Hit the Ground Running

by Flash_Game

Side Quest Pt.2

I stopped in front of a ravine and looked down into it, "That's quite the fall..." Okay, the ball should be around here, I knew that the ball was somewhere around here because every once in a while I would walk somewhere my objective would change to 'go to the search area' but for the life of me, I couldn't find the damn ball

After a while a thought crossed my mind, What if the ball fell into the ravine... I then looked up to the trees, In the other hand, the ball got here by air, hmm. Decisions, decisions... I shrugged, "Not really. It's easier to come down from a tree," That being said, I found myself an opening in between the tree tops and jumped through

I landed on one of the strong branches and looked at the lowering sun, then started jumping from tree to tree, Now I just need the nine tails... I thought with a smirk on my face

After a while, I was next to the ravine on one of the trees when I finally spot the ball on one of my adjacent trees, "Got ya!" I jumped towards the branch and stuck the landing, then proceeded took the ball into my inventory, "Now to go ba- *CRACK* shit..." The branch gave way under me and I fell into the ravine. Last thing I remember was my head making contact with the ground after a long fall

---

==[POV - Noctis]==

"Mom?" Nimble asked a bit concerned

I shook my head, getting my thoughts in order, "Yeah?" Why did I feel weird like that?

"You just stopped. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just remembered I have to pick up some lettuce later this week," Did something happen to Luis? I grabbed his hand, and we continued walking home, "Come on, it's getting late"

I went to bed worried that night, he didn't come back

Waking up alone in the bed was something I was not used to anymore, and I definitely didn't sleep well. I got out of bed and headed downstairs to make breakfast and not too soon after Nimble came down, ready for school that day

"Where's dad?" Nimble asked

I froze up for a second before remembering what Luis told me, "He... had an emergency summons to Canterlot. H-he left a little while ago," I gave him my most convincing smile I could, "Let me finish breakfast, you don't want to be late for school"

"Yeah! I heard we might get something awesome today," Nimble then put on a skeptical face, "Diamond Tiara said there would be, but I don't like her"

That comment peaked my attention, "Oh... This is the first time I'm hearing of this"

He plopped down on a chair and rested his head on his arms, "I dunno... She seems to act differently with me around"

"How so?" I asked as I passed the pancakes to plates and place a plate in front of him

He straightened up and started eating, "She kinda seems to tease the other crusaders when I'm not around. I once heard her call my friends 'cutie rejects' because they don't have their cutie marks, but I don't have it either, and she's friendly with me," He pouted a bit, "I don't like her"

Smiled at him, "Don't worry about her, I'll talk to her parents," Hopefully it's a big enough distraction for me... "Anyway, how has your crusading been going?"

"Still no cutie mark... But today is the day, I can feel it!"

His expression made me chuckle, "I'm sure it'll be"

After breakfast, we headed to the school but not before Blueblood came down and said goodbye to Nimble and me. Scootaloo joined us in the walk to school, they raced all the way there of course

After I dropped the foals off, I found some sort of servant with Diamond Tiara. I started friendly conversation with the stallion, but no luck, so I told him to give Diamond Tiara's parents a message because apparently they're 'too occupied' today

That didn't distract me as long as I would've hoped...

==[POV - Luis]==

I woke up with the second worst headache I've ever felt in my life, the far away light of the sun barely illuminating my surroundings mostly because it was morning, and I was about 50 meters in a hole. I sat up and looked through my inventory to see if I had a painkiller, but no cigar

I stood up and got ready to run up the wall, "Blacklight virus, don't fail me now..." I sprinted up the rocky surface, but no more than 5 steps in I discovered that it was too uneven and unstable to run up it as I tripped, fell and got a face full of rocks and dust

"Bleh ptf! I got dirt in my mouth, mlegh"

*Distant whimper*

"Huh?" I heard the whimpering again, "Hello?" It sounds like a dog fell here, I then proceeded to turn on the light feature of the pip-boy, it was enough light for me to see that there was no cave or anything connected to this ravine near me except for some small cracks in the wall, Probably why this isn't flooded, I thought before focusing back on the whimpering coming somewhere on the east

Is that... is that a dog?

I slowly made my way towards the noise, keeping the bright side of the light pointing forwards. The silhouette of a large canine became apparent in the distance. I slowed down, after all, I didn't want to sneak up on a hurt hunting animal

==[POV - Noctis]==

"Thank ya kindly fer helping on this here last harvest, Noctis! You'" AJ said with enthusiasm

"No problem, I'm happy to help"

"About what I said earlier. If anything a botherin' you, I'm here"

"I- Luis... went into the Everfree yesterday"

"Doesn't he go there every week?"

"Well, yes. But this time something seemed to be bothering him. I don't know what it was. But nevermind that, he'll be fine," ...I hope...

"If yer feeling the need, Ah can get the girls together and go lookin' for Luis," she said with a wink

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you," I smiled back and went back into town

==[POV - Luis]==

I finished fastening the bandages around the pup's foreleg, "There you go, better," I gave the pup a smile as I let go of the splint, but then I looked back to the corpse of its mother, I'm sorry, poor gal...

The mother seemed to have died on the fall, but the branches impaled on the body could mean they were thrown through the trees or were attacked by timberwolves. I turned to look up to the mouth of the ravine and thought to myself, At least the timberwolves can't get down here without falling to pieces... I looked back at the pup, Which begs the question, how did you only get a broken leg? I know the mother probably absorbed the impact, but it's such a long fall

The pup then limped up to me and placed its paws on my lap, tail wagging happily, "I'll talk to Fluttershy when we get back, she'll be able to help you better than me," I said while scratching him behind the ears, Thanks to the cartoonish nature of this world I can just tell by the facial features. Still, not completely used to it, but whatever

---

I took the piece of meat from the fire I had set up, and took a bite, "Could've used some spice," I turned to look at the wolf pup, who already had a cleaned bone, "Having fun there?"

He tilted his head and looked at me, I smiled and in return he did a quiet 'woof' and returned to her bone, which made my smile get bigger, "Glad to hear," Weird, it almost sounded like a yes

==[POV - Noctis]==

I can't believe he isn't back yet... Is he okay? I stopped in front of Ponyville's gym, I need to unwind

The community funded gym had always been well-equipped, while they didn't have top of the line equipment like the training grounds' gym, it had everything anypony would ever need. Everything from electric and kinetic treadmills all the way to a flight tunnel and weights

"Yo! Bat girl!" said the scratchy voice of a certain gryphon

I turned to where the voice came from and noticed Gilda turning off the flight tunnel, "Hey there, Gilda! I didn't know you were visiting"

"Meh, I'm not much for attention. What are you doing gym though?"

"I come here every once in a while, you know. Besides, Luis is out for a while and I have a couple of days off starting today," I wonder how she'll react if I tell her he went to the Everfree? I thought as I had a flashback to the time Luis dared her to spend a night in the forest. She ran out after a few hours and Luis ended up staying two days

"You should try to break Apple J's record on the bucking bag," she then looked at the machine with determination, "I'm not letting a pony out strength me," she whispered to herself with a hint of anger, or maybe rivalry, I couldn't tell

Luis did say he was slowly helping her with her attitude... It does seem to be working...

"I'm going to hit it," Gilda then fast walked to the machine and got in line

...quite well... "Wait for me! I wanna try too!" It'll be a good distraction for a bit. Although, Nimble gets off school soon, can't be late for that

---

==[POV - Luis]==

I snapped out of my force meditation due to a weird feeling. Turning to make sure the pup was okay, I asked him, "How's your paw lil' fella?"

"Woof! *Whimper*"

"Better, but still hurts? Got it," I said back with a smile, The only way out is up, unless we could turn into water... I sigh, "The paw is not good enough for a lot of movement, is it?"

He gave me a bunch of sad sounds, almost as if telling me that the pain got worse with sudden shifts

"No worries, just tell me when you feel better, so I can get you to someone who can help more sooner," I looked up to the darkening skies, "Hopefully, that'll be tomorrow morning"

"Woof!"

"Hmmm..." I lifted my arm to eye level and saw my hairs standing on end, "The feeling is getting worse?" I don't remember having spidey-sense... Peter-tingle, hehe

*Whimper*

I refocused on the pup and saw him glowing white, "What is going on?" I reached for him and noticed the same glow from my arm, "WHAT THE FU-"

*WOOSH*

I reopened my eyes and all I saw was white, "Where- where am I?"

"Woof woof!" the little pup barked as he walked up to me

I bent down and petted him, "You're here too, huh?"

"Sorry for bringing you here this way," said an ethereal voice

"Uhhhh, no... worries?" What's happening?

"Arf?"

Suddendly a prismatic Twilight wearing a toga materialized infront of us, "I am the Tree of Harmony"

Author's Note:

Pam-pam-pammm

Tree of Harmony? What is that doing here? Why was Luis and the pup called here?

Tune in next time to find out

I hope you enjoy my story so far because I'm enjoying writing it

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[Flash_Game]

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