Enchanted
"I don't care if it's Arnold Schwarzenegger racing Chuck Norris, Chug!" Sky growled, trying to climb over the fuel truck's hood as he pushed her away with one tire. "My TV, my channel choice!"
"Aw, come on!" Chug whined, struggling to keep Sky at bay while holding the TV remote in his fuel nozzle arm a safe distance away. "What if one of your buddies from the Wings Around the Globe Rally is racing?"
"You don't know that for sure!" Sky argued. "That's what the Internet is for. Now give me that remote! My movie's about to come on and my popcorn is getting cold!"
"Come on, Sky." Dusty rolled his eyes, watching the fight for the remote with amusement in his eyes. "You've seen that movie a thousand times."
"And I fall in love with it again every time." Sky shrugged.
"You know, when you invited us over to watch TV, I didn't think it would start with a remote fight." Dusty laughed.
"I invited you guys over to watch a movie." Sky corrected, finally reaching the other side of Chug's hood and lunging for the remote. Chug quickly ducked out of the way, but Sky managed to grab the remote and they began a furious tug-of-war. Dusty pursed his lips to quiet his laughter, the orange-and-white plane shaking from holding his chortles.
"But none of the movies that are on now look interesting." Chug whined, lifting his fuel arm up and picking Sky off the ground. "Come on, let's watch RSN or something!"
"Why bother watching races when Dusty and I do it?" Sky asked, still hanging from Chug's fuel nozzle as she kept a death grip on the remote. She pulled her legs up and pushed her feet on Chug's fuel nozzle, trying to pull the remote from the truck. "Now give me the remote!"
"Never!" Chug declared, trying to shake Sky off his fuel arm. Sky kept her vice-like grip, holding onto the metal arm with all four limbs. Dusty full-out laughed now, amused by the spectacle.
"Ahem."
The chaos paused and the three of them glanced over to Skipper and Sparky at the other end of the room. Sparky looked quite amused while Skipper gave them all a very deadpan look.
"Is there a problem?" Skipper asked.
"Chug won't give up the TV remote!" Sky complained.
"Sky won't give up the TV remote!" Chug said at the same time.
Skipper rolled his eyes. "Come along, now. You two know how to compromise, yes?"
Chug and Sky exchanged looks. "Maybe."
Skipper sighed. "Well, just don't destroy the hanger in your fight. Sparky, care to join me at Honker's?"
"Sure, Skip." Sparky laughed, the two of them departing.
Dusty cast a look to Chug and Sky, who still hadn't moved since Skipper stopped their tussle. "How about we switch back and forth between watching races and Sky's movie?"
Sky and Chug stared each other down for a moment. "Deal." Chug said.
"Deal." Sky agreed, letting go of Chug's arm and landing on her feet. "But so help me, if I miss the final battle, there's going to be heck to pay."
As they flipped back and forth between the channels during the movie's commercials, Chug and Dusty discovered there wasn't much going on with RSN, so they convinced Sky to search online for the TV channels to find out what international races were happening.
"Looks like a lot of our friends from the Rally are on their down time." Sky announced.
"Huh." Dusty flipped through a couple other racing channels. "Guess there aren't a lot of races going on abroad." He paused in this channel surfing when he discovered a race going on in India. A familiar gold-and-red-colored plane stood out amongst the racers.
"Isn't that Ishani?" Chug asked.
"I think so." Dusty murmured with his eyes glued to the screen.
Sky noticed Dusty's trance-like gaze on the screen. "Now that I think about it, we haven't seen very many of our WAG friends since the after-party, huh?"
"Yeah." Chug agreed. "It's really been a while." The past spring and summer had been busy: the WAG win, Dusty's repairs, Sky's healing period, the after-party for the WAG, and a trip out to the Flysenhower for Dusty and Sky's honorary initiation into the Jolly Wrenches. Now autumn arrived, and most if not all the farmers in Propwash Junction were busy with the harvest. Skipper was strict with Dusty and Sky in that they were not to participate in races again until they were fully healed, so they could only do a couple last-minute races before racing season officially ended until around February or March. Dusty and Sky made sure to keep in touch with their friends from the WAG, with the promise to try and visit the next time they could.
Dusty still couldn't stop staring at Ishani, even cheering for her when she won the race. Sky and Chug joined in the cheering, but they also laughed a little at Dusty's enthusiasm. "You really miss her, don't ya?" Sky asked Dusty.
"Well, maybe a little." Dusty said, avoiding his friends' gazes.
"Come on, Duster." Chug nudged the plane's wing playfully. "You and Ishani spent quite a bit of time together at the after-party."
"Well, she didn't have anyone to dance with and neither did I and uh…..we….uh….." Dusty stuttered and stammered, trying and failing to keep cool in the situation.
Sky laughed. "It's okay, Dusty. You like her. There's nothing wrong with that."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Dusty insisted.
"Denial!" Chug laughed. "The surest sign of love!"
Dusty rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling rather hot. "Oh stop it, guys."
"Shh!" Sky shushed the boys hurriedly. "Look! Ishani's talking!" They all turned to the TV, listening carefully as several reporters interviewed Ishani.
"Yes, it has been a very successful season." Ishani said. "Ending the season with a win is always a good way to end on a good note. But my philosophy is that a good season always ends on a good note, whether the final race is won or lost."
"Do you have any plans for your off-season?" one of the reporters asked.
"After such a busy season, including the Wings Around the Globe Rally, I have decided to spend time with family and friends, along with some appearances for fans." Ishani said. "Next week, I will be traveling to the United States of America to be with family and make appearances in New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle."
"You hear that, Dusty?" Sky asked excitedly. "Ishani's coming to America! We should invite her to Propwash!"
"Yeah!" Chug agreed.
"No!" Dusty yelped. "I mean, well, it's just that she'll probably be busy and—"
"Don't you want to see Ishani again?" Sky asked.
"Well, yeah, but…." Dusty scrambled for an excuse.
"Then let's invite her over! The worst she can say is 'I can't, I'm too busy but maybe next time.'" Chug said.
Dusty sighed. "I dunno, guys. There's not really much of a point."
"Come on, Dusty." Sky practically pleaded. "You got a tour of Ishani's home, but Ishani doesn't know what Propwash Junction is like."
"Why would Ishani want to see my home?" Dusty asked. "There's not much here compared to the beauty of India."
"It's different compared to India. That's what will make it beautiful to her." Sky said.
Dusty stared at Ishani's image on the TV for a moment before switching the channel back to Sky's movie. "I don't think so, guys. Let's just leave it alone."
Chug and Sky exchanged glances, and instantly they both thought of the same thing: no way would they leave this alone.
"Now, you two really didn't have to do this." Mayday said. He pushed a picture frame just enough to stop it from tilting to one side.
"I would feel bad leaving you to clean the firehouse alone." Sky said, sweeping up her dust pile and shepherding it out the door.
"Yeah, it's no trouble at all." Dusty assured. He finally finished cleaning the windows, nodding in satisfaction at the amount of natural light that could now stream into the room.
"You two are very kind." Mayday said gratefully. "If you ever need anything from me, you're welcome to ask. Don't know what an old firetruck like myself can do, but I can certainly try."
"We told you it's not a problem." Sky said, propping the broom up in the corner. "Besides, cleaning the firehouse reminds me of the chores Dad made me do as a kid." She and Dusty checked the firehouse a couple times, and Mayday confirmed that the firehouse never looked better. So the two racers left, Dusty strolling down the streets of Propwash with Sky sitting on his wing.
"So what should we do now?" Dusty asked. "Racing practice?"
"We had practice this morning." Sky reminded him.
"Practice makes perfect." Dusty said.
Sky laughed, but she couldn't disagree. Still, she couldn't stop sneaking glances around her. Come on, come on. She was supposed to arrive today.
"Hey Dusty! Hey Sky!" Dottie called as she passed the racers on her way into town. "Oh, Chug's waiting for you two at the Fill N' Fly. Apparently you have a visitor."
"We do?" Dusty asked, making his way to the Fill N' Fly. Sky craned her neck to see, and she smiled broadly. Dusty, on the other hand, froze and stared in shock.
"Well hello Dusty, Skylar!" Ishani greeted warmly as she came up to them, Chug in tow. Ishani had a gentle smile on her lips and Dusty felt like he was melting.
"Hey there Ishani!" Sky returned the greeting with a mile-wide smile. "Glad you could make it."
Dusty jolted a little. "Huh?"
"Skylar was very kind to extend an invitation for me to see your home." Ishani explained. "I decided to spend a day here to see the town and refuel before I continue to California."
"Oh!" Dusty said much too loudly. "That's….uh, great!"
Ishani giggled. "Well, I already checked in to the motel. Do you think you could show me around?"
"That would be wonderful!" Sky said. "But, uh, I think I'm coming down with something." She coughed a few times and did her best impression of a sniffle. "I better get home so I don't spread it to you. But Dusty can give you the tour."
Dusty froze again. "Huh?"
"I'll take you home, Sky." Chug offered, scooping Sky up in his fuel nozzle arm. "You enjoy your tour, Ishani. Dusty knows everything about this place." He drove off, leaving Dusty and Ishani alone. Ishani smiled good-naturedly at Dusty, who looked absolutely mortified.
I am going to kill those two. Dusty mentally grumbled.
"Shall we go?" Ishani asked.
"Huh? Oh!" Dusty cleared his throat. "Sure. Uh, why don't we start here?"
Chug and Sky watched from around the corner of a building. "Phase One of Operation: Lovebirds is complete." Sky reported. "Let's move on to Phase Two."
"Let's do it!" Chug agreed.
Sky paused. "Wait a minute, what is Phase Two?"
"I dunno." Chug shrugged. "I'm mostly making this up as I go along."
Dusty showed Ishani the Fill N' Fly first, and then began leading her around town. He explained to her the different shops and people who owned them and worked there. This would've been a relatively short tour if Ishani didn't ask her questions now and then. The entire time, Chug and Sky stayed close behind the pair in hopes of finding a way to bring them closer together.
"And here's the florist." Dusty said, showing Ishani the stall outside the supermarket. A wide range of colorful flowers, from daisies to roses, gave off a rainbow of colors across the stand.
Ishani took a deep inhale. "They smell wonderful."
"I should certainly hope so." The vendor chuckled.
Chug and Sky peered out from around the corner, staring at the scene. "That's it! Flowers! The surest sign of love!" Chug said.
"I guess." Sky shrugged. "But how to do it?"
"Leave it to me!" Chug drove off before Sky could stop him, so she stayed in her position and watched him work. Chug snuck up behind the florist cart, hiding and watching Dusty and Ishani talk through the bundles of petals. When Ishani turned to look around the supermarket area, Chug reached his fuel nozzle arm through the shelves and knocked over a bundle of red roses. The thankfully thorn-less flowers landed right on Dusty's canopy, spilling all over him despite his desperate and clumsy attempts to save them. He only caught one, however, and snatched the stem in his teeth.
"Yesth!" Dusty cheered. At that moment, Ishani turned around to see what looked like Dusty offering a flower. He grinned sheepishly, but Ishani giggled softly.
Sky face palmed. I almost can't believe he did that.
"Uh, dis isn't what ooh thwink." Dusty said, his mouth still full of rose stem.
Ishani laughed. "I never thought you'd be such a romantic, Dusty." The former crop duster suddenly felt hot, and he swallowed.
Chug quietly cheered, slipping away and returning to Sky. "So, what do you think? Am I genius or what?"
Sky gave Chug a deadpan look. "I'm gonna go with 'or what.' Although I will not deny that sort of worked."
"Then we move to Phase Three." Chug said.
"Are we making it up as we go along again?" Sky asked.
"Yes and no." Chug corrected. "We gotta think about what happens in all those cheesy romantic movies you like."
"Okay, when was it established that I actually like 'cheesy' romantic flicks?" Sky asked. "Get down!" She and Chug ducked down as Dusty and Ishani passed them. They peered out carefully, making sure the two racing planes didn't see them.
"Well, you've seen some romance movies." Chug said. "Tell me what the guy does for the girl."
Sky thought for a moment. "For one thing, we should avoid the Romeo and Juliet approach." Her eyes lit up. "I think I got it!"
Well, Sky thought she had it.
Chug's and Sky's attempts to bring Ishani and Dusty closer more or less succeeded. They tried everything: discretely hinting a place for a romantic lunch, slipping small gifts onto Dusty's wing to give to Ishani, and even Chug's idea of hanging mistletoe over them (that last one quickly got shot down).
"I'm tellin' ya, it's the best way to enhance the romance!" Chug insisted.
"Chug, for the last time, it's way too early for mistletoe because it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Or Halloween." Sky protested.
"So what do we do?" Chug asked. "I feel like we're back at Square One." He and Sky looked out from their hiding spot, watching Ishani and Dusty chat at a café. They talked and laughed, unaware of their eavesdroppers.
"Come on, it's clear they're crazy for each other." Sky said thoughtfully. "But neither one of them are making the move. We have to do something to get them to connect."
"Get who to connect?"
Chug and Sky nearly screamed as they spun around, but they calmed down when they saw only Skipper and Sparky behind them. "You two still spying on them?" Sparky chuckled.
"How'd you know about that?" Sky asked.
"We've been watching you watching them." Sparky shrugged his tines. "You two aren't very good at this, are you?"
"I suppose you got a better idea?" Chug huffed.
"Watch and learn." Skipper began taxiing over to the racers. Chug, Sky, and Sparky watched, curious as to what Skipper would do.
"Hey you two!" Skipper greeted. "So this is the famous Ishani I've heard so much about."
I swear they're all conspiring against me. Dusty put on a smile. "Hey Skipper. Yeah, this is Ishani."
"I had no idea you talked about me." Ishani giggled, much to Dusty's chagrin.
"Oh! Well, I mean…..uh….I talked about everyone." Dusty said.
"You seemed to talk about her the most though." Skipper pointed out.
"Skipper!" Dusty hissed, laughing nervously. But Ishani only laughed good-naturedly.
Skipper chuckled. "Well, I was going to ask you if you were up for a little evening practice, but I see you two are busy at the moment."
"Evening practice?" Ishani repeated.
"Gotta keep him in shape for racing season." Skipper said. "Why don't you help him out? Get a little tour of Propwash at the same time."
"Uh, actually she already got a tour of Propwash!" Dusty said hurriedly.
"She got a tour of the town. She needs to see the fields and what makes up the rest of the area." Skipper said. "It should be fun."
"That sounds like a splendid idea." Ishani agreed. "Would you mind, Dusty?"
"Uh…." Dusty cleared his throat. "No! I mean, yes. I mean, uh, shall we go?"
"Yes, let's go." Ishani nodded, leading the way as she and Dusty taxied over to the runway.
Skipper watched them go for a moment before turning back and returning to Chug, Sky, and Sparky. Chug and Sky had their jaws dropped.
"My dad is a matchmaker." Sky said.
Skipper laughed. "You better believe it. Now just sit back and watch how it works."
Dusty and Ishani took off, gliding through the air and taking to the skies. Dusty led the way, describing the scenery as they went.
"So there are the corn fields I used to work on." Dusty described. "And there's the mountain. That's the river where Skipper and I like to work my vertical climb. Oh and that's the obstacle course Skipper set up when he was training me and Sky!"
"Really?" Ishani breathed in awe. "How so?"
"Like this! Watch!" Dusty dived down, beginning a casual run of the course. Ishani watched in awe as he threaded the grain silos with precision and skill, shot past grazing tractors, and made a steep dive that sent him shooting past the old finish line.
"That's incredible, Dusty!" Ishani cheered. "And such a wonderful use of resources."
"How did you train for races?" Dusty asked as they continued their flight.
"Oh I was on a professional track." Ishani said dismissively. "I had a coach who would take me out with my parents to a track where I would learn to hone my skills. But this method Commander Riley used looks just as effective." She took a deep breath of the autumn air and sighed. "And you have such a wonderful view. It's so beautiful out here, Dusty."
Dusty took a look. The sun began touching the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the fields and turning the river into a mirror of the purple-pink sky. "Well, it's not much, but it's home."
"I think it's beautiful." Ishani insisted. "It's so lovely. Have you lived here your whole life?"
"Well, most of it." Dusty said. "It's a great life for sure."
"Certainly sounds like it." Ishani said, smiling warmly. Dusty mirrored her smile, almost forgetting he was flying. "What else is around here?" Ishani asked, looking excited again.
"Well, follow me." Dusty encouraged. "The forest is always nice this time of day."
Skipper, Sky, Sparky, and Chug could see Ishani and Dusty banking off and flying so far away they were like specks in the sky. "Wow." Chug breathed. "You did it, Skipper."
"Finding love is kind of like a war." Skipper said. "You have to win and lose some battles, but ultimately what matters is winning the war."
"Who taught you that?" Sky asked.
"Sparky." Skipper replied, said medic looking quite proud.
Sky laughed. "Not bad, guys. That might just be what we need to win the battle tonight."
"Nothing like a little enchantment to bring two lovebirds together." Sparky sighed.
Something clicked in Sky's head. "Enchantment. Yeah! And I think I know just the way to finish it off."
Ishani and Dusty returned soon after sunset. Before Ishani retired to her hotel room, Dusty invited her out to a cliff edge to stargaze. Sky helped with that, offering her favorite spot near her home. Dusty had a sneaking suspicion that Sky was up to something, but he couldn't deny that Sky had the best spot for looking up at the stars. Plus, Ishani could see the beauty of Propwash Junction fields at night. The two racers sat with their wings mere inches away from each other, simply looking up at the night sky and admiring. The silence didn't necessarily come off as awkward, but both of them wished they could think of something to talk about.
Sky peered out from around the corner of the hanger, observing where Dusty and Ishani stood. Okay, you two. Sky thought, creeping closer to the pair. You are not nearly as close as you should be. She found a cluster of empty metal barrels halfway between the hanger and the cliff edge. Sky sat down behind them, carefully hidden from the planes as she pulled her guitar into her lap. She bit her tongue a little as she tuned her guitar. Let's get this going.
"It's a wonderful view up here." Ishani finally said.
"Yeah." Dusty agreed. "Sky likes to sit out here all the time."
"Oh really?" Ishani asked.
"Yeah. It's kinda funny, but cliffs are how we became friends." Dusty explained. Sky paused, listening to the conversation.
"Cliffs made you friends?" Ishani looked confused.
"Sort of." Dusty chuckled. "See, when Sky and I were younger, after she moved to Propwash Junction, she used to stand out on the cliff edge and she'd spread her arms out just to feel the wind. Every time someone asked her what she was doing, she'd say 'I'm pretending to fly.' I had never seen someone so in love with flying. Sparky asked me and Chug to be friends with her. I guess Sky was a bit of a loner. So I decided to help her do the one thing she always wanted to do."
Ishani smiled broadly. "You're such a good friend, Dusty."
"Well, I was happy to do it." Dusty lifted his wings in his best shrug. "Sky's a great friend. She's like a sister to me now."
Sky smiled softly. Time I did something for you, buddy.
Ishani and Dusty perked up when they heard guitar strumming. That must be Sky. Dusty realized. What's she up to now?
Ishani focused on the music, comparing its woodsy sound to the sitars she often heard back home. How lovely. Wonder what this is all about.
Sky grinned. Here we go. She took in a breath and began singing, just loud enough for the two planes to hear her.
Ishani and Dusty glanced towards each other, but looked away out of shyness and some embarrassment. Dusty felt the heat rising in his face again, and his propeller twitched a few times. Ishani suddenly gained interest in a nearby wildflower. Dusty knew Sky was like a mood ring jukebox with how she chose songs to play. Part of him wanted to scold Sky and be irritated with her, but another part of him realized how almost accurate her song choice seemed. He looked back over to Ishani, who apparently lost interest in the flower and steadily started looking towards him too.
Ishani adjusted her position, bringing her nose closer to Dusty's and causing their wings to overlap. Dusty froze when one of his propellers tapped against the side of Ishani's muzzle. She locked her pretty jade green eyes onto his ocean blue ones, and he couldn't keep the smile off his lips. Ishani giggled silently, daring herself to move closer to him. Ishani hummed softly to the tune of the song, feeling completely relaxed in the setting. Dusty finally could do the same, soaking in the moment and wishing it would last more than a few minutes.
I owe you big time, Sky. Dusty decided.
Sky dared herself to peer out to see the effects of her song. Her smile became as big as a Cheshire Cat's to see Dusty and Ishani borderline cuddling, and she knew her and Chug's mission was accomplished. She silently slipped away from her hiding spot and darted into the hanger, leaning against the door as she shut it behind her. Biting her lower lip, Sky gave off a couple quite squeals of joy. She hopped around silently, punching the air and cheering for herself.
"Ahem."
Sky froze, discovering Skipper and Sparky right in front of her. The men smiled amusedly. "I take it your little operation went well?" Skipper guessed.
Sky hugged her guitar. "Yep." She squeaked.
The next morning, Chug refueled Ishani and the racers said farewell for now.
"You definitely should come again sometime." Dusty said. "This is just Propwash Junction during harvest season."
"Very well." Ishani nodded. "But you must come to India once in a while so I can show you my home. Oh, and of course if you want to come, Skylar, you can too."
In love, they be. Sky giggled. "Thanks, Ishani. I would love that."
"Well, you're all fueled up!" Chug announced. "Have a safe flight!"
"Thank you, Chug." Ishani said.
"I'll escort you two to the runway." Skipper offered. He and Ishani began moving towards the end of the runway.
Dusty stayed back for a moment, looking to Chug and Sky. "I know what you two did."
"What? Us?" Sky asked, feigning innocence.
"No idea what you're talkin' about, Duster." Chug said, a smile plastered across his lips.
"Yeah, right." Dusty laughed as he began following Skipper and Ishani. He smiled broadly. "Thanks, guys."
"Safe travels, Miss Chopra." Skipper said.
"Thank you, Commander Riley." Ishani said. She looked to Dusty. "And thank you, Dusty, for a wonderful trip. It was very fun."
"Oh, it was nothing." Dusty said dismissively, a semi-goofy grin on his lips. "You're always welcome here, so stop by whenever you'd like."
"As I said, only if you promise to stop by India whenever you'd like." Ishani said.
"You got it." Dusty nodded. Ishani smiled, and she quickly came forward and kissed Dusty's muzzle. Dusty froze, his eyes wide at the loving gesture. Ishani bid him and Skipper a final farewell and then took off on the runway, disappearing into the distance.
Skipper chuckled at Dusty's still-frozen face. "You got yourself a keeper there, Dusty." The orange-and-white plane didn't answer. Skipper raised an eye frame. "Dusty? You okay?"
Dusty's eyelids relaxed, and he sighed dreamily. His landing gear suddenly retracted into his wings and he slumped to the ground as he fainted.
Skipper blinked a few times in surprise, but chuckled. "Atta boy, Dusty. Atta boy."
Sky and Chug laughed at their friend's reaction to the kiss. Sky held out her hand, palm-up. "Operation: Lovebirds is a success."
"You got that right!" Chug cheered, lightly slapping his fuel nozzle against Sky's hand.