MLP: FiM
Piercing the Heavens
By: Calm Wind
Chapter 190: The (More) Power(ful) Flyer, Part 1
“So we’ll have to start from scratch?” Luna asked, a look of concern on her face.
“No, I don’t believe so,” Fancy Pants shook his head. “Soarin is a capable stallion. I believe the basics I’ve already taught him will apply. The real question will be the adjustment of the approach. I cannot say I’m familiar with… the magic of a god.”
“As you shouldn’t be,” Discord huffed, his back turned. Fancy glanced at Discord and cocked an eyebrow.
“You’ve been quite welcoming since I’ve arrived,” Fancy said sarcastically. “For a god of mischief and chaos, you do seem quite tense.”
Discord glared over his shoulder, but before he could say anything, Luna stepped in.
“Ignore him,” she opened a wing to block Fancy’s view. “We are confident in your ability to help.”
“Hmm…” Fancy tipped his head to glance past her wing, looking Discord over carefully as he grumbled. “Much appreciated, there’s just a few other things I’d like to know before I consider how to handle this…”
The conversation continued off towards the entrance of the chamber. In the center, Rainbow Dash was watching from afar, sitting beside Soarin.
“Getting a little déjà vu from this, huh?” she asked, giving Soarin a little nudge as she leaned back into his arm.
“You could say that,” Soarin agreed. “But if he’s here to help with the magic situation, I’m all for it.”
“To whom are they speaking?” Sombra’s voice chimed in, Soarin’s eyes flashing blue.
“That’s Fancy Pants,” Soarin answered without hesitation, completely used to somepony else’s voice in his head at this point. Sombra said nothing for a moment.
“Fitting name, if…” Sombra trailed off.
“If?”
“I’m unfamiliar with his particular choice of attire, but I’ll assume my sense of style is a bit…”
“Outdated?” Soarin finished for him with a snicker.
“I shall give him the benefit of the doubt,” Sombra said with a snort.
“Trust me buddy,” Dash spoke up, pointing at Fancy. “That’s a nicely dressed stallion by today’s standards. He probably paid a small fortune for that suit.”
“Ah, a member of the aristocracy?” Sombra followed up.
“Well… yeah? I guess?” Soarin scratched his head.
“You guess?”
“Fancy is a bit unique, but that’s another story altogether,” Soarin explained. “The long or short of it is… he’s got more money than a dragon that stole three other hoards, but he’s far from a snooty bit-pincher. Interesting guy, honestly.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Sombra said with a snort of agreement. “But now the question presents itself… why was he allowed in here without fuss?”
“He taught me the basics of controlling magic back when I was just dealing with your power and a fragile hood ornament strapped to my head,” Soarin nodded. “My guess is they want his help again with… well…” Soarin glanced up at the spiral divine alicorn horn. “This.”
“A simple unicorn? To teach the use of divine magic?” Sombra asked skeptically.
“Fancy Pants is well versed in many subjects,” Celestia’s voice chimed in, Soarin’s eyes flashing yellow. “He’s an equestrian-wide renown connoisseur of multiple practices.”
“But more so than you on this particular subject?” Sombra grunted. “I’d say that’s hard to believe, but knowing you I guess I shouldn’t be—”
“Please just stop while you’re ahead,” Celestia cut him off with an exasperated sigh. “I tutor talented young unicorns that show great potential. A grown stallion who lived his entire life as a pegasus is a much different case.”
“Is it really?” Sombra scoffed. “I could probably teach him myself, this feels redundant.”
“We need Soarin to relearn basic control on a new scale. The power flowing within him now is infinitely more powerful than what he wielded before. He doesn’t need to twirl around swords and spears with exaggerated delusions of majestic grandeur.” Celestia harshly retorted, catching both Soarin and Dash off-guard with the slight tone of sass.
“DELUSIONS?!” Sombra reacted quite loudly, causing Soarin to wince. “I’ll have you know that my magic is of a lost—”
“No, NO…” Soarin cut him off. “That’s enough, I don’t need a headache right now.”
“Oh, so she gets a word in, but I can’t?” Sombra complained.
“Most of the time I cut you two off it’s before she can snap back at you for being a jackass, it’s your turn,” Soarin put his hoof down firmly, much to Dash’s giggling amusement.
“Feh…” Sombra grunted. “‘Exaggerated’ she says…”
“It’s like you’re their dad or something,” Dash snickered.
“I’m really starting to feel like it,” Soarin said, rolling his eyes.
“Hmm,” a loud hum from Fancy Pants drew their attention back towards him. He looked towards Soarin for a moment, then back to Luna and Discord. “Hm,” he hummed again, then cleared his throat loudly… twice, causing Discord to look over his shoulder.
“What?” Discord asked, reading Fancy’s look.
“I hate to bother, but… would you two briefly accompany me to meet with Princess Cadence? I have some ideas on how best to approach this, but I’d like to address them with her in person, with your input of course,” he motioned to them both.
“We don’t need to go anywhere,” Discord said with a huff as he glanced towards one of the two guards that accompanied Fancy into the chamber. “You,” Discord said sharply towards one of the guards, making him flinch. “Go get the princess.”
The guards stiffened, blinked, and stared.
“Any day now,” Discord rotated his hand.
“Er…” the guard’s eye twitched before glancing towards the other.
“Is the princess available right now?” Discord followed up, flattening his brow.
“Um…” the guard continued to glance between Discord and the other guard.
“You don’t know the princess’ schedule? What kind of guard are you?” Discord hissed.
“Ahem!” the other guard loudly cleared his throat. “She is holding court right now, and meeting a few representatives from Canterlot soon. She won’t have much time to spare in between.” The other guard explained, his shivering counterpart exhaling loudly and averting his eyes.
“Which means she can’t come here right now,” Discord snorted. “Too bad then.”
“Then we’ll just have to catch her in between, come on then,” Fancy made a head motion to the two of them and started moving.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Discord said sharply. Fancy halted mid step and glanced over his shoulder.
“I don’t see the problem with a brief detour, is Soarin really as unstable as he looks right now?” he said with a very, VERY clear tone of sarcasm while motioning to him relaxing with Dash at his side.
“Don’t you start giving me any lip,” Discord grunted.
“That is reserved for my wife, but I appreciate your interest,” Fancy smirked.
“I like this stallion too,” Sombra’s voice slithered in from Soarin’s direction, causing Discord to flatten his brow and flick his snake tongue about.
“One of us could stay…?” Luna suggested weakly, trying her best to not get in between them.
“Go on, you two,” Celestia spoke up, drawing all eyes towards Soarin as his eyes flashed yellow. “Soarin is perfectly stable, so long as Rainbow Dash is at his side, he’ll be fine.”
“Absolutely n—” Discord stopped mid retort. He looked Soarin right in the eyes, the yellow tint still within them. He could almost feel Celestia giving him a hard look even though he currently couldn’t see her. “Fine…But let’s make this quick.” He gave in, pointing towards Soarin. “We’ll be right back, no funny business.”
“I do as I please!” Sombra spoke up.
“I WASN’T talking to you!” Discord shot back as he followed Luna, Fancy, and the guards out the door, leaving Soarin and Dash behind alone. Or at least alone with Sombra and Celestia.
“Ah… Solitude…” Sombra chuckled.
“Stop.” Celestia huffed at him.
“If only we could have some actual private time,” Dash sighed, pouting at Soarin’s forehead as Celestia and Sombra started quietly bickering… again.
“Can’t have nice things, can we?” Soarin cracked a small grin.
“Either way… I have afternoon training in thirty minutes,” Dash nestled her back against Soarin’s stomach. “So they better make this quick.”
Dash’s words slid through Soarin’s ears and prompted a heavy sigh.
“I really wish I could join you guys. It sounds like you’re having so much fun,” he said somberly.
“It’s been half fun and half brutal,” Dash explained, seemingly missing the tone in Soarin’s voice. “Silver’s been really kicking our asses, but we can’t stop laughing either. You know how he is.”
“AND you’re getting trained by Silver on top of it,” Soarin added. “I’m jealous as hell.”
“I’ve never worked so hard in my life,” Dash continued while reaching a hoof over and rubbing a hoof between her shoulder joints. “I can’t imagine how exhausted or broken I’d be right now without the crystal dew.”
Soarin looked down at her, his eyes scanned her all over with a smirk forming on his lips.
“I can tell you’re working hard,” he said slyly while moving a hoof towards her.
“Hm? Ah!” Dash yelped, startled as Soarin touched a hoof to her back and began running it softly over her body. He moved it around her shoulders, past her chest, and down her arm.
“You’re looking great. I mean, you already did, but believe me, you can’t hide gains from me when they’re on my favorite body,” he said with a flirtatious tone. Dash smirked.
“Who said I was hiding it?” she said while lying down on her back beneath him, reaching her arms behind her head and crossing her legs to ‘display’ herself.
“An opening!” Soarin suddenly yelled goofily, plunging his head down and vigorously nuzzling his nose into her stomach.
“AH! HAHAHAHA! STOP! HAHA!” she laughed uncontrollably as Soarin continued his assault. She brought her arms and legs around and clamped them down on Soarin’s big nose. “Ha, now I’ve got your nose and I’m gonna keep it.”
“Oh no,” Soarin joked with a nasally tone. “Whatever shall I do.”
“Did you forget we are here again?” Sombra’s voice suddenly came from Soarin with a flicker of blue in his eyes.
Soarin snorted loudly, blasting a puff of air against Dash’s stomach that caused her to squeak and let go of him.
“I didn’t forget, I just don’t care,” Soarin grumbled back at him.
“You are terrible,” Celestia spoke up with a flicker of yellow. “Why do you keep spoiling their fun? Don’t act as if you never did cutesy things like this to me before.”
“Hold thy tongue,” Sombra grunted.
“I recall you really liked the sounds I made when you tickled the spot on my ne—”
“I SAID HOLD IT!” Sombra’s voice sounded like it was turned away and several paces further away. Dash snickered.
“It’s constant sexual tension comedy hour with these two, huh?” she said while cocking an eyebrow.
“Sexual ten—?!”
“REPHRASE THAT!” Sombra’s yell overtook Celestia’s reaction despite still sounding like he was turned away.
“Come out here and make me—oh wait, you can’t,” Dash taunted. Audible Sombra grumbling began sounding from Soarin, but it grew quieter until it vanished.
“That’s my girl,” Soarin nodded contently. Dash sighed while leaning back into him again.
“But… yeah, you know I really wish you could join us. I finally get to train exclusively with the elite Wonderbolts and the one I want to train with the most isn’t there? I hate that,” she explained.
“Yeah,” Soarin smiled, she had picked up on what he said early. “I’d kill to hit the gym with the rest, or just do anything. I wouldn’t even mind flying laps, especially if I get to do it all with you too.”
“Mmhmm, I’m enjoying myself for sure, but it’s just not complete without you.” Dash sighed.
“Then take him with you,” Sombra suddenly spoke up again. Both of them perked up. “Who is going to stop you?”
“Sombra…” Celestia groaned, sounding fed up, but Sombra wasn’t having it.
“Cease thine moaning and groaning. Am I wrong?” Sombra snorted at her.
“Just stop it,” Celestia tried to put her hoof down.
“AM. I. WRONG?” Sombra repeated more harshly. “Who would stop them? Who could stop Soarin from doing what he wants? If you can’t answer me that, then I don’t want to hear it.”
Soarin and Dash looked at each other.
“You’re tired of being stuck here, correct?” Sombra went on. “Just get up and leave. Be done with it.”
“SOMBRA!” Celestia shouted. “Enough! He’s being kept here for more than one reason!”
“Enlighten me,” Sombra grunted.
“You know why already, don’t play dumb,” she scolded.
“If it was something you’ve discussed with your sister and the snake, I rarely listen.”
Celestia let out a long, hard, exasperated sigh.
“His control is not the only issue… and at this point we’ve mostly addressed that, especially with Rainbow Dash present. But we can’t just suddenly expose the general public to a new divine alicorn. It would cause mayhem, gossip and attention that we are explicitly trying to avoid. There are already many questioning why I haven’t made any recent appearances. We have more important matters to worry about than uproar among the citizenry, MUCH more important things! We don’t need public interest crashing over us while we’re trying to take on grave threats to the land!”
“They already saw me in control of his body with wings and a horn walking through the streets of the Empire,” Sombra pointed out. “How would this differ?”
“Cadence has already successfully passed that off to the general public as something related to your lingering magical power released. And your former knights have agreed to remain tight lipped. It’s been handled.”
“She lied to her own citizens?” Sombra asked in disbelief.
“Sombra you were IN THE ROOM when we discussed this!” Celestia shouted. Sombra went quiet for a moment.
“…I told you, I don’t care to listen.”
“Perhaps you should…” Celestia groaned.
“My opinion still stands,” Sombra pressed. “Soarin should do as he pleases. He has reached a state of body and spirit that transcends anything a mortal should ever be able to achieve and his reward for doing so is to be isolated and hidden? Locked like a bird in a cage? It’s not truly a cage that can hold him, simply one he’s been told he must stay in. One push would bend the frail bars aside and he could roam as he sees fit.”
“Sombra, he isn’t you,” Celestia cut in.
“This isn’t about me, Celes. This is about what SOARIN wants. He really could just walk out of here, couldn’t he? Perhaps the gods don’t want him to… but what would you do if he did? How about it, Soarin? Care to test whether or not these deities have the gall or the balls to stop you?”
“Soarin, please listen to me…” Celestia suddenly addressed him instead. “Don’t let him push you, we need to be wary of exposing you. We wouldn’t have kept you here like this if it wasn’t a serious issue.” She explained calmly.
But her words didn’t seem to reach him… or he heard them, but had already made up his mind. Dash blinked, examining Soarin’s face as his eyes seemed to light up, and this time it wasn’t some hue to designate who was talking within him.
“Nah.”
“W… what?” Celestia stuttered at Soarin’s simple response. Sombra was not visible to him, but if they could see him, his ears had stood up and a grin was forming on his lips.
“I want to go train with Dash,” Soarin nodded firmly.
“NO!” Celestia shouted desperately.
“I wasn’t asking for your permission,” Soarin said back as he slowly stood up. Celestia was speechless, but Sombra quietly chuckled to himself behind her. “But… I hear and understand what you’re saying, Celestia. I don’t want that kind of attention either. So…” he looked down at Dash, a look of mischief on his face. Dash looked right back at him with a similar look.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Dash smirked.
“Lay it on me, Dash,” Soarin nodded. “How are we going to sneak a big ass Alicorn out of here and to the gym?”
“Are you alright?” The guard who answered Discord asked his fellow guardsman, still catching his breath as they stood at their posts outside the chamber.
“Why did he ask me? Why does he always ask me?” the shuddering guard whined while taking a few deep breaths.
“Why don’t you know her highness’ schedule? Part of our duty is to—”
“I know, I know,” he cut him off, releasing a long sigh and trying to stand up straight. “Normally I do, but what the heck is even going on here? We’re suddenly guarding some new Alicorn god? With the god of chaos himself glaring at us and the princess ordering us to keep this all a secret and hush-hush to anypony and everypony? Aren’t you bothered by this?”
“Not really, they told us to stand guard so we are,” the calm guard shrugged.
“Guarding what and why?” the nervous guard threw an arm out. “All three of them in there could probably vaporize us with a cough, what’s to ‘guard’? And again, who even is that in there?”
“Soarin the Wonderbolt, so they’ve been saying,” the calm guard shrugged again.
“But an alicorn?”
“So they’ve been saying,” he repeated.
“You’re way too casual about this.”
“I think you need to relax,” the calm guard snorted. “Just stand at your post. There’s nothing to be scared of. If it really is Soarin, then we have nothing to be scared of.”
“I…” the nervous guard sighed again. “I guess you’re right. Soarin’s a Wonderbolt, he’d never do anything bad to—”
He was cut off as both of them suddenly felt pressure on the opposite sides of their helmets. Before either of them knew what was happening, they were pushed towards each other, their helmets slamming together so hard that they were knocked out and fell to the ground.
“Oh! Er…” Soarin winced as he looked at the two guards on the ground at his hooves.
“Whoa there, big guy…” Dash gritted her teeth nervously as she moved around him and poked one of the guards. “That was…”
“Maybe a bit too strong,” Soarin swallowed and chuckled nervously.
“Well…” Dash looked back and forth down the large hallway. “Whatever, it did the job,” she scanned the hallway, her eyes shifting from pillar to pillar, crystal in structure that ran parallel to the big carpet in the center of the hall on both sides. They were large, but… so was Soarin. “Come on, this way, stay on this side of the pillars.”
“You’re the boss,” Soarin nodded, keeping against the wall opposite of the large near wall height windows that extended all the way to the high ceiling and looked out into the center courtyard. Keeping him out of sight inside was one thing, the amount of ways he could be seen from the outside was another. The last thing they needed was a gardener or attendant to spot them through one of the massive windows while they were worried about the guards.
Dash glided from pillar to pillar, looking back and forth and beckoning Soarin to each one as they slowly made their way to the end of the hall. This process continued for each pillar despite not a single pony coming down it the whole time.
“Maybe overdoing it a little?” Soarin whispered to her as he made his way behind the second to last pillar before the end of the hallway.
“Hey, who’s in charge of this operation?” Dash narrowed her eyes at him and poked him in the arm.
“Clearly a master of sneaking through empty hallways,” Soarin snickered.
“Hush, you,” Dash looked out and plotted her next course. The grand hallway that led to the castle entrance was right in front of them, but they needed to cross to the other side of the current one first. “Wait here a sec.” Dash instructed before acting casual, stepping out and trotting to the connecting hallway. She looked both ways, spotting some guard activity, but nothing more than those standing post or patrolling. They didn’t have that heavy of a presence and were all strewn about.
Dash glanced over to see Soarin staring at her patiently. She made a bunch of hoof motions trying to quietly explain that she would tell him when to cross… but he just blinked at her, held a hoof out, and lifted an eyebrow, because none of the motions she did made any sense. Dash blew a burst of air from her nostrils and just held a hoof up to clearly mean ‘wait.’
She looked back into the main hall until the few patrolling guards were as far away as possible, then quickly turned and beckoned Soarin as she jumped behind a pillar on the other side of the hallway beside a large window.
Soarin took one step and stopped, tipping his head curiously. Dash let out a few quiet grunts while making more intense beckoning motions.
“Okay, okay…!” Soarin quietly whispered while chuckling, amused at how ‘seriously’ Dash was taking this. He didn’t want to be caught either, but she was getting intense about it. He made his way across the hall as quickly and quietly as his large hooves could manage.
“What in the world are you doing?” Sombra suddenly spoke up in full voice when Soarin reached Dash.
“HEY! SHHHHH!” Dash whispered harshly while hopping up and clamping her hooves over Soarin’s nose and chin. “QUIET!”
“Dsh tht wsnt mm…” Soarin mumbled between his lips.
“Why are you sneaking around?” Sombra went on, Soarin’s eyes flickering blue.
“I said SHUSH!” Dash hissed, clamping Soarin’s mouth shut harder.
“Hmrrmph,” Soarin honked comedically. Dash blinked and quickly let go.
“You be quiet!” Dash tapped a hoot to Soarin’s forehead beneath the horn. “Don’t blow our cover!”
“Just walk out,” Sombra continued to exercise zero voice control. “Who is going to stop you?”
“Sombra…” Celestia’s voice sounded quietly behind him with a long sigh.
“Who’s in charge here, mister?” Dash glared at Soarin’s forehead.
“Look in his eyes if you’re talking to me, that’s where I see from too,” Sombra snorted.
“I’ve already picked a spot!” she hissed at him. “Now zip it!”
“What’s going on over here?” A voice suddenly came from nearby.
Dash and Soarin quickly looked over to see two guards standing in the entryway to the other hall, both of them staring directly at Soarin.
Everypony stood silently for at least fifteen seconds, eyes darting back and forth at all those present.
Dash suddenly launched upward, grabbed one of the large decorative curtains hanging from the nearby tall window and gave it a hard yank. Several PLINKS and CLANKS of the rings fastening it to a bar above the window rang out followed by clattering as they fell to the ground, the curtain floated down and fell over the top of Soarin, completely covering him from head to hoof, but not far enough to drape over his head and down his front. Dash grabbed the edges of the curtain and pulled them shut, clamping them together to hide Soarin, despite his big nose and horn sticking out from them.
“WHOA, HEY YOU TWO!” Dash yelled hysterically. “Princess Cadence said no one is allowed to see this… uh… NEW STATUE until its revealed, uh… NEXT WEEK! It arrived early though, so…”
“Hey, why are Crantz and Stern on the floor over there?” one of the guards said while looking towards the clearly knocked out guards laying on the floor outside the chamber doors. Dash rushed towards the guard and turned his head back to her.
“DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT,” she said firmly before rushing back to pull the curtain back around a very amused Soarin, a dumb smile now applied to his nose and mouth sticking through. “You know what? I gotta move it now, I’ll be reporting to the Princess that you saw the statue before it was ready, come on, let’s go!” Dash pulled on the curtain, forcing Soarin along into the other hallway. Upon seeing several guards near the entrance she quickly turned and almost pulled the curtain off Soarin as she forced him down the other direction, looking for another way out. “Oh and this statue is totally not walking, don’t be silly!”
The guards watched Dash pull the covered Soarin along until they vanished into a back hallway.
“That was Soarin, wasn’t it?” One asked the other. “Should we…?”
“If you think you can fight a giant Alicorn, be my guest,” the other shrugged.
“Phew… okay…” Dash looked back and forth from behind the large stack of crates. She had led Soarin through the halls and past many skeptical guards and palace staff into a storage and loading dock attached to the back of the west end of the premises. “I think we lost them,” she put her hooves on her hips and nodded triumphantly.
“You are an absolute paragon of stealth and subtlety,” Soarin chuckled as he pulled the curtain off of himself.
“Hey, we made it here, didn’t we?” Dash turned and pouted at him.
“I’m pretty sure the whole palace knows I’m out now,” Soarin smirked at her.
“Details, details,” Dash shrugged.
“That was utterly unnecessary,” Sombra added.
“Hey!” Dash pointed at Soarin’s head again. “I thought I told you to zip it!”
“What does that even mean?” Sombra asked.
“It means she wants you to shut up,” Soarin explained, increasingly amused at the situation, but he was having a hell of a lot of fun.
“I will not,” Sombra snorted. “Cease this escapade, you’re wasting time and effort.”
“Wow, who called the no-fun police? Did you ever send anypony to the dungeons for smiling when you were king?” Dash asked flatly.
“The no-fun police…?” Sombra said quietly to himself curiously.
“Gotta remember he doesn’t get current day slang or jokes,” Soarin pointed out.
“Oh I know, don’t ruin this for me,” Dash waved a hoof at Soarin, causing him to throw a hoof over his mouth and stifle a guffaw. “Oh right, right… we need to move,” Dash planted her back to a crate and peeked out into the warehouse. There was nopony else there, but they now had to figure out how to get Soarin through the public streets and to the gym without being seen. The palace was one thing, most of the guards were aware of Soarin in some capacity so being spotted wasn’t that big of a deal in there. The joking was over, Dash knew that they couldn’t afford to expose Soarin outside.
But how were they going to…
Dash blinked, her eyes landing on the loading docks. The warehouse was attached to a back trail that ran beside the palace and out a small gate into the streets of the city. There were several carts parked in the dock… one of which was very large with six wheels and appeared to be built for two ponies to haul whatever heavy cargo it was needed for. There were rolled up tarps and ropes stashed in the cart.
“Oh, OH!” Dash trotted out towards the cart. “This is perfect!”
“Hm?” Soarin glanced back and forth before following behind her.
“We can put you in here and cover you up!” Dash motioned to the cart as Soarin approached and looked over the set up.
“With the tarp? But…” Soarin looked himself over. “Even with that over me it’ll be kind of obvious something pony shaped is in it. Plus are you sure you can pull all my w—”
“Way ahead of ya,” Dash cut him off, rapping a hoof to her chest, motioning to two other carts parked that were overflowing with hay. “I dunno what the heck the crystal palace needs hay for, so we can probably borrow all this and dump it on top of you!”
“This is starting to get real silly,” Soarin chuckled.
“Starting to?” Sombra spoke up with a scoff.
“You didn’t answer my other question though,” Soarin chuckled while tapping Dash on the head. “Hiding me in there is one thing, can you actually pull my weight? You may have noticed I’m about three times larger than I used to be and I outweighed you by a bit before this too.”
“Hey, HEY!” Dash narrowed her eyes at him. “Look at these guns,” she said while sitting back, lifting her arms and flexing her muscles. “You know what else is bigger since you got fat? These puppies,” she nodded while striking a few more poses of increasingly ridiculous bravado. “I’ll have you know, I’m kind of a big deal.”
“Heh,” Soarin chuckled and pressed a hoof down over her head.
“Hey!” She giggled as she grabbed his arm and tried to push back.
“If you say so, little Miss Muscles,” Soarin joked as he let up. “Don’t blame me if you strain anything,” he added as he moved over to the cart without any hesitation and examined the wheels from atop the loading dock. “This thing is secured… right?” he said to himself as he stepped into it and put his weight down. The cart shifted slightly, but the wheels knocked against boards that were holding it in place. The more concerning thing was the loud painful creak of the wooden frame as Soarin stepped all the way in.
“See? You’re fat,” Dash joked as she reached in and grabbed the ropes and tarp.
“This thing feels like it’s going to snap beneath me,” Soarin commented as he lay himself down in the cart. “Are you sure this is—HRMPH!” Soarin was cut off as Dash used a pitchfork to hook a large batch of hay from one of the carts right into his face.
“Eat your porridge,” Dash said in a silly gruff tone.
“Pah!” Soarin spat out bits of hay. “Yuck, raw hay.”
“Lookout, backing up the load!” Dash called out as she continued to shovel hay into the cart over Soarin.
“Whoa! Whoa!” Soarin used a wing to shield his face as it piled higher and higher around him.
“Just a few more, and then we’ll—”
Dash flinched as she suddenly found it a little more difficult to lift the pitchfork.
“What the…?” she gave it a few stronger tugs, but it felt weighted, like there was something else in the hay, but Dash didn’t consider that, she was just miffed that it was suddenly stuck. “Oh come on, you! HNGRH!” she put more strength into it, forcing the pitchfork up and swinging it over her shoulder, throwing another large hunk of hay towards Soarin.
“OOF!” Soarin grunted loudly as the hay hit… and something else hit him too.
“MARF!” a voice came from the hay as it bounced off Soarin and landed in the cart.
Both Dash and Soarin stared at the hunk of hay. But after a moment, Dash flattened her brow.
“Wait a sec…” she grunted as she recognized the voice. She dropped the pitchfork and stomped over to the cart as Soarin just stared at the clump of hay that sat right in front of him. Dash jammed a hoof into the hay and felt around while furring her brow little by little until she found exactly what she was looking for, grabbing it.
“WOO!” the voice came from the hay again.
“Get out here you!” Dash grunted as she yanked her hoof out… revealing Twister with his neck gripped firmly in Dash’s hoof.
“Oh, HAI MARK!” Twister cheerfully exclaimed while tipping his head to one side.
“What…?” Soarin blinked, but Dash pulled Twister forward and pressed her nose to his with a loud HONK as she glared at him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked firmly.
“I was looking for the fridge,” Twister replied calmly.
“Why were you looking for the fridge?”
“I wanted a snack.”
“You ended up in a pile of hay in the Crystal Palace loading dock warehouse while looking for the fridge for a snack?”
“I am not a clever stallion.” Twister’s eyes spun in circles.
“You’re full of crap and you’re lucky I tolerate you, why were you really sneaking around? And if you say ‘don’t worry about it’ we’re going to see how far we can fit the handle of this pitchfork up your ass.”
“Worry about it,” Twister bounced his eyebrows. Dash immediately reached for the pitchfork and held it towards Twister’s head. “I didn’t say the whole thing so you only get to go halfway.”
Dash scrunched up her face, held her breath for a few moments before sighing heavily and dropping Twister. He landed perfectly upright on his hooves.
“I should really know what to expect from you by now,” she said with a huff before jamming a hoof to his chest. “Whatever, since you are here for some godforsaken reason, you can help me. I’m—”
“Sneaking Soarin out of the palace and to the gym to have fun times with everypony?” Twister answered.
Soarin glanced back and forth between the two of them as Dash stared flatly and Twister’s bouncing eyebrows bounced faster and faster until they were making a low buzzing noise.
“What?” Twister snickered. “I read the first five thousand words of this chapter you know!”
Dash shoved the pitchfork into Twister’s hooves.
“Just help me load the cart,” she grunted. “Now that you’re here you can make yourself usef—”
“DONE.”
Dash blinked and looked over to see all of the hay in the cart with Soarin sputtering in surprise, bits of hay bouncing into the air as he snorted and coughed until finally sticking his nose out of the top of it.
“What is happening?” Soarin asked with just his nose poking out the top.
“I second that, who is this… unhinged lout?” Sombra’s voice chimed in.
“I’m a plot device!” Twister fell from above on top of Soarin.
“OOF!” Soarin grunted as Twister rolled right off into the hay next to him, sinking in like it were water.
“A what?” Sombra pressed as Soarin poked his head out and shook off some hay.
“Here I’ll show ya!” Twister rose out of the hay and pressed a button on his flank. A propeller extended out of his… plot. It unfolded and began spinning up until he floated into the air. He kept floating up higher and higher and higher… “OH CRAP!” he yelped as he neared the ceiling of the warehouse. “REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE” Twister screeched as the propeller touched the ceiling, stopped, and caused him to spin rapidly instead.
“Um…” Sombra and Soarin said at the exact same time.
“Don’t worry about it,” Dash and Twister said at the exact same time, Twister suddenly sitting right next to her. Dash clenched her hooves and bit down on her lip as Twister flailed like an inflatable tube mascot in front of her, but she ignored him and hopped down to the harnesses.
“Alright… so…” she examined the cart harness. “Shoot… this was made for… HEY! TWISTER!” she yelled up at him as he danced atop the pile with Soarin inside of it. “Get down here and help me pull this—”
“I’m more of a pusher, HHHHHHNNNNGHHH!!!!” Twister was suddenly behind the cart, pressed between it and the wall of the dock below the platform, pushing against it and making all sorts of silly noises.
“Rgh, forget it, I’ll do it myself,” Dash rolled her eyes, deciding her time was better spent just going for it instead of getting Twister to cooperate.
“Are you really sure you can pull all this and me?” Soarin suddenly asked from behind her. She let out a long breath through her nostrils and looked over her shoulder as she fiddled with the harness, seeing Soarin poking his head out of the hay.
“Ask one more time, I dare you,” she threatened jokingly.
“Are you—”
“SHUT.” Dash pressed her hoof to his nose and forced him back into the hay.
“If you say so, I don’t think Twister is going to actually help,” Soarin chuckled from in the hay.
“That goes without saying,” Dash said without hesitation as she hooked herself up to the cart and tugged on the straps with her teeth. She glanced back to see Twister still straining himself between the wall and the cart. “YEAH, that goes without saying,” she repeated, blinking as she looked up to see Soarin’s horn sticking out of the hay. “Hey, I know you’re happy to see me but put that away.”
“…what?” Soarin’s confused reply was delayed.
“Horn is sticking out of the hay, tuck your head in more,” she said with a snicker.
“I’m already as far into this haystack as I’m going to get.”
“Suck in your gut,” Dash joked.
“If I pull myself in any more my ass is going to stick out the back. Which one is going to give me away more, you think?” Soarin puttered his lips, sending a few bits of hay outward sprinkling over Dash.
“You really can’t fit any further?”
“No.”
“Hmmm…” Dash thought. “Maybe we—”
She paused as Twister suddenly casually trotted around with a spring in his step. He casually hopped up onto Dash’s back, pulled out an empty paper towel roll, and slid it over Soarin’s horn. It fit perfectly on it. He nodded in satisfaction, hopped down, trotted back around the cart, and resumed straining himself to push the cart.
“Screw it, let’s just go with it,” Dash shrugged. “Okay, ready?”
“You’re the one pulling,” Soarin reminded her.
“Wise ass,” Dash smirked. “Okay here we goooOOOHHHGH HOLY…” Dash verbally reacted, the harness digging into her shoulders and body as she tried to heave the cart forward and… it was really damn heavy.
“What’s wrong?” Soarin asked.
“Nothing, I’m good, I’M GOOD!” she sputtered as her muscles tensed and she jammed her hooves against the ground. “WE’RE MOVING…” she exhaled loudly and took another deep breath. “EVENTUALLY.”
“I told you I was heavy.”
“NAH, LIGHT AS A FEATHER!” Dash grunted as the car began to inch forward. “YEAH, NOW WE’RE TALKING! Just have to… GRH… get… you… moving!” she slowly started gaining some momentum little bits at a time, the inches turning into yards and finally a slow walk, though every step was a hell of a push. “Ho kay! We’re moving!” Dash cheered as she got the cart in motion and pulled it out towards the back road leading to the high end district streets.
“You sound like you’re about to give birth,” Soarin joked from the hay.
“QUIET YOU! HNNNNG…” Dash groaned as she kept on pulling. She wasn’t even going to bother looking back to check if Twister was helping at all, she just assumed he wasn’t and focused on moving the cart. As if the weight wasn’t enough it was also slightly off center, the left side of the two pony harness system empty as she pulled it entirely from the right.
It was stupidly heavy, confirming that Soarin’s worries were very much warranted, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. She WAS strong enough to move it, just, well… with lots of effort. She didn’t mind a warm up before training, even if it was a bit strenuous for one. Even if she burned a bit of energy here, it was worth it in her eyes to get Soarin there to have a good time.
Now all they had to do was…
“Uh oh…” Dash blinked as she heaved the cart down the trail.
Somehow she didn’t think to consider that a back route into a warehouse attached TO THE PALACE wouldn’t be entirely unguarded. There was a checkpoint and gate at the end of the trail separating it from the roads outside the premises… and there were two guards and another attendant all standing near it.
Dash’s first instinct was to stop and figure something else out, but the three of them were already looking right at her. And considering how everything had gone so far, she decided to just wing it.
“Stay quiet back there,” she said quietly to Soarin.
“What?”
“SHUSH!” Dash hissed as she kept on moving the cart, the confused looks of the three ponies becoming more and more apparent as she got closer.
“Hoo boy! Ain’t this a load!” Dash began to ham it up as she grew closer. “Heya boys! Do me a favor and open on up! This was a bitch to get moving, let me tell you!”
“Hold on a minute…” the two guards stepped out and blocked her path.
“Shite…” Dash said under her breath as she slowed down and came to a stop. “What seems to be the problem officer?” she asked, doing a terrible job of acting natural.
“Who are you, what are you doing on this road, and why are you pulling a two pony cart filled with hay by yourself?” one of the guards asked, straight to the point.
“And…” the other guard chimed in while looking up. “Why is there an empty paper towel roll sticking out the front of it?”
“That? UH…” Dash looked over her shoulder and back at the guard rapidly.
“I mean WOW how’d that get in there? Haha… seriously, though, could you open the gate? I’m running late here.” She flattened her brow, trying her hardest to salvage the situation.
“We don’t have any deliveries on the schedule for the next three hours,” the first guard shook his head. “And the hay is typically going IN, not out…”
“Look I was told to, uh… take this somewhere,” Dash struggled, clearly not convincing them. “This was a last minute thing, um…”
“The princess asked you tooooooooooooooooooooo…” Twister voice whispered into Dash’s ear.
“This was an order from Princess Cadence just now,” Dash said without taking a moment to wonder how Twister spoke to her from… wherever he was, he wasn’t behind the cart any more. “You can go ask her if you want, but I have to get a move on, I’m already running late.”
The guards glanced at one another and stared for a few seconds. Dash bit her lip. Were they actually falling for it? She didn’t want to have to force her way through anything, but she doubted they were going to—
“Hey,” the second guard speaking up made Dash flinch, but he wasn’t talking to her, he was motioning to the third stallion with them. “Check the cart.”
“Huh?” Dash blinked, freezing in place as the stallion nodded and started making his way over.
“Standard procedure for transfers we’re unaware of, it will just take a moment… if you’re not hiding anything,” the first guard explained as the two of them suddenly grabbed their spears from up against the gate and held them out in front. Not pointed at her, but having them at the ready.
Dash wasn’t sure what to do, the stallion checking the cart was going to find Soarin. It wasn’t like the guards could stop them, but they were going to be found out for sure.
She waited, holding her breath as the stallion ran his hooves through the hay. He pushed aside clump after clump, shifting around the cart until…
The stallion gasped quietly and inched backwards, staring with wide eyes as Twister’s face appeared in the hay, glaring at him with a hard gaze and hilariously thick eyebrows. The two locked eyes, the stallion speechless as Twister’s glare remained constant and strong.
After staring at each other for several seconds, the stallion let go of the hay, letting it fall back over Twister. He stepped back and blinked, tipping his head to one side.
“Is everything alright?” the second guard asked.
“Uh…” the stallion swallowed. “Yeah, everything is fine.” He turned and made his way back to the gate, leaning against the wall beside it and staring straight ahead.
The guards glanced at each other again, but both shrugged.
“Alright, go on through,” they waved Dash on. “Open the gate.”
The stallion by the gate just stared.
“Hey, open the gate!”
“Huh? Oh yeah,” the stallion got up and unlatched the gate, swinging the doors open.
Dash was keeping her mouth shut. She didn’t know what just happened, but… they were letting her through. With a hefty heave and hiding the strain best she could. Dash dug her hooves into the ground and forced the cart back into motion. Once past the gate and one right turn later, they were on the main road and on their way, though she still stood out a little pulling a two pony cart by herself.
“How in the hell did we make it through that?” Soarin spoke up quietly from the hay.
“I’m not gonna ask any question and neither should you,” Dash chuckled.
“Good choice!” Twister’s voice came from beside her. Dash blinked as the cart suddenly seemed lighter. She looked beside her to see Twister in the other harness and actually helping.
“You had something to do with that, didn’t you?” Dash asked with a slightly amused smirk.
“What, me?” Twister sneered, his head turning all the way upside down. “Never!”
Dash rolled her eyes.
“It’s never a coincidence with you, bucko,” she said with a chuckle, but didn’t ask any questions… because it was Twister after all, who’s still asking questions at this point? It was a straight shot to the gym from here, and Soarin was in tow, that’s all that mattered.
---To Be Continued---