//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Wings for a Pony // by Brawney Hooves //------------------------------// Day 3: The Truth part 3 Firefly landed in front of her home and ran through the door startling Germane. “Ah Miss Philomena how was your…” He stopped when he saw that she had tears running down her face. “Miss…are you alright? What happened?” Firefly looked away from Germane and ran up to her room slamming the door behind her. Firefly landed on her bed and began to sob heavily into her pillow. Seconds later there was a knock at the door followed by a voice. “Miss...may I come in?” “Go away Germane…I…I want to be alone!” “Madame I simply cannot stand by and leave you so distressed.” “I don’t need you! I don’t need anypony! Everypony just lies to me!” “Madame...please I’m not doing this as a butler…but as your friend.” “I don’t have any friends! *Sniff* Dad made sure of that.” “That’s not true. Please…let me see you.” Firefly sighed and opened the door allowing the butler pony to enter. “I really should clean your room.” Germane muttered. “Well…go ahead! Say something like it’s not proper for a young filly to act this way. Or your father would want you to be brave.” She said in a mocking tone. “Philomena…I have known you since you were too young to fly. I would hope that by now you would come to think of me as your friend.” “Stop calling me that! I hate that name!” “Why do you despise it so?” “Because that’s the name of that stupid bird the princess owns. And that’s what I am to my dad…a bird for him to look at in a cage like a prize.” “Phila…madame. Your father doesn’t keep you indoors because he sees you as a prize; he keeps you here because he doesn’t want you to get hurt.” “But how can I fly if I stay in the house all the time? And how can I see the world with the Wonderbolts if he keeps me locked up?” “Madame I know that flying is part of your nature. And I would like nothing more than to see you soar into the sky like the Pegasus I know you can be. But I cannot go against your father’s wishes.” “Of course you can’t. Nopony says no to dad.” Firefly hung her head. “I might as well face the fact that I’m going to be stuck here until either my dad dies or I do.” “Madame…you are a strong beautiful pony that can do anything you set your mind to. And I know that one day your father will see that.” Firefly smiled as Germane placed a supportive hoof on her shoulder. “Now why are you so upset?” “Because the only pony I ever loved is a fraud!” “What do you mean?” “Turns out that Clay isn’t a pegasus he’s an earth pony with false wings.” “Really?” Firefly nodded angrily. “Do you hate him because he is an earth pony?” “No. I hate him because he lied to me for two days and made me fall in love under false pretenses!” Firefly crossed her forelegs “I told him the reason I chose the name Firefly and he doesn’t have the decency to tell me he can’t really fly. He’s just like dad lying to me just to get on my good side.” Her face fell as she finished. Germane thought and then sighed as if something occurred to him. “I think I understand…you think he’s just going to keep lying to you if you keep seeing him.” Firefly began to cry again. “Madame everypony lies about something. But to admit it shows their true character.” “He said he loved me…how do I even know that was true? What else isn’t he telling me?” “I can see why you are so hesitant…but let me tell you something. That boy saved your life, grew wings, flew from Ponyville and tracked you down when he had almost no hope of ever finding you, and then flew with you to Cloudsdale when he probably knew nothing about it.” Firefly blinked. “How did you know about that?” Germane smirked. “You are your mother’s daughter after all.” Firefly avoided his gaze. “What I’m trying to tell you is that if that colt was willing to do all that for you; I think then his love is very sincere.” “But he still lied to me!” Firefly huffed. “Well, he probably was afraid you wouldn’t accept his love I you knew the truth.” “If he had told me from the start then I wouldn’t have cared, but if he lied to me on our first date how can I trust him at all?” “Well he obviously told you the truth today if you are so upset.” “No. He only told me because another pegasus showed up and ratted him out.” “Seems to me like he didn’t get the chance to tell you.” “Geez Germane why are you taking his side!” Germane turned his gaze from Firefly looking distant. “Do you think he’s the only stallion that lied about himself to meet a mare he loved?” Firefly looked at Germane startled by the revelation. “He may not be perfect, and he may have lied, but I’ve seen how happy he makes you. And I believe you make him just as happy. All I’m saying is that maybe you should give him a second chance.” Firefly remained quiet but still looked angry. “Well it’s your decision and I have given you my opinion…now you have to decide whether to listen to it or not.” He started to leave the room but stopped when Firefly spoke. “Germane…who was she?” “Who?” “The mare that you lied to?” “Oh…just some young unicorn mare from a place called Carousel Boutique.” Germane started to leave again, but was stopped once more. “Germane…thanks.” Germane smiled. “Anytime…Firefly.” Germane shut the door leaving Firefly alone with her thoughts. Outside Canterlot: Clay and Sky kicked and dived at each other in the air like their lives depended on it. Clay had bruises around his body and a small cut on his right ear. Sky looked worse with a black eye, a bloody nose, and multiple bruises around his body. Yet despite the pain and exhaustion both were going through neither one of them was willing to surrender. They kept trying to get each other to crash to the ground, but so far neither one of them had been even close. Finally Sky dove towards Clay at his fastest speed. “Time for you to go back on the ground earth pony!” Clay locked eyes as Sky approached and raised his back legs in front of him delivering a hard kick to Sky sending him flying into a cliff and crashing to the ground. Clay allowed a smirk across his face as Sky hit the ground hard; Sky soon got to his feet, but then feel back to the ground yelling in pain as he tried to fly again. Sky looked at his back and saw that his wing was sticking at an odd angle. His wing was broken and was now grounded; Sky turned his head back to Clay and bared his teeth in pain. As the two ponies glared at each other a loud crack was heard and they both looked up to see that the spot where Sky had hit the cliff was starting to crumble. A large rock fell and just missed Sky by inches. Sky tried to move but soon fell to the dirt in pain, his leg was broken too. Another large rock fell nearly landing on Sky’s head; they both realized that he was about to die. As Clay watched the rocks fall around Sky he thought for one second about just leaving him to his fate for all the pain that he caused him over the years. Clay started to fly away, but soon stopped and looked back to Sky who had a look of fear and realization on his face. “No…this isn’t right! Mom would never leave a pony to die, rival or not. And neither should I.” Clay flew to Sky’s side trying to dodge and ignore the falling boulders while he lifted Sky onto his back before taking off into the sky again, barely missing another large boulder and then landing on a hill safely. The two ponies lay on their backs gasping for breath as they looked to the orange sky. “You…you saved me. Why?” Sky asked breathless. “Because…you needed…help.” Clay replied also breathless. “I…didn’t…ask for help.” “You…didn’t…have to.” Sky became silent as they continued to lay there. Then he said something Clay never expected to hear from Sky. “Thanks…Clay.” “You’re…welcome.” “I don’t know how I’ll get to a hospital with this leg and wing.” Sky mused. “I’ll take you to one if you want.” Clay offered. “Thanks.” Clay and Sky looked across to Celestia’s sun and an odd sense of warmth washed over them. “Heh, you know if I didn’t know better I’d swear that we were becoming…friends.” Sky replied. “Don’t push it.” Clay chuckled. As Clay and Sky watched the sun they heard a thud behind them. They craned their necks to see a large dark blue Pegasus stallion with yellow eyes. “Dad…what…” Sky started as he tried to get up, but he soon was back handed by his father. “You have lost your right to call me your father Sky…I saw the whole thing…you…are an absolute disgrace to the word pegasus.” Sky slowly got back up from his father’s assault only to be hit again as he tried to make eye contact. “Don’t you dare look at me! I am disgusted with you!” Sky Blazer said with venom. “What the hell is wrong with you!? He’s your son and he’s hurt!” Sky glared at Clay with an intense hatred. “You…you are more of a disgrace than my son! You would dare have wings not given by birth! You should not be called a pony, but an abomination!” “I don’t care what you think of me, but I will not let you hurt another pony when they can’t defend themselves. Especially your own son!” Clay positioned himself between Sky and his father and held his ground As Sky looked at Clay in disbelief. “Step aside.” Sky Blazer hissed. “Make me.” Clay said defiantly staring back into Sky Blazers yellow eyes. “So be it!” Sky Blazer reared up ready to come down on Clay when suddenly a rainbow blur collided into his side sending him flying. Clay blinked as he saw his mother standing in front of him and giving Sky Blazer an intimidating glare as he got to his feet. “Don’t…you…dare… hurt my son.” Dash said through clenched teeth. “He is meddling in things that don’t concern him.” “All I see is a grown stallion harming two colts that haven’t done anything to you!” “You are blinded by that one’s filth! They are a stain to the name Pegasus…the same kind of pony as you are. How can you defend them?” Dash positioned herself between Clay and Sky Blazer. “Because he is my son, and wings or not I love him. In fact I would rather be an earth pony and live with pony’s that accepted one another no matter how different, than be a Pegasus and be like you!” Sky Blazer stood there fuming and then raised a hoof at Clay. “I will not allow this.” Sky Blazer took off into the air and looked down at the three pegasi. “You are no longer my son Sky!” And with that he flew off into the horizon. “What a freak.” Dash muttered as she looked back to the two colts “Are you two okay?” “I’m okay, but Sky needs medical attention.” Dash nodded and lifted Sky onto her back. “I’ll get him to a hospital. Clay…I want to see you at home.” Clay nodded and watched his mother disappear before heading back home.