The Sky Above

Twilight was lost in thought as they left the shop and started on back down. While she hated the idea of getting caught up on some sort of wild goose chase – which chasing this thing up to ‘Down, wherever that was, would certainly constitute – she knew she’d probably regret having come this far just to give up now. Their money was still doing alright, so costs weren’t the issue, but what she’d been able to learn of the city’s environs back in ‘Canum was virtually nil – with the exception of Snowbound, everything else was simply too small to be worth noting, at least for her large-scale maps.

Of course, there was still a chance that the traveller’s atrium held one. “Should we head back up to the main docks?”

“Might as well,” Squirrel said. “I’ve still that tip that there might be one up at the atrium, too, so we’d need to check it out sometime, anyways.”

They followed meandering halls until they once again found themselves at one of the several wire-bridges that connected Cast and Stile; a few snowflakes fluttered down in the chilly air. “So,” Rainbow said. “What about this ‘Down place?”

“Hmm?” Twilight looked up, grateful for the distraction – she could swear she’d felt the bridge sway underhoof. “It’s... a bit much to go to yet another city, though, isn’t it? We’d have even less to go on, too.”

“I guess...” Rainbow said, although she sounded less than convinced. “Squirrel?”

They’d nearly crossed the bridge before she spoke. “Well, I’ve never been there myself,” Squirrel said slowly. “And Shade-Under-Down is a good ways to the north; that said, it’s Avalon’s last burrow, and given how weird you’re being about changelings, Sparkle, it might do you some good to go up there and see them.”

While the idea of the last burrow had definitely caught her attention, Twilight found herself focusing on an entirely different point. “What do you mean, ‘how weird I’ve been’!”

Squirrel looked away with a blush. “Well I mean... you know... Rainbow?”

“Ahh,” Rainbow said, looking uncharacteristically hesitant. “It’s just that you’ve been kinda staring, Twi.”

“Staring! I have not.” Except for the thrift store hen, of course.

“You kinda have.”

“I was sort of meaning to bring that up,” Squirrel added. “You do know that changelings don’t, like, kidnap people and take their place, right? Or eat them or anything?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Twilight huffed, torn between equal parts mortification and indiginity. “I know that.”

“Then what is it?”

Unfortunately, Twilight wasn’t certain. Maybe there was some sort of body-swap fear going on? To be unable to trust that someone was, in fact, that someone despite that they looked and sounded like them? “I guess I’m just... uncomfortable with the idea that I could be talking to a, oh I don’t know, a friend or something, only to find out that they were just some sort of doppelganger.”

Rainbow slowed up enough to give her a nuzzle. “But you’d be able to tell if they did, wouldn’t you? Like, Squirrel here said that they can’t copy abilities or anything, and it’d definitely be dumb if they could take memories or just magically know how to talk like somebody else does; plus, there’s totally gotta be spells and stuff that could find them out even if they could.”

“She’s right,” Squirrel said as she gave her a friendly nudge of her own. “The spells to catch them out are centuries old now. No idea how they work, mind, but I do know they exist. Really though, the worst thing a changeling’ll do is be a bit too kinky for you in the bedroom.”

Twilight couldn’t help laughing. “Oh wow – I hadn’t even thought of that.”

“Seriously?” Rainbow gave her a bemused look. “That was the first thing that came to my mind once Squirrel said they were real.”

Twilight rolled her eyes with a sigh: she was feeling better already. “Naturally.”

“But just think about it!” Rainbow insisted. “All the possibilities!”

“Uh huh.”

While Rainbow continued to extol the virtues and wonders of a changeling lover, Twilight tried to decide just where she stood on visiting the city – certainly the idea of exploring such a place was beyond tempting, but she was still hesitant to extend their detour. “So what do you two think?” she asked, interrupting Rainbow’s fantasies. “Should we head north and keep chasing the sliver?”

“Oh yeah, definitely,” Rainbow agreed immediately. “We’ve come this far, and how can we say ‘no,’ anyways? It’s a changeling city! Everyone’s gonna be sooo jealous once we get back.”

“As good a reason as any, I suppose. Squirrel?”

“I’m game.”

“Well. That’s settled, then.” And it was; quicker than she’d’ve thought, too, but she wasn’t about to complain about that. “We can check out the flights when we’re back up at the docks.”

Twilight’s legs were beginning to ache. According to Squirrel, they were only a couple levels beneath the atrium; having spent the entire day thus far ascending and descending the peaks, she was more than ready for a break. “I’m beginning to suspect that everyone that lives here must have amazing leg-strength.”

“Or wings,” Rainbow added, looking forlornly at her own – she’d lose track of them too easily if she took off.

“Which, come to think of it, most of the people here have,” Twilight said, frowning slightly at the realization. “The point is: my hooves hurt.”

“Bit early to stop for dinner,” Rainbow said. “Might be somewhere nice to rest for a sec?”

“No,” Twilight said, shaking her head before Squirrel could respond. “Let’s just get this done.”

Squirrel nodded along agreeably. “Right then. The workers’ suggestions seemed based around the outer ring – that bit we walked past on the way in, yesterday. They couldn’t give a specific shop name, however.”

“Better than nothing,” Rainbow said. “Let’s just poke around the place til dinner, then I’ll find us somewhere good to eat; we can search some more after that, I guess.”

“Or just leave it til tomorrow,” Twilight agreed, still privately eager to find a place to sit. “There’s no real rush.”

The atrium seemed as busy as last time, with crowds of travellers and off-duty sailors moving about the space. This time around, without Twilight’s chill to worry about, Rainbow was able to notice and focus on all the crooked branching side passages, with all their little tells of business within, from the tips of hanging signs to the subtle, telling movements of passersby. Considering just how big this place suddenly seemed to be, she’d hate to have had to search every single one.

They crossed through the centre, now lit more by shardlight than sun, and down the winding flight of steps. “I think we’ll probably want to circumnavigate the whole floor,” Squirrel said. “Might be best to stick together, too.”

“So we can gang up on ‘em in the negotiation,” Rainbow agreed. “And keep Twi from staring while we’re at it.”

“That too, yes.”

“Hey!” Twilight said indignantly. “I must still insist that I wasn’t that obvious.”

Rainbow smirked and gave her a pat on the withers. “We’ll get you through this somehow, Twi.”

Her friend just grumbled.

“Well that’s a bust,” Rainbow muttered; beside her, Twilight continued her pout.

“I still say they were being rude about it.”

“We’re not disagreeing with you, Twi.”

“There was no call for it at all.”

Squirrel cleared her throat. “While I’ll admit they were a bit... brusque, you do have to also admit our request is an odd one.”

“Yes, but calling us a bunch of loony-bin tourists?” Twilight scoffed. “The workers down below were far nicer.”

“Maybe they’re used to it?” Rainbow suggested. “Getting specific requests for rare things, I mean. Everyone up here probably just deals with whatever boring things the passing ships need.”

“Exactly,” Squirrel agreed.

They’d just about run the gauntlet of workshops and likely-looking supply stores on the outer ring to no avail; Rainbow wasn’t feeling much bothered by this, though, as it wasn’t as if they didn’t already have a lead. “Is there any point in checking out the others? Such as there is? ‘Cause I’m hungry.”

“And tired,” Twilight added.

“Amateurs,” Squirrel chuffed, looking no worse for wear. “But sure – I’m game for an early dinner. Can’t say I know of any good places up here – just lots of in-and-outs.”

Rainbow hurried to take the lead. “I’ll find us something.”

And she did. She’d had a feeling that one of the tidier alleys would have something small and family-run, and while it took a few tries – and a few floors – to find something, she nevertheless did.

“Cozy,” Twilight noted as they stepped inside.

Rainbow nodded. From what she could tell, it was mostly a vegetarian affair, which would be nice – even fish was something that she didn’t like having more than a couple times a week.

Soon enough they’d settled down and ordered. “So,” Rainbow began. “It’s boat time again?”

“By which you mean we need to find a transport heading north?” Twilight led questioningly before Rainbow nodded. “In that case, yes. How often do ships head up there?”

“Probably not that often,” Squirrel frowned. “There wasn’t much back when I used to live here, at any rate; we should start asking around as soon as we’re done eating.”

Rainbow shuffled irritably in her seat: she wasn’t liking the idea of hanging around for however-many days until a flight came through.

Twilight sighed, having noticed Rainbow’s discomfort. “If we can’t get anything within a reasonable amount of time, then we just won’t go – we don’t actually have unlimited time for the trip, after all. Or funds, for that matter.”

Squirrel drummed a hoof idly on the table’s edge. “We’ll find out after this.”

There weren’t more than a few ready-looking ships moored across the scattered berths – so few that they decided to stick to their plan of staying together. “Did you see anything docked on the middle peak?” Twilight asked as they passed through one of the gusty gatehouses and out into the late-afternoon light. “I wasn’t paying enough attention earlier.”

Rainbow shrugged. “A couple small things near the top; there weren’t much in the way of docks on... Stile, I think it was.”

“Stile, yeah,” Squirrel agreed. “And anything on Cast’ll be under repairs or refits, so that entire peak’s out.”

“Right,” Twilight said, pausing a moment to snug up her new scarf. “I suppose we’re about to find out how the rest of this trip’s about to go.”

They trekked down the nearest of the occupied arms, minding their footing as they walked on windswept, slush-covered gantries. From what Twilight could see, the biggest ships – such as the one they were heading for now – all ran balloons in one eccentric configuration or another, while the smaller ones tucked about hither and thither were all rigged with sails. “Commercial versus pleasure, I suppose?”

“Hmm?” Squirrel said, glancing back at her before turning to follow her gaze. “Oh, yeah. Ideally we’d get on one of the tris’ls – they’re faster, and I kind of doubt any of the cargo vessels are heading out to ‘Down.”

“So what you’re saying is, we’re wasting our time on this one,” Rainbow said with a grunt.

“It’s the nearest ship, Dash,” Twilight chided her. “It’s still worth a shot.”

“I guess.”

Unfortunately, by the time they’d managed to both get to the ship and call someone over – there was no gangway down, oddly – they’d found that their approach may’ve been lacking in something.

“No,” the irritated-looking pony called over to them. “Do we look like a ferry? Because I don’t think we look like a ferry. Now go away.”

“Geez, it’s just a question,” Rainbow huffed.

The pony snorted, frowning all the harder. “Is that what you call it? Bloody tourists.”

“Say that again,” Rainbow growled, her wings fluffing out.

The sailor just glared back. “Go. Away.”

They glared at each until Twilight spoke up softly. “Let’s go, Dash.”

Rainbow looked like she wanted to disagree for a moment before relenting. “Fine, fine,” she muttered before turning sharply and leading the three of them back the way they’d come. “What a jerk,” she said once they’d gone a little ways.

“I agree,” Twilight said, although she shot Squirrel a glare as she did. “Of course, it might’ve help if someone here didn’t look like they were about to break out laughing the whole time.”

“What!” Squirrel said, still clearly trying to hide a grin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh.”

“It’s just that, well, you know, you sort of went about it in a kinda-maybe funny sort of way?”

“Dash, poke her for me.”

“Ow!”

“Thank you, Dash.”

Squirrel squeezed past her to get some distance from Rainbow. “I’m just saying that flying over and knocking on the windows until someone shows up was maybe not the right way to go about things?” She still looked like she wanted to laugh.

Twilight gave her a look. “And the reason you didn’t think to say something earlier was...?”

“Oh, this was a test ship, of course,” Squirrel said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “There was no way they were going to try and get something of this tonnage all the way up to Shade.”

Twilight took a deep breath and tried counting to ten. “Squirrel,” she said, having made it all the way to five. “It’s late and my hooves are sore and my legs feel like lead from walking up and down these blasted peaks all day. Could you please just point us to a real ship?”

“Oh, right, sure,” Squirrel said, looking somewhat humbled. “We’ll want one of the pleasure craft – they’re far and again more likely to actually be heading up there already – Shade is a bit of a tourist destination, at least for those that can make the trip.”

Twilight merely nodded, focusing instead on not strangling the troublesome mare.

Having taken the lead, Squirrel led them directly towards a distant sailing ship, ignoring the nearest one entirely. ‘See how their anchors are missing and the lockers look open? I’ll bet they’re too busy with replacing the chain to fuss with us,’ she’d said in passing.

The twin-masted ketch they were aiming for looked in good nick, by Twilight’s estimation, although Rainbow was in some disagreement.

“This one’s a bust, too,” Rainbow said while they were still some good ways out. “There’s no wires.”

“Junk rig,” Squirrel answered immediately. “The masts would’ve fallen down, otherwise.”

“Oh goody – we’re literally trying to sail on a junk ship.”

Squirrel made an exasperated noise. “Never heard that one before.”

“Shut up.”

Squirrel snorted, but wisely changed the subject. “Alright, when we get there we’re gonna be subtle about things – no boarding, no knocking, no shouting. If they’re there, then there’s no way they wouldn’t just see it as rude.”

“Well, duh,” Rainbow scoffed, having apparently forgotten about the last ship.

“Riiight,” Squirrel drawled. “Maybe I’ll just take the lead?”

“That’s probably for the best,” Twilight agreed.

They were near enough for all three of them make out flickering lights through the frost-rimed portholes. “Someone’s home,” Rainbow muttered.

“Gangway’s down, too,” Twilight added. “So how’re we supposed to get their attention without boarding?”

“Burst-signal would be ideal,” Squirrel said as they walked down the length of the ship. “But I think even I would find a portable one of those heavy.”

Twilight rolled her eyes – from what she’d seen aboard the East Wind, the equipment here was no less bulky than back in Equus, so picking one up was never an option.

“Alright,” Squirrel continued once they’d reached the recessed centre cockpit. “I’ll go aboard and knock – you two stay here so we don’t look overwhelming.”

“Wait – didn’t you just say boarding and knocking was dumb?” Rainbow asked as the other mare stepped onto the gunwale.

“This’s an exception,” Squirrel said, waving her off as she ducked down out of view.

While Squirrel tried to get their attention, Twilight hunkered down unhappily in the lee of some spent ring-canisters; although she couldn’t deny a good part of her preferred having someone else do all the talking, she also couldn’t help feeling a touch miffed, as though she were missing out on learning something valuable.

“What’s up?” Rainbow asked as she settled in close to her. “You okay?”

“The new clothes are working well, yeah,” Twilight nodded, figuring that that was what she was talking about. “I’m still feeling uncomfortable with all this, though.”

“You mean the whole ‘hobos hitching rides on trains’ style of travel we’re doing?”

Twilight snorted softly. “Yeah – that.”

Rainbow gave her a little nudge. “Hey – don’t worry about it.” She paused to sweep the snow off a nearby tin before taking a seat on it. “They can always say ‘no.’”

“Still feels undignified.”

Rainbow shrugged irreverently. “Like Squirrel said – it’s a thing here. Besides, it’s that or walk.”

“I suppose.” She still felt weird and self-conscious about it all.

There was chatter aboard the ship, but it was all muffled from where they sat. “Think it’s going alright?”

“I hope so,” Rainbow said, as the sounds turned to laughter. “Like I said, it’s that or walk.”

Squirrel’s head suddenly reappeared, a large smile on her face. “Good news!” she said, sparing a glance back at the companionway. “Tassle and Fluff here are heading out to Shade in the morning and they don’t mind taking us along! For a, uhh, small fee,” she added hastily. “But small indeed! And you can’t beat the timing.”

Twilight heaved herself up, feeling once more energetic enough to keep moving. “That’s great! Getting back might still be an issue, but I’m sure we can sort something out once we’re there.” Hopefully.

“Nah, they’ll take us back with them when they’re done – we’re good. For that matter, hop on and say hello!”

Twilight stepped back into the gatehouse, revelling in the sudden, crisp warmth of the heating blocks. “Well, that went well.” And it had – after the hellos and how-do-you-dos were done, she’d found the two sailors were pretty easy-going and understanding; the fee was modest, too, and she could hardly blame them for it.

“Yep!” Squirrel agreed, looking inordinantly pleased with herself. “Not even leaving til well after dawn, too, so we can sleep in!”

“You’ll be staying with your folks, again, I presume?”

“Oh, yeah,” Squirrel said. “It’s convenient, and it’s nice spending time with them, too. I can just meet you two at the inn at... whenever, I suppose.”

“Eight-ish?”

“Sure.”

The walk back seemed to take ages, to Twilight’s tired legs – early or not, she fully intended to spend the rest of the evening sitting and working on her logs. “Some peace and quiet,” she muttered to herself. “That’s all I want.”