//------------------------------// // Seconds Into Ages // Story: Dashed Hopes and Reformed Dreams // by ChaoticHarmony //------------------------------// Chapter 15: Seconds Into Ages A hollow, airy noise filled the room every few seconds, creating a complex, irregular rhythm as it made tempo with the heartbeat monitor that sat a few feet away. Ping, beep, beep, ping, beep, ping. The ball was merely a red blur as she punched it with a hoof to send it back to the white wall, only to punch it again as the laws of physics and the properties of the toy sent it flying back at her. The pony next to her cleared his throat as her hoof connected yet-again with the object of her abuse. “Um, Dash?” She didn’t turn her head as she continued her method of boredom alleviation. “Dash?” Her eye twitched slightly as her hoof whisked past the ball and allowed the red plastic to connect with her chest. “What is it, Soarin?” Her voice was only slightly irritated as she grabbed the ball and held it in her hooves. “I nearly broke my record.” “Well, you look so… erm… bored, Dash. I was thinking… well, that we could go out and watch some crazy pegasi do some cloud diving?” His upward quirk of the mouth nearly made her smile as he awkwardly nudged a pillow around on the couch. A few more seconds passed, seeming to stretch into ages before she chuckled. “What’s so funny?” Soarin’s question was full of hurt as he stood from the couch. “Aw nothin’, just how you look when you’re not sure of yourself. Reminds me of Fluttershy or Wind Cutter. Don’t be all upset about it!” She added as his expression turned into a frown at being compared to a mare. “I’m only joking. Of course I wanna go see some ponies cloud dive!” Suddenly the prismatic pegasus drooped, as if she was a balloon that had been deflated. “But, how will we get out there? If you couldn’t tell, I was struck by lightning a few days ago. Don’t think these doctors will let me go.” Rainbow gestured helplessly at the many different leads that were connected to various machines around the room. Soarin merely chuckled and waved a hoof dramatically in the air. “Just leave that to me.” Poking his head out of the doorway, Soarin waited for his target to emerge from around one of the corners. Of course, the only view Rainbow could get was of his back as he turned back into the room and stepped away from the door. “Target inbound, just play along, Dash. Oh, and try not to get jealous.” “Jealous? Why wou—“ Soarin’s waving hoof cut off her objection as he stared intently at the doorway, through which a lilac mare stepped into the room. “Good morning, Rainbow Dash!” The girlish mare announced as she stepped into the room and set a tray full of less-than-edible hospital food down on the table next to her bed. “Time to ea-eep!“ She squeaked as the sky-blue face of Soarin appeared right next to her. “Hey there, pretty little mare.” Soarin’s voice was laced with confidence and romantic tones. Rainbow felt laughter bubbling up in her stomach as the confused mare blinked a few times in the silence. “Did you fly in from Canterlot? Because I think the Princess’s might be missing a cousin of theirs.” The unfortunate object of Soarin’s attack blushed furiously and backed away a few steps, mumbling incoherently. Rainbow had to stuff a hoof against her mouth to stop her laughter from escaping. “What’s that? You’re not a cousin of theirs? Well, you must be very graced then.” Soarin grabbed one of her hooves and added an unnecessary-but-ultimately-more-hilarious kiss to seal the act. “Oh, my, you are much too kind.” The nurse let out a giggle as she hid her face partially from view with her clipboard. Soarin merely flew over the mare and landed softly on the other side. “Eep!” “Tell me, would it be okay if me and my friend here went out to get some fresh air?” Soarin’s voice was on full-blast now, effectively melting the pony before him with ease. It was no contest to see which will would win in this battle. “Y-y-yes, of c-c-course! Let me j-just sign you o-out.” The trembling pony scribbled something on Rainbow’s clipboard and then pulled the paper off to hand it to Soarin. Rainbow watched, rocking with silent laughter, as the unsteady mare stumbled out of the room and into the hallway. Soarin proudly presented the slip of medical information to her, sitting with his nose in the air. “Done, and done.” Rainbow couldn’t hold in the laugher any longer, the image of a snooty Soarin tipping her over the threshold. “Bahahahahahaha! That… was PRICELESS!” She kicked her hooves out with glee as her sounds of entertainment filled the room. Soarin smiled as he exited the overdramatic pose and walked over to her. “All right, Soarin, how do we get out of here?" She managed to get out around her laughter, still kicking her hooves in glee. Soarin merely danced around her bed and amongst the wires, disconnecting them as he went. “How… how did you know how to do that Soarin?” The Wonderbolt held up the wires with another smug expression on his face. “I’m a professional flier, Rainbow Dash, come on. I’ve broken out of hospitals before.” With that, the stallion turned to a window and pushed it open, gesturing for her to get up and follow. “Let’s get out of here already.” Soarin leapt out of the window without another word, spreading his wings and letting the wind currents flow under his wings. Rainbow Dash put her hooves up on the windowsill as she watched the pegasus fly around without a care in the world before she looked down at the expanse of empty air below. “Don’t be a chicken, Dash.” “Nopony calls me a chicken!” Rainbow Dash jumped into the sky and flapped her wings quickly, chasing after the now-roaring-with-laughter Wonderbolt. “You’re goi—“ Her words were choked off by a gasp as she fell out of the sky. Her shout of terror hardly had time to form in her lungs as Soarin caught her, grunting slightly as her weight settled on his back. “Ouch, you’re heavy, Dash.” Soarin merely chuckled as she snorted and punched him with a hoof. “Don’t punch the flier, who knows what could happen.” For emphasis, the performer performed a barrel roll, depositing Rainbow once more into the air for a few seconds before he caught her once again, this time in his outstretched hooves. “Why, hello pretty mare.” Soarin coughed as Dash’s hoof punched playfully into his chest. “Oh, a feisty one.” “Stop it, Soarin. I’m not some silly filly you can fool into doing whatever you want.” Rainbow pushed herself out of his grasp, trying and spectacularly failing in hiding her, and landed on the clouds below. She set off at a brisk pace into the city she was born and raised in. “Let’s go, Soarin.” Soarin watched as the cyan-colored mare stormed off, her hooves punching against the clouds so hard that they nearly exploded in that poofy-fashion of theirs. His mane waved as he shook his head. “Becoming more like Spits every day. Man, gonna be tough with two of them around.” 000 “Hey, Spitfire?” “Yeah?” “Are you sure that this is such a good idea?” The harness’s many rings clicked against each other as Wind Cutter shifted slightly. “I mean, it seemed like it would be fun and all from up here… but now…” His voice trailed off as a gust of wind blew over them, threatening to take them both over the side. “Yeah,” He finished lamely, barely able to choke out the simple word through the fear that clung in his throat. The bright orange pegasus brushed against him and extended her wing, pushing him further towards the edge. “What’s the matter? I thought you wanted to do this.” She looked at him with an utterly calm and level expression. “Well, yeah, I did… but then I got this harness on me and… well…” He gestured with a hoof to the expanse of empty air that filled the space besides the building. “Well, I suppose we won’t do it then, if you’re uncomfortable with it.” Spitfire deadpanned, looking the now-relieved Wind Cutter in the eye before allowing a small smile to show. “Or not.” The wing that had been extended to bump into him found its way behind him once more, shoving him over the precipice and into the current-filled air below. His scream was shoved back into his lungs as a wall of air resistance slammed into him. The wind howled in his ears as he was buffeted every direction by the currents that he was flung helplessly into. He managed to look towards Spitfire, who was smiling over at him as she dove gracefully, her mouth moving around words that were lost to his ears. Please make it stop! His mind screamed the words that he couldn’t say as some force suddenly jerked him back up into the air, only to fall again to his apparent doom. Adrenaline pounded in his ears as he fell and flew repeatedly, every instinct telling him to use his wings, which were restrained by the harness that now covered his body. Black teased around the edges of his vision as another jerk began pulling him steadily upward. In a few moments that seemed to be ages, Wind Cutter found his hooves situated once more on the rooftop, where Spitfire was already waiting. She walked over and good-naturedly clapped him on the back with a hoof. “Good job, Wind! Didn’t even screa—“ She cut off as Wind let loose a bellowing shout of pure emotion, half excitement and half sheer terror. “Scratch that, did scream.” Wind rolled his eyes as she descended into small chuckles, bending his knees slightly as if testing their ability to still carry him after his ordeal. “Yeah yeah, Spitfire, very funny. Can we go now?” She flew over to him and followed him as he led the way out on unsteady hooves. “Awww, cmon, Wind, you totally enjoyed it.” He shook his head violently, a universal (and childish) way of saying that he did not, in any way, enjoy that experience. She nudged him in the back of the head with a hoof. “Not even a little?” He groaned. “Ugh, all right. Maybe just a little bit.” He winced as his response brought an immediate brightening from the Wonderbolt. “Oh, does that mean you’ll want to do it again?” She nudged him repeatedly before he nodded slightly. “Awesome! Can’t wait to get you up here next time. We’ll add some weights to the harnesses!” “Weights?” He couldn’t completely hide the alarm in his voice, bringing a small, mischievous smile from the orange pegasus. “Oh, yeah, the weights are really cool. See, what they do is…” She let her voice fade into nothingness as the doors to the cloud jumping building opened to reveal two pegasi who looked less-than-happy. “Oh, hey Soarin, hey Dash.” Author's Note: Once again, I apologize for such a long delay in this update. I'll work on the next chatper and get it out as soon as I possibly can!