//------------------------------// // Ch. 15 - Anagnorisis // Story: What Would Daring Do? // by CommissarAJ //------------------------------// Chapter Fifteen: Anagnorisis Alone and miles away from home was the worst place to be stuck with an emotional crisis. There were only about five ponies in the city that she knew; two were related to her, two just flew off, and one was sitting in a hospital. Soarin’ did have a point about talking to Spitfire and not just because it was the only course of action she had other than running off as well, which she could not do in good conscience. It would be an understatement to say that Applejack was upset with Spitfire for the pegasus’ conduct. The history of violent outbursts was known to the farmer, but she never imagined that it would be directed towards one of her friends. At the same time, she was still worried about the Wonderbolt Captain. Physically, Spitfire would be okay but her mental state was anypony’s guess. She couldn't, in good conscience, ignore a friend in need regardless of her current attitude towards them. Applejack didn’t rush back to Spitfire, however. The contemplating pony took a slow route back to the Wonderbolt’s room and even stopped by the cafeteria to get something to eat. It gave her time to think and, more importantly, to cool down so that her first words to Spitfire weren’t yelled. Her conversation with Soarin’ was replaying in her mind. It shed some interesting perspectives on her relationship with the Wonderbolt Captain. It also resulted sowing some seeds of doubt in her mind; doubts that the farmer tried her best to ignore. It would be a lie to say that Applejack didn’t have her concerns about the relationship in the long-term, but until recently they had never been important enough to warrant bringing them up in conversation. However, now was not the best time to bring those questions to light. Spitfire had enough on her plate and it had already been demonstrated what can happen when Spitfire flies distracted. Maybe after the competition, she could sit down with Spitfire and have a proper conversation about the future. But was the future even worth discussing? Their relationship was barely out of its infancy. It was a time to be enjoying the time together rather than worrying about long-term viability...wasn’t it? She was still only getting a general idea of the kind of pony that Spitfire was - passionate, dedicated, quick-tempered, modest, and a perfectionist. They were all admirable traits to possess and they were what she wanted in a partner, but was that enough? Sadly, by the time that Applejack left the cafeteria, she was still no closer to answers. No longer having to cope with hunger pains, she felt more assured that returning to Spitfire wouldn’t result in more flaring tempers. The disappointment she had felt earlier had been gradually overridden by worry - her girlfriend was in the hospital, battered and bruised both physically and emotionally. A part of her was even beginning to think that stopping to eat was a selfish act. Thankfully, having hooves acting quicker than her brain meant that she arrived at Spitfire’s room before she had much time to linger on the hypothetical transgression. Applejack knocked a couple times before opening the door to poke her head in. The lights were on but there was no sign of the pegasus. Some of the monitoring equipment was still on and an IV line was dripping water on the floor. That kind of a mess wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by hospital staff for long so the errant pegasus should still be close by. “Now where would she go...” Applejack pondered as she wandered back into the hallways. The first idea that came to mind was just to ponder where she would gone in Spitfire’s situation. That idea burnt out quickly when Applejack realized that she would have just stayed put. She then wondered what would Rainbow Dash do? Rainbow wouldn’t have stayed put; she would have gone to her friends to make sure they were okay. Putting that theory to the test, Applejack made her way to where the other Wonderbolts were resting. A walk past Rapid Fire’s room revealed that he was still being tended to by the doctors. Most pegasi in Rapid Fire’s condition would have just had the feathers removed and the injuries treated, but the doctors were hoping to treat the injuries without compromising his ability to fly. Applejack had more luck on her second try. When she arrived at Fleet Foot’s room, she saw the door had been left open. Keeping silent, she peered through the opening and saw Spitfire sitting next to her fellow Wonderbolt. They appeared to be talking but their voices were too low for Applejack to make out any words, and since she didn’t want to eavesdrop, she kept her distance. Judging from Spitfire’s sullen expression, it wasn’t a pep-talk. The Wonderbolt Captain rarely made eye contact with Fleet Foot; instead, her gaze wandered from the floor to the ceiling to the walls and everything in between. Fleet Foot, however, never once looked away from her Captain. There was a gentle smile on the bedridden pegasus, which in turn coaxed the faint traces of one out of Spitfire. When the conversation ended, it was Fleet Foot who reached out and gave the other a weak pat on the shoulder. Since she didn’t want to give the impression that she had been spying on her girlfriend, Applejack knocked on the doorframe to get the occupants’ attention. Both pegasi were surprised at first, but for a brief moment Spitfire looked almost disappointed. Applejack wasn’t sure of what she saw because it lasted for less than a second and was covered up with an almost forced smile. This reaction confused the farmer. Was Spitfire not happy to see her? Or had she been hoping for someone else? “Don’t worry about me, Fleet. Just focus on getting better, okay?” Spitfire said before she bid farewell to her teammate. “Only if you hold up your end of the bargain,” Fleet replied with a quiet chuckle. Applejack remained patient by the door, waiting until Spitfire had closed it after exiting before speaking up. “How is she?” “She isn’t even angry.” Spitfire’s response was a bit confusing to Applejack at first since she had been inquiring about the Wonderbolt’s condition and not her mood. It took a few moments of staring at the Captain’s guilt-ridden eyes to realize what had transpired during the conversation. “I told her everything. I was...expecting to get yelled at too. I was hoping for it. But all she asked was how I was holding up. She should be mad. She has every right to be mad. I...I don’t get it...” Applejack couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of someone wanting people to angry at her. Any sane pony would be relieved to see their bonds of camaraderie remain intact after an incident such as last night’s. “Because that’s what being friends is about - forgiving and caring about one another,” Applejack tried to explain. Why Spitfire would need something so obvious pointed out to her was a mystery. “I’m beginning to wonder if I deserve to be called their friend,” Spitfire said with a mournful sigh. “Things would be so much easier if they were all just angry at me.” “This is the part where you explain how what yer saying makes a lick of sense.” “If everyone was angry with me then it’d be easy to know what to do next,” Spitfire explained as she started trotting back towards her room. Her movements were sluggish and lacked the methodical precision that Applejack was used to seeing. She figured the medication was probably just catching up on the pegasus. “Whenever I’ve screwed up, it was always just a matter of identifying the root of the problem and fixing it, either by strengthening what was weak or eliminating vulnerabilities,” the weary Wonderbolt continued upon reaching her room. “Whenever we performed poorly in a competition, I would spend hours combing over footage and reports to find out what went wrong.” One could consider this an admirable act, one worthy of applause, were it not for the sense of foreboding that accompanied the Wonderbolt’s words. Applejack didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but she didn’t like where the line of conversation was going. Still, she held her tongue while she helped Spitfire climb back into bed. The pegasus must have been more tired than either of them expected. Spitfire laid her head down and stared aimlessly at the wall. The fiery passion that once burned in her gaze seemed all but extinguished at this point. “You’ll find a way past this, Spitfire,” Applejack reassured. She reached and gently ran a hoof through the other mare’s mane. It managed to elicit a faint flicker of a smile back. “But...I’m not sure if I can this time,” Spitfire murmured as she crossed her hooves under her chin. “I went to Ponyville because I was tired of how every Hearts and Hooves Day ends for me. I was tired of always getting my hopes up...only to watch them go down in a blaze of fire and rage. I went to Ponyville to put my love life to pasture, so to speak.” The pegasus then rolled onto her back with a slight wince as the shift in position put pressure on one of her injuries. “Then I saw you up on that stage and I thought to myself, ‘there’s a pony who’s not afraid to take the risk.’” Applejack wasn’t sure how anypony could have been given that impression considering her ‘frozen in the spotlight’ stare during the auction.. “I was certain that it was going to be another disaster like every other year but...I had to try, if only just once more,” Spitfire continued, still staring at the ceiling fan that spun overhead. “I was so wrong. Being with you reminded me what it was like to love again...to live again. I had forgotten what it was like to be crazy about somepony; to have them infecting your every thought and desire. But...it’s like flying too high in the sky - you get light-headed and you stop seeing things clearly.” The pegasus let out a frustrated groan as she pressed both hooves into her face. “I don’t know...I don’t know if I can do both. The Wonderbolts are everything to me - they’re my life. I can’t leave them any more than you could leave the farm. I want to be Spitfire, the greatest Wonderbolt that’s ever been.” Exhausted both mentally and physically, Spitfire let out a tired sigh and allowed both hooves to simply fall to her sides. “But I don’t want to lose you too. I don’t want to wind up alone with just memories and regrets again...” It would have been easy to tell Spitfire that everything would be okay if she just hung in there, but Applejack had to concede to the grains of truth within the pegasus’ ramblings. The farmer knew that their divergent lifestyles would come into conflict sooner or later, but she had hoped for a less traumatic time to bring it up. Sweet Apple Acres was her home, like the Wonderbolt said, and there was no way that she could leave it for anypony. As she laid her head on the bed next to Spitfire, she wondered if it would be better if they stopped being together. She could see what a distraction she could be to the pegasus, and the consequences of said distractions. Spitfire was lucky to be able to walk away from this accident without major injury, but how many more crashes would it be before Spitfire wound up like her mother - a crippled, broken shell of a pegasus. “Spitfire, dear,” Applejack began as she reached out for the pegasus’ hoof, “Ah can’t tell you what to do with yer life, but Ah want you to know that Ah will respect whatever decision you make. Just please promise me that you’ll do what’s right for you. Not for me; not for the Wonderbolts; not for anypony but yourself.” Gradually, the pegasus’ head flopped over to look at Applejack once more with the same flicker of a smile returning to her lips. “This sounds really cliched but...I just want you to know - it’s not you, it’s me.” It was refreshing to see that the situation hadn’t robbed the pegasus of her sense of humour. The two shared a quiet laugh. “So...you thinking of going back to finish the competition?” “Of course,” Spitfire replied. The cocky grin she had lasted for a moment before the weight of last night’s events dragged her lips down. “I...don’t know how much good it’ll do but...I can’t give up now. I can’t abandon my team.” “Ah wouldn’t expect any less from ya,” Applejack said. If anything, she was hoping that Spitfire wouldn’t let this setback destroy her entire confidence. That tenacity and determination was one of her best qualities. “I just hope Soarin’ isn’t still angry with me when I get there,” the Wonderbolt sighed. “He’s always been there for me, you know? I’m not sure if I can do this without him.” “He’ll be there - you’re still his Captain, after all.” Applejack leaned over and planted a small kiss on the pegasus’ forehead. “Best you rest up now. You’ll need your strength for tonight.” “You’ll be there, right?” “Ah promise...” ***************************** By the time that Applejack stumbled back to the hotel, she had gone almost twenty-four hours straight without a wink of sleep. Even though her mind was still plagued by worries and concerns, they were no match for the power of a soft pillow and a warm comforter. Faster than one could say ‘lights out’, the earth pony was out cold. A part of her didn’t want to go to sleep and would have rather resumed her search for her missing friend. But even the stubborn workhorse had to surrender to the demands of fatigue, lest she wander around the busy Manehattan streets in a sleep-deprived stupor. Alas, sleep offered little refuge from her worries. All she could think about were the two pegasi that mattered so much to her now. Applejack loathed the idea of being stuck on the sidelines and waiting to see how events unfolded. The uncertainty combined with the waiting was stressing her out. Would she be able to build a long-lasting relationship with Spitfire given the Wonderbolt’s self-proclaimed difficulties in balancing life and work? Applejack’s own sense of work ethics deemed that the relationship was still young enough to be sacrificed without too much hardship upon either parties, but her sense of work ethics was also what led to her giving food poisoning to a quarter of Ponyville. She wanted what was best for Spitfire, but was afraid that the best choice might not include her. And what of Rainbow Dash? There was no way that things weren’t going to be awkward between them. At the same time, Applejack knew if she didn’t do something then Rainbow was liable to avoid her altogether, or at least as much as possible. It would put a huge strain not only on their friendship but also their other friendships, too,  as Twilight and the others could get dragged into the ordeal. What if the others blamed her for driving Rainbow away? It was bad enough having the prospect of losing her best friend, but the others too? Applejack was stirred from her not-so-restful slumber by a loud knocking at the door. More used to ponies just knocking and barging in, it took Applejack a few moments to realize that she needed to get up to let the pony at the door in. “Who in tarnation could that be?” she wondered as she stumbled out of bed. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was late in the afternoon so at the very least she could say that this interruption served as a well-timed wake-up call. Only a few ponies knew where Applejack was staying while in Manehattan, and for a brief moment, the farmer allowed hope to flourish. Maybe Rainbow had come to her senses and returned? Sadly, when she opened the door she was greeted by two unicorns. “Twilight! Rarity! What are you two doing here?” Applejack’s confusion was not to be mistaken for ingratitude; she just didn’t expect to see any of her other friends so soon. “We came as soon as we heard about the accident,” Twilight explained. She was the first to take the farmer into a tight embrace, which Applejack did not realize how much she needed until that moment. “Is Spitfire okay? Is anybody hurt?” At the very least, she didn’t have to worry about being alone. “Nothing too serious, thank goodness,” Applejack replied before stepping aside to allow her friends into the hotel room. “Spitfire is planning to stay in the competition, but a few of her teammates probably won’t be able to.” “She’s going to keep flying after that big of a crash?” Twilight didn’t know much about the Wonderbolts beyond what she had picked up in the occasional sports almanac (which she had browsed on occasion in order to better understand some of Rainbow Dash’s conversations), but she got the impression that flying injured was not something to be taken lightly. An injured pegasus could further stress their injuries or risk an even worse crash. Twilight would have insisted that Spitfire sit out the competition, but if the Wonderbolt was even half as stubborn as another high-flying pegasus she knew, it would have been pointless to even try. Speaking of which... “Where is Rainbow Dash?” Rarity chimed in when she noted the peculiar absence of the aforementioned pegasus. “It’s...complicated,” Applejack explained as her head dropped to below her shoulders. It wasn’t a subject she wanted to get Twilight and Rarity involved with, but it was unavoidable. It was better that Applejack got her side of the story in first. Both unicorns could see the gravity of the situation in their friend’s posture, and gave Applejack their undivided attention as she explained what happened during the competition and afterwards in the hospital. Both were left speechless by the account; their uncertainty and confusion were evident as their expressions flickered between confusion, disappointment, surprise, and amazement. Twilight lingered more on surprise and confusion, while Rarity looked far more disappointed and began to fidget uncomfortably. At the end of the explanation, a tense silence swept through the room as the three ponies looked to each other for words of comfort or reassurance. Twilight was the first to speak up. “I...can’t believe Rainbow Dash would do that. I mean, know she can be impulsives at time...but that seemed a bit extreme even for her.” “I can’t imagine what she was thinking.” Rarity was quick to agree with her friend’s comment. “She probably wasn’t,” Twilight said. She was still just trying to wrap her head around the whole idea of bachelor auctions and date sabotaging. “Just seems so strange that Rainbow would have kept this from Applejack...from all of us even. We could’ve helped her.” The last remark caused Rarity to freeze on the spot, which, sadly, did not go unnoticed by her two friends. Her heart began to race as two penetrating gazes set upon her that felt as though they were piercing into the very essence of her being. They were staring...scrutinizing her...judging her... “Um...Rarity?” “Okay, I confess! I knew all along!” Rarity’s outburst caught Twilight, who had merely been curious as to why her friend looked as though a bee had just landed on her back, by surprise. “You knew what Rainbow was up to?” Applejack was less surprised by nonetheless distraught that more of her friends played a potential part in the entire ordeal. “I stumbled across Rainbow Dash when she was at the auction,” Rarity explained. She decided it was easier to explain her part in the fiasco from the very start so that Applejack understood why she did what she did. “At the time, all I saw was her making a bid for you, so I tried to help her win the auction. It wasn’t until after Spitfire won the auction that Rainbow explained herself. I told her that the right thing to do was to be supportive and happy for you...but I suppose it was a bit foolish of me to think that Rainhow would have left well enough alone.” Nopony, including Applejack, could blame Rarity for what happened. “So that’s why you insisted on taking the extra ticket to Rainbow,” Applejack commented. At the time, it had struck the farmer as odd that Rarity was so certain that she could clear up Rainbow Dash’s ‘scheduling issues.’ It was likely less of a rescheduling and more of a stern lecturing. “I’m sorry...I should’ve done more,” Rarity apologized nonetheless. “If I had known Rainbow Dash was going to act so foolish, I would have come to you sooner.” “Don’t blame yourself Rarity,” Twilight offered her reassurances. She knew from experience the kind of trouble keeping secrets could result in, but at the same time keeping the trust of your friends was often just as important. “I’m sure you did everything you could.” “I tried to help Rainbow, I really did,” the other unicorn insisted. “I figured it was just a passing infatuation...that she would get over it eventually.” “Y’ain’t the only one who thought that,” Applejack sighed in resignation. She trotted over to the nearby window, resting her chin on the ledge as she gazed to the cloudy skies. “And now she’s out there...all alone and heartbroken...” Rarity and Twilight were quick to move to flank the earth pony, offering a hug of support to their friend. Neither of them wanted Applejack to hold herself responsible to any degree for what happened. “Then you shouldn’t be sitting around here,” Twilight insisted as she tried to lead the other mare away from the window. “You should be out there - looking for her! And we’ll help you search, too. We’ll scour the whole city if we have to.” However, much to the unicorn’s surprise, Applejack broke away from the guiding hoof and stepped back from the door. “Ah can’t,” she said. “Spitfire needs me. Ah promised her that Ah would be at the competitions tonight.” A part of her regretted making that promise even though it was the right thing to do at the time. How could doing the right thing still make a pony feel so miserable? Was it even the right thing to do? “But...Rainbow Dash is your friend. How coul-” Twilight’s words were interrupted by the white hoof shoved over her mouth by her fellow unicorn. “It’s okay, Applejack,” Rarity reassured her, much to everyone else’s surprise. “It was Rainbow Dash’s decisions that put you into this position...you do not owe her anything by giving chase.” As callous as it sounded, the truth of Rarity’s words rang through. “You go to Spitfire...Twilight and I will go look for Rainbow Dash and...try to convince her to speak to you.” “Y’all would do that for me?” For a brief moment, the farmer found herself feeling a bit hopeful for the future. When her friends nodded in response, Applejack threw her hooves around them both and hugged them tightly. “Ah can’t thank you two enough.” “It’s the least we could do,” Twilight replied as she returned the embrace in kind. “This is as much for Rainbow Dash as it is for you. This mess has gone on long enough. It needs to be addressed for everyone’s sake,” Rarity added. “And I, for one, don’t want to see Rainbow Dash carrying this guilt on her shoulders, regretting her mistakes for the rest of her life, and making wild, desperate attempts to cling to something or someone that reminds her of what she missed.” “But I don’t want to lose you too. I don’t want to wind up alone with just memories and regrets again...” Rarity’s sentiments triggered a few choice words to flash through Applejack’s mind. There was nothing like regret to make a pony do crazy things. “What...did you just say?” Applejack asked. “I was just saying that Rainbow Dash needs closure as much as you will,” Rarity explained herself as she pulled back from the prior embrace. “Regret is a terrible thing to carry with you.” “Do you still love her?” “You should probably go talk to Spitfire. She’ll need some support.” Regret...it seemed like everyone was carrying a bit of that with them, and were coping with it in different ways. However, at that moment the lights flicked on in Applejack’s mind. “Regret...of course. Why didn’t Ah realize that sooner?” the farmed muttered to herself. “Um...realize what sooner?” an understandably confused Twilight said. “The truth,” Applejack said with a cryptic answer that did little to alleviate the confusion. Bewilderment turned to concern when Applejack started towards the door. “Where are you going?” Twilight called out. “To fix this since nopony else seems willing to do so!” Alas, if Twilight was hoping for a more definitive answer then she was going to be disappointed as the farmer galloped out of the room without another word. ***************************** Spitfire was still feeling uncertain of herself, both as a flier and a leader, when she arrived in the locker rooms. The Wonderbolt was still nursing her bruised ego and her exhaustion had resulted in her sleeping longer than she had intended. When she arrived at the arena, she estimated she had under an hour to get ready before the competitions began. For the first time in her career, she was tempted to just leave and let her team forfeit their participation. However, not only was such an act against every moral fibre in her being, it would also sign the death warrant of her reign as Captain of the Wonderbolts. “Captain! You made it!” High Winds was the first to spot their arriving Captain. Spitfire was surprised that her teammate sounded more relieved to see her rather than the scornful contempt she had been expecting. Maybe Applejack was right...maybe her teammates were more forgiving of her than she had given them credit for. However, that counted for little if the Captain couldn’t forgive herself, or, just as importantly, if Soarin’ hadn’t either. "We were so worried that you weren't going to show up," Misty, another member of the team, added after being drawn over by the noise. "Yes...well, the reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated," Spitfire offered a joke as reassurance. There was still no sign of Soarin', which worried the Captain. Numbers aside, Spitfire couldn't shake the mental image of her best friend yelling at her. She needed to make things right with him before the competitions started or it would be another thing distracting her. She couldn't risk flying distracted again and, if anything, this was troubling her even worse than her prior paranoia. "So...High Winds, you all set? I know we haven't flown together much but I doubt I can fly my fastest in this state so you shouldn't have trouble keeping pace." The two Wonderbolt underlings began to eye each other with uncertainty and apprehension. Spitfire could tell something was up that the other two weren't certain about whether to tell the Captain or not. Had Rapid Fire made enough of a recovery to fly? And if so, did that mean Soarin' had her cut from the lineup for the upcoming event? Cut from the line-up by her own assistant captain! It was like mutiny only that she had to live with the shame of it for the rest of her professional career. It would be the first step towards Soarin' replacing her as team Captain. “Spitfire!” Never before had the Wonderbolt Captain been so relieved and yet so terrified to hear her friend's voice. Soarin' didn't sound angry but it was firm and he possessed the restraint to keep his temper in check in front of the rest of the team. “We need to talk,” he said, nay, demanded, as he motioned for her to follow him. The Wonderbolt Captain felt like a filly that had just been summoned by their parents for summary grounding. But in front of her fellow Wonderbolts,she knew she couldn't allow her fear to show. Straightening her posture, the proceeded after her cohort. “How are you feeling?” Soarin's question sounded like genuine concern but Spitfire knew that he was just putting her at ease. He was just trying to lull her into a fall sense of security before he delivered the coup d'etat. “I'm feeling much better now,” Spitfire replied with an intentionally terse answer. She didn't want him to get a sense of how she was actually feeling. She knew she was doomed if he got a sense of her worry or insecurity. “Good...good,” Soarin' said as though preoccupied with other thoughts. Spitfire knew he was just biding his time. He was waiting for the right time to strike like a cat stalking its prey. Whatever he had planned, he was going to be delivering it soon, and Spitfire was not going to be caught unprepared. If he thought he could brush her aside then he was going to have to pry that title from her cold, dead hooves. "We should fly together." “Like hay I'm just going to-wait...what did you just say?” Spitfire's premature retaliation had not caught the other Wonderbolt unprepared, who continued undaunted, “You heard me. Last night's disaster has put our team behind by a lot so we need to step it up if we're going to have any chance of getting a podium finish.” "But...we haven't flown together in years," Spitfire replied as she tried to understand her teammate's reasoning. "I mean, we stopped because we agreed that it just wasn't working for us...the sky dance, I mean." “Well things have changed between us since then,” Soarin' said. He could see that his Captain was still having trouble meeting his gaze, which meant she was hesitant to the idea. “Listen Spitfire, I know you feel bad about yesterday, but it's in the past now. We have to focus on what we can change now, and that means the Wonderbolts have to perform better than ever. And let's be honest, we were great together...flying, that is.” “Yeah, we were,” Spitfire answered in a barely audible mumble. There was a grain of truth to Soarin's words. In paired sky dances, they were unbeatable and that was what was going to be needed if the Wonderbolts were to have any hope of getting back onto the leaderboard. “But it's been so long...” “Come on, Spitfire, just think of it as another challenge,” Soarin' said as he outstretched a hoof to her. “Another insane, outrageous, and one-in-a-million chance to work plan, just the way you like them. Unless you'd rather go back to your hotel room and sleep...Dirtnap.” The Wonderbolt Captain was caught off-guard by the sudden usage of her foalhood nickname. She could see what Soarin’ was doing - he was trying to goad her agreeing to this insane plan bringing up their old rivalry and insulting her pride. Despite seeing through his little scheme, it nonetheless worked like a charm. “Let’s light up the sky!” ***************************** “Fillies and gentlecolts, it is my great honour to introduce to you, flying as a pair for the first time in over five years, Spitfire and Soarin’ of the Wonderbolts!” By the time the announcer finished his introduction, the cheering from the stadium had all but drowned out his voice. Thousands of hooves stomping together, united in purpose and action, blending into one spectacular roar that shook both Wonderbolts to their bones. As the pair trotted onto the field, Spitfire’s gaze drifted over to the charred patches of grass that had yet to be cleaned up. A part of her couldn’t help but feel nervous. A paired sky dance, especially theirs, was all about precision and timing; two souls flying together as one. Did she still have it in her? Did he? If there had been a moment to back out, Spitfire had walked passed it a long time ago. “You all set, Captain?” Even though he was yelling, Soarin’s voice was barely a whisper in her ear like the nagging doubts that lingered in her mind. “I don’t know,” she admitted in a rare moment of showtime humility. “If I said ‘no,’ could I leave?” “And stand me up in front of everypony? I don’t think my heart could take that kind of embarrassment.” Leave it to Soarin’ to stop taking things seriously when it mattered the most. However, the small laugh that his joke brought forth was enough to keep the Captain’s nerves from flaring up. “Just...trust your instincts.” “It’s not my instincts I’m worried about,” Spitfire mused as she broke into a gallop across the field. “It’s yours. Now catch me if you can!” In the old days, Spitfire would always remind herself of the words her former captain told her when he made the bold decision to field two rookie Wonderbolts in a do-or-die moment of the tournament. He told them to fly liked they loved each and then make the whole world believe in that love. As she glanced over her shoulder, seeing her partner giving chase, she wondered if there was still enough power left in those old memories to see her through. There was only one way to find out and thus the Wonderbolt Captain took to the air. Thankfully, wind rushing through one’s mane had a way of helping to clear the mind. Her worries began to fade as she focused on her routine, twisting and diving through the sky in an intricate series of displays. The early part of their routine was almost like a solo routine except with the two of them taking turns in the spotlight. Their motions were bold, intentionally exaggerated, and flamboyant. Like two birds in courtship, the pegasi danced through the sky in a celebration of love and desire. “What’s the matter Soarin’? Losing your touch?” Spitfire teased. “Or are you just enjoying the view a little too much?” “A little of column A...a little of column B,” he laughed in response. Falling behind was a part of the routine, of course. As Soarin’s ‘interest’ waned, the Captain doubled back, sweeping past and around her partner so tightly that her feathers brushed through his mane. With the mare’s graceful allure tugging at his heart, the stallion surged forward with renewed vigor. Spitfire was almost thrown off-course as her partner rushed past her with all the fury of a shooting star. Most of their flights together were done with the rest of the team, which meant tight formations and controlled motions. The paired routine offered Soarin’ a chance to stretch his wings, as it were, and show Spitfire the kind of stallion he was. He spiralled through the air, showboating like the headstrong braggart that she knew him to be. Though the loop-de-loops and flourished dives were meant to captivate the crowd, they had a similar effect on her. The Wonderbolt Captain was soon twirling through the sky alongside her partner. “Come on, Cap’n, let’s show these ponyfolk what flying is really about,” a jubilant Soarin’ jived as he took his partner in hoof. The pair went into a Falling Helix, diving in a corkscrew pattern towards the ponies in the stands. They pulled up into a spiral so tight the two ponies were back-to-back as they rushed overhead of the crowds. While it seemed like coordination was key at this moment, it was, in truth, compromise. The two did not spiral together so much as Spitfire pushed her partner along. Traveling at such speeds it was impossible for the crowds to tell that he merely followed her lead. And after a few moments, they switched roles and it was Soarin’ who guided his partner along. Like any good partnership, give and take was required. Spitfire had worried that lack of practice would have taken a toll on both of them, but flying together appeared to be like slipping on an old flightsuit. It may have not been as pretty or as fanciful as the new ones, as evident when the two pegasi nearly bumped heads when they broke from their formation, but the familiar comfort and the memories made it seem as though it had only been yesterday since they had taken to the sky as partners. “Race ya to the center!” Spitfire called out as the two ponies split in opposite directions. Unleashing their trademark storm cloud contrail, the two pegasi began to fly in loops above the center of the arena. They began to spiral inwards and their contrail soon coalesced into a billowing storm cloud. There was no need to spur her teammate on, but the banter gave her a sense of control and aided her focus. A thunderclap silenced the entire arena. Like the static building in the air, the crowd could sense the growing tension. Neither pegasi slowed down as they closed in. The arena drew in a collective gasp when they collided. It was a mock collision, of course, but given the events of the prior night even a staged one held a hint of real danger. Passion and teamwork turned into mock calamity as the two pegasi began to spiral towards the earth. At first, their hooked hooves kept them falling together, but Spitfire soon slipped free and began a terrifying flat spin. It was a bad situation for any pegasus to be in, even when it was part of a performance. Trust was the only thing that kept the Wonderbolt Captain from correcting her tumble. “Any time now...”  Any other pegasus might have considered such a stunt to be far too dangerous; that to risk a free-fall even for the sake of a performance was beyond sensibility. Even if she did try to recover, there was a chance she wouldn’t regain control in time to avoid another crash. But that was the point of the manoeuvre; to place all her trust in her partner. Yet even that trust had its limits and for a brief instant, Spitfire wondered if she was going to be waking up in a hospital room again. That concern, however, proved to be fleeting. Just as the pegasus neared the point of no return, her fellow Wonderbolt came swooping  from below. Powerful, sturdy hooves wrapped around Spitfire’s frame as the pair rocketed back into the sky. “Sorry I was a teensy bit late,” Soarin’ said. “I wasn’t worried for a second.” It was two seconds. She closed her eyes and spread her hooves out, clearing her mind until all that registered was the wind rushing past her and the cheering crowd below. These were the moments that she trained and sacrificed so much for. The symphony below began to fade from her ears as the pair climbed higher and higher. They pierced through the storm cloud and were soon alone in the moonlit sky above the arena. All she could hear was the calm, steady breaths of the stallion behind her. “They’re beautiful...aren’t they?” Spitfire said as she gazed to the star-filled sky. Up high above the city, there was nothing but serenity. Surrounded by clear skies in all direction with not even gravity forcing her in a direction; nothing but her own will could move her. This was absolute freedom. The only thing that ruined that perfect moment was the realization that it was a moment she could never share with Applejack. She would never be able to experience this moment as Spitfire did. Could she ever understand the passion that burned in her heart and pushed her to the sky? “Come on, Captain...show’s not over yet.” Spitfire almost felt disheartened to turn back now, but she did have a job to finish and teammates in the hospital counting on her. Hooking her forehoof around her partner’s, Spitfire flashed him a quick wink, “Ready when you are.” The pair fell into a dive once more, hurtling towards the cloud at high velocity. Just moments before hitting the stormcloud, the two straightened their wings and shifted their position, shaping the displaced air around them. The chorus of stomping hooves and joyous cheers erupted from the stands when the pair punched through the storm cloud. The once shadow-shrouded arena was once more illuminated by the moonlight, which now shone through the heart-shaped hole left by the pair. With their dance concluded, the two now weary Wonderbolts touched down on the field. “Just...just like old times,” Soarin’ said between heavy breaths. The two pulled off their goggles and took notice of the static that had built up in their manes. Their normally wind-swept manes were a jagged, disheveled mess as though their entire head of hair was in revolt. Both ponies just had a laugh at their own expense. But the laughter came to a halt as they cast their eyes up to the scoreboard and awaited the final tabulation from the judges. “Come on...come on...” Spitfire muttered under her breath. With the adrenaline still pumping through her arteries, Spitfire found herself tensing up tighter than the ropes on a yoke. In her nervousness, she turned to the only source of security and comfort nearby, and she was soon clasping around the frame of her flight partner. If Soarin’ noticed, he did not appear to mind, nor did he react as the mare’s grip tightened with each score appearing on the board. it wasn’t until the fifth and final score appeared did both Wonderbolts breath a collective sigh of relief. A final forty-eight point seven out of fifty. It wasn’t the flawless score they had when they first flew a paired sky dance but it was enough to keep the Wonderbolts alive in the competition. “We did it!” Spitfire exclaimed as her clasped hooves became a joyful embrace. Swept up in her emotions, the Wonderbolt Captain planted an elated kiss right on her partner’s lips. Now she most assuredly had the stallion’s attention. But as the two exchanged shocked and flustered stares, Spitfire felt only one thing in her heart. It was the same burning joy that she remembered from all the years through her life. It was the flames that spurred her to make a crazy, daredevil bet in flight camp; it was the heat that kept her spirit warm during the cold nights when defeat had sapped her strength; it was the torch that kept guiding her to push further and harder than the day before. The burning desire of her soul was visible through her eyes. There was only one thing her heart desired, and she was looking at him. With another thought, Spitfire ensnared his lips in another kiss. She held onto the embrace until approaching hoofsteps and an ‘ahem’ from a familiar source snapped her attention back to reality. “A-Applejack!” Spitfire gasped, jerking away from her partner when she saw the farmer standing on the field. Rocked by a surge of anxiety, Spitfire tried to put the metaphorical fire out before it burned away everything. “I can explain! I-it’s not what it looks like!” However, rather than yelling or stomping or raging at the glaringly obvious infidelity, Applejack only smiled as she shot a quick glance over to Soarin’. “Really? Cause Ah was hoping it was exactly what it looked like,” Applejack said. For the second time that night, Spitfire was left in a momentary silence when her expectation of a fight was met with the exact opposite. As the shock wore off, she began to notice how neither Soarin’ nor Applejack seemed too surprised. Then the realization hit her... “You put him up to this, didn’t you?” Spitfire exclaimed. “Well it wasn’t that hard,” Applejack replied with her usual modesty. “Soarin’ already had the idea of asking you to fly with him, but he was worried you wouldn’t be up for it. Ah just helped convince him that it was the best chance for the Wonderbolts.” “You set me up?” Though sorrow and anger were competing at this act of apparent betrayal, anger was the only emotion that Spitfire would allow to surface. “You...tricked me!” “Ah did what Ah had to do!” Applejack quickly snapped back. Though the farmer wasn’t being aggressive, she responded to the pegasus’ anger with a firm, resolute tone. “Now if y’all hadn’t noticed, Ah’ve been having to deal with nothing but lies and deceit for a while now. The two ponies Ah care most about couldn’t tell me the truth because they were too scared of what might come if it were known. Well Ah have had enough!” Whether it was the pegasus’ exhaustion or Applejack’s resolve, or a combination of both, when the farmer stomped her hoof down, the Wonderbolt Captain fell silent. “The truth will always set you free. That starts here and now with you two.” “Y-you can’t be serious,” Spitfire stammered in her bewilderment. “You mean you wanted me to kiss Soarin’?” “What Ah wanted was the truth,” Applejack reiterated as she stepped towards the two pegasi. “Ah’ve seen the way the two of you look to each other for support and guidance. Ah’ve listened to you both talk about the other with remorse and admiration. And Ah can only guess how stubborn the two of you can be. Ah didn’t know what it all meant so that’s why Ah encouraged Soarin’ to go through with his idea. What we all saw tonight was the kind of flying that few others could ever even dream of - of two ponies flying as one. The only ponies who couldn’t see how much love and commitment went into that performance are the ones standing in front of me.” The confusion in her heart only grew worse as Applejack spoke. Spitfire looked between the two ponies with her. Was it really as simple as the plain-speaking countrypony made it seem? “It’s high time the two of you stopped hiding from the truth,” Applejack encouraged as her tone softened to its former self. “Now Ah ain’t letting either of you leave until you start being one hundred percent honest with each other. And Ah will break out the rope if need be.” Thankfully, it was a threat that Applejack would not need to carry out as the two Wonderbolts turned to face each other. Both looked as though they still had their own apprehensions, but all it took was one pony to make the first step. “Spitfire, I-” “Wait! Please...let me go first.” She may have been hesitant to admit the truth but she wasn’t going to let her best friend expose himself to pain and embarrassment. If there was going to be a risk of heartache, she was going to be the one to take it. Despite the growing tightness in her throat, the pegasus pressed on. “When we broke up, I was so angry at you. I made it my mission to prove you wrong; to show you that I could find happiness and glory without you. Even as the years passed, I refused to admit defeat. I kept telling myself that the next time would be different” She had hoped it would get easier the more she said, but her eyes started to feel weighed down and her gaze fell to the grass between her hooves. “I never realized that all that glory and all that happiness wasn’t because of what I had accomplished. It was because I shared those moments with you. My victories were your victories; and your victories were mine.” She regretted taking her goggles off as they made her tear-filled eyes plain to see. Keeping her gaze averted seemed like the easiest solution, even though she knew that that Soarin’ would see right through it. “I took you for granted and then threw you out when I thought I didn’t need you anymore. Letting you go was the worst mistake of my life. But...you deserve so much better than me...and I certainly don’t deserve forgiveness...” The whole situation would have felt a lot less awkward if she weren’t confessing her feelings in front of several thousand ponies. While what she said could not be heard beyond a few feet, her body language broadcasted the message of the conversation to everyone with an unobstructed view of the pair. But she wasn’t scared of the crowds knowing what she felt. The only thing that frightened her was the silence that followed her confessions. She didn’t want to look up just in case the sight turned out to be Soarin’s departing backside, but she was forced to when a hoof under her chin lifted her eyes back up. “Love isn’t about who deserves what,” Soarin’ said. “It’s about choice...and commitment. You weren’t the only pony that wanted to prove they could make it on their own. I was so sure that I was right and that you would knock on my door in the middle of the night begging for forgiveness. But when that never happened, I thought maybe that I was wrong...and that you really didn’t need me anymore. But being the fool I am, I couldn’t let you go...so I stayed with the team and rebuilt our friendship. I never stopped loving you Spitfire...but I had convinced myself that I had burned the bridge behind me.” Soarin’ might not have been on the verge of tears like Spitfire had been during her confession, but the weight of his guilt was evident in his tone and heavy sighs. “I never gave up on you but...I was always too scared to try again, to fail again...” “Can you ever forgive me?” Soarin’ only smiled as he embraced his fellow pegasus, wrapping his hooves around her and drawing her in. Her head rested against his chest just below his chin where she could feel his warmth and hear the beating of his heart. “I already have,” he whispered before kissing the top of her head. “I’ll never give up on your, Spitfire. I always have and always will be by your side.” As tempting as it was to give into the emotional tide and embrace the stallion in another kiss, Spitfire could not forget the other pony present. After breaking from Soarin’s embrace, she turned to Applejack. She worried that the farmer would be heartbroken, but instead she found a smiling, tearful pony. “Applejack I’m...sorry but-” “Don’t be,” Applejack insisted. “You said yourself you didn’t want to be stuck with regrets. How could I be happy knowing I wound up being the one keeping you from the one pony you wanted most of all? How could I stand in the way of that kind of love, hm?” “Heh...so I guess that means you’re breaking up with me,” Spitfire said with a half-choked chuckle. “Ah’m setting you free.” “I can’t thank you enough.” It felt like a fleeting gesture, but nonetheless the pegasus threw her hooves around her erstwhile girlfriend and squeezed as hard as she could. She knew the sturdy workpony could withstand far more than anything she could inflict. “You have got to be the best...and the worst girlfriend a pony could ask for!” “Well Ah ain’t ever claim to be good at this relationship stuff,” Applejack said as she tried to hide the red tinting her cheeks. “Oh, I could kiss you right now!” “Hey...if, um...you two want to, I totally have no objections.” “Way to kill the moment, Soarin’,” Spitfire deadpanned. Though Applejack had a little laugh, she didn’t indulge in the stallion’s request. It was tempting but she didn’t want to make a spectacle in front of so many ponies. “Ah don’t suppose Ah could ask the two of you for a small favour. There’s a certain wayward pegasus that Ah need to find...”