//------------------------------// // Chapter 80: Spitfire's Sick Day // Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// Fashion week was not the only major event that occupied the attention of Shining and his friends as the weeks following the Summer Sun Celebration went by with no progress on the mysterious chest. With the Crystal Empire having been selected to host the Equestria Games, there was a great deal of excitement both in the empire, and all over Equestria. But for Soarin, the Equestria Games meant extra work, for him and his fellow Wonderbolts. With The Wonderbolts representing Cloudsdale in the Equestria Games, including the tryouts, there was a great sense of pride and determination. Thankfully, however, Soarin was granted a little bit of time off. Said time extended to about a week after returning from Manehattan with his friends, and he made sure to make the most of it. Alas, time flies when you're having fun, and sooner than Soarin would've liked it was time to him to head back up to Cloudsdale and return the Wonderbolt's compound at their official academy. "I'll try to come and visit you all as much as Spitfire will let me," Soarin said to all his friends the evening before. "But don't be too surprised if I'm more or less stuck up in Cloudsdale until the Equestria Games pass. Hey, nopony ever said being a Wonderbolt was easy." "It's alright, Spitfire and the others would want you at your best," Shining replied. "And we know you won't forget about us. Just don't forget to write every once in a while, you know especially how clingy Pinkie Pie can get." No one dared to say a word, they just looked across at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Quickly changing the subject by clearing his throat, Soarin smiled as he said. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again, everyone. And Rainbow Dash, I look forward to facing you and your team in the stadium when the games roll around. I hope you'll give me, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot a good challenge." "Count on it, Soarin!" Rainbow Dash vowed. "We'll give you a challenge the likes of which you've never seen before!" And with that, Soarin took off. He arrived at Wonderbolt Academy just after sunset, and his fellow Wonderbolts gave him a big welcome (even Fleetfoot), though Soarin did find it odd that Spitfire wasn't there to greet him. He shrugged it off. "She's probably got important captain stuff to tend to," He thought. "Like figuring out just how many laps she's gonna make me fly to get me in shape." And he went to sleep quite unconcerned, thoroughly convinced that Spitfire would have him up bright and early the next day. But the next day, Soarin was awoken not by the whistle Spitfire was fond of using, but by the ringing of his alarm clock. Something that gave Soarin cause for concern. "Spitfire never sleeps in during training season," He said to himself, as he got out of bed. And he began to worry. "I sure hope nothing bad's happened to her." Soarin went about his morning routine, but there was no sign of Spitfire anyway, which only made Soarin even more concerned. Even after he'd finished breakfast and changed into his flight suit, Spitfire was still nowhere to be seen. Thinking that perhaps Spitfire had for whatever reason fallen asleep at her desk, Soarin walked the halls of the academy, but when he pushed open the door to Spitfire's office, he found that she wasn't there. And a quick search of the locker rooms, the exercise room, the showers, and the mess hall, turned up neither hide or hair of her. Just as Soarin was about to check his calendar to see if perhaps he'd misread the date, Fleetfoot came trotting up to him with an anxious look on her face. "Ah, there you are, Soarin. Been looking all over for you." She greeted while panting, for whatever reason she seemed to be out of breath. "Fleetfoot?" Soarin asked with a puzzled look. "Is something wrong?" "The mail just arrived a short time ago, and there was a letter from Spitfire," Fleetfoot explained, pausing every so often to catch her breath. "She's gotten sick with a nasty cold and won't be able to come in and supervise us today." Soarin was shocked, but a part of him was weary of believing what Fleetfoot had said. She usually meant well, but her ego could sometimes be a problem (Soarin had hoped he was hearing things when Fleetfoot had "joked" to Spitfire about having Soarin replaced on the aerial relay team). "Fleetfoot, if this is your idea of a joke, it isn't funny." He replied quite sternly. But Fleetfoot only shook her head as she told Soarin. "It's no joke. Here, have a look for yourself!" And she hoofed the letter to Soarin, who grabbed it and examined it carefully, the hoofwriting did indeed match Spitfire's (and Soarin doubted Fleetfoot could just copy Spitfire's hoofwriting). "So, she's sick after all huh?" Soarin commented when he'd finished reading the letter. "Well, that's too bad." Fleetfoot nodded. "But you know what that means, Soarin. Due to Spitfire's absence, as co-captain and second in command of The Wonderbolts, the chain of command falls to you. So as of now, you are officially acting Captain of The Wonderbolts! Congratulations!" Soarin was delighted, he'd always longed for the chance to lead The Wonderbolts, and now he finally had the chance! But suddenly and inexplicably, his thoughts turned to Spitfire, likely sick in bed back at her home. "Even if it's just a cold, it must really stink to be home all alone with nopony to care for you," He thought to himself. "I should probably pay her a visit, just to make sure she's okay. It's the least I can do considering I kind of owe my spot on the team to her, what with us being childhood friends and all." "So, what are your orders, Captain Soarin?" Fleetfoot asked in the official Wonderbolts salute pose. "You name it, we'll do it!" Soarin tried not to smirk. "This'll teach Fleetfoot a thing or two about trying to replace me," He thought. "Once she sees what I have to put up with, she'll reconsider in a heartbeat." He immediately looked at Fleetfoot and told her. "My first act as captain, is to make YOU captain. Effective immediately and until Spitfire comes back, you'll be in charge of The Wonderbolts." Fleetfoot's mouth dropped wide open! "What?! Me?!" She exclaimed. "But, I've never been a leader before!" "Making this an excellent opportunity to get your hooves wet," Soarin replied. "Surely you can manage for a day or two, right? After all, you were so eager to have me replaced on the aerial relay team just a few weeks back. I think it's obvious you want my post, so allow me to give it you as a gift." "But Soarin, I was only joking!" Fleetfoot protested. "Come on, wouldn't somepony like Misty Fly or even Surprise be better suited to this? And think about what you're doing, this is the opportunity of a lifetime, are you really going to pass it up?" "My decision is final, you're the captain now whether you like it or not," Soarin said with a snicker. "As for yours truly, I'm gonna be paying Spitfire a little visit. You know how hard it can be for her to take a break at times like this, somepony's got to make sure she doesn't try to overtax herself." "Couldn't we just send a letter to her mother? What's her name, Stormy Flare was it?" Fleetfoot suggested to Soarin. Soarin shook his head. "Even if one were sent, it could take days before Stormy Flare could get there to check up on Spitfre. I'll be much faster, plus Spitfire will probably listen to me more than she will her own mother. They keep in touch, but I can tell Spitfire wouldn't like being treated like a kid again." "But, but!" Fleetfoot protested, trying to think of a valid argument. Soarin just laughed and shook his head. "If you really need help, just get Misty Fly or Surprise, or even Rapid Fire. Now if you'll excuse me, I really must be going." And he flew off before Fleetfoot could utter a single phrase in protest. Soarin quickly flew to Spitfire's house, fortunately it wasn't too far away from Wonderbolt HQ (though still a good flight's length away). It was your typical cloud house, two stories high, a couple of windows, and one door. Landing on the doorstep, Soarin inspected himself. He had changed out of his flight suit (he didn't need it getting all sweaty from flying to and from Spitfire's house, plus he didn't want to attract unwanted attention in case any annoying autograph hounds or the paparazzi were around) and left it and his googles back at the academy, so now he was just in his cornflower blue coat. Perfect, this wasn't supposed to be anything special, just a visit between friends. Without further hesitation, Soarin reached out a hoof and knocked gently on the door. "Who is it?" Spitfire called from the other side of the door, she sounded noticeably raspy and Soarin could've sworn he'd just heard a sniffle. "It's me, Soarin," Soarin answered. "Mind if I come in, Captain?" "Go away, Soarin! I'm perfectly fine, it's just a stupid head cold!" Spitfire protested, this time Soarin knew for sure he'd heard a sniffle. "It'll clear up in a day or two with bed rest and medicine." Soarin refused to obey. "Spitfire, I didn't come all this way just to be turned away. You and I both know you're far too dedicated to your job to take some time off even when you're sick. You need somepony like me to help you take it easy." "But you'll get sick too," Spitfire protested, before she let out what sounded like a sneeze. "Please, just go back to headquarters and carry on without me. You're not my mother and I didn't ask for you to care about my well being." "Well too bad, because I'm here now and I'm not leaving whether you like it or not," Soarin stubbornly replied. "Come on, open the door, please." Spitfire sighed, Soarin was being incredibly persistent. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" She asked. "Nope," Soarin said with a smile. "After all, it's what friends do. And if you're worried about me getting sick, I'll be just fine. I already had a cold the day I came back from that creepy Castle of the Two Sisters, plus I'm up to date on all my shots. Now come on, open the door already!" A minute or two passed without any sort of reply, before Soarin's ears picked up the sound of the doorknob turning. When the door swung open, Soarin didn't hesitate to step inside and close the door behind him. It was now that he got a good look at the inside of Spitfire's house, and he was surprised at how messy and disorganized everything was. Piles of letters lay unsorted on a nearby table, several unwashed dishes rested next to the kitchen sink, a pillow and blanket appeared to scattered lazily across the living room sofa, and on the nightstand besides it (resting beside a framed picture of Stormy Flare) was a box of tissues with the used ones tossed into a pile beside it. Even more surprising, was that all the lights had been turned off, so the only source of light in the entire building came from Celestia's sun. A nazzly and hoarse sounding cough drew Soarin's attention to Spitfire, a tissue clutched firmly in her front right hoof. Soarin took one look at Spitfire, and nearly jumped back in surprise, she looked terrible! Her vivid two tone orange mane and tail looked completely disshelved and disfigured, sticking up in a few places. Her orange coat looked noticeably drained of color around her face, and faint bangs were noticeable under her dark orange eyes. Were it not for her cutie mark, Soarin would've thought he was looking at a different pony entirely. "Well?" Spitfire asked, turning her head to cough. "You gonna just stand there, looking at me all day?!" "Spitfire, you look far worse than I thought you would for just a cold," Soarin commented. "And just look at how messy this place is." Spitfire coughed. "Sorry, haven't really had much time to clean up. I wasn't exactly expecting company." She apologized. Soarin tried his hardest to smile. "Well, guess it's a good thing I came here then. Looks like you need somepony to help clean things up a little." "I can manage just fine on my own, I don't need your help!" Spitfire protested, before she let out a huge sneeze (thankfully not in Soarin's direction) and wobbled slightly. "It's not up for argument, Spitfire!" Soarin replied quite firmly. "And you're not sleeping on the couch either, you need bed rest. Just leave everything to me while you focus on getting your strength back. Right now, you're no good to anyone, especially not The Wonderbolts." Spitfire couldn't argue with that, as much as she wished she could. "I suppose I'm due for a sick day," She said with a yawn. "Being captain of Cloudsdale's pride and joy sure does take it out of you," Then a thought struck her and she turned to Soarin as she asked. "But, if you're here, then who's running things back at the academy?" Soarin smiled. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, Fleetfoot's got everything under control." Spitfire was more than a little alarmed by Soarin's statement! "Fleetfoot?! But she's one of the younger members!" "True, and look at how fast she's climbed the ladder," Soarin replied, calming Spitfire down. "I wouldn't have put her in charge if the chain of command didn't dictate that she was the next one to take over if you and I were unavailable. It's just until you're back on your hooves." "I just hope she knows what she's doing, for her sake," Spitfire said, as she made her way up to her bedroom. "If she doesn't, when i get back she's gonna have a lot to answer for." Soarin laughed. "Anyone ever tell you you're beautiful when you're angry?" He teased. "Shut up, or when I'm back to full strength I'm gonna make you fly 10,000 laps, or until your wings fall off, whichever comes first." Spitfire teased back, before she slipped upstairs. It wasn't long before Soarin heard the sound of his friend, captain, and fellow Wonderbolt snoring away, and he smiled. "Good, she needs to rest. She's been overdue for some down time for a long time now." He thought, as he set to work on cleaning up Spitfire's house. It didn't take long for Soarin to lose track of the time, as he occupied himself with cleaning up the messes Spitfire had made. He didn't particular mind it, compared to cleaning up the compound whenever he was the worst flyer (which thankfully was happening less and less) cleaning up his friend's house wasn't as big a deal for the stallion. Disposing of the tissues was simple enough, Soarin just used his wing to push them into a trash bin. Washing the dishes took a while, as some stains proved difficult to scrub out. Deciding to leave the pillow and blanket for last (so as not to wake Spitfire when he returned them to her bedroom), he next set his sights on the stack of letters, sorting them into the usual piles of bills, junk mail, and autograph and public appearance requests. But there was one letter amidst the stack that stood out like a sore hoof. Encased in a red envelope, the address was instantly recognizable to Soarin. It was from Stormy Flare, and it was now that Soarin remembered, Spitfire's birthday was today! "Man, nothing is worse than being sick on your birthday." He thought, as he respectfully set the letter on the stand next to the sofa, for Spitfire to read later. The knowledge of the fact that it was Spitfire's birthday, caused Soarin to feel a bit guilty. "If I hadn't come over to check on Spitfire, I don't know if I would've remembered," He thought to himself. "And chances are the other Wonderbolts forgot too. I should go back to headquarters and tell them, then we can work on a care package or something for when Spitfire's back to full strength." However, before Soarin could make any decisions, his ears picked up the sound of a yawn followed by what sounded like minutes worth of coughing, sniffling, and sneezing. In an instant, Soarin knew what his priorities were. He could always just send a letter to headquarters or something, and there was probably a good chance Surprise had remembered Spitfire's birthday, Surprise always made it a habit to remember everypony's birthday. It was part of the reason why she'd taken it upon herself to become the self proclaimed party pony of The Wonderbolts. "Let's do something for that nasty cough first," Soarin thought to himself, and started searching the cabinets in the kitchen. "Nursing Spitfire back to health is probably the best birthday present I give to her on such short notice." Spitfire groaned as she slowly sat up in her bed, her cold was being incredibly persistent. "Stupid cold, you just had to pick today of all days." She said to herself, punching her pillow in frustration. "Yeah, it's unfortunate, but at least you've got one pony to celebrate it with, more or less," Soarin replied with a smile, as he trotted into the room with a bottle of medicine and a small cup tucked under his hooves. "Happy birthday, Spitfire. Sorry you have to spend it stuck in bed." Spitfire looked at Soarin. Surely, she had heard things. Soarin just laughed. "That's right, you heard me. Today's your birthday, and I'm here to celebrate it with you, to some extent anyways," He then unscrewed the cap on the medicine bottle, pouring the red liquid into the cup. "Here, drink this. It'll help with the cold." "Soarin, I'm not some little kid!" Spitfire complained. Soarin only smiled and chuckled. "Oh come now, don't be like that. Either take your medicine like the big filly you are, or I'll do it for you. Your choice." Reluctantly, Spitfire accepted the small cup and allowed its contents to enter her mouth. The taste was quite overwhelming, and she coughed quite a bit. "Oops, sorry about that!" Soarin apologized. "Why don't I get you something to wash out the taste?" "No!" Spitfire protested loudly, before she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, no thank you, I can fetch it myself. Why don't you make yourself useful and go out into town? That medicine bottle's nearly empty." "Captain, I'm not gonna just leave you like this. No way, no how!" Soarin said with a shake of his head. Spitfire could tell Soarin was being stubborn, and knew she had to think of some other way to convince him to leave. Suddenly, an idea came to her! "Since you just remembered its my birthday, you probably don't have any sort of gift you can give me," She suggested to Soarin. "So, why don't you browse around town and get a little gift for me?" "What sort of gift would you like?" Soarin asked, hoping for something more specific. "Oh, whatever you think I'll like. You know me so well, so I'm sure you can tell if what you have in mind is something I'll like," Spitfire vaguely answered. "I'll just stay here and maybe get some more rest. Besides, I've got plenty of books and magazines to keep me occupied." Soarin looked at Spitfire, eyeing his friend carefully. He couldn't quite put his hoof on it, but something felt off. However, this thought was quickly overshadowed by his desire to get her something nice for her birthday. "I won't be gone long," He thought to himself. "Spitfire should be able to take care of things by herself until I get back, right?" Reluctantly, Soarin left Spitfire's room and prepared to set off to find a gift. Spitfire chuckled to herself. "Hate to do that to you, Soarin. But desperate times call for desperate measures." She made sure not to say that too loudly. Searching for the perfect gift proved to be rather challenging for Soarin, it was hard for him to think of what Spitfire most wanted (besides getting over her cold of course). But at last, he found a suitable present in the form of a Team Cloudsdale banner. Once the gift had been wrapped up, and Soarin had obtained a refill on the medicine bottle, he flew back to Spitfire's house. He was a bit concerned, as he'd been gone for almost two hours, far longer than he would've liked. Putting the medicine bottle back in the cabinet, and setting the gift on the kitchen table, Soarin called out. "Spitfire! I'm back!" But there was no reply. Thinking she might have dozed off, Soarin flew up to Spitfire's bedroom. But he gasped in horror at what he saw! Not only was Spitfire not in bed, but the sheets had been carelessly tossed aside, a clear sign that Spitfire had gotten up! And since Soarin couldn't find her anywhere, he had a very bad feeling about where Spitfire was. His fears seemed to be concerned when the stallion lay his eyes upon a note that rested on Spitfire's bed stand, it read as follows: Soarin, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I don't need you to look out for me all the time. I just need a little fresh air to get over this stubborn cold. I've gone out for a short fly but should be back before sunset. Don't bother waiting for me or looking for me. This is something I must do myself to prove that no measly cold can keep me down! If you try to come after me, I'll have you court-martialed for disobeying a direct order from your captain! Sincerely, Spitfire, your captain As Soarin pondered what to do, suddenly and without any explanation, a stream of rainbow colored light shimmered across the paper and was reflected in Soarin's eyes. At that moment, the co-captain knew EXACTLY what he had to do! "Hang on, Spitfire! I'm coming!" Soarin shouted, flapping his wings as he bolted out the front door. In his mind he was thinking. "Please don't let her have gone too far! Please!" Spitfire coughed and sneezed, struggling to keep her wings flapping steadily. "Urgh, come on!" She groaned to herself. "I am Spitfire, Captain of The Wonderbolts! Some stupid cold isn't gonna keep me down, no siree!" But it seemed that the young captain's body wasn't listening, it actively fought against her every step of the way. Every wing flap felt like a struggle just to stay in the air! All of a sudden, in the distance, a voice shouted. "Never fear, Captain! Soarin's here!" Spitfire would've loved to turn around in mid flight and eye the one who had shouted that command. But all her energy was being spent just to keep flying in a straight line, she didn't dare try to turn around and expend what energy she had left! All she could do was call out in her raspy and nazzly voice. "S...Soarin?" In a flash, Soarin caught up with Spitfire and was by her side, effectively propping her up! "Come on, Cap, we've got to get you back home and fast!" "What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to follow me." Spitfire weakly called, coughing quite a bit. "That's one order I could never obey, not under these circumstances!" Soarin vowed. "We Wonderbolts always stick together, no matter what! I will not leave your side just because you say so, not when I know you need me!" "He's as stubborn as they come," Spitfire thought to herself, as she was led back home by Soarin. "But that's what I like about him. A friend like him comes once in a lifetime, if you're lucky." The journey back home proved to be very tense, but with Soarin's help Spitfire was soon back on solid cloud and no longer had to worry about flying. Completely taxed from her struggle, she nearly collapsed right then and there. Soarin helped Spitfire back up to bed and tucked her in. "You really need to learn to rest and relax, Captain. You're always trying to push yourself to the limit, no matter what. And don't we Wonderbolts thrive on the motto 'No unnecessary risks'?" Spitfire blushed in embarrassment. "I've never been so humiliated in all my life," She commented. "Thank you so much, Soarin. You were willing to put your very position on the team at stake, just for me. How could I ever repay loyalty like that?" "You don't have to, just being there for you is reward enough," Soarin replied, but he was most surprised to see Spitfire reach over to her bedroom drawer, open it, and give him a badge depicting The Wonderbolts logo. "For me?" Soarin asked. Spitfire nodded. "You deserve it, you're the best friend I could've ever asked for. I'd be proud to call you my wingpony, anytime." Soarin chuckled and smiled. "Horseapples, you could be my wingmare." He joked, prompting him and Spitfire to both laugh out loud. Had either of them been looking at the badge that moment, however, they would've seen it give off a rainbow glow.