//------------------------------// // Equestria and the Mysterious Stones-Chapter 18 // Story: Equestria and the Mysterious Stones // by LunicStream1105 //------------------------------// Chapter 18: Melancholy Gladden Sonic helped JetStream up the steps by holding him over himself, as soon as he reached the top he set JetStream to the side where he could sit on the floor, "... Thanks, Sonic..." he smiled back at him. "No problem." as he lifted JetStream's forehoofs over his head, Knuckles showed up afterward, appearing over the edge and landed as soon as he would. "Well..." he looked back to the crowd of ponies dispersing, "That was mildly annoying..." Tails appeared from the staircase. "Knuckles, they're only giving their thanks for driving him out... Besides..." Tails looked at JetStream, "This world is innocent." JetStream shrugged. "On a first impression sure, but..." JetStream wanted to continue, but seeing Tails shrug back made him cut it short. "Anyway, JetStream, how'd you figure that the bell would ward them off?" JetStream looked up, rather confused. "Wha-? The bell? Oh, I didn't know about it..." Tails scratched his head. "What!?" Knuckles exclaimed, "You know what could've happened if you didn't save us like that?" JetStream nodded, and utterly depressed about the awful imagination somepony could have. "Anyway..." JetStream slowly stood up, "What's up with this, Eggman character?" Sonic crossed his arms. "That egg-head? We've been enemies since we first met." Sonic stared into space remembering every encounter. "Is that why he knows about the Chaos Emeralds too?" "Yes, he uses them for his own machines, it's kinda like the way I use them... Except for a better purpose..." JetStream nodded. "Yeah..." Tails looked closely. "JetStream... is there something you're maybe, thinking about? Something on you're mind?" JetStream inhaled, and exhaled. "...Eggman said that I was, the protector of Altamare..." Knuckles shrugged. "That was him talking his usual non-sense." JetStream looked over to Knuckles. "No, I actually think he might've been right about something like it... but I can't put a hoof on it..." Sonic shrugged, looking at the others. "Maybe he just got the impression you were...?" JetStream shook his head and looked up. "There's something about this bell that I don't know, and ever since I've moved here it's always interested me..." JetStream sighed, "... Then again, maybe I'm just thinking too much about it." Tails smiled. "Yeah, that's probably all it is." "Who knows, we might just find out why later..." Knuckles stated semi-sarcastically. JetStream tried to stand, he fell backward from the energy output from the buck earlier, but went to stand up once again. "Are we able to go back?" JetStream looked back at them, everyone shrugged. "Guess so." 'But not, too innocent...' Tails thought, gaining a smile. They soon made their way back to JetStream's home in order to take their first flight ion the Tornado-1. JetStream decided to wait for them in his bedroom. He wanted to remember this for as long as he could. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile in the backyard. "Are you sure you're all ready?" Corolla asked. "Well, I could say we are, I checked the plane several times. I'm sure I can handle it." Corolla nodded. "Alright, you are the mechanic." Tails smiled as he held the wrench over his shoulder, moving his index finger across his nose. Sonic sighed. "Alright, Tails." Corolla laughed and walked back into the house. She walked into JetStream's room, she was standing next to his bed. "Well, it seems they're ready." JetStream nodded. "Alright then..." they both hugged in silence. "I'm going to miss you through this whole thing." her voice started to shake over JetStream shoulder, which really surprised him. "Yeah, me too Mom..." they broke it up, and JetStream continued to turn the corner, and to the back door. Corolla was just behind JetStream just as he opened the door, he turned to her with relaxed eyes and a confident smile, "We'll be back before you know it." Corolla almost teared up. "And I'll be here waiting..." the last thing she saw her colt walking out the door, and nothing after the door closed. She walked to the living room and let her tears finally drop, streaming from her left eye first. JetStream walked toward the Tornado-1 head down. "Alright, JetS-... are you okay?" Tails was hoping to know, JetStream nodded and raised his head. "Yeah... I am." Tails was a little speechless at what he saw. "JetStream, you're..." he shook it off while JetStream wiped the tears off the top of his muzzle. "It's alright, everything's fine." he stood firm, smiling as always. Tails gave a friendly laugh for good measure. "Alright then, let's go." JetStream hopped up. "Is there a certain seat I should take?" Tails shook his head, raising his arms at the seats. "Nope, take anyone you want." 'Alright...' JetStream took the one on the right, Knuckles who was standing next to the plane took left. Sonic jumped on the wings. "I'm still ever surprised I'm able to see." Tails muttered, he looked back toward JetStream, "Getting comfortable?" JetStream nodded. "Yup." he found the seat belt and clicked it, Knuckles watched closely, imagining what it would be like to go with only hoofs. "Alright, were should we go to look for Emeralds?" JetStream thought to himself, then seemed to catch one. "Well, there's this town called, Ponyville... We could check there. It's about... that way from here." JetStream pointed a little bit north of east. Tails nodded. "Alright! Are we ready?" "Yep." Sonic and Knuckles answered. Tails turned the plane and used the backyard as a run-way. Soon before the plane was off in the air in no-time. 'So this is what it's sort-of like for a Pegasus...' Altamare was shining even brighter then before. But JetStream couldn't dodge the fact that the whole world was turning colorless, but it was also weird how they seemed like they were ignoring it. "Next stop... Ponyville!" Tails shouted. ~~~Chapter End~~~