Somepony Saved My Life Tonight

I remember many times in my simple life, being told that when you're about to meet your end, your life flashes before your eyes. Perhaps an impulse reaction of impending doom, maybe even the shock of fate coming so close to their gaze. A spirit's reaction to life ending in mere seconds.

Of course, I dismissed this philosophy as impossible. After all, why would anypony possibly think of their life at a time of such of impending doom and terror?

Staring down at the Ponyville floor below, I could frankly say that this theory was one-hundred percent false. My mind flashed no memories of a wonderful life, no tunnel with light at the end, not even a sign of fate.

No, just the wind blasting into my mane, practically the only thing tearing my eyelids open. Apparently, fate wanted me to see the ground when I splattered all over it.

As much as I wanted to remember my life...the fate I had been handed simply wasn't enough to convince me to remember...good times.

What was there to remember? My parents and how much they had loved me...before they disappeared during the short-lived Eternal Night. Or maybe how I was going to leave Featherhead and his little brother to look up to Mile High and his drugs. With that kind of future looming for them, I wasn't going to be alone in the Choir Invisible for very long...and which pony would they have to owe that to?

Me. The loser Sky Skipper, who had never won a single race in his life, and had let everypony in his life down. Was that my fate? According to the rock that sat about three hundred feet below me, that was to be my final fate...

As I slowly let myself ease into what seemed to be my doom, I suddenly was beginning to be proven wrong...I started to remember a single moment from my childhood. Cliche as this little detail was, I must include this as part of my story. Perhaps simply to make the moment I tell you...'feel whole', or rather to satisfy myself...

I could remember a time in life where it was simpler, when Mother and Father used to be around. The countless things they'd taught me about flying, what they told me about everypony...everything I would need in life, essentially.

...

"But Ma, I don't wanna go to Flight School! All the other colts said that it's SO boring!"

"Oh come on, Skipper. You know it'll help you more than hurt you."

"Ma, that's what EVERY mom says! Everypony always tells us school is cool!"

"Ever consider that maybe they're right? After all, I went to Flight Academy. You don't see me going around crashing into walls. You don't want that now, do you?"

"N-...no...but still! Everypony is going to laugh at me if I mess up! If I-"

"Skipper, you have to remember that nopony is perfect. Even that Rainbow Dash filly from a few clouds down has had her share of crashes, and she made legend reality! You can't accomplish anything unless you try to..."

"Yeah...but that sounds hard."

"Skipper, as hard as it is, that's just how it is. Up here in Cloudsdale, there's always a thundercloud before a rainbow. If you can make it through those clouds, you're left with the rainbow..."

"...Ma?"

"Yes honey?"

"Do I have to wait until it rains to go to Flight School? You know, for the rainbow?"

"No honey, you still need to go...but you'll know when that rainbow comes..."

"Okay Ma...I love you..."

...

There was yet another con to my life as I fell.

I never found that rainbow my mom always assured me would arrive when I made it through the thundercloud. Perhaps I'd been sucked into the wind, because I never found happiness or the accomplishment I so desired. What made that Rainbow Dash filly so special back then? What gave her the luck of pulling off the legendary Sonic Rainboom, and gaining a Cutie Mark...heck, what gave her the power to do it twice and win the Best Young Flier competition a few years back?

Then it hit me. That philosophy I had never seen proven, the idea of life flashing before your eyes...it was truly false.

After all, no memories of a good life filled my cluttered mind. How could they? Behind me trailed a wave of disappointment in the eyes of everyone I'd seen. Eyes of my Father when he discovered I was in threat of failing Flight School. My friend Featherhead's father's eyes when his son continued to blow his training. Everypony's eyes when they saw me flying alongside the soul of Mile High.

They were all familiar eyes, belonging to familiar faces. However, those memories weren't of anything I shared happily with them. No, they were simply the darkest times of their lives and times they were filled with sorrow.

What a more-fitting end I had met than to be thrown off a cloud and landing on a rock. Who would save me? Did anyone care anymore? My Mother and Father were gone, my friends were the very ponies that had thrown me to this death, and everypony else didn't have to care. Nopony was required anymore, seeing as some ponies didn't matter to them.

Frankly, I didn't blame them.

I peeked my eyes open, attempting to gain the last bit of life I could see out of them. Ahead of me, a huge boulder that I would perhaps find my brains bashed to pieces on in a moment. I never would embrace death, but nopony to save my life and the thoughts of seeing my Mother and Father again...perhaps never breathing again would serve better than what life I'd build all by myself now...

As I could finally make out small creatures on the ground, nearing the rock every inching millisecond, a loud ringing began entering my ears. Perhaps it was the final gasps of life-giving air I took, or perhaps just the wind that was aiding in splattering me against the ground in a gory mess...

...and as I finally was about to gasp for breath for perhaps the last time...something hit me...

Literally

In almost a flash, I felt the wind get knocked out of my mouth as I stopped dead in my tracks above the boulder. My eyes could barely get adjusted to the odd view I was being given, before I began to descend down to the ground once more. It wasn't breakneck and quick, however. Rather, it was careful and almost gentle in its fashion. I couldn't even believe my eyes so much so, that I thought I was meeting the afterlife. Nothing could explain it, I thought to myself.

However, a rather odd voice suddenly assured me there was good explanation for how I was still blinking and breathing.

"Okay buddy, mind telling me why you're tied-up and falling out of the sky?"

I could tell loud and clear that it was a mare that was speaking to me.

Why a mare?

Of all the thins I was most impaired at, it was speaking to the girl ponies. Ever since I was a little colt, fillies and mares were the Cootie Queens, and then developed into those little allergens that sparked my tied-tongue and sweating body. I could not talk to mares. What better pony to save me than a mare?

"I-...I-...I-" I stammered out like a blubbering idiot, still getting floated-down to the ground as I tried to find words. The problem was not only was this a mare I was talking to, but the fact I'd seen my life flash before me and almost end right before my very eyes. It seems I could tell a pony or two about theories being proven...

"Look, I'm all for crazy stunts, but playing Freefall Chicken with tied-up wings is just insane..." The voice continued, its quality seeming to have some cracks ripple across as it spoke. However, the mare sounded rather...I couldn't describe it. Something about this lady's voice just enchanted me in some form. It certainly wasn't one of those sappy cases of 'love at first-sight'. Oh no, I wouldn't jump to those conclusions just then. However, it certainly puzzled me...

As I played with my puzzle of a mind, I quickly found myself rolling slowly onto the earth floor once more. As a Pegasus, it was likely only the fourth or fifth time I'd ever felt any walking surface harder than a cloud. Frankly, the difference was disorienting. The ground felt more...'grabbing' in how it clutched at the body, almost like walking on a bunch of rocks when comparing to the feeling of walking on feathers when on clouds.

As I finally was able to properly open my eyes, my pupils quickly were able to survey the night sky above me. The stars twinkled, the handiwork by Princess Luna clearly shining bright tonight. The moon, however, was covered by a sheet of clouds overhead. In fact, that may have very well been the ones I fell out of...but I didn't count on it.

Attempting to speak back to what I could only think was my guardian angel, I began to stammer out my only available words,

"I-...I'm sorry. My friends...we got...rowdy..."

From what I could tell, this mare was currently untying the ropes my two 'friends' had bound me in. Soon, the oh-so-sweet feeling of freedom to move my wings came back. However, I wouldn't dare move them after what I had just experienced.

"Ha, I know how that goes!" The mare simply said with a laugh. A sweet one, at that. Her voice sounded brash, and cracked every here and there, but it was unique in its fashion. Why I had it in my mind so deeply, I never would've guessed at that moment.

"T-...thanks..." I stammered out finally, only now feeling my entire body quiver like jello as I recovered from the near-death I'd been through.

And then...that's when I finally saw them...

Out of the corner of my eyes appeared the very face of the mare I was speaking to. Like a Siren of ancient legend, the voice that was connected was no less beautiful.

I was quickly met with the most spellbinding eyes I'd ever seen. They were a brilliant rose color, shining like the most dazzling gems ever mined in the starlight of this particular night. I could say they sparkled, but that'd be a simple understatement. Rather, they seemed to knock my vision right out of focus. I almost wasn't able to recover, if not for noticing her vibrantly-colored mane. In fact, it had every conceivable color in it.

I'd never imagined a rainbow-colored mane was possible, but gleaming right off starlight was that very mane. The one-two punch of the mare's eyes and mane didn't stop there, as I could her coat was the most eye-catching color of cerulean blue. I almost didn't notice the small smile she was giving me as I was caught up in my sappy adjectives that sounded more fitting in a romance book.

"Hey, no problem! Just try not to throw yourself off clouds anymore...without me being there!" The dazzling mare said with that...same, sticking voice. With the same rose eyes that hypnotized me so. I was only able to nod lightly, not able to even begin to speak once more.

With a bit of shuffle of expression from a smile to a puzzled look, the mare flapped into the air and, quicker than any Wonderbolt I'd ever seen, fired off into the night sky. Right behind her trailed a spectacle to behold, a trail of her very rainbow colors as she fired into the night sky.

While the moon began to end its game of Hide and Seek and appear out from behind the dark clouds of night, I simply sat on the ground. My eyes were still locked-into the sky, watching the rainbow colors fade off and watching the very mare that had saved my life zoom off until she disappeared into the night.

Crickets continued to chirp, the moon continued its path across the beautifully-lit night sky...everything continued its normal pace. Almost as if I hadn't existed in that moment when my life was saved.

However, my significance was no longer what I focused on.

As everything around me moved about, I sat on the grass, simply staring at the sky with a blank stare. I couldn't find any words to follow, nor actions, what had happened.

Suddenly, without warning, I passed out for the second time that very night. That wasn't anywhere close to what else I'd seen or felt that night. No, not even close.

The only thing that moved that belonged to myself the rest of that night was my heartbeat. However, it moved faster than I'd ever felt before. It wasn't thrill, or even terror...it was a feeling I'd never felt before...

...and speaking as the teller of this story, it certainly wasn't the last time I'd ever have this feeling...

...

"Skipper?"

"Hey...hey Skipper?"

"...Skipper..."

"...SKIPPER!"

My eyes suddenly fired open at the very calling of my name, suddenly brought awake by the voice calling me. Excited, I quickly jumped to my hooves expecting...honestly, I wouldn't know. However, meeting my gaze was the now sunlit-Mile High, who looked absolutely languid from last night's escapades.

"Jeez, you're finally up. Me and Featherhead here thought you were dead..." Mile High remarked, his usual voice void of any energy as he rubbed his red eyes with his hoof. It was clear the drug didn't take any kinder to him.

"You thought I was dead? You almost killed me last night..." I said, attempting a yell but only stifling out a groan of sorts. With how much had happened last night, the fact I was pushed off that cloud by my 'friends' was simply a minor detail to the plot of last night.

"Yeah...almost..." Mile High said with extra emphasis, seeming to try and break a clever smile of sorts. What reason he had to be clever, I wouldn't know. Perhaps it was to make a joke, as it seemed he made the dumbest of jokes out of us three...

"Hey, he's alive!"

Speaking of dumb...

Featherhead slowly lumbered his way over to us two, his eyes donning the same bloodshot look. However, his mood seemed a tad better than Miles' did, because at least o'le Feather had a smile clear across his face. To be stupid was a gift, I sometimes assumed. It certainly payed off most of the time...except when he had to educate his little brother somehow.

"We saw what happened last night! That landing would've been awesome if that lady hadn't ruined our fun..." Featherhead said with disappointment flooding his voice.

However, what flooded my mind was now the memories of what occurred the former night.

Images of my life began to rush like a current through my head, along with images of a rock hurtling closer and closer towards me. The clearest, however, was the image of two, diamond-like spheres. They were rose in color...and dazzled my eyes as I even thought of their splendor.

"Those eyes..." I muttered to myself, not noticing Mile High and Featherhead were still standing in front of me. I wasn't able to catch Mile High's irritated expression until after I looked down from the sky in-thought.

"Will you quit it with that eye stuff? He was saying that all last night in his sleep! Next thing you know, you're ganna want marshmallow pies..." Mile High groaned, speaking to Featherhead as he sat with that funny little smile of his he always carried like the lightest luggage.

"Don't feel alone, Skipper. I too dream of marshmallow pies and tangerine trees..." Featherhead spoke with surprising seriousness in his voice. I appreciated his sudden bursts of intelligence, but this wasn't exactly a case where I wanted to hear it.

However, his screwy expression turned back to normal in only about ten seconds, flat.

"Hey, you guys check out my awesome fire? It kept us warm all night, huh?" Featherhead said with excitement filling his voice as he pointed his hoof behind me. I spun around, simply to face...a rock.

"...Yeah," I muttered with a perked brow and an annoyed look, "great fire..."

"Sure is!" Both Mile High and Featherhead said with giddy looks. Clearly, Miles was just horsing around and encouraging Featherhead. Then again, that was to be expected. Dumb rock...

"Hey, I got ask you guys something-" I finally spoke up after a bit of hesitation, looking over to my two friends and trying my best to hide my emotions.

"-the answer is no, Skipper. You didn't wet yourself after that fall. Lucky you..." Mile High said with a joking grin, clearly just not caring about anything I had to say at this point. I simply shrugged this off, however, and continued on.

"Did...did you guys happen to see where that mare that saved me last night went off to?" I finally eeked out, watching the expressions of the two stallions turn into looks of grins.

"Why do you wanna know where a mare went? You're not thinking of the good ol'e In-Out, are ya?" Mile High said with a snicker, thrusting his...pelvis accordingly at his mention of such vulgarity. Featherhead simply giggled, obviously getting the simple innuendo being applied in this conversation now by the 'friend' I was beginning to hate...

"No, you pervert. I need to find her...Somepony saved my life last night, and maybe I just want to thank her for doing such a favor?" I suggested, noticing that my tone began to raise into a harsh one as I continued on. Mile High simply chuckled at my attempts, however, and yawned in a bored manner.

"Favor? She practically ruined all our fun. We should be plunderin' her..."

"JUST SHUT THE BUCK UP!"

I finally realized what I had just shouted out loud. I held my hooves to my mouth in a desperate attempt to make up for my speech, as Mile High's eyes shot open in surprise. Slowly, his red eyes began to seem a bit like the sign of rage...

Now, my Pop had always taught me to never speak out of turn, especially using any kind of vulgar language. What my Pop didn't tell me was to never do something like that to Mile High. This was the short-tempered, drug-taking, will-break-your-bones pony of Cloudsdale, after all. Of course, that very glare he'd always put on whenever somepony did something of such daring course was staring right into my eyes. What a distant departure from what I'd seen the night before. I was staring right into the very ruby-like eyes of a mare last night, and then I gazed into the eyes of what look more like the pits of Tartarus than anything else...

"Listen here, kiddo..." Mile High began, his tone sounding as if he was ready to snap my neck. His gritting teeth assured he meant full business, and his short yet intimidating steps assured me he wasn't joking in any bit at all.

"Language like that ain't proper...'specially 'round me..."

As his steps came closer and closer to me, I suddenly felt like kissing the world goodbye again. Only this time, images of sheer pain circulated moreso than my life memories. This was going to hurt...

"...and you don't want to make me mad...Right, friend?" He asked, a wild look now glazing his eyes. He had stopped mere inches from my face, having the full capability to do some damage to my face right then and there. However...his forming grin suddenly told me he was holding off.

"We'll forget that mare ruined our fun...and we'll try and find something to do after Flight School today, y'hear me?" Mile High finished, his voice retaining as much normalcy as it had all these years before. I nodded accordingly, lying my way through just so I could get the potential bloodshed-creator away from me.

"Alright! Let's go kick some flank at Flight School!" Featherhead cheered as he shot into the air and took off, leaving just me and Mile High behind on the ground. Looking into the blue sky for a few moments, Mile High looked back down at me, his expression looking quite thoughtful, rather than his normal grins or grimaces.

"Don't go near that mare, bud. They're nothing but trouble. Believe me, four mares later and I still got ropes to untie..." Miles simply stated, as he hopped into a flutter and then took off into the clear sky.

That just left me. The same soul who, nearly twelve hours ago, questioned my very worth in this world. Had I still been befuddling my mind with questions of these sort? Of course.

However, one thing in my mind was sure of one thing...

...I needed to find that mare that saved my life...

...

A/N: PHEW! Gotta admit to you fine Bronies out there, I powered this chapter out in a matter of four days. The document I was using for it was blank this past Sunday, and all of the sudden...BOOM. I had a chapter, xD

Hope you enjoyed, have a RADICAL Spring Break if you haven't had yours yet, and I'll get the next chapter of this very story out as soon as possible!

READ, ENJOY AND REVIEW!