"All right newbies, make a line and stick to it! If any of you do as much as blink without my permission you can take your bags and get the hay out of my academy!"

Half of the recruits shivered, either out of fear or because the instructor was really loud. She inspected the line up and down, checking each pegasus one by one, and taking the opportunity to take out any U-Pod or any other things they brought from their homes to avoid getting bored.

"Damn unicorn thingies...back in my days we´ve nothing but recorders. Did I say something funny, recruit?"

"N-n-n-n-n-no maám!"

"Then why the hay do your wings flap like that? Or are you just that happy to see me?"

"Umh ma´am, he can´t help it. Shivering Feathers wings do that anytime he gets nervous," another recruit explained.

"Shivering Feathers? What kind of cruel parents named you like that?"

"Ha, says the mare named Scoot-aloo!"

Blushing, the instructor turned over to yell at the intruder, a tall stallion with a goatee and a camera hanging from his neck. "Featherweight...I told you before, no reporters on my ac-" but before she could finish he pointed at his "press" tag on his jacket.

As much as she hated it, it really wasn´t "her" academy; management still make the calls and if they said that Featherweight got full access there was nothing she could do about it. Not that she had to like it but she couldn´t just throw him away.

"I don´t have time for you. Recruits, one line! Follow me!"

Featherweight saluted the younglings. Most of the mares giggled but a few thought he was mocking the instructor. Of course, they ignored that they were an item back in school and even today remained good friends. Friends that constantly bickered but friends nonetheless.

Scootaloo took the young pegasi into the main building of the academy. "This is the museum area. Strictly for tourists, they come here to learn about the story of the Wonderbolts. You´ll be busy this whole year trying to dodge the storm clouds to visit here so this is your one chance to take a look around. Make it worth it,"

It took them a minute to realize that was her way of saying "dismiss". The students spread across the room, looking at the photographs and statues. While they were already familiar with all the facts in display this really was an unique opportunity to see things like Rainbow Dash original goggles or read Soarin apple pie recipe.

"What? She has a place on the Hall of Fame! What a rip-off!" one of the young mares complained and the rest gathered around the statue she was pointing at.

"Yeah, wasn´t she like the worst flier the group ever had?" another mare commented and several nodded along.

"Quiet!" Scootaloo barked, causing Shivering to almost turn into a hummingbird. "You will not, I repeat, you will not speak like that about Lightning Dust!"

"But ma´am, she is regarded as the worst recruit in the history of the team," one colt replied.

"So? There´s more to being a Wonderbolt that just getting good numbers. So yes, she may had been a bad team player, she may had disobeyed orders occasionally, she may had been expelled a couple times..."

"Seven." a freckled mare added.

"Okay seven! Who cares? My point is that Lightning Dust had courage and she never gave up, no matter how many times she failed, no matter how many mistakes she made, she never gave up! And I wouldn´t let you brats make fun of her sacrifice, got that?"

They didn´t nodded, too scared to even say anything at Scootaloo. Growling like a mad dog, she turned over, ignoring them.

The students began to chatter among them so Featherweight, who had been watching the entire time, said this:

"You do know how LIghtning Dust lost her life, right?"

"Didn´t she died like in an accident or something?" a brown coat colt asked.

"You know, Lightning Dust was what my old teacher used to call a bad apple, never quite learning the lesson. She should know, she used to deal with Diamond and Silver in a daily basis. But despite all the mistakes she made, Rainbow Dash never gave up on her. It just figures, if Twilight Sparkle, THE Twilight Sparkle was able to forgive somepony like Trixie, the Element of Loyalty should show the same level of commitment. They were bitter friends but they remained friends all those years. Rainbow Dash never once, turned her back on her..."

"Yeah ´cause she was the most awesomest of ponies!" an enthusiastic mare replied.

"But she had one fatal flaw, she never listened. Even when Twilight warned her she couldn´t hold the falling Crystal Tower she didn´t listened. She was about to get crushed had not Lightning Dust show up and help her. Together they managed to hold the tower enough for everypony to escape but when the dust cleared, they found Lightning among the shattered remains, a piece of crystal piercing her heart. She died on the spot, only managing to tell a few words and even then those words were her complainign that she once again screwed things up and that she failed where Rainbow succeeded. She saved the Crystal Princess daughter, she was hero that day too but she didn´t even noticed." Featherweight took a break to look at her statue. "The day she was named captain, Rainbow ordered that statue to be built. She wanted everypony to remember her friend. To remember this lesson. You´re going to fail kids, a lot, but in the end your effort, no matter how small, it matters. Not your failures but your effort."

Thunderlane walked in and saw Scootaloo sulking at the window while the press pony addressed the recruits. Something was wrong, he thought. "Listen everypony! Your first lesson begins in an hour, follow me to your rooms!"

As the students left, Featherweight took a look at a photo on display. A bran new line of recruits on their first day. It was a little funny seeing Scootaloo, fresh out of Ponyville, standing next to Lighting, a grown mare by then; both wearing the beginners uniform. But despite the age difference, on that day, and the whole year they were together, they were the same.

They were Wonderbolts.