Chapter 20
“You’re a wonderful flier!”
Rainbow Dash soared near Sandow’s wingtip, the rainbow maned pegasus helping with Sandow’s therapeutic recovery, getting him airborne again. Sandow was sore and stiff, but flight was possible again. His large oversized wings allowed him to glide with effortless ease.
“That’s it Sandow, ride the current. There’s an updraft here!” Rainbow Dash encouraged.
Sandow truly appreciated Rainbow Dash’s efforts. Dash knew about flying the same way his sire, Thud, knew about combat. Thud had been a remarkable flier, but Rainbow Dash was so full of helpful information that it was like learning how to fly all over again.
And Rainbow Dash, who loved attention in any form, loved discovering that she was an excellent teacher.
Sandow felt little orange legs tighten around his neck, Scootaloo holding on for dear life. She was there as a little extra weight, to help Sandow exercise his somewhat atrophied muscles.
“You may be the best glider I’ve ever seen Sandow. You barely even need to flap.” Rainbow Dash announced, rolling and banking in a lazy dive, and then rising back up slowly, testing the currents and checking the updrafts. “You might not be fast, but I bet you could glide over the ocean and see the rest of the world!”
Sandow’s mind seized upon that thought. Seeing the rest of the world sounded inviting. He’d never thought of that before. “You really think so?” Sandow asked.
“Yeah,” replied Rainbow, “there’s these birds, albatrosses, they fly over the ocean. They have big oversized wings like yours.”
“I don’t want to fly over the ocean!” Scootaloo shouted.
“Aw, come on Scoots, dontcha want to see the world?” Rainbow asked, grinning broadly.
“I CAN see the world! I’ve never been this high up, ever. I think I’m scared of hights!” Scootaloo replied, real panic in her voice.
“Most pegasi have to work really hard to make it to this altitude Sandow, you’ve pretty much rode the updrafts, you’ve barely put any effort into this at all, that’s pretty awesome!” Rainbow shouted. “I have to come up here all the time as the weather captain and map the cloud layouts for optimal rain dispersal and other egghead stuff. It gets tiring. That’s why I nap so much.”
“And here I thought it was ‘cause yer lazy!” Sandow drawled playfully.
Rainbow barrel rolled away from Sandow, grinning crazily, and laughing at Sandow’s words. She rolled over on to her back and flew that way for a while, and then slowly rolled back over. “You okay Scoots?”
“NO!” Scoots said through chattering teeth.
“Maybe we should think about heading back.” Rainbow Dash said, her smiling fading.
Sandow relaxed his wing muscles slightly, allowing his feathers to angle in such a way that he began to descend.
“Tomorrow I am going to work you as hard as Flickershine makes you dance Rottensauce. I’ll show you lazy.” Rainbow Dash said, angling downward.
Sandow groaned, and realised he had brought it on himself. He smiled at Rainbow Dash’s nickname for him though.
“I think I’m doing something wrong.”
Applejack looked at Flickershine, who looked troubled. These sorts of talks were becoming common. Applejack prepared herself for the coming mare to mare conversation, not at all feeling like a mare at the moment. It was an unusually warm spring day and she had been planting seeds. She was covered in dirt and sweat, and she was hot and itchy.
“We’ll talk, but I’m goin’ for a swim.” Applejack turned tail and headed for the waterhole, which was still a bit chilly, but it would have to do.
Flickershine followed, stepping high through the tall green gas.
It didn’t take long for Applejack to get to the waterhole, less than a half an hour of walking, not much being said along the way, mostly just idle chit chat about the weather and the apple blossoms and anything else that was meaningless but said to pass the time.
Applejack wasted no time, cannonballing into the water with a splash.
Flickershine stepped into the water and shivered, and then threw herself in.
“Oh my that’s cold!” Flickershine said, her mane clinging to her neck.
“Only for a moment and then it ain’t so bad.” Applejack drawled in reply. “Now,” said Applejack, bobbing in the water, “You mentioned somethin’ about doin’ somethin’ wrong.”
Flickershine floated in the water, her heart racing from the sudden chilly plunge, the warm sun shining on the parts of her above the surface, creating an odd contrast between what was above and below the water’s surface.
“I think I am doing something wrong.” Flickershine said, repeating her earlier words. “I know Sandow is getting sweet on me, but he isn’t making any moves yet.”
“Ayup. That’s Sandow,” replied Applejack, “he’s not going to make those moves either. Now, I ain’t sayin’ that we rush ahead and scare him off like we did the last time, but if’n you want him to get a little sweeter, you’re gonna have to make the first few moves, based on what I know of Sandow and how he was with his wives. And you may have to be prepared to run him and down and maybe even give him a good stern talkin’ to. Sandow is the slow and cautious type. He’s a big draft pony that don’t do anythin’ until he’s given a sign to do it. He’ll pull a wagon, but somepony has to tell him when to go.”
Applejack dunked herself below the water, rinsing sweat from her face and her ears.
“Big Mac is the same way with Cheerilee. Those two have been downright painful to watch. Big Mac is all slow and careful like, and Cheerilee ain’t bold enough to stomp her foot down and make my brother giddyup. I think they’ve been kissin’ though. Or at least Big Mac has been thinking about it. I caught him in my room practicin’ kissy faces in my mirror. He durn near died from embarrassment.” Applejack said, rolling over and floating on her back.
“A kiss might be nice.” Flickershine said, leaning back in the water. “Or even just a nuzzle. Something. Sometimes I think Sandow’s still a statue. I flirt with him to no end and he doesn’t respond. I lay it on real thick and he just sits there, a perfect gentlecolt, off being his usual self. I can’t seem to reach him. It is frustrating. I’ve done everything but throw myself at him. And I have a feeling that if I did throw myself at him, he’d let me drape my body all over his and wouldn’t do a thing. I just want him to touch me and let me know I’m desirable.”
“He ain’t gonna do that.” Applejack said, feeling the sun on her belly. “Remember, yer talkin’ about the pony that ran off and hid in the orchard during his first encounter with his wife. Granny Smith says Sandow is skittish. Big Mac is skittish. And my daddy was skittish. My mama had to be all aggressive and assertive and make her feelin’s known loud and clear. My mama got her marefriends together and they done kidnapped my daddy. My mama sat him down and told him how it was gonna be, and my daddy was wise enough to listen. Caused a whole heap of trouble between our families though. Daddy was the quiet and reflective type, seems to always be the mares in the Apple family that are the straight forward and sassy type. Mama married in, but she fit in with the family right well. I suspect you might be a bit sassy yerself Flickershine.”
Flickershine blushed, her flesh warmed by something other than the sun.
The two mares floated in the swimming hole together, now in silence, enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful day. Birds were chirping, bees were buzzing, and butterflies flitted about, looking for flowers to rest upon. It was a nearly perfect day.
“I suppose I’m going to have to resort to gardening.” Flickershine said after many minutes of silence.
“Gardening?” Applejack replied.
“Yeah,” answered Flickershine, “it is time to go plant tulips.”
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I'm not too keen on this 'arranged' companionship they're setting up with Sandow so soon after him being released from his stoney prison. The eavesdropping that occurred when he told his story bothered me a bit and the fact that they(and the CMC) told a complete stranger(Flikershine) just for free dance lessons and whatever other reasons bothers me a lot as well. I know it was probably for pacing issues, but if I were in Sandow's place, I would take it as a betrayal of a most deep-seated trust. That kind of trust is never repaired nor forgiven.
4273733
Family meddles sometimes. It's clear they've been plotting against him. They want Sandow happy again. And yeah, he was rather pissed off about it. In an earlier chapter, Sandow could hear laughter coming from downstairs, that was Applejack and Flickershine talking about him. So it has been going on for a while.
They mean well, but it doesn't always work out well, just like in real life. In this instance, there are some rocky patches but they smooth over.
And Scoots is there to act like a sack of potatoes. Extra weight for Sandow to exercise his wing. Nothing else.
This isn't that sort of story.
4273768
I didn't get the 'sack of potatoes' reference. I thought Scootalo's name was misplaced and it should have been Sandow's name instead. RD seems to be talking to one individual during the whole encounter and that threw it off.
I was certain Scootaloo wasn't introduced before.
thanks for the update
4273733 I think it is to soon and don´t like it really much, that they want him to have Flickershine as his marefriend, because i don´t really think, that he want it really. I don´t understand why Luna make him to do that either, i thought he would experienced another kind of love and not the type he had befor with the other two mares.
It was to fast for me but know that it happen already, i am kind of ok with it.
that last line was a very horrible pun.
But I still like your story
4341631 He also needs to find some way to let go of his grief over Azalea and Bluebell, so being in a relationship -even if it doesn't work out in the end- will help him adjust to modern Equestrian courtship for the future and will start making him more relaxed and less angsty in general. Luna understands that too and from what I've seen, that is Kudzu's fanon Luna- Doing what is necessary to help other ponies even if it puts them out of their comfort zone a bit, and judging by her brash nature in the show, it isn't too unrealistic of her.
Poor Scoots. After all the struggles to fly, and now they'll traumatise the filly of heights before she even gets the chance for liftoff.
Applejack conspiring with Flickershine to help set Sandow up. One wonders if that's a trait passed down from the Orange family