The night air had become less warm as Silver Lining lead Misty down the country path. Nothing but the moonlight lit their way and yet they were both at ease. Everything was how they wanted it so far.
Perhaps they were too tired to fly and that was why they walked instead. The performance had indeed sapped their strength. In reality, they walked because they wanted to. Because they found it relaxing to do so together. Not everything had to have such a strong reason.
"You said we might have the picnic under the moon rather than wait until tomorrow," Misty spoke softly in the calm quiet between them. "But just looking at you, I can tell you'll fall asleep before we're halfway through with the food," she giggled.
Silver Lining smiled faintly. "You're hardly any different. I was about to say that I wouldn't mind falling asleep under the moon with you. The idea is rather romantic..." he passed a prolonged glance to the mare as they continued the relaxed pace forward.
"Oh," she replied simply. "But we might catch a cold."
He laughed. "Just as well. I decided we'd better sleep at a hotel near the lake until sunrise. We're both too tired anyhow."
A gentle breeze blew by and cooled Misty once more almost to the point of a shiver. "Ah. Sounds perfect," she yawned.
Again, they walked for some time with the peaceful quiet of the night before Misty spoke again.
"Silver Lining?" she practically whispered.
"Yes?" he asked back, not knowing what she had in mind to say. Her tone seemed a bit different.
"Thanks for being...you. Nice, considerate, gentle, peaceful..." she spoke still in a small voice.
Silver Lining wanted to smile at first but felt he shouldn't on the account of it seeming rather arrogant. Instead, he sighed happily as he felt the mare wrap a wing over him even as they walked together.
Finally, he answered, "I'm just happy to have you, Misty."
Maybe things had just gone too far. Spitfire wasn't sure but considered that she might have let the Bullet consume her goals too much. She had a life, after all. Soarin' and Surprise were at the top of it too. On one hoof, she wanted to take some vacation time with him. On the other hoof, she wanted the same with her. They both deserved it and the orange mare couldn't help but settle on taking them both. A trip to the tropics would be nice...
Thing was, she had gotten a call early in the morning about Surprise being up again with a more stable condition. She had to use all of her limited morning strength to shove the blankets, pillows, and unconscious Soarin' off of her to get to the phone. She had fallen asleep on his sofa while watching some random movie. Thus she correctly assumed that he had fallen asleep while putting the blankets on her, which hadn't been there to begin with.
Soarin' still hadn't lost his old habit of taking care of her.
But that hardly mattered to Spitfire now that she could go see Surprise and speak to her. Rushing, the captain took only a second to make sure she wasn't missing anything vitally important before she was off. It wasn't until the door shut behind her that Soarin' began his wake-up mumbling.
"Fire...?"
Blaze stretched her joints, hearing a few of them pop. It was an early start for her, especially considering the performance they had done last night. She was still a bit sore from it but was intent that such a thing wouldn't stop her. Not when she had a breakfast set up with High Winds and some of the others. As it turned out when she arrived at the restaurant, she was the only Elite Wonderbolt present.
"Fire Streak must be sleeping in," Blaze mumbled to herself as she walked up to the large table that the others were situated at. She took the open seat next to Fleetfoot, vaguely noting that the result was three mares on one side and two stallions on the other.
"I'm glad to see you weren't too tired from last night," High Winds said as she turned in her seat to regard the new arrival. "I think you'll enjoy the meal. This place has great pancakes."
As if on cue, the Earth pony waiter walked casually to their table and started taking the orders. Not wanting to wait or make a fuss, Blaze just ordered the pancake special. It would do.
After the waiter finished promptly, Lightning Streak started asking about the previous night's show. But mostly he asked about Fire Streak's performance.
"Hardly any different than the others," Blaze answered. "We all had to be one-to-one with synch so there wasn't any room for uniqueness. If anything, Fire Streak was the most tired one afterwards. Make you feel better?" she raised a brow, knowing the ongoing competition between the two stallions.
"No, not really. Why should it?" he shrugged it off in an attempt not to be obvious.
Fleetfoot prevented the topic from continuing with her own remark. "I don't think I'd want to learn the Bullet even if I was offered. Too much risk is bad for one's health."
"That's rather conservative of you," High Winds spoke across Blaze. The mare obviously knew why Fleetfoot had said what she did. "Don't want to leave somepony behind?"
When Fleetfoot looked embarrassingly back to High Winds and gave the "quiet" gesture, Blaze knew that things had definitely been going on while she was busy in the Elite team. It was amazing what one could miss happening with the other members if absent even for a few days, even when most days seemed to bring nothing of note.
"Geez, Fleet," Rapidfire finally spoke and locked eyes with the named mare. "You don't need to be like that all the time, y'know?"
Somehow, Blaze guessed she was out of the loop.
"But I-" Fleetfoot started before Lightning Streak facehoofed and High Winds interrupted.
"Alright now. How about we talk about something different," the fashionista suggested.
Blaze sighed relief on the inside. Whatever that had been, she was glad High Winds cut it early. Weird vibes and all.
"So anypony got ideas for the two missing spots?" the orange mare initiated the new subject.
"You mean Wave Chill's position? What's the other?" Lightning Streak asked.
Fleetfoot, looking to establish herself again, gave the answer that they were all thinking. "Surprise, no doubt. There's just no way she can stay on the team with those injuries. The captain will cut her."
"Gently to be sure," High Winds remarked. "My first impression is that Spitfire will choose the top candidates from the training academy."
"The academy?" Rapidfire raised a brow in suspicion. "No offense to the trainees, but none of them has ever had enough power and talent to fit a 'Bolt slot."
It seemed at first that one of the five at the table was going to say something to counter the remark, but it never came. A general "hm" ensued due to the fact that none of them had any particular pony in mind that could fill one of the empty positions.
Finally, Blaze broke the concentrated mood. "I remember there being a blue-coated one that was pretty good. But I guess it doesn't matter one way or another because the captain's the one that decides. Now where are my pancakes?"
Again, as if the waiter had been on cue, the Earth pony returned with a tray packed with food. Needless to say, the Wonderbolts were already licking their lips in anticipation. Or perhaps that was only Lightning Streak, who happened to be particularly hungry that morning.
There were few words that could describe how Spitfire felt when she rushed into Surprise's hospital room. Relieved would be an understatement. But then, that relief faded out as the captain took in the situation more clearly.
The whitish mare was sitting upright in the bed with a doctor and nurse on either side. She was crying and hadn't yet noticed that Spitfire had entered the room. She was just shaking her head with both forehooves covering her face as she sobbed. The doctor and nurse must have known a little bit as to what was going on because they both looked thankfully to Spitfire and took their leave of the room. They did so rather quickly, which left Spitfire alone with the mare that hadn't even noticed her yet.
Now that the orange mare was actually there, the energy that she had on the race over started to drain the same way the tears were draining from Surprise. She had been so excited to see the mare awake that she hadn't actually thought of what to say. Of how to approach her. Now, the weight of Surprise's "accident" was coming back like lead on Spitfire's shoulders. What was she going to say first?
As it turned out, nothing. The captain just walked up to the bedside, leaned over, and put a hoof around the other mare as if to comfort her. She had to take care not to touch the metal braces that were holding the mare's broken wings. Finding the right position, she tried giving a reassuring rub. But Surprise didn't warm into it. Instead, she flinched from it as if it was evil. It was at that same moment that she looked up from her hooves, face red and messy with tears. She seemed almost horrified by the sight of her best friend.
Surprise tried to say something but it came out as nothing but a babble against the sniffling and half-sobbing that she couldn't seem to control.
Not knowing what to do and having her hoof stretched out to a friend that didn't want it made Spitfire's heart hurt in a way she hadn't quite experienced before.
"Do-" Surprise tried again before hiccuping from all the crying.
Spitfire's outstretched hoof wavered painfully in the air.
"Don't hate me!" Surprise cried out painfully.
Even if the injured mare flinched away again, Spitfire was going to hug her. Getting up on the bed, as visitors were not supposed to, the orange mare grabbed her friend as best she could and hugged her tight. "I could never hate you, Prize!" she answered honestly. "I never will!"
Maybe that was enough for the other mare or maybe she just didn't have any tears left to cry because she fell silent and finally relaxed into the hug.
They both stayed like that, not counting increments of time. It was not until Surprise started talking again that Spitfire knew that she had to take charge of the mare. "I can't be around you anymore," Surprise started depressingly.
"No," Spitfire replied, not letting go of the hug. Surprise slackened at that, believing that her former friend had agreed to what she said. "You have to stay with me now. Always."
The pale-coated mare widened her eyes in pure emotion.
"You might not fly with me," Spitfire continued. "But you will still live with me. Well," she smiled in an attempt to relief herself of the heavy tension in the room. "If you don't mind putting up with Soarin'. He's sort of hanging off of my wing these days," she gave an experimental giggle, seeing if she could try to lighten up the mood any. She still felt at a loss as to what she was supposed to do so she just said and did whatever came naturally.
Surprise didn't answer at first but then spoke. "Why would you want me around?" she sniffled again against the orange mare's coat. The captain was intent not to let up the hug. Not if it made Surprise feel the least bit loved.
"Because we're best friends and I care about you. Do I need to have a reason to care about you?" Spitfire tried to put it gently. "I want to have you at my side all the time. I know it's selfish of me because there's already somepony doing that, but I can't bear to let you go."
"I can't do anything-"
"You will do anything," Spitfire suddenly bit back with a harsher tone. "You'll do what I say," she commanded as she finally leaned back out of the hug to look the other pony in the eyes. It was a gamble but, since the idea landed in her lap, she decided to take the chance. If Surprise was going to go as far as self-harm over her sake then perhaps the mare would listen to her orders.
"Whatever you say?" Surprise quivered. She had been trembling the whole time but now she seemed to tremble for a different reason. The mare was obviously confused and Spitfire had to take the opportunity to straighten things out.
"What I say is law," Spitfire put on a more serious tone. "You will heal up and then, when you're released, you will be at my side doing whatever I tell you to. You will stay with me in my hotel room and keep Soarin' from hogging all of my attention. And if you dare try to run away from me, I will stop at nothing to hunt you down and drag you back."
Surprise gulped and nodded slightly. Apparently, the mare was buying the whole thing, which Spitfire was making up on the fly. It encouraged the captain to add a final touch. Something to ensure that Surprise wouldn't hurt herself again.
"And if you dare make me hunt you down, then I will personally break both your wings again," Spitfire blatantly lied. "You stay with me and do what I want and you'll be safe and happy. You try to get away from me again and you will have nothing but pain and suffering."
"Spitfire!" the injured mare wailed and collapsed forward to hug her friend. "Please don't! I'll stay! I'll do whatever you want! Just don't leave me! Don't hurt me!"
Spitfire quickly wrapped her hooves around the mare again and, knowing that Surprise couldn't see her face for the moment, she smirked evilly. The gamble worked. Talk about dumb luck with a dumb idea. Maybe there was something to be said for Soarin's half-flanked approach to life. He did this kind of horse apple non-sense all the time.
"Oh, don't you worry," Spitfire placed a hoof atop her friend's head and stroked her mane. "I'll take good care of you."
Mentally, Spitfire sighed in relief. That was one problem down the drain. But the stallion that suddenly came waltzing into the room just made another one. Thankfully, he was skilled at quick clean-ups.
"I thought so," Soarin' exclaimed as he strode up to the bed. "Only thing I could think of that would have you rush out like that."
Surprise stared at the male, at a loss as to how she should respond. Spitfire was less reserved. "Prize is going to be sticking with me after she gets out, Shiner. You're going to need to make room and keep your hooves to yourself."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he smirked as he came up to the bed and leaned over and onto it. The bed had to be pretty sturdy because it wasn't buckling under the weight yet.
Spitfire rolled her eyes. "How many times are we going to go over this? Most ponies take your little mannerisms as something they're really not. I don't want Surprise feeling all weird. She doesn't have the tragic connection to you the way I do."
"Tragic?" Soarin' opened his mouth in mock shock. "So now you're a victim because I know you?"
Spitfire didn't fail to notice a small movement in Surprise's lips that indicated the beginnings of a smile. She was going to have to thank Soarin' for showing up. Maybe it was because they had known each other so long that the stallion had been able to pick up on her situation when he came in. Without any signals, he just slid right into the mood, trying to change Surprise's attitude if even by a micron.
"Still," Soarin' beamed again as he leaned over to Surprise. "Glad to have you back. It'll be nice to have somepony else to keep the hutch for."
"Huh?" Surprise almost whispered, not knowing the meaning.
"There's so much for us to talk about, Prize," Spitfire addressed the mare again. "I know you're supposed to get lots of rest but if you're not too tired then we can start now."
"Oh," Surprise looked more excitedly to the captain. "No, I'm fine."
Soarin' caught Spitfire's look and breathed in to start. "Well," he began.
Spitfire held onto the mare and added her own parts when necessary, talking about all sorts of things from their past. In the end, they managed to get Surprise out of her mental rut. With any amount of luck, she would be safe with the two of them from then and on into the future.
Wave Chill looked up to the great city of Canterlot, situated against Mt Canter. He smiled, knowing that the Wonderbolts were probably neck-deep in some crazy mess. But he smiled a bit more because he knew that he might just end up with a crazier life than them. After all, he was no longer a Wonderbolt. He was just a plain old pegasus powerhouse with a mission.
He turned and faced the road again, heading into the distant mountains. His heavy pack weighed him down but he just took it as strength training. He could have easily been flying rather than walking but he had decided that life was too short to fly everywhere in a hurry. He wanted to enjoy the scenery that he was passing. The country road he was using was certainly beautiful enough to justify it.
The weather was almost overcast, a gentle and cool breeze was sweeping by and rattling the leaves on the trees. The day was good. Perfect for his adventure.