//------------------------------// // Day 2 – A Simple Life 101 // Story: Seven Days with Spitfire // by TN-Scotsman //------------------------------// The two pegasi were flying away from Cloudsdale and straight toward the Everfree Forest. The forest would be a great place to hide out, if you could live through it. “Umm, Rainbow? When I asked you to help me hide, I didn’t think you’d try to hide me in the Everfree Forest. I mean, I’m sure it would be safe-ish during the day, but at night, I’d be a sitting duck.” “We’re not going into the Everfree Forest. Just to the edge of it. I’d never try to hide some pony in that dangerous place.” “Even if they did just break my heart” Rainbow thought to herself. She didn’t need to say it out loud. Those words would only hurt. “Just trust me, will ya? I’m going to take care of you.” Rainbow turned her head to look back at Spitfire. “OK, Rainbow. I trust you.” Spitfire looked into Rainbow’s eyes and knew she was right to trust her. As they flew still closer to the Everfree Forest, Rainbow began a gentle decent, landing in front of a small cottage just beyond the edge of the forest. “This is Fluttershy’s house. I don’t know if you remember her from the Best Young Flyers Competition, but she was my cheering section. She’s a pegasus like us, but she doesn’t like flying high or fast. She can be, let’s just say, timid.” “She’s one of your friends isn’t she, one of the Elements of Harmony?” “She’s one of my oldest friends. We’ve been through a lot together. I trust her with my life, and yeah, she’s the Element of Kindness.” It was still very early in the morning, but Rainbow Dash could hear movement inside Fluttershy’s cottage. She knew she’d be up tending to her animals when she knocked on her door. Fluttershy’s wide-eyed smiling face greeted Rainbow as she opened the door. “Rainbow Dash! What are you doing here so early in the morning?” Fluttershy asked with a very confused look on her face. “I’d like you to meet someone, someone that needs our help.” Spitfire stepped into Fluttershy’s view and pulled the hood of Rainbow’s jacket from her head. “Hi Fluttershy. I’m…” “You’re Spitfire! Spitfire from the Wonderbolts! I’d recognize you anywhere, but especially from the poster in Rainbow’s house.” Fluttershy squeed. “You need our help? Can’t the Wonderbolts help you? Why us?” Fluttershy was getting confused as to why a super celebrity would ever need help from a timid pegasus like her. “Well, can we come and we’ll explain?” Rainbow asked. “Oh, of course. Sorry. Please come in. I’ll fix us some tea and you can tell me what’s going on, if that’s all right.” The three pegasi sat in Fluttershy’s living room sipping their tea. Spitfire was trying to figure out just how much she needed to tell Fluttershy without having to go into the full ugly mess that the Wonderbolts were. She’d been with them for so long, even though she wanted out, there was still some sort of feeling of family and loyalty. “Hey, Fluttershy, can you take care of Spitfire for me? I’ll be back in a few hours. There are some things I need to take care of back home.” “Back home? But we just left your place.” Spitfire said. “Yeah, but no one saw us leave, right? If they don’t see me leave for work like I normally would, they could get suspicious and come looking for us. I need to keep the illusion that I don’t know where you are.” Rainbow left the small cottage and flew off back to her home in Cloudsdale. She left a nervous Spitfire behind with a very nervous Fluttershy. “So, Spitfire, umm…” the butter-yellow pegasus trailed off. Still a little starstruck and very intimidated. “First, thank you for the tea, Fluttershy. It is wonderful. Basically I need your help hiding from the rest of the Wonderbolts. I’m trying to leave the Wonderbolts, and it’s not something easily done. They need me to go back to the Wonderbolts compound and sign my new contract, but if I don’t it will expire and I won’t be a Wonderbolt anymore.” “But why? Why would they force you to stay if you want to leave? Shouldn’t they just let you leave?” “I wish it was that easy. I don’t want to go into the details. They’re just…too much. Let’s just say, I want to leave and they don’t want me to because no one leaves the Wonderbolts. They think it would be bad for their image. I just don’t want to be a Wonderbolt anymore. I want to do something else with the rest of my life. I just don’t know what.” “And Rainbow thinks that some of the Wonderbolts are watching her house for you?” “Yeah, and they could be. I’ve been running from them for four days. I finally thought to ask for Rainbow Dash’s help yesterday. I hadn’t been at her place for five minutes before Rapidfire and Fleetfoot showed up looking for me.” “Oh. My.” “Now I just need to hide for six more days and I’ll be out of my contract.” “Well, this is a pretty okay place to hide. I guess. The trees should provide you coverage from anyone flying overhead. That and I don’t get a lot of visitors, other than my animal friends. Oh no! What time is it?” “It’s after 10, I think.” “Oh no. I’m late feeding my friends outside. They’re going to be very grumpy.” “Can I help? I mean you are late feeding them because of me, and it would be nice to help and actually do something other than running for a change.” “Sure you can help. It will be nice to have someone to talk to.” The two yellow pegasi got up and headed outside to start on Fluttershy’s morning routine. Spitfire noticed how quiet it was and how nice it was to feel the sun’s warmth on her coat again. By this time, Rainbow Dash had made it back to her home in Cloudsdale. Entering through the same window she left through, she walked to the main floor and quickly wrote a note for her mail man, Mr. Trotter. She had decided on the way home, that she would simply pretend to be on vacation. She’d leave a note then fly over to work and put in for her time off. She’d tell her boss it was some sort of Equestrian emergency from the Princess. That always worked. Rainbow got a few things together in her duffle bag: brush, toothbrush, and some bits from her emergency fund. She then grabbed her note and headed out the door. She was technically late for work now, but it was still same routine as ever. She put the note in her mailbox and flew off to work. “Are you sure she never saw you?” Soarin asked Fleetfoot. “I’ve been here all night and all morning. The light in her living room never went out and she never came out until now. There was no chance of her seeing me.” “OK. Let’s go check out what she dropped in the mail. It could be a note for Spitfire.” The two Wonderbolts glided down from their cloud to Rainbow’s mailbox. Soarin opened it and took out the note. “Dear Mr. Trotter, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be gone for about 6 or 7 days on a small vacation…” “NO! This is one clever mare. She is completely on to us and she’s shoving it our faces!” Soarin shouted. “What do you mean?” “She’s been onto us for days now. She’s probably helping Spitfire stay ahead of us by watching us the past four days.” “Soarin, what are you talking about?” “This letter! She’s telling us that she’s going away!” “But how do you know it’s directed to us?” “Ugh, right here. ‘Mr. Trotter’. She’s been on us for days. How else would she know I’ve got the trots?” All Fleetfoot could do is stare blankly at the Wonderbolts’ leader. “How on Equestria did you get to be the leader of the Wonderbolts? Read the rest of the letter.” Fleetfoot shoved the letter at Soarin with one hoof while she placed the other hoof against her forehead. “…a small vacation. Please hold my mail until I get back.” “Oh.” Soarin was blushing heavily at his act of stupidity. “Well, she’s still our best lead to Spitfire.” “Yes, and since we’ve been standing here discussing you intestinal ailment, we have no idea where she just flew off to. We’re back to square one, looking for either a flame yellow pegasus or a sky blue pegasus that will maybe lead us to the yellow one.” “Um…well, come on. Let’s get back to the compound and brief the others to at least be on the lookout for Rainbow Dash, too.” Rainbow Dash arrived at the Weather Control Office and went straight to her boss’s office. “Hay, I hate to do this again on such short notice, but I’ve got another assignment from the Princess and I’m going to need some time off. Say, seven days or so.” The large weather pegasus sitting behind the desk stood up and glared at Rainbow Dash. “Look, I don’t care if it is an assignment from the Princess or not! I’ve got weather pegasi out sick all over the place. Half of Cloudsdale seems to have come down with a cold or something. Most of the pegasi for Ponyville have had to be sent to other locations. Now, I’ll give you your time off, after today. If you want to keep this job, you’d better get the weather straight over Ponyville.” “OK, OK, I’ll head over to Ponyville now. It’s not like that wasn’t where I was going anyway.” Rainbow replied backing away from her angry boss. “Clear skies! Lots of sun! Make it happen, Rainbow Dash, or don’t bother coming back.” Rainbow Dash was flying towards Fluttershy’s cottage as quickly as she could. “Man, I hope Fluttershy isn’t too mad, not that she would ever say anything. I just told her I’d only be gone a couple of hours and it’s been all day.” Once she was in view of the cottage she was actually shocked at what she saw: Fluttershy and Spitfire sitting outside together talking. “Fluttershy never opens up that quickly to new ponies,” Rainbow said to no one in particular. Landing just outside the fence around Fluttershy’s property, she was greeted with two very happy looking ponies. “Hi there, you two. You seem to be getting along really well.” “Well, there you are, Rainbow Dash. What happened to ‘I’ll just be a couple of hours’?” Fluttershy was doing her best to speak in a scolding tone. “This is your idea of helping me? Just dropping me off with one of your friends and making them take care of me all day?” Spitfire said, sounding very upset. “Hay now! I didn’t mean to leave you hear all day, but I had to work. The boss wouldn’t let me go.” “Take it easy there Dash. Shy and I are just teasing you.” “Yeah, Dash, lighten up a little.” The two yellow pegasi looked over at each other and couldn’t hold the laughter in any longer. “Oh ha ha you two. Go ahead and laugh it up. You got me pretty good this time, I’ll admit it.” As her two friends continued to laugh at her expense, Rainbow sat down at the little table with them. "Fine, fine, get it out off your systems." Rainbow propped her head on her hoof waiting for her friends to stop laughing. Looking at Spitfire "You seem to have had a pretty good day. You're laughing and smiling now, at least." “Today was a great day. I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive at first, but it turned into a great day, and Fluttershy here, she is just fantastic.” The butter-yellow pegasus blushed and hid her face behind her hoof “thanks” was barely heard coming from her. Trying to divert the conversation to something less embarrassing, Fluttershy spoke up, saying “We have started dinner. I’m sure you’re starving, Rainbow, having worked all day. Why don’t we go and eat and we’ll tell you about our day?” “Sounds great and you’re right, I am starving.” The three pegasi got up and went into Fluttershy’s modest cottage to share a meal. Spitfire and Fluttershy filled Rainbow Dash in on their day. They fed all of Fluttershy’s animals, repaired a hole in the chicken coop, and worked in Fluttershy’s small garden. “It was such a great day. It was quiet, relaxing, and simple. Not to be insulting, honest, it was just an easy simple day. When we finished one task, we went on to the other. There was no rush to it. If we got it all done, it was done. If we didn’t, then Fluttershy said it would still be there tomorrow. I think I could get used to this simple life. Oh, and the flying this afternoon was so fun.” “Wait wait wait, you two went FLYING today? Fluttershy, I thought you hated flying?” “No, I don’t hate flying, Rainbow. I just don’t like to fly fast like you. I prefer to do more gliding and ride on the thermals. I really enjoy the views and the clouds.” “But you’re afraid of heights, aren’t you?” “I am only if you ask me to go high and then dive quickly. I’m just not a stunt flyer like you. I’m much more leisurely.” “And, you were OK with this, Spitfire? I thought you’d find it as boring as I do?” “Well I’ll admit at first it was boring, but then I remembered something. I wasn’t flying for anyone but me. If I wanted to go fast, dive and spin, I could have, but taking my time and flying with Fluttershy, it was just relaxing. For the first time in years, I enjoyed flying. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love stunt flying and I’ll do that again, but when I want to. That feels so good to say.” Spitfire leaned back in her chair just enjoying the feeling that those words brought. In just a few more days, she would be her own master, tied to the Wonderbolts no more. The sadness that used to come with that idea was starting to fade. “See, Rainbow, we’re not all trying to get onto the Wonderbolts, like you, so we don’t have to put so much pressure on our flying and just enjoy it.” Fluttershy was sounding more bold and confident than Rainbow Dash had ever heard. “Hmph, well I guess I’m going to have to start enjoying that then. I don’t think I have any kind of a future with the Wonderbolts now. I don’t think they’d let the pegasus that helped a member leave join their group, and after some things I’ve learned, I don’t know if that is so bad.” Rainbow’s head was starting to hang low as she finished her sentence. It was still hard for her to accept the idea of the Wonderbolts no longer being there. “Well, hay now, where did you two go flying? Weren’t you worried about being seen?” “Oh, we stayed in a cloud bank that was over the meadow this afternoon,” Fluttershy started, “It was safe. I flew up first and looked around and then Spitfire came up.” Suddenly, Spitfire’s eyes went wide. She had just had a great idea. If Fluttershy could help her to see the joy in flying again, maybe she and Fluttershy could help Rainbow Dash. It was the least she could try to do after killing her Wonderbolt dream. “Hay, have you two ever done night flying?” “Sure, all the time, I have to get home from Ponyville somehow.” The rainbow-maned pegasus chimed. “Umm, no not really. I’m kind of afraid of the night.” Fluttershy slumped in her chair as she confessed her fear. “Well you’re going to try it tonight. I happen to know that Luna is going to have a full moon tonight, so it won’t be very dark at all. That cloud bank is still there, so we can walk out to it and fly in the moonlight, like we did today. Let’s see if we can’t get this stunt pony over here to just enjoy flying again.” Spitfire motioned over to Rainbow with her hoof. “Come on Shy, give it a try. You’ll be with us. We’ll keep an eye on each other. I promise.” Fluttershy sat up straight and got a very determined look to her eyes. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be afraid when I have my friends with me. Let’s do it.” Again, Rainbow Dash was shocked by this new-found confidence that Fluttershy had. The three pegasi broke through the cloud bank and were enveloped by the light of Luna’s moon. “OK, now, let’s just stop here for a minute,” Spitfire said landing on the cloud. “I want you two to just take a minute, look at the moon, smell the sweet night air, and look at how things are almost glowing. Night flying was about the only time I ever had to myself as a Wonderbolt, so this is a very special thing to me and I want you two to see it.” Rainbow and Fluttershy nodded their understanding. Nopony spoke. The three just stood there on the cloud, taking it all in. Rainbow noticed how quiet it was. The cool night air was refreshing to her. Fluttershy enjoyed the light of the moon and the reflections against the clouds. While she would never admit it, the shadows did still frighten her, but she was there with friends and they were just shadows. After just a brief moment of this, Rainbow and Fluttershy both noticed how calm they were. Spitfire gave them a knowing glance and without a word, she took off into the night sky, with Rainbow and Fluttershy quickly behind her. Hours later, the three landed outside Fluttershy’s cottage. “That was amazing! I feel like yelling! Woo hoo.” The pink-maned pegasus exclaimed, as only she can. “Well, Rainbow Dash, what did you think?” Spitfire asked trying her best to read Rainbow’s face for some idea of her answer. “It was, umm, different. I think I liked it. It’s just that for most of my life, flying has just been about trying to get into the Wonderbolts. Tonight, though, it was just about me and you two. I think I could enjoy it.” “Spitfire, when you’re out of the Wonderbolts, can we do this again?” Fluttershy asked meekly. “Shy, when I’m out of the Wonderbolts, we’ll do this as often as either of us wants. That is a promise.” “Rainbow, will you join us? I know it would be nice with just Spitfire, but I like watching you fly, too, especially when you’re enjoying it like you were tonight.” “Yeah, I’ll always be there to fly with you, Fluttershy. You should know that.” “Well, it is getting very late. We should all go in and try to get some sleep. What are you two going to do tomorrow?” Fluttershy asked. “Well, we don’t want to stay in one place for too long. If they came to my place looking for Spitfire, they may think to come to my friends’ places too. So, I think we’ll go someplace where no Wonderbolt would ever think to go.” Both yellow pegasi looked confused and asked in unison, “Where’s that?” “We’re going to the library and spend the day with a certain egghead I know.” Rainbow smiled devilishly as revealed her plan. No Wonderbolt would ever think to look in a library.