December 14, 14:41
Griffon Kingdom Airspace
***
Getting a closer look at the behemoth of a cloud, I'm starting to get a big sense of déjà vu from the Ghastly Gorge Gauntlet. When Gypsy Moth was trying to conquer Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom, she made consistent use of explosive thunderclouds. And when she attacked the Wonderbolts and the Proud Pride at Ghastly Gorge, she conjured up a cloud roughly the size of this one I'm looking at right now. After everything we've discovered, I'm pretty sure this is not a coincidence. I also know that I can't in good conscience just leave this thing in the sky to do who knows what.
"Yeesh. And I thought Everfree clouds looked dangerous."
I turned to see that Blaze had arrived with Misty Fly and Rainbow Dash. They all stood at attention, but I could see the disbelief and concern on their faces.
"I'm pretty sure the skies were clear when we got here," said Misty Fly. "Spitfire, what are your orders?"
I knitted my brow. "That's a tough one, Mist. We don't know exactly what we're dealing with here. It would take a lot of wing power to bust a cloud this size, and that's only if it were a normal cloud."
"Well, if it's not a normal cloud, that's all the more reason for us to bust it, yeah?" said Rainbow Dash.
"I can't say I disagree with you there, private," I concurred.
"So, what're we waiting for? Let's go bust it!"
"Private, that's really not a good—"
But Rainbow Dash had already flown into the cloud. I slapped my forehead and groaned. See, this is why Rainbow Dash isn't a Wonderbolt yet. I know she's just trying to do her duty, but she should really recognize the importance of planning and forethought. Sure, Wonderbolts often aren't given that luxury, especially not in the middle of tight maneuvers or situations where lives are at stake. I totally get that. Nevertheless, this kind of impulsiveness doesn't apply to everything we do. In fact, it sometimes could get you into serious trouble.
"Well, at least she's eager," said Misty Fly with a shrug. "Shall we go in after her?"
"Like we have much choice," I sighed. "If nothing else, we can fully assess what we're dealing with and come up with a strategy. Maintain awareness of your surroundings at all times, and be sure to report anything unusual."
"Understood, Spitfire," said Misty Fly.
Blaze said nothing, but instead nodded and gave me a look. Something tells me she's still upset with me. While I understand why, I seriously don't need this right now. I just hope she understands that, too.
"Right," I said. "C'mon, let's fly."
With that, we all flew headfirst into the dark, ominous cloud.
***
I've flown through many thunderclouds before. It's actually part of the obstacle course we have back at the Academy. It's good training to deal with gale-force winds, heavy rain, and other aerial hazards. But this cloud was a whole different thing entirely. For one thing, the atmosphere was alive with electricity. I could actually feel the hairs on my body stand up on end as I flew around. In fact, every tuft of cloud I came across appeared to be incredibly volatile, pulsating like mad in an attempt to hold the lightning back. Oddly enough, though, I found that there was a distinct lack of moisture in the air. My goggles weren't fogging up, and my wings felt just as light as ever. You probably know this, but that should never happen if you're flying through any cloud.
Then there's the smell. Normally, thunderclouds generate a faint odor thanks to the lightning cooking the atmosphere. This smell, however, was something a lot more sinister. For one, it somehow made me disoriented. I have no idea where I'm going, which direction is which, or even if my wingponies are still behind me. Not only that, but with each breath I took, I felt this tight burning sensation in my chest. It was as if someone put a firecracker inside of me, and it was just getting ready to explode. Th-this is wrong. This whole place feels wrong.
Just then, something flew right past me. My breath caught in my throat as I stopped to see who it was. The figure then looped around to face me, revealing herself to be Blaze. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Phew. D-don't scare me like that, Blaze," I said. "I-it looks like we kinda lost each other back there. Th-this really isn't like anything we've tackled before, huh?"
Blaze said nothing. Instead, she seemed content to give me a cold glare. I sighed.
"Blaze, I get it. You're mad at me. I know," I said. "However, we need to keep focused here, and I could really use your—"
In the blink of an eye, Blaze closed the distance between us and decked me in the face. I spun out and sputtered. Never in a million moons would I have ever seen that coming.
"Whoa, hey!" I exclaimed. "What's your malfunction?!"
Blaze responded with another charge, this time slashing at me with her wing. I-I don't get it. Is she really going to make a big deal over this? Th-that's just ridiculous! Especially for a Wonderbolt! The burning sensation in my chest began to intensify as I felt my patience wearing thin.
"Blaze, this is not funny!" I screamed. "Stop it, right now! That's an order!"
My command fell on deaf ears. Blaze charged yet again and tackled me into a headlock. As I struggled against her grip, my chest felt tighter and tighter; hotter and hotter. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, my whole body ignited. I grabbed Blaze by her forelegs and threw her off of me with all my might.
"Okay, Blaze! I am just about done with your crap!" I bellowed as Blaze corrected her course. "You've been acting like a petulant child for this entire mission, and it's really starting to piss me off! I think it's high time I gave you a bit of an attitude adjustment!"
I flew into a sharp dive, pulling my foreleg back for a powerful haymaker. Blaze slipped out of the way and countered with a punch of her own. I quickly recovered from the strike and retaliated with another punch. From there, we just went at it. Back and forth, blow for blow, we fought. We clocked each other in the face; slashed at each other with our wings; rammed our skulls against each other. No matter what I did, she wouldn't let up on the assault. Which suited me just fine. I wasn't planning on stopping, either.
After a while, Blaze rushed in and clamped her hooves around my throat. Thinking quickly, I scooped up her flight goggles in my hoof and stretched them as far back as I could. With a snap, they flew back right into Blaze's face. She let go of me and yelped in pain, but for some reason, it didn't quite sound like her. Not that it matters. I'm still gonna give her what-for!
"Had enough?!" I barked. "'Cause I'm just getting started here!"
Blaze rubbed her eyes and looked at me. I expected her to charge, but when it didn't happen, I got annoyed.
"You really think you're gonna fake me out like that?!" I yelled. "Think again, Blaze!"
I zoomed right towards her and punched her in the gut. I was about to strike her again when she started flying away.
"Hey, get back here!" I shouted, giving chase. "I'm not done with you yet!"
Despite the disorienting nature of the cloud, I stayed on Blaze's dock for as long as I could. Suddenly, she turned herself around and swooped below me. I was about to follow suit when she just burst from the clouds and tackled me. Thinking she was gonna try and strangle me again, I reached for her goggles.
But then, the unexpected happen. Instead of grabbing my throat, she wrapped her forelegs around me and squeezed. I flinched, expecting the hold to get tighter, but it didn't. She just held me gently, and her hoof glided along my back. My anger slowly began to dissolve as confusion set in. What the heck is she doing? I thought she was throwing a temper tantrum. Wh-what's all this about? Sheesh, I think I'm starting to get dizzy just from the sheer amount of whiplash.
Then, I heard a voice whisper in my ear. It was faint at first, but soon enough, I heard it as clear as a bell.
"Spitfire, please. Come back to me. Wake up."
That, was not Blaze's voice. As soon as that thought registered in my brain, I was beset by an odd migraine. I scrunched my eyes shut and shook myself. When I opened them again, Blaze was nowhere to be seen. Instead of her fiery orange mane, I saw a silky whitish-blue mane brushing against my cheek. For a long time, I-I couldn't think of anything to say. I mean, what could I say? Finally, one simple word escaped my lips.
"Mist?"
There was a gasp. After an incredibly awkward pause, I was released. I then saw that it was indeed Misty Fly flying in front of me, blushing profusely and dusting herself off.
"I, um, *ahem* do apologize for that, Spitfire," she said, appearing quite flustered. "I-I just couldn't think of any other way to snap you out of it."
I blinked. "Snap me out of it? Mist, what're you talking about?"
Misty Fly sighed. "Spitfire, there's something very wrong about this cloud. I-I got separated from you, and when I found you again, you were being attacked by this monster."
Okay, now I'm even more confused. "Mist, I didn't see any monster. All I saw was Blaze throwing the biggest temper tantrum she ever had."
"I-I know," Misty Fly murmured. "After my vision recovered from the flight goggles, the monster vanished. I just saw you flying at me in a blind rage. Spitfire, I-I think there's something in this cloud that's messing with our heads."
It sounded like the very thought was making her choke. Honestly, I feel a bit sick, too. Wh-what the heck was I thinking? Was I thinking? Horse apples, I-I don't know anymore. All I remember is Blaze making me angry, and then...
Oh crap. Blaze!
"We need to go," I said. "Blaze and Rainbow Dash are still in here. A-are you gonna be alright?"
Misty Fly let out a deep, meditative sigh before answering. "I can still fly. You just gave me a few bruises; nothing serious. Besides, I don't think I'd be able to find my way out of here, even if I wasn't up for it. This place is like a maze."
That is a good point. It almost feels like whoever made this cloud wanted to trap us here. But if that's true, it just raises a whole bunch of questions. And I don't think we have time to answer them right now.
"Alright then," I said. "Just stay close to me and try to keep a cool head. If one of those lightning bolts block your path, tell me to stop, and I'll wait for you to catch up. Got it?"
Misty Fly nodded. "Understood, Spitfire. I'm your wing."
We then flew deeper into the cloud. As I took better stock of my surroundings, I noticed that the clouds were starting to pulsate more, and the lightning strikes were getting more frequent. Instinctively, I picked up the pace. If this means what I think it means, then we don't have much time left.
***
"You're not getting away from me that easily, you faker! I'm taking you down!"
"I won't let you hurt me or my sister again, you dock-hole! This ends here!"
When we found Blaze and Rainbow Dash, my heart sank like a stone. The two of them were duking it out as lightning danced all around them. I'm starting to think Misty Fly's right. Something in this cloud is making us turn on each other. Ugh~. I feel unclean just thinking that.
"We gotta snap them out of it," I said. "Mist, you take Blaze. I'll try and reach Rainbow Dash."
Misty Fly tilted her head. "Didn't you say you were planning on talking to Blaze?"
"Not like this," I sighed, shaking my head. "She's probably incredibly angry at whatever she's fighting, just like we were. If I tried to talk to her now, it would just make things worse."
Misty Fly paused for a moment, and then nodded. "I understand, Spitfire. Though, a word of advice."
"Yes?"
"Try your best not to hurt her. I think that's what's expected of us."
Ah. That would explain the hug. Still, I might want to try something else with Rainbow Dash. Even though this tactic clearly works, hugging someone in a combat situation just feels, awkward. In fact, I think I'm just gonna keep that little incident between Misty Fly and myself (and you guys, of course. But if any of you mention it to the press, I'm probably gonna deny it. Just FYI).
"Noted," I said with a nod. "Alright, let's do this."
We flew right into the middle of the fray just as Blaze and Rainbow Dash charged at one another. I blocked Rainbow Dash's charge with my hooves, flapping my wings like crazy in order to counteract her momentum.
"Errgh~! I'm not gonna let you get away with this!" Rainbow Dash snarled.
"Private, it's me!" I hollered back. "Open your eyes!"
Rainbow Dash broke the standoff, causing me to slip forward. While I was off-balance, she rammed me right in the stomach with her head. Before I could recover, she grabbed my foreleg and began to twist it.
"You can't fool me, impostor!" Rainbow Dash proclaimed. "You're not the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well! You never will be!"
"Rainbow Dash li— *augh* listen to me!" I grunted, struggling against the pain. "The impostor isn't *mmph* here! It's all in your head!"
"I already told you! Your tricks don't work on me!" Rainbow Dash roared. She then headbutted me right between the eyes. I stumbled back and got my bearings just in time to block another incoming punch. Th-this isn't getting anywhere. She won't listen.
"Private, I-I really don't want to hurt you," I said desperately. "Please, please don't make me."
Rainbow Dash scoffed. "You really think you're hot stuff, huh? You think you can ruin Mare-Do-Well for everypony by impersonating her? It won't work! 'Cause Mare-Do-Well will always be there to remind me about controlling my ego, and you will not take that away! Not as long as I have anything to say about it!"
Dammit all. If this keeps up, I'm not going to have the strength to keep myself airborne, let alone defend myself against Rainbow Dash's attacks. Th-this really doesn't look good. C'mon, think! There has to be some way to reach her.
Just then, I noticed several thunderbolts being released in quick succession. It appeared to be some sort of chain reaction, leading right up to Rainbow Dash. In the time I took to figure this out, the last bolt in the chain was right over her head.
"Private, look out!"
My body moved on its own without a second thought. In one quick motion, I tackled Rainbow Dash out of the way. The bolt missed her entirely, but it ended up singeing my tail. I winced a bit as we recovered.
"Heh, looks like the tables have turned," I chuckled. "Usually, you're the one saving me."
Rainbow Dash blinked. "W-wait, what? Wh-why did you save me? That faker would never— ugh!"
Rainbow Dash flinched and gripped her head in pain. When she recovered, she started at me in confusion.
"Ma'am? What're you doing here?" she asked. "Where's that fake Mare-Do-Well?"
I smiled. "Good to have you back with us, private."
Before Rainbow Dash could ask anything else, the air buzzed with electricity, and the cloud grew brighter and brighter. I've seen this before, back in January. It's our cue to blow this popsicle stand. Mainly because said popsicle stand is about to blow.
"Listen, we'll explain once we're out of here," I said, turing my head. "Mist! How's Blaze?!"
"She'll be alright!" Misty Fly hollered back. "We should probably get out of here!"
"My thoughts exactly!" I said. "Alright, Wonderbolts! We're gonna be using Bellerophon's Spear! Once you're in position, don't wait for my mark! Let's go, go, go!"
With that, we all dived straight down through the cloud. As we descended, we all spun around each other like four ponies dancing in the sky. This in turn created a vortex of wind that bore through the cloud like a drill burrowing into the earth. Through this dizzying maneuver, I could see the light of day break through.
A few seconds after we got out, I could hear an immense explosion echo behind me. Luckily, it was at an altitude that wouldn't cause that much damage to anything. Still, I'm pretty sure all of Nemean noticed that, judging by all the spotlights moving every which way trying to see if anyone was stupid enough to take advantage of the commotion. We all pulled out of our maneuver and took a moment to catch our breaths.
"Everypony *pant* okay?" I asked breathlessly.
"Nnngh. D-define 'okay,'" mumbled Blaze. "S-seriously, what was that?"
I furrowed my brow. "I'm not entirely sure, Blaze. All I know is that whoever set that up wanted us to kill each other in there."
Rainbow Dash gasped. "Wh-what?!"
I sighed. "Misty Fly figured out that something in the cloud was causing us to hallucinate, and those hallucinations were making us fight one another."
Blaze trembled and bit her lip. "Th-that's low. That's low, even for her," she snarled. "J-just wait until I get my hooves on her. I'll—"
"Blaze, we discussed this," Misty Fly scolded. "Spitfire's right; you can't let the past control you. We all know you're stronger than that."
Blaze slumped her shoulders, and her lip quivered. "I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to act out back there. I-I just had this feeling that she was gonna try and hurt us again, and I didn't want that to happen. I tried to ignore it at first, but when the evidence started adding up, I-I just convinced myself that it was her."
She then took off her flight goggles and revealed her swollen pupils. Man, she really must be broken up about this. Well, only one thing for it. I heaved a great sigh and stretched out my forelegs.
"C'mon, Blaze. Bring it in," I said.
Blaze blinked. "Huh?"
"Bring it in," I repeated, beckoning her with my hooves.
Blaze's cheeks turned a rosy pink. "Y-you mean here? In front of the private?"
"Should that matter?" I said with a shrug. "C'mon, bring it in. That's an order."
After a pause, Blaze flew into my waiting forelegs and tackled me into a big hug. I felt her tears drip onto my wings as I patted her on the back.
"It's alright, Blaze. I understand," I cooed. "And I'm sorry I snapped at you like that. That was wrong of me. I shouldn't have lost control."
"D-don't apologize, Sis," Blaze hiccuped. "I-I'm the one who couldn't control myself. I-I was just trying to help, but all I did was make you mad. I-I shouldn't be a—"
I stopped her mid-sentence and looked her straight in the eye.
"Don't you dare finish that thought, Blaze," I said sternly. "Believe me, I get it. You let our history with Gypsy Moth get the better of you. I'm not gonna kick you out of the Wonderbolts just for that. Being the best doesn't mean you're perfect. After all, we're only ponies at the end of the day. Just learn from this, correct your course, and keep flying. That's all anypony can ask of you."
Blaze sniffled and nodded. "Y-you're right, Sis. Th-thanks."
"No problem," I said, letting her go. I then turned to Rainbow Dash, who was just staring at me with her mouth hanging wide open. Somehow, I expected that.
"Hey, you still with us, private?" I asked.
Rainbow Dash shook herself. "U-uh, yes ma'am!" she said with a hasty salute.
I snickered. "Is it really that strange to see the captain of the Wonderbolts act like a total sap, Rainbow Dash?"
Rainbow Dash brushed the back of her head sheepishly. "I-I don't think I can answer that question, ma'am."
I chuckled again. "Private, let me tell you a little something about myself," I said, staring off into the distance. "I love my team. To me, they aren't just a bunch of ponies under my command; they're my family. And whenever I hurt them, i-it just tears me up inside."
"Wow. I-I never knew that about you, ma'am," said Rainbow Dash. "But, why're you telling me this?"
I turned back to Rainbow Dash and gave her a serious look. "I'm not gonna mince words, private. What happened in that cloud makes me sick to my stomach. What's more, this is the second time I've been forced to fight my own team, and it was just as painful back then as it is now."
"Do you think Gypsy Moth is behind it?" inquired Misty Fly.
My brow furrowed. "That's a tough call, Mist. Blaze is right; the evidence is against her. As I recall, the defaced bookmark was highlighting an alchemical recipe called Rage Powder, and that sounds very much like what we just went through. Not to mention that there are still a few other inconstancies in her story. Either someone's trying really hard to frame her, or she's lying through her teeth. Either way, she's involved in this mess."
"See? Told ya," said Blaze with a slight snicker.
"Don't celebrate just yet, Blaze," I said. "After all, even if she is lying, that doesn't make her the mastermind."
Blaze tilted her head. "What do you mean, Sis?"
"Think about it," I said. "Does it really sound plausible for her to bide her time for eleven months in order to cook up this elaborate plan with a false Mare-Do-Well? 'Cause to me, that seems highly unlikely."
"But then, how is she involved?" asked Rainbow Dash.
I sighed. "I think only she has the answer to that, private."
Just then, one of the wardens flew up to us.
"Have you four seen anyone trying to escape?" he asked.
"Not to my knowledge," I said.
The warden nodded. "Good, good. Now, do you four know anything about what happened to that storm cloud?"
"We have some rough ideas, but nothing concrete," I said. "Are we still allowed to visit Gypsy Moth?"
"In a bit," said the warden. "We're still double-checking the cells to make sure nobody got any bright ideas. We should be giving the all-clear pretty soon, though."
"Good," I said, pressing my hooves together. "Because before we head back to Equestria, I'd like a chance for us to finish our little chat. Turns out she might have a lot to answer for..."