Autumn Race

Bright Eyes could notice a faint difference in the stallion's voice after she had asked the question, but he answered nonetheless.  She had no qualms about speaking of her family, and she did so with a smile.  "My father taught and gave lectures, but he's retired.  My mother has always worked in a laboratory or an observatory, trying to fuse magic and science in new ways.  I'm sure all of this is very surprising, given how I turned out."

She wondered if pegasi stories were very different from the ones she had been raised on - but then, her parents' subject choice was undeniably strange, no matter their species.  "I got to hear stories about long-dead ponies and civilizations - you know, the usual fairy tales."  She smirked ironically.  Maybe she hadn't been much of a foal even when she was one, she pondered, with the old stories her peers more than other fillies her age.  Her lips pursed in a pensive manner as she considered this new thought.

Glad for the distraction, Aero listened to Bright talk about her parents. He couldn't help but snicker on hearing their academic background. As she herself had commented, it certainly explained a lot about Bright Eyes. To see how one's family and upbringing affected them was one of those aspects of life that he'd always found interesting.

It was similar to his habit of pony watching in that regard. Aero was one to try and understand how other's thought and behaved, or to simply observe what their habits were. This combined with his more stoic demeanour often seemed to make others a little unnerved around him. He was cold, quiet and standoffish in the eyes of others.

Still, it made a nice change to be able to relax for once.

"Sounds nice. You must have done pretty well during school since you basically had two teachers looking after you," said Aero. "Is that how you got into astronomy? Your mother?"

Aero wasn't entirely cold to Bright Eyes - to the contrary, he had come into her life because he helped her when the mare needed it.  No one had forced the gray stallion to assist her, and no others in the crowd had stepped forward with similar offers of help.  She couldn't help but view him a little differently than perhaps others did.  Even if he had flown away rather abruptly the last time.

"Yes.  She always said she hoped we would have matching cutie marks," she remarked, unable to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the notion of sharing an identical marking with her mum.  Parents were weird like that.  Still, she found talking about them made her feel less a heaviness within her.  Her smile faded, barely.  "They were busy ponies, but I learned a lot from both.  Now I don't see them often enough anymore."  Which was entirely her fault.

She fell quiet, uncertain of why she had admitted any of that aloud.  Most ponies never asked, whether disinterested or trying to be polite.  Maybe she'd been spending too much time alone lately.  But she felt at ease with Aero Dynamic, regardless of how many others may view him as standoffish.

Aero cocked an eyebrow, considering the idea of matching or hereditary cutie marks. It was funny to imagine a long line of family members all with near identical marks on their flanks. It would certainly make for some interesting family photos. However, there was one thing she said that really stuck with him.

'I don't see them often enough.' It was another striking similarity that they seemed to share. To Bright, it appeared to be regret at only occasionally seeing her parents. Aero barely visited his parents either - only a couple of times a year as a formality - and it was difficult for them to visit him since he as constantly travelling due to his work. That suited Aero just fine.

"Ponies change and move on." His tone was flat and emotionless, but it was meant in a consoling manner. "You can't cling to how you want things to be."

The conversation was delving deeper, as it had that starry night in the clearing.  She wondered if he was alluding to something else.  Now, Bright wasn't so sure she wanted to go down that path again.  Not today.

"Not when you don't know what you want it to be like.  That's the great mystery, I suppose."  A little smile had returned to her maw as she spoke, her playful demeanor ultimately replacing the somber tone.  She didn't want to spend the entire day lost to her thoughts, as usual.  The mare didn't know when - or if - she would be seeing Aero Dynamic again.

Playing in leaves, she decided in that moment, was not only for foals.  They could have fun, too - unless, of course, the winged stallion decided she was crazy.

With a front hoof, she kicked a pile of red-orange leaves in Aero's direction with a challenging grin.  Then, she was off and running again through the folliage that carpeted the forest floor, her hooves stirring up leaves as she darted away, peering over her shoulder to see if he had taken the bait.  Being an adult didn't have to be all seriousness and responsibilities, all the time.

Aero wasn't sure why time with Bright made him more inclined to dicuss more serious topics. Perhaps because she had already been receptive of similar conversations. It was nice to be able to talk openly with someone for a change.

His thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a barrage of leaves. Aero was confused by the assaulting foliage until he realised Bright had kicked it towards him. At first, he thought she may have slipped and kicked it by accident until he caught sight of her smile.

For a brief second, he stood dumbfounded by what had happened as the unicorn ran away. Then he smirked. In the blink of an eye, he was on her tail. Galloping after Bright, he kicked up fallen leaves in his wake in an attempt to shower her with them.

She was very relieved when she saw the gray stallion on his hooves again, easily filling the gap between them.  A jolt of energy seemed to course through her, and she couldn't contain a laugh.  Bright Eyes didn't care for a second if others happened to be watching them in that playful moment. It just didn't seem to matter to her.

Suddenly, the blue mare stopped dead in her tracks, quickly leaping to the side to avoid a direct collision.  Since they were no longer racing, the old rules no longer applied - which she knew could be a great disadvantage to her, but that didn't stop her from using her magic in the "battle."  The mare's horn began to glow a vivid golden hue, and a wave of auburn leaves lifted from the ground, hovering for less than a second before the foliage hurled full speed toward the pegasus.

It wasn't often that Aero allowed his usual calmness slip away. It wasn't that he liked to look emotionless, but he just preferred to be quiet and collected in his own actions and emotions. Of course he made jokes or had fun, just that he rarely acted what others would consider childish or immature.

This was one of those times that he allowed himself to be lost in the moment, to be whipped up in the excitement and fun of their impromptu game. His hooves kicked away at more leaves as he ran to catch up to Bright. He was gaining ground when he suddenly pulled to a halt. He noticed in alarm that the unicorn was now using her magic. A haze of golden magic surrounded an wave of leaves that flew towards him with startling speed.

Aero had no time to react as he was swarmed in a sea of fiery browns and deep orange. And beneath it all he grinned. Two can play at this game.
With an almighty pumping of his wings, he broke apart the assault of leaves around him. Focusing on a large collection in front of him, he returned Bright's attack with one of his own. Flapping his wings, he created a strong current of air, carrying a sea of leaves directly towards the unicorn.

Bright Eyes was becoming increasingly aware of how nice it was to be around someone after being on the road, alone, for so long.  Better still that it was Aero Dynamic, who was beginning to feel like an old friend, familiar and comfortable.  She was very glad that he had stayed around a little longer today.

As she had anticipated, Aero returned her "attack" with one of his own - and since anything was allowed now, he was finally able to put his powerful wings to use.  And, just as Bright Eyes had expected, a cloud of leaves surged toward her as the pegasus sent a deluge of foliage directly at her in a chaotic flurry.  She gave a startled sound as she ducked her head down to avoid getting hit directly in the face.  Bits of leaves and debris clung to her coat and tangled her mane, but that didn't disturb her.  Instead, she laughed again in the midst of the autumnal assault.  The wind power he could produce alone was impressive.

Certainly having wings was useful - but so was magic.  Her horn began to glow again its golden aura, and the gust of leaves still assaulting her stopped midair.  The leaves levitated in the air like ghosts floating around her, and her face scrunched in a determined expression.  Then the leaves began to swirl around the unicorn like a tiny tornado, in a blur of gold and crimson.  "I am queen of the fall!  Unconquerable!"  She announced with a silly grin, focusing all of her energy on Aero as she sent a second magical wave of leaves in his direction, with all the force she could muster to fight against the wind he created.

This time, she didn't wait to watch.  She turned and began to run again, as fast as her tired, worn limbs could carry her.

Aero watched in stunned amazement as Bright Eyes formed her next tactic and flung the tornado at him. He couldn't but be infected by her smile, her laugh. Leaves fell around her as she grinned straight at him before turning tail and fleeing.

They seemed to have become fast friends, more so than anyone else Aero could think of at this moment in time. And perhaps more importantly, she was someone he could be open with and have fun with. That was something he hadn't had in a while.

"Impressive, but your reign of tyranny has come to an end!" With a swift tipping of his wing, Aero spiralled fast in the opposite direction of Bright's tornado. He was taken aback by the strength of the wind she'd created with her magic, as it was difficult to gain much speed to start with.

Aero managed to break through, keeping a fast pace and effectively cancelled the leafy hurricane with one of his own. For a second, leaves hung balanced in the air, suspended by the alternating currents. With a burst of speed, he sped off after Bright. A contrail of fiery leaves tailed behind him as he soared towards her.

He dove and at the last minute pulled up. His tail actually skimmed her mane as he looked down and smiled at her from upside-down. Aero then pulled up sharply to allow his contrail of leaves to crash into Bright Eyes from behind.

There was something exhilarating about their game, and the unicorn mare was caught up in the rush.  This was something she had been craving - a carefree moment, far removed from the worries of day to day life.  When she pondered about the day later on, she would try to recall another instance in her adult life that was as enjoyable as all this.  And, try as she might, she just wouldn't be able to recall anything that even came close in comparison.

As her whirlwind gust of leaves went hurtling toward the winged stallion, Bright Eyes was visibly excited to see that she was capable of holding her own against someone like Aero Dynamic - more or less.  His strong wings were ideal for fending off her "attacks," though her magic had some impact before being repelled the wind created with each strong flap of two gray wings.

Her mad dash seemed like a mere crawl compared to the swift pegasus in the air, and when she glanced upward, Aero was zipping toward her with alarming speed - close enough to touch.  As he sped past, a tidal wave of leaves followed him, enveloping Bright.   The mare threw herself at the ground (which was thankfully padded by a blanket of soft, springy foliage), covering her head with her front hooves.  She could feel the wing whipping her mane and tail, rustling through her powder blue pelt.  She was grateful for her customized sunglasses as leaf bits and pieces flew past her face, following in the direction Aero was gliding.

"I'll get you yet, you wild pegasus!  You have incurred my wrath," she yelled through the whistling of wind that swept by her.  She paused briefly to shake a hoof in the air for dramatic effect before charging ahead in an unlikely attempt to catch up.  She couldn't stop smiling all the while.

Her magic seemed rather ineffective, given the sheer power of his wings and his stealth.  But she had one more trick up her sleeve.  Her head lowered as magic swirled around her glowing horn.  With all of the remaining energy and focus she could summon within her, she sent a final blast of air and swirling leaves directly at Aero, hoping to disrupt his smooth, effortless flying pattern.  She raced after the leaves, panting from the exertion of running and using strong magic at once.

After his 'strafing run,' Aero glanced back to marvel at his efforts. His contrail effect had worked perfectly, aiming a concentrated path of leaves directly down at his opponent. Bright Eyes seemed momentarily disoriented by the attack. After passing the unicorn by a good distance, Aero bought himself to halt. His wings flapped continuously to keep him floating in the air. He spun around to face his opponent but wasn't ready for the sight that met him.

Bright Eyes was shouting dramatically, standing defiantly while shaking a hoof at him like a vengeful god. 'Wild pegasus?' 'Incurred my wrath?' Aero literally burst out laughing in mid air, having to clutch his sides and dropping a few yards before remembering to remain hovering. He hadn't laughed like this in ages.

He was in such a fit of laughter that he didn't even care to keep his attention on Bright Eyes. Only when the torrent wind carrying piles of leaves flew into him did he realise she had retaliated. His vision was obscured by the flood of foliage that washed over him. He felt himself lose his balance and without being able to see, he dropped to the ground. Seems she had won the battle. He controlled his descent, not crashing but landing roughly on the ground and unknowingly directly in Bright's path of running.

The way he laughed in that moment that made Bright Eyes feel… something.  She wasn’t entirely sure what to classify it as, but it was different from before.  He had finally let his guard down, at least for this brief moment.  And now she was going to pelt him in the face with leaves.  It was surreal, in a good way.  Like a dream or a story in an old book.

Once she was running, she didn’t intend to stop until she caught up with the gray stallion.  She watched for only a second in amusement as her final flurry of leaves seemed to catch the pegasus by surprise.  His balance in the air seemed to falter as her magical wave caught up with him.  However, she hadn’t expected him to fall from the sky, and her azure eyes widened with surprise of her own as she realized he was going to crash — and directly in front of her.

The leaves beneath her hooves did nothing to slow her down, though she tried desperately to stop - if anything, they made the ground beneath her fast-moving form even more slippery as she went streaking toward him, with a little trail of orange and yellow foliage trailing in her wake.  Gritting her teeth, she braced herself for the inevitable impact as her sliding body came swiftly toward Aero’s falling form.

Aero touched down on the ground while thankfully managing to maintain balance with his hooves. He shook his head to clear his vision, a smile still on his lips. The flurry of leaves around him subsided enough for him to make out the figure of Bright Eyes. He mirrored her shocked expression when he realised she was moving way too fast to stop in time. They collided, with Aero letting out a soft "Oof!"

The pair tumbled backwards, intwined for a moment before they fell away from each other. Aero came to a stop on his back. He was nesting in a sea of autumn leaves beside the unicorn. His wings spread out to either side of him as some of the feathers held limp and damp. His mane was a mess of stray hair, leaves and twigs. He even had some mud stained against his coat from the fall and crash with Bright Eyes.

He held quiet for a second, his eyes staring up at the sky with his mouth agape as he processed what just happened. Then he erupted into laughter one more.

They were a tangle of gray and blue as they tumbled together for a second or two before breaking free.  Bright Eyes came to rest on her belly, her eyes squinted closed as she awaited the inevitable pain.  But hitting a pile of leaves absorbed her energy in motion much better than solid earth, and breathed a sigh of relief.  Had she been wearing her usual glasses, they would have certainly been crushed, but her new glasses were meant for sports, and they were still good as new, despite the tumbling.  She turned her head to look for Aero Dynamic, eyes wide with worry that she had hurt him somehow.

The gray stallion had tumbled to a spot directly to her left her, close enough to touch.  She opened her mouth to ask if he was alright, to apologize for knocking him right out of the air like that, but before she could, the sound of his laugh filled the silence.  Her own bright laugh soon joined his as she rolled onto her back so that they were both flat on the ground with a clear azure sky up above. “This queen of the fall might need a moment or two.”  She reached over to prod him gently on a foreleg with a dainty hoof.  "That's enough of my wrath for one day."

Aero chuckled as Bright tapped him playfully, returning it with a hoof of his own. It was amusing to think how he'd usually be silently fuming if he were covered in muck and leaves from some pony knocking him over. But today it was funny, because it was him and Bright.
"'Queen of Fall?' More like 'Queen of Fall Over,'" he retorted, snickering at his own awful joke.

He gazed over at the mare, surprised to see her sunglasses were still intact. Still, they were a little distracting. He extended a wing to reach the frames with his feather tips. He slid them onto her forehead to reveal her gleaming blue eyes, bright and cheerful as ever. Despite what must be an exhausting day for her, combined with their dramatic wipeout, she still seemed as energetic as before. It made it difficult to compare her to the timid and unsure mare he'd met in Canterlot, having to get her glasses repaired. That kind of energy was inspiring.

With a sharp breath, Aero considered that he might be overstepping his boundaries. Bright Eyes may have found the gesture a little intruding. He withdrew his wing quickly and turned away for a second, before facing her again with a small smile.

"So, same time next year? Our next race and next battle for the Kingdom of Autumn?"

Unlike most mares, Bright Eyes seemed unperturbed by the twigs and leaves stuck all over her form and in her messy mane and tale - then again, she might have been more distressed if she had seen her unruly state for herself.  But Aero wasn't exactly tidy, himself, so at least they were even.  His joke even earned a laugh from the unicorn, but given that the first they had met, she had been clumsy. "Given my history, I would say that's much closer to the truth."

The movement of gray feathers caught her attention, and she was surprised when Aero pushed the glasses from her eyes.  She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the natural sunlight and the world around.  The sky looked even more blue now, the leaves littering the ground around her more vividly the colors of flames.

"It's better without," she admitted, though her usual glasses had become so ingrained with her identity she felt quite strange to be without them.  With a chuckle, she commented, "I can still see you, you know.  I only need them for seeing distance, and for during the daytime so I can travel." Leaning a little closer, she used a hoof to brush a whole leaf out of the stallion's brown mane.

"I suppose by this time next year, I'll be twice as fast.  And, perhaps, a little better at the whole stopping part." She grinned, pulling her hood back to her side.  "Your wings are alright?"

A little wave of relief washed over when Bright just smiled and continued chatting. In fact, Aero acted more surprised by her response of brushing a leaf from his mane with a hoof. He watched it fall gently until it lightly rested on the ground. His icy blue eyes looked back to the mare, seeing her grinning brightly at him without the sunglasses obscuring her face.

Aero had never stopped to think what it might be like to wear glasses. It was something he took for granted. He found it difficult to imagine flying over Equestria without being able to clearly see the world beneath him. The same for if he had just run this race without being able to see Whitetail Woods with it's autumnal colours. Bright didn't seem to care about any of that, an attitude Aero could relate to.

Her question about his wings caught him off guard. He glanced them over, unsure if there would be any reason for him to be worried. The feathers were a little muddy in places and a few were limp but nothing unusual.

"Nothing a shower or bath won't fix," he replied, shaking his wings to ruffle the feathers out. A mental image came to his head of himself relaxing in a sauna, with spa ponies tending to his every need. Sounded like something he'd find in Canterlot or Manehattan. Aero chuckled under his breath. "Or a spa, if you're into that kinda of thing."

The ice-blue shade of his eyes seemed to stand out in even more contrast to the autumn colors that surrounded the stallion.  Unconsciously, Bright found herself looking for perhaps a moment longer than she should before realizing.  Clearing her throat, the mare's gaze swiftly turned up toward the bare branches and azure sky.

She glanced over to his wings as he stretched out the long gray feathers - messy, but the bone didn't appear to be bent or battered after the fall (although all she knew about pegasi anatomy including wings she had learned from books), and Bright Eyes was quietly relieved again.  She couldn't bear the thought that she had something to do with limiting his ability to fly, since he relied on his talents.  She imagined it would be like losing a limb for a regular, earth-bound pony.

"Definitely not my sort of thing," she conceded with a feigned shudder, the very idea of going into a spa, being primped and pampered and poked by strangers, had never been appealing to Bright Eyes.  She doubted this would come as much of a surprise to the stallion, given their very first encounter.  Remembering that fateful day, she adopted the same snobbish accent befitting a Canterlot socialite. "Of course, there is certainly something extravagant and simply divine about paying other ponies to do what I can easily do for myself for free.  Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Dynamic?"

Aero's face instantly split into a wide smile as Bright adopted her Canterlot accent, a return to when they had first met. It was a reminder of another time with her he had allowed himself to be happy and carefree. Well, why not?

Because of Sunrise another voice in his head answered. Aero faulted for a second, unsure how to act. He'd opened himself up like this before with bad results. He forced his mind to reason; Bright Eyes was a friend, one he hadn't even known for that long. They had certainly gotten along extraordinarily well but there was nothing to lose here that hadn't many times before. He could relax around her.

Aero's smile returned, as did his own fake accent.

"Why certainly Miss Eyes," He tilted his head back in a conceited manner and raised a hoof to toss back his mane before staring at it in mock horror. "I say, I'm covered in filth!"

Aero shot to his hooves, staring at his own body as if he had turned into an alien. He spun in circles on the spot while mock examining every inch of himself. "My coat! Ruined! How uncouth!"

Bright Eyes had a vague worry that as the sun began to dip toward the western horizon, Aero would be off again.  It was too nice of a day to rush by as quickly as it had.  The time had flown by, and while it wasn't sunset yet, it wouldn't take long.  It felt good to have a friend - though, once she stopped to over-analyze, she'd never had a friend who she felt so natural around.  She didn't have to hide her playful side, which was so often ignored for the sake of decency.

"Miss Eyes?"  She struggled to contain a burst of laughter at the name - that was definitely a first, and it definitely didn't have the same ring as Mr. Dynamic had. "It's Madame Bright, darling.  A name befitting my high stature." It was amusing to pretend to be rich, in part because it so different from what she really was.  But at least she had a job now, if only a temporary one, and a place at the inn that actually had a shower.  So she wasn't going to worry that she looked like she'd been through a big fall battle zone.

She climbed to her hooves a little more slowly - now she felt like she had been run over by a hay cart going full speed, probably from a combination of utter exhaustion, protesting muscles, and running face first into another pony.  But Bright put on her usual smile, trying to hide a wince of pain. "I will ask my servants to pick each leaf from my mane and tail one by one.  If it is to be done properly, it must be terribly tedious.  But somepony else shall do all the work.  Naturally."

"Ah, of course Madame Bright! My apologies," Aero replied, bowing apologetically at his incorrect naming of the fair lady mare before him. "A servant per leaf is the least of the requirements needed. They shall run a bath for me, with water from Rainbow Fall. I shall be cleaned with salts from Griffonstone and the-"

Aero honestly tried to keep a straight face but simply cracked under pressure. Bright's usual infectious cheer had reached him and he couldn't keep up the act as he broke into laughter again. Despite his joyous mood, his usual perceptiveness crept into his mind. The sky was starting to darken with a faint red tone. The sun was setting.

Aero couldn't believe that he had woken today with intentions of running the race without expecting to bump into Bright. Perhaps it was pessimism but he didn't think she'd actually come with the way he had left the other night. Instead, they had met, raced, talked, and perhaps strangest of all for him, played. In a word, it had been fun.

Although it didn't have to be over just yet.

"Perhaps we should make a move?" suggested Aero casually, when he managed to catch his breath. "We can walk and talk?"

Her head was lifted high in feigned righteous indignation as he apologized, nose upturned, as a member of royalty might do.  Still trying to bite back a grin, Bright Eyes watched him describe something that only a wealthy pony could appreciate - so luxurious, so absurd.  But Aero could scarcely finish the thought before he was laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

Something told her that this was all rather unusual for the pony who had often seemed to stoic.  And if that were so, she felt very pleased to be the pony to make him laugh aloud like this.  The world needed more bright moments just like these.

"Yes.  But if it's alright with you, can we walk slowly?"  She had tried all day to look tough, but her stiff limbs and the burning muscle beneath her pelt were becoming less easy to ignore.  Her steps were shorter, her legs stiff as she turned to head back toward Ponyville.  "Wait.  Let me try something first, if I may.  Hold still."

Her horn began to glow its usual golden aura as she faced Aero again.  Lowering her head, she concentrated, and the stallion's mane began to float on end as pieces of foliage gently untangled from the brown locks.  The bits of leaves dropped to the ground at his hooves.  She couldn't get all of it out with her magic, and he still looked a hot mess as she let go and his mane fell back into place.  But she smiled anyway as she repeated the process with her own mane, plucking out bits of leaves from the multiple shades of blue strands.  "There.  We look a little less savage now."

Aero had managed to fully collect himself by now, finally ridding himself of the giggles. A little smile stayed on his face as they began to leave.

"Of course," Aero agreed with Bright, favouring a slow walk back. He could see that she was struggling a little to stand straight. He considered himself quite fit and healthy and even he felt a little weak in the legs after today's activities.

At Bright's request to stop, Aero gave her a questioning look only to see her channeling magic once more. For a second, he wondered if he was about to be pelted by leaves once more when in fact the opposite occurred. His mane tingled as magic gripped the strands and felt loose, like it was floating in water. Most of the leaves were plucked from his mane leaving it much cleaner. He nodded to Bright as she did the same for herself, leaving the temporary autumn highlights to her mane.

"Thanks. Think I prefer that to an army of servants sifting through my mane."

It registered in her mind, after she had done it, that perhaps ponies didn't appreciate random acts of magic.  It didn't seem to bother Aero, though, and she was silently relieved once more.  "All you need is a tall, fancy hat and you'll be ready for Canterlot society." She paused another second to shake out her tail, which was still a bit of a mess.  Maybe she'd be mistaken for a hardworking farmer.  Out of habit, a hoof raised to put the glasses back over her eyes, but she thought twice.  It would be her last chance to see the autumn colors at their brightest.  Instead, she decided to take her chances and walk (or limp) along without them.

"I have sort of a random question - or, request, really." She kept her gaze ahead of her hooves as she walked along the colorful path of leaves and earth.  "When I have the spell for cloud walking figured out, to a point to where I don't fear for my unicorn life, do you think you could give me a tour of Cloudsdale?  I figure it would be better to see it with an expert."  She peered over briefly to gauge his reaction.