…
It was no secret that being a Wonderbolt was a very stressful position. Ponies had to have a lot of dedication and passion to the job. Some could handle the pressure and others could not no matter how hard they tried.
Thus, it was a matter of how they would cope with the situation. Some coping skills were good and some were bad.
One morning, the Wonderbolts had just finished a training session for an upcoming show.
"Great job, team!" Spitfire addressed her team in the locker room. "Another good session like that and we'll be in great shape for the opening of the Maximal's new base."
"I still can't believe we're going to be opening for the Maximals! Soarin added, much to the confusion of the other Wonderbolts. "What? Rainbow Dash knows 'em."
"Yeah, they seem like a nice bunch of animals turned two legged robots," Rainbow Dash remarked while wearing her Wonderbolt's jacket and shutting the door to her locker. "I mean, who knew we'd be fighting a war with guys like them?"
"Heh, you're telling me," Fleetfoot added, placing her own uniform in her locker and then pulling out what appeared to be a small red box. The raspy voiced pegasus held the red box in her wing as the other bolts looked at her with a shocked expression. "What? We're at war and we need to be ready. I mean, we have a princess in our ranks, right?"
The Wonderbolts didn't respond and Spitfire, rubbing her face with her right foreleg, approached Fleetfoot.
"Flatfoot, if I've told you once," She scolded while snatching the red box away. "I've told you a million times, never let us see these out."
"Sorry about that, it's just that…I couldn't help myself, Spitfire," Fleetfoot replied, taking the red box back. "I've been under a lot of pressure lately. You know how it is."
"Take it outside, Flatfoot, please!" Spitfire sighed and Fleetfoot left the locker room to do her business.
Once she was gone, Rainbow Dash and the other Wonderbolts became very concerned for their comrade in hooves.
"That's what, the fifth time this week we've caught her with that box?" Rainbow Dash asked while looking over at Soarin.
"Maybe the tenth?"
"Something like that, Crash," Spitfire replied. "It's…it's bad for her, smoking is bad for anypony. But no matter how hard we try, Fleetfoot just doesn't seem to get it. It wasn't so bad when she was just starting out, but now she's doing it so often she's practically addicted to it. She can't keep doing this anymore."
Spitfire then turned to Rainbow Dash, thinking of a way to try and use the Princess of Loyalty to get her comrade help.
"Why are you looking at me, Spitfire?" Rainbow Dash asked in an awkward tone. "It's Fleetfoot's right, after all. We can't force her to stop smoking."
"But it's destroying her, Crash!" Spitfire protested. "Can't you see that?! At this rate her lungs are gonna stop working altogether if we don't make her quit! I mean, Celestia made you princess for a reason, right? To co-rule Equestria? Surely you could make some kind of rule requiring her to stop."
"I only really became a princess for the sake of Twilight's mental health, Spitfire. You know that," Rainbow shook her head. "When I'm here, I'm just one of you guys, right? You don't see me wearing a crown with my uniform, do you?"
However, the other Wonderbolts weren't buying it. As far as they were concerned, Fleetfoot coping strategies were bad, and they knew that there was one pony among them that could help their teammate out of her bad situation.
…
…
Free from the locker room, Fleetfoot went outside and going into the back of the Wonderbolt barracks, she took a small stick out of the red box, placed the stick to her mouth, inhaled and blew out white puffs of smoke.
"Ah, that feels good," She whispered to herself. "Just a few more puffs will do it."
Taking the cigarette to her mouth, Fleetfoot stood up on her hind legs and leaned back as she took another deep breath and blew out smoke into the sky.
Little did she know that at that moment, her smoke found itself in the path of Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail, who were in the middle of a cloud busting training session.
"What the…?" Sky Stinger cried out as the smoke began to burn at his eyes. "What's with the smoke? Ow, my eyes!"
"Sky, are you okay?!" Vapor cried out in a concerned voice, flying over to her friend. "What's the matter with your eyes?"
"Somepony was smoking, Vapor!" Sky groaned. "And the smoke got in my face! It burns!"
Concerned, Vapor gently helped her partner back down onto the ground just as Fleetfoot was making her way back into the Wonderbolt compound.
"Uh, don't you two have cloudbusting to do?" Fleetfoot remarked, looking at them and hiding the cigarette under her wing.
"Smoke got in my face and it's hurting my eyes!" Sky Stinger groaned. "But I'll be fine."
"You better be fine, rookie," Fleetfoot advised. "Wonderbolts don't get blinded!"
"He just needs a few minutes, Fleetfoot!" Vapor Trail pleaded. "Sky doesn't like it when smoke gets in his face!"
"All right," Fleetfoot replied in a minimally concerned voice. "Don't come flying to me if you flunk out of the academy, though. I'd hate to see promising recruits like you wash out."
Turning her back to them, Fleetfoot walked back inside the compound. However, little did Fleetfoot know that Vapor Trail was seeing the red bottom of the cigarette.
"Fleetfoot!" Vapor Trail gasped in a hushed voice. "She caused that smoke!"
"What? How?" Sky Stinger moaned. "What makes you say that?"
"She had a cigarette, Sky. I saw it tucked under her wing." Vapor explained.
"We'll tell Spitfire about it later," Sky replied. "My eyes are starting to clear up, so we'd better get back to cloud busting."
Still, Vapor Trail had her concerns about Fleetfoot as she rejoined her friend in their training session.
…
Back in the compound, Fleetfoot rejoined her fellow Wonderbolts in the mess area. But they were less than surprised to see her back.
"Ah, that felt good," Fleetfoot sighed, sitting down at the table. "What'd I miss?"
"Apparently, you missed the next few rounds of rehearsal dates," Misty Fly grumbled. "Spitfire literally just went over them."
"Sorry," Fleetfoot apologized. "I was busy."
"Well sorry isn't good enough," Spitfire grumbled with a concerned look on her face. "Seriously, Fleetfoot, all of us in this mess hall are wondering why you have such a horrible vice. Why do you still use those things?"
"What vice?" Fleetfoot remarked while holding out the cigarettes. "You mean, these? All you do is just inhale and blow out all your problems in a puff of smoke. No biggie. I've actually been cutting back on them a little, you know I used to smoke a lot more than I do now."
But none of the Wonderbolts were satisfied and stared at Fleetfoot in awkward silence.
"It's still big," Soarin cautioned with a frown. "Smoking does more damage than you may realize, Fleetfoot."
"He's right, you know," Rainbow Dash spoke up, suddenly snatching one of the cigarettes away. "Just look at these! Look at what you're putting into your lungs!"
"They're harmless, Crash," Fleetfoot countered, taking one of the cigarettes. "I mean, they've helped me calm down numerous times."
"Such as when?" Spitfire asked, raising one of her eyebrows.
"Well, with all the rigorous training for our next show for one thing." Fleetfoot insisted.
"In case you forgot, Flatfoot," Spitfire countered. "We do such rigorous training all the time. It's part of what we do in the Wonderbolts, you know that! I'm not alone when each of us say that you need to get yourself another vice. One that doesn't involve puffing your life away one cigarette at a time."
The rest of the Wonderbolts nodded in support of their leader's words. Still, Fleetfoot stood her ground.
"But…this is the only vice I got, Spitfire!" She protested as a look of concern washed over her face. "I mean, smoking helps calm me down!"
"It makes your lungs black, and your breath smell horrible!" High Winds remarked in a low voice.
"I heard that, High Winds!" Fleetfoot snapped, pointing right at her comrade. "That's what breath mints are for."
"High Winds is right, Fleetfoot!" Blaze added. "I've learned that smoking and drinking are some of the most dangerous forms of addiction out there. And if you ask me your smoking isn't a vice, it's an addiction!"
Fleetfoot's mouth dropped open in shock!
"I don't get you guys!" She cried, once again holding up the cigarettes. "Why are you making such a big deal about these little things? They've never harmed anypony! Everypony has their own way of dealing with stress, and for me these cigarettes help. You can't ask me to give them up, they're the only thing I've got!"
Sighing in frustration, Spitfire trotted over.
"Fleetfoot, listen," She said in a frustrated tone. "We're saying these things because we care about you. The last thing any of us want is to see you get sick later on from this smoking. I should know, my mother almost died from a heart attack not too long ago. We haven't lost a Wonderbolt yet on my watch, and I don't plan to start now!"
"Spitfire is right, Fleetfoot!" Rainbow Dash added. "You remember what happened to her mom not too long ago, right? She had a heart attack and could have died! There are other ways of coping with stress," She then continued. "Tell you what, why not spend some time with me tomorrow and we'll try out some new stress relieving ways? Ways that don't involve puffing away like a chimney?"
"But don't we have training scheduled?" Fleetfoot questioned.
"Not tomorrow," Soarin shook his head. "So it might do you some good to try some stress relieving activities with Rainbow Dash. It's not like you'll have anything else to do."
"And one more thing," Spitfire added, flying over to Fleetfoot and snatching away her cigarettes. "I'm confiscating these until further notice! I won't let you dive back into them the second you get an urge!"
"Aw, Spitfire!" Fleetfoot cried as Spitfire took the cigarettes and threw them in the trash. "Come on! I need those!"
"No you don't!" Spitfire firmly protested. "And before you close up for the night, I want you to throw away any more boxes of cigarettes you have in your locker, is that clear?! From this moment onward, the Wonderbolts have a strict no-smoking policy, no ifs, ands or buts!"
Sighing in defeat, Fleetfoot turned and began to leave the mess hall.
"And one more thing," Spitfire warned. "You're to no longer have cigarettes anywhere in this facility or its surrounding areas. If I see you with a cigarette at ANY time…consider yourself a former Wonderbolt, understand?!"
"You…you wouldn't!" Fleetfoot gasped even as Spitfire appeared to stick to her guns. "I've…I've worked my entire life to be a Wonderbolt. It's all I have!"
"And it's up to you to maintain it, Flatfoot," Spitfire firmly insisted. "Either be a Wonderbolt, or smoke to your heart's content. It's one or the other."
Yet once Fleetfoot had gone away, Spitfire dropped her tough pony attitude and returned to her seat.
"I hate when I have to do the 'tough love' routine, it hurts me in so many ways," She sighed to the other Wonderbolts as she planted her head flat on the table. "Honestly, what am I going to do with her? She's one of the fastest Wonderbolts we've ever had."
"Leave it to me, Spitfire," Rainbow Dash declared. "Fleetfoot is not only a fellow Wonderbolt, she is a subject of mine and I will do anything to help her change her ways!"
"I hope so for all our sakes, Crash," Spitfire sighed with a hint of reluctance in her voice. "I hope so."
But even Rainbow Dash knew that she had a tall order ahead of her in getting a teammate to change their unhealthy habits.
…
…
…
The next morning, Rainbow Dash was at her home in Cloudsdale in her purple bathrobe and green Tank slippers, getting ready for a day at the spa. But, it wasn't just any ordinary day at the spa.
"Okay Tank," she said to her pet tortoise through her reflection in the mirror. "Operation Save Fleetfoot from Herself is a go, am I right?"
All the tortoise could do was blink several times at his mistress' reply.
"Yeah, I can hardly say it's a mission since there's no world saving, but I'll be saving something equally important. I can totally dig the challenge, right?"
Still, Tank merely blinked his eyes and at that moment, Rainbow heard a knock on the door to her house. Flying downstairs, she opened the door and there stood Fleetfoot, looking somewhat troubled and out of sorts.
"Morning Fleetfoot," Rainbow Dash remarked with a slightly confused look on her face. "Um, why are you looking like that?"
"Do you have a cigarette? I need a cigarette!" Fleetfoot cried, her eyes bugging out and twitching before leaping into the air. "PLEASE, GIVE ME A CIGARETTE!"
"Come on now! You can't be so desperate already, the day's only just begun!" Rainbow Dash protested, leaping into the air and getting her comrade back on the ground. "Spitfire and the rest of us want you to find a healthier way to deal with your stress. Remember that your career is on the line."
"Oh sure, my time as a Wonderbolt is coming to an end just because of my vice, right?!" Fleetfoot cried out. "You guys just want to force me to retire, is that it?!"
"Okay, now you're being ridiculous, Fleetfoot," Rainbow shook her head. "This is for your own good, and I think you'll very much like what we're going to do today. First thing we are going to do is spend some time at the Ponyville Spa, and then we're going to do some kite flying with Starlight Glimmer."
"Spas and kite flying," Fleetfoot grumbled in a forced, happy tone. "How…relaxing."
"So, let's get going already. Come on!" Rainbow encouraged, taking to the air with Fleetfoot following reluctantly behind.
…
Meanwhile, Spitfire was in her office when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" She called and in stepped Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail. "What is it, you two? It better be important."
"Um, sorry if we were interrupting you for anything, Spitfire," Vapor Trail meekly apologized. "But, there's... something you need to know about Fleetfoot."
"If this is about her smoking," Spitfire grumbled, not wanting to bring up the subject again. "I can assure that I have already addressed it with her. And it's going to be taken care of one way or another."
"How did you know that?" Sky Stinger questioned.
"Fleetfoot is a fellow Wonderbolt and close friend of mine," Spitfire answered. "I can assure you that her behavior has been dealt with, and Rainbow Dash is helping her out with quitting. And if it doesn't work, I've made it clear that Fleetfoot will no longer be flying with us. So what is it about her now that I should know about?"
"Well, to be honest…" Sky Stinger stammered. "Yesterday, Vapor and I were out cloudbusting, when suddenly some smoke got into my eyes."
Realizing that Fleetfoot was the likely culprit, Spitfire stopped what she was doing and placed her sunglasses on the desk. "How bad was the smoke?" She questioned.
"It sort of blinded him for a bit, and he said his eyes were burning," Vapor Trail explained. "Then, after we landed, I saw Fleetfoot hiding a cigarette in her wing!"
"I was expecting Sky Stinger to answer, but I appreciate you giving me an honest answer, Vapor Trail," Spitfire replied. "And let me assure you that as of this moment, Fleetfoot is forbidden from bringing any cigarettes onto this property or its immediate surroundings."
However, neither Sky Stinger or Vapor Trail were convinced by Spitfire's words.
"And if she does break those rules, then her Wonderbolt career is finished, forever," Spitfire concluded. "Now, is there anything else you want to address?"
Shaking their heads, both Vapor Trail and Sky Stinger were both dismissed from Spitfire's office.
"I got to be honest," Vapor Trail said to Sky Stinger as they walked back to their training session. "I really would hate it if Fleetfoot was drummed out for something like this. There has to be something going on in her life that's making her smoke."
"Perhaps it's for her to know and us to find out," Sky Stinger remarked. "Besides, we can't just stick our noses in business that isn't ours, Vapor. It's not cool."
Still, Vapor had her reasons for believing that she could try and help out Fleetfoot.
…
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot arrived at Ponyville Spa to begin their time of relaxation.
"Ah, Rainbow Dash!" Lotus Blossom greeted as she trotted over to Rainbow Dash and kissed her on the cheek. "So good to see you again, darling! And who is your friend here?"
"This is Fleetfoot, one of my fellow Wonderbolts!" Rainbow gestured.
"N-nice to meet you," Fleetfoot greeted while waving her front hoof nervously. "Sorry if I seem nervous, it's just that I've never been to a spa before."
"Oh, in that case, welcome to Ponyville Spa, darling!" Lotus declared. "It's not everyday that we get the guest of a princess here."
Feeling slightly awkward, Fleetfoot followed Rainbow Dash into the spa and the two Wonderbolts were immediately put through the process of deep tissue massages. The pain of the massage was slightly too much for Fleetfoot, however. "Ow! Watch it, will you?" She snapped to Bulk Biceps. "That's my back you're messing with."
"Sorry about that," Bulk Biceps whispered in a low voice. "You just have a lot of tension in your muscles."
"Whatever," Fleetfoot remarked to Bulk Biceps, before muttering in a low voice. "I could sure use a cigarette right about now."
"Hey, I heard that!" Rainbow cried out! "You've got to get those habits out of your mind, Fleetfoot. You heard what Spitfire said. What's more important to you, Fleetfoot? Your addiction to smoking or being a Wonderbolt? You can't have both anymore."
It was apparent to Fleetfoot that Rainbow Dash was going to try and crack her mind open about her addiction. "Being a Wonderbolt obviously," Fleetfoot said as she felt another deep pain in her back courtesy of Bulk Biceps. "I mean, it's what I lived for ever since I was a filly. Were you ever that same way, Crash?"
"Of course," Rainbow replied as her voice vibrated while her back was being tapped on. "For as long as I can I always wanted to be a Wonderbolt. And the last thing I'd want is to see it all taken away and be for nothing just because I did something stupid, like smoking a cigarette for stress reduction. Tell me something, Fleetfoot, why did you start smoking?"
"I suppose you can't just keep your nose out of where it doesn't belong, Crash," Fleetfoot sighed. "Why do you care when I started smoking?
"I happen to be a princess of Equestria, Fleetfoot," Rainbow answered. "In addition to being a fellow Wonderbolt. And what happens to a teammate and one of my subjects concerns me."
"But you never had a big coronation like Princess Twilight did, how can you be a princess without an official coronation?" Fleetfoot grumbled.
"No, I was crowned in Twilight's hospital room by Celestia herself," Rainbow snorted. "I'll have you know that it was the very last thing she and Luna did before they retired. Ever since then, I had to grow up and take responsibility for the ruling of Equestria alongside Twilight and the others.."
"Look, Crash," Fleetfoot replied in a slightly irritable voice. "If you really want to find out about why I smoke, let's just wait until we're in a private setting. Then you can drill into me all you like if you're that curious."
"Fleetfoot, why are you suddenly turning grouchy?" Rainbow inquired. "This isn't like you."
Fleetfoot blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, why are you being so grouchy?" Rainbow questioned. "Really, I only brought you here to help you change your ways and get you to relax."
"I'm not being grouchy, Crash!" Fleetfoot snapped in a raised tone of voice, causing Bulk Biceps to jump back in surprise while she raised herself from the table. "I'm just getting irritated that you're trying to stick your nose into matters that don't concern you! Why I smoke is none of your business!"
Rainbow just rose up from her table to face down her friend. "Sooner or later, Flatfoot, you're going to be putting yourself into an early grave with all your smoking!" She protested. "Look, we all care about you, Fleetfoot, and want you to live a full and happy life!"
"No, you don't, Crash!" Fleetfoot screamed at the top of her lungs! "You don't even know what it was like to be growing up without anpony to look up to! To grow up with a brother who practically raised you when your parents were unable to!"
Exasperated, Fleetfoot flew out of the room, leaving Rainbow Dash stunned and in disbelief at her comrade's sudden outburst.
…
…
Racing out of the spa, Rainbow Dash flew as fast as she could to search for her fleeing comrade.
"Fleetfoot! Fleetfoot!" She called while looking all around Ponyville.
She eventually found her comrade at the stadium where the Wonderbolts would perform in Ponyville. There, Fleetfoot sat alone and looking down at what appeared to be a box of used cigarettes. Sitting next to her, Rainbowcould see pain and confliction in Fleetfoot's eyes. "What…what are you doing here?"
"Like you care, Crash." Fleetfoot replied in a pained voice.
"Of course I care, Fleetfoot!" Rainbow protested. "The rest of the Wonderbolts and I understand you have your vices…"
"No you don't!" Fleetfoot snapped in a fiery tone of voice. "Do you even realize how many scars I have from my fillyhood? My brother was a smoker," She explained. "These cigarettes…make me feel closer to him, somehow."
"Is..is he alive?" Rainbow asked.
"He died a few months ago," Fleetfot answered in a sad tone of voice. "But I didn't bother to tell Spitfire, or any of you."
Rainbow felt her heart sink upon these words "But…why?"
"Because if I did, it would have gotten in the way of my duty as a Wonderbolt, Crash! Wonderbolts don't show emotion!"
Fleetfoot growled. A small tear trickled down her face as she said that.
"Well…you're showing emotion now," Rainbow solemnly declared. "Did your brother raise you?"
"My parents were drug addicts, Crash," Fleetfoot explained. "They were never around, always going to find something, anything to feed their habits. My brother, Stormy Skies, he was always there for me. He played parent as well as older brother, but even he couldn't cope with mom and dad's drug addiction. So, he turned to smoking and well…he passed it onto me."
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened with shock!
"When I smoke, I feel like he's still here with me," Fleetfoot continued, looking at Rainbow with tear filled eyes. "That he's still alive."
"But…he isn't," Rainbow replied in an honest yet tender voice. "At least not in the physical sense. And even if he were, I think he would not want you to make the same mistakes he did."
"It runs in the family, Crash!" Fleetfoot cried, jumping back from Rainbow Dash. "In fact, you should be lucky that you never had any hardships ponies like me had!"
"That's not true, Fleetfoot," Rainbow Dash protested looking at Fleetfoot right in the face. "I've had plenty of hardships in my life, even before I met Twilight and the others. I saw myself and Fluttershy being picked on at Flight Camp, Equestria put in danger several times, my involvement in a growing war against a blue ram and his goons, you name it!"
After pausing, she continued.
"The fact is…by doing this," She paused to take the pack of cigarettes into her hoof and shove them in Fleetfoot's face. "You're only making your problems worse before they are getting better!"
"What are you saying I should do, Crash?" Fleetfoot cried.
"I'm saying that there are other and healthier, safer ways to deal with your problems," Rainbow Dash said in a firm voice. "Set time for yourself such as picking up a hobby, going out for a flight around Ponyville or anywhere in Equestria for that matter! We don't want to see you killing yourself over something you can't control, Fleetfoot! Don't you get it? Get rid of smoking, because with each puff you take, the more life you'll be losing!"
Fleetfoot looked away for a moment and realized what her comrade was saying was very true. Still, it was not an easy decision at all for her to make. "Crash, if I am to change my ways, I need to…this isn't easy."
"I get what you're trying to say," Rainbow replied in a tender voice, placing a hoof on Fleetfoot's chin. "And if you need time to get yourself together, by all means take it. I'm sure Spitfire and the others will understand."
…
Sure enough, the very next day, Fleetfoot walked into Spitfire's office and hoofed a letter of absence to her commanding officer.
"I think you're making the right decision, Fleetfoot," Spitfire said, looking over at Fleetfoot. "And don't worry about what happens here at the Wonderbolts. We will survive. We want you to be at your best and smoke free."
Standing next to Fleetfoot, Rainbow Dash could see that Fleetfoot was slowly beginning to accept what needed to be done to get her life under control.
"In fact, your leave of absence will allow for two promising Wonderbolts to grow and learn in our ranks," Spitfire continued, tapping on her desk and allowing one of the guards to open the door to reveal Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail on the other side. "Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail, for the time being, you two shall be filling in for Fleetfoot during her absence, thus you are both official, honorary Wonderbolt Reserves. Congratulations!"
Hearing this, the two saluted Fleetfoot and Fleetfoot saluted back, knowing that her position within the Wonderbolts would be safe in her absence.
"Take care of yourself," Rainbow Dash whispered to Fleetfoot. "And by royal decree, let's meet up at the Ponyville Spa at some point."
Saluting one another, Rainbow Dash watched as Fleetfoot left Spitfire's office to begin her time off from the Wonderbolts, while she looked towards two promising Wonderbolts that would be filling in for Fleetfoot.
For the time being, the dynamic of the Wonderbolts had changed completely.
…
…