//------------------------------// // Flying and Falling // Story: Free to Fly // by I am not a Dalek //------------------------------// Chapter 1- Flying and Falling Soarin’ and I race back to my home, we don’t go as fast as we normally would so we end up coming joint first, which is okay with me. The moment I see the white fluffy cloud home, I sigh in relief. I honestly cannot wait to get into my own bed for a change. I have never missed my house so much. The house is exactly how I left it, except for Soarin’s saddle back sitting on the sofa and his Wonderbolts costume hanging behind the door. On the table there sits a freshly baked apple pie, and I turn to Soarin’ in question. The blue Pegasus smiles sheepishly in return. “You can bake pie?” I stare at Soarin’, gobsmacked. The Wonderbolt rolls his eyes. “Of course I can bake my all time favourite pudding! It’s my Grandma’s recipe.” He sticks out his chest in pride. “Anyway, I couldn’t sleep so I decided to bake. I finished just before I came to see you.” “So, you didn’t sleep?” I ask as concern fills my voice. Soarin is silent for a few moments before he shakes his head. “I couldn’t,” he mumbles under his breath and looks away, embarrassed. Gazing up at the light blue Pegasus, I smile sadly and wrap my hooves around him. Soarin’ does not know that I am suffering in the same way his is. Nightmares from the cave haunt me as the walls close in on me, fall on me, and suffocate me. Soarin’s death in my nightmare replays in my mind again and again, reminding me every waking hour of the day how close I was to losing him. I shudder in fear and walk away from Soarin’, in attempt to get some air. The sun is pushing its way through the grey clouds again, glistening through the damp air. Soarin’ walks up beside me and we look up at the sky in silence. Above us, a rainbow matching every colour of my mane forms across the sky and I gaze at the sight curiously. I didn’t know Cloudsdale had planned for a rainbow. Then again, I have been missing for the past few days. The rainbow reaches from Fillydelphia to Canterlot for all of Equestria to see.You never appreciate little things such as the sky until you don't get to see it for a few days. Now, I think that this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I get the feeling that some pony is watching me instead of the sky so I turn to find Soarin’ standing right behind me, our noses almost touching. My heart pounds within my chest, and I’m positive that Soarin’ can hear it, if not see it. We stand there, nose to nose, for a few moments as we gaze deeply into each other’s eyes. I’m falling for his emerald eyes more each time I look into them. Reluctantly, I pull away and fly out of my window slowly, motioning for him to follow me. Glancing around, I search for the perfectly shaped cloud, neither too big nor too small, and then I see it. Although it is still grey with the rain that it’s consumed, it looks soft and round. It is big enough to fit two Pegasi on it, but small enough so they have to be touching. Gently, I pull the cloud towards us and fly around it as I test to see if it’s electrical. I find that the point on the far left is fully charged, but if I avoid that I should be fine. Cautiously, I stand on top of the cloud and begin to bounce, not realising that Soarin’ was floating beneath it as I completely drench him with the water the cloud is releasing. “Hey!” Soarin’s cry stops me from bouncing and I glance over the now white cloud to see him flying up towards me, soaked. I fall back onto the cloud in a fit of laughter, knowing that laughing isn’t going to help my case if I want to plead innocent. Nonetheless, it is totally worth it to see Soarin’ like this. I have to admit, he looks pretty good... Instantly, I push the thought out of my mind and pat the cloud beside me. What’s happening to me? I’m turning into Rarity! Soarin’ smiles and lies beside me, pressing his body right up against mine to ensure that I get drenched too. His mane is letting water drip down has face and into his eyes so I gently lift my hoof up and brush the drops away. A hoof catches mine as I begin to pull away, and Soarin’ pulls me close to him so that my head is resting on his chest. I close my eyes and listen to his heart beat, using that to keep me calm and help me remember that he really is alive. We’re silent for a few moments before Soarin’ finally decides to speak, “Thank you, Dashie, for saving me.” “I wouldn’t have forgave myself if I didn’t, Soar. Everyday I’d have nightmares of your death,” I whisper with pain in my voice, ironically enough I still have nightmares of his death even though he’s still alive. Soarin’ strokes my mane gently, sending shivers down my spine with each movement. I feel my cheeks begin to get hot, and I mentally kick myself. What happened to the awesome Rainbow Dash who never got embarrassed? A voice in my head replies: she fell in love. It’s true, I don’t think I can tell Soarin’ how I really feel. Not yet. He probably doesn’t feel the same, I mean I know he likes me but probably feels no more than that. I glance up at the light blue Pegasus and watch as he gazes up into the sky. The sunlight is hitting his iris perfectly, causing his emerald eyes to shine in the light. Smiling, I lean up and gently kiss his cheek before stretching out my wings and lifting off. I float above him and gaze into his eyes as I carefully pull him up with me. Soarin’ flaps his wings gently so he is floating beneath me, our bodies barely brushing against each other. “How about that race you promised me, then some pie?” I grin widely at the Pegasus beneath me. Soarin’ looks as if he’s thinking about his decisions very carefully, before he nods enthusiastically. “Okay, we will race from here to that mountain over there; first one back gets the most pie,” he cheers. I smirk at my opponent. “Easy-peasy, on your marks, get set,” I say as I position myself, ready to push myself forward. “Go!” With that, we’re off. My wings are flapping powerfully as I slice through the air like a knife. Soarin’ is closing in on my flank so I push myself further. I have to win this race; I have to prove this point. I need to prove that I’m faster than a Wonderbolt. A cone begins to form around my body causing Soarin’ to look at me in complete shock. He knows that I could perform the Sonic Rainboom and win this race with ease. But even I know my limits, the doctors told me to take it easy and doing a Sonic Rainboom definitely isn’t on the list of “things to do when taking it easy.” Still, I’ll keep that trick under my belt in case I need it as a last minute resort. I’m reaching the mountain now and I glance behind to find that Soarin’ has surprisingly managed to keep up. Maybe he could beat me in a race, on one of my bad days of course. I then begin to wonder how he was unable to dodge all those falling boulders if he’s almost the same speed as me. Images from the night of the accident flash through my mind again, but this time, instead of me saving Soarin’ he is crushed under the falling debris, never to be seen again. My wings give out in complete terror, and lock in to my body in the same way Fluttershy’s do when she’s afraid. My eyes widen in fear as I try and throw them back out again, but I end up plummeting towards the ground. The last thing I see before I blackout is Soarin’ watching in horror as I fall to my death.