The steady roar of the engine filled the cabin as we rode along high up in the over the mountains. The Blackhawks massive blades cut through the air as we accelerated forward. “Alright,” my sister started over the radio in her helmet. Both of us sat in our respective spots in the cabin as we waited patiently for our arrival. “Here’s the situation. Climbers on on their way but they are hours away! We’re going to be their first response!”

“What all do we got info wise?” I asked.

“Young student fell from a cliff,” my pilot Zephyr informed over the radio while turning her head to the right slightly. “We got a call from the principal requiring immediate assistance."

“What school?”

“Canterlot High!” My sister and I shared a worrisome glance. That wasn't good. That school has been having some strange things happening over the last several months. Magic, demons, alternate universe doppelgangers of students. All mythical and science fictional. I even heard about a dragon and someone tearing the barrel off a tank.

“Apparently fell getting to close to the edge while the students were exploring the area. Slipped, rolled, and thankfully landed on an open ledge,” my copilot, Titania continued. “It's to secluded for them to reach her! That’s why we are here!”

“And We’re coming up on the site now!” Zephyr confirmed. Glancing towards my sister, I gave her a firm nod. Time to act. Standing up, I grabbed the carabiner from the nearby arm and hooked it to my harness. Time to have some fun from a few hundred feet off the ground. Clasping the device and tightening it I gave it a yank before lifting both arms.

My sister walked up and examined the harness by pulling up, down, and finally the carabiner. “You’re good!” she confirmed with a slap to the side of my helmet. I gave her a thumbs up before turning and opening the door. I was greeted by the open blue skies of the Harmony Mountain range. Down below students watched with anticipation.

On the ground Principal Celestia paced back and forth as she talked to her sister on the phone. Nearby, most of the Junior class stood or sat. Many were crying, others sat nervously. They did their best to ease their minds, but there was too much panic and worry to remain calm. “Luna, I already called 911!” the panicked woman said into the phone. “They said a helicopter was on its way!”

On the other side of the line her sister was equally as panicked. “I just can't believe that this happened! Young Twilight is still recovering from the Friendship games!”

Celestia stopped her pacing and grabbed her forehead, throwing her head back and closing her eyes. “I knew this trip was a bad idea!” She sighed and dropped her head. “Her parents are going to kill me!” Hell, her job was probably on the line for this! It was going to take everything she could to prove to the school board that this was a terrible accident!

“Did you talk to them?”

Celestia sighed again. “Yes! I called them after I called 911! But that was almost an hour ago!” She couldn’t imagine what was going through said parents heads or one of her students. Celestia tapped her foot nervously. She dropped her head and was about to speak before she heard the sound of what she assumed to be the helicopter.

Every student in the area looked to the skies. Many stood while others held hands over their eyes to shield them from the mid afternoon sun. “Here they come!” one student shouted with a point of her finger. With their suspicious confirmed, said Blackhawk roared overhead. She was painted the famous Search and Rescue red and white stripes with the words ‘Canterlot Search and Rescue’ on the side behind the door. As it flew past the edge of the cliff, it turned to the right and the door opened, inside stood the repeller in his bright orange jumpsuit.

“I’ll call you back, Luna!” Celestia quickly spoke. “The rescue team is here!”

“Here comes the cavalry!” her sister rejoiced. “I will talk to you when this ordeal is over with.”

“Same!” With that, Celestia hung up and watched. Nearby, Some of her star students, and magical superheros smiled.

“Twilight!” her friend Rainbow yelled over the cliff, using both hands to amplify the sound. “Help is on the way!”

As the wind rushed past me, I held onto each side of the door as I looked for my target. Up above students of all kinds cheered and whooped. Turning my gaze lower, I quickly spotted the younger student on a small ledge. Her back was pressed against the wall, both hands had a firm hold on the rock her legs were tight against her chest. And if I were to further a guess, she was sobbing.

“Alright! Repelling!” I ordered over my shoulder.

“Repelling!” My sister repeated, confirming my order. The hydraulic arm extended to its full length as I grabbed an extra harness. Strapping it to mine, I grabbed the wire cable and stepped out. The wire went taught and my harness tightened around my waste. It was all up to me and some fancy flying.

“Drop me!” I ordered into the radio.

“Dropping!”

I jolted lightly as the cable started to lower. As I descended, my gaze stayed firm with the young girl. The downdraft was just as hard as always, but nothing I couldn’t take. It was those few seconds that felt like an eternity. “Stop!” I ordered. The line went taught and I think my nuts just got sucked up into my pelvis. “Watch it up there!”

“Sorry!”

I rolled my eyes. “Girls!” I said into the radio for my two pilots. “Bring me in!”

“Careful, ‘Cal!” Zephyr replied over the radio. “If we get to close we might lose altitude! So don’t take to long!”

“Copy!”

I swayed backwards lightly as the bird above me started to edge closer to the cliff face. To the left. I quickly made my attach point next to the girl clear. I grab, harness, hook up, and we leave without incident.

Simple right?

I grunted when I made contact. Grasping as best as I could in gloves, I grabbed the face of the massive cliff. Looking to my right, Twilight’s eyes were locked shut. “Twilight!” I called to her. Upon hearing her name, she lifted her head. “We have to move fast! Here… take this harness!” I ordered over the roar the chopper and the downdraft while handing her the harness.

“I… I’m scared!” she replied while shifting slightly in her spot and closing her eyes again. I didn’t have time to dick around. With a grunt, I tossed the harness right into her lap. She yelped and looked down at it before back towards me.

“It’s the harness or the ground!” I offered. I truly didn’t have time for this. “Be brave, Twilight!” She looked down at the harness yet again. Hesitantly and very shakily, she removed her right arm and grabbed the harness. “Loop at the front, legs through the two bigger ones and pull the straps through- SHIT!”

Twilight screamed as my grip on the cliff face released and I dropped. I was in perpetual free fall before my body snapped hard, the line going taught. I grunted in pain for a mere moment before curling up into a ball. Branches snapped and broke as they connected all over my body. I continued to grunt and groan before I was pulled out of the tree canopy. I looked up at the chopper confused before looking back at the cliff face.

“What the fuck was that!?”

“We lost altitude retard!” Zephyr screamed over the radio at me angrily. “Exactly like I expected.” I groaned. All I could do at this point was hang there in agony as we looped up and around. Guess we'll try again!

Everyone watched in awe as the pilots, repeller, and engineer worked diligently. The chopper was so close they could almost lean out and touch it. Not like anyone would, circumstances permitted. They watched through the window as both pilots looked in all directions and occasionally flipped a switch. The engineer held the line and looked out over the lip of the helicopters floor at her partner.

The helo lurched.

Everyone gasped as both pilots started to flip switches and the engineer reflexively grabbed the door. It quickly did it again and again before it dropped out of sight. “Oh my god!” Celestia screamed. She just thought she not only watched the death of her student, but four rescue workers. The sounds of crashing and the helo being pushed to it limits met their ears. Several seconds later the helicopter rose farther from the cliff face and the man on the wire was looking up at the helicopter.

The last thing she needed was to call for another helicopter.

***

We leveled out as I continued to hang. Farther from the face and the young woman. Although from where I was, I could see her getting into the harness. “Zephyr?”

“I am not doing that again!”

“Just listen,” I more or less begged. “Fly us in closer to where I can see her and help her with the harness! I have an idea!” There was some grumbling but the chopper slowly tilted to the right and back towards the cliff. Holding onto the wire with my left hand, I watched as Twilight looked up at me.

I gave her a thumbs up. She had the harness on and just about ready. I held up my right hand before reaching down to where the right leg strap would be. I firmly grasped the air and acted like I was pulling a strap. She nodded before grabbing both straps and tightening them. I gave her another thumbs up. I grabbed the metal clasp and pulled it to show her, I then gestured for her to double back and through it.

Doing as she was told, I thumbed up again. I held up my hand again and very clearly reached down and grabbed the loop of my harness and pulled up. She repeated the action. I did it down, which she repeated, then both sides and pushed down. As soon as she finished I thumbed up one last time.

“Twilight!?” I yelled over the roar of the helicopter. “Are! You! Ready!?” She sank down and back into her sitting position. “No! Twilight!? I need you to stand up!” She shook her head at me.

“I can’t!”

“Twilight!?” I yelled again. Reaching up, I flipped my visor up so that she could look me right in the eye. “Trust me!” The look of realization dawned her features. She slowly closed her quivering jaw and placed a hand a little higher on the rock face. Her other followed suit before she slowly started to rise to her feet. With her back firmly planted against the face and both arms stretched out she nodded. I gave her a very firm thumbs up.

I glanced up at the helo. “Alright Zeph, here’s the plan!” I quickly explained it over the radio. The female pilot grunted but agreed. It was a risk, but I felt resolute with all of our abilities. I slapped my visor back down and rolled my neck, cracking it. “On three!”

Up above Zephyr took a deep breath. “One!” She yelled. My left hand tightened around the cable. “Two!” Reaching to my right hip, I grabbed A 'biner and pulled on the wire extender. “Three!” The helo drifted to the left before quickly moving to the right. As I peaked my momentum, my arm extended behind me. The helo roared as all power was flooded into the engine to keep it stable. But my concentration was elsewhere.

‘The 'biner!’

My gaze never left it. In that moment, that's all that mattered. I need to clip mine to it. Time slowed. Twenty feet… ten… five! With a swing and the aim of a military grade sniper, I swung with everything I had.

*Click!*

“I got ‘er!” I quickly wrapped both arms around Twilight as hugged me with everything she had. She buried to face into the crook of my neck. I had her! Up above Zephyr grunted as she pulled hard on the stick. The bird ascended, the cliff racing by. And before I knew it, we peaked.

I held my right hand high with my final thumbs up of the day. Down below, all the students cheered. They jumped and hugged each other while others fist pumped the air. I could see Principal Celestia dropping on her ass and hold both hands to her head. The helo oriented itself back towards Canterlot as the lift started to pull both of us up.

As soon as my sister closed the door could I breath. I leaned back in my seat as Twilight sobbed lightly. Glancing towards her, I lifted my arm and ran my glove covered hand over her head. “You’re safe, Twilight! We’ll be home before you know it!”

“What a day…” I mumbled while closing the door to my home. I let my sore body go limp as I placed my back against the door. That was a scare I could go the rest of my life never hearing again. Flying is one thing, thinking your daughter is hanging from cliff is another. At least Velvet and Night can breath easy. I'll have to take them up on that beer offer. My body could really use it.

“Honey!?” Glancing up, my wife stood in the doorway of the kitchen. She quickly dropped the towel she had been holding and rushed me. I held out both hands as she smashed into me. She started to sob quietly as I held her firm.

“It’s alright, Luna,” I assured. “Twilight is a little shaken, but no worse for wear.” She sniffled and lifted her head to look me in the eyes. A smile graced her features. She stood on her toes and pecked me on the lips briefly before going back to hugging me. “I love you baby.”

“I love you too.” The two of us just decided to stand in relative silence, just enjoying each others company and warmth. I can only imagine what my sister in law is doing. Probably planning her early retirement or extended vacation. I picked one hell of a career choice when I was a teen. Then again, I didn’t plan on having a daughter either at 18.

The sound of a door opening and footsteps from upstairs gained my attention. “Dad!” the raspy voice of my daughter said as she descended the stairs. She was still in her hiking gear. A tank top and some short shorts that I wish she would not wear. She is to much of an attention hog. I released my wife and held my arms open.

“Hey, kiddo-oof!” She wrapped herself around me and started to sob loudly, burying her face in my neck. I wrapped both arms around her shorter and lighter form and held her close. She will always be my little girl no matter how rambunctious (or hurt) she gets. “It’s alright, Rainbow. I’m safe, and so is your friend.”

She sniffled and lifted her head. Both eyes were soaked and her lip quivered. “D-Don’t scare me like that!” she said between sobs and slapping me lightly on the chest. She bit her lower lip and buried her face in my chest. “I thought I lost you and Twilight!”

I just smiled lightly. Reaching over, I wrapped an arm around my wife and pulled her in close. She wiped her eyes and wrapped an arm around me and our daughter. Life was good.

Until something else really stupid happens.

Author's Notes:

That's more or less what Equestria Girls Excal would be like. But I bet most of you are thinking that he would be spec ops or a sword trainer or something. That's more logical, but I could not come up with anything that would work.