//------------------------------// // 107 The Stormcaller, Part Five // Story: Continuity Disrupted // by Doug Graves //------------------------------// Even though he is looking directly at it, Doug feels more than sees the Sonic Rainboom. Well, what he really feels is his hands grasping onto the limp mare before she slams into him, filling his vision with her vibrant yellow wings and two-tone orange mane. A split second later the shock wave hits him, blasting them away from the rainbow contrail. It takes Doug a second to recover, a second he doesn’t have, his ears ringing and eyes wavering, unable to focus on anything in particular. Except that it’s awfully windy. And there’s this yellow mare in his arms that he sorta kinda recognizes. It takes a second, a second second he doesn’t have, but Doug realizes he is falling. Well, tumbling through the air. Mostly sideways at first, but now that he can think about it, nearly all down. And the mare clenching her teeth in excruciating pain is wrapping her hind legs around his chest, directly on top the rip cord he should probably be pulling. It takes a second, a third second he doesn’t have, to roughly jerk the mare’s forelegs away from his head and shove her down. She struggles for a split second until he slips his hand between her legs, her burnt orange eyes going wide in surprise. He fumbles for a fourth second, finally finding the cord pressed against her flight suit, a sharp tug releasing the guide parachute. Doug’s arms and legs clamp down around Spitfire, a steel cage holding as tight as he can. The main parachute deploys with a limb-wrenching tug, both of them grunting as the parachute threatens to rip them apart. Muscles twinge with pain but hold steady, finally able to relax as the parachute settles to a much more sedate descent. Far too close to the ground for comfort, past any margin of error he might have built as to when to pull the 'chute, but they made it. The mare in his arms looks up at him, her eyes still a little wobbly as she tries to focus. Her mouth moves up and down, barely audible. “WHAT?” asks Doug in what he thinks is a normal voice. Spitfire winces at the shout before leaning up to yell back in a raspy voice, “Thanks, I guess. I hope you don’t expect a reward.” “For catching you?” Doug looks up at Cloudsdale, the city barely visible around the parachute. “I was just in the right place at the right time. Apparently.” “Huh.” Spitfire cocks her head to the side, looking Doug up and down. “Not what I was expecting.” She pauses for a moment, a smile briefly flickering on her muzzle. It fades as she asks, “Why’d you call Soarin a plothole?” Doug shrugs. “Thought he insulted Rainbow, like a bunch of the other stallions at the weather factory.” He shrugs again. “Crash? Pff, she’s way tougher than to let a silly name like that bother her.” “Yeah, well.” They both look up at Rainbow’s rainbow arc, looping up and above the Cloudiseum. He looks down at the mare. “You know, you’re a lot less recognizable in your flight suit, but I’d remember that mane anywhere.” Doug looks up as two Wonderbolts zip by, one nodding to the other. The silver maned stallion takes off, returning to Cloudsdale, as the orange and white maned stallion flies closer. “Seems like a trend among the Wonderbolts.” The stallion tosses his perfect mane back, despite the dive he just went through, grinning. “Name’s Fire Streak. You okay?” Doug dumbly looks around at the approaching ground, then the parachute, then back at the ground. His arms ache, his ears ring, and his eyes hurt from the wind. Hopefully nothing permanent. “Yeah, I think so.” “Okay,” the stallion says, backing up a little and turning to Spitfire. “How about you, Ma’am?” “Still dazed. Anypony catch the name of the mule that kicked me?” “Hey!” comes an indignant shout from high above. Spitfire pushes away from Doug, her wings flapping unsteadily. Fire Streak flies underneath her, warily watching. “Can hardly tell which way is up.” “Well, I think that way is down,” Doug remarks, pointing to the ground. Spitfire rolls her eyes. “Thanks, Neighton. I couldn’t have figured that out on my own.” She huffs as her erratic flight rams her back into Doug, his arms holding her in position. “Could go for an apple about now.” “Sweet Apple Acres isn’t that far away,” Doug says as the ground rushes upwards. He stumbles as he lands, spilling forwards, the two tumbling down as the parachute billows behind them. “Hey! What did I tell you about not getting a reward?” Spitfire grunts out with a wink. She wobbles as she tries to stand, Doug not even making the attempt as he lays on the ground, staring up at Cloudsdale. Spitfire calls to Fire Streak, “I’m going to take a little to recover, and no way am I taking the tram up.” She glances over at Doug, smirking. “Now, where were we?” “I think you were trying to talk me into giving you a reward.” Doug groans as Spitfire pokes him. “Come on, up and at ‘em. I’ve taken worse tumbles before.” Spitfire rubs her ear with a hoof as she looks up. “What the hay happened, anyway?” “Looks like the rascal did it,” Streak remarks, staring at the rainbow trail hanging in the sky, a circular ring still expanding. “Sonic Rainboom. Managed to aim herself right between Soarin and Misty, unicorn pulled herself close enough. Grabbed all three and made the turn at the last second.” He glances up at the Cloudiseum. “Shouldn’t have been possible. If I didn’t just see it with my own eyes, and feel it in my wings, I wouldn’t believe it.” “Yeah, and being on ground zero was not fun.” Doug looks up at Fire Streak as he gets up. “Want to get some cider?” High above them, in the Cloudiseum, Twilight Sparkle slowly recovers. Deafening cheers echo around her, and like everypony else her attention is fixed on the rainbow maned pegasus singlehoofedly carrying three ponies up the center of the stadium. Perhaps by itself not an exceptionally impressive feat, but she has no equipment, no harness, and two of them are completely out of it. And she is built for speed, not powerlifting. No, Twilight is focusing on Rainbow for the reason that feat was possible in the first place. The Loyalty radiating from her still, empowering her to hoof each dazed flyer to two other pegasi. The origin of the Loyalty that nearly knocked her off her cloud. Rarity remains firmly clenched around Rainbow’s hind legs, refusing any attempt to drop her down, and Twilight soon realizes why. She never cast the cloud walking spell on Rarity. Because she had wings, and it would have been an unnecessary drain. Eventually two pegasi manage to convince the unicorn that she would be safe with them, coaxing her into their waiting hooves. A hoof on her own side startles her, looking up at a pair of apple green eyes. “You okay, there, partner?” “Yeah. I am, now. Thanks.” Twilight smiles at Applejack. Even in the furor of falling friends, Applejack kept her wits about her, and made sure she didn’t stumble off herself. Determined not to have a repeat of what happened with Doug, Twilight teleports to the balloon, undoing the moorings with her horn. As the balloon slowly rises, she chances a glance at her flank. Five small white stars shine, occasionally twinkling. She sighs, both in relief and regret. The effects of the Sonic Rainboom had swept over her like everypony else, and left her a shuddering wreck. She already misses the feelings that had resonated with her core. Loyalty to self. Her herd. Her idols. Her country. Well, it’s not like they are missing. Merely under the surface, as they always were, and the jolt of Loyalty a potent reminder. Maybe they are feelings she already had. Maybe they are ones she merely picked up from Rainbow; she didn’t remember having an obsession with the Wonderbolts before, but now she can name each of them. Or was that a holdover from partially listening to Rainbow ramble during the balloon ride up, and then all throughout the weather factory? The relief comes from no longer feeling that overwhelming draw towards her herdmate that threatened to rear its ugly head every time the two of them were alone together. And even a lot of times that they weren’t. And yet, she already misses that yearning, that deep desire, even if she knows a little piece of Rainbow is with her. Along with all her friends. Maybe forever; the other spots didn’t seem to be fading. And hopefully this one won’t, either. Twilight looks around. Fluttershy is still cheering her flanks off, leaping up and down like a pony possessed. Pinkie Pie has her party cannon, somehow, and is jamming confetti in for another blast. Trixie looks nonplussed as always, maybe even a little envious of the attention Rainbow is getting. Across the stadium are Windy, Bow, and Scootaloo, the latter doing her best to keep the former two from rushing forwards into the award ceremony that is taking place. Apparently Rainbow and Rarity were the last competitors. Rarity appears to be apologizing to Rainbow, clasping her hooves in front of her and pleading. Rainbow nods along, smiling, bobbing her head back and forth as if trying to get Rarity to hurry it up. Princess Celestia regally floats down, her wings barely moving, as two fewer Wonderbolts than went down come back up. They exchange a few quick words before the alicorn clears her throat, the entire stadium going quiet. The Royal Canterlot Voice echoes among the clouds, “By unanimous decision, this year’s Best Young Flyer is… RAINBOW DASH!!” Cheers erupt again, the various competitors offering Rainbow congratulations, and the remaining winners receiving their various rewards. Pictures are taken, poses struck, and eventually the commotion dies down enough for Twilight to pilot the balloon, now safely carrying everypony, down to the winner’s podium. Rainbow Dash appears to be in shock, still, just mumbling ‘omygoshomygoshomygosh’ over and over as Soarin and Misty Fly wrap her in a crushing hug. She seems to break out of it as Twilight and the rest approach, exclaiming, “Did you guys see it? I did it! I performed the Sonic Rainboom!” “Yes!” Twilight congratulates, “That was amazing! Incredible!” “And she saved our lives!” Soarin adds, almost as an afterthought. “It was only the most wicked, stupefying, laughing-in-the-face-of-your-fears-just-like-I-taught-you feat I’ve ever seen!” Pinkie Pie pronks higher and higher with every bounce, using the cloud as a giant trampoline. “Can you do it again? Please? Pretty please with all of Celestia’s cakes on top?” “Woah, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash smirks, “All of them? That’s a lot of cakes.” She stretches her wings, a satisfied smile spreading across her face as she poses for another picture. “I think I’d rather cash in my winnings, though.” She beams at the blue and yellow suited figures around her, “I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend the rest of the day with the Wonderbolts!” Rainbow takes to the air, flanked by two stallions, the other two Wonderbolts glancing to each other before following along. Rainbow makes a beeline to her Cloudominium where she has all of her Wonderbolt memorabilia stashed away, though she might need to catch up with Spitfire before she gets her best stuff autographed. The two pegasi drop Rarity into the balloon as the rest of the herd piles in. Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof introduce themselves, practically tossing Scootaloo into the balloon. Princess Celestia walks to the edge of the clouds, peering down. Twilight walks up to join her. “Princess,” Twilight greets through clenched teeth, her hoof motioning towards Rarity. “I was watching. You saw things were going wrong as soon as Rarity started falling. Why didn’t you step in?” Princess Celestia glances towards Rarity, then peers back down to the ground far below. “I have my reasons,” she calmly states, turning to look Twilight in the eye. “But now is not the time for you to hear them.” “What?” Twilight exclaims. She angrily stomps a hoof, though the effect is deadened by the cloud. “What is that supposed to mean?” “You are distraught over nearly losing your herdmate.” Princess Celestia holds her head up, though her words reach Twilight clearly and, based on the lack of reaction, nopony else. “It is understandable. But you did not lose her. She is safe, Rainbow Dash is victorious, and good times will soon be had by all.” She glances to Twilight’s flank. “I see you are especially loyal to your herdmate, at this time.” Her head moves down, nuzzling Twilight despite the unicorn’s unhappy glare. “I hope that feeling never fades.” “And I hope you have the same feelings for all your little ponies,” Twilight angrily states as she turns, stomping off to rejoin her herd. Princess Celestia nods to herself, glancing to Canterlot, then Trottingham. “Me, too,” she softly says, only for her own ears.