14 Wings of wax

Overcome by the giddiness that flying lent him, Icarus soared through the sky curiously, but in the process he came too close to the sun, which melted the wax." - The story of Ikarus.

Higher and higher Beta flew, chancing moments to look around. He was filled with awe at the simple beauty of the sky, the lower clouds he zoomed into, through and past. He began testing his suit. Twitching his tail, flexing his long ears, twisting his body, even though he was effectively a bullet, he could still maneuver.

Rarity had been VERY thorough in measuring him all over. He had thought she was just being frisky, but in fact she had made this suit as comfortable as it could be. His sheath was comfortable and well padded for protection. His arms and shoulders moved freely, his legs were slightly restricted which helped his aerodynamics greatly. He hoped he wouldn't have to do anything fancy, however. He wasn't sure if the material would hold up. He had also made the wings around his legs and arms collapsible so he could walk  around fairly normally.

Rarity's understanding of bipedal mechanics made him wonder if she'd made clothes for other bipeds. Beta could only assume others existed by Mac's satirical comment the other day, and surely some would have sought out someone with her obvious talents.

Looking around, Beta mused 'This is breathtaking'; then he realized, 'I'm too high! I'm having trouble breathing! This is literally taking my breath away!' He then looked up and felt cool, nourishing air rush into his lungs! 'Of course, without my nannites to compensate I can't go higher than a normal .... human' he finished the thought slightly miserably. 'I'm no human! I'm better than those ... monsters!' he thought bitterly.

Raising a non-winged paw to the helmet of his face, Beta unconsciously face-pawed himself. 'Of course equines have massive lung capacity, this wouldn't bother them, even the earth ponies could come up here and feel no more than light headed! I'm such a damned fool' He berated himself. 'I'm sure the pegasai have evolved even more efficient lung capacity so they can live up here without issue!' he surmised.

Looking back up, air rushing into his lungs Beta thought sarcastically 'Great.. I'm an air shark. as long as I'm moving I'm ok. if I stop...' he stopped his dark path of thought. Realizing other issues with this Beta blushed. 'This might make extra curricular activities with Rainbow Dash.. difficult up here.' He shook the thought away. 'No... no I don't think so.'

Beta's face was protected by the designer helmet made from a strange non-leather material and some kind of not-quite-glass that hid his expression of shock as he was about to 'Hit a cloud?!'

A moment later he was inside the cloud, and Beta took more time to look around. It was quiet and peaceful. he could barely see 3 feet ahead and above him, just enough to see dark shadows! As he whizzed past he realized they were all around him. Well stones. He was inside a well that was built down into the cloud. He was also inches away from them.

With a flick of his wrists and ankles, Beta connected his wings and opened them up, while twitching his tail and ears just a little to steer him away from the walls. Up ahead he saw what had to be solid water with a bucket... which he was about to hit! Rolling, he moved through the cloud just enough that he would miss the bucket as he crashes through the water, soaking his suit. Fortunately, Rarity made it of a material that does not absorb water very well.

Moments later, he was zooming up and out of the well surprising several Pegasus ponies nearby. Still traveling fast, though a little slower than when he hit the water, he zoomed up, and adjusted his flight so he flew in a lazy spiral around and above the tallest spire in Cloudsdale.

A moment later, now in the clear air, he was dry, though he had lost a great deal of momentum. Looking around he was at least 100 feet above the "ground"... This was Cloudsdale... and it was beautiful.

As he felt his momentum finally peak Beta opened up his wings completely and began feeling for a neutral current, one that would allow him to hover without loosing or gaining too much altitude.

He took in the view until he was feeling light headed, then dived, gulped in some cool air then up and hovered again. He did this for about 20 minutes, just drinking in the sight of the cloud city. Then he saw it, a flash of yellow and pink, and smiled warmly. Fluttershy. He adjusted his angle so he would fly there at a leisurely speed. No point in scaring the dear girl...er.. pony.

As Beta was adjusting his flight path he saw 3 other ponies gather around Fluttershy. Males, and by the look of it...

"Bullies.. even here in Equestria" Beta growled. He'd been bullied a great deal around the lab when Father and the other furries weren't around. They were all in such positions that he couldn't really fight back... so he had to take their abuse. It fueled his rage during trainings, and even more when on a mission. But he still hated them. He hated all bullies. His fur bristled, his hackles raised under the right suit, and his tail fluffed in anger.

Just as Beta changed his angle attack to come in sharper, faster he saw a flash of blue and rainbow. 'Rainbow Dash' Beta smiled and relaxed a little, seeing that she was doing a pretty good job of driving them back.

As Beta got closer, however he saw they weren't moving... right. They weren't being driven off like a bully might be with hoof to the nose. They were beginning to circle the girls and... "PREDATORS!" Beta yelled, knowing he probably couldn't be heard between his distance and all the wind noise.

Beta sharply changed his angle of attack to come in faster, and more deadly than he's planned. 'Here? how is THAT possible?' he wondered 'I can see bullies, but.. predators?' Beta shook his head, not understanding how this could be happening. But there they were, members erect and ready to try and...

Beta swooped in slamming his arm into the neck of the one closest to Fluttershy, who was curled up on the ground shivering in fear. 'Poor mare probably doesn't realize the danger she's in'

Grabbing the maw of another turgid attacker, Beta slams his right then left knee into the the attacker's throat dropping him to the ground. Seconds later Beta realizes HE is the one with the breathing problem

'Sky shark... damn' he thinks, and leaps for the side of the cloud hoping to get airborne again and breath, but his leg is caught in the powerful jaws of the remaining attacker, having just moved Rainbow Dash back by rearing up and throbbing and shooting liquid at her, barely missing her.

"Hey you perv!" Rainbow Dash said as she dodged the bodily fluid, "I just showered! ... EIUW!" as she dodged another grope, but stepped in a puddle on the ground.

Sliding down to all 4's Rainbow Dash bucks the one that Beta kneed in the face, sending him reeling and passing out. Meanwhile Beta is slammed on the ground, loosing yet more air from his lungs, he starts to chitter at Fluttershy in the language of the rabbits.

"" Beta began, pleading with her. Beta actually had two voice boxes of sorts. The scientists thought it'd be cute to allow him to chitter, which uses very little air in times when breathable air was at a premium. For once Beta was glad for one of those sadistic bastards' decisions on his 'design'.

The predator was now standing over Beta, member oozing fluid. "I see we have a bunny here. Poor bunny did you forget you can't breathe this high up?" the predator taunted. Beta doing his best to roll to avoid the substance. Then the predator stomped on Beta's chest. Again, Beta was thankful to his damnable designers. Since that night he escaped, his bio-mesh armor was stuck on it's default "chest plate" mode. The hoof bounced off with a dull *thunk*. That didn't stop it for hurting, however, and he squeaked in pain.

Fluttershy's ears perked up. She thought she heard bunny-speak... but that was impossible. there were no bunnies up here. And Angel was certainly safe at home on the ground. Then she heard the Predator talk about a bunny. As she snapped her head up to look around, she crashed into the underjaw of a predator that was about to assault her. *CRACK*. And she flew back. Looking at him fall she began to say "oh I'm sorry..." but saw his fur's filthy state and his now shrinking member and her eyes went wide.

Rainbow Dash, having just kicked another predator off the cloud, looked around. They were starting to swarm now! She turned to look at Fluttershy and was about to yell at her to get away, when the air was rent with a loud high pitched scream of pain, much like a rabbit would make. The predator over Beta, having been frustrated by his failed stomp on Beta;s chest, stomped on Beta's one weak spot: his wound and the bandage that covered it.

Beta screamed in pain greater than he'd known in a very long time. But since he was still trying to chitter to Fluttershy it came out like a rabbit might were it being hurt... Which was in fact the case.

"A...angel?" Fluttershy said, then saw the white tips of Beta's ears. Everything went red for Fluttershy. She could be pushed around, prodded, teased, taunted, hurt, but lay one hoof on her friends...

Fluttershy looked to the predator that was just starting to approach her to assault her, causing him to freeze with a look of abject fear and terror on his long face. The predator didn't see the shy smile, the kind, eyes, the nurturing expression normally adorning Fluttershy's face... he saw his own death.

Her features were now hard. Her eyes were narrow, the pupils dilated, the whites of her eyes red. Her eyebrows were deeply furled. Her ears flat against her head, and a snarl of righteous, vicious anger on her maw, so used to wearing a kind loving smile, was now a mask of hate and anger.

Her hooves hardened with anger and hatred for those that hurt the defenseless, the small and weak. She cared and nursed for so many small animals hurt by animals like this monster before her.

Her eyes burrowed into his very soul and found him lacking. He felt fear greater than he's ever known in this life. He felt death's cold presence and knew it was for him.

Her very being now radiated no quarter for evil. He was about to end.  Then she struk faster than lightning. THe resounding crack of her left hoof smashing into his chest, breaking three few ribs, cracking several more, before her right fore hoof raised up in a powerful uppercut, smashing his head up, back and sending him flying over the edge of the cloud. Then looking towards Beta, she saw her blood target... the monster standing over him.

It was like a cross hairs had locked in on that predator as she charged on all 4 legs towards him, huffing out great gouts of air from her nostrils like a charging bull. But worse... she was a mother protecting her child, in her mind at least.

"GET AWAY FROM MY ANGEL!" She roared before leaping forward from her charge, smashing her right hoof into and across his left cheek, shattering the bone there, sending him flying off the cloud. Sensing the predator was gone, Beta crawled, then scampered for the side of the cloud then leaped off. Air rushing back into his lungs. He could breathe again. He quickly caught an updraft and flew back up and past the cloud. Fluttershy followed him as he flew up and past. He was now being chased by no less than 5 predators 'Where did they all come from?' he wondered.

Fluttershy, still in her bloodlust rage to protect her bunny at all costs, began fighting any predators in the air, chasing Beta as he flew upwards, who was also in his own melee. A predator would bite as his leg and pull him down. He was clawing frantically at his attacker's face sending it back, before another came up. Beta would then leap onto that one, his foot claws shredding the attacker's groin and thighs, while his fore claws attacked his chest rending fur from flesh, damaging wings.

Attacker after attacker Beta and Fluttershy fought off, all the time flying higher and higher until there was no more sky to fly up into. Beta looked up and saw the moon. Feeling the air so thin that even movement could not get enough needed oxygen into his lungs, Beta reached a paw up, as if to touch the moon, and prayed... "Please Luna... help me!"

There was a crack and flash of lightning in the clouds. Beta's eyes were white with magic, his hair and tail now long and flowing in translucence, specks of stars of the night. At the same time Fluttershy heard a voice in her mind. "Accept me, and we can destroy these abominations from the face of Equestria. No more innocents need be hurt by them." The dark side of Fluttershy was in control and mulled over the offer for barely an instant and acceded. Then her mane and tail too became a dark shade of translucent pink. Her eyes white with Luna's possession.

Luna then spoke from both beings at the same time, booming in the sky like the pronouncement from god that it was.

"My children. I know why you are like this. My heart aches seeing you in this sad condition. My sister and I have failed you. But you can NOT be allowed to continue existing. Hence forth it is my Royal Decree that you are monsters! Your bodies are to be destroyed on sight so that your spirits may be freed to cycle and heal. I am sorry my children, but there is no other way. You will not be allowed to spread your disease unopposed any longer!"

Beta then held the heels of his palms together, his fingers splayed and behind him, charging up the attack, letting the energy from the Royal Decree build into a ball of pure white energy.

Following his lead, Fluttershy followed suit. He felt teh tremendous power build up just inches from her hooves. The two avatars of Luna, her hooves of justice, this one time at the very least, shared a look before simultaneously extending their paws and hooves forward and down bellowing in an unearthly chorus "HAMMER OF GOD!"

The energy blasts twined and twisted around one another on their way to the ground. Long fingers of energy extending out on all sides as the diefic blast to strike predators along the path to earth, turning them to ash, then smoke, then nothing. As monsters they no longer existed as beings, their souls freed as the body was destroyed.

The magical lightening struck every Predator in the air and on the clouds along the path to earth, one just missing Rainbow Dash. Many struck the predators on their turgid members before arcing to the next predator, and the next and the next, until all were no more than ash and nightmare.

The moment passed. Beta's hair and tail returned to their normal color and length. Spent, exhausted and out of air, Beta began to fall to the ground, shoulders first, his head tucked on his chest, unable to pull in oxygen Beta was unconscious and no longer able to carry the Spirit of Luna. He was falling to his death.

Seeing Beta fall, the spirit of Luna stayed in Fluttershy a while longer, needing to save her avatar, for both were in agreement, Beta had to be saved. Luna couldn't loose him, not after what he'd just done for her.. for Equestria. He was a rare one who HAD to be saved! 'So many...' Luna thought back over the millenia, 'So many have died that I could have saved... but not this one! I WILL save you Beta!' The thought was echoed in Fluttershy's mind as well. On this point they were in agreement.

Beta was falling in a dead zone created, ironically, by hammer of god. The air was ionized and the currents burned away for the time being. There was nothing to stop him, it was almost as though he was in a vacuum. Fluttershy/Luna dived after him. With her centuries of experience Luna was able to gain on Beta rapidly, but so much time had already passed. His suit, now mostly in tatters, destroyed by the assorted melees, was useless in this artificial dead zone of ionized air. Rainbow Dash, still marveling at what had just happened to the predators on her cloud -she had been about to be jumped by no less than half a dozen-, saw Beta zip past in an uncontrolled dive, followed a moment later by Fluttershy.

Leaping off the cloud to fly after Beta, Rainbow Dash saw Fluttershy's flying and was amazed. Rainbow Dash was easily one of the best flyers in Cloudsdale, if not Equestria, yet she'd never seen power diving the likes of which Fluttershy was now performing. It was as though she had the entire map of the wind and knew every path to take, every short cut. Rainbow Dash was stunned for a moment before remembering her dear friend was plummeting to his death!

Luna was diving as fast as she could, and though she was gaining she feared she would loose to the ground. Then she felt the body she was in push harder. Fluttershy was consciously pushing to go faster! This pony, unhindered by the danger of the rapidly closing ground wanted, NEEDED, to save this boy as well. Then Luna felt it. This was no ordinary pony. She had inside her an element of harmony! This was kindness! That inherent power was pushing Fluttershy even faster than she should be able to attain.

Luna spoke with Fluttershy "I need you to extent your hoof and strike him with a weak blast." she said in Fluttershy's mind. "but that'll hurt him!" Fluttershy protested. "Yes... sometimes you need to cause pain before you can start healing!" Luna retorted, knowing this lesson far too well. Fluttershy knew it too. Sometimes you had to pull the thorn completely through the paw if it was poking through, causing greater pain, before you could bandage the wound and make the hurting stop. "Wounded more, he should wake up... I hope" Luna

In agreement Fluttershy raised a hoof and took careful aim at Beta. Releasing a low-powered bolt of energy she clipped his left shoulder, causing him to turn and react to the pain. This forced Beta's head into the oncoming air, filling his lungs again with sweet oxygen. He reacted as though he was just shocked, which he was.

Still groggy from his unconsciousness, but aware of his situation, Beta spread his arms and legs out as far as he could stretch.... nothing he was in a dead zone. But he knew how to ride through those from Derpy... He also had magic on his side. He put his wrists together again but in front of him "HAAAAA" He shouted and the magical blast was enough to push him out of the dead zone of ionized air.

He then extended his arms and legs out as fara s he could, even in the tattered state of his suit had enough drag for him to come to a brief halt in the air ... before Fluttershy's hooves ripped through his wings, as she crashed into him. Luna's presence becoming a haze of smoke and retreated from Fluttershy into the bandage on Beta's midsection which was now crimson. THe translucent quality of Fluttershy's mane and tail leaving with Luna.

In the collision both were dazed but Fluttershy, still aware of the situation, closed her legs around Beta, grabbing hold of him, as he passed out again from pain and exhaustion. Beta was completely spent. Rainbow Dash reached the pair and suggested they go to Fluttershy's home, since they were about 20 feet from the ground anyway.

Looking down and seeing their proximity to the ground, Fluttershy "eep!"ed and released Beta. Rainbow Dash already expecting this, zipped under her skittish friend and caught the still unconscious Beta on her back. Together they flew to Fluttershy's home to lick their wounds and begin to come to terms with what had happened.