Bullets of Fire

by BlackWater

41 - Bullets of Fire

Spitfire had felt it before in practice. But today was not practice, it was for real. The only regret was that Surprise was not with her now, as the mare was still asleep in the hospital. She had heard good news from the doctor, who said that she had actually awoken to full consciousness and exhibited no permanent damage. If only Spitfire had been there. The mare had fallen back into unconsciousness before the captain could show up.

Now it felt empty. Surprise wasn't even in a spectator seat to watch the first public performance. Maybe it wouldn't have hurt Spitfire so much inside if Surprise had been a late joiner like Blaze. But Surprise had been the very first to train with her in secret. Only she knew about Princess Celestia.

Speaking of the alicorn...

"Woohoo!" cheered a white mare at the edge of the crowd. She was dressed in an elegant but not dramatic outfit that conveniently covered her cutie mark. A similar mare of the opposite shade of coat was standing beside her with a pout upon her face.

Spitfire had been approached by the mysterious pair of unicorn females backstage before the official performance time. The white one had presented herself quietly and only to Spitfire as "the one and only." The pegasus had failed to get it at first but eventually realized with a rather long "oh." Apparently, the royal sisters wanted to enjoy the show incognito. Well, at least that was the case with Celestia. Luna seemed to be stewing about something. Spitfire just concluded that there were plenty of things going on with the princesses that she was not aware of - or entitled to know. Whatever the case, she had bid them to enjoy the show.

Now, the magically-disguised-as-unicorn Celestia seemed quite happy with herself. Why shouldn't she be? This was the moment when her side-show student was about to pull off one of her own incredibly difficult maneuvers. It was purely a matter of popcorn and carbonated drink - which Luna seemed very upset to be carrying around for her sister.

The show was soon to start as the seats slowly finished filling to maximum capacity. Spitfire's Elite team was around her on the take-off stage, doing stretches and warm ups. An announcer unicorn was fiddling just off stage with the lighting director. Basically, everything was in order.

Spitfire felt that the nature of the Bullet called for a nighttime performance, since the fire would show best in the dark. Of course, flying under night conditions was no big deal for the Wonderbolts and, in fact, the captain almost liked it. It was an extra challenge and her team was always up to that.

"All clear," voiced a pegasus that had just swooped down onto the stage.

Spitfire looked at him and, even under the currently dim stage lights, recognized him as the pony in charge of aerial space reservation. "Thanks," she replied. "We won't be going past ten."

He gave a nod and took off again. If Spitfire had any time to concern herself with non-show matters, she might have contemplated what the weather pony needed his rather bulky tool-pack for. But that would get into matters of personal circumstance, since the male pegasus had to take on a second job as a repairman just to pay the bills. Such was a complicated affair that she would never have been able to know. Right now, she had to focus on the show and even the disguised princesses couldn't distract her. Put differently, there were a lot of things that could distract her right now and she was intent not to lose her focus for the performance.

The captain collected herself and turned to her Wonderbolts onstage. "Positions," she whispered loud enough for them to hear.

They each gave a nod except for Soarin', who gave a wink. If it wasn't so late into the evening, he might have looked like nothing but a goofball. But the dim lights, pale moon, and overall shadow managed to somehow combine in such a way that made it look like a competent flirt. Spitfire was going to have words with him after the show. If she had the energy for it.

Speaking of looks, the orange mare thought as she scanned the Wonderbolts a final time. They were each giving each other an excited look. First public performance of a stunt always felt different than just doing the same old stuff. And they probably all had plans after the show as well. Spitfire knew that Silver Lining and Misty did at the very least. They passed each other a look that said they had a date after the performance.

Of course, everypony was free to do whatever they wanted after scheduled events but Spitfire didn't think any of them would do anything that required much energy. They would all be tired. More tired than other shows.

Noting that the five were in place and that Soarin' was up by her side, she turned around to face the crowd and walked up to the stage's front lip as the lights brightened up. "This is not going to be like our usual performances. You've come here to only one thing. The Bullet. And that's what you're going to get. It's currently the only stunt involving fire, smoke, pure pegasi power and no magic or special effects."

The ponies gave their cheers of excitement.

"Is everypony ready for some heat?!" she yelled effortlessly in her get-them-fired-up voice.

The cheers and hollers from the crowd were answer enough. But she played it up anyways.

"I said is everypony ready for some heat tonight?!!"

Again the crowd went ballistic.

Fire Streak was about as crazy as the audience was and Soarin' had to shoot the stallion a look to tell him to keep his cool. Dangerous stunts required calm minds. Spitfire was glad that her team still had a love for stunt work but Fire Streak was a bit too enthusiastic about it. At least Blaze was his wingmare. She could keep a handle on him, which was actually the captain's plan all along.

Spitfire looked up to the dark sky with its moon hanging in the corner pocket. A breeze went by, cool against her coat and mane. It really was a beautiful night for a performance. The breeze was too slow, even at higher altitude, to be a problem. Tonight would have been perfect if Surprise was there...

Shaking it off, the orange mare began stretching her wings out slowly. The roar from the audience got even louder in excitement of events about to happen.

"No need to lead them on, Firefly," whispered the voice of the stallion wingpony beside her.

"I'm not leading them on. I'm just enjoying myself, Shiner," she whispered back inconspicuously.

With a calculated grace, she reached her full wingspan and gave a flap. Then two. With the third, she started to lift upwards.

Every aspect of the show was intentional and had to come together to add to the spectacle that was the Bullet. That was a basic principle of show business. Get the crowd on the edge before giving them what they want. So the other two pairs of pegasi behind her arose in similar, if somewhat dramatic, fashion. Spitfire kept to the timing as they all gently arose from the stage and entered the cool and dark night sky. The stage lights left them, staying below.

A quick glance to Soarin' told Spitfire all she needed to know. They just had to build up some initial speed and then they could go right into a flaming Bullet. But then that would actually be too quick, so they had to perform some more simplistic stunts to fake a build-up. The stallion had a smirk on but the captain wasn't so sure it was for the performance. He tended to be giddy around her as of late. Perhaps as a result of their unique relationship.

As the leading pegasi, Spitfire angled her wings and started into a gentle forward glide with a slight downwards curve. The others followed in formation and she tilted left to stay within visibility of the audience. With a curve that continuously added to their speed, each of the three pairs of Wonderbolts swept around in from of the crowd. Some passed by at only a couple dozen hooves distance from the watching ponies.

Spitfire continued to lead them back upwards and through a long loop and spiral until she felt that the timing was right. Coming out of the spiral at a high altitude, high above the audience, Spitfire began a death drop in perfect synch with the other two pairs, who exited the spiral early.

Six pegasi dropped like lead in the night sky, quickly reaching the stage lights below. And just as the crowd was sure that the Wonderbolts were going to meet their end, all six of them turned at ninety degrees.

One after the other, the Wonderbolts ignited. The explosions sounded like the rolling beat of a drum and erupted like a volcano against the stage that had mysteriously darkened. To them, the night became as dark as pitch with only a glow coming from the fire that chased them. To the audience, there was an explosion of flame on the stage and then six streaks of fire screaming by over their heads, painting an excited hue against the moon and stars. Needless to say, the crowd erupted in cheers of delight.

Forward, forward, left, Spitfire timed within her head. They had practiced the turns, however long and slight, and had managed to exit and re-enter the Bullet once per practice. Not being able to turn easily back to the crowd, they began slowing down and prepared to move around to the side, using the dark to cover the return. Without the flames and with use of certain flying tricks, they could get back to the audience's current point of focus and dazzle them with another and yet unexpected Bullet. Which was exactly what they did.

A pause and silence blanketed the crowd of watching ponies as the blaze and roar of flame left them. Some were just starting to look around in an effort to find the six 'Bolts when six more explosions erupted before them. Most gasped in surprised with the suddenness and closeness of the explosions, but smiled again when they saw the six flaming Wonderbolts careening straight up into the night sky.

Even as Spitfire lead her team into the second ignition, she knew the show was about up. Even she herself couldn't physically handle more than two in quick succession. Blaze must have been on her edge by now as she was lead off to the right with Fire Streak. Silver Lining and Misty waned left as Spitfire and Soarin' continued straight up with all of their strength. The result was, what appeared to be to the audience, a trident of fire pointing straight at the moon.

A slight dizziness came onto the captain and she knew her time was up. Soarin' was probably tired as well. And so ended the second and last Bullet for the night. She exited with the stallion, making a smoky trail that ended in a sharp point. Once they had slowed enough, they had to angle their wings to shoot back down with a different direction. Otherwise the heat would scorch them.

But it was more of a gentle glide downwards, since neither of them had the strength to make a big deal out of it. In any case, they were getting back down on the other side of the trident-shaped smoke so that the crowd couldn't see them. The captain could, however, see the other two pairs making their own wobbly glides to the meeting point. An announcer pony would be making the closing words right now since none of them had the energy left for it. Spitfire had really stretched things to get them to do a vertical Bullet right after a horizontal one.

The orange mare approached the ground and stretched for it with her front hooves. Only, one of her wings cramped from being overworked and she almost made a faceplant. Luckily, Soarin' caught her.

"Whoa, there," he said. "Can't have you eating dirt."

"Thanks," Spitfire replied gratefully as they both got their hooves firmly on the grass. "Shortest show, but..."

"Yeah. No way we can drag it out with more small stunts when it takes everything we got just to do the big ones," the stallion finished. "Me, on the other hoof. I can still do more," he grinned that old grin.

The mare shook her head. "You're going to have to because I might just need somepony to drag me back to the hotel," she joked tiredly, realizing that it might really turn out to be the case. Her hooves were starting to shake a little. Guess I really was pushing to my limit, she thought.

The other four were walking towards them but were doing so noticeably slow.

"All accounted for?" Soarin' called.

They each gave their confirmation. Spitfire took note that Blaze was holding onto Fire Streak to keep herself up. Misty was doing something similar, though the captain suspected she didn't need the support. Something glinted in Soarin's eye and he passed Spitfire a look that said everything.

"You're not carrying me, Soarin'. You're just hiding how tired you are," she deadpanned.

"Two stunts is not enough to keep me from a little fun," he countered lightly.

"Celestia, you two," Blaze rolled her eyes as she walked up with Fire Streak. "If you're going on a date then just get out of here already."

Spitfire widened her eyes. "That's not-"

"Blaze is just confused," Misty butted in. "It's me and Silver Lining that are going on a date. Something real mellow and relaxing," she sighed in exhaustion.

Silver Lining nodded. "We're all fine so we should get going. Can't be standing around here with how tired we all are. Right, Fire Streak?"

The stallion in question suddenly jolted in his spot. He had obviously nodded off. "I wasn't sleeping!"

Spitfire laughed, "And you were the most enthusiastic one."

"Get some sleep," Soarin' said as he turned and took one of Spitfire's hooves over his shoulder. She didn't resist. "I'm going to get her back to the hotel."

"I can stay up," she argued.

"But that's not what you want to do," he returned. "What you want is a pillow and sleep. There's a difference between being able to stay up and wanting to stay up."

The captain really didn't have an argument for that so she didn't give one. Letting the stallion lead her away, she waved and gave her goodbye to her perfectly intact Wonderbolts.

After they had walked for a while in the dark, Spitfire decided to ask, "We going slow for a reason?"

Soarin' chuckled. "I'm tired, Firefly. Don't worry though. We'll get there."

Sighing again and leaning into the blue coat of the stallion, Spitfire rested even as she walked beside him.

They had pulled off the Bullet and could do so again. Now the captain had to decide what was next in the schedule.

But that could wait for tomorrow...