Air was burning past Scootaloo’s form, peeling her cheeks back. Tears were being torn out of the corners of her eyes by the wind whipping past. She frantically looked about. Dash was there, right side up, her mane being pressed into her head. Scootaloo looked ‘up,’ and saw the ground rushing towards her. Her eyes went wide and her mind drew a total blank.
“Tuck your legs in.”
Scootaloo flailed her limbs about uselessly. Her wings buzzed, her heart hammered in her chest, and if she were able to get any air in her lungs she would have screamed. She could see Dash flying straight down a short distance away. She could almost reach out and grab her. Almost.
“I will catch you if you fall.” Dash’s voice was calm, boring even, like she was reading out bingo numbers. Scootaloo gulped, and with trembling hooves, pulled her legs to her barrel. “Good, now just flap those wings, and keep your nose pointed into the wind.”
Scootaloo’s wings buzzed even faster, the air tore her breath away. Her eyes blinked furiously as the wind stung them. She tried to keep them open, but it was proving to be difficult. She felt herself accelerate. The ground came at her even faster than before. “AAAHHHHHH!” Somehow, she found the breath to scream.
Dash shouted over her, “You almost have it! Now just tilt slowly, like you’re trying to lift your head up! Angle your wings and your head to the horizon and your tail in the opposite direction, and try to even out!”
Scootaloo’s entire body trembled as her thoughts became a jumbled mess. The only thought that she could latch onto was even out, get level. The ground came closer and closer as they shot past a wide gap in the cloud layer. Scootaloo’s scream cut out since she didn’t have anything left in her lungs. The edges of her vision turned black. She could see a road, a dusky ribbon snaking its way through the dark-green Everfree. She was rushing towards it with terrifying speed. She snapped her wings “down” and tilted them as far as they could go.
The world turned into a confusing mess.
Scootaloo tumbled in free fall. Her legs shot out every which way, flailing about in the air, searching for purchase. Her breathing became rapid and uneven when the blackness crept into the center of her vision. All she could see was a little disk of clear vision, flashing between the ground and sky, before everything went dark.
GASP
Scootaloo woke up, and instantly began to struggle. Her limbs were tight against her barrel—she couldn’t move them! She could see the ground below her speeding past. The world slowly spun, the ground rolled away, and she turned upside down to face the sky. Her breathing evened out, but her heart didn’t slow down. The tears in her eyes didn’t stop flowing as she looked up at the sky. She felt a soft, warm belly against her back.
“I told you I would catch you.” Dash’s voice came from behind her. Scootaloo lay on Dash’s belly and tried to breathe evenly. Dash was flying upside down, holding Scootaloo in her forelegs. Scootaloo’s heart still slammed in her chest.
Scootaloo sniffed, and squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking out. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey, hey, none of that. You did fine up ‘til that last part.”
“B-But, I d-dihi-dn’t k-keep my l-legs in,” Scootaloo sobbed out.
Dash’s brow shot up. She isn’t scared of falling so much as she’s scared of disappointing me. Dash used one hoof to stroke Scootaloo’s mane and whispered, “Do you want to try again some other time?”
Scootaloo sniffed again, and let out a ragged breath. She opened her eyes and spoke clearly, “Yes.”
“Then I’m proud of you,” Dash said as she kept stroking Scootaloo’s mane. “Um, maybe you shouldn’t mention this to Fluttershy. I don’t want to make her nervous.”
Scootaloo nodded. After a moment her sobbing slowed, her tears dried up, and her heart rate returned to normal. By the time Dash reached the orphanage Scootaloo had fallen into a dreamless sleep.
~~~~~
He landed on a golden cloud. His wings were large and powerful, his mane the color of the sky. His yellow coat almost matched the cloud he landed on. It was dusk, and he hugged the filly close to his chest. “Do you trust me, Butterbean?”
“Of course I do, daddy,” she breathed out. Her voice was a wispy thing; it didn’t carry far on the wind. She looked down and quickly snapped to her father’s chest, hugging him tight. Her pink mane quivered as she buried her face in his barrel. He pried her off and held her out with two forehooves. Her hindquarters and long mane dangled over empty space.
“You’re going to be a shooting star today. Trust me, Butterbean.”
Her lower lip quivered, and tears welled up in her eyes. Her father smiled. Then the world turned into rushing wind and fear as she fell, alone, into the sky.
THUD
“Ahhhhhh...” Fluttershy kicked her legs out and flapped her wings. It didn’t do anything but get her more tangled up in her bed sheets. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and her sheets were soaked with sweat. As she rubbed her nose, Fluttershy swore she could still smell her father’s cologne. She was on the cold floor in her bedroom, aching from a fresh lump on the back of her head. She sighed and placed a hoof to her chest before rising to reset her sheets. She climbed into bed and rubbed her eyes. “It’s all over now, Fluttershy,” she said to herself quietly. “You don’t have to worry anymore.”
She turned to her side, and watched Gold Feather sleep in his nest, his chest slowly rising and falling. She didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.
~~~~~
“Hmmm... Starfall... Starfall... What is a starfall?” Spike muttered to himself as he flipped to the back of the book, searching for the index. He hadn’t been able to find any references to a “starfall” in any of the other flight books. This one mentioned it, but the word didn’t appear in the index, and nothing in the text told him what a starfall actually was.
sigh
Twilight was on the couch, her body spread out in a rather undignified way. She couldn’t help it; numerous collisions with the willow tree had left her body with a medical textbook’s worth of minor injuries. She hadn’t moved in over an hour. Only her horn was glowing, holding her favorite astronomy text in front of her nose. The nice part about it was that she could use her injuries to call in sick when it came to any royal duties. As it turned out, princesses got infinite sick days. She was going to remember that next time she needed a vacation.
“Twilight, do you know what a Starfall is?” Spike was holding a book open with a pleading expression. He was pointing to a spot midway down the page of the open book in his claw.
She could never turn down a pony asking for help when it came to books, and she could never turn down a friend. Spike asking for help with a book was an irresistible siren’s call, even if she was unable to move much. Her eyes rolled up and to the left for a moment before she said, “I think I remember reading about a starfall in The Complete Biography of Commander Hurricane, First Edition. Why do you ask? I think the book is in that stack over there—OW!” Twilight pointed with a hoof and regretted it as pain lanced up her limb. She thought she heard a bone pop, but it might have just been her imagination.
“Don’t move, Twilight, I’ll get it.” Spike rocketed across the room and returned with the entire stack of books. It was at least six times his height, but after years of practice Spike was able to carry the towering stack of books without dropping them.
“I heard Rainbow Dash mumble something about a starfall after I fell into the lake for the seventeenth time, and I was wondering what she was thinking about.”
With an impossibly swift motion, he snatched a book right out of the stack without causing it to fall. This time. He read the titles out loud, “Let’s see, Don’t Panic, I dig the large, friendly-looking font, but this is the wrong book.” He tossed it over his shoulder and snagged another one. “The Complete Biography of Commander Hurricane... Fourteenth Edition. Darn, so close.”
He continued to go through books. He read out their titles, checking Twilight’s expression each time. “A thirty-six page glossy booklet titled: A Complete History of Equestrian War?” Toss. “An extremely thick book titled: A Complete History of Equestrian War AND Peace?” Toss...THUD. “Wave Particle Duality Rectification Theory. Seriously, who reads this stuff?” Twilight glanced away and blushed. Toss... Thunk! “OW!” Spike rubbed his head when a book fell from the top of the stack. “Gravimetric Gyrations, by Newhoof.” Toss. “The Pony Sutra? What’s that?” Spike glanced at Twilight.
“I’ll take that!” She swiped the book away from him with her magic and hid it behind her. She covered the lower half of her blushing face behind the open astronomy book.
Spike shrugged and continued, “The Griffon, the Zebra and the Wardrobe.” When Spike tossed it, it sailed into an open closet but didn’t make a sound of impact. “A Catcher in the Wheat, hey, who wrote ‘buck you’ on the back cover?” Twilight sighed and shook her head. It was a common thing for fillies and colts to deface library books. Toss. “Gone with the Breeze.” Toss, the book flew out the window as if it were made of feathers. “Of Mice and Mares.” Toss, it too flew out the window and landed with a deadly thump in front of Angel who was hopping by. Angel kicked the book with a scowl on his face and continued on his way. “To Kill a Teasing Bird.” Toss, it bounced against the wall. Zecora was on her monthly trip to town when she heard a strange thump from the treehouse. She shrugged, after all, it was safe here in Ponyville, right? “The Old Pony and the Sea, enough said.” Toss. “How to Train Your Dragon.”
“Oh, I’ve been looking for that!” Twilight said as she snatched it away with her magic. Spike shrugged, but inwardly smiled. I’ve already written ‘feed your dragon gems at every opportunity’ to the end of every chapter he thought. It took considerable willpower to keep from grinning like an idiot, but the gems coming his way would be worth it.
“Here it is, The Complete Biography of Commander Hurricane, First Edition.” Spike frowned at the book. It was worn, dusty, and the spine cracked when he opened it. It was also thick, heavy, and had no index. “How am I supposed to find anything in this mess?” he said, flipping to a random point mid-way through the tome.
“It’s near the beginning of the book. Commander Hurricane talks about his foal-hood, and how he had trouble learning to fly. I was interested in the founding of Equestria when I read it so I just skimmed the early parts. I remember he mentioned a starfall.” Twilight used a hoof to flip to an early part of the book. She looked at the book in Spike’s claws, upside down, but was still able to find the page she was looking for.
Spike set the book down, and the two began to read.
~~~~~
“Okay, everyone. I’m back, and I’m going to do my best to teach you.” Fluttershy spoke with what she thought was confidence. Her voice was barely audible over the sighing of the grass in the breeze.
Twilight twisted a hoof into her right ear. “One more time? I didn’t catch that.”
Fluttershy sighed and continued, “We’re going to try some high dives into this pool of water.” Fluttershy pointed with a hoof to the “high dive” she was talking about. She had set up a ladder and a diving board. Under this, she had set up a swimming pool. It was well constructed, and would be lots of fun.
For colts and fillies.
The diving board was no more than two meters high. The pool was almost too big in comparison, it was large enough for a whale and easily deep enough to drop one into it without hitting the bottom. The edges of the wooden pool were wrapped with rubber thick enough to prevent injuries to falling ponies… or anvils. In addition, there was a sign bolted to the side of the pool that read, “No galloping.” An empty box sitting on top of a pile of tools behind Fluttershy read, “water softener.”
“Is everyone ready?” Fluttershy smiled and looked at her students. “Are you ready to be a lifeguard?” Fluttershy looked up and called to Rainbow Dash. She was floating above the pool on a small cloud, a whistle around her neck. Her brow was flat, and her mouth was in a pout.
“Yes, I am ready to save anypony from drowning, but I won’t have to because they will fly today,” Dash droned. She had practiced this line at least one hundred times. Fluttershy made her do so after their last conversation. Fluttershy had become rather… insistent since that discussion. Dash had to convince her to allow the students to continue to jump to get some speed, but the extra safety features were the price she had to pay to get Fluttershy to allow it. When she suggested a trampoline and a foal’s pool, Dash had to put a hoof down. The result was the monstrosity that took all day to construct.
Fluttershy smiled and nodded her head vigorously at Dash. “Okay, lets have some fun.”
“I’d rather be flying,” Scootaloo mumbled. Gold Feather sang a few notes quietly as well.
Splash
Splash
Splash
“C’mon, Fluttershy, at least extend the diving board to its full height. They’re not getting enough speed.” Dash watched as Scootaloo climbed out of the pool.
“I don’t want them to fall too far and get hurt,” Fluttershy said as Scootaloo shook like a dog to dry off.
“We’ll be fine, I’ve done dives from way higher up,” Scootaloo said just as Twilight was about to climb the ladder again. She stopped and turned both ears in Scootaloo’s direction. “Just the other day Rainbow Dash—”
Scootaloo was looking at Fluttershy as she spoke, but could see Rainbow Dash in the air behind her. Dash was shaking her head and making a halting motion with her hooves. She gave Scootaloo a pleading look.
“Yes? What did you do the other day with Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy cocked one eyebrow and leaned towards Scootaloo.
“I… We dove into the pond from a cloud. It was way higher than this diving board.” Scootaloo swallowed and gave Fluttershy a toothy smile.
“Oh, I suppose we can raise the board a bit. Are you sure you aren’t scared?” Fluttershy hugged Scootaloo with her wings. “You know you can always tell me if you’re scared.”
Scootaloo glanced around instinctively, searching for any of her peers who might be watching. “No, I’m not scared. I’m fine. Really, can we get some extra height on this thing?”
“Well, if you really think so…” Fluttershy and Dash flew to the diving board and Scootaloo was surprised to find it had an ingenious slide system that extended the ladder and the diving board. It was now high enough to properly call it a “high dive,” but still leagues lower than Scootaloo’s last jump with Dash. “Now don’t let them get hurt in the water, Dash. If they hit the water too hard, you have to save them!”
Dash rolled her eyes. “They’ll be fine, Fluttershy. They’re gonna fly, not hit the water, right?”
“Oh, of course, you’re right!” Fluttershy smiled and looked down at the three students. “Try again, Twilight. See if you can fly with this extra height.”
Twilight nodded and climbed the ladder with Gold Feather on her back. “Are you sure you don’t want us to get even more height?”
“You can do it, Twilight. I believe in you.” Fluttershy smiled warmly as she spoke.
Twilight rolled her eyes. I don’t need empty platitudes, she thought to herself. “I just don’t know if this is going to work. Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a different teaching technique?”
Fluttershy continued to smile, although it was looking a bit strained now. “Do you trust me, Twilight?”
Twilight’s eyes went wide. She hesitated a split second before she replied, “Of course I do, Fluttershy.”
“Well, let me teach my way. I know it will work eventually if we just keep at it. Just trust me, and everything will be alright,” Fluttershy said, still smiling. Confidence, Fluttershy; remember to instill confidence, she thought to herself.
Twilight nodded and said gravely, “Okay, I understand.”
Splash
Splash
Splash
Another round of wet students. Twilight watched Fluttershy, Dash, and Scootaloo closely. Fluttershy is nervous; well, nothing unusual about that. She did ask if I trusted her. Twilight looked at Fluttershy as she helped Gold Feather out of the pool. The little bird was dripping wet and he sounded waterlogged. Twilight strained not to laugh at him.
Dash is acting aloof; that’s a bit unusual. Dash was sitting on the cloud watching the lesson intently, but she had said little. Something is keeping her from jumping in. Twilight followed Dash’s gaze to Scootaloo. She’s acting a little scared, but that’s normal for a filly learning to fly, isn’t it? Scootaloo bravely pushed herself up the ladder and dove into the pool without hesitation. She hit the water with a tremendous splash, then broke the surface of the water with a gasp, wiping the water from her closed eyes. She struggled out of the pool; the water had turned her mane into a greasy mop, and it was weighing her down. She looked at Fluttershy, who gave her another warm smile. Twilight watched Scootaloo again. Her eyes didn’t so much as glance up, not even once. She won’t look at Dash; that isn’t right. Something really IS off, and I’m going to get to the bottom of this!
Twilight turned to Scootaloo and whispered like a conspirator. She acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world for two students to talk during class, something she had never done before in her entire life. “Hey Scootaloo, would you like to stop by the library for some taffy after class? Spike is trying to make some homemade stuff, but I’m allergic to it.” Twilight’s eyes shifted when she said allergic; she looked anywhere but at Scootaloo.
Scootaloo snapped to face Twilight so fast her whole body twitched. “Sure. Why not? Can I bring Applebloom and Sweetie Belle?” Great, taffy, just what I need. The last time I tried to eat taffy we got stuck to the ceiling, but it tastes so good! Scootaloo’s mouth watered, but she also shuddered at the sticky memory.
Twilight smiled and seemed to ignore the quiver running down Scootaloo’s spine. “Great, I’m sure Spike will be thrilled. Maybe we can bring Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.” Twilight watched carefully for Scootaloo’s reaction.
She wasn’t disappointed; Scootaloo responded almost instantly. “No no, that’s okay. Just us fillies, I’m sure Dash is too busy to waste time stuffing her face with candy.” Twilight glanced up at Dash. She was fairly certain Dash had fallen asleep, but it was hard to tell from the ground.
A drop of sweat trickled down her flank to her trembling left hind hoof. This can’t be right. Dash wouldn’t… Fluttershy certainly wouldn’t… but Scootaloo—and “trust me”—and the diving board—and-and-and…” Twilight’s mind raced with the possibilities. The imaginary scenarios became more and more ghastly by the second. Meanwhile, Scootaloo had climbed the ladder once again and dove into the pool with a running start.
“Twilight?” Fluttershy had walked up behind Twilight, who was standing at the base of the ladder staring blankly off into space. “EEEP!”
Fluttershy could not be blamed for staggering back. Twilight reacted as if she had been hit with a bolt of lighting. Scootaloo hit the rubber side of the pool with her head and bounced into the water. At the same time, Twilight bucked straight back, narrowly missing Fluttershy’s head. Twilight swiped Scootaloo up in her magic and dragged the sputtering filly out of the pool. She held the little filly protectively behind her. Staring at Fluttershy, Twilight’s barrel expanded and contracted with her labored breaths. Her eyes darted around and she swallowed. “S-sorry about that Fluttershy, you really startled me.”
“Oh, that’s alright, Twilight. I’m sorry, I’ll try to be more careful next time.” She hovered above the ground and floated towards Twilight. She had just enough composure not to buck Fluttershy again, but Twilight backed up rapidly. “Um, Twilight? I need to look at Scootaloo. I think she might be hurt.”
“Awww, leave her alone Flutters. Trust me, she’s fine.” Dash had been watching the whole time and took this opportunity to speak. Twilight’s eyes shot skyward. Her eyes grew large, and her wings flared out like a protective shield for Scootaloo. “Is everything okay, Egghead? You look… nervous.”
“W-what? Why would I be nervous? Everything is fine. Yes, just fine. Time-for-taffy-class-dismissed-students-only-bye-bye-now!” Twilight almost tripped over her words when she swiped Gold Feather up in her magic as well. She trotted at a brisk pace away from the pool.
“Finally, done with that useless junk,” Dash said under her breath.
“W-wait! I need to look at Scootaloo!” Fluttershy hovered after Twilight and the other two students. Scootaloo was rubbing her head, but glanced around with her newfound view. Gold Feather squawked at being mare-handled. Twilight rounded a corner and broke into a gallop.
~~~~~
“SPIKE!” Twilight shot into the library, calling out for her assistant. Her eyes darted around the foyer. “SPIKE! Where are you? I think you were right!” She allowed Scootaloo and Gold Feather to sink to the floor. Scootaloo was still rubbing her head. “Are you two alright? Don’t worry, I won’t let anypony hurt you.”
“Huh?” Scootaloo stopped rubbing her head and looked at Twilight. “I’m fine—I thought we were just gonna try Spike’s new taffy recipe. Is it dangerous?” Her ears perked up. “Maybe I could get a cutie mark as a candy taster? Let me get Applebloom and Sweetie Belle.” She stood and turned towards the door.
The door glowed purple and slammed shut in Scootaloo’s face. “Stay inside, Scootaloo! Spike! Where are you?” Twilight called out again. This time, the patter of short strides running across the kitchen floor responded to her. “Bring the book, Spike. We have some questions we’re gonna have answered, and then we’ll have to figure out what to do with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.”
Twilight turned to Gold Feather and Scootaloo. Her horn glowed, brighter and brighter until Scootaloo had to look away. “What the hay is going on?” Scootaloo asked, her voice rising in panic. Gold Feather squawked and hid behind Scootaloo.
The light flared once more before it vanished. Twilight let out a pained breath and coughed. Spike was at her side in a flash with a glass of ice water. Her flank hit the floor as her hind legs gave out. She took the water and drank greedily. Twilight sighed when she dropped the empty glass. Spike hovered near her, one claw under her shoulder. She drew in a slow breath before she spoke, “We’re safe now. I put a barrier over the entire library. Ow...” She winced and put a hoof to her temple. “Shining did warn me about headaches if I overcharged this spell. I just didn’t have any choice…”
Two unicorn guards trotted into the room from the upper floor and saluted the princess. The one on the left was grey with a metallic quill and paper for a cutie mark. The other was white with the silhouette of a pony’s head as his cutie mark. Looking at Spike, the one on the left spoke up. “My name is Iron Law, and this is Vigilance,” he said, nodding to his co-worker. “While we appreciate the tea, are you sure a crime is being committed?” Spike nodded. “Alright then, we’re ready to take a statement from the witnesses.” He stared at Scootaloo and Gold Feather. “I don’t speak avian, so the filly will have to do.”
“Okay, Scootaloo, just tell the nice guard what you’ve done with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.” Twilight smiled, but something in her smile told Scootaloo that this was serious. Scootaloo wracked her brain. She couldn’t think of anything Fluttershy did that was even remotely illegal. And if Dash had done something illegal, she wasn’t going to rat her out anyway.
“I… don’t know what you’re talking about. Rainbow Dash hasn’t done anything wrong. And if you think Fluttershy has done something bad, why don’t you just ask her?” Scootaloo looked at Twilight as an ally. The guards were large, powerful, and didn’t smile.
Twilight sighed, “We just want to know if Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash have tried pushing you off of a cloud. Don’t feel scared, Scootaloo—we’re here to help you. Nopony is going to hurt you in here.”
“Why did you put up a barrier, then?” Scootaloo looked at Twilight with one brow cocked. Maybe Twilight has a screw loose.
“The barrier is there to keep Fluttershy, Dash, and any other pony that might want to hurt you away from here.” As Twilight spoke, the guards nodded in agreement.
“Then why is Fluttershy upstairs?”
Twilight blinked, and blurted, “WHAT?!” Her head whipped around so fast her neck twisted as her body didn’t have time to follow. Fluttershy was standing at the top of the stairs. The look on her face was one normally reserved for finding Angel murdered or something equally ghastly. “What are you doing here?!”
“Um… I just followed Scootaloo because I was worried she was hurt. And then this weird purple bubble appeared around the library so I couldn’t leave. You locked the front door, so I had to open your bedroom window to fly inside so I could help Scootaloo.” Fluttershy looked at Scootaloo from the top of the landing, her eyes soft. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
Scootaloo shook her head. “Nope, I’m okay. That rubber was really thick.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Fluttershy descended the stairs, letting out a pent-up breath as she did so.
“HOLD ON!” Twilight shouted. Even the guards looked at her. “You’re telling me to trust you, and I still haven’t learned how to fly right. I’ve studied everything from friendship, to magic, to chemistry, to astronomy, and I’ve never had so much trouble learning anything as I do with flying. Are you telling me we’re going to dive into that pool of water over and over ‘til we learn how to fly?!” Her voice grew louder as she spoke; she was nearly shouting by the end.
“Oh no, if it doesn’t work I’ll try something else.” Fluttershy trotted closer to Twilight, who’s ears dropped at Fluttershy’s response.
The guards glanced at each other. “I take it this is Fluttershy?” This time it was Vigilance who spoke, as he pointed a hoof at the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy shrank on the spot, as if Vigilance’s hoof was firing a shrink ray. She crouched low and hid behind her pink mane. Her eyes found the corner of the room and her wings pressed into her sides. “She looks guilty to me,” Vigilance whispered to his compatriot.
“This is absurd, it just can’t be true.” Twilight whirled on Scootaloo and picked her up with both hooves. Her nose was inches away from Scootaloo’s. “Tell me, did you get pushed off of a cloud?”
Scootaloo tried and failed to shrink away from Twilight. Her eyes had a crazed look to them and she stared at Scootaloo. She couldn’t stand it and blurted out, “Yeah, okay! I did! Rainbow Dash took me to the First Cloud and pushed me off. But she fell with me; it was totally wicked!” She tried to make it sound like it was lots of fun, but sweat rolled down her brow.
“She what?” Fluttershy blew her mane out of her face and stood up straight. “How dare she! That’s not how it’s done!” She began to trot to the front door.
Before she could reach it, Twilight dropped Scootaloo with a dull thud and whirled on Fluttershy, crouching like a predator. “How it’s done?! Guards! Arrest her!”
“Yes, Princess,” they said in unision.
EEEEP! Fluttershy froze, which is the last thing one should do when trying to avoid being tackled by burly guards. She was shackled before her brain had time to form her next thought.
~~~~~
Rainbow Dash yawned and rolled over. She loved this cloud. It was so soft, and the night sky always made her feel peaceful. She could have flown home, but her house was kinda far away and she didn’t have work tomorrow. So why not sleep on this cloud? She could get some shopping done tomorrow, maybe catch a flick at the theater. Yeah, that would be cool.
FWUMP
The cloud glowed a steely grey for a split-second before it was violently ripped apart. “HEY!” Dash hollered as she tumbled into freefall. It wasn’t far to the ground, but it would hurt if she didn’t land correctly. She twisted expertly in the air and with one powerful flap of her wings, hovered over the ground. “What the…?”
Clink
Her hooves became heavy. Metal shackles clung to her fetlocks, and the chains that connected them clinked together as she hovered in the air. Iron Law and Vigilance were standing on her left and right. Dash looked down at her legs, wondering what the extra weight was from. Both guards leapt on her and the three of them crashed to the ground in a heap. “Hey! What’s the big idea?” Dash protested.
“You’re under arrest for attempted murder.” Iron Law began his recitation of her rights. It was a speech he had given thousands of times. “You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to counsel. Unless Celestia decides you don’t. Do you understand?” He was always a bit uncomfortable with that bit about Celestia; it always struck him as something that didn’t belong. But she was the princess, and his vows compelled him to obey. She never exercised that right anyway. Well… almost never.
“What? That’s stupid. Who am I trying to murder?” Dash fired back.
“A young filly by the name of Scootaloo. Your accomplice, Fluttershy, is already under arrest. It will go easier for you if you just admit the truth.” Vigilance always tried to get a confession when the suspects were a little flustered. It never worked.
“I wasn’t trying to murder her, I just pushed her off of a cloud from the top of the stratosphere.” Dash said matter-of-factly with a smug smile on her face.
Iron Law’s eyes went wide. He looked at Vigilance, who mirrored his expression. “That sound like a confession to you?” Vigilance asked, stunned at this unprecedented success.
“Yep,” Iron Law responded with a rare smile. Today was going to be an easy day.
“Hey! Wait a minute!” Dash shouted as she was dragged away, kicking.
~~~~~
SLAM
The cell door closed on Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. They were seated on cots across from each other in the same cell. Each had shackles around their legs and their barrels, pinning their wings to their sides. They were wearing pinstriped shirts and little matching hats. Each glared at the other.
“You told the guards I was trying to kill Scootaloo!?” Dash burst out.
“You tried a tandem fall with her, didn’t you! From the First Cloud no less! Rainbow Dash, how could you? It’s so dangerous.” Fluttershy blinked away tears. “She could have died.”
“Are you kidding me? She’s never gonna learn how to fly by jumping off that dinky little diving board. We should have done a starfall. But noooo, you were too much of a scaredy-cat.”
Fluttershy narrowed her eyes at Dash and spoke louder than she had in a long time. “At least it’s safe. You think dying is worth learning to fly?”
“YES!” Dash hollered back.
Fluttershy gasped, then opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She repeated this two more times, like a fish gasping for air. She closed her mouth for the third time and flopped onto the cot. Hiding her face behind her hooves, she started to sniffle.
Pony feathers, now look what I’ve done. The water-works are gonna start. Dash stood, shuffled across the tiny cell, and sat next to Fluttershy. When she put one hoof on Fluttershy’s withers the chain pulled the other leg across her body. It was annoying, but Dash ignored it for the moment. “C’mon, Fluttershy. I know it was scary, but our starfall worked out, didn’t it?”
Fluttershy sniffed and said, “Yeah, I guess it did.”