My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition

by SuperPinkBrony12

Chapter 215: Chains of Command

The royal sisters were not the only leaders with big news or big plans to announce. As weeks went by and Shining Armor's coronation became a matter of when, not if, numerous other ponies and organizations began to discuss what would change once the new supreme ruler was crowned. It would be ridiculous to assume everything would be exactly the same as it was before, even if many ponies went by their lives as if they believed nothing would change.

Soarin and Thunderlane knew better. They weren't even sure if they would be able to stay friends with Shining Armor once he became full time ruler, not that they weren't determined to make an effort at least to keep the friendship going for as long as possible (hopefully for life). And there were always plenty of new recruits within the ranks of the Wonderbolts that could easily attest to how things and times were changing. There was even talk of non-ponies joining the ranks of the Wonderbolts, with Silverstream in particular having expressed an interest in the elite flyers.

As of yet nothing had come of the many pleas from the young hippogriff. All her elders were in agreement that her studies at the School of Friendship needed to come before any possible training with the Wonderbolts. But it wasn't unheard of for her to spend her free time after classes watching the Wonderbolts train, or attending their shows whenever they came to Ponyville.

The biggest change of all though, was to come unexpectedly and out of the blue one day when Spitfire called all active duty Wonderbolts to the academy for an important announcement. When they all arrived at the scheduled time (a rare occurrence), Spitfire made her announcement. "Effective immediately and until further notice, I'm officially putting Soarin in charge of all training related to our scheduled performance at Shining Armor's coronation. And Thunderlane shall be second-in-command."

Soarin was quick to shoot up a hoof in objection. "Captain, is there any reason why you can't oversee it yourself? It's not like this is our first performance for royalty or anything."

"You're right, Soarin. But this may be well the most important performance of our lives," Spitfire replied and explained. "You and Thunderlane know Shining Armor a lot better than I do. I think it only seems fair that you two be the ones to come up with a performance for his coronation that'll suit his style of leadership."

"Why can't we just do what we've done for the princesses in shows past? If it was good enough for them it's more than good enough for the prince. I'm sure Shining would agree if he were here right now." Thunderlane nervously insisted.

Spitfire only shook her head. "Much as we may like to pretend Shining Armor will rule exactly the same as the royal sisters, he won't. Things will be different. And we can't half heartedly do it on the performance. Equestria's new ruler deserves a performance unique to him. Anything less is insulting. So, does anypony here have any other objections?" There were none. "Good, that settles it. My decision is final. And anypony who complains will answer to me." She firmly insisted and then dismissed her teammates to practice.

---

To say the news took Soarin and Thunderlane by surprise would be an understatement. Thunderlane in particular was all but rendered speechless by the decision. True, Spitfire hadn't vacated her position as captain and would still be in charge for all other things. But with the coronation performance taking up more and more of the Wonderbolts' time as of late, her decision to put Soarin and Thunderlane in charge of overseeing it was basically promoting them to take her place.

The uncertainty and confusion caused by the sudden announcement was reflected by the bolts themselves, who gave off a rather distracted performance. More than a few began to whisper not so quietly about what had really prompted Spitfire to make the decision she had made.

"If you ask me, I'd say she's training us to get ready for what comes after the coronation," Fleetfoot was overheard saying to several of her fellow Wonderbolts. "Wouldn't surprise me if she's planning to step down and put Soarin in charge, and that Soarin is going to in turn promote Thunderlane to second in command."

Misty Fly nodded her head. "I know Spitfire better than almost anypony. She never does things like this without a reason, and I'd say your suggestion is the reason she did what she did. I can't say I'm surprised, Soarin's been second in command for years. And although Thunderlane is still technically a junior member, he's risen up the ranks as fast as Rainbow Dash did. So you'd better watch out, Fleetfoot. Otherwise, you may find yourself demoted."

"All this because I suggested that it might not be a bad idea to get somepony less accident prone compete in the Equestria Games?" Fleetfoot grumbled. "Spitfire was onboard with it originally. I meant no disrespect. And I earned my position as Spitfire's right hoof mare fair and square. In your absence somepony had to step up and fill the void."

Blaze only giggled. "No wonder Spitfire's passed you both over in favor of the stallions, you two always grumble about the same thing."

"Yeah, give it a rest why don't ya?!" Surprise complained as her tone of voice became noticeably one of anger and annoyance. "Seriously, shut your mouths for once so the rest of us can actually focus."

"Bold words coming from Slowpoke Surprise," High Winds protested. "Besides, you're always fooling around and making yourself look like an idiot. Are you sure you and Pinkie Pie aren't related somehow?"

Thunderlane trotted over and cleared his throat with an audible "Ahem,", as the bolts fell silent one by one and turned their attention to him. "That's quite enough of that, all of you. Stop your grumbling and start flapping! We've got to get this routine down pat for the coronation, or Spitfire will be very disappointed in us all."

Soarin just shook his head as he watched his fellow bolts reluctantly fall into line and take to the skies. "The other bolts have a point, much as I hate to admit it," He thought to himself. "Spitfire never does stuff like this without a reason. And I'm going to figure out what that reason is. We've known each other for so long, there's no way she can't tell me."

---

So it was that the very next day, before practice was scheduled to begin, Soarin decided to pay Spitfire a visit in her office at the academy. He brought Thunderlane along with him for good measure since he felt that his friend, and fellow pegasus and Wonderbolt deserved to know the truth behind his "promotion" as well.

If Spitfire was surprised by this sudden visit from the two stallions she didn't show it as she looked up from her desk. "Having some trouble with the routine? Or is there something else on your mind?" She asked them while folding her sunglasses. "It better be important, this paperwork's not gonna file itself you know."

"Yes, Captain, we know," Soarin nodded and then cleared his throat. "Listen, the reason Thunderlane and I came to see you today is because there's something we need to discuss. Something that needs to be addressed. And I think you know what we're talking about."

Thunderlane then spoke up as he tried not to show how nervous he was. "You didn't just want us to take over planning for the coronation routine because we're friends with Shining Armor, did you? Something far more important was on your mind when you hoofed the reins over to us. You're grooming us to be your successors, aren't you?"

Spitfire's response was to rise from her desk and sigh heavily. "Look, we need to face the facts here. None of us are getting any younger you know. The princesses' retirement was a wake up call. We need to start planning for the future, thinking about what we'll do when inevitably there comes a time for new leadership."

"Nopony will deny that, Captain, but why does it have to be now? We're all still pretty young, all things considered," Thunderlane protested. "Is now really the best time to be doing this? And it's not like we don't have a plan at all."

Spitfire was not convinced. "Yet look how easily things fell apart when one of our own played a dirty trick on a promising recruit. Think of all the inner squabbles that we've had to endure in the past few years."

Soarin argued back. "No system is fool proof, and we've made substantial improvements since then. The chain of command is quite clear, that hasn't changed just because we've added a few more members to our ranks."

"Yet what would happen if there was a situation that was less clear? A situation where a designated successor, even temporarily, could ensure the team is able to function at one hundred percent?" The young captain protested while pacing the floor. "Being a Wonderbolt sometimes means putting our lives on the line to help others, and as captain of the team it's my job to lead the charge if necessary. I don't want the team to fall apart if anything were to happen to me. And I fear that much of the current roster is taking for granted their belief that I'll always be there if things get dicey."

"But there has to be a better way to solve this issue," Thunderlane argued. "I'm fine with letting Soarin take over, but the way you announced it has caused all the bolts to think he's going to take over from you soon. And there are going to be those who think he'll in turn make me his second in command because of this. And we all know that's not a position I've worked my way up to yet. I'm still on the bottom of the totem pole and it's not fair that I should get promoted just because I've stayed out of trouble."

Spitfire stepped back and paused in silent contemplation for a bit. She put a hoof to her chin and started to think. "So maybe I need to come up with another way to address this issue. But it has to be done now. I can't keep putting it off until a better time, or it'll never get addressed."

"Perhaps it would be best if you set up some kind of test or trial, something where only if somepony could truly best you would they prove they could be your successor," Soarin suggested. "That seems pretty reasonable to me. Thunderlane and I could participate alongside Rainbow Dash, Fleetfoot, Misty Fly and whoever else thinks they deserve to be your successor."

"But there are so many things a captain needs to be able to do," Spitfire nervously warned. "It's really not as simple as others make think. You and Thunderlane are among the only ones who know what it's truly like to do what I do."

"So, it's not like you'd be stepping down in an instant if somepony bested you," Thunderlane insisted. "You would still be on hoof to help train the new captain. I assume it was the same for you when you worked your way up the ranks."

Spitfire nodded as the gears in her head started to turn. "You're right, Thunderlane. And I think I know of a way that can settle the issue of who my successor will be once and for all. A way that will truly be fair to all."

---

The very next day, Spitfire called all the Wonderbolts together again for another announcement and this one was only slightly less shocking than the one from just two days prior. "I'm officially announcing a race to be held on the academy grounds against me. Whoever is first to cross the finish line will be the official new captain of the Wonderbolts. or if it happens to be me who crosses the finish line first I'll remain captain for the time being."

Said race was held only a few hours later, and it was basically a huge loop around the entire academy for several laps. Spitfire was in the center with Soarin and Thunderlane on either side of her, along with expected participants like Rainbow Dash, Fleetfoot and Misty Fly, as well as some unexpected ones like Blaze, Rapid Fire and even Sky Stinger was only a recruit (although given his still occasional bouts of self-believing grandeur it probably wasn't all that surprising).

When the race began all the other participants got off to a head start as Spitfire noticeably waited for at least half a lap before even taking off. Was she perhaps trying to lose on purpose?

That belief was short lived as Spitfire was able to catch up to and ultimately overtake everyone for the lead! A lead that she maintained with minimal effort for several laps as many of the participants started to fall behind. It was no surprise when she ended up winning the race as a result by a wide margin.

"You know, even though I gave you all a head start and was holding back, I really expected you all to do a little bit better," Spitfire scolded her teammates. "This is exactly what I've been worried about. You've all grown complacent under my leadership, counting on me to be there to bail you out if anything goes wrong. And that's not how we're going to move forward."

"But what about the coronation performance? Are you going to be overseeing that again?" Thunderlane asked in between pants.

The young captain shook her head. "Nope. I still intend to leave the current leadership in charge of that. I'd say now more than ever it's important to train the team to get used to not having me around all the time," Then she looked around, particularly observing Soarin, Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash. "However, some of you did manage to surprise me with how well you hung in despite the odds. So that does help me to feel better knowing that if anything were to happen to me, the team wouldn't be completely helpless."

"So maybe now you can rest at ease a bit, and stop worrying so much," Soarin suggested to the captain. "You're gonna give yourself grey hairs in your mane if you keep getting all worked up about these sort of things all the time."

"I guess I could, just a little," Spitfire concluded. "But only if the rest of you agree to keep improving as individuals, and as a team. They say a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and I don't wanna see any weak links in this chain!"

Thunderlane just nodded and saluted. "Don't worry, Captain. We won't let you down! Trust us, when the time for the coronation comes, you'll be impressed by the performance we put on."

The young captain nodded and flashed a rare smile. "I don't doubt that. With two of Shining's closest friends overseeing it, it'll definitely be a performance to remember."

Author's Note:

Well, it's good to know that despite the site's unexpected server issue yesterday, all progress on this fic was not lost.

Since Soarin and Thunderlane are both in the Wonderbolts I felt it was best to combine their final focus chapters together into one, which now leaves only Big Macintosh to get his final solo focus chapter before the big finale. If you've been a long time follower of this series you can probably guess what that'll involve.

Speaking of the finale, I'm getting pretty close to it. And provided there aren't too many more setbacks like the one the site had yesterday, I'll probably be able to finish this fic for good by the end of 2020. Next up is going to be the chapter covering "The Summer Sun Setback" in this fic's universe, and it'll probably be out by the end of June or start of July. After that I'll probably move the fic onto hiatus for the summer. My intent now is to have the final battle arc of twelve chapters in October, and the last chapter in November around the seven year anniversary of this fic's original publication (the original twelve chapters to be precise).

Comments

[Melody Song]

Wooh! It's been a long ride and I know you'll do great on the last chapters, even if we have to wait for them. I loved this chapter, and how you portrayed Spit. It does seem like the bolts rely on her a lot and I'm glad you addressed it. Looking forward to another chapter!

[SuperPinkBrony12]

10283202 I think it's in part due to how often we saw Spitfire compared to the rest of the Wonderbolts. Soarin was the only other one to get any profound screen time, and even then it pailed in comparison to how often Spitfire appeared. And her characterization from Season 3 onwards was often a subject of debate.

[Melody Song]

10283232
I know, it's a bit sad, really. It's part of the reason I try making a lot of Wonderbolt content. I like showing them in a better light because I think they deserve it.

[Comickook]

Very good job on the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up in this latest installment. Indeed, I CAN understand combining Soarin' and Thunderlane's final focus chapters into one. And, indeed, I can understand the reactions to Soarin' and Thunderlane being put in charge of the training for Shining's coronation performance, Spitfire made a good point about making an effort to prepare for the future and the other Wonderbolts' working to adjust to certain things was also appropriate.

REALLY looking forward to the remaining portions of this story.

[Yoshifan30]

Soarin and Thunderlane knew better. They weren't even sure if they would be able to stay friends with Shining Armor once he became full time ruler, not that they weren't determined to make an effort at least to keep the friendship going for as long as possible (hopefully for life).

Yeah it is pretty tough I mean I have that same problem when I finally finish High School I lost contact with my friends because they have their own lives and it's really hard to keep contact with them it hurts but that's life I guess 😔

[Yoshifan30]

There was even talk of non-ponies joining the ranks of the Wonderbolts, with Silverstream in particular having expressed an interest in the elite flyers.

Yeah I did remember seen that episode of uprooted in the beginning of the episode that silverstream wanted it to be a Wonderbolt which I'm pretty surprised she wants to be but that's actually kind of cool

[Yoshifan30]

Spitfire's response was to rise from her desk and sigh heavily. "Look, we need to face the facts here. None of us are getting any younger you know. The princesses' retirement was a wake up call. We need to start planning for the future, thinking about what we'll do when inevitably there comes a time for new leadership."

So she got a little spook about this whole Princess Celestia and Luna retiring and sooner or later she will be soon wow