Spitfire felt the cool liquid run down her throat as she took another sip of water. Putting the bottle down next to her chair, she kept her eyes on the aerobatic ponies in the sky above her. Silently, her mind was judging each turn and maneuver, keeping constant check of their performance. It was imperative to the team’s status that she was as accurate as possible with her judgements. Today being the last of only a few before the show was set to be unveiled meant that she was not going to let up on her team’s rigorous training.
“Hey, Cap,” an artic blue mare called, breaking Spitfire’s attention for a moment as she spotted the pegasus trotting over to her. Fleetfoot was one of Spitfire’s closest friends, the pair having been together since their early days of flight school. While the two shared a heated passion for flying, Fleetfoot was more creative where Spitfire kept a more level head. For most ponies, those personalities would never usually mix, but Spitfire tolerated Fleetfoot’s usually crazy ideas for new stunts, which in actual fact had turned out to create a really nice chemistry between the two.
Spitfire smiled as her eyes moved from the scene in front of her to the mare sitting down next to her, “Hey, Fleet. Explored enough of Fillydelphia for one day?”
The other mare smirked mildly as she recalled her day, “It’s not changed much since last time, not that any city really does anything over a few months,” she stated with a sigh.
A smirk spread across the Wonderbolt captain’s lips, “Manehattan will definitely need renovating after the night when you got too drunk to stand,” she began, suppressing a light chuckle.
Fleetfoot's reply came in the form of her pupils dilating from the embarrassment that night had caused, remembering the strong conversation she had with Spitfire afterwards about never breathing a word of it to anypony else. “You promised you’d tell me to stop drinking when it got too far!” she cried defensively.
Spitfire only smirked wider in response, “Well maybe next time you shouldn’t make promises with a drunk pony,” she finished, seeing Fleetfoot rolling her eyes and crossing her forelegs. Grinning in her victory she decided to move away from the topic, stretching her hooves out as she held back a yawn, “At least Filly has the nicest stadium.”
“The fastest one too,” Fleetfoot continued with a beaming smile as her violet eyes scanned the vast array of seats which stretched across the other side of the stadium grounds, mirroring the one they were currently occupying. The arena itself was critically acclaimed as the fastest and most daring Stadium in Equestria, its north and south stands were smaller than the larger sweeping stands, which provided a great area for some of the Wonderbolts’ more high-speed tricks, making the event one of the more sought after shows in their tour. However, it also meant that Spitfire pushed the team twice as hard.
With that notion in mind, Fleetfoot retorted with a smirk of her own, “Would be great if we could enjoy it without working our flanks off all the time.”
“But it’s what I’m for,” Spitfire replied with mock innocence as she pretended to look bewildered to Fleet’s latest comment, putting a hoof to her chest with a hurt expression in the process to make her act more convincing. To which she was surprised at how hard Fleetfoot could laugh without her sides splitting.
“Good one, Spitfire,” Fleetfoot began as she calmed herself. Spitfire smiled in response before turning her attention back towards the clear skies, but raised an eyebrow when she saw nopony in the air.
“Looks like everyone else took your idea,” Spitfire said with a playful shake of her head as she gestured towards the empty stadium. Her friend, though, was not returning the happy expression she was a moment ago.
“I don’t think that’s what’s going on, Spit,” came Fleetfoot’s reply, pointing a hoof for the captain's eyes to follow, coming to rest on the small crowd of ponies which seemed to break the good mood that Spitfire had been building up.
The Wonderbolt Captain sighed before getting up of her seat, “This can’t be good.”
Spitfire gave a flap of her wings as she took off. Fleetfoot kept close behind as the two took a small glide over the many seats that stood between them and the center of the arena, where the other Wonderbolts were all beginning to panic slightly.
“Do you think she’s alright?” Misty asked worriedly to a concerned Rapid Fire, who only gave an unsure shrug in reply. The two ponies stared intently at the mare below them with Soarin and Wave Chill.
“Blaze? Can you hear us!” Wave Chill shouted to a dazed pegasus who was rubbing her head and nodding slowly in response.
“I don’t think she needs her eardrums burst too, Wave,” Soarin shot back as he helped the mare into a more upright position.
“What was it this time?” Spitfire asked. A hint of concern tinged her voice as she landed with Fleetfoot in tow.
Soarin glanced over to Wave Chill, who looked down in disappointment before speaking, “I knocked into Blaze when we were trying a double helix; she’s kinda out of it,” he stated plainly.
“‘Kinda,’ is a little bit of an understatement,” Soarin deadpanned.
Spitfire crouched down to take a look at the mare for herself, “You okay, Blaze?” she asked.
“I dunno… everything feels... weird,” Blaze replied, her hoof firmly pressed on her forehead.
“How many hooves do you see?” Spitfire asked simply, putting her foreleg in front of Blaze’s half lidded eyes.
“Um… three?” She asked, her irises visibly straining to see the hoof in front of her.
“Maybe she needs brain surgery,” Fleetfoot asked not to anyone in particular, earning a slightly concerned look from Soarin about her sanity.
Spitfire took a few moments longer with Blaze before proceeding to hoist herself back up, handing out orders as she did. “Wave, take Blaze to the hospital and have her checked out. We’ll just have to manage the rest of the tour with six ponies for now.”
Fleetfoot gave her captain a confused expression.
“But Spitfire, what about our famous vertical break? It’s famously done with seven ponies, and we always do it here. ” she asked.
Spitfire gave a downcast look towards her teammate, “I guess we’ll just have to hope Blaze pulls through before the show.”
Soarin gave a worried expression as he rose up and stood next to Spitfire, “I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”
“What about the reserves?” Came Misty’s innocent response as she raised an eyebrow at the rest of her team.
Suddenly, Spitfire felt everyone’s eyes on her as she thought the idea over. On one hoof, it wasn’t so bad calling in a reserve; with the jumpsuits nopony would be able to tell the difference. It was also good to have somepony with pent up energy to bring the team's morale levels back up. On the other hoof, on such short notice there would be no time to test them or even train them for the performance.
Weighing up both possible outcomes, Spitfire made her move.
“Me and Soarin will look over the reserve sheet and see who can potentially take Blaze’s spot,” she finished, as Wave Chill and Rapid Fire took one of Blaze’s forelegs around their backs, lifting the mare onto her hooves. “Now everyone go get a shower and catch a break; we’ll call it a day.”
Everypony in the team nodded with a firm salute to their captain before trotting away, bar Fleetfoot, who stayed behind for a moment as she turned to Spitfire.
“We’re still meeting up tomorrow at the Noir, right?”
Spitfire smiled, hoof bumping her friend, “I’ll meet you after giving the reserve a run-down of events, but in the meantime keep an eye on Wave and Rapid for us,” she replied, gesturing to Soarin.
Fleetfoot smiled and saluted her captain before leaving Spitfire and Soarin to themselves. The sky blue stallion was still a little tense after the whole ordeal, and Spitfire knew it was because he never liked to see a team member injured. It was one of the reasons why he was promoted to lieutenant in the first place. She rested a hoof on the stallion’s shoulder and gave him a warm smile.
“Hey, it could have been a lot worse,” Spitfire began.
“You’re telling me. I’m just glad Blaze didn’t break anything important,” Soarin replied as he and Spitfire began trotting towards one of the tunnel exits of the stadium.
“I’m sure she’ll be okay; Blaze usually suffers worse at one of Fleetfoot’s drinking nights,” Spitfire continued as she tried to keep things positive. The pair went through the dark corridor of the tunnel and passed a few security staff members, who nodded quickly to them on their way out.
“Well, I guess all that needs to be done now is to find a replacement,” Soarin started, “Any favourites?”
Spitfire began poring over the various lists. There were a few promising acts who had done exceptionally well in the academy training, and not to mention a few seasoned veterans. However, there was only one pony that stood out above them all. She had just recently been added to the roster.
The mare looked over to Soarin with a smile, “What about Rainbow Dash?”
Soarin glanced at Spitfire with the same excited look as she had plastered on her muzzle,
“I think that’d work nicely,” he started, “You sure she can handle it, though? We won’t have time to get her up to speed.”
Spitfire couldn’t help but let a chuckle escape her as she stopped in her tracks with Soarin after exiting the stadium grounds, “I think that mare can handle herself pretty well, Soar,” she replied, with an air of certainty in her voice.
“If you say so,” Soarin finished as he looked towards the mass of ponies crowding the nearby streets. “Say, you wanna fly back to the hotel?” he asked hopefully. Spitfire followed Soarin’s gaze and soon after and nodded in agreement. The two pegasi then spread their wings, launching into the sky above.
As seasons go, Spitfire had always admired the summer in Filly. The cool air from the sea was enough to keep her coat from burning after a day out training, not to mention the clear sky that always made for a great view of the city. Spitfire made a note to take in the breathtaking sights of Fillydelphia’s skyline and the shore which washed up against the nearby beaches. It was no coincidence that the city always got busy around this time, but luckily with Filly being predominantly an earth and unicorn society, the air traffic was never too bad even at the busiest of times.
Being a celebrity, however, did push the perks of not having to jump through crowds of ponies towards the negative. It was never publicly spoken of, but the Wonderbolts usually left their signature jumpsuits for the shows. That meant that any member of the Wonderbolts had sure to have been documented outside of their uniform at some point, which meant that being spotted in midair wasn’t all too hard for reporters. To be honest though, many of the adoring fans that watched them didn’t care to get in on all the ‘personal lives’ junk that the media would hash up every once in a while. There were some amusing instances which Spitfire remembered fondly, such as Wave Chill being caught eating a cupcake at a bakery not too far from Canterlot. Before anypony knew, the poor stallion was inundated with questions on whether it happened to be a secret diet that could get ponies into the Wonderbolts. The mild thought of that brought a smirk to the mare’s lips that didn’t go unnoticed by the stallion flying alongside her.
“What’s got you all giddy?” Soarin asked with a questionable look.
“Hm? Oh, nothing,” Spitfire replied happily, quickly pushing the thoughts to one side as she eyed a particular building in amongst the city's towering skyscrapers. “You enjoying the hotel, then?” she started with a gesture towards one of the more extravagant parts of Fillydelphia.
“It’s a little too froo-froo for me,” Soarin replied, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips, but he had a more uneasy look about him. He gave a few more flaps of his wings to keep afloat with the mare.
“Should I make it something a little less... froo-froo-y next time?” Spitfire asked with a small chuckle at her own word play. She knew that Soarin preferred a hotel with an easy exit; the stallion hated being cooped up in a place where he wasn’t going to do anything but sleep. In her own mind, she agreed that the Wonderbolts got a little more than a healthy sum of bits from sponsors. She’d even considered slipping some of the leftover bits back to the royal guard, considering they never really needed all the money they were endorsed with.
“You never cease to amaze, do you, Spit?” Soarin asked with a chuckle of his own.
Spitfire beamed back to her friend with a foalish grin. She always loved to tease, and being a mare with a level head made that all too easy to do with the other members of the Wonderbolts always ending up a little on the wild side at times. Fleetfoot always got into bother after one too many, while Soarin and Wave Chill had their own subtle ways of letting things get to them.
It wasn’t long before both Wonderbolts reached the tall building of the Twin Trees hotel in the center of town. Spitfire and Soarin immediately headed inside, not wanting to mingle for too long in the busy streets of Fillydelphia in the afternoon.
They passed the decorative reception hall on the way into the lift on their way up to the rooms Spitfire had booked out for the team. She always made sure to take an entire floor in case any events like this occurred and more Wonderbolts needed to be brought in to stay. Besides, it wasn’t like they ever ran low on cash anyway.
“Do you think Rainbow Dash will get the letter in time for the show?” Soarin asked hesitantly as lift came to a stop.
“The show isn’t until the day after tomorrow; I’m sure she’ll get it in time,” Spitfire countered cheerfully as she headed towards her suite. She took a look behind her as she continued, “I’ll see you at noon tomorrow for some more training.”
“Sure thing, Cap,” Soarin said with a little mock salute before heading over to his own room. Spitfire pushed open the door to hers, making a beeline for the small desk that resided in a corner of the large suite area. It was nothing like the one she occupied back at the academy, but it wasn’t like she needed to spend hours filling out paperwork for various sponsors on tour.
She quickly grabbed a parchment and quill from the neatly stacked pile and began to write out her letter. Once she was finished she checked around the room, finding her saddlebags where she had left them upon her arrival to the hotel a few days back. She cantered over to the bags and dug a hoof inside, finding a set of official Wonderbolt seals that she kept in case any forms or documents needed signing while she was out of office.
Placing the Wonderbolt seal on the letter, she heard a knock at the door. She turned around, putting on a smile for whoever it was,
“Come in.”
The door opened, revealing Wave Chill, whose mane was in a little bit of a tangle. Spitfire could only assume it had been from flying back from the hospital.
“Hey, Firestarter,” The navy blue stallion greeted with a small smirk.
Spitfire didn’t resist rolling her eyes before getting up, “What’s the situation with Blaze, then?” she asked, getting straight to the point.
Wave Chill’s smirk all but vanished as he leaned on the doorway, “The doc says they need to keep her overnight to make sure, but they don’t want her flying for a week. They’re worried it might cause her dizziness to come back again.”
Spitfire nodded as she trotted over to the stallion at the doorway. Wave was always the troublemaker of the team, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Soft, but with an annoying outer shell as Spitfire preferred to put it. She could see by the stallion’s depressed look that he wasn’t at all too happy with causing this, but it made Spitfire proud that she managed a team that cared for one another.
She found herself bringing Wave in for a quick hug, patting him on the back, “Nothing you can do about it now, Chill, just make sure you get your eyes checked before the show,” she quipped jokingly.
Wave nodded before releasing from the embrace, “I guess I’ll make my way to the optician’s,” he replied, continuing with the gag.
“Well then,” Spitfire started as she grinned and cantered back to her desk, Wave eyeing her as she picked up the letter. She came back over to him before pressing it into his chest, the stallion taking it in his hoof as she spoke, “While you’re on your way, you can stop by and send this off for me,” she said with a goofy grin, seeing the regret in the stallion’s expression of choosing to run on with the joke.
“Fine,” came Wave’s aggravated response as Spitfire’s smirk widened. He turned and headed towards the lift, but stopped for a moment as he looked back, “Who's the new recruit, by the way?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, gesturing towards the letter.
Spitfire thought about telling, but decided to let the stallion wait a little while longer, “Oh, you’ll find out tomorrow Wave. It’s a surprise.”
The stallion nodded once more before trotting off to the lift, Spitfire letting the door close behind her as she made her way back inside, deep in thought about what tomorrow may entail.
