This story is a fan-fiction of MLP:FiM. I don't own any of it. It belongs to Hasbro, etc, etc.
Don't sue. Seriously. That would be so uncouth.
Part Ten: Altostratus
“Out at the Spa?” Blueblood asked as he hoofed the sign on the front door of Carousel Boutique before he started to stare off into space. “I wonder what she’ll look like?” he asked with a happy sigh as his eyes glazed over. Celestia and I looked at each other, the same puzzled expression reflected in each other’s faces.
“Hey…Blueblood…Soap operas…” I said as I waved a hoof in front of his face. His glazed over eyes didn’t move an inch. Celestia joined me and tried to get his attention to no avail.
“Blueblood. Snap out of it.” I said as I pulled at his face, stretching his cheeks into incredible shapes. Celestia walked around him, gently poking him all over, looking for a reaction of any kind. But all our efforts did nothing. The second we stopped doing anything, his body returned to his wide-eyed, large, giddy smile, and immobile pose. Celestia and I just shrugged at each other.
We walked away, leaving the immobile Blueblood leaning up against the wall of the Carousel Boutique. We figured that Rarity would be home sooner or later and she could take care of him after that. Irresponsible? Maybe, but you try carrying around a prince all day.
As we walked through the streets of Ponyville, I became increasingly aware of an awkward silence between the two of us. I glanced over to Celestia to find that she was looking all over the place, admiring the sights of Ponyville.
“You must really love Ponyville.” I said nonchalantly.
“Oh yes.” She replied. “I barely get to come here without much fanfare and other such royal preparations, so I never get to see the town in its daily state. It really is such a quaint little place. I envy you Little Wing.”
“Thanks…I guess. But you’ve never really seen Ponyville the way I have.” I replied, old wounds floating to the surface of my conciseness on bubbles of memories.
“I understand that you have not had the best of lives,” Celestia said slowly. “But I am sure you have friends that helped you along your way.”
When Celestia said this, I immediately thought of Rainbow Dash, my closest friend for such a long time. “You’re right.” I said to the princess, an idea coming to mind. “In fact, you could probably help her.” I said, turning in the direction of Ponyville General. I didn’t speed up, but was content to walk through this beautiful town on this bright day in peace.
“Before we go see her,” I said aloud. “I want to know what Storm was like.” I said while we walked together.
“Lord Storm was magnificent.” Celestia said, a tone of nostalgia entering her voice. “Not just in the way he looked or his powers, but in how he handled all problems and how he spoke to every creature. Whenever he was at the castle, he would expect respect from everypony. As soon as he received it, you were his best friend. He would do anything for you.” She said smiling.
“Like what?” I asked.
“He once covered all of Canterlot with a thick snow in the middle of summer.” She said with a toothy grin. “It was one of the hottest summers in all of history, back during my sister’s banishment. Canterlot seemed to be melting herself and anypony who ventured outside almost burst into flames. Of course, I tried to lessen the heat from the sun, but the sun was unruly and unresponsive to some of my magic.”
“Lord Storm had just arrived into Canterlot to say hello and spend a little time with me. He knew I was still feeling…less than great that my sister was banished and he wanted to cheer me up. His large wings created the only wind that day, making all of Canterlot sigh with relief. However, he did not stop there. When he saw that I was having trouble with making the heat disappear, he flew up into the sky and summoned his namesake. Winds started to cool off the blazing buildings and streets of Canterlot, but Storm didn’t stop there. With a simple call of his power, snow started to gently drift into the city.” She said with memory. “I’ll never forget that day.”
We entered Ponyville General together and the same desk attendant that screamed “monster” at me a few days ago now bowed the second we came into the hospital.
“W…what can I help you with Princess?” she stuttered.
“We’re here to see Rainbow Dash.” I told her. “I already know which room. Come on Celestia.” I said easily, making the desk attendant stare at me incredulously. I led Celestia up the stairs and to the familiar door. I knocked on it twice, but heard no reply, so I put a hoof up to my lips to warn Celestia and I opened the door quietly.
We tip-hoofed into the room only to find that Rainbow Dash had fallen asleep with a book over her face. I snorted, thinking about what she would say if she woke up now; probably something along the lines of “I’m not an egghead!” I shook my head as Celestia took the book off of her face gently with her magic. Rainbow stirred in her sleep, but didn’t wake up. I saw her gently sleeping face and started to blush. She looked so beautiful when she was asleep. Celestia noticed with a raised eyebrow and sat down in the only chair in the room, smirking at me. I pouted at her and snuck over to the window. I looked out at the courtyard of the hospital as I heard Celestia turning the pages of the book, reading through it while Rainbow slept.
Eventually I heard a loud sigh of comfort, one that I mentally told myself I could get used to hearing, and I heard the bed sheets rumple as Rainbow stirred. I looked over my shoulder as she sleepily moved, graceful even in half-sleep. She rubbed her eyes and opened them slowly, smiling cutely the whole time. She stretched and looked around the room before lying back onto the bed. Then she sat straight up, her eyes wide open as she saw Princess Celestia and me.
“Pri…Princess? Wha???” she said looking dumbfounded and shocked all at the same time.
“Oh, I just decided to break in.” Celestia said nonchalantly, winking at me with a spark in her eye.
“What?” Rainbow asked, now very confused.
“Oh yes. I heard that you were in the hospital, so I knew you would like to be comforted by your number one fan.” Celestia replied.
“Wha?”
“Yes, Rainbow; I am your biggest fan. I have a room back at the castle filled with newspaper clippings that have all your accomplishments. I also met with your little fan club. I became the president in under 10 seconds flat.” She continued.
“Really?” Rainbow said with a raised eyebrow.
“Indeed. But it is such a shame that you had to wake up. Now it’ll be all the harder to shave off your mane.” Celestia said, making a magical razor appear out of nowhere. It floated in Celestia’s telekinetic grip and buzzed there.
“My mane?!?” Rainbow screeched, grabbing onto her rainbow locks.
“Well how else am I supposed to finish my life-size Rainbow Dash doll?” Celestia said flatly as she slowly approached Rainbow. “All the best stalkers have one…” Celestia whispered creepily.
As Rainbow screamed in fright, I fell to the ground laughing while Celestia sat back down in the chair smirking at Rainbow. I laughed happily while Rainbow panted and looked around the room wide-eyed, confused at what was going on. Her eyes finally fell on me as Celestia let the razor disappear, but instead traded it for a banana.
“YOU!” Rainbow yelled at me. “YOU’RE TERRIBLE!” she said, picking up and throwing a pillow at my head. I let it hit me while I laughed at Rainbow’s expression. “Come here.” She said between clenched teeth as I rose off the floor. I walked over to her with a goofy smile on my face and smiled even harder when she punched me in the shoulder.
“Ow.” I said with a smile.
“You bring Princess Celestia all the way from Canterlot only to sneak into my room and almost give me a heart attack? WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?!?” She screamed into my face.
“I may have snuck into your room, but all the credit for scaring you goes to Celestia.” I said smiling even wider as I applauded the Princess.
“Thank you, Thank you.” She said with small bows.
“Really?” Rainbow asked flatly. “Not even a ‘hi’. Just a ‘I’m Stalker-estia, here to steal your hair!’ You two make me sick.”
“Oh come on Rainbow.” I said rolling my eyes. “You’ve pranked me plenty of times. You deserved this at least. And don’t say things like ‘you two make me sick’. You sound like Rarity.”
“So what did you guys come here for?” Rainbow asked speculatively.
I quickly recounted our tale of the morning, how I felt it would be fun to come to Ponyville, how Celestia and I had effectively ditched Blueblood, and how we came to her hospital room.
“So why are we here?” Celestia asked. “If you wanted to say hello that is all fun and good, but…”
“Well, I brought you here for a reason Celestia.” I said knowingly. “You see how my dear friend Rainbow over here is in a cast? Well she caused that when she drop-hoofed a horned serpent while she was going the speed of a sonic rainboom. I was wondering if you could do something about that.”
Rainbow’s eyes lit up. “Could you really do that Princess?”
“I can try.” She said, getting up out of the chair. She floated the medical chart towards herself, making reading spectacles magically appear on her face.
“Broke all the bones in your leg, heh? But no tendon tears or major muscle rips. And not even one sliced artery. My you are a luck one.” Celestia said with an appreciative whistle. Her horn started to glow and Rainbow’s leg was gently picked up out of the sling. Then, her cast slowly came off of her leg.
“Ohhhh, that’s great.” said Rainbow with relief as the cast feel from her leg.
However, Celestia’s horn started to glow brighter and I could feel the warmth coming from it.
“Little Wing, come hold her leg while I use my healing magic.” Celestia directed. I obeyed and started to cradle the leg in both hooves. Then, Celestia’s magical grip on it disappeared and instead her horn actually touched Rainbow’s flesh, sending warmth and magical currents down her leg.
“That feels funny.” Rainbow said, starting to frown.
“You might want to hold onto something.” Celestia said to both of us as her horn grew even brighter. Rainbow quickly gripped the bed with her front hooves and I dug my knees into the mattress and grit my teeth.
Soon, Rainbow was shaking and I could hear her teeth chattering. There was an incredible heat in the room from Celestia’s horn and I was sweating buckets before long. The brightness of the sun princess’s horn made both of us avert our eyes. The heat and the light grew brighter and brighter and I faintly became aware that Rainbow was shouting something at me, but the magic seemed to block out all my senses. All at once the heat reached its apex and the light flashed its brightest, but then it was all over.
“…w ow ow ow ow.” I realized I was saying as my hearing and sight slowly came back, the bright light and white noise fading from my senses. I wasn’t the only one though, because I felt Rainbow jerk her leg out of my hands.
“Rainbow, what are you…”
“WOOHOO!” I heard her shout as I felt a weight jump off the bed.
I rubbed my eyes quickly to regain my sight and I saw a miraculously happy scene. Rainbow was laughing with happiness as she flew around the room while Celestia sat back in her chair, smiling a little tiredly. Rainbow did a few more laps around the room making the lamp, vase full of flowers, and nightstands almost fall over. Then she saw me with exuberant eyes and flew straight at me. I gasped as she tackled me and I fell off the bed.
“Look at this!” she said from above me as she did a hoof-stand and waved her back legs in the air.
I laughed at her joy. “Very nice.” I said in good cheer. She fell back onto all four legs and smiled down at me. She gave me a dazzling smile and her maroon eyes made my heart race at the speed of lighting.
‘I thought you liked the other one. The yellow one.’ Storm chimed in inside my mind.
I rolled my eyes and scowled at his embarrassing words and luckily Rainbow had looked away to thank Celestia. Rainbow’s and Celestia’s voices faded out of my hearing as I started thinking about which one I really liked. I knew that Fluttershy was beautiful and she liked me, but could I return her feelings. And then there was Rainbow. I had always seen her as my only friend, like a kind of older sister, but seeing her fight for her friends and just her being her really changed my outlook on her. She was always so happy, so ready for anything. But Fluttershy was so caring and nice. I really felt happy around her and like I had to protect her from everything. I quickly shook my head to clear my thoughts as Rainbow looked back down at me.
“You ok?” she asked with a cocked head as I shook mine.
“Yeah!” I replied jumping off of the floor. “So what are you going to do with that fixed leg?”
Her eyes grew wide and she smirked at me, telling me I already knew what she was going to say.
“GO FLY!” she and I shouted at the same time. “Let’s go!” she yelled, speeding out of the door of the room.
“Well that was eventful.” Celestia muttered as she slowly got up out of the chair. She started to walk over to me, but she stopped as she saw the book that Rainbow had fallen asleep under. She lifted it with magic and it disappeared with a ‘pop’, the same as her glasses had earlier.
“It’s surprising that she of all ponies was reading the most relevant book to our cause.” She said to me with a small smirk, before tripping. I rushed to her side with an unknown speed and propped her up from the side.
“Thank you.” She said tiredly.
“Are you alright?” I asked with concern.
“Yes,’ she replied with a strained pant while putting a hoof to her head. “I…I just need to get outside. I forgot how much healings tend to take out of me.”
“Ok, nice and slow then.” I said as we walked to the door. I was about to open it when it flew open from the outside and Rainbow’s exuberant face appeared inches away from mine. I jumped, but luckily neither Celestia nor I fell.
“What’s taking so long?” She asked with unfathomable stupidity.
Instead of facehoofing, I led Celestia out the door and let her lean on me while we walked down the hall and stairs. Rainbow went quiet as she saw her princess’s condition and fluttered down behind us.
As we reached the bottom of the stairs, Rainbow shot past us and went straight to the reception desk. There was nopony there, so she hit the little bell about a million times a second until Celestia and I stumbled over and Nurse Redheart came out of nowhere.
“ImRinbowDashandImcheckingout.” Rainbow spewed out. From the speed her wings fluttered at, I could tell that Rainbow was just itching to get out into the clear blue skies again. However, I was still a little angry at her. She saw that Celestia was weak, so how could she act so childishly?
“But you weren’t due to leave for another month…” the nurse replied astounded before she saw Celestia and me again. She gasped and started to bow but I stopped her.
“Don’t.” I said quickly. “Could we just hurry this up? Celestia doesn’t feel too great and she said that she’ll be fine when she gets outside.” I looked over to the princess of the sun who was almost completely slumped over on my back. I could see that her breathing had become ragged and a slick sheen of sweat coated her body. She looked like she was going to fall over at any second, so I wanted to get her outside as soon as possible.
Nurse Redheart gave me a suspicious look since I used the princess’s name so easily and that I commanded her so quickly. However, I was not in a mood to argue with her. As Rainbow finished up checking out (taking the attention off of Celestia and I) I led Celestia outside into the noonday sun.
The warmth of the day and the gentle breeze significantly made Celestia perkier, making her lean on me less and less. But it was only when we got out of the shadow of the hospital building and into the sunlight that Celestia took a turn for the better. As we walked into the sunlight, I could feel as the Celestia absorbed the heat, light, magic, and overall energy of the sun. She stood up tall and flared her wings as the sun gave her strength. I thought back to what Storm had said about the princesses relying on the power of the sun and moon to help fuel them and I saw that every word was true. Right before my eyes, the alicorn went from being a sick and weak pony into the strong ruler we all knew and cherished.
She closed her eyes for a second and took in a deep breath while her mane flowed in the cosmic wind. Then she spoke. “Thank you for helping me out here.” She said to me with eyes filled with the sun.
I smiled back at her and shrugged my shoulders. “You were a good friend to Storm and you’re one of our princesses. It’s the least I could do.”
She let out one tinkling laugh as Rainbow came flying out of the hospital. She nodded up at Rainbow, who was doing loop in the sky, and opened her mouth.
“Yes, let’s.” I said before she could say anything. I let my wings grow and my body change into its thunderbird form while Celestia took off into the sky. It surprised me to see the regal flyer do loops and chase after Rainbow with speed I could have never guessed she possessed. Instead of taking off, I decided to sit back and watch the pair stream through the air. As always, Rainbow shot around at amazing speeds with rainbow contrails speeding behind her. However, Celestia followed behind her closely, with what looked like pink, green, blue, and purple contrails that glittered in the sky. I watched them chase each other around in complex routes leaving the sky look like a multi-colored etch-a-sketch.
‘Well? Go join them.’ Storm encouraged me. I smirked and flapped my wings, thinking about where I could form a storm. Maybe on the other side of the world? I felt the air currents and moisture change over the emerald jungles on the other side of the world and a storm rose there to allow my flight. Soon, I was among the clouds with the other air-borne mares.
Rainbow was the first to greet me, coming at me with acrobatics which made my head spin. I tried to follow her, but ended up spinning myself into dizziness. I heard her laugh as I tried to right myself from all the head turning motion. I saw that she was lying on a cloud with Celestia as I stopped spinning.
“You learned how to fly, I take it.” Rainbow said with a smirk. “So let’s see what you’ve got.” She said as she dove off the cloud into a spinning, prismatic spiral. Celestia rolled her eyes but then followed the element of loyalty into the dive. I breathed heavily and then followed them too.
The wind ripped by my face as I sped past Celestia and pulled up right next to Rainbow. She eyed me with approval and then smiled. “Come on!” she screamed and she flew faster, taking barrel rolls and loops with majestic speed. I matched her every move making her laugh with delight when I came up next to her. Her eyes twinkled defiantly as she sped up, a mach corona forming around her. I smiled and sped up too, letting the lighting surround my body and charge my flight faster.
As Rainbow shouted with delight when she produced a sonic rainboom, I let out a similar screech as my sonic lighting blast resounded behind me with a giant thunderclap. I gazed at the happy Rainbow as her contrails seemed to become a solid object of color. She looked back at my lightning covered body in awe.
We landed on a cloud and panted a laughed at each other’s joy. As we laughed, Rainbow sat next to me and leaned onto my shoulder, breathing heavy out of happiness and exhilaration.
“Wing, you…you’re amazing!” she said happily. I looked out at the sky, too embarrassed from her praise and closeness to say anything.
“You can fly! And so well! And you can even keep up with me!” she said with a laugh. “Thank you.” She said as she nuzzled my side.
“What for?” I asked, hoping she wouldn’t see my deep red-burning face.
“Out of all the things you could do with your powers, you get me healed and then show me one of the best days of my life. So thank you.” She said smiling.
I couldn’t help but catch her smile too. My face burned, but my pride swelled. To think that I was this close with Rainbow Dash. To think that I had made her day. I just never wanted this moment to end. But life always has different plans.
Celestia shot out of nowhere and landed on the cloud next to us, making Rainbow and I sit up and apart from each other. Celestia looked scared and her frantic eyes narrowed in on me.
‘Monster!’ said Storm in my mind, Celestia to both of us frantically, and a scream from Ponyville below us.