Author's Note

Here it is a second chapter for my adoring fans! Was there ever any doubt? Well, let it e said that this is no mere coincidence. I actually wrote this chapter and the previous one together at one point. I choose to separate them after consulting with my editor, thanks by the way , and now I have to more fulfilling chapters. Hope it keeps you all interested while I prepare the next part of the story. Enjoy speculating!

What Started it All: Part 2

Spitfire was leading Fleetfoot through the skies at a break neck pace. Fleetfoot dared not venture to far from the older mare out of fear of the repercussions. The two made their way over Manehatten for about ten minutes before Spitfire nosedived heading towards the ground. She landed near a small cafe she liked to go to when she was in the mood. And right now, she was in the mood. She walked up to the entrance opening the door for Fleetfoot, who entered followed by her. A mare unicorn greeted them. "Good afternoon and welcome, oh Spitfire how nice to see you again ma'am." she said with a million bit smile. She was a hefty mare with brown fur and a black and grey striped mane and tail. her eyes were emerald green and she had a shooting star cutie mark.

"Glad to see you too Star Stripe. Table for two on the patio please." Spitfire said pointing to a table outside by the street.

"Of course. Please follow me." she escorted the two mares to the patio. Sitting across from each other the waitress known as Star Stripe offered two menus to each of them. "The first menu is our older menu with our famous dishes and drinks. The second is a new selection of dishes we know offer for our more health conscious customers. Can I get you some beverages?" Fleetfoot nodded looking over the menu. "I'll take a small latte please." Fleetfoot said.

"Thank you ma'am. And for you Spitfire? Your usual?" she asked in a knowing tone. Spitfire nodded saying, "You know me so well Star Stripe. Also I just want a croissant with butter and strawberry jelly on the side please." she said leaning back in her chair slightly.

"Of course ma'am. And are you ready by chance miss?" Star Stripe asked Fleetfoot.

"I'll have the same, except with grape jelly please." she responded handing Star Stripe the menus.

"Thank you I'll get you orders in and have them out in just a minute." Star Stripe gave a polite bow before departing.

Fleetfoot watched the mare leave before turning her attention back to Spitfire. She looked fine, but Fleetfoot knew better. There were subtle signs that the older pegasus was frustrated leaning in her chair was one of those ticks she only did when she was in a bad mood. As the two sat in silence, their orders came and both prepared their croissants. Before long them had finished eating them and started to sip their drinks before Fleetfoot couldn't bare the silence any longer.

"Look Spitfire, I um..." she twisted the cup in her hooves nervously before continuing. "I'm sorry about this morning. And about last night."

Spitfire looked at her with a straight face, no emotion just a plain face. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." she said sipping her latte. "Granted, Trixie owes you one as well, but you should have been the bigger pony and let it go." she placed the cup down harder than she expected to creating a loud clank on the table. "I expected you of all ponies to know insulting another isn't the answer, and neither is violence." she added sternly.

She paused to catch her breath before continuing. "You were bullied and insulted all though flight school. I was too. I understand what it's like to be bullied remember?" Fleetfoot nodded in response. "Fleet, do you know why I'm saying this?" Fleetfoot shook her head looking straight into Spitfire's eyes. "I'm telling you this so you don't make the same mistakes I've made." she sighed rubbing her eyes. "There's a reason I sat between the two of you this entire time. I knew Trixie would get to you and vice versa. You two are so much alike it's ironic that you two don't like each other." suddenly Fleetfoot looked very offended.

"I'm nothing like her." she snapped back at Spitfire. "I'm not arrogant like she is. I'm not a liar either, I don't go around causing trouble for others and I don't boast about things I can't do."

Spitfire simply listened to the young mare before responding. "No you're not. But what difference does that make?" Fleetfoot tilted her head slightly with a unsure expression. This frustrated her greatly trying to explain something she couldn't articulate. Spitfire thought for a moment before an idea struck her. "Flaws Fleetfoot."

"Excuse me?"

"Flaws. We all have them. You do. Soarin does. Trixie does. I do too." she said leaning on the table with her elbows.

Fleetfoot scoffed waving a hoof. "Phh, please you flaw? Ha!" she said with a laugh.

Spitfire looked at the mare like she'd just grown a horn and claimed to be the new princess of Equestria. I think I see the problem now. She thought looking at Fleetfoot who took another sip of her latte. "No, Fleet, I am flawed. I always have been." she waited for her to finish sipping her latte before she continued, because she wanted her full attention for this part. "Do you remember Vector?" she asked.

Fleetfoot frowned at the thought of that mare. "Of course I do. She made flight school miserable for everyone." Everyone, now there was a word she didn't use often. It was common knowledge that ponies often say everypony in reference to only talking about ponies. In flight school, it was common for griffons and pegasi to fly together, so they referred to everybody because it wasn't exclusive to ponies. For Fleetfoot, it was a way to show her distaste for Vector. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you remember when I broke her leg for trying to take my lunch money?" she asked knowing the answer already.

"Yes I remember. What's that got to do with this?"

"Fleet, it has everything to do with this" she snapped at her. "I hurt a pony for what? A few bits? Was my lunch really worth her therapy so she could walk again? Not to mention she had a limp, that probably will be with her the rest of her life? Do you know how much I ruined her just from that one action alone?" What she heard wasn't what she expected to hear from Fleetfoot of all ponies.

"Maybe she deserved it. As retribution for all the misery she caused others." Fleetfoot said coldly.

Spitfire was shocked to hear that, not because of what was said but from who said it. It was still wrong to say such a thing, but the fact Fleetfoot said it shook her to the core. "No Fleetfoot, she didn't. I never told you what happened after that did I?" she asked remembering a few details she never told anyone.

"What do you mean Spitfire? What happened after? She left that's what happened. Most of us assumed you scared her off."

"Actually Fleetfoot, there's more to it then just breaking her leg. You're right I am the reason why she left." Spitfire looked sadly at her latte taking a sip from it. "I took her dreams and completely destroyed them. Do you remember my parents?"

Fleetfoot thought back to Spitfire's parents. "Yeah your mom was a noble of the Canterlot Courts, and your father a a Pegasi Guard Commander of Celestia's Personal Guard."

Fleetfoot looked at Spitfire wondering where this story was heading. True nopony knew why Vector left after the second fight, but Fleetfoot thought that one fight had ended it all. In short, this was all new to her.

Spitfire looked at her and spoke in a serious tone. "One day after she returned, Vector challenged me again and I had no reservations on fighting a crippled pony then. We fought one on one, if you could even call it a fight. To prove I was a good sport, we fought in solitude. She tried so hard to beat me it was kind of sad to watch. She insulted me, called me names, my family, but then she insulted you and Soarin. She said that if she wasn't a decent pony she'd have done the same to you and Soarin as I did to her." Spitfire leaned back into her seat again. "I had thought she'd learned not to mess with me so I decided to do the unthinkable to get her to leave me and my friends alone once and for all." Spitfire paused building up suspense that forced Fleetfoot ta ask the obvious question.

"What did you do?" she asked in anticipation.

Spitfire's face darken as she slowly said six simple words. "I took her ability to fly." she leaned in her seat closer to Fleetfoot. "I'm not talking like I plucked her wings or anything silly like that, which I did do also, but I made her to where she could never truly fly again. When she said those things about you and Soarin I wanted her to suffer, so I did." She leaned closer to the younger pegasus causing her to lean away from her. "After exhausting her I beat her. I beat her senseless. And you know what else? I enjoyed. every. moment of. it." she said in a scary calm voice.

Fleetfoot gulped watching Spitfire as she slowly stood up overshadowing her.

"I wanted her to hurt and beg. I got that, then I wanted her to suffer. So I slowly plucked her left wing feather, by feather, by feather. She begged and plead for mercy. I gave her none but I wasn't finished I took a rock and crushed her wing over and over assuring she'd never fly again." Spitfire's voice was cold and she wore an almost sadistic grin emphasizing her point.

By now Fleetfoot was shaking in her seat. As Spitfire settled back into her seat waiting for Fleetfoot to respond, she knew she would all she needed to do was wait. If this doesn't help her to see then nothing will. She thought watching the young pegasus conflicting with herself.

"Why? Why Spitfire? Why are you telling me this?" she said as a tear fell from her eye. Her eyes were glossy and red and she held the most angry expression Spitfire had ever seen on the mare. "only monster do things like that to other ponies not you!" she said pointing her hoof at Spitfire. Spitfire's response was simple. "So the same as Trixie? Do you think she's a monster for the Ursa Minor attack on Ponyville? The timberwolves at the Flightless Pegasus? Fleetfoot I'm not perfect. And if you judge me based on what I've done and compare it to what Trixie has done, I mean what she's really done not caused, then am I that much better or worse than she is?"

Fleetfoot knew the truth to this. She wasn't blind, but it hurt to admit that Spitfire of all ponies could be so cruel as to take a pegasis flight away and enjoy it.

Spitfire sat back down in her seat gesturing to the waitress for a refill. No words were said as she walked over with black coffee filling up Spitfire's cup. Spitfire looked up to Star Stripe. "You know me so well Star Stripe. Thanks." she said to the pony waitress. Star Stripe nodded looking over to Fleetfoot lifting to pot. "Do you require a refill to miss Fleetfoot?" she asked sweetly.

"Oh, no thanks Star Stripe I'm good." she waved her off. Nodding Star Stripe went off to assist other patrons. Fleetfoot watched as the mare walked off following her eyeing her rear as it swayed back and forth. Damn she was cute in her apron. she thought.

Spitfire was grinning at the young pegasus chuckling. Fleetfoot realized she'd been caught eyeing the mare and immediately looked up to the older pegasus but the damage was done and Fleetfoot felt her cheeks heat up from embarrassment. "Did you like what you saw?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"Oh, be quiet Spitfire!" the younger pegasus crossed her arms sticking her nose up.

Spitfire was chuckling trying hard not to laugh at the poor mare. "OK I'm sorry, but you're so cute when you check out other ponies, Fleet, you're so obvious about it."

"Yeah yeah so what?" Fleetfoot said crossly.

"You should talk to her."

"No!" Fleetfoot hissed. "What if she says no?"

Spitfire rolled her eyes. "Then you'll have an answer and that's the end of it. Trust me you'll thank me for this later." She then placed her wallet on the table waving Star Stripe over. "Yes Spitfire?" she asked the Wonderbolt. Spitfire looked up at her placing a few bits on the table. "We're heading out now Star Stripe and I think Fleet wants to ask you something." she then went to pay leaving the two ponies alone.

It took over three seconds for Fleetfoot's brain to register what had just happened. "Spitfire you suck!" Fleetfoot cried out to her waving angrily at her. Spitfire responded by placing a hoof under her eye lid pulling it sown and sticking her tongue out at Fleetfoot.

Star Stripe looked nervous as she waited for Fleetfoot to finish what she was doing. Once finished the young pegasus looked at the unicorn. "So uh, yeah Star Stripe..." she said awkwardly. "Yes Fleetfoot?"

Fleetfoot was shaking wondering what she'd say. I thought I'd have more time. Arrgh fine I'm just gonna gun it! she thought. "Star Stripe." she said with great conviction.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go out with me on a date this week?" Fleetfoot asked without stuttering a word.

Star Stripe looked like she was in shock, but for what reason Fleetfoot couldn't figure. "Sure when's a good time for you?" she asked suddenly. Fleetfoot stood like a deer in headlights waiting to hear something different from what she heard. Feeling that Fleetfoot didn't understand Star Stripe waved a hoof to get her attention. "I've actually been waiting for you to ask me out for months. I can see you eyeing my flank when I walk by." This caused her to blush. "And I found it... enticing." Star Stripe said in a sultry tone.

"How does tomorrow after your shift ends sound? Dinner and a movie my treat." Fleetfoot said quickly.

The unicorn walked next to Fleetfoot, making sure nopony was watching, she leaned into next to Fleetfoot's ear. "Sounds wonderful." The sound of her voice, the heat from her breath, and the calm chill that followed caused her wings to twitch uncontrollably. Star Stripe seemed to notice. She grinned at Fleetfoot making her even more nervous. "Better keep that under control or ponies will notice, Fleet. So what time can I expect you?"

"I'll be here at Seven right as your shift ends. I'll make the arrangements, you just get ready to enjoy yourself for a fun night." She said nervous.

"I look forward to it. Here's something to hold onto while you plan." She then kissed Fleetfoot on the cheek. "I'll expect you to return that after we're done. If you'll excuse me i need to get back to work. I'll see you tomorrow then, Fleet." she said swaying her tail as she walked away. Fleetfoot tried to look away but couldn't. After a moment she walked out of the cafe to see Spitfire with the dumbest look on her face.

"You suck." Fleetfoot said bitterly.

"Pssh. As if. You're like a helpless love struck colt asking his first date out and I know this isn't your first rodeo." Spitfire waved her hoof nonchalantly.

Fleetfoot held on to her sour expression.

"I'm serious, Fleet, you are always like this." she wrapped her wing around the young mare speaking softly. "You'll do just fine. Be on time though. Seriously that's the most important thing you need to do. I know you'll do fine on everything else, just be on time. You'll rock her world, Fleet."

Fleetfoot's expression softened slightly. "OK mom, I'll be on time." she said sarcastically. "Look Spitfire about Trixie." Spitfire looked at her listening. "I'll give Trixie a chance. Before you say anything, I still don't like her." Well there's a thought. Spitfire thought annoyed. "But I will give her a chance to prove herself. Prove that she's not what the stories and rumors make her out to be."

As she finished speaking, Spitfire hugged the young mare. "It brings warmth to my heart hearing you say that, Fleet." she stroked her mane. "Don't ever change." she said kissing Fleetfoot on the forehead. Fleetfoot was happy in this moment, as they embraced the bond between them strengthened and neither wanted this sisterly moment to end. Eventurally they had to, and when they did Fleetfoot looked out into the city saying, "You know we never got to have our annual team pie meeting." she said.

Picking up on what she was getting at Spitfire nodded. "I agree, let's go get some pie then. With any luck Soarin dragged Trixie there and you can apologize to her."

"Yeah Soarin would- wait what?!" she whined. "Why do I have to apologized she started it!"

SPitfire rolled her eyes waving her hoof like a mother scolding a child. "Now you listen here, you started it, she provoked you, and both of you will apologize OK?"

Fleetfoot crossed her arms with a humph. "Fine, but she needs to apologize first." she then stood up walking down the street. Spitfire rolled her eyes looking at the sky. I'm being punished for my ambitions aren't I? she thought following Fleetfoot.

After a few minutes of walking they arrived at Pette's Pie Bar and sure enough there was Soarin and Trixie already here. What really caught their attention was two other that were with them. A young grey filly sat next to Trixie with a white mane in a braid wearing blue glasses and a pearl necklace. The other they both recognized was the famous cellist named Octavia who was speaking to Soarin and Trixie while the filly commented occasionally.

Spitfire and Fleetfoot looked at each other. "Well, this should be interesting to hear." Spitfire commented and Fleetfoot simply nodded in agreement.