After getting the room number at the reception’s desk, Rainbow approached it and knocked.
“Come in!” answered the voice of her boyfriend and she entered.
She saw Soarin lying in bed, his wing wrapped up as he read a Daring Do novel and quickly put it down while his face lit up at the sight of her.
“Dashie! Oh, I’m really happy to see you.”
“Hey Soar…” Rainbow said shamefully as she came over and surprised Soarin with a warm hug, which he was all-too happy to return. When they let go, Rainbow looked down guiltily.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come to see you sooner.”
“It’s okay,” Soarin shrugged, “Midnight and Thunder came by yesterday. It’s cool to have great friends like them.”
“Well I’m sure Spitfire and Fleetfoot are concerned for you too,” Dash assured as she pulled up a chair to sit at Soarin’s bedside.
“Well, they… haven’t been by to visit me,” Soarin answered, sounding a tad hurt before he added with a bit of optimism, “Too busy practicing, I guess.”
“Well, hopefully your wing will be better soon,” Rainbow assured, about to bring up why she’d come to visit but Soarin replied quicker.
“Oh it’s fine,” he said as he waved the wrapped wing a bit, “I’m just keeping it warm in case my team wants me back.”
“Whattya mean, want you back?” Rainbow asked, not understanding. “Spitfire and Fleetfoot told me you were still too injured to fly!”
“And they told me they were worried I wouldn’t be a hundred-percent by the tryouts,” Soarin added as it began to dawn on them both. “So they were going with somepony else instead…”
“Soarin…”
He looked at Rainbow and was confused to see her tearing up, ”That somepony else… was me!”
Soarin was shocked, to say the least as it all finally came together. Spitfire and Fleetfoot had deliberately lied to him and his girlfriend to sway her into replacing him and knocking Ponyville out in the process!
“Dashie…”
Rainbow looked up at Soarin as he looked at her but not really looking at her.
“Do you remember the stuff we talked about back at the Galloping Gala?”
Rainbow was confused for a moment before she searched her memories and remembered.
“You said… you only became a Wonderbolt to please your dad, and… it wasn’t what you’d really wanted to begin with.”
“Rainbow Dash, ever since I moved to Ponyville,” Soarin explained, “I’ve honestly been happier since all the time I’ve been with the Wonderbolts or even in Cloudsdale where you and I grew up. I’ve had real friends rather than colleagues and teammates, I’m getting close to finishing my degree, but what matters most to me… is you!”
“Me?!” Rainbow was surprised but felt herself blush at the way Soarin looked at her but she saw something else.
“Rainbow, we’ve been dating for a while, but… it hasn’t felt serious!” Soarin went on, his words laced with feelings hurt. “Back at the train station when I told you I had to fly with the Wonderbolts, you just shrugged it off and said you understood. I didn't say anything but… you hurt my feelings! Like I didn’t matter to you as much as coming out on top at the tryouts! Rainbow… If I’m just not the stallion you’re looking for, I understand, and…”
“Stop right there!”
Soarin looked at Rainbow Dash, whose expression was apologetic and serious.
“Soarin, I’m so sorry… I should’ve been more sensitive, but really? I was upset, but… I thought showing it would make you feel guilty! Look… I’m still kinda new to this relationship business and I might still be a little… reluctant about the mushy stuff. But I have never considered this relationship between us to be just a fling! I really do care about you Soarin, and I’m sorry if I haven’t made that clear.”
Seeing and hearing the sincerity in his mare’s words, Soarin smiled and held out his arms and Rainbow answered with another hug, and even nuzzled Soarin under the chin. When they let go, they both shared a look as Rainbow came to a realization and stated, “I think it’s time the both of us had a word with Spitfire and Fleetfoot…”
The rainbow-maned pegasus and her coltfriend walked with expressions unreadable towards the Wonderbolts, Spitfire and Fleetfoot wetting their whistles when they saw their potential-recruit and the teammate they’d been looking to replace. For some reason, the both of them felt a shiver run up their spines.
“Uh, Rainbow! Soarin…” Spitfire welcomed them awkwardly.
“We take it you have something to say?” asked an equally shaky Fleetfoot.
“Yes we do,” Rainbow said before waving Team Ponyville over. “Everypony, I’ve got a confession to make - I’ve been ditching my team to train with the Wonderbolts because… well, part of it was because it felt like a dream come true to train with them, the other?”
Rainbow sighed in shame, “Because I felt they stood a better chance of winning. But then I realized I had to choose, Ponyville or Cloudsdale.”
“Oh Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy spoke up in understanding, “We all know how much you enjoy winning, and you have every right to choose which team you want to be a part of. Which ever you choose, we will respect your decision.”
Rainbow smiled at her filly-hood friend in gratitude before announcing, “I’ve made up my mind - I know now which team I should be loyal to.”
“Good choice, Dash,” Spitfire assumed arrogantly, Fleetfoot smirking as her captain commented, “Always stick with the winners.”
“I am sticking with the winners,” Rainbow Dash said before pointing to ,” Ponyville!”
Spitfire and Fleetfoot were stunned while Rainbows friends all smiled, Midnight nodding proudly at his friend’s loyalty as she stood with them
“Because it’s not just where I live, it’s where my friends are, the ponies who really care about me, and that makes them winners in my book.”
Team Ponyville cheered and whooped for Rainbow, proud of and honored by her loyalty.
“Are you sure that’s the right decision?” Spitfire asked with an incredulous tone, only to get Rainbow up in her face, with a look most cross on her own.
“You lied to me about Soarin’s wing just so you can get a better flyer! Not only that, you lied to him so he wouldn’t try to come back to training, and you even told me not to see him so we wouldn’t figure out what you were doing!”
Spitfire and Fleetfoot looked nervously at Soarin, who gave them a real stink-eye while crossing his forelegs.
“You may be a winning team,” Rainbow added, “but you’re still not the kind of team I wanna be a part of.”
“...Huh. Rainbow Dash, you are something,” Spitfire said respectfully while sharing a smile with Fleetfoot. “Saw it at the academy, seeing it here. We could learn a lot from a competitor like you.”
“Think we already have,” Fleetfoot added.
Nodding at Fleetfoot’s words, Spitfire then walked up to Soarin, “Ready to fly?”
“...No.” Soarin answered in a tone that was final and inarguable, and totally unexpected!
“Wha- You- NO?!” Fleetfoot was aghast, Spitfire shocked.
“Now, Soarin, jus- Just hold on!!” she pressed, “We should never have tried to replace you to begin with-”
“This isn’t the first time you’ve put your own interests before others,” Soarin spoke, his voice and expression saying he was going to talk and Spitfire and Fleetfoot were going to listen.
“Back before the Gala, when you put everyone through an unreasonable training regime that we didn’t have time for our own lives, back at the academy, when you encouraged a reckless and self-serving cadet who put others at risk to come out on top, and here… I joined the Wonderbolts because I was pleasing my father, but as time went on, especially after my time in Ponyville…”
Soarin looked to Team Ponyville, all of them listening and stunned by Soarin’s behavior.
“I see now that we were never friends, Spitfire, none of you!” Soarin narrowed his eyes at Spitfire and Fleetfoot. “All you’ve ever cared about is winning and coming out on top. And I can’t be a part of that anymore…
“As of today, I quit the Wonderbolts. For good.”
“You can’t do that!!” Fleetfoot yelled, when Midnight stepped forward, his expression stoic.
“As a Prince of Equestria, I hereby ratify and accept Sergeant Soarin’s resignation from the Wonderbolts and thus he is freed from any military services and obligations. He is granted an honorable discharge and all included benefits, and has my personal recommendation to any occupation he pursues hereafter.”
Soarin smiled gratefully at Midnight when he felt a hoof on his shoulder and he looked to see the concerned rose eyes of his fillyfriend.
“Soarin…. are you sure?”
“...Angel, I’ve never been more sure in my entire life,” Soarin said with a cocky grin before planting a kiss on Rainbow, much to her surprise. But she couldn't deny she liked it as she also returned the kiss.
“Oh my!” Fluttershy blushed while Rarity and Applejack both got wide-eyed but approved, Bulk Biceps doing another of his “YEAH”s, while Midnight smiled proudly.
Spitfire and Fleetfoot were stunned when Soarin added, “I know who my real friends are… Go PONYVILLE!”
Taking Rainbow’s hoof, he spread his wings and flapped them both skyward, Rainbow calling, “Come on, Relay Team! We got a race to win!”
The next day, at the tryouts, Spitfire had just passed the finish line, earning Cloudsdale their spot in the Games.
After Soarin had quit, and with Midnight’s royal approval of his resignation, she’d been forced to call on her brother, Rapid Fire. Rapid Fire was a fine flyer, and thanks to his filling in for the now ex-Wonderbolt Soarin, they’d qualified. But Spitfire knew she’d lost a good teammate.
With Cloudsdale done, it was now time for the next team to try for their mark.
“Come on, Ponyville!” Soarin cheered with his friends, Pinkie, Rarity, Thunderlane, Applejack, Helia, and of course Midnight Blaze, all of them waving Ponyville flags or pompoms as they cheered for their relay team.
“You can do it!”
Each flyer got into position and waited for the official’s signal… and they were off!
Bulk was first, the decision based on getting him out of the way first as the best course of action, from slowest to fastest. His training had paid off, and Bulk managed to slip through the hoop rear-hooves first, and pass the baton to Fluttershy… who almost dropped it!
But, no, thank goodness, he caught it and carried on, Bulk wheezing and collapsing in exhaustion.
“Go Fluttershy!” Midnight cheered, watching proudly as Fluttershy focused entirely on the task at hoof, gracefully flying through the hoops. But they were running out of time!
Fluttershy finally passed the baton to Rainbow Dash and- WHOOSH!
“Qualify Ponyville! Qualify Ponyville!” cheered the Cloudsdale cheerleaders in good sportsmanship, Pinkie hopping onto their outstretched hooves, confetti bursting as she whooped!
“GO RAINBOW DASH!!!
WHOOSH! ZIP! SHOOM!
She was a rainbow streak almost imperceptible as she gave it her all and….!!!
SOARED through the finish line right in the nick of time, as the official timed it, and announced, “Ponyville qualifies!”
Everypony cheered and Soarin was the first to hug Rainbow, followed by Fluttershy and Bulk, before the four of them gazed down at all their supporters, smiling proudly. They’d done it! Team Ponyville was among the five who would compete in the Aerial Relay race in the Equestria Games, as the official levitated and and awarded all the racers their qualification ribbons.
Rainbow felt a tap on her shoulder and looked to see it was Spitfire, who proudly placed a Wonderbolt pin on her ribbon, and nodded to her in respect before taking flight with Fleetfoot and Rapid Fire.
“YEAH!” Bulk shouted, and this time it was echoed, “YEAH!” by the rest of the team, as they all came over and got into the group-shoot, Soarin and Rainbow standing together with loving smiles when Rainbow noticed the proud smile Midnight was giving her beneath rainbow colored sweatband he was wearing
“Equestria Games here we come!”
And the photographer snapped a keeper.
As everypony started getting ready to go home, Midnight excused himself from his friends and went to Spitfire’s room in the hotel. Answering his knocks, Spitfire was surprised to see, “Prince Midnight!”
She saluted, Midnight entering with a stoic look, “At ease.”
“Um… Your Majesty… I want to-” Spitfire began to apologize, but Midnight interrupted.
“This... is a black mark, Captain,” he said in a low tone, “a black mark indeed.”
“Sir?”
“Disorderly conduct, dishonesty, interfering and attempted sabotage of another team,” Midnight listed off, “such actions merit the Wonderbolts’ disqualification from the Equestria Games…”
“Your Majesty, please-”
“And what a scandal it would be, were it somehow slipped that the prestigious Captain Spitfire, admired and respected by many, was the reason Cloudsdale would lose their representation in the most honored and esteemed sporting event in the nation... But I’m not going to disqualify you, Captain.”
“Sir?” Spitfire didn’t understand as Midnight gave her a look with brows furrowed.
“Part of the reason is because I can’t,” he admitted. “I am the coach of Team Ponyville, thus to use my power to disqualify another team would be seen as biased, unethical, and unfair. However, this has not prevented me from filing a report to the Wonderbolts Administrative Office! I hope your failed scheming was worth it, Spitfire. If you’re lucky, we’ll still see you in the Games, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you were put on probation for you actions. A worst-case scenario would be a demotion and losing your position as the Captain of the Wonderbolts to the next in line."
Spitfire was in a cold sweat and noticed Midnight leaving but pausing before stepping out the door and saying without looking at the disgruntled captain, “I trained under your grandfather, Spitfire… He would be ashamed of you.”
And without another word, Midnight left Spitfire to brood.