//------------------------------// // Chapter 109: Never Break // Story: Piercing the Heavens // by Calm Wind //------------------------------// MLP: FiM Piercing the Heavens By: Calm Wind Chapter 109: Never Break “Rgghhh…” Witch growled as she slowly began to rise out of the snow. “Rainbow Dash!” Silver yelled as he held Trance’s face in the snow. Dash didn’t turn, or give any sign that she heard or acknowledged Silver. She just kept staring at the collapsed portion of the mountain. Witch’s crystals hovered out of the snow, glowing. She was nearly right back up. “RAINBOW DASH!” Silver yelled her name louder, but once again got no response. “Dammit!” Silver was ready to release Trance and try to handle both at the same time, but before he could let go of the small Shadowbolt, Descent plunged down from above. “HRM!” Descent grunted as he slammed his hooves over Witch’s head, knocking her back to the ground, her crystals falling with her. Descent stared at the crystals as they jittered, waiting for their owner to call to them again. He gritted his teeth, knowing full well that it would cause them pain if he destroyed them, but they had no choice. “Destroy the crystals!” he yelled to Silver. Silver blinked and glanced towards Trance’s crystals in the snow. “Are you sure?!” Silver asked, making sure Descent understood what he was asking of him. Before Descent could clarify, Trance suddenly lurched, nearly slipping completely out of Silver’s grip. “Whoa!” Silver yelped as he shifted and tackled Trance before he could get near his crystals. Without another word, Descent turned back to Witch. “Forgive me…” he said quietly as he smashed his hooves down over all of her crystals one by one. “AH!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” Witch yelled as she watched the crystals shatter before her eyes. Small flashes of pink light shot out of her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth as she reared back and grabbed her head. Despite her unsettling screams that sounded MUCH more painful that anything they had heard from the lower ranked Shadowbolts, Descent steeled his nerves, confident there was no other way to prevent them from fighting back. He immediately turned towards Trance and repeated the process. Trance also screamed at the top of his lungs, similar bursts of light shooting from his head as Silver released him and quickly backed away. “AAAAhhhhhhh…. Aaaaaggghhhhhh… haaaaaa…” Trance collapsed to the ground just as Witch had, both of them looking completely drained and in pain. They slowly writhed on the ground, Witch clutching her body tightly, shivering as Trance stared straight upward, his eyes wide and bloodshot. Storm and squad Foxtrot approached them with Fleetfoot being helped by Little Star, all taking in the rather disturbing sight of the broken Shadowbolt commanders. “Thanks, recruit, but I’ll manage…” Fleetfoot gave Little Star a soft pat on the shoulder before standing on her own. She wobbled for a moment, but found the strength in her legs and started hobbling towards Silver. She took in the surroundings as she moved, seeing Spitfire stuck in the air, her bonds slowly weakening and seeing Dash staring towards the collapsed mountain. Fleetfoot had been dazed and confused for most of the latter half of the battle, trying to keep track of what was going on, but barely able to see over the snow drifts despite Little Star propping her up. She heard about what happened to Wave… but what was all that commotion at the end about and why was the mountain collapsed? Where was Soarin? “Alright,” Descent spoke up after a heavy sigh, briefly pulling Fleetfoot’s attention away. “Let’s get these two back to the compound and put them with the others. Hopefully in time they can be cured just like—” Descent froze in place, his eyes widening as Trance and Witch suddenly began screaming again, this time along with quick breaths, choking, and gagging in between. “What the—?!” Descent pushed his goggles up and stared in horror. “What is happening?!” “No… no, no, no, NO, NO, NO!!!!!!” Witch began to yell, tears falling from her eyes as she curled up into a ball and clutched herself tightly. “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” Crystal scabs began appearing on her face and nose. Descent gasped as clear crystals began to appear, slicing through her flight suit with their jagged edges. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” Witch yelled again. Descent remained still, his mouth still agape as he looked towards Trance. Trance had gotten up and stood up straight proudly, his face bending and grimacing as the pain shot through his body, but managed a smile. “If I’m to have AAHHHH! A few moments of a glorious solidified image… OOHHH!!! I want it to be… this…” Everypony around watched in pure terror as the bodies of Trance and Witch gained the scabs and crystal formations as their lower ranking comrades had… only it happened instantly, mere moments after their crystals were destroyed. And it showed no sign of stopping. Descent found the will to move, darting back and forth between the two of them as Trance and Witch were slowly… slowly… completely engulfed by the crystal formations that emerged from their body. Trance remained still, letting it happen as if he was embracing it, but Witch did not go quietly, screaming out in agony and despair up until every last part of her body was trapped within. “NO!” Descent managed to yell as he backed away from them, now speechless and nearly breathless… not wanting to believe what he just saw happen, but even that wasn’t the end of it. The crystal statue Shadowbolts began to shimmer… and a moment later… shattered. The bits and pieces of the crystals dissolved and floated into the air, all traces of Trance and Witch… gone.. “N…No…” Descent barely managed to squeak out as his legs shook and he fell to the ground, his eyes remaining wide, trained in the direction of where Witch and Trance last existed. The Wonderbolts were all just as silent, jaws all dropped from the horror they just witnessed. “My… god…” Silver spoke quietly, and was the only one of them to utter a single word. Descent’s body lay flat in the cold snow, his body numb from something much worse than just the frigid ground beneath him. He lowered his head, sticking his nose into the snow slowly as he put his front hooves over his head. “So…” he spoke, his voice muffled by the snow. “This… is how it is…?” He had put it together. The Shadowbolts back at the compound were slowly being affected by their single crystal being taken away… but here… “This is the consequence of using too much crystal power…” He shook his head back and forth slowly, his nose brushing back and forth in the snow. “And the fate that awaits them…” All of the Wonderbolts except for Storm turned and looked away as reality hit Descent incredibly hard in the face. Perhaps the lower ranking Shadowbolts might yet be saved… but the commanders? It seemed using three crystals yielded much harsher consequences when said crystals were lost, instantaneous consequences. Descent had expressed care for several of the commanders. He had known most of them for a long time. Blade was even described as a good friend. But now… seeing this… could any of them be saved? Fleetfoot hobbled up towards Silver as the two pulled their attention away from the horrific scene and looked skyward. Spitfire’s bonds were beginning to fizzle and pop… and eventually they vanished. “Rgh…” Spitfire cringed, bringing her limbs in tight as her wings spread and caught her in a hover. She began a slow, shaky descent until she landed a few yards away from them. Silver and Fleetfoot glanced at each other, the two witty Wonderbolts with no words to spare or share as they turned and slowly made their way towards Spitfire. Spitfire sat down in the snow as they approached, slumped her shoulders, and leaned her head forward as her body shook. “Damn it…” she cursed, gritting her teeth with her eyes shut tight. “Damn it!” she yelled louder. "DAMN IT ALL!” she shouted out as she pounded her hooves into the snow several times. Fleetfoot and Silver both paused in their tracks as Spitfire vented her frustration into the snow. She had many reasons to be frustrated. She had been used, led on, lured into a trap, was careless, and was forced to watch a battle she could have easily turned in their favor quickly… but of course, there was one thing that had her more frustrated than anything else… “Wave…” she said quietly to herself as Fleetfoot and Silver continued on their path towards her. The two of them stopped a yard away, giving her space in a moment of anger. Silver looked between Spitfire and Descent. “Just when I thought we had shown them a thing or two…” Silver shook his head and fell onto his plot as his body ached. “Now I see two of our leaders have been dealt a heavy emotional blow…” Fleetfoot moved up to Spitfire, quickly feeling the need to be there for her longtime friend. “Spitty…” she reached a wing out and draped it over Spitfire’s shoulder. She didn’t know what to say. Despite their apparent victory, what was the cost? Wave had been captured by the Shadowbolts… Spitfire’s happiness ripped from her and sent right down the drain… Fleetfoot wanted to say she felt for her… but she had never known such a feeling. Fleetfoot suddenly perked up as something came back to her. Soarin… “Where is Soarin?!” Fleetfoot asked as she looked towards Silver. Silver’s ears flopped down as she asked. He took a long, deep breath, before looking towards Rainbow Dash. Fleetfoot followed his eyes, spotting Dash as well… and how she was staring at a mountain that had a large portion of it in pieces, crumbled, and collapsed. It didn’t take long for Fleetfoot to put the pieces together as she quietly gasped and threw a free hoof over her mouth. “No…” she squeaked… “You… don’t mean…” she looked at Silver again. Silver exhaled loudly through his nostrils. “Him and Rapidfire… heavy collision…” Silver said without emotion. Fleetfoot squinted further as she looked back towards the mountain, small tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “No… after all we’ve been through… Soarin…” Rainbow Dash continued to face away from them all, even as squad Foxtrot, finally all back together again, approached her slowly with Storm. All of them thought the same thing as they stared at her, frozen in place staring at the mountain. A huge chunk of the mountain had broken away and collapsed and Soarin was nowhere to be found… the reality of the situation was hard to accept. There was no way anypony caught in the massive avalanche and rockslide could have survived. Storm glanced back at Dash’s squadmates. Matteo was staring towards the mountain with a straight, stoic expression, surveying the damage, but no doubt aware of what had happened. Squall had his eyes fixed on Dash, but his attention shifted to Star. Star’s ears were pressed to the sides of her head, a little hoof over her mouth and her eyes filled with sadness. “Commander Soarin…” Star managed to squeak out as she shifted between Matteo and Squall, nestling herself between their arms. Twister was floating in place above them. His usual expression in place, but he made no moves or any attempt to do anything silly. He simply stared. Storm sighed as he looked towards the mountain himself. There was a knot in his heart, a feeling that he didn’t want to acknowledge, but he had to. Soarin was the pony that helped him feel comfortable in his unexpected position among the elites… and his best friend among them. However, he wasn’t about to believe he was feeling this as hard as Dash. “Dash… I…” Storm stepped forward, trying to find words of comfort, but what could he say? She just lost her loved one and— Rainbow Dash suddenly stood up sharply. Storm and the rest all focused on her as she turned around and faced them, but wasn’t looking at them. Her expression was vacant, but full of focus. She looked down at the snow and back and forth as she slowly reached a hoof up to her chest and placed it over her heart. Her heart was beating faster than normal. “Dash…?” Storm asked as he blinked and watched her. Dash turned around and looked back at the mountain as she continued to hold her hoof over her heart and feel the faster rhythm. Before any of them could ask her what she was doing, she suddenly turned and trotted right past them. Dash moved quickly, all the way over to Silver, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot. Silver and Fleetfoot both turned to Dash, Spitfire not moving from her slumped position, eyes down towards the snow. The two Wonderbolts eyed Dash curiously, as Dash wore a serious expression, filled with hope? It definitely wasn’t the face of a mare who just lost the stallion of her life. “Soarin is alive,” Dash finally spoke. A wave of silent disbelief rushed through all those present… that weren’t currently occupied. Storm, Squall, Matteo, Star, and Twister all quickly moved towards them, having heard Dash speak, but not sure they heard her correctly. Fleetfoot tipped her head to the side and lifted an eyebrow. “Uh…” She wasn’t sure what to say as Silver stood up and hobbled towards Dash. “Pardon?” he asked as Dash nodded at him and pressed a hoof over her heart again. “Soarin isn’t dead,” Dash stated again. Silver and Fleetfoot exchanged glances. “Dash…” Silver shook his head and sighed. “He crashed into a mountain and it fell on top of him.” “There’s just no way…” Fleetfoot took over as she looked back towards the mountain as she sniffled. “I’m one for staying positive, but…” “He’s. Not. Dead,” Dash repeated again, this time putting emphasis on each word and showing absolutely no shaken emotion. Fleetfoot looked at her like she couldn’t believe Dash wasn’t taking it seriously, but Silver examined the look in his student’s eyes, noticing a fire lit behind them that he had come to recognize over their time training together. Dash was not an unreasonable pony, and in the wake of something tragic, like Soarin being killed, she wouldn’t blindly go around saying he wasn’t dead without reason. He hobbled up to her and stood directly in front of her, looking down at her sternly. “Alright Dash…” Silver snorted. “I’ll bite. How do you know he isn’t dead?” he asked, drawing Fleetfoot’s attention to him briefly before she looked back and forth between them. She looked like she was about to protest how heartless they were being, especially Dash because of how much Soarin meant to her… but then Dash pressed a hoof over her heart again and smiled. “Because I’m alive,” she said simply. Silver’s eyes opened, losing the stern look and replacing it with a blank one. He remained that way for a moment before scrunching his face and giving Dash a look similar to Fleetfoot’s. “Have you snapped or something?” he asked with concern. Dash shook her head. “No… I mean it. If I’m alive, then so is Soarin,” she assured him. Silver flattened his ears out. “You better start elaborating before I put you in a straitjacket.” He made it clear he wasn’t convinced… at least not yet. “It’s hard to explain but… Soarin and I have a spiritual connection,” she began, Silver’s eyebrow slowly lifting as she continued. “You see, Soarin’s magic isn’t fully in his control. His body and spirit alone can’t contain the power raging inside of him. When the magic was put in his body by Celestia, she took a piece of my spirit, my life essence and used it to bolster Soarin’s, anchoring the magic down so that it couldn’t escape. That’s why when I’m around Soarin he has easier control of his magic. We were recently told that our spirits are further linked than we realized. I can feel it when his magic causes him pain, letting me know when I have to be by his side to get it under control. This also means that if Soarin died, and his spirit destroyed… it would take me with him, since there’s a link to my spirit inside of him. It would literally destroy my spirit as well. Same if I died, it would—” “Whoa, whoa, whoa… stop right there,” he said as he held a hoof up. “Ok, wow… uh…” Silver took a step back while blinking and shaking his head. “Uh… right… that sounds incredibly complicated… but given Celestia was involved, I’m not going to try to understand it… anything I hear about what the divine sisters or the gods do just makes my head hurt.” He shut his eyes tight and grimaced as if it literally hurt to try and follow what Dash was trying to tell him. But before he could go further Fleetfoot had rushed up beside him, her eyes wide with a look of excitement completely replacing her sorrow. “If I hadn’t already seen how messed up everything with Soarin’s magic is, I wouldn’t believe it for a second… but…” Her pupils widened as if pleading for it all to be true. “But he’s alive?! Please! Dash, tell me Soarin’s alive again!” “Yes,” Dash smiled as she looked down. “My heart is beating quicker than normal… meaning… something might be hindering him, but he’s definitely alive. I’d be dead right here in the snow if he wasn’t.” She looked up at the collapsed mountain. “Don’t ask me where he is or how he survived though…” Fleetfoot breathed a heavy sigh of relief, leaning completely into Silver. He grunted as she made him tip slightly, barely catching himself before falling over. Fleetfoot’s ears stood straight up with a large smile on her face. She turned to Spitfire. “Hear that Spitty?! Soarin’s al—” she cut herself off as she saw Spitfire still slumped over with her hooves jammed in the snow, her mane hanging down and covering her eyes as she continued to grit her teeth and take slow, heavy breaths. Fleetfoot’s smile quickly vanished again as her ears flopped right back down and she bit her lower lip. “Oh… right….” She looked up at the mountain before walking towards Spitfire. “Soarin’s alive, but… What are we going to do about Wave?” she asked as she paused and turned to look at Silver. Silver looked up into the sky, a long, heavy sigh escaping his nostrils. Okay, so Soarin was fine… but Wave, one of his own squadmates and most trusted comrades, had been taken from them and put in a terrible situation. He pondered what they could possibly do as Dash moved away from them towards her squad and Storm Front. Soarin was fine… and the issue about what to do with Wave’s situation was important… but Dash had turned away for a moment to address the most drastic outcome of the battle of all. She approached her squad from behind as they had all turned to watch Storm. Storm was sitting a few yards away from his father… who hadn’t moved since he had slumped down into the snow near where he watched two former comrades disappeared into thin air. Dash placed herself beside Little Star, as she struggled to hold down any sort of emotional response. She was more visibly stricken than the rest of them, at least among those watching. Storm looked like he desperately wanted to go to his father’s side, but what would he say? What would he do? Descent was strong willed, and it was definitely not the first time he had lost comrades, but the implications of this event towards his overall goal were clearly weighing heavy on him. Not to mention… that the horrific sight occurred after he personally crushed Trance’s and Witch’s crystals. Killing his enemies was something he had never had trouble doing… but killing his allies? Or those he still considered to be friends or comrades in a way? Not even the ruthless warrior had enough of a heart to ever consider such things. “They…” Little Star spoke up in a shaky, squeaky tone from between Squall and Dash. The two of them looked down towards her. “They just vanished… gone without a trace…” she barely managed to say as she shivered. Matteo shook his head slowly, closing his eyes. “They sold their very souls for power… and nothing remains,” he said in a tone that hinted sympathy. “In the end, was it really worth it?” Star’s shivers grew harsher as she hugged herself. “It’s like they were just erased…” Dash reached a hoof over to Star, placing it lightly on her shoulder. “Ponies just like us… with goals… dreams… gone just like that? Not even a trace of them left behind?” She suddenly leaned away from Dash, grabbing the closest thing to her, which happened to be Squall’s arm. Squall blinked for a moment, looking down to see Star shaking against him, visibly terrified by the scenario. He instinctively opened his wing and began reaching it down towards her… but he stopped halfway, hesitating. He sighed, not retaliating at all to her seeking comfort, but refolded his wing. Dash watched as Star sought comfort from Squall for a moment before turning back to look at Descent and Storm. “So this is it…” she said as she exchanged glances with Matteo. “Too much crystal power seals your fate… so much for saving the commanders.” Dash’s ears flopped down, looking away from Descent. Seeing such a strong pony be shaken in such a way was hard to see. Descent was most likely the strongest pony among them emotionally. But not even he could completely hold himself in the wake of what had happened, what he had just done. Dash looked up above them to see Twister still hovering. This was the longest she had ever seen him behave himself, but she was glad he was. This was not the time for shenanigans, and despite Twister’s usual silly face, he was clearly aware of when and where to mess around. Dash just wanted to know where the hell he had disappeared for so long. “Hmph…” Squall suddenly grunted, drawing Dash’s eyes towards him. Star was still clutching his arm, but Squall’s eyes were shifting between where Trance and Witch last stood. “Idiots…” Dash’s eyes widened and Matteo turned to look down as Squall came out of nowhere with that one. Dash looked forward just in time to see Storm was already turning around, a harsh glare on his face aimed directly at Squall. Dash quickly stood up and stepped towards Squall. “Squall!” she said harshly, but in a hushed tone. Why did he have to do that? Storm was clearly going to react and this was not the time for an argument. Squall, however, ignored Dash, snorting as he shook his head. “Why?” he said. “Why would they give it all away like that?” he asked into the air. Dash’s expression lightened, realizing that Squall wasn’t just being randomly rude… but Storm didn’t seem to catch that. He stomped right up to Squall while glaring. Squall scowled at him as he approached. “What?” “Are you serious right now?!” Storm yelled at him. “Have you been paying attention at all?! The Shadowbolts are being controlled by those crystals!” “Then they were careless too!” Squall fired back bluntly. Storm gave him a look of pure, angered disbelief. He pointed at Descent. “I think my father has made it perfectly clear that they were coerced into using them!” “Guys…” Dash took a step forward, but Matteo reached over Squall’s back and caught Dash by the shoulder, shaking his head. Dash gave him an odd look for a moment, but stepped back and held her breath, letting them continue. It wasn’t her job to solve every dispute. “What’s wrong with you?!” Storm asked as he nearly butted heads with Squall. Star squeaked as she held onto Squall’s arm, stuck directly beneath the argument. Squall glanced down at her for a moment before returning Storm’s glare two fold. “Nothing is more important than your personal identity and what you leave behind!” Squall suddenly spoke his mind in a rare moment. “They were willing to sacrifice that? Who would do that?! I’m just saying it how it is!” “You don't know how it is!” Storm spat right back. “What? You don’t agree? Glowing crystals? Artificial magic flowing through them?! That sounds fishy from the start!” “Squall…” Star tried to speak quietly. “Stop… please…” she tried as she looked up at him, but he couldn’t hear her. “You…” Storm growled. “You…” He shook his head, not willing to admit that Squall had a very good point. “You son of a…” “STORM FRONT!” They all flinched and everypony went silent as Descent’s voice suddenly boomed from behind Storm. Storm turned around, the rest all looking past him as Descent stood up. “That’s enough…” he said as he turned and started walking towards them slowly, stopping beside Storm. “Your comrade is right. It was foolish of them…” he agreed with Squall’s harsh words. “It was the very reason I never took a crystal. I was told everything they could do, and from the start I was skeptical. I had fought all of my battles and won them all through my strength alone. I had no need for fake power, and was not willing to risk whatever repercussions came with it. While I stated my reasons, I was unable to convince Nightshade otherwise…” He paused and looked back over his shoulder. “And now I see what would have happened had I accepted them like the rest. If only I wasn’t a coward and fell right in line despite my worries. Had I been more vigilant… I might have pushed Nightshade harder to reject them.” He sighed and looked up into the sky, “Did Blade leave Trance and Witch behind knowing this would happen? Have the Shadowbolts really become so heartless?” He said nothing else for several moments before looking down, then back up at Dash. “Listen to me ramble… now I know what’s really at stake and I just have to accept it. More importantly…” He started moving between them, his eyes remaining on Dash. “I heard you say Soarin is alive… well, he better be…” Descent turned his focus away from her as he moved past. “Because without their primary target… I have no idea what the Shadowbolts will do.” They all remained quiet as Descent made his way over to Fleetfoot, Silver, and Spitfire. Storm and Squall looked back towards one another and just stared at first. Storm’s expression suddenly turned apologetic, his ears folding back, expressing shame for his outburst. Squall, however, gave nothing in response. He wasn’t used to somepony backing down so sharply after a confrontation, but he said all he wanted to say, so he didn’t push it further. He instead focused on the little mare that was still clutching his arm tightly. “The cavalry is here…” Matteo chimed in. Dash looked up as Matteo spoke. It took her a moment to see, due to not having Matteo’s eagle eyes, but eventually a large force of Renegades, with Astral Bolt flying point, appeared from the blizzard in the distance. “Let’s get ready to go, guys.” Dash spun her hoof in the air to signal her squad. “Everypony able to fly?” she asked to make sure. She received silent nods from her wingmates. “A little stiff, but I’ll manage,” Matteo answered. “Mmhmm…” Star hummed quietly. “I’m fine,” Squall replied. All of their answers were stiff, and lacked emotion, but that was to be expected. “You alright, Storm?” Dash asked out of courtesy. Storm simply nodded, still looking in the direction of Descent. “Yeah… I suppose…” he said without much energy. Dash was overjoyed that Soarin was alive. His current status was unknown, but her spirit was very much intact, meaning wherever he was, so was his, and his magic was not causing problems… yet. Her heart was still beating at a slightly quickened pace. She didn’t quite know why, but as long as her heart continued to beat, she was confident Soarin was not severely injured or worse. Now they were to return to the compound… and await the next course of action. Soarin was of high priority, but with Dash they could keep track of him to a certain extent. The real issue was Wave Chill, captured and heading towards horrors they could only begin to imagine. They would have to work fast… if saving him was even an option… or possible. With heavy hearts and weakened hopes, the Renegades floated down towards them, ready to help them return to the compound. As they all arrived back in the compound, the small group was literally bombarded by their fellow Wonderbolts. Well, not all of them were. Dash and her friends stepped aside as several elite Wonderbolts, following behind Fire Streak, ran right up to Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Silver. A crowd quickly formed in the lobby. “Captain!” Fire yelled as he approached, directing his attention to Spitfire. Spitfire, however, did not look at him, nor did she look at anypony as she walked in and right past him. The moment she ignored Fire, it nearly went completely quiet. Fire stared at her for a moment before looking back at Fleetfoot and Silver. His eyes darting back and forth past them. “Wait a second… where are…” he looked back at Spitfire, as did many, as she walked slowly towards the mail counter and stopped, placing a hoof on it while looking straight down. Fire quickly looked back at Silver and Fleetfoot for an explanation as a harsh, harsh reality began to slowly hit. Silver saw all the Wonderbolt staring at them. He glanced down at Fleetfoot beside him, her being the higher authority after all, but she looked uncomfortable and still fairly affected by the situation. By now some of the former Wonderbolt Renegades had landed and were entering the lobby, also curious what was going on. Everypony needed some answers, and Silver took it upon himself to be blunt, clear, and leave nopony in the dark. “We had an encounter with Shadowbolt commanders,” Silver spoke up as he stepped up for Fleetfoot. “The good news is we were able to dispatch two of them.” He glanced at Descent as he met up with the Renegades who had just landed. Silver decided to leave the specific details out for now on that. “However… During the battle, Soarin went missing in action… and Wave Chill was an imposter.” “What?!” Blaze suddenly pushed past Fire roughly with High Winds right behind her. “What happened to Chiller?!” she demanded. Silver took a moment to scan the whole crowd looking towards him. Well over half the force was listening to him. He braced himself as he delivered the rest. “Rapidfire was posing as Wave Chill… Wave has been captured.” Blaze’s eyes widened as the info hit her ears, the rest of the Wonderbolts all reacting in kind as Silver delivered the news. “What?!” “No!” “That can’t be!” “Wave Chill? Commander Wave Chill? “Captured?!” The reactions were widespread, and clearly left the force in a state of shock. It was a hard slap to the face. Having one of their highest ranking officers captured and one of their lead squad commanders missing… it wasn’t very motivating news at all. “Soldier boy got nabbed?!” Cannon Ball approached Silver with a few other retired Wonderbolts behind him. “How?” Steady Wing looked very distraught. “Our blizzard ploy was impenetrable!” “Apparently not…” Valkyrie sighed as she shook her head. “Wave Chill… captured?” Bomber frowned. “But Bomber like Wave Chill…” Silver did his best to not show any emotion. He had to remain strong. Spitfire was clearly taking it hard, and showing it to the entire Wonderbolt force. Fleetfoot was sitting beside him, but couldn’t find the courage to look them all in the eye. He wasn’t going to rely on Air Mach to handle the situation. Besides, he was among the rest, just as shocked. “No…” Blaze spoke up as she fell back onto her plot. “Chiller…” Her ears flopped down. High Winds quickly stepped over to her and draped a wing over her shoulder. “I can’t believe it…” For all the fun poking and jeering she gave Wave Chill, he was still her friend and squadmate. Silver scrunched his face, holding his composure as he glanced towards Spitfire. She was still sitting at the mail counter, back turned to everypony, one hoof upon it, head looking down, and not moving. The Wonderbolts were all clearly shaken, but Descent walked right through them, keeping his mind on what course of action to take next as he made his way over to Spitfire. Silver thought about stopping him, but in the end he couldn’t speak for her, not when it came to planning. “There will be a time to mourn those lost,” Descent spoke as he approached Spitfire from behind. Despite losing his former friends, he was ready to act. “We have reason to believe Soarin is alive and well, so we should focus on searching for him. He is the main target of the Shadowbolts, and will be vulnerable by himself.” Spitfire didn’t move. She remained perfectly still. Descent furrowed his brow. “Spitfire…” he started again in a stern tone as he took two more steps towards her, placing himself right behind her. “Wave Chill is gone.” He paused. Making sure his words sunk in before continuing, now with every last pair of eyes in the lobby looking towards him and Spitfire. “The Shadowbolts have captured him and will eventually kill him. There is absolutely no way we’ll be able to save him. We don’t have the means, nor the resources and no possible courses of actions in our current state to stage a rescue operation, much less against everything they have. In times like these, you can't dwell on the loss of a single life… not even one that is important to you. ACCEPT IT.” There was a long, painful, drawn out pause. Not a single word was uttered among the hundreds of ponies in the lobby and barely an audible breath was taken. All eyes were on Spitfire as Descent awaited her response. Then suddenly, Spitfire’s head snapped upward, looking towards the ceiling. Her slumped posture corrected itself to a strong form. She slammed her hoof against the wooden surface of the mail counter so hard that it splintered and cracked. She stood up sharply, her wings flared out, and she turned around to face Descent and all those looking towards her. The look on her face? One of pure, unhindered determination. “You know what?” said Spitfire as she pointed at Descent. “NO.” Descent pulled his neck back slightly while blinking. “No, what?” he asked, flinching as Spitfire took a step forward and pointed at him again, her hoof bumping against his chest. “NO.” She stepped forward again, putting herself almost chest to chest with Descent. “I have had ENOUGH.” Her sudden spirit, while confusing, resonated around the Wonderbolts. They all perked up, their ears turned towards their leader as a sudden spark roared into a burning flame that raged in her eyes. She directed her intense eyes upon Descent. “Time and time again…” she continued. “ We’ve been on the run, we’ve been in hiding, we’ve been protected. The Shadowbolts have consistently gotten the drop on us in every way imaginable, attacking us when we’re not ready, forcing us to react, forcing us to be defensive…” she paused, her face scrunching considerably as she furrowed her brow and ground her teeth together with a faint growl. “And now on top of THAT, they step right into my life and play with my emotions!” She removed her hoof from Descent’s chest and slammed it so hard to the ground that every pony present flinched in surprise. “THAT… IS THE LAST… STRAW! I will not play their game, I will not let them think they can do as they please, and I will not be made the fool ANY LONGER!!!!” “Spitfire…” Descent scrunched his face in disapproval. “We—” “SHUT UP!” Spitfire shouted right into his face, cutting him off as she pushed herself against him, chest to chest, forcing him to take several steps back before he finally managed to anchor his hooves. She had nearly pushed him all the way back into the crowd that was watching them. “It’s time to make a statement,” she continued as she pressed her will against him figuratively and physically. “It’s time to stop being the hunted and show them who they are messing with! They will know that we’re not afraid of them! And we’re going to make that perfectly, crystal clear to them… by finding their fortress… and rescuing Wave Chill!” A wave of surprise passed through the Wonderbolts, but one that was followed by… motivation? “DON’T BE ABSURD!” Descent pushed back. “They will annihilate us! We don’t have the means to attack them head on! What do we have to gain from trying aside from casualties?!” Spitfire was not swayed. In fact, she was ready to bite back no matter what he said to her. The last time she had pushed for action, the circumstances were different. They were sitting ducks in a stationary compound. Now? They had an opportunity with the Shadowbolts unaware of their current location. “And maybe that’s been your problem from the very start!” she barked in his face, barely giving any ground as she dropped a new argument on him. “What?!” Descent threw a hoof out in protest, but didn’t have a chance to keep going as Spitfire controlled the situation. “Diverting their attention, keeping them at bay, techniques to deflect magic, hiding in a blizzard…” Spitfire rapped a hoof against the side of her head. “I have yet to see a single brain cell in that thick muscle-head of yours nurse a thought towards striking back! How long are you going to suggest running and hiding?!” “If I was suicidal and didn’t care, I would have attacked them by now!” Descent refused to go down without a fight. “You are basing this entirely on your desire to save a LONE PONY that you have intimate relations with! That’s hardly worth risking the whole force!” Spitfire’s expression lightened, but not because she was struck down by his words. In fact, her face flattened, looking at Descent as if he had just stepped his way right into losing the argument. “So you’re telling me…” Spitfire began again with a quieter tone. “After what you just saw out there after the battle, that you wouldn’t be willing to risk everything even if it were just to save a single life?” Descent’s eyes widened and his ears folded to his head. “You wouldn’t give it your all if you knew the effort could save the commanders?” she continued, shaking her head. “Of course I want to save Wave Chill.” Spitfire’s voice remained controlled. “I love him. He means more to me than any other pony I’ve ever known. But… I would do this for any of the Wonderbolts, from a member of the lead squad, down to the lowest ranking recruit. They have kidnapped one of our own and they don’t think we have the courage to come after him… well… they’re wrong!” Spitfire released herself from against Descent, reaching her hoof up again. “WE… ARE… SAVING HIM!” she yelled, each word accompanied by poking him roughly in the chest. The uplift in spirit among the Wonderbolts upon seeing and taking in Spitfire’s burst of emotional strength was so strong that one could almost physically feel it. Frowns had been replaced by smiles, weak feelings had been replaced by adamant ones. Blaze had gotten up so fast she nearly launched High Winds into the air. Fire Streak and his squad were all side by side, waiting to hear more as Fire relayed everything said to Misty. Not a single thought was being guided towards the danger such a mission would pose. Spitfire wanted to save Wave, a cherished member of their Wonderbolt family. It wasn’t hard for them all to agree it was what they wanted. Descent could see and feel the motivation spreading, but he still didn’t think it was a good idea, even if Spitfire had given him a taste of his own medicine. He felt Soarin was of higher priority. He would do whatever it took if he knew a way to save the commanders… but only if it didn’t pose unnecessary risks. He still had one card against her though. “Hmph…” Descent grunted as he stepped backwards from Spitfire and turned away from her. “Do what you will… but I won’t be a part of it. I’m NOT risking the Renegades on a suicide mission for ONE pony. If you’re so hell bent on doing this, you won’t have Renegade support.” “Fine,” Spitfire answered immediately, causing Descent’s eyes to widen as he quickly turned back towards her in disbelief. “Have it your way, tough guy. All it does is make you look like a hypocrite… sound familiar?” she jabbed. He scrunched his face and held his breath as she used his own words against him. Technically, he was being a hypocrite, despite the difference in situation desired to rescue those he cared about. It still came down to whether or not he would risk something to save a friend… and he would. “We’ll help you,” Blazetail suddenly stepped past Descent, addressing Spitfire. Descent quickly looked towards Blazetail with a glare of disapproval as several retired Wonderbolts stepped up with him, all looking just as determined as their old leader. “No, you won’t,” Descent shot down Blazetail quickly. “Yes, we will,” Blazetail glanced towards Descent, giving him a look of dismissal in defiance of the direct order. Descent, obviously, did not like that. “Blazetail, you are NOT going!” Descent squared up to Blazetail and growled in his face. Blazetail glared right back, but kept calm under Descent’s harsh gaze. “Descent, shut your damn trap.” “WHAT?!” Descent glared harder, if that were even possible. Blazetail had defied his role as their leader on many occasions, but this was really pushing his patience. Flashwind suddenly stepped forward, putting herself between them before the two of them could start butting heads… again. “We may be Renegades,” she began. “But we were once Wonderbolts. And the Wonderbolts do not take being pushed around lightly. If the mission is to save one of our own, we will assist, no questions asked.” She paused and turned to Spitfire. “We will do whatever we can to help, isn’t that right?” she asked as she turned to face all the retired Wonderbolts standing behind them. The large group of Wonderbolt Renegades moved in unison, all pounding a hoof to their chest before tapping the hoof to their forehead and holding it there. “AYE!” they all yelled as they finished the old Wonderbolt military salute. Flashwind turned back towards Descent and stared into his eyes with full confidence. “Is the chance slim?” Silver’s voice met their ears as he made his way towards them, taking his place beside Spitfire. “Maybe… we won’t know exactly until we assess the situation. But not trying at all?” He shook his head. “I once made the mistake of leaving fellow wingmates… friends, behind… and that’s something I’ve regretted my whole life. Never again.” Descent went silent. He grunted as he flattened his brow and looked between them all, but he was clearly not going to gain any ground. Spitfire completely disregarded his presence as she turned to her captains. “Silver, Fire, Blazetail, Flashwind… let’s all go to my office, we have some planning to do,” she looked to her right at Princess Luna, who had been sitting nearby, observing. “Princess, I would like to ask for your presence as well,” she asked as the others began heading for the broken stairwell. Princess Luna perked up. She had been paying attention, but was not expecting to be addressed. She glanced away for a moment before nodding. “We shall join you shortly… there is something we must do first,” she replied as she stood. “Very well,” Spitfire nodded before eagerly turning and following behind the others, ready to formulate their plan. Luna watched her leave, taking a brief moment to watch Descent trudge down the west hallway with Starry Skies and Lightning Dust follow behind before turning her attention back to a certain pony in the lobby. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to agree about the direction the Wonderbolts were heading… at least until she got a clearer picture on the situation with Soarin. One piece was already in place… and she wanted to speak to said piece, who was still alive, right now. Dash smiled, still holding a hoof over her heart as she watched the Wonderbolt morale soar before her very eyes. They were without two key members, but Spitfire’s show of leadership and urge to make a statement to the Shadowbolts had rekindled confidence. It wasn’t just a small spark either. It was an inferno that set all of their spirits ablaze. Was the situation grim? Yes. Was the window of opportunity small? Very. But it seemed the Wonderbolts felt the same way Spitfire did… that they were being toyed with and they had had enough. They would start by going after and taking back one of their own. As for Soarin… Dash knew he was alive. The fact that she still lived made that clear. She didn’t know what his situation was, or why her heart was still beating slightly faster, but they knew the danger Wave was in, and agreed that it was a good idea to go after him first. Soarin was strong, tough, and resourceful. She believed in his ability to survive. “Huh?” Dash blinked as she saw her squadmates, save for Twister, go stiff and hold themselves steady. “What’s up guys?” “Rainbow Dash.” Dash’s ears stood straight up as the familiar, regal voice met her ears. She turned around to see Princess Luna approaching. “Oh, what’s up, Princess?” Dash asked casually, completely contradicting the reaction her friends had to her. “We wish to speak to you about…” Luna paused and sighed as she felt a tug on her mane. She looked down to see Twister with the end of her mane wrapped around his head and eyes. “I’M BLIIIIIIIIND!” he cried out as Dash reached forward, grabbed Twister by the tail, and yanked him back. “Let’s start over,” Dash nodded as she forced Twister to the ground and sat on top of him. “What’s up. Princess?” she repeated as if nothing had happened. Luna played right along as Twister stared at Matteo from beneath Dash, making quiet eagle screeches. Luna shook her head at Twister before focusing back on Dash. “We wish to speak to you about Soarin, we understand he is missing, but well?” Luna asked. Dash gave a smile and a nod. “You bet’cha,” Dash winked. “You see, Soarin and I—” “Have a spiritual connection created during the magic transfer process, we know,” Luna explained with a smile. “Thou would be dead if he was.” “Oh, you already knew,” Dash tipped her head to the side, wondering if she ever mentioned it to Princess Luna. “Discord told us, in a rare moment of being informative,” Luna recalled, rolling her eyes slightly. “Any problems? Anything out of the ordinary with you?” Luna asked, clearly very well educated in how the connection was affecting the two. “Well…” Dash pondered for a moment. “In the past, I’ve experienced heart jumps and inner pains at times that Soarin has been hurt by the magic… it was happening for a while actually and got stronger as we began to understand it… but so far, I’ve felt nothing like that.” Her eyes widened for a moment. “Oh, but…” she put her hoof over her heart. “My heart has been beating a little faster since he went missing.” “Thy heart?” Luna tipped her head to the side slightly. “A faster heart rate… but no pain… hmm…” Luna looked away for a moment as she thought it over. “Anything I don’t know about the connection I should?” Dash sighed, a little tired of things being revealed gradually and not all at once. Luna, however, shook her head. “Actually, we’re not sure,” she stated. “But that does trouble us… because a common effect that the magic had on Soarin before we placed the horn on his head, was a rapid heartbeat.” Dash’s eyes widened. She hadn’t thought about that. “But… if it were really causing problems, I’d be feeling it too, right?” Dash asked. Luna quickly nodded, but looked concerned. “Indeed, however… the horn has been providing Soarin a way to control the magic as it grew in power… not placing the horn would have eventually led to him being consumed…” Luna began pacing back and forth. “The steady rapid heartbeat is of similar nature to him not having the horn on… and yet… you are feeling nothing aside from heartbeat of a similar pace…” “Luna… a little clarity here?” Dash asked with a pout. Luna stopped and quickly looked back at Dash. “We’re sorry, but we fear some damage may have come to the horn… which would be bad…” Luna admitted. “We are confident in Soarin’s ability to handle the magic should it become a little unruly… but we should not wait too long to look for him.” “What do you mean by—” Dash was cut off and her eyes widened as she suddenly felt an incredibly tight pain in her chest. “AH!?” she winced and lurched forward, her heart suddenly feeling like it was going to jump out of her chest. “Dash?!” Little Star quickly broke from her stiffness and hopped over as Luna gasped. “Rainbow Dash! What is it?!” Luna shouted, drawing lots of attention towards them from around the compound. Fleetfoot cantered over as she saw the commotion. “What’s going on over here?!” she asked, gasping as she saw Dash drop to the ground while grunting in pain. “Ahhhh… arrrrghhh…. Oooooh….” Dash grunted over and over as she clutched her chest. “Soarin…?! SOARIN!” she yelled as she scraped her free hoof against the floor. “Oh no…” Luna looked upon Dash with dread. “Please… please get control of it Soarin…” she spoke quietly to herself. “Please…” “Soarin!” Soarin writhed, his insides churning and his body burning as he felt like he was being torn apart from the inside out. “Soarin! You must fight!” “GHHHAAAAAAAH!” Soarin’s eyes snapped open. He was in a black void, the large, yellow silhouette of the mare in his mind standing over him. “Ahhhh! AAAAAHHH!!!” Soarin continued to feel continuous shocks of pain, like his whole body was being ripped apart down the center. He rolled back and forth, looking down at his body. It was glowing blue, and the blue light was fluctuating between light and dark hues. “RRGHHHHH!!!!” he slammed his eyes shut. “Don’t let it control you!” the mare encouraged. “HE IS MINE!” the stallion’s voice suddenly boomed, echoing all through the empty void. Soarin forced his eyes open again, meeting a horrific sight. The image of the yellow mare had turned her back to him and was standing defensively over Soarin. In front of her, was the blue stallion… or rather, just his head… and it was enormous, easily around ten times the size of the already large image of the mare and surrounded by pulsating, dark blue collections of light. “MY BONDS ARE WEAKENED! I WILL BE IN CONTROL!” he yelled as the surrounding clouds of blue light began to move about his head and spread outward. Soarin groaned and clutched his own head, shaking on the ground. “You will not!” the mare yelled as she began to glow brightly as multiple concentrated beams of yellow light shot out and pierced through the expanding blue light. She kept firing the beams from her body, but she could not keep up with the spread. “YOUR ATTEMPTS ARE POINTLESS! YOU COULDN’T STOP ME ALONE BEFORE AND YOU WILL NOT STOP ME NOW!” the male voice shouted as his image grew even larger. “YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE TO DESTROY ME AND YOU WASTED IT! YOUR FATE HERE IS YOUR OWN DOING!” “Ah!” the mare yelped as her image began to flicker. “RAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!” the stallion roared out as his light slowly began to fill the entire area. “Soarin!” the mare yelled as she continued to flicker and stumble. “I need your help! He’s powerful, but he is underestimating your willpower!” “Ugghhhhh! Aggghhhhh!” Soarin heard her, but his head felt like it was going to explode. “If you let him control you… nopony will be able to stop him! Help me, Soarin!” she pleaded, but Soarin could barely focus, much less find his hooves. “IT’S USELESS!” the stallion laughed. “YOU’VE LOST! ALL YOUR EFFORTS FOR NAUGHT! FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I SAID HE WOULD BE MINE! NOW IT’S TIME TO CLAIM HIS BODY AND BE FREE ONCE AGAIN!” “NO!” the mare yelled as all the light the stallion had emitted began to shoot towards Soarin. She put herself in front of Soarin, but was immediately knocked aside by its overwhelming power. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” Soarin cried out as the multiple streams of light began to rush into his body. “YES! YES! MINE! HAHAHA!” the stallion laughed as his light surged into Soarin. “RRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Soarin suddenly growled… And the light flow halted. “WHAT?!” “GET…” Soarin rolled onto his stomach. “OUT…” Soarin pressed his hooves to the ground. “OF…” he slowly began to rise. “BLAST IT! GIVE IT UP ALREADY!” the stallion snarled as he tried, but failed to force his power forward. “MY…” Soarin stood up, his muscles all tensed and looking down while grimacing. “NO! IF ONLY THAT DAMN HORN…” “BODY!” Soarin roared out as he threw his head back and flared his wings out. All the light that had entered his body shot out of him in all directions. “URGH! CURSE IT! YOU… YOU…!” the stallion panicked. “Yes, Soarin! YES!” the mare cheered as Soarin forced all the light out of his body. “RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!” Soarin kept yelling as the light was fully ejected. “AH!” Soarin yelled as he awoke. “Haa… haa… grrrghhh aaaaahh…” he panted, his whole body in pain. What just happened? Where was he? It was pitch black, but he wasn’t in the void with the voices in his head anymore… it felt like he was resting on top of a pile of rocks. “Ohhh…” he groaned as he reached up to touch his head. His felt like his head was in a vice, being compressed with the pain concentrated all around one specific spot, the usual spot around the horn. Something had to be wrong with it. He hadn’t felt this much pain in his head for a long time. There was nothing he could do while it was pitch black though, he needed some light. One problem, though. The only way he was getting any light was through his magic, and he wasn’t sure if using it was the best idea with the pain… but he didn’t really have a choice. His body hurt, his head hurt more, and he had no idea where he was. So he had to give it a try. Soarin pushed aside the pain and tried to concentrate. It was hard… and when he finally got the magic flow in his body to respond it didn’t feel right at all. It was taking a lot of effort just to get even a small response from it, and as it gathered towards his forehead it felt like he was burning a hole right through his skull. “Ahhhh…” Soarin released a labored breath as the magic failed to focus in any direction once it reached his head. Some of it went into the horn, but a lot of it spilled. He felt burning sensations in his nose, eyes, and mouth… as if the magic was leaking. “HRGH!” Soarin grunted, straining himself as a flickering light began to spark above him. After lots of blinking and failed attempts, Soarin finally generated enough light to get a vague idea of his surroundings. He was indeed sitting on a pile of rocks, and as he looked up, there was a ceiling of rock above him. Was he in a cave? That’s what it seemed like. He had to see more, the light was helping, but he couldn’t even get a good look at his horn with how dim it was. “Gotta… try… RGH!” Soarin winced as several crackles and pops came from the horn, small sparks shooting from it as the light grew brighter, but continued to flicker with an aura that looked uneven. “Oh no…” Soarin cringed as he opened his eyes and finally got a good look at the horn. It was heavily damaged. Its sharp, smooth surface covered with multiple, large cracks with several chipped spots to go with them. The cracks were filling with a bright blue glow as the magic worked through it, spewing the small sparks as he tried to maintain it. “Damn… that’s… not good…” Soarin groaned as he looked back down at himself. His body was pretty beaten up as well, multiple scratches and heavy impact bruises. That explained why his body hurt on top of it all. He now got a better view of where he was… and it was, indeed, a cave of some sorts, a small and cramped space. He had crashed and an insanely high speed into the mountainside… he didn’t remember much beyond that, but he did see a soft glow before the impact. It was a yellow glow. Had the yellow magic protected him? If it had… it only protected him from the initial impact. It certainly didn’t keep it up all the way through. Were there any exits? He was breathing, and it wasn’t hard to do so, so he assumed that there had to be some air flow. But wherever it was, it was small and would take some time to find, because where he currently sat, he couldn’t see any openings along the walls. And if he found them… he hoped he one, would uncover a tunnel and two, find a way out. But he was getting ahead of himself, first he had to get up and find his equilibrium. A battle had clearly raged inside his head, and while he was able to hold the magic from consuming him, he was still feeling incredibly off. “Huh?” Soarin blinked as he suddenly spotted something on the cave floor nearby. It looked like… shreds of something. Upon shining the light on them, they looked like pieces of a flight suit. But he wasn’t wearing a flight suit… also, the pieces were black. Soarin turned his head to the left, but there was only a wall. He turned his head back right, shining the light into the rest of the cave’s small area. “Oh…” he blinked. He was not alone. ---To Be Continued---