//------------------------------// // Flight Lessons // Story: Spitfire: WonderBolt-Hood // by Rattus and The Victor //------------------------------// "Do you really think this is working?" Spitfire whined, she was still barely able to get off the ground with her wings. Soarin had advised her to "pump more power and passion into them!" Currently he and Fleetfoot were both effortlessly sailing above her. "Well of course it is!" Soarin called back. "Just keep practicing!" Spitfire sighed in frustration as she continued to practice. It had been well over a week now since they had banned together. Spitfire sometimes felt very annoyed at her "luck" that these two would just so happen to find her. Fleetfoot nimbly flew down beside her. "Don't worry how you look compared to us," she said, aware that Spitfire's eyes were jealously pinned on Soarin. "You are really improving, but to be frank," she lowered her voice. "What is the bit-situation looking like? How long can we actually go on like this?" Spitfire scrunched up her muzzle, "It doesn't really matter, and not terribly much longer if you two stick around." Fleetfoot wore a guilty expression before lighting up once again, "My offer still stands- about living with me and my parents. And now that we have Soarin, getting you up to CloudsDale should be easy!" "Aren't you forgetting your parents are friends with Stormy Flare?" Spitfire spewed the last name distastefully. Crestfallen, Fleetfoot stared at the ground, digging a small hole with her hoof. "Yeah, I had forgotten about that. But honestly, wouldn't it be easier to contact Foal Protective Services than to do this?" Spitfire didn't present an answer to this, but Fleetfoot could see she was thinking about it. "At least think about that, okay? I mean I-" She wanted to say she wanted to go home, but she knew Spitfire already knew. Soarin glided down to meet them. "Hey, what is going on?" slightly concerned. The two mares couldn't quite produce anything more than a sideways glance. "Are...you already bored with your lessons...?" he said, trying to fake a warm smile. "I think it is time you two go home." Spitfire mumbled. "Thank you, for both of you for keeping me company, but this just isn't going to work." Fleetfoot and Soarin both looked at each other. "Not without you." they said in unison. Spitfire angrily puffed up and tried to run off. Her companions trotted after her. "Spitfire!" Fleetfoot yelled. "Wait up!" Soarin sounded. "Spitfire!" a hoarse voice called from the distance. Spitfire remained silent as she galloped through the traveling carnival. She wished more than anything that she could just fly away from this place, and be a normal pony with the same opportunities as everypony else! Her hooves pounded at the dirt below her as she launched herself further and further. "Spitfire!" the same voice called again, this time full of rage. Large hooves could be heard tearing up the ground behind her. She attempted to flap her wings and take off, but she only rocketed back down and into the mud below. A large stallion appeared above her, at first glance nothing but his size seemed intimidating. He had a light wisteria colored coat, a coral pink mane peppered with erratic white streaks, and garnet colored eyes. His cutie mark was a small circus tent and a party popper. "Young filly, I told you not to run off like that while I am in the middle of a hosting a show!" "But Pa!" Spitfire protested, "I haven't been to school in over two weeks and wanted to turn in my late assignments real quick! The school house is only two hours away!" "And two hours back! Did you honestly think that this would work? Besides, school hardly benefits fillies such as yourself, and you are always complaining about those ignoramuses who tease you, right? I firmly believe that if anything will benefit you, it will be working here at the carnival. Gaining skills that you will actually apply in your life when you take over!" "Why can't Blaze taken over? I don't want to take over Pa! I hate it here! I hate you and I hate my aunt! I just want to live with Ma!" Her father pushed his giant muzzle almost directly into her face. "If you think your mother givings a flying feather about you, you're stupider than you look. I would advise you to give up on your grandeur delusions of a better life and just accept your fate like your sister did a long time ago. I think you already know what your punishment will be tonight, so get ready for it." he snorted, storming off. * * * Breathlessly, Spitfire was forced to stop as she did not have as much staying power or stamina as her companions. Fleetfoot and Soarin didn't even seem winded and easily caught up to her. "Like it or not, you are stuck with us until we know you have a safe home." Fleetfoot said, and Soarin nodded in agreement. "I am about to just report you to Foal Protective Services mysel-" Spitfire snarled at both of them, she could not outrun them, but perhaps she could get rid of them a different way. "Well I don't care what you two want! You aren't even my friends and you don't know me! Besides, you have only been weighing me down and pissing me off this entire trip- and using my resources! And you have the audacity to-" Fleetfoot breathed in deeply and sat down, then extended both front legs out towards Spitfire, offering a hug. "Do you REALLY think I am in the mood for something that stupid and that will take back every-" Fleetfoot rolled her eyes and forced her into the hug, fight as she did, Spitfire was not strong enough to pull herself away from it. Soarin joined in on the hug as well. Spitfire felt...well, breathless, afraid and safe at the same time. She was incomplete yet altogether at the same time. She wasn't very used to hugs from where she came from, they were almost an unfamiliar concept to her. It was both nerve-racking and relaxing at the same time. "Are you done?" Fleetfoot asked with a raised eyebrow. Spitfire let out a sniffle and then blushed. Signs of weakness like this were worth punishments back at home as well- or to be taken advantage of. "Don't be ashamed, let it all out!" Soarin announced bombastically, causing Fleetfoot to shoot him a scathing look. Once she was done they decided it was well time to head out. Staying in the same place too long would derail the entire operation. Bathed in the dying evenings light, they marched on, without a planned destination or purpose. "Thanks..." Spitfire mumbled before they began to lay down for bed. "What for?" Fleetfoot asked, raising an eyebrow with a confused look on her face. "You know..." "We do?" Soarin put in coyishly. Spitfire scrunched up her muzzle and then sighed. "For...being here and being who you are." Fleetfoot gained a condescending look. "Oh-ho really? Miss Against the World and I have No Friends?" Soarin waved her off. "What kind of friends would we be if we left you when the going got tough?" That word echoed in Spitfire's head for the rest of the night as they camped out underneath the stars. _________________________________________________________________________ It was impossible to tell how many moons had passed since the three foals had been reported missing from their homes. Whirlbreeze nervously trotted back and forth in the station, anxiously looking at the clock. He should be back soon with the information she thought. She had been unable to eat, sleep, or even think since she had seen the forged letter the teacher had found on his bed. The door opened behind her, and she recognized these faces as her unfortunate neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. CloudFluer. Their daughter Fleetfoot had gone missing about a week before her own son. Both looked as though they had been crying a considerable amount as they walked into the building with a sense of lifelessness. She offered them a warm smile as they sat down in the waiting room. Nopony looked at each other for a while before Whirlbreeze boldly announced, "They think there might have been a sighting." Mr. CloudFluer nearly fell out of his seat and his wife gasped as she jumped out of hers. "Do you really think it could be them?" Whirlbreeze shrugged. "I am not sure. Honestly I am trying not to get my hopes up too high in case it is a false alarm." The smiles that once filled the happy couples face dissolved like foam. Mrs. CloudFluer nodded and returned to her seat, a hopeful glint still in her eyes. It felt like they had spent hours there, time passed like molasses dripping down a wall of drying paint, until the door opened once more. A mare galloped in and placed her hooves on the front counter, looking back for somepony. She had a canary yellow coat, an orange mane with amber highlights, and fierce orange eyes. Her muzzle was much more squared for a mare, but she pulled it off well. "Stormy Flare?" the Cloudfluer's asked, "What are you doing here?" Manically Stormy Flare called out for somepony to come up immediately and asked if it were true. Once her eyes met with Whirlbreeze, she could automatically tell she had been crying. "Is it true?" she breathed out. "Have they seen my daughter?" All parents sorrowfully shuffled around. "I-I can't say Miss, Stormy Flare was it? We are all here hoping to hear about our own missing foals as well." A grim understanding filled the room, no words needed to be said to feel the consolidation each parent offered each other in the looks they cast to one another. "Alright everypony." a cheerful stallion said, trotting in. "I do believe we've got 'em!" "WHERE?! they all cried in unison." * * * "That's it! Now you're really getting it!" Soarin called out to Spitfire. She was almost able to reach the low cloud Fleetfoot had placed down for her. Her wings had grown much stronger over the course of these lessons. There was a kind of rhythm to it she found. It wasn't as simple as beating your wings and taking flight. It was becoming one with your whole self and flight. How many weeks had it been now? It was hard to tell, it could have been a month at this point, but she didn't care. She didn't have a soul in the world who was worried about her and she was in a sense, completely free. Spitfire was unaware that in her sonic bliss, she had sailed over the cloud and was soaring higher. She let the wind stroke the tips of her wings and stroke her mane. She let the warm sun shimmer across her body and she dipped between cloud after cloud. Fleetfoot and Soarin exchanged looks of shock and happiness. They tailed after her, making sure not to be seen least they distract her and make her lose her focus. "You know, she really picked up on flight quickly for somepony who had never flown a day in her life." Fleetfoot whispered to Soarin. Soarin nodded in agreement. "I thinks it is where she always was meant to be and wanted to be, but never got the chance. And now that she is here, there is no stopping her." Fleetfoot chuckled, "And there is no stopping us either from watching over her. You know, I am sorry I never really got to know you before Soarin. Like at school- I think we would have really gotten along if I wasn't too.." "Stuborn to make friends?" "Exactly. Once we get back, do you think we can still be friends?" "Are you kidding me? Of course!" Soarin said, struggling to keep his voice low still and they both nervously looked at Spitfire, who was now just circling their site. "I hope all of us will be friends." he added, nudging towards Spitfire. "She is right about one thing though. We can't keep going on like this. We need to contact Foal Protective Services without her realizing it. This adventure has been fun and all, but I think it needs to end soon." Fleetfoot noted. Soarin nodded. "Wow, look at her fly..." he said, eyeing Spitfire, who was semi-gracefully maneuvering between a small cloud course he himself erected. "It really is a shame she hadn't gotten in the air when she was younger, it would be amazing to see how spectacular she would be." Fleetfoot raised an eye brow at him realizing what was going on. Spitfire had begun to slowly land on the cloud she was tasked to fly to in the beginning. It was an awkwardly placed landing, however when she did she was visibly shaking. She stared at the twosome approaching her, and she began to breathe heavily. "That was amazing Spitfire!" Soarin called out. "Try awesome!" Fleetfoot retorted, "I- We are so proud and impressed with you!!! How does it feel?" "Honestly, exhausting." Spitfire said, "But totally worth it and...its unlike I have ever done or seen!" "The best things in life don't come easy!" Soarin added in his usual dosage of wisdom on the matter. "Honestly you are one of the...well not best fliers I have ever seen yet, but you are already getting there and soon you will surpass all of them!" Spitfire rolled her eyes. "Tone it down a bit, why don't you? I am only able to fly as high as the two of you, no need to go patting me on the back." Soarin flew over to her and literally patted her on the back. "Well too bad as your getting it anyway!" He perched on the cloud with her and Fleetfoot followed suit. They stared down at the land below. The shadow from the cloud lightly danced on the ground below if anypony moved it. There was no place Spitfire would rather be in all of Equestria right now, but she would never admit it to them. It was almost sad when it was decided that they should head back down for land. Spitfire nervously glided down from the cloud with her companions- no, her friends, and they rested for the day.