Wonderbolts Headquarters
1.56 pm.
Wednesday

  Just having heard that from Spitfire, and leaving the office with an unpleasant feeling yet again, Soarin went to his office to collect his files about the new choreography.

  While on his little journey, he looked at the blue, fluffy walls and the newly polished corridors.

  It never ceased to amaze him that how even their cleaning staff was so hardworking and always managed to put the place in a tidy state despite Fleetfoot and Lightning Streak's unbelievable messiness sometimes.

Well, others aren't that good either.

  Finally coming face to face with his office room, that carried his name in shiny, golden colored letters; Soarin entered his office with his right hoof.

  Reaching his desk and opening the second drawer on the left side, Soarin pulled out the file, which contained his new choreography in it. Taking the file that had the new choreography in it and putting it under his right wing, Soarin straightened his composure.

  Just when he was about to close his drawer, Soarin heard hoof-steps coming from right outside of his office.

  Making his movements a little bit faster, he walked to the slightly ajar door and looked outside to see Fleetfoot; who was coming from the left side of the hall from Soarin's perspective.

  By the looks of how she didn't wear her costume and didn't look like a sweaty mess, considering she was just training with the others outside a few moments ago, Soarin knew that she hurried to make herself look decent for an apparent reason.

  She was going to Spitfire's office.

  Just how messy or childish they could get sometimes, Soarin knew that they all were still elites that had went through a strict working progress and still knew their manners.

Being a Wonderbolt is just like this.

  After coming closer to Soarin's office, Fleetfoot took notice of him and his file that was tucked under his right wing.

  "New choreography, I assume?" Fleetfoot said while she made a quick glance to the mentioned file.

  "And going to Spitfire's office?" added Soarin, which she responded with a small nod.

  Taking this as a chance to escape going to Spitfire's office again, Soarin reached his left hoof to the file that was under his wing and hold it to Fleetfoot.

  "Give her this while you are at it too. I don't want to walk there again." explained Soarin with a tired expression.

  Taking the file from his hoof, Fleetfoot gave a little smirk before asking.

  "Grumpy because you are not that young anymore or because Spitfire gave you the news?"

  Soarin's expression changed from annoyed at Fleetfoot's first statement to a one eye brow raised at the last one.

  "You knew?"

  "Yes. Aww, don't be sad for Spitfire not telling you things before me. You know, it's just she trusts me a lot." spoke Fleetfoot as she gave him a fake counseling look, in hopes to make him feel better; thinking that a little joke might work.

  Which, by the looks of it, didn't as Soarin only responded her with a cold glare. After seeing that, Fleetfoot stopped her act and actually gave him a genuine look accompanied by kind of a sad smile.

  "Look, I know you are sad; I mean who wouldn't? Dash is like, probably your best friend now and this sudden change of routines may have come as a... shock?" said Fleetfoot, hesitating at the last one. Seeing Soarin was listening her, she continued.

  "But, just don't let it get you too much Soarin. I'm serious. I mean, it's not like she is gone forever or anything! This kind of things always happen, we are Wonderbolts." continued Fleetfoot proudly. After that, she smirked and before turning to look at the co-captain, put her right wing around him; left one holding the file that was going to be in Spitfire's hoofs in a few seconds.

  "And hey, if you miss her so much; just send her a letter or something!" said the cyan mare excitedly, as if she mentioned something obvious.

  "We don't know which part of Equestria they are at now, Fleetfoot." responded back Soarin. Looking at her with a face that clearly said 'Did you forget?' as the mare let go of him, with a fake annoyed expression.

  "You make me do this all 'You can live without your girlfriend a few days, dude.' prep talk, and not to mention it was long, only to pay it with a smart-ass reply?" said Fleetfoot, a little smile tugging at her lips.

  The mare shuffled her wings as she started to go back to her journey to the captain of the Wonderbolts' office. Not before adding a small part.

  "Geez Soarin, you are hopeless."

  And with that, there was nothing but silence; except of the echoes that belonged to the cyan mare's laughs as Soarin stood there, looking behind his friend.

•••

Gym is crowded, as always.

  After that encounter with Fleetfoot, Soarin put his plan in action and came to his destination. The Wonderbolts Headquarters' Official Indoor Gym. And was already done with his warm-ups.

  Soarin wasn't surprised when he saw that it was filled with all of the other members from the headquarters.

It's your fault for deciding to come to gym to relax.

Seriously Soarin, what were you thinking?

Ugh, I have been doing nothing but scolding myself mentally, as usual.

No pony will believe that I have conversations with myself that often.

  With now a silly smile on his face after thinking that last statement, and trying to imagine his friends' faces if they actually learned this and called him a psycho, Soarin went to one of the benches inside the gym.

  There he saw the others waving at and greeting him as he passed by, before going back to their exercises. All with a very serious and determined gazes, focusing on their current workout as they gave their all.

  Feeling a sense of pride at seeing how everypony was so professional, as always, Soarin sat on his bench and bend over to take one of the dumbbells with his right hoof.

  It was, indeed, a very simple task for the co-captain but didn't mean it was any less important to do so. Soarin never had thoughts like this cross his mind, he believed in hard work and the consequences of underestimating or neglecting even the simplest tasks.

  He had came a very long way that was filled with many obstacles he had to came over. Becoming a Wonderbolt wasn't an easy thing for many others, such as him; who worked day and night, gave his all and always reminded himself as to never give up. So it wasn't a surprise that 'being' a Wonderbolt wasn't so easy too.

  You had to train, maintain a healthy condition, do your paperwork with much focus just as much as your training and most important of all; you had to never, ever doubt yourself and give up. Soarin knew all of these and took them to heart, never forgetting them.

  With all this prep talk about how he had to give his best to be the best, Soarin actually started to relax a little; feeling his head was starting to be at ease. Blowing some steam always worked for the co-captain, despite the place he used to do it was always crowded and he questioned himself all the time for it.

  After being, finally, satisfied with his little exercise Soarin put the dumbbell back on the ground; giving it a one last glance.

Ah, Dash used to know somepony with a name like this; unfortunately.

...

And there goes my 'get-your-mind-out-of-somethings' attempt.

  Feeling frustrated, again, because of remembering this right after he started to relax; Soarin stomped his hoofs to go and lift some weights.

  He angrily placed the weights on the both sides and lay down on the bench, readying his wings to lift the barbell which now was supporting two hundred and twenty five pounds. And he started to count. One-

Why didn't she say anything about this royal business?

  Two-

Ah right, it was a last-minute thing...

  Five-

But she didn't even have anytime to come here and say anything?

  Seven-

I mean, of course she doesn't have to tell me what she is going to do or anything; but a little heads up would have been nice.

  Ten-

Heads up? What am I even thinking?

  Fifteen-

And besides, why am I so worked up over this?!

  Twenty three-

Get yourself together Soarin! Like Fleetfoot said, this kind of stuff always happens.

  Thirty-

Ugh, I know that! But why am I still beating myself over for nothing!

  Forty si-

  "Hey Soarin! You good there buddy?"

  Soarin suddenly let go of the barbell, this resulting a loud noise as he snapped his eyes up to see the butterscotch mare looking down at him.

  "Dude, not to mention the obvious but you look like a mess."

  The mentioned stallion looked at his right as he was now sitting on his bench, seeing Thunderlane looking at him with an amused kind of a face.

  Soarin stood up and turned to one of the mirrors in the gym and Thunderlane was right, he looked like a mess.

  He had sweat all over his body and because of that, his hair sticked to random places all over his head. He was huffing and puffing because of the lifting just moments ago.

Or the thinking-

  "Ah, haha. Yeah, I look like I just flew all around the compound now; don't I?" Soarin laughed at his current state as to not let them notice his bothered mind.

  But it didn't work as he saw Mistyfly look at Thunderlane, who also didn't believe him by the looks of it, with a troubled expression and turn back to Soarin before the dark furred Wonderbolt spoke right next to her.

  "You don't look like a 'mess' when you fly all around the compound 'ten times' Soarin."

  "Look, we know that you are sad by all of this sudden changes like Silver Lining's health, Wave Chill's works being added to yours and Dash being not-" Mistyfly couldn't finish her sentence as Soarin spoke up.

  "Guys, I'm 'fine'." He put emphasis on the last word and continued.

  "This kind of things happen all the time here. This isn't different either. I just didn't get enough sleep, you know me." he ended it with a laugh, his eyes closed and turned towards the duo to see their faces now but was met with two pairs of eyes that looked at him with concern.

  Upon seeing that his friends were still skeptical Soarin gave them a tired and a soft smile as he looked at them.

  "What about this? I promise you guys I will sleep super early tonight and get more than enough sleep." he saw them perk up a little and smile at his words. He added the 'If nothing happens, that is.' but it only fell onto deaf ears.

  Soarin was happy that his friends were finally relived until Thunderlane asked him a question, or rather asked him something for confirmation.

  "Wait, did you have lunch today?"

...

Ah. I forgot.

  Seeing his face Mistyfly bursted out laughing even if she was disappointed with his behavior.

  "That's it then! We all are going for dinner now!" chirped the mare.

  Thunderlane suddenly started teasing Mistyfly about 'not taking a shower and being all sweaty during the dinner' as she told him that 'she thought he was smart enough to figure that out himself since he looked like a grown up' with an annoyed face as they started to throw each other witty comments while making their way to the lockers. But there was somepony who was happy during this bickering, as Soarin looked at his friends that were still arguing with each other and thought how lucky he was to have friends like them; who cared about him.

  He was still thinking how he was very thankful to have them around with a warm smile until Mistyfly threw a soap at Thunderlane from the entrance of the mares' locker room.

  And now he was thinking how much of a good aim Mistyfly had since Thunderlane was holding his head with his both hoofs and was calling her a 'crazy mare'.

  Good thing they came to showers, maybe water will wash some of their craziness away.

Nah. It won't.

Not that I'm complaining.

  He warmly smiled at that then shook his head, his smile never wavering.

I will regret thinking this and it won't take much time too.

~~~

~}  2113 words