Sapphire Snow woke up alone in her room, feeling more terrible than she had in months. She'd barely slept once she got back to her room, so she got Lemon Pop to come over to her place and tell her everything that happened. After hours of crying, pacing and yelling at nopony in particular, Sapphire had finally collapsed into a restless heap and fell into a fitful sleep full of nightmares about losing Spark in all different kinds of ways, from death, to be being stolen away by that harpy creature.
Sapphire sighed as she sat up in her bed and kicked the sheets off and made her way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She stepped in before it reached its usual optimum temperature. The cold water did wonders to wake her up, something she had been looking forward to. Sitting around in her new makeshift apartment today did not appeal to her. She didn't know what she planned on doing all day, but she couldn't just sit and think about how crappy her relationship with her boyfriend was going.
She had waited so long to return to him, going to hell and back in her training, losing her parents to the very monsters she had been sworn to protect the village from, and now this. The date had ended in disaster, and while the nap with Spark on the cloud was nice, then to see him so emotional as she saw him 'fly' for the first time, and then...Celestia. Acting all 'motherly' and breaking up the very moment that could've fixed everything wrong in her life. Instead, the Princess had made everything so, so much worse.
She'd ran off, gotten mixed up with some older unicorn perv that made her do who knew what while she was being mind-controlled, and then woken up to find her boyfriend in the arms of that damned harpy, bawling his eyes out about some secret that he'd been keeping from her, as Celestia told her. It hadn't helped that Spark Storm didn't come to check on her at any time during the night.
When Sapphire stepped out of the bathroom soaking wet, and trailing water all over the floor, her eyes came to fall on Lemon Pop's admonishing gaze. Why was her best friend staring at her like everything was her fault? She was getting tired of this. Sapphire turned to leave when Lemon leapt over her head and landed in front of her. Sapphire tried to move past her, but her best friend got in her way again.
"Lemon, now's not a good time. Move."
In a sudden and uncharacteristic move, Lemon suddenly pressed her forehead against Sapphire's and shoved her back until she fell back onto her bed with a surprised squeak. "Lemon! What in Tartarus are you doing?!"
Lemon hopped up on the bed and leaned over Sapphire, who was cowed in fright at her friend's outburst. She was usually so happy, so cheerful, she rarely got angry. "You've got to understand something about Spark Storm, Sapphire! If there's one thing that I understand about that stallion, it's that he's loyal, and that he loves you! Whatever he's got going on in his life is huge, and whatever helps him get through that is a good thing, even if it's not you. I can understand why that would hurt you, Sapphire, but if it helps him, then all the better! If bonding with the nymph and the harpy chick is gonna bring him out of this funk he's been in, then you have no reason to be angry, especially with the secret that you made us keep!"
Sapphire stared up at her friend with tears in her eyes. Of course she was right, she knew it, but..."But last night..."
"Last night was one night, and it just happened to be a night where a whole lot of stuff happened. But it was one night, Sapphire." Lemon's voice was soft and comforting now as she backed off a little from her best friend. "There's always tomorrow, sweetie. Well - today. And tomorrow night, and the day after that. You can't come home after two years of being apart and expect it all to just click into place in one night. Relationships take time, and with the lives that the both of you have had, you're both a little messed up, hun. You've gotta work together to fix it."
Sapphire stared at Lemon Pop as if she were the wisest pony in Equestria. After advice like that, she might as well have been. She shot up from her place on her back to wrap her arms around Lemon, holding her tightly and burying her face into her bright blonde mane. "You're right...thank you, Lemon, you're so right."
"Of course I'm right, I'm brilliant!" Lemon smiled happily and returned Sapphire's hug, then pulled away after nuzzling her friend affectionately. "Now what do you say we go get some lemonade and brownies for breakfast, then you go and make things right with Spark?"
"Ew. How about you get lemonade and brownies, and I'll get some donuts and coffee. And I'll definitely make things right." Sapphire smiled happily at her friend as the two of them made their way out and towards the foods and shopping district of the town.
Spark Storm slowly opened his eyes and immediately wished he hadn't. He got an eyefull of feather! Luckily they were soft enough not to hurt. So...why was his face covered with feathers? The night before came back to him, and the last thing he remembered was Sohl tucking him and Orea in close for a hug, and then...well, a face full of feathers.
He couldn't see anything beyond bright pink and yellow, so he gingerly reached up to push against the feathers, which slid apart like a slit in curtains. He made his way out from under Sohl's thick wing, and looked up into the bright sun. Nearly noon now, he mused. He glanced behind himself, and felt his heart nearly melt. Orea and Sohl were nestled tightly together, little Orea wrapped up in Sohl's feathered arms.
Spark stretched out every last joint in his body, earning him several loud pops, especially from his wings. Finally feeling ready to face the day, Spark Storm left the Royal Gardens to find Sapphire Snow.
Spark had just made it around to the front of the castle when he spotted Sapphire and Lemon just disappearing into one of the coffee shops a good ways down the street. Seeing her gave him such relief. Looking back, he didn't remember much up till the point that Sohl arrived and made him face his worst fears: Somepony finding out his greatest secret. It felt strange that Sohl and Orea should be the ones to know and share his secret instead of Sapphire, but in a way he was glad that she didn't know. Maybe someday he'd change that.
For now, Spark made a beeline for the coffeeshop when a sudden yelling and screaming reached his ears. "Wolves! Wolves! Help!"
Spark turned to the sound of the yelling, and he immediately froze, as did the pony doing the hollering. Both stood stock still. Before Spark Storm stood Foggy Nights himself, come to get help from the palace. "Oh, Celestia..." Foggy whispered, and looked from him to the Royal Guard approaching from behind the dark pegasus.
"You there! What's going on, how can we help?" barked one of the guards, a tall white unicorn in regal armor demanded of Foggy. It took him a moment to come to his senses.
"Uh...th-there are wolves, timberwolves, down near the city gates. There's gotta be at least a dozen of them, maybe two different packs. They're getting close, and they're not running away when we try to get them to leave!"
"Right. You did the right thing, son. Spark!" the unicorn barked. Spark Storm turned and saluted to the guard. "Get your team together and meet us down there, we might need your help. Let's move out!" he called, and took five of his soldiers down towards the gates.
Now that he and Spark were alone, the unicorn could feel himself trembling. This was great, just great. The freak that nearly killed him last night was a royal guard, or something like it. And his girlfriend was pretty tough, did that mean she was one of them, too? Oh, he was going to prison, he just knew it...
Spark moved towards Foggy with purpose, who lit his horn threateningly. Spark snapped a wing out, a single thread of electricity striking Foggy's horn and stunning him long enough for Spark to get in his face. "You. Don't leave town. I have business with you." And with that, Spark was gone, racing away from Foggy. The unicorn stood there, stunned as he watched the pegasus disappear into the coffee shop, then right back out followed by two other pegasi as they ran past him, one of them the mare he nearly kidnapped. Oh yeah. He was in big trouble.
"Lemon Pop, take out the leader! Spark Storm, corral the ones on the right and get them back!" Sapphire Snow was in charge today, but if it wasn't for Spark's all-business look as he called them to battle, she might've melted at the sight of him when he appeared in the coffee shop. She had quietly cursed this shot opportunity to make up with her boyfriend. She had to settle instead on watching him work his magic as she fought the timberwolves.
Spark's movements were like magic, indeed. He had managed to synchronize his movements with shooting off electricity from the tips of his wings perfectly. He spun and cracked through wood and flesh with each step he took, sending the monsters flying. Lemon Pop demonstrated great agility and powerful kicks that sent the timberwolves tumbling, often breaking off a leg or breaking a jaw. Sapphire's own movements were fluid and smooth, her dexterity training showing beautifully as she ducked and dipped around the attacking wolves and retaliating with deadly accuracy.
Within minutes, the timberwolves returned to the forest, though their numbers had been cut in half. The dead left behind were discarded into the woods via the Royal Guard unicorns. One of them brought a hoof onto Spark's shoulder as they passed, heading towards the city. "Nice work, Spark Storm, you handle your team well!"
Spark frowned as the guard joined his team on their way back. "Uh, thanks, but it's not..." he trailed off as they were no longer in earshot. "...my team." Spark glanced back at Sapphire, who merely shrugged.
Lemon nudged Sapphire sharply, then gestured to Spark Storm. She quickly made her exit into the air, leaving the two of them alone.
Spark watched Lemon go, and immediately felt his joints stiffen. This was so sudden, and his mind wasn't ready to deal with this just yet. He turned to Sapphire and started to explain this to her when he felt her hoof touch his lips. He watched her as she smiled and leaned in to kiss him gently, then step back. She took a deep breath, let it out.
"Spark, listen to me. When you were in Ponyville three years ago, I took Lemon Pop, Lovely Lightning and Sweet Midnight, went to town, and found an Ursa Minor. We woke it up and set it on the town. Hey, you were there, you know the rest." Sapphire frowned as she saw look of shock on Spark's face, but she was determined to continue. "I-I'm sorry. I did it because I was selfish. I didn't want you to quit the Fighters. I wanted you to go back and finish your training, so I gave you something that would force you to see that you're needed here, not just in Ponyville. It was my fault, it was my idea, so before you go thinking that you went on that trip with Lemon keeping it from you, I made her promise not to say anything. It's all on me."
Spark didn't know what to say. He felt a bit betrayed, even though the reasoning behind what she did made sense. Still, she'd been keeping this from him for years, and now she tells him? Just as he was starting to get angry, Sapphire broke through his thoughts. "Also, I know that there's something you're hiding from me." She paused, letting that information sink in. Spark sighed and rubbed at the back of his head, his eyes trailing to anywhere but hers. This was also true, and he could see where she was going with his. Again, she brought her hoof to his lips.
"But I don't want you to tell me, Spark." This caught his attention. He looked into her eyes, a calm, patient and loving stare on her face. "Not until you're ready to talk to me. I know things haven't gone the way we imagined they would, Spark, but...there's lots of time to make it better, right? I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. So...Can we start over? I just want to be with you, Spark Storm."
Spark finally smiled as he drew his girlfriend close. He wrapped an arm around her and leaned in to kiss her softly. When she returned it, he intensified the kiss. Both teenagers felt their hearts increasing in tempo, their bodies pressing together. After a moment Sapphire broke off the kiss for air. Panting just slightly, she pressed her forehead against his tenderly to stare into those gold eyes. "I'm just going to take that as a 'yes.'"