//------------------------------// // Socks N' Casinos // Story: A Burning Passion // by Stasys //------------------------------// Wonderbolts' HQ was silent this time of night. You could faintly hear the sound of crickets in the distance as you quietly stroll through the dimly lit courtyard in your wonderbolts pajama pants and white t-shirt. You admire the many flowers and statues that occupy the courtyard. Every stone pony resembled some famous Wonderbolts' captain from the past. You didn't know many of them, but one stood out to you... Spitfire. That name meant a lot to you. She was the one who offered your sorry ass this job in the first place. She could of left you to rot in the back of that loud club without a name or memory. The funny thing was, she wan't scared of you... she actually liked you for some reason. She offered you a position as a, well, you don't really know. You do jobs that vary from accounting to mechanical work... you even gave Echo a massage one day because her wing was cramped. So lets just say that you're the Wonderbolts', 'Handyman'. Two months you have been in Equestria. Two months of working and traveling with the team. And two months of not being able to remember your past. The only thing you can remember is what you learned in school. Everything else has been long forgotten. Sometimes you wish you could remember, but you didn't obsess about it... what's done is done. You realize that you have been staring at the large stone statue of Spitfire for about half an hour. You yawn and shake your head, snapping out of the trance with the stone slab. You look at the watch on your wrist; it was 12:27 A.M... time for bed. You turn around and head back into the living quarters. You enter the building and start to walk down the hall to your room. As you walk, you hear the sound of hoofsteps come from behind. Before you could turn around, you were tackled to the ground from behind. You roll with the attacker latched to you for a few feet before you stopped. You were now staring into the orange eyes of a very good friend. "I'm surprised your up Ducky." You were still startled by the surprise attack, "Sorry... thats just revenge for that pie prank you pulled on me in Trotingham." You laugh, remembering the little ruse you pulled that resulted in a angry orange pegasus with a face full of lemon pie. "It wasn't that funny! I couldn't see for the rest of the day." Your continued laughing began to aggravate Spitfire, "If you don't stop laughing Ducky, your going to be sorry." "Oh, I'm terrified now." Now your just playing with her, "Ha... ha... ha-" Spitfire smirks and stands up above you, "Your going to regret that." "Ya? What are you going to do about-" She shoves her fore hooves into your chest and pins you down, "W-what are you doing?" A sinister smile formed on her face, "Revenge..." She then wraps herself around you and took off. She was only a few feet off of the ground, but that was enough for her to work with. You gulp as she stares into your soul. Spitfire didn't scare you, but you were worried about what she had planed for you. Her sinister smile disappears into something more gentle and heart warming. Surprisingly she decides to set you down on your feet, before landing herself. "Ah... I'm too tired to worry about revenge now." You sigh in relief and look at her, "I'm sorry for the prank Spitfire." She tilts her head and narrows her eyes, "What do you mean by that?" You rub your arm nervously, "I'm saying that you mean a lot to me." She blushes and looks down, averting your gaze. "Your my dearest friend... and it was uncalled for." You cared about Spitfire deeply. You were told a while back that she liked you, but you didn't feel the same way about her. You couldn't grasp the thought of you dating a pony, so you just kept her as a friend. She looks up, the crimson color still on her cheeks, "D-don't worry about Ducky, it was all in good fun." She turns around and starts to walk away, flinging her tail around playfully. She turns around for a moment, "But don't think your off the hook for that prank Ducky!" You silently say to yourself, "I figured as much." You then turn around and continue to walk to your room. It didn't take too long for you to reach your room that was placed in the stallions' wing of the building. "Pst... Ducky." You were standing in front of the door to your room, looking around to find the source of the sound. "Ducky... over here," You pinpoint the sounds origin... its coming from around the corner. Your tired, but your curiousness got the best of you. You sigh and walk to the origin of the sound. As you round the corner, you spot the five male Wonderbolts of the team; Soarin', Storm Cloud, Rapidfire, and the Streak brothers. You knew a gathering like this could only lead to bad things. Soarin' quickly walks up to you, "Ducky, thank Celestia your here." You rub your eyes, "What is it now? It's not another prank is it?" "Of course it is Ducky. Now keep your voice down, we're going on a raid to the mare's wing." You shiver, knowing of what only could become of such an act, "T-thats not a good idea." He leaves the ground to get eye to eye with you. He then slaps you with his hoof and grabs your shoulders, "Get a grip on yourself Ducky, your the only one who will make this plan work" "Me? Why me?" Soarin lands in front of you, "You know how to pick the locks with those fingers and that red thing you got." "That was one time to get Airheart out of the storage closet." "Doesn't matter... Fleetfoot must pay for what she did." "Ugh... what did she do this time?" It was never Fleetfoot... Soarin' just has a crush on her and would do anything to get close. "When we did the 'Buccaneer Blitz' during practice today... she purposely pushed me out of formation. Spitfire then made me do 50 Pushups as punishment." "... Why are you complaining, you can't do 50 pushups? Your a Wonderbolt... and you can't do 50 pushups?" "No I can! It's just that... ugh, it's just not fair." Soarin' wasn't the brightest of stallions, which caused him to resort to childish ways in certain situations. "Listen, If you don't help us we will tell Spitfire." You raise an eyebrow, "Tell her what?" Storm Cloud decides to speek up, "Wait, you mean you don't know..." you shake your head Fire Streak laughs, "It's so obvious!" Lightning Streak then cut in, "How could you not know by now!?" "Know what!?" Soarin' silences the other stallions before looking at you, "Forget it Ducky... just please help us." You purposely forget the argument and sigh in defeat, "What do you have planed?" "Were going to steal her favorite white socks and put them in a washer with a red sock." You swear to god that Soarin' is seriously in love with this mare... and you know that he's going to keep those socks. "Seems harmless enough. Fine, lets go get some socks." Without another word, you follow the group into the lions den. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Everything looked exactly the same as the Stallion's quarters, except that there were ten rooms that all were occupied by female Wonderbolts. Each room you passed, had the name of the mare that occupied it; Blaze, High Winds, Spitfire, Misty, Echo, Surprise, Airheart, Dust Devil, Fleetfoot, and the new rookie named Rainbow Dash. You stopped in front of the door that read, 'Fleetfoot', and pulled out you 'Swiss'. You had that trusty knife since you first came to Equestria, didn't know how you got it though. You flip out the small blade and push it into the keyhole. "Hold on..." You look back at Soarin' and whisper, "How do we know she's not in here?" He waves his hoof, "Don't worry Ducky, Mrs. Wonderbolt needed to speak with all the mares about something." "About what?" "Don't know, something mare related or... I don't know, just open the bucking door." You shake your head and sigh, and with a simple twist of your wrist, the lock clicked. You then slowly open the door, allowing the troublemaking stallions to enter. "Nice work Ducky... you are defiantly worth the bits." He passes by and walks into the room. "Ya, it's nice to know that i'm loved for my ability to pick a lock," You then enter the room. The room didn't look any different than yours; white carpet and ceiling, blue walls, a large closet, a dresser, balcony, a fancy bathroom, and a king sized bed with blue and yellow sheets. Other than a few personal touches added to the room by Fleetfoot, it was exactly the same. You continue to observe the room while the rest of the group, 'searched', for Fleetfoot's socks, "Soarin', we really shouldn't be here." Soarin' pulled himself away from the dresser and looked at you, "Ugh, quit worrying and help us find the socks." He returns to his task-at-hoof. You rub your head, "Damnit Soarin'! Do you not know where socks are kept!?" He looks at you angrily, "What do I look like to-" His jaw then dropped as he looks at something behind you. You knew exactly who it was, "She's behind me isn't she?" *WHAP!*....... *THUD!* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You felt like you were sleeping, but yet you were awake... hearing everything... "RUUNNNN!!!" "GET BACK HERE SOARIN'!" "Fleetfoot whats wrong?" "Those damn stallions and Ducky broke into my room!" "Oh poor Ducky... why did you hit him?" "WHY!? He broke into my room Misty!" "Now you know Ducky would never do such a thing on his own." "Well... ya but-" "But nothing. You know Ducky is the nicest pony... um, human I think it was, on the entire team. It was probably Soarin' who hazed him into doing it." "Celestia damn Soarin'. What is his problem anyway?" "I don't know... but say your sorry." "To who?" "To Ducky, Who else!?" "He's knocked out Misty... he can't hear me." "Ya, knocked out, not asleep... he can still hear you." "Misty I doubt-" "SAY YOUR SORRY!" "Ok calm down. Sorry, Ducky." "Good." "What the hell is going on in... DUCKY! What did you do to him!?" "Don't worry Spitfire, it was just a misunderstanding-" "Misunderstanding!? You knocked him out Fleetfoot." "That was by accident, Soarin and the others hazed him into doing it." "Soarin'... he's going to suffer tomorrow." "Well what about Ducky, he's not staying in my room..." "He will stay in mine." "S-Spitfire. Are you sure that's a good idea... we know how you-" "Shhhhh! He's still awake." "Please be quiet Misty, he's out cold." "Fine! But don't say I didn't warn you." "Anyway, where was I... Spitfire, we know about-" "I know Fleetfoot! ... sorry, I know about my feelings, what do you think that entire meeting was about?" "I won't argue. You do what you think is best Spitfire... just make sure Soarin' suffers tomorrow." "You can count on that. Now help me get him to my room." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You lie on your back as you stir in the soft bed. You slowly open your eyes to observe the room... It wasn't yours. You feel a sharp pain on the back of your head and attempt to touch the wounded spot, but something is obstructing your right arm. You realize that something is wrapped around you, like a soft blanket or a cuddling dog. You lift up the blue sheets and see an orange hoof resting on your chest. You look to your right to find Spitfire cuddling up beside you. You silently laugh at Spitfire's quiet snoring... it was cute. Not trying to wake her up, you slowly slip out of the bed from the left side. You yawn and look at the watch on your wrist; 7:08 A.M... "Aww shit." You just remembered. You have a meeting with some casino boss form Las Pegasus with your boss Mrs. Wonderbolt at 7:30 sharp. If you missed this, your job was at stake. You slowly walk to the door and silently open it. You then make your way back to your room for a change of clothes. You quickly enter your room and make your way to the dresser. It was filled with about a dozen outfits that were made specifically for you. You put on a pair of blue and yellow jean-like pants, and a blue zipper hoodie with yellow lightning bolts on sides. To complete the look, you spike up your hair and hang a pair of goggles around your neck. You didn't exactly like the look, but Mrs. Wonderbolt had specific orders for you to wear it whenever you do anything Wonderbolts related... which was literally all the time. After you got dressed, you made your way to the meeting room where your boss and the casino manager were meeting. You tried to open the door to the room, but it was sealed tight. You quickly checked the time; 7:17, a little early. You decide to sit on a nearby couch to think for a few moments. Mrs. Wonderbolt, your strict boss that owns the team and anything that has to do with the Wonderbolts. Her name was originally Golden Daisy but when she inherited the team from her mother, the previous Mrs. Wonderbolt, she adopted the name like every other manager before her. She was so lovingly nicknamed by Soarin', Daisy Cutter, and for good reason too. You remembered one occasion, during an after show party, when she nearly ripped an investor's head off for trying to squeeze out some bits from the Wonderbolts... and you don't blackmail the boss. You remember how much convincing it took for Spitfire to get you this job, and even then it took about a month for you to gain her trust. She treated you slightly better than the actual team, but thats because your good at what you do. Your daydreaming is soon ended when you hear the annoyed voice of your boss, "Ahem..." You quickly snap back to reality and stand up. You see the grey unicorn with a yellow and blue dyed mane, taping her hoof and staring into your soul. "U-uh... uh-" "Save it Mr. D, I'm in no mood for excuses today." "Uh... you can call me Ducky ma'am." "Your names not Ducky... It's just a pathetic name you were given due to your large feet and the fact that your name started with a 'D'. I will not call you by such a pre-mature title." You didn't like the insults, "My feet aren't that big, and I really don't mind the nickname that-" "Spitfire gave you." "Ya... so what?" She sighed and shook her head, you could also hear her mumble something inaudible to herself. "Never mind, we have a job to do." She then opened the door and went inside with you close behind. The room was a cream white with a fairly large brown wood table accompanied by a few chairs that were made for ponies. You sit down next to your boss and wait for instructions, "Alright Mr. D, I called you here to help me out with this situation." You were about to say something, but she cut you off, "I am trying to obtain the rights for the Las Pegasus show that is coming up in a few weeks." She hands you a yellow file with a little more information in it. You look through its contents while your boss continues to brief you. "Problem is, the owner of the stadium/overseer of the show, is considering using the Shadowbolts for the show." You knew where this was going, "And we can't allow that to happen." The Shadowbolts, one of Equestria's finest flight groups. Many believe they were created by Luna just to harass Celestia's favorite team, The Wonderbolts. Others believe that Luna summoned them from the depths of Tartarus to do her bidding. There were many legends about them, but one thing was for certain... they were damn good. Every flight team in Equestria has a different flight style, and in the Shadowbolts' case, a very aggressive flight style. Their moves mostly consisted of huge illusions and very frightening tricks. Their 'Shadow Dragon' trick back in Cloudsdale, nearly gave six ponies a heart attack. Besides the fact that they were intentionally frightening, they were damn good at what they did. And Because of their large fan base, they were constantly competing with The Wonderbolts for shows. "You are here to assist me. And when I say assist me, I mean sit down and shut up." You figured as much, "I understand ma'am." "Good, now he should be here-" The door opened, allowing a platinum pegasus that wore a fancy black suit to enter. The brown maned pony sat across from you and your boss, and placed a black briefcase on the round table. Mrs. Wonderbolt was the first to speak, "Ah, Mr. Horse." That name sounded strangely familiar, "We welcome you to The Wonderbolts' HQ." A smile appeared on Mr. Horse's face, "Pleasure is all mine Daisy," You could feel the air around your boss suddenly become heated. "Now you know that's not my name Mr. Horse." "Yes my dear, and its a pity that you didn't keep such a beautiful name." You could tell she was trying her best not to blush, "... Anyway we called you hear to-" He finished for her, "To discuss my choice for the show, and I won't be hiring The Wonderbolts this time." "We are the best flight group in Equestria!" "Well that's now debatable my dear." They continued arguing as you sat silently, planing something that would seal the deal for The Wonderbolts. You remember the file you looked at earlier, it described that the show was going to honor the opening of a new casino that was dubbed the 'Starlight Wonder'. It also described that this casino is supposed to have a certain feel to it's customers... something that would't work with The Shadowbolts flight style. You had an idea, "Mr. Horse, If I may." Both ponies stopped arguing and look at you. Your boss was not happy now, but Mr. Horse was... for some reason, excited. "Ah my boy, speak your mind. We were getting nowhere with this discussion anyway." Time to set the plan in motion, "What is the name of your new casino Mr. Horse?" He raised an eyebrow, "The Starlight Wonder... why is this relevant." You ignore his question and ask another one, "And what kind of a feel is the Starlight Wonder supposed to give it's guests." "Well... It's a large casino that is meant to dazzle and awe strike it's guests. Listen my patients is waring thin, where are you going with this." "So it's meant to dazzle and awe strike its guests. Now do you believe that The Shadowbolts are a good fit for that preference?" "Uh..." You had him now. "Now let me ask you this; Do you want a team that will most likely cause half of your audience to pass out from terror, or do you want a team that is well known to... 'dazzle and awe strike' it's audience like the casino you built?" He taped his chin with his hoof, "Well now... I never thought of it that way." He looked at Mrs. Wonderbolt, "I... I believe we have a deal." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With a little paperwork and extra reassuring, you sealed the deal with Mr. Horse. He then said that Mrs. Wonderbolt would be hearing from his associates soon and, that he wishes for you to stop by one of his casinos before the show. You were now standing in front of the conference door with your boss... Mr. Horse was long gone. "I-I can't believe it. I really underestimated you." You couldn't be more happy with the results of the meeting, "Ah don't flatter me ma'am." "I wasn't. Job well done Mr. D, I will inform the other Wonderbolts about 'your' success." You stood in silence for a moment, "Well what now?" "Take the rest of the day off... in fact, take the next three weeks off. Your due back two days before the show." "Y-yes ma'am," You couldn't believe it, three weeks off... payed. "Thank you ma'am." You gave a little bow of appreciation. "Yes well... get out of my sight." You turn around and start to walk back to your room to get a swimsuit. You were going to enjoy this well deserved break. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One things for sure, the Wonderbolts' pool was definitely a sight to behold. The untouched surface of the crystal clear water that reflected the sun, looked most welcoming to you. The pool would usually be crowded by other Wonderbolts by now, but they were probably meeting with the boss about your success. You walk to a nearby pool chair and set your towel and shirt on it. You tie your blue swim trunks and make your way to the pools edge and dive in, creating a large splash that disturbs the waters surface. You quickly come up for air and make your way to a yellow floating pool chair on the other side of the pool. The chair squeaks as you pull yourself onto it. You then lay back and put your hands behind your head. As you relax, your mind begins to wander... This show was going to put the Wonderbolts back on top again. Competition for shows was getting brutal lately, especially since the Shadowbolts were created. The Wonderbolts were still considered the best of the best, but that didn't stop other teams in Equestria from trying to rival them. There were five major teams that competed with the Wonderbolts, each having their own flight style and fan base. The most popular teams were the Shadowbolts and the Wonderbolts, who were always butting heads with each other. There was the all Griffin team, the 'Golden Claws', that specialized in very explosive tricks. Their shows were defiantly awe striking... unless if your in the front row, then you will get your eyebrows blown clean off. The most graceful team was definitely the 'Blue Doves'. As the name suggests, the entire team is only mares. By pony standards, they were absolutely beautiful, but they were... well slow. While their looks made them famous, their moves mostly consisted of beautiful illusions and graceful flying... which didn't give them a huge fan base with the common ponies. The last one is by far the most dangerous. Born in Stalliongrad, the 'Red Dawn' is the most aggressive and daring out of all the groups. The team consists of mostly stallions, but there are a few mares on it. Their tricks were so dangerous, that their 'Iron Hammer' trick made the Shadowbolts' 'Black Fury' look like it was performed by children. In their last show, they lost three flyers that ended up being spattered against the walls of Canterlot Stadium. But the worst part about them, was their captain. Duchess Whiteout is considered to be, the most ruthless mare in all of Equestria. The only threat the Wonderbolts needed to worry about, was the Shadowbolts. You lay on the yellow chair for what seemed like hours... which was only 25 minuets. Your daydreaming was interrupted, when you heard the sound of chatting coming from nearby. It was faint, but you could understand it. "I can't believe it! Ducky actually got us the show in Las Pegasus." You smile at the comment. "Ya Dash, we are going to have so much fun together when we get there." "What makes you think that I'm going with you Storm?" "Oh, just a hunch." "Keep dreaming lover-colt... Spitfire, where are you going?" "I'm going to go find and thank Ducky." "Be gentle with him Spitfire. You don't want to wear him out before you get to Las Pegasus. Ha, ha, ha!" "Do I need to make you do another hundred pushups Soarin'!?" "Uh... no 'Cap'." "Good." You now hear the sound of fast approaching hoof steps from ahead. You whisper to yourself, "What was Soarin' talking about... wearing me out? What does that even mean?" You then see Spitfire enter the pool area and shout, "Spitfire, over here!" She doesn't say a word. She quickly took off her Wonderbolts outfit and pulled her goggles around her neck. You tried to understand what she was doing before she jumped into the pool and disappeared beneath the surface. You knew Spitfire well enough to know what was coming next, "Oh no... this can't be good." (This story will most likely be turning into a 'Clop' later on. If I screwed up somewhere, tell me because this is my first second person fic... so I might need some help before I continue the story. Don't expect regular updates, I will work on this story from time to time when I need a break from my other stories. So be patient between releases)