The Lost Land of Dinotopia

Chapter 2: Crash

Octavia groaned, waking up hearing the local wild birds squawk and caw loudly outside her window. She sat up in her bed, seeing her vanity mirror at the other side of the room. She could see how crazy her bed head was from the unrestful sleep. She sighed, landing on all fours on the ground, walking to the vanity and grabbed her brush and started brushing her mane and tail to make them look nice. She found a clean bowtie and clipped it on around her neck.

Once done, she trotted out the door to the living room, smelling breakfast. She trotted down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. Vinyl was sitting patiently, like a puppy waiting for scraps, by Zhama as she cooked the eggs. Cloud Striker was busy reading the morning paper mainly the sports and weather sections. She looked up and smiled.

“Morning kiddo.” Striker smiled. Vinyl and Zhama turned and smiled.

“Yo, Tavi how’d you sleep?”

Octavia sniffed, trotting to the table. “I slept fine, Vinyl.” Vinyl snickered.

“Done.” Zhama announced, taking a towel and wrapping it around the handle, bit down on it and tilted the skillet so the eggs slid out onto a plate.

“Awesome!” Vinyl exclaimed, ready to eat but Zhama stopped her shaking her head.

“No Vinny, this is your mother’s.”

“Aww!” Vinyl whined watching Zhama take the plate and place it in front of Striker.

“Thank you, Zhama.” Zhama chuckled, seeing Vinyl pouting.

“If you are good Vinny, I’ll make yours next.” Zhama said with another chuckle as Vinyl looked at her with surprise.

“Next? What do you mean...”

Octavia giggled as she made herself a cup of coffee.

Everypony sat together at the small wooden table by the windows as they ate their breakfast of eggs and toast. Striker smiled, folding her paper, and placing it next to her plate. “Guess what I have planned for our fun time, girls.”

“What?” Vinyl asked. Zhama looked up from her meal, smiling. Octavia’s mouth was full of toast as she turned to Striker.

Striker grinned with a sigh. “How about we go island-hopping today?”

Octavia swallowed loudly. “What?!” The sisters both exclaimed.

Striker grinned. “You know, I checked the weather papers and they all said that we are clear of weather for a day or two and that means clear sailing for the hot air balloon.”

“Sweet!” Vinyl cheered as Octavia went pale.

“What? Flying? Hot air balloon? Over the ocean?”

Striker was chuckling. “Not to worry, girls, it’s just today. We’ll be back by sunset. Nothing too bad.”

“When are we going?” Octavia whimpered, feeling her fear of heights coming back to her.

“Oh... maybe after breakfast we’ll head for the airport. But first I need to get some supplies before flying.”

“Aw yeah! We get to go flying in the balloon.” Vinyl cheered.

“Oh dear, I’d rather stay her,” Octavia said quickly, glaring at her sister.

“Oh come on, Octy,” Striker said smiling. “It’ll be fun. Have some adventure.”

“Adventure was back when I was a filly, Mother.”

Striker frowned a touch at the tone. She turned back to her meal. Octavia sighed, turning away. This was the worst possible way to spend her vacation.

*    *    *    *

Striker left the general store carrying the items she had bought in her saddle bags. Vinyl and Octavia sat on a bench waiting. Vinyl got up first to greet her. She was dressed in her light blue jacket with her DJ-PON3 logo in black and purple on the back. Octavia was still wearing her bowtie and dressed in a light purple jacket that she had packed. Striker had mentioned that it might be nice on the surface but that it would get chilly in the air.

“Here, you go,” Striker called out, tossing a red object to Vinyl. Vinyl caught it with her magic, looking at it.

“Cool, a knife?”

“A Swiss army knife. You never know when you’ll need one.”

Vinyl smiled, using her magic to pull out all of the blades and accessories that came with the handle. "Cool."

Striker smiled, then took out another red Swiss army knife from the bag. “Here, you, too.” She said handing it to Octavia. Octavia took the knife, giving it a disdainful look.

“Uh, thank you, I guess, but I don’t need one, Mother.”

“Just take it, you never know you might need it.” Striker said, grinning. Octavia sighed and nodded, stuffing the knife into her jacket pocket.

“Alright, girls, let’s get going. We have daylight to burn.” Striker said, pulling on her shades and began trotting to the airport strip close by. Vinyl was practically hopping to the airport. Octavia remained glum, looking around. The closer they got to the large black top, Octavia became more stressed and annoyed. She sighed loudly.

“I hate flying.” She muttered.

“Oh come on, Octy it’ll be fun.” Striker tried again chuckling, with excitement. She had been waiting to do this with her girls for a long time. Vinyl stopped her hopping and sat down, seeing the hot air balloon already inflated waiting for them. Several zebras and ponies were already out on the airstrip getting hot air balloons ready for island tours or the giant private air ships for flight for the rich nobles. Vinyl turned to Octavia, tipping her shades forward on her nose so she could see her from the top of them.

“Why can’t we just leave her behind? She’s not going to have fun anyways.”

Octavia glared at her from the statement. “I hate to admit this, but Vinyl's right, I’d rather stay at the villa with Zhama. I'd be happier there.”

Sticker sighed, shaking her head. “Come on, Octavia this is way better than sitting around and reading your books and music sheets. You two came here for a vacation and by Celestia and Luna, I’m going to make you two have fun.”

Vinyl smiled at Octavia as Octavia glared at her. Vinyl snickered, jumping up and down.

"I'm so excited!" Vinyl cheered. Octavia snorted, rolling her eyes.

Striker trotted on the blacktop leading to the hot air balloon basket. She stepped inside, dropping her bags on the floor and checking the gages on the attachments she had added on this particular balloon years ago. Vinyl and Octavia climbed inside and watched Striker get everything set up. She let out a whistle and a pegasus stallion started untying the mooring ropes, keeping the basket in place.

Octavia whimpered a touch as she felt the basket lift up with the balloon. Vinyl snickered, pushing up her glasses to get a clearer look. She groaned from the bright light and set her shades back down on her snout, smiling. Striker smiled, pulling on some ropes and on the side of the basket small little strings popped out to help steer the balloon. They reached over the ocean and Octavia continued to shake at the bottom of the basket trying hard to keep from getting sick. She hated heights and hated flying. Vinyl on the other hoof was smiling, enjoying the breeze. Striker smiled seeing Vinyl laughing.

“Hey,” Striker called over the wind. Vinyl turned, Octavia looked up. “Vinny, want to control the balloon?”

“What? You can’t be serious.” Octavia asked with shock.

“Really?” Vinyl asked, excited.

“Yeah, kiddo, take a spin.” Striker used her wing to pull Vinyl up to the ropes. “Alright, just keep the balloon pointed towards the south-west. I was told by Old Man Bones in the store that there are storms about east of us. So keep heading south-west and we should be clear.”

Vinyl gulped, grabbing both ropes and sighed with a little fear at controlling the hot air balloon. Octavia gulped. “You cannot be serious!”

“Just make sure you don’t go into any giant fluffy clouds on the way, got it?” Striker said, patting Vinyl on the back.

Vinyl nodded. “Yeah, yeah I got it."

“Now, if you’ll excuse me.” The two younger mares watched their mother lay on the bottom of the basket and get comfortable, closing her eyes. “I might take a snooze.”

“WHAT?! Mother you can’t be serious!” Octavia shrieked. Striker smirked, keeping her shades over her eyes. “Mother!”

“It’s alright, Octy,” Vinyl called, smiling but concentrating as she watched the air and the clouds. “I know what I’m doing.

Octavia chuckled madly. “Oh yes. It’s alright Octy, I know what I’m doing. Well tell that to the water when we fall!”

Vinyl ignored her, continuing to watch her surroundings. Octavia sighed in defeat, leaning against the side and crossing her forearms across her chest with a snort.

They continued to float along with the wind in peace. Some birds flew past them towards the islands. Octavia was starting to fall asleep from exhaustion when she felt a rain drop hit her nose. She twitched her nose, then felt more moisture drop on her face.

“What?” Octavia whispered, opening her eyes and noticed that the sky was no longer bright blue, but a gloomy grey. “Vinyl?” She asked, sitting up. She turned to see Vinyl in deep focus on something, not even bothered by the rain falling on her face.

“Vinyl?” She asked again, sitting up and standing by her, patting her shoulder.

“Huh? What?” The unicorn jumped, turning to Octavia to see her worried face.

“Vinyl, are you alright? You were just staring at something.” She asked with concern.

Vinyl nodded, pushing her shades up her snout. “There’s something over there.” Vinyl said, pointing straight ahead into the thicker clouds. “Can’t you see it?”

“See what?” Octavia asked, leaning forward trying to see what Vinyl was seeing.

“Watch, straight ahead. When light flashes in the sky, you can see some sort of spot light or something pointing straight up into the air.”

Lightning flashed and Octavia gasped, seeing the bar of light. It was the most peculiar thing she had ever seen. It looked like some sort of beacon. Then suddenly her fur stood on end. She gasped again, looking around. “Vinyl, we’re in a thunderhead!”

“Huh?” Vinyl yelled, jumping and looking around for the first time seeing that Octavia was right. “How?” Thunder boomed, shaking the basket waking up the pegasus in the corner.

“Huh what- What’s ...” Striker yelped, sitting up looking around. She gasped, jumping up and pushing her daughters behind her. “I thought I told you not to go into big puffy clouds!”

“I-I-I was uh-” Vinyl stuttered panicking. Striker turned to her with a glare.

“Shut up and sit down and don’t touch anything metal you hear me!” Striker yelled out, trying to regain control of the situation. Octavia was really scared now. Vinyl was freaking out, wondering why she had blacked out. Suddenly her magic spiked.

“Bolt!” She cried out too late as lighting struck the balloon, causing a hole to rip open.

“Hang on!” Striker screamed out as the basket made a fast plummet to the ocean. Octavia and Vinyl both screamed, grabbing the basket to keep from flying out. The basket started to tilt, Vinyl fell into a corner causing it to tip drastically. Everypony was now flailing and screaming until they smacked into the water.

Striker immediately threw off her glasses and jacket trying to keep her wings out of the water. The sandbags attached to the basket weighed it down, making it sink faster into the water.

“We’re sinking!” Octavia screamed out as the giant purple fabric of the balloon went on top of them, covering their escape. Octavia tried to get up but the fabric was thick and the basket was sinking deeper in the water, pulling the three mares down with it.

Octavia yelped, covering her mouth to prevent from breathing in water. Vinyl swam up and grabbed Octavia to help her float. She turned to see an opening between the balloon fabric and the basket. She pushed Octavia out. Octavia turned to her, her mouth still covered with her front hooves. Vinyl pointed up. Octavia nodded with bubbles coming out of her nose as she started kicking wildly to the surface. Octavia was never a great swimmer but somehow the old saying just jump and swim worked wonders for her. She breached the surface coughing until another wave pushed her down. She breached again.

“Vinyl! Vinyl!” She screamed over the thunder, coughing.

Underwater Vinyl was swimming after the sinking basket. Striker was struggling in the ropes and the fabric of the balloon, she looked really tangled in the ropes. Vinyl swam closer to her, trying to get the ropes untied. Striker was shaking her head, bubbles flying everywhere. Vinyl reached into her pocket and found her Swiss Army knife and pulled out the largest blade. Striker was shaking her head and her wings popped out. One of the wings whacked Vinyl in the face knocking off her shades and knocking out her magic. Vinyl shook her head, holding her nose and mouth with her hoof trying not to breathe. She looked down in the darkness to see the red knife along with her signature shades sink with the basket.

She felt hooves grab her jacket. Vinyl turned to see her mother’s sad eyes. “I love you,” she mouthed. Vinyl’s eyes widened with fear. Vinyl felt her mother’s back hooves against her chest and with a hard shove Vinyl floated away. Vinyl blinked staring at her for a moment.

“GO!” Striker screamed out in the water. Vinyl blinked a few times but the urge for air won over her heart. She turned and started swimming. Striker blinked a few times then started to try and get out of her ropes as the basket continued to sink deeper into the ocean, pulling her into the depths.

Vinyl turned to see the last of the balloon disappear into the darkness. She looked back up to see Octavia’s form struggling to swim. Vinyl groaned and quickly paddled to the surface. She reached the surface with a deep gasp, coughing.

“Vinyl!” Octavia screamed out as thunder boomed again. Vinyl coughed, swimming towards her. “Where’s Mom?” Octavia screamed out again, forgetting her accent.

Vinyl shook her head. “I couldn’t get her!”

Octavia was in shock. “What do you mean you couldn't get her?”

“She’s gone Octy, got it!?” Vinyl snapped harshly. A wave pulled her into the water. Octavia gasped, grabbing Vinyl’s hood with her teeth, pulling her back up for air. Vinyl started hacking and coughing.

“Where can we go?” Octavia yelled out. Vinyl shook her soggy mane, looking around. She felt her magic spark and turned, realizing her magic was strongest to her right. Maybe that direction lead to the strange beacon of light, and that beacon could be on land. And land could mean help.

“We head this way!” Vinyl screamed out, starting to swim.

“Why?” Vinyl looked at Octavia for a long moment.

“Just follow me! This is the way to that light! I can feel it with my magic. Just swim!”

Octavia sighed and started swimming after her. She kept an eye on Vinyl’s vibrant blue mane as her beacon of hope. But the feeling of guilt and horror of losing another parent and this time a parent she loved, really felt like she was shot in the back. All she could do was to keep going and follow the last bit of family she had left.