//------------------------------// // They're Your Parents?! // Story: Fleetfire // by Melody Song //------------------------------// Fleetfoot headed outside after putting on her flight suit, though she was still confused as to why Spitfire had asked them to wear their flight suits today. She found Spitfire doing laps above her. Sparkfire, Rumble, and Scootaloo were running by, laughing. "That can't be good." Fleetfoot thought, hearing a scream "Hey Fleet." Spitfire landed beside Fleetfoot, pecking her on the cheek "Hey. Wathn't that Sun Chather?" "Nah, too high-pitched. Sounded like Rapid. Wouldn't worry about it though, he's probably fine." Spitfire said, shrugging it off "Happy to be in the air again?" Fleetfoot asked "You have no idea." Spitfire sighed, extending her wings and flapping them "I'm sure. Come on, I'll race you." Fleetfoot said, kissing her cheek. The two took off and flew laps around the course, laughing as they matched each other's pace. Fleetfoot looked down to see two ponies making their way to the seats near the course, which was reserved for tours and famous ponies. They were pegasi, and very familiar to Fleetfoot, but she couldn't tell who they were from so high up. They landed and Fleetfoot was able to see them up close. A mare and a stallion. Both were pegasi, and both didn't look pleased to be there. A unicorn couple followed them, talking. The mare had on a white blouse with a pink sweater over the other, a blue beaded necklace on as well as pink sphere-shaped earrings. The stallion was wearing a green polo with a white jacket tied around his neck, covering the back of the polo. Fleetfoot remembered them from meetings on occasion, but didn't recall their names. "Looks like the delegates are here." Spitfire commented "Wh-what are you talking about Thpitty?" Fleetfoot asked "I invited a few delegates from important cities to come watch our practice. I figured it might be a way to boost our popularity. Some other couples should be here soon. I think the ponies from Fillydelphia and Manehatten should be here soon." Spitfire said "Oh, who are they?" Rainbow asked, trotting up with Soarin "Soar told me you'd invited a few delegates, but he didn't mention their names." "The Fillydelphia delegates are Cherry Pit and Lemon Rind. The Manehatten ones are Silver Shine and Gold Cuff. Those two unicorns are Jet Set and Uppercrust. Not sure who the Cloudsdale delegates are, but that's them over there." Spitfire said, pointing with her wing "They're Icy Mint and Sharp Skater, of the Frost family." Misty Fly told Spitfire, coming over with the other Wonderbolts behind her "You mean Sharp Skater, the famous Hockey player?" Rainbow asked "Yeah." "And Icy Mint? The creator and owner of one of the greatest candy companies in Equestria?!" Surprise exclaimed, jumping into the air with excitement "Yeah." "How do you know that?" Fleetfoot asked, worried that Misty might know about the Frost family...and her secret "Oh, I recognized Sharp Skater from a magazine article. Icy Mint is just well-known. Why?" "N-no reathon." Fleetfoot said quickly "Here come the other delegates, we'd better start practice." Spitfire said. It seemed the delegates consisted of a mare and stallion for each town. Cherry Pit was a mare with a light brown coat and a red mane that bobbed as she walked. Lemon Rind was a stallion with a dark yellow coat and bright yellow mane. Silver Shine and Gold Cuff were silver and gold shaded, respectively "Alright everypony, in the air, we're doing fifty laps to warm up." Spitfire ordered, grabbing her whistle from around her neck, where it hung, the red cord a contrast from her blue and yellow flight suit. She blew it once, and they took off. After warming up, Spitfire led them through the Icaranian Sun Salutation, the Mountain Range, the Sundown Spiral, and finally the Harmony Highflyer. When they finally landed at around noon, they received applause, but mostly just from Sparkfire, Scootaloo, and Rumble, who had come out to watch. "Great job everypony, have a good lunch break, I've got to speak with the delegates." Spitfire instructed "Soar, Fleet, could you come with me?" "Why do we have to come?" Soarin asked "You two are the second and third highest in rank. They'll need to speak to you as well." Spitfire said "Thpitty, I can't. Thethe ponieth are really high-clathth, I can't talk to them with my lithp." Fleetfoot objected "It's okay Fleety, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to, you're third-highest in rank, you need to be here. They'll probably only want to talk to me the most anyway." Spitfire assured her. They approached the delegates, who made their way down to them. Sparkfire, Scootaloo, and Rumble ran up to them "You were great sis!" Sparkfire exclaimed "Thanks Spark, why don't you three go play for a bit, we need to talk with the delegates, okay?" "Okay, see ya." Spark led her new friends towards the building. "You guys wanna prank Wave and Silver?" Scootaloo asked "Yeah!" they exclaimed, and started running. "Captain Spitfire. Why are there foals running around here unsupervised?" Cherry Pit asked "Well, we Wonderbolts have families like any other, and we need to balance work and home life. Thunderlane, one of our newest recruits, had to bring his brother here, as did another new recruit, Rainbow Dash, with her sister, and myself, with my sister." Spitfire replied "Ah." Gold Cuff grunted "Now, these are the other two high-ranked members of the team. Soarin Skies, my Co-Captain, and Fleetfoot, who is the third-highest in rank." Spitfire introduced "Nice to meet you." Soarin greeted "Hi." Fleetfoot knew she would sound rude, but Icy Mint and Sharp Skater were glaring at her, daring her to speak "Well, after that performance how could we refuse your shows at Canterlot. As long as you don't stop performing derbies as well." Jet Set said "Yes, the rough-and-tumble style of entertainment has certainly taken off." Uppercrust agreed "I agree." Silver Shine said "As do I." Gold Cuff added "I daresay we all know how Sharp Skater feels." Lemon Rind commented "Yes. Lemon Rind and I are in agreement with the others, so that just leaves you two." Cherry Pit said, looking at them. Icy Mint stood straight, unabashed at being singled out "Yes, we-we agree to schedule more performances." her gaze lingered on Fleetfoot for a minute longer than normal, then turned back to the other delegates "Now, we must be going." Cherry Pit said, turning away to leave. "Come on you two. I think Thunderlane was making pie." Spitfire said, and Soarin smiled "Great. Hey! Dashie! Wait up!" Soarin ran after Rainbow Dash, who was talking to High Winds. They could hear High Winds laughing at the stallion's goofiness. "Coming Fleet?" Spitfire asked, and Fleetfoot tried to follow, hoping she had managed to get away with it. But Sharp Skater cleared his throat "Uh, I'll come in a minute." Fleetfoot responded "Okay, see you later." Spitfire said, trotting away. Fleetfoot turned to Icy Mint and Sharp Skater, who hadn't left with the others "Fleetfoot." Icy Mint said coldly, flipping her long white mane, ice blue coat gleaming, glaring at Fleetfoot with her cold blue eyes "What do you want Icy Mint?" Fleetfoot growled "How dare you." Sharp Skater snarled, stalking forward and slapping her across the face. Fleetfoot winced and stepped back, Sharp Skater's almond-shaped, fuchsia eyes meeting hers. "Listen here young lady. We let you stay in our home, out of the kindness of our hearts, and this is how you repay us? By becoming a third-ranked member of this pathetic little flight crew?!" Icy Mint exclaimed "You only kept me in your home to fulfill your 'perfect family' reputation. And that wath when I wath a kid." Fleetfoot objected "You kicked me out the thecond I came of age." "You worthless little brat! Why can't you be more like your brother?!" Sharp Skater punched her in the chest, knocking Fleetfoot to the ground "Oh, thorry, I didn't mean to diththappoint you, father." Fleetfoot remarked sarcastically "Listen darling daughter" Icy Mint began, sarcasm rolling off every syllable "We need you to make an appearance with us at a ball that's in a few days." "And if I choothe not to?" "You'll be blamed for ruining our image. Speaking of which, if you are going to be on this-ugh-flight team, and engage with ponies beneath your social status, then you need to follow our rules." Sharp Skater replied "Your 'ruleth' are thtupid, and you created them to make me feel bad about who I am jutht tho that you can look perfect. I'm not going anywhere with you." Fleetfoot snarled "You....you little ungrateful wrench!" Icy Mint slapped her "You know what happens if you defy us!" together the mare and stallion beat Fleetfoot, tearing her uniform and causing her to bleed slightly. They eventually relented, and Fleetfoot stood up, looking at the two through her cracked flight goggles, the strap dangling by her cheek "Listen brat, you're coming with us to the party or else. You will behave, meaning no talking with your stupid lisp, and as described in the ancient Frost text, no fidgeting or flapping your wings. If you even try to talk you know what to expect. A girl like you should be seen and not heard." Icy Mint ordered "Do you understand?" "Yeth Mother." Fleetfoot sighed "Good. We'll see you in two days time then. Come to the mansion at six, don't be late, or else." Icy Mint instructed "Okay." Fleetfoot sighed, turning away from them. "Look at us when we're in your presence!" Sharp Skater yelled, hitting her in the back so that she fell to the ground "We deserve to be treated as royalty, especially from the regret that ponies call my daughter." Fleetfoot lay still on the ground, hoping they would give up if she didn't respond. The rustling and beating of wings told her her parents had flown off. Fleetfoot stood up, shaking, and headed inside. Fleetfoot didn't know how bad it looked until she got inside. Blaze and Wave Chill were talking in the hallway when she came in, and they turned to face her. "Hey Fleet, Spitfire was looking for-what in the holy name of Celestia happened to you?!" Blaze screeched, and Fleetfoot backed away, covering her face with a wing. "It'th nothing guyth, I jutht hurt mythelf, pleathe don't tell-" "SPITFIRE!" Blaze yelled, and Fleetfoot sighed "Nevermind." "What's going on?" Spitfire trotted up, Sparkfire behind her "Fleety!" she shrieked, running to her "Thpitfire, it'th nothing, honetht." Fleetfoot tried to protest as Spitfire began looking her over, checking for other injuries. "It is not nothing. What happened?" Spitfire asked, kissing her on the cheek. Fleetfoot sighed and removed her goggles, revealing her bruising eye. "It'th not important Thpitty. Pleathe, can you jutht help me?" Fleetfoot asked, wincing. Spitfire nuzzled her and took Fleetfoot by the hoof, pulling the mare away Spitfire dragged her into the Captain's room. She didn't ask Fleetfoot what had happened, just cleaned her wounds and helped bandage her up. The two mares didn't know, but Blaze, Wave Chill, and Sparkfire had run to tell the others. "Thank you." Fleetfoot breathed, kissing Spitfire's cheek gratefully. The other Wonderbolts burst in, panting from running all the way there to find them "Fleet...what...happened?" High Winds asked in between gasps for breath "I'm...dying. Need...to know...to be healed." Surprise said dramatically, falling over. Spitfire gave Fleetfoot a 'do not lie to me' look "Tell me the truth, now." Spitfire demanded "Alright." Fleetfoot mumbled, looking at her sadly "It...it wath Icy Mint and Sharp Thakter, they did thith after you left." she confessed "Why? How do they even know you?" Misty Fly asked "Well, you thee...they're not jutht random ponieth, they're kind of..." she trailed off, unsure of how to tell them "They're what?" Rainbow asked "They're my parentth, okay?!" Fleetfoot blurted out "They're your parents?!" the Wonderbolts all exclaimed "Yeah." "Why would they hurt you if you're their daughter?" Sun Chaser asked "Becauthe of who I am." Fleetfoot said, looking at the floor "They hate me becauthe I'm not the perfect little princethth they wanted, becauthe I have a lithp, and becauthe I'm on the Wonderboltth. Today, when Thpitfire told them I'm the third-highetht ranked member, they were furiouth. They never wanted a filly like me." Fleetfoot explained, almost in tears. Spitfire brushed her muzzle gently against Fleetfoot's. "Don't worry. We'll make sure they can't come near you." Spitfire assured her "I wish you could Thpitfire, I really do, but they're the motht influential ponieth in Cloudthdale. And bethideth, the reathon I hung back wath becauthe they needed to 'talk' to me. I have to appear with them at thome party in a couple dayth." "Why?" Silver Zoom asked "If they don't care about you why would they want you to appear with them?" "To maintain our image ath a 'perfect family'. My brother and I both need to be there, and trutht me, we'd both rather cut off our wingth." "Wait, you have a brother?" Thunderlane asked "Yeah, Dark Shooter, my parentth favor him more than me becauthe he wath 'better'. They never found out that he wath alwayth trying to help me. Dark Shooter would thneak food to me if our parentth didn't let me eat, and he'd help put bandageth on the woundth they gave me." Fleetfoot explained "He'th one of Princethth Luna'th Night Guardth now." "We used to hang out with him." Soarin told the other 'bolts. "We were friends with him too when we were little." "Yeah, he was really close to Fleet, and now that makes sense." Spitfire agreed "But you guys should go, Fleetfoot needs rest." Spitfire added, using her wings to shoo them out "Alright, we're going." Fire Streak said, and they headed out "Fleety, I need you to swear to me that Dark Shooter will protect you when you have to attend that party." Spitfire said "You mean our friendship pact?" Fleetfoot asked "Yes." "Okay, if it maketh you feel better about thith. And it'll make me feel better about it too." Fleetfoot sighed "Come on" Spitfire prompted, and Fleetfoot extended her wing, Spitfire doing the same The two locked their wings together, staring directly into each other's eyes "I thwear by the friendship pact no harm will come to me during the party." Fleetfoot stated "May the fallen Wonderbolts of the past honor this oath and help to protect you." Spitfire replied, finishing the pact. The two let go of each other's wings and hugged. "Thanks for doing that, now let's get you into bed." "Thank you for helping me Thpitty." Fleetfoot said, kissing her "I always will."