Trombone2525

Applejack relayed to her the whole story, from the meeting on the park bench, to him asking her to the dance, to her emotions running wild while Flashbomb was in the hospital, Big Macs thoughts, everything. It felt good talking a bout it. Though, there was still a note of... Uncertainty.

Spit Fire watched the events on the runway from her office. Despite the thermometer in her mouth and the ice bag on her head, she still wore her uniform. No illness was going to keep her from doing her duties, even if she couldnt fly with the cadets. After she finished sifting through Soarin's fan mail (she wondered how she got stuck with that job to begin with), she began thinking about possible team pairings...

Applejack knew Rarity was thinking about her previous disinterest in love, but she looked past it. "Well... Ah think..." She steeled herself. "Ah think Ahve fallen in love with him..."

(Hey everypony, I am going to be busy for the next couple of days with band. I will try and keep up, but for the time being, I am putting Angel Snapp in charge of drills. We'll just say Spit Fire came down with hay fever)

"Well, it's Flashbomb!" Applejack smiled wide. Now that Big Mac had approved, she now felt like she could begin telling everypony. "He's great. But, I should tell you, some things have happened..." She blushed slightly.

"Rarity! Ahm glad Ah found you! Thats actually what Ah wanted to talk to you about. Ah did find somepony!" Applejack smiled at her friend.

After a long moment, Applejack breaks the hug. "Hey Flashbomb? Can Ah go talk to Rarity for a bit? Ah have some things Ah want to ask her."

Instead of replying, Applejack threw her forelimbs around Flashbomb, pulling him close, never wanting to let go.

Applejack stared at Flashbomb. She was stunned. Did she really brighten a room? She couldnt with beauty, the same way Rarity does. She couldnt with laughter, the same way Pinkie Pie does. But she trusted him, so there must have been something about her that other ponies saw... She looked into Flashbombs eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Of course you can." She said. Though she tried not to show it, she kind of feared what he was going to say...

Spit Fire stood. "Hey!" She quickly flew between the two fighting ponies. "You two, cut it out!" She turned to Flashbomb. "You, recruit, arent in a good position to be starting trouble." She turned to Lightning Dusk. "And you already caused enough of a fuss last year. I'm being nice by letting you come back this year. Dont make me regret it." She looked hard at the mare, then flew back to her table, the entire mess hall watching.

"That we will, Angel. That we will." Spit Fire began eating, keeping an eye on everypony in the mess hall.

"Well, Ah guess Ah was just wondering... Why'd you pick me?" Applejack felt very awkward asking that. She was usually so confident with herself. She guessed there was just something about love that makes you second guess yourself...

"So, uh, Flashbomb.. I want to ask you something." Applejack looked at her special somepony.

After getting her food, Spit Fire made her way to the staff table at the front of the mess hall. "Fine group of ponies this year. What do you think Angel?" She asked as the photographer pony sat next to her.

"Sure!" Applejack said. She thought to herself 'I actually kinda wanted to talk to Rarity anyway...'

(Hey guys, I'm sorry for my slow post times, I'm only able to get on the computer a few times a day.)

"YOU CALL THAT ATTENTION CADET?! I STAND STRAIGHTER IN MY SLEEP!" Spitfire yelled at one particularly lazy pony. She always kind of enjoyed the yelling. It was a great stress reliever. She looked over at the next pony and realized that it was the one she had told Angel to keep an eye on. "Ah, who do we have here? Cadet Flashbomb! Front and Center!" She called to him. She looked over him as he stepped out of line. She noticed how crisp his movements were. "Very nice. I heard you pushed a cloud house into a mountain by yourself. colour me impressed. Fall back in cadet." She smiled at him slyly as he fell back into line. She got to Marble. "Ah, a nice tall pegasus. It's been a while since we've gotten somepony as tall as you. Strong forelimbs, I see. I wouldnt be surprised if you made leadpony." She walked down the line, yelling at some, complimenting others. Once she finished the line of pegasi, she called in a loud clear voice. "Cadets! Dissmissed!!" She smiled as the cadets in the room called simultaniously "MA'AM, YES MA'AM!"

"CADETS! FALL IN!" Somepony called from the staff table. As the cadets fell into a squad, Spit Fire began walking down the line, examining the pegasi, occasionally making comments, testing them, trying to get a bead on which ones will make it, and which ones wont.

Spit Fire was waiting in the mess hall. She watched everypony as they filed in.

"He managed to crash his house.. Into a mountain... All by himself? Hmm..." She turned her chair sideways, staring at the wall of wonderbolt posters, thinking. She waved her hoof dismissively. "You're dismissed Angel."

Applejack smiled, accepting the gem. "Who said we were going different places?" She asked, laughing.

"His house ran into a mountain?" She put the file down, then put her sunglasses back on. "I'd like to hear this story."

Applejack blushed when she saw Flashbomb looking at her. She suddenly felt very selfconscious. She smiled more in the manner of Fluttershy, ducking her head ever so slightly. "Well, we should probably head back to Ponyville.."

Spit Fire took off her sunglasses and looked over to Angel Snapp. "There's a specific pegasus i want you to keep an eye on. He looks promising. One 'Flashbomb.' Do you know anything about him?" She asked, looking at the new instructor.

Applejack was disappointed when he pulled away. "Wow..." Was all she could get out, a dazed expression on her face.