The Ballad of Wingless the Pegasus

Trotting down Main Street Ponyville, was the odd, yet not so unusual sight of a purple unicorn with a mile-long list floating just in front of her nose. Just behind, was the even stranger sight of a stack of boxes with a pair of scaly legs trying to keep up with the fast paced mare.

A young dragon's face appeared around the teetering parcels and asked with a groan, "Twilight, why are we doing so much shopping today? We already bought ALL this junk two days ago! And I thought we were just shopping for a new bed..."

Not taking her eyes off the checklist, Twilight Sparkle replied impatiently, "Because Spike, I figured since we have to go across town to Chaise's shop, we might as well pick up some more supplies along the way. Like the saying goes Spike, 'Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it!'"

Spike grumbles and rolled his eyes. "We could have at least picked this stuff up on our way back, my claws are KILLING m-oof!"

His sentence was cut short as he walked right into the solid still rump of his friend. Most of the packages flew up and away, bottles of ink and other liquids shattering as they struck the ground.

"Whu-what the hay Twilight? What gives?.Spike said, rubbing his head.

Twilight was staring ahead, confusion crossing her face. "That's weird, that's Chaise's shop up ahead, but the sign is gone...and all the windows are painted black. Did he close shop in the past couple days?"

"Huh...I don't know. If he did, he did it in a hurry. Look at all the garbage he left around!" Spike pointed to the littered ground in front of the shop.

The two walked closer to the shop. Indeed somepony had left this place a mess. Somepony had hung a bucket of...something, a trampoline, a dirty sack and an old cart. She moved in to inspect the junk but stopped short when she heard a grumbling gurgle. "Spike, you can't be hungry yet, we just ate!"

"It wasn't me Twilight. It came from under there," he pointed at the sack.

Twilight leaned in, and she could hear it more clearly. Curious as she was, she grabbed the rag with her magic and moved it away from what was underneath. She gasped, seeing the unconscious stallion, the front of his nose caked in dried blood. She poked him with her hoof, and got no response. She leaned in close to his head. "Well, he's breathing pretty shallow, but they're even breaths."

She moved around him, taking in his injuries. "Well, his nose appears broken. But his pupils dilate, so I don't think he has a brain injury..." She said lifting his eyelids and shining some light from her horn in each. "Spike, find out who he is, check his cutie mark, and see if he has any I.D. or something."

Spike nodded and lifted the saddle bags off the unconscious colt, but dropped them, seeing his back. "Whoa."

Twilight followed Spike eyes and saw what he had "whoa'd." She had to choke back another gasp at what she saw. On his back were two mangled nubs, both hairless, where a pair of wings must have once been. Twilight stuttered for a moment, "Ah...-ahem- um...Well...quit staring Spike, can you see his cutie mark?"

"Yeah, it's a...parachute. That explains those then." he said pointing at the scarred nubs.

"Spike, don't be rude! That cutie mark rings a bell, but I can't remember...oh well, look in his bags, maybe there's something in there." Twilight continued checking for other injuries, this time using a spell, but her gaze continued to drift towards the stallion's back.

Spike went about digging in the bags, pulling out three empty bottles of whiskey, a large bag and a rolled up piece of paper. Spike kicked the bottles back in the saddle bags, and opened up the small sack, pulling up a clawful of bits. "Jeez, this guy doesn't just carry small change, does he?" He put the coins back and turned his attention to the paper. "Hey, it's a deed. Looks like Chaise DID sell his place. Heh, Cherry Tomato. Must be this guy."

Twilight finished checking Cherry Tomato for injuries. "Well, he isn't seriously hurt, just a broken nose and a gash on the back of his head. Maybe a little concussion. I think he should see a doctor, but just in case, we shouldn't move him far. Let's get him up into his apartment. Find his keys Spike."

Spike dug through the bags again and pulled out a set of key. He rushed up to unlock and hold the door open for Twilight as she levitated him up the stairs.

The glow around Seamless faded, as Doctor Cook released his spell. "Well miss Sparkle, you were right, his nose is broken, and he does have a slight concussion. He may get a little feverish too, from that big cut on the back of his head, and from being outside for a long time last night. He should be okay, as long as he stays in bed for a week or so, have regularly changed bandages and make sure he gets plenty of fluids." Twilight nodded.

"And you may want to clean this place up as best you can." he added , wrinkling his nose at the appearance of the apartment. And true enough, the place was a veritable dump. There was a thick layer of dirt on the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. There was only one small coated window as well, so dirty you couldn't tell if it was day or night outside. In the corner there was a toilet, as to whether it functioned, neither Twilight or Spike refused to check.

The doctor snapped shut his bag and moved to the door. "I do have to say miss Sparkle, I'm surprised you are agreeing to look after this stallion, considering."

Twilight looked confused and uneasy at that. "Considering...what, exactly?"

Doctor Cook laughed and opened the door. "No worries Miss Sparkle, I adhere to my Hippocoltic Oath. I won't say who he is to anypony. I'll just say, 'good luck' to you and your dragon friend." With that he closed the door and walked off.

Twilight felt sick to her stomach. She looked down at Spike who had the same uneasy look in his eye. "Am I supposed to know who Cherry Tomato is? Do you know?"

"Not a clue. I think we would recognize a famous pony, especially with the name Cherry Tomato."

"Hmmm." Twilight thought to herself for a moment. But her train of thought could not be held long, breathing in the musty air of the room. She looked around her at the dirty conditions. The air seemed to thicken, and walls seemed to close in around her. "Ugh...this must be how Rarity feels some of the...ALL of the time."

"C'mon Spike, let's get out of here for a few minutes, I need some air." Twilight picked up her things, and she and Spike walked down to the front of the shop. "Although...we shouldn't leave him alone for long."

"Uh, Twilight? How is it you're supposed to look after him? I mean, we don't know him, and you've got that report on Saddle Arabian export laws to finish for the princess, don't you?"

"Oh no! I almost forgot about that! Ohhhh but...what about...Wait. What about Fluttershy? She's good with animals, so I'm sure she could change a bandage well enough! Why don't you run along and find her Spike, ask her to come by so I can explain things."

This time Spike's stomach actually did grumble. He looked up at Twilight, grinning sheepishly.

Twilight closed her eyes sighed, "And tonight I'll get you one of those Sapphire Cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner."

She opened her eyes at Spike only to find no baby dragon occupying the spot. Only a large dust cloud remained, which she gazed along, seeing Spike at the end, sprinting as fast as his little legs could take him. She sat back and looked up at the clear blue sky. "Great, Rainbow Dash moved her house again. I'm getting really tired of trying to find her when I need her."

No sooner had the words left her lips, that particular pegasus leaped out from an alleyway across the street, hollering about a white cat clawing into her hindquarters. "Bloody...CAT!" she bellowed bucking around until the cat released her. The fluffy feline flew away and gracefully landed on her paws. Giving Dash a distasteful stare, she turned and sauntered off through town.

"I hope Rarity puts you in a cat kennel for a MONTH Opal!" she yelled after the cat, who paid no-never-mind to the literally butt hurt mare.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Dash spun around, looking in every direction, spouting apologies to whoever called her name, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I REALLY didn't mean it!, I'll pay for everything, I swear! I..." she spotted the unicorn no more than ten feet away. "T-Twilight?"

She looked relieved, but suddenly looked a little fearful and very ashamed. "Oh um...h-hey Twilight! How... are you? What uh, are you doing...HERE?"

"Never mind me," she scolded, moving closer. "What...was THAT all about?"

Rainbow Dash shuffled her hoof in the dirt. "Oh, uhhh, that was Rarity's cat. Opalescence. She really needs to be an inside cat, you know? I mean..."

Twilight cut her short, "Not that! What you were shouting afterwards? After I said your name?"

"Uhhh," Dash's mind raced faster than she could fly, searching for any excuse possible. "I...thought you were somepony I owe bits?"

At first Dash thought her lie had not worked, as Twilight continued staring her down through an awkward silence. Then Twilight sighed and gave a sad smile. "Dash, have you been betting on Wonderbolt's races again?"

Dash was shocked. It was not EXACTLY where she was going with her lie, but it worked out, she guessed. "I...Yes! That's it! Woo, I can't get anything past you can I Twilight? Aheh..."

"Oooh Dash, you know you should come to me when you feel the urge to bet! As your G.A. sponsor it's my duty to help you through those times! Please, please, PLEASE come to me if you feel like betting again? Won't you?"

"I-I-I suppose."

"Good," Twilight moved over to Dash's side and put a foreleg around her shoulder. "Now, since this was a slip up, I think I feel alright...I think, about doing this, but how much do you owe the bookie?"

Dash suddenly became very good at doing a Fluttershy impression. "Oh about 200 bits..."

Twilight removed her hoof from her friend's shoulder. "What was that? I couldn't hear you..."

"200 hundred bits, okay!" Rainbow Dash didn't know how she came up with that specific number, but she figured she could leave it for the colt she hurt. "Maybe it'l be enough for a doctor... Speaking of which, where is..."

"Wow, Dash. I don't...okay here." Twilight pulled a checkbook from her saddle bag and wrote one out for Dash. "Of course this will have to come out of MY stipend from Princess Celestia. I hope she understands that I'm using a month's worth of grocery money to keep my friend's legs and wings broken by some loan shark or whatever."

She tore the check from the book and floated it over to Dash, who reluctantly took it in her mouth, but Twilight held it firm, the glow from her horn not fading from the paper. "But! If this happen again, I will NOT be able to help you, got it? And I will make you go back to meetings again, okay?"

Dash nodded her head with each question. "T-thanks Twi, I swear I will pay you back."

"Oh Dash, you know you don't have to pay me back, what are friends for any..." An idea popped into her head, looking up at the shop apartment. "Actually, I know exactly how you can pay me back! Come with me."

"Okay!" Dash said excitedly. "I wonder what she wants me to do? Oh well, any reason to get away from the shop until I can figure out how to payback that colt is fine with me!" But her heart froze when she saw where twilight was heading: right up the stairs to Cherry Tomato's apartment!