> The Rainbow At The End Of The Storm > by Bakmah Genesis > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The Rainbow at the end > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The big one. The years biggest downpour before winter. Dash, already having finished her work, had nothing to do except sit in her cloud home and wait it out. The sky above the clouds were just as dangerous as below it. So that equalled no flying. It was an odd sight. Sitting in a cloud home when all the sudden a bolt of lightening raced upwards. Yes, up. No, Discord was not messing with the weather system, again. It was the natural design of thunder heads. Large black clouds that shot lightening in all directions and even passed it on to another thunder head and set off a chain reaction. A Pegasus would have to be insane to fly out in a thunder storm, especially the largest of the year. Not even Rainbow Dash dared its skies. She did want to live. Rainbow Dash sighed and got off of her cloud couch, walking towards the stereo system set in the far wall of the manor like cloud home. The plus side of being able to work with clouds and having enough space to do it is that you could pretty much make a shopping mall to live in if you were talented enough. Dash was able to make herself a large cloud manor for herself. "Let's see. Metallicolt, Green Hay, Sliphoof, I haven't listened to that new All Hope Is Lost album by them, yet. Pinkie got me it last year and I still have yet to check it out." She shrugged and pulled out the metal album and placed it in the stereo. The disc turned and the music kicked in. She bobbed her head and walked over to the small book shelf that held only one series. Daring Do. She sighed contently as she flopped back down on the couch with Daring Do and the Temple of Nightmare Moon. It was one of the newest books and a present from Twilight since she knew Rainbow would be bored all day. Though, the unicorn hoped she could rope the Pegasus into another action series. About three chapters in, a rather loud crack of lightening proved to be against her reading as it tore through the sky ten feet away from the house. A screaming Pegasus was also joining in, it seemed. Rainbow shrugged an-wait, screaming Pegasus! Rainbow marked her spot and bolted to the window. Sticking her head out, she scanned the lightening filled skies for the source of the scream. She was about to give up when something hit her front door, possibly going through it by the sound of it. She hopped off of the window sill and switched off her Sliphoof, stopping it mid-way through Snuff. Sad, she was enjoying that song. She huffed and walked over to her door. "Seriously, who is stupid enough to fly through the largest thunder-" she stopped mid rant as she saw the fiery orange mane sticking through the middle of the door, trying to free itself. The head gave up and looked up at her. Rainbow Dash had to do everthing she could from freaking out like a school filly who met their idol as the head revealed itself to be Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts. "Spitfire?! Ohmygoshohmygosh. Wait, what are you doing in my front door?" she asked, finally having the situation catch back up in her head. Spitfire looked away. "I may have crashed." she said, blushing slightly. Dash wanted to argue that couldn't be true because she was a Wonderbolt, but she reminded herself that wasn't true. Even our idols that we place higher than anything have mistakes. Spitfire was no exception to this. So Rainbow settled for a shrug. "Alright. This might hurt." She turned around and prepared to buck Spitfire out of the door. The Pegasus panicked and started trying to forcefully pull herself out, trying to escape the hindlegs ready to kick her face into next week. Her struggle met successes as the door released her and she fell on her back. The door opened to reveal a laughing Rainbow. "Oh Celestia, your face was priceless!" said the cyan Pegasus, trying not to fall over. Spitfire stammered as she tried to work her brain. "You weren't actually going to kick me in the face?" she asked, still trying to figure out what was happening. Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Nope. I would never mess up a prett-I mean another mares face unless they really deserve it." said Dash, blushing madly at her slip up. "You, um, want to come inside? If you crashed because of what I think, you might not be able to fly for a while." Dash motioned to Spitfire's, gaining her attention. Her eyes widened as she that the feathers on her left wing were partially black and messed about. She was going to need major preening. She was about to extend it when a cyan hoof stopped her. "That would just cause more pain." said Dash, noticing her actions. "You have to either let it heal a bit then preen or have some other pony preen it enough to allow some flight. Come on in, I'll get you settled down a bit." She guided the injured Pegasus into what Spitfire hadn't realized until now to be the largest cloud manor she has come to see. "How did you get the bits to afford this place?" she asked in awe, scanning the rooms. Rainbow Dash brought her into what she must have guessed was the living room. It was a large room could have a held a medium sized party if she wanted to. There was what looked like a spiral stair case leading to who knows where. "No where. I've spent the last six years building it with clouds my dad lent me from the cloud factory or clouds I picked up on the job that were scheduled to be cleared. After all the years of hard work, I got me a house." said Dash with a huge grin. Spitfire sat down on a surprisingly comfy couch and was about to be joined by Rainbow Dash when a bell sounded over by the staircase. "I thought she was home." said Rainbow, frowning. She walked over to the base of the stairs and looked up them. "Scoots! Ya home?" Silence. Rainbow frowned and stomped over to the trapdoor by the stairs. She whipped it open and kicked down the rope ladder. "Get your flank up here, Scootaloo Dash!" she yelled, causing Spitfire to recoil at the sudden loudness of her voice. "Scootaloo Dash? Wait, you have a daughter!?" she asked, shocked. She had done some research on the pony that piked her interests back when she originally joined the Wonderbolt academy but dropped out for unexplained reasons, but she saw no records of a foal nor siblings. "Well, um, yeah. Wait, how did you figure out Scoots is my daughter? I didn't even tell you my name." said Dash, confused. "Hard to forget the name of the Pegasus who had preformed the Sonic Rainboom, dropped out of the Wonderbolts academy despite being in the top of her class, and also represents the element of loyalty." she said with a smirk. Rainbow smiled sheepishly. The trap door closed, drawing the attention of the two Pegasus. An orange filly with a purple mane stood at its entrance. She was dripping wet and had her face turned away in shame. Rainbow frowned and sat on the floor, crossing her forelegs "And where were you for the last three hours in which you were supposed to be home?" asked Dash. Scootaloo, at least that's what Spitfire thought her name was, winced. "Crusading with the girls." she said, still refusing to look at her prismatic mother. "In the middle of the biggest thunder storm of the year?!" asked Dash, completely horrified that she even thought that it was even a good idea. "We thought it wasn't going to be this bad!" she said defensively. Rainbow frowned once again. "What did I tell you last night?" Scootaloo looked away. "Well?" she asked again, tapping her hoof. "The big one, which is the biggest thunder storm before winter, is the severely dangerous due to the large amount of rain it pours down and because the thunder heads are extra charged from storage." said the filly, looking away once again. Dash sighed and walked over to her. "Scoots, that lightening is strong enough to hospitalize even me and fry a filly. I just don't want you to get hurt. I just got you, and I don't want to loose you so soon." she said, almost crying. The small filly was actually crying and wrapped her hooves around her mother. "I'm sorry, mom." she said, squeezing her tighter. "It's okay. Go upstairs and do your homework. I'll call you down for dinner." "You're not going to cook again, are you?" asked the filly. Dash chuckled. "I think I can give the oven a rest and cook microwave pizza. Spike needs to do a better job on teaching me how to cook." she said with a chuckle. The filly nodded and ran up the stairs. Dash shook her head and sat down on the chair in front of Spitfire. "So how did you come by her? You are still pretty young to have a filly that old." said Spitfire, nodding up to the staircase where Scootaloo went. Dash gave a small sigh and looked out the window. "I was what you would call a 'teen mom'. I got pregnant and had her in my senior year. Had no bits to take care of her so I gave her up for adoption. Last time I saw her, she was just born." A tear made its way done her cheek. "The jock who kept bragging that he got 'the Rainbow Dash' knocked up got a chair to the side of the head and was stuffed inside a locker. I then sued him for the three thousand bits it cost me to give birth in the hospital. "When I moved to Ponyville, I just wanted to get away from the place I abandoned my daughter. Who would have known that she was transferred to Ponyville? When the cutie mark crusaders first banded together, I thought that the name was a coincidence that AJ said one of their names was Scootaloo." She smiled sadly and looked up at the ceiling to where Scootaloo's room supposedly was. "I first met her when I saw this beautiful orange Pegasus filly with a purple mane that looked exactly like my daughter crying under a tree. When I asked her what was wrong, she told me it was her turn to bring her parents to school for parents day or whatever it was." Her voice hitched slightly. "She told me her parents abandoned her and that they must've not loved her. I wanted so badly to pick her up and tell her mommy loved her, but what would she think? So I went on for another year. "Finally, we went camping one night with Rarity, AJ, and their sisters. She ran off the second night to prove she wasn't try to prove she wasn't afraid like me. She ended up falling in the river and almost falling off the edge of a water fall." Spitfire gasped and covered her mouth with her hooves. Dash continued. "She didn't know until later that I do get scared and there wasn't a time until then that I was more scared. I thought I was about to lose my only daughter. That night she asked me that she wanted to be my sister. "When we got back to Ponyville, I decided we should take a chariot ride to Cloudsdale. I showed her around the city and even took her to the Wonderbolts show that was in town that night." She smiled. "The very last tickets. She was more than excited. "The next morning, I was a bit more, reserved, which concerned her as you could imagine. When she asked why, I took her to the Cloudsdale hall of records. Right to the birth certificate section." Spitfire saw where this was going. "I pulled out hers and she was confused until I pointed out mother of birth. You have no idea how hard it is to tell a foal that her mother had to give her up and knew that she was there for a year but never acted." "How did she take it?" asked Spitfire softly, seeing how sensitive the subject is. "I didn't see her for a week. No doubt because of what I showed her. One day, however, I was napping in when a apple was thrown at my head. I was about to yell at who threw it when I saw her at the bottom of the tree, staring at me with watering eyes. "The school bullies were torturing her for not having a mother again and she wanted me to prove them wrong. I was happy that she accepted me somewhat, but still worried if she still hated me. So, after chewing out to stuck up rich kids, I asked her if she still did. The only thing she said is that she wanted her mom." Dash smiled. "I still have the adoption papers framed in her room along with the certificate of birth. Just to prove to her it isn't some dream and her mother is there and she loves her." "I can very well say you deserve to have a mother of the year award." said Spitfire, smiling. Dash chuckled. "Pinkie Pie tried to make me one. I just refused." She looked over at the clock and stood, trotting to the kitchen. "Well, we need to eat sometime." ~~~~~~ A few hours later found Spitfire and Dash back by the couch with full stomachs and a sleeping filly upstairs in her room. Scootaloo was literally bouncing around in join when she saw that Spitfire was joining them for dinner. Dash didn't give herself as much credit for being a mother that she deserved. She was clearly perfect for the filly even if she didn't believe so. The reason she was by Dash's house popped in her head. She bit her lip and looked back at the mare with the prismatic mane. She was currently watching the last few lightening strikes as the biggest storm of the year was starting to come to a close. She had a slight smile on her face. "What are you thinking about?" asked Spitfire. Dash turned to her and shrugged. "Nothing really. It's just, it's amazing how peaceful the sky is starting to look now that the sun is setting. The lightening ruins it a bit, yeah, but it's still beautiful. Something pegasi only get to see is the constant shift between day and night. It gives the skies a more peaceful state." Spitfire was shocked. In public, Dash was self-confident and would never back down from a challenge. At times, it would seem like she has no fear. Yet, she fears for her daughters safety, she never bragged once in her presence, and she seemed to know what she was doing when she bandaged up Spitfire's wing. In private, Rainbow Dash became a whole new pony. And this didn't make her love her any less. In fact, it made Spitfire fall deeper in love with the Pegasus she barely knew. "I can think of more beautiful things." she said. She quickly covered her muzzle as she realized what she had said. Too late, however. Dash looked over at her and arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Like what?" asked the cyan mare, curious. Spitfire sighed as she knew she was stuck. She could lie and come up with some bullshit answer, or confess and risk setting off the mare who she knew not of her sexual preference. "There was more of a reason why I crashed through your door than me getting hit by lightening. I was actually coming by to see you because." She took in a deep breath, preparing for what was next. "Because I wanted to tell you I love you." There, she said it. She looked away, waiting for her reaction. "Cool." Spitfire's head bolted upright. "Cool? A pony who barely knows you just said she loved you and you say cool? And I'm a mare! You aren't mad or shocked?" she asked, shocked by the mares choice of words. "Well, it's not hard you feel something for me by the way you were staring at my ass when I was grabbing supper." said Dash with a smirk. Spitfire blushed. "Plus, I'm gay. I was drunk the night I got knocked up. Other than that, I prefer mares over stallions. Mares can't get you pregnant after one night. "Honestly though, I wouldn't say you don't know anything about me. I just spilled a large part of my life to you. You know a lot about my right now." "So, you are totally okay with me loving you?" asked Spitfire, still confused. "Why? You want me to say no, throw your ass out in the rain, and forget that you were brave enough to venture out in the most dangerous thunder storm in recorded history just so you could tell me you love me? I don't think so. I would say I'm more than willing to see how this all turns out." "You mean that?" asked Spitfire, smiling wide. "Equestria's fastest flier and the Captain of the Wonderbolts? Most awesome couple ever." said Dash, grinning. She yelped as the injured Wondetbolt pounced on her, tackling her into a kiss. She laid there for a moment before melting into it, letting the mare have her fun. She finally broke away and hugged her. "Thank you." she whispered into Rainbow's ear. She smiled and kissed her forehead. "You're welcome." > The morning after. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spitfire hummed softly as the light from the window penetrated her eye lids. She yawned and nuzzled deeper into the soft pillow in her hooves, sighing happily at the cuddly object. It was when the object moved that she realized it wasn't a pillow she had in her grip. Upon opening her eyes, Spitfire found herself face to face with a sleeping Rainbow Dash. The light from behind the cyan mare reflected off of her multicolored mane and added a halo to the sleeping mare. Spitfire found herself blushing at their position, hoping to Celestia Scootaloo didn't wake up before her mother. "Good morning, Mom. I did my cho-" Celestia has not so forgiving this morning. Spitfire took a deep breath and rolled over, wincing as her injured wing met the bed. She smiled sheepishly at the shocked orange filly. "Well, um, good morning, kid." said Spitfire sheepishly. "Miss Spitfire, why are you in the bed with my mom?" Asked the filly, cocking her head. Spitfire bit her lip, trying to think of an answer. "Because Spitfire is still injured and mommy didn't want her sleeping on the couch." said Dash as she sat up, saving her marefriend from having to explain the embarrassing situation to the filly. "Oh, okay. Well, Tank is fed and my bed is made. Can I have some cereal now?" Asked the filly. Dash thought for a moment. "Well, why don't I make those apple pancakes you love? They seem to be the only thing I can cook without setting off the smoke alarm." said the Pegasus with a smile. Scootaloo beamed and nodded before hopping off to another part of the house. Dash figured it was the workout room since Rainbow had made sure she exercise and do wing stretches to prepare her for flying. "So, how are you going to tell her that her mother is dating an injured Wonderbolts captain?" Asked Spitfire as her marefriend rose from the bed. "Just sit her down and tell her. Just have to watch out for what she tells others. She can end up saying something that could come back and bite her later." said Dash, stretching out her muscles. "Though, what are you going to do about being a Wonderbolt and having a family back at home? I already gave up the Wonderbolts for Scoots, but you never did say what your plan is." "I honestly don't know. We have our last performance of the season next week. I could probably pass the bonfire to Sorain and either take a less time consuming staff position or just find a different job." said Spitfire, shrugging. "Pass the bonfire? I thought it was pass the torch?" "Being the captain of the Wonderbolts isn't exactly a simple job of pushing a button at the cloud factory. If someone has a problem, they go straight to me because they can't seem to fix things themselves." said the captain with a roll of her eyes. Rainbow laughed and walked towards the door. "Well, the bathroom is down the hall. You can go take a shower while I fix breakfast and sit down with Scoots." said the cyan mare as she walked into the hall. She was stopped by a hoof on the shoulder. She turned to confront who stopped her to be met with a pair of lips pressing against hers. "It's not fair to walk away without a good morning kiss." said Spitfire with a smile. She turned around and walked towards the bathroom, her tail swaying side to side suggestively. Rainbow laughed and shook her head before continuing down the spiral staircase and to the kitchen. She passed an open door where she could her the turning of a wrench. She poked her head into the room decorated with multiple tools, scooters, scooter parts, and a few skate boards. In the center of the room sat Scootaloo, working to free a wheel from her scooter. "You're working on that thing even though the ground is too wet to use it on?" Asked Rainbow as she watched Scootaloo remove the back wheel and set it aside, leaving the scooter to lean back as it was unbalanced. "I was bored and the string on my guitar is broken and I lent my bass to Sweetie for the weekend. She's trying to figure out if it's her talent." said Scoots with a shrug. An amazing scooter rider skater, guitarist, and bassist and the filly still had no cutie mark. The world was filled with mysteries Rainbow Dash will always fail to understand. The cyan mare laughed and shook her head. "Come on, I'm bout to start breakfast and I want to talk to you." said Dash, gesturing for the filly to follow. Scootaloo set down her tools and walked out of the work room behind her mother. "Is this about last night?" Asked Scootaloo nervously. "No, I think you understand that what you three did was utterly stupid. No, I just want your opinion on something." The two walked into the cloud kitchen. It was hardly used because of Dash's inability to cook full meals. It was still used on occasion but still had its accidents when the cyan Pegasus touched the culinary equipment. "Scoots, do you know what the term 'filly fooler' means?" Asked Dash, grabbing a skillet out of the cabinet and setting it on the top of the stove burners. "I heard Diamond call Miss Lyra and BonBon that. Is it a bad word?" Asked the filly. "Yes and no. Diamond Tiara probably used it as a insult, but it also has another meaning." said Dash, cracking eggs into a bowl. "The term filly fooler is used for mares who like other mares. It's usually an insult when someone calls another a filly fooler. The actual term is lesbian." "So Lyra and BonBon are lesbians?" Asked Scoots, trying to understand. Dash nodded. "They have been together for a year. They aren't always to public about it so that's why you probably didn't know," Dash poured in the mix and started to stir the bowls contents. "Lesbians have been around for millennia. Maybe even before Celestia and Luna. Though, they were frowned upon back then and still are. However, things have been changing. "Now, only a hoofful of ponies don't like lesbians. Also, Celestia was able to pass a law allowing to ponies of the same gender to marry. It could be two mares or two stallions, it doesn't matter. Things have gotten better for them over the years." "Why are you telling me all this?" Asked Scootaloo. Dash set the bowl down and sat across from Scootaloo. "Scoots, you are a child of rape. When I was in my senior year of high school, some jock got me drunk and raped me at a party. If it wasn't for that, I would have never slept with a stallion before." said Dash, brining the filly into an embrace. "My dad raped you?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly. "Yes. And he is serving thirteen years after paying the three thousand bits that I had to pay the hospital. He got what he deserved and is still paying for it. "The point is, Scootaloo, it's time you knew I'm actually gay. I've been attracted to mares since I was around your age. And I wanted to know how you feel about it." said Dash, watching her crying daughter. Scootaloo took a moment to collect herself before grabbing onto her mother again. "I don't care if you like mares, even if it means I wouldn't have been born if it wasn't for that stallion. I love you no matter what." Rainbow Dash allowed her own tears to fall as she embraced her daughter, silently crying. Spitfire stood in the doorway with a sad smile, watching the exchange. After a few minutes she coughed lightly. "Oh, yes, um, breakfast." said Dash with a sheepish smile. She stood and walked over to the bowl. Taking it in her hooves, she poured the contents into numerous round pools on the skillet. She set down the bowl and grabbed a plate spatula. Setting them down, she sat herself at the table as they waited. "Why did you want to know if I was okay with it?" Asked Scootaloo as the three pegasi waited. Rainbow looked over at Spitfire and grinned. She then turned to Scootaloo and raised her eyebrows, waiting for the filly to catch on. After a few moments, the filly's features turned from to confusion to excitement. Spitfire was not ready for the ball of orange and purple that tackled her to the ground. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Rainbow Dash and Spitfire laughed at the filly's excitement. It was going to be a wonderful relationship nonetheless. > A change in command > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Do you have to leave?" Asked Scootaloo, pouting. Spitfire laughed and tousled the filly's mane. "I do, sadly. I need to get ready for the show in a few days," said Spitfire. The assault of the small filly's pout did not subside however. Spitfire grinned and leaned forward so she was face to face with the filly. "If you put away that militarized weapon of a pout I will send to tickets to the show tomorrow." Scootaloo beamed and started bouncing. "Deal!" Shouted the filly. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire started laughing. This lasted for a few minutes before Spitfire decided it was nearly time to depart. "Well, time to deal with this." she said, pecking Rainbow on the lips. "You better be at the show, missy." Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. "Babe, you are talking to the Rainbow Dash. I'm not late for any Wonderbolt shows." said the cyan Pegasus with a grin. Spitfire giggled and kissed the mare on the forehead, "Alright. I will see you two later. Bye!" With that, the formly injured Pegasus took to the sky, guiding herself in the direction of Cloudsdale. As she flew, she thought of all the possible ways to broach this subject with the team and the manager. The team itself will be more accepting. The manager, however, will not take kind to his most talented flier taking a staff job or just dropping out completely. After a few minutes of flight, the great sky city of Cloudsdale came into view. She smiled slightly at the city she has called home for her entire life. It was only for a few more days she gets to call it that before Ponyville takes its title of the Wonderbolts home. Ex-Wonderbolt, rather. It was a huge change. But for Rainbow, it was worth it. As long as she got to wake up in the arms of the cyan Pegasus, it was all good. Spitfire whipped through the skies above the city, curving around the larger buildings and factories. Her target was the arena in the very center of the city. Right next to it, the HQ of the Wonderbolts. A large building that handled all of the meetings, scheduling, and at times, housed the Wonderbolts themselves. Spitfire herself hated sleeping in the building opposed to her normal housing. From her position a good fifty feet above the arena, she could see the figures of the rest of the team whipping around the stadium as they practiced for the final show of the season in a few days. She smirked before angling herself to aim for the center of the stadium. She took a deep breath and barreled downwards, her fiery contrail trailing behind her as she descended rapidly. Just as she was approaching the cloud floor, she pulled up and arched in the air before back pedaling, slowing her ascent. She hovered there with a smirk, watching as the other Wonderbolts recovered from the suprise dive. "You should see your faces." said the orange mare, laughing. Sorain was the first to reach her. "Damnit, Spitfire, you gave us all an heart attack!" Said the white stallion. Spitfire rolled her eyes. "Go whine to your apple farmer marefriend, Mallow." replied Spitfire. Sorain blushed. "A-Applejack is not my m-marefriend." stammered the stallion. Spitfire raised an eyebrow. "You sure? That blush and the constant trips to Ponyville tell me differently." said the captain with a smirk. Sorain looked away and mumbled. "Well, I don't see you with a coltfriend, Spit." said Sorain as he got his blush under control. Spitfire rolled her eyes again. "I'm gay, Mallow. The whole team knows that." "Fine. Marefriend then. I don't see you with one." Spitfire looked away with a blush. Sorain grinned in victory. "So you do have one." said the stallion. Spitfire huffed. "So? That only means I'm throwing my work onto you now." said Spitfire. Now was the time she had to say it. The entire team was here, the manager just having flown towards the group after seeing her drop from the sky from in the stands. "So, I may have fallen for Rainbow Dash and we may be dating but..." She but her lip. "I'm going to have to resign from the Wonderbolts." "What?!" Spitfire winced. She knew this was going to happen but that didn't change the fact it hurt. Let alone loud as fuck since they were right in front of her. "My Wonderbolt schedule would be too much for us. You know how our tours are. I'm suprised Soarin hasn't dropped out for AJ." said Spitfire. "But couldn't she just come with us on tours?" Asked Fleetfoot. Spitfire shook her head. "Nope. She is the element of loyalty, meaning she has to be prepared to leave at a moments notice for some national disaster waiting to destroy Equestria. That and she has a filly." "A filly? When the buck did she get a filly?" Asked Soarin. "She had her when she was a senior in high school. She just got reunited with her daughter a few years ago. From what I can tell, they get along perfectly but the fact that she abandoned her daughter still haunts her." said Spitfire. "So, to stay with your marefriend and make sure your marefriend wont have to part from her daughter, you are going to quit your dream job?" Asked Soarin. Spitfire nodded. Sunny Skies, the manager for the Womderbolts, had stayed quiet for the entire time, though still shocked that she was quitting. "Spitfire, you know that I can't let you go with good mind just yet. It's the very end of the season and we hit publicity tours just shortly after this next show. You are our best flier." said the elder stallion. Spitfire sighed. "Sorry, Sunny. You are going to have to find someone else. As soon as that show ends, I'm out. And I'll go home with my marefriend, listen to Scoots go on about how awesome the show was, and fall asleep in a pile with my new family. It's what I want and you have no right to keep it away from me." said Spitfire with a small smile. There was silence as Sunny Skies took all this in. He was going to have to deal with all of this, but for now... "You will get your final paycheck after the show including your cut for the show." Spitfire nodded before taking back into her usual command as captain, taking her last few days as one. Meanwhile, Sunny Skies went over the situation. He could not let his best flier walk out on the account on just some mare. What was the point? Ideas ran through his head before he remembered something Spitfire had said. She said Scoots, whoever that was, was going to be talking about how the show was. If he gauged correctly, this Sccots character was the foal of Rainbow Dash, the marefriend of Spitfire. If he could set something up, he could find a way to remove Rainbow Dash from the picture. He would ask her to break it off, and if that failed, he could always cut one or two strings, or a throat if he had to. He hummed slightly as the thoughts came to his mind, he smiled slightly as he watched the oblivious orange Pegasus fly around in formations with the rest of the teams. All he needed to do was just ask a few favors, and he would have his prized flier back. > The final show of Captain Spitfire > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spitfire took a deep breath to collect herself, trying her best to not squee at the fact that her marefriend was obviously in the audience. She also wanted to get the show over as fast as possible since she had a suprise at the end. Well, besides her resigning from the Wonderbolts but that was a suprise too, kinda. The crowds cheers and stomping sounded through the walls and made the less secure objects on the wall rattle from the vibrations. They were always ready for final show of the season where the Wonderbolts pull all the stops without killing themselves just for one show to blow the minds of every single pony that was watching. Spitfire was focusing on the minds of two specific audience members she wanted to impress and send their brains all over the crowd, metaphorically speaking. She took a deep breath as the announcer called one more minute. She stretched out her wings full span, her feathers tingling in the electricity in the air. She was on a whole new high, and she was sure it was going to send her high into the sky for a show to end the season. All she needed to do, was to do the flying and tricks, all the rest was up to the air and the mood of the night. "You're on! Go, go go!" With one great down thrust and kick of her hind legs, Spitfire went barreling out of the tunnel and out into the stadium. The house lights were on, shining brightly against the night as she ascended, the other Womderbolts hot on her tail as they climbed higher them above the stadium all together. They slowed down enough so they formed a pyramid before they stopped pumping. They leaned back and arched through the sky, Spitfire diving to the head of the pyramid once again as it flipped upside down. They were no racing back down at breakneck speed, enough to go straight through the stadium and quite possibly crash into the ground before the cloud extra removed itself from their vision, Spitfire pulled up before she could crash into and through the stadium floor, Spitfire pulled up sharply and successfully came to a hover before the crowd. The other Wonderbolts came up behind her in perfect synchronization. They flew off in different directions to begin the final show of the season, and the final show of Spitfire's carrier. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sunny Skies sat in his V.I.P box as he watched the Wonderbolts preform, Spitfire to be exact. The black stallion next to him watched as well, his red mane falling slightly over his eyes. "You have the payment?" Asked the stallion. Sunny slid a brief case over to the stallion. "You get the other half after the two are taken care of. Make sure she sees them go, she needs to know she is not allowed to leave." said Sunny. The stallion nodded before taking the brief case and exiting the booth. Sunny smiled and watched the show. "I tried to warn you, Spits. No one cam leave the Wonderbolts until they are told they can leave. I would have liked not to waste such great talent but sacrifices need to be made in the world of buisness." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The show was ending. Spitfire could tell that they were just a few more moves, a few more stunts away from ending and Spitfire's biggest confession yet, and one to hopefully keep Sunny Skies off of her back. She wasn't dumb. She knew Sunny would try to remove Rainbow and Scootaloo from her life so she could stay in the Wonderbolts. But, if she made the relationship public and Sunny did kill them, the public would protest that she needed time away from the Wonderbolts, or to be pulled out of it completely. Even strong headed athletes can have bright ideas. Spitfire hovered above the stadium, the Wonderbolts in a line. Spitfire breathed in the cool night air and felt it rush past her wings. She exhaled and smiled down at the stadium. "Alright, ladies, this is it. Let's show them off from the season and make it one hell of a good-bye for Captain Spitfire!" Yelled Soarin as he hovered next her. There was a chorus of agreement. Spitfire opened her eyes and smirked. It was time. Everyone except Spitfire did a free fall from the insane height above the stadium. With a deep breath, Spitfire dove, pushing herself to her limits. "Remember now, that barrier will be a complete bitch when you come to it. The trick is not to slow done or to follow it, but to push against it. Don't struggle or it will flung you back, got it?" Asked Dash. Spitfire nodded. She looked down at the expanse of green that was the ground. Taking a deep breath Spitfire dove. The air rushed past her as she pushed against the air, fighting it. Soon, a cone appeared around her body. Ignoring it completely, Spitfire pushed against it harder, trying to break through the nearly-invisible barrier. She was about to break through when she shifted ever so slightly. She cried out as the air flow changed drastically and flung her away. Seeing this, Rainbow Dash rushed after her and caught her mid-air. "Fuck, I was so close." said Spitfire as she recovered her breath. Dash chuckled. "You'll get it one day. I know you will." said Dash, kissing her ever so slightly. Spitfire cried out and punched the barrier, literally. There was a loud crack as Spitfire broke through the barrier. A ring of fire spread out from the area she broke through. Behind her was a contrail of pure fire as she race down, passing the ring of Wonderbolts, and arcing into the sky and across the stadium. She whipped back around and joined the other Wonderbolts center stage, bowing as she landed. "And that, ladies, is how you end a career." said Spitfire as she straightened from her bow. A mic rose out from the center of the stage, signaling it was time for her public resignation. Taking a deep breath, Spitfire walked forwards to the microphone. "How did you like that?!" She shouted into the mic. A thunderous roar that caused her ears to splay back answered her. She grinned. "Now, this show had a few more important meanings tonight besides the end of the season." said Spitfire into the mic. Spitfire removed her goggles and let them hang from around her neck. "Long ago, my dream was to become a Wonderbolt. I trained for hours straight everyday, pushing myself to my limit, which I believe I broke today." said Spitfire pointing a hoof at the disappearing fire ring. "Needless to say, I passed training with ease and joined the roster. Only a year later and I became captain. "However, my dream has changed since then and no less thanks to a certain mare in my life. She showed me that not everything is about being a Wonderbolt, flying to and past your limits just before death, and earning countless bits. No, she is a normal pony like the rest of you. She had the average job, a home she worked tooth and hoof for, and a daughter she loves more than anything and would throw her life away to protect her. This mare has succeeded in taking the heart of this Wonderbolt. "And with that I say two things. One, I will resign from the Wonderbolts to live my dream of being normal and having a family and will miss you all. Secondly," Spitfire dropped the mic and flew into the air, her targets position burned into her mind. Rainbow had no time to react as her lips were stolen away by an orange blur. The stadium disappeared as they kissed, tears soaking the cheeks of Rainbow Dash as her emotions flooded her. Time has hardly existent but soon pulled them apart. Spitfire leaned her forehead against her marefriend's. "I love you, Dash." said Spitfire softly, still audible over the roar of the crowd. "I-I love ya too, Spits." said Rainbow, wiping her tears away with a hoof. The crowd cheered for what had to be the best way to wrap up a short, but plentiful career. Thus ended the final show of Captain Spitfire Storm. > Revenge is bitter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunny Skies scanned the streets around the stadium until he found what he was looking for, an old abandoned cloud house not far off but close enough that Dash and her daughter would have to pass it first if they wanted to get home. He knocked on the door thrice, waiting for an answer. Three knocks came from the other side, allowing him entrance. He huffed and kicked open the door, making sure to close it behind him. "For professional hit men, you suck at being careful." He stated as he walked in. The black stallion, Blaze, scoffed. "And you suck at keeping your athletes in check. Now, what in Tartarus are you doing here? They'll be coming out any minute." Asked Blaze, preparing a menacing looking knife. "Spitfire was smart. I want you to kidnap them, all three of them, and bring them to the cloud docks. I wanted to avoid this but it doesn't seem possible anymore." said Skies with a sigh. Blaze sighed and set down the knife. "Damn, I really wanted to use this thing. Alright, we will meet you there, just remember the rest of our payment." Skies smiled, a smile that he wore during meetings and in public, a smile that promised sweet lies. "Of course. Gentlecolts, I bid you farewell." With that, Skies walked back out the way he came before taking flight to his next destination, smiling all the way. ~~~~~~~~ "Then at the end when you broke the barrier it looked like you actually punched the barrier,” said Scootaloo, jumping around on her mothers back. The three of them were heading back from the stadium, walking down the walkway to where they could easily fly off to home. Normally the two older mares would be able to do it with ease, Scootaloo made this difficult, however. So, they decided to walk to a large enough clearing. "I did punch it, actually." said Spitfire with a smirk. Scootaloo stared wide eyed at the mare with a look of pure amazement. Even Rainbow Dash, the first Pegasus to break the barrier, looked at her in shock. "Well, way to go and steal my awesomeness, babe." said Rainbow with a chuckle. Spitfire giggled and pecked her forehead, causing Scootaloo to gag in the background. "You are dating a former Wonderbolt, I think you still qualify as awesome." said Spitfire, guiding the three of them down the street. Rainbow Dash blushed and looked away. In Spitfire's opinion, it was the best night ever. Well, until it was ruined. "I'm going to ask you to come with us, Miss Spitfire." said a gruff voice from behind her. The former Wonderbolt turned to find a black stallion with a red mane standing right behind her. "I'm sorry, I was just heading home with my marefriend. You can try and contact me later," said Spitfire, getting ready to turn around. The stallion stopped her and pointed to Rainbow Dash, the Pegasus sweating as another stood directly behind her. Scootaloo's trembling was enough of a sign for her. "I don't believe I asked." Spitfire growled before reluctantly following the stallion, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo not far behind while the cyan mare was held at knife point. These ponies were professional, she could tell that much. If the way they kept stoic control was a sign, the way they knew how to keep her in check was a big enough sign of it all. They wouldn't hesitate to do something to Rainbow if she stepped out of line. "How much is Sunny paying you?" Asked Spitfire, following the stallion down an alley. The stallion glanced back at her before putting his attention back on the way ahead. "Half a million before, another half after. All we need to do is get you there and do what whatever it is we need to do." replied the stallion. Well, he sure was making sure she stayed. "Where is 'there' exactly?" Asked the former Wonderbolt, raising an eyebrow. The stallion didn't answer. However, he pointed forward at one of the most cliché places for murder. The docks. The Cloud Docks to be exact. The area where shipments from other weather stations enter and leave from. It was a clear three thousand foot drop to the ground, even for pegasi that is instant death. "The docks. Like I haven't seen that in a thousand gangster movies," muttered Dash, earning a sharp poke in the back of the neck. She gave off a yelp and walked just a tad faster to escape the sharp object that had so rudely poked her. They soon entered the docks, the two brute stallions escorting them to one of the further piers. Spitfire could see Sunny Skies sitting down on the edge of the pier, looking over the night sky. His hind legs swung out over the edge as he watched on. "I know this place seems cliché, but I've always found this place beautiful. Would you believe that I used to work here before becoming the Wonderbolts manager? Those were the days," said Skies, not even looking at them as they approached. He stood up as they stopped before him and turned towards them. "I was hoping to avoid this Spitfire. It was going to be a quick in and out. Kill the mare and filly, and hide the bodies. However, that 'announcement' of yours seemed to complicate things. So, now I have to resort to plan B," said Skies, circling the three. "Is plan B ,e kicking your ass into next decade? Because that sounds like an awesome idea right now." said Spitfire, glaring at him. Skies chuckled and shook his head. "Ha ha, no. I'm going to see how much you actually care for these two," said Skies. He proceeded to grab Scootaloo by the scruff of her neck. Rainbow Dash went to tackle him but was held back by the black stallion. Skies wrapped rope around the terrified filly's Wings and tied up her hooves. After making sure she was securely tied, he took her to the edge of the pier. "Now, Spitfire, will you rethink your resignation or will I have to kill such a beautiful young filly for you to understand that I cannot let you walk away from the Wonderbolts until I say you can?" Spitfire held back on the urge to rush forward and beat him to death. She needed to think, Scootaloo was hanging over the edge of the pier and she had come to see the talented filly as her own daughter. With that in her mind she chose. "No, I am not coming back to the Wonderbolts. And I am not going to let you kill Scootaloo." With that she leaped forward with a yell and tackled Skies, all three of them barreling to the ground. She had three thousand feet, and she planned on making them count. She punched him repeatedly in the face and grabbed onto one of his wings, stomping down with a hoof and breaking it. Skies howled in pain and free fell down. Spitfire, taking this moment to regain herself, flew down to Scootaloo who screamed as she fell. "Got ya!" Shouted Spitfire, catching her in mid-air. Just as she did, another scream was heard from above them. Spitfire looked up to see a similarly bound Rainbow Dash fall head first off of the edge. "Shiiit!" Cried out Rainbow. Spitfire cursed and rushed forward, sticking out her free hoof and catching her. She groaned and heaved the mare onto her back. "I think now is a good time to head home before somepony finds the pony sized crater down there." said Spitfire, altering her course to where she knew Ponyville was. Rainbow nodded. > Finale > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wonderbolts manager found dead below Cloudsdale Cloud Docks. Sunny Skies, manager of the Wonderbolts, was found dead below the Cloudsdale Cloud Docks last night around two hours after the last show of former Wonderbolt Spitfire. According to Miss Spitfire, she was foalnapped by hit stallions under the employment of Mr Skies. She was accompanied by her marefriend, Rainbow Dash, and Miss Dash's filly, Scootaloo. "The flank hole was all pissed Spitfire quit," said Rainbow Dash as she was questioned by the press outside Cloudsdale Police Station, "The little sh** threatened to drop Scoots from the docks." It is reported that Miss Scootaloo was indeed dropped from the docks. As a result, Spitfire took action and tackled Skies off of the pier. This fight downwards ended with Skies receiving a broken wing from Spitfire defending herself from his hits and the stallion falling to his death. Meanwhile, Spitfire was able to save Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash, the latter being tied and thrown off shortly after Spitfire and Skies fell. "We were able to locate the two hit stallions Spitfire was able to describe. One committed suicide before we got to him while the other injured two police ponies before being restrained," said Captain Bright Shield of the Cloudsdale Police Force, "We are trying this stallion for foal napping and attempted murder. We will make sure he doesn't have the chance to try this again." Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo Dash were diagnosed with minor injuries while Scootaloo may need therapy later on in her life. The three were released after small questioning. Equestria Daily will have more on this story as more news is available. Celestia set down the newspaper onto the small side table next to her throne. She looked back down at the two pegasi in front of her throne. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, each looking deathly nervous as to why they were asked audience with the Princess. Celestia sighed. "I hope you both understand the rumors this puts onto both the Wonderbolts and the Elements of Harmony," said the princess as she massaged her temple with a hoof while keeping her gaze on the two. "Nobles are wanting the Elements stripped of their noble ranks due to the thinking that each are reckless and homicidal. They are also asking me to either put each Wonderbolt and Wonderbolt staff member under strict questioning, or remove the Wonderbolts completely. There is also talks of you losing Scootaloo due to beliefs that you are unfit to mother her, Rainbow Dash," The cyan Pegasus flinched, her wings fluttering in annoyance. "In the public eye, you did the right thing. You stopped a corrupted pony with high connections from getting his money through murder and blackmail. You helped bring in a notorious hit stallion that's been on the run for years. But sadly, it's not the public view that these decisions are based off. "Corruption spreads as far as the nobles in today's society, this disappoints me to no end. These ponies have power. Power to make another ponies life a living hell and all they have to do is sign their name on a check. To them, you are a threat to money production that we get from the Wonderbolts. They also fear you. Fear that they might be discovered themselves for their own dark crimes, and some, such as my own nephew, just want to see you and other ponies squirm," said the princess, frowning. "Then what do we do, Princess? I don't want the Wonderbolts to be punished for this, nor the Elements, and Scootaloo can't take losing her mother again, nor can I." Asked Dash, worried. Celestia thought it over. "We fight off their corruption. We put out as many points we can to overrule noble vote with both public vote and the vote of the Princesses. Both Luna and I are glad you two are together. I also must congratulate you, Spitfire, for a finale many will remember for years to come," said Celestia, smiling. Spitfire smiled back and nodded. "So we just have to sit back and hope this all blows over?" Asked Spitfire, her smile falling back to a frown. Celestia nodded. "I'm afraid so. If their was another way, I would tell you. Now go. Your daughter waits outside and you might all want to head home after a very eventful few days," said Celestia, smiling as she stood. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire bowed and turned towards the doors. "Do you think they will try to take Scoots?" Asked Spitfire as they walked out of the throne room. "Try. They will have to get passed a pissed and protective mother first," said Dash with a smirk. Spitfire laughed and pecked her cheek. There was a gagging sound and they looked to see Scootaloo phantomining shoving a hoof down her throat. Dash narrowed her eyes at the filly. "So that's how you want to play it? Alright." Dash gave out a war cry as she leapt forward, tackling the filly in a barrage of tickles. Scootaloo bursted out in laughter at the tickle onslaught, causing Spitfire to giggle at the sight of the two. "Alright, you two, let's head to the train station so we can make the Ponyville train." said Spitfire, shaking her head. Scootaloo climbed onto her mothers back and the three of them made their way out of the castle. "So, how do you think the others will take it? The other Elements didn't know when I left and not only did you announce I was yours with a Sonic Fireboom and a kiss, we just damn near died a few days ago," said Dash. Spitfire shrugged. "I don't know. Applejack might already know considering she is Soarin's marefriend. As for the others, I don't know. As for reactions, we should be received well but smothered and questioned beyond belief," said the fiery maned mare. The train station soon came into view, the various trains and ponies standing out in the slow wake of the morning. The train that sat on the platform their tickets indicated that they still had time till the train made its journey to Ponyville. "Mom, why are we taking the train home when we can just fly?" Asked the orange filly on Dash's back. "Multiple reasons. One being we threw out Spitfire's wings when she carried us back to Cloudsdale. Then there is the fact that we want the time to prepare for whatever is going to greet us when we get there," said Dash, looking over her shoulder at the filly. Scootaloo made an 'o' shape with her mouth and nodded with a bright grin. Rainbow smiled and returned her focus to the road ahead. "You ready for this?" She asked, turning to Spitfire. The Pegasus mare nodded. "About as ready as I will ever be. This is going to be an interesting few days." ~~~~~Ponyville Train Station~~~~~ "Okay, just remember that Pinkie will attempt to tackle you into a hug. You should be fine as long as you are prepared for that," said Rainbow Dash as the train station pulled into Ponyville. Spitfire rolled her eyes as she stood. "Dash, I can handle myself, thank you very much," said the orange mare, sticking her tongue out. Scootaloo and Rainbow gave each other worried glances as Spitfire stepped off of the train and onto the platform without incident. "See? Nothing." said Spitfire with a grin. "One," deadpanned the mother and daughter. Spitfire raised an eyebrow. "Two." "What are you two doing?" "Three," Directly on cue, a pink blur tackled the orange Pegasus, knocking the wind out of her as the two tumbled down the platform. Rainbow and Scoots hoof bumped before stepping safely off the train. "How long do you think it will be until she feels safe to step outside?" Asked Rainbow, smirking at the filly. Scootaloo looked over at Spitfire who was trying to remove the pink mare from her chest. Pinkie, however, refused and rambled off greetings and who knows what else. "Maybe a few days," said the filly. Dash chuckled and turned to see the rest of her friend walking up to her. "Good ta see y'all are all cheery after what happened," said AJ as they approached. The group shared a hug, Scootaloo jumping down and tackling the other two members in a death grip. "I've had some good company to help get me through. Though, I think Pinkie just might suffocate her," said Dash, looking over at her marefriend as she tried to get the pink mare off of her. "Pinkie, I think Spitfire would appreciate it if you got off her," said Twilight with a giggle. The pink mare hopped off of Spitfire with a smile and bounced over to the group, leaving the former Wonderbolt to try and fill her lungs again. "I...can breathe!" Announced Spitfire, standing shakily. Rainbow bursted out in laughter. "Oh Luna that was hilarious!" Said the cyan mare. Spitfire huffed and punched her arm. "Oh hush, or do I have to remind you of how I had to remove you from the stands last show because you were pretty much glued to the your seat with a goofy grin on your face?" Asked Spitfire with a smirk. Rainbow blushed and looked away. "I have no clue what you are talking about," said the cyan Pegasus. Spitfire giggled. "You know. The fact that it was broadcasted live made that much sweeter," said Spitfire, grinning now. Rainbow turned a red enough crimson that she could match Big Mac. "You are not going to let me live that down, are you?" She asked. Spitfire grinned and shook her head. Rainbow Dash sighed in defeat. "Yup. I'm going to hide in my room from now on," said the mare. Spitfire pouted. "Are you embarrassed about being my marefriend, Dashie? I thought you loved me," said Spitfire, pulling off the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster. Dash stared at her for a moment before leaping at the mare. Spitfire yelped as a set of cyan lips pressed against her while she was tackled to the ground. The two rolled to a stop, Dash gaining dominance as she kept her lips locked on Spitfire's. She held the position for a moment before standing, grinning. "Who is the one frozen in place with a goofy grin?" She asked. It took Spitfire a moment to understand what she said. When she did, she blushed deeply at the comment. "Oh shut up and help me off the ground," said the orange mare. Dash laughed and held out a hoof. Spitfire grabbed a hold and yanked her down for a kiss, holding it for a second before using Dash to get up. "Danke, dear," said Spitfire, walking past the cyan mare towards the group of giggling mares. Rainbow Dash shook her head before laughing, following behind her marefriend. It was definitely going to be a beautiful relationship.