"What a heap of junk! Are You sure it isn't easier to just, You know, bury it all? This "magician cave" will be much cosier without it."
"Hmpf! Better spend the day or two to get some bits at the yard sale and THEN bury much smaller heap of junk, PLUS there maybe something worthy even my mane. Now, where did I see that..."
Voices drift about, getting interrupted by the sound of things being moved or, occasionally, by eeks and yups from stepping on or walking into sharp or otherwise unpleasant things. Suddenly - a loud whistle, left out in amazement.
"What a beautiful work, Aylee! That I'd definitely keep even if just to hang my cape from! What a delicate work..."
"Ye-es, that ARE the most wondrous feathers I've seen made. You think it is steel? Or silver?"
Sparks of magic fly, sending coloured rainbows over dark walls.
"Definitely not silver. Trust me, silver is more MALLEABLE and this - this looks sharp."
"But what is this?"
"Hmm. A "Pegasus device", it is written here. My guess would be - this thing makes one a pegasus, somehow. We'll see! O-omph! Help me turn it over, would You? That is HEAVY!"
Some small object falls to the floor, dislodged by their efforts.
"Yuck!!! Is this a bone?"
"A shoulder blade, most certainly."
The more authoritative voice sighs before continuing.
"There are so many things to clean here..."
She was afraid, directing her flight ever closer to the river surface, rippled with heavy rain. Somewhere in the clouded sky an enemy lurked, sensing for her. This was no sight nor hearing, it was something completely... other. Something she also had, but kept to herself, not willing to give her position out. But she could sense enemy calling resonating, scattering from the water below her, branches above her, just about everything around her. If "they" rise just a little bit, "they" will surely sense her, silver dot over troubled waters. And then she will run no more and nowhere.
Peach Roll woke just when barely tangible feeling swept through her once, twice, before becoming a deafening roar. Dream - it was nothing than dream. Cream-and-orange coloured mare diligently tried to shake feeble remnants of an uncomfortable vision from her head before rolling over bed sheets and stretching. Completely ignoring this joyful ritual, her wings stayed where they were, tightly pressed to sides and flanks. Jumping onto all fours and neighing in an anticipation of another great day, Peach gave them their separate stretch, all the way across the room. Having been born a simple and plain earth pony, she didn't know how it feels to be a pegasus. She still didn't knew it, because her wings were magical!
They were agile. She could charge straight through the royal procession to catch that silly foal about to fall from his "best observing spot in the front row of all the Equestria" on top of his uncles' shop rooftop". Just spot - resolve - jump into the air and go. Peach has never... "connected" with anything she didn't intended to "connect" with.
They were fast. Not Royal Guard nor these wonder-freaks had any chance of catching her, and, to tell the truth, she's given them ample opportunities to try. Being an unknown hero in the crowd gives a lot of ponies a lot of reasons to chase You no matter how good is Your intention.
And seemingly indestructible too. Peach no longer could remember all the things she flew through, from apple-tree branches to window panes to thorn-wood and to fire. Much less would have left any pegasus grounded for at least some length of time. She herself was left bruised and battered, as an earth pony would, but wings? Not a scratch! And it would be a real shame to scratch these intricately engraved feathers...
They still weighted, like, a ton, Peach just got used to that extra burden. At least they stayed put when not in use and were rather easy to conceal, though she had to invent a lot of reasons why she has chosen to wear her long caparison daily, all the time and everywhere. But being fashion-conscious became a pretty light-hearted side-play to Peach adventures as Knight-Saviour, an opportunity to talk and joke like everypony else while slowly becoming more and more distant from them. Being "the one and only" is a lonely path.
Even her old friends, through whom she has got her wings and this... position - they too become more of a memory rather than a company. Best part of it, probably. What a joy was to follow the adventures of the previous Knight! To visit places, meet folks, help with what their little backs can handle. Tell tales by the fireplace, exaggerating whatever they heard two- or threefold! Meeting the Knight was the top of the wish list. Actually becoming one - not even a possibility to consider.
Learning that the Knight, in fact, was very aware of their little "club", made them ecstatic. Would have made, had this not come together with the news of the Knight demise and her last wish was to name the successor - it happened to be Peach Roll. Later her friends have all came to admit that she was indeed the most worthy, but that didn't matter anyway. To not honour the wish of the greatest childhood hero would be an impossible travesty. Peach has accepted the wings, the responsibility and all the pain it carried.
Pain, agony - a young country-mare do not usually come to learn these things. Her first acquaintance with them, barring bonked nose or twisted hoof, came when she put on these wings. Sensation of metal coming to life and boring into her body to find and meld with very bones... it was most terrible feeling and it seemed that it will go on forever. But it didn't. Instead Peach Roll the Knight have found another source of nearly constant pain. Dreams, they just were... Worrying, frightening, different each time, more intense. But her waking time carried something worse - all her failures. Those, whom she missed, whom she forgot, whom she didn't save. They were always with her, sometimes just an overheard name, sometimes a smell or a scream.
Peach learned to live with it pretty much like she learned to carry the weight of her wings. Hide it and use it well - to not fail again. That's what she intended to do.
The day was indeed great. Mingling with the crowd, hearing the news, greeting these few who knew of her "business". Poking her nose into all these weird places young foals like... to get stuck in. Fortunately, her abilities were not immediately needed and having put a safe distance between herself and anypony she was aware of, Peach disrobed and took to the sky.
No sight of fire or any other disturbance! All the sky to herself! Forgetting everything, she indulged in aerial acrobatics, at least for that brief time forgetting her dread and duty...
In a moment Peach spotted another winged shape, bathing in sunlight between the clouds. Soon it banked, becoming rapidly bending line, approaching. Young mare smiled, choosing to close the distance herself. That surely was Nordy the griffon, her frequent companion on long flights. Steel-winged pony couldn't ignore a chance to show off, making her signature "peach roll" and shouting a greeting long before friendly cat-bird came into hearing range. But good words can always be repeated, right?
Nordy flew closer, giggling.
"Didn't You ate enough for breakfast? Or is Your breath drying up?"
Peach started to answer, perhaps in a more unfriendly tone than she wished to, but somewhere halfway through her fifth word a shattering realisation hit her. There was no breath! She wasn't breathing at all! Trying not to panic, Peach made attempt to draw the air in. Her sides didn't move. Another, and another try. It brought no difference. Yet here she was, flying, thinking, seeing things, hearing things. In fact, her senses become even more acute than earlier today - impossible! Still thinking, despite the panic mode. Maybe, just maybe she could force some air inside her by flying through it!
Saying, shouting and then screaming something in a flurry of feathers Nordy was left behind, being reduced into barely discernible brown dot on white cloud backdrop in a time of a few seconds. No effort, no command, no thought - just a determination, and her new, alien body responded to it, pushing Peach through the air faster than anything known to anypony, deafening anyone foolish enough to witness that feat with sky-splitting roar. Barely able to close her mouth, young mare listened to herself with an utmost attention - was she successful? Was she? But the news were much worse than whatever she could have imagined. The was no heartbeat either.
Does it mean she is now... dead? There is no more Peach Roll? Then - who is she? Or what is she? Silently, Peach cried high above the clouds, tears freezing before breaking off and falling from her cheeks. How would she know where to be and whom to help without her silly, stupid, spontaneous heart of a mare? This brought back the memories of the dreams she was having - of scorched earth, broken towns and fighting in the sky without end. Or until the end, for her and everyone she knew and cared for - a horrible, torturing end. The thought was unbearable, impossible, yet here she was, again - thinking, flying, DEAD thing with unknown purpose and unlimited abilities.
Completely lost, Peach idly turned to the left, sunlight scattering off the polished feathers of her cruel wings. They took her to the sky, now they took her whole. Eyes, now completely dry, scanned the ground below irrespective of clouds or starting rain. Rain - this is what brought her out. The thought of being the hunter of her dreams, the ultimate fear before the death of everyone she sees. That... that was worse than death. So much worse... It has to stop - with her.
In fact, it was easy. Roll over, bringing warm sun under her hooves, then zoom towards that sharp looking cliff - easy, as before. And then - her wings awoke to their own life. Splaying wide they bent and creaked to the incoming wind, trying to pull her, or themselves, out of the deadly dive. The heat in her chest broke out, burning fur and skin on her underside, trying to brake hard. She was losing, in fact, she has already lost, as new thought resonated through her horrified mind -
PRESERVE FUNCTIONALITY. BRACE FOR IM...
"I.. I can't! It's too steep for me!"
"But You'll see EVERYTHING from here! Come on, just a few more steps!"
Sound of hooves trampling over small stones and dry grass, then wings flapping, landing. Panting, long and hard, with no more complaints.
"Just a moment, I'll... catch up, I promise!"
Panting finally gives way to squeaks of amazement, then...
"Look! - a moment of horrified silence - Bones!"
"Oh, mare... It's so-o fu-..."
"Dash!"
"Okay, okay. It's so sick. Just look at these poor..."
Sound of hoof ringing dry bones.
"It's messed up. Earth pony, I guess, they are the heaviest."
"But... how?!"
Slow, fearful clopping of hooves at the single spot.
"Pro'lly griffons. Sick beasts..."
More clopping with muffled eeks and whimpers.
"Sa-ay... What's this thing? It's... pretty... beautiful... No, it's just cool! No, make it extra cool with cloud toppings! Look at these... FEATHERS!!!"
"There is something written here... "Pegasus device" Uh-m... what is this, Dash? What does it do? Dash? Da-ash? Dash!!!"
"Now, let someone say about finding ones... DESTINY!"
