//------------------------------// // Interrogation // Story: Disappear // by ShimmeringStallion //------------------------------// Interrogation Spitfire felt partially responsible for her friend’s current state, given how she had granted him permission to investigate the Cloudosseum again without her. It’s true that his intentions were as straight and true as his flying style, but so too was his grasp of foresight. In the years she had known him, Spitfire considered Soarin’ to be one of her closest friends, even going so far as to call him her best friend, but his wingless and scarless back could only mean one of two things: Either he was tricked into this state, or he surrendered willfully, and the ponies needed to know which it was. Soarin’ fell over from the hard bash to the head that Spitfire delivered; her name was certainly neither ironic nor an understatement. Soarin’ had no doubt in his mind that he would get one of two reactions: A hug or a hit. He deserved one, and feeling the ground under his hooves in order to stand, it was clear which one Spitfire thought he deserved. “… I’m sorry Spitfire, Gather wasn’t flying when we left, so I thought I could just grab him and haul him here after seeing him sleeping under some clouds. He must have heard my wings…” Rainbow Dash came outside, having placed a blanket on Scootaloo, and tossed Applejack her hat back. She gasped at the sight of Soarin’ without his wings, but felt that while this may be the time for argument, this was certainly not the place for it. “… C’mon girls, let him come in. We can talk all we want without being outside.” Twilight was surprised at how calm Rainbow Dash was, but it made sense. Twilight knew that her friend was likely feeling mixed emotions after all she had been through: her rash decisions and lack of foresight got her where she was, and Rainbow believed that it was the cause for Scootaloo’s current status as well. It only seemed fair for Soarin’ to be given a chance to talk since nopony followed him to the Cloudosseum; in a way, they were all to blame. The girls moved out of the way, allowing Soarin’ to enter the Library. He felt like a criminal as he walked by the other ponies on his way into Ponyville Library. He could feel their eyes judging him, with different emotions in each. Twilight seemed confused, Applejack was shocked, Spitfire was clearly holding back her emotions, but had put her goggles over her eyes in order to cover her expression, so whether she wanted to lunge at Soarin’ in an attempt to strangle or hug him, was unable to be determined accurately. Rarity was disappointed, while Fluttershy looked around in fear of Soarin’ being followed, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but feel sad, seeing the dejected expression on Soarin’s face. Pinkie Pie simply delivered a blank expression, which could have meant anything from concern to disbelief (to several other emotions, being Pinkie Pie). Derpy walked up to Soarin’, nuzzling him under his chin as a means of expressing sympathy, believing that he truly didn’t mean to upset anyone with his actions. Stepping back to allow Soarin’ access to the doorway, he came face to face with Rainbow Dash, and looked into her eyes, a clear display of regret and sorrow being reflected from his own. Rainbow Dash seemed cold, as she simply turned around and walked into the library while Soarin’ and the others followed. “Come on everyone, we're heading upstairs. Twilight, lock the door.” Rainbow was leading the other ponies at this point, and while they were a bit stunned at the request, they trusted their friend’s judgment, especially after seeing her take a moment to adjust the blanket on Scootaloo, who was sleeping soundly on the floor. They followed the light blue mare upstairs, noticing the tense atmosphere surrounding them. Pinkie Pie wanted to say something, but couldn’t bring herself to utter a word. She, Apple Bloom, and Applejack, really were the odd ones out in this case. It seemed like, of all the things that happened lately, they were in the least amount of danger, and had contributed little to recent efforts; the realization of this coupled with the recollection of having been alone with Vanish at Sugarcube Corner, and telling him where Ponyville Hospital was yesterday, struck Pinkie Pie pretty hard. As they had made their way upstairs, Twilight Sparkle used her magic to grab the items Rarity had brought down, and Spike was carrying up the bandages and used packs of ice, in a teetering tower as they climbed the staircase. He had handled stacks of books that were bigger than the tower of objects he was currently holding, so the feat looked like it was more difficult than it truly was for the baby dragon. Rainbow Dash arrived upstairs, followed closely by the other ponies, dragon, and fillies. If she could, Rainbow had hoped to keep Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle downstairs, but seeing as how they were pretty much guarding their sisters from leaving, that was doubtful. Having made it up and out of the stairwell, the ponies funneled into the upper floor’s main lobby. “Get in a circle. We’re getting to the bottom of this, now.” Rainbow Dash's tone clearly told the other ponies that she was not messing around. The other ponies complied willingly as they sat in a rather awkward circle-shaped pattern, all facing the center of the room, and facing each other, keeping the fillies out of the circle. Rainbow had Spitfire to her right and Rarity to her left. And directly across from her, was the ‘Stallion of the Hour’ himself: Soarin’. “Okay, Soarin’. Tell us everything that happened. We’re ready to listen.” Soarin’ seemed like he was trying to make sense of it all, but explained slowly, as if thinking to himself out loud. “I went back, hoping to hear something about plans against the princess. I even took the balloon up, thinking I could detain him and bring him back down safely. After leaving the balloon on the edge and going in the same way as before, I quietly flew above the Cloudosseum, above where the lights could reach me. Vanish was in the cage, wearing his hat and sleeping quietly, and the other stallion had been almost completely covered up in a cloud-blanket, aside from his muzzle and eyes. I thought it was safe, so I descended right next to them. I walked over, hoping to detain the stallion, and…” Soarin’ was struggling; he was trying to recall what happened without letting the fear he had felt overcome him. “… He lunged at me.” Spitfire cut in. “That’s a load of horseapples, Soarin’! We both know you’d never let somepony else get the better of you, especially when it’s some pony who can’t even fly!” Soarin’ turned to Spitfire, with a look of desperate honesty beaming from his eyes. “He was hiding something!” Soarin’ was shaking, which Fluttershy took notice of, and draped her hoof around his back, assuring him that he was among friends and had nothing to worry about. “H-He had a horn… and wings.” The other ponies gasped, with the exception of Rainbow Dash and Twilight. From what Twilight saw in the Cloudosseum, she had pieced this together herself, but spoke to Soarin' in order to voice a concern. “Didn’t you notice anything strange about the pony before landing?” Soarin’ looked at her with urgency. “I thought his coat was a bit lighter, but considering it was turquoise, I thought it was a trick of the lights that were illuminating the arena. I even had my goggles on, so I could see through the spotlights! I never saw it coming; he came at me with blinding speed. I almost didn’t even get to open my wings back up before he grabbed me!” Twilight understood: Soarin’ didn’t count on the stallion having wings, and let his guard down by attempting to get the drop on him, paying the price for it as a result. Applejack looked at the other ponies with confusion. “I don’t get it, y’all… How in Equestria did that guy get a horn? Wasn’t Van the one with horns when w-!” Soarin’ continued. “Please, let me finish.” Applejack tipped her hat in apology for interrupting, to which the former flyer responded by bowing his head politely. “He had pounced on me, pinning my back to the clouds, but I kicked him off before taking flight. I was hoping to get some distance between us.” Spitfire smiled. “At least Soarin’ didn’t just give up the proverbial ‘ghost’.” But then, all too quickly, Soarin’s expression turned from one of desperation, to one of a sorrow-ridden mind. “He followed me, but didn’t make a move to attack. Instead, he made me an offer.” Spitfire frowned in response. Soarin’ had been far too naïve for his own good. He could have been tricked, easily. “He told me that he would tell me about who he was, and his plans, in exchange for my wings.” Rainbow Dash turned her head in shame; Soarin’ was just being foolish by accepting such terms. “I can’t believe y-!” “NO! You don’t understand!” Soarin’ had shouted at Rainbow, causing all the ponies to back up, including Spitfire. In all the years she had known him, he never raised his voice when the Wonderbolts would hold a rehearsal meeting to plan their flight paths or patterns for their shows. “Soarin’, what don’t we understand?” Spitfire was legitimately curious, allowing her friend to continue. “I lunged at him, trying to take him down. With my speed, I figured it would be a matter of time. I could at LEAST wear him out and catch him off guard. You know how long I can last in the air, Spitfire! Don’t say you don’t!” Spitfire didn’t even have to think about it: Soarin’ was great at his job, but there was a time when he tried to plan out a show for the other Wonderbolts. By the end of rehearsal, Rapid Fire was the only one that had the stamina to even stand up, aside from Soarin’. It had taken almost twice as long as any other show they had ever performed together, let alone rehearsals, and most of them were left exhausted. She remembered Soarin’ taunting her playfully for not “training more in order to build up stamina”, but that was why he didn’t plan their shows; he had far more stamina than the other members of the Wonderbolts, and could do an entire show without looking drained, long after the adrenaline of the crowd died down. Well, as long as he had something to eat after the show. Spitfire nodded in agreement: It was true, after all. Soarin’ continued. “He had me back in the Cloudosseum before I knew it. I know I can outlast any regular Pegasus pony, but not him; he knocked me out of the air with a blindingly fast buck-kick, straight into the Cloudosseum floor, and pinned me on my stomach before I could even brandish my wings again. I could even feel him trying to break my hind legs with his own, so that I couldn’t use them to kick him off!” Twilight thought it over, yet something sounded strange. “Was Gather really as fast as Soarin’ is claiming?” Soarin' looked back down to the floor of the library, exhausted from recalling the memories of what happened. “… He told me that his deal stood.” Rarity questioned it without missing a beat. “What?” She tried considering the fight, and the sudden message that the pony had given Soarin’, who turned to her to respond. “That’s what I asked him! He told me, that regardless of what would happen next, he’d take my wings from me, but that he enjoyed our ‘little game’ and decided to give me one more chance to accept: My wings, for information.” Soarin’ closed his eyes in shame, not wanting to see the look that Spitfire was giving him. “I… I agreed.”