Spitfire had left Dash's apartment early and headed for Signature Sandwich's home. She was the one that needed the help, so she would take care of things personally. She came upon the door wearing a denim cut off sleeve vest over a black tank top, and a plain pair of blue jeans. Her hair was flared back just as was normal for her. She hesitated for a moment, but she quickly pushed that thought away.
She knocked loudly upon the door to his home. It was almost noon so she believed he would be awake by this time, but from the loud crash and grumbling from inside she figured this was not the case. The door opened to a ragged sleepy Signature.
"Hmm, Spitfire eh?" he grumbled with some level of disdain. "You apologize to her yet?"
"Yes sir, for the most part." she answered at attention.
"Okay then why isn't she with you?" he inquired.
"This is my problem, I need to take it up with you myself." She smiled warmly. "Just let her rest peacefully for now."
"So you saw a little of her pain and wanted to spare her some time eh, well come on in so we can talk things over." Sig headed back inside leaving door open for her.
He headed for the kitchen and began boiling water as well as turning on a radio with a nice little tune on it some newer music. He then came back into the living room, messy as it was they both sat down to talk.
"So how can I help you this morning Spitfire?" the stallion started a little more aware now.
"She told me about her parents last night." the pegasus mare stated abruptly.
Sig seemed caught off guard by where she started, "Oh?"
"And how she has been an orphan that has floated around the system since she was about five." Spitfire was just going on rambling with what popped into her head. "She seems to be in pain over what happened to them...and she blames herself for everything...I'm not honestly sure what to do for her."
"I see, so she really remembers all of that...All you can truly do is be there for her Spitfire." Sig started a tangent of his own. "Look, that mare is more fragile than she will ever let anypony ever see. She bears every pain in stride, alone and behind closed doors. Sometimes her solutions to problems are stupid and reckless, and you need to be prepared for that. But above all, you need to be gentle with her...she has suffered far too much loss for one so young, and she doesn't deserve to suffer more."
"You'd make a great father for her." She instantly clasped her hand over her mouth realizing it wasn't her place to say such a thing.
He put his hand up to signal it was okay, "No your right, but she has to want something like that. Not me. So until then we both must wait no?"
He gave her a cheeky but warm smile. She could tell he already would give his last breath for Rainbow Dash. A question she herself would have to answer one day. It was surprising to realize that she noticed this in Sig even though she didn't know him for very long.
"Surprising that you can read me so easily?" the forest green stallion caught her off guard now. "It doesn't hurt that I'm leaving myself open on purpose, I'm not young in the least kiddo. I've learned a trick or two in my life, and one of those being how to close and open myself up to others easily."
"So it wasn't just that I've gotten better at reading other ponies?" she smiled playfully.
"Nope sorry." he laughed lightly. "Now as for living arrangements here is my idea based on everything you told me the other day. If you stay here Fleet will likely find you just as fast, she has her claws in a lot of social circles, and if she needed to find out where Rainbow worked it would be all too easy for her. No, we are going to have to shuffle you around homes, and to stack the deck in our favor...you need to leave some of your things at each home. Noticeable things too, stuff Fleet would recognize as yours."
"You make it sound like witness protection..." Spitfire whined.
"It basically is at this point." Sig countered. "The houses will be here, Rainbow's Apartment, and...well I guess we need to find you another place on the outskirts. A place off the beaten path...maybe Dash can think of something there. But I will take care of all of it...all I want from you is a promise."
"Just a promise?" the golden mare questioned in disbelief. "That's it?"
"Yes, you must promise that no matter what happens you will be by Dash's side by the end of what is to inevitably come." he held out an open hand.
She looked down for a moment, unsure if she could make a promise like that with how she felt right now. Could she really keep a promise like that, or would she fail and lose everything. Dash didn't need the golden mare to break her heart, but she just couldn't clear the bad from her mind. Until she felt a familiar memory slip in, and soft blue feathers enveloped her completely.
She took Sig's hand looking up with confidence, "I swear it!"
"Hmph, then it's settled." he answered as his kettle began whistling, finally hitting a boil. "Well I've gotta take care of this, go ahead and head out. I'm sure you have other things to attend to."
"Alright Signature, take care and thanks again for everything!" Spitfire said as she got up and headed out.
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Abel Psych sat quietly at a small cafe near the center of town and it was about 3 in the afternoon. He sat waiting for an old patient of his to meet him for tea. The stallion had already gotten his drink and was reading a new crime novel. After about twenty minutes he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
"Hey doc, it has been quite a long time hasn't it?" came Spitfire's voice from a short distance to his right.
She was walking over to him with a steaming cup of coffee, of which he was pretty sure was her favorite black blend. She looked to be in exceedingly good spirits. Her outfit looked rough yet not in the least like she was trying to be physically appealing to anyone but herself. There was definitely a presence of change in her, and yet he felt there was a hidden weakness in her.
"It has been indeed Spitfire." the cream colored stallion began as she sat across the table from him. "I assume I was contacted because you are worried about a possible, crack in your resolve? I mean for all your air of strength you seem to hold some weakness deep down, am I wrong?"
The golden mare shifted uncomfortably before replying, and he could easily see his gut was right as always.
"Really, still that easy to see through me is it?" She started off. "Yeah okay, you're right there is an issue I find in the treatment path we agreed on, and that issue is Fleetfoot."
"By Celestia, you're already at the end of the line?" he replied sitting up straight genuinely shocked.
"Well yeah, I guess so." she stated plainly. "But it's not good...she seems to be even farther in the hole than I was when I came to you. Also, it seems to be her sole purpose to corrupt me again so I can be all hers again."
"So she has set into a delusional fantasy where if you aren't at her side she will go to any means to bring you back." Psych pondered aloud, worried.
"From what I got, basically." the pegasus returned. "She also managed to kiss me when I was around her and it sort of...well...I don't know...put a longing in me I thought I'd long since left behind. Even though I have a marefriend now, I still lust for the touch of Fleetfoot."
Psych was afraid from what he knew of Fleetfoot from the sessions in rehab with Spitfire what the outcome may end up being. It seemed he had his answer, the golden pegasus was not beyond her inner drives of pleasure and reproduction. Her inner beast was still there, and Fleetfoot had always had the keys to it's cell. The doctor knew how badly Spitfire wanted to escape her inner vices of indulgence, but confronted with what it could have brought she finds herself torn between the two roads: Love or Lust.
"So I presume that you came to Ponyville as a method of avoiding her then?" the doctor probed at an answer he knew already.
"Yes, that is my exact plan...until I'm strong enough to take care of things."
"I'd advise not even bothering at this point Spitfire." the doctor broke the news bluntly. "This is sounding way more dangerous than we first thought back when you started down this road. Although, I admit you can't dodge her forever...you must try to avoid her long enough that you can find the strength to walk away from her forever."
"But doctor I believe I can--"
"No Spitfire." Psych was firm with this next point. "Sometimes it takes a very strong willed pony, to walk away from somepony they once cared about. It is not weakness to realize that they are more bad than good for you, and then to walk away peaceably. Your final test is simply, Can you walk away from that which hurts you?"
She looked down at her drink and even took a few hearty swallows of it. The mare was really having a hard time with coming to terms with this truth, and it was about time for the cream stallion to redirect her attentions.
"So tell me about this marefriend of yours, any chance I'd know her?" He joked playfully.
"Well she has one of the few rainbow colored manes in existence, she has a bright blazing fire in her heart despite all the tragedy and hardship she has seen in her life, even with all her bravado she is a tender and caring lover, and she would probably give her...life...for me."
Her pause at the end caused Psych to raise his eyebrow in question, "Oh, and you wouldn't do the same for her?"
"I..." she seemed to struggle with this question. "I don't know...I would, but I wouldn't at the same time."
Her doubt was palpable, and the cream stallion had the distinct impression this doubt stemmed from Fleetfoot kissing her. A thought occurred to him then, if ever there was a pony for a hate soul to attach to Spitfire would be the perfect candidate at current. That would ruin her whole life, her doubts also opened her up making her vulnerable, but it was a good thing that it wasn't freely roaming about the town.
Then something else occurred to him, Rainbow maned mare?
"Wait, are you dating Rainbow Dash?" the doctor asked pleasantly surprised.
"Dammit, I guess everyone can guess it's her with just the rainbow maned comment!" Spitfire piped up in mock dismay, a glint of humor back in her eyes.
They laughed and just spoke like friends from that point on for the next hour and a half. It was probably somewhere near 5:15 when they parted ways, and for the most part Spitfire seemed to have been built up a little more in her resolve. Her strong positive attitude flowing freely again, the doctors worries were less apparent. And yet he still felt a dreadful weight in his gut.
On his way home his phone began going off but he ignored it. The caller kept calling time and again though so he gave in and looked at it. His caller ID said one thing, Emergency Line. He answered it instantly this time.
"Psych here what's happening?" he answered in an authoritative manner. "Wh-What?!"
The vials containing the hate soul were removed from his office a short few moments ago by order of Jedias for examination. Three vials were broken in the process, the dark mist combined into one entity and disappeared. His worst fears had come to pass, and it was far to late for the residents of Ponyville. It suddenly hit him, the weight in his gut and the negative feelings in his mind earlier, it all made such sense now. As he connected the dots he was crushed by the weight of what could be coming next.
"Oh no..." he dropped his phone and turned back toward the cafe. "...It's going to go for Spitfire!"
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Spitfire was walking about town at a brisk pace happily heading to the little rental she had acquired shortly after talking with her doctor. And by acquired she meant Sig had found her and told her about it not to mention gave her the address. Sometimes that stallion was oddly good at tracking others down. But the golden pegasus didn't care about his methods she just was happy to have a place to herself for the night, she after all had a lot to think about tonight and Dash might distract her from that.
It was about that time that she felt like she was hit from behind with a massive force, causing her to fall to the ground unconscious. She could feel a darkness surrounding her, embracing her, and trying to swallow her. It felt cold and she ached for warmth...the warmth of another body close to hers, or maybe several. Moans of pleasure entered her mind loud and enticing. She itched to find them, and to join in on their fun!
She felt odd, and twisted by darker needs. It felt like she couldn't resist whatever had taken hold of her, something was manipulating her mind to see and feel these things. It was as if it was using her weakness against her. She felt a gentle hand caress her cheek and then came a dark seductive voice, "Oh Spitfire, the delicious fun we share shall be mine and mine alone. Your body will be all mine!"
She let out a moan as she felt the palm of Fleetfoot's hand upon her breast. This shocked her back into the real world, and she looked up at the setting sun from the ground with an unsure gaze. She felt a heat spreading through her body now, a drive and a need for the touch of another. She felt a sadistic smile cross her lips and she clenched trying to break it away from her face. Spitfire didn't feel like she was entirely herself, like something had just tried to possess her. She could hear moaning in her mind, and her body began to tingle all over.
She got up and began to run for her rental home, she was afraid for everypony around her. She arrived at the home and headed inside quickly closing the door behind herself and laying herself upon it. She slid down onto the floor scared out of her mind as she felt the need for a private release, she began trembling.
"Just what is wrong with me now, I feel...different...I feel far too sexually excited..." Spitfire began pondering aloud her voice shaky, as if trying to resist an unknown force. "Wh-Why? Have I finally gone off the deep end? But how...Wh-Why? What's wrong with me?"