//------------------------------// // Fleetfoot's Flight // Story: Behind the Flight Goggles // by Crystalline Waters //------------------------------// The third chapter is based on the Third-In-Command of the Wonderbolts, the one and only Fleetfoot! She's a great pony and friend. A lot of ponies don't know this, but Fleet said it was okay to put in: She has a lisp. It's why she's so quiet in public. Both of us, as well as Spitfire and Soarin, thought it was time the rumors about why she's quiet were set to rest. It took me a while to get the story for her chapter, but I managed it. Funnily enough, it all started from a simple misunderstanding I had when I passed by Spitfire on my way to see Fleetfoot for her chapter... "Fleetfoot?" Rainbow walked into the sleeping quarters to find Fleetfoot reading. "Hey Rainbow, you need thomething?" "Yeah, your chapter." "Oh, right. For your book. Thorry, I don't really have anything interethting to do right now." "Oh. I thought you and Spit were going out." "Not that I know of." "But Soarin and I heard her saying something about a meeting with someone special." "What?" Fleetfoot sat up in bed, eyes wide. "B-but I'm sure it's nothing suspicious!" Rainbow hastened to say. Fleetfoot ignored her, flying out of the room. Rainbow followed her out, seeing Soarin waiting for her. "Well, that could have gone better." Rainbow sighed. "True, but Spit did mention that while we were passing by, so it wasn't a lie." "Yeah. We've at least got that for an excuse." Fleetfoot ran into Spitfire's office, bursting through the door. "Fleet? What's wro-" Fleetfoot slammed the door shut with her back leg, then raced to the fiery mare. "Fleety, what's going on?" "Why did Rainbow thay you're meeting thomepony?" Fleetfoot asked, and Spitfire's eyes widened. "Fleet, come here." Spitfire sighed, holding out her hooves. Fleetfoot trotted over warily and slipped into her marefriend's hooves, sitting on her lap. Spitfire blushed slightly at the contact, but cleared her throat and pulled Fleetfoot against her. She began stroking Fleetfoot's wings, ruffling them. "Thpitty, can we wait to preen each other when we're lying down?" Fleetfoot asked, blushing slightly. "Oh, um, yeah, sorry." Spitfire kissed her forehead gently and then nuzzled her. "Fleety, you know I'd tell you if something was wrong." "Yeah, I know, but Rainbow thaid both she and Thoarin heard you." "It wasn't anything important, nothing you need to worry about." Spitfire let Fleetfoot get off her lap. "O-okay." "Great. Can you go check on the other 'bolts then?" Spitfire asked. "Of courthe honey." Fleetfoot kissed her cheek gently, then walked over to the door. She turned back as she reached it. "I'm thorry I thlammed the door like that." "Eh, I've done it enough times myself." Spitfire shrugged. Fleetfoot laughed softly and left the room. ------------------------------------------------ A few hours later, Fleetfoot noticed Spitfire leaving with something tucked under her wing. "Thpitty...?" Fleetfoot followed her marefriend, not knowing Rainbow was spying on them from the ground. Spitfire had taken off, carrying something now. Fleetfoot followed her into the sky, and Spitfire turned, hearing her flying up. "Fleet! I uh..." "What are thothe flowerth for?" "Nothing! Uh, they're not for you." Spitfire said, hiding them behind her back. "Yeah, you've made that clear." Fleetfoot said, looking away. Spitfire took the chance to fly up and peck her on the cheek. "It's nothing important Fleet, I'll talk to you later, okay?" "Okay..." Fleetfoot sighed, then flew back down to HQ. "Why didn't you confront her?" Rainbow asked, standing in Fleetfoot's way. "I didn't want to bother her. She obviouthly doethn't want to tell me thomething tho I'm not going to push her." "And why the heck not?!" Rainbow asked, raising her voice a little. "Wait a minute..." Fleetfoot narrowed her eyes. "You jutht want a thtory for my chapter in your book." "Well...that...and I care about you. Spit may be our captain and my friend, but if she's mistreating you and lying to your face, then I'm gonna say something." Rainbow responded. "Yeah...but I'm sure she hath her reathonth." Fleetfoot insisted. -------------------------------------------- Spitfire kept flying in and out of the HQ the whole week. Fleetfoot barely saw her. "Mail call!" Surprise called, bouncing into the sleeping quarters with a satchel around her chest. "Did any letters for me come? You know, fan mail?" Rapidfire asked, and Misty shoved him. "Nope. Let's see now..." Surprise dug through her bag. "Rainbow, you've got a letter from...Scootaloo." "Sweet." Rainbow took the envelope and tore it open. "Soarin, your mom and dad sent you a letter...Streak twins, you got a letter from your cousin...oh Fleet, your brother wrote to you!" Surprise passed the letters out, and Fleetfoot looked down at it. Fleetfoot ripped open the letter and read it. Hey sis, guess who just got a promotion? This guy! I'm now the leader of the whole Canterlot Guard! Of course, I'm still the leader of the Night Guard, but Princess Luna recommended me to Princess Celestia, because she was looking for someone to look after the guard when Prince Shining Armor isn't here. So now I control the whole guard of Canterlot! Anyway, as a part of the promotion, I got a new house. All expenses already paid. You wanna come check it out? I wrote the address below, come by anytime you want. Love you sis, can't wait to see you again. Please come soon, I miss you. Lots of love, Your big brother. Fleetfoot sighed and stood up, flying over to Rainbow. "What's wrong Fleet?" Rainbow asked. "I...I need thome advice. In private." "Okay...?" Rainbow and Fleetfoot left the room, going out into the hallway. Fleetfoot immediately told Rainbow what her brother had said in the letter. "Well, that's awesome Fleet." "I know...but I don't know if I should go or not. I mean, I want too, but..." "What?" "...There ith no but. Thpitfire'th been really thecretive, and she'th been avoiding me all week. Maybe I should jutht go. Let'th thee how much she liketh it when I leave and avoid her." Fleetfoot murmured, tears falling. "Sounds like a good plan. Your brother might be able to help you, actually." Rainbow said, nuzzling her friend in comfort before heading back into the sleeping quarters. ------------------------------------------- "Rainbow, have you seen Fleetfoot?" Spitfire asked, and Rainbow looked away. "No..." "Rainbow..." Spitfire growled. Rainbow sighed, looking up. "She...she went to her brother's new house to visit him. She'll be back in a week." "What?! Why?!" Spitfire asked, and Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Like you don't know Spit. You've been avoiding her all week. She decided to see how tough you are without her." "Sh**. Sh** sh** sh**." Spitfire swore, head ducked. She looked up, glaring at Rainbow. "Did she tell you her brother's address?" "Yeah, since I'm writing her chapter, she told me so I'd know where to find her. But why should I tell you-?" "For Celestia's sake, just give me the address Dash!" Spitfire yelled, and Rainbow backed up. "Okay, okay." Rainbow caved in and gave it to her. ------------------------------------------- "I'm sorry you feel that way sis. You can stay here long as you like, you know that, right?" Dark Shooter asked. "Yeah, I know, but I'm only thtaying for the week." "Wouldn't blame you if you tried to stick around longer." "Yeah, thith place ith amazing! You really landed a good pothition." Fleetfoot said, and Dark Shooter laughed. "Yeah, I guess I did-" The brother and sister looked up when they heard a knock at the door. Dark Shooter rose from the couch to open the door. He stiffened and his eyes narrowed. "Hello, Spitfire." Fleetfoot leapt to her hooves. "Dark, I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but I really need to speak with-" Spitfire looked over Dark Shooter and her eyes softened. "Fleet." "Hello, Mithth Flare." Fleetfoot said stiffly. "Fleety, I-" "Don't call me that." "Aw, sh** you're really mad, aren't you?" Spitfire moved past Dark Shooter and stood directly in front of Fleetfoot. "You've been avoiding me for a week, of courthe I'm mad!" Fleetfoot exclaimed, stomping her hoof. "Thpitfire...how can I be your marefriend if you don't trutht me enough to tell me what you've been doing?" "Fleetfoot, I promise, I can explain everything." Spitfire said, reaching and taking her hoof. "I have something I want to show you." Fleetfoot looked away, eyes watering. Spitfire raised her chin with her hoof. "Look, just give me an hour, and if you still don't trust me...then I'll leave you alone. For good. I promise." "Wonderbolt Thwear?" Fleetfoot asked, and Spitfire nodded, raising her wing. "I swear by the fallen Wonderbolts of the past that if you don't want me around, I will leave you alone." "Thank you." Fleetfoot sighed. "Are you sure you're okay with this Fleet?" Dark Shooter asked, and Fleetfoot looked up at him. "Yeah Dark. It'th fine." ------------------------------------------- Spitfire led Fleetfoot to a forest, taking her in. "Will you jutht tell me where we're going?" "Fleet...I just want to say..." Spitfire turned to face her, walking backwards. "Since we first met, you've made me bloom." As she said this, Spitfire reached with her wing and pulled aside a tree branch to reveal a clearing. Fleetfoot gasped, covering her mouth with her wing. There, sitting in the center, was a beautiful wooden arch decorated with flowers, with a path of flower petals leading to it. "Thweet Celethtia...are you propothing to me?!" Fleetfoot asked, and Spitfire laughed, placing a wing on Fleetfoot's back and walking her down the path. "Not exactly, sadly. But..." Spitfire took her to the archway, pulling her underneath it. "Do you know what today is?" "No...ith it our anniverthary? Did I forget?" Fleetfoot asked, and Spitfire shook her head. "No, no. That's in five months. Fleety...this is the anniversary of the day we first met." Spitfire lifted Fleetfoot's front legs. "When we became friends. The day I laid eyes on you and knew, you were the one." "Oh, honey..." Fleetfoot flung her hooves around Spitfire. "I'm tho thorry baby." "It's okay Fleety, I would have panicked too." "Tho when Rainbow and Thoarin overheard you...?" "I was talking about meeting with you, today." Spitfire kissed her forehead gently. "I was being secretive so you wouldn't learn about my surprise. You're so smart, you'd have pieced it together in an instant." "Well, I feel thilly now." Fleetfoot sighed. Spitfire lifted her chin. "You're anything but." Spitfire told her, then, their lips met. ------------------------------------------- Fleetfoot has always had a knack for figuring things out. She's also a fan of Daring Do, like me, but she's learned how to piece things together. She should have known what was going on, and remembered how important that day was. But, she was worried. And I didn't exactly help. But, in the end, Fleetfoot trusted Spitfire even though she had no reason to. And it led up to a magical kiss- "Hey, you weren't there, how do you know we kissed?!" Spitfire exclaimed. "You just told me." Rainbow replied. "Damn it." Spitfire muttered. "Why do you swear all the time?" Rainbow asked. "I don't swear all the time, just when I'm frustrated." Spitfire defended, and Fleetfoot giggled. Rainbow went back to writing. Honestly, this just proves that Fleetfoot is a well-respected member of our team. She is kind, loyal, smart, funny, and one of the best flyers. We wouldn't be a team without any one of us. That includes Fleetfoot. "And you're sure you're okay with me putting in your lisp? I can change it." Rainbow asked, turning to face them again. "Pothitive." Fleetfoot replied, snuggling up into Spitfire's hooves. "Happy anniversary Fleety." Spitfire said. Fleetfoot craned her neck to look up at her. "Happy anniverthary Thpitty." "Aw man, now I'm lonely." Rainbow whined. She stood up and flew out of the room. "Soarin! Come here!" Spitfire chuckled and looked down at Fleetfoot. "The plan is in motion." Fleetfoot rose and went over to the paper, grinning. Fleetfoot here, with a special message: Rainbow's next. But she doesn't know it yet. So shh ;)