Into Darkness

The ship waned and groaned as it soared haphazardly across the cycling sky of light and dark, the ship nigh lost power on several occasions but always managed to regain its wings. Bluestreak's navigation was off, but after fruitless searching, they finally reached the forest where Bluestreak's old friend hid himself for three years. A clearing presents itself, making a large enough space to land the ancient airship, the power cuts off just before it lands causing it to thump into the soft earth, making the ponies stumble around. Not a word is spoken as they wander through the dimming sun, but in the forest, it is already night. Small patches of flurried orange dart across the moist grass as the tired sun struggles to shine through. BlueStreak is the first to shatter the rustling silence.

"We're getting close, whatever you do, don't scream"

"What do you-" Aveela gasps, Bluestreak's hoof rushes to Aveela's mouth to silence her as they walk. Around them, countless sets of four yellow eyes follow them from the pitch black brush as they navigate a narrow path.

"You'll startle them"

"Wh-what are they?"

"Spidocks, well, some of them are, you can trust them" BlueStreak answers,

"Our friend, he's-"

"-Obsessed with Arcane contraptions"

Darker shades of movement flitter through the air with a bright blue glow, rushing around the trio. A large mound of a hill looms over them as they near, something strikes their curiosity up ahead. Metal glints from the sun's last ray, before disappearing over the horizon. A heavily rusted door reveals itself with a slight welcome of light pouring from rusted cracks. The sounds of an industrial complex blares towards their ears as the door grinds open, cringing Bluestreak's metallic ear. They walk in, Bluestreak leading the way. The Spidocks, lit by the light appear to be like giant ants in nature, some with stones glowing from their bodies, others with more advanced gear bolted to their abdomens, small little wasp like entities patrol around, their blue stingers ready to attack anything that so happens to barge into the secret cavern, though they seem to ignore the presence of the three entering, larger versions carry the beams, most of which being dropped due to the haste the refineries that spit the metal out.

Amongst the busy robots welding intricate machines and rows of intriguing  tools shaking from the clumsy hot metal beams getting hauled away from opposite of the entrance, the trio can barely see a bage colored pony  working on the central project, most of it which is covered by long white clothes. The pony's features are greasy fur, two metallic arms harnessed on his back swivel around, aiding his work another patched up metal leg appears attached on the front left. A pair of patched welding goggles are strapped above his forehead scuffling the front of his spiky mane, a short tail zigzags downwards behind him, his cutie mark features a developed sword, whose hilt is acting as a gear piece to another cog.

To the left and right of the rocky cavern, a pair of entrances work themselves past a bunch of doors constantly opening and closing from robots skittering through, some bringing back large colored glowing rocks of blue. The working pony barely notices Bluestreak before dropping one of his tools in surprise. After working his way through the crowded cavern Bluestreak and his apparent friend are hugging tightly.

"It's been too long Blue"

"You remember us?! Last I noticed your memory was-"

"Still the usual chatter beak I see Striker" Sword Gear chuckles as he cuts off the little hawk. Striker rolls his eyes.

"I see you've been busy Sword Gear" Bluestreak says.

Sword Gear looks behind him, turning back with an embarrassed smile.

"You could say that, but Bluestreak, what brings you-" Sword Gear looks behind the blue pegasus

"-and your friend here? It's been three years"

"You can fix an airship, right?"

"well of course, I did spend a part of my career servicing a few wooden vessels"

"Well-" Bluestreak pauses, scratching his head.

"It's a bit more complicated-"

Sword Gear's ears manage to perk up more than one should.

"Is it, a different material?"

"Well you cou-"

"YES, Sword, it's different from equestrian designs, my god you two are bad at fishing the words from your brains" Striker yells.

"And I don't suppose you know a thing or two about airships?" Bluestreak questions.

"Well, yeah, it's not like I spy on both of you reading books at night all those years ago, or the fact that I've been with metal ear here staring at airships with fat balloons passing overhead as we traveled." Striker shoots back with obvious delight.

Aveela giggles, before shying away from Sword Gear's eyes.

"And that would be?"

"Aveela, she's a friend"

"Of course, a close enough friend to be trusted, let's go take a look at that ship" Sword Gear shoots a nod towards her direction before trotting through the rusted entrance. Bluestreak and Striker glance at each other before following.

Sword Gear's mouth hangs open for a long moment, Striker tilts his head awkwardly towards the greased earth pony beside Bluestreak.

"You're kidding right?" Sword Gear exclaims, in obvious excitement

"Not really, it's barely able to fly" Bluestreak answers.

"No, you don't understand, these are ANCIENT, I thought these were..... h- how did you find this?"

"You should ask Aveela, she found it" Striker answers.

Aveela's eyes flicker from staring at the ship towards Bluestreak before looking to the ground.

"I was, I just found it when I was walking"

"Where was this found?"

"Near Cloudsdale in a nearby forest"

"Everfree..." Sword Gear finishes

"Certainly wasn't Everfree" BlueStreak corrects.

"Can you fix it?" The hawk flitters before Sword Gear's face

"Hell yes I can fix this! Give me two days, and it will be good as new"

Sword Gear dashes off, leaving the trio in the light of the moon. Aveela looks towards the blue duo.

"Camp here?"

The two glance at each other before looking back once more.

"Sure" "Yeah"

They agree simultaneously.

The same void presents itself whilst Bluestreak wanders the rotting airship in his dreams. Aveela's ghastly figure, as well as the strange dark figure behind her is no longer where he found them. The Darkness has cleared, and the mysterious lights from afar dance upon Bluestreak as he watches the beauty. Islands of dark rock float seamlessly across the horizon, appearing to all have flat surfaces atop them with jagged spikes lowering towards the gray fog below.

Something stands out, it nears the floating derelict Bluestreak stands on, the figure is large, it's enormous wings vigorously propel the figure forward. It roars fiercely echoing harshly across the dim lit space, its voice is distant, almost a deep whisper.

"Hear me, whelp, for I hold the key to your demise!"

The figure fades, almost as if it were an apparition, its gaping maw swings up from below the shattered ship, startling Bluestreak backwards from the shredded edge. Its white eyes glare menacingly at Bluestreak as the pony begins stepping back. Before a move can be made, a violent mist envelopes the pegasus with pain.

The void turns into day as Bluestreak lifts his head up in cold sweat, Striker is not far away, having noticed the sudden gasp for breath.

"Blue, are you sure those dre-"

"I'm fine Striker!" Bluestreak exclaims cutting off Striker's sentence. Taking flight, the hawk lands before Bluestreak as he stands up, almost halting the pegasus.

"When did you get those nightmares?"

Bluestreak pauses for a second.

"I'm, not sure Striker, I'll have to think about it, let's just go for a walk"

The blue duo trot off from the small dying campfire as the sun's rays begin to shine between a few clouds on Aveela's icy fur, leaving her to awaken at the distant clattering of metal welding and hammering works itself on the ancient vessel moments later.

With Blue and Striker nowhere in sight, Aveela decides to wander over to the busy vessel.

Swarms of Spidocks and flying metallic wasps of various sizes carry about their business, some skitter over to their master earth pony, receiving commands as they work.

"Morning, Aveela was it?"

Sword Gear's focus is still turned towards the airship.

"Yes, h-hello Sword Gear"

"Your ship is coming along nicely, I envy a chance to fly"

"why don't you come with us then?"

Sword Gear lets out a winded sigh.

"I'd love to but, I've got these lads to tend to, they're, family to me, as strange as it sounds, they think on their own, but they understand that I created each and every one one of them, plus this rust bucket can't hold every single Spidock, or my other projects"

Aveela stares precariously at some of the Spidocks with glowing stones protruding from their abdomen.

"They're powered by Enerstone?"

Sword Gear appears surprised, turning towards her.

"You know about the magical stones as well?"

Aveela perks up.

"Y-yeah, I learned about them from a journal in the airship, I have it laying at the top section, what about you?"

"It took a few years when I was a foal, but I was able to make my first Spidock using a small shard, maybe you can show me the journal after this?"

Aveela nods.

Sword Gear looks toward a few spidocks, he gives them each an order before turning back to Aveela.

"So why are you here Sword Gear?"

"Expanding my knowledge" Sword Gear enigmatically smiles.

Before Aveela asks any further, Bluestreak and Striker come back from the forest in their usual silence, though a noise behind them says otherwise.

A familiar sound hisses through Bluestreak's ears as he turns his head towards camp, it looms before him like a dark mountain, leaving behind a wilting forest, and a flaming hill, the same hill Sword Gear called home.