform a corkscrew or else..."
"O-or else w-what?" stuttered an obviously-nervous Feather Flap.
"Or else," his mother began, "you'll get no dessert tonight after dinner!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Feather Flap screamed at the top of his lungs as soon as he heard his mother's threat. Lightning Dust was trying very hard to not laugh at any of this. Not a giggle, not even a chortle...
"Please, Mom! You can't do this to me!"
"Alright Feather Flap! It's settled then."
"Fine Mom," grumbled Feather Flap.
He tried to flap his wings, and he got off the cloud. He was about six inches off the marshmallow-like surface of the cloud before he plummeted. Trying again, he flapped his wings as hard as he could, and soon he was airborne (if three feet is what you call airborne). Remembering what his flight expert sister did, he tried to circle around in the air. His circle was very wonky, and he faceplanted onto the cloud.
"I give up."
"Feather Flap!" Twitter Tweet yelled at her son. "Here at the Junior Speedsters, nopony gives up! They keep pushing themselves until they accomplish their goals!"
Feather Flap got up and stood on his four hooves.
"Mom," Feather Flap started, "it's my tenth day here at flight camp and I still suck at flying! Who even needs to set goals if they suck at flying?"
"Feather," his mother told him with a lower voice, "you don't suck at flying. If you never give up, then you'll eventu-"
"Then I quit!"
A frustrated Feather Flap stormed off back to the Junior Speedsters building. Just before he got inside, he told Twitter Tweet: "Oh, and by the way, I don't care if I get dessert tonight or not!"
"Feather!" Twitter Tweet yelled.
However, it was too late for her to stop her son. She lowered her head and sadly spoke to her flight students: "Everypony, flight class is ending early for today. You can all go home."
As soon as Twitter Tweet started to walk up to the building, her flight students started to follow her, including Lightning Dust.
As soon as everypony goes home, I'm going to try to escape out of this mediocre place. But first, I'll need to get inside the building.
It was only 4:30 p.m. when everypony left the camp. Usually, everypony would leave two hours later, but because of the crisis with Feather Flap, Twitter Tweet made everypony leave early...
Except for Lightning Dust. She didn't have to go home. This was her home. This is where she lived until she eventually would get a home of her own again. Her room was on the second floor of the Junior Speedsters building. It was originally an empty room where a kung fu class would practice their art, but now it was Lightning Dust's bedroom.
The room was very barren, with a bed against the wall near a window and a small "Hang in there!" poster on the door. Lightning Dust's saddlebag was on the floor when she entered inside her room. She felt determined to leave this place where she never really belonged.
Now, to just come up with a plan...
Lightning Dust sat down on her bed, its sheets almost completely on the floor. She thought as hard as she could of a plan that would get her out of the Junior Speedsters camp for good. Finally, after about five minutes of thinking, she thought of something:
"That's it! I'll have to come up with an excuse first."
Lightning Dust slowly started for the door, but before she could open it, Twitter Tweet came in.
"Do you need anything, Lightning Dust?"
"Erm," Lightning Dust nervously began, "I, er, need to, um..."
"Do you nee-"
"I need to do some last-minute shopping!" shouted Lightning Dust.
Twitter Tweet pondered about what she would say to Lightning Dust, then finally told her: "Okay, Lightning Dust! Hope you'll find what you need."
She smiled as she exited Lightning Dust's room. As the door shut behind Twitter Tweet, Lightning Dust breathed a sigh of relief. She grabbed her saddlebag and put it on her back. After she heard hoofsteps down the stairs, she stealthily opened the door and quietly shut it. I don't want to make any noise if I want to escape this awful camp successfully.
Lightning Dust could see Twitter Tweet on the first floor, worriedly pacing back and forth. Lightning Dust hid behind a wall near the staircase and ever-so-slightly peered down at the first floor. I bet that she's worrying about her son not getting enough education on flight and quitting the Junior Speedsters.
Twitter Tweet looked very worried. "What am I going to do? What is my son going to do? He can't just get around in Equestria by just walking around his whole life! You've just gotta convince him to give the Junior Speedsters another try."
Lightning Dust was still listening intently to Twitter Tweet talking to herself.
"She's right. Perhaps I should give this whole punishment thing another try!" she whispered to herself.
"Then again, maybe your son will never be able to fly..." whimpered Twitter Tweet.
She glanced at the floor, and Lightning Dust was glancing at her. Before they both knew it, Twitter Tweet, a proud and loving mother, started to silently cry. Tears silently dripped onto the hardwood floor as Lightning Dust lowered her head.
"Poor mother..." she whispered to herself.
"Forget it," cried Twitter Tweet. "There's nothing you can do to help him. There's nothing. You're a terrible mother."
After hearing those last two words, Lightning Dust began to think about what she did before those ten gruesome days she'd spent at the Junior Speedsters camp, including this one. Why did I do that? Why did I steal those machines? I'm terrible. I didn't even stay in the Wonderbolts Academy for a month.
Suddenly, a second voice came into her head: a more assertive version of herself. That's all in the past now, Lightning Dust! You live in the present, right? Now get out there and escape this place!
Lightning Dust suddenly realized that she was locked in a battle...with her mind. I get it. I've always did. But perhaps I should consider staying here until Twitter Tweet lets me go.
There's no way that you're dropping the escape plan! It was very elaborate, and you know that I liked it! Well, we liked it.
I'm not listening to you!
Think about today and all of those other utterly stupid and gruesome days you've spent here! That ditzy coach, her smart-alec daughter, her stupid son, and all of those loud and obnoxious fillies were absolute torture! Don't you agree with me? Don't you see? You've got to get out of here!
Lightning Dust couldn't fight this mental battle with herself any more. She gave up against herself and whispered: "Now, to get out of the building..."
Lightning Dust looked intently at Twitter Tweet to see if she would either walk into another room or leave the building. A saddened Twitter Tweet lowered her head and walked out of the building.
Yes! Now that she's out of the building, you can escape!
Lightning Dust silently crept down the stairs just in case Twitter Tweet decided to come back inside for whatever reason. Suddenly Twitter Tweet turned around to look back at the Junior Speedsters building. Lightning Dust quickly ran back up the stairs and leaned against the wall. Twitter Tweet then lowered her head again and turned around to walk away.
Lightning Dust was pretty sure that Twitter Tweet was gone, so she exited the Junior Speedsters building. She looked everywhere to make sure that she was right, and she was. She stretched and unfolded her wings.
Soon, Lightning Dust was flying in the air. Now, where should I go-
Then, she saw the place. The Cloudsdale Inn was real close to Lightning Dust, so she decided to fly there. Occasionally she would fly behind clouds to make sure that nopony sees her and blames her for her previous crime. When she was sure that no pegasi were looking at her, she flew out from behind the clouds and continued to fly to her destination.
Finally, she made it to the Cloudsdale Inn. She gently landed on the cloud and folded in her wings. She slowly entered inside...
"Are you Lightning Dust?"
Everypony gasped as soon as they saw Lightning Dust enter the Cloudsdale Inn.
"Get out, you mongrel!"
"Thief!"
Lightning Dust lowered her head. "Guys, I'm sorry..."
She walked up to the help desk. Immediately a young mare walked up. "Hello, would you like to-"
The employee gasped. "Get out of here! You're not welcome!"
"B-but I'm s-sorry!" sputtered Lightning Dust.
The employee smiled. "Then I'm sorry. You're Ms. Lightning Dust, right?"
Lightning Dust nodded her head.
"You'd like to check in, right?"
Lightning Dust nodded her head again.
"How many days are you staying here?"
"Dunno."
"That'd be 70 bits, please."
Lightning Dust opened her saddlebag and placed 70 bits on the desk. The employee smiled as she took them.
"Let me show you to your room."
Lightning Dust followed the employee up the stairs to the second floor. They kept walking until they stopped in front of room 33.
"This is your room, Lightning Dust. And this is your key."
The employee handed Lightning Dust her room key.
"By the way," asked Lightning Dust, "what's your name?"
"Ivory Pearl."
"Thanks for keeping me here, Ivory," thanked Lightning Dust. "Now don't tell anypony this, but I recently escaped from living at the Junior Speedsters camp building."
"Your secret is safe with me," replied Ivory Pearl. "Goodbye! Come to me if you need anything!"
She walked away, leaving Lightning Dust. She opened the door to room 33 with her room key, and saw a fairly-large room with two beds and a small stool, even bigger than her room at the Junior Speedsters camp building.
This is even better than the last place I had to stay.