Faust and Hasbro own My Little Pony I own nothing not even this computer.
Soarin stretched out his wings and legs. Rising up to a sitting position he looked around from where he sat on his cloud. It wasn't a very long journey from Cloudsdale to Ponyville, but if you just came from practice and then flew all the way to Ponyville, you were entitled to a little nap or two. He had made decent time yesterday, but it was getting late and dark so he grabbed a cloud and caught some Z's.
From what he could see Ponyville was still a good twenty minutes away. Then maybe a five-minute flight to Sweet Apple Acres if he didn't hurry. Sure Spitfire and Mick would kill him when he got back, but that was a problem for future Soarin. He would purchase his pies and be back at Wonderbolts practice tomorrow. Standing up he pushed out one leg and then the other, did a few squats and then jumped off and began to flap his way to Sweet Apple Acres.
"Are you positive that this is a good idea?" Sweetiebelle asked from her side of the roof. Applejack had seemed pretty mad yesterday when they had first constructed the thing. Sweetie really didn't want another lecture like the one that they had gotten yesterday!
"Of course I'm sure!" Scootaloo said from where she was at the top of the ramp setting the slingshot back up, with a few more mild calibrations it appeared as if it were all set.
"I don't know Scootaloo I think I may have ta agree with Sweetiebelle on this one. I mean...Applejack looked almost ready to tan my flank she was so angry!" Scootaloo rolled her eyes. They were being such babies about this! Nothing bad was going to happen! They had gone over this thing a dozen times already, if there was anything that was amiss then they would have noticed it.
"Look. You two will be completely safe. I'm gonna be the one doing this wicked stunt! Plus if I can do this then a smelly old melon should be able to, we'll finally get our cutiemarks in melon throwing!"
"Still not sure if thats a real thing." Applebloom muttered under her breath. Scootaloo had somehow gotten it in her head that they could find some sorta special talent through throwing overripe fruits a long distance. She and Sweetiebelle didn't have any better idea so they might as well go with this one. To be honest Applebloom was sort of running out of ideas for crusading. She hated to admit it but it looked like this might be the end of the lot.
"So how does this thing work again?" Applebloom said rubbing her chin and looking up at slingshot at the top of the ramp. Scootaloo sighed dramatically and hopped and fluttered to the top where her scooter was waiting.
"Alright listen up, I'm going to say this once. Now first and foremost I get onto the scooter and pull myself back. Second step release and go down the ramp. Third step is I go flying off into the air and over the orchard. Pull a few wicked stunts and crash land in the pond. Final step Rainbow Dash sees all of this and is so impressed that she teaches me how to do the Sonic Rainboom!" Scootaloo finished with her hoof raised in midair and a twinkle in her eye. Sweetiebelle and Applebloom exchanged worried looks.
"Do you buy into this?" Applebloom whispered.
"I don't know I'm not a pegasus." Applebloom stood stock still.
"Did you say crash land?"
"Or a marvelous graceful landing. Why?"
"How did you possibly figure all of this stuff out anyway?" Applebloom asked suspiciously. Scootaloo waved it off unconcerned.
"I would explain but it would take a long time and a lot of math."
"Didn't you get the lowest grades out of the three of us in math?" Scootaloo rubbed her chin uncertain. Sweetiebelle avoided eye contact, she had been the one out of the three of them who had actually gotten the lowest grade. She just did the same thing whenever they asked, said a lot of long words that they didn't comprehend until they changed the subject.
"Whatever not important I just need to do this and then boom Rainbow Dash will teach me all of her sick moves!"
"Maybe not all of them squirt." A cocky voice said from above them. Hovering was the multicolored maned pegasus pony herself. She had a cocked eyebrow and an even cockier grin. Scootaloo looked up in awe and then in happiness.
"Rainbow Dash! Check it out! We made a new and improved jump for me to try out! Won't it look awesome when I try it out!" Rainbow Dash slowly came down to the barn roof and looked on impressed at the three fillies work.
"Wow. Applejack or Macintosh know that you three put so much stress on the roof?" The three looked sheepishly at each other.
"No ma'am." Applebloom said quietly looking down at the shingles and moving her hoof in a counterclockwise circles. Rainbow Dash could hardly contain her grin, doing an awesome stunt was cool. But doing an awesome probably dangerous stunt without guardian permission or supervision. Now that was awesome.
'Besides the kid will be wearing a helmet...what could possibly go wrong?' Rainbow Dash thought to herself.
"Mind if I watch you try it out?" Scootaloo's grin could be seen from space it was so large and radiant. She couldn't even speak all she could do was nod her head up and down quickly before Rainbow Dash changed her mind. Slowly pushing her scooter up the ramp she looked back at Rainbow Dash who nodded up to her encouragingly. Scootaloo felt something twisting around in her stomach and around her heart, she knew the feeling well, she felt it when she first went to school or Diamond Tiaras party that one time, or when they were going to preform for the entire town.
She was nervous. She could not screw this up. Especially not in front of Rainbow Dash. She would be...be...what was the word Sweetiebelle used? Right mortified! That dictionary like brain of hers did come in useful once in a while. She reached the top, turning around she gave a smile down at the three expectant faces. Taking a deep breath in Scootaloo turned around slowly. A pony could see most of Sweet Apple Acres from up there, it all stretched out for miles in all directions. She wanted to stay up there and admire the view for at least a little while longer, see how the apples and leaves were slowly changing, how the water that she was aiming for was so far away and sparkling in the sunlight.
She could even see a few forms bucking trees somewhere in the distance, maybe a good quarter mile from the pond. There were three figures, Scootaloo could recognize Appleblooms siblings and the smaller shape kinda looked like he was helping but in a haphazard fashion.
'Must be that Caramel guy.' she thought to herself. A fluttering of wings and thumping of hoofs made her look up and there was Rainbow Dash, the pegasus looked a tad impatient but also interested.
"Nice view from up here huh?" Scootaloo nodded.
"I like to take a nap here sometimes it can get pretty dang relaxing... Do you want me to try it out first?" Scootaloo looked up in surprise. Rainbow Dash looked down at her anxiously and a bit pleadingly. "Because this thing looks really really cool and I would love to try it out." Scootaloo could hardly believe her ears! Rainbow Dash, the Rainbow Dash! was impressed by something that she had haphazardly flung together!
"We...we've never tested it out. This would be the first run."
"Oh." Rainbow Dash said and straightened up, flicking her mane from her forehead a bit. "I understand. Totally." She began to slowly walk back down the ramp.
"But I would be honored if you were the first to try it out!" Scootaloo practically shouted after her. Rainbow Dash perked up intently and shot back next to the surprised little filly in a heartbeat.
"Really!?"
Scootaloo smiled. "Really". Rainbow Dash grinned down and gave the younger mare a great big hug. Scootaloo appreciated it for as long as it lasted, when Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered what she was doing and broke away from the warm mushy thing that she had just done. Moving past the grinning orange pegasus Rainbow Dash backed into the sling.
Walking backwards she pulled it back until it was tight, tighter, and then taunt against her flanks and wings. It was a snug fit, she wondered where the three of them had gotten a piece of rubber so long and thick that ti could be attached to the pieces of wood. The cuitemark crusaders looked up at Rainbow Dash in excitement and apprehension.
"Do you have a bad feeling about this?"
"No way this is going to be so cool!"
"You ready?!" She called down to them, they cheered and whooped excitedly. Rainbow Dash pulled herself back, never once noticing the wet glue that was sticking to her feathers and sides, from the pieces of rubber that they had stuck together.
Big Macintosh hit the tree, a shower of golden delicious fell into the barrels. He picked as many as he could up automatically, he wished he could turn into a robot. Emotionless, fearless, never have to worry about pleasing his Grandmother. But instead here he was, moving barrels onto the cart and then going to the next tree. It was repetitive work and it distracted him. Simply buck, lift, walk, repeat. Buck, lift, walk, repeat. Over and over again until he was thirsty enough to take a drink of water.
Caramel was moving the carts into a line for when they begin to head back to the farm. Applejack had talked to him a little, excited about the running of the leaves, Caramel was thinking about entering this year, he had tried it once and it had not ended well. Macintosh winced at the memory, his friend was a delicate little guy.
Applejack was coming up to him, a determined look upon her face. Her eyes narrowed and mouth sort of scrunched up, she had a speech in mind. Of course she would have something to say to him. He just had to make the conversation go his way and then maybe she would forget what it was she had started off with. When his little sister was within hearing distance he began to speak, in a low mumble, he didn't like to instigate conversation.
"What was that Big Macintosh?" She asked uncertain what he had just uttered out.
"I said did Caramel find you the other day? When you ran off he went to look for ya."
"I meet up with him later, he somehow got into the east orchard from the cow pastures."
"Ah." Big Macintosh was never going to learn how that stallion managed it, but he almost went out of his way to get into bad luck, be it poor directions, losing something, or just sheer clumsiness.
"That's not what I want to talk with you about anyway. Listen up okay?"
"Eyup." Macintosh rolled his eyes heavenwards and asked that Celestia make this fast and painless.
"I went into town yesterday and found ya'll a date." Applejack didn't look happy so much as smug. Macintosh stared for a second before he turned and began to walk a little ways away. Applejack ran after him until she was standing in front of him blocking his way to the next tree.
"Hold on a second there boyo. Hold your horses so to speak...where are ya'll going?" Macintosh looked very put out for a moment before he began to speak.
"I didn't ask you to do that."
"I wanted to."
"Do I know them?" He really hoped that it was not Cherrile, the poor mare had been pretty mortified after what his sister did to them. But besides her he really didn't know any pony else that could possible go out on a date with him.
"Sorta, their older then me and cousin Pinkie but younger then you." Big Macintosh thought for a moment, that really didn't narrow it down. Pinkie Pie, or "cousin" Pinkie as she was called at times was possibly the youngest out of all of his sitters friends, he never bothered to find out. But still younger then him? By how much? Anyway what right did Applejack have in setting him up with this mare?
He looked around for a bit thinking of a suitable sentence to deliver to his sister when he noticed something. Macintosh from where he stood could just barely see the top of the barn, the red planking and black shingles stood above everything else. There were about four shapes of all different colors moving about up there. It kinda looked like his Applebloom and her friends, and some pony else. He really needed to put up a railing or something up there before some pony got hurt being up there. Or worse fell off. It looked like the biggest of the shapes a light blue one was getting into some kinda contraption...didn't they take it down yesterday?
Applejack noticed that Big Macintosh was distracted and was about ready to get his attention again when something caught her eye. Coming over the fields was a fast flying streak with a smoke trail behind it. Applejack squinted and could just about make out some familiar features. It kinda looked like Soarin, he would come every few weeks to get a pie or twenty. Applejack didn't complain he was a good customer and always payed in full. He had been late last week so no surprise that he was showing up today.
A sharp twang filled the air and Applejack whirled around. Something on top of the barn had just shot something across the air. Applebloom and the other crusaders were standing on the roof in wide eyed slack jawed astonishment. They really needed to put a railing around the sides of the roof before any pony fell off of it.
Some struggling thing was whipping over the fields. It was whipping itself back and forth and appeared to be in some kind of trouble. Squinting Applejack could make out the barest hints of a rainbow behind it...
"Rainbow Dash!" She cried out. Caramel ran over and looked at where the siblings were gazing, his eyes also widened and practically exploded once the two blue shapes hit each other at breakneck speed and began to plummet towards the pond in one of the lower meadows. The farm ponys didn't stop to chat but instead rushed off to see what had happened.
Soarin remembered waking up to a scream. Opening his eyes he winced at the flash of light and pain that accompanied it. Opening his eyes slowly to the wind shear he looked into the face of a twisting panicking pegasus, who looked sort of familiar. She was pushing and pulling at him but they could not break apart. Both looked down and he could see why. Her wing was somehow stuck to his side and pinning his wing, no matter how hard either of them flapped it just broke them out of tandem and they dropped faster.
Rainbow Dash remembered launching herself out of the slingshot, coasting along for five seconds and then realizing that she couldn't open her wing, she had been distracted and looked back at it. That had been when she hit Soarin of the wonder bolts. They had hit heads, she had seen stars but the poor guy was out almost at once. Rainbow Dash, hoped she hadn't given him a concussion, but by the speed that they were approaching that water it was more likely then not that there would be one less Wonderbolt and avid fan in Equestria quickly enough. Dead. She was going to be dead.
No more dreams, no more friends, no more anything. No more Scootaloo and her annoying, awesome, beloved antics. That was when Rainbow Dash began to scream, when she finally figured out that she was going to die in front of the filly that looked up to her the most.
All of a sudden Soarin acted. He twisted and turned so that he was facing with his back downwards and the screaming struggling mare up towards the sky. She actually looked good against the sky, natural. An odd thing to notice when one was hurtling towards their death but hey, people did odd things in times of stress. Satisfied that she would live longer then him, Soarin braced for the impact of good old dirt. It never came.
He felt a strong pain rush through his back and wings, then it felt as if the earth was collapsing around him, engulfing him. There was no air, no up or down, just dark liquid. Then he hit the bottom of the pond and felt something go crackle in his wing. With a scream he felt himself loosing consciousness. He was going to drown, the pegasus that loved the sky more then anything else in all of Equestria and he was going to drown. Oh the irony.
Rainbow Dash struggled to the surface. She was still attached to Soarin and he felt like a ton of dead weight. Kicking and sputtering she coughed and thrashed around in the water. There were three figures on the shore one of them ran out and dove in. It was a big red blur of stallion. Her head hurt, if felt almost as if it were caved in, maybe by a rock on the bottom or from a flailing hoof. She shrieked and squirmed as she was being pulled out of the pond.
Big Macintosh dragged her out, the other pegasus gave a few feeble coughs. Applejack swooped down and began to comb at her friends hair almost screaming her name over and over.
"Get to town, quick!" Applejack shouted to Caramel. He was gone on the last word. Big Macintosh managed to somehow get the groaning pegasai on his back. One was constantly twisting and screeching, the other one the one that he did not know was almost deathly still. It frightened him.
Running Macintosh began to head back up the path, Applejack keeping pace with him every stride. They passed the farmhouse, Granny Smith was up and about she stood by the front door shouting out questions at the two running siblings. The cutiemark crusaders stood in shock and terror, they watched as the two injured ponies passed and then followed quickly, frightened at what they had just possibly done.
A small crowd had gathered around the edge of town all looked anxious. Caramel had somehow gotten to town the right way and was waiting by the front of the crowd moving from hoof to hoof as they approached. He began to go ahead and the Apple siblings followed him closely. When they got to the hospital he rushed ahead and called into the open doorway. A couple of orderlies came out with a stretcher between them. The two were taken off of Big Macintosh's back and placed gently on it before being rushed in. The three of them followed closely concern etched on their features.
Applejack stopped stock still. Her friends! They had to know about this! They would go crazy if they found out later! She moved from hoof to hoof almost dancing in indecision. She didn't know whether to go and tell the others or stay there and take care of her poor friend. Thankfully Caramel solved the problem.
"If you give me the address I can go and get whoever else needs to be here." He looked concerned for her wellbeing. The poor mare almost fell back into a chair she was so grateful. Nodding her head feebly she somehow got out the names and address's. Big Macintosh wrote them down and taped them to Caramels leg so that he would remember where to go. With a nod he was gone.
Macintosh sat down beside his sitter looking down at her with almost maternal concern. Her eyes were wet and she rarely cried, her hat covered most of her face and she gave out little sniffles. Macintosh didn't know what to say he had never been in a situation like this one before. Clearing his throat he decided to begin.
"I don't know if everything is going to be alright." Applejack looked at him astonished.
"But I do know that we can make it out of this. I know that we can survive this, we just have gotta be strong." He looked straight ahead. She leaned over and embraced him quickly before pulling away. She was grateful, her brother was one emotional rock of a stallion. The hospital doors burst open, the rest of the group had arrived.
Fluttershy was fluttering by the top of the door, her eyes were wide and wet and she was almost strangling that poor rabbit that always followed her around. Pinkie Pie had a somber expression on her face, a handkerchief held to her face and a hiccup would come out every once in a while. Rarity looked frantic she pushed past the rest of the group and up to Applejack expectantly.
"I-I'm sorry every pony I don't know nothing about what's going on." Twilight Sparkle rushed up to them with a tower of books balanced on her back and a wild look on her muzzle. She held up a book and flipped to a page with a grotesque diagram of a pony's skull.
"Did it look more like a style A or Style B? Was the fracture hairline? Or did it increase to..."
"I'm telling you I don't know nothing! She was just sent in!" Applejack was close to shouting, a mare behind the receptionist counter gave them an icy glare. Caramel had come in with another pegasus, that Flash Sentry guy. He looked worried but calm.
A unicorn pony came from around the corner with a stethoscope and a clipboard. He looked around before speaking.
"Are you the company with Rainbow Dash and Soarin? The pegasai?" All of the mares converged on him and began to babble excitedly talking over each other and drowning all questions out. Macintosh moved back to stand beside the other two stallions. He gave a curt nod to both.
"You know what happened?" The guard pegasus that he had met yesterday whispered from beside him.
"Slingshot, crash, pond." And that was all he said.
"He always this talkative?" Flash whispered to Caramel. He grinned and rolled his eyes.
"You have no idea." The stallion had finally resolved some sort of calm and he began to speak.
"Both are stable." Fluttershy gave out a squeal of happiness and grasped Rarity's and Pinkies hoofs. "However." She instantly deflated and blushed. "The male Soarin. He is in critical condition, and we need an expert to help us operate...unfortunately the only one qualified for this is away in Canterlot on business. I am afraid that he will not be back until it is far far too late." There was a silence until Twilight spoke up.
"Is there nothing you can do? The trains or something?" He shook his head.
"The last one came and went hours ago, and a letter would take three hours at most. We know where he is and he is trying to find a way but there does not seem to be a clear route. I am very sorry."
"Boy...Rainbow Dash would be heartbroken if she learned that she crippled one of her favorite flyers." Pinkie said, her hair was slick against her head and her coat was darkening.
Caramel looked at Macintosh. "Psst. How far away is Canterlot?"
"Fastest way there on hoof? By the railroad tracks I suspect." Flash Sentry spoke up first. "About six hours there." Caramel looked down before looking back up much more resolute.
"Doctor? Where is that surgeon staying?" The group looked over at him a bit surprised before the doctor spoke.
"At the Stallion Stone hotel...about 53 and west street why?"
"How soon does he need to be here?"
"At most in twelve hours after that I don't think we will be able to save either of their wings."
"Wait either?" Twilight said spinning around to face him.
"Why yes. Both will live, but we need the surgeon Doctor Hoofsteady to operate on their broken wings. If he does not then they will never fly again. And by the look of things..." He began to flip some papers "Soarin will possibly fall into a coma if not operated on."
"And after that?" Pinkie said "There's always an after that!"
"Most probably death."
The room was silent for a moment. Death. Soarin, a colt that none of them knew personally, may very well die.
"I will be back with the doctor in eight hours!" Caramel shouted before running out of the room. He raced past a large purple lizard talking to Applejacks little sister and her friends, down to the railroad station and followed the tracks to Canterlot.
"Where does he think he's going?" Rarity asked Applejack.
"Canterlot." She replied.
"But-but He will never make it. There are no trains or...or anything of that sort!"
"He don't need them. You've seen his cutiemark right?" Rarity gave a nod.
"It has a double meaning, yes Caramel is clumsy but he is also one of the fastest running earth ponies I know. If he says that it will take eight hours for hiim to run there and back, then it will take him eight hours to run to Canterlot and back.
The group of Mares huddled around each other and stayed that way. Rarity looked up at the clock and began to count off the seconds that that Caramel fellow was gone.
"It's all my fault." Scootaloo said sitting in the dust by the curb outside. Sweetiebelle and Applebloom stood on either side of her and wrapped a foreleg around the filly.
"No it's not." Applebloom said, she felt sick to her stomach, they might have just killed Rainbow Dash! She wanted to cry and vomit and fall asleep all at the same time. But she knew no matter how bad she felt Scoots was probably feeling a million times worse.
"Yeah. We didn't know that there was still glue on the rubber! I was positive I got it all off!" She said. Scootaloo glared over at Sweetiebelle.
"So it was your fault then!" She shouted pointing an accusing hoof at her friend. Sweeitebelle looked taken aback and then very sad, she stood up and began to trot away with her head down. Scootaloo looked after her and her heart fell through her chest.
"Sweetie! Wait!" She called after her retreating form.
"I'll talk to her." Spike spoke up, he had been standing to the side since he had gotten there with Twilight he looked concerned but also bored by the proceedings. He had dealt with life or death situations all of the time, and every single time nothing bad ever really happened to the group. Following the retreating form of the white unicorn filly, he called out to her.
"Sweetiebelle! Wait up!" She stopped and looked back, her eyes were running with tears.
"What do you want Spike."
"You know she didn't mean that. Don't you?" She looked down before answering.
"Yeah. Still though, she didn't have to be so mean to me! I mean why does she have to be so...so insulting! And uncouth!" Spike only looked on. Sweetie gave a little sniff before she leaned her head into his chest.
"You think that Rainbow Dash will be alright?"
"Of course. It's Rainbow Dash." he said wrapping an arm around her neck. Sweetie gave a little shiver of joy. She suppressed any that came after that, he didn't like her more then as a friend.
"Ready to go back?" She nodded once. He removed his arm and she followed him back to the hospital.
Standing in front of the door was a white unicorn with a blue mane and a monocle. He looked back and smiled at the approaching Sweetiebelle.
"Is your sister inside dear?"
"Yes Mr. Fancy Pants." He gave a smile and nod and then went inside. Spike looked for a moment as Rarity went up and rested her head against his shoulder, he looked a tad taken aback but then he rested his head on top of hers. Spike blinked once, twice, a third time. Then turned on his heel and walked back to the castle.
"Spike?" Sweetiebelle called after him.
Caramel ran and he ran and he ran. His hoofs were not even sore anymore. He was in the high, the runners high. He was for one moment in the desert and then he was somewhere in a city. He stopped and panted. Looking up at the giant buildings that sparkled in the sunlight.
"The Stallion Stone. The Stallion Stone." He muttered over and over again. He was running out of time here, he needed to find that place. Choosing a direction he ran off down the street.
Applejack was looking out the window. Scared, hopeful, she didn't know. Fluttershy daintily walked up to her looking at the ground. She had no idea of her date with Big Macintosh, as far as Rarity had told Applejack, that was good. She probably would have become way too flustered if she learned about it.
"Will he be back soon?"
"I don't know. He's a fast one I'll give him that but...but he just might take a nap by the side of the road. Or trip, or just get lost...I hope he will be back soon but..." A wing went around her shoulders and Applejack touched it gratefully.
Caramel saw the guy, it had to be him. He had a sign that said 'Caramel' He ran up to the guy panting and sweating bullets. "Dr?" He managed to gasp out.
"For Ponyville?" the Doctor something or other breathed out. Caramel could not even answer all he could do was nod. The doctor motioned to a carriage.
"Hook up."
"How long now?" Pinkie said from the corner. Rarity never even looked away from the clock.
"Two minutes and then it will be eight."
"Thanks."
Macintosh moved over to where his sister and the yellow pegasus were laying down. He looked down concerned. Applejack looked back up at him.
"If he runs in throughout that door with that there doctor I'ma gonna give him the biggest smack on the cheek as I can muster." Flusstershy looked at her aghast, not understanding what she meant. Macintosh grinned eternally, he knew just how much that would mean to the little guy.
"Eight hours. On the dot." Rarity said. Fancy Pants pulled out a golden watch on a chain and looked at it, he then looked up at the clock on the wall.
"That is thirty seconds off." Not even half a minute later there came the clattering of hoofs and the bump bump of wheels. It did not slow as it came close to the street, to the door, or when Caramel crashed through it with a brown splintery carriage and an elderly looking pony in the seat. He climbed down ignoring the glass and the surprised ponies. He moved past them all and went to where the receptionist sat playing her crossword.
"Tell them that I am ready to preform surgery on the two pegasai."
Caramel stood among the broken glass panting and shivering. He was not sweating anymore, he had sweated it all out. Applejack stood up and walked over to where he was standing. She looked him straight in the eye and then moved to the side. She pressed her lips against his cheek for one strong moment and then pulled away. He had a heavy blush on his cheeks, or maybe he was just flushed from running for almost eight hours.
"Thank you." She whispered in his ear. He stood erect for one second and then fell to the floor in a heap with a giant goofy smile on his lips. Macintosh rolled his eyes at Applejacks shocked face.
Faust and Hasbro own My Little Pony I own nothing not even this computer. Review I guess.
