//------------------------------// // The Running-Pt 10: ...Go! // Story: Blue Angel // by V-Pony //------------------------------// September 11th Canterlot… --------------------- “All aboooooaaard!” the voice of the Ponyville Express conductor rang out through the post-dawn mist. Galloping through the streets of Canterlot and half-lugging, half-levitating her baggage was the mint-green Unicorn Lyra, doing her best not to collide with anypony trotting through the streets at such an early hour. “Whoops, ‘scuse me, comin’ through!” Lyra shouted as she whirled around a small group of well-dressed Unicorns who stared incredulously after her. “Sorry guys; got a train to catch!” She huffed and puffed as she neared the station, her hooves banging out a loud rhythm on the smoother cobblestones that surrounded the platform before she skidded to a stop, nearly colliding with the middle-aged conductor sounding his call. “Eh-heh, Lyra Heartsrings, headed for Ponyville,” she smiled sheepishly and quickly flashed her boarding pass. The conductor nodded, allowing her to board as he himself jumped on, signaling the engineer to pull out. Whew, she’d made it just in time! The lyrist quickly found a seat and collapsed into it, breathing hard. She couldn’t believe she nearly slept in! No matter, she thought as she cracked open her bag and grinned at the title of the rather large brass and leather-bound book she’d searched for in the Canterlot Library last night. True, she hadn’t exactly checked it out from the collection, but she’d be back in two weeks anyway. Plus Celestia had given her permission to take it, though Lyra had very nearly not made it to her quarters due to almost dying of laughter when she encountered the Sun Goddess attempting to sit like a human (her posture had been terrible!). Maybe Celestia’s embarrassment of being caught in such a position played into her allowing the Unicorn to take the book out of the city. But in any case, she wasn’t sure who else would need it more in this situation than her buddy Volare. “He’s gonna freak when he sees this,” she giggled and shut the case again, settling in for the morning-long ride back to Ponyville. ------------------------------ The Edge of the Everfree... THOCK! THOCK! THOCK!! Iron Will groaned and opened his eyes at the strange noise coming from the edge of the Everfree. The great blue minotaur stretched and yawned on the sagging lawnchair he’s taken to sleeping in before rising to his hooves and scratching his hip, looking towards the source of the sound. To his surprise, he saw a blue Pegasus bucking at a tree over and over again. He half-wondered who that could be before he blinked his eyes and spotted the wing secured against its side and a spiky yellow mane he’d recognize anywhere. But just what the hay was he doing over there? Smirking at his strange behavior, Iron Will strolled through the Fluttershy’s back yard, giving Shae’s oak tree a friendly pat before calling out over the short field. “Hey Volare!” he bellowed, causing the Pegasus to halt momentarily and Shae to wake up with a startled squawk. The black and white osprey glared down at the minotaur as he jogged towards the pony in question. “Whatcha doin’ up so early? You know the race doesn’t start for a few more hours, right?” “Oh, I know,” Volare nodded, panting slightly as he indicated the tree he’d been bucking at the past few days. “Just waking myself up and kicking this damned stubborn old tree, that’s all.” “The only stubborn thing around here is you, Spike-head,” Iron Will shook his head and chuckled. He glanced at the tree, noting that wood around the knot he’d been focused on was cracked and splintered, and a good number of woodchips lay scattered on the ground beneath it, but he still wasn’t causing anywhere near the destruction that Applejack had demonstrated. “Why’re ya still bucking it? You’re not gonna be able to break it like an Earth Pony or a big strong minotaur like yours truly,” he flexed a bicep for a moment and grinned. “Doesn’t mean I can’t try anyways,” the Pegasus chuckled and lined up for another kick. “Besides-THOCK-it gives me-THOCK-something to-THOCK-work towards!” He paused and inspected the new dents he was leaving in the wood. “Ya know, an accomplishment.” “Well, if anypony who’s not supposed to be busting trees manages to bust one anyway, I guess it’d be you, Spike-head,” the minotaur clapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Heh, thanks Will. That means a lot,” Volare grinned and snorted lightly at the tree, feeling his heart pounding and hearing the blood rushing through his head. “Guess that’s enough for now, though. Don’t wanna wear myself out before the race, eh?” “Yep,” the minotaur nodded as the two stood for a moment before he spoke again. “Hey, I know you’ve probably already gotten this before, but I was just curious on what you’re planning on doing after you can fly again. Hopefully not tree-busting,” he flicked a thumb at the tree and chortled. “Cuz as much as I admire your determination, that’ll only get you so far in the world.” “No kidding; nah, it won’t be that,” Volare agreed with a chuckle. “Funny you ask that though, because Fluttershy and I had a talk about that yesterday, and I really don’t know what I’ll be doing,” he shrugged. “I’ve already promised to help take care of Scootaloo and fix up the Gilded Griffon café in town, but I’ve gotta get a job for both of those.” “Well, hay, I’m probably no good at taking care of the kiddos, but I can help ya fix the building,” he grinned. “Free of charge.” “Wow, you mean it?” “Yep. You’re my pal, Volare and any friend of Iron Will’s is entitled to the occasional favor. Just don’t overdo it, ok?” He snorted lightly and gave Volare a severe look before cracking and chuckling. “No problem, Will; thanks,” the Pegasus shook his head though. “Still leaves me without a job…” “Aww, you’ll figure something out,” the minotaur assured him and glanced up at the sound of the cottage back door swinging open and Fluttershy trotting out and inhaling the fresh morning air before waving to Iron Will and Volare. “Heh, but for now, you’ve got a race to focus on.” “Oh crap, that also reminds me,” the blue Pegasus muttered as the two males made their way back to the cottage. “Me and the rest of the Crusaders have gotta convince Rarity and Big Macintosh to compete in the Running of the Leaves with their siblings. Cutie Mark acquisition; you know how it is,” Volare explained at Iron Will’s curious look. “Well, I say we don’t have a moment to lose,” the minotaur declared. “A moment to lose on what?” Fluttershy cocked her head as they made it into earshot of the yellow mare. “Pinkie suggested an idea for the Crusaders to earn their mark today,” Volare explained with a smile. “Come on, Fluttershy; I’ll explain on the way to Sweet Apple Acres.” “Why go there first?” Iron Will inquired. “Because the strongest pony in Ponyville is bound to be up by now,” the spike-maned Pegasus said as the trio began to trot towards the farm in the near distance. Curious as to this sudden development, Shae roused herself from her nest, stretched her wings, and took off, following the two ponies and minotaur at high altitude. It was less boring than sleeping in that morning anyway… …………….. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a sec,” Big Macintosh patted the air with a hoof as he attempted to digest the information he’d practically just been force-fed. “Ya’ll have designs on me doin’ what today?” “It ain’t just you, Big Mac,” Applebloom said, having heard the commotion on the front porch and run downstairs, taking the forefront of the explanation while Volare and the others stood by, thinking it terribly amusing that this small yellow filly was doing her best to manipulate her massive brother into running in a race with her. “It’s Sweetie Belle runnin’ with Rarity and Scootaloo with Volare too. It’s for our Sibling Team Runnin’ Cutie Marks, er Ah think that’s what Pinkie Pie said.” “Sibling Team Runnin’, eh?” Big Mac cocked an eyebrow at Volare. “But Volare ain’t Scootaloo’s brother.” “Oh, he’s just bein’ a stand-in for today, in case Scoot’s idea fer her Personal Trainer Cutie Mark don’t work cuz Volare don’t think he can win tha race.” Again, Big Mac looked from Applebloom to Volare, who could only offer him a sheepish grin. Just what the hay had he been missing these past two weeks? “Come on, Big Mac, please!” Applebloom pleaded. “’Sides, Ah know ya were gonna take tha day off ta watch Applejack race anyways.” The large red stallion gave out a guilty whinny at that and shook his head slowly, knowing he was caught. “Alright, alright, Ah’ll run with ya, Applebloom,” he finally consented with a sigh. “But don’t expect us ta win nothin’; Ah may be purdy strong, but speed ain’t mah strongsuit.” “YAY!” his sister cheered and hugged his leg. “And it’s ok if ya ain’t fast. It’s like Pinkie said: it ain’t about winnin’, it’s about havin’ fun!” “Indeed,” Fluttershy nodded and smiled before looking up to the farmhouse. “Um, is Applejack up yet?” “Ah’ll get her!” Applebloom preempted everypony and galloped inside, nearly tripping up the front porch in her excitement. Within minutes, and after a few surprised shouts from Grannysmith, Applebloom led a yawning Applejack out of the farmhouse back to the steadily-growing group. The orange mare adjusted her Stetson and eyed her brother for a moment. “So, Applebloom said ya’ll agreed ta run, eh?” “Eeyup.” “Just like that?” “Eeyup.” “Ya know ya ain’t gonna beat me, right Big Mac?” Applejack asked teasingly, giving him a nudge of her elbow. “…Eeyup,” he finally responded with the slightest wince. He wasn’t a proud pony, but it didn’t mean he enjoyed conceding defeat to his younger siblings. “Well, with that settled,” Applejack grinned. “Who all we got left ta gather up?” “Sweetie Belle, Rarity, and Scootaloo,” Applebloom reported. “Whoa, hold on here,” Applejack’s eyes grew a little wider. “Ya’ll are gonna get Rarity ta run too?” “Yeah, we’ll explain why on tha way there!” Applebloom explained, practically bouncing in place with nervous energy. “Come on, everypony!” And with that, she charged off along the road to Ponyville, the four older ponies plus Iron Will hurrying after her. Shae shook her head in confusion and took off from the roof of the farm house, following the small herd of creatures below her. ………….. “Alright, Rainbow Dash! Today’s the day!” The rainbow Pegasus grinned fiercely at herself in the mirror before quickly hefting an ice weight in either forehoof. “You’re gonna be tough! You’re gonna be fast! You’re gonna win this race and show everypony that you’re the most athletic pony in all of Equestria; not only in the air, but on the ground too!” She dropped the weights with a thump and flexed her wings a few times before taking a running start and leaping out the northern window of her home, doing a few laps around the cloud tower before zooming up high in the air, up above the cloud cover and balancing on tuft of cumulus. She breathed the chilly air deeply and released it in a great woosh of wind from her nostrils, enjoying the way that Celestia’s rising sun warmed her cyan coat. “Oh yeah…it’s gonna be an awesome day,” she grinned as she dove off the cloud, rocketing her way towards Ponyville. “But to be a champion, ya gotta first eat the breakfast of champions! Hmm, where haven’t I gone in a while…ah I know just the place!” She put on an extra burst of speed in order to arrive in town in spectacular fashion. “Look out Ponyville, cuz Rainbow Dash is coming to breakfast!” ………...... To everypony’s surprise, Rarity agreed to run in the race almost without argument. Volare honestly thought that the fashionista Unicorn, a creature that hated even getting her hooves dirty, was just pulling their legs, but she quickly convince them otherwise, saying competing in the Sisterhooves Social with Sweetie Belle was nice, it was done under the pretense that she was actually Applejack, and not Rarity. The Running would give Rarity and Sweetie Belle a chance to further bond as sisters from the beginning of the event, rather than realizing it at the end. “Plus, if my efforts can go towards getting Sweetie Belle her Mark…well, what better thing for one sister to do for another, right?” The violet-maned Unicorn declared to the group patiently listening inside her boutique; Iron Will having to wait outside for fear of knocking something over with his bulk. “Plus you’ve been indoors waaay too much lately working on something for”- but Sweetie cut herself off at Rarity’s harsh glare. “Working on something for who?” Volare asked curiously. “Oh, um…I mean she was working on some new fashion stuff for winter, yeah,” Sweetie quickly explained. “Gotta be at least a season ahead in style creation, as she always says. Right, Rarity?” “Right,” she nodded, proud that her younger sister had paid such close attention…even if it was for the purposes of lying convincingly. “So, you say the race is in a few hours, right?” “That’s right,” Fluttershy replied before blushing deeply as her stomach rumbled loudly. “Um, if it’s not too much trouble, could we please go and get something to eat?” “Yeah, no kidding; I’m starvin’ Marvin out here!” Iron Will announced from outside, bringing a strange look to Volare’s face as he turned to face the minotaur’s lower torso, the upper half of his body obscured by the building. “Hey, Will?” the Pegasus called. “Yep?” “Does the term “South Park” mean anything to you?” “Uhhh, nope! Why?” “Huh, weird…no reason,” Volare shook his head and chuckled as his own stomach growled. “In any case, I’m up for some grub too. You think Pinkie Pie is up yet? I figure since we still gotta pick up Scootaloo and she’s staying at Sugarcube Corner anyway, we’d all grab some breakfast there.” “That actually sounds rather nice,” Rarity agreed with a smile. “Just let me grab my hat…hrm, what should I wear that’s good for breakfast and for a race?” she asked out loud, causing everpony present to facehoof as she ran upstairs to search. …………….. “Dude, it’s been forever!!” a voice shouted from down the street. Volare had enough time to halfway turn towards it before its small green and purple owner jumped up tackled him, causing the group to burst into laughter. The small dragon looked up and grinned toothily. “What’s up, Volare? How’ve ya been?” “Heh, great to see you too, Spike,” Volare laughed as the dragon dropped back to the ground. “I’ve been good. Very good, in fact. Still not back in the air yet, but that outta change soon, eh?” “Yeah, Twilight’s supposed to be back today with help,” Spike smiled brightly. “Haven’t heard from her in a bit though, so I hope everything’s ok…” “Cheer up, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity spoke up, causing the dragon’s face to flush a shade of pink. “If there’s anypony that could find any spell to fix anything, it’s Twilight Sparkle that can! And she will!” “You got that right!” Volare nodded, tossing aside his momentary doubt. “You wanna come to breakfast with us, Spike? We’re headed to Sugarcube Corner before the race, and”- But he was cut off by the small dragon racing past him towards the bakery, nearly bowling over Roseluck in the process. “Guess that means yes, huh?” He looked back and grinned at the ever-growing group of ponies and creatures following him and drawing more and more attention from the Ponyville residents who were wondering just what in Equestria could bring such a varied group to be wandering the streets together. Why, the pied piper Pegasus of Ponyville, Volare, of course, he chuckled to himself. “Heh, hope Pinkie’s got plenty of room!” the blue Pegasus declared as they began the final leg of their short journey down to gingerbread house-shaped bakery. …………… “Whoa, Volare-bear, you brought half of Ponyville here for breakfast?” Pinkie grinned. “Hope you’re paying!” Everypony present roared in laughter at the blue Pegasus’ thunderstruck expression before Pinkie clapped him on the shoulder and winked. “Just kidding! It’s on the house today!” “Oh my gosh, Volare!” was all he had time to hear before an orange blur leaped from the stairs and enveloped his head in a warm, enthusiastic hug. “You excited, dude? Cuz I sure am!” “Mpmph-guff-mmmphaph,” Volare managed to grunt until the excited filly finally released his face and slid down to his back. “Sorry; I said I sure am, Scoots,” he smiled over his shoulder. “We’re gonna rock those leaves off those trees!” “Hay yeah we are!” The small Pegasus grinned fiercely and pumped a hoof. “Even if we don’t get our marks, it’s still gonna be awesome!” As the relatively-large herd got settled in, Volare and Spike sat next to each other and began to relate what had happened over the past two weeks. Volare explained how his training had gone, and how he’d progressed to the point where he was able to go through quite a bit of physical activity without getting light-headed and tired. He spoke of his hunts with Shae and how he was now a Cutie Mark Crusader, as well as what they intended to do at the race today. For Spike, it had been mostly boring, having to only occasionally deal with an overdue Library book or things as inconsequential as the floor gathering dust from the lack of Twilight’s hooves trotting about on it. To tell the truth, it had been the longest he’d been separated from his surrogate mom in a long time, and he’d been getting a little depressed lately, especially when he woke up from a bad dream and she wasn’t there to talk to. “Well, don’t worry Spike,” Volare assured him with a smile, glancing sideways at Pinkie galloping back and forth across the room and serving the group. “She’s on her way back today, and when she gets here, you guys can go out and do something special together like grab dinner or something.” “Yeah, that actually sounds pretty good,” the dragon nodded and crunched into the quartz-crystal granola cake Pinkie had made especially for him. He frowned a bit after a moment of chewing, though. “Man, maybe I miss her so badly because she hasn’t even sent a letter in like a week. The last time she went to Canterlot, she wrote me via Celestia just about every day.” He looked up at Volare in alarm. “You think something happened to her?” “I dunno…have you tried writing to Celestia to ask?” “I-uh…no, actually,” Spike said sheepishly and went to go ask Pinkie for ink, quill, and parchment. Volare shook his head slowly until he felt a soft tug on his hoof. He looked down and exchanged smiles with Scootaloo. “What’s up, squirt?” “Can I sit with you?” Scootaloo indicated the empty seat to his left. “Well, I don’t see why not,” he nodded, and she promptly hopped up onto the bench and settled down before looking back up at him. “You eaten breakfast yet?” “Huh, oh yeah, Pinkie made me this awesome bread full of nuts and bananas and stuff. Heh, she’s a pretty good cook…almost as good as my mo”- but she cut herself off and looked down at the floor, heaving a tiny sigh before growing quiet. The sight tugged at Volare’s heartstrings, and he gently placed a hoof on her mane, feeling her take hitching breaths and trying not to cry. Finally, she wiped her face and looked back up at him, trying to force a calm face. “Sorry…I’m ok…just thought of something not so good, that’s all.” “Nothing to be sorry for, Scoots,” Volare smiled and pulled her in close to his side, holding her until her breathing steadied and she gave him a soft shove in the ribs. “Ok, ok, I’m good, dude,” she chuckled and gave him a mock scowl that brought a smile to his lips at how brave she was trying to be. “I’ll be fine. Promise.” “I know ya will,” he winked and they both looked up as Spike returned, finishing scribbling the letter and reading it out loud. “Ok, it’s not much but here goes. Ahem: Dear Princess Celestia. This is Spike writing on behalf of Twilight’s friend, Volare. He just wants to let Twilight know that he’s doing well in his recovery and is planning on participating in The Running of the Leaves today. We’re both wondering how Twilight’s progress with the healing spell she went to find is going and if she’ll be bringing it back with her when she returns. Also, should we expect her in time for the race? Your humble servant, Spike. Sound good?” “Short, sweet, and to the point,” Volare nodded. “Send it.” “Yessir!” Spike saluted and burned the letter, sending the embers flying out the window in the direction of Canterlot. “Shouldn’t take long for her to reply.” As they waited, Volare observed the close-knit group of ponies chatting amongst themselves, speaking of subjects ranging from cutie marks, to cooking, to farm and harvest work. It all blended into a low drone that Volare found a bit relaxing. In fact, he found himself dozing off when Spike suddenly coughed and belched fire, spitting a letter marked with a Sun Seal out onto the table and drawing everypony’s attention. Even Shae, who was keeping watch outside the window, looked in curiously at the bright flash of light. “Eh-heh, sorry bout that, everypony,” Spike said sheepishly and opened the letter. The message was clearly written by Celestia and seemed almost too short: Dearest Spike, unfortunately, due to circumstances regarding Twilight’s research here, she’s much too tired to participate in the race today. And in regards to the healing spell…Twilight needs to speak to you personally about that. I wish you all a safe Running of the Leaves, and forgive me for not attending this year. Good Running! -Celestia Volare felt his heart sink slightly at that announcement; the original reason he was participating in this thing was so he could beat Twilight fair and square in a race. But now that obviously wasn’t going to happen. And what Celestia had written back, about Twilight having to speak with him about the spell personally…it was hard to gauge one’s tone via writing, but that statement really didn’t seem all that optimistic. As the blue Pegasus’ brow continued to furrow, it was Spike’s turn to give him a gentle shake. “Hey dude, I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll bet she’s just doing her best not to distract you from the race, that’s all,” the dragon said hopefully. “Yeah, maybe you’re right,” Volare said half-heartedly. But one look down at Scootaloo’s smiling face made him force those feelings to the side. He had plenty of time to worry (if there even was a reason to worry) once Twilight returned. For now, Scootaloo was counting on him, as were the rest of the Crusaders. He was determined to put on a happy face for them at the very least, no matter what perceived bad news he got! BAM! “Ooooh yeah, what’s up, everypony!?” A boisterous voice emanated from the blue and prismatic streak that jetted through the front door and came to a sudden halt right above the table Volare was sitting at, startling him so badly that he nearly tumbled backwards off his seat. Rainbow Dash (who else?) landed gracefully and gave the room a wild grin before looking down at Volare and chuckling. “Scare ya there, flyboy?” “N-no, no way!” he protested, sitting up straight and tall, though this only put him at the level of her knees. “Chair’s just got a wobbly leg, that’s all.” “That was awesome!” Scootaloo shouted excitedly and grinned up at her personal idol. “I try, I try,” the rainbow Pegasus flipped her mane before jumping off the table and sitting next to Volare. “So what’s up dude? You ready to get whooped in this race?” “Oh, heh, I already knew that was gonna happen. It’s ok, cuz Scoots and I are gonna be running together anyway.” Volare explained, much to Dash’s surprise. “Oh really?” she squinted at the orange Pegasus filly. “You trying to usurp me as race champ, squirt?” “Maybe,” Scootaloo grinned back. “Wait, what’s ‘usurp’ mean?” “Hard ta be dethroned when ya don’t hold tha crown in tha first place,” a country-accented voice chided the rainbow Pegasus. “I think it’s that particular pony you may wanna worry about,” Volare chuckled and nodded past Dash. She turned curiously and found she was face to face with her athletic rival, Applejack. “Mornin’, Dash,” the farm mare grinned fiercely. “Now what was that ya’ll were sayin’ bout tha race?” “Oh, nothin’ much,” Dash matched her tooth for tooth in her own determined smile. “Just that I’m gonna smoke everypony in it this year!” “Oh really?” Applejack rolled her eyes. “And how’s that gonnna be any different from last year when Ah whupped ya fair, square, and soundly, eh?” “Ohoho, don’t you worry about that, AJ,” Dash flicked the brim of her friend’s Stetson, causing Volare and Scootaloo to ooooh softly. “I’ve been workin’ on something extra special to gimme the edge this year!” “Well, Ah’ll believe it when Ah see it, Rainbow,” Applejack snorted softly. “But save it fer tha startin’ line. Right now, we’re all tryin’ ta grab some grub afore-hoof.” “Why ya think I’m here?” Dash asked innocently. “I’m looking forward to some of Pinkie’s cooking to start my day!” She rubbed her hooves in anticipation. “What’s on the menu, Pinks?” she asked the party mare, who’d hopped over to wait on her friend. Without hesitation, Dash picked the biggest bowl of cereal on the menu, and soon had her muzzle buried in milk and oats, devouring her meal with gusto that nearly made Applejack jealous. After nearly an hour of good-natured back and forth banter in which the group of companions traded playful barbs and stories (though they all would admit that it wasn’t quite the same without Twilight being there), they all began to get a little antsy, looking up at the clock that hung behind the counter of the bakery and counting the minutes that remained before the race finally began. When the time finally came, the small crowd filed out of the bakery and headed out the east side of Ponyville, Shae following above them as they finally reached the pre-ordained starting and finish line at the edge of the Whitetail Wood, a large forest that lay in the shadow of Canterlot Mountain. Stands lining either side of the line were quickly filling with residents of the town who were mainly eager to see who would win the race this year: Applejack or Rainbow Dash. The air itself seemed to be charged with nervous energy, as if it had somehow been anticipating this all year long. Spike ran along the edge of the grounds to a flat pink hot air balloon laying on the ground. with a blast of green fire, he quickly inflated the balloon and tethered it to a stake before running back over to the growing group of racers, the likes of which also included the CMC, Volare, Big Macintosh, and Rarity, who’d finally decided that no hat was probably for the best; no point in mucking it up on a tree branch or something worse. “Ok, guys, for all you new racers this year, here’s how it goes.” Spike pointed towards Canterlot Mountain which rose to the northeast of them. “The path circles the mountain for about 20 miles and comes back here. It’s a long race, so pace yourself. There’s just a couple of rules,” Spike explained, as if this were old hat, though in truth it was only his third year doing this. “Stay on the path, use only your legs in the race, and above all: no cheating!” “Yeah,” Applejack bumped Rainbow Dash with her hip as Spike handed out numbers for the racers. “Not like it’d help ya win, though.” “Heh, not gonna have to cheat this time!” Dash crowed unabashedly and flexed a foreleg. “I had this in the bag before I even woke up, cowgirl!” “We’ll see,” the orange mare snorted and grinned, taking her spot on the starting line. Volare stepped to the line wearing number 16, and nervous as all get out; it had been a long time since he’d done anything in front of a whole load of folks like this. Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash spotted it, and called him out on it. “Getting stage fright, flyboy?” “Of course not!” he protested. “Just shakin’ out the nerves, that’s all!” “Well, I guess somepony has to take Twilight’s place as race egghead, eh? Heh-heh!” “I’ll take that as a compliment on my sharp wit, Dashie!” Volare shot her a grin. “Haha, good one!” Dash snickered. “Still doesn’t make ya fast like me, though!” “Watch it there, sugarcube,” Applejack warned with a smirk. “Volare’s been workin’ them legs purdy well tha last two weeks. He just might surprise ya if’n ya’ll ain’t careful!” “Yeah, well we’ll see about that!” Rainbow Dash gave a snort as Volare smiled his thanks at Applejack. “Thanks, AJ.” “No problem, pardner,” she winked and settled herself at the line, as did Dash. “Now Volare, be careful with Scootaloo,” Fluttershy cautioned him as the filly in question took her position next to him, mirroring Rainbow Dash’s starting stance. “She’s never run a race this long before, and if she gets tired, you might”- “Ah Fluttershy, you worry too much,” Scootaloo waved a hoof dismissively, prompting Volare to shrug helplessly. “I’ll be ok! Besides, we both know it’s really Volare we gotta worry about,” she gave him a playful nudge in the leg, inadvertently nicking the hoof still sore from wrestling Applejack two days ago. “Aha, yeah,” Volare grinned toothily to hide a grimace of pain as Fluttershy took a seat near the edge of the stands, Iron Will preferring to stand next to her. “Well, I say that as fellow Crusaders, we just look out for each other and call it even. Deal?” “Deal!” Scootaloo grinned and waved down the line to Applebloom and Sweetie Belle who were also taking their marks along with their own siblings. “Good luck you guys!” “See ya’ll at tha finish line!” Applebloom called back and nuzzled Big Mac’s leg. “Ya ready, big brother?” “Eeyup!” the large red pony nodded and squinted down the path, waiting for the bell. “Ready, Sweetie Belle?” Rarity smiled down at her little sister. “Mhm, sure am!” she squeaked in reply. “I think this’ll be even better than the Sisterhooves Social cuz we’re sisters from the beginning instead of knowing at the end like last time.” “Ah, that’s so…wait you were listening in on me, weren’t you?” Rarity gave her sister a wary squint. “Maaaaybe,” she smiled innocently, making the Element of Generosity shake her head in disbelief. “My little sister is growing up and becoming an eavesdropping little lady,” she sniffled, though nopony could tell if it was being serious or overly dramatic. “Where has the time gone to?” Volare, Dash, and Scootaloo all facehoofed at their dramatic friend before they all three realized what they’d done, laughing a bit before refocusing their minds on the task at hoof. They glanced to the side as Pinkie made her way to the balloon along with Spike, who set up a loudspeaker in the basket before they hopped in and untied the balloon, which began to rise into the air. With little warning, Shae took flight again and flew near the basket, taking up an overwatch position on the basket edge and nearly scaring the living daylights out of Spike before Pinkie assured him that the great osprey was friendly. “Testing, testing, uno, dos, tres!” Pinkie Pie giggled into the loudspeaker for a moment. “Welcome to the annual Running of the Leaves!” she announced to hoofstomps and cheers from the ponies in the stands. For the third year in a row, I’m here with my co-announcer Spike the dragon to give you an eye in the sky view of all the action! This year, we have some old faces along with a few new ones, and”- “Whoa, whoa, hold on!” a voice cried out from the edge of the crowd. Everypony turned to see a mint-green Unicorn with wild golden eyes pushing her way through to the starting line, grabbing a number marker from a pile on the ground and grinning sheepishly. “Sorry I’m late you guys; that train ride was killer!” “Welcome to the show, Lyra,” Volare chuckled, causing the musical Unicorn’s eyes to brighten as she sidled up to him with a wide grin. “What’s up?” “Heh, just came here from Canterlot with something that might help ya,” she nodded back towards town. “I’ve got it sitting in my stuff at the Gilded Griffon, and I’ll show ya after the race; you’re gonna freak when ya see it, I’ll bet!” “In that case, I guess I’ll have to make time to go check it out,” Volare smirked. “Oh, also,” Lyra leaned in and whispered. “Celestia and I had a little talk about that feeling I get when I’m near stuff from Earth…and I’m getting it soooo bad right now!” she laughed at the blue Pegasus’ shocked reaction. “We’ll talk about it later! For now, let’s race!” “Y-yeah, let’s,” Volare shook his head in disbelief. Well, I guess she’d figure it out eventually…oh well, I guess worse stuff could happen, right? “On your mark!” Spike called out from above them. Volare looked down the line to Dash, who gave him a fierce grin and a nod. “Get set!” Pinkie cried. The blue and yellow Pegasus then glanced down at Scootaloo and nearly laughed out loud at the sprinter’s stance she’d taken. He crouched down as well, planning on not getting separated from her during the initial mad rush. Let’s do this! BR-R-R-R-IIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGG!!!! the loud speaker’s bell rang, sending the racers galloping forward in a growing cloud of dust. The Running of the Leaves had finally begun! “Annnnnnd they’re off with the bell like a herd of stampeding…well, ponies!” Pinkie Pie announced excitedly as the leaves began to be shaken from the trees by the thundering hooves of the herd below them. “As I was saying before, we have some old faces back for more this year, like Rainbow Dash and Applejack, whom many of you have come out to see and root for this year! Applejack is the defending champion from last year and is plenty proud of it, but according to Rainbow Dash, she’s gonna ‘smoke everypony in the field’ this year! Hrm, why would she wanna smoke them? I think that’s kinda gross, don’t you, Spike? Why not just finish ahead of them?” “Uh, I dunno, Pinkie Pie,” Spike replied with a shake of his head as Dash and Applejack shot ahead of the herd and disappeared around a bend.. “Anyway, though Dash and AJ will be the main spectacles this year, as evidenced by their early separation from the pack, we have many new faces participating this year as well!” “Mhm, righto-rooney, Spike!” Pinkie grinned. “Our latecomer Lyra Hearstrings nearly missed the race like she did last year, while a few surprise entries have already made themselves known and are making a name for themselves too!” Down below, Lyra shook a hoof at the balloon, shouting something about being stuck in Bon-Bon’s taffy machine last year, while Big Macintosh plowed ahead through the cloud of dust and falling leaves kicked up by the thundering hooves of the ponies in front of and around him, keeping Applebloom in the corner of his vision as he reached an open spot in the path, surprised at his own sudden desire to put on a good show for his little sister. “Ya’ll keepin’ up ok back there, Applebloom?” “Yep, Ah’m good!” the yellow filly called back with a grin, but immediately closed her mouth to avoid getting anymore dirt stuck in her teeth. “Blech, gross!” Behind them, Rarity and Sweetie Belle were galloping neck-and-neck with Volare and Scootaloo, the older ponies trading barbs about who would have the worst mane-do by the end of this whole ordeal, while the younger fillies shouted excitedly about getting their marks this way, and if they did, how they’d have to run even more races in the future! “Hear that, Volare?” Scootaloo chuckled and nudged her running partner, ducking under a large flying wad of orange and red leaves. “If this works, we’ll be spending even more time as running buddies!” “Whew, sounds good, Scoots!” Volare shouted back over the roar of pony hooves. “Well darling, looks like this is where we must part ways!” Rarity smirked as she spotted an opening in the crowd before her and her sister. “Ta!” “See ya Scoots!” Sweetie Belle called back as the Unicorn duo shot through the gap and headed up the pack towards Applebloom and Big Mac. That left Volare and Scootaloo squarely at the back of the crowd with Lyra, who already seemed to be winded. “You ok, Lyra?” Volare huffed in concern. “Who me? Yeah, I’m good!” Lyra shook her mane and galloped on. “Just a little tired from running all morning before getting here, that’s all!” “Well, I hope it was all worth it,” the blue Pegasus replied, and to his surprise, Lyra grinned widely again. “Oh trust me, it’ll be waaay worth it…for you,” she winked and looked ahead. “See ya at the finish line, guys!” she flicked her tail and took off after Rarity and Sweetie Belle, leaving the Pegasus pair in her very sudden dust. “Ach-aha, what’d she mean by that?” Scootaloo coughed and cocked an eyebrow. “You got me, Scoots,” he shrugged before giving her a friendly nudge. “Hey, I know darn well you can catch up to the rest of the CMC up there. I’ll be ok back here,” he winked, but she shook her head once. “Nah, I promised Fluttershy I’d keep an eye on you,” she gave him a cheeky grin. “And that’s what I’m gonna do…even if you are a slowpoke, hee-hee!” “Oh come on, I’m not that slow!” he sputtered as Scootaloo ran a quick circle around him, giggling all the while. “Ok, maybe a little slow but not-aww come on Scoots, gimme a break!” he laughed as he and the smaller Pegasus filly galloped along at a brisk pace, watching in mild awe at how just their own meager hoofsteps were enough to shake the remainder of the leaves from the trees, almost as if they were the ones officially ushering in the beginning of the Autumn season itself ……………….. Unfortunately, they weren’t the only ones observing the arrival of Autumn, at least in a benevolent fashion. In their wonder, the two Pegasi failed to notice the pair of green-eyed shadows flitting from bush to stump to boulder along the path, always keeping within sight of the trailing ponies. After a few minutes of observing that the two Pegasi weren’t going anywhere fast, the stalkers convened at a small glade off to the side of the road and blocked off by thickly-growing birch trees. “Ok, so what’s the plan?” the female shadow asked, tossing off the hood that semi-camouflaged her among the underbrush to reveal none other than Jill the Unicorn. “Just get in there, grab the brat, cut that Volare to shreds, and run?” “That’s about the size of it,” her companion nodded, tossing aside his own cloak to reveal her brother Ray, his face full of anticipation. “But we only tear up Volare if he gets in the way. This is supposed to be hit-and-run, not stand-and-fight,” he looked up at the flashes of pink hot air balloon that occasionally poked through the tree canopy. “There’re too many eyes watching and ears listening for it to be anything but.” “Aww, who cares if they see?” Jill whined softly, her hooves extending into dark claws and her mane roping out into a raggedy ridge of green fur that ran down the grey and brown fur of her back. “Isn’t this what these disguises are for?” She gave an evil laugh through the mouthful of sharp teeth sprouting from her gums as Ray began a similar change himself. “Yes, that’s true,” he snarled, his body lengthening slightly, hindquarters becoming larger and more muscular as his front legs shrank in size, dropping his head closer to the ground on a strong, stout neck. “But we can’t use magic in these disguises to defend ourselves if an Element Holder gets wind of what’s happening and comes to help. So, this has gotta be quick!” He gnashed his teeth experimentally, and involuntarily gave off a low noise that resembled a mixture of demonic laughter and the anguished cries of a crazypony. “Ugh, I hate some of the side-effects of this thing!” “I dunno, I kinda like it, hee-hee-hee-haa-haw-gaah-hee-haaa,” Jill cackled for a moment before sniffing the air, the predatory instincts of the animal form she and her brother had taken beginning to kick in. “You know, our Boss may irritate the hay outta me sometimes, but ya gotta admit, he gives out some great early Hearths-Warming Eve gifts,” she flexed her claws and tore a branch off a bush experimentally. “This spell is awesome!” “Heh, you got that right,” Ray chuckled himself, looking back along the green ridge of fur running along his own spine down to the scraggly green tail that completed the disguise of an Everfree Forest Cryhena. True, they hadn’t been seen this far east in Equestria for some time, but this would do just fine for their assignment. Cryhenas’ senses allowed them to track prey better than anypony could ever hope, and that alone insured that Volare and Scootaloo would never be able to hide from them in these woods. “Come on, Ray,” Jill growled and began to stalk out onto the path. “They’re getting away!” “No, wait, we gotta figure out a way to get them further away from the others,” he glanced up at the hovering balloon again. “Some way to get them out of-wait, I’ve got an idea! Follow me, sis!” He gave her a fang-filled grin and dashed across the path, sprinting through the woods at break-neck speed to get ahead of the Pegasus pair, his sister hot on his heels. He’d better have a damn good plan, cuz she was already getting antsy to tear something to pieces! Volare, ooohhh, you’d better decide to fight because it’s been waaaaay too long, she practically moaned to herself in the thrill of the promised slaughter to come! ……………………. “Whew, hold up a minute, Scoots,” Volare pleaded, limping slightly up to a large maple tree. The filly turned with a look of concern on her face and trotted back over to her partner, giving his chest a worried nuzzle. “You alright, Volare?” “Oh yeah, just this hoof is giving me issues,” he shook the sore appendage in question. “It’s just cramping on me a big, that’s all. Just gimme a sec and I’ll stretch it out.” “Ah, no problem,” Scootaloo nodded. “As long as you’re ok, it’s all good,” she buzzed her wings and jumped/flew up onto a head-high rock and perched there, watching her running mate work the kink out of his sore limb. “Heh, whatcha doing up there, Scoots?” he chuckled after noticing where she’d gone. “Keepin’ an eye out for danger!” Scootaloo smirked playfully and scanned the area like a little soldier, giving him a salute after a moment. “All clear, sir!” “Get down here before you fall and land on your adorable little head,” Volare laughed and kicked a pile of fallen leaves at her. “Adorable? Eww, gross,” she made a face and glided down from the rock and landed next to him, tucking her small wings back up against her sides with a grin of accomplishment. “Impressive,” Volare nodded. “How’d you pick that up?” “Learned from the best,” Scootaloo replied matter-of-factly. “Aha, Rainbow Dash I take it?” “No,” she said in a tone that made Volare take pause and look down at her questioningly. “Learned from you, dude,” she said and gave him a smile that nearly made his heart burst in pride, adoration, and just…sheer happiness for the little filly. That she attributed her progress to him…that he was making a positive influence in her life…it really struck a chord within him. “You ok, Volare?” “Huh?” “You’ve got a tear running down your face, dude,” Scootaloo frowned in concern and cocked her head. “Does your leg hurt that bad? Maybe we should just stop and let Pinkie pick us up if it does.” “Nah, it’s not my leg,” Volare shook his head and wiped his face with the back of his hoof, feeling his face burning in embarrassment as he did so. “The pain’s a little higher up.” Somewhere around the chest area… “But I’ll be ok.” “Promise?” she asked, a bit unconvinced. “Promise,” he grinned and leaned back off of the tree, testing his weight on his hoof and nodding at the diminishment of pain in the limb. “I think I’ll make it.” “Well, let’s test it out!” Scootaloo said suddenly and galloped ahead a few paces before turning back. “Come on Volare, race ya to that rock!” she indicated a large boulder by the edge of the trail further up ahead. “You’re on!” he growled softly and took off after the giggling filly, though with her headstart and quicker hoof-speed, she beat him there by a healthy margin. “Heh, now what? Race ya to that bush?” “The one shaped like you, all tall and skinny and goofy-looking?” Scootaloo teased and took off. “Gonna beat ya there again!” “Not without a fight you won’t!” he laughed and forced the dull ache of his hoof aside, chasing the filly and feeling a rising sense of joy he hadn’t felt this strongly in a long, long time. Again and again, the fleet-footed filly beat him to their mini-race destinations, and in this way, they quickly worked their way up around the base of the mountain, and soon were nearing the northeast corner where according to Rainbow Dash, a hairpin turn would send them back on the home stretch towards Ponyville through a bunch of maple trees. “Dammit,” Volare hissed to himself as the cramp in his hoof returned with a vengeance, forcing him to lean against another tree near a sign planted in fork in the road and stretch it. Scootaloo, ever the bundle of energy, ran circles around him, stopping only after he playfully threatened to stick out a hoof and trip her just to see how far she’d roll. “Aww, you’re no fun,” she nudged him playfully and finally settled down for a moment. Volare, seeing the disappointment on his face, just couldn’t help himself, and against his better judgment, he put on a tougher face for his little sister for the day. “Hey, I can be fun,” he squinted. “You calling me Mr. Unfun or something?” Scootaloo took the hint in his voice and crouched down in the path like a cat ready to pounce. “Maaaaybe…prove you can be fun!” her whole body seemed tensed and ready to spring into action as she spoke with a wide, playful grin. “Ok, gimme a real challenge! And none of this ‘race me to a tree’ stuff,” he stepped away from the tree, ready for anything. “Hrm…I know!” Scootaloo declared as she looked towards the split in the path. “See the hill the trail climbs up?” “Yeah,” he replied, already slightly regretting his decision to allow her to pick the challenge. “What about it?” “Would you consider it tougher to race me to the top of that instead of to another boring old tree?” the Pegasus filly smirked, knowing she had Volare caught. “Um…what happens if I say yes?” “Race ya there!” she suddenly shouted and took off, turning left as indicated by the arrow on the sign. She got fully a quarter of the way up the hill before turning and waving to Volare. “Come on, slowpoke!” “Grrr, you asked for it, Scoots!” the blue Pegasus growled playfully and limped to the bottom of the hill, looking up at the cheekily-grinning Scootaloo. “If you don’t beat me to the top, I’m gonna tickle the hay outta ya!” And with that, he turned left at the arrow, his mind pushing aside the near-silent alarm bell that went off at the momentary familiarity of the situation that struck him. He forced himself to charge up the hill, the filly’s squeals of delight rolling down past him as the pair raced up the steep embankment. But after passing the halfway point, Volare began to flag. The lingering effects of his wing injury coupled with his aching hoof finally served to slow him to a near-crawl up the hill. His leg muscles screamed in burning pain, and perspiration poured down his face, forcing him to blink the sweat from his eyes, the very action of which seemed to tempt him to nod off and rest, just for harmless little moment. He very nearly decided to lay down on the cool, inviting dirt that the covered the incline before he heard Scootaloo shout down at him. When he looked up, time seemed to stop as he took in the eerily familiar scene above him. “Come on Volare! Don’t give up!” Scootaloo cheered him on, beckoning him to take the spot next to her at the crest of the hill. Her little knees were scuffed and scraped from the climb, but the rough and tumble filly grinned anyway, sending a thrill through him. He half-considered questioning this curveball that fate had thrown him, but after a moment, he thought better of it, deciding to play along. “Easy for you to say, Scoots; you don’t have a half-busted hoof!” he called up, shaking the appendage in protest. “What a lame excuse!” Scootaloo shook her head. “You jumped up every time Applejack threw you to the ground, and I know that had to be worse than this! Either that, or you’re just letting me win,” she teased before mock-gasping. “But I could have sworn you agreed to never do that! Volare, are you going back on your word?” “Wouldn’t think of it, Scoots,” he chuckled and heaved himself to his hooves, trudging up the hill once more. “Oooh, oooh, no, I know what it is!” Scootaloo practically danced as she spoke. “Maybe Pinion was right…maybe you’re just an old-timer after all, hee-hee!” “Gimme a break, Scoots!” Volare grumbled. “You know that Pinion is an idiot anyways!” “Yeah, well maybe I thought he was,” she continued. “Maybe I suddenly think he’s smart and handsome, and-whoa!” she shouted as Volare suddenly surged up the hill. “Oh I know you didn’t just say what I think you just said!” he growled playfully and lunged, clearing the top of the hill and landing next to the startled Scootaloo with a very protective big-brother-like glint in his eye. He grabbed up Scootaloo and slung her over his shoulder, balancing her on his good wing as he spun in a circle and laughed like a fool. “Now you take that back or I’ll spin till we both lose our breakfast all over this hillside!” “Alright, alright, I give!” Scootaloo cried after a moment, grabbing Volare around the head and pulling him to the ground, tickling his ribs with her back hooves until he reached up and flipped her onto her back. “My turn!” he chuckled and proceeded to give her the tickling of her life, the tomboyish filly finally turning over on her belly and crawling a short distance away before turning and leaping back onto Volare’s head, giving him the best hoof-noogie she could muster. After a good few more minutes of this horseplay, the Pegasus duo flopped down onto their backs, a giggling, half-worn-out mass of aching ribs and stomachs. “We need to do this again, Volare,” Scootaloo declared after a moment, looking up at the blue Pegasus, who’s chin her head was resting under. “Cuz this is fun as all hay.” “Heh, I wouldn’t mind,” he nodded, his chin mussing her purple mane as she did so and making her giggle and snuggle up closer under his chin. “But that’d mean we’d have to wait till next year. And what about your sibling-racing cutie mark? What if you don’t get it today?” “Meh, that was kinda a long-shot anyway,” she chuckled. “But if ya wanna, we can try other sibling stuff…it’d be something I’ve never really had a chance to try till now, ya know?” she said off-hoofedly, though the implications of her statement resonated hopefully within Volare. “But we already said I’m just a stand-in,” the older Pegasus protested, his hope fading at his own words. “A Big Brother For a Day, I think…or so Pinkie said.” To his surprise, Scootaloo leaned up and looked him in the eyes, her expression one of deep and serious thought; in all honesty a rather-foreign feeling for the normally leap-before-she-looked filly. “And she also said there’s no rulebook for getting your cutie mark…and I think she said something else about you being my big brother for longer than a day,” a grin began to grow across her face. “That right?” “You’re as big an eavesdropper as Sweetie Belle,” Volare chuckled, bringing his hoof up to his forehead. “Oh where has the time gone to?” he imitated the fashionista. “I’m serious, Volare,” Scootaloo’s tone got his attention. This wasn’t a joke after all… “Did I hear right?” “Yeah…yeah, you did,” the older Pegasus admitted. “Soo…since there’s no rules about it really…you wanna be my big brother again to help me get my cutie mark? Except, ya know, for longer than a day?” it was her turn to ask hopefully. “And then, I dunno, maybe even after we get our marks?” “Scoots, I…what you’re asking…I dunno,” Volare said, suddenly hesitant. What were the Equestrian rules on this sorta thing? What if he said yes but then they said no and he ended up disappointing Scootaloo? But one look at her hopeful expression and all doubt melted. This was what she wanted, and this was absolutely what he wanted. With a small but happy sigh, he nodded. “Yes. I’ll do it, Scoots.” “Really? No fooling, dude?” she asked warily. “No fooling,” he held up a hoof. “On my life.” “Heh, sweet,” Scootaloo smiled before gasping slightly and looking back to him with a wide grin. “Oh my gosh, this is awesome! I have a big brother!!! YEAAAAHH!!!” She hopped to her hooves and leaped about the hilltop, bucking dirt every which way and making Volare laugh until his sides hurt. He didn’t have the heart to tell her there might be legal issues involved with this arrangement, because at this point, he could care less. Aggie, he thought suddenly. I promised I’d fix what happened…I just hope this is the right way to do it…to redeem myself for failing you like I promised I never would. Thanks, sis…thanks for everything… He smiled inwardly before turning back to the proudly-strutting filly. “Dude, we gotta tell everypony!” Scootaloo continued to crow before Volare realized something. “Uhh, Scoots, hate to burst your bubble, but we gotta find somepony before we tell them.” “Oh hay, you’re right,” the filly grinned sheepishly before the pair jogged over the rise, continuing to climb in altitude as they went along. …………. “I can’t believe that worked,” Jill gaped at the arrow that Ray had switched in the fork of the path. “Heh, oldest trick in the book, sis,” Ray grinned toothily. “Plus I know these woods like the back of my hoof-er-paw,” he flexed and studied the clawed appendage for a moment before nodding towards the hill the two Pegasi had run up, giggling like a couple of fools. “Maybe you’re right and that guy is a foal-creeper.” “Or a filly-file; the worst sort,” Jill growled. “What better reason than to rip his good off, eh Ray?” Her brother shuddered at the thought before shaking it away. He very nearly might pity this guy when they caught them. “Come on sis, they’re gonna run outta road here soon, and they’ll be tired from climbing up there,” he started towards the embankment. “And I wanna catch’em before they un-corner themselves!” …………. “I dunno Scoots,” Volare looked around them as they continued to climb. “This just doesn’t feel right.” “Whatcha mean?” the filly asked, seemingly unbothered by the off things bothering the older Pegasus. “Well, for example: there are still leaves on the trees here,” he nodded up at the still-leafy branches. “Well duh, that’s what the race is for; knocking them off,” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “You worry too much, dude.” “No, that’s not it,” Volare frowned. “I mean, the group we were following had knocked just about all the leaves off the trees ahead of us up to this point. So why are there still leaves in the trees?” “Oh, good question,” the Pegasus filly replied, a feeling of unease finally germinating in her own belly. “And if we’re following the race group, where are their hoof prints?” He pointed at the ground in realization. True, the ground was rather rocky and devoid of dirt, but if two dozen racing ponies came dashing through, they’d leave some sort of sign of their passage: broken sticks, hoof prints, bent branches. But so far, ever since they took that left fork in the road, they’d seen none of that. “Plus, Rainbow Dash said something about some maple trees past a fork in the road; haven’t seen a single one yet!” “Huh, you think we took a wrong turn or something?” Scootaloo asked as the road before them curved around a rock wall…and dead-ended at the edge of a steep-edged cliff that jutted out over the woods. “I’m gonna say yeah,” Volare groaned. Fluttershy and the rest were gonna kill him! He had to admit though, it honestly wasn’t that bad of a view…until he realized that the forest below and behind them had grown quiet…too quiet. Deathly quiet in fact. No birds sang, no bugs buzzed, even the wind itself seemed to momentarily cease. It was eerie enough to make the hair on the Pegasi’s necks stand on end. The thing was, Volare seemed to recall that things like this only happened when predators were near… SNAP The sound of a breaking twig down the hill behind them caused both ponies to jump and turn in mid-air to face the source of the noise. Soon, a soft sobbing chuckle wafted around the rock wall towards them, making them tense and back up a step towards the edge. Accompanying the chuckling cries were the sounds of growling and claws scraping on stone as something approached them. “V-volare?” Scootaloo whimpered slightly, pressing her small body against his. “What’s going on?” “I dunno,” he whispered back and placed a foreleg protectively in front of her. But the misshapen twin shapes that came stalking around the corner made his heart pound in fear. “C-cryhenas,” he managed to mutter as the predators cackled at the sight of their prey. Everything that Iron Will had said about the animals that had nearly ended his own life came rushing back to Volare. The shape of the body, slightly shorter but more stoutly-built than the Pegasus, remained the same, though he didn’t remember the minotaur speaking of the color of their ragged spine hair, which on these particular individuals was a dull, mossy green; the same with the scraggly tails that nearly dragged along the ground behind them. The sharp claws that scratched on the stone as they approached gleamed dully in the afternoon sun. The jaws, perfectly suited for cracking the leg bone of a minotaur, nevermind a pony, opened and closed in a semblance of speech. That was something else that Iron Will never mentioned; how intelligent these predators seemed, almost as if they really could talk and taunt their cornered prey. Imagine Volare’s surprise when the one closest to them spoke through a cackling laugh. “Well, well, well, what’ve we got here, hee-haaa-ha? Two little ponies who’ve lost their way?” it snarled in a vague reference to a female voice. “Sis, this is supposed to be a disguise!” the other beast (a male) growled and swatted at the back legs of the female, who whirled and snapped at him. “Gah, who cares? Nopony’s gonna see anything way back here anyway?” The female turned back and grinned a mouthful of fangs at her prey. “Give us the filly and nopony gets hurt,” the male suddenly demanded. “Aww, can’t we please hurt them just a teensy little bit?” the female whined and flexed her claws, gouging a scrawling mark along the rock wall as she did so. “What the hell is this?!” Volare growled himself, taking a step forward. “Scoots, get behind me…now!” “R-right,” the filly nodded and scooted backwards until he stood protectively over her. “You know these guys?” the pilot asked, trying his best to stall for time and keep her calm. “N-no way!” “Well, you know what they say about talking to strangers,” he declared and bared his teeth. “So why don’t you two guys just get lost, eh?” “Yeah, go the hay away!” Scootaloo added fiercely. “Fat chance!” the male growled and stepped closer. “We’re not leaving without her!” he pointed a claw at the glaring filly. “We don’t have all day, so give her up! Now!” the female demanded. “Yeah right,” Volare snarled and stomped a hoof. “Over my dead body!” “Oh I was soooo hoping you’d say that,” the female predator crept closer. “You take the big one. I’ll grab the kid!” The male instructed as he too came closer and closer, forcing the ponies to back up until their hooves very nearly hung off the edge of the embankment behind them. “Wouldn’t have it any other way!” the female grinned and gnashed her fangs. “Volare, what do we do?” Scootaloo whimpered and grabbed at his foreleg, igniting a spark of anger inside of him. How dare they do this?! How dare they threaten him and his...his little sister like this!?! He looked back over the edge and thought he might see a way down…a painful way, but much less worse than being chewed up here! “Scoots, get on my back,” he ordered, to which she quickly complied. “What’s this? Ponyride time, heh-heh-heh!” the male chuckled and prepared to leap at them. “You holding on tight, Scootaloo?” Volare asked, feeling her grip his mane in her shaky little hooves in response. “Yeah,” she whispered and stared wide-eyed through his spiky mane at the two Cryhenas mere inches away, so close they could feel their hot breath wash over them as the predators laughed in anticipation of the kill. “Good…cuz this could get rough…” -------------------------------- Canterlot… “Wait, so you’re telling me that Lyra’s got Volare figured out?” Twilight asked around a mouthful of cereal, her question directed towards Princess Celestia who’d come to pay her student one last visit before seeing her off. Princess Cadance had prepared a quick and simple brunch for her husband and sister-in-law before they departed, while Princess Luna had arrived shortly after noon, accepting their offer of some simple granola and berries. “Well, somewhat. I may have dropped enough hints for her to figure it out,” Celestia grinned somewhat sheepishly. “I actually think it might be beneficial for you and Lyra to help each other in your studies, as she has a rather large collection of human artifacts to study right there in Ponyville.” “What?!” Twilight spewed cereal onto the tabletop before she could stop her outburst, nearly dropping the tea she’d been levitating as well but luckily had the presence of mind to sit it on the table before continuing. “Where the hay has she been keeping them and why hasn't she told me about this?!" “I advised her that it would be wise to keep it under wraps if she could, for a number of reasons,” the Sun Goddess chuckled as Twilight quickly mopped up the mess with a rag. Which might have necessitated her giving me that box of socks when she ran out of room to store them...oh well. “Which is also why I’d like for you to study with her, as you seem to have a bit more self-control, and don’t seem to be the one to go shouting the findings of your sensitive studies all over Equestria.” “Heh, most of the time!” Shining Armor chuckled and nudged his sister as he trotted by. “Remember the Library?” “Yes, yes, we all remember,” the Librarian rolled her eyes and smiled apologetically at Celestia. “Anyway…you say you don’t want her…our discoveries spread everywhere. Any particular reason?” She had been hoping that she’d managed to change her mentor’s general opinion on humans, but now she feared she was taking a step back again. But the Sun Goddess’ answer alleviated her worries somewhat, while raising yet another new question. “It’s not what you think, Twilight Sparkle,” she explained slowly and clearly. “Ever since I’ve known of the humans, they’ve worried me for two reasons, one of which we’ve already gone into great detail about; although in regards to that, you’ve helped me see that not all humans are inherently bad.” Twilight smiled with a hint of pride at that. “There is another reason I’ve wanted to keep information on them relatively quiet, though. It’s rather minor compared to the human race in general, but you need to know that there are…certain creatures in Equestria and beyond that sometimes display an unhealthy fixation on off-worlders, and humans are no exception.” “Ah, I see,” Twilight nodded and glanced to the side for confirmation from Luna, but the Night Princess simply continued to silently eat her food and observe the conversation. Hrm, she must’ve had a later night than I thought… “And I take it Lyra is one of them?” “She’s getting that way, yes,” Celestia chuckled lightly. “But fortunately, she’s what you call a benevolent-obsessed, mainly doing what she does for research and recreation. No, the one’s I worry about are the malevolent-obsessed, the ones that would do anything in their power to grab hold of the tiniest shred of human information and bend it to their will.” “How so?” Twilight cocked her head bemusedly. Celestia sighed softly and frowned before continuing. “For example: imagine if Queen Chrysalis had been a human-malevolent-obsessed creature and had gotten her hooves on human technology, such as their guns,” Twilight’s eyes widened in growing horror. “Imagine how much worse the Wedding Incident might have gone if her entire army had been armed with human weaponry. That is what I fear: somepony with an evil heart getting ahold of one of their terribly destructive inventions and using it for their evil purposes. That is why I’m so worried about the wrong information getting out about humans. That is why I caution against randomly bringing objects to our worlds, because it’s like fishing blindly with a sharp stick in the dark; you never know quite what you’re going to get.” “O-oh my gosh…” Twilight’s face had fallen further and further as the repercussions of such actions finally and truly dawned on her. What if, instead of harmless objects, somepony had transported a bomb here?! Or worse!? She couldn’t imagine much worse, but what if they had and somepony evil did get it!? “Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia stroked the lavender Unicorn’s mane gently, bringing her back to reality. “This is exactly why I want you to help Lyra and guide her with her research. She has a wonderful gift for sensing objects from Earth, and together, not only could you two do a great deal of good work towards the better-understanding of humans, but you could also help keep Ponyville, and by extension Equestria safe via your research.” “And what about Volare?” Twilight looked up questioningly. “Ah I figured you’d ask about him sooner or later,” Celestia smiled warmly. “In regards to Volare, just…don’t take this the wrong way, but I’d like you treat his origins the same way as if he were an object brought from Earth; which he is of course. He’s an object with a potential to do a lot of good things if he puts his mind to it, as you’ve shown this blind old mare is possible.” As well as many bad things if the wrong being ever found out… But Twilight, as satisfying as this information was, still had one question burning to be asked. “Celestia,” she spoke with such a solemn tone that everypony in the room grew quiet. “These malevolent-obsessed…do you know who any of them are? Who we should watch out for specifically?” The white Alicorn chewed her bottom lip for a moment with a distant look in her eye, as if considering if she should even answer the question at all. But after a moment, she relented somewhat. “I’m not entirely sure anymore, Twilight,” Celestia admitted with a small shrug. “But just to be safe, only tell of Volare’s origins to those you trust. That might also go a good ways to help him get settled here if he decides to stay. Heavens knows how rough it might be for him if everypony knew about it and bothered him constantly about it.” “Which is yet another good reason to keep Lyra on the straight and narrow, Twilight,” Cadance spoke up. “She’s a dear and terribly fun to talk and share a laugh with, but as Celestia said, she doesn’t have the best sense of self-control. Just let her know to tell only those she trusts the most about Volare being a former human, that’s all.” “Exactly, Cadance,” the Sun Princess nodded. “You say your closest friends already know, Twilight?” “Yes, though not to the depth of the details Volare and I discussed and took all those notes upon.” “Well, my first suggestion to you, once you get back into town, is to pass this information along; to ‘head it off at the pass’, as Applejack would put it,” Celestia chuckled and returned to her previously light-hearted tone as Twilight returned to sipping her tea. “That’s honestly all I have left on the subject, Twilight. And speaking of Applejack, shouldn’t she be in The Running of the Leaves by now? I wonder if she’ll defend her title this year.” Before Twilight could reply, a letter flashed into existence in mid-air, startling everypony present before it dropped softly to the table-top. “It’s from Spike,” the librarian announced as she glanced at the green fireball-shaped seal on the scroll before opening it and glancing at the clock. “He should be helping Pinkie announce for the race right now; what’s he doing sending letters at a time like…” But she trailed off as she read the hastily scrawled text, her eye growing wider and her face more worried by the moment. Suddenly, her magical grip on her teacup weakened, and it slipped from her grasp and shattered on the floor. The levitating letter began to shake, as did the lavender mare. “Twilight, what’s wrong?” Cadance rose to her hooves and started around the table. “Yeah Twiley, what’s wrong?” The Captain of the Guard asked, trying to conceal the concern he felt growing in his chest at his little sister’s reaction to the letter. “Did something happen to Spike?” Luna inquired gently, setting her food down on the table. But when Twilight looked up from the letter, her face was such a contorted display of distraught emotions that it put even the Princess of the Night on edge. “Twilight Sparkle?” “N-no,” the Unicorn stammered and dropped the letter to the tabletop. “I-it can’t…no…no…no…” “Twilight, what. Is. Wrong?!” Celestia practically demanded, more concerned for her star pupil than she could ever remember being. “I-It’s Volare,” she finally choked out. “He’s…something really bad happened. Spike doesn’t know exactly what, but he said he saw Rainbow Dash carrying Volare and he was”- she broke out into a sob. “H-he doesn’t know if Volare’s going to make it! Why, just…why?” She broke down and sobbed into her hooves as Luna reached out and picked up the letter herself, quickly skimming it and meeting her sister’s gaze with a look of fierce determination that brooked no argument and nearly made the Sun Goddess recoil. It wasn’t so much a request as it was a statement, and Celestia simply nodded her consent. “Come Twilight, Shining Armor,” Luna announced and rose to her hooves, magically pulling on the two Unicorns as she quickly made her way out the door and gave raised her head into the air, giving a loud, long whistle as she did so. “Forget the train; that will take far too long! Twilight, I need you to calm down. For yourself and for Volare!” “I…I just…ok, I’ll try,” Twilight nodded and wiped her eyes, though she still wore a look of extreme distress, as did her brother to a lesser degree. “What’re we going to do, Princess Luna?” Shining Armor inquired as the sound of leathery wings filled the air. He looked up to see a pair of dark-armored, dragon-winged Pegasi pulling a black, gothic chariot streak out of the West Tower and land next to Luna with a flash of lightning. “Where to, my Mistress?” one of the Pegasi rasped. Luna turned back to Shining Armor and Twilight and beckoned them aboard. “We’re going to Ponvyille…immediately!” ------------------------ Notes: And thus, the shitstorm truly begins...