39 - Devotion, Part 10 of 16
Cloud Blazer had an itch to continue into Cloudsdale to help, though he knew that his small group wasn’t in shape to do so. Still, it would have been nice to see Sparklefly and let her know what was going on. He quickly decided against it as two pegasi left Cloudsdale and flew directly toward the approaching Manehattan group. They addressed the ponies flying at the front. Word quickly spread that they wanted all pegasi to help push the city south until the order was given to stop. At that point, they would fly north to Ponyville and wait. Whatever purpose drove them to push Cloudsdale farther south was beyond the wingless pegasus.
"We ignore them," he said. "We’ll drop altitude, fly in under the city and make for Ponyville.
"Deal," Pixyglitter agreed.
"Okay," Fluttershy puffed.
They parted from their group as they began taking up positions on Cloudsdale. The sounds and smells of the battle were already in the air. The four began descending, and soon they saw the underside of the great cloud city. It was covered with pegasi that were pushing it onward. The group easily outpaced the lumbering citified cloud mass. Nopony challenged them to change course. The steady rhythm of Pixyglitter’s heart and breath gave Cloud Blazer focus.
"Level off, maintain altitude," he said. "We’re close now."
"Leveling off," she answered.
"Just a little farther. We’ll drop off Rarity, and get the five of them together."
"What then?" Rarity asked.
"Then you will open the orb, and the princesses will be rescued," he replied, a little less sure of himself than he wanted to be.
"How will we open it?"
That gave him pause.
"What?" he finally managed.
"How are we to open this orb of yours?"
"I..." he hesitated.
It occurred to the stallion that nothing he had seen in his dreams had mentioned how the keys worked. He couldn’t help but feel unprepared as they pressed ahead.
He finally finished, "One thing at a time."
The sun beat down from above as they continued past Cloudsdale.
"I don’t... think I can... make it much... further..." Fluttershy was gasping for breath.
"We’re almost there," Cloud Blazer tried to be encouraging. "Look, that’s Ponyville. Five minutes and we’re down. Deep breaths, in and out."
"Oh... oh... okay..."
"Pixyglitter, can you carry two?”
"Forget it," she replied. "You’ve gotten too fat making me carry you all the time. I can take one or the other."
"I am not fat!" he defended, annoyed at the insult. “Let’s just glide for a bit; we can afford to lose some more altitude."
"Gliding," Pixyglitter answered.
Turning to his right, it was easily recognized that Fluttershy was in a rather poor state. She just had to make it a few more minutes. They were so close. Turning back ahead, the battle was beginning now in earnest. They were drawing close enough to see the wave of timberwolves that were approaching. They seemed to stretch on and on, even to the horizon.
"Sweet Celestia!" Rarity exclaimed.
"Yeah," was all Cloud Blazer managed.
"What is it?" Pixyglitter asked.
"Timberwolves... more timberwolves than I have ever seen in my life.”
A flurry of arrows were being loosed, volley after volley into the approaching horde. It was difficult to discern the efficacy of the defense, but thee were no evident breaches anywhere yet. Loud bangs soon followed, and dust clouds rose above the EUP line as magical bombardment exploded into the soldiers that held the location.
Cloud Blazer’s party would soon be over Sweet Apple Acres. There were soldiers on the ground, but again, they were unchallenged in their movements. This struck the stallion as incredibly strange considering what was going on nearby. Though, everypony did have their work cut out for them dealing with the larger forces in play.
"Fluttershy!" Rarity screamed.
Cloud Blazer turned in time to see the pale yellow mare awaken and arrest her own fall.
"Hard right!"
Pixyglitter obeyed without hesitation. Cloud Blazer felt the force of strain against his harness and body. Pain stabbed through his ribs.
"Bank left and descend."
With precision befitting a sighted flyer, Pixyglitter maneuvered him exactly where he wanted to be, directly above the other two. Cloud Blazer pulled the ventral line from his harness and attached it to the dorsal loop on Fluttershy’s back.
"We’re all connected now. We need to keep descending. We’re behind EUP lines, almost on top of the Apple’s farm."
"That’s the farm?" Rarity sounded astonished.
"Yeah, what’s left of it," he realized that this would be the first time Rarity had seen the farm since the siege.
"I... I just..." was all Fluttershy managed to say before she fainted again.
The weight of three ponies was far too much for Pixyglitter. As the harnesses pulled taut, she let out a shriek as her wings began beating furiously against the air. They were still dropping a little faster than Cloud Blazer would have liked, but there wasn’t anything he could do.
The four came down hot, like an aerodynamic brick. Rarity let out a scream just before she hit the ground. Fluttershy made no sound as she collapsed on top of Rarity, but the reduced weight allowed Cloud Blazer to not land hard. Pixyglitter was still trying to pull up.
"Ease down, we’re almost on the ground."
"Easing... down..." she replied as she reduced the effort she exerted.
Cloud Blazer touched down and pulled the quick-release on the bottom catch.
"Touchdown," he said as he allowed himself to lower to the ground on his belly.
Pixyglitter stopped flying and landed, pulling her own quick release. She had hardly taken five steps when she plopped on the ground and rolled onto her back, gasping for breath.
Standing on firm ground, Cloud Blazer turned and asked, "Are you two okay?"
A feline growl came from the cat-carrier.
Rarity looked up, her face covered in dark soil. Fluttershy was breathing, but otherwise lay unmoving. The stallion pulled the release on Rarity’s harness, uncoupling her from Fluttershy. Having fainted aside, she seemed otherwise uninjured.
"Is she alright?" Rarity asked.
"Yes," Cloud Blazer answered. "I think she’s either a bit dehydrated or maybe just exhausted."
“You don’t say,” Pixyglitter quipped.
The fancy mare examined the box to discover that it had taken some damage in the landing.
"A flight to Ponyville," Rarity whined, "That sounds like fun. Somehow I got icky!"
Pixyglitter let out a laugh. Cloud Blazer felt exposed out in the open. It was likely just an after shadow of his training that told him to seek cover, but they had to get help for Fluttershy.
"The farm house is close. Let’s head there."
"Oh, don’t tell me; I get to carry Fluttershy?" Pixyglitter asked.
"Can you?"
She snorted as she got back to her hooves. "I maybe tired from flying, but you’ve got a bum leg and broken ribs. You’re not carrying anypony."
"As much as I hate to interrupt your uncouth repertoire, I am perfectly capable of carrying Fluttershy myself," Rarity said.
The unicorn had already magically lifted her friend onto her back.
"Now, shall we go?"
Hissing came from the cat as her cage came apart. She dropped to the ground with a wild look in her eyes.
“Opalescence! You get back here at once!” Rarity called out as she moved forward, encumbered by Fluttershy.
The cat hissed and darted away in the general direction of the farmhouse.
“Opal!” Rarity screamed as she tried to chase the feline, who was far more swift than the injured and laden ponies.
Cloud Blazer tried to run, but found himself unable. They pursued the cat, Rarity screaming after her, but the she was soon out of sight.
There wasn’t any visible evidence of the coming battle from the ground, but they could hear it even better now that they were close. The debris from dead trees lay in stacked rows. The small group easily worked their way through them and soon found themselves standing in front of the house.
Cloud Blazer knocked on the door. There was no answer. He tried the latch; it opened with ease and they entered. The place was empty. While Rarity unloaded Fluttershy on the couch, Cloud Blazer worked the pump in the kitchen to get her a glass of water. His leg was giving him the usual achy stabbing pain every time he moved. He pushed past it and got the reviving fluid to the yellow pegasus. Her eyes flittered when the water hit her lips, and after a few moments, she had awakened.
"Oh!" she cried out as a spasm went through her. "Where? Did we fall?"
Rarity answered, "Don’t be silly, dear! Thanks to some quick thinking by Cloud Blazer here, we made it to the ground more or less unscathed."
"What happened to your face?" Fluttershy asked.
Pixyglitter snickered.
"I may have fallen in the dirt a bit, but I’ll live," Rarity put on a fake smile in pretense of good humor about the situation. "But how are you? Can you stand?"
"I-I think so."
Fluttershy slowly and shakily stood, but then sat back down.
"I’ll be fine; I just need a minute."
“And then we must find Opalescence.”
“What happened To Opal?”
Cloud Blazer replied, “No, we can’t.”
“You are a heartless ruffian!”
He didn’t take it personally, “I know you’re worried about her, but cats are good at laying low. She’ll be fine. We have to take care of first things first.”
The ground rumbled, rattling the windows in the house. Cloud Blazer darted to a window facing west and peered out. He couldn’t see anything conclusive, but there was smoke rising from that direction. The changelings must have pressed the flank. Rarity stood beside him.
“As much as I’m worried for my poor, sweet Opalescence, I’m afraid I agree with you this time.”
“Get ready to go. A minute may be all we have," Cloud Blazer said with a tremor in his voice that he was unable to suppress.
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
1,002 users online
23,325 hits today, 2,314,256 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Now they gotta get a Dash AJ and Pie and get to the castle!
8718574
They have to find them first! In the middle of a battle! Maybe I can draw this out for a few more chapters.
Will Blazer and Pixy have to briefly join the fray to collect Dash?
Oh Rarity will you ever sort out your priorities.
The fate of equestrian vs Rarities dumb cat, why the hell did she even bring Opal. You'd think, seeing as how Fluttershy isn't the strongest flyer they would not have bothered.
8759654
1) Nope! They are in no condition to intentionally run anywhere near the fighting.
2) A lady does not need a reason to look her best at all times!
3) Of all the worst possible things... this is the... Worst... POSSible... THING!!!
Even in the middle of a war, Rarity will always be Rarity. She would need to go through something like Flight of the Alicorn for some of her own personal development!
Still, four out of five of the requisite ponies are now in Ponyville. Cloud Blazer just has to round them up and hope Rainbow Dash doesn't perish on the front lines before he can convince her to come to the castle
8802828
Haha! I actually really enjoy writing Rarity. She has such a wonderful melodrama that is always just fun to work with. Pinkie Pie is almost as much fun, but she is more difficult to handle from a plot-driving perspective... though... perhaps I shall have to tackle this at some point...
I wouldn't be cruel enough to let them go through all that just to fail miserably... would I?