//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Out of the Blue // by LightSpectrum //------------------------------// Out of the Blue Chapter 6 At the Wonderbolts headquarters, the captain is the boss. She can give you breaks or make you stay longer and it all really depends on her mood. And if you were on her good side or her bad side. Soarin was certainly on her good side. The captain, Spitfire, was in the mess hall at the officer's table, with her second-in-command, Soarin, at her side. Spitfire downed her morning coffee. "So, Soarin, what did you do on your holiday last week? I've been meaning to ask ya." Soarin winced a bit but complied with the question. "So, I had to be down in Ponyville anyways, and I mean, I don't really know anypony down there, but I headed to their Town Hall to check the population records. Then I saw a name there, one I recognized." Spitfire leaned it, interested in his story. "Oh yeah? And who would that be?" "Rainbow Dash," Soarin responded. "It was Rainbow Dash, the mare that saved our flanks at the Best Young Fliers Competition." Spitfire froze. "Yeah, I remember." Soarin grinned and launched right back into his story. "We'll, anyways, I found her address and paid her a visit. Lemme tell ya, she totally flipped out. I thought that we'd seen big fans before her, but she is... I mean, she idolizes you. So, since she's the only friend I've got there, I asked her to show me around. So she remembers my love for pie and takes me to Sugarcube Corner. Best pie EVER." Spitfire smirked. "I bet you enjoyed that." Soarin nodded. "Sure did, I mean, damn, it was as good as the pie I had at the Gala last year! Ya know, it was probably made by that same pony." Spitfire mock-disapprovingly glared at her fellow officer. "Now, be careful. You need to watch your weight. We can't have ya be too fat to fly as part of the team, now, do we?" Soarin played along, pretending to be offended. "Hey... I'm not fat!!" "I was just razzing ya. Anyways, continue on with your story. It was just getting... Juicy," she snickered. Soarin laughed too, knowing she meant it as a joke about the pie. "So anyways, before she could show me anything else. It was three and I had to leave her suddenly in order not to be late. After the meeting, which P.S. went well, I think I represented our humble organization pretty damn good. So I was flying around, and I kinda got lost, and the sun was going down, and I found her. Rainbow Dash, I mean. I found her chilling on a cloud and watching the sunset. And-" he paused. "Um, Spitfire? Are ya... Okay?" His golden pegasus friend had stiffly frozen, and was raising her eyebrow at him. She raised it higher, and relaxed a bit, but her gaze focused on her plate and half-eaten doughnut rather than her friend. "Yeah, and so then she was all nonchalant like me, and I just sat down beside her, and we watched the sunset together. It was nice, and then she just kind of started leaning into me, and then she was all pressed up against me, and it just felt right. It was perfect. And I stretched my wing over her, and we stayed like that until it was over. The sunset. And it was amazing." He finished his story with a goofy smile and a contented sigh. Spitfire snorted indifferently, but her eyes, normally a warm orange and so bright, had hardened and were now steely cold. "Pffffft. Is that so? Well, Soarin, looks like you've landed yourself a filly. Quite the catch too, huh..." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement. Soarin gazed into space, thinking about Rainbow Dash. Her sleek blue fur, her shiny, prismatic mane, and her beautiful cerise eyes that always shone with determination no matter what she did. The same eyes that gleamed with wonder when she saw him flying with his stunt team, and that glowed with surprise and pure fanfilly excitement when he spoke to her like a friend. He blinked, and saw a buttery-golden hoof impatiently waving in front of his face. "SOARIN! GET YER HEAD OUT OF THE CIRRUS CLOUDS AND BACK ONTO THE CUMULUS WHERE IT BELONGS!" "Hehehe, sorry." She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well. It happens. Now if you'll ex-CUSE me, I have some letters to answer." She stormed out of the mess hall, slamming the door behind her. The loud noise jarred the pegasus stallion out of his thoughts. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and moved over to the table with his buddies, and sat down to chat. "Holy shit, dude, did ya see the stunt I pulled at the last showcase?" "No kidding, Hurricane, that was fuckin' awesome!" "Yeah, thanks, Fleetfoot, I noticed." "Yeah! What'd ya think, Soarin?" "Yeah, let's get his opinion." "Soarin?" "SOOOAAAARIN?" "Damnit." Soarin started. "Huh?" Fleetfoot smirked. "Damn, dude. What's gotten into you lately?" Hurricane nodded. "Yeah, you're zoning out waaaaaay more than usual." Fleetfoot prodded her team member, and smirked again. "I bet I know. He's distracted cuz he landed himself a filly." Soarin sat up. "No," he vigorously protested. "No fuckin' way!" Hurricane clapped his hooves in malicious glee. "Yep. He's got himself a fillyfriend." Soarin groaned. "Not really. I haven't asked her yet. I want to, but I've been busy and I haven't had the chance to yet." Fleetfoot whapped him on the back. "Awwwww, ya damn coward." Soarin glared. "Hey, the last time I talked to her was kinda almost a first date! I didn't wanna push it. That doesn't make me a coward!" "Woah, take it easy, I'm just teasing you. You must really like her, huh?" He nodded. "I really, really do. She's quite the tomboy, but she's beautiful. Her eyes would melt snow off the highest roofs of Canterlot in mid-January." Hurricane laughed at his friend's oh-so-poetic speech. "Well, then, lover-boy, looks like ya thought this through." Soarin took another opportunity to glare. Hurricane and Fleetfoot took the opportunity to laugh their heads off. None of the trio noticed Spitfire, quietly observing their conversation form another nearby table. She crushed her empty soda can in her hooves and threw it away as she turned her back on the conversation. She remembered the speech about melting Canterlot snow in January. The pale blue stallion had once said something similar about her, back in their flight camp days. She had loved him with all of her heart. He loved her back, or at least she thought so back then. And now, it was Rainbow Dash this and Rainbow Dash that. She huffed and walked away, back to her quarters. She wanted the stallion to say those wonderful things about her, not this Rainbow Dash. Seething furiously, the Wonderbolt Captain sat at her desk and began her work. Somewhere, in the back of her head, a small voice made itself heard over the grinding of teeth and growling. Maybe this petty crush isn't worth it, you want him to be happy, right? She paused. But I want me to be happy, too. She put down the quill and headed to her room. I'm talking to myself now. As in having a legit conversation. I really need more rest.