Chapter 7: Captain Powerfly! Where are you?!

Days later, early in the morning, Fluttershy busied herself with her daily chores, feeding all the animals in her care, singing a lovely little melody here and there.

She was getting herself back to basics, back to her old life.

Back to being herself… and not Captain Powerfly. And it was so liberating.

She kept her amulet and her scanner in a safe spot, out of sight, out of mind. In fact, Angel kept them hidden away, just to be sure. There were only three consecutive hours left on it anyways, so it was just as well.

Life was getting back to normal, as it was supposed to be.

“There you go, little birdies,” she cooed sweetly to one flock. “A nice, rich, hearty blend of the finest seeds and nuts for a good breakfast. Bon apetit!”

Angel and Discord kept the yard and animal houses clean.

“Hey, Angel!” chided the draconequus. “I think you missed a spot over there!” As always, he couldn’t resist teasing the bunny… who physically chided back about what a slacker he was.

The two boys had gotten to be good buddies over the year.

*******

Unfortunately, the rest of Ponyville was a different story…

…Especially after everypony got a little too cozy with their new superheroine on the job to save the day.

The police and firefighters – sad to say – had become a bit lazier and slower to respond.

Princess Twilight found herself a bit busier rallying her Mane 6 group to save the day.

The residents started getting a bit peeved; some were starting to cause a bit of unrest at the town hall.

And the mayor found herself in a bit of jam.

And everypony was left asking one question:

Where was their superheroine?

Where was Captain Powerfly?

*******

After a gruelling day of battling, the Mane 6 tumbled into the front foyer of Twilight's castle, Pinkie falling to the floor first, followed by Rarity and Fluttershy both on top of her. Rainbow and Applejack stumbled on either side of the pony pile, the former panting and wheezing. Twilight, Spike and Discord ambled in after the rest.

“That…!” hollered Pinkie with sheer irritation. “Was the unfunnest moment in my entire life!” After that declaration, she lay still on the floor, staring into space, deathly – and uncharacteristically – silent.

“Ugh! Of all the worst possible things to ever have happen to us…!” whined Rarity. “That was the... worst… ABSOLUTE THING!!” Once again, she fell into her melodramatic howling/weeping fit. This time, her eyes were fountains of tears with mascara.

“Okay! Who wuz it, had the dumb idear of usin’ thet smooze again?!”

Discord stumbled into the middle of the room, eyes baggy and dark, thoroughly exhausted. He was so exhausted, that he plunked face first onto the floor, sobbing and moaning, “Never! Ever! Again!”

Twilight huffed in frustration at her sorry crew. “Would everypony just settle down?!!” she boomed in her regal voice.

They did… all the while glaring venomously at her…

…Because the smooze was, in fact, her idea… out of desperation.

“Anyways,” she continued. “We had it all under control…”

“Oh! We ‘had it under control’, alright!!” cried Discord very sarcastically.

“Yes! We had it under control! We rounded up the smooze and sent it all into the ice dimension to cool off for a few minutes, so everything is good!! Is that clear, Discord?”

The draconequus sighed. “As long as I can clarify for the record that I’m the Spirit of Chaos. Not the Spirit of Destruction!”

“Clarified! Thank you!”

“Y’know who would’ve been a great help to us?” said Rainbow.

Everypony looked up at the blue pegasus with interest… especially Spike, who cringed.

He had a good idea – nay, a dreadful feeling – as to whom she was referring.

“Who ya thinkin’, R.D.?”

Aw, please don’t say it, R.D.! thought Spike.

“Captain Powerfly, that’s who!”

I just said…! Oh, wait. No I didn’t…

Fluttershy cringed, feeling a bit betrayed.

Discord loudly cleared his throat. “I thought we had an agreement, Miss Dash.”

Rainbow looked up at him. “What agreement?”

“You know, the one saying not to bring up Captain You-Know-Who anymore? That agreement?”

“Yeah, well nopony said she couldn’t have shown up to… you know… help us out! Right?”

Fluttershy stood up next to R.D., tears forming in her eyes.

Rainbow caught sight of her dismal look… and suddenly felt her own heart falling.

Fluttershy let forth a light sob. “I thought you had the Element of Loyalty,” she whimpered forlornly. And with that, she trotted out the door, crying all the way home.

“Hmph!” snorted Discord. “So did I, Miss Dash. So did I.”

“Shouldn’t have said that, Rainbow!” snarled Spike. “Good going!”

Pinkie stood up. “Did you have to be such a meanie-pants?” She ambled out the door.

“Good gravy, R.D.!” said Applejack as she followed Pinkie. “That really weren’t called for!”

“Yes!” added Rarity hotly as she ambled out the door behind them. “How could you be so crass to the poor dear?”

Rainbow bit her bottom lip with dire shame. She gazed desperately towards Twilight, who also had a very stern look in her eyes. “Oh, boy!” she muttered. “I… I really blew it, didn’t I?”

Twilight only nodded.

Spike verbalized on behalf of both himself and the princess. “Boy, did you ever stick your hoof in your mouth!”

He paused to let R.D. stew over her shameful behaviour.

He finally continued, “Maybe you’d better go over and apologize to her.”

She slowly shambled out the door, adding, “Yeah.” Spike escorted her out the door, and as soon as the doors were closed behind her, she muttered, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”

She slowly ambled over to Fluttershy’s cottage, wondering how she would suitably apologize to her friend.

*******

But who knew what would have even happened had the Wonderbolts themselves not even so much as caught wind of the hero?

For there they were, the three top officers of the regiment, dressed in their formal uniforms, waiting for the return of Fluttershy… who was still weeping heavily on her way home.

Soarin looked back when he heard the sad pegasus sniffling. “Oh, good afternoon, Miss Fluttershy!” he greeted cordially; then sympathetically, he queried, “Oh… did we… catch you at a bad time?”

“Oh… um… I’m sorry,” she said as she dried her eyes. “It’s… um… been a rather trying day. You… um… you know… how it is.”

“Oh, hey, no problem! We understand fully!” said Spitfire. “You being an Element of Harmony and all that. But anyways,” she added with a sly wink. “We have a proposal to offer you.”

“Or – we should say – a certain superheroine that is on hiatus.”

No! Fluttershy cried out in her mind. Not this again! Please!

It was a real shame she could not so much as say, “No, thank you!”, let alone add, “Now if there is nothing else, please leave!”

Instead, she just listened, slightly stunned with utter frustration.

“In other words,” continued Spitfire. “We’re offering an honourary position on our Wonderbolts team for Captain Powerfly.” She pulled out a box. “We even went so far as to visit Catalyst Studios’ costume tailors...” She opened the box. “… To have them make this.”

Fluttershy pulled the package out of the box.

It was a Wonderbolts uniform.

But this one was custom-tailored to the same design as Powerfly’s own outfit.

“So?” queried Soarin. “What do you think?”

Fluttershy couldn’t quite answer… or really even hear.

The shock of the whole scenario left her in a trance.

“Excuse me a moment,” she said blankly as she entered her cottage.

The visitors all waited with restrained excitement.

“Ooh, this will put us all back on the map in a big way!” said Fleetfoot with glee.

Just then, Rainbow Dash arrived at the cottage. “Oh, hey guys! What’s happening?”

“Hello, Cadet Rainbow Dash!” said Spitfire half-formally, mostly amicably. “How are you doing today?”

“Doing well, Ma’am,” R.D. replied with a salute.

“Oh, no need to salute, kiddo!” replied Spitfire with a chuckle.

“So what’re you guys up to today?” Then she looked around. “Hey, you didn’t see Fluttershy around did you?”

“Yep! She’s just inside, getting herself changed.”

R.D. suddenly had a very uneasy feeling. “Changed…??”

“We brought her a new uniform for her alter ego,” said Soarin as he kept watch on the cottage door for Fluttershy to step out… as…

“Wait! You mean Captain Powerfly?!?!” cried R.D. in horror, her jaw now on the ground. “Oh, no!! I came to apologize for mentioning her!!”

All of the Wonderbolts suddenly gazed at R.D., ultimately shocked by her horrified reaction. “What…??” they all cried in unison.

Before R.D. could say another word, the familiar catchphrase echoed overhead…

“WINGS TO THE SKY!!”

“No! No! Noo!!” cried R.D. mournfully. “What have I done?! What have I DONE?!!”

“Calm down, Cadet!” commanded Spitfire.

“Captain!” said R.D., a bit defiantly. “With all due respect, this is not for Fluttershy’s own good, as you’re probably thinking! Please trust me on this; it’s not!!”

Captain Powerfly – whose uniform colours were changed over to Wonderbolt colours – settled down next to R.D. “Greetings once again, Cadet Dash!” she greeted boisterously.

R.D. just gazed balefully into the superheroine’s eyes.

“Is something wrong, Cadet?”

“Very!” said R.D. “I was a complete jerk to you, and I came to apologize to you for it – and I am sorry I was a jerk, by they way! But, seriously! Please don’t do this, Fluttershy!” She plunked down into a begging stance. “You don’t need to do this! You just don’t!”

Spitfire very loudly cleared her throat. “Cadet…!!” she barked.

Captain Powerfly reassuring raised a hoof towards Spitfire. “It’s alright, Captain.” She turned to R.D. and said. “It is true that you did act rather spiteful, Cadet. But I can assure you, everything is alright.” She placed a reassuring hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

Then R.D. remembered one important detail. “…Except for the three-hour time limit on your amulet. Remember?”

The Wonderbolts did a mild double take as they pinned their gaze to Powerfly, who just scratched the back of her head rather awkwardly. “True, there is that,” she replied with a slight chuckle. “But… I’ll be as sparing as possible.”

“Hmm, not a bad idea,” mused Spitfire uneasily. “At least until we’re able to get your amulet refilled – provided we can get it refilled. But we’ll worry about that later!” She lined up the group into formation. “Let’s get ourselves back to HQ! Care to be my personal wingmare, Captain Powerfly?”

“I’d be honoured, Captain Spitfire!” Into formation she went. “WINGS TO THE SKY!” she hollered mightily.

With a mighty blast of their wings, they all took off in perfect unison.

…Leaving Rainbow Dash… now in tears. “I blew it,” she whimpered dejectedly. “Sweet Celestia, I totally blew it.” She plunked down onto her face and cried in the grass. “Stupid! Stupid! Stupi-hi-hi-iiid!”

Angel, who had been watching from the sidelines, bounded up next to R.D. and patted her on the shoulder.

Now what was she going to tell Twilight?

Author's Note

"Aw!! Here we go again!!" Right?

But remember, there is a three hour limit to the amulet, so we'll see...