MLP: FiM
Piercing the Heavens
By: Calm Wind
Chapter 133: Broken
“Whoa, whoa, WHOOOOOAAAAAA!!!!!” Surprise yelped as she came in for a landing with the rest of them. Soarin tried to reach over and grab her as he slowed down, but her hooves bounced on the Nimbus deck and she landed face first with a squeak. Soarin’s shift to try and help her put him right in Fleetfoot’s path.
“EEEK!” Fleetfoot yelped as she landed right on Soarin’s back.
“OOF!” Soarin grunted as he was almost forced to the ground, but caught himself, only to have Lightning Streak also land on top of him, sandwiching Fleetfoot and pushing them all to the ground into a pile.
Spitfire landed roughly, but held herself steady as Fire and Misty helped each other touch down without trouble.
“Nice landing, Goldilocks!” Soarin yelled from beneath Fleetfoot and Lightning Streak.
“Bro… you totally moved right in front of me…” Lightning claimed as he rolled off.
“Fleetfoot hit me first,” Soarin pointed out as Fleetfoot shakily pushed herself up and hopped off of Soarin without a word. “What were you doing flying so close behind her?”
“Bro, do you have to ask?” Lightning shrugged as Fire Streak walked up behind him and smacked him upside the head. “Dude…” He glared at Fire while rubbing the back of his head.
“Mmmmrph…” Fleetfoot released an awkward, uncomfortable, and muffled sound, drawing their attention over to her as Squad Foxtrot came in for a landing. Fire pointed at Fleetfoot as she turned away from them all and hastily shuffled towards the lobby doors.
“Brother, there’s a time and place,” he said sternly before pointing at Surprise, who was still lying flat on the deck. “Now go help our wingmate, she appears to be having problems,” he ordered as Surprise peeled her face off the deck floor and released and squeaky groan.
Soarin brushed himself off, watching as Dash, Squall, and Storm all landed and stumbled. Matteo was the only one who crashed, his talons and paws slipped right out from under him as he touched down. Twister landed on Matteo’s back on his hind legs and put his arms in the air to let everypony know he stuck the landing.
“Hmmm…”
Soarin perked up and looked to his left at Spitfire as she hummed. He saw her looking towards the doors. He followed her eyes to see Fleetfoot just in time before she barely opened one of the lobby doors wide enough and shimmied her way through it, leaving them all behind.
“What do you think is up with her?” Soarin asked. Spitfire glanced up at him.
“Dash didn’t tell you?” she asked in surprise. Soarin shook his head.
“She shooed me away.”
“You too, huh?” Spitfire looked back at the doors and huffed. “Well… I hope she’s alright. I need both of you if we’re going to get things moving in the right direction. We’ll have to check on her later.”
“What about Air Mach?” Soarin asked with a chuckle as he looked up and saw P.L. and the thestrals coming in for a landing.
“Well, obviously him too, but more for enthusiasm. I wouldn’t leave precise important duties to him if my life depended on it.” Spitfire said bluntly.
“Brutally honest,” he said with a smirk. “But yeah, I hope Fleet’s alright, I’ll see if I can pry anything out of Dash later, but she already threatened to kick me if I kept asking.”
“We’ll have time for that later,” Spitfire turned around to face the thestrals as P.L. approached them. “Right now, we have an overgrown bat to bring up to speed.”
Several Wonderbolts and Renegades were present in the lobby. A lot of them watching and wondering why Fleetfoot had just suddenly returned, was without her suit, and had quickly sprinted and taken off up towards the broken stairwell before disappearing.
She had whisked right past Descent and Starry, completely ignoring Descent as he tried to question her.
“What was that all about?” Starry asked, lifting an eyebrow as she stared towards the stairs. “Did they just get back or what?” she asked as she turned back to Descent.
“Hmph…” Descent grunted, saying nothing more.
“Descent?”
“What?” he snapped at her without looking, grunted flatly. Starry blinked and edged away slightly, but huffed and turned away.
“Nothing,” she said with anger lingering in her tone, looking away from him and folding her ears back. Descent finally turned his head and glanced at her before releasing a long, frustrated sigh.
“Sorry,” he said awkwardly, but Starry kept facing opposite. Descent watched her for another moment before releasing a quiet snort and turning his head back towards the doors. Starry waited several moments before she slowly glanced over her shoulder. She looked over Descent’s face and saw the same, uncommon look he sported earlier… when they encountered Nightshade. Starry’s ears shifted forwards to be at the side of her head instead of folded back. She turned herself around, hesitating for a moment, but reached towards him while opening her mouth to speak.
But she never got a chance.
“Oh?” Descent perked up. “Looks like they’re back.”
“Come on, in we go,” Spitfire ordered, guiding everypony into the lobby as Soarin held the door. Soarin watched and cringed as the rest of the elites and Squad Foxtrot all hobbled their way into the lobby, all looking like they would collapse at a moment’s notice.
A few of them did. While Spitfire kept her hooves and beckoned in the thestrals, all of Squad Three was on the floor after clearing the way for the Lunar Guard. Rainbow Dash, Storm, Squall, and Matteo all hobbled over and joined them, making sure to be out of the way. Several Wonderbolts started making their way over to them as they panted, gasped, and wheezed on the ground, wincing from their injuries, but mixing in sounds of relief as they finally made it back from quite possibly the closest brush with death they had ever had.
After a good look around, Soarin noticed that the ratio of Renegades to Wonderbolts was large. There were a lot of Renegades present, mostly of the Shadowbolt variant. He was willing to bet it was because of Silver Lining. He had no doubt that Silver’s entrance caused quite a stir, most of them were probably over by the infirmary at the moment, the retired Wonderbolts as well.
There was a very distinct reaction from all present when P.L. stepped through the doors and the thestrals came in behind him. The Wonderbolts mostly just glanced and looked with curiosity, but Descent’s Shadowbolt Renegades had a much different response. Many of them set their hooves and fixed their eyes on the doors, some of them growled… and were met with glares and hissing in response from the thestrals.
P.L. stopped after taking a few paces in, his eyes immediately shifting and landing on Descent, the glow from the eye slots in his helmet intensifying. Descent stood right up and glared back at him. Some of the thestrals began advancing, shifting forwards while growling and snarling. The Renegades did not back down, showing they would not be intimidated.
“Well this is going south fast…” Soarin commented as he let the door close and approached Spitfire.
“P…” Spitfire began as she grumbled and walked up behind P.L., but…
“Hold.”
P.L. flinched, and every pair of notched thestral ears stood straight up as their heads all sharply turned to the east hallway.
Princess Luna walked into the lobby slowly, a very visible limp in her steps as she shuffled forward. She was being supported by both Blazetail and Flashwind with several Wonderbolts and Renegades following in behind them. Luna looked absolutely exhausted, her eyes only half open, her mouth stuck slightly ajar, and her ethereal mane barely waved at its normal, majestic pace. The two former Wonderbolt captains barely got her a few steps into the lobby before the thestrals reacted.
“MY LIEGE!” P.L. yelled out, completely forgetting Descent and the Renegades as he and the rest of the thestrals turned towards Luna and broke into a gallop. P.L. inched ahead of the pack easily with his longer legs and strides, slowing down as he closed in. He reached up and pulled his helmet off, visibly squinting and wincing as the lights in the lobby shone brightly on him, but he ignored the bright light, lowering himself down, and bowing his head to Luna a yard away from her. All the Wonderbolts and Renegades watched with awe as the rest of the thestrals all did the same, all of them removing their helmets and bowing in the same fashion as their captain. For a force of ponies known for being ferocious and untamed, the sight of them all bending to the mere presence of Luna was quite something.
“Whoa…” Dash’s voice caught Soarin’s ears as she hobbled up beside him and leaned into him for support. Soarin quickly opened a wing and placed it over her to help her stand before focusing back on the sight before him. He was surprised Luna was up, she was barely functioning when they left. She must’ve sensed the thestrals were nearby… or something like that. He wasn’t going to rule out anything in terms of divine alicorn magic. But based on how Blazetail and Flashwind were holding her up, he had to assume that she was still not doing so well.
Regardless, Luna quickly nodded to both of the former captains. The two of them hesitated, but then released her and let her stand on her own. Her legs wobbled, but she braced them as she stood before her guards and fixed her eyes on P.L.
“Rise.”
On her word, they all stood and looked up to her. Luna’s size as a divine alicorn was a given, but it was impressive to see just how close P.L. was to the same size as her. He was just about an inch shorter. It was nothing new to the Wonderbolts, Calm, and Bomber being abnormally large, but neither of them had the same intimidating nature that P.L. carried.
Luna tipped her head down very slightly to lock her eyes with P.L. before flashing him a small smile.
“Thank you for coming, Captain. We worried that you would not place your trust in these ponies,” she spoke to him, her legs wobbling again, but still holding. P.L. gave her a very subtle nod, his head still slightly tipped down in a gesture of obedience and respect.
“Until this moment, they did not have my trust… only my curiosity,” he explained as he glanced over his shoulder towards Rainbow Dash. “But…” he looked back into Luna’s eyes for a moment before bowing his head. “But seeing you here, my lady, it puts my heart at ease,” He lowered himself down again. Luna tipped forward slightly and reached a hoof out, but hesitated and pulled it back, allowing P.L. to bow again. “We are at your disposal… and await your command.”
“Captain… please, rise and look at us,” Luna requested softly, causing P.L. to stand right back up obediently.
Soarin was beyond intrigued. For all the talk of the bat guards being different, when faced by their leader, they acted just like the Royal Guards. If they were trained to have such specific control over themselves, then that was quite a unique and impressive form of order Luna had created within their ranks.
“Captain, heed us well,” Luna began as she continued to stand firmly. “We face an enemy unlike anything we’ve ever encountered, even in our long existence. The Wonderbolts and Renegades have fought valiantly, but up against the enhanced powers of our foes, they have not been able to gain a solid upper hoof. It is our hope, captain and the warriors that you lead, that you can be the factor that pushes us through.” She reached down and placed a hoof on his shoulder. He remained still. “Fly with us and unleash the fury of your thestrals upon the enemy. It’s time for the guardians of the night to emerge from the shadows, help us tip the scales, and strike back…” P.L. looked up towards her. “Can we count on you to work closely with Spitfire and Descent to ensure victory is achieved?”
There was a clear change in P.L.’s expression the moment that Luna uttered the name ‘Descent.’ He looked over his other shoulder briefly at Descent standing off to the side. He narrowed his eyes briefly, but did not hesitate to comply.
“As you command…” he said dutifully as he turned around and moved towards Spitfire, the rest of the thestrals standing still and facing Luna as the two captains met halfway. Spitfire looked towards Descent, whistling and making a swift head motion indicating that he should come over. Descent sat still for a moment before picking himself up and gliding out over the top of all the thestrals. They did not look thrilled, a few of them growling as Descent flew over them, but they remained at attention. Descent landed and trotted up to Spitfire and P.L. as they came together and stood a yard apart, but P.L. did not take his eyes off of Spitfire as if completely ignoring Descent as he approached. Spitfire stopped first, flashing P.L. a smirk as he finished moving and held himself a yard from her. Descent sat right beside them, glancing between the two.
“By the word of my liege…” P.L. began as he bowed his head down slightly. “I hereby offer you the full support of the Lunar Guard.” He picked up his head and reached a hoof up to Spitfire. “By ensuring the safety of Princess Luna, you have earned our trust. We shall follow your commands and directions.”
Spitfire looked at P.L.’s hoof as he held it out to her, and her smile grew into one that looked a tad forced as she reached her hoof out too.
“Thank you,” she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice, likely from how much of a hassle it was to deal with the thestrals already, but hopefully with Luna in their sights, they would cut the crap and comply.
The two locked hooves and shook, sealing the much needed and much awaited alliance that they had all hoped would be their ticket to finally deal some real pain to the Shadowbolts.
But that was just one alliance…
P.L. glanced at Descent as he released Spitfire’s hoof, his eyes narrowing into a glare. Descent returned the glare right back at him, past animosity flaring up between them. Spitfire looked back and forth as the two leaders clashed in a battle of wills, huffing quietly to herself as she recalled what she heard about the Luna Guard never trusting the Renegades. She waited patiently as the two glared, hoping that one of them, preferably both of them, would put their differences behind them and agree to work together.
But she didn’t hold her breath, and it quickly ended exactly as she expected it to. P.L. grunted and turned to walk away.
Spitfire cleared her throat loudly the moment he turned, anticipating the move and ready to confront both of them.
“P…” Spitfire spoke up, causing P.L. to immediately stop in place. She walked up beside him and faced him directly.
“Yes?” P.L. asked without looking at her, keeping his eyes locked forwards towards Luna. Spitfire furrowed her brow.
“Look at me,” she ordered. P.L. sighed and glanced down at her. She pointed at Descent who was still glaring at P.L. “You’re going to be working with Descent as well.”
“And…?” P.L snorted while shifting his eyes down to her, but keeping his nose held up, a gesture that Spitfire did not take kindly. She spread her wings and hovered up to get eye level with him while giving him a harsh glare.
“And I’d appreciate it if you’d swallow your pride and set aside your animosity,” she asked sharply while glancing at Descent and sharpening her glare towards him. “That goes for BOTH of you.”
P.L. scoffed, drawing Spitfire’s attention back to him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said with blatant sarcasm.
“Forget it, Spitfire,” Descent chimed in with a grunt while turning away. I don’t need or want this asshole’s trust.”
“Shut up, Descent,” Spitfire shot him down immediately. Descent flinched and angrily turned to growl at Spitfire, but she wasn’t even looking at him, she was still focused on P.L. “P… Luna told you to follow my orders, right?” she lifted an eyebrow while tipping her head towards Descent. “Then my first order… is to unclench your armored ass-cheeks and shake hooves with Descent,” she said harshly with a slight snarl. “You two are ALLIES. Plain and simple,” she made clear to them as she touched back down to the ground and backed up so she was equally between the two of them. “So deal with it!”
P.L. and Descent both stared at Spitfire for several moments before finally pulling their eyes away and glaring at each other again. Spitfire took one step back, allowing the two to take a step towards each other. They kept up their harsh glares, nearly face to face with P.L. standing only an inch higher than Descent. P.L.’s nose began to subtly twitch, shifting between scrunching up his face and holding himself in check. He could not, however, conceal a quiet growl that escaped his throat. Descent’s ears perked up upon hearing it and he immediately scowled, slightly baring his teeth as the two began holding steady and exchanging audible noises of disapproval as if waiting for the other to cave and reach out first.
Spitfire blinked and looked between the two of them before sighing heavily through her nose and rolling her eyes.
“For crying out loud…” Spitfire stomped forward, reached out, and grabbed Descent’s arm. “Could you two STOP bleeding testosterone…” she reached out her other hoof and grabbed P.L.’s arm. “And act like adults?!” Both of the stallions flinched in surprise as Spitfire yanked their arms towards each other and forced them to lock their hooves together. “Now SHAKE on it!” she yelled at the top of their lungs at them.
The two of them looked down at her, then at each other before shooting each other flat looks… and giving their hooves one, firm, shake.
“There, that wasn’t too hard now was it?” Spitfire said in a somewhat condescending tone as the two immediately let go of each other and grunted in frustration.
“I DON’T trust you,” P.L. hissed towards Descent.
“I could care less,” Descent shot right back.
Spitfire blinked before reaching up and slowly dragging her hoof down the center of her forehead and over her face with a long, held out sigh.
While the sight was slightly amusing, everypony watching, Wonderbolt, Renegade, and thestral alike, were all in awe of how Spitfire had managed the situation. The two stallions were not embracing or patting each other on the back, but she had put herself right in between the two and forced them to at least acknowledge each other. They both towered over her and were both extremely imposing figures, but she asserted herself regardless.
Soarin glanced around as the scene played out, knowing that the rest of the Wonderbolts around had yet to come into contact with the newly refocused Spitfire. The reaction was instant and clear. All eyes were wide, all ears were up, they wore looks of interest, looks that showed Spitfire was leaving an impression. Perhaps this was part of Spitfire’s plan, immediately showing who was top dog. P.L. was partly following orders given by Luna, but Descent’s compliance was what really impressed Soarin. Sure, she had to force them together, but they did shake hooves as she asked, as small of an effort as it was. Soarin had a feeling this was only the tip of the iceberg… Spitfire was looking more and more like her old self again… and it was about time.
Soarin watched with anticipation as he waited for Spitfire to make her next move, he inadvertently pushed his wing a little harder against Dash, still leaning up against him. She yelped quietly as her face got pressed into his shoulder.
“Soarin… ow… too tight…” she gasped quietly, but Soarin was so distracted he didn’t notice. He watched as Spitfire finished taking a few deep breaths before she stepped up to confront the two stallions again, but then…
“AH!”
Everypony perked up and turned their attention away from the standoff as Luna suddenly cried out and collapsed, her legs buckling beneath her as she fell to the ground. Gasps rang out as the royal sister fell to the ground. The Renegades close behind her were quick to start moving towards her, but they halted and hesitated as a few flashes of magic sputtered from Luna’s horn, shooting sparks in multiple directions that fizzled out quickly after erupting. Descent and Spitfire both flinched in surprise as P.L. immediately ripped himself away from them.
“MY LADY!” he called out, the Renegades behind Luna coming to an abrupt, full stop. Why? Because P.L. and nearly every single thestral was rushing towards her, a few of them hissing at the Renegades as if protecting Luna from them and warning them to keep away. But apparently, the thestrals were not all on the same page as their captain because he galloped towards her regardless of who or what was in his way, literally mowing down or knocking aside several of his own soldiers as he forced his way to Luna’s side. The thestrals closer to Luna quickly caught on that their captain was on a warpath and quickly shifted aside to let the large stallion through to her. He skidded to a halt as he reached her, immediately crouching down in front of her as she panted and lay flat on her stomach, sweat running down her face as her horn continued to flicker. “My lady… you are not well…” he said with great concern in his voice, now seeing for the first time that Spitfire’s assertion of Luna’s weakened state was not a fabrication.
Luna groaned, picking her head up as P.L. lowered himself as much as he could. She forced her eyes open and looked up into his as they darted about, examining her state. She quickly tried to push herself up.
“We… are fine… Captain…” she tried to convince him, but he had already seen more than enough. He shook his head as he stood up and moved to her side, turning around so that he was directly beside her.
“My lady, do not hide what ails you…” he pleaded as he lowered herself again and tilted himself slightly, opening his left wing and gently shimmying it beneath her body. “Let me help you.” He offered. His soft words sounding strange mixed with his incredibly deep, intimidating voice.
The surrounding thestrals took his offer as their cue it was safe to approach. Several more of them stepped forwards, mare and stallion alike. They surrounded Luna and placed either a hoof on her side or a wing beneath on the other to help P.L. lift her slowly.
The Wonderbolts and Renegades all observed as the thestrals flocked to Luna’s aid, it was almost like watching a large group of colts and fillies running to the aide of their mother who had fallen. Throughout the whole scenario from Luna’s entrance to now, they were all seeing, first-hoof, a side of the thestrals they had never seen or heard about. The stories and recounts were all the same. Vicious, violent, unhinged, erratic, wild, untamed… but that seemed to only apply to dealing with anypony aside from their leader. When faced by Luna, they almost appeared more disciplined and loyal than the Royal Guard, which was not an easy feat. Reverent would be the better word to describe them as Luna’s presence had an incredibly profound effect on them. The radical contrast between their separate behavioral patterns was staggering. P.L. just got done snarling and glaring in the faces of Spitfire and Descent, but the moment Luna cried out in pain, his demeanor immediately switched to one of deep concern and care.
Many of them had come to wonder how Luna had such firm control over a force of ponies known for being fierce and barbaric… now they knew. To them, Luna seemed more important than anything, perhaps even their own lives.
Carefully working together, P.L. and the thestrals got Luna to her hooves, but she immediately stumbled. P.L. reached his arm out and grabbed hers, holding her up and steady as he tilted his head up to examine her pained face. Luna struggled to open her eyes again, her eyelids holding, but squinted as she glanced at P.L. She took note of the great concern he was expressing, but then hung her head in shame.
“We… are still woozy from our efforts…” Luna began as she avoided eye contact with any of them, which was difficult considering she was surrounded by thestrals looking up to her. “The spells we used both to contact you and protect everypony on the way, they are not spells we have fully mastered. The inability to control our divine powers to the perfected extent our sister can… it is shameful. It pains us that you must see us in such a state,” she spoke with a faint choked up tone. She slammed her eyes shut, the mixture of her face and voice suggesting she was trying not to cry.
P.L. suddenly shifted, pressing his armored side closer to her and moving his arm so that she could fully lean on him for support.
“My lady, fear not. There is no shame in your noble acts. You’ve taken great risks at your own expense for the sake of others. That brings us honor as your soldiers,” he comforted her as he shifted his hoof to hook his arm with hers. “Please, my lady. Allow me to lend you my strength.”
Luna opened her eyes again, her panting growing lighter as her horn calmed down and her head stopped throbbing. She looked down at her hoof and how P.L. was supporting her before looking back up at him, her head tilted slightly down to look him directly in the eye to read his expression.
“T-thank you… Captain,” she said with a tired sigh as she put her weight against him. While shorter, it put his body at the perfect height for him to fully support her. “We require rest… Will…” she paused and looked away while smiling lightly. It almost looked like she was trying to hide the smile from him. “Will you please help us back to the infirmary?” she asked while making a subtle head motion back towards the east hallway.”
“Of course, my lady,” P.L. immediately replied as he braced his body and arm to fully support Luna. “Slow steps…” he coached as they began to move her, the entire thestral force staying with them, every pair of yellow eyes locked on her with concern as P.L. began moving Luna.
As Soarin watched them leave, he tipped his head and blinked. As they slowly moved out of sight, Soarin thought he saw something…
Luna’s face… her smile was growing wider, and she was still looking away from P.L. as he kept his eyes down at their hooves. Soarin was too far away to see for sure, but it looked like there was a faint hint of red spread over Luna’s nose and cheeks. It was hard to miss something like that upon her dark fur, but P.L. had moved her out of his view before he could do a double take.
“Feh…” Descent grunted, drawing Soarin’s eyes to him as Spitfire shot him a flat look. “What a bunch of kiss asses-OW!” He suddenly picked up his right arm as Spitfire rapped her hoof against his wrist joint.
“Let’s keep that to a minimum, okay?” Spitfire said sternly as she poked him in the chest, more or less acknowledging that there was no way he and P.L. were going to completely get along. Descent simply grunted in response… or at least Soarin thought he did, it sounded a little less… masculine?
Then he heard the grunt again. It was actually coming from his side. He blinked and looked down to see he had Dash completely smushed against his side with his wing. Her face was uncomfortably pressed to his shoulder and her nose digging into his suit.
“Oh, whoops,” Soarin quickly lifted his wing.
“OOF!” Dash exhaled as she dropped to the ground.
“Er… sorry,” Soarin chuckled awkwardly as he reached down to help her up off the ground. Soarin looked up briefly to see Spitfire moving to speak to the rest of the Wonderbolts and then likely follow Luna to the infirmary, the elites of squad three and most of Foxtrot already on their way there. Storm was the only one who stayed back for a moment, staring towards his father as he trudged off.
“What was that for?” Dash asked as she pouted at him. Soarin lifted an eyebrow and shook his head.
“Are you actually complaining about being pressed to my side?” he asked with a snicker.
“Ye—no… I mean…” Dash folded her ears back and puffed her cheeks out. “I… gah… forget it,” she sighed as she looked towards the east hall. Soarin instantly perked up as he noticed where she was staring. A lot of stuff just happened, but he knew exactly where Dash needed to go and wanted to be.
“Come on,” he tapped her shoulder to get her attention. “Let’s go to the infirmary.”
Dash blinked and her ears stood straight up.
“Y-yes…” she said with a sudden anxious tone as she bit her lip. “Quickly, come on,” she started walking at a quickened pace just sort of a trot. Soarin picked up the pace to keep up with her, because he knew she was eager to hear about the condition of… a certain pony that was very important to her.
It was much more of an ordeal to simply get into the infirmary than Soarin and Rainbow Dash expected. They found themselves wading through a sea of thestrals who were all packed around the door. Squad three and Squad Foxtrot were slightly ahead of them, but they too were struggling to find their way through the crowd. Hundreds of ponies all stuck right in the hallway, and any of them that they touched on the way through didn’t take too kindly to it, throwing a hiss or growl.
Eventually P.L.’s voice came from inside the door. Neither Soarin nor Dash could hear it, but it must have been an at ease order or a disperse order of some sort because the thestrals began moving away, several of them looking disappointed or frustrated. Based on their strange behavioral shift around Luna, the reaction was likely because every single one of them wanted to be by her side. But there were hundreds of them, that wasn’t going to work. The Wonderbolts kept making their way forward as the thestrals slowly cleared out of their way, the path eventually becoming clear.
Soarin and Dash found themselves right beside Spitfire as they got free and approached the door, the rest already making it through. Soarin looked over his shoulder as the thestrals just sort of… dispersed and began loitering, giving sharp looks at any Wonderbolt or Renegade who passed them.
“Having them around is going to be weird,” Soarin thought out loud. Dash didn’t react, but Spitfire nodded in agreement.
“They may not be the most pleasant bunkmates, but I’ll gladly deal with it for the battle advantages they’ll give us,” Spitfire said as she tilted her head down and scrunched her mouth. “Now I just hope our best flyers won’t be down for too long…” she said quietly as they reached the door. Spitfire was in a slight bind, and Soarin could read her expression. Her confidence in herself had returned, but it was a moment too late. Having the thestrals on their side was going to be a major advantage, but it was an advantage that had to make up for a very harsh disadvantage. The top tier elites were likely not going to be prepared for battle in a day or two, the amount of time they hoped it would take Rivet and his team to repair the nimbus to a functional state. The rest of the elites were ready to go, but the top tiers were the top tiers for a reason. Just one of them could be the difference in a conflict. It was going to be a tough hurdle to overcome, but they couldn’t afford to wait it out.
Soarin refocused as they made it through the door and into the infirmary. Spitfire didn’t seem to dwell on that certain tidbit of the situation for very long, instead focusing on checking the status of each elite. Soarin could see the elites and Foxtrot immediately slumping onto the medical tables with Bliss’s medical team springing into action quickly… or… at least the stallions.
The mares? They were all very distracted.
P.L. was helping Luna over to the double bed she had rested on before making the trek out into the lobby. He had a small hooffull of seven thestrals following him, whom he probably picked to watch over Luna with him. But every mare in the room he passed had their eyes stuck on him, opened as wide as possible. Some of them had their jaws hanging agape. Spitfire sighed and rubbed a hoof on her forehead as the female members of Bliss’ staff failed to… focus. Soarin just chuckled lightly to himself as he, Spitfire, and Dash walked in and stopped behind Bliss’ two top aides, Witching Hour and Mahogany.
“Whoooooaaaaaa…” Mahogany blinked repeatedly as she stared towards P.L. watching him gently lay Luna down on the bed.
“G…Guh…” Witching’s jaw hung agape as she rose up onto the tips of her hooves unconsciously, her horn’s magic blinking twice when she couldn’t rise up any higher.
Soarin was trying his best not to laugh. Spitfire walked up right behind the two mares and cleared her throat loudly.
“Ladies,” she said sternly. Both of them flinched and immediately turned around, blushing while trying to fix their composure. “Focus please, get our ponies any medical attention they need,” she ordered while giving a single nod.
“Y-yes ma’am!” both of them replied quickly before scampering off, the rest of the mares of Bliss’ team catching on and refocusing, or at least trying to as the initial surprise of P.L. slowly faded. But they kept stealing glances.
Spitfire exhaled upwards, causing her mane to bounce about a little bit before she broke away from Soarin and Dash to evaluate the injured.
Soarin glanced down at Dash, realizing how silent she had been. He knew who she wanted to see. She had pulled her mask off and was looking all around them without moving from Soarin’s side. Soarin looked up as well, hoping to maybe use his height to help her find who she was looking for. He had a feeling Silver wasn’t being kept out with the rest of them, but it didn’t help to look first. It also helped him get a look at how everypony else was doing.
Squad Three was already being tended to. Fire had just finished helping Misty Fly up onto one of the tables. He turned to hop onto the table beside her, but before he could take a step, she reached for his shoulder and turned him back around, pulling him in and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. He smiled and gave her a light nuzzle before moving onto his table.
Lightning was lying on a table near them, but he was waving off any medical staff that came up to him and was directing them to help Surprise first, who had slumped down on the table next to him and nearly passed out from exhaustion.
Closer to Soarin and Dash, Squad Foxtrot had set up camp. Storm had hopped up and was waiting for attention as Matteo struggled to push two beds together for himself. Squall was visible for only a moment before Matteo pulled himself up and laid himself down. Soon after he did, some commotion rang out behind him. It caught his attention for a moment, but he ignored it. Soarin assumed Twister had pulled something on Squall, several members of the medical staff rushing over to stop whatever was happening.
Further back, closer to Luna, Soarin perked up when he saw Air Mach being restrained by several of Bliss’ staff. He was yelling something about being one hundred percent healed, but was covered in bandages, some with stains of blood on them. He was clearly not better because the unicorns were able to push back down to his table without even using their magic.
Blaze and High Winds were actually nowhere to be seen, Soarin scanned the room again, trying to find them, but he had no such luck. Perhaps they had already been helped and were sent on their way. They were, after all, not beat up quite to the extent Air Mach was and had returned sooner with him.
Fleetfoot was also nowhere to be found. Had she avoided coming to get medical attention? Spitfire was looking around near them as well, and she stopped to ask one of the unicorns about her, but the stallion only shook his head in response. Spitfire looked upset that Fleetfoot was apparently hiding, but she let it go, moving towards Luna and P.L. instead.
“Do you need any help?” Mahogany’s voice caught Soarin’s attention as she trotted up to him with several medical supplies hovering in her magic around her.
“Oh, no I’m perfectly fine,” he said while immediately looking down at Dash, who was still looking around. “Dash, do you need any help?”
“Huh?” Dash’s ears twitched as she looked up at Soarin first before seeing Mahogany. “Oh, um…” Dash looked herself over. There was still a bit of dried blood on her lip and the top of her chest burned a little from the… teeth marks left by Nightshade. That was really all that was visible. Her body felt like a complete wreck and there was likely several nasty bruises being hidden by her suit. However, she refused to rest in any way shape or form until she knew where Silver was and if he was okay… but for the time being, she could at least get some ice for her incredibly tender wing joint. “Just some ice for my wing please.”
“Are you sure?” Mahogany asked as her eyes went directly to the clear, full mouth bite mark near the top of her chest and shoulder. Dash quickly moved her left wing forward and shifted it down to somewhat cover the bite mark.
“I’ll get more treatment later, I need to do something first,” Dash clarified. Mahogany nodded, despite not looking convinced, and did as she was asked.
Dash sighed and leaned harder into Soarin’s side as Mahogany went off to gather the ice. Soarin opened his mouth to ask about Silver, but he missed the mark and decided to wait until she got back. For the time being, he draped his wing over Dash to comfort her as she silently sought just that with her physical gesture.
Soarin’s attention was drawn to P.L. as they waited. They were pretty far away, but it was hard not to see a pure white thestral donning full armor and a divine alicorn princess. P.L. was giving the business to every member of Bliss’ staff as they passed or tried to tend to her, demanding to know the specifics of everything they were doing and exactly how it would help Luna. At one point Luna flinched and her horn sputtered, prompting an immediate reaction from P.L. as he turned and put his hooves up on the bed, touching her shoulder as she shuddered and looking over her with concern. He rubbed it softly as Luna panted and her magic calmed down.
It was so interesting to watch how… gentle he was with her. While Soarin concluded it would be weird to have the thestrals around, watching the way they acted around Luna was an interesting experience. P.L. in particular showcased a very strong devotion to Luna. His duty as her knight and protector was clearly something he cherished as if it was the pure meaning of his life. He was a knight from top to bottom, his life completely dedicated to his lady… It was interesting, considering any trace of chivalry or knightly behavior vanished the moment he was detached from her side.
Soarin looked down and blinked as he realized he missed the opportunity AGAIN. Mahogany had just finished wrapping a bag of ice to Dash’s wing and had moved on. Luckily, Witching Hour was right nearby, unconsciously unrolling an entire roll of bandages while staring at P.L.
“Witching,” Soarin said her name. Witching squeaked and the entire roll of bandages launched from her magic grip, draping a good portion of it right over Soarin’s face and body. “Ah! Sorry! Sorry!” she immediately reactivated her magic and unraveled it from around the rather flatly amused Soarin. “Yes?”
Soarin looked down at Dash briefly before asking the question of the moment.
“Where is Silver Lining?”
Dash’s ears stood right up as her eyes shot to Witching and locked in place.
“Oh, he’s in the emergency care room.” She pointed past them towards the back room, where Soarin had suspected he would be. “Bliss is with him.”
Soarin’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of Bliss. He was so focused on what was going on around them he hadn’t even noticed that Bliss wasn’t even there.
“Thanks,” he nodded as Witching went back about her business… mostly… while distracted.
As she left, Dash sighed while looking up at Soarin’s face.
“Was I thinking that loudly?” she asked. Soarin shook his head.
“Wasn’t that hard to put together, but I want to see him too…” his voice trailed off as his ears flopped down to the sides of his head and he frowned. Dash could see it written all over his face. He was still feeling guilty about being trapped and unable to fight beside Silver.
“Soarin…” She reached her head forwards and pressed her cheek into his shoulder, rubbing it against it sympathetically. “There’s nothing you could have done.”
“Yes I could have,” Soarin put adamantly, making it clear he wasn’t going to let it go for a while. Dash didn’t say anything else. She just exhaled and looked over her shoulder at the back door leading to the emergency care room. “Come on,” Soarin suddenly spoke up again, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Let’s go see him.”
Bliss walked up to the door as the soft knocking rapped against it. She exhaled, wiping sweat from her brow using her magic and a clean cloth as she reached for the door and slowly opened it.
Her reaction was brief, her ears twitching once and her eyes growing a little wider for only a second before she relaxed.
It was only a matter of time before Dash showed up.
Soarin and Rainbow Dash were standing in the doorway, both of them wearing expressions of quiet concern. Dash in particular looked incredibly worried. Her ears were flopped to the side of her head, her posture was very weak, leaning most of her weight into Soarin, and Soarin had a wing draped over her back.
“Can we…?” Soarin spoke up, but trailed off. Bliss didn’t wait for him to finish. She immediately stepped aside and nodded.
“Come right in,” she said quietly.
Soarin felt an extra pressure against his arm as Bliss stepped aside. He glanced down to see Dash’s hoof giving his arm a tight squeeze. There was a very light vibration coming from her as well as she bit her quivering lower lip. Soarin pressed his wing in closer, giving her a light squeeze. He twitched slightly as he felt the cold touch of the ice bag on her wing touch against his side. He dealt with it and reached up a hoof, gently rubbing it on the back of her neck and running it softly through the bottom of her mane. She slowly looked up at him as her grip on his arm tightened.
Soarin said nothing. He only gave her a nod, a silent gesture to let her know that he was going to be with her the whole time. She looked back forwards, the medical bed still out of view from the doorway. She swallowed and let go of Soarin’s arm, putting her hoof back on the floor before moving forwards. Soarin moved with her, keeping his wing firmly placed over her for comfort the whole way.
Then the bed came into view.
Soarin instinctively tightened his wing around Dash as he heard her inhale sharply. He gritted his teeth and winced. Both of them had already seen the horrible state Silver was in… but it didn’t mean it wasn’t a jarring sight. This time, however, it seemed even worse because of the atmosphere and the situation.
They slowly approached the bed… while looking upon the broken image of pony known for being unbreakable.
Silver Lining was lying on his back, a white sheet pulled up to his chest. There was barely a patch of his grey fur visible beneath the bandages that dressed his many wounds. The bandages looked like they had been doubled up and replaced often, several completely red strands discarded in a nearly overflowing waste bin beside the bed. The bits of Silver’s fur that were visible had a dark stained look of dried blood or intense bruising that showed right through his color.
The slice in his right earlobe had already been stitched up by Bliss, but it looked like a rushed, patchwork job due to lack of supplies or time to focus on it. There were several bandages wrapped around his forehead, but not completely over his face. His mouth, nose, and left eye were free of cover, save for a wad of torn cloth pressed into the space where his tooth had been knocked out. His right eye was completely covered with several thick bandages, balled up in the center to handle how much it was bleeding, the streak of dried blood still stuck to his fur beneath it.
One of his arms was tucked beneath the sheet, but the other was laying out over it. It was covered in bandages placed in several places to stop the bleeding, but it looked awkwardly bent and visibly broken, as they got closer, both Soarin and Dash could see a splint was in place to keep the arm straight. The worst sight of all, however, was his left wing. It was not at his side like the right, it was unfolded and visible, lying from out beneath the sheet and hanging off the bed and propped up on a small table that had been pushed up beside the bed. It barely resembled the shape of a pegasus wing, bent, mangled, broken, and missing at least half of its feathers.
Silver was surrounded by and hooked up to several pieces of medical equipment. It looked like Bliss had rolled out anything and everything she could find to help him. His heartbeat was being monitored, the blip on the machine was inconsistent, but not out of control. He had a blood bag hooked up to an I.V. hanging above him, flowing through a tube and into the arm beneath the sheet. The last touch to complete the horrible image was a portable respirator helping him breath, the tubes resting on his nose and fastened into his nostrils.
Dash shook more as they drew closer, prompting Soarin to rub his wing on her back as they walked. He glanced to his left as they walked in, surprised to see Blaze and High Winds sitting on the floor and up against the wall. They had both been tended to, but Blaze was out cold, High Winds supporting her and offering her shoulder for Blaze to rest her head on. Soarin glanced between Silver and Blaze, taking note of the blood bag and the fact that Blaze had an extra cloth tied around her arm that looked out of place compared to the rest of her tended injuries. High Winds didn’t say a word as Soarin and Dash came into view, she simply glanced up for a moment before putting all of her attention back on Blaze and keeping her propped up. Of course… the two mares, once tended to, went right to the side of their squad captain. With Wave Chill already down, this had to be absolutely devastating to the two mares.
Soarin refocused on Silver as they approached the bed and walked around to the other side. It would have been preferred to be on the side where his face was not covered, but the table holding his wing prevented them from getting near the head of the bed, forcing them to take the other side to get close.
Neither of them said a word as they stood beside the bed and looked down upon Silver. Dash couldn’t pull her eyes away, her constant shivering continuing as she held herself to Soarin’s side. Soarin glanced up at the heart monitor, watching as it continued to blip steadily, yet a little unevenly. He looked back as Bliss approached, setting the cloth in her magic down on the table before reaching them.
“How is he doing?” Soarin asked. As much as he wanted to know, his mindset was to get the rundown as quickly as possible for Dash. Bliss sighed as she walked up and stood beside them.
“He’s stable for now… at least as stable as I can manage. I hate to put it this way, but I don’t know how he’s still alive. I don’t have the means to find out everything that’s wrong, but based on the extreme physical trauma, the signs of critical internal injuries, the blood loss, the slightly irregular heartbeat… he should be dead, but he’s hanging on.”
Soarin flinched as Dash grabbed and squeezed his arm as tightly as she could. Soarin grunted and grimaced before looking towards Bliss and furrowed his brow. She shook her head as she caught his expression.
“I’m a professional, Soarin. I don’t mince words or sugarcoat. I’m astonished that he’s still alive based on the extent of his injuries, and I don’t even know them all without the proper equipment. This isn’t a hospital,” she looked back at Silver and exhaled. “Sorry, I nearly flipped out when Calm brought him in and I haven’t left this room for hours.”
“It’s alright,” Soarin reassured her as he lightened his expression. “I didn’t mean to step on any hooves. Any other specifics?” Soarin asked, wanting to get the full story.
“He has several broken bones, his right arm is practically in pieces, but I was at least able to put it in a splint. His ribs are likely in shambles… his breathing is weak, so there must be some pressure on his lungs. I’m glad I still had that respirator lying around. I never thought I’d have to use it. His right eye… I have no doubt he’s lost it for good, it was the only thing still bleeding fresh when he was brought in. There was absolutely nothing I could do for his wing. I barely felt anything that felt like bones or joints in it when I checked it. What to do about it will be up to whoever we get him to… if we even get to the Crystal Empire that is.” She paused and glanced at the heart monitor and the uneven pattern of blips. “There’s also nothing I can do about his blood pressure… I get a different reading every time I check it. I’ve no doubt he may have internal injuries that are hindering the blood flow a little, the flow to his wing is probably disrupted too. His heart hasn’t been helping either. It’s been calm, but constantly inconsistent. I can’t give him his medication in this state, so hopefully what I’ve done will be enough to at least keep him alive.” She released a long, exasperated sigh. “I don’t have a fraction of the proper supplies or equipment to handle this, I feel like I’m working with a magic ward and a hoof tied behind my back… Not even my pain soothing magic will do him any good at this point.”
Soarin didn’t say anything as she finished, and Dash still remained silent. Soarin turned his head back to Silver, his eyes making their way to the tube administering the blood from the bag hanging over the bed.
“How long has he been out?” Soarin asked.
“He was out when they brought him in so I don’t know,” Bliss explained again as she turned away and walked towards the counter opposite of the foot of the bed. Her magic came to life, picking up a clipboard and flipping several of the pages as she looked them over. “It was likely loss of consciousness due to blood loss. It goes without saying that he was in danger of bleeding out. Thankfully, the moment I called out for blood donations the Wonderbolts were almost fighting each other to line up and provide for Silver.”
“Ah!” Dash suddenly perked up. “He needs blood?!” she ripped free of Soarin’s wing, trotted up to Bliss and placed both of her hooved on Bliss’ shoulders. “Please! Let me help him! I’ll donate!” she offered frantically, but Bliss reached a hoof up and gently tapped it against Dash’s.
“Don’t worry about it, honey. We had it all taken care of within an hour of his return. Five Wonderbolts were chosen and have given enough to last us at least three days.” She leaned over and looked over Dash’s shoulder. “One of them is sitting right over there.”
Dash blinked and looked behind her, her eyes landing on Blaze as she continued to rest on High Wind’s shoulder, completely out. Dash’s ears flopped down and her bottom lip quivered as she turned back around, released Bliss’ shoulders and sighed while letting her head tip down.
“I wish… I could have…” Dash’s voice squeaked as she tried to speak. Bliss suddenly reached up and pulled Dash into a hug, startling her for a moment, but Dash let her chin rest on Bliss’ shoulder.
“You may not have been able to, Dash. I ended up turning several of them away. It’s about the right blood type. We only had seven other Wonderbolts on record with blood compatible,” she explained as Dash slowly slid her chin off of Bliss’ shoulder and turned back around to look at Silver. Soarin was still standing at the side of the bed, his eyes locked on Silver with an expression of frustration, likely at himself. Dash too, focused on Silver as she walked back to Soarin’s side. But before she pressed into him again, she instead stepped up to the edge of the bed and placed a hoof on the mattress. She leaned forward, but hesitated.
“Bliss…” Dash spoke as she looked over to her. Bliss set down her clipboard and looked towards Dash. “C-can I…?” she motioned her hoof towards Silver. It didn’t take long for Bliss to catch on.
“Go ahead,” she nodded. “He’s probably going to be out for a while. I doubt anything will wake him up.”
Dash didn’t reply. Her ears drooped as she looked down at Silver, her frown growing larger as the hoof she had on the mattress slowly slid towards him. She leaned further, reaching all the way over to his shoulder and touching it.
Silver did not move, but his body was at least warm. Dash suddenly sniffled, prompting Soarin to step up and touch a hoof to her back. Dash swallowed and sniffled again before lowering herself down, resting her chin on the mattress right beside Silver’s pillow as she kept her hoof extended. Tears were threatening to flow, but she held it in. She didn’t want her own feelings to interrupt this. Seeing Silver alive… even if it was just barely, took precedent over her emotions. But it was hard, looking at Silver like this was hard… but she had to. She had to see her mentor. She had to see his sacrifice. She had to come to terms with the fact… that live or die, Silver wasn’t going to be coming to her aid anymore when she found herself in a bind. She had to acknowledge it.
Soarin perked up as Dash took her moment, looking towards the door as it quietly opened and Spitfire stepped in. The sleeves of her suit were rolled up to reveal ice bags on her upper arms. She had a few bandages applied, one cross patch on her cheek to cover a cut. She also had an abnormal bulge in the chest portion of her suit, but based on the bunched up plastic sticking out by her neck, it seemed to be another ice bag. She looked towards Silver first, but her attention was pulled away at the sight of her half-sister passed out on the floor with High Winds.
Soarin looked back to Dash as he saw her shifting. She pulled back her hoof and reached the other up onto the bed, sliding it along the mattress towards Silver’s hoof, taking care not to touch his arm or the makeshift splint. She slowly and gently slid her hoof onto Silver’s before closing it around and grasping it, holding his hoof firmly as she kept her eyes on his face.
“Silver…” Dash began. “I…” she leaned closer to his face without taking her hoof off of his. “I know you can hear me.” She spoke directly to him. Silver was unconscious, that was perfectly clear, but she did it anyway. “Don’t stop,” she pleaded as she tightened her grip on his hoof. “Don’t stop fighting.”
Soarin glanced to his right for a moment as Spitfire made her way around beside him, listening in as Dash continued.
“Don’t stop being that stubborn old stallion who refuses to quit… who refuses to listen… please…” Dash bit her lip, slamming her eyes shut, but a single tear fell from each eye. She wasn’t able to stop them. She opened her eyes and sniffled, but sported a firm expression as she looked upon Silver. “So don’t you DARE die. Don’t you DARE stop fighting. Don’t you DARE quit while I’m still here… I won’t give up as long as you don’t…” she trailed off, releasing his hoof before shifting forwards and nuzzling her face into Silver’s neck as gently as she could. “I’ll kill you if you leave me…”
Soarin and Spitfire both sighed and glanced at one another as Dash expressed her ‘demands’ to her brutally injured mentor. It was like watching a daughter beside the bed of a sick father, but she deserved it. Soarin and Spitfire may have known Silver for longer than Dash did, but Dash had been given the rare and privileged opportunity to connect with Silver and learn about him in ways he had never done with the two of them. The connection Dash and Silver shared was strong.
“Spitfire,” Bliss spoke up as she walked over with her clip board hovering with her again.
“Give me all the details,” Spitfire asked as she tore her attention from Silver to get Bliss’ report.
Soarin watched Spitfire walk over to Bliss before returning his attention to Dash. She was still leaning forward on the bed, nuzzling Silver’s neck lightly and it looked like she had no intention to move from that spot any time soon. Soarin sat down and scooted himself up to the bed as close as he could, shifting himself to the side so his body was touching hers. He ran a hoof up and down her back softly, letting her know he was there, even if her focus was entirely on somepony else.
It was still bothering Soarin… the fact that he got caught in a trap and was forced to helplessly watch as Silver Lining was beaten within an inch of his life. If there was one thing Soarin hated… it was feeling powerless. It was the very feeling he was trying to get away from by sneaking out to follow after Spitfire shouted him down… and when he got there the exact same thing happened in a different way. It didn’t matter how many ponies told him there was nothing he could have done, it was all empty sympathy, even from Dash. He knew he could have made a difference. He didn’t care how damaged the horn was or if he had experienced a brain shock or two… he didn’t care if Spitfire said there was nopony to blame. In his mind, he failed two ponies… he failed Silver and he failed Rainbow Dash.
Seeing Silver like this sent a chill down his spine… It could have been anypony… what if it was Dash? What if she was the one being attacked while he was snared? It was never good practice to dwell on what ifs, but seriously, WHAT IF IT WAS DASH?! Soarin shuddered at the thought. Silver was likely still alive because… above all else he had the willpower of at least a hundred ponies and the toughness of minotaur warlord. If it were Dash…
Soarin found himself squeezing Dash’s shoulder. She didn’t turn to look at him, but he gritted his teeth as he felt overwhelmed with shame. Not the kind of shame that made him feel weak… the kind that made him angry… angry at himself and at his failure to handle something that he knew he could have had he not slipped up. He couldn’t afford any more mistakes… he wouldn’t allow anypony else he cared about to be put in such danger.
The horn was going to be an issue, but it had been an issue from the start. He knew he was in danger, but that did not take precedent over those he loved and cared about.
Nopony else was going to end up like Silver… Soarin swore on his honor as a Wonderbolt.
Soarin blinked and looked down as Dash slowly removed herself from Silver, turned herself around and tipped herself right into his chest, digging her face into his suit and reaching her arms as far around him as possible. It brought him right out of his thoughts as he picked up his arms and hugged her as tightly as he could. He could feel her shaking lightly, and she sniffled a few times into his chest, but she wasn’t crying. It was just so hard for her to take.
“Oh, so that’s why…”
Soarin looked towards Spitfire and Bliss to see Spitfire nodding and turning her head to her half-sister.
“Five, you said? Including Blaze?” Spitfire asked.
“Yes,” Bliss nodded. “We didn’t have a choice, Silver would have died of blood loss had I not,” she explained.
“So the five of them will likely not be able to go for a few days…” Spitfire thought out loud, but immediate shook her head when Bliss sighed. “No Bliss, thank you for taking action. We need all the elites we can get, but this is a small price to pay to ensure we didn’t lose an irreplaceable pony,” she said as she looked back over to Silver, her eyes shifting quickly to Dash as Soarin hugged her tightly. “Thanks for taking care of him, Bliss,” Spitfire thanked her without looking at her. “Please keep doing everything you can.” She didn’t wait for Bliss to reply, but Bliss didn’t take offence as Spitfire turned to move towards her friends. She understood the emotions running through the Wonderbolts right now.
Spitfire made her way over to Soarin and Dash, her eyes remaining on Silver until she reached them. She and Soarin made eye contact for a moment before both of them looked down at the mare in Soarin’s arms, digging herself as deep into Soarin as she could for comfort.
Spitfire exhaled as she reached up and placed a hoof gently on Dash’s head, moving her eyes towards Silver.
“He’ll pull through, Dash…” she said as Dash released a sniffle. “You know just as well as any of us that Silver is tougher than the rest of the force combined.” Spitfire paused, grinned, and released a single quiet chuckle. “Like he always says, he’s not clocking out until he says so… and believe me, he has plenty to live for,” she said as she slid her hoof down and patted Dash on the back. Dash turned her head to look at Spitfire, pressing her cheek into Soarin’s chest. “Listen to me, Dash,” Spitfire looked at her firmly, the slight smile fading into a stern gaze. “I don’t care what Bliss says, or any other doctor says,” she clasped her hoof tightly on Dash’s shoulder. “He WILL live. And we ARE going to make it to the Crystal Empire in time to help him further.”
Dash just stared into Spitfire’s eyes, but the message left its mark. Silver was important to Dash, almost as, if not just as important to her as Soarin. Hearing such a strong declaration straight from Spitfire gave her much needed hope, even if only a little.
Soarin glanced over as he heard Bliss sigh, seeing her roll her eyes at Spitfire’s comment about doctors. Soarin couldn’t hold back a single chuckle. Bliss could cite scientific mumbo-jumbo and technical information all she wanted. Silver was not the kind of pony who was interested in dying, no matter how broken he was.
“I mean that, Dash,” Spitfire continued as Dash finally released herself a little from Soarin. “We’re making it to the Crystal Empire, and I’m not going to stand for anypony thinking otherwise. That goes for you too.”
Dash sniffled, swallowed, and nodded, trying her best to put on a confident face to show Spitfire that her words and encouragement meant a lot to her.
Then the door suddenly opened again, causing both Spitfire and Soarin to look away from Dash. It took her a moment, but Dash reacted to them, turning her head around as well.
Captain P.L. was standing in the doorway.
Dash blinked, releasing herself from Soarin as P.L. slowly entered, the dim light of the room serving his presence well as he proceeded to not look a single one of them in the eye. Everypony in the room watched as P.L. kept his eyes locked on one pony… Silver Lining.
His expression remained solid and firm, but there was a tiny crack in his demeanor. Dash could see it. Upon growing closer, P.L.’s eyes and bottom lip twitched once as he grew closer and looked down upon Silver. He examined him, from everything he was hooked up to, to his broken arm, and to his wing, exhaling quietly through his nose as he looked at Silver’s face.
Spitfire broke away from Soarin and Rainbow Dash, making her way around the bed to P.L.’s side.
“I’m surprised you left Luna’s side,” Spitfire said. It was something Dash expected to be paired with some sarcasm, but there wasn’t a trace of it in her voice. P.L. didn’t take his eyes off of Silver as he lightly shook his head.
“My Liege urged me to do this,” he explained. Spitfire glanced up at him.
“But you wanted to do it regardless, right?”
P.L. remained silent for a moment before nodding.
“Of course.”
Everypony went quiet as P.L. continued to look upon Silver, giving him time to look over the pony that was more or less the reason he was there right now… in more ways than one. Within the silence, Dash eventually found herself stepping forward and sitting right up against the edge of Silver’s bed again.
“Hmmm…” P.L. suddenly hummed in a somewhat somber tone, causing Dash to glance up at him and observe him more closely.
She couldn’t begin to comprehend what was going through his head. Based on what Silver had told her, there was a long history between these two. This was a moment of one old warrior looking upon another. Old comrades and friends. P.L. suddenly sighed and closed his eyes briefly.
“It has been a long time…” he began as he slowly opened his eyes again, revealing a look of… regret? “To finally meet again like this? It’s unfortunate…”
Dash perked up and glanced to her right as Soarin shifted beside her, but remained standing, looking up at P.L. He didn’t say anything else for a moment, the only sound in the room of Spitfire’s hooves as she turned to check on her half-sister again.
“You two go way back, huh?” Soarin suddenly asked. P.L. nodded, finally looking away from Silver to lock eyes with Soarin.
“After the last Griffon-Drake War ended, our meetings have been few and far between. But we fought together in countless battles during it. Those who have had your back and cheated death as comrades… as brothers… That is something that you never forget. But Silver… and his mentor? I consider myself lucky and privileged to have fought alongside them.” He paused, taking a deep breath as he looked back down at Silver. “Silver and Blizzard… they were just so… different. They were unique, unlike anypony I had ever met in the past. On the surface there was nothing about them that stood out. I was stronger, faster, and more skilled than both of them, superior to them in every physical way. Yet… There was never a time during the war that it didn’t feel like they were at least four to five steps ahead of me. As the war progressed and I was exposed to them more and more, I began to envy Silver. Why?” P.L. grunted. “Because he had a mentor like Blizzard Strike.”
P.L. turned away, taking a few steps away from the bed and looking down.
“Blizzard was indescribable. He was so… normal in terms of his prowess and abilities and yet he continuously proved he was capable of unbelievable things through wit, will, and honestly some means I don’t understand to this day. He made the unthinkable happen at a moment’s notice, turned the tides of battles in one or two actions, seemed in tune with the world and his surroundings in ways I could never fathom, and he made it look so easy. Then there was Silver…”
P.L. turned back around and approached the bed again, looking upon his old friend.
“I am five years Silver’s elder, but even when we were younger, he carried sure signs of his mentor’s wisdom, thinking, and awareness that made me feel so… small compared to them. Observing Silver taught me a lot about my shortcomings…” P.L. lifted up his arm and stared at it. He suddenly growled, tensing his arm and flexing his muscles. The armor plating actually made a quiet creak sound as his powerful muscles bulged and pushed against it from the inside. “It didn’t seem to matter that I was many times stronger than them. It didn’t matter that I was more aggressive, could fly faster, or could take on the most ferocious enemies the opposition could muster… They always managed to do more than me. Everywhere.”
P.L. exhaled, relaxing his arm and placing his hoof back on the floor.
“Before I met Silver and Blizzard… I had always questioned the purpose of the Wonderbolts. I never understood what made them so great or why everypony always held them in such high regard. To me, they were nothing but show ponies with fancy, flashy moves that weren’t any more effective than what I or my force could do. But then I met the two of them…” P.L. shook his head. “They baffled me, I couldn’t understand it. Not only was I better than them… but there were ponies even among the Wonderbolts who seemed leagues ahead of them both, yet Blizzard Strike was the captain of the second highest ranking squad? It was madness, it was ludicrous to me. But after that first battle at Il Corvo Fortress on Talon Peak… and I saw what the two of them were capable of…” P.L. flashed a very brief smile. “I’ve had a special, personal respect for the Wonderbolts ever since.”
Dash looked down at Silver as she listened. Seeing a pony like P.L. a thestral of great presence and authority speak so highly of him was inspiring to say the least. But it made her wonder… Silver had never brought up P.L. before, why? It seemed strange that he would leave out such an imposing character from the stories he told her, but perhaps that was just how Silver thought. P.L. said it himself before they left the cavern, Silver was not one to gloat, talk himself up, or tout his successes. He never talked about just how much he affected those around him. In fact, the only time he ever had was admitting that he erred in his guidance of Wave Chill. It didn’t matter if it was a recruit like her, or a high ranking pony like P.L., Silver left his mark on their life just by being himself and never taking credit for it.
“I found myself battling side by side with Silver on many occasions,” P.L. continued. “In the madness of the fighting we were often separated from his mentor,” he snorted. “Blizzard had a habit of disappearing in the middle of a battle, but then solving things out of sight and reappearing afterward, acting like he did nothing. Not even Silver really knew how he did it, but those battles where Silver and I were left back to back were where I witnessed Silver’s true prowess come through. He worked well with his mentor, but he wasn’t reliant on him. I had paired up with many warriors much greater than him, but none of them left an impression on me like he did. Perhaps it was because Silver wasn't the greatest of warriors… or that he excelled despite what held him back. He was among the Wonderbolts, a force that boasts the impressive abilities of their fighters, but he lacked those. He didn’t have anything that set him apart like they did. He had nothing but toughness, passion, and grit. Those are things that often compliment a warrior… not what defines them. Yet, just like his mentor, he made it work.”
Dash found herself utterly fascinated as P.L. continued on. She was hearing things about Silver that she had never known, not to mention more about Blizzard Strike. Spitfire, Soarin, and even High Winds sitting off to the side all listened in as well, but Dash wasn’t sure they had picked up on something he had just said. Dash zeroed in on one particular point P.L. had made.
Silver… nothing that set him apart?
Obviously that sounded like an incredibly backwards statement to her, but then she thought about the context. She considered what it would be like in P.L.’s position during the war. If she did not know Silver personally and observed him for the first time… how did he match up with the other Wonderbolts? He didn’t have flashy moves… he had admitted to her that he’d never been very talented… and his signature technique was simply a refined punch free of resistance. That was just something he put together over the years of throwing more punches than he could count. He was a top notch lightning wielder, but element wielding was a standard practice. Many of them could do it.
This was quite a revelation to Dash. From outside looking in… Silver really didn't seem to have anything that made him stand out like the others did. And yet as a part of the Wonderbolts, there wasn’t another pony Dash found to be as impressive overall as Silver. The rest of the Wonderbolts regarded him as one of the greatest and respected him as such. Spitfire had gone against every code in the book to keep him in the ranks. And now here… she was hearing the CAPTAIN OF THE LUNAR GUARD… praising Silver in a similar light.
Silver was pure, raw proof that it took more than skill and ability to be a Wonderbolt. Dash had never considered this, she had never looked at it this way, but now that she was… It made Silver seem even more inspiring.
“You,” P.L. suddenly directed towards Dash. Dash blinked and looked up to see P.L.’s red eyes locked on her.
“Yes?”
“You said you are Silver’s pupil… correct?” he asked. Dash stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Heh…” P.L. released a single chuckle… and smiled. His eyes remained angled in the same scowl-like position, but his lips had curled into a soft grin. “I am not surprised. I can see him in you. The way you faced me… The way you forced your way forward and asserted yourself…” P.L. looked down at Silver, the smile remaining. “It was like I was looking right into Silver’s eyes. The content of your appeal was convincing, but what really sold me on giving you a chance was by the look in your eyes. I could see his shadow behind you, I could see his glare staring at me… The glare that never backed down and looked through anything that seemed hopeless as just another challenge to overcome,” P.L. exhaled looking back at Dash. “It puts me at ease to know Silver Lining is passing on the teachings of his master. It would be a shame if such an impressive legacy were ever to fade from the Wonderbolts.”
Dash felt her chest swelling with pride, but it wasn’t something that filled her with joy or made her smile. It was such a heavy compliment to be given directly from such an important pony, it almost overwhelmed her. Spitfire and Soarin both looked towards Dash as well, in awe to hear P.L. speak so highly of one of their recruits.
P.L. looked back at Silver one last time.
“Rest up, my friend,” he said while reaching up and placing his hoof on Silver’s shoulder for a brief moment. Then without another word, he turned and started walking back towards the door.
“Huh?” Spitfire perked up as she saw him leaving. “You’re not going to ask how he’s doing?” she asked with surprise. “Our head doctor is right here, you know.”
“Pfff…” P.L. scoffed as he stopped and looked over his shoulder. “He’ll be fine,” P.L. said casually. “Believe me, if he gives in and dies here… then that’s not Silver Lining.”
Dash’s mouth hung slightly ajar as P.L. spoke those words. Not because she was shocked. It was quite the opposite. P.L. was more than confident that Silver was going to live. He believed in Silver much like she did. He had further reinforced her hope that Silver would make it.
Bliss was their doctor, and as their doctor, it was her job to be honest and upfront about a pony’s condition and apply rules and practice to her assessment.
But since when did Silver follow rules or standards?
Dash felt it was time to stop worrying about whether or not Silver would live… why? Because he was going to live.
“Now I must return to my lady’s side,” P.L. said with a nod before continuing his walk to the door, leaving them behind.
“Wow…” Soarin was the first to speak up after a moment of silence. “He is really something else.” Soarin couldn’t help but grin a little as he kept his eyes on the door. Spitfire nodded as she looked over at Silver.
“So is Silver,” she said as she stepped up to the bed and placed a hoof on the mattress. “He never told me he and P.L. had close ties, but honestly… I’m not surprised.”
“Two stubborn, old fighters.” Soarin looked down at Silver, releasing a long sigh as he recalled everything P.L. had just said, how he had spoken so highly of Silver. “Can we ever hope to be half as great as them?” he asked honestly as P.L.’s words put a very profound perspective on things for him. They had fame, they had the names that would be remembered, but what actually made a pony great? Silver wouldn’t be at the top of the history books, but it felt like he had done more than they ever would.
“They are what we aspire to be, Soarin,” Spitfire said as she kept her eyes locked on Silver. “Who knows if we’ll ever be the kind of pony Silver forged himself into, but we’ll never know unless we try.” She looked up towards Dash, a light smile curling on her lips. “But I think somepony here may have a head start on us. She made her way around the bed over to Dash, taking to her side opposite of Soarin and placing a hoof on her shoulder. “I never thought I’d ever hear P.L. dish out compliments like that. From a pony that holds Silver in such high regard, that was some high praise he showered on you.”
But Dash didn’t react. In fact, it was almost as if she couldn’t hear Spitfire. With P.L. out of the room, she had gone back to completely focusing on Silver. Spitfire frowned, her ears flopping to the side of her head as she noticed Dash’s demeanor. It really said something if Dash wasn’t reacting to praise, but her absolutely devoted focus to Silver laying before her sent a message loud and clear to Spitfire.
There was no more time to waste. The sooner they got the ball rolling, the better.
“Soarin, Rainbow Dash…” Spitfire began, changing her tone of voice to one very familiar to Soarin… one that he was happy to hear again. “Let’s not dilly-dally another moment,” she turned to look at Silver. “We now have one more reason to reach the Crystal Empire, so we better be ready to move as soon as we’re able.”
She then focused on Soarin, who was still holding a wing over Dash. She nodded at him while pointing her other hoof at Dash. Soarin tipped his head briefly, but when Spitfire started whisking her free hoof towards him, he got the message and took a step back, removing his wing from around her.
“Rainbow Dash, attention,” Spitfire ordered. Dash’s ears perked up, the order finding its way through her concern for Silver. She swallowed and turned to face Spitfire, taking a deep breath as she stood up and nodded. “Dash… I want to personally thank you again and commend you. Your handling of the Lunar Guard was fantastic. First you saved me when I was in a bind against Nightshade and then you saved us all from an unnecessary confrontation with P.L. and the thestrals.” She placed both hooves on Dash’s shoulders. “Believe me, I won’t forget it.”
Dash blinked, taking in Spitfire’s words, but wasn’t given any time to reply. Spitfire walked around her and right up to Soarin, squaring up and tipping her head so they looked eye to eye.
“Soarin, under normal circumstances, I’d be more than willing to discipline you for your drastic disregard of my orders…”
Soarin’s ears stood up and he narrowed his eyes into a glare, but Spitfire shook her head.
“But these are not normal circumstances,” Spitfire made clear before Soarin could retort. “And I did not even truly believe in my own orders. So… it’s time to bury the missteps and mistakes and start anew. I’m going to be crystal clear with you. You are going to be limited, BUT…” She pointed sharply at him. “I’m going to need your help, lots of it, to help steer us in the right direction.” She put her hoof down as Soarin’s full interest and attention were now focused on her. Spitfire kept looking at him for a moment before her eyes averted towards Silver. “I’ve been at a crossroads… I’ve been doubting myself and the choices I’ve had to make.” She turned her head back to Soarin. “It’s time for us to retake control of our destiny and face our challenges head on. No more dodging issues and no more avoiding the truth.” She turned and looked between Soarin and Rainbow Dash. “And we’ll start with both of you coming with me… to have a word with a certain royal passenger of ours.” Spitfire gave a hard, definitive nod before making her way around the bed. “Come on, let’s let Bliss work.”
“Go easy on Luna,” Bliss said from the other side of the room, as if she understood what Spitfire was suggesting.
“That depends on her, Bliss,” Spitfire said without looking. She made her way over to Blaze and High Winds. Tapping her half-sister on the shoulder. Blaze stirred and yawned groggily, her eyes open, but still looking incredibly dazed from donating blood. Spitfire made a head motion to High Winds before reaching down. The two of them helped Blaze stand before High Winds offered her body to support her. The two slowly made their way out of the room.
Spitfire looked back towards Soarin and Dash, ready to call to them again, but she stopped, deciding to wait instead. She wanted to give Dash one last opportunity to look upon her mentor. She would have wanted to do the same thing.
Soarin remained at Dash’s side until she was ready to leave, placing a hoof on her shoulder and rubbing it gently as Dash looked over Silver one last time.
Rainbow Dash took a long, deep breath, closed her eyes, and exhaled. She opened her eyes, leaned forwards onto the bed, and gave Silver one more gentle nuzzle to his neck.
“Hang in there you old bastard,” Dash said softly to him as she slowly pulled away.
And with that, she turned away from Silver, facing Soarin and looking up into his eyes. She took another deep breath before hardening her expression, showing that she was ready before giving him a firm nod. Soarin nodded right back before turning and walking beside her. As Spitfire saw them come around, she turned and left. But halfway to the door, Dash suddenly stopped again and shuddered, reaching a hoof across her body and grabbing her opposite shoulder. Soarin blinked and stopped in his tracks, looking to his left, down at her. Dash continued to shudder for a moment, rubbing her shoulder as she looked behind her at Silver one last time.
Soarin frowned, knowing that she had just made the effort to harden up and focus on what was ahead of them… but it was still so hard for her not to worry about Silver. Soarin shifted, pressing his side gently to her and reaching an arm over her shoulders. Dash turned back, looking down and shaking her head as a sharp breath hissed through her teeth. She then looked up at Soarin, her eyes showing worry. Soarin could read it all from her eyes.
Dash had confidence Silver would live. Dash wanted to get moving to ensure that too… but Silver was still in a broken state, and that alone was enough to hit her hard regardless. As Dash moved her eyes off his and took several small breaths, Soarin leaned his head down, planting a comforting kiss behind her ear as he tightened the one-armed embrace around her.
“Let’s go,” he whispered to her before pulling his head back.
Dash only gave a single nod as the two made their way out.
--- To Be Continued ---