Before Flight

Chapters

First Flight
The Storm
The Cloud
The Heartwind
Aether Wind
Looming Thunder

First Flight

Coral lifted an eyebrow. “Really? You flew?”
Aether shook her head excitedly.
“So what was it like?”
Aether inhaled. “Flight is the most invigorating experience in all of existence.” A smile spread across her face. “You're toeing the brink of life and death: at once you're terrified for your life, and yet you feel absolutely amazing.” The pegasus giggled to herself. “It's like the wind is caressing every feather—the feeling is like no other. The world just feels a bit brighter. I feel like I'm fulfilling my destiny!” Aether's voice trailed off, a dazed grin spread across her face.
The blue mare stared in disbelief. “You joking, right Aether? Everyone knows we can't fly.”
Overhearing the conversation, a bright orange pegasus with a cerulean mane began trotting over.
Aether began, “Well, not on my own, but—”
The male pegasus combed back his mane and addressed Aether: “You actually believe you can fly?” He chuckled. “Only the Bats can fly—our wings just aren't made for that sort of thing. After all,” he added, holding up his hoof, “the Codex says: 'None are appointed to fly but the batponies, the chosen of Avondale. Unto them are bestowed the keys of flight.' And the Codex is never wrong,” he concluded.
“Blitz, you read their verses too much,” Aether asserted. “Just because we don't have leathery wings doesn't mean we can't fly! If you'd just give it a go, you'd see you could fly too!”
“Hmph. You were just imagining yourself flying—you have an overactive imagination.”
“But I did! I really did fly!” Aether protested.
“Then why don't you fly now? Show me!” demanded Blitz.
Aether snorted. “Well I need a wind to fly!”
Coral tilted her head. “Why is that?”
Turning back, she explained, “My wings are still too weak to pull myself off the ground. I have to be listening for the wind so my wings can be open at the same time as the wind is blowing.”
“Oh, that's no excuse,” retorted Blitz snidely.
“No! It's not an excuse! It's just how flight works! A good headwind gives you lift, and—”
Blitz shook his head lightly and began trotting up the street. “Give up your blasphemy, Aether! Our feathery wings were not made to fly!” he called behind his back.
Aether narrowed her eyes and soured her lips in frustration.
Coral shook her head in agreement. “The winds are far too rough to fly in; you'd just end up hurting yourself. You know the story of my great-grandfather taking off his wing cover: he had rebelled against the bats as well, thinking he could fly. After opening his wings to fly, a tailwind hit him and broke his wings forward.” She shook her head. “He never recovered. That's why we need the covers: to protect us!”
“But the winds aren't evil, they—”
“The winds are not in our favour! My ancestor thought he could stabilize himself, but he was wrong! You don't need flight anyway,” she added. “The bats have shown us flight already. It's good enough to enjoy their stories. The Codex is full of them! You don't have to try and make up your own!”
“Why do you think we even have wings!?” Aether asked, throwing up her hooves. “It's not just the batponies that can fly! Look. All our lives, we've been taught about their 'superiority, majesty, and grace,' but have you ever once tried to fly yourself? How could you know that it doesn't work without trying it for yourself?”
Coral furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She closed it.
“I'm not making it up! Come with me to the cliff; I'll show you!”
The blue mare paused, glancing at the pegasi around her. Then, biting her lip, she shook her head. “Maybe later. I . . . I need to tend to the shop.” She hurried back up the street and through her door.

Aether shook the memory from her mind. Focus. That was weeks ago.

From the top of the peak, the two mares could see the entire valley below, lit by the rising sun. Woodburn lay small in the distance, with the eastern desert spreading beyond. The winds died down for a moment and Aether removed her wing cover. Her mane's white streaks practically glowed in the sunlight. Stretching out her wings, she motioned for Canary to do the same.

Her friend hesitated, prancing from hoof to hoof. “It would feel too weird removing it—I mean, everyone wears them.”

Aether frowned. “Why? Why do we even wear them?”

Canary fumbled over her words. “Be-because it-it's awkward to show your wings in public! What, you think we should parade around naked?” She threw up a hoof in exasperation.

Aether rolled her eyes. “Look. If we're going to be fliers, we'll have to get used to seeing each other without them on. Besides,” she added, “it's not awkward if no one is wearing them.”

Her friend wasn't budging.

“Here, let me help you.” Aether moved to grab the white sash wrapped around her friend.

Canary quickly held up her hoof between them, pushing her away. “No. I'm fine.” Canary slipped off her cover and cautiously opening up her wings. “It feels so weird,” she stated, staring at her open wings, “I'm not sure if—” A gust of wind cut her off, knocking her off her hooves. She flailed wildly at the ground beneath her, unable to grab anything on the rocky surface. “AETHER!”

Aether darted after Canary's tail, biting it just before she blew off the cliff. Aether braced herself against the rocks and reigned in Canary like a kite. Meanwhile, Canary tried to stop hyperventilating.

“It's okay!” Aether promised. “The winds just do that sometimes; you have to embrace it! They won't hurt you if you're not fighting them,” she reminded.

Canary raised her eyebrow suspiciously. “There's a reason we keep our wing covers on—these winds are insane! No way I'm just going to let them blow me around!”

Aether placed her hoof on Canary's shoulder, mustering her best puppy dog eyes. “Please? Just give it a go.” She smiled, hoping it would spread over to her friend's face.

Though visibly shaken, the yellow mare nodded. “If you could do it . . . then so can I.” Canary nodded to assure herself of this.

The two mares positioned themselves back onto the edge of the cliff, and Aether began instruction. “As I was saying, you need to trust the wind. It's really the easiest way—if we try and fly without the wind's help, we'll get exhausted. On the other hand, if we keep our wings shut when the wind is trying to lift us, we'll just get exhausted from fighting against it.” Aether spread her wings. “I need you to mirror me, okay?”

The yellow mare shakily opened her wings in response.

Aether chuckled. “Relax! You look like you want to hide under your bed!” She gave her friend a little punch.

Canary blushed, wings cringing at the tips. “I nearly fell off the cliff, in case you forgot!”

Aether nodded cheerfully. “Yep! And that's what started it all for me! In fact,” Aether moved closer, leaning against Canary. “Maybe a little shove—”

Canary pushed back her friend. “Don't even think about it,” she commanded, eyes narrowing. Canary lifted her wings regally, ready for the wind to lift her.

Aether felt a gentle breeze push at her right wing quickly followed by her left. Southern wind. “Turn right!” she commanded abruptly, “A wind is coming!” Below them, the trees bent as if a massive creature ploughed through their thicks. A howl arose as the wind played through the forest below like pipes. Aether's feathers rustled in harmony with the leaves, anticipating the blast. Nearly there, she calculated, a smile growing on her lips.

Bam! The wind knocked the two pegasi off their feet and into the air. The wind blew their bodies off the cliff like crumbs wiped off a table. “KEEP YOUR WINGS OPEN!” Aether shouted at her terrified friend, straining with all her might to do the same.

“AAAAAAHHHH!!” Canary responded.

A familiar warm breeze came from below, pushing the two mares upwards. Aether began laughing. “Woo hoo! Now this is living!” she shouted, seeing Canary rise as well.

Canary began to tremble. “He. He he. Hahahahah! Oh Aether, we're flying!”

Aether grinned back at her friend. “Now loosen up before you hurt yourself—your wings are stiff as boards! You'll be sore for days if you don't relax!”

As best she could, the yellow mare let up the tension in her muscles. It actually felt nice—the air caressed her every feather, making them tingle in excitement.

Their bodies moved like clouds in the wind, as if the pegasi were part of the air itself. Aether smiled from the familiar surge of energy and glided in a wide circle over and under her friend.

Canary, on the other hoof, had had little more than survival on her mind as she glided. Her fear paused when she saw Aether pass below her: her friend's eyes glowed a bright gold, as if they were on fire. “Aether? You're glowing!”

“Ha ha, thanks! You've got a bit of shimmer yourself!” ending with a wink.

Canary sighed. “No, literally! You—”

“Aim left of that tall tree there,” Aether interrupted, motioning towards a dark pine in front of them. “There's a little space we can squeeze into if we're careful—” but her voice trailed off as she heard the snapping of branches behind her. “Or not.”

Aether brushed leaves out of Canary's mane as they walked down the forest path.

“You can see why the bats write so highly of it,” Canary began, “I've never felt so alive!”

Aether bobbed her head in agreement. “It just keeps getting better!”

A leaf fell in front of Aether, brushing her nose as it fell. “What's been keeping us from it? It feels so natural . . . ”

“Uh, maybe the fact that we never use our wings, and anyone who even thinks about it is written off as mad?”

“But why is that!?”

Canary paused. I wonder where it started... “My dad told me his library had a journal hidden in it somewhere; I'm sure it says something about it.”Canary brightened. “Oh, I can't wait to tell the others about this! They'll be so excited to know they can fly! Everyone should know what it feels like!”

“I hope you're right.” Aether grimly pursed her lips.

A few trees later Canary asked, “So what was with that glowing?” Canary worried whether she should have asked; the smile on Aether's face edged on insanity.

“I get this same kick every time I fly! I feel . . . ” She closed her eyes in thought. “I feel like I'm fulfilling my purpose in life; as if the whole of Avondale is rooting for me!”

Canary furrowed her eyebrows. Did I feel that? She remembered feeling good, but not that good. “How do you know it's not just in your head?”

Aether shrugged happily. “I don't. But that's just how I feel.”

The two mares nearly skipped home, hearts still pounding with excitement from the fall.

“Please Chartreuse; you need to give it a try, at least!”

“No, I don't.” The light green colt shrugged off the yellow mare. “I've never flown before, and I'm not about to now. The wind just doesn't work like that for me.” He began to pace away.

“Well have you actually opened your wings?” Canary shouted after him.

He paused. “I did once. And it did feel great, but it's too dangerous—the wind could snap you in half. Besides. Imagine if you had your wings open in public; how embarrassing would that be?” Chartreuse shook his head. “We just can't do that in this world.” Closing his ears to their explanations, he left the two mares standing in the centre of the street.

Canary felt Aether's hoof over her shoulders.

“He'll turn around someday,” Aether reassured her.

The yellow mare nodded, still staring at the dirt passing below her. Then, her head shot up. “Coral! She'll listen!” she said, half to Aether, half to herself, and ran up the street. Ever since Canary had lost her parents, Coral Blue had taken her on as her own. Though Coral was closer in age to an older sister, Canary still considered her a mother.

They arrived soon at Coral's house and let themselves in. Coral took offence at friends knocking on the door. “You belong here!” she would protest.

“But I really did! I did fly!”

The mare shook her head, her wavy violet mane moving with her. “You two don't need to make up stories to make yourselves feel better. Just stick with the truth—that's why the bats say we only need the codex: it's a perfect source of truth. We don't need any other book, so you two don't need any other story.”

Canary stomped her hoof. “Why can't you believe us! It happened!”

“No, it can't!”

“Well have you ever tried?”

Coral bit her lip. “I did once . . . But it didn't work. The one time I tried to fly, the one time I needed it most, I got nothing. I was on the edge of killing myself, and the winds did nothing to help me!”

Canary raised her eyebrows in concern. “Why did you never tell me?”

Coral sniffled. “I don't want to hurt you, Canary. You and Aether need to go now. But remember: the winds are not in our favour; don't try and fool yourself otherwise.” Placing her hoof on Canary's face, she added, “and I don't want to see you hurt.”

The two mares lay on their favourite hill at sunset. The hill lay north of Woodburn, just before the forest line began.

“Chimera,” decided Aether.

Canary scrunched her eyes. “No, I'm definitely seeing a dragon.”

The winds carried the shapeless clouds as fast as Canary's thoughts. There has to be somebody out there who would listen... “Aether?”

“Hmm?”

“Why don't they see?”

A halting voice answered from below their hooves: “I'd like to see.” A thin grey mare stepped over to them, entering their field of vision. “I-I overheard you speaking to some of the ponies in the town...” Cirrus kicked at the dirt for a moment. Summoning her courage, she asked hurriedly, “Did you really fly? Can you show me?”

A smile spread from Canary to Aether. “We'd love to~”

The Storm

NightLight wandered through the cloudy terrain, his grey coat melding seamlessly with the somnial clouds. He was a lone unicorn in this aphotic realm. If I could only get my magic to do what I wanted it to do . . .
His face screwed up in concentration as he focused on an image of his horn lighting up. NightLight felt his body begin to shake at the mental strain of bringing the image into reality. The horn began glowing faintly, hardly enough to see beyond his hoof. Whisps of shadows began circling his horn like moths by a lantern, eating at the light he was generating.

Come on! he thought, I need more light! Despair was poisoning his concentration: it seemed the more effort he poured into the spell, the more the shadows ate at his light. NightLight yelled out in a final burst of energy and his horn flared up. For a moment, it illuminated his midnight blue mane and the hill around him, but it quickly fizzled out, consumed by darkness. NightLight released the spell entirely and dropped his head in exhaustion. Though his horn faintly glowed, the shadows blocked out nearly all of its light.

A faint rustle sounded behind him. NightLight spun around to see hundreds of misty beings standing in the distance: a hoard of dark creatures set to destroy. The army charged in silence. Eyes wide in panic, NightLight summoned the remainder of his energy, releasing it in one last burst. Like a bubble popping, the glowing ceased, and the unicorn collapsed to the ground. His eyes slid shut just as the denizens beset him.

Aether's primary feathers twitched, signalling an oncoming wind.

“BEAR RIGHT, CIRRUS! BEAR RIGHT!!”

As calculated, the oncoming burst of wind arrived and nearly sent the steely grey mare hurdling into the cliff face. A sharp adjustment on her part just saved her from crashing, instead landing her on the cliff face on all fours. Blitz had pulled in his wings to drop out of the way, now gliding easily below.

Since Cirrus had joined them, other pegasi began trickling in from the town. Several had come in scepticism, like Blitz, but many came out of hope. Their trio had expanded over the past few months into a small band of fliers, just over a dozen. Though it felt awkward at first, flight was finally beginning to feel natural for the newcomers.

Since she had first flown three months ago, Aether had spent each waking hour (and then some) at the cliffs, perfecting her form and learning new skills. Canary sometimes worried for her friend: she hardly slept and would often forget to eat. In response, Canary regularly packed her saddlebags with food, carrying it up to her friend to make sure she ate. Everyone had to admit though: Aether was a spectacle. No one could even come close to her flying prowess.

Feeling a slight warmth from below, Aether nodded towards the flock of five hovering to her left.

“Got it.” replied Canary. Taking aim, she dove down to the flock and shouted commands. The mess of pegasi scrambled to regain control as the warm undercurrents threw them around.

Though flight was impossible without them, the winds had grown no kinder since Canary's first flight. The icy north and arid south both sent winds which battled over Woodburn, leaving chaos in their wake. The town was always on the brink of a storm, and the winds showed it.

Noting the start of a cool breeze, Aether called all of the fledgling pegasi into a cove, out of the wind's attacks. She motioned for the twelve pegasi to sit in a circle and beamed at her newfound followers. “You're all progressing wonderfully; you've learned so much! Just think: a few months ago, you didn't even believe it possible you could fly! Aria,” the light-blue mare ducked her head in embarrassment. “Just a few days ago, you were crashing through the forest, but look at you now! You're flying!”

“But I'm still eons behind all of you!” she protested, “I keep losing control; I can't even tell an updraft from a downdraft!”

Aether shook her head. “Look. If you want to progress, then don't compare yourself to others; only compare yourself to your old self: how you are and how you were. Nothing else matters. Imagine yourself, just a few weeks ago. What did you think when you felt the wind?”

Confusion flashed over her face. “I guess I felt a bit annoyed. They bothered me, so I tried to avoid them.”

“And what do you think now?”

Aria grimaced. “Worried I won't ever get it down.”

Aether beamed. “See how your thoughts changed? You're thinking of flying when you feel the wind; you want to progress and get better!”

A smile grew at Aria's lips.

“You see, progression is the mark of a true flier, and you're certainly becoming one.” Aether again addressed the rest of the group. “You all are. But you're mostly working on your own power right now; you're not using the wind fully. You need to trust it with your life.”

Blitz spoke up. “How can we! That's crazy! One gust the wrong way and we would all die!” The others nodded in agreement.

Aether nodded slowly. “And that's why you need to start listening for it. Right now, you're only trying to listen to it.” Aether paused to let the thought sink in. “You're so worried about the wind that every time you feel it, you panic, which slows down your reaction time. You need to be listening for it actively.”

With equal interest and annoyance Chartreuse piped up. “You tell that to us nearly every day, but what does it even mean? We're all listening for it! What makes you so different?”

“I'm not different; I . . . ” Aether paused, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. Scanning over the small group, she barked: “Everyone! Open your wings, as wide as you can!”

The group lifted their wings hesitantly, wing tips crossing over their neighbour's.

“Now open them wider,” she commanded.

A few faces winced from exertion as their wings unfurled a feather farther.

Aether shook her head. “Relax. If you had opened them as wide as you could the first time, you wouldn't have been able to open them any wider. This is rule number one: give it all you have. If you really want to get good at flying, you can't hold anything back.”

Cirrus and Aria nodded in determination while the others made like gestures.

Circling in the opposite direction, Aether continued. “Okay. Lesson two.” Aether motioned for Canary to stand up. Addressing the rest, she ordered, “Let your wings open now, comfortably. Close your eyes and listen.” Aether and Canary walked around the circle, flapping gusts of wind at each of the pegasi's wings, making their feathers flutter in response.

“Now whenever I blow on your wing,” Aether continued, “I want you to stroke back with the same wing, with the same force. Push back the bursts of air as they come.”

Aether and Canary waved gusts of air at each of the pegasi's wings. As their feathers twitched in response, they moved their wings in sync with their instructors, paddling the air between them in a gentle rhythm.

Satisfied, Aether allowed them to open their eyes. “This is listening for the wind. If you really want to soar, train yourself to listen for the winds so your response to their fluctuations comes naturally. Only once you hear the gust of the wind over the shouting of the city are you ready for true flight.”

Coral and Cirrus smiled, along with the few other pegasi who were getting it. Reactions around the rest of the circle varied from Aria's confusion to Blitz's frustration. StormChaser exchanged glances with Skye, checking that they were equally confused.

“What I'm saying is that rather than just responding to the winds when they shake you, you need to make it your focus in life to be one with them. Try going through an entire day with your wings open—keep them spread, listening for even the slightest whisper of a wind. Any time you sense its push, try and respond to its promptings. If it blows you left, go left! If it blows you right, go right! Move where the wind directs.”

Blitz's eyebrow was so high, it could have left his face. “Are you crazy? What if it blows you off a cliff‽ Are we still supposed to follow it?”

“Yes.” Aether hesitated. “Well . . . You see, Avondale has a mind of its own—a sort of consciousness to it. If you listen carefully with your heart, you'll feel it, but if you keep resisting the wind, you'll be exhausted, and miss your chances to fly. We're not trying to fly in spite of the wind, we're flying because of the wind. Ignoring the wind makes you exhausted from fighting it, but trying to fly without the wind will also exhaust you. You'll only reach your ultimate potential when you're working as one with Avondale.”

“But we can't be the same calibre as the bats are. Is it really even worth that much effort?”

Aether motioned towards Canary, who grabbed something from her saddlebag.

“Canary has something to show you all, which should open your eyes a bit,” Aether said.

The yellow pegasus moved centre circle, holding a leather-bound book under her right wing.

“Is that a book!? Where did you get that from?!” Cirrus padded forwards. “I thought the Cloud had destroyed them all!”

Canary held out the book for them to see. “My grandfather hid it away—it wasn't easy to find, but I got it!” Canary smiled with glee. “Aether and I have been studying it over the past few weeks. It's my great-great-grandfather's journal, which dates back before the bats rose to power.”

Feathers ruffled in excitement. “Before? Weren't they always in power?” asked Coral.

Canary beamed. “The way my grandfather writes, it seems like they'd never even seen bats before! He hardly even mentions them earlier on, just in this excerpt.” Canary smiled to herself and read from a few pages in:

“At lunchtime, Icicle and I saw Lou trying to drink her chocolate milk through her nose—what a freak! So Ice called her batty, and she started crying. Ahaha

It was funny until we heard Ms. Flourish behind us. She tried to get him to apologize, but geez, who's cares? I say we've never even had bats at our school. It doesn't matter, she says, it's still not nice. Then Ice asks if she's even ever met a bat! No, I don't think so, he says. But that didn't help.

We both had to stay after school and write a paragraph about respecting cultures. At least he didn't call her a leatherwing or Ms. Flourish would makes us write a whole paper!”

“Though it may sound blasphemous, leatherwing used to be an insult!” Canary held back her laughter. “So it sounds like the bats kept to themselves before the war. Even then, he only writes in some rumours of bats attacking from the Northern Mountains, probably from Dusk.”

Aether interjected. “But that's not even the best part! He kept record of aerial battles, fought by pegasi!!”

The group collectively gasped and checked if they had heard right.

“Pegasi?”

“They were flying before?” Cirrus asked.

Canary nodded. “And it wasn't just one or two flyers! The battles were massive! Get this:

'Hundreds of pegasi have been drafted for the battle of Breeze—'”

“Breeze?”

Aether waved her hoof dismissively. “It's a town a bit to the south. Probably a coastal town.”

Canary picked up. “So as his journal goes, it sounds like they're winning the war, despite the heavy casualties. They think it's nearly over until the first bat comes.” Canary flipped open to a spot halfway through the journal.

A trio of bats landed in city centre today. Bats! Of all the things in Avondale . . . They wore a bright silvery armour, with the same insignia as their flag: a shield on a crescent moon. Probably some splinter group from the main bat colonies.

They demanded surrender and said they'd 'destroy us' if we didn't.

Said they'd destroyed Breeze and would do the same to us. Please, their wings hardly get them off the ground. They're way too flimsy to be any good. We could destroy them in a heartbeat.

Canary grimaced. “Two days later, the entire Cloud comes through.”

First tens, then hundreds—the sky went black with bats.

We had no choice but surrender.

They call it a 'Revolution', but it's just a slaughter.

Aether piped up again. “And he doesn't even mention the war afterwards! The bats must have completely wiped the board!”

Canary nodded. “We figured that since the towns were fighting between themselves, it must've been a struggle to even stay alive. The bats would have been able to take them out in a single advance.”

“That's when they start trying to control us,” Aether growled. “It wasn't just physically—it was mentally too.” Aether waved for Canary to read on.

Their demands are completely unreasonable! They think we'll just give up flight? Like that'll happen. Then I suppose they'll get us to stop eating and breathing?

“But they do give it up,” Canary commented, flipping forwards a few pages. “They have to, because—”

Anyone who insisted on flying was put to death. Those that speak up disappear. The bats say they've been sent to Corporis: some underground prison apparently. Loads think they're just killing them off, but I'm sure the bats would do it publicly, like the martyrs before.

My bet is that it's some sort of mindwashing facility: try and torture the flight out of them. No one has come back yet to tell, so we can't know. Maybe we never will. One of those things.

“What!” Chartreuse yelled out, wide-eyed. “What are we doing flying then! It's not safe!”

Aether smiled. “Oh, this was nearly a century ago! Besides, what matters more to you? Which feeling would you prefer: flying or fear?”

“Are you kidding? Angel and I have a family! You can't expect us to really put flight above that!”

“If you care anything about your family, then you'll want them to fly! There's nothing better in the whole world! How can you keep them from their destiny—it's what we were made for!”

Angel stomped her hoof, standing with her husband. “They could be hurt! You can't expect us to stay here if it endangers them!”

Canary placed her hoof over Aether's opening mouth and intervened, “Family should be first. If we want to help them be as happy as possible, then they'll need to embrace their destiny. The purpose of life is not for it to be easy; it's not to be pure. The purpose of life is to learn and grow! They'll have to leave the cradle. They'll have bad times, yes, but they're what allow you to have your best times. Ups and downs are how we live life—without them, we'd have no heartbeat.”

Before anyone else could raise arguments, Aether shouted out, “The batponies have suppressed our flight for too long! It's time we reject their lies and live the way Avondale designed us to live: Flying!!”

The small band whooped in harmony. Skye and Lilac bumped hooves while Angel and Cirrus fluttered their wings in excitement. Aether smiled as a wind blew past them, as if Avondale were voicing its excitement.

Canary closed her book and held it to her side like a baby. “So what will we call ourselves?”

Aether looked out on the horizon towards dark clouds looming in the east. “The Storm.” Determination was tattooed on her face. “The bats have reigned for too long in this world. It's time for a second revolution.”

Glorious sketch of Canary from the talented Vincher!

The Cloud

A grey colt stood his ground atop a dark hill surrounded by shadowy figures. The unicorn shot bolts of light from his horn, dispersing the monsters one by one. Though the encroaching armies were silent, NightLight could feel the endless masses surrounding him. He panted, exhausted by the sustained effort.

Just one more! ZAP‼

One more. zap!

One more~

But he only managed a few sparks. As the hoard approached, he lowered his head in despair, readying himself for death.

I can't do this, he told himself. In the same voice, a response came: You don't have to.
The cloud cover opened up, and darkness gave way to light. A beam of light burst through, surrounding him in a pillar of light. He felt tingly, as if the light were giving him new energy. The unicorn raised his head and fired another shot.

zap.

The bolt of energy barely left the hill. NightLight shook his head. It's just too much work! Even with this light, I can't keep it up! He shut his eyes in frustration.

You don't have to; just let it flow.
An image came clearly to his mind: the pillar of light concentrated itself on his horn, and the beam reflected out into the hoard. NightLight forced the image to the centre of his mind and began to feel his horn tingle. A jolt of energy passed through him, causing his eyes to shoot open. Just as he had envisioned, a ray of pure white shot from his horn, decimating the crowd of enemies.

But physical exhaustion still took its toll—it took all his effort to hold the image in his mind. As he swept the ray of light over each of the denizens they dissolved into mist, and the beam of light vaporised row after row of the creatures. Though he was still tired, the beam continued on its own, without draining his own energy. NightLight's eyes widened with the realization. A smile spread over his face as he rejected death's embrace.

Aether peeked around the back corner of her house. Two guards were passing around the corner, patrolling the city. The guard made it so hard to leave unnoticed, Aether would have slept at the cliffs if it weren't for the sore wakeup. Still, she was surprised she hadn't been called in for inquisition. Perhaps they already knew she was the leader. The idea didn't scare her: their threats just made her treasure flight all the more, since any flight could be her last.

She tapped her hooves impatiently. The dream played vividly in her mind for the tenth time this morning—it had been months since she'd had such a powerful dream. She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. The same pillar of light . . . That unicorn shooting out light . . . The shadowy figures . . . Why do I keep seeing them? Is it some symbol for trusting Avondale?

The guards passed and a burst of adrenaline cleared Aether's mind. She darted across the street and hopped the three fences to Canary's place.

Tap tap tap tap. Aether placed her ear against Canary's back door and waited for a response.

The only sound was her own heartbeat. Thump thump. Thump thump.

Her brow furrowed. Nothing. Aether tapped again. No response. She trotted in a small circle. Was Canary out? Could she have forgotten? Did she already head up? Canary had seemed sick last time—maybe she was too weak to go today.

Aether glanced down the street. The guards' patrolling had a very small blind window, just as the second and third guards crossed paths. Aether's pacing quickened. Worse come to worst, I'll just see her tomorrow. Aether cantered from the house, heading straight towards the forest. She arrived at the city's edge just before the second guard passed the corner. Aether took a deep breath and broke into a gallop. One. Two. Three... Aether dashed across the clearing towards the forest line. It was nearly a perfect Twenty-three seconds before the next guard would round the city corner. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen... She had about three more seconds before the next guard would round the corner. Twenty-one! She pumped her wings and dove into the brambles. Twenty-three.

Aether's heart was still pounding as she ran through the forest, but now in excitement. She took two preparatory steps and bounded into the air, landing on a branch for a half second. Using its spring, Aether launched herself through the treetops. Her eyes slid shut and her wings spread wide in ecstasy.

The sun was setting behind her as Aether overlooked their valley. They had finished the daily exercises and were finishing with a game of aerial tag. It was Canary's idea to add the dimension of flight to the game, allowing them to use the trees and nooks in the cliff that they'd never reached before. Where is she? Aether bit her lip. It's probably nothing. She's just sick . . . Aether frowned. She wished she had tried her house again before sunset.
Aether's ears to perked up at a distant hum. She lifted her gaze and saw a dark mass looming on the horizon. It was growing quickly, approaching from the northern mountains. That's no cloud. Eyes widening, she dove down to her students and yelled, “The Cloud is coming! Everyone take cover!”

Panic infected the students as they fled under bushes, up trees, and into the cracks blemishing the cliffs. Aether went up to her favourite nook, which gave her an omniscient view of the valley below. She sighed in relief as the last tail disappeared. Everyone accounted for.

Just as the flock of batponies were about to pass overhead, the Cloud slowed down rapidly. No. No-no-no! They couldn't possibly know! Aether blinked hard. They can't know . . .
Her hopes shattered as the Cloud plummeted from the sky, falling heavily on the ground below. But the first hoof to fall was not the dark shades of batponies—it was a bright yellow, belonging to a pegasus with a chocolate-brown mane. Canary‽
NightWing was second to touch down, his glossy black coat stark in contrast to Canary and the verdant grass around them. With practised precision, the cloud of bats fell into an immaculate triangle behind them. Aether counted eleven rows. So six squads and their commanders. Aether clenched her jaw as NightWing approach Canary. If he so much as lays a hoof on her— The yellow mare glanced around the clearing then up at the cliffs. In a snap, her hoof pointed up, directly towards Aether.

Time slowed down as a hundred thoughts flew through Aether's mind: What's going on?! Why would she do this? How can we escape? Will any of us survive? One word loomed above the chaos in her mind. Nightmare.

A commander and his decade of bats raced up to her crack while the remaining five squads divided to scour the valley. Aether flew in reverse, making her way up the crack above her. She spread her hooves, wedging herself into the crack just as the commander set hoof in her hiding place. She held her breath, praying they wouldn't look up.

On the ground below, a shout broke the silence. Aether snapped her attention groundwards to see a group of bats pursuing a lithe grey pegasus. Cirrus! She was running from a tattered bush—inches away from being slashed herself. The guards bent to pounce, but a coral streak flashed from above. Before their leaf-stained claws could reach her, a hoof planted itself firmly in the back of the guard's head, as Coral Blue landed her dive.

Lilac and Skye joined from their hideaway and entered the fray. Chaos broke out as the remaining seven members of the Storm took flight, joining the fray. Claws met wings, littering the sky with feathers and flyers fell like hail. Blood spattered the bat's battleclaws as they tore the pegasi from the sky.

From her avian perch, Aether had dove in a beeline for Canary. “How could you!?” Aether roared, landing before the bright yellow pegasus. Canary calmly dodged the punch Aether threw and backpedaled from the enraged mare. Aether moved in, eyes on fire with rage, and cornered her former friend against the cliff face behind her. “How could you betray us‽”

Canary showed no reaction. A blur of midnight red streaked across her vision as NightWing landed between them. “I can't have you damaging our little asset,” he snarled, throwing a kick towards Aether.

Aether took the blow to her chest and staggered back to catch her breath. Asset? What is that supposed to mean!? Aether glared at her foe.

“You were warned,” NightWing stated.

Aether dug in her hooves. “You may take us out of the sky, but you can't take the sky out of a pegasus!”

NightWing sneered. “We'll see.”

Snap. A twig, a few feet back. Aether bucked behind her and hoof met flesh. Crack! The batpony behind her fell to the grass. In front of her, Nightwing had dove claws-first at Aether. She gave a strong flap with her left wing and dove rightwards. Now flanking NightWing, Aether aimed a powerful kick up at his ribs. Crack!

By the time the general fell, five more bats had taken his place. Enraged, Aether swung at her assailants. She pumped down her wings to somersault over her assailants. ZZKT! The jolt of pain froze time mid-arc. Aether landed and looked backwards in wide-eyed horror. Steely-blue feathers lay beside her, spattered with blood. My wing~ The appendage lay at her side, cut off from the carpal joint. It could never repair.

Aether spun to face the murderer, the foremost bat before her. His eyes were still wide with surprise at the blow. Aether made an uppercut, sending the bat tumbling backwards. Another one lifted his hoof to strike, but Aether punched his hoof to the side. Snap. The bat crumpled in pain to the ground. ZZKT! A twin jolt of pain. Aether spun around and prepared to strike when a thump faded her world into blackness.

Aether stood alone in her cell, mind blazing. She had mostly given up on inspecting the cell long ago. The only light came from a faintly luminescent moss which clung to the walls. Her eyes throbbed from exertion—its light was too dim for her to see anything clearly. Still, it was enough light to see her wings. No healer in all of Avondale could fix them now.

But her tears had dried up long ago to the fire of her fury. Canary's betrayal seared into her mind like an iron brand. Aether swore she would make justice, but first she needed to escape. An iron ring chafed her sides, binding down her mangled wings. Her hooves were nailed into iron boots which were fastened to the floor. Her neck was sore from the weight of an iron bridle, chaining her to the ground.

Click.

The door swung open, and a female bat with bright pink eyes stepped in with a pot of soup. “Ready to eat,” she asked, without a shimmer of hope in her voice. The smell of potato and leek made her stomach want to climb out of her mouth to drink it, but Aether set her jaw tight, as she had for the past two days. She stood as tall as her restraints would allow and narrowed her eyes in defiance. She would not give them this victory. They'd have to feed her dead body before she gave in to this humiliation.

The bat leaned casually against the open door and shrugged. “It's all the same to me. You'll cave in one day,” she said offhandedly. “They always do.”

Aether hissed through her closed teeth, “Why don't you just kill us?”

The bat snorted in a half-laugh. “What good would your death do us? We can't have you becoming a martyr.” She shook her head. “No, we can't have that. We need you, to stop others from revolting like your little . . . followers.”

A question itched on Aether's tongue. “Where are they?”

The batpony waved her hoof. “Oh, in cells like yours.” Smirking, she added, “What? Planning an escape?”

Aether narrowed her eyes.

“Ha ha ha ha. You haven't a shimmer of a chance.” She opened the door again, kicking the pot the door in front of her. “Corporis is the most secure prison in all of Avondale. Even if you did escape your cell, you'd have a labyrinth to navigate and a host of guards to defeat on the other side. Even then, how would you find your way back to Woodburn? You country-dwellers never even leave your own towns—how would you get back? I doubt you've even been to Feathermore—probably never will at this point.” The bat grinned. “Even if you were to escape, the forest would destroy you before you could ever orient yourself.” She laughed. “You wouldn't make it a day's flight. Not,” she added, with a chuckle, “like you could fly anyway.”

Slam!

The door closed behind the guard. Aether bit her lip as she found tears again. They no longer mourned her loss of flight—they mourned her loss of hope.

Depression smothered the mighty flyer.

The Heartwind

Aether trembled as she fought against her restraints. Her hooves were raw from thousands of escape attempts. She was barely conscious of the cell around her—the lack of food left her in a daze. Canary, how could you? Aether bit her lip as the thought returned for the hundredth time: Why would she betray us!

The continual drip from the ceiling pounded at her mind; each droplet of water sounded louder than the last. Why don't they just kill us already? They have nothing to gain! Aether sighed, and her mind wandered off into a half-dream.

Aether imagined herself standing on a hill, with a shadowy figure standing before her.

“I wish I were dead,” she thought. “I have nothing left to gain.”
“You are my daughter,” it said. “You have an infinite potential. You have everything to gain.”
“How can that be true? Without my wings, I have no future.”
“Keep your wings open. Only then will you be free.”
Aether fell into a dreamless sleep.

“Keep your wings open.” The thought kept echoing through her mind.

Aether scowled. Are you mocking me‽ How am I supposed to do that with these mangled things on my back! You can hardly call them wings any more. Aether squeezed her eyes shut, clearing her mind of thoughts. They're clamped down anyway. It's impossible. Her mind wandered off into the distance.

She imagined a warm breeze flowing around her. She stood on a mountain peak at dawn: the morning sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains. The cliff at her hooves had its base in a pine forest below, which spread for miles. As the sun rose, a wave of light rippled from her head to her toes, gently warming her body.
“A wind will come.”
A breeze came from the forest below her, carrying its leaves and warmth to the peak. A tingling filled her wings, and they began to heal, with each gust of wind adding new feathers, repairing broken tendons and missing bones. Aether squinted as a tingling filled her wings. The breeze felt so real, she could almost imagine her wings whole again. Aether peered back at her wings in a half hope, attempting to open them.
ZZKT! A sharp pain shot through her body and fresh blood dripped to the floor.
No, she thought, it could never happen. It's just my imagination. Aether furrowed her eyebrows. But then, she thought, pressing her wings against her side, I did feel something. I could have sworn I felt something. Was that even real? I can't tell any more . . .

The pegasus closed her eyes again and listened. Her heart leapt and sank rhythmically, as if it caught the ebb and flow of some ethereal wind. Aether smiled. It really felt like a wind was passing her by, pushing at her heart. “Focus exclusively on this wind.” Aether exhaled. “Push out the physical pain.” Aether imagined her pains blown away with the wind. Gradually, they faded to the corners of her mind. “Push out the emotional pain.” The image of Canary flashed through her mind, causing a flurry of hatred in her heart. No, I have to push it out. Ignore it. Focus on the wind—just the wind—only the wind. Push everything else out.

The breeze pulled her gently forward, and Aether let her body sway along with it. “Keep your wings open,” she heard again. The wind reversed, pushing her back. Smiling softly, she allowed her body to sway gently backwards with the breeze. Is this real? Aether wondered. Then, laughing to herself, she realized she couldn't care less. Though the chains restrained her, she had felt something for just a moment—the joy of flight. As she let herself be pushed this way and that by the wind blowing through her heart, she could feel the ethereal form of her wings. She imagined them open fully, catching the blowing wind.
I will always listen, she promised herself. I will keep my wings open.

Click. Aether didn't bother looking up.

“Dinner,” called a familiar voice.

Canary? Aether lifted her head and looked up at her old friend. Her bright yellow coat nearly glowed in the mosslight. The yellow mare walked casually into the room, carrying a pot of soup.

Aether struggled to speak, but found her voice. “Why?”

Canary blinked in confusion. “What?”

Aether felt herself try to cry, but she'd run out of tears long ago. “You know what! Why did you betray us! What are you doing, working for the Cloud?”

Canary blinked in surprise. “What are you talking about? I've always worked for them.”

Something in her voice made Aether squint. “No! You were my best friend! What have they done to you!”

Realization spread across Canary's face. “Ah! No. I'm not your friend.” A ring of green fire zipped around her friend and engulfed her completely.

“Canary!” Aether's eyes were wide with worry.

“You see,” a deeper voice said from the flames, “this isn't my usual form.”

Aether gasped when the flames subsided; a bat with a deep blue mane stood in Canary's place.

“You . . . You're a changeling!”

The bat nodded.

“I know the stories of your kind—taking the place of the dead!”

The bat lifted an eyebrow. “True—this one's been dead for years. I've actually grown quite fond of the form.” The bat turned to leave, carrying out the soup.

“Wait—” Aether called out, “—I'm ready to eat.”

Just a little further, she thought. Reality kept tugging at her mind. Aether felt her eyes warming, just barely beginning to glow. Can I really do this, she wondered. The image of her lifting up her hoof persisted in her mind. No! Ignore the chains, and just— “Gah!” The pain in her hoof jerked her from her concentration, leaving her painfully aware of her captivity. I'm so close, I can just feel it~ and yet every time, in nearly the same spot, the chains would rudely distract her. I need to push out pain if I want to hear the wind in my heart. Aether smiled to herself. Heartwind, she thought to herself, I like that.

For the last week, her mind focused on one task: escape. Ever since she first felt the heartwind, she could feel it pushing her forward towards the door. But I can't even move! Sighing, she rebuked herself. I could. If I only could ignore my self, and listen to the wind.

She let out a breath to clear her mind and focused again. The same image filled her mind: she imagined herself raising her hoof to match the image planted in her mind when a muffled scream pierced the air. Her concentration shattered. Was that StormChaser?
Slam! Aether tilted her head, trying to listen. A minute later she heard a faint click, followed by another scream. Cirrus! Slam!

Click, Pause, Scream, Slam—the pattern kept repeating. Chartreuse, Angel . . .
An answer dawned in Aether's mind, springing new tears. “They're losing their wings.”

Aether dropped her head. What's the point?

Days passed, and Aether had given up on listening. The heartwind kept blowing her forwards, but she sighed. How am I supposed to follow that, she wondered. Again, Aether felt it pushing her onwards, stronger than ever. Aether closed her eyes and tried to push the prompting from her mind. Escape is impossible.
She opened her eye in surprise when she heard a voice: “I will always listen.” It was as if her past self were correcting her. She grumbled. “Okay. Fine. I'll give it one last go.”

Aether took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Letting out the breath, she cleared her mind, as she had hundreds of times before. Her heart leapt again at the feeling of the wind, though this time it felt as if it blew at her foreleg. She saw it clearly in her mind's eye: she stood on a mountain's peak. She picked up her right foreleg and took an entire step forwards. The scene played again in her mind. She could see each muscle moving in harmony to lift the leg. It played a third time, and as it did, Aether lifted her hoof in unison, placing it in front of her. Her other three legs followed: Back left, front left, back right.

CRASH. Not daring to open her eyes, she saw another image. Her wings flew open, fully healed. Her eyes were open wide, with a golden glow. “But I can't,” she started. “Keep your wings open,” retorted her own voice.

Aether emptied her lungs again. “I will always listen.” Once more, she image came to mind, and she mirrored: she flung her wings open with her eyes, blazing in a golden fire. Another crash sounded behind her, and she dared a look. Warped pieces of metal lay twisted and torn on the rocky floor: the remnants of her restraints. Aether smiled wide at the sight of her wings: on her back were firely wings with feathers made of sunlight. Before she had time to celebrate, she saw her next movement in her mind's eye. Aether placed her hoof on the door's lock and gently pushed.

KKRRRCCHHTT. The metal felt like butter to her hoof, though the door screamed in protest. Its hinges ripped in half as the door flew away, down a bottomless pit. Aether stared down the hole. Thump. Aether corrected herself: Nearly bottomless.

The pegasus found herself in a massive chamber pocketed with hundreds of caves. The ceiling and floor extended out of sight. The only order were small pathways erected against the walls, winding along the cavern's sides. There were no markers or signs to point the way. No wonder the guard said escape was impossible. Even now . . . A heartwind blew from the left, making Aether look down the thin path to her right. Onwards, she thought. She ran with the wind, hugging the wall closely. She had no interest in falling.

A sinking feeling overcame her, as if the wind had stopped. Aether took a few steps backwards and felt it's lift again. On her right sat a large door she had missed, framed by a natural cave. A similar scene came to mind, and Aether placed her hoof near the door's hinge. KKRRRCCHHTT, BOOM. The door tore off its hinges and fell hard into the room.

“Aether!”

The duet of voices was music to her ears. “Hello.” Aether ran in to hug them.

“Your wings!” Skye and Lilac gaped in awe.

“Temporary,” Aether remarked. “My wings were cut in the battle—I didn't think they'd gotten anyone else,” she remarked with a grimace, eyeing their bloodstained wings.

“It was only a few days ago,” Skye mentioned.

“But it doesn't matter,” Lilac continued, “the Storm still lives! The bats will fall!”

Aether smiled. “That's all I needed to hear. Let's get out of here!” Her hoof glowed gold as she stomped down on their chains, pulverising the links to dust.

“Since when have you been able to do that‽” Lilac asked.

“A few minutes ago? It seems that Avondale herself wants us free. I keep having these images come to mind, and every time I follow them, they happen.” Aether giggled. “It's amazing!”

Skye shrugged. “Well even if this is a dream, it's a good one. Let's go!”

Cirrus, Angel, Twist, Mint, Chartreuse, Coral, Blitz and Aria now followed Aether as the Wind led them out. Their doors had fallen as easily as her own, with her every movement directed by the heartwind. She snapped their bonds with equal ease. Out of the remaining Storm, only Cirrus had been bolted to the floor—most of the Storm only had a single chain tethering them to the wall. Aether smiled. They think I'm that dangerous? Her eyebrows lowered. They underestimated me. The Storm were surprised, to say the least, when they saw her wings. She could only imagine how the Cloud would react.

Aether smiled. She trusted the Wind with her life. To be fair, she thought, I don't have much else to trust at this point. It had been pushing them all onwards, clockwise up the thin pathway. They'd passed several other doors, but the Wind urged them on. The wind ceased and began blowing left, towards a large oaken doorway. Closing her eyes again, Aether saw herself place her hoof on the door. ZHKKKT! The door's lock splintered on the opposite side, allowing the doors to swing open. Aether glanced back and gave a quick smile to the Storm before bolting through the opened doors.

“Aren't we going to get Canary?” came Coral's voice.

Aether paused, looking down. Before she knew what she was saying, the Wind pushed out her response. “She's not with us any more.”

Coral eyes were wide with fear. “What do you mean‽”

The Wind pushed urgently at Aether, willing her through the door. “She's been gone for a long time—I'll have to explain later.” Aether bolted up the path, running from the question.

The hallway was dim and narrow—there was hardly enough room to walk side by side. The path ahead forked. If this is really a labyrinth, then which way do I go? Aether paused and listened for the Wind. In her mind's eye, she saw herself going down the left path, but after a moment's hesitation, she saw herself going down the right. But which one? The right one stood out for her, so they began down that fork.

They'd hardly gone ten steps when a wave of exhaustion passed over Aether. She could nearly hear the words. “Other path.” Frowning, Aether thought to herself: But I've already started down this way! The Wind directed me this way! In the same tone as before, she heard the words. “Other path.”

“You alright?” asked Cirrus, always on point with reading emotions.

Pausing to think it over, Aether responded, “Yes. I'm fine . . . Just double checking.”

Cirrus rose her eyebrow. “You don't look too great . . . ”

No, she thought, maybe it's just me . . . Maybe it wasn't the wind . . .
CLINK. An image filled Aether's mind: three guards, fully armoured, sprinting down the corridor to meet them. “Other path.” Eyes widening, Aether yelled out in a whisper, “Turn around NOW!” She urged the pegasi on, herding them back down the path.

Left. “Are you crazy,” Aether asked, “that's just the way we came!” I don't have time to doubt it. Shaking her head, she barked out, “Left!” The troop carried on through the crevice, heading back towards their cells. Another image flashed through Aether's mind, and she motioned for the Storm to position themselves on either side of the doorway, just around the corner.

Three Storm guards galloped through in full armour, their metal claws reflecting the low mosslight. CRASH! The band of pegasi jumped on the bats. In a second, they were knocked out cold. Again, the ethereal wind blew Aether into the doorway. Glancing back, images of an armoury came to mind. So that's why . . .

“Alright! Let's get out of here!”

The dim hallway was riddled with forks, a labyrinth to keep prisoners in and their saviours out. After a few turns, the wind blew straight right, leading them into an armoury. Peeking in, Aether saw no one. “Those guards must have been from the armoury,” she noted. “Arm yourselves!” The twelve pegasi scanned their wares quickly, donning light armour and various weapons. Aether paused in front of a set of midnight metal claws. These could be the ones that took my wings. After a minute she shook her head, banishing her thoughts. It's too late now. Aether donned the destructive weapons and followed the rest of Storm back into the hallway.

Left. Left. Right. Straight. The commands felt as real as if she had heard them with her ears. Duck. Crawl. Quiet. Straight. The walls were getting wetter as they went on, and grass was growing on their sides. Grass? “We're nearly there!” In a hurried scamper, the flock of pegasi breached the surface. The Storm members let out a whoop, seeing the sky for the first time in what felt like months. StormChaser nuzzled the damp grass and the others joined him, rolling happily on the dewy green.

Aether twitched in pain as her eyes stopped glowing. She glanced back at her wings—or where her wings were. By the morning light, she saw the short nubs, stained red by her dried blood. Without the golden light tipping off her wings, fresh blood had begun trickling out again. Did I do something wrong? she wondered to herself. She stared back at the nubs on her back, biting her lip. Come back!! A new thought crossed her mind: Maybe that was it for now. She sighed. Maybe they'll return later.

The Storm's laughter slowly brought her thoughts back to the clearing. Her little flock lay in the grass, enjoying the sunlight for the first time in weeks. Aether's heart broke at the sight of their mangled wings, now amputated nubs like hers. Though they'd lost their wings, seeing the sun was enough that they could forget for a moment.

Then one question silenced their jubilee: “Where's Canary?”

Aether bit her lip. “She's dead.” The entire flock fixated their eyes on her.

“What! How do you know?” cried out Coral.

“Have you heard of changelings?”

Blitz spoke up, as always. “What are those?”

Cirrus nodded in agreement. “That would explain why she started acting so funny.” A few eyebrows raised. “You see, they would kill your friend and take their face, allowing them to take your friend's role in society. There have been a few times that they've found the body, and were able to rat out the changeling, but most towns aren't so lucky. The changeling drains the energy from everyone around them, turning their former friends into husks. When they're done, the citizens are withered remnants of the ponies they once were, with no emotions left.” Cirrus trembled, squeezing her eyes shut.

Blitz spoke up, “What makes you so certain it was a changeling, Aether?”

Lilac jumped to the defence, “Canary wouldn't have betrayed us in a million years! She would travel through Tartarus and back before she would even think of betraying us!”

“Why would a changeling be working for the Cloud, anyway?” asked Angel.

Aether halted their musing, as a growing sense of unease filled her. “In the prison, I saw Canary enter the cell. When I spoke to her, she transformed in front of me, turning into a bat. So the changeling works for the Cloud. It said she had been dead for ages.”

The Storm was silent.

Coral furrowed her brow. “I could have sworn I heard her scream when they were taking our wings . . . Did no one else hear that?”

After a moment, Aria spoke up. “I did, but that was after they took my wings. It could have just been my imagination . . . ”

Aether shook her head. “Changelings take faces and voices. It couldn't have been the real Canary. I agree, the real Canary would not have betrayed us.”

The realization sunk into the Storm's hearts with each heartbeat. It felt like a void was opening in their hearts.

“So where do we go from here?” asked StormChaser, breaking the silence. All eyes focused on Aether.

Aether closed her eyes and listened to her heart. Thump thump, thump thump. Rightwards. It was only a slight push, but it was definitely there. Aether looked back at her friends, and noticed her wingtips were starting to glow.

“There's more to flying than having wings,” she said. “there's also a wind that blows in your heart. If you listen for it, it will lead you on. Keep your wings open for that wind, and we can win this war.” She turned right, facing downwind. “Let's go.”

Aether Wind

Centuries of howling winds contorted the trees into horrific shapes. They stood in a wide circle around a stormy-blue mare, new to the dark world. The mare looked towards the centre of the clearing. A pillar of light stood pulsing and glowing before her. Bright green vegetation clung to its base, feeding on its light. The light emanating off of the pillar gave her white and blue-streaked mane a faint glow. She pressed forward, longing for the warmth and brightness of the light.
Why is it shrinking? she wondered. With each step forward, the pillar moved two steps back. Breaking into a gallop, the patch of light before her grew dimmer and dimmer until its light faded to a speck in the distance. With one last step, blackness consumed her world.

Overwhelming despair filled her and she fell to the ground, sobbing. Her crying stopped when she saw a faint glow through her closed eyelids. She spun around in excitement, but in horror, saw dark flames spreading around her. A violent breeze picked up the flames, making them circle her completely. Searching wildly for an escape, the pegasus saw a spark of light. It blipped in and out of existence in the blink of an eye. She ran towards the light full force and jumped through the barrier of fire, and—

TWEET TWEET!

Tripping, she shot upright in her bed and gasped. That dream again. She rubbed the sleep from her icy blue eyes and moved over to her windowsill. She rested her head in her hooves and stared out the window. Dawn always calmed her—the sun breaking over the mountainous horizon. Shadows fled, and Woodburn began waking up.

Third time this week I've had that dream . . . Her brow furrowed. What does it mean? The town below offered little inspiration for her: it was large enough to have a few shops but small enough you could visit each of those shops before lunch. From her window she could look down Woodburn's main crossroad, but there was little to see: Blitz on his way to litigate another trial, Lilac working in her garden, Cirrus delivering the regular mail . . . No, Aether kept fixated on the northern mountains. Her upstairs window gave her a clear view of them, standing tall above the town's rooftops.

Once her heart calmed down, she descended for breakfast. From the top of the stairs she could already hear her mother moving about in the kitchen below. Her mum had always been an early riser, and still insisted on making breakfast for her. Though no one else was in the house, Aether padded down the stairs carefully; she hated making a racket.

Rays of sunlight licked her face from the kitchen's open window. Her father used to love how much light the house got. He had always said: “There's no better way to start your day than a cheery hello from the sun's morning rays.” Aether sat down to her bowl of oats and diced apple. The scene with the pillar kept playing in her mind. Something about the scene made her smile. Aether loved dreams—they played the heartstrings just so.

Aether's mother looked at her sideways, like mothers do whenever they feel something is off. Intuition aside, Aether's blank stare into the distance had always been a clear indicator of her wandering mind. After a few moments of silence, her mother asked, “Are you alright, Aether? You seem quiet today.”

Not breaking her gaze with the non-existent world, Aether swallowed her bite. “It's just this dream I keep having—I'm trying to figure out what it means . . . ” Aether felt her mother's hoof on her shoulder.

“You don't need to worry about it; it's just a dream.” Changing tone, she added, “Was it one of those awful flying dreams again?” It often surprised Aether how high her mother's right eyebrow could rise.

Aether huffed in annoyance. She had tried years ago to convince her mother that it wasn't just a dream—that she actually had flown. As a filly, she had begged her mum to come and see, but she refused to enter the forest. “Who knows what could be in there! Ponies get lost all the time!” Aether couldn't think of any one who had ever gone missing, but to be fair, she also couldn't think of anyone else who would actually go into the forest either. As usual, Aether chose to ignore her mother's disapproving look.

“No, mum, it wasn't a flying dream.” Aether breathed deeply. “But it's the third time I've had this one: I see a warm pillar of light, but whenever I move towards it, it gets farther and farther away. Then I feel a warmth behind me so I turn, expecting some sort of light. Then these black flames begin to surround me and try to destroy me. The first two times I just woke up at that point, but this time there was a spark of light that led me out of the flames.” She pursed her lips in thought. “I don't really know what to make of it.”

Her mum tapped her chin in thought. “Maybe it's your feelings of being trapped.”

Aether pouted. “It's not just some random imagination! Why do you always wave away my dreams? The last one like this came true, so why couldn't this one?”

“Oh Aether,” began her mother, “I'm not saying they're worthless. You just need to be able to apply your dreams more broadly, to your real life.”
But it felt so real... Aether swallowed the rest of her oats, not caring to converse any more. She hated small talk. The pegasus threw on her jacket and jumped out the house. Childhood memories clouded her mind: failed attempts to explain what had happened as a filly. Dad would have listened. He had a knack for this sort of thing . . . Aether shook her head to expel the painful memories.

The low drone of conversations in the town was accented by the chirping of birds in the rooftops. Without surprise, Blitz stood in front of the baker's stall, chatting with Coral. The two paused their conversation, and shot her a quick wave. Aether tilted her head in response and continued west towards the forest. Then her ears pricked up at a sound from the city centre behind her.

“Aether!”

A smile spread across the mare's face as she turned to face the sound: a bright yellow mare running down the street. “Canary!” She grabbed her old friend in a tight embrace, brushing against Canary's warm brown mane. Aether had always been jealous of how soft it felt.

The yellow mare asked in a much quieter voice, “Are you going out to fly?”

Aether nodded.

Canary took a deep breath and nodded. “I'm ready.”

The two mares chased their shadows into the western forest, Aether happily pulling her friend alongside her, holding her tight. “In case you try to run away,” she explained. Aether smiled, trying to banish old memories—failed attempts to help others fly.

The winds blew so fiercely through the forest that even Aether could hardly stay upright. Perfect, she thought. Just what we needed for her first day. Canary and Aether stooped forwards, pushing against the wind through the wilds. Random beams of sunlight hit the path through the constantly shifting leaves. Though the trail was brightly lit, Canary clung to Aether's side. Aether spoke up against the wind in a sort of half yell.

“Ever since you left, I've been exploring the wilds.” A grin played on Aether's lips. “I really like them—they have some sort of energy to them . . . I can't explain it exactly, but I just feel so alive.”

Canary smiled. “You're prowling again.” She loved it: whenever Aether got excited, she prowled along close to the ground, like a lion stalking prey.

“Yes I'm prowling!” Aether laughed. “Have you ever played in a waterfall? Climbed a three-story tree? Seen the sun rise from the edge of a cliff?” The pegasus beamed, looking upwards to the mountains. “It's a beautiful world out here. The bats talk all the time about its dangers but never mention its beauty.” She shook her head. “Access to another world is more than worth a few dangers.”

Canary chuckled to herself. “Alright, alright.” She loved Aether's little rants. “So how did you first fly? What got you into this mess?”

“So I found this cliff...”

Aether strained upwards in the night, feeling for a nook below an outgrowing shrub. Her right hoof found a hole and she pulled her hind legs up. The climb was slow up the cliff, but with a glance below, she wagered she'd gone about twenty feet. The pegasus took a deep breath. I can do this, she told herself. Gauging up her next hoofhold, she reached for a shrub hanging out on her left side.
Just short. Aether narrowed her eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped. “GAH!” she let out, as her sides scraped against a protruding rock. Her legs scrambled to find new hoofholds in the rough rock, quickly finding nooks to rest in. Aether surveyed the damage: her wing cover had caught on something and was nearly torn in half. Aether wriggled off the ragged cloth. It'll be fine, she told herself, holding her wings in, safe from the raging wind. Just a few more feet to the top.
The next ledge was just a hoof out of reach. Aether squinted in the starlight, searching for her next hoofhold. The cliff was fairly smooth, and the crack she'd followed to this point had shrunk too small for her hooves to get any grip. Carefully leaning back, she surveyed the cliff face to either side. Nothing to the left. And—leaning to the right, she saw a black mark a few feet away. In a quick calculation, she tried for it with her right hoof.
KKCCHHT!
Her left hoof tightened around the bush it had been holding as it tore from the rock. Aether's eyes widened as she scrambled at the cliff, looking for a new hold, an old hold, any place to hold on! Hind legs held fast, but her world began to invert as she tilted backwards. No! I can still grab on to something!
BAM!
A freezing blast struck her from above, forcing open her atrophied wings. They screamed in pain as the wind continued, ripping her off the cliff. Her body contorted like a rag doll to the winds, helplessly battered about. Aether grimaced in pain, attempting to pull in her wings to slow the fall, but it was all she could do to keep them from bending backwards. What's the point, she wondered. Her body had faced downwards, head-first, as she hurtled towards the rocks below. As they spiralled larger and larger, Aether wondered which one would impale her.
Then, something wonderful happened: a warm updraft caught her outstretched wings. Each feather squealed in delight at the feeling. Aether's eyes shot open. The feeling was magic! She wasn't falling; she was flying! Aether inhaled the fresh air of the forest, summoning her strength. With a powerful downstroke, she soared upwards, wind howling in her ears. The air cooled with her ascent, the pressure decreased, and she gently arced downwards. As her fall sped, she tried to slow her descent, instinctively tilting up her wings. Her wingtips trembled with exertion—her wings couldn't take much more of this. As the dark green treetops accelerated towards her, she frantically searched for the path. Exhaustion overtook her, and she tumbled into the treetops below.

Canary interrupted the narration as they climbed over the now rocky terrain. “Hold on—you fell into the trees?! They're at least a quarter mile away! How long did you glide for?”

Aether kicked at a pebble in front of her off the path.

“It was only a few hundred feet, but—”

“A few hundred!” Canary exclaimed, eyes wide, “How high were you?!”

Aether scrunched her eyebrows in thought. “I'd been climbing since nightfall, trying to see the sun rise from the top. It had always been a dream of mine to watch a sunrise from up there,” she said, pointing her nose up at the looming cliff face. “It's a sight to behold...” Her eyes glazed over in happy memory.

“Okay, before your mind wanders off and gets lost, let's finish the story. You were falling into the trees.”

“Right. Oh, it was an amazing feeling—like Avondale herself were rooting for me, supporting me with her breath~”

Canary tilted her head. “Falling into the trees?”

Aether looked over in mild annoyance. “No—when I was flying! But anyway. I knew the general direction of town so I barged my way through the woods until I found the path.” Aether's face scrunched in delight. “I was so excited to tell everyone. I felt sure a revolution was underway! We can fly!” The pegasus sighed. “I knew it was our destiny—it just felt so right. But when I came into town . . .

Aether dashed out of the forest at full gallop, smiling like a maniac. “Angel! Angel!”
The lithe white pegasus turned, her golden hair swaying around her. “Aether! How's it going?” Seeing the leaves in Aether's mane, she asked, “Are you alright?”
“I FLEW!”
“Come again?” she asked, face blank in confusion.
“I flew I flew I flew!!” she was nearly bouncing at this point in excitement.
Eyebrow raised, Angel responded, “Right. I know the batponies can be exciting to hear sometimes. You can really feel the excitement from their stories.”
Furrowing her eyebrows, Aether insisted, “No. Not bats. Me. I, Aether Storm, flew! It wasn't one of their stories; it was me.” She smiled madly.
Angel shook her head. “Don't be silly. Everyone knows we can't fly. The wind is far too strong to—”
“But that's just it! I didn't think it could happen either, but the wind actually lifted me up; it made me fly!”
Glancing down, Angel saw Aether's gashed side and ruffled wings. She clicked her tongue. “You poor thing! Come, let's get you fixed up.” Angel led the lavender blue mare into her home and glanced at her uncovered wings. “You know the winds are too fierce for our wings; what were you doing without your wing cover?”
Aether's heart was still pounding from a second flight when she knocked on Lilac's door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.
Lilac Shores stood a bit taller than the average pegasus of Woodburn and was noticeably stronger than most. “Aether?” she asked, staring at the pine needles scattered into Aether's white-streaked mane. “What happened to you? Come inside, out of the winds.” Lilac pulled her in and led her to her red couch. It was so soft that Aether felt like she was floating on water.
Still, Aether couldn't sit still. “Lilac. You need to believe me.”
The light purple mare nodded.“Of course Aether, what's up?”
Taking a deep breath, the lavender-blue mare explained her flight. Silence followed.
“Well? Do you believe me?”
Lilac stared at Aether as if she were sick. “When we really want something, we can picture it so clearly that it feels real. I think that's what the bats mean when they say to try and be a flier: even though it's a moral thing, it feels like flying when we do what's right. You have a strong mind, so it's real for you.”
Aether bit her lip, “You too? Why don't you believe me!”
“Oh Aether, of course it was real! I'm sure you felt like you were flying! Loads of pegasi would envy you; I've heard it's a great feeling!”
Aether slid out of the couch without responding and bolted out the door, ignoring Lilac's calls for her. Running at a gallop, Aether made for her own house. Images of thick blankets and hot chocolate filled her mind as she planned her next move. I wouldn't have to leave, she told herself. I could stay in my bed as long as I want, and just—PHWUMP. Aether found herself lying on something soft. She would recognise that colour of yellow from anywhere.
Groaning, the bright yellow mare squeaked out,“Yep. Surprise tag. You got me.”
“Canary!” Aether cried out in delight, stepping off her friend. “You're back!”
Canary took Aether's hoof and pulled herself up from the ground, holding her bruised side gingerly. “Just like when we first met,” she joked, wincing again in pain. “Oof. You really did my side in this time.”
“Sorry about that~” Aether ducked her head under the mare and lifted her onto her back. Like the hundreds of times before, Aether's hooves moved automatically towards her friend's house.
Her friend's strength never ceased to surprise Canary. “So what were you doing at a full gallop in city centre?”
Aether sighed. “Oh, you wouldn't believe me if I told you.” Canary's eyebrow raised in question, but Aether shook her head vehemently. “I've had enough people turn me down. If you didn't me, I'm not sure I could handle it.”
“Try me.”
Aether took a deep breath. Please believe me.“I flew.” Aether could feel the mare's body tighten with discomfort. “I know you don't believe me, but—”
“No . . . ” she countered, “I-I do.”
Aether stopped mid-trot and twisted around to look at her friend. “Seriously?!”
Canary nodded solemnly. “While I was away, I kept having this dream: I'm wandering around town without my wing cover on, so I feel awkward—I'm just trying to get to my house. I open the door and fall into this pit. At first, I panic, but my wings open on their own and I start to fly!” She shuddered with a smile on her lips. “It felt amazing—” Canary turned to her friend. “Did you actually fly? What was it like?”
Aether felt Canary's excitement. “I was out in the wilds, climbing, but slipped and began to fall. My wing cover tore off, and my wings were caught in the wind.”
Canary shuddered at the thought. “Didn't that hurt?”
Aether waved away the question. “Oh, it hurt at first, but then a warm updraft came; it caught my wings perfectly. It was just gliding at first, but I began to flap. And then,” she paused here, beaming back at the yellow mare. “I flew!”
Canary's eyes were locked on to Aether. “C— Could you show me?”
Aether smile grew so wide, it hurt afterwards. “I'd love to! Let's go!”
“Now!?” Canary stumbled over her words. “I need to prepare myself—mentally—I'm not ready for it yet . . . Could we go tomorrow?”
Aether nodded in satisfaction. “First thing in the morning.” Holding up her hoof, she added, “But if you change your mind, I'll eat you for lunch.”
Canary smiled. “You can count on me.”

Author's Note

This is an older version of Flight,
hence its title: Before Flight. This prologue will not be necessary for reading Flight, but it will give you clearer insights into Aether's mind, the founding of her Storm, and the stigmas in existence before the revolution. :twilightsmile:

Looming Thunder

THUMP. A batpony landed in front of Town Hall. His coat was such a dark red, pegasi often mistook it for black. His demon yellow eyes popped out in stark contrast. The silver breastplate he wore was sleek: both aesthetic and functional. It left plenty of room for his wings to move in combat. The plate matched his light grey mane well—it even had a white streak running through, matching the sun's reflection off his breastplate. Two of his commanders landed behind him, each blazing the Cloud's emblem. The shield engulfed in an eclipse symbolized the bats' invulnerability, a standard they lived up well to.

'Guardian of the City', was technically NightWing's title, but the pegasi of Woodburn titled him 'The Terror'. Though Aether hadn't seen any revolts herself, stories of his brutality in putting them down were often murmured between the older pegasi. They refused to detail what happened, only ever talking about “the poor foals . . . ” Seeing the look in NightWing's eyes, Aether's didn't doubt them; NightWing watched the growing crowd as he would a swarm of cockroaches.

“Ponies of Woodburn!” he barked out. “I am NightWing, general of the Northern District.”

“As if he needed to introduce himself~” Aether murmured to herself. A visit from a commander was rare, but a general visiting was unheard of. The entire population of Woodburn was already out, crowded around city centre.

NightWing spoke in the precise dialect of the Cloud's capitol: slowly and carefully, as if he were giving someone time to record his speech. “Our district is larger than the Eastern and Western districts combined, and we have always prided ourselves in our autonomy and security. Any threat to these objectives will be put down without hesitation.”

The general began pacing. “We have received word that certain citizens of Woodburn have been teaching flight.”

Aether strained her neck to see, stuck behind the gathering crowd.

“As your guardians, we cannot allow this to continue.” Narrowing his eyes, he added, “It is, of course, heresy. Only we of the Cloud can fly; you have no right nor power to do so. Your feathery wings would catch too much wind—it's a fatal mutation.”

Aether felt sick looking around the nodding crowd. How could they believe that!? That's the very reason we can fly!

“As Guardians of the City, we cannot allow any one to be hurt. Flight is illegal, and may not be practised. Any one teaching contrary will be halted,” he turned to look Aether straight in the eyes. “Permanently.”

The poison of his final word spread silence over the crowd. Aether became suddenly aware that her face was set in a fierce glare. She hesitated for a moment, about to feign innocence, but tightened her expression, glowering through her eyebrows. So what if they try and stop me? Flight is all I live for! I can't let them scare that away! Aether intensified her glare to melt rock.

NightWing broke eye contact and strolled along the edge of the crowd. “A street patrol will be instituted, as well as regular inquisitions. All sympathizers to flight will be removed.” His tone shifted to a higher tone, though poison was in his voice. “This is, I remind you, for your safety. Flight is a dangerous power which must be controlled—otherwise it will destroy you,” he finished with a grimace, eyes piercing the crowd's spirit.

As abruptly as he landed, NightWing rocketed back into the sky, followed closely by the two guards. With the bats gone the tension broke, and the pent up conversations released. Aether caught snippets of their conversations as she darted through the crowd, searching for Canary.

Passing by a group of youth, she smiled at their conversation: “But if flight is impossible, why is it illegal?”

Several shopowners were chatting about the Codex: “I thought the stories were just moral. You don't suppose they could be literal, do you?”

A rusted old voice said to its neighbour, “I knew those ponies were up to no good; spreading rumours of flight, pulling away the youngsters . . . ”

Finally, Aether reached Canary.

“This isn't good,” Canary noted with a worried expression.

Aether agreed. “This isn't just about flight—our freedom is what's really on the line here.” She stared angrily at a pebble sitting between her hooves. “They're trying to scare us out of flight. They want to chain us down again! We can't let them do this!” She crushed the pebble into the dirt as she finished her sentence.

Excitement shone in Canary's eyes. “We're really going to start a rebellion?”

Aether barked out a quick laugh. “We already have. Let's blow their wings off.”

Wind howled through the trees, as if voicing its assent. “Absolutely,” Canary affirmed, voice solid as stone.

The leaves rustled happily from the warm wind. The soft green glow of leaf-filtered light made the air feel vibrant and healthy in the enclosure. Aether sat under a walnut tree with Canary at her side. Aether had called an emergency meeting to discuss the Cloud's threat. The clearing was actually a short walk into the forest from Woodburn, but was still far enough away that they wouldn't be accidentally found or overheard. Aether nodded. It would be a good place for future meetings.

Chartreuse and Angel Grace came in, along with Purple Skies and Lilac Shores. Blitz and Coral followed close behind. As the rest filed in, Aether smiled at the twelve, speech bursting at her lips.

“You've all chosen flight over fear. NightWing's speech made their intentions clear. We can't let them keep flight from us! They're just trying to keep up under them. Mental control . . . it's despicable.” Aether paced in a wide circle around her followers. “If we just submit, then we are weak. We can't let them suppress us like that! We can't give in, no matter what!”

Chartreuse interjected, “But what if someone turns us in?”

Aether shook her head. “You're letting your fear control your actions. You need to control your fear! We're fighting a war of beliefs, and beliefs can't be killed.” She began pacing. “But just wanting freedom from the bats isn't enough; we have to make it a desire: It needs to be a burning, driving motive in our lives. And if we want this desire to stay alive, then we'll need more than a temporary motivation—we'll need an eternal drive.”

Blitz interjected, “What's that supposed to mean?”

“An eternal drive is a motivation that can't die,” Aether explained. “It's an allegiance to something greater than this world: an idea, a concept, a principle—something immortal. You see, fighting someone only motivates you while they're alive, but fighting for a belief can motivate you beyond death.

“You can't be motivated out of fear—they Cloud could promise an end to their violence or threats if we sacrifice flight. But flight is more than flying—it's our freedom! It's a truth! An end of oppression! We can't sacrifice it to remove fears. We'll lose the fight forever!

“We can't act for reward either. They could offer us anything from food to technology to carts full of gold. But compared to those, flight is so much more!”

Most of the Storm were nodding, though several still scrunched their eyebrows in thought.

“Truth and freedom are worth more than the world! Worldly gifts are nothing compared to flight! The things they'd offer could appease us for a short time, yes, but flight is our destiny! Nothing can replace it!”

Aether grimaced “It can't be out of duty either—it won't last. I'll die some day, and the next leader of the Storm may not win your loyalty. Even the great Echelon was abandoned in the moment of peril. Or the ruler herself could become corrupt. Loyalties can shift with the wind.

Aether began drawing a head-sized circle in the dirt below her. “It can't even be for yourself, for in the midst of agony, even the strongest souls betray themselves.” Aether moved on to drawing a skeletal wing attached to the circle's right. “Self-preservation is limited in its power, so you have to detach yourself from these earth-based motives. You must redirect your passions to a love of flight!” Aether started on the mirroring wing. “Our children need to know the truth, so their children can feel this joy. We're not fighting a physical battle; we're fighting for an ideal.” Aether smiled down at the insignia she'd created.

“It must be for a love of flight. Only this will motivate us to victory! Detach yourself from the world and join the rising Storm!” A cheer arose as Aether stood atop the winged circle, wings flared open to mirror it.

As the cheer died down, Cirrus piped up: “But realistically, how can we beat them? It's a nation of warriors against a dozen of us normal pegasi. The odds aren't great.” The lithe grey pegasus looked on intently.

Canary picked up the dialogue. “We may not be able to attack them directly, but there's more than one way to fight. If we can convince the rest of Woodburn to join us, we can start a revolution! We just need to shift their mindsets.”

Aether jumped in. “We just need to feed them truths as often as we can. Tell them how great flight is—tell them it's possible!”

Canary carried on. “It doesn't even need to be that blatant. A word here, a smile there—they'll start to see the truth about flight, just from our faces.”

Aether closed: “Flight is our purpose—our destiny. It doesn't matter what they threaten. We will fly. If we give up flight, we may as well give up living. You live your life for what you'd die for. If you love nothing more than your own life, you'll live for nothing.”