BaronEngel
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Shooting the bridge
🕑 Added 2018-03-23 22:03:27 +0000 UTC With Babscon coming up next week I will be busy preparing. So I won't be able to post as often, so here you go. Two Equestria dreamscape postings in one day.Trotter may have had a lousy next day, but I was having a blast! I was plummeting through darkness. Moisture washed over me and the wind whistled in my ears as I fell head down. Soon I began to catch glimpses of light ahead of me; suddenly I burst out of a cloud and into a brilliant blue sky. 8,000ft above the ground I was barreling toward the valley floor headfirst.
In real life this would be terrifying, but this was in my Equestria dreamscape and I am total in my realm. I am a pegasus and I live to fly! Even though they were almost completely folded my wings were still instinctively making slight adjustments to correct my dive angle. I could see the orchards and fields that surrounded Ponyville. I was so focused on my dive that I didn’t notice right away that I’d picked up flight partner. Out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement, turning my head slightly I saw Rainbow Dash holding formation with me not more than a yard away. She glanced over at me and grinned and yelled over the slipstream.
“Hey Brick! You’re such a slowpoke even your dives are slow! Ha ha! See if you can keep up with me! Cider is on me if you can!”
Then the prismatic mane mare pumped her wings and I felt her flight magic pulse as she shot ahead. I grinned myself.
“Oh it’s on!” And I took off in pursuit of her.
Dash began a gradual recovery from the dive when we finally leveled off we not more than hundred feet of the ground and traveling at well over a hundred and fifty knots. Dash looked back and saw I was still there. I saw her smile and she yelled back at me.
“Going to have try harder than that Brick! Show me what you can really do!”
Pumping her wings harder Dash began to pull ahead. Pouring more flight magic into my own wings I pushed myself to keep up with her. Seeing that I was still behind her RD initiated a series of sharp banking turns to see if I could stay on her tail. Unable to turn as tightly I performed a series of half-rolls to keep her in my sights.
Glancing back over her shoulder she shot me another grin. “Alright Brick that’s how a pegasus flies, but I’m not just any old pegasi!” She yelled. “Follow my lead and don’t lose sight of the prize!”
Dash swerved and dove for the Ponyville River. Descending below the height of treetops we shot up the river less than ten feet above the water. Pumping our wings furiously we were still traveling at well over a hundred knots. Fortunately the river was wide enough to allow us to maneuver and stay clear of the limbs of the oak and beech trees that lined the riverbanks. However as we approached the town the river began to narrow and we had to fly single file.
Dash descended even further and started pumping her wings even harder. Now not even of wingspan above the water surface she called out to me.
“Okay Brick this is the plan. We’re going to shoot bridge! We are going to fly under the bridge! Got it?”
“What!” I exclaimed. “Dash is the river low enough?” Technically when the water level is low enough a pegasi can fit under the single arch stone bridge that spanned the Ponyville River near the Town Hall. In reality it was a great way for a pegasi to turn them self into a greasy, feather encrusted smear on the bridge.
On several occasions there had been talk amongst the locals of putting some kind barrier to keep that from happening, but in the end most earth ponies were against the idea. After all who were they to stop some feather flapper from experiencing the joy of become a splatter mark on a hard immovable object.
Eventually the town folk did decide to erect a sign on either side of the bridge asking pegasi to not pile drive themselves into the bridge. If you were to ask the Mayor she’d tell you the signs had been a success, although the metal signs themselves bore several pony-sized dents in them.
Now Dash and I were barreling toward it faster than an express train. The Element of Loyalty called back.
“Trust me Brick we can do it, just remember to cup your wings before you go under it and whatever you do don’t flap them! Now pump your wing for all they’re worth and follow my lead! We’re so going to do this!”
We came around the final bend and bridge came into view not more than quarter mile away Dash lined us up on the archway as we bore down on it! We were now flying so low we could’ve touched the river without fully extending our legs. The arch was more than twelve feet across but it looked awfully tiny and was coming up very fast! Without looking back Dash called.
“When I say ‘Now!’ cup your wings! You can do this Brick!”
What happened next occurred so quickly that my mind could only remember random snippets of it. Part of my mind was utterly focused on the task and yet I remember some of the oddest things from that fraction of a second. Pony traffic on the bridge stopping as they saw us bearing down on them, the smell of the river, the wind whistling in my ears, a piece hay wedged in the frog of Dash’s right rear hoof that some how had not come loose at the speeds we were flying.
I don’t remember if I actually heard Dash say “Now!” but I saw her cup wings and did it myself. We went under the bridge so fast that my mind barely registered that we’d done it until RD screamed out.
“YES! YES! Ya did it Brick! Woohoo!” Dash immediately pulled up in steep climb and I instinctively followed her as she did a large, slow half roll and then a half loop. Her eyes were already fixed on the Bucking Mare Tavern below us.
“Ha ha! Awesome there’s a great table outside that nopony is sitting at! It is so ours!”
Dash turned our half loop into a near vertical descent as we concentrated our focus on the large empty trestle table near tavern entrance. Like a pair of WWII dive-bombers we bore down on the unsuspecting table. At the last moment we flared our wings and poured flight magic into them and applied the brakes. Even so we landed so hard on the tabletop that our hoofs made the oak boards creak, flex and groan.
Our dramatic entrance had brought all conversations to halt in the immediate area. Ignoring our audience Dash and I reared up on our hind legs and did a little victory dance followed by a hug.
“Yeah Brick! That was some might fine flying from you back there! My flight instructor gave me another hug now let’s get some cider!
Black and Tan came moseying over to our table; having frequented the Bucking Mare on numerous occasions I have learned to identify her various moods pretty well. Unfortunately I could tell the barmaid was not happy with us.
“Rainbow Dash!” Growled the earth pony. “If you go breaking any of our tables you’ll be a paying for it!” She turned and glared at me. “And anything she can’t pay for Brick you will! As Celestia as my witness I swear you pegasi are all crazy!”
“Hey Black and Tan its all good!” Said Dash with a big grin plastered on her face. “We’ve just completed some awesome flying and now wish purchase some this establishments finest cider. Four pints please, oh and can we get a couple orders of those baked stuffed mushrooms!
The tan earth pony rolled her eyes and went to fill our order, all the while muttering about the mental competency of most pegasi. We climbed off the table and sat ourselves down on the bench seats and awaited the arrival of our food. Black and Tan soon came back with our ciders and the mushrooms arrived about ten minutes later. All in all it was a great day to be in Equestria!
To be continued.
Comments
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The way the wings are "cupped" reminds me of several aircraft types. One is the XB-70 Valkyrie that had wing tips that folded down to help ride the plane's own super sonic shock wave. The other are the various rare Ground Effect planes that use their wings in a similar way to create a cushion of air that they fly upon as the skim just about waves.
Baron Engel
When I transformed from a unicorn to a pegasus pony I wondered whether I'd miss not be able to do magic. Flying totally made up for it and then some.
Baron Engel
There have been several crazy flying that RD and I have done since, and it is an adrenaline rush everytime.
Bernard Doove
Makes me want to do it too. Curse this lack of wings!
Dorian Inman
I have to agree with Black and Tan; Pegasi are crazy. And now I have to convince Sherbet not to try this stunt...at night during a full moon.
McClaw
"Thread the needle" with feathers.
MishaFox
Yup - but still cool.
Baron Engel
That was as much an effect of the flight magic as it was air pressure and velocity.
Baron Engel
Yep. I've read some accounts of pilots pulling stunts like this. I've also read of pilots failing this as well.
MishaFox
I love the water being kicked up beneath them.
MishaFox
There are a few real life pilots who've pulled stunts like that.
Vet
Like all fliers. Crazy......crazy good! Now Equestria FFA may have a talk with the lead Pegasus but you’ll know how that goes.😁
