My Little Investigations: Wonderbolts Under Fire

by Metool Bard

First published 26th of April, 2013

Someone wants me and my team dead. At least, that's what this weirdo in a costume tells me.

My name is Spitfire. I'm the captain of the Wonderbolts; the best fliers in all of Equestria. As captain, I feel that I have a certain obligation to my team. In a sense, they're kinda like my family (and trust me, I'm usually not that sappy). So when our practice course is sabotaged and it almost claims Misty Fly's life, you can understand why that would make me kind of livid. Especially since we were practicing for this special competition meant to strengthen pony-griffon relations.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I also have this oddball stalker claiming that these attacks are gonna continue. No, I'm not kidding here. This weird pony dressed up like something out of a comic book says that if I want to stop these attacks, I have to find the dock-hole behind them. Hey, just a quick question. Why me? I mean, I'm concerned about my team and all, but I'm a Wonderbolt, not a detective! Heck, you clearly know more about what's going on; why don't you do the legwork and catch this guy?! For that matter, why should I trust you?! I don't even know who you are!

Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that. I'm just not in a good mood right now. And Celestia help anypony who crosses me, be it that assassin or the costumed freak. Because if I get my hooves on either one of them, it's not gonna be pretty...

The story I'm about to tell you is real, although some details are debatable. I'm not gonna bother changing any names because I know there's at least one smart aleck out there who's gonna try to figure out the real names, anyway. Oh, and all you parents out there might wanna consider sending your little ones to bed. I'm gonna delve into some pretty heavy stuff, and I don't want to traumatize anypony.

((Case 1 of the Mare-Do-Well Files.))

Prologue: A Bit of Background

I know what you're thinking right now. You're thinking; "Wow! Is Spitfire talking to me? As in the Spitfire?! Somepony hit me; I must be dreaming!"

To that I say two things. One, you're not dreaming. Two, stop freaking out. I'm not gonna be able to tell my story if you're squealing like a school filly.

For those out of the loop, I'm Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts. Now, that means a lot of things. It means that I am an entertainer; my specialty being precision flying. But my job is more than just flying around and looking cool (although I'll admit, that is the majority of it). I'm also the top brass concerning all things weather, and I run the Wonderbolts training camp for new recruits. And that's not to mention that the Wonderbolts are also considered a branch of the Equestrian Navy, and I coordinate all activities regarding that.

So to recap: I'm a stunt flier, a weathermare, a talent scout, an instructor, and a commanding officer. Notice that nowhere in my job description does it say "private investigator."

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I think it'd be best if we started from the beginning. This whole mess began a couple of days ago, although I had no way of knowing it at the time...

I was in my office, waiting for the mail to arrive. That's where ponies can usually find me after breakfast. This is because I get a ton of mail, and I think you can all guess why. As such, I usually find it best to get it out of the way first thing, so that the rest of my schedule is cleared up.

"Mail call!"

Yep, right on time. I expected nothing less from Crescent Moon.

Oh, you guys probably don't know Crescent Moon, do you? Well, he's kind of our behind-the-scenes pony. He keeps our schedules; sorts our mail; makes sure we're healthy. You know, that kind of stuff. What any of that has to do with his Cutie Mark of a crescent moon, I haven't the slightest idea. He says it's not important, but I chalk that up to the fact that he doesn't really like to talk about himself all that much.

Anyway, Crescent Moon came in with a heavy box strapped to his back and a clipboard in his mouth. I could literally see the sweat staining his dusty brown coat and chocolate-colored mane. This did not bode well for me.

"You need a hoof with that, Crescent?" I asked.

"Ugh! N-no thankth, Captain. I-I got it," Crescent grunted before plopping the box on my desk, sending a few letters flying around. He then set his clipboard down and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Phew! There we are."

I peered into the box and began to feel a sense of dread. It was packed to the brim with all sorts of letters.

"Great," I groaned. "This is gonna take me all morning."

"Well, it's just as well," said Crescent with a shrug. "You don't have anything scheduled this morning."

There wasn't really a way I could respond to that, so I simply shrugged and began sorting through my bumper crop of mail. For the most part, it was what you'd expect. Lots and lots of fan letters and posters waiting to be autographed. One would think that I'd get sick of it after a while, but honestly, I love hearing from my fans. I just wish I had more time to give them all the attention I felt they deserved.

"Anything of interest, Captain?" asked Crescent.

"Nah, just the usual," I said, stacking all the letters into a neat pile. "So, what's on the agenda for today, Crescent?"

"Well, let's see," Crescent mused, picking up his clipboard. "Hmm. Oh, there's the Wonderbolt Derby this afternoon."

"Am I scheduled to race?" I inquired.

"Um, yes."

"Hmm," I said with a shrug as I continued sorting my mail. "Rapidfire is sure to be disappointed. He's always the favorite in those races."

"Doesn't Fleetfoot beat him all the time, though?" asked Crescent.

"Yeah, but the bookies over in Canterlot never seem to catch on," I said with a dry chuckle. "Ah, well. What're you gonna do? Oh, hello. What's this?"

It was then that I found a letter not quite like the others. It was marked with a regal-looking seal depicting a hoof, a talon, and a paw placed one over the other; as if three separate creatures were swearing an oath of brotherhood. I recognized the seal right away and raised an eyebrow.

"Now, this is quite interesting," I said. "Why would Honor Bound send me a letter?"

"Honor Bound?" asked Crescent, tilting his head. "I'm not sure I know who that is."

I gave Crescent a half-smirk. "You really ought to pay more attention to politics, Crescent. Honor Bound is only one of the most prestigious diplomats around. He's the griffons' ambassador to Equestria; a living testament to griffons and ponies being able to live together in harmony."

"O-oh," said Crescent sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, I didn't know. Um, is he really that highly revered?"

"From what I understand, some of his prestige is exaggerated because of his bloodline," I said as I opened the letter. "I'm no diplomat myself, but I would imagine that it takes more than just being a hippogriff to become an ambassador. Anyway, let's see what he has to say."

I unfolded the letter and began to look over it carefully. As I read the message, I couldn't help but feel pleasantly surprised.

"Well, what does it say?" asked Crescent.

I looked up at Crescent with a spark of determination in my eyes. "Crescent, is there anything after the Wonderbolt Derby?"

"Um, no."

"Perfect. Have the team meet me at the training ground at seventeen hundred hours, sharp. I've got a special announcement to make."

"Oh. Uh, right away, Captain," said Crescent, hastily jotting the meeting down on his clipboard. "So, what did Honor Bound want?"

I smirked. "The griffons are challenging the Wonderbolts to a race through Ghastly Gorge as a gesture of goodwill. And I'm not planning on insulting them by backing out."

Crescent seemed flummoxed. "Wh-when is this?"

"Next week."

Crescent frantically flipped through his clipboard. "I-I didn't get any prior notice of this, Captain."

I had to snicker. Crescent doesn't really like his ordered little world to be shaken up. "And that's why you should pay more attention to politics," said I.

"Um, right," said Crescent. "I'll be sure to remember that. A-and I'll be sure to have a message ready for the mess hall bulletin board by lunchtime."

"I know you will," I said with a smile. "You're dismissed."

"Th-thank you, Captain," said Crescent with a hasty salute before darting out the door.

My smile grew as I went over to the window to reflect on Honor Bound's letter. As you can imagine, I was pretty stoked. I'm always up for a good race, and so is the rest of my team. And not only was this a race, but it was an event that could possibly make it into the Equestria Games. There were also the diplomatic benefits and implications, but to me, that was just the icing on the cake. To me, this was a chance for us Wonderbolts to show our stuff and test our mettle against the best the Griffon Kingdom had to offer.

Little did I know that in the same day, my entire world would be royally rocked...

Author's Notes:

((OOC: Although I'm writing this story as Spitfire, I won't be answering comments as Spitfire. This is supposed to be a film noir, not an ask blog. However, I'll consider making exceptions if you have something constructive and story-related to say to her.

On another note, a special shout-out to theunderwolf for the inspiration for the Hippogriff Ambassador Honor Bound.))

One Stray Spark

Anypony who has flown with me long enough knows that I'm a stickler for punctuality. If I say there's a meeting at seventeen hundred, I expect everypony attending to be there at seventeen hundred on the dot. So it's no surprise that when I arrived at the training ground, I was greeted by my team; all standing in a row at attention. I gave a nod of satisfaction and turned to address my fellow Wonderbolts.

"Alright, Wonderbolts! Sound off!" I ordered.

"Soarin', here!"

"Blaze, present and accounted for!"

"Misty Fly, reporting in!"

Each Wonderbolt called out their name in turn. Each of them, that is, except one. I had to roll my eyes. I knew all too well what was coming next.

Five, four, three, two, one...

"SURPRISE~!"

Yep, just as I suspected. The last Wonderbolt on the list, Surprise, flew up from behind me and shrieked right into my ear. She does this all the time.

"Reporting for duty, Cap-a-rooni!" the hyperactive white pegasus said with a salute.

I sighed. "Surprise, do you know what would really surprise me?"

"What's that, Cap?"

"If you didn't do that."

Surprise tilted her head. "I don't follow, Cap. Is this some sort of paradoxical riddle that I'm not supposed to get?"

"Never mind," I said. Seriously, trying to use logic with Surprise is like trying to solve a crossword puzzle with vague clues. It's possible, but if you keep at it for too long, it's gonna make your brain hurt. "Just get in line, alright?"

"Okey-dokey, Cap!" said Surprise with a salute as she dashed to the end of the line.

"So, what's this all about, Boss?" asked Rapidfire. "Crescent said you've got something important to tell us."

"I do indeed, Rapidfire," I said with a smile as I marched up and down the line. "This morning, I got a letter from none other than Honor Bound, the Hippogriff Ambassador."

The Wonderbolts began muttering amongst themselves before High Winds spoke up.

"What would the Hippogriff Ambassador want with you, ma'am?" she inquired.

"I'm glad you asked, High Winds," I said. "Apparently, he's planning to strengthen pony-griffon relations by creating a new event for the Equestria Games which both griffons and ponies can enter."

"Ooh, ooh! Ooh ooh ooh!" Surprise exclaimed, flailing her foreleg in the air like a filly trying to get the teacher's attention. I gave an exasperated sigh.

"What is it, Surprise?" I asked.

"Why do we need to strengthen our relations with the griffons? We already live together pretty peacefully."

That was, actually a pretty good question. I gotta hand it to Surprise; she always finds a way to live up to her name and catch me off-guard.

"I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that, Surprise," I said with a shrug. "Besides, that's not the reason I called you all here."

"Well, what iss?" asked Fleetfoot.

I gave my team a sly grin. "To test this new event, Honor Bound has organized a friendly competition at Ghastly Gorge a week from today. He wants us to race against the Proud Pride, the best fliers in the Griffon Kingdom."

"The who?" asked Wave Chill, tilting his head. "I've never heard of those guys."

"Me, neither," said Silver Zoom. "Are they new?"

"I suppose," I said. "Honestly, this is my first time hearing about them, too. But even so, I plan to take Honor Bound up on his offer. If these guys are supposed to be the best fliers amongst griffons, then it would be insulting if we just stood them up."

"I hear that, ma'am!" Fleetfoot proclaimed in agreement. "I'm alwayss up for a good racce!"

There was a general muttering of agreement from the rest of the Wonderbolts, punctuated by a squeal of glee from Surprise.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" she exclaimed, turning to Fire Streak. "Are you excited?! 'Cause I'm excited! Excited!"

"Glad to hear you're all on board," I said, lowering my flight goggles. "Because if we're gonna do this, we can't afford to do it half-assed. I already had Crescent Moon prepare the obstacle course for us, so let's get a few practice runs in before dinner."

"That's just like you, Spitfire. Always on top of things," said Misty Fly, putting on her own goggles. "I'm ready whenever you are."

That's what I love about my team, amongst other things. They're always ready to move at a moment's notice. Sure enough, the rest of them lowered their goggles and got ready for takeoff. I smiled.

"Good to hear, Wonderbolts!" I said proudly. "Now then, we'll divide into six wing pairs and take off in order. Blaze, you're with Surprise."

"Got it, Sis," said my younger twin with a salute.

"Soarin', you go with Wave Chill."

When Soarin' didn't respond, I looked up and had to groan. Even through his opaque goggles, I could tell that his eyes had completely glazed over. Honestly, I don't know what he thinks about half the time. The other Wonderbolts joke and always say it's pie, but I know better.

"Hey, Earth to Soarin'!" I snapped, clapping my hooves in front of his face.

"Huh, what?" said Soarin', shaking himself. "Oh, uh... Sorry, Spit. What was that?"

"You're with Wave Chill."

"Oh, right! Yeah, no prob," said Soarin' sheepishly.

I simply shook my head and continued going down the list. "Fire Streak, you're with Lightning Streak."

"Understood."

"Silver Zoom, you're with High Winds."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Fleetfoot, you're with Rapidfire."

"If he can keep up," said Fleetfoot with a sneer. Rapidfire scowled.

"Cut the crap, Fleet," I said, giving both ponies a stern glare. "This is exactly why I'm pairing you two. Both of you, get the Wonderbolt Derby out of your heads and fly as a team. You got me?"

Fleetfoot swallowed. "Y-yess, ma'am," she said meekly. Rapidfire gave a hasty salute of his own.

"Good," I said with a curt nod. "Misty Fly, you're my wing."

"I won't let you down, Spitfire," said Misty Fly.

"I know," I said with a smile. "Alright, Wonderbolts! Let's fly!"

With a chorus of acknowledgments, the Wonderbolts took to the skies in the wing pairs I assigned, starting with Blaze and Surprise and ending with me and Misty Fly.

At first, running through the obstacle course was pretty standard fare. We go through this sort of training all the time to keep ourselves in top form. If asked, I'd say that pretty much all of us could run the course blindfolded. I know I could. So while flying through the course, I usually find myself using the time to reflect, putting myself on autopilot as I get lost in my thoughts. This time around, I was thinking about my team.

Most new recruits see me as a hard-dock who doesn't take any crap from anypony. While that's true, there's more to it than that. Besides, you've already seen that we have our share of discipline issues. Soarin' often has his head in the clouds, Fleetfoot and Rapidfire have a tendency to be overly competitive, and Surprise is, well, Surprise. And trust me, there's a lot more that I could get into.

But you know what? None of that matters to me. For one thing, they know how to hide their flaws while performing. But more importantly, it makes them who they are. Nopony can take that away from them, least of all me.

I'm usually not a sappy pony, but when I'm asked about what my team means to me, I can't help but think about how much I care about each and every one of them. As their captain, I'm responsible for them. They're my comrades, and everypony knows I would never let them down. I'd even go so far as to call them my family (don't laugh. I can be sentimental when I want to be). They may follow my orders, but in the back of their minds, they can take comfort in the knowledge that I can steer them in the right direction. It's that mutual respect that makes us a great team.

And just when I was about to write this off as a pretty damn good day, disaster struck quite literally and turned my world upside-down.

I was snapped out of my daydreaming by a loud peal of thunder ringing in my ear. That already set off warning bells in my head. According to my autopilot, Misty Fly and I were nowhere near the thundercloud patch. When I stopped to take stock of what happened, I was surprised to see that Misty Fly was no longer by my side. Frantically, I looked around for my wingpony. After catching sight of a trail of smoke some ways back, it didn't take long for me to find her.

I looked down and gasped in horror. Sure enough, Misty Fly had been hit by that rogue thunderbolt and was falling fast. Without a moment's hesitation, I dove after her.

"Hang on, Misty Fly!" I shouted. "I'm coming!"

At least, that's what I think I said. My ears were still ringing from that thunderbolt. But that didn't matter. Nothing else mattered. I had to save her.

In a few short seconds, I managed to close the gap between us. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the thunderbolt had hit her pretty bad. Her right wing was completely singed, and she couldn't hope to recover. I slowly increased my acceleration, aiming to position myself under her and catch her that way. Pure adrenaline ran through my veins like wildfire, and my heart was going a mile a minute. I had to make this count, no matter what.

Just as I was within hoof's reach of her, she disappeared from my field of view. Utterly baffled, I stopped my dive and looked around again. This time, I caught sight of something that caused me to lower my goggles as my jaw dropped.

Carrying Misty Fly was perhaps the weirdest-looking pony I had ever laid eyes on. From the pony's build, I guessed that it was a mare, but I couldn't be sure. She was dressed in this bizarre costume, complete with a skintight body suit, a purple cape, and a wide-brimmed hat. The mystery pony landed on the tarmac below the obstacle course and set Misty Fly down gently. She then gave me a salute and flew off without another word.

I had countless questions running through my head, but I put them all on the back burner as I rushed to Misty Fly's side. I landed next to her, panting heavily as I looked over her barely conscious form.

"Hey, *pant* Mist. Y-you *gasp* alright?" I asked breathlessly.

Misty Fly tried to get to her feet, stumbling a bit as she did so. "I-I'm sorry, Spitfire," she said weakly.

"No. Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong," I assured her, holding out my hoof. "Need some help?"

"Th-thanks, Spitfire. I-I'll be okay, though," Misty Fly grunted as she continued to struggle. Honestly, I don't know why she bothered. I know false bravado when I see it.

"Hey, maybe you should save your energy," I said firmly. "You took a pretty nasty hit back there."

Misty Fly knew right away that I saw through her facade, and she let out a heavy sigh. "M-my wing feels completely numb, Spitfire. I-I don't know when it'll get better. I-I'm..."

"I told you, don't apologize," I interrupted. "Just take it easy, alright? I don't want you to push yourself."

"O-okay," said Misty Fly as she did as I asked. The other Wonderbolts crowded around from above, looking down at us.

"Everything okay, Spit?" asked Soarin'.

I gave Soarin' a dirty look. Seriously, what kind of question was that? Did he not see Misty Fly's condition? I let out a deep sigh.

"All of you, go hit the showers," I said. "Training's over for today. Oh, and Blaze?"

"What's up?"

"Get Fast Clip and Whiplash over here, on the double. Tell them to bring a stretcher. Also, get Crescent Moon in on this. I want him to find out what the hay happened up there."

"Right away, Sis," said Blaze with a solemn nod. With that, the Wonderbolts dispersed, leaving me and Misty Fly.

I looked down at my wounded comrade for the longest time. I'm not ashamed to admit it; I felt like crying. I was just so, relieved that she was still alive. But one thing about being a captain is that you have to know when it's okay to cry. And right then and there, Misty Fly needed me to be strong for her. So, I held it in until our security detail, Fast Clip and Whiplash, came in to take Misty Fly to the infirmary. After giving them a salute, I flew off to the barracks. I needed a cold shower and a lot of time to think.

Myriad Mysteries

When I got to the barracks, I could already hear the other Wonderbolts talking amongst themselves over the sound of running water. I wasn't paying all that much attention to what they were saying, but it sounded like they were concerned about me and Misty Fly. I allowed myself to shed a single tear as a soft smile crossed my face. That's another thing I love about my team. Despite our differences, we try to look out for one another.

I got out of my uniform and entered the mares' shower room. As if by magic, the muttering stopped. Even Surprise clammed up, and trust me, that's rare for her. I guess none of them really knew what to say to me. That or they wanted to give me my space and let me sort out my thoughts. Either way, I was grateful. I wasn't really in the mood for talking, anyway.

I stepped into the nearest stall, turned on the water, and let the cold spray hit my face. Slowly, I began to clear the fog around my mind and piece together what had transpired.

Now, before you ask, I did not blame myself. Yeah, I daydreamed during practice, but that's because I knew the course so well. Which is why I knew for a fact that the thunderbolt that hit Misty Fly was out of place. Otherwise, Misty Fly would've dodged it no problem. Or at least, she wouldn't be in such critical condition.

Did Crescent Moon make a mistake setting up the course? No, that couldn't be it. Crescent is many things, but one thing he's not is careless. Besides, we passed that same spot at least five times during our run-through, and only on the sixth lap did that thundercloud decide to release its payload. As an expert weathermare, I can tell you that thunderclouds don't work like that. In order for that to happen, somepony had to be operating the cloud manually.

As soon as that thought entered my mind, the gears in my head went into overdrive. The more I thought about it, the more apparent it became that this wasn't an accident. Someone tried to punch Misty Fly's ticket. The very notion brought my blood to a boil. I didn't feel like crying anymore. I felt like hitting something repeatedly. Preferably the schmuck who thought attacking my team was a good idea.

But, that brought me to another problem. There were only twelve pegasi in the sky at the time, and those twelve were me and the rest of the Wonderbolts. It couldn't have been one of the others; we have more respect for each other than that. Did one of them see something and not tell me? If so, why didn't they? And if not, where the bucking hay did that thunderbolt come from?!

With a scream of frustration, I punched the wall with all my might. For the longest time, the only sounds I heard were the water from the showers and my own heavy breathing. I stood there, staring down the drain as I let my rage dissipate. Throwing a tantrum wasn't going to solve anything. I knew that better than anypony. But sometimes, even I can't be the level-headed captain who's always in control no matter what life throws her way.

"Need a hug, Cap?"

I didn't even turn to address Surprise. I knew she meant well, but she also had no tact whatsoever. One of these days, she's gonna end up picking her teeth up off of the floor.

"I don't think that's going to help, Surprise," I muttered.

"Mmm. Well, let me know if you change your mind," said Surprise.

"Yeah, sure," I said. "Oh, and Surprise?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell the others to go to the mess hall without me. I'll catch up later."

"You got it, Cap."

I then heard Surprise's hoofsteps as she left the shower room. With a sigh, I turned off the water and got into my bathrobe. I decided to wait around for Crescent Moon's report before hitting the mess hall myself.

I didn't have to wait long. As soon as I got out of the shower room, Crescent Moon was right there, waiting for me. His cheeks turned a rosy pink.

"Um, uh... I-is this a bad time?" he asked nervously.

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it, Crescent. Just give me your report."

Crescent swallowed. "I'm afraid I have bad news, Captain. I checked the obstacle course at least seven times. Nothing was wrong."

I bit my lip, resisting the urge to chew Crescent out for this. After all, it wasn't really his fault. I took a deep breath to compose myself before addressing him again.

"Well, keep at it," I said. "Also, how's Misty Fly doing?"

"The doctors are taking a look at her right now," said Crescent somberly. "They said they'll have a full diagnosis in the morning."

"She isn't giving them too much trouble, is she?"

"When I last saw her, she was resting comfortably."

"Well, at least that's something," I said with a sigh. "Let me know about her condition as soon as you can."

"Will do," said Crescent. "Oh, and one more thing. Whiplash found this attached to Misty Fly's uniform. He said you might want to know about it."

He held out his hoof, showing a little note attached to a pin. Raising an eyebrow, I snatched it up and read it to myself.

Well, that didn't help. If anything, it made me more confused. And believe me, more confusion was the last thing I needed.

"Everything alright, Captain?" asked Crescent.

I gave Crescent a deadpan look. Soarin' I could understand, but Crescent isn't this oblivious. I think he knew that as well, because I could see the embarrassment on his face.

"R-right. Stupid question. Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I-I'll just get back to work."

With a quick salute, he left in quite a hurry. I sighed and shook my head. I didn't like any of this one bit, and I had a bad feeling in my gut that it was only gonna get worse.

As you could imagine, I couldn't sleep a wink that night. I had so many thoughts running through my head that I couldn't relax. After just lying in my bunk for a while, I looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. I shrugged and quietly got out of bed. I figured as long as I couldn't sleep, I might as well see who this fan was and what they wanted.

When I got to my office, I noticed that the door was already ajar. That didn't bode well. Crescent usually locks up my office before Lights Out. Cautiously, I peeked into the room. My eyes went wide when I saw somepony sitting at my desk. Throwing caution to the wind, I slammed the door open and burst in.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" I said with an angry snort.

The pony turned to me and slowly emerged from the shadows. I recognized who it was, but I didn't know what to make of it. It was that oddball pony that saved Misty Fly's life.

"You're early," said the pony in a dull whisper. Judging by the pitch, I felt it was safe to assume that she was female. However, it was nopony that I recognized off-hoof.

"Don't dodge the question, pal," I said sternly. "How did you get in here?"

The weirdo shook her head. "Tsk tsk. Poor Ms. Spitfire. Are you really going to get hung up on something as trivial as that?"

"Since when is breaking and entering not trivial?" I retorted, putting my hooves on my hips.

"Considering that I saved your comrade's life, I thought you would be grateful," said the weirdo with a shrug.

I was not in the mood for this. "Is that what you came in here for? A medal? I had the situation under control, you know. I didn't need your help."

"Oh, medals are not for me, Ms. Spitfire," said the weirdo with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "I prefer to let my actions speak for themselves."

"If that's the case, your actions are speaking in gibberish," I growled. "Stop beating around the bush and get to the point. What do you want?"

"Simply to talk," said the weirdo.

"Alright then. Start talking," I said, folding my forelegs. "First, tell me who you are."

"I suppose that's acceptable," said the weirdo. She then got up and walked around the desk, stopping in the middle of the room to take off her hat and bow to me.

"My true name is a secret that I will take to my grave," said she. "But you may refer to me as the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well."

Yeah, that didn't sound corny or anything.

"Alright, Ms. Mare-Do-Well. What's your game?" I asked.

"It's no game, Ms. Spitfire. Of that, I can assure you," said Mare-Do-Well, sounding a bit offended. "I am a vigilante by trade. Whenever a pony needs my help, I answer their call."

"How very noble of you," I said dryly. "So, you just saved Misty Fly out of the goodness of your heart, is that it?"

"Sharp as a tack, Ms. Spitfire. I'd expect nothing less," said Mare-Do-Well. She might've been mocking me, but it was very hard to tell.

"Alright then, answer me this," I said. "How did you know that Misty Fly would be attacked?"

There was a pause. I don't know why, but the room suddenly felt a lot colder.

"I come to you with a warning, Ms. Spitfire," Mare-Do-Well said darkly. "This attack is but the first of many."

I wasn't sure if I heard that right. At least, that's what I told myself. "Excuse me?"

"Someone aims to kill you and the Wonderbolts, Ms. Spitfire," said Mare-Do-Well. "And the only way to save your team is to find the one who would want such a thing."

"Easier said than done," I said. "The Wonderbolts are a household name. I can't think of anypony who'd want to hurt us."

"Notice that I never said 'pony,' Ms. Spitfire," said Mare-Do-Well tersely.

"Oh, well that narrows it down then," I said sardonically.

"Your sarcasm is noted," said Mare-Do-Well, obscuring her eyes with her hat. "Nevertheless, I ask that you take this seriously. You care about your team, don't you?"

"More than anything," I said without missing a beat.

"Then perhaps you can channel your energy into solving this mystery, hmm?"

This mare was unbelievable. I couldn't even begin to imagine why she'd ask this of me.

"Listen, whoever you are. I'd do anything for my team, but what you're asking of me isn't really my forte," I said as plainly as I could. "I'm not a sleuth."

"Why should that matter?" inquired Mare-Do-Well. "We both know you don't want these attacks to continue, and there's only so much I can do to protect you and your team. If you want this to stop, you have to reach out of your comfort zone a bit."

"Hey, here's an idea. If you know so much about this, why don't you do the legwork and catch this dock-hole yourself?" I asked.

"If I could do that, we wouldn't be having this conversation, Ms. Spitfire," said Mare-Do-Well with a shrug. "I'll do what I can to help, but catching this 'dock-hole,' as you put it, is up to you."

"Okay then. Give me one good reason as to why I should trust you," I said, starting to lose my patience. "Because as of right now, your credibility is very suspect. I don't even know who you are, for crying out loud!"

"You're not supposed to," said Mare-Do-Well, lowering her hat over her eyes again. "However, as proof of my integrity, I shall give you a clue to help you get started."

With that, she reached into her cape and threw something at me. Instinctively, I caught the object with my hoof. When I got a good look at it, I saw that it was a piece of cloth. It was bright crimson with a golden border, and it felt very much like silk. I stared at the fabric blankly.

"Really? This is supposed to be my first clue?" I griped. "What the heck am I supposed to do with—?"

When I raised my head, I found that I was talking to myself. The window was wide open, and Mare-Do-Well was nowhere to be seen. The only thing left of her was her hat with a note pinned to it.

Right then and there, I decided that this Mysterious Mare-Do-Well character was a bit of a cunt. I apologize for the language, but really, can you blame me? This oddball just showed up out of nowhere and expected me to play detective in order to save my team. What the heck was I supposed to think of her? I stared at the note for a while, and then back at the "clue" Mare-Do-Well gave me. I sighed.

"'Pleasant dreams,' she says. That's a laugh," I scoffed bitterly. "As if I'm gonna get any sleep now..."

Meeting the Competition

Most ponies I work with tell me that a bugle playing reveille at the crack of dawn is the most annoying sound in the world. Honestly, I never got that. Maybe it's because I'm usually an early riser, but even when I first joined the Wonderbolts, that wake-up call never bugged me in the slightest.

However, after a whole night of tossing and turning with a million thoughts flying around my brain like a swarm of angry hornets, I began to see where those ponies were coming from. And boy, did I feel their pain.

"Mmph. Shut up," I mumbled, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. I fought against the bugle's call with every ounce of dwindling strength I had. I don't think I need to tell you that this was a losing battle. As I tried in vain to drift off, a thought caused a sense of impending dread to grip my heart. See, our bugle kind of has a cavalry for the really heavy sleepers in the Wonderbolts.

And that cavalry's name is Surprise.

Now I wanted to wake up. I never had to go through Surprise's follow-wake-up call (as she called it), and I planned to keep it that way. Unfortunately for me, the adrenaline flow triggered by the threat of Surprise was not enough to get me moving. And just as the call of reveille ended, I heard Surprise start chanting loudly while crashing two cymbals together.

And just like that, all hope of staying in bed went flying out the window. Seriously, you try going back to sleep after hearing that. I'm thoroughly convinced it can't be done.

With a groan, I slowly but surely hauled my hindquarters out of bed. I was about to head to the shower room when Crescent Moon came barging in.

"Urgent message for you, Captain!" he said breathlessly.

I breathed a deep sigh and turned to face Crescent. "What izzit?" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"We just got word from the control tower," said Crescent. "Ambassador Honor Bound is requesting permission to land."

I'll be honest; after he said that, I felt like slamming my head against the wall. With everything else that had been going on with Misty Fly and that Mare-Do-Well weirdo, I had forgotten all about Honor Bound! How could I have been so stupid?!

I shook myself and took a few deep breaths to calm down. One key thing about being a Wonderbolt is that even when you spin out, you can make a quick rebound. That's the whole concept behind the Dizzitron, after all.

"Inform the Ambassador that he's clear to land, and that I'll be right there to meet him," I told Crescent.

Crescent gave me a once-over and raised an eyebrow. "Permission to speak freely, Captain?"

"Granted."

"I don't think it's wise for you to greet the Ambassador in your current state."

I chuckled dryly. "I'm well aware of that, Crescent. Nevertheless, my order stands."

Crescent shrugged. "If you say so, Captain."

With a salute, he made a brisk departure. Wasting no time myself, I made a quick dash to the shower room in order to make myself presentable.

After a quick shower and slapping on my dress uniform, I rushed out to the landing strip just in time to meet our noble guest. I hastily adjusted my shades and stood at attention as Hound Bound made his final approach.

As you'd expect, he had a pretty commanding presence. Everything from his regal grey feathers and coat to his sapphire eyes that could stare into your very soul just screamed prestige. He wore a nice brown uniform with a red sash that made me feel positively underdressed. Even his Cutie Mark depicting his seal seemed prestigious (yes, hippogriffs have Cutie Marks. They do have the hindquarters of a pony, after all).

He touched down gracefully and bowed to me. I made sure to do the same.

"Welcome, Ambassador," I said as I raised my head. "I do apologize for the wait. We weren't expecting you."

"Merely a trifle, Captain Spitfire. The wait wasn't too long," said Honor Bound. "Thank you again for agreeing to participate in the Ghastly Gorge Gauntlet. This will truly mean a lot to griffons and ponies alike."

"I'm sure it will," I said, mainly because I couldn't think of anything else to say. After a brief pause, I cleared my throat. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure for this visit, Ambassador?"

"Why, I thought you'd be interested to meet the Proud Pride, of course," said Honor Bound.

Question: What made you think springing this on me at oh-six hundred was a good idea? I haven't even had breakfast yet, was what I would've said if I didn't know better. Instead, I replied; "I must confess, Ambassador. I've never heard of the Proud Pride before, and neither have the rest of my team. Are they new?"

"To Equestria," said Honor Bound. "They've actually made quite a name for themselves back in the Griffon Kingdom."

That didn't sit well with me. "With all due respect, Ambassador. If some flight team is making a splash over in the Griffon Kingdom, I would think that at least one pony on my team would hear about it."

Honor Bound smiled and shook his head. "That's where you're wrong, Captain Spitfire. The Proud Pride was formed just a few days ago. News may travel fast, but certainly not that fast."

I lowered my shades. "Doesn't that strike you as odd, Ambassador? I mean, how can this team build such a reputation in only a few days?"

Honor Bound's smile quickly turned into a stern frown. "I'm afraid that information is strictly on a need-to-know basis, Captain Spitfire," said he.

I readjusted my shades to hide my eye rolling. Of course it was confidential information. Why would I have expected otherwise?

"So, where's this team?" I asked.

"They are above us as we speak, Captain Spitfire," said Honor Bound. "Just a moment, I'll call them."

He then let loose a powerful shriek that could be heard from the Crystal Empire. I felt the onset of a migraine. After Surprise's follow-wake-up call, this was exactly what I didn't need. I shook myself and regained my composure as three griffons descended from the sky, two male and one female.

I had to lower my shades again. Each griffon was dressed in combat fatigues; mountain camo if I had to guess. They also wore red bands on their right forelegs. Was this really the look they were going for? They looked more like a strike team than a group of stunt fliers.

The center of the trio was probably the captain, as he was wearing a red beret atop his head. Apart from that, he looked a bit, odd. I don't know, maybe it was because of the small, thin mustache he had on his beak. To his left was the female of the group; a smaller griffon with radiant eyes of violet. The last griffon was the largest, and he looked very stern and serious.

"Captain Spitfire, allow me to introduce you to the three top members of the Proud Pride," said Honor Bound as the three griffons touched down. I walked over to them and gave them a nod.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," I said.

"Ah, no no. The pleasure, she is all mine," said the mustachioed griffon in a thick accent. "I am Pierre le Grand, and these are my compatriots, Drake and Kierra."

"It's an honor to meet you in person, Ms. Spitfire," said the female of the group with a warm smile. "The Wonderbolts have quite the reputation, even amongst us griffons."

The stern griffon said nothing, but gave me a curt nod.

"You must forgive Drake. He has lost his tongue and cannot speak," said Pierre.

I was not about to ask. "I see," I said, clearing my throat. "So, I take it you're the leader of this outfit, Mr. le Grand?"

"But of course, Capitaine Spitfire," said Pierre with a bow. "We hope you will give us a good challenge in the upcoming Ghastly Gorge Gauntlet. Rest assured, we are not to be taken lightly."

"The Wonderbolts always give a hundred and ten percent, Mr. le Grand," I said with a smug grin. "You will not be disappointed."

Pierre's beak curled into a sly smile. "I'm holding you to that, Capitaine Spitfire."

"Good," I retorted. "So am I. If you're as good as you say, you'd better give us a run for our money."

"Now now. There will be plenty of time for banter later," said Honor Bound with a chuckle. "Why don't you tell Captain Spitfire a little about the Proud Pride, Pierre?"

"What is there to tell?" said Pierre with a shrug. "We are the best fliers in the Griffon Kingdom. That is all Capitaine Spitfire needs to know, yes?"

"I think she could do with a little more than that, Pierre," said Kierra, rolling her eyes. She then turned to me. "Well, we can't say much, but we all contribute something a little different to the team. For example, my specialty is gliding. I can go a long time without flapping my wings."

I had to admit, that sounded impressive. "Hmm. That must come in handy," I said. "And each of you have your own traits and styles, huh?"

"Oh, yes. All twelve of us."

Something clicked in my mind. "Wait. Did you say twelve?"

"Yes. There are twelve of us," said Kierra, tilting her head. "Why? Is something wrong?"

I cast my eyes downward and bit my lip. This was not going to be easy to say.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news on my end, Ambassador," I said with a sigh. "Misty Fly was hit by a stray thunderbolt during practice yesterday. I'm not sure if she'll be able to make it to the competition."

"Is that so?" said Honor Bound, bowing his head in reverence. "You have my deepest condolences, Captain Spitfire."

"Mine as well," Kierra added.

Drake nodded.

"Thank you all," I said with a small smile. "That means a lot to me."

"Hmmph," Pierre said with a snort. "You would not catch any of the Proud Pride being taken out of commission so easily."

"Know your place, Pierre," Honor Bound scolded. "We are trying to strengthen our relations with the ponies. We show them the same respect they show us."

Pierre gulped. "Y-yes, Ambassadeur Honor Bound. M-my apologies," he said with a bow.

I decided to let the breach in conduct go. Honor Bound seemed to have it handled, anyway. "Well, thank you for taking the time to visit, Ambassador," I said with a bow.

"It was indeed a pleasure, Captain Spitfire," said Honor Bound with a bow of his own. "We shall see you in six days time. Fare well, and I hope your comrade has a speedy recovery."

With that, he and the three griffons took off into the air and flew off over the horizon. As I watched them leave, Crescent Moon walked up to me.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"Let me get back to you on that," I said. I sighed inwardly. This Proud Pride was raising a whole new crop of questions on top of the attack on Misty Fly and the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. I still wasn't keen on the idea, but playing detective seemed to be getting more and more palatable.

I then heard a growl from my stomach and blushed a little. First thing first. If I was going to do any sleuthing, I sure as heck wasn't gonna do it running on empty.

"I'm gonna go hit the mess hall," I told Crescent. "When I get back, I want a full report on Misty Fly's condition and your latest findings from the obstacle course."

"Right-o, Captain," said Crescent with a salute. We then flew off our separate ways; Crescent to get some intel, and me to get some grub.