The Long and Winding Road

As she had anticipated, her limbs were still sore from the days’ journey, but she was learning to ignore the mild discomforts she had been experiencing.  She trotted over the brown earth to the worn road, where farmers and travelers passed over every day.  In the early light, she could see Ponyville, still slumbering soundly, save for a couple of ponies who might be awake at this early hour.

“Alright.  Team work.  Good plan, Aero Dynamic.”   Saying his full name made her smile, if only a little.  She had always liked the sound of it.  Somehow, it felt a bit funny to have someone else to rely on, a teammate.  Bright Eyes had been living a relatively solitary life for some time now.  Was it because she desired to be alone?  She had spent much of her foalhood with her muzzle in a book, never lonely because she had all the characters from fiction and throughout history to keep her company.  But that didn’t seem quite so appealing now.

For a moment, she was quiet, uncertain of whether she should mention her dream - it would sound crazy, no doubt, and he had been a central character.  But with Aero, she wasn’t likely to keep her thoughts to herself.  It was easy to talk with him.  “I had this crazy dream.  It was… scary.”

Hearing his full name reminded him of his parent's, where it was either said in a stern and strict, or soft and caring manner. He wondered if Bright was having moments like this, where she was reflecting on better times in her past. Again, he was struck by how composed she was being despite the events she was having to deal with.

Aero raised an eyebrow at Bright's mention of her scary dream. That would certainly explain the unease in her expression moments ago. It was likely going to be upsetting and related to her missing parents but he was curious. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Aero decided to question her about it regardless.

"Oh, really? What happened in it?"

Though she was slow to respond, speaking cautiously, she was silently glad that Aero had asked.  "I could see my mum and dad, but they were a great distance away.  All around them, there was darkness, like a gaping, hungry maw.  They appeared to be very frightened, as if something terrible was happening.  Such agony..."  The mare's words trailed off into worried quiet, her focus fixed straight ahead to Ponyville as she walked, waiting a ways down the road.

Again Bright Eyes hesitated, unsure of whether she should continue or leave out the part that pertained to her companion.  She didn't want it to seem weird that he had appeared at random in her dream.  But she ignored that nagging sense to keep it to herself, to do as she always did and conceal herself, and she continued.  "You were there, as well, in the darkness with them. Everypony seemed so out of reach, even though I tried, until everything faded to black around us. It was... not exactly an optimistic vision," she said wryly, peeking over to Aero from the corner of an eye.

Aero listened intently as Bright described her dream to him. It sounded horribly graphic considering it was just a nightmare and not reality. He could tell she was shaken by the event, as her gaze remained locked ahead, her steps gentle against the ground.

The silence lingered over them as Bright continued walking without saying another word. Although it wasn't his forte, Aero was winding up to give some encouraging words of comfort. Whatever they may be, he was stopped when Bright added that she had seen him in her dream. It only made sense, given that they had been travelling together for some time now. It shouldn't be unusual that he was amongst the thoughts at the forefront of her mind. Right?

Her thoughts echoed his own; it wasn't exactly optimistic. Attempting to salvage his thoughts to be comforting once more, Aero hesitated before brushing her side with a wing tip.

"Well, don't worry about it. I'm not out of reach, I'm right here," he pointed out, "And we'll find your parents too. Count on it."

The unexpected touch of a silver wing gently gracing her side surprised Bright Eyes -  but not in the same startled way as earlier.  It felt as if her heart leapt into her throat at his touch, and she inhaled a deep, slow breath to try to calm her racing mind and pulse. His reassurance seemed only to intensify her strange reaction, but she took care to hide any incriminating expression from her features.

Bright Eyes was beginning to realize an unexpected truth: This was not normal.  She didn’t dream of other friends… And other friends didn’t agree to risk a potentially dangerous rescue mission.  She didn’t feel as comfortable as she had around Aero with others — but the very realization of this news made her feel a little shy suddenly, and her head ducked, eyes glued to the dirt before her paws as if it were suddenly fascinating.

“Yes.  Yes, I know,” she uttered softly, when she realized it had been a while since the outward silence and the internal unquiet within her mind distracted her from the present moment.  “I believe it.  You’ll do your best to help me.” She was grateful they were nearing town now.

Bright seemed taken aback by his words rather than calmed down. Aero shot her a worried look but her gaze failed to meet his, instead staying fixed on the ground as they trotted towards town. He suddenly doubted how reassuring he had been; maybe he'd made her more worried? Aero was ready to begin berating himself for making things worse when Bright spoke up, splitting the silence with an utterance of comfort.

Aero blew a mental sigh of relief before backing up her statement with a slight smirk. "That's right. After all, I'm a delivery pony. And when I make a promise to deliver, I deliver.

Ponyville now sat in front of them. The town split into several directions, with the new library just around the corner. Aero considered the path he might fly in inspect the town. There were a few friends who would try to visit, including one particularly monotonous earth pony.

"I'll see you at the library later, okay?"

Was she acting strangely?  Bright Eyes couldn't tell, but she hoped she was able to conceal whatever it was she was experiencing from her face when she finally glanced back in Aero's direction, clearing her throat so that her voice would sound vaguely normal. "And I appreciate you- it... You know, being helped and all," she stated lamely, silently willing herself to behave in a usual fashion, in spite of the unusual sensation that butterflies in her stomach.

She wasn't certain if the library was open yet, but she nodded in agreement with Aero's question.  If it wasn't open, then... well, she'd be the first one through the doors when they opened.  It wouldn't be the first time.  "Alright.  I will definitely be there."  She cast him a final grin before her pace hurried, angling in the direction of the library building.

Aero nodded in reply to Bright but caught something. There was a slight red tint to her cheeks as she stammered her appreciation for his assistance. She seemed to be behaving rather strangely this morning and this was no exception. He considered the possibility that she was feeling ill, but then thought better of it. She was facing a stressful situation so it reasonable to expect Bright to act unusually. Despite this, he couldn't help but find her stuttering a little endearing. It reminded him of when they first bumped into each other at the restaurant in Canterlot.

"See you later," he said, extending his wings to catch the early morning breeze, gauging the wind in preparation for his flight.

Then Aero took off, lifting away from the ground and leaving Bright behind as he ascended over Ponyville. The pegasus figured he'd start on this side of town and circle around before heading into town. By then, some of the residents might be awake and able to give him some useful information.