The Fast, Dangerous and the Furious

Chapter Fourteen: Ponyville

Las Pegasus shrank in the distance with each passing second I stared out from the train’s caboose. Click-clacking from the wheels had mesmerized me for a few minutes until Las Pegasus was no longer visible. My mind kept going over why Han had taken the money. It just felt wrong. Ponies needed our help and instead he turns his back and goes for the money. My hoof hit the railing out of frustration. Han plays the game by an extra rule, he plays the game like he has nothing to lose.

Daring put her hat on my head.

Even Daring has to have a code she follows. Some set of rules that tells her when it’s not okay to do something like that. By the time we had gotten on the train every pony in our group had figured out Han’s little game, they didn’t know how he did it, but they knew he was responsible for the missing fifty million bits. Daring nudged me. “You know you were actually kind of sexy acting all confident with Dead Eye,” she said with a bit of sweetness in her tone.

Since we’re heading to Ponyville I might as well stop there to look for Glider. They’ve probably already sold the engines by now so I need pick up my pace and get to work finding them. Wait … what did Daring say? I felt her pith helmet being dragged off my head. “Wait, Daring. What did you say?” She trotted back inside the train. I looked at where she had been standing before busting into a gallop after her. “No, seriously, what did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything.” She trotted inside of a small room then shut the door.

Oh forget it.

I trotted into a passenger car taking a seat near the window. My mind kept replying the events I went through after stepping outside of my former prison. Prison. Silver Shoe was right. District Twelve wasn’t a home. It was a prison.  Huh. I should find a place to actually settle down in. Slowly, my map floated up. So far I’ve been to all the places I don’t ever want to go back to. It’s not going to feel like a home until I get a glider though … like my Mustang!

I really want that Mustang out here. My hoof tapped the windowsill. Maybe Glider could help me sneak in and get it. The tunnels aren’t big enough for it to fit through though. Nah, forget it. It’d be easier to just save up the money. Which is easier said than done. Damn it, Han! War sat across from me. “You doing alright?” I nodded. He looked skeptical. “Really?” I hesitated then gave him an unconvincing nod. War looked out the window, carefully leaning back in his seat. “Runner let me tell you something. You’re not very good at hiding your emotions when you’re anxious.” I kept staring at the window. Geez. I’m not much of a thief if I can’t even keep a straight face.

“Be confident, if you don’t have faith in your own abilities you won’t be successful or happy.” My eyes stared at War’s reflection in the glass. He was being serious. That’s how Han got away with this. Isn’t it. War nodded as if to confirm what I already knew. This guy knew what I was thinking; he had this conversation with more than one pony. “That’s some advice I was given as a colt. It’s also how Eleven Oceans gets away with being so charismatic.” Huh. Now I see why I want to go along with everything he says. I nodded slowly almost in sync with my stomach’s growl.

War grinned and shook his head. “If you take anything away from this experience just remember to be humble.” You know, now that I really think about it. When Silver Shoe and I did that armory job I felt like I could do just about anything and get away with it. Arrogance. Stepping outside of those walls really hammered arrogance out of me that’s for sure. Actually, being in a team as well as a crew puts a lot of things in perspective. Each pony brings their own set of skills to the table, without one of those ponies we couldn’t get this done, which means a crew is like a well-oiled glider. Without all of us here we couldn’t have finished this heist.

I leaned back in my seat earning a squeak from it. “Well, it’s been fun, but I’m getting off in Ponyville. Ponies to see and all.” War nodded. We shook hooves.

“You know we’ll be stopping by Ponyville again tomorrow to pick up a few things before heading to Harbor City. We’ve got a job out there and could really use your help. It’s a paying gig.” War spoke to his reflection.

“I’ll think about it, but no guarantees. I’ve got some friends I need to find.”

*** ***

Ponyville. It’s something special. I can feel it. Any pony could walk up to me right now and tell me the infected once ran through this town and tore everything up, but right now, right now it looks like everything that resulted from that earthquake didn’t even touch this place at all. It’s like Ponyville remained untouched from all the shit that went down.

Daring reached down from an open window stretching out her hoof. We shook hoofs, “Well I guess this is goodbye. You know unless you don’t join us for the next job.”

“Like I said to War, I’ve got friends to find,” I answered back.

I was given an actual smile! Daring actually gave me a smile that she meant, not one of those just-in-the-moment smiles. The train whistle blew loudly, shaking the stations floorboards; the car Daring was in lurched forward. Daring tipped her helmet to me, closing the window shortly after.

It didn’t take long for the train to leave, but I waited for it to completely leave my line of sight before trotting out of the station. I read about Ponyville once. It was a small town that had problems usually solved within half an hour or so. That book had been dated before the quake in Equestria: A History in the Making Volume One. I looked around the first couple of blocks noticing a couple of traffic jams with the ponies using their gliders to pull heavy loads around in wagons. This place had gone from nothing, to a small town, to a city about half the size of Manehattan. It was probably a little smaller than that, but it looked a lot bigger than what it was when Twilight Sparkle was learning about friendship.

I wondered around aimlessly feeling a warm sensation run through my coat. It felt good! I mean really good! I could just stretch out right now, put on a pair of shades and just fall asleep. I’d be exactly like a cat sunbathing in a window.

My head went up to the sky immediately being greeted to a bright blue beauty. The sky around this town was blue. Not grey. Blue. The sun was shining down on the town for a good couple of minutes, then it was gone. Clouds filled the former gap in the sky soon returning my warm coat back to feeling cold. I stopped walking in front of a market café with a few empty tables set out in front of it. The sign read: Diesel Fuel’s Market and Café. There was a magazine lying on top of the table closest to me, I scooped it up in my hoof and trotted inside.

Inside was just as empty as the outside. A few racks were setup with bags of chips and sunglasses for sale. Not that I had any bits to spend. I set the magazine down peaking at the cover, Full Throttle Gliders. My hoof flipped the magazine open to a random page while my eyes looked it over. Couple of gliders were for sale, but that only reminded me of the machine I had sitting back in my garage. There was a radio playing on top of a refrigerator. I stole a glance at the mare behind the counter fixing herself something to eat. She looked at me and my eyes went straight back to the article. “I’ll be right with you,” she called to me.

“This just in, a team of hijackers has recently been reported to have broken into the express heading for the Frozen North just the other night. Reports have claimed that the hijackers were a small band of three ponies that broke into the cargo freighter in order to steal the engines onboard. So far the whereabouts of this team are unknown, if you have any information regarding the,” the mare turned the radio off.

She nicked shaking her head in frustration. My eyes went back to the article soon growing wide at the sensational sight I was being graced with. A new glider with a tint of sapphire and collapsible wings is set to be unveiled in just a couple of weeks. It’s hitting the Grand Tour circuit in Saddle Arabia soon! Maybe if I can save up enough bits I can check that out. “What can I get you?” I looked up at the mare.

“I don’t have any bits,” was my flat response.

The mare just stared at me for a moment then took a look at the magazine I was reading. Her hoof spun it around, carefully flipping to the next page, carefully reading it over. “You reading about the new Cutie Mark Crusader glider going on the Grand Tour or just looking at the picture?”

Ugh. I’m. Yes, “Yes. Yes I am.” I was just looking at the picture.

“You’re a shitty liar,” she whispered close to my ear before spinning the magazine back to me. My eyes went from hers back to the articles. There was a picture of a new engine being made for a super glider that some hot shot is supposed to use in the super class for that same competition. “So, are you a gear head or just here to try the tuna? We’ve got the best tuna in town.” The tuna? Tuna. The tuna? I don’t know how to respond to that. “I’m sorry that was a bad joke.”

She eyed a few trophies set up on a shelf behind her.

My eye squinted trying to make out the name on them. The mare side stepped right in front of me. She wanted my full undivided attention. I exhaled slowly and took my time looking her over. She had a light brown coat with a dark brown mane along with a lit-candle for a cutie mark. “Yeah, I mean, I love learning about them and tinker with engines here and there. I’ve never actually flown a glider though.” The mare’s jaw dropped. She let out a low sigh with a disappointed headshake.

“I’m Candle Light,” she reached a hoof out to me and I shook it. Candle Light trotted over to the fridge and pulled out a cold Pegasus Breed. She slid it across the counter to me, I caught it in my hoof giving her a confused look. Her reaction was to grab a plate and start making a tuna sandwich. I introduced myself to her.

“I thought I said I didn’t have any bits,” I stuttered a bit.

Candle Light gave me a nod, “You did, but you’re a glider enthusiast right?” My eyes shifted around in my attempt to come up with something to say. There was a grin on Candle Light’s face. “Glider enthusiasts get one free sandwich and a drink once a day.”

Oh. Oooh. OH!

“Then it’s a good thing I’m a glider enthusiast.” I pretended to wipe some sweat from my forehead.

Candle Light chuckled and finished making the sandwich. The plate was slid across the counter; I caught with my hoof. I took a bite of the tuna sandwich then almost spit it back out. This tuna is not good. Now I know why she said it was the best tuna in town. Ugh. No. Don’t spit it back out.

I swallowed the food pretending to enjoy it with each bite afterwards. My eyes never once looked up, but from what I could hear Candle Light had started to clean dishes. I finished the tuna sandwich, feeling it ready to jump back out, my hoof slid over my stomach.

Stay down.

My stomach rumbled a little.

I said stay down! You’ve smelt worse than that sandwich’s taste.

Candle Light grabbed the plate I had been using. The moment she turned around I popped the cap off of my Pegasus Breed and chugged the son of a bitch down like it was water blessed by Celestia’s horn. It did the trick eliminating the fowl taste of tuna in my mouth. I looked up at Candle Light while she turned the water off. “I’ve been flying gliders since I got my cutie mark. My father always brought me and my brother to his shop to help work on them to,” she paused looking up at the shelves. My eyes followed her gaze before finding several dozen pictures of Candle Light with her brother and father. Compared to Candle Light, her brother had a dark mane than she did along with a much tanner coat. “You finished with the drink?” I nodded.

“Good, cause you’re flying me home.” She tossed a set of keys my way.

I looked at the keys; my eyes went to Candle Light’s. She wasn’t serious, was she? Candle Light was packing her things in a small saddle bag. It didn’t take long for her to nudge her head at a glider parked just outside the window. It was a sky blue Integra and a beautiful one at that. I turned my attention back to Candle while she patiently waited for me to head over to it. She was serious!

I levitated the empty Pegasus breed into the recycle bin and trotted out to the back while Candle Light pulled the doors down. I guess owning the place means you can close up whenever you want. I slid underneath the glider, sliding my back into the padded groove, while my eyes scanned the tech inside. It was softer than my Mustang’s padding feeling rather cold to the touch. The strap wasn’t even metal like the gliders in my district had. This one had a tight belt strap to it that was designed specifically for racing!

“You know how this all works right,” Candle Light asked timidly.  I hummed. I knew how to get off the ground, it was the fact I didn’t have any pony to teach me the flying part that kept me grounded, which was about to change. “Alright, put it in first and get going to about ten wing power.”

*** ***

I barrel rolled past the town’s hall with a laughing Candle Light holding on tight to the wingspan’s ‘oh shit bar.’ The wings titled in a little as I flew around the building a few times at thirty five wing power. My back hoof was firmly planted on the gas pedal. A hoof tapped my shoulder. “Shift gears!” Candle Light pointed a hoof at the back of the glider. My other hoof kicked the gear shifter back a notch while the glider lurched forward. I pushed the gas pedal down further, flying away from the towns hall, taking in every little bit of the town I could see flying at forty wing power.

The glider was in fourth gear and doing great! My ears were melting in joy from the engine sounds. It was like a chorus of birds, but for gear heads!

Candle Light tapped my shoulder carefully turning my attention to her house. My hoof kicked another pedal back and downshifted into third. I hit the ground with a grunt, galloping around the house, straight up a dirt path leading up to a small garage. The glider eventually fell to no wing power and I stopped next to the house. “Well you aren’t shy of the throttle that’s for sure. You should try using the brakes some time.”

“Brakes? You mean the coward pedal,” I retorted with a smile.

Candle Light paused and stared at me. She started chuckling being careful as she eased her way off the Integra’s wingspan. “Yeah, I guess that’s one name for it.” I chuckled with her, checking out a few different buttons near the wing speedometer in the process. Now which one parks it? “Hit the third one from the speedometer,” Candle Light called out to me while she looked for her house key. I hit the button she told me to press causing four stands to eject out from the machine to keep it off the ground. After I unstrapped myself from the glider I slid out from underneath it greeting Candle Light back at the door.

The door swung open while I thanked her for the flying lesson. I trotted down the small wood staircase leading to the dirt path wondering aimlessly to any place I hadn’t visited yet. Candle Light raised her voice, “Runner, wanna drink?” I stopped halfway to the road. I turn faced her. There was a bottle of Pegasus Breed in her hoof. Cap popped off. You know what, that’s the best offer I’ve had in a while.

It took me less than a second rejoin Candle Light before going into a small kitchen with an equally small table. There were a few more pictures of her family hanging around. “What do you want?”

“Anything as long as it’s cold,” my voice almost trailed off while I stared at another picture.

I sat down at the table honing in on a picture of Candle Light’s father. There was something in the background that caught my eye. It was a matte black Charger glider with a supercharger. I could feel my eyes widening just a bit. That was an unusual looking engine for a glider. Most of them don’t have a blower since a pony’s mane could fly back into it. Especially if it was one of those blowers that didn’t have the butterfly flaps that open when you rev the engine. Just from first glance I’d say it was boasting five hundred to six hundred horsepower of sheer muscle.

An icy cold Pegasus Breed was set down in front of me. I turned my attention back to Candle. She traced my eyes back to the picture slowly grinning. “That belonged to my father. After he died in an accident my brother took that curse and made it his own. Before he wreaked it.” What? He wreaked something as powerful as that. Wow.

Candle Light took a seat with her focus on the center of the table. Everything was silent just before I popped off the cap to my Pegasus Breed. I took a drink. “There was one other project my father was working on. My brother made a promise to him that he would finish it with the salvaged parts from his glider one day.” She took a drink from her bottle.

And then it hit me like a Charger flying into me at one hundred fifty wing power.

“Hey, not that I don’t like the kindness, but why are you being so nice to me,” I questioned while turning my attention to Candle Light’s light brown eyes. I’ve only seen a few ponies offer me any form of kindness but this time it just felt different. This town doesn’t feel like a prison, it feels like a community.

Candle Light paused for what felt like an hour. She just stared at her Pegasus Breed thinking about something. My eyes went back up to the picture of her father. He looked just like her, only with more muscles and a mane that was starting to thin out. “You just remind me of a pony I used to know. Plus my brother would kill me if I didn’t help out a glider enthusiast. Our kind need to stick together and I never turn down a pony I can help. My code is to always help a pony when I can.” I nodded. That’s a good code. “What about you? What’s your code, Runner?”

Oh that’s easy. I live by two rules. Steal from … ponies that deserve it and … those aren’t codes. Those are rules that you follow when your life is nothing but being a thief. I left that life behind for the most part. I don’t have a code to live by. Not even a virtue. If a pony doesn’t have a code to live by then a virtue is just as good. I don’t have either.

A cold melancholy feeling went through my heart at that realization.

Silver Shoe lived her life like there was no tomorrow, but that isn’t the right sentence to describe her way of life. “I don’t have one, but I’m working on it.”

“That’s good.” She smiled. “My family lives by a different code than I do. Maybe one day you can meet them if you stick around long enough.”

I think I’ll do just that. I leaned back in my chair and took a drink.

Candle looked off at something while I kept to my thoughts. Her light hum brought me back to our conversation. “Tell you what, why don’t you go look around town a bit more then come back here for dinner. It’s been a while since I’ve had any company. My family’s been traveling around earning money to keep us all afloat.” I nodded while my horn lit up. My Pegasus Breed floated back into the fridge and I looked out the window. There were a few houses sitting around but I had no clue which way to go. “Do you like to read?” I nodded. “There’s a library up the road, first castle on your right.”

Alright!

I got to my hooves galloping out the door. Candle Light waved at me through a window overlooking the dirt path leading up to the garage. Time to catch up on my reading. Maybe I can donate some of these older books and get some bits.

*** ***

Ruins. Everything was in ruins and shambles. Books were flung around the room haphazardly under a large gaping hole in the ceiling that reveled part of a tower of some sort. I was in a memory jewel, more precisely I was in Celestia’s head, and this memory was all over the place. Princess Celestia had blasted a hole through the ceiling with Princess Luna and Princess Cadence. They had all landed in a lab with their horns glowing threateningly at some stallion that went by the name Autumnal Den. It was a stupid name.

There was a round table keeping them all apart.

“I understand wanting to help Equestria, but trying to create Alicorns with the Alicorn Sphere is not a way of accomplishing that goal,” Luna called out to a frantic stallion. Luna took a hoof steps to the left to keep Autumnal from running. His head jerked and twitched around to each princess. Twilight Sparkle wasn’t with us. Princess Cadence took a few hoof steps to the right and blocked the exit. Celestia telekinetically threw the table away leaving Autumnal surrounded. His head jerked around.

Autumnal Den put his hoof on something spherical behind him. It was the size of a hoof ball and pulsed light blue magic around it. The inside was a pale blue color that was blindingly white at its core. The sphere was attached to some machine feeding it data from a computer. It looked more like it was feeding magic into it. Autumnal ripped the sphere out holding it in his hoofs. Celestia spoke with a calm yet gentle tone, “Autumnal, please. Put the sphere down. You are a stallion of science and logic, can you not see that this device will do more harm than good?”

WHACK!

A stallion burst out from another room with a knife gripped tightly in his teeth. He charged right at Celestia with the intent of taking her out. A pink beam flew past Celestia’s mane and blasted the pony into a bookcase that toppled down on the poor guy before he hit the ground. The knife clattered to the ground. Autumnal coughed and looked down at the sphere. “You four don’t see the potential this device holds. With this beautiful machine any pony could become an Alicorn and help ponies. Imagine all the lands across Equestria with their own Alicorn princess. Imagine it. Peace in our time.”

This guy is corrupted. He wants to help ponies, but he can’t even see that his abilities are being used in all the wrong places. I wonder what his code is.

Autumnal twisted the metal halves of the sphere until there was a click. He shoved the metal halves together and the magic inside the sphere made the entire thing light up a pale blue color. Magic beams in the form of lightning bolts fired off around the room making Princess Cadence raise up a protection spell around them.

KA-BOOM!

White blinding light exploded around us engulfing every tiny bit of the room into its magic. I couldn’t see anything but I could feel my very essence being ripped out. It was like Tirek using his spell to steal magic only worse! On an unimaginable scale. The light began to fade while the screams of the other two princesses caught my attention. The world ripped away.

*** ***

My breathing escalated into fast rapid pants as I opened my eyes. I stared down at the pages of yet another history book that had a memory jewel to accompany it. The text had mentioned this was found in some infected stallions mouth. No idea where the memory took place though. It looked like the interior of a castle, but to my knowledge there was only three castles. One in the Crystal Empire, one in Canterlot and the other here in Ponyville.

I scratched my mane and drank from a bottle of water to calm my nerves. The weirdest part of this was that I could feel something going on with Princess Celestia before the memory ended. It was like being frozen inside of a cold prison. Her hooves felt like they couldn’t move at all, but that might have just been the fact that I couldn’t move while inside of Celestia’s memory. I flipped through to the end of the history book with a sigh. “You’ve got to be kidding. Where’s the rest?” A mare sitting at a comic stand shushed me. I put my hooves up in defense then closed my book. For every answer I get there are at least three other questions that come to my mind.

My eyes went down to the magazine that had gotten mixed in with my books. It wasn’t in their by accident. The title of the article I wanted was Cutie Mark Crusaders: The First Glider. It even came with a type of memory jewel that was embedded in the page so you could get the feel of what it was like back then! The still inside the jewel depicted Apple Bloom revving an engine. My horn lit up, with all my focus on the jewel, everything around me blurred until the world ripped away.

*** ***

I didn’t need to do anything more than just look at these mares. Many nights in my attic had been spent reading over every little bit of glider articles I could get my hoofs on. From some small names to some of the more well-known names I could name a lot of different ponies involved with the process of making some of the best machines I had ever seen in my life. The Dodge brothers were just two of them. But there were three names in the history books that had always captured my interest.

Two mares sat near the first ever tested glider, fixing it up with a little T.L.C, while thunder loudly rolled by shaking the castle.

The one with the red mane and tan coat was Apple Bloom. She was one of two mechanics in the trio as well as the driving force behind most of the projects. I took note that we were on top of Princess Twilight’s castle being protected by a large protection spell. We stood on a long balcony overlooking the entire town. My attention went back to the glider.

It didn’t look anything like the gliders we used today. It had wings that looked like a hang glider which is something the first released glider didn’t have. The wings on that one had been made of metal.

An orange mare with a purple mane looked up from the engine and pulled the key out of the ignition. Her wings were smaller than most pegasi. Scootaloo was the second mechanic in the trio, but was more or less responsible for hammering the kinks that went beyond the earth pony’s knowledge. “Alright, I think we did it.” Scootaloo slid underneath the glider, putting her back against the frame, strapping herself in. She put her hoof against one of two pedals. The older models didn’t have a gear shifter. Those were made for racers with a need for speed. Scootaloo started the glider back up, revving the engine as loud as she could, a smile slowly growing on her face. The engine hummed but not as loud as it could have been.

I slid into my transparency spell. The engine became clear as a crystal pony’s coat. I could see everything that made it tick. Everything looked like one big schematic now. I’ve got this spell down!

The engine itself was a small V6 with two hundred forty one horsepower. Damn, that’s not bad for their first glider. “Scootaloo, you sure ‘bout this?” Apple Bloom put a sticker on one of the wings. It was called ‘The Orchard.’ I felt a smile growing on my face the more I looked this piece of beautiful machinery over. It was amazing to say the least. As far as classics go, this was as old school as any pony could get. I wish I could take it out for a fly.

Scootaloo took the key out of the ignition. I looked away from the glider and noticed Scootaloo was just standing there. Apple Bloom looked out at Ponyville. One of her hoof tips drew imaginary circles in the ground. Scootaloo let out a long sigh and her head drooped down. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to spread my wings and soar through the air?”

“Fer a long time.”

“For a long time, exactly!” She punched the ground. I couldn’t see the pegasi’ face, but she wasn’t sad. Her tone of voice was full of reflection, as if she was thinking back on everything that lead her to this moment, which from what I’ve read was filled with many crusades. “You and Sweetie Belle,” she pointed a hoof at an office that was connected to the balcony, “were both with me when I got my taste of real flight. So was Princess Luna.” Her hoof hit the ground again. “I remember what Rainbow Dash said to me the day we carried the flag at the Equestria Games. Maybe I’ll fly someday or maybe I won’t, but today I am going to take flight. These wings,” Scootaloo unstrapped herself and climbed on top of the glider. “These wings, Apple Bloom, these are my wings, they are the wings that are going to take me up above those clouds one day. Today it’s just a couple dozen feet above the ground, but tomorrow we will soar all around Equestria.”

Apple Bloom was keeping her gaze at the ground. I could see a determined smile unlike any other on Scootaloo’s face. She wanted her dream like no pony else had ever wanted a dream. Just like Silver Shoe.

I sat down on my haunches.

This is just like the conversation I had with Silver Shoe. I had been Apple Bloom and she had been Scootaloo.

I looked up at the two mares noticing their hooves lying on top of one another. Apple Bloom was smiling. She looked over at the office, “Sweetie Belle, get over here.” Hoof steps echoed from inside the office room as a mare with a pink and purple mane walked out with her horn aglow. The color from her horn matched the protection spell around the entire castle.

Sweetie Belle was the brains behind the operations, because without her there wouldn’t be so many types of gliders. Her ingenuity fueled Scootaloo’s desire to push everything they made to the limits.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders put their hooves together. “We are the CMC,” they spoke together. “On three. One. Two. Three!” They threw their hooves up while Scootaloo slid underneath the glider. Her hooves went through two straps while she buckled them together. The metal holding the engine began to shake while the pegasus put her back against some rather uncomfortable looking padding.

“Time to fly or die,” Scootaloo said smiling full of confidence. A pair of flight goggles went over her eyes while she backed up to the balcony’s edge. Her hoof went back to the gas pedal and pushed it back.

Veruuuguuuuuu. Veruuuuuguuuu.

I was grinning ear to ear.

Scootaloo galloped forward taking one quick glance at her friends. Her hooves pushed off against the ground sending her body into a dive straight over the railing. This was one of those moments that lasted for what felt like an eternity.

I wanted it to last forever. I wanted this moment to last forever. For a glider enthusiast this was one the most beautiful sights in history.

Scootaloo disappeared under the railing! I galloped over to the edge only to fall back on my haunches. The mechanic flew straight up shouting at the top of her lungs. She whooped and hollered while I cheered along with the Crusaders.

The protection spell shook.

I stopped cheering, my eternal moment cut short, by the heart pounding sounds of infected beating at the spell. This town had been invaded by infected and they were still here.

ARE THEY CRAZY!?

I paused and thought over this scenario. Well it’s this kind of crazy that gave us the present day glider.

The spell shattered, glass rained down like bullets, causing the other two crusaders to take cover. Shards came raining down on us, they didn’t hurt, but the realization that infected were about to break inside the castle hit each one of us like a punch. Scootaloo went through me, taking her two friends in her hooves and making me feel extremely uncomfortable.

The world started to rip away, but I had just enough time to see one last jaw dropping scene. It wasn’t the good kind.

The glider snapped, in two. All three mares went down near a place called Sugar Cube Corner.

*** ***

My head jolted up, heavy pants escaped my mouth, as my eyes slowly traced the room. I will never get used to that. In all honesty I’m surprised I haven’t gotten used to it. My hoof went straight to my bag and I felt my old books. The mare at the comic book section was looking at something. I got up. As I walked to the counter every book and magazine I had on the table floated back over to its proper place in the library.

“Excuse me,” I spoke softly. The mare looked up revealing her name tag. Her name was Page Turner. “Do you guys take donations?” I set my three history books down in front of her.

Page Turner took one of them then carefully flipped it open. Her eyes scanned the pages like a hawk hunting its prey. She examined the other books even more carefully than the first one. Once her hoof tapped the counter I was sure she was going to give them back to me. “Actually, we can buy these from you. I can give you one hundred bits, but that’s all I can offer. You’re lucky these are first editions and in great quality.”

“Deal,” I stuttered a little. She took the books off the counter handing me a small bag with a hundred bits in the process. It wasn’t much to go off of but it was a start. I could at least get a night in a hotel. My eyes went down to the comics on display under Page Turner’s hoof. My jaw dropped. “How much for Swordmares issues eleven through fifteen?”

Page Turner smiled pulling the issues from the display case. “Fifty five bits.”

Now a smart pony would turn away right now. I’m occasionally a smart pony. I’m not particularly proud of what I’m about to say. “Here you go.”

*** ***

Normally I would have been smiling after buying an issue of my favorite comic. Sadly, I no longer have enough money to stay in a hotel. This was not one of my better decisions and I’m pretty sure Silver Shoe is laughing her ass off right about now. Meanwhile it started to sprinkle turning my light trot into a gallop.

I really need to reevaluate how I make decisions at some point, but that is a conversation for another day. And by ‘another day’ I mean probably never. Why am I even having this conversation with myself?

I inhaled the sweet aroma of delicious hay burgers! Drool started forming in my mouth while I galloped up the dirt path leading to the small staircase in the backyard. My favorite food being made by what I’m hoping is a new friend. Celestia and Luna know I could really use one right now.

My hoof pulled the door open and I trotted inside.

First thing I did was grab my Pegasus Breed from the fridge then downed it right away. Alright Runner, think. Where can you stay for the night?

I turned, leaning forward against the sink. When did that 240SX glider get here? Huh. Must have not noticed it. Maybe that belongs to Candle Light’s brother! I turn faced the table hearing a drink being set down.

My heart started beating faster. Butterflies flew around in my chest sending my knees into a light shake.

A small smile formed on my face.

“What’s up bud,” Glider said as she pushed herself up from the table. It took her no more than a second to wrap her hooves around my neck putting me in a hoof lock. She freed a hoof and rubbed it against my mane making it frizz up a little. “Gave us all a scare after you hit that sign you son of bitch!” She was laughing in between those words. Her hooves flung me around from side to side for a couple of seconds before she finally released me.

I was speechless. My mouth opened but words did not come out.

Words. Say words. Come on. Say something.

“What are you doing here?” I couldn’t hold back my smile anymore. It stretched from ear to ear. At this moment I didn’t care how or why she was here. I was just happy I had a friend.

Glider’s wing pulled me over to her and she ruffled my mane one last time. “After you got knocked off the train we started looking all over for you. I told Vin and Lucky to keep searching while I told Candle Light what was going on.” And then Candle Light told you that I ended up here. Life has a funny way of working out. Speaking of Candle Light, she was sitting at the table just enjoying the company. I brought my friend count up to four. “Before we go any further, we need to have a talk.”

That was something I had been expecting since that sign hit me. And that sentence slapped me harder than that sign. I took in a few deep breathes. We were having this talk now. Candle Light got up out of respect for our privacy. “I’ll give you guys a minute.” Glider waved a hoof at her and grabbed two cold Pegasus Breed’s from the fridge. Ignoring the one she already had on the table. I followed her outside, taking our time to find a seat on the stairs, then sat down on the steps together with the back door cracked open.

The rain started picking up while questions about this entire conversation went through my head.

How do I even go about telling her I killed Silver Shoe? What if she hates me for this and I lose the only four friends I’ve made outside of my prison. Yeah, I found my definition for District Twelve, a prison. I mean I have nowhere else to go. War and the others are just crew members, they aren’t like Glider and her family. Daring probably considers those guys family, but I’m an outsider to that group.

I don’t want to lose these four. Damn it, Silver Shoe why can’t you be here with me! If only I had kept my trap shut I wouldn’t be having this conversation.

“Runner,” Glider put her hoof on my shaking leg, “calm down. This isn’t going to be easy for either of us if you can’t get a grip.” I nodded.

Inhale slowly.

Exhale slowly.

Alright, I think I’m ready.

I nodded again slowly but firmly popping the cap off my Pegasus Breed. One small drink later I felt ready to say something. Anything really. “Silver Shoe and I used to pull jobs back inside the walls. Her plans always involved throwing us in danger while mine were more covert.” Glider looked like she had been in this situation before. Her eyes said she understood. “After we broke out I went along with her until I realized that you might not be the sister she was hoping to find. I brought my concern up to her while we were on a catwalk, then one thing lead to another; our argument ended with us dropping each other down on the metal hard enough to bring the son of bitch down.” My heart leapt in my chest. Every last detail of what I had said went through my head in a split second. I just want it all to go away. I want the pain in my heart to go away and never come back!

Tears were running down my face?

My hoof went to the side of my muzzle. I felt tears running down each side. I didn’t have the guts to look Glider in the eyes. “It was my fault. I didn’t put enough trust in Silver Shoe and now you’re short one sister.” My eyes snapped shut and I waited for something. Anything. That something or anything didn’t come.

“No, Runner, it’s not your fault,” she whispered in my ear. Her breath was warm. Glider’s wing stretched out pulling me close to her. I was brought into a warm hug. “I’ve learned that this place isn’t like the Equestria described in books. It’s a land that breaks friendships if you’re not careful.” I shivered a little. My eyes went up to Glider’s where tears were forming.

This tough fly or die mare was actually tearing up in front of me. Tears started running down my muzzle again while the rain poured down on us. We sat in silence for what felt like forever, just letting the rain soak us down to the bone.

I broke the silence, “I still feel like I need to be punched. Some sort of punishment for letting our argument get out of hoof. She always did say I had better self-control.” Glider’s wing moved away from me and she stared at me. All she could do was nod. Her hoof brushed some tears away.

WHACK!

A hoof knocked me into the wood railing and the thing came down to the ground with me. A small puddle greeted me face first. I pushed myself up. “OW!” My hoof went to the staircase to keep my balance.

“That was for making me tear up.” The compassionate Glider was gone. She had been replaced by fly-or-die Glider. I gave her a nod and looked at the picnic table set up in the small backyard.

WHACK!

I landed in another puddle face first. Nothing could have prepared me for that second punch but if another one came I would be ready. I slowly pushed myself up then gave her a look that asked her what the second punch was for. “That was for you.” My jaw dropped a little. Usually ponies don’t dish out punishment when you ask for it, but she did.

This mare was something else. The sting from her punch hit me again. “OW! Damn girl, you’ve got some swing!” Glider leaned back, a sly smile on her face, while taking a drink from her Pegasus Breed. I won’t lie. It felt good to be punched like that after having that conversation. I might not have a code yet, but it felt like it had knocked me on the path to finding one. “Are we cool, cause I can always leave if this … Are you okay with what happened?” I had to ask.

She spoke almost in a whisper. “I’m not okay with what happened to my sister. I’m never going to find out how she turned out. Won’t even get to show her my family. Our family,” Glider said correcting herself.

From the way she was talking it was like she knew Silver Shoe was going to come after her one day. I took a seat next to Glider and stared at her eyes. There weren’t any tears, thank Celestia, but she had something I didn’t like. Her eyes were filled with disappointment. I hated that look.

Glider’s wing stretched back out then pulled me back into a hug. “I said our family. You’re a part of this family now to and this is our home.” For a second, my heart felt like it had stopped, full of joy. It burst with the sunshine and rainbows that Equestria sorely lacked. I pushed her away and could see she was absolutely serious. There was only one word that could describe my feelings. Happy. “I may have lost a sister, but I gained another brother. And I’m sure he’s going to tell me all about my grown up sister.”

I chuckled with a nod. “I sure will,” I said softly.

“Are you going to be okay,” she questioned me while her wing blocked the rain like an umbrella.

That was a good question. I have no idea. The grieving process was going to be long. After all I had just lost her not that long ago. The sad part in all this was that I couldn’t even remember how long it had been. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just, give me time.” We both took a drink from our Pegasus Breed’s.

The puddle in front of me rippled and I stared at my eyes in the reflection. They were slightly red now. We continued to sit together listening to the clip-clopping hoof steps behind us. They went back and forth past the door. “So if I’m a part of this family now, mind telling me how the gang came to be?”

Glider snorted and choked on her drink. After a few coughs she cleared her throat. “We’re not a gang, we’re a team.” Her gaze went from the staircase, to me, then to the garage. A smile was beginning to form at the corner of her mouth. “Well there’s a lot of history here, but I can try to give you the short version. My version.” Glider put her wing around my back and gave me a shove. I got up following her close to the garage.

My attention went straight to the 240SX, which was being protected from the rain with a spell built into the machine. I took a peak at the groove. Instead of the heavy metal that my Mustang had to protect all the equipment within hoofs reach of the driver, this glider had what looked like really strong plastic, but it was just from how shiny the bumper looked. I could see the line where the bumper clamped to the top of the glider right above the groove for the ponies back. Definitely custom. My tough friend trotted all the way to the back of the machine leaning against the spoiler. “After I broke out of our prison I got a house right down the street. I had to race to earn bits and eventually I caught Diesel’s attention. He introduced me to gliders and I mean really introduced me to them.”

But he introduced you to a tuner. Those aren’t even in District Twelve.

Glider could see the scoff I was trying to hold back. Her hoof went down to the ground and she hurled a rag that covered my muzzle. My hoof brushed it off. “Like I was saying. He had my attention and I had his.” I opened my mouth to crack a joke about this sounding like a love story, but my better instincts told me to shut my trap. So I did. Glider was giving me a scowl that told me to keep my mouth shut. “Vin grew up with Diesel so he was always hanging around helping us keep the market café open. I got to know Candle Light very well,” she looked at the window, “Isn’t that right Candle!”

I turn faced the window just in time to catch a glance at Candle Light waving a hoof at us. I found myself chuckling at that. Meanwhile my attention went back to Glider while I leaned against the 240SX. “Lucky Clover showed up with this goofy stallion, Hot Rod. They never left and became part of the family.” The nostalgic smile on Glider’s face slowly started to fade. She ran a hoof through her wet mane, then pushed herself away from the glider.

“What happened to Hot Rod,” I asked rather bluntly.

I only asked because he was nowhere to be seen. Glider exhaled slowly. “He, uh, he was shot in a drive-by.” Her hoof tapped the ground.

Glider trotted over to me, giving me a light nudge to tell me to go inside. I went back to my Pegasus Breed. I took a drink and exhaled slowly afterwards. My pegasus friend walked inside. I went in with her. “Not that I’m not enjoying this quality time with you, but I’m getting a little sick of this sentimentality.” I chuckled.

Agreed. “Me to.”

Candle Light set down some plates for us along with a couple of towels. We were both advised to dry off before sitting down. After doing so, all three of us sat down at the table. My hoof went for a hay burger until Glider put hers down on top of mine. I looked at her and she shook her head. “I’ll say grace,” Candle Light volunteered just after I pulled my hoof back. “Thank you Celestia, for this food on our table. Luna, thank you for allowing us to eat with good friends. And most of all, Cadence, thank you for bringing us a new member to our family.” Candle Light looked up at us and reached in for a hay burger.

“There’s a guest room upstairs, feel free to crash there until whenever.” Glider bit into her burger. I looked over at Candle Light to find her going along with it. A smile started to curl up at the side of my mouth. My problem of finding a place to stay at was solved.

My smile stopped mid-curl. I had forty five bits to my name. Not a bit more. Thanks a lot Han. “I’ll stay the night, but after that I’m heading out for a job.” I mentioned Daring and went through a forty five minute conversation about what I had been doing while Glider was out looking for me. They were impressed. Well … Glider was impressed. Candle gave me a disappointed yet accepted look. I think she wanted a friend that wasn’t the fly or die type. Hey, I’m a fly or die kind of pony!

Glider’s big argument against me going was that we’re a family and we do things together, so I couldn’t go without her. Candle Light stepped in mentioning that Lucky Clover was still out there with Vin looking for a pony that had already been found. That settled it. I was heading out to Harbor City with Daring and the crew. Without any pony else to back me up.

That night I cracked open a few issues of Swordmares and prayed to Celestia I would come back home without to many life threatening injuries.