//------------------------------// // The Last Flight // Story: Flying With the Dusty Bolts // by Pony Bones //------------------------------// Of course every pony woke up late the next morning, their nerves had settled from the trauma of the day before and things felt more like they should. “We can’t say thank you enough for your hospitality Applejack.” Mirage said gratefully, “Ahh, don’t mention it.” Applejack said smiling and pulling her hat down to hide an obvious blush, “Well we’d better head over to the clinic and see how Crazy Wing is doing.” Mirage said turning to leave, “Hold it raght there young colt!” Granny Smith said with a grin on her face, “Don’t ye have somethin ta say ta mah grand filly?” “Granny!” Applejack shouted defensively, “Alright, alright, well this was supposed to be a surprise but,” Mirage knelt down and took Applejack by the hoof looking into her eyes he plucked a primary from his wing and offered it to Applejack, “Applejack will you marry me?” Big Macintosh gave his sister a playful shove as Tumble Weed and Sand Blast whistled and Silver Lining, Filly the Kid, and Applebloom all, “Awwwwwww.” Applejack’s eyes were as big as the apples in her orchards as she held her hoof to her mouth, “Ah, Ah, Ah uhhhh, of course!” She said throwing her hat over her shoulder and tackling Mirage in an embrace, Mirage swung her around into a dip and kissed her square on the muzzle. “Ah never though ye’d ask.” Applejack said swooning, “We’ll meet up with you at the clinic.” Tumble Weed said turning to leave, “Alright, see you there.” Mirage said picking Applejack up and shooting off into the skies above Sweet Apple Acres, both ponies laughing like foals. “I never would have guessed.” Kid said watching the pair loop and flip through the air, “It’s good though.” Sand Blast said looking much better after a nights rest, “Mirage really is happy with her. It’ll help him get his mind off of Crazy Wing and looking after the team for a while.” The Dusty Bolts left Sweet Apple Acres feeling better than they had ever been since they were established, and they took a pleasant trot to the clinic through the rustic outskirts of Ponyville. As they approached the clinic they saw the passive yellow Pegasus flitting back and forth from her front door to her gate quietly but frantically talking to herself, she looked pale and her mane was a shambles, “That’s not a good sign.” Tumble Weed observed, “We may have lost him.” He said looking back at the others, “Don’t say that, not yet!” Sand Blast said fighting back a break down, then taking a deep breath regaining control, “Not until we hear it from her.” As they slowly made their way to the frenzied yellow mare their anxiety grew with each step, then a dusty blur shot from the sky above them straight to her. It was Mirage, the Dusty Bolts went from a trot to a canter then a full on gallop as they saw the yellow Pegasus break down in front of their team leader. Coming into earshot their fears were confirmed, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I did everything I could for him but he’s gone… He’s gone, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Mirage just stood there a look of disbelief on his face, as his team caught up to him, “No it’s not true, IT’S NOT TRUE!” Sand Blast shouted barreling for the door of the clinic, before any pony could stop him he was inside. The rest of the team followed him in and found him sobbing at the bed where Crazy Wing’s pale body lay peacefully. The yellow Pegasus walked up and sat beside Sand Blast crying and repeating “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Sand Blast didn’t say anything he just hugged her and held her tight as they cried together, the rest of the team was just too shocked to react as they gazed on with hollow eyes and solemn faces. The Dusty Bolts left the clinic much more slowly and gravely than when they had arrived, with Sand Blast carrying Crazy Wing’s body the rest of the team silently carried out the pegasi funeral procession ritual of gathering rain clouds to hide their tears and wash Crazy Wing for his final flight. Never before had a pegasi team moved in such reverent unison, before flying off Sand Blast turned back to the yellow Pegasus who he had learned was called Fluttershy, “I’m sorry you couldn’t save my friend, but it was his time to go, so please don’t let it bother you.” He said awkwardly looking down and drawing circles in the dirt with his hoof. “Alright.” She replied in a voice that was hardly a squeak with tears still in her eyes. Sand Blast just stood there for a few moments staring at the ground then slowly turned around and spread his wings when, “Wait!” Had Fluttershy just shouted? “You’re always welcome back if you need anything.” Fluttershy said mimicking Sand Blast’s awkwardness, “If anything we are in your debt for taking care of our wing mate.” Mirage said gratefully, “If you ever find yourself in Appaloosa you will always have a place to stay with us.” “Ok.” Fluttershy said spinning around and galloping back to her house, “Do you think she’ll be alright?” Tumble Weed asked concern written on his face, “I don’t know.” Mirage said equally worried, “She’ll be alright.” Sand Blast said watching her go, “She’s stronger than she looks.” Tumble Weed raised an eyebrow and Mirage looked over with an amused but understanding glance, “As long as you’re sure she’ll be alright.” “She’ll be fine.” Sand Blast said resolutely turning and taking off with a forceful thrust of his wings, after he was out of hearing distance Tumble Weed looked over at Mirage with a smirk, “He’s totally smitten.” Mirage replied in a nickering chuckle, “Oh, no doubt, totally smitten.” One thing about pegasi funeral processions, there is nothing as difficult and sobering as flying in a downpour bearing a deceased wing mate. It’s not the fact that it is nearly impossible to fly on saturated wings, it’s that the rain has a particular way of reminding you that you will never see that pony again. It is a pegasi tradition from before the establishment of Equestria, in the days of the tribes and the Windigos. The flight South West over the plains and then the Appaloosan Desert was slow and ceremonial, each Dusty Bolt alone with their own thoughts, allowing them to come to grips with what had happened. Flying in over Appaloosa the rain turned the dusty streets into peanut butter and drenching the sun bleached buildings, you could almost hear the town give a contented sigh soaking in all the moisture it could get. With the distinct smell of wet sagebrush unlike anywhere else in Equestria, the Dusty Bolts knew they were home, coming in low and slow they landed on the boardwalk right in front of the undertaker's shop. They were about to head in when they saw Brayburn galloping towards them through the clay that was forming on Main Street, “Hay Dusty Bolts! What happened ta y’all? Firs ye drive that daggom sandstorm through the orchards lahk Ah specifically told ya not ta, then we can’t find ye fer a day, then ye come back with this here unscheduled monsoon! What…” Brayburn pulled up short taking in the scene as the Dusty Bolts turned to face him, pushing his hat back and rubbing his mane apologetically as he came closer to the team, “Ah’m powrful sahrry Merahge, it’s jus we didn’t know what had happened ta ya.” Mirage just stared through Brayburn too shattered to speak, this was pegasi business any outside involvement was an affront to their warrior spirit. Brayburn caught his drift and humbly offered, “Whatever ya need pardner jus name it, we’ll tear this town apart fer ya.” This settled Mirages mood because he knew Brayburn meant it, “It shouldn’t come to that, but thank you Brayburn.” Brayburn took his hat off and held it to his chest as the rain plastered his mane to his forehead, “Hay Marahge, Ah know ya probly hear this allot an Ah’m not tryin’ ta be cliché er nuthin’ but Ah’m proud te have ye as the Appaloosan weather team, all of ya.” “Again thank you.” The Dusty Bolts turned to enter the undertaker’s shop, in the rain the shop was dim and eerie with coffins and headstones set in columns and casting gloomy shadows across the store. The under taker Mr. Trench a former unicorn engineer in the Equestrian Royal Guard during the Pony Griffon War greeted them from the darkest corner towards the back where he was sleeping in a silk lined coffin, he yawned as he greeted them. “Don’t mind me, I was visiting my old friends. What brings you here?” Then his eyes fell on Crazy Wing, “Why does the first death in Appaloosa have to be the best of us? He had his life ahead of him, arrogant Pegasus just had to play the hero all because of his warrior pride.” Mr. Trench lamented, as the Dusty Bolts watched the flashbacks play behind his eyes. They didn’t blame Trench for his harsh appraisal, he had been where they were and it had broken him too. “Listen we will do whatever is necessary for a coffin we just don’t have the bits right now…” “Buck your money,” Mr. Trench said cutting Mirage off, “The least I can do for all the times you’ve saved this two bit town is give your wing mate a proper burial.” He said already taking Crazy Wing’s measurements, “We don’t want anything special, one of the plain cedar coffins will be fine.” “No.” Mr. Trench said forcefully glaring at Mirage, “This is my shop and I set the bargains, I will make your friend a coffin fitting of his memory.” Mirage just stood taken aback by Mr. Trench’s stubborn generosity. “We can’t thank you enough for this.” Mr. Trench took Mirage’s hoof and shook it heartily, “Don’t mention it, just place him on the table and I’ll take care of the rest.” Sand Blast took Crazy Wing over to the table as indicated by Mr. Trench, Mr. Trench had already gone over to his drafting board and was working out the measurements against the materials required. The materials at the top of the list were feather oak, cloud woven satin, silver, marble, and bronze. This made the team a little more than apprehensive to leave seeing the expenses that were disregarded on their account. Mirage ushered his team back out to the street, and they circled around him to hear what would happen next. “Ok Dusties, this is the plan the past two days have been just bad all around, so unless there is a weather emergency we will only have the weather watch Pegasus on duty as set out in the schedule before we left, Tumble Weed that means you. The rest of you get out of here I’ll see you back in four days, any questions?” Of course there were none, “Look out for each other and if you ever need anything you know my house is always open to all of you.” After that the team broke for their houses in silence, Filly the Kid followed Silver Lining to her place, not wanting to be alone in her grief. After they were gone the only pony left was Tumble Weed who was watching the skies. That night with the exception of Tumble Weed they all slept, but not very well, Sand Blast kept playing the scene over in his head wondering if he had flown in to save his wing mate if he would still be with them. Mirage tossed and turned to nightmares of his team dying horrible, catastrophic deaths, Kid shared with Silver her sorrow at not only losing her parents but also a dear friend and wing mate. In the process she also discovered that Silver Lining wasn’t as invulnerable as she first thought, Silver threw her wings around Kid and sobbed uncontrollably. “D-d-d-don’t tell the r-r-r-r-rest of the t-t-team about t-t-t-t-this, I t-t-t-t-try to s-s-s-s-st-stay st-t-strong for their s-s-sake.” Then Silver smiled weakly, “Is-s-sn’t it-t funny th-t-that I’m t-t-the w-w-w-one al-w-w-ways r-r-r-eassuring th-t-the t-t-t-t-eam and h-h-here I am f-f-falling ap-p-p-art in front-t of-f-f s-s-s-some p-p-p-pony who n-n-needs m-more r-r-r-reas-s-suring th-than me.” This threw Silver into an even deeper fit of sobs, Kid didn’t have the slightest idea what to do, she wrapped her hooves around Silver in a daze and patted her mane saying, “It’s alright, it’ll be alright.” Silver was the closest thing Kid had to a Mother or a sister and seeing her like this made her regret having depended on Silver as much as she had. In the perfect Equestria Kid wouldn’t have to worry about this, she’d still be in flight school, going back home and telling her parents about her day, as it was there was nothing she could do but give the team her best and meet them halfway. It made her feel so helpless and insecure, so she compensated by talking her fears away with confidence which usually got her in trouble. How was she supposed to be a decent pegasus anyways? She didn’t know, but feeling the responsibility she was given of comforting Silver Lining in her moment of need gave Kid a gut check. Meanwhile Tumble Weed couldn’t get Sand Blast’s rant out of his head, “Rest, just how hard did you try to save Crazy Wing when you saw him falling back into the storm? How hard did you try to save Crazy Wing when you saw him falling back into the storm?” and then he saw Crazy Wing’s face the picture of perfect peace as he resigned himself to his death. Tumble Weed put his face in his hoof, “Celestia have mercy.” It was going to be a long night. Tumble Weed told himself over and over, “The team depends on me, and they’d miss me as much as Crazy Wing if I left them.” He found himself on the edge of Phoenix Nest Mesa the main weather watch look out. But it could be more than that; Tumble Weed looked over the edge at the sheer drop and solid boulders at the bottom, what a fitting way to end his misery, in the very place that it began. Then he got ahold of himself and set his gaze on the horizon once again, maybe it was just him but the stars seemed to shine brighter tonight as if in honor of Crazy Wing. Luna’s grace certainly was with him tonight, how could Tumble Weed kill himself in the presence of such beauty? A single tear traced down his face, and then taking a deep breath he knew everything would be alright.