If there’s one thing I learned from that Equestria Games, it’s this: Spitfire is a jerk.
So there we were, practicing for the qualifications. Not that we needed it; I mean, we’re Wonderbolts, for pony’s sake. But we had to keep up appearances, so the three of us followed every mare, stallion, and foal to Rainbow Falls a week before tryouts.
Then, I don’t know what happened; maybe I got distracted by a mare on the ground, or maybe I just got cocky. Whatever the case, the unthinkable happened: I clipped a wing and crashed. Thankfully, Rainbow Dash was there to save my flank, again. She swooped in and caught me before I hit the ground; if she hadn’t been there, I definitely would have had worse injuries than a sprained wing. But I’m getting off the point here.
So after a few days, I was getting better. The doctor said I was all ready to fly again, and I told Spitfire and Fleetfoot. But instead of being excited that we’d be able to qualify, they just looked bummed out, and even a little mad at me.
“I dunno, Soarin’,” Spitfire told me doubtfully. She examined my wing critically. “Are you sure you’re up to it? I don’t want you to strain yourself. Are you sure you’ll be one hundred percent by the time tryouts come?”
Fleetfoot joined her at my bedside. “You don’t need to worry about us qualifying, if that’s what’s got you so upset. We have somepony to fill in until you’re feeling better.”
I saw what they were trying to do, but I didn’t want to make them angry. They were my teammates, after all. Maybe this was also their way of showing concern for my well-being.
“Sure,” I sighed, snuggling into the scratchy hospital sheets. “I’ll be here whenever you guys need me.”
A few hours later, who becomes my roommate but Rainbow Dash, covered in bandages from head to hoof with a silk bow around one foreleg. And from her I found out that Spitfire and Fleetfoot just wanted me to stay in bed so that they could have Rainbow Dash: the Best Young Flier in Equestria, a lead pony at the academy, only pony known to do the sonic rainboom, not once, but three times, and born in Cloudsdale. Why wouldn’t they pick her over me?
But apparently she was feeling pressured and couldn’t decide between competing for Ponyville or Cloudsdale, so she ended up in my hospital room. We talked for a bit and decided that we would go show those two high-and-mighty mares what’s up. We had both worked too hard to give up on dreams of competing in the Equestria Games.
Spitfire and Fleetfoot took it better than I thought they would, though. Spitfire even gave Rainbow Dash her pin. And as soon as all the drama was over, both teams ended up qualifying, so what’s done was done. I hope Rainbow Dash is starting to realize that we, her “idols”, are just normal ponies, and some of us aren’t even very nice. I went to go apologize to her for my teammates’ actions when I discovered that Fleetfoot had beaten me to it.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire and I were wondering if maybe you’d want to come out for drinks with the team once you’re done with your friends. You know, to sort of apologize for being such jerks to you,” Fleetfoot squinted through her purple sunglasses at the mare standing in front of her. “It’s just that when Soarin’ got hurt we snatched up the opportunity to get anypony, and to have somepony there who might actually be better than him? Well, that would be a dream, you know? Celestia knows we have a reputation to keep.”
I cantered up next to Rainbow Dash and raised my eyebrow at Fleetfoot. “Oh yes,” I countered, glaring at her. “We have to make sure our reputation stands above everything else, don’t we, Fleetflank?” Fleetfoot flushed red at the mention of her nickname. “It obviously takes priority over other silly little things. Things essential to a team. You know, like trust.”
Rainbow Dash looked between us, mouth agape. No doubt she was appalled that her idols would call each other out on anything. Fleetfoot opened her mouth to snap back with a biting remark, but Spitfire trotted in between us and grinned toothily at Rainbow Dash.
“So, Rainbow Dash, how about that drink? I think we all need one. Soarin’ and Fleetfoot sure aren’t going to be nice to each other until they’ve had a few. And I think we owe you for putting you through such a hard time. It’s on me.”
Rainbow Dash nodded uneasily, glancing warily at Fleetfoot and I, who were still glaring daggers at each other. Spitfire flashed a smile at all three of us and winked. “Well, we’d better get going, then. I know it’s not fun getting drunk the same time as everyone else in the bar. Better beat the late-night rush.”
With that parting statement, she spread her wings and took to the sky. Rainbow Dash eagerly followed, and Fleetfoot and I gave each other cautious looks before joining the other two. No matter how frustrating Fleetfoot and Spitfire were being, I knew I would definitely need a drink after that long day.
Four drinks later, Fleetfoot and I had resolved our differences. We were chumming it up like we had back in the academy, the four of us sitting in a corner booth, listening to Rainbow Dash tell a story about one of her crazy adventures.
How was it that this mare had seen more action than the whole Wonderbolts team combined? And why had we not already recruited her? I shook my head to clear away the bothersome questions, washing them away with a gulp of whiskey before turning back in to Rainbow Dash.
“And then all of a sudden our necklaces went all shoom,” she slurred, thrusting her forelegs out for emphasis. “And we were all freaking out, and Twilight’s in the middle getting full force of these things, and all of a sudden everything stops and she’s just gone. And there’s this burn mark in the middle of the floor, and we’re all freaking out like ‘Oh my Celestia, we just killed Twilight!’ Turns out she was just getting a pair of wings and being all princessy and stuff, but it still scared the hell out of us.”
Okay, that was a cool story, I thought. I wish I had magical jewelry that could turn ponies into princesses. Wait, necklaces? Pssh, whatever. Being a Wonderbolt is way cooler. I mean, sure I don’t get to do anything fun, and nopony really wants to get to know me because I’m famous and all that, but…um, whatever. Shut up, brain. Have another drink.
I downed another glass of whiskey and belched. Spitfire looked at me disapprovingly, and I gave her my best angelic smile. Fleetfoot snickered, looking at the two of us acting like a bossy older sister and her annoying colt brother. I glanced next to me at Rainbow Dash to see her reaction and was assaulted by a large burst of alcohol-scented mist, as she belted one out that put my own small feat to shame. Soon all four of us were having a competition to see who could produce the loudest belches. After many harsh looks from fellow patrons, we stopped sheepishly before breaking out into giggles.
“So come on, Rainbow Dash. What are some other stories you have for us?” I was eager to know more about this mare. After all, she might be on our team one day. And maybe it was the alcohol clouding my thoughts, or maybe it was because I was sitting right next to her, but I couldn’t help but want to know everything about her because she was just so damn fascinating.
She blushed. “Aw, come on guys. You can just call me Dash. Anyways, I think I’ve talked enough about me, awesome as I am. What I want to know is why you,” she poked me in the side, “called her,” she jabbed her hoof at Fleetfoot, “Fleetflank. I have a feeling there’s a juicy story in there that I’m missing, and while I’m not Rarity, I enjoy a dirty secret every now and then.”
I was all too happy to oblige. “Well, you see, Dash, Fleetfoot here was my wing pony when we were in the academy. When we were going through the normal exercises, she was great, but she had a bit of a nerves problem. When we had to do the obstacle course, she was going so slow. I had to haul her flank pretty much the whole time. The instructor, a stallion by the name of Lightning Flash, wasn’t too nice to her about it afterward. Kept ripping into her about how she needed to get her flank in gear and live up to her name. I don’t even remember how I came up with the name, but she hates it, so I use it every chance I get.”
Dash grinned. “Oh, I thought maybe she had diarrhea or something during flight camp and that’s where that came from.”
I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “No,” I said. “But maybe that’s what I should tell everypony now! Thanks for the idea.”
Dash burst into laughter, Spitfire and even Fleetfoot joining in. “Whatever,” Fleetfoot grumbled. “If I were lead pony, I totally would have been able to do it. I was just pissed ‘cause Lightning made me wing pony when that was clearly your perfect position.”
Spitfire guffawed. “I’m just glad he paired you two goons up so that me and Surprise could win. I mean, besides you two, our only other competition was Rapidfire, and he got paired up with whatshername. You know, that mare with the weird eyes.”
Dash looked at Spitfire in shock. “You mean to tell me that Ditzy went to the Wonderbolts academy? She was going to be my replacement for the games today. Wow. I can’t believe she never told me.”
Fleetfoot snorted. “She was in the academy, till she got kicked out for rule breaking. I think she and some other colt were caught cheating on one of the tests. Rapidfire was devastated, poor guy. He was disqualified because Lightning suspected him of helping. He got cleared of course; I mean, we wouldn’t let him be a ‘Bolt now if he hadn’t graduated the academy.”
I chuckled, poking Fleetfoot’s messy, poofy mane. “Yeah, we all know how you helped Rapidfire feel better after that incident. Jeez, you were practically sitting in each other’s laps any time you weren’t in the air.”
She elbowed me in the flank. “Just ‘cause you’ve never had a marefriend…And honestly, we weren’t all that out in the open.”
Spitfire smirked. “You’re right. The number of times I went to clear a cloud and found two certain ponies hiding in there is more than I can count. I’m surprised you weren’t kicked out for conduct, or at least put under house arrest.”
Fleetfoot and Spitfire dissolved into an argument over something or other, maybe about Rapidfire or some other stallion, or something else altogether. Mare stuff. I turned my attention to Dash, who was sitting next to me quietly, something she hadn’t been doing for the past hour. She stared back at me.
“You’ve never had a marefriend?” She asked me. Was that just me, or did I see the tiniest bit of pink on her face? Probably just the effects of the alcohol.
I sighed. “Yeah, unfortunately no one’s ever been attracted to this stud muffin.” I clicked my tongue at her and winked. She stared at me with a funny look in her eyes before chuckling and taking another sip of her drink.
“Nah,” I continued, more seriously. “I suppose I’ve never found anypony with enough dedication to stick by me wherever my shows are. Most mares don’t want to see past the “famous pony” and get to know me.” My face flushed and I looked down at the table. “Sorry for getting all heart-to-heart. I’m sure you don’t really care about this stuff.”
“No, I, uh, I understand,” Dash replied quietly. “Back home in Ponyville, I’m sort of a big deal. Captain of the weather team, potential Wonderbolt, all that stuff, you know? Some little filly even made a fan club for me. I let it get to my head once and that was... Anyway, most stallions don’t really bother with me. I mean, I guess they’re afraid if we get in a fight I can give them their own personal raincloud or something. I don’t know what it is, but everypony seems to see me as above all that or something.” She snorted. “That, or they all think that AJ and I are dating.”
I swallowed. “Are you?” I asked hesitantly. Why do I care? I thought.
Dash laughed. “No, she and I are more like best friends than secret lovers. We do argue a lot, but it’s all in good fun. The fussy ponies like to interpret that as ‘sexual tension’ or some crap like that, but I say, ignore them.”
I nodded slowly, lifting my glass to my muzzle. Crap. It was empty. You know, I should probably stop anyway, I told myself. This is…what? Number six? Seven? I forget already.
I turned to Dash to ask her to slide off the bench so I could go get a refill, but when I looked into her eyes, my mouth stopped working. Sweet Celestia, her eyes were beautiful. How had I not noticed them before? They were such a deep magenta, like the very edge of a sunrise as Luna relinquishes her night. I stared at them for a few seconds, gazing into her, before I realized they were regarding me with an odd expression.
Great, I thought. Now she thinks I’m just some creep. Or at least I get creepy when I’m drunk. Was I drunk? My mind didn’t seem to be fuzzy anymore. Looking into Dash’s eyes seemed to have woken me up, and my brain was buzzing.
I opened my mouth again, but what came out surprised me as much as it surprised her. “Hey Dash, want to go for a fly?”
She blinked, then grinned devilishly. “Sure, if you think you can keep up with the fastest flier this side of Equestria.”
I turned to let Spitfire and Fleetfoot know we were going to step out for a bit, but their seats were empty. I scanned the bar, looking for them, but didn’t find any trace. “Probably stepped out to the fillies’ room or something,” I muttered. I dropped a few bits on the table to cover the bill, and Dash and I raced out the door, the cool, sweet air hitting our faces like a cold towel on a hot day.
Wasting no time, I opened my wings and leapt into the air, wincing a bit as the night wind rustled my sore feathers. A rainbow blur zipped past me, and suddenly Dash was above me, challenging me to keep up.
I sighed. “You know,” I shouted up at her. “I was sort of hoping for a nice, quiet little fly. Something relaxing. My wing’s had enough stress today.”
She floated back down next to me and punched me lightly in the shoulder. “Aw, come on, Soarin’. You’re no fun.”
We drifted across the sky together, idly flapping our wings and twisting slowly through the night air. Finally, the silence got to be unbearable.
“Dash, tell me about another one of your adventures. I’m sure you’ve had a ton,” I begged.
She shrugged. “Nothing big, really. I mean, I vanquished Nightmare Moon, saved your sorry flank a few times, defeated and then reformed Discord, battled about a thousand changelings, and accidently turned my best friend into an alicorn. Not much to say.” She blinked, then seemed to mentally rewind what she just said. “Okay, scratch that. I’m awesome.”
I grinned at her. “Dude, I wish something that that would happen to me. The only things exciting that ever happen to me happen when you’re around.”
Dash suddenly looked downcast and dropped a few feet in altitude. “What’s wrong?” I asked as I flew in close to her. How stupid was I, to bring a drunk mare out flying. I didn’t know how she could handle her drink. I mentally cursed myself as I reached out a hoof to support her.
“It-it’s nothing, really. I just…It’s nothing. I’m fine.” She gave me that devilish grin of hers and swooped away, leaving me alone with my thoughts, but as she turned away I thought I heard her mutter, “Dude?”
Oh. I glided up next to her. “If it's about me calling you a dude…yeah, I’m sorry. I honestly don’t think about it anymore. Everypony I ever hang around with are stallions or ‘Bolts. It’s just a figure of speech… anyway, sorry. I promise, I don’t think of you as a dude.” I reached out a forehoof to pat her reassuringly on the shoulder. But as I realized earlier, flying while drunk is not exactly the brightest idea. Instead of Dash’s shoulder, my hoof touched her cheek.
I quickly withdrew it, stammering some sort of apology. Dammit, I’m probably turning red, too, aren’t I? I looked back up at her, and suddenly she was close. So close that I could count her eyelashes. “It’s fine, I understand,” she whispered. I couldn’t take it anymore; she was so close. I wrapped my hoof around her neck and pulled her in, her muzzle meeting mine.
It was indescribable. Dash’s kiss was better than any apple pie the Apple family could ever sell. better than any gold medal in Equestria, no, the world. Her hooves wrapped around me and we spun through the air, up into the stars. We passed through a cloud, the cool mist startling us, and we broke apart.
She grinned at me. “You know, Soarin’, I may be the best flier in Equestria, but as for the best kisser, I think we can say that you and I tie.” She withdrew her hooves and shot up into the sky, and I couldn’t help but allow myself a cheesy grin as I watched her dance across the sky.
I felt a hoof on my back. I whirled around to come face-to-face with Fleetfoot. “Well, well, well,” she smirked. “Look’s like Soarin’s finally kissed a mare. Thought you wouldn’t have it in you. I’m proud of you, buddy.”
I couldn’t believe it. Fleetfoot was actually being sincere towards me for the first time in who knows how many years. She seemed to read my thoughts, and tapped me on the head with a hoof. “Don’t get used to this, softie. Anyway, Spitfire and I are heading back to Cloudsdale for the night. I was going to bring you with, but something tells me you’ve got…other matters to deal with.”
She winked and flew away, leaving me stammering something like, “Well, I, I mean, uh, we…”
Dash flew up behind me. “Aw, are they leaving? Oh well, I guess I should head back to Ponyville soon, too. It’s almost midnight.”
I offered her my hoof. “May I escort you home, Miss Dash?”
She giggled, before assuming a comically serious expression. “But of course, Mister Soarin’. It would be a pleasure.” With that, she raced ahead of me, yelling over her shoulder, “Break’s over, slowpoke. Flap those wings.”
After about an hour of racing, a cloud mansion came into view. “That’s me,” she exclaimed brightly, before passing out. Thankfully I was close enough that I caught her before she hit the ground. “That’s for saving me the other day,” I whispered into her ear.
I flew us in through a window, and landed in a room full of cushions. “Do I want to know what these are for?” I asked Dash, who was starting to stir. She muttered something that sounded like, “Tricks…crash…Twilight…broke library…” I shook my head and laid her down on a large cushion that took up one corner of the room. I started to fly away, but she rolled over and grabbed my foreleg.
“No,” she groaned. “Stay here, please?” She cracked open one eye and stared at me, those magenta pools tugging at my soul.
“Sure,” I whispered. “I’ll be right over in that corner.” I pointed at the adjacent corner, where a slightly smaller cushion lay. The room was small enough that the edges of the cushions touched, and when I laid down, our heads were right next to each other.
She nuzzled me. “Good night, Soarin’. Thank you for everything.” She trailed off into a string of snores.
I kissed the top of her nose. “Good night, Dash.” I muttered.
I didn’t know what would happen tomorrow, whether tonight was because of a few drinks too many or because we actually had something between us. But frankly, I didn’t care. As my body nestled into my pillow, my mind continued to soar up in the skies, sharing a moonlit kiss with one very special somepony.
