Limits

Chapter 15-
– Remember Me?–

Spitfire reached into the tangle of branches carefully, extracting the letter with minimal damage to the envelope. She stared at it a moment turning it over in her hooves. It had her name on it, though not her address, and she smiled a bit to herself realizing that there was a description of herself on it instead. Was this mail pony illiterate or did she just not know where her address was?

The writing on the envelope was neat and precise, and the orange pegasus had a feeling that the gray pony wasn't the one to write it so who did? Fluttering to the ground Spitfire sat on a nearby bench. The moon hung like a docile sentry in the night sky above, Luna's stars providing ample light to read by even in the darkest of nights.

Dear Miss Spitfire,
Understand that though I do not know you well, nary at all but for the glorification of a very dear friend of mine, I must ask a favor of you. It seems our humble town, Ponyville, has recently been visited by a friend of yours, a one Soarin of the Wonderbolts.
These last few days, have been a very rough time for him. Namely a short term amnesia he is still coming to terms with, (he has yet to regain all his memories), the adoration of an admiring fan who dreams of fame and dare I say it attention despite the nature of his presence, and one timid gray filly who seems to have found herself hoof over head, if you will pardon the expression.
It may seem rather crass of me to ask this, but I would appreciate if you could distract Miss Rainbow Dash at the gala so as Mr. Soarin and his timid young admirer may have a moment together.

Rainbow Dash?

Spitfire knew the name and the pony. She had met her on several occasions, even going so far as to praise her a time or two for her flying skill, as unrefined and raw as it was. She was a pony with a vast amount of talent that was certain but she was also a pony who was far too self-conceited for the military. She needed discipline.

“Let him rest...He'll come back better than ever...” Fleet's words came to her mind as she mused quietly to herself. “Maybe...?”

--

This Machine is the Thunder Cloud Generator." A wizened old pony, her skin sagging and her body worn with age said in a less than vibrant voice. Thunder rumbled to the squeals and delights of the school foals as they gazedin awe at the dark clouds forming inside the tubes, their fluffy confines vibrant with unshed lightning bolts. "Can any of you tell me what thunder clouds are made of?"

Many hooves went into the air, their owners eager to show the factory pony just how much they had learned prior to coming to the factory for the annual field trip. Soarin stood near the back of the class his eyes heavy with boredom. Not even the near continuous rumble of thunder could keep his eyes from drooping.

"Every pony follow me!"

Soarin snapped awake in time to see the last vestiges of his classmates disappear down a hallway, the school teacher shuffling them briskly along. He shook himself, the lull of sleep over come by a sudden onset of mischief at finding himself unchaperoned.

His hooves made no sound as he trottted to the Thunder Cloud Generator pressing his hooves and face nearer. Inside the lightning zapped and the sound reverborated hard enough for the glass to convulse. Despite himself he was loathe to admit it was rather fascinating now that the haggard old mare wasn't talking about it. He went down the line tapping the glass, smiling as the clouds seemed to respond to his touch. He was only mildly disappointed when he found an empty tube.

"What are you doing?" Soarin let out a startled cry as a face distorted and ghastly appeared on the other side of the glass tube. He flew backwards, his large wings tangled among themselves. He fell on his back in a pile of disgarded fluff, the cottony substance sticking like candy to his coat and disheveled mane.

"Nothing!" He said as the mare stepped out from behind the tube, laughing. She was pretty for a filly, her coat a soft grey like rain clouds and her mane the color of sunshine.

"You shouldn't touch those." She chided. "Mama told me so."

"I was only looking." Soarin said defensively as he pulled fluff from his mane. "Who are you anyway?"

"Ditzy Doo Hooves." She said proudly, giving him a smile as she picked bits of fluff from his mane. She blew it into the air from the end of her hoof, where it reformed into bubbles. Soarin shook his head as he found himself staring, his cheeks growing warm. One of the bubbles alighted on his nose, snapping loudly, drawing him out of his trance.

"What's back there?" He said getting to his hooves and trotting briskly forward. Before him was a door, hidden neatly behind the tubes. There was a large red symbol on it, one he didn't recognize, the word 'Danger!' written beneath it. The colt smiled.

"Hey, wait a minute!" The filly said hurrying after him. "Stop! You can't go in there!"

Soarin gave lopsided grin. "Try and stop me!"

The filly frowned. Mama had told her all of the places in the factory that she musn't go, and now this colt was trying to go into one of those places. He could get hurt or worse and she would get yelled at by Mama for letting him go! But beneath all that there was a curiosity.

"I'm coming too!" She shouted over the massive influx of sound released as the door inched open...

--

Soarin woke in a cold sweat, his cheeks most with tears he had shed in his troubled sleep. His heart pounded an unsteady rhythym in his chest. A sob tore from his throat, and he muffled those following between teeth clenched tightly around the bedsheet. Outside the sky was pitch, stars shining like tiny jewels in the darkness. The dawn was hours away, the first vestiges of sunlight merely a promise yet to come.

--

Derpy twined her hooves together nervously, her eyes tracing their way around the empty park, eager and forlorn at the thought of seeing Soarin. In a basket at her side was one of Granny Smiths famous apple pies, a present and nod of encouragement from Applejack. The farm pony had given it to her with a wink and a nudge earlier that afternoon, the notion confusing Derpy to no end.

"You can't sleep either?"

The small grey pegasus started upsetting the basket. The pie flew upwards, but to her surprise it didn't come down again. Confused she looked up and found Soarin hovering just above her, the pie in his hooves. safe but for a bit of broken crust around the edge.

"For me?" He asked.

The mare nodded shyly a brush of pink on her cheeks...