Ch.02-: While the night is still warm
As time came, the Wonderbolts reassembled as they were suppose to. Among the other Wonderbolts, Spitfire, and Soarin' avoided looking at one another. Each Wonderbolt had over stuffed saddle bags that were either slung over their backs, or on the ground in front of them. Conversation, was far more animated than before, thus leading to an increased level of noise.
Sky Screamer raised his voice, asking for the attention of the other ponies. The noise slowly died out as the Wonderbolts merged toward Sky Screamer. Spitfire merged in the crowd with the other Wonderbolts, and intentionally stood in such a way that three other Wonderbolts were in-between herself, and Soarin'. She didn't want to do anything that could lead to even the slightest suspicion, but she couldn't help glancing at him more often than what another pony would call normal.
Sky Screamer rambled on about all the details of the flight to Canterlot. He mostly went over the itinerary, which as a team Captain, Spitfire was bored listening to what she had already memorized. Sky Screamer also dictated specific rules about behavior for when they reach the hotels, as well as rehearsal etiquette for the warm-up tomorrow, which only made the Wonderbolt feel like their were being treated like foals.
After ending his overdrawn lecture, Sky Screamer gave the go ahead to begin the flight. Wonderbolts took off in the air one at a time. Once airborne, the Wonderbolts got into a 'V'-shaped formation. As Spitfire took off, she merged herself into the left side of the formation. Spitfire would have been on the far left end of the formation if Fleetfoot didn't merge in behind and left of Spitfire. The formation moved much slower than they anticipated. For a Wonderbolt, it didn't feel natural to fly at such a leisurely pace.
Spitfire couldn't help but look over her shoulder as she watched Soarin' merge into the formation from the right side. Instead of joining on the end, he squeezed into a spot toward the point in the formation, next to his friend Rapidfire. Spitfire couldn't help but feeling slightly irked by the display. Rapidfire didn't bother her, but on Soarin's other side was Misty, the one Wonderbolt that Spitfire absolutely despised-and she was chatting away with Soarin' and Rapidfire.
As the Wonderbolts carried out their long flight, Spitfire looked frequently over her shoulder, her hooves, and teeth clenching tightly each time she saw Misty and Soarin' laugh. She trusted Soarin' that their conversations were simply casual, but she didn't trust Misty for a second.
Although most of the other Wonderbolts got along with Misty, especially the other boys, Spitfire never been more sure that Misty was a two-faced bitch. Spitfire's skin crawled for the day that she would get the opportunity to expose Misty for what she really was.
Nonetheless, despite how strongly Spitfire felt about it, she knew there was nothing she could do. As a fellow Wonderbolt, Spitfire was required to cooperate with all team members, and as a Team Captain, those expectations were held even higher for her.
Despite every effort to look away, and just let it be, she found herself glaring over, and biting her lip each time Misty flashed a smile at Soarin'. Although she tried to listen to what they were saying, the wind covered their conversations. Spitfire thought to herself, why doesn't Soarin' just hit her across the face already!Though she would have loved to see that, she knew it wasn't going to happen.
"You okay?" a gentle peppy voice from behind asked.
Spitfire looked over her left shoulder, and found Fleetfoot looking eagerly back—awaiting a response. Spitfire quickly removed the angry glare off her face, and replaced it with a hearty smile.
"I'm fine," She answered.
Fleetfoot pouted for a moment. "What do you keep looking over there for?"
"Oh... Nothing. Just looking at clouds," said Spitifre.
"Yeah, but how come you keep looking to the right? There's just as many clouds on your left, not to mention above, and below you," Fleetfoot interrogated
Spitfire drew a blank. "Well, uh..."
"You we're checking-out Soarin'. Weren't you?" Fleetfoot snickered.
Spitfire's eyes widened. "No! I was..."
"It was either him or Rapidfire, but to be honest, I think Rapidfire is a little under your league," Fleetfoot interrupted.
Spitfire's cheeks glowed light-red. "I admit that he's more attractive than Rapidfire, but I still don't feel anything for him," Spitfire lied.
Fleetfoot was keen compared to most other ponies, and wasn't fooled by Spitfire's lie. "I'm not going to tell anypony," she assured.
Spitfire nodded. "Well... thanks, but there's nothing to tell."
"My lips are sealed!" Fleetfoot pretended to zip her lips shut with her hoof.
From that point on Spitfire tried to avoid looking over at Soarin' and instead only looked through the corner of her eye. Fleetfoot was silent for about five minutes before she restarted the conversation. "You should go talk to him: find out if he's interested," she said.
"There's no reason to," replied Spitfire, "It would be inappropriate to do that with another Wonderbolt anyway."
"Yeah, but it still happens all the time. Just keep it casual until you're behind closed doors—thats what everypony else does," said Fleetfoot.
Spitfire barked out, "Well I'm not going to do that, so you can just drop it!"
"Sheesh. I'm not trying to boss you around, alright? I just feel that if you like him, you should probably go talk to him."
Spitfire started getting snippy with Fleetfoot."Well I don't like him, and I'm not going to 'go talk' to him."
Fleetfoot sighed, "Okay. Its probably best anyway. By the way Misty and Soarin' are giggling together, they'll probably start dating before the end of the week."
A nerve was triggered within Spitfire. She vented out, "That's because Misty is a Whore who doesn't give a damn about the Wonderbolts! She already bucked every other guy here so of course she's going to try to seduce Soarin'!"
"Whoa!" Fleetfoot backed off, "Okay, just chill for a second."
Spitfire lowered her tone, and apologized, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that." Spitfire looked around to make sure nopony aside from Fleetfoot heard her outburst. By the unchanged expressions in the other Wonderbolts she was able to assume that the spaced out formation, and the high winds, dampened her voice from reaching beyond Fleetfoot.
"Its alright," Fleetfoot replied blissfully, "Misty sort of does get around a lot. It's practically fact."
"Finally! So I'm not the only one that thinks that!" Spitfire felt happier from Fleetfoot's last statement more than she had felt in a long time, which made Spitfire feel slightly disappointed in the fact that she got so much satisfaction from hearing another pony say something negative about a Wonderbolt.
Fleetfoot said, "And I'm sorry too. I never wanted to force you to talk to Soarin'. In fact, I respect that you're not like Misty. You're a good Captain; you follow all the rules—even the ones that seem unimportant."
"Yeah... Thanks." Spitfire sighed.
Spitfire couldn't help but feel dishonest. She couldn't help but compare her own actions to Misty's. She thought, The only difference between what I'm doing with Soarin' and what Misty does, is that I keep it a secret. Does that really make me any better than her? Though the thought made her feel a sense of guilt, she tried convincing herself that she wasn't like Misty—that her actions were justifiable, whereas Misty's weren't. Soarin' and I have something special, much more special than the one week relationships Misty has. Plus, Misty must have slept with half the team already, thats way different than what I do with just Soarin'.
While Spitfire was lost in though, Fleetfoot tried to steer the conversation into a new topic after their last topic died from silence. "So... Are you psyched about the race?" she asked.
"Of course!" Spitfire cheered. "Are you?"
"I can't wait! Not to mention, it'll be in Canterlot! My last visit there was so brief, I think I only seen Canterlot through the lenses of my racing goggles. I'm hoping that this time I can stick around after the race, and see some of the establishments."
This is only the second season Fleetfoot raced with the Wonderbolts so many of the places they toured too were still new to her. Spitfire realized that the only time Fleetfoot has been to Canterlot was during the derby. The race was short, and the team had a later appearance back in Cloudsdale that same day. Needless to say, the team was only there for two hours at the most, and they had no free time to explore.
"You'll love it," Spitfire assured. "Everything in Canterlot is remarkable!"
"Yeah, it sounds like a lot of fun," said Fleetfoot
Spitfire reflected back on her earlier years on the Wonderbolts; back when everything was still new and exciting for her; back when it was impossible for her to frown while wearing her racing suit. Somewhere over the years, the bliss faded, and she found more, and more things to complain about: how the racing suit made it harder for her skin to breathe, how she smelled after practices, and how the newer Wonderbolts seemed to slack off more than the new ponies from the previous season.
In just a few years it changed so much. When she joined, she was amongst the legendary Wonderbolts that put the team in its reputable state. Now they all moved on, and they would probably be ashamed to see the poor work-ethics their replacements had: The current Wonderbolts treated the team as a social club, while basking in the fame that others worked hard for.
Soarin' was the only other Wonderbolt on the team that has been a Wonderbolt for as long as Spitfire, and hasn't move on yet. They joined the same season, and they were the last two on the team that have truly experienced the Wonderbolts at their best. This season had just as much talent as any other season, but now they lacked in the unity of the team from Spitfire's earlier seasons. All the Wonderbolts were skilled fliers, but Soarin' was one of the best when it came to teamwork skills. A few less pies in his career, and he might have been the Team Captain instead of Spitfire. Spitfire knew that It was her reputable speed that made the difference in rank, not her capability as a leader. Still, Spitfire saw him as a devoted, respectable Wonderbolt. Although he didn't always win, he never missed a race in all his years on the team. Not to mention, he was the only one left that Spitfire could talk to about the days the Wonderbolts actually felt like a team.
For a newer Wonderbolt, Fleetfoot was a fine teammate. She always came to practice with a good attitude, and the results payed off quickly for her. Although she had a better understanding than some of the other Wonderbolts, she just didn't have the connection of unifying with a team, but it wasn't her fault: she never experienced what mature teamwork was like. A shame, Spitfire thought, had she joined amongst the same pegasi I joined with, she could have been one of the greatest Wonderbolts in history. Fleetfoot's full potential may never be reached.
Spitfire sighed deeply, but the wind prevented the sounds from reaching anypony else, including Fleetfoot. Spitfire noticed Fleetfoot was still looking at her, even though she had been looking away for some time now.
Spitfire was the one to change the topic of conversation this time. "Also, I've been meaning to ask: hows your knee?" questioned Spitfire.
"It's not bad." Fleetfoot said, "I can fly just fine now. It's just when I put weight on it that it feels a little funny." Fleetfoot shrugged her shoulders.
Spitfire replied, "Well, before we land, give me your bags, and I'll carry them for you."
Fleetfoot was reluctant. "You don't have to do that."
"I insist," said Spitfire.
Fleetfoot appreciated the gesture. "Well... Thank you. Thats very nice of you," she said.
"Your knee isn't going to affect your performance at the race, will it?" asked Spitfire.
Fleetfoot pondered. "Probably not. If anything, it will just be the initial takeoff from standing. I'll only be able to push off with three legs instead of four, but for a cross-country race, I'll have more than enough distance to make up for the time I lose at the starting gate."
"You'll do fine as always," Spitfire promised.
The Wonderbolts were able to see Canterlot in the distance. Everypony was ready to conclude a long flight, and Spitfire could feel the pace increase within the formation. After talking with Fleetfoot, Spitfire renewed her perspective, and didn't view it as just another trip to Canterlot, but as a new adventure—like how she use to view it.
As they started passing over Canterlot, Spitfire took the opportunity to look at the sleek architecture from the buildings as she passed over them. In reality, it looked just as nice as it always has, but from what she could only assume was her changed attitude, it looked more beautiful than the time before.
Spitfire smiled to herself—just enough to be visible. Then she noticed that in the time she looked away, she had drifted out of formation. She corrected herself as the Wonderbolts carried out into a steady descend. Spitfire took Fleetfoot's saddlebags off her back before they landed.
After landing outside their hotel, Sky Screamer advised everypony to unpack their things and go to bed. The sun still had a little more life in it before night, but since tomorrow was going to be an early start, Sky Screamer insisted that everypony gets plenty of rest.
Spitfire followed Fleetfoot to her room while carrying both her own and her friend's saddlebags. Combined they were a heavy load, but hardly enough to slow Spitfire down. Conversation was mostly small-talk as they walked down the hotel's halls to find Fleetfoot's room.
"Is there anypony else in your room?" Fleetfoot asked.
"No. I get a whole room to myself," stated Spitfire.
"One of the perks of being a Team Captain. Right?" chuckled Fleetfoot.
Fleetfoot carried herself with an upright posture as they walked down the hotel halls side-by-side. Spitfire noticed a subtle limp in her steps, but had she not known of the incident, Spitfire would never have expected something was wrong.
Spitfire answered Fleetfoot, "Pretty much, yeah... What about you? Who's in your room?"
Fleetfoot sighed, "Just Misty and myself. Needless to say I doubt I'll be sleeping much tonight."
Spitfire shared some grief. "Good luck with her... And can you please not tell her the things I said earlier?"
"Of course," Fleetfoot promised. "Funny that she likes to think of us as 'best friends,' and you're the one helping with my bags."
"Then why do you put up with her?" Spitfire asked.
Fleetfoot shook her head. "I don't know. Because I'm suppose to. She's a more experienced Wonderbolt than me, and I'm suppose to respect my superiors."
Spitfire knew that Fleetfoot was simply a nice pony, whereas Misty often manipulated others for attention. Spitfire could only assume that had Sky Screamer allowed it, Misty would have requested to room with one of the male Wonderbolts. Spitfire replied promptly, "She was a Wonderbolt longer than you—thats it. Don't for a second think that she's superior over you at anything."
"Yeah," replied Fleetfoot. Her eyes looked away uncomfortably She stopped at a hotel-room door and stuck her key-card in the card-reader on the door to her room. It opened. Misty was already in the room unpacking her bags. Fleetfoot turned back to Spitfire and said, "Thank you for helping me with those bags."
Spitfire passed off the saddlebags back to Fleetfoot, leaving her own bags on her back. "It was no problem," she replied.
Misty trotted up to the doorway that Fleetfoot was standing in. "Hi Fleetfoot! Hi Spitfire!" Misty said with an overly enthused expression. The other two ponies returned a greeting, before abruptly being cutoff by Misty. "Fleetfoot! You should have asked me to help with your bags. I would have done it, and then Spitfire wouldn't have had to go out of her way."
Spitfire was unable to determine if Misty was faking friendliness or not, but she been around Misty long enough to know that she didn't deserve the benefit of the doubt. Spitfire kept her judgment to herself and instead, replied, "It was no trouble at all."
"So what are you two going to do tonight?" asked Misty.
Fleetfoot set her bags in a corner of the room. "I was planning on sleeping like Sky Screamer told us to," she said.
Misty gave a light feminine laugh. "Well I know that, but we don't have to sleep right now. It looks like there's a nice bar on the other side of the street. I was thinking it would be fun to go get a couple drinks. Either of you want to join me?"
Spitfire felt annoyed by the offer. No surprise that Misty will disobey Sky Screamer without thinking twice about it, Spitfire thought. Spitfire lost all friendliness in her voice and answered sternly, "I hate to disappoint, but considering there's a race tomorrow, and its late, I'm going to get some sleep."
"Suite yourself. It's not everyday we're in Canterlot." replied Misty.
Spitfire tried her best to escape the conversation. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm too tired to stay up any later. I'm going back to my room, I'll see you both in the morning. Goodnight." Spitfire started backing away.
"Goodnight." Fleetfoot said to Spitfire, while waving goodbye.
Spitfire was peeved by the way Misty thought everything was about having a good time, and Spitfire knew that Fleetfoot, though pardoned them, recognized the errors of Misty's ways. After returning a goodbye wave, Spitfire meandered off to her own room further down the hall. The rooms were upscale. Her room was clean, and there was nothing that indicated a pony has ever slept a night in it—not until Spitfire threw her bags in a corner on the floor, and ruffled her bed covers upon laying in the bed. Spitfire set the alarm-clock at the side of the bed, and laid on her back.
She gave a fair attempt at sleeping, but she wasn't use to sleeping at an early hour, and her mind was flooded with excitement from the race. She felt tired—very tired—but it wasn't enough for her to sleep through her excitement. She looked through the window from the bed she was cozily nestled into. The blinds were left open, and light was coming in. She was too cozy in her bed to bother shutting the blinds, and instead shut her eyes. The sun was just starting to set.