Chapter 30: On Gilded Clouds

(Art by Sugary Violet)

The airship dwarfed everything around it. Buildings, ponies, all were tiny before the behemoth. I had seen these machines in the sky before, of course, but this was my first time being so close to one, and this particular vessel was one of the largest. I gawked out the window, my mouth hanging open unheeded.

"Girls and dudes, may I present the Pride of Equestria," Cadance intoned dramatically. "The finest royal airship in the fleet. It's, like, really big, and full of gas and stuff."

"It's huge," Mia gasped.

"Not the first time you've said that, is it sweetheart?" Cadance chuckled.

"Not big enough to satisfy YOU though is it, stretch-thighs?" Mia replied savagely.

"You know what?" I said. "Let's just get it all out of the way, okay? Otherwise this entire trip is going to be one big, long, throbbing dick joke. I'll start. It's big, long, and goes up just the way you like it!"

"Oh look, your mom's dildo just got delivered!"

"Time to ride the big one!"

"I bet you've had bigger."

"I bet you've gotten your mouth around bigger!"

"I bet you've stretched your rump-ring around bigger!"

"You'd like to lick that chocolate-covered banana, wouldn't you?"

"M-maybe?"

"I'm feeling a bit inadequate," James interjected, staring up at the enormous cylinder. "You girls seem awfully fascinated with that thing."

"James, trust me, you are more than up to any job we need you to do," I said, patting his shoulder. "But for now, we have more jokes to get out of our systems, yes?" I peeked at Mia and Cadance out of the corner of my eye. It was easy to see they were practically trembling with stupid comments that needed airing.

"Okay then," I said. "Start again in three, two, one..."

"Houston, we have ignition," James grated. "And it's gonna get a lot hotter before it gets cooler!"

He was right. We three girls were bursting at the seams with vulgar, suggestive, and downright disgusting comments, and by we three, I mean Mia and Cadance, primarily. I was pretty much just along for the ride. It was a raucous, shrill shitstorm that didn't calm down until we were pulling up to the loading dock, slightly winded from the festivities.

James rolled closer to the attending crew ponies, and Cadance shushed us. "Okay, okay, enough. Princess Mode gotta go on again."

"I'm out of jokes anyway," Mia wheezed. "And breath."

"Gasping for breath thanks to a big long fat one," Cadance snickered. "Your favorite."

"Hey! I thought you said we were stopping."

"We are. I got the last word."

"Why you petty little-"

"Shhh, Princess Mode time!" Cadance smiled serenely in Mia's scowling face as James rolled the windows down.

The Earth ponies directing the cargo load didn't seem overly curious about our SUV. Evidently ProteC vehicles had become a familiar sight throughout Canterlot and the surrounding areas. They were, however, greatly interested in Princess Cadance, bowing low to her as she leaned out the window.

"Welcome, ma'am," the one in front said as he rose. "I am Captain Starchaser. Princess Celestia has placed this ship and crew under your command. Please allow us the honor of serving you and your companions."

Cadance bobbed her head in acknowledgement. "Thank you, I trust your ship will be as impeccable as your presentation. Well, if one of you fine fellows wouldn't mind showing us where to park, that would be wonderful."

A short time later, and we were in the immense lower cargo bay of the ship's gondola, unloading some of our luggage out of the back hatch while the crew tied the vehicle down so it wouldn't move around during flight.

"Not that we expect any turbulence," the loadmaster informed us. "But safety is our primary concern."

"Very good. Thank you," Cadance said, lifting several boxes out with her telekinesis. "Would you kindly show us to our rooms so that we may stow our personal belongings?"

"We should take rifles to our rooms, just in case," James suggested. "I mean, who knows what might happen."

"Good idea," I approved. "Keep things handy. Just in case." Goodness knows things go to crap often enough, I thought to myself. "Give me one too, please."

"Here, Boss."

"Thanks." I slung the magic-enhanced rifle over my back, alongside the pack containing my ARHUD and a few other things.

"Myself, as well." Cadance reached out a hoof. "A rifle, please."

"Aye, ma'am." James handed her one and some ammo pouches.

"Thank you." She easily checked the chamber, then inserted a magazine and slid it over her back without chambering a round. "Just in case. Although even if something went wrong I probably wouldn't need it. I mean hello, Alicorn, right?" She tapped her hoof to her head in a silly gesture, rolling her eyes around like a ditz. So much for Princess Mode. All she needed was pom-poms and a cheerleader outfit to look like a high-school filly joking around with her friends. Well, if high-school cheerleaders wore electronically modded AR-15 rifles on their backs, that is.

I giggled behind a hoof.

"One of these days we're going to hook you up with some Uggs and a pumpkin-spice latte, Princess Cadance," Mia said.

"I'm sure I shall enjoy both, since it's your suggestion," Cadance replied brightly. She turned back to the airship captain. "You had mentioned showing us around?

"Certainly, ma'am. We can stop by your quarters first. We can help you carry your stuff-"

Cadance held up a hoof. "Don't worry, we can handle it. We are not here on a social call, we have a mission to complete, Captain. We will try to stay out of your way as much as possible. You needn't tiptoe around trying to cater to our every whim. Is that okay with you? I mean, I think we'll be able to find you if we need anything."

A slow grin spread across Captain Starchaser's face. "Yes. That would be excellent, ma'am. Uh, Princess Celestia often does things quite similarly."

"Although, I would appreciate it if you had someone show us around. It's our first time on this airship."

"And what an airship she is!" Starchaser's first mate exclaimed enthusiastically. "Oh, I'm Tumblewords, by the way. I would be delighted to show you around, after you've been relieved of your luggage. I shall bring you to your room first, then around the ship, if that is agreeable, ma'am."

"It certainly is, good sir. Lead away!"

***

Some time later, we had finished the tour. The airship was as massive on the inside as it appeared on the outside. The monstrous gondola had three floors, including the cargo bay on the bottom we had driven into, a floor above with lodging, a galley, conference rooms and a verenda. The top floor, right under the rigid envelope (which itself seemed to go on forever), was where the control deck, engineering, and crew quarters were situated. It felt more like a fancy hotel then a flying ship. I'd never been on an airship at all, let alone one of this size. I gawked and stared at crystal batteries and magic over electric control systems, weather wards, and other things I'd never even heard of before, all shown at a rather blistering pace by the fast-talking crewman who rushed us through.

It was a good time, if a short one.

By unspoken agreement, we all collected in Cadance's stateroom afterwards, where we'd put our weapons in magic-secured lockers before the tour began.

"Look at this nice, big, comfy pad I've got," Cadance said happily, pushing her stuff into a heap on the thick carpet. "Would be so super lonely if I had to be in it all by myself."

I rolled my eyes and dropped my gear next to hers. "I think we get the hint."

"Such a big bed!" Mia exclaimed, flopping across it.

"Not gonna be so big when all four of us are sprawled out like that," I growled.

Cadance batted her long eyelashes at me. "Oh sweetheart, thank you so much for inviting yourself to bed with me."

I huffed half-heartedly. "I'm just being realistic. We all know where you're gonna be, invitations or no invitations."

"Don't pretend you don't like it."

I looked at her fluffy chest, and remembered having my teary face buried there the previous night. The thought of her soft, warm embrace, her body so slender yet so strong, made me feel a little hot and fluttery inside. I paused for a long moment, teetering on the edge between denial and surrender. Finally I gave up and cowed to defeat. "Oh, who am I kidding. Yes, I liked it. I liked it a lot."

"Yay," Mia appeared out of nowhere, leaping off the bed to wrap her arms around Cadance. "Eris said it's okay! Come to bed, come and play!"

"Hey I didn't say all that-"

"What do you think, James?" Mia asked, ignoring me.

"I'll go with the flow. But I like the direction this is flowing," James said, smiling ear to ear.

I sighed. "Oh well. As long as everyone's happy."

"But I want you to be happy too," Mia told me, knitting her brow. "Are you?"

I looked at all of them, staring at me, and I felt myself break into a smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I really am. Group hug?"

James reached out and yanked me in. "Eek!" I squealed as they closed in and crushed me.

"Is that too much?" James asked, releasing his bear hug.

"No. Go ahead and squish me," I chuckled. "If I die of over-hugging, at least I die happy. I-eee!"

He really did squish us. While I was enjoying this, I heard a beeping sound.

"My phone!" Cadance squealed excitedly, wiggling free and pulling out the handheld cell in her telekinesis. The whole phone-holobracelet-ARHUD thing would almost be confusing, except that they all interlinked so one could pretty much do anything on whichever unit felt best suited at the moment.

"Oh, it's my husband! He must have found a signal where he's at." She quickly answered. "Hey baby! Yeah, we are just about to leave. Yeah. Two humans and a pony. Hey guys? He wants to see us. Group pic?"

"I don't know if this is awkward or not," James muttered, squeezing in with us while Cadance hovered the phone back a few feet in the air. She then made dorky faces while clicking off several shots of all of us together. She quickly tapped away with her hooves, humming while sending them off, then put the phone back to her ear. "Yah. Mmhmm. Yeahhh." She leaned over to Mia and I conspiratorially. "He says you're both hot. Look."

She held out the phone to us. I glanced briefly at the screen, then did a double-take.

It was a selfie of Shining Armor, leaning back on a chair with a smile. He was quite muscular and good looking, a well-built and handsome unicorn stallion. But what really caught my attention was his very big and very hard cock, standing proudly up in the forefront.

I felt my cheeks heating up. "Uh, umm... Wow."

"Now I really feel inadequate," James muttered, peeking over my shoulder.

I put a hoof around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Silly, you already make me gag. If you were any bigger, you might kill me."

Cadance giggled, putting the phone back to her ear but still looking at James. "He says he won't judge you too harshly, as long as you do your best to make me cum."

James's eyes bugged out of their sockets. "Wha-what? What the?"

Cadance was already ignoring us again. "Yeah, yeah I'll definitely take a video. Okay. Be safe, darling. Yes, I'll be careful too. Okay. Love you too!"

She hung up the phone, her big eyes twinkling. "He hopes he gets a chance to meet you guys in the future. But for now he says he'll be satisfied with some imagery."

"Well then. This has gotten way out of control," I said, dragging a hoof down my muzzle.

"Control is overrated in some cases," Mia told me, patting my neck.

"Oh, I'm going with the flow this time, too," I sighed. "I give up. Just do whatever you want to me."

"Right now?" Cadance said, moving towards me and licking her lips slowly, menacingly.

"Y-yes?" I replied nervously, equal parts excited and frightened.

"...I want to get some lunch with you guys," she finished. "Come on!"

"...oh. Uh, okay."

"What about the takeoff?" Mia asked. "They said it would be soon. Don't we need to like, I don't know, belt in or something?" She looked around the room, as if expecting to see human airliner chairs with tray-tables and seatbelts materialize out of thin air.

"Look outside," James snickered.

Mia scampered over to the large window. "Oh, crap," she said, sounding almost exactly like me as she stared down. "Where did the ground go?"

"On such a calm day, we didn't even feel liftoff," Cadance smiled. "Luxury class! Now, lunch? I'm hungry, and I bet the food is as good as the ride."

***

The "galley" was a full-on mini-buffet restaurant, one end of which turned into a patio of sorts where long, open windows allowed an excellent view of the picturesque landscape we flew over. Most of the open decks and such were placed at the rear or buried in the side of the aircraft, so that the body of the gondola blocked what would otherwise be some serious wind from our travel. Nobody appreciates having their napkins blown off the table and out into empty space. Once the engines had started, the acceleration had been so gradual as to be almost imperceptible, but we were moving at a fairly good clip now.

The buffet was fantastic, featuring several hot choices with a well-stocked salad bar. Sliced and shredded cheeses, different dressings, and an extensive assortment of toppings and exotic fruits awaited our eager sampling.

"You know, Equestria would make one hell of a health resort in general," James said, dumping vegetables on his plate and drowning them in ranch. "Most everything you ponies eat is fresh and natural."

"As opposed to?" Cadance inquired.

James shrugged. "I don't know. Fried butter on a stick?"

"Gross!"

We made our way to one of the tables and dug in. I was delighted with the heavenly taste of the fresh vegetables, most likely picked from the finest gardens in Equestria.

Then Mia started up.

"You gonna eat all that?" she asked me with a grin, pointing her fork at Cadance.

"Mia, jeez," I protested with my mouth full, trying to chew and look annoyed at the same time. Apparently i failed miserably because Mia burst out laughing, then started coughing violently.

"Are you alright?" I worried.

"isss-okay," she wheezed. "Just some food tried to go the wrong way."

"Stop horsing around at the table," Cadance chided her. "I don't feel like having to fish pieces of lettuce out of your windpipe."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Listen to her."

"There will be plenty of time to make Eris uncomfortable after we eat," the Princess finished.

"Yeah," I agreed again, nodding vehemently before her words fully processed. "Hey! Wait a minute! What did you just say?"

"Lovely view," James offered mildly.

***

We spent most of the afternoon out on the verenda, talking and enjoying the opportunity to actually relax. The land below had eventually given way to the sea, and we had been flying through mostly clear over open water for some time now while the sun crawled across the heavens, gilding the occasional clouds with a shining outline of gold. Eventually, as time progressed, one of the younger crew members approached us.

"Um, if I might be so bold as to, ah, disturb your Highness," he stumbled awkwardly, looking extremely nervous.

Cadance waved a hoof at him. "First, take a deep breath. Then, tell me what's up. I promise i won't bite your head off."

He nodded thankfully. "I'm sorry, I'm sort of new here. Everypony else is busy getting ready."

"We were all new at some time," she replied gently. "And ready for what?"

The young stallion nodded. "Thank you, ma'am. Getting ready for the, uh," he paused and breathed slowly. "I mean a storm front is moving in ahead of us. We will need to close off the open decks-"

"A storm?" Mia interrupted, looking slightly green. "Isn't that... Dangerous? Especially on a plane, er, airship like this?"

"We should be fine, this dirigible is designed to handle worse as long as the storm-wards hold. We'll set a couple unicorns to keep an eye on them. We may be slowed down a bit, but it shouldn't be a real problem."

"I suppose this means we should head indoors," Cadance said.

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind, ma'am."

"Thank you for the warning."

***

The four of us went to the forward observation deck to see exactly what was going on ahead, and sure enough, a long string of gray clouds had eaten the horizon. We were fast approaching the first scattered hints of what was to come, strings of ever-darkening low clouds forming around us. Rain began to slap against the glass, a little sprinkling at first, then in increasing quantities.

"Looks a bit imposing to me," Mia said, folding her arms and hugging herself.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She looked down at me skittishly. "Y-yeah. I'm just... I mean, I never was a huge fan of flying. I really don't like storms or turbulence."

I put a hoof on her hip. "Don't worry. Those storm-wards should keep things pretty calm in here."

"Okay. If you don't mind, I'd rather not sit here and stare at it out this window, though."

"Fine with me," Cadance said. "Let's go hang out somewhere else."

Naturally, we all ended up in Cadance's massive room, where we shut the drapes against the deepening grayness, and then sat around under the old-school long filament electric lights listening to Cadance tell us stories about some of the thing she'd seen since the breach. Our airship began to rock gently in the storm, the magical wards keeping us almost completely immune to the powers of the elements.

Funny how I'd started to think of these kinds of lights and stuff as "old school" after my time amongst the humans. I glanced down at the holobracelet on my forehoof and smiled. Futuristic cyberpunk girl, that's me.

"What do you think, Eris?"

I looked up at Cadance. "Huh?"

"Since things are unpleasant outside, I might as well break out the surprise I got you guys downtown, right?"

"I, uh, sure, I guess?"

Smiling, she pulled out the clothing bag she hadn't handed to me before. "Here. Try these. Something for you, and something for Mia."

"Nothing for James?" James asked.

"They're both for you too. Now go in the bathroom and don't come out until I say."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes!" Cadance stamped a hoof impatiently. "And close the door!"

"Fine." He stalked away and the door clicked shut. "I'm in the bathroom, and I'm by myself," came his faint voice. "It's real fun in here. You should try it."

"Okay, now put this stuff on," Cadance urged us, ignoring James's complaints.

I pulled the items out of the bag. It contained some rather suggestive lingerie items.

"Hmm," I said, unwrapping some stockings. "These would be rather nice on me."

"Yes they would," Cadance agreed impatiently. "Now put them on so I can call James back out."

"Yeah Eris, what are you waiting for?"

I looked over at Mia, who had already stripped down and was wrapping a sexy bra over her perfect breasts.

"Looks like this is gonna be THAT kind of trip, isn't it?" I commented, slipping out of the clothes I was wearing and wiggling into the panties.

"Well, we have nothing but time," Cadance said cheerfully, putting on some sheer panties and stockings of her own, then pulling out a cellphone. "I want to get some pictures of all of us. For my husband, you know. He'd feel really left out if I didn't."

"You guys are so perverted," I said, messing around with my outfit.

"Umm," she replied distractedly, her voice slightly muffled.

I turned and my mouth fell open at Cadance, who had apparently picked up the dirty hotpants I'd just dropped on the floor and had buried her face in them up to her ears. "Hey! What are you doing?"

She pulled my used clothing from her nose, continuing our conversation as if nothing had happened. "That's beside the point." She took a quick parting sniff of the crotch of my pantyhose before reluctantly placing them back on the floor. "Mmm. Now, quit being such a prude and put your nylons on," she clucked at me, "Mia started way after you and she's already done."

"Mmmhmm," Mia hummed, strapping her red heels on.

"Okay, whatever." I put the top and nylons on. "There. How do I look?"

"Smashing, baby. Get on the bed. Pose with Mia."

"Fine, I'll do it because you asked nicely." I climbed up onto the enormous bed. It really was huge, big enough for an elephant to sleep in comfort. Of course, it wasn't an elephant that wrapped me up in her legs and kissed me on the head. Far from it.

"Hey, Mia," I said, as Cadance took pictures. "How did I get into this?"

"One leg and then the other, I think?" She put her hand down my panties.

"Can I come out now?" James asked, muffled by the bathroom door.

"Oh, shit, I forgot," Cadance muttered. "Hit a pose, you guys!" She nodded her head as Mia and I sat back to back. "Oh yeah, that's hot." She took a quick picture, then turned her head to the bathroom. "Okay, you can come on out now!"

"Was starting to think i was going to be in there all ni- Oh, holy shit!" James gasped, staring at us, his eyes bulging.

"Was it worth the wait?" Cadance asked, flipping her tail along her back and shaking her rump at him.

"Ouch," he grunted, abruptly leaning forward with both hands on his crotch. "I think my pants just shrunk on me."

"Hmm, better take them off, then," Mia said sweetly. "You've got work to d- Oh shit, what the hell was that?"

We all froze as a sound came from far off, somewhere outside in the wet darkness. A long, undulating cry, eerie and unsettling, like a the song of a whale combined with the trumpet of an elephant.

A cold chill went up my spine, and I felt my fur standing on end. "I've never heard anything like that before. It doesn't sound right."

"It's... wrong," James agreed, coming closer to the bed. "That sound is... wrong."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you guys no matter wha-" Cadance began bravely, then the lights went out and the airship canted sharply to the right with no warning whatsoever. We all pitched forward across the floor in the dim light from the window, stumbling and yelping in a heap of pony and human limbs. The furniture didn't follow us as it was bolted securly to the floor, but poor Cadance tripped and fell, sliding away from us and bashing her pretty face directly into the thick door frame in front of her, the solid wooden sliding door slamming hard against her head and neck. I heard a sickening snapping crunch and she collapsed with her head stuck in the doorway, her limp body swinging about with the wildly shifting floor angle, the heavy door ramming cruelly against her unfortunate face each time we rocked crazily back and forth.

"No!" I shouted, using my magic to hold the door from pounding her head. "Cadance! Get up! Cadance!"

She lay still, an unresponsive, battered heap, her neck folded sideways at an awkward angle I desperately hoped hadn't killed her. Her slender, stockinged legs flopped around limply, each dreadful, listless movement another lash of pain upon my heart. Outside, the clouds swirled around crazily, and glints of alien light flickered around us. Deep in the darkness, the mournful cry of some other-wordly entity called out, answered by a much louder and closer one that rattled our ship and our teeth, the deep tones digging down into my gut and unearthing a hollowness full of cold, sloshing fear. Tentacles drifted past the large windows, vaguely huge with the total lack of reference points in the dark clouds.

Always some fucking tentacles trying to take my friends away from me, I thought angrily, staring at Cadance's lingerie-clad body through tear-filled eyes while the ship shuddered beneath us. Somehow the adorably sexy outfit she was wearing made the already horrible sight so much worse. She belonged in a place with warm blankets and kindness, not the corner of the floor with her head shoved in a door jam. We'd all been having so much fun just moments ago. It was so wrong, so unfair. I wished I could trade places with her, let my silly neck snap on that frame, let that damn door crush my own stupid face into a mush. I would welcome it if I could only see her standing safely again with her goofy, perverted smile. She might actually have been able to save this ship, but what was I going to do against whatever was out there? I was nowhere near as powerful as a Princess.

The aircraft shuddered heavily, interrupting the torrent of poorly timed debilitating self-loathing that had decided to flood my mind. I got an unpleasant glimpse through one of the uncomfortably tilted windows, a dimly fleeting flash of the far-away whitecaps driving across a roiling sea. We hung trapped thousands of feet in the air, a morsel for some hungry sky monsters, and there was no-one to help us. A strange mix of pain and adrenaline flooded my heart further as I struggled towards our Princess's huddled form.

"Oh no," Mia moaned nearby, her voice soaked in horror. "Is she okay? That looks really bad."

"I don't know," I said, creeping unsteadily forward, my heart thrumming in fear for our weird, dirty minded, sweet friend. "Oh gosh. I hope so."

"She's gotta be fine. She's an Alicorn," James said from somewhere behind me, his voice coming out more as a question than a statement.

"R-right." I couldn't bear to even consider the alternative.