Tales of Apple Scratch: Roseluck & Fleetfoot

Chapters

Chapter 2 – A Simple Cakewalk
Chapter 3 – Relieving Tensions
Chapter 5 – Leaving Lightning in the Dust
Chapter 6 – Blitz-ball, Game 2: Canterlot vs. Neigh Orleans
Chapter 7 – The Delicate Touch
Chapter 8 – Out to Lunch
Chapter 9 – Blitz-ball Finals: Ponyville vs. Canterlot
Chapter 10 – 10-Meter Diving and 200-Meter Backstroke
Chapter 11 – Frozen Heart
Chapter 12 – No Matter How Long the Winter, Spring is Sure to Follow
Chapter 13 – Race to the Finish
Chapter 14 – Cold Hands, Warm Hearts
Epilogue – Winner Takes All
Chapter 1 – Getting Back Up
Chapter 4 – Watching from the Sidelines

Chapter 2 – A Simple Cakewalk

The first day of the Equestria Games was over, and at Bon-Bon’s Tavern, a couple of the teams were celebrating their first medals. Soarin of Canterlot won a silver medal in the Flying Obstacle Course, but most notably, Ditzy Doo of Ponyville managed to surprise everyone with her mind-boggling speed and agility and earned herself and her team their first gold medal!

Throughout the rest of the night, in the midst of Ponyville’s celebration, the three Wonderbolts and Rainbow Dash spent most of their time questioning Ditzy Doo and asking the modest, young mother to consider on becoming a Wonderbolt one day. But to their surprise, Ditzy humbly refused the Wonderbolts' generous offer to recruit her into the acrobatic team/military elite as she was happy enough as the town’s postwoman as well as for her maternal reasons regarding with her precious daughter, Dinky.

As Ditzy started to bid her farewells to her new friends, Fleetfoot realized that she didn’t get a chance to see Roseluck in a long while since the qualifications, so she asked the blonde Jupitarian real quick, “Hey, Ditzy! You wouldn’t happen to know where Roseluck is, would you?”

“Hmm… I think Rose and Allie left a little while ago.” Ditzy answered after pondering for a bit.

“Oh.” Fleetfoot muttered subtly to her disappointment, which Spitfire was the only one to catch that as she slightly raised an eyebrow.

“Oh no!” Ditzy gasped all of a sudden.

“What’s wrong?!” asked Rainbow Dash in alarm.

Frantically, Ditzy patted around her pockets before pulling out something from one of them. In her hand, it was an orange prescription bottle with a white cap securing it. Inside the plastic container were less than a dozen pills, probably painkillers.

“Nurse Redheart asked me to give this to Rose the next time I see, but I was so swept from all the attention, that I completely forget about it!” Ditzy scolded herself in a very regretful manner before she softly bopped herself on the head. “Gah, I’m so stupid sometimes!”

“Oh, please don’t say it like that, Ditzy!” Spitfire reassured her adorably sad friend in a motherly tone. “You’re being too hard on yourself!”

“Yeah, you’re an amazing person to talk to!” Rainbow chimed in as well.

“And a wonderful mother with the luckiest, cutest daughter in the world!” Soarin added with a comforting smile. “Besides, you’ve got your precious, little ‘Muffin’ to take care of first! So if it’s okay with you, we can deliver that to your friend ourselves!”

“R-really?” Ditzy stammered in surprise. “You would do that for me?” After the Wonderbolts and Rainbow Dash nodded in response, Ditzy wiped her moist eyes as she expressed her gratitude with a warm smile, “Thanks, guys! You’re all so very nice to me!”

After Ditzy Doo gave the medicine bottle to Spitfire, the lead Wonderbolt asked her recruits, “So, which one of you wants to make the delivery?”

Fleetfoot was about to volunteer right away, but an overly excited Rainbow Dash beated her to it as she said, “Oh, I’ve got this! I can bring this to her in ten seconds flat--!”

But Spitfire caught wind of her comrade’s earlier reaction and presented the bottle to Fleetfoot instead while she interrupted the eager captain of Cloudsdale gently, “Actually, why don’t we let Fleetfoot take care of this? She is the only who knows Roseluck out of all four of us. Think you can handle it?” she asked with an all-knowing wink.

The white-haired Jupitarian blinked speechlessly a few times before she broke into a welcoming smile once she got Spitfire’s hint. “No problem!”

After receiving and securing the package, Fleetfoot swiftly left the local tavern and proceeded to look for Roseluck. Taking the search high off the ground, she soared steadily as she rapidly looked around town from a high point of view. Finally, she spotted a familiar figure with rose-colored hair as she walked alongside with another woman, who had her blue hair tied up in a simple ponytail. Quickly, the Wonderbolt skydived toward the two before making a soft landing right in front of the Ponyvillian athletes.

“Fleetfoot?” Roseluck exclaimed in surprise.

“Hey, Rose!” she greeted with a slightly exhausted smile. “I’ve got something for you!” From the pocket of her gray Canterlot jacket, she pulled out the prescription bottle that Ditzy entrusted her and gave it to Roseluck.

Slightly puzzled by this, the red-haired woman asked, “Wait, is this for me?”

“Yep.” Fleetfoot confirmed with a nod. “One of your friends forgot to give this to you before you guys left, so I volunteer to deliver it myself while the rest of them can enjoy their victory party.”

After noticing the label on the bottle, which had instructions written by Nurse Redheart, Roseluck said with a gratifying smile, “Oh well, thank you so much for doing that for me.”

“Nothing but the best from Fleetfoot Express!” she grinned with pride. Then, she pondered on that idea with a rub of her chin and a broad smile. “Hey, that’s kind of catchy! Maybe I can run a new business once I retire from the Wonderbolts!”

“Don’t expect to make Ponyville as your starting position for your future job.” Allie Way objected with a playful chuckle. “We’re already satisfied with our own delivery services, thanks to our reliable Ditzy Doo.”

“Ooh, a job with some stiff competition? This is starting to sound more promising that I could’ve imagined!” Fleetfoot commented with a very devious grin.

After sharing a laugh with the two, Fleetfoot then asked with a slight slender of hope, “Anyway, since I’m already here, do you girls mind if I tag along?”

“I don’t mind it at all.” Roseluck answered cheerfully before turning to her blue-haired friend. “Do you, Allie?

“Actually, my house is right over there.” Allie pointed it out with a thumb. “So maybe your new friend can escort you back if you’re okay with that, Rose.”

The young Eponian looked at Fleetfoot, who bore a soft, comforting smile. Then she turned back to the Titanian and reassured her, “We’re be fine, Allie. Thanks for walking with me though.”

“No problem. Get better, okay?”

“Okay, sure. Goodnight, Allie.”

“Goodnight, Rose.” Then she turned to the Juptitarian and offered her gratitude in a sheepish smile, “And thanks Fleetfoot, for… you know, for everything you’ve done for us today.”

In return, Fleetfoot replied warmly, “Happy to be of service.”

As Allie Way jogged to her home, she looked back and waved to the Roseluck & Fleetfoot while winking and saying to them with a teasing grin, “Have fun, you two!”

While Fleetfoot waved goodbye to Allie, Rose felt a sudden blush as a reaction to that purposefully teasing comment her friend just made. After Allie Way closed the door to her house, the remaining two began their steady walk to Rose’s residence while the rosy Eponian tried her best to diminish her embarrassing blush, which thankfully wasn’t noticed by Fleetfoot.

After a momentary amount of silence while strolling through the gaslight streets, Roseluck softly cleared her throat and started off with a simple topic in mind, “So Fleetfoot… what do you think of Ponyville?”

Fleetfoot took a moment to think about it, but then, she answered with hesitant honesty, “It’s… different than what I’m used to.”

Disheartened to hear her say that, Roseluck responded with a subtly dejected face, “Oh… I guess a small town like this is nothing compared to the places you’ve been to.”

Realizing on what she just said, Fleetfoot hastily explained herself with her hands waving frantically, “No no! I didn’t mean it like that! I meant ‘different’ in a good way! I mean it’s true I’ve been to some of the biggest and most well-known cities in Equestria, so this is one of the first small towns I’ve ever been to in a very long while, that’s all!”

With a brief giggle over the Jupitarian’s sheepish rambling, Rose reassured her with a gentle smile, “It’s okay, Fleetfoot. I understand. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy the sights that Ponyville has to offer.”

After composing herself, Fleetfoot suggested mildly, “Well… if we have time, maybe you can give me a tour around here someday.”

Once she quickly gave it some thought, Rose replied with an approving smile, “Sure, I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

Suddenly, the Eponian felt a twinge of pain coursing through her left foot, and she nearly fell over. Luckily, Fleetfoot was there to catch her before she helped Roseluck stand back up as she instinctively limped on her left foot.

“Rose, are you okay?” asked Fleetfoot with concern.

Roseluck winced in response, “Sorry, I guess I’ve been putting a bit too much weight on my leg lately.”

“Well we certainly can’t have that, now can we?” Fleetfoot smirked all-knowingly. And in a flash, she picked up the surprised Eponian off the ground and into her arms.

“W-w-wait, what are you doing?!” Roseluck flustered with an increasingly glowing blush as she nearly squirmed in place.

“Giving you a ride home, of course!” the Jupitarian answered with a wink.

“There’s no need for you to do that! I just need to sit down for a bit, that’s all!”

“Nonsense! You need your rest and to save your strength for your next competition, and I wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer!”

“B-but… I’ve never been up in the air before!” Rose trembled in fear.

Noticing her passenger’s reasonable discomfort, Fleetfoot reassured her sincerely. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything reckless. I promise.”

After she looking into Fleetfoot’s sincere, fuchsia eyes, Rose gave it some careful thought before she calmed herself down and gave her approval with a slightly nervous smile, “Okay then. I trust you.”

“Great! Just wrap your arms around me and hold on tight, okay?”

Following her instructions, Roseluck placed her slender arms around the Wonderbolt’s neck and interlocked them firmly. Once she felt secured enough, the rose-haired flower girl timidly nods her head to confirm her readiness.

With a wide smile, the Jupitarian declared with glee, “Alright, here we go!”

After summoning her light arctic blue wings, she gave them a gentle flap as their takeoff went smooth and steady. At first, Rose didn’t mind their ascension when she was looking at the ground, but after they passed the rooftops, her fears got the best of her, and she abruptly tucked her head into Fleetfoot’s neck while flinching impulsively.

Once the composed Wonderbolt stopped at a suitable altitude, she cooingly whispered to her frightened companion, “Hey Rose, you’ve got to see this!”

Reluctantly, Roseluck opened her eyes and looked down at the city. But before she turned away, her gaze widened as she stared at the marvelous sight before her. The beloved town she grew up in is lit with numerous, vibrant lights as they emitted from colorful billboards, yellow city lamps, and orange windows from their houses. The soothingly warm colors served as a nice contrast to the deep-blued city. Never before had she seen this side of extraordinary beauty from her hometown, even at night!

As she is pleased by the awestricken reaction of her wide-eyed friend, Fleetfoot commented with a satisfied grin, “You know, I may not have much of an opinion of Ponyville just yet, but the view is pretty amazing from up here.”

“…Yeah, it is.” Roseluck responded warmly as she cozily laid her head on the Wonderbolt’s left shoulder.

While Rose continued to admire the nightscape, she was starting to get really comfortable in her seated position as her initial fears began to fade away from memory. As for Fleetfoot, she was feeling the opposite when Roseluck is mindlessly snuggling close to her. With her pale face going red, feelings began to stir inside of her; feelings that she had thought she buried long ago.

“Brr!” said Roseluck as she shivered all of a sudden. “Did it get chilly all of a sudden, or is it because we’re so high up?”

Alarmed by this, Fleetfoot looked at her hands, which were firmly holding Roseluck underneath her legs and back. And to her horror, she saw them involuntarily covered in a chilly mist.

Oh no, not here! Not now!

Despite her mental state of panic and her fears on what would happen if this kept going, Fleetfoot hastily advised Roseluck, “Uh… why don’t you go ahead and show me where your house is?”

In spite of her puzzlement over the Wonderbolt’s sudden hastiness, Rose realized that it’s already late as it is. So she quickly surveyed the town until she found her home and pointed it out.

“There. It’s the house right next to the greenhouse I work at.”

Once Fleetfoot pinpointed the location, she descended a bit faster than what she had intended. Thankfully, Roseluck didn’t notice this abrupt chance in pace. Once they have landed right in front of the doorway, Fleetfoot kneeled down and gently let go of Roseluck before the florist delicately touched the grassy floor.

As Fleetfoot tucked her diminishingly cold hands behind her back, she inquired in a clear voice, “So, how did you like your first flight tonight?”

“It was… exhilarating, but in a good way actually.” said Roseluck with an honest smile.

“I’m glad you like it. It’s not everyday you get free rides from a Wonderbolt. Just keep it to yourself, will you? Fans will go crazy over special privileges like that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for everything, Fleetfoot. I’ll hopefully see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see ya--!”

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!”

Greatly startled by the high-pitched shriek, the two athletes turned around sharply and were completely surprised by the sudden approach of the self-proclaimed announcer of the Equestria Games, Pinkie Pie. Not from the fact that the youngest Council Member appeared out of nowhere, but from seeing the unusual scowl she was expressing as she hastily stomped toward the two.

“I’ve been looking all over for you, Fleetfoot!” the pink-haired Eponian exclaimed in a very ill-tempered tone.

Puzzled by this, Fleetfoot greeted her simply, “Oh, hey Pinkie Pie. What’s up?”

“Don’t you ‘Oh-hey-Pinkie-Pie-what’s-up’ with me, missy!” she got up close as she repetitively pressed a firmed index finger against Fleetfoot’s chest. “I warned you on what would happen if you attempted to use your wings in that hurdle race, didn’t I?!”

Instinctively, Wonderbolt raised her hands up in the air as she explained herself with a sheepish smile, “Hey, take it easy, Pinkie! I didn’t mean to break the rules like that--!”

“ZIP IT!” she interrupted as she growled right in front of Fleetfoot’s face. “And now… you’re going get what’s coming to you…!”

From this unexpected, assertive demeanor, the white-haired Jupitarian made a subtle gulp as she was starting to feel very small in front of the much shorter, childlike genius. Meanwhile, Roseluck stood there as she felt utterly helpless in front of Pinkie’s intervention. The young botanist began to worry on the possibilities that the Games’ official had changed their mind over Fleetfoot’s disqualification, and that they want to extend that punishment by expelling her from the Games themselves, so they must have sent Pinkie Pie to take care of that in their place. Suddenly, the underage inventor reached for something behind her back as Roseluck dreaded on what’s to come for the extremely nervous Fleetfoot.

“…with this delicious chocolate cake I’ve made for you!”

In an abrupt change, Pinkie Pie instantly went back to her cheerful, perky self as she pulled out a white cake box in front of the utterly speechless Wonderbolt, whose blank expression is mirrored by Roseluck’s.

With great perplexity, Fleetfoot could barely comprehend her own state of confusion, “I… you… huh…?”

But then, the smiling Pinkie Pie explained herself in a matter-of-fact manner, “Yeah, I know I said that I will personally stuff your face with it, but considering on what you did out there for Rosie today, I figured that you might as well have your cake and eat it too!”

From recalling that misleading forewarning, Fleetfoot hesitantly accepted Pinkie’s gift as she softly expressed her gratitude. “Umm… okay… thanks, Pinkie.”

“No pro-blem-o! Oh, and don’t try to eat the whole thing by yourself! Believe me! It really wasn’t a good day for me when I had to go to the dentist the next morning! They definitely did a great job when it came to me having a bright, shiny smile, but... oh the pain! THE PAIN!”

As Pinkie Pie exaggerated her plight in a trembling manner and with various gagging noises, Roseluck and Fleetfoot looked at each other in silent confusion, and all the Wonderbolt could offer as an answer is a casual shrug.

With a sudden perk of cheerfulness on her face, Pinkie waved goodbye to the two flabbergasted women before she happily bounced away, “Anyway, enjoy! La-lalala-lala~!”

After Pinkie Pie left the scene, Roseluck and Fleetfoot were completely staggered by the young councilwoman’s shifting moods, until finally, Rose spoke up with an awkward smile, “Well… that was… weird?”

In response, Fleetfoot broke in a soft laugh as she said, “That’s Pinkie Pie for you!”

They eased the awkward tension with a hearty giggle between the two before Fleetfoot opened the cake box as Roseluck leaned in for a peek inside. Once the lid had been lifted, the two girls gazed at the prized dessert with hungry eyes. Like Pinkie Pie promised, there was a chocolate cake inside with shell-like trimmings around its circular edges. But the most striking feature for this delectable cake was the frosting that’s on top of it. Arrayed in a circle are eight red roses that were nestled on soft, green leaves. And at the center of the encircling flowers was a blue horseshoe with a yellow arc underneath it that showcased a few feathery features.

Despite wanting to question the cake’s coincidental characteristics, Roseluck overlooked that by saying how amazing the details were, “Wow! She certainly put a lot work into that just for a one cake!”

“Yeah, she may be a bit eccentric, but man, is she a mad genius when it comes tasty treats!” Fleetfoot stated with a smile, “Especially when they’re for the parties she would host.”

Once the cake box was closed up, Fleetfoot handed it over to Roseluck as she ascended the doorsteps. “Anyway, you should have it instead of me.”

Surprised by this very kind gesture, Rose gently pushed the enclosed box back as she politely turned down the Wonderbolt’s generosity. “Thank you, but she gave it to you. It’s your cake after all.”

“Oh no, I insist.” she pushed it back a bit firmly. “You should take it after all you have been through today. Besides, I shouldn’t be having sweets when I’m competing in one of the biggest events in the country.”

In a rare display of cheekiness, the Eponian responded back with a raised eyebrow and a shrewd grin, “Ah, so you figured that tempting me with this cake will make it easier for you to thin out the competition, hmm?”

After blinking speechlessly, the Wonderbolt broke into spontaneous laughter as she got the irony of that witty retort. “Okay, you got me there!”

“Well… how about we each have one slice tonight, and then I can save the rest for later? I’m sure my roommates would definitely appreciate it if they get a chance to try one of Pinkie Pie’s signature desserts.”

After a brief moment on the opened invitation, Fleetfoot consented with an amusing smirk before extended an index finger up, “I’m okay with that, but remember… only one slice, and that’s it for you, young lady!”

With a subtle chuckle, Roseluck rolled her eyes as she said, “I think I’ve managed myself just fine when it comes to desserts.”

Impressed by Rose’s resolve, Fleetfoot prepared to see this challenge through after arching a high eyebrow and bearing a very wide smile. “Oh? Wait until you have Pinkie Pie’s cake first! Then we’ll see how well restraint you are after that!”

“Wow…” Roseluck awed in paralyzed state of astonishment and fulfillment. “I’m never going look at birthday cakes the same way again!”

“See! What did I tell you?” Fleetfoot chuckled with glee by her friend’s awestricken expression before she finished the last bite of her cake.

Inside Roseluck’s home, they had just finished their individual slices of cake as they are completely satisfied by its deliciously rich, chocolaty taste. Along with their dessert, the hospitable Eponian also served each of them a glass of milk to go with that cake. After chugging what’s left of her beverage, Fleetfoot noticed how entranced her new friend was she couldn’t keep her eyes off of that devilishly tempting cake.

Slyly, Rose reached for the cake spatula nearby as she suggested with a mischievous smile, “…Maybe we should each have just one more slice before we call it a night--!”

Quick as her name, Fleetfoot lightly smacked Roseluck’s hand away from the spatula as it caused the flower girl to yelp from the slightly stinging sensation.

“No! Bad, Roseluck! Bad!” she chided playfully.

“Aww, come on~! Just one more~!” she whined childishly while rubbing her faintly sore hand.

“I’ve already told you: one slice is all you’re having, and that’s final!”

Reluctantly, she crossed her arms and let out a harrumph in a cute, pouty manner. “…Fine.”

After a brief chuckle between the two, Fleetfoot packed up the three-quartered cake away in its box and proceeded toward the refrigerator while Roseluck took care of the dishes and utensils as she brought to them the sink.

Once she placed the cake box on a proper shelf, Fleetfoot closed the door as she reminded Roseluck, who was busy washing the tableware in warm, soapy water, “Did you remember to take your medicine?”

With a roll of her eyes, Rose replied with a sarcastic smile, “Yes, mom! I just took it with the glass of milk I had earlier. Remember?”

“‘Mom’, huh?” the Jupitarian responded as she approached the preoccupied Eponian with a very crafty smile, “Well in that case, maybe I should tuck you in bed and give you a goodnight kiss while I’m at it, hmm?”

While this latest act of teasing caused Rose to blush right away, Fleetfoot was dangerously close to her as she started to pucker her smacking lips like she was a gaping fish. With her close proximity endangered, Roseluck shielded herself with the use of her arms as she pushed the playfully affectionate Wonderbolt away from her while she is unable to contain her giggling from seeing that ridiculous kissy-face.

“Stop that! You’re going to wake up my roommates!”

“Okay okay!” she said with a lighthearted chuckle as she finally ended her juvenileness. “I’ll go on ahead and let myself out.”

True to her word, Fleetfoot walked toward the door and opened it, but just when she was about to step outside it, Roseluck rushed up to her and called out loud, “Wait, Fleetfoot!”

“Yeah, what is it?”

Once she turned around, Fleetfoot became suddenly staggered once she faced the impassive Roseluck, who was really up close and personal. Being on the receiving end of this, the stunned Wonderbolt started to tremble and blush uncontrollably as the red-haired Eponian slowly extended her right hand towards the Jupitarian’s rosy face. Upon direct contact for that one second, Rose’s delicate fingers were touching Fleetfoot’s cheek as the latter of the two was frozen stiff. Within that very short time frame, the astounded Wonderbolt could feel the surprisingly incredible warmth from that graceful touch of her endearing friend.

But then, time resuming at its normal pace as Roseluck retracts her right hand, and the dazed Fleetfoot snapped out of it before she saw what lead to this involuntary discomfort. On her index finger, Rose had just wiped off some chocolate icing from the bewildered Wonderbolt’s cheek. Afterwards, she brought the frosting-covered finger to her lips and sucked it off in one felt swoop. After that, she faintly licked her lips while softly moaning to herself from its reminiscing deliciousness. Then she turned her attention to her wide-eyed, blushing friend and realized on the level of embarrassment she had unintentionally put themselves through.

“Sorry.” Rose explained with an apologetic blush as she swiftly turned her soft green eyes away from Fleetfoot. “You just had some frosting on you.”

“Oh, r-right. Thanks.” she responded as she too turned her head away while sheepishly scratching the back of her white, fluffy hair.

At last, Fleetfoot stepped outside the house before Roseluck gently closed the door, but then she stopped all of sudden as she peaked through the door’s opening as the two locked blank glances with one another. Eventually, Rose bid her farewells first.

“Well… goodnight.”

“‘Night.”

After exchanging their simple goodbyes and tender smiles with each other, Rose finally closed her door with a soft clatter. Fleetfoot then faced the other way and prepared her takeoff, so she can finally turn in for the night. But before she did that, she delicately caressed her left cheek as she recollected the soothing warmth she just experienced recently. Pushing her curiosity over this unique radiance aside, she took flight and swiftly headed toward her hotel room, just so she can be prepared for another day in the Equestria Games.

Chapter 3 – Relieving Tensions

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Chapter 5 – Leaving Lightning in the Dust

On Sunday, the fifth day of the Equestria Games, Ponyville Stadium was getting ready for the final hurdle races. For Roseluck, she wouldn’t miss this for anything as this was the day that Fleetfoot promised to kick Lightning Dust’s ass for her. Unfortunately, the rest of her team couldn’t share in Rose’s personal enthusiasm; mostly it’s because they were overly concerned for Applejack’s well-being as she hadn’t woke up from her coma-inducing slumber yet. While the red-haired Eponian was just as concerned for AJ as her team was, she didn’t want to miss out on the hurdle events, and she wanted to be there to show as much of her support for Fleetfoot as she did for her in the Rhythmic Gymnastics.

However, much to Roseluck, Fleetfoot, and some of their respective teams’ dismay, they have to endure the smug appearance of Cloudsdale’s Lightning Dust as she and the other hurdlers took their marks in Sunday’s next event: the 100-Meter Hurdle Finals, the race that Roseluck should have participated if it weren’t for Lightning’s dastardly cheating during the qualification rounds. With the sound of a gun, the eight racers madly dashed toward the finish, but Lightning had a good overall lead, and as expected, she secured her first gold medal once she jumped over the last hurdle and crossed the finish line.

As the crowd cheered loudly for Lightning, who was conceitedly soaking up all of the attention for herself, Cloud Kicker continuously glared at the smug cheater while she commented in a dark yet casual tone, “You know, if I were AJ… I’d probably murder her right about now.”

“Guess it’s a good thing she isn’t awake to see this, huh?” Vinyl Scratch added in a devious chuckle while looking back at her ever-sleeping sister.

“Hey, CK…” Roseluck asked softly.

“Hmm?”

“Since you know the Wonderbolts better than all of us, how good is Fleetfoot?”

Cloud took a moment to think about this, but before she could share her opinion, she broke into a very mischievous grin with a raised eyebrow as she inquired deviously, “You mean in bed, or…?”

“RACING! I meant racing!” Rose flustered greatly as an intense, red blush consumed her snow-white face.

“Ooh, well that’s easy!” Cloud answered with a smile after getting a kick from her recent teasing. “When it comes to speed, Fleetfoot is definitely one of the best!”

“Really?” Vinyl responded in surprise. “Because, not wanting to put a damper on this, but when I saw Fleetfoot in the 200 and 400-meter qualifications, she was almost on par with Lightning Dust before that scoundrel took first place in both of them. So the next two races could be a close call, to say the least.” But once she saw and heard how downhearted Roseluck was, Vinyl quickly restated with a reassuring smile, “Not that I think Fleetfoot doesn’t have a chance against that cheater! I wouldn’t expect anything less from a Wonderbolt like her!”

“Actually, Vi…” Cloud Kicker added in a more serious tone. “…you’re mistaken on one thing when Fleetfoot was competing last time.”

“What’s that, CK?” asked Vinyl.

“She was holding back… on purpose.”

Roseluck and Vinyl were shocked by this revelation before the latter gasped out loud, “What?!”

“But why would she do that?!” Roseluck asked in great surprise and confusion.

“I’ve seen each of the Wonderbolt’s attributes… and I’m not just talk about their physical ones mind you.” the grinning Cloud Kicker joked mildly before resuming her insightful explanation to them. “For Fleetfoot’s case, she’s just like Applejack. When she competes in longer races, she can build up her incredible speed and easily outrun the others, same thing goes for her flying. That’s why she’s one of the top picked racers in their famed Wonderbolt Derbies.”

Then, the Lieutenant of Ponyville’s Royal Guards wrapped an arm around Roseluck’s shoulders to pull her closely before she pointed a finger to Fleetfoot far away in the pit she was residing. “So keep a close eye on your girl over there, Rose.” she teased lightly, which caused the florist to blush from that claim. “Because if I’m right on what your sexy Wonderbolt has in store for us, I’d say she’s gonna give Lightning Dust the shock of her life!”

Meanwhile, in Team Canterlot’s pit, Fleetfoot was getting herself ready for next race with her usual stretches. As for her teammates, they were watching Lightning’s victory over the first race. While some of them were amazed by the Cloudsdalian’s prowess, but Spitfire wasn’t impressed based off of that impassive, vigilant gaze of hers. After the first race was over, Spitfire turned her head and saw the intense, silent concentration on Fleetfoot’s face in the middle of her stretches. As the leader of the Wonderbolts overlooked her teammate, she recalled on how she first found out about Fleetfoot’s resolve over her upcoming grudge match.

Four Days Ago, in Team Canterlot’s Locker Room…

After Fleetfoot finished her qualification rounds in the 200 and 400-Meter Hurdles, she went back to her locker room to take a quick shower before changing into some clothes. Once she was fully dressed, she closed her door to her locker and is almost startled by the sudden appearance of Spitfire, who was standing right behind the locker’s door before Fleetfoot shut it.

"Mind telling me on what kind of stunt you were pulling off back there?” Spitfire asked sternly with an inquisitive frown and her arms folded underneath each other.

A bit hesitant at first, Fleetfoot answered nonchalantly, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t you dare lie to me, Sergeant Stormwind!” Lieutenant Maverick snapped with ferocious authority as she got up close and personal in front of Fleetfoot’s face. “The others may not have noticed it, but I know full well that you were holding back on purpose when you were competing in the 200 and 400! You know better than to act so arrogantly like that, so you better have a good explanation for that little stunt of yours out there!”

As the two female Wonderbolts engaged in their brief staring contest, Fleetfoot gradually looked down and away from Spitfire’s fierce gaze before she slowly lost her composure. But it wasn’t fear of her commander that was causing her hesitation; it was an assortment of anger and grief that made her tremble before she could mutter out her response.

“It was Lightning Dust…”

“What…?” Spitfire eased up a bit.

“It was Lightning Dust. She was the one who caused Roseluck to slip up in the qualification rounds.”

Her aggressive demeanor vanished from hearing Fleetfoot’s trembling answer as she shifted to one out of concern and puzzlement. “How can you be so sure about that?”

"When I had to put on the air brakes in front of Roseluck, I saw how the bottom of her left shoe was covered in a thin layer of ice. And trust me, it wasn’t natural on a sunny day like that.”

"Hmm… Jupitarian Magic is pretty tricky to track down compared to Titanian Magic.” Spitfire concurred while placing a forefinger on her cheek. “I’m guessing we don’t have any real proof to report this to the Games’ officials, huh?”

Despite on how Fleetfoot wasn’t looking Spitfire in the eye, the orange-haired Wonderbolt noticed a tear streaming out of the lowered head of her white-haired comrade. With the emotionally torn athlete shaking from dealing with her own conflicting feelings, she turned around to hide her grief-stricken face away from Spitfire as she carried on with her openness.

“It’s… it’s not fair for Roseluck. This was her first competition, and she didn’t even get the chance to cross the finish line. You weren’t there to see it yourself, but it really torn my heart to see that sweet girl… crying and feeling so ashamed for an accident that wasn’t her fault in the first place. She was doing so well for herself in her very first race… and that BITCH STOLE IT FROM HER!”

As she emphasize that in a rare display of anger, she channeling all of that negative energy into her right fist and punched a nearby locker with a very loud bang. Spitfire barely flinched from that as she could sympathize on how helpless Fleetfoot felt from all that had happened today. After getting most of that anger out of her systems, the white-haired Wonderbolt wiped away her soft tears and faced her sympathetic friend once more before stating it gently.

“I don’t mind the fact that I had to give up my chance for victory, especially if it’s for someone’s safety.” However, her initial gentleness is swept away by heated determination as she clutched her right fist tightly. “But for what Lightning did to her… to completely humiliate her like that… it’s simply unforgivable! That’s why I swore to myself… to Roseluck… that I will make it into the last two Hurdle Finals! And when I do… I’m going to CRUSH HER.”

As Spitfire stared at the serious glare on Fleetfoot’s face, the lead Wonderbolt let out a heavy sigh before she stated in a calm yet stern tone, “Fleetfoot… I know that I can trust you to not sink at her level when it comes to competitions like this. After all, we’ve got a reputation to uphold here. So when you race in the Hurdle Finals, here are my only orders: DON’T. HOLD. BACK.”

Upon receiving the commands from her superior, Fleetfoot broke in a small smile of satisfaction and followed it up with a salute. “Yes, ma’am!”

As Spitfire finished her recollection, the Games’ announcer, Pinkie Pie, called for all the racers to take their positions for the Final 200-Meter Hurdle. Once she heard that announcement, Fleetfoot got up from her latest stretching and walked over to Shining Armor and Spitfire while bearing a very stern expression on her face.

“Captain… Lieutenant… I’m heading out now.” she said simply.

With a small grin of approval, Spitfire responded, “Go for it, Sergeant.”

“Good luck, Fleetfoot.” said the Team Captain.

With a subtle nod, Fleetfoot walked passed her teammates and headed toward the race tracks. As she left the team’s pit, Shining grew quite concern over his teammate’s unusual personality.

“You know… it’s strange, Spitfire. I know this is her first opportunity to earn herself a medal, but usually, she would still be lighthearted about this. I haven’t seen her being this serious in a long time.”

“That’s because for this race, it’s personal.” she stated knowingly.

Unaware of why Fleetfoot was taking this race personally, he asked with slight hint of worry, “You don’t think she’s going to let that go through her head, do you?”

With a sly, confident smirk, she answered, “Have a little faith in her, Captain. When she’s this serious, they better watch out for her.”

At the lane she was assigned in, Fleetfoot took one last look around the sidelines until her violet eyes met the green, attentive ones of Roseluck. Once their eyes met with each other, the hurdler with the fluffy, white locks took a short break from her stern demeanor as she bore a tender smile to her favorite spectator. Then, the grinning Wonderbolt used her index and midder fingers together from her right hand and offered a small salute to Rose as the smiling florist enthusiastically waved back at her.

“Well well… nice of you to join us at last.” Lightning Dust said from behind.

Just hearing the latest gold medalist talking so arrogantly like that had caused Fleetfoot’s brief, warm smile to drastically shift into a small yet cold frown before she reluctantly turned around and faced the proud cheater.

“You know, it’s kind of a shame for that flower girl to slip up like that.” Lightning pointed out with an all-knowing smirk. “Without you two, I barely had any competition to face in the last race.”

Yeah… lucky you.

Without losing her cool, Fleetfoot reacted with a clever smirk of her own, “Yes, well… if it weren’t for that accident, I sure you wouldn’t have earned that gold medal so easily.”

A bit surprised by that sharp remark, Lightning hid her inner aggravation with sneer as she retorted with faint chuckle, “Ha, maybe if was I racing against you, I can believe that. But for that mere flower girl over there, I doubt she would even come close compared to our league.”

Don’t you dare put me in the same category as you!

“Anyway, good luck.” Lightning smiled as she extended her right hand.

Fleetfoot coldly stared at that mocking hand of her oblivious rival. She was certain that it was the same hand that casted that treacherous ice spell, which caused Roseluck’s initial downfall in the first place. The Wonderbolt was so disgusted by the deceitful sign of sportsmanship that she just wanted to smack it out of her sight for what Lightning had done to Rose. Despite how tempting that idea sounded, she couldn’t let her anger get the best of her as there were more important things to consider.

“Sorry, I’m not in the mood to shake hands right now.” she frigidly dismissed the handshake as she turned away from the perplexed Cloudsdalian.

Especially with scum like you!

While she ignored that “whatever” scowl from Lightning Dust, Fleetfoot reverted back to her coolheaded sense of determination as she fixated her stern gaze on the track she was on. For the 200-meter race she would take part in, it consisted of 16 hurdles in total before the racers could cross the finish line. Compared to what she had to go through with her intense training as a Wonderbolt, this race should be a breeze to her.

“Runners, take your marks!”

On cue, the runners got into position with their feet against the starting blocks and their fingers pressed on the ground.

“Get set!”

Next, they arched their backs and raised their heads up as they prepared to spring into action. Following on the same advice she gave to Roseluck when she first competed, Fleetfoot smiled softly to her recollection from all of the times she used to practice. Without paying any mind to Lightning’s annoying presence and focusing solely on her objection, Fleetfoot was in a perfect state of composure and was more ready to do this… for Roseluck.

BANG!

With the loud sound of Pinkie’s mini party cannon, the next racers launched in full force as the second hurdles match began! Lightning Dust was having a good lead initially, but her cockiness swiftly switched to complete disbelief when the renowned Wonderbolt passed her only after the first few hurdles. The gold-haired Cloudsdalian couldn’t believe this. From their qualification matches, their speed should be on the same level even though Lightning managed get first place in both of them. But in the Final 200-Meter Hurdle, Fleetfoot wasn’t just taking the lead; she was practically leaving everyone in the dust.

Over halfway through the race, Lightning Dust almost didn’t see two more racers passing her. Her bewilderment over Fleetfoot’s unbelievable prowess had somehow caused her to involuntarily slow down with her hurdling. From noticing this huge error from her own distraction, she tried to desperately pick up the pace after completing the sixteenth and final hurdle. But as she was catching up to the third racer, it was already too late. Fleetfoot earned her first gold medal while Lightning Dust only received a simple fourth place instead.

The crowd roared with thunderous cheers at the awesome display of Fleetfoot’s athleticism as the latest gold medalist waved modestly to them. But once her soft gaze fell onto Team Ponyville, the white-haired athlete smiled brightly over Roseluck’s constant cheering as she bounced up and down like a hyperactive kid while she screeched with excitement and grabbed hold of her one of her friends nearby, who shared in her ecstatic enthusiasm.

As the helpers of the Equestria Games prepped the tracks for the 400-Meter Hurdle Finals, the racers went back to the starting line to get ready for the final hurdle event. As they waited it out, Fleetfoot glance at her nearby competitor while doing some quick pre-routine stretches like everyone else. Just as the Wonderbolt had anticipated, Lightning Dust was staring at the laid-back rival with a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger.

“What’s the matter, Lightning?” she asked casually with a tiny, sly smile. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet already.”

Thanks to her sharp eyes, Fleetfoot saw Lightning shivering slightly and her pupil-shrunken eyes growing widely when she heard those two little words from her subtle teasing. Without anything to retort, the shook-up Lightning Dust turned away from Fleetfoot, as the latter gave herself a mental pat on the back for getting the Cloudsdalian all riled up. As for Lightning Dust, she started to crack up from within while trying to contemplate over the Canterlotian’s double meaning.

She couldn’t possibly know anything about that, could she? No, she’s just trying to get under my skin, that’s all! Well, I’m not gonna let her psyche me out this time! I’ll show her… I’ll show them all!

At last, the final hurdle was all set, making the 400-meter race consisted of 32 hurdles in total, and the finish line was repositioned in its proper place. With an “all-clear” signal from the committee, the perky announcer called the racers to take their marks once again. And once they were all set, another loud bang of Pinkie’s mini party cannon was heard, and they were off.

Like in the previous race, the deeply steadfast Fleetfoot once again took the strong lead ahead of everyone else as her long legs jumped over one hurdle after another. However, through her own determination and inner frustration, Lightning Dust pushed to her limits and surprisingly managed to catch up with the Wonderbolt. As the two hurdlers were on par, Lightning smirked on the inside for her efforts as it looked like that all she needed was a push, and she could win this race in the bag.

Halfway through the extensive race however, Fleetfoot regain the lead once again, and she gained a lot more velocity than before. But to Lightning Fast’s horrifying realization, it wasn’t the Wonderbolt’s speed that was increasing; it was her own speed that was decreasing. From overexerting herself in order to best Fleetfoot in the final race, Lightning’s endurance was fading fast as she was falling behind from the unstoppable Canterlotian. Panic and stress filled her mind as her inner thoughts scream out in hysteria.

No… no! This can’t be happening! I can’t be this far out of league from Fleetfoot! I just can’t be!

As doubt continuously filled her mind, she was distracted once more by not paying any attention to her irregular pace or her surroundings. It wasn’t until the twenty-seventh marker that finally snapped her out of her distraction… when she tripped over her own hurdle.

Everything literally came crashing down for her when her foot snagged the upright frame she attempted to leap over, and she slammed into the clay-paved ground. The audience gasped loudly over the Cloudsdalian’s stumble, but that was completely overlooked when Fleetfoot passed the finish line, two times in a row. All of the other hurdlers finished their races while the pitiful Lightning Dust was still lying on the lane and ended up in dead last.

Lightning was a complete mess with herself. While she didn’t receive any serious injuries from that fall, the same cannot be said for her egocentric pride. Never had she felt this humiliated before in all of her life. With tears threatening to break through, Lightning covered her shame by her planting her face to the track she was on, and she repeatedly cursed to herself while constantly slamming her clenched fist on the hard ground.

As the fans and spectators continued their immense cheer, so too was Team Ponyville as Rose screamed in overwhelming joy over Fleetfoot’s victory while she hugged the blue-haired DJ and the grinning Swordswoman.

“SHE DID IT! SHE REALLY DID IT!” the red-haired Eponian squealed in never-ending delight as she constantly bounced in place.

“Heh, was there any doubt?” said Cloud with an all-knowing grin.

“You know, I almost feel bad for Lightning Dust over there.” Vinyl emphasized slyly. “…Almost.”

Then, Roseluck stopped her bouncing as she asked her friends while displaying a nervous, rosy blush on her cheeks, “Umm… girls. Would it be alright if I…?”

With a huge smirk, Cloud Kicker was one step ahead of the bashful florist as the blonde woman answered with a playful wink, “Go ahead, Rose. I’m certain that she would really appreciate the admiration if it came from you, of course.”

Vinyl and the others nodded along in agreement with Cloud Kicker. Smiling with gratitude for her understanding friends, Rose wasted no more time when she turned around and sprinted forward to offer her congrats to the most recent gold medalist.

Meanwhile, in regards with Fleetfoot’s case, her teammates were overly ecstatic on her worthwhile performance as they congratulated the white-haired Wonderbolt for her first two gold medals. However, what was a really nice surprise for her was when Roseluck rushed over and practically tackled her to the ground. As Fleetfoot was pinned down, she looked up and met with the emotional, green eyes and joyous smile of her biggest supporter for her recent races.

“Sorry! I’m just… so happy for you right now!” she beamed ecstatically in a shaky voice as she firmly hugged her friend. “You not only got one, but two gold medals! I knew you were talented to begin with, but... wow! You were incredible out there!”

“Well… would you expect any less from a Wonderbolt?” Fleetfoot playfully smirked in response.

“No, I guess not.” she answered in a hearty chuckle as her excitement and nervous began to die down.

“And besides, I did promise that I would win these races for you, didn’t I? And I intended to deliver on that promise no matter what.” she added with a wink, who received a blushing smile from Roseluck in return.

“Anyway, not wanting to complain here, but do you mind if I get up for a minute?” the latest champion asked with an awkward yet playful grin. “I can’t collect my medals if I’m stuck like this.”

“Oh r-right… of course.” Roseluck replied bashfully as she got up from the floor and helped Fleetfoot up. “Sorry about that. And uhh… congratulations on your first gold medals, Fleetfoot.”

With a tender smile, she responded simply, “Thanks, Rose.” And after that, they went their separate ways: Roseluck went back to her team’s pit, while Fleetfoot went over to the winner’s circle.

At the podium, Princess Celestia was given the honor to present the medals to the winners of the hurdle races. The Princess of the Sun would first start off with the 400-meter event. After distributing the bronze and silver medals to their respective winners, Celestia presented the final medal to Fleetfoot, who smiled with pride from receiving her first gold medal. As for the 200-meter event, not much of the results had changed as Celestia went through the same motions where Fleetfoot earned her second gold medal as well.

Finally, there was the 100-Meter Hurdle as Lightning Dust was the one on the top step of the podium instead of Fleetfoot that time. After being given her medal, Lightning blankly stared at its shiny, gold reflection. She should be happy to finally receive one for herself, but behind that fake smile that was staring right back at her, she wasn’t. To the rest of the winners, they received great praise from the audience. But through her ears, those praises felt empty and all she could make out was nothing but pity for her inexcusable stumble earlier. Ignoring the mocking applause from the crowd around her, all she could think about was the very person responsible for her disgrace.

In one of the stadium’s hallways, Fleetfoot was on her way to her locker room to earn herself a nice, hot shower. Unfortunately, that would have to wait as there was someone behind her who had some unfinished business with her.

“Fleetfoot!”

Grudgingly, the Wonderbolt turned around and faced the severely aggravated Lightning Dust, who was letting a heavy stomp with each stride she was taking toward the disinterested athlete.

“You held back on purpose during the qualification rounds, didn’t you?!” she screeched in front of Fleetfoot’s deadpan face.

“So, you finally figured it out, did you?” she mockingly praised the agitated athlete.

“Why?” she asked in a low growl.

“For what you did back when we first competed.”

“H-hey, I had nothing to do with that!” Lightning retorted with slight hesitation. “It was that stupid flower girl’s fault--!”

“Don’t give me that crap!” Fleetfoot interrupted with an accusing forefinger pointed at Lightning. “I’ve been trained to know the vast usages of Jupitarian Magic! From the moment I saw ice on Roseluck’s left shoe, I knew it was you since your lane was right next to hers!”

How do they keep on knowing about this?! the Cloudsdalian dreadfully scold herself.

Not ready to confess her sin in sportsmanship, Lightning masked her quivering with a twisted grin as she pointed something out, “Oh, if that were true, wouldn't you have reported that to the committee beforehand? How can prove your wild accusations on me when you don’t have any proof to begin with, hmm?”

Fleetfoot was not impressed with how Lightning was trying to weasel her way with that pathetic turnabout, so she shrugged casually and responded with an all-knowing grin, “Maybe not, but I did the next best thing by knocking you down a peg or two in the finals. Of course, I couldn’t take all of the credit for myself. After all, you were the one who made a complete fool of yourself out there, not me.”

Seeing how the flabbergasted Lightning Dust could do nothing except grit her own teeth, Fleetfoot turned around and resumed her steady walk toward her locker room. With her teeth grinning harshly, Lightning didn’t want to end their confrontation like this if it would make the Wonderbolt look like a better person in the end.

“Don’t think this is over between us!” she ranted out loud to Fleetfoot which did little to diminish her march. “You and that little slut of yours!”

From hearing that unpleasant slur, Fleetfoot stopped all of a sudden. But she didn’t turn around to face that smirking coward just yet. Instead, she swiftly swung her right clenched fist back, and a sudden, strong gust of wind projected out of that backhand before it slammed Lightning Dust into a wall! Before Lightning could even touch the floor, the silent soldier grabbed the Cloudsdalian by one of the uniform’s shoulder straps and re-pinned her to the wall. From the moment Lightning made eye contact with Fleetfoot, she was immediately paralyzed by the Wonderbolt’s severely cold, fuschia eyes.

“Don’t you ever refer to Roseluck like that ever again. You got that?” Fleetfoot demanded in a seriously pissed-off tone. Lightning Dust was shivering not just from staring at Fleetfoot’s war face, but from feeling the unnaturally cold hand that was gripping her uniform as the crackling ice slowly crept downward while the white-haired aggressor continued.

“Because from now on, I’m keeping a very close eye on you, Lightning. So you better watch yourself for the rest of the competitions because If you even attempt to cheat, harass, or cause harm to her like last time, then the committee will have to get in line before I’m done with you first.”

Throughout that grave threat, Lightning’s petrified eyes kept switching between Fleetfoot’s cold, sharp eyes and the creeping ice that was getting close to the bare skin of her shoulder. With nothing more to add, Fleetfoot’s freezing hand let go of the uniform before the terrified athlete landed harshly on her ass as the cold shoulder strap made a sickly smack against her skin. After Lightning frantically shook off the excessive ice off of her shoulder, she sharply looked back and saw Fleetfoot walking away again.

“You think you can act all tough just because you’re a Wonderbolt?!” she angrily called out to her while she got up from the floor. “I’m not some newb you can look down on! I’m just as good as anyone of you stuck-ups out there! And I’ve got this to prove it!” Lightning said with shaky conviction as she pulled out her only gold medal.

With a turn of her head, Fleetfoot looked back and responded with cold disinterest, "How? By cheating and eliminating the two best racers who might rob you of your 'precious victory?' Yeah, I'm sure your friends and family will be so proud of you once you explain it to them! You may have gotten yourself a gold medal in the end, but I earned these two with honor!” she pointed out as she dangled her two shiny, gold medals. “Something in which you surely lack at this point! But hey, why should that matter to you? The ends justified the means, right?”

As Fleetfoot was about to resume her walk once again, she added one last thing to Lightning while displaying a sly smile on her face, “Oh, I almost forgot! Congratulations on your first gold medal by the way! You definitely earned it!"

Once again, the Canterlotian left the conflicted Lightning Dust to her own bitter thoughts as she continued her leisurely walk toward the locker room. Other than her own casual footsteps, all Fleetfoot could hear in the vacant hallway behind her is the clanging sound of a piece of metal being dropped on the floor harshly and a short, aggravating cry that echoed for a brief period of time. Those two little sounds are enough to put a huge smile on her self-satisfied face.

Chapter 6 – Blitz-ball, Game 2: Canterlot vs. Neigh Orleans

After the exciting opening match where Ponyville emerged victorious over Cloudsdale just by one point, Roseluck and the other players went back to rejoin with the rest of the team so they could rejoice over the underdogs’ victory. As their celebration came to a close, they heard Pinkie Pie announcing the next matchup in the Blitz-ball Tournament.

“WOO-HOO!! What an amazing finale that was, folks! Well, I hope you’re still glued to the edge of your seats, because we have time for one more match in our Blitz-ball Tournament: Canterlot versus Neigh Orleans! And if you’re still stuck to your seats after that, well… call for a medical personal immediately. Ahem, now then… Team Canterlot and Team Neigh Orleans! COME ON DOWN!”

As the next two teams entered the arena, Cloud Kicker playfully informed her florist friend, “Heh, looks like you’re in luck, Rose. You get to see your girlfriend in action twice in one day.”

With a predictable blush, Roseluck stammered in mild annoyance, “Sh-sh-she’s not my girlfriend, Kicker!”

“Rrrrright…” was all Cloud could say with a very wide, all-knowing smirk as some of the other teammates mirrored that shrewd expression of hers. Ignoring their teasing, Roseluck fixated her gaze onto the field and tried to spot Fleetfoot onto the playing field.

“Hey, look over there!” Allie Way pointed something out. “Trixie is the Magic Player for her team!”

“Huh, I hardly recognize her without her hat and cape on.” Vinyl Scratch commented casually.

Meanwhile, on one side of the sports ground, the white-haired Titanian with her light blue uniform and a blue band around her waist that represented her position as the team’s Magic Player was shuddering to herself as she complained lightly, “Ugh! The Great and Powerful Trixie feels utterly naked without her trademark attire! Sigh... but like any good entertainer, Trixie will have to make due with what she can get, and she certainly can’t leave her fans disappointed without putting on a spectacular performance for them!”

On the other side of the field, the four players from Team Canterlot entered the area as they took their starting positions. The team’s captain, Shining Armor, took up as their goalkeeper. Spitfire as the Wing Player. Soarin as the Ground Player. And lastly, to Roseluck’s delight, Fleetfoot as the Magic Player.

“Ho-hoo!” Cloud grinned over this. “It looks like they’re already bringing out the big guns for this one.”

“Wait, I get that Soarin is the Ground Player for the team and Spitfire is the Wing Player. But why is Fleetfoot a Magic Player?” Raindrops asked as she pointed to the Magic Player blue band that was wrapped around Fleetfoot’s waist. “Wouldn’t Shining Armor be a better substitute?”

“Trust me, with the boss as their goalkeeper, there’s no one else better for that task than him.” Cloud answered in a perceptive manner. “And unlike the other two Wonderbolts, Fleetfoot’s Jupitarian Magic can be very versatile, whether it’s on the battlefield or on the playing field.”

“How versatile are we talking about?” Roseluck inquired with deep curiosity.

Without giving too much away, Cloud broke into an all-knowing smile and replied shrewdly, “You’ll see.”

In the central ring, Fleetfoot faced off with Trixie. With the players in position, the goal rings glowed upon activation, and the Magic Players leaned forward in preparation for the opening throw-in. With the players and referees ready, Pinkie Pie launched the maroon-colored ball from her cannon as it lobbed across the field before landing right between the white-haired athletes. As soon as the ball landed on the ground, the bell ringed out, which signaled the beginning of the second match.

After the leather ball’s rebound, Trixie quickly seized it above her head with the use of her magic. However, with a wave of her hand, Fleetfoot created a small yet strong gust of wind as it knocked the ball right out of Trixie’s magical grasp. While the masterful illusionist was briefly stunned by that steal, Fleetfoot wasted no time in this fast-paced game as her strong legs conjured up some miniature cyclones and mightily sprung over Trixie’s head.

Neigh Orleans’ Wing Player was about to retrieve it, but Spitfire beat her flying opponent to it as she intercepted the throw. Then, the Wonderbolt flyer passed it to Soarin as he carried the ball forward. The opposing Ground Player tried to tackle Soarin, but it did little to stop his charge before he threw it to Fleetfoot, who caught it within her small twister.

Without losing her advancement toward the goal line, Fleetfoot passed it Spitfire, who quickly took a shot at the top-right yellow ring. Neigh Orleans’ Jupitarian goalkeeper flew up and stands ready to intercept the shot. But to the goalkeeper and spectators’ surprise, the hurled ball was suddenly redirected by Fleetfoot’s swift, magical current at it headed for the lone, blue ring.

“WOWIE-ZOWIE!” Pinkie Pie broadcasted gleefully. “It’s only been twenty seconds, and Canterlot scored the first point of the game! And what’s even more astounding is Fleetfoot’s swift save as she redirected the shot into the other ring!”

After the ball was turned over to Neigh Orleans, they pressed forward as they kept passing the ball back and forth between the players. In-between the pass however, it was incompleted when Fleetfoot used her wind powers to thrust it toward Spitfire. Soon, the bell started to chime as a sign to the first change of the goal ring’s color change before Spitfire passed it Soarin. Once the third ring was heard from the bell, the blue-haired Wonderbolt flung it to Fleetfoot, who was closer to the goal rings. With a quick spin, her gusty magic launched the sphere toward the blue ring.

However, after the bell’s sixth and final chime, the ring she was aiming at changed to a different color, much to the goalkeeper’s relief. Noticing this sudden change quickly enough, Fleetfoot still had control over her magic that wrapped around thrown ball and hastily directed it in a semi-circular pathway before it was casted into the recently changed goal ring that matched the proper color to the Wing Player.

“Unbelievable!” Pinkie screeched out with wild excitement. “In less than a minute, Fleetfoot pulled off another save and earned three points within three seconds after the first change of the rings’ colors!”

As Fleetfoot went to the other Wonderbolts before they give each other high-fives, Roseluck and the rest of her friends stared at their favored team with complete astonishment over the quick lead that Fleetfoot pulled off recently.

“Incredible!” said Allie in amazement. “Her use of Jupitarian Magic is beyond that of Cloudsdale’s Magic Player in the last game!”

“Yep.” Cloud Kicker smirked with proud over that fact. “Because of her mastery over wind, Fleetfoot is an invaluable player due to how she could swiftly turn the tides of this game into her favor.”

“Not just that, but their teamwork is truly astonishing!” Vinyl added with a grin. “The Wonderbolts really do live up to their names!”

As for Roseluck, she was surely impressed by Fleetfoot’s remarkable feats as a professional athlete. And since this match had just begun, the Eponian couldn’t wait to see what her favorite Wonderbolt can do for the rest of the competition.

Canterlot: 21 Neigh Orleans: 0

It was the end of the first quarter, and the players of Neigh Orleans haven’t scored their first goal just yet. Even when they were able to break through the Wonderbolt’s defense, the indomitable Shining Armor was a challenging goalkeeper to bypass due to how his hands can conjure up two large energy shields that can block just about any shot. In the middle of the 2-minute break, the struggling team contemplated on what to do for the next quarter.

“This is impossible!” One teammate complained in a tiring voice. “How are we supposed to score when their goalkeeper can conjure up the strongest defense in Equestria?”

With a mild harrumph, Trixie commented, “Trixie didn’t expect you fools to throw in the towel already!”

Tired of Trixie’s self-righteous attitude, another player retorted, “Well… if you can do better than either one of us, then by all means, enlighten us, O' Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Ignoring the sarcastic quip from one of her teammates, Trixie responded with a sly, cocky smile, “Ask and ye shall receive! But first, Trixie is going to need a volunteer…!”

For the second quarter, Neigh Orleans was fortunate enough to get the ball first. Once the ball was in Trixie’s possession, she passed by her team’s Ground Player and quickly launched it toward her respective ring. Unfortunately, Shining Armor already saw in the incoming projectile and had one of his shields ready to block it. But upon impact, the ball miraculously passed through his defensive magic. As Shining blinked in surprised by Trixie’s fazing shot, everyone suddenly heard the horn that indicated Neigh Orlean’s first score.

Looking behind his back, Shining saw one the brown-colored rings glowing rapidly as the Ground Player, who passed Trixie a few seconds ago, stood next to it with a victorious smile. Upon his recollection with his Magic Duel with the sly illusionist, Shining understood the mastermind’s real intent as Pinkie Pie explained it to the awestricken audience while Trixie grinned and waved toward the surrounding crowd.

“In case you just missed it, Trixie Lulamoon passed her teammate earlier and created a magical replica of the ball that she was carrying before passing it to the other player, who scored the first goal for Neigh Orleans! This brilliant fake-out for Team Neigh Orleans was all thanks to Trixie!”

“Ahem! That’s Great and Powerful Trixie mind you!” the attention-seeker called out from down below.

“Fine fine! I’ll keep that in mind next time!” Pinkie dismissed that notion with a casual wave of her hand. “Yeesh, what a bragger!”

From hearing that muttering comment thanks to the surround speakers, Trixie snapped out loud, “What was that?!”

Slightly embarrassed by that slipup, Pinkie reassured with a semi-innocent smile, “O-oh nothing, O' Great and Power Trixie! Nothing at all! Note to self: be careful what you say in front of the megaphone next time. Oh, and as a friendly reminder, Magic Players can use any form of magic as long as it doesn’t cause any serious injury to the other players. So the tactic that Trixie demonstrated is perfectly acceptable according to the game’s rules.”

“Hey! If you going to praise Trixie, get the title right this time!” the white-haired magician nitpicked loudly.

Through mocking ignorance, the perky announcer reacted with a hand over her ear, “Hmm… what was that?! I can’t hear you from hundreds of feet in the air while I’m on my personal blimp up here!”

“You just heard me awhile ago!”

“Any who… enough jibber-jabbering!” she putted a hold on their squabble as she wanted to refocus on match itself. “It’s Canterlot’s turn to go on the offense now!”

With a subtle grump, Trixie got into position with the rest of her team as they get ready for Wonderbolts’ assault once again. With the help of their star player, Neigh Orleans still had a fighting chance to go up against the best of the best from Canterlot.

Over the course of another exciting match, the audience constantly cheered for the clashing teams. More specifically, they were cheering for the two opposing Magic Players: Canterlot’s Fleetfoot and Neigh Orleans’ Trixie.

Thanks to Fleetfoot’s extraordinary control over wind, she could be quite nimble on the ground as well as in the air. Her unique method of aerial mobility could even keep up with Spitfire’s flying. Also, with her wind manipulation, she could extend her reach to retrieve and intercept the ball. Plus, if the ball was imbued with her Jupitarian Magic, she could easily control its trajectory with her unnaturally curve throws. Other than boosting her own capabilities as a ball receiver, runner, and thrower, she served as a valuable assist to her players, such as providing a temporary spring for Soarin so he could keep up with Fleetfoot and Spitire.

As for Trixie, her biggest advantage over Canterlot regarding with her own magical abilities was to provide distractions and confusions, which can break up the Wonderbolts’ legendary coordination. Other than fake-outs, her tricks include smokescreens to conceal the ball and players’ location. In the midst of a smokescreen, she could imbue her own eyes with magic to see through the smoke in order to retrieve the ball with ease. As for her own goal shots, she could create a multitude of duplicates when she casted her original shot to make it more unpredictable. Along with that, her magic-imbued throws could spiral in various fashions to make them even more unpredictable, which can bypass Shining’s well-known defenses.

Canterlot: 53 Neigh Orleans: 50

During the final quarter’s last minute of the intense match, Neigh Orleans was starting to catch up. And in the middle of the game’s final stretch, there was a fumble where Spitfire, Soarin, and Trixie were caught in one of the later’s smokescreens. Eventually, Soarin got the ball and exited out of the glittering smoking. However, he heard a familiar voice calling out to her.

“Soarin! Above you!”

Looking above, he saw a hovering Spitfire with her arms extended outward as she anxiously waited for the pass. With his time nearly up, he flung the ball upward. But just right after that, he heard the same voice coming from the smokescreen behind him.

“No, Soarin! Don’t!”

To Soarin’s surprise, another Spitfire rose from the smoke as she was too late to warn him. Once the first Spitfire retrieved the ball with the use of unforeseen levitation, she smirked to the baffled Ground Player and threw it to a player from Neigh Orleans. With her diversion completed, she cancelled her disguise with a poof of smoke and revealed herself as the proud Trixie, who was able to levitate herself with a brief hovering spell.

After she cancelled her short-lived self-levitation, Trixie ran by the mystified Soarin and playfully patted him on the shoulder while gratifying with a sarcastic grin, “Thank you, Soarin~!”

Seconds later, Trixie managed to catch up with the rest of her team before the Wing Player passed the ball to her. As soon as that pass was completed, Trixie was confronted by Fleetfoot after she landed in front of the forward illusionist. At once, Trixie summoned another magical puff of smoke, and out of the latest concealment, there were five smirking Trixies, each of them carrying their own levitated ball.

Without delay, Fleetfoot spread her arms widely and crossed them over in a swift, sweeping fashion. With a mighty wave of her hands, Fleetfoot literally blew away the competition as it knocked down the real Trixie and her ball while also destroying her shadow duplicates.

With the ball fumbling out of Trixie’s magical grasp, Fleetfoot noticed the final warning for the last color change before the game is official over. As soon as she picked up the ball with her wind magic, the blue ring switched from the lower-left goal to the central one. Quick as the whip, Fleetfoot launched the ball like an air cannon as it whistled across the field. Even the opposing goalkeeper won’t dare touch that screeching ball and instinctively cowered away from it. And in the very last second of the match, the spiraling ball aimed its mark and tallied up the last three points for Team Canterlot.

FINAL SCORE:

Canterlot: 56 Neigh Orleans: 50

CANTERLOT WINS!!

The audience applauded ecstatically as Team Canterlot gave each other a big group hug over their recent victory. In the midst of their celebratory embrace, Fleetfoot picked up a familiar, high-pitched cry of joy. Facing that welcoming cheer, the white-haired Wonderbolt smiled upon seeing the cute, squealing face of her number-one fan from Team Ponyville.

“YAAAAY! WAY TO GO, FLEETFOOT! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!”

As her cheerful screeching began to settle down, Roseluck abruptly ended her excitement when she noticed the shrewd, smiling faces of Cloud Kicker, Vinyl Scratch, and the others. Filled with sudden embarrassment from facing the presences of her gawking friends, Roseluck blushed immensely on her over-the-top enthusiasm as she cleared her throat before restating her cheer in a much quieter manner.

“Ahem… I mean… yay!”

After seeing Rose blushing as usual, Fleetfoot then turned to her attention to Trixie, who was still lying on her back on the ground after the Wonderbolt knocked the wind out of her. With her unrestricted wings, Fleetfoot flew up to the staggered magician before offering a hand to her.

“Here, let me give you a hand, Trixie.”

Reluctantly, Trixie accepted the friendly gesture as Fleetfoot pulled her up while the star player of Neigh Orleans groaned lightly in disappointment with herself, “Sigh… Trixie never thought that her first act in this tournament would be her only act as well.”

“Well… if it means anything, you certainly put on quite a good show out there.” Fleetfoot responded sincerely as she extended her hand once again for a friendly handshake.

Humbly, Trixie accepted it as she commended with a smile, “Thanks… you weren’t so bad yourself.”

After a good handshake between the two Magic Players, Fleetfoot still locked her grip around Trixie’s hand before she raised it up high and announced to the cheering crowd, “Hey, let’s give it up for the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

While Trixie was greatly startled by the Wonderbolt’s open broadcast, the audience offered a rolling applause for the magician’s efforts. Despite receiving such overwhelming praise, Trixie was completely flabbergasted by Fleetfoot’s good intentions.

“Wh-what are you--?”

“Just thought you deserve a standing ovation, that’s all.” Fleetfoot winked at her.

As a way to show her gratitude, Trixie silently signaled Fleetfoot to follow her lead as both of them bowed graciously before the applauding audience. As the two female athletes continued their bowing to each side of the stadium, Team Ponyville smiled over the welcoming sportsmanship between the two.

“Well, that certainly was a close match, won’t you say?” Cloud Kicker asked.

“Yeah, Trixie may be a bit of a showoff, but she got some brain and skills to back it up.” Vinyl admitted with an appealing grin.

With a soft smile of relief, Roseluck added, “I’m just thankful that Fleetfoot’s team managed to pull through and win this match.”

“I wouldn’t be counting my blessings just yet, Rose.” Vinyl responded in a less laidback tone.

“Why’s that?”

“Because if things go accordingly, we might have to face them in the finals once more.”

Rose’s cheerful mood was replaced with urgent concern after Vinyl Scratch mentioned that. It’s true that this Blitz-ball Tournament was far from over just yet. Ponyville may have eliminated Cloudsdale in their previous match, but at some point, they may have to face off Canterlot in the finals just like Vinyl said. And it’s from there where Roseluck would have to go head-to-head with Fleetfoot once again. The question she had to ask herself was will she be able to give it her all when that day comes?

Chapter 7 – The Delicate Touch

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Chapter 8 – Out to Lunch

After a leisurely walk throughout Ponyville, Roseluck and Fleetfoot arrived at their destination: the Clover Café that the red-haired florist recommended to the Jupitarian earlier. Like all the other houses around town, the café had that rustic charm to it with its timber-framed structure and thatched roofs that overhanged the upper floors. The green-framed restaurant was decorated with many colorful plants that occupied nearly every window and main entrance, and it featured an outdoor seating with a retractable canopy over its seated guests. In the back of the cozy, cottage-like café, a cobblestoned chimney rose above the rooftop as its soft smoke carried a hint of deliciously baked bread.

With their hunger calling them forward from taking in the whiff of that oven-baked bread, Roseluck led the equally famished Fleetfoot inside. To their surprise however, the entire café was packed with a huge mass of people. Every table inside and outside was already filled up, and there were over a dozen more customers waiting in the lobby for the next one available.

After going up to the headwaiter’s counter to ask for how long the waiting time was going to be, Roseluck went back to Fleetfoot with a disappointed look on her face as she informed her, “Well… apparently it would take about an hour before they can get a table ready for us. If you don’t want to wait for that long, we can always try somewhere else.”

After contemplating on how to turn this situation around for Rose’s sake, Fleetfoot broke into a devious smile and countered in response, “Or… we could speed things up and get a table right away.”

“How?” Roseluck perplexed. “There’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Oh no?” the Wonderbolt grinned knowingly as she pulled out her unique, purple shades and coolly placed them over her eyes. “Watch and learn.”

As the smirking Jupitarian strut over in a poise manner with her timid, Eponian friend following behind her, she casually leaned against the attendant’s counter with a left arm laid on top of it and her legs crossed over in a very cool posture.

“Hello, may I help you with something?” the puzzled headwaiter asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, hi there.” she greeted him with a carefree smile. “What’s your name, pal?”

“Umm… Caesar, ma’am.”

“Well Caesar… maybe we haven’t properly introduced ourselves.” she continued with a happy-go-lucky smile as she lowered her shades with her piercing, fuschia eyes staring at him. “The name’s Fleetfoot. Fleetfoot Stormwind. Nice to meet ya.”

From hearing that cheery introduction, Caesar’s eyes bulged greatly at the mere mention of Fleetfoot’s name as the nearby attendants and customers were just as surprised as he was. Flabbergasted to be in the presence of a celebrity, Caesar stumbled over his response, “Fl-Fl-Fleetfoot? As the THE Fleetfoot of the Wonderbolts?”

“Last time I checked.” she replied as she nonchalantly rubbed her right fist against her jacket before looking at it. “So yeah, I’m new around here, but I heard so many good things about this place.”

“R-really?” he stammered with a growing smile of astonishment.

“Yep! And it’s thanks to my new friend you met earlier, Roseluck Greentouch!” she verified happily as she firmly reeled Roseluck in with her right arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“What are you doing?” Rose whispered in embarrassment.

“Just play it cool, Rose.” Fleetfoot assured her quietly. “I’ve got this.” Then, she turned her attendance back to Caesar as everyone else listened in on their conversation. “Yes, that’s right! THE Roseluck! You know, one of rising superstars of Team Ponyville? Gold medalist of the Rhythmic Gymnastics? Anyway, you’ll have to forgive her for not verifying that earlier. She can be a bit shy sometimes.”

Ignoring the subtle growling from the embarrassed florist next to her, Fleetfoot carried on with a crafty smile, “Anywho, Roseluck informed me that this is one of her favorite places to eat around here. I’m quite surprised that you didn’t recognize her since she’s one of your regular customers.” she teased lightly as Caesar was slightly ashamed for not recognizing the red-haired Eponian earlier. “And from the way she was describing on how everything you serve here is truly delicious, I was really looking forward to having a nice meal today. But seeing how all of your tables are filled up at the moment, I’m afraid that I may never get that opportunity to experience your renowned cuisine at this time. Sigh… Oh well… I guess we’ll have to eat somewhere else. Come on, Rose.” she dismayed exaggeratedly in front of the apprehensive attendant before she turned around and led the baffled Roseluck toward to exit.

“Why are we turning around now?” Rose inquired softly. “How is this supposed to help us get a table?”

“Wait for it~!” Fleetfoot reassured slyly as they steadily made their toward the café’s exit.

And at the right moment, Caesar frantically called out to the two ladies, “Excuse me, Miss Fleetfoot?”

With a slow turn of her body, Fleetfoot looked over her shoulder and articulated shrewdly, “Yeeeeesss?”

After he quickly conversed with one of the attentive waiters, Caesar was willing to work out some kind of deal with the two female athletes. “If you can just give us a few minutes, I believe we can get a table ready for you and Miss Roseluck!”

Satisfied over everything going according to plan, Fleetfoot replied with a victorious smile on her face, “Great! Could you make sure that table gives us some privacy as well?” After Caesar whispered something into the waiter’s ear before he quickly sent that person off to fulfill his duty, he hastily nodded back to Fleetfoot. “Thanks! And if everything meets to our expectations, I’ll definitely put in a good word with my Wonderbolt friends back at HQ, okay?” she guaranteed gleefully while lowering her shades and winking to the edgy yet smiling Caesar.

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

Once that was finally settled, Fleetfoot and Roseluck eyed the crowd that was waiting in line for their next number to be call up. To Rose’s surprise, they didn’t seem to object the two competitors from getting a table before them. Still, the humble, red-haired Eponian felt a little bad for being part in Fleetfoot’s grand scheme of things. With the awestricken, speechless customers surrounding Rose and Fleetfoot, the latter grinned wildly as she figured out a way to kill some time and offer something in return for those who were still waiting.

“So in the meantime… who wants an autograph from their favorite athletes?!”

While Roseluck was surprised from hearing that overly generous offer from Fleetfoot, nearly everyone else got up from their seats as they didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity from the Games’ rising superstars by encircling the two and practically begging for any pictures and signatures they can take. Despite feeling a bit intimidated by the surrounding fans, Roseluck was happy to do her duty as a local celebrity and gladly joined with Fleetfoot in the merriment.

A few minutes later, Fleetfoot and Roseluck’s table was all set just like Caesar promised, and they said goodbye to their new fans before the two are led to their table. As they made their way, Rose couldn’t help herself from smirking as she playfully scolded the Wonderbolt, “You know, that was pretty shrewd of you to cut in front of everyone like that.”

In response, the silver-tongued Fleetfoot shrugged with a smirk that matched with her counterpart’s, “I didn’t hear you making any objections beforehand.”

“Heh, and here I thought that you were supposed to be an aspiring role model.” she retorts with a lighthearted chuckle.

“Eh, you know what they say: when you got it, flaunt it!”

Once Roseluck and Fleetfoot got to their table that was right next to a window and away from most of the other seated tables, they took the time to order their drinks first: freshly brewed iced tea for Roseluck, and iced water for Fleetfoot. Following with the drinks they received, the two athletes were able to decide on what they wanted for their lunch, and their waitress jotted their orders down quickly before taking her leave, which left the two to carry on with their conversations.

“So… what’s it like being a Wonderbolt?” Roseluck asked with curious delight.

“Well for one thing, it’s very demanding.” Fleetfoot exaggerated in a light chuckle. “Whether it’s through training, publicity, show performances, or military duties, there’s hardly any moment of rest and relaxation for either one of us.”

The Eponian blinked from hearing how exhausting it can be for the Jupitarian before she sympathized with a petite smile, “Wow… when you put it that way, I guess even fame has its own price, huh?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I love being a Wonderbolt, and I’m proud to do my duty for my country. But I didn’t do it for all the fame and attention.”

Surprised to hear that, Roseluck asked, “Well then, why did you join the Wonderbolts in the first place?”

“Actually, it was Spitfire who insisted that I join up with her.”

“Really?” Rose responded in slight astonishment.

“Yep! Me and Spitfire go way back since flight camp. We’re pretty much like sisters, even when we were little kids. Always roughhousing, teasing each other, competing in every activity imagined. Sigh… good times.” she reminisced with a warm, amusing smile. “Nevertheless, we would always have each other’s back no matter what. In fact, she’s like my big sister since I would always look up to her for advice and encouragement.”

“Well that explains why your hairstyles are so similar to one and another.” she stated with a giggling grin.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Fleetfoot agreed in a chuckle while brushing her white, fluffy hair through her fingers. “And for the record: I came up with this cool style first before she did. Just so you know firsthand in case Spitfire says otherwise.”

“Right…” Roseluck dismissed that claim with an amusing smile.

“Anyway, if it wasn’t for her, I may have never been able to overcome my shyness back then, and it’s because of her persistence that I joined the Wonderbolts along with her.”

“You know, it’s funny that you would talk about Spitfire like that. Because that’s how I see Lily and Daisy back at the flower shop.”

“Oh yeah, Lily said to me earlier that you are like a little sister to them.”

“Well… that isn’t too far from the truth. Though there were times where I wish they wouldn’t baby me so much.” she vaguely grumbled to herself before recollecting with a warmer smile. “In any case, they’ve always been like family to me ever since I was little. Lily would be the more mature, big sister who would handle the bigger responsibilities like business and financing, and Daisy would be the middle child who knows on how to cheer someone up. It was through our love of gardening that led us to share the same house together as well as to set up our flower shop right next to it.”

“And where does your dancing and gymnastics come into play?”

“I guess ever since I was a little girl. With ballet especially, I get the chance to be more… expressive with myself. Other than tending to my flowers, dancing allows me to unwind without having my worries get to me so easily.”

“Even when you perform in front of hundreds of people?” Fleetfoot asked in amazement.

“Even if that’s the case… once I get into the zone, I don’t let that stop me until the very end!” Roseluck answered with conviction.

Astonished to hear this from the usually timid flower girl, Fleetfoot broke into a hearty giggle as she commended Rose, “You know, if you were born as a Jupitarian, I would have recommended you a position in the Wonderbolts right on the spot!”

“Oh, stop that, Fleetfoot!” she smiled humbly as she flushed a little. “You’re making me blush!”

“I’m serious! With you as a choreographer, you can probably make headlines right away after your first Wonderbolts performance! And besides, I’ve seen your certified level on concentration from your hurdle qualification and Rhythmic Gymnastics. People may look down on you for various reasons, but trust me when I say this: you’re definitely no amateur when you compare it to the other athletes out there!”

Almost getting choked up by the Fleetfoot’s constant praise over her, Rose broke in a spontaneous chuckle as she responded, “That’s awfully nice of you to say, but flattery will get you nowhere, Fleetfoot.”

“Eh… worth a try. But if you ever grow a pair of wings someday and you want to reconsider, send me a letter next time.” she winked with a witty smile.

Less than half of an hour later, their waitress brought back their ordered meals. Each of them ordered a small cup of soup and a lunch entrée. For Roseluck, she ordered a cup of carrot soup with just the right amount of curry spice and lightly grilled chicken salad that’s mixed with slices of succulent apples and dried cranberries. As for Fleetfoot, she had a cup of creamy tomato basil soup and a turkey burger with melted, white cheddar cheese on lightly toasted buns that’s served with a generous portion of sweet potato fries.

Starting with their soups first, Fleetfoot took a spoonful of hers and savored its rich creaminess. “Mmmm… this soup is really good! How’s yours?”

After taking a small, delicate sip of her soup, Roseluck nodded, “Mine’s pretty good too. Though it might be a bit too hot for my taste.”

“Here. Allow me.” Fleetfoot insisted as she brings her right hand up.

With a simple flick of her wrist, her fingers conjured up a very small, wispy tornado before it gently glided toward Roseluck’s soup. Stationed above the orange-colored soup, the miniature cyclone carefully swirled around the liquid surface to provide cool air to its substance without letting it spill over the table. Once its work was done, the tiny twister disappeared as the carrot curry soup emitted less steam than before.

“Better?” Fleetfoot asked with a positive smile.

After swallowing up another sample of her soup, Rose smiled widely on how less hot it was and scooped up a larger spoonful to thoroughly enjoy its flavor. “Mmm… much better. Thank you.”

“No problem, Rose.”

As they continued to savor the rest of their soups, Roseluck conversed with her guest, “It must be really nice to have Jupitarian powers like yours, Fleetfoot. With magic like that, you can practically control the weather! If I had powers like that, it would certainly make my job easier when it comes to taking care of the plants.”

“It is kind of cool I guess, but I mostly enjoy the aspects of flying just like any Wonderbolt would. And besides… it’s not like I have complete control over everything else.” As she said that last line with subtle discouragement, she looked at her hands with a soft sigh as Roseluck pondered on Fleetfoot’s sudden distraction. After noticing her counterpart’s curiosity, Fleetfoot displayed a friendlier smile and shook her head while saying, “Anyway, enough about me. I wanna hear about your magic instead, Rose.”

Surprised to hear that request, Roseluck inquired, “Well… what would you like to know about my Eponian Magic?”

While munching on her delicious turkey burger, Fleetfoot restated herself, “Well for starters, maybe you can explain to me on how your magic works.”

“Oh, my magic is nothing special compared to yours.” she hesitated on considering that request. “I’m sure you don’t want me to go over it in great detail.”

“Of course I do, Roseluck.” she insisted warmly. “I really want to know more about it.” Then, she leaned across the table as she pleaded with her puppy-dog eyes and pouty, quivering lips, “Pretty please?”

Unable to resist such a cute face from Fleetfoot, Roseluck giggled with a smile and concurred, “Okay… since you insist. First off, as a Jupitarian, how does your magic work?”

“Well… we can control the weather around us through the environment’s air, water, or temperature. And through a combination of those elements, we can shape them into various elemental spells such as lightning, ice, or clouds.”

“So, regarding with Titanians, they can shape the space inside their magic auras, correct?”

“Yes, that sounds right. Why do you ask?”

“In that case, what do Eponians shape in regards with their own magic?”

Fleetfoot took a while to figure out the answer for herself as Roseluck patiently allowed the Wonderbolt to take her time. As Fleetfoot recalled on how immensely strong the Eponians usually are, she came up with her best guess and answered sheepishly, “Their… bodies?”

“Yes, exactly!” Roseluck confirmed ecstatically as Fleetfoot smiled to herself on getting the answer right on her first try. “Of course, with Eponian Magic, it’s very passive compared to the other two. You see, our inner magic mostly reacts on its own due to our survival instincts, so it allows us to exceed limits beyond that of any normal human being. Whether it’s by running faster, making our skins harder, or lifting stronger weights than usual. So for Applejack’s case, it’s not just her farming routine that makes her so implausibly strong, it’s her immense Eponian Magic that makes her that way.”

“I get it.” Fleetfoot nodded as she was enlightened by this concept. “The more Eponian Magic you have, the higher your physical limitations are.”

“That’s right. But there’s another side to our magic that some people tend to forget.” Roseluck pointed it out as she worked on her chicken salad. “Through the blessings of our Nature Mare, Epona, we are more in touch with our surroundings, both figuratively and literally.”

“Yeah, I heard that Eponian farmers can produce some of the finest crops in all of the land, but how does that work exactly?” she contemplated before taking another bite of her burger.

“Well… through physical contact, we can imbue our magic into whatever we may touch, instinctively or otherwise. Of course, Eponian Magic doesn’t work right away. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to bring forth the abundant fruits of our labor. But whether it’s from planting a seed into a ground or watering them, every effort I put into tending my plants allows me an opportunity to work my magic, sort of speak.” she chuckled a little before chewing on the skewered leaves, chicken, and apple slices.

“So with Eponian Magic, your plants will grow faster, become healthier, and taste even more delicious than ever.” Fleetfoot verified when she pointed at the salad that Roseluck was eating.

“Mm-hmm.” she muffled her confirmation while eating a mouthful of her salad before swallowing it and continuing where she left off. “But that kind of principle isn’t just limited to gardening. Eponian can apply their magic in the fields of music or medical practice. For well-talented musicians, they can amplify their music to produce better sounds when they pluck a string instrument or blow air through a brass instrument. As for Eponian doctors, their soothing touch helps calm down their patients, ease their tensions, and sometimes mend some of their pain.”

“Just like how you helped relieve some of the soreness in my shoulders with that massage of yours.” she recalled tenderly over that wonderful sensation. “But wait… what about that magical warmth you demonstrated earlier? Where does that fall under the Eponian category?”

She pondered a bit while chewing on her salad before she cleared her throat and replying back to Fleetfoot, “If I had to guess… I’d say that it’s a combination of the Eponian’s abilities to raise my body temperature and to emit a soothing sensation from physical contact. It’s mostly a common practice among florists such as myself, but I did heard that the chief baker here can use his ‘solar hands’ to allow the yeast to ferment faster and make bread tastier whenever he kneads his dough.”

“Raising your body temperature, huh?” said the Wonderbolt as she smirked widely of a sudden while munching on her sweet potato fries. “Is that why you blush so easily all the time?”

“N-n-no! That’s not it all!” Roseluck snapped with an alarming blush making its appearance.

“Really? Because your face says otherwise!” the teasing Wonderbolt pointed it out with a fry held in her hand.

Flustered by Fleetfoot’s usual teasing, Roseluck grabbed her iced tea and hoped that would be enough to cool her down her flushed face. While drinking her sweet beverage, Rose grumbled out softly, “Jerk.”

After letting out a brief giggle over Rose’s agony, Fleetfoot expressed her appreciation with an honest smile, “Anyway, thanks for sharing all of that with me, Rose. It really was quite fascinating to learn all this from you.”

From receiving the Jupitarian’s kindhearted gratitude, Roseluck finished her drink and replied kindly, “You’re welcome, Fleetfoot. Thank you for your interest.”

Overtime, they carried with the consumption of their satisfying meals with Fleetfoot finishing first. As she waited patiently for Rose to finish the last few bites of her salad, a thought came into the Jupitarian’s mind; something that made her blush mildly and hesitant from asking. Once Roseluck was nearly done with her salad, Fleetfoot’s curiosity couldn’t hold back and proceeded to ask her question carefully.

“So… Rose… have you found anyone special in your life yet?”

Roseluck almost chocked on the last bite of her lunch before she cleared her throat with some more iced tea and timidly answered with a hint of self-pity, “N-no… not really. I’m… kind of a shy in that regard.”

“Really? I could never tell.” she grinned sarcastically with her right hand resting underneath her chin.

“Oh, ha-ha, Fleetfoot. Very funny.” Roseluck deadpanned with small yet serene smile.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself with that one.” she chuckled before she continued in a comforting tone. “Anyway, if it means anything, I think you’re a very interested girl to talk to who would make someone very happy one of these days. You’ll see.” she reassured with an encouraging smile and a wink.

Roseluck modestly blushed from Fleetfoot’s encouragement even though the florist already knew on who she wanted to be with, whether the Wonderbolt was aware of it or not. Then, she rebounded the question back to the Jupitarian.

“So, what about you, Fleetfoot? You must have fans lining up for a chance to go on a date with you.” she smirked humorously.

“And counting!” Fleetfoot added with a hearty chuckle. But then, her lightheartedness died down gradually as she recollected on the last person she had a relationship with before she hesitantly confessed to Rose, “Although… there was only one person I’ve ever dated before.”

Noticing the melancholy in Fleetfoot’s voice, Rose cautiously inquired, “Really? Well… may I ask on what happened?”

The suddenly cold Wonderbolt didn’t answer right away. She just stared at the glass of iced water she was holding. Her hesitation caused her grip to tighten around the glassware as her fingertips spontaneously created frost on the glass. Swinging her head back, she chugs the rest of her cold water before placing it softly on the table and answering to Rose with a cryptic smile.

“…Let’s just say… I flew too close to the sun on that one.”

Deeply puzzled and concerned on what the impassive Fleetfoot meant by that, Roseluck decided to draw the line with her questioning and offered her condolences to her, “Oh, I’m really sorry to hear that, Fleetfoot.”

Hoping to not worry Roseluck with her own problems, Fleetfoot lightly shook her head and smiled brightly, “Anyhow, let’s ask for the check and bounce out of here! Alright?”

“S-sure.” she complied softly, even though she wasn’t totally convinced with Fleetfoot’s sudden change in demeanor.

Eventually, their waitress came back with their check just as they have requested and gave them a gratifying farewell before attending to her other tables. At once, Roseluck reached forward to grab the black, narrow envelope that contained their food bill. But as her fingers touched the smooth, leathery exterior, so did Fleetfoot’s as their digits came in contact with each other’s. They were simultaneously blushing from that, but nether one of their hands retracted as they offer apologetic smiles for one and another.

“Forgive me, I was just going to get the check for us.” Roseluck stated as she slowed pulled the check toward her.

“Oh, that’s alright. I got this anyway.” said Fleetfoot as she pulled the check back in the opposite direction.

“But I was the one who invited you out for lunch, Fleetfoot, so it’s my privilege to pay for our meals.” she firmly reassured as she retracted it back in a stronger pull.

Fleetfoot stubbornly pull it back with an even greater force as she retorted, “Nonsense! I’ve got plenty of bits to spare for something like this!”

“So do I!” Roseluck counter-argued as their tug of war reached at stalemate. “Or are you trying to out-friend me on who’s more generous of the two?”

Their competitiveness took hold as they piercingly stare at each other eyes while their gripping hands refusing to give in. But then, their assertive frowns gradually shifted into smiles as they broke into infectious giggles while they reflect on how silly they were to compete over a piece of paper. With their spontaneous laughter dying down, Fleetfoot decided to call it quits and allowed Roseluck to win this round.

“Alright, fine. Have it your way.” she grinned at the victorious Eponian. “But next time, it will be on me.”

While pulling out her money from her pocket, Roseluck winked back at the equally smiling Wonderbolt, “I’ll keep your word on that.”

After their delightful lunch together, they walked through the uncommonly crowded streets of Ponyville as Fleetfoot escorted Roseluck back to her flower shop.

“I have to say, Rose!” She commented with a satisfied smile as she licked her chops. “That café really knows how to make a good burger! You certainly hit it right on the money with that restaurant you’ve picked out for us! Thanks again for lunch today!”

“My pleasure, Fleetfoot.” she welcomed warmly. “I’m certainly glad to hear that everything met up to your satisfaction.”

“Yeah, with high-quality food this good, I’ll have to bring my teammates over for lunch next time!”

“Well you know, Ponyville is a thriving town for agriculture. Just ask Vinyl and Applejack. Their family runs Sweet Apple Acres, one of the biggest apple providers in Equestria. In fact, their grandmother is one of the founding members of Ponyville.”

“Really? I never knew the Apples’ family has such a rich history here!” Fleetfoot reacted in surprise. “They must be the most renowned family in the entire town!”

“Well… they’re certainly not the richest family in Ponyville, but they are undoubtedly well-respected within our humble community.”

“Guess some of Equestria’s greatest treasures aren’t always defined in bits and materials, huh?” Fleetfoot stated with a clever grin, which Roseluck agreed with a soft giggle.

Several minutes later, they arrived at Roseluck’s greenhouse. Before entering inside, the contented Eponian faced the Jupitarian and thanked her for the company.

“Thank you for joining me for lunch this afternoon, Fleetfoot. I had a really good time today.”

“Likewise, Rose.” she smiled back at her. “We should definitely do this again some other time.”

“I would like that as well.” she concurred delightfully. “I guess the next time we see each other, it might be at the Blitz-ball Finals, huh?”

“Oh, it will definitely be at the finals.” Fleetfoot corrected with a promising grin. “Believe me.”

After a lighthearted chuckle, Roseluck bore an anxious frown, which Fleetfoot caught wind of that before the concerning Wonderbolt asked, “Are you… nervous about that?”

“A little, yes.” But to Fleetfoot’s bewilderment, Roseluck unexpectedly shifted into a brighter smile before continuing. “But… in a way, I’m actually looking forward to it.”

“Oh. How so?”

“To me, a lot has changed since the beginning of the Equestria Games. At first, I never imagined myself as a worthy athlete like so many others. But thanks to all of my friends and especially… you, I’ve gained more confidence in myself and had chances to prove my worth from time and time again. And besides, we never got a chance to compete with one and another since our first hurdles race, and I did promise you that I would kick some ass in the competitions to come.” This earned Rose a chuckling smile from her listener before she persisted with astonishing resolve. “So when we meet in the Blitz-ball Finals, it would give me the chance to show you on how much I’ve grown since then. So even though you’re my friend, I don’t want you to go easy on me because I’m going to give you my all when that day arrives!”

Briefly startled by unexpected firmness from her determined challenger, Fleetfoot grinned with pride over Rose’s tenacity and extended a well-mannered handshake to her. “Well I wasn’t going to go easy on you in the first place, but… I appreciate the fair warning none of the less.”

With both of them looking forward to resolve their initial match-up that was never finished, the two good-natured rivals shook each other’s hands firmly and smiled on that match to come. After that, when Fleetfoot turned around to make her departure, Roseluck’s determination was abruptly replaced with uneasiness as she recalled on how Fleetfoot look so downhearted when she subtly hinted a tragic element behind her previous relationship. Wishing to mend her heart in some way or another, Roseluck called to her quickly.

“Hey, Fleetfoot… There’s… something else I want to tell you.”

From hearing that soft call, Fleetfoot faced her friend once again as the Jupitarian kindly waited for the nervous Eponian to say her piece while her soft gaze drifted away from the Wonderbolt’s. “Umm… well… I just want to say… that even though we’ve known each other for just a few short days, I want you to know… that… if there’s anything that’s on your mind… anything at all, you’re always welcome to talk or write to me about it. I would be more than happy to lend an ear for you.”

From expressing her opinion in such a nervous manner, Roseluck thought that she was just making a fool of herself as she blushed progressively. But then, her blushed face intensified when she was suddenly pulled in for a strong yet caring hug by Fleetfoot herself. With Jupitarian’s arms wrapped around the Eponian’s neck, Roseluck was paralyzed by the comforting embrace of her taller friend.

“Coming from you, that means a lot to me.” Fleetfoot whispered softly.

After hearing those simple, sweet words from the Canterlotian, Roseluck loosened up in the midst of their warm embrace as she passed her arms around Fleetfoot’s back while resting her head in-between the Jupitarian’s neck and chest. Held in the Wonderbolt’s caring arms, the nuzzling Roseluck silently sighed from this heartfelt affection as she had never felt so secured in such a long time.

Reluctantly, Fleetfoot separated their short-lived hug as they give each other some room after that. With a blushing smile, Rose bid a brief farewell to Fleetfoot and entered her shop. As for the Wonderbolt, she was blushing just the same as Roseluck before she too made her leave back to her hotel. Despite vowing to not repeat her past mistakes, she couldn’t help herself from bearing a hopeful smile that stretched across her rapidly warm face.

Maybe… just maybe…

Author's Note

For more information on Apple Scratch Verse's Magic ranging between the human sub-races: Eponians (Earth Ponies), Titanians (Unicorns) and Jupitarians (Pegasi), check out Apple Scratch Verse's Forum: Magic.

In regards with Fleetfoot, while it was nice to see her make an official appearance in Season 4's "Rainbow Falls", I was a bit disappointed by their choice in voice acting and her role in that episode. Most people assume that Fleetfoot has a lisp in narrative, but I think what really bothered me is that her voice is just too raspy for my taste. Wish they could have gone with a more feminine voice compared to Spitfire or Rainbow Dash. Also, was it really necessary to make her and Spitfire into jerks when they try to persuade Rainbow to join their team in the Equestria Games? They just seemed so out of character, especially with Spitfire.

Chapter 9 – Blitz-ball Finals: Ponyville vs. Canterlot

Author's Note

When my idea for this story was approved by Mariacheat-Brony, he gave me the honor to work on the chapter that depicts the Blitz-ball match of Ponyville and Canterlot. I was a bit worried on this privilege I was given, but overtime, with his help and consideration on my own decisions to make, I managed to make it all work in the end.

For more information and rules about Blitz-ball, go to Apple Scratch Verse's Forum: Equestria's National Team Sport: Blitz-Ball

Chapter 9 – Blitz-ball Finals: Ponyville vs. Canterlot

Finally, after five days of grueling matches, the Blitz-ball Tournament was almost over. With the winning team for third place already taken care of this Friday morning, all that remained this evening on the 10th day of the Equestria Games was the Blitz-ball Finals: Team Ponyville versus Team Canterlot. With the latest rivaling teams facing each other once more, the anticipating audience filled up every seat available in the Blitz-ball terrains as they were guaranteed for an exciting match from their favorite teams.

“Goooood evening, everyone!” Pinkie Pie greeted ecstatically as always. “And welcome back to the final day in our Blitz-ball Tournament! Hopefully, you all have saved your seats since the last game because it’s gonna get packed really fast! As most of you are already aware of, we’re going have to true dogfight underway! So let’s give a big howl to our favorite Underdog and Top Dog! Team Ponyville and Team Canterlot! ARRROOOOO!!”

Everyone joined in the perky announcer’s wolf cry as they cheered wildly for the teams’ appearances. The players from both sides waved to their lively spectators as they crossed the fields. Even the other players of Ponyville besides the Apple Sisters and Cloud Kicker had received equal admiration for their extraordinary athleticism since their first game in the Blitz-ball Tournament. Once they meet in the center, each of them exchanged a friendly hand shake to the other players as both teams look forward to a good match.

When Roseluck and Fleetfoot came face-to-face, the white-haired Wonderbolt brought her hand forward and smiled to her, “Good luck, Rose.”

Smiling back at her, Roseluck gladly accepted the handshake and responded warmly, “Thanks, Fleetfoot. You too.”

After the friendly exchange of sportsmanship, Rose returned to her team’s pit and was greeted from the smirking Cloud Kicker, who leaned in with an arm wrapped around the florist’s shoulders.

“What? No goodluck kiss for her at all?” The blonde-haired Jupitarian teased lightly.

In a very low grumble, the flustered Roseluck replied, “Kiss my ass, CK!”

Cloud was momentarily speechless by Rose’s surprisingly assertive comeback, but then she retorted with an amusing smile, “Usually I would gladly take up on that offer, but my lips are reserved for only one special person in mind.”

For the first quarter, Canterlot brought out their usual guns since their very first match against Neigh Orleans, with the Wonderbolt Trio as the respective Players and Shining Armor as the goalkeeper. As for Ponyville, they too brought out their own triple threat: Vinyl Scratch as the Magic Player, Cloud Kicker as the Wing Player, and Applejack as the Ground Player. Along with the home team’s monster trio, they also have Raindrops Silverain as their ever reliable goalkeeper.

In for the opening throw-in were the Ground Players as they met each other in the central ring. While taking their positions, Applejack greeted the male Wonderbolt with a country-friendly smile while Soarin exchanged a slightly nervous smile to her.

“I don’t suppose it’s too much to ask if you go easy on me, will you?” he implored awkwardly.

“Nnnope!” she grinned flat out loud.

“Sigh… never hurts to ask.” he responded in a mix of hilarity and disappointment.

Once the players and referees are all ready for the big game, Pinkie Pie launched the leathery ball from her special cannon as the hurled projectile headed toward the central ring. Upon it’s landing, AJ was as quick as a whip and snatched the ball first before she rammed past Soarin.

After taking the first charge, Fleetfoot met the sprinting player head-on and blasted her opponent with a strong gust of her wind magic. Though Fleetfoot’s air blast wasn’t enough to knock down the Monster of Ponyville, it was enough stop AJ in her tracks. Quickly enough, she passed the ball to her sister, Vinyl, as she carried on the charge from there.

From up above, Spitfire dive-bombed toward Vinyl and attempted to tackle her, but the blue-haired Titanian was able to throw the ball to Cloud Kicker before she ducked away from Spitfire’s aerial assault. Fleetfoot propelled two cyclones from her hands and chased away Ponyville’s Lieutenant of the Royal Guards. With Fleetfoot preoccupied in the sky, CK took the opportunity to pass the ball to AJ down below.

Near Canterlot’s goal line, Applejack passed it to Vinyl before she wrapped the ball with a couple of magic strings and launched it toward the blue-colored ring. Instinctively, Shining Armor projected his energy shield in front of the incoming shot. However, upon contact with the two opposing objects, Shining heard a familiar, sickening sound: the irritatingly buzzing sound of Vinyl’s magical tendrils that were infused with the ball. With no way to stop it now, the magically charged-up shot hacked right through the energy construct and scored Ponyville’s first point.

After the first point was tallied up on the scoreboard, the ball was in the Wonderbolts’ possession. However, in a quick turnover, the ball was back in Ponyville’s grasp, and Vinyl fired her special shot once again. As for Shining Armor, he prepared a much thicker energy construct in a shape of a large cube as it blocked the lone, blue goal ring. Nevertheless, the magical musician was confident that her chainsaw-like strings will cut through anything, no matter how thick the construct was.

But this time, Shining thought of a way to overcome Vinyl’s quaking shot as the magically infused ball attempted to push through the unexpected, jellylike substance. Due to its intangible structure, the gelatinous cube was strong enough to triumph over the buzzing tendrils as its magic died down. Once Vinyl’s shot lost its velocity, the rubbery cube ricocheted the ball at a great distance, and Fleetfoot caught it in mid-air with her magic.

During her dash, the Jupitarian was about to be side-tackled by Applejack. But with a quick spring of her feet, her diving body spiraled rapidly like an aileron roll maneuver as she created a barrier of strong winds to prevent AJ from tackling her. Near the end of her spiraling dive, Fleetfoot passed the ball to Soarin before she rolled on the ground and quickly got back up.

As Soarin ran for the other side of the field, Cloud Kicker swooped for a low flight to get the ball from him. Luckily, Soarin avoided that head-on collision when Fleetfoot summoned a miniature cyclone to act a spring for him as he leaped over CK’s head. After he passed it to Spitfire from up above, the Captain of the Wonderbolts fired her fastball and her high-speed shot goes into the yellow-colored goal ring.

After the score was tied one-to-one, Vinyl went up to her sister and their best friend as she said to AJ, “Hey, sis? Mind tagging along with me on this one? I’m gonna need your muscles on this one.”

With a huge grin, Applejack replied, “Got it, sis!”

“CK, keep the flyers off of us.”

“No problem, Vi!” she saluted with a smile.

With a plan in motion, Vinyl and Applejack made a mad dash for the opposing goal line while they rapidly passed the ball back and forth to each other. As for Cloud Kicker, she did her best to block Spitfire and Fleetfoot’s paths to prevent them from interfering with the Apple Sisters’ rapid advancement. With the goal in sight, Vinyl wrapped her magical tendrils around her levitated ball one last time and prepared to launch her latest shot.

Noticing this, Shining summoned her gelatinous energy barrier and blocked the lone goal ring for the Magic Player. Without hesitation, she fired her magically powered shot, and once it was close in range, Vinyl directed the ball away from the blue ring as Shining’s jellylike cube impulsively tracked it down. Once the amplified shot made contact with the goalkeeper’s unique form of defense, Shining Armor realized that he unintentionally blocked the ball from entering the lower right ring that was glowing a brown color, which represented the Ground Players.

As Shining puzzled over this, Applejack finished out her full-fledged charge and punched the ball that was momentarily stop by the thick, gelatinous shield. Thanks to the Eponian’s monstrous might, the ball miraculously broke through the intangible force field and scored another point for Team Ponyville.

Ponyville: 7 Canterlot: 8

With less than a half of a minute left in the first quarter after Canterlot scored the last point, Vinyl, Applejack, and Cloud Kicker prepare for one big gamble to hopefully end the quarter in a tie. Half way across the playing fields, AJ threw the ball to Vinyl. Then she passed it to Cloud Kicker. As it looked like that she was going to throw it in the yellow, central ring, Shining Armor conjured up his floating magic shield as the Wonderbolts got close enough to get ready for the ball’s retrieval.

But in a surprising twist, Cloud Kicker turned her body sharply and threw an extremely long pass back at fields’ halfway point where Applejack was waiting. Taking advantage over the opposing team’s confusion and the distance between them, AJ lifted her strong leg for the incoming kick as Vinyl summoned two of her magic strings to create a large, glowing hoop in mid air that aligned up with Cloud Kicker and the central goal ring she was floating next to.

With the players of Ponyville set in place, Applejack unleashed a monstrous kick that could rival with one of her javelin throws as the ball aimed for Vinyl’s magical circle. Suddenly, as soon as it passed through the hoop’s threshold, the vibrant circle burst into a small shockwave as its deafening boom propelled the cannoned ball at a blistering speed greater than it was originally kicked. Nearly everyone, including the audience and Team Canterlot, was paralyzed with astonishment by the Apple Sisters’ combined might. But it didn’t stop there as within a split-second, the attentive Cloud Kicker swiftly twirled her hovering body at the right moment and firmly slapped the scorching ball with her purple wing into the yellow-colored goal ring. Thus, tying the teams’ scores: eight in all.

As a blaring horn signaled the end of the first quarter, everyone in the audience broke out of their astonished stupor and applauded wildly over the exciting finish that Ponyville provided for them. While the crowd continued their fanatic cheering, Applejack, Vinyl Scratch, and Cloud Kicker gathered together and the grinning ladies simultaneously gave themselves a high-five for their successful team attack. Once again, Team Canterlot was reminded on the unbridled prowess of Ponyville’s top three athletes. Of course, their latest battle is far from over.

For the second quarter, Ponyville switched up their lineup with their other trio: Roseluck Greentouch, Allie Way, and Ditzy Doo while Canterlot kept the same Players as always. Although the physical attributes of Ponyville’s new lineup may not be measured up to the Wonderbolts, they still have their unique skills that can keep Canterlot on their toes. Allie made good use of her excellent precision and magic when she bounced the ball from the rim of Shining’s energy shield and into a blue ring. Ditzy Doo’s aerial agility and speed made her an extraordinary flyer that can put the Royal Guards’ new recruits to shame. And Roseluck’s incredible acrobatics allowed her to weave through the playing field and its players with ease.

An example of her feat was when Roseluck had the ball in her possession and Fleetfoot confronted the charging florist herself. As they had promised to each other nearly a week ago, Fleetfoot wasn’t going to hold back as her right arm pulled back while her hand was enwrapped in her wind magic.

When the Canterlotian swung her amplified arm forward, the steadfast Roseluck did not stop her direct charge as her strong, elegant legs allowed her to leap high in the air and dive forward. This dive roll allowed the red-haired Eponian to not only avoid the sweeping wind strike, but to also spring mightily above Fleetfoot’s head. After a quick somersault in the midst of her smooth landing, the gymnast passed the ball to the swooping Ditzy Doo while she sprinted forward. Looking back, Rose smiled to her thunderstruck rival before Fleetfoot smiled back and trailed from behind.

Sometime after that, the score was now 19-to-21 with Canterlot taking the lead momentarily. High above the ground when Spitfire held on to ball, Ditzy more or less intentionally crashed into her as the ball escaped the Wonderbolt’s grasp. With the falling ball in sight and from hear the first warning sound of the next color change, Roseluck quickly called out to her blue-ponytailed teammate.

“Quick, go long!”

Following Rose’s command, Allie ran for the goal as the florist rush toward the bewildered Soarin. Without delay, Roseluck performed a marvelous roundoff and performed a quick backflip before landing on Soarin’s shoulders. With the additional elevation from the somewhat wobbly Wonderbolt, Roseluck jumped high in the air and bicycle-kicked the ball with a great amount of force.

Meanwhile, during their advancement, Allie got Ditzy’s attention and she silently signally her with a forefinger. Once she got the message, Ditzy nodded and speedily flew in position as Allie looked back to the kicked ball coming at her direction. With her levitating magic activated, she retrieved the maroon-colored ball and looped it around herself before she launched it to her Wing Player.

After the last warning bell was heard, Ditzy kicked the ball sharply at the upper-left goal ring which was quickly changed to a yellow color. Once the ball made it through the recently changed ring, Ponyville’s three points were added to the scoreboard, and the score became 22-to-21, which knocked down Canterlot from the lead by one point.

The crowd went wild over Ponyville’s well-timed maneuver as the Ditzy, Allie, and Rose grinned ecstatically over the success of their tag-team tactic while forming a hugging circle and bouncing up and down. After that brief moment of excitement, they retreated back into positions as the ball was handed over to Canterlot.

Ponyville: 35 Canterlot: 35

For the third quarter, Cloud Kicker replaced Raindrops as the team’s goalkeeper as the teal-haired Jupitarian was now a Wing Player while Allie and AJ took up their respective roles. Thanks to CK’s talent for cloudshaping, she could create effective barriers that are just as thick enough to block the incoming shots, but also plushy enough to recoil it across the field and into her teammates’ hands. Not even Fleetfoot’s “whirlwind” throw was enough to penetrate through the cloudy surfaces of Cloud’s specially made shields.

But that was no concern with Spitfire when she carried on the next blitz. Facing Cloud Kicker directly, the orange-haired Wonderbolt threw the ball up and spiked it with her fiery, yellow wings. The self-made fireball took aim at the yellow-colored goal ring as CK blocked its entry with her cloud barrier. But her barrier was no match for the heated shot as it evaporate the Lieutenant’s personal cloud and scored another point for Canterlot.

“Wow! Oh, baby! She is on fire tonight!” Pinkie Pie commented with an ecstatic smile. “As expected from the Captain of the Wonderbolts! Using her hot and spicy wings, Spitfire caused the ball to radiate enough heat to melt right through Cloud Kicker’s defenses! And before you even ask: YES, this is technically allowed since Spitfire was permitted to use her wings for this clever move.”

After that perky explanation, fans of Canterlot applaud for Spitfire’s hotshot as the celebrated Wonderbolt faced the Ponyville goalkeeper. With a teasing smirk, Spitfire brought her right forefinger to her face and blew a light puff of air to her figurative, smoking gun. In response, Cloud Kicker childishly stuck her tongue out at her former commander before Spitfire flew back to her starting position.

Later on, Spitfire gained possession of the ball once again and used the same hot tactic to bypass Cloud’s defenses. But this time, Cloud Kicker used her clouds to wrap it around it as the hot projectile steamed immensely within the condensed net of thick vapor. Once it was quickly cooled down enough, she flung the wet ball pass the astonished Spitfire as its trail splattered some water droplets on the Wing Player’s face.

As Spitfire wiped her face dry with one swipe of her hands, she saw Cloud Kicker displaying a cocky grin as she teasingly licked her right index finger and place it on her swayed hip while imitating a sizzling sound. Ignoring the teasing comeback with a deadpan glare at first, Spitfire broke into a very small, amusing smile and rolled her eyes at CK’s usual shenanigans before she carried on with her pursuit for the ball.

Ponyville: 60 Canterlot: 60

Before the beginning of the fourth and final quarter, Ponyville were still deciding on who to choose for their last lineup. Thanks to their Doctor's calculations, they were able to score a lot of 3-pointers due to the estimated pattern of the color changes in the rings. Of course, over time, so was Team Canterlot once they have figured out the pattern themselves. Regardless, they had been neck-and-neck since the beginning of the match.

“Man! I can’t believe they haven’t change their lineup one bit!” Allie gasped over the astonishing fact. “They really are the elite of the elite!”

“Yeah, no kidding!” Raindrops agreed.

After pondering this for a short period of time, Vinyl Scratch turned to their coach, Zecora, for her sage advice, “Hey, Coach! Who should we put out there?”

The dark-skinned woman with the mohawk replied with an all-knowing smile, “If going for gold is our aim, then I say speed is the name of the game.”

With a broad smile, Vinyl concurred, “Well then, we should stick with our fastest players for the last quarter.” Then, she turned to the Ponyville’s best mail-woman and grinned to her, “Ditzy, we’re certainly gonna need you on this one.”

Bubbly as always, Ditzy saluted to her ruby-eyed commander, “Ready and at your service, ma’am!”

“If that’s the case, you should be out there, Vinyl.” Allie Way added. “Your strength and speed would be enough to keep up with them.”

Surprised by Allie’s insistence, Vinyl placed a soft hand on the ponytailed Titanian’s shoulder and smiled with pride and gratitude, “Thanks, Allie. You did good to bring us this far. You just leave the rest to me.” This earned a beaming smile from Allie Way as she saw this as a promising sign on Vinyl no longer seeing her as a kid.

Then, Vinyl turned to Cloud Kicker and recruited her as well, “CK, you should be our goalkeeper again. You can anticipate the Wonderbolts better than anyone else, so we’re going need all the defense you can muster for us.”

“No problem, Vi.” Cloud replied as she cracked her knuckles in anticipation.

“So… I guess all that’s left now is our Ground Player.”

Everyone directed their gazes on to one person for that position: Roseluck, who didn’t get the hint at first, but with everyone grinning widely and gluing their eyes on her, she immediately got nervous on this important task she will be entrusted with.

“M-m-m-me?!” she stammered in discomfort. “But what about Applejack?”

“Honey, Ah’m only fast when Ah run in a straight line.” AJ countered with a reassuring smile as she wrapped a strong, gentle arm around Rose. “You on the other hand are as nimble as a jackrabbit out there. You’re far more agile when it comes to a fast-paced game like this compared to me. So what do ya say, Rose? Think you’re up to the challenge?”

A bit hesitant to respond from the peer pressure, Roseluck then looked out on the other side of the field and spotted Fleetfoot. From gazing at her from a distance, she recalled the promise she made to her on two occasions: from the locker room on the Games’ first day and when they finished their lunch on Monday afternoon.

With a determined smile on her face, she turned back to Applejack and nodded, “Yes, I am! I wouldn’t let you down, AJ!”

“Glad to hear that, sugarcube!” Applejack grinned before she nudged her playfully with a wink. “Now go get them!”

Ponyville: 89 Canterlot: 87

At the home stretch of the last quarter, spectators could hardly stand the suspense as it was still too close to call on who will win in the grand finale of the Blitz-ball Tournament. For the moment, Ponyville had the lead in the last minute of the game, and all they have to do is hold on to the ball for as long as they can. But for now, they need to intercept the ball from Canterlot.

In the air, Spitfire and Fleetfoot had been rapidly passing the ball back and forth as Ditzy is caught in the middle of two while trying to catch it herself. Noticing the mid-air struggle that Ditzy was dealing with, Roseluck was quick on her feet as she improvised a plan while she and Vinyl were trailing the flyers.

“Hey Vinyl, can you give me a boost?”

“Sure thing, Rose!” she grinned to that idea. “Prepare for liftoff!”

While on the move, the musician flung her two magic strings forward and conjoined a blue, floating circle like before. At once, Rose got on the magical platform and stood ready for her launch. And after timing it just right, Vinyl snapped her fingers and fired the daring gymnast into the air like a cannonball. In the middle of the Wonderbolts’ pass, the soaring Roseluck came in-between them and snatched the ball.

The flyers and spectators gasped extravagantly as the bold florist from Ponyville intercepted the ball and made a smooth landing once she did a quick somersault. The crowd went wild over Roseluck’s awesome display of gymnastics as she turned around and hastily flung it to Vinyl Scratch. She was prepared to retrieve it, but she failed to notice Soarin approaching from the sides as he intercepted the ball in front of her.

After breaking out of her daze over Rose’s awesomeness, Fleetfoot noticed from the scoreboard’s clock and saw the last remaining seconds on it. With time running out and their last chance for a three-pointer drawing near, Fleetfoot quickly called out to Soarin down below.

“Quick, Soarin! Throw it over here!”

Without hesitation, Soarin tossed it to Fleetfoot before the white-haired Wonderbolt prepared her all-or-nothing shot for the last match. From seeing that unorthodox pass to Fleetfoot, Roseluck figured out what her rival friend was up to as she heard the final warning of the last color change. From recalling how Fleetfoot ended her team’s first match in the tournament, Rose hastily called out to Vinyl once more.

“Vinyl, boost me up! Now!”

“But Rose, I--!”

“DO IT!”

While Vinyl Scratch was hesitant on how crazy Rose’s stunt might be, the goal rings changed their colors one last time as Fleetfoot launched her almighty air-cannon at the lone blue ring. Finally, Vinyl gave in the firm florist’s demand and hastily propelled up with another sonic boom of her magic ring. In the air once again, Roseluck facing the incoming, high-speed ball and braced herself for impact.

Upon contact, the flying ball impacted Roseluck’s abdomen harshly and she let out a painful grunt from the force of the maroon projectile. Everyone gasped at the awful sight before them as the rocketing ball continued to carry the unwavering Rose toward the targeted goal ring. Fleetfoot especially was horrified by the result of her own actions as she feared the worst of Roseluck.

“NO!”

Following from that exclamation, Fleetfoot summoned all of her wind powers, and she strongly flew after Rose. Due to the how extraordinarily fast Roseluck and the ball were coming toward the goal line, Cloud Kicker didn’t have enough time to prepare for a suitable cloud cushion for such an emergency before their unexpected arrival. But luckily enough, Fleetfoot was able to catch up to them and shielded Roseluck with her arctic blue wings before they dived right through the blue goal ring.

After that, Cloud Kicker provided a thick enough cloud just in the nick of time as it cushioned Fleetfoot and Roseluck’s landing. As the crowd let out various sounds of relief over the safety of the two athletes, Cloud Kicker approached them as Fleetfoot unfolded her wings gently to examine her recent catch. Sighing with relief, she smiled as she gazed at Roseluck, who curled up with the ball firmly held in her arms and her eyes closed tightly.

“Fleetfoot, how is she?” Cloud asked concernedly.

“She’s fine, Kicker.” she reassured softly. “Thanks for the save, Lieutenant.”

“No… thank you, Sergeant.” she replied with a grateful smile.

Finally, Roseluck opened her eyes slowly until her gaze met with Fleetfoot’s, and then her eyes shot wide open. Initially shocked from being held so closely in Fleetfoot’s arms, the blushing florist softened up with a thankful smile as the Wonderbolt smiled back warmly.

“Hey.” Roseluck greeted simply.

“Hey.”

…

“Umm… Fleetfoot?”

“Yeah?”

“You can let go of me now.” she answered with an awkward blush.

“O-oh! Right… sorry.” Fleetfoot apologized with a flushed face matching that with Rose’s.

With Cloud Kicker snickering in the background on the adorable sight before her, Fleetfoot helped Roseluck up as the florist was greeted by the welcoming cheers of the vast audience for her tenacity and recovery. Rose blushed humbly at the astonishing attention she was receiving as she waved to the encouraging crowd.

After that, Roseluck asked her savior, “So… uh… who won?”

“Well…” Fleetfoot replied uncertainly as she awkwardly brushed her white, fluffy hair.

The rest of the players were just as confused as Fleetfoot on how to call her last play of the game. So they looked up to Pinkie’s private blimp as they sought some clarity over the indecisive game-changer. Waiting in her personal aircraft, the self-proclaimed announcer received some sealed paperwork from an official Juptarian deliveryman. After going through all the letters sent to her, Pinkie reactivated her megaphone as everyone else held breath over the final decision on tonight’s winners.

“Sooooo… after discussing it with the Games’ committee and the Princesses, we’ve decided…

…pause for dramatic effect…

…that Fleetfoot’s throw stands as it is! That means the last three points are still tallied up and making the final score 89-to-90! Team Canterlot wins and takes the gold in the Blitz-ball Tournament while Ponyville takes the silver!”

A good portion of the audience groaned heavily over the announcement of Ponyville’s lost, but their disappointment went over rather quickly as they too joined in the latest celebrations over the results of the exhilarating match and its accomplished medalists. For the finalists, they exhaled in tiring relief as they exchanged handshakes and hugs to their teammates and their well-respected rivals.

“Congratulations, Fleetfoot!” Roseluck commended her happily as she hugged her mightily. “You were amazing out there!”

“Thanks, so were you!” Fleetfoot returned the favor as she held the ecstatic florist in her arms softly.

“And uhh… thanks for the save… again.” she quietly added with a blushing smile.

“Happy to be of service… again.” she responded with a light nod and a sheepish smile. After giggling over how their short history had come in full circles, the announcer called out all the medalists to meet at the podium before the grinning gold medalist insisted to her silver medalist friend.

“Come on! Let’s go collect our medals!”

Chapter 10 – 10-Meter Diving and 200-Meter Backstroke

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Chapter 11 – Frozen Heart

After one whole month of seemingly never-ending matches, the Equestria Games were finally over. The only thing that was left before the spectators and competitors take their leave was Pinkie Pie’s long-awaited party, which will take place in Ponyville’s town square.

Inside one of the rooms of Ponyville’s most luxurious hotel, two women were getting ready to join with the rest of the crowd for one of Pinkie’s grand-scale party blocks after they finished packing up their bags for their departure tomorrow. Fleetfoot was lounging on her bed, who was fully dressed several minutes ago in the same attire she wore when she went out to lunch with Roseluck for the first time: an arctic blue tank top with a pair of deep blue jeans. All that was missing to complete her outfit were her black boots and her official Wonderbolt jacket.

As for her roommate and best friend, Spitfire was nearly done with her choice of clothes for this evening: a brilliant yellow dress with a flared skirt, a belt buckle around her midsection, a pair of heeled sandals, and a Jupitarian neckline that nicely exposed her well-toned arms and back. Despite how long her fiery-haired friend was taking to finally make up her mind, Fleetfoot took great enjoyment on seeing the usually confident commander acting so nervous as she was getting ready for her first date in years. As Spitfire looked at herself in the closet’s mirror, she began to smile with satisfaction after examining herself from top to bottom.

“I can’t believe it’s been only a month since the start of the Equestria Games and now…!”

“And now, it’s all over.” Fleetfoot finished it with a soft tone.

“Yeah… so much has changed since then, hasn't it?” Spitfire commented with a reminiscing smile.

“You mean for you, apparently.” she grinned in response. “You finally patched things up with Cloud Kicker and now…!”

“And now, I’m going out tonight… with Soarin.” the Wonderbolt Captain added with a warm blush.

“And about time too!” Fleetfoot added with a chuckle.

From that light teasing, Spitfire rolled her eyes and chuckled along with her friend, “Okay okay. I get it.” Turning away from the mirror, she anxiously asked Fleetfoot for her opinion, “Tell me, how do I look? Is it too much? Do you think he’ll like it?”

“He’ll love it, Spitfire! Trust me.” she comforted her after having a brief giggle to herself. “Considering how long he had to put up with you, there’s nothing for you to worry about. You guys are going to have a good time tonight.”

Once she exhaled out most of her initial nervousness over her upcoming date with Soarin, Spitfire gave a grateful hug to Fleetfoot as a way to show her appreciation for the white-haired comrade’s support over this. After they ended their hug, Fleetfoot sits on one end of her bed and began to put on her boots.

“So… what about you, Fleetfoot?” Spitfire inquired with a playful grin. “Any plans with you and Roseluck this evening?”

“Umm… well…”

Noticing the edgy hesitation from her friend, Spitfire questioned her once again in a firmer tone as she arched an inquisitive eyebrow, “You mean… you still haven’t told her anything yet?”

“I’m… still thinking about it, alright?” she answered uneasily as she finished tying up her second boot.

Spitfire couldn’t believe on hearing such an excuse. Fleetfoot had a month… a whole month to make a move on this matter when it became so obvious to their teammates as well as to Roseluck’s. And yet, on her end, Fleetfoot hadn’t made any progress with her pursuit for an anticipated relationship. Despite not wanting to bring up her last resort, Spitfire knew that she will have to firm about this if she’s going to help her friend out of her own personal misery.

“Okay, this has gone on long enough!”

“What--?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about!” Spitfire pointed it out in a harsh response. “Or do I need to spell it out for you?”

Fleetfoot blinked in puzzlement at the frowning commander’s unexpected hostility, but then, she figured out on what Spitfire was going to say and warned her in a threatening growl, “Don’t you dare say it--!”

“SUNNY. DAY.”

From that unyielding articulation, Fleetfoot shook with chilling fear and immeasurable anger before she sharply stood up from her bed and personally confronted the equally glaring, steadfast Wonderbolt by screeching in front of her face, “Damn it, Spitfire! I told you never bring her up ever again!”

“No, we gonna talk about this right now and settle this once and for all!”

“There’s nothing to talk about it, Spitfire! We broke up and that’s it! What’s done is done, alright?!”

“Oh, stop trying to kid yourself!” she snapped at her. “Who do you think you’re fooling?! You may have buried the past long ago, but you haven’t budged one inch from that grave since then! Face it, Fleetfoot! It’s time for you to move on!”

“Oh, you mean like how you moved on with that incident involving your ex-fiancée by laying the blame on Cloud Kicker and carrying that stupid grudge over her?!” she counter-argued with an intensely cold glare.

This time, it was Spitfire’s turn to shake with ruthless anger as she retorted furiously, “How dare you bring that up like that! That was completely different compared to how much of a big baby you are about all of this!” she criticized harshly as she pressed a hard finger on the fuming Fleetfoot’s chest. “Besides, you had no idea on what it was like for me--!”

“NO, YOU’RE THE ONE WHO HAD NO IDEA ON WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME!” she snapped uncontrollably as she shoved Spitfire back with a hand that was impulsively empowered with her wind magic.

From that amplified push, Spitfire spread her yellow, light-made wings quickly enough to put on the air brakes before she would slam into a wall. After that recovery, Spitfire was about to pay Fleetfoot back for that, but then, she stopped herself from advancing once she got a good look at Fleetfoot’s face. Her expression wasn’t just filled with rage; it was also blended with self-anguish and immense guilt upon being reminding of her past transgression as constant tears poured out her of emotional eyes. Seeing on how she rendered Spitfire speechless, Fleetfoot took the opportunity to rant out all of her inner frustration she held on too for so long.

“You may have lost your fiancée over some stupid issue of commitment, but I lost Sunny because I… I was the one who hurt her in the first place! Despite your own heartbreak, you can at least find love somewhere else, but as for me… I can’t bear to go through all of that if it means that I might hurt someone else!” Suffering from her own grim reminder, the shook-up Fleetfoot collapsed on the floor as she shielded her tearful gazes away from the attentive Spitfire while she continued her grief-stricken statement. “I can’t do that to anyone else ever again, Spitfire! I can’t do that to Roseluck either! If ever did that to her… I may never forgive myself for that.”

With a sympathetic expression, Spitfire carefully approached her lamenting friend and embraced her gently. Turning to her confidant, Fleetfoot laid her head right between Spitfire’s head and shoulder as the orange-haired Jupitarian soothingly brushed her friend’s white, soft hair and comforted her in a motherly tone.

“Oh, Fleetfoot… you’re being too hard on yourself. It’s been years since you and Sunny had to break up like that. You were just a rookie back then, and now look at you… you're one of the most recognizable Wonderbolts in the country! Not only that, but thanks to Crystal’s help, you have much better control over your powers than ever before! And you’re a much better person now than you were back then! Believe me, I know.”

Lifting her head up from her makeshift haven, Fleetfoot locked her sniveling eyes to Spitfire’s soft, amber gaze and warm smile. After hearing the captain’s reassurance, the recuperating Wonderbolt reflected on all the years she spent after her unfortunate breakup with Sunny Day. How she poured all of her soul and anguish to Spitfire in need of comfort. How they talked with Crystal on asking her help to control her ice powers. How she spent months of personal training to conquer her own curse. From remembering on how much she has improved since then, Fleetfoot smiled a little as she started to brighten up on the possibility for a second chance in love, namely with Roseluck Greentouch.

“Alright, I’ll do it.” she sniffled with a soft nod. “I’ll give it try.”

“That’s my girl!” Spitfire grinned with pride as she lightly shook Fleetfoot up in a one-armed hug. “You two will have a great time this evening. I just know it. But remember: if things go according to plan, I call dibs on using our room tonight!”

“You can’t just call dibs and kick me out like that!” she snapped with surprise and disapproval.

“Uh-uh-uhh~! Captain’s orders, remember?” Spitfire confirmed with a snarky grin as she humorously wagged her finger. “The Equestria Games are over, and that means we get to resume our official Wonderbolt ranks. So you might as well make plans with your date on where you're going to spend the night, Lieutenant Stormwind."

“…Bitch.”

And that muttering response caused the two Jupitarians to spontaneously laugh together as they forgive and forget the incident they put themselves through before they finally got ready for the night out on the town.

After saying goodbye to Spitfire and wishing her luck before going their separate ways, Fleetfoot, who was fully dressed in her casual outfit, Wonderbolt jacket, and boots, didn’t have an clue on where she might find Roseluck. So her best option was to go to the Eponian’s house and to either find her there or ask her one of her roommates on Rose’s location. But first, she stopped by Ponyville’s bakery and confectionary, “Sugarcube Corner”, and bought a moderately sized cake as an appealing gift and bargaining chip for Lily and Daisy especially.

Upon her arrival, Fleetfoot knocked the door a couple times, and Daisy answered it with a bright smile to the Wonderbolt’s appearance. “Oh, hi Fleetfoot! What brings you over here on this fine evening of ours?”

“Hi Daisy. Is Roseluck here?” Fleetfoot inquired in a somewhat sheepish manner.

Daisy looked at the small, white box that was carried in Fleetfoot’s left hand and pondered on the possibility of a delectable house gift to her and her roommates. Then, she displayed a very sly smile and asked, “Hmm… I don’t know. I might know where she is, but what’s in it for me though?”

Seeing on where this was going, Fleetfoot lifted her cake box and answered, “Well, I brought some cake over from a local bake shop and--!”

Without the need for the Jupitarian to finish that sentence, Daisy gasped with an broad smile and immediately swiped the boxed dessert from Fleetfoot’s grasp before she articulated in a deviously sweet tone while going back inside, “Hang on for juuust one second~!”

Once Daisy closed the door gently, Fleetfoot could hear the excited Eponian running up the stairs as the Wonderbolt used her sharply trained ears to make out on what Roseluck was saying from the top level.

“Daisy! How many times have I told you to not barge into my room like--?!

Wait, what are you doing, and why are you grinning like that?

…

EEP! DAISY! WHY ARE YOU TAKING OFF MY CLOTHES?!

GET OFF OF ME AT ONCE!

EKK! D-D-DON’T TOUCH ME THERE!

LILY, HELP ME! DAISY’S CRAZIER THAN USUAL!

…

W-wait, what are you two whispering about?

…

AHH! NO, LILY! NOT YOU TOO! YOU SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING ME, NOT HER!

WAIT, NOW YOU’RE PUTTING CLOTHES ON ME? WHAT’S GOING ON?!

I SWEAR, IF YOU’VE SET ME UP ON SOME BLIND DATE, I WILL MAKE YOU ALL PAY FOR THIS!

QUIT SHOVING ME LIKE THAT! WHAT HAS GOTTEN YOU TWO SO PUSHY ALL OF SUDDEN?! I DIDN’T AGREE TO ANY OF THIS!”

After Fleetfoot heard the florists thundering down the stairs, the door suddenly swung wide-open and Lily pushed a distraught Roseluck forward and she landed right into Fleetfoot’s arms. As the Jupitarian helped the distressed Eponian up, Fleetfoot got a better look at the cute outfit that Roseluck was forced to wear for this evening. The red-haired woman wore a white blouse with a short-sleeved denim jacket, a matching, short skirt, and a pair of light brown, short, heeled boots. Once Rose’s gaze met with Fleetfoot’s, she instinctively trembled with fear and excitement as both of them blushed at the same time.

Peeking from the doorway, Lily and Daisy awed with broad smiles over the cute display in front of them before the blonde-haired florist waved them off with a meaningful grin, “Okay, have fun you two~!”

“Byyyyye~!” After Daisy’s cheerful farewell, the roommates shut the door firmly and finally left the flustered athletes in peace.

“Umm… hey.” Fleetfoot greeted in a coy manner.

“H-hi.” Roseluck responded in the same way. “…Please tell me you didn’t hear all of that.”

“I can just pretend that I didn’t.” Fleetfoot responded with a witty grin.

“Good enough.” she shrugged with a chuckling smile.

Getting back on track on why she was here, Fleetfoot addressed it in a progressively mumbling manner, “So… Pinkie Pie is hosting the mother of all parties tonight. And… I was wondering… if you wanna… you know… hang out with me or something.”

With a blossoming smile over this opportunity to go out with her crush, she agreed without hesitation, “Sure, I would like that very much.”

Surprised by the quick response at first, Fleetfoot grinned widely and said, “Umm… great! So, uhh… what should we do first?”

“Oh, I know!” Roseluck perked up with a marvelous idea. “Bon-Bon’s Tavern is opened tonight with their outdoor expansion, and the Apple Family is hosting a huge buffet for them!”

Fleetfoot gasped exaggeratedly before she grinned hungrily, “You mean I get a chance to eat some real food before I have to go to back to a steady diet and eating fancy-schmancy hors d'oeuvres? Heh, count me in!”

Later that evening, Roseluck and Fleetfoot arrived at the usual get-to-together location: Bon-Bon’s Tavern. Thanks to their rising popularity, due to their increasing catering services over the course of the Games, Bonnie and Lyra had enough money to spare for a grand outdoor picnic event for their friends and consumers. And with the additional aid of the Apple Family, there were plenty of helping hands to spare and enough food to go around for multiple helpings.

From there, Rose and Fleetfoot met up with their friends from their respective teams, including Applejack, Vinyl Scratch, Cloud Kicker, Ditzy Doo, Allie Way, Raindrops Silverain, Shining Armor, Spitfire, and Soarin. From the greatly extensive buffet lines, they had all kinds of comfort food: fried chicken, baked beans with bacon, macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob, cole slaws, freshly baked biscuits, and the family’s famous, homemade apple pies with vanilla ice cream to serve on the side. As predicted, Soarin scarfed down a couple of the pies will little to no manners, much to Spitfire and Fleetfoot’s amusement.

After sharing a satisfying meal with good friends, they moved their victory party to the town square, where Pinkie Pie was hosting the main event. From there, Vinyl became a special guest DJ at the turntables and got this party really started. The partygoers were mesmerized from the Vinyl’s enchanting music as they dance wildly in place. At the same thing, they were also captivated by the DJ’s unique light show, thanks to her blue, magical strings, which served as her source of dynamic music.

Eventually, Vinyl called up Applejack on stage as they switched things up for the next musical segments. Accompanied by other members of the Apple Family with their own instruments, Vinyl and Applejack, with their respective guitar and violin, began the first shindig as the audience hollered excitedly and immediately danced to the captivating country music.

“Come on, Fleetfoot! Dance with me!” she squealed with anticipation as she grabbed the staggered Wonderbolt’s hand.

“Nuh-uh! No way, Rose!” she refused as she pulled her hand back. “You know I can’t dance well enough to save my own hide!”

“Well you did say that you would want to participate as a rhythmic gymnast in the next Equestria Games, so you got to start somewhere!”

“Yes, I know I said that, but I would rather practice my dancing in somewhere more private!”

“Oh, come on, Fleetfoot! It’s not even a competition!” she insisted greatly. “Everyone else is just here to have fun and I can always help you out along the way!”

As Fleetfoot hesitated with a soft gruff and her arms crossed over each other, Roseluck amplified her pleading with big, adorable, green eyes and trembling lips as she restated her insistence one last time. “Please… just for this one night?”

Once her fuchsia eyes are locked on with Rose’s unfairly cute expression, Fleetfoot’s defenses declined rapidly as she couldn’t bear that beseeching look any longer while breaking into a giggling smile. “Sigh… by the Gods! You’re just too damn adorable for your own good!”

Happy from successfully convincing Fleetfoot to join her, Roseluck gleefully led the nervous Wonderbolt by the hand as they made their way into the center of the dancing crowd. Hesitant at first on what to do next, Fleetfoot watched Rose getting in the swing of things. Then, Roseluck grabbed the Jupitarian by the hands as their conjoined arms swung in rhythm with the fast-paced playing of the Apple Sisters. Step by step, Fleetfoot copied Rose’s rhythmic patterns at a progressive pace, until finally, their dancing was completely in-synced with one and another. As the sisters’ fiddling increased dramatically, the two former, carefree competitors still held on to each other’s arms as they laugh, hop, skip, and jump in the midst of their dancing circle while were having the time of their lives.

Once the enticing music died down, Fleetfoot and Roseluck took a break from their intense dancing as they recovered themselves from their infectious laughter. Then, Fleetfoot observed Pinkie Pie from a far whispering something to the Apple Sisters and other associates. Assuming that Pinkie was about to have this party go out with a big bang, Fleetfoot looked around the town as she sought to find the perfect spot for herself and Roseluck.

Once she found it, she grinned to her dance partner, “Hey, Rose. Looks like Pinkie Pie is about to get ready for the grand finale.”

“Oh, okay. Where should we sit--?”

Abruptly, Fleetfoot lifted the startled Rose and carried her in her arms before the grinning Wonderbolt took flight and flew to one of the cottage houses nearby. On the thatched rooftop, Fleetfoot carefully seated the trembling Eponian down as the florist was desperately clinging on to the Jupitarian’s arm.

“You know, a little warning would be nice next time!” Roseluck scolded in a slightly shaky voice.

With a light chuckle, Fleetfoot apologized, “Sorry. Just want to get the best seats on the house.”

“Well, that’s awfully considerate of you, but I didn’t expect that they would literally be on the house itself!” she retorted with an agitated frown.

With Fleetfoot’s chuckling and Roseluck’s frowning dying down, the Jupitarian summoned her light blue wings and use one of them to pull the flustered Rose closer to her. Feeling safe and secured under the protection of her fellow Wonderbolt, Roseluck scooted as close as possible toward Fleetfoot with her arm still interlocking with hers.

Down below, there was a colossal box in the shape of a giant present with a ginormous bowtie on top. With a good kick from the overly excited Pinkie Pie, the sides of the enormous present collapsed by themselves as lots of hissing smoke spew out of its unveiling. Suddenly, something fired out of the immense smokescreen as the glaring shot was launched high in the air. And with loud, mighty bang, the shot exploded into a dazzling firework.

After the first sparkling explosion, the smoke faded away and revealed the monstrous contraption of the mad, pink-haired genius. There weren’t just one, two, or three cannons; there were over a dozen long-barreled party cannons as they were layered in an array like candles on a birthday cake. Eventually, the cannons automatically launched their rockets in various patterns and effects such as Brocades, Glitters, Crackles, Spinners, Crossettes, and Whistles.

The spectators oohed and awed at the colorful fireworks show, including Roseluck and Fleetfoot. No longer worrying about being stuck on a two-storied house, Rose sighed with content as she rested her head on Fleetfoot’s shoulder which nearly caused the Jupitarian to shiver from such close contact. Either way, they greatly enjoyed each other’s company as they continued to gaze at the magnificent show until the very end when the cannons launched all of its remaining fireworks at once. After the spectacular jubilation, Fleetfoot helped Roseluck off the rooftop and they made a graceful landing once the Jupitarian gently hovered down with her secured passenger.

“So, you ready to go home yet?” asked Fleetfoot.

“Actually… do you mind if we stop by somewhere real quick?” Roseluck insisted with a small blush and a hopeful smile. “There’s something I really want to show you.”

Smiling back, Fleetfoot answered, “Lead the way, Rose.”

Giddy with anticipation, Roseluck grabbed the Wonderbolt by the hand and dragged Fleetfoot away from town square to somewhere more private.

Outside of town, Rose led the deeply perplexed Fleetfoot toward a small park which featured a simple, cobblestoned bridge and a creek running underneath it. Away from most of the lively activities that were taking place in Ponyville, the only lights that were on in that quiet area were the fireflies and the bright, blue moon above.

As Fleetfoot wondered on where Roseluck was taking her, she could barely keep her blushing face under control as she kept noticing that Rose’s hand just wouldn’t let go of hers. Even when they stopped at a particular spot right before they cross the bridge, the Eponian’s surprisingly firm yet soft handgrip didn’t even bother to release Fleetfoot just yet. While Roseluck may be a bit obvilious by this affectionate action, Fleetfoot didn’t even dare to raise an objection as she began to relax from this and delicately wrapped her fingers around Rose’s gripping hand, hoping to embrace that long-forgotten, warm feeling for as long as she can.

“Ah, there they are! Look!” Roseluck pointed down below. Following the florist’s pointed index finger, Fleetfoot looked down and spotted a small cluster of plants with hanging, white flowers that were shaped like bells.

“They are very pretty…” Fleetfoot stated it casually. “…but it’s a shame that it’s too dark to see them right now.”

“No no! It get’s better!” Roseluck verified excitedly. “Just give it a little more time!”

With a raised eyebrow, Fleetfoot took Rose’s word and continued to stare at the normal-looking flowers. And slowly but surely, each of the heads opened up a bit more and glowed a very light blue color. As the flowers’ soft illumination radiated strongly, the wide-eyed Wonderbolt gasped at the pleasant light as Roseluck smiled broadly over Fleetfoot’s expression before she gladly explained the mystery behind those flowers.

“They’re called ‘Luna Bellflowers’ in honor of our Princess of the Night. It’s one of the rarest types of flowers that can naturally product its own form of light or ‘bioluminescence’ as they would call it. These flowers can only glow when it’s really dark at this time. It’s why they didn’t light up right away when the fireworks were going off.”

“That's so cool!” Fleetfoot awed with wondrous eyes. “I’ve never seen flowers glow this brightly before!”

“Mm-hmm. I once read that before we discovered the usage of electricity, travelers and florists would use them as their personal lamps, so as long as they take good care of them, of course.”

“I take it that you must have had a hand in this then?” Fleetfoot asked with a knowing grin.

“More or less.” she shrugged modestly. “Lily, Daisy, and I would help out with park’s flora from time to time. But these bellflowers grew up here all on their own. I usually just water them every time I pass by here.”

After enjoying the lovely sight of the fully bloomed Luna Bellflowers, Fleetfoot suddenly noticed a soft, pink glow underneath the park’s bridge and stood on a nearby shore to get a better glimpse at it. From leaning her head forward a little bit, she called out to Roseluck, “Hey, something else is glowing underneath that bridge.”

“Huh, I wonder what it could be?”

Curious by what Fleetfoot was seeing, Rose leaned forward and joined at the Jupitarian’s side to verify the mysterious light herself. Steadily, the multiple sources of soft, colorful lights exited from the bridge tunnel as they revealed themselves to the gazing pair. Floating on their green, leafy pads were pink lilies. Each of them illuminated a friendly glow from the center of its numerous petals.

“Oh wow!” Roseluck exclaimed with a wide smile. “Water Lantern Lilies! I hardly see them here in Ponyville at all!”

With Rose’s hand still glued to Fleetfoot’s, she yanked the off-guarded Wonderbolt along with her as they walked to the midpoint of the bridge and looked over its edge to get a closer look at the floating lilies. As they marvel at the dozens of glowing flowers that drifted gently across the creek’s surface, Fleetfoot noticed the reflection of herself and Roseluck while they were still holding hands. From seeing this mirror image, Fleetfoot pondered to herself on why she has been so hesitant for so long. With a warm smile, she felt ready to move on with her life as well as to confess her true feelings for Rose.

“Heh, if you get this excited over one flower, I can’t imagine how you would handle yourself if I ever take you to Canterlot’s Royal Gardens someday.” Fleetfoot chuckled lightheartedly.

Speechless by the Wonderbolt’s suggestion, Rose blinked a few times before she stammered in response, “The R-R-Royal Gardens?! As in the most pristine, botanical gardens in all of Equestria?! B-but only royalty or those who have special privileges can have access to that place!”

“Well, I may not be of royalty, but being a Wonderbolt does give me access to the castle grounds themselves.” Fleetfoot stated with a carefree smirk.

“You would do that… for me?”

“Of course I would, Rose. Why wouldn’t I?”

Unable to accept such a generous offer, Roseluck cried soft tears as she desperately tried to hide her spontaneous sniveling from Fleetfoot’s concerning gaze. So the Jupitarian tried to make light of the situation as she did her best to comfort the emotional Eponian. “Come on, Rose. I know you’re happy about this, but there’s no reason to cry all of a sudden.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that… I don’t understand.” Rose explained as she wiped away her tears.

“What’s there to not understand?” Fleetfoot inquired with a kind smile.

“I mean… you’ve done so much for me in the past month. Why would you go to such great lengths just for me?”

Baffled by that simple yet complex question, the Wonderbolt took a minute to think about it as she tensely stroke her thick, white hair with a swipe of her hand. Once she composed herself, she answered to the best of her abilities with a sincere, blushing smile.

“Well… I could say that I would do all of this for you because you're my friend, but… there’s more to it than that. You’re not just a simple flower girl from a small town like Ponyville. You are an extraordinarily talented, young woman who's full of surprises and always fun to talk with. I guess what I’m trying to say… is that I really like you, Roseluck.”

Though that may not be what she intended to say to the full extent of Fleetfoot’s true feelings, her message seemed to have hit the marker as her attentive listener blushed warmly with a heartfelt smile while she stood closely in front of the Wonderbolt.

“I like you too, Fleetfoot.” Roseluck responded tenderly. “A whole lot actually. In fact, I… well… I mean… I…”

Though she knew exactly on what she wanted to say to Fleetfoot, Rose was practically choking on her own words as she found it difficult to express them herself. Everything just seemed like the right moment to say those simple yet equally difficult words, and yet she couldn’t find the strength and voice to say them out loud to her.

So… she kissed her instead.

To Fleetfoot's surprise, it wasn’t a simple kiss on the lips. It was a very deep and surprisingly bold kiss that Roseluck was laying on the greatly flabbergasted Fleetfoot as the florist’s lips refuse to let go while her delicate arms interlocked around the Wonderbolt’s neck. Rose wasn’t sure on what compelled her to do that. She never thought of herself of doing something as adventurous as that. Maybe it was the inner, nagging voices of Lily and Daisy as they were mentally egging her on to kiss the girl of her dreams. Maybe since she lost her voice momentarily, this was the best way to fully express her feelings. Either way, there was no point of backing out of it now. Now it was up to Fleetfoot to decide on how she would react to the flower girl’s unexpectedly bold move.

As Roseluck started to feel discourage based off of Fleetfoot’s silent uncertainty, her initial fears began to subside as the Jupitarian rested her soft, cool hands onto Roseluck’s shoulders and gently pulled her in closely while their lips remained interlocked. Rose moaned lightly at this silent return of affection as they carried on their first kiss together.

Throughout their tender smooching, Fleetfoot could hardly believe that this was finally happening. And what’s more, it looked like she had nothing to worry about to begin with. For the first time since her days with Sunny, she founded true happiness.

But just as things seemed to finally go her way, Fleetfoot nearly gasped with fear in the middle of their kissing as her bulgy eyes saw her hands that gripping Roseluck’s shoulders emitting a frosty aura around them.

No no no! Don’t do this to me! Please don’t do this to me now! Okay, just calm down, Fleetfoot! Just do what Crystal has taught you before! Keep calm and take nice, steady breaths!

Following with that, she tried to ease her nerves and maintain her level of slow breathing. But to her dismay, her method wasn’t working as her cursed hands automatically conjured some ice while frost resided on the shoulders of Rose’s denim jacket. Eventually, her fears on reliving that heartbreaking incident were getting the best of her.

It… it’s not working! Why is it not working?! I… I… I can’t go through with this anymore! I can’t do this to Rose like I did to Sunny! I CAN’T!

Unable to control her anxiety and freezing hands anymore, she hastily pushed Roseluck away from her and abruptly ended their kiss. As Fleetfoot breathed heavily from how close it was to go through all of that again, she looked at Roseluck and saw the immense confusion and hurt in her pale green eyes. Feeling deeply ashamed and scared on what she had done to her, Fleetfoot broke in a few tears, and she made a difficult decision for herself and for Rose.

“I’m sorry… I just… can’t.”

And before Roseluck had time to respond, the deeply distraught Wonderbolt took off with a mighty flap of her wings and flew back to hotel room, leaving poor Rose out in the frigid, dark cold.

Author's Note

Just so you know, when I wrote "Jupitarian neckline" in the beginning of this chapter to describe Spitfire's dress, I substituted that for the actual "Grecian neckline" since Greece and its history/culture doesn't exist in the world of Equestria and that Jupitarians (Human counterparts of Pegasi) share some similiarity with Greco-Roman in regards of military and architecture.

Also, if you are confused on why Spitfire addressed Fleetfoot as a Lieutenant in this chapter instead of a Sergeant from the previous ones, here is what Mariacheat-Brony stated to me when I questioned him on what Fleetfoot's rank is in the Wonderbolt hierarchy:

Well, for her rank it's a bit special for the Wonderbolts. In the Guard hierarchy, Spitfire is a Lieutenant just Like CK, but she's also Captain of the Wonderbolts... A bit tricky, I know :p. So Fleetfoot would be a sergeant in the General Guard, and A lieutenant in the Wonderbolts hierarchy.

Chapter 12 – No Matter How Long the Winter, Spring is Sure to Follow

As they made their way down the hallway of their hotel, Spitfire and Soarin were positively giddy over the course of their first date together. With arms draped over each other, they wobbled toward Spitfire’s room where she had something special in mind for the two.

“You know, Soarin, despite how many pies you’ve consumed this evening, I certainly hope that you’ve saved room for dessert.”

“Oh trust me, Spitfire, I still got room for one more.” he grinned wittily. “And despite how good those apple pies were, I’ve been looking forward to this one for very long time.”

“You’ve been such a good boy, Soarin.” she purred sensually as she drew circles on Soarin’s shirted chest with an index finger. “And as a reward for your patience, your prize is just beyond that door.”

“Mmm… I can’t wait!” he smiled while licking his lips hungrily.

As the orange-haired woman reached for her hotel key inside her purse, she suddenly heard a distorted noise beyond the door to her room. Alarmed by this, she pressed her ear against the door’s wooden surface in hopes to verify that unusual sound. Curious by this, Soarin does the same as they listened carefully on what was inside. It was very faint, but thanks to their well-trained ears, they could definitely hear what sounded like to be heavy, muffled cries.

“Wait, is that Fleetfoot?” Soarin asked in a puzzling tone. From the mention of her roommate, Spitfire’s eyes widened as she feared for the worst.

“Oh no.” After they stepped away from the door, she turned to her male companion and asked of him, “Umm… Soarin?”

“Yes?”

“I really hate to do this to you, but… can we postpone this for another night?” she pleaded softly. “I mean… I know that you were looking forward to this, but I--!”

“Hey, it’s okay, Spitfire.” he reassured her with an understanding smile as he caressed the soft, fire-looking hair of hers. “You just do what you can for Fleetfoot, alright?”

When his delicate touch reached her rosy cheek, she laid her hand on top of his and sighed with a warm smile before assuring him, “I’ll make it up to you, Soarin. I promise.”

“With another date perhaps?”

“Definitely.”

“Then that’s all I need to hear.”

Reluctantly, his hand left her beseeching face, and he turned around to head to his own room. Not wanting to end their first date with just a simple touch, Spitfire spontaneously called out to him, “LIEUTENANT!”

From hearing that familiar, unmatched tone of authority, Soarin stopped in place, turned around sharply, and saluted to her right away, “Y-yes, Captain?”

While maintaining her recognizably fierce demeanor, she stomped toward her suddenly nervous date, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and promptly pulled him in for a very extensive kiss. She moaned to herself in great joy on experiencing that wonderful feeling again as Soarin felt the same way when he wrapped his gentle arms around her and pulled her in closely.

Satisfied, she gently ended their kiss and added in a flustered manner, “That was for… well you know… everything.”

With a goofy smile, he responded simply, “Happy to be of service, ma’am.”

After a short chuckle, she started to feel really embarrassed by how lovey-dovey she was acting and waved him off in a brokenly stern tone, “Alright, dismiss!”

As the carefree Jupitarian continued his walk toward his room, Spitfire faced the door, breathed out a heavy sigh, and opened it gently. Inside, everything was dark, and the only sources of light to shed in this severely grim room was the crack of the door that Spitfire just opened and the window’s dimly opened shutters. A Wonderbolt jacket was laid carelessly on the floor. And on one of the two queen-sized beds that was closest to the window was the constantly weeping Fleetfoot, flat on her stomach and her arms crossed underneath her tearful face.

Carefully, Spitfire closed the door quietly, softly crept over to Fleetfoot’s bed, and gently seated herself down next to her lamenting friend. With a wary hand, she laid it on top of the white, spiky hair before she soothingly patted the fluffy locks, which Fleetfoot didn’t mind at all from feeling that calming touch of hers.

“Fleetfoot?” Spitfire said to her sweetly. “Is everything okay?”

She didn’t responded at first, but eventually, she murmured in a sniveling voice, “I-I couldn’t do it, Spitfire. I couldn’t go through with it.”

Continuing with her soothing brush, Spitfire suggested softly, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“…I guess.” she whimpered in response.

“Well what happened, Fleetfoot?” she asked in a caring tone. “Last time I checked, you and Roseluck were having a good time on the dance floor.”

Finally, Fleetfoot lifted her sniffling head up as Spitfire took notice of her puffy eyes and numerous trails of tears that have stained the Wonderbolt’s pale white face. When she felt ready enough, Fleetfoot took the time to explain herself.

“Well… after that, Rose led me to a park, so she could show me some of its pretty flowers. Then, we’re standing on a bridge, admiring the scenery, and… holding hands.” From the mention of those last two words, Fleetfoot blushed warmly upon that recollection, which didn’t go unnoticed by Spitfire’s observant gaze.

“Was that when you kissed her?” Spitfire assumed as she fretted from within that Roseluck didn’t share the same interest as Fleetfoot did.

“N-no… I didn’t kiss her…”

“Oh.”

“…sh-she kissed me.” she corrected as her blushing face intensified with a small smile breaking through.

From hearing that as well as from seeing Fleetfoot’s glowing reaction, Spitfire grinned brightly in surprise and delight over this unexpected news. “Really? Fleetfoot, that’s wonderful! I can’t believe that she was the one to kiss you first!”

“I know, right?!” Fleetfoot smiled widely in excitement. “I still get chills just from thinking about that!” From unintentionally saying the word “chills” in her previous sentence, she fell back into her state of depression as she sat up with her fingers gripping her bare, shaky shoulders while her hands impulsively gave off an unpleasantly cold mist.

“But then… when I was holding her, my hands… they just… they’re still just as out of control as before!” she exclaimed with fresh tears running down her pitiful face. “All of that hard work for nothing!”

Unable to see Fleetfoot punishing herself like this, Spitfire wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders and asked, “Did you tell Roseluck about this?”

“N-n-no. I… didn’t want to frighten her.” she answered in a trembling, grief-stricken voice. “So… I left her there. I couldn’t bear to tell her the truth anyhow.”

Using her other arm, Spitfire embraced her sorrow friend as Fleetfoot clung on to her while carrying on with her renewed melancholy. Out of all of her personal friends, Fleetfoot had nothing to fear about being so close to her sisterly friend since Spitfire’s specialty involved controlling heat, which it will perfectly counteract with her reflexive freezing powers.

Once her cursed magic subsided, Fleetfoot apologized in a more casual tone, “Anyway, I’m sorry if I made you end your night with Soarin so abruptly. I knew how anxious you were from getting in his pants right about now.”

Shrugging off that light bit of teasing from the more playful Wonderbolt, Spitfire grinned in response, “Nah, don't worry about that. There will be another time for that anyhow.”

“Oh, how can you be so sure?”

“Let's just say... I still promised him that slice of my pie for next time.” Spitfire answered with a cryptically sly smile.

With a raised eyebrow, Fleetfoot inquired in confusion, “Are you talking your grandma's secret family pie or...?”

“What do you think, Fleetfoot?” Spitfire responded with a knowing smirk and a raised eyebrow of her own.

“...He really thought that he was getting the actual pie, wasn't he?" Fleetfoot deadpanned her assumption bluntly.

“Yep!” Spitfire acknowledged with a short chuckle.

Groaning to herself, Fleetfoot shook her head and expressed her sympathy to Spitfire over Soarin’s lack of insight, “Sigh... you really know how to reel in all the idiots in your love life, huh Spitfire?”

“Maybe...” Spitfire admitted with a carefree shrug before she faintly blush with a growing smile, “…but he's my lovable idiot that I wouldn't trade for anyone else in the world right now.”

They shared a good, hearty laugh over their male comrade’s obliviousness before Spitfire offered an idea in mind to help mend things up with Fleetfoot and her florist friend, “You know… if you like, we can still see Roseluck tomorrow before we head back to HQ.”

“Sigh… forget it, Spitfire.” Fleetfoot dismissed that in a defeated, cold tone as she took off her boots and pants. “It wouldn’t work out anyway. She probably hates me for running away like that. I wouldn’t blame her. Besides, it’s better off that way than if I had hurt her instead.” In just her arctic blue tank top and panties, she sluggishly crawled underneath the covers and settled down in her bed with her back facing Spitfire. “Anyway, I’m really tired. It’s been a long day for me, so… I’m going to bed now.”

Seeing how there was no point into changing Fleetfoot’s mind this late at night, Spitfire replied softly, “Oh… ok. Well… goodnight, Fleetfoot.”

“Goodnight.”

After silently changing into her light gray, cropped tank top and matching sleeping shorts, Spitfire delicately packed her evening clothes into her suitcase before turning in for the night. But while doing so, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking of another way to turn this around for Fleetfoot. She was so close from finding a potential girlfriend for herself, and for her to turn it away so suddenly within her very reach was just unfathomable.

Once she packed up her gorgeous, yellow dress and took out what she will wear for tomorrow morning, she decided to take a quick look at her schedule from her personal travel bag, so that way, she would keep in mind on what’s to come for her and the Wonderbolts. The first thing she noticed on the current month of her agenda was a red marked circle around next Saturday, and within that circle was something written in bold, red letters:

WONDERBOLTS DERBY – 6PM @ CANTERLOT

From seeing those words written on her miniature calander, Spitfire broke into an ingenious smile as she may have figured out a way on how to fix her friend’s heartbreaking dilemma. She may need to pull a few strings here and there, but if this will allow Fleetfoot to regain her newfound happiness, the results of her valiant deeds will be totally worth it in the end.

“Hmmm… maybe… Just maybe…”

Nearly One Week Later in Ponyville…

At the local flower shop, things had been relatively quiet since the end of the Equestria Games. No longer was the greenhouse crowded with out-of-town customers or fans hoping for a chance to see Ponyville’s famed gymnast. At least sales were still above-average levels thanks to the vast amount of victories earned by town’s athletes. But as of now, it was for the best that there wasn’t much activity within the florists’ establishment.

Behind the counter, Daisy was slouching on her seat as she placed an elbow of her flexed right arm on the surface while her bored face rested on her right hand. She sighed heavily on how slow business had been compared to what she was used to in the previous weeks. She missed all of the many, new faces she would warmly greet and help whenever they entered the store. Just as she was about to fall asleep, the green-haired florist perked up immediately when she saw her fellow coworker, Lily, leaving from the greenhouse with a very solemn look on her face.

“So… any luck with Rosie yet?” Daisy asked even though she knew the answer herself based off of Lily’s disappointed expression.

“No. She’s still awfully quiet ever since last week. I’ve never seen her this way before. She just so… detached from everything else, including her own work.”

“Arrgh! I bet it was that Wonderbolt’s fault!” Daisy gritted her teeth harshly. “How dare she reject our Rosie and breaking her heart into two like that!”

“Well, we don’t know all the facts ourselves unless Rosie tells them herself.” the blonde-haired woman pointed it out gently as she shook her head. “For now, we just need to support her in anyway possible.”

Her instinctive anger faded away before the curly-haired florist let out a heavy sigh and responded calmly, “Yeah, you’re right, Lily. I just wish there was something we can do for her.” Then, she drooped back into her tiring position as she added, “But then again, it’s not like a solution will fall right on our doorstep.”

As soon as Daisy said that, a firm slam was suddenly heard as a familiar mail carrier smacked against the glass entrance. With a swift swing of the door, the blonde-haired deliverywoman landed clumsily in front of two startled coworkers.

“Ditzy!” Lily shouted as she rushed to the recently famed Ponyvillian’s aid. “Are you alright?!”

As Lily helped her up, Ditzy Doo replied with that ever-so carefree, chuckling smile while scratching the back of her head, “Sorry. I should have knocked first beforehand.”

“Do you need any first aid, Ditzy?” Daisy asked as she stepped away from counter to approach their friend.

“No thanks, Daisy. I’m okay right now. Really.” she reassured with a cheerful smile as she got herself up before quickly brushing off her postal uniform. “Oh! I nearly forgot why I was charging in here in the first place! I have an important letter that I had to deliver right away!” she hastily explained herself as she reached inside her single-strapped, brown carrier bag. Once she found what she was looking for, she pulled out a letter with a big, red stamp that indicated it as “express mail.”

“Really? Well, who is it for?” Lily asked.

“It’s for Roseluck, from the Wonderbolts’ Headquarters.”

From hearing that reply, Lily and Daisy looked at each other with wide eyes before they anxiously reached for that significant piece of mail as Lily greatly insisted, “Quick! Give it here!”

Daisy followed it up in the same manner by demanding childishly, “Yes, let’s see it! Let’s see it!”

A bit troubled by how grabby the two florists were, Ditzy quickly held out a free hand in front of them as she secured her letter back into her shoulder bag before expressing her disapproval firmly, “Whoa! Hold on for a second! I know we’re friends, but I have an important duty to fulfill first. And a letter this important is obviously meant for Roseluck’s eyes only.”

From that surprisingly steadfast reminder, the two florists ceased their beseechingness as they drooped like disciplined puppies before Lily apologized on their behalf, “Sorry about that, Ditzy. It’s just that… Rosie hasn’t been herself since… well you know.”

With a soft, forgiving gaze, Ditzy nodded with an understanding smile, “Right, of course. But that’s why I want to deliver this letter immediately! I think this might actually cheer her up for a change! Hey listen, it’s really great to see you girls, but I really need to get back to work. Can I trust you to hand this over to Roseluck for me?” she asked of them as she pulled out the letter again.

“Of course, Ditzy!” Daisy saluted in high spirits. “You can count on us!’

“Thanks girls.” Ditzy beamed with delight as she handed the letter to the green-haired florist. “Oh, here! A little gift from me to you three!” Then, she pulled out three of her all-time favorite, blueberry-flavored treats that were neatly gift-wrapped in three plastic bags.

“GASP… MUFFINS!” Daisy grinned excitedly before she carelessly tossed the letter aside and eagerly reached out for the scrumptious gifts as Lily made the swift interception for the flung item.

After Lily caught the letter in midair, she expressed her warm gratitude to their town's favorite mailwoman, “Aww… thank you, Ditzy! You’re always so sweet to us! Here let me get the door for you.” Once she got the door opened, Ditzy hovers from the ground and made her way outside the flower shop before Lily waved her off, “Say ‘hi’ to Dinky for us! Oh, and if you stop by for some of our flowers, we’ll gladly give you a special discount in return!”

“Thanks, Lily! I’ll keep that in mind for next time!” And after that, Ditzy Doo shot off like an arrow to make her next delivery.

Once she closed the door, Lily looked at the letter as she called out to her green-haired coworker, “Come on, Daisy! We need to show this to Rosie right away!”

Daisy had just opened her muffin from the bag and was about to take an enormous bite out of it. Freezing in place with her gaping mouth so close to her tempting treat, she protested with a exaggerated whine, “But… muffins~!”

“Now, Daisy!”

Inside the greenhouse, Roseluck was mindlessly tending to some of her roses. She was not only grateful that she got to spend some time in her greenhouse once again after the Equestria Games were over, but also for the fact on how vacant it was within the larger section of her shop. However, she wasn’t as enthusiastic like the countless times she would be when it comes to tending her flowers. Evidently, her coldly restrained emotions greatly affected her Eponian Magic as the roses she was tending to didn’t blossom as fully as before.

Still, she definitely needed the time to herself as she tried to get over on what had happened last week with Fleetfoot, but she still couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Rose was definitely hurt by the Wonderbolt’s abrupt departure, but she could still remember the terrified, tearful look on her face. After that, she wasn’t sure on how react to that rejection. If only she knew on why Fleetfoot was so horrified in the first place, then maybe she could find a way to make it up to her.

“Rosie! You've got to see this!” Daisy screeched alarmingly as she and Lily quickly approached their younger associate in the aisle that she was working on.

“What is it?” Roseluck asked.

“It’s a letter from the Wonderbolts!” Lily answered swiftly as she showed the sealed envelope to her.

From the mention of that famous Jupitarian team, Rose’s eyes shot wide-opened as she stared at the letter in front of her. Unable to contain her curiosity for just a few seconds, she snatched the letter from Lily, ripped the sealed top portion of the envelope, and frantically pulled the letter out before read it to herself.

Dear Ms. Greentouch,

You are cordially invited to witness the most exciting two minutes in sports at Canterlot’s racetrack: the Wonderbolts Derby. Along with this invitation, we’ve also included a free ticket that’s exclusive to our VIP members. This special privilege offers a private box seat with all of its complimentary services, a backstage pass to meet with the racers after the derby, and an invitation to their after-party. From there, you will get a chance to meet all of your favorite Wonderbolts, including the two-time Derby winner, Fleetfoot Stormwind. We hope that you will come for this momentous occasion and not miss out this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Signed,

A Friend

“Well? What does it say?! What does it say?!” asked Daisy as she along with Lily could hardly contain their suspense.

Flabbergasted by the letter’s ambiguous statement, Rose pulled out the precious ticket and eventually replied to her friends, “It’s… a VIP invitation… to the Wonderbolts Derby.”

“V-V-VIP?!” Lily stammered as she mirrored Daisy’s immense surprise. “Is it from Fleetfoot?”

“No. It just says… ‘a friend.’”

After Roseluck handed the letter to Lily, the blonde woman hastily read it herself before saying, “Why would they leave it so anonymous like that?”

“Perhaps this ‘friend’ caught wind on what has happened from last week and sought to lend a helping hand in this.” Daisy presumed.

“In any case, this will be perfect, Rose!” Lily proclaimed ecstatically as she passed the letter to Daisy next to her. “You can go to the Derby, meet up with Fleetfoot, and win her back!”

Rose was about to smile widely on that promising thought, but then, she dismissed that dreamy notion as she responded in a detached tone, “Girls… this doesn’t indicate anything. Maybe she’s just doing this as a way to apologize.”

“Hmm… for her to give you an exclusive VIP ticket to one of their biggest races, that’s pretty hefty of an apology to make.” Daisy stated as she read the letter while stroking her chin with a free hand in a pondering manner.

“Besides, don’t you want to set things rights between the two of you?” Lily inquired as she grabbed Rose’s shoulders to force her to look her in the eye. “Don’t you want to see her again, Rosie?”

As Rose gave it some more thought on this rare opportunity, the memories of the time she shared with Fleetfoot flooded into her mind as she went through each of them. From how they first met, to how they had ran into each other, to their first lunch together, to their faceoff in the Blitz-ball Finals, and ultimately, to their very first kiss. From recalling that kiss, Roseluck remembered on how truly affectionate and sincere that was despite how unclear that breakup was.

From reliving those heartfelt memories, her feelings for Fleetfoot rekindled anew as she spontaneously started to cry while answering earnestly, “I do! I really do!”

Happy to see their smiling Rose breaking from her own personal gloom, Lily and Daisy warmly embraced their figurative sister as the green-haired florist declared with a very perky smile, “Alright! Then the race is on! All abroad the love train! CHOO-CHOO!”

“Speaking of which, when does the race begin?” Lily asked.

After wiping away the tears from her eyes, Roseluck looked at her ticket and her pupils shrank once she read the date of the event. “It’s on this Saturday at 6pm.”

The eyes of the other two florists nearly bulged out of their sockets before Lily shrieked in distress, “Oh no! That means the Wonderbolts Derby starts tomorrow afternoon!” Then, she mightily pushed Roseluck to the greenhouse’s closest exit as she ordered sternly, “Come on, Rosie! There’s no time to lose! You need to pack up right away!”

As Rose tried to halt Lily’s shoving, she expressed herself worrisomely, “B-but I don’t even know on what I’m supposed to wear for the Derby!”

Lily then ceased her pushing as she pondered on that issue. “Well, we’ve never been to the racetracks before nor have we been invited to their after-parties. Is there anyone of our friends who would know on what to wear for such an occasion?”

After giving it some careful thought, Roseluck came up with one answer in mind despite frowning on the idea herself. “I know of one person… but I’m not going to like it.”

Approaching the door of the apartment with caution, Roseluck gently knocked on it three times and waited for someone to answer it. Hopefully, this person will be on her best behavior today, but that would be highly unlikely. Once the door was opened, Rose was greeted with a very friendly smile from this year’s Best Swordsman of Equestria and head of Ponyville’s Guard, Cloud Kicker.

“Hey, Rose! What’s up?”

“Hi, Cloud--!”

But her greeting was interrupted when she gazed in bewilderment at what Cloud Kicker was wearing. With the cool-mannered Jupitarian leaning on the doorway with the use her right arm, she had on a small, light purple shirt, which showed her smoothly toned abs and embraced her nicely cupped breasts. But CK’s tight t-shirt was practically casual compared to what she was wearing in substitute for normal slacks. Right between her legs was a very revealing g-string as Roseluck was completely spellbound by that saucy piece of clothing.

“Uhh… my eyes are up here, Rose.” she directed the flower girl’s diverted attention with a small smirk and a cocked eyebrow.

Embarrassed by that distraction, Roseluck snappily turned her startled gaze away from the g-string as she apologized while blushing like mad, “R-r-right… sorry.”

After a short chuckle, Cloud welcomed her in. “Anyway, why don’t you come inside already. I don’t want anyone else getting the idea on a free show from this.”

“S-sure.”

As Cloud led her guest into the living room, Roseluck was unfortunately still under the spell of the lieutenant’s g-string as she was distracted by the completely exposed buttocks with nothing more that a narrow cord between those cheeks and around her swaying waist. However, Rose wasn’t as flustered as the first time she saw that while making a mental note to herself.

Hmm… her ass does look pretty good, but it’s nothing compared to Fleetfoot’s! Mmm… I bet she would look really good in that g-string herself!

As the blushing Roseluck drooled over the mental image of her favorite Wonderbolt in that sexy underwear, Cloud Kicker turned her head back and asked with a teasing grin, “So, do you like what you see?”

Pushing away her perverted thoughts in the very corner of her mind, Roseluck replied in a very stern tone, “Quite the opposite actually. How can you be so casual from wearing that thing around the house like that?”

“Well I do prefer to sleep naked on a hot summer night.” she stated with a cryptic smile while sitting down on one of the couches. “Besides, I had laundry to do, so this was the only pair I had in the meantime. And I certainly wasn’t expecting guests when it’s my day off today. Though I don’t mind showing off on how gorgeous my ass is to one of my closest friends.” she teased once with a boastful grin while wiggling her eyebrows.

Unimpressed by Cloud Kicker’s usual swagger, Rose took her seat on the opposite couch as she softly muttered her rebuttal, “Fleetfoot has a better-looking ass than yours.”

“…Blasphemy!”

After that sharp reply, the two female athletes shared a good chuckle before Cloud added kindly, “Anyway, it’s really good to see you again, Roseluck. I was worried about you since last week.”

“I am okay now, CK.” she reassured with a comforting smile. “Actually, that’s why I’ve come to see you. I received an urgent letter from the Wonderbolts this morning.” she explained as she handed her letter to her attentive friend. “I don’t know on who sent this to me, but they’ve invited me to the Wonderbolts Derby this Saturday, and it's emphasized that Fleetfoot’s going to be there.”

Silently, Cloud Kicker read the letter to herself as she comprehended the paragraph very carefully. The typed paper didn’t off much clues on the writer’s identity except for Fleetfoot’s name being in bold letters. However, Cloud Kicker assumed that it had to be someone who knew about Roseluck and Fleetfoot as well as their relationship; whoever it was, this person would go to such great lengths to have this sent out for the red-haired Eponian from Ponyville. With one particular Wonderbolt in mind on who had the resources to pull this one off, Cloud displayed a knowing grin and handed the letter back to Rose.

“So, you’re getting back in the saddle, eh? That’s awesome, Rose! I definitely think you should go there and give chase to that Wonderbolt of yours! But what is it that you want to see me about?”

“Well… I’ve never been to a Derby before, so I was wondering… if you had any advice on what I should wear for that event.”

“Oh… is this for attendance or to impress someone?” Cloud Kicker asked with a mischievous smirk.

“Umm… both… maybe?” she blushed meekly.

“Then girl, you have come to the right place!” she declared with a very eager smile as she got up from the couch before she lifted the surprised florist off her seat and anxiously led her toward the exit of her apartment. “Come on, we’ve got some shopping to do!”

“AT LEAST PUT ON SOME PANTS FIRST!!”

The Next Day in the Early Afternoon…

At Ponyville’s Train Station, the next locomotive was getting ready for its departure to Canterlot as Lily and Daisy got ready to say their goodbyes to Roseluck and Cloud Kicker. While the blonde-haired Jupitarian was wearing some very casual clothes, the red-haired Eponian on the other hand was wearing a very lovely, silky, red evening dress while carrying a simple, beige purse, which contained her secured ticket to the Wonderbolts Derby this evening.

“I still can’t get over on how amazing you look in that dress, Rosie!” Daisy commented joyfully as Rose blushed modestly. “Do you think Fleetfoot would like it?”

“Trust me, she’s gonna love!” Cloud Kicker reassured with a wink and a confident grin as she wrapped an arm around Roseluck’s shoulders. “Besides, I’ve helped her picked out the dress myself.” Then, she leaned closer to the Eponian’s ear and whispered slyly, “By the way, Rose… you’ve got your ‘secret weapon’ on you, right?”

Flustering from that somewhat subtle hint, Roseluck groaned with a roll of her eyes, “Yes, Cloud. I’ve got it on me.”

Then an earsplitting whistle was heard from the steam engine as the conductor called out to his passengers, “LAST CALL!”

“Oh, that’s our cue!” Cloud stated to the girls.

Lily went up to CK and gratefully shook her hand. “Thank you so much for escorting Rosie to Canterlot for us.”

“My pleasure, girls.” she nodded with a welcoming smile. “Plus, this trip will give me a chance to see Lady Sparkle later on.”

“Goodbye, Rosie!” Lily embraced her younger roommate. “Best of luck to you.”

“Yeah! Go get her, kid!” Daisy added cheerfully as she turned this into a group hug.

“Thanks.” Roseluck replied warmly.

After their farewells, Roseluck and Cloud entered one of the passenger cars before eventually, the train whistled one last time and gradually made its leave to Canterlot. With the train’s departure, the two Ponyvillian athletes waved their goodbyes from the car's window to the two emotional florists as they waved back while the train picked up at full speed. Once the train was out of their sight, Daisy commented to Lily with a sigh as they each shared a contented smile on their faces.

“There she goes, Lily! Our little Rosie is growing up so fast!”

“Yeah…”

“…”

“We SO need to get laid someday!”

“Oh yeah!”

Author's Note

In case you are wondering for those that are fans of "Apple Scratch", I know NOTHING on what happens in the end of the third story, "Onward to the Equestria Games!" So in regards with this side-story, this one doesn't offer any spoilers to the main story branch. Sorry.

Chapter 13 – Race to the Finish

At 5 o’clock in the afternoon, Roseluck and Cloud Kicker got off the train station in Canterlot, and they made their way to the capital city’s racetrack. Considering that Rose has rarely gone to a city before, she was rather nervous by the massive population as she stayed as close to her Ponyville Guard friend as possible while they weaved through the crowded streets. Eventually, the main entrance to the racetrack was within their sights of the two Ponyvillians as the flower girl smiled in relief over her initial anxiety.

“Thanks again for coming with me to Canterlot, CK.” Rose said to her with gratitude.

“Of course, Rose.” Cloud Kicker nodded with a smile. “No way would I let anyone take advantage of you in a big city like this.”

“You mean someone like you perhaps?” she joked mildly.

“Ouch… the pretty Rose still has her thorns I see.” CK chuckled in response.

As they get closer to the facility’s grand entrance, Rose asked with slight hesitation, “Hey Cloud… I hope I’m not being too noisy about this… but in your past experiences, have you ever… gone out with Fleetfoot before?”

“Hmmm… no I don’t think I have. Why do you ask?”

“I guess I was hoping to receive any dating advice if things work out with me and Fleetfoot. I’m kind of surprised to hear that there's actually someone who can resist your legendary charms, CK.” she added with a giggling smile.

“Oh believe me, I’ve tried to persuade her, but she just wasn’t interested in me. So I knew when to cut my losses and moved on to the next hot guy or girl.” she shrugged with a casual smirk.

Then, Cloud Kicker observed the solemn, discouraging look on Roseluck’s face. Getting a general idea on why the red-haired flower girl was feeling down, the blonde woman laid a hand on the Eponian's shoulder and boldly reassured her, “But hey, you shouldn’t be so worried about something like that. Just remember that it was Fleetfoot who wanted to spend more time with you, no one else. So through her eyes, you are her sexy Cloud Kicker. Remember that.”

Roseluck blinked speechlessly from heeding such strange words of wisdom from the prideful Cloud Kicker before she chuckled with a sincere smile, “That’s… not the kind of analogy I would want to keep in mind, but I appreciate the assurance none of the less.”

At the end of the gathering crowd, who were in line to enter the racetrack's grandstand, Cloud asked with a smirk, “Well, here we are. So, you ready to go in there and reclaim what is rightfully yours?”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but yes, I am ready.”

“If you need me, you know where to find me.”

Then, Roseluck warmly hugged her blonde friend and said, “Of course. Thanks for everything, Cloudy.”

“You’re welcome, Rose.”

After their friendly hug, Cloud Kicker let go of Rose and flew off to the Canterlot Palace to meet up with her girlfriend, Lady Twilight Sparkle, while waving goodbye to the red-haired Eponian. After the purple-winged Jupitarian was gone, Roseluck sought to get in line as well while searching for the VIP entrance.

Inside one of the racetrack’s private rooms, all the Wonderbolts were getting ready for their traditional race as they just finished putting on their signature, blue-and-yellow, skintight jumpsuits. Their captain, Spitfire, was already suited and was pleased to see her team all geared up as well.

“Alright everyone! It’s almost time!” Spitfire announced to her teammates. “So get out there and let’s give them a run for their money!”

Hollering with excitement, the gathered Wonderbolts exited out of their meeting room as they prepared to get in position for their parade. After a quick headcount, Spitfire realized that someone was missing from their group. Of course, it didn’t take long for her to figure out on who that person was. Sitting in the far corner of a bench was Fleetfoot, who was still suffering from her own disheartenment over her unintentional parting with Rose last week as she aimlessly looked at the ground.

After sitting next to the white-haired Jupitarian, Spitfire goaded her with a playful grin, “Hey Fleetfoot… the Derby is just about to start. You ready to defend your title once again?”

“What’s the point?” Fleetfoot dismayed in her unusually cheerless self. “It’s just one lousy race. I don’t see much reason in being here in the first place.”

“Oh… I don’t think you would want to miss this race in particular.” Spitfire smirked all-knowingly.

“Why do you say that?”

“If you want to find out, you’ll have to be on the racetrack yourself.” she answered with a crafty smile and a wink.

Without giving much of a care, Fleetfoot sighed in response, “Fine. Whatever.”

Steadily, she got up from her seat and dismally walked out of the room. Following her last teammate behind, Spitfire silently prayed that all will go according to plan.

Please Roseluck. Please be here for Fleetfoot. She needs you now… more than ever.

Once Roseluck showed her VIP ticket to security, they directed her to an attendant before she was escorted to the privileged boxed section on the grandstand’s upper floor level. Once there, the attendant opened the door for Rose before she gasped at the racetrack’s exclusive clubhouse. Inside, the luxurious sky box was filled with dozens of guests, who were likely the elites and nobles of Canterlot, as they were waited hand and foot by the servers and other attendants. On the Eponian’s right side, there was an extravagant buffet line that was filled with scrumptious-looking appetizers, which some of them were already being served by the tray-carrying waiters. Towards the back of the room was a bar with every expensive alcohol on hand. And on her left were the opened box seats that were separated from the lounge area by the room’s glass panel doors. From seeing all of these intimidating upper-class members, Roseluck was indeed nervous by their presence as she was afraid that her simple origins wouldn’t allow her to fit right in.

Suddenly, a familiar voice of a gentleman asked his lovely spouse once he pointed to the startled Roseluck, “I say, is that who I think it is, sweetie?”

“Why yes it is, my dearest husband.” the lady nodded with a soothing smile. “It’s Ponyville’s most renowned gymnast, Roseluck Greentouch.”

Soon, the pair approached Rose as she began to distinguish the well-respected couple of Canterlot. The monocle-wearing gentleman with the blue mustache and nicely combed hair wore a very sleek, black suit while his elegant wife with the long, flowing, pink hair had a lovely, white dress that fitted perfectly on her curvaceous body. Eventually, Rose’s eyes widened in immense shock once she recognized the famed duo.

“Oh! Fancy Pants! Fleur de Lys! I had no idea that you would attend for this event!”

“Of course we would, my dear.” Fancy nodded with a pleasant grin, “We’ve always come here to see the Wonderbolts Derby every year. Rather, we are quite surprised to see you here ourselves. Heh, the world is indeed a small place to live.”

“Indeed it is, Fancy, but it still has its nice surprises to offer.” Fleur added with a giggling smile. “By the way, that is a lovely, red dress you’re wearing, Roseluck. Have you ever considered modeling for a change? I would be more than happy to pull some strings for you.”

Blushing from the compliments given by the supermodel, Rose responded humbly, “Oh, thank you for your kind words, but I much rather prefer my flowers and dancing instead. Anyway, this dress was something that a friend picked out for me, and I certainly can’t measure up to someone with a passion in fashion and such an elegant figure as yours, Mrs. Fleur de Lys.”

With a hearty giggle, the fashion model insisted sweetly, “There’s no need for formalities, dearie. We’re all good friends here. Please, call me ‘Fleur.’”

“O-okay… Fleur.” she rearticulated with very rosy cheeks. “You’re also welcome to call me ‘Rose’ in return.”

“In any case, would you care to join us, Rose?” Fleur asked kindly. “We would certainly appreciate your company this evening.”

A bit surprised to receive such an invitation, Roseluck accepted it with a modest bow, “I-I would be delighted. Thank you.”

With another attendant opening the glass door for them, Fancy Pants, Fleur de Lys, and Roseluck walked to the back row as each of them get comfortable in their individual seats. The outdoor seating section not only offer a great view of the entire raceway where the tracks were entirely made of out magically-made clouds, but it also featured a large canopy, which provided a nice, shady spot for its VIP guests. As Rose was amazed by how comfy the leathery cushions were, a waiter came outside and asked for any last requests for drinks and snacks. As per Fancy’s suggestion, the three each had a glass of raspberry-flavored iced tea to enjoy while they waited for the Wonderbolts to arrive.

“So how is everyone back in Ponyville?” Fancy Pants inquired.

After sipping her sweet iced tea, Roseluck answered, “Everyone is doing great, Fancy Pants. Things are a lot quieter once the Games were over, but I actually prefer it that way. Uh… no offense, of course.”

“None taken.” he replied with a sincere chuckle. “I, for one, find Ponyville to be a charmingly rustic town to enjoy. Perhaps we may come back there for one of their famed… mmm… Cider Seasons!’

As the gentlemen figuratively drools over that enticing apple cider, Fleur rolled her eyes with a gentle smile, and Roseluck offered her own advice on that local event, “Well, if you take my word, you better get there bright and early. Because the Apple Family’s famous cider runs out quickly. Last time on their opening day, they had a line of campers stretching just about a mile long."

“A mile, you say?” he said in astonishment. “Well well… that would be problematic. No matter, we’ll deal with that once we cross that bridge at some point.” he shrugged it off casually.

Eventually, the audience’s attention was turned to the racetrack as the Wonderbolts began their parade while they marched in a long line. As the announcer called out the racers’ names, cheers rang out for each of the professional flyers.

By the time Fleetfoot’s name was announced, Roseluck smiled widely as she leaned closer to get a better glimpse at the return of her friend. Once she spotted the familiar Wonderbolt, she got as giddy as one of the team’s fangirls when she vigorously waved out to Fleetfoot. But to Rose’s disappointment, the white-haired Jupitarian hardly paid any attention to her surroundings as well as the countless spectators. With her waving going unnoticed, the young Eponian almost considered on shouting out to her, but was too nervous and self-conscious to do so.

As the parade came to an end, the well-respected Jupitarians started to take their starting positions behind the finish line. The circumference for the cloudy, oval main track is one mile long. Of course, with the Wonderbolts’ tremendous flying speeds, they had to complete four laps before a grand winner was declared.

“So, who do you think is going to win the Derby this year?” Fleur asked her husband.

“Well, due to Spitfire’s outstanding performance in the Games’ aerial race, I would say that it might be her this time.”

Fleur then turned to Roseluck and asked for her opinion, “And how about you, Rose? Any takers?”

With a growing blush, Rose answered meekly, “I would have to say… Fleetfoot… perhaps?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Fancy remarked with a keen smile. “Fleetfoot won the Derby two times in a row, didn’t she? Hmm… interesting. I wonder if she will take the crown thrice this time?”

“Well it looks like we’re going to find out eventually.” said Fleur as she directed her two assessors to the racers down there.

Just like in a traditional race found in the Equestria Games, the Wonderbolts took their mark and got set as they arched their backs, locked their flexed legs in place, pressed their fingertips onto the cloudy surface, and spread their magical wings while they anxiously waited for the sound of the bell’s signal. Finally… the rattling ring was heard, and the racers sprinted into action.

From that simultaneous takeoff, nearly every Wonderbolt had a good start in this anticipating race of theirs. But halfway through the first lap, Spitfire took the lead. As for Fleetfoot, she started the fall from behind while her other competitors gradually passed her. The game’s announcer and spectators are baffled by the decreasing pace of last year’s champion as was Roseluck. By the time Spitfire completed her second lap, Fleetfoot was trailing behind in last place.

Over the course of the race, Rose was greatly concerned over Fleetfoot’s latest performance as she fretted that it was because of their separation that caused the Wonderbolt to be in such a depressing state. She wasn’t entirely certain based off the flyer’s unusual behavior, but Roseluck was quite positive that despite the Jupitarian’s abrupt departure last week, Fleetfoot still missed her.

The apprehensive Eponian was indecisive on how to assure Fleetfoot that she was here to see her. Plus, since she was in the sky box that was so far-off from the on-going race, she could barely get the white-haired Jupitarian’s attention from this far away. There was one option that did come to mind. However, it would seem so embarrassing for her to do so. But if it will allow her presence be known to her… if it will somehow help Fleetfoot out of her depression, then she would gladly casted her own shyness aside just for that.

Standing up tall without paying any attention to her surroundings, including the perplexed glances of Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lys, Roseluck took a very deep breath and let out an almighty shout that echoed across the grandstand.

“YOU CAN DO IT, FLEETFOOT!! DON’T GIVE UP NOW!!”

When it comes to racing, it was important for Fleetfoot, as well as for the other Wonderbolts, to not let the various sounds outside of the playing field to distract her and break her concentration when she was in the middle of a competition. And yet, despite knowing that important rule herself, a familiar, pleadful cry rang into her sharp ears, which snapped her out of her melancholy. Unable to restrain her curiosity for long, she turned her head to pinpoint the source of that exceptional noise as her vigilant eyes looked up at the private box.

And from that glance, time seemed to have slowed down as Fleetfoot’s eyes locked on to a sight she thought she would never to get a chance to see ever again. The well-known figure may seem small from a distance, but Wonderbolt could definitely tell that it was her, from her snow white skin to her shortly cut, raspberry-colored hair.

“PLEASE DON’T GIVE UP!!”

From seeing that red-haired woman shouting out her support once again, Fleetfoot’s eyes widened even further as she could hardly believe that Roseluck came all this way just for her. As her heart beaten rapidly, her earlier dismay began to melt away, and a warm, gaping smile stretched across her face.

She… she came. She came.

…

SHE CAME!!

With time seemingly resetting at its normal rate, Fleetfoot got back in the game with reinvigorated excitement by the time the Wonderbolts were on the fourth and final lap. Renewed with an intense burst of newfound strength and passion, Fleetfoot beaten her strong wings increasingly like the pistons of a locomotive as she picked up drastic speeds like no one has ever seen before. The crowd was completely thunderstruck by the Fleetfoot’s turnabout as she quickly passed each of her competitive teammates.

While still maintaining the lead, Spitfire glanced back and was just as surprised as everyone else that not only was Fleetfoot suddenly catching up to her, but her comrade was no longer disheartened as she was displaying a bold, determined smirk on her face. While the Captain of the Wonderbolts was definitely glad to see her best friend feeling much better than before, she wasn’t going to go easy on Fleetfoot winning the Derby once again as Spitfire kicked it up at her top speed.

After they completed their final turn in this nail-biting race, Spitfire and Fleetfoot were neck-and-neck with each other. At the Derby’s final stretch, Roseluck uncontrollably kept chanting Fleetfoot’s name and cheered her all the way through. Like supplying an abundance of coal into the train’s steam boiler, Rose’s afar words of encouragement provided enough fuel to Fleetfoot’s inner fire until at last… she overtook Spitfire by an arm’s length, crossed the finish line first, won her third victory in the annual Wonderbolts Derby.

The grandstand was filled with overwhelming applause for Fleetfoot’s outstanding achievement as she did a leisurely victory lap while waving to her cheering audience. But most of her attention was focused on her biggest supporter of them all: Roseluck Greentouch.

While the triple-crowned winner waved toward the Rose, the ecstatic Eponian hollered in deafening delight as she was truly overjoyed over Fleetfoot’s close-shaved victory. With the race finally over, Roseluck began to settle down as she became aware of her surroundings once more. From noticing the wide smirks of her two noble friends, she immediately shut up and sat herself down with her hands on top of her bent knees as she blushed immensely from feeling like that she was making a fool of herself, even though it was totally worth it for her.

“Ahem! Uhh… sorry you had to see that.” she apologized in a flustering manner. “I… usually don't do it that often.”

“Quite alright, Rose.” Fancy responded with an understanding smile, “It’s always nice to see such a devoted fan taking great enjoyment in an event such as this.”

“Yes, kind of reminds me of a certain niece of ours, wouldn’t you agree, dear?” Fleur asked with clever grin.

After witnessing the Wonderbolts Derby’s traditional award ceremony where Fleetfoot was awarded with a wreath of colorful carnations around her neck and her third-consecutive golden trophy, Fancy Pants, Fleur, and Roseluck got up from their cushiony seats, and they went back inside the VIP lounge.

“Well then… how about we pay a visit to our esteemed winners, hmm?” he suggested to his wife and their new friend.

Like a restless child being taken to her favorite amusement park, Roseluck gasped with excitement and asked Fleur next to her, “Can we?”

Giggling over Rose’s cute expression, Fleur concurred, “Of course we can, dearie. Would like us to lead you there?”

While maintaining her obvious enthusiasm as best as she could, she answered modestly, “I would certainly appreciate that, Fleur. Thank you.”

Considering that the couple had visited the Wonderbolts on multiple occasions, especially at the famed Derby, Roseluck was led downstairs as the attendants directed them to the women’s locker room. Along the way, Rose spotted a familiar stand in one of the grand hallways: a flora booth. But that wasn’t what stopped her in her tracks. From that booth, she spotted a lone bouquet that featured a rare type of flower that only she would be able to distinguish. Knowing full well on what separated these flowers from their everyday counterparts, the Ponyvillian florist thought that these would make a fine gift to offer her congratulations to Fleetfoot.

“Oh wait. May I stop by the flower shop real quick?” she asked her gracious guests.

From the seeing the flowers, Fleur had a general idea on what her red-haired friend had in mind before she kindly permitted her, “Of course, Rose. Go right ahead.”

Hastily, Rose made her way to the stand and sought to make her purchase right away on these one-of-a-kind flowers before she would get back on track from upcoming reunion with Fleetfoot.

Yes! These will be perfect for her!

Inside the women’s locker room, where only a few have access to its private facilities, Fleetfoot removed the flowery wreath from her neck and placed her latest trophy on a bench next to her locker while the rest of the female members offered their praises to her.

“Wow, Fleetfoot! You were amazing out there!” commended Blaze, who was a younger, orange-haired recruit of the Wonderbolts.

Then, another teammate with fiery, two-toned, electric blue hair named Misty Fly commented to the winner as well, “Yeah, I just can’t believe that you managed to pass all of us in one lap!”

“What? You didn’t think I was going to let you all beat me that easily, did you?” Fleetfoot smirked in a playful boast. “I figured that giving myself a handicap would make things more interesting and challenging for this year’s Derby, that’s all.”

“Hmph! Showoff.” Misty responded with a small grin.

“Still, it’s great to have you back to your old self, Fleetfoot.” Blaze stated with sincerity. “We’re been so worried about you.”

“Thanks, girls.” Fleetfoot said to them with a grateful smile as she hugged both of them. “It’s definitely good to be back as well.”

Waiting by the door, Spitfire grinned over the return of Fleetfoot’s cheerful demeanor as it looked like the first step of her week-long plan was a big success. Now, she just had to wait for the next step to come into play. And not a moment too soon, a couple of knocks were heard from the door next to her as a female attendant called out from the other side.

“Excuse me, ladies. There’s a VIP guest who would like to speak with Miss Stormwind.”

“Go ahead. Send her in.” Spitfire permitted without hesitation.

The rest of the Wonderbolts were curious by the unexpected guest as the door began to open. With the full reveal of their visitor, Fleetfoot flustered immediately once she saw Roseluck entering the locker room. From this closer proximity, the Jupitarian marveled at all of Eponian’s features that she didn’t get a chance to see from the race earlier, including her soft, green eyes and her slender, elegant figure in that gorgeous, red dress of hers. In her arms, the equally blushing Ponyvillian was carrying a wrapped bouquet as an ideal gift for today’s winner.

Not wanting to get in the way of this premeditated reunion, Spitfire hinted to the rest of her teammates with a clever grin, “Hey girls, why don’t we go on ahead and leave these two be for the time being? I’m sure they have a lot of catching up to do.”

Without a fuss against their team leader, the other women grinned knowingly just the same as Spitfire before they walked out of the room with their leader following from behind. Through the crack of the door, the grinning Captain winked to Fleetfoot before closing it gently. As things got very quiet, the two remaining women carried on with their blushing stares before Roseluck spoke up first.

“Congratulations on winning the Wondersbolts Derby, Fleetfoot.”

“Oh… umm… thank you.” After another moment of uncomfortable silence between them, Fleetfoot then added nervously, “Rose… I…”

“Oh, here!” Roseluck said in slight surprise from nearly forgetting something as she unwrapped the bouquet. “These are for you.” From the unveiling, the florist revealed a bouquet of extraordinary, white roses.

“Aww… you shouldn’t have.” Fleetfoot awed mildly.

“I didn’t mind it at all.”

“No, seriously. You really shouldn’t have.” she rephrased with a dark chuckle. “I’m not that good when it comes to handling flowers ‘cause well… you know.”

Noticing the increasing gloom from Fleetfoot’s response, Roseluck reassured her with a tender smile, “These are different, Fleetfoot. I picked them out just for you.”

“For… for me?”

“Go on." she nodded as she handed the roses to the reluctant Wonderbolt. "You can touch them if you like.”

With the bouquet in her arms, Fleetfoot took a moment to examine the white roses before she carefully guided her hand to one of the blossoms. Just as she was about to pull her hand back from touching it, she was shocked to see that her usually cold fingertips didn’t cause the fully bloomed flowers to automatically close up once they came into contact.

“Hey… they’re not reacting to my touch at all!” she gasped in amazement as she gently caressed the petals. “What kind of roses are these?”

Happy to see Fleetfoot’s beaming face once again, Roseluck gladly explained it to her, “They’re called ‘Winter Roses.’ They’re pretty much the rarest kind of flower imagined since they are the only ones that can survive in arctic climates due to their thick stems and roots that can melt the ice and convert it into water as well as absorb hardened nutriments. The only downside to them is that they are more sensitive to heat, so it’s better if they were within indirect sunlight or shady areas. Also, I thought these roses would be perfect for you… since… well… their color matches with that nice-looking hair of yours.” she concluded with a modest blush.

Taken aback from receiving such a thoughtful gift, Fleetfoot began to feel really guilty on how she left Roseluck on their last day in Ponyville as a heavy flow of tears streamed out of her pitiful eyes. At once, she greatly apologized with all her heart.

“I’m so sorry, Rose! I didn’t mean to run off and hurt your feelings like that! I was just really scared and didn’t even bother to tell you about it!”

As Fleetfoot continued to sob uncontrollably, the Eponian went up to her and gently patted and caressed the Jupitarian on the shoulder while comforting her with a sincere smile, “It’s okay, Fleetfoot. I understand. I’m just happy to see you again as well as from hearing you telling me this. I really appreciate that from you.”

Feeling better from receiving such soothing comfort, Fleetfoot gazed at Rose with an appreciative smile before she composed herself and asked, “Say Rose… you’re going be at the after-party, right?”

“Of course. Why?”

“It’s just that…” she said nervously while stroking her fluffy hair instinctively. “…when we get the chance… there’s something I really should tell you. Something I should have told you beforehand.”

Understandably, Roseluck agreed with a nod, “Whenever you are ready, you’re always welcome to talk to me about it.”

Smiling in relief, Fleetfoot then said to Rose, “Anyway, if it’s alright with you, I need to catch up with the Wonderbolts first as well as put all this stuff away before I head over to the party.”

“Alright… I’ll see you there.”

Once they confirmed their next destination this evening, Roseluck turned around and headed toward the exit of the locker room. But before she could touch the door, Fleetfoot called out to her.

“Oh, wait a minute!”

When Rose turned back and was about to respond, Fleetfoot flew up to her and quickly kissed her right on the cheek. A couple of seconds later, the Wonderbolt ended her gratifying smooch with a wet, smacking sound as the cheeks on the flabbergasted florist’s face brightened up significantly.

“That’s my way of saying ‘thanks’ for everything that has happened today.” Fleetfoot stated with a cheeky grin.

“N-n-no problem.” she stammered immensely.

“Ok, see you later!”

After opening the door for Rose, Fleetfoot waved goodbye to blushing Eponian and closed the door afterwards. She then looked at the marvelous, white roses she just received and took an enjoyable whiff of their lovely fragrances. Smiling in relief over all that has happened today, Fleetfoot went back to her locker to gather her stuff while making a strong resolution for herself.

Tonight… I will definitely tell her everything tonight!

Author's Note

You know, as I must I have enjoyed this pair, I don't know which shipping name is more appropriate for these two. "RoseFoot" or "FleetLuck?" I don't know. They're not as catchy as the other more familiar names.

Chapter 14 – Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

At a grand restaurant in Canterlot that was reserved for the Wonderbolts’ exclusive party this evening, all of the invited guests were having a splendid time in the midst of celebrating Fleetfoot’s third-consecutive victory in this year's Wonderbolts Derby. Of course for Fleetfoot, it wasn’t her recent victory that was her highlight of the evening; it was for the fact that Roseluck Greentouch from Ponyville was there to cheer her on as well as to join the recent Derby winner in the after-party.

After a night of food, drinks, conversations, and congratulations, Fleetfoot went over to the bar to order another pint of beer. While the white-haired Wonderbolt was enjoying her golden beverage with a slice of orange, she was joined by her long-timed friend, Spitfire, as she too ordered a beer for herself.

“Say Spitfire, did you have something to do with Roseluck’s sudden appearance today?” Fleetfoot asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Maybe~!” she answered all-knowingly with a mocking smile as she sipped her dark porter beverage.

“I… don’t know how I’m going to thank you for all that you have done for me.”

“Well… don’t thank me just yet.” Spitfire shrugged. “I merely set up all the pieces in place. The rest is up to you from here.”

“You know, if you were into chicks, I would probably kiss you right now.” she stated with a teasing grin.

“Thanks for the heads-up, Fleetfoot, but you might want to save those lips for your own sweetheart.” Spitfire chuckled lightly as she pointed to Roseluck within the crowd.

Following the direction of the team captain’s index finger, the Wonderbolt Lieutenant eyed the lone Ponyvillian and smiled on what she was seeing. Along with Fancy Pants and his wife, Fleur de Lys, Roseluck was also conversing with a couple of the Wonderbolts. And from the looks of it, the young Eponian in the red dress with a glass of sweet blush wine was having a nice time as they talked and laughed together.

“So… are you finally going to tell her the truth this time?” Spitfire inquired.

From reflecting on her own reluctance the last time, Fleetfoot responded assuredly with a nod, “I will! I won’t make the same mistake twice!”

“Good! Because if you mess this one up, then I’ll have to kick your ass for screwing up all of my hard work for you!” Spitfire warned her in a mockingly menacing smirk.

“Good to know.” Fleetfoot dismissed that playful threat before she chugged what’s left of her glass and placed it on the bar’s counter. “Well… wish me luck!”

Making her way through the thick crowd, Fleetfoot gently approached Roseluck and asked her, “Hey Rose, do you mind if we go outside?”

“Not at all.”

After placing her nearly empty glass on a tray nearby, the smiling florist took hold of the Wonderbolt’s arm as Fleetfoot gladly led her to an outdoor balcony. Outside, the royal city’s background was dotted with thousands of colorful lights from its houses, shops, and restaurants. And up above, the beautiful, dark blue sky was lit up with countless, twinkling stars. Once they were outside, Fleetfoot guided Rose to a stone-carved bench before she sat right next to her on the smooth surface.

“So, how do you like the party so far?” Fleetfoot asked.

“It’s going pretty well actually.” she answered with a smile. “I’ve met some really great people, and they’re really nice to talk to.”

“Well, we certainly are not as stuck-up or boring as some of our sponsors, mind you. But I’m glad to hear that you are having a good time nevertheless.”

Subtly, Rose slid closer to Fleetfoot and softly grasped the Jupitarian’s right hand. From feeling that well-known, warm touch of hers, the Wonderbolt gazed at Eponian’s soft left hand. As she looked down, she got a better glimpse at the gorgeous, red evening dress that Roseluck was wearing.

“I really like your dress by the way.” she complimented as she gazed into Roseluck’s soft green eyes.

With a blushing smile, Rose impulsively brushed some of her hair and expressed her gratitude kindly, “Oh, thank you. I was afraid that I might have been a little over-dressed for this occasion.”

“No, you look perfect in that.”

Touched by her kind words, Rose leaned forward and kissed Fleetfoot on the cheek, which caused her to blush just the same as the florist. Things went a little quiet between the two as the Wonderbolt aimlessly looked at the stars. Knowing that Fleetfoot didn’t call her for just small talk, Roseluck asked her question subtly.

“So… umm… was there anything you would like to discuss with me?”

Fleetfoot took a very deep breath before exhaling out gently. Then she looked at the Rose with a sincere smile and began the resolve she promised to herself earlier.

“Yes… there is. Do you… remember when I said that I went out with someone before?”

“Yeah, that was during our lunch date--! I-I mean the first time we had lunch together in Ponyville, right?” she flustered greatly from that slip-up.

She giggled lightly at Roseluck’s embarrassing remark, which helped ease a little of her tension, before she nodded, “Yes, that’s right. Well… when I first joined the Wonderbolts, it was one of the best days of my life. Me, Spitfire, and Soarin… we were on top of the world. By the time we finished our first tour together, our popularity skyrocketed. So, at the end of the tour, we were signing autographs and meeting up with our fans, and that’s where I met her… Sunny Day!”

From noticing that reminiscing smile on Fleetfoot’s face, Roseluck was curious about this “Sunny” person and asked, “What was she like?”

“She was a lot like you actually. Gentle, sweet, and very cute!” That comment earned Fleetfoot a lovely, blushing smile from Rose as she slightly turned her shy face away from the grinning Wonderbolt. “But the one thing I will never forget about her was her long, curly, golden hair! Anyway, she may have started off as a fan of my performances, but as we started talking, I found myself increasingly fascinated about her. Next thing I knew, I asked her out on a date, and to my surprise, she said ‘yes’ right away.

And a couple of dates later, we’ve decided to take it to the next level. After a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant, I took her to my hotel room and ravenously kissed her like never before. As we were making out, we gradually stripped each other’s clothes until we were down to our bras and panties.”

“I’m… not sure if I should be hearing this.” Roseluck comment as she blushed greatly from the supposed raunchiness.

With another giggle, Fleetfoot reassured her, “Oh don’t worry. That’s pretty much as far as we went because… well…” Her cheerfulness had suddenly died down and was replaced with bitter misery before she continued her story. “…my hands were gripping her bare shoulders as we continued our kissing. At first, I felt Sunny shivering, but I thought she was just nervous about our first time together, so I ignored that. Then, she started moaning in high-pitched distortions, except I assumed that she was getting turned on by this, so I carried on. And ultimately, I was barely able to hear the words that were coming out of her mouth, but eventually, I was able to make out on one word she trying to say to me. She was saying, ‘stop.’

From going over her cold past, Fleetfoot let go of Roseluck’s warm grasp and crossed her arms before her increasingly cold hands gripped her shoulders. “I took a moment to stop and looked at her face. She was… trembling and looked so awfully pale like she was seeing a ghost. Then, I felt more shivering that was coming from her arms. And once I gazed down to see them myself, I was completely horrified at what my hands were doing to her. They were… f-f-freezing her!” she said in a regretful, shivering voice while her extremely cold fingers clutched her jacketed shoulders tightly.

Concerned for Fleetfoot’s well being, Roseluck took her left hand and lightly stroked the Jupitarian’s back. From that delicate touch, Fleetfoot smiled a little at the caring Eponian, and she let go of her shoulders before she took the time to reveal something else to her attentive listener.

“I rarely told this to anyone, but I have terrible control when it comes to my ice-shaping magic. I’m so terrible at it that I could barely conjure up a snowball for myself.” she chuckled grimly before she carried on with her story. “Still, that didn’t bother me much considering that I was really good with my wind magic anyhow. But on the last night I spent with Sunny, my own weakness became my very own curse!

At once, I wrapped Sunny in a thick blanket and flew her to the nearest hospital. I contacted the other Wonderbolts to inform them of the situation and they did their best to keep everything under wraps and the press off of my back. They were even generous enough to pay for the hospital’s bill.

After an aggravating time of waiting, I’ve got the chance to speak with the doctors about Sunny’s condition. They said that she only suffered second-degree frostbite, and she needed at least a month to fully recover. I was certainly thankful that nothing fatal happened to her.

Once I met with her in the hospital bed, I apologized to a great extent on how sorry I was from hurting her. She just smiled weakly and forgave me for that, but the damage was a lot deeper than that. When I tried to hold her hand, she flinched and quickly retracted it away from me. She was so scared of my freezing touch that she wouldn’t allow me to come near her again. I’ve never seen her this scared of me before.

Shortly after that, we managed to talk a little bit, and… to my dismay… we decided to break from there once she was allowed to leave the hospital. She said it was for the best considering on what happened that night. I agreed with her of course, but it still hurts none of the less.” she concluded while shedding a few tears from remembering those heartbreaking moments.

“So you see… that was why I left so abruptly like that in Ponyville… because I was afraid that I might repeat that same horrible incident as before.” she explained and she tried to wipe away her never-ending tears. “I really care about you, Rose. I really do. But… I’m just so scared that if I ever get too close to you, I might hurt you… just like I hurt Sunny.”

As Fleetfoot softly wept to herself, Roseluck felt great pity for her after hearing the Wonderbolt’s woeful tale. Doing anything she can to ease the Jupitarian’s heartache, the kindhearted Eponian resumed her soothing patting on Fleetfoot’s shoulders as she delicately offered her sympathy.

“I am so sorry to hear that, Fleetfoot. Would you… like a hug from me?”

Taking a break from her sobbing, the white-haired athlete nodded silently before Roseluck welcomed her with open arms. As Fleetfoot collapsed her weeping head onto Rose’s shoulder, the caring florist wrapped her arms around the Wonderbolt and embraced her tenderly. In the midst of their hug, Fleetfoot eased her crying as she lightly snuggled from this soothing comfort she was in.

“You know, you’re welcome to hug me as well.” Roseluck gently insisted.

Shocked by that suggestion, Fleetfoot lifted her head up, stared at Rose with wide, vibrant eyes, and retorted in a trembling voice, “Rose… I-I can’t. If I latch on to you for too long, my hands would--!”

“Please… trust me.”

Reluctant from yielding to Roseluck’s softhearted insistent, she eventually gave in as her arms steadily reached forward and slowly grabbed Rose by her bare shoulders before pulling her in for a closer embrace. Then, the Eponian laid her head onto Fleetfoot’s chest which caused the Jupitarian to tense up in overwhelming nervousness from this. Because of her struggling emotions, her impulsive hands began to emit that frightfully chilly mist she dreaded so much about. Once Roseluck started to shiver under her cold grasp, Fleetfoot frantically feared for the worst as she began to remove her hands. But to her dreadful surprise, she was unable to move them. Not because she was too frightened to do so, but because Roseluck firmly locked her arms in place with the use of her own hands.

Unable to break away from the hug, Fleetfoot was about to plead to Rose on letting go of her, but Roseluck beated her to the punch as she softly reassured the nervous Wonderbolt with a sincere smile, “It’s okay, Fleetfoot. I trust you, and I won’t leave you no matter what. I promise.”

With her eyes focused the florist’s gentle, green eyes and her tender smile, Fleetfoot didn’t have much of a choice in the situation but to trust her reassurance as Roseluck resumed her position by laying her head against the Wonderbolt’s chest. Despite her fears from reliving that heartbreaking moment, her doubts began to dwindle as she gazed at the steadfast Rose from breaking away from their embrace and on how much faith the florist had in her. From seeing how determined Roseluck was from making this work out between them, Fleetfoot’s admiration for the brave Eponian was far greater than ever before.

Then, all of a sudden, Fleetfoot felt a different sensation in her hands. The Ponyvillian’s arms were no longer cold; they were… warm… incredibly warm in fact. But that intense warmth wasn’t just radiating from her arms; it was emitting throughout Rose’s entire body. The Wonderbolt was also feeling that incredible radiance coming from Eponian's head that was resting against her chest. As Fleetfoot greatly marveled on this soothing phenomenon, she then noticed on how her usually cold hands had suddenly been suppressed into a more stable body temperature.

“Rose, I… I can’t believe it!” she stammered in great disbelief. “Your arms! Your entire body! They feel so very warm right now!”

“Whew! Then I guess it worked after all, huh?” Roseluck chuckled in relief.

“What exactly did you do?” she asked with wondrous eyes.

“Don’t you remember my Eponian Magic? My body can generate a great amount of magical warmth. But… it’s strange really… because I’ve never emitted this much throughout my entire body before. Must be the other aspect of my Eponian Magic.”

“What do you mean, Rose?” she perplexed with a slight tilt of her head.

“I mentioned before that through my magic, it usually activates upon physical contact, but I forgot to point out that emotions play an important role too.” she explained matter-of-factly. “When you left Ponyville so suddenly, I was so sad from not seeing you again that my own negativity affected my magic whenever I was tending to the flowers. But now… just being this close to you once again, I never felt this happy before in my life; thus amplifying my own warmth as well. And I think I know the reason why that is now.”

Then, Roseluck lifted her head up to gaze at the Wonderobolt's astonished, fuchsia eyes and at last confessed her true feelings while bearing an affectionate smile for her, “It's because that I love you, Fleetfoot.”

The words she thought she would never hear in her lifetime petrified her like her very own icy touch, but that was only for a fleeting moment before the sincere words of affection she just received thawed out of all of the repressed fears in her once-aching heart. With her rekindled feelings guiding her, Fleetfoot placed her delicate fingers on Rose’s chin, gently pulled her closer to her own face, and offered a heartfelt kiss to her.

It may not be as deep as their first kiss, but it was just as magical as ever when their longing lips ignited another spark of passion. From their seemingly simple kiss, they could taste each other’s flavors. For Fleetfoot, she could sample Rose’s warm lips and the leftover sweetness of the blush wine she drank earlier. As for Roseluck, she could feel the Wonderbolt’s naturally soothing chill from her lips as well as that of the cool beer’s citrusy zest. The difference in their lips’ temperatures complimented one another as the two athletes enjoyed their kissing for a little while longer.

Taking a bit of a breather, they gently parted lips before Fleetfoot smiled warmly at her newly acquired lover and affectionately responded, “I love you too, Rose.”

Greatly overwhelmed by the earnest response, Roseluck was on the brink of shedding a tear or two, but she shrugged that aside as she quickly resumed their make out session. With a much firmer kiss, their hands started to explore their partners’ bodies. While Roseluck was feeling the Wonderbolt’s slick, skintight jumpsuit underneath her jacket, Fleetfoot was caressing the lower portion of the florist’s red, velvety dress which concealed the slender yet strong legs. Then, their hands moved upward, and they brushed through each other’s hair with the use of their fingers.

With another break from their latest kiss, they carried on with their makeshift brushing before Fleetfoot asked gently, “Hey, Rose.”

“Yes, Fleetfoot?”

“Do you… need to catch the train back to Ponyville tonight?”

Roseluck blinked a few times before she answered with an awkward chuckle, “I… haven’t considered that thought actually.”

Hoping to play her cards right, Fleetfoot then asked with a subtle grin while impulsively scratching her cheek with a forefinger, “In that case, would you… like to spend the night with me at my suite? I only have one bed, but it should be big enough for just the two of us.”

From understanding that subtle hint, Roseluck smirked with a raised eyebrow at the Wonderbolt’s attempt of seduction. As Fleetfoot began to regret her choice of words, Rose suddenly jumped on the Jupitarian’s lap, wrapped her arms tightly around the Wonderbolt’s neck, and kissed her blushing face before answering with a cocky smile.

“Well then, hop to it, soldier!”

From that hearing that unexpected tone of authority, Fleetfoot beamed ecstatically and happily complied, “Yes, ma’am!”

With her passenger snuggly secured, Fleetfoot got up from her seat and merrily flew her companion to her hotel room.

Once they firmly closed the door, they immediately started their next making-out session as Roseluck firmly pressed herself against Fleetfoot’s body which caused the Wonderbolt to slam against the locked door. With their ravenous lips maintaining contact once again, they moaned in extraordinary delight while their irrepressible hands resumed their respective explorations.

While Fleetfoot gradually led Rose toward the suite’s luxurious bed, she hastily removed her jacket and carelessly tossed it across the floor. From following the direction of the flung jacket, Rose glanced at a vase on a table nearby that displayed the bouquet of the Winter Roses she gave to Fleetfoot earlier after the race was over. A broad smile crept across her preoccupied lips as she was overjoyed to know that Fleetfoot had taken great care of her gift.

After they reached the edge of the bed, Roseluck steadily reclined onto the thick, soft covers with Fleetfoot guiding her securely as they do so without their lips breaking away. With Fleetfoot on top, Roseluck dug her fingers into the Wonderbolt’s jumpsuit before they found their way to the zipper at the top of the collar. Controlling her excitement as much as possible, the restless florist slowly unzipped the one-piece suit. From there, her eager fingertips lightly touched the Wonderbolt’s smoothly chiseled, exposed abs.

Slightly tickled from feeling such delicate fingers, Fleetfoot directed her hand to one of Roseluck’s silky thighs underneath her dress and softly stroked it. Then, she cunningly guided the mischievous hand around the back of her leg until it squeezed the perfectly smooth surface of Eponian's posterior. In response to that cheeky move, the Rose’s hands crawled across the Jupitarian’s back until they firmed grasped onto Fleetfoot’s pillowy ass, which earned Roseluck a pleasant shriek from Fleetfoot in the middle of their kissing. Despite how long she was looking forward to this, Fleetfoot ceased their kiss momentarily to make a quick request whilst they panted heavily in the midst of their spontaneous break.

“Would you mind if I take a shower real quick? I haven’t got a chance to clean up after the race was over.”

In spite of wanting to keep going, Roseluck abided to Fleetfoot’s request with a serene smile, “Not at all. Go right ahead.”

Thankful for Rose’s patience, Fleetfoot shared a quick kiss of gratitude with her before getting out of the bed. Along the way to her bathroom, the cheerful athlete swayed her hips in a hypnotic manner, which had great effective on Roseluck as she couldn’t keep her hungry eyes off the teasing Wonderbolt. At the bathroom's entranceway, Fleetfoot partially stripped her uniform and purposefully revealed her naked back and shoulders to the blushing florist before she looked back and showcased a playful grin to her partner.

“Remember… no peeking~!” she enunciated in a teasing manner while wagging her forefinger.

After Fleetfoot closed the door and started her shower, Roseluck anxiously looked for a way to help pass the time before the Jupitarian would come out of there. However, when the advice of Cloud Kicker entered her mind, she knew what to do next as she carefully stripped out of her dress.

Well then… I guess it’s time I put my ‘secret weapon’ to good use, eh Cloud Kicker?

After finishing up her shower in less than ten minutes, Fleetfoot quickly dried herself off before wrapping a clean towel around her body and looked at herself in the mirror. Swiftly, she swept and fluffed her hair into its perfectly cool hairstyle. Once that was finally finished, she leaned across the porcelain sink, stared at her own reflection, and breathed out a heavy sigh to cool her nerves for what’s to come.

“Okay, Fleetfoot. You can do this.” she quietly talked to herself in the mirror. “You want this, and she wants you. Nothing else is going come between us. Just get out there and show her the time of her life!” With a confident grin stretched across her face, Fleetfoot opened the door and prepared to showoff her sexiness to her waiting companion.

“Now… where were we--?”

Despite pulling off a classic, sexy pose by leaning against doorway with one hand on her swayed hip and the other stretching across the door’s frame, Fleetfoot nearly lost her balance when she spotted someone else pulling off a much better pose than her own. Across the bed, Roseluck laid flat on her belly with her left hand rested underneath her chin and her right hand crossed over her left arm while her exposed legs were dangling casually in the air. But it wasn’t just the attractive posture that got Fleetfoot’s undivided attention. In place of her dress, she was now wearing some really sexy lingerie, which shared the same red color as her evening clothes. The red panties molded perfectly with her curvy buttocks, and her lacy bra that cupped her breasts made her cleavage looked very enticing when they were pressed against her right arm and the mattress.

“So, do you like what you see?” Roseluck asked with a playful yet seductive grin.

The wide-eyed Wonderbolt didn’t respond right away, but before she got the chance, her magical, arctic blue wings did the talking for her as they instinctively exposed themselves. Ignoring how excited her wings were, Fleetfoot expressed her vast approval by grinning widely as she made this statement to Rose.

“Okay, you just graduated from unbelievably cute to beyond sexy right now!”

Roseluck giggled joyfully from hearing Fleetfoot’s ecstatic praise as the towel-clad Wonderbolt gracefully crawled back on top of the smiling Rose to resume where they left off. As they were kissing and caressing each other for another minute or two, Fleetfoot felt a disturbing shiver from Rose that didn’t seem to indicate any form of pleasure.

Stopping on whatever she was doing, the Jupitarian inquired with a concerning gaze, “Are you okay with this? You were trembling.”

“S-s-sorry.” Roseluck apologized in an embarrassing manner. “I’ve… never done this with anyone before.”

Understandably, Fleetfoot comforted the honest Eponian with sweet kiss on her lips and reassured her while brushing her raspberry-colored hair, “It’s alright, Rose. I haven’t gotten this far before either. But that’s okay because there’s no need to rush this.”

Once she saw Rose displaying that wonderful smile of hers, Fleetfoot stood up straight while sitting right on top of the Ponyvillian’s midriff. Then, to Roseluck’s blushing anticipation, the grinning Wonderbolt shifted her hands to her fluffy, white towel that was teasingly wrapped around her superbly fit body, and she prepared to fully expose herself right before Rose’s eager eyes.

“We’ll take this as nice and slow as you want.” she guaranteed as she let the towel slide right off of her.

“Well… so much for nice and slow, eh?” Roseluck commented to Fleetfoot in a sarcastic quip with an arching eyebrow.

After some very physical activities together, an exhausted yet fully contented Rose was laying on top of the equally satisfied Fleetfoot as they embraced each other tenderly underneath the thick covers and sheets. The bed was the only thing that was concealing their sweaty, naked bodies as all of the clothes they wore throughout the day were scattered across the carpeted floor.

“This coming from someone who couldn’t keep her hands off of my ass!” Fleetfoot giggled with a knowing grin.

“Oh, like you couldn’t keep your hands away from my legs either!” she flustered with a smirk of her own.

They laughed for a brief moment before they relaxed in each other’s embrace as Fleetfoot mused out loud, “Hard to believe that so much has happened to us since the beginning of the Equestria Games. We started off as friendly rivals, then we became friends, and now…”

“…and now we’re lovers, right?” Roseluck inquired with a cute smile as her silky fingers intertwined with Fleetfoot’s.

Happy upon hearing their new relationship status, Fleetfoot pulled Roseluck in for a gentle kiss and answered with delight, “Yes, we are.”

Once Rose resumed her position by laying her head right next Fleetfoot’s, worries began to creep into her mind before she addressed them softly to her new girlfriend, “…Fleetfoot?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s going to happen between us?”

“What do you mean, Rose?” she tilted her head in slight confusion.

“I mean, you’re a Wonderbolt who has to constantly travel from city to city! I’m just a flower girl who lives in a small town! And I certainly don’t want to get in the way of your job, but I--!”

To ease her panicking, Fleetfoot placed a finger on Roseluck’s lips and delicately shushed her. “Shh! None of that, Rose. I truly appreciate your concern, but you shouldn’t be so worry over something like that. You gave something very precious to me; something that I will never take for granted! So I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work between us! I promise!"

“Do you really mean that, Fleetfoot?” she whimpered slightly as she was on the verge of breaking emotional tears.

“I do, Rose.” she answered assuredly. “I really do.”

Without letting her emotions getting the better of herself, Roseluck wiped away her damped eyes and beamed extensively over Fleetfoot’s dedication toward her. Glad to see her girlfriend satisfied with her answer, the Jupitarian kissed the Eponian on the forehead before she suggested to her softly.

“Now, let’s gets some rest. I’m sure there’s another round to be had for tomorrow morning.” she hinted with a clever grin.

Looking forward to that following day, Roseluck eagerly got comfortable in Fleetfoot’s arms as the Wonderbolt pulled the covers up until they reached their necks before the florist kissed her on the cheek as she said, “Okay, sure. I love you.”

“Ahh~! Love you too, Rose.” she yawned out her response.

While Fleetfoot easily succumbed to her sleep, a new thought came into Rose's mind, which prevented her from sleeping right away. Hoping to get Fleetfoot's attention before sleep took hold of them both, Roseluck called out to her in a faint whisper.

“Hey, Fleetfoot?”

“Hmm?” she responded simply with her eyes still closed.

“You know, I was thinking on some cute nicknames… since you gave me one earlier.”

“Mm-hmm?”

“And… if you’re okay with this…” she asked timidly. “…may I call you ‘snow angel’ from time to time?”

When Fleetfoot reacted to that suggested nickname with a peek of her eye, Roseluck became uneasy from seeing that deadpan expression as she explained her claim frantically, “I mean, it’s not because of your cold powers! I was mostly thinking about your white hair and your beautiful wings, so I--!”

But then, Fleetfoot grinned widely as she assured Rose, “Sure, I like it.”

“You don’t mind it at all?” she asked uncertainly.

“Honey, you can call me whatever you like. Just… don’t mention it in front of Crystal. I’m sure she will get very peeved over something like that.” she chuckled to herself.

Then, a new pet name popped into her mind, and Roseluck smirked deviously before testing her luck as she made her next suggestion to Fleetfoot. “Well then… how about ‘sweetcheeks’ instead?”

Swiftly, Fleetfoot’s face shifted into a quick frown and responded sharply, “Okay, now just you’re pushing it!”

Chuckling over Fleetfoot’s sour expression, Roseluck felt more relaxed as she eventually gave in to her own sleep once she said one last thing in a drowsy smile, “Goodnight, snow angel.”

With an equally warm yet weary smile, Fleetfoot said, “Goodnight… Rosebud.”

Author's Note

As always, there's one more chapter to go: the Epilogue!

Epilogue – Winner Takes All

Four Years Later…

“Annnnnd welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the 755th Annual Equestria Games! I’m your ever lovable party extraordinaire… the host with the most… the Game Master herself: PINKIE PIE!! And boy, do we have an exciting match-up for you today! This afternoon, we finally get down to what we were all waiting for: the 400-Meter Hurdle Finals!

As a quick recap, Team Ponyville and Team Canterlot have become some of our fiercest competitors since the previous Games in Ponyville! Most notably, Ponyville’s Roseluck Greentouch and Canterlot’s Fleetfoot Stormwind have turned out to be this year’s biggest rivals! So far, they have competed against each other in several events such as Rhythmic Gymnastics, Blitz-ball, Diving, and Swimming. And just recently, each of them earned a gold medal in the previous hurdle finals! 100-Meter for Roseluck and 200-Meter for Fleetfoot!

While each of their previous victories was a close call for their respective contenders, we will now conclude their rivalry with their last hurdle event! And the last time I checked, Roseluck and Fleetfoot are tied up with in their medal counts! Will either one of them get the gold in 400-Meter Hurdle and end the ultimate tiebreaker? We’ll soon find out eventually!”

As they waited in their individual lanes while doing their stretches, Fleetfoot gazed at her long-termed girlfriend and good-natured rival, Roseluck, with a warm smile and said to her, “Well… looks like this is the end, eh Rose?”

“Yeah…” Roseluck replied softly as she ceased her simple exercises. “You haven’t forgotten your promise once we finally settled our score, have you?”

“Of course not! I just hope you wouldn’t forget that once I kicked your sorry yet extremely sexy butt for the last time!” she goaded with a teasing smirk.

“Ha! You’ll be the one kissing my ass by the time I’m done with you!” she retorted with equal self-confidence.

Then, Fleetfoot’s devious smile widened as she pondered that idea with a stroke of her chin. “Well… when you put it like that…!”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Fleetfoot!” Roseluck snapped at her in a flustered manner.

“Hey! Quit flirting, you two!” Pinkie Pie screeched from her megaphone. “We’ve got hurtles that need hurtling!”

Off-guarded and embarrassed by Pinkie’s high-pitched intervention, the two renowned athletes pushed aside their playful banter and prepared to get into positions as the other racers did the same thing. Once she saw the competitors were all set for their final hurdle race, the perky, pink-haired announcer proceeded with her self-proclaimed duties.

“Okay! Runners, take your marks! Get set!”

BANG!

And with another loud bang of Pinkie’s party cannon, the final hurdle race had begun. Nearly all of the spectators’ eyes were focused on two leading hurdlers, Roseluck and Fleetfoot, as they sprung mightily across each of the upright frames. As with their two previous races, they were neck-and-neck with each other as their incredible speed and agility carried them through with each hurdle they jumped over.

After simultaneously leaping over the 32th hurdle, all that was left now was to see who will cross the finish line first. Amazingly, Rose and Fleetfoot’s speed were still on par even after they finished their last hurtle. Everyone was on edge as they were indecisive on who will win in this exciting race until at last… the two racers crossed the finish line.

At first glance, it looked like that both Fleetfoot and Roseluck finished first place at the same time. So just to make sure, Pinkie Pie and the Games' committee took a break to verify the results through various, accurate means; that way, they can determine on who the real winner was.

As the two best hurdlers waited anxiously for the final verdict in their last race together, Fleetfoot grabbed hold of the nervous Roseluck’s hand and whispered sweetly in her ear, “Hey… good luck, Rose.”

While the Wonderbolt’s reassurance made Rose blushed as usual, it did help ease some of her worries as she kindly whispered back, “You too, Fleetie.”

Sooner or later, Pinkie Pie returned to her personal blimp from her brief private meeting with the committee. Once she was well situated in her ballooned aircraft, Pinkie did her best to contain her seemingly boundless excitement as she announced the race’s tiebreaker.

“So, after a very careful analysis with the committee, we finally identified the first place winner for the last hurdle race. And… as it turned out… the gold medal goes to… Roseluck Greentouch while Fleetfoot Stormwind gets the silver!”

The overly packed crowd let out a huge abundance of gasps before they applauded loudly for the Ponyvillian’s stunning victory. Fleetfoot especially was smiling ecstatically over the Eponian’s ultimate accomplishment as she looked at Roseluck’s speechless face. As for Rose, she could hardly believe the astonishing statement she just heard. Not only did she bested the famed Jupitarian in two out of three hurdle races, but she won the personal medal count over Fleetfoot’s as well. Unable to contain herself, she screamed in overwhelming delight, pulled her ever-supportive girlfriend in a tight, bouncy embrace, and heavily cried out in tears of joy.

Once things began to settle down, they moved on the winner’s circle as Princess Celestia did the honor to offer the respective medals to the hurdle winners. After Celestia handed the silver medal to Fleetfoot in the last category: the 100-Meter Hurdle, the regal Princess of the Sun presented the gold medal to softly weeping yet proud Roseluck as it added to her other two medals that hung around her neck: silver for the 200-meter and gold for the 400-meter. Afterwards, Roseluck and Fleetfoot walked back to their conveniently neighbored pits where their teammates eagerly welcomed and congratulated them.

“Hey! Congratulations on your medals, girls!” Vinyl Scratch started it off with a huge grin.

“Yeah, you two were awesome out there!” Spitfire commended with a proud smile.

After receiving a few more praises from the rest of the teams, Rose spoke up in an anxious tone. “Thank you, everyone. But uhh… if you excuse me, I’m in desperate need of shower right about now.”

Knowing that they got something more important to take care of first, Fleetfoot hastily agreed with her, “Uhh… yeah! Same here! So… see ya!” Without delay, the two giddy medalists joined hands as Roseluck led Fleetfoot through one of the stadium’s hallways.

Once the two were out of sight, Applejack stated to her friends bluntly, “Yeesh! Those two are as crazy as a horny pair of jackrabbits!”

Vinyl chuckled with an amusing smirk as she teased her big sister, “You’re just jealous because you wish it was you and Rarity in their place right now.”

“Hmm… true.” AJ admitted with shrug and a small smile.

As Soarin blankly stared at the vacant hallway that Fleetfoot and Roseluck just entered, he pointed something out to Spitfire in a puzzling manner, “Wait… why was Fleetfoot heading down that way? Our team’s locker room is in the other direction.”

The reactions to Soarin’s obliviousness were basically split down the middle. Leading one half of that spectrum, Spitfire just giggled to herself on how cute her blue-haired lover was acting when he wasn’t aware on what Fleetfoot and Roseluck had in mind to commence their personal celebration. The other half just groaned lightly in regard of Soarin’s lack of awareness as some of them face-palmed themselves.

Most notably, Cloud Kicker whispered a very shrewd comment to the Apple Sisters, “See? This is just one of the many reasons on why I picked Twilight over everyone else.”

After a long yet well-deserved shower together, Roseluck and Fleetfoot took their time to leisurely dry each other off, wrapped themselves in thick, fluffy towels, and hardly let go of each other as they exited out of the shower room before sitting down on a smooth bench next to their stuff. From there, they kept on kissing feverishly with their unrestrained hands caressing one another, ranging to their slightly damp, exposed skins, their towel-wrapped bodies, and their soft, individual hair.

Eventually, they took a break from their lip-smacking kiss as they panted heavily before Fleetfoot had chance to praise Roseluck once again, “You were truly amazing out there! You know that, right?”

“Thanks. So were you.” she responded with a very tender smile.

From receiving that simple yet affectionate compliment, Fleetfoot quickly pulled her Eponian girlfriend in for another ravenous kiss. With her lips reestablishing contact with Fleetfoot’s, Roseluck moaned in pure ecstasy as her fingers dig into the signature hairstyle of the Wonderbolt’s white, fluffy locks. But before her lust could hold sway over her, Rose gently pushed Fleetfoot back and the Jupitarian abode by her command. Once Roseluck composed herself enough, she finally addressed the little promise they made before they began their second Equestria Games.

“So... you’ll keep true to your word on our little wager?”

“Of course I will, Rose!” Fleetfoot nodded with a grin. “Since you beat me by one gold medal, I will do whatever you will ask of me for this one time! So… what’s it going to be? A five-star restaurant? A trip to one of your ideal vacation spots?” Then, she leaned closer to Roseluck's flabbergasted face as she displayed a seductive smirk while saying to her, “Or maybe… you have something more kinky in mind, hmm?”

From the teasing yet tempting suggestion, Roseluck flustered greatly as she sharply turned her head away from her. Concerned over her blushing girlfriend’s awkwardness, Fleetfoot placed her soft fingertips on the Eponian’s very rosy cheek and delicately directed her face so that her green eyes would look into her fuchsia ones.

“Come on, Rose. You can tell me.” Fleetfoot pleaded with a soft, sincere smile. “For just one wish, I will do just about anything you want.”

“Anything?” Rose asked timidly.

“Anything.” she ensured with an earnest smile.

After Roseluck presented a small smile, she once again turned her blushing face away from Fleetfoot’s gaze. But instead of looking aimlessly away this time, she looked down at her duffle bag nearby before she reached for something as Fleetfoot slightly tilted her head in confusion and curiosity.

As soon as Roseluck pulled something out of her bag, Fleetfoot’s eyes bulged significantly as she stared with small pupils at the simple, velvety jewelry box that was within the palm of Rose’s hand. But her greatly astonished eyes grew even wider once Roseluck opened it up. Inside, there was a glistening, golden ring, but instead of a diamond as its centerpiece, there was a beautifully crafted crystal in the shape of a lovely rose that was as white as pure snow.

As she continued to stare speechlessly at the marvelous ring, Fleetfoot asked in a deeply surprised tone, “Rose… is this…?”

In response, Roseluck nodded modestly with a blushing smile before confirming warmly, “You said that if I win, I could ask for anything I want, right? Well… the only thing I want right now is you, Fleetfoot. Now and forever.”

Upon hearing those sincerely sweet words of absolute affection, Fleetfoot covered her mouth with a hand as tears began to trickle out of her eyes. But as Roseluck waited for Fleetfoot’s undivided attention before she can finish her long-awaited proposal, the Eponian heard some strange giggling behind the Jupitarian’s muffling hand. With her covering hand unable to contain herself any longer, Fleetfoot broke into spontaneous laughter as her random outburst shook Roseluck and echoed in their private sanctuary, which was Team Ponyville’s locker room. Shocked and baffled over the Wonderbolt’s unexpected reaction, Rose’s cheeks went from a warm pink to a hot red as she was deeply upset and angry over her partner’s supposed snickering.

“Fleetfoot!” she scolded immensely in embarrassment and anger. “It wasn’t meant to be funny! I was being really serious about this!”

As her laughing began to die down, Fleetfoot clarified in the midst of her breathless chuckling, “I’m… I’m so sorry about that, Rose! It’s just that… well…”

After she had fully composed herself, she looked away from Rose’s intense glare as she too reached for something in her bag, which was underneath her seat. As soon as Fleetfoot pulled it out and showed it to Rose, the Ponyvillian’s irritation was swiftly replaced with immense surprise and wonder as she saw a ring box similar to her own. And once the Jupitarian opened it up, Rose’s gasping, wide-eyed expression mirrored Fleetfoot’s earlier reaction as she gazed at a precious ring that almost looked like an exact replica of the white rose ring she was trying to propose beforehand. The only main difference for other engagement ring was that it had a shimmering, ruby rose crystal in its place of a white one.

“Fleetie… does this mean…?”

“Yes… if I won that bet, I was planning on doing the same thing myself.” she confirmed with a mild blush and a tender smile.

And just like what Fleetfoot did previously, Roseluck covered her mouth as constant tears poured out of her eyes. Even when she closed her eyelids, they didn’t cease her tearful downpour. While Fleetfoot was slightly worried over the seemingly uncontrollable waterworks, Rose expressed her gripe in a sniveling voice.

“It’s… it’s not fair! I was the one who won our bet, and yet I’m the one who’s getting so emotional in all of this!”

With a light giggle to herself, Fleetfoot leaned forward and gave Rose a gentle kiss on the forehead before compromising to her sweetly, “You’re right, Rose. I’m sorry. You beat me fair and square, so you should be the one to propose instead of me. Here, let’s start over again. Okay?”

Once she opened her recovering eyes, she looked at Fleetfoot’s reassuring smile before she wiped away most of her tears and smiled brightly before replying softly, “Yeah, okay.” Then, she pulled the white rose ring out of its box and presented it to Fleetfoot when she properly proposed to her in a bashfully cute manner, “Umm… Fleetfoot Stormwind? Will you… marry me?”

With renewed tears streaming down her face, the Wonderbolt gently pulled the florist in closely as she smiled lovingly before answering with absolute certainty, “Yes, Roseluck Greentouch. Of course I will marry you.”

Immensely overjoyed with their newfound engagement, they pulled each other in for a thoroughly deep kiss as a means to celebrate their forthcoming marriage. Once their contented lips took a break from that breathtaking kiss, Fleetfoot lifted her left hand and playful wiggled her fingers. Following with the grinning Wonderbolt’s signal, the blushing florist nodded and slid the white rose wedding band onto her ring finger. In return, Roseluck presented her ring finger, and Fleetfoot gladly slid the red rose ring onto hers.

As she lovingly gazed at the artistically crafted ring, Roseluck shed another tear or two at its beauty before stating with amazement, “Oh, Fleetfoot… I could hardly believe that your ring looks just like mine!”

“Heh! I guess great minds do think alike, huh?” Fleetfoot grinned with a lighthearted chuckle. “But man, the press is going to have a field day once they find out about this!”

With a contented smile, Roseluck shook her head before she said with complete assurance, “You know what? I wouldn’t care if the whole world knew about this because I have nothing to be ashamed of! I’m just… so happy right now that I know with you as my wife, nothing is going to tear us apart, my beloved snow angel!”

Touched by her ever-so devoted words, Fleetfoot honored her newly appointed fiancée by giving her another heartwarming kiss before offering her own pledge to her. “And nothing ever will, my pretty, little Rosebud!”

THE END

Author's Note

Alright... so that's it. Just go to Mariacheat-Brony's webpage and read his Apple Scratch stories... unless you already--BURP!--read them. Ah, buck...!

JUST GO!

JUST READ APPLE SCRATCH, ALRIGHT?!

IT'S GOOD!

...

I SWEAR, IT'S BUCKIN' GOOD! IF THIS MAKES ME THAT EXCITED... IF I'VE ENJOYED GTVS, WHICH PEOPLE HAVING BEEN LIKE: "OH, IT'S A GOOD FANFIC!" ...AND I'M LIKE: "APPLE SCRATCH IS THE BEST FANFIC SERIES EVER!"

THEN YOU BETTER BUCKIN' READ THAT BECAUSE IT'S...

IT'S GOOD!!

*In case you are wondering, yes, I was pretty much quote off of Egoraptor's Sequelitis on Mega Man X.*

Chapter 1 – Getting Back Up

Author's Note

This chapter takes place right after Chapter 4 – Rose's Qualification in "Apple Scratch: Onward to the Equestria Games!"

I don't know if I was clear enough every time mentioned this, but I love the fanfics of Mariacheat-Brony! And other than GTVS: The Great Teacher Vinyl Scratch, I'm especially a big fan of his first series, "The Apple Scratch Verse." It's got everything I love when it comes to storytelling (fanfic or otherwise): action, drama, comedy, and of course... romance! So it was because of MC-Brony (I'm just shortening that name out to make it easier for myself) and Apple Scratch that inspired me take a huge step for myself and join the FIMFiction community; not just because I want to write some of my own stories, but to also show my own support and appreciation to MC-Brony in anyway I can.

So... what led me to do fanfic off another person's fanfic? ...That's pretty twisted. Well, when I first read the 4th chapter, "Rose's Qualification" in the latest Apple Scratch story, I love how Ponyville's Roseluck Greentouch and Canterlot's Fleetfoot interacted with each other, from beginning to end. I love how they met, and how they faced their own defeat by the end of that chapter. I love it so much that I looked forward to seeing how their relationship would develop in the future chapters to come.

But overtime... nothing happened.

I knew that this story focused more on Vinyl, AJ, & CK (Cloud Kicker) and their romantic partners, but I saw great potential in Roseluck and Fleetfoot. So through the progression of that story, I imagined on how the two background characters would interact with one and another behind the scenes. Once I came up with the possibility of a new romantic story about them, I held it within the corners of my mind for awhile until MC-Brony founded his own group, Apple Scratch Verse. With the possibility of expanding his Verse, I joined in and also contributed my own story for one of his collaborations, "Tales of Apple Scratch: Council of Harmony, Fluttershy - The Lionhearted Lamb." And later on, I decided to share my Roseluck/Fleetfoot idea with him, and to my overwhelming delight, he not only approved it but he also allowed it to be Canon for me. I can't tell you on how much of an honor it was to be able to work with one of my favorite authors!

And ever since then, we would share ideas as I uploaded a draft of each chapter of my story for him to look over and he would give me his opinions and suggestions on ways to improve them. Ever since I joined FIMFiction.net, he's always been very helpful and supportive of me and my stories, so I hope by the time you read this side-story, you would show the same support for his other stories as you would for me!

Anyway, sorry for the long introduction, but I thought it would important for you to know the origins on how it all started.

And so, without further ado... enjoy!

Chapter 1 – Getting Back Up

Tales of Apple Scratch: Roseluck & Fleetfoot
Chapter 1 – Getting Back Up

The first trial at the Equestria Games is always (for the lack of a better term) a game-changer to its competitors. It’s where you would want to make the best, first impression for yourself and for your teammates in front of a jam-packed crowd of spectators. But sometimes, it could also be a life-changing event to those who lose in the first trials of the games’ opening day. And occasionally, an overconfident athletic will have its pride shattered when that person endured a humiliating loss against stronger competitors. But on that day, in the 754th Annual Equestria Games that was held for the first time in Ponyville, two female athletes who faced their own defeats on their first race together will gain so much by the end of it all!

It was a rotten way to start the day on her first hurdle qualification. Fleetfoot Stormwind, one of the three most well-known Wonderbolts in Equestria, felt deeply shattered by what just happened recently. To her slight disappointment, she was disqualified for using her wings, in which Jupitarians were never allowed to do during a grounded race like the 100-Meter Hurdle she was in. Of course, she would never dare to cheat in such an important event like that. It would be disgraceful for her to cheat, especially when she’s an aspiring athlete to her fans and sponsors out there. However, her reason for deploying her wings was understandable and quite noble of her to say the least. She certainly didn’t want to step on a fallen athlete after that horrible accident. So in a way, Fleetfoot was more acceptable with her loss.

What was truly unbearable for Fleetfoot was when she saw the reaction of her fellow competitor after the Wonderbolt stopped herself from trampling over the poor, red-haired woman. Fleetfoot could still see the absolute shame and sorrow on that girl’s crying face, and it broke her heart to see something like that on such a nice woman she was talking to earlier.

Roseluck Greentouch was her name, and she was an obvious newcomer into the Games who lived in the same place that it was hosted: Ponyville. When they first met on the track, Fleetfoot easily saw the first signs of a nervous first-timer when she saw Roseluck. The white-haired athlete recalled what it was like during her first race and generously offered her support and advice to the bashful flower girl.

Despite how focus she was in the race, Fleetfoot did managed to catch a few glimpses at her newfound rival. It still amazed her that an underdog was that close to beat a professional athlete, such as herself, and on her first try no less! Fleetfoot couldn’t help but wonder what secrets Roseluck possessed to maintain such grace and agility on the tracking field, and such a perfectly shaped body to go with that too!

But her peaked curiosity was put on hold as great concern continued to fester inside her aching heart. Fleetfoot knew that Roseluck was feeling absolutely guilt over the Wonderbolt’s disqualification. She… wanted to do something about that! She wanted to make the young Eponian understand that it wasn’t her fault to begin with and that Fleetfoot was okay with what she did for her!

“Hey, Fleetfoot?” Soarin asked softly.

“Hmm?” she replied to her teammate after breaking out of her worries.

“Sorry about what happened out there.” he said with a sympathetic, sad look on his face.

“Don’t be, Soarin.” she responded with a faint smile. “It’s my fault anyway. I got disqualified because of what I had to do.”

“Don’t say it like that, Fleetfoot.” Spitfire stepped forward as she laid a gentle hand on Fleetfoot’s shoulder. “You did the right thing, and we’re all very proud of you for what you did for her.”

The rest of her teammates nodded silently with approval as Fleetfoot began to smile brightly from her best friend’s encouragement. “Thanks, guys.”

“I’m just more worried about that poor girl over there.” she pointed out as the two female Wonderbolts oversaw the several distressed Roseluck being transported by her three friends to the locker room.

So am I, Spitfire. Fleetfoot mused with renewed concern. So am I.

Unable to take this anymore, she resolved to fix this in any way possible and turned to Shining Armor, Captain of Royal Guards and team captain of the Canterlot team.

“Captain.”

“Yes?”

“With your permission… may I go see that she’s alright?” she hesitated with her request. “I… need to do this! Not just for myself, but for her as well!”

“Of course, Fleetfoot.” he responded with an approving smile. “Go right ahead.”

“Thank you.” Immediately she summoned her light arctic blue wings and hastily flew into the same hallway that Roseluck was taken into.

“Don’t forget, you can still qualify in the 200-Meter and 400-Meter Hurdles!” Shining called out to her. “So don’t take too long!”

“Got it!” she responded sharply. “Thanks for the heads up, Shining!”

Once Fleetfoot figured out on where Ponyville’s locker room was, she slowed her pace down as she braced her resolve to cheer up the deeply distraught flower girl. After combing her white, fluffy hair with her fingers and exhaling a short, quiet breath, the coolheaded Wonderbolt approached the closed door and knocked on it softly.

After less than a minute has passed, Fleetfoot assumed that her knocking was too quiet for them to hear, but as she was about to try it again, she quickly retreats her hand as she hears someone on the other side that’s about to open the door. Through a slim crack of the door, a slightly muscular young woman with light brown skin and teal-colored eyes that matched with her hair popped her head out with an inquiring look on her face.

“Umm… yes?” asked Raindrops Silverain.

“Hi, is Roseluck in there?” Fleetfoot responded with friendly, hopeful smile.

“Yes, she’s here. Can I help you with something?” she inquired with a crooked eyebrow.

“May I speak to her real quick?”

“I’m… not really sure if now’s such a good time.”

“Please?”

The teal-haired Jupitarian was a little uncertain about letting a competitor into their own established facility, but then she noticed how sincere Fleetfoot’s expression was and remembered on what the competitor had to sacrifice for the sake of Roseluck’s well-being.

Finally, Raindrops insisted, “Just give me a second and let me ask her about it.”

After the door was closed, Fleetfoot waited patiently outside for the opposing team’s approval. Eventually, the door was re-opened in full swing as the smiling Raindrops welcomes the Wonderbolt in with a gentle wave of her hand.

“Okay. You may come in now.”

“Thanks.”

Inside, Fleetfoot glanced at the welcoming smiles of the other members of the Ponyville team: Allie Way, Ditzy Doo, and Vera, one of their masseuses. And right in the middle of them was Roseluck sitting on a bench, who had just changed from her grimy uniform into a white, fluffy towel that wrapped tightly around her body. Their eyes were immediately locked on to one another as they were slightly indecisive on what to say first.

Coolly, Fleetfoot started it off with a pleasant smile, “Hey.”

“Hey.” Rose responded with a growing smile. As two were silently staring and smiling at each other, Roseluck realized that there were others at present and hesitantly ask them, “Uh… girls? Do you mind stepping outside for a couple of minutes?”

The four girls look at each other bewilderedly before they agreed to their friend’s request and told her that they will be waiting outside the room if she needs them. After the door was shut, the two resumed their still gazing as they were slightly unsure on what else to say. Eventually, Fleetfoot decided to start with the obvious.

“How’s your ankle?” she asked with slight concern.

“It’s fine. Nothing too serious, really.”

Fleetfoot let out a quick sigh of relief before saying, “I’m really glad to hear that.”

After another brief moment of awkward silence, it was Roseluck’s turn to break that for them. “…Fleetfoot, I--!”

She was trying to get up, but unintentionally, she put a lot of weight on her swollen ankle before she was about to fall over. Like her namesake, Fleetfoot was light on her feet as she swiftly dove forward to catch Roseluck in her well-developed arms. The red-haired athlete was embarrassed in so many ways. Not only she foolishly tried to stand on her own, but Fleetfoot was there once again to prevent any harm from happening to her. Not to mention that being in the well-respected athlete’s strong yet gentle arms was making it so hard to diminish her intense blush right away.

“Easy there.” Fleetfoot reassured cooingly. “I’ve got you. No need to get up for me now.”

“Th-thanks.” she stammered in a continuous blush.

After gently placing Roseluck back on the bench, Fleetfoot glanced down and saw a smudge of ugly purple on her swollen ankle and was curious if it was just a minor injury as the Eponian has stated.

“Do you mind… if I see your leg for a second?” asked Fleetfoot.

The blushing Roseluck was surprised to hear such a strange request. Yet, she didn’t mind it at all when she answered, “O-o-okay. Sure.”

Crouching down right at Roseluck’s waistline, Fleetfoot slowly reached for one of the exposed legs. But as soon as her snow-white fingertips touched the soft skin…

“Eek!” Roseluck instinctively pulled her leg away from the Wonderbolt’s grasp as Fleetfoot was startled by the flower girl’s reaction.

“What’s wrong?” she asked in alarm.

“Sorry! Your touch was quite cold!”

Upon hearing those words, Fleetfoot hastily pulled her hands away, as Roseluck was surprised to see such a fearful expression on the Wonderbolt’s face.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to--!” she hastily explained in such unusual shame.

“No, it’s alright!” Rose quickly reassured her. “Really! I was just… startled, that’s all.”

She felt a little better after hear that before responding, “Oh, o-okay. I’ll try to be gentler this time. Let me know if anything hurts, okay?”

With a quick nod from Roseluck, she was more prepared for Fleetfoot’s cold touch as the Wonderbolt gently inspects the swollen ankle and all of the bones and ligaments attached to it. As for the Ponyvillian, she definitely felt some soreness from every time Fleetfoot’s delicate fingers would press or pass around the inflamed, purple area of her tender foot. But she pushed her gripe aside as she figured it wasn’t something to disturb Fleetfoot’s careful inspection.

Afterwards, she confirmed her simple analysis to Roseluck with a comforting smile. “Well, there’s definitely some swelling here, but like you said, it’s nothing too serious thankfully.”

“Whew! That’s good to hear.” she smiled in response.

“You know… I might have… a way to help reduce the swelling for a change.” Fleetfoot offered in mild hesitation. “If that’s okay with you of course.”

In return, Roseluck nodded her approval, “Please. Go right ahead.”

Closing her eyes, the Jupitarian let out a soft breath as she extended her hands out. Through concentration, her conjuring hands were wrapped in a form of mist as they produce transparent, sparkling ice crystals. Once she completed her spell, her icy hands gradually approached Roseluck’s skin once again. Upon contact, the Eponian greatly shivered from the frosty touch of Fleetfoot’s fingers, but this time, she didn’t pull her leg away like before.

Okay, so far, so good! Just don’t lose control, Fleetfoot! Don’t lose control!

With mostly her fingertips, Fleetfoot gently rubbed and stroked Roseluck’s sore foot and leg. As she carefully carcasses the leg, she couldn’t help but be in awe on how perfect it was.

Oh wow! I can’t believe this! she slightly blushed in admiration. Her skin is just so silky smooth! It’s unbelievable that she can have such beautiful legs when they’re this nimble and strong! No, stop that! Be professional, Fleetfoot! Focus on the task at hand!

As for Roseluck, she is amazed how skillful the female Wonderbolt was regarding with her foot massage. Fleetfoot’s hands had the right balance of soft and firm as she masterfully rubbed and bent her foot with pure gentleness. Plus, the cold-imbued hands help sooth and relieve some of the pain. Her exposed leg was practically puddy in Fleetfoot’s hands.

During the session, Fleetfoot asked with a hint of worry, “My hands aren’t getting too cold for you, are they?”

“No, they’re fine! In fact, they feel… rather nice actually.” Roseluck admitted softly with a rosy blush.

While a bit surprised by Rose’s response, Fleetfoot began to smile warmly upon hearing that. “Oh… I’m… glad to hear you said that.”

“How did you come up with this technique?”

“When you’re a Wonderbolt like me, an injury like this just comes with the territory!” she answered with a smirk. “So with my time at physical therapy every now and then, you tend to pick up a few tricks along the way. Plus, I started testing out my ice powers to help numb the swelling when I performed these sports massages for myself and eventually others.”

After the short-lived foot rub, Fleetfoot ceased the icy spell that she casted on her hands. As for Roseluck, she examined her slightly chilled foot and carefully rotated it around. To her amazement, she didn’t feel much of the soreness thanks the numbness of the Jupitarian’s cold hands.

“How’s your foot now?” asked Fleetfoot.

“A little better than before, I guess. But thank you for your help.” Roseluck smiled at the Wonderbolt.

“You’re welcome.” she smiled back before she gets up from the floor. “Well, I better get go--!”

“Please wait!” the red-haired Eponian stopped the Wonderbolt by gripping her right arm.

“Yes?”

“I… never got the chance to tell you just how sorry I was when you stopped for me.”

“It’s all good, Roseluck! Really! It’s not your fault to begin with anyway, so there’s nothing for you to be sorry for--!”

“Please, just… don’t sugarcoat me like that!” Roseluck retorted while her emotional, green eyes began to break into tears. “You know full well that all this was my fault! Because of me, I got you disqualified in the Games’ first race! How can you be so forgiving and considerate towards me after what I’ve done to you?! I… I…!”

Without another word, Fleetfoot sat next to the remorseful Roseluck on her left side and gently pulled her in for a reassuring hug. As Fleetfoot was silently comforting the poor girl, Roseluck poured her tears into the Jupitarian’s uniform as she hid her shameful face into her shoulder. After an irrelevant amount of time later, Roseluck finally started to calm down as she still held on to Fleetfoot in the midst of their hug.

“Sigh… maybe… competing isn’t for me after all, especially when I’m just some… flower girl from a small town like Ponyville.” said Roseluck in self-pity.

“Well, you could have fooled me…” Fleetfoot smirked in response. “…because what you did today was absolutely amazing!”

“R-really?” she looked up with surprise as her tearful eyes widened.

“Yeah! You may not have notice this yourself, but for a brief moment, you’ve managed to take the lead ahead of me! Me! Fleetfoot of the Wonderbolts! For someone to able to outrun me in a hurdle race like that, that’s quite an accomplishment that’s not to be taken likely!”

“But… I was just lucky… that’s all.”

“Honey, luck has nothing to do with that!” she waved her index finger at the unconfident athlete. “Remember when I told to you to treat that race like it was practice? Well, when I took a glance at you, I saw just how absolutely focused you were out there, and more importantly, I could tell that you knew what you were doing too! And you may be just a small town girl to most people’s eyes, but to me, you’re really one-of-a-kind, Roseluck!”

The red-haired Eponian was briefly astonished to hear such extraordinary praise from a Wonderbolt of all things, but at last, the simple flower girl started to show a bright smile as she wiped away her remaining tears.

“Thanks, Fleetfoot… but… it doesn’t change the fact that it’s still my fault we both lost the race today.”

The Jupitarian shook her head and repeated herself, “I already told you: it’s not your fault to begin with.”

“How can you keep saying that?!” Roseluck snapped at her white-haired competitor. “Of course, it’s my fault! I’m the one who tripped after the last hurdle!”

“True, but who was the one to tripped you in the first place?” she inquired with an knowing grin.

“Wh-what?” she perplexed suddenly right after her short outburst. “How can you be so sure of something like that?

“When I stopped in front of you after your stumble, I saw the bottom of your left shoe covered in a thin layer of ice. Someone caused you to literally slip up!”

“But… who would do something like that…?” Just as Roseluck was about to ponder on this, a crazy thought came to mind on a likely suspect. “Wait… Lightning Dust?!”

“And we have ourselves a winner!” Fleetfoot announced with an amusing grin.

“Why… why would she do that?” she stammered in disbelief.

“Because she was afraid that she might lose to some newbie like yourself. No offense, Roseluck. So she hoped to take you out of the competition. And luck would have it, she managed to take me out of the race as well.”

“Can’t we report this to the Games’ official about her? That’s just grand-scaled cheating!”

Fleetfoot sighed heavily as she answered in disappointment, “I wish we could, but we need more concrete evidence to kick her out of the Games for sure. Not even the word of a Wonderbolt will be sufficient enough.”

Roseluck couldn’t believe it! All this time, she thought that it was her fault for tripping herself during her hurdle qualification, but instead, it was actually Lightning Dust who caused her to slip up! Before learning this new information from Fleetfoot, the young female Eponian was feeling nothing but self-pity and remorse for her actions. But now, she is trembling with anger at her newfound, hated adversary from Cloudsdale!

“I just can’t believe that Lightning Dust is going to get away with that and will pretty much just walk away with her first medal!” Roseluck growled with condensed fury.

“Well… she may be able to get herself a gold medal in the 100-Meter Hurdle, but who said that she’ll walk away so easily in the 200 and 400 as well?” Fleetfoot stated with an all-knowing smirk.

“Wait a minute… you?!” Roseluck gasped at this revelation, who received a nod in return. “But I thought you were disqualified from competing in the hurdles!”

“Only in the 100-Meter mind you.” she pointed it out with a confident smile. “I can still compete in the other two races, and I assure you that I will make into those two finals! That reminds me… are you still competing in any more games this year?”

“Yes, of course I am. I’ll be competing in Gymnastics this Friday.”

“Good! That’s let make a promise to each other!” Fleetfoot suggested as she extended her hand to the bewildered Roseluck. “You do your best to make a nice recovery regarding with your ankle and be sure to kick some serious ass out there in the rest of your matches! And as for me, I’ll be sure to put Lightning Dust in her place when I beat her in the last two hurdle races just for you! Does that sound good to you?”

Once she grasped on the Wonderbolt’s proposition, Roseluck smiled assuredly and firmly shook the Jupitarian’s hand. “Yes, I promise… I will continue to do my best from here on out!”

“That’s what I like to hear from you! And speaking of which, I better get back on track myself! Wouldn’t be able to whoop that cheater’s butt in the finals if I don’t complete the qualifications first, now will I?”

But just as the Wonderbolt was about to get off her seat, Roseluck asked, “Fleetfoot?”

“Yeah?”

In an unforeseen maneuver, Fleetfoot was nearly tackled off her seat as Roseluck rushed in for a surprisingly strong hug before the grateful Eponian whispered, “Thank you… for everything.”

After returning the embrace and gently patting her on the back, Fleetfoot responded with a smile, “Hey, that’s what friends are for, right?”

“We’re… we’re friends?” Roseluck replied in complete shock.

“Of course we are! Unless… you don’t want to be friends with me!” she said with a shrewd smirk. “Because I know a lot of fans who would keel over for a chance like this! But if you think you’re too good to hang out with a celebrity like me, then I guess I’ll--!”

“N-n-no! Of course I want to be friends with you!” Roseluck hastened her answer.

“Te-hee! You are such cutie! You know that, right?” she giggled with a teasing grin.

“Sh-shut up!” she retorts with a heavy blush.

“D’awww! Look at that!” Fleetfoot teased the blushing woman once again. “Your blushing matches that with the color of your hair! So cute!”

Despite frowning at being teased by the good-natured Jupitarian, Rose gradually broke into a slightly amused smile as she dismisses her new friend, “You better get out of here before you get disqualified from the rest of the hurdle races too!”

“Right!” Fleet snaps out of her playful mood as she takes her leave immediately. “I’ll catch up with you later! Wish me luck, Rose!”

After leaving Ponyville’s locker room and waving goodbye to Roseluck’s friends, Fleetfoot briskly takes flight and is about to head back outside to compete for the rest of her hurdle qualifications. But as she flew throughout the vacant hallway, she slowed down for a minute as she was distracted by her hands. As she was transfixed by her usually cold fingers while softly rubbing them, the Wonderbolt smiled broadly to herself from recalling the rosy Eponian’s compliment earlier.

She… didn’t mind them. She didn’t mind them at all.

Chapter 4 – Watching from the Sidelines

Author's Note

This chapter takes place in-between Chapter 19 – In Ponyville's Gymnasium in "Apple Scratch: Onward to the Equestria Games!"

Chapter 4 – Watching from the Sidelines

It was the third day of the Equestria Games in Ponyville, and it’s the day that Fleetfoot had been looking forward to for so long. This Friday, it featured some really excited events such as the Titanian Magic Duel Tournament and the Wrestling Tournament, but truthfully, it was the last event that Fleetfoot was anxiously waiting for. It was on that day that her Ponyvillian friend, Roseluck, was competing in the Rhythmic Gymnastics.

Impatiently, the white-haired Jupitarian waited on the sidelines for Rose to start her trial. Throughout Friday’s last competition, Fleetfoot hardly paid any attention toward the other competitors. Her vibrant, fuchsia eyes are mostly glued to Roseluck on the other sideline. In the beginning, the vigilant Wonderbolt noticed on happy the red-haired Eponian was when she rotated her ankle around with ease. Fleetfoot was definitely glad to see Rose making a full recovery since that disastrous 100-Meter Hurdle Qualification's match.

However, Fleetfoot’s expression gradually shifted from relief to dread as she observed how worried Roseluck became all of a sudden. Unable to hear much from a distance, the Jupitarian’s sharp eyes tried to figure out on what was at play for Team Ponyville. With their “Doctor” entering the scene, he presented a violin case to a surprised Applejack. Then, Roseluck approached the tall, blonde girl closely with quivering lips and big, teary eyes before two more of her teammates joined in as they mimic their pleading expressions with the farmgirl.

Heh, she is such a cutie! Fleetfoot mused with an amusing smile over Rose’s involuntary adorableness.

With a gruff, Applejack gave in and accepted the music sheets from her team before she walked away to take the time and memorize them. From recalling that Vinyl Apple Scratch wasn’t present at the moment, Fleetfoot assumed that Rose needed a substitute for musical arrangement. And with Vinyl absent due to her magical exhaustion from the magic tournament’s final match, the team desperately turned to Applejack for her aid since it looked like that she had some experience when it comes to music. At the very least, everything on Rose’s side had calmed down with their dilemma sorted out as Fleetfoot sighed in relief over this.

Aside from the rest of the competition, the only time Fleetfoot took her eyes off of Roseluck was when Rainbow Dash was up next. She and the other Wonderbolts have always been good friends with the captain of Team Cloudsdale ever since the aspiring fan became the Councilor of Sports and Ethics. As the next act began, Fleetfoot was quite impressed by Rainbow’s performance as she literally got the ball rolling. Soon enough, Fleetfoot was joined by her fellow teammate and best friend, Spitfire.

“You know, I’m quite surprised to see you so attentive here, considering that none of our teammates are competing in this event.” Spitfire greeted with a smile and a crooked eyebrow.

Hastily, Fleetfoot tried to cover up her own reasons for being here. “Oh… well… I heard that Rainbow Dash was competing today, so I was quite surprised to hear that and I thought I should see this myself.”

But Spitfire wasn’t too convinced as she assumed with a witty smirk on her face, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you were waiting for someone else. Perhaps a special masseuse in mind.” Seeing how Fleetfoot blushed automatically on that reaction, the fire-haired commander teased her a little bit further. “One who wouldn’t mind giving you a little “T and A” to go with that massage for next time, hmm?”

But Spitfire’s wide grin shrunk drastically when she noticed a sudden change in Fleetfoot’s expression. No longer was the white-haired Jupitarian embarrassed by her friend’s kidding. Instead, she was seriously piss-off. With all their training and battles they’ve shared over the years, Spitfire recognized that serious look on her comrade’s face. And she doesn’t have to see it just in those cold, fuschia eyes of hers. With all of her might, Fleetfoot tightly gripped the railing that seperated the two Wonderbolts from the rest of the competition as she greatly restrained herself from hitting one of her closest friends.

“Don’t you dare talk about Roseluck like that!” Fleetfoot hissed with an ice-cold glare as she kept her infuriating voice low enough so that it was just between the two of them.

Suddenly, her aggressive demeanor vanished in an instant as it left a blank expression on her face. She just realized that she unintentionally revealed the identity of her masseuse due to how defensive she was acting toward Spitfire. As Fleetfoot had anticipated, the other Jupitarian redisplayed her usual playfulness.

“Ooooh… so that’s who gave you the massage the other day!” she confirmed with a very shrewd smile.

With the tables turned back to the increasingly flustered Fleetfoot, she gave in with mild grump and finally confessed the truth, “Fine, Spitfire! You got me! It was Roseluck, alright? But she was just being very nice to me when my shoulder was getting sore from yesterday’s workout, and she offered to give me a massage for that! So don’t you think so little of her like that ever again!”

After receiving that stern warning once again, Spitfire lightly waved her arms in defense while she responded into a more serious, sympathetic tone, “Sorry, Fleetfoot. I guess I got a little carried away with my teasing there. Of course I would never mock Roseluck like that. I know how much you really care about her. You know that, right?”

After calming herself down, Fleetfoot softened up and expressed a simple, friendly smile as a way to show that she had accepted Spitfire’s apology. Once that was resolved, the two Wonderbolts turned their attention back to Rainbow Dash as it looked like her choice of music and rhythmic dancing had kicked up a notch. As Rainbow’s routine began to build up toward its climax, Spitfire was unable to contain her curiosity for too long before she decided to ask her neighboring spectator.

“So… how was that massage?”

Surprised by that suspicious question, Fleetfoot inquired cautiously with narrow eyes, “Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious, that’s all.” she reassured in a casual tone. “Look, I won’t tease you any further about that. I promise.”

A bit hesitant at first, Fleetfoot could help but break into a huge smile as she recalled from yesterday’s incidence, “Honestly… it was the best massage of my life!”

“Really? That’s hard to believe considering that we have the best massagers that money can buy.”

“Ha! They pale in comparison compared to her!”

“That good, huh? Care to be more specific?”

“Well… despite how delicate she looks, Roseluck is really good with her hands, whether you want it rough or gentle.”

“Heh, that’s what she said.” But Spitfire’s sly muttering wasn’t quiet enough for Fleetfoot to catch that as she sharply glared at the kidder. With a nervous smile, Spitfire added, “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. The setup was just too perfect of an opportunity to miss.”

After a subtle shrug, Fleetfoot carried on with her recollection as a faint blush spread across her smiling face, “But it’s not just that. It’s her hands… those wonderfully warm hands of hers! I don’t know how to describe it, but every time I feel that warm touch of hers, it just… thaws out my heart and melts all of my troubles away!”

“Wow! I have to say… from the way you were describing her, I’m a bit envious of you right now.” Spitfire chuckled lightly. “Maybe you can ask her to give me a massage someday.”

“Over my dead body.” she grinned with a dark chuckle.

After good, brief laugh between the two, Spitfire then said, “You know, it’s been a while since I’ve seen that smile of yours. I haven’t seen you this happy since Sunny--!”

Upon letting that one name slip out by accident, Spitfire shut up immediately as she quickly placed a hand over her mouth. With dread, she looked at Fleetfoot to see if she heard that by any chance. Unfortunately, she did. But she wasn’t showing any anger by Spitfire’s slipup; she wasn’t showing any form of emotion at all. From that one taboo, her glowing smile dissolved into an impassive face as she turned her melancholy gaze away from her orange-haired teammate.

“Fleetfoot, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed concernedly. “I didn’t mean to let it slip out like that!”

“It’s… it’s fine, Spitfire.” she responded emotionlessly without even looking at her. “Please just… don’t bring that up again.”

Without another word, the apprehensive lieutenant nodded before both of the women turned their attention back on Rainbow Dash, who had just finished her routine and received roaring applause while the rainbow-hair team captain anxiously waited for the four judges: Rarity Belle, Fleur de Lys, Hoity Toity, & Photo Finish. After a good minute of unbearable silence, the judges raised their scoring cards and Rainbow received scores so high that she had secured first place for herself on the game’s leaderboard.

After that, Roseluck switched places with Rainbow as she nervously approached the mat of the performing area. Upon the arrival of the next competitor, Spitfire lightly nudged Fleetfoot to break her out of her gloominess. Once she lifted her head up, Fleetfoot’s eyes grew widely as she finally saw Roseluck was up next. Upon seeing Roseluck’s appearance, the Jupitarian smiled brightly as she waited in anticipation for the Eponian’s performance.

As Fleetfoot had expected, Roseluck was very graceful when it comes to her ribbon dancing due to her background as a ballet dancer, but as the Applejack’s fiddling picked up speed, the white-haired spectator is completely amazed by how increasingly bold Rose’s dance routine was. It wasn’t just jumps, leaps, kicks, and pirouettes; it was assorted with multitudes of cartwheels and daring tosses of her flaring ribbon-wand. She even caught her bedazzling instrument with the use of her toes in the midst of her fourth cartwheel before reclining into an elegant sitting position. It was probably one the reasons why Fleetfoot was so entranced by Roseluck; she was full of surprise.

While the Wonderbolt’s astonished eyes were fixated on the twirling ballerina, Spitfire was more focused on her friend’s expression. The way how Fleetfoot brightened up from seeing Roseluck’s presence served as a clear indication to the observant Captain of the Wonderbolts. Fleetfoot may not realize it just yet, but through Spitfire’s eyes, this could help pull her friend out of the cold she shut herself in for far too long.

Once Roseluck was done with her final pirouette as Applejack’s final note came to an abrupt end, the red-haired Eponian was rewarded with thunderous applause from the audience and the spectators from other teams. After she modestly waved to her cheering friends on one side of the mat, Rose turned around and locked eyes with the smiling Fleetfoot. From their fixated gazes, the Jupitarian beamed with pride as she offered a thumbs-up and a wink to the blushing Eponian, who responded by waving bashfully to her supportive friend.

Then, Roseluck and everyone else noticed that the judges were ready for the athlete’s scoring. One by one, the first three judges showcased their scores that equaled the same first three scores as Rainbow’s. But once the final judge displayed the last score card, nearly everyone, including Roseluck and Fleetfoot, gasped in shocked at the final tally to Rose’s overall score: she beaten Rainbow Dash just by half of a point.

That meant Roseluck took the top spot in the Rhythmic Gymnastics’ leaderboard!

Team Ponyville cheered ecstatically over their flower girl’s astounding win as Fleetfoot joined in from afar by squealing with uproarious delight while also hugging Spitfire firmly. Meanwhile, Rose wept in disbelief over her remarkable victory, but eventually she smiled widely over the likely possibility of her first medal. For the rest of the competition, the others couldn’t measure up with Rainbow & Rose’s individual scores. Once everything was settled, Princess Cadance presented the three medals to the winners of Friday’s last game. Rainbow even congratulated the softly sobbing Roseluck for her grand accomplishment since the silver medalist wasn’t that thrilled about gymnastics to begin with.

As the latest gold medalist joined up with her overjoyed teammates, Spitfire suggested to Fleetfoot with a pat on her back, “Come on! Let’s go congratulate her!”

“W-we can do that later, Spitfire.” she flustered on that suggestion. “Just let Roseluck celebrate it with her teammates first.”

“Nonsense!” Spitfire retorted with a shrewd grin as she pulled on the blushing Fleetfoot’s arm strongly. “She would appreciate it if you were there for her as well!”

Following the commander’s lead, Fleetfoot hesitantly flew alongside with Spitfire as they travel to the other side of the gymnasium. Once they landed right next to Team Ponyville, Roseluck ceased her celebration with her friends as she stared at the surprisingly shy Fleetfoot. With a playful push, the smirking Spitfire caused the blushing sergeant to step forward and approach the equally shy athlete.

“Umm… congratulations on your first gold medal, Rose.” Fleetfoot tenderly praised the younger competitor as her shyness began to diminish. “You were truly amazing out there. I knew you had what it takes to go for the gold.”

In response, the overjoyed Roseluck quickly flung her arms around Fleetfoot’s neck and strongly held on to her before she whispered with fresh, new tears, “Thank you.”

From Rose’s gratitude, Fleetfoot carefully wrapped her arms around the delicate, weeping florist and softly embraced her. In the midst of their hug, Fleetfoot once again experienced the tender warmness that was radiating from Roseluck’s body. And just like how she described it to Spitfire earlier, Rose’s miraculous warmth began to melt nearly all of Fleetfoot’s worries. Not wanting to overexert their embrace, Fleetfoot reluctantly let Roseluck go before she maintained a cooler attitude.

“Well, since you lived up to your promise, I guess it’s my turn to do the same for you.” she winked with an all-knowing grin toward Roseluck.

“I’ll be rooting for you, Fleetfoot.” she smiled warmly after wiping her small tears away.

“…Thanks, Rose.”

As the two depart ways once more, Roseluck rejoined with her friends and carried on with their recent celebration while Fleetfoot and Spitfire turned around and walked away in a cool, casual manner. With an arm wrapped around Fleetfoot’s shoulder, Spitfire cleverly grinned over her friend’s recent display of affection.

“See, now that wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

Embarrassed and infuriated by that shrewd tactic, Fleetfoot muttered in a low growl, “I hate you so much right now.”

Ignoring that predictable reaction, she chuckled heartily, “Love you too, Fleetfoot!”