//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12: Hitting the Fan 
// Story: Soarin' with Apples 
// by Allonsbro 
//------------------------------//


SWA 12: Hitting the Fan

 
“Looks like he’s dead.”
 
“Dead tired’s more like it. He worked his flank off yesterday.”
 
“Heh. More like played it off. You’d think he’d never kicked a cloud before. It was like a colt that got the keys to the candy store. He was bucking clouds almost as fast as me.”
 
“No wonder Winter Wrap-Up seemed a might shorter. He even awake yet?”
 
There was a firm prodding at his side and Soarin’ groaned. Everything was pain. The world was made of burning agony. He hurt all over from the tips of his primaries to the frogs of his hooves. He felt sore in places he didn’t know he had. Groaning again, he slowly rolled over and swatted near where the offending poke had come from.
 
“Yep. Hey, Soarin’. Y’alright?”
 
Slowly the blue stallion opened his eyes, just the minimum amount to see by. Applejack and Rainbow smiled at him.
 
“Well,” he said, giving them a small smile in return, “not every mornin’ I wake up with pretty mares at my bedside.”
 
Applejack nudged a blushing Rainbow with her elbow. “Least his sense of humor’s healthy, huh? Too bad his sense’a time’s gone.”
 
Soarin’ opened his eyes a little more and yawned. “Huh?”
 
“It’s almost half-past one in the afternoon.”
 
“Oh,” he replied with no more regard than one would give a blade of grass. Yawning again, he started to roll back over. “Guess I’m early for an afternoon siesta.”
 
“Oh no you don’t,” Rainbow chided as she grabbed one of his hooves. “Come on, you promised me we’d go flying today.”
 
“Uuuuugh. Don’ wanna,” Soarin’ whined.
 
Applejack grabbed his other hoof. “Come on, Soarin’, the fresh spring air’ll do you some good.”
 
The two mares tugged and pulled but only managed to get the blue stallion to sit up. Whenever they let go, he would plop back down in the bed. Eventually they grunted in frustration.
 
“Well, looks like he ain’t gettin’ up, Rainbow,” Applejack declared. “We’ll just have to let ‘im be.”
 
“What?” Rainbow asked, bewildered. “No way! He owes me sky time and I-“
 
She was cut off as Applejack elbowed her side. The orange mare gestured to the door with her eyes and tapped her head.
 
“Oh, uh, yeah. Too bad, I guess I’ll just go flying by myself.”
 
The mares left the room and Soarin’ smirked in victory. Finding a more comfortable position, he snuggled into his pillow and closed his eyes.
 
Just as he was drifting off the edge of consciousness, a terrible foreboding came over him, like something catastrophic was about to occur.
 
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS WAKE UP CALL!!!!”
 
The stallion’s brain was ripped kicking and screaming into the waking world as three fillies leapt on to his bed. Scootaloo found a place near his head and commenced banging the pot and wooden spoon she had brought with her. Sweetie Belle was bouncing on the mattress as soon as her hooves had landed on it. Apple Bloom, meanwhile, had misjudged her jump and landed right on his stomach, the perfect position to begin tickling him senseless.
 
“All right, all right, I’m up, I’m up,” Soarin’ shouted between bouts of laughter. Propping himself up on his elbows, he blew a lock of his bed-headed mane out of his face. “Ugh. Why did the first day of spring have to be on the weekend this year?”
 
The three fillies grinned at him.
 
After a quick shower and brushing, Soarin’ wolfed down a late lunch and went outside to meet Rainbow to go flying. He found her in the front yard showing Scootaloo a few simple tricks.
 
“Hey, ready to go?” she asked when she saw him. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve been cooped up all winter I’m itching for some stratosphere.”
 
“Sure. I should probably warm up first. I’m still feeling pretty sore.”
 
“OK.” The prismatic mare took a seat while Soarin’ started stretching. Scootaloo took a seat next to her, content to be near her idol.
 
“You were killer on sky clearing yesterday,” Rainbow complimented him.
 
Soarin’ blushed. “Yeah, I kinda got carried away. Sorry, I’ve never done Winter Wrap-Up before.”
 
“What?” Scootaloo squeaked in disbelief. “How have you never done Winter Wrap-Up before?”
 
“Manehattan uses magic to change the seasons just like Canterlot does,” he explained. “And Cloudsdale doesn’t really have much of a winter to speak of; it just gets colder.” He grunted as he switched positions to stretch a different group of muscles.  
 
Rainbow and Scootaloo chatted about this and that for the next few minutes while Soarin’ warmed up. The subject of their conversation eventually switched to the Wonderbolts.
 
“Hey,” Scootaloo suddenly exclaimed. “When’s your next show, Soarin’? Do you have one during summer break that me and Rainbow Dash can make it to?”
 
The blue stallion paused in the middle of stretching to reach the grass just beyond where his back left hoof lay. “Uh, I’m not really sure about that, Scoots.”
 
Focusing on the grass, he didn’t notice the excited twinkle in the filly’s eye. “Well hurry and find out so we can get tickets.”
 
“Relax, squirt,” said Rainbow, tussling the filly’s mane. “He hasn’t had a chance to get back to Cloudsdale yet.”
 
“Exactly,” Soarin’ confirmed. “Well, I’m done warming up. Should we get flying?”
 
“You bet. You wanna come, Scoots? We can leave this slowpoke in the dust.”
 
“Hey!”
 
“Thanks, Dash,” the orange filly replied, “but I promised Sweetie and Apple Bloom that I’d help clean up the treehouse today.”
 
The prismatic pegasus tussled the filly’s mane. “All right, we’ll hang out some other time. Catch ya later.”
 
The filly grinned and ran off to join her friends.
 
“You two seem to be doin’ OK,” Soarin’ commented.
 
“Yeah, she’s a cool kid. So, you ready for another round of flank-kicking courtesy of Equestria’s number one flyer?”
 
“Aw, come on, Dash.”
 
Rainbow smirked. “You want some cheese with that whine?”
 
“Can’t we just fly around, no racing?”
 
“No way. You’ve been cooped up in that farmhouse all winter and I’ve been cooped up in my house. If I don’t get some racing done soon, I’m gonna go stir-crazy. Besides…” She poked his side. “You need the exercise if you’re gonna stay in top form for the team.”
 
Soarin’ moved away from her prodding hoof. “Hey, I am not fat. There’s…just a little bit more’a me to love. And you can do plenty of fast flyin’ without havin’ a race.”
 
Rainbow gave him a funny look. “Wow. You were cooped up longer than I thought. You’re even starting to sound like the Apples.”
 
Soarin’ sighed, realizing there was no point in arguing. “Fine. Just give me a minute to go some wing curl- raceyoutothatcloudreadysetgo!”
 
“Hey!” Rainbow yelled, taking off after him. “No fair!”
 
The two pegasi raced from cloud to cloud and did laps around town for hours. As they flew, Soarin’ felt himself feeling a lot better. He’d been on the ground for quite a while and it was good to feel the sky again.
 
The end of their last race found them both touching down on the clouds that made up Rainbow’s porch.
 
“Dang,” Soarin’ cursed. “Almost had you that time.”
 
“Yeah,” Rainbow panted. “Not sure about you, but I really worked up an appetite.” Opening the door, the pegasus mare stepped into her house and gestured with her left wing. “Just crash on the couch for a minute and I’ll see if I’ve got anything.”
 
Soarin’ nodded and plopped down on the couch. Seeing the most recent issue of Equestrian Sports Monthly on the coffee table, he began to leaf through it. A few pages in, he spotted an article announcing the starting lineup for the Wonderbolts’ first show of the season. He smiled as he read the names, nodding his approval and feeling a sense of pride at seeing how each member was put in the perfect place to showcase their strengths. The smile fell from his face as he turned his head to look at the next page.
 
Can you spot the missing Wonderbolt?
 
With last week’s announcement of the starting lineup for the Wonderbolts, many fans and commentators were shocked to find that Soarin’ hadn’t made the cut. The Lieutenant has been a key part of the first show of the season ever since the year after his induction. When asked about the reasoning for Soarin’s omission, Captain Spitfire had this to say: “Soarin’ has taken a leave of absence for the time being due to a family emergency.”
 
The captain gave no more of an explanation when asked for further comment and Soarin’ himself has not been seen or heard from since just before the end of last season…
 
Soarin’ put the magazine back on the table and ran a hoof through his hair, not bothering to read the rest. He sighed. It looked like the media had noticed his disappearance. If they should come and find him in Ponyville…
 
He shook his head, not wanting to dwell on that idea. This did, however add a sense of urgency to needing to tell Applejack about what was going on. The last thing he wanted was to get her involved in a media frenzy. If any media did come, he would just have to do damage control.
 
“Looks like I don’t have much,” said Rainbow as she plopped down on the couch next to him. He jerked a little, startled out of his thoughts.
 
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” she chuckled. She glanced down at the open magazine on the table. “What’cha reading?”
 
Her eyes moved back and forth as she perused the article he had read. A scowl grew with each line and she picked up the magazine, glaring at it.
 
“The nerve of those guys,” she said angrily as she reached the end of the article. “They make it sound like you’re off having an affair or something.”
 
Soarin’ shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, Rainbow. They’ll probably forget about it in a week or two.” At least he hoped they would. “A lot of reporters do that. Makes the story a little juicier so they sell more issues.”
 
The cyan mare crossed her hooves over her chest. “Still think it sucks,” she muttered.
 
“Yeah, it kinda does. But, you know, we used to have a little fun with it.”
 
“How?”
 
“Well, this one time, somepony wrote an article about how High Winds and I were twins separated at birth.”
 
Rainbow laughed. “What? She’s like five years older than you.”
 
“I know. Anyway, for a few days after we read the article, we pretended it was real. We’d say stuff like ‘hi, sis,’ or ‘hi, bro’ or ‘how’s mom doing?’ It became kind of a little joke between us. It kinda even brought us closer together as teammates.”
 
“Huh, cool,” Rainbow replied. “So what would you do for something like this article?”
 
“Probably think of funny reasons for why I ‘disappeared.’ Like, maybe I’m a secret agent or something.”
 
Rainbow chuckled. “Maybe you’re on a top secret mission for the princesses. Oh! Or Daring Do.”
 
“Hey, that’s it, you got me. I’m Daring Do’s assistant and we’re going to explore an ancient Haywaiian temple.”
 
The mare next to him snickered. “Yeah, can’t wait to read the book about that.”
 
They both leaned against the back of the couch, laughing. When the laughs had died down, they sat in silence for a little while. A rumbling sound drew their attention to Soarin’s stomach, eliciting a few more small chuckles.
 
“Weren’t you saying something about food earlier?” he asked.
 
“Yeah, sorry, I don’t have much. I’ve kinda been putting off grocery shopping. There’s this little sandwich joint in town we could go to.  Got an ‘e’ on the end of the word ‘shop’ and everything.”
 
“Sounds good,” Soarin’ replied, getting off of the couch.
 
“Yep. Loser buys. GO!” The mare shouted as she dashed off, rainbow trail in her wake.
 
“Aw, come on!”
 
“Turnabout’s fair play,” she shouted as the trail disappeared out the door, Soarin’ hurrying to catch it.
 
Afternoon transitioned to evening, the sun lowering as the first day of spring came to a close. The Ponyville streets and houses took on an orange hue as the sun went lower in the sky.
 
The two pegasi landed in the middle of town, having completed another race. Looking around, Soarin’ spotted Applejack at her stand with Apple Bloom and cantered over to meet her.
 
“Hey, AJ.”
 
Apple Bloom beamed at him. “Howdy, Soarin’,” she hollered, running to meet him part way.
 
“Howdy,” Applejack added to her sister’s greeting.
 
“How was business?” Soarin’ asked, tussling Apple Bloom’s hair.
 
The orange mare gestured to the empty baskets on the cart. “’Bout as good as it is every year on the first day of spring.  Sometimes Ah think half the town under-stored and ran out.” She went to reach into the cart for the box of bits to emphasize her point.
 
“Ah got it, sis,” said Apple Bloom, running to preempt her sister and blocking access to the box.
 
Applejack gave an exasperated sigh. “Ah appreciate it, Apple Bloom, but Ah can-“
 
“The doctor said ya shouldn’t over work yerself,” the filly reminded her while giving her a glare, using a tone that sounded like she was reciting an old adage.
 
Her older sister rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she groaned, moving to give the yellow filly more room and mumbling something about not taking her along on doctor’s appointments.
 
The young filly pulled at the box, grunting and heaving to get it out from the cart.
 
“Let me get that, Apple Bloom,” Soarin’ offered. Reaching over the filly, he hefted the box from its shelf and on to the top of the cart.
 
“Thanks, Soarin’.”
 
“Feels like you’ve got a lot in here,” the stallion commented. “Want some help getting it back to the farm?”
 
Applejack shared a nervous look with Rainbow. “Uh, nah. Ah think we can do it. You two should go and-”
 
“Yes,” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Soarin’ can take the cart back so you won’t overwork yerself, Applejack.”
 
“No, really. Ah can-“
 
“It would be my pleasure, ladies,” said Soarin’, moving to pull the apple cart back to the farm.
 
The orange mare gave Rainbow an apologetic look and sighed. “Well, if yer really sure. You, uh, comin’, Rainbow?”
 
The rainbow mare rubbed her left foreleg with her right one. “Nah. I, uh, need to get an early start for work tomorrow. Catch you later, Soarin’.”
 
The other three ponies waved goodbye as Rainbow took off, then turned to begin making their way back to the farm.
 
As they walked, Soarin’ heard Apple Bloom yawn. He realized she must have been working extra hard to help Applejack all day. He gave a little chuckle, drawing her attention.
 
“Hop on,” he commanded with a jerk of his head.
 
She smiled and he stopped walking and bent down a little to allow her to clamber on his back.
 
“So how was yer day with Rainbow?” Applejack asked as they continued forward.
 
“Pretty good. Though I think she’s made it her personal mission to whip me back into shape. We must have flown around town at least a dozen times between all the races.”
 
The orange mare laughed. “That sure sounds like her.”
 
“So, how about you? How was your day?”
 
“Pretty good. Ah had a nice breakfast with the girls then went to mah doctor’s appointment after you left and they did an ultrasound. Baby’s nice and healthy and everything’s lookin’ good.”
 
“Ooh, show him the picture, Applejack. Show him what the baby looks like,” Apple Bloom squealed excitedly.
 
Applejack reached into the cart and pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to Soarin’. Apple Bloom scrambled higher on his back, balancing herself with her front hooves on his head.
 
“Look! See! There’s its hooves right there,” she said, pointing at the picture. “And that’s the head, and that little bit right there is where its eye is.”
 
“Wow. It’s so tiny. Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl yet?”
 
“No,” Apple Bloom grunted. “The doctor said he could tell her, but Applejack didn’t wanna know.”
 
“Ah want it to be a surprise. Ah think it’s more fun that way.”
 
“Well Ah don’t,” the filly pouted, sitting back down on Soarin’s back and crossing her forelegs. “Ah wanna know if Ah’m gettin’ a niece or a nephew.”
 
“Don’t worry, you’ll find out when the baby’s born. As soon as Ah find out, you’ll be the first one Ah tell,” Applejack assured her.
 
Apple Bloom’s pouty face started to fade. “Promise?”
 
“Promise,” her sister assured her, giving her a head rub.
 
The filly giggled. “OK, Ah’ll wait.”
 
The trio made a turn down the road that would take them back to the farm, talking more about how well their first day of spring had gone. They passed many other ponies on the path, stopping briefly every so often to chat.
 
During the conversation with the third or fourth pony they stopped to chat with, Soarin’ noticed that everypony was a part of it. Before, he had always gotten the feeling that ponies just talked to him to talk to a Wonderbolt. Now they were talking to him like he was actually a friend, somepony who was part of the town. The feeling that he had become a part of Ponyville gave him an extra little spring in his step.
 
“What’s got you so happy all of the sudden?” Applejack asked as they walked.
 
He gave her a shrug. “Just happy I guess. You know, I might decide to buy a house, stop free loadin’ off of you.”
 
Applejack looked at him like he’d just stated that Princess Celestia had pink fur. “OooooK, what brought that outta the wild blue yonder?”
 
“I dunno,” the blue stallion proclaimed. “Guess it’s just the fresh spring air. You were right, I guess it really did do me a world of good. I feel like I could take on the world.”
 
Apple Bloom gripped his neck tighter as he did a little jump, unfurling his wings triumphantly and shaking the apple cart.
 
Applejack laughed. “Well, OK then. You can look in the newspaper when we get back if you want. But Ah think that goin’ from here to Cloudsdale’s gonna be mighty long commute.”
 
Soarin’s good mood crumbled at his hooves. He’d forgotten for a moment that she didn’t know he wasn’t going back to Cloudsdale. “Uh yeah, r-right.”
 
“Me and the crusaders can help!” Apple Bloom declared. “We can be Cutie Mark Crusader Real Estate Agents.”
 
“Ah’m sure he’ll give you a call if he needs you, Apple Bloom.”
 
They walked in silence for a while, passing fewer and fewer ponies the farther out they got.
 
“Hey!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “With Hearts and Hooves Day comin’ up, maybe Soarin’ should get a marefriend, too.”
 
Now it was Soarin’s turn to give somepony a funny look. “What? What brought that up?”
 
“Ah heard Applejack talkin’ about it with-“
 
“Apple Bloom! What have Ah told you about listnin’ on other ponies’ conversations?”
 
The blue stallion quirked an eyebrow, asking for an explanation without coming off as angry or offended.
 
Applejack fidgeted. “Look, Ah can explain.”
 
“OK,” said Soarin’, letting her continue.
 
“Ah was talkin’ to…a friend of mine and eventually we got to talkin’ about you and how you’ve been cooped up at the farm all the time. Ah made a comment about how it’d be nice if you had somethin’ to take you off the farm for a bit. Maybe some nice pegasus filly to fly around with.
 
She looked to the ground. “Ah’m just a might worried about you, Soarin’. All you do is stay at the farm workin’. Ah appreciate that you took time off to help, and the whole family appreciates how hard you work. Ah just don’t want you missin’ out on anything on mah account.”
 
He smiled at her. “Applejack, you’re not making me miss out on anything. I’m happy to be helping you. I like working on the farm.”
 
“Ah know ya do. Ah just don’t want you to think that you should help because you have to. There’s plenty of other stuff to do in your time off other’n doin’ more chores.” She smiled and said in a sing-sing voice, “If yer interested, Ah could point you to a nice filly who’s got her eye on you.”
 
Soarin’ laughed. “No, that’s OK.” He raised an eyebrow. “What’s up with the sudden interest in my love life? I didn’t think you cared about that kind of stuff.”
 
The orange mare averted her eyes. “Oh, no reason.”
 
“OK,” Soarin’ said, deciding not to press the issue. “Well, if it really worries you, I’ll try to get out a little more.”
 
“You can come crusadin’ with me and the girls,” Apple Bloom suggested, standing up against his neck again, almost on top of his head.
 
He closed an eye as her hoof almost went over it. With his other eye, he glanced up and smiled at her. “It’s a date.”
 
Turning to Applejack, his grin turned smug. “How’s that for suave?”
 
The farmer laughed. “OK then, Mr. Smooth, just be sure to have her back in time for supper.”
 

-SWA-

 
The next few days were a flurry of activity on the farm. The newly planted crops needed tending, trees needed to be pruned and dead trees needed to be taken out and have new ones planted in their place. In addition there was a bit of repair work to be done as a result of damage done by the snow and ice.
 
Work and chores kept Soarin’ busy much of the time, especially since Applejack was limited with what she could do. He didn’t mind in the least, but the orange mare always had a few choice words for her brother when he delegated her the simpler, easier chores every morning at breakfast.
 
True to his word, Soarin’ spent his evenings doing non-farm related things, usually hanging out with Rainbow. The two pegasi racked up the flight hours racing around town.
 
On one particular day, however, they raced through town out of sheer terror. An ill-timed prank intended for a certain pink mare of Sugarcube Corner had instead been unleashed on a certain purple coiffured friend of hers, visiting the bakery at the time. Rarity galloped after the retreating pegasi, pulling globs of whipped cream from her mane and hurling them with her magic, all the while shouting a maelstrom of angry threats that were most unladylike indeed.
 
Rounding a corner, they quickly landed on the roof of a building, glancing down at the street cautiously over the roof’s peak. As much as they knew they were in trouble, it was hard not to laugh and be quiet while Rarity fumed below them. The fashionista’s hooves stamped furiously as she went from pony to pony, asking angrily if they knew where Soarin’ and Rainbow were and scaring more than a few of them in the process. After a few minutes, her anger seemed to abate and she took a few deep breaths to regain her composure, then went in the direction of the spa.
 
Soarin’ and Rainbow waited until she had rounded the corner before they rolled over and started laughing.
 
“Oh, wow, that was priceless,” Rainbow guffawed. “Seriously, I couldn’t have planned that prank any better if I tried.”
 
“Yeah,” Soarin’ replied. “Too bad we probably aren’t going to live to enjoy the memory for very long. I don’t think we can avoid Rarity forever.”
 
Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. “Pfft, don’t worry. It’s not like this is the first time Rares has been mad at me for a prank. We just need to stay away from her for a day or two, maybe do her a solid as a peace offering, just to be safe.”
 
“OK,” he replied, shifting to a more relaxed position. “What should we do in the mean time?”
 
She glanced at the sky, pondering his question. “Hmm, probably not a good idea to be anywhere Rarity will see us. We gotta lay low for a little while.”
 
A rumbling rang out from the rooftop, prompting them both to glance at Soarin’s stomach.
 
Rainbow chuckled, poking him in the side. “Heh, good idea. I think I know just the place.”
 
Following Rainbow’s lead, Soarin’ slid down the roof and dropped into the alley below. He followed her as they walked in the opposite direction Rarity had gone, keeping on the ground to avoid the chance of her seeing them.
 
Eventually the most wonderful of smells reached Soarin’s nose. The air was thick with it, making his mouth water and his stomach cry all the louder for nourishment, specifically craving the thing that he was smelling. He had always thought that the cooks at certain restaurants unleashed the smell of cooking hay fries just for that purpose.
 
Not that he was complaining.
 
Another few trots and the two pegasi had reached a tiny eatery surrounded by little tables. The place was practically a dive, but that didn’t seem to matter to the small line of ponies gathered at the window to place their order.
 
“This place is perfect,” Rainbow proclaimed. “They have, like, the best hay fries in the world,” she pointed to a sign above the building that said ‘best hay fries in the world’ to prove her point, “and Rarity never comes here. Thinks she’ll gain weight from just smelling the food or something. C’mon, I’m buying.”
 
The food was served in a plastic red baskets with a sheet of crinkly paper in it and was absolutely delicious in the way that only deep fried food can be.
 
Soarin’ leaned back and patted his stomach. “You were right. Best hay fries in the world.”
 
“Ha! Told ya.”
 
As the two pegasi were leaving the eatery, they heard a commotion from down the street.
 
“What’s goin’ on over there?” Soarin’ wondered.
 
As they approached the commotion, Soarin’ craned his head to see what it was. The cause appeared to be a group wandering down Stirrup Street. They walked with purpose like a bloodhound hot on the trail of a fox. The members that composed the group jostled each other, vying for position at the head of the pack. Their heads turned in jerky movements, eyes darting everywhere, scanning everything in the hunt for their quarry.
 
A chill ran down the blue stallion’s spine and he stopped cold as his brain realized too late what he was seeing. His brow became damp with sweat and he felt a tingly sensation like a thunder cloud in his chest as his fight or flight responses revved up.
 
“Uh, Rainbow…”
 
He’d seen these creatures before, faced them on his own and with his fellow Wonderbolts. Spitfire had always called them the three-eyed piranhas. He shuddered as he glanced at the boxes hung around their necks, those third eyes lying dormant but ready to heed their masters’ bidding with a flash at a moment’s notice. 
 
“What?” the other pegasus replied.
 
One of the creatures’ probing eyes turned at that precise moment, spotting the two pegasi. It grinned in a predatory way, showing off its teeth. Its companions, seeming to sense that their quarry had been spotted, followed their companion’s eyes, grins of success written upon their faces.
 
Soarin’ gulped.
 
“There he is!” one of the creatures bellowed, unleashing a flurry of battle cries from the rest, all of them fighting to be the first to sink their teeth into him.
 
“Soarin’, would you care to comment on Spitfire’s choices for the season opener?”
 
“What is your response to the rumors that you’re going to pose for Covermare?”
 
“Is it true you’ve been in rehab?”
 
“Run!” Soarin’ shouted, turning tail and taking to the sky. After glancing to make sure Rainbow was following him, he put it into high gear, flying higher and faster as hard as he could.
 
“Soarin’, what’s wrong?” Rainbow shouted, coming up next to him. “Why are we running?”
 
The blue stallion poured all the dread that his heart contained of the creatures into the word as he gave their name to Rainbow.
 
“Paparazzi.”
 
The eyes of the prismatic pegasus grew to the size of dinner plates, remembering her friend Fluttershy’s run in with the creatures during her stint as a supermodel.
 
“Mother of Celestia.”
 
The two pegasi flew for all they were worth, leaving a good portion of the blinking camera eyes behind them. Some reporters flew after them, trying to go higher in an attempt to cut them off.
 
Rainbow suddenly poured on speed, gaining distance ahead of him and their pursuers.
 
“Come on!” she shouted.
 
Following her lead, Soarin’ pumped his wings harder, following the speeding mare in the direction of town hall. He lost sight of her when she zoomed around the building and panicked a little when she wasn’t waiting for him on the other side. A hoof grabbed him and pulled him close to the building, just underneath the roof overhang right as the photographers rushed past.
 
Rainbow pulled Soarin’ around the building in the opposite direction they had gone. “Hurry. Before they come back.”
 
She led him back in the direction they had come. Looking behind them, Soarin’ saw that the ground-bound reporters had caught up with their pegasus comrades, who were circling the town hall looking for their lost prey. The group started spreading out, hunting.
 
Soarin’ and Rainbow reached a cloud not far away. The rainbow-maned mare quickly opened it with a zipping sound. Reaching in, she pushed and scraped at the puffy material, hollowing the cloud out.
 
“Get in.”
 
Needing no further prompting, the blue stallion slipped inside, Rainbow followed and, after peeking outside to make sure no pony saw them, zipped the opening closed.
 
Soarin’ grunted. “Uh, Rainbow you’re on my hoof.”
 
“Oh. Sorry. Here, let me, uh…”
 
She shifted around slowly, trying not to touch the sides of the cloud too much lest part of her poke out and give them away. There wasn’t a lot of space, making her slow turn to face him take what seemed like a lifetime.  Finally she had turned a full one hundred eighty degrees, bringing them face to face. With nowhere to comfortably put her hooves, she awkwardly placed them on his chest.
 
“Sorry,” she said softly, her face taking a very flattering shade of pink. “Not a lot of room to move in here.”
 
“It’s OK,” he replied. “So, what now?”
 
Rainbow fidgeted nervously. “I-I, uh…well, I didn’t really think that far ahead. I just thought it’d be a good idea to hide out in here until the coast is clear.”
 
Soarin’ nodded, shifting back and forth on his hooves a little to get comfortable. Rainbow shuffled a little as well, shifting her wings slightly on her back. Silence enveloped them. It was dark inside their little cramped cloud cocoon, just barely enough light filtering through that they could see each other. Soarin’ suspected that if the cloud were much bigger and they were farther apart, they might not see each other at all.
 
They stayed still and silent in the cloud for a long time. The air began to become close and stuffy. Soarin’ carefully reached a hoof to his forehead, wiping away a sheen of perspiration. Rainbow’s hair started clinging to the back of her neck. Her face was getting pinker by the minute and he felt her hot breath on his neck.
 
Finally she spoke, not quite making eye contact. “H-hey, you think anypony can hear us in here?”
 
He thought for a moment. “Probably not unless they get really close.”
 
She made a noncommittal murmur and they stood in silence for another few minutes.
 
“Uh, hey listen. I…kinda wanted to tell you something.”
 
“OK.”
 
She still couldn’t look him in the eye and idly tapped her hooves on his chest. “You, uh, you remember how we met?”
 
He thought back for a moment. “After you won the Best Young Fliers’ Competition? Yeah, I remember.”
 
“Well, I, uh, j-just wanted to say thanks. Y’know for showing me the ropes.”
 
He quirked an eyebrow quizzically. “Um, all of us did that.”
 
“Well, yeah,” she acknowledged. “But, well, with you it was different. You talked to me after the show like I was an old flying buddy and you and Spitfire remembered me, even at the gala.”
 
He reached up and flicked her bangs. “Well, you’re not exactly easy to forget.”
 
The rainbow mare frowned and gave him an irritated punch. “I’m being serious! Would you just let me say what I’m trying to say?”
 
He raised his hooves as much as the cramped space allowed him. “OK, OK. Sorry.”
 
Rainbow averted her eyes again and collected her thoughts. “Y’know it meant a lot to me.” She fidgeted, scooting a little closer to him. Her hot breath tickled at his chin and he could feel her heart pumping furiously in her chest. The small space they occupied felt all the more close and the air all the more thick.
 
“To me, it really felt like you thought it was more than just a day you had to spend with a fan,” she continued. “Even when there weren’t any cameras around, you acted like you wanted to be there. I just…”
 
She finally looked him directly in the eyes. He’d always known her eyes were magenta, but he’d never seen them up this close. All the brashness and boastfulness in them had melted away, leaving behind a mare who was unsure of herself in area she didn’t have a lot of experience in.
 
Apprehension wrought the blue stallion to his core as the gravity of his situation finally sunk in.
 
“R-Rainbow…”
 
Her breath was hot on his nose now, only a few inches separating them. He could smell the hay fries that she’d eaten for lunch and the sweat that beaded on her face. All either of them had to do was lean a little and the distance would be closed.
 
Rainbow pushed a damp lock of hair away from her forehead. “I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated that.”
 
Soarin’ gulped. “N-no problem.”
 
She reached a hoof up to his shoulder, gaining a little more confidence. “But, more than that. Hanging out with you since you got here…I, I’ve really liked that too. It’s been, uh, y’know, awesome and…”
 
Her head tilted forward ever so slightly. Fractions of a second became minutes and Soarin’s eyes widened as her lips pursed. The butterflies in his stomach decided to start a knot-tying school. He tilted his head back, pressing harder into the wall and wishing it could swallow him up.
 
Rainbow’s lips drew nearer and nearer to his face, finally finding contact.
 
The knots double tied themselves in his gut as he prepared for her reaction when she realized he’d turned his head at the last moment.
 
The mare slowly opened her eyes as her lips broke contact with his left cheek. She averted her eyes as she widened the space between them.
 
“W-well…,” Rainbow began, “now I-I guess you know.”
 
The cloud was silent for what felt like ages, neither pony making eye contact. Soarin’ glanced at Rainbow out of the corner of his eye. He wished he could say something, anything to alleviate the pain that what he knew he would have to say would cause her.
 
“Do you, uh, think it’s safe to leave the cloud? It’s kinda stuffy in here,” he said. He was stalling the inevitable, he knew.
 
She nodded and, after peeking out to make sure the coast was clear, opened the cloud. They both went out into the cool spring air and stood on the outside of their puffy hiding place.
 
Rainbow shuffled a back hoof on the cloud. “Please say something.”
 
What could he say? Hindsight being twenty/twenty, he probably should have seen this coming.
 
It was weird, he thought, that most residents of Equestria walked around without any clothes on, but he had never seen her naked before. She had opened her heart to him and he was unsure if he could return it to her unharmed.
  
He would just have to let her down gently.
 
“Rainbow…,” he began.
 
He sighed, wishing he could be anywhere else but in this situation.
 
 “Rainbow, you’re…you’re a really great flyer. And I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you, too. I’m glad that you spent it with me and I wouldn’t change your friendship for anything. But…”
 
The corners of her mouth quivered and he knew that she could see the end of what he had to say before he even said it.
 
“But that’s…that’s as far as it can ever go.”
 
She flinched as if struck, slapped across the face by an unforgiving hoof. He could see the great heaving burden of tears in her eyes, held back by nothing more than her will to not show weakness. Her breath came interrupted by a few short gasps as she tried to maintain her composure.
 
“H-how come?” she asked. “Is it because of your job?”
 
For all of a moment, the blue stallion was tempted to use her question as an escape. It would be so easy to hide behind the Wonderbolts’ ‘no dating teammates’ policy. He could tell her that that was the real reason. It would hurt her less than hearing the real reason.
 
The temptation died a moment later. Eventually she would find out the truth. She would find out that he wasn’t on the Wonderbolts anymore. She would realize that he’d lied to her.
 
How much more would that hurt her?
 
Honesty. The word came up in his mind unbidden. He had to be honest with her. It was harder and it would hurt more now, but it was what was best in the long run.
 
“No,” he replied. “It’s not because of the Wonderbolts.”
 
“Then, why?” she asked.
 
Completely honest.
 
The words fought hard to the edge of his lips, begging him not to let them leave.
 
“There’s…there’s someone else.”
 
Her eyes widened and she took a step back, almost like he’d snapped a puppy’s neck in front of her.
 
 “Wh-who is it?” she asked, her voice trembling.
 
Soarin’ found himself unable to make eye contact with her, instead looking down at his hooves. “Please don’t ask me that.”
 
Rainbow plopped down to a sitting position and Soarin’ followed suit. Neither spoke for a long time.
 
In an effort to do something, the blue stallion attempted to speak. “Rainbow, I…I’m so sorry, I never meant to-”
 
“To what?” she snapped, suddenly glaring at him angrily, her voice cracking with every word she spoke. “You never meant to get stuck in this dinky little town? Never meant to spend time with me? For me to fall head over hooves for you?”
 
She paced back and forth, still going on her tirade of anger. “I mean what the heck! I’ve been trying so hard all this time to get a message through your stupid thick skull that I might as well have started a signal fire in front of your room at the farm. Even if I had done that, you probably wouldn’t have got it. All you ever wanted to do was stay on the farm and do stupid applebu-”
 
A sudden look of horrified realization came over her and her rant stopped in a single, choking sob. “It’s…it’s Applejack, isn’t it?”
 
Soarin’s eyes widened and a fearful tremor ran through him. “I-it, um…”
 
“I knew it!” she shouted, both anger and tears returning two fold. “Guh, how could I be so stupid?! Of course it’s Applejack! How couldn’t it be? You’ve spent all your time on that stupid farm ever since…” She stopped cold, staring blankly at a bit of cloud at her hooves. Slowly, she turned her head, a mixture of rage and betrayal in her eyes. “I bet the kid’s yours, isn’t it?”
 
“No!” he shouted. No matter what happened he refused to let Applejack’s reputation be sullied. “Come on, Rainbow, you know her better than that. AJ’s foal is hers and Clover’s.” He took a deep breath, then went a step closer to her. There had to be a way to salvage their friendship. “I…I started having feelings for her a while after I left. I came back to see if the feelings were real. When she told me she was pregnant I…she was so scared. I had to do something.”
 
A long moment of silence passed between them. Soarin’ looked sullenly at the puffy white material he was standing on, feeling lower than he could ever remember feeling.
 
It was Rainbow who broke the silence this time.
 
“I…I gotta go,” he heard her say before receiving a gust of air to the face as she zipped off.
 
He considered following her, considered trying harder to get her to see how sorry he was. He opened his wings, thinking maybe he could catch her if he pushed hard enough.
 
But what good would it do? Even if he could catch her, the only thing he would be able to do was apologize. He’d already done that and doing it again probably would not fare any better. The best thing at the moment, he realized, was to give Rainbow some time. He could only hope that they could somehow still be friends.
 
The stallion hung his head and slowly fluttered down to the ground, deciding to walk back to the farm.
 
Just as the farm’s front gate was in view, Soarin’ paused and lifted an ear higher into the air, thinking he heard something. Looking up, he didn’t see any dark clouds in the sky. Funny, there wasn’t a storm scheduled and the sky was clear, yet he had sworn that he heard…
 
“There! Found him!”
 
The thundering sound he had thought he heard intensified, the voices of reporters shouting questions soon joining the racket.
 
Soarin’s body reacted before he could even tell himself to move and he galloped off down the path, making for the safe haven of the farmhouse. He made it across the front lawn and took the steps up onto the porch in a single leap. Slamming the door shut behind him, he locked the bolt and pressed his back against it just as the paparazzi reached the porch. He heard them outside, trying to peek in and pounding on the door.
 
 The lights of the cameras flashed through the windows, creating strange specters and shadows on the floor. The blue stallion tried to make himself as small as possible, not wanting them to even catch a glimpse of him from the window.
 
His ears perked as he heard the sound of the back door closing and his pupils shrunk to the size of pinpricks. They must have found a way through the back. Hoofsteps approached from the kitchen and the ex-Wonderbolt closed his eyes and prepared for his whole world to unravel around him.
 
Things couldn’t possibly get any worse.
 
“What happened?”
 
Applejack’s question floated to his ears like it was spoken by the voice of a guardian angel. Opening one eye, he saw the orange mare coming in to the living room. He’d always heard that pregnancy made mares more beautiful, that the increase of estrogen gave their skin a sort of glow. This was no less true for the object of his admiration. She shone like the glow of a warm campfire, a warm, inviting shelter from the storm.
 
“Oh, thank goodness,” he breathed in relief. “AJ you gotta help me barricade the door. These psychotic shutterbugs just came out of nowhere.”
 
She approached him from across the room, looking less like an angel and more like she was going to rip his head off.
 
“Ah just saw Rainbow zoom past me in tears,” she growled. “What did you do?!”
 
Soarin’ gulped. Maybe he would be safer with the photographers.