//------------------------------// // The Beginning of Something Confusing // Story: Spitfire: WonderBolt-Hood // by Rattus and The Victor //------------------------------// They walked in silence Spitfire shook her head, not being able to believe this was real or this was actually happening. It was all too confusing and impossible. Fleetfoot marveled at the fireflies as they danced across the surface of the water. "I know you're down and all, but isn't this amazing?!" she said in her raspy voice. Spitfire didn't offer a response, only keeping her eyes pinned straight ahead as they traveled further. She's easily impressed. Fleetfoot plodded over to Spitfire's side and, brazenly as ever asked, "So, do I get to know your story yet, or no?" Spitfire scrunched up her muzzle and angrily let out a shrill, "No!" "Hey that's cool, that's cool, I understand. We might as well get to know each other while we are doing this, you know?" Spitfire angrily stopped in her tracks and Fleetfoot almost tripped over a branch. Fleetfoot looked at her questionably before Spitfire seethed, "I don't need to get to know you and I don't want to." A numbness overcame Fleetfoot as she lowered her head, "Oh...well, alright." They stood in silence for a moment before continuing on. Fleetfoot kept looking back, deeply regretting not just staying in Appleosa where she would be found rather quickly. Spitfire noticed this and turned herself around. "If you want to leave, then just go!" Fleetfoot puffed up, "No! I am not leaving you all alone out here!" A hellfire of anger filled Spitfire's eyes as she began to walk up to Fleetfoot, her muzzle nearly in her face. "I don't need you and I don't need anybody to watch after me like a foal! You are useless to me and only a burden." Fleetfoot was very aware of the tears forming in her eyes and could not stop them from cascading down her cheeks. "I don't want you around and-hey...Are you crying?" Spitfire lost her aggressive tone right away. Fleetfoot turned away from her as bulbous tears spilled from her eyes and she laid on the ground. Spitfire felt disgusted with herself and truly realized the impact her words had on Fleetfoot. "Look, I am sorry, I know it doesn't make up for it, but I am sorry." This made Fleetfoot only sob even more though and Spitfire guiltily lowered herself onto the ground. Spitfire wrapped a wing around her and sighed, "You're not a burden, and I actually think you are pretty cool and you've been the only fun part about this." Fleetfoot got up and walked away from Spitfire. Spitfire slowly followed her. When she noticed this Fleetfoot pinned back her ears. "I just want to go." "Oh..." Spitfire said. "Well, if that is truly what you want, and you would be safer that way." "P-please come with though." Fleetfoot barley got out with a quivering voice, "I can't make you, but I hope you consider." Spitfire sorrowfully looked at the ground. "I just can't." Spitfire said, "But I will be as safe as I can. Thank you for being willing to be here with me though. That's been a first." "Pardon?" Fleetfoot said. "It's been the only time someone has wanted to be there for me." Fleetfoot shook her head. "That's ridiculous. I am sure your family has and they are worried sick about you right now." Spitfire raised an eyebrow and frowned, "Well, you'd be surprised." The two fillies stood there for what felt like an eternity. "I'll give you one more chance." Spitfire smiled, "Wait, what? Really?" "Really. But, one one condition." Spitfire nodded, "Uh huh, and that is?" "I get to hear your story." "Fleetfoot!" her father called out. "Right here dad!" she called out, jumping out from behind a cloud and giggling. "In the name of Celestia, you frightened me! Please don't go hiding like that again when I call you! I will think something awful happened to you every time!" Fleetfoot guiltily looked down at the clouds they were standing on. "I am sorry dad, I was just trying to have a little fun, it won't happen again, I promise." "Oh sugar, don't look like that. It was all in good fun. And besides, I know you could handle yourself if something ever happened to you." he swallowed a lump in his throat just thinking about this. "But please don't make me worry when I don't have to." "I won't dad, pegasus promise!" she said, wrapping one wing around his. "And I promise I won't ever go wondering off on purpose, and I will always find my way back." Her dad wiped his eyes, "We are so lucky to have a daughter like you, you know." Fleetfoot rolled her eyes. * * * "You're positive your folks aren't freaking out right now?" Spitfire asked again, doubt obvious in her eyes. "Well, they are probably a little worried, but they know I can handle being on my own." "Is that so?" Spitfire said as they begun to lay down for the night. "Look, when you get tired of traveling with me you can go back to them. It was nice of you to keep me company, but your parents are probably losing their manes not knowing where you are." Fleetfoot paused, not sure if she should respond or let the moment stay as it was. "I'm sticking by what I said, I am not leaving you out here alone when you could be in danger." Spitfire sighed. "Just my luck that I'd run into a goody four shoes like you." "I'm not a goody four shoes." Fleetfoot said, obviously insulted. "I am just doing what is right." "Have you ever really stopped and asked yourself if what you are doing is truly right? You are just trading in your parents suffering to ease mine." Fleetfoot didn't have a response to that. Instead she pinned her ears back and allowed sleep to begin taking her over. "So where are we going?" "I-I don't know." Spitfire said, much more insecure than normal. "I was hoping I'd figure it out on the way." "I don't know what you're running away from, but if you really need a home I am sure my parents would take you in." Spitfire was very quiet after she said this. "Spitfire...? At least think about it, will you?" After what seemed like hours Spitfire whispered, "Yeah, I will." * * * Whirlbreeze ecstatically walked Soarin into Junior Speedsters Flight Camp. "Are you excited Soarin?!" she seemed must more enthused about this than he was. Soarin nervously inched forward as more ponies came crowding in. "Soarin?" his mother asked, poking his side. "T-Totally." he said, shaking. "Well I think you can handle it from here, it looks like all the other foals are walking in without their parents, and you don't want to be that pony who does, do you?" she said, chuckling to herself as she walked away. Soarin suck to the walls of the small room like his life depended on it. He jumped when he thought he saw a griffon. Don't be silly, griffons don't cross into pony territory! He weakly whinnied as he exited out onto the track. "J-Junior Sp-Speedsters, here we go!" he mumbled to himself. He was taken aback when two figures streaked across the sky at lightning speed- he had never flown that fast in a day of his life. He gulped and shook. Maybe he wasn't his fathers foal after all. "Maybe this isn't for me," he said to himself as he tried to walk back into the building. However, just as he did a full grown gray mare walked out. Flight googles and a helmet securely fashioned on, she nearly trampled him as her face was to the sky. "Oh sorry there kid." she said, still looking at the sky and nearly stepping on his tail. "H-hey I-" She looked at him with an extreme look. "Oh, it's nothing." he said, shying away. He stood there, completely alone for a few minutes. Everypony else seemed to be taking off and doing laps already, so he figured that is what he should be doing. He pawed at the ground with one hoof before breaking into a gallop, then taking off into the air. The wind felt ethereal in his mane and the sun trickled down the perfect amount of light and warmth as he flew past the other ponies. He nimbly avoided each puffy cloud that he passed with ease, effortlessly soaring. He looked around at the other ponies who had come to camp- not many could afford the luxury of coming here. He didn't see any familiar faces and shrugged. Then he stopped mid flight and slowly landed back on the track. No, that couldn't be right. There was one face, the face that belonged here, his neighbors filly named Fleetfoot. They went to school together and while neither of them really had any friends, her parents were very well known. She's probably late. Rich ponies like her don't have to worry about showing up on time. Still though, he did worry. It was unlike Fleetfoot to be late for anything, that was just a part of her brazen personality. "EVERYPONY GET DOWN!" the teacher suddenly yelled, blowing on her whistle. "Did I say you could take off?" "No m'am!" the class cried in unison. Soarin attempted to look as well behaved as he could, but the teacher caught his eye and scrunched up her muzzle. "If I see any of you taking off without my permission, you can face suspension! It's not only my rule, but it is a Camp rule! Speaking of which!" she said, handing out small journals. "We need to review this handbook before anpony even thinks about flapping a wing!" Soarin's wings jerked in fear, and she caught this again. "I see we have a class clown! Look here everypony! If you want to achieve greatness, this is what you must not aspire to be like! Attention seeking whelp." Soarin couldn't believe an adult was being this cruel to him, she was acting like the foals she was teaching for Celestia's sake! Soarin tried to not let this get to him, however the tears forming in his eyes betrayed him as he went running off. His mother would be disappointed, but he knew he shouldn't be brought to tears like this. Could he even face her after this? He wouldn't see either parents for many moons, and he wondered if he could just disappear somewhere for a while and just leave a forged note saying his mother came to pick him up. No, that plan wouldn't work at all and his mom would find out immediately. Plus he would need shelter, food and water, and to arrive back in time to keep up the illusion he had been there the entire time. He shook his head. It was hopeless. He would just have to get back out there and face what was to come. He couldn't find anypony when he went back out and sighed. He decided to take just a lap around the course, it would make him feel a lot better, it always did. He forgot to remove his bag he had already repacked with his belongings and decided if he didn't fly too fast there wasn't a bother in carrying it along. However on his course he failed to notice a small flag pole that had been recently erected and he slammed face first into it.The pain was extraordinary and he lost his vision for a moment, he attempted to fly towards where he thought he saw a cloud for landing, but when he tried to land on it he went falling through the air. His bag violently wrapped itself around his front leg and one of his wings managed to get caught in it. He cried out for help but nothing would come. He only fell faster and faster until he came closer to the ground. I am so sorry mom, for being so stupid and helpless he thought to himself. A flash of blue suddenly rocketed towards him and tackled into him, wrapping its front legs around him while slowly lowering him to the ground. "Don't worry, I gotcha." a raspy voice said. "T-thank you!" Soarin said, aware that he had been crying and it was only getting worse after he had been rescued from his death. Sniffling he looked his hero in the face and an elated smile washed over his own. "Fleetfoot?! This is great! I must not be too far off from the Camp after all!" "Ahh," Fleetfoot breathed awkwardly, "Actually I-" Soariin untangled himself from his own bag and jumped excitedly. "Come on! There is no time to waste!" he attempted to jump into the air, but the wing that had been caught in the bag seared even more intensely with each wing beat. He surrendered and allowed himself to fall to the ground. "I am not going to camp...I, kinda am running away." "Fleetfoot!" a voice called behind her. "Did you catch whoever it was?" Fleetfoot and Soarin stood in silence for a moment. "What's wrong?" Spitfire inquired. "R-Running away?" Soarin squeaked "Fleetfoot, but why? You have the perfect life! And I worried when I didn't see you at camp!" "I know, okay?!" Fleetfoot yelled at him. "That's why I am doing this, it is too perfect." Spitfire wrinkled her muzzle. "Perfect life? What do you mean...? You told me home wasn't very good." "And you told me that next time we got food I could have the larger portion, but we all tell lies!" Spitfire looked at her with keen distrust. Soarin shyly butted in. "I-I have some apple pie in my bag if you'd like some- if it didn't get ruined that is." Spitfire raised an eyebrow at him and asked. "Why in all of Equestria would you have apple pie in your camp bag?" "My-My mom makes me some whenever I am about to face something that makes me nervous." he faltered. "And I am pretty nervous and scared right now as I don't know how I will be getting home. I don't even think I can face my mom after what happened today. I...kinda forged a note saying she came and picked me up and well...was trying to think of a way to dissapear." "You mean like run away?" Fleetfoot said in a flat voice. Spitfire pinned back her ears and scrunched up her muzzle, "Absolutely not! We already have too much on our hooves already, and we don't need to become a pack of runaways- I am starting to wonder if kids falling from CloudsDale is a common thing." Fleetfoot looked at her confused. "Aren't you from CloudsDale though? I mean, you are the spitting image of Stormy Flare, and I am positive I have seen you two together. She is one of moms friends." "I-Um, anyway. Are we having apple pie or not?" Soarin placed a hoof on his chin. "You see that all depends. I need a place to go for a little while and I have a bag full of snacks and water bottles, so what can you trade me for my apple pie?" "Fine. You're in. This isn't going to be fun though." Spitfire seethed as they all indulged in some apple pie.