Fair Flight

by Baryski

Chapter 7: Fair Flight (Scarlet)

“Well, yeah. That’s where it all started… Or ended. It doesn’t matter how you say it, the outcome is always the same. Spark had to work all night to assemble the CIV bomb. Me and Blaze just sat all night and talked about stuff. How it would be to lead a normal life… He was actually determined the three of us should go missing in action, when the job was done. We played a game of Hooflocker while at it. I don’t know how, he beat me, but it didn’t matter. Maybe it was the drink or something… I just remember we both kinda… You know, what we did on the floor.”

“The next morning, I was certain that whatever Blaze wanted to do, I would follow him. I think I was in love… I never got to answer those questions. Spark walked in on us and obviously, he was a bit shocked. I tried to shrug it off, so did Blaze.” We prepared the final tripwires for the assault. And then… Then I don’t know, it’s all so stupid. The CIV had a malfunction, and both Blaze and Spark went to fix it. Blaze had left his radio transmitter open by accident, so I could hear everything the two talked about. I had been so stupid… Of course I never knew Spark loves me. He was just a friend.”

“The two argued on about me while fixing the CIV. I was awestruck, listening. I didn’t see the caravan approach, until it was too late. One of the tripwires had been activated, and the console started the detonation process of all the perimeter. They… They didn’t make it. Caught at the core of the CIV, not the most pleasant way to die. And it was all my fault…”

Scarlet couldn’t hold it inside anymore. Bursting out into tears, she tried to cover her face, not looking at Faith. “However I made sure the mission was complete. The device was destroyed. Several hours later, a detachment of Reapers came to inspect the zone. Whatever it was, they wanted it badly. Without anything left to salvage, they left. But if a high quality weapon couldn’t survive the explosion, neither could they. And it was all my fault!”

Faith understood her perfectly. She had just told her how it was like to lose a family, how she lost a father. A father Scarlet never had. Her compassionate hug was perhaps more Scarlet had ever wished for from somepony. She never expected to find that in a Creed assassin. Scarlet was lonely, with only Faith to understand her grief.

That’s when she did it. From the position she was in, Faith’s lips were only a few inches away. She laid a small kiss, devoid of any sexual tendencies. It was the least she could do to repay her. That kiss was her way of telling Faith that she wanted to put her life in her hooves without a second thought, for thanking her that she had risked her life to tell her to get out of town. But it was too late for that; Scarlet was going to help her to the world’s end to get rid of the Creed.

“That was…” A short pause. Oh, come on. It can’t have been that bad. “Nice.” Really? Is that all you’re going to say about the kiss? Scarlet was somehow upset on the fact that Faith responded the way she did. She was just going to say it was nice? Another stream of tears filled her eyes in disappointment, burying her head in her hooves.

Faith’s confusion only amplified, leaving her stuttering a series of indiscernible words, trailing off into scarlet’s hopeless tears. The pegasus tried comforting her again, but to no avail. Suddenly, Scarlet felt her hooves removed from her face, and before she knew it Faith was kissing her again. Her lips were somewhat stronger than her first kiss, while still maintaining a somewhat innate power Faith had of soothing. It was all scarlet had been hoping for: a sign that she wasn’t the only one feeling this way, something to show her a little bit of affection in return. Between her tears, she weakly gripped Faith from behind, making her hold the kiss a little while longer, before breaking off. “Nice? That was amazing. You are amazing.”

Her partner had finally recovered her words as well. Her words sounded tranquil, calm, unlike her usual attitude. “It really was amazing. You have no idea what even that first one meant to me. I’m…” The pause let Scarlet understand one thing: Faith was going to accept her as a friend, if not more. Her eyes were speaking more than she ever could. “I’m sorry if what I had said wasn’t enough. I’m sorry, I’m not enough.”

Scarlet quickly took a hoof to her mouth, silencing whatever she wanted to say next “Shhh… Listen. I’m not leaving you. You’re the only thing I have left on this world. I know it’s crazy, that one week ago I would have killed you on sight. But it seems we share more than a common goal.” Her tears were finally drying out as she took her hoof from Faith’s mouth to her own hoof. “I want to help you with Fair-feather, even if it kills me.” Slowly standing off the couch, she opened the window and signaled Faith outside. “Come on, fly with me.”

Without further ado, Scarlet jumped out the window, spreading her wings in free flight. Faith was not too far behind her, and the broad daylight gave the city a totally different view. Everypony was out on the busy street, the markets were brimming with energy and the general atmosphere that usually lead the city was somehow missing up here. In flight, you could feel what the city would never cease to repress: A sense of liberty to do whatever you want, safety and tranquility.

The city was one view, one Scarlet liked to see in the evening or by night rather than midday. The quiet streets, dimly lit gave Fair-feather an aura that no other major city could replicate. Towns like Phillydelphia or Canterlot usually had busy streets during nighttime as well. However, a trade city like Fair-feather would not only be untouched, but the flocks of griffins going around the city were also a sight to see. With perfectly timed choreography, the caravans at the edge of the city never seemed to cease during the night.

Scarlet was suddenly awoken from her daydream by a very active Faith, dashing around and twirling at her side. She’s trying to impress. This will prove quite a challenge for her. The orange pegasus charged a bit, her speed matching Faith’s and smiled “Quite impressive, I must say.” Folding her wings around her, Scarlet dove downwards towards one of the passages she used to escape Creed members. Down, left, right, left again, back up! The agility with which she navigated the streets was, as she thought, unmatched. None of the Creed had ever managed to catch her on the side streets, giving her time to plan her next move. This time was purely to prove to Faith she can do better. Her smile met Faith’s. “Well?”

At this point, the brown mare suddenly broke off her flight patter, as if something had hit her wing. She tumbled towards the ground, which left Scarlet panicking for a few seconds. Faith was already out of her reach, but she darted for her anyway. It was only a few meters off the ground when Faith sprung back to life, executing a few maneuvers and slaloming through the busy street. I’m so getting you back, Faith. As Faith’s trick was nearing an end, Scarlet’s was only just beginning.

Following Faith’s dodges and turns precisely, the orange pegasus tagged her, slowing down her flight. She used the tag as a boost, bursting out in full speed towards the sky. She was going to risk everything to win their small competition. Going upwards, she quickly reached a bit above the clouds, through the stands installed by pegasi above the city. When the air was hardly breathable, she aimed for one of the larger clouds and started her dive. In her rapid, eagle-like descent, she darted downwards in free fall, only spreading her wings as she reached the cloud. The force of the impact caused a thunder, as she headed for the plaza.

Small droplets of rain started pouring, as her flight settled, landing quietly in the plaza in which Faith was awaiting. She didn’t know how she figured out where she would land, nor did she care. Her triumphant smile targeted her as the rain started intensifying. “Making it rain is fun. You should try some day as well.”

Faith looked away awkwardly. She was obviously not delighted by the rain; Scarlet would never understand what she had against water. “Yeah, maybe…” She pulled no attempt at raising her trick. “I think I might just watch you. At least you look good doing it.”

Scarlet was satisfied, but also disappointed. She wanted to see more of Faith in action. However, she knew that this would attract some unwanted attention, and avoiding it was key to their well-being. “I suppose that’s it for now. We don’t want the Creed finding us during our “alone time”, do we?”

“Alone time?” Faith was getting more and more uncomfortable, her usual courage dissipating with every word Scarlet spoke. Maybe it was too soon to talk to her like that. Scarlet backed off slowly, waiting to see what Faith wanted to say exactly.

“Oh, you know… Never mind, I guess. It was fun though… Do you want to go back to my place and discuss the approach on our problem?”

Faith looked embarrassed rather than concerned. However, she did agree to her on this matter. “Yeah, that would probably be a good thing,” she said, looking around at all the ponies minding their own business. She was out of place without her cloak on, Scarlet figured. “It might be nice to be somewhere everypony can’t look at. Well, me.”

Scarlet laughed, and took of slowly back for her house. She knew Faith wouldn’t be far behind. Some words remained untold that day, however. Perhaps it wasn’t the time, nor the place for it, but she knew that one day she might regret missing out on such an occasion.
***
Not long before they were back in her apartment and both dried out, the two were already putting the plans together on eliminating the Hooftails and the Shadowbrands. “You’re really planning to go through with this?” Faith was more concerned than Scarlet would have liked. Faith valued her life more than she did her own, and that was going to be a problem. However, without each other, Scarlet was sure the plan would be complete suicide.

The next move was to be made in the dark; none of them had the information required for another strike at the master. This was where her planning skills had to be put to work. Scarlet always thought one step ahead of the plan to be made “I’m carrying through with this, whether you want it or not. Plus, we’re going to need TWOS funding for our next step. I know you will hate this, but we must cut a deal with the Trade Guild.”

Faith was truly displeased. She hated that band of thugs more than anything else. They both knew the guild couldn’t be trusted, but Scarlet figured there’d be no other option “You’re right, I don’t like it. What exactly do you expect out of them?”

“Everything, and nothing. Traders would sell their own mothers to the highest bidder. And they don’t hold too much love for the Creed, since they “short changed” them on a few deals. With the proper money, they will help us take the Creed down. All we have to do is obtain equipment and money to carry out the job.”

“I’ll trust you. Besides, my stuff probably won’t be delivered for a couple of days.” Faith was reluctant to agree with the plan, but she saw no other choice. They were flying blind into hostile ground and the least they could do was be prepared. “Just, be careful who you deal with. Even if the guild isn’t on the best terms with Creed doesn’t mean some of the members aren’t. It’s cheaper to pay off three members than an entire guild.”

Scarlet knew that very well. She had her own contacts in the guild, but just because they had business before, it didn’t mean that they would discount. Business was business. However, intel from them was always reliable, even though not fully transmitted. By the end of tomorrow, she’d have found out when and where her desired targets would be. “Don’t worry, I have it covered. Speaking of which, I’ve been waiting for some time to put my hooves on some Creed poisons. I think I can make some good vapor bombs out of them. Think you can help me out with that?”

“I make most of it myself. Depending on what I get in the shipment, maybe we could whip something up for you.” Another thing Faith impressed with was her posture. She never took things for granted. Scarlet admired such a trait in ponies. Going for her shelf, she removed the modified brace blade and put it on the table in front of Faith.

“Thanks, I guess. I think I can give this thing another tweak before we do our next move. It has room for another mod, but it’s going to be a bit more bulky. I’d rather have your opinion first before I go tampering with it again. After all, it was yours before it ended up on my hooves.”

The mare put on a mortified expression as Scarlet presented the bracer blade. Her thoughts were running through her head, and Scarlet knew she had done something wrong. The time for words was nigh, however. She could do nothing to undo it, Faith was understanding of that. However, she did help her on the design “The weight balance is off. It will probably need more weight around there. Even so, I’m not sure how much use the blade will be. It would be pretty awkward with all this extra weight and a few well placed strikes might actually just snap it off.”

She carefully weighed the bracer’s mechanism, and added “Although, I can’t really say much about the other stuff you’ve put on here. Sorry.” She let go off her modified bracer, trying to look away from it. Whatever she did, Scarlet felt guilty for hurting Faith’s feelings. Yes, she knew the blade was something almost sacred for an assassin. But she never considered Faith’s feelings in the process of tampering with it.

“I… I’m sorry, Faith. I never meant to hurt you. When I thought you dead I figured… you wouldn’t need it anymore. But thanks for the advice. I’ll make sure to put it to good use while I’m at it.” Scarlet looked away in dismay at the computer screen. Her message should have been received by now and was debated by Conflux. Whatever happened, she would have the answer by midnight.

Faith tried her best to show compassion for the orange mare. She took the bracer and put it in her hoof, nudging her slightly “Listen, I didn’t mean it to come out like that,” The smile on her face showed that she took that to heart. “This thing went through alot with me. It’s kind of a reminder of who I am. I gave it up for a decoy, but this time I’d rather give it right. I can’t think of anypony who should have a piece of my past, except one.”
Her smile was now full and Scarlet couldn’t help smiling back at her. Faith took her hoof out of Scarlet’s and added. “Besides, I’ve been needing a new one for a long time now. Guess I just needed a kick in the flank to get it done.” Scarlet was almost in tears of joy. Faith tried her best to make her feel comfortable, and it was not the gesture, but the effort which made Scarlet happy.
“Thanks, Faith.” She put the device on the table and stood up, moving slowly towards the brown pegasus and kissing her lightly on the cheek. “It means a lot to me. I wish I could give you something back… To remind you of me while you’re away.” She already felt both guilty and relieved, and was grateful Faith wouldn’t hold the profanity of her bracer blade against her. “I wonder…” Scarlet sat back on the chair, contemplating what would be an appropriate gift for the mare.
Before long, she figured that their first meeting would hold importance for Faith. Approaching the couch slightly, she took one of its precious water pillows and threw it at Faith gently. “I know it’s not much, but you might find it comfy at your place. I know it doesn’t match with yours bbut… Hey, at least it’s something.”

The tears in Faith’s eyes confirmed that Scarlet’s gift was well received. Without any further words, the brown pegasus tried out the squishy, watery treat Scarlet so much enjoyed. “Thank you, it means alot. You really didn’t have to, but thank you anyways.” Scarlet knew of the tales about the Creed warehouses: mostly uncomfortable. Assassins didn’t value comfort as much as they should have. It was only natural Faith would like the small token of appreciation she gave to her.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Bubbles agrees too, and it would be nice for you to have a bit of decent sleep once in a while.” Looking outside, Scarlet knew it was going to be dark soon. “If you have no place to go now, you can take the couch. I can manage on the floor for one night. We’ve got days of planning ahead of us, you know?”

Faith hesitated, as if she wanted to take her up on the offer right away but something stopped her, with an obvious wince in her hooves. A short pause enlisted as the brown pegasus contemplated the offer before offering an answer accompanied by a sad smile “That’s okay, I’ve got a place to stay,” The fact that she tried to hide her eyes while saying this indicated it was a blatant lie. “Thank you, though. I’ll see you in the morning?”

Scarlet knew better than to go further. A refuse was a refuse, no matter how you took it. Maybe it was too early. It was stupid of me to try. We don’t even know where we stand right now… She returned Faith’s sad smile in turn and told her “The morning it is then. I guess… Sleep well, Faith.”