Misty Fly is walking down the academy hallway after practice, taking the walk slowly.
She has finally worked up the courage to talk to Spitfire after all these years, but she thought today was the right day to talk to her.
After it felt like the shortest walk in the long hallway, she reached the office of the Wonderbolts captain.
She slowly raised her hoof and knocked.
"Come in!" Says the raspy voice from the other side.
Misty opens the door.
"Misty Fly, what's up? Good practice from you today, I liked your work." Spitfire gleamed.
Misty walked in then closed the door. "Uh, thanks. We need to talk."
Spitfire motions to in front of her desk. "Sure, have a seat!"
Misty sits in the chair from across her desk.
"Speaking of the pony in front of me, your numbers have been really steady lately, keep it up." Spitfire said before raising a cream cheese bagel in front of her mouth, her eyes now locked at Misty who has a troubled look on her face. "What's up?" She said before taking a bite out of the bagel.
Misty Fly said nothing, and just looked down at the papers on Spitfire's desk.
Spitfire finishes chewing her bagel and swallows it. "Misty, what's going on?"
"I... I have to confess something." Misty said.
Spitfire nods. "What is it?"
"I haven't been happy being on the Wonderbolts." Misty bluntly said. "I haven't been for the eight years I've been here."
Spitfire shook her head. "And you're telling me this now? Look, I can take you to the team psychologist, they can help you out." She continues. "But, again, why tell this to me now? And how come you haven't been happy?
"I felt like this would be the right time." She continues answering the other question. "I've been unhappy and stressed since I've joined. Being pressured way too much about being the best, a whole lot of things about being on this team stress me out too much."
She continues. "I've been stressed out before, but being on this team brings out a different type of stress, a stress that makes me unhappy."
"Look, I can change-"
Misty interrupts. "A stress that makes me go into the team bathroom nightly, about 3-5 times a week and release all that stress by crying in front of the mirror for about 15-20 minutes."
Spitfire shook her head. "I still don't know why you're telling me this now. Eight years ago, I could've made you appointments with the team psychologist."
"Because eight years ago, I would've said no to the team psychologist, and I still say no now." Misty continues. "I would've quit eight years ago if I had the chance, but if I quit then, I wouldn't have anywhere to go if I quit."
A sudden realization hit Spitfire. "Are you saying that, you want to quit, right now?"
Misty Fly silently nodded.
"Misty... you, you can't quit! Our team needs you!"
Misty said nothing.
"Misty, I think these just are emotions that are doing the talking, all I can do is to make you an appointment with the psychologist!"
"No."
Spitfire angrily shook her head. "You only want to quit because you've been crying in the bathroom every night for the past eight years, what can the psychologist do to make you happy?! Pretty much anything!"
"I've had a rough life okay?!" Misty snapped, tears forming around her eyes. "At the age of 4, my parents died from a carriage accident. I was bullied all throughout high school, I was told to go to see a school psychologist. I went and guess what?! Going to that stupid psychologist did nothing!"
"I-I'm sorry, Misty, I knew that you were an orphan, but, I didn't know about your problems in high school, and your experience with psychologists." Spitfire said.
A few minutes later, Misty calms down.
"So, if you quit now, where are you going to go?" Spitfire asks.
"That's what want to get to."
Spitfire nods. "I'm listening."
"After my parents died when I was such a young age. It took me a long time to cope with their loss, it took me about until I was 7."
"One night, I decided to try and run away from the orphanage. I stopped halfway just to look at the beautiful moon and the stars. Something about that night sky made me stop and rethink about running away. I ran back to the orphanage."
"Since then, looking at the night sky always calmed me down, but the only downside to it though is it doesn't help release stress as much as crying in the middle of the night."
"Something about the moon, the stars, the planets, the... the whole universe just amazes me."
"So, after you quit, you're gonna go to the moon or something?" Spitfire chuckle.
Misty shook her head. "For the past three years, I've been taking weekend courses at Cloudsdale University, and also going there on the weekly days off you give us. Paying extra for taking weekend courses and extra hours."
"What have you been taking?" Spitfire asked.
"It's a Space Science and Astronomy course, linked into one."
Spitfire smiled and looked at the calendar that was on her desk. "From what I remember when I was in Cloudsdale University, didn't the semester end about a week ago?"
Misty nodded. "Yes. I passed and graduated from that semester."
Spitfire happily threw her front hooves into the air. "Congrats! What degree and grade did you get?"
"I got my Bachelors Degree in Applied Space Science, and I got a 96, the second highest in my class."
"Second highest in your class, and you're not a unicorn!" Spitfire gets serious and continues. "So, what does this have to do about you quitting?"
"A couple days ago, a company looked at my grades and I received an amazing job offer, I couldn't help but say yes to it."
"What's the job?" Spitfire asked.
"Space scientist and space engineer."
"You know, you can still fly with us. I remember awhile back, Blaze had a side job and it worked well for her." Spitfire said.
"They offered me a full time job."
Spitfire said nothing.
"In Saddle Arabia."
Spitfire opened her mouth, but had a hard time figuring out her words.
She finally said something. "S-saddle Arabia? Full time?"
Misty nodded. "And I'm supposed to leave in three days, but I'm planning on leaving tomorrow night."
Spitfire sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"If I wasn't so sure, then why did I accept the job offer?" Misty asked.
"Misty, I wish I can stop you from going to Saddle Arabia, but you've been working hard in school, getting the second best grade in your class just to do something that makes you happy."
"I'm not stopping you, I'm sorry that the Wonderbolts didn't work out for you. Since, you're pretty much leaving tomorrow, you should say goodbye to everyone."
Misty said her goodbyes, the hardest one was too Surprise. They've been friends since the Wonderbolt tryouts eight years ago.
Standing at the doors of the Wonderbolts academy is Misty Fly, with the rest of the team standing in front of her.
Misty Fly salutes. "Captain."
"Misty Fly, were all very glad that you chose a new path in your life. We're sorry that the Wonderbolts didn't work out for you." Spitfire said.
"Thank you." She looks out the door. "My taxi carriage is here."
"Go on, we'll await your letter." Spitfire said.
Misty walked off to the taxi carriage.
"Misty!"
"Yes, Spitfire?"
"Fly for the stars."
"Will do."