When Two Worlds Collide

Silver Mist's POV

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"Spade?" a nurse had called from behind a door and I nudged Ace awake, nearly pushing him off the chair.

"Wha-huh?" he said, looking to me.

I looked over at the nurse. "C'mon, they're going to examine your wing," I inform him as I trot away from him towards the open door with the nurse leading the way.

He follows me, looking nervously at all the rooms down the corridor. "Silver," he whispers to me.

"Mhm?" I reply, stopping at a door behind the nurse.

He stops beside me and I can see he was slightly shaking, "What are they going to do to me?"

I turned my head and looked at the stallion. "Are you scared?" I asked.

He shook his head as a small blush began to appear. He then stood up straight as if trying to seem more brave. "Of course I'm not!"

I chuckled softly and looked at the white earth mare as she cleared her throat. "This will be the examination room. Doctor Barns will be with you shortly," she spoke, opening the green door with ease.

"If I may ask," I said, turning to speak to her, "what's your name?"

She smiled softly and said, "Nurse Vac. Short for vaccine," she let out a small laugh. "I heard the young stallion call you Silver?"

I nodded in response as I looked over my shoulder to see Ace fiddling with some of the equipment. "Yes, my name is Silver, and that would be Ac-Spade," I replied, stopping myself from saying Ace's name.

The mare looked at me with quizzical eyes. "Alright then, just call me if you need me," she told me, trotting off as I walked into the room and stared at Ace after closing the door.

"Why do they have these knives and pointy objects?" he asked me, holding up a scalpel.

I sighed, taking it from him in my magic. "Just stuff doctors use. That would be a scalpel, and," I paused, looking at it before putting it down on the metal tray where it belonged, "it can hurt you if not used correctly."

He looked at me with frightened but curious eyes as he looked the other surgical tools over. "Why can't I use them?" he asked me as Doctor Barns walked into the room, carrying a clipboard in his magic.

"Because I said so," I whispered to him.

"Hello Mister Spade. It says here that you have an injured wing?" he asked as Ace looked to him.

Ace simply nodded, and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible, yet I could tell he was on edge.

"Please, sit on this table for me," Doctor Barns asked and Ace did as he was told, moving which ever way the doctor made him move but with an agitated look on his face. "How long has your wing been this way?" he asked as he examined his right wing, moving what seemed an X-ray machine in many different places around his wing.

Ace looked to me, expecting me to speak. "About a week," I said for him as he sighed in relief.

"Why didn't you come sooner?" he asked, allowing the X-ray to return to it's former position above the table.

Again, he looked to me. I shrugged, not knowing what he wanted me to actually say in his place.

Ace rolled his eyes, "Because I was unconscious due to the pain and blood loss."

The doctor simply nodded and turned to me, "Come with me," he said after he had taken a few X-rays of Ace's wing.

We trotted out of the room and closed the door, trotting into another room across the hall. "What'd you need?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"I have awful news," he started, pulling up the X-ray pictures. "It appears that the bone has not fully healed correctly and for it to, we'd have to break it and stilt it properly. He can not, under any circumstances, flap or use that wing in any way, shape, nor form."

My mouth nearly hit the floor at this news and my wings pressed tightly against my body. I could never imagine having somepony, certified or not, breaking my wing bones for any reason, I thought while cringing. "Why must you break it?" I asked.

"There appears to also be a piece of wood stopping the healing process. We'll have to perform a surgical procedure to remove it," Doctor Barns informed me, allowing me to take a look at the X-rays.

I sighed, and nodded. "How will we tell him and when will the surgery be held?"

The dark blue unicorn looked at me, his short black mane in a mohawk type style but flipping out in the front. "Today."

"Today?" I repeated.

He nodded and trotted out, leaving me there with my mouth agape. I heard Ace protest from across the way and then I saw him fumbling about, attempting to fly away. I trotted into the room and enveloped him in my magic before I tackled him and pinned him down. "Do you want to fly naturally again without any pain?" I yelled.

He growled at me, nodding just slightly. "Well, obviously," I heard him mutter.

"Then shut up, calm yourself, and let them operate!" I continued, keeping him pinned as his wings once more folded against his body.

"Miss," Doctor Barns inquired, "you'll have to leave as we perform the procedure."

I nodded my okay as I trotted out of the room, leaving Ace behind to behave on his own. I saw the doctor sedate him and then, he was rolled off on a gurney into the operating room doors.

*   *   *

I was able to see Ace after the surgery, which was a major relief considering the fact nopony else but myself were here to see him afterwards. I trotted into the room, seeing actual surgical tape wrapped around his torso and under his good wing. He was laying on his left side, staring out the window as I approached. "Ace?"

He turned his head towards me and the mood within the hospital room seemed to brighten up a bit. "Silver!" he said excitedly, jumping from the bed and trotting over to me. "I didn't feel a thing during the entire surgery, and they say I'll be able to fly in a weeks time if I don't use it at all."

I smiled, hugging him gently. "That's wonderful news," I say, pulling away. "I have more news to share with you though," I said, pausing for dramatic effect.

"What is it? Don't leave a pony hanging!" he said, nearly jumping with joy.

I stood there silent for a moment before he literally spread his good wing as if he were going to attempt to fly. "Fine! Fold that back up!"

He smirked, folding his left wing back against him. "What is it?" he says with the same excitement.

I turned towards the door and the two musicians we were accompanied by trotted in, followed by the Wonderbolts. "This is what," I say, trotting to his side to face them.

Ace's eyes lit up with happiness as Octavia and Vinyl embraced him in a hug, each handing him a small gift. "Hey, kiddo, you alright? I heard about what happened. Silver used you as an airplane?" Vinyl spoke, chuckling softly.

A bit of redness rose to the surface of Ace's cheeks and he glanced at me as Octavia slid a necklace onto his neck. "It's a photo of Silver, Vinyl, you, and myself. I made sure to take it before Vinyl and Silver played," she said with a soft smile, hugging Ace tightly.

I looked at her, a slight pain of sadness crossing my heart. "So, Ace," Spitfire spoke up from behind them, Octavia releasing him. "These are your friends?"

He nodded, looking back at me as if to say thank you as he spoke, "Yes, very good friends, if I may add."

"Ha, seems like you hurt your wing," Spitfire acknowledged, pointing to it with her wing, "you fit enough to travel to Ponyville though?"

"Ponyville? That's wicked sweet!" Vinyl exclaimed, falling back onto the hospital bed.

I nodded, looking to the Wonderbolt captain. "When will we be arriving?"

Spitfire shook her head. "We have a few shows on the way there, so you guys can tag along," the yellow pegasus told me, looking to Ace. "How will they come though?"

I looked to the rest of my party. An earth pony, unicorn, and harmed pegasus is what I had to remind myself of to come up with an efficient way to get all of us there. "I don't know. Hot air balloon?" I suggested.

Spitfire looked to the other two Wonderbolts on her team as if discussing my suggestion through eye contact and head nodding. "We'll pull it."

I nodded my okay. "Awesome, when do we leave?"

The blue stallion pegasus looked at the wall clock. "In about four hours. 11 p.m. sharp."

I pondered this. "Alright. Where do we meet up?"

"At the stadium. We'll be waiting in the field in front of it. Got it?" Spitfire said before turning away, followed suit by her team.

"Got it," I replied as I watched them go. I then turned to my friends, looking at each of them. "Are we all okay with going to Ponyville?"

Ace responded by spreading his good wing out while the two musicians simply nodded their heads. "Are we stealing the hot air balloon from the sales pony?" Octavia asked.

I nodded my head after a few moments. "Sadly, we have to. I paid," I recalled and whispered quietly, "only for three hours."

“Well, I could steal somepony else's for us, if you'd like,” Ace smirks slightly and I look at him showing. my disapproval of his silly idea through a head shake. He lets out a sigh and says, "We better get me signed out," he said in defeat, looking at the clock.

I nodded my head once more but this time in agreement. "Let's go," I trotted out of the room, the three other ponies filing out close behind me.

*   *   *

The hot air balloon had been deflating since we had left it unattended for a good two hours. Octavia and I blew it back up while Ace and Vinyl kept watch. I knew a few ponies who had seen me rent the balloon and would immediately report me for it, but what else can I do? My companions and I need to get to Ponyville one way or another. Are Vinyl and Octavia really going to stay with Ace and I throughout our journey? I thought, stopping what I was doing until Tavi looked to me with curious eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked me.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts once more and looked the earth pony in her eyes. "I'm fine, just a bit overwhelmed with everything that has happened."

Octavia sat down inside the hot air balloon and patted next to her. "Sit and tell me?"

I sighed, making sure all the ropes were secure before I trotted into the basket and sat next to her. "You sure you want to know?"

Octavia nodded her head. "If it's a way to get some weight off your shoulders, of course, dear."

I turned to her, everything in my entire body disagreeing with me as the words began to leave my mouth, "My thoughts are out of control. I've met two very famous musicians, brought a strange pony into my home to live with me when I don't even know what his background has to involve, and I've performed my song live. I just think it's too good to be true."

The gray mare looked at me, her eyes full of sympathy and understanding, she parted her lips and spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone, "Some things in a mare's life may seem untrue while others are what she doesn't want to be true. This experience you're having right now is some pony else's dream out there that you are living," I turned my head away from her and she continued, "Silver, look at me, you have to hear what I got to say." She slid her hoof under my chin and turned my head back towards her, a look of worry plastered on her face.

"Why are you tagging along with Ace and I?" I asked, not bothering to sugar coat it.

Octavia seemed to be taken aback by this question, pulling her hoof away from my chin for a moment to tap it on her own. "I'm tagging along with just you, Silver," she whispered softly, a small blush appearing on her cheeks.

I looked to her, confusion seeping into my voice as I spoke, "What do you mean? I thought you were still here because of Ace?"

She paused for a moment, pursing her lips. "I'm not here because of him nor because of Vinyl," she spoke clearly as the two other ponies started trotting towards us. "I'm here because of you. The less you know though, my dear Silver, the less awkward it will be between us."

I stared at her in confusion as Ace spoke up, standing now a few feet from us. "What time is it?"

I looked to the watch I had taken from him that was now on my right hoof. "A quarter past eight. We still have three hours."

"Why don't we go eat?" Vinyl suggested as her stomach grumbled loudly. "I'm famished and it could pass time."

Ace nodded his head in agreement and Octavia had gotten up and trotted away from me. I sighed heavily, "Alright, let's go to the Celery Stalks Diner just up the road," I said aloud and got up, walking behind the DJ and white pegasus in front of me in the direction of the diner. What did Octavia mean by, 'The less you know though, my dear Silver, the less awkward it will be between us'? I'm not one to figure something out by hint-dropping, I thought to myself, watching the gray mare ahead of us. I want to know what she meant by that, and I will get it out of her, one way or another.

Ace galloped ahead of me, Vinyl on his tail as Octavia walked into a bar across from Celery Stalks Diner called the Drunken Pony. I looked behind me, making sure Ace and Vinyl didn't see and trotted inside, looking for the gray cello player. My eyes rested on her as she placed herself in a stool and ordered what appeared to be a Chardonnay. "Zanger Octavia," I spoke softly, approaching her and seating myself next to her.

"Yes, Silver Mist?" she asked me, sipping on her drink.

"Tell me what you meant," I demanded.

Octavia turned to me, "Why would you care? I know you-" I cut the proper pony off, placing a gentle kiss upon her cheek, lingering there for about four seconds before pulling away. A deep crimson seeped into her cheeks, causing her to reply with wide eyes.

"Don't assume," I whispered in her ear as I got up, trotting out the door and to Celery Stalks Diner, feeling her eyes follow me all the way to the other door. Moments after I had walked into the diner, the black maned mare burst through it, her purple eyes making contact with my dark blue ones.

Her face was still red as she seated herself by me in a booth with Vinyl and Ace. "Sorry, I had to use the mares room," she lied, looking to me.

I smirked as a unicorn mare approached our table, "What can I get you fine ponies?" she asked, pulling out a pen and paper within her light green magic.

Vinyl spoke first, "I would like two celery sandwiches with a black olive on a tooth pick."

Ace followed after her, "I would like three of what she's getting please.

I looked at them with quizzical eyes, scanning them further. "What would you two mares like?" the waitress addressed Octavia and I, causing me to lose my train of thought.

Octavia leaned in, whispering into my ear with a stutter, "I-I want whatever you're g-getting with a sparkling w-water."

I smiled and spoke to the waitress, "The mare and I would like a lettuce and celery sandwich with sparkling water please." The purple mare nodded, trotting away and through the double doors leading into the kitchen and back out, seeing her trot to another table.

Ace then directed his attention towards me and said, "What time do you want to leave?"

I shrugged. "Somewhere between nine and ten."

"That's a good idea. It'll help us talk more to the Wonderbolts about our routes and stops until we get to Ponyville." Vinyl pointed out.

Octavia looked at me and then to Vinyl. "I thought you were staying in Las Pegasus after your show?" she asked out of  confusion and curiosity.

Vinyl stared at the cello player in disbelief and astonishment, her mouth nearly hitting the table. "Oh ho ho, you think you can get rid of this DJ that easy? Nope! I'm cruising all the way with our newly found friends, Tavi!" she blurted out.

Octavia's expression changed to that of a death glare, "Great," she murmured, "more ponies to get in the way."

I looked at her and parted my lips to ask what she meant, only to be interrupted by the waitress, "Here's your order, enjoy!" she chimed in, placing each of our plates in front of us, the two glasses of sparkling water in front of Tavi and I.

"Thank you," Ace, Octavia, and I said in unison while Vinyl dug in, staring at us with a mouthful of sandwich.

"My bad," she said, swallowing the rather large bite she had taken.

I simply nodded my head and let out a small chuckle as I enveloped my sandwich in my magic and bit into it, allowing my mind to wander once more.

*   *   *

"I definitely beat you!" Vinyl yelled as we trotted out of the diner.

"Did not! You only did because you started before me!" Ace retorted.

"I was hungry!"

"I don't care what you were! You cheated!"

"Girls, girls, can we all calm down?" I said, interjecting myself in their argument over who won the eating contest.

The two of them shot a look at me that screamed, "Shut up!" before they continued arguing. I sighed, pulling Octavia with me and trotting towards the balloon as the other two proceeded to keep watch, just as they did before we ate. "What did you mean earlier?" I asked her, sitting in the basket once more.

She took a seat next to me, resting her head on the rim. "About?"

"About more ponies getting in the way. What did you mean?"

"Like I told you before, the less you know, the less awkward between us it will be," she repeated, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "Besides," she continued, "it doesn't matter."

I sighed, "Will you ever tell me?"

She shook her head in response as I checked the time. "And what would the time be?"

"It's nine forty-five," I replied, calling for Ace and Vinyl, "Ace! Vinyl! Let's go!"

I heard Octavia sigh and the two ponies came running towards us at full speed, stopping just before they crashed into me. "I win!" Ace said with a victorious grin.

"Did not! You yelled out, 'Let's race there. Ready, set, go!' and took off while you were trotting in front of me!" Vinyl yelled as she trotted into the basket behind Ace.

"Oh well," Ace replied, "I still won."

Vinyl huffed in reply, sitting herself next Octavia on her left side as the mare still hung her head outside of the basket. I sighed, cutting the ropes with my magic and the balloon took flight, following the course of the wind to carry us in the direction of the stadium. In about a half hour, we were hovering over the stadium as the Wonderbolts appeared to be on the ground below us. I started bringing the balloon down, deflating it slowly until we reached the ground. I made sure not to turn the heat up again until we left.

"Glad you could make it," Spitfire said with a smile. None of the Wonderbolts were wearing their uniforms and they seemed to be pretty laid back. "Why'd you come so early?"

I shrugged. "We wanted to know the routes and when we'll arrive in Ponyville," I told her.

"Oh yes. We'll be stopping in Las Pegasus, Canterlot, and then to Ponyville, where we'll drop you ponies off and then us Wonderbolts will be heading to Fillydelphia," Spitfire explained.

I nodded, "Alright. How many days will that take?"

"About four to five days."

"Nearly a week?" Octavia said.

Spitfire nodded. "This is Soarin'," she said, raising her hoof to the light blue pegasus, "and this is Fleetfoot. The others are inside, but we'll be going ahead of them, to bring Vinyl to her show on time," she said.

I replied, "You know about that?"

She nodded, "Yep, I know all her shows because she opens for us every time."

Vinyl blushed softly. "Oh, stop it."

Spitfire let out a soft laugh before tying a rope around her torso and her teammates. "You'll meet the rest of the team after the show," she said, nodding her head towards the basket. "Let's get going. Our show starts at nine. It'll take a good hour to fly there and then a nights rest for the rest of the team to catch up and meet us at the hotel I marked down for them," the mare explained to us.

I trotted back into the basket, Vinyl, Ace, and Octavia behind me. "Are you sure you can pull us all the way to Las Pegasus?"

"We've pulled all our gear there before," Soarin' said as a shiver seemed to travel down his spine. The yellow maned pegasus to the left of Spitfire let out a laugh.

"That's because you're a wimp," she said.

"I am not!" Soarin' yelled in defense.

"Calm down you two. We don't need to clean up scattered ponies like we did our gear," Spitfire warned, rolling her eyes.

I turned the heat back up, taking us into the sky as the Wonderbolts flapped their wings along with it. "Ready?" the three said in unison.

I nodded and they took off, flying in the direction of Las Pegasus. I looked at Octavia, sitting with her head hung over the side once more. Ace and Vinyl were busy listening to her Pony Pod because I could hear the mass amount of dubstep booming from the small headset. "Tavi," I said, sitting adjacent to her right side and I unfolded my left wing, draping it over her back and leaving my wingtip hanging down over her opposite side.

"What are you doing with your wing?" she asked, not bothering to look at me as I felt her body tense beneath my wing for a moment.

I blushed softly, resting my head on the rim of the basket. "It's a pegasus thing."

"You're an alicorn, Silver," she murmured.

I nodded, "My father was a pegasus, and he told me many things that a pegasus does."

She looked at me, her purple eyes were now a much duller color and her face was expressionless. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" I asked, my tone serious as I briefly tightened my embrace on the gray mare as our eyes made contact.

"This," she motioned towards my wing with her muzzle. "I know you have nothing towards me, so why?"

"I just...I want to...I really..." my voice drifted off as she took a step away from me and my wingtip was now resting behind the earth pony’s mane, right at the base of her neck. "I'm not good with words," I muttered. "Do you have something towards me?" I asked in a curious but hushed tone.

The earth pony was quiet, a small blush rose to her cheeks. "I can see that," she whispered softly, ignoring my last question. She then directed her eyes away from mine, her mane blowing softly in the wind.

With a sly but nervous grin, I proceeded to lightly run the tips of my feathers down most of the length of her back, before gently grazing my wingtip across the mare's treble clef cutie mark.

From underneath my wing, the mare shivered as I trailed the tips of my feathers back up once more before retracting my wing fully. "What was that for?" she asked as I saw her cheeks darken further.

"A pegasus thing," I whispered again before curling up beside her, allowing myself to get comfortable.

"Is that always going to be your answer to your wings? What's next, a unicorn thing?" she muttered in a flat, un-amused tone as I felt her coat brush against mine as she laid down beside me.

I suppressed a small laugh. "Perhaps," I whispered as the sound of dubstep from Vinyl's headphones filled the quiet air. I looked over to the mare. She was curled up in a tight ball with one piece of her headset in her ear and the other on the bottom of the basket. Ace was close by, sprawled out in a comfortable position.

"Oh no," Tavi muttered as I began to hear her start breathing steadily.

"And they're all asleep," I said, closing my eyes. Maybe what I did to her made her feel like I was leading her on, I thought to myself as I began to nod off. If you feel like that Tavi, please, tell me so. Sleep wrapped its long arms of warmth around me, pulling me down into a dark abyss as the wind blew quietly during our flight to Las Pegasus.