That Magnificent Mare and Her Flying Machine (Part 2)

>Day That Magnificent Mare and Her Flying Machine (Part II)

>You are Cherry Berry.
>Earth pony, aviation pioneer, and one seriously pissed off mare!
>You storm over to the Ponyville Examiner to give them a piece of your mind.
>As you walk through the door you spot a receptionist.
“Where's your editor?” you growl.
>“Mr. Blot is in his office.” she points to a closed door. “May I take a- Hey!”
>You stomp passed her and over to the indicated office.
“What's the meaning of this?” you demand as you slam the morning's paper on the editor's office.
>“Lady, you got a problem?” he demands.
“You bet I do. I did NOT say I wanted to race the Wonderbolts!”
>After getting over his surprise at your intrusion he pauses to look at you.
>“Oh, you're the Page One Headline, this mornings edition.”
“You bet I am! And I want to know why you wrote this about me in your paper.”
>He glances down at the headline that you hoof is indicating.
>“It's a quote. We're allowed to quote ponies, lady. Or haven't you heard of freedom of the press?”
“But what you wrote isn't true. I didn't say I wanted a race with the Wonderbolts.”
>The stallion takes a deep breath and taps the paper.
>“And neither does this paper. All it says is that YOU said, and I quote:
>“A race with the Wonderbolts... not out of the question.”
“But I didn't say that!”
>He looks up at you with incredulous eyes.
>“You didn't say those exact words?”
“Well, I kind of said those words. But I said it in a different way. They took what I said and chopped it up!”
>“We're allowed to edit quotes for brevity's sake.”
“But that's not what I meant!”
>The editor gives you a thin smile.
>“I suppose that's for the public to decide, huh?”
>You stand there gaping.
>The look of smug satisfaction on this stallion's face has you seeing red.
“I- I'll take you before the court. The Princess will force you to apologize!”
>The editor gets a bored look on his face.
>“Yeah, good luck with that. Last I heard, the wait for a royal hearing is two months.”
“I don't care!”
>You stand there trying to stare your opponent down.
>Finally, he gives a sigh.
>“Look, miss. You're overreacting. We use quotes like this all the time. It makes for entertaining reading, sure. But nothing ever comes of it.”
>”We're just a podunk little rag in a podunk little town. What, you think the Wonderbolts are actually going to see this?” he smacks the paper on his desk.
>“What's done is done. We didn't lie and nothing's going to come off it, okay?”
>Maybe he's right, but the stallion can tell that you're still pissed.
>“Look, if it will make you feel better we'll run a correction in tomorrow's edition that will have the whole quote. Will that make it alright?”
>You think about it and finally nod your head.
“Yeah, I guess so.” you mutter.
>“Good, good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a paper to run.”
>As you head out the door the receptionist comes up to you.
>“Ms. Berry? I was, um, wondering if I could get your autograph. My little one thinks the world of you after yesterday.”
>She holds up a glossy photo of you and Ditzy in front of your plane.
“Your photographer take that?”
>“Uh-huh. I had him develop a few extras. Would you like one?”
>You think a moment.
“Can you make it two? I'd like one for my partner.”
>“Of course!” she beams as you take the photo and a pen.
>Look at you!
>Signing autographs like you're some kind of big shot.
>Oh well.
>If it means you can get a snazzy photo for Ditzy then it's worth the hassle.
>After giving her the signed photo the receptionist gets you a folder with two more glossies and you bid her good day.
>On your way home you ponder the editor's words.
>He's probably right.
>You are probably silly for getting so worked up.
>Besides, it's not like the quote said, “Bring it on, Wonderbolts!”
>Right?
>Right.
>There's no odd jobs for today so you decide to go work on the Rad-Hawk after dropping the pictures off at home.
>Walking the couple of block to your garage you get a couple of friendly greetings and congratulations from the ponies you meet on the way.
>After pulling open the garage doors to let some sunlight in, you go to work.
>Reviewing the machine from top to bottom, you are pleased to find that everything looks to be in good shape.
>The rigging is secure and there doesn't appear to be any problems with the frame.
>You just start going over the rudder and flight controls when the beating of wings sounds outside.
>“Hey, you here Cherry?” calls Rainbow Dash.
>You walk out to great her.
>“Soooo,” Rainbow starts. “That was a pretty great flight yesterday.”
“Uh, yeah it was.”
>“I mean, you've still got a lot to do, getting things worked out. Shaking things down, right?”
“Y-Yeah?”
>“And it'll take a lot more test flights before your ready to show this thing off to the rest of Equestria?”
“That's goes without saying.”
>“Well then,” she chuckles a little, “What The Heck Are You Doing Challenging The Wonderbolts To A Race!”
“Fer crying out loud Dash!” you whine as your ears ring with her auditory onslaught.
>You explain what happened at the newspaper office this morning and she calms down.
>Then she gets mad at the editor.
>“I know a princess, y'know. I can make that jerk eat his words.” she huffs.
“No, that's not necessary. They're going to print a retraction tomorrow. Besides, I don't want you abusing your friendship with Princess Sparkle on my account.”
>“Urrgh. Alright, alright. I gotta go bust some clouds. Let me know when your next test flight is.”
“Will do, Dash.”
>As she leaves she passes two ponies who standing just outside.
>You walk over to see what they want and give them a quick once over.
>They're both pegasi and probably out-of-towners given the hats they're wearing.
>“Good morning miss, allow us to introduce ourselves. I'm Night Beat and this is my partner Silver Print. We're with the Cloudsdale Chronicle. May we have a few moments of your time?”
>Oh, joy. More reporters.
“You aren't going to take my words and mix 'em up are you?”
>Night Beat gets a puzzled look on his face.
>“Miss, we at the Cloudsdale Chronicle adhere to the highest ethical standards. We don't 'mix words up'.”
>You relax a little.
“Sorry, I just, uhh. Why don't you come inside.”
>You all head into the garage and Silver Print gives a low whistle as she sees the Rad-Hawk.
>“Mind if I take some pictures?”
“Sure I guess.”
>She goes to work taking a camera out of her saddlebags while you turn to her partner.
“So I guess you saw the Ponyville Express this morning?” you ask.
>“It's been something of a sensation today up in Cloudsdale.”
“Really?”
>“Mmm-hmm. The Express gets a small circulation in my town, but after ponies saw that headline all the copies sold out almost immediately. I understand the Express is running a second printing as we speak.”
>Why that dirty rat of an editor!
“Nothing will come of it, eh?” you murmur to yourself.
>What was that, miss?”
“Oh, nothing. So did you want to ask me about the Rad-Hawk?”
>“Yes...” he retrieves a small notepad. “But before we get into that, are you aware of the response by the Wonderbolts to your suggestion of a race between you and them?”
“Wut?”
>“Yes. When when she was shown a copy of this morning's Ponyville Express, Captain Spitfire said, 'If that mare's crazy enough to challenge us, then she's welcome to try.'”
>Once again, your blood has frozen in your veins.
“Di-did she now?”
>“Yes, and Fleet Foot responded, 'Bring it on!'”
>Wow. You're getting serious deja vu here.
“Anything else?” you squeak.
>Actually yes.” the stallion continues relentlessly. “Soarin responded by saying, 'I think it would be cool to have some competition from outside the squad.'”
>And suddenly you have a new favorite Wonderbolt.
>You look up and see that the news stallion is waiting for a reply.
“Gosh, that's um, something, I guess. But that quote was taken out of context.”
>He furrows a brow.
>“So are you are COMPLETELY ruling out a race with the Wonderbolts in this new machine of yours?”
>If this reporter had asked you that five minutes ago, you would have categotically answered 'yes' to that question.
>But, after hearing Spitfire and the others respond to your inadvertent challenge you hesitate a little.
“Well, heh, l-like my friend Rainbow Dash said. I have a lot more work to do before this baby's ready for prime time.”
>”So you WOULD be willing to have a contest then?” he presses.
>Oh, Cherry, you really need to shut up.
Instead, “I could see maybe having a race. In the future. For fun, I mean. I-I mean, maybe not just me and them. Maybeeee...”
>You are totally grasping at straws right now.
“Oh! Maybe a whole bunch of different fliers could participate. You know, maybe the gryphon nation would like to join in.”
>“I see. So you're proposing a contest amongst the nations and races. As a sort of good will gesture.”
“It's just an idea. It could be fun, right?”
>“Hmmn...” he grunts noncommittally as he scribbles some notes.
>Finally, good sense slaps you upside the head.
“Whoa! But, you gotta understand I am NOT ready for a race right now. This baby's only had one flight after all.”
>“Noted. Now lets talk about the machine itself. You mentioned Rainbow Dash. I think we saw her leave as we were coming in. This is the same Rainbow Dash that won the Best Young Flier's competition and is an Element of Harmony?”
“Yep, that's her.”
>“And did she help you design the, pardon me, what was the name again?”
“The Rad-Hawk Mk I. And no, I had help from another pegasus.”
>You go over your plane's history and Ditzy's involvement.
>The reporter should have gotten a lot of this from the Express article but maybe he's just being thorough.
>When you finally wrap up, Silver Print comes over to join you.
>“This thing's really impressive.” she chirps.
“Ah, thank you.”
>”Thank you, for letting us come in and look around. Hey Night, you got everything you need?”
>The stallion nods his head.
>“Right,” Silver Print says. “We better get going.”
>Both of them thank you for your time and leave.
>Ugh. You don't think talking to reporters will ever get easier.
>At least these ones weren't trying to make you look like a tribalist.
>Finishing up with your work you head out to take care of one more task before heading over to Ditzy's place.
>You meet her just as she's arriving home from work.
>“Oh hey! I was gonna head over to the garage in a bit.”
“Yeah, I figured. But I have a little present for you.”
>Her eyes light up.
>“A present? You didn't have to...”
>You laugh.
“Plus I wanted to talk to you about the flight yesterday.”
>“Okay. Well, come on in.”
>You sit at the kitchen table while Ditzy rummages around in a cupboard.
>“You want something to drink?” she asks.
“Sure. Water's good.”
>She fetches two glasses and fills them.
>As she does that you retrieve the picture you got this morning (now framed) from your saddle-bag.
>She sets the glasses down and you hold up her present.
“Tah-dah!”
>“Is that for me?” she asks with a bit of wonder in her voice.
“It sure is.” You grin and hoof it to her.
>She gazes at it for a whole minute, eyes flitting over every inch of the picture.
>Finally she sets it down on the table.
>Then she turns and give you a big hug.
>“Oh, thank you Cherry Berry!” her voice has a small catch in it like she's about to cry.
>Darn it Ditzy, if she keeps going like this your going to choke up too.
>You pat her on the shoulder.
“Hey, you deserve that picture. I mean, the Rad-Hawk is your invention too.”
>Something occurs to you.
“You haven't had any reporters come by today have you?”
>“I dunno. I've been at work all day.”
>Of course. Should have thought of that.
“Well, you may get some visitors from the paper. From Cloudsdale I mean. They might ask you about a race with the Wonderbolts.”
>“Ok. Wait, are we having a race with the Wonderbolts?”
“NO! I mean, no.”
>Again, you explain what happened with the newspaper misquoting you.
>“Awww, so no race?” she pouts.
“Ditzy, do you actually think that would be a good idea?”
>“Who cares! It would be cool! You know how hard it is to get their autograph? Let alone being able to say, 'Hey you know what I did last week? That's right. I had a little race with this group of stunt fliers. You may have heard of them. They're called the WONDERBOLTS.'”
>Oh good grief.
“Look it's not happening, so lets just forget about it. Now, let's talk about yesterday's flight.”
>You explain about the handling issues and the results of your inspection this morning.
>Ditzy, it turns out, has a whole list of things that she feels could improve the Rad-Hawk's flight.
>“Yeah, Twilight told me about some different instruments that would help you tell direction and elevation and stuff. She was gonna get me some catalogs from some shops in Canterlot.”
“That would be good. It would sure solve a lot of problems. Now about the handling...”
>You spend the rest of the afternoon working on improved designs for the Rad-Hawk's steering.
>When it starts to get dark you decide to head home.
>But before you do, you both decide to hold another test flight four days from now.
>That should give you plenty of time to play around with the gearing in the drive train and rework the steering.
>And, of course, to let your sponsor know in case he wants to call down anymore vultures from the Ponyville Express.
>When you finally arrive home, you fix dinner and head to bed.
>You have a lot of work to do these next few days and you want to be well rested.

...

>It's been a busy week.
>Filthy Rich had convinced you to put off your second test flight until Saturday which meant you had an extra day to get everything ready.
>A good thing too, because you ended up having to make a special trip into Canterlot for the extra instruments you and Ditzy had wanted.
>It would totally be worth it though.
>You get up early and head over to the garage.
>As you half expected, Ditzy's already there waiting for you.
>You get everything ready and start hauling the Mk. I down to the field.
>Unlike last time there are ponies already waiting for you.
>A little cheer goes up as the throng sees you approaching.
>You nod your head to acknowledge them and finish pulling the plane into position on the commons.
>A little lavender blur zooms over to you.
>“Good morning, Ms. Berry!” Diamond Tiara greets you enthusiastically.
>Welp, so much for Filthy Rich grounding her.
“Good morning, Diamond Tiara. Is your dad here?”
>“Yes. He's over with the reporters.” She points to the far end of the crowd.
>Ah there he is.
>Talking with-
>Holey Moley that's a lot of reporters!
>You quickly ask Ditzy to finish going over the pre-flight inspection and you trot over to where your sponsor is schmoozing with the news ponies, two of whom you already recognize.
>“...and frankly I think that would be a marvelous- Ah, Miss Berry, there you are. Let me introduce you. This is Hot Scoop and Ticker Tape from the Ponyville Express.”
>He indicates two different ponies from the one who interviewed you a week ago; both earth ponies, you note.
>“This is Clickety Clack and his partner Whiz Bang from the Canterlot Daily.” The two unicorn stallions nod there heads in an easy manner.
>“And I believe you already know these two.”
>Night Beat nods in a friendly manner and Silver Print simply smiles.
>Their article on you had come out in the Cloudsdale Chronicle the day after their visit.
>Fortunately their headlines hadn't caused you any further grief.
>Earlier you had talked with Filthy Rich about what the Express had printed.
>Overall he had seemed amused by the idea of an air race which had kind of surprised you.
>Speaking of your which.
>“I've been explaining to these fine ponies that you've been making improvements to your flying machine and they where wondering if you'd explain them for the benefit of their readers.”
“Sure, follow me.”
>You lead the gaggle of media over to the Rad-Hawk.
>You've been going over in your head how best to present your work this time around and you had discussed your plan with your partner.
>You wave Ditzy over to you and whisper something in her ear.
>She grins and flutter up to the top of the fuselage and sets down in front of the cockpit.
“If you ladies and gentlestalions will form up in a line, you can head up one at a time and sit in the pilots seat up there. Ms. Doo will explain all our new improvements.”
>The news ponies line up in single file and Clickety Clack heads up the ladder first.
>You listen intently as Ditzy points out the new instrument panel.
>“So, this is the al-tim-e-ter.” She forms the word carefully as though afraid she'll mess it up.
 >“It tells you how high up you are. And this is the air speed indicator.  It lets you know how fast you're going. Oh, and this is the artificial horizon.”
>“Artificial horizon?” the earth stallion ask, perplexed.
>“Yup. It lets you know if you dippin' down towards the ground or leanin' back away from the ground.”
>The other Canterlot unicorn, Whiz Bang, pipes up behind you.
>“Ms. Doo, I assume all these instruments where originally built for pegasus or air ships to use. Why would they need something like that?”
>”Oh, that's easy. They made for night flying. It glows in the dark.”
>Whiz Bang nods his head, satisfied with her explanation.
>Well done, Ditzy.
>Feeling you can leave the explanations in her capable hooves, you walk over to where Night Beat and Silver Print are standing at the end of the line.
>The lime mare greets you warmly.
>“So that's Ms. Doo. Now I'm sorry we didn't have time to interview her the last time we were here. She's adorable! Don't you think so Night?” she elbows the periwinkle stallion in a good-natured fashion.
>“Mmm.” is his only reply.
>You're sure you're missing something in that little exchange, but whatever.
“So... your paper sent you down to see the flight, huh?”
>“Oh, more than just that! We were just discussing with your sponsor, Mr. Rich about how our...”
>“Now, now.” Filthy Rich interjects out of nowhere. “There will be plenty of time to discuss that tomorrow evening at the reception.”
“Reception?” you are totally lost.
>“Yes,” he continues smoothly. “These fine ponies have invited us to a reception at the home of their boss tomorrow evening. You and Ms. Doo are both invited. But we can discuss that later. You'd better get to your test flight after you show these two the flying machine.”
>After Ditzy gives the rest of the news ponies the rundown you take her place on top of the fuselage and give a little speech.
>This one is a little smoother than your last one.
>You strap yourself in and pull your goggles into place.
>To you left Rainbow, who arrived earlier, is hovering in place and ready to go.
>You put your rear hooves to the pedals and begin to crank on them.
>The propeller whirs to life and begins to hum.
>When it gets to a certain number of RPM's you shift to a new higher gear (one of the improvements you've made) and yell to Ditzy to remove the chocks.
>You see your collaborator step to the side, the chocks in her teeth, and the Rad-Hawk begins to lurch forward.
>The difference in power is noticeable as you pick up speed faster this time.
>Well before you reach the point of no return you lift off smoothly from the ground.
>Pushing your craft a little harder than last time you soar up into the sky.
>As you quickly gain altitude you put the Mk. I into a series of long loops around the commons.
>All those changes to the steering seem to be paying off as the stick responds much more easily to your commands this time around.
>You decide it's time to see what your invention can really do.
>Taking a look at your instruments, you figure that you have enough room to try some vertical maneuvering.
>You push the stick forward hard.
>Immediately the Mk. I dips down and you can see the ground before you.
>The plane shakes a little and you grin at the intense rush as you dive.
>It's like riding barely controlled chaos!
>You keep an eye on your instruments until you decide you've had enough and start to crank back on the stick.
>It won't move.
>You yank harder but all you get is a shudder from your machine.
>Something's wrong!
>You desperately think of what you can do.
>Sensing something isn't right, Rainbow Dash moves in closer.
>She's really pumping her wings hard trying to keep up.
>You motion her back for now.
>You're not going to punch out just yet!
>Looking over your shoulder you observe the wings.
>Everything looks fine.
>But you're still dropping like a stone.
>You look at your air speed indicator.
>Whoa, you're going really fast!
>Could that be why your wings are locked up?
>You've got to do something NOW so, taking a risk, you slow the propeller way down.
>To your relief you begin to bleed off speed in a hurry.
>Finally, after a nerve racking few moments you regain control and ease the nose up.
>As you level out you decide that's enough for today.
>A few hundred more feet and Rainbow would have had to jerk you out of there.
>You bring the Rad-Hawk around one more time and descend to the field below (this time in a more controlled manner).
>Your instruments make landing a lot easier then last time and you ease down right in front of the crowd.
>As the propeller slows to a stop the crowd circles around.
>Rainbow and Ditzy both reach you at the same time.
>They each have a worried look on their face.
>“What happened up there?” Rainbow demands.
>“Did something go wrong with the controls?” Ditzy asks.
“I'm not sure.” you respond, struggling out of your safety harness. “I think I was going to fast and it locked up the flaps.”
>You friends help you down out of the plane and you're surrounded by ponies; both villagers and media.
>One of the reporters, you're not sure who, asks, “Ms. Berry, was that dive on purpose or did something go wrong?”
>“J-just had a small issue, that's all.” you stammer.
>“Does that mean that dive wasn't on purpose?” another barks.
>“Hey, flying is all about taking things as they come.” Rainbow Dash explains. “When you're up in the air things are always changing and you got to adapt to it.”
>She looks at you like she's seeking permission to continue.
>You nod your assent.
>Dash smiles, “Cherry went into a power dive and it was a bit too much for the plane, but she managed to recover and that's what matters.”
>Clickety Clack directs his question at your relief flier, “Do you think that with better training she wouldn't have made that mistake? I mean that's why Cloudsdale has a mandatory flight training for all pegasi, right?”
>“Listen,” your friend rejoins, “I've seen plenty of pegasi who make the same mistake and the fact that she was able to pull out of it is what counts.”
>Fortunately, that seems to shut down the questions on whether or not you are fit to fly.
>You spend the next half hour fielding questions and taking photos.
>Of course all your friends have to give you a hug and express how worried they were when they saw you plunging to the ground.
>By this time you've sort of shaken it off, so you give them a smile and assure them that you were never in any real danger.
>You ignore the hard look Shoeshine gives you.
>Fortunately, Pinkie doesn't throw you a party this time so you're able to wrap everything up by noon.
>As the crowds disperse a couple of your buddies offer to help pull the Rad-Hawk back to the garage.
>Grateful for the help you let some of the others hook Caramel up to the tow harness.
>On the way back there's a lot of banter about this reception that you and Ditzy are supposed to attend the next evening.
>You've never heard of your host, Sky High, but Cloudkicker lets you know that he's one of the wealthiest ponies in Cloudsdale, besides being the owner of the Cloudsdale Chronicle.
>Rose, Lilly, and Daisy immediately start talking about what you should wear and when Ditzy questions the need to wear anything at all they gasp in mock horror.
>As the group jokes and gossips you notice that Shoeshine is staying unusually quiet.
>Oh boy, you know what that means.
>After getting the Mk. I put away you bid most of you friends farewell.
>The three flower mares are bound and determined to get your partner into something fashionable for tomorrow night and Ditzy, for her part, looks grateful for their help.
>Normally you would spend the rest of the afternoon conducting a post flight inspection on your machine but Shoeshine is waiting on you, so instead you lock up and join her.
“Ok, Linky. What's eatin' ya'?” You already know, but ask anyway.
>“Cherry, how bad was it up there?” she ask in a monotone.
>Well, at least she's not yelling.
“It's like Rainbow said. I took a dive a little too fast and the wings got stuck. I think the air pressure was too much for them.”
>“That doesn't answer my question! Were you in real danger? Could Rainbow have rescued you if you hadn't been able to fix it?”
Picking your words carefully you respond, “It was... a little dicey there for a few seconds. But that's what happens when you fly. There's always some risk. I learned something and I won't make that mistake again.”
>“Grrrr. I know! But what about when you make another mistake, huh?” she begins to tear up.
>“You were -sniff- falling so fast! A-and everypony was going crazy thinking you were gonna crash. And... and...”
>Your best friend loses it and starts bawling.
>Aw, Linky.
>You put your forleg around the sobbing mare and rub her shoulder until she gets control of herself.
“Look, you've seen me crash before, haven't you?” Shoeshine nods in response.
You continue, “I'm not doing anything that thousands of pegasi haven't done before me. It just seemed crazier because the Rad-Hawk's a lot bigger that a pegasus.”
>Shoeshine's finally calmed down enough to start talking again.
>“I know. It's not any more dangerous than what Rainbow Dash does. But, I just... I don't know. It was just really scary. Seeing you go down like that.”
“It was scary for you? How do you think I felt!” you chuckle.
>She smiles a little at that.
>Deciding you're tired of standing out in the street you ask if Shoeshine wants to go get something to eat.
>When she agrees you both head over to the Clover Cafe for a bite.
>Still, your friend has a good point.
“I do need to be a bit more careful, I guess.”
>“Huh?”
“I gotta be more careful. If I wreck this one, I don't know if Filthy Rich'll give me more money to build another plane.”
>Your muzzle turns into a sour grimace.
“And if a big headline were to come out about how that 'crazy earth pony mare' crashed in her new invention then I guess it wouldn't be long before they started calling me crazy like my uncle.”
>Shoeshine stops walking beside you.
>As you turn back to your companion you are shocked to see her trembling.
>“You're not crazy Cherry! Don't you ever call yourself that!” she cries.
>Putting her head down you can still see her lower lip trembling as she keeps on going.
>“Buck Cherry wasn't crazy either. He was a great pony!”
>Now you want to interrupt, but your friend's words keep pouring out.
>“He was always so nice to me whenever I visited, even after the crash. I couldn't ever figure out why he never flew again. Why he stopped talking to everypony. Why, Cherry?”
>You finally lose your patience.
“He never flew again because he lost his hoof!”
>“I know that! So what? He could still get somepony to go up with him. To help him.”
“And what would be the point? He flew so he could feel free. That's what he always said. If he needed help then what would be the point?”
>“So then why'd he stop going out? Was he embarrassed because of his leg?”
“I dunno! I think... He was just sad. Nopony thought his inventions were worth anything. He could have ignored them and kept going, but he didn't.”
>“Who didn't think they were worthwhile?”
“Everypony!” you roar.
>Seeing Shoeshine wince, you immediately regret your anger.
“Geez, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But, awww...!” you sit down on the ground.
“I don't think I ever told you this story. Back then Uncle Buck got a lot of guff from ponies who thought that our kind shouldn't be flying. He just laughed and did it anyway.”
>Your friend comes over and takes a seat beside you.
“Did you know that he's the one that invented the heating crystals that we use in hot air balloons?”
>She shakes her head.
“Yup. He did. Before that you had to use really dangerous magic to create open flames to heat up the envelope.
He said it was going to be a revolution. That was about the same time that he came up with the helicopter.
Well you know how that went. Busted ribs. Lost his right forehoof. He was out of it for months.
After that everypony treated him real nice and I think that's what got to him.”
>“Wait,” Shoeshine looks confused. “Everypony was treating him nice. And that was a problem?”
“They weren't just treating him nice. They were pitying him. They walked on eggshells around him.
They told him that flying was too dangerous. One of his friends even convinced him to sell his design for the heating crystal.”
>You see the realization dawn in Shoeshine's eyes.
“Yup, that's right. They convinced my uncle to give up the one thing he loved more than anything for 'his own good'. Hah!
So now the Crown has a whole fleet of balloons and some unicorn in Canterlot has the credit for their creation.”
>“Huh? He didn't get credit for his invention?”
“Nope, he was so tired after everything. The wreck. His 'friends' messing with his head. He didn't care enough to set the record strait.
He took up gardening. Got enough money from the heater design that he didn't have to work. Anyway, he was a terrible gardener...”
>As you trail off, your companion rests a hoof on yours.
>Amazingly enough, there haven't been any tears shed throughout your story.
>“And what did he think about you taking up flying?”
“Oh that?”
>You snort with laughter.
“He thought it was a terrible idea! He told me that earth p-ponies, -hic- weren't meant to- to...”
>As your vision blurs and you choke up, your friend gently pulls your head into her shoulder and you weep into her silver mane.

…

>As you make your way up to the Rich household Ditzy is gabbling on a mile a minute about how excited she is.
>Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily made good on their threat and your compatriot is dressed to the nines as a result.
>They've set her up in an aquamarine gown with some tasteful gold jewelry and just a hit of makeup.
>All in all, the ensemble suits the gray pegasus rather well.
>You, on the other hand, aren't as sure about your dress choice.
>The black evening gown that you're wearing is supposed to be the perfect thing for all occasions.
>At least that's what Rarity told you when you bought it for a date last year.
>To be honest, the rear is a little tight; all that peddling you've been doing with your various flying rigs must have bulked up your rump and haunches a little.
>Oh well, at least you won't be expected to run in the darn thing.
>As you pass the gated entrance to the house you see a carriage with a pair of pegasi that must be your ride to Cloudsdale.
>Your sponsor had arranged for this transportation for you three and, more importantly, the cloudwalking enchantments for you and him so you both wouldn't fall through the floor of your host's home.
>“Well, here we are then.” Filthy Rich comes trotting out to meet you. “My, you both look lovely this evening.” he compliments.
>His honest compliment gets you thinking about his situation a little.
>It strikes you as a little sad that after all these years this stallion's never found some mare to take the place of his late wife.
>Not that you are interested or anything, but he is a nice enough pony and it sure would do him and his daughter a world of good to have a female around the house besides his servants and Diamond Tiara's nanny.
>As the three of you load up into the carriage, you wonder if there might be any single mares at this shindig tonight.
>If there are, then perhaps you can put in a good word for him.
>As the you lift off from the ground you realize that, for all the flying you've done over the years, you've never actually ridden in a pegasus drawn carriage before.
>Once you level out of your assent and start flying strait, Filthy Rich seems to read your mind when he asks you a question.
>“So how does this compare to the Rad-Hawk?”
>You ponder that for a moment.
“I'd have to say that this feels a little more... magical?”
>What do you mean?” the stallion asks.
“Well with my plane you have to think about a whole bunch of things. It's a machine, and you have to treat it like you would a tool.”
>You wave your hoof towards a window.
“This- I mean- the ponies pulling us, they just think about flying and they make it happen. Flying for them is like walking for us. When I'm flying it means trusting something that I built. But a plane can't think like a pegasus can, so I have to really feel my way along. But I have to do that through my machine. Does that make sense?”
>Hmn, I think so.” Filthy says.
>Ditzy, bless her heart, looks confused after your rambling.
>“Do you think... maybe... you just need more practice?” she hesitantly asks.
“Huh. Maybe. That is a really good point. But in the end, I'll never feel the air currents though the Rad-Hawk's wings like you do through your feathers.”
>“Hey, I can do that and I'm a terrible flier.” she jokes.
>Before you can tell your friend to stop criticizing herself, Filthy interjects.
>“Now Ms. Doo you shouldn't talk like that. You'd never catch me participating in the Running of the Leaves or winning any dancing competitions, but that doesn't mean I'm bad at walking. I think you might be comparing yourself to other ponies a little too much.”
>“Yeah, but they don't crash as much as I do.” she says in a forlorn tone.
>“My dear, do you know how many accidents we have every day at my store? Ponies are always messing up. Maybe there are some steps you could take to be a little more careful, like we do at the store, but that doesn't make you are a terrible flier.”
>“Hrrm, maybe...” Ditzy concedes.
>She gets a thoughtful look on her face.
>You nod and smile to Filthy to express your gratitude for his words.
>Yep, you're definitely going to talk him up to any good looking single mares at this party tonight.
>The sounds of Cloudsdale become noticeable and you see the lights of the city out the one side of the carriage as the team pulling you makes a looping descent towards the cloudy mass just below you.
>“Now this may be a formal affair,” Filthy informs, “but Sky High is by all accounts a decent sort. I don't know who else is going to be there, but don't feel like you have to impress anypony, alright?”
>The carriage touches down on semi-solid cloud and you roll to a stop.
>You all get out and you pause for a moment as you take in your surroundings.
>And here you thought the Rich's house was big!
>The manor before you is at least three stories tall, with a central building and two great wings, one on either side.
>Like most of the buildings in this city, it's made of cloud but it's also decorated with statues, rainbow fountains, and thick climbing vines of the sort you'd see on a brick wall back on the ground.
>You feel rather unimportant all of a sudden.
>A stallion wearing a bow-tie and vest comes down the steps leading up to the main entrance.
>He welcomes you and ushers you all into the palatial dwelling.
>You follow your guide through a foyer and down a hall until you reach a sitting room and are shown inside.
>A number of ponies are already present and chatting away.
>Including two that you recognize.
>“Hey, you made it.” Silver Print says as she comes up beside you. “I love the outfits. Come on, let's go join Night and I'll introduce you to some of the others.”
>You make your way over to where a group of three stallions are talking.
>One of them is Night Beat.
>The other two are a sky blue pegasus wearing a small pair of spectacles and a mustachioed, pale unicorn.
>It's obvious from their suits that they are both very wealthy ponies.
>“Hey, look who I found!” Silver Print says.
She points to the blue stallion, “Allow me too introduce my boss, Sky High, Esquire.” “and the owner of Nimbus Zeppelin Works,” she points to the unicorn stallion, “Sir Nimbus Cloud.”
>The three of you are introduced in turn, but you can hardly pay attention as you look at the stallion who has most benefited from your uncles invention.
>You know it's not like he stole it from uncle Buck.
>Heck, he's not even the one who bought it back in the day.
>But it's still annoying.
>Your attention is pulled back to the conversation by your host, Sky High.
>“Well, well. I am pleased to make all of your acquaintances. Especially you, Ms. Berry. When I read of your exploits I could scarcely believe it. Such a fascinating concept for a flying machine. I've always been a big fan of flying myself. Even tried out for the Wonderbolts when I was younger! But I found that my calling lay in other areas. Anyway, I was so taken by your interview that I just knew I'd have to have you and your friends over. And then I thought, 'Why not have other luminaries of flight over?' Make it a real meeting of the aviation minded, if you will. Isn't that right, Nimbus?”
>The unicorn nods in agreement, “I should say so. Though frankly, I'm not sold on this idea of a heavier-than-air craft. If you want to fly and you don't have wings of your own, then I can't imaging anything better than a good old balloon.”
>You're about to say something you'll probably regret when Filthy Rich interjects, “But my good sir, even balloons were new once. You can't say how a thing will work out until it's been put to the test, eh?”
>“Ho ho! He's got you there Nimbus.” Sky High chuckles.
>The zeppelin magnate sniffs, “I've made my career on guessing the trends in air travel. You'll forgive me if I don't immediately jump on every flash-in-the-pan idea that comes along.”
>So much for giving this stallion the benefit of the doubt.
>What a jerk!
>Sensing that his friend may have gone a little too far with that last comment, Sky High jumps in.
>“Ahem, why don't I introduce you to some of our other guests this evening.”
>Your host escorts you around the room and in turn you meet the others in attendance.
>It's an impressive roster that includes a sheik from Saddle Arabia, a duchess who owns steel concerns in Manehatten, and a shipping magnate out of Fillydelphia, among others.
>You're surprised to find that even though about half the guests in attendance aren't pegasi they all profess a keen interest in flying; some for professional reasons and others for private enjoyment.
>The last ponies you meet are a pair of blue pegasi.
>One, a mare, has striking white hair while her companion, this one a stallion, has a dark blue mane.
>Both of them look rather familiar though you can't recall ever having met them before.
>“And these two need no introduction.” Sky High says, “Fleetfoot, Soarin, allow me to introduce Cherry Berry, Ditzy Doo, and Filthy Rich from Ponyville.”
>Oh. Wonderbolts. That's why they look familiar.
>Soarin gives you all a big smile and says how pleased he is to meet you while Fleetfoot mumbles to herself.
>“Ponyville... Ponyville... Ah! Your that crazy earth mare that challenged us to a race!”
>All at once the reception grinds to a halt and all the guests turn to stare at what has now become the center of attention.
>You and the silver haired speedster.
“Excuse me?” you blurt out.
>“Well you said you can hang with us in a race, right? Sounds pretty crazy to me.” she continues blithely.
>Red haze starts to creep into your vision.
>Again, before you can unload a piece of your mind, another pony steps in to head you off.
>This time it's Soarin who nudges his companion.
>“Hey, ease off, Fleet.”
>Fleetfoot looks up at her team-mate and her look softens a little.
>Ditzy jumps in, “Besides, that was just a bad quote from the newspaper anyway.”
>“Oh?” the pegasus mare's attention snaps back to your group. “So you didn't mean it? Well that makes a lot more sense.”
>Seriously, you can see the smugness radiating off this pony.
>Sky High sounds a little puzzled, “But I thought... Mr. Rich? Did I misunderstand your groups intentions?”
>“Intentions, sir?” Your sponsor responds.
>“I called everypony here tonight because I saw Ms. Berry's challenge to the Wonderbolts as a grand gesture. The kind that only comes along once in a lifetime. A chance to really push Equestrian aviation forward.”
>He's about to say more when a harsh feminine voice interrupts him.
>“Not just Equestrian aviation. World aviation.”
>You glance over to the parlor entrance in time to see an elegantly dressed gryphoness make her entrance.
>Her mahogany plumage looks soft and downy but the look in her eyes is as sharp as steel.
>Accompanying her is a rather large male gryphon with dark feathers an an equally hard visage.
>The bow-tied stallion who accompanied you in earlier clears his throat.
>“Announcing her excellency, Ambassador Grizelda Gryphon. Special envoy to Canterlot from Gryphonland.”
>The arrival of the new guests derails your anger for the moment as you watch your host rush over to to greet the newcomers.
>“Ah Lady Grizelda! It is so very good to see you.”
>Like a true gentlestallion he takes the Gryphoness' talon in his own hoof and leans down to give it a light peck.
>Astonishingly, the ambassador seems pleased by the attention and returns his greeting warmly.
>“The pleasure is mine, darling. How have you been?”
>“Oh, fine, just fine. I'm glad you could make it.”
>“Yes.” she sighs, “We almost didn't get away from Canterlot. Always with the paperwork. But let me introduce my associate. This is Lieutenant Gregor, newly come to our embassy.”
>She indicates the burly bird beside her.
>“He is on furlough from the Silver Wings and has been temporarily assigned to our post.”
>Sky High nods to the lieutenant.
>“The Silver Wings? My, my. Then you might be interested in our little discussion as well.”
>“Yes, very.” The gryphon rumbles. “I have heard about the challenge to your Wonderbolts.
>My country has been at peace with yours for generations so there has not been any meaningful, eh, contest between my military and yours since our air force was reorganized generations ago.
>But if one of your civilians intends to have a match with them then I too would like to be involved. For the sake of my country.”
>Holy buckets! Now the Gryphon military wants in on this non-existent contest?
>If you ever see the editor of the Ponyville Express again you're going to murder him.
>“But sir,” Filthy Rich says, “We have the Equestria Games. Isn't that a contest?”
>Lt. Gregor shakes his head.
>“Unlike your country, we do not allow our military fliers to participate in the games.” He glances at Fleetfoot and Soarin. “We feel that our forces are better utilized outside of athletic track meets.”
>“Hey!” Fleetfoot exclaims.
>Soarin quickly put a hoof on her shoulder and gives her a stern look, quieting the fiery mare.
>If the lieutenant notices Fleetfoot's outburst, he gives no sign.
>“Besides,” the lieutenant continues, “knowing, Mr. High, I'm sure we will have a competition that will be worthy of the history books.”
>“Er, yes.” your host mumbles. “As far as the contest goes...”
>He looks directly at you.
>“I think there might have been a miscommunication on that front.”
>“Ah!” Lt. Gregor's eyes light up when he sees you.
>He approaches and gives a deep bow.
>“You must be Ms. Cherry Berry. I recognize you from the newspaper. Such bravery and daring! You are a credit to your race.”
>Oh my.
“Th-thank you.” you stammer.
>“Actually,” Fleetfoot interrupts, “Ms. Berry was just telling us how the papers misquoted her.”
>You swear to Celestia you're going to slap that mare before the night is over.
>“Appearantly, they made it sound like she wanted to fly against us when she really didn't.” the pegasus mare snarks.
>“Oh?” the lieutenant says as he gives you a small frown. “What a pity. I hadn't really been looking forward to this posting until I heard of your exploits.
>'The earth mare who dares to challenge the pegasi at their own game.' But perhaps there are reasons why you would not wish to do this. I can understand that.”
>There have been times in your life where your mouth has become completely disconnected from your brain.
>While your might desperately tried to reign it in, your lips simply go off and do whatever fool thing they are wont to.
>As you look around at the assembled guests you realize, to your horror, that is precisely what is happening right now as your own words reach your ears.
“Actually, what happened was, the papers left out the part where I said I'd need more testing and preparation before I would feel comfortable having a race. I never said I was opposed to the idea.”
>You fix Fleetfoot with a glare, daring her to say something.
>“Outstanding!” Sky High crows as he claps you on the shoulder. “I knew I had you pegged right. Button Down! Bring in the maps please.”
>Ponies make way as the bow tie stallion and another colt bring in a large table with several large rolls of paper on them.
>“Now I've been thinking about this little race. It seems to me that with the different parties that will want to participate...” Sky High nods to the Gryphon delegation and to several other ponies including Nimbus Cloud, “that we need a contest that will really challenge all the competitor's faculties.”
>He begins to unroll the large maps as everyone, ponies and gryphons, gather 'round.
>“Navigation, endurance, speed. I believe the best way to fairly show all of these qualities is with a cross country race. Then I got to discussing the idea with the ambassador and we both agreed that since flight has become an international phenomena, what with air ship travel and all, that we should think big.”
>He gestures to the maps that have been laid end to end, one of Equestria and another of the eastern continent containing Gryphonland.
>“Ambassador, if you would do the honors?”
>The gryphoness takes her right index-talon and stabs the center of the Equestrian map.
>“The proposal is for a race from Rainbow Falls here in your homeland...”
>Her left talon glides over to the eastern map and stabs a small mark.
>“All the way to our capital, Gryphonburg.”
>You hear a few astonished gasps from the other guests.
>One pony immediately pipes up, “How would that work? No pony can fly that kind of distance without rest!”
>“There would be stages along the way. Stops for the contestants to rest at.” Sky High answers.
>“What about zeppelins?” another asks. “They don't need to stop like a normal flier.”
>“True,” you host responds, “If there is a zeppelin competing then they probably won't make all the stops, but they also go a lot slower. And they have their own challenges.”
>At this point Soarin ask a question that you had been wondering also.
>“Sir, what would the route be? You don't expect us to fly the entire distance of the Eastern Sea do you?”
>“No, no. The course would run up past Manehatten, into the Crystal Empire. From there you would cross at the narrowest point between the two continents. The Bearing Strait is twenty four miles wide so we feel it's do-able.”
>Twenty four miles.
>And that's just one small leg of the race.
>Are you actually going to do this?
>“Of course, in order to attract the best contestants I and a few others have agreed to put up a prize for the winner. Ten thousand bits, to be precise.”
>This time you hear yourself gasp.
>Ten thousand?!
>That's a LOT of flippin' money!
>Everyone starts to talk amongst themselves and a few ponies crowd around Sky High to ask him some more questions.
>You see Night Beat come up to your group but to your surprise he asks if he might ask Ditzy some questions.
>As they head off together you see Silver Print chuckling to herself as she follows them with her eyes.
>Hmmn...
>You're about to go ask her what's up when Filthy Rich taps you on the shoulder.
>He doesn't look happy.
>“Cherry, a word?”
>Oh feathers.
>This is usually what happens when your mouth gets away from you.
>You follow the stallion out into the hall.
>Before he can say anything you try to explain yourself.
“I didn't mean to say that. It just sort of came out. I'm sorry.”
>“Cherry, this is serious. Do you really think you're ready for a race of this magnitude?”
“Uh, well, I- I don't know.” you look down at your hooves.
>“~Sigh~ I'm sorry Cherry. When Night Beat told me about his boss I thought that he might put on some kind of little stunt show. A few laps to show off your machine to the press.
>If I had know he intended all this I would have declined his offer tonight. But now we're here and I think we should just go back in there and politely explain that we'll have to withdraw from this thing.”
>You look up at Filthy.
“Withdraw?” you ask numbly.
>“Yes. Hey, it'll be okay. There will be other chances to show off your machine.” he soothes.
>He turns and starts heading back into the parlor.
“Show off my machine...” you mutter. “Show off my machine...”
>You follow him inside and walk back over to the map table.
>“Mr. High,” Filthy Rich says, “May we speak with you privately?”
>The three of you move to one of the far corners of the room.
>“About this contest, I'm afraid we're going to have to decline.”
>“Really? But, Ms. Berry said-”
>“We just don't think that a race of this length is feasible. We haven't had much time to test it out after all.”
>“Well the race wouldn't be tomorrow.” Sky High counters. “There are still a lot of things to arrange. I was thinking about three months from now at the earliest.”
>“Be that as it may, I just don't think it would be wise to go forward at this stage. The Mark I is still just a prototype. It's fine for small exhibitions but a long race?” Filthy shakes his head.
>The pegasus turns to you.
>“Ms. Berry, are you sure you wish to withdraw? Surely you can see what I'm trying to accomplish with this race? It would be a chance to prove yourself.”
>As soon as he says those words something clicks in you mind and all of a sudden a number of things that have been troubling you suddenly make sense.
>You look at the earth stallion and then the pegasus stallion.
“Actually, sir, I would like to participate in your race.”
>Before either pony can say anything you press on.
“I didn't build the Rad-Hawk to be a show piece, or some work of art. The reason I built it was to prove my theories on flight. To build on my uncle's work. It's meant to fly.”
>You take a deep breath.
“And so am I.”