That Magnificent Mare and Her Flying Machine (Part 1)

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

>You are Cherry Berry.
>Earth pony, jack-of-all-trades, and amateur flight enthusiast!
>Although not quite so amateur since getting the commission to maintain one of the royal hot air balloons.
>And ever since Twilight Sparkle became an alicorn she's really had no use for said balloon.
>Fortunately for you, it was useful enough for civic and other functions in Ponyville that the new princess kept it around.
>Which meant you got to keep your little side job.
>After all, somepony had to take the thing up on a regular basis right?
>Of course your interest in aviation had started waaay before Twilight Sparkle showed up.
>How else would you have convinced the Crown that you were the perfect mare to keep It's balloon in working order?
>No, you had come to flight a little late but you had made great strides over the years.
>In fact right now you are pushing the boundaries of earth pony flight once again.
Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-Thwip-
>You legs pump relentless against the pedals of your helicopter.
>Unlike your earlier attempt at a heavier-than-air craft, this baby was a fully realized machine.
>Pegasi might smirk at your 'hobby' but when the spinning blades of of the Strato-spinner Mk.II herald your arrival among the clouds they all tend to get out of the way.
>At least nopony refers to this version as the 'Candy-copter'.
>Speaking of which, you need to get together with Pinkie sometime and make sure she's maintaining your first machine properly.
>But that will have to wait, you're here to test out one property of the Mk.II that hasn't gotten enough scrutiny.
>Namely: raw air speed.
>”Hey, Cherry! I'm here!”
>Ah, and here is your erstwhile assistant for this little test, Rainbow Dash.
>You were a little worried that she wouldn't agree to help you since most pegasi only really pay your flights any mind out of morbid curiosity or worse, outright disdain.
>But good old Dash never could resist a contest of speed.
>Plus, you're convinced that she doesn't care what you are so long as you can get up in the air and stay up.
>Waving you hoof in the predetermined signal, you drop your goggles and lean forward in you saddle.
>Rainbow likewise twists around to face in the direction of a small stand of trees on the horizon that is your agreed upon destination.
>She grabs her stop watch in one hoof in and raises the other in a 'ready' mark.
>Down goes her hoof and forward goes the stick.
>Your off!
>The Mk.II is leaning forward at an angle that would probably have your friends gasping with fear.
>But not you.
>The THWIP-THWIP-THWIP-THWIP- of the blades pulses in your ears.
>The wind howls along the side openings of the canopy.
>Strangely though, you don't feel afraid.
>You feel exhilarated.
>It's like your going up in your first balloon all over again.
>Glancing to the side, you see that Rainbow is easily keeping pace with you.
>She's casually looking down at her stopwatch like a coach standing on the sidelines at a track meet.
>In fact, she doesn't have her goggles down over her eyes!
>Are you really going that slow?
>Well that just won't do.
>You tilt the rotor forward another couple of degrees and shift into a higher gear.
>As the chain link drive makes a smooth transition from one cog to another you really begin to feel the burn as you bear down and pedal with more power.
>Now Dash has to work to keep up with you, you notice with glee.
>The stand of trees is fast approaching.
>The test will be over soon.
>Time to give it everything you've got.
>You shift into the Mk.II's highest gear and, making sure the drive is fully engaged, crank as though your life depends on it.
>As you jerk ahead you swear you see astonishment flash on Dash's face.
>Then the whole machine starts to vibrate violently.
>Before you even have time to form a thought, your stomach lurches into your throat.
>You're falling!
>The horizon begins to whirl around as the craft enters a tail spin.
>You desperately try to come out of your stall but things are not looking good.
>Straining, you desperately lean the stick to one side, trying to get the Mk.II's auto-rotations under control.
>You see gray invading the corners of your eyes.
>But you can't black out.
>If you do it's all over.
>You strain your legs against the pedals, trying to get the main rotor some power.
>It's no good.
>As you're just about to slip of into unconsciousness the wild spinning slows down.
>You think you can hear Rainbow Dash shouting at you but you can't see her.
>Vision starts to clear and as you push down on the power pedals you realize why thy refuse to budge.
>Slamming the shift lever into it's lowest gear you are finally able to start spinning your legs.
>You have no idea how much altitude you have left, but there's no time to worry about that right now.
>Now you really ARE peddling to save your life.
>Slowly, ever so slowly you can feel you descent speed decrease.
>You begin to feel like you might be able to recover-
>BAM!
>You snap forward in your harness and then are thrown back into your chair.
>Then you don't remember anything.

End prologue.

>When you wake up you wonder if perhaps you've died and gone to Elysium.
>Everything is peaceful and white and fluffy and...
>Ouch!
>No, definitely not Elysium.
>If you were dead and in paradise then everything wouldn't hurt so much.
>”Hey, you alright?”
>You're not really sure who's talking but you try to focus on their voice.
>The blur of blue to your right resolves itself into Rainbow Dash.
>Hmm. Now why is she sitting here beside you?
>The last time you talked to Dash she agreed to help you test the top speed of-
>Your helicopter!
>The flight!
>The stall!
>The crash!
>You lurch forward, trying to sit up.
>”Whoa! Nuh-uh! Not happening.” Rainbow reaches forward and gently holds you back down against the bed.
>”Nurse! She's awake!”
…
“So what happened?”
>You've calmed down now and fortunately the nurse on duty decided not to drug you back into oblivion after your outburst.
>”Well, things were going pretty great. You really got up some wicked speed there for a minute. Then, uh, you kicked the thing into overdrive and things just kind of went crazy. The whole thing started jerking around and you started falling like a rock. Plus you where spinning, like, really bad.”
>Rainbow illustrates the whole thing with her hooves, ending with her one hoof making a corkscrew motion down towards the bed.
“Yeah, I think I stalled. Not sure why though...”
>”Well anyway, I knew I had to get you out of there but, no offense, that machine is kind of like a giant pegasus mulcher with those giant blades and all. So I decided to do the next best thing and stop your tail spin.”
>You puzzle over that for a second and finally ask the obvious question.
“But Dash, if you couldn't get close to the Mk.II then how did you...?”
>”Heh, simple.” She polishes the back of her hoof on her chest, looking pleased with herself. “I made a tornado around your heli-thingy in the opposite direction that you were spinning.”
>You sit there for a moment and try to wrap your head around what this crazy colored mare just told you.
“You did what now?”
>”Just like we do with water lifts to Cloudsdale. I just spun around real fast in the opposite direction of your ship and slowed you down with a good old fashioned tornado.”
“A-and that worked?”
>She smirks. “You're still here, aren't you?”
“I... I guess I am.” You poke your chest to make sure that you're still among the living.
>”Anyways, I think you actually got your heli-chopper working again 'cause it starting fighting my tornado, so I broke off. But I guess you weren't quite up to speed 'cause you kind of smacked into the ground. Hard.”
>To your amazement Rainbow Dash looks a little bashful.
>”Sorry about that.”
“No, no.” you reply, almost without thinking. “You saved me Rainbow. I would have passed out and crashed for sure.”
>Then a horrible realization hits you.
“I-I almost died...”
>”Whoa, whoa!” Dash makes a placating gesture. “The important thing is that you didn't die. Besides even if I hadn't been there you still might have been okay. I've taken harder landings than that and walked away.
>Okay, limped away.
>Okay, except for those three times where they needed to use the stretcher.
>And that one time that Twilight used her magic to zap me to the E.R.
>But that's besides the point. The point is, you're okay. Doc said you'll be up and at 'em in no time!”
>You ponder her words.
>It's true, if anyone knows about recovery from flying accidents, it's Rainbow Dash.
>Still, you've got to ask another question and you fear the answer.
“What about the Mk.II?”
>Dash's face, which has a small, hopeful grin, begins to to sour into a frown.
>”Uh, well- You really built a sturdy machine there. Took a lot of the knocks for you.”
“But...?”
>”But, yeeeah, it got pretty trashed.”
>You close you eyes and slump down in defeat.
>”Hey, hey! You built the thing. You can just build another one right?”
>Dash is trying her best to cheer you up, but you feel so hollow inside that her words barely register.
“I dunno.”
>”What do you mean you don't know? You can't, or you won't?”
>You're not sure why, but your bedside companion actually sounds like she's starting to get a little mad.
>But you don't really care.
“I don't know if I should. What's the point? The Mk.II was- It was supposed to be my breakthrough. But it just wasn't enough, was it?”
>Now Dash is visibly scowling.
>”What do ya' mean, 'not enough'? It flew didn't it? I mean, sure, maybe not as fast as a pegasus.
>Or a gryphon.
>Or a dragon.
>Or that one breezy, what was his name..?”
>Dash shakes her head.
>”My point is, you still flew! That's still pretty cool.”
>You start chuckling.
“Heh. But it's not good enough. Don't you get it? I can lift off, but not as fast as a pegasus. I can hover, but not as precisely as a pegasus. I can even fly, but nowhere near as fast as a pegasus. If I can't do any of those things half as well as a pegasus then nopony... Nopony will ever take me seriously...”
>By this time your chuckling has turned into small sniffles.
>Of COURSE you're going to start crying in front of Rainbow “Never-Say-Die” Dash.
>As if the day wasn't bad enough already.
>Turning your head away, you try to contain yourself.
>You fail miserably.
>You lay there and cry for a minute, great sobs silently racking your body.
>After a moment or three you finally manage to get yourself under control.
>It's been a while since you've lost it like that.
>Not since...
>Nope. Not gonna think about that right now.
>Not unless you want to sob like a filly for the rest of the afternoon.
>Your companion lays her hoof on your shoulder.
>“Look, Cherry. Uh... (Dang, I wish Twilight or Fluttershy were here...) What I mean is, I still think what you did was pretty awesome. I mean, sure you can't fly as good as I can in your whoozit-thopter, but guess what? No one can fly as good as me, period. And maybe you just gotta try something new? I dunno, maybe Twilight could help you, or something. She's really good with that kind of stuff.”
>She's trying so hard to cheer you up, but you're just not in the mood.
“No offense Rainbow, but I've been studying aeronautics for years. I don't think she knows anything I don't.”
>”Well, you never know! Maybe she can help shift your paradigm or something!”
“What does that even mean?”
>“I DON'T KNOW!”
>Dash draws back from her outburst and takes a deep breath.
>When she opens her eyes she looks like she's calmed down.
>”Listen, filly, you got a choice. You can stay down in the dumps or you can pony up and try again. Until you came along I never even heard of an earth pony that could fly. And I mean really fly, not just float around in a balloon.”
>The pegasus scoots back in her chair and stands up.
>The way she stretches and cricks her neck, you get the feeling she's been sitting by your bed for quite a while.
>”I'll be back. But I want you to think about it. You flying is pretty cool. And if you stop, well, that would be pretty uncool.”
>Before you can even think to respond she's out the door.
>You look down at your hooves, unsure what to think.
>”Hmmn. You know, Ms. Dash is such a frequent visitor here that it's nice to see her be the one handing out encouraging words for a change.”
>You look up to see your nurse standing in the doorway.
>Your gaze falls back down to your lap.
“Does she really get banged up that often?”
>The nurse grins. “Hun, let's just say that she's on a first name basis with all the staff in this hospital.”
>You think about that for a moment.
“Um, nurse?”
>”Yes?”
“If it's not too much trouble could you get me a blank notebook, maybe with grid paper, and a pencil?”
>The nurse's grin brightens.
>”Of course I can. I'll go get one right now.”
>She shuffles out the door.
>Well, if you're going to be here for a while, you might as well do something productive with your time.
>The rest of the day passes slowly.
>After your nurse brings you a notepad you begin to doodle down ideas for a new helicopter.
>You still can't figure out why the Mk.II stalled out and it's bugging the heck out of you.
>You're pretty sure the drive train didn't fail.
>So why?
>Fortunately for your sanity, the afternoon is broken up with visits from various ponies.
>Nothing like ending up in the hospital to make you realize just how many friends you actually have.
>First Shoeshine and Carrot Top had shown up and you thought they were going to come unglued with how they was blubbering and crying.
>It was actually really sweet if a little overwhelming.
>You managed to calm them down and after that had a nice visit.
>Somehow you managed to convince them that you where fine and they shouldn't worry so much.
>You weren't really sure, but they must have spread the word that you where doing alright because all of your visitors after that were much calmer.
>A parade of well-wishers trickled in throughout the afternoon.
>Most just had kind things to say but a few brought you get well presents!
>Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily for instance had left you with several bouquets of really delicious flowers.
>And even better, your nurse had let you eat some!
>Much better than the hospital food.
>Between visits you had gone back to the problem that was eating away at your peace of mind.
>Why had your flight failed?
>You sit there staring at the crudely drawn diagram of the Mk.II's main rotor.
>Maybe if you-
>”Hellooo~”
>Ah, another visitor.
>This time it's Ditzy Doo.
>She wanders into you room and gives you a big grin.
>”Hey, how ya doin'?”
“I'm fine, thanks.” you day, going into your standard spiel for the day. “Got a little busted up, but the doc says I'll be out of here in no time.”
>”That's great!” the gray pegasus beams.
>You honestly don't know Ditzy all that well.
>She's a sweet mare, if a little klutzy at times.
>Then again, if any flyer in town knows what it's like to deal with crashes besides Dash it would be Ditzy Doo.
>After you retell the story of your failed test for the umpteenth time you both chat for a bit until she glances at your notebook.
>”Ooooh, watcha workin' on?”
“This? I'm trying to figure out to figure out what happened with my helicopter that caused it to stall out and crash. Can't build a better one if I don't know what went wrong with the old one.”
>”Yeeeah.” Ditzy is staring intently.
“Uh, Ditzy?”
>Your vision is increasingly filled with blonde mane as you visitor's head gets closer and closer to the open page of your notepad.
>She stares at the diagrams as though in a trance.
“DITZY!”
>”WhoZit! Wha?” She cranks her head back and blinks a couple of times.
>”Oh, sorry,” she rubs the back of her head bashfully, “I kinda got lost there for a second.”
“I can see that.” You give her a small smile.
>”Heh, heh. Yup. So, uh, the top propeller thingy on you helicopter. How long is it?”
>You're taken aback by the sudden question.
>Why would she want to know that?
“Um, 25 ft. why?”
>”And you say it stalled out when you put it into the highest gear?”
“Yes.”
>And everything got all choppy before you went down?”
“Yes, Ditzy. Where are you going with this?”
>The mare gives you a serious look.
>At least, she tries to; when she gets serious Ditzy's eyes tend to point off in different directions.
>She taps you notebook, “I think I know why your helicopter crashed.”
“Uh, wow. Really?”
>“Uh-huh.”
>Ditzy looks down at you drawings and just sits there with her brow scrunched up like she’s thinking.
>After a few seconds you start to feel a little weirded out by her silence so clear your throat.
“Ah-hem. Ditzy, were you going to tell me why I crashed?”
>“Oh! Right! Heh heh. Well, I was just trying to think of how to explain to you. There’s a whole bunch of fancy terms that I don’t really remember.”
>Ditzy means well, but you are rapidly losing your patience.
“Why don’t you just tell me in your own words then?” you mutter through a forced grin.
>Immediately she perks up. “Really, that would be okay?”
>You nod.
>“Alrighty then! So the problem is with the air getting all smooshed up and slippery.”
“The air getting smooshed up…”
>“Yup.”
“And slippery.”
>“Uh-huh.” Ditzy nods sagely.
“That’s really, um… Run that by me again?”
>“Okay, so your blades are whipping around real fast, right? The problem is, as the blades go faster and faster the air gets all weird. It starts to get all smooshed up slip on the front. And that makes the air all slippery and wiggly. That’s why your helicopter stalled out.”
“I… see?”
>“Oh, and the blades on your ‘copter are too long to be going that fast. Have you ever seen Daring Do crack her whip in the movies? Yeah it cracks because the tip is going sooo fast it makes a little sonic rainboom. But for some reason it doesn’t make a little rainbow explosion when it happens. I wonder why that is? Maybe I should ask Rainbow Dash, I bet she’d know-“
>You tap you notepad to get the meandering mare’s attention.
“Focus please. Rotors are moving too fast…?”
>“Oh, right! So if the tips of your ‘copters blades are acting like a bullwhip, then they make a little sonic rainbooms and that’s when you lose control. Plus the slippy air. Don’t forget that.”
>She wraps up her little speech, quite pleased with herself.
>You are not really sure if what she just told you is genius or insanity.
>Thinking hard you try to puzzle out her words.
>You’ve seen Rainbow Dash perform a sonic rainboom before.
>As she approaches the critical threshold you’ve seen air build up around her, almost like a barrier.
>Could that be related?
>You jot down a few figures on your paper.
>At the speed you were probably going it’s possible that the leading edge of the tips of your rotors where approaching the speed of sound.
>And if that happened, and air began piling up on the blade like is does on Rainbow…
“It can’t go any faster.” You mutter to yourself. “The rotor can’t sustain lift under those conditions.”
>“Yeah, lift!” Ditzy agrees. “That’s what I meant.”
>Looking up at the grey mare you just shake your head.
“How do you know all of this, Ditzy?”
>She laughs, “That’s easy. It’s my special talent!”
“Special talent?” You hadn’t ever heard what Ditzy’s special talent was although there were some unkind rumors that cropped up every once and a while.
>“Yup! My special talent is air currents. That’s why I have bubbles for my cutie mark” she proudly points out a string of bubbles printed on her flank.
“I had no idea…” you murmur.
>“Ah, that’s okay, most ponies don’t know.” Her smile lessens a little. “Most of the mares think it’s because I’m a bubble head and most of the stallions think it’s because of my ‘bubble butt’.”
>Ouch.
>You're not always the nicest of ponies yourself, but there's no way your going to let a kind mare like Ditzy succumb to mean words like that.
“Well, that's too bad. I think that's an amazing talent. Do you get to do work that's related to it?”
>“Ha ha ha, what work? Other pegasi don't need me to tell them how their wings work.”
“But what about designing things that need to be aerodynamic?”
>“Aero-what-now?”
 “Making sure things work well in flight.”
>She blows a raspberry at the thought.
>“Ppttthhbbbttt! Nopony cares about that. We flap our wings and we fly. We don't need to worry about aero-tronics.”
>You can feel your frustration mounting.
“But what about those of us without wings, Ditzy?”
>She immediately looks sheepish. “Oh, yeah. Sorry.”
>You slump back into your bed.
“No, it's okay. I was just... This test, the one I wrecked on? I was trying to fly fast enough to give Rainbow Dash a run for her money.”
>“Wow! Did you?”
“Not even close.”
>Ditzy frowns. Her eyes drift, one at a time, back down to your notepad.
>“Well, your heli-thopter hovers like a hummingbird, right?”
“It did, before it crashed like a rock.”
>She shakes her head emphatically.
>“No, no, no. What I mean is, Rainbow Dash is like a hawk, or an eagle. Maybe a falcon? Whichever one's most radical, she's like that one. And when did you ever see a hummingbird beat a hawk in a race?”
>Without waiting for your answer she plunges on.
>“Never, that's when! A hummingbird will never beat a hawk in a strait-up race.”
>As you ponder the pegasus' words you begin to see where you went wrong.
>Of COURSE a fixed rotor was never going to be as versatile as a pegasus' wing in flight.
>You have to stop making your design try to do everything.
>Focus on one attribute and make it excel at that.
>You look up at your friend and smile like you haven't smiled in a long while.
“Thank you, Ditzy Doo. That actually helps a lot.”
>“Really, it did?”
“Really, it did.”
>Hot diggety!” the excited mare shoots forward and grabs you in a tight hug.
>It feels like she's bending your body in ways that it wasn't meant to bend.
>By the time you manage to start breathing again Ditzy is bounding out the door.
>“Oooh, this is sooo cool! I helped! Wait till I tell Carrot!”
>And with that, she's gone.
>Your nurse trots up to your bedside, chuckling.
>“I think you just made that filly's day.”
>You mumble inaudibly.
>She leans in closer.
>“What was that dear?”
You whisper in her ear, “I think she just re-broke every bone in my body.”
…
>It's been a few weeks since you got out of the hospital and you've been busy.
>Mostly with work.
>You do mostly freelance work as it comes and fortunately you've been able to get quite a few jobs lately.
>Of course not all of them have been fun or even interesting.
>But that's not the point.
>You need bits if your going to get together the materials for a new flying machine.
>And this next design, well, it's going to be something special.
>You just know it.
>Of course your still about a year away from being able to afford to build it.
>Which is why today's job is especially important.
>You giving balloon rides to Diamond Tiara and her bratty little friends for her birthday.
>Normally this would raise your hackles but you are also charging her father, Filthy Rich, a front and rear hoof for your time so you figure you can put up with the little hellions for a couple of hours.
>Not that intend to molly-coddle them.
>Flying is serious business after all.
>You arrive early that morning with your wagon and start unpacking your gear.
>Basket? Check.
>Harness? Check.
>Rigging, parts one through five gazillion? Check.
>Phoenix-Fire® Brand magic heating crystal? Check.
>Envelope? Check.
>Bellows to blow up said envelope? Check.
>You lay out everything and with a practiced motion hook everything up.
>Then begins the arduous task of filling the envelope with air.
>This is why you had to arrive so early.
>After a couple of hours stomping away at the bellows you finally manage to get the envelope looking more like a balloon and less like a dead parachute.
>You flick one the heating crystal and let it do the rest of the work.
>By this time the foals' party is in full swing up the hill.
>Just about the time when the balloon is ready to go, Mr. Rich himself comes wandering over.
>“Ah, Ms. Berry. Good to see you. Glad you could make it. I tell you this will mean the world to my little Diamond.”
>You nod.
“Not at all Mr. Rich. I appreciate the work.”
>“Yes, well, after that whole business of your crash I was worried that you might, er, not be willing to go up again.”
>Seriously?
“Hah!” You can't help your outburst. “It'll take more than one little crack up to keep me on the ground.”
>Filthy smiles broadly. “That's what I like to hear. Persistence. That's how us earth ponies get things done. That's how I managed to expand my business to what it is today. Speaking of which, I hear your building a new machine to replace your old one?
>Now where had he heard that?
“Yes, that's right. I-”
>”DADDY, I'm booooaard. I want to go flying!”
>Holy smokes, Diamond Tiara out of nowhere!
>Filthy Rich placidly looks over at his daughter and you can swear you see his eyes glaze over.
>“Of course you do, my dear. That's why I hired Ms. Cherry Berry here to take you up.”
>She grimaces at her fathers words.
>“But daddy, I wanted to go flying with the Wonderbolts. There the best fliers there are!”
>“But sweetheart, it would be really hard to fly with them. How would they carry you? Ms. Berry here has a nice safe basket, see?”
>“Hmph!” She crosses her forelimbs. “They could carry me. Oh! I could ride on Mr Soarin's back! I'll bet he could carry me.”
>Diamond Tiara might be the worst brat ever, but you have to admit she has good taste.
>“Well,” Filthy soothes, “Maybe for another birthday, alright. Today you get to go up in a grand balloon.”
>The pink filly still doesn't look happy but at least she shuts up.
>Most of the foals from the party have now gathered around so you begin to go over your little speech on safety.
>'Flying is awesome but isn't a game,' Yadda, yadda, yadda...
>As you load up the first batch of fillies, including Diamond Tiara and three of her little sycophants, Filthy leans on the basket.
>Outwardly he's calm, but you can see tinny bit of fear deep in his eyes.
>The same look you've seen in countless earth pony and unicorn eyes over the years.
>“Now you behave and do exactly what Ms. Berry tells you do, alright?”
>“Yes daddy, jeez.” She rolls her eyes.
>Had you mentioned what a little brat she is?
>Then Filthy looks up at you.
>You expect him to give you a variant on his previous speech. “Keep my daughter safe. Etc...”
>Instead he says, “And Ms. Berry when your done come and see me. I want to talk to you more about this new machine your building.”
>Taken by surprise, you just nod your head.
>Now why would he-?
>“Let's get going!” one of the little brats cries out and jumps up and down in the basket to get your attention.
You round on the little monster and roar, “No Jumping In The BASKET!”
>The brat whimpers and you close your eyes and take a deep breath to calm yourself.
>Off to the side, Filthy just chuckles.
>It's going to be a long day.
…
>The next morning you show up at Filthy Rich's office located to the rear of Rich's Barnyard Bargains.
>“Ah, there you are Ms. Berry. Come in, have a seat. Thanks for yesterday. I know it just made Diamond Tiara's birthday to go up in that balloon of yours. You didn't have any trouble did you?”
>Well, nopony died, either from falling to their deaths or you strangling them so...
“Not at all, sir.”
>“Good, good. Now we were in Ms. Shoeshine's shop the other day and got to talking about you. And she told us that you were trying to build another flying machine.”
>Ah, good old Shoeshine.
>Never could resist gossiping.
>“Well I think it's marvelous. I don't know if you know, but my father was great friends with your uncle.”
“Really?”
>That was news to you.
>“Mmm-hmm. He always felt badly about how that whole situation ended up.”
“Yeah well, um...”
>Fortunately, Filthy can see that you really don't want to talk about it.
>“Ahem. But enough about all that. I didn't want to talk with you about the past, I want to talk about opportunity. Namely, this new flying machine of yours.”
“Absolutely!” You reach into your saddle-bag and pull out a roll of paper, eager to show him your design.
>You get the feeling that he wasn't quite expecting a visual presentation as he looks around for a place for you to unfurl your blueprints.
>Finally he just sweeps some papers into a drawer and points to the desktop in front of him.
>After you show him the plans, he stares at them for a few minutes.
>“I'm... afraid I'm not a very technically minded pony. Could you explain what I'm looking at here.”
“Oh! Right! Sorry.” You launch into your spiel.
“So the main problem I was having with my previous machine was that it was great for going up and down but it couldn't go very fast or very far.”
>“And this design fixes those issues?”
“Yup, I think so. So this design is for a new type of craft I'm calling an airplane. The way it works is that the main propeller here,” you point to the front of the craft, “provides forward movement. That forward movement sweeps air under the wings here,” you point to the fixed wings on the side of the craft, “which causes the whole thing to lift off.”
>“Ingenious. And how fast do you think it will go?”
You pause. “Honestly? I have no idea. If I had some kind of super huge calculating machine that I could input with tons of variables and numbers, then maybe I could write an instruction set to give me some kind of simulation to tell me what kind of speeds to expect.”
>The stallion perks up, “Does such a machine exist?”
“Ha! I wish. I read about the idea in a paper years ago. Some unicorn named Touring, I think. But everypony agrees that a super calculator like that could never work. The magic to build it just doesn't exist in real life.”
>“What a shame.”
“Tell me about it. So that means it's up to good old trial and error. But this baby'll will fly more like a pegasus than my previous attempts, of that I'm sure.”
“Well, that should be something to see. Now, I may be willing to put up the money you need to finish this project...”
>YES!
>“But...”
>Your stomach drops.
>“I will need a return on my investment and that means exposure for my business. In other words, Rich's Barnyard Bargains would be your sponsor. We'll have the newspaper covering your flights and whenever you talk to the public about your machine you'll mention how we're backing you. Is that acceptable?”
>You've heard of such deals before but you're fine with sharing the spotlight, if that's what it takes.
>Not that you're doing this for fame, you just want to fly!
“Sure, Mr. Rich. I can do that.”
>“Excellent! He smiles broadly and reaches out a hoof.
>You take it and shake.
>“Oh, I almost forgot. What are you are you going to call it?”
>You think back to Ditzy's bird analogy and grin.
“It's name is the Rad-Hawk Mk. I”
…
>You head over to the shipping place the next morning.
>Fortunately, Ditzy hasn't left yet on her rounds.
>“Hey Cherry Berry, what can I do for you?” she chirps.
“Actually, I was hoping you might be available for a little project I'm working on.”
>“Oh, what's that?”
You smirk. “My new flying machine!”
>“Ohmygosh! You're building a new one? That's awesome!”
“Yup, I want you to help me. That is, if you want to.”
>“That'd be super cool. But why do you want my help?”
“Ditzy, you're talent with air currents is perfect for my new airplane. I even have enough money that I can pay you some for your work.”
>Her eyes light up.
>Whether from your praise or your promise of payment you can't be sure.
>“I would love to help you build your airplane. What's an airplane?”
“This is an airplane.” You pull out an illustration of the Rad-Hawk.
>“Oh wow! That's cool. So it doesn't hover, huh? The propeller pulls it along?”
“Exactly.” You're pleased that she's picked up on the basics of the design so quickly.
>“Um, I think the wings are too long.”
“Say what?”
>She points to the main wings.
>“I think the wings are too long. These would be great if you were building something that just glides all day on warm air like an albatross, but what you want are shorter wings. You wanna go fast, right?”
“Uh, y-yes. Yes! See, that's why I need your help. I don't think anypony has ever built anything like this before. I have no point of reference. I can't base it on pegasus' wings because they have magic supporting them. That means I have to figure it out from scratch. Please say you'll help me.”
>“Of course I'll help you!”
>She slowly looks around as if making sure nopony is watching.
>“But uh, maybe after work, if that's okay with you.”
You laugh, “Of course. Now is there anything specific you need?”
>“Hmmnnn.” She put a hoof to her chin, pondering.
>Suddenly, “Oh, yes. I need a bee smoker.”
“A... bee smoker?”
>“Yup! Ya' know. Those things that bee keepers use to blow smoke on bee hives? I need one of those.”
>You have no idea if this is another one of those crazy/genius things but you decide to roll with it.
“I think I can do that. Anything else?”
>“I don't think so.”
“Great. Why don't you come over to garage after work then? I'll show you what I've got then.”
>“Cool. Ohh this is gonna be so exciting!”
“You know it.” You can't help but be affected by Ditzy's enthusiasm.
>You let the delivery mare get to her rounds and you head over to Quills and Sofas.
>Fortunately for you, the owner is standing outside his shop arranging a display.
>“Hey, Miss Berry! Need more drafting quills and paper?”
“Not today Mr. Davenport. You know that special canvas I was talking to you about?”
>“Yes, the one for the special project?”
“That's right. I need you to go ahead and order it for me.”
>“I see. The whole order? You said it was going to months before you had the bits for that.”
“That's what I thought, but I managed to get me a sponsor. Have all the money I need now.”
>“Well, congratulations! Who's your benefactor, if I may ask?”
“Filthy Rich.”
>Davenport immediately gets a sour look on his face.
>It's like you told him that a beanbag chair is just as good as a recliner.
“Something wrong?”
>He thinks for a moment, weighing his words.
>“I – I don't mean to tell you your business, Ms. Berry, but you should be wary of Filthy Rich.”
“What do you mean?”
>The stallion sighs. “Look, Filthy's not a bad guy. But he's used to getting everything his own way. You make an agreement with him and before you know it he's making little amendments to your deal. He – 'pushes' a little bit at a time, until you don't know what your doing anymore and he's the one calling all the shots.”
“Did you two do business in the past, or something?”
>He turns away from you. “I don't want to talk about it. Just... Watch out okay? Don't let him take over and make you do stuff you don't want to.”
“O-okay. I'll be careful. Um, can I still place that order?”
>The salespony whips back around.
>“Of course. Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. Filthy's not going to try and swindle you or anything. Just don't be afraid to stand up to him and you'll be fine. Come on in and we'll take care of the paperwork.”
>As you head back to your garage you do some serious thinking.
>Have you made some kind of mistake, trusting Filthy Rich and taking his money?
>No. You can't doubt yourself now.
>This new design is going to be your big break through, you just know it.
>You're sure you can handle any curve balls that a certain rich sponsor might throw your way.
>Later that day Ditzy arrives and you show her around the shop.
>She pokes her snout into just about every corner and asks a million questions.
>“So what is this big frame for?”
“That's what I'm going to use to bend wood for the airplane's skeleton.”
>“So you're making it out of wood?”
“And canvas. Put the order in today. Might have to coat it with something, I'm not sure yet.”
>“It would be cool if you could make it out of metal. Ya' know, like the big mechanical bird in 'Daring Doo And The Flight Of The Golden Eagle'?”
>You chuckle at her fantasy.
“That would be pretty neat. But it would never get off the ground, I'm afraid. Metal's too heavy to build a flying machine out of.”
>“Ahh, that's too bad.”
“Heh, maybe so. Well, shall we get started? I have a model that I built, if you want to take a look at it.”
>“Yeah, that'd be great.”
“Then lets get to work.”
>The next couple of week are just a wee bit crazy.
>You can afford to do less free lancing because of your sponsor but every spare scrap of time is taken up with development of the Rad-Hawk.
>You work for hours on one task, like steaming and bending wooden ribs, until finally it's time to go do something else.
>Meals are taken when your stomach finally gets loud enough for you to notice it's complaints.
>And you sleep only after you find yourself nodding off at your drafting table or at a workbench.
>Shoeshine and a few others have come by to check on you, wondering where you have been lately.
>Your friends even suggest that you are overdoing it a little.
>Maybe, but your just so excited!
>You're creating something totally new and that's worth some long nights in your opinion.
>Through it all, Ditzy has been coming by every afternoon, as regular as clockwork.
>You really doubt this project would have come together half as fast as it weren't for her help.
>Turns out that bee smoker she asked you to get WAS a bit of a genius thing.
>She would light up the paper inside and get a good batch of smoke going.
>Then she would take the tip of her wing and gently flap it while she squeezed on the bellow.
>Then she could watch how the Smoke moved across the surface of the various scale models that you had constructed, picking out flaws and such.
>It was really amazing to watch.
>It was also incredibly informative.
>For instance, a whole host of problems had been revealed on the first model that you shown her using her smoke technique.
>After a lot of refinement you had finally gotten to the point that you were happy with the design.
>The result had been a 1/10 scale model that you could actually get in the air!
>Ditzy would usually test it on a line behind her as she flew but even you could get it airborne by taking the line in your teeth and galloping.
>You had even demonstrated it for Filthy Rich who had shown up once or twice over the past couple of weeks.
>He had been very impressed.
>Speaking of which, he was supposed to come by today to take a look at the real thing.
>You had spent the morning cleaning up a bit so he could get a proper look at the nearly completed airplane.
>“Ms. Berry?”
>Ah, there he is now.
“Hi, Mr. Rich.” You come trotting over to see your sponsor giving peering at the machine.
>“My, my. It's... a lot bigger than I thought it would be.”
“Yep. A 25 ft. wingspan.”
>“I wouldn't think it would need to be so big. Pegasi have much smaller wings.”
“Pegasi also have magic. Their wings just basically direct that magic. Me? I've got these babies.”
>You point to your rear legs.
>“So it's going to be pedal powered?”
“Yup! Just like the Strato-Spinner's were.”
>“I see...”
“Actually, that's the last part that has to be done. I've got Mjolna forging some new parts for the drive train and then I just have to put it together.”
>“And then you'll be ready to test it out?”
“Yes sir!”
>“Good, when do you think it will be ready?”
>You think for a moment.
“I'd say early next week.”
>“Wonderful, I'll talk to the Ponyville Express and get them to send somepony down.”
>Wait, what?
“You mean, for the first test flight?”
>“Of course! This will be a historic moment for earth pony flight. Don't want the media to miss it.”
“But, uh, what if something goes wrong?”
>He chuckles, “Oh, I'm sure everything will be fine. This machine looks marvelous.”
“Well, um...” You still aren't convinced having the newspaper there is such a good idea.
>“Don't you worry. Everything will be fine. Even if something were to happen, we can play it off as a 'bold first attempt'. Ponies love seeing other ponies struggle to achieve their goals. But that won't happen because I'm sure this will work.”
>Well with that kind of confidence...
“Alright Mr. Rich. We'll, um, give 'em a show.”
>“Excellent! This will be quite the coup.”
>Now what does he mean by that?
>Oh well.
“Sure, Mr. Rich. Sure thing.”
>The next few days are hectic.
>You manage to get the drive train together and it tests out to your satisfaction.
>But you're still nervous about the first flight.
>There are just so many unknowns!
>You're still not sure whether you should have coated the canvas skin with some kind of paint or varnish and now, even if you wanted to, there won't be any time to do so.
>Tomorrow is the big day.
>Make or break.
>Hopefully your machine won't break.
>Naw, you've gone over everything a hundred times.
>Everything is as sturdy as-
>“Cherry? You in here?”
>Oh, it's Shoeshine.
“Yeah back here, Linky.” you call out.
>You are one of only a few ponies that call here by that nickname.
>Something dumb you came up with back in school.
>“Hey hey! Look what I brought!”
>She pulls up a flap on her saddlebag, revealing some glass bottles.
“Is that cider?”
>“Hee hee. You know it.”
“Ah, you didn't have to do that.”
>“Of course I did! We gotta celebrate the big flight tomorrow. Besides, I know how much you love this stuff.”
>It's true, you do adore the Apple family's cider.
>But, still...
“That must have cost an awful lot, Links.”
>“Eh, so what? Here you go.”
>She hoofs you a bottle and takes one for herself.
>You catch the cap under your hoof and pull it off.
>“To you and your crazy machine!” She toasts.
>You grin and swig the fizzy brew.
>Deeee-licious!
>You both sit facing the Rad-Hawk and just chill for a few minutes, occasionally sipping your ciders.
>Finally, Shoeshine breaks the silence.
>“So, you nervous for tomorrow?”
“Like you wouldn't believe.”
>“Really? I'm a little surprised. You've gone up flying a ton of times.”
“Yeah, but this is different. This time it's my own design, ya' know? The balloon's been around forever and the helicopter, well, my uncle invented that.”
>You stare back down at your drink.
>Feathers! You don't want to think about your uncle right now.
>Shoeshine puts a hoof on your shoulder.
>“Cher, I'm sure your uncle would have been very happy to know that he inspired you to do all this.”
“Maybe.”
>“Definitely. Now I want you to promise me that you'll get some sleep. Got to look you best for the cameras tomorrow.”
>She giggles at the face you pull.
>“Oh it won't be that bad.”
“It will if I crash. Or the propeller falls off. I just don't want it broadcast all over if something goes wrong.”
>She hesitates. “Umm...”
“What? What's with that 'umm'?”
>“I don't know if you know, but a lot of ponies are planning on coming out tomorrow.”
“WHAT!”
>“Yeah, word's spread all over about your new machine and that it's supposed to be some kind of big deal. I mean the newspaper's coming right?”
“That's only because Filthy Rich went down to their office and probably paid them to come.”
>“I don't think so, Cherry. Everypony seems pretty excited to see you fly tomorrow.”
>Your head slumps.
“Ughh. Did you tell ponies about it?”
>“Of course I did. So did Carrot and Mjolna. And Ditzy. That's all she talks about. I think she might be more enthusiastic about it than you are.”
>You have to snicker at that.
“Can't blame her. If it wasn't for her I'd still be working on scale models.”
>“I know. I'm really glad that she's been able to help you. She seems more focused. Hay, I think her eyes are even crossing less these days!”
>You hadn't really noticed, but Shoeshine has always been better at reading ponies then you so you take her word for it.
>“Well, I have to get going. Seriously, don't stay up too late okay?”
“I know. I just have to check a few more things and then it's off to bed.”
>She gives you a brief hug.
>“I'll see you tomorrow. 'Night.”
>After she leaves you check the main rigging, the wheels, and the drive train.
>The Rad-Hawk Mk. I is as ready as it's every going to be.
>There's no helping it now.
>The die is cast, as your uncle used to say.
>Now if only this venture turns out better for you than it did for him.
>Somehow you managed to get some sleep last night.
>Though it doesn't feel like it as your alarm wakes you.
>It's predawn.
>You hate getting up early but want to get the Rad-Hawk down to the field before ponies start showing up.
>You wolf down a light breakfast, check your already packed saddlebags, and head out the door.
>As you approach the garage you see a gray form pacing back and forth in the dim light.
>“Hey Cherry!”
>Ditzy had gotten today off so she could come help out.
>You greet her back and open the doors.
>Time to get this show on the road.
>After helping you attach a harness to tow the Rad-Hawk, Ditzy grabs some tool bags and extra rigging.
>When you're both ready you begin pulling the airplane down to the commons.
>Usually the town uses the commons for large sports festivals and even the occasional show.
>Today it's serving as an impromptu airdrome.
>Ditzy is as giddy as a school filly.
>“This is gonna be great. I just wish I where going up with you.”
“Yeah, so do I. But Dash'll take care of me. Besides you've been practicing all those fancy words. Wouldn't want 'em to go to waste.”
>“Yup, that's true.”
>You had wanted a rescue flier in case something went screwy.
>Ditzy leapt at the opportunity but after some gentle discussion you had both agreed that it might be better to get a stronger flier for the job.
>As a consolation you had given her the task of explaining things to the newspaper reporter and your sponsor (and now a whole bunch of other ponies, apparently) as they happened.
>You have even coached her on some of the more technical terms.
>Because while you have gotten use to her particular vocabulary, “This flap-thingy here has gotta be less wiggly-wobbly.” you doubt the news reporter would find it as charming.
>You arrive at the commons right as the sun is cresting over the hills
>Everything is sparkling with dew and the air smells crisp and clean.
>It almost makes getting up before Celestia worth it.
>Ironically, arriving so early seems to have been overkill as no pony else shows up for the next two hours.
>That's alright, though, because it give you plenty of time to go over your pre-flight checklist.
>Field clear of debris? Check.
>Control surfaces? Check.
>Rigging? Check.
>Drive train? Check.
>Wheels? Check.
>Seat? Ohmygoodnessyouforgottoinstalla-
>No, wait.
>You did remember to put in a seat. It even has a safety harness.
>Phew.
>By the time all checks are done and you and Ditzy have swung the machine into the proper direction on the field other ponies start trickling in.
>You see a couple of friends, but also a number of villagers whom you don't really know at all.
>Looks like Shoeshine wasn't kidding about the word getting out.
>About 9:00 o'clock Filthy Rich arrives with his family in tow.
>“Oh, that looks very good Ms. Berry. Very good indeed.” he says admiringly as he paces around the Rad-Hawk.
>Behind you Diamond Tiara pipes up, clearly unimpressed.
>“This is what my daddy spent all those bits on? Huh.”
>You're in such a good mood that even the little troll can't get ruffle your fur today.
>Filthy comes back around to join you.
>“Now where is that reporter...?”
>The pony from the Express shows up about 15 minutes later.
>Or rather, two ponies show up.
>A reporter and a photographer.
>Your sponsor, upon seeing them, goes over to start glad-hoofing.
>Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash arrives with all of her usual gang in tow.
>As she trots up she greets you with an apology.
>“Sorry I'm late. I didn't the rest of the girls to miss this and it took a while to round 'em all up.”
>She gives an accusing look towards Rarity.
>“So are we ready to do this?” she inquires.
>That's Dash. Always ready and rearin' to go.
>In this case, though, you heartily agree.
“Just as soon as we get everypony organized.” you respond.
>You grab Ditzy and trot over to where the newsponies are chatting with your sponsor and...
>Princess Twilight?
>“So, what's your interest in today's flight, your Highness?” you hear the reporter ask.
>“Well as a scientist I think today's experiment should be very interesting. As you know we often view the principles of flight through the lens of magi-dynamics, so seeing a machine that embodies pure aerodynamic principles should be fascinating.”
>The reporter looks completely lost as the Princess continues on.
>“But of course, personally, I know what it's like to be a flightless pony most of your life. I can understand the excitement of taking your first flight.”
>Wow, that's actually really touching.
>As he see's you trot up, Filthy Rich interjects.
>“And here's the mare of the hour!”
>The reporter asks for your thoughts on the 'momentous occasion'.
>Not really knowing what else to say, you tell him that you'll just be happy not to crash.
>The reporter chuckles and asks for some pictures.
>Of course it takes forever to setup a shot in front of your plane.
>Fortunately you get Ditzy in on most of them.
>When the newspony tries asking you more questions you finally lose your patience.
>You're here to fly, not gab!
“If you have any more questions please direct them to my assistant Ms. Doo.” you bark.
>You start to get your flight gear on but then Mr. Rich asks you to give a small speech.
>ARRRGH!
>By this time a LOT of ponies have gathered on the commons so you step up onto the plane so you can see over them.
“Um. Thank you all for coming out. It really means a lot. The -uh- This is the Rad-Hawk Mk. I. We're going to take it up and see how it flies. So if I could ask you all to move out of the way and form a line across the edge of the field that's be great. And thanks again. Oh! And a big thanks to my sponsor, Rich's Barnyard Bargains.”
>Said sponsor seems pleased that you remembered.
>Without further ado you strap yourself into the pilot's seat and lower your goggles.
>As you start pumping the pedals the propeller whirs to life.
>Showtime.
>With a wave to Ditzy, she deftly removes the chocks from in front of the wheels.
>You pedal faster and inch by inch the craft begins to move forward.
>Leaning forward a bit, you really put your all into it.
>The plane responds and you pick up speed.
>Faster and faster you roll down the commons.
>Just a little bit more...
>As you rush along you see the edge of the commons fast approaching.
>If you don't lift off soon you'll have to abort.
>You can feel your tail end comes off the ground as the plane's body levels itself.
>For a moment you panic.
>You should be in the air by now.
>Why aren't you gaining altitude?
>Then it hits you.
>Flaps!
>You ease back on the stick and feel the vibrations of the ground cease for a moment.
>Then a small bounce and...
>You lift off!
>You almost forget to keep peddling in your excitement.
>The wind is rushing in your ears and you feel the familiar feeling of you stomach sinking as you gain air.
>You don't need to worry about the edge of the commons.
>You're over the trees now!
>For a few moments you just fly strait and gain altitude, trying to get a feel for the Rad-Hawk and it's controls.
>As you look around you spot Rainbow Dash pacing you on your right.
>She gives a small wave and you grin.
>Given the way she's pumping her wings, this flight is a far cry from the last time you raced the blue pegasus.
>But enough of this.
>It's time for some maneuvering!
>You grasp the stick and begin to pull your machine around to the left.
>It's surprisingly stiff.
>Somehow you weren't expect it to be this hard to turn.
>You yank a little harder on the controls and the horizon begins to tilt as you veer to the side.
>Craning your neck over the side of the plane you see the ground far below.
>This feels so different from the Strato-spinner.
>Whereas with your helicopter all you do is mostly hover in place, now you feel like you're going a mile a minute!
>You make a broad, lazy loop around the ponies below.
>Your legs strain pleasantly at the pedals.
>This machine is also a lot easier to keep in the air then the Strato-spinner, which is awesome because it lets you concentrate more on the actual flying.
>Speaking of which, what a sensation!
>Gliding along, through the air.
>As you hit the occasional air pocket and the frame shudders.
>Not in a dangerous, rickety way.
>No. This is more like you are actually feeling the air around you.
>Is this what it's like, being a pegasus?
>Those jerks.
>They've been holding out on you all these years!
>As you complete your second loop-around it feel like you've gotten the basics well in hoof.
>You want soooo badly to push things a little further and try some different maneuvers.
>But that will have to wait for later.
>You and Ditzy both agreed that this first flight should be short.
>Taking a slightly sharper turn than before, you aim your nose down and line your craft up with the field below.
>Again, a little more difficult than you imagined it would be.
>You head down, down, down and the field begins to fill up your vision.
>Leveling off, you start peddling a little slower.
>This is the tricky bit.
>You are perched on top of a rather tall box with wings and wheels so you can't exactly see how far you are from the ground.
>All you can do is fly level to the earth and continue to let off the power.
>As you slow you should gently touch down.
>Should.
>You see the crowd approaching off to your side.
>You start peddling slower.
>Then a little slower.
>Still no touchdown.
>The line of ponies are starting to whiz by now as you continue on.
>You really need to stop soon.
>When you pass the last of your audience you figure it's now or never so you cut way back on your peddling.
>The propeller slows and you feel the wheels touch down almost immediately, the rough texture of the field rumbling up through the airframe.
>You lean back in your seat and stop pumping your legs.
>A little bit further and the Rad-Hawk eases to a stop.
>As you take your hooves of the control stick you're surprised at how shaky they are.
>Honestly, it feels as though you just hoof wrestled the entire Apple clan.
>With both hooves!
>Gingerly, you reach up and take off you goggles.
>“Cherrrrrry!”
>Ditzy lurches over the side of the plane and gives you a huge hug.
>“OhmygoodnessThatWasAMAZING!” she exclaims.
>You chuckle and ruffle her mane.
>It takes a minute before she disengages and you can start unbuckling your safety harness.
>As you do, you can see the rest of the crowd running over to your location.
>Their cheering is like a roar.
>As you step off of the Rad-Hawk you find that you don't need to use the small built-in ladder as a whole herd of ponies get under you and carry you on their shoulders!
>You don't even know what's going on anymore but you're so caught up in the moment that you don't really care.
>After a few more cheers they finally let you down in front of Filthy Rich, the reporters, and Princess Twilight.
>Rainbow Dash touches down as the mayor and the rest of your friends join you.
>Your relief flier trots over and punches you lightly in the shoulder.
>“Now aren't you glad I talked some sense into you about quitting?” Rainbow asks with a smirk.
>You just roll your eyes and smile back in response.
>As ponies crowd around and jockey for position the camera pony hovers up on his wings and starts snapping photos.
>“Ms. Berry! Ms. Berry!” his partner, the reporter cries, “How was it? How was the flight?”
>You can only grin in response.
“It was fantastic!”
>For the next little while it seems like every pony in Ponyville is coming up to shake your hoof.
>After everyone gets a turn the mayor calls for everypony's attention.
>You've heard plenty of Mayor Mare's speeches honoring ponies before but it's a little different when you are on the receiving end.
>“I think I speak for everypony when I say that this is a day that will go down in history. Well done Cherry Berry!”
>The mayor rambles on for a few more minutes extolling the 'virtues of what you have wrought this day'.
>It's flattering but, gosh, it's also a little embarrassing!
>When she finally wraps it up the crowd gives another cheer.
>As they begin to mill about and disperse Pinkie Pie jumps up on top of Big Macintosh's back and raises her hooves into the air.
>“Hey Everypony! After-Flight-Celebration At Sugarcube Corner!”
>That sets off another loud cheer and everypony heads in the direction of town.
>Well, not everypony.
>The news reporters look like they still want to have a word with you and the Princess is walking over to meet you.
>“That was really something, Cherry Berry.”
“Aw, thanks your Highness.”
>Her smile drops a little.
>“You really don't need to call me that. But anyway, I would love to see your notes and any reports you write on your flights. I really think this opens a whole new field of study in the sciences. Pure aerodynamic flight! Oooh...”
>Is- Is the Princess... quivering?
>She notices your stare and blushes a bit.
>“Oh, uh, sorry. Got a little carried away there.”
>It takes everything you've got to not laugh at her antics.
>Apparently, becoming an alicorn didn't dampen Twilight's nerdy tendencies.
“It's no problem, Prin~ Er. It's no problem. But actually...”
>You call Ditzy over and wrap a foreleg around her withers.
“You can ask my partner here about what we did. She helped me work out the design after all.  Now, why don't you two head on to the party. I've got to tow the Rad-Hawk back to the hanger. I'll see you all at Sugarcube Corner.”
>Twilight Sparkle seems a little unsure about discussing airplane design with Ditzy but once the gray mare starts rambling on about slipstreams and airfoils the Princess seems more than happy to leave you in peace and continue her discussion with Ms. Doo.
>Chuckling at the thought of Ditzy giving the royal egg-head a lecture on science you head back to your plane.
>On the way, you're met by the reporter who starts peppering you with more questions.
>“Ms. Berry, what does this flight means for earth ponies?”
“I dunno, that maybe they'll be able to fly? Unicorns too, I guess.”
>“But what do you think pegasi will make of other types of ponies suddenly joining them in the sky?”
>Whoa! What kind of question is that?
>You finally take a hard look at this pesky ink-slinger and notice that he, like his partner, is a pegasus.
“Well, how did you feel watching the flight today?”
>Taken off guard, the reporter sputters.
>“I... That is-”
>“I think I see it a different way.”
>As you look back towards your plane, Filthy Rich and his daughter trot around from behind the tail section.
>He continues, “I think today's flight shows that a pony, no matter their type, can accomplish anything if they put their mind to it. And I would hope,” he gives the newsponies a hard stare, “that just as Pegasi are welcomed on the ground, so too would earth ponies and unicorns be welcomed in the sky.”
>Your interviewer gives an embarrassed cough.
>“Yes, I'm sure that's what we all hope for. Speaking of which. Do you feel, Ms Berry, that your machine is a match for a pegasus in flight?”
>Dang, does this stallion ever quit?
>You're about to give a rather snippy reply when Diamond Tiara pipes up, her tone full of indignation.
>“Of course Ms. Berry's airplane is a match for a pegasus. Why, I'll bet that she could take on the Wonderbolts!”
>Holy buckets, kid!
>Thanks for the sudden vote of confidence but let's not get carried away.
>The reporter grins like shark.
>“Well, Ms. Berry? What do you have to say to that vote of confidence?”
> Ah, feathers.
>You don't want to take Diamond Tiara's words and toss them back in her face.
>But at the same time, you can't just agree with such a ridiculous idea.
“Well,” you scratch the back of your head.
>Choose your words carefully now.
“I think that with a lot more work, uh, that is, maybe in the future a race with the Wonderbolts might not be out of the question.”
>The reporter is scribbling madly on his pad of paper.
>“You honestly believe that, Ms. Berry? The Wonderbolts?”
>You glance back down at Diamond Tiara who, to your utter horror, is looking at you like you were Princess Celestia herself.
>“S-sure. I mean, it's like Mr. Rich said; we can accomplish anything we set our minds to.”
>The news-pegasus scribbles down what you say.
>Honestly, that makes you more nervous than the questions themselves did.
>After asking when your next test flight might be happening, he and his partner bid you good-day.
>Phew!
>Filthy Rich comes up beside you.
>“I'm sorry, Ms. Berry. I wasn't expecting him to hammer you like that. You'll have to be careful in the future. I think he might have been aiming to give this story a tribalist undertone.”
“Tribalist! Why?”
>“I don't know. Maybe he's sensitive about earth ponies being able to fly.”
>“That's ridiculous.” Diamond Tiara huffs. “Why would he be upset about that?”
>Filthy Rich chuckles warmly towards his daughter.
>“You have a lot to learn about how ponies really feel, my little gem.” he suddenly becomes stern.
>“And what have I told you about interrupting adults when they're talking, young lady?”
>It's the first time you've ever seen the little brat look genuinely mortified.
>“Bu- But daddy, they were trying to embarrass Mr. Berry.”
>“We'll talk about it when we get home.” Diamond Tiara looks utterly forlorn at her sire's words.
>Before you can think, you open your mouth.
“Ah, don't be too hard on her Mr. Rich. She's right, that stallion had it in for me.”
>“Hmmn,” he looks down at his daughter. “We'll see. Anyway, good showing up there today. I look forward to more in the future.”
“Hey, you know it!”
>Mr. Rich heads off to the party with his daughter and you tow the Rad-Hawk back to the garage.
>After locking up, you walk over to Sugarcube Corner where you can hear the party in full swing.
>You'd rather just go take a nap, but then you'd never hear the end of it from your friends.
>Also, you're pretty sure Pinkie Pie would hunt you down for skipping your own celebration.
>As you expect, the whole affair is loud, boisterous, and filled with ponies that want to be seen with you.
>Fortunately, Shoeshine is there to pull you away form the more obnoxious party goers.
>”I bet you wish you weren't here right now, huh?” she asks.
“Hey, I like a good party as much as the next pony.”
>“Buuuut?”
“But, I like them better when they're not a surprise. And everypony's not trying to talk my ear off.”
>“Heh, heh. That's what I thought. Well, make a few rounds. Be seen by Pinkie and then you can take off. I'll cover for you.”
“Thanks, Linky. You're a real pal.”
>“Of course I am. Now go say hi to Pinkie. I think she's baked a special cake just for you.”
>Groaning, you head over the master of ceremonies.
>Despite your best efforts, it takes you another two hours before you can steal away from Sugarcube Corner.
>Still, for a Pinkie Pie party that's not bad.
>After making your way home, you flop down on your sofa.
> Briefly, you consider making dinner but you're too full of sweets from the party.
>Getting up and heading to bed just seems like too much work.
>Instead, you fall asleep in your living room.
…
>The next morning you wake up suddenly.
>Given the way the sunlight is streaming though the upper window, it's still pretty early.
>Groaning, you stand and stretch, wincing at a kink in your neck from sleeping at a weird angle.
>You start thinking about breakfast when you hear the sound of a 'thump' at your front door.
>Probably the paper.
>As you open the door you are greeted with the headline:

PONYVILLE MARE'S TRIUMPHAL TEST FLIGHT!

>This is followed by a fairly flattering picture of you and Ditzy in front of the Rad-Hawk.
>The memories of yesterday come flooding back to you.
>It all really happened.
>You did it!
>And here's the proof.
>Because everypony knows that if something makes it onto the front page of the newspaper it has to be taken seriously.
>You pick up the paper and unfold it.
>Below the headline and picture is a smaller, second headline.
>As you read these words, however, your blood runs cold.

PIONEERING EARTH PONY SAYS, “...A RACE WITH THE WONDERBOLTS...NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION.”

>As you clutch the treacherous bundle of ink and paper, you can only hope for one thing.
>That Filthy Rich had that discussion with Diamond Tiara about how foals should be seen and not heard.
>And that he then proceeded to ground her for the rest of her life.