Verve

The sway-step of Lord Trilvanos sheltered them beneath the branches, the local tree’s leaves slowly settling down to their normal sky-facing routine. Bird song filled the woods, as the end of the long forest yawned before them. Here, at the very edge of the woods - his steps came to a halt.

“Here I take rest, sun friends. I have little left to say among the business of tree and root; the ancient history of the Deepwoods is naught but fickle with many words of lost history,” he hummed, as the ponies - and accompanying Knight - settled on their legs.

“Will we ever see you again, Trilvanos?” Tempest called to the ancient deity, who loomed over the wine-colored mare with careful eyes.

His chest rumbled as he spoke. “Mm. Soon, upon the light of the cresting sun - find my grave. I sleep now, forever wandering this half forest I once called home. Come; greet the old halls of the Autumn Court. You will find it marred by vagrants who seek to disturb my rest; the very same who have captured your friend. They are moored upon the old lands, the site of our home’s faded glory.”

“Trilvanos… is that really your name?” Celestia asked, with her friends at her side. “I feel as if I know you, somehow.”

“It is a name I’ve borne for three thousand years now; I will speak truth upon the headstone of my tomb, and speak in a tone more common. Find me, and I will reveal all. May the leaves line your path ever onwards, along the path of stars.”

As the final branches far above rustled into place, the group was once more left in the dim shade of the trees - the western exit directly behind them, the dark of the ending atmosphere readily apparent. With nothing more to say, and nothing else for Pumpkin to jot down in her notes about their wild encounters - the party once more set themselves onto the task at hand.

Stifling a yawn, Celestia spoke quietly to Tempest.

“Do you think it’s wise to set upon the airship now?” Her voice rang, wisdom coming forward; “A short rest, especially the terror of the dark - would do us all well.”

The Unicorn thought quietly, before nodding. “Being this close to the light should stave off any creatures, but may leave us exposed to Seraph intrusion. No campfires for now, I’m afraid. We will take a short rest, review our supplies - and forage for food safely, before discussing our plan. Then, we’ll make our move.”

At that, the party was able to freely break and explore - Tempest sticking so close to her lover’s side that Arin personally thought of using a spatula to pry them apart.

“Do you think Tempest has issues with abandonment, or?...” he asked Celestia, who stared at him blankly.

“She literally destroyed my castle because some young foals wouldn’t play with her after an unfortunate accident that cost her horn. She is the very definition of abandonment. If I had a dictionary on hoof, and looked up ‘abandoned’ in the dictionary, a sad picture of her would take the whole page. Yes. I think she has issues.” She eventually rolled her eyes, tugging the Seraph into her wings.

“Seems like I’m just surrounded by ponies with issues, huh?” He laughed, slipping the tent bundle from his Feyleather bag. “I don’t want to say if that includes you, for obvious reasons.”

“Oh no, I’m three thousand years of pent up burn out from a dead end job. Couple that with crippling anxiety that Equestria will die, my Sister will never be rescued, and all I’ve worked for will perish over some unspoken feelings between Luna and I - and I’m anything but normal. In fact, I was considering asking Twilight if she knew any therapists on my return, if things follow my plan.” She frowned, as the two spread the tent’s tarp wide.

“You know, you still haven’t told me your plan. I’ve been left in the dark since day one.”

“If I told you, it would never work. Sometimes, all it requires is a little hope,” she hummed, her elegant voice soothing to Arin’s ears. Once the tent was raised, the duo met up with Vee - who, with nothing better to do, turned her attention towards the wilds to gather food.

“Hope you like Fungi, Mushrooms, and possible food poisoning, Sun-fry,” Vee chirped, “oh, and a little bit of pegasus saliva. D’ohoho~”

She plucked a white button mushroom with her teeth, tossing it lazily into her bag.

“Er, how about… Arin and I do the dirty work, and you spot for us, Vee.” The Princess lifted a hoof from the floor with a hopeful smile, Vee holding a fresh muzzle full of shrooms.

The Purple blinked, chewing them all raw before swallowing them down. “Hmhm. I see. Are you saying my gathering isn’t to par?! Oho! You’re right. I hate mushrooms, anyway. Unless someone else cooks them, and they taste good. Or they’re used in a potion. Preferably a potion I can sell.”

Vee gathered her thoughts with a 'hohum', before pulling her wing up to her brow.

“Pump-” The Purple stopped short, blinking. “...Celestia! At attention!”

“...Er… Yes Vee?” Celestia asked, after sharing a look with Arin. He could only shrug.

“...Sun-fry, you’re supposed to salute.” Vee waved her hoof around with a frown, glaring up at the three thousand year old mare.

“Oh. Oh! Uh huh. I see.” Celestia put the knee of her forehoof to her chin, thinking. Vee gave a short ‘ahem’, clearing her throat before trying again.

“Celestia!” She sparked, stomping a hoof.

“Yes Vee! Ow!” The tall mare saluted, slapping herself in the eye with her hoof. Even after all this time, she wasn’t used to her hooves being free of the usual heavy regalia. You can’t shrug off thousands of years of muscle memory, after all.

The Pegasus sighed, facehoofing at the utter failure of a Princess before her. If only Pumpkin hadn’t run off to be with Tempest. “...Good enough! Follow alongside me, and pluck the mushrooms I choose! Then clean them! And eat them if you’re hungry!”

“What about me?” Arin frowned, crossing his arms. Not like he had any idea of the local fauna, save for a few similarities from his world. “Room for one more?”

“Nope! Sorry, but we’ve found a better applicant. You’ve been promoted to not-hired, Tall-fry. Hit the road! Go… pick your nose, or whatever it is Tall-fries do when they’re bored. Come on, Pumpkin Two!”

“...I think I prefer ‘Princess Celestia’, but mushrooms do sound appetizing over dry bread and lukewarm cheese. And I’ve never foraged before. Very well then, Vee! I’ll take the job.” The morning mare trotted alongside the Pegasus, leaving Arin alone by the tent.

“...Rude.” He sighed, crossing his arms. Well, his nose was itchy. Slightly. He ignored it though, instead turning to the woods.

Do you know what Umbra would enjoy, after around… probably ten days or more of imprisonment? Meat. She had a penchant for the stuff; elk, boar, or in some inaccurate history books, pony - it didn’t matter. Being a former umbrum, and keeping some of the ancestry - meant it came with many perks. One being a meat-rich diet.

A loop of string, some fresh berries that seemed edible, a small sapling, and a spare twig from the floor. He made sure not to damage the little tree, just in case a giant, looming tree-deer thing decided to smash him to bits. A few more traps for good measure, fanned out wide - and all there was left now to do was wait.

And maybe make a space in his bag for fresh meat. The last thing he needed was for his gear to be tainted by the scent of hare. Maybe a giant leaf or two could be useful; or perhaps he had a spare shirt he didn’t care for.

Bag on the ground before him, he shuffled around several pockets. Compass - unnecessary here, as Celestia was the best compass. Twilight’s old map… trash. The broken alicorn amulet…

Why did he keep this? If anything, broken or not - he should toss it. Sure, it could be worth a lot of bits, but…

Well, bits were always useful. Back in the bag it goes. Aha! Perfect; an old breadbox. His bread was far gone by now; hence the need for more food. Their plan was to rob the Seraph ship far above, save Umbra, and fly back to Equestria as quickly as possible - sure. But there was a good chance they too could be low on food - or have nothing suitable for ponies. After all, their supply lines were cut at least fourteen days ago; and knowing ship-fairing Seraphs without a task, they had probably burnt through the fresh stuff by now, leaving nothing but salted hardtack.

Back at the tent, he had time to relax and breathe. This was the first time in a long while he had been entirely alone. Not that he was desperate for time to himself - he enjoyed Celestia’s presence immensely, after all, even if she was a lot to handle. But with his independence, he could turn his thoughts inward. And also not be grabbed, kissed, or snuggled every three seconds.

He knew by now he abandoned Luna; the first to embrace him and trust him beyond all doubt. This was obvious. But did it hurt? Truly? At this point, no. He felt guilty for letting Celestia sway him so - but the vile words Luna spat, the anger in her heart. Was she always under Nightmare Moon’s influence, or perhaps she was simply incapable of leading on her own?

Regardless, it showed in her behavior that something was left to be said. And it didn’t help that their relationship was built on partially fake emotions to begin with. He put all of this love and attention into somepony - er, someone… well, she was a pony. Regardless, all of this love and attention, and she hardly showed any back. Rare letters, always grim and foreboding… he felt more like a therapist than he did a lover.

For an hour, he pondered life on his own - the first to return being Tempest and Pumpkin. Arin spotted them, and went to give them a wave - but stopped as his eyes settled on something peculiar between the duo.

“Uh, Tempest? Why are you leading Pumpkin around on a leash?”

Instantly, Pumpkin froze in place - toppling like a leaf in the wind to the forest floor on her side. Her cheeks a soft crimson at being caught, but Tempest seemed rather unphased.

“I was worried she might vanish on me again. But perhaps you’re right; it is rather silly.”

“Tempest…” He frowned at the lie, crossing his arms. “...I’ve read Pumpkin’s diary.”

“...Ah.” At this point, even the stalwart Commander began to blush, helping the little mare to her hooves. “...Then you are to tell no one of this. Since you know, there’s no point in keeping it from you.”

“Keep what from who?” Celestia said, reappearing from the brush. “I couldn’t help but…”

Her eyes saw the duo on her left, a dozen thoughts racing all at once. She wanted to laugh, or smirk, and admonish the Unicorn for being so crude. She finally settled on ‘casually ignoring this and going about her day’.

“So! Arin. Let’s immediately head into the tent and pretend I didn’t see anything worth noting just now.” She smiled, thwacking the Seraph with a wing. “Let me tell you about all the mushrooms I harvested! Yes, thrilling tales, I assure you.”

“Hey Stern-fry, what are you-...” Vee, too, wasn’t far behind. Covered in dirt and mushroom pieces, she looked between her half-dead Sister and the Unicorn, spotting the leash between the two.

“...Why didn’t I think of that! The perfect tool for keeping a Pumpkin snooter on hand. Well, the better Pumpkin. Pumpkin two is terrible at following orders.”

“Vee! Our tent is right here! I heard that!” Celestia sighed through the thin red shelter; could they take this literally anywhere else? “Go to bed! We have serious things to attend to soon!”

“I don’t sleep, Tent-fry, but thank you for the offer.” Vee withdrew a trusty wing to preen, humming. Purple feathers soon marking the ground by the dozen, all the grime and dirt from mushroom hunting keenly ignored.

“...Pumpkin, let’s rest. I’m sorry I did this to you,” Tempest said, gently unclipping the makeshift leash from the little mare, who shakily followed along. Her face hidden behind the brim of her hat, huffing as they vanished into the not-too-distant cover of their own shelter.

“What’d I do? Now I’m all alone. Hmhm. Not good for the feathers, I tell you,” Vee huffed, spitting a few pinions to the floor, before returning to the… non-existent fire.

“Right. Now how am I going to boil my coffee? I was wrong - this is very bad for the feathers.”

Recuperated after their harrowing journey into the dark, the group finally packed their belongings and made an effort to move - Arin retrieving three fresh hares to stuff in his pack. Staying low, and keeping the cover of brush around them - they had a clear disadvantage on stealth.

Past the clearing, and directly south - not more than a league away - their target floated over the ruins of a once bustling town; its unique walls reminiscent of the halls of Silversun, with arcing faded gold trim holding aloft decimated red tiles against the walls. There were plenty of trees left to provide some shelter from sight, but it would be difficult to approach so brazenly close to their enemies.

“Tempest, I don’t suppose you’re taking suggestions on how to approach this?” Celestia asked, her step in line with the tall unicorn’s stride.

“I’m open to ideas.” Her eyes travelled the long anchor binding the ship. A modest vessel, constructed with Equestrian hooves - though of Seraph design. Simple cedar for the hull, blue balloon, three propellers with an iron hull modification for the engine - definitely ideas from Erenorn, written to life here, in Equis. It lacked the usual flare a military vessel would have, with the name struck from its hull in paint. It would help prevent identification, at the very least.

Not more than several hundred yards to their right, and in the exposed air - hung the very edge of the world. The black sky of endless space went beyond that, and even in the light of day - the sky was unsettlingly dark. Like someone had taken the night’s sky and draped it over the world, regardless of the sun’s wishes.

Arin really wanted to peer over the ledge - but Celestia’s firm, near unyielding wing prevented him from jogging along and taking a look. Something about the fact that the usual forces of nature that bind this plane tumbled apart at the edge of Equis, leading to completely unpredictable results for creatures who strayed too far.

“Then I have a bold and risky one. We have in our possession a Seraph - one of the sparse few in this world. Arin could simply… fly up there, retrieve Umbra with a distraction on our parts, then we could bolt for the woods to regroup and recover.”

Arin stopped in his tracks, raising his hands in the air. “Whoa now, Celestia. I’m pretty sure that’s a terrible, horrible idea. If I get caught, I’m alone with no support against potentially dozens of Seraphs. On top of that, they’d be on high alert afterwards - and would probably start moving back towards Canterlot or… something.”

“Actually, Tall-fry, you’re wrong. There won’t be dozens of them.” Vee spat a feather to the floor with intent, despite Tempest’s firm glare telling her to ‘stop leaving a trail’. “Tree-fry said something about them being grave robbers. If anything, you’ll find most of them snooting about some old houses for bits and gold. Speaking of, I should definitely start doing that, ‘cause I’m broke.”

“Vee, I won’t even begin to go over just how morally bankrupt you are. Let the dead rest. But, you do have a point. If I were a soldier stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing else to do, I would explore abandoned ruins as well,” Celestia stated, her mind wandering to the possibilities.

“I was thinking of a more brazen approach; we’re after their ship, too, not just Umbra. If they decide to give chase on wing - we might be able to break their line of sight. But they’ll be likely to charge their engines and give pursuit, even if we shelter in the woods - as Arin said. From there, we’ll have no hope of both shaking them, and staying clear of the Dark Kin. Either they’ll spot our lights, or we’ll perish to the creatures of the Deepwood,” Tempest mentioned as she led the group around a boulder, keeping the line of sight between the ship and the city sparse.

“T-Then why not um… we do both? Arin could go up to the s-ship and um… save Umbra, and everypony else could go and deal with the Seraphs near the town,” the littlest mare mewled, bumping against Tempest’s side for reassurance.

“That’s not a terrible idea. But Arin would, again, be alone. Among possibly dozens of Seraphs who would likely pick him out of a crowd, if not by the fact that he’s a fresh face - then by his clothes. We would need a distraction, and I’m afraid to say it, but… Pumpkin, that would be you.” The wine-mare closed her eyes, sighing.

“W-WHAT! M-Me?! I-I can’t fight! I-I- n-no!”

“Pumpkin, you won’t have to fight. All you have to do is gain the attention of the Seraphs on board. I know how fast you can be on that broom, when you mean to. Arin, what's Seraph's greatest weakness in flight?” their leader asked, turning her ocean-green eyes to the Knight.

“Well, tight turns are extremely hard on us, regardless of how strong we are. Our wings are best fitted for gliding - as ascending straight up for a while is difficult, forcing us to tire and spend a lot of energy doing so. We’re slow climbers, too - we have much less innate magic than a pegasus does for flight, and we have to really pump our wings to take off.”

“So, you rely more on wingpower than a pegasus? I see. Is there anything else we should know, before I send somepony I love on the most dangerous mission among us?” Tempest stated, as the distance began to melt behind them. They would be arriving in less than ten minutes, at their careful pace.

“I’m not worried about her dodging them in flight. It’s their magic that’s the issue. Well over half of all wing bearing Seraphs have a grip on some sort of power; flames, ice, lightning, raw arcane might… It's difficult to say, but she could very well be grabbed in the air. If that happens, she’ll likely be killed on the spot.”

“Then it’s simple, Arin. She won’t be grabbed. You’ll give her your spare dragonhide vest.” Celestia smiled. “And you’ll wear Luna’s gift. I know you still have it. The green vest may be a little loose on her, but it’s nearly impossible to hold with magic - even for a talented Unicorn. And a mage wouldn’t be able to focus on something so small moving so fast - so they wouldn’t be able to snatch her broom, or her tail, as long as she kept her distance.”

Arin frowned, fumbling in his bag to retrieve the blue vest Luna gave him, oh so long ago. He held it aloft in his hands, the mithril chain stitched into the hide as light as a feather, and the strong silken thread as sturdy as iron binding it together. The green vest he bore was just as tough, and could likely shed an arrow or two - perhaps even a few sparse blasts of arcane power.

“If you think it’ll work…” he said, running a finger over a moon shaped button. Sighing at the memories now lost.

“It’s our only option. While Pumpkin is catching the eye of the crew - you’ll sneak on board, and start hunting for Umbra. Once she’s free, and you heal her - work on killing any Seraphs that remain. It’s harsh, and taking a life is hard - but you have no choice. We have to secure that ship, and it won’t be likely that any will be willing to throw their lives away to help us save Equestria. With my knowledge on layouts, and looking at this vessel… It appears to be a scout ship similar to one of the Storm King’s old fleet. The brig would likely be on the top deck, left of the Captain’s cabin and secured by a simple lock.”

Now approaching the last of the heavy brush, the outward wall of the old Autumn Court grew close - a small gate broken from disuse left the small town open to intruders. Tempest waved her hoof for the party to stop, her perceptive eyes gazing at the vessel and open path before her. In the air, three separate smoke trails from the city indicated campfires and cooking stoves, clear signs on where to head first.

“Celestia, Vee, you’re both with me. We’re going to raise the alarm here, on the ground level - I hope you’re able to fend for yourself, Princess. As weak as you are right now.”

“I may be low on magic, but I can still fight. I can disarm blades and snap fingers, and provide a flash to stun when needed.”

“Then you’ll be our disrupter. I’ll hold their attention. Vee, defend our rear and keep Celestia safe. You’ll work as our main source of damage with your spear.”

“On it, Stern-fry! Vee-ness, expert butt stabber, on the case. D’ohoho~” A flick of her hoof, and she was armed with her lance from her bag. Arin approached Pumpkin with the green vest after the switch, gently dragging it over her shoulders before urging her to stand up on her hindlegs.

“Look uh, Pumpkin. Miss Spice. Little… adorable… witch pony. I know we had a bit of an awkward start, but you’re braver than most Seraphs. You know that, right?” He clipped the silvery moon buttons into place as he spoke, as awkward as it was to dress a pony.

“N-No I’m not! I-I still… I-I don’t think I can do this.” Once she was all settled, Tempest was once again by her side.

“If there’s any pony more capable in this world, it’s you. This won’t be the first time you’ve saved our lives, and it surely won’t be the last.” Tempest tilted her muzzle up, catching her in a soft, sweet kiss.

Celestia huffed, dragging Arin with a wing over to do the same. She couldn’t let her Knight get away without a good luck smooch, after all. “Arin, you’re also capable. I trust the fate of Equestria to your hooves. If things grow dire, remember… you are not alone."