Part 3
At the academy, it was raining. Soarin had disappeared to go and speak to the pegasus in charge of the weather, because he wanted it to be sunny out the next day. This weather requirement was because the following day he'd be going to Ponyville to visit Rainbow Dash, and he wanted clear sky's so that they could do what they wanted to do outside.
As Spitfire was walking down the main hallway to the mess hall, she passed by the Wonderbolt bulletin board. On it, all the activities the Wonderbolts were doing, taking part in, or could volunteer for. It also included a leave reminder if a pony took a day off, and Spitfire had to take off her sunglasses to make sure she was reading it right. Her co-captain had applied for a day off: the next day, Friday.
Spitfire shook her head, not feeling in the mood for anything to eat. Instead she went to the gym, she took a seat on one of the several pieces of equipment, the one she chose would work her flanks. After what felt like forever of sitting down and burning the fat she didn't have, Soarin never came by to look for her.
Spitfire went outside, seeing that he had the Wonderbolts assembled, and he was taking notes as they did low pass formations over the runway. Spitfire came up behind him, eventually standing beside her co-captain, as the Wonderbolts did their thing.
"I noticed you applied for a day off tomorrow."
Soarin jerked his head up, seeing that it was only Spitfire. He nodded to her, then looking back at the flyers.
"Good morning Spit, and I took tomorrow off to go and visit Dash, she said she had a surprise for me."
Spitfire felt all sorts of nervous. A mare, a pretty one no less, had asked Soarin to come and visit her for a surprise. Spitfire automatically assumed the surprise was something intimate, but she shook the idea out of her head, hoping that she could trust Soarin to not do anything he'd regret.
Even when they were together all those years ago, Soarin wouldn't do anything. Spitfire's dad loved him. While al the other couple were rubbing noses all day long, Spitfire and Soarin were racing each other and talking about flying. Spitfire hoped he'd talked about flying with Rainbow Dash, because anything else would destroy Spirfire on the inside.
That say passed, and the next day, Spitfire woke up early to see Soarin leave. She looked out her window, noting that he had on his Wonderbolt jumpsuit, beneath it he probably had his uniform. He took off down the runway, disappearing into the clear skies.
Soarin flew for what felt like a short period of time, soon he had Ponyville in his sights. He looked around for a pegasus style home, and he found what he was looking for. A big house made out of clouds with rainbow waterfalls. He smiled, thinking that Rainbow Dash's home was more like Coudsdale than Cloudsdale was like itself.
Soarin landed on the doorstep, taking off his googles and peeling the jumpsuit's hood away from his head, so it sat behind him in an unused position. He knocked on the door, waiting. No one answered, and it seemed like her gotten there too early.
Against his best judgement, Soarin flew up to go and look through one of the windows. The first open one he found led to a living room, a couch inside with the mare sleeping on it, upside down and snoring cutely. Soarin rolled his eyes playfully, squeezing himself through the window, now standing on the floor of her home. Behind him on the wall, Soarin noticed a Wonderbolt poster, not of him, but of all the Wonderbolts. In front of him, on a pony hat stand sat the trophy Rainbow Dash had won at the Young Flyer Competition.
"Hey, Dash, time to wake up."
He poked at her shoulder, and she wiped at her nose and coughed. Rainbow Dash peeled her eyes open just a little bit, and when she saw Soarin standing over her she nearly fainted.
"Omagosh what time is it? Did I over sleep?"
"I don't know Dash, sorry I woke you up so... suddenly. No one answered the door so I just... came in. I hope you don't mind."
"No, no that's cool, I sleep in usually, I wanted to be up early but... you know."
"Don't worry about it, Spitfire has to wake me up all the time."
"Really? Cool! Anyway, I need some time to get ready, not a lot..."
Soarin nodded to her, he knew a mare could take quite some time getting ready, but he figured Rainbow Dash wouldn't need fifteen minutes. She told him he could stay, but Soarin asked if there was a breakfast place in Ponyville that he could go to and wait for her there; they could have breakfast together.
"It's a corner joint, you'll see it, it's right near the center of town."
"Thanks Dash, see you there."
Soarin departed out the front door this time, flying over to the café suggested to him by Rainbow Dash. His jumpsuit was a little annoying, as it attracted all sorts of unwanted attention,mans his movements were limited. He took it off, folding it up like he was supposed to in the band of the googles. When the waitress came along he ordered some tea,mane asked to sit outside by the street.
As he sat and finished his tea, expecting Rainbow Dash to come along any minute, a different mare passed by and stopped him. She was purple, her mane a dark purple with a pink stripe, a unicorn horn protruding through her bangs. Her cutie mark was a big sparkle.
"Excuse me, good morning sir, I just noticed your uniform and I was wondering if you were a Wonderbolt. My names Twilight Sparkle."
Soarin noticed that this mare was very awake, and had been for probably a few hours, even though the sun had just risen. She was pretty, and she looked smart and definitely had good manners, Soarin felt like he remembered her from somewhere.
"Yes, I'm a Wonderbolt. Have we met before? I think I know you."
"I... I don't know, I'm a friend of Rainbow Dash. Are you here to see her?"
"Yeah, she's got a surprise for me. I got it! I saw you at Prince Shining Armor's wedding, you were the pony who saved the day!"
Twilight leaned against the railing that separated her from the Wonderbolt, as she was just passing by and he had stopped in the café for tea.
"You were there? Well thank you for going, that was a big day for Shining Armor, and Candace. He's my brother."
Soarin' eyes nearly rolled out of his head. He was standing before the sister of the stallion who was trying to recruit him for the Canterlot Royal Guard.
"You're his sister? That's incredible, He writes to me all the time about his position as captain in Canterlot, but that's amazing to meet his sister like this, what a perfect coincidence!"
Just after Twilight Sparkle agreed, Rainbow Dash came flying over from the clouds, landing in the seat opposite Soarin.
"It looks like you met Twilight, whatcha talking about?"
"Twilight was just telling me her brother is Shining Armor, I was at the wedding when that whole changeling fiasco went down."
All three ponies agreed that the wedding was very unorthodox, and that it wouldn't be forgotten by anypony in attendance.
"You're up early Rainbow Dash."
"I know, it's alright though, I've got an awesome day ahead of me with a Wonderbolt."
Both mares squeaked and eyed each other, having a silent conversation Soarin could hear or understand. Twilight Sparkle departed after saying goodbye to both of them, leaving the two pegasus alone to eat a carrot each, and for Rainbow Dash to have a single cup of juice, while Soarin had two glasses of tea.
Soarin offered to pay for it all, and he did. When he went up to the counter, the waitress refused to take him money, saying that the Wonderbolts got a discount. Apparently that discount was the cost of the entire meal. Soarin gave a very humble thank you, leaving the café with Rainbow Dash.
"So, what's this surprise you've got for me?"
"You'll see, she's not awake yet so we're going to have to wait."
"She?"
Rainbow Dash nodded, placing a hoof over Soarin's mouth and telling him that he was to to ask anymore questions, and he just had to wait. Rainbow Dash and Soarin went up to the clouds, taking a seat and waiting.
"What are we doing right now?"
"We're just hanging out Soarin, don't you hang out with your friends?"
"At the academy? They're not my friends, I used to hang out with Spitfire everyday, that stopped a few years ago."
Rainbow Dash rolled over to face him. They were on separate clouds, but close enough to talk without shouting to each other.
"You two were close?"
"We are close alright. Spitfire was my special somepony for years, we grew up together. She was my first kiss, the entire thing. I even took her to prom, I wouldn't be surprised if she still had the pictures."
"Wow, that's a crazy story, what happened?"
"When we both got to the academy, we'd already graduated. All that was left was to climb the ranks. We both wanted the top, and with the direction of the relationship, she didn't want to spend anymore time with me, it was all work. I broke up with her."
"That's a sad story."
"Isn't it? At least we're friends now."
They spoke for a few more hours, Soarin didn't want to say to much about him and Spitfire, he was hanging out with Rainbow Dash, and she didn't want to hear his sad stories.
After while longer, Rainbow Dash jumped on top of him. Soarin was shocked, rolling onto his back and looking up at the mare that was on top of him. His memory flashed with an image of a younger Spitfire, and for a moment he thought to kiss theirs on top of him, unsure who exactly she was. He was in a trance.
"Catch me if ya can!"
Rainhow Dash darted away, leaving a trail of colors in her wake as she flew in the opposite direction of her home. Soarin got up and followed her, his tie flopping out of its clip and going over his shoulder. He chased her through the scatter white, puffy clouds, eventually landing et the gate to an apple orchard.
Rainbow Dash stood there, panting and looking around, amazed that she was able to have lost a Wonderbolt in a race. Suddenly she felt so etching touching her backside, and behind her, Soarin his his hoof on her back.
"Tag."
He took his hoof off of her, moving to stand in front of the happy mare.
"Took ya long enough!"
Rainbow Dash gave him a big and well intended shove. Soarin smiled, straightening his tie and realizing that it was tied wrong.
"Dash, do you know how to tie a four-in-hoof knot? I always do a half windsor."
Rainbow Dash tilted her head to the side, brushing him off.
"Your tie is on isn't it? It's not going anywhere, it looks fine."
"It's alright, I can do it."
Although Soarin would regularly go to Spitfire and have her fix it for him, he knew how to tie his tie the right way. He fixed it so it was more symmetrical, straightening out his collar and clipping the tie back in place.
"So, where's this surprise mare?"
"Not a mare, a filly, her."
Rainbow Dash turned Soarin to face the other direction. Behind him he saw a small pegasus, orange body and low clinging purple mane, she didn't have a cutie mark.
"Whoa, are you a real Wonderbolt?"
Soarin chucked.
"I'm as real as they get, my name's Soarin, you are?"
"Rainbow Dash has a poster of you in her room! You're the Soarin!"
Rainbow Dash blushed and scolded the filly, and Soarin simply chuckled again, looking back and forth between the mare and the filly.
"My name's Scootaloo."
"Nice to meet you Scootaloo, are you Dash's sister?"
"No, but I sleep over sometimes."
Soarin nodded, understanding the dynamic between the two ladies. Scootaloo walked around Soarin, standing beside Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash took the filly under her wing, pulling her close in a tight one winged hug.
"She's like my apprentice in awesomeness, do you think you could do some flight training with her Soarin? We could all do something together."
"Absolutely, I love the filly flyers, you girls always come up with the best tricks. Do you know any tricks, Scootaloo?"
Scootaloo nodded excitedly, she were being given the opportunity to show off in front of a Wonderbolt. She hadn't said it yet, because this event was just as much a surprise to her as it was to Soarin, but in the future she'd be thanking Rainbow Dash a million times over.
"Then let's get started!"
Scootaloo showed off, doing her tricks. Soarin showed her some new ones, as well as some different flying postures. They all tried flying in a low formation, as Scootaloo wasn't the strongest flyer yet, although Rainbow Dash swore she would be, one day. After a long day of flying and learning new things, Scootaloo had had her fill of new adventure, and was instilled with the image of a living hero, now she'd have to get a poster of him, too.
"Thanks Soarin, Scootaloo loved that, this was probably the coolest thing she's ever done."
"I loved it too, Scootaloo is a lot of fun, you two go together well, like your sisters, even though you're not."
"Thanks, do you think you'd like to come back sometime? Scootaloo would love it, and so would I."
"Sure, I could do that, I don't get a lot of time in leave but I could scrap something together. Dash, did you ever consider enrolling in the academy?"
"Who, me?"
"Yeah, you'd do great! Spit was really impressed with you when you came around for your day with us at the academy, you dodged those obstacles like a pro."
"Thanks."
Rainbow Dash started rubbing her hoof in the dirt, blushing and looking down, through her mane because Soarin was showering her with every compliment she loved to hear, they were so much sweeter coming from a Wonderbolt.
"Classes are starting again soon, why don't you send in an application? It's just a few pages, a check up at the doctor and you'll be all set. I'm certain Spitfire and I would love to have you."
"Really? Where can I get an application?"
"I'll mail one to you, but don't think you'll get any special treatment, Spit hates that stuff, she might even be a little hard on you, since you've already come by once."
"I can take it!"
"I bet you can, I'll see you soon alright?"
"Wait! One more thing."
After whispering in his ear, Soarin laughed out like, rolling into his back and grabbing his chest because it was so funny a thing to ask for. Rainbow Dash wanted to try on his jump suit and the googles. He grabbed them, handing them off and helping her get in it. The suit itself was a little loose on her, but Rainbow Dash was super excited nonetheless.
"This is awesome!"
Rainbow Dash took off and flew around in the suit a little bit, ending up back where they had started. Soarin helped her out of it, putting it on himself and then putting on the goggles.
"Thanks for today Soarin, I'll see you soon."
Rainhow Dash moved forward, and hesitated. The second time she was successful in willing her body forward. She gave him a hug, one he excepted. They said their final goodbyes, and Soarin took off like lightening, back to the academy.
"Rainbow and Soarin sittin' in a tree, G!"
Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were both looking up at the whole he'd just punched in a cloud, and Rainbow Dash took her eyes from there, starring down Scootaloo.
"I'm gonna get you!"
Rainbow Dash went running after Scootaloo, who was giggling and moving in a zig zag happily.
Back at Wonderbolt Academy, it was dark out and Spitfire couldn't sleep. Soarin hadn't come back yet. She feared that he might have stayed the night in Ponyville, and that meant he was in some mare's bed, one that definitely wasn't hers.
Looking out her window, her eyes were drifting closed and then asleep. Spitfire saw him come in for his landing, silently creeping passed the barracks to his sleeping area. Spitfire sighed, looking up at the stars, feeling her heart ache from its empty feeling. She'd felt alone for six years, and just now she was starting to be fed up with the loneliness in her heart. Although their were no shooting stars, Spitfire made her wish. She wished that he'd come back to her, Spitfire wished that Soarin still loved her like she loved him.
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