//------------------------------// // 32 - Glory, Part 2 of 6 // Story: The Last Cutie Mark Crusader // by Jatheus //------------------------------// Pixyglitter was nervous, and she was certain that it was showing. Her legs shook as an uncontrollable shiver gripped her body. She felt cold and clammy as a sheen of sweat beaded up on her forehead. "Just relax," Cloud Blazer said in a soothing tone. "You've already done this thousands of times, you just need to relearn a little, that's all." This would be the first time she had even attempted to fly since she'd been injured. They started with what seemed like an hour of stretches to ensure her wings were up for the task. Bedrest was helping to heal her legs, but it hadn't been kind to her muscles. Now they were standing on a compost heap at Sweet Apple Acres. It stank horribly, but it had the virtue of being incredibly soft. The sickly sweet scent of decay may have been unpleasant, but it was an ideal choice for their exercise today. "Just remember, if anything goes wrong, it's okay to let yourself fall," Cloud Blazer said. "That's easy for you to say," she replied with a quivering voice. She hated herself a little for expressing the trepidation. It made her feel weak. "You can do it!" Sweetie Belle cheered them on from a safe distance. Pixyglitter wondered whether the unicorn was more keen on staying safe from the flying or the stench. "I've got you," Cloud Blazer said. "Just lift off a little and then touch down again." Pixyglitter could feel her heart racing. She took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and began flapping her wings. She did this slowly at first and then a little faster. She was still firmly on the ground. "That's fine, you're doing great. Just a little more," he encouraged. Pushing just a tiny bit harder, Pixyglitter felt her own weight become much less on her hooves. Slowly, the ground fell away from beneath her. Cloud Blazer reached out and grabbed her fore hooves gently. She rose a little higher until she felt resistance from him. He gave a gentle tug, and she stopped flying. Falling back to the ground was terrifying, but the spongy pile of rotten plant-life was like a feather cushion when she landed. Fear exploded into exhilaration in an instant. "Way to go!" Sweetie Belle was cheering. "You did great!" Cloud Blazer chimed in. Giddy with excitement, Pixyglitter said, "I want to do it again!" Cloud Blazer laughed and said, "Alright, but don't overdo it. Just stay low like that and you can go as many times as you want. We've got a lot more practice to do before we can really get out and about." That sobering thought wasn't enough to bring her spirit back down. Just getting off the ground again was the most wonderful feeling. The only time she could ever remember being perhaps as excited was the first time she'd flown when she was a filly... They had been in the park, Pixyglitter and her parents. Manehattan was quite the metropolis, but the park in the center of the city was a vast swath of manicured fields and trails with decorative trees all around. She and her father had been throwing a frisbee while her mother was setting out a picnic lunch. She darted to catch the disc and throw it back to her father. On one of his pitches, it soared too far and fast for her to catch it. She had thundered in pursuit and leapt as high as her legs would lift her. As if by some instinct that she hadn’t known, her wings whipped the air, lifting her until she caught the disc. Of course, she had crashed into a bush moments later, but the look on her father’s face was an expression that she had only seen once or twice from him in her life: pride... Cloud Blazer drew her from the memory, and the pair continued practice in the same manner for another hour before Pixyglitter’s wings tired from the effort. Eventually, the stallion led her to another part of the ruined orchard. Sweetie Belle came with them, and the three sat and talked for some time. "So how are you two actually going to fly together?" Sweetie Belle’s question was filled with genuine concern. "Well, it'll be Pixyglitter doing all the actual flying," Cloud Blazer admitted. "I'll be her eyes. We’ll use harnesses like we did for EUP service.“ "I don't know," Sweetie Belle said doubtfully. “It’s not like we’re going to be doing acrobatics or precision canyon runs. The sky is big enough that we can stay in the open without any problem.” ”It just sounds so dangerous." That it certainly would be, but this was something that Pixyglitter felt she needed. It wouldn't exactly be independence, but she would have a purpose and be able to do something for Cloud Blazer that he couldn't do for himself anymore. She’d be able to help him. "It's worth the risk," Pixyglitter said, causing a brief silence. She wished she could see the expressions on their faces. The wind shifted and the smell in the air changed. "We'd better get inside," Sweetie Belle said. "It's going to rain," Pixyglitter spoke; she thought she heard a gasp. "How did you..." Sweetie Belle started. "I've always loved the smell right before it rains," Pixyglitter answered. Cloud Blazer smiled; she couldn't see it, but she knew he did. They shifted and the crunching leaves sounded as if the other two had stood. Pixyglitter got up onto her hooves and followed behind them, using her cane to feel the terrain along the way. There were still plenty of old roots and torn earth from the destruction of the orchard that she had to use caution to not trip. It would be several years until the, as yet unplanted, saplings had their own gnarled roots cutting up the pathways. Great drops of rain began sporadically falling around and occasionally on the trio. They were so fat that they made a delightful splatting sound upon impact. As a filly in Manehattan, the stink of the city was constantly on the air. The cleansing scent of rain was one of the few sweet intermissions that Pixyglitter had treasured growing up. Even in the country or a town as small as Ponyville where the air was fresh, something about the smell of rain felt like home. By the time they reached the farmhouse, the oversized raindrops had given way to a much more steady stream of medium ones that were beginning to come down heavier. Pixyglitter could hear the rain beating on the roof of the house, so she knew they were close. The nearly-soaked group entered in the middle of an Apple family conversation. Once inside, Sweetie Belle ran upstairs to get some towels. "This rain is gonna slow us down," Apple Bloom said. There was a concern in her voice. "Yep," Big McIntosh agreed. Pixyglitter didn't think she'd ever heard him say anything else. "I saw that you've been working on a wall around the barn and farmhouses," Cloud Blazer said. "Yeah," Apple Bloom said. "I'm not sure how useful they're gonna be, but Applejack says we need to fortify the entire town. I don't think she gets how many hooves that takes off of the other chores." "Maybe not," Cloud Blazer replied, "but she's got a lot on her plate right now. She’s running the town, worried about Sweet Apple Acres, and her foal has to be due any day now.” "Yep," Big McIntosh agreed. Hoof steps signaled somepony was entering the room. Pixyglitter couldn't tell who it was, definitely not Sweetie Belle. She was just reaching the top of the stairs again by the sound of it. "These came for you," Glitterdust said. A slight clanking of metal buckles told Pixyglitter exactly what she held. "The harnesses!" she exclaimed. "Well, yeah," Glitterdust sounded confused. Cloud Blazer smiled again, this time she could hear it in his voice, "Her hearing is amazing." "Here you go," Sweetie Belle said, having returned with towels. Drying off, the clinking of the buckles continued as Cloud Blazer examined the harnesses. "Looks like we'll be in great shape once the weather clears up," the stallion said. “We won't be flying yet, but we're one step closer." The thought warmed Pixyglitter. After her devastating loss, everything had become so dreary since her injury. It was nice to be looking forward to something again. But it was perhaps better to have friends with her in the middle of it all.