Fear and Feathers - Chapter 1
Hello hello! I come baring fic! Haven't finished anything for a little while, but have had a lot of fun with this!
This is very self indulgent Captain Scarlet Pony AU fic, so yes they are all ponies here. But I want to explore situations that would only happen in that AU, and this is very much one of them!
You really don't need to know anything about My Little Pony for this, just be prepared for them to say 'everypony' and understand that my pony stuff is pretty headcanon heavy anyway lol
This fic ended up a lot longer than I expected, so I've split it up into three parts and I'll post them over the next few days (hopefully.) Also would like to say a very big thank you to the wonderful @mariashades for helping out with beta reading!
And with that, I've rambled enough, so here you go!
AO3 Link
Watching a pegasus fall out of the sky would always be chilling. There was a difference, of course, a big one, between a controlled dive that they could pull out of in a heartbeat, and the simple effect of gravity forcing them back to the ground when they could no longer keep themselves in the air.
Scarlet had spent enough time working with pegasi to be able to spot the difference, even at a distance. And what he'd just seen was, undoubtedly, the latter.
One moment Blue had been flying swiftly through the air after their target. The next, said target had swooped back and Blue had been hit, hit hard, and he'd dropped like a rock towards the trees below.
The woodland that bordered the industrial compound the Mysteron's had targeted was dense and wild. Pushed back away from the buildings but otherwise left to its own devices. Finding somepony in that forest would be difficult.
Scarlet followed Blue’s rapid descent, and practically leapt into a gallop the second it became obvious that he wasn't going to, or couldn't catch himself.
Blue disappeared from sight. The crunch of distant branches and a scattering of birds fleeing into the air told Scarlet exactly what had happened. He needed to get to Blue as quickly as possible, his hooves kicking up the dirt as he ran, weaving around trees and jumping gnarled roots that jutted up out of the ground.
A spark of magic locked onto the tracker in Blue's uniform - a trick that Magenta had taught him some time ago that often came in useful - and told him roughly where he was.
Scarlet followed the signal, not stopping even when a narrow stream came into view ahead of him. He easily cleared the water in one swift jump, losing no momentum as he landed on the other side.
A pink light flashed in the corners of his vision as his comms beeped in his ears, and his cap mic swung down into place.
"Scarlet, have you found him?" asked Magenta.
"No, but he's close," Scarlet replied. The signal was getting stronger, Blue had to be around here somewhere.
Scarlet slowed to a brisk trot, his eyes darting back and forth in search of a glimpse of blue amongst the greens and browns. "Damn it, Blue, where did you land?" he muttered between heavy breaths. Another slightly stronger spark gave him a clearer signal, and he turned and headed in that direction.
The first physical sign that he was going in the right direction was a single blue feather laying in the dirt.
"Blue?" Scarlet called out as he quickened his pace to a canter. He didn't get a response, but he didn't need one.
He pushed his way through the undergrowth, spotting another feather caught in the bushes. And on the other side, sprawled across the grass and worryingly still, was Blue.
"Magenta, I found him," Scarlet said quickly, before flicking his cap mic up and out of the way and dashing over to Blue. Magic shimmered around his horn as he tried to assess the condition Blue was in, though he could figure at least some of it out with his eyes.
"Blue, it's Scarlet, can you hear me?" Scarlet asked, cautious of touching him, not wanting to hurt him further. For the moment, he would rely solely on his magic giving him information on what was wrong.
Blue was breathing, and his pulse was a little fast, but he was alive and that was the most important thing. He hadn't responded to Scarlet's arrival, but the pained look on his face suggested that he was at least partially conscious.
A quick glance at the broken branches above them confirmed Scarlet's theory of what had happened. The cuts and scrapes marking Blue's fur and feathers with red only added to that.
Scarlet’s magic gave no indication of injuries to Blue’s neck or back, which was a relief on its own. His legs seemed okay too, and there were no signs of any large bleeds anywhere. He’d definitely be bruised and sore for a while, but the fewer larger injuries, the better.
One of Blue's wings was draped loosely over him, but the other was partly trapped underneath him, folded at an odd angle. The metallic tang of blood lingered in the air, mixed with dirt and sap from the broken branches that had ripped and torn at Blue’s feathers. Blood was dotted amongst the blue and yellow, and loose feathers were scattered around him. Some looked like they'd been dipped in red ink.
"Blue? I need to know if you're with me, buddy," Scarlet urged. Seeing Blue like this left a cold weight in the pit of his stomach. He needed to figure out the condition the fall had left him, and he needed to do it fast.
It took a moment, but eventually Blue opened his eyes and looked up at Scarlet. "Paul...?" he said, rough and quiet.
"Yeah, I'm here. Just stay still, okay? I've got you," Scarlet replied, meeting Blue's gaze with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
Blue gave a small nod and closed his eyes again. His breath shuddered as he exhaled. Something was definitely not right.
"My- my wing. It hurts-" Blue said shakily, his voice tight. Scarlet couldn't tell if it was from pain or fear. Or both. It was probably both.
Pegasus wings were powerful but delicate things. Many ponies, unicorns and earth ponies especially, didn’t realise how easy it could be to damage them. Broken feathers weren't uncommon, and whilst serious cases could affect flight, more often than not it just left the wings looking scruffy for a while whilst the feathering grew back.
Anything that cut deeper than scapes or damaged plumage, however, could quickly range from concerning to devastating. And for a pony like Blue, a pegasus who loved to fly, who would probably spend all his time in the air if he could? Any kind of injury to his wings was frightening.
Scarlet had known at least one pegasus who had been almost completely grounded after suffering a badly broken wing. Even long after it had healed, they'd struggled to stay in the air for long. He didn't even want to imagine what something like that would do to Blue.
"Okay, I'll have a look," Scarlet said calmly. He didn't want to add to Blue's panic. It was already rare for him to be visibly afraid like this, Scarlet didn't want to make it any worse.
Scarlet pushed a little more magic into his spell, lowering his head to hold his horn closer to Blue's left wing - the one draped over him. Pale blue light, glittering with white and specks of green, shone against Blue's feathers as the spell did its work. Scarlet wasn't a medic, he couldn't heal wounds quickly like some unicorns could, but his magic did work as assessment and first aid, and right now that was what he needed.
Scratches and nicks of damage pinged across the length of Blue's wing where feathers had been torn out and the skin beneath had snagged on the tree branches. These were things that would heal easily. Feathers took time to grow back in, but relatively minor damage like this shouldn't keep a pegasus on the ground.
Scarlet carefully stepped over Blue and moved his focus to his right wing. If there was a more serious injury, he suspected it would be here. Trapped under Blue's weight and held at an awkward angle, it had likely taken more of the impact when he hit the ground. Scarlet really, truly hoped it wasn't anything too serious.
He took a breath, then shifted his magic over, the blue glow fading from one wing and settling on the other. Similar small pings of damage popped up at first, but were quickly overridden by a much sharper signal.
Scarlet focused his magic on that area, and swallowed hard as he processed the information he was receiving. Close to the elbow joint, just above it, was a much bigger flare. Internal damage, very possibly a fracture.
The blue glow around Scarlet's horn faded away and he stood up straight.
"Adam," he said, keeping his voice level despite the worry that had started to gnaw at him. Staying calm and professional was never easy when it was Adam who was injured. Especially not like this. "Do you think you can sit up? Or at least lay on your belly, rather than your side?" he asked. Whilst he didn't know a lot about treating a broken wing, he did know the basics - it had been covered in first aid training many times over the years. But he couldn't do any of that with Blue's wing still underneath him.
Blue nodded and lifted his head. "Yeah, yeah I think so," he said, a little steadier now, but Scarlet knew him too well, and the pain and fear was still very much there.
Scarlet crouched at Blue's side to help ease him upright, matching his slow movements to avoid hurting him. Soon, he was laying comfortably on his belly, his hind legs close to his sides and his front legs tucked against his chest. He stretched out his left wing, wincing as the movement tugged at the scrapes and pulled feathers, but other than that the movement was fluid, confirming that the damage was minimal.
The right wing, however...
Trying to move it was a bad idea, and that became obvious immediately. Blue's feathers twitched and he gritted his teeth, and the wing stayed half-folded at his side.
"Shit..."
"Easy does it," Scarlet said gently. His horn lit up again and magic flowed across Blue's injured wing, focusing on the point of pain and pushing energy into a spell that should help to ease it. He couldn't get rid of all of it, not for an injury like this. It wouldn't last as long as proper painkillers either, but it was better than nothing. "Adam, you're going to hate this, but I need you to stay calm."
Blue looked up at him, an uncommon dread in his eyes. He knew what Scarlet was going to say but didn't want to accept it. "Why?"
"Because it will be easier. For both of us, but mostly you. I don't want you to hurt yourself."
Blue took a deep breath and looked away. "Just tell me..."
Scarlet watched him for a moment. He hated seeing Adam like this, he really, really did. But he couldn't keep the truth from him. "I think your wing is broken."
Blue let out a shuddering breath and rested his head on his front hooves, his ears pressed flat against his skull. "Okay..."
Scarlet laid a gentle hoof on Blue's shoulder. "You'll be alright."
Blue didn't look at him, just stared forward at the grass and leaves, dotted with blue and yellow feathers.
Before Scarlet could say more his epaulettes flashed pink, and the mic in his cap swung down and into place.
"Scarlet," said Magenta. "Everything okay? How's Blue?"
Scarlet took a breath before he replied, willing himself to keep calm. Splitting his focus between his magic and his injured friend was difficult enough already. Adding another thing didn't make it any easier.
"Injured, but awake and aware," he replied. "How are things out there?"
"We've dealt with our flying troublemaker. Another of the pegasi managed to take them out after Blue went down. They won't cause anymore problems," Magenta explained. Scarlet was simply glad that the pony responsible for hurting Adam had been stopped. "Grey just headed out to find you two. He's got first-aid gear with him. He's flying over the forest, could you send up a flare or something so he can locate you easier?"
Scarlet looked up at the canopy overhead. It was thick and full of leaves. Grey likely wouldn't be able to spot them from above unless he found the damaged branches. And flying through them would be tricky without catching his wings on anything. But a bit of magic could pull them clear for long enough to allow Grey to fly through.
"Yes, I can do that," Scarlet said, his gaze dropping back to Blue, laying quietly and still staring at nothing. "Can you and Ochre handle everything on your end?"
"We'll be fine, there shouldn't be too much cleanup needed. You focus on Blue, okay? Just keep us updated."
"S.I.G." Scarlet nodded.
His cap mic flipped back up into place, and he allowed himself a soft sigh as he closed his eyes, just for a moment.
This was not the kind of situation he'd ever wanted to be in. Okay, a lot of what he dealt with whilst on duty were situations that he didn't want to be in. But his friends getting hurt was a major recurring one. And very near the top of that list, second only to the absolute worst of possibilities, were two specific things.
One was Magenta suffering an injury that could permanently damage or even destroy his magic.
The other was Blue or Grey damaging their wings to the point that it left them unable to fly.
Grey had already relearned how to fly once in his life. But as far as Scarlet knew, Blue had never suffered any major injuries to his wings. So a fracture there, even a minor one, was almost definitely a worst fear come true for Blue.
Scarlet may not be a pegasus, but it was a fear he could understand, at least to some degree.
A broken horn, after all, could easily kill a unicorn if severe enough. Knowing that he'd likely heal from it didn't take that fear away.
He needed to focus. Look after Blue, and make sure Grey could find them easily.
"Okay. Adam?" Scarlet said, trying to get Blue's attention again.
The twitch of an ear and a quiet 'hmm?' was the only response he got.
"This might hurt for a moment, but the spell should stick for a while, alright?"
"Yeah, sure," Blue replied, still quiet, but at least he'd used words that time. It was so strange seeing him like this.
Scarlet watched him for a few seconds, but he knew he wasn't going to get anything else from him.
Carefully, very carefully, Scarlet pushed his magic into Blue's injured wing. A little basic telekinesis allowed him to gently move it so that it sat folded against his body. Blue flinched and grit his teeth, but was otherwise silent.
Scarlet didn't have anything to make a sling out of, not until Grey got here, so for now this was the best he could do. He pulled his magic away slowly, not wanting to jostle Blue's injury too much.
The glow around his horn faded, as did much of the light clinging to Blue's feathers. But there was still a slight shimmer around the point of injury where the painkiller was still active. That should ease the pain Blue was in for a while. At least until they could get proper medicine into him.
A small spark of magic told Scarlet roughly where Grey was. Flying over the forest not too far away. He stood beneath the broken branches, his eyes flicking across the damaged area as he determined how he was going to do this. The gap didn't need to be large. Grey's wingspan was smaller than Blue's, so he didn't need as much space to manoeuvre. But for something like this, even Blue wouldn't need a lot of room. Both were capable of tucking their wings close to fit through tight spaces.
Scarlet's horn lit up, and smaller branches above sparkled with blue light as he moved them carefully, just enough to create an opening in the canopy for a pegasus to fly through. A second bit of magic temporarily locked the moved branches into place.
Once that was done, the magic around his horn glowed brighter as he pushed more energy into it. The light shifted from his usual pale blue to a bright red, and with one more push, a burst of magic zoomed up past the trees like a shot from a flare gun. Sparkling scarlet against the overcast sky.
Scarlet watched from the ground, and soon saw the familiar silhouette of Grey flying overhead.
Blue was still laying quietly. Scarlet really didn't know what to think of that, but he was worried. Definitely worried.
He wasn't given a chance to dwell on it for long, though, as the flapping of wings above was quickly followed by Grey swooping through the canopy, spreading his wings wide to catch and steady himself, before hovering a few feet off the ground.
"Scarlet," Grey said in a way of greeting, before his eyes drifted to Blue, and he looked as concerned as Scarlet felt. "Is he okay?" he asked as he settled his hooves on the ground and tucked his wings at his sides.
"I think this might be one you'll understand better than me," Scarlet said, not looking away from Blue.
"What do you mean?"
Scarlet finally turned to face Grey. "I think his wing is broken."
Grey's ears flicked back, his gaze drifting back to Blue for a moment, before he sighed and nodded. "Okay. Let's patch him up and get him out of here. The sooner we can get him back to Cloudbase, the better." The worry and shared pain in his eyes betrayed the calm in his voice, but it wasn't something Scarlet could blame him for. Definitely not.
Scarlet glanced up at the trees as he cancelled the spell holding the branches still. The leaves rustled as they snapped back into place. Then he turned his focus to tending to Blue.
Grey lifted his wing to let Scarlet reach his saddle bag full of first-aid equipment, and Scarlet took everything he'd need before getting to work.
The last time he'd done this had been in a first-aid training session. He'd been working with Blue then, too. Now he was, once again, carefully putting Blue's wing into a sling. But this time, he was dealing with an actual injury. And as with anything, that made it so much worse.
Grey laid down in front of Blue and tried to talk to him. He asked how he was feeling, if anything other than his wing hurt, even simply tried to distract him from what was happening for a moment. Scarlet listened, but Blue didn't really say much. Scarlet wasn't sure if it was fear, or shock, or pain, or all three. But whatever it was, he didn't like it, not one bit.
Things were going to be tricky for a while, it seemed...
You're welcome!
A very rough time in store for poor Adam
