Canterlot’s Royal Windsong Hotel has always had a reputation as the city’s liveliest hotel, perfect for business trips and personal vacations alike. Given the Royal Windsong’s status as a five-star hotel, this was to be expected; top-of-the-line room service, dining arrangements befitting royalty, recreational facilities, and other such luxuries were the norm.
As such, the hotel’s main visitors were those who basked in life at the top. Any big name personality passing through Canterlot made it their top concern to book a reservation there; said appearances always attracted a crowd of adoring fans, especially when they included icons such as pop music sensation Sapphire Shores or top travel enthusiast Trenderhoof.
But musicians, models, critics, and the like aren’t the only anticipated guests; athletes will also make a stop at the hotel from time to time. This just happened to be one of those times. Over the past few days, the Royal Windsong found itself serving as the temporary residence of Equestria’s ace flying squad, the Wonderbolts, while they entertained the citizens of Canterlot with their high-level speed and acrobatics.
With all the performances and press conferences behind them, the Wonderbolts made the most of their last day in Canterlot for a while. Some socialized with fans or teammates, some went sightseeing, some celebrated in their own way, while others kept to themselves in the quiet of their hotel rooms. One Wonderbolt did just that, lost in their own thoughts.
As Spitfire laid on her bed, pillow clutched to her chest, she stared blankly at the ceiling and thought about so many things. At the forefront of the Wonderbolt captain’s mind was her teammate and childhood friend, Soarin, particularly his antics over the past couple months.
Soarin was a silly guy all the way through, but he did have the ability to be serious when the time called for it. One thing Soarin wasn’t particularly known for, however, was fear, yet over the past couple months, Soarin had shown more fear than he had shown in his entire life, or at least the part of it that Spitfire knew.
“So much anxiety, yet you still managed to do the one thing I have no real desire to do, myself,” Spitfire muttered.
“And that is…?” asked a lighthearted male voice.
At the sound of the unexpected response, Spitfire sat up in such a hurry, she accidentally threw herself out of bed. Embarrassed with herself for such a misstep, she stood up, cleared her throat, and looked toward the visitor.
“Soarin!” Spitfire exclaimed. “Don’t you know not to sneak up on ponies?”
Soarin chuckled to himself.
“What’s so funny?” Spitfire asked.
“I thought I was supposed to be the clumsy one,” Soarin joked.
Soarin’s comment was met with a glare from Spitfire.
“Oh, come on, you know I’m only messing around.”
Spitfire’s expression changed to a mischievous smile.
“So, you plan on avoiding us until morning, or were you hoping t— Oof!”
Soarin shook his head to recover from the interruption, and after seeing the sly smirk on his friend’s face, he figured out what had just happened. Picking up the pillow that had just been used as a projectile, Soarin returned Spitfire’s sly smirk with one of his own.
“You do realize that this means war, right?”
“Bring it.”
Upon request, Soarin threw the pillow back the way it came…only to have his missile dodged. Before Soarin could acquire another pillow, he was pinned to the ground.
“This brings back some memories,” Spitfire noted, smiling.
“Sure does,” Soarin agreed. “So when do you plan on answering my question from before?”
Spitfire stood up and helped her friend to his feet before turning away.
“Close the door,” she requested as she went to retrieve the pillow.
As Soarin answered his friend’s request, he thought about the path the day had led him on. When Soarin had turned around, he found Spitfire making her bed. Seeing the act of housekeeping made the stallion smile.
“How long have you been…watching me?” Spitfire asked.
“Oh, not too long. I just got back, actually; wanted to check in with you, but you were nowhere to be found. I heard you were up here, so…here I am,” Soarin explained. “So why are you up here by yourself, Spitfire? Something wrong?”
“I was thinking about you,” Spitfire sighed. “I know I keep teasing you and stuff, but I’m really worried, you know. You just…changed without any sort of warning. This stuff with Rainbow Dash just came out of nowhere.”
“I’m sorry…”
“No need to apologize; it was bound to happen at some point. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last.”
“Thanks, Spits. Now tell me what you were playing at before. I managed to do something that you have no desire for… Enlighten me.”
“Ah, Soar… What I said wasn’t meant to offend you or whatever. You’ve heard me say it before; I like seeing others find happiness, as you have with Rainbow Dash. It’s just…I have no desire to get with anyone, myself. Call me unusual for feeling that way, if you want; I’ve always felt content with flying solo.”
“Yeah… I was the main one who talked about wanting a family, while you balked at the idea of settling down. You’re a free spirit; we all respect that about you.”
“Thank you, Soar. You ever wonder what the rest of our little gang is up to?”
“No doubt they’ve got themselves settled into whatever life they wanted, just like us.”
“You ever wish you could…track them down or something?”
“Organize a reunion? Sure! It’d be great to catch up. I miss them just as much as you do, Spits. Was there any particular reason why you brought this up?”
“Just curious, I guess. The…” Spitfire breathed a quick sigh and closed her eyes. “The thought that…we’ve all changed, and the fact that the little family we had formed…fell apart…” Spitfire’s voice shook and her eyes watered. “I want you to be happy, Soarin, but I don’t want to lose you like we…lost the others. You’ve been like a brother to me. I love you. You’ve…stuck by me in ways that no one else has.”
“Spitfire…” Soarin’s eyes watered as he drew his friend into a hug. “I didn’t like seeing them go, either. The thing is…even though we’re all miles apart, we’re still a family, in a manner of speaking. You know that as well as I do, Spitfire.”
“I know…” Spitfire sobbed. “I know that they’re still in our hearts, Soarin, but you remember how things were for me back then.”
“I remember. You barely told us about your family, and for the longest time, we never understood why. You weren’t always the most cheerful girl around, but we never thought to question that until you started viewing us as your real family or making comments about running away from home… You worried us.”
“When you live the kind of childhood I lived, you end up with all sorts of issues. You remember how competitive I was back then, and you see how I am now. I am the way that I am because it gave me a release. Competition and my friendships with you and the others allowed me to take my mind off of…’home’.”
“Then you gave the Wonderbolts a chance, and we both made it through the academy. I distinctly remember you more or less flaunting your promotion to captain like a trophy. After what you went through to get there, I can agree that you earned it, but you’ve had a history of…abusing your power.”
“Yeah… I’m not perfect…” Spitfire sighed.
“But you keep us in shape, so it’s not the end of the world,” Soarin noted.
The two friends broke their embrace and stared at each other for a while.
“So how’d it go with Rainbow Dash?” Spitfire asked, suddenly.
“Fantastic,” Soarin beamed. “I went down with a heavy heart, but I knew what I wanted to say. I took time to address a few concerns about…before, then Rainbow said some stuff; some of it, I didn’t expect to hear. She had an easier time talking about…us…thanks to some advice from her friends and a bold suggestion from her mother.”
“She said she’d give the friendship thing a chance, and see where it went. I was overwhelmed; that was the thing I wasn’t expecting to hear. We sat in the Ponyville library and caught up on a few things, and I met someone I hadn’t seen in years.”
Spitfire looked at her friend like he had lost his mind, prompting him to elaborate.
“Rainbow Dash’s mother, Firefly. She came down to talk to Dash about me, and as soon as I saw her standing there, I lost it; learning that Firefly was Rainbow Dash’s mother blew my mind completely. Naturally, it was like I was reconnecting with an old friend.”
“Firefly…” Spitfire whispered. “She was the Wonderbolt you got your picture taken with, right? She was the main one you talked about, especially after you started writing to her.”
“It gets better,” Soarin beamed. “Me, Dash, Twilight, and Firefly were all talking about some things from back then, and it turns out, the day I got that picture with Firefly was the first time Dash and I saw each other. Dash and I were both confused, but Firefly was able to sort of…take us back and recreate the scene. I wasn’t able to formally introduce myself to Dash back then, so that detail had essentially faded from my mind. Long story short, Rainbow Dash and I now have thirteen years’ worth of stuff to catch up on.”
Spitfire could only stare at her friend as though he were an alien.
“Hello?” Soarin asked. “Has Spitfire.exe stopped working?”
“You have a crush on your idol’s daughter,” Spitfire noted.
“Yeah, who knew?” Soarin laughed. “Anyway, after all of that, Firefly left, so Dash and I just talked with Twilight for a bit, then Dash and I went to the park for a while, then I came back here. She’ll be expecting some mail from me, and I don’t plan to disappoint her.”
“Right.”
The two made a silent agreement to never leave each other as they left Spitfire’s room. As they made their way past the rooms of some of their teammates, Spitfire and Soarin smiled at each other as they remembered their younger days, and happily looked ahead to the future.
Upon reaching the hotel lobby, Spitfire felt the need to go monitor the activity of her subordinates, while Soarin was suddenly hungry. After a pleasant dinner, Soarin returned to his room, got a shower, packed his belongings, and flopped onto his bed.
“What a day,” he sighed in contentment.
Having all the weight from before lifted from his heart, Soarin closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, his mind filled with dreams of Manehattan…and Rainbow Dash.
The next day began with a blurred frenzy, just like every other time the Wonderbolts had to head off to someplace new first thing in the morning. Having to wake up at the crack of dawn was naturally very draining, but the Wonderbolts were used to it…mostly. Amid much complaining, Spitfire had corralled her team and confirmed that they were all there. Having all present business in Canterlot finished, the team checked out of the hotel and boarded the train to Manehattan.
As the train sped down the tracks, the Wonderbolts went to their own devices. Some slept, some looked out a window, and some socialized in some fashion, save for one who preferred to just enjoy the train ride in silence.
Soarin smiled as he watched his teammates’ antics, secretly amused by the notion that something as basic as a train ride could make someone act like a kid. But beyond happiness toward his team and the anticipation of the upcoming airshows, Soarin also had his thoughts on his…friend…Rainbow Dash.
Maybe I’ll surprise her with a souvenir, he thought. Nothing too flashy, though; don’t want her to get the wrong idea.
Soarin put that thought aside for the moment as he now focused on what Manehattan would bring. He was well aware of the city’s atmosphere, especially in the way of tourism, but every visit to a particular location always granted a new experience and a new set of memories. He breathed a calming sigh as Manehattan’s train station came into view.
“We’re here!” Spitfire announced. “No time to waste; make sure you have everything and let’s go.”
Just like clockwork, the Wonderbolts gathered themselves and their things, and left the train station. With the morning sun shining down on them all, Spitfire and company made the short walk to their home away from home: Manefair Hotel. After checking in, the mob of pegasi dispersed as needed.
I’m on the third floor, Soarin mentally noted as he headed for the nearest elevator. That means I get a pretty sweet view of the Manehattan skyline.
Not even the unknown entity beyond Celestia and Luna knew what Soarin was thinking as he rode the elevator. Nervously glancing around him, Soarin made some mental notes of his schedule and what he could do to entertain himself in his “off hours,” or at least whatever grace period Spitfire granted the team.
Third floor, Soarin thought as he stepped off the elevator. After inhaling the scent of the hotel air, the Wonderbolt pulled out his room key, and started walking. Room 308, he noted as he scanned the doors for the correct number.
After reaching his room, Soarin opened the door, walked in, placed his suitcase by the window, and sat on the bed. No doubt about it; he was in pretty high spirits, and not just because he would get to show off the Skyward Strike again. Manehattan was one of a few places in Equestria that was an outspoken tourist trap, and he intended on making the most of it.
Let’s see… I could catch a show on Bridleway, visit Lady Liberty, check out the gift shops, wander aimlessly around town by land or by air—
Soarin’s sightseeing brainstorm was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Come in,” he invited, standing up to meet the visitor.
“So you’re up here, too, eh?” the stallion, a fellow Wonderbolt, asked.
“Yeah,” Soarin answered. “So what room did they give you, Maelstrom?”
“312; I was on my way there, but I noticed your door was open, so I decided to drop in and say ‘hi.’”
“It’s cool. Any word from Spitfire as far as our schedule for today is concerned?”
“Today’s performance is at noon, and there’s a press conference right after it. The kicker with that is Spitfire wanting us to converge at the stadium by 11:30 so we can get set up and everything.”
“Lovely…”
“Hey, it’s not all bad; sure, we’ve got a long day ahead, but we have that welcome dinner to look forward to.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“So you plan on doing that one trick of yours again? That…Skyward Strike?”
“I might… Do you have anything special planned? Any secret techniques you’ve been waiting to spring on us all?”
“As a matter of fact, I do; been working on the little details, but I’d say the Maelstrom Pulse is finally ready for its grand debut.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“I think the crowd’ll love it. But in all honesty, I don’t think anything can hold a candle to your Skyward Strike. You’re crazier than I am, man! I didn’t think something like that was even possible!”
“My ‘craziness’ or my trick?”
“Both!”
The two Wonderbolts laughed for a bit before resuming their conversation.
“Anything major going on after the impending madness?” Soarin asked.
“I might mingle with the fans for a bit,” Maelstrom answered. “You?”
“Come back here, wash up, and enjoy the town a bit.”
“Sounds good; I’m going to go put my stuff away. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to go ahead and get ready for showtime, either.”
“I hear you. See you at the show!”
After Maelstrom left, Soarin closed his hotel room door and went to retrieve his suitcase. With a sigh, Soarin placed the suitcase on the bed and set about the task of putting stuff away. Two articles of clothing were casually set to one end of the bed while things such as nightclothes and hygiene items were stashed appropriately.
My flight suit and my dress uniform, Soarin noted, identifying the clothing he set aside. I’ll be needing my dress uniform for tonight, and I might as well go ahead and get my flight suit on.
Having finished unpacking, Soarin closed his suitcase and placed it in the closet, then put his dress uniform on a hanger and put that in the closet. After making sure everything was placed appropriately, Soarin donned his flight suit and goggles, and set off for the sports arena where the shows in Manehattan were set to take place.
Madison Square Garden gets to host everything, it seems, Soarin mentally joked upon reaching the venue.
As 11:30 approached, more and more Wonderbolts converged on “The Garden,” as it was sometimes called, and made sure to check in with Spitfire. Upon the stroke of noon, the show began, and the crowd enjoyed every minute of it. Between the Skyward Strike and the Maelstrom Pulse, Soarin and Maelstrom stole the spotlight, prompting a couple of the others to improvise an encore. With the show a success, the Wonderbolts headed backstage for a quick autograph session and their press conference. At the conclusion of the activities, the Wonderbolts dispersed.
Never before had a bath felt so good; certainly not as good as it felt for Soarin at that current moment.
“I seriously needed this,” he said, basking in the heavenly comfort of the hot water.
When the flurry of activity was all but a footnote, 2:30 had just passed, and as he promised before, Soarin headed straight back to his room, tossed his flight suit in the general area set aside for dirty laundry—said toss was a blind attempt ending in apathetic failure—and prepared a hot bath for himself.
The time was now 3:00, and Soarin was just finishing up his much-needed bath. After drying himself, Soarin left the bathroom and stared out the window.
“Such a pretty skyline…” he mumbled.
Remembering that his team’s welcome dinner was set for 7:00, Soarin made note of his prior intentions and the time he had available, but before setting off to enjoy the town, he felt the need to do something else. That “something else” just happened to be the task of writing a letter in accordance with a prior promise.
After obtaining some paper and a writing utensil, Soarin sat on the bed in his room, made himself comfortable, and began writing.
Dear Rainbow Dash,
Just as I promised, her I am writing to you about my experience in Manehattan. As I write this, I’ve survived the marathon known as the first half of the first day in a new location. Had to get up at like 6:30 in the morning in order to catch the early train to Manehattan. As soon as we got here, we were granted some time to get checked into the hotel and stuff. Then, we had an airshow and a press conference back-to-back. After that was done, I went to my room and took a hot bath. Got a few hours to kill before a welcome dinner tonight, so I wanted to get this done while I can.
We’re in the Manefair Hotel; pretty nice place. I have plans to do as much sightseeing as I can, and I’m thinking of picking up some stuff from the gift shops while I’m here; hint, hint. I’ll definitely be sure to let you know how my time here goes. On that note, the airshow went really well; I was hoping to see you there, but I understand how busy you can be, ha ha. The show was exhausting as usual, but it was still a lot of fun; here’s hoping that the rest turn out the same way.
He read over the note to make sure he had everything he wanted to say. Satisfied with the message, he lowered the pencil to the paper to close the letter, but paused.
Should I risk it? he asked himself. Yeah, why not? he thought, smiling.
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you again. Hopefully, you and your friends are getting by without too much trouble.
Love,
Soarin
With that task complete, Soarin sealed and addressed the letter, made a note of the current time, grabbed a few essential items, and left the room. On the way through the hotel lobby, he placed his letter to Rainbow Dash in the box labeled “Outgoing” and whistled to himself in happiness. With the expansive town of Manehattan at his disposal and adequate time to spare, Soarin began walking.
After making a quick lunch stop at a carrot dog cart, Soarin looked all around him, wanting to take in as much as possible. With his snack finished, he focused his attention on finding a gift shop to visit before leaving Manehattan behind. During the pleasant walk, Soarin’s spirits soared higher than normal, and a song began to fill his mind. Caught up in his own thoughts, Soarin began to sing, either unaware or uncaring of the attention he received.
“Oh, Manehattan! What you do to me! Such a huge, bustling community…”
As Soarin navigated the streets of Manehattan, the spirit of music filled his entire being. Distracted by the catchy tune, the cheerful Wonderbolt passed by all sorts of storefronts, signboards, and fellow pedestrians…yet was blissfully unaware of any of it. Unfortunately, this behavior had some adverse effects. In his inherent lack of focus, Soarin collided with someone, ending his song abruptly.
“Ow… My head…” a young female voice whined.
“Oh, my goodness!” Soarin exclaimed upon seeing the object of his collision. “I am so sorry, miss; I just got a bit too distracted back there, so I didn’t see you…”
“It’s alright,” the mare replied. “I wasn’t really paying much attention to where I was going, either.”
“You sure? I mean…you’re not hurt, are you?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Soarin helped the mare to her feet, which was followed by a gasp from her once she noticed the mess that now littered the ground.
“Oh, no…” the mare whined. “I knew I shouldn’t have tried to carry so much…”
“Let me help you with this stuff,” Soarin offered as he set about recovering the assorted fabrics.
“Thanks,” the mare sighed. “My name’s Coco Pommel, by the way, and if you haven’t already guessed, I’m a costume designer. I was just getting some new materials for my latest assignment.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Pommel. The name’s Soarin.”
“Soarin…of the Wonderbolts?!” Coco exclaimed. “It’s such an honor to meet you. What brings you to Manehattan?”
“The Wonderbolts are in town for a few days. There’s nothing going on at the moment, so I’m just wandering around.”
“That’s cool.” By this point in the conversation, the mess of clothing materials had been cleaned. “Thanks for your help, Soarin; you’re a lifesaver.”
“Not a problem. I trust you have a lot of work to do, so after this case of ‘crash into hello,’ I’ll let you get going.”
After a quick exchange of farewells, Soarin and Coco Pommel parted ways. After browsing around town a bit more, Soarin returned to his room to prepare for the team’s welcome dinner. After said dinner, Soarin returned to his room, got a quick shower, and went to bed.
The next day began a bit like the last, but thanks to the lack of an early morning train ride, it wasn’t nearly as hectic, which allowed the Wonderbolts to sleep in or have breakfast as they desired. Soarin wanted to sleep in, but between his tolerance for early starts and his still-high spirits, his body wouldn’t let him, so he just stared at the ceiling and thought about stuff.
Day two out of three… he noted. Another airshow and some time with fans… Thank Celestia we don’t have another press conference!
As Soarin looked ahead to that day’s events, he smirked at the idea of stealing the show again. In a way, he hoped Spitfire wouldn’t get too upset with him, yet he also liked seeing the look of childish envy on her face. Given the length of time the two had known each other, they knew exactly how to agitate one another, but it was all in good fun. That friendly rivalry within the Wonderbolt ranks strengthened the bond of family among them and helped them get better at what they do.
Soarin closed his eyes in meditation as his mind replayed all of his memories as a Wonderbolt. He loved being a part of something so exciting; all the friends he made, the inspiration he instilled in others, the opportunity to visit new places… Nothing would make him give that up!
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. After glancing at the clock on the bedside table, Soarin got out of bed and answered the door.
“Good morning!” Spitfire happily greeted.
“Good morning, yourself,” Soarin replied. “So what brings you to see me?”
“Just wanted to make sure everyone was up. Today’s events aren’t happening until later, so we’ve got most of today to ourselves, just so you know.”
“Right.”
“I also came to bring you this.”
Soarin accepted the envelope Spitfire had presented, and smiled upon seeing the name of the sender.
“I’ll see you later, Soarin.”
“Bye!”
With the bit of mail in hoof, Soarin closed his door, flopped onto his bed, and eagerly tore open the envelope to read the reply to his earlier message.
Soarin,
Great to hear from you! My friends and I are all doing fine, don’t worry. We all visited Manehattan ourselves a little while back, so we know how exciting the place can be. I totally sympathize with you on getting up early, but it’s all worth it. I’m glad you’re having fun; Manehattan’s got so much to experience, it’s crazy! I remember our visit to Manehattan; Manefair Hotel was the place where we stayed. Rarity went there for Fashion Week, and invited us to go with her. We got to see all sorts of cool stuff, and Rarity had even managed to get us all tickets to see Hinny of the Hills! That show was SO AWESOME!!!
Anyway, I saw what you did there with some of what you said last time. You don’t have to worry about getting me anything, unless you really felt like it. Nice way to be subtle at the end, too. I can’t wait to hear how the rest of your experience in Manehattan goes. By the way, how long are you in Manehattan, and where are you guys going after that? I’m sorry I couldn’t watch you perform, but maybe another time.
Awesomely yours,
Rainbow Dash
Soarin set his friend’s letter, and penned a quick reply.
Rainbow Dash,
It seems we agree; Manehattan’s a great place to visit. All we have today is an airshow and time with the fans. Tomorrow’s our last day here, then we’re in Baltimare for a week, then we’re off for a while. I’ll see you then.
Soarin
Just as he did the previous day, Soarin sent the letter to Dash, enjoyed Manehattan, and fulfilled his Wonderbolt duties; upon bumping into Coco Pommel again, Soarin gave his newest fan an autograph. The process of waking up and hitting the town repeated on the third day, ending with a train ride to Baltimare.