“Scootaloo, Ah’m not happy with what happened,” Applejack said as she led Scootaloo from the schoolhouse, “gettin’ into a brawl ain’t right, not even ta defend the honor of yer sis. Now, what’m Ah gonna do with ya? Ya warm enough, Darlin’?”

“Yeah, Mama,” Scootaloo sighed. She looked up at Applejack with a small bandage taped to her muzzle, “I’m sorry. I didn’t really think, it just happened. Wh-what’re you gonna do to punish me?” she asked, her ears flat to her head and her tail was as low as she could let it fall.

“No sweets for a week, that includes syrups and jams; the school’ll know too. Ah’m only goin’ easy on ya cuz of what Diamond said ta get ya riled up, you could have it worse.”

“Oh, that’s not so bad then,” Scootaloo said perking up.

Applejack sighed. “Now, ya have ta remember that we’re not yer other mother’s. We don’t punish the way they do, ‘kay, Sugardrop?”

“Why do you call me that?”

“Sugardrop? Because you’re a drop of the sweetest stuff on the planet,” Applejack said showing a wide smile to Scootaloo, which was reciprocated.

“Mama, is Mom gonna be mad?”

“Yer Mom’s Rainbow Dash, Ah have no idea. What Ah do know, is that ya got me outta shoveling duty on the farm, so Ah thank ya fer that. Wanna go ta Bonbon’s and get some taffy?”

“Nah, I wanna go to Sugarcube Corner. They have the best shakes, and I need one after today.”

“Well, that was a test, ya ain’t goin’. But, Ah’ll make sure ta get you some when yer done bein’ punished. Now, we’ve got a whole day ta kill and both our days’re open. Wanna go skatin’?”

Scootaloo smiled weakly and nodded.

“I was just thinking, why was Diamond so mad at Apple Bloom’s, I mean, your mom? It doesn’t make sense. She made it sound like your families were gonna join into one herd, but that’s a good thing, right?”

“Well, Scoots, reckon it’d be somethin’...” Applejack stopped in place, a feeling flooded her heart as she listened intently for what, she didn’t know.

“Mama? What’s up? We’re still goin’ home to get the skates, right?” Scootaloo asked from a couple paces ahead. “M-mama? Applejack?”

---

Rainbow sighed happily as she soared over Ponyville. She swayed slightly and performed a lazy corkscrew as she enjoyed the sights of the town from above.

The market was sparse on food, but plenty of toys for the fillies and gifts for the lovers were on sale. She recalled the previous week as she glanced around, scanning the skies for anything interesting and the ground for the same reason.

She thought of snuggling into Applejack’s chest after a long day of work for them both. The consoling of Scootaloo and her weird nightmare, the talks that she had been having with Applejack.

It was beginning to become difficult to separate her indoor life from her public life. Too many times she’d slip into a drawl or forget to gloat over something she’d become used to at home and in private.

She turned mid air and began to fly up, the air flowing over her body in almost predictable currents. She felt the fur on her face waving crazily, her bangs left her vision, her mane and tail tugged slightly as the air resisted her pushing through it.

Then she stopped and let her momentum carry her as high as it would. She began to fall, a smile formed for an instant before her mouth clamped shut and her eyes closed.

She was free.

Free of the stress of life.

Free of the pressure.

Free of the burdens.

For the next few seconds she’d let herself fall, and let the world fall away from her. The irony not lost, that as the world fell from her, she fell to the world.

A pegasi, any pegasi, could survive a freefall from terminal velocity. She was no exception. She wasn’t keen on the idea of crashing on purpose, though. And her image would be tarnished if she crashed.

Her image. What did it matter? She opened her eyes, still a long way to go, she closed her eyes again.

Finally, she could think in peace.

Why did she need to have an image now? Who was she trying to impress?

The Wonderbolts? She was a shoo-in, there’s no way they won’t let her in someday.

Her friends? The ones that matter: she already had their respect and trust in more ways than she understood.

Her fans? Wouldn’t they still be her fans if she was just as awesome, but softer?

She opened her eyes and looked up at the ground. A few seconds to go.

She opened her right wing at an angle to throw herself into a tumble. The world spun, twirled, whirled, and flipped as she spun on all axis’.

She, like all expert fliers, didn’t get dizzy anymore. It was just time to calculate the time to the next move, the next flap, the next air current.

Ponies were around and would watch her, she’d be near the school and show off to the school children, that’d make them happy as snails in a tomato.

She looked and watched as the ground became all she saw, two seconds.

She held her breath. One second.

She opened her wings and felt the pull against her wing arms, her feathers tugged sending prickles of pain all the way to her back as she focused her magic on redirecting the air currents under her for a fraction of a second aiding in her swooping out of the free fall and riding the smallest breeze she herself had created.

She rode it a hoof width from the ground, her legs all pulled close to her body, were being struck by larger blades of grass that had survived the winter thus far while her magic pushed snow away, clearing a path and leaving a telltale trail.

She stayed low as she felt the chill bite her ears before she moved her wings to break speed and shut her eyes, cursing herself for being so low.

Her rear legs touched the ground as she grunted, tucking and holding her forelimbs close to her body as she began to tumble across the snow covered ground.

She had passed the schoolhouse and skimmed the ground fine, beginning to crash just as the cleared gravel streets began.

A mare screamed as she lept out of the way of the tumbling mare who left the street after several rolls and struck the side of a house, sending her spinning flat like a propeller before she closed her wings and tumbled to the ground again, rolling twice before finally stopping.

She opened her eyes and watched as the world twisted slightly as a smile formed again. She was dizzy. If only she’d thought a second earlier to cut the magic back she would’ve only tumbled a couple times and might have recovered.

Her vision focused on an orange pony with yellow mane that was galloping at full speed toward her. An odd taste was in her mouth, a taste she knew and hated.

Blood.

She probably had lost another tooth. Easy fix for the hospital, now the only problem would be how long would she be in the hospital before she could be in the air again.

It must’ve been a great crash though, ponies are really worried. I can still feel my wings, and my legs, and it’s the eighteenth day in the second month of Hearths Warming. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, she thought.

She moved her hooves under her body and groaned. It hurt a lot, but she could move.

“Sweetie? Oh, Celestia, lookit ya. Dash, don’t move, ya got hurt in that crash,” Applejack said as ponies began calling for help. Applejack turned and shouted. “Ya dang fools, don’t yell help, go get it! Get some help!”

At her order several ponies scattered in their own directions, hopefully looking for medical help.

“M-mom? Wow, that was a really awesome crash,” Scootaloo praised her while trying to not look at Rainbow.

“Th-thanks, Sport. Wh-why,” she breathed heavily, “aren’t you in school?”

“I got into a fight, it was an easy win though.”

Rainbow was about to comment but felt darkness surround her as she fell unconscious.

Next Chapter: Crash Recovery Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 58 Minutes