The Last Cutie Mark Crusader

by Jatheus

30 - Symbiosis, Part 2 of 10

Cloud Blazer was sweating just from the effort of walking. Small sharp pains were shooting from every injury, but he was intent on making this happen. He knew he couldn't fly again, and his morning flights were what he missed most. The light of the sun was creeping up the eastern sky as it neared the horizon. Apple Bloom walked beside him pushing an empty wheelchair. The morning air smelled alive with the dawn; it was the first day of summer.

Progress was slow, but Cloud Blazer was determined that he would eventually run again. He wouldn’t have the sky, but he could still feel the wind on his face as the sun rose. The more he understood his injuries, the more he realized that the quick thinking of Sweetie Belle and Zecora had saved his life, not to mention aided his recovery beyond what might otherwise have been possible. It was a sobering thought. They moved silently for a while, Cloud Blazer's labored breaths notwithstanding.

The town always looked so peaceful in the morning. It was covered with a layer of beaded dew that glistened in the light of a swiftly approaching dawn. The last hill, as usual, was the most painful part of the walk, but he made it to the top unaided, a small but meaningful triumph. Apple Bloom pulled the wheelchair around and faced it toward Ponyville and the rising sun. Cloud Blazer sat in it, sighing relief as most of the sharper pains gave way to the manageable dull ones. He finally had a chance to catch his breath.

Within minutes the sun burst over the horizon, and golden-orange light smothered the town and the Everfree Forest beyond. It hit the tops of the buildings first, working its way down as the long shadows became visible. The town was still asleep, unlike Sweet Apple Acres, which was behind him. Cloud Blazer could already hear Big McIntosh and other field hooves hard at work. That is normally where Apple Bloom would be, but Sweetie Belle had been running herself ragged staying in the hospital, so they worked out a deal to take turns; Apple Bloom had insisted.

When he had taken his fill of the sunrise, a nod to the farm-pony prompted her to turn the wheelchair around to face the orchard. It looked much better than it had when he had seen it a few weeks before. It was still mostly in shadow, but for the top of the barn. It looked like they were working in the south fields today. Debris was being pulled away and the ground cleared of anything that would impede the growth of new saplings that would be planted in the winter. A controlled burn would have been preferable to clear the fields, but the shielding of the city did somewhat restrict air-flow, putting a restriction on lighting fires, especially on a large scale.

"This is one sight I'll never get tired of," he said, having finally caught his breath.

"I know what ya mean," Apple Bloom replied. She sat on the earth next to him.

As the quiet of the morning returned, Cloud Blazer's thoughts became filled with Scootaloo. The dull ache in his heart still left him feeling void. He turned his mind to a problem that was closer at hoof: Pixyglitter. It saddened him that the simple bliss of a sunrise was something she wouldn't be able to enjoy ever again. He wished he could help her, but he wasn't sure how he might make a difference. There had to be some way he could lift her spirits. Of course, he had to be careful to not give the wrong impression.

He ventured, "I need to do something nice for a mare, but I don't want her to get the wrong idea."

Apple Bloom eyed him suspiciously, "You're not about to get weird on me, are ya?"

Cloud Blazer snorted a laugh to himself and tried to deflect by making a joke about it, "No. Been there, done that. It didn't end well."

“Oh really,” she said, more a statement than a question as she looked back to the farm.

The sun brightly lit the pink bow in her mane. The light cascaded past them and was now just kissing the hilltops on the farm. It would all be washed in morning’s light soon.

"No, I meant Pixyglitter, but I'm not getting weird on her either."

"Go on."

"I've finally come to a place where I think I can move forward. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'll ever be exactly completely my old self again. But at the same time, I feel kind of..." he searched for words, "put back together inside. My bones still ache, and walking is really painful. Honestly, I'm scared for what I'm going to do next. Flying has been my life, but I won't be able to do that anymore."

They exchanged a glance; Cloud Blazer saw deep sadness in Apple Bloom's eyes. Maybe he had said too much.

Turning back to the farm, he continued, "But look at the farm. It's getting cleaned up; it won't be too long and you'll be growing apples again. That's how I feel inside. Eventually, I’ll find a way to be alright. But Pixyglitter isn't..." how could he phrase this, "she lost a lot more than I did. She'll never see another sunrise."

The two sat quietly for several minutes.

"I think she's a lot like me," Apple Bloom began. "She likes to take care of things herself. For me, that would be the worst part about being blinded. I'd feel like I had nothing to contribute. Maybe if there was something she could do..." she trailed off.

Cloud Blazer knew why she stopped. Pixyglitter was blind; what could she do? How could they find a genuinely meaningful way for her to be useful? It would have to be something that didn’t feel like she was receiving pity or charity.

"It's a shame she can't take you for a flight," Apple Bloom said with a sigh. "Maybe then she'd feel better 'cause she'd be helping you with something you can't do."

Cloud Blazer snorted a laugh at the absurd notion, but then a chill caught him. It started slowly tingling its way up his spine and made him shiver as it hit his neck and filled his brain. The idea hung in his mind far longer than something so ridiculous should have, and yet there was something to it, just begging to be seriously considered.

"That... Wait... Why not?"

“Hang on there, do what, now?"

"Why can't we learn to fly?" Cloud Blazer's mind was rapid firing with insane thoughts of a reckless venture.

"Brownie, she's blind."

"I know! I'll be her eyes, and she can be my wings!"

Apple Bloom tilted her head, regarding him with intense skepticism.

"Obviously we'll have to be careful. I don't think I can handle another crash landing, but if we practice over the pond-"

"Whoa there, slow down now," Apple Bloom interrupted. "First you need to find out if she even wants to try this. Second, you can't be going off to the pond, not until y’all are both well enough to swim on your own."

Cloud Blazer tried to slow his thoughts. She was right, of course; this was a long shot at best, and they would definitely both need parachutes to be safe, not to mention a pair of flight harnesses. However, it could be just the thing to help Pixyglitter get out of her depression. She didn't have the advantage of good friends visiting and trying to help her, but Cloud Blazer was determined to fulfill that role.

Comments

[Emperor]

I vaguely recall a story from a while back where there was a blind matron pony. Of course, I don't think Pixyglitter would very much want to do that, not to mention it'd be a long term project without any immediate gratification. But it's quite possible to interact with others still while being blind!

[Jatheus]

8406959
I don't think I've read that one. Yep, Pixyglitter has to figure out what she'll want to do, which maybe the bigger problem.

[OmalleyCaboose5]

"Obviously we'll have to be careful. I don't think I can handle another crash landing, but if we practice over the pond-"

This is an awful idea
This story is fiction so it might work but this would never work.

[Jatheus]

8743942
Yes, I grant you that having a blind pilot is a very bad idea. But it's so romantic! in a not at all romantic sort of way...