The Band of Loyalty

"I'm impressed," chuckled Soarin, placing a hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "Not only did you somehow convince Spitfire to let you participate in events right away, but she made you the star of two shows without a second thought. Seriously, what'd you do to be put in such good graces?"

"I just talked to her," laughed Rainbow nervously. "It wasn't a big deal, really."

"No big deal?" Soaring laughed as he grabbed two plates of lemon cream pie from the table. "I thought for sure she'd have you scrubbing the academy latrine until it sparkled, and instead, she's fawning over you as if you were her own child. Whatever you said, it really struck a chord with her."

"I suppose so," smiled Rainbow, reaching for one of the plates.

Soarin jerked the plates away. "No, no, these are both for me."

It had been awhile since Rainbow had worked with Soarin. She'd forgotten his luck ritual of not eating before a show, and eating a lot right after. The team's psychologist had written in his report that Soarin probably saw it as a means of earning his reward. Their nutritionist had made a comment that performing on a full stomach would make him sluggish, and while it was better to start with breakfast, the larger meal at the end would help him rest up for the next day. She'd also noted that a healthier option would be preferable, but he couldn't resist.

Rainbow grabbed her own plate and fork. "I guess she just likes me."

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear you two were sleeping together."

Rainbow gasped mid-bite, nearly choking on her food. Soarin patted her on the back to make sure everything settled, but it proved unnecessary. It wasn't long before Rainbow regained her composure. "Why would you say something like that?"

"It was just a joke," chuckled Soarin. "I didn't mean anything by it. The way you reacted, though, I wouldn't be surprised if..." Suddenly, Soarin's eyes went wide, and he covered his gasp with his hand. "You really are, aren't you!?"

Rainbow covered his mouth with her hand and scowled at him. As her eyes shifted around the room, she saw that everypony was looking at them. "This is neither the time nor the place for that kind of accusation. We'll talk about it later, okay?"

Soarin nodded and stepped back. "I'll hold you to that. In the meantime..." he walked away, gazing lustily at his pie.

Rainbow finished her dessert and made her way to the nearest lavatory, locking the door and checking the stalls. When she was sure she was alone, she sat down. "I told you that putting me at the lead right away would lead to suspicions, King. I asked you to be patient."

"I've been patient long enough," purred King, still reveling in the adoration he'd been given this week. "Though I suppose I should give you some amount of trust in this. After all, you are beginning to hold up your end. Do you think this is going to cause us problems down the line?"

Rainbow shook her head. "I don't know. I don't think Soarin's going to say anything, but I have to tell him something."

"You're not going to tell him the truth, that's for sure," answered King. "Make something up."

"Not much I can make up now that he'd believe," grumbled Rainbow. "I've already spilled enough beans that he knows what's cooking."

King smiled. "I know one way to shut him up."

"No," pleaded Rainbow. "No more. I want my friends to come back, losing more just adds to my burden. I'll talk to him, okay? I'll figure something out. I've proven myself trustworthy with this, right?"

There was a pause as King considered Rainbow's loyalty. He was about to answer when there was a knock on the door. "I'll give you until tonight to come up with something. If I don't like your answer, I'll silence him myself."

Rainbow nodded and stood up. Unlocking and opening the door, she found that a small group had formed. "Sorry, I needed a bit of privacy for a moment," chuckled Rainbow, squeezing past them. "Didn't mean to block you all out."

The flight home was easy for the other three Wonderbolts in their formation. Soarin was hoping for an explanation, and Rainbow was trying to come up with one. When they landed, she still hadn't said anything, and as the others dispersed to their rooms for the night, Soarin wrapped his arm around Rainbow's shoulders. "Well," he smiled, "We're alone now. So tell me about you and Spitfire. Are you really knocking boots?"

Rainbow blushed and looked away. "I don't want to talk about it right now. It wouldn't be fair without Spitfire present. How else would she protect herself from foul rumours?"

"Oh, come on, Rainbow. When you put it that way, I can't help but infer what's really going on. You can't keep it hidden forever. And the longer you hide it, and as she keeps giving you the best roles in as many assignments as possible, the more powerful the strike you'll receive from internal affairs."

Rainbow had considered that. It wasn't ideal. If Soarin went to them, not only could it stop Rainbow from performing, they could replace Spitfire with somepony else. That would not do very well for her. She'd once again have to beg for a spot, if she was even still involved with the Wonderbolts, or have King indoctrinate the new commander.

"Look, if you want to know what's going on, you can ask Spitfire tomorrow. I have to go fill her in on how this event went down. She needs to know that we pulled in more than double our projections so she can plan ahead for our next show. I'm sure that if you asked nicely, she'd be willing to give you a leading position in the next show, but right now, I need you to drop this. If, after hearing what she has to say, you still want to bring it to internal affairs, I'm not going to stand in your way."

Soarin gave her a final pat on the shoulder before smiling and walking off.

"On the other hand, I have no qualms about standing in your way."