> Seven Days with Spitfire
>  by TN-Scotsman
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Day 1 – Shattered Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bright yellow pegasus with the fiery colored mane flew as fast as she could.  In her years with the Wonderbolts, she had never pushed herself like this.  Her wings felt like they were on fire, but she pushed her muscles even further.  Her goal was coming into view.  She just hoped the help she needed would be available.

Rainbow Dash rolled over and rubbed her eyes.  Yawning, she grumbled about having to even get out of bed.  She was so comfortable.  If the sun were just not as bright, she could go right back to sleep.  Still, today was a big day for work.  She knew she had to get up and get moving.  Rolling out of bed and thumping heavily on the floor, she blinked her eyes and smacked her tongue in her mouth trying to figure out the taste the morning brought.  Walking toward her bathroom, she placed her hoof gently on the one poster on her wall.  “Morning, Spitfire.”

After taking her shower and brushing her teeth, Rainbow felt much better.  Still grumpy, but at least the mystery taste was gone.  She made her way to her kitchen for a light breakfast and some juice.  Rainbow had her head stuck deep in her refrigerator looking for the juice when there was a loud and rapid knocking at her door.

“OUCH!” Rainbow yelled as she banged her head in the fridge, jumping from the startle the knocking at the door gave her.  As she was rubbing the bump on her head, there was even more frantic knocking on her front door.

“All right, all right, I’m coming!” Dash called out.  Walking over to the door, her head still stinging, she yanked the door open yelling “Who is it and what do you wan…HAY!”  She never finished her question.  Instead she was knocked to the floor by whomever or whatever was behind the door.  Picking herself up from the floor to she started looking for the culprit.  “Alright, you jerk.  You’ve got Ten seconds to explain or else I’m going to kick your ...”  For the second time in less than Five minutes, the brash Rainbow Dash found herself unable to finish a sentence.  This time, however, she was just sitting there with her mouth open staring at the intruder in her home.

“Rainbow Dash…I’m really…really…sorry…but I didn’t…know where else…to go.”  The breathless intruder panted out.

“Sp-Sp-Sp-Spitfire?!”

“Shh…please be quiet. They could be right outside.”

“Spitfire? In my house!”  Dash exclaimed, completely starstruck.

“I said quiet.  Please!”

At that moment, another knock at the door sent the fiery pegasus into a panic, running across the room and hiding in Rainbow Dash’s kitchen.

“Whoever it is, I AM NOT HERE.  Please.  I AM NOT HERE.”

Rainbow Dash was dumbfounded.  ‘Is she afraid?  I think she is.  What in Equestria could she be afraid of?’ 

Rainbow Dash slowly opened the door, just enough to squeeze through and greet whomever it was on her stoop.

“Hello Miss Dash.  Do you remember us?”

“Fleetfoot? Rapidfire?”

“Oh, good, you do remember us.” Fleetfoot exclaimed.

“Well yeah, of course I do.  I love you guys.  I’m your number one fan, but why are thre…er...um..I mean two members of the Wonderbolts doing at my house?”  Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe how she had nearly screwed up there.  ‘Keep it together, Rainbow.  You are not some starstruck filly.  You are Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, and there is a friend inside that needs you.  Keep it together.’

“Well Miss Dash, we sort of need your help.  We were wondering if you have seen our friend Spitfire?  She left the Wonderbolts compound a few days ago and hasn’t reported back.  We just want to make sure she’s OK and get her back to the compound.”

“Spitfire, hmm, Spitfire, she’s the yellow one right?” Dash joked, punching Rapidfire on the shoulder.

“Yes.  The yellow one,” Rapidfire replied flatly.

“Heh heh.  Sorry.”

“Have you seen her?”

“Oh, yeah, right.  No I haven’t.  You two are the first Wonderbolts I’ve seen today,” Dash lied.

“Well, if you do see her, let her know we’re looking for her.  Who knows, maybe if you help us find her we might be able to find a spot for you on the team.”

“REALLY?”  Rainbow’s eyes widened.  Her dream was in her reach, but it would mean ratting out Spitfire.  She looked so frightened earlier.  “Well, I will definitely keep both my eyes out for her.”

“Thank you, Miss Dash.”  And with that, the two Wonderbolts flew off.

“Fleetfoot, you know that filly knows where she is right?  She’s probably inside her house right now.”

“Yeah, I know.  Let’s go back and tell Soarin.  Maybe we’ll come back later tonight and see if we can catch her then.”

Rainbow Dash watched as two of her idols flew off.  Nearly forgetting about the idol that was hiding in her kitchen, she quickly turned and ran back into her house.

“They’re gone.  Now, you want to tell me what the hay this is all about?”

“I do, and I will, but right now I’m exhausted and sweaty.  Can I use your shower to get cleaned up a little first?”

“What?” Rainbow Dash replied, cocking her head sideways in confusion.

“Your shower.  I’d like to use it.  I stink and would like to freshen up, but I don’t know where it is.”

“Ah, sure, it’s upstairs and to the right,” Rainbow nodded in the direction and noticed the clock on the wall.

“Is that the time?  Oh, I going to be in so much trouble.  Look, will you be OK for a little while on your own?  I’ve kind of got a work thing I need to take care of.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, as long as you don’t mind a stranger in your house,”  Spitfire joked.  “Just be sure to lock up like you would on a normal day, and please remember, I am not here.  I’ll explain everything when you get back, I promise.”

As Rainbow left, Spitfire stayed a little tense until she heard the door lock.  Once alone, she let out a sigh of relief, and allowed herself to relax a little for the first time in days.  Looking around Rainbow Dash’s home, Spitfire was surprised by the amount of room and how few decorations there were.  There was just a simple functional kitchen, and a couch and coffee table in the living room. There were no pictures on the wall, no fake plastic plants, not even curtains.  

She made her way up the stairs to the bathroom.  “Oh thank sweet Celestia!  This is what I really need!”  In the middle of the room was a large, beautiful bathtub.  “A nice long soak in some bubbles with a little lavender bath salts, oh, this will be great.”  Spitfire started filling the tub, getting the water to the right temperature, and then she started looking around for the bubbles and bath salts.  “Oh, great.  You mean to tell me she doesn’t have anything  here but soap and shampoo?  I knew she was a tomboy, but not even the basic necessities?”

Spitfire, now grumpy, tired, smelly, and sweaty, decided to just grab the shampoo bottle and use it for bubble bath.  “Better than nothing, I guess.”  She then lowered herself into the tub and allowed the hot water to relax her tired muscles.

Draining the tub and drying herself off, Spitfire decided to explore a little more and try to find someplace to take a nap.  Conveniently, the bedroom was right across the hall.  Again, she noticed that it was roomy, but hardly decorated.  The bed wasn’t even made.  She did notice one small picture on the night stand.  Picking it up, she saw it was group shot of Rainbow and all her friends.  Smiling, laughing, they looked very happy.  Spitfire placed it back on the nightstand and then noticed the large poster on the wall.  It caused some tears to swell into her eyes.  She turned from the poster and walked toward the bed.  “No more.”  She wanted to rip the poster from the wall, but she was just too tired.  All she could do was collapse on the bed and go to sleep.

Spitfire awoke with a start.  It took her a panicked few seconds to remember just where she was and what was going on.  She heard the front door close and hoof steps coming her way.  The sun was setting, so she was hoping it was Rainbow Dash, but she still hid behind the bed, just in case.

“Spitfire, are you still here?”

“Oh, Rainbow. Thank goodness it’s you.”

“You okay?  You seem a little edgy,” she said, noticing that Spitfire was still hiding behind the bed.

Blushing, Spitfire came out from her hiding spot. “Yeah, sorry.  I guess I am edgy and I think I owe you an explanation.  What say I tell you over dinner?  I’m starving.”

“Well we could go out.”

“NO!  We can’t go out.  Don’t you have anything here?  Can we order in?”

“Yeah, I guess I could run out and get something.  Pizza okay?”

“Throw some beer in there and I’m in.  Here, let me give you some money for everything and I’ll wait for you here.”

Once again, confused and starstruck, the rainbow colored pegasus left her home with her idol staying behind.  “I wonder what’s going on here.  Why are the others looking for her?  Why is she hiding?  Why is she so frightened?  Why the hay did she come to me?”  Rainbow was so distracted by her inner monologue she actually walked past the pizza place.

Returning with the pizza and beer, Rainbow found Spitfire sitting on her living room couch with plates and napkins set up on her coffee table.

“You don’t have a dining room table, so I guessed you just use this.”

“Yeah, I don’t really have a lot in the way of furniture I suppose.”

“Even less in decorations.  Do you really spend so little time here that you don’t mind it?  I mean this is a great place.  It has so much room and potential.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked turning her head sideways with a confused look on her face,  “You’re the last pony I ever thought would try to give me home decorating advice.  I mean you’re Spitfire, one of the fastest and toughest of the Wonderbolts.  Why would you ever care about decorating or anything like that?”

“Well I may be one of the Wonderbolts, but I’m still a mare that enjoys some of the finer things in life.  You know, like a pillow or a dining room table or, oh yeah, bubble bath and bath salts.”

“Wow.”  Rainbow Dash was speechless, standing there with pizza and beer getting lectured about bath salts and pillows by her idol.

“Well, come on.  Let’s eat before the pizza gets cold and the beer gets warm.”

The two sat, ate and drank quietly for a while.  Rainbow tried to get used to the idea of Spitfire being right beside her.  Years of worship and adoration and she was right there.  Eating pizza.  Drinking beer.  This was almost more than she could handle.  Yet, at the same time Dash noticed that there was something more there, something fragile and scared, something very non-hero-like.

“Well, I guess I owe you an explanation.  I’m trying to leave the Wonderbolts and I need your help.  You’re really the only pony that I know outside the Wonderbolts, even though I don’t know you that well.  I know you and your friends are the Elements of Harmony, you’re the Element of Loyalty, and you saved my life once.  I just need you to do it again.”

Rainbow Dash nearly spit the mouthful of beer all over the room, just barely gulping it down.

“You’re leaving the Wonderbolts?!  Why in Celestia’s name would you ever want to leave the Wonderbolts?  I’ve been trying for years to get in and you want to leave?  What’s wrong with you?  Have you hit your head?  Are you insane?”

“Rainbow, please settle down.  I know how important the Wonderbolts are to you, and I knew this would be a shock, but you’ve got to understand, once you’re in the Wonderbolts, it’s not all fame, glory, and fans.”

“Okay then, why don’t you tell me what it’s really like and why you’re leaving?  Wait.  You said you were trying to leave, didn’t you.”

“Yes, I did.  You see, once you’re in the Wonderbolts, you can only get out one of three ways.  One, you get too injured to ever perform again. Two, your teammates vote you out.  Three, you die performing.”

“Whoa...I had no idea.”

Spitfire hung her head.  She was revealing a secret world.  She knew the cost if any of this ever got out.

“When we’re not at fan events, races, shows, or galas we’re practicing, working out, trying to get better. You always have to get better.  If someone sees you’re weak or scared during a trick, they’ll exploit that to try and move higher in the team.  If you get hurt, you do get great doctors and treatment, but when you get back, you’re so far behind, you usually end up on the practice squad or a support group.  No one has ever been voted out of the Wonderbolts.  That’s what keeps it looking like a big happy family.  You do get voted into lower positions with lower pay.  In some cases, these are very dangerous positions, like for some of the set up crew.  Who do you think handles all our pyrotechnic equipment?  They’re former Wonderbolts that couldn’t hack it anymore.”

Tears were welling in Rainbow Dash’s eyes.  One of her greatest heroes is sitting across from her telling her that her dream life is in fact a living nightmare.

“Why are you telling me all this?” Rainbow sobbed.  “You’re destroying the Wonderbolts for me.  Why?  I’ve idolized and worshiped the Wonderbolts, you, for so many years.  Now you’re telling me the Wonderbolts are awful?  WHY?”

“You wanted the truth, and I thought you deserved the full truth.  If you’re up for it, there is more you need to hear.”

“More?  How much worse can it get?”

“Well you know we all train and live at the Wonderbolts compound.  Bet you didn’t know, none of us are allowed to have a place of our own outside the compound.  No other homes.  No relationships.  No distractions.  Once you sign that contract to be a Wonderbolt that is your entire life.  A life filled with cheers and adoring fans.  A life filled with pain and exhaustion.  A life filled looking over your shoulder, watching your back, waiting for the knife to come stab you.  Sometimes, when it’s really bad, it is a life hoping for death, just so you don’t have to do it anymore.  The freedom you think you see in being a Wonderbolt; that’s all part of the act.  We’re slaves to the franchise.  High end show ponies until we die.” 

Spitfire was crying now, holding her head in her hooves.  She had just revealed the darkest secrets of her family.  She had just shattered the dreams of the one pony she thought she could call “friend”.

As Spitfire continued her tale of the horrors of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash hung her head lower and lower, tears streaming down her face, and her heart breaking with every story.  
Eventually, her sadness gave way to a wave of anger and frustration.

“STOP IT!  I’ve heard enough.  So the life of a Wonderbolt is hard work, competition and danger and you just can’t hack it anymore.  Is that what I’m hearing you say?  You’re nothing more than a quitter.  You’ve gotten soft and scared.  You’re a coward.”

These words hit Spitfire like a knife to her heart.  She knew Rainbow Dash was a huge fan, but she never expected this kind of reaction.  She fell silent except for her sobs.  She tried to look at Rainbow Dash, but the anger in Dash’s eyes was too intense.  Still, she was Spitfire.  She had been a Wonderbolt.  She reached as deep as she could and pull up the last bit of courage to counter her friend.

“Well, if you want to be mean about it, yeah.  I can’t hack.  I want to quit.  I don’t want die in an accident.  I want my own life again.  If that makes me a quitter and a coward, then that is what I am now.  I never knew the Wonderbolts would be like this until after I joined.  If I had known, I never would have signed that contract.  Rainbow, please, you have to understand.  I told you things that no one else knows.  No one can ever know.  I just sold out my family’s darkest secrets to you, because I want out.  I want to be able to fly again, for me.  Not for a show or to keep my place in the group, but for the freedom of flying.  I want what you have.”

“And I’ve always wanted what you have,”  Rainbow interrupted.  Her anger at Spitfire still strong.  Staring straight into Spitfire’s eyes, she continued, “ You know, if I turn you in, they promised me a spot on the team.  All my hopes and dreams could come true, and all I have to do is turn you over to them.”

“Rainbow!  Please, no.  You wouldn’t.  Not after what all I just told you?”  Spitfire was terrified.  She knew what being a Wonderbolt meant to Rainbow Dash.   She started to look around the room for a way out.  She could run again if she had to.

Rainbow Dash dropped her head once again, letting out a heavy sigh.  The fear and panic she witnessed again in Spitfire told her that every story was true.  Spitfire was trapped in a dangerous world and she was the only pony that Spitfire felt she could come to for help.

“I wouldn’t turn you in even before what all you just told me.  You came to me for help.  I can’t use you to help myself...no matter how bad part of me wants to do just that.”

Rainbow’s eyes were stinging from the tears.  Spitfire was sobbing harder.  Rainbow wanted to try and comfort her new friend, but this friend just broke her heart and shattered her life’s dream.  Still, she was a pony that needed her help.

“All right, you said you were trying to get out.  You haven’t told me about the trying bit yet.  Let me have it.  What do we need to do to get you out?”  The words stung at Rainbow Dash’s very soul.  She just asked what she could to get her hero out of the life she always dreamed of.

“You mean it?  You’ll help me?  Help me get out?  Help me get free?”  Spitfire was hard to understand through the sobs and tears, but she choked it all back to reveal the last truth.

“It’s my contract.  It’s up for renewal.  I have to sign it before it expires in seven more days.  If it expires, then and only then am I out of the Wonderbolts.”

“Wait a minute.  You said there were only three ways out and now there’s a fourth with this contract?  Just don’t sign the stupid thing.  Why ruin everything for me?”

“It’s not that easy.  You don’t sign the contract with quill and ink.  You sign it by entering the Wonderbolts compound.  Since no one ever leaves the compound except for events; once your contract comes up, it is automatically signed by your presence in the compound.  That’s why they want me back.  Once I go through the doors, either on my own or being dragged in, I belong to them all over again.”

“That place really is a trap?”

“Yeah.  I’ve been on the run since I found out my contract was coming up.  They’ve been chasing me for three days now.  I only have seven more to wait and then my contract has expired.”

“You only have six days left.”

“No, seven.”

“When you got here and started telling me this, you said seven.  Look out the window.  You’re down to six.”

Spitfire looked up, her eyes swollen and sore for the tears, and she saw Celestia’s sun rising over the horizon.  They had talked all night.  It felt like maybe an hour, but there was the sun right in front of her.

“You’re right.  Six days now.”  Spitfire allowed herself to smile just a little as she realized one more day had passed.

“You said they’ve been chasing you for three days.  It’s a good bet they know you’re here.  I almost spilled it yesterday talking to them.  We need to leave.  Now.  We’ll have to keep moving for the next six days.  One night at one place and then move on.”  Rainbow’s tone was very matter-of-fact.  She was almost cold toward Spitfire.  She knew what needed to be done, and she just wanted to get it over with.

“Sounds like you’ve got a good plan worked out for us already.”

“Come on.  We’ve got to go.  We’ll leave through my bedroom window.  I think I’ve got a hoodie you can wear to help disguise you a little.”

The two pegasi mares ascended the stairs.  Spitfire put on Rainbow Dash’s black hoodie and secured it tightly.  Then following Rainbow’s lead, she leaped from the window and headed off toward the Everfree Forest.

> Day 2 – A Simple Life 101
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two pegasi were flying away from Cloudsdale and straight toward the Everfree Forest.  The forest would be a great place to hide out, if you could live through it.

“Umm, Rainbow?  When I asked you to help me hide, I didn’t think you’d try to hide me in the Everfree Forest.  I mean, I’m sure it would be safe-ish during the day, but at night, I’d be a sitting duck.”

“We’re not going into the Everfree Forest.  Just to the edge of it.  I’d never try to hide some pony in that dangerous place.”  “Even if they did just break my heart” Rainbow thought to herself.  She didn’t need to say it out loud.  Those words would only hurt.  

“Just trust me, will ya?  I’m going to take care of you.”  Rainbow turned her head to look back at Spitfire.

“OK, Rainbow.  I trust you.”  Spitfire looked into Rainbow’s eyes and knew she was right to trust her.

As they flew still closer to the Everfree Forest, Rainbow began a gentle decent, landing in front of a small cottage just beyond the edge of the forest.

“This is Fluttershy’s house.  I don’t know if you remember her from the Best Young Flyers Competition, but she was my cheering section.  She’s a pegasus like us, but she doesn’t like flying high or fast.  She can be, let’s just say, timid.”

“She’s one of your friends isn’t she, one of the Elements of Harmony?”

“She’s one of my oldest friends.  We’ve been through a lot together.  I trust her with my life, and yeah, she’s the Element of Kindness.”

It was still very early in the morning, but Rainbow Dash could hear movement inside Fluttershy’s cottage.  She knew she’d be up tending to her animals when she knocked on her door.
Fluttershy’s wide-eyed smiling face greeted Rainbow as she opened the door.

“Rainbow Dash!  What are you doing here so early in the morning?”  Fluttershy asked with a very confused look on her face.

“I’d like you to meet someone, someone that needs our help.”

Spitfire stepped into Fluttershy’s view and pulled the hood of Rainbow’s jacket from her head.

“Hi Fluttershy.  I’m…”

“You’re Spitfire!  Spitfire from the Wonderbolts!  I’d recognize you anywhere, but especially from the poster in Rainbow’s house.”  Fluttershy squeed.  “You need our help?  Can’t the Wonderbolts help you?  Why us?”  Fluttershy was getting confused as to why a super celebrity would ever need help from a timid pegasus like her.

“Well, can we come and we’ll explain?”  Rainbow asked.

“Oh, of course.  Sorry.  Please come in. I’ll fix us some tea and you can tell me what’s going on, if that’s all right.”

The three pegasi sat in Fluttershy’s living room sipping their tea.  Spitfire was trying to figure out just how much she needed to tell Fluttershy without having to go into the full ugly mess that the Wonderbolts were.  She’d been with them for so long, even though she wanted out, there was still some sort of feeling of family and loyalty.

“Hey, Fluttershy, can you take care of Spitfire for me?  I’ll be back in a few hours.  There are some things I need to take care of back home.”

“Back home?  But we just left your place.”  Spitfire said.

“Yeah, but no one saw us leave, right?  If they don’t see me leave for work like I normally would, they could get suspicious and come looking for us. I need to keep the illusion that I don’t know where you are.”

Rainbow left the small cottage and flew off back to her home in Cloudsdale.  She left a nervous Spitfire behind with a very nervous Fluttershy.

“So, Spitfire, umm…” the butter-yellow pegasus trailed off.  Still a little starstruck and very intimidated.

“First, thank you for the tea, Fluttershy.  It is wonderful.  Basically I need your help hiding from the rest of the Wonderbolts.  I’m trying to leave the Wonderbolts, and it’s not something easily done.  They need me to go back to the Wonderbolts compound and sign my new contract, but if I don’t it will expire and I won’t be a Wonderbolt anymore.”

“But why?  Why would they force you to stay if you want to leave?  Shouldn’t they just let you leave?”

“I wish it was that easy.  I don’t want to go into the details.  They’re just…too much.  Let’s just say, I want to leave and they don’t want me to because no one leaves the Wonderbolts.  They think it would be bad for their image.  I just don’t want to be a Wonderbolt anymore.  I want to do something else with the rest of my life.  I just don’t know what.”

“And Rainbow thinks that some of the Wonderbolts are watching her house for you?”

“Yeah, and they could be.  I’ve been running from them for four days.  I finally thought to ask for Rainbow Dash’s help yesterday.  I hadn’t been at her place for five minutes before Rapidfire and Fleetfoot showed up looking for me.”

“Oh. My.”

“Now I just need to hide for six more days and I’ll be out of my contract.”

“Well, this is a pretty okay place to hide. I guess.  The trees should provide you coverage from anyone flying overhead.  That and I don’t get a lot of visitors, other than my animal friends.  Oh no!  What time is it?”

“It’s after 10, I think.”

“Oh no.  I’m late feeding my friends outside.  They’re going to be very grumpy.”

“Can I help?  I mean you are late feeding them because of me, and it would be nice to help and actually do something other than running for a change.”

“Sure you can help.  It will be nice to have someone to talk to.”

The two yellow pegasi got up and headed outside to start on Fluttershy’s morning routine.  Spitfire noticed how quiet it was and how nice it was to feel the sun’s warmth on her coat again.

By this time, Rainbow Dash had made it back to her home in Cloudsdale.  Entering through the same window she left through, she walked to the main floor and quickly wrote a note for her mail man, Mr. Trotter.  She had decided on the way home, that she would simply pretend to be on vacation.  She’d leave a note then fly over to work and put in for her time off.  She’d tell her boss it was some sort of Equestrian emergency from the Princess.  That always worked.

Rainbow got a few things together in her duffle bag: brush, toothbrush, and some bits from her emergency fund.  She then grabbed her note and headed out the door.  She was technically late for work now, but it was still same routine as ever.  She put the note in her mailbox and flew off to work.

“Are you sure she never saw you?”  Soarin asked Fleetfoot.

“I’ve been here all night and all morning.  The light in her living room never went out and she never came out until now.  There was no chance of her seeing me.”

“OK.  Let’s go check out what she dropped in the mail.  It could be a note for Spitfire.”

The two Wonderbolts glided down from their cloud to Rainbow’s mailbox.  Soarin opened it and took out the note.

“Dear Mr. Trotter,
I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be gone for about 6 or 7 days on a small vacation…”

“NO!  This is one clever mare.  She is completely on to us and she’s shoving it our faces!”  Soarin shouted.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s been onto us for days now.  She’s probably helping Spitfire stay ahead of us by watching us the past four days.”

“Soarin, what are you talking about?”

“This letter!  She’s telling us that she’s going away!”

“But how do you know it’s directed to us?”

“Ugh, right here. ‘Mr. Trotter’.  She’s been on us for days.  How else would she know I’ve got the trots?”

All Fleetfoot could do is stare blankly at the Wonderbolts’ leader.  “How on Equestria did you get to be the leader of the Wonderbolts? Read the rest of the letter.”  Fleetfoot shoved the letter at Soarin with one hoof while she placed the other hoof against her forehead.

“…a small vacation.  Please hold my mail until I get back.”

“Oh.”  Soarin was blushing heavily at his act of stupidity.  “Well, she’s still our best lead to Spitfire.”

“Yes, and since we’ve been standing here discussing you intestinal ailment, we have no idea where she just flew off to.  We’re back to square one, looking for either a flame yellow pegasus or a sky blue pegasus that will maybe lead us to the yellow one.”

“Um…well, come on.  Let’s get back to the compound and brief the others to at least be on the lookout for Rainbow Dash, too.”

Rainbow Dash arrived at the Weather Control Office and went straight to her boss’s office.
“Hay, I hate to do this again on such short notice, but I’ve got another assignment from the Princess and I’m going to need some time off.  Say, seven days or so.”

The large weather pegasus sitting behind the desk stood up and glared at Rainbow Dash.

“Look, I don’t care if it is an assignment from the Princess or not!  I’ve got weather pegasi out sick all over the place.  Half of Cloudsdale seems to have come down with a cold or something.  Most of the pegasi for Ponyville have had to be sent to other locations.  Now, I’ll give you your time off, after today.  If you want to keep this job, you’d better get the weather straight over Ponyville.”

“OK, OK, I’ll head over to Ponyville now.  It’s not like that wasn’t where I was going anyway.” Rainbow replied backing away from her angry boss.

“Clear skies!  Lots of sun!  Make it happen, Rainbow Dash, or don’t bother coming back.”

Rainbow Dash was flying towards Fluttershy’s cottage as quickly as she could.  “Man, I hope Fluttershy isn’t too mad, not that she would ever say anything.  I just told her I’d only be gone a couple of hours and it’s been all day.”   Once she was in view of the cottage she was actually shocked at what she saw: Fluttershy and Spitfire sitting outside together talking.  “Fluttershy never opens up that quickly to new ponies,” Rainbow said to no one in particular.

Landing just outside the fence around Fluttershy’s property, she was greeted with two very happy looking ponies.

“Hi there, you two.  You seem to be getting along really well.”

“Well, there you are, Rainbow Dash.  What happened to ‘I’ll just be a couple of hours’?” Fluttershy was doing her best to speak in a scolding tone.

“This is your idea of helping me?  Just dropping me off with one of your friends and making them take care of me all day?”  Spitfire said, sounding very upset.

“Hay now!  I didn’t mean to leave you hear all day, but I had to work.  The boss wouldn’t let me go.”

“Take it easy there Dash.  Shy and I are just teasing you.”

“Yeah, Dash, lighten up a little.”

The two yellow pegasi looked over at each other and couldn’t hold the laughter in any longer.

“Oh ha ha you two.  Go ahead and laugh it up.  You got me pretty good this time, I’ll admit it.”

As her two friends continued to laugh at her expense, Rainbow sat down at the little table with them.

"Fine, fine, get it out off your systems." Rainbow propped her head on her hoof waiting for her friends to stop laughing.  Looking at Spitfire "You seem to have had a pretty good day.  You're laughing and smiling now, at least."

“Today was a great day.  I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive at first, but it turned into a great day, and Fluttershy here, she is just fantastic.”

The butter-yellow pegasus blushed and hid her face behind her hoof “thanks” was barely heard coming from her.

Trying to divert the conversation to something less embarrassing, Fluttershy spoke up, saying “We have started dinner.  I’m sure you’re starving, Rainbow, having worked all day.  Why don’t we go and eat and we’ll tell you about our day?”

“Sounds great and you’re right, I am starving.”

The three pegasi got up and went into Fluttershy’s modest cottage to share a meal.  Spitfire and Fluttershy filled Rainbow Dash in on their day.  They fed all of Fluttershy’s animals, repaired a hole in the chicken coop, and worked in Fluttershy’s small garden.

“It was such a great day.  It was quiet, relaxing, and simple.  Not to be insulting, honest, it was just an easy simple day.  When we finished one task, we went on to the other.  There was no rush to it.  If we got it all done, it was done.  If we didn’t, then Fluttershy said it would still be there tomorrow.  I think I could get used to this simple life.  Oh, and the flying this afternoon was so fun.”

“Wait wait wait, you two went FLYING today?  Fluttershy, I thought you hated flying?”

“No, I don’t hate flying, Rainbow.  I just don’t like to fly fast like you.  I prefer to do more gliding and ride on the thermals.  I really enjoy the views and the clouds.”

“But you’re afraid of heights, aren’t you?”

“I am only if you ask me to go high and then dive quickly.  I’m just not a stunt flyer like you.  I’m much more leisurely.”

“And, you were OK with this, Spitfire?  I thought you’d find it as boring as I do?”

“Well I’ll admit at first it was boring, but then I remembered something.  I wasn’t flying for anyone but me.  If I wanted to go fast, dive and spin, I could have, but taking my time and flying with Fluttershy, it was just relaxing.  For the first time in years, I enjoyed flying.  Now don’t get me wrong, I still love stunt flying and I’ll do that again, but when I want to.  That feels so good to say.”  Spitfire leaned back in her chair just enjoying the feeling that those words brought.  In just a few more days, she would be her own master, tied to the Wonderbolts no more.  The sadness that used to come with that idea was starting to fade.

“See, Rainbow, we’re not all trying to get onto the Wonderbolts, like you, so we don’t have to put so much pressure on our flying and just enjoy it.”  Fluttershy was sounding more bold and confident than Rainbow Dash had ever heard.

“Hmph, well I guess I’m going to have to start enjoying that then.  I don’t think I have any kind of a future with the Wonderbolts now.  I don’t think they’d let the pegasus that helped a member leave join their group, and after some things I’ve learned, I don’t know if that is so bad.”  Rainbow’s head was starting to hang low as she finished her sentence.  It was still hard for her to accept the idea of the Wonderbolts no longer being there.

“Well, hay now, where did you two go flying?  Weren’t you worried about being seen?”

“Oh, we stayed in a cloud bank that was over the meadow this afternoon,” Fluttershy started, “It was safe.  I flew up first and looked around and then Spitfire came up.”

Suddenly, Spitfire’s eyes went wide.  She had just had a great idea.  If Fluttershy could help her to see the joy in flying again, maybe she and Fluttershy could help Rainbow Dash.  It was the least she could try to do after killing her Wonderbolt dream.

“Hay, have you two ever done night flying?”

“Sure, all the time, I have to get home from Ponyville somehow.” The rainbow-maned pegasus chimed.

“Umm, no not really.  I’m kind of afraid of the night.”  Fluttershy slumped in her chair as she confessed her fear.

“Well you’re going to try it tonight.  I happen to know that Luna is going to have a full moon tonight, so it won’t be very dark at all.  That cloud bank is still there, so we can walk out to it and fly in the moonlight, like we did today.  Let’s see if we can’t get this stunt pony over here to just enjoy flying again.” Spitfire motioned over to Rainbow with her hoof.  “Come on Shy, give it a try.  You’ll be with us.  We’ll keep an eye on each other.  I promise.”

Fluttershy sat up straight and got a very determined look to her eyes. “You’re right.  I shouldn’t be afraid when I have my friends with me.  Let’s do it.”

Again, Rainbow Dash was shocked by this new-found confidence that Fluttershy had. 

The three pegasi broke through the cloud bank and were enveloped by the light of Luna’s moon.

“OK, now, let’s just stop here for a minute,” Spitfire said landing on the cloud.  “I want you two to just take a minute, look at the moon, smell the sweet night air, and look at how things are almost glowing.  Night flying was about the only time I ever had to myself as a Wonderbolt, so this is a very special thing to me and I want you two to see it.”

Rainbow and Fluttershy nodded their understanding.  Nopony spoke.  The three just stood there on the cloud, taking it all in.  Rainbow noticed how quiet it was.  The cool night air was refreshing to her.  Fluttershy enjoyed the light of the moon and the reflections against the clouds.  While she would never admit it, the shadows did still frighten her, but she was there with friends and they were just shadows. 

After just a brief moment of this, Rainbow and Fluttershy both noticed how calm they were.  Spitfire gave them a knowing glance and without a word, she took off into the night sky, with Rainbow and Fluttershy quickly behind her.

Hours later, the three landed outside Fluttershy’s cottage.

“That was amazing!  I feel like yelling! Woo hoo.” The pink-maned pegasus exclaimed, as only she can.

“Well, Rainbow Dash, what did you think?” Spitfire asked trying her best to read Rainbow’s face for some idea of her answer.

“It was, umm, different.  I think I liked it.  It’s just that for most of my life, flying has just been about trying to get into the Wonderbolts.  Tonight, though, it was just about me and you two.  I think I could enjoy it.”

“Spitfire, when you’re out of the Wonderbolts, can we do this again?” Fluttershy asked meekly.

“Shy, when I’m out of the Wonderbolts, we’ll do this as often as either of us wants.  That is a promise.”

“Rainbow, will you join us?  I know it would be nice with just Spitfire, but I like watching you fly, too, especially when you’re enjoying it like you were tonight.”

“Yeah, I’ll always be there to fly with you, Fluttershy.  You should know that.”

“Well, it is getting very late.  We should all go in and try to get some sleep.  What are you two going to do tomorrow?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well, we don’t want to stay in one place for too long.  If they came to my place looking for Spitfire, they may think to come to my friends’ places too.  So, I think we’ll go someplace where no Wonderbolt would ever think to go.”

Both yellow pegasi looked confused and asked in unison, “Where’s that?”

“We’re going to the library and spend the day with a certain egghead I know.”  Rainbow smiled devilishly as revealed her plan.  No Wonderbolt would ever think to look in a library.  

> Day 3 – Hard Boiled Egghead
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia’s sun had only been up for a few hours, but Rainbow Dash, Spitfire and Fluttershy were already awake and standing in front of Fluttershy’s cottage.   Rainbow Dash was still stretching, yawning, and attempting to wake up.

“Well, we should probably start heading to the library.  We’ll have to walk; the sky is too clear this morning to risk flying.  Besides, this early in the morning, there shouldn’t be anyone on the roads.”

Rainbow’s last few words were harder to understand as she spoke through her yawn.  Cinching her borrowed hoodie tight around her flame-colored mane, Spitfire turned towards Fluttershy, wondering if her new friend would be walking to Ponyville with them.

“I would go with you both, but I really need to stay and finish my morning chores.  I hope you understand.”

Spitfire smiled at Fluttershy.  Her meekness was sometimes annoying, but other times cute.

“Of course we understand, Fluttershy,” Spitfire started, “I would just like to thank you for letting us stay here and for helping me.  I truly enjoyed my day with you yesterday.  It was such a change from what I am used to.  If this ends the way I hope it does, I’d like to come back and visit you again, if that would be okay?”

“Oh yes, I would like that very much.  I really do hope this works out for you.  I know you didn’t tell me the whole situation, but it sounds very stressful.  If I can help again at all, please let me know.”

“Thank you Fluttershy.  You truly are kind.  Now,” Spitfire turned toward Rainbow Dash, who had leaned against a fence post, “Should I wake her up, or just start walking to Ponyville and see how far I get before she wakes up on her own?”

The laughing from the two yellow pegasi snapped Rainbow back to consciousness.

“Hmm…wha…yeah, let’s get going,” as she tried to play off having fallen asleep.

Spitfire and Rainbow Dash turned and headed down the path toward Ponyville.  Fluttershy stood and watched her friends disappear from view.

“Oh, I do hope everything works out.  She is too nice a pony to be in this bad situation,” Fluttershy said to no one in particular as she turned around and headed toward her chicken coop.

As they walked, Spitfire looked all around at the wooded area they were passing through.  “You know, it really looks different down here on the ground.  Sometimes I think I’ve lived my whole life in the sky.  I don’t even remember the last time I just walked through the woods like this.  Now, tell me about this library we’re going to hide in.”

“Well, it’s the Ponyville library and Twilight’s house…”

“Whoa!  Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s personal student? No way we can go to her!”

“Why not?”

“If we go to her, she’ll end up telling the Princess where I am and I’ll get caught for sure.  She’s nothing but a direct line to the Princess.”

“Exactly.”

“What?”

“She’s a direct line to the Princess.  If we fill her in on the details, she can inform the Princess, and then the Princess can take care of everything.  I thought this plan up last night.  We just need to get some muscle in there to clean up the Wonderbolts.”

“Rainbow, you just don’t get it,” Spitfire stopped in her tracks and dropped her head, “No one can know what I’ve told you.  If that news ever got out, it wouldn’t clean up the Wonderbolts, it would destroy them.  I never should have come to you.  You don’t know how hard it was to tell you.  Not just because I was betraying a trust, but because I was destroying your dream.  A dream you obviously want to try and save.”

“So what, you’d just leave things as they are?  Just leave the Wonderbolts alone to destroy other ponies like you told me?  I guess that sounds fine to you since you’d be safe, but what about the pony they recruit to replace you?  I don’t want to clean up the Wonderbolts so I can still join, that dream is gone.  I want to clean them up for the ponies that come after, one in particular,” Rainbow was thinking about that one filly that’s always hanging around her.  What was that squirt’s name?

“Alright, I’m sorry for what I said, but you still cannot tell Celestia.  I understand what you want to do, and I tried to clean up the Wonderbolts.  I talked to as many ponies in the organization as I could.  I eventually was told to keep quiet or I’d get put on pyro detail.  Believe me, I tried.  I don’t want them to replace me with somepony else and repeat this, but there is no way to stop them without destroying them.  I couldn’t bear to do to the entire fanbase what I did to you the other night.”

Tears were forming again in Spitfire’s eyes.  Rainbow saw them and she knew it was killing Spitfire to do what she was doing.  “Of course she would have tried to fix things.  She’s Spitfire.  She’s not a quitter.  Rainbow, you can be so bull headed sometimes.” Rainbow thought to herself.  She then shook her head to try and quiet the conversation going on in there.

“I’m sorry too, Spitfire.  Of course you would have tried to fix things.  I know that running had to be your last resort.  I’m sorry.  Still, we need to go see Twilight and we need to tell her everything.  She is the smartest pony I know.  If anyone can help us, or see something we’re missing, she’s the one.”

Rainbow Dash walked back to Spitfire and placed her wing over her.  Spitfire lifted her tear filled eyes toward Rainbow.

“You’ve trusted me this far.  Trust me just a bit more.  After this, it will get easier, I promise.”

“Okay, you’re right.  I’ve trusted you up to now.  I might as well take the last step, but telling her everything, Rainbow I don’t know if I can.”

“Don’t worry.  I can tell her and you just nod if you have too, but first we actually have to get there.  Let’s go, okay?”

The two pegasi started walking back toward Ponyville again.  Spitfire was still unsure of this new course of action, but if Rainbow Dash trusted someone, she knew she could.  She did introduce her to Fluttershy, after all.  “I’d rather be back there, with Fluttershy, cleaning out that nasty chicken coop than have to tell Twilight about the Wonderbolts,” she thought. 

Ponyville was still quiet when they arrived.   Rainbow was relieved at this.  Even with the hoodie, Spitfire could be recognized by a Wonderbolts fan, and if Pinkie happened to recognize her, it would all be over before she could do anything.  “I’ll have to be really careful with Pinkie.  I’ll have to handle that one just right,” Dash thought.

When they got to the library, it was clear it wasn’t open for business yet, but Rainbow knew Twilight and Spike would be up, although her knocking received a much different reaction than she expected.

“Alright, keep your horseshoes on.  I’m coming,” was all that came from the other side of the door.  It eventually opened to reveal a very sleepy looking dragon still rubbing his eyes.
“Come back in three hours.  We’ll be open then,” is all he said as he started to close the door again.

“Spike, it’s me.  Let me in.”

“Look, Miss Me, come back in three hours.  We’ll be open then.”

“Out of the way, Spike,” Rainbow had enough of this, ”We’ve got to see Twilight,” she snapped as she walked through the door, shoving the sleepy dragon out of her way.

“Sorry about that…Spike, is it?  We’re kind of is a rush,” Spitfire offered apologetically.

“Twi!  You awake?”

“Rainbow Dash, is that you?  What are you doing here so early?  Don’t tell me you need the next Daring Do book already?”

“Well I do need the next book, but that’s not why we’re here.”

“We?  Who’s we?”  Twilight inquired as she came down the stairs.

“Twilight, I’d like you to meet Spitfire.  I’m not sure if you remember her.”

Spitfire took off her hoodie and shook out her mane.  It felt good to get that off her head.

“Spitfire, from the Wonderbolts , right?” Twilight asked.

“Hello Miss Sparkle.  You are correct.  I used to be with the Wonderbolts.”

“Oh, you can call me Twilight.  What do you mean used to be with the Wonderbolts?  I’ve never heard of anyone ever being in the Wonderbolts and then not anymore.”

“Well Twilight, that’s what we need to talk to you about,” Rainbow answered.

“Oh, okay.  Can we talk about it over breakfast?  Spike was just getting up to start cooking when you knocked.  By the way, where is he?”  Twilight looked past Rainbow Dash and Spitfire to see the baby dragon asleep by the front door.  She started to trot over to wake him up.

“Actually Miss Sparkle…I mean Twilight, can you just let him sleep?  I don’t want him to hear what we have to say.  It’s very personal.”  Spitfire hung her head slightly.  She was still not looking forward to this conversation.

“That’s fine, but I can’t cook.  Would just coffee or tea be okay?”

“She can’t cook., trust me.  We’ll be lucky if she doesn’t burn the water making coffee,” Rainbow joked.  

Twilight couldn’t really argue or even fake getting mad.  She knew she was a horrible cook.

“Well actually, I can cook a little,” Spitfire said. “If you show me where everything is I can fix up a small breakfast.  We can all talk, I’ll cook, and we’ll see what happens.”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash were a little shocked to hear that Spitfire could cook.

“Why are you two looking at me like that?  Rainbow, if you had any food back at your place when I first got there, I would have fixed dinner then, but there isn’t a lot you can make from old ketchup and soy sauce packets.  Besides, I helped Fluttershy make dinner just last night.  You have a really short memory, don’t you?”

“The kitchen is this way, Spitfire.  I’ll show you what we have and where everything is.  I’m sorry that I looked so surprised.  I just never expected a Wonderbolt to know how to cook,” Twilight replied walking toward the kitchen.

The two went into the kitchen to get started, leaving Rainbow Dash standing in the library with a look of shock and surprise frozen on her face.  “She knows how to decorate a house.  She likes girly frou-frou bath stuff.  She knows how to cook.  Who is this mare?” was all Rainbow could think as she eventually wandered into the kitchen.

“So, Spitfire, how long have you been a Wonderbolt?”  Twilight asked, trying to make small talk.

“I’ve been with the Wonderbolts nearly my whole adult life.  They snatched me up right out of flight school.  I started in the administration office doing general paperwork.  Then I got onto one of the practice squads, and then the backup team, and eventually worked my way nearly to the top of the main team.  It was a lot of hard work, but I did learn a few other things along the way.”

“Like how to cook?” Rainbow asked.

“Dash, there you are.  Yeah, I learned to cook at the Wonderbolts compound.  You could either eat in the cafeteria or wait until later and go fix your own food.  You can only eat that ready-to-eat cafeteria food for just so long,” Spitfire said.

While she was talking Spitfire was moving all over the kitchen fixing coffee, hot water for tea, toast and jam, and oatmeal.  Just as she was finishing up her story about trying to change the menus at the Wonderbolts compound, everything was done.

“…and that’s really when I started to learn that the Wonderbolts are not about change.  Well, everything is ready.  Hope you like it.”

“Spitfire, this looks amazing.  Thank you for fixing all this.  Now, what exactly did you two want to talk to me about?” Twilight asked, looking up from her bowl of oatmeal.

Spitfire closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to tell her story to Twilight.

“Oh my goodness, Spitfire, I’m so sorry.  I had no idea that the life of a Wonderbolt was like that,” Twilight was wiping tears from her own eyes and magically levitating a clean tissue to Spitfire.  “Who else knows about this?”

“No one outside the Wonderbolts and the two of you,” Spitfire answered. “And it has to stay that way.”

“I don’t know.  I think I really should tell the Princess about this.  She would want to know about this kind of horrible treatment of her subjects.  How they’ve managed to hide it from her for so long-” Twilight was cut off mid-sentence.

“Twi, you can’t tell her,” Rainbow said softly, still wearily hanging her head low, “She can’t know because it would destroy the Wonderbolts forever.  Think about it.  You tell the Princess.  She launches an investigation into the Wonderbolts.  This will cause headlines all over Equestria, ‘Wonderbolts Under Investigation for Cruelty’.  After that, the Wonderbolts would be finished.  I wanted you to tell the Princess, but Spitfire, she helped me see that if someone from the outside came in and tried to fix all this, the Wonderbolts and especially their fans would be destroyed.  I don’t want anypony else to feel what I felt when I learned this,”  Rainbow simply rested her head on her hooves.  She was tired and had no more tears left to cry.

“Hey Twilight, what’s going on in here?” Spike called.  The kitchen door was pushed open by the baby dragon, just waking up from his nap in front of the door. “It smells really good, so who cooked it?”

Spike’s  vision cleared and he looked around the room and was shocked when he saw who was there.

“HOLY HOPPING HORSE APPLES!  You’re Spitfire from the Wonderbolts!” he yelled.

“Why yes, I am,” Spitfire answered forcing a friendly smile and wiping away the last tears. “And who might you be, young dragon?”

“I’m Spike, Twilight’s number one assistant,” he said proudly, puffing out his chest a little.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Spike.  I hope you don’t mind me taking over your cooking duties this morning, but we just didn’t want to disturb your nap.”  Spitfire said, shaking the baby dragon’s hand.

“You? You cooked this?  Wonderbolts can cook?”  Spike’s eyes grew even wider with amazement.

“Yes I did, and you haven’t had breakfast yet.  Come over here and I’ll fix you a plate,” Spitfire and Spike walked over to the stove where the former Wonderbolt served breakfast.

Rainbow Dash pulled Twilight over close to her and whispered, “See that?  See how starstruck he is?  See how he looks up to her?  If you tell Celestia what we know, he’ll learn about it eventually, and all that will be crushed.  He would never look at Spitfire, a Wonderbolt, or any of his heroes again.  We have to figure out another way.  We need that big brain of yours,” Dash finished by forcing a smile herself and giving her friend a playful noogie.

Twilight wrestled her way out of the noogie, glaring back at her rainbow-maned friend, “Hay, cut it out!  And, you’re right.  I see it now.  We’ll figure something out.”

“You won’t tell Princess Celestia?” Dash asked.

“I promise, I won’t tell Princess Celestia,”  Twilight answered.

“Pinkie Promise,” Dash demanded this time.

“Ugh, alright.  Cross my heart and hope to fly.  Stick a cupcake in my eye.” Twilight responded.

“Umm, what was that?”

The two friends looked up to see a very confused Spitfire staring at them.

“Oh, that was the best kind of guarantee you can get here in Ponyville.  Twilight just Pinkie Pie Promised not to tell what we just talked about,” Dash said with a devilish grin on her face, “A Pinkie Promise is forever.”

At that moment, a canister on the counter top beside Rainbow Dash shot its lid off and across the room.  A bright pink pony head rose from the canister.  With a very serious and nearly sinister tone, it said “FOREVERRRR!” before lowering back into the canister, never taking its eyes off Rainbow or Twilight.

“What was that?” Spitfire said backing away from the canister.

Rainbow Dash was too busy rolling on the floor laughing to answer.  Twilight simply stood there with her hoof over her face.

“That was just Pinkie Pie,” Spike said from behind Spitfire with a mouth half-full of oatmeal.

“We’ll fill you in more later,” Twilight sighed, “Now help me get Rainbow off the floor and let’s go to my study.  We have research to do!”

Rainbow Dash was laying in front of the library window with her head propped up on her hooves.  She was just over halfway through the latest Daring Do novel.  Twilight gave it to her so that she and Spitfire would be able to research without hearing how bored Dash was or how boring researching is.  It had proven to be a very effective method since they had heard nothing except the occasional gasp or squee from Rainbow all day.

Spitfire was rubbing her eyes.  They were tired and sore from reading dusty books with small print all day.  Her hopes of finding some helpful information were fading fast.

“Spitfire, come here!  I think I’ve found something,” Twilight called.

“SHHH!  Some of us are trying to read,” Rainbow scolded.

“Yeah Twilight, what did you find?” Spitfire asked, looking over Twilight’s shoulder at what looked to be a very old book.

“Well, I found this legal book on Equestrian contracts, and there is a direct reference to the Wonderbolts contract in here.  It reads just like you said.  Every four years, a Wonderbolts contract may come up for renewal.  No signature is needed to renew.  The mere presence of the Wonderbolt in question is enough,” Twilight read, “But here is the something interesting.  If a Wonderbolt does not want to renew their contract, they simply need to leave the compound before their contract expires.  Any and all positions left behind will become the property of the Wonderbolts and considered payment for the time to close the contract,” Twilight finished reading and looked over to Spitfire.  “So you see, it was never meant for you to never be able to get out of the contract.  Somepony has changed that on their own, but, if you do leave, anything you left behind will be theirs,” Twilight looked back to the book to make sure she read that right.

“Well, fortunately, my most valuable positions are in my family’s storage facility in Fillydelphia.  There are some Wonderbolts you just can’t leave valuables lying around.  Fleetfoot wasn’t just called that because she’s fast on the track, if you know what I mean.  Does it say anything about my earnings?” Spitfire asked.

“Not directly.  Why do you ask?”

“Well, the Wonderbolts have their own bank at the compound.  All the administrators would ever give to us is a statement of how much they put into our account each week.  Then we could go and get a statement of how much we had in the bank.”

“The bank is at the compound?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that’s not good.  Anything left at the compound is considered Wonderbolts property.  From the way this reads, that would be you money too, if the bank is in the compound.”

“Oh, that just GREAT!” Spitfire shouted.

“SHHH!  I’m still trying to re-“ Rainbow tried to scold, but was interrupted.

“SHUT IT, Dash!  This is way more important that your silly book!  My life’s savings are in that bank!  I’ve been with them for years, and now I’m just going to lose it all!  I gave them my life for the last 12 years and I’m going to walk away with nothing!  This is not right!  What am I going to do now?” Spitfire yelled walking away toward one of the many bookcases.

“Wait, what did I miss?” Rainbow asked.

“Well,” Twilight started, “We just found out that she can leave the Wonderbolts, if this old contract example I found is right, but anything she leaves behind at the compound becomes the property of the Wonderbolts.  Her savings is at the Wonderbolts bank, inside the compound,” Twilight turned back to her book, desperately reading further looking for an answer.

“So, if you leave,” Rainbow said softly as she flew over to Spitfire, “You lose your life’s savings?  C’mon Twi, how can that be fair or legal?”

“It isn’t fair, but because of the wording of the contract, it is, sadly, legal,” Twilight answered.

Spitfire turned back to face her new friends.  The tears were streaming down her face.  “Well.  That’s it then.  I have to go back.  I’m a pegasus.  I’m supposed to be free to fly the skies, but I’m totally trapped now.  I have no more freedom to fly than an earth pony...show pony until I die,” this thought was crashing through her mind.  The pain of the realization was breaking her heart.  The exhaustion from running; the emotional turmoil of highs and lows; it all became too much to bear.  Spitfire’s tear filled eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed to the floor, darkness enveloping her mind.

“SPITFIRE!” was the last thing she heard.

The sky was clear and blue.  The sun was shining warmly and brightly.  On her right was Rainbow Dash; on her left was Fluttershy.  They were  flying freely through the sky.  Not one of them had a care in the world.  Then suddenly there was a scream from Fluttershy, and then one from Rainbow Dash.  Spitfire looked at her friends and saw terror in their eyes.  That was when she noticed it, that familiar sensation.  She was falling.  She looked to where her wings should be, but there was nothing there.  They had just vanished.  Now she was falling helplessly to the ground.  She looked back up to see her two friends diving toward her in a futile effort to save her.  She knew they couldn’t make it in time, but at the rate of their dive they wouldn’t be able to pull out in time.  “NOOOOOOO”, she shouted, and found herself sitting straight up in a strange bed, covered in sweat, with two new friends sitting vigilantly by her side.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight leaned closer and placed comforting hooves on Spitfire’s shoulders.

“It’s okay, Spitfire.  It was just a dream,” the lavender unicorn said attempting to calm her.

“Yeah, you’re okay.  It’s all going to be okay,” the cyan pegasus echoed.

“What…what happened?  The last thing I remember is being in a library and talking about that damned contract,” Spitfire said, weak and confused.

“It’s okay,” Twilight began, “You’re still here at the library.  This is my room.  You passed out earlier and we carried you up here.  You’ve been unconscious for a long time.  We’re just glad you’re awake now.”

“You really scared us there, Spitfire,” Rainbow interjected, “We didn’t know what was wrong.  All we could do is just sit here and hope you woke up.”

“I guess it just all got to be too much for me to handle.  Looks like your hero has yet another weakness, eh, Dash?  I’m sorry I scared you both,” Spitfire hung her head in embarrassment, “You said I’d been out for a long time.  What time is it?”

“It’s after midnight, so you’ve been out for around six hours.  You must have been exhausted,” Twilight said.

“After midnight?!  Great!  I passed out and managed to waste an entire day!” Spitfire threw herself back down onto the bed.  

“No, you didn’t waste a whole day.  You needed rest and your body found a way to get it.  It just wasn’t the best way to go about it.  Plus, I think Rainbow and I have come up with a plan to get at least some of your money out of the Wonderbolts’ bank,” Twilight gave a wink to Dash.

“Yeah, and you could say that my silly Daring Do book helped come up with it,” Rainbow couldn’t help but have a little venom to the tone of her voice.  Daring Do was the last hero she had now.

“Sorry about that Dash.  Honestly, I am.  I was just really upset.  I didn’t mean it.  Will you forgive me?” Spitfire asked.

“Of course I forgive you.  I was only joking, anyway,” Rainbow replied while “Well, mostly joking,” ran through her head.

“So, what’s this Daring Do plan you two have worked up then?” Spitfire finally asked.

“It’s late; we’ll talk about it tomorrow.  You need rest.  You’re going to have a pretty full next few days ahead of you.  We’ve got to keep moving, remember?  Tomorrow, I’m taking you to stay with Rarity while Twi and I work on our plan,” Rainbow said.

“Yes. It’s late and we all need our rest.  Spitfire, you stay here and take my bed.  Dash, you can have the guest bed.  I’ll go sleep downstairs,” Twilight had this all organized in her head well before Spitfire even woke up, “Good night everypony!”

Twilight walked quietly back down the stairs, levitating the single candle in front of her.  She sat by the window admiring the night sky until she could hear Dash’s snoring and assumed Spitfire was also asleep.

“I know what I promised, but I have to do something and we don’t have a lot of time,” she thought while levitating her quill, ink, and parchment to her.

“Please forgive me, but…I have to do this,” she whispered.

“Dear Princess…”
> Day 4 - A Rare Feat of Daring
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 4 – A Rare Feat of Daring

Spitfire blinked her eyes, slowly waking up with Celestia’s sun shining brightly on her face.  “Of course her pet student would have her bed facing the sunrise,” she thought.  She was starting to get used to waking up in strange places.  On the run for three days; one night at Dash’s; the best night so far spent at Fluttershy’s, and now waking up in Twilight’s room.  She had to admit it though, this mare has taste and style.  The bed was extraordinarily soft and the sheets were even softer.  “I wonder what thread count these are?  They are amazing.  Reminds me of staying at the Bailagio in Las Haygas,” she thought.

She sat up in the bed and noticed the small guest bed across the room was empty.  She thought she could hear voices coming from downstairs, but what got her attention was the wonderful smell coming up the stairs.

After a while, Spitfire made her way downstairs and started into the kitchen area, the source of the enchanting smell.

“Twilight, I hope you don’t mind, but I used your shower and borrowed your brush for my mane.  Last night left me looking pretty rough,” Spitfire announced as she entered the room.

“I don’t mind at all.  I made sure to put out extra towels in the shower for you, since I kind of guessed you would want a shower this morning,” Twilight answered.  “Now, come over and have some breakfast with us.  Spike really stepped up his game this morning.  I guess he’s trying to make sure you don’t take his spot as my number one assistant,” Twilight joked.

“Well, you know, in a few more days, I’ll need a job.  I may come back and apply,” Spitfire said as she gave a playful wink to Spike.  “Now, can you two tell me about this plan you’ve come up with?”

At this time, a book came sliding across the table; stopping right in front of Spitfire.

“‘Daring Do and the Raiders of the Last Crusade’.  What’s this?” Spitfire asked.

“That’s our plan.  It’s all right in there.  Everything we need to do,” Rainbow spoke from the far 
side of the table, leaned back in her chair, looking even more cocky than usual.

“Rainbow, I said I was sorry for calling your books silly, but I’m serious.  What is the plan?” 

Spitfire was getting just a little frustrated.  This plan was, after all, about getting her money out of the Wonderbolt’s bank.

“Look, Twilight and I did some checking up on this, and we just need you to confirm a few things.  There are Automatic Bit Machines in the compound for accessing your money after bank hours right?”

“Yeah, there are several ABMs in the main administration building.  So, what, you’re going to walk into the main administration building, use my ID number and empty my account?  That won’t work.  I have more in my account than you can take out at one time.  Oh, yeah, and you can’t get into the main administration building unless you’re a Wonderbolt.”  Spitfire was getting a little angrier now.  She thought these two had a real plan. 

“We know that, Spitfire,” Twilight calmly added.  “In the book, Daring Do uses a disguise to get into her enemy’s fortress, and has her unicorn assistant ready to teleport her out if she gets into trouble.  This morning, before you were up, Rainbow and I went close to her house and I teleported her in, she got her Shadowbolts Nightmare Night costume, and I teleported her back out.”

“How’d you do that?  I thought unicorn teleportation didn’t work that way?  I thought if it was a multi-pony teleport, you had to be physically with them?” Spitfire asked, as just a little bit of hope started to form in her again.

“Normally, yes, but I used a tracing spell on Rainbow.  With that spell, I can focus and see where she is.  If I can see her, and I know where to teleport her to, I can teleport her without physically being right there.”  Twilight said.  “So our plan is to take her Shadowbolt costume to Rarity and have her change it to a Wonderbolt costume.  Then Rainbow and I will travel close to the compound, she’ll fly in and use the ABMs to get as much of your money as she can and if she gets in trouble, I’ll be there to teleport her out.”

“Okay, that sounds more like a plan, but you can only get a few hundred bits from the ABMs at a time.  There are several in the building, but I should have several thousands in my account.  I guess something is better than nothing though,” Spitfire was glad they could get at least that much done for her.

“Well, we might be able to do more,” Twilight started.  “See, this morning I sent an encrypted scroll to an old school friend of mine.   His name is Source Code.  He is a magical and mechanical wiz, top in the class until he had his little…episode.  Now don’t worry, I didn’t give him any detail other than a friend has some bits locked up and she can’t get to them.  If we get him your account number, which we’ll have on one of the ABM receipts, he might be able to get the rest of the bits from your Wonderbolt account and into a new account.  Once there, we simply go to the bank, withdraw all the bits, and close the account.  The whole process will be completely untraceable.”

“Really? Bet that didn’t come from a Daring Do story,” Spitfire tried to joke.

“Well, actually, in Daring Do and the Mysterious Vault, she did do something similar, but with maps, not bits,” Rainbow stated rather mater-of-factly.

“Wow.  Rainbow, you remember how shocked you were when I was telling you about how you should decorate your home?  Well I now know how you felt.  Your knowledge of Daring Do is scary,” Spitfire said with wide, amazed eyes.  “Well it sounds like we really do have a plan here, but what do I do during all this amazing Daring Do-ness?”

“You get to stay with Rarity,” Rainbow answered with just the slightest bit of an evil grin crossing her face.  “Actually, we should head over there now and try to catch her before she opens the boutique.”

The three pony friends stood outside of Rarity’s Carousel Boutique, waiting for the owner to answer the door.  Twilight and Rainbow stood on either side of Spitfire, in her black hoodie, trying to shield her from any curious eyes that might walk by.

When the door opened, they were greeted with Rarity’s trademark sing-song “Commme innnn.”
“Twilight Sparkle!  Rainbow Dash!  To what do I owe the honor of your visit to m…”  Rarity stopped in mid-sentence and let out a gasp of shock.  “Well I can clearly see why you two are here!  Your new friend is in dire need of my assistance.  That hoodie is simply horrid.”

Rarity’s horn began to softly glow and the hoodie that Spitfire had been wearing was magically removed and unceremoniously tossed toward the garbage.

“Hay!  That was mine.  Spitfire was just borrowing it,” Rainbow objected heading over to pick up her hoodie.

“Hmm…Yes, yes.  Of course dear, Spitfire was just borrowing it,” Rarity replied, already bringing out racks of clothes for the as yet unacknowledged celebrity in her midst.

“Now, let me see here,” Rarity started as she poked through a rack of coats. “Why exactly were you borrowing that hoodie anyway?  It’s not cold out at all.”

“Well, I was trying to stay hidden and just conceal my mane more than anything else,” Spitfire answered.

“Darling, why in Equestria would you-“  the air was shattered by the second gasp of shock from Rarity.  

“SPITFIRE!”

“Well it’s about time she slowed down enough to notice,” Rainbow chimed in, trying to get one little jab in for the honor of her hoodie.

“Rarity, we need your help, and we especially need your silence,” Twilight said as she walked over to the stunned fashion pony.

“My…my silence?”  Rarity questioned.

“Miss Rarity, it’s like this-“ Spitfire started before being cut off.

“Oh, please dear, just call me Rarity.”

“Right.  Rarity, it’s like this.  I’m trying to leave the Wonderbolts, for personal reasons I don’t want to get into, but in order to do that, I have to hide from the Wonderbolts.  So you see, no one can know I’m here.  If they find me, I’ll never get out of the Wonderbolts,”  Spitfire explained.

“And you just need me to keep your coming to see me to get something better than that horrid hoodie to help you hide a secret?  Easily done,” Rarity smiled and said.

“Well, not just that.  Spitfire needs to hide out here today.  See, we’re moving from place-to-place each day.  That way if somepony is following us, we can stay one step ahead of them.  Twilight and I have a plan to help Spitfire, but she can’t come with us.  It’s just too dangerous for her.  So, can she stay here with you?” Rainbow asked.

“Well, normally, I wouldn’t have a problem with that at all.  I’d welcome the company, if I’m being honest, but today is my regular spa day with Fluttershy.”

“Wait, did you say spa day?” Spitfire’s ears perked up “And Fluttershy?”

“Why yes dear.  Do you know Fluttershy?”

“Rainbow and I stayed with her my first night here in Ponyville.  We became good friends pretty quickly.  I kind of miss her.  Oh, and a spa treatment would be just heavenly.  I hate to invite myself, but could I please come?  That is if you think the spa could keep my secret?” Spitfire’s voice trailed off into a tone of disappointment as she realized that going to a spa might not be the best way to keep her presence in Ponyville a secret.

“Darling, I spend so much time there, I’m sure that if I asked, Aloe and Lotus would close the whole spa for just the three of us.  I’m sure of it.  That settles it, then.  Rainbow you and Twilight will go do your plan thingie or whatever,” Rarity said waving a dismissive hoof at her friends, “and Spitfire, Fluttershy and I will spend the day at the spa.  Judging from the looks of your poor mane, you could really use a good shampoo and conditioning.  First things first though, you will need a replacement for that…hoodie.”

Rarity stepped in beside Spitfire and guided her over to the clothing racks, showing her cloak after cloak.

“Umm…Rarity, we actually need more of your help first,” Twilight spoke, trying to get Rarity’s attention again.

“Oh, I’m sorry, darling.  You’re still here.  What else did you need me to do?”

“We need you to take my Nightmare Night Shadowbolt costume and make it look more like a Wonderbolt costume,” Rainbow said, tossing her costume toward Rarity.

Catching the costume with her magic, Rarity looked disapprovingly at the garment.  “You made this yourself, didn’t you, Rainbow Dash?”

“Completely,” Rainbow answered very proudly.

“Well, I’m sorry, but there is nothing that I can do with…this.  It would be easier to just build a new Wonderbolt suit from scratch.  If I have the right color and material, that is.” Rarity responded, levitating the costume back to Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, the material is Wonderflex in azure with yellow trim for the lightning details,” Spitfire chimed in, to only again be greeting with looks of shock from everyone in the room.  “What?  I wore that stupid outfit every day of my life.  I should know something about it.”

“Azure and yellow Wonderflex…I’m not sure if I have that in stock, but I may have something close to it.  How accurate does this need to be?  I’m guessing not enough to pull off getting into one of their shows, but maybe an autograph session, since you wanted me to start with that costume,” Rarity asked.

“Just accurate enough to fool some ponies that Rainbow Dash is a member of the Wonderbolts,” Twilight answered.

“Very well, Spitfire, could you help me in finding the right fabric?  It shouldn’t take long to make, maybe an hour or two.  This should leave us just enough time to get you fitted for a new cloak and get us to the spa.  Now, where to begin…Ah, yes…SPIIIIIIKE!” Rarity screamed out.

In an instant, the door flew open, a rush of wind blew through the boutique and there was Spike standing in front of Rarity at full attention, saluting.

“Yes, m’lady?”

“SPIKE!” Twilight shouted in complete shock.

“AH!” the dragon jumped at hearing Twilight’s voice.  “You’re all here.  Umm…Hi?”

“Spike, I left you in charge of the library.  Who’s watching it if you’re here, and how long have you been doing this?”  Twilight asked with a very stern tone to her voice.  She was not happy that her number one assistant might also be Rarity’s number one assistant.

“Twilight, darling, you didn’t know that Spike helps me out from time-to-time?” Rarity looked at Twilight with true surprise in her eyes.  The realization of what Spike was doing starting to sink in.  “Spike!  Why didn’t you tell her?  If I had known you were ducking your duties at the library, I would have never asked for your assistance.  I thought you were doing this in your spare time.  Twilight, I am so very sorry.”

“Uhh…yeah, I sometimes come over and help Rarity when she needs me.  I guess I sort of forgot to tell you, Twilight,” the dragon tried to laugh it off.  “Guess it is kind of funny though, don’t you think?”

“No, Spike, it is not funny,” Rarity scolded.  “Twilight, if I may borrow Spike just one more time, after this is all over, we are all going to sit down and have a long talk about this.”

“Sure Rarity.  It’s okay, this once, as long as he is back at the library soon,” Twilight said.  “I think  Cheerilee is bringing the students over for library day.  You’ll need to read them the story today Spike, and clean up the mess when they leave.  I’ll be busy helping Rainbow Dash.”

“Fine.  What do you need me to do Rarity?” Spike asked feeling completely busted.

“I need you to run over to the spa and tell Aloe and Lotus that Fluttershy and I are bringing in a special VIP guest and we need the utmost discretion and privacy for our visit today.”

“Yes, m’lady,” Spike said as he rushed out the door.

“Now, Spitfire, those fabrics?” Rarity said as she guided Spitfire back to her fabric room.

Two hours later, Rainbow Dash was standing on Rarity’s model pedestal in a full Wonderbolt costume.

“Nice work, Rarity.  I can’t believe it’s not Wonderflex though.  It looks so much like it.  I always thought the material was completely unique,” Spitfire complimented walking around admiring Rarity’s work.  “I still see two problems though.  One your mane and tail are too recognizable.  Can we change them somehow?”

“I think I have a spell for that,” Twilight answered, her horn starting to glow as Rainbow’s signature rainbow-colored mane faded into simple shades of red and orange.

“Much better; great job, Twilight, but there is still one thing wrong,” Spitfire stared intently at Rainbow Dash.

“What is it?  I’ve got a great suit and new hair color.  What am I missing?” Rainbow asked.

Without saying a word, Spitfire went over to where Rainbow had hung her black hoodie earlier.  She nosed through the pockets and tossed something over to Rainbow Dash.

“Those,” was all Spitfire said.

Rainbow jumped and caught the object in her hooves.  Looking with complete shock and amazement, her jaw dropped open wide.

“Those are your goggles,” Twilight spoke, breaking the silence.

“Every Wonderbolt has a pair.  If she’s going to pull this off, she’s going to need them,” Spitfire commented.

“I promise, I’ll bring them back.  They won’t get a scratch.  I promise,” Rainbow said, never taking her eyes off the goggles.

“Don’t worry about it.  They’re…they’re yours.  I want you to…to have them,” Spitfire was getting chocked up.  Those goggles had been part of her identity for so long, but she was turning a new page in her life, starting a new identity.  It was time to let go.  “Besides, you’ve helped me so much, it’s the very least I can do.”

Rainbow couldn’t take it anymore.  She quickly placed the goggle on her head and flew as fast as she could to Spitfire.  Wrapping her forelegs around her and burying her crying eyes in her neck, Rainbow hugged her hero.

“Thank you, Spitfire,” was all she could just get out between the sobs of joy.

“You’re welcome, and thank you.  For the second time, you’re saving my life,” Spitfire said through her own tears, returning Rainbow’s hug.

“Rainbow,” Twilight softly said, “We really need to get going.”

“Yes, and Spitfire dear, we really need to get you fitted into a proper cloak,” Rarity joined.

“Yeah, you’re right, Twi.  Let’s get a move on,” Rainbow said as she broke the hug and wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Thank you both, and please be safe,” Spitfire said, wiping away her own tears.

“Hey, even if we get caught, there’s nothing they can do.  Unless they want the whole ugly mess spilled all over the news,” Rainbow said; her cockiness returning.

“Just please be careful,” Spitfire urged.

“We will.  Try not to worry.  We’ll be back around dark most likely,” Twilight said as she and Rainbow left the boutique.

Spitfire and Rarity left shortly after.  It didn’t take Rarity long to find a new cloak for Spitfire.  It wasn’t exactly inconspicuous, though.  It was a nice light material in deep shades of crimson and maroon.  It did cover her mane and had openings for her wings.  A few test flights around the boutique proved that the hood would stay up while flying, even though it didn’t have those “horrid draw-strings,” as Rarity put it.  The cloak was even long enough that it covered part of Spitfire’s tail, an important feature that the hoodie didn’t accomplish.  “What good is it to cover your beautiful mane if your tail is still out and just as recognizable?”  Rarity had a good point.

“Rarity, I absolutely love this cloak.  It is so comfortable and luxurious.”  Spitfire commented as they walked to the spa.

“I’m glad, darling.  It suits you too.  You know, for a Wonderbolt, you do have a very elegant side to you, don’t you?”

“Yeah, it just doesn’t get seen as much.  Like I told Rainbow, just because I’m a Wonderbolt, it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the finer things in life.  Oh, I wish you could have seen Rainbow’s face when I was scolding her for not having any bath bubbles or bath salts.  It was priceless.”

“I can only imagine.  Although, my face would have looked a lot like it if you had told me she had bath bubbles and salts in her house.”

Both ponies laughed as they walked to the front of the spa.

“Thank you Rarity.  I will repay you for this one day.  I’m so looking forward to a massage and getting to see Fluttershy again.”

As the spa doors opened, Spitfire looked around and noticed one pony turning the open sign around so it read closed.  They then took her cloak and led her and Rarity to the back.  Once through the last door, Spitfire’s face lit with a bright smile as she was greeted with a look of surprise from Fluttershy.

Celestia’s sun shone brightly, directly overhead, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were hiding in a small wooded area just beyond the edge of the Wonderbolt’s main compound.

“Now, according to Spitfire, the main administration building is that short box-like cloud on the outer edge.  There are eight ABMs inside, but we only need you to get to one so we can get Spitfire’s account number,” Twilight said.

“No problem.  I’ll hit one and if I think it’s safe I’ll try for a few more,” Dash replied.  “What was the max I can take out at one time again?”

“1,000 bits, but to be safe, only get 950.  That way you stay well under the limit.  With the trace spell, I’ll be able to hear you, but I won’t be able to see anything.  Still, you shouldn’t talk to me much or else it could look like you’re talking to yourself.”

“Right.  I’m thinking I shoot straight up out of here into that cloud,” Rainbow pointed to a cloud that was even higher than the Wonderbolt’s compound.  “I can then hide in it and move it closer to the building and dive down to one of those side doors.  Whatcha think?”

“I think Daring Do would be proud.”

With that, Rainbow launched herself straight up into the sky.  She made it to the cloud faster than Twilight thought she could.  Once in the cloud, she carried her plan out by slowly moving the cloud toward the administration building.

“This is easy as pie,” she thought.  As she got into position, and was getting ready to dive out of the cloud, a loud ringing of trumpets startled her.

Suddenly there was movement and activity all over the place.  Wonderbolts and administrators were flooding out of the building.

“Twilight, something’s wrong.  Everypony is running out of the building.  I’m going to go ahead and try to get in, once they stop running out.”

Twilight heard Rainbow’s voice in her head just as if she were standing right there.  It was at that point she really wished she could talk to her.  Twilight could see why everypony was leaving the building and where the trumpet noise was coming from, Princess Celestia was paying a visit to the Wonderbolts compound.

Rainbow hadn’t seen anypony leave through the side door for a minute or so.  She decided now was the time to try and get in.  She took one more look around, and that was when she noticed the chariot landing in front of the building.  “WHAT THE HAY?!  Twilight, why is the Princess here?”

“Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no...not now.  Why is she here now?  I never meant for her...oh no.  They’re all going to think I told her..Just please be careful Dash!” Twilight said, knowing that no pony was around to hear her.

Rainbow froze for a moment.  “Nope, got to go on; I’ve just got to be even more careful now.”  Rainbow dove down to the door.  No one was around and the door was unlocked.  Entering slowly, she looked around and saw the building looked completely empty.  “Twilight, you’re not going to believe this, but I think everypony is out front greeting the Princess.  The building looks completely empty.  I’m going to hit as many ABMs as I can, and fast.”  Rainbow cinched Spitfire’s goggles tight and flew off as fast as she could in the direction of where she hoped an ABM would be.

Hearing Rainbow say the building looked empty caused Twilight to give a sigh of relief.
“Be quick Rainbow, but please don’t mess up,” she thought to herself.

“That’s three ABMs down, Twilight.  I’ve got her number too.  I’m going to try and hit at least two more ABMs.  I don’t think I could do all eight.  These bits are getting heavy.”

As Rainbow finished her transaction on the fourth ABM, she heard hoof steps coming up behind her.  She grabbed the bits and flew off in the other direction, getting out of sight just as two of Princess Celestia’s Royal Guards rounded the corner.

“Hay, would you look at that.  Somepony left their receipt in that ABM over there,” one guard noticed.  “We should take it to that one pegasus, what was her name?”

“You mean Balance Sheet?” the other guard spoke.

“Yeah, that’s it.  She said she was in charge of the Wonderbolt’s finances.  She’d know who this needed to get back to.”

“Twi, things are starting to get busy around here.  Can you teleport me out of here, like now?”   

Rainbow was getting nervous at all the hoof steps she was hearing.  Carrying nearly 4,000 in bits was a lot heavier than she thought it would be, and it was slowing her down.

Suddenly, she felt the hairs in her mane start to stand on end.  There was a crackling of electricity filling her ears.  Then a bright flash of light and a deafening POP.

When she could open her eyes, she saw she was back in the wooded area with Twilight.

“Looks like things went pretty well up there,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, I was able to get through 4 of the ABMs, so we’ve got close to 4,000 of Spitfire’s bits for her, and here’s her account number.  Can you send it off to Source Code now?”

“I just have to encrypt it first, and then…” as Twilight’s horn glowed, so did the small piece of paper, until it became blindingly bright and disappeared.

“Done,”  Twilight said.  “He should have it already and he’ll send me a note with all the details.  Now, we should really start to head back.  We should stick to the ground and under the trees, especially with the Princess up there.”

“About that, Twi, why is the Princess up there?”

“What?  How would I know?  I don’t have her date book.  Maybe she comes in and checks on things from time-to-time?”

“Well if she does that, how would she not know about how they treat each other?”

“Honestly, Rainbow, you’re acting like I have all the answers about everything Princess Celestia.  I don’t, you know.  I mean, I was her student for years and never knew that she had a pet phoenix.  She can be a very private pony.”

“Okay, sorry.  It just seems awfully convenient that when we show up here, so does she.  Still, it did help having the building empty like that.”

“So it all worked out,” Twilight replied, trying to end the conversation quickly.  “You know, Rainbow, I kind of like your mane like that.  It looks good on you.”

“You think so?  I don’t recognize myself with it at all.  It was good that I had it though.  There were cameras all over the place and every ABM had a little camera in it.  Oh, how long will this spell on my mane last anyway?”

“Oh, just a day or so, then it will return to normal.”

The two Royal Guards finally found Balance Sheet as she was re-entering the building.

“Excuse me, Miss Balance Sheet?”

“Yes, I’m Balance Sheet.”

“We were patrolling inside the building while the Princess was speaking, and we found this ABM receipt.  We thought you would know how to get it back to the rightful owner.”

“Oh, thank you very much.  It’s silly how some ponies leave these lying around.  I mean, with one of these and a little time, you could get right into the account.  I’ll see to it that it makes it back to the proper Wonderbolt.”

Balance Sheet took  the receipt and the guards walked away.  As she looked down at the receipt, her eyes widened.

“This can’t be the right account number.  This must be an old receipt,” but looking at the date stamp she realized it was not just from today, but less than an hour ago.

“Is everything alright, ma’am?” Margin Alalysis, Balance Sheet’s assistant, asked.

“No.  Things are very wrong.  Go inside now and lock down this account and pull the video footage from every ABM in the building for the last two hours.  I’ve got to go find Soarin.”

The sun was setting and Luna was just starting to raise the moon.  Twilight and Rainbow were just getting back into Ponyville and were making their way to Carousel Boutique.

Suddenly Rainbow Dash vanished is a ball of pink fuzz.

“DASHIE!”

“Ugh, hi, Pinkie.”

“Where ya been, Dashie?  I haven’t seen you for a couple of days!  OOOH…what’s in those bags?”

“I can’t tell you, Pinkie, at least not yet.”

“Awwww, but I want to know.  Hey I know!…can I try to guess?”

“NO!  Look, Pinkie, if you can give me one more day, I’m going to tell you the whole story and I even have a surprise to go with it.  I just need some time…to…uhh…get everything together.  Okay?”

“I LOVE surprises, Dashie, but do I have to wait one more whole day?  Can’t you just give me one little hint?  Huh, can’t you?  Huh, huh, just one little hint…PLLLLEEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEE.”

“No, no hints.  I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but how about this, have Sugar Cube Corner open bright and early tomorrow morning, like just after the sun comes up, and I’ll bring you your surprise and tell you the whole story then, a full day early.”

“Okay!”

And just as quickly as Pinkie had appeared, she disappeared.

“Well, that was certainly random,” Twilight said.

“That’s Pinkie Pie.  I hadn’t planned on taking Spitfire to see her just yet.  I wanted to go to AJ’s first, but plans change, I guess,” Rainbow said as she picked herself up and dusted herself off.

“But why did she just disappear so quickly?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, that, well you see, Pinkie thinks that if something is happening early in the morning, if she goes straight to sleep, the morning will get here sooner.  We’d better hustle on to the boutique.  They might get worried since you said we’d be back by dark.”

Twilight and Rainbow entered the boutique through the kitchen entrance in the back, no reason to raise suspicions by having two ponies enter through the front after dark.  When they entered the kitchen, they found three ponies sitting around Rarity’s table drinking tea and enjoying what looked like desert.

“Well, glad to see everyone was really worried about us?” Rainbow said to announce herself.

“Rainbow! Twilight! Thank goodness you’re back.  As a matter of fact, we were starting to worry.  You said you would be back by dark and the stars are beginning to get very bright outside,” Rarity chimed.

“Yes, we were getting worried, me especially, but I guess you probably already knew that,”  Fluttershy’s voice trailed off as it usually did.

Spitfire, however, jumped up from her seat and hugged both Rainbow and Twilight.

“I am so glad you’re both back.  I’ve been kicking myself all day for letting you two take on this plan.  I should’ve stopped you this morning.  I think I just got carried away.  I can’t believe I let you put yourselves in harm’s way like that,” Spitfire said as she hugged both ponies over and over.

“In all honesty, it wasn’t that dangerous,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, once the whole admin building emptied out to go see Princess Celestia, I had the run of the place...until those royal guards almost saw me,” Rainbow explained, sounding very proud of herself.

“Hold on, Princess Celestia was there?  Why would she be there?” Spitfire asked.

“We guessed she was there for some kind of inspection or something,” Twilight answered.

“In all the years I’ve been a Wonderbolt, Princess Celestia has never visited the main compound.  Why would she show up today of all days…Twilight, please tell me you didn’t tell Princess Celestia about all this?”  Spitfire’s eyes were pleading with Twilight to answer no.

“Spitfire, I Pinkie Promised that I wouldn’t tell her, and I haven’t broken my promise, I honestly don’t know why she was there today.”

“Okay.  I believe you.   You did promise, after all.  Well, come on over here and sit down.  We’ve saved you some tea and dessert.  You can tell us all about your Daring adventure,” Spitfire guided her two friends to the table, still a little worried in the back of her mind about why the Princess would choose today of all days.

Just as they were ready to set down, the air started to sizzle with the sound of magical electricity, followed by a bright flash of light.

A scroll appeared on the table.

“That must be from Source Code.  I told you he moved fast,” Twilight said proudly.

She levitated the scroll over to her and started to read the encrypted message.  As she did, her eyes grew wide and her ears flattened.

“Rainbow, you didn’t leave anything behind today did you?” Twilight asked, suspicious of the answer.

“Well, I wasn’t able to get the receipt out of the last ABM.  There were guards coming and I had to bolt,”  Rainbow answered.

“This is so not good.  Those guards must have found the receipt and turned it in to the bank.  While Source Code was trying to get all the bits together, someone at the bank froze the account.  He can’t get any bits out of it…and he thinks they may have traced what he was doing back to him.  He’s gone back into hiding.”  Twilight hung her head, heavy with guilt.  She knew Source Code had only recently come back out of hiding from his last episode, and now she’s helped to trigger another.  “I’m sorry, Source Code.  I’m so sorry,” Twilight whispered to herself.

“Will your friend be okay, Twilight?” Fluttershy’s soft voice floated across the room.

“He’ll be okay, eventually.  I just feel bad for putting him in that situation,” Twilight answered.

“But you only did that to help me.  This was way too risky.  I should go and hide somewhere else, before anypony else gets hurt,” Spitfire started to head to the door.

“No.  We’ve all done too much already.  Look, day four is over, you’re in the home stretch.  Twilight and I knew the risk and we agreed to do it anyway.  Source Code knew the risk too, and he still agreed.  We all chose to help you.  You are not walking out on us now.  We’re going to see this through to the end, one way or another,” Rainbow Dash had positioned herself between Spitfire and the door and as she spoke she forced Spitfire to move away from the door.

“You all really are wonder ponies, and truly amazing friends.  Thank you,” Spitfire replied.

“Now, come one everypony, my tea is getting cold and the dessert is getting warm.  Let’s not let all this go to waste.  Let’s celebrate the end of day four, whatever that means, and remember Twilight’s friend.  I know we all hope he’ll be alright,” Rarity spoke, trying to bring order back to the situation.

After a few moments of silence, everypony was smiling and laughing again as Twilight and Rainbow Dash told the story of their adventure. 
> Day 5 – Sunshine, Balloons and Flour
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come on, leave me alone.  It's too early.  Just let me sleep a little longer, please?" the flame-maned pegasus complained.

"I know; I'm really tired too.  This lack of sleep is really getting to me, but we've got to get over to Sugar Cube Corner soon, before she comes looking for us,"  Dash said, still trying to get Spitfire to just open her eyes.  "Look, I'm going to go downstairs and start some coffee.  We're going to need it.  Meet me in the kitchen in five minutes or I'm coming back with a bucket of ice water," Dash gave Spitfire a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Fine, I guess I did bring this on myself," Spitfire sleepily replied.

"And me too.  Don't forget me," Rainbow said as she left the room.

"As if I ever could; you'd never let me forget," Spitfire thought as she rolled out of bed.

"Ah, I thought I smelled coffee," Twilight said as she entered into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I made a quick pot, Twi.  Hope we didn't wake you.  We've just got to get over to Sugarcube Corner soon and you know we'll need this before we take that on," Rainbow said sipping from her cup.

"You're going to need more than one cup from the way you two look.  You both look simply exhausted."

"It's been a pretty rough past few days.  I'm just really grateful to Rainbow here and all of you.  I don't think I'll ever be able to really thank you enough for all you've done," Spitfire said, her eyes still a little droopy from fatigue.

"You just keep going, get out of this, come back to visit - a lot – and we'll call it even," Twilight said, placing an encouraging hoof on Spitfire's shoulder.

"Deal," she said placing her hoof on top of Twilight's.

"Come on, Spitfire, we've got to get going," Rainbow announced.

Spitfire finished her coffee and headed toward the front of the library to put on her new cloak.  As they left, Rainbow and Spitfire both noticed there weren't a lot of ponies out and about yet.  It was a very short and quick walk to Sugarcube Corner, and the smell of fresh-baked pastries was already filling the air.  Even as early in the morning as it was, the front door to the shop was open for customers.

"Spitfire, head around to the back, by the kitchen door and wait there.  I need to 'prep' Pinkie for this or else it's all over," Rainbow said as she pointed toward the kitchen door.

"Gotcha!"

"Pinkie, you here?" Rainbow announced.

"DASHIE!  I thought you had forgotten.  I was just getting ready to come over to the library looking for you."

Rainbow and Spitfire were both startled by the sudden appearance of the pink curly mane popping up from behind the counter.

"Heh, Pinkie, you should know better than that.  I'd never forget a promise," Rainbow replied.  "Now, is there someplace a little more private we can go to for your surprise?"

"Sure!  We can use the kitchen.  The Cakes are still upstairs packing for their trip.  I'm the only pony down here," Pinkie answered.

"Okay Pinkie, now, before I show you your surprise, you have to make me a Pinkie Promise.  You have to Pinkie Promise that you won't tell anypony about it," Rainbow instructed.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly.  Stick a cupcake in my eye."

Once she had finished her promise, Rainbow went to the door and led Spitfire into the kitchen.
"Pinkie, this is Spitfire from the Wonderbolts.  She's in trouble, needs our help, and we have to keep all this secret," Rainbow said, as Spitfire took her hood off, revealing her signature mane.  "This is my surprise?" Pinkie looked rather confused at her surprise. "What am I going to do with a Wonderbolt?"

"I'm not giving her to you, Pinkie!  Ugh," Rainbow replied.  "Listen, Spitfire is in some trouble and she and I need to hide here for the day.  Nopony can know she is here.  That's why she is a surprise and why you Pinkie Promised.  Get it?"

"Ohhhh…no.  Why is she my surprise again?"

"Here, let me try," Spitfire said, moving past Rainbow approaching the still confused pink earth pony.  "Pinkie Pie, I think Rainbow was expecting me to be a surprise because I'm a Wonderbolt, and some ponies consider us famous.  I know Rainbow was surprised when I showed up on her doorstep a few days ago."

"Well, that makes some sense.  I guess it would have been more surprising if I knew more about the Wonderbolts," Pinkie replied.

"Yeah, most likely it would have.  The main thing is, I really need your help.  The rest of the Wonderbolts are looking for me because I'm trying to leave the group, and they don't want me to leave," Spitfire explained.

"They sound like meanies then, if they're not letting you do something you want to do," Pinkie said.

"They are really good ponies, and they used to be my friends, but right now, yes, they are being meanies," Spitfire smiled to herself, amused at the idea of using the word "meanies".

"Well, I made a Pinkie Promise not to talk about my surprise, and since you're my surprise, I won't say anything to anypony about you hiding here.  Oops, my muffins!" Pinkie ran past Spitfire and Rainbow to get to the over and pull the muffins out just before they burnt.  At that same moment, Mr. and Mrs. Cake entered the kitchen.

"Well hello, Rainbow Dash.  What brings you here so early in the morning and who is your friend?" Mrs. Cake asked in her typical cheerful voice.

"Hi, Mrs. Cake, Mr. Cake.  This is my friend Spi…sp…ssst…Starfire.  She's visiting from Phillydelphia.  We went to flight school together," Rainbow managed to quickly get out. 

Spitfire was looking at Rainbow with a slight bit of surprise, "Wow, way to think quick on your hooves," she thought.

"Well hello, Starfire.  Its nice to meet another one of Rainbow's friends," Mrs. Cake said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cake.  You have a lovely shop," Spitfire answered.

"Where in Phillydelphia are you from?" Mrs. Cake asked, trying to make conversation.

"I'm from north Philly," Spitfire answered.

"Oh, really, I'm originally from north Phillydelphia.  I was raised there most of my life.  My father was an important lawyer there.  Then he got a job that moved us to Canterlot, and I moved here shortly after that," Mrs. Cake said.

"Your father is a lawyer in Canterlot?  He must have some very important clients," Spitfire inquired.  "Maybe he can help me," she thought.

"Well, I don't like to brag, but his biggest client is actually the Wonderbolts organization."

Spitfire's mouth dropped open, her ears laid back, and her eyes widened in panic.  If not for Rainbow Dash stepping up and placing her foreleg around her and pulling her in close, Spitfire would have bolted for the door.

"You'll have to excuse Starfire here.  She's a bigger fan of the Wonderbolts than I am," Rainbow tried to explain.  "Pinkie said you all were going on a trip?" Rainbow asked, trying to redirect the conversation and hopefully keep Spitfire from visibly trembling.

"Yes, we're heading up to Canterlot to visit Cup Cake's father actually," Mr. Cake replied.  "Horseapples!" Rainbow thought as she felt Spitfire's shaking intensify.

"Yes, Mother and Father wanted to spend some time with the twins.  He's sent a carriage for us.  It should be arriving soon," Mrs. Cake said as she walked from the kitchen to the front of the store, looking for the carriage.

"Actually, Rainbow, Starfire, I need to ask a favor of you two.  We're leaving Pinkie in charge while we're gone, and I know she can handle the job, but could you two stick around and maybe help her out, either with the front desk or here in the kitchen?" Mr. Cake politely asked.

"Well I can't cook at all, so I could work up front.  Starfire though, she's a wiz in a kitchen.  She could help out back here, couldn't you?" Rainbow gave Spitfire a little shake to try and snap her back to reality.

"Wha...help out?  Yeah, sure, I can help in the kitchen.  I can cook," Spitfire answered still very distracted.

"Girls, thank you so much.  It means a lot to me," Mr. Cake replied.

"Sweetheart, the carriage is here!  I'll grab the twins.  You get our luggage," Mrs. Cake yelled from the front of the store.

"Oh, sure, I'll grab the piano.  You get the bench," Mr. Cake grumbled as he left the kitchen.  "Bye, girls, and thanks again!"

As Mr. Cake disappeared from view, Spitfire quickly looked around spotting what looked like a closet.  Looking Rainbow straight in the eyes, she spit out just two words from between clinched teeth, "Closet. Now!"

Closing the door behind her, Rainbow turned and was greeted with a hoof across her face.

"OUCH!" she cried grabbing her cheek.

"What the BUCK, Rainbow?  First you hide me with Princess Celestia's personal student, and then top that by hiding me in the shop whose owner's father is the Wonderbolt's lawyer?!"  The venom in Spitfire's voice was unlike anything Rainbow had heard before and the fire in her eyes caused the normally confident mare to back away.

"Look, I didn't know Mrs. Cake's dad was the Wonderbolt's lawyer, alright?  She never talks to anypony about her family and if Pinkie knew, she never mentioned it either.  I thought you trusted me?  I know I'm no Twilight, but I'm smart enough to know better than to do this intentionally," Rainbow said trying her best to stay calm and diffuse the situation, despite the burning in her cheek.

"Rainbow, I'm trying to trust you, but…I'm sorry.  She said who her dad was, and…I've never been so frightened before.  We're so close to the end.  All I could see is her recognizing me and it all ending right then," Spitfire collapsed to the floor as she spoke.  "I'm sorry I hit you.  I really am.  It's just…" her words trailed off as she began to cry.

Rainbow Dash started to realize just how frightened she must have been.  "How many death defying stunts has she pulled?  She powered through all those, but this nearly broke her?  Is there something that she hasn't told me?" Rainbow wondered to herself as she walked over and layed down next to her fallen hero.

"Hey, now how many death defying stunts have you done as a Wonderbolt?"

"I don't know.  Lots, I guess."

"And what Mrs. Cake said scared you this bad?  Are you not telling me something about the Wonderbolts, about something that happened or could happen?"

"No, I've told you everything.  It's just that…I know if they find me, I'm off the team and on the danger squad.  That is a death sentence.  Not right away, but it happens eventually.  It always does.  I don't want to die.  I don't want anypony to die like that."

"Okay, it's okay.  Just remember, I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you and I am not going to intentionally put you in harm's way.  If I'd known about Mrs. Cake's dad, we would have never come here.  Hopefully she didn't recognize you, but still, it's a few hours' carriage ride to Canterlot.  Then she'd have to recognize a picture of you and think to tell her dad.  Then it's another couple hours for a carriage to get back here and try to find you.  We've got more than half a day before we should even think about worrying."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Suddenly the door to the closet burst open, causing the pegasi to scream.

"Come on, you two silly fillies; time to come out of the closet.  We've got customers coming in and I heard you tell Mr. Cake you'd help.  So Rainbow, get up to the counter, and Star…Spit…what do I call you…hmm…" Pinkie put her hoof to her chin trying to think of what to call her new friend.  "Got it…Hothead, you come with me to the kitchen."

Rainbow was trying to hold back the laughter, but failed miserably, erupting in laughter at her friend's new nickname.

"'Hothead'?  Really?" Spitfire said, completely unamused.

"Well, you do lose your temper a lot.  Trust me, just go with it.  It's Pinkie." Rainbow said trying to catch her breath.

"Fine, whatever."  Spitfire said as she got up and headed to the kitchen.

The next few hours was a whirlwind of flour, sugar, baking pans, and pink mane.  Spitfire had never seen anypony ever move so fast.  She did her best to keep up, but by the end of the breakfast rush, she was completely exhausted.

"Pinkie, how late does this place stay open?" Spitfire asked finally getting a chance to sit and catch her breath.

"Oh, well we open just after sunrise to get everything ready for the breakfast crowd.  Then we'll close for a little while to clean and get everything ready for lunch.  That's always really busy.  Then we'll close again, clean again and get things ready for the dinner crowd.  That's not usually too bad.  Not many ponies want muffins or cupcakes for dinner.  Except for one pony, now that I think about it, I don't know her name, but she comes in almost every meal for a muffin.  Then we'll just stay open until about ten o'clock at night for the late night snack crew," Pinkie said, all seemingly in one breath.

"You do this from dawn until ten o'clock at night?  How?  I don't think I'm going to make it much past lunch," Spitfire replied.

"Oh, well, really you don't have to.  The breakfast and lunch crowds are the worst and I like the extra help.  Dinner and snack crowd I could handle easy myself.  Oh, well, break's over.  Let's get back to getting things ready for the lunch rush," and with that, Pinkie bounced to the counters and started mixing what seemed like random ingredients, almost faster than Spitfire could see.

Groaning, Spitfire got up and starting cleaning the pans, bowls, and spoons so that they would be ready with Pinkie needed them.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Spitfire found herself slowly peeking her head through the door separating the kitchen from the front room.  "Is it over Rainbow?  Is it finally over?" she weakly asked.

Rainbow was just closing the door and turning the sign from open to closed as she answered, "Yeah, it's over.  That was the last customer."

"Oh, thank Celestia and Luna," Spitfire said as she collapsed to the floor, completely exhausted.  "Honestly Pinkie, how do you do this?  I've never been this tired even after a hard workout with the Wonderbolts?"

"It's not that hard," giggled the pink earth pony.  "It's really easy once you get into a rhythm."  "I have never met a more cheerful or hardworking pony in my life," Spitfire complemented, earning another giggle from Pinkie Pie.

"Well you were a really big help and you caught on quick for your first day.  You didn't burn too many cupcakes too badly.  Nothing extra frosting couldn't cover up.  That's pretty good," Pinkie said as she bounced around the kitchen cleaning everything, getting ready for the dinner crowd.  "Now the dinner group will be super easy.  We only get a few dozen and they come in late looking for dessert.  I'd love it if you could stay, but if you need to go, that's okay too, as long as you promise to come back and visit."

"Now, how did it go, again?  I think I remember.  Cross my heart and hope to fly.  Stick a cup cake in my eye," Spitfire promised.

"Okie dokie loki.  See you soon," and Pinkie hopped off into the back to get her supplies ready.

"So, are you completely beat?" Rainbow asked sticking her head through the door.

"You have no idea.  Where does she find the energy?" Spitfire asked.

"We don't really know, and we've found it best not to question Pinkie too much.  You learn to just go with it," Rainbow answered, knowing full well there were just no answers that could ever be applied to her friend.

"Well, if Mrs. Cake did recognize me, she's had plenty of time to tell her dad and get some ponies headed this way looking for me.  What do we do now?"  Spitfire asked Rainbow, hoping for a good answer.

"We're going to go to the safest place that I can think of.  Even if some ponies did come looking for you there, they wouldn't get real far before they run into trouble.  We're going to go see Applejack and her family at Sweet Apple Acres," Rainbow said rather proudly.  She knew that all they would need to do is let the Apple family know they needed help and they'd get it and more.

"Great.  It's not far away is it?"

"It's just outside town."

"Fantastic, I don't know if I could walk too far."

"Who said we were walking?  I think we should fly.  If they're sending a carriage after you, it will be on the road, so let's be above it."

"Now that is the best idea you've had today."

Rainbow turned and headed to the door, but noticed Spitfire wasn't following.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just that…Rainbow…I'm really sorry I've lost my temper with you so much.  I've just been tired and stressed so much, I just lose it too quickly.  I hope I haven't hurt our friendship, especially where I hit you," Spitfire was hanging her head low, truly regretful for her ill temper the past few days.

"Hey, don't sweat it.  I totally understand.  Yeah, you've said and done some things that hurt me, and I've gotten mad at you, but it happens.  Me and my friends, we get into fights at least once or twice a season it seems like.  I understand; I really do," Rainbow had lowered her head in order to make eye contact with Spitfire and try to get her to raise her head.

"Thanks Dash.  When this is over, can I hang out with you and your friends and get to know you all under better circumstances?"

"Uh, yeah, I think everypony is counting on that.  Besides, you Pinkie Promised Pinkie you'd come back and you and Fluttershy have gotten to be good friends.  I'm thinking you'll be around after all this is over.  Now, come on, we really need to fly, and I think you need to feel the wind as much as I do."

The pegasi trotted trough the shop's back door and leapt from the ground into the blue sky.  Spitfire closed her eyes to enjoy the feel of the wind in her mane and the sound of the wind in her ears.  She hadn't realized how long she had been on the ground until just then.  "Oh, Celestia, I've missed this," she said to herself.  Opening her eyes, she found Rainbow headed away from her, altered her course and followed Rainbow Dash toward Sweet Apple Acres.   It was about then that Spitfire realized that they were heading toward a working orchard.  "Hey Rainbow!" she shouted over the wind.

"Yo! Whatcha need?"

"Isn't this place like a farm or orchard or something?"

"Yeah, so plenty of cover."

"And plenty of work, too I bet."

Rainbow hadn't thought about that.  Applejack isn't known for sleeping in and taking it easy.  They could be flying into even more work than what they had at Sugarcube Corner.  "Umm….I'm sure they'd never ask a guest to work the orchard."

"Well, you know I hate to be a freeloader.  If they're working, so are we…unfortunately."

Both pegasi let out an inaudible groan as the thought of more work and early morning went through their heads.
> Day 6 - All Work and No Play
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was just setting over Cloudsdale.  This was Rainbow Dash’s favorite time of day.  The setting sun was repainting the city in oranges and reds.  Every evening, it was a different show.  

As the sun slipped behind the horizon, and Luna’s night sky came with its blue and purple light, Rainbow kicked off from the cloud she had been sitting on.  She had only recently been introduced to night flying, but it was quickly becoming her favorite time to fly.  Diving through a cloud in the dark, you didn’t really know where you’d end up.  There was always that risk of coming out just above trees or into the side of a mountain, a risk that was very exhilarating.

Tonight was different, though.  Tonight Rainbow flew to relax.  She just wanted to ease her mind.  So much had been going on lately, that even the typically unshakable Rainbow Dash was finding her nerves frayed.  Tonight was just about her, her wings, and the sound of the wind in her ears.  Rarity had her spa treatments to relax; well, this was Rainbows spa treatment.  She glided and banked off the thermals with ease, skimming the tops of clouds, and dancing with the shadows from the moon.

Then from behind her, she heard voices.  She banked around to see who was there.  It was Spitfire and Fluttershy.

“What are you two doing here?” Rainbow asked.

“Well, we were hoping we could join you,” Spitfire answered.

“If you don’t mind too much, that is,” Fluttershy added.

“To be honest, I was enjoying being by myself, but it was just starting to get lonely,” Rainbow dove toward her two friends and did a series of loops around them.  “Come on.  Let’s fly!”

The three pegasi owned the night sky.  Climbing, diving, rolling, creating a delicate dance in the sky.  Even Fluttershy started getting a little more daring, diving slightly faster than she ever would normally. 

They would take turns climbing and diving toward each other.  Seeing who could pull out of the dive the closest.  Fluttershy wasn’t good at this game, but at one point Rainbow and Spitfire actually smacked hooves as they flew past each other.

Games of flying tag were played, using the clouds for cover.  Rainbow laughed each time she would tag Fluttershy, getting that signature “EEEK” from her.

Flying wing-tip to wing-tip, gliding along the thermals, this was Fluttershy’s favorite.  Mainly because she could keep up with the other two easily.

If anypony could have witnessed the three friends, they would have thought they were watching a well-choreographed routine, not just three friends having fun.  For what seemed like hours, the only sounds present were the flapping of wings and laughter of friends.

“FOUND YOU!  YOU’RE OURS NOW!”

The three pegasi turned to see where the air shattering cry came from, only to see a squad of Wonderbolts flying toward them.  Without saying a word, Rainbow, Spitfire, and Fluttershy flew away as fast as they could.  

Rainbow worried for her pink-maned friend.  She knew Fluttershy was not that fast of a flyer or that strong.  She was likely tired already from their flying.  Her concerns were justified.

Two Wonderbolts caught up to Fluttershy easily.  They had a net strung between them and in an instant; Fluttershy was caught in the net.  Once they had her secured, the Wonderbolts flew off into the darkness with Fluttershy screaming in fear.

Rainbow wanted to turn and help, but she knew she would likely get caught too.  She had no choice but to fly faster still, with Fluttershy’s scream still ringing in her ears.

Two Wonderbolts had also caught up to Spitfire.  They tried to use their net, but Spitfire had enough strength and speed to break through.  Two more came up, and the four then used roped to lasso the flame-colored pegasus and wrestle her to the ground.

Rainbow squinted her eyes and lowered her profile further, flying as fast as she could.  That’s when she felt it, a rope around her back left leg, then one around her right leg.  She fought and pulled the Wonderbolts with her.  Two more ropes caught her legs, and then one wrapped around her neck.  Straining her neck muscle against the rope, trying to keep it from choking her, she flew faster.  Another rope landed around her neck and then she noticed a Wonderbolt flying right beside her.

“Give it up Rainbow Dash.  We’ve got you,”  the masked flyer said.

“No way.  I don’t give up.”

“Have it your way,” and the Wonderbolt pulled ahead of Rainbow and used his back hoof to kick her in the side of the head with a knockout blow.

Rainbow quickly opened her eyes.  Looking around frantically she started to recognize the Apple family barn.   She looked down to see that her blankets were wrapped around her legs.  “A dream, it was just a dream,” the pegasus reassured herself.

“Hey, you okay?” a voice from the darkness asked.

“Spitfire?”

“Yeah, why, you sharing a barn with someone else?  I heard you scream and I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“I’m okay, just a bad dream.”

Celestia’s sun rose over the Apple family’s farm signaling another day of hard work.  Strangely, though, there was no movement around the Apple home.  Apple Bloom wasn’t up getting ready for school.  Granny Smith wasn’t busy fixing breakfast.  Applejack wasn’t planning out what all she needed to get done before lunch.  The only movement was coming from Big Macintosh’s room as the large stallion rolled over in his bed.  In fact, everypony was still in their beds sound asleep.

The two pegasi in the barn were no different.  It had been difficult for the two pegasi to get a restful night’s sleep at first.  Both suffered terrible nightmares, but eventually they both relaxed enough to fall into a quiet restful sleep.  Even the light of the sun coming in through the open windows wasn’t enough to wake either of them now.

It was some time after nine that the two pegasi began to stir.  The smell of fresh pancakes and coffee wafting through the barn would have woken anypony.  As they stretched and shook the hay from their coats, they both thought about their arrival at the farm the evening before.  Rainbow was thinking about the amazing dinner that the Apples had prepared and how there seemed to be just enough food for all of them.  Spitfire thought briefly about the food, but her thoughts were more focused on the Apples themselves.  They were so open and welcoming to a total stranger.  They all seemed genuinely concerned that she was in trouble and needed help, and not just Applejack, but the whole family.  It had been a long time since she had seen anything like that.  It only helped to reassure her that it was indeed time to leave the Wonderbolts and look for that kind of family in her own life.  “Who knows?  Maybe I’ve already found it,” she thought as she and Rainbow walked toward the house.

“Well hay, there y’all are!  I was just about to send Apple Bloom here out to the barn to wake ya two sleepy-heads up for breakfast,” Applejack said as the two pegasi entered the Apples’ dining room.
“We’re the sleepy-heads?  Last I checked, dawn was several hours ago, and you’re just now fixing breakfast,” Rainbow joked back at her friend.

“Alright, alright, you know there’s only one week out of the warm season that we have nothin’ farm-related to do, so yeah, we enjoy gettin’ a little extra shut-eye.  Now come on, have a seat and eat some breakfast.  We don’t have any work to do today, but I’ve still got a pretty big day planned for y’all.”

Everypony was seated at the table quietly enjoying their breakfast.  Spitfire couldn’t help but notice the occasional stare coming from Apple Bloom and even sometimes Big Macintosh.  She remembered back to when she and Rainbow arrived the night before, those two were seriously star-struck.  She smiled when she caught Apple Bloom staring again.

“Is there something you’d like to ask me?”  she said to the now embarrassed filly.

“Oh, sorry, but yeah, how come y’all want to leave the Wonderbolts all of the sudden?  Aren’t you happy anymore?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well, that’s a pretty complicated answer.  I’m not sure somepony as young as you would understand,” Spitfire replied trying to dodge the question.

“I may be young, but I’m smart.  Try me,” the persistent filly countered.

“Okay, the answer to your second question is no.  I’m not happy being a Wonderbolt anymore, and that’s the main reason I want to leave.  Now, I know you’re going to ask why I’m not happy anymore, and that’s the complicated bit,” Spitfire got that out just as she saw Apple Bloom taking a deep breath to ask her why.  “Do you love working here on the farm with your brother and sister?”

“Well, yeah, of course I do.  We make it a lot of fun,” Apple Bloom answered.

“Alright, but do you love to go to school or hang out with your friends, too?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Now, what if you were only allowed to pick one thing to do for the rest of your life, you either work here on the farm, go to school, or hang out with your friends?  You can only do one of those things, meaning if you choose to work on the farm, you can never go to school or hang out with your friends.  How would you feel about that?” Spitfire asked, hoping she had made it easy enough for the filly to understand.

“Well, that would just stink.  I’d miss my friends a lot and Miss Cheerilee, my teacher, I’d miss her too, and, please don’t tell anyone, but I really like learnin’ in school too.  So, does that mean that when you became a Wonderbolt, you had to give up your friends, family and everythin’?”

Spitfire had to admit it, she was impressed by how well the filly caught on to the reality of the situation.  “Yes, I did.  To be a Wonderbolt, you give up everything.  The Wonderbolts became my family, friends, my whole life.  It was okay for a while.  They keep you so busy and distracted, you hardly have time to notice you’re lonely, but once I did notice how lonely I really was, I knew I had to leave.”

“But why can’t you just leave?  Why are you havin’ to hide and everythin’?” Apple Bloom asked.

Spitfire was stuck.  She didn’t know how to answer.  She didn’t know if she could answer.

“Apple Bloom, do you remember when you and the Cutie Mark Crusaders tried zip-lining?” Rainbow chimed in.

“Yeah, I still have a bruise from that one,” Apple Bloom replied.

“Okay, did you actually want to ride that zip line or did you let the others talk you into it?”

“Well, it was mainly Scoot’s idea and she can talk you into doin’ a lot of stuff.”

“Same goes for Spitfire.  The Wonderbolts don’t want to let her go because then they have to train someone to take her place.  That means the shows may not be as cool as they are now.  So, they’re going to want to try to talk her into staying.  Best way to avoid that is to avoid them.  Make sense?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah, like the time me and Sweetie Belle hid from Scootaloo when she wanted to be Cutie Mark Crusader Pig Wrestlers.  So, I guess I can’t tell Scoots and Sweetie Belle you’re here?”

“We’d rather you didn’t, Sugarcube.  The fewer ponies that have to keep the secret, the better it’ll be,” Applejack answered.

“Apple Bloom, didn’t you tell me that you and your friends had a secret club house?” Spitfire asked.

“Yeah, the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ Clubhouse, it’s here on the farm.  We go there just about every day after school.”

“How about this, you and the Cutie Mark Crusaders go to your clubhouse like you normally would, and I’ll see if Rainbow and I can’t stop by and say hi.  That way everypony doesn’t have to keep the secret that long, and if somepony should tell, Rainbow and I will be gone off the farm by then.  That is only if you can keep my secret, okay?”  Spitfire was pleased with her bargaining skills.  She knew Apple Bloom was a fan and assumed that the others were as well.  She never wanted to disappoint a fan.

“You got a deal!”  Apple Bloom cheered.

“Apple Bloom, if you don’t leave now, you’re going to be late for school,” the frail-looking Granny Smith said.

Looking at the clock, Big Macintosh agreed with an “Eeyup,” and got up to get Apple Bloom’s school bags for her.  On days like this, when he had time off, he really enjoyed walking Apple Bloom to school, even though he didn’t need to, he still enjoyed it, and always came back with a big smile on his face.

“Bye Granny.  Bye Sis.  Bye Rainbow.  Bye Spitfire.  I’ll see you two at the clubhouse after school,” Apple Bloom said as she and her big brother walked off toward the school.

“Now, if you two are done eatin’, why don’t you go sit on the front porch?  I’ll help Granny clean all this up and be out there to meet you in a bit.”  Applejack said.

The two pegasi got up and slowly walked out to the front porch.  Neither could believe how full their bellies were from breakfast.

“Sweet Celestia, I hope Applejack doesn’t want us to fly anywhere.  I don’t think I could get off the ground; I’m so full,” Spitfire commented as she sat down on the porch.

“I know.  I don’t get to eat here often, but when I do, I don’t eat again for the rest of the day.  That Granny Smith sure can cook,” Rainbow said as she sat down beside Spitfire.

“Hay now, wake up you two!” Applejack’s voice rang out.

“Huh? Wha?” Rainbow and Spitfire both said.  They hadn’t realized that while sitting on the porch, they had both fallen asleep.

“I said wake up.  I’ve got a lot I want to show you two,” Applejack repeated.

“Sorry AJ.  Food coma from Granny’s breakfast,” Rainbow said slightly embarrassed.

“Yeah, sorry Applejack, we were just so full and it’s so peaceful out here.  I guess we just dozed off,” Spitfire apologized.

“Don’t worry about it.  I understand.  We work really hard out here and her breakfasts keep us going, but on days like these, wooo, that can be a lot of food.  Y’all feel like tryin’ to walk some of it off?”

The three ponies set off walking, seemingly aimless at first, but Applejack knew just where she was taking time.  She told them some of the history of the farm on her little tour.  How this field came about.  Why this area turned out better apples for fritters.  Why this area was better for cider apples.  That happened to be Rainbow’s favorite and she kept asking why that area was so small.  “It needs to be at least 120% bigger,” she said.  AJ explained how the trees near the Everfree Forest were the Zap Apple producing trees.

“We’re near the Everfree Forest?  Are we near Fluttershy’s house?” Spitfire asked.

“Fraid not Sugercube.  The forest is huge and Fluttershy’s place is on the other side from here,” Applejack answered.

As Applejack continued her tour, Celestia’s midday sun was shining brightly and all three ponies were getting hot and tired.  Rainbow Dash was just getting ready to start complaining when Applejack led them to one of her favorite places on the farm.

“And this here is our swimmin’ hole.  We’ll take breaks during the hot days and come here to cool off for a bit.  Thought you two would be ready for a dip right about…”

Applejack didn’t have a chance to finish as a blue streak went past her on the left and a yellow streak went by on her right, both shouting “Woohoo!” as they went by.

As the three friends floated peacefully in the pond, Applejack decided she needed to ask a really hard question of her newest friend.  “So, Spitfire, is it really that bad bein’ a Wonderbolt?  I mean what would happen to you if they did find you?”

“Applejack, have you ever met or even heard of an ex-Wonderbolt?” Spitfire answered.

“Well, now that you mention it, no, I haven’t.”

“That’s because there are no living ex-Wonderbolts.”

“You don’t mean what I think you mean do you?”

“Wonderbolt until you die.  I’ll be the very first one to ever successfully leave.”

“I had no idea…”

“And you can’t tell anypony else, ever.  I’m trying to get out in some way to not destroy the Wonderbolts.  If it ever got out how bad things can be there, it would ruin them.  Your sister looked at me with such admiration, just because I’m a Wonderbolt.  I could never do anything to break so many hearts.  It was devastating to Rainbow and me when I had to tell her.”

“I gotcha, Sugarcube, I completely understand too.  Just sorry that it had to happen like this, there ought to be some way to fix it.”

“Once I’m out, that’s going to be one of my next goals, find a way to fix it,” Spitfire said determinedly.  “Rainbow and all of you have shown me so much friendship and love, I can’t take this freedom you’re giving me and not do something with it.”

“So, y’all got any ideas on what to do to fix it?”

“It’s all about the contract.  In the book that Twilight and I read, it didn’t seem like the contract was supposed to be interpreted the way it is now.  So, if I could find a way to show someone how they are using it, maybe it could get re-written.  I’m really not…” Spitfire’s last few words were cut short by a shout.

“BORING!” and Rainbow quickly grabbed Spitfire and dunked her under the water.

“What the buck, Dash?” Spitfire got out between coughs, but not before Rainbow dunked Applejack too.

“Alright, yer askin’ for it now,” Applejack said as she and Spitfire stalked Rainbow Dash.

Once Applejack and Spitfire felt like they had their revenge, the three friends flopped out of the pond and onto the cool grass.

“Well, you were getting so serious, I was afraid you were going to bum yourself out again, and bum the rest of us too.  Thought a water fight was just the thing to break the tension,” Rainbow explained.

“You’re probably right, Dash.  I’ve needed this.  We both have needed this.  Thanks for bringing us out here, Applejack,” Spitfire said.

“Ain’t nothin’, Sugarcube.  I didn’t know you two were that stressed.  I was just wantin’ to show off the farm.  You still wantin’ to see Apple Bloom and the other CMCs?”

“Yeah, I promised Apple Bloom I’d be there,” Spitfire answered.

“Well then, we’d best get dried off some and start headin’ over to their clubhouse.  She’ll be outta school soon.”

“So, what,are we going to do to try and earn our cutie marks today?” Sweetie Belle asked as she and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders walked toward their clubhouse.

“We haven’t tried mountain climbing yet,” Scootaloo pointed out.

“Scoots, for the last time, I ain’t tryin’ to climb no mountain.  Besides, I think we just need to get to the clubhouse,” Apple Bloom said.

“The clubhouse?  But it’s such a nice day.  We’ve got to try something to earn our cutie marks,” Scootaloo complained.

“Just trust me, we need to get to the clubhouse.”

Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were waiting inside the clubhouse for the three fillies to arrive.

“So, you think they’ll be surprised?” Spitfire asked.

“I know Scootaloo will be.  She runs a fan club for Rainbow here,” Applejack pointed out.

“Your very own fan club, eh?  Rainbow, you’re more of a celebrity than you let on,”  Spitfire joked.

“Well, I am pretty awesome.  Some ponies just recognize that easier than others,” Rainbow replied, completely oblivious to the attempted joke.

“I still think we should try to get our cutie marks in theoretical quantum physics again.  We were nearly onto something the last time,” Sweetie Belle was saying as the Crusaders entered the clubhouse.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stopped dead in their tracks when they looked up to see Rainbow Dash and Spitfire standing in front of them.  Apple Bloom simply walked on over and started the introductions.

“Now ya both know Rainbow Dash, but this is our good friend, Spitfire.  She’s stayin’ at the farm for a day or so and she wanted to meet us.  Spitfire, this is Sweetie Belle, she’s Rarity’s little sister, and this is Scootaloo, she’s…”  Apple Bloom was cut short in her introductions.

“SPITFIRE AND RAINBOW DASH!”  Scootaloo screamed and began bouncing in place, her eyes huge with admiration and surprise.

“It is certainly a pleasure to meet you all.  Apple Bloom has told me about how you’re all working together to try and get your cutie marks…” Spitfire started.

“SPITFIRE AND RAINBOW DASH!  THEY’RE HERE IN OUR CLUBHOUSE!  AND SPITFIRE JUST SPOKE TO ME!”  Scootaloo was beside herself, completely unable to control her enthusiasm.

It took everypony working together to get Scootaloo calmed down.  Once she was able to complete sentences without screaming, they all sat down to talk with Spitfire.  Spitfire told them how she got her cutie mark, what life with the Wonderbolts was like,  and why she was there with Rainbow Dash.

“I’m thinking about retiring from the Wonderbolts and I wanted to hang out with Rainbow Dash to get an idea of what a normal life might feel like.  That’s why I need to ask the three of you not to tell anypony that I’m here with Rainbow or that we’re staying at the Apple’s house tonight. I don’t want other ponies nosing around looking for a picture or anything,” she explained.

“You mean like the pony-razzi?  My sister hates dealing with them when she has fashion shows,” Sweetie Belle commented.

“Exactly Sweetie Belle, it wouldn’t be a normal feeling day if I’m ducking cameras all the time.  Well, I think we’re going to start to head back to the house.  I want you three to promise that you’ll keep trying to get those cutie marks, but do it safely.  Don’t try anything silly like…oh say mountain climbing or something,”  Spitfire said.

Scootaloo blushed deeply with embarrassment giving a slight awkward smile.

Applejack, Rainbow and Spitfire got up and started walking out of the clubhouse.

“Apple Bloom, you be home in time for dinner.  Granny’s going to be makin’ a nice big spread tonight for us, and I think Big Macintosh is bringin’ somepony with him,” Applejack instructed.

“Can Sweetie Belle and Scoots come to dinner too, then?  I mean if Granny’s makin’ such a big spread.  They won’t eat much, I promise.”

“They can come, but only if ya’ll get permission first.”

The three fillies nearly knocked everypony over leaving the club house so quickly, running off towards Ponyville.

“Bye, Sis!  See you at dinner!” Apple Bloom called back.

Celestia’s sun was just starting to dip below the horizon.  A large group of ponies were gathered on the front porch of the Apple’s home, enjoying the sunset, each one with a very full stomach from another one of Granny Smith’s amazing meals.

“You know, I just realized something,” Spitfire spoke up, breaking the silence.

“What’s that, Spitfire?” Cheerilee asked, sitting next to Big Macintosh.

“This time of day, just between Celestia’s day and Luna’s night, is called twilight.  Some sort of coincidence that it has the same name as Twilight Sparkle,” Spitfire pointed out.

Spitfire’s revelation was simply met with quiet hums. 

“Well I think it’s really interesting,” Spitfire thought to herself.

“Okay girls, it’s getting late.  I should walk the two of you back to town.  Big Macintosh, would you mind walking with me…uh, I mean us,” Cheerilee said, blushing slightly.

“Nope, don’t mind at all.”

“Spitfire, it was very nice to meet you, and don’t worry, I won’t tell anypony you’re here,” Cheerilee said as she gathered Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

“It was very nice meeting you too, Cheerilee.”

“Now, Big Mac, don’t stay out too late walkin’ them ladies home,” Applejack joked at her brother and Cheerilee’s expense.  The resulting blush from Cheerilee and glare from Macintosh let her know it worked.

“I guess we should head back over to the barn, Spitfire.  We should call it an early night.  With so many ponies knowing we’re here, we should get up extra early tomorrow and find a new place to hide out,” Rainbow said, raising from the porch and stretching.

“You’re the pony with the plan, Rainbow, and it’s worked so far.  Looks like we’ll be getting a really early start tomorrow, we’ll be quiet when we leave.  No reason for everypony to get up on your day off,”  Spitfire said walking over to Applejack.  “Thank you so much for your hospitality,”  she said as she hugged Applejack around the neck.

“Shucks, everypony is welcome here all the time.  You just stay safe and come back when the apples need buckin’.  We could use the extra hooves and wings then,” Applejack joked.

“Good night, Applejack,”  “Good night, AJ,” the two pegasi said as they walked off toward the barn for the night.

“Good night you two,” Applejack called back, “And be safe tomorrow.  Y’all so close to the end of this mess.”
> Day 7 - This All Ends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Rainbow Dash was waking up, bright and early in the morning, again.  She admits to herself that she is starting to get used to it.  Getting up early, tackling the day right away and going straight through without a nap.  This could be a new start for her, she thought as she yawned and stretched.  Then again, maybe not.

“Hey, Spitfire, you awake?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Spitfire groggily answered, yawning and smacking her lips.  “So, where are we off to this morning?  We’ve already burned through your five mane friends.  I hope you’ve got another one hidden away somewhere.”

“Well, about that, I’ve been trying to figure that out since last night.  Honestly, I thought we’d have been caught by now,” Rainbow laughed while Spitfire shot her a very unamused look.  “I thought about flying up to Manehattan and try to hide with my friend Gilda.  The only thing is, that’s a long flight, and Gilda and I didn’t part under the best terms.  She could turn you in just to spite me.”

“Yeah, let’s not go there.  I just have to hold out until sunset.  Then, I’m free.”

“Rainbow Dash!  Spitfire!  We know you’re in there.  Come out now.  You’ve got nowhere left to run.”

“What the hay!?” Rainbow shouted as she and Spitfire ran over to the barn’s loft door.  Carefully peeking through the boards, they saw the source of the command.

“Royal Equestrian Guards?”  Spitfire said.

Looking back out at the guards, Spitfire saw four of them were busily holding Applejack and Big Macintosh back.  At least the Apples weren’t the ones responsible for this.

“Pegasi, we have orders from her royal majesty, Princess Celestia, to bring you both back to Canterlot, immediately.  Please come out of the barn now.”

“I knew it!  Either the Cakes or your precious Twilight sold us out!” Spitfire hissed between her teeth.

“Whoa!  The Cakes maybe, but not Twilight, never Twilight.”

“Pegasi, you have two minutes to exit the barn or we will be forced to come in after you.”

“Oh wow, we’re in a tight spot,” Rainbow replied as she panicked a little for the first time.

“Snap out of it, Rainbow!  How are we going to get out of here?”

Suddenly the loft doors on the other side of the barn burst open as Apple Bloom jumped into the loft.  “Rainbow, Spitfire, y’all can fly out this way.  There ain’t no guards over here.”

“Apple Bloom, you’re a life saver!”  Spitfire said, causing the filly to blush at the compliment.

“Wait, we need to distract the guards or they could see us flying away,” Rainbow said.  “How many guards are out there?”

Spitfire took one last peek to get a count and to see Applejack and Big Macintosh each buck a guard in the side trying to break free.  “There are six.  Four earth ponies that are trying to hold back Applejack and Big Macintosh and two unicorns shouting at us.”

“No flyers?” Rainbow asked.

“No, there are no flyers.”

“Good.  I’ve got a plan.”

“Pegasi, you now have thirty seconds to exit the barn.”

“Okay, okay, we’re coming out!” Rainbow yelled back to the guard.  “You ready?” she then asked Spitfire.

“Let’s do this!”

Spitfire walked to the loft doors.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as she quickly turned around, bucked the doors open, and immediately dropped to the floor.  Two bucked bales of hay flew over her head and toward the guards below.

“Way to go, kid,” Rainbow said as she watched her and Apple Bloom’s bales go flying.  Just as she finished her sentence she and Spitfire took off, flying out the other side of the barn.  They looked back to see Apple Bloom waving, the guards dodging bales of hay and yelling more commands at the barn.

“I don’t think they saw us leave,” Spitfire yelled over to Rainbow.


“Told ya it would work, distract them one way and run the other,” Rainbow answered proudly.

“Another Daring Do inspired plan?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Lucky guess.”

As the two pegasi flew off, the guards lost all patience and broke into the barn looking for their quarry.

“Y’all gonna pay for that door you just broke!” Applejack yelled.

Once in the barn, all the guards found was a small filly sitting by the loft door with a  smug look on her face.

“Where are Rainbow Dash and Spitfire?!” one guard yelled.

“They ain’t here,” Apple Bloom answered calmly, just before giving both unicorn guards a raspberry of defiance.

“Send a message back to Canterlot.  We need flyers.”

As Rainbow and Spitfire flew away, they thought they had gotten away, until they heard more voices shouting commands at them.

“Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, by order of their Royal Majesties, you must come with us back to Canterlot immediately!”

“More Royal Guards - Princess Luna’s flyers, even!” Rainbow yelled over to Spitfire.  “That’s it!  I didn’t want to have to do this but…” Rainbow glided over to Spitfire so she could talk to her without yelling so loudly the guards could hear.  “As fast as you can, head straight to the old castle in the Everfree Forest.  We’re going to split up, one will follow you and one will go after me.  Once you get to the forest, you can lose your guard in the trees and then hide out in the castle until I get there.”  Without giving Spitfire time to voice her protest over the plan, Rainbow split off from her, yelled a quick insult at the guards, and got one to chase after her.

“Okay Spitfire, pour it on!  Show this royal goon what you’re made of!” Spitfire thought, lowering her head and pushing herself to fly faster straight toward the forest.  She took one quick glance back to notice that her guard was gaining on her.  “How is that possible?  He can’t be faster than me!  Even Rainbow is just barely faster than me on her best day.  What’s wrong with me?” she thought.  Then the answer slapped her on her flank, her cloak!  Rarity’s wonderful cloak was slowing her down.  “I’ve got to lose it.  Oh, I hope Rarity will forgive me.”  As she quickly undid the clasp, the cloak flew off her back, and as an unexpected bonus of generosity, it flew right into her pursuing guard’s face.  Engulfed in a net of fabric, the guard began to fall.  As he fell, Spitfire thought she heard him shout one last time: “Dumb fabric!”  

Now with nopony following, Spitfire slowed down, taking a breath and letting out a deep sigh of relief, just as a blinding flash of light enveloped her and she disappeared from the sky.
Spitfire woke up with her head hurting again.  Her eyes were burning from the bright flash.  Eventually the pain in her head and eyes started to ease.  She started to look around and see she was in a new strange room again.  Nopony else was with her.  She was alone, not in a cell, just a normal room, possibly somepony’s guest room.  There was a small bed, a desk, and a dresser.  Over the desk, there was one window.

“Might as well take a look and try to see where I am,” Spitfire said to nopony.

Looking out the window, she quickly realized where she was.  “Canterlot!”

Grabbing the desk chair in her mouth, she threw it at the window hoping to break it to freedom.  Unfortunately the chair bounced off the window, neither broken, thanks to an unseen enchantment.

“HORESAPPLES!” Spitfire screamed as she turned and threw herself onto the bed, wishing with all her might that she was somewhere, anywhere else.  Spitfire was snapped back to the reality of the room by another bright flash and pop as another presence came into the room, Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow was squinting her eyes and rubbing her head as she tried to figure out what happened.

“Rainbow!” Spitfire yelled as she jumped up and hugged her friend’s neck.

“Spitfire?  Where are am I?  I mean, where are we?”

“I’m not totally sure, but I think we’re in a tower room in Canterlot Castle.  Take a look out the window and see what you think.”

Walking slowly over to the window, Rainbow looked out and saw all of Canterlot before her.  “Yeah, that’s Canterlot out there, but how the hay did we get here?  I had just lost my guard and turned toward the forest, then bang, here I am.”

“Same story here, I’m guessing we were magically teleported.  Those were Luna’s guards chasing us.  I know they’re enchanted to make their wings look bat-like.  I bet there is a similar spell on them that allows a magic user to locate somepony through them, like a magical tracker,” Spitfire said looking out the window with Rainbow.  “There aren’t many magic users in Equestria that could pull something like that off.  I think your friend, Twilight, could, but why would she?  That basically leaves the princesses.”

“But, why would the princesses want us so badly?”

Spitfire and Rainbow turned toward the door as they heard the lock rattle as somepony unlocked it.

“I don’t know, Rainbow, and I don’t want to find out.  You follow my lead this time.”

“Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, you will follow me to the Royal Throne Room, the princesses…”
The guard was cut off as Spitfire’s hooves bucked him on the chin, knocking him out.

“RUN!” Spitfire yelled.

Rainbow and Spitfire tore out of the room and down the hallway.

“Where are we going, Spitfire?”

“No idea, just down and then hopefully out.  Just keep running!”

As they rounded one corner, a group of guards stood in their path.

“Back, back the other way!”  Spitfire directed as she slid trying to turn on the tile floor.

Rounding another corner, a lone guard managed to magically grab hold of Spitfire.  His spell didn’t last long as his concentration was broken by a buck to the ribs from Rainbow Dash.

“Let her go!” Rainbow shouted, bucking the guard again for good measure.

Each hallway the two went down, there were more and more guards.  Panic was beginning to talk hold as the swarm of guards grew.

“We’re running out of halls, Spitfire!”

“I know, I know!  Over here!  Through this door!”

As they burst through the door, a group of no fewer than a dozen guards stood in the middle of the new room.  Each exit door was blocked, and the patrol of guards chasing closed off their only escape route.  They were finally trapped.

“Fly over them, now!” Rainbow yelled, and kicked off the ground, only to be slammed back to the floor as two magical guards grabbed her.

“Alright!  You’ve got us.  Please, let her go.  We give up.” Spitfire said dropping her head and panting heavily.

The captain of the guards strode forward, looking at the two pegasi.

“You gave us a good chase, but when the princesses want to see someone, we get them.”

“Wait, did you say ‘princesses’?” Rainbow asked.

“Yes, you have an audience with Celestia and Luna.  All your running, this whole mess you’ve created, this all ends now.”

The Captain and several other guards lowered their heads and focused their magic at Rainbow and Spitfire.  Magical energy surrounded them and levitated them into the air.  The energy continued to build to its blinding flash, deafening bang, and the disappearance of the two pegasi.

“Alright, I am getting really sick of this,” Spitfire grumbled with her head and eyes hurting again.

“I know, you’d think there would be a less painful way of putting us back in our room.”

“I’m sorry, my little ponies, but my guards did not send you to your room, and I will recommend that they increase their teleportation practice.”

Looking for the source of the new voice, Spitfire recognized the historical stained glass windows, the defeating of Nightmare Moon, imprisoning of Discord, all were there.  The banners of the Royal Family were fluttering over her head, leading her eyes to the voice.

“Princess!” Spitfire immediately bent her knee and bowed her head before her ruler.

“Princess?” Rainbow was confused by her now bowing friend.  Forcing her eyes to clear and focus, she realized Princess Celestia’s presence and joined her friend by bowing as well.

“Rise, my little ponies, we have a lot to discuss.”

Rainbow and Spitfire rose and gave each other concerned glances.

“Princess, if I may be so bold, I’m very sorry for running from your guards.  I was frightened and I made Rainbow follow me,” Spitfire apologized.

“And for the guards you assaulted?” another voice spoke from the curtains behind Princess Celestia.  Princess Luna walked forward looking at Spitfire for her answer, but her presence caused both ponies to bow again.  “Rise, and answer my question.”

“Yes, Princess Luna, I am sorry for the guards we assaulted, too.  This is all my doing.  I must take full responsibility.  Rainbow Dash was just trying to help me.”

“And what was Miss Dash helping you with, exactly?” Luna asked.

“Princesses,” Rainbow spoke up stepping in front of Spitfire.  “You’ve gone through all of this to bring us here and you don’t know why we were running?”  Rainbow said, showing her signature brashness.

“Well, Rainbow Dash, you are partly correct.  We know many things about this situation,” Princess Celestia answered as a side door to the throne room opened, and a guard escorted in several new ponies.  Spitfire recognized Balance Sheet, the head of the Wonderbolt’s finance department.  There were some other administrative ponies that Spitfire had met with but did not know their names.  Lastly, Mr. Dean Curator, the chief executive of the Wonderbolts and his lawyer.  Spitfire guessed she was now meeting Mrs. Cake’s father and the architect of their capture.

“There is a very serious dispute going on in our kingdom.  We have heard arguments from Dean Curator and the other Wonderbolts’ representatives.  We’ve heard your side of the argument second hoof, but we have still yet to hear your side from you.” Celestia spoke.

“You’ve heard my story, ‘second hoof’, how?” Spitfire asked.

Princess Celestia and Luna stepped apart from one another as yet another pony entered the room through the curtains behind the throne, Twilight Sparkle.

“But…but…but…” was all Rainbow could say.  The look of shock and betrayal in her eyes caused Twilight to drop her head in shame and tears started to roll down both ponies’ cheeks.

“You promised!  You promised me!  I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you!” Spitfire was angrier than she had ever been.  To her, Twilight had proven she was nothing more than a puppet of the princesses.  “You broke your Pinkie Promise!”

Silence engulfed the throne room.  A strange wind started to howl outside the windows.  Then, without warning, the main grand doors to the throne room burst open, revealing a small pink earth pony.

“Twilight, you broke a Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie Pie screamed, her eyes burning filled with rage.

The sudden appearance of this rage filled pony caused even the princesses to step back.  Their guards stepping in front of the princesses, but filled with doubt that they could provide much protection from this new source of anger and rage.

“You broke a Pinkie Promise,” Pinkie Pie screamed again, stalking forward toward her victim.

Twilight slowly raised her head, revealing the tear stained tracks down her face, seemingly oblivious to the anger filled pony walking toward her.  “No, Pinkie, I didn’t break my promise,” tears falling from Twilight’s eyes as she spoke.  “But I did betray not just one friend, but two.”

“But, you never broke your Pinkie Promise?” the earth pony asked, starting to calm from her rage.

“I did not.  I promised not to tell Princess Celestia,” Twilight answered.

“Twilight sent me a scroll detailing the situation and asking me for guidance,” Princess Luna spoke from behind her guards.

“Oh, well if that’s the case, okay, bye everypony,” and Pinkie Pie simply bounced out of the throne room singing to herself.

“Nice loophole, Twilight, but you still betrayed me and Rainbow.  We trusted you.” Spitfire snarled.

“I know I have.  I don’t expect anypony to understand, but I hope you’ll eventually forgive me,” Twilight sobbed.

“WHY?!  Why, Twilight?  After all we’ve been through, you’ve been one of my closest friends ever.  I would have trusted you with my life!” Rainbow shouted through the tears.

In all the years that Twilight had known Rainbow, she had never seen her so heart broken, and she knew it was her fault.  “I just wanted to help.  I knew Princesses Luna and Celestia could help.   I knew they would want to know…”  Twilight’s words trailed off into silence as she realized her words were falling on deaf ears.

“Alright,” Spitfire spoke up, “So, you want to know my side of the story?  Well here it is…”  Spitfire proceeded to tell her side of the story.  How she complained about the treatment of some staff members; about how under orders from Dean Custodian, her pay was docked by Balance Sheet and her staff; How Dean Custodian threatened that she would lose her spot on the Wonderbolts if she didn’t shape up; About how she just wanted out of the Wonderbolts, but was trapped by her contract; About crushing Rainbow Dash’s dreams by asking her to help; About why Rainbow, Twilight, and Source Code all worked to help get her money from the Wonderbolts bank; Lastly about how she hoped one day to help correct these issues with the Wonderbolts.
“That is a very interesting story Spitfire.  If there is any truth to it, it is also a very damaging story,” Celestia spoke.  “Mr. Custodian, what do you think of Spitfire’s story?”

“Like with most stories, there is some truth, and a lot of fabrication,” Dean Custodian answered.  He went on to dispute Spitfire’s story, point-by-point.  The pay deductions were a punishment for contract violations and poor performances.  The threats to be removed from the team were for other various rule violations.  Each time, Custodian would point out exact examples of behavior and lines from the contract that held up his argument.

Spitfire felt her stomach sink.  She felt like she was losing.  Everything was being made to look like she was a delusional pony.  She was losing her battle to a bureaucrat of all things, the same bureaucrat that built the system.

“You make a very strong argument, Mr. Custodian,” Luna said.  “Mr. Advocate, how does all this hold up in regards to Miss Spitfire’s contract and legality?”

“Mr. Custodian is 100% accurate in his interpretation of the events and according to the contract and current employment law, he followed a proper course of action.  According to Miss Spitfire’s personnel file and contract here,” Barrister Advocate levitated the documents from his briefcase, “She has had a history of behavioral problems and, in my opinion, is simply lucky to still be on the lead team.  If she does not sign this contract by moonrise tonight, she will no longer be a Wonderbolt, and all her belongings at the compound will become the property of the Wonderbolts.”

“It’s not fair,” came a sobbing reply.  “It’s not fair to treat Spitfire like this,” Rainbow continued through the tears.  “We’ve worked so hard to help her and the only reason so many ponies have gotten hurt in all this, is because this is just not fair.  She earned everything in that compound.  What are they going to do with the pictures and other souvenirs in her room?  Every time she performed, she put her life on the line.  She earned every bit in that bank.  It’s not fair that just because she wants to leave, she has to start over with nothing.”

“Hmph…fair or not, Miss Dash, it is all legal and Spitfire knew what she was getting into when she first signed this contract,” Advocate countered.

“ENOUGH!” boomed Luna in her Royal Canterlot Voice.  “You have all made your points.  My sister and I will now discuss this issue in private and then render our decision.”  Luna and Celestia rose and exited the room, leaving all inside in an awkward silence, except for the sobs from Rainbow and Twilight.

After a few moments, Twilight slowly started walking over to Rainbow and Spitfire.  Spitfire was trying her best to console her broken-hearted friend.

“Haven’t you done enough, Twilight Sparkle?” Spitfire snarled.  “Isn’t it bad enough what I had to put Rainbow through just a few days ago, and now you, her closest friend, goes and betrays her and breaks her heart all over again?”

“Its…its okay, Spitfire,” Rainbow softly said. “I want to talk to her, alone, if you don’t mind.  I need to hear her for myself.”

Reluctantly, Spitfire walked away a few paces, giving the two ponies what privacy she could.

“You hurt me, Twilight.”

“I know, and I can’t say ‘I’m sorry’ enough to make up for it.  I hope you’ll just give me a chance to explain and maybe someday forgive me.”

“I already do forgive you, Twilight.  I don’t have a choice but to forgive.  I know you were only trying to help.  I just wished you had trusted me to take care of things, like how I trust you.”

“How can you already forgive me, after what I did, after how badly I hurt you?”

“I can and have to forgive you, Twilight, because I …”

“Now, Miss Spitfire, why don’t you just sign this contract and we can put all this mess behind us?”

Spitfire’s focus on trying to read her friends’ lips was broken by Advocate’s suggestion.
“What part of ‘I don’t want to be a Wonderbolt anymore’ don’t you understand?” Spitfire snapped back.

“Miss Spitfire, the princesses are deliberating purely as a formality.  The contract is iron-clad, as you well know.  Let’s just end all this.  I’m sure we can find a nice position for you in the front office.”

“Right, a position that I’m guaranteed to screw up and then get demoted again and again until I end up on the pyro team, I see how this all works.”

“We don’t operate that way, Miss Spitfire.  The timing of your complaints, fines, and corrective meetings were all just coincidental.  The ponies on the pyro detail all volunteer for that post, and they are paid quite well for the dangers they face.”

Spitfire was caught off guard by all this.  Had it all just been strange timing?  Had she blown it all out of proportion?  But what about the contract, it was real and she was still trapped by it, right?  No!  She knew her truth, and she had to stick to it.  Too many ponies had been hurt for her to start doubting herself.  What would happen to Rainbow now if she caved and signed her contract?

“Mr. Advocate, you can take that contract and shove it up your…”

“Attention everypony!  The Royal Sisters have returned!” the guard announced.

The Princesses strode through their throne room taking their place overlooking their court.

Spitfire walked back over to the still crying Rainbow and Twilight.  She noticed that Rainbow had placed her wing over Twilight, likely trying to comfort her, but she was still sobbing.

“Everything okay over here?” Spitfire softly asked.

“Yeah, we’ll be okay.  A lot just happened right now,” Rainbow answered.  “I just want you to know that Twilight did what she did because she was trying to help, that’s all.  I’ve forgiven her, and I really want you to forgive her too.”

“Attention, my little ponies, my sister and I have reached a decision,” Celestia announced.  “Mr. Custodian, Mr. Advocate, legally you left us with few options.  Spitfire is a contracted Wonderbolt and if she continues to refuse to sign her contract renewal, she will forfeit all belongings back at the Wonderbolt’s compound.  However, Mr. Advocate, would you please read section 7, paragraph 6 of Spitfire’s contract?”

After much paper shuffling and whispering Advocate answered, “I’m sorry, your Majesty, I cannot read that section.  It appears to be written in some ancient script that no one knows.”

“So, you’re using a contract that even you do not fully understand, Mr. Advocate?” Celestia replied with a distinct tone of displeasure.  “That section is written in Ancient Equestrian.  Few today can still read Ancient Canterlot.  I’m very surprised you haven’t rewritten the contract without that little piece.  However, I digress, there is one here that is still very fluent in Ancient Canterlot: my sister Luna, are you not?”

“Yes, sister, we...I am,” Luna answered.

“And we’re just supposed to take it on faith that you still speak and read Ancient Equestrian?” Advocate asked, his lawyer training getting the best of him.

“YOU DARE DOUBT YOUR PRINCESS?!” Luna fired back in her Royal Canterlot Voice.  “We were banished to the moon over 1000 years ago, a time when what you now call Ancient Equestrian, was the chosen language of the royal court,” Luna spoke these words in Ancient Equestrian, causing all doubt to be erased, once Celestia translated.

“Now, Luna, would you kindly read section 7, paragraph 6?” Celestia asked again.

“Ahem,” Luna said to clear her throat, “If, at any time during a Wonderbolt’s contract of service, any member of the Royal Family believes that said Wonderbolt is not fulfilling their contractual duties, either by choice, injury, negligence, or incompetence, then that Royal Family member can dismiss the Wonderbolt by declaring their contract null and void.”

“Spitfire, when does your contract expire?” Celestia asked.

“Tonight at moon-rise, your majesty.”

“So, then you are technically still a contracted Wonderbolt?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Because you ran from your duties and your fellow Wonderbolts; because you have been negligent in your duties resulting in fines and corrective meetings with your supervisors; because you have clearly expressed a desire to be removed from the Wonderbolts, I declare that you are no longer fit to wear the uniform and that your contract is void.”

Once Celestia finished speaking those words, Spitfire’s contract vanished in a plume of fire and smoke.

“As such, you know have one week from today, to return to the Wonderbolt’s compound and remove all your belongings.  This is my royal decree.”

“Yes, your majesty” was the reply from everypony in the great hall.

“Now, Mr. Advocate, do you by any chance have another copy of the standard Wonderbolt contract?”  Celestia asked.

“Yes, your majesty, I do,” Advocate levitated an unsigned version of the contract from his briefcase.

“Would you please read section 7, paragraph 3?”

“It would appear that section 7, paragraph 3 is also written in Ancient Equestrian,” Advocate sighed.

“Luna, would you kindly translate for us, again?”

“If, at any time, a member of the royal family believes it necessary, this contract for service in the Wonderbolts organization, may be revised or rewritten.”

“Now, Mr. Custodian, since I was one of the original architects of this contract,” Celestia began, “I know that it was never intended to be used as a weapon or a trap.  The automatic renewal was put in place to make it easier on a busy Wonderbolt, that is all.  However, I also choose to believe that you and your staff never intended this to be used as a trap, like in Spitfire’s case.  I choose to believe that you simply got lost in the ‘big picture’ of the Wonderbolts.  If one of your star flyers chooses to leave, then you have the problem of how to announce their departure and training their replacement.  This can cause so many issues and poses a risk if the replacement is pushed too hard too soon.”

“Yes, your majesty, those are legitimate concerns I’ve had in regards to any member of the Wonderbolts leaving or retiring.  Especially since the contract does not spell out a proper method for somepony to leave the organization,” Dean Custodian replied.

“That is why I am going to use my option to re-write this contract.  Tomorrow afternoon, you, Miss Balance Sheet, Mr. Advocate, Luna and myself will all sit down and clarify these and the other issues I discovered in my visit to your facility, in a new Wonderbolts service contract,,” Celestia decreed.  “Now, if there is no further business, I have a sun to lower, and Luna has a moon to raise.  Good evening, everypony.”

As Celestia and Luna left the throne room,  “Oh, one last piece of business: Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight, you three will join Luna and myself at dinner this evening.”

Dean Custodian slowly walked over to Spitfire, with Balance Sheet in tow.  “Miss Spitfire, I am very sorry for this...misunderstanding.  If you will come to the compound in the morning, I will have an escort at the door to help you collect all your belongings.  If you have an account number now, please give it to Miss Balance Sheet and she will transfer your funds, otherwise she will write you a check for the balance in the morning.”

“Thank you Mr. Custodian,” Spitfire calmly replied.  “I don’t have a new account yet, so, I guess I’ll have to take the check in the morning.”

“I know you think I’m a monster, and there is likely nothing that I can say to change your opinion, but everything I did, I did for the greater good of the Wonderbolts organization.  I cannot allow myself to get caught up in the affairs of one of my flyers, the whole of the organization must come first,” with that, Custodian and Balance Sheet turned away leaving Spitfire to rejoin her friends.

“I’m glad you two have finally stopped crying,” Spitfire tried to joke.

“Sorry about that.  It’s been a really...eye-opening time,” Rainbow replied.

“Spitfire, I am so very sorry.  I honestly just wanted to help.  I knew the princesses would have a solution.  I just didn’t expect it to play out so dramatically.  I hope you can forgive me,” Twilight said still hanging her head, afraid to make eye contact with Spitfire.

“I know you did, Twilight.  I know you did.  I earned that nickname from Pinkie of ‘Hot Head’.  I do have a tendency to react and then find out the facts.  I wish you had just let me and Rainbow figure this out, but, I am glad you got the princesses involved.  It actually worked out even better this way.”

“Well, you’re out, completely free, you’ve got all your stuff and your money, what’s next?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t really know.  I’ve not thought that far out.  I guess I never thought I’d really make it this far, let alone make it out with everything.  I guess I could pretty much do whatever I want.  Probably should find some place to live first.”

“Well, Ponyville is a really nice place to live,” Twilight suggested.

“Yeah, I’m even thinking of moving a little closer to Ponyville, now,” Rainbow said.

“Really, why?” Spitfire looked confused by this new idea.

“The way I look at it, I’ve stayed in or near Cloudsdale just to be ready for the Wonderbolts.  Now that they’re out of my future, I think I might try and really focus on my Weather Pony career.  I’m pretty sure I could get a position as Chief Weather Pony for Ponyville pretty easy.”

“Wow, Rainbow Dash settling down and focusing on a career that isn’t the Wonderbolts.  Now I’ve heard everything,” Twilight joked.

“I do know more ponies that are in Ponyville than I do anywhere else. I’ve got a lot to think about,” Spitfire said as she gazed out the window at the sunset.  It was her first sunset as a free pony.  A tear fell from her eye as she thought about all that had happened over the last seven days.  She had left her Wonderbolts family, but gained so much more: her freedom and six of the best friends she could ever ask for.

As the three left the great throne room, Spitfire turned to Rainbow and Twilight, “You know, that one guard was right, it all has ended, but so much is just starting.”




<h2>Day ??? - For Every Ending, There Is A Beginning - Epilogue</h2>

Outside of Ponyville, near the Everfree Forest, there used to stand a lone cottage.  That cottage now has a neighbor.  Spitfire did decide to move to Ponyville, and built her home near the clearing in front of the forest, the same clearing that she and Fluttershy flew through that one afternoon, nearly a year ago.  Spitfire was standing in this clearing, looking up to the sky, blowing on a coach’s whistle.

“Alright, everypony, bring it in,” she shouted up to the sky.

Seemingly from out of nowhere, filly and colt pegasi, some blank-flanked, some not, flocked to Spitfire’s position landing in a straight line in front of her.

“Very good, my little ponies.  You’re all progressing in your flying skills nicely,” Spitfire commended each student.  “However, there is still too much horseplay when you think I’m not looking, and some of your thermal work is still sloppy.  You need to remember to work with the thermal; don’t fight it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the crowd of pegasi answered.

“You’re all dismissed, except for you,” Spitfire pointed her hoof at a specific pony, “You stay here.  We have something to discuss.”

This caused a wave of whispers and “ooo”s from the departing pegasi.  Nothing good ever came from having to stay after one of Spitfire’s classes, unless you liked do wingtip push-ups until you thought you’d pass out.

“Scootaloo,” Spitfire addressed the pony as she was staring straight at the ground, “I want you to take this scroll to your parents, have them sign the scroll, and then return them to me tomorrow.  Scootaloo, if your mom or dad aren’t available tonight, I understand.  Have your guardian, Rainbow Dash, sign it.”

“Yes ma’am,” the shamed pegasus answered.

“This is very important.  If I don’t have that permission slip signed, you won’t be able to advance to my next class ahead of schedule.”

The young pegasus raised her head and gave a very confused look to Spitfire.

“Yes, that’s right.  You’ve shown such fantastic improvement over the last month, I want you in my advanced class right away.  You’ve the makings of a great flyer, maybe even a Wonderbolt.”

Now Spitfire had lost all control over the filly, as she jumped and cheered at not only the fact that she wasn’t in trouble, but apparently doing really well in Spitfire’s flight school.

“You gave her the permission slip, didn’t you?”

Spitfire jumped with a start as a new voice spoke right beside her.

“For Celestia’s sake, Rainbow, you scared me to death, and yes, I gave her the permission slip,” Spitfire said, holding a hoof to her chest feeling her heart pound.

“I know some ponies that will be so proud of her,” Twilight said.

“Twilight, I didn’t even see you there.  What are you two doing here anyway?” Spitfire asked.

“I’m here just to walk the little squirt home and Twi just came along.  Although, it’s hard to call Scoots a squirt anymore.  She’s really been growing up a lot lately,” Rainbow answered.

“Her parents still out of town?” Spitfire asked.

“Yes, and we have no idea when they’ll be back,” Twilight answered.  “I’m just glad we got them to let Rainbow be her legal guardian.  It’s made her life a lot easier.”

“Hers, yes.  Mine, no,” Rainbow countered.  

“How is the Weather Center treating you these days?” Spitfire asked, trying to carry the conversation while they let Scootaloo burn off her excitement.

“It’s going pretty good.  I got the position to work just Ponyville, and Twilight is letting Spike receive my instruction letters, so that makes things a lot easier,” Rainbow answered.  “I heard you say Scoots could be a Wonderbolt.  Does that mean you’re okay with your past ‘family’?”

“Yeah, it’s been a year now, and that new contract that the princesses help put in place has really turned that place around.  I’ve even gotten back in touch with some of the other members.  Did you know that Soarin and Fleet Foot retired and are now running a flight school in Los Pegasus?  Turns out I wasn’t the only one burned out.”

“Well, I guess everything worked itself out.  I’m just glad you were able to forgive me,” Twilight said.

“I still can’t believe that Luna and Celestia actually conspired to help us.  That whole visit to the compound angle was just to provide a distraction and help us out.  It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t sent that scroll.  Besides, I can’t stay mad at such a good friend.  Plus I think Rainbow here would beat the grudge out of me if I even tried to hold onto one,” Spitfire joked.

“Scoots, come on, it’s time to go!  We’re supposed to be at the Apples’ in 10 minutes,” Rainbow yelled, oblivious again to the conversation going on in front of her.

“Oh, yeah, that reminds me.  I’ve got to get to Fluttershy’s, like, right now.  Bye you two.  Say hi to Applejack for me,” Spitfire shouted as she flew off towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Well, that was certainly abrupt,” Twilight commented.

“Yeah, well they’ve been hanging out a lot, lately,” Rainbow said, watching Spitfire fly away.

“How much is a lot?  Are you suggesting something is going on between them?”

“I don’t know, Twi.  You know how strange things can get here in Equestria,” Rainbow joked, giving Twilight a playful nuzzle on the cheek.