//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: Upward // Story: Lost and Fallen // by Superdale33 //------------------------------// Lost and Fallen Chapter 15: Upward My eyes fluttered open, grogginess hitting me like a train. My head had a dull pounding that made me bring a hand to it, rubbing it tenderly. When I brought my hand away, I stared at the ceiling as I lay on my bed, taking a deep breath. I couldn’t form deep thoughts for some reason, possibly because of my tiredness. I tugged on the blankets that covered me, finding the air chilly to my bare body… Wait, since when was I naked? That fog in my mind cleared away as my eyes widened, sitting up in bed with a frantic look. I immediately scanned my surroundings, finding nothing but dull walls, windows that were far too bright to look through, and a single wooden door opposite of the bed. I looked at the bed specifically, finding it had green covers on a metal bed frame. And since the bed was queen sized, I naturally gazed over to the other side, where I saw there was someone sleeping right next to me under the covers. The other occupant stirred, causing me to freeze up, wondering what the hell was even happening. With a few seconds of struggling, the person broke free from the blanket, showing off her orange mane and yellow fur… Oh shit. “Hey, Nolan,” Carrot Top mumbled with a content sigh, but all I can do was gawk at her as my breathing became shallow. “What did you think of last night?” I knew exactly what she was implying, and I didn’t like it one bit. Instead of responding to Carrot Top’s question, I shoved the blankets off of me, nearly tumbling out of the bed in my haste to get out. I searched for some sort of clothing to wear, but found none, and so simply dashed for the door. “What’s the matter?” I heard Carrot Top call behind me, “Don’t you love me?” I couldn't answer in a situation like this! It was all too much, like the time I realized I really was in a different world. I swung the door open and ran through, slamming it shut behind me. Strangely, when I leaned against it to catch my breath, I found that I was wearing my S.W.A.T. uniform again, though without the mask. I didn’t even give my clothing a glance as I walked over to the mirror where a sink sat underneath it directly across from the door, because the room I had entered was a bathroom. Leaning against the basin, I turned the handle and allowed water to gush through the nozzle. With both hands, I cupped them together and held them underneath, and splashed some of the water onto my face. Turning the flow of water off, I lifted my head up, looking into the mirror and finding my reflection dripping with water and sweat. Then my reflection sneered at me, and I jerked my head back in shock. My reflection didn’t follow my movements, staying still as his sneer intensified. “You’re a sick fuck, you know that?” my reflection stated, and despite being in an impossible scenario, I glared at him, my anger replacing my fear. “What?!” I hissed, my hands clenching up. “Having sex with a pony,” my reflection said like it was nothing, “Must be nice to just forget about your dead girlfriend after grieving for a few years and get with a completely different species.” “I didn’t-” I started, cutting myself off as I ground my teeth, “I don’t even know-” “Look at you!” my reflection laughed, “You can’t even believe yourself. Don’t lie, you know it’s true.” “No, it’s not!” I shouted, clutching my head tightly, wanting it to stop. “You loved laying with that pony!” my reflection announced, “You’re no better than the other humans!” “Shut up, shut up!” I screamed, shaking my body back and forth, my head hurting even more. “You’re nothing but a good for nothing horse fucker!” my reflection accused, and that was where I snapped. I reached for my revolver that was still in my holster, pulled it out, and aimed it with one hand directly at my reflection, right at his forehead. “Go to hell!” I shouted at the top of my lungs before pulling the trigger. The room rang from the gunshot as the mirror exploded in glass, shards raining onto the sink and floor. My heart was pounding so hard that it was all I could hear, besides my ragged breathing. But the surprises didn’t stop there. After the mirror was shattered, I saw another room that matched the one I was in perfectly on the other side, and lying on the ground was myself, shot in the head. Blood was pooling underneath him with his eyes closed, yet still holding that infuriating smile. “Took you long enough,” he said, making me jump back with a frightened yell. {~+~} I bolted awake, my eyes wide and my body soaked in cold sweat. I took deep breaths, my mind solely on the dream. Nightmare was more like it, and I found myself patting myself down, making sure I still had my clothing on. One quick scan of the room told me I was back in the shack that I had fallen asleep in. The remnants of my nightmare made my mind instantly go to one particular pony. “Luna…” I muttered, laying a hand over my eyes. It had to be her, she didn’t like that the Baron was torturing her, so she took her pent up aggression on me for turning my back on her. I wanted to believe that theory full heartedly, but a part of me wouldn’t let me. Luna wouldn’t do something like that, if she was speaking the truth. Even the times when she was actually trying to break me, it wasn’t that bad. But if that was the case, then did that nightmare manifest from my own mind? The implications of that idea scared me with each passing second. However, as the seconds ticked by, the nightmare was fading away from memory, incredibly fast as well. Only the most glaring moments stood out, like finding out that I had slept with Carrot Top and how I had shot myself through a mirror. Did my subconscious know something I didn’t? Or was this world just messing with me again? I rubbed my eyes, suppressing a yawn as I pushed off my bed. The morning sleepiness still weighed me down, and my mind was far too muddled to give the topic much thought. Shaking off my weariness, I took hold of my combat vest and weapons, briefly checking them over as I put them on myself. Afterwards, I headed for the door, pulling it open and wincing from the light from the sun. When my eyes adjusted, I saw that the sun was quite high, far too high to be morning. Crap, did I oversleep? Groaning, I stepped outside, noting that many of the ponies were already walking about. The party yesterday must have taken a lot out of me to have slept so long, or perhaps my body was just catching up with itself. The real question was why no one tried to wake me. There was more than enough reasons for them not to, but I would have simply liked to know out of curiosity. The glares from the ponies I passed was minimal, most having known about my recent mission of saving Fluttershy. Instead of looking at me with contempt, I was stared at with blank faces, like they were trying to figure out who I was. That just made me smile, and I waved at a few ponies just to see their awkward waves back. It was fairly amusing, but I didn’t do it very much, focusing on getting to the library, where Rainbow would be before she left for Cloudsdale. When I arrived at the Headquarters, I entered and found it empty, and surprisingly clean. The books that had once littered the floor had been put back neatly on the shelves adjacent to the walls. Nothing felt out of place as I took a few steps inside, appreciated the cleanliness. I pondered why no one had spruced up the place to begin with. Maybe Twilight had finally registered that the place was a mess. She was the clean-freak type, so it’d make sense. A sharp gasp knocked me out of my thoughts, as I looked over to a part of the library, seeing Derpy trot over to me with a wide smile. “Nolan,” she said hopping up a bit as she stood in front of me, “Why did you take so long to wake up?” Taking a deep breath, I rubbed the top of my head as I faced the ceiling. “Dreaming,” I stated blatantly, hoping she wouldn’t question further. “Oh, okay,” she said, walking over behind a bookshelf, sitting in the center of the room, and out of sight. Where she went off to wasn’t very important as I glanced around, finding no one else in the room. Rainbow said she was leaving that day, so I was more than a little concerned. Derpy returned with a plate full of muffins placed on her back, each one looking quite delectable as she balanced it over to me. “Muffin?” she offered, arching her back to better emphasize them. My stomach growled at seeing the muffins up close, answering her question instantly. Gratefully taking one, I examined it a moment, noting that it was blueberry, before taking a bite. Delicious as always. However, my concern ruined the flavor as I swallowed, frowning as I turned to Derpy. Her unease at my behavior was evident, and I quickly spoke my thoughts before I worried her needlessly. “Where is everybody?” I asked, gesturing to the rest of the room, “I thought we were seeing Rainbow off today.” “We did, she left already,” Derpy replied bluntly, almost making me drop my muffin in shock. I stared at her, hoping it was some sort of joke or mistake; it was Derpy after all, though I wouldn’t say that out loud. However, after a few seconds with no denial of her previous words, I groaned, shaking my head at my own incompetence. I had slept so long that Rainbow and Dusty had left without saying goodbye. So much for trying to convince them to let me join them. “What’s the matter, Nolan?” Derpy asked, sitting in front of me quizzically as I took another bite of my muffin. I chose to chew on it for a while, giving me a moment to think, before swallowing and responding to her. “I just wanted to see if I could go with them, that’s all,” I said, my voice showing how upset I was, “But I guess I screwed that up.” “Screwed what up?” Carrot Top’s voice asked from the door, causing me to flinch as she entered. After taking a quick peek at her, I turned away, taking another bite as I tried to push the memories of my nightmare as far away as possible. Carrot Top seemed to catch on as she looked up at me with a strange look before facing Derpy, who was equally confused. “What’s up with Nolan?” she asked. Derpy merely shrugged, and Carrot Top faced me again, silently coaxing me to come out of my shell and tell her. I really didn’t want to, seeing no point at telling her of a dream like that. So I reminded myself that it wasn’t the same Carrot Top, slowly twisting my head towards her. Seeing her face calmed me down, strangely enough. Perhaps seeing the real Carrot Top made me realize that the one in my nightmare was utterly fake. Even still, I didn’t look her in the eyes, for I felt that in doing so I would reveal what had happened in my head during the night. “I’ve just…” I said, staring at her hooves, “been thinking about Cloudsdale.” It wasn’t a complete lie, yet I still knew I was averting what really was in my head. Carrot Top, for her part, looked somewhat apologetic as she gave a nervous smile. “Yeah, sorry we didn’t wake you,” she said, glancing up to me. “It’s… fine, I guess,” I said, sighing, “but what stopped someone from kicking in my door and waking me?” “Well,” Carrot Top started, looking a bit scared, “You were tossing and turning in your sleep. And I thought waking you wasn’t a good idea at the time.” Yeah, that was probably for the best, though I would have prefered if she had taken me out of dreamland before I had met my mirror self. Still, it wasn’t the time to point fingers, but to get a clearer picture of what was going on. “So, what can you tell me about Rainbow’s departure?” I inquired, leaning against a bookcase as I continued to eat my muffin, careful not to knock down my support. “Rainbow said she’d be gone for a few days,” Carrot Top explained, taking a seat on the floor, “She and Dusty brought some supplies and said their goodbyes. Nothing really happened.” I grunted in understanding, finishing off my muffin with one large bite. The quiet atmosphere that fell over us felt right in the library, our thoughts dictating the conversation for a while. I couldn’t help but be disappointed that I couldn’t go to Cloudsdale. I probably just wanted to walk on a cloud city, which would have been pretty cool. But there was something that was bugging me, making me apprehensive for some reason. I couldn’t really explain it. The door opening again caused all three of us to look over, seeing Twilight enter with a book in her magical hold. As she shut the door, Twilight finally noticed us staring at her, blinking a few times in mild surprise. “Uh, hello, everyone,” she said, waving a hoof lightly, before turning to me, “Oh, Nolan, I’m sorry, Rainbow-” “Already left,” I interrupted, holding up a hand to halt her words, “Derpy already told me.” “Yes, well, sorry again,” Twilight apologized, walking over to a nearby shelf and depositing the book with the others. Afterwards, she lit up, facing me with a smile. “Oh, by the way, Trixie’s looking all over for you. She said she wanted a rematch.” “A rematch?” I questioned with a raised brow, pushing away from the bookshelf. “Yeah,” Twilight nodded, her magic pulling out another book from a higher shelf, “I told her how you shot the center of the target six times in a row. She wanted a real rematch.” I rolled my eyes, “What, did she think I threw her the match last time or something?” “That’s the impression I’m getting,” Twilight admitted with a shrug. “Great,” I muttered, putting my hands on my hips, “Now I have to deal with a self centered Unicorn wanting to shoot a gun better than me.” At that moment the door burst open, Trixie standing there as she whipped her head around until she caught sight of me. When she did, she gave a huge grin. “I knew that had to be your voice, Nolan!” she declared, trotting inside. I gave a brief sigh, “Speak of the devil…” “Who are you calling ‘devil’, hmm?” Trixie questioned, puffing out her chest as she stood as tall as she could. “Anyway, the Great and Powerful Trixie demands a rematch against your shooting prowess.” I gave her a deadpan look, “And the very annoyed Nolan demands you stop talking in the third person, but it looks like neither of us are getting what we want.” Trixie opened her mouth to argue, before closing it, looking deep in thought before speaking again. “If Trix- I mean, I speak in the first person,” she started, admittedly getting me interested, “then will we have our rematch?” She really wanted to have this rematch, and I knew she wouldn’t leave me alone until I gave her one. “Goddamn it,” I mumbled before speaking up, “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” “The Great and Powerful-” she said right before she caught herself, coughing intentionally as I crossed my arms, “I mean, I am glad you accepted. Let us start now, shall we?” How the hell did I get myself into these dumb situations? To be honest with myself, this was the only situation that I could call dumb since arriving in Equestria. Still, I wondered if showing her up would get her to shut her trap once and for all. She was willing to stop talking in the third person to have this rematch, so she must be willing to go to great lengths to show her worth. Maybe it had to do with her personality, or what she did before the invasion. Whatever the reasoning may have been, I reluctantly followed Trixie out, taking out my revolver and checking it over. The sound of hooves behind me indicated that Twilight and the others were following behind, wanting to see the match as well. In fact, as we neared the shooting range, I saw many other ponies heading in the same direction, to the point where I was beginning to think the rematch was becoming a full blown event. Arriving at the shooting range confirmed that assessment, what with the large group of ponies watching us approach. It was already bad enough agreeing to a rematch, but having to do it with three dozen pairs of eyes on us was just ridiculous. Did firing a damn gun suddenly become a national pastime? I understood there was a fair amount of competition in my world regarding firing a gun, but with these ponies, it was bizarre. Trixie and I stopped just before coming in contact with the sandbags that were still erected, looking over the many eyes glued to our every move. It was quite obvious that Trixie was the favored one in the rematch, which was kind of surprising, considering her attitude. A simple glance at Trixie determined she was milking every moment of it too, waving her hoof to everyone like she was a princess. I closed my eyes, suppressing my anger the best I could. At least I had somewhat forgotten my nightmare at that point. If I had to give Trixie credit for something, it was being a distraction. After a few moments, Trixie drew her revolver - rather dramatically if I may add - which had been resting behind the sandbags. “Are there any rules to this?” I asked. “Of course,” Trixie answered, aiming the weapon down the range, “We each get six shots, and Twilight Sparkle determines the winner.” I eyed Twilight a moment, wondering how she got roped into this. Her frank expression told me she had volunteered as much as I did. Without warning, Trixie fired off her revolver, causing a few ponies to jump. The first bullet was very close to the center, and the next five shots were worse than that, but not by much. Each one was only a few millimeters apart from each other. What was worth noting was that a lot of her shots were to the left of the target. She needed to learn to compensate for that. With all her bullets spent, Trixie set the gun down on the sandbags, smiling triphumently. Twilight, with a quick flutter of her wings, flew over to the target, hovering above it as she stared at the newly created bullet holes, calculating Trixie’s score in her head. “Trixie has twenty six points,” she announced, backing off from the target. There wasn’t a whole lot of cheering, only excited muttering amongst the crowd. Trixie put her snout in the air, acting superior even before I had a chance to go. With another roll of my eyes, I held the revolver up to my face, gently rubbing it between my fingers. This was the last gift Emma had given me, and I had a feeling she’d guide my hand that day. I gave a small smirk; she had always hated showboaters. Gripping the handle with both hands, I aimed down the sights. The crowd went silent, as if the slightest sound would disrupt the entire competition. With the sights centered, I calmed myself down as I whispered, “Elbows slightly bent, controlled breathing, and…” {~+~} I never realized how quiet the Resistance Headquarters could be. Sure, it was a library, so it was the golden rule anyway, but the few times I had ever entered were anything but silent. It added a sort of serenity, and it was perfect for the books I looked over. I doubted I would be able to read through a whole book, or even a quarter way through one, given the circumstances, but simply reading through the titles brought me incalculable entertainment. Subjects I would normally find in the Fantasy section back on Earth were under Non-fiction, so it was quite interesting for me. Standing in front of a bookcase, at the far corner of the bookstore, I gave a few chuckles at the titles I found. Chimeras and How to Avoid Them? Parasprites: Cute & Dangerous? I didn’t even know what a Parasprite was, but before I could investigate on the mysterious creature, the front door opening caught my attention. I faced in the general direction of the door, since many bookshelves were blocking my view, but the voice that spoke was all I needed to know who it was. “Nolan?” Applejack called, the door shutting a moment later, “Are ya hidin’ in here?” I grunted, a smile gracing my lips as I turned back to the books, “I wouldn’t exactly call it hiding.” A playful huff could be heard as Applejack came around a bookshelf, revealing her own smile. “What are ya doin’ in here anyway?” she asked, standing beside me to examine what I was skimming through. “I thought you’d be celebratin’ your victory.” I had to resist an eye roll on that comment, having been said to me many times before. “I’ll tell you what I told Pinkie Pie, it isn’t right. You of all people should know about humility.” Applejack lowered her head a moment before perking back up, facing me. “You're right,” she said, a bit put off by how she was before, “I guess these changin’ times are takin’ their toll on me.” I hummed at that statement, distracted by another title that really piqued my curiosity; Indigo Knights. I wasn’t sure why that, of all books, made me want to pick it up and start reading. Maybe it was the word ‘Indigo’, as I hadn’t seen it before. Applejack seemed to notice my entranced expression, as she nonchalantly stated, “And it may have been because Trixie tied me up in front of the entire town.” I whipped my head over to her, giving her a baffled expression that made her burst out laughing. She had to be joking, right? Well, knowing Trixie, it would be easy to imagine her doing something like that. “Does that have some background to it?” I asked, sounding a bit hopeful. “It does,” Applejack answered, closing her eyes and waiting a long period of time. At that point, I knew she was messing with me. Eventually, she opened her eyes, giving another smirk. “But I’m just going to let that simmer for a while.” With that remark, I reached my hand over and hit her hat lightly, causing it to cover her eyes. Applejack laughed in good nature as she adjusted her hat to how it was originally. I chuckled as well, my mind drifting off as I stared at Applejack. She really was a kind mare, which was nearly ruined by what the humans in this world had done. I was still disappointed that I couldn’t join Rainbow Dash in Cloudsdale. I knew I shouldn’t get hung over it, but I felt like regardless if I came or not, the Pegasi would- My eyes widened as that revelation hit me full force, making Applejack squirm a bit under my gaze. I didn’t care, my mind running over my last thought like I would forget it somehow if I didn’t. “I need to get to Cloudsdale, now,” I stated a bit frantically, briskly heading for the door. Applejack looked at me like I had gone crazy, her jaw slightly limp as her eyes followed me out the door. I looked both ways of the street, searching for Twilight with desperation. Applejack charged out of the bookstore, obviously wanting answers. I glanced at her a moment before looking back to the streets as I spoke. “The Pegasai will know that I’m here,” I explained hastily, finding myself pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, “No matter how long you hide me, they’ll learn of me and think you’re all traitors. Then we’ll never get their help.” Applejack toned her shock down, but she still looked at me with a bit of uncertainty, “Nolan, I know ya want ta help us with the Pegasi, but what your proposin’ sounds farfetched at best.” “Is it?” I questioned, halting my movement as I glared at her, “Think about when we met the Wonderbolts outside of Fillydelphia. They wanted me dead, and if it wasn’t for you and Carrot Top, that probably would have happened.” “We can’t just talk about ‘what if’s’!” she shouted, causing a few passersbys to look our way. Applejack marched right up to me, glaring as much as I was. “Ya don’t know how they’ll be when they meet’cha! You’re just looking for an excuse ta get ta Cloudsdale!” “You don’t understand!” I argued furiously, stomping a foot, “If we don’t show myself to the Pegasi as soon as possible, they’ll think I'm a spy, working for the other humans. They have no clue what I’ve done so far, and they won’t help us!” “Nolan,” Applejack started calmly, through her angry expression showed anything but that, “That’s a load a’ horse apples. They’re not just gonna turn their backs on us just because we have a human with us.” “Oh yeah,” I said, sarcasm leaking into my voice as I threw my arms up in the air a moment as I took a few steps back, “Just like how they didn’t turn their backs on you when Canterlot was lost.” Applejack shook her head, her eyes clamped shut, “Stop muddlin’ the issue!” I gripped my head tightly as I tried to bar my frustration. Applejack couldn’t grasp how important it was to show myself to the Pegasi. If we kept quiet about my existence, there'd be hell to pay, and we couldn’t afford to lose a valuable ally. “Forget it,” I said, walking away from Applejack, my hands tightened into fists. “You can’t seem to get it through your damn thick head of yours, so I’m not going to even try any more.” There was no sound indicating that Applejack responded to my last sentence, and I gave a brief exhale at that. It was only after a few minutes of walking through the city did I realize the weight of my words. I had insulted her intelligence, yelled in her face, and threw away her arguments in favor of my own. I was acting childish, and I felt guilty for what I had done. Slowing to a halt in a empty part of the streets, I gave a heavy sigh, lowering my head in mild defeat. I really didn’t know what to do; going to Cloudsdale wouldn’t be wise, but staying in Las Pegasus wasn’t an option either. “Hey, Nolan!” Pinkie said, bounding into view as she hopped over to me. I couldn’t bare to look at someone so happy at the moment, so I looked the other way, trying to ignore her. She stopped in front of me, looking quite playful as she lowered her front legs in a pounce. She had her heart-lifting smile, but upon seeing my grim face, it fell, making her concerned instantly. “Is something wrong?” she asked, her voice unusually quiet, “Did… did someone die?” I quickly brought my hands up in front of me, waving them as I said, “No, no, no one died, Pinkie.” She was relieved of that, but her smile did not return, frowning as much as I was. “Then, what’s the matter?” she inquired, as she stood on her hind legs putting her forelegs on my chest. Her eyes were a few inches away from mine. “Tell aunty Pinkie, she can help.” I was willing to bet that I was older than her, but I didn’t state that as I sighed, keeping my eyes trained on hers. “It’s about Cloudsdale,” I started with a very small shrug, “I’m worried that if I don’t go there and reveal myself to the Pegasi, they won’t help us.” “You reaaaaally want to go to Cloudsdale, huh?” Pinkie said, tilting her head to the side. “Yeah,” I said, gazing towards the ground, “Maybe it is just another excuse to go to Cloudsdale, but… I don’t know. I can’t just sit here and do nothing.” Pinkie was quiet for a few seconds before lifting up my head with a hoof to face her again. “Then let’s go to Cloudsdale!” she declared, her expression brimming with confidence. “If you really want to go, Nolan, then there ain’t nothing nobody can’t do!” I was flabbergasted, both by her last statement and her conviction. I didn’t think Pinkie, of all ponies, would help me. It caused me to smile a bit in gratitude with a nod, and Pinkie mirrored my actions as she hopped back to the ground. “Alright!” she announced, facing away as she stood tall, making me worried that someone would overhear us. “First, we need a way to get to Cloudsdale!” I had to mentally facepalm at myself for forgetting that it was in the clouds. Pinkie couldn’t fly, so the only way up there would be with wings, and I doubted anybody would take my side like Pinkie had done. “And I have just the idea.” I looked at her with intrigue, wondering what she could have in mind. She noticed my curiosity, but waved a hoof in an idle manner. “I’ll get you at night,” she explained, “Then we’ll leave for Cloudsdale together!” “Together?” I asked, actually surprised that Pinkie would want to join me. “That’s right!” she said with a firm nod, “You can’t go by yourself, silly.” My bewilderment at that changed to immense gratitude as I chuckled lightly, “Thanks, Pinkie.” “Anytime,” Pinkie replied softly, facing me with a look that made me want to hug her. “Just stay home tonight, and I’ll get you. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of our travel plans.” I didn’t like being left out of the loop, especially with Pinkie the one responsible for our mode of transportation. She didn’t seem like the kind to do things quietly. Of course, I had no say in the matter, considering I had no other way of getting to a city in the sky. So, reluctantly, I nodded at her plan and we both parted ways. I would need some extra rest if we were heading out at night. {~+~} Several hours had passed with no word from Pinkie, and having lain on my bed nearly the entire time did nothing for my boredom. I was able to get some sleep, but my mind was too occupied to doze off most of the time. As soon as I heard a knock on the door of my shack, I bolted right for it with my mask in hand, nearly tripping in the process. Swinging open the door, I saw Pinkie standing there with pink saddle bags on her back, keeping a vigilant eye out as she glanced over to me. “This is Agent Pink,” she whispered, holding a hoof up to the side of her mouth. “Do you copy, Agent Lane?” I looked at her with a small glare, giving the area a quick look over. It was empty, and the lights from the main portion of the city were shut off. Hopefully, no one would come snooping around at this time of night. I turned back to Pinkie, who was low to the ground, her head facing every which way. “We don’t have time to mess around, Pinkie,” I explained, pointing to the ground in a form of scolding, “And Agent Lane? Where did you get that from?” “Easy,” Pinkie stated, hopping back up to a standing position as she dropped her earlier attitude for her usual joyful one. “No-Lane, it makes perfect sense.” “Sure, whatever you say,” I mumbled, shrugging off the name for the time being before getting serious, “Now where’s our transportation?” “It’s right here,” Pinkie said with a smile, gesturing a hoof off to her left, “See?” I poked my head out before jolting it back, seeing a full blown hot air balloon sitting right there. The balloon itself was purple, with a frilly yellow piece around the bottom of it. The basket sitting on the ground, attached to the hot air balloon above it, was pink as well. It had to be the girliest thing I had ever seen, so I guess it made sense for Pinkie to have it. My shock was broken when Pinkie bounced over to it, holding up her hooves like a showgirl. “Pretty nifty, huh?” she asked, trotting over to where the pink rope was tied down to a stake in the ground, the other end of it being hooked to the basket. “I keep at least one hot air balloon in every city, in case of hot air balloon emergencies. Like this one!” I could hear Pinkie’s words perfectly, but completely understanding them was a whole other story. I watched as she easily jumped into the basket in one leap, disappearing a moment before peeking her head out as she threw her forelegs over one of the sides of the the basket. “Whatcha waiting for, No-Lane?” she asked teasingly, giving a quiet giggle, “Get in!” The repeat mispronunciation of my name finally knocked me back to reality, and I frowned a bit as I begrudgedly moved towards the balloon. “You know, Pinkie,” I said with a shake of my head, failing to stop a small smirk from emerging, “You sure are something.” Pinkie took the comment in stride, smiling widely like she had just been complimented. Her reaction made me smile in turn; it was nice having a friend like her. I tossed my mask inside the basket before placing my hands on the top of it, just about to push off and climb on board. However, a voice stopped me, and nearly my heart as well. “What are you two doing?” Twilight shouted, flying down to land right behind me. I glanced over to her, grinding my teeth slightly at nearly escaping only to be foiled by her. Her expression was just as angry as my own, scowling at me for a moment. “Are you sneaking off to Cloudsdale?” “What’s it to ya?” I demanded, pointing a finger at her, my voice much louder than I wanted it to be. Twilight trotted forwards, looking at each of us in turn with a small glare. “You both know why you can’t go, Nolan,” she scolded, “The Pegasi won’t take kindly to you.” “I already know that,” I retorted with a shake of my head, “But I have to do this.” Twilight held her gaze on me for quite some time, and I wondered what could be going through her head. She may be simply coming up with another excuse for me not to go, but I think it was something deeper than that. Unexpectedly, Twilight sighed, her eyes falling to the floor as she frowned. “I don’t want to see you hurt,” she suddenly revealed, causing my own scowl to soften as she whipped her head back up to me. “Don’t you understand that? If you go to Cloudsdale, you could get hurt or…” I heard a small whimper from Pinkie, and when I faced her, I saw that she had hidden half her face behind the basket, with her ears folded back. Her glazed over eyes spoke volumes to me, knowing exactly what was going through her head. I stared at her for a moment longer before looking back to Twilight, her own concern obvious on her features. “I know you’re worried for me,” I said, my tone delicate, “but you have to let me do this. What will the Pegasi think if they find you hiding me?” Restating my reason for leaving out loud made me realize just how desperate I was. I knew I just wanted to go to be useful, make the most out of myself, and my brain was just raking for any excuse. Maybe it was time to tell Twilight how I really felt about this. “I need to do this, Twilight,” I continued, “I know there’s no real good reason for me to go, but… I just have this feeling.” The tension was thick as I awaited Twilight’s reply. She was obviously fighting herself over it, scraping the ground with a hoof. Then, her expression changed to thoughtfulness, as if an idea had struck her. “What would Princess Celestia do…?” she muttered, and it made me sad that she looked up to Celestia that much that she was practically an idol and role model. Why did that make me sad? Because Celestia’s fate was unknown to everybody, and that was probably tearing Twilight apart, little by little. Twilight raised her head, a smile forming as she looked at me. “She would trust her friends,” she said, before adding to herself, “And I guess I forgot that lesson.” Lesson? In what exactly, friendship? It sounded a bit ridiculous, but seeing Twilight, then and there, it made more sense than not. She walked a few more steps before she stood right in front of me, looking up at me. “I believe in you, Nolan,” she said with determination, “So please, don’t do anything stupid.” I felt like a joke would be a good response, but seeing her serious and distraught face told me it wouldn’t be appropriate. “You got it,” I said, giving a half smirk. “By the way,” Twilight started, raising an eyebrow, “How were you planning on walking on the clouds?” My befuddlement clouded any words, I had to say, my brain actually questioning why I hadn’t thought about it. A quick glance to Pinkie told me she hadn’t thought that far ahead either, as she gave a sheepish smile, chuckling anxiously. Seeing our reactions, Twilight groaned before her horn lit up, enveloping Pinkie and I in her magic for a short time before stopping. I looked myself over, not seeing a thing out of place, and I turned back to her with a raised brow. “That was a Cloud Walking spell,” she explained, gesturing a hoof to myself, “It’ll allow you to walk on clouds for three days. Make it count.” Being able to walk on clouds… that must have been everyone’s dream at some point. Sure, we may be able to fly under, over, and in clouds, but actually standing on them, gazing off into the horizon… It made my guts churn in excitement. “Why don’t you come with us, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked with a tilt of her head, dropping her gloomy mood, “It takes three to tango!” I opened my mouth to tell her that wasn’t the saying, but decided against it, simply shaking my head instead. “That’s alright, Pinkie,” Twilight declined politely, “I need to take care of something. But you guys should get going. I don’t know how the others would feel about you two taking off.” Nodding at Twilight’s words, I hurdled over the basket railing. “You ready, Pinkie?” I asked as I landed beside her. “As I’ll ever be,” she said with a smile, before turning back to Twilight, “Ready for blast off!” With a playful roll of her eyes, Twilight used her magic to pull the rope away from the ground, and the next thing we knew, we were floating away. It was a bit unsettling for me, having been used to standing on solid ground. My stomach was doing flips, but it wasn’t so bad that I felt sick. A quick look back to Twilight showed her waving goodbye to us, and I was thankful that I wasn’t afraid of heights. Pinkie and I waved goodbye as well, until Twilight was completely out of view. Speaking of which, the scene from up above was amazing. The city of Las Pegasus looked wonderful from the air, which would explain why it was named as such. The desert area around the city, though dull, looked captivating. But the sight that really caught my attention was Canterlot, still sitting in the lone mountain so very far away. Like a diamond in the rough. I sat there, staring off and admiring the area, before a worrisome question popped into my head. “You know how to drive a hot air balloon, right?” I asked hesitantly, turning to Pinkie. “Absolutely positively!” she cheered, hopping up and pulling a hanging rope, allowing the flames underneath the balloon to enlarge, lifting us even higher. I gave a reassuring nod, facing towards the view again. It would be a while before we made it to Cloudsdale, but I didn't think I would get bored any time soon. {~+~} The scenery changed dynamically from desert landscape to forests as we moved along, and it entranced me the entire time. I never realized how much I had missed from living in the city. Pinkie was kind enough not to interrupt my reverie, staying silent as we drifted in the night sky. However, as time went on, I wondered why she hadn’t did something to deviate my attention to her. And with that thought, I glanced over to her, catching her standing on her hind legs, resting her head on top of the basket. Her expression was somewhat blank, having a hint of a smile as her eyes rarely moved. It didn’t look like something to be concerned about, yet I was compelled to speak with her. “Something on your mind?” I asked, sounding off handed as she turned towards me, her smile growing as her gaze landed on me. “I’m just glad I could join you,” she expressed, dropping her head down as she faced me fully. “Why’s that?” I questioned, as I had been curious since she had requested to come along. "Ever since you rescued me from the asylum," Pinkie said, pausing a moment to shiver with a frown. I wouldn’t consider it a rescue, but if she wanted to believe it was one, than who was I to judge? “I had this feeling that I needed to repay you.” “Well, that’s very considerate,” I admitted, relaxing my body as I sat on the floor of the basket. “But you didn’t have to.” “Oh but I did!” Pinkie contradicted, hopping up onto her hooves, her smile brightening, “The way I was behaving was very un-Pinkie of me. I had to make up for what I had put you through.” I remained motionless, absorbing what she said. The whole reason she was coming was to pay me back for how she had behaved, even though it wasn’t her fault to begin with. If it was anybody’s fault, it would be the Humans. Maybe she already knew that, and wanted to tag along with me to find a way to get back at them. It made more sense, but since I was talking about Pinkie, it would make no sense. At least, that’s what made sense for myself. I was over complicating it. The point was that she had to have been honest with me, and in the end, that was all that really mattered. Nodding my head, I gave a sigh, “Thanks again, Pinkie. You seem to know what to do around friends.” “Heh,” Pinkie grunted, lifting a hoof in embarrassment, “Not always.” For some reason, I found the comment funny, and chuckled a bit from her actions. Pinkie did as well, and after quarter of a minute, Pinkie gasped, her smile growing as she trotted up beside me, her eyes glued to something in the sky. “We made it!” she cheered, bouncing in place. The piece of information made me grunt in excitement, pushing myself to my feet and looking to where Pinkie was facing. Sure enough, a large group of clouds were coming into view. Since they were some of the few clouds I had seen since arriving in Equestria, it was rather easy to make out the structures that populated them. However, it was only the main portion of the clouds. A couple of smaller cloud bases were strung around, holding even more buildings. It really did give the feeling of a city in the sky, with the larger cloud being downtown, and the multiple smaller clouds being the suburbs. Of course, I was a bit speechless, as would anybody who saw a city in the clouds. “Holy shit,” I whispered, finding the place quite beautiful. It just fit so perfectly, being away from all the humans and such. For a while, the problem of convincing the Pegasi was not on my mind… Until something suddenly flew out of nowhere and past the balloon. Pinkie and I jumped back in surprise, falling on our rears as we tried to comprehend what had just flown by. The sound of leaking gas caught my ears, and I quickly picked myself up, leaning over the basket. As I looked up, I saw that the balloon had been cleanly sliced open, allowing the hot air inside to flow freely. We were quickly losing altitude. Thinking fast, Pinkie hopped up on the rope again, giving it another tug as the flames roared to life. Unfortunately, it only leveled us out for a very short moment before we were descending again. “Damn it!” I cursed, at the balloon above us, “Who the hell did that!?” “I did,” a male voice said behind me, and when I whipped around, I saw a Pegasus, nonchalantly hovering there. It was far too dark to make out what he looked like, but the moon gave some light to show where he was. The voice was vaguely familiar, prompting me to hesitate before I lashed out with a fist, trying to drive the pony away from our balloon. This did absolutely nothing, as the Pegasus simply moved out of my reach before shooting back up. Another hiss of air rang through the night, showing that the pony was responsible for the cuts as we fell faster. Out of instinct, I reached for my revolver, only to have someone grab my jacket tightly. Facing the perpetrator with malice, all I saw was Pinkie Pie, clenching my jacket with her teeth tightly as she gave me a worried glance. “Please,” she said through her teeth, “Don’t shoot them. I don’t want them to die.” I knew Pinkie was right on many accounts, and so I listened to her, lowering my hand to the side as I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. Once I did, Pinkie released me, giving a relieved smile before another hiss of air could be heard, wiping it off her face in an instant. Our plummet had grown to a faster rate, to the point where we were practically free falling. We took hold of the basket, trying to stay attached to something so as not to be thrown out. With wind rushing past, I leaned out of the basket far enough to see where we would land, and all I saw was the dull grayness that made up the clouds. Before I could register that our crash landing would come sooner than expected, we hit the cloud full force, causing me to slam my head down on the basket. Though the material was soft, hitting it at the speed I did made me very dizzy, and the momentum the rest of the hot air balloon had caused Pinkie and I to tumble out of the basket and on top of the cloud. My dizziness made it hard to know where anything was, as the world was a blur to me. While on my stomach, I looked to my side, showing that Pinkie was thankfully still by my side, though shared the same state of pain. The soft thud of hooves on clouds caught my attention as I turned ahead of me, seeing no less than three ponies standing there. They were still merely silhouettes, so I didn’t even bother trying to differentiate between them. One pony stepped up to me, slamming a hoof onto my head and sending my head against the cloud. The cloud was actually very soft, like a feather pillow, but the hoof was not. It made my head spin even more as I winced. “A Human using a hot air balloon,” the stallion spit out, pressing harder against my head. “Did they really think they could simply fly up here in the middle of the night and not expect an ambush?” “Don’t bother trying to figure them out,” another stallion said with a grunt, “They’re all idiots.” The first stallion grunted, “He even brought up a Pony, probably his slave.” “No…” a female Pegasus interjected, and I was able to see her approach Pinkie from the corner of my eye. “This is Pinkie Pie! She’s one of the Elements of Harmony, isn't she?” “Didn't she go crazy during the invasion?” the second stallion asked, “Should we keep our distance from a psycho like that?” “Don’t call her that!” I barked out, earning another slam to the back of my head. “Shut up!” the first stallion shouted, “Why do you even care anyway?! Because of Ponies like her, I’ll never see my sister again!” “I care a lot more than any of you bastards!” I shouted back, causing the Pegasi to remain still for a moment in what I assume was hesitation, “At least I didn’t fucking turn tail and hide like you cowards!” All that got me was yet another slam to the back of the head, much harder than the previous ones. It was so bad that I had to fight to stay awake as I became nauseous from my head spinning. “You have no right calling us cowards, Human!” the first stallion screamed, pressing harder and harder onto my head. I had to bite my tongue to not cry out in pain. The sliding of metal was heard as a blade was unsheathed. “Might as well finish this thing off,” he said with something in his mouth. “N-No…” Pinkie whispered, reaching out a hoof in her half dazed state. She was just barely holding on, her eyelids very close to shutting. “Please, no more… killing.” She spoke her final word as she went completely limp, going unconscious. The female Pegasus sighed, “We should take her back to Cloudsdale. Rainbow Dash would want to see her.” The second stallion growled, “And what about the Human? There’s no way in Tartarus I’m letting it into Cloudsdale.” “Tell… Rainbow Dash,” I muttered, my own consciousness fleeting, “It’s Nolan.” “Oh, shut up!” the first stallion shouted into my ear, before stomping his hoof onto my head again, making me black out completely. {~+~} “My, my, this one certainly is unique, I wondered why Princess Luna had me check on you. But I don’t feel like trying to explain anything to you at the moment. Too much work, and I’m already doing enough of that. I’ll just leave you for now. Oh, by the way, don’t keep Luna waiting for long; she may just lose her mind! Though, that wouldn’t be the only thing she would have lost.” {~+~} I gasped as I opened my eyes, staring at nothing but clouds. What was that dream about, or would it even be considered a dream? The only thing I could perceive from it was that voice. It was an odd voice too, one I hadn’t heard before at all. My dreams were becoming weirder and weirder. Not that my head helped, as the back of it was pounding in utter pain. The headache was worse than I had ever gotten, and I groaned as I turned to my side, seeing where I had ended up. The small room and bars pointed to captivity, along with a few other cells though I hadn’t clue how many. The thing I noticed the most was that everything was made up of clouds, making me believe I was in Cloudsdale. It fit the premise of the city, so it would be more confusing if I wasn’t there. Pushing myself to a sitting position, I winced as I clamped a hand over my head, massaging the painful areas. Well, I had made it to Cloudsdale, but I sure as hell didn’t receive a warm welcome. Though, that should have been expected. I couldn’t even remember why I bothered coming to Cloudsdale in the first place, which was probably thanks to my impaired brain. A sharp gasp from outside my cell made me blink as tried to focus on the source. All I was able to make out at the moment was a blob of orange with wings. “You’re awake, Nolan,” a Pegasus mare announced. “Thank goodness, I was afraid the Pegasi had put you in a coma.” I shook my head, trying to shake off my dizziness, to no avail. “You’ve taken quite a beating from what I heard,” the mare continued, “And I think I recall someone saying that Pinkie Pie was with you.” “Who are you?” I asked slowly, trying to keep things simple until my brain decided to work properly. “I’m not surprised you didn't remember me,” the mare sighed, “It has been a while. But I’m just glad to see you again.” “Name?” I requested, a bit annoyed the mare had skimmed over that detail. “Oh, right, sorry,” the mare apologized hastily, “It’s Spitfire. Do you remember me? We met in the apple orchard outside of Fillydelphia.” “Yeah,” I nodded, my eyes starting to make out the pony. It did share the same color scheme as Spitfire, and the mane was certainly recognizable. Her smile felt genuine as she gazed over to me, strangely not wearing her Wonderbolt outfit. A few seconds passed before I was able to see the area clearly, and I blinked in confusion. “My eyes must be messing with me,” I said with a hint of a chuckle, “It looks like you're in a cell too.” “Well,” Spitfire said, dipping her head low as her ears folded back, “That’s because I am in a cell.” “A cell?” I repeated, getting to my feet as I stepped closer. She really was in a jail cell, being directly across from myself. “You’re in… You’re in jail!?” She nodded feebly, unable to look up to me as I stood there flabbergasted. “But…” I said trying to find the right words, “But you’re a Wonderbolt, how could you-?” I flinched as another wave of pain came back, making me halt my confusion as I fell back onto my bed. As I pressed my hand against my skull, Spitfire turned her head down the hallway, probably towards the exit. “Soarin reported me to Lightning Dust,” she explained with a shrug, “She threw me in here without hesitation. Even if she was on my side, everypony hates me for what I did.” From the way Spitfire spoke, I was sure Lightning Dust was the one in charge. Whether it was just the Wonderbolts or all of Cloudsdale was yet to be seen. “All you did was talk to me,” I said, growing angry that a mare like her was getting paid for her kindness by being sent to prison. “They have no right-” “They have every right,” Spitfire interrupted, closing her eyes in acceptance of her fate, “I gave confidential information to the enemy. To everypony in Cloudsdale, I’m a traitor.” I wanted to comfort her, but I was reminded of the scene back when I first met her. She had given so much information, more so than any other pony that had first met me. There had to be some other factor besides knowing that I was the Masked Man. “Why did you tell me everything you did?” I questioned, leaning a hand on my knee as I got semi-comfortable. “There has to be some other reason why you did it.” Spitfire stared into my eyes, either to put off what she had to say or wondering if I would believe it. Swallowing, she clamped her eyes shut, “I was rescued by a Human.” That made me stare at her in curiosity. That made sense, considering she had the knowledge that there were good humans out there. My mind instantly went to one human in particular, the only other person I knew who was considered good. “Was the Human’s name Alex?” I asked, somewhat glad that guy was doing more good for the ponies. To hear him having saved another Pony put a smile on my face. “No,” Spitfire said with a shake of her head, looking off into the distance. I was stunned by that, though not much as I concluded that there was another good Human out there. And for some reason, that was even better than hearing that it was Alex. Spitfire smiled fondly at the memory, “It was four Humans. We ran into a hostile group, and they opened fire on us. I was shot through the wing, and was the only one to be shot down. I heard them coming, and I thought they were going to finish me off. But… those four were the ones who found me. They took care of me: bandaging my wing and giving me water. When I had the strength, they let me go freely. I could only catch one of their names, and it was… Vincent. He was the leader.” “Vincent…” I muttered, my eyes wandering to the ground. There wasn’t just one other good person running around, but a whole group. I couldn’t hope for anything better. It truly was a heartwarming thought, knowing that there was more Humans helping the Ponies. “That’s why I trust you, Nolan,” Spitfire acknowledged, facing me and leaving her memories behind, “No one believed me when I said I was saved by Humans, but after learning about you, I knew you had to be good.” I grunted, rubbing my forehead with a serious look, “And now you’re paying the price.” “Maybe,” Spitfire said, scanning her surroundings with a frown before brightening a bit as she turned towards me, “But I don’t regret it.” Giving a half smirk, I laid my back against the wall, trying to figure out what to do next. I was trapped in here until Rainbow Dash got me out. At the moment, she was my only hope, and I hoped she had a lot of sway with the Pegasi. Not only that, but I don’t know what the Pegasi had done with Pinkie. I just hoped they’re treating her right. With Rainbow Dash around, that should be the case. Man, it was going to be a while for everything to be sorted out completely. I needed something to keep my boredom at bay. “Hey,” I called out, and Spitfire tilted her head as she listened, “Do you have a harmonica?”