Aces High 8: Wingmen.


                                            =Aces High 8=


                                            -Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehJAm6ACO5M-

                                            "Alright Soar, go for the corkscrew!"

                                            >Soarin' banks hard and angles himself straight down, rocketing towards the ground below and rotating his body. Twin contrails of smoke spin around in a helix pattern and shoots out towards you.

                                            >As Soarin' nears, you ignite your boosters and take off, moving off to the side for the trick to work.

                                            >The two of you had been at the academy all morning working on techniques, the place to yourselves while the recruits were off on a flight through Ghastly Gorge.

                                            >Soarin' had defended that you should probably be doing this with Spitfire, but you weren't ready to race with her after the crap she pulled in Zebrica...

                                            >"Right side, Anon!"

                                            >No time for that now.

                                            >You speed up a bit as Soarin' pulls up next to you. With a small nod from both of you, you begin.

                                            >Soarin' flaps his wings harder and pulls ahead, you fall in behind him.

                                            >As Soarin' tears through the air, you make your body as streamlined as possible, letting him break the air ahead of you.

                                            >"Okay...3...2...1...now!"

                                            >Soarin' pulls away and you ride the slipstream ahead...

                                            >...A whole hundred and  thirty feet before you have to boost yourself.

                                            "Oh god DAMMIT!"

                                            >You extend your legs and skid to a halt while Soarin slows himself down

                                            >"No good?" he asks.

                                            "Not what we need..."

                                            >Soarin sighs, you rub your head.

                                            "This damn resistance barriar is going to be the death of me...

                                            >"C'mon, let's head back and see if the eggheads have any ideas for us."

                                            >Soarin' and you had gathered some of the flight technicians to watch you both go and record any data.

                                            "Hopefully it'll be good news..." you say walking next to him.

                                            >But considering your morning so far...? You kinda doubt it.


                                            >You and Soarin' make it to the sidelines where the two technicians you managed to grab are sequestered.

                                            >What were these two's names again...ah.

                                            "Hey Bunsen, Beaker. Get any good information?"

                                            >Bunsen hurries over to a anemometer and jots some numbers down. "Oh yes, Anonymous! We recorded those trials a myriad of different ways and gathered some interesting data."

                                            >Soarin' peers. "What'd you find out?"

                                            >"That Anonymous was going about two thirds as fast as he normally does!" Beaker exclaims.

                                            >What.

                                            >Two THIRDS?

                                            >Your face falls.

                                            "Uhg..."

                                            >"It's okay, Anonymous. We think we have the answer as to why!"

                                            >The two of you perk up. "Well don't keep us hanging!" Soarin' says.

                                            >Bunsen points at Soarin'. "Your wings are huge!"

                                            >Soarin' and you are left speechless for a minute while you mull that over.

                                            "Uh...what's that got to do with anything?"

                                            >"Oh it's simple." he starts as he checks another instrument. "Soarin's wings are large and generate lots of thrust for each flap, that's his strength in the field, being able to outlast so many other racers because of the long periods he can accelerate at."


                                            >Beaker pokes his snout into a book on aerodynamics. "But it also means that his wings cover a bigger surface area and encounter more wind resistance! And for the maneuver you two were trying to perform out there, that area was too big and Soain' too sluggish to achieve the trust you need."

                                            >Soarin' winces. "Sorry Anon..."

                                            >You pat him on the shoulder.

                                            "Don't worry about it, if we can't go fast, we can go precise."

                                            >You jerk a thumb towards the obstacle course with its hoops and tubes and spinny-bashy-bits.

                                            >You never knew why those were there.

                                            "What say we try some of our techniques out in a more complex way?"

                                            >Soarin' smirks and starts to amble over. "So long as you promise not to get me crashed again."

                                            >You follow and elbow him in the ribs.

                                            "You wouldn't crash if you could keep your eyes off the cheerleaders."

                                            >Bunsen perks up behind the two of you. "We'll be hear recording! And if you crash, we'll be able to figure out how hard in newtons!"

                                            >You suck your teeth.

                                            >How comforting...


                                            >"Okay! Three! Two! One! Go!" Beaker shouts.

                                            >You and Soarin' rocked down the track towards where the obstacle course was located.

                                            >The important part of this exercise was to get as much of the course done in tandem as humanly possible.

                                            >Easier said than done.

                                            >"Go for th-"

                                            "Top hoop!"

                                            >You have to break and fly straight up through the uppermost hoop as Soarin' glides through the lower one. Dammit, have to speed it up.

                                            "No looking at cheerleaders now!"

                                            >"It was -one- time!"

                                            "One time too many!"

                                            >You dodge some trainees tossing clouds at you and roll while you descend, coming up on Soarin'.

                                            "Shake and bake, you ready?"

                                            >"What does that even -mean-?" Soarin' asks.

                                            "Just follow my lead!"

                                            >You pull ahead of Soarin' as you enter the Pole-yard.

                                            >The Pole-yard was a lot like the obstacle in Zebrica; a forest of poles the width of a tether-ball poll spaced short distances apart.

                                            "Stay together!"

                                            >"Hard to see back here, fatass!"

                                            >Shit.

                                            "I'll call them out! Three, left side!

                                            >You tilt your body and whizz past them.

                                            "Follow my movements! Two right!"

                                            >You contort and weave through the yard and come out on the other side moments later.

                                            "Clear! You okay?"

                                            >You look back and see Soarin' righting himself. "I'll live!"

                                            >Damn...

                                            >You and Soarin' weave through more hoops and take the vertical drop straight off the Academy's ledge to test your G's.

                                            >The two of you break through the clouds and head back to Bunsen.

                                            "How'd we do, guys?"

                                            >"You came in last!

                                            >You and Soarin' glance at each other.

                                            "Last?"

                                            >"Yeah, as in, last in the Academy."

                                            >"Worst time ever!" Beaker finishes. "That's an Academy record!"

                                            >You slap your palm on your face and drag it down.

                                            >"Uhg. We were like rookies out there...sorry Anon."

                                            "It's not your fault, Soar...I'm gonna try something else."

                                            >You cue your pack and take off, heading south.

                                            >"Wait, what are you gonna do?" Soarin' calls back.

                                            >You sigh.

                                            >Nothing pleasant...


                                            >Ponyville was a bit of a flight from the Academy.

                                            >You'd arrived in Ponyville when you first came to Equestria so long ago. The citizens of the town called you their Bipedal Blue Bolt.

                                            >You've had to work hard, but you were able to keep a casual relationship with everyone here.

                                            >The last thing you wanted was to let the fame go to your head.

                                            >You greet who you can on the way in while more gather around you as you land.

                                            "Hey Thunderlane, hi Flitter, looking good, Blossom."

                                            >You sign a quick autograph for Scootaloo and then book it to Sugarcube Corner.

                                            "Pinkie! You around?"

                                            >You hear a gasp from the back. "Is that my favorite human!?"

                                            >Pinkie flies out in a blur of magenta and wraps her hooves around you. "'Nonie! I missed you!"

                                            >You hug her back and take in the sweet confections smell that was seeped into every atom of Pinkie.

                                            "Hey Pinkie, just here for a little business, I'm afraid."

                                            >She pops back. "Oh! Is it for the Wonderbolts? Do you need a special order of Pinkie Pies Perfect Peace-Pot Pie?"

                                            >You chuckle.

                                            "No, but thanks. I was actually hoping you could tell me where Rainbow Dash is..."

                                            >Pinkie winces. "Oooooo...are you -sure- that's a good idea?"

                                            >You sigh. Of course she was still pissed...

                                            "I'm still in the Wonderbolts, Pinkie, and that's not changing soon. Rainbow Dash was the one to break off what we had when she heard that, I'm not gonna blame myself for her choice."

                                            >"Yeah, but...what if it gets worse?"

                                            >You shrug.

                                            "I'll just have to deal with it..."

                                            >Pinkie points out the door. "She was down by the duck pond last time I saw her."

                                            >You nod and wave.

                                            "Thanks Pinkie."

                                            >"Good luck, Anon..." she says waving back.


                                            >You head down to the duck pond and, wouldn't you know it, there's a familiar sky blue pegasus in one of the branches.

                                            "Don't you have a job to do?" you ask.

                                            >Dash perks up and looks around for the source of the noise and narrows her eyes as soon as she spots you. "I dunno, do you want to do it? I'm sure you could do it better."

                                            "That's not fair, Rainbow."

                                            >"Yeah, I'm learning life isn't fair a lot around you."

                                            "Uhg..."

                                            >You faceplam twice today.

                                            "-I- trained my butt off, -I- worked on my pack, the reason they picked me over you is because you just hang around in trees all day!"

                                            >Rainbow gets an indignant look on her face. "-I- was the top of my class at flight camp and had the natural talent to get first flyer rank at the Academy!"

                                            "Talent is cheap."

                                            >"So is using a fancy saddlebag to fly."

                                            >Ouch.

                                            >You sigh.

                                            "I was -hoping- we could put this past us so I could get some help from someone who's moves I know."

                                            >"Help -you-?"

                                            "And the Wonderbolts, Dash."

                                            >She folds her hooves behind her head. "Yeah, pass on that."

                                            "Nice display, element of loyalty."

                                            >"Everyone's got their limits, Anon."

                                            "Yours just seems to be as low as your flight ceiling..."

                                            >That did it.

                                            >Rainbow dash flutters off the branch and glares down at you with the hatred to spark electricity. "You know what? I can't deal with you right now."

                                            "What's -that- mean?"

                                            >"It means shut up, is what!" she says before shooting up into the air and flying away.

                                            >You almost start up your pack and give chase, but...

                                            "Oh what's the damn point..."

                                            >There went your last non-Spitfire lead.

                                            >You were screwed now.