//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: To See Her One More Time // by TheMessenger //------------------------------// Chapter 11 As Robert took out his keys to lock the door, he turned his head and scanned the area quickly. Still clear. He released a breath of relief and set off with his arms tucked below his stomach and his hood over his head. The young man walked quickly but carefully, often ducking his head and watching his feet lift and land. A sense of nervousness seemed to follow him and when he wasn't watching his step his head would spin side to side and behind. "Something the matter?" "Gah! No, nothing, nothing at all, sir-ur, ma'am, miss!" The old woman shook her head. "Darn crazy kids," she muttered. "All fat and lazy." "If he's trying to avoid suspicion he's doing a God-awful job. Seriously, the only way he could look any more suspicious if he was bla-" "Finish that sentence and I will end you." "You're a walking stereotype, you know that? All you need is an afro. Ow! I was kidding!" Concrete gave way to grass. Robert paused at the edge and looked around once more. No kids were running and chasing each other. No families were picnicking or playing ball. No one near the rusty swing set. The little sandbox was vacate as ever. Deserted as usual. Perfect. With one final cautious glance over his shoulder, Robert unzipped his jacket. A rainbow-haired head peeked out. The pony stared in awe, her bright red eyes wider than Robert had ever seen before. "Is it safe?" she asked, staring back up at the man. Robert could feel the filly shake against him both nervously and in excitement. He smiled. "It'll be fine," he said, opening the rest of his coat. The pony tumbled out of his arms and landed softly in the grass. For a moment she sat there, just staring at the green blades and the occasional dandelion flower, before looking up into the sky. A few clouds drifted along lazily but not enough to hide sun. Robert laid next to Rainbow and stared up with her. "Beautiful day, huh?" Rainbow nodded. "It's so...big," she muttered. "Why can't we live here instead?" "There's no shelter from the rain," Robert explained. "It gets really cold too." "Colder than at home?" He hesitated. "Much colder," Robert answered, trying to ignore how she had said 'home' and what that word implied. "Plus, there's no T.V. or electricity." "That's okay. I think this is cooler." Rainbow watched a couple of birds soar by, chirping as they flew. She stretched her wings and got into a low crouch. "Dashie..." Then she leaped, her wings spread out wide. Robert's eyes widened as she took off and landed on her face. Robert sped to her side just as Rainbow picked herself up and spat out a mouthful of grass. "Are you alright? Where does it hurt? Do we need to go home? Maybe..." "I'm fine, geez," the filly said, pushing the man's hands away. Her pouting face was a little dirty but nothing that would last. Rainbow glared at the feathery appendages on her back. "Why don't they work?" she asked. "Give it some time," Robert assured. "You just need some practice. What, did you think those birds could fly after being hatched?" "Maybe...I guess not. Does that mean we'll be coming back here some time?" Robert nodded. "Of course, if you want to." "Yes!" the filly cheered, leaping back onto her hooves. She began to gallop through the grass, jumping into the air every three steps with her wings spread. As Dash ran and cheered, Robert found himself laughing as well. He ran by and scooped her up, holding her just above his head. Rainbow's cheering intensified as she reached closer to the clouds above. Eva and Neil tried to follow but as they grew closer Robert and the little pony faded away. The sky that had been blue was now orange as the sun began its descent. Rainbow and the young man reappeared, resting at the base of a tall tree right above the old dusty sandbox. "Think it's time to go home?" "Aww, do we have to?" Robert laughed. "Yeah, we do. You need a bath and some dinner would be nice." He climbed to his feet and picked up the little filly. She tried to hide a yawn. "Can we come back here tomorrow?" Rainbow asked, snuggling against Robert's chest as he began to conceal her under his jacket. "Of course." The way back was much less dramatic than the trip to the park. Robert seemed too subdued and too tired to cover his tracks and besides the occasional look over the shoulder, his previous paranoia had been quieted. Keys...door...jacket...closet... ...pony...tub... "Hold still. I don't want to get soap in your eyes." "Do I have to take a bath?" "Yes." Robert lathered shampoo furiously through Rainbow's mane. "Look how dirty you are." The pony examined her suds-covered body and gave Robert a questioning look. "Well, you're clean now. You should have seen all the dirt and stuff on your coat before." He shook the water off his hands. "Can you spread your wings for me? I'm sure there's plenty I missed under them." With a huff, the little pony extended her wings. Her annoyance gave the action power and soapy water flew from the bathtub and onto the floor. Robert barely had time to blink before the splash soaked his shirt. "Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!" cried Rainbow. Her wings quickly shrunk away, tucked neatly next to her sides. The Pegasus tried pulling herself up but the hoof could not grab hold of the bathtub's edge and she slipped. Robert's arm shot forward, catching the filly before she hurt herself. "I'm sorry," she repeated quietly. "I didn't mean to, really." "I know," Robert said calmly. "It's alright. It was an accident." He took off the wet shirt and wrung it out before wiping it on the floor and mopping up the mess. "I'm not mad." "R-really?" "Of course not," If his answer did not reassure her, his smile certainly did. Rainbow smiled back. "Close your eyes. It's time to rinse." Robert turned the nob. "Hey! That's cold!" "Gotcha." The drain filled with suds and water as the bathroom filled with laughter. ***** "Okay, I'm ready!" "Alright, make sure to aim for the sandbox!" "No way! I'm aiming for the skies!" Robert, Eva, and Neil flinched as the Pegasus dropped like a stone. Sand ran through her mane as she picked herself up. "We probably should have done some research first. I wonder if my library card's still valid..." ***** Flight is the main form of locomotion among birds and other winged animals. Understanding the mechanisms behind flying has given humans ways to experience flight as well. The fundamentals of bird flight are similar to those of human aircraft. Lift, drag, and thrust are all terms used by pilots and ornithologists alike... [|||] "Are you ready?" "I was born ready!" Rainbow leaped from the tree branch with her wings extended. Gravity reestablished its grip a second later. "Ow..." ***** Gliding is possible because lift force (produced by air flow around the wing; see Chapter 3: The Physics on Flight II) is generated at right angles to the air flow, which comes slightly below the horizontal during gliding... [|||] "Alright, let's do this!" "God, I hope I have enough band aids this time." ***** When a bird flaps, its wings continue to develop lift. The lift is rotated forward (as oppose to a 90 degree angle to the horizontal as in gliding; see Chapter 6: Gliding) in order to counteract drag (see Chapter 2: The Physics on Flight I) and increase speed. This in itself also increases lift so to counteract weight and allowing maintenance and control over height... [|||] "Neil, where'd you get the popcorn?" "I honestly have no idea." ***** Apart from weight, there are three major forces of drag that impede a bird's aerial flight: frictional drag due to friction between air and body surfaces, form drag (or pressure drag) caused by the frontal area of the body, and lift-induced drag which is caused by wingtip vortices... "Did you get all that?" Rainbow simply stared blankly before slowly shaking her head. "Nope." Robert sighed. "Yeah, me neither. Tomorrow I'll have to see if the library has any other books." "Can I come too? I can hide in your jacket like when we go to the park." "Sorry Dashie," he said, patting the filly's head. "I don't think they'd let you in." "Fine," she huffed. "Can you at least get me a book to read? I think I finished all the ones at home." "Sure." Robert got up and tucked the pony in. "Ready for bed?" "Um, actually...can we read one more bedtime story?" "Of course," he said, sitting back down. "How about we review the chapter on overcoming the forces of gravity and wind resistance...I'm kidding, I'm kidding..." ***** Growth of equines will often accelerate after the first year and will continue to grow until their fourth year, at which the individual will have reached maturity and growth will continue at a reduced rate. Keep in mind, however, that growth varies among species, both in extent and in rate... [|||] "No way." "Dashie..." "No. I'm not going out in that." Robert shook his head. "We've gone over this. You're too big to hide under my hoodie now and wearing a jacket on days like today is suspicious. If we still want to go out you need a disguise." "Yeah, but I didn't think I had to go like this." Rainbow poked at the brown dog suit laying on the table. She stuck her tongue at it. "Do I have to?" "Well, the other option is to just stay home." The man knelt down and rubbed the pony's shoulder. "Look, it's just until you can fly, then maybe you can use the clouds for cover. Just try it on. Please?" The pony sighed in defeat. "Alright, but you'd better not laugh." ..... "Bahahahaha!" "Neil..." ***** The point at which chicks fledge varies dramatically from species to species. By this point the individual will be able to fly and will often leave the nest and its parents, though in some species the child will be accompanied by the parents during the first migration. Those that are incapable of flight will likely die, either from falling or from exposure to the elements during winter... “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan [|||] "Dashie, you okay? That last one really looked like it hurt." "..." "What?" The filly lifted her head out of the sand. Bits of grain stuck to her cheeks and the wet streaks running down that ran down them. Robert sat down and quickly placed her onto his lap. "Where does it hurt?" he asked. "Do you need a band aid? Ice?" "Why can't I fly?" The young pony stopped resisting the man's touch and settled into his arms, sniffing and rubbing at her eyes. "Why can't I fly?" she asked again. Robert gently brushed Rainbow's mane out of her eyes so that he could look directly into them. "That's not true. You can fly. I know you can. You know you can. That's why we're practicing, isn't it?" He stroked the tips of her cyan feathers, knocking off sand particles. "As long as you don't give up, you can achieve anything you want. The sky is as good as yours." He gave the Pegasus an encouraging smile. "So, ready for another go?" Rainbow returned the smile. She wiped away the last of the tears. "You bet!" "Atta' girl." ***** The most obvious adaptation to flight is the wing, but because flight is so energetically demanding birds have needed to evolved several other adaptations to improve efficiency... Take-off is one of the most energetically demanding aspects of flight, as the subject must generate enough airflow across the wing to create lift... [|||] "Rainbow, slow down! You'll choke if you eat so fast." "I can't help it," she said her mouth filled with donuts. "I'm so hungry." ***** Landing is another problem for large birds with high wing loadings. This problem is dealt with in some species by aiming for a point below the intended landing spot (such as a nest on a cliff) then pulling up beforehand. If timed properly, the airspeed once the target is reached is reduced to practically nil... [|||] "D-Dashie...you...you're doing it. You're doing it!" "I'm flying! I'm flying! Hey, I'm-" "Ooh, we need to work on that landing.' ***** “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” ― Leonardo da Vinci [|||] "You said I didn't have to wear this anymore after I learned how to fly," Rainbow grumbled quietly. Robert chuckled. "You still need a little more practice first. Besides, you seem a little too tired for anymore flying right now." "Nuh uh, I'm not..." Her attempts in containing the yawn failed. "...tired." "Right." Robert held her tighter. "Good job today. I think you almost broke fifty feet." "Heh, I'm pretty awesome I guess," Rainbow boasted wearily. Even through the dog costume Robert could see her prideful beam, her victorious grin. She yawned again. "Come on, Dashie, let's get you home."