Flying With the Dusty Bolts

by Pony Bones

Flying in the Red

“Sand Blast? Hey Sand Blast!” Sand Blast felt his head snap up, he wasn’t sure where he was or how he got there he looked down at Filly the Kid where she stood in front of him. “It’s time to go.”

Sand Blast blinked hard trying to understand what had just happened, “I wasn’t sleeping.” He said compulsively,

“Shhhh.” Kid whispered, “I know you weren’t, your eyes were open the whole time you just weren’t open for business.”

Sand Blast looked around taking in his surroundings, what he could see of them anyways, the moon had set and the only light came from the countless stars above them, it was black as pitch, Sand Blast saw the silhouettes of ponies moving around them creeping through the desert in the darkness and realized they were moving into position against the minotaur army. If he were more awake he would have felt a rush at the prospect but all he could do was stare blankly.

His eyes felt like lead in his skull and his head felt detached from his wings and legs. He shook his head frantically trying to shake some sort of cognizance loose, “Ok.”

He started to fly off when Kid stopped him, “Sand Blast what are you doing? It’s this way.”

“Ok.” Sand Blast repeated like a broken record, he followed mechanically after Kid’s shadow until he came to a cloud where the rest of the Dusty Bolts and Wonderbolts were gathered. The cloud seemed to have a glow of its own as it caught the dim light from the faint line of gold on the horizon.

“Sand Blast get your head in the game! You’re the one who begged to come along!” Mirage hissed quietly,

“Ok boss.” Sand Blast repeated in the same monotone, Celestia he needed sleep badly,

“So as I was saying if Mr. Trench’s plan with the concealed stake pits goes well it should buy the militia enough time to pick off the rest of first wave before falling back to Rainbow Hot Springs, if they time it right they should roast a good number of minotaurs while the bison run the stragglers right into the hot pots. Our job will be to provide harassing cover, remember don’t get too involved, we just want to aggravate the minotaurs and keep them at a safe distance from the militia, let the ground pounders do their thing and we’ll do ours.”

Spitfire gazed intently at the scaled cloud table of the battlefield before them, “It’s amazing how Mr. Trench came up with this plan in such a short time, I have to say it’s borderline sadistic, do you think it’ll buy us enough time for the Royal Guard to show up?”

“You’re the Canterlot pegasi here you tell me.” Mirage said though more out of apprehension than cynicism, if Spitfire was unsure that the plan would buy them enough time they would be overrun and routed well before the Royal Guard could get there, this was the best they had to work with at the moment.

Mr. Trench was making magic happen on the field leading the militia at a break neck pace digging out the traps before the sunlight revealed them, if they tried to add any other anti-assault obstacles they would be caught in the open in broad daylight. Their one advantage was that they held the home turf, the minotaurs would never expect a hot springs in the middle of a desert. They would charge pell-mell straight into it like lemmings, the pathfinder ponies had already gone through and the rest of the militia knew to follow behind them hoof step for hoof step.

Looking down the Dusty Bolts could see the militia engineers scrambling to put the finishing touches on the stake pits, they would hardly be recognizable if it weren’t for the irregularly swaying bushes they had covered themselves in. “Hoo hoo, those minotaurs are in for a big surprise!” Kid said cantering in place with anticipation,

“We got to stay focused though this is about more than us this time.” Mirage cautioned,

Sand Blast broke his stare and his silence if only to keep himself awake, “It’s always been about more than us, every time we go out it’s been for the protection of Appaloosa, we’ll be fine boss.”

Whether he knew it or not Sand Blast had lightened the mood, “You’re right Sand Blast we’ve been through some rough spots before and we’ll make it through this.” Silver Lining agreed putting a hoof on his shoulder,

The sun began its climb over the horizon painting the desert a dazzling copper hue below them, the engineers had finished their work and were now dug in for their ambush, Mirage could see the minotaur army shuffling nervously at the force of ponies that had sprung up out of the desert overnight. It was a good sign, they may be outnumbered but at least they had the element of surprise to keep the minotaurs guessing.

Below them the small but fierce Appaloosan militia was lined up fifty ponies two deep, with the Appaloosan colors of the apple tree on a red background flying defiantly in the morning breeze. Sheriff Silver Star and Brayburn were in front of the formation with the drummer and bugle colt close behind them. The drummer colt nervously twirling his sticks and the bugle colt buzzing his lips out of habit warming up for the call to battle, the first rank stood with their lances at the ready, behind them the second row brandished their sabers threateningly.

In a gulch below the hot springs the bison watched silently from their concealment, from the Dusty Bolts perch it all spread out perfectly below them it could be flawless everything was in place, but just like a sand storm they had to be ready for the unexpected. Like this minotaur walking out from his army waving a white flag.

Wait what? Mirage rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, “Hey Sand Blast are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“Yeah, I see it boss, it looks like they want a pre battle parley, that’s awfully old fashioned and honorable of them, of course it could also be a trap.”

Sheriff Silver Star, Brayburn, and the color pony went out to meet the enemy’s envoy and Mirage paced nervously watching for any treachery, “No, no, no, no, Silver Star you foal get out of there! I’ve got to go down and find out what’s going on!”

Spitfire held Mirage back as he made a bolt for the negotiations, “You go down there now and you could kill us all!” She said forcing him to look her in the eyes, “Think about what you’re doing, Silver Star can take care of himself and you still have a team to lead.”

For the smallest fraction of a second Mirage could have sworn he was talking to Applejack and he had to do a double take, “Ok, ok, you’re right I don’t know what came over me.”

Saved by a Wonderbolt again he was really slipping up, either that or he wasn’t using the Wonderbolts to their full potential and pointlessly working his team to exhaustion. But if they couldn’t handle this situation without the Wonderbolts how would they deal with it once the Wonderbolts were gone? His Dusty Bolts had to take the lead on this, those were their fellow townsponies below them. The Wonderbolts may have meant well but Mirage would not use them as a crutch no matter how many Dusties he had lost.

The minotaur army bellowed behind him and he whirled to see the Sheriff, Brayburn, and the Color pony hauling flank back to Appaloosan lines,

“It doesn’t look like that went well.” Sand Blast observed,

“Understatement of the year.” Kid quipped as the minotaur army surged forward,

“This is it here we go!” Mirage said lowering his goggles, but before his Dusty Bolts had a chance to dive in they abruptly lost their sunlight.

Mirage looked up, the sky had turned crimson under a solar eclipse, there were massive storm clouds to the North East and the wind was picking up violently. He heard the roar of pegasi screaming their war cry, and a pegasi horn on the wind. He stopped and gaped at what he saw, Princess Luna in full armor leading her Night Guard five hundred pegasi in force and flying in a colossal V of Vs formation. Behind them they hauled a thunderstorm that blasted everything in its way as lightning crackled without ceasing in the dry desert air.

“The wrath of Luna.” He whispered to himself, he had never seen anything like it, it made his heart burn inside him.

The minotaurs had seen it too and before they had reached full gallop they were stumbling over one another to turn around, their force of five thousand strong turning tail to five hundred Night Guard was a testament to the Night Guard’s ferocity, their reputation certainly proceeded them.

The engineers and the bison broke from their cover and charged the fleeing minotaurs quickly closing the gap with the chaotic mob.

“LET’S GO, LET’S GO!” Mirage shouted flinging himself forward diving like a maniac, the Dusty Bolts made a pass over the militia but none of them even looked up, they were galloping full tilt to get a piece of the minotaurs before anypony else.

The Dusty Bolts linked up with the Night Guard just as they overtook the last ranks of the minotaurs raining down their hate without mercy. “TUMBLE WEEDS!” Mirage shouted the Night Guard in their full battle rattle around him looked at him questioningly with their reptilian eyes, but then they saw his rainbow war paint and joined in the cry, “TUMBLE WEEDS!”

They chased the minotaur army well past their border and back into their own territory only stopping when they saw the minotaurs taking cover in a village ahead, forming their lines again the ponies and bison stamped the ground screaming bloody murder, daring the minotaurs to come back and face them.

Mirage looked around, that was it they were done for now, he didn’t think the minotaurs would have the heart to continue when their home land was at risk, he hoped more than anything they would surrender.

Then from behind him he heard a voice above all the others, “Warriors where can we find our loyal subject Mirage of the Dusty Bolts?”

“He’s up here your majesty!” Spitfire shouted off to his side, what was happening?

Before Mirage knew it Princess Luna stood before him accompanied by her personal guards who looked and smelled like they had sprinted the whole flight to Appaloosa, it took him a second to shake the stars out of his eyes before he fell to his knees, “Your majesty.”

“Rise Mirage,” Princess Luna said removing her helmet and shrinking down from her Nightmare form, her starry mane was strangely matted and split in places, “We have felt your nightmares from Canterlot, that is why we asked our sister to fly out and bring peace back to your dreams.”

“How did you get here so fast?” Mirage asked bewildered

“We could tell you but then we’d have to kill you.” The guard with the anvil cutie mark joked,

Princess Luna continued, “Mirage you have done well as the captain of the Dusty Bolts you take your responsibility very seriously but this task is too large for one pony alone, we have arranged for a selection screening in Cloudsdale to be presided by your Dusty Bolts to strengthen your team. The challenge has been issued and we think it will draw just the pegasi you’re looking for.”

This was more than Mirage could have dreamed of, the fulfillment of his hopes, now he could marry Applejack without having to worry about his Dusties, kneeling again he said “From the bottom of my heart, thank you your majesty.”

Princess Luna smiled at the display of gratitude but she wasn’t quite finished yet, “Our sister would also like to personally thank you for your service and extends her invitation to you and your team for the Grand Galloping Gala, we hope to see you there as well.”

Mirage was speechless, after all he had done, all the hardship he had endured and now he was receiving recognition? Of course that was never the reason he had taken on the job of captain of the Dusty Bolts he felt the need of Appaloosa when he had first seen the advertisement, “Weather Pegasi Needed One Hundred Cubic Acres of Sky for Anypony Interested.” That and he knew he would get nowhere new in his life if he stayed in the snow factory, sure he could have made it to CEO or president but that wasn’t the life he wanted. So many white collar ponies had done it before him and he didn’t want to be just another good ol’ pegasus.

“Once again thank you your majesty.”

Then Princess Luna lowered her horn to Mirage’s forehead, at first he recoiled, it wasn’t a common ponies place to come in contact with royalty, but when her guard didn’t jump him he stood still and graciously accepted the Princesses gift. It felt like a boulder had been lifted off his back, and he collapsed where he stood and fell asleep to dreams of his and Applejacks wedding and life couldn’t have been better.

Comments

[Pony Bones]

Author's note, I wanted this chapter to be a little better written, especially the battle but the story is already beginning to wrap itself up. I'm sorry, all good things come to an end, but hey there are still at least three good chapters left maybe more. I've had some ideas for other stories also so if you like this one be sure to check out my new stuff when I get to it. Here's a look at a few story ideas, don't steal them then you're just cheating yourself out of an original product. The Fairest in Equestria, Rarity talks to Princess Celestia's Mirror of Souls about why Applejack is more beautiful, this one is going to be a short story. Derpy Goes Postal, haven't yet come up with a plot for this one yet but it's a comedy where something pushes Derpy over the edge and she goes on a rampage, this one will also be a short story. Sympathy for Discord this will probably be my next big project and I need some recovery time before I start on it, also don't have a plot for this one yet but it will be based off of Rolling Stones song Sympathy for the Devil. Thank you all for the views and the favorites I got to go to sleep now or I'll wind up like Sand Blast at work tomorrow.

[Flutterstrucked]

Heh, I look forward to them stories of yours, and will remember this story long after it's done. Thank ya kindly for your piece of work

[Pony Bones]

1488305 Thanks that means allot, when I started I honestly didn't know how the story was going to turn out but I knew I wanted to write something that had meaning to me and hopefully to those that read it as well and actually I'm not expecting anyone to remember this story. One day down the road when MLP has run it's course and all the kids are laughing at their brony parents I doubt even this story would change their mind about how "lame" the show was, unless you're like one of those legit Gran Torino bronies.