You're damned if you do...

by x0jackie0x

Rating: teen
Tags: Wonderbolts, Spitfire, Twilight Sparkle, Anthro, Applejack, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Drama
Length: 5319

Spitfire comes across a young pegasus with a knack for flying and takes an interest in her, but hiding their relationship won't be easy.

Spitfire, leader of the famous Wonderbolts, notices Rainbow Dash flying too close during one of their shows and wastes no time in alerting security. Rainbow is dragged off, but not before pulling off an elaborate maneuver that catches the flyer's eye. After the show, the two run into each other again, but this time, security isn't alerted. Instead, Spitfire insists on taking the mare out for a cup of coffee and a talk.

One of her teammates is oddly unhappy about that.

Ch 1 proofread by jeray2000 and Rezio. <3
Cover art by Iopichio, used with permission. <3

Notes:~~~ A look at same-sex love in the military before 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was repealed. This is obviously an AU, one that takes a more realistic approach to homosexuality in the military. Also, and I'm surprised by the amount of opposition this received, the Wonderbolts are a military squadron. Yes, they're performers, but they are still a part of Equestria's "Armed Forces", just like the Blue Angels and the Thunderbolts are in the US.
Warnings:~~~ Lesbian shipping, profanity, some violence.

Published 2016-07-05 16:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-07-05 16:00:01 UTC

Just a cup of coffee...

Author's Note

As a reference, this story takes place back in season 1, changing the way that Spitfire and RD meet.

Just a cup of coffee...

A stallion's voice, tinged with a dash of sarcastic humor and aided by a microphone, echoed and boomed throughout the arena. "And as always, a wonderful performance by the Wonderbolts! Give them a big hoof, folks! Shame about that rogue flyer, though. Security took her out faster than you could say 'jail time', am I right? Have a nice night, everyone!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A throng of ponies was crowding the front of a small, late night cafe outside the arena in Cloudsdale. The Wonderbolts had just finished their show, but after an incident involving a certain blue coated mare, the last thing on anyone's mind were the stunts. Rather, the camera's literal focus was on Spitfire and her new 'friend', the latter who almost looked like she was trying to hide behind a cup of coffee.

Rainbow Dash sat quietly in her chair, wearing a tight-fitting sport shirt and loose pair of shorts. She shivered like she was cold, but the warm cafe made that unlikely. Cloudsdale, being a city literally in the clouds, was home to many a warm, well-insulated building. Rainbow was obviously quite nervous. "Look, I said I was sorry, okay? I just..."

"Hey, hey, keep it down. Don't bother the other ponies." Spitfire, still adorned in her flight suit, leaned back in her own chair, breathing in the smell of the cafe. The scent of old coffee, eggs and butter permeated the air, allowing only a hint of cheap orange-scented air freshener to waft.

The performance was long over, but that didn't keep the paparazzi from bothering her. No, hanging out with the show-crasher was hot news and it was causing an uproar. So much so, in fact, that the server pouring their coffee was giving the acrobat a rather rude look. Having to deal with all the fuss of newsponies crowding the place was not a usual part of her shift and even the other patrons seemed to be getting a little annoyed. "Ma'am, um... Ms. Spitfire. Is there any possible way to make them leave? Or at least get them to purchase something?"

Spitfire tossed her goggles on the table and stretched, the tight bodysuit leaving little to the imagination. "This is gonna be a long night." She would have killed for a seat with a cushion, instead of the rickety wooden chair that did it's best to support her.

Spitfire kept her cool as best as she could. Not that she was on the verge of an outburst, but any emotion in front of the cameras, whether it be major or minor, could make this little 'talk' seem like a lot more and she just wanted to be able to talk openly. "No can do. Don't worry, I'll make the trouble worth your while." Spitfire reached behind her into a small bag, presented an even smaller bag of bits and pulled out enough money to cover thirty cups of coffee, dropping it onto the server's tray noisily. "There's your tip. Are they bothering you now?"

The server rolled her eyes and retreated behind the counter, tipping the tray over and pouring the many coins into a jar. She came back and brought them a small, chilled teacup filled with creamer and a condiment carrier filled with sugar, honey and cinnamon, dropping the latter on the table with a small thud.

Poor Rainbow Dash could only sit there, looking more confused than worried. "Uh..."

"Keep the act going." Spitfire sighed lightly before taking a long, somewhat noisy sip from her mug. "You know it's dangerous to interrupt a performance, kid. Do you know how badly that could've gone, not only for my team but for yourself?" The cameras began to flash more wildly than before, to a point where it seemed like one strong light constantly shining on them. "Go away, assholes."

Rainbow did her best to not glance out the window. "I-I couldn't help myself! I wanted to show you how good I was and, well, I felt that was my only chance."

"You know, we have an academy and everything. Could have tried that. Or did that not cross your mind?"

"I don't..." Rainbow Dash looked down at her own mug, tipping it slightly to make the dark liquid inside slosh around. "I can't do that. Not enough money."

"Annnd now I feel like a jerk." Spitfire began to think she was taking the 'tough mare' persona a little too far. "Huh. That's a shame."

"Yeah." Rainbow continued to fidget in her seat. She certainly wasn't in the mood for coffee, but took a sip of it out of courtesy. It was a cheap brand and tasted a little burnt, if that was possible.

Silence fell between the two, but the crowd outside was still taking pictures and trying to ask questions through a window. "Ridiculous." Spitfire closed her eyes for a moment, trying to shut them out. "To think they'd have nothing better to do than to bother everyone else." Sometimes, she wished she wasn't a performer largely because of their prying eyes.

Spitfire cleared her throat loudly, not looking up from her mug. Better to be the tough captain than to unknowingly start rumors. That's is, if this pony sitting in front of her even... "So, why were you at the show? Was it your goal to get yourself killed or did it come to you at the last minute? You're certainly not acting like a pony whose dream is to become an ace flyer. None of my teammates act like you do, even when they were first starting out."

"I, uh..." Rainbow clenched her teeth and looked away.

Spitfire could see the mare holding herself back. Time to push her. "Well? Come on, I don't have all night. You literally could have broken-"

"Like I said..." Her tone was suddenly rough, yet strong; It actually caught Spitfire off guard. Rainbow scrunched up her face and firmly planted both of her forehooves on the table. "Like I said, I wanted you to watch me fly! And I thought I might be able to show you afterwards, but then I...!" And with that, her tone shrank away. She suddenly sank back into her chair, all that energy melting away like butter on a hot iron skillet. "...I realized you guys would have no time for me. So I had to do it during."

The journalists outside the cafe were having one hell of a field day with this.

But she did have a point. Spitfire and her team would have been crowded the minute their performance was over. There would have been no earthly way for them to have noticed Rainbow, much less actually approach her. And Spitfire wouldn't have seen the little trick she pulled off. The performer felt more and more like shit for having to treat this girl in such a way in front of the cameras.

The performer thought for a moment. Then she gave Rainbow a look. A hard look. Calculating, even. "Time to be the good guy." She smirked and knocked on the table twice with her hoof. "Well, I have an awesome idea. I wanna watch you fly."

Rainbow was too startled to answer immediately. She tried to form a few words, but her lips moved without anything coming out. Spitfire's smirk began to form into an actual smile. "You okay, kid?"

Rainbow was so dumbfounded and excited, that her wings popped open. "Wait, you're serious?!"

Spitfire ripped open a sugar packet and dumped the contents into her mug, stirring the granules into the liquid. "Yeah, sure. I mean, why not? You have talent and I wanna see if that talent might be going somewhere."

"But, but I'm an amateur! I mean, I'm good, don't get me wron-"

"So, that's a yes, then? Good. Got a place you practice?" Spitfire automatically flinched as soon as the words left her mouth. "Shit."

"Yeah, back at my home in-"

"No, no!" Spitfire nearly knocked over her mug trying to keep Rainbow from speaking. The cameras definitely caught that. She feared what the papers would say tomorrow. Now to recover. "I uh... have a knack for figuring these things out. Yeah. Plus, we don't want these guys..." She gestured to the mass of ponies outside of the cafe. "...bothering us, right?"

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow, seeing the logic behind her reaction. "Oh yeah, I guess not."

"Oh, thank Celestia, that was close..." Spitfire relaxed once more, quickly adopting the tough attitude she initially displayed, but not to the same degree. "That's the ticket. So, enjoying your coffee?"

Rainbow wasn't going to say 'no', so she nodded and took a gulp, the bitter fluid not sitting well with her. She never drank coffee. "Yeah, it's good."

"Nah, it's disgusting. I've found more appetizing 'mud' underneath my hoof at the dog park." They shared a small laugh and Spitfire rested an elbow on the table, leaning forward a bit. She still kept her gaze tough and her voice firm. "What's your name, kid?"

"Rainbow Dash, ma'am."

"Don't call me 'ma'am'. I'm not old and you're not in the military." Spitfire grabbed the handle of her spoon and swirled the coffee around, watching it whirlpool. She seemed to be using this coffee often for a small distraction. Didn't have much else around to utilize. "You're a good flyer, from what I've seen. I mean, I only saw like, five seconds worth, but you caught my eye, so congrats on that."

Rainbow practically squealed at the compliment . "T-thanks!"

"Yeah, I wanna see what you can do. We have a program at the academy for those who don't have the means to attend, one that I just so happen to moderate. Of course, I'd have to have you perform in front of a qualifying board, but I could test you initially, for shits and giggles."

Rainbow Dash gasped loudly, a look of utter surprise on her face. "You'd do that for me!?"

Spitfire didn't think this mare would ever stop being surprised. She even played with the idea of saying something completely unrelated, just to see what would happen. "Yes, I would. I normally don't say this, but you impressed me."

"Holy crap, thank you SO much! That means the world to me!" Rainbow began to bounce her legs out of excitement while Spitfire just sat there, straight faced and composed.

"Fuck's sake, she's cute." Spitfire gave in once more and allowed herself a brief smile at Rainbow's reaction, while keeping the occasional eye on the cameras. She was already sick of them being there, but at this point, she would willingly fly off in a huff just to get away from them. Pegasi they might be, but no journalist would ever be as fast as her. However, she managed to keep Rainbow engaged in small talk until, one by one, the journalists somehow became bored and left. Now, there was nobody left to gawk at the two mares.

Spitfire checked one last time and finally slumped in her seat, heaving a huge sigh of relief. One could see and almost feel her demeanor shift. "Finally! Holy shit, it took them forever to leave, huh?"

Rainbow chuckled lightly. "They didn't seem like they were bothering you all that much."

Spitfire blew a large raspberry. "Them? Oh god, I can't stand them! Always so prying and nosy. Buncha bastards. Sorry I had to act all 'hard-ass' like that. I needed to make it look like I was teaching you a lesson, but I don't think it worked out."

"That was an act? Honestly, I'm still excited you're talking to me."

Spitfire waved her hoof dismissively, smiling softly. "Please, don't act like I'm the coolest thing in the world."

"You kind of are, though. I'm a huuuuge fan."

"Yeah, I'm well aware of that fun fact." Spitfire shrugged again, resting one of her arms against the back of the chair. This movement was accompanied by an ulterior motive. The performer could tell Rainbow wasn't dumb, but she seemed a little dense. Moving her arm back forced her suit to stretch against her body a bit more, detailing even more than usually did. "Yeah, I've been told that often. Usually when I'm surrounded by a bunch of ponies trying to get my autograph. It gets annoying after a while."

Rainbow didn't seem to notice. "I kinda know how you feel, actually." The mare leaned back and began to flex her bicep. She was quite fit herself, something Spitfire took pleasure in noticing. "I happen to have a fan club of my own, y'know. Best flyer in Ponyville, after all."

"Well, that was useless." She'd need to try something else. "Oh, you mean that backwoods town near Canterlot? I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" She laughed when Rainbow's face went from cocky to incredulous in an instant. "No, that's pretty cool. Guess I'll have to show you up when I get down there."

"I still can't believe you offered to teach me. This is the coolest thing ever!" Rainbow was still too wound up being starstruck that Spitfire pretty much gave up on trying to figure out if there was any interest.

She'd have to wait. Instead, Spitfire wanted to get out of the cafe as soon as she could. She felt a sudden need to be outside. The other patrons had left and now it was only the server left with them. "Hey, it's kinda empty here. Seems like getting rid of those guys took longer than I thought it would."

Rainbow happily piped up without needing a hint. "So, did you wanna do anything? Or is that asking too much? I know you're probably busy, being a Wonderbolt and all."

"Busy? Psshh." Truthfully, Spitfire did have somewhere to be, but she wasn't about to let that get in the way. She shrugged loosely, her arms falling to her sides. "Oof... alright, let's see. I don't know. Let's take a walk. Or a glide. I don't know. Screw it, I'm tired. We're walking." She stood up quickly, shoving her chair away from her, not bothering to push it back in. She didn't wait for Rainbow to stand as she walked out the door into the cool, evening air. The sun was but a sliver in the horizon, coloring the cloud city around them a lovely dark orange, with the stars easily visible in the sky. A breeze played with her hair and ever so slightly shuffled the feathers on her wings.

"So..." Rainbow Dash walked a step behind her, nervously rubbing her elbow. "The performance was great! I loved when you..."

"This again..." Spitfire waved the compliment away. "Nah, let's not talk about the performance."

"Oh. Sorry."

Spitfire slowed her pace just a touch so that the mare was walking next to her instead of behind her. She was much more interested in her new friend than to have to talk about herself and to Spitfire, Rainbow looked quite cute in her rather plain outfit. Not that Spitfire usually focused on clothing, but with this pony, it seemed to be prominent. It fit her well and accentuated her body wonderfully. "It's... nothing, just tired. Let's talk about you. Tell me about yourself, Rainbow."

"Oh um." Rainbow Dash still didn't seem to notice Spitfire eyeing her up. "Well, I'm a huge fan of you guys, obviously, and it's always been my dream to join the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow punched the air in front of her confidently. "Plus, as you saw, I'm a great flyer. I practice everyday!"

"That's cool, but tell me more about yourself."

"Um..." Rainbow thought for a moment, her face lighting up right before she spoke. "I'm really motivated and I feel like I would be a good leader one day!"

Spitfire clapped Rainbow on the shoulder, shaking her head. "Kid, this isn't an interview. Tell me more about you. What kind of stuff do you like? Habits and all. You know, that sort of thing."

Rainbow Dash blushed a little, embarrassed at her small social misstep. “Oh... I love to read, honestly. Mainly the Daring Do series, but I don't tell many ponies that. Ooh, and you know those shakes they have at the Chilled Rock? Those are my guilty pleasure!"

"You too, huh? Just because we're performers doesn't mean we don't like to indulge." Spitfire came to a halt and looked around quickly. Suddenly, the idea of ice cream became far more important than anything else. "Wait, is there one around here? It's been so long since I've visited this city, I don't remember."

Rainbow was laughing quietly at Spitfire's reaction. "Yeah, it's a couple of blocks from here. So, wait, you wanna get a shake with me?"

Spitfire nudged Rainbow with her elbow. "With that attitude, sounds like there won't be any shakes left for you!"

The two were about to race off when a gravelly voice stopped them. The two of them turned to see a well-built stallion in a Wonderbolts flight suit gliding over, looking relieved. "Damn, there you are, Spitfire! I was wondering where you went off to. You're missing the party!"

"Damn it!" Spitfire fully faced the stallion and greeted him with an upward flick of her head. "Oh, hey, Lightning Streak. Nah, my new friend and I are gonna grab a shake, instead."

"That's a shame." Lightning landed lightly on the cobblestone sidewalk, ruffling his feathers a bit as he touched down. He was quite tall, a good foot taller than either of them. "We were hoping to see you at there."

Spitfire snorted. "Who's this 'we'? You mean a bunch of old business men? Yeah, I'm passing on that."

"Party?" Rainbow had pushed herself into the conversation, probably trying not to feel left out. Lightning gave her a disapproving look, but she either ignored it or didn't notice. It was probably the latter. She didn't seem to notice much. "Oh, that's right, you guys always have a party after every performance. Aren't there a bunch of bigwigs that show up to those?"

"More like tight asses. I'm always so bored with those stupid things." Spitfire briefly gestured to the arena in the distance. "Nah, Lightning, I'm skipping out on this 'party'. If the CO complains, tell him I said he can bitch me out directly."

Lightning Streak's eyes shifted from one mare to another, and he swiped a bit of his blond mane away from his face before giving them a small 'hmph'. "Friend, huh? Do I know you from somewhere?"

'Wow, Lightning, are you that dense? She's the one who nearly killed us. No offense." Rainbow gave her a wink as a reply.

Lightning squinted his eyes at Rainbow Dash, not satisfied with that answer. "No, I feel like I've seen her elsewhere..." Rainbow didn't reply, but she did seem a bit uneasy. Spitfire didn't like this and put a hoof on Lightning's shoulder, giving him a light shove.

"Alright, I think you're starting to creep her out. Go enjoy the party, Lightning." Spitfire and Rainbow began to walk away just as Lightning pushed himself into the air, but he called out once more.

"Spitfire, careful. You know what they say."

Spitfire suddenly whirled around and glared at her teammate, her tone rough. "It's not like that, Lightning, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't make jokes."

Lightning smirked, knowing he hit a nerve. "Hey, I'm just saying. There might be a rogue camera watching you. You never know."

"Go say it somewhere else! Come on, kid. Let's get that shake before the shop closes." Spitfire walked off in a huff, leaving Rainbow once again confused.

Lightning Streak was still shaking his head at her. "Have fun, kid." He finally flew off towards the arena and Rainbow gave him one last look before hurrying after Spitfire.

Rainbow came up alongside the other mare, trying to decide whether or not she was going to approach what seemed to be a tense moment. She eventually settled on 'yes'. "Uh... what was he talking about?"

Spitfire's annoyance was gone, but it was only replaced by a seemingly forced smile. "Nothing, just an inside joke that's getting really old." She made a beeline for the store when it came into sight and pushed the door open with more force than was necessary. Like the cafe when they left, the only pony in there was the cashier, but this store was rather chilly, which was a given, considering what it served.

Spitfire took an awful long time to order, but in the end, they both ordered a large shake each. Rainbow poked fun at her a bit, calling her 'picky'. Spitfire got an espresso and peanut butter flavored shake, while Rainbow went with a normal strawberry flavor. They found a table against the wall and the performer used the extra chair to prop her feet up.

There was still a bit of tension in the air. She needed something to take her mind off the little spat she just went through. "So, Ponyville, huh? Nice place?"

Rainbow had popped a strawberry into her mouth and spoke in-between chewing. "Oh, yeah. Small town, plenty of room, nice and quiet. All my friends live there. Got a cloud home down there, too. Built it myself."

Nice and quiet sounded like a nice change from the life she led. "Oh, nice, nice. Do you work with clouds a lot?"

"Yep! I'm a weather pony. One of the best!"

"Huh. Interesting. I never really worked with the weather all that much. Joined up early and everything." Spitfire leaned back, wistfully thinking of a different life path for a moment. She was thinking about it a lot more than she used to.

Rainbow leaned her back against the counter, pressing the straw to her lips. Spitfire eagerly took notice of that. "Sooo, what's life like in the military? I know you guys perform, but do you ever have to, you know, fight?"

"Hm?" Spitfire shook her head a bit, bringing herself back to reality. "No, luckily because we don't have anything going on right now. Conflicts, I mean. But military life is... hard. Some, like Lightning back there, enjoy it and can make the most of it. Me, I won't say I like it, but I'm not gonna openly say I hate it. Sure, I'm lucky. I get to do what I love every day, but it won't always be like that. Also, my commanding officer's kind of an ass, and I hate the politics that come with being a part of the military. Everything you do... mm. Nah, nevermind." Spitfire cut herself off. She knew not to go there.

"What?"

"I shouldn't be talking about it. Not professional and all." Sure, it was only the three of them in the small shop, but still, all it would take is one pony to blab about her.

Rainbow's expression grew excited and she edged her chair closer to Spitfire. "Aw, come on, tell me! It's good to gripe!"

"Fuck. Can't say 'no' to that face." "Hmm..." She glanced at the cashier, who was sitting down, reading a sports magazine. He didn't seem like the blabbing type. "Well... where can I start? The military is an organization, right? So, pretty much everything you do and say is watched and judged and one small 'wrong' thing you do can make someone claim that the entire military supports it. It's bullshit."

Rainbow's expression went from excited to slightly concerned. "Wow, really?"

"Yeah, it's stupid. As if one service member could speak for an entire organization. Some ponies are so eager to get dirt of someone or something that they'll take anything and blow it out of proportion. Oh, and everyone is expendable. Doesn't matter who you are. They could get rid of anyone in the military and throw someone else in their spot within the week. Sometimes sooner!"

"Yikes." Rainbow looked down at her shake, almost unsure of what to say. She certainly didn't expect an answer like that. "Guess I didn't really think about all that."

"Not many do. And why would you? Equestria does it's best to maintain a positive image, but then you got ponies who argue that they don't want to be taxed extra just so we, the Wonderbolts, can do our shows. And sometimes... sometimes, I agree with them."

Things fell silent for a bit and the two of them just drank their shakes. Spitfire was fighting herself to not start ranting about her country but it was a losing battle. A minute passed before Spitfire sighed and spoke again, planting a hoof firmly on the table.

"And another thing, we've got ponies who forge signatures, imprison innocent ponies and start conflict for personal gain, all in the name of Equestria! Don't even get me started on... ughhhh!" Spitfire clenched her eyes shut and fell against the wall next to her, a little harder than she intended. The sudden shock to her head, albeit light, was enough to make herself be quiet.

Spitfire looked over at Rainbow, who seemed immensely regretting of pressing the matter. "Sorry. I really don't mean to say things like that. There are good ponies who serve, but..."

Rainbow raised a hoof to straighten her hair a bit, not looking at the performer. "No, it's okay. Like I said, it's good to complain sometimes. Lets off steam."

"Not for me. Never really makes me feel any better." Spitfire squinted her eyes at the cashier and pointed at him. "You didn't hear any of that, right?"

The cashier chuckled, but didn't stop reading his magazine. "Ma'am, you think I disagree with you? My lips are sealed."

"Good man. Here's a tip." She tossed a few bits into the cup next to the register. "Oh, and no singing."

"Lips still sealed."

It still made Spitfire a little uneasy. She turned back to Rainbow Dash. "Someone like me, a celebrity AND a high ranking officer talking shit about the way her country is run? That would turn many a head and I don't need that."

Rainbow tipped her drink towards Spitfire questioningly. "Well, why do you deal with it then? I mean, why would you stay in and let it keep affecting you?"

Spitfire gave Rainbow a long hard look. She went into territory she never allowed herself to go into. Why did she start blabbing? She never complained this much! "Don't worry about it. Here." She grabbed a napkin and pen near the register and pushed it into the mare's hands. It was time to call it a night. She was obviously too tired to function properly if she was being this loose-lipped. "Gimme your address. I have to do a bunch of stuff this week, so I'll have to wait until the board allows me to go scouting for new recruits. They usually give me a week to search around, so we'll have plenty of time."

Rainbow didn't question the sudden change of subject and pressed the pen to the thin paper. However, she didn't write anything. Spitfire knew exactly why. She placed a hoof on Rainbow's and looked her in the eye, her expression surprisingly soft

"Rainbow, listen. My problems are mine, not yours. Don't let my complaints keep you from wanting to pursue your dreams. Besides, it's just your address. It's not like you're enlisting, right?"

"Yeah." Rainbow smiled warmly and quickly jotted down her address, folded it up and handed to Spitfire, who stuffed it in her small bag. "It's really easy to spot, actually. It's the only cloud house in the town."

Spitfire found herself surprised that she actually reached out and touched her. It was a fully apologetic action, but she found herself... She cleared that thought from her head quickly. Now was not the time. "Heh. And here I thought this was gonna be a scavenger hunt."

"I could always make it a challenge. Like I said, my specialty is clouds."

"Hey now, I thought I was testing you." With an exaggerated shrug from Rainbow, Spitfire finally loosened up. She felt better about herself and about next week. After a minute or two, they tossed their empty cups into the garbage and strode out into the night once more. It was fully dark now, the only illumination coming from the street lamps and store lights, the latter becoming scarce, due to the late hours. Rainbow still stood back a step or two, thinking about what she said. Spitfire smirked and took a step towards her, but Rainbow didn't move away.

Spitfire clapped her on the shoulder once more, a bit harder this time. "Well, Rainbow, it was fun. Goes to show that some dumb old party doesn't quite match up to a simple milkshake after work. Besides, it was nice getting to talk about that stuff, even if it was kind of a rant. Good times?"

Rainbow smiled, smacking her shoulder just as hard. "Good times, definitely."

"Alright, see ya, kid." Leaving Rainbow with a wink, Spitfire spread her wings and with one strong flap, leapt into the sky and flew off towards the arena. Her muscles ached and her wings certainly weren't in the mood for more flying, but she was close to curfew and didn't feel like ruining the chance for a week off. Besides, she was happy, much happier than she had been in a long time, to a point where she didn't notice the aching.

Thankfully, the party was over when she got to the arena, with the exception of a few ponies still trying to eat the rest of the food that didn't get touched. Not surprisingly, she found Lightning still there, near the entrance of the arena. She landed gently near him, waving at him only slightly. "Hey, buddy, what's up?"

Lightning looked somewhat annoyed, which was also not surprising. "Almost late. Lucky you got here on time."

"Relaaax, you old stickler. I've missed curfew before. Worst thing I'd get is a slap on the wrist." Spitfire gave a small 'ooh' and hurried over to the table, picking up a small wrapped candy.

"Hmph." Lightning pointed in the direction of the shop. "Kiss your 'new friend' good night?"

Spitfire's smile quickly disappeared and threw the candy back on the table. She honestly wasn't expecting him to bring it back up. She pushing past him roughly, about to take off once more. "Fuck off, Lightning. Now you're just being a dick. She's a potential recruit."

"You act like I'm an idiot, but I'm not the one to worry about. Imagine what could happen if-"

Spitfire turned and rushed the stallion, forcing herself into his personal space and fully in his face. They were practically muzzle to muzzle. "Lightning, I'm only gonna say it one more time." Her right arm was raised, as if she was prepared to hit him. It wouldn't be the first time she had gotten into a fight with a teammate. "FUCK. OFF. Keep your nose out of my business. It's not like that!"

Lightning raised his arms in a defensive gesture and backed off, but he didn't looked convinced. "Fine, fine. I guess I'll have to take your word for it. As if your word goes very far."

"I don't care what you do. Just leave me alone." Spitfire kicked a stray cup on the ground before flying off to the hotel room booked for her for the night. She only glanced behind her for a moment and noticed the stallion was still watching her, waving at her. She groaned loudly and flew as fast as her exhausted wings would take her. Right now, more than anything, she needed to sleep this night off. "What a shitty end to a good night."