The Elements of Equestria
Part 3
Valiant leapt high into the air, front end high, spinning counter-clockwise in a pirouette motion. He tucked both of his left legs tightly against his body and struck out with his right ones. The two limbs slammed against his target solidly. Whipping his left legs out, he pushed off his target and set himself into a roll as his body hit the ground. Rising, already on the move, he spun around and struck out thrice with his hind legs in rapid succession. Each blow landed solidly against his target. Valiant planted his hind legs against the seemingly solid target and pushed off. He ducked his head in an awkward front roll and came back up charging his target. He reared back on his hind legs and lashed out with his front hooves raining down a hail of blows against the object of his attack.
Tree bark flew off in every imaginable direction as Valiant continued the practice session that had become his morning and evening ritual. Today he had decided to focus on rolling and dodging, though with an inanimate partner it was a tricky proposition at best. His daily warm-ups consisted of a long series of stretches he had learned in school, one hundred full crouches and rises, five full counts of twenty seconds of holding each of his legs straight out (he really felt the burn when he did those) and as much yoga as he could remember (which was admittingly pretty minimalistic).
Every morning when he woke up and every evening before he went to sleep he practiced until he could hardly move. He finished with his practice and plopped down on the forest floor, 'It's not like I'm pressed for time too much.' he thought to himself, 'I've got several months before the semester starts up again. If need be, I'll just work at Mrs. Soothe's apothecary again. I really wish I could have given her more notice before I left.' he sighed heavily and continued his thought, 'Oh well, there was nothing for it. I had to get out of Canterlot as soon as possible.'
Valiant had the sense to set up camp next to a stream. He crawled over to the bank and lowered his head into the icy water drinking deeply as the current cooled him. There had been a hint of frost on the ground when he had awoken that morning and the temperature of the stream confirmed what he had noticed. The royal blue wingless pegasus was extremely grateful for the suit Princess Luna had given him, back when she had been in disguise. The material was warm yet breathy; he slept in it, practiced in it, and walked in it every day. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it was great stuff. The rubber pads in the bottom of the leggings were a lifesaver. He knew from experience that his poor hooves would have been cracked and swollen after the first day of solid walking.
He stripped the outfit off and dunked it into the running water to rinse off the sweat and grime. He used his hooves and vigorously rubbed the material to get any remaining dirt and dead skin and loose hairs from his coat off. He pulled the garment out of the water and hung it out to dry. The material was freezing cold and dripping wet. Valiant went back to his tent and retrieved the small bottle of camp-soap then dunked himself in the stream and bathed. The frigid water shocked him so badly he almost became dizzy. He knew to be careful, lest he put himself into shock. Valiant finished bathing and walked up out of the stream. He shook himself off to dry and get warmed up then headed back to his little camp to pack up and move on.
Before he left Canterlot he had taken a trip to a nearby outdoors sporting store. He had purchased two canteens, a compass, a bedroll, a small tent, flint and steel, dried fruit and nuts, one small cast iron cooking pot, environmentally safe soap, and, for those times he needed to drink brackish water, a pouch full of iodine tabs. Camping like he had been doing, brought back sour memories of when he had been a Vagabond, 'Life is so much better with proper equipment.' he thought.
Valiant folded his blanket, rolled up his bedroll, then collapsed the tent down into its pouch, ready for that night. He turned to the smoldering remains of his campfire and kicked up a mound of dirt on top of it then stomped it down several times for good measure, 'Never leave any signs you were here. It's the only way to keep the forest beautiful for everypony.'
Valiant double checked his saddle-bags then headed back over to the stream to refill his canteens. That done, he reached into the left side bag and removed his compass. He had been traveling due south, through the Everfree Forrest. He knew he had already bypassed Ponyville several days earlier. At one point he was actually able to make out the top of the clock-tower in the center of town. He had ignored it though and continued on his way. That had been four days ago. He knew that if he kept going south he would eventually come to the ocean. From there he would turn to the East and keep going until he reached the port city of New Yoke and then north to Haysburg. He had never been to New Yoke, but by all accounts it was a thriving metropolis. Valiant figured he could resupply there and head on to Haysburg within a day. By his calculations, he would reach Haysburg in just under two months. Valiant had decided to go this particular route so he wouldn't have to deal with the constant dangers of the plains that lay to the west of Haysburg, and the tornados which were ever-prevalent there, not to mention he could avoid most of the swamps too. Once winter was in full swing, he could make his way across the plains without needing to worry about any tornados, but until winter hit in full it was still a danger.
Valiant checked the compass once more and headed off toward the ocean.
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Dr. Mend previously had no idea just how much the citizens of Ponyville relied on him to tend to their needs. Upon stepping back into his clinic, after sleeping back in his house the previous night, nurse Redheart had pleaded with him to examine a mare who might have been having complications with her pregnancy. The mare had refused to allow anypony except Dr. Mend to see her. Mend squared his shoulders and set off toward the wash basin to scrub.
Three hours and a lot of examining later Dr. Mend was glad to tell the poor mare that her pregnancy was going well and there was nothing to worry about. She had been overjoyed when he had told her she only had a minor urinary tract infection and gave her a prescription that would take care of it.
He made his way back to his old office and frowned immediately upon seeing the stack of papers on his desk. He sighed heavily and plopped himself down to read. The papers were notes of all kinds of minor medical problems the nurses had treated in his absence: Caramel had come down with Conjunctivitis due to swine manure in his face but had made a swift recovery, Pinkie Pie had come in with to a stomach ache due to a new recipe that involved potatoes and persimmons in a pie, Scootaloo had come in with a sprained wing due to trying to fly by leaping off the second story of a house . . . the list went on.
Dr. Mend didn't let himself get too comfortable, they had to leave as soon as possible to find Valiant and bring him back, 'He told me we would be each other’s support! Why didn't he come to me? I would have been there for you Valiant, you know that!' Dr. Mend rose and began pacing in his office, 'This waiting is killing me! Valiant's out there right now! He could be in danger! None of us know how the ponies of Haysburg might respond to seeing him again! We need to convince the girls and leave right now!'
Dr. Mend closed the door of his office behind him and headed over to Sugar Cube Corner.
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Pinkie Pie was trying out a new recipe 'Turnip and Tater and Beet Root Pie'. It didn't call for any type of sugar or sweet filling; apparently it was meant to be savory, like a quiche, instead of sweet. She had washed and cut up the various vegetables then dumped the whole amalgamation into a ten gallon stock-pot of boiling water. She was working on the crusts, having already greased the five pie pans she would need for the filling. She rolled the dough in a scattering of flour, kneading it with her hooves until it obtained a 'springy' consistency.
The front door jingled open then closed. Pinkie could hear Mr. Cake talking to somepony who had a deep voice. Pinkie recognized the voice as belonging to Dr. Mend, 'I never realized it before, but Dr. Mend has a voice much younger than he looks. I bet he could really belt out a good song if he ever decided to try it. I'll bet he'd be super-duper popular with the older mares if he did. Maybe I should see if I can get him to try it?' Pinkie wondered.
"Hey uh, Pinkie Pie. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Mend asked as he entered the kitchen.
Pinkie turned her head so she could see the older stallion,
"Sure thing Dr. Mendie!" she gushed, knowing full well just how much he hated her name for him, 'He really needs to learn to have some fun! He sure was acting funny when he first saw me after he came back from Canterlot. Maybe if I keep calling him that, he'll lighten up some more.'
To Pinkie Pie's surprise, the older black stallion just chuckled and shook his head,
"I don't much care for that name, but I can't expect you to change. I wouldn't want you to either." Dr. Mend took a deep breath and continued, "You remember Valiant don't you Pinkie Pie?"
Pinkie bounced in place excitedly,
"Of course I do! He was all doomy and gloomy when he first got here, but he lightened up and turned out to be a really nice pony! I remember when Applejack's house burned down. I was really sad to see him die like that, but it all turned out alright because he came back to life! I remember Twilight saying something about how you guys were here because of him but we kind of skipped over that yesterday. I thought I heard Applejack talking to her brother about it but I didn't want to be a rude nosy-pants and listen in on their conversation."
"That's what I want to talk to you about Pinkie Pie." Dr. Mend explained, "Valiant's gone. Sea Blue thinks he went back to his hometown in Haysburg . . . "
Pinkie's eyes bulged, her jaw going slack,
"Haysburg! He never said he was from Haysburg! That is the most awesomest, excitingest . . . Do you know what the ponies in Haysburg grow Dr. Mendie? They grow rice and soy beans and sesame! Do you have any idea how many wonderful, delicious, spectacular things you can make from just rice?! Rice cakes, rice balls, rice pudding, rice flour . . . I love rice flour! You don't have to add sugar or anything; it's sweet all on its own!"
Dr. Mend was dumbfounded,
"Wait, how do you know about rice? I'd never even heard of it until Valiant told me about it."
"Mr. and Mrs. Cake took a trip to Haysburg a couple of years ago. They brought back three whole big bags of rice plus two big bags of rice flour! We only use it for REALLY special occasions, like when Princess Celestia came to have lunch with us that one time. That's why I was so super-duper, ultrarifickly excited that day! Mr. and Mrs. Cake used the rice flour to make almost all the food that day! I mean I feel bad for eating right off Princess Celestia's plate but all of Sugar Cube Corner was filled with rice-treats! I'd ask Mr. and Mrs. Cake if I could make a batch of cupcakes for everypony using the rice flour but I'm not allowed to touch it since they hid it from me . . . Wait. You said Valiant's gone! Why did he go?" Pinkie asked.
Dr. Mend shook his head to uncross his eyes and continued soberly,
"I'll explain soon. For now, would you be willing to round up Applejack and Big Macintosh and bring them to the Library?"
Pinkie Pie's face fell,
"But I'm in the middle of baking something. Can I do it right afterwards?"
Dr. Mend could no more disappoint Pinkie than he could keep the sun from rising,
"Alright, I'll go and get them. Come to the Library as soon as you're done. Alright?"
"Super trendy doctor Mendie! I'll be there!" Pinkie rhymed.
Dr. Mend couldn't help but to smile,
"Thanks Pinkie Pie. I'll see you there."
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Trooper blinked drearily as he slowly came awake. Rarity had been generous enough to let him sleep in the den which was situated in the rear of Carousel Boutique. Trooper had fallen asleep on the white unicorn's sofa almost immediately. He had been exhausted. He raised his head and looked around. The sunlight streaming in from the windows around him shone at a steep angle and Trooper realized the time was probably approaching noon.
He slipped off the couch and stretched, yawning loudly. He decided to leave his saddle-bags behind the sofa, 'Hopefully I can actually finish my cloud house today. Then we can discuss what to do about Valiant. I really hope Rainbow Dash does not decide to watch me again today. I sure could use her expertise but she seems to enjoy watching me fail and laughing about it rather than actually helping me not look like a complete moron. If we are to work together I need her to respect me, in some way at least. I already respect her. She is athletic, attractive, and highly skilled at what she does. I on the other hoof have nothing to be proud of. This would be so much more simple if I only had my cutie-mark. I must admit, I am certainly surprised she has yet to mention its absence. Perhaps she failed to notice it?' he wondered, 'That must be it. Had she noticed it, she would have been teasing me mercilessly all day about it.' Trooper retrieved his saddle-bags from behind the sofa and buckled them back on to hide his blank flank, 'I shall finish my cloud house without any foalish teasing from an immature pegasus regarding my personal shortcomings in life.'
Trooper trotted quietly out into the fitting area of the boutique but didn't see Rarity. He shrugged and headed outside then took to the air in hopes of finishing his new home.
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Big Macintosh was wracking his brain trying to figure out who could possibly run the farm in he and his sister's absence. Try as he might, he couldn't come up with a single pony who fit the bill. Daisy, Rose, and Lilly had their flower shop to run so they were out. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had their bakery to run and with Pinkie Pie gone things would be tight enough already plus Big Mac was quite sure they didn't know a whole lot, if anything about farming. Caramel had already volunteered to stay on for as long as he was needed but he just didn't have the necessary experience to run the place by himself. Big Macintosh groaned and rolled his eyes at the problem. He let his neck go limp and flattened his face squarely against the rippled grain of the dining room table. He stayed like that for several full minutes until he heard a knock at the front door.
The huge work pony rose from his slumped posture and headed for the offending noisy portal. Big Macintosh opened the door and was somewhat surprised to see Dr. Mend standing on the porch. The large red stallion pushed the door open all the way and stood aside to let his friend in.
Dr. Mend only shook his head,
"Thank you for the invitation, but I'm just here to ask you and Applejack to meet everypony at the Library as soon as possible." the older stallion quirked his right eyebrow in puzzlement, "Did I wake you Big Mac?"
"Nope. Why do ya' ask?" Big Macintosh responded.
"I couldn't help but notice your face is all lined, like you fell asleep on a really grainy piece of wood. I thought maybe you had slept oddly up against your bed post. To be truthful your face kind of reminds me of Zecora with all those lines and such." Dr. Mend said.
Big Mac's pupils dilated as his older friend mentioned the zebra,
"Ah'll tell Applejack, but Ah'm goin' to be a bit late gettin' there."
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Lemon Lime felt as out of place as a pork chop at a kosher wedding. He had decided to visit to local gym and see what kind of equipment was widely available for when he finally settled down in Ponyville. The only place that seemed to fit the bill was a place named 'Buck No-Horse's Dojo'. The proprietor, assumingly Buck No-horse, was a well built middle to late 40's Earth pony who wore a thick, if short, beard and a Gi with a black belt tied around his middle, plus one totally out of place article of clothing, a cowpony hat. He was a bark brown pony with a grey mane and tail, his eyes were penetratingly brown and his cutie-mark was of a pony lying on the ground with Xs over its eyes.
Lemon Lime walked in and noticed the place was empty save for the one bearded pony,
"Uh, hello?" he called, "I'm looking for information on where to buy exercise equipment."
In the blink of an eye, literally, the bearded pony stood in front of one very startled yellow unicorn,
"Well you certainly came to the right place. I have an invention of my very own that does it all. I call it the 'Total Gym'. The 'Total Gym' does it all." (The redundancy council of redundancy will now see you now, they will.)
Lemon Lime was skeptical,
"Could I see it please? I'm a physical therapist and my patients often have need of very specialized equipment."
Buck scratched his bearded chin for a few moments,
"I see what you mean. Let's go take a look, then you can tell me if you need me to build you some of this specialized equipment. You'll have to give me the specifics though."
Lemon Lime followed Buck into the back room of the 'dojo'. Buck pulled back a curtain, revealing the so-called 'Total Gym'. Lemon Lime had to admit it did look pretty versatile. The little physical therapist circled around the contraption examining each weld and bar carefully. It looked alright but Lemon Lime wanted to be certain. He lowered his head and focused his magic into a probing spell, searching for any sign of even the slightest weakness.
To Lemon Lime's slight surprise, Buck's confidence in the device seemed to be well founded. The 'Total Gym' looked to be sturdy and solid piece of equipment. Lemon Lime knew he would need more equipment but the 'Total Gym' would clearly fit the bill of a great number of uses.
Lemon Lime walked back up to the taller stallion,
"Looks alright. You said you made this yourself?"
Buck nodded,
"I sure did. Forged the metal, triple welded the joints, the whole she-bang. Will it be enough or do you need me to make you some different things?"
"It's a good solid start, but what if it breaks? My patients need all their equipment to be fully functional all the time. Do you have any kind of a warranty?" Lemon Lime asked.
Buck smiled and tipped back his hat,
"Lifetime warranty. If any of it breaks, I'll fix it myself at no extra charge."
"What kind of price are we talking about here?" Lemon Lime asked.
Buck put his right fore hoof to his chin,
"How about you make me an offer then we can haggle it from there?"
"I'll start with two hundred bits for the 'Total Gym' and between forty and eighty for each additional piece I may need. Throw in the warranties and you’ve got yourself a deal." Lemon Lime said openly.
Buck gave the price quote earnest thought before replying,
"I can't argue that. Deal. I didn't catch your name." he said extending his hoof.
Lemon Lime shook the offered hoof,
"My name is Lemon Lime but my friends call me Live Wire."
"Tell me Live Wire, did you ever get picked on as a colt?" Buck asked.
"Without end. I've always been small. Most ponies don't mess with me anymore. Why do you ask?" Lemon Lime inquired.
"How would you like to learn martial arts? The next time some brute tries flirting with your colt friend you can show him what-for." Buck said.
Lemon Lime arched an eyebrow,
"I don't tend to fight. I just use my magic. I prefer mares by the way."
Buck held up a hoof,
"My apologies. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to be on even ground with a larger pony without having to rely on your magic? The mares like a buff stallion, trust me."
"I might be interested. Tell me more." Lemon Lime said smiling.
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Sea Blue looked out over his front lawn with satisfaction. It had taken half the day and he had worked up a thick lather of sweat, but it was worth it. He had stumbled upon a small bird bath while he had been clearing the loads and loads of grass. The front lawn was neat and clean at long last. The absence of trees bugged him greatly and he silently vowed to have some planted as soon as possible.
The turquoise stallion decided to head inside and see what improvements had been made with the interior of the house. The counselor had been surprised that Rarity had shown up first thing in the morning, saddle-bags filled to bursting with who knew what. She had offered to help Patch organize and decorate the inside of the house. Sea Blue had tried to decline but Rarity had been politely insistent and he couldn't turn her down without being rude so he let her come in and do her thing. Sea Blue fervently hoped he hadn't made a huge mistake by giving the white unicorn free reign of the interior decorating.
He opened the door and his jaw immediately hit the floor. He had been afraid of poufy, girly decorations all over the place. What he saw was the perfect picture of an idyllic family home. The perfection was mind boggling. The front room of his old house had been perfectly replicated, every piece of furniture situated in exacting detail with the exception of a vase of brightly colored flowers sitting on the coffee table. Sea Blue wandered into the kitchen. It had been rearranged but rearranged well. The small dining room table sat off to the right side of the room, still leaving ample room for four chairs. On the far side of the kitchen sat the counter tops, oven, and electric range. Each burner on the range had a neat little stainless-steel cover and a small white timer sat on the back, above the range knobs. The refrigerator sat to the left of the counters and already had Patch's drawings stuck to it with colorful letter magnets. Sea Blue's antique wooden bread box sat to the right of the range with paper towels on a vertical roll on the right side and pot holders arranged neatly on the left side; within easy reach of the range and oven. To the right of that was the back door.
Sea Blue walked up to the back door and looked outside, stunned. Arranged on the covered back porch were the wicker chairs and glass-topped table he had bought the same year he had adopted Patch. The entire porch had been lined with a bug-screen, tacked up in such a way so as to be easy for ponies to pull back and step through yet inaccessible to irritating insects. Seated on the two wicker chairs were Rarity and Patch, both sipping from glasses filled with what looked like iced tea. A third glass had been set out, apparently meant for Sea Blue. Rarity and Patch were talking and laughing just like old friends.
The amazed counselor was already reaching for the door handle when he heard a knock on the front door. Sea Blue reluctantly turned away from the scene of perfection on his back porch and headed for the front door. An incredible surge of emotion tore through Sea Blue's chest, threatening to leak a tear from his eye, 'She turned a dusty old house into a home. Our home. She did it of her own volition and didn't ask for a thing in return. This is what we've been missing. This feels more like home than Canterlot did.' Sea Blue thought. The word in his mind left him with a pleasant warm feeling. A contented smile spread itself across his face, 'Yes,' he thought, 'We're home.' his smile faded for a moment, 'I misjudged you Rarity. I misjudged you badly.'
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Trooper was having an even harder time than he had the previous day. Rainbow Dash had cleared out all the remaining clouds from the previous night's rain and the sky was as clear as fresh water for miles around. To Trooper's chagrin, the only clouds he could see nearby were those that composed the home of a certain rainbow-maned pegasus mare. Trooper had to fly all the way to the Everfree Forrest to locate any clouds at all. The clouds over the eerie wild forest were wild and seemed almost as if they were actively trying to resist his intervention. Undaunted, he took his time and triple weaved them together, just like Dash had said, then pushed the mass to a point that was roughly halfway between a small cottage on top of a little hill and the main body of Ponyville.
Trooper remembered how his house had been demolished the previous day and decided to fly down and ask whoever it was who lived in the little cottage, where safe airspace was around Ponyville. He didn't want to ask Rainbow Dash, 'For all I know, she might just tell me somewhere else that is not safe.' As Trooper came in for a landing, he noticed the large number of animals that seemed to make their homes around the cozy little dwelling, 'Wait a second.' he thought, 'Valiant mentioned that Fluttershy took care of animals and her place was outside of Ponyville. This is probably where she lives then. I shall have to be careful since she is so meek. I would hate to frighten her.' Trooper raised his right fore hoof and knocked gently on the front door then took several steps back so as not to seem to imposing.
The door opened a few seconds later, revealing not the shy custard colored pegasus but a small white rabbit with the meanest, most suspicious glare in his eyes Trooper had ever seen. Trooper couldn't help but wonder, 'How in the world does he reach the handle?' Trooper took a single step forward. The rabbit suddenly held a long metal tube with a wide wooden back in his paws. He held the mysterious device with both paws and slid a small wooden grip down the tube then back up with an ominous chucking noise.
Trooper cleared his throat and addressed the rabbit,
"I am looking for Fluttershy. Is she available?"
The rabbit peered suspiciously at Trooper for a long minute then abruptly slammed the door shut. Trooper didn't know what to think. He began debating whether or not he should leave. The door opened again, a few seconds later, revealing Fluttershy standing in the doorway.
"I am sorry to bother you Fluttershy, but I was wondering if you would happen to know if the foundation of my cloud house is in a safe area of airspace. Apparently I built my previous one in a section above Ponyville that was reserved for colts and fillies to practice their flying in." Trooper explained.
Fluttershy looked all around in the air but couldn't seem to locate the cloud formation Trooper was referring to. Trooper turned his head and raised his hoof to point it out for her. His eyes met only open, clear sky. His cloud was nowhere to be seen. Trooper slowly lowered his hoof and gritted his teeth.
"Um, I'm sorry but I don't see any clouds." Fluttershy said softly.
Trooper turned back toward the shy pegasus,
"Hmm, neither do I. It seems to have blown away. I apologize for disturbing you."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all. I can tell you where the colts and fillies practice, if you still want to know that is." Fluttershy said quietly.
"I would very much appreciate it, if you would." Trooper replied.
"It's right above the park so they can try to land in the trees instead of on the ground when they fall." Fluttershy explained.
Trooper bowed to the soft spoken pegasus,
"Thank you very much Fluttershy. Is there, by chance anywhere else where it would be unwise to build a cloud house?"
"Not that I can think of. Ponyville airspace is pretty much free for all pegasi." Fluttershy said.
"Then I shall trouble you no more. Thanks again for the information." Trooper said politely.
He took to the air and scanned in every direction, looking for the foundation he had built. Trooper spotted it way out over the tree top canopy of the Everfree Forrest. Trooper grumbled and flew off toward the mass. A cyan blur suddenly blocked his path. Trooper reversed his direction and stared, unsurprised, at the rainbow-maned pegasus mare who blocked his way.
Rainbow Dash had her fore hooves crossed over her chest in an authoritative manner,
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked bluntly.
Trooper was in no mood to deal with being picked on,
"Mind you, I do not make a habit out of ordering ponies around, but I am presently in no mood for this. Out of courtesy, I shall say this once. Get. Out. Of. My. Way. Rainbow Dash." without bothering to wait for her to think it over, Trooper charged right toward her.
Rainbow Dash dodged out of the way yelling,
"Hey! Come back here!" and flew off after him.
Trooper looked back and saw Dash gaining on him at an alarming rate. He turned his eyes forward and pumped his wings as fast and hard as he could, 'At high speed, I have only a single advantage over her. She is faster than I by . . . well there is no comparison. There is no comparison in THAT regard, but I am willing to bet she does not have my maneuverability. I would have thought she had more character than to pick on the new pegasus. I suppose I should not have been so blunt when we first met, but she is taking this way too far now. I have never allowed myself to be bullied and I refuse to start now.'
Just as Trooper guessed, Rainbow Dash shot past him and stopped in his path barring him from his destination. Trooper twitched his wings and dodged nimbly around to her left. Rainbow Dash was fast, so fast she almost blocked him completely. They came so close to one another he could feel his wingtips brush by hers. Trooper grinned, but his reprieve was short lived.
Rainbow Dash flew up beside Trooper in a matter of moments,
"Would you give it up already?" she yelled.
Trooper turned his head and decided to stop holding his tongue,
"Madam, with all due respect, shut up! I have had it up to here," he indicated above his head with a hoof, "With you! Leave! Me! Alone! I shall fail quite enough on my own without you there to sabotage my efforts! Now let me get to my cloud foundation and leave me be!"
Trooper immediately spun off to his right and flew low, just over the tree tops. Rainbow Dash made to block his way again and Trooper made to dodge. Rainbow Dash anticipated a dodge and moved with him. Trooper feigned to the right and dodged under her instead, albeit just barely, but then again it's difficult to dodge when you're hovering upright. Trooper heard Rainbow Dash grunt in frustration behind him, 'Good.' he thought, 'Maybe you will give up now.' It was too much to hope for.
Rainbow Dash flew up alongside Trooper again,
"Would you stop? I'm trying to . . . "
Trooper interrupted her,
"I already know what it is you are trying to do! I have dealt with it all my life! I have never let myself be cowed by bullies and I absolutely will not start now! They could not stop me and neither will you!"
Trooper ducked down into the trees of the Everfree Forrest and heard Rainbow Dash call after him,
"Are you crazy? Get out of there!"
Trooper ignored her, he had to use all his concentration to safely navigate between the trees. Rainbow Dash grew silent and he lost sight of her. He flew under the canopy for a few seconds, which seemed like hours at that speed, then rose back up above the tree tops. Rainbow Dash hit him from the left side in a tackle. The two pegasi grappled in the air for a few seconds before Trooper managed to extricate himself from the wiry mare. He had to be careful not to strike her. He would never be able to live with himself if he ever hit a mare, bully or no.
Trooper wheeled away from Rainbow Dash and just barely managed to gain control of himself before he took what would surely be a deadly plunge into the trees below,
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he bellowed, "LEAVE ME THE HELL AL . . . "Trooper trailed off as his eyes caught sight of something.
Rainbow Dash was holding Trooper's saddle-bags in her hooves. The strap had broken. Trooper realized he was perpendicular to Rainbow Dash, she had an unobstructed view of his blank flank and was steadily staring at it, fixated. Trooper let out a bellowing roar and charged her.
He pulled around at the last second and grabbed the saddle-bags with his hooves,
"Give me those!" he snarled.
Rainbow Dash held the saddle-bags tightly, even as he pulled. The jarring motion caused both pegasi to lose their grip. The saddle-bags tumbled down into the Everfree Forrest below. Trooper had to fight the urge to spit in Rainbow Dash's face.
Instead he flew off after his belongings with her calling after him,
"Hey wait!"
Trooper lost control of his tongue for the first time in a very, very long time and said something he never thought he would ever say to any pony, much less a mare,
"FUCK OFF!"
He managed to catch his possessions before they hit the ground. Rainbow Dash didn't follow him. Trooper landed on the forest floor panting heavily, 'I shall stay in here the rest of the day if I have to!' Trooper thought furiously, 'I. Will. Not. Be. A. Victim.' he looked up at the forest canopy and sneered, 'I will protect you because I have to, but do not even THINK for a MOMENT that I want to! I shall keep you alive, nothing more! I never shirk my responsibilities, but I am sorely tempted to do so now. You want to be enemies Rainbow Dash? Fine! Your wish is granted! I will have my cloud house out where you shall never find it. I never give up! You will not stop me!'