Air turned her attention to her wounds. Licking furiously at them, trying to ease the pain.
Dropping her spoils from the excursion. Turning her full undivided attention to her flank.
“Air! You need to get up here, where it’s safe!” The Doctor hissed urgently.
“Air!” He hissed louder.
She ignored him. Her eyes were teary from pain, but she wouldn’t let that stop her, or distract her. She had to clean the wound as quickly as she could.
Who knew what diseases were out here, parasites and even flesh eating maggots. If she didn’t clean it now, and keep it cleaned. She might be in for far more pain than the initial wound.
Glaring at her, the Doctor turned to Chocolate.
“Stay!” He said firmly, starting the descend down.
“I’m not a DOG you know!” Was her very vicious toned reply. She pouted and turned her head. How was it that life threw her this card, it was a shitty hand of cards, for sure. Broken leg, survived a plane crash and was stuck with these two morons, not even a single cookie to be found. This was perhaps, the worst crime of all.
Carefully making his way down, taking one hoof at a time, one over the other. Made his way down. Reaching the distressed mare, he nudged her with his nose.
“Air. We need to get up, it’s safer up there.”
She turned her teary eyes to him.
“I need to clean it first, if I don’t. . . I could be worse off...”
Now the Doctor could see, four deep gashes in her upper flank, trailing down to her knee.
“What did that?” He asked, eyeing the surroundings, making sure whatever it was, didn’t come back.
“It was a leopard... Her name was Bitter Claws... I had to ignite the kerosene just to protect myself.” She said once she was done cleaning the wound.
“I brought as much supplies as I could find, just a few drinks, a bit of medicine, and very little food.” She held the pouch of spoils to him.
“Give Chocolate the medical attention she needs. There should be painkillers in the first aid.” Opening the pouch she passed him the little box of first aid.
He nodded. Of course he had to help her first. But at the same time, this potential companion was hurt too.
Which wouldn’t do, not at all.
“Are you sure you can’t climb with me?” He asked, taking the package, but standing by her.
“I’m pretty sure, this hurts lot. I could barely run, let alone climb.” She replied after her cleaning had been complete. The wound still looked horrible. Long, deep gashes, revealed the pink, tendons and muscles under the skin. Torn and broken. She grimaced looking at it.
“When I was a little filly, I did something really stupid once. Climbed a tree, and fell. Scratched my leg, not unlike this I was in hospital for a week.” She smiled a little.
“My parents didn’t like the medical bill. Cost too many bits.” She added.
The Doctor smiled back. Noticing she was seemingly alright, no pony would joke around, or jest when they were terribly injured.
That brought a sigh of relief to him, at least she would survive for now.
Air looked at him with a smile.
“Just help Chocolate Chip. She’s worse off than I am.” She pushed the medical kit at him again, turning him in her magic and pushing him towards the tree.
“Fine, you don’t have be so pushy!” He retorted, getting the message loud and clear.
Within a few moments, he had scrambled up, making his way to Chip.
“Alright, kiddo. Let’s get you bandaged up.” He said after spitting the handle to the box out.
She looked at him with her eerie blue eyes.
“What are you going to do?” She asked, clearly unimpressed.
The Doctor shrugged it off and opened the box, taking out the painkillers. Opening the bottle found only a dozen. If that.
“Oh dear...” was his comment to this.
Air down below got to her hooves as delicately as she could, trying to avoid putting a lot of weight on her back leg.
It didn’t seem to work, within seconds she was hissing from the pain. Limping to the tree, she curled up below it, under some shrubs. Concealing herself as best she could.
A yelp from above made her glance leaf wards.
“Are you alright up there?” she hissed from her hiding place.
“Just fine! Just Chip doesn’t like getting her hoof bandaged, now do you?” The Doctor’s voice floated down to her. Sounded like a little bit of a struggle.
She certainly wished she could climb, but sadly she was earthbound. Perhaps, after what had happened, wasn’t such a bad thing.
Closing her eyes, she let sleep take her.
She was on the plane again. Giving everypony their drinks, taking their used trays and scraps of food, depositing them in a bin as she went down the aisle.
“You’ll never be a proper stewardess, it’s safer to have Pegasi!”
Her mentors voice rang out in her mind.
She turned, seeing the nose and cockpit, with the pilots inside. Peel away from the body. Horrible ripping noises, loud pangs as the rivets burst from their sockets.
Her eyes widened in horror.
Instantly the feeling of dropping increased, making her stomach rise to her throat.
The pittering continued as they dropped gaining speed as they did. It was a terrifying experience once, feeling again just made it worse.
She screamed, clinging to the closest thing to her. Looking at it, she originally thought it was a seat, but it turned into a cream colored filly, with chocolatey brown spots covering her.
“Chip! It’s okay sweetie! It’s going to be okay!” She lied over and over again. Knowing it was not alright.
Her mind screamed at her, to get away, get out.
But she couldn’t. She didn’t have wings. Didn’t have the ability to fly!
And then, it all made sense.
Her eyes shot open, still hearing the pitter patter.
Looking around, gasping for air, she noticed.
What she had heard as rivets being shot out, was really large raindrops falling on the large broad leaves around her.
Sighing, she had caught her breath.
But it didn’t shake the nightmare.
She was wet, cold, scared and now. Even more exhausted.
But it made sense. Pegasi were better as stewardesses, because they could fly. Escape.
It also begged the question. To which Air’s fur crawled.
Did they leave the passengers behind? Saving themselves?
How could a pony, taking the job ever do that. Then again maybe most ponies didn’t take their job as seriously as Air did.
But the thought made her almost ill. Leaving behind the ponies, just to save one’s own hide.
Revolting.
She couldn’t think of any time where she would put herself before the ponies she worked so hard to keep comfortable, just leave them. Like that.
Even now, knowing she survived and only two passengers, was a horrible feeling.
She hid her face with her forehooves.
Whimpering.
She had loved flying so much, she had overlooked the core reason they chose flying ponies.
“Are you alright?” The Doctor slid in beside her.
Peeking out from her hiding place, she regarded him. Shifting her weight.
“Not really, but I’ll live, is Chip asleep?.” She replied sadly but asked softly.
The Doctor settled in beside her.
“Yes, she’s bandged up, and deep asleep. So, talk to me, We’ve hardly done so, perhaps to get better acquainted?” He smiled at her.
“Alright, I guess it couldn’t hurt. What did you want to know.”
The Doctor smiled at her reply.
“Great! Well, I’d like to know, what made you want to work on aircrafts.” His intentions were good, curiosity peaking though.
Air just sighed. Turning her head away from him.
“I thought I could be good at it. And, I went through hell to get my certification.” She said still looking into the distance.
“I wanted to prove unicorns could be stewardesses. But.”
She looked at the Doctor with sad eyes.
“Now I know, why we aren’t good at it.”
The Doctor, who had been listening, regarded her curiously.
“Why do you say that? You seemed to have done everything right in my book.”
Rubbing her forehooves together.
“When I was in the academy, I was the only unicorn. I thought that was curious. But I kept going, no matter what.” She looked off, as if in her own memories.
“I was given more trouble and hardship than any other trainee.” Her gaze rested on him.
“The reason, there aren’t any unicorns as stewardesses... Pegasi can fly.”
He watched her silently. Until she finished.
“Well of course they can fly!” He smiled. “But what does that have to do with this?”
Air sighed.
“Because they can get out of a plane, save themselves. It isn’t the passenger that are important.”
She trembled. “They are taught how to fly in extreme weather, and high altitudes.”
The Doctor, thought about this.
“But, then, if you weren’t a Pegasus. How did you get certified?”
“I put up with everything they threw at me. They knocked me down, I climbed up, till they had nothing to throw.”
She looked up at the tree where Chip was sleeping. With her ears folded down she returned her attention to the stallion.
“So, Doctor. Tell me, what are you doing here? I don’t remember you on the plane. Tell me what really happened.”
He laughed. He hated being put on the spot, curiosity was one thing, dangerous information, which could jeopardize lives, was another story.
“Well, you see. I wasn’t on the plane, I have my own ship, aircraft, thing. That I was flying.”
He watched her face, gauging what his next words could be.
“And she had a malfunction, and crashed a ways away.”
Air smiled. Giving his forehead a pat.
“That’s nice, you must have a really hard head, to survive, and remember a wonderful story like that.”
The Doctor gawked at her.
“It’s the truth though! Why wouldn’t you believe me?”
‘You are either the most brave mare, or the most stubborn... You’re the first not to believe me!’ He thought to himself.
He couldn’t believe it. But, now it was a challenge. He’d have to show her the TARDIS.
It was inevitable.
“Wait, I can show you my ship. If you’ll come with me, I’ll prove it!”
He stood, offering her a hoof.
“Would you come? Chip should be fine for an hour. My TARDIS isn’t too far.”
Her eyes traveled his features, trying to tell if this was some kind of joke.
“Sure, okay. But, if it’s not there, not another word, okay?”
She took his hoof, getting gingerly to her own. Careful of her hind leg.
He pranced forward, like a little colt.
‘I’d finally get to show her!’ He thought happily as he lead her away.
But not far, eyes watched them.
The form of burned fur slunk around, observing.
Golden eyes, watched in hatred, loathing. She would wait for her chance to attack. She would wait, until the perfect moment, and then.
“You’ll be mine, pretty pony... You’ll be mine.” Bitter Claw hissed under her breath as she disappeared, into the brush.
Air looked around, her ears flicking, eyes wide.
“Did you hear that?” She asked, with a worried tone.
The Doctor stopped, regarded her and shook his head.
“No, should I have?”
Air turned back to him, following, but always cautious with one ear turned behind them.
“I don’t know, I thought I heard something moving.”
“Air, we’re in a jungle, there is EVERYTHING, but the trees moving, that’s a silly thing to say.”
He smiled to himself. What a silly mare, he liked her, while she may be a bit of a downer at times, she was observant. Perhaps a little too observant.
The trail was hard for the mare, she kept tripping and hitting her hind leg, which stung every time. Making her hiss. But she followed, complaining only when it was a large branch she couldn’t get over, or climb under. Every time, she would find another way around, rejoining him, without further complaints.
The path was still slick and muddy from the rain, making the treck even harder. Being on four legs is easy. Three a nightmare. But she kept going. Her once white coat was now covered in mud, brown stains, blood, and sweat.
“It’s warm isn’t it?” She finally broke the long silence.
“Yes, it is. Means we’re in a tropical area and if I remember your planets map. . . There are few jungles, and the ones there are... Faaaar from cities or other poni--”
He turned and noticed she had stopped.
“What’s wrong?” That was a stupid question, and he knew it.
“We’re not going to get help, are we?” Her lower lip trembled.
“I didn’t say that, we’re just not close enough to go there. . .” He corrected.
“That means we’re not getting ponies to come find us, isn’t it? We’re on our own, we’ll have to fend for ourselves, forage. Oh sweet Celestia, what if you’re the last stallion I’ll ever meet!?”
She looked him up and down and scrunched her face.
“Ew.” Was her final reply.
“Oi! I’m not that bad! Not that I’m looking for a mare like you, either!” He retorted.
Air’s cheeks puffed up, a blush across them.
“I beg your pardon??”
Her eyes traveled upwards, to a tint of dark blue.
Squinting, she made out more of the shape.
“A box?” She cut the Doctor off, who had his mouth open ready to make another retort, possibly digging himself a bigger grave.
“A box? Oh~ That’s my ship!” He said excitedly. Turning and prancing to it.
“Hey o’gal. Are you ready to let me in?” After a few attempts, it was a clear no.
Huffing he leaned against it, his back to the door.
“Well, she was my ship, until she decided to lock me out...”
Air came up, and stroked the wood.
“This isn’t like any flying ship I’ve ever seen, but. Why would it lock you out. Do you have an autopilot? That’s very new technology for us. That’s what you must be!”
She looked at him triumphantly.
“You must be a spy from another kingdom! Trying to get information about our travel systems!”
He gawked again.
“You, mare, are crazy!” Was his snorted reply.
Her jaw dropped.
“I beg your pardon! You sir, are very rude!”
He nodded.
“Of course I am, of course.”
Patting the TARDIS he sighed.
“Well, I can’t go, without her. And if she would open up, I could take you AND chip back to civilization.”
He peeked, one eye open.
“If you help me open her, I’ll take you back.”
Air thought for a moment. It didn’t take her long to think of an answer.
“Alright, deal!”
She lifted a large rock with her magic, ready to throw.
“Wait!!”
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