Fleetfire

by Melody Song

A Wonderbolt Nightmare Night

Author's Note:

So in this chapter, I added in Vapor Trail, Sky Stinger, and Night Glider (the pegasus from Starlight's village). My reason for this will make sense, don't worry. And happy early Halloween!

~Melody Song

Spitfire gathered all the Wonderbolts in the Mess Hall, waiting for them to fall silent. Dark Shooter was among them, standing beside Fleetfoot. Spitfire had also allowed Rainbow Dash to bring three cadet friends of hers, Night Glider, a newer recruit, and two Academy members, Vapor Trail and Sky Stinger. The reasoning behind her allowance of this was quite simple.

"Are we all ready for the annual Nightmare Night Scavenger Hunt?" Spitfire asked

"What's that?" Rainbow asked

"Well, you, Thunderlane, Vapor Trail, Night Glider, and Sky Stinger haven't experienced it."

"Mind explaining then?" Sky Stinger asked

"You see, every Nightmare Night, we have a competition, Stallions v.s Mares. The losing team has chore duty for a month. The task is to collect items for a small statue of Nightmare Moon." Spitfire explained

"The boys have won every year, but this is the year we finally will!" Blaze cried

"Who sets up the hunt?" Vapor Trail asked

"Usually I do, along with another one of the mares, so the teams are even. But I want to compete this year, so we need somepony else to do it." Spitfire answered

"Dark Shooter could do it." Fleetfoot suggested "He ith here to help, after all."

"No way, if you two are going to be participating we need our teams to be even. Dark Shooter's with us." Rapidfire objected

"But he's not a Wonderbolt." High Winds said

"He's an honorary one." Wave Chill argued

"Not technically." Sun Chaser murmured

"To stop all your arguing, I'll do it." Night Glider cut in. "With Dark Shooter and without me, each team will have nine members." she reasoned. Spitfire nodded gratefully.

"Now, let's get this started." Spitfire said, and they cheered.

---

That night, the two groups all sat down outside Wonderbolt HQ, to listen to Night Glider's opening story. Night Glider held a flashlight to illuminate her face.

"A long time ago, Nightmare Moon haunted Equestria, and even today, we build statues of her to put outside our homes. If the statues are perfect, then Nightmare Moon won't be able to enter." Night Glider began pacing. "The pieces for these statues are hidden around HQ, inside and out. The only rule is: the very last piece you'll be allowed to collect is the helmet of Nightmare Moon, and only once your statue is assembled. The first team to put the helmet on their statue wins."

The teams all leaned closer, in anticipation. Night Glider crept forwards eerily.

"But be warned... there's only one helmet to put on the statue. And you'd better be careful... or else we'll string you up on the flagpole for Nightmare Moon to devour!" Night Glider cried, and Vapor Trail yelped, hiding behind her wings.

"We'll own this competition!" Rapidfire exclaimed

"No you won't, we will!" Blaze argued

"First challenge is to collect the body of Nightmare Moon. They will be found in the place where all bodies go for a meal. Good luck." Night Glider backed into the shadows as the teams took off, laughing.

"Come on guys!" Soarin said, leading the stallions away

"Good luck!" Dark Shooter called back

"You'll need it!" Rapidfire added, laughing. Dark Shooter looked hurt, he clearly hadn't meant to make it a joke.

"We're not gonna let them win, let's go girls!" Spitfire called "To the mess hall!"

The mares raced into the mess hall to find the two bodies sitting in the kitchen. High Winds took off and flew into the room.

"Too slow girls!" Thunderlane flew out with one of the bodies.

"We'll catch up, now let's go!" Rainbow cried. They grabbed the stone body of Nightmare Moon and flew after the boys.

They met back up in front of Night Glider.

"Now you must collect the legs, head, and armor of Nightmare Moon. For the legs, search in the place everyone works theirs out. For the head, find them in the place where everyone goes to fill their heads with knowledge. Lastly, for the armor, search in the one place no one dares go after hours." Night Glider said

"The obstacle course?" Dark Shooter asked

"The locker room?" Blaze suggested

"No, Spitfire's office!" Night Glider replied, and they gasped. Spitfire laughed and shrugged.

"To make it fair, I won't even be the one to get the armor." she told them.

The boys took off immediately, but as the girls made to follow them, Rainbow held out her wing.

"You guys go get the stuff, I've got a plan to delay the boys." they all nodded eagerly and took off.

"I'll go to the gym to get the legs." Spitfire said

"I'll go with you." Fleetfoot said

"Then I'll head to your office and find the armor." Misty Fly added

"The rest of us will split up and find the head. Any ideas where it could be?" Sun Chaser asked

"The building off to the side of HQ! it's where the Wonderbolt Cadets have the Classroom Portion of Trials Week!" Vapor exclaimed

"Yes, let's go!" High Winds cried, and they all split up.

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Misty crept slowly into the office, and saw the armor resting in the middle of the room. She reached out and took the armor from the desk, just as Wave Chill burst in. He grabbed for the second set of armor just as Misty took off. She flew up and over him, then out the door.

"Later, loser!" she called, waving goodbye as the door shut behind her.

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Spitfire and Fleetfoot went into the gym, and there were the legs. There was the first set sitting on the pullup bar, while the second set rested on the weights. Spitfire looked to Fleetfoot and smiled.

"I'll get them Fleet, don't worry." Spitfire flew over to the pullup bar and put her hooves on it. She did a few pullups before she managed to get high enough to grab the legs.

Spitfire landed and looked to Fleetfoot, who was blushing and staring at her.

"You're tho thtrong." Fleetfoot mumbled. Spitfire chuckled, coming over to her and kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"Come on honey, let's go find the others."

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The crowd burst into the building, looking around wildly for the head. It was glaring at them from the shelf. Vapor gulped and took off, flying up to get it. She balanced it carefully and then flew back down to the others.

"Good job Vapor!" Surprise cheered

"Thanks. Now can we go find the others? This place is kind of creepy." Vapor said, shuddering

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They raced back to where Night Glider waited. Both teams began to set up their statues.

"Done!" Sky Stinger cried, stepping away from the statue

"We're done too!" Blaze added

"Where's Rainbow?" High Winds asked, looking around. "She said she had a plan."

"Now all that's left is the helmet." Night Glider said, but there was laughter from behind her. Rainbow flew up to them, holding something in her hooves.

"I've got Nightmare Moon's helmet!" she cried, dropping it onto the girl's statue.

"NO!" Rapid yelled

"Hold it." Night Glider took off and examined the helmet. "That's not Nightmare Moon's helmet. Rainbow, this is the helmet from a Nightmare Moon costume. You faked it!"

The boys brightened up. They still had a chance.

"Are you sure?" Rainbow asked

"Yes, I just hid the helmet earlier!"

"And this isn't it?"

The boys all glared at her. Rainbow's questions were just delaying the inevitable.

"Come on Rainbow, you know you weren't supposed to go looking for the helmet until your statue was complete. Rainbow Dash, you are disqualified."

As Night Glider said these words, the boys cheered. Except for Soarin, though that was due more to his relationship with Rainbow than anything.

"I didn't go find the helmet, that'd be cheating." Rainbow spoke up.

"What?" Night Glider asked, getting the stallion's attention.

"This is from my house, it's one of Scootaloo's old Nightmare Night costumes. Is there a law against wearing costumes in this place?" Rainbow asked, and the stallions froze.

"But...why would you do that?" Night Glider asked, and Rainbow smirked, turning to look directly at the stallions.

"Hmm, why would I do that? It's almost like I did it on purpose." Rainbow glanced back at Night Glider. "To slow the boys down, maybe."

The group gasped and Fire Streak looked around.

"Hey, where are the girls?!" he cried

"Rainbow's just trying to distract us!" Rapid yelled

"They're probably already looking for the real helmet." Soarin added, and Rapid sighed.

"What a low-down trick!" he smirked, putting a hoof to his chin. "Dang, I wish I'd thought of it..." Rapid's eyes widened. "Especially because the more we talk about it, the better it works!"

---

"Hurry! Find the helmet!" Spitfire called as they flew around HQ. Rainbow's trick had bought them some time, but they couldn't be sure how long it would keep the boys distracted.

"I think it's in here!" Blaze flew into the locker room and began throwing the lockers open. The other girls joined her. Hooves sounded nearby.

"The boys, hurry!" Surprise shrieked

"Ha!" Fleetfoot had found the helmet, it was in Spitfire's locker. She reached for it just as Dark Shooter did. They both grabbed and tried tugging it away from each other.

"Dark, let go! I found it firtht!"

"No way, you guys tricked us!"

"Let me have it!"

"Or I'll take it!" Lightning Streak flew in between the two siblings and scooped up the helmet, running out.

"Get him!" the girls yelled, chasing after the boys.

The two groups began pushing each other out of the way. Surprise knocked into Lightning and snatched the helmet away. Fire Streak grabbed the helmet as she held it away from Lightning. Spitfire dove in and grabbed the helmet from him, then passed it to Rainbow, who had rejoined the group. As Rainbow held it away from Rapidfire, she slipped on the floor and dropped the helmet. Soarin caught her, but Sky Stinger caught the helmet.

"Told you boys are better. One of you even fell for us!" Rapid laughed, as Sky Stinger took off with the helmet.

They reached the place where the statues were and it became an all-out wrestling match. Rainbow pinned Sky Stinger to the ground and Vapor took the helmet, but then dropped it when Wave Chill scared her. Fleetfoot tackled her brother and laughed.

"Get off me sis!"

"Make me, tough guy." she teased, and he groaned.

The girls all took turns pinning one of the boys down. Spitfire was holding Rapid by the shoulders, when Misty Fly took over.

"Go get us the win Captain!" she called.

The helmet had rolled to the side, lying abandoned on the clouds. Spitfire was the only one free, apart from Night Glider.

"Forgive me sis." Dark Shooter muttered, glancing up at Fleetfoot, who blinked in confusion.

"Forgive you for wha-"

Fleetfoot was cut off as Dark Shooter grabbed her hoof, flipped her over him and onto the clouds, then stood. Dark Shooter squared off with Spitfire, whose eyes were narrowed in concentration.

Dark Shooter lunged for it, but Spitfire was faster. She swooped over and took the helmet, placing it on their statue. The girls leapt up and cheered, they had won!

"The winners are, the girls!" Night Glider exclaimed, then joined them in celebrating.

"Woo-hoo! We won! We won!" Rainbow cheered. The boys looked at each other and began laughing, joining in with the girls.

"Why are you so happy? We beat you." High Winds asked

"We never really cared about winning. Well, most of us." Silver Zoom eyed Rapidfire, who was moping.

"Really?" Sun Chaser asked

"Of course not. We just wanted to have fun with you girls." Soarin replied, and Rainbow hugged him.

"We had fun too." Misty said, then went over to Rapid, nuzzling him.

The group of friends laughed and hung out in the rec room after that. Spitfire pulled Fleetfoot aside.

"Are you okay? He flipped you pretty hard."

"Dark Shooter would never intentionally hurt me. He didn't flip me nearly ath hard ath he could have." Fleetfoot replied.

"Okay, just making sure."

"I know. Love you Thpitfire. Happy Nightmare Night"

"Happy Nightmare Night Fleety." Spitfire replied, as they watched their friends laugh and talk together.