My Little Investigations: Wonderbolts Under Fire

by Metool Bard

Final Farewells

After we finished recuperating from the tengu attack, Honor Bound gathered everyone in Ponyville to make a speech regarding what happened.

"Although the Ghastly Gorge Gauntlet will most likely not become part of the Equestria Games, it has succeeded in its original purpose," said he. "With both the Wonderbolts and the Proud Pride working in tandem to fight a common enemy, I can safely say that our relations have never been stronger!"

There was a huge round of applause, with ponies stomping the ground and griffons letting loose mighty roars. Honor Bound raised his talon in order to indicate he wanted silence. When the applause died down, he continued.

"Of course, this wouldn't have been possible if we allowed our enemies to lurk in the shadows and divide us," he said. "Which is why these three fliers, Captain Spitfire, Lieutenant Blaze, and Lieutenant Commander Kierra, deserve special mention. In the face of doubt, they persevered and sought out the truth. And by working together, they were able to take down the Tengu Empress and provide a shining example for ponies and griffons everywhere!"

Another round of applause. Honor Bound motioned us to step forward. Blaze was a little skittish, but I managed to convince her to follow me and Kierra.

"So, without further ado, I present these three with the Cross of Unity. Like them, it is a symbol of what ponies and griffons can accomplish if they work together."

He then pinned the golden medal on each of our uniforms. It portrayed two wings, one of a griffon and one of a pegasus, crossed in an X shape. As a Wonderbolt, I get medals and trophies all the time. And while I'm proud of all of my accomplishments, this one just seemed to carry a little more weight. Just a little, though.

After another applause, Pierre was the first to approach me.

"Congratulations, Capitaine Spitfire," he said. "You wear the Cross of Unity well."

"Thanks. Nice to see you got your act together, too," I said. "What are your plans from here? I imagine now that the tengu have been dealt with, the Proud Pride will be disbanded."

"Officially, perhaps," said Pierre with a smirk. "But even if it is, I plan on continuing it. I want to make a name for the Proud Pride, just like the Wonderbolts have here in Equestria. Once that is done, we can have a real race through Ghastly Gorge."

I snickered. Even if Pierre got his act together, he still had that competitive streak to him. Ah well, that's not necessarily a bad thing. "I'm looking forward to it," I said.

"I'm afraid I won't be joining you, Pierre," said Kierra. "Once I get back to the Griffon Kingdom, I'm tendering my resignation from the army."

Pierre raised an eyebrow. "What brought this on? You are a great flier, Kierra. I could use someone like you."

"Thank you, Pierre, but army life is simply not for me," said Kierra. "I'm going back to being an historian. Now that I can prove the existence of the Tengu Dynasty, my research won't be laughed at."

Pierre stroked his chin for a moment. "Are you sure there is nothing I can say that can...?"

"Sorry, no," said Kierra with a shake of her head. "My decision is final. Besides, you still have Drake with you. He'll more than make up for my absence."

"I, suppose," said Pierre. "I would prefer if you stayed, but, c'est la vie. I wish you the best of luck, Kierra."

With that, the two shared a salute, and he walked away.

"He's learning," I said. "Maybe he can be a good captain when he puts his mind to it."

"Perhaps," said Kierra. "At the very least, he'll be fine without my help."

"What do you think will happen to the tengu?" asked Blaze.

"I'm not sure," said Kierra. "Without the Wind's Mandate, they cannot organize themselves. I suppose they'll just go their separate ways and try to live the best they can."

"Hopefully, they'll learn a thing or two from us," I said. "You can't have a society where everyone is trying to kill each other. After all, no one is an island."

Kierra smiled. "Too true, Ms. Spitfire. Too true."

"SURPRISE~!"

All of a sudden, I was jumped by none other than Surprise. When I recovered, I noticed that the other Wonderbolts were standing before me.

"Congrats, Cap!" Surprise squealed. "You too, Blaze! I'm gonna get some supplies from Sugarcube Corner and throw a big party for you two when we get back to base!"

"Aw, c'mon Surprise," said Blaze, blushing a little. "You don't need to do that."

"Yeah, Blaze is right, Surprise," I said. "We've, had enough excitement for one day, don't you think?"

Surprise placed a hoof to her muzzle. "Hmm. Good point. Okay, how 'bout tomorrow then? We gotta celebrate somehow."

I chuckled. "I'll, think about it," I said.

"I'm gonna have to go with Surprise on this one, Spit," said Soarin'. "Now that those stupid tengu are gone, you don't have to stress yourself out anymore. You should take some time to relax."

"Again, I'll think about it," I said. "But really, Blaze and I aren't the only ones who should get all the glory. Throughout this entire mess, you all managed to keep your heads held high and roll with the punches. I had to worry about a lot of things this week, but team morale wasn't one of them. I'm very proud of you all."

In response, the Wonderbolts saluted. Blaze and I responded in kind.

"Am I interrupting anything, Captain Spitfire?"

I turned to see Ambassador Honor Bound approach us.

"Not at all, Ambassador," I said.

"I just wish to thank you again for all your hard work," said Honor Bound. "Also, I thought you'd be interested to know that I've decided to have Gypsy Moth be tried in Equestria first."

"Oh, really? Why's that?" I asked.

Honor Bound chuckled. "Because if she went to the Griffon Kingdom first, I'd fear that there would be nothing left to prosecute once she got back to Equestria. We'll need some time to drive the remaining tengu out of our land, and some more time after that to calm down."

"Understandable," I said, although I had a feeling Honor Bound was exaggerating a little. Griffons can actually be quite civilized, and they don't automatically see violence as the only solution (just look at Kierra). That said, Princess Celestia was going to be a lot more lenient than the Griffon Magistrate. And that's not a shot against the Princess, mind you. Whatever punishment she was going to give Gypsy Moth, that alchemist was gonna deserve it.

Just then, I felt Blaze poke my shoulder. It looked like she had a secret.

"What's up?" I asked, leaning in and dipping my voice.

"I'm just wondering where Mare-Do-Well is," said Blaze. "She helped, too. You'd think she'd at least stick around to take a bow."

I sniggered. "I happen to know that Mare-Do-Well isn't one for medals and praise," I said. "She simply lets her actions speak for themselves."

After some light festivities in Ponyville, we returned to the Academy. I went straight to my office to file my report. When I got there, I saw that the door was ajar. I smirked and walked in. Just as I suspected, Mare-Do-Well was sitting at my desk.

"Y'know, we really gotta stop meeting like this," I said.

"I see your rapier wit has not lost its edge," said Mare-Do-Well.

"Yeah, yeah. Enough with the banter," I said. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to thank you again for helping me recover my memories," said Mare-Do-Well. "I'm not sure I would've been able to stand up to my creator without them."

"Well, you're welcome, I guess," I said with a shrug. "So, what will you do now?"

Mare-Do-Well snickered. "Well, for one, I'm going to stop stalking you," said she. "Now that the threat against the Wonderbolts has been neutralized, you don't need my help anymore."

"Thanks. That's good to know," I said. "But, where will you go?"

"Anywhere I'm needed," Mare-Do-Well said with a shrug. "You've probably figured this out, but I'm not really bound to my creator in any way, shape, or form. So, I'll simply continue to carry on the work of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well and protect those in peril."

I nodded. "Well, good for you, Mare-Do-Well. As long as you're happy."

"Indeed," said Mare-Do-Well. "However, I think I might want to get my core fixed first."

I sighed. "You really couldn't bring yourself to share your secret with somepony other than me? I told you before; that unicorn in Ponyville can really help you out."

"My identity is supposed to remain a secret, Ms. Spitfire. These are uncharted waters for me," said Mare-Do-Well, obscuring her eyes with her hat.

"Well, you'll get used to it after a while, I'm sure," I said.

"Perhaps," said Mare-Do-Well. "And with that, I shall bid you adieu."

"Alright, see you around," I said, not taking my eyes off her.

Mare-Do-Well tilted her head. "What's this all about, Ms. Spitfire?"

"I'm tired of you disappearing on me, Mare-Do-Well," I said, folding my forelegs. "So this time, I'm gonna watch you leave."

Mare-Do-Well sighed. "Honestly, Ms. Spitfire. Is this really necessary?"

"I dunno, is it necessary for you to disappear on me when my back is turned?" I retorted.

Before Mare-Do-Well could answer, there was a knock on the door. I didn't take my eyes off of her.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Fast Clip, ma'am. We're ready to take the tengu prisoner to Canterlot for trial," said the voice on the other side.

"I'll be there in a minute," I said.

Mare-Do-Well obscured her eyes with her hat. "Shrewd, Ms. Spitfire. Quite shrewd."

"Just get going," I said. "I'm sure you'll want to get that core of yours looked at as soon as possible."

"I suppose," said Mare-Do-Well, taking out the flask. Its radiance forced me to shield my eyes. I heard a window open, and I could barely make out Mare-Do-Well's form saluting me.

"Fare well, Ms. Spitfire. And thank you."

When my vision returned, she had disappeared. I gotta hand it to her; she's one crafty ponunculus. I think she's gonna be okay.

I spent the rest of my day filling out my report on the incident and helping escort Pine Talon to Canterlot. Looking back, it certainly was a rough week. But no matter what twists and turns those mysteries threw at me, I didn't stop fighting. That said, I'm sure glad it's all over. Maybe now I can get a good night's sleep.

And well, that's my story. Thanks for taking the time to listen, and I hope you got something out of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's currently Lights Out, and I have an appointment with my bed, a proper pillow, and Princess Luna. This is Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts, signing off.