//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Broken // Story: A Story Of Two Bolts // by Stepany1234 //------------------------------// Nightshade was shoved by another colt who waited to hear if he had made the team. “Please move aside, Miss,” said the colt behind the table. Nightshade stumbled away, tripping on air. Finally she stopped herself at the edge of the cloud. Seeing the clouds below and finally the ground farther below. Nightshade stared, wondering if the drop would be worse pain than what she was feeling now. Spitfire walked out of the crowd cheering to herself before flying high and doing flips between the clouds. She stopped after seeing Nightshade by the edge of the cloud. She lowered down to hover by her when she saw her leap off the cloud and dash at fell speed. “Nightshade?” Spitfire wondered before flying after her. Her speed picked up after seeing how fast Nightshade was flying. Finally coming to the ground and crash landing into a small hill near a mountain. Bawling like there’s no hint of any hope left in the world. “Nightshade!” Spitfire called after seeing the crying mare crash land onto the small hill. Soon holding herself in a small ball. Spitfire worriedly landed and ran after her. “Nightshade! What happened? Are you okay?!” She asked. Nightshade continued to sob loudly, turning her head away from Spitfire, embarrassed that she was seeing her in such a vulnerable state. “Go away!” She cried. “Nightshade! What happened?” Spitfire said before rubbing her hoof on Nightshade’s back. She quickly rolled away and leapt to her hooves. Keeping her face turned away from Spitfire’s. “I didn’t make it,” she said quietly. “What?” “I didn’t make the cut! I wasn’t good enough for the damned Wonderbolts! You hear that Celestia! Luna! I didn’t make it into the Wonderbolts!” Nightshade shouted to the sky. She stopped and glared at her surroundings as she tried to catch her breath before turning fiercely at Spitfire. She finally saw her concerned face and quickly calmed herself down. She stomped her hoof into the ground and paced, eager to fly away and hide again. “Nightshade, I…I didn’t know,” She said. What else was she supposed to say? Saying she was accepted didn’t seem to be the right thing at the moment. “Yeah well, guess I can always train again, wait until next year. You know because I surely am a shoe in! Celestia sure does have favor over me!” Nightshade turned to anger and rage to hide her desire to cry. “Nightshade, don’t do this. This isn’t the end. You’re an amazing flier,” Spitfire said. “Apparently not amazing enough! Look don’t feel sorry for me, Spitfire. I’m fine!” Nightshade said before kicking out her back legs, not knowing she stood in front of the mountain. She hollered in pain before falling to the grass on her stomach. She covered her face as she began to cry again. Now allowing Spitfire to bring her into a warm, comforting hug. After a long moment of comfort and sobbing. Nightshade broke the silence. “You got in, didn’t you,” she said. Spitfire was silent. She only continued to rub Nightshade’s back before finally gaining the courage to reply. “Yeah,” she said in a dead whisper. As if it wasn’t even something to be happy about. She felt Nightshade tense up and back out of the hug. “That’s great,” she smiled. Spitfire was a bit taken back by her unexpected reaction. Her sudden change in attitude was surprising, either that or she was an incredibly good actor. “It’s not that great,” she said, smiling weakly. “No. C’mon, Spitfire. Just because I didn’t make it doesn’t mean you should feel bad that you did. You should be happy,” she chuckled. “You should be overjoyed!” She smiled. Spitfire smiled warmly before embracing the mare again. “Congratulations, Spitfire,” Nightshade said before returning the warm hug. “Thank you, Nightshade.” Nightshade broke the hug and smiled her best at the mare before expanding out her wings. “Where are you gonna go? I was hoping maybe, if you’re up for it, you can come with me and Soarin and the other Wonderbolts to the hang out. I would really love to have you around tonight,” Spitfire said. Nightshade shook her head and smiled. “Nah. I’m just gonna go for a fly. It’s been awhile since I’ve flown alone. Just me and the sky,” Nightshade said. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Spitfire asked, one last time. “I’m fine. I was just a little let down. I’m more than happy for you though and that’s all that matters. Go and celebrate,” Nightshade smiled. Spitfire leaned forward and kissed her cheek before smiling and flying off. Nightshade watched the mare fly off and soon felt her own hooves droop. Before submitting to the urge of falling down to bawl again, she took to the sky. Flying in the opposite direction of Spitfire. Her expression faded to sorrow, utter pain and emptiness. She faked a smile for her best friend, but herself? She was a wreck. Now crying and flying at intense speed through the sky. Her tears whipping through the air like rain. A painful storm forming in the depths of her soul. Her heart was already gone. No more room for pain there anymore. Everything she had ever worked for was gone. Her education, dropped it. Her jobs, dropped if they didn’t involve flying at quick speed. Her home, she might loose it now. Her life? Spitfire was the only thing left in her life now. Just her best friend and…the moon. Nightshade looked at the full moon shining widely in front of her. “Luna!” She screamed. Her voice echoing in the air. Nopony around to hear her as she broke down. She sped up and flew directly toward the moon, as if the faster she flew the faster she would reach the bright white sphere. She finally landed roughly on a mountain top and shouted again, this time letting all her depression, anger and sorrow out. The loudest scream she could possibly let out, ending with a sob. “Luna! Are you there! Can you hear me? Damn it, I know you’re there! Answer me!” She shouted again. Her voice echoing through the empty mountain. “Luna!” She kicked her back legs and neighed before stomping the ground again. The thought of loosing everything she has left was now a reality. She had nothing left. Her last chance for hope was gone. There was no way she’d survive another year until the next tryouts. She’d be a homeless bum by then. There had to be another solution. Not knowing what it was is angered the mare. It frustrated her to tears and rage. “I’m calling out to the moon! Luna, you’re the moon, the stars, the whole damn night! You’re a princess! I’m calling out to you! I don’t have anywhere else to go. I have nowhere else to go,” she broke down. Hanging her head low, she clutched her eyes together tightly, trying to stop the tears pouring through. They still managed to squeeze through her eye lids and drip down onto the grass as she continued to cry. A rough breeze hit her but she ignored it and kept her balance. Her mane and tail whipping according to the wind’s direction. She felt it push her before opening her eyes to see goggles sitting across from her. She stared at them for a while before walking closer. She looked down and saw they were designed in a way she’d never seen before. They were nothing like the Wonderbolts goggles. These had a specific look to them, yellow lenses, sharp edges, a purple strap to match the purple borders. She picked them up with her hoof before looking around, wondering who could have left them there. Her head quickly shot up, expecting to see a pegasus. Nothing. Just the stars were above her. Luna? “Luna? Are you trying to tell me something?” Her spine shivered as she remembered a part of the history book she memorized from history class. It flashed through her mind quickly. “Nightmare Moon?” She called out in a low shaky voice. Hoping that she wouldn’t get a physical response. Only silence. She looked back at the large, bright moon and then the goggles. She dropped them and stepped back. Thinking hard to herself, she shook her head and looked away. Turning her back on the moon. “No. I haven’t lost everything. I still have Spitfire. We’ve always been together like sisters! There for each other when we needed help or company. I’ve got a friend and that’s all I need. It’ not over. I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me, but I’m not accepting it,” she said before flying off the mountain, leaving the goggles behind. “I’ll go see Spitfire and be there for her. Just like she would for me.” -------------- Nightshade left the bar, no sight of Spitfire anywhere. She had asked the other Wonderbolts where she had gone off to and only one answered her question. “So if she went for a walk, I’m guessing she probably went down this trail,” Nightshade said to herself. She flew over the trail and let it lead her to a small grassy hill. One similar to the one she was on when she broke down in front of Spitfire. Except this one was bit higher. As if flying was the only way to reach the top. She looked up questionably at the hill before flying up to the top. She reached it and gasped to herself to see Spitfire and Soarin sitting together on top of the hill. Both talking quietly to themselves and staring at the moon and stars. The same moon Nightshade was pouring her heart out to. The scene made her stomach turn. She suddenly felt sick and furious all at once. She snorted to herself and proceeded to turn and leave before seeing Soarin lean in the kiss Spitfire. Suddenly the last string holding Nightshade together snapped. As If the last possible thing left in her life was gone, taken away from her. And the perpetrator was sitting right there. I won’t let you take her away. I won’t let you take the last thing I have away from me! Nightshade let out what sounded like a battle cry before flying towards Soarin and tackling him down, both of them now rolling down the large rocky hill. Any chance of escaping to the air was gone. It was impossible for either of the pegasus ponies to open up their wings while rolling down the hill. Soarin finally got a glimpse of the attacker and realized who it was before both ponies slammed into the ground. Both fumbling away from each other once their bodies came in contact with the hard floor. Groans were heard before Soarin raised his head to see Nightshade struggle to stand. “You! What the haystack do you think you’re doing?!” He shouted as he stood up. He stumbled a bit before expanding his wings to keep his balance. Nightshade shook her head again before glaring at the stallion shouting at her. Spitfire flew down and landed shortly after. “Soarin, are you okay?” Spitfire asked. “I’m fine,” Soarin said, his eyes not leaving Nightshade for a second. Spitfire looked to see who he was staring at and was shocked after seeing Nightshade stare back. “Nightshade? Wh-What are you doing? What’s the matter with you?!” She shouted. Nightshade’s dead glare didn’t change after realizing what she did. “You could have seriously hurt him! What were you thinking?” She snapped. Him? Him. She then came to the conclusion. As if she had finally checked off that one last item on the list. She had already lost Spitfire now. He has already taken her away from her and now it was over. The Wonderbolts, school, money, a home, …Spitfire. Now filled with rage and betrayal. She should have known that Spitfire joining the Wonderbolts without her would end up having her seen less and less. To the point where she would never have any time for her anymore. Soarin was just speeding that process up. What else can she say at this confusing moment. At this very moment of reality. What can she say? All she knew to do was to leave. She flapped open her wings and flew off at incredible speed, away from her best friend. Never to turn back. Spitfire’s heart sank after watching her fillyhood friend leave the way she did. As if she received the entire message through those simple silent actions. She stepped forward, wanting to follow after her but something inside her didn’t allow her to. Soarin snorted and shook his head. “What a crazy mare. Hope I don’t ever see her again,” Soarin said, obviously furious. Spitfire’s eyes watered. “Oh, Celestia I hope I do.” Nightshade flew at incredibly fast speed to reach back to the mountaintop she was previously on. She walked to the spot she was once standing and looked down to see the goggles still sitting there. She thought long and hard before feeling a cold breeze pass again. She picked up the goggles and looked up to the moon. “Alright, Nightmare Moon, Luna.” She said as she placed the goggles over her head and eyes. She looked back up at the moon. “I’m now yours to command, Princess.”