The Wonderbolt and the Weather Manager
Spitfire couldn’t help but hum happily as she walked with Rainbow through the quiet Manehattan streets. They had parted with Soarin’ and Rapid shortly after leaving the Café Amaréicain, the stallions flying off in the direction of the hotel, while Spitfire and Dash meandered in the general direction of the hightown parks. The former Captain had originally planned to show Dash some of the city's nicer clubs, however that plan seemed markedly less appealing with a full belly and a pleasant buzz.
Perhaps one of the larger surprises for Spitfire had been discovering just how relaxed Rainbow Dash became after a little alcohol. The weather manager, Celestia bless her heart, was doing her level best to walk in a straight line and keep her eyes open. Unfortunately for her, the only way to achieve that goal had been to lean on Spitfire. The Wonderbolt couldn’t help but find that a highly amicable solution, as evidenced by her good wing draped over Rainbow’s back.
There was a tiny corner of her mind that was mildly disappointed by Rainbow’s reaction to alcohol. The weather manager was a pony that seemed to just get sleepy from drinking. Perhaps if she had a higher tolerance she would be different, but for the moment at least, she was comparatively boring. Part of the fun of drinking, at least for Spitfire, was seeing how various ponies changed while under the influence. Rapidfire was a chatty drunk, always with new questions and stories pouring out of his mouth. Her brother’s inability to keep his mouth closed after a few pints was probably where Arcus got half of his information from on the personal lives of the Wonderbolts.
Soarin’, on the other hoof, drank like an old stallion. He would sit there and sip at his cocktails, rarely imbibing enough at once to get more than a pleasant buzz. Spitfire had only seen him drunk once, and that had been because she and Rapid had spiked the punch bowl during an afterparty. To her great surprise, and mild disappointment, the sky-blue stallion was a very quiet drunk. Halfway through that party he had found a comfortable spot to sit in and barely spoke until the next morning.
The other Wonderbolts were fairly stratified in their reactions. Misty and Blaze thought everything was hilarious; Lightning Streak and Surprise were loving drunks, always hugging, touching, and flirting with everypony in sight, and Fleetfoot and Wave Chill turned into sobbing wrecks after one too many. Spitfire and all the other Wonderbolts made a point to stop both Fleetfoot and Wave Chill before they reached that level.
Spitfire would deny it to her dying breath, but she was beginning to see a certain advantage in being—at least temporarily—flightless. It was forcing her to slow down and take notice of the quieter moments—those same, quiet moments that had driven her to near insanity when she had been on her own, had changed entirely now. Here, with Rainbow, every moment was a little treasure. Spitfire smiled, her wing giving Dash a gentle hug. She decided that even if their relationship were to end tomorrow, it would still have been worth every second.
“Where’re we going?” Rainbow asked, stifling a quiet yawn.
“I figured we could just walk through the park, maybe find a nice spot to watch the stars, talk for a bit,” Spitfire answered with a noncommittal shrug. “Unless you're too tired. I can take you home too.”
“I’ll be fine in a minute,” Rainbow responded, doing her best to perk up. “I guess I’m just not used to wine.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Spitfire chuckled. “Besides, you’re cute when you’re sleepy.”
Rainbow blushed and mumbled indistinguishably.
After nearly half an hour of walking, Rainbow’s head had begun to clear some of the lassitude that had been plaguing her since dinner. Had she wanted to, she probably could have walked without leaning on Spitfire, however she found that prospect was decidedly less appealing than her current position. The golden wing draped over her back didn’t particularly encourage her to move either.
Their walk took them up to hightown’s central park, which was emptied of most ponies. There were a few other couples taking an evening stroll and the odd police pony making his nightly rounds. Gas powered lamps that bathed the cobblestone streets in a golden glow and pale moonlight filtered down from above. A gentle breeze washed through the park, sending a mild chill through the two pegasi.
Spitfire’s wing held Rainbow close.
The two parted with the cobblestone path and made their way through a small copse of trees; past that was an open, hilly area where the stars were clearly visible and the grass underhoof was soft. Spitfire and Rainbow made their way to the top of one of the small hills where they finally sat down. The Wonderbolt’s wing never left the weather manager’s back.
They sat in silence for a long while before Rainbow spoke up.
“Hey, Spitfire?”
“Yeah, Dash?”
“How did both you and your brother make it to the Wonderbolts?” she asked.
Spitfire chuckled softly. “That’s a good question, but probably not a very interesting story.”
“Still, I’d love to hear it.” Rainbow said as she reclined against Spitfire’s side.
“Well, when we were little, we got to travel around a lot because Dad was in the Royal Guard. Then, around the time we turned ten, he retired and took a job in the Royal Mail Service. The Cloudsdale office, specifically,” Spitfire explained with a smile. “I was always a bit of a Daddy’s girl, so when I was old enough, I signed up for the Guard just like him. Rapid took a job with the Royal Mail cause nothing else struck his fancy.
“Well, I got through basic and was placed into the communications corps because of my speed—that’s where I met Soarin’ actually. We became friends pretty fast, mostly ‘cause I was the only flyer who could keep up with him in a race. This was about the time when Blue Streak, the previous Captain of the Wonderbolts, and Arcus noticed us.
“They brought us in and had us do tandem-flying exercises for a week; by the end of it, we were both offered a position on the team. I got assigned to the lead pony and Soarin’ got wingpony. Soarin’s the best friend you could ever ask for, loyal, kind, and heart of gold. Even when he was offered a lead pony position of his own he refused.”
Spitfire paused at the memory, a nostalgic smile on her lips.
Rainbow waited a moment before speaking up. “So, how did Rapidfire join up?”
“Well,” Spitfire started, “about a year and a half after Soarin’ and I were accepted onto the team, Blue Streak decided to retire. It was kind of an awkward timing, most of the team he ran were all getting close to the mandatory retirement age. Blue Streak didn’t want to appoint a new team Captain if that pony was just going to retire in a year, so he picked me and I picked Soarin’ for my lieutenant.
“Within a year, most of the older team members had retired as well, and the Guard didn’t want us raiding all their best flyers for propaganda purposes, so I suggested to Arcus that we open up the Wonderbolts for civilian applications. He talked it over with the higher-ups, and they agreed.
“Arcus, Soarin’, and I spent a couple of months looking for pegasi that might be Wonderbolt material. We found some promising athletes here and there, but not a lot of great endurance flyers. Then, on a lark, I reached out to Rapid to see if he might be interested. He always was better in endurance flying than I was. And, turns out, working for the Royal Mail turned him into one of the best endurance flyers alive today. He’s not the fastest or most agile Wonderbolt, but he can fly all day everyday.”
Spitfire paused for a breath as she finished her tale, “So, that’s our story, Dash.”
“That’s so awesome!” Rainbow said, her grin beaming up at Spitfire.
The Wonderbolt chuckled lightly, her wing flexing for a moment. The innocuous action sent a mild tickle through Rainbow’s back and brought a flush of pink to her cheeks. For a moment, silence again filled the gap between them until Spitfire thought of a question.
“So, Dash,” she began, looking down to face the younger mare.
“Yeah?” The weather manager replied.
“What’s your Dad like?” Spitfire asked.
“Um,” Rainbow paused, caught slightly off guard by the question. “Well, he’s really nice. He manages Thunderhead production in the Weather Factory now.”
“What? Really?” Spitfire blurted.
“Yup.” Rainbow grinned proudly. “Before that, he was the lead lightning wrangler for the Cloudsdale weather team.”
“That’s amazing, Dash,” Spitfire said with a smile. “What else does he do?”
“Um, well... he used to write songs and perform in some weekend bands when I was younger. I know he still does band stuff from time to time, but not as often as he used to,” Rainbow explained.
“Really?” Spitfire quirked an eyebrow in surprise. “What kind of songs?”
“Folky music mostly. My uncle told me he used to sing them for Mom when they were dating,” Rainbow answered.
“Is your uncle on your Dad’s side or…” Spitfire trailed off, not wanting to poke what might be a sensitive subject. To her immense relief, Rainbow merely shrugged and smiled.
“Technically he’s not my uncle at all,” Rainbow answered, earning a quizzical look from Spitfire. “He’s actually my Dad’s best friend, but he was around so often that I just sorta grew up calling him my uncle.”
Spitfire chuckled and nodded. After a brief moment of silence she turned back Rainbow.
“So, any songs I might know?” the Wonderbolt asked with a smile.
Rainbow flushed slightly. “I dunno, maybe?”
“My parents played a lot of folk music while Rapid and I were growing up.” Spitfire sheepishly dug her hoof at the ground. “I have kind of a soft spot for it.”
Rainbow was quiet for a minute as she thought. Spitfire waited patiently for a time before she started to speak, only to stop when she heard Rainbow humming a melody that seemed vaguely familiar to the golden pegasus. It was only when she began to sing that Spitfire recalled the song, a perennial favorite of hers and her fathers.
“Have you seen the old stallion
in the closed-down market
Kicking up the paper,
with his worn out hooves?
In his eyes you see no pride
Wings held loosely at his side
Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news”
Have you seen the old mare
Who walks the streets of Lundy
Dirt in her mane and her clothes in rags?
She's no time for talking,
She just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home in two carrier bags.
So how can you tell me you're lonely,
And say for you that the sun don't shine?”
Spitfire’s wing pulled Rainbow close as she broke into the song, her voice warm and gentle, like a summer breeze.
“Let me take you by the hoof
and lead you through the streets of Lundy
I'll show you something
to make you change your mind”
Rainbow’s cheeks flushed lightly as she continued what had become their duet.
“In the all night cafe
At a quarter past eleven,
Same old stallion sitting there on his own”
Spitfire wrapped her left foreleg around Rainbow’s waist as she picked up the verse.
“Looking at the world
Over the rim of his tea-cup,
Each tea last an hour
Then he wanders home alone”
As the song came to it’s finale refrain, their voices wove together in a seamless harmony. Rainbow’s magenta eyes lost in Spitfire’s amber gaze.
“So how can you tell me you're lonely,
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hoof and lead you through the streets of Lundy
I'll show you something to make you change your mind”
The finale note faded from their lips, their music replaced by the delicate chorus of the night. The silence between them seemed to stretch into eternity as they stared at one another. Rainbow felt her heart skip a beat as Spitfire leaned closer, subtle tremors ran through her body as the golden pegasus held her close. She could feel Spitfire’s warm breath wash over her muzzle; she heard her heart pounding in her ears.
Time froze as their lips met.
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YES, rain and fire best ship!!!! i've been waiting for this update!
Good show.
You may want to read those last two paragraphs. They are the same, bar one line. Also FINALY! Took them long enough, love this.
Not sure if it was on purpose...
I don't think so. If it was, the final note can only fade once. Blooper aside, best fic kiss of the year award is now yours to claim.
1828031>>1828027
D'oh! Fixed, thanks for the catch!
and then the poparazzi had a field day as a stray photo hit the newspapers.
New chapter!!!!
This is awesome, as always. And that song... it gave me feels...
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/318/835/61a.png
SHUT UP DARTH FEELS!!!
(Yes, I'm completely insane. This is not new.)
And boom Blackmore's Night to continue your trend of awesome music. You seem to know all the same good songs and artists I like. I approve!
Once again, this... is my favorite Spitfire and Rainbow Dash shipfic ever. Also that title for this installment is awesome and so far feels like it could be used as an alternate title to the story. Bravo and I look forward to more
OMG SOOO KAWAII!
DAAAAAAAWWWWWW!!!!!!
I love you. Full homo or no homo. Your choice. *wink*
Heh, they finally kissed.
Well done, by the way.
1828373
I dunno, maybe I should've held it off another 39,000 words
1828323
A little from column A, a little from column B
1828161
Thanks very much, I try my best!
1828159
Sanity is overrated
ok that was just... ummmh serching for the right word screw that in french : Magnifique.
I say that the paparazzi pony that was mentioned earlier (i forgot his name) sees this and takes a pic of it. Calling it right now.
No epic German song, but feels off the chart nonetheless. Bravo, sir.
This actually gave me some feels.
I think I got feels because you took your time developing there love instead of it being hi there I love you, so do you great lets live happily ever after.
1828524
That would be way too easy, I don't do easy.
1828533
Gotta be judicious with non-english songs. If I can work more in I certainly will though. Glad you liked it!
1828563
I actively hate that cliché
1828662
Call it a holiday surprise from me to all of you
1828674
And who accused me of ever writing a straight-forward romance?
1828692
I'll just say this: Fire & Rain has barely gotten started. As for characters in mortal danger or in extreme emotional distress, well, have you read my other story?
1828714
I never pretended to be good
Give In an Instant a read, I'd love to hear what you think of it! And I've got a couple of your stories on my read it later list, I've been too busy with college and writing to read much lately. By the way, I like your new profile pic!
1828728
I just finished finals yesterday, so I haven't started it yet. I'm planning to do a lot of catch-up reading tomorrow or Friday. Sometimes I get too distracted writing and I get behind on my reading. C'est la vie
1828738
Yay for vacations
WHOA WHOA WHOA...hold on...I'm not dreaming am I? Two updates in one week with one having Dash's and Spitfire's first kiss in it.
I'm very ok with this.
1828928
SURPRISE!
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4xn9xr5X61qj3ir1.gif
1828565 It was a fantastic chapter. Both it and the last one did such an excellent job of conveying genuine emotional connection between two people that they made me miss my ex-girlfriend, who did a masterful job of turning a corkscrew through my heart. Note that I say that without a hint of malice, towards the story, yourself, or her.
1829067
AND THEN...THEY DID!
Love it love it love it
Can't wait for more
1829105 I was going to use the Gilda "and then they fucked" but I'm saving that for a special occasion
1829124
hehehe, nice. Just fair warning though, I made you guys wait 40,000 words for a kiss, it might be a while before they're hoofin' it
1829133 I've got more than half a dozen 500k+ word stories on my favourites list... I can wait
That was beautiful...
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/461/797/504.gif
1829142
That gif is amazing
there is only one word i can think of to describe the end of this awesome chapter.
Great story and merry Christmas.
That is all. Wonderful chapter.
They kissed. Well that's nice a-.............................. THEY KISSED!?
HUZZAH!
About freaking time!... Well, actually, I thought you would play around with it a while longer. This is just right though. A tender moment, a tender kiss.
1829487
I almost had them be interrupted, but the moment felt too natural to let it slip away.
Listened to the song, then leaked a happy tear or two while I watched the singing scene in my mind's eye. You have such a wonderful talent for ambiance.
1829633
And now I'm blushing, thank you very much for the kind words!
1828576
The best romances are those where the romance between the two parts are actively build up through the story.
While the "Hi! I love you" stories CAN be good, it requires so much more in terms of other things, conflicts or something, to make the story somewhat enjoyable.
Also, while I don't agree that yours was the 'best fiction-first-kiss of the year', it was indeed a very good 'first kiss'.
I think the best I've read was only two days ago in... Can't remember the name, but it was a polyamory Dashie/Pinkie/Fluttershy fic. The one Dash had with Fluttershy. It was really cute I think.
1829692
This is totally unrelated (thank you for another great comment btw) but your avatar is freaking adorable!
1829700
Thanks! 
A lot of people think that my avatars are adorable... :3 I had this picture previously.
I only changed to Heart's-Warming-Eve-Luna because it's December... Probably changing after Heart's Warming Eve again :P Though not the same as before, I have one that's significantly more D'aaaw 
encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-2Or5O9jOurBPHDZZrW4jLVmkdq2Cne9kp3AN_w4f9sDrpfzp
And I had two people tell me that was adorable
1829723
If you get a D'AWW worthy avatar that happens to be DashFire, then you win the internet. And a cameo or something
1829730
...It does have Dashie. Another filly Dashie
Edit:
And as far as shippings go, DashFire is the best non-mane6 ship :3