Chapter 9- Come Fly With Me (Revised)

Chapter 10- Come Fly with me

"There is an art to flying, or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss"

                               -Douglas Adams

Rainbowcloud Manor, Several Hundred Meters Above Ponyville, Thursday 4th of April, 6:00am, 2205 AC

The wonderful mastery of evolutionary advantage known as the 'internal clock' was what awoke the Rainbow Pegasus. Rainbow Dash quite literally rolled out of her cumulus bed, still wrapped in the Wonderbolt blanket of her own choosing. After some struggling and confusion the flying mare managed to poke her head out of the fabric prison. Her multicoloured mane was frazzled and stuck out in odd angles. Despite that young Dashy was well awake now.

Relieving herself of the blanket and unceremoniously tossing it back onto the condensed water molecule bed that was its home. The Pegasus stretched her muscular blue wings, did a few struts in place, then took of flying through her window. Rainbow Dash soared around her cloud mansion at high speeds, dogging rainbowfalls and free floating clouds, the air whipping through her mane and fur as she went through her morning exercise.

Rainbow Dash completed her tenth lap and then soared back through her window, landing perfectly. Again she stretched her wings before folding them and walking over to the cloud doorway that lead to Dashy's bathroom. Inside the Pegasus hopped inside the shower. The shower itself was a rather innovative piece of cloud technology, developed by Cumuli Inc. The water was natural rain water taken from a cloud, as the droplets fell onto the floor they were absorbed again, transported up, and formed into another cloud to rain on the client again. The liquid already cleansed by the wall clouds.

Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof onto the floor to jump-start the process. There was a bit of vibrating before the rainwater slowly began to drip from the ceiling. The blue Pegasus continued stomping on the floor until the droplets were equal with a torrential rain storm. As the mare relaxed in the shower she thought over what she was going to do today. It was Rainbow Dash's day off for the Weather Team, and she didn't really have any new moves to work on.

I guess I could go hang out with Jason, get to know him better

Dashy finished her shower, she grabbed a towel with her teeth and threw it on to her head. Roughly rubbing her mane dry, it going to the messy rainbow mullet that we all know and love. And after a quick breakfast of hay cereal, Rainbow Dash took off out her door. Ponyville

looked peaceful at this time of day, the streets and houses being bathed in the golden light of Sol. All of the Equine residence rested in peace... For now.

Rainbow Dash's face spread into a mischievous smile and she increased her speed, the Pegasus steadily raised her altitude until she reached a proper hight. Turning around back towards the town, Dashy sped towards the ground at high speeds.

As she increased her speed she became a rainbow blur. A halo of multicoloured magical energy appeared around the air cone that Rainbow Dash had gained, the wind tore at her face and mane before finally the barrier broke. Dashy pulled up, a massive explosive sound rocked through Ponyville, and the Rainbow blast coloured the sky.

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Lr. Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada, Monday, 31st of March 1:55 pm, 2014 AD

The Writer looked up from his IPad and around, he thought he heard a sound, like a sonic boom, but apparently no one else in the classroom had heard it. Shrugging he adjusted his glasses and leather jacket before turning back to the words on the Apple product.

                                                               ~~*~~

Goldenoaks Library, Ponyville, Equestria, Thursday 4th of April, 6:00am, 2205 AC

Jason jumped out of bed with a yell, flailing his arms in a vain attempt to defy gravity. Alas, The Bane of The Brothers Wright asserted it's dominance over man and forced Jason to the ground along with his blanket. The Human then proceeded to battle with the fabric to free himself. After much struggling and confusion Jason managed to break from the brown sheet, his head emerging, hair cow-licked and frazzled but the Human wide awake from his endeavour.

Relieving himself of the blanket, he carefully placed it back on the bed, tucking in the sides and repositioning the pillow perfectly. After he was satisfied Jason strolled over to his bedroom window and pulling it open, sticking his head out, the Human looked at the morning sky, which happened to be coloured the shades of the rainbow.

Jason looked at the light show with an expression that most would account to annoyed or angry, with his furrowed brow and frown. In reality however, this was Jason's curious face. After a moment or two of looking he pulled his head back in and closed the window with a snap. After stretching his arms and shoulders, he grabbed the combat boots at the foot of his bed, and after strapping them on he cheerfully walked downstairs.

In the kitchen was a very grumpy-looking Twilight holding a cup of steaming liquid.

"Morning Jason," she said. "Did Rainbow Dash wake you up to?"

"Uh... No? It was some sort of loud explosion."

"Yep, that was Rainbow Dash." Jason mimicked the same expression that he had when staring at the rainbow sky, only this one was his confused face.

"What?"

"Oh that's right, you don't know. Rainbow Dash has the unique ability to go faster than the speed of sound. When it happens the boom is imbued with magic, thus creating the rainbow halo that crests the sky." Jason's expression didn't change, rather, the Three Thousand Gods took hold over his actions, moving the Human's palm to meet in holy embrace with his forehead.

Sighing, Jason entered the kitchen and made himself a vegans dream breakfast; a fruit bowl. Picking up one of Twilights wooden forks he began to eat.

"So," he said. "What's the plan for today Twilight?"

"I was planning on reviewing my notes on your race, so I have no questions for you today. Also what happened to 'Miss Sparkle'? " Jason grinned.

"My apologies Miss Sparkle, I hope you can forgive me for my lack of proper address," The Human said mockingly in a exaggerated London British accent. Twilight rolled her eyes as Jason chuckled. The two were interrupted by a few knocks at the door. Jason got up and gave the lavender Unicorn a mock bow.

"Allow me my lady." This got Twilight to giggle. Jason grinned at her and exited the kitchen. Once in the hall his grin immediately dropped, his face returning to its usual stony unimpressed state.

Reaching the door the Human swung it open revealing a grinning winged magical rainbow Pony standing outside.

"Hey Jason," said Rainbow Dash cheerfully. "Have a good sleep?"

"Well I was, until you decided to bend physics just to wake everyone up." Dashy laughed.

"So, how do you feel about hanging out with the awesomest Pony in all of Equestria?" Jason stared at her for a minute before shrugging.

"Sure, just hang on for a minute." The Human disappeared for a moment, poking back into the kitchen; telling Twilight. Running upstairs, grabbing his knife and running back to Dashy.

"Let us away," Jason said closing the door and as Rainbow Dash took off, they strolled through town he spoke again. "So what did you have in mind to do?" The Pegasus tapped her chin for a moment before grinning.

"How fast are 'ya?" She asked.

"Pretty fast." Rainbow Dash grinned.

"Best your not as fast as me." Jason raised his eyebrows before grinning as he caught on.

"Well what to say to a test of skill?"

"Your on! A race, from here to the Everfree Forest, a nice straight path." The Pegasus pointed down the main road of the town, it lead a linear path straight through town and to the edge of the Everfree Forest where it forked into two paths.

"Deal," Jason said and the two lined up at the beginning of their makeshift racetrack, already the calculations in Jason's mind were running rampant.

I can full sprint this safely, my boots offer traction but also weigh me down. She can fly and can potentially go faster, but she needs time to speed up and slow down? I can go and stop on a dime

A confident smile spread over both Human and Equine faces as they got ready to speed off. Out of seemingly nowhere Pinkie Pie appeared in front of them, holding a green flag in her hoof (somehow.)

"Ready!" Pinkie held the flag high. Jason braced his leg while Dashy did the same with her wings.

"Get set!" The bouncy mare held the flag sideways.

"Go!" Pinkie Pie swung the flag through the air and was knocked off balance as two blurs raced passed her.

As Jason predicted, he had the initial lead, speeding in front of Rainbow Dash and toward the Everfree Forest. Unfortunately for Jason's pride however, the rainbow-coloured flying Equine was gaining ground on him. The Human dug in his heels and launched himself farther with bigger steps, the two racers became level with one another. Each of them giving it their all, and just as Rainbow Dash was beginning to pass Jason they neared the end of the dirt track forcing her to slow down and come to a stop.

"Told you I'm the fastest," Rainbow Dash said, panting slightly.

"Bullshit, that was a tie and you know it." Jason had worked up a bit of sweat on his brow, which he wiped off.

"Ha... I guess you right, hey you ain't half bad hotshot. Come on, it's time you saw a little more of Equestria." The Pegasus beckoned to her Human companion and flew at a much slower pace along the western path, Jason not far behind her. Eventually the trail gave way to train tracks, a fact that Jason found interesting.

"Train tracks mean trains," he said to himself. "Maybe these Ponies are more advanced then I thought." While Jason was distracted his rainbow friend had pulled ahead of him.

"Hey hotshot! Come look at this!" The Human looked up from the metal bars that had held his fascination. Rainbow Dash was quite a ways away, beckoning to Jason. The Human jogged along the tracks and over to her, stupidly keeping his eyes trained on the flyer as he went.

"Sorry, I was just looking at the-" It was at this point that Jason realized there was a decisive lack of solid ground under his feet, so naturally gravity gave him a 'fuck you' and pulled the Human towards the ground. Jason yelped and grabbed the ledge, but he would've fallen had it not been the blue hooves that latched onto his arms.

Rainbow Dash pulled Jason up from the dead drop, grunting something about him being heavy, before finally heaving him onto solid ground.

"Nice *gasp* going hotshot," Dashy panted. "Next time look where your going." Jason lay in shock on the ground, clutching his chest from the mini heart attack he had received from the near-death experience.

"You... saved my life," the Human said. Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah... don't mention it. Unless your doing it to say how awesome I am." Jason stared at the Pegasus with slightly widened eyes before he broke out in a grin.

"Your not half bad Miss Dash, thank you." The Pegasus smiled back.

"Like I said, don't mention it. Oh, and it's just Dash okay?" Jason nodded back.

"Dash it is then." Both of them stood up. "What is this place anyway?"

"This is Ghastly Gorge, biggest crevasse in Equestria and a really good place to fly through." Rainbow Dash pointed to a set of naturally formed stone stairs leading down into the gorge.

"Come on we can pass through, it's faster than going around." The pair headed towards the steps. The gorge itself was at least two kilometres deep, and had a decently sized waterfall and river running through it. The river leading up to the gorge was too fast and deep to cross on foot, and it ran all the way back to the Everfree Forest. Jason could see that there was another goat path that lead back up to the other side of the crevasse. They were a little ways down from them and across the stream.

It was as Jason reached the bottom was when he noticed the holes; big gaping circular voids embedded in the rock. They gave a foreboding aura off of them.

"Dash," Jason said slowly, keeping his voice down out of paranoia. "What are these holes?"

"Oh, those are the Giant Eel burrows."

"....Giant Eels?"

"Yep, Giant Eels."

"Are they...uh...home right now?"

"Well yeah, but they're asleep at this time of day," it was at this point that they heard a roar echo from one of the holes and the ground rumbling slightly. "At least... they're usually asleep..." As Dashy spoke the words a giant purple serpent head exploded from the dark void, it moved too fast for Jason to get a good look at it, but not too fast for Rainbow to dodge it. The Pegasus pulled a move that would've made Neo proud and the Eel smashed it's head into the far side of the canyon.

Jason took this opportunity to get a good look at the beast. It was purple, not Twilight purple but more of a poison purple, it had yellow rubber-looking fins caressing it's head and it's mouth was filled to the brim with large, deadly, pointy objects of great danger.

As the beast retracted it's head back into the darkness in which it came, the pair heard similar roars echoing from the other holes and the tell-tale rumbling that announced the future coming of more delightful snakey friends.

"Time to go," Jason said, and without another word the Human and his magical pony companion made a beeline towards the other side. Dashy soaring across the water and Jason slogging across the ankle-deep river water. It seemed for a moment that they were home free, but naturally, the Universe ( And not to mention an incredibly handsome writer ) had other plans.

As Rainbow Dash passed by the line of sight of an Eel hole on the other side, one of the slimy monsters exploded from it, closing the gap rapidly and pinning the Pegasus to the wall by her left wing. She cried in pain and hung their, hopelessly struggling to free her wing. She looked across the way to see another Eel-hole in perfect position to launch an Eel right into her, smashing her to bits. As another roar came from that end of the gorge, Dashy began to loose hope of escaping, the Eel kept it's face firmly embraced with the stony wall with her poor wing trapped underneath.

Wush Wush Wush Wush Wush Wush Wush Wush Wush Wush Wush

Thunk!

The Eel pulled away from the wall, releasing the Pegasus. Dashy landed on her rump and looked up at her former doom to see the Eels waggling around in the air, apparently in great pain, before it gave off a death cry and fell to the ground, rumbling the earth and blocking the river. It was then that Rainbow Dash saw the knife embedded in the side of the Eels head, green blood was quickly coating the side of its head and the putrid smell of the Eels live juices met with Dashy's nose, causing her to gag. The Pegasus looked up to see Jason sprinting towards the dead Eel. In one swift, fluid motion he vaulted over the corpse. Grabbing his combat knife in the process, without skipping a beat he landed on the other side and ran over to Rainbow Dash, picking her up like a puppy and slinging her over his shoulder and running back the way he came.

"I can walk you know!" Jason ignored her as he ran up and over his kill. As he did so more roars could be heard and the Eels could be seen poking their ugly heads out of their lairs. The Human didn't even flinch as he reached the stone steps and sprinted up them reaching the top in record time.

Jason laid Dashy down and collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily from the ordeal. Rainbow Dash just stared at him with wide eyes

"That. Was. Awesome!" Dashy's face was full of admiration, Jason simply shifted his arm and placed his index finger directly in her chest.

"Now we're even," he said before dropping his arm. Rainbow giggled a bit.

"Guess we are hotshot." The Pegasus sat up and inspected her wing, it was bruised and roughed up, but no lasting damage had been done.

"Is your wing going to be okay?" Jason said as he sat up as well.

"Yeah, just bruised, but I should probably keep off of it for a while."

"Then we should probably head back... the long way I suppose." The Human looked around, the far side of the gorge was simply a flat plain with green lush grass that went on forever, on their left the Everfree Forest loomed evilly. A rough shadow of a path could be seen hugging the edge of the trees.

"Well if we're going to go around, we might as well start now. Come on." The two of them stood up and began walking along the path.

For the most part, their little trip was uneventful, they didn't talk much as they were both still a bit shaken by the Attack of the Eels. Jason spent the walk cleaning the green goo from his knife, which was much more difficult than it sounded. The blood (Jason assumed it was blood anyway) had the consistency of syrup and the stickiness of it too. While the majority of it came off the blade still retained a healthy membrane of Eel death juice.

Jason sighed a bit and stuck the weapon in his belt rather than it's sheath, not wanting the leather of the holster to get covered in goo. The Human looked up ahead of where they were and saw that the grass was becoming thinner and more patchy. Eventually the lush field they had been traversing, and the forest to their left gave way to a grey, bedrock ridge.

"Happen to recognize this Dash?"

"Yeah, I've flown over it enough times. It's called Rambling Rock Ridge, come on, we're almost to Ponyville." Rainbow took the lead and trotted across the rocky ground, Jason in tow. As they walked forward, the highly evolved bipedal member of the master race used his superior senses to notice the giant mole hills in the ground. Now having just been attacked by giant Eels from holes in the wall, Jason wasn't too keen on holes in the ground either.

"Rainbow Dash.." He said slowly. "You said you've flown over this ridge before yeah?"

"Yep! I do laps around the Everfree all the time!"

"....right, so you've never actually walked across it?"

"Uh... No, why?"

"Oh no reason." Jason's hand strayed towards the blade at his side, his spidey sense tingling again, but just as the tip of his fingers had just barely touched the still gooey hilt, a raspy voice reached his ears from behind him.

"I wouldn't do that Pony-friend." Both Rainbow and Jason spun around and got a full view on the newcomer. The thing was definitely canine, the ears and snout suggested as much, but it stood on two short seemingly spindly and weak legs. It's 'arms' on the other hand were long and very large, with wide hand-like paws and the end that were obviously designed for digging. Each of the 'fingers' were tipped with ver lethal-looking claws, it's eyes were squinted and beady, probably from all the dirt thrown at them. To Jason this creature looked like it belonged in a fantasy story rather than on a ridge, so he reacted as anyone of his species would have given the situation.

"Da fuck are you supposed to be?" The beast growled.

"I am a Diamond Dog!"

"....Isn't that a song?"

"What are you rambling about monster-thing?"

"Nothing, nothing, now what do you want?" The 'Diamond Dog' gave off a wheezy cackle.

"You tread on Diamond Dog homeplace! You be made slaves to dig gems for us now!" The sound of shifting dirt and rock came from around and behind them, turning his head Jason could see that they were now surrounded by at least five of the sentient canines, these ones seemed to be a bit more uniform. They all wore metal helmets and chestplates, but they carried no weapons as far as Jason could see.

"Now, now.." His hand slowly gripped around the hilt of his knife, the glue-like substance on it immediately latching onto his skin. "There's no need for this, just let us be on our way and no trouble will come to either of us," as he said this Jason subtly drew the good blade from his belt and held it at his side.

"I don't think so Pony-friend thing, you become Slaveservant along with other Ponies!" The Diamond Dog lunged at Jason, going for his head. Unfortunately for the canine-thing Jason had exceptional reflexes, his arm came up and the blade slashed across the dogs face, making it yelp like a..... wounded dog, and fall to the side.

That enemy temporarily dealt with, Jason turned back to Rainbow Dash. One of the dogs was lying dazed on the ground from being bucked in the chest by Dashy. The remaining four were attempting to hold the Pegasus down and latch some sort of saddle on her. Jason rectified this situation by hitting the pommel of his knife into a dogs face, a healthy crunch sound could be heard as the canines nose and general face area fractured. Blood mingled with the Eel goo and the Diamond Dog fell with a bark. Turning to the next one the Human elbowed it in the snout, not getting as a dramatic reaction as he did when he used his knife, but the dog was taken care of none the less. Not sparing another thought, he planted his boot firmly to the last canines chest, flinging the thing backwards and into a rock, the chestplate echoing from the kick.

Taking the opportunity, Jason helped Rainbow Dash out of the saddle and tossed the thing away. They looked up to see that two of the dogs were already advancing on them. Jason braced himself for attack before they heard a scream.

Now, I'm not talking a generic scream here, I'm talking a bloodcurdling I-am-going-to-fucking-die-now scream that had disturbing similarities to the howl of a dying wolf. Jason glanced behind him to see a very horrific scene, the leader among the canines was writhing in what appeared to be great pain. As the thing sat up, Jason and his attackers got a full view of the damage; the wound that Jason's cut had made was a very unhealthy green and appeared to be spewing both blood and pus by the bucketful, creating a revolting puddle around the dog. Around the wound both small and large boils were growing and breaking at an alarming rate, giving the illusion that the Diamond Dog was boiling. Additionally the creature was now frothing at the mouth and it's eyes had gone bloodshot.

"What's going on hotshot?" Dashy was still occupied with staring down the other two dogs, so the insanity behind her was unnoticed. After Jason glanced over to where the fourth dog was lying, in a similar situation as it's leader but luckily out of Dashy's sight. After a moment or two the Human had made his plan of action.

"Nothing much," Jason said in reply, then quick as a flash he switched his grip of his combat knife to a backhand grip, then kneeling down he pulled Dash to him in his right arm and covered her eyes with with his other.

"What the heck are you doing?!?" Dashy asked struggling a bit.

"Just trust me," the Human whispered in her ear. Meanwhile the remaining two dogs looked in horror at their former comrades, one turned to the Human and Pony.

"You! Pony-Friend thing! What you do to them? What you do to Dog-leader?"

"I hit them with my knife and they became like that, I can't explain it."

"You hit them with Eel-stuff?" The dog said pointing to Jason's still gooey knife.

"Eel-stuff?"

"Yes! Eel-stuff! Eel-stuff toxic to Diamond Dog! Making for bad boils and drives Dogs made it does!"

"...Just take your friends and care for them, we'll leave here and never return." The canine looked back at the two infected dogs, who continued to writhe in pain.

"Fine! You leave Diamond Dog homeplace! Come back and we will make you and your Pony both slave-things!" And with that they grabbed the two rabid dogs and dragged them into one of the holes. Jason waited until the sound of scratching and whining had faded before releasing Rainbow Dash.

"See? I know what I'm doing." Jason slipped the knife back into his belt and took off in a stroll towards Ponyville.

"That was so awesome! You were just like wham! And they were like aaaaa! It was so cool!"

"So does this mean that you owe me then?"

"No way! I could have taken them all easily! I just wanted you to have some fun!" The Human chuckled and ruffled the Pegasus's rainbow mane.

"Just keep telling yourself that." The flyer glared out from under his hand.

"You why'd ya cover my eyes anyway? What was the point of that?"

"Just a promise I made."

"A promise? What promise?" Jason grinned and booped Dash on the nose.

"A secret promise." And with a slightly insane laugh that would've made Pinkie proud, Jason took off down the path.

"Hey! Get back here hotshot!" Dash took off after the Human.

The trip back to Ponyville was uneventful. Jason eventually slowed down and the two walked together, telling jokes and laughing together. During their trip Jason decided that he liked Rainbow Dash. She was fun to be around and a good friend. It wasn't long before the reached the road leading into Ponyville.

"All I'm saying that if you could fly then we wouldn't have gotten into that mess."

"True, but it wouldn't have been as epic, and I'll have you know that us Humans have mastered flight, thank you very much."

"No way! You don't even gave wings!"

"You don't need wings to fly my dear little Dashy, no we invented contraptions to carry us into the air."

"Like hot-air balloons?"

"....well yes but other faster machines." the Pegasus immediately perked up.

"How fast?"

"The fastest could go faster than the speed of sound."

"No way! Only I can do that! and I create a magical microburst while doing it!"

".....I'm sure you do, tell you what, give me a few weeks and we can have rematch of that race. But in the air this time."

"Your on! Anytime anyplace!" They bumped hoof/fist and laughed. While they had been walking they had gone right through Ponyville and to Twilight's Library without even realizing. Jason bid farewell to his new friend and the Pegasus flew off. The Human approached the library door and just as he was about to open it it swung open via purple force powers to reveal a very crazed looking Twilight Sparkle wielding a scroll in her magical grip.

"They're coming," she said in a foreboding voice.

"Who's coming?"

"The Princesses! Princess Luna! And Princess Celestia! They're coming to Ponyville in an hour to meet you!"