Above the Clouds

Chapters

Cloud 1
Cloud 2
Cloud 3

Cloud 1

Despite the lashing winds and pouring rain outside the windows, the Wonderbolts' Headquarters were as warm as ever, mostly thanks to the crackling fire that roared in the thick cloud fireplace before them. The light thuds of the rain added an air to the lounging hall; everything seemed still, even the breathing of the four ponies, two of which were slumped on the couch, and the others in adjacent chairs. Half-eaten bowls of cereal sat on the wooden table before them, along with four unopened envelopes and a poptart.

Soarin let out a long sigh, looking around at the white cloud walls, observing the plaque upon plaque, medal upon medal, and trophy upon trophy that decorated it, each protected by a shiny glass case. Beside him, on a table that severed the couch and a chair, a radio was buzzing away a personal favorite of his, one that used to make his fur stand on end. But today his fur was as flat as his face.

Beside him, Rapidfire was leaning on his hoof, staring down at his bowl. His orange mane was frizzed and unkempt, completely drowning out its white stripe from view. On the chair beside him, Fleetfoot was picking away at her white fur almost mechanically. She had brushed her light blue mane neatly, as always, and had done well to make her pale stripe shine. But her eyes were downcast, and her ears were flat.

"So should we open them or what?"

Soarin turned to face a white mare with a spiky blonde mane. "I don't think I really want to. You guys?"

Fleetfoot bit her lip. "I actually agree with Goldrush. Waiting only puts off the inevitable," she said in her soft tone, leaning forward and grasping an envelope. As she sunk back into the couch, she eyed it with a hard gaze.

"Yeah, I'm with ya," Rapidfire said. He bent forward, knocking the poptart to the cloud flooring in his attempts to grab his own envelope.

Goldrush already had hers in her hooves, and was rubbing it between them with her eyes closed. "You never know," she said as she looked down at it. "At the same time?"

"Might as well," Soarin grumbled as he took up the last envelope on the table. They nodded to each other, and ripped into the corners of the paper with their teeth. The tops of the envelopes ripped off easily, and they spat them in different directions.

In unison, they yanked out the contents: folded pieces of white paper, each with a little rectangular slip tucked inside. Soarin bit his lip and drew a sharp breath, carefully unfolding the edges and making the paper flat. He leaned in and squinted, and then crumpled the paper up and tossed it into the fireplace with a scowl.

"A thousand bits!" He whipped his check down on the table, turning away and forcibly regulating his breathing.

Fleetfoot offered him a soft smile. "Hey, it's not so bad... I mean, at least we aren't barely scraping by, right?"

Goldrush rubbed her temples. "This sucks. Don't even bother trying to sugar-coat it."

"Thank you," Soarin said, nodding to her. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Well," Rapidfire said, "we could... um... no, no I don't have anything funny to say." He set his check down on the couch arm, leaning back and quietly looking up to the ceiling.

"How did this even happen?" Soarin asked, stomping his hoof down on the sofa. "We were at the top. Fame, fortune, parties, pie... we performed at the Gala for Celestia's sake. We were her team!"

"Well we're not anymore," Rapidfire huffed, crossing his forelegs.

"Jeez Soarin, chill," Goldrush said, looking up at him with a frown. "I don't like it either, but don't explode or anything."

Fleetfoot shifted in her chair. "She's right. We shouldn't let this blow our tops."

Soarin glared at her. "I'm not 'blowing my top'."

"Well you certainly aren't the laid back, easy going, pie loving Soarin you usually are," she said with a shrug.

He sat up tall, his mouth open and ready to respond. But a pair of voices cut him off. One was quick and well spoken, and the other was slower, with an edge to each word it spoke. As soon as Soarin's ears perked up, he saw two mares casually trot out of the doorway leading to the kitchen on his right.

Spitfire had a small frown on her face as she spoke. "It'll be fine."

The mare beside her--a scrawny grey mare with a deep blue mane--was biting her lip and shuffling along. "I don't think it'll even work."

"Sure it will," Spitfire said.

"It's mean."

"It's worth it." She trotted away from the mare, taking a place in front of the table. She eyed the reclining team over with a strong gaze.

Stormcloud took a seat between Soarin and Rapidfire, wedging in between them and receiving slight grunts from the stallions.

Just as she was settled, Spitfire stretched her wings out and yawned. "All right guys," she said. "Did you open your pay?"

"Yeah, and it was about five thousand bits short," Goldrush said with a flat face.

"What? Let me see this." Spitfire picked up one of the checks from the table, quickly scanning over it. "That's not right. I was told we'd at least have three thousand," she said as she slammed it back down on the table.

"Yeah," Soarin said as he stood, "Just like we had a show at Manehattan. What's up with that?"

"Don't start," she said, turning away from him. She trotted up to the opposite wall, peering out the long rectangular window that spanned it. Being close to Cloudsdale, she could see the whole city from her position.

"What's the deal with you lately?" he asked, trotting over to her. "Spitfire, we're on the edge of being wiped off the map. That means we're nothing, nada, zip. We'd be as useless as Rapidfire's brains."

"Hey! I'm smart," he said, sticking his tongue out.

He pressed his hoof to his face, turning back to Spitfire. "Right... look, what I'm saying is, we need to do something fast."

"I know," she said. "Do you guys remember last year's Best Young Flier Competition? The one where that flashy unicorn almost killed us all?" She squinted and looked through the rain at the large cloud city beyond.

Fleetfoot nodded. "I do. What about it?"

Spitfire crossed her front forelegs and leaned on them. "All right, now remember the one who did the rainboom. I think her name was Rainbow Dash."

There was silence for a moment. "Oh... oh!" Soarin's eyes shot wide. "No, no, no, if you're thinking of letting her join--"

"I'm not," she said in a flat tone. "We cut about half the team already. But..."

"But what?"

Spitfire pushed off from the windowsill, trotting back to her place in front of the table. "You saw her talking to the princess, right? She's an Element of Harmony. So I was thinking, oh, I don't know, we could take her in for a while, right?"

Goldrush stood now, biting her lip and eyeing Spitfire. "And what? Dump her later?"

"Well, I wouldn't say dump her."

"I told you it was mean," Stormcloud said with a gulp.

Rapidfire leaned in. "Are you guys joking? This is genius! Imagine the look on the Starstrikers' faces when we make our triumphant return!" He stood on his hind legs, pumping his front hooves in a strongpony pose.

"At the expense of another pony?" Stormcloud pushed herself away from him with a scowl.

"Hey, from a logical standpoint, it works rather well," Fleetfoot said with a shrug. "Think about it; we make it to the top, impress Celestia, then tell her we need to cut a team member. Simple. No one gets too hurt, and hey, she was a Wonderbolt for a while, right?"

"See?" Spitfire said, throwing her hooves out to Fleetfoot, "It makes sense. And besides, I'm still Captain of this team, I'll do what I think is best for it. And right now, anything is better than the way we're headed."

Goldrush cleared her throat. "Do you really think that it's best to crush somepony like that?"

Spitfire bowed her head and drew in a deep breath. "Look," she said, glaring to her team, "I put this team together from dust and dreams. This is everything to me, and I can't let it go. I don't want to hurt anypony; I just don't want to let go of what I--what we--tried so hard to make. Look at us, we were at the top! It took hard work, determination, and skill, and I won't let that go to waste just because some rip-off, rag-tag team of pegasi wormed their way up."

Everything grew still.

"So... no, I don't think it's best. But it's all we have."

Stormcloud's gaze lightened for a moment, but grew somber once more. "Then what will we do when we don't need her?"

Rapidfire rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and we're back to this. Look, cutbacks happen, and it's just an unfortunate accident that it's her."

"And what if she finds out?"

"Well we won't let that happen," Spitfire said with a nod.

Soarin, not turning from the window, shook his head and said, "And how do you think we should pull that off? Pretend to be all friendly? I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna find it pretty hard to be all happy and laid back when I know how this is gonna end."

She rolled her eyes. "This is simple. We make her happy, comfortable, then when we reach the top, we gently let her down. Easy."

Once again, there was silence, with only the roaring fire and the pattering of the rain to fill the air.

"Fine," Soarin eventually said, turning away from the window with his head hanging low. "Where are we supposed to find her?"

Spitfire flashed a grin. "I guess we'll have to make some calls."

~A~T~C~

Rainbow Dash looked out the window from the bed she sat upon. The room she was in was like any other in the hotel: boxy walls, dual beds, blue cloud carpets and a fireplace. The fire roared in the hearth, filling the room with a dull orange glow and a light crackling that blended with the thumping rain.

She turned from the window, looking to the other bed in the small room. Fluttershy was fiddling with her suitcase latches, biting her tongue with a look of determination. Then, the top popped open, sending her flying back with huge eyes and sporadic breathing. Clutching her chest, she looked over to Rainbow Dash, who was doing her best to contain her laughter with a hoof.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, biting her tongue and snickering.

Fluttershy drew a heavy breath. "Oh my... I-I think so," she said.

"Cool." Dash's composure returned swiftly, and soon she let herself fall to her back with a grin. "So, back in Cloudsdale again. Y'know, I miss this place sometimes."

"Oh, me too. I mean, I like the ground, but sometimes it's nice to get away," Fluttershy said with a smile as she dived back into her suitcase.

"Totally. Cloudsdale's where it's at," Dash said, sitting up. "You have an idea of what you wanna do first? I mean, we can't do anything today," she said, looking behind her to the rain-blurred window, "But I hear tomorrow's supposed to be sunny."

Fluttershy pulled out a rather fancy crimson saddle with Rarity's trademark R on its back. "I'm not sure. We could always go to the park, or the Cloudiseum. Whatever you want to do."

"Hey, Fluttershy, we're here on vacation. Not just me." Dash offered a wink. "Look, I've seen Cloudsdale a hundred times. I'll go where you want."

Fluttershy set the saddle down, shook her head and opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a triplet of knocks. Both of them turned to face the wooden door with confused gazes.

"Who's that?" Dash asked. Fluttershy only shook her head and shrugged. So Dash slid off of her bed to the floor. She trotted up to the door, took the handle in her mouth, and revealed a scrawny colt who stood in the hallway. In his mouth was a small slip of paper.

"Miss Rainbow Dash?" he asked.

"Yeah? Who're you?"

"This is for you," he replied, giving her the paper before buzzing off on his tiny wings. Dash took it in her mouth as she receded back into the hotel room and shut the door.

"What's that?" Fluttershy asked, leaning in to see the paper.

Dash shrugged. "I dunno," she said. She took a seat beside her friend and dropped the paper into her hooves. "Says it's for me though."

Fluttershy covered her eyes with her foreleg. "Oh my, well then I shouldn't look."

"It's not like it's a secret," Dash said, grinning. She nudged Fluttershy gently with her hoof, grabbing her attention. "It says somepony's in the lobby to meet me."

"Well you should go then," Fluttershy said with a nod. "It might be important."

"What? Nah, it's probably not. I got the week off from cloud patrol, so..."

"Oh, but you should still go. It's not polite to keep somepony waiting."

Dash looked down to the paper again, then sighed. "I guess you're right. You stay here, okay? I'll be right back."

Fluttershy nodded as Dash fell to the floor and trotted out of the room. Just as soon as Dash was gone, she rested her head in her hooves. Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet as she drew in a breath.

"Okay Fluttershy," she told herself. "Calm down."

~A~T~C~

Dash trotted out of the stairwell, into the large hotel lobby. The walls were high here, and the ceiling higher, with a chandelier hanging from the center. There was the oval reception desk in the center, stairwells and elevators on either side, and fireplaces tucked into the walls. But what stood out the most was an orange mare reclining on a couch by a hearth, nonchalantly waving to Dash.

"Ohmygosh," she muttered as she stared. "Oh. My. Gosh."

Spitfire motioned for her to come over. Dash didn't need any more coaxing; she was already flying through the lobby. "Sp-Spitfire?"

Spitfire grinned and leaned down on the sofa arm. "Hey Rainbow Dash. Mind if I call you Dash for short?" she asked.

"Uh, s-sure," Dash stuttered.

"Have a seat. We're cool, right?"

She blinked. "Wha- um, yeah. Yeah, we're cool." She took a seat and fidgeted.

Spitfire turned to the crackling fire. "So how's life treatin' ya?"

Dash bit her lip and clenched her muscles to contain her bouncing. "Good! Uh, good. It's good. You?"

Spitfire gave a small chuckle. "Not so good, actually. Notice how I'm not getting crowded by fans?"

Looking around, Dash's eyes dropped to a confused look. "Yeah... what's up with that?"

"Exactly what I said: life's not too good right now. Tell me Dash, you ever heard of these ponies?" Spitfire pulled out a little pamphlet from behind her, tossing it to Rainbow Dash. Dash picked it up and scanned the front cover. There was a picture of six ponies, all of them dressed in red suits that covered everything but their manes, eyes, and tails. They were staring up at a starry night sky in a proud stance. The bottom of the leaflet read Starstrikers, Best Flyers in the Galaxy.

"Cheesy, right?" Spitfire asked, noticing Dash's confused sneer. Yet Spitfire's grin never fell. "But they're at the top. And we... we somehow hit rock bottom. Or further, I suppose. Equestrian mines bottom?"

"These guys don't even look half as awesome as the Wonderbolts," Dash said, tossing the pamphlet aside.

"I know, right?" Spitfire said, sitting up. "It's amazing they got as far as they did. But they did, and that's just a fact. They went up, and we went down. Look, Dash, we--the other Wonderbolts and I--did some talking. We need a way to oust them, knock them off their high place, y'know? So..."

Dash's eyes shot up, looking at Spitfire with an eager fire. "So what?"

"Oh c'mon Dash, I think we both know," she said. She reached behind her once again and pulled out a neatly folded uniform, a lightning bolt with wings displayed right on top. "We need something--or somepony--who can win the game for us. Somepony who is strong, agile, and energetic. Somepony who's fast... almost the fastest flyer in Equestria."

Rainbow leaned in, her body beginning to shake as her eyes grew wider and wider.

Spitfire slowly turned her head and winked. "And that, Dash, is you."

Rainbow reached out with shaking hooves, carefully taking the suit in her hooves. "I-I... this is so sudden... I don't know what to say..."

With a grin, Spitfire leaned in and whispered, "You in?"

Rainbow Dash dropped the suit and gripped Spitfire tight, squeezing her until her face turned redder than her coat. "Yes yes yes yes yes!"

"Hey... kid..." Spitfire gasped, "we're gettin'... looks!"

Dash looked around with a huge grin. Sure enough, most of the ponies in the lobby were eyeing her with raised brows and frowns. She let go of Spitfire and back up. "Oh, uh, heh... sorry."

"It's all fine," Spitfire said as her breath returned. She rolled off the couch to her hooves. "Look, I gotta go. How long are you staying in Cloudsdale?"

"A week!" Dash instantly said with a quick nod.

"Well you're staying a bit longer now, don't you think?" Spitfire winked. "Whenever you're finished with whatever you're doing, come on by our headquarters so you can get adjusted. We can wait a week." Then, she turned and headed for the hotel doors.

"Hey wait!" Rainbow called. Spitfire turned around and cocked her head. "How'd you find me?"

Spitfire thought it over for a second. "Simple! We're the Wonderbolts!"

She spun back around, and trotted out the doors and into the rain.

Dash turned down to the folded uniform in front of her. Tears were welling in her eyes. She bit her lip to suppress a small cry, but the growing smile made it hard to do. She pressed a hoof to the suit, grazing it across the cold rubber.

"I'm... a Wonderbolt..."

Dash charged away with her prize, up the stairs and onto her floor. She dashed down the hall, made a few turns and bends, and nearly crashed into her own door. Picking herself--and the uniform--up, she threw the door open and stumbled in.

Fluttershy shot up, rushing to her side. "Rainbow Dash, you look sick. Oh my, um, c'mon, come sit." She guided Dash to her bed, helping her up. Dash set the blue square beside her and looked to Fluttershy with her eyes still bulging, and her breathing becoming sporadic.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"I-I'm in the..." Dash's voice trailed off to a series of unintelligible garbles. Then, her eyes lapsed shut, she let loose a sigh, and she fell back on the bed, limp. Fluttershy squealed and jumped on top of her friend.

"Okay Fluttershy, you've handled this before..." she said to herself as her own breathing became light and shallow. She licked her lips and leaned forward. A crimson heat filled her cheeks as her face neared Rainbow Dash's, and she tensed up as she felt their lips brush.

Dash shot up with a twitch.

"Eep! I'm sorry! I-I thought you needed CPR, a-and I--"

"Whoa, 'Shy, calm down, it's cool," she said with a grin. "What happened?"

"You fainted," she quietly said, retreating to the front of the bed. She hid her face in her mane as her cheeks grew impossibly redder.

Dash cocked her head. "I did? Why?"

"I-I don't know. You stumbled back in and said something about you being in something. You had that too." She slowly pointed to the folded Wonderbolts outfit.

As she looked down to it, Rainbow's eyes widened again. Her breathing nearly stopped, and her eyelids grew heavy again. With a thud she landed on the bed, her head lolling limply on her shoulder.

~A~T~C~

"So how'd it go?" Soarin asked as Spitfire emerged from the hotel. The rain had gotten heavier, though the wind had died down a bit.

"Fine, I guess. I think I saw some tears in her eyes," she said. Her smile faded, and her face was flat once more. They turned into the long, green sidewalk awning. "She asked how we found her."

"And you said?"

"Eh, I told her 'we're the Wonderbolts'!" She quietly laughed.

Soarin rolled his eyes. "Forgot to mention the four hundred phone calls to everywhere but Tartarus?"

She shrugged. "It may have slipped my mind. Either way, she's in."

"Great. So step one in this ingenious plan is finished. Now what?" he asked as they rounded the corner. The streets were considerably busy today, with ponies on either side rushing to their destinations. The sound of clopping hooves stomping on wet cloud blended with the pounding rain and the distant roar of thunder. They worked their way through the crowd, the wind lashing at their faces. But they eventually met up again and continued down the sidewalk.

"She's on vacation for a week or something. So we wait, and then we show her her new home. Then we find out a way to get up to the princess, and boom. We're done." Spitfire planted her hoof firmly on the cloud for emphasis.

"No, we--or actually, you--still have to figure out a way to tell her that all the training she's doing is worthless. Good luck with that."

Spitfire stretched out her wings as they approached the next corner. "Whatever. We'll probably keep in touch after it's all over anyways, so no hard feelings. C'mon, we need to get back. Rapidfire said he was going to try to fix the toaster."

"What? He's gonna blow a hole in the clouds," Soaring said with a growl and a grimace as he too spread his wings. "Seriously though, we can't afford his antics. We don't have a backup backup headquarters."

Spitfire nodded and hoisted herself into the air. Soarin did the same, and together the pair flew off into the storm.

Cloud 2

Dash's jaw dropped as she slowly flew up to the Wonderbolts Headquarters. It wasn't very big, but it was elaborate, with carvings of the team splitting into a V, six electric smoke trails behind them. The entrance was a long strip of cloud with column-like railings on either side. She hovered down to the strip, her eyes flicking about.

As she landed, she peered over the edge. Beneath the headquarters was a long expanse of green fields and open plains that eventually turned into rocky, mountainous terrain. She looked back up, sauntering forward to the large doors ahead. They were tucked between two large columns, a lightning bolt with wings carved down their center.

She stopped and reached out for the handle, then drew back. Biting her lip and looking away, she could feel her legs begin to tremble. Her ears dropped flat as she fidgeted in place.

"Hi, I'm Rainbow Dash... no..." She kicked the cloud and softly scowled.

With a deep breath, she said, "Fastest Flyer in Equestria here..." She kicked the cloud again, a thin white plume shooting up beneath her hoof.

"Dash?" Spitfire asked, poking her head out of the door. "What're you doing?"

Rainbow Dash's head shot up, her eyes wide. She gulped and took in a deep breath to try and stop herself from shaking. "I, uh, um--"

"Come on in," Spitfire said with a grin. The door swung open and a burst of warm air ran through Dash's fur.

Dash carefully stepped forward, walking past Spitfire and into the hallway before her. It was large, with a long red carpet, vaulted ceiling, and multiple pictures of the Wonderbolts on either side.

"Like it?" Spitfire asked as she closed the door. She was eying Dash's face as it cycled through quivering lips, bulging eyes, and a loose jaw as she looked over the place. "It's not much," Spitfire continued with a shrug, "But things are tough, y'know? This place was where we started. It actually used to be an old warehouse, but when we became famous, we figured we'd need a safehouse of sorts." She chuckled.

Dash cleared her throat and looked back to Spitfire. "But why did you tear down your old one?"

"What, the one next to the Cloudsdale Cloudiseum?" Spitfire sighed, taking her place next to Dash. "We ran out of money to keep the thing up. Lucky for us, we have this thing completely paid off: it's ours 'til we all die in some crazy show stunt." She rolled her eyes and stepped forward. Dash jolted up to her, matching her pace and trotting down the dim hall.

"So how'd the vacation go?"

Dash gulped. "It was good," she said with a smile, "Fluttershy--my friend--had to leave early though. Some sort of animal emergency or something, heh."

They stopped at the small red door at the end.

"Oh?" Spitfire's eyebrow shot up. "Dash, we need to talk about your friends."

Rapidfire burst through, stumbling out into the hallway. He tripped and rolled between the two mares, landing flat on his back with a thud. Rubbing his forehead, he jumped to his hooves and charged back into the doorway.

Dash and Spitfire peered in with awkward gazes. Inside was the lounging area, and all seemed normal; the couch was fine, the two chairs were still in place, and the fire was still roaring.

But then, a white mare with a bright golden mane darted out from a doorway to the right, barely missing the center table and slamming onto the chair to the left.

Rapidfire chased her with a scowl, leaping up on the chair and tackling her.

"Hey!" Spitfire shouted. The pair stopped their wrestling and looked at her with weak smiles. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, Goldrush, what is going on?" Rapidfire asked as he got off of her. He flashed a grin and reclined on the couch.

"Firebird here--"

Spitfire sat, rubbed her temples, and closed her eyes."No, I really didn't care. Where is everypony else?"

"I dunno," Goldrush said with a shrug. "This that Rainbow Dash?"

"Yeah. Dash, this is Goldrush, our tomboy," Spitfire said, tilting her head with a sarcastic grin. Goldrush leaned forward and sneered.

Rainbow Dash stepped forward. "I, um, hi!" She covered her mouth and sunk down. "Um, yeah, hi."

"Timid are we?" Rapidfire asked, resting his forelegs atop the couch and leaning his chin on them.

Dash stood tall and puffed out her chest. "Hey, I am not 'timid', thank you very much. I think 'awesome' would be a better word."

Rapidfire laughed. "I like her!"

"You like anypony with a big head," Goldfire spat.

Dash recoiled, and Spitfire jumped ahead. "Goldfire, maybe you could stop being a flank and go find the rest of the team?"

The mare rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the chair. "Yeah, fine," she said as she sauntered out of the room.

"Sorry about her. We're all under a good bit of stress right now," Spitfire said, offering a soft smile to Dash.

Dash smiled back. "Yeah, it's cool. We're a team now, right? Gotta get used to it."

Spitfire chuckled and gave Dash a little push on the shoulder. "I like your spirit kid. You're going far."

Dash opened her mouth with a fire in her eye, but a grey mare with a frazzled blue mane fumbled her way in. All eyes feel on her as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. "What day is it?"

"About noon," Rapidfire responded. Stormcloud nodded and took a seat beside him.

"Thanks. Is this her?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

Dash stepped forward. "Hey, you're Stormcloud right? The one who figured out how to electrify the smoke trails? That was awesome!" She walked over to the couch with a huge smile.

"Yes, that was me," Stormcloud said.

Spitfire stepped forward. "She's very soft-spoken," she told Dash. Stormcloud nodded and turned back around.

Then, Goldrush crept back in and over to her chair. She slammed down on it with a sigh, closing her eyes and drifting away.

Soon after, Soarin and Fleetfoot made their way into the room. Fleetfoot looked just as groggy, with her head barely staying tall. She dragged her hooves across the floor, to her chair and slumped down with a small grumble.

Soarin, however, had his head high as his eyes quickly switched between Spitfire, Dash, and the rest of the team. "Rainbow Dash, right?"

Dash went up to him. "Yeah! You're Soarin, I remember from the--"

"It's good to see you," he said with a yawn. "How's life?"

"Oh, well, it's good now, y'know, being a Wonderbolt and all," Dash said. Her cheeks flustered read and she shied away. Soarin chuckled and sat on the couch.

"C'mon," Spitfire said, walking past Dash and to the front of the room. Dash followed her, standing in front of the warm hearth. "So, you wanna say something? What's it feel like to be a Wonderbolt? We're a team, we gotta know each other right?"

Dash sunk down with a weak smile. She felt her cheeks grow from warm to red hot as the team's eyes fell upon her. Fleetfoot's eyes, as well as Rapidfire's were expectant, encouraging even. Soarin and Stormcloud just looked away. Goldrush leaned her head on her hoof, shrugged, and picked at her tail.

Spitfire smiled and gave a tiny nudge.

"I, uh, s-sure!" she said, "So um, I've always wanted to be a Wonderbolt, y'know? Heh, sorry..."

"Nah." Spitfire wrapped her arm around Dash. "That's pretty awesome."

Dash bit her lip and gave a muffled chuckle. "Um, thanks. I have posters, and stuff. I mean, you guys are pretty rad. So... yeah, and then I bought the Spitfire action figure--totally not a doll. And then there was the time I was a Wonderbolt for Nightmare Night..."

Stormcloud stood up and walked out to the entrance hallway, saying, "I can't. I just can't."

Everything stopped.

"W-What? Did I say something? Dang, it was the costume..."

Spitfire stepped forward, then back. "N-No, that was pretty cool too. She just has, uh, a problem. Soarin can tell you about it." Then, she dashed out of the room.

Soarin stood and got next to Rainbow Dash. "Hey, uh, c'mon into the kitchen," he said, nodding to the doorway. Dash looked at him, but he only smiled and headed off. She followed, and soon they were in a long, rectangular room with a single elongated table, six chairs, a fridge, counter and sink.

Soarin sat in one of the chairs. He rested his head on his hooves and sighed, kicking out a seat beside him. Dash took a seat and looked at him. Her ears were flat, and her eyes low as a crimson blush filled her cheeks once more.

"Listen, don't worry about her. I think it's pretty cool, y'know, you having posters and all." He flashed a smile. "Look, Stormcloud... she's, um, well she's not good around new ponies. She's got... anxiety issues, and since our pay is getting pretty low, she can't afford her medicine, and she's getting antsy. I wouldn't worry about it."

Dash rubbed her neck and looked away. "Oh, uh, that's not cool at all."

"Nah. But hey, she'll be fine once she gets use to you."

~A~T~C

"Get used to it? Spitfire..."

Spitfire sighed, leaned on Stormcloud and gave her a hug. "I know, I know. Look," she whispered into Stormcloud's ear, "I need you to stay calm. Can you do that?"

They pulled away and stared at each other in silence. Then, Stormcloud swatted her hoof at nothing and looked down. "I don't want to be a part of this."

Spitfire's jaw tightened. But as the midday breeze rolled over her, she breathed out a heavy breath and set her hoof on Stormcloud's shoulder. The pair beat their wings in disharmony, floating a small ways above the headquarters cloud shingles.

"You don't have to be. Just take it easy, have a smile, and leave the rest to me and Soarin. We can handle this, you don't have to. Okay?"

Stormcloud tilted her head up to the sky, closing her eyes and drawing in a deep breath. "I don't like this."

"I don't either."

The sun didn't seem to warm the air much today as it wafted past them in silence.

"All right..."

Spitfire hugged her tightly. "Good, great. C'mon, we need to get back inside. Why don't you just go lay down or something, get something to eat y'know?

As they descended, Stormcloud nodded. She floated her way back inside, Spitfire following down the hall and into the lounge again. As Stormcloud disappeared into the kitchen, Soarin and Dash sauntered out. Dash gave Stormcloud a tender smile, which was not returned.

"Yo," Spitfire said as she came up to Dash. "We need to talk, okay? About your friends mainly."

"Yeah, what about them?" Dash's eyebrow raised mechanically.

Spitfire rolled her eyes. "Chill. You won't be seeing them for a while, so you may want to head out and give them a heads up. We got some stuff to do around here anyway."

"Wait, wait," Dash said, shaking her head. "You're telling me that I need to say goodbye to my friends?" She bit her lip and fidgeted.

"Only for a little while. You need training, you know." Spitfire winked. "After that, you can come and go. Eh, mostly come and stay, but you can still see them. That gonna work for you?" Then Spitfire's smile faltered, if only for the blink of an eye, to a frown. She choked, jerking her head forward, then stood tall once more as she pushed out, "I mean, nothing's forever, right?"

Dash nodded with a fresh smile. "Right. Cool, um, I should go now then?" Spitfire nodded. "Kay, I'll be back soon I guess. Thanks again you guys. This is so awesome."

Spitfire watched with a grin as Dash--who's face bore wide eyes that seemed to have little droplets in their corners again--made her way to the door.

"Oh hey," she said, stopping Dash. "Take your time, but be here by tomorrow night. We'll take ya out on the town, Wonderbolts style! Kinda like a party. You game?"

Dash's lips fumbled for a moment. "Y-Yeah. That's totally awesome! I'll see you guys later then." She was gone.

As soon as the slamming of the front doors echoed through the place, Goldrush stood and stomped her hoof down. "A party? 'Wonderbolts style'?"

"Sure, why not?" Spitfire asked, shrugging and turning around. "I certainly don't see a reason that it could hurt. Besides, remember what happened at last year's Gala?"

Soarin craned his neck, several cracks echoing out. He sighed, slouched and said, "Yeah, we invited her to hang. We've done it before."

"Eh, but we ignored her. If anything, you guys should think of it as an apology," Spitfire said as she sat by the fire.

Rapidfire chuckled. "Yeah, and who doesn't like a drink or two?"

"Shut it," Goldrush snapped. "Spitfire, it's a way to make her comfortable. Not an apology, don't even pretend that it is."

Spitfire warmed her hooves by the flames, turning her head over her shoulder and shooting Goldrush a scowl. "We may as well make the most of it. And if you aren't all for hurting her, you'll go along with it."

Goldrush stormed out of the room, saying, "Right. Fine, do what you want. I'll be up in my room."

Spitfire shooed her with a hoof, not turning to face her. As far as she was concerned, Goldrush had already left.

"And what, are you?" Soarin asked as he sat beside her.

She blinked. "What? No. I actually kinda like her. We just... can't keep her."

"Oh? You like her?" Rapidfire smiled and poked his tongue out between his teeth.

"You aren't funny," she said, rolling her eyes.

Soarin sighed. "What do you think Fleetfoot?"

There was no response. He looked over his shoulder and found Fleetfoot slumped in her recliner, a foreleg draped over the side and her tongue lolling out of her mouth. A little trickle of drool crept down her chin as she lightly snored.

He turned back to the fire. "Jeez."

"I like the idea," Rapidfire said, sprawling out on the couch and closing his eyes.

Then things were quiet. Spitfire squirmed a bit, getting comfortable on the clouds. "So today was kinda boring I guess."

"Yeah," Soarin said with a nod. "I like boring. It's not gonna stay that way long."

She sighed and pressed her warm hooves to her closed eyes, giving a light shudder. "No, probably not."

"So... what next?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she said, not taking her hooves down. "We'll need to start training her I suppose, then get her accustomed to living here..."

Soarin stared intensely into the fire, his face blunt and flat. "This is going to end badly."

"I can't say I disagree. But we take what we can."

"I suppose we do."

[Oh gawd I'm sorry for the slow chapter. Almost done setting it all up though, and I'm anticipating the next chapter, which ought to be more interesting.]

Cloud 3

Twilight blinked. The library was slightly dim, thanks to her lack of new candles and the fading sun outside, but she, and the rest of her friends, could still see the proud Rainbow Dash. Dash was dressed in her new, shiny uniform that emblazoned her as a Wonderbolt. She stood in the center of the room, just in front of the table, with all eyes on her in disbelief and joy.

"That's great!" Twilight eventually said, a smile slapped across her lips. Her ears were up, and she was alight with encouragement.

Applejack stepped forward and bumped Dash on the shoulder. "Well I'll be, we got a Wonderbolt as a friend. Congrats RD."

"Indeed, you've done well. You say they just contacted you?" Rarity asked, eying Rainbow Dash over with an unbelieving look.

Dash nodded with a grin. "Yeah. They must've finally realized just how awesome I am. Said I was 'part of the team'. This is amazing!"

"It is!" Pinkie bounced up to Rainbow and hugged her so tight that her face went from cyan to crimson. "We gotta throw a party, with cake and streamers, and you can invite your friends, and--"

"I don't like it," Rarity said with a snort. She reclined on the library chair and swirled her wine about with her light blue aura.

Everyone looked to her. "That's... a bit rude," Twilight said.

Applejack walked around the table and up to Rarity, looking her over with a raised eyebrow. "And just why do ya say that?"

"Because," Rarity explained, "the situation is wrong. Rainbow dear, you are a very talented mare, but why would they just suddenly approach you and bring you in? Have you even kept up with them as of late?"

Dash rolled her eyes. "Duh I have. They aren't doing so good, so what? That's why they need--to get them back on top!"

Rarity sighed. "Let us drag Twilight into this. What do you think?" she asked Twilight, "Would it be reasonable to bring in a new recruit after you've fired half of your team in the first place?"

Twilight gently sat onto the hard floor and looked up in thought. "Well I suppose not, but then again, maybe. She has preformed incredible feats before, so I don't see why it wouldn't make sense to bring her in."

Rarity grunted. "Yes well... I still... I'm happy for you Dash. Truly I am. Congratulations," she said with a soft smile.

"Now that's more like it!" Dash exclaimed. She leaned on the table with a smug grin. "Well like I said, they need me for some training, then I can come see you guys again. It's a pretty sweet gig."

Pinkie began hopping around in circles. "Oh but Dashie, you won't forget about us right? That'd be super-duper sad."

Dash chuckled. "Nah, I could never forget about you guys. You're too awesome. Not as cool as me, but..."

"Yeah yeah, don't let yer head get too big, ya hear? I heard fame does that to ponies, and yours is big enough as is," Applejack said with a friendly lick of sarcasm.

"Pfft, I would never get a big head," Dash said, rolling her eyes. The magenta orbs made their circle, but then stopped and flicked about the room. "Hey guys, where's Fluttershy? I told her we'd meet up here, I thought she'd be here by now."

Twilight shrugged and took a seat beside Rarity. "I dunno. We haven't seen her since you two got back from your trip. I personally think she may have caught something in Cloudsdale. Did you girls hear about the recent development of the flu up there?"

"I did," Rarity said, almost proudly, as she took a sip of wine. "I hear the small clinics are so packed, they've asked the major hospitals for staffing."

"Well shoot, I outta brew up some of the good ol' Apple Family warm cider for the gal. Kills the sniffles in a jiffy." Applejack nodded with a strong stance.

"Huh," Dash said. "I should probably go see how she's doing. Sorry guys," she said as she headed for the door, "But the fame has got to leave. I've got a friend who needs me."

They all nodded, and Twilight stood to see her out. She opened the door with her magic, and Dash thanked her as she slipped out into the chilly twilight air. "So I guess we won't be seeing you for a while after this?" Twilight asked as Dash stood in her doorway. The other three mares inside all watched with stagnant faces.

"I guess. Don't worry though, I don't think it'll be too long. I know you all can't live without me." Rainbow Dash giggled.

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Yes yes, you're awesome and cool and such. Congratulations once again. Oh, and do have fun tomorrow night." She winked.

The others wished her farewell, and then the library door shut, leaving her alone in the oncoming night. Streaks of gold and pink filled the sky, and the first stars were beginning to poke holes in the violet expanse. Business in Ponyville was coming to an end for the day, with ponies receding into their homes, vendors packing away their supplies, and shops closing their doors for the final time.

Rainbow Dash progressed down the gravel road known as 'Mane Street', passed the houses, and walked out of the edge of town. The forest trail to Fluttershy's cottage was alight with the streetlamps which were few and far between, giving her just enough light to make it to the next one. The sun was almost gone now, fading away into the night, and stars now dotted the sky.

Fluttershy's cottage came into view soon enough, though. It seemed that all of her animals had been attended to and were settling down in their pens. From inside the tree's windows she could see candlelight, but not much else, and certainly no Fluttershy.

As she approached the old wooden door, she cleared her throat and fixed her mane. Then, she knocked softly. She knew Fluttershy like she knew Ponyville--all the ins and outs were mapped out. If she had knocked and louder, and the poor mare--assuming she was ill, Dash noted--would be startled half to death. Though how she fell ill in such a short time made Rainbow Dash roll her head about in light thought. Fluttershy had been fine when they returned.

Though, she was a bit quieter, if that was even possible. Fluttershy had been acting strange also, going out of her way to make conversation with Dash at times, then being a complete recluse at others. Maybe she truly was sick. Rainbow Dash sighed and shook her head, letting the back of her neck stretch as she waited.

After a while, she was about to knock again, when she heard shuffling from within. "Hey Fluttershy?" she called to the door, "It's me, Dash. You okay in there?"

There was an eep. "Um, Rainbow Dash? Oh my," Fluttershy said. The sound of a ratchet lock echoed through the hallow door, and it opened, releasing a plume of warm air onto the cold Rainbow Dash. She shivered in delight.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked again, looking Fluttershy over, "Twilight says you haven't come out since we got back." Fluttershy seemed to be fine--she still had that tepidness about her, which was shown as she sunk back behind her mane. Her posture was good, and her eyes weren't sunken in. Her features were a bit droopy, and even her head fell once, but Dash understood. It was nighttime, after all.

"Oh yes, I-I'm fine," Fluttershy said. "Um, you see, t-trips are just tiring, so I--"

Dash's eyebrow shot up. "Is something the matter?" Fluttershy simply backed into her cottage slowly. "Right... can I come in?"

"I, erm, s-sure," she said, moving out of Dash's way. Rainbow stepped inside and looked around. Once again she noted that things were in order. Her pictures were on the wall, her couch and other furnishings were still upright and in their place, and there was even a piping hot cup of tea on her coffee table.

"So what's the deal?" Dash asked, jumping up and landing on the couch.

Fluttershy shut the door and sat beside her friend. "Oh it's nothing, really. Just tired, that's all, I didn't mean to get you all worried."

Dash watched as Fluttershy leaned forward and picked up her tea. Fluttershy seemed to be looking away, just as she did for the last portions of the trip. But then, Rainbow saw something from the corner of her eye--a small, square, thin thing that looked like a sheet of paper. It fell from the coffee table to the rug below, sliding under the oval shadow.

She bent down and retrieved it, holding it up to the candlelight that came from the table. It was a picture, it's glossy sheen still there, showing it had been well tended. She squinted and examined it. She was there, standing atop a balcony made of pure white cloud. Beside her was Fluttershy, and a blue foreleg was draped over her neck. Both of them were smiling, probably with the help of a small glass of wine on the table beside them. It was night there, and the view of the lamplit Cloudsdale was rather romantic. She remembered this vividly.

Looking to Fluttershy, she took in a deep breath and smiled. "You still have this thing?"

The mare turned around to see the object in question. As soon as her teal eyes spotted the photo, she flushed a deep crimson and nearly dropped her tea. "Oh my. N-No, that's, I mean--"

"Chill 'Shy, it's cool. I think it's kinda sweet that you kept it so long," Dash said with a friendly wink.

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy said, resting her tea back on the saucer and placing both on the table. She reached out, and Dash gave her the picture. With a weak smile she set it down on the lamp table beside her. "It's just nice sometimes, you know..."

Rainbow Dash reached out and rested a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Yeah, I do. Listen, I really don't mind it. No need to get all embarrassed over it. Is this what's got you so being so, um, well you I guess?"

"I don't know," she said quietly.

"It shouldn't bother you this much. C'mon, you gotta get out and chill. Tell you what, how about you go visit Rarity tomorrow, and you and she can get all prissy at the spa."

Fluttershy nodded and finally let one of her genuine 'squee' smiles flash on her face. "All right."

"Cool," Dash said. She stood, stretched, and yawned as she headed for the door. "Well I gotta get going. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day, y'know! First we're gonna do some training, then, the Wonderbolts are--I mean, we are--having a night out in Cloudsdale. It's going to get pretty rad, so I'll need some sleep."

Fluttershy stood and accompanied her to the door. "Will you come back and visit?"

"Well duh! I couldn't leave you guys, especially not my best friend." She ruffled Fluttershy's mane just a bit. "They say I just need to do a bit of training, and then I'm free to do whatever. And until then, you've got your... friendly little bunny guy. So..."

The door opened, and Dash slipped back out into the night air. "I'll see you when you get back?" Fluttershy asked from the doorway.

Dash nodded firmly and with a grin. "You know it." Then, she soared off into the night, a rainbow trail cutting through the night behind her.

~A~T~C~

The Wonderbolts headquarters were strangely quiet tonight. Spitfire squinted and flicked her ears up as she laid on her bed. It was odd to have a quiet night--it was strange to have a quiet day. But nights were always a bit more... rambunctious. Especially at their start, and, with not much else to do, and no major shows to train or rest for, it seemed that there was always at least one pony awake at all times.

She closed her eyes and let out a small sigh. The cloud bed beneath her was a light blue color, and softer than normal clouds could ever be. It occupied the corner of the room, opposite of her door. There was a desk on the wall beside her, and atop it was a list of potential shows, clipboards with various information, stacks of bills and other funding problems, and an empty mug of coffee.

Her eyes rolled over to the desk as she examined the clutter. Shaking her head and looking away, she muttered a curse beneath her breath. There was always something wrong, some bill left unpaid, some notice of pay-cutting. Her mind was full, abuzz at almost all hours, giving her fairly bad headaches not unlike the one that was making her grimace now.

She tentatively tapped her head. The throbbing that pounded from inside did not respond, so she smiled slightly and considered it a blessing. Her eyes now turned to the various pictures on the wall. Most of them, surrounded by blue and gold framing, displayed her and her team standing proudly at various shows. It was almost a chronological, really. At her door, a picture showed a significantly younger Spitfire who was showing off a barrel roll in a garden, the moon at its height.

Something that nopony really knew about Spitfire--and she'd never tell it anyway--was that her father never had problems with his bits. She had grown up in a small house in the Canterlot noble district, her mother being a court servant, and her father being one of the court himself, so there was never a shortage of luxury. She supposed that it was why she had been able to catch the eye of Celestia at the Canterlot Garden Party those years ago. A soft smile grew on her lips as she stared into the picture. Never before had she felt so proud of herself.

The smile fled quickly as her thoughts turned to the present. Now, her feelings were molted into the rest of her swirling thoughts, and it was rare for her to smile, frown, scowl or worse and truly feel what her face displayed. For the moment, though, her face was simply flat.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention to her newest flyer, one Rainbow Dash. Why her thoughts switched to that was really no mystery to her; the questions upon questions of her new recruit's situation were stacking. "I don't want to do it," she muttered to herself, and for a brief moment, she released a heavy breath in relief.

But her eyes wandered once again to her desk, where through the clutter, papers, pens, and coffee stains, she easily pinpointed one sheet of wrinkled lined paper. At the sight of it, she bit her lip and dropped her ears. On the paper were calculations stacked on equations stacked on numbers. All were fairly simply, and she had guessed the outcome, but at the time she supposed that a bit of number-crunching couldn't hurt.

Their bits were dwindling, and she knew it, and she knew her team knew it. The ladder out of the sinkhole, however, wasn't very pleasant, so she calculated her expenses and losses. In the end, she found the Wonderbolts to be in more debts than the stacks of papers on the desk revealed. To dig out of such a deep hole would be near impossible, even if they gained the approval of the princess once more. Spitfire would know--she had taken that into account as well. There was simply no room for Dash.

Worse, on top of the crinkled paper was a little blue slip. Because the agency she hired had long since abandoned the 'Bolts, it was up to her to deliver the slips. This particular one had the name, 'Stormcloud' written atop a dotted line, with a pathetic excuse beneath it. Spitfire pressed her hooves against her eyes and moaned as she rocked in her bed.

There was a sudden knock on the door, sending Spitfire from her bed in a hard jerk. Her heart was pounding and her hooves were shaking as she pushed herself up from the floor with a heavy breath. "Yeah?"

Fleetfoot popped her head through the door with a grin. "I decided you ought to know that Rapidfire and Goldrush are going at it again."

"What?" she grumbled. "Fine, I'll take care of them." She waved a hoof in a shooing motion.

Fleetfoot, instead of leaving, stepped in and headed for Spitfire's desk, bringing a scowl to her face. But Fleetfoot had made it there before Spitfire could speak, and was eyeing over that little blue slip. "Oh... Spitfire, you aren't serious, are you?" she asked, picking it up gingerly with a hoof.

Spitfire hunkered back down on her bed and rested her head in her hooves. "Well... not yet," she said, "But things are getting ugly..."

Fleetfoot sat beside her and gave her a gentle nudge. "Yeah, I know... But not yet, correct? She's safe?"

"For now," Spitfire said with a sigh. Then, she looked out the door to the small hallway that linked together eight rooms--the number of members at the time they left for bigger things. Now, only six were occupied, and she could only shake her head. "We had twelve members, Fleetfoot. Twelve."

"Hey, hey, try not to get nervous on us." Fleetfoot stood, set the slip down on the bed, and headed for the door. "Look, whatever got Goldrush worked up seems to be important. I suggest taking care of it before she bucks Rapidfire a good one," she said as she turned into the hall.

Spitfire got to her hooves and followed her teammate out, shutting her door behind her. Down the new hallway she walked, passing by a few other doors, one of which holding the slumbering Soarin. She sighed and walked past it, to the stairs at the end. She trotted down these, cursing herself for not adding new lights when she had the chance.

Eventually, the stairwell opened up into the kitchen, and she worked her way past Stormcloud, frowning at the fact that she had passed out in a bowl of oats. Spitfire gently picked her head up and set it down beside the bowl, then entered the lounge.

Sure enough, Rapidfire and Goldrush were rolling around, pinning each other to the floor before tumbling off again. Nothing was too out of place though, so Spitfire's throat eased up, and breathing became easier. She let her shoulders slump and head droop. "Guys. Quit."

They didn't.

With more force this time, she demanded, "Stop. Now."

They did. Goldrush had just gotten Rapidfire pinned in front of the fireplace, and her foreleg was raised above his head. Rapidfire just grinned and looked over to Spitfire. "Hey, just in time for the party!" he said, bucking Goldrush off of him.

The two shoved themselves upright and sat in their perspective places--Rapidfire on the couch, and Goldrush on her chair. Spitfire stepped forward and glared at them. "What did it now?"

Rapidfire laughed and sat up tall. "Goldrush here stepped outside 'cuz she was making the place smell like sauerkraut--"

Goldrush snorted. "I'm gonna hurt you..."

"--when some mailmare came by and dropped that off." He nodded to the table, where a little envelope lay torn open. Spitfire eyed it over, unimpressed.

"You two got in a fight over the mail?"

"Nope." Rapidfire shook his head and picked up the envelope. Opening the top slits wide, he yanked out a pair of golden sheets and tossed them to Spitfire.

She grabbed them and inspected the design. It was the night sky surrounded by gold bordering, and in the middle was the embroidered name Starstrikers. Then, beneath that were blue and black letters that read Admit One, Cloudiseum, Saturday, October 17, the coming weekend. Spitfire snarled and slammed them down. "Arrogant pricks."

"I say we burn 'em," Goldrush said with a shrug. "The fire could use a boost."

Rapidfire rolled his eyes. "I think we should go. Find out what they're up to, y'know? Like... spies."

Spitfire slowly eased herself down on the other chair, tossing her head back and groaning. "Where's Fleetfoot? We need a brain."

"I dunno," Rapidfire said, "She said she was going to bed. So... bed." He turned and looked out the long window, where the night sky lay just beyond. Stars were twinkling brightly, and not a cloud was in the sky.

Spitfire sighed. "I think I agree with Goldrush on this one. Toast 'em."

"Wait!" Rapidfire said, standing in Goldrush's way as she reached for the tickets. "What if you took Rainbow Dash to the show, huh? Show her how much cooler we are."

"Not this again." Goldrush slammed down on her haunches. "What do you think that's even gonna do, anyway?"

He shrugged. "Well I dunno. Maybe it'll get her fired up about us."

"I'm not even gonna argue," Goldrush huffed as she retook her seat. Rapidfire stood proudly with a smug grin across his face.

Spitfire stood and grabbed the tickets. "You know, he's onto something. It's rare, but it's true. I'll... think it over." She looked into the kitchen, where the snoozing bolt, her face covered in oats, twitched lightly. "Um, could you guys get Stormcloud upstairs? I doubt she's waking up anytime soon."

Both Rapidfire and Goldrush grumbled, but stood and headed for the kitchen. Spitfire watched them, and when they were gone, she sat once again and looked down to the tickets with a frown. Just what she was trying to accomplish, she didn't even know. Biting her lip, she rethought it, and her eyes flicked over to the crackling fire in the hearth.

It's maw cast an orange glow on the room that seemed to beg for the tickets. Spitfire blinked rapidly and flushed her mind. Her head tilted up in thought, and a smile came to her lips. She took the tickets in her mouth, stood from the chair, and went back to her room for the night.

[Hey guys! My editor is busy, so this is self-edited for now. Have a gander at my terrible skills. Sorry about that, it'll be edited soon enough. But I wanted to get it out. I think you'll notice the various narration issues. Also, self-premotion time! Keep an eye out for my new LunaTavia fic, coming soon.]