• Published 18th Jul 2014
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Tales of Apple Scratch: Roseluck & Fleetfoot - RoyalRainbow



Since the beginning of the Equestria Games, Roseluck and Fleetfoot quickly became friendly rivals and good friends with one another. But when they started to develop secret attractions for each other, will they emerge triumphant in the end?

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Chapter 11 – Frozen Heart

Chapter 11 – Frozen Heart

After one whole month of seemingly never-ending matches, the Equestria Games were finally over. The only thing that was left before the spectators and competitors take their leave was Pinkie Pie’s long-awaited party, which will take place in Ponyville’s town square.

Inside one of the rooms of Ponyville’s most luxurious hotel, two women were getting ready to join with the rest of the crowd for one of Pinkie’s grand-scale party blocks after they finished packing up their bags for their departure tomorrow. Fleetfoot was lounging on her bed, who was fully dressed several minutes ago in the same attire she wore when she went out to lunch with Roseluck for the first time: an arctic blue tank top with a pair of deep blue jeans. All that was missing to complete her outfit were her black boots and her official Wonderbolt jacket.

As for her roommate and best friend, Spitfire was nearly done with her choice of clothes for this evening: a brilliant yellow dress with a flared skirt, a belt buckle around her midsection, a pair of heeled sandals, and a Jupitarian neckline that nicely exposed her well-toned arms and back. Despite how long her fiery-haired friend was taking to finally make up her mind, Fleetfoot took great enjoyment on seeing the usually confident commander acting so nervous as she was getting ready for her first date in years. As Spitfire looked at herself in the closet’s mirror, she began to smile with satisfaction after examining herself from top to bottom.

“I can’t believe it’s been only a month since the start of the Equestria Games and now…!”

“And now, it’s all over.” Fleetfoot finished it with a soft tone.

“Yeah… so much has changed since then, hasn't it?” Spitfire commented with a reminiscing smile.

“You mean for you, apparently.” she grinned in response. “You finally patched things up with Cloud Kicker and now…!”

“And now, I’m going out tonight… with Soarin.” the Wonderbolt Captain added with a warm blush.

“And about time too!” Fleetfoot added with a chuckle.

From that light teasing, Spitfire rolled her eyes and chuckled along with her friend, “Okay okay. I get it.” Turning away from the mirror, she anxiously asked Fleetfoot for her opinion, “Tell me, how do I look? Is it too much? Do you think he’ll like it?”

“He’ll love it, Spitfire! Trust me.” she comforted her after having a brief giggle to herself. “Considering how long he had to put up with you, there’s nothing for you to worry about. You guys are going to have a good time tonight.”

Once she exhaled out most of her initial nervousness over her upcoming date with Soarin, Spitfire gave a grateful hug to Fleetfoot as a way to show her appreciation for the white-haired comrade’s support over this. After they ended their hug, Fleetfoot sits on one end of her bed and began to put on her boots.

“So… what about you, Fleetfoot?” Spitfire inquired with a playful grin. “Any plans with you and Roseluck this evening?”

“Umm… well…”

Noticing the edgy hesitation from her friend, Spitfire questioned her once again in a firmer tone as she arched an inquisitive eyebrow, “You mean… you still haven’t told her anything yet?”

“I’m… still thinking about it, alright?” she answered uneasily as she finished tying up her second boot.

Spitfire couldn’t believe on hearing such an excuse. Fleetfoot had a month… a whole month to make a move on this matter when it became so obvious to their teammates as well as to Roseluck’s. And yet, on her end, Fleetfoot hadn’t made any progress with her pursuit for an anticipated relationship. Despite not wanting to bring up her last resort, Spitfire knew that she will have to firm about this if she’s going to help her friend out of her own personal misery.

“Okay, this has gone on long enough!”

“What--?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about!” Spitfire pointed it out in a harsh response. “Or do I need to spell it out for you?”

Fleetfoot blinked in puzzlement at the frowning commander’s unexpected hostility, but then, she figured out on what Spitfire was going to say and warned her in a threatening growl, “Don’t you dare say it--!”

“SUNNY. DAY.”

From that unyielding articulation, Fleetfoot shook with chilling fear and immeasurable anger before she sharply stood up from her bed and personally confronted the equally glaring, steadfast Wonderbolt by screeching in front of her face, “Damn it, Spitfire! I told you never bring her up ever again!”

“No, we gonna talk about this right now and settle this once and for all!”

“There’s nothing to talk about it, Spitfire! We broke up and that’s it! What’s done is done, alright?!”

“Oh, stop trying to kid yourself!” she snapped at her. “Who do you think you’re fooling?! You may have buried the past long ago, but you haven’t budged one inch from that grave since then! Face it, Fleetfoot! It’s time for you to move on!”

“Oh, you mean like how you moved on with that incident involving your ex-fiancée by laying the blame on Cloud Kicker and carrying that stupid grudge over her?!” she counter-argued with an intensely cold glare.

This time, it was Spitfire’s turn to shake with ruthless anger as she retorted furiously, “How dare you bring that up like that! That was completely different compared to how much of a big baby you are about all of this!” she criticized harshly as she pressed a hard finger on the fuming Fleetfoot’s chest. “Besides, you had no idea on what it was like for me--!”

“NO, YOU’RE THE ONE WHO HAD NO IDEA ON WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME!” she snapped uncontrollably as she shoved Spitfire back with a hand that was impulsively empowered with her wind magic.

From that amplified push, Spitfire spread her yellow, light-made wings quickly enough to put on the air brakes before she would slam into a wall. After that recovery, Spitfire was about to pay Fleetfoot back for that, but then, she stopped herself from advancing once she got a good look at Fleetfoot’s face. Her expression wasn’t just filled with rage; it was also blended with self-anguish and immense guilt upon being reminding of her past transgression as constant tears poured out her of emotional eyes. Seeing on how she rendered Spitfire speechless, Fleetfoot took the opportunity to rant out all of her inner frustration she held on too for so long.

“You may have lost your fiancée over some stupid issue of commitment, but I lost Sunny because I… I was the one who hurt her in the first place! Despite your own heartbreak, you can at least find love somewhere else, but as for me… I can’t bear to go through all of that if it means that I might hurt someone else!” Suffering from her own grim reminder, the shook-up Fleetfoot collapsed on the floor as she shielded her tearful gazes away from the attentive Spitfire while she continued her grief-stricken statement. “I can’t do that to anyone else ever again, Spitfire! I can’t do that to Roseluck either! If ever did that to her… I may never forgive myself for that.”

With a sympathetic expression, Spitfire carefully approached her lamenting friend and embraced her gently. Turning to her confidant, Fleetfoot laid her head right between Spitfire’s head and shoulder as the orange-haired Jupitarian soothingly brushed her friend’s white, soft hair and comforted her in a motherly tone.

“Oh, Fleetfoot… you’re being too hard on yourself. It’s been years since you and Sunny had to break up like that. You were just a rookie back then, and now look at you… you're one of the most recognizable Wonderbolts in the country! Not only that, but thanks to Crystal’s help, you have much better control over your powers than ever before! And you’re a much better person now than you were back then! Believe me, I know.”

Lifting her head up from her makeshift haven, Fleetfoot locked her sniveling eyes to Spitfire’s soft, amber gaze and warm smile. After hearing the captain’s reassurance, the recuperating Wonderbolt reflected on all the years she spent after her unfortunate breakup with Sunny Day. How she poured all of her soul and anguish to Spitfire in need of comfort. How they talked with Crystal on asking her help to control her ice powers. How she spent months of personal training to conquer her own curse. From remembering on how much she has improved since then, Fleetfoot smiled a little as she started to brighten up on the possibility for a second chance in love, namely with Roseluck Greentouch.

“Alright, I’ll do it.” she sniffled with a soft nod. “I’ll give it try.”

“That’s my girl!” Spitfire grinned with pride as she lightly shook Fleetfoot up in a one-armed hug. “You two will have a great time this evening. I just know it. But remember: if things go according to plan, I call dibs on using our room tonight!”

“You can’t just call dibs and kick me out like that!” she snapped with surprise and disapproval.

“Uh-uh-uhh~! Captain’s orders, remember?” Spitfire confirmed with a snarky grin as she humorously wagged her finger. “The Equestria Games are over, and that means we get to resume our official Wonderbolt ranks. So you might as well make plans with your date on where you're going to spend the night, Lieutenant Stormwind."

“…Bitch.”

And that muttering response caused the two Jupitarians to spontaneously laugh together as they forgive and forget the incident they put themselves through before they finally got ready for the night out on the town.

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After saying goodbye to Spitfire and wishing her luck before going their separate ways, Fleetfoot, who was fully dressed in her casual outfit, Wonderbolt jacket, and boots, didn’t have an clue on where she might find Roseluck. So her best option was to go to the Eponian’s house and to either find her there or ask her one of her roommates on Rose’s location. But first, she stopped by Ponyville’s bakery and confectionary, “Sugarcube Corner”, and bought a moderately sized cake as an appealing gift and bargaining chip for Lily and Daisy especially.

Upon her arrival, Fleetfoot knocked the door a couple times, and Daisy answered it with a bright smile to the Wonderbolt’s appearance. “Oh, hi Fleetfoot! What brings you over here on this fine evening of ours?”

“Hi Daisy. Is Roseluck here?” Fleetfoot inquired in a somewhat sheepish manner.

Daisy looked at the small, white box that was carried in Fleetfoot’s left hand and pondered on the possibility of a delectable house gift to her and her roommates. Then, she displayed a very sly smile and asked, “Hmm… I don’t know. I might know where she is, but what’s in it for me though?”

Seeing on where this was going, Fleetfoot lifted her cake box and answered, “Well, I brought some cake over from a local bake shop and--!”

Without the need for the Jupitarian to finish that sentence, Daisy gasped with an broad smile and immediately swiped the boxed dessert from Fleetfoot’s grasp before she articulated in a deviously sweet tone while going back inside, “Hang on for juuust one second~!”

Once Daisy closed the door gently, Fleetfoot could hear the excited Eponian running up the stairs as the Wonderbolt used her sharply trained ears to make out on what Roseluck was saying from the top level.

“Daisy! How many times have I told you to not barge into my room like--?!

Wait, what are you doing, and why are you grinning like that?

EEP! DAISY! WHY ARE YOU TAKING OFF MY CLOTHES?!

GET OFF OF ME AT ONCE!

EKK! D-D-DON’T TOUCH ME THERE!

LILY, HELP ME! DAISY’S CRAZIER THAN USUAL!

W-wait, what are you two whispering about?

AHH! NO, LILY! NOT YOU TOO! YOU SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING ME, NOT HER!

WAIT, NOW YOU’RE PUTTING CLOTHES ON ME? WHAT’S GOING ON?!

I SWEAR, IF YOU’VE SET ME UP ON SOME BLIND DATE, I WILL MAKE YOU ALL PAY FOR THIS!

QUIT SHOVING ME LIKE THAT! WHAT HAS GOTTEN YOU TWO SO PUSHY ALL OF SUDDEN?! I DIDN’T AGREE TO ANY OF THIS!”

After Fleetfoot heard the florists thundering down the stairs, the door suddenly swung wide-open and Lily pushed a distraught Roseluck forward and she landed right into Fleetfoot’s arms. As the Jupitarian helped the distressed Eponian up, Fleetfoot got a better look at the cute outfit that Roseluck was forced to wear for this evening. The red-haired woman wore a white blouse with a short-sleeved denim jacket, a matching, short skirt, and a pair of light brown, short, heeled boots. Once Rose’s gaze met with Fleetfoot’s, she instinctively trembled with fear and excitement as both of them blushed at the same time.

Peeking from the doorway, Lily and Daisy awed with broad smiles over the cute display in front of them before the blonde-haired florist waved them off with a meaningful grin, “Okay, have fun you two~!”

“Byyyyye~!” After Daisy’s cheerful farewell, the roommates shut the door firmly and finally left the flustered athletes in peace.

“Umm… hey.” Fleetfoot greeted in a coy manner.

“H-hi.” Roseluck responded in the same way. “…Please tell me you didn’t hear all of that.”

“I can just pretend that I didn’t.” Fleetfoot responded with a witty grin.

“Good enough.” she shrugged with a chuckling smile.

Getting back on track on why she was here, Fleetfoot addressed it in a progressively mumbling manner, “So… Pinkie Pie is hosting the mother of all parties tonight. And… I was wondering… if you wanna… you know… hang out with me or something.”

With a blossoming smile over this opportunity to go out with her crush, she agreed without hesitation, “Sure, I would like that very much.”

Surprised by the quick response at first, Fleetfoot grinned widely and said, “Umm… great! So, uhh… what should we do first?”

“Oh, I know!” Roseluck perked up with a marvelous idea. “Bon-Bon’s Tavern is opened tonight with their outdoor expansion, and the Apple Family is hosting a huge buffet for them!”

Fleetfoot gasped exaggeratedly before she grinned hungrily, “You mean I get a chance to eat some real food before I have to go to back to a steady diet and eating fancy-schmancy hors d'oeuvres? Heh, count me in!”

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Later that evening, Roseluck and Fleetfoot arrived at the usual get-to-together location: Bon-Bon’s Tavern. Thanks to their rising popularity, due to their increasing catering services over the course of the Games, Bonnie and Lyra had enough money to spare for a grand outdoor picnic event for their friends and consumers. And with the additional aid of the Apple Family, there were plenty of helping hands to spare and enough food to go around for multiple helpings.

From there, Rose and Fleetfoot met up with their friends from their respective teams, including Applejack, Vinyl Scratch, Cloud Kicker, Ditzy Doo, Allie Way, Raindrops Silverain, Shining Armor, Spitfire, and Soarin. From the greatly extensive buffet lines, they had all kinds of comfort food: fried chicken, baked beans with bacon, macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob, cole slaws, freshly baked biscuits, and the family’s famous, homemade apple pies with vanilla ice cream to serve on the side. As predicted, Soarin scarfed down a couple of the pies will little to no manners, much to Spitfire and Fleetfoot’s amusement.

After sharing a satisfying meal with good friends, they moved their victory party to the town square, where Pinkie Pie was hosting the main event. From there, Vinyl became a special guest DJ at the turntables and got this party really started. The partygoers were mesmerized from the Vinyl’s enchanting music as they dance wildly in place. At the same thing, they were also captivated by the DJ’s unique light show, thanks to her blue, magical strings, which served as her source of dynamic music.

Eventually, Vinyl called up Applejack on stage as they switched things up for the next musical segments. Accompanied by other members of the Apple Family with their own instruments, Vinyl and Applejack, with their respective guitar and violin, began the first shindig as the audience hollered excitedly and immediately danced to the captivating country music.

“Come on, Fleetfoot! Dance with me!” she squealed with anticipation as she grabbed the staggered Wonderbolt’s hand.

“Nuh-uh! No way, Rose!” she refused as she pulled her hand back. “You know I can’t dance well enough to save my own hide!”

“Well you did say that you would want to participate as a rhythmic gymnast in the next Equestria Games, so you got to start somewhere!”

“Yes, I know I said that, but I would rather practice my dancing in somewhere more private!”

“Oh, come on, Fleetfoot! It’s not even a competition!” she insisted greatly. “Everyone else is just here to have fun and I can always help you out along the way!”

As Fleetfoot hesitated with a soft gruff and her arms crossed over each other, Roseluck amplified her pleading with big, adorable, green eyes and trembling lips as she restated her insistence one last time. “Please… just for this one night?”

Once her fuchsia eyes are locked on with Rose’s unfairly cute expression, Fleetfoot’s defenses declined rapidly as she couldn’t bear that beseeching look any longer while breaking into a giggling smile. “Sigh… by the Gods! You’re just too damn adorable for your own good!”

Happy from successfully convincing Fleetfoot to join her, Roseluck gleefully led the nervous Wonderbolt by the hand as they made their way into the center of the dancing crowd. Hesitant at first on what to do next, Fleetfoot watched Rose getting in the swing of things. Then, Roseluck grabbed the Jupitarian by the hands as their conjoined arms swung in rhythm with the fast-paced playing of the Apple Sisters. Step by step, Fleetfoot copied Rose’s rhythmic patterns at a progressive pace, until finally, their dancing was completely in-synced with one and another. As the sisters’ fiddling increased dramatically, the two former, carefree competitors still held on to each other’s arms as they laugh, hop, skip, and jump in the midst of their dancing circle while were having the time of their lives.

Once the enticing music died down, Fleetfoot and Roseluck took a break from their intense dancing as they recovered themselves from their infectious laughter. Then, Fleetfoot observed Pinkie Pie from a far whispering something to the Apple Sisters and other associates. Assuming that Pinkie was about to have this party go out with a big bang, Fleetfoot looked around the town as she sought to find the perfect spot for herself and Roseluck.

Once she found it, she grinned to her dance partner, “Hey, Rose. Looks like Pinkie Pie is about to get ready for the grand finale.”

“Oh, okay. Where should we sit--?”

Abruptly, Fleetfoot lifted the startled Rose and carried her in her arms before the grinning Wonderbolt took flight and flew to one of the cottage houses nearby. On the thatched rooftop, Fleetfoot carefully seated the trembling Eponian down as the florist was desperately clinging on to the Jupitarian’s arm.

“You know, a little warning would be nice next time!” Roseluck scolded in a slightly shaky voice.

With a light chuckle, Fleetfoot apologized, “Sorry. Just want to get the best seats on the house.”

“Well, that’s awfully considerate of you, but I didn’t expect that they would literally be on the house itself!” she retorted with an agitated frown.

With Fleetfoot’s chuckling and Roseluck’s frowning dying down, the Jupitarian summoned her light blue wings and use one of them to pull the flustered Rose closer to her. Feeling safe and secured under the protection of her fellow Wonderbolt, Roseluck scooted as close as possible toward Fleetfoot with her arm still interlocking with hers.

Down below, there was a colossal box in the shape of a giant present with a ginormous bowtie on top. With a good kick from the overly excited Pinkie Pie, the sides of the enormous present collapsed by themselves as lots of hissing smoke spew out of its unveiling. Suddenly, something fired out of the immense smokescreen as the glaring shot was launched high in the air. And with loud, mighty bang, the shot exploded into a dazzling firework.

After the first sparkling explosion, the smoke faded away and revealed the monstrous contraption of the mad, pink-haired genius. There weren’t just one, two, or three cannons; there were over a dozen long-barreled party cannons as they were layered in an array like candles on a birthday cake. Eventually, the cannons automatically launched their rockets in various patterns and effects such as Brocades, Glitters, Crackles, Spinners, Crossettes, and Whistles.

The spectators oohed and awed at the colorful fireworks show, including Roseluck and Fleetfoot. No longer worrying about being stuck on a two-storied house, Rose sighed with content as she rested her head on Fleetfoot’s shoulder which nearly caused the Jupitarian to shiver from such close contact. Either way, they greatly enjoyed each other’s company as they continued to gaze at the magnificent show until the very end when the cannons launched all of its remaining fireworks at once. After the spectacular jubilation, Fleetfoot helped Roseluck off the rooftop and they made a graceful landing once the Jupitarian gently hovered down with her secured passenger.

“So, you ready to go home yet?” asked Fleetfoot.

“Actually… do you mind if we stop by somewhere real quick?” Roseluck insisted with a small blush and a hopeful smile. “There’s something I really want to show you.”

Smiling back, Fleetfoot answered, “Lead the way, Rose.”

Giddy with anticipation, Roseluck grabbed the Wonderbolt by the hand and dragged Fleetfoot away from town square to somewhere more private.

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Outside of town, Rose led the deeply perplexed Fleetfoot toward a small park which featured a simple, cobblestoned bridge and a creek running underneath it. Away from most of the lively activities that were taking place in Ponyville, the only lights that were on in that quiet area were the fireflies and the bright, blue moon above.

As Fleetfoot wondered on where Roseluck was taking her, she could barely keep her blushing face under control as she kept noticing that Rose’s hand just wouldn’t let go of hers. Even when they stopped at a particular spot right before they cross the bridge, the Eponian’s surprisingly firm yet soft handgrip didn’t even bother to release Fleetfoot just yet. While Roseluck may be a bit obvilious by this affectionate action, Fleetfoot didn’t even dare to raise an objection as she began to relax from this and delicately wrapped her fingers around Rose’s gripping hand, hoping to embrace that long-forgotten, warm feeling for as long as she can.

“Ah, there they are! Look!” Roseluck pointed down below. Following the florist’s pointed index finger, Fleetfoot looked down and spotted a small cluster of plants with hanging, white flowers that were shaped like bells.

“They are very pretty…” Fleetfoot stated it casually. “…but it’s a shame that it’s too dark to see them right now.”

“No no! It get’s better!” Roseluck verified excitedly. “Just give it a little more time!”

With a raised eyebrow, Fleetfoot took Rose’s word and continued to stare at the normal-looking flowers. And slowly but surely, each of the heads opened up a bit more and glowed a very light blue color. As the flowers’ soft illumination radiated strongly, the wide-eyed Wonderbolt gasped at the pleasant light as Roseluck smiled broadly over Fleetfoot’s expression before she gladly explained the mystery behind those flowers.

“They’re called ‘Luna Bellflowers’ in honor of our Princess of the Night. It’s one of the rarest types of flowers that can naturally product its own form of light or ‘bioluminescence’ as they would call it. These flowers can only glow when it’s really dark at this time. It’s why they didn’t light up right away when the fireworks were going off.”

“That's so cool!” Fleetfoot awed with wondrous eyes. “I’ve never seen flowers glow this brightly before!”

“Mm-hmm. I once read that before we discovered the usage of electricity, travelers and florists would use them as their personal lamps, so as long as they take good care of them, of course.”

“I take it that you must have had a hand in this then?” Fleetfoot asked with a knowing grin.

“More or less.” she shrugged modestly. “Lily, Daisy, and I would help out with park’s flora from time to time. But these bellflowers grew up here all on their own. I usually just water them every time I pass by here.”

After enjoying the lovely sight of the fully bloomed Luna Bellflowers, Fleetfoot suddenly noticed a soft, pink glow underneath the park’s bridge and stood on a nearby shore to get a better glimpse at it. From leaning her head forward a little bit, she called out to Roseluck, “Hey, something else is glowing underneath that bridge.”

“Huh, I wonder what it could be?”

Curious by what Fleetfoot was seeing, Rose leaned forward and joined at the Jupitarian’s side to verify the mysterious light herself. Steadily, the multiple sources of soft, colorful lights exited from the bridge tunnel as they revealed themselves to the gazing pair. Floating on their green, leafy pads were pink lilies. Each of them illuminated a friendly glow from the center of its numerous petals.

“Oh wow!” Roseluck exclaimed with a wide smile. “Water Lantern Lilies! I hardly see them here in Ponyville at all!”

With Rose’s hand still glued to Fleetfoot’s, she yanked the off-guarded Wonderbolt along with her as they walked to the midpoint of the bridge and looked over its edge to get a closer look at the floating lilies. As they marvel at the dozens of glowing flowers that drifted gently across the creek’s surface, Fleetfoot noticed the reflection of herself and Roseluck while they were still holding hands. From seeing this mirror image, Fleetfoot pondered to herself on why she has been so hesitant for so long. With a warm smile, she felt ready to move on with her life as well as to confess her true feelings for Rose.

“Heh, if you get this excited over one flower, I can’t imagine how you would handle yourself if I ever take you to Canterlot’s Royal Gardens someday.” Fleetfoot chuckled lightheartedly.

Speechless by the Wonderbolt’s suggestion, Rose blinked a few times before she stammered in response, “The R-R-Royal Gardens?! As in the most pristine, botanical gardens in all of Equestria?! B-but only royalty or those who have special privileges can have access to that place!”

“Well, I may not be of royalty, but being a Wonderbolt does give me access to the castle grounds themselves.” Fleetfoot stated with a carefree smirk.

“You would do that… for me?”

“Of course I would, Rose. Why wouldn’t I?”

Unable to accept such a generous offer, Roseluck cried soft tears as she desperately tried to hide her spontaneous sniveling from Fleetfoot’s concerning gaze. So the Jupitarian tried to make light of the situation as she did her best to comfort the emotional Eponian. “Come on, Rose. I know you’re happy about this, but there’s no reason to cry all of a sudden.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that… I don’t understand.” Rose explained as she wiped away her tears.

“What’s there to not understand?” Fleetfoot inquired with a kind smile.

“I mean… you’ve done so much for me in the past month. Why would you go to such great lengths just for me?”

Baffled by that simple yet complex question, the Wonderbolt took a minute to think about it as she tensely stroke her thick, white hair with a swipe of her hand. Once she composed herself, she answered to the best of her abilities with a sincere, blushing smile.

“Well… I could say that I would do all of this for you because you're my friend, but… there’s more to it than that. You’re not just a simple flower girl from a small town like Ponyville. You are an extraordinarily talented, young woman who's full of surprises and always fun to talk with. I guess what I’m trying to say… is that I really like you, Roseluck.”

Though that may not be what she intended to say to the full extent of Fleetfoot’s true feelings, her message seemed to have hit the marker as her attentive listener blushed warmly with a heartfelt smile while she stood closely in front of the Wonderbolt.

“I like you too, Fleetfoot.” Roseluck responded tenderly. “A whole lot actually. In fact, I… well… I mean… I…”

Though she knew exactly on what she wanted to say to Fleetfoot, Rose was practically choking on her own words as she found it difficult to express them herself. Everything just seemed like the right moment to say those simple yet equally difficult words, and yet she couldn’t find the strength and voice to say them out loud to her.

So… she kissed her instead.

To Fleetfoot's surprise, it wasn’t a simple kiss on the lips. It was a very deep and surprisingly bold kiss that Roseluck was laying on the greatly flabbergasted Fleetfoot as the florist’s lips refuse to let go while her delicate arms interlocked around the Wonderbolt’s neck. Rose wasn’t sure on what compelled her to do that. She never thought of herself of doing something as adventurous as that. Maybe it was the inner, nagging voices of Lily and Daisy as they were mentally egging her on to kiss the girl of her dreams. Maybe since she lost her voice momentarily, this was the best way to fully express her feelings. Either way, there was no point of backing out of it now. Now it was up to Fleetfoot to decide on how she would react to the flower girl’s unexpectedly bold move.

As Roseluck started to feel discourage based off of Fleetfoot’s silent uncertainty, her initial fears began to subside as the Jupitarian rested her soft, cool hands onto Roseluck’s shoulders and gently pulled her in closely while their lips remained interlocked. Rose moaned lightly at this silent return of affection as they carried on their first kiss together.

Throughout their tender smooching, Fleetfoot could hardly believe that this was finally happening. And what’s more, it looked like she had nothing to worry about to begin with. For the first time since her days with Sunny, she founded true happiness.

But just as things seemed to finally go her way, Fleetfoot nearly gasped with fear in the middle of their kissing as her bulgy eyes saw her hands that gripping Roseluck’s shoulders emitting a frosty aura around them.

No no no! Don’t do this to me! Please don’t do this to me now! Okay, just calm down, Fleetfoot! Just do what Crystal has taught you before! Keep calm and take nice, steady breaths!

Following with that, she tried to ease her nerves and maintain her level of slow breathing. But to her dismay, her method wasn’t working as her cursed hands automatically conjured some ice while frost resided on the shoulders of Rose’s denim jacket. Eventually, her fears on reliving that heartbreaking incident were getting the best of her.

It… it’s not working! Why is it not working?! I… I… I can’t go through with this anymore! I can’t do this to Rose like I did to Sunny! I CAN’T!

Unable to control her anxiety and freezing hands anymore, she hastily pushed Roseluck away from her and abruptly ended their kiss. As Fleetfoot breathed heavily from how close it was to go through all of that again, she looked at Roseluck and saw the immense confusion and hurt in her pale green eyes. Feeling deeply ashamed and scared on what she had done to her, Fleetfoot broke in a few tears, and she made a difficult decision for herself and for Rose.

“I’m sorry… I just… can’t.”

And before Roseluck had time to respond, the deeply distraught Wonderbolt took off with a mighty flap of her wings and flew back to hotel room, leaving poor Rose out in the frigid, dark cold.

Author's Note:

Just so you know, when I wrote "Jupitarian neckline" in the beginning of this chapter to describe Spitfire's dress, I substituted that for the actual "Grecian neckline" since Greece and its history/culture doesn't exist in the world of Equestria and that Jupitarians (Human counterparts of Pegasi) share some similiarity with Greco-Roman in regards of military and architecture.

Also, if you are confused on why Spitfire addressed Fleetfoot as a Lieutenant in this chapter instead of a Sergeant from the previous ones, here is what Mariacheat-Brony stated to me when I questioned him on what Fleetfoot's rank is in the Wonderbolt hierarchy:

Well, for her rank it's a bit special for the Wonderbolts. In the Guard hierarchy, Spitfire is a Lieutenant just Like CK, but she's also Captain of the Wonderbolts... A bit tricky, I know :p. So Fleetfoot would be a sergeant in the General Guard, and A lieutenant in the Wonderbolts hierarchy.