Dragonfire 🌩 On The Wings Of Thunderbird⚡️

After the Thunderbird was finished and had taken her first flight into the air, Pipsqueak drove her back to Ponyville where he docked her, down at a nearby lake, close to the Friendship Castle.

"Alright, Pip!" Spike smiled as he and the rest of the friends come onboard. "I'd say the Thunderbird is ship-shape."

"Ship-shape she is!" Pip agreed. "Next stop, Captain Celaeno!"

"Hold on!" Applejack interjected. "Just how are ya going to find her on yer own? Do ya even know where ya going?"

"What's there to know?" Pip shrugged. "Princess Luna told me the Thunderbird will take me to her, so I'm putting my complete faith into her."

Everyone all exchanged looks of doubts, before they shook their head in disagreements, "I don't think aunt Luna meant it like this," Spike frowned. "I think there's more to it than just putting your faith in an airship."

"Hey! The Thunderbird isn't just an airship!" Pip argued. "She's my captain's airship! She's our airship!"

"I get it, Pip," Spike replied. "But it's gonna take more than just you and the Thunderbird to find Celaeno."

"Spike's right," Twilight agreed. "You can't find her on your own. You need help."

"You need a crew!" Button added.

"You need us to help ya," Rainbow joined in.

"That's right," Applejack nodded, before she did a double take. "Wait, us?"

"Well, yeah," Rainbow replied. "I mean, what's a ship and a captain without a crew?"

Pip was overall surprised, "You're coming onboard?"

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow smiled, nudging Pip by the shoulder. "Any chances for adventure, and I'm your pony! Besides, nopony knows the skies or the lands of Equestria as well as I." The rainbow maned pegasus boasted, much to some annoyance of her friends.

"In that case, I'm coming along as well," Applejack joined in. "Just to keep her in line."

"Hmph!" Rainbow pouted.

"Don't suppose you still have room for us," Button spoke on behalf of himself and the rest of the Knights.

"You guys?!" Pipsqueak exclaimed.

"Of course!" Rumble replied. "C'mon Pip. We're a team. We're in this together. And besides, Celaeno isn't just your captain. She's our captain as well."

"We'll help you find her!" Tender said.

"We'll fight for her if we have to!" Featherweight added.

"Who knows," Button began. "Maybe when she sees how much big of a help we are to helping you find her, then she could shorten our punishment for milkshakes," In response, the other Knights all gave Button a firm elbow strike to his stomach.

Spike soon walked up to Pip, "Are you coming too, Spike?" Pip asked.

"No," Spike shook his head. "I'm needed here and Canterlot, for the moment," Spike reached for the strap of his cape, unhooking it from his shoulders before he wraps it around Pip. "I'm just here to give you this, for luck and protections."

Pipsqueak was aghast, "But Spike!" He replied. "This is your cape!"

"It is," Spike nodded. "However, it doesn't work just for me. The Cape of Compassion gives special care to those who ask for its strength in times of crisis. And right now, I have a feeling you need it, more than I do." Though initially surprised at first, Pip was nevertheless grateful as he accepted the gift. "Oh. There's one more thing you're going to need," Putting his fingers in his mouth, Spike blew a loud whistle, summoning Peewee to the ship. The phoenix perched on Spike's arm, "Take Peewee with you. He'll be a really big help. Plus, he'll keep a close watch on you and everyone onboard. Won't you boy?" Peewee nodded his head before he squawked in agreement, hopping from Spike's arm and on top of Pipsqueak's head.

Pipsqueak smiled, "Thanks Spike," Pipsqueak bowed his head. "You're the best brother anyone can ask for!"

"Oh, don't mention it, Pip," Spike and Pipsqueak quickly shared a series of handshakes and fist bumps, before they parted. "Good luck."

Before long, Rainbow Dash quickly came over to Spike, "So, your gifts for Pip are your cape and your bird, huh?" Rainbow grinned. "Very thoughtful of you, Spike. Got anything for me?"

Spike blushed, scratching the back of his head, "Well, actually...um..."

"That's okay," Rainbow grinned as both she and Applejack changed themselves human. "Here's something to remember us by," Rainbow flirted, before both she and Applejack gave Spike a double kiss to the cheeks.

Spike blushed an even brighter shade of red before he walked off the ship, "Be safe, you two," He stammered.

Soon, after the farewells were spoken, the Thunderbird became airborne again as she once again takes to the sky, carrying her new crew, taking them on the first flight of their adventure to finding her lost captain.

"I'M KING OF THE WOOOOOOOOOORLD!!!" Button whooped, as he stood at the tip of the Thunderbird's bow.

Not waiting around for the nerdy boy to fall off, Applejack hurled a lasso around him and pulled him back on deck, "Watch yerself, Button," Applejack scolded. "I've been warned about your recklessness."

"Hmph," Button pouted as Applejack walked away, checking up on the rest of the crews.

Featherweight was at the hull of the ship, taking pictures with his camera, "Wow, you can see all of Equestria from up here!" Featherweight beamed as he continues to take some pictures.

Rumble was hanging onto one of the shrouds, feeling the wind blowing in his face. Tender Taps looked over the side of the ship and instantly had vertigo. The dizzy boy manages to sat himself in a deck chair, provided by Applejack.

Back on the bridge, Pipsqueak was in control of the wheels, with Peewee on his shoulder, and Rainbow Dash by his side.

Seeing how tense the short boy looked, Rainbow decided to lighten the mood, "So Pip," She began. "Fine day for flying, eh captain?"

"Maybe," Pipsqueak answered.

"Maybe?"

"Nice, breezy, I don't know. Captain Celaeno would know a lot about flying in these kinds of skies. She would know it a whole lot better than me."

"Hey, don't sell yourself too short there Pip. Just because Celaeno isn't here with us, it's no reason for you to get all doubtful and everything."

Pip sighed, "I know," Pip looked at Rainbow Dash. "But I'd actually like to hear that from the captain herself. I hope she's okay."

"Hey, she's a tough parrot," Rainbow nudged. "She'll be alright. It's you who needs to be tougher, for her. You need to be awesome!" With that, Rainbow Dash broke out into a song, which got the whole crew singing along.

It's Time To Be Awesome

[Rainbow Dash]
I know the world can get you down

Things don't work out quite the way that you thought

Feeling like all your best days are done

Your fears and doubts are all you've got

But there's a light shining deep inside

Beneath those fears and doubts, so just squash 'em

And let it shine for all the world to see

That it is time, yeah, time to be awesome

[Crew]
Ah, ah, ah-ah, awesome!

It's time to be so awesome!

Ah, ah, ah-ah, awesome!

It's time to be so awesome!

Initially taken by surprise by the sudden musical number, Pipsqueak slowly joined in the festivity as he felt some needed encouragement, building up within.

[Pipsqueak]
You've no idea how hard it's been

Crew

[Pipsqueak]
This hero I refused to lose

[Rainbow Dash]
Don't let them rob you of who you are

Be awesome, it's all up to you

[Pipsqueak]
I feel the light stirring deep inside

It's like a tale still yet to be told

Crew

[Rainbow Dash and Pipsqueak]
And now it's time to break the shackles free

And start living like the brave and the bold!

[All]
It's time to be awesome!

Let loose, be true, so awesome!

It's time to be awesome!

Go big, be you, so awesome!

[Rumble]
We will soar through the clouds in the skies

[Featherweight]
Elaborate schemes we would love to devise

[Button Mash]
We'll rescue our friends before the end of our games

[Pipsqueak]
Saving them to play for another day

[All]
We see that light filling up our skies

[Rainbow Dash]
So take your fears, doubts and crush 'em

[All]
'Cause it's the time to let our colors fly

[Captain Celaeno/Pipsqueak]
Hey, scallywags, it's time to be awesome!

[All]
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

[instrumental continues]

"Come on!" Pip shouted, more confidently. "We've got a pirate to save!"

"YEAH!!" Everyone shouted in agreement.

After awhile of flying, the Thunderbird was starting to fly through dark cloudy skies. Applejack took over the wheel, while Pip was standing by the port side with Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Rainbow Dash?" Pip spoke up.

"What's up, Pip?" Dash asked.

"Thanks. I really needed that."

"Eh, don't mention it," Rainbow grinned, ruffling Pip's hair for a bit. "What're crew mates for, huh?" Shifting into anthro form, picking up a sword with her hands, Rainbow challenged, "C'mon, Pip. Show me what the captain's taught ya!"

Pip grinned as he unsheathes his own pirate sword, "Bring it!" With that, the two got out on deck, where they sparred together, clashing their blades together.

"Not bad, Pip," Rainbow smirked.

Suddenly, Peewee started to squawk out loud, while flapping his wings rapidly, "What is it, Peewee?" Pip asked, before he received his answer, in the form of lightning bolts that cracked the sky around them.

"What the hay?!" Applejack exclaimed. "Rainbow Dash! I thought you said these clouds aren't thunderclouds!"

"They aren't!" Rainbow confirmed.

"TAKE COVER!!" Pipsqueak shouted as he and everyone all dashed towards the cabin of the ship, struggling to avoid the lightning bolts on the way. "Rainbow Dash, look out!" Pip screamed, running up to the pegasus, draping the Cape of Compassion over himself and the pegasus, shielding themselves from a blast of lighting.

"Thanks, Pip!" Rainbow said, before both she and Pip made it to the cabin, where the rest of the crew were waiting.

"Wow, that was close," Button panted.

"Too close for comfort," Rumble agreed.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Applejack commented, showing her hat with a scorch mark.

Taking the chance to look out the window, Pipsqueak looked, and was perplexed to see the silhouettes of what appeared to be a bird, atop of an even bigger bird, "What the-"

The young swashbuckler didn't have time to ponder, when another flash of lighting blinded him, and the whole Thunderbird shook.

"Oh no," Button moaned. "That can't be good!"

"You think?" Rumble asked rhetorically.

Taking the chance to look outside, Rumble could see one of the wings of the Thunderbird was caught on fire, "The right wing's been hit!" Pipsqueak shouted. "We need to put it out, fast!"

"Just how do we do that?" Rumble asked.

"Got anything in Spike's cape that might help?" Button asked.

Pipsqueak reached into one of the cape's inner pockets to pull out a baseball bat, "Uh, I don't think so," Tender Tap voiced his opinion, as Pipsqueak puts the bat back.

Reaching into another pocket, Pip pulls out a tennis racket, "Whoops!" Pip puts it back into the cape, before he reaches in again and pulls out a fire extinguisher. "Here we go!" With his Boots of Courage glowing, Pipsqueak took off in a blur.

"Pip! Wait!" Applejack shouted, but to no avail.

Pip was already out on one of the Thunderbird's wings, with a suspension cable tied to a belt around his waist, as he puts out the fire before it got worse. Another flash of lightning startled him as it struck the hull of the ship, causing him to jerk, nearly falling off the arm of the wing, dropping the fire extinguisher, into the sea of clouds below. Pipsqueak looked up, just in time to see a bolt of lightning heading straight towards him.

"PIP!!" Featherweight screamed, jumping in between the lightning bolt and his cousin, with the Shield of Purity conjured, blocking the powerful bolt, causing both boys to fly back onto the airship. "You okay, cousin?" Featherweight asked.

"Yeah," Pip confirmed.

"We've got to get away from all these lightnings!" Applejack shouted.

"Might I suggest we go down?" Button suggested.

Taking their words of advice, Pip quickly went up to the wheels to steer the Thunderbird away from the lightnings. Remembering his lessons about working an airship from Celaeno, Pip shouted, "Let out some airs in the balloon!"

"Aye-aye, captain!" Rainbow Dash saluted, having her fair shares of flying an airship before as she got to work, decreasing pressures from the balloon, decreasing altitude for the Thunderbird.

"Steady!" Pipsqueak advised, when another flash of lightning pierced the sky again, and the smell of burning lumbers filled the air. Looking around to spot for any signs of damages on the ship, Pipsqueak heard the sound of a huge, incoming object, before it made contact with the Thunderbird, striking her down on the port side. With that, the Thunderbird descended toward the ground at an alarming rate, until finally, she landed with a great big thud. The force was so powerful, it knocked everyone to literally hit the deck. Pipsqueak went flying off of his perch, with Peewee hanging onto the boy's shoulders to soften the impact of their fall. Nevertheless, the adrenaline was too much for Pip, as he collapsed on the deck of the Thunderbird, with his world blacking out.

After what felt like hours, Pip slowly blinked his eyes, waking up to reality, and finding himself on a mattress, "What happened?" He asked, rubbing his sore head.

"Hoo-whee," Applejack sounded. "You're alright, Pip!" The country pony walked over to inspect the boy. "That was some fall ya took there."

"AJ?" Pip asked, before he looked around to see they were both in a tent, in the middle of a vast woodland. "What happened? Where are we?"

"We had a fall, Sugarcube," Applejack answered. "Crash landed right out in the Undiscovered West."

"Where is everyone?"

"Right outside. We were just gettin' acquainted with a new friend of ours. C'mon," With that, Applejack helped Pip up to his feet as she took the boy outside to see the rest of the gang, sitting around a campfire, with their new addition.

In appearance, she is another anthropomorphic bird, like Celaeno, only her beak was much more longer and sharper, like that of a heron. Her feathers are a dark coat of indigo, with a long hot pink hair and tail feathers, don up in braids, and a matching plumage resting in her hat, over her piercing yellow eyes. For attires, she wore a black coat, with white frills around her sleeves and collars, and matching pants.

The bird looked up, setting her gaze on Pip, "Ah, so this be the Captain Pip ye be telling to me about," The bird woman spoke, with a thick accent. "Though, I pictured he be a bit.....bigger."

"Hmph," Pip huffed, before he asked, "Who are you?"

"I, be Madame Harpy," the harpy introduced herself.

Pipsqueak gasped, "You're Madame Harpy?!" He asked. "Wow, I can't believe it's really you! Captain Celaeno's told me so much about you!"

The harpy nodded her head in agreement, "I'll bet she did," She smiled, before she gestured to the rest of the gang present. "And yer friends here have been telling me some fond stories about you and Captain Celaeno. And how crazy you are at finding her right now." Pip blushed as he scratched the back of his head, "And after seeing how ye braved through the dangers of the impundulu's storms like that, I can only think of you just as crazier."

"It wasn't on purpose," Pip argued, before he paused. "Wait, what did you say? The impu-"

"The impundulu," Madame repeated. "Better known as, the Lightning Bird!"