Fleeting Romance

by Sketchy Changeling

First published 19th of October, 2013

A human college student meets one of the Wonderbolts. Can they hit it off? Will it last?

Cory's a human transfer student at Canterlot University. His parents pay all of his school expenses while he pays for food and living expenses. He's got a decent job and he splits his bills with his roommate, so he's living relatively well. The only problem is that he doesn't know what to do with his life. He's meant for something more, he knows it, but he can't figure out what it is.

Fleetfoot is a member of the elite flying team, the Wonderbolts. She isn't as popular as Spitfire and Soarin, but she doesn't mind that one bit. She loves being a Wonderbolt, she really does, but she feels like something's missing.

When these two cross paths, will they hit it off? If they do, will it even last?

Supporting characters include Spitfire, Soarin, and Gaffer from the MLP comics.

Cover art by me.

NOTE BEFORE READING: This story takes place within the same universal context as my previous story, in which the human and pony worlds have been in contact with each other for a few years.

Chapter 1: Who Are the Wonderbolts?

“YAAAAAAAAAAAWN!!!!”

The human boy let out that terrible sound as he woke up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. After slowly getting out of his bed, he made his way to the curtains. He took a deep breath and prepared for the morning light to hit him like a pile of bricks. The human opened the windows and instinctively flinched, but found that the light wasn’t too bright this morning thanks to the clouds in the sky. He sighed in relief and started to make his way downstairs, but took a quick look in the mirror before leaving his room.

He had bags under his greenish-blue eyes, which was an unnatural color for someone of his dark complexion. A good breakfast and shower should take care of those bags. The human scratched through his short, black hair and proceeded downstairs, where his roommate, a unicorn stallion, was making breakfast. The unicorn had a light brown coat with sections of cream colored fur on his forearms, his hooves, and running down the middle of his face, including his horn.

“Morning, Cory,” he said.

“Morning, Gaffer,” said the human. “I thought it was my turn to make breakfast today.”

“Yeah, but remember when you made breakfast last week, even though it was my turn?” he asked.

“When you overslept? Yeah, I remember,” Cory answered.

“Well, I’m making up for the deficit,” Gaffer said with a smile.

“Thanks, man,” Cory said with a smile.

“No problem,” the unicorn said, smiling back and handing him a plate. Cory and Gaffer walk over to the couch and turn on the TV.

“Ugh, local news on a Saturday morning?” the human said with an exaggerated tone of boredom. “Change it!”

“Hold on!” Gaffer said. “Check out the headline!”

Cory raised an eyebrow and looked at the headline Gaffer was referring to. “Wonderbolts Arrive in Canterlot?” he read with a questioning tone. In the short two months that he’s lived here, Cory’s heard the name of the famous flying team several times in idle conversation. Judging from the way ponies talked about them, he assumed that they were kind of a big deal.

“They must be here to train for the national racing event in Vanhoover,” Gaffer surmised.

“And that is…” Cory asked. He had never paid attention to sports in the human world, and he was even more out-of-touch with sports from the pony world.

Gaffer chuckled. “Oh yeah, I forgot you’re still new to Equestria,” he said. “Basically, every year, one city in the country hosts an annual flying competition between the best flying teams. Last year it was in Las Pegasus, and this year it’s in Vanhoover.”

“Okay…” the human said, starting to get the gist of it. “So why are the Wonderbolts in Canterlot when the competition is in Vanhoover?”

“Well, the competition isn’t for another two months, and none of the other teams have taken advantage of the state-of-the-art training facilities that Canterlot has, so they most likely wanted to take care of that before any of their rivals do.”

“Oh, now I get it,” said Cory. “Can we watch something else now?”

“Equestrian sports don’t tickle your fancy?”

“NO sport tickles my fancy.”

Gaffer chuckled as he gulped down the last of his breakfast and stretched out his arms. “So, got anything planned for today?” he asked.

“Not necessarily,” Cory answered. “It’s Saturday, so I don’t have any classes. I do feel like getting some fresh air, so I might go out for lunch and maybe even catch a matinee movie.”

“Wish I could join you, but I’ve got to go to a meeting in an hour,” said the unicorn. “I’m meeting with some executives to discuss that trading card game we’ve been working on.”

“Sounds like fun,” said the human.

“Not when you’re in the development stages,” Gaffer corrected. “At this point, we’re just discussing target demographics, game rules, production costs, all the boring shit.”

“Meh, that doesn’t sound too bad,” Cory said.

“If you say so,” Gaffer replied. “I’m headed upstairs to get ready, and then I’m out. Don’t burn down the place while I’m gone.”

“That joke gets old after the eighty-seventh time,” said Cory.

“Screw you,” said Gaffer. “My jokes are awesome!”

“Whatever floats your boat, pal,” the human chuckled. Gaffer simply rolled his eyes at him and went upstairs.

Cory sighed as he was left alone in the living room. He thought to himself how lucky Gaffer was to have the kind of job he had. The guy didn’t know how good he had it. Gaffer was working for a game design company at twenty-four years old, while Cory was a nineteen-year-old transfer student at Canterlot University with an undeclared major, working at a comic book store on the weekdays to make money.

The one good thing about Cory’s situation was that his parents were paying for school, so the only expenses he had were food and living costs, which he had split with Gaffer. His folks would even send some extra money for him since school in Equestria was much cheaper than any school in the human world.

All in all, Cory’s situation wasn’t bad in any sense of the word, but he still felt like it was lacking. He still had yet to figure out what he wanted to do with his life; he was stuck in a rut.

A few hours later, after Gaffer had long since left the house, Cory got ready to go out for the day, since it was better than staying cooped up in his house. As he stepped out into the early afternoon sun, he wondered what he should do to pass the time.

His rumbling stomach answered that question.

“Lunch it is, then,” Cory said to himself. “I could probably go to that diner that Gaffer took me to once. Bite of Heaven, I think it’s called. Now if I can remember where it is…”

Cory shrugged his shoulders and continued on his walk towards the diner, figuring that he’ll remember where it was along the way.

“Hey, Fleetfoot!”

“AGH!”

THUMP!

It was earlier that same day at Garden Ridge, one of Canterlot’s most renowned hotels, and somepony was woken up from her nap a little earlier than she wanted to be.

“What is it, Spitfire?” Fleetfoot said groggily as she lay on the carpeted floor.

“You’re taking a nap when we just got here?” her captain said.

“Well, being hounded by the news at eight in the morning takes a lot out of me,” Fleetfoot retorted as she stretched her arms and wings before getting up off the ground. “Besides, the beds here are really comfy, so how could I not take a nap.”

Spitfire sighed. “Well, you got a point there,” she admitted.

“I know, right!” said Fleetfoot. “They have velvet sheets, too! They’re sooooo smooth!”

“Yeah, you can’t go wrong with velvet- HEY! Don’t change the subject!” Spitfire yelled, figuring out what Fleetfoot was trying to do.

The smaller mare shrugged her shoulders and scratched an itch in her snow white mane. “So, Captain, if I may ask,” she said with mock respect, “Why have you disturbed my slumber?”

The golden-coated mare chuckled. “Well, Soarin, Rapidfire and I are headed to the gym for some conditioning, and I figured that I should offer my roommate an invitation.”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” said Fleetfoot. “We just got here this morning, and I think I’d rather spend my first day with some R and R.”

“Suit yourself,” said Spitfire. “I’m only going because I can’t trust Soarin’ and Rapidfire alone. You know how those two can be.”

“That’s very leader-like of you,” Fleetfoot laughed, “taking on foalsitting duty like that.”

“It’s called ‘taking one for the team’, Fleetie,” said the captain, receiving a playful punch from her teammate.

“Don’t call me that!” she said. “You know I hate that name!”

“Really?” I can never tell from the way you always chuckle when I call you by that name.

“Get out of here before the colts leave without you,” Fleetfoot teased.

“Fine, fine. Since you want me out so badly,” Spitfire pouted as she left the room.

Fleetfoot sighed to herself as she stretched again, getting all the kinks out of her, sky blue-coated body. She and Spitfire were always close, even though Spitfire was a year ahead of her in school. They were the two original members of the Wonderbolts, with Spitfire being its founder and Fleetfoot being its first recruit. Soarin was next, followed by Rapidfire, then Blaze and their most recent member, Misty Fly.

Even though Fleetfoot was Soarin’s senior on the team, Soarin was the most well-known member, next to Spitfire, of course. While Fleetfoot was the smallest and the fastest of the Wonderbolts, she had the lowest endurance, which was Soarin and Spitfire’s specialty. Because of this, she was usually the anchor of the races, or in laypony’s terms, “the last pony to race”. Fleetfoot was perfectly content with her position on the team, though. She still had a decent number of fans, and it wasn’t like she was an unimportant member of the team. She was responsible for putting new recruits through speed training in order to whip them into shape. Misty Fly still had those infamous drills fresh in her mind. Compared to other twenty-three-year-old mares, she had it pretty good.

“Well, I guess I can’t go back to my nap,” Fleetfoot thought to herself. “I can never go back to sleep again once I wake up.” She made her way to the window, which had a nice view of the Canterlot city square. “It is a nice day today. Maybe I’ll go out for a bite to eat.” She thought of the chances of being stopped and asked for an autograph.

“Meh, I think it’s safe,” she thought. “Most of the Wonderbolt fans are probably flocking to the gym to see Spitfire and Soarin, with Rapidfire being a bonus.”

With her plan set in her mind, the pegasus went to take a quick shower before getting dressed and heading out. As she walked down the hall, she spotted a mare with a yellow coat and a medium length blue mane walking in the opposite direction.

“Hey, Misty,” said Fleetfoot.

“Hi, Fleetfoot,” she said. “You trying to catch up with Spitfire and the boys?”

“Nah, I’m gonna take it easy today,” Fleetfoot replied. “I’m heading out into the city to get something to munch on.”

“Oh, in that case, there’s a really great place that opened since we were here last!” Misty Fly said enthusiastically. “It’s called Bite of Heaven. It’s a small diner not too far from here.”

“Really?” Fleetfoot asked, intrigued. “How far is ‘not too far,’ Misty?”

“When you leave from the hotel’s main entrance, make a right and walk three blocks. It’s right on the corner,” she explained.

“Thanks for the recommendation, kid.” Fleetfoot said. “Looks like having a member that grew up in Canterlot is more of a benefit than we thought.”

“When are you and the other’s gonna stop calling me ‘kid’?” asked Misty.

“It’s a Wonderbolt tradition,” the older mare explained. “The most recent member is called ‘kid’ until somepony else joins. Soarin had to go through it, too, y’know.”

The younger mare sighed. “In that case, I can’t wait until that Rainbow Dash filly becomes part of the team, then we can call her ‘kid’.”

“You’ll get used to it, Misty,” Fleetfoot chuckled. “Well, I’d better get going while all the fans are still flooding the gym to see Spitfire and Soarin.”

“Good call. Better haul flank, then,” she said.

“Later, kid,” Fleetfoot said as she parted ways with her. She smiled to herself as she walked away. She always found it ironic that she called all the new recruits “kid” when she’s always been the smallest Wonderbolt. Even Misty Fly was taller than her, and she was three years younger than her. If anything, Fleetfoot should be the one called “kid,” or some other nickname that reflected her size. She didn’t mind it, though. After all, what she lacks in size, she makes up for in speed.

Fleetfoot left out the front entrance of the hotel, following the directions given to her by Misty. As she got to the corner of the first block, she bumped into somepony that was walking in the other direction, the impact knocking them both back and staggering them a little. After getting herself together, she realized that the pony she bumped into wasn’t a pony at all, but a human. He had a dark complexion with contrasting bluish-green eyes and short, dark hair.

She looked at him.

He looked at her.

“Sorry about that,” they said simultaneously.

Author's Notes:

It fees nice to write a fresh new story. Let me know if it feels just as nice to read one. You know the drill. Comment, favorite, like, all that good stuff, and stay tuned for the next chapter!

Chapter 2: Chance Encounter

The human and the pegasus looked at each other silently for a second before one of them spoke up.

“I guess I should watch where I’m going, huh?” Fleetfoot chuckled.

“Nah, I wasn’t watching where I was going, either,” said Cory. “Wait, you look familiar. Have we met before?”

“I doubt it,” said the mare. “I haven’t met many humans, so I probably would’ve remembered you.” She gave the human a good look and saw that he was as small as she was. She couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Oh,” he said. “Well, you do look familiar… Oh, wait! You were on TV this morning! You’re one of the Wonderbolts, right?”

“Ah, that,” Fleetfoot said, thinking that Cory was another fan. The Wonderbolts had been garnering human admirers lately. “I’m guessing you want an autograph?”

“Oh, no. I wouldn’t want to be a bother,” he said. “Besides, I’m not really into the whole sports scene. I don’t even know the names of any the members.”

“Well, you can start with me,” the pegasus said with a smile. “My name’s Fleetfoot.”

“Nice to meet you, Fleetfoot,” said the human. “My name is Cory. Maybe I’ll see you around while your team is staying here?” With that, Fleetfoot said goodbye to Cory and continued on towards Bite of Heaven. As she walked, though, she got that strange feeling that someone was following her. She turned around to see Cory walking a couple of feet behind her.

“I’m not following you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said.

“I hope not,” she joked. “I wouldn’t want to be followed on my way to the diner.”

Cory’s eyebrows rose at this. “Really? I was heading to a diner, too. Which one are you headed to?”

“Bite of Heaven,” she answered. “One of my teammates recommended it to me.”

“That’s where I’m headed, too,” said Cory. “My roommate took me there once.”

Fleetfoot smiled at him and decided to use this coincidence to keep from having to sit alone at a table. “Wanna sit together? It beats sitting by myself,” she decided.

“By yourself?” Cory asked. “I assumed that you were going there to meet up with your teammates.”

“Nah,” said Fleetfoot. “Some of them are at the hotel and others are at the gym. Apparently I’m the only one that wants to enjoy our time here in Canterlot. So, my offer still stands; wanna sit with me?”

Cory was taken aback by the request. It’s not every day that a celebrity asks you to have a meal with them, let alone so casually. “Oh…” he said apprehensively. “Well, would that really be a good idea? I mean, if anypony saw us together, rumors of a secret relationship would spread like wildfire.”

Fleetfoot showed a small smile. “Don’t worry, I have the perfect solution,” said the pegasus. She runs her hands through her mane several times so that it’d stay down instead of retaining its wind-blown look. She then took a box of contacts out of her pocket and put the contacts in her eyes, making them appear pink rather than the usual green. To top it off, she put on a set of fake glasses. “Ta-da!” she said.

“Wow,” Cory said, “so even non-unicorn ponies can easily disguise themselves.”

“Yup, all you need is a clever mind,” she said. “Well, let’s go get a table.”

Fleetfoot and Cory walked into the diner and asked for a table. The mare at the front of the establishment raised her eyebrow at Fleetfoot for a moment, but she shook her head and led the duo to a table.

“Oh, man. I thought she saw through your disguise for a sec,” said Cory.

“That hasn’t happened for a while,” said Fleetfoot. “She’s a smart one, that mare.”

“Who are you, James Bond?” he joked.

“Who?” she asked.

“Oh… he’s a fictional character from human films,” Cory said meekly. “Well, that joke went down the drain,” he thought.

“I’m screwing with you, man,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve watched my fair share of films from the human world.”

Cory nervously chuckled. Fleetfoot’s casualness was… disarming, to say the least. She was acting as though she’d been his friend for the longest time.

“C’mon, Cory. Throw me a bone here,” she said. “At least give me a genuine smile.”

“Oh, sorry…” said Cory. “I’m just a little… intimidated, is all.”

“Intimidated? By me?” Fleetfoot asked. “You’re funny. I know I’m a famous flyer, but right now, I’m just a regular mare.”

“Okay, well, how about we try and get to know each other, then,” Cory said, trying to man up.

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” said Fleetfoot. “Since you already kinda know who I am, why don’t you tell me about yourself first?”

“Okay,” Cory said. “Well, I’m a transfer student at Canterlot University, and I’ve been living here for two months.”

“College kid, huh?” said Fleetfoot. “So how do you like Equestria?”

“To be honest, I really like it,” the human admitted, finally getting comfortable. “It’s a lot livelier than my hometown, for sure, and I was really desperate for a change of scenery before the move.”

“Interesting,” said the mare. “Have you declared a major yet?”

“Nah, not yet,” he said. “I’m not really sure what I want to do with my life. I know I’m only nineteen years old, so I shouldn’t rush things, but I just feel that there’s something more out there for me.”

“Nineteen, huh?” Fleetfoot thought. “I think it’d be best if I didn’t tell him that I’m four years older than him. I might intimidate him again.”

“I’m actually kind of jealous of ponies,” Cory admitted.

Fleetfoot was simply just trying to get Cory to relax, but now she was intrigued. “Jealous of ponies?” she asked. “How so?”

“Well, you figure out what your purpose in life when you’re little,” Cory explained. “When you’re a human, finding out what you’re destined to be can end up to be an endless cycle of trial and error. I just don’t feel like going through that cycle.”

Fleetfoot was surprised at what Cory said. It was a perspective that she’d never heard before. Then again, she hasn’t had many conversations with humans, or any other non-pony species, for that matter. After mulling it over for a minute, she finally had a response. “I’d have to disagree,” she said. “I think that half the fun of finding your purpose lies within the search.”

Cory chuckled. “It’s not often that you hear such a profound statement from an athlete.”

“The same could be said for a nineteen-year-old, Cory,” Fleetfoot retorted.

“Well, enough about me and my lack of a life,” he said. “I know you get this question a lot, but what is your life like?”

“Actually, I don’t usually get that question,” she answered. Whenever I make an appearance with the other Wonderbolts, all the questions go to either Spitfire or Soarin. They’re pretty much all most of the fans talk about, aside from the hardcore buffs that know all our stats by heart.”

“I guess it sucks to be the one that doesn’t stand out,” Cory said with a consoling voice.

“Oh, no. It’s nothing like that at all,” Fleetfoot says, waving her hands in front of her. “Sure, Spitfire and Soarin get a lot of attention, but I have my fair share of fans. Besides, neither of them let the popularity go to their heads. We’re all like a big family, a big, dysfunctional family.”

Cory laughed. “Really, now? So I guess it’s not that bad, then.”

“Not at all,” Fleetfoot laughed back. “You know, there’s one thing that not many fans know.”

“And what’s that?” the human asked.

“I was the first pony Spitfire recruited to be on the team,” said the mare. “We’ve been best friends since foalhood.”

“Really?” he said. “That’s interesting.”

“You know, Cory, I’m gonna be honest with you,” said Fleetfoot. “At first, your quietness was starting to bore me, but I gotta say that you’re pretty interesting.”

“Well, that’s not something I hear often,” he said. “What makes you think I’m interesting, Fleetfoot?”

“You’re a guy searching for his purpose in life,” she said with a matter-of-fact tone. “How could that not be interesting? Like I said, half the fun of finding your purpose is the search.”

The waitress finally came and took Cory and Fleetfoot’s orders. She gave Fleetfoot the same look she received from the mare that seated them, and like said mare, she shook her head and walked off.

“I don’t think your disguise is as effective as you claim it to be,” Cory snickered.

“Oh, whatever,” said Fleetfoot.

She and Cory continued to converse over their lunch, and when the bill came, Cory took out his wallet. “It’s only fair that I pay my half of the bill,” he said.

“Nah, I got you. Consider it as a thank you for making my lunch more enjoyable,” Fleetfoot said.

“Oh, I can’t accept that,” Cory said modestly.

“Just shut up and take the favor, kid,” the mare chuckled.

“Alright, alright,” he said. “And where do you get off calling me kid? You can’t be that much older than me.”

“Care to take a guess?” she said as she paid the bill and got out of her seat.

“Most females usually don’t allow guys to guess their age, but I’ll give it a shot,” he said, accepting the challenge. “Twenty-one.”

“Twenty-three.” Fleetfoot corrected.

“Heh, most ladies would just say ‘Yes, I am twenty-one,’” said Cory as he and Fleetfoot walked out of the diner.

“Well, I look the same way now as I did two years ago, so it’s no difference to me,” she said, waving it off.

Cory smiled at the mare. This was arguably the most interesting lunch he’s had since moving to the pony world. “It was nice meeting you, Fleetfoot,” he said. “Thanks for picking up the tab.”

“Don’t mention it, man,” she said. “Thanks for making my lunch less lonely. Oh, and it was nice meeting you, too. Maybe I’ll run into you again sometime, Cory.”

“Maybe,” he said. “See you around.” With that, Fleetfoot and Cory parted ways; Fleetfoot was headed back to the hotel, and Cory headed back to his house.

“Well, I see the house doesn’t look like a war zone,” Gaffer said as he returned home to see Cory playing a video game.

“You really should have more faith in me,” said the human. “I may not be that old, but I’m responsible.”

The unicorn scoffed. “You didn’t stay in here and play video games all day, did you?” he asked.

“No, I also watched TV and took a nap,” Cory retorted.

“Very funny,” said Gaffer.

“Joking aside, though, I did leave to get some fresh air,” said Cory. “I went to Bite of Heaven.”

“By yourself?” Gaffer asked as he took a seat next to his roommate. “You must’ve looked real lonely in there.”

“Actually, I wasn’t alone,” Cory corrected. “There was somepony with me.”

“Really?” the unicorn asked. “Who?”

Cory was about to answer, but then he realized that he was about to tell Gaffer that he went out to lunch with a celebrity. A comment like that would most likely garner some questions from the unicorn, questions that Cory did not feel like answering.

“You don’t need to know her name,” he said.

“Her? You went to lunch with a girl?” Gaffer asked in disbelief.

“Why do you sound so shocked?” Cory asked, feeling a little offended.

“Well, it’s just that you don’t have any female friends here that I know of, so it’s a bit of a surprise,” the unicorn said.

Cory grunted. He really dodged a bullet there. He would eventually tell Gaffer about who he had lunch with, but he’d do that later, when he was more in the mood to play Twenty Questions. In the meantime, he reflected on his afternoon. In contrast to Cory’s usual idea of celebrities, Fleetfoot seemed really down to earth. She also seemed to be pretty insightful, her remark about “half the fun bring in the search” sticking in his mind the most. He wouldn’t mind running into her again. It’d be nice to have somepony other than Gaffer to have a good conversation with.

But she was a famous athlete with a schedule. What were the odds of that happening?

“Ah, that was a good workout!” Spitfire said as she entered her and Fleetfoot’s room, where Fleetfoot was lying on her bed, reading a magazine.

“If you’re trying to get me to feel guilty about not going to the gym with you, you’ll have to try harder,” she said.

“C’mon, Fleetie. You know I’m not like that,” said the captain. “If you didn’t want to go, you didn’t want to go.” She sighed. “You did miss out on an awesome post-workout shower, though. Canterlot Gym has the most awesome showers!”

“You made sure that Soarin wasn’t peeping, I hope,” Fleetfoot said, chuckling to herself.

“You know he doesn’t have the stones,” Spitfire scoffed.

“You wish he did, though,” the smaller mare said, looking up at the larger one with half-lidded eyes.

“Quit doing that,” said Spitfire.

“I don’t see why you two broke up when you both still liked each other,” Fleetfoot said. “I mean, if you both love each other, and there were no complications, then why break it off?”

“There was a complication, Fleetfoot,” Spitfire corrected. “Our careers. We couldn’t have a serious relationship AND focus on our responsibilities to the team.”

“Why not?” the blue pegasus asked. “The main strain on relationships involving athletes is the separation when one of them has to go away for a long period of time. Since you two are on the same team, that problem is nonexistent.”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Spitfire lamented. “There’s also the constant hounding from paparazzi, and whenever we made an appearance while we were together, the questions would always gravitate towards our relationship. With all that in mind, Soarin and I decided to end it before the stress made us say things that we’d end up regretting.”

Fleetfoot sighed. “I don’t know why you two would willingly suffer through that. If you ask me, I’d say that it would’ve worked out.”

“That was one risk that I’m not willing to take,” said Spitfire, her eyes then took notice of Fleetfoot’s discarded contacts case and fake glasses. “Did you go out today, Fleetie?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah. Just went out for a quick bite to eat,” she said. “I ran into this guy and we ended up eating together?”

“Oh really,” the captain said with a raised eyebrow. She took a seat on the bed and got her ears ready. “Spill.”

“He was a human,” said Fleetfoot. “Nice kid, nineteen, college student, and he was a pretty good conversationalist once I got him to open up.”

“Wow. Didn’t take you long to tell me at all,” said Spitfire.

“You’re my best friend, Spit,” said the small mare. “You know there are no secrets between us.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t spend your lunch sitting at a table by yourself,” Spitfire said as she got off the bed.

Fleetfoot chuckled as she thought back to earlier that afternoon. Cory seemed to be a cool guy. He was a nice contrast to Soarin and Rapidfire’s gruff natures. Sure, he wasn’t sure of what to do with his life, but like he said, humans don’t have it as easy as ponies when it comes to that. All in all, Fleetfoot wouldn’t mind getting to meet him again.

But he was a college student with a schedule. What were the odds of that happening?

Chapter 3: What Are the Odds?

“Fleetfoot!? You had lunch with Fleetfoot!?” Gaffer exclaimed in disbelief. It was the day after Cory met the aforementioned mare. He was at work at the comic book store, and he had just told Gaffer who his lunch companion was.

“Will you be quiet?”Cory said with a hushed yell. “This is exactly why I didn’t tell you the first time you asked me. I didn’t want to spend my time answering all your questions.”

“I only have a few,” said the unicorn.

“Well, make it quick,” said the human.

“What was she like?”

“Not what I was expecting. She was really relaxed, almost too relaxed. She was also pretty smart, too.”

“Did you get an autograph?”

“No. I didn’t want to bother her.”

Gaffer looked at Cory with an unamused face. “I swear to Celestia, I almost jumped over this table and punched you in the face.”

“Don’t be such a fanboy,” said the human. “I was lucky enough to have her offer to eat with me and cover the bill out of her own pocket. I didn’t want to push it.”

“Well, you got a point there…” said Gaffer.

Meanwhile, Fleetfoot was walking through the city, undisguised, talking to somepony on the phone. “Remind me again of the name of that book you wanted, Soarin?”

“C’mon, Fleetfoot. It’s not that hard to remember,” said the stallion on the other line. “Kick-Flank 3, Issue#2, Cover Variant #4-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” the mare interrupted. “You actually care about which cover art you want?”

“For collector’s value!”

“Why not just wait for the digest edition with ALL the covers to come out?”

“IT’S NOT THE SAME!!!”

“Alright, alright, chill…” said Fleetfoot. “I’ll get you your precious comic, okay?”

“Thank you,” Soarin said, calming down a little.

“So where’s the comic book store again?” she asked. “I heard they changed locations- oh wait, never mind. I found it.” Fleetfoot found herself staring at the sign for the store. “I’ll call you back when I find it, okay?” she said.

“Alright,” said Soarin.

Fleetfoot entered the store and made her way to the checkout counter. She saw a unicorn talking to a human clerk with dark skin, short black hair, and bluish-green eyes- wait a second.

“Cory?” she asked.

The clerk raised his head and looked at her. “Fleetfoot?” he asked.

“Hey! What’s up! Who knew that you worked here?” she said.

“Yeah,” he said. “I don’t normally work on Sundays, but one of my coworkers called in sick so I had to cover his shift.”

Gaffer simply stood there in awe, his mouth hanging agape. Was Cory having an idle conversation with one of the Wonderbolts? Impossible!

“Oh, this is my roommate, Gaffer,” said Cory. “As you can tell from his idiotic expression, he’s quite the fan.”

“Oh right,” she said, turning to face the unicorn. “Cory mentioned you yesterday.”

Gaffer continued to silently stand there, so Cory smacked him across the face to get his brain working again. “Oh, he did, did he?” he said, finally getting it together.

“Yeah. He mentioned that you were a big fan of the Wonderbolts,” she said.

“Well, I’m a little familiar with you guys, yes,” he said modestly.

“Riiiiiiiiiiiight,” Fleetfoot said with a raised eyebrow. “Would you like an autograph?”

Gaffer tries and nearly failed to contain a squeal, but then he cleared his throat. “Sure, why not?” he said, trying to sound like he wasn’t about to burst with excitement. He took an autograph book and a pen out of his back pocket and handed both items to Fleetfoot. She and Cory both raised an eyebrow at the fact that Gaffer has such items on hand, but they decided not to ask. Fleetfoot signed the unicorn’s book and handed it back to him.

“Thanks,” Gaffer said as he stowed the book and the pen back in his pockets. “Well, Cory, I gotta get going. See you after you get off work, kay?”

“Sure,” Cory said as Gaffer walked out of the store. As soon as the door closed behind him, he and Fleetfoot could see the unicorn jump for joy like a colt that finally got that video game he wanted. He then ran off in the direction of the house, most likely to frame the autograph he just received.

“Your roommate is a trip, Cory,” she said.

“Who’re you telling?” he laughed. “So, what brings you to Canterlot Comics?”

“Soarin wanted me to get him a specific edition of a certain comic. Kick-Flank 3, Issue#2, Cover Variant #4,” she said.

“I think we just got those in stock,” Cory said as he led Fleetfoot to where the comic in question was.

“Can you not give it to me so I can fuck with Soarin and say that you didn’t have it in stock?” she asked. “It’ll totally ruin his day.”

“He wants the book that badly?” he asked in disbelief.

“Oh, you should’ve heard him on the phone!” she laughed. “He was whining like a foal! Before I left the hotel, he went on and on about how much he needed it for his collection.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to cause him that much distress,” Cory said as he took the comic off the shelf. “Follow me to the counter and I’ll ring you up.”

“You’re no fun,” Fleetfoot said, sticking her tongue out at Cory.

“Well, I’d rather make a sale than have you punking one of your teammates,” he said. “I have a job, you know.”

“Point taken,” she said as Cory rung her up.

“Six bits,” he said.

“So Soarin owes me six bits then,” said the mare as she handed the money to him. Cory put the comic in a plastic sleeve, put the sleeved comic in a plastic bag, and handed the bag to Fleetfoot.

“Thanks, Cory,” she said. “Nice seeing you again.”

“Same here,” he smiled.

Fleetfoot smiled and headed towards the door, but then she stopped and turned to look at Cory again. “You know,” she said, “since we’ve run into each other two days in a row, why don’t we exchange phone numbers? It’d be nice to have someone outside of the Wonderbolts to hang out with.”

Cory was a little surprised at this; yet another instance of Fleetfoot’s casualness. Even so, his only friend in Canterlot, in Equestria, even, was Gaffer. Maybe being friends with a Wonderbolt will expand his social circle.

“Uh… sure,” he said as he took out his phone. After exchanging numbers, Cory decided to take a chance, just like Fleetfoot did when she asked for his number in the first place.

“Well, I don’t have work tomorrow, and all my classes are in the morning that day, as well, so if you’re free tomorrow afternoon… you want to catch an early movie?”

Fleetfoot chuckled. “Sure, why not? I’m gonna be training tomorrow morning, so I’ll stop at noon and get ready to meet you around… one-thirty?”

“Sounds good,” Cory said. “See you then.”

Fleetfoot smiled and left the store to head back to the hotel, where Soarin was impatiently waiting for his comic.

“Welcome back, Cory,” Gaffer said as his roommate walked into the house.

“Hey, G,” said Cory. “Did you get your autograph laminated yet?”

The unicorn rolled his eyes. “No, the office supply store was closed for the day.”

“Aww, that’s too bad,” Cory said with a mocking voice. Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket and let out a ring. He took a look at the phone and saw that he had gotten a message from Fleetfoot.

“Just checking 2 make sure u didn’t give me a fake number :)”

Cory smiled and sent a message back:

“I was just wondering if u did the same 2 me. lol.”

“Who was that?” Gaffer asked.

“No one, Dad,” Cory said sarcastically.

“C’mon, tell me,” the unicorn pleaded. “I just want to know who it is.”

“Is your life so lacking that you need to find entertainment in knowing who I’m texting with?”

“Yes, and I have no shame.”

Cory rolled his eyes and walked past Gaffer. “You’re pathetic. I’m heading upstairs,” he said dismissively.

The unicorn smirked and used his magic to take the phone out of Cory’s hands. “HEY!” he said as he dived at Gaffer, knocking them both to the ground. The two of them ended up fighting for possession of Cory’s cell phone. Eventually, Cory was able to pry the phone out of Gaffer’s hands and ran upstairs, only to be tripped by the unicorn’s magic at the halfway point. He tumbled down the staircase and lost his grip on the phone. Gaffer victoriously walked over to Cory and picked the phone up off the ground.

“You dick…” Cory said weakly.

“You should’ve given me the phone the first time I asked,” Gaffer said in a matter-of-fact manner. He looked at the cell phone and his jaw dropped for the second time that day.

“No. Fucking. Way,” he said in disbelief. “You got Fleetfoot’s number!? How? When? Where? Why?”

Cory sighed as he lied on the ground, and answered the questions in order. “Yes, she gave it to me, earlier today, at the comic store, and she wanted someone other than her teammates to hang out with.”

“And she chose you?” asked the unicorn.

“Somepony’s jealous,” the human chuckled.

“Am not!” Gaffer said defensively.

“I guess I shouldn’t tell him that I’m going to a movie with Fleetfoot tomorrow,” Cory thought as he got up off the floor. “Well, now that you know who I was texting, can I have my phone back?”

“Sure, whatever,” the unicorn said as he handed back the phone. “I’m gonna go upstairs.”

Gaffer walked past Cory and headed up to his room. Just then, Cory felt another vibration, this time coming from his stomach.

“I guess I can cook some hay fries in the oven,” he said to himself.

Meanwhile, at Garden Ridge Hotel, Fleetfoot was lying on the floor in her room, clutching her stomach.

“You bitch…” she said weakly.

“You should’ve given me the phone the first time I asked,” Spitfire said in a matter-of-fact manner. She looked at the cell phone and raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Cory?” she asked.

Fleetfoot sighed and decided to tell her. “He’s the human I met at the diner yesterday. He works at the store that I got Soarin’s comic from.”

“So you guys exchanged numbers, then…” said Spitfire. “I guess you guys will be hanging out, then.”

“That’s kinda the point of exchanging numbers,” Fleetfoot said.

“Just don’t’ get distracted, okay?” said the captain. “We have a big day two months from now, and we need to be at the top of our game.”

“I know my responsibilities more than you give me credit for, Spitfire,” the smaller mare said, feeling somewhat offended.

“I’m just saying,” said the larger mare. “I know you’ve been wanting friends outside of the team, but you can’t get distracted. I know firsthand what it’s like to lose focus on what’s important.”

“This isn’t like you and Soarin,” said Fleetfoot. “Cory and I are just friends.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door, both Spitfire and Fleetfoot looked at it with curious expressions. Fleetfoot got up off the floor and went to answer the door. The pony on the other side was a stallion with a gray coat and a white mane and tail that resembled clouds.

“Oh. Hey, Rapidfire,” she said.

“Hi, Fleetfoot,” said the stallion. “You know, I’m free tomorrow after practice, so would you like to hang out with me and walk around the city for a bit?”

“Just us?” the mare asked.

“Well, yeah,” Rapidfire said nervously. “But only because Misty Fly and Blaze are going shopping, and Soarin is gonna be reading his comics over pie, and Spitfire’s probably busy…”

Spitfire raised an eyebrow at this. She wasn’t going to be busy at all after practice.

“I’m sorry, Rapidfire,” Fleetfoot said, “but I’m busy tomorrow, too. Maybe some other time?”

“Sure, just let me know, okay?” the stallion said with a smile.

“Sure thing,” she said as he left. She closed the door and let out a deep sigh.

“So you’re busy tomorrow, huh?” said Spitfire.

“Yeah,” said Fleetfoot. “I was going to catch a movie.”

“With that Cory guy, I’m guessing.”

“No, by myself.”

Spitfire furrowed her brow. “If you’re going by yourself, then why didn’t you just take Rapidfire with you?”

“I enjoy movies better that way,” Fleetfoot said. “Besides, Rapidfire might get the wrong idea.”

“Get the wrong idea? You’re teammates, and it’s not like you guys haven’t hung out before. How could he ‘get the wrong idea’?”

“I don’t know, Spit, I just feel like being alone tomorrow afternoon,” Fleetfoot said, annoyance subtly laced within her tone. She really didn’t want Spitfire to know that she was going to the movies with Cory. If she did, then she’d assume that they were going out, and then she’d get on her soapbox and give her sermon on relationships… again. Thankfully, Spitfire dropped the issue.

“Alright, then,” she said. “We should turn in early so we can get an early start tomorrow morning.”

“Right…” said Fleetfoot. She quietly sighed to herself. I hurt her to lie to her best friend, but it was something she felt that she absolutely had to do. Hopefully her movie would take her mind off of it.

Author's Notes:

Another chapter done. Now, for those wondering "who the hell is Blaze," let me explain. When I had listed the Wonderbolts' names in Chapter 1, I listed a pony named Fire Streak. I wanted Rapidfire and Soarin to be the only males in the group, and I thought that Fire Streak was a mare, but he was a stallion, and I had him mixed up with Blaze, who was a mare, so I went and fixed that in this chapter and in Chapter 1.

Also, I have a question for folks willing to answer. If you've read my previous story, Chaos Next Door, how do you think Cory compares to Eric character? Is he a stronger character? A weaker character? Let me know.

And if you haven't read Chaos Next Door, what the hell are you waiting for? Copy and paste this URL to get up to speed: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/133252/chaos-next-door

Chapter 4: Lectures and Lies

NOTE: For those that read and liked Chaos Next Door, I think you'll like the beginning of this chapter.

“I’m headed off to class, Gaffer,” Cory said as he got ready to leave the house.

“Alright,” the unicorn said. “I have work today until six, so I won’t be home when you get back.”

“Got it,” Cory said, relieved that his roommate would be gone for practically the entire morning AND afternoon, so he’d be able to get home before Gaffer.

“Later,” he said as he left the house and stopped a taxi carriage. “Hopefully, if all goes well, Gaffer won’t find out about this.” he thought.

When Cory got to Canterlot University, he made his way to the lecture hall where his class, Writing 101, was being held. He got there with a few minutes to spare, so there were only a few students there.

“I guess I can catch up on some reading,” he said to himself. He found a seat and got himself comfortable before taking a book out of his bag. As Cory read it, the time seemed to pass by, and before he knew it, everypony arrived to class and the professor was standing at the lectern. He was a human, one of the few human members of the faculty, at that. He was a middle aged, light-skinned man with brown hair and a beard, and a stocky build. The professor cleared his throat before he began to speak.

“Good morning, class,” he said. “As opposed to my normal lecture, I have brought in a visitor to speak to you, instead. He is a recently published author, and he’ll be telling you about his experience in the field of writing.”

Cory looked up from his book when he heard this. At that moment, another human walked up to the lectern. He was pretty skinny, like Cory, and had fair skin and medium-length black hair. He couldn’t tell his eye color from where he was sitting, though. They looked to be brown. But Cory wasn’t sure.

“Please welcome Mr. Eric Quincy,” the professor said as the class applauded for Eric. Cory recognized his name and looked down at the book he was reading, and sure enough:

“Chaos Next Door, by Eric Quincy,” he mouthed to himself.

“Thank you, Professor Gordon,” Eric said as he took his place at the lectern. “This is my first time presenting to a college class, so bear with me if I mess something up. I’m looking at a lot of you, and you’re not that much younger than me. I’ve been a published writer for six months now, and it’s been a really interesting experience. When I was growing up, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Even through high school, while my classmates were talking about what they wanted to be, I had no idea in the world what I was going to do.”

If Cory’s interest wasn’t piqued already, it certainly was now. Eric went through the same identity crisis that Cory was going through. “I wonder how he got out of it,” he thought.

“By the time I went to college, I was an undeclared major, and I was totally lost,” Eric continued. “I felt like I was wasting my time as well as my parents’ money.

“I know that feeling,” Cory thought.

“Then one day, I had to do a creative writing project for a class I was taking, and when I started writing it, the words seemed to just flow, like I had a natural talent for it. By the time I had finished the story, I felt the need to write more, so I did just that. I ended up declaring my major in Creative Writing, and the rest was history.”

Eric went on to talk about his experiences in the writing business, but Cory’s mind was stuck on Eric’s backstory. They both went through the same struggles with trying to figure out what they wanted to do, and it gave Cory hope. Maybe he’ll find his purpose soon enough.

By the time the class was over, it was eleven-o-clock, and Cory worked up the bravery to go up to Eric and ask him something.

“Excuse me, Mister Quincy,” Cory said.

“Just Eric is fine,” he said.

“Eric,” Cory corrected himself, “I’m kind of going through the same rut that you went through, and I’m not entirely sure what to do about it. So I was wondering-”

“If I could help you figure out what to do?” Eric said for him. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Cory?”

“And how old are you?”

“Nineteen,”

“Well, Cory, here’s my advice to you:” said the author. “When I found my passion for writing, I didn’t search for it; I let it come to me. You’re still young, man. If you spend your time searching for your passion, you’ll end up more lost than ever. Just relax and let it come to you. You’ll know it when you see it.”

Cory let Eric’s advice sink in for a moment, and then he looked up at him with a smile. “Thanks, Eric.”

“No problem,” he said with a smile. “Want me to sign your book?”

Cory blinked, then looked at the novel in his hand. “Oh, yes. Thank you,” he said gratefully.

“Don’t mention it,” said Eric as he signed the book and handed it back.

Cory smiled as he received the book back from Eric. At that moment, he finally felt at ease about his future. It wasn’t because he found his purpose, but because he knew it would come to him eventually.

Meanwhile at Canterlot Fitness Center, the Wonderbolts had just finished their training session. Fleetfoot purposely took it easy that day so that she wouldn’t be too exhausted and fall asleep during the movie she’d be watching later. She was hoping that nopony would notice, but…

“Hey, Fleetie.” Spitfire said as she and the other mares on the team left the changing room.

“Yeah, Spitfire?”

“I noticed that you weren’t at the top of your game today,” said the captain. “Something the matter?”

“I dunno,” Fleetfoot lied. “I guess I just wasn’t feeling it, today.”

“Alright then,” said Spitfire. “I’m sure you’ll get it out of your system by the time the competition comes.”

“Right,” Fleetfoot said, letting Spitfire believe what she wanted to believe. “Well, I’ll see you guys later. I gotta go,”

“Go where?” Rapidfire asked out of nowhere, frightening Fleetfoot and the other mares, but mostly Fleetfoot.

“Oh, well… I’m going to do that thing I told you about last night,” she said.

“Well, you didn’t actually tell me,” he corrected. “You just told me you were busy.”

“Yes, I am very busy, so I’m gonna go now before I’m late for that thing I’m doing,” Fleetfoot said in a hurry before rushing out the gym. Spitfire sighed as her teammate left. Fleetfoot was normally an honest mare that rarely kept secrets, but now she’s doing nothing but keeping secrets. Something told Spitfire that it had something to do with this Cory guy that Fleetfoot mentioned, but it was still too early to tell.

“Man, Rapidfire. If you were thirsty, you could’ve just asked for some water.”

“Shut up, Blaze.”

Meanwhile, as Fleetfoot left the gym, she decided to walk back to the hotel instead of flying. She had just finished an intense workout session; the last thing she wanted was to injure her wings. When she made it back to Garden Ridge, she tossed her workout bag next to her bed and looked in the mirror. She was wearing a white tank top and sweatpants. While she wasn’t going on a date, she still wanted to look decent. She decided to exchange the sweatpants for some jeans. Fleetfoot then looked at herself again, and noticed that her mane was a little messy. Nothing would be wrong with combing it a little, right?

“Why am I fussing over my appearance?” Fleetfoot thought as she combed her mane. “Cory and I are just friends, and it’s not like he’s expecting me to make myself look pretty.” After deciding that she looked decent enough, Fleetfoot let her mane down, put in her contacts, put on her fake glasses, and headed out to meet Cory at the movie theater.

“Why am I so concerned with how I look?” Cory thought to himself. He was in the restroom at the movie theater, giving himself one of many once-overs in the mirror. He had on a hoodie with a T-shirt underneath it and a pair of skinny jeans, and he was debating on whether or not he was underdressed. “Fleetfoot and I are just friends. She shouldn’t care how I look, so why do I feel like she will care?”

After finally deciding that what he had on was enough, Cory washed his hands (despite the fact that he was only looking in the mirror) and walked out of the restroom. He made his way back to the ticket counter, where he saw Fleetfoot walk in. Both of them were looking at the clothes the other was wearing.

“Thank God. She went for the casual look, too,” Cory thought.

“Hey,” she said as she met up with Cory. “How goes it?”

“Pretty good. Can’t complain,” he said. “So why don’t we look and see which movie we want to go to?”

“Sure,” she said as they perused through the list of movies. While Cory was looking up at the list, Fleetfoot’s eyes wandered over to him. “Thank Celestia. He didn’t dress up too well,” she thought, and then she noticed the skinny jeans that he was wearing. She couldn’t help but look at how they hugged against his legs, not tight enough to suffocate him, but tight enough to give the mare a rough idea of his shape. Her eyes trailed from his ankle all the way up to his butt, and her wings started to twitch a little before slowly opening up.

Despite the busy scene, Cory heard the soft sound of Fleetfoot’s wings opening and turned to see what it was that brushed his shoulder. Realizing that she was at full mast, the mare averted her eyes before Cory could turn and look at her. He saw her looking up at the movie list nervously, arms crossed. He gave a questioning look and asked a question that Fleetfoot was not expecting.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“What?” she asked back, surprised at the question.

“Your arms are crossed, and your wings are stiff,” he said. “That’s what pegasi do when they’re cold, right? I can lend you my jacket, if you want.”

Fleetfoot gave him an incredulous look. “Is he serious?” she thought. “Does he really not know what a wingboner is? Well, he’s only lived in Equestria for two months, and his roommate is a unicorn, so it’s not like he had anyone to tell him…” Rather than tell him the real reason her wings were spread stiff, she nodded her head and accepted Cory’s offer, taking his jacket and putting it on. “Thanks,” she said.

“No problem,” he said. “So, what do you think about the movie in theater four?”

Fleetfoot looked up at the movie in question. “Kick-Flank 2?” she asked. “I remember the first one, and it was pretty good, so I think it’s a good idea.”

“Alright then,” Cory said as he and Fleetfoot walked up to the ticket counter. “Two for Kick-Flank 2, please,” he said to the stallion at the counter as he handed him the money. Without even looking up, he pressed a button to dispense the tickets and handed them to Cory.

“Enjoy the movie,” said the stallion.

As Cory and Fleetfoot walked to theater four, Fleetfoot chuckled to herself. “Well, the guy at the counter didn’t raise an eyebrow at my disguise.”

“That’s because he didn’t even look at you,” the human retorted.

“Whatever, Cory,” the mare said with a grunt. “My disguise is awesome.”

“That’s debatable,” he chuckled.

Fleetfoot playfully shoved him as they entered the theater their movie was playing in. The movie turned out to be pretty good. They laughed at the funny bits, got pumped during the action sequences, and felt emotional at the sad scenes. By the time they left, they were convinced that the movie was pretty awesome.

“Wasn’t expecting to like the movie that much,” Fleetfoot admitted.

“Yeah, it was better than the original,” Cory agreed.

“Say, have you ever been to the mountainside spire?” she asked.

“Mountainside spire?” he asked back.

“You mean you haven’t heard of it?” she asked in disbelief. “It’s got the best view in Equestria! I went there the last time the Wonderbolts came to Canterlot and I gotta tell you, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen that view.”

“In that case, I’ll make sure to go there when I have free time,” said Cory.

“Well, if you want, I can take you there right now. It’s still three thirty in the afternoon,” Fleetfoot offered.

“If you insist,” the human accepted. The mare smiled and positioned herself behind him. “Wait, what are you-”

Before Cory could finish his sentence, Fleetfoot wrapped her arms around his midsection and spread her wings. “I promise not to drop you,” she said before taking off.

“Wh-WHOA!” Cory said as he and the pegasus holding him flew through the air towards their destination. Naturally, he was scared at first, but he eventually got a little comfortable with the feeling of flying through the air. While he didn’t like being up that high with the only thing keeping him from falling being Fleetfoot’s arms, he did like the feeling of the wind on his face. When they reached the mountainside spire, Fleetfoot slowly lowered herself to the balcony and let go of Cory once both his and her feet were on the ground.

“So, did you enjoy your flight?” she asked him.

“Not at first, but I thought it was pretty nice by the end of it,” he answered. “You could’ve warned a guy, though.”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time,” the mare chuckled.

Cory looked out to see the view, and he saw that Fleetfoot was right about it. He could see across most of Equestria from there. Granted, he didn’t know the names of the cities and towns since he’d never been outside of Canterlot, but the view was spectacular nonetheless.

“You should be here during the sunset,” Fleetfoot commented, snapping Cory out of his mind. “It’s even more beautiful then.”

Cory looked at Fleetfoot to thank her, but then he noticed something about her. “Hey,” he said, pointing to her mane. “Your hair’s back to the way it was before.”

“Really?” she asked, checking her mane. “Must’ve been from the flying. Oh well, it’s not like there’s anypony here, anyway.” Fleetfoot took off her glasses and removed the contacts from her eyes. Once they were removed, though, Cory noticed how her green eyes shone in the afternoon sun. Even though Fleetfoot wasn’t all dressed up, somehow she still looked… well, pretty. His face slowly started to turn red at the sight of her.

“Why are you blushing?” she asked.

“I dunno,” he lied. “It must be because I’m so high up.”

“That’s not a thing,” she said with a smirk.

“I didn’t know you were a doctor,” he retorted.

“Oh, whatever,” Fleetfoot said. “Well, I’d better be getting back. My teammates are probably wondering what I’m doing.”

“You didn’t tell them?” Cory asked, receiving a shake of the head as a response. “I don’t blame you. I didn’t tell my roommate about our day, either.”

“Want me to fly you down, or do you want to walk?”

“Meh, I don’t feel like walking down this huge tower.”

Fleetfoot smiled and stood behind Cory again, getting a good grip on him and taking off into the air. As they flew to Fleetfoot’s hotel, they both took in the sight of Canterlot passing below them, and they couldn’t help but smile. They landed at the hotel’s front entrance, and said goodbye, parting ways for the day.

That night, Cory was in his room, thinking about what had happened at the mountainside spire, when he blushed at the sight of Fleetfoot’s eyes. He had seen them before, so why did he react that way? On top of that, something in his gut told him that the mare’s wings didn’t go stiff because she was cold. He was filled with mixed emotions, and he wasn’t sure what to do. After pondering it for a while, he decided to call Fleetfoot. Gaffer was asleep in his room, so Cory walked out of the house to the back porch and looked for the mare’s number, just as he was about to call her, however, his phone started to ring.

“Heh, she beat me to it,” he said to himself.

Author's Notes:

So it's official: this story takes place six months after the events of Chaos Next Door. Were you guys surprised to see Eric?

So many emotions, I can't take it! Let me know what you thought of Cory and Fleetfoot's development, and on the chapter as a whole.

Chapter 5: Where We Stand

“Hello?” Cory answered.

“Hey, it’s me,” said Fleetfoot with a hushed voice. “Can we talk?”

“I was just about to call and ask you the same thing,” he said. “Are you alone?”

“Yeah. I’m on the balcony outside my room,” she answered. “You?”

“On my back porch,” he said.

“Good,” said Fleetfoot. “I was thinking about earlier this afternoon, and… I was wondering if you could meet me at the mountainside spire again tonight, if it’s not too much trouble. I’d rather say what I want to say to your face.”

Cory thought about it. It was an odd request, no doubt, to meet up with Fleetfoot at nine-thirty in the night. Then again, he felt like he had to see her in person, too.

“Okay,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll be there. I have something I want to tell you, too.”

Later that night, Fleetfoot made it to the spire first, and she got increasingly nervous as she waited for Cory to arrive. Meanwhile, Cory was on his way to said location. At that moment, they were both having similar thoughts, and similar fears.

I know what I want to tell him…

I just don’t know how to tell her.

What if he gets nervous again?

What if she laughs at me?

Why am I so worried about this, though?

I mean, we’re just friends, right?

But if that’s the case…

…if we really are just friends…

Then why did I invite him to the mountainside spire at this time of the night?

Cory, in particular, was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice that he was near the top of the mountainside spire by the time he was done thinking. He shook his head and continued to the top, where he saw Fleetfoot looking off the edge of the balcony.

“Hey,” he said.

The pegasus flinched and turned around in surprise. “Oh, hi…” she said with some relief. “You made it.”

“Like I said I would,” he said as he approached her. “So, do you want to go first? You seemed pretty urgent on the phone.”

“Well, I made you come all the way over here, so why don’t you go first…” she said.

“Okay…” Cory paused, and then he took a deep breath. “Fleetfoot, after what happened today… I’ve been feeling really-”

“Confused?” she finished for him.

“How did you-”

“I’ve been feeling the same way, Cory,” she explained. “All that’s happened today made me think really hard about my feelings. Remember when my wings were stiff and you thought I was cold?”

“Yeah…” he answered, not sure where she was going.

“I wasn’t cold,” she said. “It’s something that happens to pegasi when they’re… excited…”

“Excited?” Cory asked, confused. “You mean-”

“When you weren’t looking, my eyes kind of… lingered on you,” Fleetfoot explained.

“Oh…” Cory said with a blush. Seeing the red on his face reminded Fleetfoot of another thing.

“That reminds me,” she said. “I know you couldn’t see me, but when I was holding you while we were flying, I was blushing, too.”

“You were?”

“Yeah.”

“So, what does this mean?” Cory asked. “I mean, are we friends, or…”

“I don’t know,” Fleetfoot answered, daring to get closer to Cory. “I mean, I do think you’re a great guy. This is the first time in a long time that I’ve had someone outside the Wonderbolts that I can relate to, so I don’t know if my interest in you comes from that or something else.” She paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not she should say one particular thing on her mind. Deciding that she had nothing to lose, she went for it.

“I do think you’re kinda cute, though…” she said apprehensively, hoping that Cory wouldn’t take offense.

Cory’s face got even redder before he said “I think you’re cute, too…”

“You do?” she asked.

“Yeah, but I’m sure you get that all the time,” he said.

“Not really,” Fleetfoot admitted. “Most of the ‘you’re cute’ comments go to either Misty Fly or Blaze.”

“That’s surprising,” Cory said. “Sometimes, I get a little disappointed when you have to wear your disguise. I really like the way your mane looks normally, and I think that your green eyes are a lot more beautiful than your pink contacts. That’s why I was blushing so much the last time we were here.” By the time he was finished saying this, Cory covered his mouth. Had he gone a little overboard just then?

Fleetfoot looked at him with wide eyes. “You really think so?” she asked, unsure if he was serious or just flattering her.

“Yeah, I do…” Cory said as he looked down at his feet, afraid to look Fleetfoot in the eye.

“Look at me,” she said softly, not wanting to scare him. He complied with her request and looked up at her, and he found himself staring into those green eyes that he found so beautiful. Conversely, Fleetfoot was staring into Cory’s brown eyes. Because they matched his skin tone, his eyes weren’t his most striking feature, but for some reason Fleetfoot got lost in them.

They kept staring at each other; their voices were silent, yet they had so much to say. While their minds were unsure about how they felt for each other, their hearts had somewhat of an idea.

Fleetfoot made the first move. She, albeit apprehensively, wrapped her arms around Cory’s neck, and he made the next move, wrapping his arms around the mare’s waist. They held that position for a moment, each taking in each other’s warmth. Cory savored the felling of Fleetfoot’s soft fur around his neck, while she relished in the sensation of his smooth skin around her exposed sides. They soon started to lean into each other, their lips getting closer and closer…

But at the last second, Cory hesitated and pulled back a bit, still unsure of whether or not this was what he wanted. He saw the surprised look on the mare’s face and decided to try and explain himself.

“Fleetfoot, I don’t know if I-”

Cory’s explanation was halted by Fleetfoot’s lips as she swiftly-yet-gently placed them on his. Her arms pulled him closer to her, making him instinctively reciprocate the action. He eventually closed his eyes, returning the kiss. As the moment went on, many thoughts ran through each of their heads.

Her lips… They’re really soft…

I wonder if I’m the first girl he’s kissed.

I don’t know why, but…

I’m really glad this is happening right now.

Somehow I feel…

like I don’t want this moment to end.

The two finally separate, staring into each other’s eyes again. They didn’t need to say that they liked each other now. The kiss they shared was enough to get that message across.

“I guess we know how we feel about each other now, huh?” Cory asked.

“Uh-huh,” Fleetfoot said with a nod.

“I’m really flattered, you know,” he said. “It’s not often that a guy can say that someone famous has feelings for them. I feel really lucky.”

“Well, I feel pretty lucky myself,” she said.

“How’s that?”

“Well, on the day we met, I was lucky enough to bump into you,” she explained. “Most of the stallions I meet aren’t as sensitive as you. I don’t know if it’s a human thing or if it’s just you.”

“I think it’s just me,” Cory answered, thinking about all the muscle-headed guys he grew up with throughout his childhood.

“I must be luckier than you, then,” Fleetfoot smiled. As much as she wanted to stay with him in her arms and herself in his, she knew that she had to leave him, for now. “I should get going,” she said.

“Me too,” he replied. “I guess I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“Nah, I’ll call you,” she said as she spread her wings. “See you around,” she said before taking off.

Cory looked up at Fleetfoot as she flew away, a smile growing on his face. “Yeah. See you around.”

Even in the dark night sky, Fleetfoot could see the balcony to her hotel room. She lowered herself down, landing gracefully and silently on the floor. Being as quiet as she could be, she slowly opened the sliding glass door and stepped into the room, shutting it behind her just as slowly. She took a glance at Spitfire’s bed. It looked like she was still asleep, and Fleetfoot made an inward sigh. The mare continued to quietly make her way to her bed. She shifted the sheets and began to climb in when-

“Where were you?”

Fleetfoot’s heart stopped for a second when she heard that voice. No way! she thought. I thought Spitfire was asleep. I saw her!

“I heard your voice when you were talking on the phone earlier,” she explained, “but the door was closed so I couldn’t hear exactly what you were saying. If I had to take a guess, though, I’d say it had something to do with that Cory guy.”

Fleetfoot knew that there was no point in lying. “I guess nothing gets past you, huh,” she said.

“I know you don’t want to hear this, especially from me, but I don’t like the sound of this guy,” Spitfire said, plain and simple.

“What do you mean!?” Fleetfoot said, getting offended.

“You’re lying to your teammates just to spend time with him, and then you’re sneaking off at night to see him,” she said, laying out the facts for the smaller mare. “I care about you, Fleetfoot, and I don’t want you throwing your career and your livelihood away just because this guy tells you to.”

“You don’t even know what’s going on, Spitfire!” Fleetfoot said with a hushed yell. “I was the one that suggested our meeting tonight, and we were only just friends until now! He’s nothing like what you think he is. Maybe if you took the time to get to know him-”

“How can I when you’ve never introduced him,” Spitfire argued. “I wouldn’t have to be suspicious if you hadn’t been keeping secrets.”

Fleetfoot growled at the realization that her captain was right. “Alright then,” she said. “In that case, why don’t I introduce him tomorrow, to you and everypony else on the team, and then you’ll see that you’re suspicions were wrong.” She couldn’t help but say that with contempt, and she realized how much she really liked Cory; defending someone against her closest friend in the way that she did doesn’t happen often.

“Alright then,” said Spitfire. “Tomorrow, find out when he’s available, and we’ll plan things out from there.”

“Deal,” said Fleetfoot.

With their confrontation out of the way, the two mares went to bed without saying another word. I’ll show her, Fleetfoot thought as she slowly drifted to sleep. Cory’s nothing like Spitfire thinks he is.

As Cory arrived home, he walked as quietly as he could. While he knew that Gaffer was a heavy sleeper, he didn’t want to risk anything. He crept up the stairs and walked down the upstairs hallway to his room. The sound of Gaffer’s snoring filled the hall. Yeah, there was no way he was gonna wake up.

At least, that’s what Cory thought until he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground with a thud.

MOTHERFUCKER! He thought as he lay on the ground. He prayed that Gaffer wouldn’t wake up, and he listened to hear if his snoring had stopped.

It didn’t.

Cory sighed and got up on his feet before going to his room. He kicked off his shoes and jumped into the bed, his mind shifting back to the kiss he shared with Fleetfoot. Up until that moment, he wasn’t sure how he felt about her, but now he was certainly sure: he really liked her. He thought she was the most beautiful mare, no, the most beautiful female he’s ever gotten to know, inside and out.

All it took was one kiss for him to realize that.

Author's Notes:

So Cory gets to meet the Wonderbolts in the next chapter. Will they like him? More importantly, will Spitfire like him. You'll have to wait and see.

In case you didn't notice, I tried out a new writing style where I write thoughts in italics without quotation marks, but I'm gonna go back to italics with quotation marks. Makes it easier on me for editing.