//------------------------------// // Painful Memories. // Story: Hey Brother // by Wolf-Baron //------------------------------// Today had to be the slowest day at the academy. Unfortunately today was paperwork day. Loads and loads of paperwork. Normally I don’t mind my work; in fact, I would consider myself a workaholic. Really I don’t I swear to Celestia I love my job! Always have. Ever since I was a filly, I dreamed of becoming a Wonderbolt! Every night I would dream that I was soaring high in the upper atmosphere over Equestria! Flying with the best! Yes, and I lived my dream and made it and I enjoy every day of it. But today was different. Right from when I got out of bed, I wasn’t myself. While always got up very early in the morning to do some quick exercising and cleaning, today I slept in until 8:15. I got up, took a shower, ate my breakfast, and reported to the Wonderbolt Academy like I always did. But this time my routine was completely different. I didn’t do my daily wing-ups as exercise. While I showered, I didn’t take the time to comb my orange-yellow mane, or even brush my teeth for that matter. And as I was flying to the academy, I was barely gliding. Hell, I was flying so slow the butterflies were outflying me. Normally I’m doing wing sprints on my way to get myself warmed up for my duties as Captain of the Wonderbolts. All day, today, everypony kept staring at me and whispering to one and other hoping that covering their voices with their hooves would keep it a secret. Everypony was looking at me with a sad but peculiar look on their muzzles. Guess I couldn’t blame them. My mane was a complete disaster and my breath probably smelt like the Colt’s locker room. Well if my breath was that distracting then I could always head down to the mess hall and just grab a packet of mints from the vending machines….and I just realized I left my purse at home along with all my bits! Seriously what was wrong with me! I was so mad that…. “OH CELESTIA FUCKING DAMMIT!!!!” I cussed at the top of my lungs, realizing a little too late that I shouted out loud in a public place. Oh Celestia what have I gotten myself into? Now everypony had their eyes on me. Some were giggling, others kept staring at me with disbelief that I would say something like that, and some even had their mouths gaped open like they have never heard me swear before. I gave probably the absolute weakest smile I ever tried to pull off. I was probably blushing furiously and my ears drooped down like a little filly whose mother caught her trying to steal a cookie from the cookie jar. “Ummmm, I’m sorry everypony!” I meekly tried to apologize. I wanted to face hoof myself. Good work Spitfire, you mess up big time! A white Pegasus colt that I recognized as Jet Blast stepped forward from the group. He was wearing the same Wonderbolt’s officer’s uniform I was wearing. We’ve flown and worked together before and were on very friendly terms. He worked his way past the crowd and approached me offering a hoof. “Captain Spitfire, are you alright?” He asked me with a look of worry on his face. I kept the very weak smile on my face trying my very best to look professional, although how was I supposed to come up with an excuse for my little outburst. “Uh….yeah,” I stuttered horribly keeping my head down not wanting to look at the other ponies, not even Jet Blast. “Are you sure?” He asked me rather gently and calmly. “Yes!” I practically snapped back at him. Didn’t he know I already had a bunch of shit going on at the moment? “Look I’m sorry,” I quickly apologized trying to sound professional again. “I just wanna get to my office okay?” Jet blast nodded his head and tapped my shoulder. “Alright, if you insist.” He said with a rather surprising smile and trotted off trying to shoo the crowd away from me. I kept my head down and trotted down the hallway which led towards my office. I didn’t look at anypony or answer them when they greeted me. Normally I’m a very friendly young mare but today, I just wanted to be left alone. Even if I encountered Soarin and Fleet Foot today I didn’t wanna talk. Ever since Mustang died… Oh great, I brought him up in my mind again! I slammed my eyes shut and tried very hard to fight the tears. I didn’t wanna think about him! Not now! Not at the one place which had always brought me happiness. Thank Celestia that I had reached my office when my mind was assaulted by the painful fact that my best brother and friend in the whole world was gone! Dammit there I go again! I slammed the door behind me hard and tried my best to compose myself. I rubbed my head with my right forehoof and took a deep breath. “Relax girl,” I told myself. “Just take this one day at a time. I needed to distract myself quickly. I headed towards my desk and pull out my chair to take a seat. My desk was finely decorated with medals and trophies from previous events I had flown in. A beautiful triangular name card was which had my name “Spitfire” embedded in dark black letters stood at the front. There were also several pictures on my desk too. One was me and my team at a opening event for a large shopping mall in Manehatten. The other was a picture of me and Fleet Foot at Soarin’s twenty sixth birthday party last year. And the final picture was a family photo of me, my mom, my dad…..and Mustang. I shook my head trying to get him out of my head. I needed to focus on something. I needed to focus on my work. I carefully took the family photo and gently placed it face down on the desk so I wouldn’t see his face. It’s not that I didn’t want to see him it’s just that…well okay, I didn’t want to see a photo of him, not now. It was too painful. I just wanted the pain too stop. But it wouldn’t. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over losing my brother. I just stood at my desk trying with every bit of free will to do my work. Today I was filing paperwork; well, I was supposed to be filling out paperwork. But I just stood there with a quill in my mouth and my plot seated firmly on the chair. As much I as tried, I just couldn’t seem to find the strength to write or do my duties. I set the quills down and stood up from my chair and headed towards my office’s window which gave me a good view of the Academy’s Flying field. I stood out there and just gave a thousand yard stare as I looked at the new flyers struggling to pass the Wonderbolts extremely challenging physical tests. Training to be a Wonderbolt was very difficult. Every year, over one hundred ponies sign up and get accepted for training. By the end of that year, only four will pass and become a Wonderbolt. I remember my first day at the academy. I was a good flyer fresh out of serving a tour with the Equestrian Royal Air Force. I was so nervous my wings wouldn’t stop jittering during the physical exam and I may have stuttered a few times during the interview. Again I thought about Mustang, but this time, I let him stay. He was the biggest help when I was training for a Wonderbolt. Before I signed up, he spent every day with me training and pushing me to be my best. And he never lowered himself simply because I was his sister. No, when Mustang trained you, he took it seriously. But he never put me down or spoiled me. He helped me push my abilities to their very limits. Even when I was in the academy, he still sent me letters of encouragement and even tips on how to prepare my body for the physical tests. I still follow many of his notes and words of advice even to this day. I went back to my desk and took the photo I put down in my hooves and just looked at Mustang. I remember now, this picture was taken four years ago at our parents’ wedding anniversary. I had just gotten accepted into the Wonderbolts and we were celebrating the two special events together. Mustang was giving his trademark bright smile in this pic and I couldn’t help but giggle. Unlike me where I inherited my mane and fur color from my mom, Mustang looked more like our dad. He was tall and very handsome colt (I still remember in high school he had a whole locker full of letters from young mares asking him to go out with them). His mane was a very dark shade of blue of the night sky which went well with his turquoise colored coat. His cutie mark was sort of this falcon wings-shaped object. The funny thing is, his love of caring for others and his desires to be a doctor, he was shocked that his cutie mark wasn't something medical related. I then frowned when I also remembered another detail. This was taken two days after he had joined the Romancian Foreign Legion. He left for the human nation of Romancia the following day. Mustang was a great flyer; however, he wasn’t interested in joining the Wonderbolts. He always wanted to be a doctor. While I was breaking my wings in the Wonderbolt Academy, he was studying at the Royal Air Force’s academy of Medicine. He always wanted to help people. I think that’s why he joined the Romancian Foreign Legion in the first place. He wanted to be a military medic and help ponies and people. I set the photo down and took another look outside, this time frowning. My vision blurred and I felt the tears burning my eyes. I sat down back in my chair and…well, I lost it. I completely broke down and started sobbing. I wanted to die! I wanted to kill Mustang! He promised me he would come back! But it was too late, he was already dead. “It’s not fair!” I growled to my emptiness as I lay my head on my desk and covered my face with my hooves, tears soaking down my cheeks. Even though I was in a building full of ponies, I felt alone. My whole world just felt like it was collapsing. I just sat there, balling like a little filly who lost her blanket. I missed him so much….