//------------------------------// // Just Dropping By // Story: Change in Perspective // by Quicksear //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash decided that since she was meant to only reveal Marc to the ponies of Ponyville that evening during the Royal Euphony Concert, She would show Marc the town from a better vantage point. One VERY far from any ponies. Marc was tired after the first half an hour of marching, but Rainbow Dash didn't seem to notice. The conversation had died when he had to focus more on breathing to keep up with the energetic pony. Hours later, she looked over to him huffing along behind her on the slope they were climbing. "Uh, Marc? You okay? You look sick." Marc shot her a glance. "Well, not being outside for over a month may have knocked me a bit. Not to mention being bed-ridden for most of it." He scrambled up the rocks after her for a bit longer. After what felt like another hour, Marc saw her jump up to a ridge and stand there, waiting for him. He quickly climbed to where she was standing and stood next to her. Silence They were standing at the top of a long spur that jutted out of the ground overlooking Ponyville and the edge of the Everfree Forest. The town was quite distant. The sun was starting its descent on the horizon, it's rays angling across treetops. Marc looked around him. Behind him in the hazy distance rose a great mountain, with graceful spires and towers he recognized to be Canterlot perched defiantly on the sheer mountainside. In front of him grew a great spread of trees: Whitetail Wood. On the border of the proud forest stood the cottages and other dwellings of Ponyville. On the far side he could make out a large Apple Orchard where he assumed the Apple Family lived and worked. As the rays of Celestia's sun hit the thatched roofs of the town and various shades of leaves between where he was standing and the whole horizon, everything lit up in fantastic colours that put any rainbow on earth to shame. Marc's breath left his body at the sheer beauty that he saw there. The village merged with and complimented the surrounding forests and fields instead of defying them as a human settlement would. The setting touched him in a deep and profound way he never would have expected. Rainbow Dash scuffed the ground awkwardly with a hoof. She hadn't planned for such a magnificent sunset. It is beautiful though... " Uh, I thought you might like to see everything from a vantage point so you could get around easier-" Marc reached out a hand and rested it against Rainbow's shoulder, silencing her. Together they watched the sun go down and the moon rise behind them, bathing the whole vista in its ghostly pearlescent light. Eventually Marc looked down to Rainbow Dash standing awkwardly by his side. "Thank you for this Rainbow, it's just what I needed." Rainbow jumped up, Needing to move again. "Don't go soft on me, I just wanted you get a good look at things. Now come on, you wasted so much time that I'm gonna had to fly you back to town!" Marc didn't quite see that happening. Rainbow's wings looked undersized to him already. He looked up at her questioningly. "I don't think that's physically possible, Rainbow, I mean, I probably weigh roughly the same as you do-" He had no chance to continue as Rainbow shot down, wrapped her hooves around his chest and lifted off with ease. "See? I told you! DON'T doubt my flying skills, I'm the best there is! And I'm nowhere near as fat as you." Marc sighed, smiling at her quip, as they sped through the air. How do these ponies break so many rules of physics? Oh well. He merely shifted to a more comfortable position, holding onto Rainbow's hooves for some extra security, and settled in for the flight. After a while he heard a sweet melodic sound coming from the town square. The concert had already begun. it wasn't a problem since he was only due to be revealed later anyway, but he still felt butterflies. This is gonna be a rough night. Then he felt Rainbow dive to the side. "Hey, watch out Derpy! You nearly hit me!" Marc saw the other pegasus barreling through the sky, trying to get a good look at him. "Hey Rainbow, w-who's that? What is it? Can I t-talk to it?" Unfortunately, Derpy got way too close in her excitement and her wings entangled themselves with Rainbow's. Marc felt a sickening lurch as the two pegasi tumbled to the ground. Marc ended up falling free of Rainbow Dash's grip. As he fell, Marc thought, rather calmly, Well, that's that. But he didn't die. Instead he was hit by a huge uprush of air and confetti, and for some reason a table cloth, that slowed his fall enough to avoid breaking any bones. The ground still hit him with enough force to wind him for a few minutes. He shook his head and tried to find Rainbow Dash and Derpy while attempting to shed the large piece of fabric that had ensnared him. The two pegasi lay in a heap nearby, not moving. Oh no. Marc thought that the crash had deafened him, for he couldn't hear a sound. Once he'd rolled over, though, he saw that wasn't why it was quiet. Standing around him, with looks of shock and terror etched into their usually happy faces, was the entire population of Ponyville. "Oops."