Go Rest High

Jared gladly strolled back to his shop, and paused, He’d been walking in the shade for about five minutes now, but there was a clear blue sky. He looked up to see a steadily darkening, lone cloud above him.

“What-“ BOOM A white and blue bolt of lightening flashed, and his entire body was pain. Not in pain, it was. Pain.

Everything he saw was bright and distorted. His entire essence was pain. He was on the ground before he knew what was happening, gripping his shoulder. It felt bubbled and hot. He slowly got to his feet and limped at first, falling on his face before climbing up again and sprinting to his shop in a hobble. He locked the doors. All of them. He locked the gust locks on the hanger door as he slipped off his jacket and torn shirt. He walked to one of the shredded wings, using the reflective aluminum as a crappy mirror. Even in the dull surface, he could tell he was hurt. A jagged burn mark, spidered down his front like a disease. It was blackened, reddened, and raised above the rest of his skin.

“That mother fucking BITCH!” He screamed, sitting in the doorframe of his airplane, still holding his shoulder. He then remembered something. He had survival gear. He climbed over the back seat and began throwing equipment out the door. First a sleeping bag, then foodstuffs, the ELT, Then he found it. His 12 gauge trench gun. He held it up and grinned maniacally at first, then shook his head, and dropped it on his stuff. He had 10 rounds. 2 Buckshot, 3 birdshot, and 5 slugs. Hopefully he wouldn’t need them. He pulled out a first aid kit, attempting to dress the burn, the spiderweb burn would be impossible for him to bandage, but the entry point would not. He covered it in antibiotic ointment and a bandage.

Looking around, Jared then dug engine covers and a backpack from the back, as well as miscellaneous junk he hadn’t got around to cleaning yet. He walked around his shop, peering through a dark window. It was what appeared to be at one point an office. Walking through the door, he spotted a short hallway. He laid out his possessions and rolled out the sleeping bag in one corner of the office. It was a fluffy, down filled, red and black plaid bag. He slowly laid himself down on it, hissing in pain as his shoulder touched the canvas.

Jared looked at the ceiling, exhausted. “What the hell man...” He asked himself quietly. “Why couldn’t I just...” He sighed. He could hear rain, loudly, on the roof of his hangar. To say he was mad at the pegasi, who ever it was, would be an understatement. He slowly stood, listening as the rain poured off the tin roof, and picked up his shotgun. He loaded one slug, one buckshot round in the tube, then three birdshot. He racked the pump, sending a birdshot round into the chamber.

“Alright, let’s try this again.” He walked out of the office, across the concrete hangar floor to his beaver. He popped open the glovebox, built into the co-pilot's dashboard. It was ripped from an old Cessna, just convenient for storage of small things. Inside was some documents, cigarette lighter adapters, and most importantly a glasses case. He slipped a pair of silver reflective aviators out of them, and put them on, unlocking the door to his hangar and strolling out. He headed out from his building, dashing out of range of the rainclouds, and heading back towards the town. In his right hand, he held the shotgun by the breech. Self defense, of course. His 1911 still tucked into his belt, now clearly visible without a shirt. He whistled quietly, a cloud following him. Jared waited patiently, continuing to walk as the dark cloud drew nearer. When it got close enough he could see the shadow trying to envelope him, he switched off his safety and aimed directly at the cloud, shouldering the shotgun.

“You’ve got about two seconds to fuck off or you’re gonna be looking like mince meat, buddy.” Jared stated. Nothing. The cloud froze in place. “That’s what I thought.” He stated, annoyed. He continued walking towards the town. “Not putting up with this bullshit.”

Shirtless, he walked through the market, before spotting the purple magenta unicorn he was looking for through the window of the ridiculousness diabetes house. He kicked open the swinging door, the stock of the shotgun on his hip, pointed skyward. The room was silent. He snapped his fingers and pointed at a certain butter colored pegasus. While his wounds from the crash were prominent, the new scar was obviously just that, new. The bandage was already soaked red and yellow.

“You. Get the one on the cloud outside and bring her ass in here. Capisci?” He asked. She was in a mix between on the verge of fainting and doing what he said, she zipped out the door before nervously dragging in a rainbow maned pegasus. Rainbow was struggling in the shuddering grasp of Fluttershy, yelling for her to let go.

“Twilight.” Jared slowly walked towards her, his heavy boots resounding on the wood floor.

“J-“

“I want to talk to the princess. Now.” He stated calmly.

“Spike.. Take a letter..” She looked at him, terrified. Celestia and Luna both appeared into the cafe, using their magical bullshit before his pen touched the paper. Most ponies bowed, except Rainbow, being held by the scruff, and Twilight, holding the blue menace with magic, in fear for herself.

“Jeff, What seems to be the matter?” Celestia asked.

“Jared.” Luna corrected.

“Rather than simply scattering this criminal’s brains across the grassy knoll, I figured this time I’d do things diplomatically.” He stated, Celestia’s pupils dilated as Luna’s eyes narrowed. “I've tried to be polite in meeting the townspeople, I've done nothing to deserve what she just did. Believe it or not, when living things get hit by LIGHTENING, IT USUALLY KILLS THEM.”

“It does not, natural magic protects against it!” Rainbow argued.

“She is correct.” An irritated Luna argued. He gestured at his chest, smiling darkly.

“I don’t have magic.” He stated flatly. Both princesses looked shocked, eyeballing the plain electrical burn. “I want to press charges.”

“I can’t let you do that.” Celestia stated. “These mares are the bearers of a very important status, and if it was found they couldn’t uphold that status it would be chaos.”

“Are you telling me.” He loosely gripped the shotgun. “This BITCH has diplomatic immunity?” Jared gritted his teeth.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, if you’ll excuse me, I need to have a chat with my little ponies.” She said. He slowly walked out the door, stopping at the exit before he turned back. He pointed an accusing finger at Rainbow. “You stay the hell away from me, you hear?”

Jared continued out the door. He walked down the gravel road towards his hangar, still mad as hell.

Luna looked at Celestia.

“Sister.. He has been through a great trauma to cause his low patience in the first place, I fear he has none. He may do something drastic.” Luna commented in a whisper.

“Then go to him.” She stated, the most terrifying thing about her was her current lack of emotion. “Rainbow Dash, what caused you to think it was a good idea to strike him?”

“I don’t know, he just wasn’t very nice to Twilight and then stormed out of town.”

Celestia inhaled deeply. “Rainbow Dash I am sentencing you to 50 hours of community service in assisting him with his project. Do. Not. Make the same mistakes. Again.” She stated. The six girls’ mouths fell open in shock, in unison.

Jared was on the outskirts of town when he heard someone running up behind him. Something struck his head, hard. “Fuck!” He collapsed forward. He put a hand to the back of his head, it came away crimson. He slowly stood and spun around, raising his trenchgun. A small crowd was following him.

“Begone, beast!” A mint green unicorn threw another rock which he quickly dodged, it soared over his left shoulder.

“I am not in the mood for your bullshit, you have four seconds to clear out.” He stated, lowering the barrel of his weapon. They all looked mildly surprised.

“JARED!”

He looked past the crowd, and a navy blue alicorn teleported in front of his weapon. “Let’s walk.” She told him. He spun on his heel and the crowd dispersed at the princess’s appearance. She looked back and glared at them as soon as he was facing the other way.

“Jared.. I’m worried about you..”

“What could you possibly be worried about. I’m only armed and mad.” Jared sighed. His hair felt hot and sticky, he could feel the blood dripping down his head.

“I’m serious, Jared.” She said, dropping her royal air about her. “I once fell into a jealous rage, being consumed by it, I turned into a monster. Please, they don’t know better..”

“Luna.” He said. “...Princess.. This town has the literal living embodiment of friendship and kindness. And the first thing that happens to me is people hide and treat me like a Lovecraftian horror, before physically attacking me because they can’t BEAR me being frustrated.”

Jared continued walking, she rushed up, matching his step. She was quiet for a moment.

“Why are you so frustrated? It’s more than your accident, I can tell that much.” She asked.

He closed his eyes in debate. Should he tell them? Nah, cover story.

“All of this world I am in now seems so fake, and I just can’t bear it. I can already tell my life is going to be a living hell...”

Luna said nothing until they arrived at the shop. “Jared. We will try our best to get you home, but as far as we know it isn’t possible... Please, try to have patience...”

“Why should I, nobody gives a shit, why do I need to?” He kneed open the door to the office.

“Because I do!” She replied. Jared sighed, and slouched. He turned back to her. “Because like it or not, you’re stuck here, possibly for good, and everypony will care if I have to make them care. You matter purely because you are alive. So make the best of it.”

Jared leaned against the wall and slid down, holding the shotgun between his feet before gently reaching over to put it in the corner.

“I hate you.” He sighed. She looked hurt. “No. I don’t really. I’m sorry.”

“May I come in?” She asked.

“Yeah, I mean, come on, you’re the princess of course you can.”

She slowly stepped into the dim office, noting the single steel desk, his sleeping bag, and scattered packaged supplies from the plane.

“Were you not given accommodations?”

“I was given a freakin' Hangar, I’m not going to complain about sleeping on the floor.” Jared smirked.

“Is your craft here?” She asked.

“Yep.”

“May I see it?”

“What’s left of it.” He stated, standing. He kicked the office door shut as he walked through another door into the hangar. She followed him to see the room filled with the scraps of wrecked airplane, and gasped.

“It’s astonishing... How does it fly..?”

“Now it doesn’t.. But the wings are an airfoil, angled to divert the air downward, producing lift. The motor has a propeller, another airfoil, that spins to give it forward thrust.” He said, He pulled his worn leather wallet from his jeans and a small photo of him and Miranda sitting on the steps of the floats as they smiled happily, his arm around her, the plane in the water of an Alaskan lake. The photo was worn, looked like it was old as well. Luna smiled gently. “Is she your mate?”

He choked and laughed for a moment.

“No.. She uh.. She's gone.” Jared replied as they walked around the fuselage. She noticed the art on the cowling and looked mildly confused

“I see.”

“Princess...” He began.

“Luna.”

“Princess Luna..”

She rolled her eyes. “Just. Luna.”

“Just Luna..”

She choked back a laugh. “Yes?”

“Are we friends?”

“I.. Suppose so.” The question caught her off guard.

“Neat.” He smiled gently. He dug through his first aid kit, attempting to mop up the blood on the back of his head. It was sore. He was pretty happy with the fact someone of such high standing had his back. He turned around on his heel, hearing the crunching of gravel outside. And a knock on the door.