Rising From The Shadows

by Aurora Steel

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“No.”

The man dragged the figure out of the hole, resting him on the cobble pavement a few feet away from the crash sight. The figure was barely recognisable but it was clear the figure was a Skyborn and a huge one at that. She could make out a very dirty pair of giant wings that made the flame haired mans’ wings look like baby wings in comparison. Along with the extremely dirty white wings she could just about make out warm blue hair with very faint speckles of gold or yellow or orange. It was hard to tell as the figure was completely covered in dirt, blood and torn material which looked almost exactly the same as the flame heads’ but much larger.

Aurora shook her head once again in disbelief as she got into a crouching position to give one final pull to free the small girl. She clenched her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes. “YOU ARE THE WORST PERSON ALIVE!” She yelled, pulling the girl with all of her might. She managed to free her but was sent tumbling backward as a result of the lack of tension.

“No. That’s Prince Blueblood. Pompous prick he is.” The flame head simply replied, glancing over to her as he bent down, trying to find a pulse on the unconscious figure.

Groaning, Aurora slowly got to her feet again, brushing the dirt and dust off of her clothing as she felt her face throbbing. Especially part of her lip and the side of her face.

“You-“

“There they are!” Someone shouted from above them causing both of them to look up to see three more figures hovering far above them in what appeared to be the exact opposite of what the flame head and the unconscious man were wearing. Well it wasn’t completely opposite as they were very similar apart from the baggy pants looked more like spandex pants or leggings, it was again hard to tell. The uniforms weren’t purple, grey and yellow, they were a solid medium blue with light yellow lightening bolts in the exact same places they were on the other outfits.

“What’re the Wonderbolts doing here?” Aurora asked herself, completely unaware that she’d just said it out loud.

“Ah shit.” The man groaned, picking up his unconscious comrade as best as he could manage.

She looked back and forth between the flame head, Wonderbolts and the little girl, debating on what to do. She could protect the little girl from any further harm or danger from anything or anyone, she could get the Wonderbolts’ attention and explain what happened or she could even help the flame head even though she would never choose that option. Deciding to go to the little girl, she slowly walked over to her, sighing in relief when she saw the girls’ chest very slowly rise and fall.

“Step away from the kid!” One of the Wonderbolts shouted, swooping down in front her.

The Wonderbolt standing in between her and the girl was none other than the imfamous Soarin’ Skies. His icy blue wings were flared out as far as they could reach, intimidating the hell out of her even more than he already had with his towering height alone. He was just taller than the flame head, his hair and skin contrasting greatly against him. While the flame head was very tanned, Soarin’ was very pale with midnight blue hair.

“I was just trying to help the little girl!” Aurora tried to argue no matter how scared of the man she was.

“Yeah right. I bet you’re with the Shadowbolts over there!” Soarin’ shouted back angrily.

“What even are the Shadowbolts?” She asked, not knowing what the hell was going on.

“Look behind you!” He pointed to the flame head slowly trying to sneak off. “They are Shadowbolts! How do you not recognise your own?!”

“Because I have no idea what’s going on!” She tried to manoeuvre around the ‘Bolt but to little avail as he simply stepped one way or another, his wings blocking her from the girl completely.

“No idea? Then why in Celestia’s name are you here?!”

“I was just walking up to the castle archives!”

“I’m sure you were.” The other two Wonderbolts landed next to him, both easily identified as Fleetfoot and Spitfire, two of the elites in the ‘Bolts. Fleetfoot walked behind soarin’, picking up the little girl gently before flying away presumably to the nearest hospital.

“I was!” She grabbed her bag, getting her book out. “I was doing research on wings!” She held the book out for both ‘Bolts to see.

“How do we know that you didn’t steal it?” Spitfire asked, her windswept flaming orange and gold hair swaying as she stomped forward.

"Wha? I’d never!” She defended herself, putting the book away before swinging her bag back on her back.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what they all say.” Spitfire growled, her wings starting to flare out as well with each step she took closer.

“Greyscale!” The flame head shouted, causing her to whip her head around. “Either way, ya gonna get put in jail! They don’t give a damn what ya say!”

“He’s not wrong.” Soarin’ said bluntly. “Even though he is a Shadowbolt.”

“But I’m telling the truth!” She tried to argue once again even thought it was completely pointless.

“I’m sure.” Soarin’ repeated.

“Damnit…” She muttered. There was no getting out of this situation without hurting someone or getting hurt herself. It was also a matter of going to jail or running away and she couldn’t do the latter without the flame heads’ help. No way she looked at it there just wasn’t any outcome that would benefit her and everyone around.

“You’re coming with us.” Spitfire interrupted her thoughts, getting out a pair of handcuffs from one of the pouches on her yellow belt.

“Ok, ok.” She breathed. “Just let me get something.” She bent down, pretending to search through the rubble.

Suddenly she chucked a piece of the said rubble at spitfire’s face whilst standing upward, her leg kicking upward into Soarin’s privates, effectively kicking him in the crotch. Knowing there was no going back now, she held onto the strap of her bag tightly as she ran over to the Shadowbolts whilst she had the upper hand.

The flame head smirked as he took off sprinting as fast as he could with an unconscious giant on his back. Aurora joined him, sprinting at the same pace.

“What made ya do it?” The flame head asked, hoisting the giant further up his back as he’d begun slipping downward.

“What else could I do?” She asked back as they turned a corner into an alleyway, trying to find the fastest route out of the city. “It’s not as if any of you gave me much of a choice!”

The flame head smirked as they exited the alleyway, ran across the large road and into the next alley way. “Who is it you’re carrying?” She asked as they jumped down a set of stairs, the flame head landing roughly. He took a moment to regain his posture and catch up to her.

“Ya heard me call ‘is name earlier.” He simply replied hoisting the unconscious man up again.

“Abe?” She asked, trying to remember the name.

“Hell no. It’s Ace.”

“Cool name.”

“Yeah.”

The two turned onto another large street and instead of running into the next alleyway they ran down the street, thankfully no one was on the street as Ace crashed into the fountain. Everyone must’ve seen it as a terrorist attack and hid in their homes.

“Where do we go now?” Aurora asked as she simply followed the flame heads’ lead.

“Who said you were comin’ with me and 'im?” The flame head asked back.

“I don’t exactly have anywhere to go now! You owe me!”

“Don’t ya have a home or somethin’?”

“No.” Was all she replied with.

“Wow. Just wow." He smirked. "So not even an apartment?"

"This really isn't the time to talk about my living arrangements you ass!"

They ducked into a small alleyway between two houses as the Wonderbolts flew by, scanning for them. A few tense and nerve wracking moments passed before they were sure the treat to them was gone allowing them to continue running down the winding main road.

Once they were finally at the bottom of the main road and of Canterlot for that matter, they scanned around to try and find an exit. In front of them was the main gate for entering the city, usually the giant golden gates were open for visitors and the train to pass through but it was now closed thanks to Ace and the flame head’s antics in the upper most plaza. The city was now on a complete lock down meaning guards were posted everywhere around the walls and gates of the city built into the side of a mountain, everyone in their houses or public shelters and the Royal Guard sweeping every road, every plaza, every house for any signs of the perpetrators. It was nearly impossible to escape as they had the Skyborn Guard patrolling the airspace, Mages guarding and casting spells at the gates and the Earth Guard sweeping the streets.

“What the hell do we do now?!” Aurora practically shouted, pushing the two guys into an alleyway as a squad of Earth Dwellers passed by with spears in hand.

“I ‘ave someone waiting for us.” The flame head simply replied as he lead her deeper into the alleyway. He lead her down the back road and down to what looked like a hole in the mountain. As they approached the hole, someone walked out of the hole in the same attire as the other two except they were wearing a hood.

“Songbird quit hiding’ yer face.” He ordered, shrugging off the unconscious Ace onto the dirt street.

From what Aurora could see, the person or Skyborn more specifically was rather small, measuring up to about the flame heads’ chin if that. She had average size warm purple wings for her height and from what she could see from under the hood, bouncy black hair with streaks of what looked like pink and purple running through it. The other thing she noticed was the fact that she was incredibly skinny, even for someone of her stature.

“Songbird?” She looked up at the flame head questionably.

“That’s me!” The female Skyborn shouted back, jumping up in the air which inadvertently caused her hood to fall off her head to reveal a set of onyx black eyes.

“Wow…” She muttered. Even in Equestria black eyes were one of the more rare colours.

“Can we get goin’ already?” Flamehead groaned in utter boredom.

“Yep!” Songbird chirped, her wings fluttering slightly as she turned around to re-enter the cave.

“I swear…” Flamehead muttered as Aurora helped him carry Ace into the partially hidden cave.

The group moved through the long and eery cave, the light dimming with every step they took. They walked down the narrow and curving path until the point where they could no longer walk as it was too dark to see anything.

“Songbird.” The Flamehead simply stated to the said girl leading the group down path.

Suddenly a bright burst of light illuminated the cave before dimming down to a non-blinding brightness. Aurora looked forward to see the ‘Songbird’ carrying a gas powered lantern in front of her.

"Ok, what are your actual names?" She asked, getting fed up of the nicknames.

"As if I'm gonna tell ya." The flame head snorted.

"Well I can't keep calling you 'flamehead'." She tried to argue.

Sighing, he nodded. “Ember.”

“And I’m Astral!” Songbird chimed in as she did a flip to accentuate her her reveal.

Aurora simply nodded, repeating the names in her head to make sure she remembered them. She had a bad habit of forgetting names and she really didn’t want to forget their names as she would most likely need them at some point in the not to distant future.

Soon the group neared the end of the cave as flight slowly started to flood the cave again. The group collectively shivered as a cold fog encased them. Just because it was getting lighter, it didn’t mean it was getting warmer by any extent. Astral had put out her lantern before hiding it somewhere whilst Aurora wrapped her jacket around her torso as tightly as possible. She was wearing clothing suited for Canterlot’s sunny and warm whether unlike wherever they were heading to.

“Prepare yerself greyscale. Where we’re goin’ ain’t no paradise.” Said Ember as he hoisted Ace up again for the umpteenth time.

“Where are we going?” She asked back.

“We’re heading to the Everfree but we’re cuttin’ through the Canterlot mountain first to get a train to Ponyville.” Ember explained as the group came out of the end of the cave to see a complete white out of a mountain.

Where they had come out on was toward the base of the mountain itself but the mountain had been scheduled for a blizzard around the east side and now they were at the start of the blizzard. They had two options to get down the mountain; either fly down or scale down. As Ace was too injured and unconscious to fly and Aurora didn’t exactly have wings, their only option now was to scale down the ice covered terrain in the middle of a blizzard unless they found a small cave or hole to hide in to wait out the storm.

“What now?!” Aurora shouted over the hail and snow slamming into them.

“We climb down!” Ember shouted back as the two Shadowbolts slipped their goggles back on. “Songbird take Ace!”

Astral saluted dramatically as the two Shadowbolts carefully exchanged the unconscious man from one holder to the other.

“Songbird is gonna fly Ace down whilst we climb!” Ember explained further to the confused woman.

“Can’t you just fly us?” Aurora asked in hopes of not having to scale down what would be her certain death.

“Scaling down mountains in a white out ain’t exactly my strong suit ok?!” He shouted back as he rummaged through a bank of snow at the mouth of the cave for something. She'd noticed that the whole time they'd been out on the ledge, Ember had his wings around him as if he were trying to warm himself up or protect himself from the wind and sleet. After a few moments he found what he was looking for which turned out to be a backpack with what looked like climbing gear and a glint of a weapon.

He chucked a harness and a rope over to her as he started putting his own on. She looked over to Astral to see her hugging Ace tightly as she slowly lowered him down using the full extent of her wing power to make sure they were slowly lowered down even though the gale force winds were slamming into them. She looked back down at the harness in her slowly numbing hands, wondering how the hell she was meant to put it on.

“COME ON GREYSCALE!!” Ember roared, his harness already tightly fastened.

“I don’t know how to put it on!” The wind was now not only slamming into her but now she was slowly starting to freeze over.

Ember groaned in annoyance as he quickly walked over to her, snatching the harness from her. He told her how to do it and a few minutes later, they were both in harnesses and ready to scale down the mountain face.

The two made make shift anchors at the mouth of the cave, using heavy rocks to support their weight on the way down. They stood at the edge of the ledge, teetering over what seemed like an abyss.

It was truely scary and horrifying for Aurora to even think about leaning backward to abseil down. The highest she'd ever been was in a tower in Canterlot on a field trip and she'd absolutely freaked out when they'd taken the group out onto the balcony. Now she was on the verge of breaking down. She was not ready for this at all.

"I can't!" She shouted as Ember was leaning back.

"Bloody hell." He muttered as he flared out wings before forcing them down as fast as he could to force him back upright. "Why not?!" He furthered, taking a step toward her.

"I hate heights!" She admitted as she brushed her now icy hair out of her face.

"Ya think I give a damn that ya hate heights?! I could leave ya on this damned mountain and let the guards get ya but I ain't gonna do that this time! Now scale down this damn mountain or I'll drop ya down it!" He barked, pointing over the edge.

Nodding without another word, she tightened the straps of her bag as she inched closer to the edge. She looked over to see Ember leaning backward, his wings spread out to help keep him stable as he lowered himself into a near horizontal position. Doing the same, she lowered herself into the position without the help of wings.

She could feel her heart beating faster and faster with each shaky step she took down the almost vertical mountain face. As she descended there were a few times where she'd misplaced her footing or slipped on ice which had resulted in some nasty cuts and bruises on her arms and legs. What made it worse was the fact that she was wearing light and thin clothing with the exception of her jacket as boots. Not clothes suited for mountains at all.

Ember on the other hand had clothes on suited for just about any climate. The Shadowbolts had made sure to design a uniform for not just one area or climate. Though he was almost overheating thanks to his outfit, he wasn't fond of the freezing cold temperatures or the blizzard. He'd much prefer to be somewhere hot like Sydneigh or Hearth but no. Instead he was freezing his wings off as they were still spread out for stability.

He looked down to see that they were about a third of the way down compared to Astral being almost double the distance down.

"Come on!" He shouted to Aurora as he picked up his pace.

Aurora simply moved closer to the mountain as a large gust of wind almost knocked her off her feet. Her hands were almost frozen over now along with her joints as the blizzard intensified by the minute.

It was a very slow and painful process for both of them as neither liked the cold or scaling down mountains but they eventually neared to the ground where the storm was less intense, allowing them to thaw a little.

"Just a little more!" Aurora repeated to herself as she finally felt one foot touch something flat and horizontal. She looked down to finally see the ground underneath her.

"Congrats greyscale. I thought ya were gonna cap it about five feet down." Ember smirked, taking off his harness to put it back in the bag.

"Yeah. No thanks to you." She glared back, taking her own harness off with some difficulty.

"What? I told ya what ta do and ya did it." He shrugged.

"No you yelled at me."

"I did not!" He exclaimed, his voice going a few octaves higher.

"Yes you did!"

"No I didn't!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Guys!" Astral cut in, dragging Ace over to them. "We need to get going!" She pointed to the blizzard.

Ember nodded, shutting up as he took Ace from Astral who took the lead to navigate through the storm.

The group trekked through the ice covered rocky terrain, slipping every once in a while whilst crossing over a patch of black ice. Aurora still didn't know why they couldn't just fly out of the mountains but the more she studied the group in front of her, the more she noticed Ember shivering as his wings were firmly wrapped around himself and Ace, probably trying to keep both of them warm at the very least.

She tried to fiddle with her jacket sleeves to pull them down but it was a pointless task as her fingers were just about frozen anyway. All she could do was to wrap her arms around her chest and hope for the best.

Astral on the other hand was perfectly content with the snow compared to he rest of her group who were slowly turning into blocks of ice. She was mainly avoiding the ice but here was a slip up here or there but that was mainly due to something distracting her.

Soon they reached the exit of the mountains as the blizzard had turned back into a white out and was slowly turning into nothing more than light snow fall.

"Over there!" A voice boomed, stoping the group in their tracks.

They looked up to see a squadron of Skyborn guards heading toward them with what looked like either tridents or spears.

"Ahh shit." Ember groaned.

"Time to go!" Astral added, prompting the group to leave.

The group started running down the steep decent to the trees surrounding the mountains as Astral dug through Embers’ backpack until she pulled out a handgun type weapon coloured back with pink and purple accents to probably match her hair. She started firing at the guards who quickly scrambled in different directions to avoid the barrage of bullets aimed at them.

"How'd they find us?!" Ember exclaimed as he jumped over a boulder despite the extra body weight next to him.

"They're patrolling all over the mountains! You kinda made an accidental threat to the capital of Equestria, how wouldn’t they find us!" Astral retorted as she reloaded the clip of her gun.

“They crashed into a fountain! How is that a national threat?!” Aurora asked, ducking under a tree branch.

“We’re Shadowbolts! If we even sneezed at the gate to the city, it’d be an international crime at the highest level!” Astral answered, dodging a spear aimed at her head.

“What did you do to have something like that happen?”

“Wouldn’t ya like ta know.” Ember chimed in.

“Yes I would!”

“That’s a story for another time.” Astral concluded. “Watch out!” She pushed Ember to the side to avoid a second spear.

“Stop! In the name of Celestia we command you to stop!” One of the guards shouted as the group neared the forrest.

“What about Luna?!” Astral fired back, flaring her wings out before pushing them down as fast as she could to get airborne. “What about in the name of Luna?!” She asked, pulling out a second gun from seemingly nowhere.

“Great. She ain’t gonna shut up about this for a while.” Ember sighed as they crossed the last fifty or so feet to the forrest.

Astral sped toward the guards, unloading the clips at them. “Luna is your Princess too!”

“We are Princess Celestia’s guard! Princess Luna has her own!” The second guard rebutted, charging at Astral whilst doing his best to weave around the oncoming bullets.

“The Royal Guard has been loyal to no single Princess for centuries! You are merely a corrupt shadow!” Astral belted out as she shot the guard in the leg and shoulder, making him falter to the ground.

Next, she aimed for the one of the two guards who were collecting their spears they’d thrown. “Tell Tartarus I said hello.” And with that she shot one of the guys in the head whilst spinning around with her leg extended to kick a guard flying down at her from above in the stomach.

“Holy shit!” Aurora gasped, one of her hands covering her mouth as she tried not to throw up from seeing blood flying everywhere from the now dead guard. “She killed a guard!”

“Welcome to real life greyscale! That would be you if she didn’t kill ‘Im.” Ember simply replied as the two stopped to wait for the now rage induced Skyborn.

“I didn’t think she’d actually kill him!” She had to resist the urge to throw up right then and there.

“The loserbolts would’ve done the exact same thing. They don’ care about sendin’ us to prison. All they care about is putting a bullet in the head of every single one of us. It’s kill or be killed out ‘ere greyscale, whether ya like it or not.” Ember calmly explained as he watched Astral take down the squadron of guards.

“But I’m not even a Shadowbolt!” She was almost at a loss for words at this point.

“As far as they care, ya are. So shut the hell up about it. We kill them, they kill us. It’s as simple as that.”

Astral soon joined the trio again, various parts of her uniform covered in blood. Not her blood, though the guards had tried. Whilst being taken down of course.

Ember and Aurora simply stared at her. Both wearing completely opposite expressions. Whilst Aurora was completely shocked, Ember was grinning widely.

Astral smiled innocently as she tucked her guns away, ”Come on ladies. Let’s go home.” And with that, she walked forward into the woods as if nothing had happened.