Airship Mauled

by Darkonshadows

Chapter fifty, all around the world: Everywhere.

-Approximately two weeks later, hilltop homestead, Fortitude-

After we learned much about Autumn Blaze’s plight, we were quite willing to help her however we could.

Autumn was in exile from her village after she got her voice back, it was either that or lose something she just got back to stay in her village.

It was a somewhat reasonable for the Kirin to exile Autumn, she did spend more than a month annoying every other Kirin in an over the top talkative and excitable manner. Said manner could match or even surpass Pinkie Pie’s usual upbeat attitude and exuberance to an absurd degree.

It was a case of too much Pinkie Pie that didn’t actually involve Pinkie Pie at all, I am slightly mystified by this.

Having only taking what she could carry with her in a small cart, Autumn has been homeless ever since. Apparently she really misses the couch she left behind in her house in the village, she might even be a little bit too obsessed about it.

When I had asked what Autumn used to do for a living, she eagerly expressed to us that she was a singer, dancer, actress, comedian and all around theater enthusiast. She had at least some survival skills thanks to her magic, otherwise she wasn’t very capable of being on her own for too much longer without some help.

That’s where we came in to find her hurting herself, wanting her horrible loneliness to come to an end one way or the other. The kind of end that she was heading towards was rather bad and we were making multiple concerted efforts to stop that.

One of those efforts involved asking Autumn where she would like to live if she could have a new home, we didn’t exactly like her sleeping in a cart for all of this time without a roof over her head.

Autumn liked the idea of being high up, a scenic place to watch a sunrise or sunset and maybe some star gazing or being able to see her village to look in on old friends from a distance. So, with that information, we started building her a home that was a little ways above the valley the Kirin lived in near two jutting cliffs with a good scenic view.

Skelly was a decent hoof at construction, I knew she at least had an idea of what she was doing after seeing her solved the problem with that frozen waterwheel back in Rein. I was here to help her set up the home by giving her the much needed muscle to hold and move things into place while she affixed them to the structure.

So far we had an almost finished the building, when we were finished we’d have a sturdy two story thick thatched and wood roofed home with an observation platform off to the side.

While we we’ve been building it, Flamberge and Sweetcakes were out trying to help Autumn learn many new useful survival and camping techniques. It was just in case Autumn ever lost the ability to do magic from being too sick, having a concussion or taking heavy damage to her horn.

At least Flamberge was helping, Sweetcakes didn’t know much on the subject personally and probably just wanted to learn how to do those things given she didn’t spend much of her life out in the wilderness for a prolonged period of time until now.

I didn’t see a reason to intervene on Flamberge’s behalf where Sweetcakes was concerned. If he really wanted to make her stop chasing after him, then he would have done so by now by snapping at her harshly. He was mostly indifferent to the kitsune’s constant attention.

Thinking more about Autumn, I considered her fiery form. The explanation was that Kirin basically had unicorn style magic that could be empowered to an unusual degree by their emotional state. They change in appearance when they become angry, this leads a Kirin to turning into their Nirik form. Nirik were more impulsive with their emotions which was dangerous and what caused a large portion of Autumn Blaze’s village to burn down.

Thinking of, Autumn Blaze really needed to either vent or let go of all that anger directed at herself or her situation eventually. It wasn’t healthy to hold onto anger and she could stand to learn how to let it all out.

“Skelly, where do you want this next one?” Asking as I stopped holding the previous piece of wood in place.

The slightly haphazard construction we were cobbling together was coming together pretty well I think, four walls and the minimal portion of finished roofing was bearing my weight so far. I give it a yak seal of approval, the best kind!

The building we had right now seemed close to being a standard Viking made home, that’s because we were just doing the framework for the home. It was up to Autumn to figure out how to furnish it and make it her own afterwards. If she was into theater as much as she says she was, then she should be able to make repairs to it on her own if she had anything to do with at least building stages or making props.

I hoped that Autumn didn’t continue living in a depressive state after we were done here, or even gave up on living period. It seemed like that was what she was about to do when we first saw her.

If Autumn Blaze had wanted to give up on life, then bashing her head against a boulder was a slow way to go about it when she could have just jumped off one of the nearby cliffs. I think she was quite resistant to the idea of actually just ending things even if she was angry at herself and hurting mentally. Months of loneliness could do this to anyone and I think she had more of that coming once we left.

Autumn wasn’t keen on leaving the valley as this was her home, she was even considering searching the entire valley for enough ‘Foal’s Breathe’ to grow some more and at least cure another Kirin so she wasn’t as alone. That and Autumn didn’t want any visitors to be forever cursed by the stream of silence if the other Kirin got any rowdy visitors that they would deal with by dunking them in the water. That was a great enough reason for Autumn to stick around and absolutely make sure that such a thing didn’t happen.

I heard a loud thumping noise, I looked up to see Skelly glaring at me.

I guess I hadn’t been paying well enough attention to her instructions, once she knew she had my attention she started to sign out something for me to do. Following Skelly’s instructions, I grabbed the next piece of lumber and slotted it into place

I nodded and smiled as Skelly began using the back of her axe to hammer it into place.

If Autumn would not leave the valley to get help for her depression, then we had to make sure that she at least could support herself mentally before we could soundly leave. She was fine taking care of herself physically at least.

Flamberge should be by soon with Autumn Blaze, we should have the roof finished by then.

-One hour later, Kirin Valley, Flamberge-

Autumn Blaze was really quite talkative, now if only she could learn to stop reminding me of Pinkie Pie. In comparison Sweetcakes had been mostly silent these last few weeks, that didn’t mean she wasn’t making affectionate gestures whenever she could.

In any case, leading Autumn to where the house was being set up should brighten her mood when she saw it.

“So what are we doing today? I think I’ve got a good idea of how to rend… fend… for myself in the food and personal defense department when I don’t have any magic to spare. Usually getting angry enough to flip out into a Nirik tended to scare off most monsters like Bull Snakes, which are also called Ophiotaurus. Not entirely common around here, but still quite dangerous!” Autumn was less depressed and more excitable since we started helping her learn how to commune with nature. “Could you imagine what would have happened if I had just thrown myself at the nearest maw without having the necessary magic to defend myself? If I couldn’t go Nirik, then I would have had a lot of problems without what you taught me. I don’t know about you guys, but I want to live in the light again and out from under that invisible dark and gloomy storm cloud that’s hovering above my head!”

“Yeah, about that, I think I have to tell you something! We’ve kind of stuck around long enough…” I drifted off seeing the excited Autumn Blaze come to an abrupt stop, I noticed that her breathe was quickening and she looked a little panicked.

“You’re… leaving?!” Autumn’s ears wilted and her mood plummeted immediately. “Was it something I…?”

“It was nothing you did, I want to be very clear that you have done nothing wrong and that we’re good friends Autumn! In fact you’re a bright and cheerful individual that I’m happy to be around when you aren’t sulking, it’s just that we just can’t stay here with you forever!” I smiled to her as I placed a reassuring claw on her back. “A pony friend of mine would say to turn that frown right around Autumn! Maybe you’ll smile after you hear that Fortitude and Skelly have been a bit busy with preparing a gift for you! I’m sure you’ll like it! ”

“A gift?” Autumn’s mood balanced from being down to being more somber. “You guys are the greatest gift I could have asked for when I was about to completely wrap… I mean flap, I was going to snap! I still love to rhyme.”

“Friendship is quite strong, there is no debating that, you needed our help.” Sweetcakes proceeded to hug Autumn tenderly for a few seconds.

“Speaking of rhymes, ask around for Kuril at Airship Mauled and I’m sure you’ll have a lot of good times!” I soon gave her a hug and wanted her to be okay. Afterwards we continued on the way up the hill and curved around to see what my brother and Skelly had been up to.

“What… is that?” Asked Autumn as her ears perked up at the sight before us.

“I know it’s not all too great and doesn’t look like much, but welcome to your new home!” As soon as I finished saying that, the Kirin shot forward towards the house in curiosity and excitement. Sweetcakes also headed in that direction, I instead turned to the two nearby cliffs and walked up to sit down on one and looked at the horizon.

I felt kind of bad for leaving Autumn Blaze alone after spending so much time becoming friends with her.

-A few hours later, Autumn Blaze-

These guys, they stopped here and spent so much time with me… could I actually say goodbye to them? It wouldn’t exactly be fair for me to keep them here against their will. They wanted to travel around helping people and I wasn’t one to stop them from doing so.

I still needed to say something before they disappeared on their magical gondola, they were all giving me worried looks and I could understand why. I wasn’t going to let their efforts to help me go to waste, they did build me a nice home that I needed to decorate.

“I’ll be okay, you don’t need to worry about me~. My heart is sad, but I still wish to see you go free~. As long as I know you’re out there I’ll continue to be, to continue on my path to standing tall like the strongest tree~. I can make my own imaginary friends and I’ll try to keep you in my mind, just please come back to at least see me at some other time~. I’m not afraid of a little pain, but knowing there’s friends like you out there I have much more life to gain~.” I close my eyes and sighed, I brought out the smile within me. I felt my cheeks becoming wet. “So a little rain will fall on the ground, with my hopes renewed a purpose I have found~. A tree you have planted, yes it may just be a little seed~. I can’t selfishly hold you here, not even with a little greed~! Hopefully with a little time I will grow out to feel like you’re still at my side, I must thank you for the time and the wonderful friendship you gave me with pride~! Help someone else more in need, since I no longer wish to bleed~. You were my shelter in an emotional storm, you showed me that there are still ideas I’ve yet to form~. You need not look back, I will not quickly go to the Elysium sky. I think I’m now ready to actually say it, good… bye~!”

I received an ovation from the four of them as I bowed, I lifted my head and a tail wiped my tears away.

The poetic fox may have been making gooey eyes at the dragon, but she still spent most of her time worrying about me and all while learning some new things alongside me. She helped me learn how to calm down if I get angry or frustrated with a sweet smile.

The loud dragon was just so exuberant to teach me survival skill and how to control my anger and gave me some tips about how to control the flames I gave off when I did go Nirik.

It wasn’t like the odd skeleton and the yak weren’t there for me either.

The skeleton showed me that while she was mute, she could emote better than some people who had voices. She had quite the funny bone, she was mostly made of them.

Fortitude was a big friendly guy and I couldn’t help but think he was like a big brother to me.

“No seriously guys, thank you! I think I can take it from here…” Motioning with my left hoof for them to go, I smiled brightly. “Though I might go around the send… bend, I mean bend! I’m not going to let depression try to bring me down any longer, I’ll try to stay positive even when it gets absurd for me to continue doing so!”

“Goodbye Autumn!” Flamberge shouted while waving to me as the boat pushed off.

“Stay strong like a yak Autumn Blaze!” Fortitude stated firmly.

“Keep yourself busy, always have something to do, you stay happy now!” Nodding to Sweetcakes I looked to the last being.

Skelly just waved and smiled, she stirred the oar and their boat disappeared into some strange mist.

-
I was going to miss those four greatly in the coming years. Things were too quite until I met two ponies who would solve my village’s problem with a lesson they needed to learn.

That was the day I learned my lesson… That rainbows won’t light up the sky, unless you let it rain~. I was like a tree in this forest that got badly burnt, but I could stand up to all that pain~. Sure I might be living with strife, but I would last long enough to grow back stronger and see my village return too life~!
-

Author's Note:

No comment, didn't feel too good here.

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