//------------------------------//
// 31 - The Next and New 
// Story: Bullets of Fire 
// by BlackWater 
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It looked like the white princess would have to conclude her sisterly matters at another time. It probably wouldn't be long though. Spitfire was the kind of pony that got things done, which was an obvious reason that she was captain and the others were not. In any case, Luna's bedroom was not the place for instructions regarding inflammatory stunt moves. Not as long as she wanted to keep in good standing with Luna.
Glancing back to her night-colored sister, Celestia remarked, "I'll be back shortly."
The other princess nodded slightly and watched the taller mare exit the room with the orange one in tow. Off to that hidden meadow no doubt, Luna concluded. Well she was no longer in the mood for her game. Replaying a difficult level that you just failed at was an annoying idea. Instead, the mare of the moon laid back on her bed and spread her wings. What to do about Twilight Sparkle, she wondered. So many possibilities...









"It's called resolve, Spitfire," Celestia continued the discussion that they had been engrossed in as they traveled the underground caverns to the special meadow. 
Spitfire was certain that the place would never be completely welcoming. Or at least not to a pegasus. Free flying was always in her heart, after all. 
"I know what resolve is. As well as determination and patience. It took a lot to get through my street days," she remarked in reply.
"But is your resolve strong enough to get through this?" the alicorn wondered aloud.
Rolling her eyes, Spitfire continued, "I've already gotten through most of it haven't I?"
Celestia had to give the mare credit. She had indeed gotten most of the way through. "There's honestly not much to tell. Keep training for strength and control. Your team should be ready for the Bullet within two weeks - as I understand it."
"So we won't stall out before five hundred wing-ups?" 
"No. But the last ten percent will be difficult," the princess began to explain as they finally left the dark tunnel and entered the bright outdoors. The meadow lay before them just a short way up the trail. "Today, I will teach you the final part. It's all about the method. Strength is just...like a primer. You can't simply power your way into the fireball. It's really more an art than a science. I don't think my poor Twilight will ever be capable of it," she almost giggled.
"So what should I do?" Spitfire questioned as they stepped onto the green of the enclosed meadow.
Princess Celestia walked calmly past the cannon that was still sitting in the grass and flared her wings. But instead of taking off, she merely leaned her front half downwards as if to lunge. 
"Watch carefully," she instructed.
Spitfire walked around the taller mare to get a good view of her wings, noting the position of them in relation to Celestia's body while taking into consideration the proportions. Slowly at first and then with building speed, Celestia waved her wings with fish-like movements. It started with a fluid up and down and then the wings started to retract back to the mare's body. Only drawing in about one hoof's distance from their full extension the wings popped back to full wingspan again. Combined with the up-down pattern, the result was a mesmerizing display of complex movement. The pattern started to decrease in spatial travel until it finished with the wings looking like they were spread out completely still. Just the hint of vibration was visible until...
BOOM!
A blaze of fire erupted around the wings and extinguished into drifting smoke just as fast.
"That is the final part. You must practice the wing movement until it is perfect. The wing power and high speed combined with that movement will give you a lasting fire. But you must-" Celestia cut herself off when she noticed that the pegasus was still staring in awe. "Spitfire?" she prodded the mare with a fore hoof.
"Oh! Sorry! That was just incredible. It's the ignition move?" she eagerly inquired.
"Indeed. And you can't get the necessary friction unless your wing muscles are adequately built. You should have enough strength now to do it."
"I can already do it?!" enthused the orange mare. She was starting to feel giddy like a young school filly.
"It will take much practice and you won't be able to sustain the fire until you reach those five hundred wing-ups," warned the princess.
"Oh, right," Spitfire recalled. "Well I'd better get practicing."
"First, lower your front half to the ground," Celestia began her teaching.
The pegasus did so but raised a brow in curiosity. "Why?" was all she voiced.
"Because I want you to focus on the grass," the princess replied as a matter-of-fact.
Spitfire gave a curt nod and the a double take. "Wait, what?"	
Celestia placed a hoof against the back of Spitfire's head and gently forced it downwards. "I don't want you looking back. Don't think about your wings or the movements they should make. Just feel. And act. Now, loosen up your wings." 
Spitfire tried to comply. First, she focused on the grass. Then, she felt hooves grab the tip of one wing. They began pulling it to full spread and Spitfire let it happen. Suddenly the hooves started waving the wing in a fluid up-down pattern - like the one that Spitfire had witnessed just prior.
"Are you starting to feel the beat?" The princess' calm voice asked.
"I think so," was the best that Spitfire could say. She understood the feeling of the movement but was unsure if she could replicate it. It wasn't, after all, a completely natural beat for her wings.
Celestia continued waving the other pony's wing for a tad longer before letting go. 
"Let the movement flow naturally. Let it repeat itself," she said.
Spitfire tried. She tried very hard and she managed to move her wings with the beat just enough to let the movement peter out. When she tried to bring it back, her wings merely stuttered. It looked like it was no big deal but then trying to actually do it was difficult.
"I lost it," the pegasus had to admit.
Celestia grabbed the wing again and returned it to the pattern. After a good ten seconds, she let go again and Spitfire tried once more to find the rhythm and keep it going. For the second time, she failed. In spite of that, Celestia didn't lose one molecule of patience and continued calmly working with the girl.
Resolve, Spitfire reminded herself. She had to keep at it just like all of those extreme tricks that she had to learn for her acts. She would keep at it and have it down to a "T" before the day was over.









Silver Lining hummed happily to himself as he made his way to the hospital. The previous night had been a turning point for him. Maybe not for his career but certainly for his personal life and that rarely ever changed for a Wonderbolt. Locked inside the steel cage of fame and fortune, the Wonderbolts had little to speak of when it came to personal affairs. Most everything they did became a matter of work, training, or collectively trying not to climb a wall.
Actually, not much really happened those ten-something hours prior. Misty had seemed a bit upset for a while but lightened up when he suggested that they take a slow relationship. Just do what we want when we want, was how he put it. She liked the idea of a laid back approach. It would be relaxing in comparison to the fast-paced way they always had to do things as Wonderbolts. As for what else happened that night, there was not much to tell. They nuzzled in affection once and Misty almost fell asleep while they watched the stars. Certainly nothing to write home about.
Now, it was time for him to say his own good-bye to Wave Chill. Oh, he would keep visiting the injured stallion and check up on him after his leave but at least one of those visits needed to have closure for their working relationship. Wave Chill was not the Wonderbolt champion but he was a Wonderbolt all the same and that meant he was unusually skilled. He deserved some consideration.
That and there was the whole matter of the dirt fort. Silver Lining wanted to warn him not to go into any more of them on the account that he wouldn't be around to save his rear.
"Silver!" shouted a familiar voice across the street. 
He turned to see who it was even though he had already guessed by the voice. It was the same voice that was heavy on his mind of late. 
"Visiting Wave Chill again?" Misty guessed as she came up along his side.
The stallion nodded in surprise. It would be an obvious thing to wonder how the mare could have guessed but then they did share some common ground. Perhaps they were even more alike then he hoped for.
"Yes. And you?"
"Same," she pipped. "Lightning first and then Wave. I hope this isn't setting a trend. I don't want you getting hurt now that I have you."
The mare shot him a smile that warmed his heart and he returned it without feeling the need to say anything on the matter. They were taking things slow and he was happy with it. 
"Want to do something afterwards? After all, the captain has us off special training for the day and I can't imagine you had anything line up," Silver Lining suggested.
Misty grinned, "You think so, huh?"
"I know so," he affirmed.
"Well..." the mare trailed as she gave it some thought. "Maybe we could go for some ice cream. There's this place near the station that's selling some new flavor. Looks like apple."
"Isn't that just an old flavor?"
"You'd think. But I've never seen it before."
Another street and around another corner, the hospital finally loomed before them. In typical Canterlot fashion, the face of the building was ridiculously ornate even though it was sandwiched in the close-quarters of the inner city. A band of Earth ponies were huddled outside the front doors, only kept out by a pair of gruff looking pegasi. As it happened, the two were each wearing a uniform with a familiar emblem. With another teammate down in the hospital, Spitfire had to assign some of their support crew to keep the nosy ponies out. Wave Chill would take twice as long in recovery with a hundred journalists shoving their mean questions in his face.
For the two visitors, however, the entry was easy. Every Wonderbolt was instantly recognizable to the two temporary guards and, unfortunately, to the journalists too. But then the journalists were Earth ponies and didn't have wings to keep up with Silver Lining and Misty. A simple glide slipped them right past the whole mess and into the hospital's reception area.
"I was hoping we wouldn't need those guys since Lightning Streak didn't have a problem," Misty remarked.
The stallion shook his head. "Maybe the reporters think two accidents is suspicious. They're always trying to put scandal in the hearts of the innocent."
Misty silently noted her companion's probable dislike of reporters but didn't highlight it. None of the Wonderbolts thought highly of them to begin with.
A half minute later and the pair was upstairs in room 203. Wave Chill's fortress. Or at least that's what it looked like when they entered it. Four more of the Wonderbolt staff members were there - guards against evil if one wanted to be dramatic about it.
"Silver!" exclaimed the injured stallion from his hospital bed. "It's good to see you. I've needed reinforcements for the last hour!"
Seeing Wave Chill on guard was not necessarily new but it certainly was for the current situation.
"Reinforcements? I saw the crowd outside but what's with the team here?" Silver Lining asked about the inner guard in earnest while Misty walked around to the opposite bedside.
"I've got two downstairs for the Earth ponies but unicorns keep teleporting right in here and the pegasi go to that window," he gestured to the room's only window. The street was visible below. "Why'd they have to give me a window room? Why?!"
"Because we're celebrities," Misty huffed in annoyance. "Though getting a window in a hospital isn't really that-"
TAP! TAP!
A pegasus was suddenly at the window. It was a mare carrying a pen and a notepad around her neck. One of the guards strode over and opened the window just enough to say something to the mare. When she didn't go away, the guard raised his tone. Still having the nerve to stick around, the guard had to say something to the effect of "remove" and "force." She finally left.
"I don't know how," Wave Chill retook their attention, "but they found out I left the Wonderbolts and now they won't stop with trying to pry a scandal out of me. Thanks for the support by the way."
Silver had to remind himself that Wave Chill really wasn't a member anymore. All the official document stuff had yet to happen but the stallion was already off of the team. The Wonderbolt security was just a mark of Spitfire's consideration for the injured pegasus.
"It was Spitfire's decision," Misty reminded him. "She's going to miss you just as much as we will."
"Ah," the stallion lowered his head and nodded minutely. "I'll miss you all too. It's not like I'm taking any enjoyment out of quitting. I don't like doing it just like I don't like stepping away from friends," he looked first to Silver Lining and then to Misty. "But I need to move on. There's more to my life than just the Wonderbolts."
"Yeah. That's true for all of us," Silver Lining reflected. It was especially true for him and Misty and he suspected that the others all had their own personal lives that they fought to maintain against the torrent of work.
"Got any plans?" Misty inquired with forced cheerfulness. She didn't want to think too much about any Wonderbolts leaving, not when it would just make her extremely emotional. Of course, she had no knowledge of how emotional the captain had been about it and perhaps that was for the best.
"Well," Wave Chill tried cracking his own smile. "There's this deal going down up north. Some cross-borders exploration gig that I've got a slot in. Pays good and they really need my talents," he stuck out his chest proudly. "Seventy-five percent chance of death but I hear they have a great dental plan."
Silver Lining gave an "ugh" in response but he knew that Wave Chill would probably be fine. Somehow he knew but still had to speak his one peace.
"At least it's not building a dirt fort."