//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: At The Gates Of Valhalla // Story: This Bright Blazing Future // by Dynasty-Kaine //------------------------------// As Spitfire flew through the sky today her mind was abuzz with thought. Her talk with Rainbow the night before, had given her a lot to think about as she started her work with the Wonderbolts again. She had known Fleetfoot was a major problem, but to find out someone other than her was just as big a problem worried her more than ever. She flew over the tufty clouds that made up Vulcan Hoof Flatts on her way to finding Valkyrie. She was one of the few fliers that could match the captain's speed in any show. She was a light grey mare with a blonde mane, and her eyes were the most lovely shade of azure blue. Yet, for all these features that she had been blessed with there was a problem that effected her flying ability, over winding. Over winding tended to be a disability that effected the respiratory system, and overall muscle performance. In short, Valkyrie had serious endurance issues that limited her abilities. Somehow though she had overcome this crippling disability. Spitfire found out by complete accident one day, but had swore she would never tell anyone. A promise she would one day break. The fiery maned mare let out a sigh. It was a shame she couldn't just sit back and enjoy the beautiful sight that was Vulcan Hoof, but the situation called her attention to trying to anticipate what was to come. As she realized her surroundings she could see a simple cloud house in the distance, found her! It was at this time she was overtaken by a grey streak bolting through the sky towards the house. She knew that streak all too well, and it seemed Valkyrie had seen her approaching. Spitfire put on some speed to catch up with her but the blonde maned mare seemed intent on leaving her in her wake. Upon landing she was greeted by her old team mate facing her arms crossed, a stoic look upon her face. She seemed an entirely different mare than she was once upon a time. Almost, stronger in presence even. "Captain Spitfire." Valkyrie started with her lower toned, but still feminine, voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" She didn't seem happy at all, but at the same time she seemed unphased by the sight of the golden mare. Had Soarin warned her of her coming already? "Hello, earth to Spitfire?" the light grey mare said with a more friendly tone. "S-Sorry Valkyrie!" she stuttered in embarrassment. "Guess I forgot how hard it is to read your expressions." She shrugged with a smile, "Old habits die hard, eh Captain?" "Yeah they do." she said sheepishly scratching the back of her neck. "So guess I should--" "Cut it Spitfire, I know why you're here." the blonde maned Wonderbolt interrupted. As she looked Valkyrie up and down, in the back of her mind she wondered why she had never had a single sexual thought about her. Her mane was long blonde and braided, she was the tallest mare in Wonderbolt history, and the curves of her body only helped to accentuate her aerodynamics further. The fiery maned mare could only guess that that had been the biggest contributing factor to how she got into the academy without endurance. "Curious how you never came after me sexually, isn't it?" the grey mare had caught her looking. "Wow, I just can't help that can I?" she replied sheepish still. "But I gotta say you look to be in amazing physical shape Valkyrie!" "It's in part because of the shame you brought me, ironically enough." she answered simply. "Yet you haven't questioned what I'm wearing yet either so I figure we've got a long evening ahead of us. Come on lets go inside, I need to change into something more comfortable anyhow." "True what gives with the altered Wonderbolt body suit Val?" Spitfire questioned following the grey mare as she turned and walked to her front door. "It's my personal training uniform." She answered as she came to the front door and opened it. "I just take the head covering and remove it about halfway down the neck, and I honestly don't see why we don't just do that anyways." "You know the answer to that one." Spitfire piped up. "Concealing our identities while on the fields allows us to swap out with each other when the other gets tired. That way the fans are none the wiser as to the switches!" "I know, I know." Valkyrie said walking into her living room. "It just feels better when the wind is in your face blowing through your hair like it's nothing at all." she continued walking and stopped at the doorway on the opposite side of the living room. "Well make yourself comfortable here, my room is this way and I'd like to change in private." "Not a problem mam!" she said giving a mock salute. The grey mare just responded with a groan as she walked off. Spitfire strode over to a simple light blue cloud couch and sat down to wait. She had hoped her old friend had not taken her attire to be too offensive in any manner as she looked herself over. "Nah I doubt this is too provocative!" she said to herself dismissively. She wore a tighter red t-shirt that covered her completely, and a recently washed pair of black denim jeans that fit comfortably, not loosely. She had tried to wear the most comfortable things she could, but she had to wash them last night before coming here. So she had resolved to do a load of laundry while talking to Dash, and that had been an adventure into the cyan mare's mind she didn't expect. That aside, she weighed the thought of how the tight shirt showed off the curves of her body, but that wasn't the sort of thing she would use to provoke sexuality with. So at least she was safe there. She heard a faucet come on from beyond the doorway, and the golden mare knew it was Valkyrie washing the drying sweat from her face. She always said she hated that feeling more than actually sweating. As soon as the sound of water ceased the grey mare came through the doorway, rubbing her face with a towel vigorously. Spitfire was stunned at the sight of her. Wearing loose fitting white dress pants and her own loose blue and gold Wonderbolts jersey. Her prominent braid of hair trying to get around her neck to the front but the towel kept knocking it away. She looked plain, but she made it look good! "I can feel you staring Spitfire, with that stupid grin on yer face!" Valkyrie said through the towel before removing it from her face. "What are you smiling at anyways?" "You stupid, man the stallion that nets you is gonna be one lucky son of a gun!" She announced proudly. "I mean you make that simple outfit look good, what have you been doing these past four months?" "Oh that, well this should be an interesting story so scoot your flank over would ya?" the blonde maned Wonderbolt teased. "What scoot over?" Spitfire returned. "There is a whole other couch you can sprawl out on!" "Fine then I won't sit by you!" her friend replied with a playful smile as she went and sat on the second couch to Spitfire's left. "So then, let us start by dredging up your betrayal." She had finished the second sentence with a tone of anger, and this worried the fiery maned mare greatly. Has she really held a grudge all this time, but why would she be acting friendly then? Spitfire worried. "So, after you revealed to the team the only reason I needed a stand in the day after you and Fleetfoot got out of jail, was because I didn't have enough faerie dust to alleviate my Over Winding disability..." she paused staring at her with her icy azure eyes letting it sink in. "...It was about a week later I went to Nydus. I had resolved to kick my habit, which was why next time you came for drugs I told you off." "Well that explains that tidbit of my memory" Spitfire interjected. "Also that is why you stopped seeing me as often in general. Nydus sent me to see a physical therapist the team occasionally worked with, Doctor Peak Performance." she seemed to reminisce with a fondness. "He helped me to realize I didn't need the dust to get by, but at that point there were no effective treatments for my disability. That stallion took great pride in trying to find a way to solve it though, and by his efforts he helped me change my diet into something that was at least aiding in reducing the symptoms." Valkyrie seemed to be talking too fondly about her physical therapist. It had Spitfire wearing an expression completed by a cocked eyebrow. Something was too good about this, but she wasn't sure what it was just yet in the grey mare's recounting. "It was about a week or so after you went into rehab that Nydus suggested bringing Peak on as my personal trainer and physician, and I was shocked to find out he had already agreed to it. Nydus as usual was just there to tell me what he did with no consent!" Valkyrie laughed happily. "The following months were some great levels of training me physically and aiding in my diet. I mean come on you wouldn't believe the results he got on my core alone Spits!" The grey mare stood up from her place on the couch and lifted her shirt just enough to reveal her stomach. It was sculpted beautifully, with absolutely perfectly toned and tempered muscle. It was the most developed Spitfire had ever seen the grey pegasus. She couldn't believe four months had done this for her friend. "Not to mention my wings are stronger, my legs as you've noticed yourself, and I've even improved my high velocity flight time endurance from when I was still in the academy four times over!" Valkyrie announced with pride. Spitfire felt tempted to ask her to show her more of her sculpted body, but she knew this was her own sexual curiosity trying to edge her out again. She had to redirect her friend now, even if it was the blonde maned mare's intent to tease her as a test. "Oh and what was your old flight high velocity endurance again?" she asked blushing. "It was roughly two and a half minutes on good days, but now I can hold out for about eight and a quarter!" Valkyrie said lifting the shirt higher still. That's just horrible, Spitfire thought. The grey pegasus was trying to tempt her and was playing dumb about it with her celebratory tale of change. If she knew anything about her old friend, she knew how to derail her completely. Maybe it was time to get the complete story on this physician of hers. "Wow that physician sounds like a great guy if he can do this with you; any chance its more than doctor patient though Valk?" the fiery maned mare taunted her. "Wh-What are you talking about?" the blonde maned pegasus stuttered in shock dropping her shirt suddenly bashful. Got her, oh blessed safety! "Oh come now you talk about him like he is your knight in shining armor, spill the details!" the golden pegasus continued her assault. "But I--that isn't why you're here Captain." she said shyly going and sitting back on the couch. "Come on he sounds perfect for you, don't tell me you two aren't dating yet!" She bit her lip, "We aren't, but there is more to it than that..." "Well okay then, would you care to tell me more Valkyrie?" Spitfire eased up on her old friend. "He's already married actually, but well he had never said anything about it. I'd had my suspicions but I guess I just ignored them." Valkyrie confessed blushing hard. "One day during my fitness routine, we were both really close and...well...I just acted on impulse. I kissed him." "Oh wow, you of all pegasi took a leap like that?" the golden mare said genuinely surprised. "I know it was stupid but I couldn't help but express my feelings. He didn't push away like I thought he would though." the light grey mare said grabbing a cushion and wrapping it in her arms. "He let it pass though, before breaking the truth of him in fact being married and that something like that couldn't happen again. We sat and just talked about it for hours instead of training that day. It was nice to just sit and talk, he was so careful with his words. His wife is the lucky one, even if she doesn't know it." "Don't tell me, it was one of those political power marriages?" the Wonderbolt Captain said leaning forward to her friend. "It was, but he found a way to love her. She did too from what I got from him." Valkyrie said with a feeble smile. "They even have a beautiful young daughter." "Wow, now I'm sorry I brought that up to divert you from your mission." Spitfire said regretfully. "You deserve that kind of stallion in your life, not to live with the fact that when you find one they're already out of reach." "Yeah that tends to be--wait!" Valkyrie shot an evil look through her azure eyes at her dropping her pillow. "You knew I was doing that on purpose?" "Duh! After Soarin I assumed you guys would try to tempt me somehow." she replied laying back. "But as I said, hun I am so sorry for bringing that up since it's more sensitive for you than I could have ever imagined." "Still using my bashful nature against me? Well, at least you did it in a way more befitting you Captain." the light grey pegasus said with a shrug. "Still some of us won't fake the temptations, some of us will actually try to pull you back into your old ways." "Like Fleetfoot." she answered absentmindedly staring at the ceiling. "So Soarin told you about her then?" the blonde maned mare seemed confused. "Thought he was gonna keep that till the end from you..." "He was, but a little rainbow told me a little more than he was willing to divulge." Spitfire said with the warmest smile. "Well will you look at that? Somepony grew a real heart while she's been in rehab!" Valkyrie teased playfully. "A little rainbow eh?" her expression changed to one of shock. "Wait, you don't mean what I think you do by that. Not Rainbow Dash!" Spitfire blushed, she was caught in her own trap now, "Well it might very well be, I'm interested in her, but nothing has developed...definitively yet." "But Captain, if you are successful in putting the team back together you know what that affection will do?" the grey mare shouted in dismayed shock. "It will entirely jeopardize one of you staying on the team, and in one of your cases bar you from joining all together!" "It may or may not, we will find out should a relationship come to pass in the first place Valk." Spitfire said sitting back up. "We all know that's not the reason I'm here though. We can share girl talk another time, when we have officially made up." "I don't need much of an apology though Captain." Valkyrie said plainly. "Your betraying my trust actually inadvertently helped me. I'm grateful you did what you did even if you broke your promise to me, it had to be done for my sake." the tall mare concluded. "But, if you're really itching for an achievement or act of some sort to symbolize our renewed friendship...then how about a race across the flatts at dusk?" "But you suck at night flying!" the fiery maned mare scoffed loudly. "We shall see, if your pony enough to accept my challenge?" the light grey mare taunted her boldly. "You're on Valkyrie!" she declared. "But first, can I ask to steal a bed fer a while? The flight from New Trottinghem wasn't an easy one!" Spitfire couldn't deny the flight from her apartment to here had utterly drained her of energy. She had never been the endurance flier of the family, that had been her brother. She was built for speed, and since she had done an endurance flight a nap would help greatly. She hoped she could steal Valkyrie's bed. "Hmm, I was just about ready for my mid day nap myself." she said looking rather thoughtful, almost mischievous. "I don't have two beds, but mine is big enough for the two of us. Long as you keep yer hands to yourself you can sleep next to me till tonight." Goodbye again safety...oh how I'll miss you! Seemed that one way or another Valkyrie was intent on testing her ability to resist her baser instincts. While Spitfire knew she could lay on one of the couches something mischievous stirred in her mind that could not be passed up. Something the two of them hadn't done since the grey mare joined the team. "And when I see Soarin again I can mess with his head by saying we slept together..." her smile shown brightly as the thought took form in her head. "...again!" "Oh my yes!" the light grey mare mimicked the evil smile Spitfire had on. "I'd almost forgotten how fun it was to torment that marshmallow's mind!" As they both got up they were laughing menacingly, embracing one another arm in arm, and then skipping off to Valkyrie's bedroom together. Upon entering, they parted, and Spitfire stopped dead at the entrance. Her friend's room looked like it was ready at any second to entertain that one special somepony. Almost as if the home was her intended honeymoon suite! "Wow Valk, I'm surprised your room is this invested in that one special somepony." the golden mare said walking slowly into the room distracted by the decor. "It's almost a tempting invitation to--whoa hello!" As Spitfire looked back to Valkyrie she was shocked to see her removing her jersey. She stood on the opposite side of the room and bed as her, but her back was towards the fiery maned mare. As she continued to stare at her friend's back, the one thing she never expected was to see scarring along sections of her mid back region nearest her wings. "What? I sleep in my underwear is that an issue?" the blonde maned mare said turning to face the Wonderbolt Captain. "I mean I usually sleep in less, but seeing as you're here I don't wanna be too mean to you." She now scanned the black floral lace bra her friend wore as it was in plain view now, and she swallowed hard in worry. It would be a problem to resist the temptation her friend had laid bare in front of her. If her pants came off too, Spitfire was too nervous to even think about it. She had never known Valkyrie slept almost in the nude when friends were over and in the nude when she was home alone. Yet, that wasn't what surprised the Wonderbolt Captain most, those scars were not there when she left for rehab. "Well it may be an issue if those pants of yours come off." the fiery maned mare replied sheepishly. "But that's not my only reason for being surprised, where did you get those scars Valk?" "Oh? You mean the ones in the middle of my back where my wings connect, right?" She asked looking from side to side as if she could look around to see them. Spitfire nodded in reply. "Well it was the only other thing Peak suggested for me. They did a little restorative surgery on my lungs, but they had to go in from my back oddly enough." Valkyrie said rubbing her arm sheepishly. "It did increase my lung capacity like we expected, but the scars never fully healed. I wear 'em proudly though, to show how strong I'm willing to be to follow my dreams!" "You know, sometimes, I am glad I convinced Nydus it was the right choice to add you to the roster." Spitfire said with a bold degree of pride. "Oh yeah? Well for that I'm telling you the pants do come off, but you can't touch anything got it?" Valkyrie taunted her, but added reinforcement. "After all you need to focus on that bright rainbow, am I right?" As she watched her friend strip her pants off and hop into bed she smiled not even paying attention to the world around her. Even through the worst of this, Valkyrie had stayed her friend and was easily willing to forgive her. Although this could have been in part because what she had done had made the grey mare a stronger person than she was before. The golden mare was glad that she hadn't become what her best girl friend Fleetfoot had become. Once the light grey mare had settled under the soft, deep blue cloud covers, Spitfire climbed up as well. She laid on top of the covers and faced away from the blonde locks of hair that might tempt her, instead remembering a different braid of rainbow hued hair as she nodded off to sleep. ______________________________________________________________________________________ I can feel no sense of measure, No illusions as we take, Refuge in young colt's pleasure, Breaking down the dreams we maaaake, Real. Spitfire awoke to the sound of acapella music that gradually built in with a bass guitar. She opened her eyes, there was a single light filtering into the room from what she assumed was the master bathroom. She turned and looked at the bedside table to see a clock which read 10:47 P.M. "And I was having such a nice dream." she mumbled to herself. "Hmm, lets go see what Valkyrie is up to then. She couldn't have a weirder taste in music." The golden mare got out of the bed slowly and quietly. She noticed her hair had lost its windswept look with sleep, now hanging at her shoulders. It didn't matter though, and she continued creeping to the open doorway of Valkyrie's bathroom. As the music seemed to get louder with every step she took toward the room, she was assured her friend was within. Upon reaching the doorway, Spitfire peaked her head around and nearly dropped at the sight in front of her. The grey mare's back was to her but she was in the nude getting dressed for their flight. Looking closer at the mare's flank though she noticed something, odd. Naturally she had to comment. "Wow a branding mark Valkyrie?" the orange maned pegasus opened with casually. "What inspired you to get something you swore you'd never get?" "Oh of course you would walk in when I'm naked." the grey pegasus sighed. "Would you just let me get dressed in peace right now Spitfire?" The golden mare was confused by her friend's stoic request to be left alone. She had ignored the question from Spitfire all together, and that was unlike her. Maybe it was something better left alone, like a relative passing away that she really cared for or something of the sort. So she just stepped out and went back to sit on the bed while her friend got dressed. After about five minutes her friend emerged and threw a second training uniform at her. "Go get it on, I won't have you at a disadvantage Captain." the grey mare said jumping up onto her bed luxuriously. Spitfire just shrugged it off and went to change into the tight form fitting suit. After getting it on she realized what Valkyrie meant by feeling more free without the head covering. Maybe they could make their outfits more open after all, but this would be something to address later. As she exited the bathroom her friend whistled. "Well now Captain, still looking good after all this time of not training!" the blonde maned pegasus declared. "You still haven't answered my question about the branding." Spitfire replied bluntly. "Oh in time I will, but we have a race to commit to first." Valkyrie answered with a sly smile. "Lets get moving, we gotta fly easy toward the cloud peak of Vulcan Hoof Flatts. You know it's at least a thirty minute fly from here?" "Why start so far away?" the golden mare retorted in confusion. "Why not start here and head for the peaks?" "I've got my reasons Spits, just trust me!" her friend answered standing up and heading out of the bedroom. "Come on, lets get moving!" ______________________________________________________________________________________ A thirty minute flight later... The two pegasi stood atop the tall cloud peak of Vulcan Hoof Flatts in a ready to kick off position. Valkyrie really was serious about this, and it wasn't hard for the golden mare to see in her friend's azure eyes. The two Wonderbolts stood at the ready and after a long silence the grey mare spoke up wings flared at the ready. "Ready for this Spitfire?" she asked in mock challenge again. "You know it, have fun with the idea of winning!" the golden mare declared boldly. "I'll make it back to your house first guaranteed!" "Alright then. Get ready." she announced. "Three. Two. One." "GO!" they both shouted kicking off the cloudy peak at their full strength. As they kicked off at full speed Spitfire felt that old familiar rush of adrenaline through her veins that made her feel alive, that made her feel free. It was not long after this she noticed Valkyrie wasn't flying at her side, but had instead opted for a dive down the cliff side which had given her an immense lead. She had used the terrain to her advantage, and was still pumping her wings strenuously. How long can she last? If the fiery maned mare was going to win this race she was going to have to put all her strength into it. Which wasn't much when compared to her friend who was at the peak of her physical abilities. Whereas Spitfire was sorely lacking that physical condition, and would have to plan her moves carefully or else she would lose tonight. As she looked around she realized something else she had not been ready for, the clouds along the flatts were shimmering. This only happened when the moon out was full or close to being full. Another astute advantage Valkyrie had given herself, as seeing in the dark was never her strong suit when flying. The taller pegasus was easily pulling away from Spitfire at this point, and the Captain couldn't be more proud. Not one to lose face to her subordinates though Spitfire took into a risky nose dive to pick up speed. The difference was that the golden mare was built for this aerodynamic move, but her grey friend was less capable of gaining speed with it. Within mere seconds she had come up directly behind Valkyrie who was still getting great velocity from her wings, but flying in her back draft gave the Wonderbolt Captain a moment to ease up on her flight. As she started to relax her blonde maned friend began to pick up speed at a tremendous rate, and it startled her to think that her team mate may now be faster than her. The only difference was that she knew this was probably Valkyrie's final burst of strength, and so Spitfire picked up her own pace to match it in case she couldn't keep going. It was then she realized what this race really was to her. It was just a competitive flight with a friend, although if neither won the race it would be fine as well. Yet the grey mare kept pushing harder and harder for speed. It began to worry the Wonderbolt Captain as they closed in on her friend's vacation home. Suddenly Valkyrie dropped from her path and stopped pumping her wings for speed, she was free falling now. She had siezed from pushing her body too hard and too far past its limits. In a heartbeat the fiery maned mare picked up a great deal of speed catching her friend in her arms. She had fallen unconscious, but Spitfire was proud of how strong her friend's dream was in her heart. Even if she didn't agree with how far she pushed the envelope at times. The golden mare made sure to land lightly, and got her back inside her home. She was breathing lightly and not hyperventilating which was an interesting change, but when you got close to her mouth you could hear a slight sound as if her body was trying to do so. She took Valkyrie to her bed and laid her down tucking her in gently. The only way to handle Over Winding was to let the body readjust itself on it's own. So when her friend woke up she would tell her that she won the race, even if it really didn't matter who had won. Spitfire moved back out to the living room and settled down upon the couch with a spare blanket she had found in her friend's room. It was a comfy place to rest, not perfect, but it would do. Once she found the most comfortable spot she began to nod off quickly, but a few thoughts crossed her mind as she slowly closed her eyes. I wonder how Dash is doing with things on her end? She smiled warmly. What am I worried about? She'll be fine!