Several hours after experiencing the rainboom, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash remained on the hill where they had landed. Spitfire's joyous tears had long since dried, as had Dash's chest, and soon after, the both of them had laid side by side on their backs to watch the night sky.

For a while they reclined in silence, simply listening to the gentle whistling of the wind through the grass and the soft chirp of the crickets. Spitfire's hoof found its way over to Rainbow's, gently resting on top of it. The weather manager blushed lightly from the contact, her head turning to face the Wonderbolt.

"Hey, Spitfire?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah, Dash?" Spitfire turned her head to face Rainbow.

"Where are we going with, um, this?" She motioned between them with her free hoof.

Spitfire took a breath and hummed quietly.

"Honestly, Dash, I have no idea," she replied quietly. "And to be honest, that kinda frightens me."

Rainbow scoffed. "I can't imagine anything really frightening you. You're a Wonderbolt!"

Spitfire chuckled. "We're just normal ponies, Dash, and everypony is afraid of something. My brother, Rapid, is terrified of spiders, Soarin can't stand deep water, Misty won't get within ten meters of a clown. We've all got our own issues."

Rainbow nodded in understanding.

"So," Spitfire turned to Dash, "what are you afraid of?"

"I'm…I'm terrified of letting anypony down," Rainbow conceded softly. "That's why I got so messed up at the Best Young Flyers competition a couple years ago."

Spitfire nodded, easily understanding that sentiment.

"What about you?" Rainbow asked.

"Well," she sighed as she decided how to phrase it. "Had you asked me four or five years ago, I would've said that my biggest fear was snakes."

Rainbow smirked, recalling Twilight's reaction to the—admittedly—unsettling reptiles. "But what about now?" she asked.

Spitfire remained quiet for several long seconds before she sighed quietly. "After my big breakup a few years ago..." She spoke in a deliberate pace, keeping her voice level. "...I was kind of a mess for a while after that. Once I finally crawled out of the slump I was in, I decided that I wouldn't ever let anypony hurt me like that again."

Spitfire looked into Rainbow's eyes so the younger mare wouldn't misunderstand her. "What I'm afraid of, Rainbow, is falling in love with another pony who's only going to break my heart again."

Rainbow nodded slowly, understanding at least to some degree how the Wonderbolt felt. "What was her name?" Dash asked quietly.

Spitfire sighed, her eyes drifting to the night sky. "Zephyr," she answered, her voice scarcely more than a whisper.

"What was she like?" Rainbow asked, hoping she wasn't pressing Spitfire for too much information.

Spitfire smiled nostalgically. "Well, she was a pretty quiet girl when we first met, which was back in high school. Shy, kind, bit of a bookworm, and she had a beautiful singing voice."

"What does she do?" Rainbow asked curiously.

"Well, I don't know what she does now," Spitfire answered wistfully, "but when we were together, she was a teacher for primary school."

"She sounds like she was a great mare," Rainbow concluded with a gentle smile.

Spitfire nodded. "She was."

Rainbow let the silence between them linger for a few long moments while she collected her thoughts. "Hey Spitfire?" she asked gently.

"Yeah, Dash?" Spitfire replied, turning her gaze from the sky to her companion.

"Was it worth it?" she asked softly.

Spitfire chortled and smiled brightly to Rainbow. "Totally."

"So um… where do we go from here?" Rainbow asked. "I mean, I've had a blast just hanging around with you! It's been like a dream come true." Rainbow smiled brightly to Spitfire. "But, well, I guess I just wanna know if this is something real, or what…" Her voice trailed off timidly.

Spitfire found herself hesitant to answer Rainbow's question. On one hoof she was genuinely uncomfortable with the idea of a serious relationship again; on the other hoof, Rainbow hadn't been what she had expected, nor could she recall the last time she felt quite so comfortable on a date. With Rainbow, it was like she didn't have to be on guard at all times. She didn't have to watch her language or bite her tongue.

She could make a raunchy joke, she could flirt, and she could be herself. Perhaps it was just a side effect of being relieved of duty while she was recovering, or maybe it was something about Rainbow that made her relax like she did when it was just her and Soarin or Rapid. Around Rainbow she felt like she didn't have to be Captain Spitfire, she could just be Spitfire. All things considered, Spitfire felt profoundly confused, and it wasn't a sensation she enjoyed.

Her mouth opened several times to speak, but each time she failed to find the words she needed. Rainbow watched her patiently, the young weather manager's expression patient and understanding, mostly because her mind was full of a very similar fear and confusion.

'It's been so long since I've let anypony get this close,' Spitfire mused. 'Is it worth getting hurt again? What's the point if it's only gonna last a couple months. But…but will it end in a couple months? Does it have to?'

"Honestly, Dash," Spitfire started slowly, "I have no idea where this is gonna go."

Rainbow nodded slowly, her ears sinking slightly.

"But," Spitfire continued, catching the cyan mare's attention, "I'm willing to give it a try if you are, just as long as we can be still be friends later if it doesn't work out." She smiled to Rainbow.

Rainbow returned the smile happily and nodded. "Definitely!"

"Great!" Spitfire exclaimed.

"So, um… what are you doing Friday?" Rainbow asked hesitantly.

Spitfire put her hoof to her chin and hummed loudly. "Well, I think I've got to watch some grass grow in the park, then there's some paint I could watch dry. Um, let's see now, what else was there…" She tapped her hoof against her forehead and grumbled loudly.

Rainbow left hoof covered her mouth as did her best to suppress her giggles.

"Oh yeah, a whole lot of nothing!" Spitfire exclaimed happily. "How about you?"

Rainbow folded her forelegs over her chest and pursed her lips. "Well, after I spend the day whipping the cloud pushers into shape and training the new lightning wranglers, then I should have the whole weekend free. Well, barring any weather emergencies." She gave a light smile.

"Well then," Spitfire pushed to her hooves with a little grunt, arching her back in leisurely stretch, "how about you meet me outside of my hotel at six and we'll paint this town red."

"Sounds like fun to me," Rainbow agreed, climbing to her hooves as well.

Spitfire smiled, silently cursing the faint blush that was building in her cheeks from the next question she had to ask. "So, Dash…uh, do you mind giving me a lift back home? It's kind of a long walk from here," she said with an awkward chuckle.

Rainbow laughed sheepishly as she looked at the distant city of Manehattan. There wasn't much of a doubt in her mind that if they walked it would be dawn before they made it back to their respective hotels. Rainbow crouched low and spread her wings.

"All aboard the Rainboom Express," She said with a grin.

Spitfire laughed as she carefully climbed onto Rainbow's back. "As amazing as it was, I think you might want to avoid a rainboom for this trip; I don't think the city would appreciate that kind of wake up call at this hour."

"You got it, boss." Rainbow saluted with a hoof before taking off with a gentle flap.

As Spitfire nestled herself onto the weather managers back, and idea popped into her head. Discord himself couldn't have stopped the smirk that spread over her lips as she leaned to Rainbows ear.

"I do love a good slow ride," she whispered in her most sultry voice.

Rainbow sputtered, losing all sense of coordination. Their flight ended less than ten feet from where it started, with Rainbow facedown in the grass and Spitfire not much further away. The Wonderbolt clutched her sides as she laughed herself senseless.

"Oh wow…" she wheezed, "I—I'm sorry!" Spitfire apologized through fits of laughter.

Rainbow kept her face pleasantly buried in the grass. The cool ground felt quite lovely against the inferno that was burning in her face. Spitfire managed to eventually calm herself down and, after catching her breath, she walked over to Dash and patted her back gently.

"You alright down there?" she asked with a gentle smile.

"Rainbow Dash isn't here right now," the weather mare answered with a flop of her hoof. "Please leave a message and she'll get back to you later."

Spitfire chuckled as she lay beside Rainbow and nuzzled the younger mare's head. "Alright then, my message is this." She pressed her lips to Rainbow's cheek.

Rainbow's body went rigid from the contact. She let the kiss linger for several long seconds before she pulled away. Rainbow slowly lifted her head from the ground and gazed at Spitfire. Her cheeks were tinted red as cherries, eyes were wide in surprise.

"What?" Spitfire asked with a knowing smile. "If we're gonna date, I'm gonna do that sometimes."

Rainbow stared at the Wonderbolt dumbly for a moment, her mind stalled for an intelligent response. Her eyes shifted from left to right as she pondered the statement.

"…Which part?" she asked after a minute.

Spitfire opened her mouth to answer before promptly snapping it shut and considering the question. She had been referring to kissing, but—in fairness—she did have the unfortunate combination of a big mouth and a dirty mind.

"Probably both," she admitted with a sheepish grin.

Rainbow seemed to weigh the information in her mind before shaking her head with a soft chuckle. After a moment, she climbed up and returned to her crouched position, wings spread.

"Once more, with feeling?" she asked, her cheeks still flushed red.

Spitfire climbed on her back and stole a light nuzzle. "Whenever you're ready," the Wonderbolt said when she had a good grip.

This time, Rainbow was able to take off without any unexpected interruptions from her passenger. She flew at a relatively casual speed. She couldn't go too slowly as she did want to get at least a little sleep before she had to get up for work, and unlike Ponyville, where she could afford to sneak a few naps in during the day, the Manehattan team required her undivided attention. That said, as they flew into the city, she realized she didn't want night to end. Even if Spitfire could mortify her in seven words or less guaranteed; it just felt good to be around the older mare.

The city below them was fairly dim, only the warm glow of the gas lamps that lined the streets illuminated the empty streets. Rainbow spotted a few ponies walking here and there, usually with a companion. For the most part, the city was asleep. All too soon, Dash had arrived at Spitfire's hotel, and with a palpable feeling of disappointment, she landed in front of the lobby, allowing her passenger to slip off of her back. She shivered slightly as the cool night breeze replaced the older mare's warmth.

Spitfire slipped beside Rainbow and pulled her into a close hug. "I can't thank you enough for letting me experience the rainboom, Dash. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

Rainbow blushed brightly as she returned the hug. "You're welcome."

Spitfire slowly released Rainbow from her embrace and smiled again. "See you here, Friday at six?"

"I'll be here!" Rainbow answered happily.

"Great!" Spitfire exclaimed, giving Rainbow one last hug. "Fly home safe."

Rainbow nodded once, silently holding her regret that the evening had come to its inevitable end. As their hug broke, Rainbow took flight back to her hotel room. The night had left her with a lot to think about.

As for Spitfire, she couldn't stop smiling as she walked up to her room. The night hadn't gone at all like she had thought it would, though she couldn't find much fault with how it had worked out. To her knowledge, she was now the second pony to have experienced a rainboom, albeit from a decidedly second-hoof role.

She made a note to talk to Dash about it more after she had some time to process the experience. It was still so fresh, so vivid, so unreal that she could scarcely believe that she had even been there herself. No pony she had ever dated had left her feeling quite so giddy. Then again, it seemed highly likely that Rainbow was the only pony physically capable of accomplishing such a feat. Spitfire had never heard of acceleration like that, and she certainly wasn't capable of it on her own, even if her wings were in perfect health.

With a sigh, she flopped onto her bed and relaxed. If she closed her eyes she could almost hear the wind roaring past her ears. She could still see that moment when the barrier shattered. That miniscule instant when the world had turned silent and white. She smiled as she relaxed in her bed, regardless of how things developed between her and Dash, it had been a night she would treasure for the rest of her life.

The next morning, Spitfire slept in until nearly ten in the morning. After a quick shower, and another daring raid on the complimentary breakfast in the lobby, she decided to go visit her brother and Soarin. She wondered if any of the team had noticed the rainboom last night. She couldn't imagine that many ponies missed it, but if she was lucky, then perhaps the team had been in one of the clubs and hadn't seen it.

Spitfire snorted and rolled her eyes. "Fat chance I'm that lucky," she groused.

With a spring in her step, she trotted to the Manehattan stadium. Upon arrival, she was greeted politely by the earth pony security guards that were watching over the backstage areas. After a quick walk through the halls, she found the entire team assembled in the main meeting room, and in the midst of debate that, if the look on Arcus' face was any indication, was rapidly getting heated.

The team had divided into two groups: Soarin, Rapidfire, Misty, Surprise, and Lightning Streak were opposed by Fleetfoot, Blaze, Silver Lining, Fire Streak, High Winds, and Wave Chill. Between them was Arcus, who happened to look up from the papers in front of him and noticed Spitfire.

"I'm telling you," Fleetfoot growled at Soarin, "if she's in town we need to seize on this opportunity!"

"For the last time, Sergeant," Soarin emphasized Fleetfoot's rank, "that is not going to happen."

The familiar sound of clashing egos triggered Spitfire to slip back into her command role. With a sharp whistle and a stomp of her hoof, she attracted the attention of everypony.

"Alright, everypony sit down and shut buck up!" She stalked towards the table.

Everypony at the table, except Arcus and Rapid, shrank in their seats as the former Captain approached. Arcus didn't bother to hide his smirk, the old pegasus reclined slightly, intent on enjoying the show. Similarly, Rapid looked like he was torn between amusement and terror.

"Now, somepony explain to me exactly what this nonsense is about," she stated firmly, making eye contact with every Wonderbolt at the table.

"Didn't you see it last night?" Fleetfoot balked.

"You're gonna need to be a bit more specific. I see a lot of things in a day," Spitfire replied dryly.

"The rainboom over Manehattan, around midnight," Blaze interjected softly.

"Alright, now what is all the arguing over?" Spitfire asked.

"If she's really in Manehattan, then we should find her and ask her directly to teach us the rainboom!" Fleetfoot exclaimed.

"We don't know if she's even staying in Manehattan, and even if she was, then it's none of our business," Soarin interjected, casting an irritated glare at Fleetfoot.

"It's totally our business!" Fleetfoot growled. "We can't keep relying on the same tricks over and over again; we need to step up our game before next season. What would be more spectacular than six Wonderbolts performing six rainbooms for the season opener?"

"Or if we can't master the rainboom itself, surely we could at least learn some new techniques to incorporate into our practice. It might even improve the shows overall."

"Or we might learn nothing and just alienate the most promising pegasus we've seen in years!" Soarin shot back.

"Okay, that's enough for now," Arcus stated flatly. "Everypony take a break, get something to eat, and cool down a bit. Captain, Lieutenant." He turned to Soarin and Rapid, "I'll meet you two in the kitchen. Start another pot of coffee while you wait."

"Yes sir," both stallions answered simultaneously, backing out of the room.

Soarin shot Spitfire a particularly apologetic glare as he passed her. Rapid merely nodded, knowing better than to ask about her date in front of Arcus. Once the doors clicked shut behind them, Arcus motioned for her to have a seat. Spitfire suppressed a nervous gulp and took her seat near the aging stallion.

"Good timing," he commented softly, his hooves sorting the paperwork in front of him.

"You get what you pay for, sir." She smiled.

Arcus smiled and quirked an eyebrow. "So you're saying that I could've prevented years of tardiness by not paying you? I'll have to remember that trick."

"…Touché," she pouted.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"Alright. Just bored," she answered honestly.

"Keeping yourself out of trouble?" he asked, his eyes watching her keenly.

"I do my best," she replied. "I stumbled into Red Top the other day on accident; managed to get out of that without compromising anything."

"So I heard. Good job," Arcus complimented her. "What are you doing to fill your time?"

"Uh, just, you know…walking around the city, catching movies. That sort of thing," she answered, suddenly getting the familiar feeling that Arcus was a griffon trapped in the body of a pegasus.

"I see," he said as he nodded slowly. "Is she an earth pony, a unicorn, or a pegasus?"

"Wai—what?!" Spitfire balked, her heart skipping a beat and her face heating up.

"You never speak in vague terms unless you're hiding something, Spitfire. I taught you that when you first joined the team," he calmly noted, "which tells me that you've either started dating again, or you're thinking about dating somepony."

Spitfire fidgeted in her seat, her silence saying everything to him. After a minute, Arcus sighed and rubbed his temple with a hoof. "Just be careful," he said, his tone gentle and almost fatherly.

"I will sir," she answered.

"Before you go," he continued, "what's your opinion on the rainboom situation we've found ourselves in?"

Spitfire thought about her experience the night before, how overwhelming the sensation had been: the fear, the euphoria, even now it was still too much to process.

"I don't know, Arcus." She sighed. "I think I'm with Soarin on this one. I'd rather leave Rainbow Dash alone and let her apply in her own time later than accidentally scare her away from us forever."

"I see. Thank you for your input." He nodded. "Oh, and please stop by the kitchen and check on Soarin before you leave. Between your brother, Fleetfoot, and Blaze, I think he might tear his feathers out," Arcus said with the barest hint of an amused smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Spitfire nodded and waited a moment before she got to her hooves and made for the kitchen, her heart racing the whole way there. Arcus was good at his job for many reasons, chief among them being that he was nearly impossible to fool. The popular joke/rumor in the locker room said that he used to work for the Equestrian Intelligence Service as an undercover spy. Spitfire tended to believe he was the only one amongst them with the sense to not get hammered during an afterparty. Drunken Wonderbolts were not known for their ability to keep secrets.

Upon arriving in the kitchen, Spitfire found herself momentarily stunned by the sight that greeted her. Rapidfire was standing on his rear hooves, leaning casually against the kitchen counter. Tucked under his left foreleg was a bag of Marshmallows, which he was eating in slowest, most sultry manner he was capable of, shooting Soarin his most dashing eyes. Conversely, Soarin was sitting by the opposite counter by the team coffee pot, which was just starting a fresh brew, and glaring daggers at Rapid.

"What in the actual buck are you two doing?" Spitfire said with a bemused laugh.

"Heya, Spits, want a marshmallow?" Rapid grinned broadly. "I offered Mallow one, but he told me to buck off." Rapid pointed to Soarin and faked a pout.

"Enjoy your future diabetes," Soarin grumbled.

"Will you two just buck and get it over with." Spitfire chuckled.

"Hey, speaking of buckin'." Rapidfire tossed the bag of marshmallows onto the counter and trotted up to his sister, "how'd your big date go?"

Spitfire blushed and made sure the door was closed tightly before she motioned both Rapid and Soarin closer.

"Well, um, that rainboom last night?" she started skittishly.

"Did you scare her off that ba—OW!" Rapid yelped as spitfire lightly smacked his shoulder. "Meanie," he pouted.

"I was riding on her back. She took me through a rainboom," Spitfire revealed quietly.

Both stallions gasped loudly. Rapid grabbed her shoulders excitedly. "Oh my gosh! What was it like? Was it awesome? I bet it was awesome!"

Soarin pushed Rapid off of Spitfire, excitement gleaming in his emerald eyes. "What was it like, boss?"

"It was…it was…" Spitfire sighed; words simply couldn't adequately convey the rainboom. "It was indescribable," she confessed, "It-It's like... I don't know. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before."

"Whoa," Soarin started, the large pegasus practically bouncing in front of her, "cool enough to leave you speechless. That takes talent, boss." He grinned.

"How does she do it? Do you think she'd actually teach us?" Rapid asked, his excitement nearly palpable.

Spitfire sighed dejectedly and shook her head. "Guys, I… I don't think there's another pony alive that could pull off the rainboom. She can accelerate faster than Fleetfoot, and she's got more raw power then you do, Soarin."

"W—what?" Soarin balked, his whole posture sinking.

"No way," Rapidfire huffed. "There's gotta be some trick to it that we can figure out."

Spitfire laughed bitterly. "No, Rapid. I was on her back, I—" She paused as both stallions began giggling like young colts. "Oh shut up you perverts."

"Excuse me?" Rapid laughed. "You're like, the princess of the pervs!"

Spitfire facehooved. She couldn't deny her own hypocrisy, much as she wanted to.

"I was right there," she sighed. "There was no trick. It was just... her."

Spitfire sighed again, and waited for the two stallions to get the laughter out of their systems.

"So then, are you two done?" Rapid asked.

"N—no," Spitfire answered coyly. "I'm gonna see her again Friday."

Rapid and Soarin exchanged a worried look.

"So are you two, like, gonna go steady?" Soarin asked.

"I…I don't know. Maybe?" Spitfire kicked at the floor uncomfortably.

"What happens when the rest of the team finds out? I mean, it's gonna happen someday," Rapid postulated.

"Fleetfoot and Blaze will get their feathers in a twist," Soarin said with an annoyed sigh.

"I'll deal with them when I have to." Spitfire rubbed her temple with a hoof.

The prospect of having to argue with Fleetfoot was never a fun idea. The blue-coated mare was one of the most talented and passionate flyers in the team's history, unfortunately, she was well aware of her skills, and wasn't afraid to push the boundaries if she thought she could get away with it. Spitfire tended to tolerate it. At least Fleetfoot had the team's best interests at heart most of the time. But when it came to Rainbow Dash, Spitfire felt oddly protective.

"Speaking of those two," Spitfire used the opportunity to change the topic away from her romantic life, "how are you holding up, Soarin?"

"Uhg," the stallion groaned. "You can have your job back, I don't want it."

Spitfire laughed softly. "Tell you what, why don't the three of us go hit the bar after quitting time and you can tell me all about it." Spitfire smiled.

"Who's buying?" Rapid asked learily.

"Eh, whoever passes out first," Spitfire said with a shrug.

"We should totally bring Silver Lining." Soarin giggled.

"He doesn't drink," Spitfire pointed out with a smirk.

"Exactly!" Soarin grinned. "One hard cider and it's open tap for the rest of us."

Spitfire patted Soarin on the shoulder and smiled broadly "I've taught you well."