“Will you ever settle down?” the reporter asked.

Spitfire laughed, “Settle down? What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, eventually stop doing all of this, going out to bars and coming out with random guys, both of you drunk. Will you ever just stop doing all of this and settle down in a long term relationship?”

“Yeah right!”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because there’s not a person on this planet who could ever be that perfect for me. It just won’t happen.”

***

Spitfire laughed as she performed a flip before streaking down over stadium, a trail of fire following her. There was nothing new at this show, just some old classics to get back into the swing of things. She pulled up just before she hit the crowd and streaked over the spectators, leaving a nice trail of flame above them, warming them up in the cold autumn air.

She rejoined the rest of her team as they swirled around each other in a prism of color, swirling upwards until they finally all separated in beautiful flower like pattern.

Oh it felt good to be back. Back in the skies where she belonged, back with her team, back performing. Oh it was almost orgasmic! She whooped as she flipped and dove through the air, finishing off the object in the sky. Finally she flew up as high as she could reasonably go before diving back down on the stadium.

The trails left behind from the trick exploded in a brilliant flash of light, leaving behind a Lotus Flower pattern in the middle of the stadium.

The crowd cheered as Spitfire landed on the stage and she bathed in it, absorbed it, drank in their affections. This was where she belonged; in the skies performing for the masses. She was panting, tired but she didn’t care. She beamed at the crowd.

The picture was almost complete. Everything was there. The perfect life. There was just… one thing missing.

“How was that?!” Spitfire shouted, her voice echoing through the stadium. The crowd cheered.

“Oh good!” she joked, “Thought I got bit rusty while I was gone. Sorry for just older tricks this time, takes a while to get back in the swing of things, you know?”

The crowd laughed.

“Yeah, well anyway, we go on tour in a few weeks. Trying out a new trick at each show. Hopefully by the time we return, everything will be perfected for you, the home crew!”

The crowd cheered again. Suddenly, things seemed to slow. Everyone was cheering, laughing, and being merry in the fall air. But Spitfire’s gaze drifted elsewhere. She could barely see it, but she saw it none the less.

High up in the VIP box, hidden behind tainted windows was the silhouette of a figure with a crutch.

She turned to Soarin’.

“And now, my second in command will take it from here,” she smiled widely, “Soarin’?”

He turned, “What? Huh? What’s going on?”

“Take the mic idiot!” she whispered.

“Why do I have to take it?” he asked, “Give it to Fleet.”

“She’s already back stage with Dane idiot! Take it!”

“Fine,” he said accepting the mic, “How you all doing today?!”

Spitfire turned and headed back stage and into the lockers and quickly stripped off her suit and pulled on her clothes. She ran up to cloud level and headed up a set of stairs to where the VIP box was. She ran hard, not being as trained in running as flight.

Just as she reached the top floor and glimpsed the VIP box, the door to the box closed as she glimpsed the feet and tip of a cane of the figure she’d seen. She ran up the stairs and chased after the figure, past the box and down a set of hallways.

She looked around, searching. She glimpsed a figure turn a corner and head down another hallway.

She chased after him.

“Jett! Wait!” she called.

She bolted towards the hallway he’d turned down. She stared down it and sighed. It led straight to a stair case.

“Jett?” she called his name, “Are you there?”

Hiding just below the floor level, on the stair case was a certain black haired android, complete with his forearm cane. He said nothing as he covered his mouth and watched his cane fall and hit the concrete steps. The noise echoed through the halls.

“Jett?”

He remained silent.

Spitfire sighed and leaned against one of the nearby walls until she was sitting.

“Look, I know you’re probably not interested in seeing me right now… But… I’m really glad you came today,” she said.

“I know how you’re probably feeling right now. Sad, angry, confused, back to square one all over again. To be honest, I’d be frustrated too. But… I’d like to tell you something.”

She sighed and leaned her head against the wall.

“Believe it or not, I actually picked up a bit from our astrophysics class,” she smiled, “And I think I finally understand it now. How special everyone and everything in the universe really is. You may be feeling down or angry right now but… you’re special. Once upon a time, the universe was created. This eventually led to the creation of stars. But you already know all of this, already heard the story, so… I’m going to tell it a different way.”

“Stars were born and died for billions of years. Billions of years’ worth of events all led to one single thing: you. All the stars that died just to make the base metals that make up your skeleton and computer parts, all the life on your planet that had to evolve, die and go extinct just to give humanity a fighting chance. All the hundreds of thousands of years’ worth of technological development and discovery that led to the creations of materials that makes up your very body. Imagine all the things that had to happen just to make you. What would you say the odds of something like that happening again are?”

Jett whispered, “Astronomical.”

Spitfire smiled, “Astronomical. Your brother had to join the navy and then die somewhere in space saving his friends just so you could become the person you are today. All of that had to happen just to give us the faintest of chances of meeting. Do you not think I don’t wake up every day and thank whatever god or gods that may exist out there that they brought us together the way they did?”

She sighed, “You know, I didn’t even know you existed this time last year. Last year all I was thinking about was my next show or who my next fling would be and how long the tabloids would talk about it. Last year I would never have believed I would have gone on such an amazing once in infinity adventure and met the most amazing person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. I would have never have guessed that a person like you would have become one of the biggest parts of my life right now. Do you not see it?”

She grinned and stood up, “Do you not see how amazing it was that we even became friends?! Do you not see how lucky we are to be living here and now in this life together? You’re my best friend in the whole fucking world and I’ll say it again, I LOVE you Jett, even if you never feel the same for me. I don’t care if you were supposed to be a copy of someone else because you’re not! You are not some copy or replacement. You speak with your own voice. You are you. Whoever that person is, I want to stay a part of their life and see who they decide to become. That’s one thing that people here appreciate. And that’s what I want to do more than anything.”

“Why?” Jett croaked, his voice slowly returning to him.

She sat down again and leaned against the wall, “Because…You are amazing. There’s only one person like you and there will never be another for as long as the stars shall live. That’s why I’m in love with you. I want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me… That’s what love is, right?”

“Why? Why do you care about me so much?”

“Because I do. It’s that simple… I’ll love you even if you don’t… I just don’t know anymore. Maybe… the one I want wants someone else. Or maybe they want no one at all. And that’s fine… as long as they’re happy.”

He remained silent.

“So what are you going to do?” she asked.

“I don’t know…” he whispered, “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I’m broken and weak, confused and lost, I don’t know anything anymore.”

“I know… but you have people here that care about you. We’ll always be here for you. I’ll always be here for you.”

Silence filled the empty hallway.

“I… I think I need to go for a walk…”

“Okay…”

Jett stood up and continued down the stairs. Spitfire waited until the last click of his cane against the concrete could be heard before she stood up. Her eyes suddenly felt moist. She reached her hands up to touch her face when she realized she was crying. She sank back down to the floor and held her chest and buried her head in her knees.

Farther down the stairs she had little clue that he was doing the same.

***

Dane turned, “What about this?”

Jett looked over at him, “Actually, give me that.”

Dane tossed the metal pack over to him. He caught it and placed it inside his heavy military style duffel bag.

“And the rest of this stuff?”

Jett looked around sleek, high tech hanger he’d built.

“Shut it all down. Put the reactor on standby and power down everything. Seal up the main doors too.”

“Alright,” he said walking over to the back of the hanger and tapping a few icons on the smart glass table.

Jett heaved his heavy bag onto his back and grabbed his crutch.

“You sure about this?” Dane asked.

Jett gave one last look around the room, “Yeah… I’m sure…”

“We’re going to be gone on tour for a few months, you know,” he added.

“You’ll most likely get back long before I do…” Jett said.

Dane turned and pulled his brother into an embrace, “Good luck brother.”

“See you around.”

Dane released him and headed towards the elevator and headed back up to the surface. Jett gave one last look around the room. A figure stood near the stairs.

“You sure I can’t convince you to stay?” Spitfire asked hopefully.

“Sorry,” he said with earnest, “I’ve been thinking about our conversation we had a few weeks ago and… Maybe we’re both right. Maybe I am my own person, maybe I’m not my brother, maybe I really am… unique like you said… But… I still don’t know who or what I am… and I’d like to find out.”

“By traveling the world?”

“By rediscovering myself. It’s not the destination that defines it; it’s the journey of how you get there.”

“I won’t see you for a while. Months, years even…”

“You said you wanted me to be happy. I want the same for you… Just don’t get hung up on me if I’m gone for too long. That’s the last thing I want for you.”

“Alright. No promises though.”

He gave her a smile, “Go have fun on your tour. Your new planes are loaded on your yacht, go have some fun with them, make some nice memories.”

“Alright.”

He limped towards her and gave her a hug, “See you around my little angel girl.”

She gave a teary eyed laugh, “See you round my little robot boy.”

With one last look she released him and turned and headed back up the stairs. She opened the set of double doors and emerged into the sun light. Dane was waiting for her.

“He’s still going?”

“Yes…” Spitfire said, “He’s leaving. We’re going south, he’s going north to Celestia knows where.”

Dane sighed, “Maybe this will be good for him. Maybe this is what he needs. Maybe he just needs to make his own choices in life.”

“I still wish he chose to stay with us,” Spitfire said sadly, “Even if I can’t be his, I still like having him around.”

“Me too, girl. Come on, our ride is waiting for us. The rest of them are already down at the docks.”

“Alright.”

The pair stepped into a waiting car where Gin and Fleetfoot were waiting.

“Just you two?” Gin asked.

“Just us. Driver, we’re ready.”

The car began to move as it headed down to the Canterlot docks where the yacht was waiting for them.