Return to Flight

by Outlaw Quadrant

10 - Turbulence

Constant rain was great for the land. Ponies susceptible to illness, not so much.

The Ponyville Clinic’s waiting room brimmed with patients, many of them wheezing and coughing up a storm. Others had the typical slip and fall injuries common when ponies test their luck going out in a downpour. Most waiting for service had little to talk about other than how wonderful the sun must be shining elsewhere while they serve this long sentence of dreariness. Even the muzak failed to lift the corners of their mouths. Somepony asked for a different tune to break up the monotony but the receptionist snipped at the request.

Emerging from the corridor, a light brown stallion with a muffin-shaped mane examined his clipboard. Once he found the name of his next patient, he called it out with a rasp eccentric voice.

“Um, Lickety Split.”

In seconds, a young colt with a sundae as his cutie mark approached the doctor. He had an icepack wrapped around his head and winced with every breath.

“Well, what’s your problem, young colt,” the doctor asked.

Lickety touched the cool bag, “I was bouncing this ball and I chased it right into a wall.”

“Oh, you poor widdle colt bump your head in the wall?” The doctor escorted him into the corridor, “You’re such a brave little bitty one for not cywing! Oh yes you are!”

Nearby, Swift peered through the foggy windowpane.

Wow, glad he’s not helping us.

He then saw a nurse stepping into the waiting room to replace some magazines on a table. For a second, she winked his way before disappearing back into corridor. Right after, the nearby clock tower rang its bells twelve times.

That’s our cue!

After surveying his surroundings one last time, Swift flew up to the thick layer of rain clouds and then stuck his head inside for a conversation with the pony hiding within its midst.

“Did you see her,” Rainbow asked.

“Sure did. One sec. I’ll provide the cover.”

From another nearby cloud formation, Swift pulled out a lumpy mass and then nudged it in the clinic’s direction. Once reaching a few hundred feet off the ground, he gave the bubbling cloud a karate chop. Soon after, its hazy contents spewed in every single direction, covering the immediate area with a thickening fog. Rainbow slowly descended to the stallion before visibility neared zero.

“I can’t see,” she complained. “How good is a cover if we don’t know where to go?”

Instinct, Rainbow. Just… oh. That’s right. “Grab my tail. I’ll lead ya.”

She begrudgingly complied. The act was not graceful, nor did it demonstrate confidence in her limited flying skills but she had more worries than crashing into a building. What will transpire within the next few minutes had her tossing and turning on her bed last night. That face he showed her after his tumultuous nap was the same one she saw in the mirror every morning. Only now did she have the gumption to ask questions.

“How did you sleep last night, Swift?”

He shuddered but not because of the cold breeze. “On and off. I got maybe three hours, max.”

“Did you have another nightmare?”

“I didn’t dream at all, so I guess not.” Then, his sensors detected the ground. “All right. Time to land.”

Following his motions, her hooves touched moist terra firma without any drama. A nearby door creaked open and through the sliver, Redheart stuck her head out into the fog.

“The coast is clear,” the nurse whispered.

They followed her inside the building and straight into her office.

Once the door clicked shut, Rainbow’s heart pumped harder. She had been in this place before when she first heard the dreaded term Flying Stress Syndrome and she felt this visit would bring even more bad news. Not even the beanbag’s cushy surface could relax her nerves.

Swift sat next to Rainbow and struggled for a reassuring smile. “No worries, um, right, Nurse Redheart?”

The nurse pulled a few manila folders from a file cabinet and then stacked them on her desk. “Sw–, I mean, Fly? I know we talked a little bit in the morning about what’s been happening between you two.” She took a seat in her chair. “Please, I want to hear from both of you on everything and I do mean everything.”

Both pegasi looked at each other. That amount of information required a lengthy dialogue with their physician, so they agreed to take turns painting a picture that turned out being more about their budding friendship than training sessions. Redheart didn’t mind at all. If anything, she found the session therapeutic as it reduced the tension hovering within the room. She even giggled at certain parts, especially when it came to the stallion’s name.

“I think I’m doing a good job, aren’t I?” Rainbow boasted. “Swift will be cured in no time!”

He rolled backwards into the wall but he pushed himself back to a seated position. “Uggggh. Doubt it.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Redheart chimed. “Rainbow, I’m glad that you’ve found somepony that not only has gone through this before, but a pony that you can connect with. It’s no wonder you’re making good progress.”

Rainbow shrugged, “What can I say? Everything about me’s fast, even recoveries.”

Swift rolled his eyes. Thanks for giving me credit.

“That’s great, Rainbow. I believe I’m ready to ask my question.” She swiveled in Swift’s direction, a shadow casting over her face. “I want you to be completely honest with me. Are you actually cured?”

He avoided the nurse’s stare, “Well, my doc said—”

“That’s not what I asked. Do you believe that you are cured?”

“I just… I can fly. Nothing’s holding me—”

“Yes or no? Is there any doubt that you’re not cured, no matter how insignificantly small that is?

“I–I think I, I mean, I’m not affected by—”

Swift began gasping for air. The entire room turned into a blurry swirl that quickly turned into a dirty black. Imaginary debris pelted his body, the pain within his chest building with every slice. A howling noise pelted his eardrums until he slammed his hooves on the table, ending it all.

“I don’t know!” He paused to slow his breathing. “I want to say yes but I can’t! I just can’t!”

Rainbow froze in place.

“Even after my doc cleared me, I’ve always felt, something. Something that wasn’t right. I can’t see it but it’s there! After last night, I—” He shook his head and sighed.

“Please, Nurse Redheart,” Rainbow pleaded. “You gotta tell us what’s going on.”

She leaned back on her chair while shutting her eyes. “From the last time we met, Rainbow, I’ve received a more information from a few physicians that I know, mostly references books. Those weren’t that useful but I did also receive a few case files. Names redacted, of course. Please understand that I’m still learning about this condition so what I tell you may not be completely accurate.”

Rainbow nodded.

“From what I know now, Flying Stress Syndrome has varying effects on each of its victims. In fact, so varied that just about every case is rather unique. However, there are three constants in every single one. One, initial memory loss of the events leading up to the traumatic episode. Two, compromised flying skills.”

“What’s the third one,” Swift asked.

Redheart paused for a deep breath. “Every time, it was the patient that knew when they overcame FSS, not the physician treating them. How and when differed but in the successful cases, the physician documented that their patient experienced a type of epiphany, a moment when there was no doubt. Do you recall such an experience, Fly?”

After a few breathless seconds, he shook his head. “N–no. Nothing like that.”

“Hold on a sec,” Rainbow flustered. “You mean to say he’s not cured?”

The nurse exhaled slowly. “If he’s not certain, then I’m afraid not.”

Swift held a blank stare. “I’m, not cured?”

“If it was just that, it wouldn’t be such a major concern. However, this last nightmare that Fly mentioned is troubling.”

“Eh?”

Redheart opened one of the folders, “I had found a case that was a relative close match to yours – a serious injury, nightmares, and helping somepony else with the same condition.”

“So what happened?” asked Rainbow.

“According to the file, once the trainer realized that they had not been cured, that pony decided to continue helping the other pony.” Her tone turned even more somber, “However, they experienced two more traumatic nightmares. The second was traumatic enough that the trainer went into full relapse. In other words, the trainer could no longer fly.”

“What?” both pegasi shouted.

“I’m afraid it gets worse. When the other pony realized what had happened, the emotional shock proved too much. They also lost all their flying abilities.”

“W-wwhat?” Rainbow stammered. “You mean, all that work, for nothing?”

“Did they ever recover?” Swift asked in a muted voice.

Redheart flipped through the pages. “The last update here says that after six months, they can hover for a few seconds. Prognosis not favorable.”

Both her patients sat there as though they had just lost a loved one. The nurse had to provide them a prescription of hope or she would lose them.

“Please. Do understand that this is just one case. There’s no guarantee that’s what could happen in your situation. Even if it is a possibility, I know it won’t get that far.” She banged the wooden counter. “Not with you two! You’re stronger than that!”

After a moment, Rainbow and Swift lifted their stares from the floor.

Redheart removed her cap. “Now, the following is purely a feeling that I have, so I say it as a friend and not your nurse. Continue what you’ve been doing because whether you like it or not, you’re now following the same path. If you help each other, then you’ll find the cure, together. I truly believe that.”

Swift discovered that while Redheart’s suggestion was vague, they did provide a sense of direction and inspiration. Every time life pitted the odds against him, he searched for that one solitary bright light that would pull him out of the darkness. In this case, that light was all the different colors of the rainbow, the mare sitting next to him. If she can rid herself of Flying Stress Syndrome, then he could as well. This newfound optimism yanked him above his despair but not much higher. It would have to do for now for he was Rainbow’s trainer. Weakness would sink them both.

I have to hold on. I have… shoot! Good thoughts or—

“I totally screwed everything up, didn’t I?” Rainbow whispered, eyes set on the floor.

“Eh?”

She covered her eyes but water came out of them anyways.

“Rainbow?”

“If I just listened to Fluttershy for once, then I never would’ve crashed, I never would’ve busted my wing, I never would’ve pushed Scootaloo away, and you would’ve had no reason to come here. I’m the one responsible for this. I had to be stupid and look what happened.” She found the courage to face him directly for an apology, tears be damned. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I—”

“But I did have a reason,” he interrupted.

“Huh?”

“My mom once told me that meeting somepony is never an accident. Each one will affect your life in some way, sometimes good and sometimes not so good. Either way, they’ll guide you toward your destiny.” Swift then stuck out his tongue. “Then she starts getting into the mushy stuff.”

Redheart smiled.

He inhaled, drawing in all his fears and then releasing them for some momentary peace. “Maybe what you did is what needed to happen, so that I could face this thing, to be a better weather pony or at least meet somepony that will be a great friend of mine. You don’t have to apologize for any of that.”

Rainbow couldn’t understand how he could forgive her for such a large sin. “How can you say that? Is our friendship worth being grounded forever?”

“That’s not happening,” he answered with vigor. “My promise. I have to keep my promise to you.”

“I know that, but still, aren’t you,” Rainbow had to yank the word out of her mouth, “scared if we fail?”

That’s when that possibility delivered a crushing blow to his brave face. Despair’s waves reached out to pull him back inside its suffocating depths, but he kept his balance on the wire, just. “Even if we do” – His blue eyes rose up to meet hers. “—meeting you was worth it.”

At that moment, all her guilt vanished. The owner of those serene blue orbs had just given her the best gift any friend could provide – validation of their friendship. Then again, even in such a serious moment, his statement tickled her funny bone.

Swift slapped his face, withholding his own chuckle. “Shoot. My bad. That sounded really cheesy.”

“Any more cheesy and I could make a quesadilla for lunch.” Rainbow then chortled away at her joke.

“Thanks for making me feel better,” he countered with amusing sarcasm.

“You’re quite welcome.”

As they shared a laugh, Nurse Redheart rose from her chair.

“Well, I’m glad that you’re both in a better mood. There’s no point keeping you here any longer.” The nurse walked around the desk to stand between the two. “Please keep me updated and” – Redheart wrapped her hooves around both pegasi —“Good luck.”

After exchanging goodbyes, Rainbow and Swift left the office, leaving the nurse all by herself. As she sat back in her chair, she had her own demons to confront, the ones that told her she had fallen short in helping her patients. There were medical professionals better versed in Flying Stress Syndrome than she was although none apparently held the miracle cure. As far as she knew, the patients held the key. All the physician can do is diagnose and then point them in the right direction. Using that measure, she reassured herself that her patients had the tools to succeed.

I sure hope they’ll be all right.

Then, the door swung wide open. An earth pony donning a stethoscope waltzed into her office, lips pouted. Redheart wished it were her patients once more. Their problems she could handle with kindness and consideration. This one only tested her patience.

“Oh, hello, doctor,” she said, placing the files back inside the desk drawer. “Is there a problem?”

“I sure do,” the muffin-top physician whined. “I can’t get any of my younger patients to like me. Just now, I had this colt that bumped his head on the wall and I tried to make him feel all nice and comfortable but he only got upset at me.”

Redheart gritted her teeth, “Have you tried not speaking to them like a foal?”

The doctor adjusted his glasses. “Well, I, no.”

If it wasn’t for her Hippocratic oath, she would’ve wrung his neck. “Doctor, I believe we’ve had this conversation before. I think with a little practice, I’m sure you can develop a better doctor-patient relationship. Be polite and professional.”

“If you say so.”

Once the doctor left Redheart’s office, she let her head drop onto the desk. Always with these foaliatricians.

---

It’s amazing what a grim diagnosis can do to speed up a stallion’s weather job.

The celestial sun had yet to relinquish its domain to the moon, but the chamber already had its usual guests flying in a semi-circular pattern and practicing both landing and takeoff maneuvers. It was a repeat of yesterday night, save for the condition that had duplicated itself. One was feasting on Rainbow’s resolve every time she pushed her limits. The other lay dormant within Swift’s conscience, ready to render him flightless at any time.

As it was, Swift counted his blessings that the condition had yet to compromise his motor functions. However, the fear now simmering within him occupied his head with negative what-ifs’. The glimmer of optimism he showed in Redheart’s office evaporated the moment he flew from the clinic. The smiles he put on to placate Rainbow’s worries about him proved harder to hold.

After another routine landing, Rainbow called him by his real name. He moved as though he’d sneezed.

“Um,” she rubbed her hoof on the runway. “Hey? Do you have any idea why you’re not cured yet? If you do, maybe I can help.”

He blinked a few times to remove the visual bombardment of a black swirling mass. “I—I’m not sure yet but I’ll figure it out.”

Rainbow bit her lip, wanting to press further but he then changed the subject.

“Look at this,” he lamented, tugging on the rope. “It’s already frayed. Shoot. Guess I shouldn’t complain, though. I’m surprised it lasted this long.”

She ran her hooves through the rope. “Hey, where did you get this rope? It feels familiar.”

“Sweet Apple Acres. I told Big Mac I needed it for my job, if you catch my drift. He even gave me some wicked ones.” Swift retrieved one of many long strands spread on top of a nearby cloud and then pulled it. “Extra stretchy. We’re going to need this one next.”

“Why?” Rainbow inquired as she removed the damaged rope.

“Remember that list I asked you to make earlier today?” Once he finished tying the new thread around his body, he retrieved a scroll lying beside the extra rope. “I wasn’t going to incorporate tricks into our training, but since that’s key to your flying regimen, I can’t skip it.”

Rainbow hoof pumped to that. Stunt work always brightened her mood. Maybe it would lift his as well.

With a prod, he unfurled the list. The paper rolled onto the cloud floor. “Rainbow? I told you to keep this short.”

She acknowledged with a grin. “I did. Those are the most important ones.”

Swift tossed away the long sheet. “I’ll pick and choose which stunts we’ll do. But before we can work on stunts” – He then pointed skywards – “we’ll need to work on simple turns through the cloud hoops. Let’s start with, um, pattern Delta Four? Yeah. I think I said that right.”

Sparkles shimmered around Rainbow’s eyes. Delta Four was code unheard since her days at Camp; it indicated to the fliers the path they followed through the obstacle course. She knew each route by heart, of course.

“Tug on the rope if you want me to slow down or need some slack. You ready?”

She wasn’t, not with one final item to mark on the checklist. Already, a pompous jingle played within her head. “Just one thing. We need to do the chant. For luck.”

The medley blared into his ears, prompting him to shed his end of the long strand. “Gotcha! That’s a ten-four!”

The two got into position a few inches part. On Rainbow’s cue, they rose into the skies.

Junior Speedsters are our lives
Sky-bound soars and …

Rainbow added too much spin, sending her into a daze. “Ohhhh-kay. Guess I’mmmmmm not r-ready for thatttt yet.”

Swift re-tied the rope, his ears in the down position. “We’ll try again later, I guess.”

With a small burst, Swift pulled Rainbow towards their destination, the hanging cloud hoops scattered across the chamber. Each one of them spanned a wingspan and a half wide, and to a casual observer, their placement made no sense. For those that had the Junior Speedsters experience, they knew that the camp trainers placed careful thought about the overall layout. Acceleration, pitch, roll, yaw, altitude and attitude control – the course tested each factor much harder than what pegasi learned in ordinary flight school. Delta Four would’ve been advanced material there but introductory for a camp member.

Swift pushed his throttle to around forty percent. “How’s that, Rainbow?”

Her wings jittered like mad but she slapped her efforts on a rope tug. “Yeah, I can… I can take this!”

“Keep your eyes on me, Rainbow! Go where I go!”

The two passed through the first hoop without incident, but the second one came up quick, hovering slight left and far up. Swift increased power while aiming his nose toward the target. Rainbow followed his lead, but with her condition proving a frightful distraction, she climbed too high. Even with a desperate correction, her plentiful tail disintegrated the top half of the hoop. She had an expletive ready, but that’s when the rope had run out of slack.

“Whoaaaa!”

Now her path took her to cloud hoop number three, same altitude but far to the right. Thanks to the strand’s strong pull, she struggled compensating by turning left. She slid straight through but completely sideways.

“Darnit!”

She was off position for the fourth target, located down and left. The rope begged for a surrendering tug but she ignored its siren call.

I can’t quit! I’m not a quitter!

With a loud grunt, her body banked past forty-five degrees. Her wings trembled even more, fear plus the risk of losing aerodynamic lift. She ignored the danger, and at the last second, leveled out.

Yes! Perfect!

Rainbow had no time to celebrate. The next dozen hoops came in rapid succession: up, up, a tight circular path, a steep descent followed by an equally arduous climb. Through the first few rings, she jabbed away at her fear, building her confidence and her speed. The latter then slipped out of her control as she followed Swift downwards. Therefore, she increased drag on her wings to slow down.

Twang! went the rope as the distance between the two ponies reached its design limits. Swift mistook the tightening sensation on his belly as a call for attention.

“You okay?” he bellowed as he performed a shoulder check.

Her terror was trying to pull her appendages into the closed position. “I’m… okay! Keep pushing!”

Soon, Swift reached the lowest hoop in the skies, which meant Delta Four was all but complete. The last five cloud hoops required going straight up, so she released the air brakes to allow more slack on the rope. The syndrome slapped her in the face; not allowed. It tightened its grip on her psyche, making her flight path waver while ebbing away at her momentum. The rope recouped the lost speed but it lost threads in the process.

No! It can’t—

Snap! There went the cord and her wings. She grabbed the air, hoping she could defy the laws of physics but soon enough, Rainbow spiraled out of control. At this altitude, even the cloud floor would bend something the wrong way if she hit it at terminal velocity. She screamed for help and just like that, Swift quickly grabbed her midsection and flapped all he could. She heard his struggles all the way down but he fulfilled his duty safely, if a little jerky with dropping her onto the chamber surface.

“Rainbow! Rainbow! Are you hurt?” Helping her up, “Oh, shoot! I totally shouldn’t have pushed you that hard! I’ll get—”

Rainbow introduced her hoof to his mouth. “Don’t worry so much,” she said, her voice wavering in the zone between annoyance and whimpering. “We can’t play it safe, not if we wanna beat this thing.”

Swift moved his goggles up so he can rub his eyes. “I know that! It’s just that” – He lowered this speech volume – “I’m iffy about pushing you harder than I want to.”

Don’t be such a wimp was Rainbow’s next statement if she hadn’t considered Swift’s physical and emotional condition into consideration. She was guilty of ignoring both with her friends numerous times, and didn’t want to make the same mistake now, not in this situation. “I understand.”

“You do?”

“You’re looking out for mel. Well, at least you’re trying to.”

“Eh?”

“If you had better hoof strength, then you could actually hold me up.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Anyways, isn’t there something else we can do that doesn’t involve dropping me like a sack of potatoes?”

He searched the chamber for another task, finding it near the walls. “Well, I suppose we can work on some dodging.”

Rainbow looked at what he pointed at, an area covered with rumbling thunderclouds. Its pent-up energy released below the dark layer in a blazing white flash, triggering her wings to the raised position. “Ohhhh no! I don’t want to be hit by lightning again!”

Swift nodded, “That’s sorta the whole point of the exercise. Dodging bolts does wonders on reflexes and agility, which can only help your overall recovery. Do it enough times and you may even be better than before your accident.”

His nonchalant statement slanted her eyebrows downwards. “But I don’t wanna be hit by lightning.”

“Cool your jets, now. You’re flying close to the ground, the lightning’s at minimum power and you got me by your side to bail you out if you need the help. Look. Just watch how easy this is.”

After shedding the now-tattered rope, he flew right into the thunder fields without any hesitation. Rainbow crept toward the cloud’s edges, wary of stray bolts wanting to singe her cyan fur. None came in her direction but they darted from the rumbling puffs at speeds she had no chance of matching in her lifetime. Their pattern seemed random, chaotic and uneven, telling her that they are masters of no pony. Even those with lightning as a component of their special talent can attest that they are merely tamers of a tiger that could turn at them any second.

As far as she knew, Swift didn’t have that capability, but what she witnessed was a skill nearly as useful; a knack of avoiding their burning-hot strikes. Somehow, this slender stallion moved under the menacing clouds like it was another ordinary day, meandering in whichever direction while white flashes went off around him. Then, with no provocation, he hit the afterburners for a moment while rolling left. Rainbow had no time to process the reason why. A bolt suddenly fired at his prior location.

Whoa! How did he know it was going to strike there?

He demonstrated his agility a second and third time before making the return trip. One massive ribbon tried stopping him by anticipating his flight path, but he simply hit the brakes and then exited the fields.

Once he reached her, he removed his goggles to shake off some sweat. “You see, Rainbow? If you’re the flier I believe you are, you’ll get the hang of it in no time.”

While she would’ve loved to charge in at full-speed, she had little trust of her current flying skills. “Well, what’s the trick?”

Snapping his headgear back on, “Don’t think about where to go. Just go.”

“Huh?”

“It’s something my parents kept telling me when I was just starting to fly. Every pegasi knows how to fly just like how all ponies know how to breathe. You just gotta let your wings and body feel your surroundings and they’ll be your guide.”

His sage wisdom whisked inside Rainbow’s ear and back out the other end. “Huh?”

He sighed in exasperation. “All right, all right. The heat will rise, your fur will tingle and your heart will go,” he clutched his chest as though he was having cardiac arrest. “You’ll get used to that, believe me.”

Now with the proper instructions, she decided to think of this as a challenge. “All right! Just watch! I’ll dodge those bolts faster and better than you!”

“Yeah, whatever. Now let me snatch some strong rope and then we can get going.”

As he began said task, Rainbow allowed her subconscious to fill in the void.

Look at you. You just keep marching forward even after everything that’s happened.

After he tossed her one end of the strand, she was in no hurry to secure it around her body.

How in Equestria can you do that? Are you really okay or are you hiding something from me?

With a strong tug, Swift had his side secured. “Ready over here.”

It took a moment for Rainbow to get her head out of the clouds. “Huh? Oh, right. Lead the way”

Swift travelled on a straight path toward the thunderclouds, followed closely by Rainbow.

“I’ll try to head in that direction,” Swift said while pointing forward. “There should be enough slack on the rope. If you wanna bail—”

“Pull the rope,” she said in a dismissive tone. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t expect me to, okay? I can handle this.”

Her courage faltered once she reached the field’s threshold. As Swift told her, the thin hairs across her body stood on end as they sensed the temperature shifts, going from arctic cold to a hot simmer. The constant booms shattering her eardrums gave her heart palpitations. She couldn’t trust on her indicators; they’ve gone haywire! Rainbow had to think her way through this or she’ll have gigawatts striking her down with impunity.

Her path began to waver, thanks to her mind handing out course corrections every second. Bolt at four o’clock, another at seven, one at two, then three and six. Every strike, she moved away from the shattering sound, but this was ineffective dodging. All she did was move in reaction rather than in anticipation, a tactic that all but bit her when lightning came perilously close to setting her tail on fire. If she were by herself, she would’ve chickened out a long time ago. She couldn’t here, not when her partner flew about with ease.

Her eyelids drew halfway closed. Just like he said, don’t think where to go. Just go.

Slowly, but surely, the yoke moved on its own. Of course! Lightning had a code, and she had the decoder to solve it. All she needed was her senses to move the multiple rings into position. Eventually, everything clicked together and then, she had internal sonar. It wasted no time pinging.

Rainbow nailed the throttle while banking left. Crack! A bolt zapped down, but failed to hit its target. Again, her new guidance system sounded off, so she hit the brakes. Bang! Another energy ribbon made their futile effort in hitting Rainbow. She sneered, loving that she had made that look so easy. Better yet, Flying Stress Syndrome was nothing more than a mild irritant. She just had to keep her bursts of speeds short.

Ah, yeah! Easy-peasy! I should ask Swift to—

Another ping sounded, except she had no idea where to turn. That’s when lightning bolt number three formed right over her head, ready to knock Rainbow down a peg. In less time than an eye blink, the energy condensed to a single focal point right above her back. Right before the light blinded her, a greyish blur pushed her clear of the thunder fields.

Once her eyes recuperated, she clasped her gaping mouth. It wasn’t the static flowing through Swift’s charred blue forelocks that stunned her but his goggles. They were on the floor, one lens cracked with the other all gone. As he shook off all the static, she bent down to pick up the headwear but when she touched it, the whole accessory came apart in an ashy pile.

Swift finally noticed this fact but all he did was move his hoof across his mane so it would return to its usual disheveled condition. “Bummer,” he said without much emotion. “This really isn’t my day, huh?”

“Um,” she preferred staring at the remnants of his goggles, “Oh. I–I could try to—”

“No worries. Told ya they weren’t my thing.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

He stood at what remained of his birthday present from friends. He reached down to touch it but pulled back and sighed. “We should switch back to the course for a while. We can try the lightning fields later tonight.”

Rainbow approved with a nod, but as she resumed flying through the cloud hoops, the syndrome’s contrived fear become less of a distraction than the subtle transformation occurring to her friend. His naive but charming optimism, that glimmer in his eyes, and his indomitable spirit, each aspect that made Swift Flying a reliable beacon was losing its luster, much like the patch of darkening skies from atop the chamber.

When the moon arrived, the celestial body lacked its usual shimmer while many of the stars hid behind errant clouds. As a result, their home away from home was only half as bright. What had been full-speed ahead progress became an uphill slog. Her wings continued jumping the gun and folding in while in mid-flight. Rope that should’ve been high grade continually frayed after minimal use. While the strands were in sufficient supply for this evening, words between her and Swift were scarce. What he did say was nothing more than simple instructions: go here, go there, Bravo Eight, stop, wait, and so on.

By ten o’clock, the pegasi returned to the thunder fields for a second attempt. It lasted all of fifteen minutes. They had run out of rope and Swift had developed a stench of burnt hair.

“We could try the obstacle course without the rope,” he suggested.

Rainbow slowly shook her head. While her body still had some fuel left, her emotional tank was on fumes. “Let’s just call it a night.”

“You need a cloud?”

I didn’t need one to reach the clinic. “Well—”

Too late. He already had one ready to go. It would’ve been rude if she refused now, so she hopped onto her ride. No doubt, it was up to usual soft and plushy standard although she wasn’t really in the mood to relish it. Other than some initial grunting, Swift made no verbal announcements.

Say something, wontcha?

As they traversed through the chamber walls and into increasing precipitation, she opened her mouth.

“Rainbow?” he said in a hushed voice.

Whatever icebreaker she had slipped from her tongue. “Um, oh, yeah. What’s up?”

After a short pause, “Tomorrow, we can start on some of those stunts. We can also tackle the harder flight routes through the hoops and continue with the lightning training.”

Her ears folded. “I, um, okay. Do you think we’ll find our way out of this tomorrow?”

A longer pause later, “We’ll see.”

Once more, Swift switched to silent mode as he continued pushing the cloud carrying Rainbow through the rain clouds and then below them. The soggy skies had a noticeable chill, made worse by a constant breeze blowing from every direction and the heavy raindrops that sought them out with impunity. From where she lay, Rainbow could practically touch him but he was a specter with no substance or soul. If she had the right words, she would say them to make him whole again, to pull him back into the present. Alas, Rainbow could only watch him for the remainder of the journey until he finally spoke by her door.

“I’ll see if I can wrap up work by lunchtime,” he said, watching Rainbow hop off the cloud. “We’re ahead of schedule now, so I think I can chance it.”

“Ok,” she answered, nudging open the door. “So, you gonna sleep tonight, right?”

He nodded.

“Well,” She gave him an opening he didn’t take. “Have a good night. No nightmares, okay?”

His blood-shot eyes darted away from hers. “I hope so. I’ll see you later, then.”

Rainbow raised a foreleg but he had already taken off into the Equestrian skies. He was heading into the darkness, swallowing him into parts unknown. She had to save him, her instincts screamed. She had to pull him away from the unseen imminent danger or else, Swift Flying as she knew him would never come back.

She slammed shut the door. “Condition or not, I can’t let him get away!”

She ran toward the edge of the hanging clouds, building up the requisite speed for a quick departure. With a giant leap, her wings spread wide, the air working its magic around them. Immediately, she put her hoof down on the accelerator to close the distance between her and the gray dot just within sight. In seconds, fear crept into her nervous system, so she cupped her mouth for an alternative solution.

“Swift!” she hollered into the night skies. “Swift! Stop!”

He juddered to a sudden stop and then waited for her eventual arrival. “Um, is there something wrong, Rainbow?”

Words didn’t come to her; she hadn’t thought this far ahead. “I, um, I wanted to… well, there is something wrong.” She placed hooves on hips. “Yeah. There is something wrong. You.”

“Eh?”

She rubbed her forehead, “Look. I know today’s been tough, especially for you. You’ve been, different, since we saw Redheart. What’s bothering you?”

“N–nothing,” he said with a headshake.

“It can’t be nothing. It has to be something.”

He reiterated his prior response.

“Don’t tell me that. Tell me now what’s up with you.”

“Nothing,” he said tersely.

Her eyes twitched. “Darnit! That’s a lie and you know it!”

“I’m not, lying!”

“Yes, you are! It’s all over your face! Believe me, I know it when I see it because I look just like that every time I try to hide something from my friends! Don’t think you can hide whatever it is you’re hiding because you can’t! Not anymore!” Realizing she was shouting, she lowered the volume a notch. “Please. I want to help you. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing! Zero! Zippo! Stop jumping down my throat,” he snipped, raising booth hooves in the air.

Rainbow prodded his chest, “It’s Saddlecloud, isn’t it? It has to be. Nopony can go through that and not be affected somehow.”

“Knock it off,” he snarled, pushing away her hoof. “I don’t wanna talk about it!”

“You have to!”

“No!”

“Why? Because you’re afraid?”

He had no response other than a trembling through his body.

“Dammit! Don’t do this to yourself and hold it in! Did the tornado shake you up?”

Swift pressed right into her face. “Of course I was but who wouldn’t be? But I got out of it, didn’t I? I lived!” Suddenly, fright seeped into his voice. “All I had to do was fly way, if I could. The weather team could’ve reached me, if they were only fast enough. I could’ve had Princess Celestia swoop in and save me, if she only knew I was in trouble.”

She wanted to intervene; his pain was now visible trickles flowing down his face but the answer was just within reach.

“It wasn’t fair, Rainbow.” At the top of his lungs, “It wasn’t fair!”

Rainbow mouthed his words. “I, I don’t—”

“I did the right thing and what does that get me? My bosses decided that I had to leave the… no. I was fired! What I did saved the town and smashed my wings into pieces and they fired me!”

“W–why would they do that?”

“I broke too many rules. I put the team in danger. I broke the established chain of command. They couldn’t make an exception for me, they said, even if what I did saved lives. They made it so that everypony thought I had quit, that I was a victim. I had to live through that whole experience and they do that to me? They didn’t even acknowledge what I did! As far as the official record goes, the team knew what they were doing all along.”

“You’re angry at what happened to you,” she whispered.

“I was!” His voice developed cracks, “I was. I snapped, Rainbow. I actually wished I hadn’t done anything at all, that there was no point in doing the right thing if life punishes you like that. I turned into the worst thing a pony could be, completely selfish and once I calmed down, I hated myself. I hated myself so much, I wanted to forget everything. That’s when everything started for me.”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, you’re not sel—”

“Ever since then, I’ve chickened out on things I would’ve done before. I’ve let my weather team or my friends charge into danger while I stay behind or play the safest role. When ponies pick on others, I look away. When somepony is tricking others, I don’t speak my mind. Every time I want to do something because it’s right, I get scared. I hesitate.” Tears washed away in the rain. “I don’t want to risk going through something like that again. Even the smallest things I can’t seem to do without thinking about what happened to me. Shoot. I almost didn’t want to you help you.”

Her mouth opened slightly. In front of her was a pony on the verge of total collapse.

He covered his eyes. “I wanted to run away from this. I didn’t want to remember what happened to me. I didn’t want you to know what a worthless coward I am. I’m not strong enough, Rainbow. I’m just not—”

Amid the chilly downpour in the dark, Rainbow reached around his slender frame and pulled him right up to her body. She held onto him and listened in at the chaos coming from within chest, an erratic violent shudder that tore away at his soul. As she allowed her soul to meld with his, his breathing started to relax.

“You’re not a coward,” she whispered. “You're stronger than you think you are.”

His eyes opened wide. Certainly, what he heard was a mistake.

“You may not have the muscles on the outside but this," she touched his chest, "is the toughest part of you. What you’re doing now, for me, that takes a lot of courage. Just like when you earned your cutie mark. Just like when you faced that tornado. You’ve gone through so much and yet you’ve made it this far because you were strong enough. When I asked you to help me, you could’ve run away but you didn’t. Something inside of you made you want to help me. I can’t think of anypony in the world that could live through what you did and have the guts to get this far, even me.”

“What? You?”

She moved her head so she can take a long look into pair of blue orbs. “Yeah, I’ll admit it. Compared to you, I don’t much to complain about. I’m glad you’re here because if I know you were about to tough it out all this time, I can too. I can keep going, all the way to the finish.”

“But I’m not sure if I can.”

“Yes you can and you know why? You’re not fighting this thing on your own. I’m here for you too. If you ever doubt yourself or think you’re not strong enough, then look at me. I believe in you, Swift, and if that doesn’t work, then I’ll knock you silly until you do believe in yourself. No matter what happens, I won’t leave you hanging, okay?”

On her eyes, he saw a reflection of himself, the one she thought he was. It was the stallion he strived to be, the pony with the bravery to continue the march toward danger. “You really are the element of loyalty, aren’t you, Rainbow?”

She didn’t answer with words, just a smile. When Swift saw it, he hugged Rainbow tighter. Then, they stayed as they were, basking in the glow that shielded them from developing ice on their wingtips until their eyes met once more. Peace, they had a moment of serenity where doubt and fear didn’t exist.

“Sorry.” Swift chuckled lightly. “I shouldn’t have acted out like that.”

Rainbow tapped in on the cheek, “No, you were holding onto that way too long. You needed to vent. I’m just happy I could be here for you.”

With the slightest of moves, their muzzles touched. Instantly, their faces caught fire and yet, they were gentle in letting each other go to give each other personal space.

“I’, um, I’ll see you for lunch?” Swift said in a half-asleep voice.

“Lunch,” was all she could say in her lightheaded state.

They went their separate ways. Swift constantly checked back to ensure she had a safe journey home. He smiled every time she looked back his way and even after she had closed the door, he continued smiling.

Then, a scent of something sweet and juicy flowed into his nostrils.

Orange? Why do I—

On his shoulder was the source, a few strands of red and yellow hair. When he took a sniff, it brought him back to the hug. Two minutes, that’s all it took to undo most of the damage done to his confidence. He could face tomorrow again better, stronger and with a desire to see somepony once again. Rainbow Dash, she was more than she thought she was, more than just a brash outspoken mare who liked pushing his buttons. She can be gentler, compassionate and demonstrate genuine concern for his well-being but one fact stood above the rest.

For her hair, she used orange scented shampoo.

And he liked the smell of it.

Comments

Have to say I really, really like this story! I'm not into fanfiction that much, and I usually stay away from stories which involve OCs, but I find myself coming back here all the time hoping you've already released a new chapter. Swift is a great character and I can't wait to find out how he'll help RD regain her flying abilities, keep up the good work!

I really am loving this story. My one comment is regarding the OC-shipping situation. I get that you don't want to take it any farther, but the way you have slowly developed their relationship has been written too well to be left where it is. I feel that it will probably end somewhat sadly (Swift has to go back to Brayside eventually, unless you really want to mess with their lives lol), however that seems like that is one of the better options. It kills me when authors awkwardly drop a relationship or push it to the side because it went somewhere they didn't necessarily expect. Just my two bits, lol.

By the way, I know you said you don't like the way Swift's cheesy pine came out, but I think it fit quite well with how you ended the chapter.

Keep up the good writing!

[Dustchu]

Mmmm, orange scented... gawd I bet Rainbow smells delicious.
Awesome job on this, I loved that interaction between the two

Nicely done! Nicely done.

[blaukit]

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