The mess hall at Fort Griffin's Gate was full of chatter. It was dinner time, most of the teams had departed, but it was louder than normal. They were all talking about the Pillars of the Community going below and then their almost immediate deaths. It had caused a big stir. A Wonderbolt team had already been set below, but they knew what they would find.

The door was flung open with a bang. Somehow overpowering the whole hall.

“Colonel!” A sergeant called out in a panic.

“I have two scout teams at the gate asking to be let it!”

“WHAT!” The Colonel growled standing up.

“They said they were sent below to look for the reconnaissance team.”

“WHAT! Let them in a and put them under guard in one of the training rooms in Lefty.”

“HONEY BEE!” The Colonel yelled stormed over to the Lieutenant.

He stood up but was backed up against the wall, forced up onto his rear legs. The Colonel’s hood slammed into the wall next to his head.

“I have at least two Wonderbolt teams on standby for below! This is MY fort. You do everything through me! I made that clear when you first came here. I am opening an investigation into this whole thing now!”

The Colonel got right in Honey Bee’s face and yelled. “WHERE IS THE RECON TEAM!”

“They went dark over a month ago after heading to Manehatten,” Honey Bee gulped. “They have not answered my messages.”

“Why the FUCK was I not informed!”

“It was my business with my team. I didn’t think…”

“EVERYTHING YOU DO IS RUN THROUGH ME! I TOLD YOU THAT! IF YOU GO INTO YOUR WING, I WILL HAVE YOU EXECUTED FOR TREASON. YOU HAVE FUCKED WITH THE WONDERBOLTS AND YOU HAVE DONE IT UNDER MY WATCH AT MY FORT!”

The Colonel’s hoof was slammed into the wall again to drive the point home.

“Take him to my officer under guard,” The Colonel ordered.

The Colonel walked away, swearing up a storm.

Pony Patrol was looking at the frozen face of Cardinal Spitfire.

“He has played tricks before,” Raspberry Lemonade said. “I am sure it’s incompetence.”

Cardinal Spitfire wordlessly left the table, tray half eaten. She didn’t bother to clean it up. She had to move fast. She made sure she was calm to not draw attention to herself. She got to her room and threw on a black flight suit and a black cold weather mask so she was covered from head to tale in black.

The low light made moving across the parade field unseen easy. Cardinal Spitfire bounded up the few steps into Fizzle Pop Tactical Office and slipped over to Wing 4, Room 2. They knew the terminal was unlocked and Major Winters Breath admin code if needed. Practicing was one thing, doing was another. They never had real adrenalin or danger to deal with.

shadow its card you are marked mia a month ago with two scout teams trying to find you shutting it down they are launching an investigation gve me a signi love you i know soemthing is wrong i will wait for yo

A commotion at the room’s door forced Cardinal Spitfire to hit send.

“HEY! STOP!” The Colonel ordered as the lights were flicked on.

Nopegasus was in armor since things were moving so fast. The two Wonderbolts moved in, but Cardinal Spitfire was too skilled. She dove and swept the legs of one, buckle the hind leg of the other and vaulted over the Colonel. She scrabbled out of the wing and building to get to safety.

There was none. The Colonel had several units locking the entire base down as things were sorted out. Cardinal Spitfire had to strike several Wonderbolts in order to try and break free. There was no freedom to be found and she began to panic.

Their commotion caused the mess hall to flood out. Lieutenant Honey Bee had figured out what was happening and tried to take advantage of it. Pin it on whoever had been in the room. He miscalculated everything.

Cardinal Spitfire saw him and put her entire anger into the tackle. She beat his face to a pulp before she was dragged off.

Cardinal Spitfire wasn’t done and she slipped free, only to have a third Pegasus grab her and hold her back.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!” The Colonel yelled. “Why is my fort turning upside down!”

The Colonel ripped the hood off a squirming Cardinal Spitfire’s head.

“What the fuck were you do in there?” The Colonel growled.

Cardinal Spitfire ignored the Colonel. “You killed him! You made him stay below!”

Cardinal Spitfire did a forward flip, breaking their hold. Pony Patrol snagged her before she was on Honey Bee.

“You bastard! Shadow never would have stayed below because of some unfinished business. A change in leadership would have meant he came home unless absolutely backed into a corner. He would have followed protocol!”

“What would you know or care?” Honey Bee said, spitting a tooth out. “You knew him, so what. He knew the risks and he made the choices he made. I have everything backed up.”

“I care,” Cardinal Spitfire said lunging again as tears filled her eyes. “I care and I know because he is my husband and he never would have done that! He would have come back to at least speak to me on the phone!”

Marble Falls got in front of Cardinal Spitfire to make sure she didn’t break free, but her attention was on Honey Bee.

“We have been ghosting messages to them below. We know they got them and we have some proof they got them.”

Marble Falls smirked. “Run. Hide. Before I let her go so she can finish you off. I hope you have a good place to slip into because we have been playing hide and seek since the beginning to sharpen our skills.”

Honey Bee’s battered face lost what little color it had left as he scrambled upright and away.

Cardinal Spitfire had no fight in her heart, only an ache that manifested itself in sobbing tears.

“Captain,” The Colonel called. There was no anger in the Colonel’s voice, just command. A command you didn’t cross.

“Get her inside the mess hall and start sorting out this shit. I will be along shortly to follow up.”

“Yes Colonel!” Captain Marble Falls saluted.

All of the Wonderbolts felt for Cardinal Spitfire. She was facing what they feared, but worse. They never thought they would have to face betrayal of some kind.

They had to carry Cardinal Spitfire inside the mess hall. She was pure dead weight. They took her towards the back and got her sitting at a table without any trays. She just slumped onto it. The kitchen staff had quietly exited for their privacy. Lemon Lime grabbed a clean towel from the kitchen to help dry Cardinal Spitfire’s eyes.

The Colonel had to set two teams who had no strong ties to Pony Patrol on guard over Wing 4. Half of their group went to put on armor and weapons while the others watched it. Fort Griffin's Gate was on full alert.

Two more were sent to find out what hole Honey Bee had crawled into and then set guard over him, in his room, with two in his room so he didn’t use his terminal or phone.

Cardinal Spitfire had cried herself dry when the Colonel finally was able to get to them. It was a long walk for the Colonel. Everything seemed slow. This was the worst part of the job. They were Wonderbolts. A breakdown like this was rare. Having to come down like this was rarer. But it wasn’t a Wonderbolt who started this whole mess.

The Colonel had to be professional. Unemotional and detached, stating the facts.

“Captain Marble Falls, Second Lieutenant Cardinal Spitfire, Second Lieutenant Raspberry Lemonade, First Sergeant Cinnamon Swirl, Staff Sergeant Fountain and Staff Sergeant Lemon Lime. I have to remind you that I am the Colonel, and I am tied by rules and regulations, no matter what the scenario.”

“Squad 12, Pony Patrol, I was wondering why you still were here. You, Captain, have been planning an ACS for some time and have to head back. I was going to inform you in the morning that you would be leaving in a week. You are more than ready and have been for a few weeks. I have to move that up. You leave 0730 for Fort Wind.”

“0730!” Fountain protested.

The Colonel held a hoof up, stopping any more protest. “I can’t risk you being here while I investigate. I don’t need one of you to kill that idiot Lieutenant while work to extract information from him. That is all I can say on the matter.”

“Straight to Fort Wind at 0730. The other two units will be along shortly. Cardinal Spitfire, Shadow Flare’s personal effects will be packed up as soon as the investigate is closed and sent to Fort Wind. I can not allow you to take anything right now, or even enter the room. It is guarded since it is evidence in this investigation.”

“Permission to divert to inform Shadow Flare’s family,” Marble Falls asked. “They do not have terminals, or phones, and should receive a proper house call to inform them that their son has died.”

“Missing in Action,” The Colonel corrected. “Missing in Action. No Purple Heart with a Black Stripe yet. I am surprised at you. Don’t be so hasty to count him out. And as far as the military is concerned, family has personally been informed that Command Sergeant Major Shadow Flare has been declared Missing in Action.”

Marble Falls’ hoof slammed onto the table in rage over the technicality. Raspberry Lemonade had seen it coming and pulled Cardinal Spitfire’s head off the table before it got bounced around. She didn’t need more of a headache.

“Work with me here!” Marble Falls asked, flustered.

“My wings are tied,” The Colonel stated stoically. “I know you have two ACSs planned and at least one officer school. Your duty comes first. I can not allow leave until you have been back at Fort Wind for at least 9 months. Your next regularly scheduled available leave isn’t for another 13 months. Be grateful I am moving that up to match the rest of Squad 12’s schedule.”

“No paperwork has been filed for their marriage,” Raspberry Lemonade said, trying for that angle.

“The verbal declaration in front of me was enough. Sadly. I am the Colonel after all.”

“Damn!”

“I looked for technicalities already,” The Colonel stated. “Please, don’t make this harder for me. The actions have stopped. I have to play by the rules or we all will face consequences we do not want to face. Wonderbolts or not.”

“But get that paperwork filed properly as soon as you get to Fort Wind. Or else that technicality will cause problems you do not want. And when we find them, you will want to know first. And I can’t send you his personal effects off a verbal statement of marriage.”

“You NCOs, become officers at this next special training. That is an order. To save your asses. None of you could have gotten away with what she did. Sneaking into a Wing declared off limits and tampering with evidence is serious. And that is ignoring the beating she gave to an officer above her rank. If this start is any indication, I have a feeling that you will need those bars to save your asses.”

“I don’t have to file charges against her in this circumstance. No matter what the Lieutenant holds as his backing, you, Cardinal Spitfire, are one lucky mare. Circumstances give that one to you. But watch it. Next time you may not be so lucky.

“On what you did Second Lieutenant Cardinal Spitfire, I have to ask you several question. I would do this in my office, but it is indisposed at the moment. Also, I am allowing your Squad to be here to support. Unless directed to them, these are your questions you must answer.”

“Did you send a message from the terminal in Wing 4, Room 2?”

Cardinal took a deep breath in and composed herself. “Yes Colonel. I did.”

“What was that message?”

“I can not cite it word for word. I directed it to Shadow and said my name. I said they were marked MIA a month ago, scout teams did a mission and an investigation was being launched. I asked for a sign that they were alive. And I told him I love him and will wait for him, as promised. I was interrupted before I could write any more. Or correct spelling and there was no grammar.”

“Did you give any names other than yours and the Command Sergeant Major’s?”

“No.”

“Did you place blame, even implied?”

“No. At worst, I said I knew something was wrong.”

“You said you ghosted messages to him? It is a very secure terminal. How did you send these messages.”

“We knew the terminal IDs. We set up small, cryptic messages to be unknowingly attached to the next outgoing message. It would only show up recorded as a received message on their end, no sender.”

“How often did you do this?”

“Twice. First time was when the officers changed. We warned them that the change had happened, in case they were not informed. And that we were told they made the choice to stay below instead of being recalled.”

“The second was in a cryptic response to his response. Shadow asked for a congratulatory message be passed to me for joining the Wonderbolts and I asked for a simple thank you to be sent. He only knew I made it because we attached my initials to the first message.

“I made sure to ghost a response to let him know I got his, in case my request wasn’t actually sent. The Lieutenant broke protocol by passing on the message, and that kick started that other incident with him in my room.”

The Colonel nodded, remembering the time Lieutenant Honey Bee had gone into her room.

“You have had no confrontations, verbal or physical, with Lieutenant Honey Bee outside that one in your room?”

“Correct.”

“And those were the only two messages ghosted?”

“Yes.”

“How the fuck do you mess with a terminal to ghost a message? Especially with that security?”

The Colonel didn’t give a name, but it was obviously directed to Marble Falls.

“It’s not secure, to us,” Marble Falls replied. “Major Winters Breath saw the switch coming as they pounced on him and got us what we needed. He did it to ensure the safety of the Inquisitors.”

The Colonel chuckled. “At least that went right. That and he hid his armor but had all the right paperwork. I have been locked out at every attempt to get a feel for what was going on since the Major was replaced. He was open with me, as he should have been being at my fort, conducting operations out of my fort.”

The Colonel sighed. “I am not telling you this. I doubt I will get much out of him, even being more, persuasive. He’s got connections and I can’t do too much, and not just for my job. If I torque hard and break things, the Recon team may be lost for good. There may be a chance to find them from what he has left. However, I am very afraid he has covered his tracks quite well. Captain, I will need that terminal information.”

“Now,” The Colonel said shaping up. “There is nothing more that needs to be said, wanted or unwanted? You can not hide any secrets from this investigation.”

They all shook their heads no.

“It’s late. I will call if I have any more information or need to talk with you. I am sorry this is how it has to happen. I won’t see you before you leave. Have a good flight. Fly straight, fly right, and may the wind ever be at your back.”

The Colonel gave them a quick salute before turning in crisp military fashion and departing.

“Packing,” Fountain said. “Cardinal Spitfire has all those books. And she has been reading them.”

“We will have to have the QM send them to her at Fort Wind,” Marble Falls sighed. “Which may take some time. I do not know if the Colonel can speed that up. The investigation will put even that request on hold.”

“We can cover it,” Tuff said walking up with his Squad, 19, in tow. “We are leaving with you at 0730.”

“Us too,” The mare over Squad 43 said. “Its the three of us being stationed there.”

“I am Captain Marble Falls,” She said getting up. “Captain over Squad 12, Pony Patrol. But I am sure you know that.”

“Yes,” She giggled in response. “Your Squad has made a splash. Starting with being an all mare Squad. I’m Astral Sunrise. Captain Astral Sunrise as of yesterday. Squad 43. Third Degrees.”

“I know Tuff has been prepping his Squad, but at Ford Wind we do a lot of training and will need you to help teach the Aerial Combat tactics to Units in ACS.”

“I am well aware Captain,” Astral Sunrise smiled. “I look forward to it. We all do. I put in for it to be with Tuff.”

“Ah,” Marble Falls smiled. “Good choice.”

“We were split up way to long last time. I am glad you claimed Tuff. I was set to be deployed alongside him. Captain Marble Falls holds a good amount of weight.”

“That was a long assignment,” Marble Falls chuckled. “But please, call me Falls. All of you, call me Falls. Looks like I lost everypony who was at Wind before. Except for Tuff. But I know you can handle it.”

“43 was put together with going to Wind in mind,” Astral Sunrise said. “Same with 19.”

“Fuck yeah!” Marble Falls said with every ounce of enthusiasm in her body. “We are going to need it. All of you are vets. I’ve got a new team. A few months and we will have the perfect balance.”

“We have to get there first,” Tuff reminded her, looking over at a defeated Cardinal Spitfire.

“She will fly,” Marble Falls assured him. “She will out fly you, even in her mood. She will channel it. I half raised her in Basic Training and again in ACS.”

“And here,” Tuff added with a chuckle.

“Right,” Marble Falls said chuckling with him. “She needs to keep moving as she sorts it out. We can’t let her sit. Even without Filly Fooler she is a lean and mean Wonderbolt and she will only get better. But we are fucked if he is dead. Fucked so long as he is MIA. He has deeper connections than he even realizes. He could help sway a good chunk of the military if he returns.”

“Positive things,” Tuff reminded her. “Think positive. I know you have a close connection with him from going below, but positivity. She cries on your shoulder, you cry on mine. We help give her positive energy back into her life.”

Tuff leaned in so it was only the three Captains. “Please tell me she has something from his room that wouldn’t get passed on.”

“It’s Filly Fooler, he didn’t have much. But we got it.”

“Good,” Astral Sunrise smiled. “Good.”

“You say that now,” Marble Falls replied. “Cardinal Spitfire has ended up with more than all of us. And I have a big load that needs to be carried, by only my Squad. I can’t risk it getting passed off. Even to my NCOs.”

“Right,” Tuff nodded. “Empty bags?”

“Empty. Sorry.”

“The NCOs can carry your needed gear, so lets start there. But what exactly does Cardinal Spitfire have that is big?”

“Books. History and military strategy. Had to, hide something in between them.”

“We can spread it out easy,” Astral Sunrise replied. “But lets move. Its gotten later already.”

They broke apart and soon had all of Cardinal Spitfire's books distributed among the 12 other squadmates. They would barely notice the weight. They were veterans, meaning only a few things came back to Fort Griffin's Gate with them. They had extra uniforms and clothes here in their rooms so they didn’t have to transport much.

Cardinal Spitfire put her mind on work. Crying wasn’t going to change anything and she had to do her job. This was a known risk they both acknowledged when they got married. At least they were married. A bond for life.

She had to go back out and retrieve the power armor pieces she had stashed. That was what she was carrying. That and the heritage book. She would wait until they were in the air to thank them all for helping to carry her stuff. They obviously didn’t think anything of it, but it mattered to her.

---

Shadow awoke the next day, late. It was hard for him to get out of bed. He was sore from the push they had made and losing two, that was another pain. A pain he could not get rid of with meds. He wanted Med-X, but he knew he was beginning to rely on it too much.

Shadow was the only one up. He stumbled to the overseer’s office to get some good news about going home. There was only one message waiting for him.

shadow its card you are marked mia a month ago with two scout teams trying to find you shutting it down they are launching an investigation gve me a signi love you i know soemthing is wrong i will wait for yo

Shadow laid in head on the desk for a bit. He couldn't handle this on top of things. He lost several hours trying to function at a bare minimum until he was finally able to call in Slice and Thunder.

They stumbled in and Shadow was only able to show them the message.

“We push to the gate,” Thunder said as it ignited his internal fire.

“We push, then what?” Slice asked. “IF they let us in, we end up wedged in a war of words with nothing to back us up. What were our actions? We killed the Pillars of the Community. How are they going to like that? Even if we bring our terminal with us, they will not be able to really verify it on our side. We will end up back below, without armor or weapons and new Cutie Marks.”

“We have to wait,” Shadow groaned. “Yeah, I am sure they are misdirecting the scout teams, but we have to wait and hope we can get through somehow. Continue to send reports in case they turn the terminal back on.”

“Maybe the investigation will save our asses. We can’t give up hope yet. Cardinal Spitfire isn’t. I can’t.”

“How are we going to give them a sign that won’t get us killed?” Slice asked. “Radio isn’t going to work. We need Storm since we stupidly burned the Pillar’s equipment.”

“It’s not fast, but I have an idea,” Shadow said. There was no enthusiasm in his voice and his head was on the desk. “I will make the journey north, to this cave. It is above the clouds, but in the mountains, just outside the Enclave’s boarders.”

“Cardinal Spitfire knows of the cave and she will go looking there for a sign when she can. I visited the cave as a young colt. It was a training location for Rainbow Dash during the war. She will hunt down that cave. I will use the laser cutters to cut a cryptic message into a wall for her to see.”

“If you are that close, wouldn’t visiting family work?” Thunder asked.

“That will only put them at risk. If our betrayers find out, it will not go over well.”

“Damn,” Slice swore. “One problem after another. Down half and we can’t get home because somepegasus drove a knife into our back. We are caught in a well laid trap.”

“I will take stuff above and make a better camp,” Thunder said. “Hopefully they just missed the entrance and will see the fake camp. That way we can direct them down to us.”

“Good plan,” Shadow said picking his head up off the desk. “We have an action plan. Lets out maneuver our betrayers so we can fuck them over.”

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