A bugle sounded in the distance, which made Spitfire perk up from where she was slumped over her desk. Good, the flight drills were over. The Wonderbolts had gotten some new recruits, and Spitfire was glad that they’d been putting so much effort into their training. She took a deep breath and pushed her chair back from her desk. What a day it had been. It only felt like a few days ago she was going through her own training, and she remembered the lingering ache in her wing muscles all too well.
She swiveled her chair around to face her office window, stretching her wings. They were stiff from all the sitting. Paperwork. It had to be Spitfire’s least favoritepart of her job. After all, Captain of the Wonderbolts wasn’t just a title, it was a duty. A duty in flight, to perform her best, yes, but also a duty to fill out the endless forms and requests that the team needed.
Spitfire pressed her forehooves together as she surveyed the Academy. A pair of pegasi flew in perfect sync, their wingtips only a few inches apart as they dipped and spiralled in tandem. She smiled as she watched the sky-blue form of Rainbow Dash shouting window-muted orders to the pair, guiding them through the formation. It was a beautiful day, and Spitfire wanted nothing more than to be a part of it.
Her head swung from the stacks of incomplete paperwork and the cloudscape outside her window. It wouldn’t hurt to take a short break, would it? Spitfire ran a hoof through her mane, mussing it up as she debated. Responsibilities, or flying free for a bit? It would only be for a little while, right? And then she’d get right back to it, and who would have to know?
The squeak of her chair announced her decision as she spun it around and grabbed her flight suit from the peg on the wall where it hung. Just for a few minutes, she decided. A few minutes, a quick flight, and then she’d be back to crank out the dreaded paperwork.
Spitfire trotted out of her office, her flight suit slung over her back. A quick stop in the locker room to change, then she’d be out and back in no time. She waved to Soarin as she stepped into the hallway, then took off, running out the door and into the open air.
Without hesitation, she jumped off the edge of the runway and flipped, plummeting head first towards the ground before. The world whisked away, replaced by the roar of the wind by her ears and the sound of her pounding heartbeat. Frail wisps of cloud raced past her, and for a few seconds Spitfire let herself relax in freefall. The wind battered her wings against her sides as she dropped.
She watched her feathers rustle as the world howled past. Such fragile things they were, and yet they carried her above the sunset, higher and faster than any other type of pony could dream of. The sun’s rays warmed her and shone against her as she rolled over, spreading her wings to pull out of her steep dive. A familiar tension pulled at her wings as she levelled out, her hooves a few feet from the treetops of Everfree. The ability to control herself, the precision, the feeling of wild freedom… Spitfire loved all of it.
She gave a breathless whoop of abandon, enjoying the rustle of branches she left in her wake. A high-pitched shriek answered her call, bringing a smile to Spitfire’s muzzle. Ah, she knew that sound! She looked up, gauging the time by the sun’s light. Sure, she had a bit longer before anypony would miss her.
She dipped below the treetops, weaving in and out of trees that leapt in front of her path. Eerie cries of birdsong and wild creatures echoed around her as she twisted back and forth, ducking below branches split seconds before they’d hit her. It took an extraordinary amount of skill to fly through the forest at such speed, and Spitfire was proud that she could do it. Normally, she’d wish for an audience, but there was something undeniably intimate about flying alone. It was just her, the forest, and the wild dance they created together.
Her wings flared as Spitfire slowed her descent into the thicker tangles of the forest. Most ponies wouldn’t know what to look for, but Spitfire knew this place by heart, this section of untamed nature. Nests woven of brambles and vines decorated the canopy above her. This part of Everfree had been claimed long ago by the most noble phoenix Spitfire had ever seen. While a few of them lived spread-out towards the Dragon territory, the main inferno of phoenix roosted here.
Something wasn’t quite right, though. Usually, the canopy would be bursting with life. Tiny phoenix hatchlings fluttering their underdeveloped plumage would make quite the twittering din, while their parents brought them ashberries from the brambles they trimmed to build their nests. Older phoenixes would croak and cough as they neared the end of their life cycle. Once, Spitfire had even gotten to witness a full rebirth of one as it crumpled into ash, a chick appearing a few breathless minutes later.
Usually, the phoenixes would twitter out a greeting once they spotted Spitfire, but the chorus of chirps was absent. In its place, the relative silence of the phoenix territory made her feel off-balance. There was no burst of fiery plumage from above. The nests that the parents kept tidy were dry and unkempt. Spitfire flew up to look inside one, and let out a heartbroken cry.
All the eggs were broken. Phoenixes rarely mated, and when they did lay a clutch of eggs, they guarded them with their lives until they hatched. They were cautious parents. Spitfire had never been allowed close to their young, despite her natural affinity with the birds. The eggshells and remains of what were inside broke her heart.
Something terrible must have happened. That much was clear. There wasn’t a phoenix to be found, and not a feather remained. There was no sign of intruder aside from the smashed eggs, and no trail to follow. She had nothing to go on, nothing to give her a hint as to where the birds had gone.
Spitfire searched the ground desperately, wishing she had her team with her. Fleetfoot was much better at coming up with theories. However wild they may be, they’d at least be something to work from. Soarin knew his way around Everfree pretty well, and Thunderlane could track creatures like nopony’s business. But the rest of the Wonderbolts were far above her, and she didn’t want to leave the scene. Besides, this place was sacred in its own way, and Spitfire feared that the others just wouldn’t understand how important it was. Maybe they’d destroy part of it on accident. No, this was a job for Spitfire, and Spitfire alone. If worse came to worst, she could fly back and get more help later, when she had more of a clue about what happened.
What happened? What could possibly have caused all the birds to leave their nests and their eggs behind? Were they pursued by one of the horrific monsters that were rumored to live this deep in Everfree? There had to be some clue, some hint that would lead her to her beloved friends. That’s what they were, friends, just a different sort of friend than her teammates. Her teammates looked to her to be their Captain and leader. Phoenixes didn’t expect anything out of her. She wasn’t the Captain here, she was just Spitfire, the pony who befriended the phoenixes.
Wait. She’d heard a phoenix call when she flew over here! She had assumed it had come from the nests, but maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was trying to lead her somewhere. It could be anywhere nearby, or further ahead. Spitfire looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of a phoenix’s plumage between the creeping vines and dense foliage. Nope, still nothing. It could be anywhere!
She crouched, ready to get the rest of the Wonderbolts. With enough of her team to help, they could sweep half the forest in no time at all! A thought occurred to her as she sprung into the air. She flapped her wings and flew in circles. The bird had responded when she called out! Maybe she could do it again and follow the sound?
Spitfire took a deep breath, feeling pretty silly and thankful that nopony was there to witness her attempt, and cawed like a phoenix as best as she could. Her voice reverberated in her ears, and then there was silence. The insects and assorted wildlife of Everfree grew quiet at the odd sound.
There! The bell tone of a phoenix’s song sounded to her right. Spitfire flapped her wings hard, racing towards the sound, crashing through the trees. Branches scraped up her hooves and sides, but she ignored the stinging sensation and the tears in her flight suit. Her only focus was reaching the poor phoenix.
A glint of metal made Spitfire backpedal, her wings swinging in large sweeping strokes as she flew backwards. A cage was concealed in the trees, covered partially by vines and moss. Gulping, she peeked inside. An electric apparatus sat nestled in the corner of the closed cage, next to a single orange feather.
Spitfire landed on the branch next to the cage and reached into it with a wing, scooting the feather out between the bars. She tried not to cry, holding it close to her chest. The machine in the cage let out a phoenix’s call in response, and she scowled at it through her tears. It wasn’t fair, none of this was fair in any way. Her friends were gone. There was nothing she could do, there was nothing she could track. For the first time in a long time, Spitfire felt truly helpless.
That was a bigger deal than she let herself admit. Wonderbolts weren’t supposed to feel like that. They were supposed to be brave even when they’re scared. They were a symbol of hope. She was a Captain, for pony’s sake! She needed to snap out of it. Spitfire glared at the cage, trying to keep her eyes from watering. There would be no tears. Her friends needed her to figure this out.
The cage. It had to come from somewhere, didn’t it? Spitfire hadn’t seen anything like it in Equestria. It was tarnished, but the electronics in it looked pretty new. Electronics. Most ponies didn’t use that - why use flimsy machines when magic is so much more efficient? - so it was something she could track! Spitfire felt around the cage with her wingtips, looking for a latch. She felt an uneven section and tried to push it, but nothing happened. Grumbling, she tried twisting it, then sliding it. Ah, it was a switch. With a click, the cage door swung open.
Gingerly, Spitfire pried the recording machine off the bottom of the cage. She pulled off her ripped flight suit and slung the electronics snugly against her chest before flying off towards the clouds. She might have found something useful, but she’d need backup. She needed her team.
“So, let me get this straight,” began Fleetfoot as she flung herself across a chair in Spitfire’s office. “You found a group of phoenixes and realized they went missing, and you didn’t ask for help until a few weeks had passed?”
Spitfire levelled a glare at her teammate, who countered it with a remarkably easygoing smile. Somehow, Fleetfoot managed to walk the line between aloof and no-nonsense, which simultaneously irritated and impressed Spitfire. “Yup. Needed to scout the area, and I found this electronic gadget that creates a remarkable mimicry of-”
“Yeah, yeah. The point is, we missed out on the first part of the adventure, and we’re not missing the second part. Right, Soarin?” Fleetfoot lolled her head around to face the stallion, who gulped and looked between the two assertive mares.
Soarin stared down at a tart he’d swiped from the officer’s room, wishing he could sink through the chair and clouds and land gently somewhere else. “I’m not taking sides, ladies. I’m… I’m just here to help,” he added weakly as both mares focused on him, and took a tentative bite of the tart. It was delicious, and he wished he’d taken more.
Spitfire nodded brusquely. “Your opinions are both noted. I do need your help for this, actually. I got in contact with some of our informants in the electronics market. This sound player was made in Griffonstone and bought by an anonymous customer. I think-”
“Well, that’s just great!” groaned Fleetfoot. “We don’t even know who’s behind this. Wait, I bet it’s poachers. Hey, Soarin. Five bits says it’s poachers.”
“You’we on,” Soarin chirped around a mouthful of tart.
Spitfire cleared her throat. “As I was saying, I did manage to get the address it was sent to, so-”
“Hey, so, when are you gonna sort through the Wonderbolts Academy applications? Weren’t those due weeks ago?” Fleetfoot kicked her hooves towards one of the intimidating stacks of papers near Spitfire’s desk. It had pity on her attempt at dramatic flair and tilted dangerously to the side.
“The paperwork can wait, Fleetfoot! This is serious! Phoenixes are endangered. They don’t lay many eggs, and the ones I found were smashed. They’re protected under Celestial law, and they… they wouldn’t just fly away.” Spitfire scowled at Fleetfoot, effectively silencing her before she could open her mouth to protest. She realized she had been yelling, and took a deep breath to clear her head before continuing.
“This assignment is important to me. Those phoenixes are important to me, and I will not fail them.” Without another word, the Captain of the Wonderbolts stormed out of her office, wings bristling, knocking over the stack of papers without a second glance.
Soarin scooched back in his chair as a wave of paper crashed in front of him. “That could have gone better. Fleetfoot, you know those birds inspired her to become a Wonderbolt as a kid, right?”
Fleetfoot scuffed her hoof against the ground, crumpling a few pages in the process. “Yeah. I’m aware of her tragic backstory. Little late-bloomer pegasus couldn’t fly yet, heard some magic legend about creatures that burned with passion and flew, and found the strength inside to reach her dreams. Spitfire: all attitude, all fiery and strong and such.”
Fleetfoot chuckled hollowly and picked up a paper. She frowned at it for a few seconds before folding it into a paper crane. “I don’t mean to make fun of the situation, Soarin. I just don’t want her to get too emotionally involved. You know there’s a good chance we won’t find those birds. This could be a dead end. I just don’t wanna see her crushed when things don’t have a happy ending.”
Soarin laughed and swallowed the rest of his tart. “I can’t picture that. Spitfire, broken? She’s the toughest pony I’ve ever met.”
“You’d be surprised. Being a Wonderbolt doesn’t mean you never break. It just means you get up and keep fighting after you’ve hit rock bottom.” Fleetfoot set the paper crane gently on the top of the messy heap of papers before trotting after Spitfire, leaving Soarin marooned on a chair in the center of a pile of strewn paperwork.
Spitfire flew ahead of the pair as they sped away from Wonderbolt Headquarters. The Forbidden Jungle wasn’t exactly an easy place to forget, and her informant had been fairly certain about the drop-off point. She just hoped that there’d be some clue, some trace that would lead her straight to whoever dared to capture her friends.
Those weren’t tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, either. That was just the wind making her eyes water. She was a Wonderbolt, and Wonderbolts didn’t cry. Her wings twitched as she coasted on a thermal. Any other time she’d be enjoying the feeling of the sun warming her feathers and the wind at her back, but now all she could concentrate on was her friends.
Were they okay? Were they even alive? She had heard that some of the less civilized Griffons liked to eat phoenixes, and payed a heavy sum for the body of one. Why one would ever stoop to killing such a magnificent creature was beyond her imagination. Their feathers were also coveted by a few of the more distant zebra tribes, who used them in their exotic rituals. Could it be a zebra who had birdnapped the phoenixes?
“Hey, so Captain?” called out Fleetfoot, twisting midair to fly upside-down above Spitfire. “What’s the plan?”
Right, the plan. Spitfire mentally facehooved herself. Yeah, come on, leader, lead. She scanned the horizon as she thought out loud. “Well, once we catch whoever it is that’s taken the phoenixes, we need to get them to safely surrender the birds, and then we can arrest the perpetrator for their crimes, and bring them to justice. Assuming they don’t fight back.” She nodded. Yeah, that sounded convincing enough.
Soarin swerved next to Spitfire and waved to get her attention. “And what if they fight back?”
Spitfire grit her teeth and picked up her pace, praying to Celestia that they wouldn’t be too late. “Then we give ‘em hell.”
The ground below them flashed by as they soared. Their shadows looked like pinpricks against the forest foliage and city roofs. Rivers and lakes glinted with sunlight as they flew on by. A flock of geese flew by and honked at the pegasi. It was a beautiful day to catch a phoenix thief.
The landscape grew darker as night approached. The three Wonderbolts flew with the last rays of sun on their wings and watched as the land below was drenched in the golden haze of sunset. The faintest trace of dusk lit up the tips of the trees of the Forbidden Jungle as they fluttered to a halt in front of it.
“So, uh, where exactly did your informant say our birdnapper was?” asked Soarin, staring up at the forest with a remarkable lack of awe. He’d seen more foreboding things than a creepy jungle at nightfall. It was just another day of being a Wonderbolt.
Spitfire fluffed up her wings before folding them decisively. “They said they were along this side, and that their messenger seemed pretty agitated when she returned from her delivery.”
“That’s hardly useful at all!” Fleetfoot spat, but she followed Spitfire anyway, giving the creeping shadows of the jungle an uneasy glare. Soarin took up the rear, looking over his shoulder every so often as they wandered deeper into the jungle.
“So, we’re on our way on this Celestia-forsaken adventure,” began Fleetfoot in a chipper voice, stomping resolutely in a murky puddle, which splashed slime on her flight suit. She sighed melodramatically as it dripped down her hooves. “We’re looking for fire birds. In a jungle. In the dark. With no direction except for what an illegal electronics dealer told you, which happens to be the vaguest directions I’ve ever heard of! Why couldn’t they have said, oh, take a right at the tree that looks kind of like a baboon picking its nose, left at the algae-infested stream, and it’s the fourth poacher camp on the right?” She laughed at her own comment since neither of her companions seemed to take note of what she said and sauntered onward.
“Wait,” whispered Spitfire, standing rigidly, her head swiveling. There it was again! A phoenix cry! She spread her wings and flew towards it with reckless abandon. This was it, she’d found her friends, and whoever had taken them would receive a brutal backside-kicking.
A rustle next to her made Spitfire look to the side, narrowly avoiding crashing into a tree. Fleetfoot flew side by side next to her, looping around trees as she easily matched Spitfire’s brisk pace. “Let’s get these sons of beachnuts,” she cheered quietly, the wind whisking her voice away as they wove between branches.
Soarin brushed a wing against Spitfire’s as they dove through the foliage like hawks, dipping and dodging vines and moss-laden rocks with graceful ease. There was a faint flicker of yellow light ahead. A phoenix? No, just a campfire. Maybe the campfire of the phoenix thief? No, just treasure strewn around in boxes. No, wait! Those were cages, and in them-
“My friends,” whispered Spitfire, and time seemed to hang in the air like an icicle about to plummet to the ground. The three Wonderbolts burst through a thicket and landed in fighting stances in the middle of what looked to be a particularly enthusiastic campground. Around them, stacks upon stacks of cages towered to the highest branches of the leafy trees. Inside each of them sat a phoenix, which eyed the newcomers with wary curiosity. The silence was eerie and overwhelming.
The few pony occupants of the camp stared at the pegasi intruders as though they had lobsters coming out of their ears. Two of them ran back into their tents. Spitfire hoped they were packing for their trip to jail. The largest tent’s flaps rustled as its occupant stepped out, a whisper in the mind-numbing quiet.
“Ah, what is it we have here? Are you here to purchase my goods, little pegasi?” drawled the stallion amiably. “I’ve never sold to a Wonderbolt before, but you seem a little awed at my goods. He quirked his bushy eyebrows at Spitfire, who dearly wished she could hiss at him. Behind her, she heard the clinking of bits as Soarin hoofed over his wager to Fleetfoot.
“No. You birdnapped these poor phoenixes, and I’m here to set them free and bring you to justice.” She swished her tail and crouched, ready in case he tried to attack her.
The stallion shrugged, smiling as one would to a foal who doesn’t understand why everypony doesn’t just get along all the time. “You can have them. They have served their purpose, and your removal of them will take much less time than my initial plan. You see, I have been paid to fill the Goblet of Order with the fire of a hundred phoenixes. Capturing them wasn’t easy, but this will be so lucrative.” Spitfire swore she could see the stallion salivating at the idea of his commission.
Spitfire shot him an irritated glare. “I don’t know who you think you are, but poaching phoenixes for any reason is a violation of the Celestial Law, and we’re here to-”
He held out a hoof to shake, which the Wonderbolts seethed at. “Oh, where are my manners? I am-”
“DOCTOR CABALLERON!” came a shout from the top of the phoenix cages. Both the wonderbolts and the stallion in question squinted up at the figure. The silhouette jumped down into the firelight, startling a few of the phoenixes from their reviere. The grayscale-maned mare cracked the length of rope connected to her grappling hook as she wound it in a loop. “You will never get away with this!”
“Ah, but Daring Do, I already have,” Caballeron purred, reaching into his tent and pulling out what looked like a crystal chalice, glowing with the flickering light of dazzling embers. “You see, I almost refused such a difficult request, but Ahuizotl raised his price until I couldn’t say no.” The mare, Daring Do, started to speak, but Caballeron cut her off with a wave of his hoof. “I don’t care what it does, you see. By the time it has any effect, I’ll be long gone, and fabulously wealthy!
“You fool,” Daring Do hissed, walking slowly around the stallion, putting him between her and the campfire, casting long shadows on the tents behind them. “That goblet will cause a meteor shower that will wipe out ponykind! You can’t run away from it!” Caballeron laughed, and suddenly many things happened at once.
Daring Do pushed Caballeron towards the campfire. He instinctively held out his hooves to catch himself before he toppled into the flames. The goblet was flung in the air and appeared to hang there for a few uncomfortable seconds before a prismatic blur swooped in to catch it.
“Hey Daring! I caught the-” Rainbow Dash looked around and froze at the sight of her boss. Spitfire sputtered back.
“Rainbow Dash, I want an explanation, first thing tomorrow, my office” Spitfire managed to spit out crisply, before stepping back from the fight between Daring Do and Caballeron. Rainbow Dash swooped in to help her friend tie Caballeron up with the grappling hook rope, and Fleetfoot and Soarin looked at Spitfire, both at a loss for words.
Spitfire cleared her throat. The smoke from the campfire stung her eyes, but that was the least of her concern. She purposefully trotted over to the cages and looked up. They seemed to stretch to the heavens above. Spitfire turned back to her teammates, ignoring the scuffle going on behind them. Rainbow Dash and her friend could take care of it, she was sure.
“Wonderbolts, we’ve got some phoenixes to release,” Spitfire commanded, and began unlocking cages. Her teammates saluted and followed suit, swinging open cage doors. The birds within gazed dully at the glimpse of freedom, as though they couldn’t believe it wasn’t a trick, before feebly flapping their wings and soaring above the jungle canopy, one after the other.
From a distance, Spitfire bet it looked like shooting stars, arching above the edge of the jungle. There would be paperwork tomorrow, and more than enough varying stories to sort through, but tonight, she was content watching her phoenix friends fly away to freedom. If she concentrated, she could ignore the sounds of fighting and focus on the joyous cries of the inferno of phoenixes as they swooped around her, dazzling her vision with light and color.
“So there I was, bound to the ceiling of the Temple of Flames, the Goblet of Order about to be set on the ceremonial altar, when suddenly in swooped Daring Do! She tackled Ahuizotl and pinned him to the ground. The Goblet of Order shattered on the cold stone floor of the temple, the shards disappearing in wisps of smoke. A rumbling sound made us all freeze. The temple was collapsing! We had to get out of there fast! Daring Do cut the vines that pinned me to the ceiling and we flew out as fast as we could. As we soared over the jungle among the phoenixes, I could faintly hear Ahuizotl’s cry. ‘I’ll get you, Daring Dooo!’ he shrieked, clenching his tail-hand in a fist at the heavens. We had saved the day once again! So, ah, does that explain it enough, boss?” Rainbow Dash shuffled awkwardly in the sea of paperwork in front of Spitfire’s desk.
Spitfire took a deep breath and leveled a composed gaze at Rainbow Dash. “Crash, that sounds like the storyline to A. K. Yearling’s latest novel, not what actually happened, but I’m going to let that slide. I’m more concerned with how you managed to let Dr. Caballeron escape. We have no idea where he is, but you can bet your pocket change that we’re on the lookout. Apparently, he’s been involved in multiple heists.”
Rainbow sighed in irritation and ruffled her wings. “Yeah, we let him get away, but that’s only because the Goblet of Order had teleported to the temple after he activated it! We had to stop the ritual, or else all of Equestria would have been-”
“Yeah, yeah, you’ve told me. As punishment for your incompetence, I want you to report to the copy office downstairs and help print wanted posters for the rest of the day.” Spitfire waved her hoof dismissively and looked down at the form she was filling out. The crinkle of important documents announced Rainbow’s exit, much to Spitfire’s amusement. Perhaps the paperwork was useful, in a way.
Spitfire wanted nothing more than to fly down and visit the phoenixes, but she knew they probably needed space and time to settle back into their home. It would be a long time before they’d welcome any pony back into their territory, friend or not, and it would be even longer before they’d sing to announce Spitfire’s arrival. That was okay. Spitfire had all the time in the world.
Author's Note
Like for Spitfire to be featured in the next Daring Do book.
Comment for Fleetfoot to get Soarin to raise his bet amount next time.
Follow for Rainbow Dash to discover Dr. Caballeron's evil plot to ship her and Daring Do together in their next adventure, The Secret of the Lover's Tomb.
As always, you, the reader, mean the world to me. Hope you enjoyed the story, and see you next time! ♥
