Wonderbolt

Chapter Two- Trial and Error

By Feather Scratch

“This’ll never work!”

Over the course of the day following my epiphany, I realised that my final sketch was probably a little over ambitious to start with. There would be a lot of hard work involved in building the thing, and the component parts wouldn’t exactly be cheap. I needed to iron out all the variables and prove the concept first, which led me to my first test the next morning.

“No, it probably won’t. But that’s what tests are for!”

I stood on the roof of the clock shop with a rig made from a broken up broom handle, a torn-apart pillow case, and some string strapped to my back. Mister Glockinpie stood on the porch below, hopping nervously on three hooves and chewing on the nail of the fourth. “Ya loony kid, this is too far! Listen to me very carefully. You are not a Pegasus. No amount of laundry strapped to your back is gonna change that. For Celestia’s sake, you’re nearly a stallion now. It’s time you got your head out of the clouds and faced reality, and the reality is, if you jump off that roof, you’ll fall and break your neck!”

I looked down at the ground and scrunched my nose. It was only a one story drop, and the rain last night had left the dirt good and muddy. I probably wouldn’t break my neck. I glanced back at my wing rig. It was roughly the same size as a real Pegasus’ wingspan and as well-constructed as I could manage in a single afternoon. A brief frown crossed my face. This wouldn’t fly. I was ambitious, not delusional. What it would do, however, was give me an idea where to start making improvements. All I had to do was avoid landing on my head so I wouldn’t forget the flaws I noticed. “Don’t you worry, Mister Glockinpie. I’m almost certain I know what I’m doing!”

I backed up, ignoring my master’s protests below. I fixed my gaze on a spot in the distance, took a few shallow breaths, and charged. The second my hooves left the solid slate of the roof and flung me into open space, I felt it. It was like time stood still. Every nerve in my body buzzed like I had just been struck by lightning. My senses took in every detail of my surroundings as though I had all the time in the world to remember, and pure, liquid euphoria surged through my veins. This was what I had yearned for all these years; this feeling. It felt like... freedom.

All too soon, however, the moment was over. My forward momentum died, and after a brief second of hanging, suspended in the air, I plummeted to the ground. My rig buckled where the wings met my shoulders and dragged useless behind me. I barely had time to gasp before a deep mud puddle filled my vision. Then everything went black.

~~~

The world was blank, white, like fresh parchment. My body told me I was falling, but the infinite expanse of nothing in all directions made it impossible to tell. I tried to scream, but there was no sound. Panicking, I clutched at my throat. It felt strange, like my fur coat had been replaced by... oil?

I looked at my hooves and let out a silent gasp. It wasn’t oil, it was ink, and my hooves weren’t covered in the stuff, there were just hoof shaped line drawings where my real hooves should have been! With a growing sense of fear and confusion, I glanced over the rest of my body. Just like my hooves, the rest of me was nothing but ink lines. I even had ink versions of my first test wings.

So... I had jumped off the roof, braced myself for a close encounter with a mud puddle, and now, I was a drawing on a page. That was new.

The feeling of falling didn’t go away with this revelation. If anything, it got worse. My wings began to flail and flutter,and, though I couldn’t see it, instinct told me the long, solid line that was the ground couldn’t be far away.

Think, think!

I rubbed my temples, cringing at the greasy texture of the ink. I must have really been smudging the detail on my face.

Smudging the detail? My eyes shot open, and I stared at, what passed for my hooves. The ink was a mess. I jerked around to look at my useless wings. If I was a drawing, what was to stop me making a few changes?

I closed my eyes and thought back to the moment I jumped off the roof. I tried to ignore the simple joy and focus on the details. Why didn’t the wing rig work? Two separate wings tied to my shoulders was a mistake. Without a Pegasus’ natural musculature my wings had no way of bracing against the updraft. The centre of balance was off too. The crude wooden frame made me front heavy, but, more than anything else, they were just too small. Pegasi must have compensated with some sort of magic because there was noway wings that size could lift a body as big as a pony naturally.

Satisfied with my conclusions, I removed the rig and set to work making the adjustments. It was every bit as easy as I thought it would be. Just by running a hoof along the ink, I joined lines to others. I lengthened those that needed lengthening, braced those that needed bracing, and finished off by adding a much sturdier harness.

When I felt the drag trying to wrench the new rig from my grasp, I quickly strapped in and pulled up, just as my back hoof smudged the one solid line at the end of the page.

~~~

“Are you sure he’s alright, Mrs Smith? Maybe we should take him to Canterlot. They have doctors, hospitals.”

“Quit yer fussin’, Corona, the boy’s gonna be just fine. I’ve seen plenty worse than that little bump on the head on the farm. Lucky fer him, he’s got a thick skull.”

My head throbbed as consciousness slowly returned to me. I groaned at my aching muscles and tried to force my eyes open, wincing at the light of the sun.

“He’s awake! Lay still, son.” A hoof pushed, gently but firmly, down on my shoulder as I tried to sit up. Blinking a few times as I adjusted to the light, I focused on the pony above me. The swimming blur of pale orange and yellow slowly cleared and became my mother’s face. Her eyes were bloodshot from tears.

“Hail Storm? Hail, he’s awake!” A second later my father came into view. His face was stoic, but his eyes betrayed his concern. “How ya feeling, kiddo?”

“Like a rock jumped up and bucked me in the face.” I croaked. “What happened? Where am I?”

“It’s okay.” My mother soothed, absentmindedly smoothing my mane. “You’re in your bed at the clock shop. After you fell off the roof, Mister Glockinpie carried you inside. Mrs Smith,” she nodded towards the older Earth Pony mare, “was passing by and agreed to take care of you while Mister Glockinpie came to find your father and me. Poor old dear’s taking a nap in the workshop now. I don’t think he’s had this much exercise in years.”

“Wait, fell off the roof?” I frowned in confusion. While I suppose it was technically accurate, I was pretty sure I jumped off the roof and only fell when gravity caught up.

My mother frowned, her tone suddenly turning sharp. “What were you thinking, going up there by yourself? Loose shingles or no, fixing a roof is a two-pony job for obvious reasons!”

“What? But, I didn’t-”

“Don’t even try to deny it, young stallion. Mister Glockinpie told us the whole story. Thank Celestia you only ended up with a bump on the head.”

“Don’t you ever worry your mother and me like that again!” My father chipped in, wrapping a foreleg around my mother’s shoulder.

I nodded mutely, avoiding eye contact. Mister Glockinpie covered for me? I guess the bag of bones wasn’t so bad after all.

~~~

Night fell. Mrs Smith had returned to the farm hours ago, and, after much coaxing and reassurance, my parents finally decided to head home. I closed the front door after waving them off and heaved a sigh of relief. It was great to feel wanted, but there was only so much hovering a guy could take. I wasn’t even really hurt!

I trotted back into the shop and sat down at the workbench, my back to my master who was rocking quietly in his chair. For the longest time, neither of us said anything. The only sounds to break the silence were the steady creaking of the rocking chair and the gentle crackle of the embers in the forge.

I eventually broke the silence, unable to take the tension any longer. “Why didn’t you tell them the truth?”

Mister Glockinpie snorted and chuckled. “Like I’m gonna be the one to tell a pair of loving, hard-working parents their son’s a delusional moron. No kid, that’s something I think they should hear straight from the horse’s mouth.”

“What happened to my wings?”

“You mean the junk you had strapped to your back? I threw it in the forge before I called for Mrs Smith. Figured it’d be easier than trying to explain it away. By the way, you owe me a new broom.”

I was glad I had my back to him, because I couldn’t suppress a smile at my master’s words. He may have been as soft and subtle as a buck to the face, but it was nice to know he cared enough to look out for me. “Thanks.”

He grunted. “I just hope this little stunt of yours knocked some long overdue sense into ya.”

My smile broadened to a grin as I pulled out a quill and a fresh sheet of parchment. “Oh, it did, sir. If it makes you feel better, I promise I will never try to use those wings or any like them ever again.”

~~~

Test one turned out to be a lot more educational than I had anticipated. Not only did it show me where my wings needed improving, it taught me the importance of secrecy. What I was doing was dangerous, to say the least. If I tried to work out in the open, everypony would try to stop me. I know they’d only be looking out for my best interests, but I’d never know peace if I didn’t see this through.

I worked on my second rig at night, after Mister Glockinpie went to sleep. The more complex design and the limited time I had to work on it each day was severely frustrating. Within days, I was jumping at shadows, straining my ears for every creaking floorboard, every possible hoofstep. I made sure to make each component individually and keep all the finished pieces carefully hidden, so I would have less to explain if I was caught. It was nearly a fortnight before I was finished.

As I blew the sawdust off the final piece, my chest swelled with satisfaction. It was all worth it. I snuck back to my room and fished out the large saddlebags I used for deliveries. One by one, I removed each component from hiding and carefully stowed them in the bags. Tomorrow night was it. I would go out of town, far from any prying eyes. I’d assemble my rig when I got there and then... Hope for the best.

~~~

Somepony once said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I bet whoever said that didn’t intend for that “single step” to be straight off the edge of a cliff, but I’ve always been the pragmatic type. How else was I supposed to go so far without taking a second step?

As I tightened the harness around my waist, I felt a satisfying updraft nearly lift me clean off my hooves. My location choice was perfect. The Saddle Ledge just east of Ponyville was tall enough to make use of the high-altitude winds with only a short stretch of forest between me and the Sea Horse River. If my rig worked even half as well as I thought it would, I should be able to clear the forest easily before I started to lose altitude. I’d be in for a soggy landing, but it’d be progress.

I looked over the edge and gulped. Perhaps this was a little high. If my wings failed at this point, I wouldn’t be walking away with a headache and a lecture.

No!

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. This would work. Nopony ever made progress by going back.

Just as far as the river, that’s all it had to be. With my eyes closed and before my own sense of self-preservation could stop me, I stepped off the ledge.

I was falling fast. The trees below shot up at me like arrows from the earth, and the wind in my ears howled like it was screaming in fear because, at a time like this, somepony should. My eyes stung, and the world started to blur. I couldn’t see! This wasn’t good. I needed to pull up. I needed to pull up now!

I kicked against the cliff face and jerked my head back as hard as I could. The harness yanked painfully at my torso as my new wings caught an updraft, and, just as fast as they had risen to meet me, the trees below became nothing more than a green blur, shooting back and away. They were working! My wings were actually working! It may not have been flight in the truest sense, but I wasn’t falling anymore. I was moving forward, riding on the wind like a real Pegasus.

Within seconds, the last of the trees disappeared behind me, and the world below filled with the glassy expanse of the Sea Horse. I looked down at my reflection and erupted with laughter like a mad pony. I looked so awesome! I was doing what no Earth Pony had ever done before, and from here, things could only go up!

I was so caught up in my own excitement that it took me awhile to realise the river was still pretty far below me. I could see Ponyville looming in the distance, and it seemed to be getting just a little too close. By my original guess, I should have splashed down by now. The river was only so broad. What if my wings worked a little too well? I had no way to steer this rig, and, at my current rate of descent...

My blood ran cold as scenarios ran through my head. I was too low and had lost too much momentum to pull up over the windmill directly in my path, but I was still too high and moving too fast to land safely in the water. I could try and pull off a sharp nose dive but, the sudden deceleration and impact in the water would most likely break my neck. If it was even possible to steer this thing, I had no idea how. It just seemed like something I’d have to worry about later, once I had “not plummeting to my death” worked out.

I shut my eyes tight and braced myself. I just hoped the walls of the windmill weren’t too thick.

A sudden, painful impact knocked the wind from my lungs, and filled my vision with flashing, red dots. This was definitely worse than the bump on the head, mostly because I was still conscious. On the plus side, my head actually felt fine. I would have thought, in a direct collision, that would the part of me that hurt the worst, but most of the pain seemed to be in my chest.

I must have been in shock, because I still felt like I was moving. I blinked furiously, trying to clear my vision. I could see the windmill. It was several metres away and seemed to be getting farther and farther away by the second. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I was actually going backwards.

Ponyville fell away and rumbling, grey clouds filled my vision. An all-too-familiar sense of falling washed over me, and, just for a second, I managed to convince myself this was just another dream. Then the ground jumped up and smacked me, hard, on the back. As I skidded to a halt, the only thought going through my head was, good thing there was no air in my lungs, or that might have really hurt.

As I lay there, staring at the stars, my lungs heaving for air, several thoughts swam through my head, battling for attention. That was awesome! Need to figure out how to steer. Next time, wear eye protection. That river isn’t nearly as wide as I thought it was. Why am I not picking splinters out of my face inside a windmill? I didn’t know I could fly backwards! Why is my chest so heavy?

“Urgh.” When the weight on my chest shifted, I finally managed to focus back on the here and now. I looked up to see a mare clamber unsteadily to her hooves. She shook her head and staggered away, giving me room to sit up.

I tried and failed. After a moment of fruitlessly flailing my hooves in the air, I remembered my harness. The instant I worked the buckle loose, I fell to the ground with a dull thump. Slowly, I sat up. I groaned and rubbed my aching ribs. Two tests, two injuries. Perhaps I should invest a little time developing some sort of padding before test three.

“What in the name of Celestia did you think you were doing?!” I looked up at the mare that was on top of me. Now that my head was clear, I was able to recognise her. My cheeks flushed.

“Blue Streak?! Uh, what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?!” Her pupils were the size of pin pricks, and she looked like if she bore down on her teeth any harder, they’d shatter. Spectrum had called her a “loveable tyrant.” Last time we met, I saw the loveable. Now, I guess it was time for the tyrant. “I’m doing my job! Stormy nights scheduled all week, remember? I do not have the time to waste bailing out every block-headed Pegasus who doesn’t have the good sense to avoid flying under active thunderclouds. Not to mention, one who’s so bad at flying he can’t avoid barrelling, head first, into one of the biggest buildings in town!”

I sat there in shock for a full minute. I don’t think I even blinked. I had just been insulted, yelled at, and chastised by the mare I... By a mare I was fond of. I should have been hurt, angry even, but most of what she said was just white noise compared to the one statement my mind had latched on to. “You thought I was a Pegasus?”

She had her hoof raised and mouth open, prepared to put down any of the generic complaints she had heard a thousand times, before freezing mid-breath. “What?” She blinked a few times before running her eyes, slowly, over my face, down to my bare back, over to my wing rig, then back to my face. After a few more seconds blinking, she gasped. “You’re that Earth Pony who brought us the watches, Bert!”

“It’s Bolt actually.” I grumbled. “But yeah, that’s me. Thanks for the save.”

Poor mare. She looked as though her head was about to explode, trying to fit an Earth Pony-shaped piece into a Pegasus-shaped puzzle. “Wh... But... How? I mean... You were flying! You weren’t doing a very good job but, you were flying! Earth Ponies can’t fly. It’s just not...”

I chuckled a little as she collapsed onto the ground, clutching at her head. “First of all, just because Earth Ponies don’t fly, doesn’t mean we can’t. I just proved that. Second, yeah, my flying could have been better, but I think it was pretty good for only my second attempt.” I knelt down and rested a hoof on her shoulder. “You okay?”

I could only imagine what was going through her head at that moment. She had just witnessed what amounted to the impossible. I may as well have sprouted a horn and started teleporting all over the place. Eventually she managed, “How?”

“Short answer, a little inspiration and a lot of hard work. Actually, I have you to thank for this.”

“What?!” She recoiled. “I’m pretty sure I’d remember telling an Earth Pony to stick it to gravity!”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Remember the last time we met, back at the track?” She nodded but was still clearly sceptical. “You gave me the feather you used to sign for the package.”

“You kept that?”

I coughed, hoping the darkness would hide my burning cheeks. “Well, yeah. Like you said, souvenir. Heh heh. Anyway, that night, after a... bad dream, I started messing around with it and, all of a sudden, I was inspired! I was always good at making things and I always wanted to fly so, I decided to make myself some wings so I could fly!”

Blue cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. “And, it worked? Just like that?”

“Well... there were a few... technical difficulties with the first model.” I rubbed the back of my neck and smiled sheepishly. “But, as you yourself just saw, the second model works great!”

“You mean, apart from nearly making you face plant into the side of a building at high speed?” She trotted over to my discarded rig and examined it. “Huh, I thought you were just a Pegasus trying to creatively air out your bed sheets. This really lets you fly? This is so...”

“Insane, ridiculous, stupid?”

“Awesome!” Just like that, her face lit up, and she was the same giggling, bouncy pony I met at the race track. “You are officially the coolest pony I know Bert!”

“It’s Bolt, and thanks.” My cheeks burned and a stupid grin devoured my face. Who cared if she got my name wrong again? She thought I was cool! “You’re the first pony who doesn’t think the idea of me flying is insane.”

“Oh, I think you’re seven kinds of nuts, but who said being crazy was a bad thing? It takes guts to go after a dream everypony says will never happen, and, unlike me, you actually look like you could pull it off.” She laughed and went back to playing with my wings like she hadn’t said anything, but her enthusiasm was gone. I realised she could tell I was blushing the whole time because, just then, I saw her cheeks flush.

“Are you saying you have a dream nopony thinks you can do?”

“It’s nothing, really.”

“No, tell me. I want to know. It can’t be any weirder than an Earth Pony who wants to fly.”

She sat down and looked away, her wings and ears drooping. She didn’t look like she was going to say anything. In fact, she looked on the verge of tears. Just as I was about to take pity on her and change the subject, she spoke up. “I’ve always wanted to meet the Princess.”

I frowned. “Well, that’s not so farfetched. Everypony wants to meet the Princess, and you have a better chance than most of doing it, right? All you have to do is win that flying contest this summer. From what I saw at the track, I’d say you’re a shoo-in.”

She shook her head dejectedly. “Not likely. Because Celestia is hosting the event to make peace with the Gryphons, odds are good the winner will be a Gryphon. It’s the smartest political move, so it’s what everypony’s expecting. Even if it wasn’t, it isn’t just us in Ponyville entering. The contest will feature all the best flyers from across Equestria. I know I’m fast, but I’m a rookie compared to most of the entrants. The best I can hope to do is not mess up and hope I don’t lose to Spectrum.”

We sat in silence for a while. I underestimated the Pegasi. It would seem at least some of them understood the wider implications of such a competition. I just wish it didn’t have to hit Blue so hard.

“You know, not many ponies know this, but I was born in Cloudsdale. Both my parents were Pegasi, you see. The day I was born I nearly fell to my death. My dad caught me at the last second, but I’ve dreamt of falling almost every night since.

“Nopony ever took me seriously when I told them I wanted to fly. They chalked it up to foalish imagination or just plain envy. They never bothered to stop and actually ask me why I wanted it so badly.”

Blue inched a little closer. “Why did you?”

I gave a dry laugh. “Honestly? Because I was scared. I realise it may be hard to believe, given the circumstances, but there’s nothing that scares me more than falling. Just thinking about it makes me feel helpless.

“I thought I’d have to live with the fear and the dreams my whole life. Then I met you, and, with one little act of kindness, you changed everything.”

I smiled as her cheeks grew even redder. “You saw what I did tonight. That wasn’t just me proving common knowledge wrong; that was me leaving my fears behind. With these,” I patted my wings, “I will never fall. I don’t ever have to be afraid again, thanks to you.”

“It was just a feather.” She mumbled, lowering her head to hide her smile.

“These wouldn’t exist without what I learned from your feather. You’re the pony who made the impossible a reality, and I for one have no doubt you can do it again.”

She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. “But, what about the Gryphons, all that diplomacy stuff?”

“It wouldn’t be very diplomatic if the results were fixed right from the start. All you have to do is put on a show they’ll never forget, and every big-wig and blue-blood will be begging to speak to you!”

“Ha! Here we are. You just built the wonder of the age, and you’re talking about me becoming a celebrity.”

“Well,” I scratched the back of my neck and chuckled. “You may have noticed the ‘wonder’ isn’t exactly perfected yet. I could use the help of an experienced flyer to work out the kinks and teach me about stuff like not flying under thunderclouds. How about this? If you help me with my dream, I’ll do everything I can to help you with yours. You’d be surprised how useful I can be.”

She stared at me for a painfully long time. I was almost sure I had put my hoof in it. What could I possibly have to offer to her? Thankfully, her expression softened and a warm smile spread across her face. “I’d like that.”

This night had turned out far better than I could have ever imagined.