This Bright Blazing Future

by Dynasty-Kaine

Chapter 3: Confronting Regret

After flying home to drop off her delicious leftover based meals, Spitfire flew directly for the head office for the Wonderbolts. The golden mare knew that if she was going to converse with the team, she was going to need his approval first. If the former Captain could get permission, she then would need his information on where each of them were.

The former Wonderbolt had dreaded the thought of interacting with their manager, Nydus. He had to have been the perfect living example of grumpy old stallions. He was uncompromising, rough, easily irritated, hard working, always on time for everything, quite possibly obsessive compulsive, and uncompromising. It was bad enough that Spitfire always listed it twice when describing Nydus.

Yet physically, she would depict him differently. He was a white pegasus with an odd red stripe along his right side. His tail and mane were for some reason mismatched in color, with his mane being silver but his tail a dark black. His eyes were amber like hers, but for some reason there were three black lines that spiraled outward from his iris.

The stallion had always joked about this meaning he would die from sheer insanity at managing the team of super egos, but even after going on medical leave Spitfire hadn't seen age line any part of his body. In fact, the white stallion had been in perfect shape the last time she had seen him. Though without her there to at least help with affairs, the fiery maned mare wondered how he had managed.

As she landed at the doorstep of the building she noticed the atmosphere seemed practically deflated. It wasn't the high energy, high traffic area she remembered. She shrugged the thought off and entered the building to be greeted by an eerie silence. Was it a holiday or had everypony been given the day off because there was no work to be done. She wasn't going to get any answers standing around here, and she made for the stairs. Despite being able to fly she didn't feel it would be welcomed.

As she climbed floor to floor she found each floor as abandoned as the last. This can't be the cause of my actions, can it? Spitfire felt herself worrying. As she reached the last landing to the top floor she could hear something or someone stirring. As she stepped off the landing she hit the same squeaking floor panel she always did when she tried to avoid being noticed by Nydus.

"So." a voice bellowed out in a brooding tone. "Finally come back to us Captain?"

It was Nydus, there wasn't a stallion alive that spoke in the same tone. Yet, something seemed different about it as well. She gulped down and continued down the hall to his office as confidently as she could. It was open but she knocked to be courteous.

"Really a knock? Just get in here Spitfire." Nydus growled.

What she saw of the stallion as she came around the corner, shocked her to the core. His hair was matted and unkempt, his tail now trailing streaks of grey. His entire white coat was dull, and he looked at absolute ends of ability. He simply stood facing the window his hands behind his back, one holding the wrist of the other. The stallion looked far older than he should.

"Surprised to see even me brought low?" Nydus mused before turning to face her. "As you can see, things haven't gone as well as I would have hoped."

His face looked worn from a great deal of stress and lack of rest. His eyes showed this most clearly, but now able to see him from the front the Wonderbolt noticed how disheveled the stallion was.

"Nydus, what happened to you?" Spitfire asked with shock in her voice. "You look terrible!"

"What this?" he said taking his hands from behind his back as he walked to his desk. "The cost of my own lack of foresight. When I promised you I would take care of things, I had no idea the effects your actions would inevitably lead to."

"The effects of my actions?" she replied with a heavy heart.

"Yes." he replied grimly. "Each one of the Wonderbolts suffered their own whiplash from your actions. Soarin and I did what we could to keep things together, but some were more rebellious than we could handle. We had to set up an indefinite vacation for the team about two weeks ago."

"So that's why it seems like the building is abandoned." the golden mare concluded. "Looks like I've got more to do here than I could have ever imagined."

Nydus looked at her seriously with a faint glimmer in his eyes, "What do you mean by that Captain?"

"It's part of my treatment goals that the good doctor set up for me." Spitfire said confidently. "I am to seek redemption by righting all the wrongs I did to others. The team was last on my list. So naturally I came to you first to get permission to do so."

"By all means Captain, start right away!" the white stallion seemed a tad more chipper now. "Although, if you think this is bad...then you are in for quite the surprise."

"How so sir?" was her curious reply.

"The things they've gotten into will definitely give you a run in how good you've gotten at controlling yourself! Well..." he paused a moment. "...except Soarin that is. That softhearted stallion hasn't gone too far from where he was before."

"Regardless of what has changed I must do it sir." she uttered like a recruit. "Now can I ask for locations of the others so I may begin?"

Nydus broke out into a fit of uncontrolled laughter, "If only I...could! I absolutely...would!"

"What? What do you mean Nydus?" she replied baffled by the stallion's answer.

"Well Spitfire." the silver maned stallion said composing himself. "Simply put, I have no idea where any of them are, save for Soarin."

"Only Soarin?" she said with more worry than she intended.

"Suffice to say he is the only one that seems to care enough to let me know." the stallion said ignoring her tone completely. "In fact he is the only one that knows where any of the others are."

"And yet he hasn't told you where to find them?" she replied confused at this thought.

"Pretty much." Nydus said with a defeated shrug. "They wish to remain anonymous while they are vacationing, and Soarin won't violate that right. Though truth be told, he is probably the reason they aren't dead yet."

The fiery maned mare felt her heart race as her anxiety increased. She had never considered the possibility of having to start with Soarin. It couldn't be done, not yet! Spitfire had to fight to keep the tide of fear in her mind from overwhelming her entirely. She had to do this, she absolutely had to!

"Th-Then where can I find him Nydus?" she stuttered pitifully.

He cocked an eyebrow before answering, "Didn't expect to start there I take it? Something tells me you now realize what you put him through, and actually regret it the most."

"I do." was all she said.

"Then by the time you see the rest of the team." he paused and sat down at his desk, placing his hands together almost darkly. "You will hate yourself."

She flinched at his words, "Where can I find Soarin sir?"

He reached into his desk and pulled out a piece of paper and held it out, "Here, I'm sure even you will know where it is."

She stepped forward and took the paper from his hand, and as she read it her eyes grew wide.

Dear Spitfire,

If you are reading this, you have finally come to terms with what you have done. Though there should be no reason for any of us to forgive you, I will always keep my hand out to help you up when you need it. Don't think that means I have forgiven you though.

You will no doubt start at me, seeing as Nydus can't direct you to anyone else. So I will make this as simple as possible on you. Find me in the same place we first met. I'll be there every day from four to five in the evening, as I still have a life to live. We must go about it this way seeing as the team specified I not tell Nydus where they were, but they never mentioned you. I really do hope I haven't written this in vain, and I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely Yours,

Soarin'

"He wrote this specifically for me?" she said blown away by the forethought of her vice captain.

"Of course. He knew you better than any other." Nydus replied solemnly. "Hmm well it's about three o'clock right now, you might make it if you fly fast."

"Wait what?" she said absent mindedly.

"He said he would be there every day from four to five Spitfire!" he replied gruffly. "Get over there and put this team back together!"

The golden mare stood at attention and with a salute replied, "Yes, sir!"

As she turned into the hallway she could have swore she heard Nydus mutter one last thing, "She's back, and that's more hope than I could have ever expected!"

__________________________________________________________________________________

Spitfire flew hard and fast to reach the academy on time, and since it wasn't in operation at current it would make their meeting that much easier. She still wondered how her old friend would act towards her once she got there.

"Oh Soarin I--" she mumbled aloud as her mind cut her off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spitfire giggled like a little filly, "Come here big boy and let me take care of you tonight!"

"Spitfire what are you doing?" a confused Soarin uttered as she grabbed him and pulled him close to her. "Hey, Spits are you even mmph!"

She had pulled him into a deep kiss, her own mind blurred from the high levels of alcohol in her system had left her feeling frisky that evening. Soarin had been the one to bring her home, and she was going to thank him for his kindness with a little of her own. The stallion managed to regain himself and push away from her though, still looking quite shocked by her behavior.

"Spits this isn't right and you know it!" the dark grey-blue maned stallion roared.

"How is it not right, you did me a kindness now I want to return that kindness." she stepped in closer to whisper in his ear. "Now is that so bad?"

"Stop it!" he yelled turning away from her. "I don't know what's gotten into you tonight but this needs to stop."

She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him and whispered in his ear with a sultry tone, "I can't stop it though Soarin, I need you tonight."

"Why do you keep--" Soarin stopped mid-sentence. "D-Do you really mean that Spits?"

She kissed lightly at his neck, "Of...course...I do. Now come on...lets take this...somewhere more...fitting."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the scene finished playing in her mind Spitfire felt tears falling away from her eyes. It was a good thing she had arrived in the academy landing zone because she didn't think she could fly anymore with her eyes streaming. Upon landing she fell to her knees, and broke down in tears.

"W-Why did I do that to him? What the hell was wrong with me?" She whimpered out in her weakness.

If this was any indication of how ready she was to face Soarin, then she was in major trouble of running away from it. She couldn't let that happen now though, she had come too far to quit. She stubbornly willed herself into standing up again on her own two hooves. She let out a sigh and headed for the academy building to find and face her old friend, even if she wasn't ready for it.

As she pushed open the double doors of the main hall her memory of her own academy days came back to her. Most friendships made at the academy started in the locker rooms or in the gender split dormitories. Soarin and her had been an exception to this rule, and in an amazingly awkward way did they meet for the first time. They had met in the girls shower room.

As she pushed the door open she was greeted by a cloud of steam. It was like being sent back in time, even if she was now the one in Soarin's place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a long day of exercises and the coach had ran the trainees quite hard today, but Spitfire being a bit of an overachiever had stayed for extra training with her coach. Now she stood alone in the shower room bathing her sweat streaked body. All she could think about was how far she could push her limits tomorrow. It was about now she realized she hadn't brought her back washing loofah on a stick.

"Well that's just great!" she fumed aloud.

It was after this she heard the shower room door open almost hesitantly. No other girls had stayed after for extra training but her usually. Maybe it was someone taking more initiative today than normal, but somehow Spitfire doubted that.

"Um, is there anyone in here?" came the shy voice of a stallion.

"Yeah in fact there is!" she shouted. "What's it to ya?"

"I-I'm sorry!" he replied but did not leave. "It's just I stayed after for some extra training with one of the male coaches, and as you may know the boys shower was turned off after class today for repairs."

"Come on, get to your point stallion!" she roared impatiently.

"Would you mind if I came in here to shower?" he asked boldly then added bashful explanation. "I mean there are individual stalls to bathe just like the guys shower room I presume...I can just keep to my stall."

"You really know nothing of the academy's differentiation between genders do you?" she answered with an inward groan. "There isn't nearly as much cover for us girls as you guys, and it often leads to those stupid initiation rights the upper classmen pull. You know, the one where to be accepted you gotta come in here and get a peak without getting caught or murdered brutally!"

"I'm sorry, I had no idea about that." was his genuine reply. "Honestly I just have to bathe before I go to work for my uncle, and I can't be late. I came here out of desperation."

Wow this has gotta be the boldest attempt Spitfire had ever heard out of a stallion's mouth to get into the mare's shower room. Yet this stallion seemed far too genuine in his replies. A job though, how old was he if he actually had work? The fiery maned mare had to get a little more information.

"A job eh, how old are you then?" she asked genuinely curious. "Only upper classmen are allowed to have jobs outside the academy."

"I am an upper classmen." he answered plainly.

The way his voice echoed she could tell he had stayed behind the wall that hid the girls from peeping eyes. He hadn't moved either, otherwise she would have heard his hooves hit the tile. Maybe he was free of his peers influence. Spitfire was shocked there were any among the stallions in her year that hadn't seen how hard she could hit when angry.

"So then, if you are genuine in your words." the golden pegasus started. "Come in here wearing two towels. One covering your privates and the other covering your eyes, deal?"

"I can do that." he said letting out a breath that sounded shaky.

Unlike others who tried to talk their way in he left and took some time in coming back. When he did though, he announced himself to let her know. She stepped out of the shower area into the tiled center section where girls were expected to wash one another. It was the single dumbest bonding exercise they had to do in her opinion.

She stood there entirely naked facing the barrier wall to judge just how sincere this stallion was. She for once in her life was surprised, as he used one hand to feel his way around the wall. He had wrapped the towel around his head in what looked like a giant bee hive. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Hey, don't laugh!" he shouted shyly. "I can't see anything from in here, and it's hard to breathe!"

"So you can't see me standing here then?" she asked sarcastically.

"Standing where?" he said moving his head side to side.

She walked over to the shower area and grabbed her towel, wrapping it around her body. Making sure to tuck in her own chest securely. He had earned her respect and she didn't even know his name.

"So then, what should I call you stallion?" she asked kindly.

"Suffocation in a minute here!" he replied with strain. "But you can call me Soarin!"

"I covered myself, you can take the towel off now." she said with laughter.

He managed to get his mouth free to breathe, but he didn't continue trying to take it off. Spitfire was actually impressed by his conviction. She walked up to him and pryed it off of him. The surprise in his eyes as they realized the mare in front of him, was priceless.

"S-Spitfire?" he finally managed to say almost breathlessly.

"The very same!" she answered him with a bright smile. "Pleasure to meet you Soarin!"

She held her hand out, and he looked at it dumbfounded for a moment before taking it in his to shake.

"The pleasure, is all mine." he said gently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Seems like ages ago now, doesn't it Spits?" Soarin's voice broke through her memory. "Come in we have a lot to talk about."

Comments

[VoxelTron]

Why can't I hold all these conflicting emotions?!?
What do you seriously want me to feel? Hatred to how she used Soarin? Or pity for the actual soul-crushing desperation to be forgiven?
And one more thing, Nydus. He's a stallion that truely feels well fleshed out even with the short introduction. And you almost caught me off guard when I forgot this was anthro.
Another great chapter, keep 'em comin'!
Also apologies for the bluntness of the first half of this comment. Dark Souls II eats at your emotions.
Well, back to praising the sun! Ravelords away!

[Dynasty-Kaine]

4516998 Had a hard time with the Soarin and Spitfire part? you will enjoy the next Spitfire PoV chapter then
And did you seriously think I did well at creating Nydus? Really really? Naw surely you jest!
Blunt? Nah it was all good Voxel, didn't seem too blunt a response at all!

[Jesse Sudekum]

Awesome story keep up the good work

[contodaslasganas]

Dang laptop died on me and the battery won't charge. But never fear, as I'm reading this on my phone! All those emotions... I'm eager to see what happens next.

[Dynasty-Kaine]

4949888 Chapter 3 and you laptop quit on you? Only for you to get on your phone to continue? Such dedication!