Rainbow Dash was miffed. He wasn't an expert on her or anything alike, but he had learned to read people and every single detail in her body language indicated that she was mad. She was trying to hide it, but he was sure she wasn't fooling anyone in the van. If she couldn't hide it from him, much less would she be able to hide it from her friends.

The ride back to the HQ was wordless. He could sense the frustration in every single one of the women in there. He didn't blame them: he was frustrated as well. They had been so close. They had been right in front of him, everyone who was in that room had tried to attack him, but the huge bruise growing on Spitfire's cheek was a proof of how hard it had been to be anywhere near him. The one who had gotten the closest was Rainbow Dash, who had been captured and almost suffocated withing the dark magic of the King Sombra. Maybe he didn't know her too well, but he'd bet his left arm she was pissed because of that. And the fact that it was he who rescued her.

Yup, she must be boiling inside.

When they arrived at the Headquarter, he hadn't heard anything from anyone there. Not even Pinkie Pie dared to say a word, or crack a joke, not even a pun. She knew it wasn't the moment. He wondered if a joke from her (of course, for he wasn't about to say something that could get him in trouble. He learned his lesson) could've released some tension from the air. He decided that he better trusted Pinkie's judgment on the matter.

The sun was beginning to set when they entered the lounge. The gigantic window offered a dazzling view of the Everfree lake bathed in the orange light, shimmering as if the surface was covered by diamonds. It would have been a majestic view if it weren't for the mood in the room. Sunset took Spitfire with her to the infirmary to apply some ice to that bruise. Spike glanced up to Twilight before escaping towards the rooms. Soarin wished he could escape the scene as easily as the dog could, but unluckily, the others had to face the Heads on this... failure.

Soarin sighed, the first sound emitted from the group. Fleetfoot glanced back at him. She was probably thinking about the same things he was thinking about. This meeting with the Heads was sure to be a disappointment for them.

Feeling utterly defeated, Soarin walked behind the Myths. Twilight was on the lead, so she glanced back at her team before pushing the doors of the Conference room open. As expected, Celestia and Luna stood at the end of the room with huge smiles plastered all over their faces, looking restless and like they hadn't been capable of waiting on their chairs. However, their eagerness faded away. It only took them to see the look on the team's faces to know that their mission was far from being a success. Luna dropped her expression and sat down. Celestia sighed, acknowledging the group.

"Report?"

The mood was just as dense when the Myths and the Wonderbolts (Spitfire and Sunset had met them in the Conference room briefly after the meeting begun) left, dividing into three groups: the ones who went directly to their bedrooms, the ones who went to the kitchen to grab a snack, and those who went to the Infirmary to heal any of their minor wounds.

Soarin was part of the second group, along with Pinkie Pie and Rarity. He didn't have any other wounds than a couple of cuts and bruises, and he could tend to those with the first-aid kit he had in his room. He was feeling a bit blue, so he rummaged in the cupboards until he found a pack of cereal bars. He took three with him and left Pinkie and Rarity to their ice cream.

Eager to reach his room to have some rest after the quite eventful day he had had, he rushed upstairs before realizing he didn't know what to do with his outfit. Rarity had given him and Dash wet wipes to erase their make-up and had silently retrieved the wigs, but he was still wearing the shirt and trousers and had no idea what to do with them. Maybe he should head back downstairs and ask Rarity? But she seemed stressed, and he didn't want to interrupt her talk with Pinkie Pie over chocolate ice cream. Maybe he just needed to go to her workshop and change back into the clothes he had worn that morning. Hopefully, they were still there, in the changing room... But then he would be intruding into one of Rarity's personal spaces...

Darn it, I'll just hand them off to her later, he thought to himself. Maybe after a nice warm shower. It's been a hell of a day.

What a day, indeed, had it been. Soarin went back to walking and rushed to enter his room. Inside, the quietness was interrupted only by the occasional sounds coming from the other side of the walls (Spitfire most surely), which he didn't mind much. He just wanted to lay down a bit. Undoing the suffocating buttons of his shirt, he let himself fall into the mattress and absent-mindedly munched the bars as he thought about the events of the day.

Restless. Absolutely restless. Not only because of the mission, but also because of a lot of incidents within the mission itself, and a lot of noise on his head throughout all the day. Confusion. A couple approaching him. Hesitance. A small hand linked to his arm. A dance. A very intimate dance. Embarrassment. A kiss...

Soarin shot upright. The hand that had held the bar, which ended on the blanket, was placed before his eyes. A shower. He needed a cold shower. Maybe that way he could cool off the redness of his face. Yeah, that was bound to make him feel better.

At least this way, he didn't need to think about his absolute failure.

Caballeron pressed his back to the cold brick wall of the alley. His panting was a proof of for how long he had been running. In fact, the sun had set already and the twilight was slowly fading away, getting the sky darker and darker each passing minute. Huffing, he let himself fall to the ground. He knew well that, long ago, he wasn't being chased anymore, but he wasn't willing to risk anything. He had made his way downtown and now he just needed to find a way to go back to his shack. The problem was that he was nowhere near the Everfree Forest. Much less it's outer edges. And his car wasn't a choice, and he had no idea where those fools he called partners were. At least he knew they were not caught and would eventually call him to regroup.

A sigh. He just needed to breathe a bit the cold air of the early night.

A shiver. It wasn't out of the cold. He opened his eyes, startled, and gasped when he noticed a dark mass in front of him. He tried to crawl back, but he was already trapped with the wall behind him. He had nowhere to go. When the last ray of sunlight disappeared, the mass transformed into...

"Sombra?"

Indeed, the man was standing now before him, the last bits of his dark hair transforming from shadows to his body. Caballeron blinked twice to confirm this was real. The man arched an eyebrow at him.

"King Sombra. Takes you longer, but you risk fewer things."

"Right, right, get it. What the hell wasthat? And what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to make you a proposition."

He avoided my first question. What an *ss.

Caballeron smirked. "I'm sorry, I like women."

Sombra glared at him, and that was enough to dissuade Caballeron from making any further jokes. Caballeron raised his hands in a sign of peace, praying the self-proclaimed King wouldn't lash out on him.

"Chill, chill... I just wanted to lighten the mood," Caballeron smiled. "What is it you wanted to say?"

Sombra's cold eyes spoke along with his words. "I want you to work for me. Or rather, with me, if you prefer me to verse it that way."

Caballeron scratched his ear. "What for?"

Sombra dug his hand in the pocket of his coat. When he took it out, he had wrapped his fingers around an object. He showed it to Caballeron. It was the tiny hourglass he had given him.

"Ah, that thing," Caballeron humphed. "By the way, I wasn't paid for that."

"I'm giving it back to you."

Caballeron arched an eyebrow. "No refunds, buddy. I want my weapons. Pow pow, you get it?"

"I assure you this is the only weapon you will be needing."

He couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. He finally stood up and pointed at the hourglass.

"That tiny thing?" he snickered. "I'm sorry, but no one could harm anyone with that sh*t."

"Dr. Caballeron, no one has to necessarily be harmed for a weapon to effective," Sombra claimed all seriousness.

"I disagree."

"Just watch for yourself," Sombra claimed. His other hand covered the tiny hourglass. His hand glowed a bright green, and Caballeron jumped back, once again startled at this weird occurrence.

"How-?!"

"Quiet," Sombra's voice boomed in his mind. Caballeron obeyed. The man had closed his eyes and they had purple streaks escaping between his eyelids. His hands continued to glow for a couple of seconds before it all dissipated. He opened his eyes to face Caballeron's shocked expression.

His hands revealed the tiny hourglass.

It was no longer an hourglass. It had been replaced by a modern and elegant wristwatch, black with a leather belt and golden details. The numbers of the clock were made of pure gold.

"What..."

Sombra's stoic expression broke and transformed into one of pride. Slight, but it was there.

"Dr. Caballeron, I present you the Watch of Sloth," his blood eyes shimmered. "Are you interested in it now?"

Celestia sighed when Luna placed her hands on her shoulders. The younger sister looked at her senior with intense worry, rubbing her delicate fingers on her tense shoulders.

"Don't you worry, dear sister. We'll catch him."

Celestia massaged her temples. "Will we really, sister? We brought over three of the best, along with our very best girls, and they couldn't catch him."

Luna lowered her head to look into her sister's eyes. "They will catch him. We're barely starting this war. He has no idea what or who he's going against."

"And we do?" Celestia arched an eyebrow. Luna nodded triumphally.

"Unlike him, we have much more information about his magic and his capacities than he does of ours. Or, well, the girls'. Do you understand, sister? It's only a matter of time before he falls."

Celestia smiled at Luna. "It's usually my job to be positive."

Luna snickered. "You deserve to have some work off your shoulders right now."

Rarity had told him he could keep the clothes she had given him, and even gave him back the jacket and the tie. He had tried to convince her to take them back, but she refused to do so and insisted on him to keep it as a token of their gratitude for his and his partners' help. He soon learned there was no way of refusing a gift from Rarity and excused himself back to his room. Once back into his temporary private place, he let himself fall into the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

He woke up at the break of dawn. Feeling much better than the day before, he got up and changed into workout clothes. Clad in cargo pants and a tank top, he took his sports bags and left the bedroom to head to the gym. In the corridor, he saw Applejack, who was just coming out of her room with a backpack.

She saw him as well and smiled at him.

"Hiya, fella! How's it goin'? On your way to the gym?"

Soarin chuckled. "That's right. What about you? Are you leaving?"

"As my brother would say, yup!" Applejack nodded. "I'll be going to my family's farm. That's where I work on the weekdays. You know darn well where am I on the weeknights." she snickered.

"That's true," Soarin chuckled.

"Well, have a good workout. Gotta maintain your muscles, right?"

"Exactly. It takes hard work, after all."

"Well, then, I'll be goin'. See ya later fella."

"See you."

Applejack left and disappeared from his view. He left soon after that as well, going downstairs to the gym. It had probably been the first facility he asked Celestia about when he arrived, and she had gladly indicated him the way there without even questioning. She did already know he was dedicated to his workout. And he had visited it like it was the Wonderbolts'.

After all, one had to work hard to be their best.

He stopped halfway through the corridor when he heard some noises coming from inside a door to his left. He turned to look at it and quickly realized it was a training room Celestia had mentioned, but he hadn't entered before. Curiosity killed the cat and he approached to look through the small window on the door.

He snickered. Talking about being the best.

It was Rainbow Dash. She was battling against a punching bag. Her movements, he quickly realized, were movements of kickboxing, and she seemed to be really into it. She was focused on her movements like she was battling a real opponent instead of a leather bag. Something was mesmerizing about it if he had to admit it. He was realizing that her temper was, in reality, one of her charms.

One of her many charms. Like that perseverance, that wit, that hair and those eyes, and that amazing frame that her crop top and her yoga pants showed off.

He didn't think about it. He just opened the door and walked in. Dash caught the bag when it swung her way before looking back at him, with locks of her colorful hair glued to her cheeks thanks to sweat. She arched an eyebrow when she saw him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Soarin dropped his bag next to hers.

"I was on my way to my morning workout when I heard you. Thought it would be nice to see what you were up to."

"Were you spying me?"

"No."

"Liar."

Soarin laughed. "Alright, maybe I was. Do you kickbox often?"

Dash nodded, approaching him. Soarin felt his heart race up when she appeared in front of him, and she stared at him for a few seconds before bending down to retrieve her bottle water from her bag.

"I do," Dash replied finally, a droplet of water running down her throat. Soarin followed it's trajectory until it wasn't proper to. "It helps me relax after rough days."

"I guess you're talking about yesterday."

"Where's your crystal ball, mate?" Dash blurted. Soarin chuckled and happily noticed she was smirking at him. She placed her bottle back on her bag. Fists pressed to her hips, Dash said: "Alright, pretty boy. Are you up to a duel against me?"

"Pretty boy? I'm having a Deja vú," Soarin claimed. Dash, who was walking towards the mats, glanced over her shoulder to him, the smirk still present.

"I'm not gripping your tank top this time. Not yet," her ponytail danced behind her. Soarin followed.

"What are we doing?"

"MMA, up to it?" Dash stood in the middle of the mat. Soarin took off his shoes and stood a couple of strides in front of her. Soarin stretched to let loose his body.

"Up to it. Rules?"

"No superpowers, no harming the opponent. The first one to effectively restrain the other wins the match."

"Well," Soarin shrugged. "I don't have any superpowers, and I wasn't planning on hurting you, so..."

"Good, then we're ready to go."

The duel began seconds after. Dash was the first one to attack. Soarin dodged a punch to the kidneys and he tried a lock. She escaped rolling and kicked his knee, making him fall to that knee. She got up and tried to restrain him, but he grabbed her arms and threw her over his head. They were back on their feet the next second. Soarin tried to punch her, but she took it into the forearms like a champ and replied with her own punch.

Soarin caught her fist and twisted her arm, not too far in order not to hurt her but enough to incapacitate the arm. He didn't saw it coming. In an amazing display of natural speed, Dash grabbed with her other hand his shirt and pulled him towards her. To throw him to the floor, she kicked his gut and made him fall on his back. Before he could get up, she was sitting on his chest, with a menacing punch ready and her hand pressing her shoulder. Soarin could feel the pressure of her body.

She frowned. "Stop going easy on me. I ain't no sissy."

Soarin chuckled. "What do you mean 'easy'? How could you know that? We've never spared before."

"I saw you fight. You're not giving it your all, I hate it," she glared at him.

Soarin chuckled. "Alright then..."

His knee hit her back, making her lose her breath. Soarin took her arms with both hands and threw her to his left, proceeding to restrain her before she could recover. His legs pressed against hers with ease, effectively keeping them from moving. One of his hands held her wrists above her head and the other kept him in balance, firmly placed to a side of her head.

Soarin smirked down at her. "It seems you're trapped."

Dash cursed. Soarin laughed at her pout, without being able to shake off the feeling that it was incredibly cute. MMA spars usually weren't very long, but it required a lot of quick thinking and reflexes. Seeing her ability, it was obvious he would break a slight sweat. Dash, however, was slightly panting because of her previous exercise. Her hot breath was clashing against his chin.

"Alright, you win," Dash admitted. "You can let me go now."

"Hmm, you know what? Maybe not."

"What?"

"I'd like to ask you something."

Dash's eyebrows shot up, intrigued. "What is it?"

Soarin looked at her, and her expression became even more intrigued when she noticed his serious face. He breathed in, sighed, and said:

"Why did you kiss me?"

Dash was expecting all sorts of things. All sorts of questions. This one? This one definitely wasn't one of those. It caught her off-guard, and she hated being caught off-guard.

"So?"

Dash tried to free her wrists. It was hopeless, his grip was firm like concrete, she couldn't budge them from their positions. Even so, he was being gentle, and his grip wasn't hurting her. Her legs were just as trapped as her arms, and she was in no position to even hit him for he was hovering too far from her. The only possible way out was answering that question.

Soarin arched an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I'm not comfortable on this position, can I sit up?" she was lying. It wasn't that she wasn't comfortable like that, she just wanted to have more time to think her answer without having to look him in the eye. "Please?"

The corners of his mouth twitched. He chuckled. "Only because you asked nicely."

Dash pressed her lips. Indeed, I haven't had a record of being nice to him.

Soarin let her wrists go. He lifted himself and sat on his heels. Dash sat up as well but felt that the weight being applied on her calves had not given in. Soarin still had her legs trapped. Dash glanced up to look him in the eye. She didn't need to utter a word for he already knew what her question was, so he just shrugged and replied:

"You're fast."

Dash decided to take it as a compliment.

Trapped. Like a mouse who fell between the paws of an agile cat.

She sighed, covering her eyes with her hand. She prayed to whoever could hear her that, if that heat on her cheeks was what she thought it was, he couldn't notice it. She prayed it was only due to the exercise. She begged it was that. But she wasn't a fool and knew damn well that was a blush because his question brought back to her mind thoughts she had thought to burry in the deepness of her mind that day.

Because when she observed his smile as he laughed off his own misfortunes, she felt the urge to kiss him. She wondered what that would feel like. Would his lips be as soft as they looked? There was cloth between their bodies when they danced and yet she felt every touch like it was made directly to her skin. It distracted her, but not enough to keep her from noticing that they were being watched by random dudes on the ballroom. And when her mind raced to think the best way to make them look somewhere, she found the reply to her answer. Yes, they were as soft as they looked. On his lips, the flavor of the apple juice lingered and she gladly took in every second of it. Yes, it was way out of duty. Yes, she had purposely made it last longer than it was needed in those circumstances, even if it had only been by a couple of seconds. Even though she had accomplished what she wanted, she knew it wasn't necessary. And when she parted she thought she had left all her confusion in that instant. She refocused on the task at hand and thought everything had died there. The frustration of the failure had contributed to that illusion.

But now... Now she noticed she was wrong. Very, very wrong.

But she had to think carefully her words. She had to see how things would turn out without missing the flow of the conversation.

Her pondering could've lasted half a second or half a life, she wasn't sure. But she lifted her gaze once again, met his eyes, and put on her best poker face.

"Well, we were being watched and we had-"

"Liar," Dash bit her cheek. Now the cards had flipped. Soarin narrowed his eyes for a second. "That's not it."

Dash arched her eyebrows. "Really? What makes you so sure about that?"

"You're blushing."

F*ck!

Soarin tilted his head to the side. "So this is what I think: Yeah, it could be true that you kissed me because you wanted to divert attention from us. Actually, that wouldn't be the first time I've had to go through with that. However, usually, a five-seconds kiss would succeed to accomplish that and let me tell you, that wasn't five seconds. So I think..." he met her eyes again. "That you did that not only because it was what we needed... But because somewhere, anywhere inside yourself... You knew you wanted to do it."

Dash reclined backward. Soarin followed by reclining forwards. She arched one of her eyebrows. "So what if you're right?"

He approached a little more. She didn't recline anymore. A lock of his blue hair which had fallen during one of the struggles in their spar tickled her cheek. Their noses almost touched. Green eyes wandered up and down her face, from her eyes to her lips and back up again. Hesitance.

"Then... Then that would mean there might be a chance you'd want to do that again?"

A little closer. Dash moistened her lips. Soarin observed each movement in detail.

"So what if I do?"

Soarin reclined a little bit more. Almost there, she thought. By now he had placed both hands on the mat, by her sides, and she was holding herself from falling with her wrists. He was still holding her legs down. It was incredible how despite their little session of heavy flirting (she wasn't naive), he still had her trapped. This boy was different from the one she had seen on the first day. Dash deduced he just needed to be around people for a little bit to loosen up and allow himself to be his own self. A dork, somewhat clumsy, a bit timid, a pinch of awkwardness. But he was confident of his abilities and pretty aware of his own faults. He was strong of will, mind, and body. Dedicated to his job. Eager to apologize.

She wondered how long it would take to get to know him for real. Days? Weeks? Years? She would have to ask Spitfire and Fleetfoot that.

A space of silence. He was hesitating. Dash considered it would be a shame to make all his efforts go to waste.

So she took the initiative, closed her eyes, and kissed him. Shortly. Softly. A single time.

Soarin seemed to melt. Without a previous warning, he leaned forward and kissed her back. Dash did not waste a single second before returning it.

This one wasn't out of duty. Okay, maybe it was, but not in the same way than the one in the Pyrite Gala. This time, they weren't pretending to be a happy marriage, nor were they dancing the tango to hide from their enemies. They were themselves. On this kiss, they were Rainbow Dash and Soarin, a simple woman and man, an ATIDA agent and a Wonderbolt, reunited in the HQ by this mission. They weren't wearing uncomfortable clothing, but workout outfits. They were in their zone, in an area they felt comfortable and familiar with. They were sharing something that was part of both of their lives.

That made this kiss way better than the last one.

Dash had her arms wrapped around Soarin, clinging to him not to fall on her back, when they parted, slightly hazed. Her heart beating furiously under the exposed skin of her chest. Dash felt Soarin's chest muscles shifting to support himself with a single arm while the other raised to part some hair that was stuck to her slightly sweaty skin. Dash followed with her gaze the movement of his long fingers.

He opened his mouth to say something but was cut short. Some cleared their throats. It was neither of them, which surprised both. They turned at once to the door.

Spitfire was standing there, fists on her hips, a sassy smirk on her face. She faked to be considering something:

"Well then, I guess we can postpone our leave to tomorrow early. Fleetfoot was eager to eat that Korean barbeque..." Spitfire turned right around. "Don't mind me! Do go on! I'm just gonna tell Fleetfoot we are staying the night after all!"

"Wait! Spitfire!"

She escaped in a cloud of laughter. Soarin had lifted one arm and reached out to her. However, since Dash was still clinging to him, her weight plus him not being properly balanced on his other arm made them fall back into the mat with a grunt. Dash found herself stuck under Soarin's chest, her face buried into his neck. Dash yelped and pressed her hands to Soarin's side to try and move him, but in the end, she had to wait for him to get off her because she couldn't even budge him.

Finally did Soarin moved from above her and sat on the mat by her side, his face bright red. Dash sat up, her legs finally freed, and turned at Soarin. She burst out laughing at the defeated look on the man's face.

"Buddy, calm down! It's not like you were caught committing a crime."

Soarin hid his blushing face behind his hands. "I'm never gonna hear the end of it..."

Dash's crystalline laughter made Soarin free his face. She was laughing soundly and he couldn't help but join in. They gasped for air in between laughs, not sure what got them in that state, but Soarin finally sighed and began the motions to stand up.

"Oh, Fleetfoot's gonna mess with me forever," he offered her his hand. She accepted the help, for once since he remembered.

"Would that be a problem for you?" she asked, looking at him with a smug expression. She hadn't released his hand.

Soarin smiled. "Maybe not. I don't think so. Would that bother you?"

"What would bother me?"

"I don't know... This? We didn't start off with the right foot."

Dash feigned ignorance. "Oh, really? I think I forgot, I can't recall," Soarin snorted. She smirked. "As to answer your question... I'd have to see how it goes first. Then I can tell you if it bothers me. Would you fancy some breakfast? I know this place where they serve a really good breakfast... And no spicy food! Promise!"

Soarin laughed, feeling the embarrassment creep inside of him when recalling that shameful moment. "Since you put it that way... Alright! Just let me go get a quick shower and a new set of clothes."

"Same thing. Meet you in the lounge?"

Soarin stared at her. She was smiling at him. At him. That smile was exclusively dedicated to him, and it was a smile that would enchant any man. He smiled right back.

"Sure thing. See you there."

She was the first one to leave the room, her colorful ponytail following her in flashes of a real rainbow. However, if he had to describe her, he would rather use a storm. She was as lively, loud and electric as one...

And he loved it.

Spitfire felt in a good mood. Maybe it wasn't the best moment to feel joyous about something quite silly compared to their current problems, but that was also the reason it was the best time to feel joyous about something silly. They had a handful of problems. And the main one was this annoying King Sombra. She had only begun her pursuit of him with her team, but she was already annoyed as heck of the pseudo monarch. You big-

She breathed in and recovered her smile. After all, it wasn't every day that you caught your best friend making out with the girl he liked. Alright, he hadn't admitted to her face that he liked her, but she had known Soarin practically since they were in diapers, and she knew all of his mannerisms and the complex ways he came to terms with his own emotions. In her best opinion, he had probably liked her since they first met, but had been too focused on other problems to deal with it. Now that their part here was partly over, he had time to face his emotions. Easy as pie.

After successfully informing Fleetfoot of her earlier encounter with the pair, she left to meet with Celestia, while Fleetfoot ran off in a giggling mess to find them so she could tease them. Spitfire left the lounge and walked out of the HQ. One of the guards in the parking lot gave her the keys of a car so she could drive herself back to the city.

On the way there, Spitfire observed the city of Canterlot. Such a vibrant, active city, full of stores, cars, and people of all kinds. She had been here a few times before. Her mother had business in the capital quite often, and she would take her daughters on a few of her business trips more than once. In fact, Spitfire herself had lived in Canterlot on her months in the Academy, before moving back again to Cloudsdale to finish her training as a Wonderbolt. Truth be told, she hadn't invested as much time as Fleetfoot on getting to know the city (for she and Soarin often preferred to actually rest on the weekends), but the place felt familiar anyway.

And with just a tiny help from the GPS, she managed to find her way to one of the most prestigious schools in the city: Canterlot High School.

When she crossed the glass doors, she found empty halls in which her steps echoed. Awed at the sight of the polished tiles, the unpolluted paint, and the perfectly clean glass which protected trophies and other kinds of awards. Spitfire halted a second to observe them. Sports, academics, arts, music... this place had won a lot of competitions. Next to each prize, there was a picture of the students who won it. Not surprisingly, the faces of the Myths appeared constantly.

Spitfire reached Celestia's office just in time. The bell rang right before she knocked and the students packed the halls as she went in to meet Celestia, who was sitting behind her desk calmly filling out some sheets. Spitfire sat in front of her.

"You've got quite the successful school here, Ma'am" Spitfire praised. Celestia smiled, setting aside her paperwork.

"Well, education was always one of my passions. Plus I needed a plan for when it would be time to retire from ATIDA."

At this statement, Spitfire stared at her. The woman was older than her, that was for sure. However, her exact age and her sister's was a mystery for everyone. She most likely was somewhere in her thirties. How long would she keep running ATIDA? Neither of the sisters showed any apparent sing of aging. Celestia's and Luna's skins were the envy of all women in ATIDA and beyond. But perfect skins aside, Spitfire wondered how much time seeing these women as her superiors she had left...

Celestia did not realize her silence. "Well, Captain, I've got a lot to thank you for. I'm so happy you three could find a spot in your agendas to come and help my girls out."

"As I said before, everything back in Cloudsdale has been alarmingly peaceful. However, seeing what's happening here, I'll guess it won't remain that way for long. I expect to go back home to loads of work for us."

Celestia blinked twice. "You're a workaholic."

Spitfire chuckled. "I know, ma'am."

"Please don't turn Soarin and Fleetfoot into one, I have enough with you."

Spitfire burst out laughing. "I'll try, ma'am!"

Celestia joined into her laughter before speaking again. "All jokes aside, should a problem arise in Cloudsdale, I'm certain the girls will be more than glad to lend a helping hand."

"Thank you, ma'am," Spitfire fell silent again. After a couple of heartbeats, she sighed and raised her head to meet Celestia's gaze. "I'd like to apologize."

Celestia arched an eyebrow. "What for?"

"For not being able to help you catch King Sombra. We failed in the very mission you requested us here and I'm deeply sorry for that. I'm sure I speak for my team as well when I say this."

Celestia sighed and stood up. "You haven't failed me," she smiled at the Captain. "Actually, I realized it was naive of me to assume we could get this done in a single mission. I've been remembered there's still a lot we don't know about Sombra, but that we also know much more than he does about us. And that's good. I'm not disappointed about your work, you three actually were great in there. I'm glad to know your abilities have only increased. I'm sure the girls learned a lot of you three."

There was a space of silence in which Celestia stared into infinity, like recalling some old memory that occurred a lifetime ago. She closed her eyes and smiled. "We're not done yet, we have to go on. If we give up now, then we won't get a thing, and what we've done will be worth nothing."

Spitfire stared at the Head. She seemed really convinced that they would eventually succeed in this. No wonder those girls love to work with her, she's so encouraging. Spitfire smiled. "I guess that's true."

Celestia turned towards her and asked: "When will you three be leaving?"

Spitfire remembered why she was feeling in a good mood. Her smile widened just thinking about it.

"I'm delaying our leave until tomorrow morning. I think there's a couple of things Soarin wants to do here."

Author's Note

Alright! So I had a bit too much fun with this arc ... Well, you can't blame me, I just couldn't resist it!

Anyway, you have a hunch of what's really happening here in this chapter... Did you catch it? Well, you have until next arc to figure it out!

This arc turned out to be longer than I expected, I legit thought it would be a three-parts arc Oh well, the more the merrier, right?

I'm feeling a little better, as you can guess, and I'm slowly regaining my motivation. Plus, I just got off school and I'm finally on vacation! So I have two and a half months before next school year to write like crazy (I'll be going to the American equivalent of a Junior. Two years left until graduation!)

(Plus, I'm officially sixteen! I turned sixteen on January)

That'd be all, people. Tell me what you're thinking of the story so far, it really helps to my motivation right now Next arc is coming along smoothly, hopefully it'll be done in time?

Until next time!
-Midday Giggle