//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9~The Wonderbolt Brush-off 
// Story: Youngblood 
// by Centurion Pike-Wall 
//------------------------------//

August 19, 3095 Imperial Calender (1522 AD)
Sweet Apple Acres

Depressi and the others sat on a hill by the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, overlooking a small lake. Pumpkin Cake asked, "So, what do you all want to do?"

"Y'all could help out a bit more with harvestin'. Pa appreciated yer help this mornin', and we could always use the extra help", Southern volunteered, only to be met by a chorus of "No!"s.

Soundboard said, "All due respect, Southern. But, as much as I like helpin' you guys out-and the cider that comes with it-I really don't feel like hauling any more crates."

Depressi sighed, before standing up and spreading his wings. "Well, I am sorry. But, if there is nothing for us to do, then I shall be returning to my Aunts. Perhaps she has some chore or something I could do."

Soundboard and Pound Cake both looked at him like he had suggested running through the Everfree smothered in blood. Soundboard said, "You actually want to do chores?"

"No offense, but there just isn't all that much to do in this town", Depressi said. 

Maraschino said, "What would you normally do with your friends? Maybe we could come up with an equivalent."

Depressi tapped a paw on his chin, thinking of the things he and his friends enjoyed. "Well, let's see... we have a small cove near the Castrum where we go swimming... the boat... the bathhouses, the soda shops. We-"

"Wait wait wait", Soundboard interrupted. "You have whole stores dedicated to soda?"

"Not just soda", Depressi said. "It's essentially a tavern for those under the legal drinking age. Have a drink, have some food, and hang out with friends. We play a lot of small games, as I said previously. Sometimes, me and one of them, Gallia, race one another, and-"

"That sounds perfect!", Pound Cake interjected, standing up and flaring his own wings. 

Pumpkin sighed, turning to her brother and asked, "Really? It's only something you two can do, what with Flurry off... wherever she is."

"And?", Pound asked. "You all can watch."

Southern said, "Well, if y'all are gonna race, I'll go get some cider. Might as well make a show out of it." 

As the large zony trotted off, Depressi said, "I'm game if you are."

Pound took off from the ground, a smile ear to ear on his face. He laughed, and said, "Get ready to lose. You're facing the best flyer of the generation!"

As if on cue, a mustard yellow speed-trail shot over his head, partially attracting his mane like a magnet for a few seconds. The trail shot past the group, sailing up to just above the cloud-cover before pulling into a pair of loop-de-loops. It turned back to the ground, sailing at an almost perpendicular angle to the ground. Just before it slammed into the ground, it pulled up and slid along it, eventually coming to a halt just at the base of the hill in a cloud of dirt, torn up grass and dust.

Depressi muttered, "Showoff". He closed his wings into his side and trotted down the hill, followed shortly by the rest of the group. 

When the cloud faded, it revealed a pegasus mare with a mustard yellow coat. Her mane was pulled back like a roaring flame, colored alternatively aquamarine and dark yellow. Her face was covered by a pair of flight goggles and a blue neck gaiter with a pair of yellow lightning bolts running along it, meeting just over where her muzzle would be. Her cutie mark was a dark grey, bordering on light black, cloud, spewing a pair of flaming lightning bolts.

Depressi called, "You have nothing if not the knowledge of how to make an entrance and timing."

The mare chuckled, rising from her crouching position and lifting up a hoof to remove her gaiter and goggles. She moved the goggles to rest on her forehead and the neck gaiter to rest around her neck, revealing her face. The mare had a pair of seemingly glowing amber eyes, a large white patch on the bridge of her muzzle, and a manic grin on her face. 

She laughed uproariously, holding out a wing. Depressi did the same, smacking the two limbs together as she asked, "How is my favorite Pryhan doin'!?"

"Just fine, My friend.", Depressi replied, sharing her smile.

"Sorry I didn't come when you first arrived or the week after that until school started", she said. "But, I was in late flight camp, and I didn't get the chance to ditch and come see you."

"It is fine. You are here now", Depressi said. 

She said, "Yeah, 'spose so. And I see you have good taste in other company. 'Sup, Ground Pound!"

Pound Cake cracked an awkward smile, having completely reversed his original cocky persona. "H-hey, Danger." Pumpkin fixed the newcomer with a withering glare. 

Maraschino asked, "So, who is this?"

"Name's Danger Zone", she said, smirking. "Daughter of Captain Spitfire and Wonderbolt Lightning Dust, and the best flyer in Cloudsdale." She turned her attention back to Depressi, spreading her wings and hovering above the ground. "So, wanna go for a fly? Catch up, race a bit; maybe I can show you a new stunt?"

"Very well", Depressi said, spreading his own. "See you another time, friends. Perhaps we could meet up tomorrow?"

Soundboard said, "Sure, see ya then." The pegasi and the pegasi hybrid flew off into the clouds, before turning out of their ascent and flying off towards the other farms and fields outside of Ponyville. As they became specks in the distance, Southern came back over the hill, a bottle of cider in her mouth.

She stopped, noticing that both Depressi was gone and the others were all looking up at the clouds. She asked, "Uh, what'd I miss?" 


++++~++++


The group of friends had relocated to Sugarcube Corner, sitting around a table with a dessert in front of each of them. Pumpkin shook her head, asking, "Am I the only one who finds it a bit... wrong?"

Soundboard asked, "What was wrong about it?"

"That he just up and ditched us like that with... with her!", Pumpkin said. 

"With who?", another voice asked. The group turned and watched as Flurry Heart and DJ entered Sugarcube Corner, both of them covered in sweat and messed up hair/feathers. 

Maraschino asked, "Where were you two? We haven't seen you all morning."

"Nothing you need to worry about", Flurry said, sliding into an open chair. "Now, DJ asked who you were talking about. Who had apparently made off with Depressi. So, who are you talking about?"

"Danger Zone", Pound Cake said. Flurry couldn't help but notice a slight dream quality in the voice, to which she smirked. 

DJ nodded and said, "Oh, her. When'd you meet her?"

"As in now?", Southern asked after Flurry passed on the translation of what he said. DJ nodded. "Well, ah never met 'er. Just saw 'er leave with Depressi. She came when we were lookin' fer somethin' to do on the farm, and apparently went off with Depressi ta go fly."

DJ tapped a lazy paw on the table, leaning back in his seat. He asked, "And, what are you talking about then, about ditching?"

Flurry translated what he said, and Pumpkin snorted in irritation. She said, "Because that arrogant blowhard basically dragged him away!"

"To be fair, we weren't doing much", Soundboard said. 

Pumpkin asked, "That's beside the point!"

"How?", DJ asked. 

All eyes turned to him. He opened his beak to speak, only to stop short and clamp it shut with a click. He asked Flurry Heart, "Mind translating what I say in full? It's somewhat relevant."

"Yeah, yeah. Alright, listen up. DJ's got a story for y'all", Flurry said. 

"Hardy har har", DJ said, sounding odd with his accent. He rolled his eyes, before beginning his story. 

"Back when his mom lived in Equestria", Flurry translated. "An old friend came to visit her in Ponyville. You know, Gilda; the Chancellor of the NGR? Anyway, the two hung out, but Pinkie Pie kept trying to get involved with them. Long story short, Gilda left, the two on bad terms. They made up again during/before/after the Second Unification Wars for the Pryhans." 

Soundboard asked, "Ok... what's the point?"

Flurry translated, "Ok... he said that all the conflict between Gilda and Rainbow could've been avoided if Pinkie had butted off. At least, that's what Rainbow Dash said. Anyway, the reasoning being that Gilda was an old friend, and Gilda was a bit annoyed at being butted in by someone she wasn't friends with."

Pumpkin asked, "So...?"

"So, don't be a jerk, and let the two catch up", Flurry said, not translating something that DJ said. "Intervene if she intervenes on a massive scale or doesn't want you to hang out period."

"But Danger Zone's a jerk!", Pumpkin protested. 

DJ asked, "And?"

The others looked at him in confusion, and he turned his head to look at Pumpkin Cake with his one good eye. He sighed and gestured for Flurry to translate what he said again. She said, "He says that so did Rainbow think Gilda was being. That was just what she was like. Besides the point, the two of them are friends, regardless of your opinion. He said his point still stands."

Soundboard asked, "Why do you hate Danger Zone, anyway, Pumps?"

"She's a jerk", Pumpkin said. "She's insensitive, she's rude, she's a loud-mouth. Her nickname for Pound is 'Ground Pound', for Luna's sake!"

Pound Cake said, "To be fair, she has a nickname too."

"That doesn't excuse it being like that!"

Flurry said, "Then don't talk with her. She doesn't have to be a mutual friend; she can just be a pony who's friends with Depressi."

Again, as if on cue, the door swung open and Depressi and Danger Zone entered. Depressi noticed the group of them, getting Danger's attention and pointing it out to her. She said something and the two split up, Danger Zone heading towards the counter, while Depressi went towards the group.

"Salve. Brother, where were you?", he asked, sliding into the booth next to Southern Rose. 

"Off in the woods", DJ replied. "You know. Hitting shit."

Pumpkin asked, "So, how was your little flight with Danger Zone?"

"Perfectly fine", Depressi said. "She's been well."

At that moment, Danger pushed Depressi in a bit, setting a paper plate with a cinnamon roll on it. "Nice place you got here, Ground Pound. And good food, too!" To prove her point, she took a big bite of the cinnamon roll. Her mouth full of the pastry, she said, "I might just have to make a stop here-*Swallow*-stop here every time I meet up with Depressi."

"You're going to be meeting up with him a few other times?", Maraschino asked. 

Danger Zone said, "I mean, yeah. I can't come often, going to school in Cloudsdale, workin' on my sweet skills and whatnot. But, as often as I can, I'll come and meet up with this stiff lughead here."

"So...", Pumpkin said. 

Danger cocked her head, asking, "So... what? This about your brother's nickname?"

"I mean, yeah", Pumpkin said. Pound opened his mouth to respond, only for Pumpkin to cut him off. "Look, it's fine if he's ok with it, but I feel like he's-"

"Like he's just ok with it because he thinks I'm awesome?"

Pumpkin blinked. "Well, not how I would put it, but yeah. I guess."

"Oi, Pound", Danger said, taking and swallowing another small bite. "You ok with me calling you Ground Pound?"

"Yeah", he said softly. 

Danger smiled, sweeping a hoof across the table. "See, he's fine with it. I get it, but don't be so stiff about stuff. Depressi does that well enough already."

"I'm not that bad, am I?", Depressi asked. 

DJ said, "No, you are that bad sometimes."

"Sometimes", Depressi said. "As you said yourself, not always."

Danger Zone said, "Well, with that out of the way, let's blow this place. Me and Depressi found a nice shady spot near the creek on the Zony's property. Perfect spot to hang out."