The Wonderbolts flew around the track at incredible speed. Spitfire was leading with Rainbow Dash close on her tail. Somewhere far behind Soarin trailed in third place. As they came on to their final lap, the two mares were now neck and neck. Spitfire glanced over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the distance between her and Rainbow Dash. It wasn't as large as she'd hoped it would be. The only chance she had at winning was to beat Dash at every corner, otherwise the rainbow mare would just overtake her on the straights. The yellow pegasus powered through each turn, choosing speed over control. The cyan mare seemed to have the same idea. Both mares continued to push their bodies to the limit. They finally came out at the last straight, at the end of which was the finish line. The two mares had completely exhausted themselves on the corners and so, were slowing down. As they approached the finished line, both mares at the same speed, a baby blue blur sped right past them, crossing the finish line. The two mares crossed the line at the same time. As they landed on the cloud surface they both collapsed, trying to regain the lost oxygen. A smug looking blue stallion trotted over to them. He grinned at the mares laying on the ground.
"Great race!" Soarin said. "It's a shame you both tired yourselves out on the last lap. You left the win wide open for me." the stallion gloated.
"Up...yours." Rainbow Dash panted, earning a chuckle from the baby blue stallion. The yellow pegasus bumped hooves with the cyan mare.
"We let... personal rivalry get... the better of us." Spitfire said, taking deep breaths as she spoke. "It won't happen... next time." the mare huffed.
"It better not, or ponies might start to think I'm the fastest flyer around here. I would hate to ruin both of your reputations." the baby blue pegasus said.
"Don't worry Soarin... nopony would ever... think that." Rainbow Dash giggled. She hoof bumped Spitfire again. The stallion pouted. "I'm joking you big goof." the cyan mare said, getting the stallion to smile again.
"I know, I just wanted you to say it." he said walking off, taking victory in making Rainbow Dash admit that. The two mares laughed as he trotted away. Spitfire stood up.
"Let's go hit the showers." the yellow mare said.
"Great idea." Rainbow Dash replied as the two mares headed in the direction of the changing rooms.
Rainbow Dash walked out of the shower, water dripping from her rainbow mane. She was shortly followed by Spitfire. The two mares got a few whistles from the other stallions in the changing room. They just grinned at the attention. The two mares talked as they dried themselves.
"Got any plans for the weekend?" she asked the cyan mare. The rainbow maned mare looked at her.
"Well I was planning on a doing a bit of practice, but other than that, no." Rainbow Dash's said. "Why? You got something planned?".
"Well I was going to ask if you and Soarin would like to join me and my coltfriend on a double date." the yellow pegasus said. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. She pounced on Spitfire, earning a few cheers from the stallions still in attendance.
"You have to spill everything. Since when does Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts, have a coltfriend?" Rainbow Dash quizzed. Spitfire pushed the cyan mare off her. She got back to her hooves.
"Well, I've been seeing this particular stallion for the past few weeks now." the mare said. "It's nothing too serious, but we really like each other.". Rainbow Dash let out a high pitch squeal and hugged the mare.
"I'm so happy for you. You finally found somepony you like. And to answer your question, yes, Soarin and I would love to join you on a double date. It will give me a chance to get to know your new coltfriend." the cyan mare said, a sly grin on her face.
"Great. I'll let him know that you'll both be joining us. We'll be eating at my place. Feel free to show up any time after seven." Spitfire said.
"I'll see you this evening." Rainbow Dash said as she left the changing room.
***
The doorbell to Spitfire's mansion rang. She opened the door to greet her guests. Soarin and Rainbow Dash stood outside. Soarin was dressed in a black tux, while Rainbow Dash was wearing her gala dress. Spitfire ushered them inside.
"Welcome, thanks for coming." she said giving them both a hug.
"No problem. I told you we wouldn't miss it." Rainbow Dash said.
"Rainbow's right. Once she told me about the double date I was on-board immediately." Soarin said. "So what's this stallion like? Have I met him before? Is he more of a stallion than me?" Soarin asked. Spitfire and Rainbow Dash rolled their eyes.
"I can guarantee that you're more of a goofball than him." Spitfire said, causing Rainbow Dash to laugh and Soarin to scowl. "Follow me into the living room." she said leading the two deeper into her house.
Her living room was a large open space. There was a large cloud fireplace at the wall opposite the door. Two couches and an arm chair dominated the room. The walls were covered in pictures and bookshelves. It looked like the room of an excessive wonderbolt fan. The two guests sat down on one of the couches.
"My coltfriend will be here shortly. He's just caught up at work." Spitfire said. "Can I get either of you something to drink?" she asked, playing the role of hostess.
"I'll have a cider please." Rainbow Dash said.
"I'll have a brandy." Soarin said. Rainbow immediately hit him in the chest. "Ow!" he said. Rainbow Dash smiled at Spitfire.
"He'll have a cider also. He doesn't remember how giddy he gets after he's had brandy." the mare growled, glaring at her coltfriend. He had a goofish grin on his face.
"Didn't think you'd remember" he said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hoof. Rainbow Dash was about to respond but was interrupted by the doorbell. "Saved by the bell." Soarin joked. Dash glared at him with daggers in her eyes. Spitfire got up and left the room to answer the door. A moment later she returned, accompanied by a white coated pegasus with a gold mane. He walked over to the couple and shook their hooves.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Spitfire has told me so much about you both." the stallion said with a charming smile. "I'm Eclipse." the stallion called Eclipse said.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Eclipse. As I'm sure you can guess, I'm Rainbow Dash and this is my coltfriend Soarin." the cyan mare said. Soarin nodded a hello to the stallion. Eclipse sat down on the other couch beside Spitfire. "So tell me, how did you and Spitfire meet?" Rainbow Dash asked the newcomer. The stallion smiled.
"It's a long story." he said grinning. "I was at one of the show while it was in Canterlot, due to a business meeting I had in the city. I was sitting in the V.I.P section, talking to a friend of mine, when one of the waiters tripped and spilled wine all over my tux. I had to go to the bathroom to wash up. As I was leaving the bathroom, I bumped into this pretty mare right here." the stallion said, tapping his marefriend on the nose. "We talked all afternoon and I asked her out for dinner. She of course accepted. After the show we agreed to meet up again and things have kinda gone from there." Eclipse said.
"That's a lovely story." Rainbow Dash said. "And what job do you have?" the cyan mare asked.
"Well I don't really have a job per-se, I have a lot of money that I invest in businesses." the stallion said. "I was at the show to invest money in the wonderbolts, after which I did. I believe I am currently your biggest donor." the pegasus said.
"I didn't know that." the rainbow mare said. "I'll bet your loaded" she said.
"Dash, you can't say that to somepony." Soarin said to his marefriend.
"It's quite alright Soarin, I'm used to it at this point." the stallion said calmly.
"Oh, alright then." Soarin said. Spitfire got up off the couch.
"How about we eat. I'm absolutely famished." the yellow pegasus said.
"Sure thing." Eclipse said. The four ponies made their way out to the dining hall. It wasn't as big as the living room, but it was definitely larger than the average dining room. The four ponies sat down at a rectangular wooden table. Spitfire went into the kitchen and brought out the starters.
"So Eclipse, are you a flyer yourself?" Soarin asked the stallion sitting next to him.
"I used to be, but that when was I served in the royal guard. Now I don't get much free time for flying. I do miss it dearly though." Eclipse said.
"You served in the royal guard?" Rainbow Dash asked, surprised.
"That I did. Two years in the aerial division." the stallion said.
"Soarin also served in the guard." Spitfire said. Eclipse looked at Soarin.
"Really? What unit were you in?" He asked.
"I was in the seventeenth. I was only there for a few months though before I transferred to become a wonderbolt." the baby blue stallion said.
"That's pretty cool." Eclipse said. The ponies ate the food on the table. Spitfire collected all the plates and brought them into the kitchen. She returned with the main courses. "The food has been delicious." Eclipse said.
"Most definitely." Rainbow Dash said, biting into one of the main courses. Soarin was already stuffing his face and was unable to compliment the chef. After they were finished, Spitfire brought out desert. Soarin's eyes lit up once he saw what it was. Apple pie from Sweet Apple Acres. The baby blue stallion was in pie heaven. Spitfire cut off a slice for Eclipse, Rainbow Dash and herself and left the rest of the pie for Soarin. He devoured it in seconds. The other three ponies laughed in amusement. After desert Soarin and Rainbow Dash took their leave.
"It was a pleasure to meet you Eclipse. Hopefully we can do this again some time." Rainbow Dash said as they were leaving.
"Of course, it would be a pleasure." Eclipse said. The two ponies left leaving Spitfire and Eclipse alone. "That was a lovely evening Spitty." the stallion said kissing the mare on her forehead. "I'm going to turn in for the night, I'll see you in the morning." he said as he headed up the stairs. Spitfire tidied up the rest of the plates before heading up to bed.
"Tonight went rather well" she thought to herself.
Spitfire rolled over in the bed, dragging the sheets with her. She reached a hoof over on the far side of the bed, expecting to find a stallion there. When she felt nothing, she turned to see where her coltfriend was. The other half of the bed was empty. Spitfire sat up in the bed and looked around the room. She saw one of his shirts laying on a chair, meaning he hadn't packed up and left during the night. She heard a noise coming from the ensuite. A few moments later the white pegasus emerged from the ensuite. He had a toothbrush in his mouth and was humming a tune that Spitfire didn't recognise. He smiled at the mare who had just woken up. He trotted over to her and kissed her on the forehead.
"Morning sleepy head." the stallion said, a happy look on his face. "Did you sleep well?" he asked the mare. Spitfire rubbed one of her eyes and looked at the stallion.
"What are you doing up so early?" she asked, glancing at her alarm clock. "It's quarter to six in the morning. Even I don't have to be up for at least another fifteen minutes." the yellow pegasus said. The stallion smiled at her as he returned to the ensuite. He came back out, this time without a toothbrush. He put on the shirt that had been resting on the chair.
"I have that meeting in Canterlot today." Eclipse said. "I told you this three days ago. I said I would be late home and that you would be better off going out for dinner with your friends." the stallion said. He proceeded to rummage through one of the dressers. "Now where did I put my tie?" the stallion mumbled to himself. Spitfire hopped out of the bed and floated over to him.
"Which tie are you looking for?" she asked the stallion. She glanced at his blazer. "Well since you're wearing your cream suit, I'm assuming you're looking for your blue tie?" she asked innocently.
"How did you know?" the stallion grinned. Spitfire smiled.
"Us mares have our ways. It's in the wardrobe, beside the scarves." the mare said. The stallion trotted over to the wardrobe and opened it. There sitting beside the scarves was his blue tie. He pulled it out and put it on.
"What would I do without you?" he said to the mare.
"Probably buy a new tie each time you can't find yours." Spitfire giggled. The stallion put on his blazer. He stood infront of the mare. She brushed a piece of lint off his shoulder. "Have you got everything?" she asked the stallion, giving him a questionable look. The stallion nodded.
"I believe I do. I'll be back this evening, but it will probably be very late. I'll try not make too much noise." Eclipse said. He gave the mare infront of him a kiss. "A bientôt." he said. Spitfire giggled.
"I love it when you speak french." she said hugging the stallion goodbye. The stallion left the room. He got into the cart waiting outside to take him to Canterlot. Spitfire waved at him from the balcony. She went back into her room. As she did she fell back onto her bed. As soon as she made impact with the cloud, her alarm went off.
"Better get ready for work." the mare said, rolling out of bed for the second time this morning.
***
Spitfire flew into the Wonderbolt compound. She headed into the main building. Once inside, she went into her office. A large pile of papers were stacked on her desk, like a towering mountain. This was how most of her mornings started, lots of paperwork and lots of coffee. She left her office and headed for the mess hall to grab some coffee. On her way she bumped into Soarin and Rainbow Dash. They waved as they saw her approaching.
"Thanks for the wonderful dinner last night." Rainbow Dash said. "We had a great time, especially the part where we got to meet your coltfriend." Dash said with a sly grin. She nudged her coltfriend.
"Oh yeah, it was great. I absolutely loved the pie." Soarin said. Rainbow Dash scowled at him. "What? It was great pie." he said in his defence.
"Well I'm glad you both enjoyed yourselves." Spitfire said. "Eclipse said it was nice meeting both of you." the yellow mare said. "He's actually out of town tonight so I'll be eating alone. Would you like to join me?" She asked her colleagues. The two ponies nodded.
"We would love to join you. Where did you plan on going?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well there's a Sushi place on the south side of town that I absolutely love. Eclipse isn't really the biggest sushi fan, so we never go there together." Spitfire said.
"That sounds great! We'll meet outside after practice." Rainbow Dash said. The two ponies went on there way, leaving Spitfire to get her morning coffee. Once she had it she returned to her office to start on the paperwork.
After what seemed like an eternity, Spitfire finally placed her pen down. All the paper work had been filled out for the day. She placed it in a tray at the edge of her desk. She sat back and took a sip of her coffee. As she was drinking there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Spitfire shouted. Fleetfoot entered the office.
"Hey captain. I just dropped by to pick up today's training schedule to put up in the changing room." the mare said.
"Sure thing Fleet." Spitfire said. She pulled a sheet out of a drawer in her desk. "Here you go." she said giving the frosty blue mare the sheet. "Oh Fleet, if you're not busy this afternoon, would you care to join me, Crash and Clipper for dinner?" she asked the mare.
"I would love to captain." the mare responded.
"Great. We're meeting outside the main building after practice." Spitfire said to the mare.
"Thanks captain." Fleetfoot said as she left the office. Spitfire went back to enjoying he coffee. She looked at the clock on her desk. Eleven. She decided to grab a pre-workout snack from the mess hall. She got up and left her office.
Spitfire walked into the Wonderbolts gym. There was three other pegasi in there, besides her. She decided to go for a quick run on the treadmill before practice, as she knew her wings would be getting more of a workout then her legs. She spent over an hour on the treadmill before stopping. She grabbed her towel and wiped the beads of sweat off her face. She headed in the direction of the changing rooms to have a quick cold shower before practice. She was in and out of the shower in minutes. She put on her flight suit and headed out to the track. Outside waiting for her was her team. She blew her whistle to call them in. She went over the drill that had been put up in the changing room by Fleetfoot. Once she was confident her team understood, she blew her whistle and told them to get to work.
Halfway through the drill Spitfire noticed a lone pegasus sitting in the bleachers. She assumed it was somepony trying to slack off. She flew over to them immediately, ready to give them a good disciplining. Once she got close enough she realised who the pegasus was. Sitting in the bleacher was her coltfriend, Eclipse, with a large grin on his face. She landed beside him and gave him a hug.
"What are you doing here? I though you had a meeting in Canterlot?" she asked confused.
"Well my first meeting ended a lot earlier than I expected." the stallion said. "I thought it would a good idea to surprise my favourite mare in the whole world with a visit." the stallion said. Spitfire blushed.
"You're such a gentlecolt." Spitfire said pressing a hoof against his chest.
"Sadly I can't stay for long. I've got another meeting I must attend. I'll see you this evening when I get home?" the stallion asked.
"I'll be waiting up for you." Spitfire responded. She kissed him on the cheek and flew back over to her team. The team stopped and watched their captain.
"Alright, nothing to see here, back to the drill." Soarin shouted as he saw Spitfire returning.
Three hours later, all the pegasi were practically falling out of the sky from sheer tiredness. It was quite an intense drill. The idea had come to Spitfire after she and Rainbow Dash had their little competitive race. She blew her whistle to let her team know they were done for the day. The sound of relief that came from the team could be heard from the moon. The pegasi headed for the changing rooms to shower. Spitfire was talking to Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot.
"It was very gentlecolt of him to show up at your workplace." Fleetfoot said. "I wish I could find a stallion like that." the frosty blue mare said.
"So do I." Rainbow Dash joked. "I'm stuck with this goofball." she said pointing at Soarin. He turned at the mention of his name.
"Did somepony call?" he asked. The three mares laughed.
"So we're all up for dinner this evening?" Spitfire asked her friends.
"Sure. I absolutely starving after that drill. Seriously Spitfire, where do you come up with these hellish drills?" Rainbow Dash asked. The three mares and the stallion left the changing room and headed to the restaurant.
***
"So what's he like?" Fleetfoot asked Rainbow Dash. She took a sip of her drink.
"He's amazing. Such a gentlecolt. And his muscular body, he's a complete dreamboat." the rainbow mare said. Soarin made a loud grunt.
"I'm right here you know." the stallion pouted.
"I know, you should be taking notes." Rainbow Dash joked. Spitfire and Fleetfoot laughed.
"You should bring him in on a proper tour of the academy. Also introduce him to the team, I'm sure they'd love to meet him." Fleetfoot suggested.
"I'll have to think about it. I don't want him to think I'm rushing into this relationship." Spitfire said.
"Celestia's sake mare. The two of you are already living together, I'm sure him meeting your friends isn't that big of a step." Fleetfoot groaned.
"Fine. I'll bring him in on a tour. But I don't want anypony to embarrass me, or there will be serious consequences." the yellow pegasus said. The other two mares turned to look at Soarin. He took an offended look.
"Oh sure, assume I'm going to embarrass her." he said, a piece of pie hanging off his chin. The three mares just laughed.
***
Spitfire arrived back at her house, shortly after midnight. After dinner the four pegasi had went to the bar for some drinks. They had great fun discussing one another's embarrassing moments from the past. She headed straight upstairs upon entering. She opened the door to her bedroom. It was empty.
"He must be late" Spitfire thought to herself. She took her jacket off and threw it on the chair. She sat down in her bed. A few moments later she heard the door opening downstairs. The door to her bedroom opened. Eclipse stepped inside.
"Sorry I'm a bit late. The second meeting went on a bit longer than I had hoped. I just excused myself towards the end to get here on time." the stallion said.
"It's fine." Spitfire said. The stallion took off his blazer and proceeded to get undressed. As he was doing so Spitfire talked to him. "I was talking to the mares today. They thought it would be a fun idea to bring you on a tour of the academy. How does that sound?" Spitfire asked her coltfriend. He stopped and turned to look at her.
"That's sounds like a wonderful idea. What day are you free to give me a tour?" he asked.
"We can do it tomorrow, if you're free that is." she responded.
"I'll clear my schedule." the stallion said, crawling into the bed beside her. "Goodnight." he said, giving the mare a kiss.
"Goodnight." she said returning the kiss. The stallion reached over and turned off the lights.
The two pegasi rose out of the bed. Spitfire walked over to the window and drew the curtains. Celestia's sun shone through the large window, illuminating the bedroom. Spitfire then proceeded to the ensuite. She had a quick shower and brushed her teeth after. She went downstairs to find her coltfriend in the kitchen. He was preparing breakfast for the two. Eclipse placed two plates on the counter. Spitfire looked at the plate infront of her. Hay bacon strips and scrambled egg. Her favourite breakfast. She looked at the stallion. He beamed brightly at her. She took a bite of the food on her plate. It was the most delicious meal she had ever eaten.
"This is amazing." the yellow mare said with a mouth full of food. The stallion nodded his appreciation. "I didn't realise you're such a great cook." she said. "I need to get you to cook for me more often.". Eclipse grinned.
"Well my mother did also say if I didn't make it as a business pony I would sure as Celestia make it as a chef." the stallion said, eating his own food. The two ponies sat and enjoyed there food.
"So what time will you be stopping by for the tour?" Spitfire asked her coltfriend. The stallion glanced up at her, finishing the food that was in his mouth.
"Well I have a meeting in the morning that I can't miss. I'm free for the rest of the day after that." he responded, taking a sip of his orange juice. "I can call in after lunch." Eclipse said.
"That works fine." Spitfire said. "I should have gotten the recruits through their morning drills by then." she mused. Eclipse looked at his watch.
"I need to go up and have my shower now, or I'll end up being late." he said picking up his plate and bringing it over to the sink. As he passed back past Spitfire he kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you at lunch." he said, running up the stairs. The mare smiled as he left the kitchen. She finished her food and placed her plate on top of his in the sink. She grabbed her satchel and headed out the door for the academy.
***
Spitfire's morning went by pretty uneventful. She had half the amount of paperwork to do compared to yesterday, which allowed her to finish a lot earlier then she usually did. She decided to hit the gym and get some training in before she had to take the recruits through their morning drills. Today the gym was completely empty. She spent thirty minutes on the treadmill and thirty minutes hitting the iron. After the gym she headed to the changing room to get a quick shower in before her coltfriend showed up. As she emerged from the shower she noticed Fleetfoot was there. She went over to her.
"Hey Fleet." Spitfire said.
"Hey captain. Did you take our advice from yesterday?" the frosty blue mare asked, a sly smirk on her face.
"I did. Eclipse is stopping by at lunch. In fact he should be here in the next few minutes." the yellow mare said.
"Well I'll make sure the whole team is free to meet him." Fleetfoot said as she left the changing room, with a swish of her tail. Spitfire dried herself off and put on her work shirt. She left the changing room and headed off in the direction of the training grounds. Soarin was standing at the edge of the track with a clipboard. She walked up behind him and yanked his tail. The stallion yelled in surprise.
"Ow!" he said. He turned to find the culprit, only to see his captain standing there. He gave a quick salute."Captain.". She grinned at him. She pulled a sheet out of her pocket and handed it to him. This is there morning drill." she said gesturing towards the recruits. "I can't stick around, so I'll leave you incharge." Spitfire said, giving the stallion a stern look. "I expect them to have this routine learned off for me tomorrow." she said.
"Sure thing Spitfire." Soarin said. Spitfire walked back in the direction of the main building.
As she approached, she saw a white pegasus looking at the pictures adorning the reception walls. He was standing infront of Spitfire's portrait. She trotted over to him and gave him a slight nudge. He turned to her, his face lighting up.
"Hey!" he said hugging his marefriend. "I didn't see you coming." he said.
"I can be very sneaky if I want to." Spitfire responded. "So are you ready for your private tour of the grounds?" she asked him. The stallion nodded.
"Sure thing Spitty." he said. Spitfire blushed at his nickname for her. The two ponies began their journey around the academy. Spitfire showed him all the rooms of the main building including her office, the gym, the hall of fame, the recruits barracks and last on the list the mess hall. The two ponies went inside. It was quite empty as all the pegasi were outside training. The two ponies got some hay fries and sat down at one of the benches.
"So what do you think so far?" Spitfire asked the stallion.
"It reminds me slightly of my time in the guard." Eclipse said. "You know with all the training and stuff." he said. She grinned at him.
"Well there's still much more to see. There's the training grounds and the arena." Spitfire said. "You're also in luck. The team will be practising a drill later. You'll have front row seats." the mare said smiling.
"That sounds great!" the stallion responded. The two ponies ate their hay fries, chatting about small things. They lost track of time as the mess hall erupted into a large amount of noise as the recruits and other staff poured into the mess hall looking for lunch. The two ponies left once everypony else started arriving. They continued on the tour. Outside Spitfire showed Eclipse the multiple tracks they had and the arena where they held official races at the academy. The two had a small race, Spitfire was the winner of course. As the evening drew nearer, the two ponies headed back to one of the training tracks. The two ponies sat in the bleachers.
"The drill is about to start." Spitfire said to Eclipse. The two ponies sat silently and watched as the team of Wonderbolts took there places. A the sound of a whistle they launched in the air. They flew around from point to point, performing jaw dropping stunts. Eclipse watched in awe of the spectacular performers. Rainbow Dash finished the routine with a sonic rainboom. All the cadets and staff stopped to watch as she did it. The sky lit up with a large circular rainbow, which just expanded out into the sky. After all the pegasi landed, Eclipse stood up and applauded, banging his hooves against the bleacher. The team looked over at him and smiled. They all took a bow. Spitfire grabbed Eclipse's hoof.
"Let's head back to the mess hall and grab some food. I know the other said they were dying to meet you." she said to her coltfriend. The two ponies headed off in the direction of the mess hall.
The two sat down at one of the large tables in the mess hall. It was half full at the moment, only the recruits bunking at the academy were there, as the others had gone home for the day. The two ponies waited for the others to arrive. The team burst through the doors of the mess hall in a large chatter. They sat down beside Eclipse and Spitfire. The two congratulated the team on their performance.
"So you liked it?" Rainbow Dash asked Eclipse.
"Oh yes, it was absolutely an astounding performance." the stallion responded. "Each of you performed beautifully in your own unique way. I especially loved the finale of the sonic rainboom." Eclipse said. The ponies nodded to show thanks for the compliments. Soarin sat down beside the stallion.
"You're not too bad yourself." the baby blue stallion said. Both Eclipse and Spitfire looked at him confused. "I saw the race you two had earlier." he said.
"Oh, you saw that?" Eclipse asked.
"Yeah, your a very talented flyer. I just don't understand why you let Spitfire win." the stallion blurted. All the ponies looked at the baby blue stallion, eyes wide. Spitfire raised an eyebrow at him.
"What do you mean, he let me win?" the mare asked, an edge in her tone of voice.
"Well it was pretty clear from watching him that he was holding back, and I'm mean a lot. If he had been flying properly he would have mopped the floor with you." Soarin said. Rainbow Dash punched her coltfriend in the arm.
"You got a death wish or something?" she asked the stallion. He looked at her, slightly upset.
"It was just an observation." the stallion said in his defence. Spitfire looked at her coltfriend.
"Is this true?" she asked the stallion. Eclipse glanced from side to side, then swallowed hard.
"Maybe?" he said, hoping that was the right answer.
"Why wouldn't you give it your all?" Spitfire asked. "Do you think you'd upset me if you beat me?" she questioned the stallion. "Do you think I'm that fragile?" she said, her voice raising slightly. The stallion shook his head.
"Of course not Spitty, it's just I thought the race was for fun. I didn't realise we were taking it so seriously." the stallion said leaning back from her. Spitfire paused for a second to calm down.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice." she said. The stallion hugged her.
"It's alright. We can race again another time. And I'll try my best then." the stallion said. Spitfire smiled at him. "Now I would like to congratulate you all on a great performance. I'm taking everypony here out for drinks. And it's all on me." the stallion said. Everyponie's eyes widened at what the stallion said.
"Are you sure about that Eclipse?" Spitfire asked him.
"Of course. Now let's go find a bar and have ourselves a wild night." the stallion said. The ponies at the table all cheered.
"You've got yourself a keeper there Spitfire" Rapidfire said, making the other ponies laugh, including Eclipse. The ponies left the mess hall and headed out into the city.
***
Spitfire and Eclipse staggered through the door just after midnight. The two ponies fell into the living room. Spitfire landed on top of Eclipse. She looked into his eyes.
"Today was great." she said. The stallion beneath her nodded in agreement.
"You've got some really nice friends." he said. "I'm glad I could get to see there good side before we went out drinking." the stallion joked. "That Soarin is an absolute crazy drunk." Eclipse said. Spitfire laughed at her coltfriend's comment.
"You should see Rainbow Dash after a few ciders. You wouldn't even recognise her." Spitfire said.
"Really? I wouldn't have guessed her to be a wild mare." the stallion said. "Your other friends weren't much better. Rapidfire is a complete flirt, did you know that. He's absolutely terrible at it but a huge flirt nonetheless. Did you know he started flirting with me before we left." the stallion said.
"He'll flirt with anything that moves." Spitfire said. "Fleetfoot is the exact same, yet the two never seem to flirt with one another. it's quite odd actually." the yellow mare said.
"Well I know there's only one mare worth flirting with." the stallion said, wrapping his hooves around Spitfire. He kissed the mare. She returned the kiss. The two lay there for a while before braking for air. "I think we should move this up to the bedroom?" the stallion suggested.
"Sure thing." Spitfire said. The two ponies went up the stairs into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.
Spitfire rolled over in her bed. Her mane was an absolute mess from the night before. She looked at the stallion sound asleep next to her in the double bed. She smiled and him and kissed him on his nose. The stallion made a face and wiggled his nose. The mare giggled at his reaction. She pulled the covers off her and sat up in the bed. She stretched out both of her wings, before getting out of the bed. She walked over to the ensuite and went inside. She closed the door behind her and turned on the shower. The sound of the showing running woke the stallion from his slumber. He gave his eyes a quick rub before looming around the room. He put a hoof to his head. He felt a massive headache coming on. He knew he shouldn't have drank so much last night. The stallion opened the top drawer to his night stand and pulled out a container of tablets. He popped one in his mouth and swallowed it. That should delay the effects of the hangover until later. The stallion sat up in the bed. He looked over in the direction as he heard the shower being turned off. He ran over beside the door. A few moments later Spitfire emerged out of the ensuite. She looked around the room for the stallion, confused to find the bed empty. Suddenly somthine grabbed her from behind. She let out a shriek. She turned around to see the culpriate who had grabbed her. She looked into the golden eyes of her coltfriend. He had a large smile on his face. He carried the mare over to the bed and layed her down gently. He gave her a kiss on the forehead as he placed her down.
"Good morning." the stallion said.
"Good morning yourself." Spitfire responded. "Don't you know better than to sneak up on a mare? Especially one that's just come out of the shower." the yellow pegasus said to her coltfriend. He only grinned at her.
"So what would the lady of the house like for breakfast?" he asked her. Spitfire pondered before answering. She raised her hoof to her chin as if she were thinking of the solution to an unsolvable equation.
"I think I'll have the same as yesterday." Spitfire said to Eclipse.
"Your wish is my command." Eclipse said with a mocking bow. Spitfire threw a pillow at him from the bed as he left the bedroom. She stretched herself out across the bed. Today was one of her favourite days of the year. It was her day off. The mare laid on the bed. She pulled a magazine from her nightstand and began to flick through it's pages. She appeared in a few of the photos, along with all the other celebrities of Equestria. As she flicked through the magazine she came to the business section. Normally she would just skip this but she decided not to today. She wondered if there was a picture of her coltfriend in here. She turned the page. There covering the whole page was her coltfriend, the title ready "Equestria's most successful business pony". Spitfire read through the article about Eclipse. It talked about how he started out as the wealthy heir to a family business his grandfather setup. He sold the business and became a heavy investor in other businesses. The mare was so busy reading she didn't notice her coltfriend entering the room carrying a tray. He set the tray down beside her. He looked at the magazine his marefriend was reading.
"What are you reading there Spitty?" Eclipse asked. The mare looked up, snapping out of her dream like state she was in while reading the article. She closed the magazine.
"Oh it's nothing, just sports stuff." the mare lied. The stallion raised an eyebrow at her."What?" she asked defensively. She saw the food beside her."Oh, thank you very much sweetie." Spitfire said, thanking him for the breakfast. The stallion moved around the bed while Spitfire attacked the food. He grabbed the magazine from the nightstand before Spitfire realised what he was planning. "Hey no fair, you distracted me with food!" the mare argued. Eclipse flicked through the magazine until he came to the article on himself.
"I see you were doing a bit of light reading about me." Eclipse said. The mare looked down at her food. The stallion smiled. "I'm not mad at you. I have no problem with you reading this." Eclipse said. He read through the article himself. "Oh my Celestia, why did I not think of this sooner!" he shouted, catching Spitfire off guard.
"Think of what?" Spitfire asked, curiosity in her voice. The stallion turned the magazine to show a photo of Eclipse sitting beside two other ponies.
"I never introduced you to my friends." the stallion said. "I can't believe that. That's not like me at all." he said to himself. He sat down beside Spitfire. "How would you like to meet my friends over dinner?" Eclipse asked Spitfire.
"I would love to!" Spitfire said.
"Great, I'll have a letter sent to them immediately." the stallion said running out of the room. Spitfire grinned as she watched him run out.
"This should be a fun evening" she thought to herself as she finished her breakfast.
***
The four ponies sat down at a private table in the most esteemed restaurant in all of Canterlot. Eclipse had a large beaming smile on his face. The stallion was dressed in a black tux. Spitfire sat beside him. She was wearing a bright red sparkling dress. She had her mane down, as opposed to her usual style. Two ponies sat opposite the couple. One a white unicorn, the other a hazel pegasus.
"It's so great to see you both again. How long has it been since last time?" Eclipse asked his friends.
"Too long my friend. It's great to catch up with you." the unicorn said. He looked towards Spitfire.
"Oh, where are my manners." Eclipse said. "Spitfire these are my dear friends, Solarcloak and his lovely wife Autumn." Eclipse said gesturing to the two ponies opposite them. Spitfire nodded courtly at the two ponies.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Spitfire said. She spoke to Solarcloak. "Eclipse tells me you work with him." she said.
"That's correct. I'm one of his many business partners. Everything he invests in, I also invest in. We watch each others backs." the unicorn said. Eclipse laughed at his friend's statement.
"Damn right we do!" Eclipse said.
The hazel pegasus spoke. "Well you don't need much of an introduction yourself, Ms.Spitfire. Being captain of the Wonderbolts and all." Autumn said."I've seen quite a few of your shows. You are a very talented flyer." the mare said.
"You're too kind." Spitfire replied. "So what job do you have?" Spitfire asked Autumn. She smiled at her husband.
"Well darling, if you must know, I'm a model." the mare stated proudly.
"Well you've definitely got the looks for it. You're absolutely stunning." Spitfire said.
"You're too kind." the mare said. "Although from what I've seen myself, you're not that bad yourself." Autumn said. "You do know what I'm referring to?" the mare asked. Spitfire blushed. Eclipse glanced at Autumn.
"And what might you be referring to?" Eclipse asked.
"Why the time this pretty little mare did a swim wear shoot." Autumn said. "She was absolutely gorgeous in those two pieces." she said. Spitfire's face now matched her dress. Eclipse looked over at his marefriend.
"So you're allowed to see me in a magazine, but I'm not allowed see you in one?" he asked her, trying to get more details.
"It was early in my career. It was mostly for the publicity." she said.
"How about we order?" Solarcloak said to change the subject. "I'm sure Ms.Spitfire would prefer to discuss such a matter in a more private environment." the unicorn said. The yellow pegasus nodded her thanks to the stallion.
"Oh you can be sure we'll be discussing this later." Eclipse said. Before he could speak again the waiter came over.
"May I take your order?" he asked the four ponies.
"I'll have the Celestia salad." Autumn said. The waiter wrote down the order and turned to the next pony.
"I think I'll go for the hay steak, medium rare." Solarcloak said. The waiter turned to the remaining two ponies.
"We will have the platter for two please." Eclipse said. The waiter looked at the mare to confirm this was okay. She nodded at the waiter. He took the menus and walked away.
"So what's changed since the last time I saw you two?" Eclipse asked the married couple.
"Well not much. We moved out to Las Pegasus there during the summer. That's about it." Solarcloak said. "What about you, any big news?" he asked Eclipse.
"Well other than the fact I started dating this beautiful mare, nothing springs to mind." Eclipse responded. Spitfire blushed at the compliment.
"What about you Spitfire, any recent achievements that you're particularly proud of?" the unicorn asked. Spitfire thought for a moment.
"Well we did just land a big show in Canterlot next month. It's for Princess Luna's birthday. We are performing a private show for the royal family at the request of her majesty herself." the mare said excitedly.
"Well that is impressive. I need to spend a couple thousand bits before I can get the attention of the royal family." the unicorn said earning a laugh from his wife and Eclipse. The waiter returned to the table levitating the food above him. He placed each meal down infront of the ponies.
"Bon Appétit." the waiter said walking away. The four ponies ate their meals and continued to chat through the evening.
Eventually Solarcloak and Autumn had to leave so they could return to Las Pegasus before nightfall. Spitfire and Eclipse did the same as they had to head back to Cloudsdale. The two ponies flew home in the evening sky. The sun was just set by the time they reached Cloudsdale. The two ponies went inside Spitfire's mansion. Eclipse went into the living room and sat down. He was shortly followed by Spitfire. She sat down on the couch beside him. He softly stroked her mane with his hoof.
"How come I'm only hearing about this big show now?" Eclipse asked. Spitfire let out a small sigh.
"I was going to tell you this evening, but your friend asked before I got the chance to tell you myself." she responded. "The reason why I was also hesitant in bringing up the topic was that I'm not allowed to bring any guests." Spitfire said. "I though you might feel hurt that I couldn't invite you." the mare said. Eclipse hugged her tightly.
"Oh my little Spitty, you shouldn't be afraid to disappoint me." he said soothing the mare. "And besides, if I wanted to go to the show I could simply ask princess Luna." the stallion said. Spitfire looked at him wide eyed.
"Since when can you just ask a princess to attend her birthday?" Spitfire asked the stallion.
"Since I used to..." the stallion trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished. The yellow pegasus stared at him. He let out a few small coughs. "Since I... phew is it hot in here or is it just me." Eclipse said trying to change the subject.
"Answer the question you colt." Spitfire said.
"Since I used to date her." Eclipse blurted. Spitfire stared at him again.
Eclipse sighed. "Yes. It was a few years ago, about two years after he return. I was already good friends with Celestia. She told me about her sister, and then she introduced me to her. We kinda just clicked." Eclipse said. "Eventually though we just drifted apart. The relationship was never really made public." the stallion said.
"Well I've definitely learned a lit about you today." the mare said. "Anything you still wanna know about me?" she asked the stallion. A sly grin came across his face.
"Have you got the magazine of that shoot?" he asked. Spitfire's expression turned to one of annoyance.
"Do you seriously want to see it?" she asked him. The stallion nodded repeatedly. "Fine, I think I have a copy in a box under the..." she said but didn't get to finish. The stallion was already running up the stairs. Spitfire tutted. "Typical stallion." she said, walking in the direction of the stairs.
Spitfire's alarm buzzed on her nightstand. The mare let out a large groan, rolling over in the bed to switch off the constant buzzing. She slammed her hoof down on top of the alarm, causing the buzzing to cease. She rolled back over in the bed. As she did she was greeted by a pair of golden eyes. The stallion they belonged smiled at the yellow pegasus. She returned the smile. The two pegasi lay in the bed looking one another in the eyes, detatched from the rest of the world. The stallion then spoke.
"Good morning Spitty." Eclipse said, not breaking eye contact.
"Good morning Eclipse." the mare responded, giggling at the stallion, his mane all messes up. "It looks like a beautiful morning." Spitfire said, glancing over at the half drawn curtain. Celestia's bright sun seeped into the room.
"You sure are." the lovestruck stallion said, still watching the mare as she turned away. She looked back at him, an unimpressed looked on her face.
"You are extremely cheesy. Have I ever told you that?" the yellow mare asked. The stallion continued to smile at his marefriend.
"Only ten times a day." the stallion chuckled. He sat up in the bed. "You excited for the big day?" Eclipse asked his marefriend. Spitfire looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.
"Big day?" she asked the stallion. He raised his hoof to his raise.
"Today is Luna's birthday!" the stallion said, causing the mare to jump into action.
"What do you mean it's today. The princesses birthday isn't until tomorrow." the mare said, thinking frantically if she had misjudged the date.
"Why would you have set an alarm if it wasn't." the stallion said. "Your last day of vacation was yesterday. You have had four days off. I'm surprised you forgot since you've been so hyped about it these past few days." Eclipse said. The mare ran over to her calendar. There was a large circle around today's date, marked with a little wonderbolts symbol which Spitfire used to mark shows.
"Oh sweet Celestia, you're right! How could I have forgotten?" the mare said. She ran over to her wardrobe to grab her uniform. "I need to get dressed right away. We need to get to Canterlot for the show!" Spitfire exclaimed.
"Relax, I put your alarm back half an hour, just as a little joke." the stallion said, grinning. His marefriend turned to face him, a look of pure rage dominating her face.
"Do I look in the mood for jokes?" she bellowed at the stallion. The stallion shrunk back into the bed, whining softly.
"No Spitty." He said from the safety of underneath the duvet. The mare turned her attention back to getting ready.
"We leave in one hour, and you'd better be ready." Spitfire said in her serious tone. The white stallion nodded obediently, getting out of the bed and heading into the ensuite. He emerged thirty minutes later. He was dressed in a blue tux with a red tie. The mare looked him up and down.
"Not too shabby?" the stallion said.
"Though you would have looked better with the time it took you." Spitfire said jokingly, running into the ensuite before her coltfriend could respond. Fifteen minutes later the mare reemerged. She dried herself off and put on her dress. She would get changed into her uniform at the castle. The show wasn't due to take place until sunset. The mare walked down to the kitchen to find her coltfriend sitting at the table, eating a bowl of oats. Another pat sat opposite him. He gestured towards it.
"I made breakfast." he said with a mouth full of oats. Spitfire glared at him.
"What?" he said defensively.
"There'll be food at the party. Now let's get going." the mare said. The stallion threw his plate into the sink and headed out to the front door to meet his marefriend.
"Ready to go?" Spitfire asked Eclipse.
"Ready when you are." he responded.
"Great, let's get going then." Spitfire said closing the door behind her. The two pegasi flew off in the direction of Canterlot.
***
The two ponies arrived in Canterlot just before midday. They headed straight to the palace upon arriving in the city. The palace was swarming with guards due to the party currently underway. The two ponies proceeded to the gate where they presented their invitations. The guards examined them carefully before granting the two ponies access. They walked across the drawbridge which was the only way in and out of the palace. Across the bridge a path lead the ponies to the palace itself. Spitfire and Eclipse walked through the two large golden doors into the palace foyer. Standing on the stairs stood princess Luna and princess Celestia, greeting each of the guests as they walked up the stairs to the ball room. The couple walked towards the princesses. They both bowed as they stood before them. Princess Celestia stepped forward.
"Thank you for attending." the princess of the sun said."I'm glad that both of you got here without any problems." the alicorn said politely.
"We're very thankful that you and princess Luna asked us to perform." Spitfire said, rising from her bow. She glanced over at the stallion beside her. He was still bowing. She looked over at princess Luna, who was staring at the stallion beside her. The stallion looked up and the lunar princess quickly averted her gaze
"Thank you your majesties for the invitation. I will make sure to return the favour on my birthday." the stallion said with a smile, earning a chuckle from both princesses.
"We thank you for your kind words, Sir Eclipse." Celestia said. "Go ahead and enjoy the party." she said, gesturing for them to head up the stairs. The two ponies bowed once again and continued up the stairs. Once they were out of hearing distance Spitfire spoke.
"Why didn't Luna say anything?" Spitfire asked the stallion. He simply smiled and continued walking without saying a word. Spitfire looked at him for a while before looking ahead. The two reached the top of the stairs and came to another large pair of golden doors. They stood wide open. Two guards stood on watch. From outside the room multiple ponies could be seen inside dancing and talking to one another. A small band was up on a stage placing music. Multiple ponies in waistcoats were walking around carrying trays of drinks and small nibbles. The couple entered the ball room. As they did, two ponies standing beside the door sounded two large trumpets. A third pony stepped forward.
"Announcing Sir Eclipse and his date Ms.Spitfire." the pony stated. All the ponies in the room turned to view the new arrivals. Eclipse nodded at everypony, which made them return to their conversations. The two ponies walked through the ball room. Eclipse grabbed two glasses off the waiter and handed one to Spitfire.
"Cheers." he said, tapping his glass against hers.
"Cheers." she responded, a bright smile on her face. The stallion stared at her. She blushed as he did. "What?" she asked him.
"You just look really beautiful." Eclipse said. Spitfire's face went a shade darker of red.
"You're a complete flirt, you know that?" she said to the stallion. He smiled softly.
"Yes. Would you like to dance?" he asked the mare, outstretching his hoof.
"Why of course." Spitfire responded. They placed their drinks on the tray of a passing by waiter. The two took hold of each other, leaning close together. They dance in tune with the music. "This feels magical." Spitfire said as they danced.
"I know." Eclipse said. He paused to look the mare in the eyes. "Spitfire... I..." he said but was interrupted by a tapping on his back. He turned to see a white unicorn with a blue mane standing there, a white unicorn with a pink mane by his side.
"Hello Eclipse, it's good to see you old chap." the unicorn said. He looked at the mare the pegasus had been dancing with. "I hope I'm not interrupting." he said apologetically. Eclipse smiled.
"Not at all old sport." Eclipse responded. He turned and gestured to Spitfire. "This is my marefriend, Spitfire." he said. He turned to Spitfire. "Spitty this is my friend and one of my partners, Fancy Pants." the pegasus said.
It's a pleasure Ms.Spitfire." Fancy Pants said holding out a hoof which Spitfire shook. "This is my fiancé, Fleur Dis Lee." The white unicorn said gesturing to the mare beside him. She smiled at the two pegasi. "I just wanted to say hi, incase I didn't get the chance later. You know how these Canterlot parties usually end up." the unicorn said with a chuckle.
"Don't I ever old sport." Eclipse responded, giving the unicorn a pat on the back."We definitely need to speak again before the night is out." Eclipse said. Fancy Pants nodded and went off with his fiancé. Eclipse turned back to his marefriend. She was looking at him, stifling a laugh. He looked at the mare confused.
"What?" he asked.
"Oh nothing old sport." Spitfire said, bursting into a fit of laughter. The stallion glared at her.
"It's not funny." he said."It's a force of habit around that unicorn. Shows how much time I've spent with him." Eclipse said wryly. Spitfire was still recovering from her laughing fit.
"I never imagined you were all snooty." Spitfire said.
"It's not snooty, it's sophistication." the stallion pouted. Spitfire raised an eyebrow at him.
"You keep telling yourself that." she said to the stallion. "Now how about we get back to dancing." the yellow mare said. Before Eclipse could respond a stallion had come up to Spitfire. It was her co-captain, Soarin. He was dressed in a black tux.
"Hey Spitfire." he said. He glanced over at Eclipse. "Hey Eclipse.". The stallion nodded back at him.
"Hey Soarin, what's up?" Spitfire asked him.
"The last of the team just arrived. They want to get some practice in before the show this evening. You know, because it's infront of royalty." the baby blue stallion said.
"Sure thing. I'll be down shortly." Spitfire said. Soarin nodded and walked off. Spitfire turned to face Eclipse. "I'm sorry, but the dance is going to have to wait." she said. "I'll see you after the show okay?" she said.
"Okay." Eclipse responded, a hint of sadness in his voice. Spitfire smiled at him.
"Cheer up old sport." she said, causing the stallion to giggle. She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll catch up with you later." she said walking in the direction Soarin went. Once she was out of hearing distance Eclipse spoke.
"I...I love...you." the stallion said quietly to himself.
From across the ball room princess Luna watched the yellow mare depart from her stallion. She watched the lone stallion. She saw him mumble something but could not make out what he said. She decided it was time to talk to him. As she was about to step forward a hoof grabbed her. She turned to see who had the audacity to grab a princess. She was greeted by the sight of her sister. She had a concerned look on her face.
"Do not do something you will regret." the solar princess said. Luna stared at her sister before shaking free of her grasp and walked in the direction of the lone stallion she had once dated.
***
Spitfire stepped out on to the large field at the rear of the palace. This was to be there stage. Spitfire had planned quite the show. A few basic routines, followed by some more advanced stunts, ending with Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom. The show was perfect. She trotted out to the centre of the field. Her team was grouped up, doing stretches to warm up before flying. Spitfire held her clipboard underneath her wing. She blew on her whistle to get her teams attention.
"Alright! Listen up fillies. We've got one of the biggest shows of our careers ahead of us. So I don't want anypony messing up. The princess asked for us to perform personally, so we are going to give her one heck of a show." Spitfire shouted at the team. They all stood at attention, listening to their captain's words as if their lives depended on it. "We're going to start off with basic formation four, then shift into formation eight. From there we go to team formation five. After that we move into the advanced techniques. Any questions so far?" she asked her team. Nopony made a sound. "Good, that's what I like to hear." Spitfire bellowed. "After we've completed the advanced techniques we all line up centre field. Then we salute to the princesses and wish Luna a happy birthday. As we do, Rainbow Dash will fly overhead performing the sonic rainboom." Spitfire said. She stared at the team. "You know what you have to do, now get moving." She shouted, blowing her whistle. The pegasi immediately dispersed to go rehearse their routine. Spitfire looked at her team with a smile. "Tonight is gonna be one heck of a show." she said to herself.
Princess Luna prowled towards the stallion. He was standing alone, looking around at all the other guests. He took a glass of champagne of one of the waitors that passed by him. The stallion continued to stand there, sipping his drink. The alicorn continued to stalk her prey, prowling from behind the cover of other ponies, keeping out of the stallion's line of sight. The alicorn advanced toward the stallion from his rear. Once she was standing behind him, she attempted to get his attention by clearing her throat. The stallion turned around at the sound of the coughing. He had a calm look on him as he turned to face the princess. He performed a small bow.
"Greetings, your majesty." the stallion said politely."Might I add, happy birthday Princess." Eclipse said. The dark blue alicorn grinned at the pegasus.
"We thank you, dear Eclipse." princess Luna responded. "Thou is very kind to wish us a pleasant birthday." she said. The two stood beside one another, an awkward silence forming around them. Eventually Eclipse decided to break the silence.
"I hear that you have asked the Wonderbolts to perform this evening." Eclipse said, taking a sip of his drink.
"This is correct." Luna responded. "We are very fond of their flying manoeuvres and performances." the lunar princess said."I remember the first time I saw them when I returned to Equestria.". The princess stood there for a moment, recalling her first time witnessing the Wonderbolts. The stallion broke her away her thoughts when he spoke.
"I never realised you were such a fan." he said. The princess simply nodded.
"Would thou like to join us on the balcony for some fresh air?" the princess asked. The stallion smiled politely.
"That sounds nice. It feels like it's starting to get a bit stuffy in here anyway." Eclipse said. The two ponies walked off in the direction of the balcony. From across the ball room, Celestia watched the two leave the party. A saddened expression came over her face.
The two ponies walked out into the fresh air on the balcony. The sun was slowly setting, which meant that the main events would be occurring soon. Luna walked over to the edge of the balcony. Eclipse followed after her. The two ponies looked out over the scenery below. Luna turned to face the stallion.
"We had some fun times." Luna said quietly, looking forward. The stallion hesitated before responding.
"We did. But that was the past." Eclipse responded.
"I never stopped caring about you." Luna said. The stallion let out a quiet sigh.
"I never stopped either." the stallion said quietly. The alicorn glanced over at him. A glint of hope in the princess's eyes.
"We could try again." Luna said. The stallion looked the alicorn in the eyes. Confusion flooded his mind. His heart was a mixture of feelings. Princess Luna leaned in toward the stallion. The stallion leaned toward the princess. As he did so, he looked down on the field below and saw a yellow pegasus flying through the sky. Guilt consumed the stallion. He pulled back from the alicorn. Once Luna noticed this she looked at the stallion with confusion.
"What is wrong?" she asked the stallion.
"I can't." Eclipse said. The mare tilted her head at him in confusion.
"Why can't thou?" Luna asked. Eclipse looked over the balcony at the wonderbolts training down below.
"Because I love somepony else." Eclipse said. A small pool of tears formed at the princess's eyes.
"We see." the lunar princess said. "We won't bring this up again." the dark blue alicorn said. The two ponies stood in silence. "I must return to the party. Guests will start to wonder where I have gone." Luna said. She departed the balcony, leaving the stallion all alone. He continued to look at the pegasi down below. The stallion then turned around and went back to the party.
***
Spitfire landed firmly on the soft grass. Her teammates shortly followed suit. Spitfire turned to face them. They were all completely exhausted and out of breath. The yellow pegasus grinned at them.
"You all did an amazing practice." Spitfire shouted. "That's the level of performance I'm expecting for the real thing." she said."Now I think you all deserve a break. Hit the showers, get changed and enjoy the party." Spitfire bellowed. She received a large cheer from her team. They ran off in the direction of the changing room. Spitfire followed shortly behind them, a large grin on her face.
The team chatted about the party whilst getting changed. Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash trotted over to their captain.
"So, is Eclipse gonna be here tonight? It is one of the biggest social occasions in Equestria after all." Fleetfoot said. The yellow mare looked at the frost blue pegasus.
"He will indeed. In fact he's been at the party the whole time that we've been practising." Spitfire responded.
"Are you sure that was a wise idea?" Rainbow Dash asked. Spitfire looked at her puzzled.
"What do you mean Crash?" Spitfire asked the mare.
"Well it is princess Luna's birthday and the two did date for a short period." The blue pegasus said. A look of horror filled Spitfire's face.
"How do you know they dated?" she asked the mare. Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash looked at one another, slightly concerned.
"Everypony knows about it." Fleetfoot said. "It was in multiple magazines at the time. Luna and her millionaire coltfriend." The frosty blue pegasus said.
"He told me that their relationship was private." Spitfire growled. The two mares backed away slightly.
"Well it kinda was. Only a few magazines ever named the stallion Luna was dating. I only recognised his name after you told us about the event." Rainbow Dash said. Spitfire sat down on the bench.
"I can't believe he lied to me." Spitfire said. The two mares sat down beside her.
"Well he didn't really lie to you, he more kinda twisted the truth around." Fleetfoot said. Spitfire glared at her. "Sorry, bad point." the mare said.
"I left him up there the entire time. What if he still has feelings for Luna?" Spitfire said, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"Now come on Spitfire, does Eclipse seem like the kind of stallion to cheat on you. From what I've seen, he's head over hooves for you." Rainbow Dash said. The yellow mare looked at her, wiping away the tears.
"You're right. I have nothing to worry about." she said, forcing a smile. Soarin trotted over to the three mares. He was wearing his tux again and had a large smile on his face.
"You better watch out Dash." he said. "I look so good in this thing I might ending up scoring with the princess." the stallion joked. Tears reformed in Spitfire's eyes. Fleetfoot hugged the mare and glared at Soarin. Rainbow Dash punched him in the chest.
"Ow!" he said. "What was that for?" he asked defensively.
"Now is not a good time for jokes." the mare growled, gesturing to the weeping mare beside her. "We're gonna head up to the party. We'll see you later." Rainbow Dash said dragging her idiotic coltfriend away.
"Come on, let's get you ready for the party." Fleetfoot said standing up. The two mares went to get ready.
***
Eclipse walked back into the ball room. He surveyed the room to find the alicorn that had left him on the balcony. He eventually spotted her on the far side of the room. He headed in her direction. As he crossed the room multiple ponies greeted him as he passed by. He responded to them all with a curt nod. He eventually arrived at the far side of the room. As he arrived, Luna had just finished talking to the pony she was conversing with. She turned around and bumped into the stallion.
"Eclipse, my apologies." the lunar princess said. The stallion smiled.
"It's alright your majesty." he said. He looked at the princess. "I wanted to apologise for earlier." he said. Luna raised her hoof.
"Thou does not have to apologise." Luna said. "I understand how you feel. I would hate to come between you and another pony." the alicorn said.
"I know Luna." Eclipse said. "I just felt like I was very rude. Yes I love somepony else, but I do still care about you." the stallion said. He extended a hoof out to the princess. "But that doesn't mean we still can't enjoy each others company as friends. Would you care to dance with me?" Eclipse asked. Luna hesitated before taking the stallions hoof. Eclipse led her out to the dance floor. The two proceeded to dance. They moved together in perfect rhythm, like it was second nature to them. A lot of the ponies had stopped to watch them dance. As the music played they danced around the room. Eventually the song ended and the crowd applauded. The two ponies blushed at the attention they were getting. Luna smiles at the stallion infront of her.
"That was immensely fun." Luna said.
"Indeed." Eclipse responded. The two smiled at one another, still holding hooves. Luna's smile suddenly vanished from her face. "Is something wrong?" Eclipse asked.
"I think I may have just caused you a large amount of trouble." Luna said worriedly. Eclipse looked at her confused.
"How could you possibly cause me any trouble?" he asked her. She gestured to behind him. The stallion turned to see a yellow pegasus standing behind him. She had a bright red dress on. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Before Eclipse could say anything the mare turned and ran out of the ball room.
"Spitfire!" he shouted after her, but she was already to far away. Everypony in the room had their eyes on Eclipse. He ran out of the room to search for the mare.
"I think we should resume to the party." Celestia said, causing everypony to return to enjoying the activities. Luna watched as the stallion ran out of the ball room. Celestia trotted over to her sister and stood beside her.
"I'm sorry." she said. "I just wanted some love on my birthday." the alicorn said. Celestia wrapped a wing around her sister.
"It's not me you need to apologise to." she said, turning and returning to the party.
***
Spitfire ran down the stairs out of the palace. She began to slow down as she approached the drawbridge, the need to cry overpowering her ability to run. She stopped on the far side of the drawbridge, the tears now streaming down her face. Behind her she could hear the sound of hoofsteps. They got louder and louder until they stopped. On the far side of the drawbridge stood Eclipse. She turned to face him, anger and hurt raging inside her. Her fur was soaked with her tears. Eclipse raised a hoof to take a step forward but was halted by Spitfire screaming.
"Not one step forward!" the mare screamed. He lowered his hoof. The stallion stood there quietly, the mare infront of him sobbing uncontrollably. He went to speak but was interrupted.
"How could you?" She shouted at the stallion. "How could you do this to me?" Spitfire screamed. The stallion stood still. "Aren't you gonna answer me?".
"It's not what it looks like..." the stallion started but was interrupted again.
"Oh of course it doesn't! That's what they always say." Spitfire said through tears. "You think you can be trusted when you lied to me about your relationship with her." the yellow mare shouted.
"I'm not lying." Eclipse said. Spitfire scoffed at the stallion. "Spitty you have to believe me." the stallion said.
"Don't call me that." Spitfire said. "Not anymore." the mare said. Spitfire glanced to the right of the stallion. Standing behind him was princess Luna. Eclipse turned to see the alicorn behind him.
"Luna." he said. "What are you doing here?" the stallion asked.
"I've come to apologise to Ms.Spitfire." Luna said. Eclipse looked at her confused.
"Apologise? For what? You haven't done anything wrong." Eclipse said. The alicorn shook her head.
"You're wrong Eclipse." Luna said. She stood beside him facing Spitfire. "Ms.Spitfire." she said. Spitfire glared at the alicorn.
"What?" she said harshly.
"I want to apologise for the trouble I have caused. I was feeling the need for love, and since it is my birthday I thought I would try and ask the only stallion I have ever felt for." the lunar princess said. "I did not realise that he had moved on and was in love with somepony else. When I talked to him he though he had made me sad. He came to apologise and offered to dance with me. That is all that happened, nothing else." Luna said. Spitfire stared at the alicorn.
"Why should I believe you?" she asked.
"Because this stallion infront of you truly loves you. I don't need to be princess Cadence to see that." Luna said. Spitfire looked at the stallion. He had a look of guilt and sadness on his face.
"Spitty, please believe me. I would never try to hurt you." he said.
"How can I believe what you're saying?" Spitfire asked. The stallion sighed quietly.
"I was saving this as a surprise for after your performance." Eclipse said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. He opened it and displayed it's contents to the saddened mare. Inside was a golden ring with a large ruby on it. Engraved on the ring was the words "The Most Beautiful Mare In All Equestria". Spitfire started to cry once again when she saw the ring, not out of sadness but joy. She looked at the stallion.
"Spitfire, will you marry me?" Eclipse asked. The yellow pegasus froze on the spot. She looked from the ring to the stallion holding it. She though for a moment before making her decision. She slowly walked over to the stallion.
"Yes! I will marry you." she squealed, hugging the stallion. The stallion returned the hug, kissing the mare on the cheek. The two ponies stayed in one another's embrace. Princess Luna watched the couple before returning to the party inside.
The two ponies finally released each another. Eclipse placed the ring on Spitfire's hoof. He looked her in the eye.
"I love you." he said.
"I love you too." she responded. The two ponies headed back into the the party.
***
The Wonderbolts flew through the sky gracefully and skilfully. The ponies that were watching stood in awe of the pegasi zooming through the sky. The show went perfectly, even seeming better than the rehearsal. At the end each of the Wonderbolts lined up at the centre of the field.
"Happy birthday princess Luna!" they shouted. All of a sudden the dark night's sky was filled with a rainbow of colours. Rainbow Dash had successfully performed her sonic rainboom. Princess Luna cheered from her seat to show her satisfaction for the performance. The guests then departed the castle as the party was now officially over.
Spitfire and Eclipse flew back together to Cloudsdale. The two laughed and joked as they flew through the night's sky. Eventually the city in the clouds came into view. The two ponies went through the front door into Spitfire's mansion. They went into the living room and sat down. Eclipse went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of champagne. He opened it with a loud pop. The two sat and drank, talking late into the night, dawn slowly approaching.
"I can't believe we're getting married!" Spitfire said, nesting into her fiance's chest.
"I know Spitty, I can't believe it either." Eclipse responded. The two sat quietly for a moment. Eclipse looked down at the mare cuddling him. "I love you Spitfire." He said.
