the lone crusader

by Submariner

the accident

"Hey! Phlux! You wanna grab something to eat first!"

Phlux looked over his shoulder to see his blue friend waving over the crowd trying to make his way over to him.

"Yeah sure thing Tazz!" He yelled back. "Just let me finish setting up my glider! I'll meet you in the cafe!"

"Sure thing phlux, I'll see ya in a few!" Tazz yelled then headed for the cafe

Every fall since phlux met Tazz and skrater he has been coming up to the same mountainside overlooking part of the path for the running of the leaves. While most earth ponies are just fine and dandy on the ground, there was a fair number who prefer to feel the wind in their fur and to be able to see the beautiful scenery from that high in the sky point of veiw, its just amazing, plain and simple as that.
At least that's what phlux thinks, while Tazz and skrater are more, as you would say, extreme? Phlux just thinks its nice enough to fly once a year to see the running of the leaves from above, it is after all amazing to see the sheer amount of earth ponies running in such numbers, its almost as if a random sea of multicolored water magicly shakes the leaves off the trees.

Phlux finished making the adjustments to his glider and started making his way through the crowd over to the cafe.
it was a fairly nice day out, a few scattered clouds and a light autumn breeze mixed with the warmth of the suns rays, perfect for gliding he thougt as he made his way over to the cafe enjoying the crisp mountain air.
I wish every day could be like this he thought with a sigh.

He entered the cafe area, it was more just a bunch of ponies setting up stands around a large number of tables but he liked to call it a cafe. He found his friends sitting at a table more towards the middle, they were hard to miss seeing as skrater seemed to be the only zebra here, and Tazz on the other hand being completely blue, his mane and tail slightly tinged white on the ends.

That's kind of how they met in the first place, being as pretty much everypony else had a different colored mane from their fur color Tazz and phlux seemed to be the only ponies like this, although instead of being blue phlux was pitch black, save for the tinge of neon green at the tips of his mane and tail.
Why green! Phlux used to think to himself, it was hard enough being the only pony that was pitch black, but neon green!?
He used to hate it. 'At least I could kind of blend in if I were all black.' He used to think to himself. 'But green!?'
Well, that's what he used to think at least, until he met Tazz.
Tazz was exactly like him, except different colors and he was a bit taller, not to mention the fact that he was a lot more... how do I put this, well lets just say he was lacking that outer shell that told most ponies not to say certain things.

He met skrater the same day he met Tazz. Skrater and Tazz had been freinds ever since they were little, as time went on and phlux hung out with them more and more he realized two things.
One, skrater and Tazz came as a package deal, there was no skrater and there was no Tazz, there was only skrater and Tazz. (Not that he minded of course)
Two, skrater is the only reason Tazz is still alive due to the fact of the problem stated earlier, in other words she was the only one who could keep his mouth shut, although a few things slip out here and there.

"Hey, blank flank, get your ass over here!"

As everypony within earshot turned to look at Tazz, phlux stuffed his face into his hooves.

"Tazz!" Skrater scolded. "Watch what you say!"

'Damn, now everypony here knows' phlux thought to himself.

Where Tazz has a glider as his cutie mare due to the fact that he was more into air sports, skydiving, hangliding, ect.
skrater on the other hand was more into water sports, hence the wakeboard as her cutie mark.
Phlux on the other hand had none, he has no idea why, he just guesses that he hasn't found what he is good at yet.

Phlux sighed and shrugged it off, he honestly didn't care anymore. He sat down across from skrater and tazz.

"Well...uh...sorry about that phlux, it just kinda..um...slipped out." Tazz said with a bit of a blush.

"Its fine Tazz." Phlux replied. "I know what goes on in your head, there's no need to apologize."

"You coulda used less vulger language though." He added with a smirk

"Hey." Skrater cut in "I thought you were gonna go grab some grub."

Phlux looked down in front of his freinds to see two plates with, well, he wasn't sure. They looked like red ooze wrapped in fried dough.

"Uh...what is that" He asked, a slightly confused look on his face.

"Um...I think their called chimmy cherry changas." Skrater said slowly, trying not to mess it up. "Their really good, you should try one".

"Yeah, that pink pony over there is selling them." Tazz said pointing to a very energetic looking Pink pony in a...uh...well, yet again, he has no idea.
It looked like she was in a stand made completely out of balloons.

"Um...you see that to, right?" Phlux asked with perplexed look on his face.

"Yeah, I thought it better not to ask why, seeing as my mouth likes to run itself sometimes" Tazz replied with an expression that mirrored phlux's

"You should go ask!" Skrater chimed in happily. "It looks like she would be more than happy to answer."

"Maybe a little to happy..." Tazz muttered trailing off towards the end looking lost in thought.

Phlux chuckled a bit. "Well." Phlux said. "I guess I should go get me one of those, seeing as they look so good."

With that he got up and trotted over to the balloon stand housing a pink pony that didn't seem be able to sit still.

"Escuse me, miss." Phlux said getting her attention so fast it startled him.

"Well hi there mister black pony, my names pinkie pie, what's your name!"

She was grinning ear to ear staring at him intently, he didn't know whether to be scared or smile back.
He decided to smile back, somehow making her smile bigger, which he didn't think was possible.

"My names phlux." He said, deciding just to humor her.

"Wow, phlux, that's a cool name, I don't think I've ever heard a name like that before, I've never seen a pony whose completely back before either, well except for your friend over there except he's not black, he's blue, but I guess your not completely black either, you do have some green in your mane, it's almost hard to tell where your mane begins but I guess it doesn't really matter, so what can I get for ya."

Phlux was so startled he almost missed the question.

"Um, well, can i get a cherry chimmy changa?" He asked.

"Well of course not silly, we don't sell cherry chimmy changas!" She replied a little to enthusiastically.

"Where did my friends get them then?" He asked politely

"Ooh, those aren't cherry chimmy changas, those are chimmy cherry changas! Your friends got them mixed up to and I was like, their called chimmy cherry changas, and they were all like cherry chimey changas, but don't worry, I showed them how to say it. That'll be two bits please!" She said still grinning ear to ear.

He better think fast he thought to himself, before she unleashes another storm of words explaining the difference between a cherry chimmy changa and a chimmy cherry changa.

"Well, I guess I'll have to ask my friends how to say it then." He said drobbing two bits in the jar and grabbing his plate.

"Ooooo, that's a good idea! Well have fun then!" She said

Phlux quickly ducked into the crowd so she couldn't see he has no cutie mark, if she saw that she may never stop talking.
He chuckled to himself. 'Well at least it left me In a good mood' he thought as he made his way over to skrater and Tazz.

"So, why did she make her stand out of balloons?" Skrater asked

"I have a feeling that even if I did ask, I probably still wouldn't understand."

Just then they felt the distant rumble of thousands of hooves.

"Quick, hurry!" Tazz yelled over all the commotion stirring around them as everypony rushed to their gliders.

Shoot, he didn't even get to eat his chimmy cherry changa. He took a big bite of his lunch and galloped towards his glider, doing his best not to run anypony over, thank celestia he already got his ready, otherwise he'd be stuck behind a bunch of other ponies. He wanted to actually keep up with whoever was in front this time.
He found his glider and grabbed it and made his way through the commotion with it in tow.
it was so packed with ponies running around trying franticly to get to their glider he could barley see two feet in front of him.
He finally could see the edge of the cliff. He got into takeoff position, grabbing the bar in front of him, he put all his weight onto the gliders wheels and ran towards the edge. Anypony still around got out of his way, he reached the edge and braced both of his hind hooves on the edge of the cliff and pushed off as hard as he could.

---

As he as he tucked his back legs Into his harness he looked down and took in all the scenery, it was amazing!
No matter how many times he does this it always takes his breath away. All the different colored trees swaying in the aurtumn breeze, just the sheer veiw from this high. He closed his eyes and took in the smells and the breeze whipping his mane and tail back behind him.

"Hey man open your eyes, your missing the veiw!"

Phlux snapped his eyes open and looked over to his left. "Tazz! What's up!"

"Nuthin much man, Just hangliding! I thought I lost you, you were the first to shove off!"

"Wow, really!?" Phlux shouted back over the wind. "I've. Never been the first!"

"Well, there's a first for everything isn't there!" Tazz shouted

"Hey, did you just forget about me or are you just ignoring me!"

Phlux and Tazz looked down to see a zebra patterned glider.

"Skrater!" Tazz shouted. "good to see ya made it!"

Phlux and Tazz descended a little bit and spread apart so that skrater was in between them.

"Hey guys, how you holden up!" Skrater yelled

"Good so far!" Phlux replied. "I was the first one to shove off!"

"I know, I saw you. You looked pretty determined!"

"Yeah, well I wasn't gonna get caught up in that now was I!" Phlux shouted nodding behind him to a huge cluster of ponies behind them.

"Wow! I think there's more this year than there was last year! Tazz shouted

Just then phlux saw a large cluster of earth ponies running down the path below them.

"Sorry guys, I told myself I'd keep up with the front runners this time!" Phlux shouted. "I hope you don't mind!"

"Not at all fat ass!" Tazz clamped a hoof over his mouth. "Sorry."

Phlux laughed so hard it hurt. He pitched the nose of his glider forward and descended gaining speed. He loved the feel of the wind ripping through his mane. When he got close enough to see each pony individually he evened out and looked for the front runners.

"Well hi again mister black pony, I didn't know I'd see you up here!"

Phlux yelped and almost ran into her. He looked over to see pinkie pie in a hot air balloon flying next to him.
Phlux chuckled. "Why am I not surprised your here. Whose your friend?" He asked nodding in the direction of the little purple and green dragon sitting next to her.

"Wuh...oh, my names spike." He replied

"Well hi spike, nice to meet you, my names phlux." He said nodding at spike. "If you guys don't mind though I'm going to go see if I can catch up to those two ponies in the lead." Nodding in the direction of an orange pony wearing a cowboy hat and a cyan colored pony with a rainbow mane.

"Oooo, those are my freinds, the rainbow one is rainbow dash and the cowboy hat one is applejack!" She said smiling.

"Really?" He said raising an eyebrow. "Well, I guess ill say hi when I pass over then."

"Can you tell them I said hi to!" Pinkie pie asked still wearing a huge grin.

"Sure thing!" Phlux called back dipping down and accelerating .

When he got close enough he dipped down underneath the tree branches and glided until he was right over the two ponies. He hung there for a moment or two enjoying the speed then called out.

"What's up rainbow dash, applejack!" He shouted to them. "Pinkie pie says hi!"

They looked up at him startled and almost crashed head over hooves.
He laughed a bit at their reaction before pulling up right over the trees.

A little while later, 20 min perhaps, he landed in a field a little ways from the finish line.
As he slowed to a stop he unhooked himself and took off the harness.
He started to break down his glider so that it fit in its bag.
As he finished up Tazz and skrater landed a little ways from him. He picked up his glider in its bag and secured it to his back, then started trotting over to skrater and Tazz.

---

Phlux sat at in a booth on the ponyville express staring out the window at the lights passing by in the dark.
Tazz sat next to him with his head cocked back at an awkward angle snoring and drooling.

"Man, I cant wait to get home. Its been a good weekend."

"I know what you mean." Skrater said, sitting across from him, a cup of hot tea between her hooves. "I just want to get back and go to bed."

Phlux's eyes had begun to droop about a half an hour ago, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep.

"So how was your flight?" Skrater asked, her eyes also drooping from being up so late.

"Pretty good, I actually met up with that pink pony again."

"While you were hang gliding?" A hint of surprise on her face.

"Yeah, it looked like she was anouncing with her friend spike in a hot air balloon."

"Wow, I bet you weren't expecting that."

"Well, I can honestly say I didn't expect it but for some reason I wasn't that surprised." He said with a smirk. "So how bout you, how was your flight?"

"It was pretty good, me and Tazz stayed together the entire time..." she zoned off seeing that something else had caught phlux's attention. "What are you looking at?"

"That light, its not moving, its just getting bigger." He said still in a droopy haze.

Skrater looked in the same direction he was. "Your right, its almost as if it's coming towards us."

Phlux's ears shot up and he was suddenly wide awake as he heard the distinct sound of another trains horn and metal screeching on metal.

He got up and as fast as he could and shoved tazz onto the floor.

"Hey! What was that for!"

Skrater was now standing to. "Yeah, why did you do that." She asked confused.

They obviously are still to tired to figure it out

"We're almost to ponyville." He said his voice sounding frightened. "There are no other tracks around the one our train is riding on right now."

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she figured it out.

"Wait I don't get what you guys are talking about!" Tazz said a bit flustered.

"That train is coming straight at us!" Skrater yelled with a horrified look on her face.

"Oh no. Quick! Get everypony up as fast as you can!" Tazz yelled

Everyone who heard started getting everypony up as fast as they could, including phlux and his friends.
As more pony's were awakened more mayhem stirred up in their car.

"Shit. Tazz, skrater! We're gonna have to jump!"

He could tell they were scared but they made their way to the back as fast as they could.
phlux threw open the door and stared at the track flying out behind them.
he looked over his shoulder to see the oncoming train way to close, so he closed his eyes and jumped.
That's when he heard it, the biggest explosion he'd ever heard in his life.
When he finally stopped rolling, his body screaming in pain, he got up as fast as he could and looks for Tazz and skrater.
His heart dropped into his stomach. 'Where were they! They shoulda been right behind him!'
Just then something struck him in the back of the head and everything went black.

Comments

[Bloodpool]

Hehe, he got hit by a train... Come to think of it, he shouldn't have been hangliding in the first place, seeing as you kinda need hands to use one.

[Fluttrick]

Yah your right, Still that was pretty good,