The Elements of Turmoil

The Elements of Turmoil

By RadaVonVon

Chapter 6: Failure

His paw ran idly through the water, sending multi-colour ripples through it. He flicked at it with one of his lion claws, causing it to rapidly splash around. He lazily blew his paw dry, causing a sudden swarm of cyan and pink butterflies to burst into existence and flap their wings as he breathed life into them, watching them drift away carelessly. He rolled over onto his stomach, sitting lazily by the pool and resting his head on his paw, kicking a dragon leg in the air, his snake tail flicking from side to side.

“And who let you in, Discord?”

Discord didn’t look over, his red and yellow eyes remained trained on the rippling water that sat before him. A chuckle rumbled in his throat. “Oh, I simply wanted to come visit my old home. For, you know. Five thousand years or so.” He paused, seeming amused, as he examined his talons, still without looking at who had confronted him.

There was no response.

“Something wrong,” The draconequus looked over, smirking as he stood up. “Celestia?”

Celestia stood still, looking oddly alarmed for a moment before settling on a look of smug satisfaction. “No.” She answered simply as she flicked her tail, pastel and flowing. “Nothing, nothing at all.” She smiled plainly, though Discord identified something off in her smile.  He paused.

“I see. You've noticed it, too.” Discord mumbled, returning to his position, stretched out on the grass in Canterlot gardens. His eyes wandered to the pedestal he sat on for so long, like an unassuming piece of art. He felt disgust rising in his throat, but repelled it. A simple pillar now stood upon it.

“Noticed what?” Celestia asked, seeming abnormally panicked. She was masking something…

Discord suddenly looked back at her, startling her once again. He cocked an eyebrow. “The imbalance. As much as I may despise you, Celestia, and your love of all that is sickeningly symmetrical, you are far from an idiot. Or, have you changed?” He suddenly appeared disgusted as he returned to the water, languidly drawing a claw through it, seeming thoughtful.

Celestia paused. “I have noticed.” She said, sounding uncertain at first, but ending sounding poised. “And you are to blame.”

The chimera chuckled. “I would love to take credit!” He spiraled into the air, extending his wings and hovering there as fireworks exploded vividly behind him. He donned a jester’s hat and a small scepter thumping her on the head with the scepter and gracefully landing in front of her.

“Alas, I cannot.” He sighed sorrowfully, theatrically slapping the back of his paw to his forehead and collapsing to his knees, before straightening and removing the scepter and hat. “What is happening in your kingdom is in no way attributed to me.”

“LIES!” Celestia snapped suddenly, raising a hoof irately and slamming it down on his lizard foot.

Discord paused angrily for a minute, looking as though he was about to attack her, but when her smug grin remained plastered on her face, he shrank back. Then, he smiled, much to her confusion.

“Now, now, Tia. Is that any way to treat your,” He paused, to chuckle. “loyal subject?”

“You’re not loyal to me.” The alicorn spat. “If anything, you’re an anarchist! A mutinous fool. You cannot be trusted. I will see to that. And do not call me that! To you, scum, I am Princess Celestia!”

“Oh, Princess Celestia. We’ll see who can be trusted.” Discord smiled peacefully, before returning to his spot beside the pond, beaming.

“Aaaand… Two minutes and fourty seconds!”

“Th…” The pegasus was tense beneath her blue coat, her wings flapping madly to stay in the air as she collapsed onto a cloud. “That’s it?” She groaned.

“Yeah. Sorry.” The orange Pegasus shifted uncomfortably.

“I’ll never be a good flyer.”

“Hey! Don’t give up! That’s what I used to think.”

“Please. That’s what everyone says.”

“When I was your age, I couldn’t even get off the ground!”

“Liar.”

“It’s true! Ask mom. Come on, Flare. Let’s grab a bite to eat.” She shifted, putting her purple mane slightly more forward.

“… Hey, Scootaloo?”

“Yeah?” The orange pony glanced over, smiling for some reason as they drifted lazily through the streets of downtown Cloudsdale.

“Am I really your little sister?”

Scootaloo blinked, looking worried for a minute. “Uh, yeah.  I mean, y’know I’m adopted, Squirt, but you might as well be, Flare.”

The blue Pegasus nodded, seeming thoughtful. “So it doesn’t matter, right?”

Scootaloo grinned. “’Course not! Besides, Soarin and Rainbow both think of us as their kids, even if I was already your age when they adopted me. I was there when you were born, kid.”

The Pegasus stared. “Really?”

Scootaloo nodded. “Soarin was freaking out, they almost sedated him. Some solar discharge caused this massive blackout. RD was screaming, Soarin was crying, and I was just kind of trying to keep him calm. Things worked out, obviously.” Scootaloo paused, smirking. “But, that’s how you got your name. Solar Flare. “

“Really?” Flare stared blankly back at Scootaloo, eyeing her for a moment as they flew down to a small café sitting on an individual cloud, residing on the edges of the city.

Scootaloo grinned, batting her on the back of the head gently. “Why would I ever lie to you, Squirt?”

Ohmygoshoohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh.

There he is. Right there. Right there. RIGHT THERE.

“Come on, RD. You can do this!” She breathed to herself, stamping her feet as she looked across the room, gazing at him. Him. His green eyes, his well-muscled body. She shuddered, chills going down her spine as her heart jumped into her throat and her stomach doing flip-flops. She slowly approached him, and he turned, making eye contact with her.

Oh. My. Gosh. Is my mane okay? My tail? OhmygoshohmygoshohmygoshOHMYGOSH.

“Hey. You look, uh, nervous.”

“NERVOUS? Hahaha! How silly. I’m not nervous! Why would I be nervous? That’s stupid! I’m not nervous, why would I be nervous! You’re just… Soarin. Of the Wonderbolts. Haha! What is there to be nervous about?”

Soarin only chuckled. “Hey, you’re the girl who did the Sonic Rainboom at the Best Young Flier’s Competition, huh? Rainbow Flash?”

“D-dash!” He knew her name! Well, almost! But he knew the first and last parts of her name, just kind of messed up on the middle!

“Sorry.” Soarin smiled. Even his smile was beautiful… “I meet so many people in one day. Me and Spitfire were actually talking about you. We kinda wanted to run into you. How’d you get back here?”

“M-me!? Oh. Uh, my friend. She’s got some super rich friends up in Canterlot, she was at some fashion thing and got tickets and a pass… She knew how much I ador- I, ergh. I mean, she knew how much I admi- No, I mean, she knew I have this massive crush- Shoot.” Rainbow felt the blood rush to her face as she bowed her head in embarrassment. “She knew I really, uhm, would like the chance to meet you.”

Soarin blinked. “Really? Wait, repeat what you were gonna say.”

“Wh-what was I gonna say?”

“You had a massive crush?” The Wonderbolt smirked self-righteously.

“Soarin, stop killing the poor girl.” Spitfire laughed, walking slowly over and grinning. “Hey, kid. Nice to meet you. Ignore Soarin’s table manners.”

“Hey! That was ONE TIME!”

“Anyway,” Spitfire began, casually glancing at Rainbow, the tension she had had with Soarin gone. “Kid, we saw you do that Sonic Rainboom. It’s practically unheard of.”

“Well,” Rainbow began, staring to relax a little. “Nothing’s too hard for the DASH!” She slicked her hair back with one hoof and exaggeratedly struck a tableau.

Soarin and Spitfire exchanged glances shortly, and Dash felt her face heating up. ”L-listen,” She began shakily. “I’m just REALLY nervous, so I’m sorry if I’m acting really we-“

“Rainbow Dash, we got a question for you.” Spitfire addressed, and Soarin nodded toward her.

“Huh?”

“Five minutes and two seconds.” Scootaloo sighed.

“Wh-what!? The worst colt in my class gets two minutes and fifteen seconds!”

Scootaloo glanced up at Solar Flare, seeming disappointed for a moment. “Come on, Flare. One more time. Take it from the Cloud 9 Hotel, go around the city, and meet me here. You can do this. Just avoid that one updraft when you go over the nightclub.”

Solar Flare nodded, and was off. Though Scootaloo would never dare to say anything, she feared for the filly’s career as a flyer. Having talked to Soarin, apparently, she was failing flight school. She examined the blur of blue and orange zipping away in the distance and sadness overtook her. She had dreams of being as great as her parents.

How ironic. The two best fliers in all of Equestria, and their offspring can’t land a simple barrel roll…

She was even more competitive than Rainbow Dash was. Well, of course she was. She had her parents to compete with. Scootaloo felt her stomach drop as she watched the younger pony swoop dangerously, before seeing her swoop up at a sharp angle. She sighed with relief, before smirking to herself and glancing back at her cutie mark. A feather. Just a feather.

Scootaloo smiled, remembering running to Rainbow Dash and exclaiming she had gotten her cutie mark. She was confused on the fact that it was a feather, though. Soarin had interjected, talking about how feathers represented virtues in the household he was raised in, though it could easily have a dual meaning.

She had grown to really like it. When she was younger, she had taken it as a sign that she would never fly, only be like a feather. Destined to fall, some time, only take short bursts of flight. Of course, that wasn’t the case. She wasn’t amazing, but she was certainly better than average.

Her thoughts were cut off with her sister came speeding by, and Scootaloo looked down to stop the timer. She cringed. “Seven minutes, thirty-six seconds.”

“Rainbow! Slow down!” Rainbow Dash could faintly hear Soarin call behind her. Rainbow smirked, slowing down and falling back. “Maybe you should speed up, slowpoke! So, will you finally admit that I am THE fastest flier in all of Equestria?” She grinned cockily at him.

Soarin chuckled. “Fine, but I’m still the best stunt flier.”

“Deal.” They bumped their hooves together.

Soarin examined her new garment, a tight-fitting Wonderbolts uniform. “Well, it certainly suits you.”

“Can I just say something, Soarin?” Rainbow asked pointedly.

“Yeah, of course.”

“This is the COOLEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME!” She turned around, grinning widely. “You have no idea, ever since I was a filly, I’ve wanted to do this! I would sit outside all day and-“ Suddenly, she was choked up and took a deep breath.

Soarin stared at her in surprise, guiding her over to a cloud and setting her down. “Hah! Are you alright?” He questioned, concern dotting his voice.

“Yeah.” A small smile graced her lips. “I really am.”

Soarin waited a moment before asking, “So, uh, when we first met for the first time and it wasn’t just you, gazing dramatically at me from the audience, in the front ro-“

“Hey!” Rainbow thumped him on the back of the head. “Give it a rest.” She smiled.

“Fine, fine. But, uh, what was it about that massive crush, eh?” Soarin chuckled, rubbing up against her, and Rainbow tensed visibly, but laughed, as her cheeks grew red.

“Oh, uh, that? That was nothing. I… Freudian slip!”

“Haha, oh, really, now?”

“Yes, really, now.”

Soarin paused, seeming thoughtful, and for a nanosecond, he seemed almost… disappointed. “Ah. Y’know, we’re pretty high up.”

“Psh, I know. It’s cold.” Dash groaned quietly, sinking into the cloud. “I’m still hot from those endurance runs we did.”

“Well, you’re a Wonderbolt now, that’s regular.” Soarin grinned at her, poking her in the head. “Get used to it.

“Oh, I’m prepared to. The question is… Are the Wonderbolts prepared for the Dash?”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. So funny. Very funny.”

“Oh, what? Fine, then! I know.” Dash grinned. “Let’s jump off and when we get to a couple hundred feet, let’s open our wings and fall. No flying. Freefalling.”

“Oh, please! Foal’s play.” Soarin smirked. “You’re on. But!” He stopped abruptly. “We have to hold hooves.”

“Hold… hooves?” Dash asked ,staring back at him, practically whipping around.

“Yes.”

“… O-okay.” Rainbow found herself blushing again, but she smiled weakly. “Let’s do this, then.” She said, practically leaping off and grabbing his hoof in hers.

“Soarin, I just dunno what to do.”

“Listen,  she just needs to keep trying. She’ll get it eventually!”

“Soarin,” Scootaloo interjected. “I’ve seen her. She needs something slower paced. They’re going too fast for her. She has you guys to compete with. You guys are the greatest fliers in Equestria! It says so on those plaques!” Scootaloo insisted, pointing at the plaque across the room.

Rainbow Dash sighed, glancing at Soarin. “She may be right.”

Soarin blinked. “But… I mean, it’s not like she’s failing, or anything.”

Scootaloo cringed. “Well, erhm.” She shifted, having wanted to keep this from them. “She kind of is. But, listen, before you get all mad at her and stuff, I think… Well, this is kind of crazy. I need to move out anyway, but I thought… Well. I was thinking… Okay, this is gonna sound TOTALLY insane.  But, hear me out.” Scootaloo took a deep breath. “I think you guys should take her to Ponyville. I learned without flight school from you, Rainbow Dash. I think that without the pressure of flight school…”

Soarin stared blankly at her. “Maybe that’s valid, but I’ve never been to Ponyville. I wouldn’t know anyone. At all.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and nodded in agreement. “What’s the big rush to move out, Scoots?”

“Nothing, I just feel like it’s time for me to, metaphorically, spread my wings and fly. You know?”

“Yeeeeeah.” Rainbow contracted. “I remember movin’ out of my parent’s place…” She trailed off for several seconds before snapping back to reality. “Wait. We’re not… Old?!” She exchanged a horrified glance with Soarin.

“Nah. You’re apparently younger than my biological ‘parents.’ Though, I’m not sure how much good that’s going to do you guys. Everyone gets old. You just kind of have to be awesome when you’re old, instead of being afraid of it and playing checkers and drinking lemonade in a gazebo.” Scootaloo pointed out.

Rainbow chortled. “Yeah, we raised you right, I think. From where we started.”

Scootaloo smiled briefly in return. “Yeah, you really did.” She murmured, with a nostalgic grin on her face, before cutting off the memories washing over her. “But, uh, back to what I was saying. Flare’s the worst flyer in her class.” She said plainly, her eyes downcast. “We have to do something about this. They’re going to kick her out.”

“Can we homeschool her?”

“How much good is that going to if she can’t fly her way to Ponyville from Cloudsdale?” Scootaloo suddenly snapped to Soarin, “She needs a more basic education.” She insisted. “They try to teach her to be like you guys here. She’ll never be like you guys, she can barely fly. She may be normal some time, but… She’ll never live up to you guys.” Scootaloo sighed. The words pained her, knives cutting her throat and mouth as she spoke them. For some reason, she found tears welling up in her eyes.

Soarin paused for a moment. “Yeah.” He muttered. “I guess I know that.  I don’t want what happened to Spitfire to have a repeat, of any extent."

The room grew silent.

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Soarin was going downward too quickly at a right angle.

He wouldn’t be able to pull up. If he expanded his wings, they’d be torn off by his momentum.

“Soarin!” Rainbow gasped from the stands. She zipped off, ignoring Spitfire’s calls for her to come back. She flew slightly down and forward at an angle before she followed him down, catching his tail in her mouth. Now she just had to pull up.

Rainbow extended her wings, trying to slow the fall. It shouldn’t be as dangerous as it would have been with Soarin, as she had already yanked him upward. “Soarin! Pull ouf your winfs!” She called, his tail muffling his mouth.

“Okay!” Soarin yelped, wincing before extending his wings to their full glory, large and powerful, and muscular.

Rainbow spotted Spitfire racing toward them. Something was off. Her trajectory was misguided. She was going to crash. As they were slowing down and both of them gained control and began to fly on their own, about a hundred feet away from the ground, they began to race toward Spitfire.

The scene had already attracted a great crowd, oohing and ahhing at something that they thought was a show, for some damn reason.

Rainbow was now racing toward Spitfire, a Mach cone appearing around her as she struggled, her cheeks being pulled back by her speed and her face feeling like it was going to peel back as she began to approach the sound barrier. Still not fast enough!

A large explosion wracked her body as a sonic rainboom bursting gaudily behind her, leaving a trail of colour as the nearby houses trembled in her wake.

A gigantic gasp echoed through the crowd, and all was silent. Rainbow, still petrified, looked around frantically for Spitfire, whom was nowhere to be seen.

Until she looked down.

“Mail!” A certain grey-blue Pegasus pony with a yellow mane called from the door of Soarin and Rainbow Dash.

Soarin answered the door. “Thanks, Derpy!”

“Okay!” Derpy called back, flying away to deliver the mail to the next house. Soarin examined the bright pink, yellow, and blue envelope that the pony had left behind. It was adorned with glitter and balloons. He shrugged, bringing it inside.

“Dashie! Mail!”

Rainbow Dash walked in, looking embarrassed to be called by her pet name, but shrugging it off. “Who’s it from?”

Soarin held it up. “No idea. There’s no return address. Someone really bothered to decorate it, though. Looks like an invitation of some kind.”

Rainbow Dash froze, staring at it. “This looks like it’s Pinkie Pie’s.”

“You mean the girl who tried to turn the Gala into a child’s birthday party?” Soarin smirked, seeming amused.

“Uh, yeah. She’s one of my best friends, I guess. We haven’t really... Talked. What could she possibly want?” Rainbow Dash grumbled, opening the letter tentatively.

Confetti exploded into her face, and she could hear Pinkies’s voice, thanks to some kind of recording device inside.

“This is your singing telegram,

I hope it finds you well!

There is a pony we all know and love

Who’s came back with her spells!

There’s gonna be a party

With her and all the others!

So please don’t be afraid to come, we’d love to have you here!”

Another spray of confetti showered Rainbow Dash and Soarin. “Ergh.” Rainbow Dash blinked, shaking a hoof free of the colourful bits of paper.  “Huh, well. I think she means Twilight! Twilight left forever ago with that Whooves guy! Why would she come back?” Rainbow blinked. “A lot of people left. Pinkie may have sent these out to everyone…”

Soarin paused. “Well, let’s go. We might as well test out Ponyville, since Scoot seems to think it’s such a good idea.”

“Solar’s going to be good at something, Soarin.” Rainbow Dash paused. “Whether it’s flying, or liking animals, or magic, or… or designing or cooking or growing apples or…” She suddenly seemed melancholy.

“Hey.” Soarin sighed, resting his head on top of hers. “It’s alright. It’s gonna be fine. Promise.”

Dash could only stare at the ground, her eyes oddly focused. She looked back up at Soarin. “But… What if it isn’t?” She sighed, her mane losing some of its volume. “What if they kick her out? Where’s she going to go? No one’s ever heard of a fully grown Pegasus that can’t fly, Soarin.”

Soarin grew silent.

There is no life here.

Sterile. The walls are white, reflecting any and all fluorescent light that comes in contact with it so it blinded against your eyes. There is no life here. In the smell of sterile rubbing alcohol and antibacterial things. Cold, unfeeling tile, mopped carelessly by the earth pony in need of a quick buck.

The only sounds are of metal clanging, paper sheets and clothing shifting.

This place is dead.

Rainbow’s heart thumped passionately in her chest as she had her eyes on the doctor pony approaching her and Soarin. “Is she okay? Can we see her?” She barked.

She could only watch in horror as the doctor’s face fell. Rainbow’s expression faded, and he shifted. “Her wings are damaged severely. She’ll survive. But…”He stopped solemnly. “We may have to amputate her wings.” He explained slowly.

There is no life here.

She was able to make it, but just barely. By the time they got there, Solar Flare was panting and sweating, whilst Rainbow and Soarin h been leisurely talking the entire time, with her struggling behind them.

Scootaloo glanced back at Flare. “Listen, you alright?” She asked, just as the filly collapsed into the dirt and groaned.  Scootaloo fuddled with the old photo album she had on her back. Rainbow Dash thought it might be fun to bring it along if they were going to have a reunion of some sort.

“Aungggg… Can we never do that again?”

“Maybe.” Dash chuckled, elbowing Soarin discreetly, who smiled in response, but seemed oddly melancholic. The smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Dash raised an eyebrow at him, but shrugged it off. “C’mon, Pinkie’s probably still in Sugarcube Corner. I think we’re actually a little late.” She grumbled, half to herself, half to the rest of them as she ducked inside.

“Leave me alone.”

The sudden attack surprised Soarin, as he had considered himself to be a very light walker, particularly on clouds.

“Rainbow-“

“No, stop.”

“Just listen.”

“NO! YOU LISTEN!” Rainbow snapped, hopping to her paws. “Do you even understand what happened to her? What she has to live with now? I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine living without flying, Soarin!” She hissed.

“Rainbow, she’s going to be okay. She’s alive. She’s just going to work as a normal earth pony now. She’s going to live.”

“No, no she’s not!” Rainbow jerked away when Soarin tried to place a hoof on her shoulder. “Soarin, she’s never going to feel the wind in her mane or soar into the sky or rest on a cloud ever again! She’s never gonna fly with us again! She might not even be able to be stuck in the stands half the time, she won’t be able to get up to Cloudsdale without magical help!”

“Rainbow, her bones are still hollow. She can still walk on clouds. We can still get her up here if she needs it.”

“Where’s her sense of dignity gonna go, huh? What about THAT, Soarin? What’s everypony gonna think when she needs other ponies to help her get around? She used to be great! She’s SPITFIRE! I used to idolize her, and now look at her.” Rainbow Dash paused, choking on her own tears. “Now look at her! Who’s she gonna be? Sure, she’ll be living. But she won’t be alive! I had to live without my wings for all of ten minutes the first time Discord showed his ugly head here in Equestria, and you know what?” She gasped suddenly, trying to control herself.

Soarin was now at least a foot away. “What, Rainbow?” He murmured.

“There are things worse than death.” Rainbow Dash muttered quietly, staring at him with fire blazing in her eyes before she took a deep breath and controlled her breathing once again.

Soarin stared blankly at her for a minute as she sat back down. They were on a solitary cloud in the middle of nowhere. Soarin looked at her sadly for a moment, cocking his head. “Listen, I know. And I know that this is going to suck for Spitfire, but we have to keep the Wonderbolts going. What else can we do?” He slumped beside her. “This is going to be on us. Finding new members and stuff.”

Rainbow nodded. “Soarin, what does this mean for us?”

Soarin froze. “What?”

“… Never mind. I dunno what I was saying.”

“Was it about that massive crush?”

“Now isn’t the time.”

“Sorry.”

A long pause ensued, with Soarin looking up at the stars beginning to show themselves.

“Yeah. I did, and I still kind of do.”

“Huh?” Soarin glanced over at Rainbow, then, upon realization of what she had just said, his face turned red. “O-oh.” He smiled to himself.

“Why?”

“Nothing.” Soarin covered quickly, smiling, though it was forced.

“Come on.” Rainbow suddenly smiled weakly, jumping to her hooves.

“Wha-? Where are we going?”

“We’re gonna jump.”

“Jump?”

“Offa this cloud!” She suddenly extended her wings in their full glory, she had at least a seven foot wingspan. Soarin stared in wonderment.

“Uh… Okay.”

Dash grabbed his hooves in hers and leaped off without a second thought, grinning. “Catch me, okay?”

Image credit to NabbieKitty on DeviantART.