Written by Skydrop Quillfeather, Official WBA Correspondent
🌤️ Two ponies. One instructor. Zero excuses.
In the quiet morning hours, the runway welcomed a training session that would prove once again that sometimes, quality shines brighter than quantity. NSGT Soarin, with his ever-steady guidance (and an affinity for pies), led SAP Rainbow Dash and APB Ender through a warm and whimsical lesson — full of discipline, silliness, and yes… pie-flavored cookies.
✈️ Warm-ups with Whimsy
Ender kicked things off with some playful banter, sharing spooky stories and a touch of spiritual insight, while Soarin responded with his usual dry wit. Dash briefly stepped out for tea with Flurry but left kind encouragement for Ender, creating a warm blanket of support from the start.
When warmups began, Soarin flipped the rotation direction — a surprise that prompted Rainbow Dash to question the change:
“Soarin, I don’t get why you’re changing our habits.”
To which Soarin replied:
“Just trying to see if ponies would actually pay attention instead of autopiloting.”
Point made, Sergeant.
🛫 Flying in Color
From yellow and orange to green and blue, the two flyers transitioned through colorful Icaranian Sun Salutation and boop-timed takeoffs. Despite the tiny team, the energy never dropped.
At one point, Soarin praised them with a grin:
“Besides that, nicely done you two.”
Even as formations rotated quickly, Ender offered heartfelt appreciation:
“I get to fly with an awesome pony. And mentor.”
Cue smiles all around.
🏁 Race Day Shenanigans
The runway, however, wasn’t fully ready. Signs were missing, object limits were met, and markers were misplaced. Dash observed with precision and offered fixes — but object caps held them back. The result? A whole lot of laughter.
Ender joked,
“We ate that runway up,”
Eventually, they reran the races. Dash took the lead more than once, but when she attempted to hand over her win out of kindness, Soarin reminded everypony that rules are rules. The atmosphere stayed warm regardless.
“We’re both the best,” said Ender.
“Duh,” replied Soarin.
📚 Class in the Open Sky
As the group moved toward the final class segment, Dash spoke up with honesty and vulnerability:
“I feel really really uncomfy getting class in literally A CHURCH. Can I skip class?”
Soarin responded not with rulebooks, but with heart:
“We can do class outside… We wanna include you. Two is better than one.”
They set up class outside — Wonderbolt adaptability in full swing. And thus began Soarin’s signature three-question quiz (aced by both Ender and Dash, naturally) and a touching life lesson on friendship.
“If you invite friends in your life, who knows what you can do?”
“You make an impact on a pony’s life. That is something valuable you should be proud of.”
Dash followed with something even more personal:
“Everyone in the team — and those who left — are my friends. They have my loyalty.”
That’s the magic Soarin was talking about. And in true Wonderbolt fashion, the final motto echoed under the sky:
“ALTIUS VOLANTIS, SOARING HIGHER!”
💛 Final Thoughts
It was a small group, but the skies were wide open with camaraderie, jokes, resilience, and sincerity. SAP Rainbow Dash may not wear the Captain’s stripes anymore, but her heart still leads in formation. And Ender? They flew like a star ready to rise.
Training may have ended, but the echoes of laughter, boops, and heartfelt words will linger for many mornings to come.
Until the next flight,
— Skydrop Quillfeather
Wonderbolts Flight Press 🕊️
