//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Captain // Story: A Story Of Two Bolts // by Stepany1234 //------------------------------// “Hey, Spitfire. You okay?” Spitfire looked up at the stallion and blinked before rubbing her tired eyes. “Yeah, what’s up, Soarin?” She replied. He watched her blink a couple times before standing up straight. “You seem a bit…well, out of it today. Everything okay?” He asked, in a concerned tone. “You still shaken up from that ambush yesterday?” Spitfire shook her head quickly. “No. I just had a hard time getting some sleep last night, that’s all,” she smiled to her fellow teammate. He shrugged. “Well alright, just making sure you’re okay,” he smiled back. The group all sat in their uniform, talking to each other before getting ready for another day of practice. “Can you believe that the Summer Sun Celebration is practically here already?” Fleetfoot asked. “I know! It feels like it just passed. Time flies,” Soarin said while walking over to the group. “Was that suppose to be a pun?” Rapidfire asked dully. “What? No. But now that you think about it, it sure was pretty clever,” he grinned. The ponies rolled their eyes. “Ok, Pie-boy,” Rapidfire replied. “Alright, team. I think we should hit the skies for some morning warm ups before we start getting our daily routines in,” Spitfire said while joining the group. They all smiled. “Sounds good,” Lighting Streak said while stretching his wings. “Yeah. I need to blow off some steam after what happened yesterday,” High Winds said. Spitfire’s eye widened slightly, partially worried. “I know! Those thugs really ticked me off. Ruining our routine and the party like that, not to mention giving me this gnarly bruise on my back!” Soarin said before stretching. “Well if we cross paths again we’ll be ready. Pff, Shadowbolts. Kinda of name is that?” Said Firestreak. The others laughed. All accept Spitfire. She cleared her throat. “Okay that’s enough chit chat now. C’mon, everypony to the skies,” she ordered politely. They all smiled and took to the skies. They each quickly started their individual exercises and stretches. Spitfire watched from below before expanding her own wings. She grabbed her goggles to place them over her eyes when she felt a strong force push her across the field and over to a wall. There, hidden from the other Wonderbolts, she laid on her back against the wall. Something heavy was holding her down. Her eyes widened when she saw the familiar suit and goggles staring back at her. A dull frown and eyes hidden behind the reflective goggles. Spitfire took a second to realize her mouth was covered by the pony’s hoof. She muffled Nightshade’s name, though it wasn’t understandable. She said it again and this time it was easier to hear through the hoof. The pony frowned angrily and raised her other free hoof and knocked out the pony beneath her. Spitfire’s vision faded to black, but not before saying her name once again. “Nightshade.” ------------------ “We’re not stupid! You’re the one’s that are stupid! Trying to kidnap the Wonderbolts, do you thugs really think you’ll get away with this?” Spitfire awoke to Soarin’s voice and slowly opened her eyes. Her head was aching from the blow she received earlier. She looked around to see her entire team tied up, herself included. The Shadow Bolts all stood in front of them in the large room. Spitfire assumed they were in a tower after seeing the stairs outside the door. Soarin was arguing with another colt that found it hilarious to pester the stallion. Spitfire eyed all of the Shadow Bolts and noticed they haven’t realized she had awoken yet. Her eyes scanned all of them until she heard a voice that caused her to jump. “She’s awake!” Said a mare, her voice unfamiliar. The Wonderbolts all looked to see their captain now conscious. “Well, it’s about time,” said another mare. That voice was familiar. The Shadow Bolts made a way for their captain to walk through. She came out of the small group and stopped in front of Spitfire. “Nightshade,” she said. Anger and hate pierced through her eyes as she spoke through her teeth. A failing attempt at forgetting the sadness and disbelief she was experiencing. She had to hold herself together, for the sake of her team. “Hmph, still witty as ever,” snickered Nightshade. “Where are we?!” She ordered an answer. “Castle Ruins in the Everfree Forest,” Nightshade answered. “The ancient castle of the royal pony sisters,” Spitfire answered her own question under her breath. She looked around and saw they were in a different part of the castle. They were inside the building beside the room the held the five stoned orbs. “You guys sure were a hassle lugging here. You all really must have put on a lot of weight recently,” Nightshade said. Her team followed immediately with small chuckles. “Why are you doing this? What do you want?” Soarin asked. Nightshade’s grin turned to an enraged frown. “Shut up!” She shouted before kicking the stallion in the stomach. He fell to his side and groaned in pain. “Soarin!” Spitfire cried in an alerted tone. Nightshade snorted at the sight of the stallion. “See you still care about this dirt bag,” Nightshade said before walking back to her previous spot. She met eye contact with Spitfire’s glare and only smiled back at her anger. “Lookin’ good, Spit,” she laughed. “You really blossomed through the years.” “Nightshade, why are you doing this? How can you do this? I thought we were friends!” Spitfire pleaded, her expression still the same. “Friends? Friends?!” Nightshade raised her voice. Her wings extended out as she stepped forward. “How can we still be friends after everything that’s happened?! How? Tell me!” She shouted. “You were the one that flew off! I wanted to go after you but-” “And why didn’t you!?” Spitfire stopped and leaned back after realizing she was nose to nose with the angered mare. She was silent after realizing she had no answer to come back with. “Exactly,” Nightshade said before turning around. “Four of you stay guard here and two of you stay guard down stairs. I’ll be in my room,” she said while walking out away from the Wonderbolts. “Yes, Captain,” said the Shadowbolts. “Nightshade!” Spitfire called out. It did nothing. Nightshade kept walking and soon was heard trotting down the stairs. Her trots vanished when she flew down the rest of the way and out the door. Nightshade zoomed to the ruin near and flew passed the pedestal, speeding up to her room. She dropped her goggles to hang around her neck as she began to pace. Thinking a million things at once. Her contradicting feelings eating her alive as she battled between love and hate. The more she thought, the more she grew angry at herself. “She’s not my friend anymore. She’s my enemy! My rival! I can’t let them go now. No! I can’t!” She said to herself. Her pacing getting faster. “No matter what she says or does. I don’t care. She could’ve fixed what was done all those years ago but she didn’t!” She stomped her hoof in the ground and stopped pacing. “So she brought this onto her team, onto herself.” Nightshade looked to see the darkness outside the closed glass doors. The balcony still where it was before. Even though it was always dark in the Everfree forest, Nightshade could still tell when it was night and when it was day. The large bright moon wasn’t out yet and so she figured night still hadn’t come. “Suck it up, Nightshade. Don’t let your stupid past feelings get to you. They don’t mean anything!” She shouted. She looked out her window and saw the ruins next door, where Spitfire and the others were being held captive. She sighed. “Not anymore.” ------------------------- A trio of hours had passed and Nigthshade returned to check on the captives. Her heart skipped a beat after seeing Spitfire on the ground in pain. “What happened?!” She asked the closest Shadowbolt near. “She wouldn’t shut up. We told her to stop talking and yelling at us but she wouldn’t listen! I finally made her shut up,” the stallion said while glancing back at the mare on the ground. Nightshade practically roared at the unexpected pegasus. “You did what?!” She shouted. Every pegasus in the room looked to watch the scene. “I-I only kicked her-” “You hit her!?” Nightshade’s voice raised higher. Spitfire looked up from the floor and watched as well. “What’s the big deal? You hit that other one earlier,” replied the frightened Shadowbolt. “Did I say that any of you idiots could lay a hoof on the captain?! If something is wrong you call me! That’s why I’m the captain and you’re not!” She shouted. She walked forward as the stallion began to back away. “N-no you didn’t,” he answered. “No! I didn’t! So why the hay did you?!” She shouted. “I-I’m sorry,” he replied, his back against a wall now. “Oh, you’re sorry?” Nightshade growled. She kicked the colt and watched him fall to the ground. “Next time you disobey my orders, I’ll give you something to be sorry about,” she said. He nodded and grabbed his sides. “Yes, Captain,” he replied, obviously in pain. The Wonderbolts all watched in shock before seeing the Captain of the Shadowbolts turn to face them. “Listen up!” She addressed her team. “I don’t care what you do to the team but you don’t touch the captain! You hear me?!” She shouted. “Yes, captain!” They all replied. “Good. One of you follow me and bring her to the other room.” Nightshade turned and headed to the door. “The room with the orbs?” A mare asked. “Yes.” A stallion scooped Spitfire onto his back and flew after Nightshade. He reached her quickly and soon they were both in the room. Nightshade sat waiting for the stallion to leave. Once he dropped Spitfire to the ground gently, he saluted Nightshade and flew outside the ruins. Nightshade looked and saw Spitfire laying on the ground, still aching and wincing in pain. She also noticed how the ropes were squeezing her sides and growing tighter every time she moved. Nightshade lowered her goggles to hang over her neck and proceeded to the other mare. “I’m sorry about that. He won’t touch you again. None of them will,” Nightshade said. She helped Spitfire sit up and finally they were eye to eye, without their goggles to hide behind. “Nightshade,” she said in a tone full of pain, sorrow even. It pierced Nightshade’s heart. Slowly the emotions Nightmare Moon planted inside her began to hide away. Nonetheless, the were still there inside her. Nigthshade let go of Spitfire and stepped back, looking away. “Look, I’m sorry he hit you. Is your stomach okay?” She asked, avoiding Spitfire’s eyes. “I’m fine now. Thank you,” Spitfire replied, her tone still the same. Nightshade turned around and walked away to look out the window. Still seeing that the moon wasn’t out yet. “Nightshade, why are you doing this to us? To me?” “Spitfire, I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m just doing what has to be done,” Nightshade answered in a weak tone. “In all honesty though, I can care less about your team.” “Look at me, Nightshade,” Spitfire ordered. Nigthshade hesitated a bit before turning around to glare back at the mare from beside the window. “What happened to you? I never saw you again after that one night. Are you doing this because you couldn’t get into the Wonderbolts? So you made your own team instead?” Spitfire asked. “No. I’m not gonna lie. My life went down the toilet because I didn’t get accepted in. I looked for a place to live and well, your looking at it,” she answered. Spitfire’s eyes widened. “You mean… you lived here all those years?” Spitfire asked, shocked. She glanced around her settings before looking back to the other mare. “Still do. I would never have found it if it wasn’t for Princess Luna though,” Nightshade said. “What?” “I went to Celestia for help, but her guards and pony officials said she was too busy to see a pony with a minor problem like myself. Can you believe that? The princess you serve was too busy to help me from becoming homeless. So after that I put her out of my life for good and went back to serving Princess Luna. She helped me find this place here and has been helping me ever since,” Nightshade explained, shaking her head as if the memory still upset her. Spitfire’s eyes watered. “Nightshade. Why didn’t you just come to me for help? I would have let you live with me. We could have worked this whole thing out,” she cried. “Live with you? No! How could I do that? You were a Wonderbolt now, you looked like you were gonna have a new coltfriend, you were flying on rockets while I was dying down here on the ground with the rest of the world! I couldn’t ask you for help! I had already lost you,” Nightshade said while walking up to her. “How can you say that? I would have dropped everything for you!” Spitfire confessed. Spitfire’s words broke the mare’s angered barrier and began to get through to her. “What?” Nightshade’s expression softened slowly. “I went looking everywhere for you the next morning. I couldn’t find you anywhere. I would have helped you, Nightshade,” Spitfire said, her tone comforting to the mare in front of her. “Really?” Nightshade said as she stepped closer. “Yes, Nightshade. You’re my best friend,” Spitfire smiled. Nightshade felt her eyes begin to warm up when she suddenly heard a rough voice bring her back to reality. “Captain!” Said the stallion. Nightshade looked back at the stallion then at Spitfire. Her expression changed as she cleared her throat and stepped away from Spitfire. “What is it?” She answered. “It’s time. She’s coming!” He said, obviously excited. Nightshade’s eyes widened before nodding. “Right. Get her back to the others,” Nightshade ordered the stallion. The pegasus nodded before grabbing Spitfire and throwing her on his back. She said nothing as she was carried out of the room, she merely glared at Nightshade before finally leaving the room. Nightshade sat there, contemplating those contradicting feelings again. She shook her head and stood tall. She placed her goggles over her eyes and dashed out of the room. “Finally. Nightmare Moon. Luna, My princess. You’re finally here.”