Before the stallion could see who tagged him, Rainbow Dash tossed the white towel at Soarin’s hooves. “I saw that, Soarin!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed and watched Lightning Streak shoot a glare at the scapegoat who had no idea he was being used.
“Did what?” Soarin asked, looking to the one who called his name. But in that time, he didn’t see Lightning Streak whip his towel at the Soarin, missing by a few hairs. “The heck, dude!”
Lightning Streak grinned, at the ready to whip the cloth he wielded viscously. Soarin gripped his wet rag, swung with harsh intent, and missed Lightning Streak, hitting Sky Stinger in the back. He flinched and let out an “ah!” as a red spot grew, indicating where Sky was struck.
“What?!” Vapor Trail was shocked by the sudden yelp. But her friend was quick to retaliate, whipping at whoever was behind him. His victim: Rainbow Dash. With everypony now aware of what was going on, most of the Wonderbolts scattered and grabbed their rags. Their animal instincts kicked in and were ready to strike at anypony who dared attack them. As for Spitfire and Vapor Trail, they looked at each other, wondering what riled up the team. Several members walked up and down the locker halls, hunting for their next victim. Loud smacks rang out, the occasional yelp following the crack.
Vapor Trail flinched as Blaze and High Winds dueled each other, cracking at each others legs and flanks. If there was one thing Vapor Trail hated about locker rooms, was the chance of being whipped by a wet rag.
“Alright, who started it?” Spitfire exclaimed, but was not ready, nor expecting her rhetorical question to be answered.
“Your mother!” Fleetfoot barked, her towel tagging the captain in the flank. The sound rang loud and a large red spot glowed on Spitfire’s fur.
A sinister sneer grew on Spitfire’s face. In one quick motion, the captain swung her towel like an aggressive whip. “You better run, Flatfoot…”
Now glad her friend was involved in the temporary war, Fleetfoot yelled, “The captain is commin,’ everypony!” As quickly as she could, the one called Flatfoot fled with Spitfire in hot pursuit. Vapor Trail watched the two round the corner before consecutive cracks rang in the air.
“I don’t care about who started this nonsense,” Spitfire exclaimed, her voice moving around the hallways. “But I will end it!” Several more snaps bit the air, making Vapor Trail flinch after each sound.
A crack rang from behind the mare. Her neck snaps to see who tried to hit her and saw her turquoise friend. “Please don’t, Sky!” Vapor Trail begged, quaking in fear.
Chuckling, the stallion shook his head, “I would never want to hurt you.” Keeping an eye on his flank, he said, “You better get out if you don’t want to get whipped.” Not taking her time, Vapor Trail made for the exit. A crack here and a bite there. But thankfully, the mare met no pegusi as she briskly headed toward her escape. However, the moment she rounded a corner, a stallion waited in preparation for an ambush.
Vapor Trail flinched and tucked her head into her shoulder just as Wind Waker swung his towel. The tip cracked against the mare’s cheek, leaving a bright red spot to show where she was hit. She let out a scream as the sound rang in the locker room.
“Oh my goodness! I am so sorry, Vapor Trail!” Wind Waker quickly lemented his choice as he watched the white mare’s eyes tear up. She rubbed her cheek, it stinging with pain.
“What happened?!” Sky Stinger’s voice bit the air, his name having more meaning. Looking behind her with one eye, she saw her friend standing with a puffed chest. Anger burned in his eyes with instincts almost ready to act irrationally.
“It was an accident, I swear!” Wind Waker tried to step toward Vapor Trail but she flinched at his movement. “She bent her head down and I was trying to aim for the legs-”
In one swift act, Sky Stinger dashed at Vapor Trail’s attacker and whipped at Wind Waker’s face. The rag tagged his nose, the stallion wincing in pain. “The legs are not up here, you moron!” Sky Stinger barked, pointing at his face with a hoof. The sound of cracking around the locker room ceased immediately.
“S-Sky!” Vapor Trail yelped, now longer worried about her hurt face. Stepping in front of her heated friend, she tried to calm him down, “He said it was an accident! I am fine.”
But her words fell on deaf ears. Sky Stinger saw where Wind Waker hit his friend and noticed Vapor Trail’s cheek was slightly swollen. Her upper cheek was puffed out, making it almost seem that Vapor Trail was struck by a harder force than a wet cloth. And that boiled his blood even more.
Being the barrier, the victim threw herself between the now angry stallions. “You heard your friend,” Wind Waker leered, no longer holding his towel. “She knows I am sorry.”
“Regardless of who you hit, you would have angered anyone by hitting them in the face,” Sky Stinger spoke through his teeth.
A crack rang out, along with Sky Stinger yelping in pain. Another sound and Wind Waker almost mimicked the same scream as Sky. “Alright, fun’s over…” Spitfire hovered in the air, leering above the three ponies. “It always ends in somepony getting hit in the face, and then things get ugly.”
At this point, others began to come around the corners, wondering what the commotion was all about. Among the ponies, Rainbow Dash stood in the back, feeling guilty because she was the one who started the towel whipping fiasco.
After landing in front of Vapor Trail, Spitfire got a good look at her swollen cheek. “Ouch…” she muttered. Spitfire gave the same stare Sky Stinger was wielding at Wind Waker, “Why were you aiming for the face, you dunce?!" Spitfire circled her hoof around her face, "The legs aren't up here!”
“It was an accident!” Wind Waker begged as others looked at him with disappointment. “She ducked her head down when I aimed for her legs.”
Vapor Trail nodded, “It is true. He didn’t mean it.” She began to hate herself for being weak and getting Wind Waker into trouble. “It’s my fault for flinching.”
“No it is not.” Sky Stinger placed a hoof on his friend’s shoulder, giving Vapor Trail a supportive look in his eyes.
“Speaking of fault…” Spitfire grumbled under her breath, but loud enough for everypony to hear her. “Anypony want to fess up and tell us why you started this towel whipping scenario?” Every head looked around to try and find the culprit.