//------------------------------// // The Running-Pt 3: Security Matters // Story: Blue Angel // by V-Pony //------------------------------// September 3rd -------------------------- The dawn rays of Celestia’s sun filtered their way through the fiery forelock of Rainbow Dash’s mane, gently coaxing the Pegasus from her slumber upon her cloud. Her rose-colored eyes blinked twice and finally opened before she yawned and stretched her powerful wings and legs, standing up to observe the peaceful scene of Fluttershy’s property below her. She watched as a rooster fluttered his way to the top of the chicken coop and crowed twice before heading back to earth, signaling the start of the day. Dash sighed. As strange as it might sound for a Pegasus like her that enjoyed her rest, this was her second favorite part of the day besides sunset. She wasn’t sure why; perhaps it was because the dawn meant a new day was upon them, full of new opportunities and the promise of new adventures. Or perhaps she just liked the serenity of the countryside before everypony was up, hustling and bustling about. Strange indeed, especially for a Pegasi that liked it when everything was moving and active, and was no stranger to loud noises, as those who’d heard her Sonic Rainbooms could attest to. In truth, perhaps it was simply the small break away from all that activity that she craved every now and again, and was only attainable during this small hour of the morning. Whatever the case may be, her attention turned from enjoying the morning to paying attention to the grumble in her gut as it cried out for sustenance. “Hrm, maybe I’ll hit up the ol’ Barnstormer Bed N Breakfast up in Cloudsdale,” she mused, referencing the inn she’d made it a habit to visit at least once a week but had fallen off on that routine recently due to the arrival and over-watch of a certain dark blue Pegasus stallion. Speaking of whom… She peeked down over the edge of her cloud to see him sleeping peacefully at the base of the old oak tree in Fluttershy’s backyard. Hrm…suppose it couldn’t hurt anything… As quietly as she could, Dash floated down from the cloud and landed softly a small distance away from the sleeping Volare. She approached on silent hooves and stopped once she was standing over his slumbering form. She observed him for a short time, from his steady, even breathing, to the musculature that was beginning to show through his blue coat, proving that he was indeed getting stronger day by day. Her smile faded a bit as her eyes moved to his crippled right wing he had tightly tucked up against himself, the flight feathers at the ends twitching ever so slightly, revealing the only true function that wing possessed for the moment. Her heart went out to the poor guy, knowing it was partially her fault he was in this predicament…no, that it was more than partially her fault…that it was mostly her fault. She resisted the urge to comfortingly stroke his spiky yellow mane, even for a moment, knowing that would likely wake him up…besides, she was already basically breaking her promise to both him and Twilight just standing here like this. No…no further, Dashie. …too bad you can’t eh? Yeah…poor guy. …you really feel like a lot of this is your fault? Yeah, I do…kinda wish I didn’t make that stupid promise now. …why? So I could at least tell him how bad I feel but at the same time, how proud I am of him being tough about it like this…I dunno. I mean, yeah, I hurt my own wing pretty good once, but nothing like this. …says something of his resilience, eh? Yeah, must come from being human or something…either way, I’m proud of him for not moping about too much and wanting to get back in the air…I guess that’s just what I wanna tell him. …but what about him “stealing” Scoots from you? Bah, that was just a silly thought…he knows I’d kick his flank if he did that, though I AM curious as to what he did that made her suddenly take an interest in him like that. …and what about the REAL reason why you’re following him around like this? Whatcha mean? …you know what I mean…what he had in his jacket when you brought him here…that IS the real reason you’re following him, right? CRAP, yeah…um, maybe I could at least ask him about that …urgh, I’m too hungry to think at a time like this! …well then go eat, you silly filly! Ya think? Grr, I’ll just figure out a way to ask him later. …maybe Scoots could help? Yeah, maybe…wait, what? …go eat and we’ll figure this out later. Grr, I swear I’m going crazy…Volare, you’re gonna get a real piece of my mind once Twilight gets back! And with that, Dash gently lifted into the air and fluttered a safe distance away before shooting off into the sky in the direction of Cloudsdale, and more importantly, breakfast! Volare, on the other hoof, was dreaming again. After four wonderfully dream-free (and therefore nightmare-free) nights, the law of averages had apparently dictated that the blue Pegasus should once again venture into that land of unconscious experiences. Mercifully however, this didn’t seem to be a nightmare about falling, about fire, or about anything involving death. No, this dream entailed a peaceful mass of white, puffy clouds that slowly swirled about Volare, blocking out the majority of light that occasionally peaked through the gaps in the fluff, betraying the fact that it was almost certainly daytime. As the clouds swirled about him, Volare again realized that he was standing upon them, something that should be impossible, but seeing as there was no other floor available to stand on…yep, he was standing on the clouds, alright. But I don’t know how…hrm, I wonder if all Pegasi can stand on clouds…all except me, of course. Yet again reminded that he was a stranger in a strange land, Volare cautiously walked forward on the slowly-moving fluff, expecting any moment to be dropped out through the floor and plunged into what he could only expect to be miles of empty blue sky…with the cruel ground waiting for him below. He looked over his shoulder to see his crippled wing still tucked up and bandaged against his side. Yep, I’d definitely be screwed. But when nothing besides his continued standing upon the clouds happened, he tossed caution slightly to the side and experimentally poked a hoof through the wall of clouds that surrounded him. Once he was assured of them not exploding-why the heck would they do that anyway?-he boldly walked through the eddying clouds and finally stuck his head out into the sunlight of the sky. Sure enough, he was floating high above the ground, but as the cloud he was standing within continued to support him with ease, the shock of being up so high didn’t hit him nearly as hard as it would have otherwise. However, one question did immediately leap to the forefront of the crippled Pegasus’ mind: How the hell did I get up here?! Better yet, WHY the hell am I up here?! He wasn’t truly scared so much as startled and confused; though he did ask himself why he had to have such crazy dreams all of a sudden. Were they a message? A premonition? Unconscious Pegasi instincts? Memories? …a warning, perhaps? But a warning against what?! Just as Volare began to wonder if Equestria had anypony along the lines of a psychic medium he could consult, the clouds that he was poking his head out of suddenly re-engulfed him and held him tightly, blocking out the sunlight again. He felt the panic rise in his chest as he realized he couldn’t move at more than a snail’s pace, as if he was no longer moving through cloud fluff but through tar…white puffy tar…yeah. He opened his mouth to yell for help before remembering that he was high above the ground and that nopony would hear him scream. He’d have to do this on his own. He pushed back against the clouds that squeezed his chest, making it difficult to breathe and therefore impossible to cry out anyway. Damn…just the act of drawing breath was nearing the excruciating point, and his eyes squeezed shut with the effort involved. Just as he was on the verge of striking out at the clouds with his hooves (he figured they were now more solid and therefore would be easier to push aside), he heard the most unexpected thing imaginable at the time: laughter, specifically giggles of amusement coming from a small pony that under normal circumstances should also have not been up in the clouds. “Volare-heehee! Volare get up! Open your eyes, Volare! Come on dude, you look ridiculous-hahaha-heehee!” Damn crazy dreams… With a sleepy snort and a gasp, Volare’s eyes snapped open again to reveal him laying on the ground-the ground, NOT swirling clouds-a shady tree spreading above him, the gentle pink hues of a slightly post-dawn sky, and one particular foal by the name of Scootaloo standing on his chest and announcing her pride at having woken him up thusly via a large grin and equally huge and happy purple eyes that bore no trace of sleepiness despite the early hour. Unlike the blue Pegasus she was perched upon, she seemed to be quite the morning-pony. “Morning, sleepy-head!” the foal quipped, ruffling Volare’s mane playfully. “Urgh, what time is it,” the pilot groaned, though he knew the answer. “Just past dawn,” Scootaloo replied matter-of-factly. “Come on, the sun’s been up for nearly 20 minutes now!” “Heh, and why’re you so excited to be waking me up at the crack of dawn, eh?” Volare sat up against the tree and stretched his joints, particularly his neck which had been cocked at a strange angle as he’d slept. “Duh, today Fluttershy’s gonna start training us to fly,” she grinned. “Oh crap, you’re right,” Volare shook the sleep from his head, swearing that some of that fluff from those clouds had taken up permanent residence in there. “But is Fluttershy awake yet?” “Um, actually I don’t think she is,” Scootaloo replied with a tinge of embarrassment. “I just kinda woke up and ran out here cuz I just wanted to get started…sorry,” she kicked at a dirt clod as she trailed off into sheepish silence before Volare chuckled. “It’s ok, Scoots,” he stood up and stretched his legs again. Without thinking, he also stretched his left wing and immediately felt unbalanced before he realized it was because his right wing was still trussed up against his side. He sighed and untied the sling with his mouth, allowing his wing to fall freely towards the ground. “Hey Scoots, can you do me a favor?” The foal’s ears flicked up and she looked up with an eager smile. “Sure, what’s up? Hey, um…you sure you’re not mad at me waking you up?” “Yes, I’m totally sure,” she reassured her with a smile of his own. “Heh, ok. So whatcha need help with?” “Well, Fluttershy’s told me I need to stretch my wing every now and again so it doesn’t get all shriveled and useless, which would make flying a real pain once my wing heals up. But I need help with the stretching…soo…” “I’m on it!” Scootaloo shot him a small salute and grabbed his wing with her hooves, eagerly pulling it away from his body before he could cry out from the popping of the stiff wing muscles. “Like this?” “Argh, not quite like that,” he hissed from between the clinched teeth of a forced grin. “A little more gently, if you please.” “Got it,” she replied and repeated her actions, though much more slowly than before, listening as Volare reiterated the coaching that Fluttershy had given him on the subject. Soon, she had the motion down, and she could feel his wing warming via a combination of fresh blood flow through it and the rays of the sun striking it. “Ah, much better, thanks Scoots,” Volare sighed after a few minutes and tied his wing back up in place as the filly held it up before he gratefully patted her on the head. “No problem, Volare,” Scootaloo’s grin widened as she caught the older Pegasus by surprise by jumping on his back and wrapping her hooves around the top of his head, blocking his vision for a moment. “So, what’re we gonna learn today?” “Hrm, I’m not really sure, my little purple-maned blindfold-buddy,” Volare said with a chuckle. Scootaloo moved her hooves, allowing him to peek through a crack and make his way towards the center of the yard without tripping over everything. He looked up towards the upper room of the house and confirmed the lack of movement inside Fluttershy’s room. “Well, you were right about Fluttershy still being asleep. But…I don’t see the harm in starting early.” “Sweet!” the filly let go of his head and perched on his back, her wings buzzing as she hopped somewhat painfully on his spine. “Where do we start?” “Heh, yeah-ow,” he grunted before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I guess we can start with what you already know about flying, Scoots.” “Well, um,” Scootaloo quickly stopped bouncing and got rather quiet. “Thing is, nopony’s ever really taken the time to teach me much about it…I’ve kinda been learning on my own.” “Hence the bumps and bruises, eh?” he asked instead of the first question that popped into his mind in regards to her flight abilities…no, that could wait for the moment. “Yep.” “I see...makes ya a tough little booger, though,” he looked over his shoulder with a smile. “You said the closest you came to flying was falling out of a tree?” “Kinda, yeah,” Scootaloo blushed. “And that was kinda an accident on its own. Like I said, all I really know about flying is to flap my wings as fast as possible…yeah, I stink,” she hung her head. “No, no, no; not at all, Scoots,” Volare shook his own head. “You’re doing the best with what you know, that’s all.” “And that’s next to nothing,” she groaned in frustration. “Well, I say it’s time to expand on that knowledge,” Volare grinned and spread his good wing. “Let’s start with the basics and work our way from there until Fluttershy wakes up. Sound like a plan, pal?” “Hee, yep, sounds good to me!” Scootaloo perked up and fanned out both her wings in imitation of the older Pegasus as they began with a little bit of “takeoff posture.” ……………. Fluttershy’s eyes slowly flickered open and she gave a huge yawn and a small snort before her ears pricked up at the sounds from the yard below her window. Nopony was supposed to be up yet…but she certainly heard somepony down there...hrm, sounds like Scootaloo…and she was screaming! Every bit of sleepiness dissolved from the yellow mare as she bounded over to the window and threw open the curtains, looking down into the yard with wide eyes, searching for the squealing filly…and nearly bursting into relieved giggles at what she saw. From what she could gather, the reason why Scootaloo was squealing wasn’t in fear; no it was in unbridled amusement and laughter at the comical character that Volare was cutting. Apparently, Shae still had a lot of wild streak in her, and the black and white osprey was busy chasing the blue Pegasus around the yard and playfully nipping at his mane with her beak, all the while Volare was doing his best to not shout out every expletive he knew as he fled the “wrath” of the bird of prey, whom they’d woken up with their antics. “Come on Shae! I thought we were pals!” Volare cried as he ducked a swipe of her claw, instead catching a mighty buffet from her wing right on the nose. “Argh, knock it off, you crazy bird!” Shae finally relented after a few more moments, chereeking to herself as she resumed her perch in her tree and began to preen her feathers, all the while keeping a watchful golden eye on the two flightless Pegasi below. “You ok, Volare?” Scootaloo finally managed to ask after her laughter had subsided. The Pegasus in question had turned several shades closer to crimson in absolute embarrassment. “Yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine,” he insisted, though his heart was pounding like a drum. He didn’t honestly think Shae was going to tear into him…but you try standing still while a bird nearly as big as you divebombed you with claws like spearpoints-even in play! He looked up into the tree at the young osprey who paused in her preening to give him a soft cheerk as if to reassure him it was all in good fun before returning to her business. “Heh, well, next time tone it down a bit, ok?” Cheereek-cheerk “Ok, fine, we won’t wake you up so early next time, sheesh,” he looked back at Scootaloo and shook his head. “So, where were we?” Fluttershy stayed at her place in the window for another good hour or so, her heart swelling with pride as Volare repeated the techniques she’d shown him in regards to posture on the ground, how to maximize one’s lift, the flap, flap, glide form he’d observed from Shae, and even how to breathe properly in flight; all techniques designed to increase endurance in preparation for true flight. The impatient Scootaloo had to fight the urge to wanna move through the system faster, but Volare repeated Fluttershy’s advice that flight strength would come naturally the more time one spent in the air. But one had to first get in the air before that could happen, so she swallowed her impatience and soldiered on. It was all Fluttershy could do not to grin at the fact that her and Rarity's plan was already working; that not only was Volare looking excited and motivated, but Scootaloo was finally getting the proper flight lessons she deserved! It wasn’t until both Scootaloo and Volare began to wonder out loud how much longer Fluttershy was going to sleep in that the yellow mare realized how long she’d been sitting there observing them. With a small squeak of embarassment, she quickly bounded away from the window and down the stairs, startling Angel Bunny from his slumber with an explosion of irritated chatter. “Oh, I’m sorry Angel, but momma’s got something to take care of first-you’ll get breakfast soon, I promise!” Ignoring the tossed carrot stem that bounced off her flank, Fluttershy hurried to the backdoor, slowing her pace to a trot before composing herself and heading outside. “Well, there she is!” Volare called out and waved a hoof. “I’m sorry I slept in,” Fluttershy feigned a yawn. “What all have I missed?” “Well, Volare’s been showing me the basics of flight and that’s been fun and all,” Scootaloo replied. “But it wasn’t as funny as Shae chasing Volare cuz we woke her up too early-hahaha!” “Wouldn’t be so funny if it was you being chased by her,” Volare ducked his head under her middle and lifted her onto his back, playfully bouncing her about for a moment before facing Fluttershy. “Yeah, let’s just say that Shae still has a lot of wild animal in her.” “And it’s likely she always will,” Fluttershy nodded. “But she’s fairly reasonable for a carnivore, so just stay on her good side, and you’ll come out ok. But back on the subject of flying, how’re things going there?” “Pretty good,” Scootaloo pre-empted Volare again. “We covered breathing, take off position, wing position, flapping, and we were about to talk about gliding when you came out here and”- she paused as her stomach gurgled loudly, quickly followed by Volare’s, which caused all ponies present to chuckle. “Seems like you’ve worked up a bit of an appetite,” Fluttershy blushed slightly. “You can say that again!” the small filly grinned shamelessly. “I’m starving! What’s to eat around here?” “Scoots, have some manners,” Volare gently tweaked her on the head with his good wing. “At least say please.” “Oh no, it’s ok,” Fluttershy nodded. “I’m a bit hungry myself, to tell the truth. Would you like to come inside and”- “Hay yeah!” Scootaloo jumped off Volare’s back and raced inside, nearly running over a pouting Angel Bunny in the process. “Oops, sorry Angel! Hey Fluttershy, I think Angel’s hungry too! Must be why he looks all grumpy, huh?” “Well, Ms. Fluttershy,” Volare chuckled and gestured towards the cottage. “Shall we?” “Yes, let’s,” Fluttershy smiled in return as the two grown Pegasi trotted inside to prepare breakfast. …………………………. The preparation of breakfast went fairly smoothly, considering the fact that the kitchen was a bustle of three Pegasi and a grumpy bunny who were soon joined by a massive, groggy minotaur who stumbled over to the teapot bubbling on the stove. “Urgh, I swear, you ponies make sleep impossible sometimes,” Iron Will muttered as he filled a mug with a particularly strong brand of coffee that none of the ponies would even dare to try. “Well, sleeping outside all night on a pile of firewood might have contributed to that,” Fluttershy quipped. “Touche,” the minotaur smirked and sipped his coffee in a manner that very nearly had Volare cracking up; all he was missing was a copy of the newspaper and a fez hat. “Yech, how can you drink that stuff?” Scootaloo made a face as she caught a whiff of the bitter-smelling liquid. “It’s an acquired taste, but it sure does wonders in the morning,” Iron Will grinned and sat at the breakfast table before looking back at the small filly who continued to stare almost defiantly at him, finally giving her his full attention. “What’s up; never seen a minotaur before?” “Nah, I saw ya on the way in here,” she replied. “Like Fluttershy said, you were sawing logs on a pile of logs, heehee.” “Heh, very funny. What’s your name, kiddo?” “Scootaloo. Yours?” “Iron Will,” the minotaur shot her his trademark grin. “Former trainer of ponies and very deeply indebted friend of Fluttershy’s. Whatcha doing over here, if I might ask?” he inquired as Volare sat the oatmeal and daisy sandwiches at the breakfast table while Fluttershy finally got around to giving Angel Bunny his bowl of lettuce snips and tomato slices. They all tucked in eagerly, Volare still hardly able to believe he’d acquired a taste for the vegetarian fare. Between mouthfuls of oatmeal, Scootaloo quickly explained what happened back in town yesterday as well as why Volare and Fluttershy brought her here, to which the minotaur gave Volare a look of pride. “Heh, looks like ya didn’t really need my help in the assertiveness department after all, Spike-head.” “Well, I wasn’t about to let those bullies mess with Scoots, so I just did what I felt was the right thing to do at the time; nothing special,” the pilot replied matter-of-factly, giving Scootaloo a pat on the head, causing her to give a messy oatmeal-filled grin of thanks. In truth, he knew the real reason why he did it…but did they really need to know now…nah. “So now here ya are, learning right along with Volare how to get up into the air, eh?” Iron Will continued. “Mhm, that’s right,” said Fluttershy. “They’re both about the same skill level; Volare by his injury and Scootaloo because of her age, so we figured they’d make great training partners.” “Oho, so was that yours and Rarity’s plan all along?” Volare chuckled as Fluttershy blushed slightly, as if she’d gotten her hoof caught in the cookie jar, though she wasn’t sure what the consequences would be. “Possibly,” she said with a small nod. “Well, it seems to be working out overall so far,” the blue Pegasus smiled, relieving Fluttershy who had a small fear that he might be irritated from the slight deception involved. “Sorry we kinda tricked you into it,” the pink-maned mare apologized. “Nah, it’s no problem. Just…there’s no need for deception, Fluttershy,” Volare gave her a less-then-soft look. “Just tell me straight up next time; heck, I probably would’ve accepted anyways.” Nice one, hypocrite, he groaned inwardly at himself. “Ok, I’ll try,” she nodded and returned to her food. After a few mostly quiet minutes of munching and sipping, Scootaloo broke the silence yet again, this time her eyes riveted on Volare’s trussed up wing. “So, Volare?” “Hrm?” “You said you hurt your wing in an accident, right?” “Yep, that’s right,” he nodded, feeling slightly uneasy at her inquisitive tone. If he told her the truth...Dash might hate him for it…then again, it was his OWN stupidity that got him messed up in the first place… “…what exactly happened?” she asked with a mixture of curiosity and worry, as if she expected to be reprimanded for meddling in something that wasn’t really her business. Her overall appearance as she asked him-well, more like asked her half-eaten bowl of oatmeal, her gaze unable to meet his-was enough to make Volare’s heart ache. He looked over at Fluttershy for advice, but she merely gave him a small shrug that read: "your choice." …oh screw it…no harm in telling her this portion of the truth I suppose. “Scoots, the truth is I hurt it trying to impress Rainbow Dash.” “Wait, say what?!” the foal’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she gazed up at him. “Heh-heh, yeah,” the pilot rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. “I got a little carried away and I just…well, let’s just say that if it hadn’t been for Dash’s help, I’d be dead right now. She saved me, even though my decision to impress her wasn’t the brightest thing I could’ve done.” Ok, so it wasn’t the REAL truth, but it’d suffice for now. “Wow…she’s pretty awesome, huh?” Scootaloo grinned. “Yeah…she really is something,” Volare reminisced over how she’d also called him weak and pathetic when he’d been out of the room, but he also remembered how she’d apologized profusely for her outburst, that she often said things she didn’t mean when she was angry. Although he’d been injured trying to prove her statement wrong anyway, he owed her his life…and for more than just that…so much more than just that. Yes…Dash was indeed awesome…, he thought to himself, unable to stop the somewhat goofy-looking grin from spreading across his face. He just wished he could tell her how much so without looking like a complete fool or a freak…or both. “You like her, don’t you?” The completely unexpected question tore into Volare’s thoughts and blasted his musings to pieces, nearly knocking him on his flank in sudden shock. Fluttershy’s spoon clattered to the table in shock while Iron Will’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, his coffee all but forgotten as he awaited the outcome of this little exchange. Volare made a move to berate Scootaloo for her seemingly innocent question before realizing that would really make her assumption seem correct. “Uh…wha-?” Was all he managed to say, much to the filly’s amusement. “Well, do ya?” she repeated with a grin. “N-not anymore than you do, Scoots,” Volare quickly composed himself and countered. “Ya know, Rainbow Dash fanclub and all.” It can’t be like that…she’s so far outta my league and...gah, I know we’re not different species now but…no, just no. “Riiight…just so ya know,” the small filly said in a chiding tone almost unbecoming of a pony her age. “You wouldn’t be the first Pegasus to get hurt trying to impress her like that.” “Well trust me, it’s not like that at all,” Volare crossed his front hooves defiantly. It was because he was trying to disprove her comments about him being weak but if he told Scoots the truth, her heroic vision of Dash might be tarnished…then again, was that REALLY why he did it...dammit, it had to be! You owe me, Dashie! “Besides, how would a little filly like you know all about feelings like that, huh?” “Little?!” Scootaloo bristled and stood up on the table, her wings buzzing furiously as she stepped toward Volare. “I’m not so little; I’m 10 years old in fact and I’ll be 11 next spring, so don’t think I don’t know a thing or two about that sorta stuff, ok?” She stopped once she was nearly nose to nose with the older Pegasus. “Ok, ok,” Volare chuckled and raised his hooves defensively. “Sorry…didn’t realize you weren’t so young, that’s all.” “Yeah, it’s ok,” she settled back down at Fluttershy’s expression that read ‘get off the breakfast table or else.’ “Oh, speaking of which, how old are you?” she punctuated the question with a mid-air jab of her spoon. “Heh, I’m 23.” “23?!” Scootaloo’s eyes went wide again as she suddenly looked from Volare’s flank to hers, an innocent enough action that nonetheless made the pilot a little uncomfortable. I mean, how would you feel if a 10 year old was looking back there, eh? “Um, what’s wrong, Scoots?” “Nothing, it’s just…ok, it is something. A big something,” she stared at him in concern. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense, what is it?” “You’re 23 years old and I just realized…well, you don’t have a cutie mark…what’s up with that?” she cocked an eyebrow and frowned. Oh shit…again. Now what, genius? “Um, ya see Scoots…I”- Unbelievably, at that moment there came a series of knocks on Fluttershy’s door before it swung open and a cheerful pink pony came bounding into the kitchen. “Goooood morning, everypony! Just popping in to see how Volare is doing and-heya Scootaloo! What’s up?” She wrapped the small filly in a hug before being distracted by the sight of the massive blue minotaur filling an entire side of the kitchen as well as the steaming pot of oatmeal on the stove. “Ooooh, oatmeal and Iron Will; what a combo! Mind if I join?” Without really waiting for permission from the hostess, she grabbed a bowl and began spooning out a helping of breakfast of her own before sitting down at the table and bombarding them with questions of why Scootaloo was here, how she’d been, how Volare was holding up, and how Fluttershy’s training regimen was going. “Oho, what’s that there?” she pointed a pink hoof at the mug cradled in Iron Will’s hands. *sniff sniff* “Smells like coffee! You know, I’ve never had coffee before, but I’ve been told it’s really good for a pick-me-up! You mind if I try a sip, Mr. Will?” The minotaur’s yellow eyes widened and he looked uncertainly from his mug, to Pinkie, and finally over to the Pegasi, the older two slowly shaking their heads in semi-terrified fashion and the younger looking supremely confused as to why Pinkie would even wanna try that nasty stuff. As Iron Will protectively covered his go-juice, much to the relief of everypony, Volare could only shake his own head in mixture of relief and disbelief as she gave up and suggested they all go back outside to see what Fluttershy had taught Volare and Scootaloo so far. Saved by the Pinkie…who knew? -------------------------------------- Meanwhile in Canterlot… -------------------------------------- Twilight awoke with a start when she realized that Celestia’s sun was past its zenith and shining down through the skylight in the guest bedroom of Cadance and Shining Armor. True, she had plenty of reason to sleep in (she’d been studying non-stop the past three days for Luna’s sake!), but that ingrained habit of waking early so as not to waste daylight was hard to break, and the fact that she had slept in caused a slight pang of guilt to rise in her chest as she sat up in bed. “Calm down, Twilight. What’re you worried about, anyway? You’ve got plenty of time to”- then the memory of last night hit her, about what Celestia had said about humans, and she groaned audibly. Oh yes, she had plenty of reason to worry now…for hers, and Volare’s sake…oh, and for Dash’s too since she’d been the one Twilight had been sending to Earth! “Twilight, is everything ok in there?” Cadance called from the front room of the house. “Oh y-yes, everything’s…fine,” Twilight replied quickly in a tone she hoped was convincing enough. “Well, if everything is ok, I’ve got some snacks out here for lunch if you’re interested.” Twilight was about to protest and say she needed to get back to the Library as soon as possible, but the emptiness in her gut forced her to push that task to the side for now. “Coming,” she called out and quickly adjusted her mane in the mirror before heading out and meeting Cadance by the small tea table set up by the front window. Arranged on a chased silver platter were a myriad of dainty sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres snacks made from wheat and various other grains all set up in preparation for, well, snacking upon. The purple Unicorn gave her sister-in-law a quick nuzzle before settling down and wolfing down two of the sandwiches in a positively Applejackian-fashion before she caught Cadance’s look of amusement and slowed down considerably. “I take it you were fairly famished?” Cadance inquired with a chuckle. “Or is my cooking so off-kilter that you’re forced to eat it as fast as possible?” “Oh no, it’s definitely the former,” Twilight grinned sheepishly. “Sorry I let you sleep in so late, but when Celestia brought you back here herself and explained where you’d been the past few days, I figured you deserved a good night’s rest.” “Celestia brought me back herself?” Twilight nearly choked on a slice of bread and butter. “She wasn’t irritated was she?” “Not at all; in fact she seemed pretty proud of you for being so dedicated in your studies,” Cadance smiled. “But we all need sleep at some point, even you, little sister.” “Heh, I suppose I needed it,” Twilight admitted that she’d worn herself to a frazzle, as AJ would put it. “Hrm, maybe I’ll just take a day from it; I’ve got more than enough time to figure things out while I’m here.” “Were you able to find anything to help Volare with?” The princess asked with concern. “No, absolutely nothing,” the purple Unicorn wilted slightly. “Well, I’m sure you’ll find something on the subject,” Cadance patted her shoulder. “I mean, you had to have seen that spell somewhere, right?” “Right, just not in the Canterlot Library, apparently…but that’s not the worst part.” “Uh-oh, what else happened?” “Well, turns out Celestia…wait a sec,” she looked about the house, suddenly noticing the absence of a certain pony. “Where’s Shining Armor?” “Oh, he was told by Celestia to meet her this morning at the castle. All he told me was that she had recent events to discuss with him. Why Twilight, you’re looking a little green around the gills, so to speak. What’s the matter?” “Oh, um,” Twilight muttered, suddenly light-headed. “I’ve just got a bad feeling, that’s all.” “About what?” “Well…turns out my discovery of humans wasn’t so ground-breaking after all.” “Oh, how so?” “Yeah, apparently Celestia has known about them for a long time. But that’s not the bad news,” she idly pushed around a sandwich crust with her hoof. “What is it, Twilight?” “Celestia also knows about the long-distance teleportation spell I've been using and about how Unicorns have been using it since the spell documents for it disappeared during the Wedding," Twilight explained. "And for whatever reason, she has a pretty serious bias against humans; says they’re very dangerous and should basically be avoided as much as possible.” “Wow,” Cadance sat back in her seat, sincerely surprised. “I never knew she knew about humans for one; she never spoke a word of them that I can remember.” “Yeah, she says she’d never want one brought here because of the danger they pose…and guess what Volare is, er was.” “Well, he’s…oh my,” Cadance’s eyes widened as the weight of Twilight’s words dawned on her. “Exactly…that’s yet another reason why I couldn’t find help for Volare,” the Unicorn frowned. “The one pony I thought I could count on to assist me hates humans…or is seriously afraid of them…or both. Either way, I dunno what she’d do if she found out Volare was a human, especially considering her subjects’ well-being is her number one priority.” “Oh, she surely wouldn’t do anything too terribly rash,” Cadance insisted. “I mean, this is my auntie, not some horrible tyrant.” “Well even so, now I’m really worried about what she might find out from Shining Armor since I told both you and him the truth about Volare.” “Ah, I see…but surely Shining Armor wouldn’t betray Volare like that.” “Yes…unless he doesn’t realize Celestia’s bias against humans and simply thinks he's giving her helpful information,” Twilight’s eyes widened in fear. “And since his ultimate loyalty rests with the Princess, as he’s her Captain of the Royal Guard…if she suspects anything about what we discussed last night…oh no, what if these “recent events” she wants to talk to my brother about are her suspicions?” “Ah, I see what you mean,” the princess tapped her chin with her hoof. “But surely if she knew the entire story about Volare; that he’s no threat to her kingdom, surely she’d grant him leniency. That is, if she asks questions that would lead to him discussing his good character instead of the simple fact that he was a human…there’s just so much room for error,” Cadance frowned again. “Crap…” Twilight moaned into her hooves as Cadance nuzzled her gently. “It’s ok, Twilight. If worse comes to worse, surely all we need is somepony of authority to vouch for Volare’s good nature and sway Celestia’s favor,” the Alicorn said thoughtfully. “The only question is who, if you or I aren’t sufficient enough?” But before Twilight could even begin to think of an answer, there came a gentle knock at the door. After a moment, the knock repeated, no more forcefully than the first time. “You expecting visitors, Cadance?” “Not that I can remember,” the princess replied and approached the door, looking through the peephole before jumping back a step, eyes wide in surprise. “What is it, sis?” Twilight asked, leaping to her own hooves. “You’re not going to believe this, but it’s Princess Luna at the door,” the pink Alicorn replied breathlessly. “Hello in there?” Luna called from outside. “Cadance, is Twilight in at the moment? I’d very much like to speak with her.” Cadance looked back to the Unicorn, who didn’t know what to do. Why in Equestria would Luna wanna speak to her, and in the middle of the day?! “She’s not in trouble, I assure you,” Luna continued. “I’m actually curious about somepony that Tia mentioned last night; somepony named Volare.” “Um, just a moment, Luna,” the lesser princess replied and stomped on the floor like she was walking away before turning to Twilight and whispering. “What’s the call?” “Does she feel the same way about humans like Celestia does?” Twilight whispered, to which Cadance shrugged. “I don’t know if she even knows about them…then again, I didn’t know that Celestia knew of them either until just now…sorry, Twilight.” “Hello, is your sister in, Cadance?” Luna called again a bit more loudly, though not sounding any more impatient than before…still best not to risk the wrath of the moon goddess either way, though… “I think I hear her in there.” “Let her in,” Twilight finally conceded; what choice did they really have? Cadance obeyed and opened the door, allowing the midnight-blue princess entry. “Ah, Twilight Sparkle, it’s been far too long since we last spoke face to face,” Luna bowed politely to her before embracing her niece. “And you, Cadance. How’re you and your husband faring?” “Oh, very well, thank you, Luna,” Cadance smiled in reply. “Twilight and I were just in the middle of lunch. Would you like some?” “Ah, I am quite hungry,” Luna eyed the sandwiches. “I’m not imposing, am I?” the Princess of the Night asked uncertainly, still not quite back into the social swing of things. “Not at all, auntie,” Cadance insisted. “Come, sit and eat with us.” As the three ponies sat back down, Luna quickly turned the small-talk back to the true matter at hoof of which she’d come here in the first place to speak of. “As I was saying before you granted my entry into your abode, Cadance, my sister mentioned a pony Twilight and her spoke at length of named Volare. He had claimed to formerly be part of the military, but neither I nor Tia could recall the name of any such pony in our ranks, past or near-present,” she eyed Twilight and Cadance. “Would you happen to know anything more of him?” Twilight looked at Cadance who nodded her consent after a moment. Luna’s request for information seemed sincere as well as separate from that of Celestia’s, possibly meaning that she didn’t share the same bias after all. Twilight decided to take a chance. “Princess, Luna...a bit off-topic, but before I answer your question…do you happen to know anything about humans?” “Humans? Is that some sort of race of creature that sprang up in Equestria while I was indisposed for a millennia?” Luna asked curiously, shocking Twilight a bit that she’d speak of her banishment so lightly. But the fact that Luna seemed to have absolutely no prior knowledge of humans raised the Unicorn’s spirits, as well as another question: if Celestia knew of them for so long, why not Luna as well? And of course Cadance knew nothing of them until recently…did that mean she was keeping them a secret from her not only her niece but from her very own sister, co-ruler of Equestria? And if so, that of course begged the question of why? What purpose would the hiding of such knowledge serve? But the Librarian held her questions for the moment. “No Luna, they’re actually a race from a different world entirely.” “Ah, I see…interesting. But what does that have to do with this Volare character?” Luna inquired, a bit confused. “Everything, actually,” Twilight finally replied and with Cadance’ help, she began to explain exactly who Volare was, and why he was spoken of so much in the first place. Her mind went back to Cadance’ statement about how a pony of higher authority with a different opinion on Volare and humans in general might sway Celestia’s favor…perhaps Luna, with her lack of prior bias and therefore more openness to information, would be that pony. She certainly hoped so, anyway… "Please get comfortable, Luna," Twilight suggested as she went to retrieve her notes on Volare and humanity. "This might take a little while." --------------------------------------- The Canterlot Gardens… --------------------------------------- “You wished to speak with me, Princess Celestia?” Shining Armor asked as he approached the sun goddess who was taking a slow tour through the gardens as she split her attention between the afternoon sun and the rows of statues and shrubbery. “Yes, I did,” Celestia nodded curtly and beckoned him closer. “Come Captain; trot with me.” The stallion obeyed, and after a few minutes they were deep within the Royal Gardens and consequently away from any possible eavesdropping ponies...not that there was anything to eavesdrop on of course. However, she intended to treat this situation with as much tact as possible, and that included not causing her Captain to clam up on her in regards to the issue at hoof, especially since it involved his own sister. This had to be treated delicately... "Princess?" the blue-maned Captain inquired after several more minutes of relatively quiet trotting punctuated by the occasional hmm or ah as Celestia literally stopped to smell the red and pink roses that bloomed from the stems curling their way across the faces of the shrubs. "Yes, Captain?" "Begging your pardon, ma'am, but I do have matters of security to attend to, and"- "If you recall, Shining Armor, we both have matters of security to tend to," Celestia replied with a tone one might describe as practically snippy. She inhaled the fragrance of another rose before telepathically picking it and turning to face her Captain. "What I mean to say is: yours and my jobs both entail keeping the kingdom safe, do they not?" "Why yes, yes they do," Shining Armor replied, still a bit put off by the Princess' reply; she'd never spoken to him quite like that before. "Princess, again begging your pardon for asking, but surely you brought me out here to speak of matters besides the sampling of the flowers?" "Heh, very perceptive, Captain," she reclined on a stone bench and gestured for him to join her. "I prefer to stand, your majesty," he protested, thinking it a bit strange to recline with the Princess of the Sun in order to have a conversation; he was married after all and didn't exactly need rumors being spread if somepony happened to find them out here...Cadance would kill him at the very least... "Hmm, suit yourself, Captain," Celestia nodded before continuing, her gaze alternating between her Captain and the rose that floated before her face. "To return to my previous statement and your subsequent reply to it: you do agree that our jobs of keeping Equestria safe take precedence over just about everything else, correct?" "Yes, that's very correct, especially after The Wedding incident," Shining Armor said sternly. "Who could have known that so many enemies of the kingdom could be brought together in such numbers?" "Exactly, which is why it is our utmost priority to nip security matters in the bud before they gain the potential to become a bigger problem, no matter their source," she casually crushed the rose with her magic before tossing it away into the shrubbery and turning her full attention to Shining Armor. "Am I not correct?" Her question was almost completely devoid of emotion; the previously warm-temepred environment of the Royal Gardens suddenly seemed to drop a few degrees, whether real or imagined the Captain couldn't quite decide. "Yes, you absolutely are, My Princess," he replied with an inexplicable feeling of dread at the subtle change in tone her discarding of the rose brought on. "Would I also be correct in stating that both our jobs at keeping the kingdom safe could be severely hindered if certain pieces of information were withheld from us," she looked at him. "Especially from each other?" "Um, I-Princess, are you ok?" Shining Armor asked, worried that she might have spent too late of a night out in the street or possibly hit her head, causing her to act this way. "You know I wouldn't knowingly keep secrets from you if they pertained to national security, Celestia." "Neither would I if I could help it," she sighed and looked away. "But how about unknowingly?" "Ma'am?" Celestia returned her rapidly cooling gaze to Shining Armor. "Just trying to clarify a few things in the loyalty department, that's all." Shining Armor immediately fell to a knee and grasped her forehoof gently. "Princess, you know my loyalty rests with you above all other ponies," he declared. "To have it questioned by anypony is practically a slap to my very face!" At his statement, she smiled, her face warming instantly and the Captain's growing fears (for whatever reason) vanishing with hardly a trace. "Whew, not going to lie, ma'am, but you really had me worried there for a moment," he chuckled. "Oh, what about? Not keeping secrets, are you?" Celestia asked with a small grin, her eyebrow raising slightly before chuckling herself and giving the Captain a gentle magical shove. "Oh come now Captain, I'm only teasing. Here, stand up before you kill me with kindness." "Ah, yes of course, your Majesty," Shining Armor blushed and returned to his hooves, still not completely sure what had caused him to resort to such royal decorum in order to prove a point. "My apologies." "No offense taken, Captain," she smiled again and reclined upon the bench a little further and closed her eyes for a moment. "So tell me, Shining Armor..." "Yes, My Princess?" "Does the name of a pony called Volare ring any bells?" "Volare...ah yes, it does, actually," Shining Armor replied, causing Celestia to crack an eyelid. "Oh does it really; I've honestly only heard of him just last night, and from your own sister Twilight of all ponies," Celestia cracked her other eye to gauge his reaction. "How did you hear of him? Was he part of your Guard? "No, he's actually a friend that Twilight spoke of to me and Cadance a few nights ago as well. Why, is there a problem with him?" "There's the hrm...potential for one, yes," Celestia put particular emphasis on the word for the Captain's sake before closing her eyes again. "How do you think so, ma'am?" Shining Armor couldn't remember anything particularly bad his sister had told him of Volare, save his rather violent origin of entry into Equestria, though that in and of itself wasn't really his fault either. The fact that he'd survived such an ordeal had actually very much impressed the Captain and he'd made it a point to meet this pilot-turned-pony as soon as he could. "Well, please don't take offense of what I'm about to say, Captain"- "Never, my Princess," Shining Armor preempted her statement, whatever it might be. "Heh, thank you...but I fear your sister and my student Twilight might be hiding something from me pertaining to this Volare," she caught the shocked look on her Captain's face...shock mixed with a tinge of anger that somepony might hide information from his commander. "Something she may have actually spoken to you about already." "Is that so," Shining Armor frowned. "...Is it a matter of national security, ma'am?" "I'm afraid it might be," Celestia nodded with no small amount of worry creasing her brow. She sat up and looked her Captain straight in the eye. "Shining Armor...we agreed to not hide anything from each other if it pertained to the safety and well-being of this kingdom, correct?" "Yes." He was fiercely loyal to his sister, but if she was hiding something from the Princes...Twilight, please forgive me. "Then if that is the case, Captain, please tell me all you know about this Volare." ---------------------------------- Notes: DUN DUN DUN, Celestia is expert manipulator! :P Sorry this chapter took so long to get out...and sorry if it feels a bit choppy (I think it does anyway) ^^;; But I swear things get smoothed out a bit in the next few installments. Next up, Volare discovers why Scootaloo hasn't learned how to fly, Dash visits Cloudsdale and concocts a plan involving Scoots and her own conscience (wut), Celestia reacts to Volare's origins, we find out just what the hay Ray, Jill, and Trixie are up to, and Pinkie Pie continues her quest for Iron Will's coffee (not-lol, that'd make a funny off-shoot side-story thingy)