Mapping Manehattan

by The Red Parade

scouting

The roof gives them an extensive view of the city. From here they can look down at the empty streets, locating alleys and passages between the buildings. Lightning takes a pair of binoculars out of her bag, lifting them to her face.

A squirrel darts out of the bushes. It pauses, looking around, before taking off again. It dashes up a tree, blending in with its bark. A bird flies out of the tree, landing on top of a police car. It pecks at the roof for a bit before letting out a happy chirp.

Lightning lowers the binoculars from her face. Her ear twitches. A harmonica note breaks the silence from behind her. Fiddlesticks is leaning against a wall, standing on her two rear legs. She closes her eyes and plays a phrase.

The notes disappear into the city, rushing down the alleys and drifting through the windows. They echo off the graffiti stained walls and bounces in between the shops. Fiddle keeps playing.

It isn’t a song. She’s just improvising, playing a few notes that feel right. Lightning watches her play with a smile. Fiddle’s pretty good. She’s even better on the fiddle. Too bad they can’t find one.

Fiddle plays on, holding out the last note for a few seconds. Lightning applauds politely and Fiddlesticks takes a dramatic bow. She wipes the instrument off on her shirt and puts it back in her case.

Lightning pulls some paper from her bag. They’re old reports for some company. Notes and records from management, reports from an assistant. They don’t matter anymore.

She goes over to a table somepony left on the roof and starts folding the paper. First she bends it in half, running ahoof along the edge to create a deep crease. Then she opens it and folds the top corners in, making two triangles. She folds the edges in again, making two wings.

Finally, she folds the ends of the wings back down. A paper airplane. The bane of teachers everywhere. Lightning picks up the airplane and goes to the edge of the roof. She hops up on the short guard wall and looks down. She tosses the plane forwards, and it spirals through the sky.

Its flight is short lived. Soon the plane plunges towards the ground. It hits the street silently. Lightning has a goofy grin on her face. She looks like she wants to jump off the building after it.

But she doesn’t. Instead she turns around. Fiddle holds up another plane and gives it to her. Lightning lets it fly.

It’s not long before paper airplanes litter the streets below them. They’re stuck in trees, in the storm drains, on top of cars, and on the floor. They would have kept going if they had more paper.

But no. They’re down to one last airplane. Lightning cocks her arm and wishes it well. She releases it, and the airplane joins its brothers and sisters, covering the streets below in a dull white.

Comments

[Tael_Spinner]

10157502
Cars would have been designed for them. Seat and column are probably adjustable like with cars for us humans.

Small error in chapter Scouting: echoe. You don't need that extra e.

[The Red Parade]

10159517
fixed thanks