fyre-flye

by uhrora

Ambush

fyre-flye
I - 5
Ambush

The shot hit Soarin hard in the chest. He was blown back, his body skidding against the rocks of the ground before coming to a rest.

"Soar!" AJ cried, springing into life along with the rest of the ponies. The air became pierced by the sound of gunfire, bullets ricocheting and splitting rocks open. Dust rose from the ground where missed shots came to rest. Everypony was low to the ground, heads ducking toward bits on saddles, Gilda’s claws clutching her gun tight. Applejack dared to give Soarin a quick glance in between shots fired at Gilda’s bunch. The pegasus was forcing himself up, the dust cloud around him dissapating. "You all right?" Applejack asked, looking back at the advancing party. She closed one eye, aimed and knocked one of the unicorns off his hooves.

Behind her, Soarin was rising to his hooves with a wince. "Yup, the stuff's really bullet-proof," he said, nodding at the clear plastic armor enveloping his torso. His side ached, but that wasn’t his biggest issue right now. Soarin set his sights on another one of the trembling unicorns, taking her out before she could even think to pull her own trigger. Gilda had brought too many amateurs into battle simply because they were born with horns. At the same time, the shots from Big Mac’s stolen sniper gun above were confusing Gilda’s party below. Those were the griffin’s weaknesses in this fight, and Soarin could certainly play off of them. He only hoped that Gilda wasn’t wearing bulletproof armor under that coat of hers. With her ego, he doubted she was.

"Glad to see it works. Guess I got my money’s worth for that armor," Applejack replied, ducking to avoid a slow-shooting earth pony’s bullet. "And I aim to do so now, too!" She charged forward, dodging shots as she made her way towards Gilda. The griffin’s face twisted with surprise and she took a step back despite the still several paces that separated her from Applejack. But the pony was coming faster than Gilda could reverse. Extending her eagle wings, she rose into the sky, arrogant grin returning to her face.

"Sorry, earth pony. But I've got a wing up on you."

Applejack squinted up into the sky, where Gilda weaved in and out, remaining directly under the sun. AJ's eyes began to water and she snapped back to reality when a bullet burst a spray of dust into her leg. "Soar, Mac, you take Gilda," she ordered into the com, loud enough for her nearby first mate to hear. "Ground the boss while I get her little ponies."

Soarin took to the sky next, beating his wings hard to reach the griffin.

Gilda smirked at him. "You haven't been a good flyer for years. Admit it. It's over." Like the quick shot that she was, Gilda fired at Soarin in a manner of seconds, confident her bullet would find purchase somewhere vital.

But the pegasus dove to the side, straining his bad wing as he brought himself back up again. Hauling the weight of two weapons and his own body wasn't easy, but there was no alternative right now.

The whites of Gilda’s eyes grew. “How did you...?!”

"Physical therapy," he snapped, then bit down hard, letting out his own barrage of bullets against Gilda. At the same time, she felt a searing wind between her wings as one of Mac's bullets nearly grazed her. The griffin snarled and flew at Soarin, talons outstretched.

---

"Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh," Rainbow Dash whispered to herself as she stared at the screen in front of her. Fluttershy’s warning—that Octavia was free and had taken Pinkie—was urgent, yet Dash found her own thoughts sluggish. She was stumped. She didn’t even know if Octavia taking Pinkie was a bad thing any longer. Didn't the captain want to get rid of the Doctor and Pinkie on Whitefoal anyway? Or were they supposed to keep protecting the deranged pink pony? Rainbow couldn’t keep up with it all.

Well, she knew this much: if Octavia was free, that was definitely bad. Nopony who hurt Fluttershy could be up to anything good. So if she wanted Pinkie, then that was probably bad too.

She'd simply have to find somepony who could get her back. Applejack, Soarin and Mac were out doing business. Fluttershy was down for now. That left… Rarity, Derpy, the Doctor, Twi and herself. Rainbow Dash gulped.

That meant it was up to her.

With a sigh, and the annoying realization that she was nervous--no, maybe even scared--for her own life, Rainbow Dash pressed down on the com, signaling one of the walkies that the captain had taken. "Soarin? AJ? Trouble on board. You better come ASAP."

There was no response, leaving Rainbow feeling even more anxious.

“Big Mac?” she tried.

Nothing.

“Soarin!” she snapped. “Answer me!” Where was her gorram husband when she needed him?! Right—with the captain. As usual. “Soarin, if I survive this, you and I are going to have a long talk about your priorities!” She hated the way she was starting to sound like her mother. Even now, when she was alone, her face was red. There was no way of getting around it, though: she couldn’t do anything to stop Octavia.

No, that was stupid. Just because she didn't have much experience with firearms didn't mean she was helpless. Rainbow slid out of her chair, then made her way down the hall to the room she shared with Soarin. A quick punching in of their door code and she flew down the ladder. Hidden in one corner of the room, behind a piece of sky-blue drapery they’d bought to brighten things up a bit, were Soarin’s two extra saddles. Grabbing the smaller one and slinging it over her back, Rainbow Dash fastened it clumsily. She yanked the straps with her teeth, tightening it until it fit. Damn. This thing was heavy. She'd only worn a saddle a hoofful of times, and it seemed even less manageable now.

"Just gotta stay fast. That’s what you’re good at, Dash,” she muttered, giving herself a pep talk as she flew back up the ladder. Rainbow landed in the hallway, refusing to move until the door locked behind her. Then she was off, treading as quietly as she could to the cargo hold door. That was the most obvious way in and out of the ship, especially with the airlock open as it would be. If Octavia knew about the shuttles, or knew enough to fly one, she might have taken one of those. But Rainbow would have seen one leaving from the cockpit and could shut down its power if she saw it quickly enough. If Octavia had stolen a shuttle, she would have had to do so in the past two minutes the pilot had been away from her post.

Rainbow Dash's mood improved a little as she crept to the top of the cargo stairs and heard voices. There was Octavia, wearing Fluttershy's pink saddle. Standing in front of her, with the gun to her back, was Pinkie. Her mane was almost completely straight, her face pale. Between them and the airlock door was Twi, four hooves placed apart in a battle stance. Huh. Apparently the egghead had received some combat training. But why was she here?

"I trusted you! I let you out. I was giving you a second chance. Why did you do this?!" Twi demanded.

"And they say I'm dramatic. Oh, please. You simply opened the door to the room I was in. If I'd had two more minutes, I could have done the same," Octavia snapped. "Now, do you want me to shoot her or not?"

"She's just a filly," Twi replied. "They said they were hurting her. Her brother saved her life. Look... you’re young. You said you studied music. You really sounded like you loved it. And I... somehow, I simply believe that you’re a good pony. You’re not meant for this kind of life."

The earth pony groaned, exasperated. "I have no patience for Core dramas, whether in shows or in real life."

"What did they do to make you like this? What is at stake for you here?"

Octavia's eyes narrowed and she stood up a little straighter. "You’re implying I’m being blackmailed into serving my own government? My own princess? That’s preposterous! I may have studied music, but that doesn’t mean performance is all I am capable of. I have chosen this path, and I truly believe it is imperative that this filly is returned. I have been sent to protect the law.”

“But... it’s wrong!”

“What’s wrong is what you’re doing. You are standing between a Harmony Alliance officer and her duty; thus, you are committing an illegal act. Do you have no respect for the law any longer, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twi stared at her. "How… how do you know my full name?"

"I'm a bounty hunter. You think your case hasn't gone unnoticed by Alliance eyes? Celestia's own pet run away?"

Rainbow's jaw dropped open. What? Had she heard her correctly? No, she couldn't have. It wasn’t possible. If Twi really was Celestia's pet—whatever that meant in non-Rim-slang—Octavia would have been concerned with returning her to the Central Planets. Pinkie was just a runaway student from some government school. She would have quickly been forgotten next to Twi.

"Now, I'll just be leaving now, unless you'd like her innards splattered across your front," Octavia threatened.

Rainbow's eyes widened. No! She couldn't let this happen. Not when the ship was under her watch. The pegasus leapt into the air, diving down into the room as fast as she could. That was when she remembered that she couldn’t shoot Octavia—she had Pinkie as her shield. Besides, Rainbow already knew what the fed did to pegasi that came flying towards her. May Celestia rip off my wings with her gorram horn, Dash thought to herself as she landed beside the three ponies. Twi and Octavia jumped, surprised, while Pinkie wore a knowing expression on her face. And, for some reason, the pony’s tail was twitching...

But Rainbow's entrance was just the distraction Twi needed. In an instant, Octavia was surrounded by her magical aura, rising into the air.

"No!" the gray pony gasped, struggling to move down her head to the saddle’s bit. But her body went rigid; Twi had temporarily paralyzed her with a spell. Pinkie stood safely on the ground as Octavia rose higher and higher.

Rainbow Dash watched, in awe of Twi’s magical prowess for a second time. "Uh... Don't mess with the saddle and gun again," the pegasus told Twi, remembering the disintegrated leather of Octavia’s saddle the last time the fed had gotten a levitation ride. "It's Fluttershy's."

The unicorn's teeth were pressed against each other with fierce determination. "I'll… try…" Twi narrowed her eyes, focusing her power, and managed to unbuckle the saddle. Shuddering from the effort of holding Octavia completely still in the air while performing such an exact task, Twi began to wobble. Her magical aura wavered for a moment until Pinkie ran to her side, holding her up. Fluttershy’s saddle began to ease off Octavia’s back and Rainbow flew through the air, catching it in her teeth.

“That was awesome,” the pegasus gushed as soon as she’d set the saddle down on the ground.

“Still... doing... two spells,” Twi choked out. Beads of sweat were dotting her face.

Dash scratched her head. “Oh. Right.” Think, think! “Of course! Keep up those spells. I’ll be right back!”

"Now is not the time for a bathroom break!" Pinkie yelled after her, but the pegasus was already gone, zipping out of the room with a rainbow trail.

---

Out on Whitefoal, Applejack had taken down two earth ponies easily. They were big and mean but not very fast. The lone pegasus was a tricky one, he flipping and diving all over the gorram place. Besides him, there was still one earth pony and two unicorns—who had used their magic to create a giant bubble-like shield around them. Panting, Applejack took cover beneath a large boulder. It was no magical barrier, but it would do for now. She was in close range now, and wasn't sure how much longer acrobatics would keep her safe. Peering past the side of the boulder, she positioned herself so that one of her guns was poking out. With a few missed shots, she was able to get the other earth pony. Applejack grinned. Now for the unicorns. They would be more difficult due to their smaller bodies. That, and the fact that they were still hiding beneath their magical shield. Cowards. They hadn't even invited their non-magical partners into the shield with them.

As Applejack reloaded, planning an attack, she realized the pegasus was missing. She pushed back her hat and glanced up to Gilda and Soarin, where the griffin had caught her first mate around his neck, wringing it as he tried to turn. AJ winced—in that position, Soarin was essentially helpless. Gilda's arms were so long she could hold him at bay without his powerful kicks being able to reach her. "Mac, Soar needs help—now!"

Then, a shadow fell over her own face. Whipping her head around, she spotted the enemy pegasus straight above her just in time to jump out of his way as bullets fell upon the dust she kicked up. The unicorns were no longer much of a danger, so she sprinted towards them, leaving behind her cover. The ponies’ eyes widened from inside the shield but they didn't do a thing to stop her. Applejack darted behind their shield, keeping the giant bubble between her and the pegasus as he rained bullets upon it. They melted in the shield and he held his fire. The pegasus flew over the orb only to have Applejack run to the other side. Before he could turn back around, she pressed one hoof gingerly against the magical orb. It felt bouncy—that was all.

"Go away!" one of the unicorns shouted at her.

Applejack smiled. She stood still, waiting for the pegasus to return. He flew past her again and she ducked behind the shield. Then, while his back was still to her, stopping in his flightpath, she sprang up, leaping atop the bubble. Bending her legs, she used it like a trampoline and forced herself up into the air. The pegasus was turning, but just before he did so, she focused her aim and shot straight through his wing. Crying out, the pegasus weaved down to the ground, falling and scraping against the rocky surface. He tried to get up, but without his wing he was nothing.

"I could get used to this whole flying thing," Applejack chuckled as she came to a rest atop the bubble. The unicorns glared up at her. Just to spite them, she stuck out her tongue and jumped from the springy bubble one last time.

Just as it burst into flames.

---

"Well, I didn’t believe you. But after Rarity’s glowing recommendation, I decided to give them a chance. And, after eating three, I have to say that griddlecakes are quite delicious," the Doctor was saying as he finished chewing a mouthful.

Derpy smiled. "They are, aren’t they?”

“Well... Perhaps. I shall have to try one more. For a more sound conclusion, naturally.” The Doctor used his hoof to gently slide a fourth griddlecake onto his own plate.

Rarity had joined them in the middle of cooking and had insisted he try Derpy's griddlecakes. Now she sat with them at the table, enjoying a plate of her own. She used her magic to levitate a fork and knife, cutting tiny pieces of the cakes.

Derpy attempted to do the same, though she could only use her hooves and mouth. Still, she was taking small bites. “I’m glad you like them! A meal like this'll keep you going the whole day."

"I have to admit, I'm not used to this kind of food," replied the Doctor. "You heard my story. I've no need for pretenses anymore. I grew up… well, I'm sure you know how wealthy the terraforming families are."

Derpy stared at him blankly as she chewed even as Rarity was nodding.

"You don't?" he asked Derpy, surprised.

"Didn't know there were terraforming families," she said with a shrug.

"Oh, yes," Rarity told her. "In fact, many of the ponies living on the Central Planets have their business in the Outer Rim. Not just terraforming developers, either."

At that second, a flash of blue streaked into the dining area and stopped right beside the table. It was Rainbow Dash, breathless. "There you are!" she exclaimed, eyes locked on Rarity. "I need you to..." She looked towards the Doctor, then clammed up. "Um... come on!"

Rarity raised her shoulders slowly. "Yes, all right, dear," she said, puzzled. "Please excuse me. Lovely meal, Derpy." The two exited, and Derpy turned back to the Doctor.

"So, you were saying? About the terraformers?"

"Ah, yes. So you've never heard of the terraforming families?" he asked.

"Nope. Sorry!"

"That's all right." The Doctor smiled. Derpy’s... provincial air was off-setting at first, but he admitted there was kind of a charm to it. It was exhausting being around other ponies of high intellect sometimes. Having a conversation with this filly—whose cutie mark was even bubbles, to denote her, well, airheaded tendencies—was something different altogether. It was fascinating to educate a pony his own age about something so basic. “Mostly earth ponies, of course. Many of them have roots back to the Equestria-that-was diaspora. My family isn't one of those, but we still do have several generations of terraforming. All the earth ponies who were able to come up with a way of creating livable places on hostile rocks became exceedingly rich… as you can imagine."

"I bet. But what about the pegasi?" Derpy asked. "I mean, we’re the only ones with weather magic."

"Right. One of the most important elements in terraforming is the atmospheric development. That was up to the pegasi. And the unicorns used magic to find planets and planetary systems that were suitable for terraforming. But the earth ponies created everything on the surface. Everything ponies needed was planned by terraformers on some world. When that was done, land barons would come to them requesting designer planets—full of beaches, for instance, where one might live. Or arable land for growing food. Or, like the Outer Rim planets, places where minerals could be extracted. That was where my family made its fortune. We prepared mining planets."

Derpy slurped up the rest of the griddlecake she'd been nibbling on. She was done trying to be dainty by copying Rarity's eating style—now she was just hungry. "I remember you said rocks," she recollected with her mouth full.

"Yes. Our little rock farm created many of the surfaces of Outer Rim worlds. I'm not sure which ones exactly. You’d have to ask my parents or my sisters, Inkie and Blinkie. They were the ones who stayed with my parents. But I really have no idea; there are probably too many to count. Perhaps we had a hoof in Whitefoal itself." He gave a nervous chuckle. "And now it’s to be my new home. Do you imagine they'd help keep me alive if I told them I was the heir to the company that made their moon livable?"

"No," Derpy replied earnestly. "If anything they'd just get rid of you sooner. See, everypony knows that the terraformers skimped on the Outer Rim planets. That's why they're harder to live on. And give you blacklung if you mine too much."

The Doctor sighed, staring down at the one remaining griddlecake. "That's what I was afraid of."

"You should just try not to act like you're from the Central Planets around here. Maybe take off your tie. Nopony likes ponies that still smell like Alliance," Derpy advised. "Hey, Doctor. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"You said before that Celestia was all-mighty. That's why the rebels should never have tried. Well, if you really think she's all that strong, then why do you think you can get away with your sister?" Derpy asked, in between bites. She was still oblivious as to the effect of her disheartening words on the Doctor.

"Um… that's a good question. I guess… I guess I just had to try. Even if we don't make it. Even if it seems impossible. There's nothing worse than not trying to change things when you know there's something wrong."

Derpy grinned at him, pieces of griddlecake stuck in her teeth. "See, there you go! Now you're talking like a true browncolt."

As the pegasus went back to eating, the Doctor watched her, amused look on his face despite his desperation. Huh. Derpy was a lot smarter than he'd given her credit for. Maybe being bubbly didn’t necessarily mean being an airhead.

---

"Whoa, nelly!" AJ gasped, her legs flailing helplessly over the fireball. She was approaching it—fast—and so she grit her teeth, thanked every star in the ‘verse she’d never gone in for a hooficure and landed neatly on the bubble. As she did, she threw all her might into leaping off the fire as quickly as possible, tears filling her eyes with the hot lick of flames at her legs.

She landed on the hard valley earth with a groan, the smell of burning hoof and singed fur overwhelming. Nauseated, Applejack forced herself to her hooves and turned towards the ball of fire defiantly.

“Well, now, I ain’t never jumped on a giant ball of magic fire before. Just something to add to my resume, I reckon. Thank you kindly,” she drawled.

But the unicorns weren't done there. They stepped towards her, the fireball scorching the earth as they pulled it along with them. Applejack sighed. Probably shouldn’t have opened her trap. She began to run and the unicorns fell into chase.

The captain looked up to the sky to see if Soarin was in any position to help her. He’d escaped from Gilda’s clutches back when Big Mac had begun firing, and now the two winged creatures were locked in a shootout from close range. Soarin was holding his own: he skirted around Gilda’s bullets, living up to his name as he rode the winds. He wasn't exactly champion of the skies, but he was a lot better off than the last time she'd checked on him. Now she was the one who needed a little backup. "Soar!" she cried out, feeling the heat growing closer. Those gorram unicorns must have been using a quickening spell. Nopony that gawky could keep up with Applejack while working a giant ball of magical fire at the same time!

Soarin heard the call and saw the captain’s predicament. Gliding on a wind current, he let it take him up higher into the sky, above the patchy clouds. Looking around as quickly as possible, he spotted one cloud grayer than the others. Soarin flew to the cloud and jumped atop it, then pushed it down with him back towards the ground. At the same time, Gilda emerged through the cloud cover, looking around for him. She grumbled to herself as she searched for him, unaware that he had already headed back down.

Applejack was sprinting at top speed now, her tail tucked close to her legs after it had almost been crisped. "Soar!" she yelled again. "A little help!"

Soarin was coming towards her, riding the cloud straight towards the fireball. When he'd positioned himself directly over it, he leapt up and back down on the cloud as hard as he could. Rain poured out, drenching the fireball and dousing its flames. The bubble flickered around the unicorns, then vanished. The two enemy ponies looked exhausted, and Applejack and Soarin shared a glance before they simultaneously bucked each unicorn in the face. "Eat my charred earth pony hooves!" AJ added.

"She's still up there looking for me. Let's go. I'll get the money," Soarin said quickly, nodding towards the sack of bits that Gilda had left lying on the ground. He flew toward it with a trace of his old smoke trail behind him.

AJ spoke into her saddle com. "Mac, at a gallop, y’hear? Back to the ship. We're takin' to the skies." With one last look up at the cloud cover, she took her own advice and turned tail to Sereinity. Soarin caught up with her, money jingling in his saddlebag. When he reached Applejack, he landed and took to his hooves, folding back his bad wing with a wince.

The captain looked up at the hill. Come on, Mac, come on! Where the hay are you? Big Mac wasn't as fast as they were, but he was closer to the ship. As Applejack ran, she spotted a shock of red, then saw her big brother galloping towards the ship, sniper rifle gleaming in his saddle. She grinned, relieved and amused: it figured he'd take whatever shiny weapon Gilda's ponies were using.

“We’re back in the skies,” Applejack announced. Presumptively.

A roar sounded behind them.

---

"Dear, I'm really not sure what you want me to do," Rarity complained as she tried to keep up with Rainbow Dash.

"Sleep! Use your sleep potion! Octavia!" Rainbow panted as she flew through the hallways of the ship. She’d finally found the Coltpanion with Derpy and the Doctor in the dining area. Didn’t she understand that this was an emergency?! Well, no, probably not. Rainbow Dash had just asked Rarity to come with her, so as not to upset the Doctor. As far as he knew, Pinkie was perfectly fine, back in the infirmary.

"Oh my, all right. But isn't she restrained?” Rarity asked.

"No!" Rainbow Dash led her into the cargo room. From the catwalk, Rarity saw the free Octavia—and Rainbow’s heart sank. Twi was slumped over the top of Pinkie, sweat glistening across her body. The magical aura was gone, and Octavia had regained her footing. Her legs twitched, straining against the aftereffects of the paralysis. Without Twi’s magic to fuel it, the spell was quickly wearing away.

“We need to put her to sleep. Now!” Rainbow gasped. Rarity began to gallop down the stairs into the cargo hold. Octavia’s shoulders were stirring now. “Rare! Where are you going?” the pegasus cried after the Coltpanion.

“I need to be closer!” Rarity called over her shoulder. She reached the bottom of the stairs just as Octavia took one step forward.

“Just not good enough, I’m afraid!” the pony spat. She took another step, stiffly, towards Fluttershy’s discarded saddle. “Pinkie, be a dear and do what I said before. Nothing has changed.”

Rarity ran across the floor. “Now, you halt, right this instant!”

Octavia did not comply.

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. She vaulted off the catwalk and dove towards the fed for the second time that day, tucking her wings close to her body. The wind pushed back her mane, dried her eyes. At that moment, she felt the pressure of something—something she hadn’t felt for a long time. It was almost as if this could be the beginning of a Sonic Rainboom... but that was impossible. Dash hadn’t been able to perform a Rainboom in years.

Besides, that kind of thing took a much higher altitude. Before she could blink, Rainbow Dash was bearing down on Octavia, who struggled to make the last steps towards the saddle—just as Rarity came sprinting up. The last thing Rainbow Dash saw before impact was the fed’s widened eyes and in that second she believed she was innocent. But that was just as impossible as the Rainboom. Fluttershy’s wound was proof of that. In the next second, the pegasus’s front hooves collided with Octavia’s body, and the force sent the two sliding across the floor in a crumpled heap.

A barrage of kicks met with her side and Dash cried out, striking back just as hard. Then, she realized, the blows were softening. They died out completely, and Rainbow Dash sat up slowly to see that Octavia was lying on the ground, fast asleep in Rarity’s blue aura.

---

Back on the surface, another roar rang out behind the three fleeing ponies. "Don't turn around! Just keep running!" Applejack ordered Soarin and her brother.

But they could hear wings flapping behind them.

"She's gaining on us," Soarin cried. "I'll distract her. You two get to the ship."

"No, wait!" AJ argued, but the pegasus had already lifted off the ground. "Idiot!” the captain growled. “Keep runnin', Mac."

Soarin grabbed the money out of his saddle, waving the bag of bits back and forth. Gilda, gnashing her beak, took off after him. Throwing the sack back into his saddlebag, Soarin breached the cloud cover again and began getting himself lost. Back and forth he navigated through the clouds, taking advantage of his own sky intuition. The pegasi had their own special magic, too—a magic that griffins didn't have. And, then, he spotted the great gray cloud. It was humongous and—he realized with glee—shaped like an anvil. "Oh, Whitefoal, you are too kind to me," he murmured as he set his flightpath.

"Get out here, pegasus scum!" Gilda hollered into the clouds. "You think you can hide up here? I fly through these clouds every day! You must be the stupidest pony in the whole ‘verse. I knew there was a reason I told Dash not to marry you!" It was then that she got the idea. "She's even stupider than you! She thinks I wouldn't say a word about all the ponies she was with before you? Come on out and I'll tell you everything!" In her panic, Gilda began to blabber, becoming stupider with fear and wrath. She was not used to being on the losing side. "You want to know her favorite? I'll bet you do! You're only in the top three. She settled for you, Soarin!"

The pegasus was too busy rounding up the anvil cloud to care what Gilda was saying. Much.

The griffin continued. "She only liked you because you were a Wonderbolt! Dash would do anything for a pony in uniform. You know how much she always wanted to be part of the 'Bolts! She'd have gone for Spitfire next if you hadn't bit! She only wanted the connections so that she could get onto the team. She used you, you stupid pegasus!"

Soarin realized he was glad Gilda kept talking. It gave him an idea of where she was. He began to push the anvil cloud closer and closer to her screeching voice, working hard to keep himself flying. His bad wing was aching terribly, but he didn’t have the luxury of caring right now.

"I bet she even still talks to those colts she was with! Not to mention the fillies! You think somepony like Rainbow Dash would stick with you? No, you know how easily she gets bored."

He was above her now. She didn’t even know, red with rage as she was. He began to spin around the cloud, flying around the bottom of it until it began to grow a tail. This would be hard to do alone, but it didn't need to be big. That wasn’t the point. Soarin had experienced enough twisters to remember that, at least.

"You'll split up in a few years! Or now, even, once I tell you all the stories I have!" Suddenly, Gilda became aware of the sound of wind. She looked around, but couldn't see anything. She realized it was coming from straight above her too late. She shrieked, trying to fly away, but was caught up by the twister. No matter how hard she pumped her wings, she was suctioned in by the wind. "You can't… do this! This is… my world! Mine!"

Soarin gave one last flap of his wings, propelling the tornado further, then grinned and took off towards Sereinity without another word.

But Gilda wasn't done yet. She had a walkie of her own, and she managed to open up her coat and press the button. "Get… the fastest gunship… over here!" she screamed into the wind.

Comments

[Quantum_Shift]

Is the good Doctor's first name Clyde, by any chance?

[Jack-Pony]

Very nice, an interesting take on one of my favorite episodes. I am still eager to see how it (this arc) ends!

[uhrora]

1080485

Well, I suppose he could be named after his dad... Clyde Jr. I haven't really found how to bridge the Firefly/Dr. Who/MLP references with him and his name and whatnot. But I'll probably make him more of a reference to Dr. Who and less, well, Time Lord-y.

[uhrora]

1088631

Thank you! I'm more excited about the next arc since that's what I'm working on right now, but I guess the last chapter of this arc/end of the climax/all that is fun to edit too. It's gradually starting to become more and more different from Firefly which is always fun... getting more original and such.

[Quantum_Shift]

1099100
well, if he's named Clyde, (even Clyde Junior) then they're Inky, Blinky, Pinkie, and Clyde, the names of the Ghosts from Ms. Pac-Man (Clyde is originally Sue in Pac-Man)

That's all I was getting at.

[uhrora]

1100656

Yeah, I just know the fan names (and the ones I like haha) for the Pie parents are already Clyde and Sue so the Doctor would have to be Clyde Jr. Which is growing on me more and more.