Cherry Bombers landing was much less graceful than she would have appreciated to keep from looking foolish. No pony would ever think it was possible to trip on clouds, but as weakness radiated from the base of her wings down into the bottom of her hooves, she would be the first to grudgingly admit just how possible it could be.
 
Her chest heaved like an over worked boiler and her wings, unable to take anymore strain flopped uselessly down to her sides. She wiped beads of sweat from her forehead before it could fall into her eyes, but it didn’t do much good, her face felt like a fountain.
 
Another pony landed on her little patch of cloud, a golden stopwatch hung loosely around her neck, her face steely and hard-nosed.
 
Cherry, you-.
 
 
Give me a second will ya? Cherry took a deep breath and leaned forward like she was bobbing for apples, and dunked her face into the deep pile of puffy cloud. The other pegasus waited patiently and when Cherry pulled up again she seemed somewhat refreshed.
 
 
Ok, Rose, Im better now. she said. Tell me, what’s my time?
 
 
Rosy tossed her a towel and water bottle, and gave her a little more time to cool off before speaking.
 
 
Well you managed to beat your last run. But youre still well below the required time. Rosy held up her stopwatch for Cherry to see. Like, look at this, going by the records, youre flying in just below fourth place.
 
 
For a moment Cherry felt buoyant. So Im getting better, then? Last week I was treading behind fifth!
 
 
Better isnt good enough when youve only got,like, one week left before the entry exams, Rosy shook her head. You need to be exceptional.
 

 
Cherry grunted stolidly as she uncapped the bottle and took a deep gulp of water. With the entrance exams for the Wonderbolt academy looming over the horizon, Cherry Bomber, was doing everything she could to reach the acceptance standards. When her mom did it, the standard time to complete the obstacle course was ten minutes.
 
During her short time with the Wonderbolts something transpired that rocked their foundations. Cherry was just a little filly back then and had no hope of understanding. All she knew was that her mother had left the organization, and after that, captain Spitfire tightened the reins considerably.
 
 
Finishing that course in under three minutes is impossible! Cherry took another gulp of water and sighed. Theyre crazy to think any pegasus could do it.
 
 
Rosy shrugged. Your mom did it.
 
 
Shut up, Rose. I dont need to be reminded. But if Rosy had heard her, she wasnt showing the signs.
 
 
Oh, and last time I checked, making it hard to be a Wonderbolt is, like, kinda the point.
 
 
Cherry scoffed. And killing a few of us along the way is acceptable collateral I guess?
 
 
Hey I don’t make their rules!” Rosy lifted a hoof defensively. “They only take the best.
 
 
Cherry felt her face sink into a deep frown as she fumed quietly. As far as she was concerned it wasnt fair. In times before, all you needed to enter the academy was write a letter with signatures of recommendation. After that, boot camp weeded out the chaff, but now even getting accepted jumped from the rank of difficult to impossible.
 
She remembered reading a critical article from the Cloudsdale Times about the Wonderbolts slipping expectations, performances, and their humiliating ineffectiveness. Cherry figured she shouldn’t be surprised, after that harder prerequisites were a given.
 
 
So they want super heroes from the get go? she asked.
 
 
Actually I think they just want your mom back. Rosy replied, flipping her mane away from her eyes. And, like, I dont think shes going back.
 
 
“What an amazing conclusion!” Cherry rolled her eyes. “You’re a real smart pony you know that?”
 
 
Rosy felt her ears go flat instinctively. “Hey, don’t get funny with me miss calamity! Like, you do know I could totally be doing much more productive things with my time right now!”
 
 
“Another hooficure.”
 
 
“It was a totally important hooficure appointment!” Rosy snorted. “I Canceled it!”
 

 
“Well I’m sorry I inconvenienced you. I didn’t know.” Cherry fell back onto the cloud surface, snuggling into the coolness and allowing it to sooth her heart rate.
 
 
Rosy nudged her impatiently. “You know you can’t just lay there,like, you totally need to cool down first!”
 
 
But Cherry ignored her. Hey Rose be honest. she asked instead. Do you think I stand a chance of getting in?
 
 
Oh? You want my opinion? Rosy looked at her questionably and almost cautiously before she sat down. “We’ve been at this for a while, and-”
 
 
Cherry sat straight up, her yellow eyes boring straight into Rosy’s green ones. “Spit it out.”
 
 
Youre not good enough.
 
 
You really gotta be so stinking blunt?! Cherry flinched and turned away, her chest constricted again and she wanted to just leave. She had been an idiot to ask Rosy of all ponies to help her train.
 
 
Dont take it personal, Cherry, but youre not like your mom.
 
‘Not like. You mean not as good.’ And that stung. But Cherry didnt run. At least she could appreciate honesty, it might keep her from making a fool of herself in the future.
 
 
Are you sayin that in a compassionate, understanding, friendship sort of way? Cherry reluctantly turned back to the other pony. Or a hard-assed I have no hope so why try. way?
 
 
Rosy looked down at her with a sardonic smile. Will it hurt you bad if I mean both?
 

 
Cherry sighed deeply and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the heaviness in her chest. No…Not too much…”  

 
 
The relationship between Cherry and Rosy is a rivalry. So it took a lot of pride stomping for Cherry to even ask for help. She couldn’t go to her mom due to her fallout with the Wonderbolts. But being a child of such an influential figure can have its draw backs, and given the fact that Cherry is naturally athletic she figured getting into the Wonderbolts would be the most natural thing for her to do. Hence her reluctant training dates with Rosy Rascal, a stuck up jock if there ever was one, but her skill wasn’t anything Cherry could rightfully question.