"Congrats, Silverbolts!" Midnight raised a can of soda for a toast, the rest of his team raising their own in response. "We've perfected the Storm Breaker, and in less than an hour we'll be performing it for the first time for all of Canterlot to see. We'll blow them away with our display, and then three among us will show the Wonderbolts what we're made of! If you are chosen in the drawing to fly in the race, just remember - Use your strengths, mind your limits, do your best, because that's all anyone can ask of you.

"So raise your drinks, Silverbolts! Today, all of Equestria will know our name, and the Wonderbolts will realize, the skies are now ours for the taking!"

"HEAR, HEAR!" the Silverbolts all responded before taking a hearty swig of their drinks... and they followed Midnight's example in letting out the loudest and most obnoxious BELCHES they could muster.

As they resumed eating their quick lunch, to put fuel in their bellies for the excitement to come, Thunderlane had already noticed his brother wasn't sitting at the bleachers at the edge of the training field. Noticing one of the training assistants nearby, he waved him over and asked him, "Say, uh, have you seen my brother, Rumble? The little gray pegasus colt who was sitting on the bleachers, watching us train."

"Oh yeah, earlier, he said he was going to the hotel for something, said to let you know if you asked, sir," the assistant answered before looking over at the bleachers. "Hmm, surprised he ain't back yet."

"...how long ago was that?" asked Thunderlane, concerned.

"Mmm, I'd say..." the assistant gave it a think before answering, "almost two hours after you all started training this morning."

Almost two hours?! Thunderlane was starting to worry. Granted, he knew Rumble was quite responsible for his age, and on their way to Canterlot, Thunderlane had spoken with Rumble at length of what to do if he wound up by himself or who to go to. He'd always made sure Rumble knew how to handle himself in situations like this. in this case, he'd told Rumble, if he got lost, to go to the derby and tell the guards there he was expected by the Royal Family to join them in their royal box because he was there to watch his big brother in the Silverbolts aerial show.

We don't have to be at the derby track until a little later... thought Thunderlane, I could take a quick flight to the hotel and check on Rumbl-

"Prince Midnight! Prince Midnight!" The riled voice snapped Thunderlane out of it, and he, along with everyone else present, noticed a pegasus mare, wearing a clearance tag, meaning she was another of the training assistants, flew over to their captain, and she exclaimed, "The Wonderbolts Administration! They've got the derby track all prepared and they want the Silverbolts there early to get ready for your show!"

"Of course..." Thunderlane muttered to himself.

"Alright, Silverbolts! They're playing our song!" Midnight stood up and spread his wings. "Stuff whatever you can into your traps and let's get flapping, we've got a show to do!"

As some of the Silverbolts quickly ate a little more of their meals before following Midnight, Thunderlane sighed and followed, thinking, Rumble you'd better be sitting with Princess Celestia at the royal box.

"...urrrRAUGH!!" Rumble shouted as he brought down the brick and smiled to feel the link finally snap and give way, and the chain securing him to the basement wall slackened, to his immense relief.
"Phew! Finally, I'm free. Still got this dumb thing attached to me, but I'll have to deal with that later. I gotta warn Thunder and the others!"

Rumble started for the basement stairs, when a distinctive creak in the floorboards above alarmed him and he froze. He held still and waited, hearing hoofsteps, meaning he wasn't alone after all.

They must have left somepony to keep an eye on me! Rumble realized, and, knowing now to be careful, he slowly made his way up the stairs until he was standing before the basement door. Pressing his ear against it, he listened for a few long moments, until finally he was certain there was nopony on the other side of the door. All the same, he ever so carefully twisted the door handle and slowly crept it open, flinching when the door hinges whined a bit, but soon it widened enough for him to take a peek and he was glad to see the room outside the basement door was empty.

Rumble carefully made his way out, wincing when the chain still attached to him rattled a little, so he held it with his wing to keep it quiet. Listening, Rumble heard some distant conversation down a nearby hallway. He carefully crept down it and saw an open doorway as he heard the conversation get a little louder.

"...believe we're stuck babysitting! Dust is the once who screwed up, not us!"
"Relax, at least we got the easy job. The little brat's not going anywhere, and once the Captain and the rest come back, we'll get rid of him."
"Is that a good idea though? Getting rid of the little brother of one of the freakin' Knights of Harmony? If they screw this up, all of Equestria will find out about us before day's end!"
"We will follow Captain's orders, whatever they are, Grimstone... she says 'fly', we ask 'how high'. She says get rid of a runt too nosy for his own good..."

Rumble gulped as he carefully looked and saw two of the Shadowbolts, both of them, garbed in flight suits, similar to the ones worn by the Wonderbolts and Silverbolts. Only theirs were purple and black with golden yellow lightning-shaped linings, and they wore flight goggles with sharp lenses colored orange. They were sitting on an old sofa while watching TV, and Rumble saw the channel was showing SHM News as the reporter was on the scene.

"...right, folks! In just a couple short minutes, the Silverbolts will be making their debut with their first-ever aerial show! Practically all of Canterlot and lots of ponies from out of town have arrived for this momentous occasion that the entire derby stadium seats are full to the brim.

"As you can see, Captain Spitfire and the Wonderbolts are in attendance as well, for after the show she, Fleetfoot, and Rapidfire will race three of the Silverbolts in a race all around Mt. Canterhorn, finishing right back here at the derby where they're starting from."

Only two minutes before the show?! I gotta get to the stadium and warn them! Rumble thought in alarm.

He waited until Grimstone and the other Shadowbolt were too engrossed in the news coverage before carefully slipping by the doorway and he smiled to see the front door just a couple pony-lengths away-

*Clink*

"What was that?!"

Rumble flinched and realized, in his anxious rush, his wing had loosened its hold on the chain, and it had hit the floor. Hearing them getting up, rumble wasted no time and rushed for the door, throwing it open and taking flight!

"FROST, HE'S ESCAPING!!!"

Rumble pumped his wings like he'd never pumped them before, but the blasted chain hanging from the collar on his neck weighed him down. He was on the far side of the city, and he knew the derby stadium was quite a distance away.

Gotta go fast, gotta go fast...! Rumble urged his wings, his keen ears hearing the Shadowbolts were in pursuit before long.

Unfortunately, the area was an older part of Canterlot that not many citizens lived in or frequented all that much anymore. Rumble knew he had to escape, but there was no way he'd lose them in open air, where they'd easily catch up to him. He had no choice... he descended, flying between old houses and buildings, using his smaller size to his advantage o make sharp turns and zoom through narrower openings.

It helped, but Rumble didn't know the neighborhood.

"Get back here, you runt!" shouted Grimstone as he and Frost pursued the colt.
"Surrender and we'll only hurt ya a little..." warned Frost with a seething undertone.

Oh yeah, like that's gonna convince me, you jerks! Rumble thought as he kept flapping, dodging a clothesline with laundry hanging out to dry, and he took a smirking satisfaction when he heard one of the Shadowbolts get entangled but the other was still on him.

Urgh, I gotta get to Thunder and the others! Rumble urged himself, spurring his wings to fly faster, I gotta warn them!

"I'm sorry, sir," responded the royal guard standing at the entrance to the derby royal box seats, "but your brother hasn't shown up to sit with the royal family. He is on the list, however."

Now Thunderlane was worried, feeling it weigh down in the put of his stomach. The Silverbolts were about to perform their first show, and as far as he knew no one, even himself, knew where Rumble was.

"Thunderlane." Thunder turned to see Midnight, in his hooded cloak to avoid unwanted attention before the performance, "It's almost time! We got to get with the others and get in position."

"Midnight, Rumble's missing," Thunderlane said with a worried urgency, Midnight instantly paying attention, "I-I don't know where he is! He was at practice today, but th- the assistants said he left to get something from our hotel! He never came back. He was supposed to go straight here to the royal box seats, but the guard said he never showed up here either!"

"It's alright, Thunder, we'll inform the guards and send all they can spare to look for him," Midnight assured, "they're good at their job, they'll find him. But the show is about to start, we have to go get ready."

"...what if he's in trouble, Midnight?" Thunderlane hesitated. "If anything happens to him-"

"I can task some Hoods to assist in the search," Midnight added, "With them on the job, they'll find him for certain. They've never let me down, Thunderlane."

Thunderlane sighed before looking out over the derby track, towards the city beyond it. When he felt a wing on his withers and looked to see Midnight giving him an encouraging look.

"You're the Element of Trust, Thunderlane, "Midnight reminded his friend. "True trust goes both both ways. Trust me, trust our subordinates... and trust your brother! You've raised and taught him well, and he's a smart and responsible colt. Now c'mon, the team needs us."

Midnight started making for the locker room of the stadium, with Thunderlane in reluctant tow before he thought, Little brother... wherever you are, I trust that you're okay.

Panting, sweating, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, Rumble was between a rock and a hard place, as he'd made a wrong turn and now found himself cornered in an alleyway, the two Shadowbolts blocking the way out. The buildings they stood between were so high that Rumble knew if he tried to fly up and out, they'd catch him for certain.

He was trapped, and he knew it.

"You should have just been a good foal and stayed in timeout, you little pissant..." snarled the Shadowbolt called Grimstone.
"So, before we drag you back, we're gonna have to punish you," leered the other, Frost.

"Wh... why? Why do you care whether I tell the Silverbolts anything?" panted Rumble, hoping if he got them talking he might figure a way out of this mess.

"Ha! Our Captain is gonna strike such a blow to the Wonderbolts they'll be demoralized and disorganized for months!" Frost responded with an arrogant chuckle.
"And if some of those Silverbolt posers have to die as well, big whoop," added Grimstone with a malicious sneer. "The Wonderbolts have owned the skies long enough! It's time for the Shadowbolts to have their time in the sun and show the world that we're the best fliers around, not those bleeding hearts or even those second-rate wannabes! After all, Silver is the color for second place..."

"It doesn't have to be that way," Rumble exclaimed, the two Shadowbolts giving him a derisive look, but he kept talking, "I heard what your captain said, you all had dreams of flying with the Wonderbolts, right? But they didn't work out."

"'Didn't work out'... we were told we weren't good enough!" Grimstone snapped. "That we weren't the kind of ponies they wanted flying in their colors..."
"Each of us trained and practiced until it felt like our wings would fall off, and even then we pushed ourselves!" Frost added bitterly, "Only for it all to be for nothing when they rejected us. Our Captain found us, lifted us, raised us higher than the Wonderbolts ever bothered!"
"And we realized, our destiny was not to fly as Wonderbolts. They're self-righteous weaklings who fear being overshadowed by their betters," Grimstone affirmed. "That's why we are who we are, and we are..."
"The Shadowbolts!" Grim and Frost declared as they boldly posed together.

"Everypony has the right to be recognized for their skills and their abilities," Rumble responded, sounding sympathetic, "but not at the expense of others! Harming the Wonderbolts and anyone else isn't going to make things better for yourselves. The higher you fly, the more others will look up to you!"

Grimstone and Frost gave Rumble a blank look before the latter replied, "Uh... yeah? That's kinda obvious."
"But if you fly too high they won't see you at all," brought up Grimstone in a rather dumb manner.

"No, it means that when we rise above ourselves, then we become better than what we are," Rumble clarified, "and others will recognize that and admire you for it."

"SHUT UP!!" Grimstone suddenly lashed out, knocking Rumble down, the colt crying out in pain from his throbbing cheek as he laid upon the dirty alleyway ground. "I've had just about enough of your bleeding hearted sap! So you just lay there... and we'll finish punishing you for being such an annoying pain in our asses."

His cheek throbbed and ached, and Rumble was afraid a tooth was loose, and he couldn't help but let out a scared whimper, causing the two Shadowbolts to laugh mockingly. But in spite of the fear and pain he felt in that moment, something surged within the pegasus colt. It was subtle at first, but it quickly coursed through him, almost like an electric current.

Dad...?! Rumble thought, for the voice he'd heard in his mind had sounded so familiar, reminding him of the strong and safe presence his father once had in his life.

But that was impossible. Rumble knew his father was gone, and though it had sounded like him, it wasn't his exact voice. And yet, Rumble could not help but feel that surging energy circulating within him, dulling the pain, quashing the fear, reinvigorating every fiber of his being.

He still heard them, laughing like jerk-holes, and this feeling, this energy that had come from Faust knows where, it spurred him as he decided then and there he wasn't going to lay there and take it. Ignoring what pain he still felt, Rumble then slowly stood back up as he glared defiantly at the two Shadowbolts before him who'd dared to hold him against his will, talk down to him - Hit him! - and when they noticed his bold gaze, they stopped laughing and furrowed their brows.

"If you know what's good for ya, kid, come quietly..." Frost warned.
"...or that first attempt to knock some sense into you will feel like a gentle caress of the cheek compared to what we'll do to you next!" threatened Grimstone as he punched his hooves together and raised his wings in a display of intimidation.

"Shut up..." Frost and Grimstone both flinched at the harshness of the tone despite the softness of the words.

"What did you just say to us, you-"

"I SAID 'SHUT UP'!!" Rumble shouted, his voice like the crack of thunder, and a feeling spread throughout the alleyway, the jarring sense of static electricity making itself known as sharp yet subtle cracks of energy from any friction, and even more disarming was the glow of electric blue coming from Rumble's purple eyes, brightening as the colt's emotions intensified.

"You worked hard, only to be turned away, I get it..." Rumble spoke, his tone even and firm, "but that doesn't give you the right to hurt others! You can beat me down all you like, but I'm not gonna back down while you egotistical jerks plan to hurt others just to make yourselves feel better!"

"Rrrgh!! You should have just listened and come quietly, kid!" Frost seethed as she glared at the colt while Grimstone seemed to be hesitant while his partner began to advance. "Now we're going to show you just how hard real life really is!"

As Frost raised her hoof to strike Rumble, Grimstone felt a prickly chill in his feathers and peered back just in time to see a lightning bolt descend towards them! He screamed and ducked as the bolt flew over him, past Frost... and struck Rumble right in the heart!

Wha... where am I? Rumble found himself floating, surrounded by dark clouds, faint crackles of lightning flashing between every cloud rubbing against each other, a swirling abyss of tempestuous power!

He felt frightened at first, but it gave way to a strange sense of exhilaration! Here, in this place, he felt the freedom of the sky. Smelled the fresh and pure air. Heard the music of rainfall punctuated with booms of thunder. Tasted the enriching moisture of a morning after a rainy night. And he saw... a shape obscured by the clouds before him. Flashes of lightning revealed the silhouette of a mighty castle, and Rumble wondered, What is this place?

Wha- Who said that?! Who's there? Rumble looked around, but saw no one... when the clouds began to move, piling together while rotating, looking similar to cotton candy as it was made, before the cloudstuff took shape.

Rumble marveled at the sight of a vast and powerful alicorn made entirely of stormclouds! His wings beat with the sound of thunder, His beard full and handsome, His horn like a lightning bolt caught in a photograph... and then He lifted His tail and farted a sonic boom, causing the air to smell like ozone to Rumble, leaving the colt flummoxed. But then he relaxed at the sound of the alicorn's fatherly chuckle, for that had been His intention. The colt was a little too tense, and needed something to set him at ease. As the great alicorn gazed upon the little pegasus, His eyes surged with electric blue energy.

Streaks of electrical energy zoomed out and surrounded Rumble, as he felt the power enter him, flow through his veins, and awoke a legacy that had long lain dormant in Rumble's blood, and he gasped...!

Rumble woke up, his heart racing, as he looked around and saw he was still in the alleyway... only he found it was now scorched and singed, as though a blast of power had struck, and he saw the two Shadowbolts, Frost and Grimstone, laying unconscious nearby. Faint smoke trailed off their prone bodies, while Grimstone's hoof fidgeted at the same time a faint crackle of electrical energy surged over him.

Remembering the breathing technique, he'd learned from Midnight during their Midnight Hour sessions, Rumble calmed himself down, and realized, Something's different...

Before he could contemplate however, Rumble heard the flaps of wings and approaching hoofsteps, and was relieved to see three guardsponies, along with two Hoods, arrive at the scene. The guard in charge, a pegasus, approached, saying, "Rumble! Thank Faust you're alright. Your brother is worried about you, young mane, and..."

The guard noticed the two Shadowbolts and asked, "Wha- Who are these guys?"

"Sir! They're part of a group of bad ponies!" Rumble quickly reported, "They call themselves the Shadowbolts, and they're here to attack Captain Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts during their race with the Silverbolts!"

"Shadowbolts? I... I'd heard rumors, but- Wait! They're planning an attack on the Wonderbolts?!" the guard was stunned.

"There's no time to waste, sir!" Rumble urged, "We have to warn the Wonderbolts and the Silverbolts before the race begins!"

The guard nodded and looked to the other two guards, as well as the Hoods, "Take these two into custody. I'll escort Rumble to the derby arena."

"Let's go!" Rumble exclaimed before taking flight, and zooming off faster than a colt his age should have been capable of flying.

"HEY! Wait for me!" the guard yelled as he followed, the other guards and the Hoods taking out hoofcuffs and wingclamps for the two Shadowbolts still out cold.

The straws were drawn and the competitors determined. Thunderlane stood alongside Doran and Amethyst Tides, facing Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Rapidfire after Midnight had confirmed to the officials that his teammates would be representing the Silverbolts in the race. The show had gone well and the Storm Breaker had left their audience in awe before screaming for more. But now, it was time to move onto the race.

Thunderlane knew the Wonderbolts had the advantage here. He could keep up with Rainbow Dash to a point in terms of speed, but his real strength lied in his stamina, which allowed him to outlast most other pegasi. Doran was a strong flier, but he was also the heaviest among the Silverbolts, meaning he wasn't quite as fast as the others. Amethyst Tides was among their speediest fliers, but training had proven her endurance still needed work.

Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Rapidfire were seasoned, fully trained, kept their skills sharp and had learned to overcome their personal weaknesses, turning them into strengths. The skies were in their favor.

But that doesn't mean we're not gonna give them a flight for their bits... Thunderlane thought with furrowed brows. His thoughts were derailed however when he saw Spitfire raise a wing and waved the announcer over.

She said something to him, and he nodded before taking off his headset microphone and lending it to her. As Spitfire put it on, her face appeared on the jumbo-tron as she took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, for generations the Wonderbolts have served you, the people of Equestria, as protectors, as entertainers, and as inspiration. Every generation of the Wonderbolts has striven to be the best of the best, to fly higher, faster, better than the generations before them, and to own the skies! But now... now, we find ourselves faced with something we've never truly had: A rival!"

Spitfire gave the three Silverbolts that would race against her and her two wing-ponies, stating, "Rivalries can push us to improve and do better, but there are times we can allow rivalries to bring out the worst in ourselves. I shared a long conversation with Prince Midnight before he even formed this new team, and while I won't deny I had my problems, I understood and even accepted that the Silverbolts are not here to replace us. They are here to help us in all the ways that matter.

"They will be the direct rivals we Wonderbolts have long lacked meant to spur us to train and improve and compete against in the spirit of good sportsmanship and friendship, while we will serve as the bar they must reach and perhaps one day surpass, a goal which we will make as challenging for them to accomplish as possible.

"So... Thunderlane, Doran, and Amethyst Tides," Spitfire acknowledged them directly before giving them a competitive yet friendly smirk, "I hope you're hungry, because you're all gonna be eating our powder!"

Amethyst shook her mane and gave a brazen smile. Doran rolled his shoulders and let out a fierce yet bold eagle-like scream. Thunderlane gave Spitfire a tilted look before smirking with subdued eagerness as he responded, "Bring it on!"

Next Chapter: 405. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 6 Estimated time remaining: 8 Hours, 40 Minutes