With Time, and Aeronautics

As the light from Celestias sun begins to diminish, Irons hopes of seeing Chrome hadn't changed. As he slumped his head on the tree behind, Iron thought. He thought about what would be worse, ponys finding Chrome dead, or not finding him at all.

Irons mind was in pieces. The things he saw, and the possibilities that swirled through his mind were enough to turn the calmest of ponys to a crazed panic, but Irons physical injuries prevented him from moving to full potential. When a bad thought or memory struck his mind, he twitched, and tried to move, which caused him pain, which in tern distracted him from the thought. A very painful cycle, which meant one thing.

The injection was waring off.

Irons chest was throbbing in sync with his heartbeat. The bruise that crossed his body didn't look good either, as the torn skin and hair around the bruise could be seen oozing tiny droplets of red blood.

But still, Iron waited. He waited for any sign, or any news about his son. If he could, Iron would be out searching for him, but the injuries he had obtained prevented that.

Time continued to roll on, bringing with it more injured, and dead. It was becoming dark, one could think the smoke from the New Promise had engulfed the area, blocking all light. Enough had leaked out of the ships interior to turn that from a stupid remark, to a plausible consideration.

The flow of time continued its ever saddening path. Iron still watched bodies being brought in however they could.

Iron became sensitive to the slightest saddening thoughts that happened to fill his mind. Like the fact that some complete strangers are searching for his son, and not himself, disregarding the solace of having someponys willing to even look for Chrome.

More serious thoughts gave way for terrible moments of grief, like how Lavender would react when she found out about the whole crash, and about Chrome, and his fate.

And most worrying of all, the fact that Irons unborn baby girl may grow up without her brother. Seemingly all because Iron couldn't hold onto Chrome tight enough.

"...it's all my fault..." He quietly wept.

He sheds tears of huge remorse. Iron didn't blame the crash. He blamed himself.

"...it's all...my fault..."

Interrupting his thoughts, and catching his attention, Iron spots Summer Breeze, accompanied by somepony. Assuming they were walking to him, Iron had a rush of adrenaline. As swiftly as he could, Iron gets up from the tree he rested upon.

"Did you find him?! Please sa-" Iron stumbles over a broken branch, falling onto the forest floor, landing right on his chest with a huge groan of pain.

"Iron!" Shouts Summer, once again rushing to his aid.

He desperately tried to get off his chest and giving his lungs space to breath, but the trip had temporarily immobilized him. All around the forest, ponys watched the broken Iron get lifted from the ground. He was the centre of attention. Doctors rushed over.

"Doc, have we got any free spots at a hospital?" Says Summer, gently helping Iron upright.

"I'm sure we have a space at..." The doctor flicks through a sheet of papers he had used to write down information. "...aha! There is a hospital at Ponyville with two spots available, but the trouble is getting there..."

"Have we any pony-drawn carriages?"

"...no...I must...wait..." Murmurs Iron.

"...I think there should be one by those trees." The doctor points to some trees behind Summer and Iron.

"...no!" Iron shouts, causing more pain in his chest.

"Take it easy, Iron. Thanks doc, we need to get going."

"I best go with you. He is going to need somepony to watch over his condition."

Iron began to weep. He could not stay and wait any longer. With that, they ever so slowly stumbled past the trees to the carriage. Climbing in, Iron sat next to a window, with the doctor in the seat in beside him. Summer had decided to stay in the forest and help out with gathering more injured. Just before the carriage could race off to Ponyville, another injured pony gets carried aboard by a doctor. Iron recognised the doctor, it was Rose Bud. The injured was a mare, and she was unconscious.

The carriage carefully darts through the woodland, passing the wreckage of the New Promise, a sight Iron didn't want to see.

"Are you having any trouble breathing?" Asks the doctor.

"Just...a little..."

"Any pain?"

"Yeah..."

"We will be at the hospital soon, there we can get a better understanding of your condition."

Iron kept quiet, watching the horrible sights that raced past the window. One sight was exceptionally heartbreaking. Two ponys had the task of gathering debris. One such panel was being lifted, and to their horror, there was a body underneath.

As quickly as it burnt itself into Irons memory, it vanished from sight. But quickly catching Irons attention once more, the doctor was checking for his patients pulse. The doctor soon started to proceed with CPR on the mare, Rose Bud and Iron watching over him. The shakiness of the carriage wasn't helping, but the doctors efforts weren't helping anything. A pulse wouldn't return. And Iron had to watch.

Sadly, a pulse never returned.

The night had fully taken over the sky. And as Luna's moon peaked above the trees, they arrived at Ponyville hospital. Iron stumbles with Rose into the hospital. He glances back, to see the body of the mare get taken from the carriage.

Iron gets admitted to a room down a short hallway. Upon entry, he sees Lavender, seated beside a hospital bed. Once she had noticed them, you could ser a smile about to adorn her face, but after seeing Chromes absence, she becomes even more sad than before.

"...Lavender? How did you..."

Lavender remains silent. Without further question, Iron walks to the side of his bed, and slowly rests on it.

"Where is...Chrome?" Asked Lavender.

Iron didn't immediately reply, instead tried to hold back the incoming emotions. With a deep breath, he answers Lavenders question.

"I...don't know..."

As the night rolled on, Lavender and Iron trembled in there spots. Like Iron had felt for long enough, Lavender had to endure the horrible feeling of being incapable of help. Only hope. Chrome was still in the cold, twisted hooves of fate, not in the warm, loving embrace of his parents.

Lavender reached over to hold Irons hoof, as he wept in his hospital bed.

"...honey..." Lavender says, failing to draw Irons attention. "...Iron, please don't think this is your fault..."

"...I didn't hold him tight enough."

"You did all you could..."

There was a brief pause, as Iron stares at the door in front of him.

"...I...I just want to...hold him again..." He whimpers.

Another pause takes a hold of the nervous room.

"...Iron...I just want you to know if they don't find him..." Lavenders voice breaks. "...or if...or if they find him dead...don't blame yourself..."

Iron and Lavenders eyes meet.

"...we will get through this..." Lavender cries. "...me, you...the baby..."

Iron had no words to say. He rested his head on his pillow, and closed his eyes. He didn't sleep, but his injuries had tired him out, and it was the dead of night after all.

The night rolls on. And the hospital was surprisingly quiet. Did they stop bringing in anypony?

Iron thought behind his closed eyelids. If they found Chrome, would they know to bring him to Ponyville hospital?

Lavender watched over Iron, seeing the tears fall from behind his eyes. They were both, however, interrupted as the sound of a carriage whizzed past the window, making Iron open his eyes. They listened as ponys brought in another injured.

There was a lot of commotion coming from down the hallway. Echoing voices could be heard.

"Where is Iron? I need to find him!"

This made Iron sit upright. That wasn't Summer Breeze, was it?

"I'm sorry sir, but you simply cannot see any patients at the moment."

"But it's important, doc!"

"It's important that you do not disturb him, sir. Here, let me take that colt off your hooves-"

"No! Not yet!"

Galloping hoofsteps could be heard through the hospital, getting closer to the room Iron was in. Iron started to breath faster, and faster. His mind raced at a million miles an hour.

Darting past the room Iron was in, whoever it was slammed his hooves to the ground, like brakes. Slowly walking back to the frame of the door, who the pony was became clear. Just like Iron had assumed, but doubted, it was Summer. He was carrying a colt on his back, kept stable by hid two wings, making a soft platform for his head. He quickly enters the room.

It was hard to see who the colt was from Irons angle, but Lavender was trotting over to Summer to inspect the young pony on his back.

"I got here as quickly as I could."

"...you...found him..." Iron says.

"I think so."

By the time Lavender reached Summer, so had the doctors.

"Sir, you simply can't..." One of the doctors says, stopped by the sight before him.

Lavender looked down upon the young colt, his mane and coat was messed, scars covered his body, and he had a huge bruise on his left hind leg. He was also shivering. The state of the young colt would tear anypony apart.

As Lavender rested her hoof on the colts chest, she felt how cold he was. As the warm hoof glided across his body, the colt slightly opens one of his eyes.

Although Lavender already knew who this was, the eyes confirmed her thoughts. His eyes were green, and were crystal-like.

"Is it Chrome?" Asked Summer.

Lavender took a few steps back, and looked at the doctors.

With that, the doctors snapped back into their normal selves. They take the colt from Summer, and rush him to treatment.

"...was it Chrome?" Asks Summer again.

Lavender swiftly grasps Summer. "Thank you so much for finding him!"

"You found him?!" Shouts Iron from his bed. "Is he alive?!" He had no way of knowing, his view had been mostly obscured.

"Yes he is!" Replies Lavender, practically suffocating Summer with her hug. "He is alive!"

"...you...you found him!" Shouts Iron.

"Yeah...I...did..." Whines Summer from the grasp of Lavender.

She lets go, running over to Iron. They would have shared a hug if Iron could.

"Everything is going to be ok! He found Chrome! He is alive!"

"Summer, thank you so-" Iron abruptly stops his thanks, Summer had disappeared. Did he just leave? Why? Iron had so much to thank him for, his sons life, and his own. But he had gone.

As Chrome is assessed, all Lavender and Iron could do was wait. Which they did for  days. With more luck gracing them, Iron and Chrome got better surprisingly quickly. Well, with the medical advancements that came with the airships, that was guaranteed.

The three were glad at fates generosity, and Summers heroism. Chromes fate luckily didn't go with the New Promises, and many unlucky others.

There was only one thing to do now. What should be done with the Timeless?

Eventually, it had a sealed fate of its own. The sister ship was to be sent to Canterlot, and be locked away. Even though the ship is theoretically dangerous, they didn't see any justice to destroying it. It was a superb piece of engineering, towering over anything else pony-made. It needed to be remembered. The dead of the New Promise needed to be remembered.

The brave pilots who remained on the ground now had the task of flying the Timeless to Canterlot, which unwillingly they did. The sounds of the mighty thrusters were once a promising roar. They now strike as a haunting echo.

The Timeless cruised over to its new location: A huge hanger on the far side of Canterlot. It had been built for storage of these ships, but who new it would be used this soon?

The hangars mighty roof had been open since it had been built, giving the mighty Timeless an entry. As the huge landing gear touched the cold ground, the engines slowly, but surely, wind down to a silence.

Just outside of the huge hangar, peering inside were the remaining pilots and aeronautic scientists. They stood in silence, lost in their own thoughts on what to do.

Some thought they hadn't built a machine, they had built a death-trap. They had killed, and injured so many innocent ponys.

Others thought about possible improvements, and even why the New Promise crashed in the first place. Maybe it was the pilots fault, not the machines. Maybe with time, and some more aeronautics, they could try again. They knew, however, that the damage was done, no way would anypony want to see one of these flying again. So they kept their thoughts to themselves.

But what they all did was watch. The machine they once looked upon as the future, now remains bound to the past.

With their varying thoughts filling their heads, the roof of the hangar began to close. The sunlight that shone through was diminishing into a smaller, and smaller beam of light. Eventually, the only light the Timeless was graced with came from the front, but that was getting smaller, too. The huge hangar door was closing.

The last sight of the Timeless became obscured by the door, which was followed by the leaving of the scientists.

The future of aeronautical travel is practically in ruins. Even using simple tried-and-true methods like hot air balloons made everypony shiver. The whole event had scarred everypony from anything aeronautical.

With today being the day the Timeless getting locked up, it was also the day Iron got admitted out of hospital. Chrome and Iron were holding hooves, as Lavender was telling Chrome once again about the medicine he had been prescribed.

"-and that's the medicine you have to take, ok Chrome?" Asks Lavender.

"I know, mum."

After taking a few more steps, Lavender lets her mind wander.

To think that this very moment could have happened, but without Chrome. Instead of telling Chrome to 'remember to take his medicine', she could be walking with Iron. And only Iron, weeping on each others shoulders. If Summer had never found Chrome, he could still be shivering in the forest Iron told her about.

Letting het thoughts get the best of her, Lavender slows her pace of walking, eventually stopping, and stares at Chrome. Chrome notices this, and walks back to her.

"...mum?"

"Lavender? What's wrong?" Iron says, watching Lavenders eyes fill with tears.

All of a sudden, Lavender quickly reaches out to Chrome for a tight hug, and nests her head in his fur.

"...I love you so much, sweetie!" Lavender muffles through Chromes coat, breaking into a cry. "...I love you...so much!"

"...I...I love you too, mum." Chrome return the hug by wrapping his hooves around Lavender. All in all though, Chrome had no idea what to do.

As gently as he could, Iron joins the two in the hug. After letting go, they continue their walk home.

After getting home, and enjoying a well deserved meal, Lavender walks past a window, with a bush of lillys brushing it in the wind.

She remembered a similar bush when she was thinking of names for the baby. Iron walks past her, as she says "I have thought of a name for her..."

"...who?"

"Y'know..." Lavender rubs her slightly protruded belly. "...the baby."

Iron smiles, then leans over to Lavender, so she can whisper the name into his ear. "...hey Chrome?"

"Yeah dad?" He replies, taking a dish over to the sink.

"You know we haven't got a name for the baby..?"

Chrome nods, and Lavender smiles.

"How does...Metallic Lilly sound?"

"That's a cool name. Metallic Lilly..."