TInto the Storm: The Flight of Firefly
MLP: FiM
Dark
Adventure
Thriller
Before the Wonderbolts, there were the Bolt Knights. And before Rainbow Dash, there was Firefly. The story of Rainbow Dash's ancestor, the founding of the Wonderbolts, and the outbreak of the Great Pony/Gryphon War.
Gore
Violence
Alt. Universe
Celestia
OC
Other
Firesight · 421k words · 211 8 · 3.5k views

Firefly part 26 is draft complete · 11:50pm Apr 30th, 2020

I think I've figured things out for the issue I mentioned in the last blog post, though this chapter will only represent the first part of the setup for what is coming. Currently coming in at 9632 words, the chapter will launch as soon as prereads are in and I can make some musical selections. In the meantime, have a preview, told from Firefly's perspective:

EAS Loyalty
Cloudsdale
Central District Airship Anchorage
September 4^th, 1139 AC
0630 hours

Sleeplessness, I was quickly coming to learn, was a normal state in war.

Dawn had barely broken when word of a renewed gryphon offensive was received, all along the front. The Nightborne were in some initial consternation at the news as well, only to realize to their relief that they were not being targeted; the gryphons were thus far studiously respecting their territory even as they pushed south to take more of the coastline and push through Pristinia into the Campelonian provinces.

The impression I had ‘twas that they were moving to slowly surround them for a future strike, one shared by Fell Flight and father once the outlines of the attack became clear. We could only hope ‘twould be taken as potentially threatening by the bat-ponies, and they would act before their strategic position became untenable.

Regardless of the Empire’s intentions, it did complicate our mission. The departure of Cloudsdale was delayed a day until we knew where the Imperials were pushing and where the safe routes north were. For if they were making their main effort in the center, as seemed likely given ‘twas the most direct route to Canterlot, then Cloudsdale would be vulnerable in transit to sky gryphon attack —’twas thought they might well try to throw a full legion at us if the front moved close enough—and might have to circle further west, taking the city over Highborne lands to an unknown reception and delaying arrival at Windy City by several more days.

Thus, ‘twas decided to wait two nights to depart, both for greater knowledge of Imperial operations and to allow for Captain Typhoon to return from Hollow Shades. Despite accepting his request to travel to their Capital and confer with their Lunar Council, the Nightborne initially wanted Cloudsdale to leave immediately, fearful of the Gryphon reaction to discovering they were harboring the city. But they relented when reminded that to simply be seen leaving the Foal Mountains would implicate them, and thus, we had to wait for nightfall when the mists would be thickest and the city could be hidden most easily on its way north.

Whilst we waited, the Nightborne resupplied us with the help of the Loyalty lifeboats, plying us with preserved fruits and vegetables as well as some crude breads they could make—they clearly did not have an earth pony touch with farming, but ‘twas impressive with what they had been able to do without them.

Few of their wares were fresh, with harvest time for all but some peaches not yet reached, but they’d learned some interesting non-magical preservation techniques; giving us jars of nuts that had been turned into a thick paste and fruits into very sweet and spreadable slurries.

They offered us some fish and other meats as well, and there were some complaints about that and the quality of their food until Typhoon forcibly reminded all present that we could not be fastidious and that the pegasi of old had indeed been omnivorous. He then ate a small fish in front of a crowd to demonstrate that we could, and asked the thestrals for instructions on preparing it, planning to have the ship’s printing presses start churning out copies along with the city’s news services, who had been doing little for days but publishing lists of the dead.

News of the Loyalty’s arrival had quickly spread through the city, and, hungry for news of greater Equestria, a large crowd had gathered by mid-morning to see the airship. Leave was granted in stages for crew pegasi to find their families, and I did the same for the Corps contingent, while leaving enough present to remain out on patrol.

As I had no family in Cloudsdale, I let Fell Flight be amongst the first group, deciding she had more than earned it over the first few days of war, giving her a full day’s leave. She departed with a communication crystal and a promise from me to summon her instantly if she was needed. I told her I would, but she had no sooner exited the ship when she was hailed.

“Fell Flight!” A shrill young female voice called out, causing my second’s head to whip around.

“Morning Glory?” Fell Flight immediately recognized, her thestral eyes searching for and then locking on to a single figure in the crowd; a barely adult mare with what appeared to be two younger siblings huddled close against her, standing on the cloud surface instead of hovering like most. I knew not what the other mare’s relation to my second was until she spoke her next word. “Sister?”

She instantly dove off the deck, the crowd of pegasi parting quickly for her as she neared her kin.

And the rest I will leave for Fell Flight herself to tell.

Though it opens with Firefly, this will be a Fell Flight chapter. It's possible the story will launch as soon as tomorrow night, but no later than Sunday, definitely.