Okay, so Lightning Dust and Wind Rider are still mad about being kicked off the Wonderbolts. Sure, the sudden cancellations of numerous Wonderbolt performances has been increasing. Those two things couldn't possibly be related, right?
Rainbow was talking with Spitfire when it happened
They came in
Before the two knew what had happened, Lightning Dust and Wind Rider had chased the Wonderbolts out. They must flee and regroup somewhere else, but the two ex-bolts have the Washouts on their side, as well as some eerily familiar ponies that Rainbow Dash remembers.
However much Spitfire hates to admit it, they need help
P.S: 'violence' is added because a few times the characters make threats that seem violent, not sure if it counts. Also, I found the cover art on Google and got the idea for a fic about it
"...So that's why I wanted you to consider adding the Sonic Rainboom to our routine." Rainbow Dash said as she walked beside Spitfire, heading for the fiery mare's office.
"Well, you make some good points. And we have been getting a lot of our shows cancelled. This might be just what we need to increase our popularity. As long as you don't mind teaching a few of us how to perform it, or at least the theory of it, I don't mind." Spitfire replied to Rainbow as she put her hoof on the door, about to push it open.
"Great. If you're not busy we could call some of the high-ranking 'bolts in and get started, I'll need to teach you the theory before we start flying, or somepony might get hurt." Rainbow said eagerly.
"Heh, yeah." Spitfire chuckled, opening the door while keeping her head turned towards Rainbow "We definitely don't want that, the 'bolts are so much more than just great flyers, we're-" Spitfire broke off as she looked into the room.
"What's wrong Spits?" Rainbow asked, following her gaze and gasping.
Lightning Dust was leaning back in Spitfire's office chair, a smug expression on her face. She was wearing Spitfire's Captain Uniform, complete with Spitfire's signature aviator sunglasses and whistle. Wind Rider was standing beside her, smirking at the two.
"Dust! What are you doing here?!" Rainbow asked.
"Are those my pictures?!" Spitfire cried, pointing at the trash can, which was overflowing with the personal belongings that had once decorated the office.
"Yep. That one in the drawer was cute. Didn't know your hair was that long, how old were you in that picture? Three?" Wind Rider responded.
"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" Spitfire snarled, lowering herself down into an attack stance.
"Easy Spitty. We just came to tell you that this place is ours now." Lightning Dust replied, leaning forward to make the chair come back onto all four legs. She traced her hoof lightly along the desktop, smiling.
"What are you talking about?!" Rainbow asked.
"The Wonderbolts are about to be replaced by the new 'best of the best'." Lighting responded, and they heard shouts from outside. Spitfire raced to the window, Rainbow following.
Their friends were being chased and knocked out of the sky by Pegasi in black and dark purple colored flight suits, the colors were separated at the neck and hooves by jagged lines of bright yellow. Their flight goggles were narrow, covering their eyes with sharp yellow and dark purple rims. The mark on the sides of their flight suits was a skull with wings.
"Meet the Shadowbolts." Wind Rider said coolly.
"Did you just say the... Shadowbolts?" Rainbow choked out, gulping.
"Something wrong Dash?" Lightning teased
"Yes. YOU'RE IN OUR HQ!!!" Rainbow yelled, almost as loud as Spitfire could have done.
"And we're not leaving. Didn't you hear me? The Wonderbolts aren't the best of the best anymore, we are. So, we're taking over your job as aerial military for the Princesses. That means, legally..." Lightning Dust passed some papers over to Spitfire, who looked down at them in shock.
"That the title of 'best flyers' and the rights to the Headquarters, belong to us." Wind Rider finished for Lightning, and Rainbow lunged at him.
"You'll have to take it over my dead body!" Rainbow yelled, extending her hooves to pin Wind Rider to the floor. Spitfire grabbed Rainbow by the tail with her hoof, tugging her back.
"Easy Crash. Come on, we'll get HQ back, just not on our own. We have to rescue our friends first." Spitfire warned.
"Crash?!" Lightning Dust echoed "Your nickname is Rainbow Crash?!" she burst out laughing, falling onto the floor.
"Come on Rainbow." Spitfire muttered.
She stalked over to the trash can and pulled out a few pictures. Spitfire tucked them under her wing, then crumpled up the documents Lightning had shown her, tossing them at Wind Rider's face. They left the office and started walking down the hallway.
"What are we going to do?" Rainbow asked "Captain?" she pressed. Spitfire had closed her eyes and was massaging her temple with her free wing.
"W-we're going to...I don't know anymore Dash." Spitfire sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore. Being the Captain of the Wonderbolts is the only thing I'm good at. Flying is the only thing the whole team's good at. If those two and their team are in control of HQ now...what are we supposed to do?" she asked, taking a picture out from under her wing and letting a small sob escape.
"Is that you?" Rainbow asked, trotting closer.
"Me and my best friends. You know, Soar and Fleet? It was the day we became official Wonderbolts" Spitfire replied, smiling softly. The picture showed the three in Academy uniforms, smiling and waving their wings at the camera.
"I thought she'd be calling Fleet her marefriend by now" Rainbow thought, but shrugged it off. "Now is not the time to think about that Rainbow Dash." she reprimanded herself.
"We're going to figure this out Spits." Rainbow told Spitfire, then placed a wing on Spitfire's back in comfort.
"You really think so?" Spitfire muttered.
"I know so, now come on, let's save our friends." Rainbow said, taking off and heading for the doors that led outside.
Spitfire shook herself and extended her wings, dropping the pictures onto the floor. Spitfire followed Rainbow out, seeing Fleetfoot pinned down nearby. Spitfire let out an enraged yell and flew at the Pegasus holding her. Spitfire knocked the pony to the side, then helped Fleetfoot up.
"You okay Fleety?" Spitfire whispered, pecking her cheek.
"I'm fine baby, thank you." Fleetfoot breathed, nuzzling her.
"Come on, stay close Fleety." Spitfire nuzzled her back and led her towards the Headquarters.
"What happened?" Fleetfoot asked.
"I'll explain once we save everypony." Spitfire assured her, taking off with her marefriend fast behind. They worked with the other Wonderbolts to try and fight off the Shadowbolts.
"There's too many of them!" Misty Fly yelled.
"It's too dangerous to keep fighting!" Wave Chill added.
"Your orders Captain?" Soarin asked, and Spitfire froze. "Captain, orders?!" he demanded.
"Shut it Clipper, I'm thinking." Spitfire snapped. "We can't give up, or we'll lose HQ." she added.
"We'll what?!!!" the other 'bolts cried.
"You need to do what's best for the team Spitfire, we can find another way to get HQ back, but right now it's more important to make sure we get out of here safely." Soarin said.
"You're right. Which is why you're my Co-Captain. Wonderbolts, we need to get out of here. I think I can get us ten minutes to go into HQ, grab any personal belongings we need, then we'll need to fall back." Spitfire instructed.
"How are you going to do that?" Rapidfire asked.
"...By doing exactly what they want." Spitfire sighed.
"Spits, what do you mean?" Sun Chaser asked.
"WE SURRENDER!" Spitfire shouted, and the Shadowbolts froze, landing and standing at attention. Lightning Dust and Wind Rider emerged.
"Cool it Soar, I promise I'll explain what they're doing here later." Spitfire said, resting a hoof on his back to calm him.
"And why Lightning Dust is wearing the Captain's uniform?" Thunderlane added.
"Yes, that too." Spitfire led them down to the runway.
"So, you decided to give up huh? You're an even bigger chicken than I thought Spit." Lightning sneered.
"Just let us by to gather our belongs and...and you can have our Headquarters." Spitfire said, holding out her wing. "Deal?"
Lightning Dust laughed loudly and held out her own wing, shaking Spitfire's.
"Deal. When you're done you'd better scram. Or I'll use your wing feathers to line my jacket." she growled.
"Understood." Spitfire let go of Lightning's wing and turned to the others. "You heard her 'bolts. Go get your stuff and meet back out here." she instructed, and they headed inside, talking in low voices to each other.
Spitfire sighed as she followed them. Her pictures were still lying in the hallway, right where she'd dropped them to help her friends. Spitfire bent down and scooped the precious memories up, inspecting them for damage. A few cracked frames, but otherwise they seemed okay. She then trotted down to her private room, packing up her things and placing them gently in her saddlebag. After pulling down her Wonderbolt posters and putting them in as well, she put on the saddlebag, meeting up with the others.
"Are we all ready?" she asked, and they nodded solemnly. "Then let's go." she sighed, leading them out of Headquarters.
"And don't come back!" Lightning Dust called.
"Lemme at her!" Rainbow said, lunging. Soarin grabbed her around the waist and whispered something in her ear that Spitfire didn't catch. It seemed to work, at any rate, because Rainbow calmed down.
"Get out." Wind Rider pressured.
"We're leaving, okay?" Spitfire snapped.
"Good riddance." Lightning muttered as they took off.
"What now?" Surprise asked.
"We need somewhere to land so I can explain what happened. Any suggestions?" Spitfire asked.
"I've got one." Rainbow said.
"Where are we going then?" Lightning Streak asked.
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.
"Twi!" Rainbow called out down the long hallways of the Friendship Castle. "Twi, you here?!"
"Library!!" came Princess Twilight's voice in response.
"Shoulda' guessed." Rainbow commented to the others, rolling her eyes good-naturedly as they followed her down the hallway.
"There's so many rooms here. Does the Princess use all of them?" Sun Chaser asked
"Nah, I think the Tree of Harmony kinda overdid it. She would have been happy with The Golden Oak Library back." Rainbow responded, pushing open a door.
"How do you not get turned around in here?" High Winds asked, looking around with wide eyes.
"It takes some time, but you pick it up pretty quick, especially if you live here." came a mare's voice.
"Hey Starlight." Rainbow greeted the lavender unicorn as she led the Wonderbolts inside the circular library.
The room was set up to be a comfortable reading room surrounded by shelves upon shelves of books. Princess Twilight was curled in an armchair, eyes flicking rapidly along a page of the book she was reading.
"Hey Twi, the 'bolts and I could use some information." Rainbow told her friend.
"Mm-hmm." was all Princess Twilight said. The unicorn named Starlight trotted past them and levitated the book away from Princess Twilight.
"Twi, I think Rainbow needs your help." she said
"Hey!" Princess Twilight exclaimed at her book being snatched, then took a deep breath and stood up.
"Sorry for bothering you Twi, didn't know you were busy." Rainbow said
"Oh, no. I'm just reading for fun." Princess Twilight said
"Wait for it..." Rainbow murmured to them. "Three, two, one..."
"The Equestrian History Unabridged is really a fantastic example of the rich cultural backgrounds that our country originates from." Princess Twilight continued.
"Cough-egghead-cough" Rainbow said between fake coughs, making Surprise, Fire Streak, Soarin, and Lightning Streak snort with laughter.
"If you want my help, then keep the remarks to yourself Rainbow." Princess Twilight replied coolly "Now, what was it you needed?"
"As you've no doubt heard by now, we've been replaced." Spitfire began
"Actually, no. I haven't heard. But I've been shut in here for the past week. Princess Celestia sent me a bunch of old books she found in the Canterlot Archives, and I was so excited I couldn't help reading them right away. Then when I finished I decided to look through my collection for books I wanted to re-read, so..." Princess Twilight responded with an apologetic shrug.
"I heard about it." Starlight said bluntly
"You did?" Wave Chill asked
"Yeah. Rarity came by a few days ago with the newest Canterlot Times, the magazine said the Wonderbolts had been upstaged by some flight group who called themselves the Shadowbolts." Starlight explained
"The Shadow-?"
"Lightning Dust and Wind Rider are their leaders, and as far as I can tell they didn't seem to be the Shadowbolts I met in the Everfree Forest." Rainbow forestalled Princess Twilight.
"That's the problem. They invaded our Headquarters, chased us out, and showed us legal documents to prove it's theirs now. I've been trying to figure out a way to get it back, but no luck." Spitfire explained
"Well, I have quite a few books on basic law." Princess Twilight took off, heading for a section of the shelves. "Oh, wait, but the Wonderbolts are a military branch, so if the Shadowbolts have taken your place then we need the Military Bylaws." She changed direction and flew to another area.
"What about the original Wonderbolt law book?" Starlight asked.
"How do you know about that?" Misty Fly asked.
"I picked it up for a bit of light reading. I thought if one of my friends was a Wonderbolt, I might as well learn a thing or two about them." Starlight shrugged
"That won't be of much use. The Shadowbolts are a completely different team, so they wouldn't abide by the Wonderbolt laws, and since they're clearly a fairly new flight team, they won't have constructed concrete laws yet." Princess Twilight replied, levitating a book off the shelf and hovering in midair with it.
"Should I go get Spike?" Starlight asked
"Please." Princess Twilight agreed with a sigh, shutting the book. "I have a feeling he'll be doing a lot of book carrying."
"What I can't understand is why Lightning Dust and Wind Rider are doing this now, and since when have they known each other?" High Winds asked
"Well, I'm not claiming to know everything, but as a former villain, my best guess would be they're teaming up against you to beat you. Alone, Lightning Dust only had two ponies following her orders. But with Wind Rider; an ex-Wonderbolt with enough former glory to assemble a whole fleet of opposing pegasi; she has enough ponies to overcome you. Villains don't think about friendship, they think about victory. Those two are only working together because they know that you're strong enough to take them down separately." Starlight told them
"Starlight, my brother?" Princess Twilight reminded her.
"Oh, right. I still can't believe you call him your brother. You two are completely different species. I mean, you're a pony, he's a dragon." Starlight commented as she left the room.
"Dragon?" Spitfire asked, voice wavering ever so slightly.
"Yes, but that's not important. Come on, you'll all have to help me if you want to find a way to get your Headquarters back." Princess Twilight replied
"Thank you for helping us Princess." Spitfire said
"Please, call me Twilight." Princess Twilight corrected "There is no need for formalities right now. You don't mind if I address you two as Spitfire and Soarin, rather thank the title of your rank, do you?" she gestured to the two with her hoof.
"Go right ahead Princess-I mean, Twilight." Spitfire responded
"Yeah, we don't usually call them 'Captain' or 'Co-Captain' ourselves unless we're in trouble or in public. Otherwise it's just plain old' Spits and Soar. Or Clipper and...nevermind." Rapidfire broke off at the glare Spitfire was giving him.
"Don't you dare..." she threatened
"Yes ma'am." he yelped, saluting her, then rushing off to the bookshelves.
"Ugh, why does it always have to be reading?" Rainbow muttered
"Because reading is how ponies learn things Rainbow. You want your Headquarters back, right?" Twilight asked
"Of course. But I hate this kind of reading." Rainbow moaned
"It won't kill you, ya know." Blaze said
"You haven't done this before. Trust me, in three hours you'll be begging for us to stop." Rainbow objected
"I dunno, I'd give them about an hour, two tops." the voice of what seemed to be a colt in their early adulthood came from the hallway.
"Oh Spike, don't be dramatic." Twilight sighed, and Spitfire stepped backwards.
"Spike? That was the dragon's name, right? Oh sweet Celestia, have mercy." Spitfire thought, as Fleetfoot put a wing on her back.
"Are you alright?" she whispered
"Y-yeah, fine Fleety." Spitfire replied, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.
A tall, purple-scaled dragon with green spikes running down his back and a green-scaled stomach came in, flying with purple and green scaled wings. He was no bigger than the Wonderbolts, actually. Spitfire breathed a sigh of relief only heard by Fleetfoot, who didn't press why Spitfire had been so startled.
"I dunno Twilight, I'd say he and Rainbow are on the right track. I, however, bet the Wonderbolts will have had enough in exactly three hours and ten minutes." Starlight smirked, having come in after him.
"That's enough out of all three of you. Let's just get to work. Spike, I need you to help the Wonderbolts go through the shelves, pull out any book you think might be useful. We're looking for books about law." Twilight instructed
"Got it." Spike said, taking off and flying up to a shelf. The Wonderbolts joined him, Rainbow a bit more reluctantly than the others. A few hours later the Wonderbolts understood what Rainbow had meant. They were now all exhausted and ready to stop.
"Nothing in here." Sun Chaser said, pushing a book away.
"Same with this one." Silver Zoom agreed
"Maybe there are some in the School Library." Starlight suggested
"I doubt it, but I guess it's worth a shot. Spike, could you go look?" Twilight asked, and the purple dragon nodded, leaving.
"Twi, this is turning into the Pony of Shadows thing all over again. Can we please take a break before we're stuck in here for three days straight?" Rainbow asked, stifling a yawn.
"You've been in here for three days before?" Misty Fly asked
"Sounds like an exaggeration to me." Thunderlane commented
"She's not exaggerating, I really have kept them in here with me for three days. It was for a good cause, of course. But Rainbow's right, we probably should take a breather." Twilight sighed, rubbing her eyes with a hoof.
"Come on guys, let's go outside to stretch our wings." Spitfire said. Even though she was desperate to get this sorted out, she wasn't stupid. Her team needed a break to relax for a bit.
"I better rest for a minute too." Twilight said
"I think I'll head over to Sugarcube Corner and get something for us to eat. We need to keep our strength up, after all." Starlight agreed. Spitfire led her team outside, where Rainbow immediately took off, doing a few barrel rolls and loops.
"Whee! I was soo boorreed in there, but now we can play!" Surprise called, jumping into the air.
The Wonderbolts followed Rainbow and Surprise's lead, taking off. After stretching their wings, they stayed in the air for a while, until they noticed Starlight coming back to the castle with a few boxes.
"Mmm, something smells good." High Winds sighed
"That would be Pinkie's baking." Rainbow said, licking her lips.
"I smell cupcakes!!" Surprise dove down and tackled Starlight. "Where are the confectionery delights?!" she demanded
"H-here!" Starlight gasped, levitating a box to the crazed mare. "You remind me a lot of Pinkie Pie."
The group headed back into the castle, talking comfortably to one another.
"Twilight! I got your favorite!" Starlight called
"Thanks Starlight, come here everypony, I need to tell you something." Twilight called back.
They all entered the library together. Twilight was sitting before them, looking very serious.
"What is it Twi?" Rainbow asked
"Yeah, whatf got your horm im a twift?" Surprise asked around a mouthful of cupcakes.
"Well, while you were gone I was looking through this book about Military Laws. Unfortunatly, what the Shadowbolts did was not illegal." Twilight confessed
"What?! How?" Soarin exclaimed
"Well, according to the law, if a team or royal squadron has upstaged an original one-be it by popularity or overall better performance at the task assigned to the military group-then official documents can be signed by the Captain of the new team or royal squadron. From there, two things can occur. First, the new team is legally allowed access to the training facility and compound/Headquarters of the former team or squadron. Second, they are granted the title of the original team, and all ranks within that team are moved to the members of the new team.
"What that means is if the papers Spitfire saw were signed by Lightning Dust, then she now owns the lease to your Headquarters and has the right to deal with trespassers in the way she so chooses. I'm not saying what she did was right, by sneaking into the Headquarters and attacking without warning. But if she had those documents in her possession at the time of her entry onto the property, then as far as the law is concerned, Lightning Dust was the rightful owner, and you were the trespassers." Twilight explained
"I don't get it, how can she do something wrong and still be on the right side of the law? It doesn't make sense." Rainbow snapped
"I know, but I'm afraid the law sees it differently." Twilight sighed
"Thanks for trying Princess. It was nice of you to help, but if there's nothing you can do, we'll have to figure out some other way to get our HQ back." Spitfire said, then flicked her tail to signal the other Wonderbolts to follow her out.
"What now Spits?" Soarin asked
"I don't know, but we're going to keep fighting. We are the Wonderbolts, and we belong in the military."
Spitfire paced around in the living room of her house, debating whether or not to summon the other 'bolts. Fleetfoot was reading on the couch, immersed in the latest Daring Do book.
"If I call them here, then we can decide what to do together. But then again, since I'm pretty sure none of us have any ideas on what to do, maybe I should try to work this out on my own." Spitfire muttered to herself. "Fleety, I need help here." she turned towards the mare, ears drooping in defeat.
"Well, you could try reathoning with them. I'm not sure how far that would go, but maybe at leatht giving them the chance to explain why they decided to take over now when they've been gaining popularity for monthth would help." Fleetfoot suggested, turning a page in her book.
"Maybe...but how would we get into HQ if we're technically trespassers?" Spitfire asked
"Athk for permiththion, and maybe threaten to burn their wingth off. You're good at that kind of threat." Fleetfoot said
"I don't want to threaten anypony." Spitfire objected, and Fleetfoot stood, trotting forward to nuzzle her.
"Thpitty, you don't need my help. You jutht need to believe in yourthelf. You are your own mare, the otherth and I can help you figure thith out, becauthe we want to help. But in the end, what you choothe to do ith up to you." Fleetfoot consoled her.
"Thanks Fleety, I needed that." Spitfire sighed, kissing her cheek, then turning to look out the window "But I'm still unsure about how to approach Lightning Dust and Wind Rider. They've become dangerous."
"I know, but we're alwayth going to be thtronger than them. Don't you remember what Thtarlight told uth? They don't care about each other, which theemth like a weaknethth to me." Fleetfoot said
"Sweet Celestia, that's it!" Spitfire raced out of the room.
"Baby?" Fleetfoot asked, following her. "What are you talking about?"
"Lightning Dust and Wind Rider don't usually work with any other ponies. Lightning Dust had a flight team, but she was the only leader. She didn't have a Co-Captain and certainly didn't listen to her teammate's ideas. To her, they were replaceable, she didn't rely on them." Spitfire said, grabbing papers and scanning them.
"True, but how doeth thith help?" Fleetfoot asked
"Well, if Lightning Dust didn't have a definite 'team' then she needed Wind Rider to become Co-Captain, then would appoint ranks to the others. But if she still sees them as expendable, then they can't be very good friends, unlike us." Spitfire continued
"And...?" Fleetfoot wasn't sure where Spitfire was going at this point.
"Well, if Lightning Dust agrees to a competition where ponies need to work together to win, like a relay race..." Spitfire began
"Oh, then they'll lothe becauthe they don't know true teamwork!"
"Exactly. If we challenge them with the title of military as the prize, they won't disagree." Spitfire said
"Thpitty, I know thith lookth like the anthwer, but..." Fleetfoot nuzzled Spitfire gently. "What if we lothe?"
"We won't. We're a family, and families work together to come out on top. Even if we do lose, then we'll lose together." Spitfire replied
"Okay." Fleetfoot smiled at Spitfire, leaning in to kiss her.
"I'll summon the other Wonderbolts." Spitfire kissed Fleetfoot on the forehead before leading her out of the room.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Wave Chill asked
"Honestly? I have no idea." Spitfire replied, trotting towards the buildings that had once been their home.
"Oh, look who it is, the washed-out Wonderbolts and their pathetic little leader." Rolling Thunder remarked, landing in front of them.
"I need to speak with Lightning Dust." Spitfire said calmly, raising a wing to calm the other 'bolts, she had heard them shifting uneasily.
"Captain Dust doesn't speak to anyone, no matter how great they think they are." a strange pegasus snarled, landing by Rolling Thunder. She showed her teeth at them, revealing fangs.
"Shut it Blood." Rolling Thunder snarled
"Blood?" Soarin echoed in a low voice, surprised
"She is correct." another Pegasus, a stalllion, landed nearby "There is no reason we should allow you in."
"We have a offer for your Captain. If you think she doesn't need to hear it..." Spitfire began
"Alright, fine! Blood, go get the Captain." Rolling Thunder ordered, ignoring both mare and stallion's complaints
"Whatever you say Rolling Thunder." Blood growled, taking off
"And you Nimbus, I don't believe anyone invited you to come here." Rolling Thunder said to the stallion.
"Nopony had to Thunder." He retorted
"They really don't seem to like each other." High Winds murmured
"Why did you send Blood Moon to come get me Rolling Thunder?" Lightning Dust asked, landing. "Ah, I see." she glared at the Wonderbolts angrily.
"We want a chance to get our title back." Spitfire told her
"Oh really? You're stubborn, I'll give you that. But anything you suggest can be beaten by the Shadowbolts." Lightning Dust replied
"Why did you name them that Dust?" Rainbow blurted out
"Nimbus Chaser here told Wind Rider and I all about the team of flyers said to guard Nightmare Moon. The Shadowbolts has a much better ring to it than the Wonderbolts." Lightning Dust sneered "So, what was that little proposition for me?"
"A relay race. If we win, we get our Headquarters back, and the title of best flyers, and also our job as Military Flight Team. If you win, we'll leave you alone." Spitfire said
"Fine. I hope you're ready to lose Spit. It's not going to go well for you. Since you came up with the competition, I get to choose the course. It will take place across Equestria, starting at Canterlot and looping around to end in Cloudsdale, which is currently in the San Palomino Desert. True flyers can handle that. We pass a horseshoe to each member of our team, the Captains race last. First one across the finish line wins." Lighting Dust agreed
"Good, we're in agreement. May the best flight team win." Spitfire said
Spitfire paced around in front of her team. Who might not be her team for much longer. They had been training for three solid weeks, and were ready for the big race.
News of their competition with the Shadowbolts had spread fast, ponies all over Equestria knew of the race, and the towns that they would pass over were getting ready to watch for the pegasi. They would make sure there was no cheating at the hand-off of horseshoes. They would also provide food and water to the pegasi who stayed behind while their teammates continued on with the race, and take care of any inured ponies.
"Alright team, this could be the most important race in the History of the Wonderbolts. You've trained hard, worked harder, and are the best flyers I've ever seen." Spitfire said
"We know that Spits, you've said it at least three times this week." Thunderlane commented
"I just wanted to let you guys know, that since this may be the end of the Wonderbolts..." Spitfire tried to say
"Don't say that Spitfire, we're going to win." Rainbow said
"Yeah, you'll give us bad luck!" Surprise agreed
"Let her finish." Fleetfoot ordered, and Spitfire looked at her gratefully. Spitfire turned to the other Wonderbolts, smiling, eyes glowing with emotion
"As I was saying; since this may be the end of the Wonderbolts, I want to let you know...that I'm proud to have called you my team. And no matter what, you'll always be my friends." she said, and they all converged on her, making a big group hug
"We're proud of you too." Soarin murmured
"Yeah, you're the pony who's led us to victory all these years." Blaze added
"You're the best Captain the Wonderbolts have ever had." the Streak Twins said together
"Guys, you're great too. You've been by my side, for as long as I took charge." Spitfire said
"Further proving what you said about how we're all one big family." Wave Chill said
"A family made up of the best friends I've ever seen." Princess Twilight said, coming up behind them "You'll be great. I know you'll win." she added
"Yeah! We need the bestest team ever to be in charge again!" a pink mare cried, tackling Rainbow to the ground
"Pinkie, get off me!" Rainbow protested, and the mare jumped off obediently
"Good luck ya'll, I think you'll need it." a country mare said, tipping her stetson hat to them
"Thanks guys." Rainbow saluted them with her wing, then turned back to the other Wonderbolts
"We'll be waiting for you in Cloudsdale." Princess Twilight said, leading her other friends away
"Are we all ready?" Spitfire asked, and they nodded. Spitfire looked around at her team, each one special in their own way.
Wave Chill, the cool, laid-back stallion.
Blaze, the fierce warrior.
Silver Zoom, the wise stallion who could be trusted with anything.
Sun Chaser, the maternal, kind mare.
High Winds, sweet and caring.
Lightning Streak, a ball of energy.
Fire Streak, the sensible stallion the team admired.
Surprise, the lovable jokester.
Rapidfire, the sarcastic, most dirty-minded stallion in the team, but at the end of the day, ready to do anything for the ponies he cares for.
Misty Fly, a cool-headed mare who always knew what to say.
Thunderlane, a lazy stallion who would nevertheless leap to his hooves for his teammates
Soarin Skies, the most loyal stallion you'd ever find
Rainbow Dash, the bravest mare Spitfire had ever encountered.
And of course,
Fleetfoot. Her darling Fleetfoot. Brave, loyal, fast, and beautiful.
"Then let's go. We were the Wonderbolts together, and we'll finish our reign together."
"We won't have to." Misty Fly told her, and Soarin nodded
"You've done so many great things for this team, and you'll do more. Because we're here to stay. Always." he said
"The race will begin as soon as all Pegasi are in place." Princess Luna announced to the watching crowd of Canterlot ponies
The Wonderbolts and Shadowbolts all took off, heading for their positions
"Scared Spit?" Lightning Dust asked as the two flew to their spots over Appleloosa, the home stretch
"Never." Spitfire replied, growling low in her throat
"Is everypony in their positions?" Princess Celestia asked her assistant, Raven, who turned to the projections she was using to monitor the hand-off locations. A very complex system of unicorn magic had been used to set it up, and the projections could be seen in all towns, so everypony could watch. There were designated ponies that were reporting from each town or city.
"Yes Princess, all of the Wonderbolts and Shadowbolts are in their places." Raven replied, adjusting her glasses
"We're ready then." Princess Luna said
"Yes, I suppose we are." Princess Celestia turned to the first racers, who had remained behind. "News Flash, if you please." she directed, and the unicorn stepped forward
"Hello everypony. We are all very excited for the big race! This relay race consists of obstacles, jumps, and a track so curvy only master flyers would dare to maneuver around it! But it seems two teams are daring enough! Today the Wonderbolts will face off against the up-and-coming new team, the Shadowbolts! They will race around Equestria in order to determine who is the Number 1 Team! The stakes are high, folks. The winner will be granted the honor of not only being the Number 1 Flyers in Equestria, but will also be awarded the prize of Official Aerial Military Team of the Princesses' Royal Guard! Starting off our relay, from the Wonderbolts: She's fast, she's furious, and she doesn't take no for an answer: Blaze! And from the Shadowbolts: she's lean, she's mean, and has a thirst for vengeance: Blood Moon!" News Flash called
"Racers, on your marks! Get Set!" Princess Celestia called
"Go!" Princess Luna finished, and the two mares took off, heading for their teammates, far away in Baltimare
Blaze was minding her own business, flying over the train tracks, heading for Baltimare, when Blood Moon knocked into her.
"Hey! Stay in your lane!" Blaze objected, swerving to get away
"Gladly. Have fun with that cliff." Blood Moon sneered
"What cli-" Blaze rammed into something and pulled back wincing "So not cool." she muttered, rubbing her head as she struggled to catch up.
"Hah! Later loser!" Blood Moon called "I'm coming back after I give this to Heat Wave. I love the taste of blood after a long flight." she threatened
"You...cheater." Blaze moaned as she collapsed, a cloud nearby breaking her fall. She lay there, immobile, trying to recover
Two years ago
"Come on Blaze, let's go!" Spitfire yelled to Blaze from the ground.
Blaze was in the air, trying to perfect a move for an upcoming show. It was a complex barrel roll followed by an upwards twist. She tried again, spun at a wrong angle, and fell, wings useless against the wind that was pinning them to her side. Suddenly, she landed in a soft cloud, and looked up to see Spitfire staring at her
"S-sorry ma'am." Blaze said, standing and saluting her
"It's no problem. Just remember: however many times you fall, no matter what, you get back up."
"Get...back...up." Blaze grunted, pushing herself to her hooves, pain stabbing her in the head
"I'm coming Wave Chill." she muttered, picking up the blue horseshoe in her uniform-clad hoof, and taking off once again
Wave Chill was waiting in Fillydelphia, he could see a pegasus in the distance. Whether it was Blood Moon or Blaze was hard to tell. Heat Wave hovered nearby, muttering to himself
"...Should have been here by now." He mumbled
"There they come!" a Earth Pony yelled from below the two. Wave Chill looked up and saw, sure enough, two pegasus mares heading straight for them
"Wave!" Blaze yelled, she seemed to be having trouble flying "I've got the horseshoe!" she held it out, and Wave reached out his own hoof for the hand-off. Heat Wave was still hovering
"What took you so long?" Heat Wave spat
"This one didn't stay down. Pity, I could have used the energy her blood would've given me." Blood Moon snarled
"Give me that!" Heat Wave snatched the horseshoe from the mare, then took off
"Blaze, you okay?" Wave Chill asked
"Blood Moon made me crash. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, just catch up with him." Blaze answered
"On it." Wave Chill agreed
"Be careful, they cheat!" Blaze called after him, then landed on the ground, rubbing her head
"Miss Blaze, are you alright?" the Baltimare reporter asked
"No." Blaze replied, wincing
"She made you crash?" Princess Celestia asked
"Yes Princess. Blood Moon shoved me, so I was forced to turn, then she distracted me so I wouldn't see the cliff until it was too late." Blaze reported
"We had better look into this Celestia." Princess Luna advised
"You're right." Princess Celestia turned to the other projected reporters "You heard my sister. If any of the relay racers turn up with injuries from the other team, have them stand in front of the projections so I can speak to them." she commanded, and the reporters all nodded
"Shall I mark it down Princess?" Raven asked
"If you would be so kind Raven." Celestia agreed
"I am curious, if you were badly hurt, how were you able to continue?" Princess Luna asked
"I remembered something Spitfire told me 'however many times you fall, no matter what, get back up'." Blaze responded, using her wings to make quotation signs
"I see." Princess Celestia murmured
"Very wise of her." Princess Luna remarked
"Of course it was wise. Spitfire is the best Captain the team has ever had."
Wave Chill tried his best to keep up with Heat Wave, but the other stallion had gotten too much of a head start. Wave pushed himself, when suddenly Heat Wave halted mid-flight
"Sorry loser, but nopony's getting past me." he said
"What are you talking about? If you stop, we both lose." Wave argued
"No we won't. You will." Heat Wave bucked his legs, catching Wave Chill in the stomach, then shooting down, weaving past a train making it's way to Fillydelphia.
"Not so fast." Wave grunted, flying after Heat Wave
"Hah! Good luck! Not!" Heat Wave yelled
Wave Chill sped up, weaving past the train as well, but in the opposite pattern. Wave smirked as he passed up Heat Wave, who backed up, expanding his wings to catch the air
"What is that idiot doing?" Wave thought. His question was answered as a blast of heat hit him in the back.
"Enjoy the heat wave loser." Heat Wave said as Wave Chill faltered, falling behind
Ten years ago
The sun is so hot, it's burning my feathers off." Wave Chill complained, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I know, but we need to keep going. A little heat never stopped anypony, and it's not gonna start now." Spitfire answered, narrowing her eyes against the glare as they trotted through the desert.
They had to reach an oasis by nightfall, where the other teams of Wonderbolt Academy recruits would be reaching at the same time. It was to test their stamina and persistence. Wave Chill pulled himself up, though the heat was making him sleepy.
"We...aren't gonna...make it." he gasped
"We will. We're gonna be Wonderbolts, and Wonderbolts don't stop when the weather gets tough. What does any Pegasus do when the weather gets tough?" Spitfire prompted
"Make it rain." Wave Chill replied, smiling
"Then go get some rain." Spitfire responded, smiling at him, the leadpony badge on her chest shining in the bright sunlight
"Yes ma'am." Wave Chill gave her a mock-salute, then took off, ready to find a cloud to give them shade
"She was right." Wave Chill murmured, flapping his wings with all his might "When the weather gets tough, we make it rain."
Wave looked around, finding a soft cloud, which he snatched a piece off of, rolling it in his hooves to make a small raincloud. Wave used the moisture within to cool himself off, then smiled, flying after Heat Wave, the water making him feel very refreshed.
Misty Fly waited patiently for Wave Chill beside Water Spout, who was glaring at Heat Wave in the distance
"Sorry Spout. He nearly caught up with me." Heat Wave said
"Whatever, gimme that." Water Spout grabbed the horseshoe and took off
"Wave! You okay?!" Misty asked as the stallion flew up to her
"Yeah, Heat Wave's got this really weird trick, somehow he made a blast of heat hit me. Watch out for Water Spout, Blaze said Blood Moon pulled a trick on her too." Wave Chill warned Misty
"Don't worry, I've got it from here." Misty said, taking off after Water Spout
"I see." Celestia murmured as she listened to Wave Chill's report of what had happened
"If I hadn't remembered something Spitfire told me during our Academy days, I'd probably still be out there. She said 'when the weather get's tough, we make it rain'. She always was persistent." Wave Chill told her
"Sister, I am already sensing a trend here. I wouldn't be surprised if Misty Fly and all the other Wonderbolts mentioned such things as well. Not to mention saying it is their Captain's words that steer them straight again." Luna commented
"I agree sister. Raven, please mark it down." Princess Celestia said
"Yes Princess. Wave...Chill...heat blast...from Heat Wave...Captain Spitfire's words...motivation." Raven jotted down onto the parchment held in her magic
Misty Fly zoomed ahead of Water Spout, spinning through the air. She was ready to win this for her team. She just needed to get across the water to where Manehatten stood. Water Spout suddenly dove low over the water.
"Enjoy the sea, you'll be in it for a while!" Water Spout called, spinning around over the water.
"What is she doing? It looks like she's making a tornado, but over the water. That's not possible....wait, isn't there a storm called a...waterspout!" Misty frantically flew out of the way, but the water was moving into a tornado shape, spiraling up into the air. Misty had to stop, it was breathtaking.
"See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!" Water Spout flew away, and Misty yelled as the water towered into the clouds above, joining with them, the water in the clouds increasing it's power.
Misty began flying after Water Spout, but the wind began to pick up with the water, and Misty was pulled in. She went through the water and was whipping around inside. It was like being inside a tornado of water, similar to ones that pegasi used to get water to Cloudsdale. The wind was too great for her to get her wings going, every time she flapped them the wind would hit her back and force them closed. Misty was being spun so fast...that she remembered something
Misty Fly was in Wonderbolt Academy, and was on the Dizzitron, which had just been released. The wind spun around her as she went flying, though not by choice. Misty expanded her wings but the wind was so great, it felt like they would break. She closed them and did a somersault, landing on a puffy cloud.
"Fail. We should work out a safety net or something if that happens again..." the Drill Sargent commented to his helpers. Misty stood up, wobbling, then fell back down.
"Hey you, newbie, Dizzy." a mare landed by her.
"You're Spitfire, one of the real Wonderbolts, but you're only my age, at least." Misty said
"I'm actually a bit younger, by a few months, at least. During my year at the Academy they used to accept ponies younger than they do now. It used to be that you were eligible around the age of sixteen, so my friends and I got in a few years back. But rules change, you're the recruit now, not me. And it looks like you're Wonderbolt material. That was some mess up though."
"Why'd you call me Dizzy?"
"I don't know your name, and it suits you, seeing as how your only mess up so far has been on the Dizzitron." Spitfire replied.
"How did you know that was my only mess up? Were you watching us?" Misty asked, nervous.
"Yep, my friends and I thought we'd check out the recruits." Spitfire said, sitting beside her. "What happened there Dizzy?"
"Well, when I was in the air, I tried to open my wings but the wind was so strong, I felt like they were about to rip off."
"Come on Dizzy, that was just your mind playing tricks on you, unless that thing's set to maximum it's just a hunk of metal. There's no real danger, or the Sargent wouldn't let you on it. The only thing stopping you is your mind, you just need to push past that and you're right side up again." Spitfire said, and Misty nodded, extending her wings.
"I think I'm ready to try again, after Blaze goes. By the way, my real name's Misty Fly."
"I'm sticking with Dizzy."
"What's the point if I told you what my real name is?"
"If you become a Wonderbolt, it'll be the name I greet you by, so you'll know you're in the right place." Spitfire replied coolly, and Misty smiled gratefully.
"Thanks, for everything."
"No problem, happy to help a fellow Wonderbolt. A future one, anyway." Spitfire said, before spreading her wings and taking off, flying down to the Headquarters.
"Dizzy. Huh, I guess it does kind of suit me." Misty thought to herself as she flew down to rejoin the line of ponies waiting for their turn on the Dizzitron.
"Spits was right, even back then she knew exactly what to say to encourage her friends. She was a born leader." Misty Fly thought, she then extended her wings and spread them wide to catch the air, she was gliding now.
"This is just a giant, naturally occurring Dizzitron. I could fly straight up through the clouds and be out of it." Misty murmured to herself, until she spotted a pod of dolphins playing nearby through the water.
"They won't see it until it's too late. Spitfire would never forgive me if I abandoned a pony-or creature-in trouble, even if our job is on the line." Misty thought, and nodded to herself.
"Maybe, if I think of it as a tornado, I can accelerate the downdraft and make it stop moving." Misty muttered
She began spiraling down the water spout counterclockwise, wings curved at her sides to avoid injury. Misty could see the water trying to break apart, faltering in places. The water spout began to slow, shrinking down into the water, and Misty swooped up, flying out through the top seconds before it collapsed.
"And just like that, the day is saved. I had better warn Rapid about these guys, that was a dirty trick." Misty thought, lifting her hoof where the horseshoe was still held, and she took off again.
In less than no time, Misty had caught up with Water Spout, who seemed less than thrilled that her trap hadn't worked. They were nearing Manehatten, where Rapidfire and Short Fuse waited.
"It's a tight race here folks." the announcer called, as Rapidfire and Short Fuse steadied themselves for the pass over of the horseshoe.
Misty pulled ahead of Water Spout at the last second and passed the horseshoe to Rapidfire, grabbing his hoof to stop him.
"They cheat, be careful honey." Rapidfire nodded and he shot forward, Short Fuse grabbing the horseshoe from Water Spout and flying after him.
"She trapped you in a water spout?" Princess Celestia asked
"Yes Princess, I would have given up right there if I hadn't remembered a time when Spitfire was a young Wonderbolt, and I was a Academy cadet. I was having trouble on one of the exercises until she helped me realize I was only doubting myself." Misty explained
"Raven..." Princess Luna murmured, but she was already scribbling on her paper.
"Got it your highness." Raven said softly, and Princess Luna nodded.
"Spitfire's amazing! She helped me remember to smile when things get dark! And it got really dark dealing with Frightmare!"
"Captain Spitfire's the best thing that's happened to this team. I wouldn't have made the plan to escape Vortex without remembering something she said to me."
"Without remembering Spitfire, I never would have thought to outsmart Electric Charge."
"Nimbus Chaser almost had me, but I remembered what Spitfire told me. And that helped me get away."
"Storm Shocker tried to zap me with lightning, but I remembered what Spitfire told me once, and I wasn't scared."
"Rolling Thunder almost had me, but Spitfire's words to us before the race encouraged me."
"Cyclone almost had me. I would have been done for, but Spitfire always told us to never give up."
"Sister, I was right. Their captain does seem to be the center of all their victories." Luna said
"True. Spitfire really is a great leader. However, we should look more into the cheating."
"Well, you're the one who had a friendship student." Luna huffed, rolling her eyes.
"Cheating is a very serious crime Luna!"
"A crime that can only be investigated after the race is over and the whole team shows cheating. For now, can we just watch Spitfire's team show how much they look up to their Captain?" Luna replied
Rainbow hovered above Ponyville, glaring at Wind Rider. He had a smirk on his face. Sun Chaser and Cyclone were heading for them. Sun Chaser looked out of breath and her mane was messed up. Rainbow leaned forward and reached for the horseshoe.
"What happened?" she asked in an undertone
"Cyclone. She attacked me. Watch out for Wind Rider." Sun Chaser passed on the message, and Rainbow nodded.
Rainbow flew after Wind Rider, easily catching up.
"You won't beat me again Rainbow Dash." Wind Rider called, referring to she and Rarity's uncovering of his true colors.
"Please! You're so slow I could beat you in my sleep!" Rainbow replied
"Not so fast! Lightning Dust designed this course. And we have to go through the Everfree Forest, then Ghastly Gorge!" Wind Rider yelled, flying into the dense undergrowth of the forest.
"Oh, please. He really thinks that I can't win? Well, prepare to be wrong, Rider." Rainbow thought, grinning.
Rainbow flew after Wind Rider, swerving easily through the trees and prickly bushes. A branch snagged one of Wind Rider's wings, and he lurched backwards. Rainbow shot past him, her smaller frame helping her to weave around the thick undergrowth.
"Could be worse. There's no big black weeds, or any monsters nearby." Rainbow reasoned as she neared the edge of the forest. Wind Rider came up behind her, his aviator jacket flapping in the breeze made by their wings.
The two Pegasi burst out of the Everfree Forest and headed for Ghastly Gorge, where their teammates waited on the other side.
"Good luck trying to fly through the toughest terrain of all!" Wind Rider shouted, and Rainbow smirked, simply keeping her eyes on the Gorge.
Rainbow flew into Ghastly Gorge, keeping her wings curved to her sides, the way Spitfire had shown her. She had mentioned it might be useful in the tough winds. Rainbow was wearing the special goggles that Kerfuffle had made for her on their visit to Hope Hollow. Somehow the pegasus mare had managed to make them strong enough to last anything. Hopefully that included Ghastly Gorge.
"Right, just passed into the wind tunnel, Quarray Eels should be right around the corner." Rainbow muttered, mapping out the route through the gorge in her head.
Wind Rider's bulky frame was; while useful in standing up to the wind; less than helpful in powering through the confined tunnel. Rainbow, however, remembered that Spitfire had once told her that wind tunnels were strange in the fact that the wind lessened the higher you got to the top. And if you flexed your wings just right...
She did a complicated wing maneuver and caught the wind, flipping upside down and gliding over Wind Rider. She smiled and began flying upside down through the tunnel. Rainbow made it out and flipped right-side up again. She looked backwards and shouted out to the very flustered stallion that had just emerged from the tunnel.
"Watch out for the Quarray Eels! They don't like it when ponies get too close to their nests!"
Rainbow then promptly swerved to the wall of the Gorge. She went over and under the holes as the infamous Eels came out, snapping their jaws hungrily at the mare and stallion. Wind Rider grinned and followed her. He shoved Rainbow out of her over-under pattern and straight at the jaws of a nearby Eel. Rainbow spread her wings wide, caught the air again, and followed him.
Wind Rider grimaced as she easily caught back up with him.
"How is she doing this? Dust told me nopony can fly the Gorge! Well, I'll lose her in the thorn bushes and cacti before making my...escape." Wind Rider thought, pulling forward.
Rainbow wove her way precariously through the cacti, flying over the tops of them. Wind Rider got ahead of her and led the way into the thorn bushes. Rainbow followed him in, the thorns catching in her mane, a few pricking her ears.
"The Frozen North was probably less dangerous than this." Rainbow thought. Suddenly, Wind Rider punched her in the side, and Rainbow fell into a whole mess of the bushes. Rainbow groaned and struggled to get free, the branches cutting into her legs and wings.
"Try getting out of that one!" Wind Rider yelled, turning back.
"Where is he going? The exit's the other way!" Rainbow thought, trying to stand but finding the thorn bushes wrapping around one of her back legs and one of her wings.
"Well, it's less humiliating than last time I got trapped down here. And at least it wasn't my fault this time." Rainbow muttered, struggling to break free.
"Dash!" Spitfire called as Rainbow tried to pull herself out of the thorns of the Everfree Forest. They'd been flying over to do a routine check.
"I'm okay Captain!" Rainbow called back.
"Can you get out of there?"
"I-I don't think so." Rainbow admitted, sure that Spitfire was going to leave her behind.
"Clipper! Take over the patrol for me!" Spitfire called up to the stallion.
"Fine." he called back, somewhat reluctantly. The rest of the Wonderbolts followed him away.
"That was some tailspin huh?" Spitfire commented as she grabbed a thorn vine and tugged it away from Rainbow.
"I-I didn't mean to slow down the team."
"You didn't. It's not your fault anyway. The trees here do have a habit of grabbing onto ponies." Spitfire said
"Why are you helping me?" Rainbow's question caused Spitfire to step back and drop the vines.
"Would you rather I leave you here to fend for yourself?"
"That's not what I meant."
"It's what I heard. Why do you sound so surprised that I'm capable of helping somepony?" Spitfire asked
"Well, back at the Equestria Games Tryouts you..."
"That wasn't my best moment. I am sorry about what I did. I'm trying to prove it to you."
"Really?"
"Why do you think I made the Wonderbolts Reserves? It was my way of apologizing. I didn't act like myself and I gave you the wrong impression."
"I forgive you Spitfire." Rainbow said, struggling "But I don't think the two of us are gonna get me out of here."
"We will Rainbow. You may be in a tangle now but you're gonna do great stuff on this team. Remember, no matter how beat up you get, keep reaching for your dreams."
"Keep reaching huh?" Rainbow looked up at the sun, just visible through the thorns. "She's right. Now it's time to break free and reach it."
Rainbow pushed forward and the vines snapped. One flung forward and scratched her face, but Rainbow kept going. She finally got free and extended his wings. She took off again and flew on, towards the cacti, heading for the edge of the Gorge
"I can do this. I have to keep going." Rainbow thought, though the cacti were scratching her wings and making her drop lower down. Rainbow found that somehow, Wind Rider had got ahead of her, though he'd been going the wrong way.
"How did you get up here?! You were supposed to be stuck!" Wind Rider yelled
"You won't get the best of me Wind Rider!"
"I know this Gorge better than anyone, that's why I told Spit I would fly it. I can do this!" Rainbow sped forward and nearly crashed into Soarin.
"Dashie! What happened to you?!" Soarin exclaimed, and Rainbow shoved the horseshoe at him.
"Just go Soar, I'll explain later. Just know that they cheat." Rainbow said, before her wingbeats slowed and she was forced to land on a cloud nearby. Soarin took off, but glanced back in concern.
"Just like when Spitfire made him lead the patrol so she could help me. I guess he'd been crushing on me then too." Rainbow thought, blushing a little. Wind Rider had passed on his horseshoe to Moon Spear and turned to look at her.
"Why couldn't you have stayed down?!" Rainbow just took off again to fly down to the ponies stationed there to watch the passing of the horseshoes.
"He did what?!" Celestia asked
"He got me trapped in the thorns. That's why I'm covered in cuts."
"How did you break free?" Luna butted in
"Once something similar happened during a patrol over the Everfree Forest. Spitfire sent the others ahead and stayed behind to help me. She told me 'no matter how beat up you get, keep reaching for your dreams'."
"Very insightful of her." Celestia murmured "And the dream in this case was to win, I assume?"
"No, it was to see Spitfire happy again. She's been so upset since the Washouts took over, the rest of us agreed that we weren't racing for the title. We were racing for her." Rainbow said "It was Fleetfoot who suggested it, but we all agreed."
"Ah." Luna said, smiling "You are such good friends."
"Not friends. Family." Rainbow objected. Wind Rider stalked up behind Rainbow and spun her around, ignoring her wince of pain.
"How did you get past me!!!?" Wind Rider demanded. Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"Rider...I fly through Ghastly Gorge every morning for fun."
Soarin was very concerned about his marefriend, she had emerged from the gorge covered in scratches. He needed to finish his leg of the race, then he could check on her. Moon Spear was flying in pace with him. Soarin flew over the fields, heading for the rocky terrain in the distance. The Pie's Rock Farm was coming up soon.
Suddenly, a ray of light flashed in his eyes. He yelled and blocked his view as Moon Spear pulled ahead of him. Somehow the light from the sun was reflecting off her silver mane and shining in his eyes.
"How are you doing that?!" Soarin yelled
"Doesn't matter to you, all you need to know is it'll help me win this race!" Moon Spear called back. Soarin shook his head and kept flying.
"I can barely see anything! Ugh, What do I do now?" Soarin thought. He suddenly tripped over his own legs and fell onto a cloud.
"Soarin! Come on, it's not that hard!" Spitfire landed by him, her whistle dangling in front of her like a threat. Fleetfoot, their third-in-command, landed next to her.
"Sorry Spit, the sun keeps getting in my eyes."
"Soarin, you're my friend, but if we don't get this right we won't be able to nail the next performance."
"Why don't you jutht get your goggleth?" Fleetfoot asked
"I-I don't have any goggles." Soarin admitted
"Why not Soar? We were supposed to have goggles when we joined the team." Spitfire said
"I couldn't afford them." Soarin replied, blushing in embarrassment.
His family had never had much money, which was part of the reason he wanted to be a Wonderbolt. He could fly well and the job paid better than his parents' jobs. It would be helpful.
"I can lend you some bits-"
"No Spitfire, I don't want to have to take your money." Soarin replied, standing.
"So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know. If you want, you can take me out of the routine. I'll be okay with it."
The next morning, Soarin woke up to find a pair of goggles hanging from the headboard on his bed. He reached and picked them up.
"Spitfire, I told you I didn't want to take your money. You buying them for me is just as bad." Soarin said, going up to her.
"I didn't buy those for you." Spitfire replied, keeping her back to him as she rummaged through her locker. "Have you seen my whistle?"
"Here." Fleetfoot came up with the whistle around her own neck.
"Fleet." Spitfire sighed, but she was smiling. Fleetfoot laughed and stuck the whistle in her mouth, blowing it to make a soft 'tweet' echo around the locker room.
"Spit, I'm serious, did you buy them for me or not?"
"Not Soar, how many times do I have to say it?"
"Fleet, did you-?"
"No. I barely had enough to get dinner latht night." Fleetfoot responded, the whistle dropping from her mouth.
"Why didn't you say something? Dinner is more important than these." Soarin said, setting the goggles down.
"I jutht didn't want you guyth to worry." Fleetfoot shrugged.
"You can come over to my house this weekend, I can make you something." Spitfire suggested, blushing. Fleetfoot nodded, also blushing.
"If you two lovebirds are done, can we get back to the goggles?" Soarin asked. Spitfire and Fleetfoot blushed harder, then Spitfire cleared her throat.
"Right. I don't know who got those for you Soarin. Maybe you have a secret admirer. Anyway, get outside, I'm starting practice soon." Soarin went outside, as instructed, and slipped the goggles on. They fit well.
Spitfire and Fleetfoot came out a few minutes later. Spitfire had apparently retrieved her whistle from the mare, as she had it now.
"Alright 'bolts, form a line! Get ready, takeoff in three...two...NOW!" she blew her whistle and they took off.
As Soarin took off, he noticed Spitfire was squinting as she took off.
"Why is't she wearing her-" Soarin cut his thought short as he put the pieces together. During break, Soarin went up to her.
"You didn't." he said
"There's a lot of things I didn't do Soarin, you're gonna have to be more specific." Spitfire replied, facing away from him, staring determinedly at Fleetfoot, who she'd been talking to.
"You gave me your goggles Spitfire, admit it."
"Okay, fine. I gave them to you, what's the big deal?" Spitfire asked, turning to face him.
"Why would you do that?" Soarin asked.
"What is so hard to understand about the phrase 'You're my friend'?"
"But you didn't have to give me these, now you have to buy another pair for yourself."
"Soarin, listen to me." Spitfire snapped, eyes flashing. "I wanted to do something nice for you because you're my friend. I knew you needed them more than I did, and I knew you'd never let one of us by them for you. Why don't you just accept the gift and move on?"
"Just because I'm your friend doesn't mean you had to give these up."
"Sure, maybe I didn't have to. But it's not like I was gonna let you give up on perfecting the move. I knew you'd be able to do the routine once you had what you needed."
Soarin usually kept the same goggles pulled up on his head, even when not in uniform, to remind himself of how great a friend Spitfire was.
"She knew I could do anything I put my mind to. I just needed the means to get there." Soarin remembered, standing.
"I may not have my goggles, but I bet if I fly over Moon Spear, I can stop the sun from hitting her mane." Soarin muttered, then took off, flying high over where Moon Spear was. He passed over her, creating a shadow.
"Hey!" she cried. He smirked and sped up before she could regain her focus on the race. He sped forwards and locked hooves with Fleetfoot, who was hovering above the farm.
"Be careful, they cheat." he whispered. Fleetfoot nodded, then sped off. Moon Spear passed on her own horseshoe to Twister, then glared at him.
"She tricked you like her teammates did?" Princess Celestia asked Soarin
"Yes. But I remembered something Spitfire did for me in our early days as Captain and Co-Captain. I remembered that she always thought Fleet and I were capable of anything we do on the team. We just may need a little help getting the means of accomplishing it."
"What did you need?" Princess Luna asked
"Flight goggles, I couldn't afford to buy them, so she tricked me into accepting hers. I felt a little guilty about it at first, but I know she was just trying to be a good friend."
"I see." Princess Luna turned and waved her wing at Raven, who marked it down.
"If that's all you need from me Princesses, I need to go."
"Oh, where?" Princess Celestia asked, and Soarin blushed
"To check on Rainbow Dash, she looked pretty hurt."
"You may go Soarin." Celestia said, Luna stifling a giggle at the stallion's obvious concern for Rainbow.
Fleetfoot flew towards Las Pegasus in the distance, where Spitfire was waiting. Twister was fast behind her. He shot forward.
"You'll never beat me!" he shouted
"Won't I?" Fleetfoot called back. She stopped herself from saying more.
"Come on Fleet, hold it in. If he knew..." Fleetfoot thought. Twister suddenly flew up beside her and spun into a corkscrew.
"What in the name of-" Fleetfoot cut herself off before she said 'Celestia'. He made a small twister appear before her. Fleetfoot swerved to the side, avoiding it.
"What's wrong? Can't handle a little wind...lesbian freak!?" he called, and Fleetfoot gasped, skidding to a halt.
"How do you know-"
"That you're sleeping with the Captain? How else would anypony explain that a loser like you is the third in command?" he laughed, and Fleetfoot bit back a sob.
"I earned my title, I worked hard for everything I have!"
"Oh really? My Captain did a little digging on you. Apparently you're the daughter of two highly influential ponies. They probably paid your way into this ridiculous team."
"That'th not true!!!" Fleetfoot lost it and yelled, then gasped. She had just revealed to him her biggest secret.
"Oh, so you've got a speech defect, that's why you're so quiet. Wait until I tell my team!"
Fleetfoot was furious, wiping her eyes and biting back her tears. Twister shoved her hard, and she landed on a cloud. Fleetfoot couldn't take it. She allowed a tear to fall.
Fleetfoot sighed. She had just been beaten by her parents. She was nineteen and still got abused by them. Spitfire and Soarin didn't know, Fleetfoot knew they had their own problems going on. Soarin's family was nearly bankrupt and he was working harder than ever to help them. Spitfire was probably overwhelmed with all the problems of a Captain. They didn't need to know about her problems on top of theirs.
"Fleet, what happened to your eye?" Soarin asked, passing by.
"I-I ran into thomething." Fleetfoot lied
"Was it a wrestling match?" Rapid joked as he walked past.
"Can it Rapid." Spitfire said, trotting over. "Fleet, can I talk to you?"
Fleetfoot sighed and nodded, following Spitfire to the Captain's office. Spitfire sat down behind the desk, beckoning for Fleetfoot to take the seat before her. Fleetfoot sat and looked at anything near the desk except Spitfire.
"Fleet, look at me." Spitfire said, but Fleetfoot shook her head. "Alright, then we're both going to sit here in silence until you do."
"I-I can't." Fleetfoot whispered.
"What?"
"I can't look you in the eye."
"Why not?"
"Because every time you lecture me, I see my parent's eyes instead of yours." Fleetfoot thought, biting back the words and tears that made her throat raw.
"Fleet, something's wrong. Every break you keep coming back to HQ with unexplained injuries. I don't know what you do when you're not here but it's obviously killing you." Spitfire said, apparently unable to keep her word. "And I can't let my friend get hurt. Tell me what's going on, please."
"I can't." Fleetfoot replied, voice breaking. She glanced up, seeing Spitfire's eyes soften.
"Fleet, you can tell me anything, you know that. I'm here for you."
"You've got your own problemth. I don't want to bother you." Fleetfoot said
"Fleetfoot, I want to be bothered by this. You're hurt for Celestia's sake!"
"It'th not that bad." Fleetfoot mumbled, closing her unswollen eye.
"But it can get worse." Fleetfoot's bottom lip trembled. "Fleet, just tell me what's going on. Please. I don't want to see you get hurt."
Fleetfoot broke down completely, tears streaming down her face. The next thing she knew, Spitfire's hooves were around her. Spitfire was rubbing her back gently and soothing her. Fleetfoot cried into Spitfire's shoulder, pressing hard against her friend. Spitfire put her muzzle by Fleetfoot's ear.
"Shh. Fleet, it's okay. It's going to be alright." Spitfire murmured
"N-no, it'th not. I-I'm thcared." Fleetfoot admitted, still crying. "Every time I go home thomething happenth. I did thomething wrong. I'm wrong."
"Fleet, you haven't done anything wrong. Look at me." Fleetfoot finally looked up at her. Their eyes locked, and for once, Fleetfoot saw not the cold, frozen eyes of her mother, but the soft, gentle brown of her friend. "It's okay. You're okay."
"It'th not Thpitfire, I-I shouldn't be upthet. I can't cry." Fleetfoot objected.
"Yes, you can. You can cry Fleetfoot, it's okay. But in the end you have to be able to know you're upset, to let out the tears, and then stand again. Every time you cry, you should rise again twice as strong."
"Rise again." Spitfire's words echoed in her mind. Fleetfoot stood and glared at Twister, he was nearly out of sight.
"I can do thith." she muttered. Fleetfoot took off, wiping her tears and flying fast after Twister.
"Where did you come from?!" Twister yelled, and Fleetfoot grinned.
"Thought you knocked me down, but I'm not giving up."
They could see Spitfire and Lightning Dust at the gates of Las Pegasus. Fleetfoot sped up and flew towards Spitfire like a shot. She reached the mare and held out the horseshoe.
"Fleet. Have you been crying?" Spitfire asked, eyeing her
"I'll explain later. Go win thith for uth honey." Fleetfoot replied, and Spitfire smiled. She nodded, taking the horseshoe.
"I love you." Spitfire breathed, kissing her cheek swiftly.
"I love you too." Fleetfoot said, watching as Spitfire flew off, followed by Lightning Dust.
"So, he got under your wings to distract you." Celestia summed up.
"Yeth Princethth. I wath upthet, but then I remembered thomething Thpitfire told me three yearth ago."
"What is this thing she told you?" Luna asked, stepping into the frame and making Celestia move to the side.
"She told me that every time I cry, to rise up twice ath thtrong." Fleetfoot replied
"That's very wise." Luna remarked, looking to Raven, who nodded, writing it on the paper.
"Thpitfire alwayth knowth what to thay to make me feel better."
Spitfire flew over Lightning Dust, eyeing her. The plan was to let the mare tire herself out, then zoom ahead to the finish when they got closer. Rainbow Dash had suggested it. Lightning Dust glared up at her.
"What's the matter Spitty, your shame weighing you down?" Lightning Dust sneered
"Don't let her get to you Spit, it's what she wants. Don't let her in." Spitfire thought, looking straight ahead. Lightning flew up and shoved her. Spitfire easily steadied herself and kept flying.
"What's the matter...daddy's girl?" Spitfire gasped and stopped mid-flight.
"How do you-"
"My dad used to work for yours. Such a shame he got locked up. Isn't it Spitty? Daddy's little girl."
"Don't. Call me. That. I'm. Not. My Dad's. Little. Girl!" Spitfire yelled, and her eyes flashed red with rage. She shook her head, blinking.
"There it is. Dad told me about the Flare's magic. He told me how much your father desired it and was willing to destroy his own children to get it."
"That's why. That's why he killed..." Spitfire's voice broke as she remembered.
"Yes. Doesn't it make you mad? Doesn't it make you want to cry?"
"Shut. Up!" Spitfire raised her voice again.
"That's it. Feel the anger." Lightning Dust urged
"What are you doing to me?" Spitfire asked, gripping her head.
"Nothing." Lightning smirked, circling her. "That fire magic is highly unstable, you know. For a hothead like you, it only takes a little to set it off. What I don't understand is why you don't use it."
"What?" Spitfire growled, ignoring the "hothead" comment. Her confusion overpowered her anger at the insult.
"The fire magic combined with the evil that runs through your very veins could make you more powerful than Celestia. Why won't you allow it to!?" Lightning Dust flew at her and pinned the mare onto a cloud "You could be a force of pure evil and you won't let it control you!"
"Let me go Dust!"
"Not until I make you lose control!"
Lightning punched her in the chest, then her face. Spitfire yelped as she felt her nose begin to bleed. She kicked her back legs up and sent the mare reeling. Lightning snarled and flew at her. Spitfire leapt up and they met each other. Lightning gave Spitfire and uppercut, and Spitfire growled. Her hooves lit up with flames and her eyes flashed red. Spitfire swept Lightning's legs out from under her, pinning the mare. Lightning swiped with her hooves at the mare. Spitfire shook her head. The magic faded, and Lightning wrapped her hooves around Spitfire's, flipping her over. Lightning punched her a few more times, then flew off. Spitfire struggled up, watching the mare.
"Spit, wake up." a pillow hit her in the face. Spitfire groaned and raised her head, which was throbbing. She was lying in bed in her private room, and could tell two ponies were standing above her.
"Huh?" Spitfire grunted, putting her hoof to her temple.
"Come on Spit, you said we had training first thing in the morning." Spitfire's knew Soarin was talking to her, she recognized his voice. But she couldn't make her eyes focus. "Is everything okay?"
"Thpit?" Fleetfoot's voice sounded above her. Spitfire groaned and shoved her face into the pillow. Fleetfoot lifted her head gently, and Spitfire felt the mare's wing graze her forehead. "Thoarin, she'th burning up."
"What?" another wing touched her forehead. "Oh yeah, you've got a fever alright Spit, you should stay in bed today."
"No, I-" Spitfire pulled away and sneezed, rubbing her nose. "You said we needed to go to practice. Let's go." Spitfire struggled to sit up, but a hoof on her shoulder pushed her down.
"Thpitfire." Fleetfoot's breath touched her ear. "You're in no condition to fly. Get thome thleep."
"Will you stay with me?" Spitfire asked wearily, sinking back into her mattress.
"Spit, if you're sick, then Fleet and I need to lead the practice."
"Not you Clipper, Flatfoot." Spitfire snapped
"Me? Why?"
"Because I'm your Captain and you have to listen to me." She joked weakly, then grew more serious. "Stay, please?" The bed sank down a little as Fleetfoot sat beside her.
"Of courthe I will. Clipper, you can handle the otherth for the day, right?" Fleetfoot asked him
"Are you kidding? The stallions are almost as bad as delinquents!"
"Don't." Spitfire muttered "Don't call them delinquents. Just...don't."
"...Okay Spit. You don't have to tell me why, I won't." hoofsteps started up and became farther away, then a door opened and closed.
"Tho, any reathon you wanted me to thtay?" Fleetfoot's hoof touched Spitfire's mane. Spitfire smiled, closing her eyes.
"I feel safe around you." There was silence for a minute, then Fleetfoot spoke, changing the subject.
"You know we're here for you, alwayth."
"Yeah, I know." Spitfire coughed a few times.
"Thoarin'th right. You don't have to tell uth anything you don't want to. But we will alwayth be by your thide. No matter what recklethth thing you put your mind to." Fleetfoot said, stroking her mane. Spitfire laughed softly.
"Yeah, I know Fleet. Best friends forever, right?" Spitfire forced one of her wings into the air. She felt Fleetfoot intertwine her own wing with Spitfire's.
"Yeah, forever." Fleetfoot paused "Or maybe...more than friendth." Fleetfoot whispered, and Spitfire heard it.
"Maybe after I've shaken off this cold we can have dinner." Spitfire smiled as she heard Fleetfoot gasp.
"She kept that promise. Now I need to keep mine." Spitfire muttered. She pulled herself up and spread her wings. "I'm coming guys."
The other Wonderbolts had made it to Cloudsdale, and were waiting anxiously for their Captain. The Shadowbolts were waiting too, but looked more angry than worried. Soarin was fussing over Rainbow's injuries, joined by Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack. They, Princess Twilight, and Pinkie Pie had been waiting for them, as the Princess had promised. Celestia and Luna had arrived too, and were watching the scene before them.
"You see them yet?" High Winds asked nervously. Blaze was hovering in the air beside Wave Chill.
"No." Wave Chill replied.
The Streak twins paced around, Rapidfire and Silver Zoom waited silently by Sun Chaser and Misty Fly. Thunderlane stood by High Winds. Even Surprise had lost her usual cheeriness. Fleetfoot took off, looking into the distance.
"Come on Spitfire. I know you can do this. Don't let her stop you." Fleetfoot pleaded. Princess Twilight flew up to her.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm worried about her. She should be here by now. Rainbow told her that all she had to do wath take it thlow, and let Lightning Dutht tire herthelf out. Then she'd pull ahead."
"Rainbow! You did remember my tactic! Egghead's Guide to Running my hoof!" Princess Twilight called, turning and flying down to her friend. Celestia snickered a little at her pupil.
Then, Fleetfoot saw it. A orange blur in the distance. It got closer, and closer, until she could see Spitfire clearly.
"Thpitfire!" Fleetfoot yelled, as a turquoise and yellow blur shot towards them.
"Out of the way lesbian freak!" she screamed. The Shadowbolts ran forward, heading for their leader. Fleetfoot landed near the others, stung by the insult.
"I'm gonna to kill her!" Rainbow lunged for the mare. Soarin and Applejack held her back. "After everything she did now she makes fun of one of my friends!"
"At ease, Dash." a familiar voice said. They turned to see Spitfire land. A second before Lightning Dust touched the clouds.
"You did it!" Surprise exclaimed, then gasped.
Spitfire's nose was bleeding, staining the fur around her muzzle. Her mane was hanging around her face, matted with blood and sweat. Her lip had a scratch on it, and there was a bruise on her chin. Spitfire's wing feathers were ruffled, and one of her eyes was black.
"What in the holy name of Celestia happened to you!?" Blaze cried, drawing the attention of the Princesses.
"Dust got the jump on me." Spitfire replied
"That's the last straw! Lemme at her!" Rainbow ran towards the Shadowbolts before anypony could stop her. The Shadowbolts backed away, and Lightning Dust ran at Rainbow.
"Rainbow, stop! You won anyway!" Princess Twilight yelled.
Rainbow skidded to a halt, but Lightning Dust kept running. She pinned Rainbow to the ground, snarling at her.
"Get off her." Princess Twilight lifted Lightning Dust off Rainbow and pulled Rainbow back to the Wonderbolts.
"What are you saying Princess?" Spitfire asked
"You touched down first Spitfire. You win. Provided you have the horseshoe, of course." Princess Celestia replied. Spitfire gasped and lifted up her hoof.
"Oh no." She looked down. There was no horseshoe.
"Spit?" Soarin asked
"I-It must have fallen off in the fight."
"What fight?" Princess Twilight asked. Lightning Dust trotted up. The mare was sporting a few bruises of her own.
"That madmare attacked me! She doesn't deserve to be a leader! She's crazy, she jumped me for no reason! She should be locked up, just like her father!" Lightning Dust snarled.
Spitfire felt her throat close up, and her eyes began to gloss over.
"What about her father?" Rainbow asked
"Oh, you mean your precious Captain didn't tell you?" Lightning Dust sneered, voice raising. "Her father is locked up in the Canterlot prison! She's the daughter of a murderer!" Lightning Dust yelled, loud enough for all the watching ponies to hear.
"I-" Spitfire looked to the other Wonderbolts, whose eyes were wide with shock. Spitfire backed away from them.
"Is it true?" High Winds asked. Spitfire felt the tears begin to come.
"Yes. I'm so sorry." Spitfire said, wiping her eyes. "I've cost us our title and I don't deserve to be your captain." she looked away from the Wonderbolts. She stopped trying to stop herself from crying and let it happen. She deserved to be humiliated.
"Thpit." Fleetfoot put her hooves around the mare. "It'th okay."
"It's not. I lost the horseshoe."
"But did you start the fight?" Princess Twilight asked, coming up to her.
"I just told you she did." Lightning Dust snapped. Princess Twilight turned to her with a "look" on her face.
"The first time I encountered you, you nearly killed me and my friends. The second time we met you almost killed a filly with your reckless acts so excuse me if I don't believe you."
"Very well said Twilight." Luna snickered.
"Well Spitfire? Did you start the fight or not?" Princess Twilight asked
"I didn't. Dust struck the first blow. I was just trying to protect myself." Spitfire replied. Princess Twilight turned to Applejack.
"Spitfire's telling the truth." Applejack answered the Princess' unasked question.
"She's lying!" Lightning Dust yelled.
"She is the Element of Honesty." Princess Twilight snapped. Spitfire buried her head in Fleetfoot's shoulder, still crying.
"Thpitty, what'th wrong?" Fleetfoot whispered
"It doesn't matter who started the fight. I still lost the horseshoe and I don't know why you're even here. I'm a monster." Spitfire said, loud enough for the others to hear. Fleetfoot stepped back so Spitfire could see the sorrow in her eyes.
"Darn right she is." Lightning Dust muttered. Rainbow threw herself at Lightning Dust again and the two fell onto the clouds, tussling.
"Spitfire, I don't believe that the horseshoe matters." Princess Luna said, stepping in front of her sister. "The point of this race was to show how good of a team you are. Isn't that why you chose this for the challenge in the first place?"
Spitfire wiped her eyes, then nodded.
"But Luna, we have to adhere to the rules, don't we?" Princess Twilight asked
"Actually, the attack on Spitfire was not the first. Each of the Wonderbolts have reported cheating during each leg of the race. Combined, this is enough evidence to disqualify the Shadowbolts from the race." Princess Luna replied.
Lightning Dust launched herself from Rainbow and flew to her team. Rainbow went back to her own.
"You idiots! This is your fault!" Lightning Dust said, glaring at her teammates. They snarled and instantly began yelling back.
"Silence!" Princess Celestia commanded, and they all froze. "I agree with my sister. You are no team, and don't deserve the title of best flyers."
Lightning Dust let out an enraged yell and stormed away. Princess Celestia turned to the Wonderbolts.
"Congratulations. You deserve it." The Wonderbolts cheered and hugged each other. Soarin turned to Spitfire.
"Well Spit? Care to join us?"
"What are you talking about?" Spitfire asked
"Come on, you think we'd believe Lightning Dust?" Rapidfire asked.
"But what she said is the truth. I am the daughter of a monster. Which means I'm one too." Spitfire said
"Spitfire, we know you. We know you'd never hurt us. Just because you're related to somepony evil doesn't mean you have to be evil." Rainbow said
"Besides, you're our friend! You're not nasty or mean, no matter who your dad is!" Surprise added
"Really?" Spitfire asked, wiping her eyes. The Wonderbolts all nodded, smiling.
"You aren't friends, that's for sure." Princess Luna said "You're clearly all different enough to drive each other crazy, and yet you still care for each other."
"You're right Princess. It's like what Spitfire said earlier. We're not her friends. We're her family." Soarin said
"Then..." Princess Celestia turned to the spell network, where ponies all over Equestria were watching. "Equestria, please give a warm welcome back to the Wonderbolts! Our own, not-so-ordinary family."
The ponies of Cloudsdale cheered, as did countless other ponies in Equestria. The Wonderbolts hugged and smiled. They were back.
Spitfire sat in her office, writing on a piece of paper. It had been a few weeks since their defeat of the Shadowbolts. The race was already being documented by Princess Twilight. Occasionally she would visit Wonderbolt HQ to ask the team members questions on their legs of the race.
Spitfire smiled as she placed the paper on top of a stack of other completed ones. She leaned back in her chair and looked around. It was good to be back.
Things had changed since they'd been back, of course. Now that the secret of Spitfire's lineage was out, some ponies treated her badly. They shot her distrustful looks when she went into towns-usually Canterlot. Spitfire was a little put off by this, but she always reminded herself that she had ponies on her side that she loved and cared for more than she ever would these ponies.
"Spit, you coming?" Rainbow called down the hall as she passed the Captain's office. Spitfire grinned and jumped out of her chair, letting her wings catch her.
Because her team had been through so much.
Spitfire snatched up her whistle from where it hung on her office door. She flew out of the office and down the hall after Rainbow. The two went outside to see Soarin and Fleetfoot waiting for them. Spitfire blew her whistle and the four of them took off. They were heading to Ponyville to debut their new trick.
"There you are, hurry up!" Princess Twilight called, ushering them to the field.
The other Wonderbolts would be watching with the rest of Ponyville. Princesses Celestia and Luna joined them as well. They knew Spitfire wanted Ponyville to be the first to witness it, seeing as how Princess Twilight helped them. And she sort of wanted to get revenge on Canterlot for being distrustful of her.
Spitfire led Soarin, Fleetfoot, and Rainbow into the air. Spitfire looked down at the crowd, then turned to Rainbow.
"Rainbow, you wanna do the honors?" Spitfire tossed the whistle to the mare, who gasped and slipped it around her neck.
And no matter what, they stood by her side.
"On three guys! We've been practicing for weeks, and we are not failing now! One...two...three!" Rainbow said, and they flew even higher.
The four flew so high, that the air grew thin. They then dove down one at a time. Spitfire made hers work first. A ring of orange and yellow flames burst across the sky, followed by a flash of white and ice blue. Then came Soarin's blaze of navy blue and black. Finally, Rainbow's ray of colored light waves. The four of them landed perfectly in sync, greeted by cheers and applause.
"That was amazing! How did you get the different colors to show?" Princess Twilight asked, coming up to them.
"I figured that the Sonic Rainboom's only a rainbow 'cause that's what my mane is. And I thought right." Rainbow said, puffing out her chest.
"Well, great job." Princess Twilight said, then backed away to let the Wonderbolts come closer.
"Awesome!" Blaze cried. Fleetfoot turned to Spitfire and kissed her cheek. Spitfire smiled and allowed the other Wonderbolts to hug her too.
And hopefully, they'd be by her side for a long time to come.
