It was dusk. Above him, the sky was a light purple, and a few stars emerged into view, ready for this night. To the east, Canterlot’s purple and gold spires shone on the deep green mountain. To the west, an orange corona surrounded the distant hills, steadily creeping to a deep red. Below him, smoke rose from chimneys while, in the glow of porch lights, a few ponies trotted to their homes to end their day. Up here, the only noises he could hear were the breeze and the rainbow fountain next to him.
Up here, Tank was at peace.
“What’cha doing out here?” He turned to see Rainbow Dash walking towards him. “Watching the sunset?” She stopped next to him and looked out at the darkening hills. They stared at the horizon until the sky around it deepened into violet. At this time, many stars were coming out to stare down at the world.
Rainbow Dash yawned. “Well, I think it’s about time we get ready for bed.”
He turned and nuzzled her foreleg in response. “Heh, alright then!” She picked him up and set him on her back. With one last look out at the horizon—a sliver of the moon appeared above Canterlot Mountain—they went inside their cloud home.
Their preparations were the same as every night. Rainbow Dash made a large dinner for herself while he received a few vegetables for himself. They took a bath together, where he would race their bath duck in a race around the tub (he always won, of course, making her proud). They played a game of Battleclouds, and Rainbow Dash won that. After all of this, they made their way to the bed.
Tank was placed on one of her pillows, and then Rainbow Dash plopped down on the other side, bouncing a bit. “Now then,” she began, stretching her limbs and arching her back. “Are you ready to hear another tale of the most awesome pegasus to ever exist? Besides me, of course?”
He crawled to her side and buried his shell into her neck.
“Haha, I knew you would!” She grabbed a book from the top of the tower next to the bed. “Daring Do and the Phantom of the Night.” She squealed with delight and opened it. “Chapter 1: The New Moon.”
Tank listened more to her voice than he did the words; he couldn’t follow what she was saying, and he couldn’t read the words on the page. It didn’t bother him, though; he knew that later on tonight, he’d know everything. For now, he was content with listening to her excited voice—even when she broke out with a bam and boom.
After four chapters, she placed her lightning-bolt bookmark inside and shut the book. “I think it’s time to call it a night, buddy,” she yawned. She picked him up and took him to his sleeping quarters, a humid area in the corner perfect for him. “Good night, Tank.”
They rubbed noses.
She walked back and crawled under her covers. Her breathing became heavy, and soon she was asleep.
Tank, however, had other plans. Quietly, he pushed the door to his area open and walked to the wall opposite the bed. Inside the lowest drawer lay his magical copter and goggles. He reached in and removed them from the drawer. His limited mobility prevented him from putting it on himself, but that wasn’t a problem.
Hoo!
It was faint, but he had heard it. Soon after, the familiar noise of wings flapping sounded in the distance. He was right on time, too; the moon was coming into view of their bedroom window.
As the first sliver of the moon came into view, a figure perched itself on the windowsill. The light revealed it to be Owlowiscious, punctual as he always was. He turned his head left and right, inspecting everything. Nothing was out of the ordinary, and Rainbow Dash was sound asleep, so he turned his head to Tank.
“Hoo,” he hooted much quieter.
Tank blinked, nudging the goggles towards him.
Nodding, Owlowiscious swooped down and landed next to the tortoise. He picked up the magic copter and set it on Tank’s back, and then buckled the strap around the bottom of his shell. He then grabbed the goggles and snapped them over his eyes. Now that Tank was ready to go, he flew over and took a look inside the latest Daring Do book, right where the bookmark was. He nodded and closed it, and then flew up to the windowsill again.
“Hoo.”
That was Tank’s cue. He concentrated on the magic copter, and the blades slowly began to turn. They picked up speed until they were a blur, and soon he felt himself being lifted off the ground. After a few seconds he was higher than the bed, and a moment more saw him level with the window.
“Hoo!” Owlowiscious turned and took off, disappearing from sight. Tank pitched his body back, causing the blades to lean towards the window. He began to move forward. He took one last look down at Rainbow Dash, who hadn’t stirred at all from the noise. Satisfied, he flew out the window.
The cool night and the endless sky greeted him. Sparse clouds floated in the distance, and a sea of stars peered down on them with shining eyes. Equestria below him was lit by streetlamps, porch lights and the occasional campfire from afar.
“Hoo!” Tank looked down to see Owlowiscious waiting below him. He continued to stare at the owl until they were at the same height. “Hoo-hoo!” He watched as Owlowiscious was flying above him, and then flew down for him. When he looked back up at the sky, he instead saw Equestria.
That’s when he realized he was falling.
His copter stopped immediately, giving him a clear view of the approaching ground. He wiggled his legs around to right himself, to no avail. A poof around him told him that he had just shot through a rogue cloud. The ground was getting closer. With no other option than to wait for Owlowiscious, he retreated into his shell.
“Hoo!”
He peeked his head out and saw the owl diving upside-down next to him. Calmly, Owlowiscious grabbed the inside of his shell and looped in the air, leaving Tank upright. He looked down, and saw the ground was still a few seconds away. Calmly, he concentrated, and the blades spun to life. Soon he stopped falling, with a few hundred feet to spare.
Owlowiscious dove down next to him and checked his equipment. Satisfied that everything worked, he took the lead and flew down to Ponyville. Tank followed suit.
Now that Tank had a closer view of Ponyville, he saw nopony walking outside. The porch lamps were all lit, casting a small glow around the town. He and Owlowiscious went further down, and Tank saw that the clock tower’s hand were both pointing straight to the sky. The bell began to ring. This didn’t bother him; they usually left this late at night, when Rainbow Dash was fast asleep, and Twilight Sparkle was settling down from a night of studying.
Their first stop for the night was at the town library, where Twilight and Spike would be resting. Tank waited outside as Owlowiscious flew on the perch to make sure everything was alright there. He flew in and disappeared from Tank’s view for a moment. A glow from inside was extinguished, and a blanket was draped over a figure. Owlowiscious flew back out.
“Hoo!” This hoot was louder than usual, and with that he zipped past Tank. He turned to catch up with him.
Their night of flight began in earnest.
They flew above the rooftops of the houses, watching as the moonlight cast a faint shadow on them. Smoke rising from the chimneys provided their first obstacle, and Owlowiscious circled the trails before continuing onwards. Tank was content with veering to the left or right of them, and once piercing the trail before it faded into the air.
The only noise coming from Town Square, usually the loudest place in the city, was water running in the local fountain. Then it was filled with the sound of helicopter blades, and soon the two friends began circling around Town Hall. They circled higher and higher up on it, until they reached the flagpost at the top. Their circles became quicker until they flew over it, and then, with a stroke of the flag, they left the Town Square.
Tank was almost flying as fast as Owlowiscious, but even at this speed he could peer inside the windows of the houses around him. Many ponies were safely asleep in their beds. Foals were wrapped up in their blankets. Couples cuddled into each other under the covers. In one house, an earth pony was still awake grading papers; in another, a pegasus mother slept with her unicorn filly close under her wing. Seeing that made him think about Rainbow Dash.
“Hoo!” Tank focused enough to rise above a roof while just skimming the straw with his legs. Unlike him, Owlowiscious was more graceful and playful while flying. He flipped and rolled in the air; he weaved through shop signs and lampposts. Occasionally he’d fly back to check up on his equipment, but then he’d just as quickly return to his acrobatics.
They stopped on top of the pink frosting on the cupcake on Sugar Cube Corner. It was time to answer a question that had long bothered the both of them. Owlowiscious began pecking at the frosting. Tank bent his head down and, his eyes wide, bit into it.
Nope. It wasn’t edible.
“Hoo!” Owlowiscious flew down and tried the chocolate-cookie roof and the white frosting around it, with similar results. “Hoo-hoo!” He flapped his wings and launched from the roof, obviously flustered. Tank followed suit.
They continued to fly until they came to a house in the outskirts of Ponyville, where a window was open and a filly was waving to them. The two banked to the right and made their way straight for her. Upon arriving at the windowsill, they saw that she had a purple mane and an orange coat.
“Hey, guys,” she whispered. “Out enjoying a late night flight?”
Tank blinked, and Owlowiscious nodded.
“That’s cool.” She looked up at the sky for a moment. “Oh, here!” She turned from them and grabbed something. In her hooves were two round crackers. “I usually save these as a midnight snack. Here!”
Owlowiscious quickly grabbed one of them and began pecking at it. Tank reached out for the other one and took it into his mouth.
“So Tank,” she began as he continued to eat. “I’d like to ask you something.” She turned and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. “I was hoping to ask Rainbow Dash earlier if she wouldn’t mind teaching me how to fly tomorrow, but I didn’t get the chance. If it’s okay with you,” she continued while writing something. “Could you give this to her? I’d really appreciate it.”
He blinked.
“Thanks!” she said, folding the paper and maneuvering it into the inside of his shell. “You’re the best.”
“Scootaloo?”
She gasped. “Shoot, you guys better go! Thanks again, Tank!”
He produced a rumbling noise.
“Hoo!” Owlowiscious finished his cracker and took off into the open. Tank’s blades spun again and with a helping hoof from Scootaloo, he took off behind the owl. They both looked back to see her wave, shut her window, and lay her head down just as her door opened. They flew out of sight before they could be seen.
Their flight took them out of the main town and over a myriad of trees. The sweet aroma of apples wafted to Tank’s nose, beckoning him downwards. Before he could crash into the canopy, he was hoisted up by a friendly wing. Leaves rustled and apples bobbed as they flew past.
Most of the land was used for apple trees, but through the canopy Tank could see some semblance of pony life. An old swing was built on a Golden Delicious tree, with a checkered blanket and basket lying nearby. Further on, near the river, a rope hung on a Granny Smith tree, and the branch had been rubbed from it moving back and forth from a pony’s weight. In a secluded treeless part of the orchard, stones with words were laid in a row, each individual one adorned with flowers. Close to the house, Owlowiscious’ keen eyes spotted a doll hiding in a hole in the trunk of a Big Macintosh tree.
All was quiet on Sweet Apple Acres until they heard barking behind them. They turned to see Winona, the Apple Family dog, running after them with the smile that any excited dog has. Owlowiscious swooped down and came at level with her. Tank opted to stay above the canopy, content on watching as Winona did her best to nab the owl. Eventually, they flew out of the range of Sweet Apple Acres. Winona stopped, just as somepony ran to her to see what the commotion was about.
At first, they thought of turning back towards Ponyville. Then they saw something in the distance: a collection of dancing lights in the distance. It was happening near a forest with trees larger than those at Sweet Apple Acres. Curiosity got to Owlowiscious, and he flew off after it. Tank followed.
The light source sped into the forest, and the two pursued. White Tail Wood was large, but the space between the trees was still small, and Tank had to be very careful flying in here. He decided to stay along the dirt path while Owlowiscious chased the lights among the trees.
Here, Owlowiscious was in his element. Here, in the forest, he was a predator.
The path straightened out, allowing Tank a chance to look at his friend. The moonlight shone through the trees, and Owlowiscious flew through the beams, creating many shadows that shifted and disappeared in an instant. He had gotten closer to the runaway lights, and was now reaching out for one with his talons.
Whether he caught one or not Tank couldn’t see, for he yanked himself straight up to avoid ramming into the side of a cliff.
“Hoo!” Once he was safely out of harm’s way, Tank looked down to see Owlowiscious flying straight toward him. The lights continued to fly, soon disappearing behind a thick layer of trees.
Tank blinked.
His equipment was checked, and then he watched as Owlowiscious looked left and right, trying to catch a glimpse of light. Tank looked around as well, and saw something glistening in the distance. It wasn’t gold like the other lights, but rather a pale silver. Curiosity got the better of him, and he began to fly towards it.
“Hoo.” Owlowiscious followed behind him.
Once he recognized the sight, Tank slowed down. The silver light was the reflection of the moon in a lake. He lowered himself down until his legs touched the water, sending ripples across the surface. The blades on his copter stopped, and he settled on the surface. Owlowiscious wordlessly lowered himself and perched himself on the now-still blades.
There they stayed, the two of them drifting on the surface of the water. The only noise they could hear was an occasional drip of water falling off Tank’s shell. Owlowiscious shifted his head around, seeing if there were any threats nearby. Finding nothing, he settled back and stared up at the sea of stars.
The moon moved from over one tree to over another when they saw something bright coming. The collection of lights had come to them, and they danced on over the lake. Some of the lights skimmed the surface of the water. One light flew over to the two spectators and landed on Owlowiscious’s wing. Both looked closer and saw that the light was an insect. It looked back and forth between them, and then it took off to join its brethren.
“Hoo?”
Tank blinked.
Eventually, the two left the fireflies behind and resumed their flight. They went east, back to Ponyville. It took a while before they left White Tail Woods, and then they flew over Sweet Apple Acres. Finally, they flew over the schoolhouse that signaled they were back in Ponyville.
Tank followed Owlowiscious to wherever their next destination was: the cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest. Tank knew this place well; he had lived here a few decades before Fluttershy moved in, and a few years after that. Owlowiscious wanted to move on, but Tank stopped to peer into the window. Inside, Fluttershy slept with a smile on her face. Satisfied, Tank continued following Owlowiscious’s lead.
They went over the Everfree Forest, towards Canterlot Mountain. Tank looked down and saw darkness and something that glowed red and followed their movement. He had never gone into the Everfree himself, and Owlowiscious’s earlier bravado didn’t come into play either as he flew high above it. A ways east of that, they saw a thin wisp of smoke rising from a large stump. Thinking nothing of it, they resumed their flight.
They were at the base of the mountain, where a set of train tracks lay, and Owlowiscious stopped. Tank halted and looked at the owl. They waited there for a minute or two, and then they heard something coming from the hole to the left. A few seconds later, a bright light shone on them. Owlowiscious grabbed Tank’s leg and pulled him forward. Behind the light was a train, and they quickly flew through an open window into one of the compartments.
There were only two ponies in the compartment—an amber-coated brunette stallion with a donut for a cutie mark and a light-yellow-coated green-maned mare with a chicken and eggs for a cutie mark—and both were sound asleep. The two friends floated down to one of the seats and settled, Tank’s copter slowing to a stop. There they rested while going through more tunnels.
Eventually the train stopped. The two ponies woke up and shook off their sleep. Tank and Owlowiscious decided not to use the doors and instead flew through the open window. The guards along the station didn’t notice the two flying overhead and onto the outer wall. Up here, they saw Canterlot.
The city was much larger than Ponyville, with buildings with smooth white brick walls and either a slated roof or a cupola spiraling in purple and gold. A lot more street signs were present, as well as grotesques of ponies on the roofs. Flags hung everywhere, both as banners and as decoration. Few lights from inside shone with the streetlights, and a few ponies walked about.
It wasn’t all quiet.
Regardless of this, Owlowiscious hopped off the wall and began gliding down the main street. Ponies that saw him gasped, screamed and ducked their heads. Tank started up his copter and followed as fast as he could. Ponies didn’t scream this time; they pointed up at him, stared at him, and exclaimed “My word” and “I say.” Some even said “Foals these days” before resuming their activities.
In the thrill of the moment, Owlowiscious turned into a sharp alleyway. Tank tried to follow, but he bumped into the wall of one of the buildings. He wobbled a bit, and then felt himself being righted and raised above the rooftops. Then Owlowiscious turned and went through the maze of alleyways again.
Whereas Owlowiscious was zipping in and out of the alleys, Tank decided to have some fun with the various shop signs and the flags strewn no lines above the streets. He was nowhere near as graceful as Owlowiscious, and he bumped into a few signs and snagged his leg on a few lines, but as the night wore on, he was sweeping under and over the obstacles that came in his way. Various onlookers followed his acrobatics with open mouths.
The two met up and continued on. They passed cafés, shops, and museums of all kinds. In the few windows that were open, they saw ponies, higher in class, sleeping as peacefully as those in Ponyville. The guards that were all about watched them suspiciously, but did nothing.
As they passed a large flowershop, they began to hear two ponies speak under them.
One couple, in particular, was especially surprised.
“Fancypants!” a mare exclaimed, pointing up at the flying creatures. “Look!”
A stallion looked up and started, causing his monocle to hang at his side. “By Jove, Fleur. Now that is a sight!”
“It most certainly is!”
Tank was content with passing by them, but suddenly Owlowiscious swooped down and picked a rose out of the flowershop. He brought it to the mare’s mane and placed it there. She blushed.
“Ah, even the creatures of the night—now including turtles, for some reason—recognize your beauty.”
She giggled. “Thank you, mon cher!”
“Hoo!” And then the two were off again, this time to the castle, leaving the couple to watch the odd sight from below.
The castle was grand, to say the least. Many guards patrolled the grounds and towers, none taking interest in the two. They flew past the outer walls and into the main courtyard. Most of the lights were on, including in the main hall, which shone brightly for the business needing to be handled inside.
They didn’t fly through the arches or the bridges, and they didn’t go side to side around the towers. Owlowiscious led them past one of the stained-glass pictures that were lined up on the sides of the main hall. It portrayed six ponies, one of them being Rainbow Dash. Tank smiled at it. Twilight Sparkle was also there, as well as the four other ponies they went on playdates with.
They flew past that and continued on to a secluded garden. A water fountain ran next to a large bench; they stopped there to drink and rest. The animals that resided here didn’t bother the two. The only sounds they heard were the running fountain and crickets chirping. Here, they didn’t suspect anypony of observing them in the slightest.
“Interesting.”
The two quickly turned around to see a new mare staring at Tank, her eyes scrutinizing him. Her coat was blue, her mane resembled the night sky, and she had a crown on her head. Tank had heard enough from Rainbow Dash to identify her as Princess Luna.
“What is this?” She reached a foreleg out, and Owlowiscious perched himself on it. “Hello friend Owl, one of night’s most beautiful and graceful creatures.” He nuzzled her, which she returned. After he became acquainted with the Princess of the Night, she turned her attention to Tank. “How are you flying? Who made this? How is it sustaining itself?”
She turned to Owlowiscious. “Is he one of your friends?” He nodded. “We have never seen a flying tortoise before.”
Then Owlowiscious flapped his wings and took off from her leg. Tank didn’t know what was happening, but decided to follow. They only flew a few yards when a voice called out to them.
“Wait!”
They stopped and watched as she flew up to them. “We must admit that we are curious of your flying abilities, tortoise; we could also use the chance to clear our head and stretch out wings out”
With a smith she spread her wings and soared in front of them. “Let’s fly!”
Owlowiscious hooted with enthusiasm and soared after her. Tank blinked and leaned forward in a vain attempt to catch up to them.
This whole night it had been Owlowiscious that had led the two; this time, it was she who led them. They flew just out of the castle walls before she banked to the left. They all moved further east until they were out of Canterlot and heading towards the peak of the mountain. Tank craned his head upward to rise up, but he was steadily heading towards the mountainside.
Owlowiscious flew next to him and tried pushing him up. Tank was still heading towards the mountainside. Just as he was heading to it, he felt himself being lifted by an invisible force.
“It appears that you have much to learn about flight, my friend.” Luna brought him close to her. “Worry not, though; I shall see you around safely.”
The three of them continued up the slope until they went right over the peak. The view of Equestria to the east was incredible. A mountain range ran from close to the base of Canterlot Mountain to the horizon, the end out of sight. Train tracks ran off in various places into the distance. A river ran around the base of the mountain, coming from the distant north and extending to the distant south and beyond. Many stray clouds drifted around, untamed by pegasi.
They admired the view… until they were diving down the side of the mountain. Rocks and trees sped on by them. The side of Tank’s mouth began being pulled back from the force of the fall. He looked over and saw the other two wearing looks of determination. The river was approaching faster and faster.
Then, just as they looked like they were going to crash, they pulled up and flew back into the sky. They were free to roam around the land and air as they pleased now. The terrain was unfamiliar to the two friends, but there were no visible threats around here. Owlowiscious went by Luna’s side and flew in a dance alongside her. Tank was content watching them.
Owlowiscious and Luna flew at the nearest mountain in the mountain range. As they looked like they were going to ram into the snowy peak, they split apart. Luna went clockwise and Owlowiscious went counterclockwise. A few seconds later, Luna appeared from the other side. Owlowiscious appeared a few seconds later. Then the two sped off again, towards Tank.
“Fear not, tortoise,” she laughed. “Come and fly with us!”
“Hoo-hoo-hoo!”
Tank, enthused by her laughter and Owlowiscious’s hooting, leaned forward and joined them on a descent towards the river. It was flowing calmly, allowing the glow of the moonlight to settle on its surface. The trio glided down to in between Canterlot Mountain and the closest mountain of the range. The copter’s echoes bounced off the narrow passage back at them, further exciting them.
Luna reached a hoof down and gently skimmed the river’s surface. Tank, trusting that nothing would go wrong, lowered himself and felt the cool water run across his legs. Luna laughed at the display, and Owlowiscious hooted excitedly. Tank uttered a grumbling sound and rose up with them.
In the open space the three danced, Luna most of all, until the moon was out of their sight. They made their way back to Canterlot Castle, up on a balcony high up. They saw that the moon was close to the horizon.
“This was certainly a different experience,” she said aloud. “Not unwelcome, of course.” Owlowiscious perched on her foreleg, and the two embraced. She then turned to face Tank. “You have much to learn about flying, dear tortoise. Perhaps you shall be back another night, and we can do this again.”
Tank blinked.
“Now, fly off into the night, and let peace find you at the end of your journey!”
They left the balcony and the Princess of the Night behind. Owlowiscious took the lead once again and glided down to a building in the distance. Tank followed him until he saw where they were going: a small stage in a park. There was only one pony there at this time, a mare with a grey coat, dark mane and a cello. Halfway to their destination, they faintly heard the cello’s low notes.
This was where Owlowiscious had planned to do it.
They reached the stage, and the cellist’s music stopped. She watched as the owl took position to her left, while the tortoise with the magic copter on his shell took a seat below. She didn’t move until the owl turned his head to her; after an awkward silence, she picked her bow up and slowly started playing again. Her gaze was still on them.
Tank pushed his goggles up and waited for the owl to begin. First, Owlowiscious held his wing out and brought it to the top of his head. Tank nodded. Second, he tapped his talons in a rhythm akin to a pony trotting, all while contorting his face like somepony that was dead. Tank nodded again. Finally, he pointed up to the sky and hooted. Tank nodded a third time.
“Hat—Dead pony—Night sky.” Or, in Equestrian terms, “Daring Do and the Phantom of the Night.”
After the title was deciphered, Owlowiscious began his charade by imitating a pony trotting along until she reached a town with nopony there. This had been one of the things decided upon before they had set out during the flight; whereas Tank couldn’t read, Owlowiscious spent time in a library, and therefore knew a lot about books. When Owlowiscious found out he couldn’t read, he made it a point to stop at some point in their flight to make sure Tank at least understood the current book Rainbow Dash was reading. Tank had no idea about the stage in Canterlot; apparently, Owlowiscious liked being a bit theatrical every now and then.
While the owl acted out, the mare continued to watch with gaping mouth. Every now and again he would turn his head to stare at her, prompting her to continue playing. She found herself having to reset every few minutes.
Finally, when Daring Do saw the phantom for the first time, Owlowiscious made an “X” with his wings, signaling the end. Tank stomped his legs—which made no sound in the grass around him—and Owlowiscious bowed. They looked to the mare to see her clapping as well, her hooves echoing in the stage. The owl bowed again.
The two took to the sky again, but before they left, Tank flew to one of the nearby bushes and plucked a rose from it. He flew over to the mare, who cringed as he got closer. Then, with the gentlest motions, he placed it in her mane. She reached up and felt it, but before she could form a response, he flew away. She was left to stare up at the sky, still shocked at seeing an acting owl and a flying tortoise.
At this point in the night, Owlowiscious had planned to take the train to Ponyville and call it a night; however, Tank’s experience of adventure, both with Princess Luna and Daring Do made him excited, and not ready to turn in yet. They had been around Ponyville and further west, and they had seen Canterlot and further east. Going north would lead them to a wide expanse of plains; southwards would find them in the Everfree Forest.
Tank looked up at the moon again, and then something caught his eye. He immediately knew where he wanted to go.
They were heading south to the station, but suddenly Tank turned to the right and began flying towards the moon. “Hoo?” Owlowiscious asked behind him, but Tank merely turned and waved for him to follow. Soon the two were out of Canterlot and heading straight towards a dot in the distant sky. Below them lay open fields and a few hills. Some clouds were along their path, but the two avoided these with ease.
The moon touched the horizon as the distant dot turned into a building; a few seconds later, the one turned into many. Owlowiscious hooted in surprise, and Tank didn’t reply. His house was lower in altitude than this place, but he knew that they wouldn’t have any problems reaching here. Then, as a sliver of a rainbow waterfall came into view, they reached the city in the sky.
Cloudsdale.
Nopony was around in the main city, every pegasus resident asleep in their homes. The surrounding area was glowing with the moonlight, and a few small particles of cloud floated around, only slightly disturbed by the two flying around. The two’s shadows shifted around the place as the flight continued.
“Hoo.” Owlowiscious was much quieter. Soon they heard the rainbow waterfall running inside a building. They flew around and saw a cloud float out every now and then. The clouds would either float off into the distance or drift upwards. Inside, a machine was pushing clouds out into the open. The two flew past it, with Tank bumping into the side of it. The rest of the city was silent.
Suddenly, Tank saw something move. He guided Owlowiscious to the edge of the city where the Cloudiseum was constructed. There, they both witnessed a pegasus flying around at breakneck speeds. She had a yellow coat, a fiery mane and a look of determination on her face. She was almost too fast for the two to follow, flipping and rolling and going around the track. Every so often, she would stop and rest.
Owlowiscious was about to fly towards her, but Tank stopped him. He had seen Rainbow Dash practice her flying, and she liked to concentrate alone until she had every move perfected, ready to show her friends and fans. This pegasus was the same, he thought. After a few moments, Owlowiscious relaxed.
The two left the pegasus to her early-morning training. They were about to leave the cloud city and head home when something caught their eye. Up above them, from a trail coming from the factory, a large path of clouds floated off into the distance.
“Hoo!” Owlowiscious sped into the factory and turned the machine off. The clouds stopped streaming. He placed his head in his feathers, not looking at the sight.
Tank, meanwhile, watched the clouds drift off into the sky, towards the moon. Then, ignoring Owlowiscious muttering to himself, he began to fly towards it. The echoes of the copter inside the factory died out in the open, and now the copter produced a pleasant whir.
“Hoo!” He heard frantic flapping behind him. Tank climbed up higher and higher, soon catching up to those trailing upwards. Soon Owlowiscious was by his side, hooting madly. The thickness of the clouds was increasing the farther up they went.
Finally, they reached the top of the massive cloud layer. All around them, they could see the silvery cloudtop and the stars. Straight ahead of them, the moon began to descend under the horizon of the cloudtops.
Without hesitation, Tank flew straight for the moon. Owlowiscious followed him at his side. Nothing could interfere with the two; they had this tranquil area to themselves.
Imitating Owlowiscious from earlier, Tank began shifting left and right, swaying from side to side in a rhythm. Seeing this, the owl joined him, and they were soon veering from one side to the other, crossing paths many times. Their legs constantly skimmed the cool cloudtop; at one point, Owlowiscious dove straight in, only to emerge a moment later with dew on his feathers.
In the distance, the moon continued its descent behind the clouds. Tank and Owlowiscious continued their pursuit.
The moon went lower, and they stopped dancing and zipped in a straight line for it.
The moon was just a sliver, but they were approaching the end of the path. The air was whistling by them now.
The moon disappeared, and was replaced by something blue. They slowed down as they came to the edge. Tank landed on the edge of the cloud and looked out. Owlowiscious stopped and turned back, wondering how he was standing on the cloud before perching himself on top of him. They both looked out at the horizon.
In the distance, the moon was touching a much farther place, one with a blue corona. The land extended onwards until it ended, and then the endless ocean extended onward as far as their eyes could see. The mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, valleys, deserts and cities seemed like dots from where they were, and even though the ocean was vast, it looked small from up here as well. The moon shone in all its glory, slowly descending behind the ocean and out of sight. The space behind them was clouds; they couldn’t see Ponyville or Canterlot at all.
They continued sitting there, taking in the magnificent sight. The moon continued its descent, and the silver light of the cloud began to dull. Soon the moon was nothing more than a sliver, and then it was gone.
Tank was at peace.
And, perhaps for the first time, Owlowiscious was as well.
After the moon disappeared and the sky began to brighten, the two took off from the cloud bank and began making their way back east, to home. Cloudsdale was still visible, and when they passed it, the yellow-coated mare was present with another pony, a blue-coated stallion. All was still quiet up there. They glided downwards towards the small town, and as the sky brightened up and a bright blue corona appeared behind Canterlot Mountain, they heard the early birds. Tank looked over to see Owlowiscious showing signs of weariness. It was almost time for him to rest.
It was dawn. Above him, the sky was a light violet with a few stars lingering for one last glimpse on the world. To the east, Canterlot's purple and gold spires were surrounded from a bright blue corona, indicating the coming sunrise. To the west, the sky was still a deep purple. Below him, a few ponies trotted around Ponyville to get ready for a new day. Up here, the only noises he could hear were the breeze and the rainbow fountain next to him.
Finally, after a night of flight, they made it to the cloud house. Tank zipped inside and landed softly on the floor of his room. Rainbow Dash was still asleep. Owlowiscious flew in and unstrapped the rotor device. He took Tank’s goggles and set the devices on the opposite wall. Then he turned to the tortoise and, to Tank’s surprised, wrapped a wing around his shell and hugged him. Tank returned the gesture.
“Hoo?”
Tank blinked, and nodded.
That was enough for him, and with a yawn, Owlowiscious set off. Tank, meanwhile, walked slowly to Rainbow Dash’s bed. He climbed up the covers and walked over to her sleeping form. He reached into his shell and pulled out a piece of paper. He nudged her and set it on top of her face.
Satisfied, he lowered himself onto the soft bed and pressed his body against hers. She didn’t budge. He yawned and closed his eyes.
He had had a night of flight, and now he had a morning to dream.
