Two sharp knocks startled Spitfire.
"What the… ?"
She turned around and saw through the window a smiling stallion with an unkempt, midnight blue mane waving at her.
"Soarin? Already back? What time is it?" she asked to herself. Glancing at the clock, she realized that it was almost five. She was stunned, realizing she had been sitting in her office all day. She positively despised that part of her job, but it was a necessary burden. An organisation as important as the Wonderbolts simply couldn't work efficiently without everything being noted, sorted, and archived. She had known this when she accepted the job, and did her best to stay enthusiastic about it.
With a sigh, she got up and went to open the window for the waiting stallion.
"Hi, Soarin," she said, stepping aside. "You know that if any of my cadets came to my office like that, I would kick their flank out of the 'bolts right away?"
"Well lucky me, I'm not a cadet anymore!" Soarin said as he flew in. He was still wearing his flight suit and Spitfire could smell that he hadn't showered yet.
"I'd still like you to set an example and use the door," Spitfire said. She knew that it was pointless to argue with her friend though, so she quickly changed to a more pleasant subject. "So, busy day?"
"Yep!" said Soarin as he took his place in the armchair facing the desk. With his forelegs crossed behind his head, he shot a big grin to Spitfire, who sat back in her own seat. "We started early this morning, heading straight to the border. As we were ahead of schedule, I forced them to gallop for the next thirty kilometers! They were already looking tired after ten kilometers; you should have seen them after all thirty! Anyway, we were running a bit late after all that, so I cut the lunch break short to spite them a bite more – and to catch up, of course. There were a few minor injuries, but they still did pretty well. Rainbow Dash will bring you the mission report."
Spitfire let out a sigh, silently cursing her administrative obligations. She would have loved to participate in an outing like that. Maybe next time. "Well, well. Good to hear that the day went well. What about yesterday – your evening with that girl?" she asked, leaning forward. "Come on, you wouldn't shut up about it all week, what happened?"
Soarin's smile turned into an embarrassed grin which suggested nothing good. "Eh, it could have went better," he said, looking miffed. "I think she didn't like my sense of humor, and we didn't have that much in common anyway."
Spitfire sighed once more, bringing a hoof to her forehead. "How things are going, I'm starting to doubt we'll ever find you somepony."
"I have to admit, I'm starting to lose hope myself."
"On the one hoof, if only you set yourself some reasonable objectives and stopped aiming for mares out of your league."
"Hey how's that 'out of my league'!?" Soarin said, pointing at himself with both hooves. "I'm Soarin! I'm, like, the wingpony of the Wonderbolts' Captain! No other pegasus can compete with me!"
"Get off your high horse, would you? What if I told you being a Wonderbolt isn't enough? If you content yourself with just that, you won't achieve shit. Talk to her about something else. The squadron isn't the only thing in your life."
He shrugged. "Yeah, maybe, but what am I supposed to talk about, hoofball? That won't interest them."
"Of course it will!" said Spitfire, throwing her hooves in the air. "Talk to them about hoofball, pies, or even about your silly shirts! It doesn't matter what, so long as you stop with the jokes."
"Hey, I'm very funny!"
"No, you only make me laugh, and even then, not everyday."
"Alright, you're probably right." He leaned forward, supporting his forehead with a hoof. Normally he'd argue but after another failed date he was starting to doubt himself. "But I'm a simple pony. I don't have that many things to talk about."
"Then you need a simple pony, Soarin," she said, "And simple doesn't necessarily mean naïve. You're an interesting pony. There must be somepony out there for you."
"Maybe… You're not just saying that because you're my friend, are you?"
"Exactly, you're my friend!" said Spitfire. Leaning forward to slam her hoof on the desk, she continued in a poor impersonation of Soarin, "And I'll have you know I'm, like, the Captain of the Wonderbolts, and I don't waste my time on ponies below my station!
"And you say I'm not funny?" Soarin said, raising a brow.
The Captain giggled, earning a groan from Soarin. She quickly schooled her expression and leaned back into her seat, joining her hooves in front of her. "You know I'm serious, Soarin. I really think there's a pony out there for you." She waited a few seconds before adding, "Actually, I may know one." Soarin lifted his head in her direction and narrowed his eyes. His friend just looked back at him, a sly grin slowly forming on her muzzle.
"Who?"
"You know her." Spitfire playfully raised her brows, smirking. But from the way Soarin frowned, he obviously did not. "Rainbow Dash."
The pegasus scrunched up his nose and snorted. "Nah, she's a kid. I must be twice her age."
"Don't exaggerate," said Spitfire, who was already opening a drawer of her desk to fetch Dash's file.
"No really, she is! Plus, she's a real tomcolt!"
"Soarin, you love tomcolts," Spitfire said, rolling her eyes. It was widely known that Soarin had a liking for the less feminine mares. There was even a rumor going around that the sky blue stallion was in the closet - which had never failed to make Spitfire laugh.
"So, her age..." murmured the pegasus as she went through Rainbow Dash's files. "Ha! You see, you're exaggerating," she said as she pointed at a line with her hoof. "She's barely five years younger than me, and–" Spitfire blinked. "Wait what?" She approached the file to her face, squinting down at the photo. "This bitch will have to tell me her secrets," mumbled Spitfire through her teeth, eyeing the bagless eyes of the rainbow-maned pegasus with envy.
"Five years is still a lot," pointed out Soarin.
"So what?" said the Captain as she closed the folder. "You would probably be the first stallion to ever refuse to date a younger mare. I'll invite her to hang out with us tonight, we'll do the usual; drink and have fun... except you're going to spend some time with her, and I hope yo-"
"You're going to invite her? Seriously? I thought this was just between the four of us! You know? The ‘Bolts?"
"She's earned her place. You know full well that the only reason I haven't made her a part of the main team already is because the regulations demand that she complete her training first. What's the matter, Soarin? You don't like her?" Spitfire thought her friend's reaction was quite strange; she was convinced that Rainbow would be his type.
The stallion shrugged. "No, it's not that. I just think it's not a good idea. I'm her superior and all."
"Fleetfoot and Rapidfire have been together for years, and it never was an issue. Come on, I'll invite her as soon as she brings me her report. And I want you to spend some time with her."
"But – !"
"That's an order. I advise you to take a shower first, though," she added with a mocking tone.
"What are you, a dating agency?"
"I just want my best friend to finally find a nice little mare to keep him company. You should consider yourself lucky that I care so much."
He grumbled a bit, but didn't protest any more. He was nearly as stubborn as Spitfire, but he'd learned over the years to pick his battles with her. By the look in her eyes, he knew that it was better to fold now. It simply wasn't worth arguing. So with a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and said, "Ok, I'm gonna hang out with her, but that doesn't mean I have to take things further, alright?"
The mare shrugged. "If you absolutely want to behave like an idiot – which you are – I can't stop you, but don't come crying to me and say I didn't do anything to help you."
"Fine." Soarin got up from his chair and headed to the door. "I have some stuff to do, see you later."
"Hey, just don't forget to shower, alright?" Spitfire wrinkled her nose and smirked as Soarin rolled his eyes. "No, seriously, you need it," she added as he turned away.
He trotted out her door and snapped "Buck off!" over his shoulder. Her ensuing giggles only made him more annoyed.
Soarin sighed. He wasn't thrilled to have Dash tag along and it was made all the worse by having his hoof forced. Still, it was just for an evening. That shouldn't be too terrible, right? He'd just have to find the right words to turn Rainbow down without hurting her. He shook his head. Hurt her? Nonsense, this is Rainbow Dash! She was tough, of course she could take it.
He turned the corner and jumped in fright as he found himself nose-to-nose with the aforementioned sky blue mare.
"Aw chief, you're not afraid of little ponies, are you?" Rainbow said with a shit-eating grin. She giggled as she trotted around Soarin and continued on her way to Spitfire's office, Soarin's stare drilling into the back of her head.
With luck, and enough booze, Soarin hoped the evening would fly by.
Soarin approached the cloud upon which 'the Wingbuddy' was built, a very nice pub where he and his friends had a habit of hanging out. From a distance, he spotted two ponies standing side by side near the main entrance. He had no difficulty recognising them both: one was the all-too-familiar silhouette of his lifelong friend, Spitfire, and there was no way of mistaking Rainbow Dash's prismatic mane. He tilted himself downward a bit to begin his descent toward the two mares.
"Hi, girls," he said, landing smoothly near them.
"Finally! We were starting to lose patience here!" said Spitfire, faking annoyance but still smiling.
He laughed and returned the smile. "You taught me how to play hard to get. I'm just following your advice! Where are the others?"
"They're inside, holding a booth for us."
"No need to wait then," said Soarin as he walked to the door and held it open for the two mares. He bowed slightly and, with an broad gesture of his wing, invited them inside. Spitfire walked first, prancing slightly to mimic the way she thought a snooty noble pony would trot. Rainbow settled for murmuring a quiet "thanks" as her eyes caught Soarin's.
The place was welcoming, to say the least. Ponies were chatting all over the place, their conversations almost drowning out the smooth rock song in the background. Two mares were swaying their hips to the music, while a few stallions nearby were watching them with interest. Soarin simply followed his friends toward the back of the room. Spitfire had already spotted the other two Wonderbolts and waved at them with a wide smile.
"Where are your drinks, guys? You haven't started yet?" said Spitfire when she came close enough to notice that the table had no mugs, pints or glasses on it.
As she slid on the bench seat to sit beside Fleetfoot, Rapidfire answered: "We wait for our friends, you know. We received a proper education."
"You guyth invited some fresh blood?" said Fleetfoot, pointing to Rainbow with a smile.
"Hey, you're making progress, Fleet'! The speech therapist was a good idea after all." Soarin said as he took his place in front of Spitfire, next to the only other stallion of the group.
"Thcrew you, handthome!"
"Anyway, I thought it would be nice to have a new face sitting at this table," said Spitfire, answering Fleetfoot, "Hearing you guys making the same jokes over and over again was starting to get old. Come here, kiddo!" she said to Rainbow, pressing herself against Fleetfoot to allow enough space for the third mare to sit.
Soarin noticed Rainbow Dash was unusually shy. She was used to seeing them on a daily basis, but this wasn't like in flight school, this was a close-knit circle of friends. She obviously wasn't used to being so casual with her squadmates. Fortunately, Spitfire was doing her best to ease her into the group, hugging her with a wing like an old friend and bearing the most welcoming smile.
"Tonight, girl, you're promoted!" Spitfire said, laughing. "Only the best are allowed to sit with us. You should be proud to be at our table. Cheer up!"
"You're puthing it too far, Thpit'."
"And you not far enough," said Rapidfire. "Little Dash here must be quite special to get an invitation from Spitfire. It's been a while since we invited anyone."
Rainbow's ears perked up as she looked around at each Wonderbolt in awe, "Wait, for real?"
"Don't let it go to your head, kiddo," said Spitfire, laughing as she tousled Rainbow's mane with a wing, "It's just a small gathering between the four of us. Nothing fancy. It's important to meet outside of work, you know?"
Soarin added, "We're all friends here, forget about the rank. It's not just about the squadron, it's also about building trust and friendship, you see?"
Rainbow nodded, "I... yeah, I get it." After spending so much time with Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow had learned a thing or two about friendship. She well understood the words of her fellow pegasi. Then it dawned on her: they were acting like she was part of the group now. She was their friend. The Wonderbolts! Ponies she'd idolized her whole life! She had to look away and hide her muzzle behind a hoof to hide her huge, dorky smile.
Rapidfire turned to Spitfire. "So, does that mean she'll join the squadron soon?"
"Totally!" answered Spitfire without hesitation. Rainbow's cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much. "I even planned for her to replace you once she's done with her training."
"To be honetht, she could even replace you, Thpitfire."
Spitfire turned to Rainbow and gave her a thorough look up and down. "Hmm... nah, she's not sexy enough for the calendars."
They all burst out laughing, and somepony shouted about needing a drink, so Spitfire invited Rainbow to come with her fetch some. From the way she gleefully accepted, Soarin guessed she was eager to be away for a few minutes. Probably too much all at once for her, he thought as he watched the two mares make their way through the crowd.
"She's a little uptight, ain't she?"
Soarin tore his gaze away to focus on Rapidfire. "She's not like that usually. I think she's just nervous."
"Well, we're counting on you to loothen her up, then!" said Fleetfoot, winking at him with a smirk.
Soarin raised a brow. "Why me?"
Fleetfoot and Rapidfire exchanged a look. For Celestia's sake, thought Soarin, what are these guys up to? He squinted his eyes at them. Did Spitfire say anything to them? Did she ask them to help her hook me up with Rainbow?
Soarin decided to try and put a stop to this right now, "Listen, guys. I understand that you just want to help, but I'd like if you would quit it about Dash and me."
Rapidfire turned back to Soarin, looking at him with a raised brow. "Dude, come on, we're just joking here. What are you so tense about?"
Soarin frowned and stared Rapidfire up and down trying to figure out if he was messing with him, or if he was really oblivious. He guessed it was the latter and said, "What did Spitfire tell you?"
"Spitfire? What about her?" said Rapidfire, raising a hoof up into the air.
Soarin leaned back in his seat, brushed away a strand of mane that fell on his face, then said, "Spit' got in her head that I should date Rainbow."
Rapidfire giggled at that. "Oh really? She's still playing that game?"
Soarin sighed heavily and dropped his head in his hooves. "To my dismay..."
"Don't be like that!" said Fleetfoot. "At leatht she chose well. Dash's quite pretty, to be fair."
Rapidfire nodded with a grin. "Yeah! She's still young too, right? I bet she's even still a virgin," he said, wiggling his eyebrow with a wicked grin.
For a second, Soarin could only sit there, flabbergasted. Thankfully, Fleetfoot reacted quickly, leaning over the table to slam a hoof in her coltfriend's muzzle. As he whined and held his face in his hooves, she just ignored him and went on, "Hey, Soarin, did you thee the match yethterday? The Redcoat qualified."
It was then that Spitfire finally came back, followed shortly by Rainbow Dash and saying in a sing-song voice , "And here comes the booze!" She stopped when she noticed Rapidfire holding his face in pain, then shook her head. "Again? Rapidfire, what did you say this time?"
It had already been two hours since they had sat down at this table. The Wonderbolts had shared a few drinks and jokes and had a great time together. Sadly it was time for Fleetfoot and Rapidfire to get up and leave.
"Come on, you're leaving already? Stay a bit! Just one more drink?" said Spitfire with pleading eyes.
"Sorry, Boss," said Rapidfire, "We've got to hit the sky early tomorrow; we promised to visit Fleet's parents."
Spitfire rolled her eyes and groaned. "Ugh, fine. Say 'Hi' to your dad from me, Fleetfoot."
"Will do. Have fun, guys!" Fleetfoot said with a wave and a smile.
The pair walked off, quickly disappearing among the other patrons of the pub. The pub was a bit more packed than earlier and the music had grown in volume. A few tables had been pushed aside to allow ponies to dance, adding to the bustle of the place.
"So, are you going too?" asked Rainbow.
Spitfire shook her head. "Nah, I'm feeling like having fun, tonight. What about you, Soarin? Wanna have 'fun'?" she said, shooting him a sly grin and discreetly tilting her head in Rainbow's direction. Sitting next to Spitfire, the oblivious and grinning mare was focused on Soarin.
Soarin chuckled and said, "I'll stay, but I'm having plenty of fun as it is right now, thank you."
Spitfire's smile didn't deflate, but at least she didn't tried to make any more innuendo. "Whatever. Hey, I need a refill. Should I get you guys something?"
Casting a glance in his mug, Soarin realized that he was about to run dry. He nodded to his friend in confirmation. "Yeah, bring me another."
Rainbow looked unsure, but eventually nodded too. "Great!" said Sptifire, clapping her hooves. "I'll be right back!" With that she left, making her way to the bar.
Soarin emptied what was left of his drink, then motioned toward Rainbow Dash with his muzzle to get her attention. "You don't have to get yourself sick, you know? If you don't feel like drinking anymore, that's fine."
She jumped a bit at that, babbling some unintelligible words. She was fast to regain her composure though, puffing out her chest and making a vague motion with her hoof. "What? Sick? Me? Pfft! Don't worry, I don't get drunk. Never."
With a smile, Soarin gently set his mug back on the table. "I don't doubt it. You should try out their cider, though. It's not as good as what your friend does, but it's still good stuff."
She seemed hesitant at first but then shrugged. "Yeah, maybe… but just because you insist!"
"Of course, Dash." Soarin nodded, then changed subject completely, "Say, you didn't talk much about yourself tonight - that's quite unusual to be honest. What have you planned for this weekend?"
"Oh y'know, the usual. Training, look at the hoofball final, maybe hang out with my friends... only cool stuff, totally."
Soarin raised a brow. Rainbow was obviously pulling a small lie here, he could tell for sure. And not only because the final was scheduled for tuesday and not this weekend, but also because she'd stuttered a bit. He leaned back in his seat and grinned at her. "Oh, yeah, the final. Who's playing again?"
Rainbow winced and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. "Uhhh, the Greencolt, and, the uhhh..." She was looking left and right, her eyes searching for the cutie marks of ponies around. "The thunder... cloud? Yeah, the Thunderclouds! Can't wait for this match. It's gonna be a blast!"
To not burst out laughing was a real challenge for Soarin. Rainbow was a terrible liar. "Hm, weird. I thought it was the Redcoats."
"Oh yeah, of course it's the Redcoats! My tongue just slipped, is all," Rainbow said, looking more and more uneasy.
"And I'm pretty sure the Thunderclouds ain't a team."
"Ok! Ok! I lied, I'm not really interested in hoofball. I mean, I like to play, but watching is just boring."
"Why lie?"
"Well it's just that- No, I mean- Ugh! Alright, I admit: I'm gonna go with Twilight to Daring-Con!"
Soarin raised a brow at Dash's antics. She acted like he was torturing her, but really, he just was looking at her.
Three pints filled to the brim landed on the table, appearing just as suddenly as a grinning Spitfire. "Drinks are served!" she said as she took her place. "So what's up, guys? What did I miss?"
Soarin pulled his own mug toward him and said, "Rainbow here just told me about her plans for this weekend."
"Oh, really? What did you planned?" asked Spitfire, turning to Rainbow, ears pointed forward.
Rainbow Dash mirrored Soarin and grabbed her mug, but took a swig before answering, "I'm going to Daring-Con."
Spitfire let out a soft chuckle. "What, that Daring Do aficionados gathering down in Manehattan?"
Soarin shook his head. "No, that one's DangerCon. Daring-Con is in Canterlot. It's the first time this year."
"Wow, nerd alert!" Spitfire was looking at his friend with wide eyes, much alike Rainbow Dash. "I didn't know you were into this stuff!"
"I'm a stallion full of mystery, Spit'. Don't think you know everything about me yet." Soarin shot her a grin then raised his drink to his lips.
"Bullshit! I know everything about you, Clipper. You're not really into Daring Do, admit it," she said, pointing an accusatory hoof at him.
With a smile, he shrugged. "True, I'm not that much of a fan." At that, Rainbow seemed to deflate a bit. She sighed, shoulders and ears slumping a bit. "I just know about the con because I read about it at home. I did read some of the books, though."
Rainbow's ears shot back up. She leaned forward, and propped both hooves on the table as a smile appeared on her face. "Really? Which ones did you read?"
Searching through his memory, Soarin tapped his chin and started to list out. "The Eternal City of Clouds, the Crystal Crown, and the Sapphire Stone."
"Of course you read the Quest for the Sapphire Stone!" said Rainbow, waving a hoof in front of her. "Everyone has read it!"
"Well, to be honest, I read it too," said Spitfire, nodding, "I didn't read any other, though. It wasn't bad but, eh, it's not my jam."
"That's fair, I suppose. Not everypony has the same taste. For each one their own book," Rainbow said. She took her mug and drank a bit, before noticing Soarin's gaze on her. "What?"
"I reckon I don't know you that well, but that really sounded too wise for you, Dash," he said.
Rainbow chuckled. "Yeah, that's something Twilight says sometime."
The three pegasus talked some more, their conversation drifting from Daring Do to books in general, then to sports, flying techniques, history, and finally to politics. At this point the discussion got quite lively, and they decided by common consent to drop the topic before somepony came to blows. They went back to sports for a while.
As Soarin was trying to explain to Rainbow the appeal of golf, Spitfire emptied her drink and said, "Okay, if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna leave you for five minutes. I need a pit-stop." With a wave, she got up and wobbled to the restroom.
Soarin watched her go, chuckling as he saw her lean on a pillar to keep her balance. Spitfire never was much of a heavy drinker. He’d had to carry her home more than once as she often tended to drink to the point of not even being able to fly. By the looks of it, he might have to do it again tonight. Soarin shook his head, then brought his mug to his mouth. When he lowered his drink he saw that Rainbow was looking at Spitfire, too. She turned back to him and giggled stupidly.
"Dude, she's so drunk!" she said. Rainbow was slurring a little, revealing her own state of drunkenness. Soarin didn't made any comment though, starting to be a bit light-headed himself.
"And she's just getting started, trust me," Soarin said, smiling.
Rainbow glanced to the side at the other ponies around, seemingly deep in thoughts. "Uh, Soarin? You guys often do that? Get drunk, I mean?" Seeing Soarin's reaction, she quickly added, "I-I'm not implying that you guys are alcoholics! I'm just surprised! I thought that, being top athletes and all, you would avoid that sort of stuff, y'know? I mean I won't lie, I'm quite fond of AJ's cider - the hard stuff - but-"
Soarin laughed and raised a hoof to interrupt her. "No, no, I get it. We don't get drunk every week, don't worry. You saw Fleet' and Rapid', they just had a single beer and then they had a soft, remember? I think Spit' and me are the only ones that drink that much..." Soarin dwelled a bit on that statement, thinking back to Spitfire. Now that he was actually thinking about it, maybe his friend was indeed drinking too much? He'd have to talk with her about it, probably. Shaking his head, he went on. "I know it's a bad habit, but we're still young and, truth be told, we're far from being the most reasonable ponies," he said with a wink.
Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. "Uh? What do you mean? You guys are super reasonable. What with the rules, the safety, all that?"
"On duty, off duty, Dash," said Soarin, "Most ponies are very different depending on the context you meet them. Just look at Spitfire."
"I suppose you're right," Rainbow said, tapping a hoof to her chin.
"Yeah, you should meet some ponies outside of the field, you'd be surprised! Also, bonding is important, but I don't think I have to explain that to you."
"Yeah, true." Rainbow raised a hoof to rub her neck. She shifted her gaze to the right of Soarin, and smiled weakly. "Well, now that you say that, maybe you'd like to join me and Twi' tomorrow? Going together to Daring-Con? We could hang out a bit. Outside of work, and all that."
Soarin looked back at her, his brows slightly raised. He considered the offer, then said, "Well, why not? As I told you, I'm not too much into it but... that could be still fun?" He smiled too, as awkwardly as Rainbow. He wasn't really interested in the con, but he had nothing else to do for the weekend, and he couldn't really reject her offer after his little speech about bonding. Hanging out with Rainbow and the Princess would probably be enough fun, anyway.
"Really? You'll come!?" Rainbow's smile was threatening to split her face in half. It was quite communicative.
Soarin nodded. "That’s what I said. Maybe not the whole day, but I'll definitely come for a couple of hours."
"Oh, colt, this is gonna be so awesome!" Rainbow was so excited now, she was literally trembling on her seat. "Rumor says A. K. Yearling will be there undercover! And they'll make an announcement! We don't know yet what it will be, but many think it's about that movie they hinted at last year."
"They plan to do a movie?" asked Soarin.
"What, you didn’t know? Damn, there’s so much to tell! Where do I start…"
Once Rainbow was started on the subject, it was an uninterrupted flow of informations. She was squeaking in excitation about every detail she shared with Soarin. He could finally speak when she took a pause to breathe and wet her throat. From then the two exchanged a bit and soon found another common interest: action movies. They exchanged for a while before the discussion finally died down, and now both were just looking around, or fiddling with their empty mugs.
"She's not coming back," Rainbow said, commenting on Spitfire's absence. She left nearly an hour ago, but the conversation with Rainbow was - surprisingly - so pleasant Soarin hadn't really noticed.
He cast a quick glance at the surroundings, then shrugged. "She probably met somepony and is having a drink with them now."
"Probably," said Rainbow, still trying to spot Spitfire. She quickly gave up and shrugged. "Well, I'm feeling a bit tired anyway, I should go home and get some sleep."
"Sounds like a good idea, indeed," Soarin said, nodding. "Get some rest, you'll need it tomorrow."
Rainbow pointed a hoof to him. "What about you?"
"Don't worry, I won't be long either," said Soarin with a reassuring smile.
Rainbow grinned. "Cool. See you tomorrow then?"
"Tomorrow."
Rainbow trotted off, giggling drunkenly as she disappeared in the mob. Soarin stayed there for a couple of minutes, then decided to leave, too.
As soon as he stepped outside the bar, Soarin felt a fresh breeze across his face. He realized only now how hot it’d been inside. The sudden coolness of the air felt pleasant against his fur. He walked for a bit on the cloud until he reached the edge and sat. The sun had set already so he couldn't see much beside the distant lights of Ponyville and Canterlot. It didn't matter to him, as he was more interested in the sky above. He kept it to himself most of the time, but Soarin prefered Luna's quiet nights over the bright and bustling days of Celestia.
After a few minutes of stargazing, Soarin heard the door of the pub open once again. The sounds of bustling activity reached his ears, as well as a recognizable throaty laugh. He turned his head in time to see Spitfire stumbling out, hugging an unknown mare to her side with a wing. She noticed Soarin looking at her and stopped. From where he was, Soarin couldn't hear them but he saw his friend pull apart from the mare and say something. She looked upset until Spitfire leaned to kiss her on the cheek, almost but not quite meeting her lips. The two mares exchanged a few last words before the unknown pony took flight. Smiling, Spitfire trotted as best as she could to Soarin. She tripped and fell next to him, Soarin jumping to catch her before she could slip beyond the edge.
"Sweet Celestia, Spit'! You could have fallen!" he said as he helped her to sit straight.
Spitfire, eyes slightly crossed and grinning like a filly, playfully jabbed a hoof at him. "Don't worry, Soarin! I know they'll always be someone to catch me if I fall, be it you or the ground." She giggled and pulled her friend closer.
Soarin shook his head. "Very funny. I get you had your fun? Who was she?"
Spitfire shrugged. "A fan. Didn't plan to end the night with her anyway. And you? I saw Rainbow leaving, never saw her smiling that much!"
It was Soarin's turn to shrug. "She's cool. She invited me to join her at that con tomorrow."
"And?"
"I'll go. I'm not sure if it will go further, though."
"Aaw, why not!?" Spitfire pushed Soarin, making him almost lose his balance and fall.
Soarin let out a groan and shot her a glare. "Stop that, would you? She's not my type, I told you already!"
"But you two seemed to get along so well! And come on, you both look cute!"
"You're drunk, Spit'."
"Affirmative." she said with a nod. "But that only makes me say the truth, and you know it!"
Soarin didn't answer, opting instead to silently look at the sky. Spitfire then leaned toward him, putting her face close to his. Soarin frowned when their cheeks made contact, Spitfire grinning more and more.
"You like her." she said in a sing-song voice.
Soarin threw his hooves in the air, pushing her away in the process, and let out a groan. "Argh yes! I like her! Are you happy?"
"No," Spitfire said. She fell on her back but didn't try to get up. She simply raised a hoof and slid it under her head for support and looked at her friend with a scowl. "What's the matter then, Soarin?"
"About?"
She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you want to try and be with her? There's no reason not to: she already has a crush on you, you two have common interests, you know each other already. Actually I should list the reason for you to not go out with her, the list would be much shorter!"
Soarin frowned, but didn't answer. Instead he looked down at his hooves and kept silent.
"Well?" said Spitfire, kicking him lightly in the rump.
He took a few more seconds to think before he spoke, "I don't know where to start."
"Take your time, bud'," she said with a smile.
Soarin took a deep breath that he slowly let out. "Okay. My date, yesterday, it went well. Very well."
"It did?"
"Yes. But I turned her down."
Spitfire opened her mouth, but all she managed to get out was, "Uh?" She shook her head then rubbed a hoof over her muzzle and said, "Soarin, I need an explanation."
"I'm sorry, Spit', but I don't think I know myself what I really want. I j-"
"What, you're gonna tell me you're afraid of commitment?" she asked, interrupting him.
"Actually-" He paused, hoof raised in front of him, then shrugged. "Well, maybe? Not quite? I just don't want to end up with the wrong pony. And..."
"And what? Come on, spill the beans, don't make me get it out of you!"
"I don't want to be tied up!" Soarin finally said. "I want to be free, to do what I want, when I want. I don't want to feel restricted or have to make compromises just to keep the other happy! Just look at Rapidfire! He has to go see Fleetfoot's parents tomorrow, even if he doesn't like them."
"But he does like them."
"What if he didn't? Do you think he would simply say 'Sorry, love, but your parents are complete schmucks and I can't stand them, go see them alone I'll stay home and watch hoofball.'?"
Spitfire chuckled at the poor imitation of Rapidfire's voice. "Right, but that's a part of the things you have to deal with, and not everypony has bad stepparents."
"That's my point though!" Soarin said, tapping one of his hoof in the other, as if he was pointing to a line on a clipboard. "I don't want to deal with that, Spit'. Call me selfish, but I care about my own tranquility. I'm still young enough to party, to spend my bits on stupid hobbies and enjoy life how I feel like!"
"But why did you subscribe to that dating service then?" said Spitfire, flailing her hooves in the air with a scowl on her face.
"I don't want to be alone either." he said, this time much more quietly. Spitfire propped herself on her elbows to better look at him. She was about to talk but Soarin beat her to it. "I know I'm not that young either, and I fear that if I don't pick somepony quick, I may be alone for the rest of my life. On one hoof I want to be free of any responsibility and to live my life like I want, but on the other hoof, I know I won't be young forever, and that I'll need to settle down someday."
Soarin made a short pause, then continued, "I'd like to have a colt, actually. Or a filly, I don't mind much. I just want to know that there will be somepony to remember me when I'm gone."
Spitfire just glared at him for a minute, and Soarin looked back. They stared at each other in silence, until Spitfire simply let herself fall back on the cloud. "Dude, I- I'm too drunk for that right now, sorry."
"I know," Soarin said, turning his head back to the sky above them. "But that's why I'm telling you. Maybe you'll forget everything by tomorrow. I just needed to let it out."
"I'm not sure. I'm still feeling quite lucid. More or less." She tried to get up, but hopelessly fell on her back again. She held a hoof to Soarin, and said, "Help me up."
He complied and grabbed her hoof, pulling her back on all four. Spitfire was wobbly though, and Soarin had to rush to her side to help her stand still. "Easy, you alright?"
Spitfire was sweating, and had started to breathe through her open mouth. "I'm good for now," she lied, "I'll go home and rest."
"I'll carry you, don't worry."
She didn't protest when Soarin flew above her and picked her up by the barrel. "Thanks, Soar'."
He didn't answer and just flew in the direction of her home. It was a five minute flight from the pub, he could easily support their weight for that distance.
"You know what you need?" said Spitfire as they were nearing their destination.
"No, what?"
"You need a friend," she said, "I mean, you need a marefriend, but she must be a friend, you know? Like, somepony you can hang out with, have fun, and share hobbies with. Like, make a marefriend that's a friend before a mare. You get it?"
Soarin looked down at her friend. She was looking up, staring deeply right in his eyes, and their noses were millimeters apart. Soarin blushed and babbled, "W-Who are you t-talking about?"
"Soarin, are you serious?" she said. He simply stared, saying nothing. "Rainbow Dash, of course!"
He looked back up and rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, of course, what was I thinking."
"I swear, you can be so dense a times!" she said as Soarin landed them both in front of her cloud house.
"Sorry, I'm tired. You have your keys?" he said, looking at the closed door.
Without a word, she walked to the door and plunged her head in the floor, sending puffs of clouds flying away. She raised back from the cloud with the key in her mouth. "Yep!" she managed to say through her clenched teeth.
Soarin smiled. "Fine. Don't forget to take a bucket with you before going to sleep. Good luck for tomorrow!"
"You too, buddy. See you soon."
The two pegasi exchanged a last smile. Spitfire entered her home, while Soarin took fly to go back to his.
