Electric Sky

CHAPTER TWO
Fireflies In The Sky

Sunshine 77B, Somewhere above Unicornia

Alabaster frowned, quietly groaning to himself as he sat in his plush, velvet-red seat. His eyes was fixed on the seat in front of him, as the airship heaved and rolled; gentle chatter somewhere behind him made his ears twitch slightly. A few quick glances towards the aluminium ceiling, hidden behind shiny wood-boards, didn't calm Alabaster's nerves. Neither did the semitransparent stellar constellations projected below it.

Fluffy clouds slowly drifted by outside the small porthole windows, with the oval frames glinting majestically in the few round lights that were seated in the wood-boards. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Alabaster looked to the side, seeing foals gathered around a mare pulling a metal-crate with her; laden with ice-cream and smoothies – a few of the foals jumped in place, giddy, and happy, as others tugged on their parents hooves, smiling joyfully.

For a moment, a familiar feeling flared in Alabaster's heart, but he sank back in his seat, looking away from the scene unfolding between the seats. Alabaster looked out the window, at the scenery of blue clouds, and the orange setting sun, as the airship slowly drifted towards his goal. Then, he looked back, towards the ceiling, before letting out a heavy sigh, slowly sinking back into his seat.

“I hate flying,” grumbled Alabaster as a pegasus sat down in the seat next to him. Turning halfway, Alabaster recognized the yellow mare, with a moss-green spiky mane atop her head, and a tattered book in her lap. “What are you reading?” Alabaster asked with a feigned interest, as the nausea welled up in his stomach.

Straight Course grinned mischievously back at Alabaster, and turned her head as she hid the book with her wing. “Nothing,” she playfully said, barely holding back her girly laughter. Alabaster frowned and turned around again, looking through the porthole window. “You're such a grump,” commented Straight Course as she leaned back, unfurling her wings in the seat, as she brought the book around again.

Alabaster mumbled, “I'm not in the mood for games.” Without even noticing it himself, he traced a hoof around the window, gazing into the blue and now, orange-tinted expanse of the sky; the domain of the pegasi. “They're out there.... doing....” – Alabaster gritted his teeth, and clenched his eyes shut – “doing who knows what to her...” He turned to face Straight Course, who just looked back at him flatly. “My daughter!” Alabaster repeated, breathing heavy, as his words dripped of venom.

“There's not much we can do now, though. She's somewhere out there, and we're here.” Straight Course made sure to tap the armrest of her seat as she said it. “The only clue we got, is what you overheard.” Straight Course swallowed her words, and looked at the back of Alabaster's head, nervously tracing a hoof at the edge of her book. “Why would they come after you, Al?”

The earth pony detective froze, and shivered, holding back the floodgate of festering anger, as he clenched a hoof together, just staring into the sky. “I. Don't. Know,” said Alabaster through gritted teeth.

In a split-second, the airship shook, and everything went tumbling over to one side, as the ship veered to the left; even Straight Course. Would you move?” Alabaster mumbled and groaned, as he now found himself, nose to nose with Straight Course. She sheepishly smiled back, and pushed off of him, landing safely back in her seat with a low thump.

The intercom crackled to life, as a gravely voice, brimming with experience, thundered through the room. “Sorry about that, folks. We got a bit of turbulence ahead of us, so if you all would be so kind as to sit down, that would be great. It won't take us more than ten minutes to fly through. Thank you for your understanding, and patience.” It crackled off again with a high-pitched squeal of feedback and static mixed together.

“Great....” Alabaster groaned, tapping a hoof against his right arm-rest, still looking outside, though he couldn't see any storm-clouds. That's odd.... thought Alabaster as the airship shook again, and his stomach churned. “Oh... crap....” Alabaster said softly, quickly pushing past a surprised-looking Straight Course, as he made his way to the toilet, keeping a hoof in front of his mouth.

Stumbling, Alabaster found his way into the bathroom, and just managed to lock the door as his stomach twisted. He gripped the toilet bowl with both his hooves, shaking and sweating, and he panted as his stomach churned, and he hurled into the bowl, feeling that the on-board dinner had been wasted.

The airship rolled once more, so Alabaster stumbled, and fell onto the floor, knocking his head into the cupboard behind him. “Oh....!” He winced, touching a hoof to the back of his head, as searing pain shot through his temples. “This sucks,” he groaned as he took his hoof back out, and rolled his head. “Ugh... that wasn't worth it...”

Alabaster sat against the cupboard, holding a hoof to his still twisting stomach, as more of his food threaten to come back up, at racing speed. Thankfully, it didn't, for now, as the stabbing pain in the back of his head had taken over. “Flying... is for pegasi,” said Alabaster as he rose to his still shaking hooves.

Some-pony knocked on the door, as a gingerly, and obviously nervous voice spoke,” Y-you okay in there, s-sir?” The mare punctuated her question with another set of knocks, three times, and Alabaster groaned, stepping a bit away from the door as he flushed the toilet, grimacing at the scene.

“In a minute!” Alabaster shouted, as he turned around, and turned on the porcelain faucet, splashing cold water into his face. For a second, he simply stared into the white wash bowl as the water swivelled, and twisted, as it went down the drain. Another set of knocks came. “Can't you listen? I'll be out in a minute!” Alabaster said, and knocked his hoof against the door, so forcefully, that he could actually hear a soft gasp, before the sound of hooves on wood came, and he smiled at that.

Turning back up, Alabaster looked at his own reflection, water still dripping from his face. Once he closed his eyes, the sound of screams reverberated in his mind again, as he watched the body of his limp daughter laying on the muddy ground, with the grim stallion grinning viscously back at him; she was so close, and yet so far.

Dammit!” Shouted Alabaster, and slammed his hoof into the mirror, breaking it into small pieces, drenched with blood. He frowned as he pulled his hoof back out, and picked away a few shards of broken glass, and turned on the faucet again. Alabaster looked emotionless into his own fragmented reflection, as pain shot from his cut hoof, and up into his shoulder.

“Excuse me, sir?”

“Go away,” Alabaster mumbled, panting as his heart raced. Another knock came on the door, and some-pony tried to twist the handle. “I said: Go away!” – filled with anger, Alabaster slammed his hoof into the door again, slightly denting the woodwork. “Leave!” Alabaster finished, as he pulled back his hoof, and used it to steady himself over the wash.

The knocking stopped, as Alabaster swivelled his ears, expecting another knock, but it never came; the sound of hooves, walking away, echoed dimly instead. Alabaster stood there, with only the sound of his heavy breathing, and the heavy roar of bladed engines barely audible now. His hooves trembled slightly, as he groaned. “I failed... you...” Alabaster muttered and leaned back, sitting down at the toilet as his ears perked.

Muffled voices came through the side-wall, so Alabaster leaned in, and touched the wall with his ear. Even then, most of what he heard came out as muffled, but he identified a set of three voices. One shouted, and low, barely audible moans came from another. Then, the third chuckled, and spoke, hoarsely; it sounded as if he was the leader.

Alabaster got pressed against the wall, as the airship rolled again, and he heard the three voices shouting, as they stumbled – the sound of a cabinet crashing against the floor, and floor boards cracking almost drowning out their voices. The third one spoke again, and shouted this time, as the groaning voice suddenly shrieked, and a loud thump rolled against the wall, then silence. No-pony said anything more after that, and Alabaster stepped back, as he heard the ponies walking away, calmly. Stunned, Alabaster sat down on his haunches, and blinked a few times. What...?

*

Barely paying any attention to the gorgeous landscape outside, Straight Course flipped a yellowed page in her book, reading over a passage. Even in the intense heat of the highland, Coronal Grime stood alone, and calmly looked over the town below. A grim smile crawled across his muzzle, as the shrieks of the ponies below echoed in the autumn air...-

“-What you reading?” Straight Course flicked her ears, and looked up, seeing the smiling face of a brown colt as he leaned over the seat in front of her. “My dad took me to the library in Canterlot once... I didn't like it there,” the colt said with a frown and perched his hooves under his head, as he leaned against the velvet seat. “Is it any good? Does it have any heroes? Any mares needing rescuing? Does it, huh?”

Laying her ears back, Straight Course took a hold of the red ribbon bookmark and laid it between two pages, closing the book. Gazing back up at the colt, Straight Course coughed, and smiled warmly. “Heroes? Definitely. Any mares in need of rescue? Doubtful, and mares can do fine on their own.”

“My dad says, that a mare should stay at home, and cook food. Do you cook food?”

Straight Course frowned, but quickly returned to smiling. “Well, tell your dad that he's wrong and that he should keep away from this mare. Not every mare needs a strong stallion by her side....”

“Excuse me sir?” The sound of a stallion, as he knocked on the bathroom door jolted Straight Course from the conversation, as she leaned out from her seat, and looked back towards the bathroom and suites. A purple unicorn, with a blue, carefully combed mane and tail, knocked on the door several times as Alabaster's voice came from the door.

What's he done now? Straight Course smiled, and looked back at the colt. “Excuse me, but I should go and check on my friend.” The colt just smiled back, as Straight Course slipped from her seat, and tucked the worn book under her wing as she walked, fast. Her hooves echoed sharply, as she exhaled. Thank the skies for that! Straight Course thought, and held a hoof to her mouth stifling a chuckle.

The purple stallion sighed, and walked away from the door as Straight Course brushed past, and dashed down the staircase to the lower part of the airship. Red carpets with gold trimmings lined the floor, between the bar, where several mares and stallions had gathered – and the restaurant area, hidden behind two glass doors.

“Ten more minutes, and everything should be ready?” whispered a green mare with pink mane to a friend of hers, as Straight Course passed them, did a double-take, and flicked her ears as she found a seat close by.

“Yes,” a blue mare with a yellow and white-striped mane said to the green mare; the two of them apparently being friends. “Soon, we're across the border, and then the eagle will fly.” What? Straight Course frowned, and scrunched up her nose, but still she listened in on the conversation, almost wishing she had a newspaper to complete the look.

The green mare simply nodded, and flicked her left ear, as a waiter passed her, nodding his head gently, as if he didn't really mean it. “The stars will shine double as bright tonight, Jumble. I have high hopes for tomorrow. Yes...” The blue mare paused, and shivered slightly. “Yes, tomorrow will be a new dawn.”

What in blue blazes are they talking about!? On the outside, Straight Course looked calm, and preserved, but on the inside – she was blazing red hot. Damn riddles! I was never good at those... 'Across the border and then the eagle will fly?' 'Stars will shine double as bright tonight?' What!? Frowning still, Straight Course leaned back against a square window, as the vibrations trundled down her spine, and she followed the 'slightly-nodding stallion,' with her eyes.

The stallion stepped around the bar, and whispered something to the other waiter pony there, and she simply nodded back, and pointed her hoof towards a back-door, labelled in red: 'CREW ONLY.' Nodding back, and grinning, the waiter-stallion left and stepped through the metal door. Straight Course tapped her cheek as she smiled, and her eyes darted from the mare, to the door, and to the drinks, as she felt the soft, rather pleasant, rumbling on her back.

Moaning, Straight Course dropped to the floor, crying out in agony, “My stomach... it hurts... so much....” Every pony in the room turned and looked at her, a few gasps could be heard. “I... shouldn't have had that... cider...” Straight Course groaned out, as she pawed with her hoof at the carpet. The few ponies sipping their drinks, quickly, and angrily, put them down, as they gazed away from Straight Course and looked at the befuddled waiter-mare behind the bar.

“Are you poisoning us?” A black stallion with a white cropped mane, and a beige straw-hat on his head asked, and poked the mare with a hoof. “Huh? Are you?” he asked as a few more angry guests crowded around him.

Looking rather pale, and gulping the mare slowly eased back. “I.. I.. W-well, y-you...” She grinned at the guests, as she had trouble speaking, and another pony poked her, spouting foul unpleasant words at her. “W-why don't I give you a f-free complimentary g-gift basket?” The frightened mare said, feeling the cold metal door on her flanks.

“And then you'll just slip through that door” – The black stallion gestured with his hoof towards the 'crew only'- door – “to never be seen again? I don't think so! If you're giving me something for free, I want to be there when you fetch it!” The other angry guests roared in agreement, as the mare turned and opened the door.

“R-right this way,” said the waiter-mare and slipped in through the door as the guests followed her tightly, not keeping their eyes away from her.

Straight Course opened one eye, and gazed around the empty room, grinning as she dashed to her hooves again, flapping her wings slightly. “Yes! I rule!” A low, soft, thump came as her worn book hit the floor. Grinning still, Straight Course scooped up her book and dashed in through the open metal-door, just as a few tails vanished around the right-hand corner at an upcoming crossing.

The hallway was metal, the floor was metal, and much of the walls were simply metal-beams that groaned in the high wind. The lettuce walkway groaned as Straight Course walked quickly, but she stopped at the crossing, swivelling her ears, listening.

“Give us the codes!” An agitated voice rang out to Straight Course's left, and she followed the voice, perking her ears every so often. “Or these walls will be painted with your blood, dirt-walker!” The voice continued as Straight Course came to an open doorway, so she slipped to the side, peeking inside.

Two pegasi stallions, including the waiter-pony from earlier stood over a lean, unicorn stallion tied to the floor with flayed rope. Muffled by a piece of dirty cloth in his mouth, the unicorn groaned in agony; he seemed tired, exhausted even, as the second stallion in the room chuckled grimly.

“He won't talk. I say, cut his horn and throw him over-board, we're done here anyway. They are already on their way.” The stallion tossed a glance filled with malice towards the stallion, who simply shook in turn. “Or let him stay here and get burned, I don't really care.” Straight Course silenced a gasp, as she looked away.

“Yes... How about that, dirt-walker?” The waiter-pegasus hissed, as the airship rolled, and tossed Straight Course into the opposite wall, getting a slight shriek from her, as a few worn, green metal-cabinets and crates toppled over inside the room with the stallions. For a moment, Straight Course stayed still, Feeling heat and pain radiate from the base of her left wing, and all the way to the tip.

“We've overstayed our welcome,” the pony, who seemed to be the leader said, and reared up, hitting the unicorn right in the head with his hooves. The unicorn landed on the floor with a hard thump, as blood drooled from his mouth. Straight Course slowly eased away, and skirted back down the metal-hallway as a few tears started to blur her vision.

I have to tell him! Tell them! Straight Course thought, as she dashed down the hallway and burst through the still open metal-door.

*

Alabaster stepped out from the bathroom, pretending as if nothing had happened as he walked back to his seat, looking at the empty seats. “Your friend, the cute pegasus, left.” Groaning, Alabaster looked up, and saw a brown colt with a stereotypical foalish smile on his face. “She said she needed to help you, but you don't look like you need any help, if you ask me.”

A high-pitched whine, almost sounding as a light whistling echoed in the airship, as Alabaster looked out the porthole window, seeing dark-clouds and blue lightning crackle in the crisp air.

Immense heat hurtled through the air, as Alabaster crashed into the corner of the row of three seats; the right-side of the airship's protective metal-casing, had been blown away, burning in the air. A crescendo of screams, and foals crying filled Alabaster's already hurting ears, as the airship rolled, and he slid from the seat.

Burnt flesh cooked the air, as Alabaster caught the edge of the last seat, bracing his hind-hooves against the metal-handle. Lifting his head, Alabaster gulped, as he looked into the yawning depths of dark-clouds, as fierce electricity shot past, and screaming ponies fell to their long, painful deaths. Most of the seats had been torn away by the menacing wind, and the flooring had been torn away, ripped to shreds; some ponies had even, been flayed by metal-ropes splitting due to the high-pressure, so blood caked the remaining seats, drenching them in entrails.

The brown colt was screaming his lungs out, as an amber mare's hoof kept him from sliding out of the seats, and Alabaster could hear the heavy, pained panting coming from the mare, as she had trouble keeping her hind-legs strained against the seat. Heat washed over Alabaster as metal creaked horribly, and something in the distance broke.

Four rows of seats, that had at least had a dozen ponies clamouring them for safety, broke away from their metal moorings. Pitch black darkness surrounded the metal seats, with scorched velvet as they dropped into the yawning maw of the skies below. Other, faster moving metal objects seared the sky, as they came shooting past, some even grabbing the falling ponies as they screamed and flailed helplessly.

With another heavy groan, the entire airship tilted back, slamming several ponies into the back-wall and the porthole windows. Hushed shouts reverberated in the large room, as parents consoled their foals, and others simply tried to get their bearings back. Wincing, Alabaster grabbed his saddlebag, which he had painfully landed on, and breathed a sigh of relief as the box was still intact.

Drawing everyone's attention, a pair of stallions came screaming out of the door to the cabin, their coats burning and bubbling away slowly, as the stench filled the air. They ran a third of the room through, before collapsing onto the floor, panting, as their voices slowly withered away.

*

Blurry shapes slowly revealed themselves, as Straight Course blinked her eyes, brushing away dirt and tears as pain seared her left side. Her hooves shook, and she whimpered as the acrid smell of fuel, food, and burning flesh melted together. It felt as if the entire airship was tumbling, as Straight Course grabbed her head with a hoof.

Before her, two shapes came into full light. A stallion encased in some kind of metallic armour, that fully shielded him, stood, facing a mare that held her hooves out as she muttered almost inaudibly. “P-please... I... I don't want to die....” The stallion simply looked at her, as runes lining the edges of the armour flared neon-red, and he brought out his majestic wings.

Each wing had a sharp blade attached to it, and Straight Course watched in horror, as the stallion spun, and slashed the frightened mare across the chest. In shock, the green mare shook, as blood turned her coat almost forest-green. Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she sunk together. Straight Course recoiled, and battled the pain, as she struggled to get to her hooves.

I have to get to him... he needs to know.... thought Straight Course as she overcame her pain, and gritted her teeth, and stumbled out of the way of the bar; distant shrieks of agony reverberated through the metal hallway she had been in earlier, but she tried to block out the sound, focusing on the task at hand.

Heavy boots clanked on the floor, and Straight Course perked her ears, and turned her head. She froze. Something wet dripped down the side of her leg, from the base of her hurt wing. It felt cool to the touch. In that moment, everything seemed to stop. Straight Course didn't move, the armoured stallion didn't move, and time itself froze. She looked straight into the goggles of the stallion – they were completely opaque.

Straight Course broke free of her reverie, as the stallion nodded, flared his wing, and dashed through the restaurant, shattering the fragile glass doors, as he darted into the sky, through a shattered wall. Straight Course couldn't believe her luck, as she was frozen, but a happy pony pranced around inside her head.

Groaning, Straight Course struggled up the stairs, flinching as her wing twitched intermittently. She coughed, and gagged on the foul stench as she arrived at the top, seeing a pair of burning bodies on the floor, and several scared ponies knocked up against a wall, including a very familiar stallion.

Suddenly, the entire airship lurched forward, and Straight Course slammed into a seat in front of herself, knocking her head, as tremors filled her head, almost blocking any vivid thoughts she had. Screams filled the air as an explosion sounded, and Straight Course saw green flame spewing from the restaurant below. “G-get out!” she harked out. “T-tanks!” Straight Course continued, stumbling to her hooves.

Alabaster jumped from his seat, as several more metallic shapes filled the sky, and glowed dangerously red. What the...? Turning, Alabaster galloped over behind the rows of seats, and smiled at Straight Course, as she looked back at him with her weary eyes. “It's going to be all right,” he said, trying to be as comforting as he could.

Another explosion sounded close by, as Straight Course panted, scanned the room with her eyes, looking at all the other pony-faces, and she bit her lip, and pushed Alabaster with all her might, clenching her eyes tight. Alabaster stumbled backwards, and fell, into the gaping darkness below, and Straight Course turned to the ponies, mouthing, I'm so sorry... With that, Straight Course jumped out of the airship.

*

Red and green flames painted the sky foul as wind gushed past Straight Course, and she flailed, trying to flap her wings. Crap, crap, crap, I'm so dead, so very dead! Her eyes was fixated on a falling dark shape a bit ahead of herself, as a shock-wave of heat and sound rushed past her, and she could almost hear the screams echoing, but they were silent.

Pain flooded Straight Course's mind as she tucked her wings in, making her frame as small as possible; she even stopped her flailing, and simply shot downwards as if she was an arrow soaring through the air. All around her, more of those metallic-armoured ponies flew, and grabbed ponies out of the sky.

One spotted Straight Course and beelined for her, as she came in close to Alabaster. “Great plan!” Alabaster shouted, and angrily glared at her, his mane flapping in the wind. “Now, we are falling to our deaths!” Straight Course ignored him, and threw her forelegs around him, keeping Alabaster beneath herself, as she spun around, with her belly pointing towards the rapidly approaching ground.

Straight Course flared her wings, and yelped as new pain strained her already weakening mind, enough so that she didn't see the metallic shape crashing into her...

*

Windbreak Mountains, 2676 ft above Barley

Alabaster groaned in agony, as he blinked his eyes, seeing a large shape buried in snow, with a yellow mare a few feet beyond – the snow blackened by crimson fluid. Feeling all over himself with his hooves, Alabaster found himself rather lucky, as he only had a few cuts and bruises, nothing major, though he feared more for Straight Course.

Ignoring the shape buried in snow, Alabaster leapt to Straight Course's side and smiled at her, as he held her head and ran a hoof through her mane, comforting her. “D-did we... m-m-make it?” Straight Course sputtered out, followed by blood as she moaned in discomfort. Alabaster didn't say anything, and the smile waned from his face as she passed into unconsciousness again.

“I didn't want you here.... I didn't want your help...” Alabaster said softly, and tossed a glare a the foreign shape in the snow. Letting go of Straight Course, Alabaster walked over to the shape as snow bounced against him, and he loomed over it for a moment. “You won't mind, will you?” he said with a snicker, as he lifted a brown saddlebag from the stallion's metal body, and plundered it.

In the saddlebag, Alabaster found: A scroll, two packs of bandages, a jar of tablets, a photo, and some kind of key, oddly shaped as a skull. Alabaster smiled, and took the bandages, forgetting about the other stuff for the moment, as he walked over to Straight Course.

Being as gentle as he could, Alabaster wrapped Straight Course in the bandages – most of her middle section had to be bandaged, and two of her hooves, along with an ear too. He could almost feel the pain himself, as he gently lifted the mare onto his back, as the bandages already began to redden.

Alabaster tossed a rope around the metal-stallion, and dragged him behind himself as he trudged across the landscape, snow fleeting in the air.

*

Heat irradiated against Straight Course, and she shot her eyes wide open. “We have to get out!” she screamed, as Alabaster sat across from her; his face hidden from a small fire, enclosed by small, black rocks. The light danced on the cave-walls, as Straight Course panted, and Alabaster snored. Wincing at the pain, Straight Course touched her side with a hoof, and felt the soft fabric of bandages, wet with fresh blood.

“Welcome home,” a gravely-sounding voice boomed from a side of the room, so Straight Course moaned and turned, seeing the metal stallion tied up and pinned against a wall. “You need to...” The stallion groaned and coughed for a moment. “You need to work on your flying,” he said and chuckled lightly.

“What do you mean, 'welcome home'? I have a home, in Canterlot,” Straight Course said, feeling befuddled as she looked the stallion over. The glowing runes had disappeared and his armour was dented heavily in several places, but was mostly intact despite the damage the sudden impact had taken.

“Did the fall hurt your brain? You're a pegasus. Welcome to the Pegasus Empire, or at least the northern part of it,” the stallion said calmly, and didn't struggle in his bonds at all, so Straight Course was a bit unsure, if he could move and chose not to, or if the fall had simply injured him that much.

Straight Course focused her eyes, and stared at the metal stallion. “I live in Canterlot; not here.” Pausing, Straight Course mulled over her words for a moment, before continuing. “Why did you attack the airship, and why do you need some kind of codes?” A new pause lingered in the air, as the stallion sat silent.

“I'm glad you're awake,” Alabaster said with a yawn, as Straight Course turned to him, and forced a smile. “He won't talk, I've tried. How are you feeling?” Straight Course brushed a hoof over her bandages, as Alabaster asked her.

“As if I participated in the annual Pentathlon and lost... bad.” Straight Course giggled softly, and moaned at the pain, as she coughed up a bit of blood on the ashen ground. “Don't make me giggle...” Alabaster smiled gently at her, and shot a glare at the metal stallion. “Don't even think about it.”

“I only talk to her, reaper,” the metal stallion spat back, as he chuckled grimly at the two ponies. “He hasn't told you, has he?” Straight Course couldn't be sure if he was addressing her or not, but his head was turned in her direction. “And here I thought you two were-”

“-No! Never, ever!” Straight Course suddenly interjected, as the metal stallion fell back into silence. “We're just friends,” she said, wincing at the pain in her side, before she turned to Alabaster. “I should tell you... There were two stallions in the airship, and they were... interrogating a unicorn,” Straight Course recoiled at the word, and then continued. “Something about codes, I think. From the situation we're in, I think that has something to do with their attack.” She shot the metal stallion a glare that mentally burned holes through his armour.

Alabaster nodded, and smiled. “I'll be outside for a moment, we're close to Barley and I want to make sure none of his” – He gestured with a hoof towards the stallion – “friends followed us.” Straight Course nodded too, as Alabaster walked out of the cave and into the blistering cold with a frown on his face.

“Reaper?”

“It's what we call him,” the stallion responded flatly. “Heard about Electric Sky?” Straight Course nodded, as she swallowed hard. “So many deat-” They stopped as Alabaster trotted back inside, his coat thick with wet snow.

“I told you,” growled Alabaster towards the stallion. “Barley is just a few clicks East of here, but I don't want you there,” Alabaster said as he faced Straight Course, and continued as she was about to protest. “I'm no medical pony, but your injuries would only get worse if I moved you, and even then, there's still the possibility of another attack.” He stomped a hoof in the ground, making his decision very clear. “I'll head to Barley tomorrow, and you'll stay here and watch over my prisoner.

Is that safe?” Straight Course said, as she tried to stand, but her hooves only wobbled, and she shook, then fell back onto the ground. “Okay... I'm staying, but what if he gets lose?”

“He won't. Those ropes are reinforced with high-intensity steel. Even he can't rip those.” Alabaster cast a look at the stallion, then at the cave-opening, before he trotted over to his side of the camp-fire, and pulled out his saddlebag, and tossed a rolled-up, red and green-striped package that glistened. “Emergency supplies,” he said with a smile. “Try and get some sleep, you'll need it.”

*

Straight Course smiled as she looked at a little purple butterfly, with its tiny, almost airy wings caught the wind, and it swooped away. She looked at it with wonder, and flapped her own small wings, biting her lip as she feebly tried to take off. “W-why can't I fly?” she asked to no-pony in particular, as she hopped in the lush green grass.

“Your wings aren't strong enough,” a larger colt said as he landed on a tree-branch, and perched there, his yellow mane drooping, which he brushed away with a hoof and a smile. “You'll get it though, soon enough. I'll even help you!” the colt said triumphantly, and leaped into the air, doing a small loop-de-loop before landing beside Straight Course.

He smiled and her, and gave her a nuzzle, as Straight Course closed her eyes. “It's all about practice. Remember what dad always says?” the colt said as he let go of her and looked into her eyes. Straight Course nodded, and coughed, on purpose, as she put a hoof to her chest.

“Practice makes perfect, and failure is not an option, it's required,” Straight Course said and beamed proudly, as the colt nodded back and buzzed his wings. “Yay! I got it right!” she said with a smile, and brushed a hoof down her chest, giggling.

“Good....” The colt smiled and perked his ears, at a whistle. Turning his head, he saw a mare in the distance, waving at them, shouting something. “I guess play-time is over. Want me to fly you there?” the colt said and raised an eyebrow, as Straight Course jumped onto his back. “Guess so,” he said with a smile, buzzed his wings, and leapt into the sky, as he carried the two of them towards the mare and a cottage...

The dream washed away, as Straight Course awoke, a sudden feeling of oppression overwhelmed her, and she felt as if she would cry, but she couldn't. “Another nightmare, huh?” Straight Course turned, but could barely see the armoured stallion, as the camp-fire had burned out earlier. “Of past times, forgotten places and forgotten ponies? I get those too.”

“Who are you?” Straight Course asked, her heart racing, as she panted heavily. The stallion didn't answer until after what felt as a very long pause.

“I'm no-pony, just a soldier doing his job, but you.... You have come home.” Straight Course blinked her eyes. There it is again she thought. “The code is Marauder' s edge. Keep it to yourself. You'll know when it'll become important.” Straight Course frowned. The last few days had been nothing but more and more questions, coupled with pain piled up. If this continued, she would only have questions.

Straight Course laid her head back down, as a dull pain throbbed in her head. She laid there, watching the brown wall as silence permeated the air. Cold wind washed in through the cave-opening as Straight Course closed her eyes, trying to find sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED...