//------------------------------//
// Chapter 96: Hopeless 
// Story: Piercing the Heavens 
// by Calm Wind 
//------------------------------//

MLP: FiM
Piercing the Heavens
By: Calm Wind

Chapter 96: Hopeless





“Well?” Spitfire sighed as she sat down in her desk chair before leaning forward and placing her hooves on her desk. “I’m open to suggestions… because after what happened yesterday, we’re pretty limited in terms of options going forward.” 

There was only one other pony in the room and he wasn’t even looking at her. Descent was facing the wall, his uniform removed, covered in pads and bandages, deep in his own thoughts.

“If you want me to be completely honest… Spitfire…” Descent shook his head. “I was hoping you’d have some sort of plan…” he turned and faced her. “Because I never dreamed we’d face something like this.”

The two stared at each other for a moment before Spitfire leaned back in her chair and shrugged while throwing her hooves out to her sides. 

“Great… just great…” she groaned. “We only have about forty Wonderbolts in fighting condition and… how many Renegades are down?”

“One hundred seventy… that’s not including the thirty-four who are up on their hooves, but not in fighting condition, or five that were… killed during the flying fortress barrage,” Descent said with clear regret. He was a hard, stone-faced leader, but if his care for Storm was any indication, he had a heart, and it ached for any life lost among his numbers. “All former Shadowbolts… great fighters and great ponies. Honestly, we’re lucky we didn’t lose more.”

“So you’re down two hundred and nine… that’s over two thirds of your force. Meaning we have a hundred thirty-one total… up against all of them, plus their commanders, their clones… and a flying super-weapon… Spitfire said while staring straight up at the ceiling. “This is pissing me off…” she suddenly added with a growl.

“The doctors have already tended to all of us, I suggest we get them and any other non-fighting ponies off the premises,” Descent suggested. “That could be a start.”

“I already have Fleetfoot on that,” Spitfire looked back down at him. “But I’m keeping our own medical staff, security, and research/mechanic staff on site.”

“What? Why?” Descent looked towards her quickly.

“To care for those still injured, to bolster our interior defenses, and to help with repairs.” Spitfire explained her reasoning for each one. 

“Repairs?!” Descent spoke out in disbelief.

“Yes, repairs,” Spitfire repeated. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“Spitfire, I don’t think you’re looking at this realistically…” Descent flattened his brow. “The Shadowbolts are not going to sit down and rest… you’d think after how quickly they attacked again, you’d be more wary of the danger we’re in here.”

“I’d like to think with the way the flying fortress barely made it back through the portal… that it will be a while before that thing appears again… at least I hope…” Spitfire’s composure dropped a little as she looked down at her desk.

“Precisely,” Descent stepped towards her. “What if you’re wrong? What if they do come right back with it? We don’t know for sure, but I will tell you what I DO know…” Descent pointed at her sternly. “The Shadowbolts have consistently proved to us that they have the means to do what seems impossible… so assuming they won’t have a way to recharge the fortress and possibly come back with it today… is writing your own deathwish.”

“Descent… I know what you’re about to suggest… but….” Spitfire reached a hoof up and rubbed her forehead.

“Having anypony stay here is frankly, a poor decision… even us,” Descent nodded. “We should consider having a plan to flee the compound.”

“No,” Spitfire instantly answered while letting her hoof fall back to her desk. “Absolutely not.”

“Consider the circumstances, Spitfire…” Descent growled as he put a hoof on her desk. “Our forces are severely weakened, and the two ponies that saved us from certain destruction are now out of commission.” 

“Descent,” Spitfire glared directly at him, equaling his harsh stare. “I will not go down in history as the Wonderbolt captain that fled and let our beloved home be destroyed,” she stated adamantly as the two locked eyes in a battle of wills.

“Consider what is at stake,” Descent gritted his teeth. “We are sitting ducks here, they know where we are, and they know more than one way to attack us. We’re a target. We’re vulnerable. It’s a disadvantage and you know it.”

“I don’t expect you to understand or care,” Spitfire shot right back. “After all, it’s not YOUR home… it’s not a symbol of YOUR organization, their strength, and their legacy. As far as I’m concerned, the moment we abandon the compound and run with our tails tucked between our legs, it’s no different than us being utterly defeated. The drop in morale would be too much. We’d crumble.”

“So you’d rather—”

“Descent…” Spitfire cut him off. “This discussion is over. We will proceed as I have planned until we otherwise know if we’re in the same danger that we were yesterday. Anything less than that gives us no reason to even remotely consider what you’re suggesting.”

The two stared long and hard at each other again in complete silence for roughly a minute before anything else was said. Descent grunted and blew a loud snort through his nose. 

“Fine,” he turned his back to her. “Do what you will… I will continue our scouting with the Renegades we have available,” he glanced over his shoulder. “Consider your options well, Spitfire… Should you be forced to a decision, do you want to be known as the captain that ran, or the captain that let the Wonderbolts completely die? Your options are rather thin there as well…”

Not another word was uttered as Descent left. Spitfire simply stared at the door as it closed behind him. Her right hoof began to shake as she thought over everything that was just said… gritting her teeth and growling to herself. She slammed her hoof over her desk, causing the contents to shift and a stack of papers to collapse as she turned her chair around and looked out the window, up into the sky.





“Rainbow Dash.”

“Uh…” Dash groaned and stirred.

“Dash, wake up.”

“Huh?” Dash opened her eyes and blinked, picking her head up off the mattress and sitting upright in her chair. She groggily looked to her left to see Bliss tapping her on the shoulder. 

“Sorry but, you’re going to have to move. I need to run a few checks on Soarin,” Bliss said with a frown, she didn’t want to pull Dash away from her lover, but she had a job to do.

Dash’s ears flopped down as she frowned and looked back towards Soarin, lying on his back in the medical bed. Obviously, she didn’t want to leave his side, but Bliss had to work… and in all honesty, Dash probably should have been out helping around the compound. She felt a little selfish, but at the same time, there had been no real new orders yet and the only thing on her mind was Soarin.

They had brought him right to the infirmary along with Luna and several Renegades after the flying fortress retreated. Dash ended up spending the whole night there, and had only left to grab breakfast before coming right back to his side and apparently nodding off.

The Wonderbolts and any Renegades who weren’t severely hurt were frantically running around the compound to help with evacuations of the staff and any repairs, but again… nothing had been said in terms of what the Wonderbolt plans were going forward, so Soarin was her top priority right now. She didn’t want to move from his side until she absolutely had to.

Despite the situation and the dangers they all faced, Bliss was still staying on task, caring more about the injured ponies than the possibility of being blown to smithereens. Dash was reluctant to pull away, but if Bliss could help Soarin in any way, she wasn’t going to block her path.

Dash looked over Soarin one more time… examining his condition. He was out cold, but occasionally squinted and groaned. The sparks and pops of magic around his body had ceased, but the horn was still glowing, changing between yellow and blue every few seconds. 

Dash leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Soarin’s cheek before pulling away and nodding to Bliss. Her eyes opened in surprise as Bliss’ magic came to life, surrounded her, and pulled her forward into a gentle hug.

“I’ll take care of him, don’t worry,” Bliss assured her before releasing Dash and giving her a warm smile. Dash smiled back weakly.

“Thanks,” Dash replied as she stepped back and let Bliss do her work.

She watched carefully as Bliss went through the motions. She gently felt around Soarin’s head first.

“Hmm…” she scrunched her face before putting a hoof to the pulse on his neck. “Hmmmm…” she hummed again before grabbing a sphygmomanometer and wrapping it around his arm. She pumped it up tight before hovering a stethoscope over to her, fastening it to her ears and placing the other end on his arm as she released the air. “Still has a light fever… heart rate is still higher than it should be, and his blood pressure is way off…” she looked over at Dash and noticed she didn’t look too happy to hear those things. However, she didn’t want to sugarcoat it for Dash. That was taboo in her profession. “I wish I could understand more of what’s going on in his body, but I have no doubt the inner magic or whatever he’s been dealing with had been putting a lot of strain on his body… I’m surprised he hasn’t come to me and complained more.”

“He tends to suck it up,” Dash said with a light chuckle, despite the situation. “I just hope he’s alright. It’s been a while since… this has happened,” Dash sighed and frowned again. Soarin’s body was reacting negatively, yet she was curious as to why she didn’t feel anything. He didn’t look like he was in pain, it was more like he had pushed his body and the magic far beyond their limits and was now paying for it with incredible mental and physical exhaustion. Perhaps using the magic on such a scale was risky, it was what kept Soarin alive after all. While the overuse obviously didn’t kill him, it had drained him to the point where his body was overcompensating. 

While Dash was worried about him, she wasn’t afraid of his current state. The fact that her heart was at ease and not reacting meant that the magic wasn’t hurting him, nor was his condition fatal. She’d be having massive problems if that was the case. 

It made her wonder though… about the magic itself. She didn’t feel anything when Soarin called forth as much magic as possible to save them all. Usually, he wasn’t able to do so without her right beside him. It was for survival… which made her wonder further…

Soarin had talked about voices in his head… most likely caused by the magic. Was the magic sentient? Did it want to survive as much as Soarin did, therefore allowing him to use it to its full potential without trying to pull him down? There were so many things about the magic they didn’t understand, it seemed reasonable to assume such a thing was possible.

Bliss looked back at Soarin, putting away her tools before she suddenly looked up and across the room.

“LUNA!” Bliss suddenly called out as she made her way past Dash and a few Renegade-occupied beds. Dash looked up to see Luna trying to get out of her bed, grunting and grimacing as she did. “Luna, for the last time, please stay in bed! You need rest!” Bliss demanded with a bit of sternness in her voice. Not even Luna was free of Bliss’ authority in the training room it seemed. Bliss tried to reach for Luna, but she held out a hoof.

“Bliss… we appreciate your concern, but… we can’t afford to remain bedridd—OW!” Luna yelped, her legs buckling as her hooves touched to the floor. Bliss quickly stepped forward and helped her stand back up.

“Luna, please…” Bliss pouted at her, but Luna shook her head. 

“We are drained… but we must not lie down. For the sake of the Wonderbolts and Renegades, we must be seen on our hooves,” Luna spoke for the morale of the compound. “Just… let us try to stand, we will be fine,” she asked softly. Bliss sighed and let go of Luna.

“Fine… just take it easy, please,” Bliss asked. Luna nodded. 

“We shall.”

Dash watched as Luna struggled to stand and she could definitely see why Luna denied Bliss’ request to remain down. Seeing Luna stand up after literally draining herself to save all of them was inspiring. The situation… was beyond grim. Everypony needed all the motivation they could get, and knowing their goddess of the night and only available Equestrian leader was up and on her hooves after sacrificing so much for them… was a powerful sight. It was a sight that was amplified knowing that she had put herself in the way of grave danger after having led them on for so long. Her intentions to help and make up for what she had done were very clear to all of them now. She had yet to fully regain their trust, but she was off to one hell of a good start.

“DOCTOR, DOCTOR!” A silly voice suddenly came from the ceiling. Bliss, Luna, Dash, and every other pony occupying the infirmary all flinched and looked towards Bliss. “TELL ME THE NEWS!” A ceiling tile suddenly shifted open on the ceiling. Bliss looked up at it, but Discord popped up from the floor and put his arms out. “I HAVE A BAA-AA-AA-AA-AA-AAHHHHD CASE OF LOVING EWES!” 

Suddenly a bunch of sheep fell out of the open ceiling tile and landed on top of Discord in a huge pile.

Not a single pony as much as let out a chuckle as Discord poked his head out from the pile of bleating sheep. 

“Oh, come on,” he sighed as all the sheep disappeared and he crossed his arms, looking down at Bliss glaring at him. “That Fleetfoot mare tells a joke and you all squirt milk out of your noses, laughing. But not me, hmm… not good old Discord, eh? I’ve never felt so punwanted…” he said with a scoff.

“YOU!” Luna’s voice boomed out from behind Bliss before anypony else could express their lack of enthusiasm for the god of chaos and his poorly timed joke. Discord barely reacted as he looked over at Luna, who was gritting her teeth and glaring at him. “WHERE WERE YOU YESTERDAY!” Luna fumed as Discord stepped around Bliss and approached Luna. “WE COULD HAVE USED YOUR HEL—mrph!” Luna’s voice was muffled as Discord reached forward and clamped her mouth shut with a hand.

“Lulu… inside voice, please…” he turned and looked as several Renegades who were resting had been stirred awake by the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Oh look, you woke them all up,” Discord rolled his eyes. Luna swiped a hoof up and patted Discord’s arm away, but as she did, she lost her hoofing, her legs shaking, and she began to teeter over. Discord reached down and grabbed her by the shoulders, preventing her from falling. Luna blinked and looked up at him in surprise, but still ended up glaring at him.

“Why didn’t you help?” Luna huffed. “Did you enjoy watching me struggle out there alone?” she pressed as Discord just stared at her sternly. “You help one moment and abandon us the next, what is WRONG with you?!”

“Lulu…” Discord snorted while letting her stand on her own and crossing his arms again. “I can’t be in several places at once…” he said as his body dismembered for a moment before coming back together, all with a straight face. “You glare at me right now, but believe me… when the time comes, you’ll be glad I’m doing my part,” Discord remained completely still as Luna stomped a hoof and nearly knocked herself off balance again.

“We were almost completely destroyed! That seems like quite a DRASTIC thing to miss! If you’re so concerned about Soarin and the Wonderbolts as you claim, what’s stopping you from helping us?! What could possibly be more important?! You sicken us! Every damned inch of you and your disgusting snake-like body!” Luna harshly berated him as Discord kept quiet and let her rant.

Dash was glaring at Discord as well from off to the side. She, and no doubt everypony else was wondering why he hadn’t helped during the attack yesterday. Dash glanced at Bliss as she grabbed electro-stim pads, hooked them up to the stim machine with her magic, and moved them towards Discord. 

Without looking, Discord lifted up his arm and snapped his fingers. Bliss flinched in surprise as the stim-pads turned into puppy heads that began yapping and licking Bliss’ face. As she struggled to get away from them, Discord turned around and stared flatly at Bliss. 

“Put those down, you made it loud and clear last time that I’m not welcome in your little kingdom of medicine here…” He looked back at Luna. “I greatly understand the situation the Wonderbolts are in, Lulu, but unfortunately, there are other things that require my attention,” he reached down and placed a finger under Luna’s chin. “And if I didn’t BELIEVE that you and the Wonderbolts could handle it… then I WOULD be here to assist twenty-four seven. You look at me and insult me when I place my faith in you? I can’t hold your hoof everywhere you go, Lulu…”

“Then why are you here now?!” Luna growled. “If you have the time to come in here and make terrible puns, then you have time to stick around and help us!”

“Unfortunately, I don’t,” Discord flipped Luna’s chin up before turning away.

“What?! You… you…” Luna was about to explode at him again, but Discord turned around sharply. 

“I’m here now because I was CONCERNED about the condition of Celestia’s little sister!” Discord suddenly snapped. Luna’s eyes went wide with surprise as Discord stepped towards her and poked her in the chest. “And sooner or later you’re going to have to understand that I am working within our interests, as much as you’d like to simply glare and snarl at me,” he pulled away from her and turned his back as Luna stared at him in silence. “You like to think I don’t care at all… but if I didn’t, would I even be here to check on you right now?” he shrugged. “Oh well, can’t please everypony I guess… well… I’m off, and I hope you all are ready to keep fighting, because I don’t have the luxury of babysitting you all. Tah-tah, Lulu…” Discord reached up a hand.

“Wait!” Luna reached forward, but Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared. Luna stared where he used to stand, a look of confusion, and a little bit of regret on her face.

Dash had to admit, as much as she didn’t trust Discord, there was clearly a lot going on between him and Luna in terms of trying to diffuse the current situation. However they didn’t seem to be on the same page. Discord clearly knew something, and was withholding whatever that was, but he claimed it was for their own good… how far could they trust him? After seeing a rare display of concern for another, it seemed like he was being trustworthy, but if he refused to reveal things to Luna, how far did that trust go?

“Dash…” Bliss’ voice caught her attention. “I have a favor to ask of you,” she asked as she approached, going right back to business with Discord gone and the stim-pads no longer being puppies. Dash turned and nodded. Bliss made a head motion for her to follow. 

Dash glanced towards Soarin for a moment before moving to follow Bliss. They walked by multiple beds, the infirmary now packed full with Renegades as opposed to Wonderbolts. Dash had not heard any reports, but after the punishment the Renegades took the day before, she was worried that some may have been killed. The magic blasts from the fortress cannons were enormous and some of the Renegades were struck by multiple volleys before being driven hard to the ground. They were in a bind in terms of staff as well. The Canterlot hospital doctors had done what they could to help and were now being evacuated from the compound. Bliss’ staff was capable of handling it from there, but the sheer number of Renegades hurt was drastically higher than the number of Wonderbolts from the two days prior. Bliss’ staff was stretched thin, and they only had so much room. Medical staff members were running back and forth between the infirmary and barracks, where any Renegades they couldn’t fit into the infirmary were being cared for.

“We only have one other Wonderbolt aside from Soarin in here right now…” Bliss began, grabbing Dash’s attention as they walked among the Renegades and Bliss’ frantic staff. “We need as much space as we can get, and he’s in good enough condition to go back to the barracks, I just want you to help him get there, I’m sure his equilibrium is still a bit off from slight pain centered on his forehead.”

Dash’s eyes widened as Bliss explained, and a moment later, they stopped in front of a bed with a familiar, unenthused face.

“Squall!” Dash’s eyes brightened and she smiled when she saw him sitting up in bed. He perked up and blinked when Dash called out his name, but quickly went back to looking miffed. Most of the bandages around his head had been removed. He now had a single patch covering the stitches on his face and a few bandages still wrapped around his head, but significantly less.

“Hmph…” he grunted and looked away, causing Dash to roll her eyes. 

“Yep, he’s definitely feeling alright,” Dash smirked as Bliss walked over to Squall’s side. 

“Squall, Dash is going to take you back to the barracks now, alright?” Bliss explained as she tapped him on the shoulder. To Dash’s surprise, Squall did not show any visible reaction to being touched. 

“Fine…” he said quietly. 

“Take it easy,” Bliss ordered as she helped him shift, “I’m sure you still feel a little bit of pain?”

“Yes…” Squall replied simply again as Bliss helped him get out of the bed and onto his hooves. His legs wobbled a bit, but he managed to stand. He grunted as he tried to take a few steps, his face wrought with discomfort as he winced and tipped his head down. 

“Just lean on Dash, and take it slow…” Bliss helped him over to Dash. 

As happy as Dash was to see Squall up and moving, she realized that she would be leaving Soarin behind. Bliss noticed as Dash glanced back towards Soarin and placed a hoof on Dash’s shoulder.

“I won’t let him out of my sight, I promise,” she assured Dash. “You should make sure you aren’t needed around the compound too.”

“I probably should…” Dash admitted, despite having to leave Soarin. “But I’ll help Squall first,” she said as she looked towards Squall with a smile. Bliss helped Squall lean up against her and the two began walking down the aisle. Dash did her part in helping him move, but took it extra slow as they passed by Soarin, keeping her eyes on him until her neck couldn’t turn any further. They passed by Luna as well. She was still looking a little distraught after the brief encounter with Discord, but seeing her up on her hooves was still an inspiring sight. Hopefully the inspiration wouldn’t go to waste.

Dash and Squall remained silent as they reached the door and left the infirmary behind.





“So…” Dash spoke up as she and Squall slowly made their way towards the lobby. “How are you feeling?” she asked, generally concerned and also eager to talk to him for the first time since he got hurt.

“I’m fine…” Squall answered. Dash was noticing a trend. Squall’s words tended to be sharp, especially when prodded, but so far, from Bliss telling him it was time to go, to Dash asking him here, his words had been softer. He was asleep when they all woke up after the night she and Foxtrot spent with him. She wondered if he knew they were there. “What the hell happened last night?” he suddenly asked. Dash looked towards him and noticed him looking all around at the commotion. 

It was no surprise he was curious, not only did the Wonderbolt compound suddenly get peppered by magic attacks the night before, but the hallways were in shambles. Ceiling tiles had been knocked loose, windows were broken, a few lights had fallen, some of the walls were cracked… Wonderbolts and staff workers in the form of security and mechanics/researchers were moving about, trying to repair internal damage the best they could on short notice. The overall mood of all the ponies seemed rather down as well, which was also no surprise, given the circumstances. Squall had missed a lot.

“It’s a long story…” Dash sighed. “In short, the Shadowbolts have much more at their disposal than we thought… and I’m not gonna lie, we’re pretty screwed unless something comes up in our favor.”

“That’s reassuring…” Squall grunted. “Is Little Star alright?” he asked completely out of the blue. Dash blinked and looked at him curiously. “What?” he asked while scrunching his face.

“Uh… yeah, we’re all fine, the Renegades are the ones who took a beating,” Dash replied. 

“The who?” Squall asked. Dash stared at him blankly, realizing that he had been wounded before the Renegades even showed up. When they brought him back during the aftermath, his eyes were shut tight with the blood flowing down his face. They paused, forced to stop as Squall looked up to see two Renegades walk by, staring at them both alarmed and curious. Dash sighed.

“Where do I even start?”





They continued all the way from the hallway and to the barracks. Dash did her best to explain everything in short, but she knew Squall would have to see a great deal of things for himself before most of it would make sense. The only thing that was clear to him and to Dash as well at the moment was the mood of the compound. Ponies were rushing everywhere, trying to help out, but… nopony looked confident. 

Dash herself was worried about what would happen next, as she was sure everypony was. Because after what happened the night before… what hope did they have to fend off another attack? Another worry, hit her as they approached the door to their barracks… what was she supposed to tell her squad? No doubt they would look to her for some guidance, but she had none to give. The P.A. had been silent all day. No word from Spitfire or any other Wonderbolt with authority. She hoped at least, that Squall being brought back to them would give them something to be happy about.

Dash stopped right in front of the door as Squall hesitated. She blinked and turned to look at him as he eyed the door with worry.

“What’s up?” Dash asked. Squall shook his head.

“Nothing, I’m… fine,” he said again.

“Are you sure?” Dash pressed, this being the fifth time he simply said ‘I’m fine’ when asked. Squall was clearly not expecting her to press him on anything. “Squall, what is it?” she asked with a sigh and a flat look. 

“Why did…” he started while staring directly into her eyes, but paused, shutting his mouth tight. Dash waited for him to continue, but of course, he didn’t.

“Why did what?” she nodded to encourage him. He quickly shook his head.

“Nothing,” he dodged and tried to step towards the door, but he stumbled as he did. Dash quickly shifted to support him again. He released a heavy sigh as he looked at her, before staring back at the door.

“Squall…” Dash said his name sternly, really wanting to know what he was talking about.

“Nnnnnghh…” he grunted how he always did when he was done talking. Dash shook her head, chuckling lightly as she walked him towards the door. 

“Great to have you back Squall,” she said with a hint of sarcasm, despite being very serious about it. She pushed the door open and helped him into the barracks.

Upon entering, Dash was surprised that nopony reacted. She figured they’d be on edge and wondering where she was. It became clear when they stepped out of the entry hallway and into the barracks itself. The only one in the room was Matteo. He was lying flat on his bed and facing away from the door. No doubt he had a lot on his mind right now. As if the whole thing with his father wasn’t enough, now he also had the current situation to worry about. Twister and Little Star were nowhere to be seen, making Dash’s heart sink a little. She was hoping that Squall would have a warm reception, but she wasn’t going to expect Matteo to do so with his current mood.

“I’ll just go over to my—” Squall began, but stopped the moment the mare’s bathroom door opened and Little Star stepped out. She froze in place and her eyes widened when they landed on Squall, and the somber look on her face was instantly replaced by an incredibly shocked smile. 

“SQUALL!!!!” she squealed with delight as she lifted off and shot towards him. Squall and Dash both flinched as Dash reached out a hoof.

“Wait, wait! Star! He’s still—!” 

“OOF!!” Squall grunted as Star slammed into him, latching onto his neck and hugging him while fluttering her wings happily. Squall was forced into a sitting position, before swaying woozily and falling flat towards the floor. Star gasped and detached from him before he slumped down.

“Star… he’s still a bit dizzy…” Dash sighed as Little Star frantically glanced between Squall and Dash. 

“Eheh… Sorry?” she grinned sheepishly as Squall slowly pushed himself back up off the ground. He flattened his brow and pouted, staring at Star as she blushed in embarrassment. “Got a little carried away…I’m just happy to see you,” she admitted while pulling part of her long mane over and hiding all of her face except for her eyes behind it.

“Whatever…” Squall sighed as he turned to move to his bed, but he nearly ran directly into Matteo, who had silently made his way over during the commotion. Squall’s eyes widened and he looked directly up into Matteo’s usual stoic expression.

“Welcome back,” Matteo greeted him.

“Yeah… sure…” Squall took a step back and started walking around Matteo, but stopped halfway around. “I mean… uh… thanks…” he suddenly changed his response as he made his way over to his bed and slumped down on it, taking a deep breath and sighing. 

“Say, where’s Twister?” Dash asked as she turned to Star. Star was barely done turning towards her when Dash held out a hoof. “Wait… lemme guess… he randomly disappeared about an hour or so ago?” she questioned, quickly earning a nod from Star. 

“The usual… he made some comment about anchovies and disappeared,” she said while rolling her eyes.

“Typical,” Dash sighed as she looked towards Squall. Before she could ask anything else, Star was already hovering towards him. She sat on his bed beside him and started asking him how he was doing. Matteo’s focus had turned to Squall as well.

The site was heartwarming. Something that Dash really needed. With what lied on the horizon, she, nor anypony else had much to smile about. Not to mention she was endlessly worrying about Soarin. It was sure to be short lived, but simply having Squall back with her and her squadmates brought a much needed smile to her face. 

She wanted to bring them all together and tell them everything was going to be alright, but she didn’t even know what was going on. No announcement had come over the loudspeaker… which to her suggested that even Spitfire was at a loss in terms of what to do next. Where could she go to get some reassurance?

She blinked as a very obvious pony came to mind… but as she thought about him… she also realized that the past two days had been quite a strain on the Wonderbolts, which gave her one, very particular worry.

“Guys, stay with Squall,” Dash suddenly spoke up and pointed at them. She didn’t want them to know how worried she was. She felt she owed them answers as the captain of their squad, but she needed to get some first. However, her sudden departure made it pretty clear she was worried. As she approached the door, she yelped as something landed on her shoulder. She turned around to see Matteo right behind her. She was seriously considering having him wear a bell.

“Wait…” he requested as he let go. “Is there anything you can tell us about what’s going on right now? The silence of the higher ups is worrying us.”

Dash frowned and shook her head. 

“That’s actually… exactly what I’m going to try and find out,” Dash looked past Matteo back at Squall. “Keep him company for now, he’s more confused than the rest of us. Maybe give him a fuller rundown on what’s happened so far, I don’t think I did it justice. I’ll come back as soon as I learn something, okay?”

“Very well,” Matteo huffed in disappointment before turning back towards Squall.

Dash left eagerly right after because aside from wanting answers, something else was making her worry. 

After how rough the past two days had been… was Silver alright?





“Wave, I swear to Celestia, if you ask me ONE more time, I will tie you to the flagpole outside by the tail and have High Winds blast your ass with strong gusts for three hours straight,” Silver growled as he lay in bed… at half past noon.

“Sir… you’ve been in bed all day, are you sure you’re fine? And really, you already did that to me once, years ago,” Wave commented as Silver kept his back turned to him.

“Are you tempting me to do it again?” Silver grunted, clearly aware that his threats were not having any effect on Wave. “I’m catching up on sleep…” he lied as he grumbled.

“This is an interesting time to catch up on sleep…” Wave tried desperately to understand why his captain refused to get out of bed.

Before he could prod Silver any further, a knock came from the door. 

“Son of a bitch…” Silver growled, feeling trapped. 

“Silver?!” Dash’s voice came through the door. “Are you in there?”

“Is that…?” Wave blinked as he looked towards the door. “Rainbow D—”

“YEAH, DOOR’S OPEN! GET YOUR TECHNICOLOR ASS IN HERE, WE NEED TO TALK!” Silver cut off Wave in a very over the top, shouting manner. Dash opened the door and looked in curiously, quickly spotting Silver, in his bed, facing the wall, ignoring Wave. 

“Uh…” Dash blinked, not sure what she was looking at.

“Wave, take a hike,” Silver said plainly. 

“Sir?” he shook his head out and blinked, completely confused as to what was going on.

“I said get your blueberry, candy-ass out of here, I need to… have a… talk with Rainbow Dash…” Silver stumbled over his excuse.

“Sir, really, what is—,”

“Dash, go get High Winds,” Silver suddenly ordered, but before Dash could reply, Wave flinched and turned.

“Alright! Alright! I’m going!” he grunted as he quickly left and closed the door behind him. Dash blinked several times before looking towards Silver.

“What the hell was that all about?” Dash asked as she eyed Silver curiously.

“Urrrgghhh…” Silver groaned as he slowly turned over.

“Be a good student, shut up, and grab my damn pills for me,” he said as his face came into view. It was clearly in a lot of pain.

“Oh!” Dash flinched in realization. She was completely right about her worries. She stepped over to Silver’s medicine cabinet and grabbed the two pill bottles she once helped him with before. She quickly brought the pills to him along with some water and helped him take them down. 

As he slowly sat up in bed and took a few deep breaths, Dash smirked at him.

“So I guess you’re lucky I came along again, huh?” she let out a light chuckle. “Wave was really pushing it, wasn’t he?”

“He’s usually out of the room for the day by now…” Silver growled as he shook his head and cracked his neck. “Of course we’re not really following schedules at the moment…” Silver grumbled to himself as he slowly moved his limbs about. “Too much damn fighting too. Don’t know how many more back to back days of fighting I can handle… my body’s a mess…”

“Silver…” Dash began as she stepped around and sat on the bed beside him. 

“If it’s about me sitting out, I’m gonna punch you in the gut so hard, you’ll throw up a rainbow…”

“Yeah, no, I gave up on voicing my concern for you a while ago,” Dash flattened her brow at Silver’s comment.

“At least somepony in this damn compound understands that… okay, what is it?” he asked. Dash paused and rubbed her shoulder with her opposite hoof.

“I dunno… I’m just trying to figure things out…” she began catching Silver’s attention. “I feel like I’ve been walking and sitting around all day. My mind keeps wandering. I go from one thing to the next in the blink of an eye because I’m desperate for some direction. All I’ve seen all day are ponies running around, trying to repair the compound while looking like they have no motivation to, what gives?”

Silver remained silent for a moment before sighing. 

“I find it kind of funny that you’re asking me this. I’ve been in bed all day,” Silver glanced at her and saw her pouting and glaring at him. “Well, what did you expect?”

“Something reassuring would have been nice,” Dash sighed as she hopped off the bed and back to her hooves. “Didn’t you talk to Spitfire at all yesterday?”

“Nope,” Silver shook his head. “We helped the Renegades and then she shut herself in her office. I haven’t heard a damn thing since. Fire and I are meeting with her in an hour though.”

So much for this idea. Dash had come, hoping to get something, anything from Silver, but as he said, he was just as in the dark as the rest. What was going to happen to them? If the Shadowbolts attacked again, they were completely screwed. She only hoped that it took a long time for the flying fortress to recharge… because they had no answer to it.

Dash frowned as she turned back to Silver, sure he didn’t know, but now she was just getting frustrated. Since it seemed they would know soon, she shifted her attention to her mentor. A thought came to mind as soon as she thought over his current situation.

“You haven’t eaten today, have you?” Dash suddenly asked.

“Not this again,” Silver grunted as he slowly hopped off his bed and took a few stiff steps. “I thought they were evacuating our staff, I didn’t know our chefs were that suicidal.” 

“They are being evacuated, but they set out food before being dragged out. Come on,” Dash grabbed him by the arm. 

“I’m not hungry,” Silver denied it as Dash pulled him towards the door.

“Yes you are,” Dash looked at him sternly.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No,” Silver reached out and grabbed the edge of the door as Dash tried to pull him out of his room.

“Quit being stubborn!” Dash growled as she failed to move him. Three doors down, Storm suddenly stepped out of his room and looked towards them. “Storm!” Dash called to him as he looked at the scene curiously. “Get over here!” 

“Uh…” Storm looked back and forth. “Okay?” he complied as he trotted towards them.

“Help me get this old fart to the mess hall!” she demanded. 

“Pardon?” Storm winced as Silver looked sharply at him and started shaking his head back and forth vigorously. “I don’t think he wants to…” Storm took a step back.

“Shut up and help me pull him,” Dash demanded. Storm just stared. “NOW!” Dash added.

“Okay! Okay!” Storm complied, mostly because Silver never gave any orders not to. He had no idea what was going on, but he knew Silver and Dash often interacted… he just had yet to see it in this manner.

Together, the two managed to dislodge Silver from his door and nearly fling him out into the hallway. They both lost their grip on him as they fell over and he quickly tried to get up and get away. Only, he took two steps and stumbled, falling against the wall.

“Dammit…” he cursed as Storm and Dash approached him. “Fine, I’ll get some food, just keep in mind I have a meeting in an hour.

“Good,” Dash nodded triumphantly as Storm continued to wonder what he had just been dragged into.





“Just…” Fleetfoot scratched her head as she looked up at the hangar window. She sighed and turned back to a couple of Wonderbolts and a mechanic. “I don’t know what to do about the hangar window, it’s been broken for a few days now. Whatever you think might work I guess…” she shrugged at them.

The ponies glanced at each other, not looking too enthusiastic before they turned away from Fleetfoot and disappeared back into the cacophony of ponies moving every which way.

Fleetfoot’s ears drooped as she watched them leave, turning back towards the large groups of staff that were being led out of the compound.

“Keep moving! Stay in line!” She ordered as she watched the doctors all leave, followed by a large number of the administrative workers. Spitfire had put her in charge of evacuating any non-essential personnel, but the task ended up being a lot more depressing than she thought it would be. There wasn’t a single smile in the entire lobby. Not that they had much to smile about right now, but Fleetfoot was also the only member of the lead squad present. She hated when that happened because she preferred ponies looking to Spitfire or Soarin during troubled times. She was being bombarded by questions by the rest, about the repairs and what they should do about certain things, but she had no real good answers for them. 

Spitfire was up in her office, Soarin was down for the count, and she had no idea where Air Mach was, so it was only her. Ponies were looking at her with wide eyes, for guidance, for encouragement, the kinds of things she never felt good enough to give. It was taking a toll on her, especially because she really had nothing to say. She didn’t know any better about what was going on or what was going to happen than those who were asking. All she knew was that Spitfire expressed interest in trying to patch up the compound and get it ready for another confrontation while also evacuating anypony who didn’t need to be there. 

Fleetfoot was handling that for the most part, but she really, really wanted to know what was going to happen next. An uncertain future was not fun to look forward to… especially a bleak one. What could they possibly do against the might of the new Shadowbolts? Not even the Renegades were ready for it. The situation felt three hundred percent hopeless.

She looked towards the front door for a moment, spotting Descent at the door, conversing with a scout right outside. Specifically, the scout with the wing braces she had seen before. Descent had wasted no time in sending out lookouts again. Fleetfoot felt bad for him. She heard that a few of the Renegades managed to pick themselves up fine after the surprise attack from the flying fortress, but unfortunately, a large number of the rest were now down for the count, and they lost five. Descent, true to being a leader, went right back to business in doing what he could to help, but even behind his stone face, Fleetfoot was sure he was pained by the loss of five members. It probably didn’t help that they were all former Shadowbolts either.

She perked up when her eyes fell on the clock that somehow still hung below the broken hangar windows. She had been down in the lobby keeping the direction of things, but she had to go meet with Spitfire. After looking around, she spotted Blaze.

“Blaze!” she called over, purposely not using the nickname. There was no time for jokes, even Fleetfoot knew when to be serious. Blaze looked over from helping refit the metal bars over a window, quickly finishing the placement before gliding over.

“What’s up?”

It was definitely a strange sight to all around. Fleetfoot and Blaze talking with each other seriously, but this was the nature of the moment. 

“Take over for me, alright? I gotta meet with Spitfire and the top captains,” she said as she started walking away.

“If she doesn’t tell you what the hell we’re going to do, punch her until she does, alright? I’m sick of this…” Blaze grumbled without complaining at all about Fleetfoot handing her job off to her.

Fleetfoot didn’t even reply, she simply shifted her eyes slightly downward to avoid any more eye contact as she moved towards the stairs, eager to get away from all the eyes landing on her, all looking for a sliver of hope or guidance that she simply couldn’t provide.

Reaching the stairs was an incredible relief for her. While there were still ponies moving around on both the stairs and the second floor, it wasn’t nearly as densely packed. She felt much less pressure as she made it to the top, and aimed directly for Spitfire’s office. 

The door was already slightly ajar so Fleetfoot went right ahead and let herself in, only pausing for a brief moment right before opening the door when she heard a familiar voice speaking.

“There isn’t quite so much damage on the second and third floor… and even after that interior has mostly held together…”

Fleetfoot walked in, spotting Spitfire behind her desk, listening carefully to Rivet as he gave her a damage analysis of the compound. Fleetfoot quietly stepped through the door and walked over to the couch.

“I did a—” Rivet paused, his eyes going wide when he saw Fleetfoot walk up in his peripheral vision, but when she went for the couch and sat down instead of rushing him, he continued. “I took a quick look outside. Most of the damage is on the outer structure, quite a few pieces were blown off, revealing beams and the skeletal structure of the compound itself, but the frame looks more or less undamaged. We’re lucky Luna stepped in when she did because the only real damage was to the outer shell of the compound. I don’t see any danger of collapse unless we take another similar beating.”

Fleetfoot watched Spitfire carefully as Rivet gave the report. She had a strange look on her face that looked half-interested, half-‘what does it really matter?’. While it was important to get the damage report, Fleetfoot could only wonder what sort of options Spitfire was considering. What options did they even have?

Fleetfoot looked up, surprised when she saw Fire Streak and Air Mach walk in and sit down on the other side of the room. She didn’t even notice them walk in.

“We’re focusing most of our efforts on patching up the interior right now. Like I said, it’s not as bad as the exterior, but better to make sure that everything is stable inside first…”

Fleetfoot looked over to the door as it opened and Silver walked in… with both Dash and Storm Front supporting him? The two nervously led him in, both standing awkwardly by his side as they let go, wondering if they should be in there.

“Now, I took a look around the basement not too long ago, and thankfully, most of it is in one piece, none of the plumbing networks or heating pipes seem to be damaged which is good because those are a pain to get replaced…” Rivet went on as the rest waited patiently for him to finish the report. He hadn’t even noticed that Silver, Fire, Air Mach, Dash, and Storm were even there. 

Dash and Storm kept hesitating between standing still and trying to leave, but eventually Silver rolled his eyes and looked at them both.

“Just stay here,” he said quietly so as not to interrupt Rivet. He looked at Dash specifically. “You were curious, right? Might as well.”

Dash swallowed and nodded, remaining still and waiting for Rivet to finish so Spitfire could start the meeting.

“And finally, there’s no damage to the underground passageways or any equipment in my—”

“Spitfire!” 

Rivet yelped as Descent suddenly threw the door to her office open and rushed in with Starry, Blazetail, and Flashwind all in tow. Rivet turned around, his eyes going wide and his pupils shrinking as he spotted all the ponies that were behind him.  He shied away off to the side, shifting all the way over next to the couch beside Fleetfoot as Descent stepped heavily past him. Spitfire was suddenly up and looking much more attentive than when Rivet was speaking, taking note of the urgency in Descent’s tone and manner.

“From the look on your face… I don’t think I’m going to like what you’re about to say…” Spitfire gritted her teeth and shook her head. The rest of the ponies in the room looked between the two of them curiously. The manner in which they exchanged words suggested that they had already once spoken on the matter at hoof.

“Our scouts just returned from a wide spread sweep of Canterlot and a good thirty miles outside of the city…” he explained. “There is a large force of Shadowbolts approaching from the south.”

“Just what I was hoping you wouldn’t say…” Spitfire replied in a manner that seemed surprisingly calm despite the rest of the room erupting into gasps. “Well…”

“Wait…” Descent cut her off. “I’m afraid there’s more,” he stated, remaining serious. Spitfire and the rest all kept their eyes glued to him. “They are advancing slowly, I’d say it will be about half an hour until they get here… but it’s because the flying fortress is with them.”

Not a single word was uttered for a good thirty seconds as the Wonderbolts in the room tried to absorb what they had just heard. Surprisingly, the first one to speak up was…

“THAT’S PREPOSTEROUS!” Fire Streak blurted out from Descent’s left. “They’re already coming back with that… THING?!”

“What chance do we even have?” Fleetfoot added as she put her hooves over her head and stuffed her face into the couch cushion. 

“That doesn’t make any sense…” Spitfire blinked and threw her hooves out. “Why aren’t they using a portal like yesterday?” she questioned. “Are your scouts sure that’s what they saw?”

“My scouts are the best of the best, Spitfire,” Descent snarled, his demeanor calmer than one would expect, but then again, it wasn’t his compound that was in danger. “My best guess would be that they were going for a surprise yesterday… now they know we’re down… so they’re going to waltz right up to us and smash us to bits. Knowing my former fellow Shadowbolts in charge over there… that’s definitely something they’d do.”

“Grrr…” Spitfire growled as she looked down at her desk.

“Well?” Descent quickly pressed. “Now will you consider what we discussed before?” he stepped towards Spitfire. Again the rest were left wondering what was exchanged prior between the two. 

However, Spitfire looked away from Descent and towards the rest.

“Suggestions?” she asked her captains and squadmates. All of them blinked and looked at her as if she was crazy for asking. Air Mach tipped his glasses down and lifted his brow.

“Uh… lady captain… we’re kind of here right now because we don’t know what to do…” he said seriously. Hearing Air Mach say something outside of a ridiculous ‘rah-rah let’s get them’ attitude was one step short of alarming. Even Air Mach had nowhere to turn to, not even his ridiculous speeches.

“Spitfire…” Descent huffed.

“SUGGESTIONS!” Spitfire repeated while standing up from her chair and glaring at the others. 

“Captain, let me get this straight…” Silver suddenly spoke up as he took a few wobbly steps towards her, placing himself next to Descent. “The Shadowbolts are coming around to attack us again… and they’re bringing their weaponized fortress with them again… the one that nearly decimated us last time if not for two specific individuals who are now out of commission?” he kept his eyes locked on Spitfire. 

“Yes,” she answered simply while staring directly at Silver.

“You want my suggestion?” Silver lifted an eyebrow. “We should evacuate the compound.”

Dash’s eyes widened as she stared in shock towards Silver. She looked back and forth frantically, seeing a similar look of disbelief on the eyes of the rest, save for Descent.

“No,” Spitfire quickly shook her head.

“Spitfire,” Descent growled. “Do we have to go over this again? Even one of your own is agreeing with me.”

“I said no,” Spitfire repeated while shooting a harsh glare at Descent. “That is not an option.”

“What happened to ‘I’ll consider it?’” Descent grunted in frustration.

“Changed my mind, we’re not leaving,” Spitfire hissed at him.

“Captain…” Silver snorted. “You saw what their fortress is capable of. We don’t have the means to stop them again. They will destroy the compound whether we like it or not. We have to leave.”

“No, Silver, NO! Don’t you side with him!” she pointed sharply at Descent while glaring daggers at Silver. “Are you even listening to me?! I’m not running. If we run, they win. They will destroy what we hold dear and it will break us!” Spitfire shot back while leaning over her desk.

“So you want us to all stay here and just die with the compound?!” Silver remained strong. Descent took a step back to let Silver handle the rest, confident the old Wonderbolt could talk some sense into his captain.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this from YOU of all ponies!!” Spitfire yelled into Silver’s face. “This place has been your PRIDE and your LIFE much longer than it has been mine! Yet here you are, so eager to let it be destroyed without a fight?!”

“You’re talking to me like this was an easy decision! Since the first attack, I’ve been coming to terms with the possibility that we may be forced to abandon the compound. It does us no good to be in a stationary, sitting duck of a building like this!” Silver shook his head. “You’re right… this place is a home… it has been my pride and joy for over thirty years. I have a deeper connection to it than I do any other place in Equestria, but you know what matters right now?” Silver reached up and slammed his hoof down on her desk. “We have hundreds of lives at stake… lives that will be snuffed out like a dying candle flame if we sit in the false security of these walls with a misguided sense of pride. Do you know what I care about, Spitfire?!” Silver dropped the formality as he gave her a piece of his mind. “I care about keeping my family safe. I care about my Wonderbolt brothers and sisters. They are what matter to me, not some old building,” he stated while looking up and motioning around him. “A building can be rebuilt… Wonderbolts cannot. Captain… we should abandon the compound!” Silver leaned further forward to drive his point home.

“NO!!!!!!!!!!” Spitfire shouted at the top of her lungs while slamming both of her hooves down upon her desk so hard that the wood cracked and splintered under the force. The sudden outburst caused all of them, even Silver to take a step back in surprise. 

“NO! NO! NO!” She continued to yell as she grabbed her desk lamp and angrily threw it away from her desk. Fleetfoot quickly reached down and pulled Rivet aside. The lamp zipped right past his head and smashed into the wall, the glass portions shattering and the frame breaking to pieces. They all stared at Spitfire in horror as she stood with her hooves firmly pressed to her desk, breathing heavily like a wild beast as she glared at Silver and Descent.

“How much longer do we have to put up with this?” Spitfire snapped at them. “HOW MUCH LONGER?!” she repeated, shouting. “Our current history with the Shadowbolts has been NOTHING but attack, after attack, after attack! They take us by surprise! The sneak around our base! They put the pressure on us from all directions! We are constantly put at a disadvantage and are forced to fight TOOTH and HOOF to defend ourselves! I’m DONE being the target! I’m done being the mouse, hiding in a hole from a tenacious cat!” She roughly tapped her right hoof against her desk. “I’m drawing the line HERE, and I am NOT taking another step backwards!” she yelled as she roughly pushed against her desk, shifting it a yard forward, nearly hitting Descent and Silver in the chest with it as anything left on it clattered and fell, rolling off or fluttering to the floor.

“When they show up…” she pointed at them while glaring fiercely. “We are ALL flying out there, Wonderbolt and Renegade alike! We will charge right down their throat, right down the barrel of that damn magic cannon if we have to… and we are fighting until our VERY LAST BREATH if that’s what it takes! It’s THEIR turn to feel the pain! Not us! No more!” she remained standing, still breathing heavily with her breath hissing out of her nose.

Spitfire suddenly wobbled, looking a little lightheaded as she stumbled backwards and fell back into her chair. She didn’t look up. She just stared at the floor, her body swaying slightly as the repercussions of her outburst caught up with her.

Everypony around was in complete shock, never expecting to see their captain unleash such a rant. Was finally being aware and in control of things really helping her in this situation as they first thought? She was no longer being tricked or kept in the dark, only to be thrown into a situation that seemed hopeless, it was one weight lifted off of her shoulders only to have another one piled on. Nopony had any words to say in the wake of her passion, not even the former captains, Blazetail and Flashwind, who had yet to speak at all. Everypony was speechless… except for Silver.

“Spitfire,” Silver began calmly as Spitfire took heavy, sharp breaths in her seat. “Do you really want to be the one that orders all the amazing mares and stallions that make up our great organization… to leap into certain death?” he asked. “Is that how you want to be remembered?”

Spitfire’s breathing calmed, but she remained looking straight down. Silver stepped around her pushed out desk and stood directly beside her.

“Think about this carefully,” he continued. “You know just as well as I do… what is most important to a Wonderbolt captain. Is it chasing pride in the face of certain death? Or is it ensuring the life and safety of those under your command? Dying to preserve a name… or living to fight another day? Besides, what do we hope to gain towards saving Equestria from this menace... if we all die here?”

All eyes landed on Spitfire as she took a long… deep breath.

It was clear to her as it was to the rest. They didn’t have the numbers, nor the means of fighting back, no matter what they claimed as a reason for standing their ground. For the past year, she felt like her time as the lead captain had been a complete disaster, a year filled with being forced to respond on short notice to threats and attacks of many kinds, always off-guard. But how was she supposed to feel? They were the Wonderbolts, known far and wide as the best of the best. Yet they had been pushed around time and time again by the very same abnormal threats they were trained to meet and quell. Perhaps her pride was getting the better of her… 

As much as it pained her to…

She knew what she had to do…

“Start gathering up everypony…” she quietly spoke up as she lifted her face to look at her top captains and the rest. “We’re evacuating the compound.”

---To be Continued---