Along the northwest mountains of Equestria, far from the cities formed under the unification of the three tribes, there lays a town named Feather Falls. It is named such both for the beautiful water that cascades from the peak of the mountain and for the first settlers to arrive, pegasi, who looked upon the verdant wooded mountaintop and found it a perfect aerie from which to fly far and wide.
News spread quickly on feathered wings, and soon both of the other races took an interest in the land. Unicorns were the next to arrive, drawn inexorably to location by the magical energies generated by the waterfalls. From the natural springs at the very peak through the rivers and off the great cliffs the water ran rainbowed, tinted all colors by the magic suffusing it and released as it spilled from the cliff side. At the base of the falls the unicorns built an academy, a giant, sprawling complex, and used the energy permeating the air to hone their own abilities.
The final settlers of the land were earth ponies. Driven from the cliff bases by the unicorn's needs and driven from the peaks by the pegasi's use, they colonized the little land that remained, building a meager village on an outcrop in between. While the lands above were bountiful, earth pony watch was not needed to keep them so, and while the rivers flowed with magic, it did little for those not in tune with it's energies, leaving little for earth ponies to do. The steep cliffs they lived on were unfit for farming, and the difficult terrain of the mountains combined with the distance from other settlements kept trade nearly impossible, stifling their normally social nature. Many of the earth ponies simply could not make it in this land, leaving quickly for clearer pastures. But a few stayed behind, either too stubborn or too unwilling to go back, instead eking out a living amongst the other races. Their lot was neither as free or as glamorous as that of the others, but they did their work diligently, and with their help both the magical academy and the great aerie flourished.
But some ponies weren't diligent, and in the case of one pony spying on the pegasi's cloud spire, weren't content with simply serving the other races. Some of them had bigger dreams.
The pony's name was Day Dream, fitting considering the circumstances, and he was the sole surviving heir to the blacksmith shop in town. He was young, with a scruffy brown mane that often hid his bright hazel eyes, and for good reason. The golden earth pony with the thought bubble cutie mark had gained quite the reputation around all three sections of the settlement for day dreaming, often being chided to keep his eyes open and his mind on his work. It was well deserved, but in his mind they weren't just fancies of an idle mind, they were plans of great things; things that may be, fantasies worth pursuing, dreams he would some day make a reality.
But today his eyes were wide open as he looked from the top of the falls to the pegasi's floating keep, a piece of truly amazing architecture that lazily drifted around the summit thanks to the pegasi's unique abilities to fly and to manipulate and walk on clouds. When not wheeling through the air, the very definition of mirth on their faces, they helped the other races by keeping the weather in line and keeping Feather Falls pleasant year round. It seemed like such a simple task for their reward, moving those fluffy white puffs about the air, soaring joyously through the sky in return for food from the toiling earth ponies and protection from the magical beings far below. Compared to the sweatshop Day Dream worked in, forge blazing day and night, always somepony needing something fixed or made, to make a living instead whirling through the skies... “That's really living.”
Day Dream pulled the key hanging around his neck from the heavy grey apron he always wore, the pockets of which were filled with gears, bits of metal, and smithing tools. He chewed on the key thoughtfully as before him a couple of pegasi spiraled around each other, rising steadily higher before impacting lightly on the underside of a cloud and diving within. First one and then the other's head popped out at the top, laughing as they looked at each other before spreading their wings, the cloud splitting at the simple motion and flying into the aerie, combining with the main structure. He found himself smiling as the couple tumbled from the air, banking in a roll around each other and disappearing within their keep. He leaned forward in the tree that was his perch, resting his chin on a hoof. He rolled the key with his tongue before dropping it back under his apron. “That is a race that has the right idea.”
“There you are! Don't you know you have customers waiting?” The voice came from below, the slightest hint of a southern drawl emanating from a chestnut maned orange mare with a seedling cutie mark, the voice the only hint of her distant heritage. She knocked lightly at the base of Day Dream's tree, smiling at the pony in the branches. “What're you doing up there with your head in the clouds? Wind Streak the Mystic and Dorian the Grey are mighty angry. They stormed off and asked me to find you.”
Day Dream waved her off, turning back to the sky. “Ah, let them wait Nutmeg. I closed up the shop early today.”
Nutmeg pouted at him, kicking the tree so that it shook, though carefully so as not to damage it. “Well, you could have left a sign saying as much! You know how unstable upset unicorns can be. Now climb out of Wally and go apologize!”
Day Dream looked at the branches of his hideout, only now seeming to connect the fact that the walnut tree he was in would belong to the orchard owner below. He rubbed a nervous hoof against his mane. “Oh, didn't realize he was one of yours. But come up here, there's something you've got to see!”
Nutmeg sighed, shaking her head. “Oh, why do I listen to you?” She removed her collection saddlebag, pulling herself up next to Day Dream with little difficulty. Perched next to him on the narrow branch, she looked over at him, smiling. “Alright, I'm up. What am I looking at?”
Day Dream pointed out towards the sky, where three pegasi flew around a cloud before diving through it, dissipating it in a rainbow that shimmered momentarily in the remains before slowly fading from view. Nutmeg nodded approvingly. “Very nice, but that's just pegasi. They're always doing that sort of thing.”
“But I've never been looking before.” He turned to her, a familiar excitement shining in his eyes. “Today, a pegasus visited my shop, first one to actually stop by since before I was even born if my dad's records are anything to go by. He needed help with his son's toy. He'd accidentally broken it, a 'whirligig' he called it. He needed somepony out of the aerie to repair it so his son wouldn't know. It was a really easy weld to put the pieces together, and it was such a simple machine, just a tilted blade of metal on a tiny axle. Anyway, when I was done the pegasus took it in his hooves, spinning it in this one quick motion that sent it flying into the air, twirling above both of us.” Day Dream looked up, watching the whirligig spinning high above him as he continued. “He was so excited he leaped into the air, grabbing it from the sky as he soared off back to the aerie. Had he not dropped the bits right on my nose I'd have never noticed he'd paid me.”
Nutmeg nodded, completely drawn into his excitement despite herself as he kept dreamily staring above them. Nevertheless, there was a pressing matter in her mind as she shifted nervously on the branch. “That's all good, but what does that have to do with my walnut tree?”
Donnie waved her down, smiling. “I was getting to that part, just hold on. As he was playing with that toy and flying off, do you know what I saw? Joy. Purest joy. He was happy and free to be himself. So I followed him, wanting to to tap into that feeling myself, and ended up out here. And look at them! They're all happy, those pegasi, wheeling around while I'm stuck here on this mountaintop taking orders from stuffy old unicorns. But that got me thinking.”
“Oh boy.” Nutmeg placed hoof to forehead, shaking her head slightly. Here came another of his hare-brained schemes.
Donnie looked playfully offended, smiling at her. “Hey! Hear me out here, this one's good, not like that automatic crystal ball polisher. What's got them so happy while I'm so... not?” He waited for a moment, wanting her to answer. When it was apparent she wouldn't, he answered it himself. “They can fly! That's got to be it, why they're always so happy while everyone in the academy and in the town is so miserable half the time! If we could do that, we could be just as joyous. Zipping around in the air like that would be something everypony would want! So I thought up some plans and I'm going to build one.”
Nutmeg's jaw dropped, the amusement she'd had now mixed with befuddlement. “You're going to what?”
Day Dream looked her in the eyes, giving her a crooked smile as he calmly repeated himself. “I am going to build a flying machine.”
Despite how she normally acted, Nutmeg did like Day Dream's ideas. Even when they were little foals playing together he always had such an active imagination and a knack for making things exciting and interesting, and he always had a plan. Of course, none of his plans ever worked, and they were normally silly to begin with, and more than once Nutmeg had ended up in a lot of trouble for going along with it, getting reamed out for being the 'responsible' one, but there was just something endearing about Day Dream's plans. She didn't know what it was, but his excitement and his fervor just made it feel like kicking a puppy when reality was brought back into the mix. Even now as he smiled at her she couldn't help but return one, getting caught up in his vision. “You know what?” she said, turning back out to face the sky. “That sounds like a great idea. I can't see the want for one, but a flying machine sounds like something amazing.”
Day Dream's grin grew, his eyes lighting up at her words. “I knew you'd like it!” He leaped from the tree, landing awkwardly on the ground below and tumbling, little springs and bits of metal flying from his apron as he tumbled forward, somehow catching himself upright and facing back towards her at the end with a look of I-meant-to-do-that all over his face. “I'll see you tomorrow! I'm going to go work on the Mark 1!”
Nutmeg giggled in the tree as she watched him gallop through the orchard and back to town. It was always nice to see him happy, and so long as he wasn't hurting anypony and didn't damage her trees, what was the harm? She hopped from the branch, landing solidly on the ground below before looking up at the tree she'd left. “Now you be careful, alright Wally? Don't let Day Dream go hurting you just before the season starts, the town needs you in top form, alright?” The walnut tree's branches waved in the slight breeze that blew through the orchard, the leaves rustling an apology to the farmer below. She smiled, patting Wally's trunk like one might tousle the mane of a foal. “Alright then. Have a good afternoon.” She then picked back up her saddlebags, wondering as she went back to her farmhouse just how long she'd have to wait for Day Dream's invention.
As it turned out, the answer was a day.
“Day Dream, get out of Walter! You're scaring him half to death!”
Day Dream had never understood Nutmeg's penchant for naming her trees, or why she insisted on giving them a personality, but it was just one of the many reasons why she was the one he always went to with his plans, right up there with her seemingly infinite tolerance when they failed. The leaves around him shuddered in the wind as he held up what looked to be some rapidly spinning cups combined with something that looked suspiciously like the weather vane off of Nutmeg's farmhouse, watching the way it pointed and moved with great interest. At the sound of Nutmeg's voice, though, he turned, looking at her with goggled eyes before giving her a wave. His foreleg flapped as it moved through the air, the large canvas wings he'd attached between his legs and tied to his body billowing in the breeze.
Nutmeg looked at his strange getup with amused disbelief. “Is that my weather vane? My roof better not be leaking when I get home tonight!”
Day Dream put down the offending trinket in the branches, grinning to the mare below him. “Don't worry about it Nutmeg, your roof is fine! And I'll be down in a flash right after I test these out!”
Nutmeg watched the canvas puffs flapping from his body, a flat expression on her face. “That's your big flying machine?”
Day Dream nodded. “Pretty simple, right?”
The heavy canvas above snagged on a branch, causing Day Dream a few moments of struggle as he worked to free it. Nutmeg shook her head, completely unable to understand what he was doing up there. Simple minded maybe... It just wasn't right ponies being that far off the ground, so why'd he keep climbing in her trees? Maybe this one dream would do with being forgotten. “Yeah! Looks a little rough though, like it could use some refining. Now why don't you come down out of Walter so you don't hurt yourself?”
“What? Don't you trust me?”
Nutmeg saw the grin he gave her and smiled back. “Oh no, I trust you...” It's your idea I don't like. “Just be careful, will ya?”
“Sure thing! Catch!” Day Dream tossed the weather vane from his perch, the cups around it spinning wildly as it rocked through the air. Nutmeg dove for it, barely managing to keep it from smashing into the ground. Just as the metal landed in her hooves, Day Dream prepared to jump, facing the open sky with a huge grin on his face. Far from the mountain the pegasi were flying, dancing across the great blue expanse without a care in the world, and he was about to join them.
With all his strength he pushed out from the tree, flapping his forelegs in his best approximation to the movements of pegasus wings as the canvas ballooned behind him in the breeze. It picked him up, slowing his descent momentarily before the motions of his legs roiled the fabric, causing it to wrap and twist around both his limbs and itself.
There was a gasp behind him as, moments after leaving the branch, he crashed heavily into a bramble berry bush that crunched loudly beneath him. He lay there a few seconds, checking his limbs and moaning both from the soreness within and the many spines and thorns poking him all over until, after a few bruised moments, Nutmeg's face appeared above him, worry on her features. “You alright there Pegasus?”
Day Dream nodded, wincing slightly as his neck protested his motions. “Yeah, I'm fine.” He tried to push himself up, placing his hooves beneath him only to find brambles and twisted canvas that absorbed his motions. After a few moments of struggling with no success he gave Nutmeg a nervous smile. “Hey, could you help me out? I think I'm stuck.”
With a smirk Nutmeg reached into the bush, deftly avoiding the snagging thorns as she wrapped her hoof around his. However, as she pulled him up, his wings weren't so lucky, a million tiny tearing sounds following each bit of motion. Each snag seemed to siphon from his cavalier grin, a slow agony in his movements as he tried to keep the wings intact to little avail. Not wanting to draw out the pain of his work's destruction, Nutmeg gave one strong tug, pulling Day Dream free and onto his hooves and, unfortunately, destroying the wings with one final almighty rip that seemed to catch even the attentions of the distant pegasi.
The two stood face to face, hooves wrapped around the other's as the sound echoed in their mind. Nutmeg was the first to move, an apologetic look on her face. “Oh Day Dream, your wings...”
Day Dream just shrugged, removing his hoof from hers and smiling weakly. “Eh, don't worry about it. I didn't think the Mk. I would work anyway, but I had to give it a shot, right?”
Nutmeg tentatively smiled back, still feeling horrible for ripping his design. “Right... Well, to be honest, that didn't look like the most thought went into that.” She noticed him wince at her comment, taking the moment to look him over. He was covered in small scratches and bumps all over from his crash landing. She frowned. “Hey, You said you'd be careful!”
Day Dream smiled, fixing his skewed goggles as he did. “I was! I aimed for the softer landing.” Seeing her unamused expression, he waved off his own comment. “Don't worry about it, I've got it all under control. You'll see. My next trial will be a lot better.”
Nutmeg gave him a puzzled look, confused by the news. “Next trial? You mean you're trying again?”
“Of course! I'm sure even a down-to-earth pony like you has dreamed of flight, and I want to live that dream.” He gave her a determined look, an odd one considering his normal lackadaisical attitude, then set off through the orchard trailing tattered shreds behind him.
Nutmeg watched him go, looking back at the remains of the wings fluttering in the brambles. She then walked over to the bush, stroking a part of it that was lacking in thorns. “There there Barry, I won't let him do it again. I promise.” After that she consoled Walter, then went about her daily duties.
Life was oddly normal after that, Day Dream seeming to diligently work for the town, not suddenly closing up shop or making any odd creations, and Nutmeg saw her crop beginning to ripen, the various nut and berry trees in the orchard filling with the upcoming fall. Life in general was quite quiet until early in the morning, exactly a week from the last trial.
The rustling in the orchard as the peach morning light grew roused Nutmeg from her dreamless sleep, signaling her of something wrong in the grove. She grabbed a weapon, a small stick she used to scare off squirrels as the trees came to fruit, and crept stealthily from her farmhouse, ready for any possibilities. In the shadows beyond some bushes a great silhouette moved, lumbering and shuddering in the dim light of the underbrush. Crouching low she approached, following the beast to a small clearing near the river where the light pierced the trees, showing the creature for what it really was.
Great fabric wings spread higher than a pony stood, curved and held together on a considerable brass frame to skirt between the trees. The wings were jointed, hinged in many places with a web wires that wove between them haphazardly, all coalescing around a central harness, in which was strapped Day Dream, the wires connected to his legs as he trudged through the clearing. Every laboring motion under the monstrous creation caused the wings to twitch and shudder as the wiring was moved, ensuring the beast never slept.
Nutmeg watched with fascination as Day Dream struggled forward, reaching the bank of the river before collapsing, breathing heavily under the machine. As soon as he collapsed she left the bush, running over and trying to move the frame off of him. “Day Dream! Are you alright? What is this thing?”
Day Dream shrugged off her help, standing shakily up and backing away from her. “Hey! Don't move it, it'd take an age to reconnect!” He stopped once she stopped advancing, smiling and gesturing up to the wings with a hoof. “Do you like it? It's the Whirligig Mk II!” He beamed after stating the name, completely proud of his creation.
Nutmeg wasn't quite as impressed, looking at his infectious smile with more than a hint of doubt. “This thing is supposed to fly? It looks like it weighs a ton!”
Day Dream waved her question away. “Nah, the weight doesn't matter. The lift should be more than enough to cover for it once they start flapping.” Without the support of all his limbs he tilted forward dangerously, the whole machine wobbling as he stumbled to catch the weight above him. Noticing the frown on Nutmeg's face he smiled nervously. “It's fine. Really, it'll all be fine. Though it's a good thing you came out! Since my last test got you in such a tizzy I figured I'd ask if it was alright before taking off from your riverbank.”
Nutmeg's frown softened, the gesture of asking so much more than he usually did. And to make a second design... he obviously wanted this to happen. But she couldn't help but worry over his reckless nature. “Is this one safer than your last design?”
Day Dream nodded confidently. “Of course! Not going to rip, completely solid, no doubts at all in form or function.”
The orange mare circled around him, looking at the mess of brass and wire, the cacophony of metal both horrifying and strangely calming. This had purpose to the design, far more than the last one did. “But what if something goes wrong when you're in the air? Do you just plummet?”
Day Dream shook his head before nodding towards a grip dangling from his chest. “Nope, the Mk I did give me an idea the way it poofed out. If I pull this here cord the Mk II will fall away and a big swatch of fabric will shoot out to gently glide me down.”
Well, it sounded like a good idea, and he seemed to have thought this one through more. “Okay” said Nutmeg, relenting under his expectant gaze. “You can use my orchard still, but don't hit any of the trees!”
Day Dream grinned, reaching up a hoof to pull his goggles down over his eyes as he spoke. “Yes! Thank you so much, you won't regret it! Now back up, please. I need a running start and these wings really flap.”
Nutmeg took an obliging step back, moving under Cash's branches as Day Dream turned to the riverbank. It ran flat and smooth a hundred meters straight to the edge of the cliff, from beyond which came the whisper of rainbow water slipping into the lake far, far below with only the faintest of sounds. He'd stop long before the edge if things didn't look like they'd work. He really didn't need Nutmeg panicking over him.
He looked over at the orange mare, giving her a grin and a nod before looking back at the falls. Since he was just a colt she'd always been there, playing with him and backing him up as he tested things, and always the first one there to worry about him if things went wrong. It only made sense she'd continue now, even after they'd both grown up. And she was always nice about it, not like his father had been. He'd complained all the way to the grave, trashing Day Dream's plans while leaving him the shop like it was some prized possession. On that day the playing had ended, days filled with complaining customers and nights with aching sleep. So what if his mind liked to wander? It was his time while he was working! It was the only time he got anymore, all of his old dreams thrown into the forge when he'd taken over. Like he'd wanted the shop in the first place...
But with the Mk II he could jump clean-hoofed onto a new track, free from the boring day to day of mending kettles and the stuffy gazes of the unicorns. All he had to do was take wing and he could soar high and happy like the pegasi, straight out of his stone coffin and up to the clouded sanctuary. Even now they wheeled around out there, taunting him with their laughing faces as they danced among the clouds. He just had to join them.
Slowly he shifted his weight, letting the heavy frame guide him forward as he placed hoof before hoof, picking up speed. Above him the entire machine clanked and clattered as the wings flapped. He focused on running, eyes locked on the sky as he moved faster and faster, feeling lighter with ever step as the whirligig's lift threatened to pull him skyward. One particularly strong step lifted him in the air, hooves pounding nothing for a few breathless steps before the ground rose up to meet him. Moments later he pushed off purposefully, thrilling as a full five seconds passed before he landed again. It wasn't flight, just gliding right now, but just a little more lift, a little more speed...
A shrill yell from far behind brought his attention to the world once more. The edge of the cliff loomed, the chromatic waterfall nearing with every absentminded step. Day Dream's heart leaped into his throat as he planted his hooves in the ground, searching for purchase. He slid forward, the mud giving way under his pressure for a lethal three meters before he caught, body stopping at once.
Unfortunately, the machine had it's own plans.
Wings stiff, the contraption swung forward, flipping over in one swift motion and leaving Day Dream in his harness, all four hooves flailing in the air. The smooth top slid, canvas ripping in the riverbank rocks as it skidded wildly to the edge, slowing only upon encountering a large, damaging bump to stall with one wing fully free of ground beneath it.
Staring at the clouds rolling by above, Day Dream held his breath, feeling the machine settling beneath him. He let out a relieved sigh, letting himself go limp as the adrenaline coursed through his mind. That was close, both the test and the result. Maybe just a few more tweaks... “Day Dream!” He looked back along the river, smiling as he saw Nutmeg galloping towards him, relief slowly replacing the worry on her features. He laughed, raising his head and waving to her in reassurance. Seeing his signal she slowed down, a smile slowly appearing on her features.
Beneath him the machine stirred, his shifting weight ruining the equilibrium. Day Dream's smile vanished, joy turning to terror as he felt the entire contraption move. Nutmeg saw it too, smile turning to shock as she redoubled her speed. Day Dream kicked and leaned, futilely willing the machine back onto the cliff. It shifted again, passing the friction point and sliding off the cliff just as Nutmeg arrived, a hoof reaching out to him. He reached back, dismayed as the friendly, worried orange face slowly retreated above him.
Wind rushed past and mist speckled his flanks as he struggled in the harness, heart thudding in his ears. The machine tumbled, spinning end over end before righting itself, leaving Day Dream with his legs dangling beneath him. He leaned forward, reaching for the cord hanging from his chest, but unthinkingly the motion sent him into a tight spiral as the wires pulled on the wings. He grew nauseous as sheer rock and open sky rapidly alternated before him, the water streaming past in huge droplets of every color that splashed on the brass and soaked the canvas through until it no longer caught wind. Trying to stop the spiral he kicked wildly, jarring the wings above him, the hinges creaking for just a moment before shattering catastrophically. His fall sped up, shards of brass flying past him as the spiral ended, giving him a clearer view of his situation.
Beneath him a lake was advancing rapidly, the waterfall roaring now that the impact point was so near. Around the narrow lake were great spiral towers, painted in beautiful mosaics of the night sky or simply dazzling colors, the sprawling unicorn's academy spreading out below, even the tall towers still beneath him. Looking out over the land he saw it curve away, miles upon miles of forested plains until the eye could see no more, ringed by the lonesome mountain range. And in the sky, in a chorus that watched at him fearfully, pegasi. Dozens of them peeked from their cloud keep, looking upon the falling earth pony, just as dumbstruck as his friend at the top of the cliff.
One brave blue pegasus, which he recognized as the one who'd visited his shop, darted forward, swooping towards him as he returned to his struggle with the safety cord. The pegasus flew low, reaching out a hoof as he stopped in midair, ready to catch the falling pony. Day Dream lunged towards him, their eyes connecting for just a moment, earth pony and pegasus straining together. Within the pegasus' eyes were hope, a message to the gravity-bound pony. You can do it.
Then they passed, their hooves grazing each other, Day Dream's heart falling as he whipped past the similarly disheartened pegasus. Just then the cord finally presented itself, Day Dream pulling it hurriedly as the impact point neared. In one motion his hard work fell away, tattered brass wings parting to either side as fabric ballooned up between them, filling in the rushing air. Immediately he felt a jerk on his harness as wind caught the sail, jarring him upward as the brass plummeted below. He watched it fall, eyes widening as a flaw in his design made itself apparent.
The wings were still connected to his legs.
The weight was applied all at once, the safety net bouncing lower before picking up the new strain, the slowed fall suddenly faster in pace. His legs were forced beneath him, nearly pulled from their sockets as the weight they bore swung left and right through the open air, the wires attached to them cutting into his skin and making his body cry out in pain. He neared the academy, far nearer one of the walls than he would have liked, and winced as he heard a horrid noise. One wing collided with the side of a tower, shattering against the stone as it somehow managed to dig itself in. The other followed suit soon after, its pendulum swing taking it directly into a window and jamming itself inside amidst the shriek of shattered glass. Within the tower unicorns were scurrying to and fro, startled by the sudden assault.
Day Dream drifted lower, past the gaze of many an angered unicorn, before he came to a stop at the end of the wiring, hanging just above the mystical lake. It seemed to radiate with energy, almost a glow that washed against his face as his mane drooped against the water level, his one free hoof fully submerged and tingling from the raw magical energies as it dangled below him. Finally, adding insult to injury, his parachute drifted down, floating on the multicolored water before filling itself and slowly descending into the depths below.
He looked down his body into a very angry face far above him, which might have shouted, but the words were washed away by the nearby torrent of water. Day Dream had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, sure that this would be his end, the unicorns making short work of him with their magic. They weren't exactly known to be a forgiving bunch...
The horn of the purple unicorn glaring at him glowed, causing him to hold his breath as the golden magic swirled around his body. His legs held no tension, his entire body suddenly weightless as he was moved, wiring and all, up onto a balcony and into the center of the unicorn's wrath. A circle formed around him, unicorns in robes and pointed, starry hats piercing him with an evil gaze. He swallowed hard, held his breath, and closed his eyes as they advanced.
Day Dream awoke some time later in a familiar wooden room, the entire area filled with a nutty smell, Nutmeg's smell, permeating her every possession and her very room and bringing back memories of days long past. Days of laughing, playing, even, such a sappy thought, frolicking in the orchard, just the two of them... Before his dad passed. Before they'd had to each go to work. Before reality had gotten in the way.
He pushed himself up, regretting it instantly as his head throbbed. He raised a hoof to it, seeing for the first time the bloodied bandages around it. They were around all of his hooves, his legs and his chest, along with singed streaks and crispy fur patches. On a small table beside him was a pair of broken goggles and his key, its necklace broken and laying beside it. He lay back down, groaning as head reached pillow and body landed on a soft down mattress.
Hearing the groan Nutmeg came from a side room, look of purest worry on her face. She came to his side, kneeling by the bed. “Day Dream? Are you alright? Are you awake?”
Day Dream nodded, still smiling at her past a bruised face. He could always count on her to be worried for him, her infinite tolerance showing through once more. “Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Never-” he moved to get up, wincing visibly as he did so, but still propping himself up on one hoof, “-ah, better.”
Nutmeg then scowled at him, smacking him sharply across the top of his head and causing him to yelp in shock. This wasn't quite the tolerant pony he'd remembered. “What in Equestria do you think you're doing? Running machines off of cliffs, destroying the unicorn academy, polluting their magical lake, trying to get yourself killed!” Her anger immediately softened, a kind of sad acceptance showing in her eyes. “I know that you're set on this whole flying machine idea, but it's just a dream! I don't want to see you getting hurt over something as flimsy as that.”
Day Dream leaned towards her, pleading his case. “But I am so close Nutmeg! I can almost taste it! That exhilaration in the air, the moment of weightlessness, it's like nothing you've ever dreamed about! That pure moment of joy... It's something everypony would want!”
“Not at the cost of your life, Day Dream!” She looked at him, concern shining in her every motion. “I like your dreams, I do, and I think that they are wonderful, even this one, but look at you! You riled up the unicorns, almost died three different ways... They said they aren't going to visit your shop any more, even reamed me out about their part buying in the upcoming harvest season if I can't keep you in line, like I'm your keeper or something. This is our home, a sleepy little place we have to work to keep, and we can't do that if you get yourself killed.”
Day Dream's brow furrowed. “Wait, they threatened not to buy? What'll they eat? You grow the only food around here.”
Nutmeg sighed, sitting on the bed and shrugging dejectedly. “They'll pay for the trade. The pegasi starve from that deal, but the unicorns have the bits for it. They've got the means to do whatever they want.”
Day Dream got up shakily, stomping across the room on wobbly legs. “Well maybe I'm tired of that, you know? Maybe I'm tired of being in some forge passed down in my family for generations just because the unicorns want one. Maybe I want to fly free, go far and wide like the pegasi who founded this town. I'm not even wanted anymore anyway! I could leave this town right now and nopony would care, not a one, and you know why? Because I don't fit their little town ideal, the town where all fifty earth ponies slave away to please their hundreds of magical masters. Think about it! You grow them food, I fix whatever breaks, and almost all of the other ponies in this place are just servants at the academy! The town's a ghost town half the time! It is dead, nothing actually keeping us here but old family and closed minds.”
Nutmeg turned to her lifelong friend, a tired, pained hopefulness in her eyes. “There's us. There's our homes. And the only closed mind I hear here is yours.” She sat down heavily on the vacated bed, sighing as she looked at the floor. “You know, I've got my own dream. One of this town flourishing like some of the others, a real nice place where all three tribes can live in peace and equality, and that dream needs everypony here for it to work.”
Day Dream calmed down, thrown off by the shift in energy from her. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her quite this low before. She was really upset this time. He walked over, his own wave of concern passing over his features before he flashed her a smile. “Hey now, don't listen to me. I've spouted that stuff before, right? I'm just a little harsh after a failed experiment.” He then grabbed his key from the table, moving shakily to the door. “I'm just dead weight at the moment, don't mind me. I'll be at the forge if you need me.”
With that he was gone, limping slowly down the mountain to the town and sequestering himself to the forge. When Nutmeg went to check on him the next day the door was locked, the building dark and silent. A panic arose in Nutmeg when she felt an all too familiar woe.
All of her life she watched as ponies, ones she knew and were good friends, left the town. They would get fed up, or angry, or simply be unable to make it, but whatever the reason, she found the number of friends she had dwindling each day until, really, she had just her parents and Day Dream, her one constant companion since her childhood. But when his father died, just two years ago, her parents hit her with more bad news.
They moved out. They were tired of the ghost town, tired of having no friends, and when their last one was gone, so were they. They'd wanted to leave, let the orchard and all the ponies that depended on it rot, and live somewhere completely new, like their previous life had never happened. But against their will she had stayed. After the state Day Dream was in after losing his only family, she just couldn't have abandoned him then, couldn't have stood to see that joyful face disappearing on the horizon. Nor could she let the ponies starve. It just wasn't right! So she took over the farm. Alone, visiting her one friend every chance she could while keeping the land alive, because she did believe in her dream, even if she kept it close to her chest. It was silly, it was never going to work, but everypony had a dream, right? And she'd always thought she could make hers a reality with the help of Day Dream's boundless energy.
But now he was gone, it seemed, his shop quite dark. She was tempted to go searching, to follow her friend wherever he'd gone, but where'd she go? It was a little too late to be leaving cold, especially with the season coming to fruit. So instead she returned to her farm, a heaviness in her hooves and her heart the entire way home. That night, tears edged her eyes as she struggled to sleep.
The orchard was in full fruit the next day as the season started, both nut trees and berry bushes springing to life and putting her to work full time, bucking and shaking the food down for storage, selling, and consumption. But her heart wasn't in it this year, something tugging at her as she worked. Her mind kept wandering, wondering where Day Dream was or if she'd been too hard on him after bringing him back. Maybe the unicorns had gotten to him. They had been very angry after his fall... If only she hadn't let him use the land, none of this would have happened.
Thoughts of that nature plagued her that entire week, slowing her production down to a crawl until, after the first seven days, she'd barely managed a quarter of her land. Annoyed at her inefficiency, the orange mare took a basket of her wares to the town, wanting to do something different and eat in the town center. The flat stone circle had been built as a gathering place once, and in days just barely edging her memory she could remember events and celebrations held on the land, a scorch forever etched into the center from the traditional yearly bonfire ringing in the new year, every family coming to join in the festivities. There used to always be foals playing here, and more than enough friendly faces keeping track of them all. But times had changed. Children were rare at all in town, and the last bonfire had had a meager attendance, barely a dozen as the rest just didn't show. Now, with so few ponies to gather, the place was a secluded getaway as often as anything else. She would change that. One of these days. If anypony would stay...
On her way there she found herself drawn past her friend's old shop, some ache in her heart seeming to want new fuel to keep cringing. But as she neared the building, there was something odd. The forge was still locked, the front as imposing as the week before, but there was noise within, a fire roaring, metal clinking, the sound of work in progress.
Nutmeg's heart thrilled and she rushed to the door, only to stop right before it, hoof raised to knock. He must be busy on something important if there was all of that noise coming from the place, and for some reason it was more than enough to know that he simply was there. With her first real smile in days she placed her basket of food down before the door, a gift to her friend who'd managed to brighten up her day without even talking to her, and left, full of energy and ready to get back to work.
She copied this strange ritual every three days, mind wandering in the orchard before she found her body wandering as well, heading to town with a basket of food only to stop outside his shop. Each visit brought different sounds, and every time the previous basket gift would be waiting outside, emptied apart from a small note within saying 'Thank you!' For some reason not seeing her friend didn't worry her, nor did his seclusion in his own home. Just knowing he was still around was enough to keep her going for the next few days, though the company of Walter and the others always helped.
It was twilight a month after the previous trial when she finally did see Day Dream again, finding him at the front door of her house as she returned from the fields. His wounds had healed and he had acquired another set of goggles, which sat upon his head. He stamped outside the door nervously, basket sitting by his feet as he waited for her to appear. Smiling brightly she relieved him of his watch, waving to him as she walked up. “Hello there Day Dream! Long time no see!”
Day Dream waved back, absolutely beaming as he did so. “Hello! Just wanted to thank you for the food in person for once, as well as show you something a little special.”
Nutmeg looked sidelong at him as she placed her bags in the storage bin. “Oh? And what might that be? Is it that secret project you've been on for the last month?”
Day Dream deflated slightly, annoyed at the ruining of the surprise. “Actually, yes. Follow me.” He trotted in the opposite direction than she'd come from, leading her through her orchard and towards the river bank. Nutmeg had a hunch of what she'd be seeing on her way, but even her best moments of imagination couldn't prepare her for this.
The entire vehicle was an image in a shiny white brass, towering twice as high as a pony and three times as wide. Hanging over everything were two large metal blades, spanning the entire width of the machine and with a slight curve to the edges of them. They were attached to a triple reinforced axle to the body of the machine, a compact mass of gears, springs and chains that were connected to a pair of pedals under a seat, one in front and one in back. To either side of the chair were two long wings like those of a great bird, ribbed with the same white brass and curved slightly toward the ground. To the back of the craft was a tail of metal, solidly built though as minimal as could be, with a much smaller pair of blades set vertically into it. The entire thing sat on three wheels, each of which seemed to connect to the pedals near the chair with their own mechanical system. Yet even with all of the complication in the design, there was a feel to the creation like a child's toy scaled much larger than it should have been.
Still, Day Dream walked up to the machine, smiling not pridefully, but confidently as he looked back at Nutmeg. “So... What do you think?”
Nutmeg stared at the machine, completely taken aback by the care in the design. This was far more thought out than anything of his she'd seen before, probably tested and retested a million times in his forge. “This is what you've been doing for the past month?”
Day Dream nodded. “Yep. The Whirligig Mk III, the latest trial for the flying machine. Do you like it?”
Seeing all of the little gears and moving parts, there was a magic to the machine, and yet... it frightened her, speaking of a power not meant for their use. It just felt... wrong. “It's... nice. Are you sure this thing will work?”
“Yes. From the new lightweight brass alloy to the spring wound motor, it's all been tested to work. It just needs a runway, and, of course, your permission.”
Nutmeg glanced at him skeptically. “A runway?”
“Well, I'm going to need a lot of speed to work up the lift needed to keep the machine afloat, and...” Day Dream hesitated, sure Nutmeg wouldn't like what he was about to say. “...this one needs to go over the falls.” He immediately kept talking, preempting her frightened look. “This is the safest test yet, everything tested beforehoof apart from the lift under the wings, the only missing element.”
Nutmeg shook her head. “Day Dream, you could damage the academy again, or something could go wrong and you could crash. You could die testing this thing! I don't think my heart could take it after the last time.” She saw the pleading look in his eyes, his heart slowly sinking as she berated him. It wasn't the machine; despite it's alien nature it was beautiful, still iffy as far as flying, but entrancing nonetheless; No, her worries came from the rash creature Day Dream was. With no testing the machines would fail, with some testing they would hurt others and fail catastrophically, with extensive testing who knew what could happen! Still... she'd never been able to say no to him when it came to his dreams. “Are you sure it will work? Can you tell me for sure that you will be safe?”
Day Dream's eyes brightened, not the carefree spirit of before, but a serious, confident texture to their being. “I know that this will work. I have every faith in this machine. I would trust it with my life.”
Every fiber in her being urged her to tell him no, to make him move his machine and get back to normal work, but something told her even if she did, it would change nothing this time. He was determined, and asking her was a formality because he was her friend. There was really only one answer. “You can use the riverbank, but if you have any doubts at all, I want you to stop this, alright? And be careful.” She stepped back from the machine, watching a truly happy smile spread across his features.
“I will, you can count on that.” He climbed into the machine, placing himself on the seat and putting his four hooves to the pedals before nodding to Nutmeg. “I'll be back in a moment.”
Slowly he began to pedal, all four hooves working simultaneously. The two massive blades began to spin, moving ever so slowly, barely a rotation a minute, but speeding up with each passing moment. Meanwhile the wheels began to turn, pushing the brass beast forward along the smooth riverbank. It was a deceptively short distance to the falls, Day Dream knew that from last time, and every second would count, even with the added spring power beneath his seat. All of that testing, all of that planning and work from that first day with the child's toy, it had all come down to this. Success and those pegasi currently returning to their keep would have another traveler in the sky, a work of genius never before seen by pony eyes. Failure...
The ground was swallowed beneath his wheels as the machine sped forward, the blade blurred steadily from the rapidity of its motion. Figuring out the power needed to spin that thing had taken the longest time, almost two weeks purely for the creation of the spring motors. Without them, it would be a quick plummet down the falls, sure to kill him. Despite all of his promises, this iteration had no safety equipment, no backup for failure. If he failed, he died, and if he died, Nutmeg would kill him. Still, that was looking like the more likely possibility. Nothing was moving fast enough yet; he could barely feel the lift in the machine. Perhaps he could wait, bail out now and try again next week. It would be better than falling like an aerodynamic stone into the liquid far below.
But would it be? There really was no second chance here. While Day Dream was much too proud to admit it, Nutmeg had been what had gotten him through the last month. Between what she had said before he left, her dream, her gifts of food every three days, even the way she'd invaded his mind, thoughts of seeing her once the machine was finally complete spurred him on. He'd found himself wondering about harvest season and the good old days, as well as slightly more complicated thoughts like why she seemed to be so nice to him, to take care of him and be just so... amazing. He'd gotten an answer, but not even that was the only reason this had to work.
He was an outcast in town, and he knew it. It was the final straw when he'd failed that last test, and his shop suddenly had no customers. Even if the doors had been opened, there would have been just one visitor, and he couldn't have seen her then. But though he now lacked customers, he was also missing something he'd always ran on a shortage of: food. What little supplies were there ran dry within the first week, and he probably would have starved to death had it not been for Nutmeg's gift baskets. Every last piece of his supplies was in this machine, and with wallet empty, pantry empty, and even supply empty, this was truly his last shot. It simply had to work.
Day Dream renewed his effort, pedaling with all of his might and causing the Whirligig Mk III to make impressive speed down the riverbank until, about fifteen meters from the edge, it hit a bump. The entire machine sailed high, gliding in a gentle arc over the ground and passing smoothly over the cliff edge. For those few seconds it was graceful, a bird on the wing, drifting through the sky. Then gravity noticed, pulling the heavy metal machine down past the cliff's lip and straight towards the waters below.
Nutmeg gasped, heart plummeting with the machine as she pounded her hooves down the river bank. “Day Dream!” Why had she agreed to this again? It was just going to end the same. They all ended the same. Not a single one of either of their dreams had come true once in their whole life, why would they start now? As she galloped towards the cliff edge, her hoof caught in the same tricky bump in the earth the Whirligig had hit, tripping her and sending her skidding across the ground to the cliff's edge, head just peeking over it. She looked down, preparing for the worst: a white streak in the red sunlight sailing straight into the rainbow wash below.
But Day Dream wasn't below her. He was far ahead of her, gliding over the buildings of the academy and laughing his head off. The wind in his mane, the coolness seeping into his skin, the exhilaration coursing through him as he effortlessly leaned into a turn, circling around the damaged tower and over hundreds of upturned eyess, each exuding a powerful jealous rage at the contraption wheeling above them. They, with all their magic, surpassed by an earth pony? The scandal! Day Dream laughed again, banking around the waterfall only to crash through, spreading rainbow droplets everywhere as he zipped over the lake and up into the sky.
He piloted and spun, completely unwilling for this moment to end as he followed the setting sun. He had been right. Flight was the key to the pegasi's joy. No wonder they were happy all the time being able to do this! He had to go tell them how wonderful it was. He rose steadily, falling into a wide path that orbited the cloud spire, slowly gaining height with each pass. What it also gained, as the blades whirred past and the pilot laughed merrily, was attention. Just like the unicorns below, a hundred pegasus heads peeked from the clouds, watching the metal wonder work its way up and around the tower.
Then one familiar blue pegasus jumped out of his window, diving low and joining with the machine in its spirals. The pegasus looked Day Dream in the begoggled eye, both of them laughing as they made another turn. Soon another, smaller blue pegasus joined the first one, followed by two white ones, then a half dozen in an array of colors. By the time he was two thirds up the cloud monolith the entire keep was emptied, a hundred pairs of wings flapping around the whirling blades, spinning, flipping, rolling and weaving excitedly as finally they were able to share their mirth with a member of another species. Day Dream marveled at the joyous faces all around him, enveloping him completely in love. If all ponies could experience this, perhaps there could be peace. It was incredible, a feeling of once in a lifetime. It had to be shared. And he knew just the pony to share it with.
The ball of friends in flight gained altitude, buzzing the top of the tower before peeling open, the metal core of the sphere flying free while the feathered shell returned home. Day Dream kept pedaling, the coolness of the last hint of sunset wind piercing through him and making him more awake than he had ever felt as he returned to the top of Feather Falls. He flew just over Nutmeg's head, looking down joyfully as she looked back, tears edging her eyes. Slowly he came to a landing, letting the blades spin and wind themselves down as he jumped from the machine.
“You have to try this! It is amazing!” he called over the whirring blades, absolutely beaming at Nutmeg, which made him all the more confused when she shook her head, her words drowned out by the wind whipping between them. He walked closer to her, meeting her a few meters from the machine. “Did you hear me? You have to try this! It's unlike anything you could ever imagine!”
Nutmeg shook her head again, tears rolling down her cheeks as she smiled at him. “I can't Day Dream, I just can't.”
“What? Why not?” Day Dream's high was wearing away, confusion sapping the enjoyment.
“Look at you! You always had a head in the clouds, and now you've got something to get the rest of you up there!” The noise of the whirling blade died down a bit, letting Nutmeg merely talk instead of shout. “I could never go into the sky. I am rooted, held here by my family history and my trees, with hundreds of ponies counting on me for food. But you, now you can go wherever you like! You can feel that joy I saw on you wherever you want to go, tied here with those stuffy unicorns no longer.” She looked over at the machine, its blades still turning smoothly in the diminishing light. “You've truly made something amazing, now you go and live your dream.”
Nutmeg looked into Day Dream's eyes, seeing the brightness normally in them seeming to fade. This was what she had been fearing, why she had avoided him even when he was just on the other side of that door. That sadness is my fault... I dampened his dream. But there was still one way to fix it. She turned, another tear rolling down her face as she quickly walked away.
Not even five steps were taken before there was a hoof on her shoulder, causing her to stop. She turned, ready to argue with what she thought would be a despondent Day Dream when, instead, she saw one wearing a crooked smile. Caught off guard, her words were caught in her throat as she opened her mouth to speak. As they tried to escape, they were instead caught on Day Dream's lips as they pressed against hers. There was a moment of pure bliss where she kissed back, then she pulled away. “Day Dream, what are you doing?”
His smile returned, the brightness in his eyes once more. “Living the dream.” He wrapped his hoof around hers, pulling Nutmeg towards her farmhouse. She resisted, holding firm as she planted her other hooves in the ground and leaned against him.
“Your Whirligig is this way. You dreamed of this moment.”
Day Dream turned around, looking straight, it seemed, into Nutmeg's heart. “I did, and I lived it, but it turns out it would be a nightmare without you.”
The two held that moment, Day Dream with his scruffy mane and goggled eyes, Nutmeg with her eyes full of tears, and then, without a word passing between them, they embraced, a smile of pure joy on each of their faces. As they broke the hug, Day Dream spoke, his smile still as wide as a mile. “Hey, I heard you've got a dream. I say we live that one next.”
Nutmeg looked at him, her own grin threatening to take over her face. “Sounds like a plan to me.”
The pair walked off together, each lost in the other's smiling face. Behind them the Whirligig Mk III finally wound down, the last wicks of twilight reflected off of its blade.
