> Havoc's Hourglass
>  by Croswynd
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Scales slithered against unyielding rock as she pulled her aging body through the confines of her prison. Her labored breaths echoed like the exhalations of a slumbering volcano. Scratches both new and old from her massive claws marred the smooth, obsidian floor. She squeezed through passages like a snake, wings tucked close to her sides.

How she longed to open them beneath the skies again, to float above mortal concerns and land alike.

Were I to free myself, I fear age has already marked its passing, she thought sadly.

Even slipping through the corridors of her ancient warren was tiring. Bones ached under the weight of muscle and sinew long atrophied from lack of use. Milky eyes stared blindly out at the world, barely able to distinguish claw or tail.

“Yet it is age that draws me forward,” she spoke in a whisper. “An age that may not be.”

Duty.

The concept was not new to her. Thousands of years had passed in pursuit of that ideal. Plans were concocted, allies planted, enemies taken note of. Bumps still occurred. Time was fluid, ever changing. Whatever obstacles she placed were but pebbles around which it flowed.

Only one other could offer a fork. Only one whose very existence offered discord in the harmony of time.

Havoc.

Time was running out, figuratively and literally.

She was dying, but so was the past and her present. The future she had worked so hard to guide in a positive direction was becoming undone. It had happened before. Ever was it her duty to correct this error, this disharmony.

With eyes closed against the pain, she pulled her body into the room her goal resided in. Though she could not see it, the object’s image was burned into her mind, branded there by countless hours examining its frame and purpose.

An hourglass stood there, on its side. Sand flowed in both directions. Precariously it balanced, on the edge of tilting one way or the other. She did not know what would happen when it tilted, yet she worked to balance it regardless.

“A thousand times it has been done, a thousand it has failed,” she whispered to herself.

A sense of discordance rippled through her, a divergence she had to force together. If she were to let it go, her life would cease to have been, being and to be. It was a possibility, just as she was.

She fought it, barely. Her resistance would not last forever.

Even the Warden of the Stream eroded in the face of eternity.



> Chapter 1: Whisper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 1: Whisper


Wind rustled past Whisper’s ears as she fell. Her wings immediately began to stabilize her descent. Blood pounded in her ears like ancient drums. Humid air came to her in gasps. Eyes wide, she scanned the night sky.

That was when the screech of a harpy pierced the quiet. A dark form flitted across the starscape, almost too fast to follow.

Almost.

Whisper braced herself just before the shape slammed into her. They fell. Poisoned talons raked her armored sides. Fetid breath brushed across her neck like a foul gust. The snap of fangs clacked, as if eager to be plunged into her vulnerable skin. Eyes glittering with murderous desire were inches from hers.

Behind those eyes, the world swirled madly. The sliver of the moon tumbled into a twist of jungle and back again. Clouds and earth. Stars and canopy. Life and death.

They were seconds from impact when Whisper lashed out with a hoof. It connected with the harpy’s gaping maw and shot a lance of pain up her foreleg. Teeth gnashed together violently, and its claws detached enough for her to wiggle from its grasp.

Stunned, the harpy fell away from her, carried by the wind. Its scream grew faint as it plummeted toward the ground, out of sight. The sound abruptly cut off with a crash of crackling branches.

Snapping her wings out before she joined it, Whisper executed a swift somersault. The wind beckoned to her call and slowed her descent as if it were catching her in a massive hoof.

Clear for the moment, Whisper took a shuddering breath. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Little, involuntary whines slipped out with each exhalation. Her neck thudded in an adrenaline-fueled frenzy.

I’m okay. I’m okay. Calm down, Whisp’. Take stock.

Pain flared in response from her left wing. The appendage throbbed, oozing a yellow ichor. She grimaced. Harpy poison would cling just under the skin for hours, painfully working its way through her wing and leaving large bruises in its wake.

Another piercing screech from above caught the breath in her throat.

High above, the airship she’d called home for the last few weeks thundered through the skies on its huge twin turbines. The blades cut through the air with an audible hum, even magically dampened though they were. One side of the airship was covered in a grey film, like half a soap bubble that still hadn’t popped. Casted fire and explosions of lightning popped around the undefended side.

Harpies swarmed the balloon that held her home aloft like gnats around a dying animal.

Larger forms of pegasi zoomed around the smaller harpies in defensive formations. They cut small swaths through the disorganized swarm in an effort to keep the monsters at bay—the crew weren't about to leave their ship to the monsters flapping madcap through the sky. As she watched, one of the harpies ceased its unsteady flap and careened toward earth.

That’s it. Whisper smiled fiercely at the crew’s precision. Just like I taught you.

Before she could congratulate herself further, something latched onto her tail and pulled, hard. Yelling in both shock and pain, Whisper whipped her head down. A flash of fangs was all she saw before she was pulled into the canopy.

Wood crashed against her as the monster pulled her further into the jungle’s boughs. Leaves filled her mouth with a sour taste before she closed it. Vines tugged at her hair and snapped with every tug. She could barely hear over the disorienting screech of the harpy.

She was in their territory now, down in the darkness under the canopy.

Fear slashed through her resolve as memories of others pulled away similarly whipped through her mind. It happened to others, not her. She was the best, the fastest, the smartest, the toughest.

It couldn’t happen to her.

Now anger swept through her, at the harpy, at herself. Lashing out, she grabbed for a branch. The next tug came and she slipped.

“No!” The ragged cry tore from her throat as she beat her wings.

Wind slashed through the canopy. Leaves tumbled around her and the grip on her tail loosened. She didn’t waste the chance; she beat her wings again, grabbing for a nearby trunk.

The harpy tugged harder at her tail. Frustrated, shrill cries came from what seemed to be every direction.

Whisper closed her eyes and flattened her ears against the assault of sound. Another tug came, but she was ready for it. This time, she pulled back.

Once again, wind exploded in every direction. A stream of moonlight struck through the darkness and fell over the monster’s vicious features beneath her. The harpy shrieked and hid its ghastly face with a leathery wing as if burned by just being seen.

Biting her lip and shrugging off the growing pain her wing, Whisper flapped. Wind pushed her up like a giant springboard and she screamed a battle cry, rising through the canopy and dragging the harpy in her wake. Now it was the monster’s turn to slam into branches and be pelted by vines.

A talon dug into her left hind leg, nearly causing her to slam into a gnarled trunk. She veered at the last second, straight into a net of vines. The foliage pressed in against her, holding her fast. It gave momentarily, just enough to tangle her wings and body even further.

Another screech came from below, this one seeming to be tinged with relief. The talon dug deeper into her hind leg with excruciating slowness as the harpy pulled itself up to her.

Whisper shook violently against the vines. She only managed to wedge herself deeper into their grasp.

The harpy removed its talon and hooked another into the vines next to her. Its dark shape hung beneath her like a fiendish shadow. Leathery skin and scales rubbed against her fur, sandpaper against skin.

I’m going to die.

The thought hit her like a hammer blow. 

I'm going to die alone, in the dark. I'll never see the sky again, I'll never fly. Just one, simple mistake and I've already failed Novell, failed Quills and the Professor, Pensive and Scrolls... failed myself.

An explosion of grey energy stopped her thoughts in their tracks. She turned away from the sudden illumination and vaguely heard the harpy scream in pain.

“Oh, there you are!”

“Professor?” Whisper yelled, disbelieving, as she blinked away the glare.
        
A chuckle sounded back. “Of course, my dear! I’m here to rescue you! Teleportation was never my strong suit, but I can manage just fine, it seems!”

Spectacles glistened just ahead of her in the light of a horn. As her vision cleared, she recognized the bushy mustache and distinctive swirl of grey hair. A smile was plastered across the Professor's face.

He was also tangled in the same vines she was.

Whisper stared at him wordlessly. 

He stared back, then looked down. “...huh.”

Before the Professor could utter another word, the maddened harpy slammed into him. Fangs sunk deep into the unicorn’s neck, and he whinnied in agony. A spark of magic speared upward like a firework from his horn.

“Professor!” Whisper roared, squirming against her prison. She was so close to him, yet she could do nothing.

Something snapped above, and the vines gave. It wasn’t enough to free her entirely, but it was enough to move her wings. Immediately, she directed the wind as a conductor would a melody.

Wind rushed across her feathers as she took control of the thin stream of wind rustling through the canopy. She flapped and sent a wall of air streaking toward the harpy.

The wind ripped the monster from the Professor’s limp body and slammed the harpy into a trunk. It flattened against the wood, eyes bulging outward, unable to screech its defiance or fear.

Whisper gritted her teeth, blinded with fury. Wind continued in a line from her wings. It pressed and pressed and pressed.

“Whisper… enough…” Professor Search croaked, head lolled to the side.

Her wings snapped closed.

The harpy fell into the underbrush with a crackle of broken branches. She didn’t care if it was dead or unconscious, but it wouldn’t be bothering them anytime soon, either way.

Worry and guilt clawed at her throat and she moved to tend to the Professor. After a moment of deft wind-cutting, she freed herself and her would-be rescuer from the vines. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the two gashes on the unicorn’s neck. They were oozing a yellow fluid, just like her own wound. Her wing throbbed in response.

“You’ll be okay,” Whisper said more to herself than the unconscious Professor. She cut the unicorn free and grunted when his weight settled on her. Luckily, she was tougher than most pegasi. "Carrying you won’t be a sweat, even with a wounded wing."

A moment later, she was in the sky again. Wind crisscrossed her wings from every direction like it was welcoming her back. Her wings twinged in response, but there was no time for an extended homecoming.

She rose and spotted the Southern Belle in the distance. The half-eggshell of the shield was still up and there seemed to be less harpy silhouettes. Unfortunately, there were less pegasi ones, too.

It took longer than she liked to fly back with the Professor slung beneath her. Despite her earlier determination, her breath came in heavy gasps, and she almost doubted she could reach the ship. One final stretch lay before her, swarming with harpies.

Gritting her teeth, she dashed into the fray.

High pitched screeches battered her from all sides as she joined in the aerial ballet. Whistles and booms of exploding spellcasts and Thunderkegs filled the air. None of them were close to hitting her, thankfully.

A pair of harpies glanced in her direction. Their screams pierced the air, and they immediately began flapping toward her on wings the color of night.

“Ponyfeathers,” Whisper cursed under her breath and got a better grip on the Professor. “Quills! If you see me, now would be the time to help out!”

When no help was forthcoming, Whisper growled and tried to figure out a way to fight with her burden. She was flying right at them. They’d be on her in seconds.

“Okay, let’s see how you like this!” she yelled at them.

A burst of wind blew toward the two. One of the harpies dodged it, but the other was caught full-on. The unfortunate monster stopped as if it had slammed into a wall and fell, stunned. The other continued toward her with a screech of victory.

Before it could sink its claws into her, a flash of red shot from the Southern Belle's deck and burst across the harpy’s side. Flame exploded across the monster’s leathery skin, catching like a brushfire. In seconds, the harpy was burning and screaming, a meteor heading toward the earth. 

Whisper almost wished fire killed them, but harpies were nearly impossible to just defeat.

The deck of the airship rose before her and she slowed herself. Breaking to a halt, she set the Professor on the wooden floor and looked up as two familiar figures came up to her.

“Whisper! You’re all right!” Quills Parchment squeezed her into a hug. Her teal-colored hair was disheveled, but her coat was protected by her acid-gouged armor.  “When we saw you get pulled down—”

“We weren’t even worried,” Skycrasher interrupted, a smirk on her face. The eyepatch she switched from eye to eye was sitting across her left this time, and her white mane was tucked under her flight cap. “Glad to have you back. The boys’ve kept it up while you were gone.”

Quills glanced down at the Professor and immediately began issuing orders. “Starshimmer, bring me some bandages and some poultices! Flameblaze, bring him below to the sickbay! What happened?”

The last was to Whisper, who took in another shuddering breath and nodded. “Prof’ got attacked… down in the forest… trying to save me. Got its fangs in his neck.”

The young mare’s lips set in a thin line. “Always an idiot. When he gets up later, I’m going to shave off his mustache.”

“You can save him?” Whisper asked, guilt squirming in her gut.

Doubt shimmered in Quills’ eyes before hardening into a steady resolve. “Of course. You focus on getting us through this.”

“‘Atta girl,” Skycrasher murmured. She glanced down and rustled her own mangled wing. “You out of commission, Flight Leader?”

Whisper shook her head. “Not yet.”

Skycrasher’s smirk was almost taunting. “Then get up there and save my ship and crew.”

Bouncing back into the air was as simple as breathing to her. So was slamming into stuff at high speeds, as she immediately proved by rushing another harpy near the engines. Mindful of its rough, leathery skin and scales, she turned at the last moment and hit it with an armored shoulder. 

The harpy hacked up a smoky fluid as her shoulder connected with its chest. A sizzle hissed in her ear, the liquid thankfully falling on the armor instead of her coat.

Stunned, the harpy fell out of the sky. It seemed almost disbelieving as it dropped, like it never expected to be thrown from the air.
        
"Good hit!" Quills yelled from the deck of the airship, nearly inaudible over the wind.

Whisper barely gave the young mare a glance. Quills was wearing her armor and that was enough.

A yell from the other side of the ship drew her attention. Two pegasi were pinned against the balloon, harpy talons gripping their forelegs. More of the monsters were coming around to spit their acid at the hapless ponies.

She couldn't help them both. Not alone, anyway.

"Rigs, Clank! Port side!" Whisper yelled at the two unicorns standing on deck.

The duo, one comically skinny and the other comically large, shifted their efforts to the direction she pointed. The massive shield they maintained moved toward the helpless pegasi.

Just before the attacking wing of harpies spat their acid, the shield moved over the trapped crewmembers. The monsters holding them pinned against the side of the balloon screeched and squawked when the shield touched them, flapping away. Acid splatted against the magical bulwark and dribbled off to the jungle below.

Mystical lightning crackled as the harpies flung themselves headlong into the shield, unaware or uncaring that it shocked them senseless. The shield wouldn’t be enough to keep them down forever, but it was enough to grant a breather for the pegasi. Too soon, though, the harpies seemed to figure out the trick and swiftly moved to attack the unshielded side.

One of the pegasi who’d been freed, however, wasn’t flapping away. Whisper rushed forward.

The pegasus disappeared below the edge of the deck and she followed it without a thought. She twisted the wind into a blast of air behind her and rocketed down toward the panicking pegasus.

"I can't fly!" The pegasus' words were almost lost in the wind. "I can't flap my wings!"

Some of the crewmember's feathers were eaten away. Holes littered both wings, a grisly sight.

The one place we can’t armor, Whisper thought with a touch of fear.

Wind sapped the saliva from her mouth as she gasped against the exertion. A  few beats more and she managed to grab the pegasus. Dread drummed through her heart at ending up like him. The feathers would grow back... but not for months.

She couldn't be out for months. Time was already running low as it was.

"I can't fly!" Tears thickened the pony's voice. "I can't fly, I can't fly anymore!”

Gritting her teeth, she concentrated on slowing them down and comforting him at the same time. "You'll be fine. They'll grow back. Just calm down. I'm here."

A faraway expression came over the pegasus' face, as if he were looking through time. "No, I can feel it. I'll never fly again. I have to... I need—."

"You'll be fine," Whisper cooed, a touch of wistfulness coloring the words.

They slowed to a stop. The only sounds were the wind and Whisper's flapping wings. Land and trees stretched out beneath them, untouched and still beneath the moon's light. Peace stretched and lounged through the night like nothing had disturbed its slumber.

If only it were always like this…

More screeches came from above.

“They’re coming back for us!” the pegasus in her forelegs cried out and shielded his wings.

When she looked up, flapping figures dove toward her, silhouetted against the moon resting high in the sky. The harpies cackled in victory. Leather wings beat with maddened intensity. Fangs snapped and talons scraped against one another in an eager rhythm.

Despite the threat, Whisper closed her eyes.

“What are you doing! Move! We need to go!” the pegasus screamed, shaking violently.

Ignoring him, she drew in a deep breath. In her mind’s eye, she saw all three of the harpies above her, drawing closer, manic light dancing in their glares. When they drew close enough…

Whisper tilted her left wing on the upswipe just so. Air flowed through her feathers and up toward her foes. She did the same with her right a second later.

Snapping her eyes open, Whisper shot straight up. The wind gathered around her with one more flap, this time held like a rubber band stretched beneath her. Pressure gathered at the tips of her wings.

All it took was a simple release.

Whisper twisted mid-flap and dropped the pegasus. As she moved, the two harpies on the right and left were battered off course. The third continued straight at her, confusion in its pockmarked face.

When she kicked out, it was like the sky exploded. A crack of misplaced air thundered through her bones when her back hooves impacted the harpy, directly in the chest. Wind swung upward like a sledgehammer.

The harpy’s chest flattened like a piece of hot steel beneath the blow, its spongy skeleton and insides stretched near to breaking point. Acid sprayed across her hind legs and tail. Wherever the acid touched hissed menacingly. Pain ate at her hide like bits of scampering embers.

Without skipping a beat, Whisper dove again. Her body strained against the speed, agony spreading like wildfire at the base of her wings where the armor didn’t protect.

The pegasus she’d dropped was screaming below her. He awkwardly attempted to flap wings that wouldn’t function. The top of the jungle’s trees reached out with leafy branches as if to catch him… or impale him.

Whistling through the air like a missile, Whisper caught the pegasus under his forelegs. Seconds from impact, she heaved upward with every muscle in her body. She felt like she was inhaling fire, a stitch like a burning lance in her side. Tendons popped like firecrackers in her wings. Clenching her teeth against the strain, Whisper leveled off just above the canopy.

Wind caressed her brow, as if congratulating her for the catch.

“Thanks,” Whisper muttered, then looked down. “You okay?”

The pegasus’ eyes were closed and his breath came in short, terrified gasps. Tears streaked the fur under his eyes. “No.”

She coughed out a laugh. “Yeah… I don’t blame you.”

When no answer was forthcoming, Whisper tiredly stared up at the star-streaked sky. Only the Southern Belle’s airframe shone underneath the moonlight. A cool wind sent the leaves below into a forlorn rustle, counterpoint to the muted thrumming of the airship’s engines.

“Looks like we fought them off.”

“Good.” Bitterness dripped from the crewpony's words, sorrow not far hidden underneath. “Thank you.”

Grimacing, she flapped back up toward the airship. “Don’t mention it.”


*****


The stench of sweat seeped off of her coat as Whisper removed her armor. She didn’t bother examining it, but she knew it had to be covered in pockmarks like the ones she had on her hide. With a thunk, the heavy armor fell to the floor.

Exhaustion flooded through her, sudden and powerful.

Quills tapped the bottom of Whisper’s chin. “No, don’t fall asleep. Stay awake.”

“How’s the Professor?” she replied, eyes still closed. How she wanted to fall asleep right on the makeshift clinic’s floorboards. Groans from other injured ponies caused her to regretfully open her eyes again. “And where’s Swirley?”

All around the crew quarters, clouds held the pegasi crew. Nearly all of the ponies had poultices on various body parts. Others were sleeping before their next shift. 

The sight reminded her that she wasn’t the only one too tired to stand. She focused back on Quills as the young mare started speaking.

“Asleep now. Mother and I removed most of what we could, but he’s not looking well,” Quills said in return. “He needs medicine I can’t provide to fully heal him. As for your snail, he’s with my mother.”

Behind them, Skycrasher cleared her throat. “Amber’s a great medic, truth be told, but you’re right. Fortunately, we’ll make it to Dromadary’s capital in two days. Maybe one if we don’t run into any more harpies.”

“Not likely.” Whisper winced when Quills dabbed her wing with an antiseptic. “Ow.”

“Stop moving,” the young mare admonished. “I need to clean this.”

Clenching her teeth, Whisper attempted to remain still. “We’ve run into too many nests for this to be a coincidence. Havoc’s behind the attacks.”

“It’s true I’ve never come across this many on this route before,” Skycrasher said with a brow raised over her eyepatch. “Maybe we’ll get lucky. Maybe we won’t. Two days, maximum. Can the Professor hold out that long?”

Finished with Whisper, Quills stepped back and rummaged around the medicine bag laying on top of a barrel. “I don’t know, to be honest.”

“Hard to imagine, coming from you,” Whisper cracked, to a disapproving frown.

“I don’t know because it depends on the constitution of each individual pony,” Quills elaborated. “The Professor is tougher than most ponies, but he’s also older than most. I’ve done all I can to increase his chances, but it’s up to him to pull through. If he wakes up in the next few hours, we’ll know he can hold on.”

Skycrasher sighed. “We have been lucky, you know. None of my boys and girls have been lost. Making you Flight Leader was the best decision I made this month.”

“Not being able to fly might as well be dead.” Whisper stared at a sleeping pegasus nearby through dead eyes. “Isn’t there anything to do?”

“Not being able to fly isn’t the end of the world,” Skycrasher snapped back, staring angrily. “I should know.”

Whisper winced and resisted the urge to stare down at the mare’s useless wing. Losing her ability to fly hadn’t stopped Skycrasher from captaining her own airship instead.

“Sorry.”

Skycrasher waved it away. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s focus on what we can fix. Like the ship. We’ve taken a lot of damage from the successive attacks. There’s materials in the hold to fix her up enough to get us through the journey, but we should set down sooner rather than later. She might hold through, but...”

“Where can we set down where we won’t be attacked by harpies?” Whisper flexed her wings and felt only a slight burn as the medicine worked its way through her system. "We've been attacked nearly every night."

“Glad you asked.” Skycrasher pulled a map from under her flight cap and spread it across a nearby barrel. She pointed with a hoof. “Right around here is a good place. Harpies aren’t known to circulate around here on account of there being nothing to hunt and eat. But if you think we can make it, Flight Leader, we’ll head straight through.”

Whisper’s eyes fell across the wounded pegasi all around her and she sighed, nearly crushed with defeat.

Why am I making the decisions, Captain? There were no answers in Skycrasher’s eyes—only a hint of challenge lay there.

Fine, she thought tiredly. How did Novell handle leading just the five of us through so many terrible situations?

Just thinking of Novell ate at her. The few moments they'd been able to be with each other had been worth the adventure she'd butt in on. Now he was gone, somewhere. Stupid brown hair and stupid grin, she thought.

He was a good leader despite everything, but she had to be better—for his sake and her own. Just finding him was going to take everything she had. The only clue she had was the last two missing pieces of Havoc's powers... if Novell was alive, she'd find him chasing one of them.

Maybe that’s why Skycrasher’s making me choose… She squared her shoulders and let out a calming breath. Well, if Novell can do it, so can I.

Whisper looked up at the two ponies waiting for her orders. The map beckoned to her, the place Skycrasher had marked seeming to be their only option. Fly through to the capital of Dromadary or risk setting down to repair? What would Novell do?

A flash of irritation bloomed in her mind. He’d probably ask one of us for options and go with the best idea. Trusting in his friends, huh?

“Let’s set her down there, then,” she ordered, hoping it was the right choice.

It had to be.
	
> Chapter 2: Novell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2: Novell


Water dripping into a nearby puddle drew Novell Light to consciousness. Eyes fluttering open, the pegasus stared out into a thick, inky darkness. His pulse spiked immediately. Hot, dizzying air filled his lungs in quick breaths. Sulfur suffused his sense of smell, and his eyes began to water.

I’m blind!

Sounds like wind filtering through a bellows thundered through the area. It echoed strangely, almost as if he were in a cave.

A cave? 

The last things he recalled were a battle under a sky filled with griffons and hippogryphs, a blaze of magical light and a grip around his hoof.

“But as long as I have someone from this plane... I can’t be banished! Not with this pathetic amount of magic your “friends” control. And I’ve. Got. You!”

Novell yelled, jumped to his hooves and scrambled backward at the haunting memory. The cool touch of stone against his flank was like lightning. He cringed away, completely disoriented.

Where am I?

“Whisper!” he croaked. His thoughts were a jumble of flashing images and half-recalled words.

Again, the rumbling of the billowing air came. With it this time was the stench of seared meat. The smell sent a flash of nausea through Novell’s stomach.

“Nnn,” somepony grumbled from nearby.

Novell latched onto the noise. It was familiar, somepony he knew, a rock in the tempest of broken memory. “Hello?”

“N-novell?” a new voice came from behind him, also familiar.

Pensive. The name floated to the top of his memory with a discordant tone. Something was missing, but he couldn’t figure out what.
Once more, the thundering rumble shook the cave.

“Pensive?” Novell asked meekly.

Before an answer could arrive, the rumble came again, too quickly. It was almost like a gasp, as if the cave they were in had finally realized something lay inside it.

“THIEF!” The roared word sent tremors through the walls and floor. Something snapped and crashed to the ground. Water sloshed like the ocean against a cliff. Dirt rained like miniature meteors from the ceiling.

“Wha—!” one of the previous voices yelled. “What’s going on!”

“BANDIT!” the bellowing roar thundered again.

A light appeared, yellow and green against the walls of the cave. It bounced and bobbled like a will-o’-the-wisp. With every second, it grew brighter, closer.

With that light, Novell finally snapped out of his stupor. His thoughts crystallized and time seemed to slow down.

Pensive Coalaesence lay nearby beside a puddle, awake and alert, eyes turned toward Novell. The unicorn’s teal coat was matted with moisture, but it didn’t seem to be from an injury.

Focusing to the right, Novell spied Scrolls Parchment. The young earth pony was standing, attention clearly on the brightening light. The yellow and orange scarf Scrolls wore was as frayed and dirty as his tan coat. Again, no injuries.

Now Novell stared at the light, his mind working to understand what was causing it. Yellow meant it could be fire, but the green threw him off. 

Magic from a unicorn’s light spell? Professor? The thought came and went as Novell dismissed it. The Professor has grey magic, not green.

Time rushed forward, and with it came a blistering heat.

“RETURN WHAT YOU STOLE, WHELP!”

The source of the light appeared around a corner, carried by a small figure.

Details flooded Novell’s mind, along with a hefty amount of confusion. The figure was a baby dragon, scales of gold glistening in the light of the gems it carried. It carried its burden impossibly on its back, not a gem falling from the stack.

It passed Scrolls without even a glance, little feet clawing at the dirt. When it looked at Novell, however, it’s eyes widened and it stumbled.

“I’LL HAVE YOU, INSECT!” the roar of what Novell now realized to be a much, much larger dragon echoed through the cave.

The words seemed to have a profound affect on the baby dragon, because it caught itself and, with one last look at Novell, took off in the opposite direction the terrible voice was coming from. The stack of green and yellow gems bounced on its back as it picked its way around stalagmites and jumped over deceptively shallow puddles of water.

A crackle of flame appeared from where the baby dragon had come from, the smell of sulfur growing stronger.

“Ponyfeathers!” Scrolls yelled and glanced around, his eyes immediately stopping on Novell. “We should probably leave.”

“This one agrees!” Pensive replied and stood.

“No arguments here. Run!” Novell opened his wings and motioned the other two forward.

The three took off down the cave just as another spout of flame incinerated the spot where they’d stood. As it was, Novell felt a burn start on his back.

Please don’t let my tail be on fire!

“ACCOMPLICES! YOU THREE SHALL BURN, LITTLE PONIES!”

“No, we’re not with her!” Scrolls yelled back toward the voice. “We just got here!”

“LIES! STAND AND BE PURGED!”

Novell dodged a stalactite and dove closer to Scrolls. “I don’t think logic is going to work on an enraged dragon!”

Scrolls didn’t look up from the treacherous ground of the cave. “It was worth a try!”

“It would seem to this one that your words simply made it angrier!” Pensive chimed in as he ghosted through a wall of stalagmites with a flash from his horn.

“Would you two shut up! I’m trying not to break a leg!” Scrolls yelled back.

Novell looked back and watched as a massive girth of flashing teeth and red scales barreled through the passage. “Must go faster!”

“Really? You think I can just run faster than I already am with a blasted dragon right behind me?” The young stallion leaped over a puddle of water. “Please, pegasus, show me your ways!”

“Fine!” Novell snapped back. He dove down and grabbed Scrolls around the middle. “Pensive, spell please!”

“Which one?” Pensive asked over the sound of scales and claws ripping through rock behind them.

Novell was thrown off by that. Normally Pensive knew exactly what he was thinking, since they shared a psychic link. “The one where you make things lighter! Cast it on you and Scrolls!”

A flash of teal light was the only answer, and suddenly Scrolls was as light as a feather. “Hang on!”

“I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!” Scrolls screamed.

Novell ignored the young stallion and dodged left to avoid a massive stalagmite. His passenger whinnied in fear as Novell executed a roll to the right to slip between two stalactites. Once again, he dove and grabbed Pensive in his other foreleg.

Ahead, the bouncing light of the baby dragon’s stolen plunder met a gradually lit up cave. Two thoughts vied for attention in his brain. The exit has to be close! How is that baby dragon moving so fast?

“BURN!”

The sound of rushing bellows came from behind, and suddenly heat exploded across Novell’s back. He winced against the pain and flapped faster. A stalagmite clipped his wing and nearly sent him tumbling out of control, but he corrected it with a quick left flap.

“Flying with two ponies underneath me is a lot harder than it needs to be!” Novell yelled.

“Don’t you dare drop me!” Scrolls screeched.

Pensive’s horn lit up and they bounced to the left and avoided hitting the wall. “This one would very much not like to hit the wall, Novell!”
“We’re almost there!” Novell said. “Shield us behind, Pensive!”

They zoomed around a corner and a blast of brilliant light blinded them. Novell closed his eyes and tried to remember the maze of obstacles he’d glimpsed before the light hit him.

“NO! COME BACK!”

Left. His brow furrowed as the air heated up around him. He trusted in Pensive’s shield. 

Right, left.

“Oh Celestia, oh Celestia!”

Twist!

“OW!”

Oops. Left again!

He felt the roof of the cave graze his mane. 

Down, down, move down!

Rock scratched a furrow of pain down his back, between his wings.

Ponyfeathers, I forgot about that one!

Novell opened his eyes again just as they shot out of the cave like an unstoppered cork. Fire pressed angrily against the shield held to their rear. Icy wind cut through them from the front. To Novell, it felt like he was trapped in between worlds again.

“Tree! Novell! Watch out!”

Without thinking, Novell pulled up. It was awkward with the two ponies beneath him and he heard the sound of snapping branches as he dragged his friends through the outer edge of the pine tree.

All at once, they were free, in the sky.

“CURSE YOU!” the dragon who’d been chasing them roared.

Below, Novell watched the beast writhe in rage. It’s crimson scales were a stain on the sheet of white snow. Yellow spines like spokes of fire ran down its back and ripped through the trees around it with each raging thrash.

The dragon stamped, and fire billowed out from its mouth. Icicles fell from the entrance of the cave and shattered like glass upon the dragon’s scales. Snow around the display turned to water and the ground blackened under the heat.

But what drew Novell’s attention the most was the dragon’s wings. The thin membrane was tattered and shredded, ragged and raw as if the wound had occurred recently.

Novell’s heart twinged at the sight.

Nothing deserves to lose the ability to fly…

Safe for the moment, Novell glanced around to figure out where he was.

Gone were the green mountains and valleys of the Griffon Kingdoms. In its place were wintry peaks and white-washed forests. To his right was a series of canyons twisting and twining their way through the ground. A river flowed through one of them in lazy curves.

“Novell,” Pensive said from below. “My spell seems to be… failing.”

Suddenly, he noticed that the two ponies he was holding were beginning to become heavier by the moment. Breathing hard, Novell nodded and rushed down toward the ground. Each beat of his wings was a strain against Scrolls and Pensive’s respective weights.

“Hold on!” he managed to grit out as they reached the white curtain of snow-laden treetops.

The spell finally failed before they managed to reach the ground. Scrolls and Pensive slipped out of Novell’s hooves.

“Waaha!” Scrolls yelled as he slammed back-first into a pile of snow.

Pensive, meanwhile, used his magic to turn intangible just before he would have slammed into a nearby conifer. Once beyond the tree, he regained full opacity and rolled to a stop in the snow.

“Are you two all right?” Novell asked worriedly, coming to a swift stop with a flap of his wings. He touched down, heading for Scrolls first, who had since disappeared into the snow.

“Just dandy! Fantastic! Slightly roasted!” Scrolls yelled, and popped his head out of the snowbank. “And now I’m freezing! Where are we?”

Pensive strolled up next to Novell and lent a hoof to help Scrolls out. “We seem to be in the lands of the dragons.”

Novell glanced askance at him. “How do you know that?” 

“I remember the topography from… Havoc.” Pensive winced, raising a hoof to his horn. “The memories that came with that… gem I fused with in the abandoned griffon aerie are… hard to digest. They come in waves.”

Scrolls raised an eyebrow at that, and traded a glance with Novell. “Well, that’s certainly interesting. The Dragon Lands aren’t far from the Aeries, if I remember correctly. We should find our way forthwith—”

“SMELL YOU!” a monstrous voiced roared out.

In the distance, Novell heard the snapping of trunks and the thundering footfalls of the dragon they’d just escaped. The sulfur smell returned, and he could feel the telltale swells of heat on the wind with his wings.

“Posthaste, actually,” Scrolls yelped, glancing at where the voice had come from. “More running!”

Trees whipped past them as they went. Novell flapped above the two, constantly glancing back. Maybe I can distract him… 
He waited for Pensive’s dry rebuke at such a thought, but once again only silence returned him. A sickening feeling came over the pegasus as he looked down at his former mind-mate. No time to think about it now, he thought with a chill down his spine.

“I’m going to try to distract him. You two keep going!” Novell yelled at the duo.

Scrolls replied between gasps, “Too dangerous! Stay together! Clearing ahead!”

Novell looked ahead. Something about the way the trees stopped felt off to him. He squinted his eyes, and sped up. A few moments later, Novell realized what he was looking at.

“That’s not a clearing! That’s a cliff! Pensive, can you do another spell?”

Pensive shook his head, mane steaming behind him. “No. Not enough energy.”

“Didn’t that orb… give you... like... super powers or... something?” Scrolls asked and slowed down to a trot, looking nervously behind them.

Yawning before them was the cliff. A river coursed far below, too far to jump into safely.

“Only when I fuse with somepony else,” Pensive replied with a frown. The unicorn glanced up at Novell.

A part of Novell reeled at the thought of becoming one with Pensive again. Black hooves, a horn, so much power. Flames, destruction, death…

“Well great!” Scrolls exclaimed. “What do we do now? I can see the giant lizard’s teeth from here!”

Novell touched down again, his hooves indenting the snow. He looked around, looking for anything, any place to hide. He saw nothing but trees on a flat plane. There were no rocks, no caves, nothing.

Wait… his eyes caught a flash of bronze between the trees.

“Follow me!” Novell rushed to the right, toward the flash of color he’d seen.

“More running! Right! Perfect plan!” Scrolls complained loudly.

Novell ran, the two other ponies close on his hooves. Jumping over a root, he caught sight of a familiar form.

The baby dragon from earlier was hunched over, running for all it was worth, still carrying the massive amount of gems on its back. Only, now the gems weren’t colored, but completely transparent. Aside from the dragon’s bronze scales, there was nothing but white.

“Hey!” Novell called out.

The dragon looked back, and its eyes widened. “Go away!”

Novell jumped twice and spread his wings. He cruised ahead, and pulled alongside the baby dragon. “You’ve got a plan to escape! Take us with you!”

“You’re just going to take my gems!” The dragon’s growl was surprisingly feminine.

Now that he looked at her, he noticed she was slimmer than the baby dragons he’d seen in books. Her spines were longer, and seemed to run down from the sides of her head instead of up. A gleaming yellow spot was also atop her crown, almost like a sunstone in a circlet.

“They aren’t even your gems!” Novell exclaimed. “Just take us to your hiding spot and we’ll leave once the other dragon does. I promise we won’t take your gems.”

The dragon laughed, and shook her head. “And I can just trust you? I don’t even know you!”

“You can trust us! My name’s Novell, I’m from Hoofington, and I’m trying to stop an evil draconequus from taking over the world! Totally a good guy!”

The dragon stopped suddenly, her jaw dropping. 

Novell shot past her, unprepared for the stop. He tilted his wings and banked around, nearly smacking himself into a tree in the process.

 Almost like Whisper, he thought suddenly, and remembered the last time he’d seen her, nearly dead. I hope she’s okay.
To his mild surprise, the baby dragon was still where she’d stopped, waiting for him. He came to a stop in front of her just as Pensive and Scrolls ran up.

“You!” Scrolls yelped, pointing at the baby dragon before hanging his head and gasping.

“You’re fighting Havoc?” the baby dragon asked.

Novell blinked. “Wait, you know who Havoc is?”

“O-of course I do,” she said, and glanced to the side. “He’s been talking to dragons all over this last week. Trying to find something.”

Pensive broke in, “We don’t exactly have time to stand here and talk, Novell.”

“Right,” he replied with a ruffle of his wings. He looked back to the baby dragon. “You’ve got an escape plan, right? Let’s go, before the big guy finds us.”

The baby dragon looked up at him, then back at her gems. One of her fangs chewed on the scale of her lip. Finally, after an agonizing few seconds, she nodded reluctantly. “Fine. It’s this way. Not far.”

“WHERE DID YOU GO, LITTLE GNATS?!” the larger dragon roared again, closer now.

They followed the small dragon, and in a few short moments, came upon a crack in the ground near the edge of the cliff. Novell glanced down it curiously as the baby dragon lowered herself into the gap. To his surprise, as soon as the gems on her back fell into the shadow of the ice, they returned to their gleaming color.

“Down here. He won’t find us, and even if he does, he can’t reach us,” she explained, carefully balancing her load. “And don’t touch my gems.”

“Holes in the ground. Sometimes it feels like that’s the only place you ever take us, Novell,” Scrolls grumbled.

“It would seem that we often find ourselves in need of escape from larger and more powerful foes,” Pensive replied as he followed the baby dragon inside. “‘Holes in the ground’, as you put it, are quite reliable escape routes, in my experience.”

Scrolls gave Novell a world-weary glance. “Why does he have to make so much sense?”

“Just hurry, the dragon’s almost here,” Novell said, and squeezed through the hole. A series of ledges were the only “path” downward. Each stair was dusted with flakes of recently fallen snow.

Underneath the ground again, Novell felt the uncomfortable press of ice all around him. It grumbled and groaned from the vibrations of the dragon chasing them. Bits of snow followed them into the hole. He looked up, catching the telltale hints of dark clouds with his last glance at the surface.

“Just once I’d like to visit somewhere spacious and up high,” Scrolls mumbled to himself as he followed Novell down the slippery path. “Somewhere like Cloudsdale! I wouldn’t even mind the height!”

“Something tells me your sister would,” Novell replied, memories of carrying Quills etched firmly in his mind.

Scrolls was silent for a moment. The only sound he made was the clip clop of his hooves on the ice. “Yes… I imagine she would.”

Novell looked back at the young stallion. For all Scrolls’ bluster and fancy language, he was still the same age as Quills. He hides behind his intelligence the same way she does, he thought to himself with sudden realization.

“She’s fine. Better than us, probably. Her, Whisper and the Professor. They’re probably still in the Aeries, trying to find us,” Novell pointed out.

“Maybe,” Scrolls replied noncommittally. “More likely, they’re in just as much as trouble as us. This whole quest hasn’t exactly been the easiest.”

“We’ll take care of each other, like we’ve always done,” Novell smiled at the earth pony.

A ghost of a grin came to Scrolls’ face. “Yeah. We will. Though I haven’t been much help…”

“You’ve helped a lot. We couldn’t have come this far without you. You’re the one who bailed us out of jail, remember?” Novell said.

“I just wish I had the opportunity to help more,” Scrolls said with a hop down.

Novell stopped, and rested a wing on the earth pony’s shoulder. When Scrolls looked up, Novell smiled. “You will, Scrolls. You’re the smartest out of all of us here. I need you. Pensive needs you. And when we get back to the others, we’ll all need you.”

Scrolls glanced way, a small blush creeping up his neck. He dusted Novell’s wings off his shoulders and sniffed. “Okay, okay. Mushy time done. Let’s focus.”

Novell grinned, and punched Scrolls in the shoulder like Whisper would have. “That’s it, champ.”

“I’ll make sure I’m helpful to you. I promise. I’ll show you the real Scrolls,” the earth pony said seriously, passing him up. Scrolls hesitated a moment. “And thanks. For the pep talk.”

“It’s what I do,” Novell said simply.

Soon enough, they caught up with Pensive and the baby dragon at the bottom of the cave. Above them, silence punctuated by roars in the distance were all that came.

“Well, he hasn’t found the entrance, I suppose,” Scrolls said matter-of-factly. “First thing that’s gone right all day.” He turned toward the baby dragon. “Thank you, Miss…”

“Khromie,” the baby dragon replied. She looked away again. “My name is Khromie.”

“Thanks for saving our hides up there.” Novell stepped forward, and Khromie took two steps back.

She stared at him suspiciously, then stole a glance at Pensive. “Who’s he? The unicorn.”

“Pensive Coalescence,” Novell replied, nodding to his friend. “We rescued him from Havoc awhile back.”

“Thought realized,” Khromie said, eyes narrowing. “Thought of what? Havoc? Yes. Isn’t he? Havoc’s thought.”

Novell cocked his head, looking back between Pensive and Khromie. “Well… yes, sort of. But how’d you…”

“Your forehead,” Pensive interrupted, eyes widening. “That’s a jewel!”

Khromie stepped back even further, glancing between all of them, and bared her fangs. “I knew it! I can’t trust any of you! Agents of Havoc! Evil! Chaos! Get away!”

“What?” Novell asked, flabbergasted. “Wait, calm down, let’s talk about this!”

“No! You’re here to steal my gems! All my gems!” Khromie yelled. The jewel in her head flared brightly, her scales gleaming incandescently.

Novell winced, shielding his eyes with a wing. “Wait! Stop!”

Vzzt!

The light died out as quick as it’d come. Novell opened an eye, and peeked out from behind his wing. He let it drop when he realized Khromie was no longer there. Instead, all that remained was the pile of gems she’d been carrying.

Novell looked over at Scrolls and Pensive. Each of them wore differing levels of puzzlement clear on their faces.

“Okay…” Scrolls was the first to break the silence. “I have a question, but at this point, it’s just going to lead to more, so I’m just going to stop.”

Pensive blinked. “That jewel in the baby dragon’s forehead…”

Realization hit Novell suddenly. His jaw dropped. “No, wait. Really? That was one of the jewels we’re looking for? With Havoc’s power?”

“I… think so,” Pensive replied with a furrowed brow. “But that doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“What do you mean?”

Pensive looked up at the dark roof of the cave. “She disappeared completely, but I feel like I can still sense a sliver of her power… somewhere nearby. But it’s different. Almost completely different.”

“Different how?”

“Almost like it’s… older.”
> Chapter 3: Whisper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3: Whisper


“Set her down here, fillies and colts!” Whisper yelled across the deck, wiping her forehead against the heat. “Fleetfeather, tie us down as soon as we hit the ground! Rigs, Clank, check the engines when we set down. I don’t want to risk any leaks.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Rigs replied, saluting and nearly knocking the cap off his head. He rushed to the side with Clank clunking along behind him.

“Everypony else, watch out for any harpies on the horizon! I want to know as soon as we see anything flapping through the sky!” Whisper glanced over to the pony beside her. “Quills, you’re in charge of the watch change.”

“Roger that, ma’am!” the young earth pony replied with a wide grin.

The rest of the pegasus crew flew about, tying lines and easing the lumbering airship down to their makeshift port in some ruins they’d spotted from the air. The engines slowly whined down, the enchantment on them to reduce the noise weakening from the long journey.

Whisper chewed on her lip. I’ll have to get Rigs and Clank to renew the spells. And I need to check on the balloon myself, look for any holes. Gotta visit the sickbay after that, see if I can help.

Quills cleared her throat. “You’re flying yourself ragged there, Whisper. You need some sleep.”

“Can’t sleep,” Whisper replied distractedly. “Hafta keep awake ‘til Skycrasher gets some shut eye. She’s slept less than either of us. I need to be here for any attack, too.”

“We’re not going anywhere for awhile, and you just put me in charge of the watch.” Quills put a hoof on Whisper’s shoulder. “Go visit the Professor, if nothing else. Rest.”

She shook her head stubbornly. “I’ll do that later. Right now, we’ve got a landing to make, and repairs to perform. Go make a list of the watch roster, please.”

Quills’ mouth formed a line. “You know, if you exhaust yourself like this, you’ll be of no help to anypony. Least of all Novell.”

Whisper winced as the last struck too close to home. “Quills, stop worrying. I’ll be fine. I’m tougher than any of us. I’ll handle it.”

“And you’ll get some rest soon?” she asked dubiously.
“Yes, I will. As soon as I inspect the balloon and the surrounding area.” Whisper sighed when Quills raised an eyebrow. “I promise, okay?”

The earth pony nodded. “Yes ma’am. I’ll hold you to that.” She moved off, calling to some of the nearby pegasi.

Whisper sighed again, rolling her shoulders. She’s right, you know, the traitorous thought came.

So am I, she argued with herself, and stamped a hoof to shake the cobwebs away.

The jungle canopy rose above the sides of the airship. Whisper stretched her wings and lifted off. She rose and began to inspect the balloon, searching for any holes or frayed edges in the cloth that covered the skeletal structure underneath.

Her mind fell into a buzz with the monotonous task. Her eyes moved across the surface, and she idly took note of any damage from acid or sharp harpy fang. She was so distracted, she didn’t realize she was about to fly into somepony until the last second.

“Whoa!” the stallion cried out, dodging her with a deft flick of his wings. “Watch out there, cap’n.”

Whisper’s face colored. “Er, sorry. I didn’t see you there…” She looked at him, recognizing him as the pegasus she’d saved— no, who she’d caused almost certain death a week ago. Dread shot through her, and she broke out into a sweat. “Oh… Weather Hazard. You’re… flying already?”

The dark blue pegasus smiled sheepishly and ran a hoof through his short, wild cyan mane. “Yeah… Professor Amber fixed me up. I really thought I’d never fly again, but she knows her stuff. I’m not supposed to fly long, though. Just wanted to look at the balloon.”

“Great,” Whisper worked up a smile she barely felt. It was my fault. “I’m glad you’re… back in the air.”

“Yeah!” He beamed, eyes alight, as if he didn’t notice anything amiss about her. “You know, everytime I see you, I want to say thanks. But I know that’d annoy you, so I don’t, since you seem like you’ve kind of been avoiding me.” He loooked away, and scratched his mane awkwardly before looking back up at her with another smile. “But I just want to mention it now. Er, I hope that’s not annoying of me to say. I mean, thanks. Um.”

Whisper glanced away. I don’t deserve your thanks. “It doesn’t annoy me. I know I’d…. be doing the same thing if I were you. Just stay…,” she looked back at him, “healthy, okay? Take a rest if you need to.”

“Um, yeah. Thanks. I mean, yeah, I will. Thanks for worrying about me and all. Uh. I’ll just go over here now. Er, the deck, I mean.” Hazard coughed into a hoof and flapped away. “Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah.”

That was cute, Whisper thought to herself absently, and then immediately felt sick.

Cursing herself, she got back to work with renewed determination. She’d find every damaged section if it took her the whole day. 

Nopony else can get hurt because of me.


*****


The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon when she finally walked with heavy hoofsteps into the medbay. Her wing muscles were aching from flying all across the ship to direct the repairs, and when she had talked to Rigs and Clank about the engines, she’d asked the two unicorn mechanics to repeat themselves several times after falling into a daze.

And now I’m here, talking to all the injured, Whisper thought to herself. She stifled a yawn and waved goodbye to the penultimate patient she’d come to see.

When she spotted Quills and Amber, she yawned and waved.

Quills stared at her hard, the corner of her mouth turned down.

Guilt flooded through her mid-yawn. Uh oh.

A clearly fake smile appeared on Quills’ face, and she turned back to her mother.

“And you know what the Professor did? He looked at me, and said ‘That’s not important! Look at what I found!’” Amber puffed out her cheeks and frowned. “And I yelled at him! He’s always so oblivious to everything, and I was so worried about him! That trip was actually the time I met your father, you know, in the capital of Dromadary.”

Quills rolled her eyes. “You’ve told me this story before, mom.”

“I know, but it’s fun to retell. Keeps the memory sharp,” Amber teased as she shook a bottle of medicine. “And being in Dromadary brings back all these memories of when I was an adventurous little mare like yourself.”

“Some of us are a little too adventurous,” Quills said barbedly.

Whisper winced and faked a chuckle. “Haha.. ha… yeah, that sounds like Professor Search, all right. He always tells you what you need to know just after you already find out from experience, too. Like with the Dazies, when I first met him. That was confusing, let me tell you. I’m just lucky Swirley was there, or I would have been out of it for days.”

“If only we had some now,” Quills muttered just loud enough for Whisper to hear.

“I’m sorry, okay?” Whisper hissed.

“Mmm,” she hummed.

Unaware of the exchange, Amber looked up at her mane where Swirley was resting. “Your snail is quite the interesting character. He seems to have also grown quite fond of me. I must say, it took some getting used to, what with his slime in my mane, but it just goes away!”

Swirley opened his eyes, blinked twice, shifted his shell through blue and green, and then closed his eyes again.

When Amber raised an eyebrow, Whisper translated, “He says he cleans up after himself quite well, thank you very much.”

“What a dear,” Amber replied, gently patting Swirley’s shell. His shell shifted to a pleased burnt-orange.

Their merry mood was interrupted by a coughing fit from the curtained-off section beside them where the Professor was resting. Amber immediately got up and disappeared behind the curtains, her face suddenly like a mask.

Whisper followed her, worry eating at her stomach like a worm in an apple.

“Here you go, Eduardo,” Amber said to the Professor as she lifted a glass of herbal tea to his mouth. “Careful now.”

The Professor sipped weakly at the cup, bags under his eyes. “I apologize… for not even being able to… lift my own teacup.”

“Now, now, it’s quite fine,” Amber replied, tutting. “Just get better. We’re almost to Dromadary.”

Professor Search winced as another coughing fit overtook him. “Dromadary… ah, but this is where Amber left me… such a promising student. You remind me of her.”

The words sent a shot of adrenaline through Whisper’s tired body. It’s like he’s not there anymore…

Tears began to sting at the corner of her eyes, but she gritted her teeth against them. Have to be strong. For Quills. For Amber. For me.

Amber just smiled gently at him, belied by the sorrow etched across her face. “I’m sure she’s a nice enough pony.”

“She was, indeed,” the Professor closed his eyes, lying back on his pillow. “Dromadary… you know, I recall a… flower with medicinal qualities. Quite… remarkable, it was. I wonder what it was called…”

The unicorn fell back into a fitful sleep.

Whisper left, almost running into Quills, who had brightened up considerably. “Whisper! The flower! I know what he’s talking about!”

“What?” Whisper frowned. “What about it?”

“It’s a pancea of sorts. Well, mostly just for venoms and poisons,” Quills rattled off in an aside, “but the plant! It grows here, in the jungles of Dromadary. It’s native!”

“Would you be able to recognize it if you saw it?” Whisper asked excitedly, a surge of hope springing to life within her.

Quills brought a hoof to her head in concentration. “Yes… yes I would. There was something else, though… I can’t seem to remember. Scrolls was reading about it to me, so it’s not as clear as something I would have seen…”

“We need to find it. I’m sure the rest will come to you when we do,” Whisper replied, already putting together a list of able-bodies pegasi. “First, we need something to carry it in. Is it milled? Tea? I’m sure you’ll know. Who to bring…”

“Whisper, calm down. It’s dark right now. We can’t go out and look for it until daylight,” Quills said forcefully. “That’s something I’m sure of. Something about looking for it at night seems like a bad idea, and not just because of the harpies.”

Frowning, Whisper glanced back at the Professor’s curtain, where he was coughing in his sleep again. She could hear Amber’s tender murmurings, too.

Sleep. Just like that, the exhaustion of the day came crashing in on her all at once. Whisper weaved unsteadily, and balanced herself with a wing against the wall. She raised a hoof to her head.

“The Professor needs it, though…”

Quills grabbed her gently by the shoulder. “You need to sleep, Whisper. Get rested and ready for tomorrow. We’ll find it then.”

“Tomorrow…” Whisper repeated dully. She woodenly walked with Quills’ guidance, and fell asleep immediately after her head touched the cloud hammock.


*****


The next morning, Whisper gathered a group to search for the flower in the large, open clearing that the ruins occupied in the middle of the jungle.

Rigs and Clank had volunteered immediately, since they'd finished what repairs they'd needed the day before. 

"Just waiting on the balloon to be deflated and re inflated with a new batch of gas to test the seal," Clank had said with a vwoosh of steam from his mechanical leg. "Might as well help."

Along with the two engineers, Skycrasher had volunteered to go, and with Quills to round out the search party, they set out from the landing site.

"So what exactly are we looking for? 'Flower' isn't exactly the clearest description," Skycrasher asked sardonically. She gingerly stepped over debris from a broken pillar, her good wing held out to balance her.

Quills wiped the sweat from her forehead before answering. "It's a flower with a long, yellow stem and huge, white petals the size of a hoof. The stamen are red, so they stick out."

"Easy enough," Rigs said, and readjusted his hat so the bill was behind his head as they entered the jungle proper. "Hope we find it soon. This jungle gives me the creeps."

Whisper looked around the clearing they'd set down in, the ruins of some ancient civilization decripit and run-down. Moss and vines covered the stone, and she thought she saw some designs of an animal with a large hump on its back on the broken walls. The figures looked like they were surrounding a faded bipedal figure.

Camels, I guess, and a god? A troll? she thought and flapped into the air. "I'm going to take a look around from above. Which direction are we heading?"

"This jungle's a big place," Skycrasher replied, squinting her uncovered eye. "I flew over it once or twice as a courier for the princesses. It goes on for miles. Best place to look would be straight ahead, unless there's some special place this flower grows. Quills?"

Quills chewed on her lip, and furrowed her brows. "The flower's usually around a tree of some kind. The tree... something about the tree is unusual. It grows near... game trails, I think."

"Can't exactly see those from the air," Whisper complained, falling back to the ground.

Skycrasher used her wing to move vines aside. "You should go up every now and then to keep an eye on the airship. Make sure we don't get lost."

"This ain't a place I'd like to get lost in, that's true," Clank replied, rubbing his stubbly chin. "Jungle cats and all kinds of snakes live here. Who knows what else comes out at night, too. Heard of trolls happenin' upon couriers who slept on the ground 'round these parts. Never pretty."

Whisper cleared her throat. "Well, we aren't staying here that long, anyway. We'll find the flower and get out of here in two shakes of a tail feather."

Contrary to her opinion, hours were beginning to pass by as they searched for the flower. Several times, they'd happened upon game trails, but each time they'd ended without much rhyme or reason, with no sign of the tree, or flower it was attached to.

Iguanas stared at them from the trees without sign of alarm, as if they saw ponies running through the jungle every day. Ants lined the ground and trees, carrying cargos of leaves or other insects. The smell of flora of all kinds blended into an unappetizing fragrance, and mosquitos were constantly swarming them.

Whisper irritably slapped one such insect away from her face, her fur matted with sweat. A second later, a fern slapped her in the face.

"Hey!"

Quills looked back apologetically. "Sorry."

"Forget it," Whisper muttered, rubbing her face where a welt was already forming. "I'm going to go look upsky, so take a rest, guys."

Clank's leg hissed with steam, accompany the engineer's weary sigh as he sat down. "I could definitely use one. All this exercise is doing me in."

"We could always brighten the day up with a song," Rigs replied with a knowing grin.

"Yes, Rigs," Skycrasher said as she sat down. "Do sing, since you've so valiantly volunteered."

Before the lanky unicorn could burst into a verse, Whisper opened her wings and rushed upward. She deftly avoided vines and branches, breaching the canopy.

Blessed wind caressed her as she flapped further up. She opened her wings to their full length, luxuriating in the feeling of the breeze. Closing her eyes, she sighed in contentment. She somewhat regretfully opened them a moment later, and searched for the balloon.

It wasn't hard to pick out, even at this distance. Specks of pegasi flapped around, re-inflating the balloon.

Manipulating the wind to carry long-off sounds, she closed her eyes and listened for any hint of harpy attack or alarm. 

“Waah!”

Whisper’s eyes snapped open, the sudden sound loud in her ears. She winced, and shook her head.

Wait, that didn’t come from the airship. She glanced down to where she’d left her companions. 

“Whisper!”

“Quills!” Whisper yelped, and immediately dove back toward the canopy.

This time, branches and vines smacked into her in her rush. They stung with each hit, but they were nothing compared to the injuries she’d received on the journey already.

“Rigs, Clank, get back!” Skycrasher ordered loudly.

Whisper flared her wings and impacted the ground with a loud thump. She surveyed the scene in a single glance.

Ahead, Skycrasher was standing, her wing flared out as if she were preparing to fly. Rigs and Clank stood beside her, their jaws slack as they stared at what was attacking Quills.

Huge vines were wrapped around Quills’ frail body, entwining around her legs and forehooves. The young mare was struggling against them, biting at the vines for all she was worth. But that wasn’t what drew Whisper’s attention.

Attached to the “vines”, which she realized were the thing’s fingers, was some kind of giant, wooden golem. Large holes chiseled out like eyes stood out near the top of its trunk-like body, nothing but shadows inside. Below them gaped another opening big enough to fit a pony inside. From that hole came a loud, savage roar. The way the hole didn’t move as it made the sound sent her skin crawling.

“What in the hay-flinging-seed is that?” Whisper yelled. She didn’t know where to start to free her friend.

“Mkodo tree!” Quills yelled, then squeaked as the golem-tree-thing squeezed her and roared again. “Head!”

Whisper glanced up at the thing’s head and glimpsed the white petals of a flower.

Skycrasher’s eye widened. “I’ve heard of them. They make meals of harpies and camels alike. Anything with flesh and bones.”

Whisper gasped at her, and glanced at the two unicorns before looking back at the golem-tree-thing. Maybe if they…

The image of Weather Hazard falling toward the ground, looking up at her with dead eyes and broken wings filled her head.

No.

She closed her mouth and opened her wings again, her mind made up. She rushed forward, right toward the monstrous golem.

“Wait, Whisper! We need a plan!” Skycrasher yelled from behind her.

“No time!”

Following her instincts, Whisper twisted around in mid-air, just in front of its face, and slammed her back hooves into it.

Thunk!

“Guh!” Whisper cried out, unprepared for the solidness of the golem’s exterior.

Another roar came from its unmoving maw, and its massive free hand swung toward her.

She flapped up, but not fast enough.

The topmost slab of vine slammed into her back legs, sending her into a front flip.

Pain radiated up her leg. The world flipped weirdly, and she hit the ground, hard. She gasped at the suddenness of it, stunned. Stars twinkled at the corner of her vision.

“Whisper! Move!” Skycrasher’s voice cut through the ringing in her ears.

Without thinking, Whisper flapped her wings. Her body lurched forward, just in time.

Behind her, the ground shook as the thing’s massive foot stomped down where she’d been. It roared again, this time in frustration.

Oh haystacks, she thought through the jumble of her mind.

She picked herself up and stumbled forward, her wings flapping enough to keep her upright. Shaking her head, she narrowly avoided a tree and finally snapped out of it.

“Up!” Skycrasher yelled.

Whisper followed her instructions again, wings straining. She looked down, watching as the slab of vines ripped through the tree below her, exploding splinters of wood through the air. A spike of wood slashed just below her hooves, catching in her tail and almost sending her careening backward.

“Get back here, now! Rigs, Clank, try to distract it!”

Out of range of the golem’s attacks, Whisper flapped away further, staring helplessly at Quills.

The young earth pony winced as the golem slammed the ground with its free hand and tried to ward away the bursts of exploding light the unicorns were shooting at it. Chunks of vine chipped off with each impact.

“Whisper, get on the deck and don’t move!” Skycrasher barked out, her eyebrows harshly furrowed.

She thinks I’m useless, Whisper thought. A lump formed in her throat, and she gritted her teeth as she sank to the ground.

Without waiting for a response, Captain Skycrasher flared out her good wing. “Rigs, I need you to pin it in place for a few seconds.”

“Can do, ma’am,” Rigs replied without hesitation.

“Clank, when I give the word, immobilize its hand. Copy?” The captain set herself closer to the ground and tensed her muscles.

Steam shot out from Clank’s leg as he shifted. “I’ll give ‘er all I got, cap’n.”

The golem, seemingly having enough, rushed forward and extended its free hand toward Clank.

“Now, boys!” Skycrasher yelled.

Rigs’ horn sparked and a wall of magical light intercepted the golem.

The wall vibrantly exploded into magical shards when the monster’s fist slammed into it.

Off-balance, the golem reeled backward and crashed against a massive tree, its grip still locked firmly around Quills.

A film of energy matching Clank’s horn suddenly appeared around the golem’s hand and immobilized it.

Before Whisper had time to blink, the captain vanished from where she had stood.

The golem screeched like a dying animal and its hand opened. Its wrist was a mess of slashed vines.

Quills fell to the ground, free.

Skycrasher hung above the creature like an angel of wrath, a snarl on her face as she pirouetted through the air.

Wind slid across Whisper’s sensitive wings less than a second later and showed her what Skycrasher had done.

The mare had flashed forward on just the wind from her single wing and slashed through the golem’s wrist with a blade of compressed air. 

Like tendons snapping in twain, the golem had lost control of its hand.

So fast, Whisper thought, shocked.

Time sped up again.

Skycrasher finished her spin on the wind of the slash she’d made, and she pivoted again to gather more wind for another slash.

The golem reacted instantly, seemingly unbothered by the condition of its hand, and brought its arms swinging into a clap toward the mare.

“Skycrasher! Watch out!” Whisper yelled, worry pounding her heart like a hammer against her ribcage.

Before she even finished yelling, two walls of brilliant magic appeared on either side of Skycrasher. They exploded outward in a shower of vanishing crystals when the golem’s two hands smacked into them.

Repulsed by the walls, the golem screeched again.

“Hyaa!” Skycrasher yelled and uppercutted with her wing.

Another blade of wind shot upward a split second behind Skycrasher’s wing, ripping through the golem’s left arm.

Ichor, thick and green, dripped like sap from the wound. Screeching once more, the golem thrashed against the tree behind it. 

The tree snapped under the thing’s weight and began to tip forward.

“Quills, move!” Captain Skycrasher ordered and followed her own command, too late.

Rumbling like a thunderstorm, the huge tree gained momentum. Before either the ponies or the golem could react, the tree crashed down on top of them. The impact sent a concussion of sound through the forest. Leaves rustled uneasily as the wind passed by them.

Silence.

Whisper’s pulse thudded in her neck. Her body was frozen, her eyes wide.

Dead.

“Quills...” she mumbled, unable to look away from where her friends had disappeared.

They’re dead.

“Cap’n!” Rigs and Clank both yelled. They rushed toward the tree, magic already gripping and grappling with the heavy.

I did this.

“No,” she whimpered and took a step forward.

My fault.

A flicker of movement in the corner of her eye drew her attention. She looked up at it. 

The petal of a flower drifted past her.

White.

“Whisper?” somepony asked from her left. Quills’ voice.

Whisper turned.

Instantly, relief crashed down on her like a waterfall. Tears sprang to her eyes.

Skycrasher winced and rolled her wing, unscathed save for her customary flight cap. The mare’s white mane poked through a tear in the leather. A white flower with a splash of red in its center was gripped between her teeth.

When she looked at Whisper, though, her eyes grew hard.

“Stupid filly,” Captain Skycrasher growled around the flower and turned away. “Come on, fillies and colts. Back to the ship. We’ve got what we came for.”