It had been a month since Cory and Fleetfoot met; a month since they admitted their feelings for each other; a month since they announced their relationship to the other Wonderbolts...
And a month since Rapidfire promised himself that he’d break them up.
Things were starting to look up for the happy couple. Fleetfoot broke her personal flying record at the gym, and after Cory attended the game design workshop that Gaffer invited him to, the company, Crazy Colt Games, offered him an internship there, which increased his chances of getting an entry-level job in the field.
Cory and Fleetfoot went on several dates together, making sure to be as discreet as they could so that they wouldn’t arouse attention from the media.
Cory and Fleetfoot were at the Mountainside Spire again, with Fleetfoot in her disguise, still convinced that it was effective.
“You got the time?” she asked.
“Five thirty,” he answered.
“Good, the sun should be setting any minute now,” said Fleetfoot.
“I hope this view of the sunset is as good as you said it was a month ago,” said Cory.
“I’m telling you, it’s amazing! If Misty were here right now, she’d back me up on that,” the mare insisted. “But anyway, how’s the internship going?”
“Great, as usual,” Cory said happily. “I’m learning a lot from all the workers there. The staff is pretty diverse, too. Ponies, humans, even some griffons are working there. I think I might have found my calling.”
“That’s good to know,” said Fleetfoot. “I told you that if you’d just let it come naturally, then you’d find your talent in no time.”
“I know, I know,” said the human. “Oh, look! The sun’s setting!”
Cory and Fleetfoot looked out over the balcony and watched the sun as it slowly lowered below the horizon. Its rays illuminated the surrounding mountains, making them look like a hallway towards the afterlife. A bit spooky to hear, yes, but it was awe-inspiring to see.
“Okay, you were right about the sunset,” Cory admitted.
“Am I ever wrong?” Fleetfoot gloated.
“Well, you’re wrong about your disguise’s effectiveness,” Cory said. “I’m telling you, one of these days, a press pony is gonna recognize you.”
“Whatever,” the mare said, waving him off. “Speaking of press ponies, though, remember what happened at that party last week?”
Cory thought back to the party that Fleetfoot was talking about, trying to see what she was getting at:
It was just about a week ago when the Wonderbolts received an invitation from the royal sisters to attend their garden party, and each member could bring one guest. While the other Wonderbolts had opted not to bring a guest, Fleetfoot decided to take advantage of the plus-one and invited Cory. Cory felt bad that Gaffer would be missing out, but Gaffer insisted that he go without him. After telling Fleetfoot about this, she got Soarin to take Gaffer as his plus-one.
On the night of the party, Everypony split up to mingle with the other guests, while Cory and Fleetfoot stayed together. As the couple meandered through the royal garden, Cory felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned around with a confused look on his face, a confused look that turned into one of surprise.
“Mr Quin- I mean, Eric!” he said in surprise.
“Hey there, Cory,” he said. It turned out that Eric was invited to this party, too, along with a mare that Cory assumed to be his marefriend judging by the way she was holding his arm. She was a unicorn with a coat that was a darker shade of blue than Fleetfoot’s, with a long, flowing white mane and tail. She also had green eyes behind a pair of purple glasses.
“This is my fiancé, Azure Gem,” said Eric. “We’re good friends with the royal sisters. In fact, it was Princess Luna herself that hooked me up with a place here in Canterlot two years ago.”
“Really? That’s amazing,” Cory said before he received a nudge from the mare next to him. “Oh, right. This is Fleetfoot, she’s my marefriend.”
“Wait a sec,” said Azure Gem, “Aren’t you one of the Wonderbolts?”
“Yeah,” said Fleetfoot.
“Impressive, Cory,” Eric said. “Only nineteen years old, and you’re dating a celebrity.”
“Yeah, but we’re just trying to keep it low-key,” Cory explained. “We don’t want to be harassed by the press.”
“I can imagine,” said Azure. Suddenly, she winced for a second and put her hand on her stomach. That’s when Cory noticed that it was bulging a little.
“You okay, Az?” Eric asked.
“I’m fine, sweetie. Just felt a little kick, is all,” said the unicorn.
“Aww! You’re pregnant?” Fleetfoot said. “How far along are you?”
“About five months,” said Azure.
“I always wanted to be a mom,” said the pegasus.
“You hear that Cory? Better get crackin’,” said Eric, causing the younger human to blush.
“Eric!” Azure said, hitting her fiancé.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” he said. “I guess you-know-who is rubbing off on me.”
Cory continued to go through his memories of that party, skipping over the part where he and Eric exchanged numbers and the part where all the eligible stallions crowded Princess Luna when she made an appearance at the party. He then found the part of the party that Fleetfoot was referring to:
It was just when they were about to leave when it happened. Cory, Fleetfoot, Blaze, Misty Fly, Rapidfire, and Spitfire were waiting for Soarin and Gaffer, wherever they were. Just then, a random earth mare came up to the group with a disarmingly happy demeanor. She had a short black mane and tail with a gray coat. She was wearing a white dress which, combined with her mane and coat colors, made her look like she was pulled out of a black-and-white movie.
“Why hello, there!” she said. “My name’s Inkblot, and I’m with the Canterlot News Network, may I ask you some questions?”
“Not right now,” Spitfire said, bluntly. “We were just leaving.”
“Oh really? But where’s Soarin?” she asked.
“Wherever he is, I wish I were there instead of here dealing with this mare,” Blaze whispered to Misty, who responded with a quiet giggle.
“He’s catching up with us,” Fleetfoot said. “If you don’t mind, we’d rather not answer any questions right now.”
Inkblot furrowed her brow then turned her eyes to Cory, and she blinked when she got a good look at him.
“And just who is this?” she asked curiously with her eyes staying on him. “Is he with you guys?”
Cory didn’t have much experience with the press, much less Equestrian press, but he had enough common sense to know that it was best to keep his mouth shut.
“Yes,” Spitfire answered, “but like I said, we can’t really answer any questions.”
“Oh, come on,” Inkblot annoyingly pleaded. “You guys are waiting for Soarin, right? That means you have a moment or two to spare.”
“Can’t you take a hint, lady?” Blaze said. “Go away!”
Inkblot simply huffed. “Well, I never!” she said, offended. “I guess I’ll just take my business elsewhere!” With that, the mare left the group alone and went off somewhere else.
“Does this happen often?” Cory asked.
“Thankfully, no. Most press ponies aren’t as persistent as her,” Misty explained.
“Hello! Anyone home?”
“Huh?” Cory said as he snapped out of the flashback.
“I asked you if you remembered what happened at the party last week,” said Fleetfoot. “You know, with that mare from the Canterlot News Network?”
“Yeah, I remember,” said Cory. “It was really awkward, wasn’t it?”
“I’d say it was more annoying than awkward,” said the mare. “Anywho, I should be getting back to the hotel. I’ll see you around, sweetie!” With that, Fleetfoot gave Cory a quick kiss on the cheek and flew off.
Cory softly smiled for a second, but that smiled disappeared when he realized something.
“Fuck!” he said. “I forgot to ask Fleetfoot to fly me down to the bottom of the Spire!” Cory sighed to himself and made his way to the staircase. “Oh, well. At least I’m going down the stairs instead of up.”
After a few minutes of going down stairs two steps at a time, Cory finally made it to the bottom of the Mountainside Dpire, and he headed in the direction towards home. Along the way, he spotted somepony familiar.
Grey coat, white, cloud-like mane… Yeah, that was somepony familiar. It was Rapidfire, and he was talking on the phone with somepony else.
“No problem,” he said into the phone. “I’m glad to be of help.”
“Hey, Rapidfire,” said Cory, surprising the stallion.
“Hey, Cory,” Rapidfire said, trying to hide his disdain. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much, just heading home,” said the human, blissfully unaware of Rapidfire’s dislike for him, in Cory’s defense, though, the stallion had gotten pretty good at hiding emotions like that. “What’s up with you?” Cory asked.
“Same as you, nothing much,” said Rapidfire. He was going to ask Cory a question, a question that he did not want to hear the answer to, but it was a question that he needed to ask if he wanted his plan to go the way he wanted it to. Swallowing his pride, Rapidfire took a deep breath and asked “How are you and Fleetfoot doing?”
“We’re doing great,” said Cory. “We’re doing really great. I’ve noticed that she’s been happier than usual lately. She told me that she’s been breaking her personal records, and that she’s sure to be in top condition for the flying competition next month.”
“Well, I can confirm that,” the stallion said with a fake chuckle. “That mare’s at the top of her game. It seems like you’re her new motivation. It’s a shame, though…”
Cory raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Well, Fleetfoot’s trying so hard for you, and she’s so used to seeing you almost every day, now,” Rapidfire explained. “After the competition, however, we’re all gonna have to leave Canterlot and continue traveling, which means Fleetfoot won’t get to spend time with you.”
Cory’s eyes widened. The fact that Fleetfoot would have to leave after the competition went completely over his head.
“She’ll start to miss you really badly, and her performance will most likely suffer for it,” Rapidfire continued. “Having to choose between you and her team may tear the poor mare apart. I sure hope that doesn’t happen.”
“How are you so sure that it will?” Cory asked fearfully.
“Oh, I guess Fleetfoot never told you,” said the stallion. “Then again, it isn’t her place to say. Matter of fact, it isn’t my place to say, either, but for the sake of you and Fleetfoot, I’ll tell you.” Rapidfire took a deep breath and began to tell the story. “About two years ago, Soarin and Spitfire started dating. They were quite the item, too. I don’t think they ever had a single fight, but then things started to go bad, and it wasn’t even their fault. Their relationship went public, and the constant distraction led to a decrease in their performance in the skies. Because of all that, they decided that it’d be best if they just broke up.”
“That’s… really sad,” Cory lamented.
“It is,” said Rapidfire, “but sometimes you have to make that kind of sacrifice. Then again, you’re a smart guy, Cory. I’m sure you’ll make the right choice, whatever it is. I’ll see you around, ‘kay?”
“Sure,” Cory said dejectedly.
As Rapidfire walked away, he took a second to look over his shoulder at Cory. As he had hoped, the human had an unsure look on his face, as if he was heavily pondering something. Rapidfire continued toward the hotel, satisfied that his plan to deceive Cory was starting to take effect. Why break the couple up himself when the human’s self-doubt can do it for him.
As Cory walked home, Rapidfire’s words kept playing over and over in his head. He totally forgot about the fact that Fleetfoot would have to leave with the other Wonderbolts once the competition in Vanhoover was over. Rapidfire had a point, too. When Fleetfoot leaves, she’ll be too distracted by the separation to concentrate on her flying. While Cory loved Fleetfoot dearly, he did recognize that she has a commitment to her team as well.
“I shouldn’t force her to choose between me and the Wonderbolts,” he thought as he reached his house. “That wouldn’t be fair to her.”
When Cory entered the house, he noticed how quiet it was, which was odd considering that Gaffer was usually home at this hour. He then noticed a piece of paper on the table in the living room. Cory picked up the paper and saw that it was a note to him from Gaffer:
Dear Cory,
Left for a convention for three days. Forgot to tell you. Don’t forget that the light bill is due in two days. I left my half of the payment in the bottom of my sock drawer. See you when I get back.
Gaffer
P.S.: If you have Fleetfoot over, and I know you will, don’t go too crazy, if you catch my drift.
Cory set the paper down on the table, rolling his eyes at the postscript. With what he just heard from Rapidfire, having Fleetfoot over probably wouldn’t be the best thing for either of them. He decided that he should probably turn in early for the night, hoping that he’d feel better tomorrow. Cory made his way up to his room and changed into some sleeping clothes. As he was about to get into bed, however, he heard a knock on his window, and his head instinctively turned towards it.
“Fleetfoot?” he said in surprise as she waved to him. Cory walked to his window and opened it so he could talk to the mare on the other side.
“Hey, Cory,” she said. “Can I come in?”
The human hesitated for a moment, but he ultimately said yes and let the pegasus in. “What brings you here?” he asked.
“I forgot to give you something when we were at the spire earlier,” she said as she reached into her pocket. “I was able to pull some strings, and…” Fleetfoot then took out what looked like a slip of paper. “I got you a V.I.P. pass to the flying competition in Vanhoover! Before you say anything, I’ve already made arrangements for you to travel with me and the other Wonderbolts to the event.”
Cory stared at the ticket in awe. “Wow… That’s really nice of you, Fleetfoot, really…”
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
The human stayed silent for a moment, pondering whether or not he should voice his concerns.
“I’ll know if you’re lying, Cory,” Fleetfoot said to him.
He decided to fess up and tell her what’s been bothering him. He walked towards his bed and motioned for Fleetfoot to follow as he took a seat. “I’ve been thinking lately, about our relationship, and I never really considered the fact that we’ll be apart a lot of the time, and I’m afraid that it might stop you from doing your best when you’re out travelling.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to choose between me and your career.”
“But I don’t feel that way.”
“Really?” Cory asked. “The possibility of our relationship being a distraction never crossed your mind?”
Fleetfoot paused for a second. “Okay, maybe a few times,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t matter. I don’t care if we’re separated, and you really need to give yourself more credit, Cory. You keep thinking that you’re holding me back just because I’m famous and you’re not, but that doesn’t matter to me.”
“Even so, you still have a commitment to your team!” Cory said raising his voice.
SMACK!
The sound reverberated through the room as Fleetfoot hit Cory with her palm. The impact was soft enough not to hurt him, but hard enough to get her point across.
“I have a commitment to you too, you know,” she said to him. “Even if we’re apart, I’ll still do my best. You’re not a distraction, Cory. You’re my motivation. That’s how much I love you.”
Cory looked at Fleetfoot and saw how brightly her eyes appeared to be; as if they matched the emotions she was feeling at the moment. “Do you really love me that much?” he asked.
Fleetfoot pushed Cory down and crawled on top of him, looking him right in the eyes. “More than you’ll ever know,” she said before she softly kissed the human underneath her. She wrapped her arms around him, and he soon did the same to her. After several minutes of making out, the two of them decided to take it further, starting with Fleetfoot removing Cory’s shirt.
The next morning, Cory woke up with a soft yawn and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Once his hands were removed from his face, he looked around the room. On his right, he saw a pile of discarded clothes. On his left, he saw a lump under the covers that was steadily rising and falling, accompanied by the sound of light breathing.
“I guess this proved that last night wasn’t a dream,” he thought. He figured that now was a good a time as any to get back into his clothes. Then again, why was he so worried about Fleetfoot seeing him naked after the events that had just transpired the night before? He started with his pants, and just as he threw his shirt on, Fleetfoot began to stir. The pegasus let out a yawn before turning to Cory.
“Morning,” she said.
“Morning,” he replied, and then he started to twiddle his fingers. “So… about last night.”
“I’m not gonna get pregnant, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Fleetfoot said. “Mating season isn’t for another five months.”
Cory was going to ask Fleetfoot what she meant by mating season, but decided to let it lie for the time being. “Well, I’ll be downstairs making breakfast, okay?”
“Sure,” she said. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
By the time Cory was done making breakfast, Fleetfoot was downstairs on the couch waiting for him. “I hope you like waffles,” he said.
“Don’t worry, I do,” she said with a giggle.
“Good, ‘cause I don’t know how to make much else when it comes to breakfast,” Cory said as he reached for the remote on the table and turned on the TV.
“Welcome back to Canterlot News Network,” was the first thing that popped up.
“Why is the TV always on the news channel when I turn it on?” Cory asked, more to himself than to Fleetfoot.
“Well, we can always change it,” Fleetfoot said, but then something on the TV caught her attention. “Wait, what the-?”
Fleetfoot’s eyes were glued onto the headline. She read it, reread it, and re-reread it, and she still was in disbelief. She read the headline aloud in horror.
“Fleetfoot Dating Mysterious Human?” she said slowly, and Cory immediately spit out the juice he was drinking.