Bright and early the next day, Soarin ran the tightest, most brisk and efficient introduction to evasive flight he ever had. Driven by excitement about the next chance to spend time with his new special somepony, the Captain whirled around obstacles and dodged hazards with textbook grace and precision. He streaked back to the waiting group of trainees and panted to catch his breath.
“And that’s all there is to it!” he said cheerfully. “Any questions?”
“Um, can we maybe see that again?” a lime-green mare asked with a cautious raise of a hoof. “But, like, about HALF as fast?” The rest of the group murmured in agreement.
Soarin rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof. “Oh! Heh heh, guess that was a little hard to follow, huh? Maybe I rushed it a bit. All right, lemme give this another try for you.” He arced around to the starting position and took off again, this time at a smooth, leisurely pace.
With the relaxation of slower flight, Soarin’s mind began to wander. He saw Surprise’s smiling face in the shapes of clouds. He heard her lilting giggle on the wind. How had he gone so many years working so close to her without ever noticing how vibrant, how joyful, how in love with life that bouncy blonde beauty was? If only he’d–
His right wing clipped an obstacle pole and he lurched into a spin. At low speed it shouldn’t have been a problem, but before he could correct his yaw the rotation smashed the side of his head into the edge of a wind generator on the obstacle layer below. Soarin heard the distant sound of cracking glass, and then a high-pitched ringing in his ears. White-hot sparkles danced across his vision.
He landed heavily on a cloud still further below, and by the time he got his bearings the trainees surrounded him. He waved off helping hooves and got up with only a little bit of wobbling.
“Oof, w-well, I guess that makes a good lesson, too — no matter how easygoing the situation is, something can always potentially go wrong!” He chuckled and then gingerly touched the darkening bruise on his head with a wing. “Tell you what … while I clear my head, let’s talk about something a lot of civilians don’t even know about: Wonderbolt nicknames! For example, does anypony have a guess about why they call me Clipper?”
This time, the whole group raised a hoof.
After the lesson, Soarin took a slow, cautious flight to check his coordination. He could glide straight, and shifts of altitude didn’t make him dizzy; it seemed he’d escaped any serious harm from the impact. He arced around to aim for an open landing field near the Academy proper, but as he got within twenty yards a piercing whine of feedback made him brake to a hover and slap a hoof to his ear.
“Ow! Shoot, comm musta broken in the crash!” He tilted his head and tapped it to try and dislodge the damaged trinket. The motion changed the timbre of the noise, and all at once it crackled and quieted and he heard Surprise’s voice — watery and warbling as if echoing from down a well.
“ … means to me, Ma’am. I won’t let you down!”
“I wouldn’t have approved you if I thought you would.” Although the General’s sharp voice had sliced through the distortion, it took Soarin a moment to recognize her because of her tone: Warm and gentle.
“Thank you, Ma’am. I guess I’m still just a little shaken because I cut it so close on the evaluations.” Surprise chuckled anxiously.
Soarin raised an eyebrow. He stayed silent and drifted closer to the Academy building with a few noiseless flaps. The voices became a little clearer.
“You cut it more than close,” Coriolis said with a smirk. “To be honest, though, those evaluations are really more like … guidelines. There’s more to promotions than numbers. The Wonderbolts represent the best of the best among Pegasi. In many ways, we’re the public face of the entire tribe. Ponykind is united under the Princess — ah, Princesses. They set the standard. We need leaders like them — mares like them — in charge. We need to promote the right kind of Pegasi. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Surprise said gravely. “I understand.”
Soarin dropped down to alight on the building’s front walk. He staggered and flapped to stay on his hooves. “Can’t be …” His breath came in shallow gasps. “Just can’t …” He tilted and shook his head, and the hissing, cracked gem finally fell to the ground. His hoof dropped with the corners of his mouth; the impact crushed the ruined jewel.
A few moments later, Surprise came trotting out in a crisp duty uniform fitted with brand new Captain’s bars. She perked up on sight of him.
“Oh…! Hay, there! How’s it going? I’ve got the evening open — you wanna go grab a hayburger?” She smiled her perfect, pearly smile.
Soarin shook out his wings. “I don’t think so.”
She stepped closer to him. “Is everything okay? You look upset. Are–” He jerked aside and turned away when she tried to nuzzle his neck. Her brows furrowed. “What is it? What happened?”
“I …” He kept his back turned. “I don’t think this is working out.”
Surprise’s ears and tail drooped. “What…? How can you say that?” Her eyes shone as she sniffled. “Wh-Why?”
A quiver ran through him. He finally turned to face her with a steely glare. “Maybe I’m just not the right kind of Pegasus for you.”
The mare’s eyes went saucer-wide. She touched her ear, still fitted with the trinket. “You … you were listening?”
“I was listening.” He scowled. “Were you EVER planning on telling me how the General feels about me? Heck, about ALL stallions? About how she was putting me through a hurricane while you got clear skies?” His eyes narrowed.
Tears wet her cheeks. “No … Soarin, no! It’s not like that!” She pressed forward. He drew back. “I didn’t know! Nopony knew! We almost never talk about evaluations!” She choked on a sob. “I d-didn’t realize until last week!”
“Last week? This whole fun time we’ve been having, you mean? And just now, while you two were laughing it up? Guess it makes sense to sit back and ‘take a moment,’ when you can get promoted at the drop of a feather!”
“Soarin, please ...” Her bottom lip quivered.
He paused for just a moment, but then his scowl deepened and he nudged past her to enter the headquarters.
Surprise turned and reached out a hoof after him. “Wait! Where are you going?”
Soarin’s ears pinned back. “I’m going to go give Coriolis what she’s wanted from me all along.”
The door closed behind Soarin, cutting off the caress of the summer breeze and the sound of Surprise’s sobs.
Spitfire hissed in a breath as she eased down and back into a metal tub full of equal parts water and ice cubes. She let it out little by little as her tension eased. When she spoke, she kept her eyes on the ceiling.
“He didn’t say anything to you?”
Nearby, Fleetfoot’s blue hide shone with sweat as she stood in a locked stance with weights piled on her outstretched wings. She breathed in quick, shallow puffs, and it took several to get enough air to answer.
“Nngh … nope. You?” She lifted both left legs and balanced on her rights.
Spitfire shook her head. “The General turned him down three times — maybe he’d finally had enough?” She slipped lower for a moment, until only her nose and mouth poked up from the frigid surface, and then rose up again, shivering.
Fleetfoot switched pairs of legs and kept balancing. The weights wobbled slightly. “Yeah. Not like he set any Academy records, boss. Some Ponies peak early. Whatcha gonna do?” She took a few more breaths, and then lifted all four legs to hover for a moment on Pegasus magic alone.
“He was fine yesterday,” Spitfire mused. “He worried me, in the mess last week. But then Surprise made her move, and it all seemed …” She flexed her wings under the water. “If something happened, why didn’t he come to me?”
Sweat beaded on Fleetfoot’s forehead. She dropped back down to all fours and then carefully set the weights down on a bench. “Don’t lose any sleep over it,” she said as she shook out her wings and rolled her neck. “Lots of Ponies tap out of the ‘Bolts. Happens all the time. Even to a Colonel’s wingpony.” She nodded at the row of lockers. “I’m gonna suit up and do some laps while I’m still warm. You wanna go to Pinion’s later? Grab some drinks?” She raised an eyebrow. “ … Get in a brawl?”
“Maybe another time.” Spitfire submerged again, and heaved a sputtering sigh.
Fleetfoot shrugged. “Suit yourself, boss.”
Soarin wiped his face against the raincloud, trading hot sweat for cooler mist. He leaned to one side and peered down at the red stallion staring up at him. “That good, Mac?”
Big Macintosh hoofed at the rain-damp soil and then nodded. “Eeyup. Thanks.”
“No problem. Just doing my job.” He shook condensation off his wings. The grey-green coveralls he wore weren’t as sleek and form-fitting as a flight suit, but they were still treated to keep him dry. Soarin realized the hefty Earth Pony was still looking up at him. “ … Something else need watering?”
Mac shook his head. “Eenope. Just didn’t expect you to be covering for Rainbow Dash now that she’s spendin’ more time with you an’ yours.”
“They’re not my … I’m actually …” He sighed. “Point is, you’ll get used to it. I’m not going anywhere.” He looked up at the boundless blue sky and the blazing golden sun. “Not anywhere.”
His customer shrugged. “Fair ‘nuff. Granny’s bakin’ pies day after next. There’ll be one set aside for ya.”
Soarin nodded. “Thanks.” He pulled back to grip the cloud and then moved on with a few casual wingbeats. The rest of the work day passed calmly and predictably. Bust clouds or bring clouds. Stir gusts for a sailing race, quiet breezes for an outdoor wedding. He could have done it all in his sleep. Sometimes, it felt like he did.
It was another two days before Soarin’s regular meetup with Spitfire at Pinion’s, and the awkward conversation that would ensue if she even still showed up. In the meantime, he needed dinner.
He landed near Ponyville’s town square and trotted through the crowds going about their simple daily business. The gravel still felt odd under his unshod hooves. He soon came to his bistro of choice and took a seat on a miniature haystack at an outdoor table. Within moments a menu slipped onto his table, offered by a server behind him. He glanced down at the same seven appetizers, six entrees, and four desserts he’d seen last time.
“See anything you like…?”
Soarin turned so suddenly in his seat that his spreading wings knocked the glass of water off his table. “What are you doing here?”
“Uh, s-surprise?” She was in full server’s uniform, with her wind-mussed mane smoothly brushed back. She hovered before him with her head low and her eyes bouncing between avoiding eye-contact and helplessly stealing glances his way.
“Not funny.” He frowned.
Surprise alighted and folded her wings. “Not a joke.”
“What do you mean? You’re … you really …?” His eyebrows raised. “Did you resign, too?”
She nodded. “I barely graduated from the Academy. I was never going to be the next Firefly. Or even the next Spitfire!” She chuckled weakly. “I stayed because of you. Chasing you kept me going. I don’t want fame and glory. I don’t want to leave my name on the Wall. I just want you.”
Soarin’s ears drooped. “Surprise …”
Her eyes shone. “I’m so sorry, Soarin. The evaluations came, and I was so close, finally. But then you told me how it went, and I realized what the General had been doing. And I … I messed up.” She hung her head. “But now I did my best to fix things. I picked you over the Wonderbolts, and even if you don’t want to be with me that’s still true. I don’t want the sky, if I can’t fly it w-with you!” She shuddered and hid behind her wings to sob.
Soarin drew close and pulled her into a hug. “Everything’s upside down,” he whispered. “The sky’s all gloomy land … because my sunshine’s here on the ground.”
Surprise threw herself against him and hugged and laughed and cried and peppered his neck and shoulder with kisses. “I’m s-sorry!” she whimpered. She pulled back to meet his eyes. “I … I love you, Soarin.”
He stayed still and silent for a long moment, but then he slowly cracked a smile. “You know what? I love you, too, uh ...” He stared flatly. “Wait a sec. Everypony just calls you Surprise. I fell in love with you without even knowing your real name!”
She leaned in to whisper by his ear and then pulled back again. “Well…? What do you think?”
He chuckled coyly. “I think I understand why you go by Surprise!”
She laughed and playfully swatted at him until they hugged all over again.They kissed, wings caressing wings, and a shiver of enchantment stirred straws and napkins and hay into dust devils around them. Nearby, at an unserved table, a stallion tentatively raised a hoof, but the mare he sat with gently pushed it back down and shook her head.
When Surprise finally broke the kiss, mussed and misty and red-eyed with emotional overflow, Soarin raised an eyebrow. “You said you did your best to fix things. How? I hope you didn’t stir up a big scandal. Spits would be crushed …”
Surprise shook her head. “Oh, nothing like that. I just got in touch with a friend of a friend, to see about taking care of stuff on the down-low.”
His head tilted. “What do you mean?”
She let out winsome, wonderful giggle. “You know how this works by now!”
He took her hoof in his. “Yeah … I think I finally do.”