//------------------------------//
// 3 - Tension 
// Story: Bullets of Fire 
// by BlackWater 
//------------------------------//









The crowd gasped as Silver Lining saved Fleetfoot just in time as she plunged from the heavens. It was all scripted, of course. This was one of their more theatrical performances as sponsored by one of Canterlot's greatest drama societies*. In spite of this, the scenes were drowning in action sequences. It was certainly climatic for the audience but may have been just an excuse to show off some awesome moves. The theatre wanted to get their money's worth out of the Wonderbolts after all.
"If you must cast us from the heavens then we must climb once more to them. We will never accept such judgement as righteous!" Spitfire valiantly challenged Soarin'. The scene had just changed from Whisp's (Fleetfoot's) banishing to Whiteway's (Spitfire's) challenge of the King of Clouds (Soarin'). The 'Bolt captain was outfitted in a shining suit of armor and she stood alongside Blaze and Misty who portrayed Whiteway's two shieldmares.
The audience was riveted by the escalating mood. The King of Clouds lifted off his throne with a powerful gust of wind from his gold-tipped wings. "Know your place, servant. I will give you one chance to repent from casting your lot with the vile Earth ponies. Don't become the lowly swine that your sister did!"
"Swine?! What's wrong with a few pigs?" Fleetfoot countered.
Everpony immediately looked to stage left where Fleetfoot and Silver Lining entered. Both appeared weary from the previous scene. It was, of course, just an act because they were far too fit to be drained with the theatrical gimmicks.
Whiteway beamed, "Sister! You're alright!"
"I told you I would never let the beautiful Grey Haven come to harm," Silver Lining grinned.
"Guards," shrieked a now petrified King of the Clouds. Fire Streak and Lighting Streak appeared alongside their ruler. They were dressed as royal guards and moved in front of their king to protect him.
Suddenly all of Tartarus broke loose and the guards wound up taking on the five opposing ponies. It was, however, a lengthened scene that proved the royal guard's salt and - of course - Wonderbolt athleticism. The guards finally collapsed when Whiteway delivered a lighting-fast blow to the both of them in the shape of a cross. The fight was not yet over though and the hero's true enemy reared himself up for the attack. It was the show's final scene.
"You will now feel my full wrath!" shouted the King of Clouds. That's when the backstage crew billowed smoke onstage to match Soarin's wing beats. It looked as if the King was casting a storm spell upon the mighty heroes.
"Not today!" Whiteway shot like a cannon into the King and knocked him from the air. Her two shieldmares lunged upon him and grabbed his hooves to pin him in place. Even as the villain tried to ensnare Whiteway with a whiff of purple poison cloud from his still-free wings, the heroine dove into him with a single lunge - one beat from her own orange wings.
Finally, the King lay still. The lights narrowed to show Whiteway posed atop the evil king. Good had won the victory even as the smoke of battle whisped away the horror of the fight. Background music built to a climax as Whiteway declared, "May peace and freedom dwell between our races!"
The light finally blinked out with the show concluded. There was a healthy round of hoof pounding from the pleased audience and only a few minutes later the cast came out on the cleared stage to do their bow. 









"Horse feathers, Spitfire!" Soarin' complained.
Spitfire didn't have a clue what he was going on about now. It was odd since she usually read him like an open book. 	
"What? Did I do something wrong?"
"What was with the finishing hit?! It was supposed to be for show but you just plowed into me!"
Misty nodded with a grimace, "That did look kinda rough."
"Crowd ate it up, though," chided Blaze.
"Oh...I...guess I wasn't paying enough attention. I didn't think I lunged that hard..." The mare was being perfectly honest. She really hadn't thought she had put so much into the "fake" hit. She had felt a little energized during the show but she didn't think it unusual or anything.
"Getting soft, Soarin'?" Even Wave Chill was getting a piece of the star stallion.
"At least I didn't get a bit part," the former King retorted.
Wave Chill almost ignited and Spitfire was once again playing the role of group firefighter. Ultimately she did apologize to Soarin' for knocking the wind out of him literally and figuratively. That was when they wound down their nerves along with their chat and split into smaller groups to chill out. The orange mare had a schedule though and had a certain royal palace to get to.
Upon arriving, she was conveniently escorted to the room she had stayed at the previous night. Looks like I got a residence, she snickered to herself. Should she feel bad? It almost felt like she was indulging in some secret away from her friends.
But no. It wasn't anything bad. It was actually very good. She was improving herself and it would be a boon for her team. In fact, she wanted to get all of the 'Bolts up to par if she could. Wasn't that what captains did?
The spa was probably bad though. It was like taking first-class while the rest of her team got to ride the bus. Benefits were not something to factor into the "fair" equation, she decided.
In her room she found a note from Celestia detailing when the alicorn would get free for their training. As it was going to be at least another hour, she decided to warm-up and resume her rhythm exercises.









Knock knock.
Spitfire almost teleported to the door when she heard the tap. Opening the door to suddenly be faced with the grand ruler of Equestria was still a tad breathtaking but she worked to get over it.
"Oh, I see you've already started," the Princess' smooth voice commented.
"Thought I'd at least practice that rhythm. I haven't done the heavy stuff though."
"We'll have to change that," Celestia smiled. "To the garden!"
The orange mare followed her as she twirled around and led the way to her private garden. It was practically a lush jungle. It even had a few small waterfalls to boost. Such detail was in every pathway and alcove that it must have been the result of over a hundred years of work. Of course, with Celestia that was believable.
Trying to resume her focus, Spitfire leaned down and began the wing-ups that Celestia had began instructing. She blew by her record of 86 from the previous day and felt like she could suddenly conquer the world. Said hopes were quickly crushed. She gave out at 97.
"Th...three...more..." she wheezed. "Why...?!"
Celestia just beamed her usual smile. "You improved by eleven. Don't give up and keep pushing yourself," she encouraged. "Let's do some stretching and then wind down."
"Aren't...there...other things?"
"Exercises you mean? We can't do any others until you get things wings strengthened up. Besides," Celestia gave a stern voice. "You shouldn't do anything beyond what your currently doing. If you try to push yourself too far you could rip a muscle."
The Princess must have caught Spitfire's dismissive look because she responded quickly, "I'm serious, Spitfire. Your already beyond normal limits. That's why we do the special stretching. You'd go stiff for a week without it."
The orange mare tensed at getting scolded on her recklessness. It must have been her thrill-seeking disposition that made her want to do the Fire trick so soon. But that's when it hit her. "Celestia?"
"Hm?" the alicorn replied as she walked over to one of the garden's waterfalls.
"When I get around to doing this trick, it won't be the only one, right? I'll be strong enough to do some other wicked things, won't I?"
"I knew you'd realize that soon. Spitfire," she turned back to the mare to emphasize her point. "Don't try just anything. The Wonderbolts are already daredevils. I may enjoy a show now and then but I don't want dead subjects. Promise me you'll be careful."
The Princess sounded so serious about it that Spitfire couldn't refuse. It was true that she and her 'Bolts tempted fate. That was true of most acrobats, in fact. After all, extreme physical trickery could suddenly go expectantly and horribly wrong. It was just a risk you took when decided to do it. However, Spitfire got the feeling that the Princess meant more than that. Suddenly being capable of more was a dangerous situation. You tended to go overboard to test your new boundaries and that could get you in harm's way - even dead. That was so much more true for stunt-fliers like herself.
"Yeah...I will be."
"Good. Now come over here and we'll start the stretching."
This time they moved through a variety of regular moves before doing the odd one from the previous day. Celestia insisted on it and Spitfire managed to get a bit farther - though that might have only been her imagination.
"This pose is so...awkward," the pegasus commented.
"Well it's not supposed to be a pose. It's an advanced method to relieve wing stress."
"Why does this," she grunted as she tried to move her back hooves over her lowered wings. "Why does this even work?"
Celestia beamed a grin that the orange mare only rolled her eyes to. The Princess was waving her back hooves high into the air...right where her wings would be if they were stretched straight upward. She had clearly mastered the stretch and was capable of an unreal level of flexibility. "Most ponies don't realize exactly which muscles are used for movement. That's why so many Earth ponies are surprised that their back muscles freeze when they do too much work using their front hooves or shoulders. With a pegasus, the back muscles are an integral part of flight. This exercise stretches out those muscles because the direction of the back hooves pulls them outward."
"Wow. You sound like a teacher or something," Spitfire half-joked.
Celestia sighed, "I have been a teacher many times. You might even say I'm teaching you."
"I prefer the word 'train.' The thought of school makes me shiver."
"You don't like it?" the Princess asked surprised.
"Don't get me wrong. It's just...well I already went through it all and I don't wanna go back. I don't like sitting around all day reading books and listening to lectures when I can be out doing things."
It really wasn't something Celestia hadn't heard before. It was just a personality type. Spitfire was the kind of pony that liked physical activity. In fact, she was like Rainbow Dash in that regard, which was probably why the Element of Loyalty thought so much of her and her Wonderbolts. "I understand more than you know."
The White Mare of the Sun finally decided on what post-training fun she wanted to do. It was a sudden idea that came about from the mention of school. Actually, it would take a bit of explaining to prove that the idea came from such a topic because the reasoning was extremely removed. Perhaps Celestia's inner-psyche would someday be explained by science or even magic. Yes, magic was more likely to explain how school reminded Celestia of-
"Diving!" she exclaimed.
The 'Bolt captain did a double-take. "Huh?"
"We're going to do some deep water diving after we're done here," the alicorn replied. "I've even got the air and movement spells fresh in my mind!"
Spitfire was speechless. Diving? And she didn't even want to ask why Celestia had recently refreshed herself on diving spells. "I've never-"
"Which is why we should. I know you'll like it. I just have to find some way to tri- I mean ask Luna to take care of things while we're gone."
"Gone? How long is this going to take? Because I have-"
Again Celestia cut her off, "Not that long. You'll have plenty of time because we won't be doing much traveling."
"But I don't think there are any waters in Canterlot deep enough," the mare commented skeptically.
Celestia merely pointed a back hoof, which was still raised over her wings. When Spitfire followed the direction, she saw a sign almost hidden by the garden's lush greenery. It read "To Diving Cavern."
"You have a private cavern? And it has a diving pool?!" Spitfire nearly cried out. 
Celestia just let out her now signature giggle.
How many things did the immortal Princess of the Sun have?