The next morning...
Spitfire had found herself in Dash's arms that morning upon the same bench they sat down on, and had nearly had a heart attack at the realization. She now smiled at the memory as she flew towards her apartment in New Trottinghem. The rainbow maned mare had acted bold once she awoke trying to save face for the embarrassment she had experienced at falling asleep on that bench with the Wonderbolt.
They both still had things to do so they parted ways with the promise to call each other as often as they could. Dash had vowed to make sure the sandwich shop would be run even without Signature Sandwich, but Spitfire had her doubts that the cyan mare could manage this feat. Still it would keep her plenty busy while Spitfire continued her own quest of redemption.
As she landed at her front door she quickly noticed it was ajar, and a smell of reheated food wafted through the air. The door wasn't broken through, but opened as if with a key. Who could possibly know her well enough to know where she would hide a second key?
"Man, how can she live like this?" came the exasperated voice of a stallion within.
The golden mare now knew exactly who had come to pay her a visit, her brother Rapidfire. How dare he pillage her only remaining food! She quickly but silently walked into the house and came up behind the stallion in the kitchen grabbing him in a headlock. He instantly yelped out in surprise.
"Who gave you permission to pillage my fridge, hmm brother?" Spitfire said with mock cruelty.
"H-Hey sis, you're back I see." he stuttered his reply.
"You didn't answer me." she taunted as she tightened her hold.
"Ouch, quit it!" he pleaded. "Can't answer if I can't breathe!"
"Fine, but you better not run away!" the orange maned mare conceded releasing him.
As he moved aside she saw that the breakfast she had stored had been reheated and set up entirely. Not a single piece of food had been touched by her brother or any microbes it looked like. Rapid had prepared the food for her return home. Why, and how did he get here before her?
"You look surprised by all of this." the pale yellow flier started with a gesture toward the food. "Well, guess I'll have to start explaining, but first you should eat before it gets too cold."
Spitfire wasn't going to argue with that, as she was quite famished. She walked over to the table and immediately set into her food and coffee. Her brother sat opposite her and took a few portions for himself, leaving the lion's share for her. Despite being focused on eating she realized her brother seemed oddly sage like this morning and after a time it got to her, forcing her to set down her utensils and wipe her mouth clean with a napkin.
"Okay mister contemplation, what's eating at you?" the golden mare asked bluntly.
"Hmm?" her brother said looking over to her as if he had been broken out of a trance. "Sorry I spaced out, what did you ask sis?"
Looking at her brother now she began to notice something she had never seen before, he looked far older than he should at this point in life. What could have changed since they have been apart?
"Rapid, you don't look like yourself." she started with a worried tone. "What's going on with you?"
"Oh this and that, but I think you owe me your story first." the pegasus returned with a chuckle.
"Oh right, the near death experience thing..." her mood shifted down instantly.
"And the aftermath of it, when you barred me from seeing you." a light picked up in the stallion's eyes.
"Look Rapid, it was because I didn't want to bring back the pain you experienced when we lost mom, and not even a year before my crash." was her soft and sad reply.
"Trying to protect me?" her brother answered incredulously. "Again, Spits? I'm a grown pegasus I can take care of myself and my own mind! I would of rather faced it than be shielded from it, at least I know the truth!"
"I can't help it and you know that!" she defended herself. "At least I love you enough to try to do something like that! To at least consider your feelings, some wouldn't even give you that now days!"
He was silent, but she could still see a little bitterness in his eyes.
"I nearly died trying to save a young colt from a free fall that would have killed the little thing!" Spitfire roared passionately. "The same way that mom died! Do you really think your mind would not have drawn the same conclusions, do you really believe that if you knew the wounds you long since buried wouldn't be ripped open again?"
Rapidfire's expression changed to one filled with shock, and it seemed like he began to understand his sister's reasoning. The stallion wasn't often the one to catch things like this quickly, and it frequently irritated the fiery maned mare. Her temper still running hot was not a good way to keep this conversation going, but it wasn't about to give any ground back.
"I mean seriously bro, it was probably the last action that was the normal me!" the Wonderbolt mare fumed. "We both know after that I wasn't the same. I wasn't your teammate, friend, or even your sister anymore! I abandoned you and I abandoned the team to my own, 'Live life before you die' campaign."
"Spits, I-I understand now." her brother stuttered awkwardly. "I guess it was that action that spared me from your spiral in the end as well."
"Wait, what now?" the golden mare responded in confusion being thrown off her anger.
"The last act you gave before you fell, was to protect me." Rapid answered honestly. "Maybe because of that you unconsciously shielded me from yourself when you unraveled?"
As she stopped to think about what he said, Spitfire quickly concluded it made a lot of sense in all reality and nodded her acceptance. By her actions she had protected her brother from her own self, and by unraveling she had helped Valkyrie inadvertently as well. The first two she had to seek forgiveness from, she had already protected somehow.
"So now that I've fulfilled that bit of our deal, I assume we have a decent explanation ahead of us?" the golden pegasus asserted.
"Heh, figures that you wouldn't be distracted by the prior conversation." Rapidfire said with a pitiful chuckle, almost deflated by it. "Where should I begin though?"
"At least start at why you look so pitifully old." the bright golden mare suggested.
"If you put the team back together sis, I'll fly one more season with the Bolts." he declared and her eyes went wide. "After that I'll be retiring to my own pursuits, for my own health."
"Wh-What are you saying?" she shouted raising to her hooves. "Retiring to your own pursuits for your own health? The hay is that supposed to mean?"
He just looked down solemnly, and the golden mare couldn't begin to understand what was going on here. Her brother and her were basically the same age so how was it that he was already thinking of retiring his uniform?
"Do you remember the disablement our father developed sis?" Rapid said darkly.
"No, it can't be!" was the fiery maned mare's horrified response as she sat back down.
"Well it is exactly that, and it looks like he was right about it passing only through the stallions of the family." Rapidfire sighed in defeat. "The illness that causes the body to accelerate aging randomly, and slowly saps a pony of their energy day by day. Dad may still be alive and kicking but he is in a pitiful state holding on for our sake's."
Spitfire knew their father did everything in his power to stay alive against all odds for his two children. It still surprised her every time she heard the doctor say the age he was actually experiencing was in the early hundreds when he was only fifty-two. His willpower was insurmountable to have held on to life this long. Now though, her brother had noticed the symptoms in himself and had been trapped in acceptance of his fate.
"This isn't fair at all." she mumbled feebly.
"It is what it is Spitty." he answered with a shrug. "It can't be changed and I'd rather continue living how I choose till I meet that end. So I'd ask you to spend the next few days with me out at my home, like old times. It would mean a lot to me."
"Of course I can do that for you Rapid." the golden pegasus said with a warm expression. "Lets finish this meal then head out yeah?"
"Definitely." was the lighter yellow stallion's reply.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Beginning of next week...
The two siblings were walking through a bustling marketplace in a town near Rapidfire's home buying supplies and other necessities. He was wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt and Spitfire was wearing beige cargo shorts and a blue t-shirt with the Wonderbolt logo on it. They were conversing happily as they walked along carrying their bags, which were slowly filling up. It was such a nice day out today.
"So I haven't asked but how did that evening with Rainbow's friend Twilight go?" Spitfire asked with an impish smile.
"Oh sis, a real stallion doesn't kiss and tell!" he retorted with a smug smile.
"But I'm your sister!" the golden mare pulled her privilage. "I don't count, so you can totally tell me!"
"Oh fine fine you spoiled brat!" the stallion caved to his sister. "Lemme guess you thought she was trying to get something sexual from me?"
"Well with the way she was interacting with you it seemed extremely likely!" the Wonderbolt smiled at her victory.
"You were wrong." the pale yellow pegasus answered plainly.
"WHAT?" she shouted almost tripping over a stone in the road. "How is that possible? Seriously you'd better spill it now!"
"Really, how is it so unbelievable?" Rapid said with a chuckle. "Look she started off like that, but as the night went forward she realized just what she was doing. She was letting her own instincts overtake her, and it upset her to lose her inhibitions so openly. We ended up finding comfort in that similarity."
"I sense a D'aww moment coming!" she said in a sing song voice.
"Oh shut it Spitty!" the stallion said shoving her playfully. "Even if your right. We spent the night cuddled up together in my room while she read one of my books aloud."
"Sweet Celestia, D'aww!" the pegasus mare said in the most adoring voice she had. "Which book was it?"
"Now that one is for only her and I to know." Rapidfire said seriously.
"Oh you're no fun at all...it was prolly one of those cheesy romance novels you're so fond of." the golden mare replied rolling her eyes.
"Oh you'll get over--"
Her brother had been cut off by the sound of a shattering vase, and the followed voice of a pleading mare. Spitfire looked to see a crowd quickly surrounding the scene that was unfolding and she tried to make her way forward to get a better look. Rapid grabbed her by the arm at this moment though.
"Hey what gives bro?" she turned on him with confused amber eyes.
"Spits, don't involve yourself with this." the lighter golden stallion looked stricken with dread. "You aren't ready for what you will see."
"I'll be the one to decide that!" she shouted as she pulled away from him and pushed through the crowd.
As she reached the front of the group a lone pegasus mare wearing bedraggled clothing was begging another stallion about something. It looked as if she had knocked over the vase, but something didn't seem right here. When the mare turned toward Spitfire's direction as the stallion paced around her, the golden mare was instantly shocked at what she saw before her. It was a very pale yellow mare with a sky blue mane that had a pale blue streak in it, her eyes were glimmering violet orbs filled with tears.
"It can't be..." the golden mare uttered breathlessly.
The mare before her was Misty Fly, and she could hear her begging the stallion for something. She wore a tattered yellow tanktop and a knee long green skirt. Spitfire tried to listen in on what was being said over the crowd, and she had to focus with all she had to hear it.
"Please Auburn, don't tell Master Wave Chill what happened!" Misty cried. "I didn't mean for it to happen, I'm sorry!"
"Oh really Misty are you that sorry?" was the redish brown stallion's response.
She nodded her acceptance.
He lifted his leg slightly, "Then get on your knees, kiss my dirty hoof, and beg for it!"
What Spitfire saw next shattered her knowledge of Misty Fly's personality, as the mare willingly did exactly as she was told. She even licked the dirt off his hooves! She was submissive before but this was just pushing it too far!
"I'm sorry Auburn Wings, I am nothing but a clumsy foolish mare." Misty Fly began to beg looking broken, but happy. "Please forgive my foolishness and do not tell Master Wave Chill of my failings."
What the hay is this? A dream?
She felt a hand grab her again, it was Rapidfire.
"We need to leave now." he whispered desperately in her ear. "You aren't ready to tackle this yet. Misty is a packed set with Chill, they will be too much to fix even for you right now!"
The bold Wonderbolt Captain looked on as if she had ignored her brother's advice. Spitfire had done just that as she slipped out of his grip and broke through the crowd to confront Auburn. She would deal with Misty Fly once he was chased off. Her amber eyes blazing, she walked up behind the cocky stallion and tapped his shoulder.
"Excuse me, I'm a little--"
"Just shut it buddy!" the golden mare spat the words out like venom as she laid Auburn out with one quick punch.
"No!" the pale yellow mare cried out trying to stop Spitfire. "Stop it! You'll make it worse!"
She just pushed her aside and laid into the stallion until he ran away. As he ran he shouted back directly to Misty, "You can bet your beloved Master is going to hear about this!"
"Yeah you'd better run you coward!" the fiery maned mare roared jubilantly.
Turning to her old friend and team mate, all she saw was nothing short of anger where she felt there should be gratitude. Misty Fly was in no way happy at what the golden mare had done for her, but it made not one lick of sense as to why this was.
"You've ruined everything by sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." the blue maned mare quietly burned.
"But Mist I was just trying to help y--"
"Who said I needed your help?" she questioned with a sinister pause before finishing, "You-You dirty five bit whore!"
Misty Fly bolted off into the skies before Spitfire could say any more to her. The golden mare was left there speechless and heartbroken. What did I do to deserve that? And why did she think that that situation was fine? What's going on here?
As the crowd dispersed Rapidfire came over, took his sister's arm in his and lead her away from the situation she had just walked into. For the crowd to disperse so unaffected like that, this had to be a common occurrence. The shock of what just happened nearly broke her, and Spitfire could feel the pain ache deep within her heart. The only question that repeated itself in her mind was, Why?