If there was one pony that I hate, it's Rainbow Dash. I stood by and watched her the first time she made a sonic rainboom. As amazed as I was, the jealousy I felt that day was unbearable. It really got to me! For many times I practised afterwards, but I simply never could get fast enough. Rainbow Dash was always better than me. I never could make a Sonic Rainboom. Once, in a dive, I felt myself coming close. I had finally accumulated enough airspeed! But because of how fast I was going, I couldn't pull out fast enough, and I hit the ground hard. It almost broke my neck. It could have killed me! I spent about a month in hospital. When I finally left that place, I could only look up at the sky and feel utter hatred for it.
My parents paid for me to have re-orientation training. Just my luck my dad is a palace guard. He told me time and time again he WOULDN'T have a son who doesn't fly! It took weeks of counselling before I could take to the skies again and regain my confidence.
Why am I thinking of all this right now?! Shit.
Valkyrie left the thick layer of clouds which revealed Ponyville sprawling out below him. It was much darker down there. Above the clouds, the sun was still slightly above the horizon.
He used his wings to vector the thrust in the correct direction, guiding his descent towards his house. Each wing worked in unison, almost subconsciously controlled, to keep himself balanced. His right wing flapped slightly harder than the other, because under it he carried a bag full of books. Valkyrie was extremely careful not to descend too quickly, as he always had been since the accident. A few times, he had brought himself to a complete hover by mistake. Valkyrie had now guided himself below rooftop level. Some pegasi, like Rainbow Dash, fold their wings away at this height and would simply fall the last few feet. Valkyrie didn't even consider that. He brought himself neatly onto the ground, back hooves first.
“Hey, Valk!” A familiar, friendly voice said quickly and loud. He knew who it was immediately because only one pony shortens his name. Valkyrie sighed and turned around to see Pinkie Pie grinning, her being only person it could have been to have greeted him in such a way. He smiled back slightly, he was happy at least she was happy to see him, but still fed up of being bothered by her.
“Hi,” he replied.
“You were flying really high!” Pinkie Pie grinned.
“At a higher altitude there's less air, so you can go faster with less effort,” he sighed.
“Wow!” Said Pinkie Pie happily, clearly amazed at this fact.
“Hey, what'cha got there?” She indicated at the bag tucked under his wing.
“It's books from Canterlot,” Valkyrie turned away and opened the door. “Ooh what are they?” Pinkie Pie squealed excitedly, but Valkyrie closed the door without saying anything.
He carefully removed the books from the bag. Some were thick, and some were thin. Some hardback, some paperback. Paperbacks with illustrations or photos on the cover and hardbacks without. He smiled at them. They were ancient, really ancient. Not cheap either. Each containing myths (or legends, for Valkyrie who believed some of them) about flying that machines humans built and operated. Some ponies believe humans used to walk Equestria, many millions of years ago. But other ponies thought of them as mere fiction. Saying that there is no way such a creature could have existed, or that there isn't enough evidence for them. Valkyrie would never admit it, but he truly believed that humans existed, and that maybe some were still out there. No, I LIKE to think that there are humans still out there. He turned towards the kitchen window and looked up at the stars. If there really are humans out there, then they probably have more power and influence than we might think. After realizing what he had thought, Valkyrie buried his head in his hooves while sitting down next to his books. Now I've become one of those 'believers'. Fucking hell.
His internal monologue was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door, provoking a feel of unease that distracted him from his thoughts of humans as he hesitantly went over to answer it. It was Pinkie Pie, who was smiling as usual. “Hey, Valk, why did you close the door, Silly?” Pinkie Pie cheerfully jumped up and down. Clearly oblivious to Valkyrie trying to dismiss her.
“Uh...hi,” he mumbled.
“Hellooo,” said Pinkie Pie, letting herself in. Before Valkyrie could say anything, she had picked up the first book on the pile, “F-4 Phantom II vs MiG-21 USAF and VPAF in the Vietnam War,” Pinkie Pie read curiously, “hey look at the name of the author! Ponies back when this was written must've had really funny names!” She exclaimed, and laughed.
Valkyrie simply rolled his eyes, “be careful with that. It's expensive,” he said, now getting annoyed at her. But Pinkie Pie didn't reply; too intrigued by the cover, but also confused. Raising one eyebrow, she asked, “what's going on on the cover?” Then Valkyrie grinned. Now was his opportunity to disturb this pony and wipe that constant smile off her face.
“It's a war,” he began, in a dramatic voice, “one that was fought by humans. See those things in the sky? They're built by humans. You see the bottom part of the cover? Look at that one that is on fire. There are two humans inside it. And they're both about to DIE!” Upon hearing this, Pinkie Pie's mouth dropped open.
She gasped and her smile faded, “Oh...oh my, that's terrible!” Valkyrie grinned and gave a little laugh. He took pleasure in Pinkie Pie's discontent. That sure knocked her down a few steps! He thought to himself. Although, what he was saying wasn't completely true, and Valkyrie knew that. The two humans, or maybe just one of them, could potentially still survive. They could eject from their burning F-4 Phantom.
“A-and what's going on in the top half?” Pinkie Pie asked nervously, trembling slightly.
“Oh, that's just an F-4 firing a missile,” Valkyrie shrugged casually, “to KILL the human in the MiG!” Pinkie Pie gasped again and put the book down on top of the pile.
She shakily turned her head back to him, “V-Valkyrie, why would you read about these?” Pinkie's innocent eyes were wider than before as she looked at him. Suddenly he felt uneasy. Her eyes were usually cheerful. And now they were disturbed and he sensed some worry in them, too. He now felt bad for what he had done to her.
Pinkie Pie was now keen to change the subject. She looked around to either side of her before saying, “hey, I'm meeting some other of my friends at Sugarcube Corner. Want to join us?” Valkyrie considered this carefully, but soon reached a conclusion, “Sure,” he replied.
“Great!” Pinkie Pie jumped for joy, “we'll be there at noon!”
“Great,” said Valkyrie, expressionless. He quickly wanted to get rid of Pinkie Pie, and quickly found an excuse. “I'm gonna get to sleep,” he said suddenly.
“Okie dokie lokie!” Said Pinkie Pie, “yeah, it really is getting late.” Valkyrie began gently pushing her towards the door, “I'll see you tomorrow, good night.”
“Goodnight!”
He shut the door then locked it in all five locks. He laughed quietly. He wasn't planning on going to bed any time soon. Instead, Valkyrie picked up the book Pinkie Pie had been so disturbed by, and read it until his eyelids became too heavy to fulfil their function of staying open. Valkyrie cared nothing for humans if there was such a thing. Or at least, not nearly as much as it seems Pinkie Pie does. They were just information to him, nothing more. Even so, he loved to read about the humans that built and operated their flying machines. They were the stuff of legends. And the machines themselves? He thought they were absolutely beautiful. No mare in Equestria could come even come close.
Valkyrie thought of all this as he lay in bed. Then his consciousness turned it's attention to meeting Pinkie Pie and some other friends of hers at Sugarcube Corner. He felt both nervous and excited for it.
What's that word Pinkie Pie uses to describe that emotion? Oh, that's right: 'nevrouscited'.