Salvation

by Sandstorm Inkwell

Chapter Twelve

Stepping out of the bathtub, I looked at my only pair of clothes and sighed. I really need some new threads. I thought to myself, making a mental note to see ask Rarity about replicating my uniform. With some minor changes of course. Maybe a hood or some other additional thing.

Now dressed, I stepped out into the hall and turned to my room. Approaching my door, I heard the crying of a little kid. Worried, I opened the door and peeked my head in to see Scootaloo curled up on the smaller bed, shaking. Stepping inside, I closed the door and sat down on the bed next to the little filly. Feeling the bed shift, she lifted her head and turned to me, the tears rolling down her face. The small smile seemed out of place though.

“Scoots?” I asked, wiping away some of the tears with a thumb.

“Is it true? This isn't a dream?” Her voice was hopeful and timid.

“Is what true?”

“That I can stay here? With you?” she asked, looking down at her bed.

I smiled and patted her head before picking her up and holding her in my arms like she was a human infant.

“It's true. This is no dream. This is your home, just as much as mine.”

The effect was almost immediate. The tears suddenly stopped as the filly squealed in excitement and locked her forelegs around my neck in a hug. Chuckling, I hugged her back, happy that she wasn't crying anymore. Gasping, Scootaloo pushed back enough to look at me with an excited smile and wide eyes.

“Can I invite my friends to a sleepover?” she asked excitedly.

“Of course!” I answered with a laugh, wiping away some of the leftover tears off her cheeks, “But first, I got something to show you. Let me finished getting ready first though.”

“What is it?” she asked as I set her back onto the bed and stood. I already had my pants, shirt, belt, and boots on but this time I decided to throw on my blouse. After zipping it up and clasping the velcro, I grabbed my goggles and facemask off the bed.

“You're gonna have to wait,” I replied.

“Ugh!”

Chuckling, I turned and stepped out into the hall, letting the filly out before closing the door. After going down the hall, we went down the stairs and then into the main hall. Luckily, one of the ponies I needed to see was in the hall talking to Jones.

“Stay here while I talk to Dash, 'kay Scoots?”

“Why?”

“It's a secret,” I replied with a smile.

Scootaloo sat down with a “humph” and crossed her hooves. She didn't follow as I walked over to Dash and Jones. They were talking about the Humvee and taking it out for a ride.

“Hey Dash,” I started, leaning against the table the two sat at, “can you do me a favor?”

“Sure, uh, what is it?” she asked with a cock of her head.

“I need you to create a sort of cloud runway over the park about 15,000 feet above the ground. It needs to be about five yards long and two yards wide. Can you do that for me?” I asked with a smile. She took a heroic pose as she answered.

“Yeah I can!” she then blinked and looked at me with the cocked head look again, “But why?”

I gestured to where Scoots sat, “I got something planned to help raise her spirits 'bout the whole flying thing,” I paused and rubbed my chin (noting absently that I needed to shave), “At least I hope it will.”

“Oh, alright, I'll go get that set up than. See ya Jonesy!” With that, the blue pegasus zoomed out of the mead-hall with a 'whoosh' and a slight backblast of air. Chuckling, I gave Jones a pat on the shoulder before motioning Scootaloo along. Walking outside, we walked quietly to the library. Again, I told Scootaloo to wait while I talked to Twilight and, again, she sat down with a “humph” and crossed her hooves.

Walking inside, I found Twilight organizing her books.

“Hey Twi, what's up?”

She looked at me in slight surprise as she floated books into place, “Oh, hi Tyler. I'm just organizing the books.”

“For the third time today,” added Spike from atop a pile of books. A glare from the unicorn caused him to start working again. Once he disappeared in the books, she shook her head and looked at me with a confident smile.

“What's up?”

“I need you to do your spell thingy that lets me walk on clouds and I need to borrow your hot air balloon,” I stated as I picked up a book and looked at the cover. Laughing: The Fundamentals and The Meanings. I cocked my head at it before a purple glow surrounded it and yanked it from my hands, putting it up on a shelf.

“Why?” she asked, looking slightly embarrassed about the book.

“I got something cooked up to raise Scoots' spirits and to do that, I need to be able to get up to and walk on clouds. Can ya do it?”

“If it'll help Scootaloo...” she put a hoof to her chin in thought, “Sure, I don't see why not.”

I knelt down and pulled the unicorn mare into a hug, “Thanks Twi! You're amazing!”

I let her go, the purple mare backing away with a blush on her cheeks. She shook it off before muttering “Hold Still” as light built around her horn. It suddenly reached out and wrapped around me. It felt tingly but safe as I was lifted a couple inches from the floor. Finally, I felt a surge of... something rush through my body as the glow disappeared and I fell back to the floor.

“There,” she said with a smile.

“Cool! Thanks Twi!” I said excitedly as I wrapped her into another hug. Letting her go, I turned and jogged back outside to an impatient Scootaloo.

“Are you gonna tell me what this secret is yet?” she asked. I just smiled and shook my head. She sighed, “Of course not.”

I chuckled as I knelt and ruffled her mane, “Don't worry, the secretiveness is almost over. Go to the park and wait in the hot air balloon okay?”

She cocked her head at me but nodded, “Alright.”

As she trotted off in the direction of the park, I turned and started jogging to the last stop I needed to make. Carousel Boutique, the place this plan of mine first came to fruition. Reaching the fancy looking store, I slowed before stepping inside. I was almost immediately greeted by the white unicorn, her purple mane slightly disheveled.

“Hi!” she shouted, an eye twitching ever so slightly.

“Hey Rarity, you got the surprise ready?” I asked, shying away ever so slightly from the semi-crazy unicorn.

“Of course I do! It took all night to make and get working the way you said but it's done! Hang on!” she disappeared in a flash before reappearing not a second later with a pack looking thing in her mouth. Dropping it on the floor, she smiled widely. “There! Hehe!”

“Cool,” I said softly as I picked up the pack. Stepping through the leg straps, I pulled it up and put my arms through the shoulder straps. Clipping the chest piece, which also had a harness looking device, I tightened all the straps before giving the pack a testing tug. It held tight. “Thanks Rarity. Umm, can I borrow a pair of goggles for Scoots?”

“Sure!” Rarity yelled as her magic sent three such goggles flying into me. They didn't hit with much force but they caught me off guard. Picking one up I smiled at her while backing out of the shop.

“Okay... thanks Rarity.”

“Anytime!” she shouted, waving her hoof over-dramatically.

Finally getting out of the store, I sighed before turning in the direction of the park. As I jogged, I pulled on my facemask and put on my goggles so they rested on my forehead. I got more than a few looks as I ran through town with the black pack on but I didn't care as I was smiling like an idiot from under my mask.

Reaching the park, I saw Scootaloo in the balloon talking to Sweetie Bell and Applebloom as they stood beside the basket. They quieted as I neared but from the way they were looking at me and the pack, I assumed they were talking about the surprise I had planned for Scootaloo.

“Okay, well, we'll see ya tonight for the sleepover!” Applebloom shouted as Sweetie Bell and her took off.

I smiled at them before directing my smile at the orange pegasus filly tapping her hoof impatiently.

“Whats that?” she asked.

“Something.”

“Ugh!” she cried as she dropped into the basket.

Laughing, I looked up to see the clouds in position. Climbing in, I starting the burner and applied some flame to get the balloon rising. As we rose, I tossed the goggles to Scootaloo.

“Put those on please.”

The orange filly did so without argument, probably just wanting me to tell her what I was up to. It was a couple minutes before we reached the clouds. As if by magic, the balloon hovered perfectly by the clouds. I swung one leg out-

“What are you doing?” questioned Scootaloo loudly.

“Twilight did you cloud walking spell thingy, I'm good,” I stated as I swung my other leg out. My feet landed on the clouds and-

I yelled.

“No!” Scootaloo shouted as she jumped to look over the edge... to see me laying on the clouds laughing. “You... you...” she jumped out and onto me, jumping up and down, “meanie! I thought you fell through!”

Picking up the filly, I stood and looked at her goggled eyes with a smile. After a couple seconds, she smiled back and laughed, “Guess it was kinda funny.”

“That it was,” I replied. I then sighed, “Do you trust me?”

She cocked her head at me, “Yeah. Why else would I stay in the same room as you?”

I chuckled, “Fair enough.” I brushed my hand against the harness thing on my chest, “This is a harness to hold you. I'm gonna do something called parachuting that humans in my world do for fun-” And war “-I need to put you in the harness, okay?”

“...Okay” she said with a doubtful look. I brushed her mane before easing her into the harness. Once she was in, I tightened the straps until she winced.

“Why so tight?” she asked, shifting a little.

“Don't want you falling out, right?”

“Falling out?”

I didn't answer as I turned to the far end of the cloud runway and started running. Nearing the end, I pulled down the goggles and-

“GERONIMO!”

-jumped.

Twisting my body, I pointed myself straight down at the earth far below. Scootaloo screamed, the pitch of her voice allowing it to reach my ears as the air rushed past us. I was laughing as I tightened my body even more and felt a small push of extra acceleration. After a couple more seconds, I leveled out my body and spread my arms and legs in the spread eagle position. Finally, Scootaloo stopped screaming and put out her wings experimentally. After shying away once, she stuck them out and smiled wide as we slowed even more. She even flapped them a bit as we continued falling.

About half a minute later, I shouted,

“Hang on!”

Reaching with my right hand, I pulled the string. There was a seconds delay where doubt crept into my mind before there was a soft 'pop' and the black material came out to form the distinct wing shape. We suddenly slowed and started to drift to the ground. Grabbing the handles I made sure to guide us down safely. As we came in for a landing, Scootaloo still had her wings out.

Lifting my knees, I hit dirt and ran to a stop, the parachute dropping to the ground behind me. I was about to turn and start collecting it when there was a 'zing' and the parachute somehow folded itself and retracted into the pack, the handle going back up as if I never pulled the cord. Huh.

“That was awesome!” Scootaloo shouted as she squirmed happily in the harness. Chuckling, I loosened the harness and moved to lift her out. Suddenly, she kicked herself up, turned, and wrapped her hooves around my neck in a crushing hug. “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” she screamed, tightening her hug.

Choking a bit, I pried her off before holding her out and smiling at her. She looked at me sheepishly but was obviously still excited.

“Your welcome but now you see that even if you can't fly,” she looked a little saddened as she half-heartedly flapped her wings, “you can still enjoy the feeling of the sky.”

She smiled wide again as I brought her in for another hug. Finally, I set her onto the ground and said,

“Now come on, we got a sleepover to prepare for.”

Comments

[BronyIsADuck666]

when tyler asks for the parachute