//------------------------------// // Chapter 53 – The Long Float Down // Story: Pokémon Eclipse // by moviemaster8510 //------------------------------// “Sam… Sam!” Hearing Starlight’s hooves on his ribs and her voice in his ear, Sam awoke with a start. “Sam, come on, you have to come down!” He reflexively matted down his bedridden hair. “What… am I about to sleep through breakfast?” “No! It’s Hau! He's on the line and we’re all talking with him downstairs!” “What!?” Sam flung himself out of bed as Starlight ran to the door, opening it up with her magic so that he could be the first to run out. Turning the hallways and rushing down the stairs, he spotted Alice, the Elite Four, and the Equestrians all gathered on the couches in the living room as a virtual screen floated up in the space between them, though hard to see due to the morning sunlight streaming through the windows. “And you don’t know where she is?” Acerola shouted. “Not a clue!” Hau defended. “We just knew she was taken when we saw her Reuniclus got left behind.” “Wait, hold up, what?” Sam ran into the room, standing between Alice and Pinkie Pie and obscuring their view. “Hey, down in front!” Alice shouted. As Sam sat down in the space between them, Starlight approached. “Yes, Burnet got kidnapped by Team Prism last night.” “No!” Sam gasped. “Are you serious?” “We’re afraid so,” Shining Armor interjected. “What’s worse is that Faba guy we faced yesterday? Chrysalis and the Prism leader both sprung him out.” “Damn… Was no one there to try and stop them?” “Apparently,” Hau explained, “Gladion and Nanu were both there when they attacked, and even they were no match for them! I barely survived my encounter with Dexio; just the thought of his leader being stronger than the both of them, even with this Chrysalis’s help gives me chicken skin.” Applejack huffed. “So great, Faba’s back on the loose and now our friends are getting kidnapped.” “We have to go save her!” Starlight exclaimed. “Hold on, guys!” Hau waved his hand before the screen. “We don’t even know where they’re keeping her, and besides, it’s probably safe to assume that they want us to scramble out even more so they can pick us off one by one.” “So what do you suggest?” Molayne asked. “Now that Team Prism has all their ducks back in a row, these kids and the Equestrians will be doubly vulnerable the moment they step outside this building.” “Right, so here’s what we all have planned…” “Wait, all?” Starlight cocked her head. “When did we agree to any kind of plan?” “I’m talking about Sun and Gladion. We talked a few hours ago after I was attacked and Faba got sprung from jail. Anyways, in a little bit, Twilight and her friends and I are going to be flying out of Heahea City and heading due east to Malie City. Whenever you guys are ready, we need you to head down there as well.” “And where are we all supposed to meet, exactly?” Rarity queried. “The gardens would probably be our safest bet. The ice-cream shop there would also be a good rendezvous point. You can’t miss it.” “Plus, ice cream!” Pinkie Pie squeezed her cheeks excitedly. “Glad we’re all on the same page then.” “But what about Burnet?” Alice asked. “We can’t just forget about her!” “And we aren’t. But right now, getting the Equestrians all back home is the most important thing here. Without them, Prism’s doomsday plan goes bust, and we can focus on rescuing Burnet then.” “What about Kukui?” Sam added. “Don’t you think he wants to be sure his wife is safe?” Hau glanced off to the side, having not forgotten him. “If he hasn’t already, I’m certain he’ll hear the news about the break-in at her lab soon. But I’ve known Kukui quite some time, and I’m certain that he’d rather us focus on getting the Equestrians home than trying to find his wife, and I’m doubly certain Burnet would say the same if she were here.” As Sam and Alice rubbed their knees, feeling guilty about having to leave her, Discord rolled up into a stance, stretching his limbs and yawning. “In any case, we won’t make much progress sitting around like a bunch of couch potatoes, insert me transforming into a potato tagline here, so if it’s anything to you, I say we make our glorious descent down the mountain and await the arrival of our friends!” He then noticed himself with his antelope hoof hoisted up on an automan while his lion’s arm held out an imaginary sword, all eyes in the room on the awkward sight. “Ehe… insert holding shiny sword with my red cape blowing in the wind tagline… here.” He then tapped his index fingers together, his ears hanging down. “Before we do anything…” Kahili sat herself up and brushed a few strands of fur off her pajama bottoms. “…these kids and creatures need themselves a hearty breakfast.” “Wait, you’re not going with?” Hau asked. “Unfortunately not. We have our own duties to manage here, but you needn’t worry. We won’t let them leave without offering some assistance.” Hau sighed in bitter acceptance. “I really wish you’d at least see them to town, but I guess you have your reasons. My group and I are going to get some grub as well before we head off, and we’ll still be a while before we land in Ula’ula.” “They should be off in no later than an hour.” “Okay, good. And in any case, thank you for letting them stay with you.” “Don’t sweat it,” Guzma spoke in. “These guys are all pretty cool in our book.” “Okay then. I’ll be taking off soon, so guys, good luck to all of you.” An eruption of thanks and farewells came from the group sitting around the room, leaving Hau to end his feed, the screen in the center fading away. Guzma then hopped off the couch and made his way toward the kitchen. “Well, we’ve got a few minutes before breakfast is done cooking…” He swirled his finger in the directions between Sam, Alice, and Starlight. “Say, you don’t have your Pokémon handy, do ya’?” The elevator doors both opened, Acerola and Guzma leading the way out before Sam, Alice, Starlight, and Lady could step inside the circular room with them, their Poké Ball belts wrapped around their waists. In the center of the space was a large cylindrical structure like a vending machine, ten rows and ten columns of discs behind the glass inside. Sam and Alice, instantly recognizing them, eagerly approached it with their hands on the glass. “Holy cow!” Alice gasped. “Every single TM must be in here.” “The ones available in Alola, that is,” Acerola explained, “but yeah, we hold a copy of every Technical Machine right here at Mount Lanakila. They’re mostly for archival purposes, but considering what you guys are up against, we thought it would be only fair to let you give your Pokémon the strongest moves they can possibly learn.” “This is amazing!” Starlight had her nose pressed to the glass. “Thank you so much!” “No need to thank us.” Guzma leaned up against a vacant spot at the machine, crossing his arms as he faced her. “We’d feel kinda’ crappy if we didn’t let you in on our own personal treasure trove.” “Hold on,” Sam interrupted, “you guys use these too?” Guzma and Acerola both laughed. “Of course we do, Sam. We all have to have our Pokémon in peak fighting form, right?” “I suppose…” “Well, I don’t think it’ll be too much longer until breakfast,” Guzma said, “so get out your Pokémon and let’s get learning, and I mean the cool kind of learning, not the kind you go to for the trainers school for squares.” “They have trainers schools?” Starlight eagerly asked. Guzma grimaced. “Sheesh, forget I mentioned it!” Sam brought out his Doublade from its Poké Ball first, and upon the Pokémon’s reflection appearing on the glass, a green, digital border encompassed it before the lights branched off and spread down to the floor and into the pillar of TMs. Sam, Alice, and Starlight were both in awe as the lights connected to a single TM space, the area around it and others lighting up. Sam saw as the spaces where several desaturated-brown TMs glowed, along with a couple silver colored ones, a dark-purple one, a black one, and a reddish-brown one. “It knows exactly which ones are compatible with any kind of Pokémon,” Alice sighed, still breathtaken. “This is insane.” “Well?” Acerola egged. “Go ahead and pick whatever moves he needs.” Sam looked upon each space faster than he could read them, overwhelmed with the choices and possibilities. Molayne, Kahili, Guzma, and Acerola stepped off the teleportation pad and headed toward the massive door to outside Mount Lanakila’s peak. Sam and Alice, both dressed and refreshed, were the next to appear and follow them, followed by the Equestrians and Lady one by one. Before they stepped onto the walkway to the door, the four trainers stopped and turned to face them, the rest of the group stopping to hear what would likely be their parting words. “Sam, Alice,” Molayne spoke up. “Could you please come to Kahili and I?” Sam and Alice approached them as they met them in the middle. Both went into their pockets and reached out to them, opening up their hands to reveal a Z-Crystal in each one. Molayne’s was a Steelium Z while Kahili’s was cyan blue with a three-feathered wing icon inside of it. Sam instinctively took Molayne’s crystal and Alice took hers, both of them admiring the gifts they had received before putting them in their pockets. “Just one last thing to help see you to your safe journey,” Kahili explained. “We’re all very sorry we cannot join you to Malie City, but we hope our assistance will be more than enough.” “I’m certain it is,” Alice assured her. “Thank you all for everything.” “Yes, this is excellent,” Sam said. “Thank you very much.” “Oh, you don’t need to thank us!” Molayne gave the two a wobbly smile as he scratched the back of his head. “You were all fine company, and we very much loved having you!” “Alright, beanpole, let me say one more thing!” Guzma slipped between him and Kahili, careful not to bump into either of them, still earning mild ire from Acerola. “Now, I don’t want to regret giving you all this help, so don’t make me hear on the news today about how you got attacked and had the ponies taken away from you, alright!?” “They won’t be alone!” Applejack said. “We may not have magic, and it probably won’t do as any good anyhow, but we’ll be fighting alongside them.” Lady loudly mewed in agreement, Starlight also motivated to nod. “It certainly won’t be a cakewalk,” Discord added, “and it’ll certainly be far less tastier than one, but this won’t be the first time I’ve saved my friends without magic.” “I think it’s safe to say that Prism stands no chance against us.” Despite the subtle signs of uncertainty in Shining Armor’s smile, it still appeared confident enough to put faith into. Acerola appeared glad, making her way to the door, which began to open to her approach. “Come on. Let’s get you going.” With the doors revealing the outside, the snow on the ground was blinding with the sunlight reflecting off of it, but there was none of it in the air, the sky nearly spotless except for a few cirrus clouds. Despite the otherwise beautiful view, the puffier clouds that rested a hundred-feet down still made Sam and Alice’s group wary as they stepped outside, fully understanding the treachery of their descent. “Wow,” Sam huffed. “We… got a ways.” “Oookay,” Rarity droned off. “Are there perhaps any speedier ways to get down so we get to the city by, oh, I don’t know, sometime this week?” “Can’t Starlight just fly us down like how we got to this island?” Applejack asked. Starlight charged her horn, targeting nothing in particular as she held her aura for a few minutes before relinquishing it, panting. “My magic has indeed come back quite a bit since the attack, but I’m not sure I’m strong enough again to carry all of us.” “And I’m not nearly as proficient in magic as Starlight is,” Shining Armor mentioned, “and Rarity even more so, no offense.” “None taken…” “We still have our Charizards,” Alice pointed to Starlight and Shining Armor. “You don’t think the two of you can work together to get the rest of you down?” “It’s just not worth the risk yet,” Starlight answered before turning to the other four trainers. “Can we at least borrow one of your Pokémon?” Pinkie Pie glanced up to a small speck in the sky, using her hoof as a visor to get a better look at it. With its large white wings and long bluish-green body, Pinkie Pie smiled at the potential ride she spotted. “Hey, what if we rode that thing down?” As she pointed at it, her friends looked up to the sky and quickly spotted it. Molayne let out a small chuckle. “You’re certainly way ahead of me, Pinkie Pie.” Sticking both ring fingers in his mouth and closing his lips loosely around them, he blew hard, producing a loud, shrill whistle that could be heard at least a mile in either direction. Hearing it, the creature from up above peered down and dove down toward them in a playful spiral. With an opening of its winged arms from beneath it, it immediately slowed itself to float down to the ground for everyone to see. It appeared to be a serpentine dragon with a long, swan-like neck, a very white fluffy tail and thick fur covering its wings. Its beady pink eyes were topped with very large yellow eyebrows, and its mopped white hair and lips curled to the shape of a moustache gave it a very charming and friendly appearance. Even with its roar that sounded like a big yawn, Sam, Alice, and the Equestrians backed away from it, being just as tall as Discord on his hind legs. “What is that?” Sam fished out his Pokédex and scanned it. “Drampa,” the Pokédex spoke up, “the Placid Pokémon. This Pokémon is friendly to people and loves children most of all. It comes from deep in the mountains to play with children it likes in town.” “In town, it says,” Sam repeated. “This thing is perfect!” Sam stepped up to it, and the Drampa bowed its head to give Sam a sniff. With its head close enough, Sam pet the sides of its muzzle with both hands, shuddering over the cashmere-like smoothness of its coat. “Wow, that’s soft.” Sam was suddenly surprised by the Drampa’s head moving up and gently nipping at Sam’s face with its lips, making him laugh. “Friendly indeed,” Discord rubbed his chin with his paw, amused. “We can fit a few of you guys up on here!” Alice walked over and petted the dragon’s neck, which it also seemed to enjoy. “Starlight, Shining Armor, can you manage yourselves?” “I…” Starlight’s smile grew wider. “…think we can! Girls, hold on!” “Wait, whaaAAA!” Applejack was lifted off her hooves along with Rarity and Pinkie Pie, the latter of whom let out a loud “weee” as she was plopped onto the Drampa’s back with her other two friends behind her. Before the others had time to get situated, Applejack felt something slither around her from behind that froze her stiff. It wasn’t until she saw Discord suddenly snake his way over her lap and then around to Rarity’s and then Pinkie Pie’s before gently hugging the Drampa’s neck that she relaxed herself. The ponies, Starlight especially, gasped fearfully as Discord’s fur stood on end as he squirmed painfully before his body relaxed once again. “Please… remember to keep my body table up and my body in the upright position before we take off.” Starlight looked immensely impressed, something Discord was quick to notice. “Don’t worry,” he panted, “I didn’t use that much magic.” Starlight smiled, feeling safe to do so. “Okay, so that does it.” Acerola looked to see that Drampa’s passengers were all firmly in place. “I assume one of you will know the way to Malie City?” Sam and Alice called out both their Charizards from their Ride Pagers, who stretched and yowled as they acclimated to the cold weather. “One of us will have their map,” Alice said. “I don’t think it will be too difficult.” “Good. Then we’ll see you off.” Acerola stepped back to rejoin her other three friends. “Good luck to you all,” Kahili bid. Guzma waved. “See ya’!” Sam and Alice mounted their Charizards as Lady mounted Starlight, both her and Shining Armor’s horns charging up. “Fillies and gentlefillies, prepare for takeoff.” Discord tightened his hold on the Drampa as it spread its arms and gave them a single flap, sending itself up. With its arms tucking back beneath it, it floated above the ground, waiting for Sam and Alice to lead the way. Sam tooled through his Pokédex’s map as he quickly found Malie City on it, tracing a line between it and their location with his finger. “Okay, bud, that way!” Pointing northeast, his Charizard stepped to face the direction of Sam’s finger. With a couple steps to the edge of a ledge, Alice’s Charizard closely following him, Sam’s Charizard leapt off with its wings spread out to glide down. The moment Alice’s Charizard chased after Sam’s Drampa sped off to follow them, Rarity and Pinkie Pie screaming as they fell. Charging both of their horns, Starlight and Shining Armor both levitated off the ground and flew off to follow their friends. Acerola and Molayne both walked to the edge, peering over as far as they could comfortably allow themselves to watch as their friends departed, passing through the blanket of clouds. Fizzlepop emerged from the doorway to her quarters and looked out to see a bright blue sky mottled with clouds. Walking over to the starboard, she looked out where the ship was heading, her smile growing bigger to see the spires of the city of Canterlot not too far from the horizon. “Morning!” Celaeno’s voice was loud enough that it made Fizzlepop jolt. Turning around, Fizzlepop was relieved to see the parrot captain in high spirits. “Morning yourself!” “Everyone else up yet?” Fizzlepop approached the quarterdeck and lowered her voice. “Not since I came up.” “Hmm, then you should wake them up. We don’t have much longer to Canterlot as you probably saw, and I’d like us all to depart the moment we cast anchor.” “I’ll be sure to. Any breakfast, or are we waiting until we get there?” “Yeah, when we get there. I gotta’ hand it to those ponies down there. Most of them look like they haven’t worked more than half their lives, but they sure now how to put out a good spread.” “Hehe, right.” Fizzlepop turned around, keeping Celaeno in the corner of her vision. “Yeah, give me a minute. I’ll be right up with every–” *ZEWPKKRKU* A green beam blasted into the back of the ship, exploding it out and throwing Celaeno off the quarterdeck and to the main one. “Celaeno!” Fizzlepop charged her horn and crown, her magic catching the parrot and floating her safely to her talons. “Are you alright?” Celaeno turned around to see much of the quarterdeck had been blasted away as well as a massive hole inside the wooden shed for the sails. “My ship! No!” Boyle burst out of the doors to the quarters with Mullet close behind. “Captain! We heard an explosion–” Both of them stopped and saw the damage that had already been done. “My word…” *zzZW* Another green beam shot up near the port, traveling at a speed nearly impossible to observe. Celaeno hissed with the realization that they were now under attack. “Get everyone up to the deck, now!” “Aye!” Mullet sped back inside the door just as another explosion rattled the boat, faltering their balances. “Boyle, go and see what’s going on below!” “Aye aye!” Boyle ran to a small pile of rope on the starboard side, quickly fashioning it into a knot that he wrapped around a hook on the outside. After tying the rope around his waist, he leapt off and rappelled down. Looking down on the ground, the sight he saw nearly caused him to lose his grip. Along with several more blasts of green magic shooting up all around him, dozens upon dozens of black insectoid equines with green porous wings were flying up at the ship. Boyle felt his grip on the rope tremble. “Holy–” *zzZEWP* A green beam struck and snapped Boyle’s rope, his eyes widening as he suddenly felt himself in freefall. With several desperate reaches for the other end of his rope, he flailed about as he dipped back toward the ground. As the horde below flew to him even quicker, he suddenly felt himself pulled up into the air and thrown back into the ship. Scrambling onto his back, he spotted Starswirl standing over him with the remaining Pillars behind him, Rockhoof and Flash Magnus equipped with their shovel and shield, respectively. “What are we dealing with then, Boyle?” Starswirl asked the still shocked parrot. Boyle did his best to get back on his feet quickly. “Changelings! Dozens of them!” “Changelings?” Capper ran onto the deck next, Skystar and two hippogriffs following him off. “I thought they got ran out of Equestria a long time ago!” “Nope!” Capper and Skystar both turned to the hippogriffs they heard just as they felt their necks squeezed and lifted up into the air. The others were fearstricken as they spotted a green-glowing horn on the heads of both hippogriffs, the glowing spreading over each of their bodies until they were revealed to be changelings themselves. Starswirl spun around and charged his horn, only for Skystar and Capper to gag louder as the aura around their necks brightened. “Let them go!” Celaeno demanded, pointing her sword at them. “You don’t frighten us,” the left one spoke. “The second we see your horns light up again and we choke your friends out, ya’ got it?!” Celaeno began to slowly lower her sword as the door to the quarters slowly opened, prompting her to strengthen her hold. “And put the sword down!” The right changeling tightened their grip on Capper. “Do you seriously want your friends–” A wooden life raft collided into the side of the changeling’s head, knocking it out and freeing Capper from its grasp. As Capper gulped in for air, he came to quick enough to see Spittle fling Grubber at the other changeling with her tail. With Grubber knocking it down, Skystar was also let go, coughing and gasping as she was helped up by Capper. “GYAHH!” The changeling thrashed about as Grubber furiously scratched and pummeled his fists into its face. “Get him off! Get him off!” As Grubber continued wrestling about with the changeling beneath him, he was unaware as the changeling horde outside the ship began to rise up into view, those gathered on the deck backing into each other to try and view the enemy as they surrounded them from every side and angle. “Well,” Flash Magnus said, “at least we know who tipped us off.” With a grunt, the changeling beneath Grubber kicked up with all its might, throwing Grubber off and sending him screaming overboard. “No, Grubber!” Fizzlepop bolted to where her friend fell, the changeling charging its horn to intercept her. “Out of my way!” Launching a bolt of magic from her horn, she blasted the changeling off the side, where it fell unconsciously down. Looking over the side with her horn still charged, she saw Grubber about to fall into the changelings at the bottom of their spherical formation. As she tried to concentrate on him to catch him, Starswirl shot a magic beam off the portside. Halfway between the ship and the awaiting changelings, the beam separated out into a wall that curved itself around to form a shield, quickly spreading around to form a ball. The shield formed beneath Grubber, allowing him to fall on it and roll safely to the bottom. Grubber looked through the translucent white shield, watching the changelings on the other side of it all charging their horns to attack. As the first beams were shot out, Grubber looked to the side to see the shield still not fully sealed yet. “Guys, hurry!” he shouted. The changelings on the starboard side had shot out their attacks, leaving just a small window left for some to get through. As the first beams got close, the shield finally closed, the beams striking the shield en masse. Starswirl buckled as every single beam that struck his shield caused it to flash, the aura on his horn growing unstable and slowly weaker. Below, Grubber was bounced and shaken about as the changeling’s beams hitting the shield thrashed it about. Fizzlepop, looking back and seeing Starswirl faltering, shot her gaze around to anyone she could. “Someone, please save Grubber!” “Don’t worry, I got him!” Skystar galloped off and dove off the port side, whooping in exhileration as she fell. Suddenly, the hoofsteps four more hippogriffs made their way up the stairs, arching their stances to prepare themselves to attack the Pillars and their group. “Dang,” Capper spat, “you’re with them too?” “Nothing personal. Well, that personal at least.” The blue hippogriff revealed its horn with a flash of magic, followed by the light unveiling the rest of him as the other three did the same. “If the rumors we’ve heard are true, you guys are literally Equestria’s last line of defense.” “What?” Celaeno gasped. “But what about–” “Twilight? Her Ponyville pals? Yeah, they haven’t been seen for days. Went missing, apparently.” “No…” Fizzlepop shuddered in her breaths. “What have you done with them!?” “Nothing, surprisingly!” the changeling two from their leader’s right responded. “We just figured that with them suddenly out of the picture, we can actually successfully take over Equestria this time!” “Not if we can stop it!” Fizzlepop shot a ball of magic at the changeling, who readily blocked and imploded her attack with a shield spell of theirs. The leader and another changeling charged the group, Rockhoof, Flash Magnus, and Somnambula ready to intercept them. The final changeling faced Capper, whose side was joined by Boyle and Mullet. As the changelings outside continued blasting away at Starswirl’s defenses, his magic wavered enough to let open a few holes in the shield. Mistmane gasped and saw as several changelings nearest them flew at them, and with a charge of her horn, she touched hers with his, the shield mending itself and retaining its perfectly round shape. Stygian rushed in as well, and with the small amount of aura he could conjure he added his strength to theirs. The few changelings that made it through dove down to attack the remaining crew members. Celaeno broke from her group as Spittle and Squabble ran to reinforce her, ready to swing her sword at two changelings that buzzed toward her direction. Skystar flew back up from the starboard side with Grubber in her grasp. “Hey, Tempest– I mean Fizzlepop, I got–” A changeling drilled Skystar in the back, causing her to let out shrill screech as she was thrown down to the deck while hugging Grubber tight. Galloping to her, Fizzlepop helped Grubber and Skystar up as the changeling, along with two others, were ready to attack them. Rockhoof swung his shovel at the lead changeling, who deflected it amply with a small shield spell. In their distraction, Somnambula mounted the changeling and pulled the cloth from her head over his eyes. The changeling to their right bucked Somnambula off, allowing Rockhoof to swing his shovel into its head, knocking it out before its body hit the ground. With the lead changeling still blinded, Flash Magnus jabbed the tip of his shield into its forehead, rendering it unconscious. “Bet you wish you won that bet last night, huh?!” “Flash, please!” Somnamula kicked the left changeling in the side of the leg, making it buckle to the ground before she spun herself back to her hooves, knocking it unconscious in the process. “Is this really the time?” She turned around to face another changeling that came up behind her. Boyle and Capper both charged at their changeling, who shot a magic blast at Capper, only for it to deflect off Boyle’s hook hand. Capper swung onto Boyle’s arm and kicked the creature up into the jaw. As the changeling landed on the back of its neck and rolled to the floor, Mullet was quick to mount it and lock his arms around its neck in a sleeper hold. “Shh shh shh shh shhhh…” Mullet maintained his hold until the changeling began to struggle less and less before it eventually became still. Celaeno swung her sword at an airborne changeling, and it blocked the blade with the side of its hoof. Attempting a jab, the changeling caught the tip of the sword in one of the narrower holes in its hoof, and with a twist of its wrist, the sword was wrenched out of Celaeno’s hands and clattered down the deck amid the chaos. Regardless, the parrot captain put her fists up and awaited the changeling as it darted at her. Before the attack could connect, Spittle leapt up and swung the end of her tail into its face, knocking it off course. Squabble chucked his raft out at the one of the other changelings, directly hitting its head and pinballing it into the face of the other, sending both to the ground. With the changeling that Spittle hit quickly recovering, all three parrots turned to face it. “Celaeno!” Mage Meadowbrook weaved around Starswirl and Mistmane and dodged a magic blast from a changeling to slide down and grab Celaeno’s sword in her teeth. With a whip of her head, she tossed the sword so that Celaeno could catch it by the hilt with the blade running along her forearm, blocking the hooves of the changeling as it pushed its way forward. With the blade once again latched into the holes in its hooves, Celaeno raised her sword up, bringing the changeling up and exposed its stomach, giving her an open spot deliver a high jumping kick into its gut, knocking the wind out of it. Fizzlepop shot a ball of magic at one of the changelings, only for them to deflect it back into her head, making her yelp out. Skystar responded by grabbing the creature by the shoulder and sending it up to the ceiling of the sail-shed, slamming it into it. She then tucked her back legs in and pressed them into the changeling’s body before pushing off of it to divebomb on a second one. Fizzlepop grabbed the third changeling in her magic grasp, which began to sparkle violently before she threw him into the wall, breaking the wood and knocking it out. Grubber looked to see Fizzlepop’s horn begin to crackle as she tried to ease her magic down. “Fizzlepop, be careful! Don’t lose control!” She, Grubber, and Skystar were all interrupted by the second changeling, who weakly chuckled as it picked its head up to face them. “I don’t think it’s her magic you should be worrying about…” Once it fainted, the three of them looked as Starswirl, Mistmane, and Stygian swooned, their strength quickly depleting. Finally, all of their magic faded out as they sunk to the shins of their forelegs, unable to keep the spell up. “Oh no!” Tempest’s eyes trembled with worry as the changelings outside, realizing the barrier had been broken, all engaged in a mad charge at the ship at once. Frantically looking about in all directions, she charged her horn, Grubber and Skystar looking worried as the jewel in the crown cracked in expansion like ice, the magic around it growing more unstable. “Fizzlepop!” Skystar exclaimed. “What are you–” “Everybody duck!” Fizzlepop’s command was so forceful that each one of her friends turned to see her magic as it grew close to exploding. Without any more hesitation, each pony and parrot, as well as Skystar and Grubber, got as low as they could. With a shout, a disk of crackling energy blasted out around her, the edges slicing through the supports between the ship and the sail-shed. As it spread out, bolts of lightning shot out from it at each changeling the disc spread above and below, the lightning chaining itself to each nearby changeling until they were all struck and zapped like flies. No one else could pay attention to the spectacular spell as they suddenly found themselves floating off the floor of the ship which, like them, began plummeting to the ground. As Flash Magnus, Somnambula, and Skystar balanced themselves with their own flight, they looked about them as the other struggled to keep still as they lost direction of their fall. “GAHH!” Capper shouted. “This isn’t the way I wanted to go!” “Somebody help us!” Grubber screamed. Fizzlepop looked about at the friends she had just doomed, closing her eyes with her tears falling up and awaited the end. Starswirl and Mistmane, who had paddled themselves upright, began to charge their horns and cast their magic around the entire ship. Everyone’s fall began to outpace the ship's until gravity gently sprawled them down on the slightly tilted deck. Celaeno, on her stomach, watched incredulously as Starswirl and Mistmane strained with all their might to catch the ship before it collided into the earth. With a groan from the supports inside the ship, it began to tilt itself upright as it began flying forward toward the ground. “Everyone!” Starswirl shouted. “Brace yourselves!” As well as they could, the entire group made their way to the center of the ship, getting in a line. Passing just above a forest, the ship was only a few stories from an open field, and with a grunt, Starswirl and Mistmane dropped the ship steadily enough so that the bottom hit the ground and run along it. On the initial hit, everyone bounced up from the deck and back onto it hard. With the deafening noise of the ground being thrown up from the earth adding to the harrowing landing, Capper, Spittle, Boyle, Mage Meadowbrook, Grubber, and Fizzlepop screamed for their lives. Faster and faster, the ship slowed down hard enough to begin pushing everyone to the back to the bow. After what felt like a life-threatening eternity, the ship finally lost the speed to continue sliding. Celaeno was the first to get up, surveying as her crew and passengers all writhed about, still sore from their landing. “Is everyone alright?” Somnambula, Flash Magnus, and Skystar landed on the deck, trotting around and observing everyone as they slowly got to their feet, hooves, and paws. “Looks like it!” Skystar cheerfully cried out. “Let’s just not try and do that again, okay?” Spotting Fizzlepop as she saw to Grubber’s well-being, she angrily approached her. She then noticed as her sails, still slowly falling down from the sky, were joined by every single changeling hit by Fizzlepop’s spell. She couldn’t, however, continue ignoring the once proud sails as they limply and pathetically tumbled down to remain forever grounded. “No… My ship…” Clutching her fist, Celaeno let two tears fall from her eyes. “Not again…” “Other than the sails…” Starswirl tiredly approached Celaeno with Mistmane by his side… “and the damage the changelings did on the stern… your ship isn’t entirely destroyed. I’m certain Fizzlepop had that in mind when she cast her spell.” “And my crew?” She sounded equally as concerned as she was vengeful. “What would have happened to them if you didn’t have the strength to catch us?” “We told you, we’re all fine,” Mullet assured her, approaching her with the other three crewmates. “If it wasn’t for her, the ship would have been completely destroyed…” Spittle looked to Fizzlepop with reverence. “And us with it.” “I think you can see why we like her so much now,” Flash Magnus said. “And I can say with full confidence that we’re all lucky to have her,” Rockhoof added. As Fizzlepop got Grubber to his feet, she attempted to get up herself, only for Capper to offer a helping paw. “Nice work, Fizz.” “Yeah, way to go, Fizz!” Skystar patted her back. “You know, I like that name way better than your other two!” Smiling, Fizzlepop put her hoof on Capper’s paw and pulled herself to stand. “You aren’t too badly hurt, are you?” “Eh, I think you know I’ve been through worse,” he said with a wink. Fizzlepop huffed a chuckle as she turned to face Celaeno, who approached her slowly. Nervously, she glanced away. “Celaeno, I’m so sorry about your shi–” Celaeno clutched her neck and pulled her close for a hug. “Thank you for saving my crew… and my ship. You have my deepest respect.” Elated, Fizzlepop put a single arm around Celaeno’s back, comforting her as well for the loss she still endured. As Celaeno pulled away, she looked down on Fizzlepop’s crown, noting the unsightly cracks. “Uh…” She ran her taloned hand over the surface, Fizzlepop also feeling the fractures. “We can fix that at least, right?” “Not here,” Starswirl said. “I’m sure we can get it mended when we reach Canterlot.” “What!?” Grubber and Capper both yelled at once. “How far away even is that?” asked Grubber. “Not far.” Fizzlepop turned to the direction of Canterlot, unable to see its spires. “It will be a farther journey, but we should make it before nightfall.” “I mean… we’re at least getting something to eat, right?” “We’ll bring whatever essentials we can salvage,” Celaeno said, “but we can’t stay long. I don’t know how well that spell of hers worked, but we can’t trust that it kept those changeling’s down.” “Then we haven’t a moment to lose.” Starswirl used his magic to gather several ropes that had been scattered over the deck. “The sooner we get to Canterlot, the sooner we’ll be out of harm’s way.” “And to get a nice, hot meal,” Mage Meadowbrook added. Grubber sighed blissfully at the idea. “Yeah, now you’re talking my language.” Boyle and Mullet were the first to take a rope, followed by Capper, Mistmane, and Skystar. As they got to work tying and securing their knots, Celaeno walked up beside Fizzlepop as they watched them go to work. “So… I guess we’re even then?” FIzzlepop coyly pondered. Celaeno smirked, knowing she didn’t even need to ask.