Chapter 139: Iron Resolve
MLP: FiM
Piercing the Heavens
By: Calm Wind
Chapter 139: Iron Resolve
“Thanks Bliss,” Spitfire nodded while struggling to not show any signs of pain.
“Oh.” Bliss stopped before turning back towards the east hallways. “And how are you feeling?”
Spitfire quickly acted like she was looking over at something else in the lobby. Luckily, the lobby was already filling up with Wonderbolts and Renegades alike as she ordered. It gave her an excuse to look distracted and buy her a few moments to come up with a believable fib.
“Oh, sorry…” Spitfire feigned… poorly. “I’m doing alright, just a little sore,” she ended with a fake smile that was a little too happy looking. Bliss just lifted an eyebrow.
“Come see me if you need to,” she said professionally as she turned and started back towards the infirmary.
“She totally knows…” Spitfire said to herself as she held herself steady and waited for Bliss to be far enough away. She glanced back and forth to make sure that nopony was directly focused on her before exhaling hard. Her limbs buckled and shook. Her shoulders, chest, and back all twitched as she gritted her teeth and inhaled sharply, her breath hissing as she shuddered.
She had pretty much spent the whole day doing this so far. After taking Fleetfoot down to the infirmary late last night, she visited Wave briefly and then went right to bed to get a long night’s rest. She knew she was going to be sore in the morning, but WOW… she was sore. Half of it was from the blows she took from Nightshade two days ago, but the other half was the overexertion of her body. It had been a long time since she had used her mimicking prowess and every time she used it, it was a friendly reminder of why she didn’t do it often. Even with all the practice and precision she put into changing the abilities to perfect her own versions of them, the fact remained that most of the techniques were designed with the body of the creator in mind as well. Soarin’s accelerations were hard on his larger and stronger body… Silver’s full motion swings were so fine-tuned from so many years of use she could never get it 100% perfect… those were just a couple of examples. She had ways to make the moves her own, but it was still really hard on her body.
So all through the day, from morning all the way till midafternoon, she had been sucking it up. Her muscles were tight, her joints were sore, and every movement took extra effort. But she couldn’t show any of it, especially now. She was about to address the entire force and rally them before takeoff.
Rivet had confirmed they would be ready earlier in the morning, he was on his way now to give her his final report and it was all going as planned. Spitfire had purposely scheduled them to takeoff later in the day, right around sunset. That way, they could effectively surprise the Shadowbolts with the thestrals in their preferred fighting conditions or at least close, they needed to see too.
The clock was ticking, but they were on schedule. It was time to rally the troops and get them focused. She had a message for them, one that would put into perspective what they were up against and how they could most effectively fight it. Add a touch of guidance provided by Silver Lining’s sacrifice and she was sure they’d be raring for a fight.
“Ow…” Spitfire winced and nearly fell over, stumbling slightly to the right before quickly standing up straight and holding her breath.
Now she just had to keep her composure. She couldn’t let them see their captain hurting, especially during a strong rally call. Besides, she didn’t feel like she had any right to show pain, especially with how the rest of the top elites were doing. She didn’t take nearly as much punishment as her top Wonderbolts.
Spitfire blinked and quickly held herself strong and upright as Rivet and Lucky appeared in her peripheral vision. She glanced towards them as if just noticing them and gave the two a solid nod.
“Report,” Spitfire ordered the moment they her. Rivet reached a hoof back and dropped a clip board from his wing into it, bringing it forwards and looking it over as he began.
“I’ve done everything I can. It’s a patchwork job, but she’ll fly. We’re just running test cycles now to keep the inner workings oiled and loose, so just give us the word when ready and we’ll fire up the engine,” he explained. Spitfire gave him a satisfied smile.
“Magnificent. Thank you, Rivet,” she acknowledged with a nod.
“It’s nothing,” Rivet quickly interjected without looking up from his clipboard. “I just wish I had more to work with. Lacking the resources for a full blown repair job is making me cringe,” he grunted and released a frustrated nicker. Spitfire rolled her eyes sarcastically as Rivet dodged her praise.
“Will she fly?” Spitfire asked suddenly. Rivet looked up from the clipboard and lifted an eyebrow.
“I just said that.”
“Will she crash?” Spitfire pressed. Rivet flattened his brow.
“No.”
“Then job well done, Riv—”
“Unless,” Rivet cut off Spitfire while making a slight head motion to Lucky standing behind him. “Slippery Hooves over here decides to be a daredevil and gets us all killed.”
Lucky wasn’t paying full attention, his head was turned towards the east hallway as Princess Luna arrived with a slew of Renegades, but his ears eventually processed what Rivet said.
“What? Hey!” he pouted. “The Nimbus would be in worse shape if I didn’t land us cleanly, thank you very much!” he shot back as Rivet kept a completely straight face.
“Okay, you two…” Spitfire chuckled as she stepped in between them before any more banter could be exchanged. “It’s a job well done,” she repeated. “We owe both of you more than we could ever repay,” she complimented them, immediately turning Lucky’s focus to her.
“Aw shucks…” Lucky smiled sheepishly. “I just—”
“You don’t owe me anything,” Rivet cut in, still staring at his clipboard. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Rivet,” Spitfire gave him a comical, flat look. “Shut up, we owe you one.”
“Fine, fine,” Rivet rolled his eyes and turned back towards the west hallway to get back to work.
“Lucky,” Spitfire turned to him. “I’m confident we can rely on you again?”
She waited for a response, but didn’t get one. He was once again not paying attention. She followed his eyes to see he was staring towards Luna, who was standing a few yards away with her side turned to them. Lucky had a silly, dreamy look in his eyes with a light blush on his face and his mouth curled into a goofy grin. Spitfire sighed, reaching forwards and grabbing Lucky by the chin.
“Lucky,” she turned his head to face her again. “Can we rely on you again?” she asked again as he blinked several times in surprise.
“Huh? OH! Yeah, of course!” He pulled back and did a few arm stretches before pounding his chest. “You can count on me! I’ll keep this baby in the air and moving!” he said with zeal. He looked like he was trying to cover up for the fact he was just staring at Princess Luna, but Spitfire let it be, she was holding up a charade right now herself.
“Good,” she said with a nod while placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Let’s meet up again after I speak to the entire force. We need to discuss the flight plan and how you’re going to be coordinating with Luna.”
Lucky’s eyes widened and his mouth opened for a few moments without saying anything. He shook his head out roughly.
“Wait, you said… with… Luna? I’m going to work with Luna?” he asked in a shaky voice while glancing over towards her again and… sweating.
“Lucky…” Spitfire grunted while flattening her brow. “Focus please.”
“Guh?” Lucky blinked as he quickly turned back to Spitfire.
“You can stare at our so very majestic moon goddess all you want after we’ve safely reached the Crystal Empire, okay?” She gave him a few firm taps on the forehead. “I need you to F. O. C. U. S… understand?”
Lucky just stared at her, saying nothing, so Spitfire reluctantly took a different path.
“You wouldn’t want to be responsible for us losing the princess now, would you?” she asked awkwardly, but sold it with a fake sad face often used by Fleetfoot to shame her. Words could not express how embarrassed she was to use it, but Lucky was a civilian, not one of her soldiers. After Fleetfoot’s unconventional persuasion methods worked last time with him, she took the dive and tried her best to follow her example. And it seemed to work.
“Uh, RIGHT!” Lucky swallowed and nodded vigorously. “I mean… YES MA’AM!” he proclaimed with gusto while giving a woefully silly salute that couldn’t have been further from proper Wonderbolt protocol. But as long as he got the job done, Spitfire didn’t care.
“Good, at ease. Remember, we’re meeting later,” she reminded quickly before he could turn and trot away filled with confidence.
Spitfire held herself steady until Lucky had pranced out of earshot.
“Rgh…” she exhaled and bent down slightly again. “Damn…” she took a few breaths and shook her head out. She felt like sitting down. She had plenty of strength to stand, but it was uncomfortable. Despite her body rebelling against her, she remained upright and distracted herself by surveying the slowly growing crowd of ponies entering.
Luna, Descent, and the Renegades had all made their entrance now. They were mostly accounted for. Thestrals were beginning to detach from the ceiling once Luna’s presence was known, one by one floating down. The Renegades and Wonderbolts were mostly clearing the way for them to land… mostly. Those that didn’t were hissed at, but with several figures of authority around, confrontations were not likely.
Spitfire looked over just in time to see Captain P.L. detach and glide down the moment he noticed Luna in the room. He swooped down and landed right beside her… but did so while almost landing right on top of Descent, forcing him to flinch and take a few steps back as the enormous thestral nearly took his head off. P.L. made no effort to look back at Descent as he lowered his head before Luna, making the near miss look completely intentional. Descent growled and looked ready to advance, but Blazetail and Flashwind quickly grabbed him by the shoulders to hold him back.
Well…hopefully the figures of authority would behave themselves too…
There was still no sign of the top Wonderbolt elites. Up until a few minutes ago, only Air Mach was out there with her, determined to be ‘stallionly’ and suck it up while standing by his captain even though he was easily three times more roughed up than her. It was kind of painful to watch too since he wasn’t doing a very good job of ‘standing strong’ so she sent him back to the infirmary to grab the rest of the top elites and Squad Foxtrot. They had all spent most of the day in the infirmary being checked out and getting any treatments Bliss could provide.
As if on cue, Spitfire perked up as she caught sight of Squad Three and what looked like the rest following behind them. She immediately cringed.
They were in terrible shape, she could see it from all the way in the center of the lobby. She had just gotten a rundown from Bliss, but now she was seeing it for herself. Fire and Surprise were out in front, both limping, but doing their best to help Misty Fly, who seemed to have trouble moving without grimacing or gasping. While Misty had, held up better than most Wonderbolts her age over time, she was still thirty-seven and her recovery rate was slower. Of course, it didn’t help that she was apparently engulfed in a nasty explosion from Nightshades magic, at least that’s what Spitfire was told in the report. Lightning Streak, Blaze and, High Winds were following close behind. Lightning looked like he was having an issue with his shoulders, every step shaky and ginger. High Winds was more or less guiding Blaze around. Blaze looked awfully fatigued, likely still not fully recovered from giving blood to Silver. High Winds was giving her all to help, but she couldn’t hide the fact that one of her strong wings couldn’t stay folded. It was half open and continuously twitching. They all paused for a moment after just barely entering the lobby to catch a brief respite.
This wasn’t good at all. Spitfire doubted any of them were in a combat ready condition.
Putting the thought aside for a moment, she glanced further, looking past the top elites as they struggled forth. Matteo and Squall had emerged with both Little Star and Twister following them, but no sign of Dash. She wasn’t exactly looking for squad Foxtrot though, she was looking for Air Mach.
While she had sent him to get the top elites in general, she specifically wanted him to get Fleetfoot out into the lobby. It probably would have been a better idea to let Fleetfoot rest, but she didn’t want her to miss the address to the force. She had requested… actually, more demanded that Air Mach keep his shenanigans to himself after what Fleetfoot had been put through. She even threatened to personally rip his head off if he did anything stupid.
Right as she was thinking about it, Air Mach suddenly emerged from the hall behind the top elites. He held himself upright and firm for a few steps before his legs buckled and he fell face first. He quickly stood, and adjusted his glasses while releasing a single hearty guffaw and proclaiming it was intentional. Spitfire only got halfway through rolling her eyes before Air Mach turned around and began making goofy beckoning motions while backing up. Spitfire perked up as Macho Savage suddenly emerged, the meaty, buff pony carrying Fleetfoot on his back with Storm Front limping behind him to make sure Fleetfoot didn’t fall.
Clever use of Macho Savage, his ridiculously wide back made for the perfect platform to carry Fleetfoot. But Spitfire’s attention was quickly drawn away from their strategy, and directly to Fleetfoot herself.
Fleetfoot looked worse than awful. She was all patched up now, but she was shaking and grimacing continuously. Macho Savage was taking great care to move her slowly and gently because it seemed like the slightest movement made her squeak or groan in pain.
After spending time with her the day before, Spitfire had passed Fleetfoot off to Bliss. She checked on her first thing in the morning and the painful aftershocks of what Nightshade did to her had visibly hit like a thousand tons of bricks. She was practically immobile, groaning and moaning with her body twitching involuntarily as Bliss and her assistants monitored her closely.
Bliss had given Spitfire the full rundown on Fleetfoot’s condition. It was an odd scenario for her because she had never helped or treated a pony who had been put under the conditions that Fleetfoot’s body had. She had concluded that Fleetfoot had several strained muscles all over her body, yet nothing was pulled or torn. Bliss’ theory based on the little they knew about the crystal magic, was that Nightshade’s magic had kept Fleetfoot’s body from tearing itself apart, allowing it to expand and grow in a way similar to how Nightshade boosted her own body with the magic without consequence. But once the magic was removed, and the protection was gone, her stressed nerves and joints caused several harsh strains as she reverted to her normal size… and now she was feeling the painful effects.
Bliss backed up her conclusion by comparing it to how one’s muscles swell up or get ‘pumped’ during a hard workout and then feel stiff or sore later as they repair and recover. Based on how Fleetfoot’s body was reacting, it was as if she was experiencing that sensation several hundred times beyond the norm.
Spitfire was well versed in how muscles worked. After a very hard workout it usually wasn’t the next day that she felt it the most, it was the day after. Considering that Fleetfoot had just had her muscles and body both stretched out and forcibly expanded to several times her normal size, she had no doubt the soreness Fleetfoot was experiencing right now was something right out the gates of hell.
Her recovery was likely going to take much longer than the rest, which was yet another problem because Spitfire already wasn’t willing to put Soarin in too much danger, not having their third best either only added to the mountain of issues they were facing.
She was about to look away, unable to stand the sight of Fleetfoot in so much pain for very long, but right before she could she noticed the last two ponies she departing the east hallway behind the rest.
Soarin and Rainbow Dash.
“We should tell them,” Dash said quietly as she brushed up against Soarin.
“No,” Soarin quickly replied without looking at her.
“Soarin…” she pouted, but he still didn’t look as they caught up with the rest.
“I said no and that’s final,” Soarin put with a harsher tone, one that Dash did not appreciate. She abruptly forced herself in front of him and jammed her hoof against his chest while throwing him a harsh glare.
“I know you said no, dammit. Now give me a reason!”
“SHHH!” Soarin quickly pushed a hoof over her mouth, forcing her to wince and scrunch her mouth as Soarin looked back and forth at a few looks sent their way by the other top elites. Dash immediately reached up and swiped his hoof away before standing on the tips of her hooves and getting right up in his face.
“Don’t you shush me!” said in a very scolding tone.
“Are you two married yet?” Lightning Streak’s voice caught their ears. “You sure sound like it.”
Dash swiftly turned her head towards him and gave him the angriest glare she could muster. Lightning Streak just blinked and nodded, putting up a hoof casually.
“Look of death, got it…” he said lazily as he turned and limped away. The moment Lighting left, Dash refocused on Soarin.
“Well? I’m listening,” she said as she sat down and crossed her front hooves, double clutching and switching which arm was on top after the first attempt made her shoulder whine at her a little. Soarin stared into her demanding eyes for a moment before sighing and pointing at the horn.
“Dash, come on,” he shook his head. “Is this really anything new?” he asked. Dash blinked, admittedly not expecting such a low-key response. “How many times now has the horn acted up like that? How was last night any different than when it happened, I dunno, the other five or six times?”
“Uh…” Dash glanced down, caught in a corner quickly after thinking she had the upper hoof.
“Exactly.” Soarin gave a single nod. “So why bother telling them? If we say anything to Luna she’s going to fumble about and act like she knows nothing and if we tell Spitfire she’s going to get on my ass about being careful again. I’d rather just not make them worry. It’ll save all of us the trouble.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Dash released an exasperated breath of air that made her lips vibrate briefly as her ears flopped down. At this point, what did it matter? All last night proved was that the horn still sucks. There really was nothing new.
“Look…” Soarin took a step forwards and placed a hoof on her good shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “I know you’re just worried about me… and yourself too since we’re connected and all.”
“Wait,” Lightning Streak suddenly shifted into view beside them. “Connected? When did you two tie the knot?”
“Lightning, I swear to Celestia…” Soarin growled and snorted as he glared at Lightning.
“I’m out,” Lightning quickly left again.
I don’t want to be locked away again,” Soarin continued. “Spitfire already said she doesn’t want to do that, but I don’t even want her to entertain the idea, okay?”
Dash didn’t reply, she wasn’t even looking at him anymore.
“Dash?” Soarin tipped his head to the side, ready to reach his other arm to her as well, but then she suddenly leaned forward and hugged him tightly, resting her good shoulder against his chest and pressing the side of her face into his fur.
“Just be careful, okay?” she said with her voice slightly muffled. “I’ve seriously lost count of how many times I’ve said that to you, but… please? We’re so close to safety, I just want this to work so we can figure out a way to help you.”
“I can’t make any promises, but…” Soarin reached down and hugged her back. “I will play it as safe as I can without taking myself out of the equation. With all the top elites hurt except for me, Spitfire is going to need my help.”
His words clearly did not reassure her, but he wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. Until they were safe and sound in the Crystal Empire, they had a rough push ahead of them. That was just the reality of the situation. Dash sighed and squeezed him a little tighter.
“Okay…”
“HURK!”
Soarin looked up to see Fire Streak dragging Lightning Streak away from them by the neck with his wing before he could interrupt them again.
“Thank you, Fire,” Soarin chuckled, but the hug was cut short anyway.
“Captain,” Matteo’s deep voice caused Dash’s ears to pop up and turn. She let go of Soarin and slowly turned around to face her squad as they approached. She wanted to hug Soarin a little more, but she had to check in with her squad. She had been more or less attached to Soarin since last night.
“Hey guys,” Dash said with a lack of enthusiasm as she turned to see all four of them approaching. She blinked and shook her head out. “I mean, sorry…” She cleared her throat and stood up straight, recomposing herself as Squall, Matteo, Little Star, and Twister stopped before her. “Squall, Matteo,” she began again with a much firmer tone. “How are you two doing?” she asked them specifically.
“Everything hurts like hell,” Squall spoke up, cutting off Matteo before he could speak. “I feel like I’ve been put through a spiked wringer,” he complained further. Dash blinked as Twister suddenly floated down and landed on Squall’s back, reaching an arm gently around Squall’s neck while stroking his mane with the other.
“Awwwww… poor colt…. Let Uncle Twisty take care of you!” he said in a voice several octaves lower than his usual tone. Little Star was in a fit of giggles before she could attempt to pull Twister off of Squall. But surprisingly, Squall didn’t move, he just flattened his brow and let it happen. He glanced at Dash, immediately noticing that she looked puzzled at his lack of physical response.
“I’m way too sore to give a damn,” he explained as he turned and glared at Twister. Twister suddenly punched himself in the face, his entire face caving in and swallowing half his arm, but when he removed it, his face had changed to a very feminine one with inch long eyelashes. He fluttered them in Squall’s direction. Squall just snorted. “I swear, as soon as I’m able, I’m tearing your whole mane out for not backing us up against the psycho bitch.”
“Baby you don’t mean that…” Twister’s voice octave had reversed to several times higher.
“MATTEO!” Dash turned to him swiftly to quickly change the focus and go back to checking on them. “How are you feeling?”
“Nightshade was a brutal opponent, but I am well enough to serve,” he replied flatly and dutifully.
“Oh, screw you Tons-o-Fluff!” Squall remarked while dragging himself back into Dash’s view. “Drop the tough act, you got your shit kicked harder mine!”
“Perhaps,” Matteo lifted an eyebrow. “I’m just not whining about it.”
“Why, I oughtta…” Squall growled at him, but cringed the moment he brought up a hoof. He was about to voice his displeasure, but realized Matteo was waiting for him to do just that. “Nice try Eagle-Cat.”
“I wish you would just call me by my name,” Matteo snorted while giving him a light glare.
“Enough, boys,” Dash slowly shifted up between them. “You can kill each other after we don’t die,” she said humorously while looking around for Twister. She only took her eyes off of him for a second when she focused on Squall, but knowing him, just blinking was hazardous.
“Twister!” Star’s voice turned Dash’s head around to spot Twister sitting on the floor behind her, holding Star in his lap like a kitten and petting her while staring towards Dash with an evil grin and a monocle fitted in his right eye. “Stop!” Star protested, but she had trouble resisting since Twister was apparently also ticking her with his other hoof, never taking his ‘evil’ eyes off Dash though.
One thing Dash finally noticed was that Star was no longer wearing her bandages… and seemed to be moving and walking just fine all on her own. Roles had reversed, Squall and Matteo now hurt with Star just fine, but Dash was sure Star was thrilled to not be separated from them anymore.
Alas, the current state of her squad made Dash wonder what their role was going to be going forward. Squall and Matteo were just as banged up as the top elites after all. There was no way they were going to be part of the fight, at least any direct confrontations. What did Spitfire have in mind?
“Dash,” Soarin’s voice came from behind her. She turned and glanced at him as he pointed towards the center of the lobby.
“Alright! Everypony gather in! Listen up!” Spitfire’s voice boomed forth. Dash quickly perked up with the rest and turned to listen.
Spitfire was perfectly able to fly, and usually addressed the force while hovering in the air, but in order to avoid her wings cramping up and to save her energy, she stood atop one of the many tables bolted to the floor in the lobby. This one just happened to be conveniently close to the central pillar. She wasn’t as high up as usual and only about a head higher than most of the larger ponies present, but it would have to do. The last thing she wanted to happen while giving a rallying speech was to fall flat on her face. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she looked left and right examining all the pairs of eyes on her.
It was time to set them on the right path.
“Wonderbolts, Renegades, and everypony else,” she began, her tone slightly different than her usual speech voice. Everypony noticed it immediately and were all instantly intrigued. “I know you’re all expecting me to get up here and yell like I always do… but I’m not gonna yell, I’m not gonna jump right up and shout ‘rah-rah, let’s go get ‘em’. Why? Because I don’t think that’ll make a damn difference. Instead, I’m going to look each and every one of you in the eye and talk about how things have been going, what we’re up against, and what we need to do. First, I want to express how grateful I am to the Renegades. I don’t think we could have gotten this far without you… but it’s time for us Wonderbolts to re-evaluate ourselves.”
She took a long pause to let her opening sink in, knowing that most, if not all of them were not expecting her to take the tone she had. Once satisfied they were ready, she continued on, focusing on the Wonderbolts… her family.
“Wonderbolts, we need take an honest look at ourselves and make an equally honest assessment of where we stand. For starters… we have not been doing well, we have not been performing at our best, and we have not lived up to the honor of being called a Wonderbolt. But… I’m not going to say that, without also saying that I, as your captain, have been making the most egregious mistakes of all. I have not been making good decisions, I have not been giving the right orders, I have been taking the wrong chances… and most of all, I have not remained composed. Nopony is perfect, and it’s not good to dwell on your mistakes, but it’s even worse to ignore them completely. Thanks to some humble guidance from our former captain, Flashwind, I took some time to step back and take a good look at everything… I realized that we were giving into fear, frustration, and anger… I realized that our emotions were running wild, that we were not focused, that we were forgetting the principles that I’ve tried so hard to implement. Everything became so hectic that I didn’t even realize just how far we were falling… and I’m glad that I assessed it all… because the final piece to figuring out the puzzle came when I sent our top elites out to meet up with the Luna Guard.”
She paused as all eyes moved towards the battered and beaten top squads. Spitfire had yet to formally address the force after what happened, and she was sure many of them had already heard, but she had to talk about it. It all tied in with the message she had for them.
“I’m sure most of you have already heard either from them, or those they talked to, but during their mission, the top elites ran into Nightshade.” She waited a moment as a few faces showed a clear reaction, but not all of them. It looked like the word had passed around some, but now they all knew. Those reacting showcased a mixture of shock and surprise. More surprisingly, the Renegades seemed to be reacting more than the Wonderbolts. Had neither Descent or Starry told any of them about it? “Yes, Nightshade, the same adversary we’ve faced more than once… and whose status, up to this point, was unknown. But for those of you who remember her…” Spitfire motioned towards the top elites. “You can understand how our best ended up like this.” She paused as everypony looked towards the top elites again, a new perspective being put on how they ended up to beaten and battered.
“Nightshade, by herself, did that to our best,” Spitfire went on, drawing all their attention back. “I managed to show up just in time to even the odds, but… even I did not escape without taking my share of blows, nor was I able to completely match her on my own. But I’m not telling you all this to scare you. In fact, the entrance of Nightshade, while adding a whole new level of danger to the enemies we face, provided a clear lense for me to see through the rest of our mistakes.”
She looked down and closed her eyes for a moment.
“When I arrived… everypony was already down, and had been down for a while. There was only one pony standing in between Nightshade and the grounded squads.” She glanced towards the east hallway.
“Silver Lining.”
Not a sound was made by a single Wonderbolt. While the news about Nightshade was new to a few, the condition of Silver was the first thing everypony saw two days ago.
“I did not see it for myself… but the recounts of the standoff I’ve heard from several of those watching told me everything I needed to hear. Nightshade had taken them all down using more than just her terrifying strength and power, she used fear, emotions, and negative vibes against them. She controlled the entire battle doing what she does best, exploiting each of them directly and baiting them into lowering their guard and focus. She’s a master of manipulation… but her tactics did not work on Silver. Why? Because he was the only one there that was in control of himself. Despite not being in fighting condition, he kept his cool, held his ground, rejected her advances, and by himself prevented the loss of our most skilled and influential leaders in the force… nearly at the cost of his own life.”
Spitfire nodded as several ponies averted their eyes, clearly in deep thought.
“We nearly lost Silver… And while I don’t mean to demean the lives he saved, I think you all agree that the loss of Silver would have been the ultimate crippling, devastating blow to our morale. With two disasters narrowly averted, and thinking over how everything worked out… how the top elites failed to match Nightshade, yet Silver survived one on one…”
Spitfire put on a weak smile.
“I think… Silver, in his efforts, has sent us a clear message. We can’t keep flailing in the dark, we can’t keep letting our emotions run amok, we can’t keep arguing amongst ourselves, and we can’t keep following that which we don’t believe in. The Shadowbolts thrive every time we panic or are disorganized, they deliver blow after blow to the force as a whole and we curl up deeper. Now with Nightshade confirmed to be among them, they are even more dangerous. With her ability to manipulate those she faces through fear and other emotions that break our focus with ease, she is the most dangerous of all…”
She nodded while hardening her gaze and expression.
“But Silver looked her in the eye and denied her. He did not give her the pleasure of manipulating him and in turn… she struggled to defeat him. He was outmatched in every possible way, but he took on the strongest our enemy can offer through his sheer force of will and his desire to protect what was important to him. He didn’t do it for himself… HE DID IT FOR US. And I think it’s time for all of us, me included, to take a long look in the mirror and ask ourselves what we are fighting for, what we believe in. Before the top elites left on their mission, there were clear rifts among us, disagreements, flaring emotions, boiling anger… and it almost killed them all.”
She looked back and forth at all of them, turning her head from side to side slowly to catch every pair of Wonderbolt eyes.
“The moment we are disconnected, we are all in danger. So we have to pull ourselves back together. From now until we reach the Crystal Empire, we are ONE. One group, one goal, one purpose, one battle, and only ONE outcome. Our unity will be the key as we make this final push.”
She suddenly stepped down from the table.
“Wonderbolts, gather in, come on,” she beckoned them. Some hesitated, but it was only initial surprise at the unexpected order. Being careful not to crowd those hurt, the Wonderbolts did the best they could to all squeeze in. “Everypony sit down,” Spitfire followed up, all of them obeying, save for Macho Savage in the back with Fleetfoot balanced on his back.
Spitfire remained standing, taking a moment to turn all the way from left to right at the semi-circle of Wonderbolts all looking up to her with the Renegades and Lunar Guard all watching behind them. The top elites were all near the front on her right, all of them playing along even though it wasn’t too easy for them to sit down.
“Don’t think about who we’re fighting anymore. They are irrelevant…. There are no Shadowbolts, there is no flying death machine, and there are no supernatural energy crystals… none of those things matter,” she paused, and then suddenly narrowed her eyes into a strong glare. “Instead, think about WHY we’re fighting!” she yelled, finally raising her voice to her usual motivational levels. “Everypony look to your left… and look to your right… look right into the eyes of the ponies sitting beside you,” she commanded, every Wonderbolt doing as they were told, eyes meeting from shoulder to shoulder throughout the ranks.
“You are fighting for THEM.”
A silence passed over the force as Spitfire purposely said no more for several seconds, the Wonderbolts kept looking around at each other.
“Wonderbolts,” Spitfire continued, drawing all eye back to her. “We are a new generation… And where does the strength of our generation come from? Our strength is that of the pony flying beside us. Strength drawn from our ties, from our connections… Strength from our brothers and sisters… The strength of a family. Use the strength of your comrades beside you, and repay them double in return.”
Spitfire turned and stepped back up onto the table, the Wonderbolts all rising as she did, several of them turning to help the top elites stand, wasting no time in practicing what was being preached.
“This is the first time we’ve been involved in an extended conflict, the first time I’ve had to lead you through these kinds of hardships… the first real test of our generation with the generation before us watching over us… waiting to see if we can live up to our uniforms,” she went on while looking towards the former Wonderbolts among the Renegades. “The last stallion of the older generation just put his life on the line to show us the path we have to walk…” she smirked. “Now I say we pay him back by making sure he lives to wake up and say, ‘I told you so.’”
Several chuckles and smiles passed around the group. There was obviously a lot more on the line than Silver. Wave Chill, the captive Shadowbolts, and several members of the Wonderbolt staff who were working far beyond what their job description ever included. Their own lives were at risk as well, several of their ranks in need of medical attention they couldn’t get until they were finally to safety and received full, proper medical attention.
But Silver was symbolic. Not just to the Wonderbolts, but to everypony on board the Nimbus. To the thestrals for his long-known history with their captain, and even to the Renegade Shadowbolts, who now stood in awe of how Silver was able to stand up to Nightshade the way he did.
Spitfire could tell her speech was sinking in, she could see motivation welling up in the eyes of everypony around, as tired, and fatigued as some of those eyes looked. They all knew what they had to do, and they wouldn’t back down.
“We’ll be taking off as soon as the sun begins to set!” Spitfire shifted to the technical points. “Until then, I will be meeting with each captain individually to get up to speed on the status of their squad, to meet any needs they may have, and to figure out where they will be in our flight and battle plans! We’re taking off the kiddy gloves, grabbing this bull by the horns, and flipping it right on its back!” she chanted, going into rah-rah mode even though she said she wouldn’t. “I firmly believe that if we take control, look the enemy in the eye, and take it to them, then we have more than it takes to push through to our destination! Gear up and start prepping, Wonderbolts! Let’s get crackin’!”
There were no cheers. There was no hooting or hollering. But the resolve was so thick one could weave a blanket with it. The Wonderbolts all started moving immediately, heading every which way to get with their squads before getting ready for their final push.
Spitfire smiled as she watched everypony, slowly stepping back down from the table with a few grunts that she failed to conceal, but she didn’t care about the pain, any of it at all. After what Silver had done for them, and the message he quietly left… she was just as determined as everypony else to see him safely to the Crystal Empire. They owed him that much, as long as they had a breath left in their bodies, they would move heaven and earth for the old Iron Horse.
Dash smiled as she watched Spitfire step down and viewed the commotion that followed right after. Leave it to Silver to motivate them all even when he was down and out.
“That was a hell of a speech,” Soarin chuckled, drawing Dash’s eyes to him. He looked down at her with a determined smirk. Dash returned it, but flinched as Spitfire suddenly called towards them.
“Soarin!” she called to him specifically as she moved, her eyes turning towards Macho Savage still supporting Fleetfoot off to the side. Dash and Soarin glanced over as well as Spitfire approached.
Fleetfoot was sitting up and clearly listened to all of it, but she looked like she was straining to do so, still visibly shaking. Normally they would have kept her in the infirmary, but Dash had a feeling Spitfire wanted Fleetfoot to hear her speak too. No pony able to be moved was left out, they all needed to hear it.
“Don’t go suit up just yet,” Spitfire spoke directly to Soarin, bringing their attention back. “I want to touch base with the top elites in a second, I just need to…” Spitfire trailed off, looking over her shoulder. “LUNA!” Spitfire yelled as she spotted Luna only a few paces away. She broke off and approached Luna, saying something to her about meeting elsewhere shortly before she broke off again to find somepony else.
Soarin and Dash both blinked. It was brief, but Spitfire was in business mode, it even left Luna in brief state of surprise as Spitfire hopped around to several ponies to touch base.
“Well, I guess you should go get ready then,” Soarin nudged Dash in the back. Dash perked up, looking towards her Squad. All four of them were looking at her, well, all of them but Twister, who was latched to the back of Matteo’s head with his chin placed atop it, eyes bugged outward and mouth open like he was an animal skin.
“Right,” Dash turned and nodded to Soarin. “But I’ll come right back oka—”
Dash was about to hug him, but she stopped and looked towards Luna. Soarin flinched, stopping midway into a hug as well, wondering what had gotten her attention. He followed her eyes and saw she was staring not at Luna, but beside her at Captain P.L.
“Dash?” Soarin tipped his head to the left and looked at her carefully. Dash suddenly looked directly at him and held up a hoof before turning to her squad and pointing at them.
“One second guys, I’ll be right back.”
Without another word and before any of them could ask, she turned and made her way towards Luna and her knight.
Rainbow Dash slowed her pace as she approached, her eyes fixed on P.L. as he stood dutifully by Luna’s side, his helmet sitting on the floor beside him. She had to ask now, she wasn’t sure if she’d get another chance any time soon, or if she’d forget.
Now if only it were easy to approach him. The fact that he had a heavy presence and was an old comrade of her mentor aside, he had several thestrals near him that were eyeballing anypony that came close to either him or Luna. There were six right up beside him, and more than Dash could count spread out around him.
As she closed in, Luna finished speaking to Blazetail and sent him on his way, she slowly turned back to P.L., but blinked and shifted her eyes towards Dash. P.L. didn’t move. She was already receiving glares from the nearby thestrals, but the six right near him turned around so fast, Dash was surprised their necks didn’t snap off.
All six of them instantly glared and hissed as their yellow eyes glowed. Dash stopped right in her tracks, scrunching her face. What was the deal with these grumps anyway? By now she felt they’d understand they’re all on the same team.
“Hold,” Luna said calmly, the thestrals instantly ceased hissing and took a step back, but kept glaring at her. “Let her through,” Luna ordered. The thestrals obeyed without hesitation, parting to let Dash move forward. P.L. still had not turned to her, and it seemed Luna assumed Dash wanted to speak to her.
“Yes? Rainbow Dash?” Luna asked as she toward her, but Dash respectfully shook her head while holding up a hoof.
“Actually, I… uh…” she pointed at P.L., not sure how to put it otherwise.
“Oh?” Luna blinked, glancing at P.L., still turned away from them. She glanced back at Dash curiously, but gave a warm smile. “Go ahead,” she nodded as Dash turned and approached P.L.
“Um…” She swallowed. “Excuse me…”
She got no response. Luna flattened her brow and tapped the back of P.L.’s armor.
“Captain, she’s talking to you,” Luna alerted him. P.L.’s ears stood up as he glanced at Luna first, then back over his shoulder at Dash. He blinked when he saw her, slowly turning around to face her.
“What?” he asked flatly as he narrowed his eyes and gave her a soft glare. Dash leaned her head back slightly, not scared, just feeling the harsh look she was receiving. She scratched the back of her head awkwardly, wondering exactly how she was going to go about this. She was curious, but… he wasn’t the easiest pony to talk to.
“There was… just something I, uh, wanted to ask while I had the chance,” she began honestly, but hesitantly. P.L. released a slightly exasperated grunt.
“And that would be?” he asked gruffly, his incredibly low toned voice resembling a growl. But otherwise he seemed a little curious, perhaps interested in her personally since she was the student of a pony he respected greatly. Dash took a long breath… and came right out with it.
“What does your name stand for? You know… the P.L.?”
Everything around her suddenly stopped. Dash blinked and looked around as every thestral near Captain P.L. stared at her wide eyed with the strongest look of shock she had ever seen in her life. A few gasps passed between them as well. Dash looked back and forth frantically, catching several pairs of yellow eyes as they all expressed terrified emotions ranging from fear, to terror, to panic. Dash turned to Luna to see she also had a look of shock on her face.
Then looked back at P.L. and saw that his face had scrunched up considerably. His lips began to shaking, parting to reveal his teeth grinding together so hard she could almost hear his fangs clicking in between the rest of his teeth.
Dash held her ground, but leaned back a little further as P.L.’s glare pushed against her, the thestrals and Luna all around him slowly backing away, drawing attention from a few Wonderbolts and Renegades nearby as they bumped into them, each other, and in some cases, fell over one another as they created as much distance between them and P.L. as possible until they were effectively out of immediate earshot. It got to a point where the thestrals were shivering and hiding behind other ponies, Luna had six of them clinging to her legs and hiding beneath her as she joined in staying away.
What did she just do?
Dash flinched as P.L. suddenly averted his eyes, growling for a moment before releasing a very long, very frustrated sigh. Dash’s ears folded back and she cringed awkwardly.
“Er…” she looked back and forth at the thestrals again, some of whom were still trying to push further away from him, every single one of them absolutely terrified.
“Silver put you up to this… didn’t he?” P.L. suddenly asked in a very sharp, very angry tone, his deep voice only adding to the effect. Dash blinked, forcing herself to lean back forward as she took a quick breath and nodded.
“Y…yes…” she confirmed.
P.L.’s eyes narrowed further and he snorted so hard and loud that it made Dash jump. He looked away, his eyes staring straight at the floor as he began to grumble loudly, but incoherently for several moments. Dash’s face went blank as she saw his odd behavior play out. Something told her that Silver had prompted her to ask a question that, had she not been Silver’s student, may have gotten her brutally and bloodily murdered. Or at least based on how the thestrals and Luna were acting.
It was, apparently, a very touchy subject, one that P.L. was not to fond of discussing. She almost regretted asking… and even began to wonder if Silver had purposely set it up this way, JUST to mess with him. Knowing Silver, she wouldn’t rule that out.
“Uh, should I…” Dash stumbled over her words a little as she looked away and rubbed her opposite arm. “Should I not ask?” she caved, ready to drop the subject. She winced as P.L. suddenly released a low, drawn out growl and shook his head, keeping his eyes to the floor.
“If I don’t tell you now… Silver will never let me hear the end of it…”
Dash wasn’t quite sure if he was actually speaking to her, or if he was just speaking his mind. He looked ready to burst, his face turning red with what Dash perceived as anger, LOTS of it. She had to back off, she probably should have asked at a better time, not when they were trying to get ready and get focused.
“Look, I can just, uh…” Dash held up a hoof and took a step back as P.L. stopped growling, but kept his glare pointed straight at the floor. “I’ll just tell Silver you told me or something, or—”
“Puppy Love.”
Dash froze, her eyes going wide as her ears perked up and twitched. She was certain she had just heard two words come from P.L. one that started with a P, and one that started with an L… but she was struggling to confirm that those were, indeed, the words she had just heard.
“Uh…” Dash tipped her head to the side as her pupils slowly shrunk. “Pardon?”
“Puppy. Love.” P.L. repeated slower, with more emphasis, and with his face growing redder as he began to growl again.
Dash’s brain came close to a full system crash. Her jaw dropped as she blinked several times and shook her head out.
“Wh… WHAT?!” she reacted, her neck tilting down and one of her eyelids twitching as she tried to process what she was hearing.
“The name my mother gave me… is PUPPY LOVE,” P.L. repeated one more time, his face growing so red that not a single trace of white remained on his face. It looked like steam was about to whistle out of his ears like a tea kettle in a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Dash was dumbstruck. It was… so ridiculous, so ludicrous and so… there were too many words to choose from to describe how she felt in the current moment.
“P… P… P… Puppy Love?” Dash struggled to say it. It was hysterical to think, but it was so backwards that it was as if she forgot how to laugh. He was literally the scariest, most visually intimidating pony she had ever seen in her life and his name was…
Dash’s head twitched twice as she tried to find something to say, but she was still trying to coax her brain off the train platform to catch the first ride out of town.
“T… that’s…”
“I KNOW.”
P.L. immediately turned his back to her, his face so red that Dash could see it reaching the tips of his notched ears as he stomped away, grumbling and growling as ponies, Wonderbolt, Renegade, and thestral alike, all cleared the way as he romped his way through. Red in the face and still growing redder, he disappeared down the west hallway, Luna and the thestrals all glancing back and forth between Dash and the hall as if surprised by how the situation played out.
Yep, that confirmed it. If not for her association with Silver, she probably would be in a lot of pain right now. That subject was clearly off limits.
But…
Puppy Love…
Seriously, what the f—
“What did you ask him?” Soarin’s voice suddenly brought Dash back to her senses. She looked over her shoulder to see Soarin stop behind her and place a hoof on her good shoulder. She opened her mouth, closed her mouth, opened it again, then closed it again. She turned her eyes back towards the west hallway and stared for a moment or two before shaking her head.
“Nothing,” she said in a monotone as her head continued to spin in disbelief. “Absolutely nothing,” she reaffirmed, earning a confused look from Soarin as she turned and started moving back towards her squad.
Best not repeat it. P.L. wasn’t happy about it, and clearly didn’t like others knowing about it. The way his thestrals and even Luna backed away so suddenly spoke volumes to how much he wished to not discuss it.
But… now that she knew, she couldn’t shake further curiosity. His mother named him Puppy Love… There had to be some interesting backstory to that. Did Luna know? He was her captain and her knight, but it had only been for a few years, with being banished on the moon for so long and all. Luna had to know, if there was one pony Puppy Lo— P.L. wouldn’t kill for asking it would be the lady he serves.
Dash turned to face her squad, refocusing on the task at hoof.
“Alright everypony, let’s head to the barracks, suit up, and get ready to do whatever Spitfire needs us to—”
She stopped, blinking as she looked past them towards the east hallway.
“Whatever Spitfire needs us… to…” she tried again as her eyes remained locked on the east hall. “To…”
“Dash?” Little Star spoke up with concern, Squall and Matteo showing similar curiosity as Twister sat cross-legged on atop Matteo’s head, his face mirroring Matteo’s usual casual glare. “What’s up?”
Dash bit her lip, her eyes remaining firm, not moving to any of her squadmates. A few paces behind, Soarin noticed where Dash was looking. He glanced between her and the east hallway before instantly putting two and two together. He made his way over to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder again. She didn’t look at him or say anything, but Soarin gave a quick nod towards her squadmates.
“Go on ahead, she’ll catch up,” he said as he gently rubbed his hoof back and forth on her shoulder. Matteo and Star nodded and turned to go, but Squall scrunched his face.
“Hasn’t she spent enough time with you already? She’s our squad captain you know,” he complained without hesitation. Matteo and Star both came to a halt, Star more abruptly than Matteo. Twister was still on Matteo’s head, stiff as a statue. Soarin narrowed his eyes at Squall, who simply glared right back. “You heard me,” Squall pressed. “For Celestia’s sake we almost never see her anymore.”
“Recruit Squall,” Soarin said in a stern, powerful voice that made Star squeak and shift backwards until she was pressed up against Matteo’s arm. Matteo quickly grabbed her shoulder gently to calm her down. “That is an order, not to mention an order from the lead captain. Rainbow Dash will join you, she needs to do something first. Now GO.”
Squall growled quietly, but surprisingly, did not push any further.
“Tch!” he scoffed loudly as he turned and trudged passed Matteo and Star. Little Star sighed in relief, quickly chasing after Squall as Matteo moved on as if nothing had happened… and is if there were no silly pony still sitting on his head.
Pleased that Squall decided not to press his luck, Soarin turned his attention back to Dash. She was still staring at the hallway as if battling conflicting thoughts.
“Well?” he nudged her. Dash blinked and glanced up at him, her ears flopping down.
“Sorry,” she suddenly apologized while looking towards her squad. “I probably should have handled that.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’m no stranger to giving orders,” Soarin smiled. “Now—”
“He’s right though,” Dash suddenly admitted, cutting Soarin off. “I’ve been flying missions with them, but I feel like we’ve been a little disconnected. We spent nearly every moment together during our recruit training and for a little while after, but when everything got going…”
“That’s not your fault,” Soarin assured her. “None of us have had real time to do anything right now,” he said with a bit of a chuckle, stating the obvious. “Just keep being their captain, and when we get to the Crystal Empire, you can sit down and reconnect, I think we all plan on doing that.”
Dash only replied with a quiet nod, but then blinked as Soarin nudged her again.
“Now come on,” he encouraged.
“Huh?” she blinked, noticing that he was pushing her towards the east hallway even though she hadn’t said anything.
“Let’s go see him,” Soarin added.
Boy, did he know her.
“Yes, let’s…” Dash agreed as the two made their way into the east hallway and towards the infirmary.
As Soarin guided her, he quickly realized that he had ordered Squall to follow Spitfire’s orders, only to turn around and violate them by leaving the lobby, but he’d come right back, Dash needed him for a moment as they moved to the infirmary. She had remained silent, but Soarin couldn’t quite get a full read on her. She didn’t look sad, but she didn’t look like much of anything on the opposite of the spectrum either. ‘Blank’ was the best way to put it, but at the same time it lacked the emotionless look required for ‘blank.’ She simply looked like she wanted something, and Soarin knew what she wanted. That’s why they were in the infirmary after all.
Soarin quickly looked around the infirmary, scanning over the busy medical staff members until he spotted Bliss with her head stuffed in a cabinet not too far from them.
“Bliss!” Soarin called to her, waving a hoof in the air. Bliss’s magic surrounded the cabinet door as she stepped back and closed it gently. She glanced towards them as she heard her name, but didn’t show any visible reaction to noticing them, as if she knew they weren’t there for medical attention. Soarin nodded once her eyes met his and made a hoof motion towards the back room door. “May we…?” he asked, assuming she’d quickly figure it out.
“Go right ahead,” she said in a slightly sarcastic tone. “It’s not like they listened to me,” she said, turning right back to the cabinets and opening up the next one to her left before Soarin could acknowledge and respond. But Dash’s ears perked up.
“They?” Dash said to herself as Soarin turned and joined her in looking towards the door leading to the makeshift emergency room. They both quickly noticed that the door was ajar, ever so slightly.
Was somepony else visiting Silver?
Soarin almost yelped as Dash suddenly started moving, pulling his hoof along with her. He caught himself before falling and regained control, walking right behind her until the two of them reached the door.
Dash placed her hoof on it, took a long, gentle breath, and pushed the door open.
They took one step into Silver’s room… and stopped right in their tracks.
There WAS somepony else in the room…. Make that several ponies.
Bomber, Valkyrie, Pixie, Fairy, Comet, Steady Wing, and Cannon Ball.
All of Silver’s old friends and wingmates sitting around him in silence and looking down upon him with nothing but the gentle, slightly erratic beeps of the heart rate monitor filling the empty, soundless space. Soarin and Dash were left speechless. Had the Renegades not yet gotten a chance to visit him? Or were they there for the same reason the two of them were? Both of them began to worry that they had stumbled into a very personal, very deep moment.
Soarin was on the verge of reaching to Dash and suggesting they wait outside until they were done, but before he could, Bomber blinked and glanced towards them. His movement caught the attention of Valkyrie first, and then eventually the rest of them. Dash and Soarin stood awkwardly as the old generation of Top Elite Wonderbolts all turned to look at them.
“Sorry, we’ll come back,” Soarin quickly lifted a hoof and was about to grab Dash, but he stopped when Bomber shook his head.
“No, stay,” he said in his gentle voice while beckoning them in. Soarin and Dash weren’t sure what to do, but the rest of them seemed to agree, Comet, Steady, and Cannon shifting aside and motioning to the spot they opened.
“Come on up,” Comet offered, smiling towards them. Dash was still a bit hesitant. She was literally in the company several legends and she still felt like they had interrupted. Soarin was right behind her, but he patiently waited as she inched forward a step at a time. Steady turned to look at her and chuckled.
“Rainbow Dash, we don’t bite,” he said jokingly. “Besides, I’m sure if Silver were awake, he’d kick us all out to talk to you.”
Dash blinked as they all chuckled and giggled, agreeing with Steady, Bomber’s ‘heh heh heh’ continuing for a second or two after they stopped.
“What?” Dash blinked as she tried to process what they meant.
“He never stopped—
“Telling us about you.” Pixie and Fairy spoke in their usual pattern, Pixie starting with Fairy finishing.
“You’d think he was—”
“Your dad or something,” they went on, giggling in unison.
Dash’s pupils grew as it hit her. Silver? Talking about her nonstop? TO THESE PONIES? If not for the somber air of the moment, she probably would have squealed.
“So get up here before he wakes up and punches Cannon,” Valkyrie suggested gruffly.
“Why is it always me?” Cannon huffed.
“Because it IS always you,” Valkyrie added casually as Cannon grumbled.
Another chuckle passed around them all as Dash swallowed and glanced at Soarin.
“Come on,” Soarin nudged her lightly. “Don’t keep the old grump waiting,” he said with a wink. Dash smiled and rubbed the back of her head, saying nothing as she turned, took a breath, and moved up beside the bed, Comet, Steady, and Cannon all letting her right to the head of the bed so she could be close to Silver.
And then… the moment Dash sat down and locked her eyes on Silver’s face, everything around her seemed to vanish. She was no longer surrounded by living legends, she was no longer in an infirmary, her body no longer hurt… or at least that’s how it all felt in her head.
It was just her… and her mentor.
Why did she come here? There were some obvious reasons as to why. Silver was important to her, he was a source of motivation, and in a way… a source of comfort, but were those the real reasons she came right now? No, she felt like something else had drawn her here.
She had come to accept what was right in front of her.
This would be the first time since everything began… that she would not have Silver’s guidance, no words of encouragement from him, no assurance that he was either there, watching over her in some way, or rooting for her success from afar. She had been without him before, but Silver’s guidance was more than just a few words or his presence, it was something that stayed with her, something that helped every step she took, every flap of her wings.
Now she was about to fly into battle without him, without any of what he gave her. He was here and he was fighting for his life. She had motivation to fight for his survival, but the guidance and the wisdom were missing. She almost felt lost without it.
But that was the reason she was there… to acknowledge that she was about to walk without on him, on her own four hooves… and surprisingly, she felt calm, relaxed. While Silver was not able to give her a pep talk or point her to the right mindset, all the training and all the time they spent as mentor and student had paid off.
Silver had shown her, through both actions and words, what it truly means to be a Wonderbolt.
Silver was far from perfect, and on a base level he was far from impressive when compared to the younger Wonderbolts… and despite his nickname, Dash never felt that Silver was invincible.
But… that was how influential Silver was to her, and to all of them. Silver would do things that made one BELIEVE he was invincible, that nothing could knock him down or break him.
But now here he was… broken. It showed her, for all Silver was, he was still one of them, still vulnerable, still a life as fragile as any other.
Silver was a pony, like her, like Soarin, and like the rest of them… but he did great things. That meant they could all do great things too. There was no magic to it, no trick or instructions. They just had to follow his example and give it everything at every given moment.
That was what it meant to be a Wonderbolt.
Dash thought back to what Spitfire had just relayed to all of them in her speech, how she brought up Silver and how dropping his name alone seemed to have an incredibly profound impact on them.
That’s how important Silver was to them.
Dash glanced around at the old generation of elites around her, and how they had come to him like she had.
That’s how important Silver was to them.
Dash looked down at her hooves, and then at Silver’s face. She didn’t have his words, and she wouldn’t have him by her side. But… she would fight. She would do anything and everything she needed to do to get Silver to the Crystal Empire.
That’s how important Silver was to HER.
“So you’re here for the same reason we are, huh?” Valkyrie suddenly spoke up, Dash blinking and quickly glancing up at her.
“Huh?” Dash tipped her head slightly as Valkyrie shot her a smirk.
“The bastard has an effect, doesn’t he?” Valkyrie looked back down as Bomber giggled behind her. “You know him long enough and, well… He gets to you,” she continued. “It feels like your expectations for yourself shoot way higher when Silver’s involved.”
“Hardly surprising,” Comet chimed in. “He trained under Blizzard Strike after all. The two are one in the same, though Silver would never accept such a comparison.”
“Val is one-hundred percent right,” Steady chuckled. “He just inspires others. He doesn’t even have to try, he does it by just being himself. I’d kill to have that kind of effect on ponies. Hell, I’d kill to have a lot of things Silver has. The stallion is just… different.”
“I’d kill to kick his ass,” Cannon grumbled off to the side, but shook his head. “But I never could. Never did, and never will. Hell, if I tried now while he’s down he’d still probably win.”
“Seeing him again—” Pixie cut in.
“Has been amazing,” Fairy finished.
“It has been so long since—”
“We’ve felt his influence.”
“Bomber like Silver,” Bomber suddenly reached an arm around Valkyrie’s neck and yanked her towards him, hugging her by the neck as he pouted and stared at Silver.
“Ack… Bomber…” she grunted while blushing and angrily gritting her teeth.
“Bomber want to save Silver and hear him wisecrack more,” Bomber added as Valkyrie stopped struggling and sighed roughly.
Dash took in everything they had to say, looking back at Silver.
She had to get a move on, but being here, seeing Silver, and hearing how much he meant to so many both through Spitfire and to his old wingmates… It rekindled the flame in her heart, making it grow stronger than before.
Soarin flinched in surprise as he felt a warmth in his heart, looking down at Dash as if he could feel it coming from her. Their spiritual connection was reacting to how Dash was feeling, and Soarin was thrilled. The more determined Dash was, the stronger and more confident he felt.
Dash stepped forward, placing a hoof on Silver’s bed and moving it around until she found where his hoof was. She clasped it gently and stared at him as he continued to lay still. Alive, but knocked out.
“Hang in there, Silver,” she spoke as the rest remained quiet and listened. “You’ve done everything for us. Now it’s our turn to do something for you,” she paused, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes as she lowered her head down and tapped her forehead to his hoof. “We’re going to get you to the Crystal Empire so you can wake up and tell us off for taking so long. Honestly, I really hope that’s the first thing you do.”
Soarin glanced around at the old Wonderbolts and watched as they all smiled at her words, Dash knew him as well as they did.
“Sit tight… and hold still when Bliss secures you for takeoff,” she added with a smile. “We’ll see you when we arrive,” she finished, slowly letting go of Silver’s hoof, leaned back upright and stared for another moment before turning around and nodding at Soarin. She glanced back at the Renegades, looking each of them in the eye before her ears perked up and she smiled. “Well, what the hell are you all waiting for? Let’s get this show on the road!”
The initial reaction was one of shock, but then…
“Heh heh heh hehheh hehheh hehheh heeeeeeeehhhhhhh…” Bomber began bouncing as he giggled and shook Valkyrie with him.
He let go of her suddenly to hold onto his stomach, Valkyrie yelping and falling flat to the floor with a THUMP. “You sound like Silver,” Bomber said while pointing at Dash.
That did it. They all smirked and nodded at each other, Valkyrie doing the same after pushing herself back up.
“You heard the lady!” Comet pounded his chest. “We’ve got some Shadowbolt heads to crack!”
---To Be Continued---
Art in this chapter by Foxenawolf and Penumbraglow.
Time to get the show on the road. The Wonderbolts have been through a lot, their best flyers are battered, beaten, and bruised, but they are determined to succeed. All they need is one more push and they'll finally find some safety... not to mention finally get off the flying tub for a while.
And they'll do it with the help of the menacing, the powerful, the ruthless, the terrifying... Puppy Love...
Yeah it's no wonder he abbreviated it 
And for those of you wondering, YES, at some point in the future i will be addressing the backstory behind his name 
But for real... it's time to reach for the finish line, the Wonderbolts are so close to pulling themselves out of the fire. What's Spitfire's plan? Will they make it? Will Silver survive? Can Wave and the captives hold on a little longer?
Buckle up, chapter 140 is gonna be a ride 
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!
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It's too bad that Dash didn't tell Silver about P.L.'s true name.
Dammit... damn good chapter... made me weep.
66.media.tumblr.com/44764ce65a66b22ed6efccb205c38338/tumblr_ndt8il2ODx1r9ozslo1_r2_400.gif
I'm ALL for this one. Shoot your shot young man, I believe in you!
Edit: Also this.
Wow, that ending is a good one. The whole P.L. Puppy Love thing was really funny. Also the picture with Fire Streak drugging Lightning Streak away was too funny for me. Can't wait for the next one Calm!
That name...that fucking name...you crazy blue buff bastard!
Great chapter as always calm we all better buckle up for the next one
Love it!!! Feed me MORE!!!!!!
YEAH!!!! SO SILVER!!!!
Also...
PUPPY LOVE??!!!!
I totally lost it there!!!
7909706
I got the impression Silver already knew his name & that is why he told Dash to ask. Any relation between Puppy Love & Puppysmiles? (From the Fall of Equestria story Pink Eyes)
I love the scene with Silver and the Legends. He's unconscious, and he's still such an inspiration. But here, it's so much more personal.
And, right there at the end, Rainbow Dash is starting to take the torch that is Silver Lining and Blizzard Strike. Then again, she kinda did that when she called P.L. an asshole.
Who wants some PUPPY LOVE?!I really want a scene between P.L and Silver when he recovers.
Oh... KISH! Talk about an action packed, humor-filled chapter.
First off, Poor Spitfire. I know it isn't easy, but she REALLY should have let Bliss take care of her at some point during the day.
And the elites... Poor Fleet, poor all of them.
That pep speech, that's what they needed.
Puppy Love... XD I think we've seen that side to him with Luna... but oh KISH that must be a story.
And I don't blame Dash's squad here, not in the slightest. She HAS been spending a lot of time with Soarin. But, we all know why.
And the retirees... that was just cute.
Now, Soarin get back in there before Spitfire makes you regret it. OK BUDDY!
P.L.'s name though puppy love.
wow that was surprising I was expecting something along the lines of Pretty Lady
i died when i read puppy love!
and here i thought it stood for Pussy Licker
Puppy Love....no comment. Lol
As for the Crystal Empire, two ponies there are from there. Squall and that one pony in squad zero if I remember. Will both change? And will we meet Squalls parents again? And would he stay at HQ because of it?
So inspiring to the wonderbolts and renegades
i.ytimg.com/vi/4YGZ6iE84mQ/maxresdefault.jpg who the hell invited winston churchill???
Puppy love. PUPPY LOVE. PUPPY LOVE?!?!?!? PFFFFFA HAHAHA HAHA!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAHAHAHAHAHA!
That name just killed me
. It's good to see how much Silver has had an impact on those around him, I really enjoy him as a character.
Ponies have shoulders?
Well, PL's name makes me laugh far more than it should.
Puppy. Love.
Excuse me, everybody.
*walks off someplace*
7910448 I KNOW RIGHT!
That name got my laughing so hard that I cried 
literally 
Calmy, that last picture gave me the D'awwws
And I have no idea why-- WHO'S WITH MEH?! 
I see a reference. Or is that my brain?
So... Spitty gave a speech... And... I nearly died from laughing at P.L's name...
Good chapter, very good chapter. Potato like.
cdn.meme.am/instances/58722908.jpg
Now I'm going to go back to bed because this potato is sick and I need ice-cream
I…
.
.
.
pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/rsz/mlfw4756_small.jpg
Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a big problem in the future…I could be wrong, but still…
Silver truly is the beacon of hope in the Wonderbolts…it'll be so sad to see him not flying anymore
Puppy Love... genius lol
PUPPY LOVE!!!
and I thought it stands for Prince Lunar or something AWWW for the SoarDash moments and DAMN YOU LIGHTNING STREAK YOU FUCKING STALKER
Well alright chapter, I feel like you kinda overhyped P.L.'s real name a bit. Don't get me wrong I don't think anybody could have come up with a significantly more embarrassing name for our favourite albino bat but still I don't feel like this name is a big enough reason for all the stir among the batponies and Luna. (Luna is an especially interesting question since I don't think she personally has ever seen the consequences of that question. She probably heard stories though)
Maybe you could have put a few subtle hints during the recent chapters that would have made the anticipation more justified.
On a not unrelated thought I would really like to meet the mare who could make P.L. wear this name for all his life. Just imagine this conversation:
Well yeah. Such is the power of Mums
I teared up with Spitfire's speech. Sometimes the gentle approach I'd the best way to go.
Puppy Love?
I honestly never would have guessed, but now the interactions with Luna make so much sense.
Calm like.. you say they're reaching for the finish line, but we're not even done with part 3 yet so I'm kinda scared how much more you can do. And that's without even addressing how in the world anyone could defeat Kayn Ost if he controls Nightshade. All skepticism aside though, I'm quite excited for what you have in mind, my brain is picturing Dash using some sort of Silver Arrow Manuever except by using a combination of Bomber and Matteo's strength and then using somepony else's hooves to do a sonic blast off, and then obliterate one of the elites. The things I can think of
But I'm so excited, and really, Puppy Love? I wonder if Dash knowing that name will come into play later? *grins* So much to look forward to, keep it up!!
Also,
I think you mean "have"
7912090
Nah Steady is just Scottish
7909706
As sweetolebob said, Silver was the on who told Dash to ask, saying she had to hear it directly from him
7909727
*holds finger near the launch button*
Don't get TOO comfy in those feels now
7909756
Knowing Lucky's thing for Luna, i had to throw in some teasing at some point
7909765
You know me! always mixing humor and feels in as many ways i can!
7909823
WHO DARES MESS WITH THE MIGHTY puppy love?
7909854
OHM NOM NOM
7909860
s28.postimg.org/q5px4mm99/Calmroy_was_here.png
7909882
YOU WILL ALL TREMBLE IN THE PRESENCE OF... er... puppy love...
7909887
Spot on (about Silver), but no there is no relation
7909888
Silver truly is an inspiration to all those around him, and it looks like his legacy has been slowly and safely passed on to Dash
7909889
Silver has yet to actually see P.L. so if he recovers, oh man he's probably gonna let him have it
7909891
You were waiting for it, now you know
7909909
It was fun reading off what people were guessing
My favorite guess was "Please Leave" and i was trolling people by saying it stood for "Phat Larry" 
7909941
My skype chats were exploding with lulz when they all got to his name
7909969
OH YOU!
s30.postimg.org/z7rf8w3w1/like_a_boss_e1350189178780_6.jpg
7912193 You know, I've also observed that Valkyre didn't retaliate when Boomer embraced her with one arm. Normally, she'd pummel anyone who'd try to do that with her.
7909988
Those are the two we know... but if they get there, i wonder who else we'll discover has some crystal pony ancestry?
7910067
It's time to get moving, everypony is on board!
7910105
Seen that video, it's always been a fave of mine
7910223
"Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that makes them look forward to the trip" -Winston Churchill
i always wanted a strong name growing up like luke or logan.. but in the end i went with my middle name. i was every bullies favorite punching bag growing up Stacy Lee... can't count all the times i had Johnny Cash's song going through my head and wanting to punch my mom in the mouth every time i got harassed or beaten up. now that i'm back in my home town, my old friends still refuse to to call me Lee. you should see it when my old friends and my new friends get together around me. some calling me Stacy, some calling me lee... sometimes one doesn't know who their talking about, other times they'll use both names interchangeably and watch bystanders get confused listening in to a conversation they shouldn't be sticking their noses in in the first place. still doesn't make up for the bullying or beatings but it's still funny seeing someone that doesn't know me trying to keep up. >:)
7910435
awwww, heheh...
thank you 
7910448
evansheline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/puppy-attack.jpg
7910474
Thus is Silver's purpose and why Spitfire was so reluctant to follow the Wonderbolt code on retirement with him. He has a surreal effect on those around him. He may not be the biggest, the fastest, or the strongest, but my god how can you ever replace him?
And yes, Puppy Love. No wonder P.L. doesn't like to talk about it
7910569
I haven't used accurate pony anatomy for a long time
