• Published 2nd Nov 2013
  • 1,875 Views, 135 Comments

Flying Alone - Neko-sama



In the midst of Rainbow Dash coping with the loss of her lost lover, she discovers that there's a little piece of him that will never leave her.

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IV (Legs)

I looked around at the spanning orchard. The trees were stripped of their summer leaves to make room for the snow. The wicked branches held what snow they could, leaving the rest for the ground below. The sun was peaking over the hills, spilling some of its morning gold over the snow. The reflective ice shone back in a wondrous light that cascaded over the entire orchard. Each little flake turned into a diamond of its own, and even created tiny rainbows.

Looking out over the orchard, it was hard to believe that the white powder that shone so beautifully almost killed me a week ago. Ever since I...accosted Applejack at her stall, she had given both me and Lightning a place to stay. Lightning was quite reluctant, but with nowhere else for me, I had no choice to accept. I had told Lightning she could go if she wanted to, but she remained at my side. Secretly, I was glad she decided to stay.

I couldn't place my feelings for Lightning. Sure, she had saved my life from freezing to death, but at the same time she seemed disinterested in me. Her feelings would hit odd extremes; sometimes she was cold and bitter, but others she was promiscuous and sly. I was certain that there was something she wasn't telling me, but any push for information was met with a default, "No".

I took a few steps further into the orchard, reflecting on my total life of two months. I had tried everything I could to regain my memories, but nothing was working. Whenever I tried to remember anything before waking up in that weird white room was met with a sharp pain in the back of my head. It felt like I had taken a bullet or a train engine to my head, and I usually couldn't bear it for long. Applejack had told me about a healer in The Everfree Forrest, but she wouldn't return until the beginning of the spring.

My wanderings into my amnesia usually led me to speculation. I wondered about what kind of person I was, who I left, who knew me, or even who loved me. Was I a scumbag or a millionaire? Did I kill other ponies or poverty? Was I a playboy or was I a Colt Cuddler? The questions would rocket between my ears before I had lost interest in them. Sure it was fun to think about who I was, but I had to focus on who I was now.

"Hey Legs! What are ya'll doin'?" A voice came from behind me.

I turned to face my other saving grace, Applejack. She was huddled under a coat that looked to be a few sizes too big before, and her usual Stetson hat hid her blonde locks. A red flush was forming across her cheeks and nose, but was hard to see under her tangerine-colored coat. I was transfixed on her emerald eyes, which reflected a look of confused worry.

"I was just, uh, taking a walk. I needed to think," I replied.

"Legs," she said flatly, "It 28 degrees outside. Get your grey flank back inside."

"But-"

"No 'buts' mister! You may not be my kin, but I'll sure as Celestia treat ya'll like one! And I'm not leavin' ya' outside in the stinkin' snow!"

I rolled my eyes, and flashed a friendly smile.

"Yes ma'am," I said sarcastically, "I'll stop freezing my ass off."

"Good girl!" Applejack mocked, "I'll have a nice doggy treat waitin' for ya' inside!"

I walked back towards the house, but before I could reach Applejack, a snowball collided with the back of my head. I reached back, and wiped the powder from my hair. I spun around, and heard an amused cackling coming from somewhere in the snow clouds.

"Oh, Lightning Dust!" I shouted, "When I get my hands on you, you're gonna wish you froze your ass off in the snow!"

"Ah, just leave her," Applejack commented, "She's just tryin' to get a rise outta ya'."

"Sorry AJ, but the damage is done!"

I stretched my wings, and crouched to the ground. The tension was rising in my muscles, and I furled my wings closer to me.

"Lightning Dust, YOU HAD BETTER BE READY!" I shouted.

I rocketed up from the ground, and burst into the could layer. The grey snow clouds would grant no camouflage for the teal mare, making my hunt for her easier. I could still hear her faint cackling coming from the clouds, and by the sound of it, she was close.

I set my hooves onto the cloud, and did my best to play stealth. If she knew I had landed so close to her, I would certainly get a cloud of snow dumped on me. I took a few cautious steps toward the sound of her voice, but the closer I got, the quieter it seemed to get. I knew I wasn't walking the wrong way, I tested it with a few steps in the other direction, but her voice became very faint. A new sound, however, began to dominate my ears.

It was the obscure sound of a mare...crying.

I took a sharp left, and began walking towards the new sound. The sound of Lightning's laughter had faded completely, and now I could focus on the distressed mare.

"H-hello?" I called to the empty bank, "Is anybody here?"

No response came from the grey clouds. I slowed my pace, and clenched my fists in fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to help!"

Again, no reply came from the bank.

I took a few large steps towards the spot, and the crying began to increase in volume. I could see a small clearing in the clouds, and I decided that it was the source from the crying.

The crying became a low roar as I walked closer to the clearing, and my head began to throb. The spot in the back of my skull began to burn with its usual sensation. I grabbed my head with one hand, and continued to take labored steps.

A strange phenomenon happened as I got closer to the clearing. A blur, shaped like a huddled pony, began to form in the center of the clearing.

"H-hey!" I called to the blur, "Are you okay?"

The blur began to develop more distinct features. Her fur was a beautiful cyan that stood in contrast with the grayness of the clouds. She was wearing the tattered remains of a blue and yellow jacket, and her hooves were only occupied by socks. The most incredible about her, however, was her prismatic mane. Six distinct colors stood out from her coat. Red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple all stood in even streaks in her short mane.

As her features became more noticeable, so did the pain in my head. It felt as if something was trying to claw its way out of my head. I took a few more steps toward her, before the pain brought me to my knees. I grabbed my head with both hands, and panted heavily. I took another glance back at the mare, but she was gone. I looked around in a panic for her, before looking back to the clearing. I was met with a pair of legs.

I looked up at the legs, and saw the mare standing above me. Her wounds were completely gone, and her jacket looked brand new. For the first time, I saw her eyes. They reflected a stare of pure evil. Her eyes were a blood red, and she looked down at me like I was a meal waiting to be eaten. The mare smirked, and she brought one of her hooves down on my head.

The clouds beneath me spit, and I felt myself descending back toward the ground. Her blow to my head blurred my vision, and it was fading fast. I blinked worriedly, but when I stopped, the clouds were gone. Instead of the winter day I was just in, it was replaced with an inky night dotted with stars. The clouds were white again, and were formed into an arena of sorts. I looked to my left, and saw the burning wreckage of something. The fire had engulfed most of the structure, and was consuming it rapidly. On the other side of me, I could hear a shrill screaming of a mare. I didn't have the strength to spare another glance to her. The arena was getting smaller as I fell, and I could the air getting faster against my fur.

Right then, something clicked in my head; a switch flipping. I shook my head of the odd fog it was in, and slackened my jaw. I was trying to form a word, but before I could get it out, my back collided with the earth.


"...egs? Legs? Do you hear me?" something said.

Everything was black, and I could feel nothing but air around me. My mind was trying to piece itself back together, but it couldn't find all of the pieces.

"I can't believe you threw that damn snowball at him!" the voice shouted in the black.

"Me? ME?! This is my fault?! He didn't have to follow me up there!" another voice said from the void.

"Yeah! But he wouldn't have if you didn't antagonize him!"

"Okay, like it's my fault he was playing in a cirrus! Any pegasus who knows how to fly knows to stay away from cirrus clouds! They couldn't hold a feather's weight!"

"Are you seriously blaming Legs? He almost DIED, and you're pinning the whole fiasco on him!"

"Yes! He shouldda known better!"

"I cannot believe you Lightning Dust! You better hope he wakes up, or else you'll have to hope I'm in a good mood!"

"Oh yeah! Like I'm scared of the farmer's daughter! Bring it on hayseed, I can take you!"

The voices were ringing in my head, and everything began to gain coherence again. I could feel that I was laying in a bed, my heavy winter clothes replaced with something lighter. Sitting on top of the clothes was a heavy blanket, restricting everything but my head.

I could feel the various parts of my face again, and I tried opening my eyes. They slowly peeled open, and everything was a little fuzzy. My stomach was alive with nausea, and I tried to form a word.

Instead of something I knew how to say, a pained groan leaked out. My vision was getting clearer, and I saw the source of the two voices. Lightning Dust and Applejack were standing close to each other, each of them wearing an angered expression.

"Hey! Look!" Applejack's younger sister, Apple Bloom, said over the commotion, "He's wakin' up!"

The two mares looked back at me, and their anger melted away.

"Legs! You-"

"Oh thank Celestia!" Lightning Dust interrupted, "I thought you died!"

Her eyes looked like they were brimming with tears, and she walked over to the bed I was in.

"W...what happened? Why am I in bed?" I asked wearily.

"First things first. Who are you?" Lightning Dust asked, a bit of worry riding on her words.

"Legs."

"And who am I?"

"Lightning Dust."

"And where are you?"

"Sweet Apple Acres."

"Good! Now we don't have to start over!"

Applejack shot her a confused glare, and walked to my bedside.

"The answer to your earlier question was that ya'll fell out of a cloud," she said, not looking away from Lightning Dust, "You took a pretty nasty fall."

"Do you remember why you were playing in a cirrus cloud in the first place?" Lightning asked.

"I heard something," I answered, trying to recall the events before my fall, "Crying I think."

"Did you see the pony who was crying?"

"Kinda. She was blue, crazy-colored mane, and red eyes. At first she looked all beat up, but when I tripped, she was all fine. Then...then...she kicked me in the face, and...I fell?"

Applejack's face was frozen in shock, but Lightning Dust had a look of genuine worry on her face. She knelt down beside me, and caressed my face.

"Don't worry, we'll find the bitch who did that. I have a few ideas on who it might be. Just try to get some rest, we can discuss it tomorrow."

She got up, and walked out of the room, not looking back at anyone. I looked up to Applejack, and her face was still a mess with shock.

"AJ, are you alright?" I asked.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, looking back at me, "Just go back to bed."

She too left the room, and slammed the door behind her. I could feel the weight returning to my eyelids, and fell back into my deep sleep.


I was roused from my sleep once again by sounds coming from the room. However this time, I knew the sound all too well.

Crying.

I opened my eyes, and scanned the room. Sitting next to me in a chair, was Lighting Dust. She had her head buried in her hands, and her shoulders were shaking with her sobs.

"Lightning?" I asked groggily.

She looked up at me, her tear-filled eyes reflecting a look of shock.

"I'm sorry L-Legs," she said between tears, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," I replied, smiling, "I like talking to you. What's the matter?"

"It's just...I'm so...Urgh! Dammit! I'm sorry okay?!"

"Lightning, I don't understand. What's going on?"

"I'm apologizing dammit!" she shouted, "I shouldn't have thrown that snowball at you, I shouldn't have laughed at you, and it's all my fault that you almost died because of me!"

"Lightning," I said calmly, "Calm down. It's okay."

"No! It's not okay! I could have killed you!"

"But you didn't! And that's what's the most important. I'm not mad at you."

"Y-you're not?"

"Why should I be? It's not like you curb stomped me."

She nodded, sniffling back more tears.

"What's got you so upset? I've never seen you this guilty before."

"I-it's that apple bitch. She's been giving me grief all day about what I did. I just want to leave this damn farm!"

"Well," I said, considering our options, "Do you have a place to go to?"

She nodded, and wiped her nose with her sleeve.

"It's a friend's place. An old warehouse outside of town."

"Do you really want to leave?"

She nodded again, looking up at me.

"Alright. Help me up so I can talk to Applejack."


"You want to WHAT?!" Applejack shouted.

I recoiled at her sudden outburst, and leaned against Lightning.

"I said that we're gonna move on. I really appreciate your help, but Lightning has a place for us to go."

"You can't leave Legs! You almost died today, and on top of that, it's ten degrees outside. Ah can't let you leave this house."

"Applejack," I said, anger rising in my tone, "You can't tell me what to do. I'm not some kid. We need to go, and we're going tonight."

"After everything I've done to you, this is how you repay me? Running off into the night with some street girl? Can't you understand how ah feel?"

"Can't you understand how I feel?! How Lightning feels?!" I shouted, "You've been giving her nonstop Tartarus for something she didn't do! Why does she deserve that?"

"The same reason why you deserve to be homeless! Cause yer both WORTHLESS!"

Applejack was huffing in anger from her sudden rise in volume, and she sat there glaring at us. I nodded lightly, and shifted on my feet.

"I think it's time we went," I said softly.

I guided Lightning towards the door, and I opened it to the bitter winter night.

"Legs! If ya'll walk out that door, you better never show yer face around here again!"

"Challenge...accepted," I said, and slammed the door.

Applejack fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face already.

"Oh sweet Celestia, what have ah done?" she cried.


The walk to the warehouse wasn't far. It was close to town, and it even had a path leading up to it.

The warehouse itself stood looming over the quiet town. It's exterior was rusted with age, but mysteriously all the windows were intact...and painted black. The warehouse gave me a seriously negative vibe, and I was wary about sleeping there.

"You said your friend lives here?" I asked Lightning Dust fearfully.

"Yep," she answered, "She should still be here if I'm right."

Lightning walked up to the large metal doors, and fiddled around with a control panel. After a few seconds of messing with the small box, the metal doors began to groan. They slowly began to split open, revealing the way inside.

"Come on!" Lightning said grabbing my arm, "It's warmer inside!"

She guided me into a large, empty room. The lights were all turned off, giving the room a freaky vibe. The walls seemed to breathe, and the wind was amplified by the metal roof.

"Home sweet home," Lightning muttered, "My friend should be here in a sec."

"Who the fuck is there?!" A voice called from the shadows.

"It's me, Gee. And I brought a friend!" Lightning called back.

Row by row, the lights snapped on, illuminating the storeroom. It was empty as I predicted, save the raised loading area. Standing on the platform, however, was Lightning's friend.

She was a decently sized person, her body filling out in all the usual places for a girl. A rough leather jacket was thrown over her shoulders, and two brown wings extended from her back. Her legs were squeezed into a pair of skinny jeans, and her feet were concealed by a pair of black combat boots.

The most disturbing of all, was that she wasn't a pony. Instead of a snout, a yellow, razor sharp beak extended from her feathered face. The feathers on top of her head were spiked out to one side, giving the illusion of actual hair. From the one eye I could see, her eyes were the color of golden wheat, shining lightly in the fluorescent lights. Her other eye, though, was concealed by a black eye patch.

I stepped further into the light, and I saw her beak curl into a vicious smile.

"Holy. Fucking. Shit!" she shouted at me, "If it isn't little Tiny Tim!"

"Wha-" I tried asking before she cut me off.

"Oh? What's the matter? Don't remember me?" she asked mockingly.

She burst forth from the platform, and seized me by the collar of my shirt. The mystery girl had me pinned against one of the metal walls.

"How could you forget me? After all, there's a piece of me that'll never leave," she cooed.

She took one of her taloned hands, and lifted up my shirt, exposing my ribs. I looked down, and saw three lines of raised scar flesh. I had seen them plenty of times before, but never knew where they were from.

"Yeah, this was supposed to kill your rat ass, but things don't always go as planned!"

She threw me back into the center of the room. I landed on my shoulder, and tried to roll over, but before I could move, the girl pounced on me. She was straddling my hips, and had once again seized my collar.

"Now, doesn't this feel...familiar?" she asked, toying with me, "This was the same position we were in before i gutted you!"

I struggled beneath her grip, but was met with a hard slam to the ground.

"Except this time, Spits won't be here to stop me! Any last words, meat?"

"Three," choked, "Who are...you?"

"You can't be serious!"

"I am. I haven't the smallest clue as to who you are?"

"You're trying to tell me you don't remember the raid you conducted in the name of that cunt Rainbow? Where you went all macho and tried to kill me. And then I served your lung on a silver platter before Spits put one in my eye?"

"Not...a...word."

The girl released her grip on my collar, and looked down at me with an unsure glance.

"Maybe I could use this to my advantage," she muttered to herself.

She stood up, and offered my one of her hands.

"Sorry about that," she said slyly, "Maybe we got off on the wrong hand."

I took her hand, and stood in front of the girl.

"I'm Gilda," she said, extending her hand again, "I think you and I can do some great things together."

"I'm Legs," I replied, taking her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."