//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 The Night // Story: The Devil Within // by Nightmarity19 //------------------------------// Morning came as a surprise to me after I flew home when Thorn kissed me before I left with that flash drive that had some evidence that they would use a certain Wonderbolts flying technique at the Games coming in 2 days. Shoot! I'm going to be late for exercises before practice, so I put on my uniform then bolted out of the house like a streak of lightning. Little known fact about my flying just in case you were wondering, I leave fire tracks in my wake whenever I feel like I'm going to be late for anything...much like now. Lucky for me, Soarin was there before I was so he could cover my flank. Yep he always had my back unlike Fleetfoot who used dirty tactics like causing a rough house then blaming it on somepony else just to please her Spitfire-senpai. For the first time in a long time, the grounds were actually enjoyable again without anypony giving Fleetfoot a dirty look. "So did you get the drive?" Soarin asked me. "Yep but Fleetfoot didn't make it out with me but she fought valiantly for the cause" I lied, making fake tears fall from my eyes. I don't know if he bought the fake crying bit of the whole made up confession about Fleetfoot fighting valiantly when I just saw her standing there like a statue, Thorn heart smirking that devilish grin that glued to my mind. Then it was that kiss we shared under the moonlight together. No other thought came close to staying instead of that kiss Thorn gave me. My thoughts came to a screeching halt as I heard Spitfire's booming voice, I almost mistaken her for either Princess Celestia or Luna. Everypony including me got in an upright position as Spitfire walked back and forth until she stopped in front of me, lifting her cool shades up and squinted. "Firestarter did you and Fleetfoot retrieve what I asked for?" Spitfire asked me in her stern voice. "Yes ma'am but unfortunately Fleetfoot didn't make it so she wanted me to give you this in honor of her valiant sacrifice" I lied to her, pulling out some damaged Wonderbolt goggles I found in the garbage. Spitfire rubbed them like Fleet actually died. Hook line and sinker. "I see, well she won't die in vain," Spitfire began. "At the Games, I want you Firestarter to lead our squadron in Fleetfoot's memory" she announced to me. "It would be my honor" I responded, saluting her. Spitfire took the flash drive from me before dismissing us to our normal routine. I kept myself from laughing after the made up story, bringing out those broken goggles from the garbage, and actually having Spitfire believing the whole thing. When I went to my locker to put my lunch in, Soarin just so happened to walk by and by the look on his face it was like he won the lottery or something. "What's got you all chipper today?" I asked him curiously. "Well with Fleetfoot gone, things have gotten smoother around here and the best part of it is that we're ahead on schedule so we'll have the technique down by the time the Games arrive" he explained to me. No doubt in my mind at all, once Fleetfoot was out of the picture, everypony has been training very well. Once the Games get going it will run like a well oiled machine now that I exterminated a little thorn in everyponies back. I had every right to agree with Soarin, nothing was gonna stop me from being overjoyed about this sudden revelation. Spitfire set the broken goggles on a wooden pole sealed inside a glass container for safe keeping. That was a good move Firestarter you really showed her who's the top pony in Cloudsdale the voice in my head said to me in a whisper. There it was again, that raspy but calm demeanor of that voice in my head began creeping it's way back into my mind for no particular reason at all. Something about the voice was that it was like mine but darker and more sinister as if I had some alter ego like Jekyll and Hyde, it could be. I remember seeing that stallion wearing a three piece suit, black mane and tail, and a black flame cutie mark. He had the same red gemstone necklace as me so marking it as something unreal was not going to get me anywhere. A flash of his image echoed itself in my head, causing me to have a mini headache. "Hey Dazzle you feeling okay?" Soarin came up to me asking me that simple minded question. My eyes turned pitch black before changing back to their normal hazel glow as I turned to face Soarin. "Yea I'm doing fine" I answered him with a light smile on my face. Soarin had mixed feelings of my sudden smile after having a mini headache a few minutes before he came. I put on my goggles then headed to the training grounds where Spitfire and two other Wonderbolt cadets that were going to help perform this breathtaking move Spitfire was talking about. "Since Fleetfoot is no longer with us I am appointing Firestarter Dazzle to be our new leader to help us perform the most famous pegasi move at the Games. I hope these two cadets will do a fantastic job" Spitfire explained. A small hint of remorse did fill my heart about filling Fleetfoot's hooves, being that Thorn is using her for who knows what. It quickly faded when Spitfire named me leader of the squadron when normally it was going to be Fleetfoot that was going to lead the group into the opening credits of the Equestrian Olympic Games. Now that title was around my name and I loved it. Finally, without that pesky Fleetfoot to ruin my fun, I was the one ponies young and old were going to remember. Once those Games start it will be my time to shine I thought to myself. I soon instructed the two other cadets in a skydive yet it was more of an air stunt to open the show up that sets up the rest of the mood for the entire show. When I was up there, I was free to fly away and forget my problems down on ground level such as letting Thorn use Fleetfoot to do whatever she pleased. I finished the routine by having the cadets form a loop as I zoomed past them in a streak of flames, that impressed Spitfire. A please smile spread across Spitfire that I thought Tia herself shined a light on her. Dropping down with a smooth landing, I high hooved the two cadets before they went to the exercise room. As soon as I turned around, Spitfire was the next pony to make me almost knock her out silly. "That was some awesome tricks Dazzle! If you keep up this momentum going into the games then we'll really wow the crowd" Spitfire said to me, still with that excited look on her face. "This will show those Shadowbolts what we're really made of" I said in response to her excitement. The flash of Thorn heart echoed inside my head in the form of 60 second video like clips that I was experiencing. On my way home from work I happen to be spotting a Shadowbolt near the front door and it struck me because I wasn't expecting anypony at my house. Upon further inspection, the mysterious Shadowbolt turned out to be Thorn heart relaxing near the two concrete steps that led up to the door to enter. My throat was dry, I didn't know this would happen right here but I guess I'll find out soon enough. "Thorn what are you doing here?" I finally manage to say. "I came here to well catch up on some sleep while you were working under Fleetfoot's senpai" Thorn explained. Judging by the look of things, she was the only mare out here and no pony was following behind her in an ambush attempt. But no she was all alone with me in the coming darkness. "I don't really have time to stick around but I just wanted to thank you for letting me keep Fleetfoot. She's actually useful inside our base, especially the stallions during late night training" Thorn heart explicated to me. Some of what she said I should be concerned about but there was nothing illegal going on. "Well you'll be happy to know that since Fleetfoot is out of the picture, Spitfire has named me leader of the flight squadron that is responsible for calling the opening ceremony" I tell Thorn with a spring in my step for good measure. Thorn let out a giggle before speaking again, "Glad your happy you finally take that leadership role" she said proudly. I only smiled and received another kiss before Thorn left, leaving me with amazing dreams in the near future.