"Honey..." Starlight called, wiping her mouth cleanly with a napkin. "There's... something I'd like to ask you." Sky Strike and his family were sitting at the dinner table, their plates covered in steamy remnants of very delicious salad, apple pie, and hayfries. Sky Strike currently was in a very animated conversation with his daughter, waving his hooves around and adding in ridiculous sound effects to his stories.
"Whoosh!" he exclaimed, his hooves imitating a pegasus flying through the air. "When we saw Sonic Speed head straight towards that cliff wall, we all thought he was going to be one big pega-pancake. But because of his godly speed and the luck of the wind, he managed to pull up in time and catch the filly right in mid-air!"
"Wow!" Rainbow Dash gasped, leaning on the edge of her seat. "H-How did he do that?!"
"Lots and lots of wing strength!" Sky Strike stated, "A lot of ponies think Sonic Speed is just gifted for being that fast... but in truth he works his flank off for every ounce of his skill. So if you want to be a fantastic flier like him, you've always got to practice!"
"But I don't wanna be a flier like him," Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I wanna be a flier like you, Daddy!"
"Aw," Sky Strike smiled, ruffling his daughter's mane. "Good luck, kiddo! Sonic Speed may be good, but I'm the greatest flier in Equestria! You're gonna have to bring it if you really want to be as good as me!" Starlight couldn't help but smile, reaching over to softly pat her husband's hoof.
"Hm?" Sky Strike blinked, looking over at Starlight with a smile. "Oh! Sorry, Honey! I was a little caught up with Dashie, here."
"It's fine," Starlight smiled. "I just wanted to ask you something."
"Oh?" Sky Strike cocked his head. "What is it, Star?" Rainbow Dash went right back into her dinner, digging her face into her plate before her mother noticed her "uncouthness".
"It's... about those two orphans you're teaching," Starlight stated, a small frown tugging at her lips. "I... can't remember their names..."
"Oh!" Sky Strike's expression lit up immediately at the mention of their names. "Yeah! My favorite fliers! It's almost been a year since I've picked them up, and they're already top-class. If they keep up this pace, they'll definitely make the Wonderbolts training camp in a few years!"
"Wonderbolts?" Rainbow Dash lifted her face from her plate, pie covering her muzzle. "Oh! Those two students you keep talking about. How come we haven't met them yet?" Starlight sighed, reaching a napkin over to dab at her young filly's face.
"Well, the first time I met them you were in school and your mother was at college," Sky Strike chuckled, watching Rainbow Dash try to avoid her mother's napkin. "They work with me on the weather team now, so I don't think you'll see them anytime soon. But when you do, I bet you'll love 'em!"
"Which is what I'm slightly afraid of..." Starlight whispered, her voice too quiet for Sky Strike or Rainbow to hear. "Honey, when you're done, do you think we could talk... in private?"
Sky Strike blinked, pushing his seat away from the table and standing up. "Sure," he shrugged, a smile on his face. "Lead the way, Starlight. Hey Rainbow, when you're done remember to put your dish in the sink!" Rainbow nodded, making sure her parents were completely gone before shoving her face back into the plate.
Starlight led Sky Strike into their room, shutting it quietly behind them. She took a deep sigh, "Sky Strike... how do you feel about those two... orphans?"
"Spitfire and Soarin?" Sky Strike grinned, "They're great! It's like we're one big family. If you met them, I bet you'd feel the same way."
"About that," Starlight frowned, "you... you aren't thinking about... adopting them, are you?"
Sky Strike immediately frowned, his ears slightly drooping. "What do you mean, Star? Why are you asking me this?"
"Because I'm worried," Starlight stated, biting her lip. "Sky Strike... you're a great pony. You're nice, sweet, a great father, and a wonderful husband. I know you always have good intentions... but because of that, you don't really make the best decisions. Because of the things you do... sometimes, other ponies get hurt."
Sky Strike sighed, running his hoof over his mane. "Yeah," he sighed. "I know that, Star. But that's why I have you." He smiled, reaching over and cupping his wife's cheek.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she placed her own hoof over Sky Strike's. "I know..." she sighed, "I know..."
"I have to admit; I have thought about it a few times." Sky Strike said quietly, "I... I just don't want to leave them alone, you know? They've gone through a lot... and I feel like they need a father-figure to help lead them in the right direction."
"I figured you would think that," Starlight frowned. "But you know that there's no way we could... we have our hooves full with Rainbow Dash, and adding two more to the family may end up just hurting us in the long run. You're working overtime, Sky Strike... one of these days you're going to wear out... and I don't ever want to see that happen."
Sky Strike smiled weakly, "Aw, come on, Star. I'm Sky Strike! I never wear out." He reached out his hooves, embracing his wife in a tight hug.
"Just promise me you won't make one of those "Sky Strike Decisions" anytime soon..." Starlight whispered in his ear. "Because I have a feeling that one day... it will kill you."
Soarin gasped, his "Special Soarin Cloud-Kick" missing its target by a wide margin. He quickly snapped open his wings, catching himself in the air. He panted, turning his wide gaze to a very unimpressed Spitfire.
"What did you say?" He blinked, rubbing his ears with his hoof. "I... don't think I caught that..."
"I said," Spitfire sighed, "Do you think Sky Strike would adopt us?"
Soarin blinked, whipping and shaking his head around in a circle. "Excuse me, what?"
"Do I have to repeat myself again, Soarin?" Spitfire huffed, crossing her hooves in front of her chest. "You heard me loud and clear!"
"Um, who are you and what have you done to Spitfire?" Soarin inquired, flying up to his friend with a raised eye. "This isn't like you, Spit. What made you think of that? I thought you hated the thought of ever being adopted."
Spitfire looked away, her mane flowing in the chilly afternoon breeze. "Well... Sky Strike... he's different," she stated. "I don't think I've ever met an adult like him. And it's not like you've never had that thought before, either!"
"Well," he scratched the back of his head, "it's almost been a year now, and it's true that Sky Strike is what I think a father should be. He's always been with us, encouraging us to do better, and picking us up when we make mistakes. But being adopted by him... I don't know, Spit. That'd be a lot more responsibility than maybe even he can handle."
"Maybe you're right..." Spitfire sighed, sliding her goggles down over her eyes. "It was just a thought, really... Anyways, I think we should head on back. Sky Strike told us to clear every cloud in this sector, so take that thing out and let's go!" Soarin sighed, flying up and giving the cloud a strong kick. As soon as it dissipated Soarin and Spitfire took off towards the weather station.
As a city made up of clouds with no plants to grow, one may think that the weather team in Clousdale is laid back; but because Cloudsdale manufactures and transports clouds throughout Equestria, the weather team has quite a bit of responsibility. Each member has to make sure that the correct clouds are transported to the correct cities and sectors, and they have to make sure that rain clouds produce the correct amount of precipitation.
Spitfire and Soarin expertly weaved through the traffic, dodging pegasi coming in and out with clouds. They landed softly outside of the weather team offices, wiping off their damp hooves before heading inside the automatic double doors.
"Hey, kids," a mare at the front desk smiled, waving her hoof. "If you're looking for Sky Strike, he's back in his office.
"Pft, we're not kids!" Spitfire frowned, trudging down the hallway with Soarin in tow. Soarin gave the mare an apologetic gesture before frowning, trotting beside his friend.
"That wasn't very nice, Spit." He frowned, "She's a very nice lady!"
"You're just saying that because you think she's hot," Spitfire smirked, nudging Soarin. They found the office marked with Sky Strike’s name and quietly opened the door.
Sky Strike had his head lying on his desk, stacks of papers crowded around him. The two teens heard his snoring as soon as they walked in, rolling their eyes and chuckling at their boss's current state.
"Gee, he's always like this, isn't he?" Soarin smiled, walking beside Sky Strike and prodding him softly in the side. "We could prank him so hard...."
"Give him a few more minutes," Spitfire giggled, playing with his wing. "Well, it's not like it's easy to wake him up. This guy sleeps like a rock!"
"I don't think so," Soarin grinned. "Practice starts in a few moments. We can't have him skipping that, now can we?"
"Guess not," Spitfire smiled. "Sorry, Sky Strike!" she nudged one of the stacks of paper with her hooves and watched it completely collapse onto the stallion's head. Sky Strike shrieked, sending dozens of sheets of paper flying around in the air.
"Huh?!" he blinked, rubbing his eyes with his hoof. "This... wait, this isn't the moon!" He sat up, his eyes adjusting to see Soarin and Spitfire snickering beside him.
"I fell asleep again, didn't I?" He grumbled, "I really need to stop doing that... How long was I out for?"
"Long enough," Spitfire smiled. "Practice starts in only a few minutes! We gotta go!"
"Right..." Sky Strike yawned, picking himself up from the desk. "I'll meet you guys there... I have a bit of a mess to clean up." He stated, motioning his hooves to the countless scraps of paper that were now littering his office floor.
"No problem, Boss!" Spitfire laughed, turning to leave with Soarin. "You better make it on time!"
"Of course!" He nodded with a smile, "See you guys there!" He watched as they left, his wife's voice echoing at the back of his mind.
”Just promise me you won't make one of those "Sky Strike Decisions" anytime soon...”
"I promise, Star..." he frowned. "I promise..." He took a few moments to gather the papers, pacing around his office and picking them up. When they were once again placed in neat stacks on his desk, Sky Strike grabbed his goggles, shut off the lights, and walked out of his office.
"Ah! Heading on out, Sky Strike?" a stallion smiled, waving his hoof at his friend. "I saw your two lackeys leave just a bit ago."
"Yep!" Sky Strike nodded, "Off to flight lessons. They're always a little eager."
The stallion smirked, "Yeah, I hear ya. By the way they act, I almost thought they were your kids."
"Oh..." Sky Strike frowned, "o-of course. I'll see you tomorrow." He waved a quick goodbye to his friend, trotting down the hallway.
”You aren't thinking about... adopting them, are you?”
Sky Strike sighed, slipping his goggles over his eyes. There was no way he could... They wouldn't have enough money; there’s not enough room in their house; and the small amount of time that he spent with his daughter would grow even smaller. Nowadays, he found himself beside Soarin and Spitfire rather than Rainbow Dash herself.
He walked out of the office building, Celestia's sun warming his face.
"What do I do?" he frowned, asking nopony in particular. "What's... the right thing to do?" Answered only by the wind's breeze, Sky Strike's took flight to the sky.
"...And that's all for today, guys. Nice work tonight!" Sky Strike dismissed, panting slightly underneath his breath. His students nodded, chatting among each other and saying their goodbyes. Sky Strike took in a deep breath and exhaled, grabbing a white towel. He wiped it over his face, his head still in the clouds (no pun intended).
He had been out of it for the entire practice, and there were a few drills that he almost messed up. With his wife's words still pounding in his head, he was finding it awkward to be around Spitfire and Soarin. That was difficult, because throughout the lesson they never left his side once. They performed techniques together, practiced aerial stunts as a group, and hung on his every word. The more he spent time with them, the more that he was feeling like... like...
Their father.
"Hey Sky Strike!" Spitfire grinned, trotting up beside him. "We still on for tonight?"
"Uh, what?" Sky Strike blinked, looking back at the fiery colored teen. "W-We're doing something?"
"Yeah!" Spitfire playfully pouted, bumping her flank into his. "You promised that you'd take both me and Soarin out for dinner!"
"I did?" Sky Strike scratched his head, "I think... I remember saying something about that... something about pie?"
"Piiiiiiiiiiiie!" Soarin called from some unknown location.
"Yep! Someplace downtown," Spitfire smiled. "It's supposed to be some sort of anniversary gift to us."
"Oh!" Sky Strike blinked, "I remember now! Sorry, I guess it slipped my mind." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "You guys still want to go? We ran practice pretty hard... not to mention that we smell like sweat..."
"Let's meet up then," Spitfire smiled. "Soarin and I'll head back and clean ourselves up. What's the name of the place we're going to?"
"Erm," Sky Strike blinked, "uh, it's the little restaurant across the street from the bakery... I-I don't remember its name..."
"Oh! I know which one you're talking about," Spitfire chuckled, punching Sky Strike in the shoulder. "Meet us there in forty five minutes! And not one second later!" Spitfire trotted away, and Sky Strike watched her with a small smile gracing his lips.
"She's definitely changed," He thought. "When we first started these lessons, I could barely make her smile, but she's definitely opened up now." She said a few words to Soarin who nodded with a wide grin. They waved casual goodbyes off to Sky Strike before leaping into the air, their wings carrying them quickly into the distance.
"Okay," Sky Strike said to himself. "I can do this... I don't have to worry about any of that adopting stuff right now... just gonna have a nice dinner with my two students." He turned, jumping off the cloud of the coliseum. He dived down, his wings folded neatly at his sides. It wasn't until he saw the green of the forests that he finally pulled up, his wings sprouting out from his sides. A nice flight really cleared his brain, and that's exactly what he needed to do.
It wasn't a long flight back to his house. The suburban cloud districts weren't too far from the downtown area, so for the average pegasus it would take around ten minutes. Sky Strike smiled. He wasn't the average pegasus.
He shot through the air, his wings beating like a hummingbird's. His body flew high above the cloud city, looking like some sort of shooting star above the clouds.
"Faster," Sky Strike thought. "Faster!" His muscles, still weak and tired from the practice, were burning and begging him to slow down and stop... but if there was one thing Sky Strike was good at, it was pushing his limits. His wings felt like lead, feeling heavier and heavier with every passing second. Sky Strike grinned, his eyes watering and his vision caving as he went faster and faster. He felt alive; his blood pumping and the wind smashing into his face... he could do it. He could do it.
No.
Stop.
Stop it.
He suddenly grit his teeth, closing his eyes as he tried to flatten out his wings, pulling the brakes in midair. His muscles burned in immediate protest, loose feathers getting blown away. It wasn't long before he spiraled out of control, spinning down towards the streets of the suburban district.
He grunted, his wings fighting to regain control and force himself to brake. He spotted two familiar fillies stepping towards his house, one with a mane like his own and the other a delicate pink. And he was heading straight towards them.
"Ooooaaahhhh!" Sky Strike yelled, turning himself aside at the last minute. He had no time to brace himself for impact and he slammed into his yard, rolling incredibly fast into his door. The impact completely destroyed his cloud door and his body tumbled inside, slamming into his couch and knocking it over. His momentum finally ended when his face was planted into his wall, leaving a Sky Strike impression on its cloudy surface. His eyes rolling in his head, he tumbled onto his back.
"D-Daddy!" Rainbow screeched, sprinting into the room with Fluttershy in tow. She ran over to his body, hooking her hoof behind his head and lifting it up.
"Oh no..." Fluttershy gasped, brushing his mane from his forehead. "A-Are you okay?..."
"Daddy!" Rainbow sniffled, "s-speak to me!"
"Ugh..." Sky Strike groaned, his eyes fluttering open. "Rainbow... Dash?"
"Yes!" Rainbow wiped her eyes, "D-Daddy, are you hurt?"
"Nah," Sky Strike winced, sitting up. "I'm sturdier than I look!" He laughed, ruffling his daughter's mane. "Where do you think you got your toughness from?"
"You were going really fast," Fluttershy spoke in a whisper. "W-why?"
Sky Strike stood up, brushing himself off with his hooves. "No reason," he stated simply, reaching down to set his couch back up. "I was just being a bit reckless."
"Oh..." Fluttershy smiled innocently. "I almost thought you were trying a sonic-" Rainbow Dash shoved her hoof into Fluttershy's mouth, quickly silencing her friend.
"I'm going to go take a shower," Sky Strike stated, completely disregarding what Fluttershy was trying to say. "Where's your mother, Dashie?"
"Out buying groceries," Rainbow replied. "Why?"
"Tell her that I won't be back for dinner. I've got a little get together with my students." Sky Strike answered, heading down the hallway to the bathroom.
"Oh... okay..." Rainbow Dash frowned, "Um... When will you be home?"
"Late." Sky Strike answered, shutting the door behind him.
"Um, Spit?" Soarin blinked, scratching the back of his head. The two teens were standing outside of the restaurant, waiting patiently for the arrival of their flight teacher.
"What is it?" Spitfire asked, looking up at her friend with a frown. "What's with that look you're giving me?"
"We're just meeting with Sky Strike, you know..." Soarin trailed, looking at Spitfire up and down. "And you're dressed like... you're going to some date." Spitfire's mane was stylish, framing her face with her fiery bangs. She had traces of makeup around her eyes and on her lips, her coat shimmering in the setting sun.
"Of course not!" Spitfire rolled her eyes, "Can't I just be a mare and make myself look good every once in a while?"
"But you never wear makeup," Soarin frowned. "Even on those blind dates that you always make those stallions cry on..."
"Because you keep setting them up without asking me!" Spitfire glared, "I'm just looking like this because I want to, alright?!"
"Whatever you say, Spit..." Soarin chuckled.
"Where is he?" Spitfire glanced around, "He's a little late, isn't he?"
"Spit, we were twenty minutes early," Soarin frowned. "He's not going to be late..." Soarin sighed, running his hoof through his mane. "Look, I'm really looking forward to having some pie, but you're being really pushy!" A sudden wind brushed against their faces and they looked to the skies, seeing a familiar pegasus softly land next to them.
"Hey guys," Sky Strike smiled, "looks like we're all a bit early, huh?" Soarin gave Spitfire a look and was answered back with a death glare.
Sky Strike opened the door to the restaurant, smiling at his two students. "After you!" Sky Strike smiled, ushering Spitfire and Soarin inside.
The restaurant wasn't big and famous, but it was well-loved by the locals and had many regulars. Sky Strike was one of them, and they even gave him a discount on the best tables. The three pegasi were seated in a booth by a window, overlooking the ponies trotting across the streets. Celestia's sun was disappearing underneath the horizon, the stars poking out of the dark night sky.
Sky Strike was feeling as awkward as before. He hid his face in the menu, trying to shake those thoughts. Even with Spitfire and Soarin chatting happily among themselves, he couldn't stop thinking about what Starlight had said. He was glad she said something about it.... but at the same time, it was torturing him.
He glanced up from his menu, peeking at the two teens. They were orphans. When he picked them up, they were stealing whatever they could to survive. But now, they were working hard, making a little extra money, and helping put food on the table for the orphanage. Their skills were drastically improving, and their motivation to improve was astonishing. He had never seen such talent and hard work. In a few years, they could be two of the best fliers Equestria as ever seen. He was so proud of them.
Proud of them... like a father?
"What are you getting, Sky Strike?" Soarin asked, looking up from his menu. "Of course, I'm getting the apple pie deluxe!"
"Of course," Spitfire rolled her eyes. "I'm getting the special pasta with a side of daisies."
"I-I like the pasta," Sky Strike smiled. "I'll get that too." The minutes passed by awkwardly for Sky Strike, who managed to speak normally back to Spitfire and Soarin despite his odd thoughts.
"So," Spitfire smiled, "notice anything different about me, Sky Strike?"
"Huh?" Sky Strike blinked, glancing up. Now that he was taking a closer look at her, there was definitely something different. Her mane was well groomed, her coat glimmering in the light. He could see the makeup on her face really accented her already good looks, and he was completely taken back by her appearance. Spitfire was really pretty if she tried.
"Wow," Sky Strike chuckled. "You almost look like a mare now!" Spitfire twitched, her face forming an angry pout. Soarin chuckled, but was soon silenced by a sharp hoof to the gut, courtesy of his best friend.
The dinner went by rather smoothly. After a few moments, Sky Strike was finally able to push passed his awkwardness and chat with his students as he normally would. They would laugh, argue, or talk about petty things like usual, and for once Soarin actually got his apple pie.
Time ticked by faster than the three realized, and before long they were lingering close to the restaurant's closing hours. Sky Strike paid the bill without problems, leaving a rather generous tip to the waitress. Soarin and Spitfire left quietly, leaving Sky Strike in a friendly conversation with the restaurant owner inside.
"Man, this was a good day!" Soarin yawned, stretching out his wings. "Had a good day at work, a great practice, and I had a delicious pie!"
Spitfire rolled her eyes, playfully shoving her friend to the side. "Enough about pies," she snickered. "What's with you and pies anyway?"
"Well, I remember that my mom used to always make them," Soarin shrugged. "That's really the only thing I remember about her, though. Not even her face or her voice."
"Yeah?" Spitfire frowned, "Sometimes I wish it was like that for me. No lingering feelings or anything like that."
"I know," Soarin sighed. "I never met your old man, and I don't think I ever want to."
"Tell me about it," Spitfire growled. "Just thinking about him makes me- "
"...Spitfire?"
The teenage mare's pupils shrunk to pinpricks, her feathers ruffling on her wings. Her wings flattened and she slowly turned her head to look around, her hooves trembling quietly on the sidewalk. A middle-aged orange pegasus stood behind her, a battered brown jacket covering his body. His blonde mane was dirty and was poorly slicked back, a crooked smile playing upon his lips. Spitfire could never forget that face.
"You..." Spitfire snarled, taking a few steps back. "Get away..." Despite her strong words, Soarin could see her hind legs quivering.
"What?" the stallion asked, cocking his head. "Is... is that how you're going to treat your father?" He took a step towards Spitfire, causing the teenage mare to take one back in defense.
"...What?..." Soarin blinked, looking back between Spitfire and the stallion. His heart sank when he saw the resemblance between the two, and his hooves nearly froze on the spot. A bad, bad situation was rising... he knew he needed to do something, but a tight feeling in his chest kept his body from moving.
"You aren't my father..." Spitfire hissed, "s-stay back!" She shook her head, gritting her teeth from anger.
"What are you saying?" the stallion glared, "I saw you when you were a filly.... I raised you, I fed you, I gave you a home-"
"No! You abandoned me!" Spitfire yelled, her wings tensing in fury. "You... you did things... horrible things..." Soarin blinked, his teeth grinding together. Spitfire never really told him what her father did to her... but her reaction was telling him everything.
"Don't be like that, Spitfire..." her father growled, his bloodshot eyes glaring at his daughter. He crept closer, his body swaying with every single step.
"S-Stop!" Spitfire shook her head, "D-don't come any closer!" The stallion did not heed her words and made his way over to her, his eyes looking over every inch of her body.
"You're looking... a lot like your mother..." he said, reaching out a hoof to touch Spitfire. Soarin could smell the cider off of him and nearly vomited in disgust.
"D-Don't touch me!" Spitfire stammered, slapping her father's hoof away. "J-Just go away!"
The stallion looked hurt at first, rearing his hoof back in shock. But then anger washed over his face, a scowl forming on his face. "You dare hit me?" he snarled, "you are in no position to do that!"
"G-Get away from her!" Soarin commanded, stepping up beside his best friend. "J-Just leave her alone!" Up close, the stallion looked much bigger and more intimidating than the still-growing Soarin. The blue pegasus felt his own legs trembling.
"And who do you think you are, Hotshot?" Spitfire's father gritted his teeth, "Some punk off the streets? Stay away from my kid!"
"I'm not your kid!" Spitfire shook her head, "Just go away! Y-You monster!"
"Monster?!" her father growled, "you call your own father a monster?! Looks like you need more discipline than I thought!" He stomped over to his daughter, but was interrupted when Soarin stepped in front of him, blocking his way.
"Get out of my way." Spitfire's father grumbled, his back hoof scraping against the ground, preparing to charge.
Soarin gulped, shaking his head. His throat tightened, and he could no longer say a thing. Spitfire's father snarled, lowering his head. He suddenly kicked off without warning, dashing straight ahead. His shoulder bashed against Soarin, knocking the teenage colt right off of his hooves. Soarin landed roughly onto his side, rolling over the cloud sidewalk.
"Soarin!" Spitfire panicked, her eyes wide and watering. Her father reared back his hoof, launching it forward and striking Spitfire right in the cheek. The blow took her by surprise, knocking her down into the street.
"That should teach you," her father grunted. "You're nothing like your mother at all... I should have never left you back at that stupid orphanage. I should have just dropped you right out of Cloudsdale when you were born." Spitfire sniffed, hot tears running down her red and swollen cheek. Soarin groaned, trying to climb back up onto his hooves with an aching head.
"Get away from them."
Spitfire's father blinked, turning his head back towards the restaurant. Sky Strike stood tall on its step, his wings tense with anger and his eyes glaring daggers at the older stallion.
"And who are you?" Spitfire's father spat, turning his body to face the new opponent.
"Their mentor," Sky Strike answered. "And who are you?"
"Her father," the stallion replied. "I'm just putting her in her place."
"Oh?" Sky Strike cocked his head. "Some kind of father. You reek of disappointment and booze, old man."
"What'd you just say?" Spitfire's father inquired, stomping over to the blue pegasus. "Did you just call me a disappointment?"
"I could keep going," Sky Strike glared. "Scum, dirt bag, failure, loser, creep, etc. You look like a garbage dump."
The older stallion stood uncomfortably close to Sky Strike, towering over the athletic flier. "Say that to my face..." he growled.
"How about instead of talking, you do something about it." Sky Strike glared, not standing down. The older stallion snarled, rearing back his hoof for the first attack.
Sky Strike hated fighting, and he certainly was no Batcolt. He had gotten into a few scuffles in the past, but they had all been small bar fights. This stallion was big, and he could definitely pack a punch if given a chance... but Sky Strike had something the older pony would never have.
Speed.
Sky Strike turned his head, dodging the sluggish punch with ease. It wasn't hard since Spitfire's father was drunk and predictable. The older stallion snarled, hooking his other hoof around to clock Sky Strike in the temple. Sky Strike weaved past it, darting around Spitfire's father until he was behind him.
"Get back here!" the drunk growled, spinning around towards his target. "Are you a wuss?! Fight like a stallion!"
"Why?" Sky Strike cocked his head, dodging the next punch with a back step. "Fighting is for schoolkids, drunks, and idiots who don't have a brain. I don't know if you've noticed, but you're the stupid looking one here." The drunk growled, throwing punch after punch just to have every single one of his attacks dodged. It wasn't long before he was running out of steam, his breaths turning into pants and his mane matting with his sweat. Sky Strike was still in good shape, and it was getting easier and easier to avoid the bigger stallion's shots.
Finally, Spitfire's father grew desperate. His wings kicked him off of the ground and he launched himself at Sky Strike, determined to make this into a wrestling match. Sky Strike rolled his eyes, simply sidestepping. The stallion landed flat onto the street, smashing his face into the highly-compacted cloud road. He groaned, laying still from his exhaustion. Not one second later, a small squad of armored pegasi dropped in, landing around Spitfire's father.
"Is this the drunk that's been giving you trouble?" the guard asked, giving Spitfire's father a disgusted look. One of the stallions took a pair of iron cuffs, locking the drunk's forehooves behind his back.
"About time you guys showed up," Sky Strike smiled, "I was wondering how long it would take that restaurant owner to call you. I'm just happy things didn't get too ugly." Soarin and Spitfire finally stood up, rubbing their tender wounds. Sky Strike rushed over, his heart filled with worry.
"You two okay?" he asked, moving Spitfire's hoof to take a look at her cheek. He grimaced at its swollen state, "I should have come out sooner..." he sighed, "If I did, none of this would of-"
Spitfire embraced him hard, tears streaming down her cheeks like water falls. She sobbed into the fur of his neck, her body hiccuping with every desperate breath she made. Sky Strike smiled, comforting her by rubbing her back.
"It's alright now," he stated. "Everything's going to be fine..."
One week later...
"Weird..." Sky Strike blinked, sniffing the outside air. "Why does it smell like... it's going to rain?" The blue pegasus stood on a single cloud, overlooking the city of Cloudsdale from high above. His shift had ended hours ago, and because there were no lessons he had some free time to himself. He decided to go ahead and practice some of his special moves, and picking a far distance from Cloudsdale would help prevent any damages caused by his awesomeness.
Sky Strike peered down, a frown on his face. Since it was basically made up of clouds, Cloudsdale never got heavy storms. The weather team really only gave it light sprinkling for a variety in the weather, and they would never manufacture a giant storm. In Equestria, storms never occurred naturally... but Sky Strike was getting a very, very eerie feeling in his gut.
"I should tell somepony... but I doubt it'll have much impact if I said it was intuition..." Sky Strike grumbled to himself, his ears twitching in annoyance.
"What intuition?"
Sky Strike blinked, turning around to see a familiar fiery-colored teenage mare. Spitfire was standing on a cloud of her own, a small smile on her lips. She occasionally glanced away, her eyes awkwardly meeting Sky Strike's. Something was on her mind.
"Er, nothing." Sky Strike chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Just sensing something fishy, that's all. So what's up? We don't have any lessons today or anything."
"O-Oh, I know..." Spitfire stuttered, "I, um... I just wanted to, well, talk to you a bit. Privately and stuff."
"What's going on?" Sky Strike blinked, "is your father bothering you again?!"
"No! No." Spitfire shook her head, laughing a little. "It's nothing like that... I just wanted to thank you. For everything."
Sky Strike smiled, "Oh, don't worry about it. I did whatever a good-natured pony would do. I'm sure that you've thanked me enough, Spitfire."
"No! I haven't!" she blurted, "I'm thanking you for everything! Everything! You pulled me and Soarin off the streets, cleaned us up, and you gave us a reason to work hard for our future! You took us under your wing, you treated us like ponies, not like the scum off the streets... you... you made us feel like family."
Oh no.
"I know I have a father..." Spitfire shook her head, "but... but he was horrible. Sky Strike... he did things that a father isn't supposed to do... when mom died he hit me... He... He touched me..." Spitfire shivered, moisture building up in her eyes.
"The things he did... made me want to stop living. But you... you did the opposite. You were more than a father than he ever was."
Please don't.
"You gave me a purpose again!" Spitfire wiped her eyes, "You told me that I can be a great flier. You stuck with me, even when I mistreated you; You believed in me when I never believed in myself..."
Stop it.
"Sky Strike... you are my father. And... I want to know how you feel when you look at me... do I look like... a daughter?"
Yes.
"Do you think.... do you think of me and Soarin as your family?"
Of course.
"Do you... do you love us?"
I always have.
"If you do..." Spitfire gulped, "have you... have you ever thought of... taking us in?"
Everyday.
"Making us... an official part of your family?"
I'd do it in a heartbeat.
"What do you say, Sky Strike?" Spitfire whispered, "Would you... would you adopt us?"
Sky Strike took a step back. his eyes wide and his mouth slightly opened. Everything that Spitfire said to him hit him directly in the heart... as far as he was concerned, Soarin and Spitfire were already his children. He wouldn't let anything take them away from him.
But... what about Dashie? What about Starlight?
His wife's words fought him, hurting his brain like splinters. Everything in his heart was screaming yes at Spitfire, and he wanted to do nothing more than nod and embrace her like the daughter she always was.
"Because of the things you do... sometimes, other ponies get hurt."
Sky Strike gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes tightly.
"Just promise me you won't make one of those "Sky Strike Decisions" anytime soon..."
"Um, Sky Strike?" Spitfire blinked, "are... are you alright?"
"Because I have a feeling that one day... it will kill you."
"Spitfire..." Sky Strike whispered, "I'm sorry."
"What?" Spitfire blinked, "What are you... saying?"
Of course I want to adopt you, Spitfire. I've wanted to for a long time now. "I... I can't..."
Spitfire's eyes went wide, her lips quivering.
There's no way in the world I would ever say no. "I'm sorry... I can't... there's... there's no way it would work out..."
Spitfire's ears drooped, and her gaze dropped down.
I would love to have you as part of my family. "Spitfire... please understand... my family can barely live comfortably as they are now... I... I don't think it would be the best idea..." Sky Strike couldn't say anything right. His mind was in turmoil as is, and he wasn't in full control of what he had been saying. He couldn't even move from his cloud.
"You're... you're lying..." Spitfire said quietly, "I-I heard it in your voice... you want to take us in, right? Right, Sky Strike?" Spitfire looked up, the tears welling up in her eyes like pools.
Sky Strike looked away, grinding his teeth.
"S-Sky Strike?..." Spitfire choked.
Sky Strike shut his eyes tight, his heart ready to explode in his chest. If he spoke now... there would be no going back.
"Say something!" Spitfire sobbed, "Please! Anything!"
Sky Strike stayed silent, his ears flattening. He didn't notice the wind keeping up, their manes and tails becoming wild from its breath.
"...I see, now..."
Sky Strike slowly opened his eyes, turning his head to look at Spitfire.
"You... you're no different..."
"Spitfire?" Sky Strike blinked.
"You're gonna abandon me too..." Spitfire wiped at her eyes. "You're just going to leave me... you're just going to leave me lost and hurt like my father did..."
"Spitfire," Sky Strike gaped, "I-I wasn't..."
"Shuttup!" Spitfire shrieked, "I don't want to hear it!" She glared at him, her eyes burning red from her crying.
"Spitfire..." Sky Strike took a step forward. "Please, I-"
"Don't come near me," she snarled. "Don't you even come close! You'll just hurt me again... you'll just leave me like everypony else!" Spitfire's wings sprung from her back and she jumped into the air.
"S-Spitfire!" Sky Strike called, "just let me-"
"No!" Spitfire screamed, "Go away! Just go away and... and die!" She yelled, beating her wings and taking a nosedive straight down to Cloudsdale. Sky Strike's mouth opened but no more words came out. He froze in his place, terrified of what he had just done.
"Was that really necessary?..." he asked himself. "Could there have been a better way?..." He sighed, shaking his head. He would fix this... it was entirely his fault.
Suddenly, he felt something small and wet land on his back.
"Huh?" he blinked, "Rain?" Sky Strike glanced up, seeing nothing but a bright blue sky. Sighing, he took flight, heading down to Cloudsdale completely unaware of the dark clouds that were suddenly forming above him.
Spitfire lay in bed, her body quivering with her pillow wrapped up tightly in her hooves. It's surface around her face was damp, softening her sobs and quick breaths. Her ears were completely flat, her eyes shut tightly. Suddenly the door opened, and a blue teenage colt peeked his head in.
"Spit?..." Soarin called.
"G-Get out..." Spitfire sniffled, hugging her pillow tighter. Soarin sighed, running his hoof over his mane. He made his way over to her, sitting on top of her bed.
"Either you found out your favorite wonderbolt died, or you asked Sky Strike to adopt us." Soarin frowned, "I'm guessing it's the latter." Spitfire let out a particular loud sob, making Soarin sigh again.
"Look, I told you that it was a bad idea," he groaned. "Mares... They never think logically, do they? Spitfire, you know that he already thinks of us like his kids. Even when he doesn't adopt us, there's no way that he doesn't think of us like his daughter and son. Nothing can take that away, Spit."
"Go away..." Spitfire grumbled into her pillow, "I-I just wanna be alone..."
"You really shouldn't have done that," Soarin shook his head. "Geez, Spit. Listen, I know you want to just drown yourself in your sorrow, but have you looked outside recently? There's something pretty bad going on..." Thunder boomed off in the distance, rattling their room with its fury. Spitfire blinked, turning her head to glance out the window. Rain was pounding against the glass like bullets, and just now she finally heard it.
"Rain?..." She blinked, "Why is it... raining?"
"It shouldn't be..." Soarin replied, walking over to the window. Lightning flashed, with thunder following not even a second later, making Soarin jump in his place. "And the storm is really, really close! Spit, I know you're all depressed and stuff, but we really need to get out there and stop it. The others are already out there!"
Spitfire sniffed, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. "Okay..." she takes a deep breath, putting everything that happened with Sky Strike behind her for the moment. She was needed elsewhere. She slipped off the bed, landing softly onto her hooves. Soarin was already leaving, and she scurried behind him.
"Miss Goldenbloom!" Soarin called out, "We're going out!" His hoof gripped the door and he opened it to the outside.
"Whoa!" Soarin blinked, the power of the wind nearly throwing him down the street. The rain felt like needles in his coat, and he had to use all the strength he had just to stand still. His wings sprouted at his sides, his muscles bulging to get him into the air. Spitfire fared no better, her mane and tail being whipped around from the storm's tenacity.
The two fliers fired up into the air, faced with the darkness and lightning of the intimidating storm. Their fellow weather ponies were being thrown about left and right, their bodies crashing into the streets or being thrown down to the earth. The faster the two teenagers flew the harder the rain hit them, almost getting to the point where it almost left bruises.
"...C'mon!" Spitfire growled, speeding past Soarin. "We gotta take this thing out!" When she was close enough, Spitfire shot out her hoof to kick the giant cloud. Her hoof quivered at the contact, pain shooting through her limb. It felt like a brick wall.
With all her strength put into that attack, Spitfire had none to keep her up. The wind immediately blew her back, knocking her straight into Soarin. The two teenagers were sent back down to the city, their wings desperately trying to regain control. They did at last minute, sailing over the streets and grunting in pain.
"What is this storm?!" Spitfire asked, trying to shield her eyes from the rain. "We should have brought our goggles!"
"How come we can't touch it?!" Soarin yelled, the lightning striking the tall buildings surrounding them. "What can we do?!" A blue streak suddenly sped through the air in the distance, cutting through the wind and rain with intense effort.
"Sky Strike?!" Soarin blinked, "W-what's he doing?" The streak suddenly spun in a tight, powerful circle, forming a blue tornado that rose higher and higher into the sky. To their surprise and awe, the cloud was actually being sucked into it.
"Celestia's sweet fetlocks..." Soarin gasped, "He's... he's doing it!" The storm growled and flashed with protest, but it couldn't stop itself from getting absorbed into Sky Strike's powerful tornado. Before long, the rain became weaker, the wind losing its fierce bite. Sunlight peeked over the edges of the cloud, creating a misty haze in the streets.
When the cloud was completely absorbed, the tornado fired upwards into the sky, shooting up like a rocket. And in single, bright blue flash of lightning, it was gone. The thunderstorm was gone, replaced by Celestia's warm, soothing sun. Around them, the ponies cheered, lifting their soaked hooves into the sky.
"He did it..." Soarin smiled, landing softly onto the street. "He really did it!" Spitfire landed beside him, a small smile on her face. Their manes were soaked, sticking to their heads and framing their faces.
"He really did..." she added quietly, shuffling her hooves on the street. Ponies chatted happily around each other, looking up at the bright clear sky.
And then she heard it.
Spitfire blinked, looking left and right.
"Spit?" Soarin stopped, "um, you alright?" The fiery colored mare turned, heading towards a dark alley. She swore that she heard something this way. Soarin blinked, following his friend close behind. After a few feet she stopped suddenly, gazing at something on the ground.
"Spit, what's wrong?" Soarin asked, stretching his head to see what she was looking at, "What are you-"
His eyes widened.
Sitting before them, in the middle of the alley, was pair of goggles. They were steaming, one of the lenses cracked and blackened. They looked like just an ordinary pair of goggles; but to Spitfire and Soarin, who had seen the pair numerous times, knew they were anything but.
They were Sky Strike's.
"No..." Spitfire quivered, "no..." Soarin and Spitfire stood silently staring at the steaming object while the ponies around them continued to cheer and laugh, going about their day as if the storm never happened. Spitfire ducked out of the alley, the tears streaming down her face with Soarin in tow. They left the goggles staring limply up into the sky.
Soarin and Spitfire never had a chance to say goodbye.
"Um, Spit?" Soarin asked, "You... awake?"
"Huh?" Spitfire blinked, opening her eyes. She was still sitting at her desk, stacks and stacks of paperwork still waiting to be signed by the captain of the wonderbolts.
"You fell asleep for a bit," Soarin chuckled, "it's been about an hour. You looked so peaceful that I had a hard time waking you!"
"Well, thanks..." she yawned, rubbing at her eyes. "I really should have finished this paperwork, though... it's overwhelming...."
"Yeah, I know." Soarin sighed, running a hoof through his mane. "I'm happy that the second in command gets less than half the documents you do. So what were you dreaming about? Something good?"
"...You could say that." Spitfire replied, "It was nice, but I hope I don't want to have it again for a long time." She grabbed her quill, dabbing it into her fresh bottle of ink. "Anyways, I'll finish this as soon as I can. Anything you need to do?"
"I'm gonna head out to help some of the new recruits," Soarin answered. "Their velocities keep fluctuating, and they need a little help stabilizing. You should hurry out when you can... I'm not very good at instructing."
"Gotcha," Spitfire nodded. "Just give me a bit. I'll breeze my way through these."
"No problem." Soarin smiled, "I'll see you out there, Captain!" Soarin trotted off, closing the door quietly behind him.
Spitfire's room was soon filled with noises of her quill on paper.
The first week with Sky Strike went by in a flash to Rainbow. He told her he would do what he could to make up for lost time, and he was doing a great job of it. For seven days straight they flew, practiced, and hung out together. Rainbow was glued to his side for almost every second; whether it was a small trip to the town or just for a fly around the park. She told him the stories of her adventures with her friends and he listened with awe, glowing with pride from his daughter's heroic tales.
"And that's how we saved the Crystal Empire." Rainbow Dash smiled, leaning back in her kitchen chair. They had just finished eating a bowl of oats for breakfast and were just chatting among themselves.
"Wow," he breathed, "I don't think I had that much guts when I was your age." Sky Strike chuckled, "Because I'm pretty certain I had more!"
"Oh really?" Rainbow Dash cocked an eye with a cocky grin. "I've saved the world, dad! What have you done that could rival my courage?"
"I stayed right beside your mother when she was giving birth to you." Sky Strike smirked, "if you think she's nasty and cold, at that moment it was one thousand times worse."
"Oh, touche'..." Rainbow muttered, "Remind me to never ask what she was like at 'that time of the month'."
"Don't worry, I've blacked those out." Sky Strike chuckled, finishing his glass of milk. "Instead, how about I tell you about the times she was in heat?"
"What- ew!" Rainbow made a disgusted face, "Please, don't!"
Sky Strike chuckled, pushing out his chair, "I was just kidding, kiddo. Anyways, are you all packed and ready to go?" Rainbow hesitated, her bright and cheerful self being replaced by doubt.
"I really, really don't want to do this..." Rainbow muttered, "When I see her... I won't know what to say."
"Me too," Sky Strike smiled sadly. "I mean, she thinks I'm dead, Dashie. When she sees me again, she's either going to think I'm a changeling or that I completely abandoned you and her. And in a way... I did." He turned away from her, hiding his expression from his daughter.
"I'll... go get my things." Rainbow stated, jumping off of her chair, "we're going to Cloudsdale first, right?"
"Yep," he nodded, still facing away from her. "You don't have to worry about facing your mother yet... I still have to let my old friends know I'm still alive and kicking." Rainbow sighed, grabbing her saddlebags off of her couch. She made sure that they were a snug fit on her flanks.
"So who all do you need to visit?" Rainbow asked, cocking her head in curiosity. "I barely remember any of your old friends
"Well," Sky Strike turned back to her, a wide grin on his lips. "I have a few former co-workers I'd like to see again. And most importantly, I need to go see my best friend!"
"Best friend?" Rainbow Dash inquired, watching her father head to the door. "Do you mean..."
"Yep!" Sky Strike smiled, "Fluttershy's father! I bet he's been missing me for a long time, so it's time to give him the good news!"
"Um," Rainbow tried to recall, "I don't ever remember seeing him before... is he shy too?"
"If you can believe it, he's worse than Fluttershy in some ways," Sky Strike chuckled. "I have to say that it's understandable. You'll know why when you see him." Rainbow shrugged, walking up beside her father.
Sky Strike threw open the door, closing his eyes and smiling when he felt the sunlight on his face. He took a deep breath of the chilly morning air, flexing his wings and prepping them for the journey ahead. "This is a good day to fly!" He stated, "The wind is good, so the flight to Cloudsdale shouldn't take very long."
"It never does, for me," Rainbow chuckled. "Should we have a race?"
Sky Strike grinned, "Now you're just asking to lose." The father and daughter flew off, arguing happily among themselves.
The day was young, and perfect for a flight.
Edited by Vynn the Ocarinist