Truth or Dare-Pt 1: Antici-....pation
Notes: Yeah, I'm in a weird mood...Alrighty folks, this arc will be a little bit different than the previous one. No more humongous 15k+ word chapters. <---(oops, that kinda didn't work out, eh? ^^; ) Things will finally begin to be consolidated and focused around the two main characters of the story. So without further ado...let's get started!
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September 15th, Late Afternoon...
"Aww man, what the hay did you do to this thing, Volare?" Vinyl Scratch groaned out loud as she hefted the rather abused-looking speakerbox up onto the workbench located against the far wall of her home. After outlining his plan of how to gain Rainbow Dash's attention and respect, causing nearly everypony present to want to participate, Trixie included who offered to help with the "special effects", he'd also found that the speaker he'd used back near Sweet Apple Acres was no longer functional, with thin wisps of smoke wafting out of the wire mesh grill that covered the speaker cone itself.
Knowing that the plan wouldn't work nearly as well without a backing track, he'd sent Scootaloo home to Pinkie's and returned the speaker to its creator, who, after getting over the joyous shock of his ability to fly again as well as his new look, had gaped at her damaged creation in disbelief before proceeding to disassemble it for repairs, berating him all the while. The blue and yellow Pegasus grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders while Octavia worked on a composition piece on the other side of the room, casting the occasional glance towards their guest every now and again. Despite the agitation of her room-mate, she couldn't help but contain a demure smile of admiration for how far Volare had come so quickly.
"Uhh, I played it?" he offered feebly, receiving an incredulous stare over the DJ's purple shades in reply.
"Jeez, no feces, Fetlock; I can see that," she grumbled and fiddled with the screwdriver she held with her magic as she undid the screws that fastened the grill on, while Volare considered for the slightest moment to comment on the similarity of her statement to one from Earth, immediately pushing it aside as the grill fell off and Vinyl's jaw dropped open.
"What's the damage, doc?" Volare offered, placing a gentle hoof on her shoulder and leaning in to observe that the speaker cone had a hole burnt through it. Well, that explained the smell and lack of sound. The DJ sighed and spoke without looking up at him.
"You played this on 11, didn't you?"
"Uh, yeah, why?"
"...for how long?"
"Maybe 5 minutes," he replied, glancing down at the knob that was melted in place, betraying the obvious truth. So why the question, unless it was rhetorical...either way, he felt a bad scolding coming on.
"Great...frickin' great," Vinyl muttered, spinning the speaker box around and unscrewing the fasteners on the plate that covered the back of the box. "Haven't you ever heard of too much of a good thing?"
"I take it I shouldn't have done that, huh?" the stallion asked his own seemingly-rhetorical question, to which the off-white Unicorn merely nodded and concentrated on the plate. "Sorry if I did something wrong."
"No, no, it's not really your fault, bruh," the Unicorn shook her wild blue mane and snorted. "I didn't really explain the rules, so to speak, and well...I take it since you can fly, you know how pony magic works now, right?" Another screw fell out as he nodded in reply. "And so I take it you also know how the willpower involved is kinda limited by the body it resides in, right?" Another nod and another screw clinked to the tabletop. "Ok, lemme lay it out here for ya," she pointed at the speaker cone. "Think of this whole speaker box as your body, and the sound that comes out of it as your magic, ya dig?"
"Dug."
"Heh, good," she nudged him and continued. "In a pony, that magic is focused and released by wings for a Pegasus, hooves for an Earth Pony, and the horn for a Unicorn. A Pony's willpower might be strong, but it can overload the limits of whatever it focuses magic through. In this speaker, think of the crystal that focuses your thoughts into music as wings, horns, hooves, that sorta thing," she undid the final screw and the plate fell away, revealing the small cavity that resided within...a cavity that normally housed a small ruby or sapphire or some other form of focusing crystal, but which now only held a small pile of blue-tinged dust that left the box with the puff of Vinyl's irritated snort.
"Great...as you can see, just like your wings, that little crystal can get overloaded and simply fail. That's what can happen when a pony cranks themselves to 11 for too long, so to speak." She dumped the rest of the powder out on the table with a groan before sweeping it into a rubbish bin.
"Eesh, that's quite the amalgam," Volare observed, causing Vinyl to shoot him a strange look before Octavia saw fit to speak up.
"He means it's an interesting way of putting it, Vinyl; that shows quite a bit of intelligence on your part, and you should be proud," the cellist gave a cheeky smile before returning to her composition. "Hmm-hmm, it's almost cause for celebration, really, since that doesn't come along too terribly often."
"You know Octy, I may not be the brilliant musician you are," the DJ rolled her eyes and stomped towards her friend. "But that doesn't exactly make me a fool either." Volare sensed the rising tension in the room and considered saying something to try to diffuse the situation as it was something he didn't have time for, but the cellist's next comment threw him for a loop and forced his mouth closed in curiosity.
"Oh yes, so says the mare who thought a bowling alley spanning the duplex was a brilliant plan," Octavia shot back, imitating Vinyl's tone, causing the DJ to move within easy range for a quick swipe of a hoof.
"Say what?" Volare couldn't help but laugh at the the grey mare's statement as she explained that was how Vinyl and her first met, with the DJ setting up the end of a bowling alley at the dividing wall of the duplex. Within the first day of Octavia moving in, a bowling ball had come crashing through the bottom of the wall, causing the cellist to realize what the proprietor had meant by "low rates due to strange neighbors."
"After exchanging, er, pleasantries with her, I scolded her for such a foolish endeavor and rolled the ball back under the wall," Octavia reminisced with a snort. "Surprisingly, she followed my advice and halted her bowling...immediately following it with a blast of noise so ludicrous that it destroyed the dividing wall between the rooms," the cellist face-hoofed.
"Awww yeah, and I was like: 'hey, new roomy!'" Vinyl laughed uproariously, throwing a hoof around her musical friend, who seemed to be halfway between grimacing in horror and smiling in spite of herself, the resulting facial expression of which caused Volare to stifle another snicker. "We've been pals ever since!"
"Eh-heh, yes, more or less," Octavia straightened her bowtie as Vinyl returned to her workbench. "I must admit, I wasn't exactly thrilled at first, but over time, I've grown mostly used to her. I must admit that I was, and am still, impressed with her ability to use her equipment and knowledge of the musical spectrum to create virtually any sound or piece of music she desires."
"Do you ever let her create it for you instead of, well, hoof-writing it yourself; since that'd be easier, I mean?" Volare motioned to the half-finished music sheet, but Octavia shook her head and smiled.
"Oh no, the thought has crossed my mind once or twice, but there's a certain satisfaction one gets from doing things herself, and not taking bloody shortcuts," she gave Vinyl a squinty stare.
"What, I'm just using what momma gave me," she shrugged and returned to the music box, while Octavia returned to her music, leaving a sudden awkward silence to pervade the room while they worked. Volare broke it by clearing his throat and looking over Vinyl's shoulder.
"So, um, back to this," he waved a hoof. "Is it fixable?"
"Yeah, in like a week," the DJ blew out her chops. "I'm all outta spare crystals, dude. I've got an extra box, but that's the blueprint I'm basing them all on, and seeing how fast you trashed this one," she thunked a hoof down on the burnt speaker box, the cone of which crumbled into dust at her impact, "...damn! Yeah, no can do, buddy."
"Crap, I need something for tomorrow, though!" he kicked a hoof against the floor in frustration and headed for the door. "Thanks anyways, Vinyl...sorry I ruined your gift." Octavia looked up at his crestfallen tone and jerked her head in his direction, scowling at her roommate who looked up from her device, shook her head, and called out to him.
"Wait a sec, what's the rush; why do ya need it tomorrow, bud?" the stallion turned back to the DJ, who motioned for him to return to the workbench. Volare complied and explained his plan to the DJ, noting that a small smile crept up on her lips as he laid it out, slowly growing into an ear-to-ear grin that quite frankly creeped Octavia out just a smidge. At the conclusion of the explanation, Vinyl scratched her chin for a moment before laughing and thumping Volare on the chest. "Dude, that plan is wild, ballsy, and just plain nuts...I like it," her reply caused Octavia to facehoof for the umpteenth time already that day. "I think I gotcha covered with something a little bit better than this old thing," she glanced at the ruined speaker before trotting towards her sound room. "C'mon, we're gonna do some recording."
"Wait, say what?" Volare cocked his head and followed her into the insulated sound studio that the DJ and the cellist shared. "Why're we doing"-
"Because we don't have a spare receiver box for your ear-buds right now, plus when you play that music in your head, it takes away from your concentration on the situation at hoof," Vinyl cut him off, setting up a microphone and quickly calibrating the equipment to her liking. "So instead, we're gonna go old-school and play a recording to back ya. This way, you can concentrate on your plan," she shut the door and hoofed Volare a headset of padded earphones, motioning him to put them on. "And if what you've told me is any indication...you're gonna need all the focus you can get to pull this crazy stuntshow off." She plunked a set on her own head and flicked the power switch, causing the instrument panel to glow with red and green lights. "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be," he nodded.
"Then let's get crackin', baby! Wooo!"
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A short time later...
Volare's ears still rang with the sound of the music he and Vinyl had just recorded. The DJ couldn't help but grin at his music choices, claiming that since not even she had heard of instrumentation like that, it oughta be perfect for taking Rainbow Dash by surprise, giving Volare the edge he'd likely need. She promised to have everything arranged and ready to go by tomorrow, and that she'd bring the necessary equipment to the pre-determined spot beneath Rainbow Dash's home the following morning, after the prismatic Pegasus had returned of course, to avoid arousing her suspicion. This had led Volare to seek out Derpy Hooves, who he'd been told was the caretaker of Dash's home while she was out of town. The stallion spread his wings and took to the sky again, relishing the feel of the cool wind ruffling his feathers and hoping he'd never get tired of the thrill it gave him.
But he shook his head and focused, searching for the grey and blonde mare as quickly as he could, drawing a few uptilted-expressions of surprise from the ponies in town, many of whom still believed him to be in the infirmary. However, after several minutes of fruitless searching and thoughts of how he'd always been able to spot her in the episodes she was hidden in, he began to worry he wouldn't find her before night fell upon him. But as he hovered just above a great oak tree on the south edge of Ponyville, scanning the town once more, he felt a tug on his tail and looked down into the wall-eyed, grinning face of none other than Derpy herself.
"I heardja were lookin' for me?" the grey mare smiled before her eyes widened in shock and she rose out of the leaves and stared at him. "Whoa, I just realized you're flying!" she pointed a hoof at him, causing Volare to chuckle heartily.
"Heh, yep, that I am," he grinned, doing a little loop and nearly hitting the tree beneath him.
"Wow, you gotta work on your coordination," Derpy observed with a chiding shake of her head.
How ironic, Volare thought before rising back to her level, taking the ribbing in stride. "Yeah, no kidding...anyways, I was meaning to ask: when's Dash coming back tomorrow, Derpy?"
"Oh, um...well, let's see," she drummed her hoof on her chin for a long, long moment, almost to the point of Volare nudging her to make she hadn't zoned out before she spoke up again. "Should be around noon, since they'll probably sign her up for early morning mail delivery too."
"I got a feeling that'll irritate her," Volare chuckled.
"Yeah, miffs me too...means I gotta wait, and wait, and wait, skip muffins for breakfast, and then have'm for lunch instead," she shook her blonde head. "I mean, I love muffins, but for lunch? That's just too much, ya know? That's what makes muffins special; cuz you don't have'm every-single-meal! Ya know what I mean?" she looked at him with an almost pleading expression, but as much as he agreed with her, he also knew he was running out of daylight and decided to keep it simple.
"Makes sense to me, Derpy," his reply lit her face up with a grin and she did a little loop of her own, amazingly avoiding the tree he'd nearly hit himself.
"Great, I knew you'd agree, I just knew it! Oh, um, so...what else is up? Ooh, you wanna see Dash's house?" Without waiting for an answer, she took off, Volare pausing to consider it, knowing her home was south of town, before he shrugged and followed the surprisingly swift Pegasus. Within minutes, they'd reached Dash's towering cloud-mansion hovering nearly a half-mile in the sky over the plain south of Ponyville...somehow still in the same place it had been when Volare had last seen it. As if in anticipation of his question, Derpy spoke up as they reached the front porch of the house. "I've been keeping a close eye on this beauty since Dash left, cuz she told me to make sure it stayed right here and-" Derpy gasped loudly and stared at the structure for a moment before grabbing her ears with her hooves.
"Derpy, what's-"
"It moved! Aww, darn it, the breeze must have shifted it!" the grey Pegasus cried and flew up to the wall of the house, leaning a hoof against it as she spoke. "It was 6 inches further north yesterday and now-grrr, darn it!" She pressed both hooves against the wall as if about to move the colossal structure herself.
"Hey Derpy, it's ok, I'm sure she won't mind it being off just a tad," Volare intervened, hoping to assuage her worries and keep her from hurting herself, cuz there was no possible way she could...holy crap, no way. The stallion's jaw dropped in shock as Derpy gave the building a strong shove and shifted it just a little further than she meant to, grumbled under her breath, and re-shifted it again and again until it was just perfect. She looked up from framing the house with her hooves to see Volare's mouth dangling open.
"Hey, um, I know we're kinda high up, but you'll probably catch a fly in your mouth if you sit like that," she observed matter-of-factly, causing him to slowly shut his mouth and shake his head in disbelief. He'd seen Dash move and spin big clouds and stuff in the show, but a whole frickin' mansion? And by Derpy of all ponies?!
"H-how did you...by yourself...I mean, that thing is huge!" he gestured up at the mansion as Derpy started snickering.
"Yeah, but it's still only made of clouds," she tapped the wall, her hoof bouncing off the fluffy material. "The only real weight is in the base it sits on, silly."
"What's the base out of?"
"Dunno, ice I think," Derpy ducked under the house for a moment before popping back up. "Yep, ice. So yeah, it's mostly clouds, so it's not that hard to move around if ya put your mind to it. Wanna try?"
"Um...I'm good...I don't think I can," he shook his head.
"Why not-oh, right...you're still new at all this stuff," Derpy thunked herself in the forehead with a sheepish grin. "Silly me. Wanna take a tour of the place?"
"Uh, you sure she won't mind?" Volare asked as Derpy headed for the front door, swinging a set of brass keys out of her saddlebag with a smile.
"Nah, she won't ever know." As she reached the key towards the door, a thought flashed through Volare's mind: that patch was likely in her house...and if he could find it and take it, she wouldn't be able to hold it over his head, as it were, and there would go her leverage against him. Still...no, I can't intrude into her home like that, without her permission...I already feel like a big enough creeper as it is for knowing so much about her...no.
"Hey Derpy?"
"Yep?" she looked up from the door.
Last chance, dude...no...it's not right.
"I'm ok," he waved a dismissive hoof.
"Aww, you sure?" Derpy's ears fell slightly. "It's pretty sweet in there."
"I'll bet it is...I just don't wanna intrude into her home while she's gone, that's all."
"Hmm...that's awfully sweet of ya," the mare gave him a lop-sided grin and put away the keys. "Nice to see a guy who respects that a 'mare's house is her castle,' heh-heh. I'll be sure to tell Dash you respect her stuff like that."
"No, no, that's...ok, Derpy," he insisted. "I got a bad feeling if she even suspected I considered going into her home like that..." he gave a somewhat theatrical, albeit sincere shudder that made his point, and Derpy got it.
"Okies," the mare nodded before quirking an eyebrow, a comical expression that, combined with her wall-eyes very nearly caused Volare to stifle a chuckle before he respectfully controlled himself. "Wait a sec-why'd ya wanna know when Dash comes home? You planning something?"
"You could say that," Volare grinned and beckoned her close with his wing. "Hey Derpy, can ya keep a secret? If so, I could use your help with a little surprise I've got planned for Dash..."
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Ponyville, Early Evening...
Volare arrived back in town in an ecstatic mood. Somehow, against all odds, things were falling into place rather nicely for this; I mean, who knew Derpy loved to pull pranks on her Weather Captain and was more than willing to help this little collaboration? As the stallion landed and trotted over the southern bridge into town, he couldn't help but grin and stomp his hoof on the ground, doing his best to dissipate the eager butterflies of nervous anticipation fluttering around in his chest.
You'll see, Dashie...by this time tomorrow, you'll know I'm not weak, that you don't have to worry about 'saving my worthless flank' anymore...I may not be better than you, but you'll see that I can-
"Hey, Volare?" a friendly voice snapped him out of his inner monologue, and he looked up to see Twilight Sparkle wearing her signature striped scarf and waving a hoof at him from a bench that was enveloped by the soft glow of firefly-powered lanterns hanging along the wrought iron railing surrounding a sitting area outside what looked-and smelled-to be a coffee shop. The light of the lanterns as well as her namesake reflected off of her wide violet eyes, and Volare couldn't help but subtly tug at his scarf with a hoof before clearing his throat and covering his sudden unease with conversation.
"This is kinda a cozy little place; never been in here, though," he nodded towards the warmly-lit windows through which the silhouettes of dining ponies could be seen, laughing and talking and enjoying themselves.
"Really, you've never been in here?" she nodded at the banner above the door that read Buck Star's Premium Coffee, and this time he failed to suppress the laugh that escaped his lips and caused his friend to cock her head in confusion. "I wouldn't laugh; Buck Star is pretty proud of his coffee and if he hears you laughing, well...let's say a caffeinated, angry Earth Pony is nothing to sniff at," she chuckled. Despite the semi-danger of a pummeling by the rather cavalier coffee clerk, the fact that Volare was smiling and seemed to be brimming with confidence in his plan lifted her spirits...but at the same time awakened a small pang in her belly at exactly why he seemed so confident...
"Hey?" she spoke up, interrupting his explanation of Starbucks coffee back on Earth, and her quiet, almost hesitant tone caught his ear and evoked a concerned expression that clashed so suddenly with his earlier jovial mood that Twilight very nearly regretted saying anything at all. But she'd stepped in it now, so she figured she might as well get it out there while she could, and she motioned him to join her on the bench.
"You sure that's ok, Twi?" he cautiously, referring to the letter from Celestia. Despite the rather late hour and nip in the air that their scarves did their best to ward off, there were still a surprising amount of ponies left on the street, and he definitely didn't relish anything nutty happening just between himself and the Unicorn, much less in front of a others.
"Yeah, it's fine," Twilight nodded, patting the bench with a hoof and assuaging his worries. "I'm in control for now, but we need to keep this short and sweet so I can stay in control." He knelt on the bench, hooking his legs under himself as she explained that she may have determined that as long as they kept their contact to a minimum, with plenty of time for her to "cool down" from overexposure to his body, they'd be ok until she could figure out a counter spell.
"Is it-I mean, am I bothering you right now?" he recoiled slightly, glancing down at her own body as if expecting her to sprout extra legs like some sort of radioactive monster before stuffing that stupid thought under something weighty and focusing on the situation at hoof.
"Mhm, I can feel it," Twilight nodded, biting her lip ever so slightly as she spoke. "It's like...a tingly feeling in my chest and horn and other places and it...ok, ok, let's just get this over with quick," she looked up with a blush on her cheeks and Volare understood, or at least, he thought he understood. Even so, he subtly scooched a further fraction away from her as she spoke. "Alright, why exactly are you doing this thing tomorrow?"
Well, that wasn't the question he expected.
"Whatcha mean, Twi?"
Smooth dodge, Exlax...
"What I mean is why," she replied with more than a hint of concern creeping into her voice. "The overall reasoning behind why you're willing to risk your life to do this."
"For...multiple reasons, Twi," he replied, heaving a small sigh before continuing to speak. "For one, I still remember her poking fun at me for being weak and a drag and what-not. I know she probably didn't really mean it, but as a guy, that hurts my pride a bit, ya know?" he blushed slightly. "So part of it is proving her wrong. Part of it is helping Rarity get a little vengeance on Dash for turning her tail green weeks ago, something I promised I'd do back then. And today, Rarity told me that just seeing the look of shock on Dash's face if this works would be more than enough ammo to throw her way for a long time to come," he laughed heartily, but Twilight barely managed a chuckle, and he quickly calmed down again.
"That's it then?" she asked, dreading the answer she felt was coming...it was the right thing to do, but it still didn't make it hurt much less...
"No, there's one other thing, Twi, and it's even more important: I see an opportunity to fix the situation between Dash and yourself," he placed his hoof on hers and she twitched slightly at his touch, but kept her violet eyes on his silver-blue ones. "It's about what she said back in the hospital when she was mad at you."
"About how if we're together I'd only hold you back," Twilight replied sullenly. "Which we've already established is true," she said as she flipped her hoof over so his was laying "in" hers, rather than simply lying upon it. Despite her play at subtlety, it was impossible to not notice it.
"That's the thing though, Twi," he surprised the Unicorn by preempting her and grasping her hoof with his own, still keeping his eyes locked on hers. "I wouldn't be where I am now without your help, so it's not that you've held me back...so don't think of it terms of black and white, cuz we both know better than that. However, we both also know that Rainbow Dash doesn't really think in any other terms but black and white most days, and because of that, I've gotta do this to prove that she wrongly shot her mouth off and made a fool of herself by assuming things that aren't true."
"Yeah, but that situation was partly my fault too, and-" Twilight protested, but Volare cut her off before she could say more.
"Because of emotions caused by me...now you see why I'm taking responsibility for this," he dipped his head and sighed. "I know this isn't all Dash's fault, but...as you said, actions speak louder than words for her, in terms of getting her attention and proving a point."
"So, what, by doing something like this, it'll prove that I'm not holding you back?" Twilight asked, and at his nod, a small smile quirked the corner of her mouth. "Ah, I see...and by proving that, it'll prove that we're not together because I'd obviously never let you do something this crazy, and...yeah," she trailed off and stared at the ground for a moment, her brow furrowing despite the small smile that remained on her face. "Volare...?"
"Hmm?"
She looked back up at him and allowed the smile to spread across her features. "This is crazy...but brilliant."
"Say what?" He'd honestly been expecting her to admonish him for his plan. "You pulling my leg?"
"No, not at all," she shook her head. "This is actually quite an efficient way to help Rarity gain some comeuppance against Dash, help get Dash from poking holes in your pride, and also would help me let go of you more easily." At his concerned look, she hastily explained. "What I mean to say is: if this works and you don't get hurt...well, it'll make it easier for me to not worry about you and let us both move onto what's more important right now and...gah, I dunno what I'm even saying," she blushed and Volare wrapped her in a quick hug.
"I think I get it," he chuckled. "Besides, look at it this way, Twi: if this thing kills me, I won't be the stupid wedge between you and Dash's friendship anymore-*smack*-ouch!" he rubbed his nose where Twilight had swatted him, looking past his hoof at her suddenly fierce and angry eyes.
"Don't you ever say that about yourself," she growled softly, raising a threatening hoof again. "You're not stupid, Volare. You're brilliant...and kind, and more important than...I-" she paused as she realized her face was rising ever closer to his, her lips wet from an involuntarily anticipatory lick of her own tongue, while Volare's eyes had grown increasingly wider before she'd stopped herself. "Eh-heh-heh," she chuckled lightly, her warm breath brushing his lips in contrast to the cool wisps of autumn evening breeze that wrapped around them and soothed the hot blush of her face as she backed off and seemed to sink slightly into herself. "Sorry...again."
"It's ok, Twi," he wiped the nervous sweat from his brow and stared down at the Librarian who was shivering slightly now, but not from the dropping temperature. He placed a wing comfortingly over her shoulder, but she twitched away from it, standing up from the bench with a determined look on her face, putting some distance between them.
"Volare, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but," she paused, feeling yet another crossroads looming. "I don't think we should live in the same house for now, for obvious reasons," she chuckled dryly, but he nodded in understanding.
"I didn't wanna be the first to say it for fear of sounding..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"Cruel and final?" Twilight offered, and just the prospect of being considered that, circumstances or not, made his chest tighten into an icy ball. He merely nodded once in response, but she smiled sadly instead, reaching out to brush his cheek with magical purple aura. "I understand, Volare. And you're not like that," she said reassuringly. Not nearly as much as fate. "Just so you know, whether this plan works or not, I'm still gonna figure out a counter spell so we can be more...normal together, ya know?"
"Ha, yeah that'd be helpful," he chuckled lightly.
"No more of this overly emotional drivel and magically-induced breakdowns and crap, cuz I dunno about you, but it's really wearing on me," Twilight laughed more heartily, though she wished she could do more than that at the moment...more than just brush him with magic...more than just hug him...more than just want to kiss his lips and-agh, gimme a break, hormones, magic, whatever the hay this is!! She composed herself and cleared her throat, nodding and giving him a wave. "Good night Volare. See ya tomorrow."
"Night, Twi," he returned, and with the simultaneous thought of "man, the truth really sucks sometimes," they went their separate ways, Twilight to her Library, and Volare East across Ponyville, half of which he'd crossed before he stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the empty market square and groaned.
"Shit, where the hell am I gonna stay tonight?!" But just as his groaning curse died on the near-empty streets, another cry rose upon the breeze to usurp its place in his ear.
"Help! Help, somepony help!" Volare's head snapped towards the East, his heart pounding and his ears twitching; he recognized that voice.
"Scoots?" he breathed, hoping he'd heard wrong, hoping he hadn't heard her shout for-
"H-h-help!" the faltering cry tore into his mind, galvanizing him into action. She was in danger and he wasn't there to help!
"I'm coming, Scoota-," his breath caught in his throat as he spread his wings and reared upon his back hooves. He cleared his throat and roared. "GRRRR-HANG ON, SCOOTS-I'M COMIN'!!!!!" His hooves pounded the cobblestones as he charged down the street, scooping the air with his wings and shaping it around his body to allow him to move as fast and low as possible, preparing himself to leap upon whatever the hell it might be that had his sister screaming like that.
"I SWEAR RAY AND JILL, IF YOU TWO ARE BACK IN TOWN, I'LL TEAR YOU TO SHREDS WITH MY BARE-oof!" Something small and weighty struck Volare square in the chest as he rounded the corner, knocking him sideways and bowling him over, finally coming to a stop on his back in a pile of fur, feathers, and wheels.
"Oww, jeez bro, good thing I was wearing my helmet," a small voice pierced into Volare's consciousness and he looked up to find he had Scootaloo cradled in his forehooves on his chest, while she grinned down at him sheepishly. "Heh-heh, you ok, bro-ah!" He squeezed her in a sudden hug and held her there to the point of embarrassment as the filly realized just how many ponies had heard Volare's shouts and had come to investigate, instead finding the two surrogate siblings up against a bench in the empty market square. "Uh, bro, I think we might be in trouble." He looked up to see Snowhooves and Firetail skidding to a stop several feet away from them.
"Um, eh-heh, officers," Volare rolled to his hooves and shook himself, giving the duo a respectful nod.
"We heard shouting and we came to help," Snowhooves pawed the street. "What's happened?"
"Yeah, did those two criminals show up again?" Firetail growled, itching for a chance to get a crack at the two Unicorns that had attacked Luna and Shining Armor and caused so much trouble and embarrassment for the underprepared Royal Guards.
"I um...I dunno," Volare looked down at Scootaloo questioningly. "I just heard her shouting for help and I came running to help myself. Scoots, what's up; why the shouting?" But before the sheepish filly could answer, a small giggle of laughter wafted past their ears, and the quartet of ponies looked up to see a tiny brown shape go whooshing over their heads at about rooftop level, giggling nonstop as he swooped and looped in the cool night air. Pound Cake was on the loose.
"That's why," Scootaloo groaned and hopped back on her scooter, which to Volare's surprise had neither been too banged up in the crash nor had it broken any bones when it struck him. "He got out the door at Sugarcube Corner when Pinkie was dealing with Pumpkin and I volunteered to chase him down, but he won't get tired and land! Ugh, this isn't fair; that kid can use his wings and I can't, and he's like, less than two years old! C'mon, we gotta catch him!" She took off on her scooter after the tiny Pegasus. The younger Earth Pony Guard gave Volare a helpless shrug, but he merely grinned in reply.
"Easy guys, I got this," he sighted in on the weaving Pegasus and spread his wings.
"Wait a sec, since when can you-" was all Firetail got out before Volare took off in a burst of street dust, catapulting into the air and zooming right past Scootaloo, who skidded to a stop to watch.
"C'mere, Pound!" Volare called out, but the baby Pegasus either didn't hear him, or was having too much fun to care-probably the latter. "C'mon Pound, I know flying's fun, but you gotta come down now," the pilot urged, winging his way under shop signs and over banners spanning the street advertising everything from carrots to sofas. He could lunge out and grab the baby Pegasus, but if he missed and knocked him askew, he could easily crash, and as young as he was...no, he wasn't about to risk that. Instead, Volare watched the baby closely as he zipped along, noticing a pattern emerging in his flight.
"Aha, so you like repetitive stuff, eh?" the blue Pegasus grinned as he ducked under the eaves of a shop, working out a pursuit curve in his head before applying it to the night-filled street before him. He suddenly put on a burst of speed and shot over the flying foal, rolling over and kicking upwards with his hooves in a Reverse Half-Cuban Eight that caused the tip of his right wing to clip an overhanging sign as his flight path intersected with Pound's. "Hah, gotcha!" Volare grinned as he snagged the foal with his forelegs, cradling him before he could escape and gliding back over to to Scootaloo, whose jaw was hanging slightly open as he landed, shifting the hem of his diaper to his teeth and carrying Pound Cake while the little Pegasus babbled away in baby-talk all the way, sucking on his hooves as he stared wide-eyed at the darkened shops around him, oblivious to the miniature uproar he'd caused.
"I think we got it from here, guys," he spoke through his teeth and tossed a quick salute with his wing. "Thanks for the help anyways. C'mon Scoots!"
"Dude, that was awesome!" Scootaloo cried as she followed him to the pastry shop. Meanwhile, Firetail noticed the small smirk on Snowhooves' face and the younger Guard regarded his superior suspiciously.
"Alright old-timer, what's with the smile? How come you barely reacted when he flew, hmm?" he demanded with a squint.
"Heh-heh, if you listened as much as you flapped your gums, you'd have heard about the Cutie Mark Crusaders going on and on about it earlier," the older pony chuckled dryly and shook his head. "C'mon, kid. We got a patrol to continue to make sure any real hoodlums don't get the chance to cause trouble here anymore.
"Yeah, well if I see those two again, I'll give'em the what-for!" Firetail stomped a bronze-clad hoof on the cobblestones while Snowhooves merely laughed as they resumed their patrol.
Meanwhile, Volare reached Sugarcube Corner, surprised that the door was already open once he arrived. "Um, hello?" he called as he neared, well as best as he could considering what he had his teeth clenched around. Wasn't this how Pound got away in the first place?
"Oh, hiya Volare-bear!" Pinkie popped her head out from behind the door so suddenly that Volare stumbled backwards, slipping on Scootaloo's scooter and falling flat on his flank with a bump, though he still managed to maintain his hold on Pound as he groaned through the hem of the diaper. "Ooh, I'm sorry; lemme take him," Pinkie received the gratefully-hoofed-off baby from the stallion, who reached behind him to dig the scooter out from under himself and hold it out to Scootaloo.
"Heh, sorry bro," the filly chuckled sheepishly as she rolled the scooter inside. "Hey Pinkie, you missed it again! Volare went-"
"Flying off after Pound and nabbed him in mid-air," Pinkie finished the sentence, shocking both Pegasi who hadn't seen Pinkie anywhere that day. "Yep, I know."
"So you saw it?" Volare asked as he stumbled to his hooves. "What I did, I mean?" But the pink mare simply smiled in a sagely manner that did almost nothing to answer Volare's question and did more to cause a slight chill to run up his back. He also didn't remember seeing Pinkie when he first flew...
"...I said I know," the pastry mare quipped, and Volare decided to leave it at that. Best to just not push it further... "So, is that gonna be your new job here in Ponyville; a baby-saver-stallion-thingy?" Pinkie giggled and beckoned them all inside, closing the door softly so as to not wake The Cakes or Pumpkin who were sound asleep upstairs, still a bit worn out from the illness.
"Haha, not exactly," Volare replied. "It's kinda a long story, actually."
"Oh, I've got plenty of time for long stories," Pinkie grinned and sat Pound down in his playpen, closing the mesh netting top to keep him from escaping again. "You hungry?" As if on cue, his stomach rumbled, and he fixed the party mare with a stare of mild horror before laughing and nodding. "Hee-hee, I thought so." Pinkie bounced into the kitchen and went about whipping up some dinner, chatting away with Scootaloo and Volare all the while. They spoke of how he'd flown earlier, the scooter crash, and the "rescue" of Pound Cake, with Volare gracefully dodging around the situation between him and Twilight. He'd expected at least a raised eyebrow from Pinkie on the subject he left out, but she either knew and was being respectful, or didn't know at all...either way, he didn't want to speak about it in front of Scootaloo. Their conversation eventually led into the "surprise" planned for Rainbow Dash tomorrow, and Pinkie's curiosity was instantly piqued.
"Oho, so you're gonna throw a surprise for Dashie and you weren't even gonna tell me?" Pinkie looked slightly crestfallen but wiped it away with an excited grin. "Hee, it's ok; I was kinda planning something for you and her tomorrow anyways."
"What kind of something?" Volare cocked his head, remembering how Pinkie had semi-orchestrated the surrogate siblinghood between Scootaloo and himself, and worrying that she was perhaps getting even crazier ideas.
"Oh, you know, the usual...A "Welcome Home Dashie-Unofficial-Official Welcome to Ponyville Volare-Hey, It's Also Your Birthday We Missed Party!" Pinkie somehow rattled off the longest party title Volare had ever heard in less than three seconds, making his head spin.
"Oh, haha, who told ya my birthday got missed, eh?"
*Ding*, went the oven.
"Lyra told me," Pinkie grinned and tilted her head, pulling out a long pan of steaming goodness and offering them the freshly-baked banana bread she'd somehow managed to create in less than half an hour. Without hesitation, Volare bit into the baked goods, savoring every morsel as his ravenous stomach hungrily devoured piece after piece, Scootaloo keeping pace as best as she could while Pinkie simply giggled as her friends enjoyed her cooking. Finally satisfied, the two Pegasi let out simultaneous burps that caused Pound Cake to burst into giggles of his own, and soon the entire downstairs was laughing, albeit quietly out of respect for the sleeping ponies upstairs.
"So, where ya stayin' tonight, Volare?" Pinkie asked as she cleaned up the kitchen.
"Uh, heh-heh, that's the thing," the stallion poked his forehooves together in embarrassment. "I don't really have a place to stay at the moment."
"Why not Fluttershy's?" Scootaloo offered.
"It's too late to walk all the way out there, silly, same with AJ's," Pinkie gently chided the filly.
"Rarity's?"
"Beauty sleep," Pinkie shook her head.
"Um, oh yeah, how about Twilight's? She's close and in town, and she's such a night-owl she's bound to be up still," the young Pegasus suggested, but before Volare had to dance around that subject again, Pinkie mercifully shook her head once more.
"Nopey-Lopey. How about, instead of Volare walking across town..." she waved her hoof, waiting for Scootaloo to drop the other shoe.
"Oh yeah! Hey bro, we've got room here-why dontcha stay here for the night?" Try as he might, Volare wasn't allowed to refuse the offer, and was soon offered the couch in the back store-room by Pinkie Pie.
"Heh-heh, another couch eh?" the blue stallion chuckled at what had practically become a running gag for himself. "Seems I can't get a decent bed unless I'm hanging on for dear life."
"Better than the floor though, right?" Pinkie clapped a hoof on his shoulder and he conceded.
"Yeah, much." He suddenly realized how tired he was and he decided to turn in for the night and climbed under the hoof-knit blanket Pinkie had tossed on the couch, while Scootaloo leaned in to give him a goodnight hug. But before the two mares left the room, Scootaloo spoke up.
"Hey bro?"
"Yeah, Scoots?" he asked, cracking an eye and a smile in her direction. She shuffled her hooves for a moment, as if trying to decide if her question was bothering him and keeping him from sleep before he nodded encouragingly for her to continue.
"What's it like to fly?"
"Ah, that," he rolled over on his back, feeling his wings twitch beneath him, revisiting that conversation with Derpy from earlier. Muffins were only special to her because she couldn't have them all the time...what if flight, something he had loved since the time he'd first taken the flight yoke with his daddy but was exciting because he could only occasionally go up in the air, became routine and boring...and lost its thrill? But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he wasn't held by the same rules and limitations as a pilot in an airplane...rules put in place by humans. He was a Pegasus, the greatest and most-flexible flight platform he could imagine! That was it...it was only limited by his imagination... At that realization, he arrived at a new epiphany: With it only being truly limited by his imagination-
"It's true freedom, Scootaloo," he finished his thought out loud with a small grin and looked at his younger sister. "And I hope someday, you get to experience it."
"I hope so too, bro," she smiled and hurried after Pinkie, heading up to the loft to sleep while Volare rolled back over and stared at the ceiling. He reflexively stretched his right wing out and examined the feathers, neat, sleek, and ready to rock n'roll at a moment's notice, and he grinned in anticipation of tomorrow. How the hell could he ever think that having freedom like that could be boring? It was something humans could only dream of...heh, living the dream, indeed, Volare!
With a self-satisfied sigh and visions of his plan dancing through his head, he tucked his wing back under himself and shut his eyes, drifting off into a sleep populated by the stunts he was bent on pulling off tomorrow; a routine he'd trained months to perfect as a human in a jet, but had never truly gotten the chance before his accident...a routine that was going to allow him to fulfill his dreams, now re-purposed just as his flight skills had been, into something potentially even greater. His last conscious thought consisted of a single question: Other than fixing the situation between Dash and Twi, was the primary reason for doing this to prove to Dash he wasn't weak...that he was worthy of being inspired by her?
"I’ve got faith that he’ll prove me right yet again," he remembered her saying...
There was no use trying to fool himself on the subject anymore, so he simply admitted it to the ever-listening and friendly darkness of his mind:
Oh hell yes he was! Dashie, you'd better watch out...cuz a new and improved Volare is in town and he's about to roll out the welcome wagon tomorrow!
--------------------------------
Notes: Woohoo, it's good to be back, folks! If you haven't guessed by now what Volare has planned, here's one last hint, and I suggest you familiarize yourself with it, for it'll mostly be described from Volare's point of view next chapter!
Flight Routine
Pay special attention to those maneuvers labeled Angel # 6, as that was Volare's flight designation before he crashed.
As for the songs Volare and Vinyl recorded...let's just say that it won't be anything that Dash expects! ;)
Onwards, to craziness!!!
Extra Notes: totallynotabrony created some excellent art for me that'll be used as Ray and Jill's new profile pictures, as seen here: 
.
I'll also get to work on profile pictures for Firetail and Snowhooves as well ^^
EDIT: did a terrible editing job on this chapter and left out a tiny, but important section of Twi and Volare's convo. It's small, but important in explaining WHY Volare is taking responsibility for this situation, so please re-read it! Thanks! ^^;;
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Also, at Dancing Dead's behest, he's asked me to give him a shout out to his own crazy story:
The Day I Sneezed Pinkie Pie
Seriously, one of the craziest, funniest concepts I've ever heard of
Nicely done. Neat to see that Volare still has his acrobat skills. It was also interesting visualizing that swoop. Whoooo....!
I just want to say, I like the way you write the story. Specifically, they way you include external pictures, hyperlinks, and videos to help readers to understand and visualize what is going on in the story.
Also love the look of Ray.
One thing: Dat Mare (And stallion)
while i do hate ray and jill. they look BADASS
Ray and Jill look absolutely badass. They do. Also, those damn babies. dashie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/rsz/mlfw7479_small.jpg
blue angel updated?
DROP EVERYTHING 
Valore's idea kinda reminds me of the ending to this:
(probably because im listening to it now
)
Nice artwork there, but your still a bitch Jill!
Got nothing else to say anymore other than
can't wait 
Oooo, Volare's plan is going to be an actual Blue Angel's routine? I love it!
Sure, Twilight had some freaky magical attraction to Volare going on, but I just don't think it excuses her behavior, at least not all of it.
1617941 Thanks for pointing that out (I did a HORRID editing job to this chapter)
I left out an important bit of convo about that, so please go re-read that section and lemme know whatcha think (also explains why Volare is taking responsibility for this whole thing, even though from the outset it doesn't appear to be his fault)
*sees chapter*
"BUCK YEAH!!!"
1618241 Works for me, those two paragraphs clear up what I was concerned about.
DAWWWWW Scoots Y U SO ADORABLE
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Scootaloo.png
I mean awesome.
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Scootaloo_lolface.png
1618241
1617941
I don't know... Even with the edit, this still seems that pretty heavy on the whole "Dash's fault" theme. While Dash certainly contributed to the fight, she was not the one who started, nor the one who turned it into a physical confrontation. Twilight is more just "partly" at fault, she is more in the wrong than Dash is. She assaulted one of her best friends based off of her own misperceptions, a friend that has proved her loyalty countless times and who had risked her life numerous times for her friends. And, unless I missed something, at no point does Volare (or any of the other ponies) really, truly call Twilight out for this. He takes more umbrage over Dash's hurtful words rather than the violent actions that provoked said words. They're planning this whole elaborate thing to try to teach Dash a lesson (though there is a big element of a welcome-back prank to it, I'll admit), even though Twilight's behavior, though worse, prompts only a few comments. Nobody seems (and I emphasize "seems") upset or angry with Twilight's behavior at all. She just attacked one of their closest friends. Is that not even an issue here? Is no one horrified or angry over this? Where's the What the Hell, Hero? moment for this? I know if one of my friends assaulted me in the course of an argument, that would be the permanent end of that friendship.
1618354 You do make a good point. I had been waiting for that all throughout the Inseptium Nova arc and unless I missed something it wasn't really ever addressed.
At the moment I am assuming that at some point after the welcome back prank they will sit down together and have a serious discussion over what happened, in which Twilight will apologize quite thoroughly. If something comparable to that doesn't happen I will definitely be irritated, there really needs to be some reconciliation between Dash and Twilight.
I'm glad to hear your no longer going to have 15k chapters, your obviously bumping up to 30k ones right? Love the story and I agree with 1617777 your style is one of my favorites on the site. I eagerly await the next installment
-Асе
1590334 Oops
1590341 I'll consider it
1590349
!!
1590501
Thanks!
1590639 The Boss: Very true, very true...
1590698
Maybe
1590703 The Boss: You killed five, eh? Oh well, I as looking to shrink my payroll anyway...
1590773
1591018 You're welcome
1591094
1591311 Oh no, I meant they locked her outside the building, hoping she'd just go away and bang something else
Volare: Biggest weapon I was ever trained to use in regards to my F-18 would be this baby: the B61 nuke. Ranges from a fraction of a Hiroshima big, to 20 times that size, depending on application, definitely big enough to get someone's attention
Celestia: Well, considering the last time we had contact with humans was during what they'd call the Roman Empire era, probably their onagers and ballistas...but from that I've heard from twilight about Volare, things have...progressed quite a bit past that...
Twilight: Um, not to my knowledge, no. That borders on mind control and I'm sure nopony would want that for anyone.
The Royal Guard is, for the most part, military police.
Boss: Oh trust me, I'd love NOTHING more than to get some violent humans over here in a land full of technicolor ponies...imagine the bloodshed
1591543 LOL, we'll see (he DID play Welcome Home by Coheed and Cambria and that's some pretty heavy rock)
1591909 Boss: Good luck...
1592562 Boss: See, YOU are not blinded by the status quo! There is hope for you!
1593652 It's explained
1593754 I consolidated it into the other "morons" question, to keep from pissing The Boss off too much
And sure, I'll take more questions in the comment section too
1593828
1595442
1595540 Yes, yes he does (we need an Angel Bunny emoticon)
1596458 She'll likely find out at some point-Volare can't keep this crap up forever-and nope, not gonna say
1596630 The Boss: You'll just have to wait and find out
1598059 You may not be dis-satisfied
1599818 Crap, gotta fix that
1604696 LOL that's actually pretty close to what Twi built
1604823
Celestia is quite the cheeky ruler, eh?
1605384 My response: pray, cuz you won't be able to run fast enough, and you can't hide from Pinkie
1616231
1616322 Indeed
1617738 Heh, yeah, he's getting better (or so he thinks-wait till he goes hoof-to-hoof with the greatest flier in Equestria!)
1617777 Thanks! Wait, who's Jack?
You mean Ray?
If so, thank totallynotabrony for that, not me
1617801 Yep, that's Ray and Jill (thank you totallynotabrony!)
1617859 Dat dey do
1617883 LOL yeah, dem babies be nothin but trouble
1617909 Oh jeez, it's nothing that epic
1617917 *Twilight Zone theme*
1617937
1618248
1618303 Thanks
1618341 Indeed, she is
1618354 Yes, but the thing is, she already apologized to everypony-it was mentioned- (though at the time she was unable to explain WHY she did what she did)
But now that she knows, she's wrestling with telling her friends about it to further vindicate herself, but in doing so, she might further alienate Volare, making everypony else avoid him because of the nature of his body. So she's all for this idea as an out from having to explain things in detail to EVERYPONY (though she still may sit down with Dash and explain things to her and her alone).
Volare also takes more umbrage at her hurtful words than Twi's actions because he blames HIMSELF for Twi's actions (coincidentally leading to partial blame of himself for Dash's actions too)...that and her words were directed at himself as well, and he's also putting his foot down on Dash shooting her mouth off in regards to him (something she's done a good two or three times). He's basically doing this to show that he deserves just as much respect as she does, and hopefully that'll get her to stop poking at him...but this is Dash, and that's not likely
1618438 Yes, there was an off-screen scene of Twilight apologizing for her outburst, which would somewhat explain why nopony else has brought it up again. That and since Dash kinda stormed off and hasn't apologized yet, everypony else would be more willing to take Volare's, and therefore Twilight's, side in the matter. Not to mention they've all got some sorta prank beef with Dash at some point or another-they're all jumping on this opportunity to help Volare and get back at Dash just a little (and it also serves as teamwork-building for Trixie ^^) There WILL be a serious sit-down and apology scene (and you'll be surprised who apologizes first) as well as an explanation as to what the heck happened (Volare is mainly using this prank to gain Dash's respect and get her attention, while also "paying her back" for what he owes her-what he heard her whisper in his ear back in the hospital when she thought he was unconscious)
You'll see what I mean when the time comes
1618486 Indeed, short chapters with less information overload
And thanks for the compliments!
1618796
First off, I just want to point out that I apologize if I seem adversarial in how I right, its an unfortunate habit I have picked up in writing argumentative papers for school. I have no problem with you, and I generally love your story.
That said, the "off-screen" apology seems like it would be pretty important to have included. And its not Twilight that I'm having problems with (though I think she should recognize that she has a greater responsibility for the fight than Dash, rather than it being just "partly" her fault). No, Twilight has clearly demonstrated guilt and remorse over her actions. Its everybody else's lack of reaction that disappoints me. When Volare awoke from his unconscious state at the hospital, he glosses over the fact that Twilight just admitted to attacking Dash (after she had saved his life) after jumping to conclusions, instead focusing on Dash's conduct in the whole fight. To me, Twilight's behavior is much more disturbing. And no one shows any anger or disgust towards Twilight at all, even though she was the party that was primarily in the wrong, even though she resorted to violence. An apology might have smoothed things over, but not to the point that they essentially sweep Twilight's actions under the rug and focus almost solely on Dash's much less offensive behavior. As for a reconciliation, I can imagine Dash apologizing for her behavior (after all she wasn't entirely guiltless) and forgiving Twilight for hers, but I find it difficult to think that Dash would trust Twilight again, or even re-establish their friendship. Not without a considerable "re-orientation" period. A physical altercation between friends is shocking and shattering in our world, let alone Equestria, where such behavior would be almost unheard of.
Awwww... When Vinyl was explaining, I was kinda hoping for something involving bass cannons
Oh well!
1618651 Fun stuff, and I would really like to see Celestia's reaction to what modern WMDs are capable of. That B61 would make a great conversation piece at some point, and it is nowhere near as scary as the Boomers. Honestly, I can see it now.
Celestia: So Volare, it has been a while since I went to Earth so I was wondering what kind of new stuff you have.
*conversation about culture and peaceful tech*
Celestia: I noticed you left out weapons. What can you tell me about them?
Volare: um...
Celestia: Surely you must have been trained to use some as a member of the military.
Volare: yes....
Celestia: What would you say was the most dangerous weapon you were trained to use?
Volare: the B61....
Celestia: Can you describe what that does?
Volare: *describes nukes*
Celestia: *faints*
The rest of that sounds about like I would expect. The Changeling Invasion seems to indicate that the guard is really just a police force playing at being military, so it would make sense that they have not really investigated more extreme measures like drug-boosting because they are not planning on being committed to the kinds of situation that could call for insane suicidal stunts like Samar.
"Boss", I just told you how to get violent humans into Equestria. The spell is out there so all you have to do is convince the US government that you tried to kill a Navy officer and they will send a SEAL team over to say hi.
As for this chapter, I do not really have much to say. It was really mostly setup for stuff down the road so I would not have bothered with a specific comment if you had not replied to my previous comment. The only general thing I want to say for the record is that I do agree with edgelesspigeon about the fallout from the argument, but I have been letting it go because it has sort of been sidelined by more pressing events and there were not a lot of ponies that saw it happen so I can understand it being marginalized until it gets brought back up with Dash's return. Just know that I will be paying very close attention when you get around to resolving that mess because it will be one of the most critical points in the story.
1618917 No, I don't take offense
In This Chapter,it's revealed that Twilight gave an emotional apology to her friends and admitted that her outburst frightened and confused herself. And when she explained the situation to Volare, she was so distraught and upset that Volare didn't have the heart (or see the point in doing so) to scold Twilight for it...then she kissed him and...yeah...
But now we all know the truth behind what happened, and hopefully, this little stuntshow proves to be that "re-orientation" that Dash and Twi need (plus, with Volare's help, he'll figure out a way to bring them back together).
So that's why Volare wasn't berating Twi for her actions, and why her friends didn't bring it back up again-they didn't see a point in riling her emotions up again, especially when she was so apologetic about it (plus the situation with Ray and Jill happened, not really allowing anypony time to talk about it)
But that time for talk is fast-approaching, trust me
1619046 See my previous post
Another new chapter yay
!
So about how often will you be updating the story? About once a week?
Wow, Jill is sexy. She looks like she does not give a fuck.
Ray just looks like a beast. Love the vest and the beard.
1619095
Yeah, I remember that. But in that chapter, they get over Twilight's physical assault on one of their best friends in a matter of hours, while they focus for days (and chapters) on how to show Dash up for her behavior. Even if Volare's stunt proves that Twilight isn't "babying" him, the conflict has moved beyond Volare now. It's now about "Can you be friends with someone who, after everything you've done for them, attacks you for a crime you have not committed, and refuses to even listen to your explanation?" While Volare may have been the catalyst for the incident, it is now the fact that a close friend is unwilling to listen to your side of the story and even goes as far to attack in such a way that it provokes a phobic reaction out of you that has become the issue. Rainbow may come to turns with Twilight over Volare, but can you really be friends with someone capable of doing that to you? The stunt may lead to a reconciliation, but it would be unrealistic to assume that it would completely reconcile Twilight to Dash. That would take a slow and careful process, and it would be a long time befoe Dash's trust in and friendship with Twilight is anywhere near as strong as it was before the incident.
And Dash has not been around for the developments from Ponyville. She'll be coming back to an elaborately planned stunt designed to teach her a lesson, a stunt almost all of her friends are involved in. It might inadvertently communicate to Dash that her friends took Twilight's side, because she wasn't around to see her friends call Twilight out for her actions, if in fact they did.
1619182 Very true, except Volare is going to take the blame for that, if it comes to it, if anything to take the heat off of Twilight (he'd rather it be that way, and have Dash have a beef with him that Twilight, for he now feels confident enough that he could handle her-surviving nearly dying that many times can make a guy feel pretty cocky)
You're also right: it's going to be a step in the right direction, but it'll be a slow recovery process between the two (although Dash was also quick to admit to herself that she felt like crap for jumping on Twilight like that...and we've already seen how much of an emotional wreck Twi became because of what happened...)
Perhaps a good ol' sit down after this is the best thing for everypony (and I'm sure if Twi and Dash knew how crappy this whole thing has made them feel, and finally listened to each other's side of the story, that they'd place their friendship over this incident pretty quick, and put it behind them-plus, what happens to Dash before she comes home will set the final stage of this baptism by fire, so to speak)
PS: A Pinkie Party couldn't hurt, either
Confound you! I want the surprise nao!
twilight.ponychan.net/chan/files/src/135037388678.png
1619095 Like I said, there have been enough extenuating circumstances for it to be acceptable. Also, if memory serves only the receptionist and friends saw the actual fight so there would not be much room there for rumors to spread quickly, especially with Luna getting attacked shortly after that. Thus it is fine for now, but it will need very close attention when you get around to resolving it and the aftermath because it is going to become common knowledge around the town at some point and you will have to deal with that.
Also, do you have any plans of letting Volare have a private talk with Celestia (and maybe Luna as well) about human weapons? I think it would be a lot of fun to see Celestia's reaction to finding out just how much she has underestimated the power of human weapons.
1619182 Honestly, the impression I have gotten is that this is more of a prank and a chance for Volare to show off so he can get some tail than anything else. It is really not going to do anything to smooth things over between Dash and Twilight the talk with Volare afterwards cannot do, and Volare is probably not going to really accept his full motives or the limited scope of the effect for a very long time.
1619217
Well, then I look forward to it. But ultimately, I will conclude this: while both ponies were quick to anger, it was one pony that jumped to conclusions, one pony that started the argument, one pony that escalated it, and one pony that resorted to violence, and this "one pony" wasn't Rainbow Dash. If Volare takes the heat, he's a great guy, but will that really solve the underlying issue?
All of my posts have this as their "themes":
1) The conflict is not just partly Twilight's fault, but mainly Twilight's fault. Dash contributed, but the fight began with and was escalated at each point by Twilight. Her friends should recognize this, and some of us readers feel that a greater part of the story should have been devoted to this. Accepting her apology is fine, but forgetting about what she did and focusing solely on Dash seems wrong. They may no longer bring it up to spare her feelings, but sparing her feelings, while important, should not be as important as making sure she does not do it again and reinforcing the fact the bulk of the entire mess is her fault, and that first move towards reconciliation should come from Twilight, and not "forcing Dash to come to the (negotiating) table".
2) The apology and stunt may allow for forgiveness, but it should be a long, long time before Rainbow feels that Twilight is friend again. Physical violence doesn't just damage friendships, it is so antithetical to them that it destroys them. Rainbow regretting some of her actions is reasonable, but Twilight's actions have made friendship an impossibility until after a long, drawn-out reconciliation process, even with a good dose of empathy and a heart-to-heart chat.
1619234 Patience, grasshoppah
1619268 That's true: at least it's mostly contained for now...god forbid if Agent F and The Boss find out and seek to exploit this rift
As for weapons...possibly, though I doubt it will go as humorously as you think
True, a talk would serve better, but right now they're going on the assumption (and rightly so) that actions speak louder than words for Dash, at the very least to get her attention first...thing is, they may not realize they don't have to do this at all
(but as said, that'll be foreshadowed before she gets home)
As for Volare doing this to get some tail: nope, not in the slightest, this is for his pride and his friends only. He remembers being told that Dash said she was "tired of having to save his worthless flank." So he's going to show he doesn't need saving, that he deserves some respect from her, and that he's not worthless. That and it'll prove that Dash was wrong in her assumptions about him and Twi, thus nullifying any argument she might raise in that regard. Between her lack of an argument and Twilight's willingness to explain, apologize, and move on, I think things will get settled out..plus Pinkie Party right afterwards!
We'll see how it turns out, aye?
1619292 Hrm, I dunno...go look at the fight again.
True, while Twilight does start the argument, Dash goads her along by calling her out for her actions, putting the already emotionally distressed unicorn in a more stressful position by presenting her with an accusation she can't prove, and by calling her a coward since she can't prove her innocence, all of which served to push Twilight to the breaking point, which resulted in her physically striking Dash in frustration, something the pegasus might have been testing her courage towards, not thinking she'd go that far. And once that happened, the gloves were off for Dash.
I don't believe it'll be as tough to recover from this as you think, as Dash is likely used to physical scuffles all the time (look at what happened between her and AJ during Fall Weather Friends-they realized they were both in the wrong, admitted it, apologized, and things got better fairly quickly-though Dash is likely to still be kinda leery for a while, even if she admits that Twi scared her). And as Twi nearly ran out the door to catch Dash and apologize right after the fight before Luna stopped her, I believe that Twi will handle it fairly well too.
We shall see what happens, eh?
1619326
I don't want to keep you, so feel free to not reply to this one, but I say that Twilight started and escalated the fight because, it was she, and not Dash, that began with a volley of hurtful, unproven accusations, accusations that turned out to be entirely wrong. Dash may have pushed Twilight to the breaking point, but it was because Twilight pushed her first. Rainbow Dash was already in a fairly emotional state (her friend was nearly killed, she had to give up on an ambition she was training hard for) and because Twilight essentially besmirched her loyalty, that which she holds dearer than everything else. And even if Rainbow pushed Twilight, Twilight still chose to resort to violence, a significant crossing of the line. Twilight attacked Dash first, and she began to employ tactics and moves that went beyond the simple scuffle Dash and Applejack had (a scuffle whose purpose was not to seriously, physically harm the other pony, but restrain them from crossing the finish line first), moves that actually triggered a claustrophobic response from Dash.
Also, even if Volare nullifies the argument, and proves Dash wrong in her assumptions, it doesn't change the fact that Twilight accused of her very hurtful things, refused to listen to her, and ultimately attacked her. Those have become issues in and of themselves. Volare may prove to Dash that he can stand on his own, but it doesn't the solve the problem that one of your friends is willing to attack you over a misperception she did not even bother trying to get to the bottom of. After all, it wasn't Volare's "worth" that started the argument, it was Twilight's accusation about Rainbow that started the argument.
1619361 I agree: she over-reacted (they both did), and I think it's gonna be that shared guilt that brings them back together, with Volare acting as a moderator of sorts
I've got this image in my head of Twi doing her best to apologize and take the blame for what happened while Dash tries to put more blame on herself, with Volare trying to keep them from freaking out and getting into another argument over who deserves the most blame
(heck, I even have the idea of Dash telling them she's sorry she said what she said, that she doesn't really care if they're together or not...but then they tell her what's been going on, according to Celestia...imagine how crappy they're ALL gonna feel once that's out in the open between those three)
...what better time for a Pinkie Party to perk the mood up and bring friends back together though, right?
And you're not really keeping me-I'm re-reading my entire story, front to back, before I post my next chapter. It'll take until at least the end of Friday though, what with class and work in the way...but I don't wanna leave out any info that might cause anachronisms and such
1619391
Well, that seems promising. The only thing I'm still wary (wary, not weary) of is how everyone seems to expect Dash to share an equal portion of the blame. Part of it is hers, but most of it is Twilight's, as I have enumerated in the many others posts.
Oh, and a fear that Rainbow will forgive Twilight in one chapter. It would deprive of us of such delightful conflict. Milk the angst, V-pony, milk it.
1619412 Indeed, most of it IS Twi's, but you know how competitive Dash can get, even in something as silly as winning a reverse blame game
(And the reason everypony expects Dash to share an equal portion of blame, rather than Twi shouldering most of it, is because they still don't know the real reason behind why Twi reacted that way (her emotions all out of whack because of Volare-nor do they know she kissed him)
That explanation (minus the romance) is going to be shared between those three only, both so Dash truly understand why Twi feels so bad about what happened, and so Twi doesn't feel like she's alienating Volare further by stoking un-warranted worries about the nature of his body.
When all things are said and done, HOPEFULLY, it just looks like Dash was somewhat humbled by Volare's air display, and Dash and Twi made nice (without everypony having to know the truth)
It's complicated, but it's a decent way for the truth to only be between those three ponies, who have been through so much for each other already (well, Dash and Twi being through a lot for Volare, anyways)
Can't wait for the next chapter! Glad to see the machine crankin' up again!
Yay update!!!
Another great chapter!
Also yay Derpy!
1619303 Sigh, yes, Master Po...
Did you see my other post
?
Also when can we expect more science
?
1619539 Thanks
1619593 Derpy the Philosopher
1619597 It'll likely be over Thanksgiving Break or this weekend (and then chapters should be coming fast and furious since I have them all planned out for the most part plus Winter Break will be here shortly after
1619638 Aaah, sorry!
Yep, back to once a week(or more often since the chapter, minus the really actiony ones) will be fairly short from here on out
As for Ray and Jill's designs, don't thank me, thank totallynotabrony (that guy is awesome with that sort stuff)
As for Science...there'll be a little more...maybe more Anatomy than Physics, though
1620264 Thanks! And aww, no Ninja pix?
1620267 Good, because your story is a constant source of endorphins, keeping me constantly in an euphoric state!
Epicness about to happen! OORAH!!!
I shall have "Gimme RD" loaded till the next update.
Btw, its interesting to note how much I missed Blue Angel, even if it was for just a few weeks.
Well how goes the old saying, "You wont realise the value of something until you miss it" or so, definitly applies here.
Also, I didnt read your journal but I do hope you loved the Season 3 pilot, I certainly did.
There was not enough room on my face for the smile I tried to make, seeing both Celestia AND Luna side-by-side, like real sisters, in more than just one frame, something only accomplished by a fimfic induced head-canon.
And then there was Shiny going all in, thorwing his WIFE into the air like a boss.
Not to mention Twilights gravity altering awesomeness.
and the list goes on.....
Yes! Finally my most faovoritest favorite fic has returned!
I am sooo excited!!!! 
it's only logical really it IS the biggest house around Ponyville, heck it really doesn't qualify as a house its more like a mansion! Pinkie Pie knows what's up 
right Pinkie?
see? That's what I thought...
I'm sure we all missed you V, but the q&a ( which was quite awesome) helped a lot! This is gonna be epic, I can't wait to see how Volare's routine goes, and especially how Rainbow Dash will react when she sees it... the look on her face will be priceless! Maybe Volare will be hanging out at the cloud house a little more often now...
So, on a more personal note I'm interested to see how you felt about the season 3 premier, care to share your thoughts?
1618743
I apologize for saying this but... Dey be very very sexy. In a sexual way.
Dear lord,save me.
1619303 Well, I was more thinking of laughing at Celestia rather than laughing with her because she is going to have trouble grasping the scale of destruction humanity is capable of. She thought things were bad when wars that killed ten thousand were noteworthy, but World War two killed tens of millions and a good sized nuke is fully capable of exceeding a million casualties under the right circumstances.
As for Dash, I honestly do not think her friends really understand her with the possible exception of Fluttershy. Rainbow is a very complex character who hides a lot of herself from the world, and it really seems like we as the audience rarely get more than tiny hints of what lies beneath her armor so it stands to reason that most of her friends have not caught on. Twilight would not know subtlety if it bit her in the ass; Applejack is not the sharpest tool in the shed and only focuses on the athletic side of things; Rarity spends almost no time interacting directly with Rainbow (something I hope changes in season 3); and Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie so we have no idea what she knows, but she has not really done anything to indicate she knows more than the others. That only leaves Fluttershy who has known Rainbow for nearly her entire life and does seem to be able to read her better and talk her into doing things she would otherwise avoid like the plague, but tends to be quiet so she get dragged into things she knows are not going to work.
For Volare, note that I mentioned that he is not admitting his full motives to himself. He is really buttering it up with secondary fight resolution stuff, but it comes down to two things. First is his wounded pride which he does partially admit, but he is still trying to write that off as showing Dash that Twilight is not holding him back more than admitting that he wants to prove that he is not weak. Second is his romantic interests which we saw the start of a long time ago which combine his old admiration and abstract love for the character (there is probably a better way to say this, but I am feeling lazy right now) with the physical desires of his new body. He is working very hard to deny and/or put this out of his mind due to the old human squick factor that he had not completely lost last time he spent time with her, but as he accepts the new body as his own that will go away and he will realize that this very much qualifies as doing something stupid to impress a girl to get some action.
Buck Star's, eh? Brilliant.
And, damn magic induced romantic tension! Argh, due to this, I am unable to update my shipping wall!
X, are you going to tell them about that other ship.on the wall?
Why would I do that? Besides,there would need to be a certain level of hate there between those two before I even considered it as a legitimate ship, ajdand besides, humans can't even reciprocate aproper blackrom relationship, it's all flushed redrom...
yeah, wait, why would you even have that as a possible ship? Odds are the.author has never even considered that to even conceivably described as "romance."[color]