Ex-Bolts Rising

by Melody Song

So...What Now?

Author's Note:

So, this second chapter I really like, because it talks about how Spits sees the other 'bolts.

Also, I am writing Fleet with her lisp because it's just who she is. It's not a flaw or anything and I'm not singling her out for it, I just think it makes her unique. But when I make chapters where she's talking in her head or she's singing (that's not likely in this fic) the lisp doesn't affect it.

Spitfire allowed Rainbow and Thunderlane to lead the way to their hometown. They landed in a grassy field outside of town, near the Everfree Forest.

"Alright, start explaining." Fire Streak said, sitting down. The others crowded around and sat down in a cluster.

"I was talking with Crash about a change in our flight routine, but when we reached my office, Lightning Dust and Wind Rider were there. Apparently, the reason we've been getting a lot of our shows cancelled is because Lightning Dust's crew has been gaining popularity. They've become...the new best of the best, and now...they're legally required to take over as aerial military for the Princesses. Meaning they get the title of 'best flyers' and HQ." Spitfire explained, hanging her head.

"Those jerks! Chasing us out of our home!" Blaze exclaimed.

"Spitfire, what are we going to do?" High Winds asked.

"I don't know guys. Like Soarin said, the most important thing was making sure we all got out okay. You heard Lightning Dust's threats, she wasn't going to let us stay any longer without sending her flyers at us again." Spitfire answered.

"Who were all those ponies anyway?" Silver Zoom asked.

"I don't know their exact names, but Lightning Dust referred to them as the Shadowbolts. I think the other two Washouts were among them too." Spitfire responded.

"They were. I remember when I met them, their names are Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse." Rainbow agreed.

"Spitfire, are we going back? We need to try and get HQ back." Thunderlane said.

"We can't. Even if we fight, we wouldn't be able to. Lightning Dust showed me the paperwork. As the most popular flight team, HQ legally belongs to them now. If we try to take it back by force it would be against the law. The Shadowbolts are now the aerial military team for the Princesses, and there's nothing we can do." Spitfire explained, voice breaking a little.

"Ugh." Rainbow shuddered and pressed into Soarin.

"What's wrong Rainbow?" Soarin asked.

"It's...their name. The Shadowbolts was the name of a group of pegasi I met in that very forest." She nodded to the Everfree Forest in the distance. "They were a creation of Nightmare Moon, designed to stop us from reaching the Elements of Harmony. They gave me a choice: join their ranks as the Captain, or stay with my friends and tie a bridge so they could get across a ravine. It's pretty obvious which one I chose." Rainbow said

"I wonder how Lightning Dust knew about that name, and why she decided to name her team that." Misty Fly commented

"It doesn't matter. Whatever the reason, we need to figure out a way to get our Headquarters back. I have to figure out a way around the law, but we need our HQ back." Spitfire said, standing up.

"No problem. Twi's sure to have some books about this sort of thi-"

"No. I need to do this myself. If I had noticed the signs of Lightning's team gaining popularity I could have stopped it. I'll fix this on my own. Just...go back to your homes, I'll summon you with a fire message when I find something." Spitfire instructed, holding out her hoof to demonstrate the fire magic's message-sending power.

"No way Spits, we're a part of this team, we're helping." Soarin said.

"No. You're not responsible for this team. The Shadowbolts may be in our place now but I'm still the Captain. I'm the one who needs to do this. Please, just go home." Spitfire said.

"Alright. But we're doing this under protest." Rainbow said, standing up.

"Naturally." Spitfire rolled her eyes, watching as they took off.

"Um, Dashie?" Soarin was saying.

"Yes, Soar, you can stay with me so you don't get lonely." Rainbow responded.

"I wouldn't have been lonely." Soarin pouted.

"Do you want to stay with me or not?" Rainbow asked slyly.

"Of course I do. Love you Dashie." Soarin replied as they flew off, heading for the cloud mansion in the distance.

"Thpitfire?"

Fleetfoot hadn't said a single word with 's' in it until now. They were alone. Figures, she only usually said a lot of words with her lisp when she was sure there was nopony around who would make fun of her. And back during the skirmish there were plenty of strange ponies who might hear and laugh.

"Yeah baby?" Spitfire asked, leaning in to nuzzle her.

"I...um...I don't exactly have a real houthe. You know I normally thtay at HQ or your houthe during breakth." Fleetfoot began

"Say no more Fleety. You can stay with me hon." Spitfire kissed Fleetfoot gently and wrapped a wing over her.

"Thankth Thpitty." Fleetfoot said gratefully, pressing against her.

"Come on, let's head to my house."

Spitfire took off and led Fleetfoot there. Like Rainbow's house, Spitfire's cloud home was more of a mansion. It had her cutie mark emblazoned on the doorway, along with fire waterfalls, which she'd made with her Phoenix Magic.

"You're really going to try to tholve thith on your own baby? You know I could help." Fleetfoot offered.

"I need to Fleety." Spitfire insisted, and left for her study.

A week later, the other Wonderbolts came over.

"Spitfire! We got your fire message!" High Winds blurted out, but a blur of ice blue shot over and covered her mouth before she could say anything else.

"Quiet! Thpitfire didn't thend that, I did. She'th been really fruthtrated, I didn't know what elthe to do, tho I uthed her fire waterfall to send letterth to you all." Fleetfoot hissed.

"Why, what's wrong with her?" Soarin asked.

"She hathn't thlept or anything, I've been trying to convince her but...no luck." Fleetfoot said.

"I've got this. I can turn anyone's frown upside-down!" Surprise said, bouncing towards the study. "Hi-ya Spitty!" she said.

"Oh, hey guys." Spitfire sighed.

"Here, I'll use my best joke." Surprise whispered to them. "Hey Spitfire, what do chickens grow on?"

"I don't know Surprise, what do chickens grow on?" Spitfire asked sarcastically, which Surprise didn't notice.

"EGGPLANTS!" she exclaimed, then fell over laughing.

"Spits, what's wrong? I know you want to do this yourself but you're acting kind of obsessed over stopping them." Fire Streak commented.

"Yeah. Why are you so set on doing this by yourself? We could easily get help from Twi or we could help you if you want to keep this between the 'bolts." Rainbow said, and Spitfire stomped her hooves in annoyance.

"Don't you get it?! You guys aren't just my teammates, you're...you're a part of my family. And-and I need to show you guys how sorry I am. I have to do this myself, to make up for what I did." Spitfire looked away.

"You didn't do anything. All this is Lightning Dust's fault, not yours." Soarin consoled.

"It is my fault, I should have stopped Lightning Dust's team from getting popularity." Spitfire sighed, and Fleetfoot hugged her.

"You can't thtop thomepony from being popular Thpitfire, it doethn't work that way. Ponieth will believe what they want to believe, and in the end there'th nothing you can do to thtop them from thinking thingth about a pony or group of ponieth." Fleetfoot consoled.

"Thanks Fleet." Spitfire said, rubbing her eyes to wipe away the sticky feeling from lack of sleep.

"So, what now?" Blaze asked.

"I still say we should talk to Twi. There's no way she's happy about two of my enemies being in charge of the aerial military." Rainbow said.

"You're right Rainbow. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't do this on my own. I need help from someone who knows what they're doing." Spitfire said.

"Well, Twi isn't exactly an expert, but she's got so many books I'm sure she's got some on the law and stuff." Rainbow said.

"Great, we'll go down tomorrow"