//------------------------------//
// Sweet N' Spicy Redux chapter 6 
// Story: Sweet N' Spicy 
// by Shahrazad 
//------------------------------//

Written by: Shahrazad
Edited by: Conantheimp

Sweet N’ Spicy Redux: Chapter 6


~~~~~


In the hotel room two weeks ago...

Soarin’s eyes snapped back to Dash, “Don’t try to change the subject.”

The door closed as Spitfire left to return to her own hotel suite.  Soarin trotted over to the refrigerator to ensure the pink mare had indeed left.  He opened it and found nothing more than a few bottles of cider with expensive price tags on them.  He pulled one out and popped the cork.  He tossed the cork and the price tag onto the counter and refilled his glass.  “Well?”

Rainbow Dash blinked at him, “I’m telling you I’m not a filly fooler.”  She was on the verge of tears.  “Please, you have to believe me.”

Soarin furrowed his brow, “You’re telling me a random mare kissed you in the hotel lobby?  Doesn’t that strike you as unbelievable?  And right when we entered the hotel?  How did she even know you were there?”

Dash’s ears were flat against her head.  “I don’t know!” she pleaded.

“You didn’t invite her?  And you didn’t tell anypony where you were going to be?”

“NO!  I-” Dash stopped herself from shouting and thought about the meeting in Carousel Boutique.  With her ears still plastered to her head she spoke quietly, “Um...I...might have told a pony where we were going to be.”

Soarin looked even more cross, “WHY?  WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?”  His voice carried throughout the room and pierced the walls.

“BECAUSE I WANT TO BE A WONDERBOLT!”

Soarin snorted and took a moment to drink his cider.  When he was finished he shook his head and said softly, “That doesn’t make any sense.  Start at the beginning.”

Rainbow Dash started to talk a mile a minute, “I met this client of Rarity’s that’s my friend the fashion pony and she told me I had pretty hair and was a great weather pony and I told her I wanted to be a Wonderbolt and she told me that she could help me get into the Wonderbolts and after that we met at Carousel Boutique and I had to tell her where the Wonderbolts would be staying in order to get Fleur to help me so somehow that mare must have found out from her when she-”

“STOP!”  Soarin’s eyes went wide at some point in the middle of the explanation.  Dash gasped for air.  He spoke quietly, almost a whisper, “Did you say Fleur?  As in Fleur De Lis?”  She nodded still out of breath.  Soarin looked at her and his eyes narrowed, “This is all part of her plan.  She’s doing it just to hurt me.  And she doesn’t care if she hurts you too.”

“WHAT?”  Rainbow Dash looked at Soarin like he had grown a second head.

Soarin sighed, “Listen, a long time ago I dated her.  I really thought it was love.  But it wasn’t.  Eventually she grew tired of me when I couldn’t keep up with her constant need for attention.  One time I got kinda drunk and did some things that I’d rather not talk about.  They weren’t very nice.  She took revenge.  She’s still taking revenge on me, every chance she gets.  This is how she does it.  She poisons the relationships around me.  If it weren’t for Spitfire I might actually have gone crazy a long time ago.”  He refilled his own drink and filled another glass for Dash with the rest of the bottle.  “When we first met you sort of reminded me of her.”

Dash’s expression started to turn sour, she didn’t shout but her voice was loud and incredulous.  “What?  Are you telling me I’m a manipulative mare?”  She eyed him critically.

“WHAT?  NO!  Not at all.  Look, can we just forget about Fleur?  She’s just trying to manipulate things so that I’m unhappy.  At least this time we talked about it before things got out of hoof.”  He wore a weak smile which she returned.  “So she knows you want to get into the Wonderbolts?”  She nodded and Soarin sighed, “If you told her that she probably will do something to ensure you get accepted.”

Rainbow Dash kept a nervous smile and tilted her head.  “Well that’s good isn’t it?”  She blinked once and raised one brow.  “How can joining the Wonderbolts hurt you?  You’re not some JEALOUS CHAUVINIST are you?”  She grew a bit angry at the end of her sentence and her voice rose.

Soarin quickly diffused her, “Of course not!”  He lowered his voice, “I would love you to fly with me, uh, the Wonderbolts, us.  Yes.  But there’s a rule that only the Wonderbolts and those close to them know about.  It’s why Spitfire encouraged me to continue to date Fleur even after the relationship was going sour.  You see, Wonderbolts aren’t allowed to fraternize.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head slowly, “You mean...?”

“As a matter of policy I cannot be romantically involved with a Wonderbolt of significantly higher or lower rank.  And before you ask, yes this applies to cadets as well.”  Soarin sipped his cider quietly and let his words sink in.

“No...no...NO!”  Dash shouted, “I WON’T LET THIS STAND!”  She started for the door.

“GET BACK IN HERE!”  Soarin darted around her and blocked the door with his body.  He lowered his voice, “I know Spitfire much better than you do.  Trust me when I tell you she won’t change this policy just because you ask her to.”

“This isn’t fair,” Dash’s ears went flat.  “I wrote the perfect application and everything.  I’ve dreamed about this since I was a filly.”  Her eyes darted about the room searching for an escape but no doorway would offer her an escape from this predicament.  “What can we do?”

“Just what Spitfire implied.  We can break this off now or Spitfire will reject your application.”  Soarin’s sorrowful expression infected her like a plague.  She seemed to deflate on the spot.  Her flank hit the floor and her limbs grew weak.  Her wings drooped and her eyes found the little circles her right forehoof was making in the carpet.  Her vision started to blur as tears threatened to fall.  “I...I can’t let you make this sort of mistake.”  Her head snapped up to watch him as he started towards the door.  “I’ll tell Spitfire we broke it off.  I’m...sorry Rainbow Dash.  I like you too much to let your dream die.”  Her mind worked furiously to find a solution.

“STOP RIGHT THERE BUSTER.”  He froze in his tracks.  A sultry smile spread across her face.  “We can have it all.  We just have to act like we’re broken up.  You ex has given us the perfect opportunity.  Just act like you think I’m a filly fooler and we can have it all.”

Soarin frowned, “That won’t work.  And if we get caught it would mean the end of both of our dreams.  I’d rather not get into a serious relationship and then get burned again.  And if Spitfire catches us it’s going to be me in the really hot water because I’m the superior officer.  What if-?”

She kissed him.  Swiftly.  Fiercely.  Neither of them made a sound for a full minute.  Their eyes closed.  When she withdrew their eyes slowly opened and they looked at each other.  Each breathed in sync with the other.  She traced a hoof gently on his chest.  “I’m loyal to my friends and to you.  If you don’t believe anything else, believe that.  I understand you’re having some trouble trusting me but you have to.  If you don’t...this isn’t going to work.  I won’t betray you, I promise.”  She waited for a response.  She stifled a giggle when she noticed how slack his face had become.

She waited.  It took another minute before he returned from orbit.  His brain worked perfectly fine during the encounter but had become totally disconnected from his mouth.  He had a million responses but was simply unable to speak any of them until the entire system rebooted.  And through it all he could smell something like cinnamon.  He always breathed in through his nose when she was near.  “Um...Okay, you aren’t a filly fooler.”  She smiled.  “And I trust you.  You’re sure it’s alright if everypony thinks you’re a filly fooler?”

“As long as you don’t think so, I’ll handle it.  How bad can it be?”  She wore that sultry smile again.

“You know, Spitfire is right next door.  Let’s give her a show.  Or at least a broadcast.”  Soarin’s heart beat faster with excitement.  It wasn’t every day he did something so clandestine.  It excited him.

“Sure...”  Her devilish smile made him shrink back just a bit.  He wasn’t sure what she was planning.

smack

His hoof reflexively came up to his stinging cheek.  He blinked several times as she shouted, “HOW DARE YOU CALL ME THAT!”  He was too stunned to make any sort of response.  After a short pause she looked at him with worry and whispered, “Say something!”

“Uh...I’LL CALL YOU WHATEVER I WANT!”  He found that he enjoyed acting.  Or at the very least he enjoyed the deception, the excitement of getting caught made the adrenaline pump into his blood.  By the look on her face she was feeling the same thing.  Soon they both wore silly grins.  He slammed her into a wall knocking over a vase filled with flowers.  She continued to yell as he kissed her neck, breathing in her scent.

He was about to work his way lower when she pulled his head up with both hooves and shouted into his face, “DO YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?”  With one hoof she pushed him into the table, knocking over another vase.  The flowers and water inside spilled out over the table and dribbled onto the floor.  He was about to respond when she tackled him and slammed him onto the table with a thud.

“I WANT THE TRUTH!”  He shouted while they were face to face but the anger in his voice just make their silly grins wider.  She nuzzled his neck and he ran a hoof through her mane.  They continued to scream at each other until their voices were sore.  All the while knocking things over, slamming into walls, and generally horsing around.  It was so physical and so much adrenaline was in their veins by the time they ended up bouncing into the bed kissing each other they were both light headed and giddy.  He whispered in her ear making her blush.  Plotting with her was turning out to be fun.  He was surprised he enjoyed it so much.

Soarin just lay on the bed trying to trace her outline.  She allowed him to for a moment but it passed too quickly for his liking.  She breathed into his ear, “Time for the big finish.”  He looked at her wistfully but nodded.

“Stop lying!”
“I’m not lying!”
“Then what the hay was that in the lobby?”
“I don’t know!”
“Just some random filly fooling?”
“I said I don’t know!”
“Liar!”

She smiled and bucked the last vase across the room.  It skipped over a fallen chair and hit the refrigerator door.

Kishhh

“Don’t call me that!”
“You were just waiting to betray me weren’t you!”
“How dare you!”
“Oh looks like I struck a nerve!”
“Do you know who I am!”
“Yeah, a filly fooler!”
“That does it!  We’re through!”

They kissed one more time before they broke apart and Dash opened the door with far too much force.  He watched her go as she bucked it closed.  His entire body was shaking.  He knew the aftereffects of an adrenaline high but this was on a whole new level.  He’d never felt so excited before and so he had never felt so tired afterwards.  He artfully arranged some of the furniture before he collapsed into the bed face first.  He was breathing heavily.  He tried to calm himself while he waited for Spitfire to enter his room.  If she didn’t try to talk to him now he would have to go to her.  It would look odd, it would be out of character for him in this situation.  He waited and thought about what he would say to her.

creak

He felt his heart quicken as he heard the door open.

“When I said take care of it, I didn’t mean you had to do it so...”  Spitfire searched for the right word.  “Loudly,” it was a lame way to say it but it got the message across.

“You heard?”  His voice was muffled by the pillow.  He carefully controlled his voice to sound flat.

Soarin’s heart beat so loudly in his chest he wondered how Spitfire couldn’t hear it.  She spoke and he almost let out a triumphant cry at her words.  “Most of it, hard to ignore you two when you’re being so loud.  I still need you to finish the applications for this year.  Fleetfoot and I took care of Rainbow Dash’s application.  She’s in.”

Soarin’s sigh of relief was audible even through the pillow.  “Somehow I knew that was going to happen.  Well, there’s no mess anymore.  I fixed it for you ma’am.”  I can’t believe this is going to work!  He thought without moving his head.  He was sure if she saw the smile on his face it would be a dead giveaway.

“Fleetfoot and I will finish the applications and I’ll let you do your part tomorrow.  They have to be filed before the end of next week.”

Soarin was careful to keep his voice even.  “I’ll be in there in a few minutes.  I just need a moment to myself.  Please ma’am.”

He could almost hear the surprised look on her face, “Okay Soarin, take your time.”  She slowly exited the room and closed the door with a soft click.  He knew it was risky to interact with Spitfire right now, but it was a calculated risk, and he knew it needed to be made.  If he brooded like last time she would be the one to try and pick up the pieces.  That was an overwrought act he wouldn’t be able to keep up.  Best to at least appear more mature this time around.

Soarin rolled off the bed and took in the state of the room.  He rubbed his eyes and trotted over to the mini bar again.  He took out another bottle of cider and poured himself a drink.  His hoof shook and he spilled a bit on the dark marble counter.  He took in a deep breath and finished pouring his drink.  He sipped it slowly.  “It’s gonna be alright Soarin,” he said quietly to himself.  He took a few minutes to finish his drink and allow his quaking limbs to settle.


~~~~~


She squirmed a bit more and got a hoof loose.  They both smiled when they looked at each other.  “Of course I remember what we agreed in the hotel room.”   She wrapped a hoof around his neck and pulled him closer.  “Don’t you remember what happened once I got to the academy?”

His cheeks reddened, “How could I forget.”


~~~~~


At the academy two days ago...

“I think I’m full.  It’s time for me to clean up for tomorrow anyway,” Soarin tried his best to glare at Rainbow Dash for the benefit of the other ponies.  It was tough glaring at her while she wore that pained expression.  He wanted nothing more than to tackle her to the ground and breathe her in.  He left and stood in the line to dump his plate out.  He didn’t even give the waitress a chance to take his plate or silverware, he took those items himself.

Soarin sighed as he walked away.  He put emphasis on the just the right words.  He reached the doorway to the galley before he looked over his shoulder at Dash.  He wanted to confirm she understood.  I think she’s got it he thought to himself.  He stood in line with the other cadets to deliver his dirty dishes to the the kitchen staff.  He could have cut to the head of the line but instead he tried his best to give Dash a view of his flank.  He suppressed every inclination he had to smile.

Dash was looking at him too much, Spitfire looked in his direction.  He made a quick exit.

“Cadet!  What time is it?”  Soarin called on the first cadet he stumbled across, a charcoal colored stallion with a light blue mane with white streaks.  Soarin never bothered to learn their names if he didn’t have to.  It was too easy to get attached to them before being rejected by Spitfire.

“Its 1845 captain!”  He said crisply.  Soarin nodded and continued down the hallway lost in thought.  

He planned the rest of his evening carefully.  He could spend the next hour preparing the weather machines for tomorrow's exercises.  Then take 15 minutes at the guard shack to set the schedule for the night.  He could spend another hour working out in the weight room and then put in 45 minutes with the other Wonderbolts in the recreation room.  It was important that he was seen going to bed.

The evening went just as he planned it.  It was 15 minutes till the hour when Soarin produced a wide yawn on cue.  He had been careful to mention just how tired he was after his workout.  Fleetfoot teased him endlessly about being an old swaybacked stallion.  Normally he would have playfully returned the banter but his mounting excitement and the act he was putting on kept him from doing more than just chuckling at the comments.

He moved down the darkened hallway without so much as a whisper of sound.  He chose this location precisely because it was almost never used and because it was several floors up with a cloud floor.  It’s easy to be quiet with the floor so soft.  He opened the door to the dusty old broom closet and ducked inside.  

“You’re late.”

Soarin produced a lantern with a half dozen fireflies inside.  They cast a ghostly light on the dusty shelves filled with cleaning supplies.  The closet was so cramped it could barely hold two ponies.  The light made the mare’s face almost white.  It washed out her face and mane, giving her an eerie look.  She slammed him into the only wall without any shelves on it.  It was all he could do to not drop the lantern.  He fumbled around with the lantern while she was all over him.

He finally found a purchase for the lantern and wrapped both hooves around her.  He breathed in that spicy scent and the smell alone nearly caused euphoria.  He felt light headed as he ran his hooves through her mane and down towards her flanks.  “You’re lucky I’m the one in charge of the guard’s schedule.  I might have accidently left a 15 minute gap in their patrols for this hallway.  Oops.”  He nearly burst out laughing.  His hooves found her cutie marks.

“Slow down there buster.”  She pulled away from him.  “You knew we only had 15 minutes and you were one minute late.  I don’t know if I even want to do anything with you now.”  His lip quivered and his heart clenched in his chest.  That spicy smell still permeated the tiny space but he had lost contact with her.  It was almost physically painful.

“Please don’t be mad.  I did the best I could.”  She smiled at him sheepishly.  His anxiety lifted instantly.

Still snickering she nuzzled up to him, “I’m just kidding.  Don’t you know when mares are playing hard to get?  You’re supposed to chase us while giving us compliments.”  He was still unnerved so he settled for holding her close.  He buried his nose into her mane.

“Chase you huh?  I guess I’m out of practice.  You smell really nice.  Did you know that?”

She looked at him in the face with one eyebrow raised.  “I smell good?”  She started to giggle.  “That’s the worst compliment I’ve ever got.  And that weird mare said the same thing right before she kissed me.”  Sweat began to bead on Soarin’s brow.  She ran a hoof through his mane and traced around his withers.  She ended by rubbing little circles into his chest.  “I was wearing perfume at the time, just for you.  I’m not wearing anything now.  Do you really like...that?”  She looked at him dead in the face when she asked.

“Y-yes.  If I could get that scent bottled I’d never be sad again.”  Her giggling stopped and she pursed her lips.  Her eyes widened as she held his gaze.

“You’re serious aren’t you?”  A grin broke out on her face.  She nuzzled him in the chest and neck putting her mane right under his nose.  She listened to his heart while he breathed in her scent.  Soarin’s heart rate slowed down to a steady rhythm.  He ran a hoof through her mane over and over.  Neither wanted to end this moment.

She spoke after a minute, “If it weren’t for you I might have quit already.  I’m so frustrated.  And if I quit it would make this all... easier, simpler.”

“Don’t quit.  You made a new academy record.  Spitfire speaks highly of you.  Uh, act like you don’t know that.  She won’t compliment you in public unless you do something really extraordinary.”

“If she thinks I’m so great, why didn’t she make me the lead pony?  I know Lightning Dust is a great flyer but she’s so reckless.  Just today she had us blow past another team.  They spun out and when I asked her about it you know what her response was?  ‘You snooze, you lose.’  What kind of team leader does that?”

Soarin paused before he replied, “We know.  The other Wonderbolts and I keep telling Spitfire that Lighting Dust is too reckless but she’s got an agenda.”  Soarin snorted, “Have you seen the other cadets?”

Dash nodded but kept her mane more or less under his nose.  “Yeah, they’re not very good are they?”

“That’s an understatement.  It’s a bit ironic.  If the other cadets weren’t so bad you’d be the lead pony.”

“What?”  Dash turned to look up directly into his face.  He used one hoof to gently hold her to his chest again.  She relaxed into her previous position.

“Spitfire is hoping that Lightning Dust will push the rest of you to meet her standards.  Don’t underestimate her, she’s a sharp one.  And she’ll do anything to help the Wonderbolts.  I just hope she knows what she’s doing.”

“Anything for the Wonderbolts huh?  Even if that means kicking us out for fraternizing?”  Her response took Soarin off guard.  He didn’t know what to say to that so he just continued to brush her mane with a hoof.

He sighed, “We’re out of time.”

“So soon?”

“I’m sorry, sweet dreams.”  He opened the closet door and looked up and down the hallway.  “You’d better go first.  Take the second hall on the right, it should get you back to the mare’s dormitory without running into any patrols if you hurry.”

“Goodnight.”  She trotted down the hallway and just before disappearing from sight she blew him a kiss.  He sniffed once and rubbed his nose before he closed the closet door.


~~~~~


gasp

He drew away from her.  Their lips had been pressed together so long he was out of breath.  She looked at him hungrily.

“Dash you need to listen to me.  Yesterday morning before everything with you and Lightning Dust and your friends and...everything.  I got called into Spitfire’s office...”


~~~~~


Yesterday morning...

“Sit down.”  Spitfire’s tone was hard as diamond.  Soarin closed the door behind him sharply and gave her a salute.  He sat down straight with good posture.  A massive stack of unmarked and unsigned pieces of fan mail sat on one side of Spitfire’s desk.  Her standard hoof print stamp sat in front of her.  She was little more than a dark silhouette with the window behind her.  The curtains were drawn open and the sun was just now rising.  Soarin suppressed a yawn with discipline; now was not the time for any sign of disrespect.  “I’m going to give you one chance to explain.”

Sweat began to bead on Soarin’s brow but he kept calm.  “What would you like me to explain, Colonel Spitfire?”  He tried not to stare into her aviator glasses.  For one it could anger her further to stare into her eyes.  But it was mostly because Soarin found it unnerving to stare into mirrored shades.  It was creepy to see yourself distorted on the lens.

“Explain your recent behavior.  I want the truth.”  The mirrored lenses each held an image of Soarin and neither moved one iota.

Soarin gulped, “I am very sorry I drank all of the cider at the last derby.  I was just so thirsty but that’s no excuse.  Every Wonderbolt deserves a drink after a derby.  I promise it won’t happen again.”  He was about to stand and leave the office.  He was eager to get out of there.

clack

Her hoof slammed into the desk.  “That’s not what I’m talking about.”  The aviator glasses came off.  Soarin knew he was in much deeper water than taking more than his fair share of cider.  When he met her eyes he wished to see himself in the mirrored lenses once again.  Anything was better than the pair of eyes that held him now.  They had all the warmth of a wendigo’s heart.  If Fleetfoot were here she would joke about having Spitfire look at her mug to frost it before filling it with cider.  “You’ve been meeting Rainbow Dash behind my back.”

Soarin’s heart seized in his chest.  How did she find out?  Nevermind, what do I do now?  His mind raced with the possibilities.  He felt like he was balanced on the edge of a knife blade.  There were many directions this conversation could go.  He thought about them while he just blinked at her.  None of the possibilities ended well.  “You are correct ma’am.”  He hung his head.

“At least you have the decency to be ashamed of it.  And you didn’t lie about it either.  So we’re off on the right hoof.”  Her voice had a deadly calm.  Her hooves came together in front of her.  “So what should I do with you, Soarin?  That thought has been on my mind all morning.  Even before the sun came up.”  She looked wistfully at a spot above his head.  He was just thankful she wasn’t staring him down.

He stood at his full height.  She blinked and focused on him once again.  He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing.  He knew it might come to this.  But it was so sudden.  Instead he could just...No.  Rainbow Dash means too much to me.  I know it’s scary but this is the right thing to do.  He stood there for a moment trying to compose himself.  She blinked several times.  He looked...noble.  He reached up and pulled off his Wonderbolt’s flight suit and goggles.  Spitfire blinked again trying to figure out what he was doing.

He tossed the suit and goggles on the desk.  He gently rested one hoof on them.  He looked at them lovingly then turned to Spitfire, “Ma’am.  I apologize for breaking your rules.  I meant no disrespect to you.  Cadet Dash and I...”  His voice caught in his throat.  “Cadet Dash is the future of the Wonderbolts.  I’ve been putting myself ahead of everypony else-of the squad and the rules-and for that I apologize again.  I am now going to do what I should have done two weeks ago.  I am going to put the Wonderbolts first.  I’m afraid I must resign.  It’s the only solution that will keep Dash in the Wonderbolts and allow me to see her.  Her happiness takes the number one slot in my list of priorities.”  He began to smile.  It was strange, he felt at peace.  “You know she’s a good flyer ma’am.  She’s going to be better than me someday.  Please don’t punish her on my account.”

He turned to leave.  He felt so alive, so free.  He had given up something of immense value, but in return he had something that was priceless.  He felt this was a worthy trade, he just prayed his sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.  He opened the door.

“WAIT.”  Soarin froze with one hoof on the door.  He could see into the hallway through the open door.  The threshold felt like it opened up into space, into a vast chaotic ocean that was terrifying and liberating.  He knew if he just stepped out into the hallway, his life would change.  He closed the door.  He owed it to Spitfire to hear what she had to say.  “Sit down Soarin.  We need to have a little chat.”

For the first time in memory, Spitfire looked worried.  As Soarin sank into the seat across the desk he tried to diffuse some of the tension.  “I’m sorry boss.  It’s all my fault.  I’m sorry you have to deal with the mess I’ve made.  I’m doing my best to clean it up.  At least you get a good new cadet, right?”  Soarin felt so open, so naked without his flight suit.  Unconsciously he raised his head ever so slightly exposing his throat.

Spitfire didn’t slice his head off.  “It’s a little more complicated than that.”  Spitfire looked over Soarin’s head again, as if she was looking far off into the distance.  He simply waited, she spoke after a moment of reflection.  “How are the cadets this year?”

Soarin was expecting a great many questions.  This was not one of them.  He blinked a few times but answered simply, “Terrible.  Just awful.  I worry for the future of the Wonderbolts.  Except for Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust I don’t see any of them making the cut without some serious training.”  Spitfire nodded but still didn’t look him in the eye.  An uncomfortable moment passed in silence.  Than another.  “Boss, say something please.”

Spitfire’s eyes snapped to his and she answered almost instantly.  “Am I too harsh Soarin?  Too authoritarian?”  Now Soarin’s world was completely in freefall.  One moment he was quitting the Wonderbolts the next his commanding officer was asking for his opinion on some fairly personal matters.

“No boss.  I guess since I’m not a Wonderbolt anymore I can give you an honest answer without fear.  You can be harsh. But it’s okay, because I never felt like you were doing it to hurt us.  Loyalty is a two way street and I always felt like you had my back.”  He smiled for a moment but it didn’t last.  “I hope we can still be friends after...this.”

Spitfire winced when he said ‘loyalty.’  Soarin could see her mind working in overtime as she stared at him.  He was about to say something when she blinked once, slowly.  When her eyes reopened Spitfire drew in a deep breath and spoke, “I have a little story to tell you Soarin.  When I’m done I would like you to reconsider your decision.”  He leaned back into the chair and crossed his hooves.  He was willing to listen to her but could imagine no story which would change his mind.

“When I was given command of the Wonderbolts I was given some very good advice.  I was told what you already know.  That loyalty is a two way street.  That if I was loyal to those under my command they would be loyal to me.  It was one of the happiest days of my life.  I had been groomed for the position for years and I was ready to take up command.  I was told that day, that I would need to groom the next pony to command the Wonderbolts once I found the right candidate.  I have been searching for a suitable candidate for years.  My time is running out.  If I don't find a good pony soon I’m going to leave the Wonderbolts in shambles when I retire.”

“You still have plenty of time-”  Spitfire cut him off before he could finish.

“No I don’t.  It takes years to groom a pony for command.  And you never know what will happen between now and then.  Accidents, wars, disease, or even just a change of heart.  There were a few ponies over the years I’ve tried to groom but none of them lasted more than a year.  Something always happened to derail my plans.  I was looking forward to the candidates this year.  And what do I get?  Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash.  That’s it.  Only two good ponies.  But they are really good.  Great flyers, excellent weather ponies, and they’re both eager to prove themselves.”

Soarin’s eyes went wide, “Wait a minute.  Are you saying Lighting Dust or Rainbow Dash are going to succeed you?”

Spitfire had fire in her eyes, “Yes.”  Soarin felt like he did when he was back in the hotel room.  Untethered by gravity and floating in orbit.  Except this time he wasn’t elated, he had a queasy feeling in his gut.  “I feel like Lightning Dust is just what the Wonderbolts need to keep in shape.”

“What?  But she’s too reckless!  And she cares nothing for the other cadets!”  Soarin blurted out.  He felt almost drunk he was so uninhibited.

“You may be right, you’re not the first bolt to say so.  I do have some doubts about Lightning Dust but I am hoping today’s exercise is going to prove all of you wrong.  I also have a suspicion that if I let you go it will damage not only to the Wonderbolts as they stand today, but to Dash as well.  And as you said, she is the future.”

“So choose Rainbow Dash.”  Soarin’s cheeks blushed, “Uh, maybe you should get a second opinion.  I might be a little biased there.”  Spitfire took out her aviator glasses and idly fiddled with them while she wore a satisfied smile.

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.  You’re mature enough to know not to trust your own judgment when it comes to Rainbow Dash.”  Spitfire looked at the mirrored lenses resting in her hoof, she watched her own distorted reflection.  Something clicked in Soarin’s brain.

“Wait one second.  If you’re grooming Dash for command, you’ll have to promote her first.  She’ll be a second lieutenant after cadet!  She’ll be close enough to my own rank to make any relationship acceptable!”  Hope blossomed in his chest.  Spitfire set the glasses down on her desk.

She placed a hoof on his uniform and slid it back across the desk but didn’t let go.  “Before you put this uniform back on I want some promises.”  The authoritarian voice returned, “They are not up for negotiation and there are no second chances.  I will kick your flank out of here myself if you cross me Soarin.”  

He nodded solemnly as she continued but hope bubble in him, he felt as if he would burst.  “First, I want you to make sure Dash succeeds.  If Lightning Dust fails Dash is my backup plan.”  He smiled and nodded his head vigorously.  “Second, you two will come up with a solution if and when she becomes the commander of the Wonderbolts.  The rules still apply and it won’t do having the commander break them.”

“Yes boss, I’ll quit if it comes to that.  By then I’ll be near retirement anyway.  Or maybe I’ll just have to get myself promoted.”  Spitfire chuckled at his ambition.

“Third, the two of you will keep your relationship secret until it’s acceptable.  If this gets out I’ll see both of your careers go down in flames.  Are we clear?”  She growled.

Soarin nodded slowly, “Crystal clear boss.  We’ll be even more careful than we have been so far.  You won’t know even if you set a spy on us.  And if it does happen, you won’t have to kick me out.  I’ll resign so you can save face.”

Spitfire eyed him, “Try to be a little more careful next time and don’t leave any paperwork.”  She straightened up, “As an extension of that promise I don’t want to see any foals.  I don’t think I need to explain why.”

Soarin’s ears began to burn and blush tinted his cheeks, “O-of course.  No foals.”

She held his gaze for a moment.  “And you have to do half of my paperwork in addition to your regular duties.”  She was pushing it now but she held all of the cards.  He nodded with a smile still on his face.  “I’m going to make you two regret this.  I’m going to run both of you so ragged you won’t have time for each other.  You’ll be too tired to do anything other than complain about me.”  His smile didn’t waver.

She released the uniform.  He pulled it onto himself and smoothed it over like a second skin.  He felt good, whole, complete.  He was balanced on the edge of a knife, his loyalties stretched thin in two directions.  But he had never been so happy.  Spitfire stood and trotted towards the door as she said, “I have to run the next training course for the cadets.  Cloud busting today.  If Dust and Dash do well I might send them for a special training course.  You know, one on one with another Wonderbolt.  I might assign Fleetfoot or Blaze.”  She mused with a mischievous grin.  “I certainly can’t assign you, you’re too busy with paperwork.”  She glanced over her shoulder on the way out.

Soarin was kneeling with his head bowed towards her like she was one of the diarchs.  “Thank you, ma’am.  I won’t let you down.”  A pair of tear drops splashed onto the carpet below his face.  She couldn’t see his eyes as his forehead was nearly touching the floor but she didn’t have to.  She closed the door quickly.

“What did I say about keeping things secret?  Compose yourself.”  He sniffed and stood.  His face was impassive and boring without any hints of emotion.  She nodded.  “That’s better.”  Without another word he circled around her desk and sat down.  He grabbed the first form off of the towering stack in her inbox.  He set to the task with vigor and a badly contained smile.  It made him look demented.  “Now that’s what I like to see.  Try not to look too happy while filling out paperwork or I’ll have to get you a psych eval to keep up appearances.”

She put her aviator glasses on and slipped into the role of drill instructor.  As she trotted out she closed the door behind her.  Now lets see how Dust and Dash will handle weather control.