//------------------------------// // Ch. 17 Not as planned. // Story: School! Flying! Falling! Goofing! // by Lazydrill //------------------------------// "I can't believe she actually caught me..." You recited to yourself over and over for the past few minutes, your thoughts still on the unbelievable fact that your mother caught you within five minutes of flying... "She never showed so much speed before, this puts Dad even lower on the 'boss in the house' list than I already proclaimed him to be." "Now tell me! What did you wanted to tell us at dinner that I and your sisters didn't like to hear!?" your mom asked sternly as you walked through the outskirts of Ponyville were you had landed a minute ago. Sighing in defeat, you began to explain your mother who was walking next to you, "Me and a group of friends want to go on a trip though Equestria this winter vacation." You expected your mom to forbid it almost straight away, regarding how protective she is of you. It surprised you really when she smiled at you, "That's it? You're planning on a trip with your friends?" she asked with her head cocked a bit to the left. You gave an unsure nod, "Uhm... yeah?" "If that is everything you wanted to tell us, and you were so sure of that I wouldn't like it, then you are gravely mistaken," you mom said with a slight chuckle before turning her gaze to the school of Miss Cheerilee that was coming into view. "I honestly expected something much worse. But this is good to hear. Maybe not as much for your sisters, but I enjoy it that you want to see Equestria." "Wow. I really expected her to blow up and ground me in my room just for brining it up." "Tell me, with who are you planning this trip?" she asked as she turned her gaze back to you. "So far, I'll be going with; Sky Edge, Lucky, Blaze, Lightning and Dust. Berry Petal needs to ask her parents first, but I'm sure she'll come along." "Okay. Will your new friend, Rainbow Dash, join you as well?" You felt your cheeks grow warm as you thought about her, "N-no. I haven't asked her yet." You shyly looked away, "Why do you ask?" You could feel without looking to your mother, that a slight grin was forming on her muzzle, "Why not? she is your 'friend', right? So why shouldn't I ask? She seems to be a very kind mare," she said with an innocent sounding voice. "If you wait with asking her, I would say; ask her in Autumn. I'm sure she'll say yes." You now narrowed your eyes in slight suspicion and looked at your mom, "Mom, why should I ask her in Autumn of all times?" Your mom smiled and looked ahead, "Oh, nothing. It is just that you'll have more chance that she'll say yes, that's all." "Mom. Now that we are on the subject of Autumn. You and Dad have some explaining to do yourself when we get home," you said as you gave your wings a few flaps in slight annoyance. Now it was your mom's turn to look away with a slight blush, "U-uhm... whatever do you mean, Static?" "I've had a little 'talk' with my coach about mares maturing this year. Why haven't you and Dad explained me about this?" you asked with your muzzle coming closer to your mom, her eyes still avoiding yours. "Well... me and your Dad... We... Uhm... OH LOOK! We're at the school! Sorry, Static, but the explanation will need to wait!" Your mother began trotting at a fast pace towards the school, but you were not so easily distracted, so you flared out your wings and zipped ahead of your mom. Landing abruptly in front of her made her stop in her tracks with an 'eep'. With your wings still flared out, you stared your mom down who was giving you an innocent smile, "Mom, care to explain?" Her eyes were darting all around you, most probably trying to find something to distract you. Her eyes fixated onto yours and she sighed, "Okay, you win, Static. I'll talk with your Dad. And after that I'll explain after dinner." You flared your nostrils and folded your wings back to your sides, "I can wait until then. But you better have good reason why to 'not' tell me." Your mother sat down on her haunches, "well... I kind of do... " your mother said as she clapped her front hooves softly together a few times. Sighing once more, she stood up on all four hooves again, "Lets first get your sisters. We'll talk later this evening." You gave a nod and turned around towards the school. Although, you were satisfied that your mom said that she would talk about it with you, you couldn't help but linger on the part were she said that she had her 'reason' to not tell you. You closed in on the school with your thoughts swirling about everything she was supposed to 'should' have told you, as Iron Wing said she should've. Your ear flicked as you heard flapping wings behind you, brining you out of your thoughts and making you turn your head in curiosity. Looking over your shoulder you saw your mom standing still and her muzzle buried in her left wing. "Mom? What are you doing?" Your mom said nothing as she was still busy with her wing. "Hello, Equestria to Mom..." Your mother finally turned her muzzle to you with a small feather between her teeth, "Yewsh, Sthatic?" Your eyebrow twitched slightly in disbelief, "Mom, the feather...?" Your mom's eyes fixed on the feather and she promptly spitted it out, "Pft! Sorry, Static. I felt a small feather that was broken thanks to our little 'chase and catch'. I needed to get it out, so I preened my wing quickly before we need to fly again." Your mother narrowed her eyes at you, "Something you could do as well." "I know! Dear, Celestia!" you said loudly. "Everypony is judging my wings today... grrrr..." "That's because..." your mom stopped in the middle of her sentence as her right ear flicked. "Static, do you hear that?" You perked your ears in the same direction as your mothers, and you heard small buzzing sound coming towards you. You had heard that sound before today, "That buzzing sounds familiar... almost like..." Your eyes expanded as you remembered what caused the buzzing, "Please... Don't let it be Scoots! She had hurt her hoof this morning! She can't... 'buzz'?... on her thing already!" Your eyes darted around as you began to search for the filly with increasing worry. "Static? You know what that sound is? Static?" your mom tried to get your attention. You ignored her calling as your focus was fully onto finding out where the buzzing was coming from. Your ears flicked into the direction of the street that was to your right, going into Ponyville. You didn't hesitate for a second, you spread your wings wide and took off with speed. "Static! Where are you going!?" your mom yelled after you. Zipping passed various ponies who jumped aside as you flew through the street, you noticed the buzzing becoming louder, and coming from your left. Making a sharp left turn, you stopped flying as the buzzing was now very close to you, looking around while hovering in the air, you noticed that you ended up in a park. The buzzing stopped and you feared the worst. That was, until you heard laughing coming from a pond that was not that far to your right, what also seemed to be the center of the park. Your fear was washed away as curiosity took over, flying gently over to the pond, you began to smile as, of everypony you expected to see, you saw your twin sisters playing with Scootaloo and two other fillies. One filly had a yellow coat, red mane with a red bow tie. The second filly, she had a white coat with a two shaded mane and tail, one streak was light purple, while the other was also purple shaded. You smiled widely as you saw Scootaloo with a tiny bandage around her right front hoof, sitting near the pond as she watched your sisters setting her... thing... straight up again as it seemed that it had toppled over. "How was that, Scootaloo?" Summer asked. "It was pretty good, but it could've been cooler!" Scootaloo commented as she buzzed her wings. "It was pretty cool if you ask me, but it did look a little dangerous," the white coated filly voiced her concern. "Ah'm sure our newest members will be buzzing like Scootaloo faster than you could say; applebucking!" the filly with big bow tie said as she glanced over to her white-coated friend. You flew quietly to the tree that was next to them, and landed between the leafs that were on top of it. Now resting between the leafs, you silently watched with a small smile over the fillies as they continued to play without knowing that you were there. You looked back to the yellow filly with curiosity, "How she said 'I'm'... her accent sounds familiar. It almost sounded like the orange coated mare's accent with the cowpony hat this morning." You were almost lost in thought, again. But you were interrupted as your shoulder was lightly tapped, "Static?" You craned your neck and glanced over your shoulder to find your mom silently landing next to you. "Sweetie, it is not so nice to sneak up on them like this," your mom said with a small grin. You chuckled softly, "I don't want to interrupt them. It looks like they're having fun, so why spoil that?" Your mom gave you an approving nod, "I'm not going to stay here, I need to do some grocery shopping for tonight's dinner. I'm not able to do that if your sisters will stay longer." You turned your head away from the fillies and to your mother. "Static, are you willing to watch your sisters and bring them home?" You puffed up your chest in pride and confidence and closed your eyes, "Do you even have to ask?" "I'll take that as a yes." Your mom nuzzled you gently and gave a kiss on your cheek, "Be careful, Static. I want all three of you home before dinner... unharmed." You nuzzled your mom back, "Of course, Mom." You gave a winged salute to her with your right wing to your forehead, "I'll be at home before dinner, with Summer and Gloom safely with me." Your mom smiled at you, "I'm proud of you, Static," and with that, your mother silently unfurled her wings and took off into the sky, heading for Cloudsdale. Your eyes followed her until she disappeared on the horizon. Your right ear flicked as you heard laughter coming from below you. Craning your head just so that you could look over the leafs and down to the ground, you saw your sisters standing next to Scootaloo, "Your scooter is fun! Where did you get it?" Summer asked with glee. "I built it myself!" Scootaloo said with pride. "And... I rebuilt it also a couple of times... hehe" "Why do you use your scooter and don't you fly?" Gloom asked with curiosity. This peeked your interest, your sisters could not be that much older or younger than Scootaloo, and they flew everyday, so why wouldn't she? Flying came to you as simple as breathing. Being bound by those bandages in the infirmary reminded you of how much you missed your wings, not being able to fly was stuff you wouldn't wish to your worst enemy. Scootaloo fidgeted with her hooves, "Well... I..." she casted her eyes down to the ground, "I can't fly..." "Say what now?" "Why can't you fly, Scootaloo?" Gloom asked. "I... I can't... I don't know how..." "Why not?" Summer asked as she stepped closer to Scootaloo with curiosity. "She'll learn that from me! Don't you worry, squirt! You'll fly." Your ears perked up at the voice, and you knew right away who it was, "Rainbow Dash..." Glancing away from the fillies and to where the voice came from, you saw Rainbow Dash landing casually next to your sisters. Folding her wings to her sides, she walked over to Scootaloo and ruffled her mane, "I'll teach you how to fly, Scoots. I promised you now, didn't I?" "That's sweet of her, helping Scoots to learn how to fly... Maybe I can help her with that as well?" "Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Summer called. Rainbow Dash turned to Summer and looked down at her, "Yeah?" "Now that you're here, is my brother here too?" Summer asked, flapping her wings happily and wagging her tail. "Yeah, is Static here? He and mommy where coming to pick us up. I wonder why they are late, maybe something happened to them?" Gloom asked with worry as she casted her eyes down. "Don't worry, sis! Our brother can handle himself! Mom could take on an Ursa!" Summer said as she jumped into the air and spun around her axis while throwing out her hooves as if she were fighting. Landing back onto the ground, she nuzzled her twin gently, "I'm sure they're fine, don't worry, Static and Mom will be here any second." "Heh, you bet he'll be here any second," Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle. "Why did she say that..." You were harshly brought out of your thoughts as the tree began to shake, making you topple fore-over and fall through the leafs, making you scream like a filly as you fell down with your back onto the ground with an 'oomf'. "I told you your brother would be here any second," Rainbow Dash said as she walked over to you and looked into your eyes. Your eyes gazed back into hers. Although, from how you could see her, her head seemed to be upside down. "uhm... hehe... Hi, Rainbow Dash," you said with an awkward chuckle. "Heya, Static. Nice of you to 'drop in'," Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle of her own. "Get up, you've been laying down enough for today," Rainbow Dash offered your her right hoof. You looked at her hoof and then back into her eyes which were still gazing friendly back to you. Slowly, you extend your own right hoof and grasped hers. She took your hoof firmly, you could feel her soft fur brushing over yours. "Ready?" Rainbow Dash asked you. You looked questionably at her, "Ready?" Before you could do anything, Rainbow Dash gave you a grin and zipped into the air with you holding onto her hoof, not a second later she released your hoof, letting you drop to the ground. Feeling the sudden drop, you closed your eyes and screamed, "AAAHHH!" "Stop being such a scared filly, Static." Opening your eyes again at the voice of Rainbow Dash, you noted that you were standing on the grass with all four of your hooves, "B-but... What?" "I released your hoof only an inch off of the ground, just enough so you would fall onto your hooves," Rainbow Dash said as she slowly landed with grace in front of you. You couldn't help but gaze at her wings as she slowly landed and folded them to her sides with care, "Her wings... they look so... beautiful..." You shook your head as you noticed that Rainbow Dash was looking at you as well, "Uhm, yeah, right! I was scared there for a moment..." "Hehe, I noticed. You didn't need to be, I would never let you fall if I wasn't certain that you would be fine," Rainbow Dash said with a wink. The last thing she said, it made your hearth beat faster, only a little bit, but you could feel that it did. It made your smile grow bigger as well. "STATIC!" Your ears flattened to the side of your head as you heard your two sisters scream your name. Looking to your left where the voices came from, your eyes widened as two yellow blurs zipped towards you. "NO! Girls, wait!" you tried to stop them. But it was too late, your sister hugged your front legs, making you yell as a few of your burn spots letted themselves known, "AAHH!" You shot up onto your hind legs and fell onto your back and your sisters jumped up into the air in fright, they landed a bit away from you, looking at you with worry. Everypony looked at you in shock at your sudden yell, but they made their way to you as you recollected your breath and calmed down, "Dear Celestia... that could have gone better... ouch." "Static! Are you okay!?" the twins both yelled as they rushed to your side, this time stopping right next to you. Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Hold your feathers, Summy and Gloomy. Your brother has had worse." Rainbow Dash turned to you and took a step closer. To your surprise, your sisters flew up in Rainbow Dash's muzzle, making her stop in her tracks. They said nothing, nor could you see what they were doing, but they did something that made Rainbow Dash take a few hoofsteps back, her face looking like she was unsure. Summer landed in front of her, her wings spread out and her back turned to you. Gloom turned around and landed to the right of your muzzle, "Brother... are you okay? Did we hurt you?" Gloom asked with an upcoming tear in her eye as she locked eyes with you. Your ears drooped to the side of your head at seeing your little sister like this, "She's so sweet." You slowly began to sit onto your haunches. Looking down at Gloom, who was still looking at you with her own ears drooped down to the side of her head and the tear lingering in her eye. You extended your right wing slowly, and with a gentle brush of your wing, you wiped her tear away with a primary feather, "Don't cry, Gloomy. You know I don't want to see you like that." Gloom began to smile a bit again, but still looked a bit sad. Summer came standing to your left, turning your muzzle to her, you saw she had the same sad expression as her twin had. You extended both of your wings and curled your right wing around Gloom and your left around Summer. You gently carried them to you and held them close to your sides. They both nuzzled softly in your neck and you nuzzled their manes gently to reassure them, "I'm fine, girls. Don't worry." "Ahm, Mr. Static, sir?" Your ears flicked to the filly voice to your left and you raised your head while keeping your sisters nestled between you feathers. You glanced to the left and saw the yellow filly standing there with Scoots to her left and the white filly to her right. "Uhm... yeah?" you responded with a raised eyebrow. "Ah don't want to be rude or anything, but what were you doing in that tree?" the filly asked with her head lightly cocked to the side. "Oh... uhm... well.. I.." "He was watching his sisters, Apple Bloom," Scoots said from her left. "Isn't that right, Static?" Scoots said as she turned to you, smiling. You chuckled and nodded, "Well, yeah. That's about right." "Why didn't you let us know that you were here? It is not ape-apro..." the white filly found herself stuck mid sentence and brought a hoof to her chin in thought. "Ah' think you mean 'appropriate', Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom corrected her. "That is it yeah, my sister uses that to describe ponies who do not behave politely with other ponies nearby." Rainbow Dash groaned, "She says that about, like, almost anypony..." Looking to the rainbow maned mare, you saw her slightly frustrated muzzle as she rolled her eyes. You raised an eyebrow at her, "It can't be that bad, Rainbow Dash. I'm sure you're overreacting a bit." She looked to you, "Just wait until she meets you, and you'll know how bad it is..." You didn't know if you should take that serious or not. You've never met anypony who would say something like that on occasion, which you were quite thankful for. You had an older neighbor mare living down the street of your house who would every few days talk to you about how to behave correctly. She was a sweet and caring mare, but could get annoying when she went to correct everything about you; your stance, the way you folded your wings, how you stood, how you walked, how your mane was combed on the few times you actually did, even how your tail was hanging, which you didn't even know that you could do wrong... How does ones tail hang correctly? You shivered a bit as you thought back on that mare, and hoped that Sweetie Bells' sister wasn't the same, "She better not be the same... Or Celestia help me, I'll leave this town with my sisters faster than you could say 'Buck'..." You rolled your eyes, banishing your thoughts and getting back to your sisters that were still curled in your feathers and held against your sides. Unfurling your wings so that you could see from above and down at them, you saw their eyes closed, their hooves thrown carefully around your side and they breathed softly. "Wait... are they sleeping? Ponyfeathers... I hoped I didn't had to carry them back to Cloudsdale... Well, I can't wake them now... Maybe I will take a bit of rest here next to the tree? Gives me time to preen my bucking feathers everypony keeps telling me about..."