D E A T H w i s h / meso, strato, tropo

by TheRedFox

Rating: teen
Tags: Lightning Dust, Sad, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 1011

I will not waver in the line of duty.

When some birds are born
Their mothers throw them from the sides of the nest
And tell them to fly.

An entry for the Thousand Words contest. Stop being weird. This is serious.

Published 2023-07-16 01:20:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-07-16 01:20:00 UTC

Anything Worth Doing

I hereby solemnly swear that I will support and defend Equestria, and boldly do whatever is asked of me, to never shrink or falter in the face of danger, and to defend those who cannot defend themselves. I swear to wear my uniform with pride, and to uphold myself to the highest standards. I swear that I will never lie, cheat, steal, or be dishonest, to both myself and my fellow Wonderbolts. I will never waver in the line of duty. May Celestia lead the way.

When some birds are born
Their mothers throw them from the sides of the nest
And tell them to fly.

Somehow they are expected to know
What their wings are for
And how to use them.
They’re never taught to fly.
They just.
Do.

It’s a funny thing, but I guess
It works.
Sometimes. Maybe.

To be picked up
And thrown aside
And to be be told
“You better start flying.”

When I was still a filly
My mother said to me,
“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”

She smiled and was patient
As I came dead last in every flying contest.

Even when dad complained that flight camp
Was just a waste of time.
And asked me what I was good for.

“You should just know how to fly.
Every pegasus does.”

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.

The mesosphere is the third highest layer in the atmosphere. Its reach is significant, and meteors tend to burn up once they hit it. Although it is easily identified and segmented, little is known of it: no pegasus has yet been able to fly above the mesosphere. The weather continues to decrease as altitude increases, posing yet another challenge for exploration.

Weather devices and spells have also not yet been able to pierce into it, leaving much of the air here undiscovered and unknown. Because meteores tend to disintegrate within this layer, the air is thick with metals and residue left behind. Noctilucent Clouds can also be observed forming within the layer.

An odd phenomenon is the recorded presence of Sprites, which resemble sporadic discharges of lightning.

When some birds are born

They don’t succeed in flying

The fall towards the ground, spinning and

Spinning and spinning

Until something happens.

Maybe the mother saves them.

Maybe they die.

I never bothered to find out.

Anything worth doing was worth doing badly.

But that’s not an excuse

For sucking at flying.

I would fly.

I would fly so fucking hard

And so fucking far.

A bird that cannot fly is useless.

Just feather and bone, a meal

For something stronger,

Something better.

(Because there is always something better.)

I would not fly badly.

I would not fly badly.

I would not fly badly.

I would not be a stupid bird

That splatters against the ground

Into a cloud of blood and feathers.

Tumbling to the ground.

Failure is a sin.

Failure is for cowards.

I am not a coward.

I will not fail.

Below the mesosphere is the stratosphere. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, something crucial for all life on Equestria to exist. Ozone molecules in this layer work to absorb ultraviolet rays that are pushed from the sun and convert them to heat, allowing life to thrive below. The temperature gets warmer as the altitude increases, in stark opposition to the behavior of the mesosphere.

This disparity in temperature makes the air stable, without turbulence or wind currents that may be more unpredictable in higher layers. The air is also incredibly dry, with little water vapor meaning that clouds cannot form frequently.

Skilled pegasi are able to thrive flying within the lower levels of the stratosphere, and elite fliers are able to reach the middle to high levels without difficulty (provided they possess the necessary equipment and training. It is ill advised for pegasi to make this trip unassisted and without a team).

A phenomenon unique to the stratosphere is the formation of “blue jets:” an electrical discharge similar to lightning that often appears above thunderstorms.

A bird with a broken wing

Is useless.

A bird that can’t fly

Is no good to anyone.

I was not a bird with a broken wing.

So why am I

Still

Useless?

Because I did something wrong?

Because all of a sudden

It is wrong to look out for yourself?

It is wrong to try and prove yourself

To the world? To everyone?

To prove that I matter?

Maybe it is.

Maybe it isn’t.

“Lightning Dust.

Return your uniform immediately.

You are hereby expelled from the Wonderbolts Academy.”

Fuck them.

Who are they

To pick me up

And throw me off the side of a cloud

And say “fly, fucker, fly.”

I will make them see what I am.

I.

Will.

Fly.

The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, beginning at ground level. This is where all life on Equestria exists. The majority of clouds form here, and all pegasi capable of flight are able to navigate the air with ease.

Air is warmest at the troposphere towards the ground level. As altitude rises, temperature continues to drop, allowing high-altitude areas such as mountains to maintain snow coverage even in the summer. Air pressure and density continue to decrease as one reaches the stratosphere.

A phenomena unique to the troposphere is Lightning Dust.

(I will boldly do whatever is asked of me.)
Anything worth doing

Is worth

Doing badly.

(To never shrink or falter in the face of danger.)

I will fly.
(To wear my uniform proudly)

I will not fail.

I will fly.

(To uphold myself.)

It gets colder then warmer
(I will never waver)

Then warmer then colder

It’s so cold.

(Never shrink or falter.)

Keep going

Higher and higher

It’s making my head hurt.

Wings are aching

Throat is screaming

Push harder. Keep going.

Body failing now

Getting dizzy

Not flying anymore. Falling.

Falling

Falling faster

FalllingFallingFalling

Fly, fucker, fly.

Fly, fucker, fly.

Fly, fucker fly.

Or fucking die trying.