Sprint training was awesome,
but I can't wait to see my friends.
I'm gonna catch up on some Daring Do with Twilight,
help Applejack make my favorite cider,
and have a sleepover with Pinkie.
We get it, you have a fun week planned.
Meanwhile, I'm stuck here running trials week at the Academy.
But you love yelling and blowing your whistle.
Yeah, I do.
See you gals later.
Oh, the map!
Hey, Twilight.
So, where am I going?
The Crystal Mountains, Vanhoover, here?
Please say here.
Well, the good news is we both got called by the map!
Awesome!
Does that mean there's bad news?
No. Well, not exactly.
I was just there!
Alright, newbies!
Welcome to the trials week for the Wonderbolt Academy!
You'll be judged on your speed, strength, agility and technique,
culminating in a final evaluation.
Will it be hard? Yes!
Will you cry? Maybe.
Will you fly so much your wings fall off?
That has only happened once.
She's just exaggerating to make her point, right?
I mean, wings can't really fall off…
Can they?
You think you've got what it takes to be an elite flyer?
Yes, ma'am.
Yes, ma'am!
Well, lemme me tell you.
You don't!
I remember when she said that to me.
You don't think Rainbow Dash is the pony
whose wings fell off, do you?
Quit your whispering and give me five hundred laps!
Go, go, go!
Um, I just wanted you to know,
you two are my favorite ponies in all of Equestria.
Well, isn't that sweet?
Now get going on those laps!
Welcome, Princess Twilight!
What are you doing back so soon?
Official friendship business.
Have you noticed anypony having a hard time with their friends?
Not really.
But it's not my job to worry about their relationships.
I'm here to make them elite flyers.
Adorable.
They're so full of hope and competition.
Their technique could use some work, though.
You should tell them!
I'm sure they'd appreciate any notes from you.
Nah, I wouldn't want to mess with their confidence.
But they'll never get better if they don't know what to work on.
Sloppy wing placement, crooked lines…
I'm gonna have to drill them on basic technique in the classroom portion.
Classroom portion?
Yeah, it's everypony's least favorite part of trial week.
But it has to be done.
Maybe we can help!
We can?
Absolutely!
Between your flying skills || and my teaching expertise,
they can learn a lot!
Plus, once they get to know us,
they'll be more comfortable coming to us with their friendship problems.
Count us in!
Great!
You have your work cut out for you.
Thank goodness I had time to whip up a few charts
on flight patterns and wing symmetry!
It's fresh in my mind from when I learned to fly!
This is so exciting!
Maybe for you.
I practically fell asleep when I went through this.
Tell you what.
I'll leave the teaching stuff to you,
and I'll just make sure they stay awake!
I'm pretty sure their thirst for knowledge
will keep them bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Good one, Twilight.
Wake up, newbies!
Class is in session!
Hello, students!
I am Twilight Sparkle and this is Rainbow Dash.
But you can call us "T-Sparks" and "The Dashinator"!
Just kidding.
And we're here to go over basic flying technique.
Who said that?
Me.
I mean, we are here because we're amazingly awesome crazy-good flyers.
We're way past basics.
What's your name?
Sky Stinger.
You've, huh, never heard of me?
He set a record for the fastest vertical acceleration rate!
Five hundred feet in two seconds!
That's pretty impressive.
It's amazing.
It is, and we can talk personal records after class, miss…
Vapor Trail.
She's my wingpony.
I never fly without her.
But you'll have to in the solo trials.
There are… solo trials?
Yep. It's a part of your final evaluation.
We'll ace that test with our wings tied behind our flanks.
My picture will go right up there.
Next to yours.
That's a mighty big claim,
considering everypony here
is an amazingly awesome crazy-good flyer.
I know.
Okay! let's get back on track.
Now who can tell me the best wing angle
to achieve minimal air resistance?
Wake up, newbies! Class is in session!
Well, there were a few hiccups, but overall that went pretty well.
Yeah, nopony fell asleep.
What? I'm not a student.
Hey, Teach!
Me, or Twilight?
Probably Twilight.
Both.
About the solo test…
I'm actually kinda worried about it.
That's alright.
We all have moments when we doubt ourselves.
No, no.
I've absolutely zero doubts about myself.
I'm a strong flyer,
like really really really strong.
But this isn't about me.
I'm worried for Vapor.
Oh, well, that is very…
kind of you?
Tell you what.
It's almost time for your freestyle training.
Why don't you grab her and show us what you've got?
Yes. Prepare to be impressed.
By me.
Like I said,
Vapor still needs work.
Well, he may be full of himself,
but I have to admit,
Sky is an excellent flyer.
He must have shot at two hundred feet!
But, did you see Vapor Trail?
Her wing was under his!
I think she gave him a boost.
I guess I didn't even notice Vapor.
I was too busy watching Sky!
I think you're right!
Vapor just created a gust of wind,
that caught Sky's wing at a forty five degree angle
propelling him into a flipping loop!
Somepony paid attention in class.
Sky obviously has no idea he's not actually amazingly awesome.
And Vapor's so busy making her friend looking good,
she's not focused on her own flying at all!
This must be our friendship problem.
And there's only one thing to do!
Tell them the truth.
Fix it without telling them.
You don't want to tell them?
Of course not.
Flying is like thirty percent skill
and seventy percent confidence!
Can't mess with a flyer's confidence.
But you can't improve if you don't think you have to!
Besides, Vapor's keeping a pretty big secret from Sky,
and that can lead to trouble.
Yeah, but if we tell them that they've been holding each other back,
that could be trouble too.
I nailed that flipping loop.
I'm actually surprised you're still here.
Thought I blew you away.
You were…
great, Sky.
Come on, Vapor Trail.
You're gonna have to build up your endurance if you want a shot at the Academy!
Wonderbolts don't get winded!
Angel Wings!
You call that cloudbusting?
That cloud barely knows you are there!
I love my job.
We'll keep working and who knows?
One day you might come close to being almost as good as me.
I don't think so.
You were voted Stratusburg's most promising flyer!
I was voted best sneeze.
You do have a really great sneeze.
Thanks, Sky.
But I don't think I can sneeze my way into the Academy.
I'm pretty beat.
I'm gonna hit the showers.
You have to help her.
Actually, she's not the one…
Will do!
Hey.
You did great.
You're a really strong flyer.
Me?
Vapor Trail, we know what you've been doing…
You've been doing great!
You've been helping Sky!
I don't know what you're talking about.
Sky doesn't need anypony's help.
He's amazing.
Not without you.
And it's going to be pretty obvious during the solo trials
when he can't get enough air to do the flipping hoop.
Oh no,
I can't let that happen!
I mean…
Sugarcubes!
Why are you doing this for him?
It started when we were kids.
You have to understand,
Sky grew up with a lot of siblings.
It was tough.
He was always trying to get his parents' attention.
Meanwhile, I was an only child
who hated all the attention I got from mine.
Vapor Trail!
Where are you?
Do you need a snack?
Do you want to do homework?
Or we could just spend some time together.
All day is never enough!
Mom!
Dad!
Up here!
Look, look, look, look, look, look, look!
Hey! Mom! Dad! Can you see?
That was amazing!
Flying together gave us both what we wanted!
But I never told Sky how much I was helping him.
It started with a small boost here,
or a little gust of wind there.
But I didn't think my help could actually hurt his chances.
I understand.
But now you're both in trouble.
You need to work on your tricks.
And Sky needs to be able to fly without you,
or he won't make it.
But he has to.
Flying with the Wonderbolts has been Sky's dream || ever since he was a colt.
What about you?
I…
I guess I haven't thought about it.
I just wanna be with my best friend.
Then we have to find a way to help both of you.
Starting with telling Sky the truth.
No! You can't.
Sky will be crushed.
And without his confidence he won't fly as well.
Then I guess we'll give Dash's method a shot.
Yes!
I love being right.
Okay, here's what we do.
Sky needs to build his strength.
Air drills, wing lifts, all that boring methodical stuff.
Sounds like my cup of oats.
But how will we get him to do that?
He doesn't think he needs practice.
We'll just tell Sky that he should practice with Twilight,
so you won't feel so self-conscious
about getting a special training from me.
With you? Really?
You'd do that for me?
You say that like it's not gonna be a blast.
You were awesome!
Really?
Thanks!
I can't believe I was able to keep up!
That's the first nice thing I heard you say about yourself.
Hey!
Can we switch now?
I wanna do tricks with Rainbow Dash.
You can't!
I mean…
You're already so good at the fancy stuff.
And the basic stuff.
You're right.
I don't need to practice at all.
Maybe, Sky, you should.
I'm already the best and everypony's gonna know it
when I'm asked to join the Academy tomorrow.
But… Not if you don't practice.
I wouldn't be surprised
if they asked me to become a Wonderbolt straight out of the trials.
Boom! Dream achieved.
Sky, you're not as good as you think you are!
What did you say?
Sky…
I want you to get in as much as anypony,
and you are amazing…
But…
But what?
I've been…
helping you.
Please, I don't need your help.
Watch.
How could you do this to me?
Did you all know?
Oh, great.
So, everypony but me knows I'm a joke.
Was this your plan the whole time?
To embarrass me?
What?
No!
Don't you know me at all?
I guess not, since it took me this long
to find out you are a terrible wingpony!
I can't believe you!
I can't believe I was ever your friend!
Thanks a lot.
Do you think they're still mad?
Yeah, they're still mad.
This is all my fault.
If we had just done things your way,
maybe we could've avoided this whole mess.
No, it's my fault.
It hit me when I was watching Sky train with you.
He wasn't even trying.
Oh, no.
He's lost his confidence.
Do you wanna tell me why one of my most promising students
is flying like a balloon with a hole in it?
It's a long story, but we'll fix it.
Yes you will.
We've really messed up, huh?
I have a plan.
Hey, Sky.
I thought I might find you here.
Well, apparently I need a lot of practice.
Guess I'm not a natural I thought I was.
No, you're not.
Thanks. Good pep talk.
I wasn't a natural at friendship.
But with some practice and some help from my friends
I got better, and now I'm the princess of friendship!
So you're saying I can be the… princess of flying?
You know,
you're really good.
You're a lead pony material.
That's sweet of you, but no.
I couldn't handle all the attention.
But you'll never become a Wonderbolt
if you're too afraid to shine.
That is what you want, right?
Not at first…
I just wanted to be with Sky.
But learning to do all those fun tricks with you?
It made me realize this is something I want for myself.
I was hoping you'd say that.
Come with me.
What's she doing here?
Sky, Vapor was never trying to steal your spotlight.
She thought she was helping you.
And Vapor, you shouldn't have been so content to take a back seat.
Now, you can either stay mad,
or help each other and become
two of the greatest flyers the Wonderbolt Academy has ever seen!
Please pick the second option.
I don't want Spitfire to be mad at me.
You got this, Sky!
Focus on the cloud when you spin!
It will help you fly straight when you come out of it!
Uh-huh.
Congratulations!
You've both made it into the Wonderbolt Academy!
Whatever you did
it worked.
They still have a lot of potential.
Who knows,
they might even be better than you, Crash.
Okay, let's not get carried away.
Um, I just wanted you to know,
you two are my new favorite ponies in all of Equestria.
Hey! I heard that!
I can't believe we did it!
You were great.
Even though you can outfly me,
you can be my wingpony any time.
And you can be mine.
It's good to be home.
You're telling me.
Now we can finally catch up on some Daring Do,
I can make cider with Applejack…
Dash!
I've been looking all over for you!
Wonderbolt emergency!
We gotta get back to the HQ.
You gotta be kidding me.
I was just there!
SCHASTLIVY PONEC