(A/N): Oof, alright guys. Here's the next chapter of A Quest of Bravery. Sorry if it took a while, I've been kinda out of it these past few days. Originally, this chapter was going to include the content of the original Chapter 2, but I ended up writing enough content for the Wonderbolts practice that I just ended up making this its own chapter. That way I could at least give you an update while I fix some more plot for next chapter. You would not BELIEVE how tough it is to fix up these chapters with new and better ideas, but it's worth it when the finished product comes out. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
~ Chapter 2 ~
Something About a Hail Storm
Interesting tidbit about myself, I almost always wake up late, so you can imagine how rushed I was to find my uniform and scoot on over to Wonderbolts HQ. I actually had to dress in uniform before I left my house, otherwise, it would've taken too long to get to the lockers and change there. After my hasty flight to practice, I located the asphalt runway where we always had our practice instruction lead by none other than Spitfire. Once I spotted the vibrant, multicolored mess that was Rainbow Dash's mane, I flew down to meet her.
"You actually showed up a bit late," she pointed out just as I came in for a smooth landing. "You got lucky, though. Spitfire isn't here yet for some reason, but if she was, your ass would be pounded."
I let out an overly dramatic gasp in response. "Rainbow Dash," I said, feigning shock, "swearing in uniform? Where's your pride?"
"Aw, come on," she waved me off dismissively, "Spitfire ain't here to tell me off."
"Doesn't matter," I told her, puffing my chest out in dignity, "because I will tell you off myself."
"Oh, Celestia," she grumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes.
"We are elite pegasi, some of the best of the best in Equestria, in fact." It only took five words for Rainbow Dash to achieve her I-could-care-less face. You know the one, it's a classic. "As such, we represent the public impression of the Wonderbolts, and not only during performances, either. We must hold ourselves accountable to achieve the professional Wonderbolt image," and just to make my point clear, I finished with strong emphasis, "especially in uniform."
"Thanks, Twilight Sparkle, that was exactly what I needed to hear today," Rainbow quipped dryly.
I flashed her a bright smile. "Hey, life is short. You gotta do what you can when you can." I stole a quick glance up to the sun, shielding my eyes with a hoof to block most of its rays. "There's no telling what happens next, there's no telling when it'll happen." I set my hoof down, and the light that was previously blocked wasted no time assaulting my eyes. A tickling sensation grew in my nose, one that some of you may understand all too well. "Hold on a sec," I told Dash, scrunching my muzzle in discomfort. It didn't take long for me to sneeze, but let me tell you, it was intense. Photic sneeze reflex, look it up.
"Gesundheit," Rainbow said.
"It's a reflex," I replied, taking a moment to sniff. "Anyway, if there's something you gotta do, just go out there and get it done."
My eyes turned to Rainbow Dash, who stood with an intent look in her magenta eyes. "'Go out there and get it done,'" she echoed softly, then nodded. "Now that's an inspirational spiel I can get behind."
We met eyes for a moment in time that, to me, felt like ages. In that small moment, I saw something flicker just beyond the window of her bright hues, something I couldn't quite place. Something that intrigued me, yet something that worried me, too. I had no idea what was going on in that head of hers, but I knew in my heart I had truly inspired her. Then, something moved out of the corner of my eye behind Rainbow Dash. Or rather somepony. "Speaking of getting behind," I muttered underneath my breath with an almost undetectable smirk.
"Hey, Dash," a smooth male voice spoke. I enjoyed the new and hilariously startled look that crossed Rainbow's face in that instant. That expression, too, is one of her classics.
Before even turning around, Rainbow let out a groan. "Hello, Hailstone," she greeted him bitterly, turning just slightly so she could peer over her shoulder to see him. Not like she wanted to, though.
Before we continue any further, you're probably in need of some answers. This stallion we're talking about here is Hailstone Storm, a fellow Wonderbolt. He's got your average height and build, but many would agree he has a less common facial appearance. More of a feminine look, if you catch my drift, which made him hella cute to a lot of mares. I don't blame them, either; I'd say he's a pretty nice catch myself. He had a coat of steely blue (or a form of muted blue, if you need a better picture) and a messy mane of pale blue and white strands intermixed with each other. His cheeks were dappled with small, white freckles, and his eyes shown with a blue as vibrant as the skies above. His cutie mark, which currently wasn't visible due to the (unfortunately) full body uniform, was a chunk of ice (a hailstone, if you will) with a tail of flaming orange and yellow, sort of like a comet. That is Hailstone Storm's appearance in a nutshell, pleasing to the eye.
Now, you might be asking yourself the obvious question in this scenario, "Is he single?" to which I would have to say yes. Before you start attacking me with questions that mirror, "Why is he single if he's such a hottie?" after hearing the answer to the previous question, you have to know why he's single. Well, remember a little ways up the page when I said he's a pretty nice catch? That's definitely true, if it weren't for one glaring detail. The guy's a major douche. You didn't hear it from me, though. Long story short, he likes who's hot, he ditches the rest, save for family of course. Even then, he knows he's so good looking that half the time he doesn't pay attention to anything else. He's also not the brightest crayon in the box, either. Thus, you have the abridged (keyword: abridged) list of reasons why you should stay as far away from a one Hailstone Storm as possible.
Is it story time, once more? My dear friend, we haven't discussed the true purpose for this Life Lessons with Silver Stream issue. If you recall, Rainbow Dash wasn't too pleased when Hailstone came a-walkin', and why is that? Truth be told, the two were once an item. Celestia forbid, amiright? Anyhow, he was hot and could fly well, and she was… also hot and could fly well. Did I say Dash had standards? No, not back then, at least. That relationship was what knocked some sense into her, and once she figured that out, she broke ties instantly. Hallelujah. Of course, the thing about breakups is that some carry a certain form of unforgettable hatred. This was one of those cases. Hailstone: boom, hot, dumb, douchey. Perfect knob for Rainbow Dash to deflect.
"Couldn't help but notice you standing here next to your…" Hailstone's bright eyes turned cold when they transferred to me, "friend." Did I mention he hates me for no reason? Yeah, I'm best friends with your ex, what does that prove? Nothing. "And I must say your flank looks very nice in this suit." I kid you not, I had to keep myself from retching up my breakfast. Talk about crude and gross.
I suppose I should have made something clear earlier. Small mistake on my part. Though it had been several months since their breakup at the time, Hailstone constantly tried to win Rainbow back in some manner. Usually through douchey compliments or pick up lines. Surprised? No? That's what I thought.
"Look, what do you want?" Dash asked him, clearly not in the mood to deal with his attitude. Then again, she never was.
"Hey, baby," Hailstone purred, "just wanted to see the cutest mare with the cutest flank here. Z'at a crime?"
"It is if you go about it like that," I interjected, miming a vomiting motion with my hoof an earning a chuckle of approval from Rainbow. Hailstone, on the other hoof, was less than pleased, and just as he was taking a breath to retaliate, a sharp blast from a whistle interrupted him. He shot me a nasty glare before leaving us to stand beside his younger sister, Sunny Day. Don't know who she is or why she's important? Don't worry, we'll come back to her later.
Everypony formed a tight line formation just as a yellow pegasus with a blazing orange flamelike mane skidded to a halt on the runway in front of us, her shaded sunglasses masking her piercing dark orange eyes. "Sorry I'm late and out of uniform, Wonderbolts," she took a moment to apologize. "I had a meeting with an important public figure that ran a little later than I had expected, so today I'll just be coaching you."
That's strange, I thought to myself. Spitfire's never late, even if she has a meeting before practice. I wonder what the meeting was about to make it run so long?
"Since I will not be able to fly and perform any drill with you today," Spitfire continued, "this practice is strictly for conditioning." She paused, most likely to have an excuse to punish some of the flyers if they were to groan, which none did. "Today we're starting off with partner laps, and since I'm feeling generous, I'll let you choose your partners." Rainbow Dash and I met each other's eyes instantly, nodding simultaneously to seal our partnership. "If you're not in pairs in the next ten seconds, everypony's doing five hundred wing ups. Get with your partners. NOW!"
At the sound of Spitfire's whistle, the tight line formation broke and formed pairs. In the ensuing chaos, Dash and I seemed the only two completely stationary. Left curious from the encounter with Hailstone earlier, I scanned the surrounding pegasi for any sign of him. It didn't take long for me to spot him, but what caught me off guard was that he was staring right back at me. His eyes reflected the utmost hatred and animosity, so much so that it overwhelmed me enough to get me to look away in the following split second. Who knew eyes of such bright and cheerful blue could also turn so malignant and frigid? Truth was I was terrified of Hailstone, afraid of what he would do to me if I set him off. I must've somehow vocalized this fear as Rainbow cast me a concerned eye.
"Something wrong, Sil?" she asked.
"Hailstone…" I started softly, my mouth turning dry, "just gave me the dirtiest look I've ever seen."
She scoffed and mumbled something under her breath that I couldn't quite catch. "Don't worry, Sil," Rainbow reassured me. She nudged my shoulder lightheartedly and flashed a smile. "I've got your back." We held each other's gaze for a short and quiet moment after until the sting of Spitfire's whistle broke our trances.
"For your partner laps," Spitfire shouted out, "you'll each do fifty laps, which in total for your pair will equal one hundred." The vivid yellow pegasus began to pace in front of the pegasi as she continued prompting everypony on the day's warm up, "One partner will start the first lap, then the second partner will do the lap after that. Partners will alternate laps until you each have done fifty. Once you and your partner have reached one hundred laps, your times will be recorded by one of our flight assistants standing off the course. I'll be standing with them in case any accidents occur, which I'm sure there won't be any since you all are professional and elite flyers."
Well, for most of us anyway, I thought, not willing to risk mumbling it to myself out loud.
"Everypony to the course," Spitfire ordered and pointed her hoof to the flying track just off the runway. "On your way to the starting line, decide which one of you is going first out of your pairs. Once everypony is ready, the time will begin."
The Wonderbolts captain blasted her whistle once more, and all the pairs began to work their way to the course. I looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was eyeing Hailstone suspiciously like he had committed some sort of crime. Like giving me a spiteful glare counted as a crime.
"I'll go first if that's alright with you," she said finally after Hailstone was out of earshot.
"You can go first," I agreed. I gave Hailstone a quick glance to see if he was listening to our conversation before turning my attention back to Rainbow and asking, "You know, just because he hates me doesn't mean you have to put up an effort to protect me, right?"
I clearly triggered something in her as her face instantly flushed a bright, glaring red. "I…" she started, grasping for words, "I know that! It's just… if he's gonna give you a dirty look, I gotta give him one back."
"Why?" I asked with an amused smile.
I didn't think it was possible for her to blush a deeper shade of red. Boy, was I wrong. "B-because…" she stuttered but trailed off.
"I'm just messin' with ya, Dash," I teased, nudging her shoulder. I didn't think about it much at the time, but it was a little unusual for her to get so flustered, and around me of all ponies. If anything, I was maybe a little puzzled. I mean, we were best friends. What would she have to be nervous about?
As I started off to the track, Rainbow stood still for a moment longer. I heard her let out a weak laugh and soon after reply, "Right." We joined the rest of the Wonderbolts situated upon the track, preparing to begin laps.
"Are all teams ready?" Spitfire called from the inner oval of the track. A collective "yes, ma'am" rang out from the pegasi on the course, and Spitfire began the countdown to start.
"Good luck," I said to Rainbow in a hushed tone.
She scoffed coltishly and replied, "Like I need it." Seems she had gotten back to her old self just fine.
"You will," Sunny Day challenged, who lined herself up next to Rainbow Dash. There was a tongue-in-cheek edge to her tone as she added, "If you're gonna beat me." From the corner of my vision, I could have sworn I saw Sunny glance in my direction. What for I didn't know and, frankly, didn't want to ask.
"Oh, you're on," Rainbow Dash accepted her challenge, and Spitfire blasted her whistle to start the laps. The pegasi lined up at the starting line shot off onto the track, Sunny Day and Rainbow at the head of the group.
Anticipating Rainbow's arrival, I was getting ready to start my half of the partner laps when I glanced over at none other than Hailstone standing right beside me. Of course, my anxiety skyrocketed in that instant, but I noticed that he paid no attention to me but to Sunny and Rainbow. And by "Sunny and Rainbow" I mean just Rainbow Dash. I mean, it was pretty obvious. He had a solemn and dejected look in his eyes, pretty deep emotions for a guy with such a "fly" attitude, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. Hailstone still harbored feelings for Rainbow Dash that she no longer reciprocated. He was forced to relive this constant rejection as he never stopped trying to win her back, and oftentimes he would have to turn to his younger sister for support. It was a dead end battle that he without a doubt knew by this point he would never win, and still, he kept on trying. I couldn't blame him for his effort; it seems deep inside that self-absorbed colt (and I mean deep inside), there was a part of him that really did love Rainbow Dash with all his-
"Come on, Silver, you gotta go," Rainbow forced through grit teeth, shoving me forward and snapping me back into reality. "You just let Sunny and Hailstone get ahead!"
"Oh, sorry," I apologized hastily over my shoulder and zoomed off to catch up to Hailstone, which didn't prove all that much of a challenge. I passed him in a flash, and before I knew it I had already made it back to Dash in no time at all.
Without a word, Rainbow started her second of her half of the partner laps, leaving me behind to continue with my thoughts. What was I thinking about again? Oh yeah, I remembered once Hailstone had finished his lap, Hailstone. Sunny Day zoomed off in a hurry upon his arrival, scowling back at him for slowing her quick progress. I always knew he had it coming for falling for a pony who actually learned from her life experiences, but deep down…
Something about his situation felt… familiar, and I didn't exactly know why.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Practice had just ended and I had just changed out of my uniform in the Wonderbolts locker room, draping a towel over my shoulders happily. I was always in a good mood after taking off that constricting suit. Dash and I were about to head off together when we heard somepony shout out to us. More specifically to Rainbow.
"Rainbow Dash," the pony called, and I watched her stop to take a peek behind her. I followed suit and saw Sunny Day standing off in a far corner of the room, a worried look plastered across her face as she waved the cyan pegasus over with a hoof.
I met Rainbow's gaze almost instinctively, trying not to look as anxious as I felt. She shrugged to me and trotted over to Sunny, who was kneading a hoof into the tiled ceramic floor. They spoke in low voices so nopony could easily hear them, and if you know me, you know that private conversations spark my anxiety.
I tried not to look impatient or uncomfortable as I waited for their conversation to finish, and after what felt like forever and a half, Rainbow made her way back to me. Her eyes were no longer the radiant hues I had come to know, but dark and clouded with foreboding. I waited until she was close enough to have a hushed conversation of our own.
"What did she say?" I asked, praying silently that it wasn't as bad as what her eyes made it seem to be.
Rainbow Dash took a moment to draw in a breath and release it in a sigh. "You'll have to go on without me," she said finally, her tone heavy as she avoided my gaze.
"What? Why?"
"Let's just say," she started, finally turning her steely eyes into mine, which sent a cold chill down my spine, "there's a hail storm coming my way."
Remember when I said I'd explain Sunny Day to you? That was before I decided to make the practice its own chapter. Next chapter, she will DEFINITELY be explained further. Hope you keep reading to find out who she is!
