The Collected Adventures of Tyro

Chapter 4: Flight of Shadows

Thunder crashed as the storm raged, lightning flashing far below. This was a truly amazing storm, far larger than the ones occasionally scheduled over Ponyville. No, this was the raw fury of the elements, warring through the sky.

Rainbow Dash was not afraid. Or so she told herself, as she flew towards the great storm, with only the dim light of the moon to light her path. Angling upwards, she climbed, heading up and over the storm. By now, Ponyville was far out of sight, with only the expanse of the Everfree Forest below. Up above the storm clouds, nopony awaited her.

It occurred to Rainbow Dash that she might have been tricked, that this was nothing more than an elaborate joke at her expense. There was more than one pony who had a motive to do something like that, Rainbow Dash knew. Anypony could have placed that note. She might as well wait anyway, though, having flown all this way.

The sky-blue pegasus was absorbed in thought, and didn't notice as a wispy cloud floated in front of the moon, dimming the moonlight until it eventually blocked it out altogether. Only the stars provided light, now.

It was easy to surround the mare as she sat on the cloud, unaware of the three ponies watching her. She was distracted, and their dark suits blended in with the darkness.

"Rainbow Dash," said a voice behind her. The pony spun, but saw nothing there.

"We've been waiting for you," said another. She still couldn't see the ponies she knew were around her, but she could hear them, focusing on their voices. A third spoke.

"It has been long, you know."

"Long since we have found a pony to join us."

"A pony with speed, skill, and power."

"A pony whose loyalty is as unshakable as the very moon itself."

Rainbow Dash remembered something, from long ago... similar words, but she couldn't remember just where they had come from. As the moon reappeared from behind its shroud, she realized the truth. The pegasus had heard these words before, but from an illusion crafted by Nightmare Moon. These were not the Wonderbolts, no, not at all.

These ponies were a dark version of Princess Celestia's famed Wonderbolts. A shadow to their light. These were Princess Luna' own elite military unit: the Shadowbolts.

Not a lot was known about the Shadowbolts. Already a secretive group even before Nightmare Moon's ascension a thousand years before, memory of them faded, and they became relegated to myth. Apparently, those myths were true.

Rainbow Dash looked upon them, now revealed by Luna's moonlight. Everything made sense now: the secretive request, the meeting during Luna's own night instead of during the day, and the anonymous letter.

Rainbow Dash could think of only one thing to say. "What do you want, Shadowbolts?" She almost spat the name, angrily. "Is this another trick? Who are you working for now?"

The apparent leader of the squad, the pony who had spoken first, seemed unconcerned by Dash's anger. "We serve to Princess of the Night, as we always have, for thousands of years. We have existed as long as have the Wonderbolts, and you know their history quite well."

Rainbow Dash waited, listening. She was still angry at having been tricked, but they hadn't actually lied to her, and their words intrigued her.

"We, however, serve a different purpose than they. The Wonderbolts are as much showponies as anything else, after these many years of peace. Their training is more about doing tricks to impress crowds than it is about how to fight an enemy. Even the Royal Guard has begun to grow soft over the years. Our purpose, on the other hoof, remains as it was so long ago."

Rainbow Dash began to suspect that these Shadowbolts were something more than she had realized. Their next words confirmed her suspicion.

"We remain what we have always been. As we were once, long ago, we are today: the best of the best. We are the shadows within shadows, the unseen agents of Equestria. And we are... interested in having you join our company."

Somehow, Rainbow Dash had seen this coming. "How do I know this isn't a trick? Your kind has tried before, to tempt me away from my friends, to break my loyalty. It won't work this time, either!"

Rainbow Dash prepared to launch into flight, only to be stopped by a new voice: the third Shadowbolt, silent until that moment. "You need not leave your friends. As for your loyalty, that's one of the reasons we extended this offer: you would never turn against us. Does that satisfy your concerns, Rainbow Dash?"

The pegasus turned. "Then what do you want from me?"

The first Shadowbolt spoke once again. "We want you to join us in our defense of Equestria. Our orders come directly from Princess Luna herself, and she grants us a substantial degree of autonomy. When a threat arises, and the Wonderbolts fail—or if the threat is a sensitive matter—we fly to meet it."

The second took over. "Our loyalty lies first to Equestria, then to each other, and then to whatever other matters interest us. When you must face danger, we will fly at your side, and you will be expected to do the same."

The third finished the explanation. "All this will be your gift and your responsibility, should you accept our offer. Either way, you must never reveal our existance. So, Rainbow Dash, will you accept our offer to join the Shadowbolts, and take up the defense of Equestria?"

Rainbow Dash was silent for a long time. The Shadowbolts seemed to expect this. More than once, she turned to look at them, before turning away again. She was conflicted. To join the Shadowbolts would be the best possible thing she could do for Equestria, but she would never find fame with the Shadowbolts. Only she, her fellow Shadowbolts, and the princesses would ever know of her accomplishments. She wouldn't be like the Wonderbolts, praised and recognized for their achievements, and receiving the adoration of everypony else. She wouldn't have that dream come true. Yet, at the same time, the Shadowbolts needed her, and Equestria needed them.

The decision was clear. Rainbow Dash finally looked back up again, and gave the pegasi her answer.