//------------------------------// // Prologue: A Bit of Background // Story: My Little Investigations: Wonderbolts Under Fire // by Metool Bard //------------------------------// I know what you're thinking right now. You're thinking; "Wow! Is Spitfire talking to me? As in the Spitfire?! Somepony hit me; I must be dreaming!" To that I say two things. One, you're not dreaming. Two, stop freaking out. I'm not gonna be able to tell my story if you're squealing like a school filly. For those out of the loop, I'm Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts. Now, that means a lot of things. It means that I am an entertainer; my specialty being precision flying. But my job is more than just flying around and looking cool (although I'll admit, that is the majority of it). I'm also the top brass concerning all things weather, and I run the Wonderbolts training camp for new recruits. And that's not to mention that the Wonderbolts are also considered a branch of the Equestrian Navy, and I coordinate all activities regarding that. So to recap: I'm a stunt flier, a weathermare, a talent scout, an instructor, and a commanding officer. Notice that nowhere in my job description does it say "private investigator." But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I think it'd be best if we started from the beginning. This whole mess began a couple of days ago, although I had no way of knowing it at the time... *** January 12, 08:00 Wonderbolt Academy *** I was in my office, waiting for the mail to arrive. That's where ponies can usually find me after breakfast. This is because I get a ton of mail, and I think you can all guess why. As such, I usually find it best to get it out of the way first thing, so that the rest of my schedule is cleared up. "Mail call!" Yep, right on time. I expected nothing less from Crescent Moon. Oh, you guys probably don't know Crescent Moon, do you? Well, he's kind of our behind-the-scenes pony. He keeps our schedules; sorts our mail; makes sure we're healthy. You know, that kind of stuff. What any of that has to do with his Cutie Mark of a crescent moon, I haven't the slightest idea. He says it's not important, but I chalk that up to the fact that he doesn't really like to talk about himself all that much. Anyway, Crescent Moon came in with a heavy box strapped to his back and a clipboard in his mouth. I could literally see the sweat staining his dusty brown coat and chocolate-colored mane. This did not bode well for me. "You need a hoof with that, Crescent?" I asked. "Ugh! N-no thankth, Captain. I-I got it," Crescent grunted before plopping the box on my desk, sending a few letters flying around. He then set his clipboard down and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Phew! There we are." I peered into the box and began to feel a sense of dread. It was packed to the brim with all sorts of letters. "Great," I groaned. "This is gonna take me all morning." "Well, it's just as well," said Crescent with a shrug. "You don't have anything scheduled this morning." There wasn't really a way I could respond to that, so I simply shrugged and began sorting through my bumper crop of mail. For the most part, it was what you'd expect. Lots and lots of fan letters and posters waiting to be autographed. One would think that I'd get sick of it after a while, but honestly, I love hearing from my fans. I just wish I had more time to give them all the attention I felt they deserved. "Anything of interest, Captain?" asked Crescent. "Nah, just the usual," I said, stacking all the letters into a neat pile. "So, what's on the agenda for today, Crescent?" "Well, let's see," Crescent mused, picking up his clipboard. "Hmm. Oh, there's the Wonderbolt Derby this afternoon." "Am I scheduled to race?" I inquired. "Um, yes." "Hmm," I said with a shrug as I continued sorting my mail. "Rapidfire is sure to be disappointed. He's always the favorite in those races." "Doesn't Fleetfoot beat him all the time, though?" asked Crescent. "Yeah, but the bookies over in Canterlot never seem to catch on," I said with a dry chuckle. "Ah, well. What're you gonna do? Oh, hello. What's this?" It was then that I found a letter not quite like the others. It was marked with a regal-looking seal depicting a hoof, a talon, and a paw placed one over the other; as if three separate creatures were swearing an oath of brotherhood. I recognized the seal right away and raised an eyebrow. "Now, this is quite interesting," I said. "Why would Honor Bound send me a letter?" "Honor Bound?" asked Crescent, tilting his head. "I'm not sure I know who that is." I gave Crescent a half-smirk. "You really ought to pay more attention to politics, Crescent. Honor Bound is only one of the most prestigious diplomats around. He's the griffons' ambassador to Equestria; a living testament to griffons and ponies being able to live together in harmony." "O-oh," said Crescent sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, I didn't know. Um, is he really that highly revered?" "From what I understand, some of his prestige is exaggerated because of his bloodline," I said as I opened the letter. "I'm no diplomat myself, but I would imagine that it takes more than just being a hippogriff to become an ambassador. Anyway, let's see what he has to say." I unfolded the letter and began to look over it carefully. As I read the message, I couldn't help but feel pleasantly surprised. Dear Captain Spitfire: This letter is an invitation, a proclamation, and something of a challenge. With the Equestria Games still looking for a new host, I believe it's high time we introduce a new event that will allow griffons to participate. And so, with Princess Celestia's blessing, I have taken the liberty of organizing the Ghastly Gorge Gauntlet; a prototype for this new event. It is a race through one of Equestria's most dangerous trenches, and I would be most delighted if the Wonderbolts would take part in the test. You will be facing the finest aerialists the Griffon Kingdom has to offer, the Proud Pride. If both you and the griffons approve of this event, it will most likely strengthen our already-strong relations. The race will be held a week from today. I hope to see you then. Most sincerely, Honor Bound "Well, what does it say?" asked Crescent. I looked up at Crescent with a spark of determination in my eyes. "Crescent, is there anything after the Wonderbolt Derby?" "Um, no." "Perfect. Have the team meet me at the training ground at seventeen hundred hours, sharp. I've got a special announcement to make." "Oh. Uh, right away, Captain," said Crescent, hastily jotting the meeting down on his clipboard. "So, what did Honor Bound want?" I smirked. "The griffons are challenging the Wonderbolts to a race through Ghastly Gorge as a gesture of goodwill. And I'm not planning on insulting them by backing out." Crescent seemed flummoxed. "Wh-when is this?" "Next week." Crescent frantically flipped through his clipboard. "I-I didn't get any prior notice of this, Captain." I had to snicker. Crescent doesn't really like his ordered little world to be shaken up. "And that's why you should pay more attention to politics," said I. "Um, right," said Crescent. "I'll be sure to remember that. A-and I'll be sure to have a message ready for the mess hall bulletin board by lunchtime." "I know you will," I said with a smile. "You're dismissed." "Th-thank you, Captain," said Crescent with a hasty salute before darting out the door. My smile grew as I went over to the window to reflect on Honor Bound's letter. As you can imagine, I was pretty stoked. I'm always up for a good race, and so is the rest of my team. And not only was this a race, but it was an event that could possibly make it into the Equestria Games. There were also the diplomatic benefits and implications, but to me, that was just the icing on the cake. To me, this was a chance for us Wonderbolts to show our stuff and test our mettle against the best the Griffon Kingdom had to offer. Little did I know that in the same day, my entire world would be royally rocked...