chapter 7 - Falling without style

I was slipping.

My weight was slowly dragging me backwards and there wasn't a thing I could do to stop it as my fore legs slid over the edge of the precipice, the chimera just stood there content simply to stand by and watch as I fell to my doom.

A wordless gasp was all I managed as I finally lost purchase on the cliff dropping from sight of my killer.

I had only been here in Equestria for not even two days and yet I had experienced so much in that time, the sheer joy of meeting the real Rainbow Dash herself, the wonder of discovering I had wings and the happiness I had gotten from moving them by myself, all these things flickered through my mind followed by the memory of the shock at the chicken assault or the bewilderment of getting myself lost in the Everfree forest or even the sheer terror of my blind fear driven dash through the forest from the chimera and the disappointment I felt as I clung on knowing it was all over so soon.

All these emotions were dwarfed as I felt another rush through me filling my being.

Anger.

With a beat of my wings I launched myself back up to the cliff edge landing on all fours before the beast.

It jumped back in shock confusion spread across the goat heads face, clearly it wasn't used to its sport coming back up the cliff although more than likely anything it chased didn't have wings or else they would probably have flown away as soon as it showed its many faces.

The chimeras tail however made its first appearance the snake headed tail whipping over the beast to strike at me with a bite that was probably poisonous.

My fury came with a rush of adrenaline causing everything to move in a strange sluggishness, watching with disgust as the serpentine tail lashed at me moving with a savage jerk as it lashed down towards me.

Rearing up on my hind legs dodging the venomous thrust as the serpent instead struck the rocky ground my hoofs slamming down upon its head which resulted in three angry roars and a satisfying muted squeal of pain that came from beneath my right hoof.

Kicking the stunned tail away with disgust I took a step towards the chimera who in turn flinched back clearly unaccustomed to its prey acting as the aggressor, pointing my right hoof at the goat head and transfixing it with the full extent of my anger.

"I have been here for TWO days and YOU think you have the right to chase ME through a forest and drive me off a CLIFF?!" I yelled at the creature who flinched slightly at each word.

"For the first time in my miserable life I was actually happy and you think you can just take that away from me and hunt me for sport, who do you think you are?!"

I was letting my anger get the best of me and deep down the quiet voice of reason was slowly getting louder in its insistence that I was yelling down a creature that could pulp me in an instant if it so wished.

As reason slowly regained control I realised that soon the beast would come to the conclusion that I wasn't actually a threat to it and would finish off what it had started, something I wasn't too eager to be around for.

A quick glance either side of the chimera confirmed my fears that the fire was still blazing away and I didn't think that even if I made it past them that the chimera wouldn't just as easily catch me again, which only really left me one option.

Summoning up the last of my courage I turned around my back to the creature and growled with a certain measure of self satisfaction.

"Buck you"

And then with all my might I bucked the goat in the face to which I was rewarded with the satisfying porcelain sound of shattering teeth and another cacophony of yelps and roars as I leaped off the cliff.

Now I admit I hadn't exactly planned this out as I rushed yet again within the iron grip of gravities pull as I plummeted towards the jagged rocks

below.

Resting my fate on my final gambit I unfolded my wings spreading them as wide as I could fighting the rushing wind as it tore up at me.

The results spoke for themselves as I was launched back up past even the cliff I had so recently jumped from the chimera goggled at me as I rocketed past its rocky perch until even the massive beast was a speck below.

Now I guess I should mention that I wasn't exactly taking this stoically in my stride for the entire time I was pretty much flailing my legs and screaming my head off during my rapid descent and even faster climb into the sky far above the Everfree forest.

I assume that I had caught a thermal because I steadily gained altitude leveling out just above cloud height and what I saw took my breath away.

The few times as a human I had traveled on planes and looked out at the world through the tiny windows I had always been amazed by the view but what I was experiencing now simply could not compare, my view was unrestricted by trivial things such as windows or goggles and I knew that what I was seeing had probably never been witnessed by any human ever as I was unrestricted by bulky parachutes or high altitude gear.

A cerulean panorama was stretched before me, crystal blue skies that stretched from horizon to horizon spotted with clouds of purest white the world lay below me the Everfree forest a dark mass of treetops that still managed to convey a brooding malevolence with its very existence, beyond its borders lay a patchwork quilt of fields and if my eyes weren't deceiving me in the distance was what could be Ponyville, a vague cluster of buildings far away.

It was a sight I knew would stay with me until the day I died, which was a sobering thought as I realised I was a very long way from the ground and my experience to date with being at such great heights was falling from them, and while I had never been afraid of heights that was because I had always known that it wasn't the heights that killed you it was the depths.

Strangely enough as I cautiously tried tipping one of my wings to begin a loose spiral, a more controlled descent rather than my more recent attempts, I didn't feel any trepidation or discomfort.

It felt, well it felt right flying up here in the sky, I didn't know if that was me or the fact I was a pegasus but here and now even more so than my more peaceful moments in the Everfree forest I felt like I belonged up here and I couldn't help but start humming flight of the valkyries as I banked from side to side getting a feel for the air.

As I glided my way lower I spotted Fluttershy's home angling my self in that direction, at this point I was nearly skimming the treetops with my hooves when in my passing over a clearing in the tree canopy below a familiar speck of white grabbed my attention a grin spreading across my face as I leaned forwards angling myself into a silent dive, the chicken who had been the root cause of all today's bad luck and misadventures pecked and scratched away at the ground peacefully oblivious as I swooped down upon it.

A surprised squawk and a moments struggle left me swooping back up above the treetops, Fluttershy's home dead in my sights and one stunned chicken held close to my chest and one vindicated smile spread across my face.

Landing outside Fluttershy's home was an awkward affair as not only was this my first intentional landing but I was also short a leg on account of the chicken I was carrying but it seemed luck was on my side today as after making contact with the ground with my free hooves and a couple of awkward hops to stop myself I managed to prevent an unplanned dip into the stream that flowed around the gentle mares home.

A couple of gentle knocks on the front door and a nervous Fluttershy opened a smile spreading across her face as she saw the blue colt standing before her looking tired but triumphant a white chicken standing between his forelegs.

"Oh Cloud I was so worried when you ran off into the Everfree forest like that you could have been hurt or worse"

Her words while spoken with kindness and concern, still hit me hard knowing full well that if things had gone any different I very well might not have made it out of the forest alive not to mention how terrible I now felt knowing that I had probably put her through by running off like I did when she was looking after me.

Meeting her gaze I sighed once nodding my head.

"I know I shouldn't have run off like that but I was supposed to be repaying your kindness and in doing so I made things worse and really screwed up but I did get the chicken back and I even managed a little gliding on the way back so it wasn't all bad"

"Gliding?" the mares forehead furrowing in confusion.

"Uhm yeah well I kinda bumped into a chimera and after it chased me to a cliff I kinda jumped off after kicking it in the face"

"Oh dear I hope its okay the poor thing" she gasped a covering her mouth with her hoof.

"Uhm Fluttershy I'm pretty sure its fine however right here and now maybe I could ask for another favor?" grinning weakly and waving a hoof to gesture to myself.

After my half day in the Everfree forest some of that time spent running for my life and my earlier encounter with the chickens I had acquired a great many scrapes, cuts, grazes and about half a trees worth of twigs and leaves in my mane and tail.

one session of heavy mane and tail maintenance a bath and an excessive number of bandages I found myself seated at the dinner table energetically describing my adventure to Fluttershy with almost no exaggerations and maybe forgetting to mention a few of my more screamy moments as she politely giggled and gasped through my tale, both of us eating spoonfuls of soup when we remembered our meal.

I had always loved soup and this was by far the best I had tasted, I suspected Fluttershy may have made it thinking I was sicker than I felt as the excitement from today's adventure had  banished all feelings of weakness or tiredness from my body.

Our meal finished I made to gather our bowls and head to the kitchen to help wash up but my host wouldn't hear of it insisting that it was the least she could do after everything I had been through today.

Acting on a whim I reared up on my hind legs hooking my fore hooves into my cloud, which had been peacefully floating among below the rafters and birdhouses of Fluttershy's home, pulling it down to me with ease I then turned around and pushed it out of the front door and away from the cozy home where there was a clear view of the setting sun.

With a satisfied grunt I made my way back inside popping my head into the kitchen smiling as I saw Fluttershy singing quietly to herself as she placed the last of our bowls on the side to drain, clearing my throat not wanting to startle my host with my unexpected arrival.

"Uhm Fluttershy could you come outside with me please, there isn't much time left?" I asked feeling nervous asking such a strange request.

Turning around her pink mane again dropping in front of her face as she turned to face me "outside uhm why, whats out there?" she said understandably cautious living so close to the Everfree as she did.

"Sunset, I cant remember the last time I saw one!" Grinning like an idiot and not caring because it was the truth as I turned and quickly made my way outside and hopping onto my cloud sinking into it with a contented sigh as I slouched comfortably, turning with a smile as I heard the gentle hoof falls of Fluttershy as she made her way over spreading her wins and jumping up with a small thrust sitting in a more delicate manner returning my own cheesy grin with her own more reserved smile.

"Uhm what did you mean by not remembering seeing a sunset uhm that is if you want to tell me" her voice quietly trailing off clearly shy about asking me about my strange comment, her mane again assuming its position over her face.

I spent a moment quietly watching the sun descend towards the horizon as it seemed to set the clouds ablaze its final rays of light illuminating them with a golden reddish glow, sighing sadly I turned to her before sitting up in a more dignified position rather than my slovenly slouch I had assumed more out of habit than for comforts sake.

"Back where I came from it was a place of tall grey buildings reaching into an equally grey sky, all of them as ugly and unremarkable as its neighbor, the horizon if that was what you could call it was only as far as the next building would allow, you only ever saw the sky if you looked up and even then mostly all you saw was grey clouds" turning back to face the sunset closing my eyes as I felt the suns light slide down my body the gifted warmth leaving quickly in its wake.

"Oh dear,uhm surely it wasn't as bad as that?" I heard Fluttershy whisper denial clear in her voice as though she couldn't comprehend such a bleak world and for all I knew maybe she really couldn't, I mean she lived in a world of beauty, love and magic whereas I had come from a world of greed speed and anger probably not the best of environments to imagine for one so pure as her.

"Honestly?" I said turning to face her again sighing heavily "It's worse than that but I would be lying if I said that I didn't miss it a little, but even in the small time that I have spent here even with all the lumps and bumps I have gotten I still feel uhm well right?" I struggled to find a word for it but for now it would do turning with a smile as I held up one of my fore legs to the sky chucking as the dark blue colour of my coat perfectly matching the hue of the sky above.

"Uhm Cloud it's getting late and I have things to do tomorrow maybe we should sleep uh that is if you aren't tired enough that is" her voice trailing off again in her own quiet way and while my day had been a long and tiring one the last thing I wanted to do right now was sleep.

"Oh uh back home I'm used to staying up later than this I think I'll stay out for a little while yet" casually waving a hoof as I lay back on my cloud watching as the first few stars began appearing in the night sky, the cloud bobbed up slightly as the mare hopped lightly off followed by the soft hoof falls of her landing.

"Goodnight Cloud Dropper" that soft voice just reaching my ears to which I rolled over on my cloud facing the mare smiling as I did propping myself on my elbows.

"Hey uhm Fluttershy?" my voice was quiet almost a whisper in itself feeling that even if it was getting late and we was in the middle of nowhere it was just in my nature to be more reserved and quiet as well.

"ye yes Cloud?" her mane again falling defensively over her face as attention was again focused upon her one of her fore hooves worrying away at the grass.

"I just wanted to thank you, you know for everything I mean you let me a stranger no less sleep in your home you fed me and even helped me learn how to move my wings."

I gave my wings a slow flap or two to show her that while not perfect they had lost all of their stiff woodenness to the movements instead each motion shifting with an ease and fluidity that gave me such a rush of happiness at their potential that I had to resist the urge to try flying off there and then regardless of the fact I had never actually flown before today, my earlier flight being nothing more than one long glide from up high.

"Uhm but what I really waned to thank you for more than anything was for your kindness, it has been a very long time longer than I can rightly remember since somebo- uh somepony actually helped me with some poorly veiled ulterior motive, I mean I know that you are the Element of kindness but it still means a lot so uhm, thank you for everything"

"Oh uhm it was nothing really, uh well goodnight Cloud" the mare replied her mane shifting aside unveiling a gentle smile before turning around and making her way in her home it seemed in maybe a little bit of a hurry.

Turning back to the darkening sky as the last traces of the sun left to be chased away by the silvery light of the moon as it rose above the horizon, surprisingly bigger than the moon seemed back home the image of a horn followed by the head of a pony was slowly revealed on the surface of the moon so much clearer than the so called man on the moon that I was told about though to be honest much to my chagrin I could never really see it whenever it was pointed out unlike here where it was so clear and defined, another display of the natural beauty in this world that amazed me so.

Laying beneath the star scattered sky the soft cool light of the moon illuminating the land around me, I felt the tiredness from today's adventures finally catch up to me eyelids growing heavy as though the very act of keeping them open was an effort, looking up at the sky one last time I smiled closing my eyes letting sleep fully take me, my last thoughts on the day ahead and the promises of flight that it would bring.