Solo Flight
By: Thunderplunk
As we swept into Canterlot Royal Stadium over the roaring crowd, I wondered whether he'd be there. I'd spotted him at so many other shows that he'd become a fixture, as fundamental to a performance as the air I flew through and the suit that clung to my body.
I pulled into a climb with the rest of the team, all of us fanning out as we leaned back into the stall. My eyes closed for a moment as weightlessness washed over me, then opened as I fell, scanning the stands. For a moment I couldn't tell. A cold grip worse than any aerobatics clenched across my gut, panic striking with that sense of awful disappointment, making me feel like a stupid colt who's let his parents down.
There.
A flash of gold.
Just the right shade, like spring sunrise on a wheatfield that stretches to the end of the world, and shining as though light itself had been distilled and refined and poured through that beautiful mane.
Everything was right with the world as I snapped my wings forward, pulling out of the dive just in time to skim the ground and soar just over the stands. I could have sworn, as I began to bank into a roll and regroup, that I'd seen a smile from him.
—————
At last we made our way inside, retreating down the cool, bare tunnel, chased by the roar of the crowd. Lightning Streak and Rapidfire peeled off into the male changing rooms, chatting away about something or other. I followed them, lost in thought. Tonight had maintained the almost-perfect attendance record of that strange stallion: he'd been absent in Cloudsdale a few weeks back, but now that I thought of it I couldn't remember seeing wings on him. Why was he always there, all over Equestria? Why had he followed the Wonderbolts across the country for over a month?
Why did he always seem to be lo0king at me?
"Hey, Soarin', you awake over there?"
I started, my daydreams collapsing as I looked up at the pair of stallions across from me. Each of them was wearing a look like a smirk and a grin had had kittens.
"Sorry, guys, I was miles away," I said, smiling in what I hoped was a nonchalant way. I went to pull off my flight suit, then noticed it was off my body and neatly folded on a bench. Huh. Apparently that's another thing that doesn't require me to actually think.
They continued to grirk at me. "We were just wondering if you were hitting the town with the rest of us tonight," Lightning said. "It's been a while since you had any fun."
Ah. That was it. They were looking for another opportunity to exploit my embarrassing ability to get drunk. Well, I'd have to turn them down. With everything that was on my mind, I wouldn't want to let anything slip.
"Sure," I said, "why not?"
That had been distinctly not what I wanted to say.
"Awesome!" Rapidfire grinned like a cat and clapped me on the shoulder. "We'll see you later, yeah Soarin'?"
"Yeah, of course..." I trailed off as they walked into the showers. I supposed it wouldn't hurt too much to oblige them, so long as I didn't critically embarrass the team. Again. I'm still not sure how I ended up hanging, plot-first, half through the window of Fillydelphia Town Hall.
I ambled after them, my mind rapidly filling up again with that golden pony, his wonderfully lustrous coat, the green flash of his eyes, the gorgeous curve of his...
Welp. This had better be a cold shower.
—————
They were waiting in the hotel's lobby as I stepped out of the elevator. Lightning Streak and Rapidfire finished some joke about a griffon, a mule and a sea pony, while Misty and Fleetfoot giggled and cackled, respectively. Even Spitfire was there, grinning and rolling her eyes at the pair. I couldn't help but smile, seeing them all.
Spitfire glanced over, spotting me. "Soarin'!" She waved me over to the group. "We were wondering whether you'd make it," she said playfully.
"Spitfire, I'm hurt," I said, feigning offence. "You know full well I'd never deny you the pleasure of my company."
"Oh, is that what we're calling it?" said Misty, grinning like a filly at Hearth's Warming. "I didn't know we had a code-word for 'trainwreck'."
I snorted at her. "I'll have you know literally tens on ponies have said they like hanging out with me, and I didn't even have to pay most of them." I turned my nose up like a prince in an orphanage. Misty giggled again.
"Shall we?" said Spitfire. "At this rate, Soarin', you'll barely have time to pass out tonight."
I chuckled as we walked into the night. The conversation turned back to joke-telling, and I half-listened, gazing around at the empty, twilit streets. I've always liked nighttime; something about the quiet and the dark just makes me feel serene, like the cool, clean air after a thunderstorm. Scraps of litter blew about my hooves in the breeze, my feathers unconsciously twitching to catch the draught from the dark, wide avenues. A few crowds like us wandered about amongst the businessponies on their way home and the occasional evening jogger.
And there he was.
Tucked away in a side street, leaning against a wall and staring at the ground. He must have heard us; he looked up with a double take as we passed him. I couldn't help but stare.
I walked on with the group until he was out of sight. My thoughts churned in my head. Who was he, and was I really about to do this?
I cleared my throat surreptitiously. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch you up."
They stopped, looking back at me. Spitfire frowned. "Something the matter, Soarin'?"
"What? No, I was just gonna head to that hay fries stand we passed," I lied. I dearly hoped they'd buy it.
Spitfire sighed and cracked a smile. "Only you, Soarin'... all right, off you go," she said, shaking her head exasperatedly.
I took to the air. "See you in a bit, guys!" I said as I swivelled and flew back down the street. I ducked behind a corner and waited a moment. Once I was sure they'd carried on, I peeked out, spotting the alley he'd been in.
I swallowed. No time like the present, huh?
I could have sworn my hooves trembled as I walked towards that alley. When at last I reached it, I paused, took a deep breath, and poked my head round the corner.
He was still there, sitting by the wall. Even in the dim glow of the city at night he shone. I coughed gently and he snapped his head up in panic. Our eyes locked and we froze, staring at each other for what might have been days.
"Hi," I said.
He was quiet for a moment, then began to stammer as he realised I'd spoken.
"Hi- uh, Ah- Ah mean, um... a-are you-"
"Yep," I said, somehow sounding confident. "You know, I've seen you a few times before. You've been at our shows, right?"
He blushed. "Uh, yeah, Ah guess." Sweet Celestia, that accent.
"So, I noticed you back here and, well, you kinda seemed lonely," I said, forcing the waver out of my voice as I grinned. "I was wondering if you were okay."
He blinked at me. "Me? Ah'm- Ah'm fine, just..." He trailed off. "Ah mean, why are you worried about me? Ah'm just a fan."
"A dedicated one at that," I said. "Like I said, I... well, I noticed you, and you looked interesting." Wait, had that been the wrong thing to say? "Besides, I've always got time for a fan."
He smiled then. Something inside me lifted a little, and all of a sudden I was the best kind of scared I'd ever been.
"Anyway," I said, my grin coming more and more naturally, "how about a drink?"